It is Not All About Me

This is a sermon I gave at my church on Sunday. Hope you enjoy it.


It is Not All About Me


When I shared about the process of character development a few weeks ago I shared that the first rung of the ladder moving toward character development was humility. I thought it would be fun today to flesh out the concept of humility.

This also ties with what Ken has been teaching us on the process of change. One of the first things I need to do is admit I can not change on my own power, that I need God’s help to change.

I. Opposite of Humility

As we look at Humility, let’s look at the opposite of humility.

A. Satan’s Rebellion

Is 14 is the story of Satan’s revolution against God. For all of eternity all of God’s creation obeyed and followed him. At some time a long while ago Lucifer the most beautiful of God’s created creatures decided, for the first time ever, to go against God’s will. History is the playing out of the results of that rebellion.

Is 14
2 How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!

13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. [c]

14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."

Heaven was stunned. 1/3 of the angels said right on man, let’s rebel. Thus was set up the atmosphere within which man was created. Man believed the lie of Satan, that he could be a god, and the rebellion came to men as well.

What did Satan do?

Replaced

love with lust
joy with happiness (sin bring short term happiness, but not long term joy)
truth with lies
integrity with image
life with death
obedience with rebellion
respect with accusations
helping with hurting


Wow, don’t we have a better world.


This may make us understand the feeling God has about pride.

Prov 6:16-19
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (NIV)

We are in a momentary period when disobedience to God is allowed. I think of it as the great demonstration. God said, ok, you want to see what creation will be like going opposite of my will.

He limited the impact in time, and place.

We think that is terrible for Satan to do. He should not try to make himself God.....but if we are honest we will admit that we have thought we have a better way of living than God’s plan for us.

When we think that God’s will is limited and narrow. When we choose sin over righteousness.”

What is the ultimate result of Satan’s rebellion?

B. Satan’s Downfall

Rev 12
7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.


At some time in the future This “experiment” with rebellion will be complete. The whole creation will be tired of the impact of sin and pride, and will long for a world where only God’s will is accomplished.

I believe that it will lead to greater creativity, joy, standard of living, peacefulness and so much more when there is just one will in the universe, God's.

Contrast the impact of this rebellion with the impact of the humble God/man Jesus.

II. Jesus the Model of Humility

A. Jesus Takes the Towel

John 13

1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.[a]

2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

I am fascinated by the comment that Jesus “knew the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;”

The beginning of humility is knowing yourself in relation to God. Jesus is so loved by the Father, he does not have go reach out and grasp after greatness. He is just content to serve.

If we really get it....really know how very much we are loved by God, how dear we are to him, that he thinks about us constantly, our emotional tanks are full. Being filled with that knowledge gives us left over energy to serve others. You know, I enjoy being liked by people, but it is not as powerful an need if I am convinced that I am dearly loved by the infinite God.

Jesus took time after he served to explain the meaning of that service.


B. We are to Take the Towel

John 13
12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

How astounding, the God who made everything. Who designed human DNA, who created a world with a Milky Way Galaxie of over 100 Billion stars, and billions of Galaxies beside, knelt before some lowly fishermen, and washed their grimy feet. Man they must have been ugly.

What a contrast. Satan who demands service from others, and God who serves out of a deep heart of love.

Later in the Bible Paul wrote about the meaning of Jesus’ attitude.

Phil 2

1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Satan’s destiny is destruction, Jesus’ destiny is to be worshiped.


III. The man that God humbled.

One of the great stories in the bible about God’s humbling of Nebuchadnezzar. He was the king of the world. Babylon was the dominant world power.

Daniel had predicted the fall of Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 4
 28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

31 The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

IV. Jesus’ story about Humility

Luke 18
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."


The Little Children and Jesus
15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

Do you see how being humble can bring you toward needed change in our lives. When we are honest about where we are, and our need for God in our lives, we can face the changes we need in our lives.


Practical Humility--Get your relationships repaired.

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.