Thrive Week 3

This message confronts us with a radical truth: the kingdom of God operates by completely different rules than the world around us. Drawing from Matthew 20:25 and Philippians 2:6-11, we're challenged to recognize that while our culture measures greatness by strength, force, and power; the ability to impose our will on others, Jesus flips this entire framework upside down. He doesn't deny that the world operates through dominance and self-protection; instead, He calls us to something entirely different: 'Not so with you.' In Christ's kingdom, greatness is found in service, vulnerability, and self-giving love. The cross demonstrates this perfectly; Jesus, possessing all power and authority as God Himself, chose to make Himself nothing, taking on the nature of a servant and becoming obedient to death. Yet the story doesn't end with apparent defeat; it ends with resurrection and victory. This is the iron law of God's kingdom: love wins. We're invited to live this countercultural life not just in grand political statements, but in the everyday rhythms of our friendships, marriages, workplaces, and communities. The question isn't whether this approach 'works' by worldly standards, but whether we'll be faithful to follow Jesus, trusting that as we serve, sacrifice, and love, we're actually participating in the true transformation of the world.