Humility Series

Humility

Jeffery Anselmi / General

Core 52 / Humility / Philippians 2:5–8

Humility is much deeper than thinking low of yourself. Humility is about how we treat others.

INTRODUCTION

- What does the world around us value in people?

- Should what the world values matter to the followers of Jesus?

- What image comes to mind when you think of the word “humility”?

- Do we think of someone who lacks self-confidence, someone who doesn’t think much of themselves?

- Do we picture a person who never promotes themself and sits in the shadows of the background?

- Imagine walking into a world where the first become last and the last become first—where greatness is measured not by power or status but by the depth of one's humility.

- That's the radical invitation of Philippians 2:5-8.

- Here, we're called to adopt the very mindset of Christ, who, despite having every reason to exalt Himself, chose the path of a servant.

- Think about it: Embracing humility feels almost counter-cultural in a culture that celebrates self-promotion and the hustle to get ahead.

- Yet, it's in lowering ourselves that we find true elevation.

- Jesus didn't just talk about humility; He embodied it to the point of sacrificing His very life.

- In Jesus’s day, humility was perceived as a weakness.

- If you wanted to insult someone, you would call them humble.

- Jesus took the word and changed the perception of what it meant by properly defining humility.

- Humility is not about tearing yourself down; rather, it is about how you treat others.

- The word humility means to reach down to help someone in need.

- Jesus exemplified this trait.

Philippians 2:1–4 (NET 2nd ed.)

1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy,

2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose.

3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.

- You will notice that for Paul and Jesus, humility is not about thinking you are worthless; in reality, humility is about seeing how valuable you are to God and that you see even more value in others.

- Look at verses three and four again.

- RE-READ VERSES 3-4.

- MOTIVATION.

- TREAT OTHERS AS MORE IMPORTANT.

- People who are good leaders understand the principle of humility.

- Instead of trying to make themselves look good and leveraging their position and power for themselves, they use what they have to the benefit of those who are under them.

- In the long run, that becomes a win for everyone.

- Let’s see what it takes to display humility in one's life.

Philippians 2:5 (NET 2nd ed.)

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

SERMON

I. The mindset of humility.

- What mindset does one need to have to be able to have the trait of humility?

- What does that mean when Paul tells us we need to have the same attitude toward one another as Jesus did?

- The mind directs the behavior, so for one to be Christlike, it starts in the mind.

- The mindset Paul speaks of is the attitude with which Jesus approached His ministry.

- When the passage speaks of having the same attitude, the verb tense means always to keep having this attitude.

- In verse three, Paul contrasts people's typical mindset to that of Jesus.

Philippians 2:3 (NET 2nd ed.)

3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.

- Selfish ambition is the key.

- The basic idea behind selfish ambition is that it is ALL ABOUT ME, my wants, my desires, my way, and my rights.

- It is so easy to fall into this trap, and many people fall into it by thinking they are standing up for what is right.

- The Apostle Paul was an example of this before he became a Christian.

- The way Jesus treated others was with humility.

- Humility was an interesting word during the time of writing this letter.

- Humility had a VERY negative vibe in Greek culture and language.

- The word was used to denote someone weak and cowardly.

- In New Testament usage, the word was used to describe one who would stoop down to lift up another person.