Need For Humility

August 19, 2007

Humility is the key to being Mission-minded

Col 3:11-17

Introduction:

On July 23, 17 people left Oakridge Baptist Church to go to Ecuador and do vacation Bible School for about 300 kids. In the morning, we went to the Sambisa dump where we had approx 100 kids that lived in the poorest conditions. In the afternoon, we went to a church and did VBS for about 200 kids and families. It was a life changing experience that we look forward to telling you about tonight at the 5:00 service. Every night we as a group would meet talk about the God things we saw that day. I would also lead a devotional during this time. God had impressed upon me the need to stress humility during these group times and since then I have continued to study this topic. I have found that it not only is the noblest of all virtues but it is also the most needed. If we are to fulfill the great commission and go out into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the rest of the world we must humble ourselves.

Read Col 3:11-17

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Go home and dwell on this scripture and all of chapter 3, that is your homework.

Bathe yourselves in this text and you will never be the same.

Believers should clothe themselves with Christ so that when people look at them, they see Christ.

Today we are going to look at the noblest of all virtues that we as Christian’s should clothe ourselves with.

Defining Humility:

1. "The sense of entire nothingness, which comes when we see how truly God is

all, and in which we make way for

God to be all."

2. Humility is surrendering yourself to God.

3. "Humility means the giving up of self and becoming perfect nothingness before

God."

4. Humility "is the displacement of self by the enthronement of God."

Body:

Humility is the key to being Mission-minded

1. When we humble ourselves we are united

Col 3:11

Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Questions:

What unites 17 people that are all different to go on a mission trip and

work together?

What unites a congregation of 200, 400, 700, thousands, to be able to work

together and accomplish the goal Christ has set before them?

What unites Christians thousands of miles apart?

What is it that enables Christ and his followers to love their enemies?

Matthew 5:43-45 NKJV (Love your Enemies)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust

Application:

If we are truly to become mission minded we must humble ourselves so that we are willing to witness and see others come to know Christ no matter what the cost.

God made man in his image, no other created thing can say that. The human race was made for God, we were created that we might glorify God.

Jim Elliot and Nate Saint went to Ecuador and were killed by Auca Indians so that they might spread the word of God. Their wives then went, risked their lives and they saw the power of God save the Auca Indians.

Humility is the key to being Mission-minded

2. When we humble ourselves we are loving

1 Corinth 13 NIV

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinth 13 Message

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head, Incompetent

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love is Humility DISPLAYED

Application:

If we are truly to become mission-minded we must humble ourselves so that we love others.

We constantly must look out for others and their welfare and not our own. True love does not look at its self but others and how it can meet the needs of others.

Illustration:

Robert Morrison the first missionary to China wrote, "The great fault, I think, in our mission is that no one likes to be second." The world has yet to see what could happen if everyone lost the desire to get the glory. Wouldn't it be a marvelous place if nobody cared who got the credit.

Real love is characterized by Christ-like humbleness, it doesn’t care about credit, rather it is concerned meeting the needs of other and Christ receiving all the glory.

Humility is the key to being Mission-minded

3. When we humble ourselves we are serving

John 13:1-17 is Jesus washing the disciple’s feet

John 13:3-5 Jesus knows He is God and is going to be with God very soon humbles himself

Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

Luke 22:26-27 Immediately after Jesus washes their feet several of the disciples begin to argue about who will be the greatest

Satan Outraged!

26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Do you not see the power of the flesh and it’s hatred against humility?

Jesus demonstrated one of the greatest acts of humility ever to be done on earth

Satan was determined to do anything possible to corrupt this powerful teaching Christ had just done

Describe this incident for the congregation (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James, Thaddaeus, Simon, Judas Iscariot.)

The Disciples Practically missed the gravity of what Christ just did for them.

Satan hates humility because it stand in direct opposition of all that he is.

WE MUST SEEK HUMILITY IF WE REALLY WANT TO EXPERIENCE CHRIST AND IF WE DESIRE TO BECOME MISSION-MINDED. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

We cannot miss the importance of Humility!!!

Humility before God is nothing if not proved in humility before men.

If you want to become more humble, you must pick up your towel and serve your brothers, sisters, neighbors, friends, and enemies.

Conclusion:

One of the last things Jesus said on this earth before he left was for us to go make disciples in all the earth.

The last words of man can often be one of the most important things he will ever say. We don’t stand in direct opposition of this world and face persecution because we think it might be fun.

As Christians we boldly defy Satan because we are commanded to by Christ.

The way we defy satan is by Humling ourselves and allowing Christ to live through us.

When 17 of us left on the 23 of July to go to Ecuador, it was not for vacation, or because we were curious about the people or country but it because God commanded us to go into all the ends of the world and spread His name.

As Christians we must clothe ourselves in humility, so that Christ might completely fill us and direct us where He wants us to go.

Humility the noblest of all virtues is the Key to being mission-minded!