September 7, 2025

Luke 22:24-34

The Upside-Down Kingdom: Redefining Greatness

Sunday Sermons

In a world consumed by wealth, status, and the pursuit of greatness, Jesus turns everything upside down. Luke 22 unveils a radical truth: true greatness isn’t about outshining others or chasing personal glory—it’s about humility, service, and deep heart transformation at work in the lives of believers, through God’s grace.

As the disciples bickered over which of them was greatest, Jesus modeled real greatness. Jesus walked the path to the Cross, showing how selfless service and even suffering can lead to God’s glory and the good of others. Join Pastor Jim as he explores how Jesus defined greatness, how it transforms the trials we endure, and calls us to a servant-hearted life, boasting in Christ alone.

Speaker

Jim Thomas

Series

The Gospel According to Luke

Go to Series

Scripture

Luke 22:24-34

Topics
Community Life Growth & Discipleship

Sermon Notes

Luke 22:24-34

The Upside-Down Kingdom: Redefining Greatness

Pastor Jim Thomas

1. God can do tremendous things through people who don’t care about who gets the credit.

“Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.”
T. S. Eliot

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”
Francis Chan

2. Jesus defines greatness according to humility and servanthood.

“Truly, humility is our greatest friend. It increases our hunger for God’s word and opens our hearts to His Spirit. It leads to intimacy with God, who knows the proud from afar, but dwells with him “who is of a contrite and lowly spirit” (Isa. 57:15). It imparts the aroma of Christ to all whom we encounter. It is a sign of greatness in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:24–27).”
Thomas A. Tarrants, President Emeritus of the C. S. Lewis Institute

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Galatians 6:14

“When it comes to servant-hood, you can never be too small for God to use, only too big.”
Warren Wiersbe

3. True greatness is not a competition; it’s a turning of this world’s values upside down so that Jesus gets all the glory.

“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others.”
C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

4. Sometimes the Lord allows us to be “sifted” for the purpose of developing spiritual depth and maturity in us.

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:30-31

“Perhaps you find yourself in need of fresh language for attributing greatness, and power, and glory to the God whom you worship in Christ. He is not only great but good — good in His greatness and great in His goodness. He is not only big, strong, imposing, indomitable, omnipotent; He is beautiful, attractive, stunning, compelling, glorious. He is the Majestic One, who delivered Israel at the Sea, and His church at the cross.”
David C. Mathis, Desiring God Ministries

Discussion Questions

  • How does the world define greatness? How does Jesus define it? How do we become truly great from a kingdom perspective? How is this different from simply being the greatest?
  • What people or things do we look to to validate our self-worth? How can we align our hearts to instead seek this from the only One who can give us an unshakable sense of significance?
  • Our quest for true greatness starts with servanthood. What practical ways to start serving right now, right where you are? What’s holding you back?
  • Unpack the paradox that Jesus prays for us even as He allows hardships into our lives. As circumstances crowd us, are we resting in the fact that while He may not choose to take away the hard things we face, He will give us something better — that these light, momentary afflictions will shape and mature us for eternity?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs

“Grace Greater Than Our Sin“ by Julia H. Johnston
“Our Great God“ by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell
“All My Boast Is in Jesus“ by Bryan Fowler, Matt Papa, Matthew Boswell, and Keith Getty
“Jesus Paid It All“ by Elvina Mabel Hall
“Hallelujah What A Savior“ by Philip Paul Bliss, alt. verse: Tommy Bailey
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690

Call To Worship: Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

Leader: I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!
People: Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God!

Leader: Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure.
People: Blessed is he whose hope is in the Lord, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.

Leader: The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations.
All: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Confession of Sin:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You this day, in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole hearts; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry, and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Grant to Your people pardon and peace, that in Your great mercy, we may be forgiven all our sins, and serve You with a quiet and contrite heart. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Classic Prayer: George Herbert, 1593-1633

Of all the creatures both in sea and land, Only to man Thou hast made known Thy ways, And put the pen alone into his hand, And made him secretary of Thy praise.

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