Sermon Central
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Humility: The Toughest Challenge Series
Contributed by Mike Quinn on Jan 18, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: As believers, we are called to serve one another in humility. How do we do that? What does that look like in our day to day lives?
Humility…The toughest challenge
“The Amazing Race”
Phil 2:1-11
If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. C.S. Lewis
Phil 2:1-11 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
How do I learn serve you with humility?
1. I allow humility to flow out of my new life.
(v.1) If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Eph. 1:11 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living,
How do I learn serve you with humility?
2. I choose to be concerned for all the teams in the race.
(v.2) …then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
“The clarion challenge of the New Testament is crystal clear. As followers of Christ we are now all called into ministry, all gifted for ministry, and all priests of God in ministry.” (1 Pet. 2; 1 Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4)
How do I learn serve you with humility?
3. I treat others like they’re better than me.
(v. 3) Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
a. It’s not about position.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped…
b. I serve wherever I am needed.
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
c. God reveals his plan as I run in obedience
(v.8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
How do I learn serve you with humility?
4. I give my whole self for the ministry needs of the team.
7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.
a. It’s hard to make ourselves nothing.
b. I will always seek to replace myself well.
c. The more ministry hurts me the more powerful it is.
…became obedient to death—even death on a cross!
1 Peter 1:7 These (painful trials of ministry) have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. NIV
How do I learn serve you with humility?
5. I am deeply blessed so I can bless deeply.
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." NIV
