Humility

[0:00] 1 Corinthians 1.26 For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

[0:20] ! But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

[0:33] And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen. Yea, and things which are not to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.

[0:46] But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

[1:02] My topic is humility. Humility. It's evident in conversion when we say that God would pick you, the likes of you, the likes of me, the weak, the despised, the base.

[1:24] Not many noble, not many mighty. God hath chosen the foolish things. That's a strong word too. It talks of stupidity. God hath chosen the very least to be his.

[1:38] We don't have to measure up or qualify for the admission requirements, for the eligibility requirements to be saved. We just have to come.

[1:49] Bound before him. Humility, it starts at conversion. Someone said, humility is honestly assessing ourselves in the light of God's holiness and our sinfulness.

[2:04] Humility. It's realising that God has chosen you in all your weakness and inadequacy. Let your boasting be in God. Let him that glories, glory in God.

[2:17] No flesh should glory in his presence. Let your glory be in God. Think it not that you have got anything to credit yourself before him.

[2:29] A preacher wrote this, There is no room for God in him who is full of himself. We've got to empty ourselves. We've got to come to the end of ourselves.

[2:42] The Christian life starts with humility. It's repentance. It's faith. It's turning a U-turn. And there's many Bible examples of humility.

[2:53] For example, Moses, Numbers 12, 3. The man Moses was very meek. Above all, the men which were upon the face of the earth. God values meekness.

[3:05] God values meekness if you're feeling weak, if you're feeling inadequate. That's just the place he wants you to be. That's just the place he can use you. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think.

[3:17] Someone said this, God's kingdom is counter-cultural. Totally upside down. We lose our life to find it. Slavery leads to freedom.

[3:30] The foolish are wise. The poor are rich. The weak are strong. We give to receive. The first are last. The last are first.

[3:41] Turning the other cheek. Going the second mile. Giving the spare coat. Washing feet. Heave blessings on those who curse you. Living without anger.

[3:52] Laying down your life. Counter-cultural, isn't it? It's contrary to the world's thinking. To what the world would say is right and wrong. Humility. It's evident in conversion.

[4:05] The Lord Jesus says, Unless you be converted and become like little children. You cannot see. You cannot enter the kingdom of God. Humility. It's evident in conversion.

[4:16] Secondly, it's evident in consecration. In consecration. When you're saved, He doesn't want you to stay there. He wants you to be consecrated. He wants you to be dedicated.

[4:27] He wants your life to be a living sacrifice. Consecration. The word means the devoting or setting apart of anything to the worship or service of God.

[4:39] Consecration. Consecration. It's something we grow in. It's our daily walk. Our consecrated living. A continuing process. Humility is a continuing process of the Christian life.

[4:53] We've not arrived there yet. I've not apprehended yet. Paul says He's on the road. He's on the race. He's in the journey. And God humbles us sometimes in that journey of life.

[5:04] Brother, sister, maybe you've been there at the place of humbling. At the place of inadequacy. Allow His humbling. Allow Him to humble you. Accept it from His hand. Do not resist His humbling.

[5:17] God takes us down paths and through various times to humble us. He specifically humbles us. Those places that are uncomfortable for us.

[5:28] Places of lack. Of unemployment. Of sickness. Of trial. Of suffering. Of grief. Of sadness. Of loss. Humbles us. He humbles us that we might cry out.

[5:40] That we might cry out like the psalmist cried out. Humbles us that we might learn to rest upon Him. To trust in Him more. Deuteronomy 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord by God led thee these 40 years in the wilderness to humble thee.

[5:59] To humble thee. And to prove thee. To know what is in thine heart. Whether thou wouldest keep His commandments or no. God took them through the 40 years.

[6:11] God took them through the wilderness. It was deliberate. It was intentional. God humbled them through that time. Sometimes we must accept that time of humbling. That time of wilderness.

[6:22] That time of desert. Of loss. Isaiah 64.8 But now O Lord thou art our Father. We are the clay.

[6:33] And thou art potter. And we all are the work of thy hand. Learn humility. Brother, sister learn humility.

[6:44] Be that clay. Be that clay. Learn to be clay. In the potter's hand. Learn to take the lowest place. Do not resist the potter. Do not resist the potter.

[6:59] Isaiah 66.1-2 Thus saith the Lord The heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house that ye build unto me?

[7:10] And where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made. And all those things have been saith the Lord. But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word.

[7:30] To this man will I look he says to the poor to the one of contrite spirit to the one humbled and inadequate broken that trembleth that my word.

[7:45] To this man will I look the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity. Humble yourselves it says in 1 Peter 5 verse 6 under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.

[7:59] Humble yourself under his hand. Be that clay be that one under his hand. Whatever his hand brings be under that. Be under that umbrella of his hand.

[8:09] Learn to trust him. Learn to tremble. Jeremiah 9 23 Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord if you're wise don't glory in that wisdom you might have education beyond others here you might have qualifications and certificates on your wall and things you could lay claim to you might have all kinds of status and standing don't glory in your might mighty man wise man rich man glory in this glory in the Lord don't put any glory in yourself any glory in what you know and any glory in what you have and any glory in what you intend or make of yourself let him that glory glory in the Lord glory in this glory in the understanding of the Lord glory in the knowledge of the Lord glory in knowing him learn to love him to value him that he gets the glory in your life so we see humility it's evident in conversion if you've never been humbled before him likelihood is you're not saved today if you're not realised you're great lack that we all fall short of the glory of God we can do nothing to save ourselves we are lost as lost can be without the Saviour we need to humble ourselves and repent conversion consecration growing Christ believers today don't be a static stagnant stale Christian be a growing thriving vibrant one a flourishing fruitful one a consecrated one and thirdly conformation conformation we see that

[10:29] Romans 8 29 it's the putting into practice of this humility there's a conforming process that goes on we know the word says in Romans 12 be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind etc but the conforming that is good for us is the conforming unto him Romans 8 29 those you did foreknow he predestinated to be conformed to be conformed to the image of his son Philippians 3 10 that I may know that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death conformed to the image of his son conformed to his death to be made like him conformation have you been conformed to the image of his son are you being conformed to his death Paul cried my little children of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you he wanted to see

[11:33] Christ formed in them who is Christ the humble one that he would deign to step down from his glorious throne to leave that wonder of glory to lay it aside to empty himself to clothe himself with human flesh to tabernacle with us Philippians 2 3 let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves and the concept of Philippians 2 is of course of our Saviour that he took upon him the form of a servant he was made in flesh to visit man to be that servant to be that Saviour let nothing be done in strife or vain glory any one of us especially me we can we can think of ourselves more than we ought to think when really we're nothing we're just a worm we are made as the offscouring brothers and sisters we're nothing to credit ourselves before him

[12:45] God forbid that we should glory except in his salvation in our Saviour let this mind be in you which was also in Christ it's talking about your mind have you got that conforming of your mind a conforming of your attitude of your disposition of your nature of your daily walk your daily experience do not put yourself above others take the lowest place take the lowest seat take the lowest position reject pride reject pride reject flesh what does humility mean it means recognise pride for what it is it's sin Paul said he had all these things he could claim and brag about he said it's just rubbish it's just junk in comparison to him you know any of our educating our qualifying our learning our wealth if any our family our upbringing our heritage it's nothing really it's absolutely nothing whether we've been born in a slum or in a castle on a hill it matters nothing what matters is are you covered by the blood are you saved by the Saviour recognise pride for what it is it's sin it's a man's pride and self that lies at the heart of man's sin and sometimes it rears its ugly head in everyday ways it's when we put self first it's when we put our self and our self interests above what really matters what really counts what's really important

[14:30] Saturday night someone said 8 o'clock or so I'm too tired to come to church today on Sunday there's times when the flesh says let's take an easy ride let's sleep in and we all can get tired maybe we do need to sleep in on occasion but brothers and sisters it's flesh it's self it's sin it's sin name it for what it is it's at the heart of man's sin it's yourself it's your flesh it's putting yourself first instead of coming to church and blessing a brother or sister by being here like coming to exalt one another as you see the day approaching don't miss it Charles Burgess says be not proud of race face place or grace we can be proud of our race whether we we're black light or in between we can be proud of our heritage whatever it might be whatever our colour of skin we can be proud of our race it's nothing it doesn't matter our blood's still the same colour amen it doesn't matter what colour of skin you have to be proud of your face you might have a good looking face if you look in the mirror you can be proud of how you look how you impress people by your nature you can be proud of your place you might live in a mansion on a hill it doesn't matter you can live in a tent in a caravan park who cares don't take any credit for your place and for the grace even the grace of

[16:04] God you can't take any credit for that because it's his free gift to you be not proud of race face place or grace pride it's at the heart of rebellion and pride selfishness fleshliness carnality lack of repentance brothers and sisters abandon self-righteousness crucify the flesh nail it there nail it there nail it crucify it bleed it bruise it break it the flesh pride it's contrary to humility proverbs 11 2 when pride cometh then cometh shame but with the lowly is wisdom crucify the flesh crucify it deny it deny yourself do what the flesh doesn't want you to do do what God wants you to do pride creates destruction and damage churches get wrecked through pride when people argue over petty squabbles or difference of opinion and that's not to say we shouldn't contend earnestly for the faith once delivered for the saints but when people pick and sneer and snide and quibble and quarrel over non-issues really it creates division and destruction

[17:21] God forbid that we sow discord pride is at the heart of it isn't it maybe you might need some correction maybe I need some true humility creates unity and it's basic it's essential humility in our speech in our relationships he has showed the old man what is good Micah 6 saying what did the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy to walk humbly humbly with thy God John Owen an old time preacher said two things are needed to humble us first let's consider God in his greatness glory holiness power majesty and authority consider God second let us consider ourselves in our mean abject and sinful condition it's putting it into context isn't it what are you to credit what are you to claim to tear your garments tear your heart God will hear you God hears the humble the man's pride brings him low but honour shall uphold the humbling spirit proverbs 29 23 psalm 8 when I consider thy heavens the work of thy fingers the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained what is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him put it into context people today humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord

[18:45] Christ is our pattern of humility think of Christ he's our model it means putting yourself last it means becoming more like Jesus every day not accommodating the flesh but denying it when the flesh says on this church today don't listen to it don't listen to the flesh listen to the spirit don't pamper the flesh crucify it it means being a servant yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble 1 Peter 5 5 he gives grace to the humble don't you want grace today clothe yourself clothe yourselves it's the sense of an apron of a servant's apron in this context here clothe yourselves with an apron of a servant and serve one another if you are proud God is resisting you today God resists the proud humility it means conversion it means becoming like a little child humility it means consecration it means you're a

[19:47] Christian and you're going to stand up and be counted it means a conformation that you grow more and more like him Christ will be seen he'll be evident in your life