Dare to Be Humble
Luke 14:7-11
October 8, 2006
Morning Service
Introduction
Several years ago I attended a wedding and it was beautiful with all of the pomp you expect at those kind of events. the reception was a bit of a problem. The main family had remained at the church for pictures and the rest of the guests went on to the reception. This is usually the way it works.
The bride and groom were dismayed to find that distant family members had taken the front tables and displaced the closest family members. The bride and groom’s close family were forced to sit in the back of the reception hall.
I can remember the bride making a comment about the situation: “Those people have a lot of nerve.” My first thought was that place cards should have been used.
The desire to have the best seats is a realatively natural thing for us. We crave the box seats at sporting events, courtside seats at the basketball game, 50 yard line tickets for football, front row seats for concerts and so on. In church, everyone seems to want the back seats.
The wanting the best place is one of those things that comes with the territory of human nature. Our problem boils down to really one issue: humility or maybe the lack of humility.
There seems to be a great deal of confusion about humility essecially in the church. So before I begin, I’d like to define what humility is not.
1.) Humility is not a devaluing of yourself
Jesus does not want you to think less of yourself. You are important to Him. In fact, you are s important to Him that He died for you. Humility is not a removal of your importance but rather changing your attitude toward your importance. We worry way too much about what people think of us and not nearly enough about what Christ thinks of us. in the end, whose opinion really matters? Humility is thinking of yourself less often. We are essentially self centered and as disciples we need to be more Christ centered.
2.) Humility is not a doubting of your abilities
The abilities and gifts that you have are a gift from God. If he didn’t want you to have them, you wouldn’t. Our problem is that we go to either one of two extremes. Either we use our gifts to promote ourselves or we don’t use them at all to allow others to be raised up. Christ expects you to use the talents and gifts you have been given for Him and His kingdom.
3.) Humility is not a denouncing of who you are
God made you and He wants you to be yourself. Too often, we buy into a false model of Christian living where we try to be someone we’re not. God made you to be you and you are every bit as important as anyone else. You fit into the eternal plan of God almighty. Be who God made you to be.
Humility is the determined demonstration of our recognition of God’s greatness and our smallness by comparison.
If you have your Bibles this morning open them to Luke 14:7-11
7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, `Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, `Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11
Jesus was attending a banquet and was watching the guests arrive and take their seats. There was obviously a scramble for the best seats at the table. The best seats were those that were places of honor. Jewish culture had a specific seating arrangement for banquets and festivities. The most important guest sat to the right of the host, the second most important guest sat to the left of the host and so on. As Jesus entered the banquet there were people trying to outdo each other for the choice seats at the head table.
Jesus had just witnessed human ego in action. We might not strive for the best seat but there are times when people strive for a lot less. I was at the grocery this past week and watched two cars try to fight for the best parking spot. They almost collided trying to get the spot. This is the same kind of nature that jesus witnessed that day.
The issue Jesus saw in action that day was nothing more than human ego or personal pride at its worst. The guests walked in and scrambled for seats. Many people scramble after worldly honor and worldly recognition. How often do the honors and recgnition we receive really mean that much ten or twenty years down the road?
I have a box of various plaques and trophies that I earned in high school. Some of them I can’t even remember why I got them. There are some that are very special to me but they have lost their luster. They really don’t mean much to me anymore and they would mean even less to others. The point is that we need to look at ourselves in the light of who we are living for, ourselves or Christ.
After Jesus sees what is going on, He speaks to the issue and gives some practical advise. Look at verses 8-9 again. 8 "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, `Give this man your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
Notice what Jesus says: the proud or ambitious person works to promote themselves and fall on their faces.
Jesus describes exactly what happens to ambitious people
1.) They will be displaced - asked to move from their seat
2.) They will find all the other seats taken
3.) They will have to take the lowest seat
4.) They will have to live with embarassment
The term exalt is one that is often used for God or Christ. It means to raise or to lift. Now we cannot do anything to give Christ a higher place than He already has but we can acknowledge it. When the Bible calls for us to exalt God, it means to acknowledge that He is higher than we are. Exalting self means that we are raising ourselves to a place of honor or dignity.
There are four thibngs that we see in the life of a person that exalts themselves
1.) Decreases the value of others
The person who acts in self exaltation will tear others down to build themselves up. Down play the abilities of others to make themselves look better. Purposely lowers others to raise themselves.
2.) Acts self sufficient
The person may not be self sufficient and many times they are not self sufficient. They want people to think they are and will put on a great show. They will try to be in control of everything they can be and act as independent as possible. The real problem is that people who fall into this mode of living feel little or no need for God.
3.) Acts in a corrupt manner
These people have a live in the moment morality. This is a morality that fits the current situation or circumstance. They lives as they need to in order to fit the current need. Does this sound like American society? The people who exalt themselves will do whatever is needed to get ahead. They will lie, cheat, steal and a host of other things to get their way.
4.) There will be constant struggle
The self exalting will never be satisfied with anything in life because teir will always be another goal to attain and another prize to be won. This is the Survivor type mentality. They will outdo, out maneuver and outwit to gain a higher level. They seek position, prestige and power but will never know peace.
The humble take a lower place than needed and results are astounding.
Notice what happens when a lower place is taken
1.) Their presence is acknowledged by the host
2.) They are rewarded and moved up to a higher place
3.) They are recognized by all - no matter where their seat is
How do we live in a humble manner?
1.) Measure yourself with Christ
There was a guy in my church youth group who would sing the same song over and over again. Lord it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.
We laugh but that is often the attitude we have about ourselves. When you easure your life to that of Christ there will be at least one discovery, you don’t measure up. It’s ok because you never will. No person can ever measure up to Jesus because it can’t be done. He is perfect and you are not.
So why do this? It will give you proper perspective. You may have come a long way in your walk and that is great but we all still have a long way left to go. Measuring ourselves to Christ will also remind us of who is the Master and who is the servant. When you do this pride will evaporate from your life.
2.) Be conscious of your need for God
You have nothing, can do nothing and are nothing without God. I often think of this when I see famous people flaunting their fame and fortune. I was watching one of the award shows that made a big deal of walking the red carpet. The news crews were going on about this person and that person. Watching what kind of car they arrived in, what kind of clothes they were wearing and what kind of jewlery they had on. Maybe it’s just me but who cares.
The recogniton you receive in this life is here and now, it will one day fade away. The only reason you ave anything and are anything is because God desired it for your life.
3.) Be honest about yourself
You are not the center of the universe. You are not the center of attention in life. get over it. The fact is that most of us want to be the center of attention. We tend to try to elevate ourselves more than we should. We live the look out for #1 mentality too much. Humility negins when we admit we’re self centered and make themove to become more Christ centered.
