ATTITUDE - 2 HUMILITY
(ALL my sermons use illustrations from sermoncentral.com and all scripture is NIV unless otherwise noted)
Last week, we dove into the scripture and looked at ATTITUDE, the Bible tells us that our attitude should be the same as our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He, who is ALL God, did not worry about the fact that He is all God, INSTEAD He humbled Himself. And although we looked at SERVICE last week and we will look at OBEDIENCE, ACTION, & FORGIVENESS in the weeks to come, today we are going to talk about HUMILITY.
Do you have a humble attitude? I think we need to define what HUMILITY really is before we can truthfully answer the question. I think that many people have a FALSE humility, not the kind that God wants us to have. Webster’s defines it as: not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive. Reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of submission a: ranking low in a hierarchy or scale
I think of a well known Christian businessman who was visiting a church and was asked to give his testimony. He said, “I have a fine family, a large house, a successful business and a good reputation. I have plenty of money so I can support some Christian ministries very generously. Many organizations want me on their board of directors. I have good health and almost unlimited opportunities. What more could I ask from God? As he paused for effect, as good speakers do, a voice shouted from the back of the auditorium, “How about asking Him for a good dose of humility?”
Listen to the attitude of the Psalmist: Ps 131 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
You see humility is an attitude, not one that says we are worthless, that nothing good comes from us, but one rather that admits WITHOUT God we will not succeed. When I was younger, I can remember trying to bang a nail into the wall with a screw driver, it does not work. You need the right tool to get the job done, but a hammer in the hands of an inexperienced carpenter, usually sees some bended nails. I have bent my share, BUT in the hands of a master, it is all smooth sailing. We are BUT tools in the hand of the master carpenter, Jesus!
Let’s face it our attitude is not one that shows humility in it’s true sense. We are all sinners and we have no way of escaping that without Jesus. I like the way Paul puts this in Romans 7
Rom 7:19-20 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
Rom 7:24-25 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!
You know this passage, Paul says what is true for most of us, we want to be GOOD in every sense of the word, but we find ourselves being drawn toward sin, we find ourselves doing the things that we really do not want to do. We question WHY, did I just do that? And we wonder how we will ever be redeemed, BUT - THANKS BE TO GOD . . . . .
So many times I feel just that way, I have NOT always done the things that I know I should do, I have done things that I know I should NOT have done, I Too am a wretched man, BUT thanks to God, I too can be used to further the kingdom.
Humility is a sign of strength, not of weakness. Humility is above all, and quite simply, truthfulness--self-honesty. It is not the false modesty of one retreating shyly into the limelight. It isn’t, in other words, the sort of "humility" that was expressed in the introduction written by a French archeologist to a book by one of his colleagues. Praising the book, this scholar wrote, "The author’s distinguished work was done at our direction, and under our constant supervision."
Humility is action without attention, it is doing ALL FOR THE GLORY of GOD, not for a pat on the back or a recognition of sorts. Jesus died on the cross not to gain OUR clean slates. He did it, not to be recognized, but as selfless act of service for ALL of mankind.
This is one of the biggest parts of being a humble servant. The Bible is clear about it.
Phil 2:2-4 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Listen to his words people, do nothing that is ALL ABOUT YOU, but being humble, worry about others. It is not about US, it is all about THEM. Not looking to what we want, what we like, what we desire, but the things that other need, desire and just plain WANT. Humility is saying I don’t really like drums, BUT IT IS NOT ABOUT ME. Or I DON’T LIKE HYMNS but it is not about me. Humility is doing whatever we can to serve others and placing our feeling, our emotions and our desires in the backseat so that others may be served first.
JESUS did this, He went to the cross ! Not concerned that He is GOD, not concerned that we are SINNERS, wretched, never learning, hard headed, ungrateful, and full of pride sinners. Jesus did not concern Himself with who we are or what we have done, but unselfishly went to the cross and died for us. AND he asks that is return, we not think of our selves as any better than anyone else.
This is how cliques form. A group of people who feel they may be a little better than others, they may never admit it, but it shows. It is not new either. Have a bible? Turn to 1 COR 4:1-21 1 Cor 4 So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. Those people who have been selected by God to do an appointed task, whatever it might be MUST PROVE FAITHFUL. This si one of those things that makes leaders more like servants if they are doing it in humility.
3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Folks, this is so much easier to say and so much harder to carry out. Paul is clear throughout scripture that a true servant leader knows that he must answer to God alone. Many times in my walk as a minister I felt berated by other people, BUT it is only God I must answer too, however, God KNOWS ALL. And this is another humbling thought as we serve Him.
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. Paul, is simply saying that people should never judge one another when it comes to things outside the Bible. Do not start judging people on things that are not written in the word. We are to correct and rebuke only from the word. We are to protect those that serve, we are to correct those who stir trouble, but never are we to judge outside the realm of His Holy and infallible word.
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have become kings-and that without us! How I wish that you really had become kings so that we might be kings with you! Paul is asking, each of us, who has something here that God did not give them? James reminds us, James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. BUT, today so many people act as if the blessings in their lives is a result of something they did. NOT TRUE, we are NOTHING without our Almighty God.
9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world. Do you see who it is that are really the humble servants of God, those who are treated as if they are the scum of the earth, those at the back of the procession, those ,who were, in that time the ones that would have to fight the gladiators and were going to die. These men were FOOLS for Christ, but the people in the Corinth church thought of themselves as having all the answers. The Apostles, the men who served saw their weakness, but the people of the church thought themselves strong. The people honored one another, but the dishonor feel on the leaders. These humble servants had no food, drink, clothes or homes, they were treated badly. BUT, when they were cursed, they would pour out blessings, and when they were told that they were no good, they answered with kindness.
Do you have this kind of HUMILITY in your life?
14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Paul, is only telling them what the word tells us. He is saying “STOP thinking you have the answers and allow those who have been called by God, the same men you have ordained to be your leaders to lead.” He is warning those that think they have the answers but do nothing to help that this is what will cause them to fall.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
Paul saw pride as a destructive agent at work in this church and he warned them.
Let me give a few reasons why we need humility in God’s church :
1. The first is simple, humility displaces pride and pride is not only a sin, it is a destructive force at work in God’s church.
In a certain pond, there were two ducks and a frog who were neighbors and the best of friends. They played together all day long during the summer time. But as the cold drew near and the water dried up, the ducks realized they would have to move. This would be easy for them, but what about their friend the frog? Finally it was decided that they would put a stick in the bill of each duck, and then the frog would hang onto the stick with his mouth and they would fly him to another pond. And so they did. Just then, a farmer looked up and said to his wife, "What a great idea! I wonder who thought of that?" Proudly, the frog said, "I did!" Thus illustrating: "Pride goes before a fall!"
2. And another reason we need humility is because without it, we can never grow in Christ and become the mature and complete Christians He desires us to be.
C.S. Lewis put it this way: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of course, as long as you are looking down, you can’t see something that is above you . We MUST keep our focus on Jesus, and in order to do that we can not be looking down on others. What of our witness if all we do is put others down? How much maturity, spiritual maturity, can the lost see in the bitter person that is constantly putting others down? Without humility we can not mature and become complete.
Now let me leave you this morning with some simple applications to ensure there is humility in your life.
1. I think the first and most important thing we need to do to ensure humility in our lives is to remember who it is that provides for our needs. When we lose sight of who it is that provides for our needs we think to much of ourselves and we start to take control of something that does not really belong to us in the first place.
Matt 6:26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
God provides for us what we need, for we are valuable to him. We are commanded to SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS and then all we need will be added to us.
2. Another thing we must do is simply ADMIT we are wrong sometimes if not more often. I have had to admit that many of the things that have happened in my life were the result of some stupid decision I made. It is not easy to admit our short comings BUT I believe that this is the only thing we can do to have the clear and clean conscious that Paul talks about when he writes to the Corinthian church. We may not be perfect, but in admitting that we are wrong in things we can have the peace of mind of knowing that God forgives us and the slate has been wiped clean again. I honestly feel this is crucial in humility.
I have struggled with this, but in years gone by, I have gotten better about it and it has helped me to become much more mature in the Lord and in my walk.
3. A great way to stay humble is simply comparing ourselves to God and no one else. I think many of us, myself included, see those weaker than us as a means to feel good about ourselves. But in the eyes of God we do not compare. In God’s eyes sin is sin, and ALL of it caused His Son to die on that cross. Jesus taught this lesson as well telling us that lust is adultery and anger is murder. He was simply showing us that in the eyes of God we are ALL SINNERS, none of us is better than the other.
4. Remember you are only a Christian because of God’s amazing grace.
INVITATION
