So we're looking this evening in the first of two parts on humility.
So over the next few months, we're going to be looking at different aspects of Christian character.
And we are starting with humility.
And we're starting there for a reason.
And we're going to spend two weeks there for a reason as well.
And that is, I think, because of the central importance of humility
and how it relates to Christian character in general.
There was a guy called Andrew Murray,
not Andy Murray, the tennis player, but Andrew Murray, the theologian.
He was writing at the turn of the 20th century on a little book called Humility.
It's a real gem of a book.
And he says this about humility.
And you kind of have to get your way into thinking the kind of way these guys write.
OK, so it might take a little bit of time, but we've got a few quotes from Andrew Murray this evening.
So you will get into it by the end of the evening.
He says this.
Humility is the only soil in which the grace is root.
The lack of humility is the sufficient explanation of every defect and failure.
Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with the others.
It is the root of all because it alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all.
Now, that might not be the kind of language that we might use.
But his point is that humility is where everything else about Christian character grows out of.
Humility is so central to our Christian lives that it is the grounds on which everything else grows.
And saying as well that everything that we don't do right is coming essentially from pride.
Now, maybe you think he's overstating it, but let me just try and prove it to you briefly just by the sheer weight of the topic in the Bible.
My concordance tells me that the word humble appears in the Bible 2,341 times.
On top of that, you could add all the condemnations of pride and you could add the words like meek or lowly.
And what you find is that humility is a massive theme.
Let me just track through with a few passages.
I'm not going to turn to them, but hopefully they'll ring a bell.
But humility or learning humility is given by God as the reason for the wilderness journey of the people of Israel.
In other words, God thought it so important that it worth 40 years wandering in the desert just to teach it.
In 2 Samuel 22, verse 28, I think it's wrong on your handout.
It's actually 28 or 26.
David summarizes his experience of the Lord as being the one who saves the humble and condemns the proud.
In other words, humility is the outstanding marker of the people that God saves.
It is the thing that God is looking for.
It's a constant theme in Kings and Chronicles as kings refuse humbling from the hand of the Lord or less frequently do humble themselves before the Lord, like Hezekiah.
It's the rise and the fall of the nations as they variously recognize and refuse to recognize who they are before God.
Psalms alone speak of humility or better sing of humility regularly.
Psalm 25, verse 9, we're told that God, He leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble His way.
Towards the end of the Old Testament, the great intellect Daniel, who has risen to significant power in the nation of Babylon,
is commended not for his status or his influence or even the great achievements of his life, but is commended for his humility.
Micah tells us famously that humility is what God requires from His people.
If you jump into the New Testament, we're told that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was humble in Luke 1, 48.
We're told by Jesus that everyone who exalts himself, they will be humbled.
He says the same thing three times.
Then in Matthew's Gospel, we're told that it is humble, childlike faith which saves.
James 4, verse 6, riffs off the Old Testament and Psalms saying again that God gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud.
And then in 1 Peter 5, you get this great verse,
humble yourselves therefore under God's mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
You know those things go together, don't they?
Humbling yourselves under the mighty hand of God is casting all your anxiety on Him.
It is handing it over to Him humbly before Him.
And on top of all of that, and maybe most significantly of all,
we are told over and over about the humility of Christ,
that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
God the Eternal Son, leaving the glories of heaven,
revealing Himself in what is by definition humility,
stooping even to die on a cross,
not for His own sin but for the sin of others.
Humbling Himself, becoming obedient to death,
even the death on a cross.
Now I'll stop there, but hopefully that's enough to persuade you that humility is important,
that it is the root of the graces,
as Murray puts it at the beginning.
Now given its significance in the Bible,
Murray also has something else important to say.
This is what comes next in his book.
He says,
The call to humility has been too little regarded in the church
because its true nature and importance has been too little apprehended.
That's a better way of saying everyone's too stupid to realize how important humility is, right?
Now I wonder whether you agree with him.
So I want you just with the person next to you to discuss,
do you agree that humility has been little regarded in the church?
Is humility something you've heard about often?
Do you think it's well understood?
Do you think it is preached about much?
Do you read about it much?
That kind of thing.
Talk to the person next to you just for a couple of minutes,
and then we'll bring our answers back together.
Go for it.
Does anyone want to share their answers?
What do we think?
Important topic?
Okay.
One that we're familiar with.
We've talked often about this at church.
What do you think?
You're all too humble to offer an answer, aren't you?
This is the truth.
Sorry?
Yeah.
Yes.
Let this mind be yours, which is also in Christ Jesus,
you being in very nature God.
Yeah.
We're often going on about that.
It's kind of so fundamental to Christian life,
how you relate to a child,
how you relate to God,
that you can't overstate it,
and you can't preach it too much.
Yeah.
And so,
as you pointed out,
by the beginning,
it runs through Scripture so much.
Yeah.
You can't preach it too much.
I think the problem we have
is not understanding it.
Yeah.
It's not the sort of cognitive understanding of it,
it's the putting it into practice.
If I was to ask you
how
justification
is
connects with
sanctification,
what would you say?
So,
justification
is the idea that God
declares us not guilty
through Christ's work on the cross.
Sanctification
is about us being made
holy by God.
Do we understand
how those two things
connect together?
Okay.
Christians often think
that God
saves them
by the blood of Jesus
on their behalf.
We are covered
with the righteousness of Christ.
We're justified by Jesus.
And then think,
but I grow as a Christian
by my works
and by my efforts.
Right?
And so,
therefore,
if I'm growing as a Christian
and doing quite well,
it's because I'm working quite well
and I should be quite proud of that.
And so,
we don't grow in humility.
We sort of grow in self-confidence,
pride.
But actually,
the Bible says
those two things go together.
Okay?
So,
our justification
and our sanctification
go together.
They are distinct
from one another,
but you can't separate them apart
because they come together.
So,
we are declared
righteous in the Lord Jesus
and we are made holy
by the Holy Spirit.
And the growth
in holiness
as a Christian
is becoming
who I already am
in Christ.
It's the
kind of
taking on
who I am
as my identity
in Christ.
It's becoming
who I will be
or who I already
am in Christ.
And so,
both of those things
are rooted
in the work of Christ.
So,
both of them
are humbling,
right?
Because
to be justified
by faith in Jesus
is to declare
I have nothing
of my own
to offer
to my salvation.
I am trusting
and relying
on Christ alone.
To grow in sanctification
is to say
all I can do
is become
the person
that God
has already
made me to be.
And so,
it's humbling,
right?
And so,
because those
things are
linked together,
being humble
is right at the
heart of the
Christian life.
And so,
growing in humility
is growing
as a Christian.
Now,
generalizations
aren't always
helpful,
but I do think
this one is
helpful.
It belongs to
Andrew Murray
anyway,
not me.
He says that
basically,
the Bible
gives you
three reasons
to be humble.
Firstly,
he says that
you should be
humble because
we are creatures
who did not
create ourselves,
so therefore
we owe
everything of
our existence
to God
himself.
And secondly,
we should be
humble because
we are sinners.
We are people
who have rebelled
against God
and we've
gone our own
way.
And thirdly,
we should be
humble because
we are recipients
of the saving
grace of the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
In other
words,
we are made,
we're not our
own,
we're sinners,
we're rebels,
and we're saved
even though we're
undeserving.
And all those
three things
are humbling.
What I want
to try and
do is take
creation tonight
and then take
sin and
salvation next
Sunday evening
if I can.
So here's the
question for us
this evening.
What does it
mean to be
humble as
creatures?
Joe, just get
yourself a chair.
That's fine.
You stacked
all the chairs
this morning,
Joe, so you
can unstack a
chair for
yourself.
That's right.
In other
words, what is
it about just
being created
outside of any
sin or grace
that means
humility is
right for us.
And to
consider that,
I want us
to look at
Revelation 4.
I think, is it
on your handout?
Revelation 4?
Great.
Let me read
it to you.
After this, I
looked, and
there before me
was a door
standing open
in heaven.
And the
voice I had
first heard
speaking to
me, like a
trumpet, said,
come up here
and I will
show you what
must take
place after
this.
At once, I
was in the
spirit.
And there
before me
was a
throne in
heaven with
someone sitting
on it.
And the
one who sat
there had
the appearance
of jasper
and ruby,
a rainbow
that shone
like an
emerald
encircled
the throne.
Surrounding the
throne were
twenty-four
other thrones
and seated
on them
were twenty-four
elders.
They were
dressed in
white and
had crowns
of gold on
their heads.
From the
throne came
flashes of
lightning,
rumblings and
peals of
thunder.
In front of
the throne
seven lamps
were blazing.
These are the
seven spirits
of God.
Also in front
of the throne
there was what
looked like a
sea of glass
clear as
crystal.
In the
centre around
the throne
were four
living creatures
and they were
covered with
eyes in front
and in back.
The first
living creature
was like a
lion, the
second was
like an ox,
the third had
a face like a
man, the
fourth was like
a flying eagle.
Each of the
four living
creatures had
six wings and
was covered
with eyes all
around, even
under its
wings.
Day and
night they
never stopped
saying,
holy, holy,
holy is the
Lord God
Almighty who
was and is
and is to
come.
Whenever the
living creatures
give glory,
honour and
thanks to him
who sits on
the throne and
who lives
forever and
ever, the
twenty-four
elders fall
down before
him who
sits on
the throne
and worship
him who
lives forever
and ever,
they lay
their crowns
before the
throne and
say, you
are worthy,
O Lord and
God, to
receive glory
and honour
and power,
for you
created all
things and
by your
will they
were created
and have
their being.
Now, we're
not going to
go through all
of that in
extreme detail,
but verse
four tells you,
doesn't it,
that there are
twenty-four
elders around
the throne,
telling us
that they're
clothed in
white garments
with golden
crowns on
their head.
Exactly who
they are is
not super
clear.
Theologians
have taken
lots of
different guesses,
twenty-four
heavenly
priests following
the twenty-four
high priests
of the Old
Testament,
or twelve
Old Testament
tribes plus
twelve
apostles,
or something
else relating
to the
significance of
the white
robes in
pagan culture.
I don't think
that's probably
right.
But which
exactly is,
we're not
sure.
But I'm
not actually
thinking that's
the important
point of the
verses,
because for
the purposes
of the
passage,
who the
elders are
is not
significant.
It's because
of not who
they are,
but because
of what
they're doing,
right?
You have a
look at the
passage.
Notice in
verse eight,
the four living
creatures,
the lion,
the ox,
the man,
and the eagle,
representatives
of the creation,
I think the
four corners
of the earth,
are all caught
up in this
perpetual song
about the
holiness of
God.
Holy,
holy,
they sing.
Three times
holy,
set apart
special
difference.
And the
song of
the four
living
creatures
is then
the trigger
for the
action of
the 24
elders,
who on
hearing this
song,
fall down
before the
throne of
God,
worshipping
him in
the song
of verse
11,
worthy of
you,
O Lord,
to receive
glory and
honour and
power,
for you
created all
things,
and by
your will
they existed
and were
created.
But notice
what they
do as
they worship.
What are
they doing
as they
worship?
What are
they saying?
They fall
down before
the throne
and they
cast their
crowns
before the
throne.
Do you
see this?
Singing of
the worthiness
of the
creator,
or to put
it in the
language of
our topic
this evening,
recognising
the creatureliness
is accompanied
by the
removal of
the crown.
This is
the word
Stephanos in
the Greek
from which
Stephen
comes,
right?
This is the
crown,
not of
royalty,
it's the
crown of
victory,
Olympic
crowns from
the successes
of their
achievements.
And what's
the significance
of this?
This is not
just an act
of deference,
this is not
like donning
your cap
at someone
on your way
into the
pub or
whatever,
it's more
than that.
It is in
the sense
that the
removal of
any sense
of human
victory in
front of
the one
who created
you and
all things.
It's the
recognition,
isn't it,
that the
crown that
is on
their heads
for the
things that
they have
done,
rightly
belongs to
the creator
and not
to them.
Creatures,
just because
they're creatures
understand that
their creator
is the crown
wearer and
not them.
Here's
Murray again.
Humility is
not something
we bring to
God or he
gives to
us.
It is
simply the
sense of
entire
nothingness,
which comes
when we
see how
truly God
is all
and in
which we
make way
for God
to be
all.
Humility
is simply
acknowledging
the truth
of his
position as
creature and
yielding to
God his
place.
You are
God.
I am
not.
Anything I
have achieved
belongs to
you.
All that I
am is
yours.
I have
nothing that
I have not
been given.
I have
no honor
of my
own except
that which
comes from
you as a
gift as
my creator.
So perfect
creatures, and
that's what we
can say of
these 24
elders before
the throne,
perfect
creatures throw
their crowns
before their
creator.
So don't
you think
you should?
They only
ever had the
crown on
alone.
Now, let
me try and
unpack this in
three different
ways.
how do we
see our
creatureliness
before the
creator God?
And we'll
try and deal
with these
reasonably
quickly.
Consider your
creatureliness
in the
aspect of
your
knowledge.
I don't
know if
you're one
of those
people who
likes to
be in
the know.
Are you
someone who
likes to
be in
the know?
You like
to feel
like you
know
stuff and
that you
understand
stuff?
Maybe
you're the
kid in
class who
likes to
have all
the answers.
Is that
right?
Yeah, I
want to be
the one that
people turn
to and that
they think
has got some
knowledge puts
me in a
special
category.
But as
we meet
the creator
in God's
word, we
realise that
he alone is
the one who
knows.
I know
partially.
I know in
a time-bound
way.
He knows
all things.
He is the
gatherer of
the all-seeing
creatures from
all over the
world.
He is the
one who
knows all
things.
Our
partial and
limited
knowledge is
made up of
stuff that
we have
heard or
been given.
All of
our conclusions
about all
things are
provisional.
We have to
recognise that
we might be
wrong.
We might not
know and we
might never
know.
But God's
knowledge is
ultimate.
We know that
the earth spins
around the sun
but God knows
how it does
and why it
does and
sustains it
even as it
does.
And learning
this brings
humility,
doesn't it?
Think about
how little you
know in
relative terms.
How little you
will ever know.
We don't
even really
know ourselves
in any kind
of deep
way, do we?
We know
parts about
ourselves.
God knows
everything about
us.
We don't
know the
future.
We don't
know everything
about the
past.
We are
largely
ignorant about
everything.
Deuteronomy
29, 29 puts
it like this,
the secret
things that
belong to
the Lord
our God,
but the
things that
are revealed
belong to
us and
our children
forever,
that we
may do
all the
words of
this law.
In other
words,
anything that
you know,
you know
because God
has told
you and
he has
taught you.
Even those
who don't
acknowledge God
as God,
all that they
know, they
know because
God has
taught them
and told
them in
his common
grace to
them.
All the
treasures of
wisdom and
knowledge are
hidden in
the Lord
Jesus
Christ.
Yeah.
And it's
humbling,
isn't it?
It's actually
brilliant, I
think.
You and I
only know
what we
need to
know and
we only
know it
because God
has told
it to
us.
Okay, what
about
presence?
Presence.
So if you
love to be
someone who's
in the
know,
that's what
Anderson's
like at
school,
right?
I was the
guy who
wanted to
be in the
thick of
it at
school,
right?
If there
was a
fight,
I was
there.
I wanted
to know
what was
going down,
right?
If there
was a
kind of
rumbling
that something
was going
to happen,
I would
be there
just because
I wanted
to know
what was
going down.
I did
not want
to miss
out.
I hated
missing
out and
want to
be in
the right
place at
the right
time.
But our
creator is
everywhere
all the
time.
You know
that only
too well
that you
can only be
in one
place at
one time
and we
feel the
frustration
of that,
especially
when we
take on
too much,
we have
too much
going on.
There's a
word for
that frustration
that comes
from taking
on too
much and
wanting to
be in
every place
at every
time.
You know
what the
word is
for that?
Begins
with P,
ends in
ride.
It's
pride,
isn't it?
It's the
desire to
be like
God.
If only
I could
be in
more than
one place
at one
time.
If only
I could
spread
myself out
more broadly
than I
can.
But we
come before
God and
we throw
down,
don't we?
We take
off the
crown of
any sense
of our
own presence,
any sense
that we're
in the
thick of
the action
and we
come before
God and
we lay
it down
knowing you're
the omnipresent
God.
You're the
one who
knows all
things,
who is
in every
place at
every
time.
We have
feet of
clay in
one particular
place at
one particular
time.
power.
Again,
it's an
obvious
point,
isn't it?
But it's
humbling.
Some of
us want
to know
everything,
some of
us want
to be
in the
thick of
the
action.
We all
want to
think that
we can
do stuff,
don't we,
and fix
things and
achieve
things,
make
changes,
push
forward
agendas,
make
plans.
But the
truth is
we are
utterly
helpless.
We are
unable to
achieve
anything in
our own
strength.
We have
absolutely
no idea
what will
happen
tomorrow.
We've
got a
plan that
there's
going to
be a
holiday
club here
tomorrow,
but we
have
absolutely
no idea,
do we,
really,
whether it's
going to
happen,
whether we'll
be able to
achieve it.
But our
creator is
the maker
and sustainer
of all
things.
He's not
just the
watchmaker
creator who
kind of
sets everything
in motion
and then just
kind of
leaves it and
lets it get
on with
itself.
Instead,
it's under
his power
in every
moment of
every day.
And he
holds us
and sustains
us.
It's his
power that
makes our
hearts beat
and puts
breath in
our lungs.
It's his
power that
keeps our
feet stuck
to the
ground,
the roof
on this
building.
The words
coming out
of my
mouth.
I am
just a
creature and
I am
utterly
helpless
before his
power.
Now,
we could
go on,
couldn't we,
but let's
just put
this together
for a
moment.
We are
to be
humble
because we
are only
ever
creatures.
So much
so that the
crowns that
we have are
to be thrown
down before
the God
who really
owns them.
So even
outside of
talking about
the humility
of recognizing
our sin
and our
need of
salvation,
we just
need to
recognize that
actually we
are creatures
before an
all-sufficient
God.
So if we
are maybe
a great
artist or
a fantastic
accountant or
we are a
top business
leader or
a super
bright academic
or a
brilliant
preacher,
whatever it
is,
any of those
things are
only ours
because God
has loaned
them to
us.
They are
his gifts
to us,
snippets of
knowledge,
snippets of
power and
presence that
we have.
They are
Stephanos crowns
of victory if
you like,
but they're
not ours,
they belong
to him.
They're given
to us by
our creator
and worshipping
him involves
taking the
crown off
and laying
it down
before him
and saying
all that I
am is
yours.
All that I
am is
yours.
Everything
that I
have has
come to
us from
you.
We don't
present them
to him
and plead
on them,
do we?
It's not
like we
offer them
to him.
Look at
all these
great things
I've done
Lord.
It's not
like that,
is it?
It's all
this was
yours.
They were
never ours
in the first
place.
They belong
to the one
who gives
all good
things to
us.
I want
to take
an
opportunity
to take
questions
or
comments.
So I'll
give you a
moment to
have a
think and
a ponder
and then
I'll take
your comments
and questions
and then
we'll sing
together.
Anyone got a
comment or
a question?
I'll do my
shoelaces up
while you do
that because
Vanessa got
stressed out
there.
Is that
better?
There you
go.
Right.
I don't
know how
both shoelaces
came undone
at the same
time.
There you
go.
Magical.
Anyone
got a
comment or
a question?
Yes.
Yeah.
Why do some
people find it
easier than
others?
Do you know,
that's a good
question,
France.
I'm not,
I mean,
maybe we should
talk about
this together,
but I'm not
sure that,
I'm not sure
always that what
looks like
humility is
humility.
There's a lot
of frustrated
pride,
isn't there,
in a sort of
self-pitying,
oh, I wish I
was better at
that.
When I say,
oh, it's just,
I really wish I
was better at
that.
It's more,
it's frustrated
pride,
isn't it?
It's not
humility.
And so,
I think
probably some
of us find
it easier to
express pride
in self-confidence
and other
of us feel
we express
our pride in
some kind
of self-pity,
don't we?
Oh, you
know,
I'm rubbish.
Well,
actually,
at the
truth is,
we're all
nothing before
the one who
created us.
That's the
truth of it.
And everything
I have and
all that I
need will
come to me
from him.
And say,
that's humility,
isn't it?
It's not the
sort of self-pitying.
So I think,
yeah,
does that make
sense?
Go on.
Feel free,
go on,
feel free to
keep the
conversation
going if
you want
to come
back to
me if
you like.
You don't
have to.
Someone else?
Help me out.
I think
sometimes
the Lord
teaches us
humility by
taking our
plans away from
us.
So I think
if we want
to grow
in humility,
sometimes we
think it's
going to be
a really
peaceful
journey.
And I
think sometimes
it can be
a really
painful one.
I just
think you
need to
not be
scared of
that.
Yeah.
Because I
think that's
a piece
sometimes you
can be
fearful,
but it's a
loving,
creative
what is your
father who
lies behind.
Yeah.
You understand
him better.
When you
understand
his
creature,
you're in a
much better
place,
although you
feel the
nothing.
Yeah.
Yes.
I'm trying to
summarize that
Vanessa.
Yeah.
So the
process of
learning
humility is
painful and
difficult,
isn't it?
Yeah.
In his
book,
Invest Your
Suffering,
Paul Mallard
describes it as
if God
gives us a
load of
stuff in
life,
doesn't he?
So he might
give you
certain abilities,
he gives you
certain energy
levels, he
might give you
academic
qualifications,
he may give
you a
husband or
a wife,
he might
give you
children.
And then
life really
is about
giving them
back.
You know,
you suddenly
lose the
energy level
that you
had.
You might
lose a
child,
you might
lose your
health,
you might
lose your
husband or
wife,
you will,
and you
will eventually
lose your
life.
And you're
giving it all
back to
the Lord who
gave you
all things.
And the
more that we
can live our
lives knowing
that that is
what is
happening,
and that all
things are
given to us
by a God
who loves us
and is
generous to
us, but
they're not
ours, the
more we can
enjoy them.
The creature
who enjoys
the gifts
the best is
not the one
who thought
that they
got them
themselves,
but is the
one who is
delighting in
the one who
gave them
to them.
And so
that's
Christian
joy,
isn't it?
Yeah.
So are you
saying the lack
of recognition
that's
of that joy?
Yes, a lack
of recognition
that all that we
have comes from
him robs us
of joy.
Not only just
joy in life
in general,
but joy in
the gift.
So if I
think of the
gift of my
intellect as
being
mine,
I won't
enjoy it
because it
will be
sort of
ultimate to
me and
it will
be
fractured
and broken
and it
will destroy
me.
Yeah.
We have
to run
away from
God
rather than
run into
it.
Yeah.
And in
much distance,
I was talking
to someone
this morning
and they were
asking me a
question and I
said,
the highest
compliment you
can pay to
God is to
be
obedient.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
So we
we pay
we comment
God by
obeying him.
But as
long as in
that sentence
I'm understanding
obedience as
being something
that I am
actually only
doing in the
strength that
he gives
anyway.
So I'm
living the
life that he
has given
me for his
glory,
recognizing
that it's
given to
me by
him and
empowered
by him.
Yes.
Yeah.
that is actually treating ourselves.
And so the lack of humility is sort of at the root
of a very single thing that goes wrong.
All of that meaning is actually saying,
I'm not a man because I don't want to be a man.
Yes.
I'm not a man.
Yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
That's really helpful.
Thanks, David.
And I think that the truth is that,
that it's possible for churches just to sort of baptize
a kind of Christian pride, isn't it?
That basically we look around and think we're slightly better
than everybody else.
Or even that we think we're slightly worse than everybody else
and feel crushed by that.
That's still pride.
It's just, it's just pride meeting failure, isn't it?
Yeah.
Great.
Okay.
I'm going to call it to an end there because we've got humility
again next week.
And I would like us to sing.
So let me pray and then we'll sing.
Heavenly Father, we owe all things to you.
You are our creator.
Who knows all things.
Who is in all places at all times.
And who powerfully sustains all things by the power of your word.
And Lord, we know very little.
Only what you choose to reveal to us.
We can only be in one place at one time,
one brief moment of history.
We have no power of our own.
We don't even know that we'll be here tomorrow.
And so, Lord, we cast our crowns before you and acknowledge you to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Thank you that you love us.
We thank you that we find great joy in humbly trusting you as the giver of all good gifts.
And we praise your name.
Amen.