Sermon | The Value of Being Nobody | Season of Easter Week 5

About this sermon

Emily Vermilya - John 3:22-30 & Matthew 6:1-4. Much like John the Baptist's disciples, we live in a culture that encourages us to vie for status and public renown—to broadcast our accomplishments widely and make known the great things we’ve done. Consequently, our perceived value and worth is often tied directly to the titles we’ve been given and the accolades we’ve received. But this mindset breeds a spirit of competition and self-centeredness; and we, like John’s disciples, can lose sight of our primary purpose and calling to “prepare the way of the Lord.” In the example of John the Baptist, we find the embodiment of Jesus’ teaching on doing good deeds, not to be acknowledged and praised by others, rather for the sake of the greater Kingdom. This requires the great discipline of hiddenness and an intentionality in elevating others, specifically Christ, before ourselves: “He must become greater and greater, and (we) must become less and less.”

Topics

• Easter
• Christian Living