Message Notes

(I) OUR LIFE ON EARTH

1. Prayer of king David

“LORD, make me to know my end,
And what is the measurement of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
Indeed You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapour” Psalm 39:4-5

2. Prayer of Moses

“The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labour and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away…
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:10, 12

3. Observations common to both texts

a) Frailty of Life

b) Brevity of Life

c) Prayer for wisdom

i) To comprehend

ii) To make appropriate responses

(II) MORE THAN A PROPHET

1. Destinies

a) Sometimes predicted (as in the case of John the Baptist)

“You child, will be called a prophet of the Highest” Luke 1:76

b) Sometimes discovered (as in the case of Queen Esther)

“Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

2. Distinctive commendation

a) Of greatness of ministry

“For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist…” Luke 7:28

b) Of greatness of faith

“I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” Luke 7:9

(III) SPIRITUAL GREATNESS

“He who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he…” Luke 7:28

1. Man’s Understanding of greatness

“You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.” Mark 10:42

2. God’s design to achieve greatness

“Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
And whoever of your desires to be first shall be slave of all” Mark 10:43-44