Humility
Words to Live By • Sermon • Submitted
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The last two weeks we’ve been looking at the word, LOVE in our Words to Live by Series. Today we’re going to look briefly at the second word in the Words to Live by Series, the word Humility.
Introduction: Who I am
Grew up in a Christian home, elementary school, high school, college all at the same place.
From a very early age I believed that the magic prayer gave me a spot in heaven, but like the had been bewitched into thinking that after beginning in the Spirit that life as a Christian could only progress by the flesh.
Unfortunately, by the time I was in my first ministry assignment, I was burnt out, because I finally admitted that I could not do it.
God took that brokenness and showed me through the Scripture (Galatians) that “walking in the Spirit” was the answer to not fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
It wasn’t working harder, it was really dying to myself and resting in the finished work of Jesus.
That brings me to the last 8 years of seeking to live that out.
I will celebrate 13 years of marriage with my wife Mary in January.
We have four beautiful children (Micah, Ethan, Gianna, and Jaydon).
In October it will be 5 years since we planted the church we’re at. We are currently serving the people of Blue Oaks Baptist Church in Roseville.
Introduction to material: So humility…
A few months ago when Pastor Andy asked me to speak on - “The Man of God and Humility” I was instantly like, “Wow, he must think I’m humble.”
How many of you would consider yourself a loving person?
Instantly my computer crashed and a thunder bolt rattled my house. That may or may not be true.
At first I struggled with knowing how to present material on a topic that I feel so ill-equipped to teach on…
And then it hit me… This is not an opportunity (and teaching the Scripture never is) to talk about my track record and my successes, this is an opportunity to lift up the One who is perfectly humble.
So that’s what I want to do this morning. Let’s learn and grow together.
How many of you would consider yourself a humble person?
How do I know if I’m humble?
Have you ever struggled with this? Okay, I get that I’m supposed to be humble, but then you do I know if I’m humble? Am I being humble enough?
But it’s a little different with the word Humility. I imagine that when we hear the word Humility, we’re quick to assess ourselves and say, I am not a humble person. Because just by nature of definition, saying you’re humble tends to indicate that you might be lacking in the humilities. Whereas with love almost everyone can say, I’m a loving person.
I think the first place we need to start is “What is humility anyways?”
It’s really easy to get this wrong. It’s not an exclusively Christian word. Meaning that our society uses the word and has their own definition.
What is Humility?
What is Humility?
Sometimes by humble a person means quiet or good mannered or someone who just doesn’t like to be put on stage.
Those things might be found in some humble people, but it’s certainly more than that.
In Scripture there are two ways that this word is used.
But before we do that, I want to preach the Gospel to you at the beginning because I don’t want to have to rush through it at the end do to our family meeting.
On the flip-side, a person can be quietly judgmental, good mannered and arrogant, doesn’t like to be put on stage because they don’t want to fail and then look stupid—which might be a very proud spirit.
In the book of Exodus you have the story of Egypts king, the Pharoah who had come to see himself as god and therefore used his power to humble the children of Israel. He humbled them to the place of slavery and when they tried to rise up, he would add more work or less material to force them down; to humble.
What is Humility?
What is Humility?
So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.
God allowed this for a season, but then he in His justice used His power to humble Egypt.
When we come to series like this one, the temptation is to find ourselves a bit discouraged because it seems like we’re really far away from TRUE LOVE and HUMILITY.
So let me say this, as with the introduction to our first sermon in the series, we all want to make a difference for God’s Kingdom, for God’s Glory. But I want to try and speak to something I hear us say all the time, that I don’t think we even realize that can really mess with us.
The LORD humbled King Nebuchadnezzar if you recall for seven years because he would not humble himself before God. So God brought him lower than human (his appearance changed, and his behavior changed). And when he came to see what God had done:
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
When we consider where we’re at in our relationship with God, I get the feeling that we’re all a bit disappointed with where we’re at. Here’s what I mean, when we talk about things we’d like to see changed in our lives we say things like, “This year, I want to get closer to God.” Ever said that?
Dan
The second way is in the positive:
Now, here is why we should stop saying that:
Daniel (who was the prophet during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign) humbled himself
When God saved you, he made you as close and as in the inner circle as you’ll ever be
Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.
There is no one that the Father favors more than the Son, and we are IN the SON
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus (in one of his rebukes against the Pharisees because they treated sinners with contempt) asked who was more righteous between the tax collector (an outward sinner) and the Pharisee (an inward sinner) and here is what Jesus said:
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
There are no second tier Christians
Luke 18:
The greatest demonstration of humility was Christ:
It causes us to focus on measurements rather than obedience
What is closer to God? Reading your Bible five days a week instead of once?
Reading six chapters instead of ten verses?
That measurement is based on ones own idea of closeness
It creates a sense of entitlement
If I start doing more things to get closer to God good things are going to happen
And it’s just not true
I am not saying we should not focus on our relationship with Jesus.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (, ESV)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Intentionally letting go of rights or status - though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Christ had every right to demand His status to be recognized.
Christ knew His equality within the Trinity—He was aware of how the Father and the Spirit saw Him, and that was enough for Jesus.
Accepting and owning the position where putting off those rights and that status places you - but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men
By putting off the rights and status of Creator, God, and King he accepted that that would mean He would be put at the bottom of society.
Who was he born of? A poor woman who lived her entire life with the religious leadership believing that she was just a lady living in denial that she hadn’t had either an affair or that her fiancé had gotten her pregnant before marriage.
Consider, where was He raised? A tiny, backwater town called Nazareth.
He grew up a poor boy that people thought was an illegitimate child.
By putting off the rights and status he deserved meant that he would be a servant. He accepted that, he owned that.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” (, ESV)
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So, if we want to know “Am I being humble?” We need to begin with the right definition of humility.
Once we understand how it is putting off or letting go of rights or status and putting on or accepting where that places us we can begin to answer if we’re humble or not.
Consider what your status is at home, in the workplace, in the church, at a restaurant, a sporting event, the coffee shop…
Then ask, what would it look like to intentionally let go of that status.
It’s crucial we don’t misinterpret the passage because Christ never stopped being God. He put aside the rights He had as God.
You cannot stop being husband, dad, mom, boss, etc… however what is our response when someone infringes upon those rights or that status?
So what would it look like to accept and own setting aside those rights and that status?
Here was Paul’s approach towards the church of Thessalonica:
“For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (, ESV)
For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Here is King Solomon towards his Shulammite bride:
describes a scenario that all married men have encountered before. The man, King Solomon here, is filled with desire for his bride, so he knocks on the door of her chamber, calling on his bride to open up the door and let him inside so they may enjoy intercourse with each other. But the woman is sleeping, she’s got “the robe” on, she’s taken a bath and doesn’t really want to be bothered—she’s done for the day.
The rest of the chapter describes the regret of Shulammite’s response, but he’s nowhere to be found. When she finally does find him he’s picking flowers for her. The passage indicates that he’s disappointed, but he’s not sulking, and he isn’t reminding her of Bible passages that teach a woman should not withhold her conjugal rights from her husband (I know this can be a problem, that’s why it’s in ) he is preparing a gift for her so when he sees her again he can show her that his love for her is not based on her readiness to engage in sexual intercourse.
Peter’s epistle is filled with imperatives for the citizen, the business owner, the husband, the wife, the servant how to practically respond in humility when you’re rights or status is being challenged.
Why is it so hard?
You have probably been at this place before. You recognize your failure to be humble towards someone and you make this resolution to be more humble only to fail again.
So why is it so hard to lay down our rights and status? Why is it so hard to accept being a servant and then actually serve others?
This is a huge question. Be humble is actually the positive way of saying don’t be proud.
Humility is so hard, because pride is so natural.
What is pride?
You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
“You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (, ESV)
Aspiring to the status or position of God
Refusing to acknowledge dependence upon God
We have no problem seeing this in Lucifer.
Wasn’t this the sin of Adam and Eve?
The serpents temptation was “
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, (that’s aspiring the status of God) knowing good and evil.” (That’s refusing your dependence upon God.) (, ESV)”
Isn’t this the continual temptation of the serpent?
Some of us might say, “Well, my temptation isn’t really to attain the status of God or the position of God, that’s silly, I know I can’t be God.”
But consider this for a moment in his book, “7 Daily Sins” Jared Wilson says this:
“Pride is the DNA of every other sin. Pride is essentially self-worship and since all sin is failure to glorify God, pride is therefore the root sin from which all other sins come.”
So the question isn’t really, “Am I a proud person?” Or “Do I have pride in my heart?” The question, as CJ Mahaney accurately writes in his book entitled “Humility—True Greatness”
“The question is, where in my life does pride exist and how is it showing up?”
The reason why humility is so hard is because pride is no natural. But pride is the greatest enemy of true humility.
“It’s the vice in the world of which no man is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty of themselves.” —C.S. Lewis
Here’s why pride is not always easy to detect, again CS Lewis’ chapter in “Mere Christianity” on Pride is helpful, he writes again:
“Pride is essentially competitive. Pride manifests itself not by being rich, smart, or handsome or skilled. It is the comparison of others that makes you proud. Being richer, smarter, more handsome or more skilled.”
This is why the wise king wrote the proverb:
“Only by pride cometh contention.”
So we’ve determined what pride is and that all of us struggle with pride because all of us struggle with sin and pride is the DNA of all sin.
“God opposes (that’s an action verb) the proud.”
John Calvin chimes in on this topic by saying,
“God cannot bear with seeing his glory appropriated by the creature in even the smallest degree, so intolerable to him is the sacrilegious arrogance of those who, by praising themselves, obscure his glory as far as they can.”
Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.
“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” —
Pride, arrogance, a haughty spirit are cancerous and poisonous cells that spread not only inside the one who manifests pride, but also to everything in their way.
So the question we turn to next is:
Why should I even try?
The pathway of humility is synonymous with the pathway of discipleship.
It is denying self (your status, your rights) and taking up your cross and following Christ.
Jesus loved his disciples with such a tender and patient love didn’t he?
When the sons of thunder (James and John) questioned Jesus as the disciples are walking up to Jerusalem with Jesus as He enters his glory (they thought militarily and politically) “We are the greatest Jesus, can we grace your throne on either side?”
When they asked Jesus, what did he say?
“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.” —
“For eve the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
So back to the question now, “How can we be humble?” the answer is found in Christ’s Words and example: “Serve others for the glory of God.”
Now, that’s the goal so let’s work backwards, what can we do practically to be pursuing humility?
Daily Preach the Gospel to yourself
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (, ESV)
Daily Meditate on the Nature of God
Since every sin begins with a failure to believe the truth about God, meditating on the truth about God will help us from meditating on the wrong things.
God is Good, so I don’t have to look anywhere else
God is Gracious, so I don’t have to prove ourselves
God is Glorious, so we do not have to fear others
God is Great, so we do not have to be in control
Daily Cast Your Cares On Him
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (, ESV)
Remember, pride is resisting dependence upon God. So if you’re filled with worry and anxiety you’re not being responsible, you’re being self-reliant which is pride.
Daily Find A Way to Show Gratitude to God for Everything
The saints and angels in heaven sing “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” because they're in perfect humility. They have no desire for their own praise.
All these things sound like hard work to me, I really don’t have the time for this… If everyone has pride:
Why should I even try?
I believe that this will serve not only as the motivation to pursue humility/discipleship/Christlikeness, but I believe this will give us a fresh perspective on why we must pursue humility.
Humility is a “Word to Live by” because it is closely related to our sanctification:
Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that is making us more like Jesus.
There is a connection between the Holy Spirit’s work in us and humility. This is a brief survey, but let these words sink in:
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
When we Aspire to the status or position of God and Refuse to acknowledge dependence upon God we will fall. You want to play GOD, go ahead, but you will immediate find out, you’re incapable of being him.
Refusing to acknowledge dependence upon God
You care more about winning an argument that loving the person you disagree with? Okay, your next step might just be flat on your face.
What this Proverb reminds us is that closely linked to that failure you’re recovering from is a proud interaction. A moment where you aspired status and refused God’s help.
Both Peter and James make this connection as well:
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:6
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:
In both cases the two apostles are quoting from the OT Proverbs that God hates the proud, so he resists them, he stiff arms them. And just so we understand these letters are written to Christians, not non-Christians.
I say that because we tend to assume if we pray, read our Bible, serve, give that everything is okay between me and God. You’ve got your habits down, you’ve read the Bible through, you’ve prayed for all your lists, you read good books, listen to sermons, but guys the Pharisees did that too and God was resistant to them.
They didn’t have wrong theology per se, they had a wrong perception of themselves (thinking better of themselves) and a demeaning posture towards those who didn’t live up to their standards.
You know who God is pouring his grace on? Those who are low, those who are not clutching on to their privilege, but giving it away.
“All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (, ESV)
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.
Low is actually the new high, embrace your weakness,
Let your love for the King compel you to pursue humility.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
“The pleasures of humility are really most refined, inward, and exquisite delights in the world.” —Jonathan Edwards
Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” (, ESV)
“The pleasures of humility are really most refined, inward, and exquisite delights in the world.” —Jonathan Edwards
“The pleasures of humility are really most refined, inward, and exquisite delights in the world.” —Jonathan Edwards