How to be humble pt.3

Read Philippians 2:11 “and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Intro

Pride

continues

to be the source

of fighting

hatred

and evil

in this world.

With the recent election (election pic)

it’s incredible

how one group of people

are so happy

and the other

think it’s the end of the world

and are so depressed.

Why?

Pride.

Pride in a political party

pride in a politician

Pride in people.

It is pride

as to why Putin

invaded Ukraine.

Seeking the glory of old Russia.

Of the Old Soviet Union.

Pride at every level

is the source

of small arguments

to world wars.

What caused Satan

to fall

from heaven?

It was pride

when he believed he deserved

worship

like God

and therefore

believed that he was better

than God.

And what caused Adam

to eat the fruit

and disobey God?

Pride.

Thinking that he knew

better

than God.

Pride

from the very beginning

has been the source

of sin

and evil

itself.

Proverbs 8:13 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

When evil

is brought up

in the Word

what is the very first thing

that is mentioned?

Pride

and arrogance.

And because

of this

we are continuing

and finishing

our final message

on How to be humble pt.3.

Because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

1. Worship (v.10-11)

Last week

we talked about

how God gave Jesus

the highest honor

for his humble obedience

to die on the cross

and give his life

as a ransom for many.

And that highest honor

is to give him the name

above all names.

Which is the very name of God himself

Yahweh

or Lord

which is the NT translation

in this passage.

So what’s the response

of the people

of God

when they see

Jesus

being given

the highest honor

God’s own very name?

They kneel.

Look at v.10, ‘that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow’.

Bowing the knee

or kneeling

is something

rare

nowadays.

When you think of kneeling

you think of this

(knight kneeling pic)

or this

(muslim praying)

or sometimes this

(kneeling in sports prayer).

But how often

do people

kneel

today?

Very rarely.

And yet

look at this

Daniel 6:10 (ESV)

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

when Daniel prayed

he would kneel

three times

a day

when praying.

What is the position

that you are in

when you pray?

You are low.

You make yourself lower

than you are.

And when you kneel

you are kneeling

to someone.

Whether it’s a prince

or a king.

To show

that you are in submission

to them

because you are lower

than them.

That you need

their provision

and their protection.

I can’t think

of many times

I knelt

before another person.

But there is definitely 1

and when it was when I proposed

to Mrs. Maybelle.

Now I wasn’t looking

for her

provision

or protection

that’s my job.

But I kneel

as the bigger

stronger

being

in a state of weakness

and humility

in hopes that she would let me

serve her

and love her.

And we kneel

before God

before Christ

because we love Him

And we love Him

because we worship Him.

Psalm 95:6–7 (ESV)

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Bowing the knee

kneeling before God

is our expression

of worship

of Him.

And we worship Him

because

of who He is.

That He is our shepherd

and that He provides

and cares for us.

You see the key

to being humble

is worship.

You cannot

know God

or see Him

for who He is

if you make yourself

bigger than Him.

As a shorter person

when I go to a sports game

or a graduation

or a concert

I tend to have this problem.

Unless

I’m in the front

I can’t

see

anything

the stage

or the people on it

when there is a taller

bigger person

than me.

They’re just

too big!

Some times we can’t

see God

because we’re just too big.

When we think too highly of ourselves

too smart

too strong

we can’t see God.

When you read the Bible

with pride in your heart

you make yourself

too big

to see Him.

That’s why there are people

who read the Bible today

and get nothing from it.

There are even

scholars

who write thousand page commentaries

of just one book in the Bible

that took them a decade to write

that are not even Christian.

Because they are too smart

for God.

Students

do you think

you’re too smart for God?

Humble yourself

so that you can worship Him.

Because whether you like it or not

every single person

will bow

to Jesus.

Look at

the rest

of v.10, ‘that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth’

Of those in heaven

refer to all heavenly beings

angels and demons.

Of those on earth

every single living person.

And of those under the earth

every single

dead person

will be risen from the dead

to bow

and kneel

before King Jesus.

Because that

is what Jesus

deserves.

For his perfect humility:

worship

of every single

being.

Remember James 4:6

James 4:6 (ESV)

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

And the humble

are those

who worship God.

Now all of these beings

will not just

kneel

to Jesus

they will also confess.

Look at v.11, ‘and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,’

This is because actions

and words

go hand in hand.

The Bible teaches

that if you talk the talk

you must walk the walk.

1 John 2:4–5 (ESV)

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

The Apostle John

reminds us

of the biblical link

between words

and action.

And that is why

not only

will everyone kneel

before Christ

they will also

confess

who He is

with their tongue.

Every single being

who has cursed God

or who has blessed Him

will

confess

that He is God.

This doesn’t mean

every single being

will ultimately

believe in God.

But what it does mean

that Jesus

will

receive honor

even from those

who hated him.

So students

if you want to be humble

worship Christ.

The humble

are worshippers.

You cannot worship

with pride

in your heart.

2. Give glory to God (v.11)

Right at the end

of v.11

is the climax

of humility.

When you’re on a roller coaster (pic)

the very top

is the climax.

And for humility

that climax

is giving glory to God.

Look at the end of v11,

‘to the glory of God the Father’.

You see

even though

Jesus

is receiving

honor

and glory

for his humility

so is God the Father.

Students

there will be times

where God

will exalt you.

You get the honor roll

you win a sports match

you graduate with your degree

you get a job.

And it is in those very times

that you are about to fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

When you receive

praise

for your achievements

you can do two things.

The first

is the most common

which is to take pride.

In fact

naturally

this is what

people do.

This is what the world

runs on.

Showing off

their achievements.

The money spreads

the posts

of material possessions

or posts

of a perfect life.

But this is not

the only way

people take pride.

In fact there is a far more common way

of taking pride.

Which is to do nothing.

You win your sports match

you have a great performance

you graduate with your degree

and you do nothing.

And when you take pride in this way

God will oppose you

and you will fall.

Recently

I was playing games with some friends online

and I started to talk trash

to the enemy team.

Now mind you

in person

I never talk trash

in fact I hate it.

But online

it’s different.

So my friend told me to stop talking trash.

But I didn’t listen.

And then

shortly after

a teammate

quits the game

leaving us with a man down

and we lose.

And my friend says

see

that was from God.

And I didn’t say anything

but I knew at that point

he was right.

God opposed my pride

and humbled me.

But if I don’t say anything

when I achieve something

how

is that taking pride?

When you do nothing

you are disobeying

what you are supposed to do

which is the second thing you can do

when you achieve something

give glory to God.

You see

even Jesus said

John 8:50 (ESV)

Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge.

If Jesus

did not seek

his own glory

how much more

should also

not seek our own glory.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus taught here

to let your light shine.

He didn’t say hide it!

He didn’t say when you get a degree

or a trophy

hide it!

So no one can see it!

That’s fake humility.

But rather he said let people see it!

So that may glorify

not you

but your Father in heaven!

The problem is not posting your achievements on social media

the problem is not giving God glory.

You see

this is how to be humble

when you give God glory.

So only give God glory

when

I achieve something?

No.

Look at 1 Cor 10:31

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Do everything

to the glory of God.

You see

every second

the flesh

wants to take pride.

Not only

when we achieve something

although that

is when taking pride

is most seen.

And that is why

we must

be humble

and do all things

to the glory of God.

What this means

is that doing everything

to the glory of God

is not merely actions

or words

of praise.

But it is also

a mindset.

Just like worship

giving glory to God

is a mindset.

That is why

you can do everything

to the glory of God.

From eating

brushing your teeth

watching short videos

playing video games

can all

be done

to the glory of God.

So students

if you want to be humble

give glory to God.

Gospel/conclusion