Winning With Humility

Holiness and humility are completely antithetical to pride. What is pride -

Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two meanings. With a negative connotation pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris. With a positive connotation, pride refers to a satisfied sense of attachment toward one's own or another's choices and actions, or toward a whole group of people, and is a product of praise, independent self-reflection, and a fulfilled feeling of belonging.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride>

We are told in scripture that;

Pride goes before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18 Proverbs 6:16 God hates a proud look Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low; but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

It is interesting to me that the man who wrote these Proverbs had an issue with pride himself. Dr. Ravi Zacharias pointed out recently in a sermon, something I had not noticed before but I think he has a valid point.

The Israelites had the Judges - people God would raise up Kings had priests & prophets - Saul had Samuel David had Nathan I don't read where Solomon had someone -When he said that my first reaction was - Ravi you might be a good apologist but I think you are off on this one - but the more I thought about it and studied it I think he was right. It seems that Solomon may have been given extreme wisdom but not a lot of Spirituality and humility.

He may have been able to build a splendorous temple to God, but look at all the other temples he built He may have written the Song of Solomon - but he did not understand anything about monogamy and faithfulness to one wife, real love He may have conquered and built the empire brought in great wealth - but it ignored the very laws God had given.

I want to contrast these two for a little while this morning and I want us to grasp some of these promises and provisions and predictions contrasting the proud with the humble

Defiance (of God) vs Dependence (On God)

Pride is a dependence on self and it's accomplishments - self-aggrandizement -

Holiness is a complete dependence upon God thru Christ and His accomplishments -

Galatians 6:14-18 (KJV)

14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

(Glory save in the cross) - Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling/ Faith is a throwing away us (Dying to self) and standing or leaning or taking Him (Living in Christ)

Paul knew unlike Solomon it wasn't his smarts that was going to get him thru - Paul seemed to be a man of means - it wasn't his money that was going to get him thru - It wasn't his fulfilling of the law - It was his dependence upon Christ and what was accomplished by Him on the cross.

Now the way of the cross is a way of death to pride - (And please understand I'm talking about pride as defined in this message) it has to be that is what Paul understood listen to these verses again "But" that is a transitional word Paul has just been talking about circumcision and why it was unneccesary Paul accuses them of just wanting to make a fair show in the flesh - a defiance of what God was doing instead of a dependence upon what He said. Paul goes on to say in verse 15 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, BUT A NEW CREATURE"

To depend upon God was going to turn things around and was going to be a defience of what was the popular opinion and attitude going upstream against the grain. And again we have to be careful not because we want to be different, but because we are depending upon God. We have emptiied ourselves and relying on God.

Augustus Toplady may have cringed to know that his song Rock of Ages may have had such popularity among the Methodist and now Holiness people but he says some things so powerfully how can we forget.

Could my tears forever flow, Could my zeal no langour know These for sins could not atone, thou must save and thou alone

Nothing in my hands I bring simply to the cross I cling.

Or as Charles Wesely wrote -

Other refuge have I none;

hangs my helpless soul on thee;

leave, ah! leave me not alone,

still support and comfort me.

All my trust on thee is stayed,

all my help from thee I bring;

cover my defenseless head

with the shadow of thy wing.

From <http://www.hymnary.org/text/jesus_lover_of_my_soul_let_me_to_thy_bos>

Desire (of Superiority) vs Deference (of Position)

We have been studying a lot from the writings of the Apostle John from the Book of Revelation to the Seven Signs of the Savior and John had an interesting incident where he seemed to come to speak at a church and they wouldn't let him preach. Can you imagine if Bro. Albert Schaper or Bro. Rick Hollenbeck came here not because we were in revival, but came on one of their offical visits and I refused to let them preach because I thought I was more spiritual than them or I thought I was a better leader than they were. This is what happened to John in

3 John 1:9 (KJV)

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Jesus had shown John many years ago when he took a child from the congregation and put him on his lap and said, "Unless you become as little children you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven."

He talked to them about how if they wanted to be leaders they must first be servants,

Now sometimes we say abuse the term "in honor preferring one another" but that really isn't humility that is trying to get out of responsibility, humility is like the man Solomon talks about when he says, when you go eat dinner with the king, sit in the small unknown spot, and if the king wants to sit by you he will call you upfront, but don't rush upfront you will be sent to the back.

Duplicitous (Of Character/ unstable (always looking out for #1 and covering for yourself) vs Dependable (Stability, integrity & honesty of character and life)

There was the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who said you must do this, but they found a loophole. They supposedly were followers of Moses but yet they did not even do what Moses said.

I think of Stephen who said what he believed and was full of the Holy Spirit, not a preacher, not a teacher, but a food minister. Passing out food to the widows and the poor, it didn't bother him to be around the lower class of people, he was doing what God told him to do and he was fulfilled. But the religious leaders got mad as he talked about Jesus their anger became more severe as he began to show their hypocrisy. So angry that they began to tear at him and bite him or as the KJV gnash on him with their teeth.

Yet in it all Stephan held on to his integrity, he didn't say maybe I was wrong, maybe I need to rethink this, he knew where he stood and nothing was going to change him. The stones began to fly fast and furious and hit targeted areas, but that only mad his face shine the more, The insults were hurled but that made him only pray that God would forgive them, as the rocks hit their targets and life was draining suddenly Stephen says, "I see Jesus standing at the right hand of the father"

Pride leads to defeat but humility leads to heaven.

In closing I want to go back to our parable that Jesus gives us in Luke 18:9-14

Here we have the pious and the despicable - the Pharisee stood by himself and listen to his prayer 11-12