One Another in Humility

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OPEN: Psalm 73, hinges on “then I remembered God...”

SERMON - “One Another” - Today: Humility

Started with Unity - takes Love for Unity
Love - takes Humility to love one another, by the very definition of “love”
If church is an engine/motor, then humility is the “oil” that allows it to run smoothly
Makes sense, because the church is the body of Christ, and God Himself sets His face against the proud
James 4:6 NASB95
But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Humility takes a proper relationship with God, through Christ
“simple” concept, easy to “yeah-yeah”
Why “humility?” - Culture: barrage of self, self-promotion, self-esteem, victimization, self-healing, self-help
DEFINED: a low estimation of oneself, submission, free from pride and arrogance
Jesus did NOT come for those who could help themselves, He came for those who CAN’T help themselves, who NEED help, who NEED JESUS!
Today: The Command, the Example, the How

1) The Command

Romans 12:10 NASB95
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Philippians 2:3 NASB95
Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
John 13:14 NASB95
“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
Romans 12:16 NASB95
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
When believers recognize that they are creatures and sinners, they are less apt to be offended by others
Ephesians 5:21 NASB95
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
1 Peter 5:5 NASB95
You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
We don’t wash feet, but what is the modern equivalent?
Humble doesn’t mean poor, stepped on, doormat, incapable, etc.
“One another” hinges on humility, being humble - NOT weakness of character, not timid, not living fearfully

MODELS - Who are the models, self-assessment time (or God assessment)

How do we measure self-promotion/pride? We often recognize it in others, not ourselves
Mental/verbal boasting
Fear or anxiety based on the desire for others’ approval
Mental/verbal criticism of others
“Facebook envy” - needing attention, or frustrated with the attention others get
Angry if we are not getting enough love, respect
Can we humbly admit that this can be us??
Self-promoting damages lives, emotionally, relationally. Here’s the reality:
More self-promotion: less peace
More self-promotion: more anxiety
Less self-promotion: more togetherness, stronger marriages and friendships
It’ would be good to have someone show us what this looks like, huh? Say?

2) The Example - Jesus - Phil 2:5f

He humbled Himself to give. He could NOT have given if HE was His primary concern was His well-being.
And Jesus, as JESUS, pointed to the Father. His selflessness (love, giving, humility) was to point to the Father, to the Father’s glory, to show that glory
This is the mindset He had, and that He commands us to have, in that very same passage
But Jesus does not ask us to die for Him, not physically
He asks us to die to self, to put self as lower priority, be a new creation, transformed, Rom. 12:2
And that will show up in how we live with “one another”

PARABLES (remind what they are)

Luke 14:7-14
ILLUST: Dining in, SAFB, seating and serving officers, guests of honor, protocol
Look at who Jesus is talking to, who He is teaching here, in the house of a Pharisee
(key aspect to Jesus teaching, who He teaches, who He is speaking to, the questions He’s asked)
Luke 18: 9-14
He tells this to people who were trusting in themselves
Matthew 6:6 NASB95
“But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
God knows. Example after example. Focus on your relationship with God, and the humility will come, it will flow. Let the Spirit have control...

3) The How

Religious, man-made ways and efforts? NO
Self help = “stop it” - NO
“Think humble thoughts” - NO, too general, sounds good, no specifics
Only the LORD can deliver us from self-promotion - do we want such deliverance?
His Word - deep wisdom - transformative

Specifically - How? What do we do?

A) Recognize, admit - self-promotion is sin against God
Not virtue or self-esteem
Not psychological baggage from the past, family issues, etc. - (these do have an effect, though)
Not just a bad habit
We need to get serious about this
WHAT IT IS: self-worship, instead of worship of God
B) Seek God’s approval - CHOICE
Seek others’ approval, by self-promotion (See how good I am? Need to ‘feel’ good)
Seek God’s full approval (but I deserve judgment…)
How do we get this approval? How hard can we work for it?
THROUGH JESUS! - Phil. 2
Stop thinking our knowledge is sufficient, that we can just will ourselves through this.
ISSUE: World’s wisdom vs God’s “foolishness” (see 1 Corinthians)
Humility is foolish, according to the world
Evil world says humility is foolish
“When we in our weakness believed we were strong, He became helpless to show we were wrong” - Michael Card
Romans 5:8 - while we were sinners (i.e. while we thought we could save ourselves, when we thought self was more important than Christ - that defines the position of ‘sinner’)
Come, lose your life, die to self - trust God’s ‘foolishness’, which is actually, well, let His Word say it:
1 Corinthians 1:25 NASB95
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
C) Trust Him. Humility leads to knowing you are OK with God, because of Christ
You, anyone, can have the ‘verdict’ of approval, justification, just for the humble asking.
Then...
D) Holy Spirit will take apart, dismantle, your self-promotion
Consciously apply God’s approval to your thoughts
Romans 8:4-6 and Romans 12:2 - the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace!
Those who submit to God’s sovereignty in humility will find that he will lift them up and reward them
REALIZE the source of being humble:
Undeserved acceptance, forgiveness, indescribable approval
God notices your faithfulness, your following Him - spirit of thankfulness
Temptation is great to desire self-approval, self-promotion, you’ll be in situations like this
Anger with that “unappreciative” spouse
Following false teaching to support your worth, based on self
Focus is on YOU, and what YOU should do for yourself
SOLUTION: rest in God’s truth, which says your worth is set by being found in Christ
Ask the Holy Spirit to give you better sensitivity regarding those thoughts, those situations
Judge them, then leave them behind
Leave that old self, and embrace the new creation you are in Christ
Embrace that mindset - humbly find peace, which will lead to loving others, and Christ will be glorified, because His church, His body will be amazingly filled with unity!
When we humbly trust Christ, praise for Him will flow from us
When we humbly trust Christ, God sees and knows. Others see, and fellow humble disciples will join you. This is where we find peace, joy, strength.
Psalm 34:1–3 NASB95
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
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