“Nice Guys Finish Last?” is a sermon I preached at Preakness Valley United Reformed Church in Wayne, NJ, in October 2010. The text is Mark 10:35-45.

Here is the MP3 audio (28:18, 26MB), and an excerpt:

We have a choice to make; Mark makes it very obvious. It’s so simple, and yet so difficult. The very natural human mission is to look for pleasure, not pain; for glory, not humility. And yet the paradox of Jesus’ message is that the joy is found in the pain, and the glory in the humility.

This is not something that we can do on our own. Dare I say it, but this was not something that Jesus could have done on his own. As both a man and the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus trusted his Father completely, and relied on the Holy Spirit. And we must do no less if we are to humble ourselves for the sake of the gospel and to become great in God’s kingdom.

Audio and text: ©2010 by Benjamin D. Giffone. Reproduction and distribution are permitted, providing that the author is properly credited and that no fee is charged.