WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.780 You are so arrogant. 00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:06.560 You think too much of yourself and your own opinion. 00:00:06.560 --> 00:00:11.419 You only think of yourself and never anyone else. 00:00:12.620 --> 00:00:16.899 Have you ever heard someone say that to you? 00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:22.280 We don't necessarily like being told that we are arrogant. 00:00:22.440 --> 00:00:25.019 We prefer to think ourselves as humble. 00:00:25.699 --> 00:00:29.339 But the problem is all of us can be arrogant. 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:33.159 What's the consequence for being arrogant? 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:37.359 I was 18 when my parents moved out. 00:00:38.480 --> 00:00:40.939 Usually it's the other way around but my parents were moving to Sydney 00:00:40.939 --> 00:00:42.019 and I stayed in Wollongong. 00:00:42.460 --> 00:00:45.820 And I moved into a townhouse with my brother 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:49.560 and it was the first night of us living on our own. 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:53.900 And my mother had left us some pastry shells. 00:00:54.140 --> 00:00:55.939 It had gone from her freezer to our freezer. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:57.980 And I thought, I've got pastry shells. 00:00:58.280 --> 00:00:59.679 I can cook a meal. 00:01:00.000 --> 00:01:01.119 I'm a man now. 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:01.799 I'm 18. 00:01:02.259 --> 00:01:05.359 I'll make that wonderful easy meal a quiche. 00:01:06.359 --> 00:01:07.280 You know, very easy. 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:12.040 You've got the pastry, egg, tomato, bacon, maybe a bit of cheese on top. 00:01:12.200 --> 00:01:13.599 You can't go wrong, right? 00:01:15.400 --> 00:01:16.560 Well, let me tell you, it went wrong. 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:21.840 And so I whipped up the egg, chopped the tomato and did all those kinds of things. 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:24.159 And I pulled out the pastry shell. 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:29.920 Lo and behold, it was a sweet pastry base. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:34.500 Now, some of you know what that means. 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:37.519 I didn't really know what that meant at the time. 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:40.060 It turns out there's two types of pastries. 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:48.060 There's a sweet pastry to make a pie or there's a savory pastry to make a quiche or something like that. 00:01:48.060 --> 00:01:57.879 And I thought, you know, with the arrogance of a man who doesn't ask directions, the arrogance of a man who won't look at the instruction to set something up. 00:01:57.980 --> 00:01:59.120 This will work. 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:01.200 A pastry is pastry, right? 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:06.159 So I put the filling in and put it in the oven. 00:02:06.939 --> 00:02:08.840 And as it was cooking, it smelled wonderful. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:12.060 But it smelled like two wonderful things. 00:02:12.539 --> 00:02:17.199 It smelled like a sweet pie, but it also smelled like an eggy quiche. 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:22.379 I pulled it out of the oven and served it to my brother and myself. 00:02:23.060 --> 00:02:29.879 And it turns out if you try and eat something that is that different, it actually makes you want to vomit a little bit. 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:31.659 It was really bad. 00:02:33.060 --> 00:02:35.900 It turns out I lacked humility when it came to cooking. 00:02:36.819 --> 00:02:43.159 But now, this is a wider problem for us than just the things we put into our ovens. 00:02:44.079 --> 00:02:49.359 We can often assume that our way of doing things is the right way of doing things. 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:52.319 The way I've done them in the past must be the right way. 00:02:53.099 --> 00:02:56.539 And there can be an undercurrent of pride and arrogance. 00:02:56.539 --> 00:03:00.699 And it can be revealed when something horrendous comes out of the oven. 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:05.439 And so for us, we're going to be thinking about humility today. 00:03:05.579 --> 00:03:10.479 But is it also possible that we lack spiritual humility? 00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:16.560 Is it possible that we look down on other people, other Christians, and we think, 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:21.099 Oh, look, I know better than them, and I know better than God? 00:03:21.979 --> 00:03:24.319 Have you ever had that moment where you're reading the Bible? 00:03:24.420 --> 00:03:28.599 Maybe you even had that moment today where you're reading the Bible, sitting in church and thinking, 00:03:28.780 --> 00:03:31.560 I know someone who really needs to hear this. 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:33.560 They're a terrible sinner. 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:35.319 They need to be reading this part of the Bible. 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:36.539 I'm going to go and tell them. 00:03:37.960 --> 00:03:43.659 Or maybe you dismiss someone's view because they're clearly not as spiritual as you. 00:03:43.659 --> 00:03:46.439 You know, they haven't been at church as long as you. 00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:49.219 And so, of course, they can't know what they're talking about. 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:57.500 Maybe today you're still not sure about Jesus, but you're here and you're wanting to find out more about Him. 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:01.120 Or maybe you've put up walls in the past. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:08.539 Let me encourage you today to question what it means to follow Jesus. 00:04:08.539 --> 00:04:18.019 Because our lack of humility damages our relationships with one another, and it damages our relationship with God. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.539 And I wonder if sometimes we just don't realize that we lack humility. 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:26.159 And maybe we just don't realize that we need to change. 00:04:27.180 --> 00:04:30.039 Arrogance is not an attractive characteristic. 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:35.500 And while spiritual arrogance, just like regular arrogance, can hide under the surface, 00:04:35.860 --> 00:04:38.920 it is something that we need to be carefully considering. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:43.420 Over the last three weeks, as we've had a look at the One Another series, 00:04:43.520 --> 00:04:50.560 first of all, we saw that for us to love one another, we need to know that God loves us first. 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:56.160 To be united with one another, we need to remember how God has already united us. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:01.540 And then to forgive one another, we need to know how God has already forgiven us. 00:05:01.840 --> 00:05:05.160 So a bit of a spoiler as we think about humility. 00:05:06.060 --> 00:05:10.840 Before we can have humility with one another, we need to be humble before God. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.700 And that's the challenge for us today. 00:05:14.540 --> 00:05:15.240 To be humble. 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:21.900 When we know our place before God, that will help us to value and love other people. 00:05:21.899 --> 00:05:26.879 And not to arrogantly demand our own opinions or our own desires. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.560 So as we look at this, let me pray. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:40.339 Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you would give us much willingness to consider our own hearts. 00:05:41.039 --> 00:05:48.219 As we consider whether we are arrogant, particularly when it comes to spiritual arrogance. 00:05:48.220 --> 00:05:55.000 Make us willing to consider the depths of our own heart and to change to be more like you. 00:05:55.180 --> 00:05:55.460 Amen. 00:05:56.440 --> 00:06:02.580 Now as we think about humility, it's important that we first define what humility is. 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:08.720 Maybe you're thinking just when I'm talking about humility, it means being docile. 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:11.940 You need to walk around with your head hanging in shame. 00:06:11.939 --> 00:06:20.879 You need to change from being a loud, confident person and just walk around, you know, quiet, shy person. 00:06:20.980 --> 00:06:22.639 This might be quite difficult for you. 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:25.199 And so you think maybe humility, that's just not me. 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:28.360 Humility is not just lowness. 00:06:30.060 --> 00:06:31.920 It's not being inferior. 00:06:33.100 --> 00:06:37.139 And the opposite of humility is not boldness or confidence. 00:06:37.139 --> 00:06:42.139 You can be humble and confident at the same time. 00:06:42.899 --> 00:06:47.300 I want to say if we, there might be a definition that comes up on the screen in a second. 00:06:47.979 --> 00:06:52.300 Humility is the right understanding of oneself. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:55.839 Humility means knowing your strengths and weaknesses. 00:06:56.199 --> 00:07:00.539 Humility means knowing your value and knowing other people's value. 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:05.479 Take the Olympic runner who finishes first and wins gold. 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:12.160 And, you know, they've always got a camera shoved in the front of their face and a microphone and they're still, you know, panting and unable to breathe. 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.960 And the person asks them, you know, how did you run the race? 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:20.400 Well, a runner can be humble and say, well, I ran well. 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:21.560 I came first. 00:07:22.220 --> 00:07:26.620 But a humble athlete will say, well, there's still some things I need to work on. 00:07:28.020 --> 00:07:30.640 Take the French soccer team who won the World Cup. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:33.719 They can say, yes, we won. 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:35.620 And that's not arrogance. 00:07:35.719 --> 00:07:36.319 They did win. 00:07:37.039 --> 00:07:41.199 But they can also acknowledge, yes, there's things we need to continue to work on as a team. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:47.399 Arrogance says, oh, I am the best runner and there is never going to be anyone like me. 00:07:47.599 --> 00:07:48.959 No one else can run like me. 00:07:49.039 --> 00:07:50.139 I am just the best. 00:07:50.839 --> 00:07:51.819 It's Muhammad Ali. 00:07:52.039 --> 00:07:54.360 You know, I am the best boxer there ever was. 00:07:54.599 --> 00:07:55.680 And that is arrogance. 00:07:55.680 --> 00:08:01.720 You know, the best soccer team says there is never going to be anyone as good as France. 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:03.360 You know, no one could be as good as me. 00:08:04.939 --> 00:08:08.180 So humility is the right understanding of oneself. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:15.519 And pride or arrogance, I'm going to use them interchangeably, it's the inflated view of oneself. 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:19.840 I was reading recently a story about a Bible translator. 00:08:20.280 --> 00:08:25.340 He was translating the Bible into another language and they didn't have the word pride in this language. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:32.279 So he was trying to figure out how can I get across pride without using this word in this other language he was translating to. 00:08:32.700 --> 00:08:37.399 And so he ended up using the phrase ears too far apart. 00:08:39.519 --> 00:08:43.840 Now, what is the ears too far apart got to do with pride? 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:46.060 Well, it's the head being too big. 00:08:46.680 --> 00:08:48.419 It's the head being inflated. 00:08:49.299 --> 00:08:51.060 Arrogance is having a big head. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:53.419 It's having a puffed up view of yourself. 00:08:53.419 --> 00:08:55.320 Your ears too far apart. 00:08:56.539 --> 00:09:03.899 And so when we come to humility before God and with one another, we first need to understand who we are. 00:09:04.539 --> 00:09:08.279 And we need to make sure that we don't have an inflated view. 00:09:08.359 --> 00:09:13.899 We don't have ears that are too far apart because our head is puffed up with our own view. 00:09:13.899 --> 00:09:19.919 So we're going to be spending some time in James chapter 4 today. 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:21.319 James is the brother of Jesus. 00:09:22.079 --> 00:09:27.199 And he's going to help us understand what it means to have humility. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:34.379 And so James is writing this book to a group of churches and they didn't have humility. 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:38.780 They were totally arrogant and totally full of pride over the top of one another. 00:09:39.520 --> 00:09:41.660 And so let me read from James chapter 4. 00:09:41.659 --> 00:09:42.659 James chapter 5. 00:09:42.659 --> 00:09:43.159 James chapter 5. 00:09:43.159 --> 00:09:46.480 What causes fights and quarrels among you? 00:09:47.079 --> 00:09:49.980 Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:52.519 You desire but do not have so you kill. 00:09:53.319 --> 00:09:56.939 You covet but you cannot get what you want so you quarrel and fight. 00:09:57.620 --> 00:10:00.299 You do not have because you do not ask God. 00:10:00.439 --> 00:10:03.959 And when you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives. 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:06.700 That you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:13.780 And so James is describing a picture of a church that is just at war with one another. 00:10:14.400 --> 00:10:15.080 There's fights. 00:10:15.180 --> 00:10:15.820 There's quarrels. 00:10:15.980 --> 00:10:17.420 There's sinful desires. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:18.139 There's murder. 00:10:18.259 --> 00:10:19.060 There's coveting. 00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:24.580 Everyone is putting themselves and their desires and opinions over everyone else. 00:10:24.680 --> 00:10:26.639 They hadn't listened to Klinker's story this morning. 00:10:27.860 --> 00:10:29.220 Totally self-absorbed. 00:10:29.560 --> 00:10:30.340 Totally selfish. 00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:35.040 And they're even praying with arrogance and pride with wrong motives. 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:36.360 You know, you can hear the prayer. 00:10:36.620 --> 00:10:37.920 It's the kind of prayer that says, 00:10:38.060 --> 00:10:43.759 God, my neighbor has a car and it's a new shiny car and I'm jealous and I want one. 00:10:43.960 --> 00:10:49.120 Give me that car and while you're at it, can you make them have a car accident so I feel better about myself? 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:55.740 Maybe you've prayed a prayer not too dissimilar to that in the past. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.100 They're not humble with one another. 00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:02.659 They're fighting and they're clawing for things. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:05.460 And they're the same before God too. 00:11:05.620 --> 00:11:06.820 James 4.4 00:11:06.820 --> 00:11:24.640 This is explosive language. 00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:29.300 James is saying that if you're chasing the things of the world, that means you are God's enemy. 00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:31.719 And you're an adulterer. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:34.859 You have betrayed your first love. 00:11:35.740 --> 00:11:43.299 And James is using imagery from the Old Testament where there's this common picture of rebellion against God as adultery. 00:11:44.179 --> 00:11:45.240 It's prostitution. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:48.399 It's whoring against God to other gods. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:54.899 We get a picture of this in the book of Hosea where God is described as a husband. 00:11:55.740 --> 00:12:01.419 And Israel, his wife, is a woman who keeps running into the arms of another man. 00:12:01.419 --> 00:12:05.500 These people are chasing the pleasures of the world. 00:12:05.699 --> 00:12:07.059 Money, material. 00:12:08.379 --> 00:12:10.860 Instead of pursuing God who made the world. 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:13.199 They were enemies of God. 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:15.799 And what do enemies deserve? 00:12:17.179 --> 00:12:19.699 Well, enemies deserve destruction. 00:12:19.700 --> 00:12:22.740 Enemies of God deserve punishment. 00:12:23.240 --> 00:12:29.000 Enemies of God very much so deserve just to be snuffed out by God. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:32.340 And that is what could have happened to us all. 00:12:33.800 --> 00:12:35.000 This is who we are. 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:36.240 This is what we deserve. 00:12:36.700 --> 00:12:38.680 We do not deserve love. 00:12:38.780 --> 00:12:41.100 We do not deserve forgiveness. 00:12:41.400 --> 00:12:44.440 We do not deserve being united to God's family. 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:49.720 But we are God's enemies and we deserve wrath and condemnation. 00:12:51.560 --> 00:12:56.520 Have you ever had that feeling where you really want someone else's arrogance to be exposed? 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:01.560 I see this with villains in TV shows and movies. 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:04.100 Think of the James Bond villain. 00:13:04.820 --> 00:13:06.220 I don't know if you watch James Bond. 00:13:06.540 --> 00:13:07.680 There's another one coming out soon. 00:13:08.180 --> 00:13:11.940 The James Bond villain always catches James Bond. 00:13:11.940 --> 00:13:16.680 And when he's captured, reveals his plan. 00:13:17.660 --> 00:13:20.120 And it's just the arrogance of the villain. 00:13:20.260 --> 00:13:22.220 It's just like James Bond, I've got you now. 00:13:22.560 --> 00:13:27.140 And here is my plan for world destruction or whatever they're doing. 00:13:28.420 --> 00:13:31.000 But often their arrogance is their downfall. 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:34.020 You know, while he's telling this long story to James Bond, 00:13:34.160 --> 00:13:37.500 he's unpicked his handcuffs or something and James Bond gets free. 00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:40.220 And then there's that feeling of joy and of justice. 00:13:40.220 --> 00:13:43.120 As James Bond takes down this arrogant villain. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:47.879 You know that feeling of joy when the arrogant gets taken down a peg? 00:13:48.700 --> 00:13:51.720 Maybe you've seen this in your own life. 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:55.820 Well, the problem is that villain is us. 00:13:57.060 --> 00:13:58.360 We are not the good guy. 00:13:58.460 --> 00:14:00.060 We are not James Bond in that story. 00:14:00.160 --> 00:14:01.560 We are the villain. 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:06.399 We are the arrogant one who think we can trick God. 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:08.359 We can pull the wool over God's eyes. 00:14:08.679 --> 00:14:13.500 We are the ones who deserve imprisonment in hell. 00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:23.359 Do we think we deserve better than we have it? 00:14:24.099 --> 00:14:27.059 Do we think that God should bless us more? 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:32.899 Do you look at other people and think you deserve more than what God has already given you? 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:38.379 When we think like that, we make ourselves more important than God. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:41.799 And we make ourselves more important than other people. 00:14:42.359 --> 00:14:44.319 We need to keep God where he is. 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.839 We need to keep God on his throne. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:51.680 And we need to know that we deserve to be very far from God. 00:14:52.379 --> 00:14:57.580 You see, these churches that James was talking to, they were not living a life of humility. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.240 They had become arrogant. 00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:01.980 Their view of themselves had become puffed up. 00:15:02.259 --> 00:15:03.639 Their ears were too far apart. 00:15:04.259 --> 00:15:08.399 And they had inflated themselves and reduced other people and God. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:19.439 But even though these churches and us have been adulterous with inflated views of ourselves, 00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:24.819 James says something in verse 6 that is always shocking and amazing. 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:28.579 God gives us more grace. 00:15:29.959 --> 00:15:34.120 Even though we are his enemies, God gives us grace. 00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:38.240 He has grace to save us from our sin when we turn to Jesus. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:44.139 And he has grace to continually forgive us and love us as we wait for Jesus' return. 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:48.960 And we get a picture of this grace in Philippians 2 that Sarah read for us. 00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:50.659 Verse 3, 00:15:50.659 --> 00:15:54.740 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 00:15:55.259 --> 00:16:00.899 Rather, in humility, value each other or value one another above yourselves. 00:16:01.560 --> 00:16:06.460 Not looking to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others. 00:16:06.460 --> 00:16:10.000 And Paul gives us this amazing view of Jesus. 00:16:10.560 --> 00:16:13.480 He who was God, who models humility to us. 00:16:14.220 --> 00:16:14.620 Verse 6, 00:16:14.680 --> 00:16:21.540 Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 00:16:21.860 --> 00:16:26.940 He didn't have the arrogance to grasp and stay in heaven. 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:30.680 Rather, he had the humility to obey God. 00:16:30.680 --> 00:16:31.380 Verse 7, 00:16:31.380 --> 00:16:33.100 Rather, he made himself nothing. 00:16:33.920 --> 00:16:39.380 By taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, being found in appearance as a man, 00:16:39.700 --> 00:16:46.120 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:50.299 The humility of Jesus looked like him knowing who he was. 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:52.460 He was God's son. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:17:00.759 And that means he obeys God, even when God sends him to earth to die for us. 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:06.259 We are people who deserve nothing but judgment from God. 00:17:06.259 --> 00:17:13.059 And yet, and yet he blesses us richly in that Jesus humbled himself for us. 00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:14.819 Jesus obeyed God. 00:17:15.660 --> 00:17:19.759 And as we've seen over the last three weeks, that means we are loved by God. 00:17:19.859 --> 00:17:21.680 We are part of God's family. 00:17:21.819 --> 00:17:23.480 We are united into this family. 00:17:23.879 --> 00:17:25.180 And we are forgiven. 00:17:25.180 --> 00:17:30.539 So it's very important that we hold two different things in our hands. 00:17:30.779 --> 00:17:40.039 First of all, we need to hold in one hand God's view that we are sinners, that we deserve to be punished. 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:45.000 We are the villains on one hand, destined only for destruction. 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:53.180 And in the other hand, God's view that we are his children, that we are redeemed, 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:57.799 that we are invited to be part of his family, that we can have a close connection. 00:17:58.080 --> 00:18:00.140 We can call God Abba, Father. 00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:04.960 Now, when we hold, I'm holding a mic, so I can't hold out two hands. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:05.560 I'll just do this. 00:18:05.820 --> 00:18:09.100 When we hold, I can't, let's imagine I'm holding two things. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:15.519 When we hold both of these things in our hand, that's what spiritual humility looks like. 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:22.820 That's what humility looks like that says, on the one hand, I've done nothing to deserve this relationship with God. 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:26.660 But I know that he values me. 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:28.259 He has made me worthwhile. 00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:33.200 He loves me and made me a child with the highest position ever. 00:18:34.580 --> 00:18:41.620 True humility looks like knowing who we are in God's sight and who he has made us to be. 00:18:42.140 --> 00:18:46.380 But these two views can be tricky to hold together. 00:18:47.500 --> 00:18:48.860 We can't juggle them. 00:18:48.859 --> 00:18:57.319 If you only have one, if you've only got the one view that we are sinful, that we deserve destruction, 00:18:58.939 --> 00:19:03.679 well, what can happen is that can just lead to low self-esteem. 00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:05.399 That can just lead to depression. 00:19:06.159 --> 00:19:07.039 God hates me. 00:19:07.199 --> 00:19:07.959 I'm his enemy. 00:19:08.219 --> 00:19:09.139 I deserve nothing. 00:19:09.140 --> 00:19:17.780 But if we only hold the other view, that I'm God's child, that I'm saved, on its own, that can lead to arrogance. 00:19:18.800 --> 00:19:20.520 Yeah, I deserve all these blessings. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.720 I'm God's child and I can't do anything wrong because he's forgiven me. 00:19:23.860 --> 00:19:26.040 So I'm going to do whatever I want and everyone else is wrong. 00:19:26.039 --> 00:19:34.700 On the one hand, if we only have one, it can lead to depression and forgetting God's love. 00:19:34.879 --> 00:19:40.519 And if we only hold the other, it can lead to the spiritual arrogance of thinking we know best. 00:19:41.639 --> 00:19:47.059 We need to hold both these positions in our hands because they correct each other. 00:19:47.819 --> 00:19:50.599 They keep them focused on God's gracious love. 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:55.139 Brothers and sisters, we, first of all, need to know who we are. 00:19:56.399 --> 00:20:03.059 And then we can fully grasp the magnitude of what it means for Jesus to die for us. 00:20:03.159 --> 00:20:07.379 And only then can we have humility with one another. 00:20:08.899 --> 00:20:13.099 James has painted a picture of people who are at war with God and with one another. 00:20:13.099 --> 00:20:17.579 And what changes is the centerpiece of this passage. 00:20:18.199 --> 00:20:20.659 It's that God has more grace. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:23.740 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 00:20:23.859 --> 00:20:25.039 That's the center. 00:20:25.159 --> 00:20:27.019 That's the changing point in this chapter. 00:20:28.939 --> 00:20:31.639 And now he describes what these children are to be like. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.339 Verse 11. 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:37.019 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. 00:20:37.019 --> 00:20:43.839 Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. 00:20:44.579 --> 00:20:48.019 When you judge in law, you are not keeping it but sitting in judgment on it. 00:20:49.019 --> 00:20:53.240 There is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. 00:20:53.639 --> 00:20:57.079 But you, who are you to judge your neighbor? 00:20:58.139 --> 00:21:02.259 The relationship between one another, it's no longer marked by fighting. 00:21:02.339 --> 00:21:03.299 There's no slander. 00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:04.759 There's no judgment. 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:08.660 They're not to place themselves over one another as judge. 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:14.619 And as we saw in Philippians, Paul said, do nothing out of selfish ambition. 00:21:15.500 --> 00:21:20.839 Rather, in humility, value one another above yourselves. 00:21:21.819 --> 00:21:25.039 Value one another in humility above yourselves. 00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:32.099 Jonathan Edwards was an American preacher from a couple hundred years ago. 00:21:32.519 --> 00:21:34.640 And he said this about humility. 00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:48.079 The humble Christian has so much to do at home and sees so much evil in his own heart and is so concerned about it that he is not apt to be very busy with other hearts. 00:21:48.980 --> 00:21:52.059 He is apt to esteem others better than himself. 00:21:52.059 --> 00:21:57.679 It is such a contrasting view of the church at the start of James chapter 4. 00:21:58.079 --> 00:22:02.200 They were at war, stealing, fighting, killing each other. 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:21.860 And Jonathan Edwards reflects on this and says that the Christians should be so busy working on their own hearts, so busy in their own backyard of their life, they don't even have time to climb the fence and look over to the grass on the other side and to see the problems or to see the benefits of other people. 00:22:21.859 --> 00:22:35.839 Brothers and sisters, we, the humble Christian, should be so concerned with what is in our hearts, what is in our lives, that we are far too busy to judge others. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:41.399 What does humility with one another need to look like? 00:22:42.439 --> 00:22:45.799 Where does our spiritual arrogance lie? 00:22:45.799 --> 00:22:51.440 Well, as a church, we are trying to do something that is different. 00:22:51.579 --> 00:22:55.339 We are trying to be a trans-cultural church. 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:58.200 This is not just a Western church that just speaks English. 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:03.660 We're not just trying to be a church of one specific language group. 00:23:03.960 --> 00:23:11.240 We want to treasure Jesus together as a united family, different nations, different tribes, different tongues. 00:23:12.600 --> 00:23:18.920 But putting people together from many different places in the same church service is difficult. 00:23:19.740 --> 00:23:26.279 And it can lead to arrogance, but it's also an opportunity for humility for all of us. 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:30.539 It's easy to think, oh, my culture is the culture. 00:23:31.220 --> 00:23:33.660 My food preferences are the best. 00:23:34.859 --> 00:23:39.359 If you've ever eaten in Chatswood, you'd probably know that there's many other options that are good. 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:43.279 We can think, my way of doing things is better than yours. 00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:46.279 My way of doing church is better than yours. 00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:51.039 The way I've always done church is better than the way you want to do church now. 00:23:51.259 --> 00:23:53.539 The way my culture does it is better than yours. 00:23:53.539 --> 00:23:57.720 My view of Christianity is better than your view of Christianity. 00:23:58.940 --> 00:24:06.740 That kind of thinking ends up pitting us against one another instead of putting others above us in humility. 00:24:07.859 --> 00:24:11.299 Now, as we've heard, the World Cup of Soccer has only just finished, 00:24:11.639 --> 00:24:15.819 but it reminded me of a great underdog victory that happened a couple of years ago. 00:24:16.339 --> 00:24:18.480 It was the English Premier League. 00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:20.920 Does anybody ever follow the English Premier League? 00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:23.519 There's maybe two people here. 00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:24.060 That's okay. 00:24:24.340 --> 00:24:26.200 It's a soccer competition in England. 00:24:26.460 --> 00:24:27.300 Very competitive. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:31.300 There are teams like Manchester United and Liverpool, 00:24:31.640 --> 00:24:35.440 and they literally have billions of dollars to throw at people. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:39.259 And they will pay some players hundreds of millions of dollars, 00:24:39.380 --> 00:24:41.000 just ridiculous amounts of money. 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:44.859 And then there are teams made up of nobodies. 00:24:46.099 --> 00:24:49.019 And there was a team from a place called Leicester City. 00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:55.279 And they were so bad that they nearly got kicked to the level below. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:24:58.819 Nobody expected them to win anything. 00:24:58.819 --> 00:25:03.679 But somehow, this lowly team came from nowhere, 00:25:04.179 --> 00:25:05.980 and they started winning games. 00:25:06.639 --> 00:25:09.439 And then they won the whole competition. 00:25:09.980 --> 00:25:14.240 They beat these teams that literally had billions of dollars to throw at people. 00:25:15.159 --> 00:25:18.240 It's one of modern history's great underdog stories. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:24.299 A very humble team worked together and took down the giants. 00:25:25.240 --> 00:25:29.319 But we have an even better underdog story. 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:34.380 One that is about Jesus, who didn't seem that impressive. 00:25:35.059 --> 00:25:38.039 When he comes up against Pharisees and kings, 00:25:38.680 --> 00:25:41.680 he doesn't come across as impressive. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:44.000 He is just a humble man. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:48.759 But he was able to bring salvation to us all, 00:25:49.160 --> 00:25:54.259 because he was humble before God's command to die for us. 00:25:55.099 --> 00:25:59.099 I wonder what would happen if we, as a church, 00:25:59.839 --> 00:26:02.680 stopped clawing over the top of one another. 00:26:03.420 --> 00:26:07.519 What would happen if we stopped looking out for just ourselves? 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:11.299 What would happen if we had the humility, 00:26:11.299 --> 00:26:13.819 that means we know who we are, 00:26:14.619 --> 00:26:16.720 we don't deserve anything from God, 00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:18.299 and yet he gives us everything? 00:26:19.899 --> 00:26:23.220 What could God do through us as a church 00:26:23.220 --> 00:26:25.240 if we had this kind of humility? 00:26:26.139 --> 00:26:30.960 What could God do to restore our relationships with one another, 00:26:31.319 --> 00:26:33.659 our relationships with people in our family, 00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:36.779 and with friends, 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:39.740 and with the community around us in Chatswood? 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:46.019 May God open our eyes to our faults 00:26:46.019 --> 00:26:48.859 and help us to be humble with one another. 00:26:49.319 --> 00:26:50.140 Let me pray. 00:26:52.339 --> 00:26:53.539 Heavenly Father, 00:26:54.220 --> 00:27:00.759 you are indeed a great and mighty and very generous God. 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:05.339 You give us so much that we don't deserve. 00:27:05.339 --> 00:27:07.139 Father, 00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:09.199 we ask that you would help us 00:27:09.199 --> 00:27:11.480 to remember what we deserve, 00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:14.959 but to know deeply what you have given us in Jesus. 00:27:16.619 --> 00:27:17.099 Father, 00:27:17.240 --> 00:27:18.039 help us 00:27:18.039 --> 00:27:22.759 to be so busy meditating on what you have done for us, 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:25.519 so busy looking at our own hearts, 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:28.700 that we wouldn't look at other people 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:30.599 and try to bring them low. 00:27:31.799 --> 00:27:32.240 Father, 00:27:32.379 --> 00:27:36.139 thank you that you have lifted us up to the very highest of heights 00:27:36.139 --> 00:27:37.480 to be your children. 00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:40.720 We pray all this in your son's name and for your glory. 00:27:40.980 --> 00:27:41.299 Amen. 00:27:41.299 --> 00:27:41.440 Amen. 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:41.519 Amen. 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:41.539 Amen. 00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:41.579 Amen. 00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:41.599 Amen. 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:41.619 Amen. 00:27:41.619 --> 00:27:43.559 Amen. 00:27:43.559 --> 00:27:43.579 Amen. 00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:43.619 Amen. 00:27:43.619 --> 00:27:43.660 Amen. 00:27:43.660 --> 00:27:43.700 Amen. 00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:43.740 Amen. 00:27:43.740 --> 00:27:45.660 Amen. 00:27:45.660 --> 00:27:45.700 Amen. 00:27:45.700 --> 00:27:45.740 Amen. 00:27:45.740 --> 00:27:47.700 Amen. 00:27:47.700 --> 00:27:47.740 Amen. 00:27:47.740 --> 00:27:47.779 Amen. 00:27:47.779 --> 00:27:49.740 Amen. 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:51.740 Amen. 00:27:51.740 --> 00:27:51.779 Amen. 00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:51.819 Amen. 00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:51.839 Amen. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:51.859 Amen. 00:27:51.859 --> 00:27:51.920 Amen. 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:51.940 Amen. 00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:51.960 Amen.