Humility that Produces Unity
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Today is fathers day. We want to honor our fathers and thank them for who they are. This world is a better place with Dad’s. This world is a great place because there are these little things called “Dad Jokes” and today, more than any other day, I have an excuse to share a few!
Patient: Doctor, Doctor, you’ve got to help me!
Doctor: What’s the trouble?
Patient: One night I dream that I’m a car’s muffler. And then the next night I dream that I’m part of the wheel.
Doctor: Why is this a big deal?
Patient: I wake up exhausted and tired!
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Q: What type of exercise is best for swimmers?
A: Pool-ups
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I tried to catch some fog today, but I MIST.
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Q: Why do bees hum?
A: They don’t know the words.
After service today we want to make sure that EVERYONE leaves here with a “Dad’s” soda. As you sip, just be thankful for the father that God has given to you.
Today we are going to continue our series on Unity. Unity is essential for the body of Christ. The modern church has a tendency towards isolation and division. We are called to break down those walls and build bridges to cross the gaps of isolation and division.
Last week we discussed Communion. Which reminds us that divisions are not allowed in the body of Christ, that in unity we should remember the sacrifice Christ made, and that our debt has been paid.
If we just keep those things in mind the church would be better off. We would be unified in mind, heart, and purpose.
There is a passage of scripture that will be mentioned each week here on out until the end of this series because it really gives us practical instructions on how to keep unity among believers.
1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Paul wanted the believers to be unified. He told them to walk worthy of the calling of Christ. In order to walk in a worthy manner and to remain unified he knew that they would need to be humble, gentle, patient, loving, and bound together in peace.
These are important words. They hold the key for us to remain unified in Christ. We are in this world together for such a time as this to work in the kingdom of God. As we examine this scripture, I believe the Lord will work in our hearts to bring about needed improvement in our relationship with Him and others.
The message today is going to focus on Humility that Produces Unity.
Jesus Exemplifies Perfected Humility
Jesus Exemplifies Perfected Humility
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.
7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Philippian church was not in unity with Paul wrote to them. In chapter 4 you read the Paul was pleading with them to lay down their disagreements and be unified in doing to work of the kingdom.
When we read verses 5-11 we are hearing Paul appeal to them to have the same attitude of Christ. To be in unity of mind and heart and to put others ahead of themselves.
He is telling them that Christ is the motive for unity.
Was Christ selfishly trying to hold on to His privileges as God? No! He laid aside His glory and assumed to form of a servant. His life on earth was to do the will of the Father.
29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.”
Jesus humbled Himself to become flesh, and then to become sin as He willingly went to the cross.
What an example of Humility. Christ Himself demonstrated Humility so that we could experience Unity with Him and the Father.
Most of us men might remember wrestling with our Dad. We’d talk a big game for sure. “Dad, I’m gonna take you down this time!” Pride would puff up and we’d think that maybe we could just get him down if we could get the right grip…Well, my dad had a move that could stop me every time. It was the pinky squeeze. Now matter how tough I thought I was or how hard I was wrestling, if he got a hold of my pinky, it was over. I became the most humble kid you’d ever seen.
In our lives when we think we have the upper hand we can get a little prideful. We might be tempted to taunt others or somehow let them know that we are in control. But the second we realize we aren’t in charge we beg for mercy.
I think we need to be a bit more like Christ and recognize that real strength comes with humility. You see, He actually was in a position of power. Christ was fully man, but He was also fully God. He had all authority, power, and ability to do whatever whenever He wanted.
There was no secret pinky hold that could make Him beg for mercy. No, Christ CHOSE to humble Himself so that we could be united with God.
What’s interesting to me is that in His humility He was exalted. Look what the scripture says:
9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ’s experience proves that exaltation always follows humiliation. If we are to follow the example of Christ and humble ourselves in service to God and others we can be sure that God will take care of us!
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
Humility actually will produce honor. It’s the high ground which will take you higher.
But there is a warning here too:
11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Christ proves this by His example of Humility.
Before we move on to the next thought, I want you to know that we do not worship a “babe in a manger” or a “sacrifice on a cross”; we worship an exalted Lord seated on the throne of the universe.
Christ’s life, death, and resurrection proved eternally that the way to be exalted is to be humbled before God.
There is no joy or peace in pride and self-seeking. When we have the submissive mind that Christ had, then we will have the joy and peace that He alone can give which will cause us to live together in unity.
The first point is that Jesus Exemplifies Perfected Humility, the second point is...
Honor Leads us to Humility
Honor Leads us to Humility
We can understand what Christ has done in humility to bring unity, but refuse to humble ourselves in honor of His great act of compassion.
We need to ask are we the kind of “Children” that want our father continually to make us happy, or do we desire to make Him happy?
Ollie turned 5 years old this week. She had an epic birthday on Thursday. She picked what we ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We took her to the toy store and let her pick out whatever toy she wanted. The house was decorated with streamers, balloons, and all the table stuff. We had cake and she opened all the gifts from family.
THEN we went to the carnival rides, she rode them all, she even won a prize at the games. WHAT A DAY.
We were walking home. Her little hand in mine. She looked up and asked me, “Dad, what else are you going to do for my birthday?”
It was cute, I laughed, gave her a spanking, and put her to bed.
You know, I kind of think we do the same thing to our heavenly Father. Hasn’t He done enough for us?
Jesus gives us a story that should remind us of the Fathers love in Luke 15
You know the story. A man had two sons, one of the sons asked for his inheritance first. The father gave it to him, he spent it all and came back to his fathers house.
20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him.
This is a picture of our relationship with God. We are the son who has squandered everything. Our Heavenly Father welcomed us back home. He runs to us, wraps His arms around us, tells us that we are forgiven.
We are given everything we could ever need. We are given the keys to the kingdom! Amazing! Phenomenal. Nothing could be better.
Except for one little thing. We forget to honor God. Sometimes we treat Him as nothing more than a tool we can use to get our way. This should not be so…we must remain humble in our position with God and honor Him as we should a loving father.
So, what does it mean to honor God? To honor God means to give Him the regard, respect, reverence, admiration, adoration, awe, praise, submission, and obedience which are due to Him. To honor God means to worship Him in all our attitudes, affections, and actions. The essence of what it means to honor God is revealed to us in what Jesus called the first and greatest commandment:
37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the greatest and most important command.
God is deserving of the highest honor because of both who He is and what He has done:
1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
He is our creator, sustainer, and redeemer. Our very life and breath comes from God. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being
28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’
All that we have, we have received from Him. All things have been made by Him and for Him. We can only honor God if we live, not for our own glory, but for His glory. He is worthy of all honor.
This kind of Honor leads us to be humble. We recognize that God is our everything. The honor we have for God affects every part of our lives.
We may not be able to do some things this world does because it does not honor God.
In humility, we lay down our own desires because we honor God.
The first point is that Jesus Exemplifies Perfected Humility, the second point is that Honor will lead us to Humility, and my final thought is that..
Unity that produces Humility results in Revival
Unity that produces Humility results in Revival
15 For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.
Here we see the character of our Father in Heaven. God responds to those who are humble in spirit.
Too many times people think they are in control. They forget that everything is dependent on the goodness and grace of God. If we would remember a few little things it might help us to remain humble.
your heartbeat
your future
your hope for eternity
Every part of life!
You see, in order to have revival in our hearts and in the world around us we must first humble ourselves and confess the NEED of revival.
6 Won’t you revive us again, so your people can rejoice in you?
The psalmist was praying for revival because he recognized it was needed. We must humble ourselves and ask God to revive the church.
Why is it needed?
1. In the outside world. Multitudes are without God and without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12); most of them are outside the churches, and revival is the only key to this tragic situation.
12 At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.
2. In the Church. Many churches are worldly, formal and lacking in spiritual power and vitality. Revival will take place when church is more about God than the consumer. When we are more excited to come to church to pray and worship than we are just to tick a weekly box.
I was reading a book this week that said we need to pray for a church that comes to hear the truth, repent, and worship!
3. In our own lives. How powerless we are! How frequently we fail, our testimony seems ineffective, and how little we pray! Revival is our personal need.
There will never be any revival until we are willing to admit our desperate need for it. That takes humility.
When we humble ourselves God will send revival to our world, church, and hearts.
Paul urges the church to be in unity. He gives us the keys to success in unity.
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Humility is first. Today, let’s humble ourselves before the Lord our God.