Moving Out In Humility Series

WHEN WE MOVE OUT, GOD MOVES IN! Part 1

“Moving Out in Humility”

(All my sermons use illustrations from Sermon Central and scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)

Several years ago I was the preacher of a church in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After I had ministered there for a while, I saw a need to have Revival and I asked my good friend Rick Dunn of Dallas GA. to come and share with us. A.K.A. “Bubba” was unable to come at the last moment due to a very critical health problem with his wife. The task fell therefore to me, to write a five part series of sermons on a moments notice, and I had NO idea what I was going to preach on. I decided at that moment that the series would be called “When We Move Out, God Moves In.” I wrote those sermons in haste, NOW, some 6 years later, I take the idea and attempt to re-write the series to fit our church.

I believe that everyone sitting in this room right now would love to have more of the fruit that God provides. They would love to have more love, peace and joy in their lives. They would love to be able to display more gentleness and self-control in their walk with Jesus. They would love to have more patience and kindness in their relationships with other people. And I believe with all my heart that these things happen, when we allow God to move in our lives. Now, many people have accepted Jesus, but the fruits of His Spirit are not very visible in their everyday walk, the question is WHY? I believe the answer is; there is NO ROOM for GOD. So many people today are so full of themselves that there is little to no room at all for God to work in their lives. I am praying that at the end of this five part series, we will see how we can become less that He might become greater. John the Baptist uttered those very words in reference to Jesus: John 3:27-30 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ’I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

Or in other words, each of us will only have what God sends us, John never claimed to be the Savior, the church belongs to Jesus, the church being the BRIDE and Christ being the Bridegroom, John is the one that attends Christ, he is the best man, and he is full of joy when he hears the voice of the groom. John says, I must become less that HE might become greater. OR, I have to get rid of ME in order to have more of HIM.

The lesson this morning is on HUMILITY. When we move out in humility, God can fill us with His Spirit. I want to use a story from the Old Testament to show the proper attitude to have before God. Now, I see one of the biggest problems we have today, is keeping a Humble attitude before our God. This problem with humility extends to all of us, preachers, elders, deacons, Christians of all kinds. We simply act as if we can handle all things on our own, as if we really do not need God. We want His blessings, mind you, but we are unwilling to do things His way in order to receive that blessing.

In the Book of Joshua, chapter 7, Joshua is taking possession of the land granted to Israel by God. Joshua has some men spy out some land and decides he need only send 2 or 3 thousand men to take the land, for with God all things are possible. However, the men get their butts kicked and Joshua shows us what it means to MOVE OUT! Look with me at verse 6 in Joshua 7: Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell face-down to the ground before the ark of the LORD, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads.

Joshua and the elders tore their clothing and sprinkled their heads with dust as signs of deep mourning before God. They were confused by their defeat at this small city, especially after their great victory only a short time before at the city of Jericho. You see after that victory, Joshua got kind of full of himself, instead of God and he forgot to consult God on a much smaller problem. It was after he was defeated that he decided to consult God. Josh 7:7-9 And Joshua said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! 8 O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? 9 The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?"