In the passage before us, the disciples are jockeying for position, prestige, and honor. These are the apostles. Sadly, this happens in religious circles today. From the pulpit to the pews and from the jail house to the White House, the problem of pride persists. The lust of self-centeredness finds its fingerprints in every marriage, every family, every church, every community, every state, and every country. The world is aflame with this dangerous lust—the desire to be #1 for the glory of self. It can come in many names and many forms—self-love, self-ambition, self-promotion, self-esteem, self-worth, self-obsessed, self-absorbed, self-seeking, self-serving, self-interested. We can call it looking out for number 1, egocentric, selfish, pushy, thoughtless, or inconsiderate. It has been often quoted, “the world’s smallest package is a man wrapped up in himself.” Jesus has the cure for this epidemic of humanity. It is a cancer in the life of every person, and it needs a swift dose of the gospel to keep it at bay every day. The title today will be “The Cure for Self-Centeredness.” We will consider the following remedies 1) Preaching the Gospel to Yourself Daily 2) Practicing Putting Yourself Last and 3) Praising God for Others who are Serving Christ Through His Transforming Power. When we do these things, we can strive for excellence with our unique gifts and abilities to the glory of God and the good of others. |