The Way Up Is Down
Principles of the Christian Life • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
In the secular world, there are distinct levels of authority.
• In the military there are officers and enlisted men, and there are ranks within each.
• In the sports world there are coaches and players.
• In the business world there are corporation heads and lines of authority between managers, personnel, and laborers.
In the secular world, one’s status in the pecking order of personality, authority, or financial success indicates who is the greatest.
The highest boss or most powerful politician is seen as the greatest. But this is not how God defines greatness. He tells us that the way up is down.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
God promises that if you humble yourself, He will lift you up and exalt you.
The word humble has the idea of, to make low, to assign a lower rank, to have a modest opinion of one’s self.
One man said, “Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
Humility is the opposite of how we normally want to think about ourselves. Who wants to be humble in a world where everyone wants to be the best?
No matter, God says what He says:
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
True greatness only comes from God. Only He can lift you up in the ways that actually matter. He has the power to exalt and to take down.
So, how do we humble ourselves before God?
I’m glad you asked…Number 1...
I. Humble Yourself By Looking Up
I. Humble Yourself By Looking Up
First, we look to Christ. He—God in the flesh—is the perfect example of humility.
Jesus left the splendor of Heaven, gave up the independent use of His divine attributes, and allowed His creation to hang Him on a cross.
He did this so that we might have salvation.
He then spent His life on Earth not demanding His own rights but living a simple life of service to others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Notice! These verses I’ve just read to you…Jesus was brought low, then in verse 9, God exalted him!
You can often tell if a person is humble by what they say about themselves, or you can get how arrogant they are…Let me just put it this way, you can tell what a person thinks about themselves by the way they talk!
Let’s look at the Words of Christ to illustrate His humbleness...
19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
41 I receive not honour from men.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Jesus wasn’t self-absorbed. He didn’t talk about Himself, insist on His way, or promote His own reputation. Rather, He was focused on pleasing the Father and living in dependence upon the Father.
Looking to Christ, our example…is a rebuke to our natural pride.
When we look to what Jesus did in the way He humbled Himself and listen to what He said in the way He promoted His Father’s glory, we, too, will humble ourselves.
II. Humble Yourself By Looking In
II. Humble Yourself By Looking In
Look At Your Motive
Look At Your Motive
The Bible tells us that our own hearts are deceitful and wicked.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Get this...The deceitfulness of our hearts is such that we can even be proud of our humility!
Jesus told a parable that reveals the selfish desires of our hearts.
7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them,
8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him;
9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room.
10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.
11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The self-centered heart wants recognition and applause. We can even do the work of the ministry with a selfish motive.
God doesn’t only care about what we do to serve Him and others. He cares about the motive with which we do it. Our motive should always be love of Christ—not love of self.
Look At Your Mind
Look At Your Mind
Jesus told another parable about pride and humility, this one pointing to the ridiculousness of thinking highly of ourselves as we approach God.
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
We so easily think highly of ourselves and poorly of others. This manifestation of pride is evidenced when we think we deserve better than others or, worse, that we are better than others.
God specifically tells us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought, reminding us that any good thing in us is a result of God’s grace.
Only God knows the true nature of our motives and thoughts. Because of that fact, we should ask God to reveal them to us and as God reveals pride to us, we can repent and receive His grace.
III. Humble Yourself By Looking Out
III. Humble Yourself By Looking Out
One of the best tests of humility is our willingness to serve others.
In Philippians 2, just before describing Christ’s great humility in coming to Earth and giving Himself for us, Paul admonished the Philippian believers to humble themselves by looking outward instead of inward.
1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
The end of Philippians 2:3 instructs, “esteem other better than themselves.”
This has to do with our attitude toward others. Esteem is a verb that means “to regard.”
It is more than just having an opinion.
It refers to forming a carefully thought-out conclusion based on the truth.
It does not mean to pretend that others are important but to believe that others are actually more important.
It is to value others more than yourself.
It’s not just important that we have the right attitude toward others; we must also have the right actions. God calls us to serve one another.
13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Philippians 2:4 tells us to “Look … on the things of others.” It carries the idea of giving close attention and special consideration.
We’re good at giving close attention and special consideration to ourselves. But God calls us to give attention to how we might serve others.
IV. Humble Yourself By Looking Around
IV. Humble Yourself By Looking Around
Seeing the results of pride in our world can be a powerful motivator to embrace humility. Pride hurts people in so many ways...
Pride Keeps People From Salvation
Pride Keeps People From Salvation
Why don’t people who have heard the gospel and even seen God at work in lives receive Jesus as their Savior? Pride.
It takes humility to acknowledge that I am a sinner who should justly be judged by God for my sin and cannot earn my way to a right relationship with God. But those who humble themselves and call out to Christ for salvation receive His gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
In the year 1847, a doctor from Edinburgh, Sir James Simpson, discovered that chloroform could be used as an anesthetic to render people insensible to the pain of surgery. From his early experiments, Dr. Simpson made it possible for people to go through the most dangerous operations without fear of pain and suffering.
Some people even claim that his was one of the most significant discoveries of modern medicine.
Some years later, while lecturing at the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Simpson was asked by one of his students, “What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your lifetime?”
To the surprise of his students, who had expected him to refer to chloroform, Dr. Simpson replied, “My most valuable discovery was when I discovered myself a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Saviour.”
Pride Keeps People From Doing The Right Thing
Pride Keeps People From Doing The Right Thing
Why do Christians struggle with giving in to the same temptations for years?
Why do couples refuse to get help for their marriages?
Why do brothers and sisters in Christ allow an unresolved offence to divide them?
Why do individuals remain backslidden and far from God for months or even years?
In many cases, the answer is pride.
18 Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.
23 A man’s pride shall bring him low: But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Pride Keeps People From Getting Along
Pride Keeps People From Getting Along
10 Only by pride cometh contention: But with the well advised is wisdom.
24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, Who dealeth in proud wrath.
Pride is one of the biggest challenges in relationships because people refuse to admit they are wrong. Their focus becomes proving everyone else is wrong instead of seeking to restore the relationship.
Remember, you can win an argument but lose the relationship.
Conclusion
Conclusion
• Humble yourself by looking up. Look to Jesus and see His humility and His focus to glorify the Father.
• Humble yourself by looking in. Ask God to search your heart and your thoughts to reveal your pride. When He does, remember to look to Christ for grace to go forward in humility.
• Humble yourself by looking out. See the people around you through the eyes of Christ, esteeming them and serving them.
• Humble yourself by looking around. Let the destruction that comes through pride in our world serve as a warning to you.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Always remember, The way up is down.