Pursuing Humility

Alright, well this morning we are going to talk about the pursuit of humility!!

When Sam asked me I thought “Man....I must really be doing something right!”

He has obviously seen something in me....maybe more than anyone else on staff, that makes me the perfect candidate for teaching on the pursuit of humility”

Then I thought of the old saying… “Those who cannot do teach!”

Actually I would say there is nothing more humbling that trying to teach teachers. And pastoring pastors.

The PAs will experience this when they have to prteacha a sermon to the staff!!

So..what is humilty?

OPEN Question:

Philippians 2:3–11 NLT

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So we see a definition and the ultimate example!

Humility

A selfless, lack of concern for impressing, that thinks of others as better than ourselves and is geninly concerned with what concerns the other; which is ultimately and most fully expressed in the person and work of Christ.

Humility is fundamentally a Judeo Christian idea....

which makes sense. because a proper view of who God is, a proper view of Christ as the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end, the Lamb seated on the throne, who is alive forever more who sustains all things by His word....does not leave too much room for hubris.

That doesnt mean that those who are not Chrsit followers cannot be humble or even admire humility, but the idea of Humility being a virtue worth pursuing is a Judeo Christian idea.

Christity grew out of an honour shame culture in the Greco Roman world, where humility was a negative word not a praise.

And it was the cross that changed the way we look at humility, becasue it was humility that purchased our salvation, not a sword. It was submission to the will of God the father that reedemed us, not might.

And the call for you and I is the way of the lamb.

An important thing to remember for Christians who think that having the right person in the White House or 24 Sussex. Or the courts, so that the Kingdom can be enforced from the top down. And their posts and what keeps them up at night is how the Kingdom will come in if Chrsitians are in power, instead of how can I live with the kind of humility that displays the heart of Christ; the way of the lamb.

For Christian leaders like you and I, I think there is another aspect that is important for how we view our ministry.

Important text for pastors who are impreressed with their accomplishment, their church size or their social media followers. Who think…Look what I’ve done for God.

Isaiah 66:1–2 NLT

This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the Lord, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.

This is a great text for the modern day pastor in danger of the kind of comparison ministry that has evolved.

the kind that looks to create a small empire of our church and ...

An important thought for how we view our ministries and what is a measure of success!

Our best ministry/ our best worship, if it does not aim away from what we can accomplish, toward what He already has accomplished, is not fundamentally worship.

So a few thoughts on how we can pursue humility and nurture a healthy view of ourselves and our ministries.

We need a ...

I. Humble approach to our press

In the same way I would encourage you not to take every criticism to heart, I would encoursge you not to take every praise to heart!

View each critique and praise through the vision of Isaiah 66

Some church members will criticize you. Some will tell you they don’t like you. Others will make your head swell as they compliment your preaching or your ministry. Refrain from believing the best things that people say about you. Give God and others credit for the good things that happen through you.

2. Humble approach to scripture

I think there is such a hubris in my life when I open up scripture with a hunger and desire to figure out what will preach well. When I have an idea and squeeze scripture into it.

Again I wonder what a vision of Is 66, Ezekiel 1, Isaiah 6, Rev 4 would do to our worship prep, our sermon prep.

3. Humble approach to godly counsel

Have regular conversations with people who will keep you humble. Several people in my life serve this function.

Listening to people who love you, but are not awed by you, is spiritually healthy and humbling.

4. Humble submission to a life of prayer

Especially when you consider how Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we pray to God for who he really is, it humbles us. Not surprisingly, the times I struggle to pray consistently are the times I tend to exhibit characteristics of pride.

But my guess its Isaiah, Ezekiel, John after seeing God in his glory had a hard time approaching God in prayer with pride, or hubris.

After seeing ther ancient of Days, I do not think John went about his business!!

And all of this highlights the level of humility displayed by Christ!

Who though he was equal with God, worthy of a heavenly throne, with earth as his footstool. surrounded by cheribim and seriphim, and unaproachable light(safe and secure), to decided in humilty to save a word in need.

My hope would be for you and I as ministers that we would take Pauls; words to heart. Becasue today, in many ways the western modern church has put this definition of humility aside.

working to impress is what social media is all about! By defintion. We need to be very careful how we talk bout ourselves and our church.

A selfless, lack of concern for impressing, that thinks of others as better than ourselves and is genuinly concerned with what concerns the other; which is ultimately and most fully expressed in the person and work of Christ.