Learn Humbly
One Month To Live (week four)
1If 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 God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature 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. – Phil 2:1-11
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. – 1 Peter 5:5,6 (NIV)
TODAY – is week 4 in our ‘One Month To Live’ message series. AND LISTEN – this is so much than a sermon series. IT’S – a radical and new way of thinking that is already messing (in a good way) with the lives of some people in this very room. THIS – past Friday night in our Challenge Group everyone shared how THE QUESTION - ‘what would I do If I only had one month to live…’ AND THIS BOOK – is really shaking up our world. IT’S – causing us to think about what really matters and lasts in life… AND – it’s taking us beyond merely thinking about - to actually doing what really matters. WE – talked about how this is a book we will go back and re-read, and spend more time on the ‘Make It Last For Life’ section.
I m convinced that this OMTL philosophy is going to be a tool that God will use to help us live fully the life Jesus bought for us on a blood stained cross. A life your enemy wants to steal, kill and destroy.
Quote – page 122,123
Prayer…
NOW – this weeks topic has been a really tough one for me. IN FACT – ever since I first looked into doing this series, the topic ‘Learn Humbly’ was one that I had a hard time getting my brain around and connecting with. I had no clue of where to go with this. ON – Wednesday morning at 9 am I only had 55 words typed (My average message is 5500 words). AND – Wednesday night as I taught my class on Key Principles For Understanding The Bible – I asked them to pray for me to figure out what I was supposed to say on Sunday. I told them if the message bombs – it would be all their fault.
ONE – of the reasons I struggled so much with this topic was because the PREMISE for this series is that Jesus is both the example and the model of the life we are created and called to live. REMEMBER – those 4 verses we began this series with back on March 30th?
We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
– Romans 8:29 (Msg)
God wants us to grow up… like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do.
– Ephesians 4:15 (Msg)
In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. - Phil 2:5
Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. – John 14:11
YEAH – I know it’s kind of CRAZY… BUT – the life God created us to live is just like the one that His Son lived when He walked this earth…
NOW – the fact of Jesus being humble was not the issue. I MEAN – the passage from Philippians 2 that I read earlier REALLY SPEAKS to that humility…
Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature 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!
God the Son (the alpha & Omega; the beginning & the end; the King of kings and Lord of lords, the prince of peace, the everlasting Father, the Mighty God) putting on flesh, becoming human, making himself nothing, serving, being obedient to death, humbling himself… God the son in the flesh is the VERY definition of humility.
I thought it would be helpful to give a definition of humility.
Humility is not about convincing ourselves or others that we are unattractive or incompetent. It’s not about beating ourselves up or trying to make ourselves nothing. Humility has to do with submitted willingness. It involves a healthy self-forgetfulness. Humility involves a Copernican revolution of the soul a realization that the universe does not revolve around us. Humility is the freedom to stop trying to be what we’re not, or pretending to be what we’re not and accepting what one writer calls our ‘appropriate smallness.’ (then He went to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them – Lk 2:51)
Submitted willingness, a healthy forgetfulness, a Copernican revolution of the soul, accepting our appropriate smallness.’ That sure sounds like Jesus. AGAIN – Jesus and humility, I get that. BUT – what about this idea of Jesus learning? I MEAN – He is the ‘all-knowing’ God in the flesh so why would he ever need to learn?
• Jesus learned what it was like to wear human flesh
• Jesus learned that obedience sometimes results in suffering, The Hebrew writer tells us in Hebrews 5:8 that, Even though Jesus was the Son of God, he learned obedience by what he suffered
• Luke tells us in Lk 2:52 that Jesus learned and grew like any other child, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. – Luke 2:52
• Jesus learned what it was like to create something with human hands. I MEAM – think about it…before time began Jesus created with just a word and now he stands by step father Joseph with a piece of wood in His hand learning to create with his hands.
OKAY – when we look at the life of Christ we see both learning and humility. YES – Jesus our (model, example, the one whom we see the intended shape of our lives) LEARNED HUMBLY.
BUT – what about us, is learning and humility a part of our lives? QUESTION…
1. are you a learner?
2. if not what keeps you from learning?
3. is it easy for you to admit that you don’t know something?
4. do you always have to be right?
5. do you struggle admitting when you’re wrong?
6. do you have a hard time asking for help with something you can’t figure out? do you have to always act like you know everything?
7. when something crashes and burns in your life, is your first reaction to blame other people and circumstances… OR – is your first response to accept responsibility for the part you played in the crash?
8. are you overly concerned with what you think people are thinking about you? Do you ever strategically let things slip out that make you look a lot better then you know you are.
9. in your relationships with others, is your primary focus on how they can benefit you or how you can pour life into them?
AGAIN – this is week 4 of our OMTL journey. A journey where we are diving deep into 4 principles that will empower us to live life FULLY! THE PRINCIPLES – we have dove into so far are: Live Passioantely… Love Completely.
WHAT - I’d like to do in our time remaining this morning is talk about 4 ways that you and I can make this principle of Learning Humbly a reality in our lives… ARE – you ready to dive in. THE – FIRST point in your notes is…
Learn From Your Struggles
Struggles, got any? I told my class this past Wednesday night. THAT WHEN – it comes to struggles, hard times and difficulties you’re either: in the middle of one right now, just got through one or are about to begin a new one. UNDERSTAND – that’s just the way life is. I MEAN – there’s no point in sugar coating. JESUS – certainly didn’t, on the way to the garden moments before His arrest Jesus gave His guys these 7 encouraging words (they are the last words He spoke before falling to His knees in prayer)… “in this world you will have trouble…” YES – I have overcome the word. AND YES – ‘in me’ you may have peace… BUT – in this world you will have trouble…
AND – Jesus’ half brother James put it like this;
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:1-4
YES – troubles, trials & struggles of many kinds are a part of this life and we need to learn from them will help us be humble.
IN – His awesome little book, ‘I Am Not But I Know I Am’ Louie Giglio talks about an 80 year old guy who found out that this world is full of trouble. FOR – 40 years (ever since he fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian and burying him in the sand) Moses had lived in the barren wilderness, struggling both to survive and to make sense of his life. “What am I doing here?” How did it end up this way?”
THEN – one day he wakes up and I am sure as he did – there was no rational reason to believe that this new day would be any different then the last 14,600 days. JUST – another dry dusty day stranded in the wilderness, tending sheep counting the days until this life of struggle comes to and end. BUT – he was so wrong. LITTLE – did he know that he was about to have an encounter with the Living God and everything was about to change. (BY THE WAY – what were you thinking when you woke up this morning?)
PUT – yourself in Moses’ sandals… I MEAN – He’s just chillin out minding his own business taking care of his Father in-laws sheep, listening to the latest tunes he downloaded onto his ipod. AS – he nears Mt Sinai he sees a bush burning. NOW – a bush burning in the desert, that’s really not that big of a deal, he had seen that hundreds of times before… BUT – the crazy thing was it wasn’t burning up. LET’S TURN – to Exodus 3:3 to see what happens…
So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am. (a very prophetic reply I might add… “here, I am”)
"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them… 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt…
13 Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ’The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ’What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ’I AM has sent me to you.’ " - Exodus 3:3-14
IN ENGLISH – the name ‘I Am’ translates into the verb to be. Or simply be. THEREFORE – God’s name is be. I Am = I Be. NOT – great grammar, BUT – powerful theology!
GOD – knew that it was imperative for Moses to know who he was – that He was I Am. ‘I AM’ – is the present tense, active form of the verb be. AS – God’s name, it declares that He is unchanging, unending, constant, always present, always God. GOD – was telling Moses:
• I AM – the center of everything
• I AM – running the show
• I AM – the same every day, forever
• I AM – the owner of everything
• I AM – the Lord
• I AM – the Creator and Sustainer of life
• I AM – the Savior
• I AM – more than enough
• I AM – inexhaustible and immeasurable
• I AM – God
DON’T MISS – the drama of this moment. IN – a heartbeat, Moses knew God’s name – and something more. HE FINALLY – knew his name. FOR – if God’s name is I Am, Moses name must be I Am Not. THAT’S – my name too. MY NAME – is I am not (and so is yours).
• I am not the center of anything
• I am not in control
• I am not the solution
• I am not all powerful
• I am not all knowing
• I am not calling the shots
• I am not holding it all together
• I am not the maker
• I am not the savior
• I am not God
QUESTION – are you going any through? That’s okay. LEARN – from them. LISTEN – one thing that our struggles, hardships and difficulties are intended to teach us is that we are not God. YES – there is God. YES – there is someone in control. BUT – it’s not us. BE – humble enough to admit that
ON – Day 17 of our reading, Kerry talked about how struggles are part of the GPS system in our lives that helps us find our way fulfill the abusnant life Godf wanst for us.
When God allows us to go through struggles, problems, and difficulties, we learn to depend on Him. We learn our limits and are reminded to look to Him for what we need most. As we learn to depend upon Him, He fills us with His power and His Strength. IF – we never had nay struggles or problems, we would never depend on God and would miss out on knowing what it feels like to have His power in our lives.
LEARN – from your struggles, learn that: “I Am Not But I Know I Am.’
• I don’t know how I’ll make it through this mess – but I know I Am
• This thing is too much for me to handle – but I know I Am
• I have no clue how to turn things around – but I know I Am
• My marriage is sinking and I don’t know what to do – but I know I Am
Learn From Your Failures
Failures, mistakes, sin – got any? UNDERSTAND – just as struggles, hardships and difficulties are a part of this earthy life… SO – are failure, mistakes and sin.
QUESTION – how do you respond when you fall? WHEN – you fail? WHEN – you stumble? WHEN – you sin? REMEMBER – the word of God is pretty clear on this… If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). AGAIN – how do you respond to your sin and failure? DO YOU – hide it? Ignore it? Pretend it didn’t happen? Justify it? Rationalize it? OR – do you learn from it?
HE – didn’t see it coming. HE – had climbed so high. Overcame so much. Fought and won so many battles. HE - stood his ground while others retreated. HE – loved God with all of his heart. HE – worship the Lord with all of his might. HE – wrote and sung hundreds of psalms of praises to God.
BUT – one spring King David was not where he should be (with his men in battle)… AND INSTEAD – he was where he shouldn’t have been, in bed with the wife of one of his officers. (And isn’t that when you and I usually get ourselves into trouble, when we are not where we are supposed to be). NOW – this sin of adultery (we read about in 2 Samuel chapter 11) would eventually lead to the cold blooded murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah.
HOW – did David respond to his sin? HE – did what you and I often do. He lied. He tried to cover it up. He ignored it. Tried to forget it. Justify and rationalize it.
Perhaps David said to himself - "My wives (he had more than one) just don’t understand me, or maybe Bathsheba told him she was unhappy in her marriage and that Uriah was not the man she thought he was when she married him...maybe David convince himself that what he was doing was really the right thing to do -- that this is really what God wanted him to do, after all God wants him to be happy, right?.... Yes maybe even he and Bathsheba played the song you light up my life that night, their favorite line being this, how can it be wrong when it feels so right! Who knows what went through David’s mind -- but people do get pretty inventive and rather silly at times when they attempt to justify their sin...
THE – bottom line is that David kept going through the motions as if nothing really happened. FOR – over a year he lived with His sin… THEN – God sent the prophet Nathan to the King to confront and restore him. AND IN – that restoration we see at 2 things we need to do if are to learn humbly from our failures…
Take Responsibility For Your Failures
LISTEN – until you admit and own your sins, mistakes and failures you are not going anywhere.
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” - Psalm 32:3-5 (NLT)
Look at Proverbs 28:13. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” When I admit my mess-ups, I get another chance. When I take responsibility for my failures and don’t blame other people, God forgives and I get another chance.
You know, we live in a society that plays the blame game all the time. It’s not my fault. I did this because they did that to me. It’s their fault. We blame everybody. We blame our husband or our wife or family members. We blame our company. We blame the boss. We blame everybody. But we have to look into the mirror and take responsibility for our actions. I have to admit my sins so that I can be forgiven. I have to admit my failures so that I can learn from my failures.
Let Go Of Your Guilt
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5
FOR – over a year David lived with his guilt.
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.
…without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.
A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed".
The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I’ve Yelled At My Brothers." Others I couldn’t laugh at: "Things I Have Done In My Anger," "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath At My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.
…When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.
An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t mattered now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared With About My Belief In Jesus." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.
I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?
Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.
"No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished!"
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
Learn from your failures, learn that: “I Am Not Perfect, But I Follow
Someone Who Is and He Has Forgiven Me.”
Learn From What You Don’t Know
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. – Proverbs 9:9
Learn From What You Don’t Know, learn that:
“I Don’t Know Everything But I Can Know More.”
Live For An Audience Of One
LISTEN - I believe that very real struggle that you and I struggle with the Living Humbly reveals a serious addiction in our lives. NOW – this addiction has nothing to do with chemical dependency or substance abuse. THERE – are no 12 step groups to help people fight it, and they aren’t any Betty Ford treatments that we can check into to detoxify.
UNDERSTAND – many people, AND maybe you are one of them suffer from what John Orteberg so rightly calls ‘approval addiction.’ LISTEN - many people live in a constant state of bondage to what other people think about them. NOW – this addiction takes many forms…
IF; we find ourselves getting hurt by what other people say about us, IF we get tick off or want to cry – when people express other than glowing opinions about us – we probably have it.
IF; we habitually compare ourselves with other people, if we find ourselves getting competitive in the most ordinary situations – we probably have it.
IF; we live with a nagging sense that we are not important enough or special enough, OR we get envious of another’s person success – we probably have it.
IF; when others are getting praised & complimented – we get mad, wish it was us they were talking about, OR we begin to feel like the praise other people got somehow devalued us – we probably have it…
IF; we keep trying to impress important people – we probably have it…
IF; we are even now at this moment starting to worry that someone might be thinking we are an approval addict – we probably have it…
NOW - being addicted to approval or disapproval is not the same thing as having a healthy appreciation of praise. Praise can be a good thing – IN FACT - the bible commands us to praise each other and scripture also tells us that praise at times can be a powerful motivator for good.
“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.” - Hebrews 10:24
LISTEN – what a sad world it would be if artists were never applauded, if home runs were never cheered, if children received no expression of wonder and amazement when they took their first steps, if no one even heard or received a word of encouragement…
NOW - Jesus the one whose life we are to imitate did not have this problem. –he most definitely was not an approval addict. CHECKOUT – what He said to the religious leaders in John 5:
I’m not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God’s love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms… You try to get praise from each other, but you do not try to get the praise that comes from the only God.
– John 5:41-44 (Msg,NCV)
JESUS – clearly lived for an audience of one… HE – was not addicted to the approval of other people. I think this is one of the keys that enabled Him to llearn humbly.
NOW - it generally doesn’t get much attention as a spiritual discipline, but it is one and is, in fact, recommended by Jesus himself. It is called the practice of secrecy. On the sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke of doing good deeds and making sure that no one finds out about them. His examples involved fasting, praying & giving of money. ‘When you give, when fast and when you pray – DON’T hire the University of Georgia marching band to make sure that everybody notices. “
NOW – in the literal sense this command is not to difficult for us to follow. I have yet to see anyone actually hire marching bands to accompany their fasting, praying or giving…
BUT – the point that Jesus is making is that we are all prone to try to impress other people – it’s part of our fleshly nature. NO – we don’t hire marching bands but. NEVERTHELESS – we do find ways to blow our horns at times; in order to get both the attention and approval of people.
THAT’S WHY – Jesus warns in Matthew 6:1;
“Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” Mt 6:1
Jesus says don’t do your acts in order to be seen by men… NOW UNDERSTAND – it’s not that we never want anyone to see us doing good deeds. IN FACT - just a few verses earlier in the sermon on the mount Jesus said; “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.”
BUT YOU SEE - it all comes down to motive, and the options are stark – Either we do things to be seen by others OR we do them in order to bring praise to God.
LET – me share 3 quick ways to practice secrecy in 2008….
#1;
Resign From Impression Management
IF - we think about it a lot of what we say generally includes a great deal of impression management. FOR instance – if we tell someone about a television program, we may preface our report with this disclaimer: “I don’t watch much TV, but the other night…” QUESTION – why do we do this? LISTEN – how much television we watch has nothing to do with what we are about to say…SO WHY do we throw in that information?
UNDERSTAND – this is merely an exercise in impression management. YOU SEE - we do it because we don’t the person we are telling it to – to think that all we do is just sit around eating bonbons and watching sitcoms. SO – we reel off a disclaimer to make sure the other person is thinking about us the way we want to be thought about.
PRACTICING SECRECY – means that we simply describe what we saw on TV without commenting on our viewing habits….
College students play the same game. The most common comment before a test – or after it has been graded and returned - is – “I hardly even studied for it…” QUESTION – why do students say that? They say it BECAUSE they want to make sure others know that a potential bad grade on the test is no reflection of their intelligence. AND – if they had really studied as expected – of course, then, their grade, would be much higher…
LISTEN – if we begin to listen for these kind of comments, we discover that attempting to control the way other people think about us is one of the primary uses that we put words to in contemporary society. YOU SEE – human conversation is largely an endless attempt to convince others that we are MORE – assertive/ or clever or gentle or successful then others might think if we did not – carefully educate them…
To practice secrecy is too resign from impression management – to saying things to try to win the approval of people…
The 2nd way to practice the SD of secrecy is to…
Do Good Deeds In Secret
LISTEN – the opportunities for practicing secrecy are all around. Pick someone in your life and immerse that person in prayer (I mean every day, for months, or maybe for the rest of 2008) AND – don’t tell anyone about it….
Make a sacrificial gift to a person in need – inside or outside the church AND – don’t tell anyone about it… Come and do something at the church and try not to let anyone know…
OW – let me make something clear here, when Jesus told us to do things in secret – he was NOT making a law that is binding for all times and all places. Jesus many times prayed and did things in public. Also King David – when they were preparing to build the temple – went into great detail about how much he was giving, and one result was that other people gave generously as well…
UNDERSTAND – what Jesus is doing here is giving some good advise to people who had a problem that could seriously hinder their spiritual progress.
IMAGINE – the impact of 100’s of deeds done in secret at SE in 2008!!!!
3rd;
Let Your Spiritual Fruit Do Your Talking
“Wise people don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their folly…” - Pr 12:23 (NLT)
LISTEN – those of us who have an approval addiction problem will struggle with sharing too much of what God is doing in our lives, too much of what we are now doing for and with God…
JUST don’t tell – how much you are studying, giving, praying, fasting..etc
JUST let your changed life speak for itself….
