[0:00] A warm welcome to our service this evening. As we gather together to worship God, we pray that he would bless our time together under his word. We shall begin singing to God's praise from Psalm 18. Psalm 18, and we're singing from the beginning.
[0:23] Psalm 18, and we're singing from Psalm 18.
[0:53] Psalm 18, and we're singing from Psalm 18.
[1:23] The heaven's foundations moved where, because he was displeased. And so on. We can sing these verses of Psalm 18 from the beginning.
[1:41] The heaven I love, O Lord, my strength. The heaven's foundations moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundations moved where, because he was displeased.
[1:51] The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased.
[2:05] The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased.
[2:16] The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where he was displeased. The heaven's foundation moved where, because he was displeased.
[2:28] The heaven's foundation moved where, because he died has renowned him here. The heaven's foundation moved where he died near hiswor llaiist. It he died either made his state verrn earliermented hands or he died, Heized did not sufficiently limbozt when foxes when he was displeased.
[2:42] His 깊ened. The heaven's foundation moved where he was див fogue the heaven's foundation moved where he lived in. The earliest of places will I cry, and then shall I be served by, safe from my enemy.
[3:05] The earliest of places will I cry, and then shall I be served by, safe from my enemy.
[3:35] My distress I called on God, cry to my Lord did I.
[3:48] He promised gentle, heard my voice, to his ears in my cry.
[4:01] Yes, as a bright and splendid shape trembling upon its knees, the heavens found a child to be well, because it was displeased.
[4:28] Amen. Let us turn together in prayer. O Lord our God, as we are reminded through your word of your holiness and your holy otherness, that you are a God who is fearful to behold.
[4:59] And we are reminded of the words of your servant who declared that our God is an all-consuming fire.
[5:12] And we know that there were occasions when the psalmist, as he composed these verses, even as stimulated by your own spirit, that he could compose these words, moved by what he saw in nature, and recognise the awesome wonder that the world around him brought to his attention.
[5:56] But at the same time, behind which he saw the handprint of our God, who is the creator God. Help us to remember these things, even as we contemplate the world in which we live.
[6:16] In recent days, we have been, through the medium of television, been confronted by the terrible scene of volcanic eruption, and the damage that is caused by such natural occurrence.
[6:38] And it is fearful to behold. And perhaps, in many respects, it stimulates an awesome wonder into the power of almighty goodness, the power of the world, who is the God, who not only holds this world in the sway of your power, but to countless galaxies that owe their origin to the world of the Most High God, who simply spoke the world.
[7:23] Do not allow us to limit our vision of the divine being that occupies our attention in this act of worship.
[7:44] Do not allow us to be distracted by the delimiting effect of sin that would have us at the centre of this universe, and have ourselves as the preeminent fixture upon which our attention is focused.
[8:06] That what affects us is of great importance, of the greatest importance. And so it is with us so often, we elevate ourselves into a place of grand design, so that this world in which we live is a world that owes much to us, and that is indebted to us in some way.
[8:46] Help us, O Lord, to have a realism based upon the teachings of your world, that reminds us of our accountability, such as we spoke of this morning, that every one of us, regardless of who we are, will be ushered into the presence of our God, and we will answer to you before any other giver account of our life in this world.
[9:18] And we pray that you would remind us even through the word of God, that bears your name, that it is good for us to remember our place at your footstool, to take to heart the reality of the ways in which you have blessed our lives, and that you have given to us an understanding of being the focus, the undivided attention of God in ways that defy understanding.
[10:02] And if anything is to be celebrated or identified and acknowledged, it is the greatness of God, even in the way that you bring to our attention your interest in us, an interest that defies our own appreciation of it, even in the minutiae of the dealings that you have with us from day to day, and especially when it comes to the salvation of our soul.
[10:36] You are with us, you are about us, you go before us, and you remind us that not one of us will escape your notice at any time.
[10:52] And this world cannot comprehend such a God, and we cannot comprehend such a God except you open the eyes of our understanding so that we can marvel at the vastness of the divine intellect that not only encompasses the outworking of providence, but also the salvation of sinners within the world, and where that providence is brought under your superintendence in ways that only can be possible because God is at work in it.
[11:40] can we fully understand the awesome wonder that truly belongs to you. So in our worship, enable us to appreciate that.
[11:53] Bless us together. Bless all who are with us in this place. May it be a veritable house of God to us.
[12:05] May we recognise that we are in your presence, and may our worship conform to those who understand that. We pray for those who would wish to be here and are unable because of physical weakness, perhaps the incapacities of old age, others through illness, and who are confined to their homes because of it.
[12:30] We pray for those who are in hospital, some of our own congregation, who have been cared for by others, and who have a serious illness to deal with.
[12:44] We bring them before you and pray for them, not just individually but collectively. Thankful that your people are as one in their prayers.
[12:55] And when we pray, there is a hearing given to us in the court of heaven. And to that end, we would pray for your guiding hand to be upon us so that we pray appropriately for the needs of those that you have brought to our attention, even in our prayers.
[13:14] Remember, those who are grieving and sorrowing, we bless you and thank you that the griefs that assail us from time to time can be assuaged by your own careful and concerning hand.
[13:31] But you are a God of mercy and grace, and that oftentimes people in particular have discovered what it is to have the balm of your love, your compassion, your tenderness, visiting them when their hearts are heavy and when their heads are burned.
[13:52] May that be true even this evening for any that you have come near to with the voice of death. We pray for all our communities.
[14:03] We pray for your blessing upon our island, upon our nation. Remember those in government over us, be it at Holyrood or Westminster.
[14:15] Remember our local council and those who serve the community within that body. We ask, Lord, that you would grant to us the understanding, the privilege that we have to serve our fellows, but most especially to serve you in these roles and that your glory would be at the heart of our reasoning.
[14:44] We remember the needs of society. Thankful that we can bring all our cares to you. We think of those who are impoverished and who need to understand that you are God over all.
[15:02] You sit as king and you rule wisely and powerfully and there is nothing that you do not possess.
[15:13] May those in want know to turn to you that you may supply out of your riches and the bounties sufficient to meet the needs of each one.
[15:25] Remember the nations of the earth that are in torment and turmoil where there are illnesses such as the COVID virus that has affected us here in this nation and has touched the lives of so many in the world.
[15:42] I think of third world countries countries that are deprived of medicines and who need to have the compassion and care of those who have the capacity to remember them and their need moved and stimulated do not allow us to harden our hearts and to have our own affairs in the place of priority.
[16:11] If we need to to demonstrate Christ-likeness may it be in this sense that we would deny ourselves so that others may benefit from it.
[16:25] We remember in your presence all that is done by the various agencies in our own nation and beyond who think of the needs of others who think of the elderly who think of the widow in their time of need who think of orphans who think of people who are deprived of so much and who are destitute of many things and yet we live in a world of extraordinary wealth that is misspent by so many.
[17:06] Pardon us these sins we ask. Continue to watch over this blessing of word as we reflect upon it. Cleanse from sin in Jesus' name. Amen.
[17:21] We're going to read from the scriptures of the New Testament from the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew reading from chapter 18 from the beginning of the chapter Matthew chapter 18 from the beginning and we can read down to verse 14 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
[18:02] And Jesus called a little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea Woe unto the world because of offences For it must needs that offences come But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot for fending cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life hauled or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire
[19:16] And if thine eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones For I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost How think ye if a man have a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray Doth he not leave the ninety and nine and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray And if so be that he find it Verily I say unto you He rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety and nine which went not astray Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish
[20:23] And so on May the Lord at his blessing to this reading of his word and to his name be the praise We shall sing now from Psalm 30 Psalm 30 from verse 6 In my prosperity I said that nothing shall me move O Lord thou hast my mountain made to stand strong by thy love But when that thou O gracious God did hide thy face from me Then quickly was my prosperous day turned into misery Wherefore unto the Lord my cry I cause to ascend My humble supplication I to the Lord did send What profit is there in my blood When I go down to pit Shall unto thee the dust give praise thy truth declare shall it
[21:24] Hear Lord have mercy Help me Lord Thou turned hast my sadness to dancing Yea my sack cloth loosed and girded me with gladness That sing thy praise my glory may and never silent be O Lord my God forevermore I will give thanks to thee We shall sing from verse 6 to the end Psalm 30 In my prosperity I said that nothing shall be move O Lord Lord прив my I am tendered to start strong by thy love.
[22:33] But when thou art thou, O gracious God, This time thy wish brought me, Then quickly was my cross the state, Turned in to misery.
[23:05] Where for unto the Lord my Christ, I caused it to ascend, My humble supplication, I to the Lord it sent.
[23:40] What drop it is in my blood, When I go down to build, Shine unto thee the dust, Give grace thy truth be clear, Shall live.
[24:12] Hear, Lord, of mercy, help me, Lord, That carnivore my son is, To thou sing ye my son, God bless, And care with me with goodness, That save thy praise, My glory babe, And ever silent be, O Lord my God, For evermore, I will give thanks to thee.
[25:20] We can turn now to the passage of the scripture, That we read, The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18.
[25:35] And we can read again at the beginning of the chapter, At the same time, At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, Saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
[25:50] And Jesus called a little child unto him, And sent him in the midst of him, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, And become as little children, Ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[26:05] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, The same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoso shall receive one such little child, In my name receiveth me.
[26:21] And so on. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself, As this little child, The same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[26:34] As we can see from the opening verse of chapter 18, The disciples do not show up in a good light.
[26:50] You could be sympathetic towards them, You could perhaps seek to justify their conversation, As if it is just somebody who is curious to find out, Who is going to occupy the place of preeminence, In the kingdom of heaven, Or the kingdom of God.
[27:18] And it may be that that is a legitimate question to ask. But from the answer that is given to the question, By the Lord Jesus, He knows that the question is asked for the wrong reason.
[27:38] The desire for greatness in the kingdom of heaven, The kingdom of heaven is at least selfish. The very least.
[27:49] And yet it is not a rare occurrence that Jesus has to deal with. We know that on occasion, That he has to correct and rebuke the disciples and others, Sometimes using parables, Sometimes directly rebuffing the aspirations of those who seek greatness within God's kingdom.
[28:22] It is not a unique occurrence. And it is clearly, you could understand from the collective response of Jesus, To such desires expressed, That it strikes at the heart of the gospel.
[28:44] It strikes at the heart of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. What it means to serve Christ.
[28:57] Because Christ wants us to understand that the spirit of the gospel is seen in servitude, In willingness to follow Him where He leads.
[29:18] And to do so without question, And to do so in the path of self-denial.
[29:29] Now I want us to think of this this evening, Looking at these words in particular. Why does Christ emphasize the need that there is for His followers to be humble?
[29:48] I think we can argue from these verses that humility on the part of His followers is of great import.
[30:00] And in what sense is He able to communicate that to us through the illustration that He gives to us? He calls to Him a little child and sits that child in the midst.
[30:16] And He points to the child and uses the child as illustration. And finally, what are the implications for us if this indeed is the teaching of this passage?
[30:32] What are we supposed to learn from it? What is this humility of which He speaks? I know that we could easily argue by gathering various passages that communicate this truth to us from the mouth of Christ.
[30:55] But from the whole of Scripture, we know that not only does God command humility, He commends humility. He does both.
[31:07] He commands humility on the part of those who are His followers, His servants. He commands humility on the part of the world. He commands it where it is seen.
[31:18] And He also corrects the polar opposite of that which is pride. He corrects it. He challenges it.
[31:29] He rebukes those who are guilty of it. Theologians describe the humility that Christ is seeking as an attribute or attitude of modest recognition of the need for obedience to God, which is framed or founded on the understanding that this is proper to the creature in presence of the Creator.
[31:58] Sometimes I look for passages or quotations from those whose role it is to teach doctrine or to teach theology in order to, in short, formulate a statement that is helpful.
[32:17] So, from that statement we can understand that the humility of which Christ speaks owes its origin to an understanding that God is sovereign.
[32:32] He is Creator and those who are His subjects are but His creatures. They owe their origin to Him.
[32:44] And the very nature of the relationship requires them, and that means us, to acknowledge it and to live our lives knowing that our place belongs at His food store.
[33:01] If He commands something, we are to do it. If He requires something at our hand, we are to supply it. If we are forbidden by Him, then we understand the prohibition as being one that is ours to observe.
[33:20] Wherever we come across through the Scripture, this understanding, it is well worth an effort on our part to get to grips with it.
[33:39] If Christ is highlighting this repeatedly, the need for humility on the part of the believer, we need to understand how beneficial it is for us to be humble in His presence, but also to be humble in the presence of others.
[34:03] And to realize that lack of true humility is itself not conducive to true servitude, to servitude.
[34:18] Servitude, I think, is more slavish, but servitude to do with pleasure what God would have us do. And some would direct us, for example, to the Old Testament Scriptures and to the work, to the writings of the prophet Isaiah.
[34:43] The prophet Isaiah refers there to the original situation, pre-fall, that existed.
[34:58] At least when some theologians look at what the prophet is saying. He describes in the prophecy of Isaiah, one that is called Lucifer, the son of the morning.
[35:15] And in that passage, you can read it for yourself in Isaiah 14. In that passage, the description that is given to us of this Lucifer is that he desired to be elevated.
[35:31] And the elevation was such that he was going to displace God from his rightful position on the throne. Now, the understanding of that passage is twofold.
[35:43] Some would say that this is merely speaking about the king of Babylon and the aspirations of that king, even advancing himself to divinity, so that the God Jehovah would be displaced.
[36:04] And he, as the king of Babylon and the king of all that he surveyed, would have this place of sovereign rule of the world as he saw it.
[36:18] Now, others look at that passage and they say, no, this is talking more about Lucifer, whose name is a name given to the morning star.
[36:30] That this Lucifer, this angel of light, as he existed in the presence of God, he wanted greatness.
[36:44] And he wanted not just greatness, he wanted the greatness that God enjoyed. And in order for him to enjoy that greatness, he wanted God displaced from his throne.
[36:58] Something that he couldn't do. He wanted to enjoy that. Now, the thing is this, that the spirit that is described there is not the spirit of the humble, but the spirit of pride.
[37:16] And a spirit that is alien to, and opposed to the spirit of God. Alien to what God holds out as being wholesome and that God holds out as being advantageous.
[37:32] So when you see the polar extreme, if you like, that is viewed in pride, and you understand that Christ is here, seeing this destructive force at the heart of what the disciples are deciding, when they are deciding advancement, when they are deciding to be great in the kingdom of God.
[38:04] He is knowledgeable because as God, he was there before the world was. And if it is Lucifer, the son of the morning, this angel of light that fell, that is being spoken of by Isaiah, the sin that is in evidence here is the sin of pride.
[38:25] And Christ recognising that however small it may appear, where the persons of the disciples are wanting knowledge about who is going to be greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
[38:44] Now I know if we, we can be more sure, because the way we read it here, the question appears to be innocuous and harmless.
[38:56] But we can understand from Christ's response that it is far from that. But if we go to the account that we have in Mark's Gospel, in Mark's Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples a question.
[39:13] And he asks them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? In other words, Jesus had prior knowledge of a discussion that these disciples were having.
[39:28] And if it was harmless, if it was innocuous, if it was, you know, just a conversation about generalities, about greatness, then the answer would have been straightforward enough.
[39:42] But what we are told is, they held their peace. They didn't answer. And why did they not answer? Because they themselves knew instinctively that what they were wanting, what they were deciding, what they were discussing, Christ would not approve of it, could not approve of it.
[40:03] Because at the heart of what they were wanting was selfish advancement on their part. Bishop Ryle in his comments on this writes, It is an awful fact, like it or not, that pride is the commonest sin in our human nature.
[40:32] We are all Pharisees. Do you agree with that? Do you agree with that? Or do you see it in other people before you see it in yourself?
[40:43] And yet it is so close to our nature, the spirit of pride, that erodes relationships, that spoils fellowships, that enters into our heart.
[41:03] Very subtly and almost without us being able to discern it. It is there in every one of us.
[41:17] In Bishop Ryle's comments he takes us right back to the Garden of Eden.
[41:28] And that is an interesting study for you. To go back to the Garden of Eden where he describes there the fall of man and what was behind it.
[41:39] I have already said it often, I am sure, that it is a great study for every one of us to think about how sin came into this world.
[41:50] And how it entered into a sinless environment. And how mankind who were created holy, perfectly innocent, could depart from that state of holiness and innocence and embrace sin.
[42:06] But that is exactly what happened. And the scripture tells us that is what happened. And why it happened, well you can consider it for yourself.
[42:18] But the thing is this, that as Bishop Ryle thinks of this thing, this desperate sin that is in the heart of all men.
[42:30] He says of that sin that it is so powerful, so effective in the way that it works, effective in the sense of being destructive.
[42:44] That it is so powerful, that it is so powerful, that it is so powerful, that it is so powerful, that it is so powerful. That it prevents a person from truly repenting. It keeps men and women away from Christ.
[43:00] Why does he say that? Well he doesn't explain it in that passage. But I could venture an answer. Why was a person going to be kept back from repentance?
[43:14] Well if God says that you want repentance, that you need repentance, and you don't repent. You must ask your question, why am I not doing what God wants me to do?
[43:25] Well one reason that often comes to the surface is that you don't see the need for repentance. The very thing that God insists upon, you're saying, I have no need of it.
[43:36] What God is pointing out as my sin has no real, no real, it doesn't affect me as badly as God says.
[43:51] But the truth is different. So in that sense, you ask the question, what is it that keeps me from repenting?
[44:04] Why am I not repenting? Well, at the heart of that answer must be this, at least. That I am refusing to bow the knee to the God who says that this is what I need.
[44:21] And I'm saying to him, despite his place as my God, as my King, I refuse to give him his place. And this, I think, is at the heart of what Christ is saying here.
[44:36] In verse 3, the word converted is used. When we read the word converted, occasionally it means, well more often than not we think of it as something that happens when a person experiences the work of God's Spirit in their life.
[44:56] And they are, by the grace of God, persuaded of their sin.
[45:08] And they are persuaded with his help to turn from their sin and to flee to Christ. And that is a conversion. That is the outcome or part of the experience of being born again by the Spirit of God.
[45:29] Part of the experience. It's not all of it, but part of it. And that conversion is something that the scripture sometimes speaks about.
[45:43] Except ye be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. But there is also the possibility that Jesus is using converted here, directly addressing it to the disciples.
[45:59] And not using it in the sense in which we normally associate it. Where he is talking about the need for spiritual quickening and turning from sin.
[46:12] But a turning from this particular sin. A turning from this particular malaise that has taken hold of them. Where they are aspiring to greatness and losing sight of the fact that true greatness is not theirs to confer or to take to themselves.
[46:33] This is God's prerogative, not theirs. Think for a moment of some of the encounters that Christ has with individuals within the scripture.
[46:48] We said that God commends to us this kind of genuine behaviour.
[46:59] Where we are willing to submit to Christ. And occasionally Christ meets these people who come to him.
[47:12] And they come to him in a sense of desperate urgency. Looking for Christ to offer help to them. And sometimes he meets people and he identifies one trait that is commendable.
[47:32] And that is their humility. Do you remember how he met the centurion? And the centurion came to Christ and Christ was going to go with the centurion.
[47:51] And the centurion said, no, I'm not worthy that you should come inside my home. I'm not worthy.
[48:02] Why was he saying that? Was he saying something that he didn't believe? No, he was saying something that he genuinely believed. That he knew the person of the Lord Jesus for what he was.
[48:16] That he had not only the power to save, but that the person who had that power was worthy of receiving the acknowledgement that belonged to someone who was sovereign and who was king.
[48:34] And again, in the gospel of Matthew earlier on, chapter 15, the woman who came to Jesus and again the same response.
[48:49] He deals with this woman and he deals with her in a way where she recognizes who he is and what he is about.
[49:00] And what he is worthy of receiving from her. He says, you know, she said, Lord, the son of David, my daughter, is grievously vexed with her devil.
[49:12] But he answered her not a word and his disciples came and besought him saying, send her away for she cries after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[49:24] Then came she and worshipped him saying, Lord, help me. But the answer said, it is not me to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. She said, truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the master's table.
[49:39] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very power.
[49:51] This woman submitted. This woman yielded to Christ, gave him his place and was willing to make that known to all unsundry.
[50:07] And Thursday evening we spoke about the way that Christ himself demonstrates this humility, this humbleness.
[50:20] What else is he doing when he girds an apron, a towel around his waist and washes the disciples' feet? I am among you who sits as one who serves.
[50:36] The apostle Peter very interestingly states that a crown of glory awaits the believer on the coming of the chief shepherd.
[50:48] Imagine. The apostle Peter. This is what he says to the believer. A crown of glory is awaiting you. But then he says, meantime, the young are to submit to the elder.
[51:02] They are to, they, not just the young, but they, those who are believers, they are to submit to one another and be clothed with humility.
[51:15] To be clothed with humility. Yes, he said, glory will be yours. The crown of glory, you will wear it. But not yet. And in this world, this is what you're going to be like.
[51:29] As my people, as my disciples, you will clothe yourselves with humility. In fact, theologians tell us in that passage that the word that Peter uses for clothing, the word that they, the cloth that they are to put on, is actually a word that is derived from the clothing that is worn by a servant when they engage in whatever it is that is their duties as servants or slaves.
[52:01] And Peter is saying, put on this. Put on this. This is what belongs to you. So what are we being taught?
[52:14] What are we being taught here? Who is this passage directed at? Well, I believe it's directed at the disciples. Those who are followers of Jesus.
[52:25] Those who have lost sight of what it is to follow Jesus. What it means to be his followers. That they are not followers of Jesus so that they may be lords over others or to be looking down their noses at others.
[52:44] A child is a dependent. You see that when you deal with small children. How dependent they are upon parents to look after them.
[52:58] But, you know, you watch how close to our nature, our sinful nature is.
[53:11] That is part of it. You know, when you see a child, you very quickly see an independent spirit come out. You know, you want to keep them on their feet.
[53:23] You want to make sure that they don't put their hands where their hands shouldn't be going. And they are happy for you to do that for a while. But then they want to get their own way. And then they do something silly.
[53:35] And then they tell you very quickly, I got it wrong. But that is the way we are by nature. I will manage by myself.
[53:49] And that is not the spirit of humility. I will do this in my own way. That is not the spirit of humility.
[54:00] Christ tells us what we are to do. That we are to do it not with our own endeavours, by our own means, with our own strength, but by grace.
[54:12] With his help, with his word directing us as to how to achieve whatever it is we seek to achieve. And it is by grace that we are enabled to be different.
[54:27] The apostle James reminds us of that very fact. He teaches the need that there is for the believer to be someone who is constantly aware of the danger that lies within the heart of each man and each woman.
[54:50] Do you think, he says, that the scripture says in vain, the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace.
[55:02] Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God, he says.
[55:13] Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners shall purify your hearts, ye double-minded.
[55:25] Sounds like James the apostle knows what he's talking about. I believe it's said of James that of all the apostles that he was the most attentive to the words of Christ on the Sermon of the Mount.
[55:43] Whether that is true or not. It is clear that James the apostle understands the danger that there is in lack of humility.
[55:55] And that without genuine grace to ensure that that humility is in evidence, we will always fall by the wayside in some way.
[56:12] Serving, as James says, one another. Or Paul, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves.
[56:29] Does that describe you? Does it describe me? We put others first. You know, sometimes you find yourself saying, oh well, if so and so is being given a place, so be it.
[56:48] I don't mind. I'll take the lower seat. And then what happens? You find yourself stewing on that. And your thoughts are on the unfairness of it, the unjustness of it.
[57:05] The unjustness of it. That you should be where they are. I'm sure you're not like that. But some people are. And where does that come from?
[57:18] What is behind that? We cannot but with God's grace deal with it. And Christ commends it to us if we are Christians.
[57:33] That we are not aspiring to greatness except the greatness that elevates him. And then, you notice, just with these words I'm going to finish, you notice the Apostle Paul.
[57:47] What was true about the Apostle Paul? Well, Paul the Apostle was somebody who boasted in his pedigree as a Jew.
[57:59] There was all kinds of things that he was celebrating. And he was a Benjaminite that he was so many things.
[58:10] You know, he had sat at the feet of Gamaliel. He had all these tick boxes that he held up and said, this is what I was. And when he was able to say that in the present tense, this is what I am, he was proud of what he was.
[58:29] But when grace came, that went out the window. And this is what he said. If anyone, he said, is to boast, let them boast in what?
[58:44] Let them boast in the Gospel. Let them boast in the Lord. That is the change that the Gospel brings about.
[58:55] That is the change that Christ is looking for. That is the change that Christ is so determined to see in the experience of his disciples.
[59:09] And that disturbs them when it is not in evidence. True humility is a God-like, a Christ-like characteristic.
[59:24] And it is something that should mark out the Lord's people in this world. And it is more important, I believe, in our generation to take note of it.
[59:41] It's not, it's not never been important. That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying that this current generation of ours delights itself in personal advancement, promotion.
[59:59] Proving to others how good you are in comparison to those also-runs that are in the race with you.
[60:11] And so opposed to the spirit of the Gospel. So it's not a surprise if you work it out. The more the Gospel is on the wane, the more the spirit that is opposed to the Gospel takes a hold.
[60:28] The more these things that Christ despises are held up and held out to be worth having.
[60:39] These are the things, these are the badges of today. These are the badges of modern society. Well, maybe I'm wrong.
[60:50] Feel free to disagree. But I believe that Christ would disagree with you too. May he bless to us these few thoughts. Let us pray. Lord, we pray that you would initiate within our hearts a desire to be subservient and willing to follow where you lead.
[61:15] To be like Christ in the way that he was submitting to the will of the Father, even where that will took him.
[61:27] To where others would not, could not and should not stand. We pray your blessing upon us, upon your word and upon all who are under this word this evening.
[61:39] May we know that you are speaking to us through it. Grant mercy for our sins in Jesus' name. Amen. Our concluding psalm is Psalm 69.
[61:52] A psalm that is messianic, at least in part. We are going to sing the last three verses, but we can't read from verse 30.
[62:04] Psalm 69, reading from verse 30. The name of God. I with a son most cheerfully will praise. And I, giving thanks to him, his name shall highly praise.
[62:18] This to the Lord a sacrifice more gracious shall prove than bull o'goks or any beast that hath both horn and hoof. When this the humble men shall see a joy to them shall give.
[62:31] O all ye that do seek, the Lord your hearts shall ever live. For God the poor hears, and will not his prisoners condemn. Let heaven and earth uncease and praise and all that move in them.
[62:44] For God will Judah's cities build, and he will sigh and save, that they may dwell therein and ensure possession have. And they that are his servants seep, inherited shall the same.
[62:57] So shall they have their dwelling there that love his blessed name. The last three verses from verse 33. For God the poor hears, and will not his prisoners condemn.
[63:11] For God the poor hears, and will not his prisoners condemn.
[63:30] Let heaven and earth uncease and praise and all that move in them.
[63:51] For God will Judah's cities build, and he will sigh and save, that they may dwell therein and live in truthful possession.
[64:20] In true possession of, in true possession of. In true possession of. And they that are his servants see, in heaven shall others live.
[64:47] So shall they have their dwelling there. That love is blessed in thee.
[65:02] That love is blessed in thee. Amen. Amen. And here may grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with you all never and always.
[65:19] Amen. Thank you.