|
Home
Doctrine
Holy Days
and Holidays
Christian
Living
Life
and Death
Prophecy
History
The Church
Other
Sermons
Booklets
and Articles
Sermon
Audio Recordings
Statement
of Beliefs
| |
|
Humility
Do we see any gains in our attitude, our character, our
personality, from the days of unleavened bread? What was the purpose of
putting unleavened bread out of our homes and lives?
As we all know, putting unleavened bread out of our homes and
lives is symbolic of putting vanity out of our lives. The antonym of
vanity is humility.
Today I want to talk to you about humility, the theme of the
days of unleavened bread.
On Passover we performed the rite of foot-washing as
instructed in John 13. What was its meaning?
John 13:5-8 (NKJV) After that, He poured water into a basin
and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe <them> with the towel
with which He was girded. {6} Then He came to Simon Peter. And <Peter>
said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" {7} Jesus answered and
said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will
know after this." {8} Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"
Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."
verses 14-17 (NKJV) "If I then, <your> Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. {15}
"For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to
you. {16} "Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than
his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. {17} "If
you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Foot-washing is an act of humility. It is an act of service.
It ignores a person's position in life and places the washer in the role
of a servant.
Matthew 18:3 tells us that we must all become as little
children.
Mat 18:3-6 (NKJV) and said, "Assuredly, I say to you,
unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven. {4} "Therefore whoever humbles
himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven. {5} "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name
receives Me. {6} "But whoever causes one of these little ones who
believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were
hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 5 that we should adopt sincerity
and truth over malice and wickedness.
1 Cor 5:7-8 (NKJV) Therefore purge out the old leaven, that
you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed
Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. {8} Therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened <bread> of sincerity and truth.
What was he talking about here? Leavening makes things puff
up ... just like vanity. Let's read a few more scriptures about being
puffed up.
1 Cor 4:18-19 (NKJV) Now some are puffed up, as though I
were not coming to you. {19} But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord
wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the
power.
1 Cor 5:2 (NKJV) And you are puffed up, and have not rather
mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among
you.
1 Cor 13:4 (NKJV) Love suffers long <and> is kind; love
does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
1 Cor 4:6 (NKJV) Now these things, brethren, I have
figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you
may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of
you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.
So taking sides against each other over some point of
doctrine also causes us to be puffed up. Our pride is challenged.
Paul later compares knowledge with being puffed up. How can
that be? Could a person be vain because of his or her knowledge?
1 Cor 8:1-3 (NKJV) Now concerning things offered to idols:
We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love
edifies. {2} And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows
nothing yet as he ought to know. {3} But if anyone loves God, this one
is known by Him.
How often do you hear or read of the advancement of mankind,
particularly regarding American know-how, when commentators try to compare
us to other parts of the world? That is changing, and you will see why
later. Were we a better nation when we were more concerned about helping
others than of thinking too highly about ourselves. Or was our concern for
others somewhat feigned in vanity? These concepts may seem foreign because
vanity is very difficult for a person to see. It involves insight into
one’s motivation, and that can be very deceiving.
Pride was the original sin. We are going to see why God
considered pride and humility so important that He assigned an entire week
of each year toward overcoming pride and achieving humility. Again, pride
is sin.
Ezek 28:14-19 (NKJV) "You <were> the anointed cherub who
covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You
walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. {15} You <were>
perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was
found in you. {16} "By the abundance of your trading You became filled
with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane
thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering
cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. {17} "Your heart was
lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake
of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings,
That they might gaze at you. {18} "You defiled your sanctuaries By the
multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore
I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to
ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. {19} All who knew
you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror,
And <shall be> no more forever."
1 Tim 3:6 (NKJV) ....... lest being puffed up with pride he
fall into the <same> condemnation as the devil.
Isa 14:12-17 (NKJV) "How you are fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! <How> you are cut down to the ground, You
who weakened the nations! {13} For you have said in your heart: 'I
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides
of the north; {14} I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will
be like the Most High.' {15} Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit. {16} "Those who see you will gaze at
you, <And> consider you, <saying>: <'Is> this the man who made the earth
tremble, Who shook kingdoms, {17} Who made the world as a wilderness And
destroyed its cities, <Who> did not open the house of his prisoners?'
[Is verse 17 a prophesy for our day?]
Prov 16:18-19 (NKJV) Pride <goes> before destruction, And a
haughty spirit before a fall. {19} Better <to be> of a humble spirit
with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
That may be part of the reason why this country has lost some
of its respect and leadership in the world.
Notice Satan's appeal to Eve's vanity:
Gen 3:1-6 (NKJV) Now the serpent was more cunning than any
beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the
woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the
garden'?" {2} And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit
of the trees of the garden; {3} "but of the fruit of the tree which <is>
in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor
shall you touch it, lest you die.' " {4} Then the serpent said to the
woman, "You will not surely die. {5} "For God knows that in the day
you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil." {6} So when the woman saw that the tree <was>
good for food, that it <was> pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable
to make <one> wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her
husband with her, and he ate.
There is a direct link between vanity and rebellion. The
examples we have just read demonstrate this very well, but there is a
parallel example which our society lives with every day: Schools tell our
children to reject the principles of their parents and to conduct
themselves according to what they think is right and wrong. The
schools, inspired by Satan, are telling our children "Nothing will happen
to you if you act independently. For in the day you question the
principles your parents have taught you, ‘your eyes will be opened’, and
you will be able to confidently make your own decisions as to what is
right and wrong." And so we have children deciding for themselves, making
their own principles and standards about drugs and sex and family values
and lifestyles and concern for other people's life and property. Satan is
still working on our vanity, calling it self-confidence, and knowing all
the while it will result in rebellion and death.
Even today we see the result of this rebellion in the
violence and hatred expressed in political protests by people more
interested in their personal desires than for the peace and quiet
generated by a humble society. Think of people you’ve observed who had a
problem with vanity or egotism and who then became rebellious toward
whomever was in authority. We have all known some who have allowed their
vanity, then rebellion, to take them right out of the church as well. But
to this day they probably don't realize what really caused them to leave
because, as I said before, vanity is hard for a person to see in himself,
whether in society as a whole or in the church.
The Old Testament gives us two very good examples of the
results of rebellion:
Num 12:1-10 (NKJV) Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against
Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had
married an Ethiopian woman. {2} So they said, "Has the LORD indeed
spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?" And the
LORD heard <it>. {3} (Now the man Moses <was> very humble, more than all
men who <were> on the face of the earth.) {4} Suddenly the LORD said to
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, "Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of
meeting!" So the three came out. {5} Then the LORD came down in the
pillar of cloud and stood <in> the door of the tabernacle, and called
Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. {6} Then He said, "Hear
now My words: If there is a prophet among you, <I>, the LORD, make
Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. {7} Not so
with My servant Moses; He <is> faithful in all My house. {8} I speak
with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he
sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against
My servant Moses?" {9} So the anger of the LORD was aroused against
them, and He departed. {10} And when the cloud departed from above the
tabernacle, suddenly Miriam <became> leprous, as <white as> snow. Then
Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.
Num 16:2-11 (NKJV) and they rose up before Moses with some
of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the
congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown. {3}
They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, <"You
take> too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation <is> holy,
every one of them, and the LORD <is> among them. Why then do you exalt
yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" {4} So when Moses heard
<it>, he fell on his face; {5} and he spoke to Korah and all his
company, saying, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who <is> His and
<who is> holy, and will cause <him> to come near to Him. That one whom
He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. {6} "Do this: Take
censers, Korah and all your company; {7} "put fire in them and put
incense in them before the LORD tomorrow, and it shall be <that> the man
whom the LORD chooses <is> the holy one. <You take> too much upon
yourselves, you sons of Levi!" {8} Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now,
you sons of Levi: {9} "<Is it> a small thing to you that the God of
Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you
near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to
stand before the congregation to serve them; {10} "and that He has
brought you near <to Himself>, you and all your brethren, the sons of
Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also? {11} "Therefore
you and all your company <are> gathered together against the LORD. And
what <is> Aaron that you complain against him?"
Verses 31-33 describe the results of their egotistic
rebellion.
(Num 16:31-33 NKJV) Now it came to pass, as he [i.e.,
Moses] finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart
under them, {32} and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up,
with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
{33} So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the
earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
These events were so important for Christians that Paul even
made reference to them in 1 Corinthians 10:
1 Cor 10:5-12 (NKJV) But with most of them God was not well
pleased, for <their bodies> were scattered in the wilderness. {6} Now
these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not
lust after evil things as they also lusted. {7} And do not become
idolaters as <were> some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down
to eat and drink, and rose up to play." {8} Nor let us commit sexual
immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand
fell; {9} nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and
were destroyed by serpents; {10} nor complain, as some of them also
complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. {11} Now all these
things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. {12} Therefore
let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
How, then, do we remain unleavened? We have to be able to
recognize our tendency toward vanity, self, egotism, pride, arrogance,
conceit, and self-importance. Let's look at some scriptural admonitions:
Psa 19:12 (NKJV) Who can understand <his> errors? Cleanse
me from secret <faults>.
All of us have secret faults; at least we think they are
secret. If you wonder if others can see your secret faults, just ask your
spouse. I'll guarantee you most, if not all of them, are known to your
spouse, and probably many other people. But anyway, we think they are
secret. But this verse has even more meaning. I believe David is asking
God to clean up those faults that are not even known by David himself.
That is a problem we could all share. But notice David's sincerity in
wanting to correct even these faults. Do we share his zeal and
determination to accomplish perfection?
Saul started out a very humble man but by the end of his life
his humility was replaced by vanity.
1 Sam 9:21 (NKJV) And Saul answered and said, <"Am> I not a
Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the
least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you
speak like this to me?"
Saul was indeed humble, but notice the change by the time we
get to chapter 15:
1 Sam 15:10-23 (NKJV) Now the word of the LORD came to
Samuel, saying, {11} "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul <as>
king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My
commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all
night. {12} So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it
was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a
monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone
down to Gilgal." {13} Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him,
"Blessed <are> you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the
LORD." {14} But Samuel said, "What then <is> this bleating of the sheep
in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" {15} And Saul
said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared
the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God;
and the rest we have utterly destroyed." {16} Then Samuel said to Saul,
"Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And
he said to him, "Speak on." {17} So Samuel said, "When you <were>
little in your own eyes, <were> you not head of the tribes of Israel?
And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? {18} "Now the LORD
sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners,
the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' {19}
"Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down
on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?" {20} And Saul said
to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the
mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek;
I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. {21} "But the people
took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should
have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal."
[Sounds like Saul took a lesson from Adam, doesn't it.] {22} Then Samuel
said: "Has the LORD <as great> delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice, <And> to heed than the fat of rams. {23} For
rebellion <is as> the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness <is as>
iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the
LORD, He also has rejected you from <being> king." ..... verse 35 (NKJV)
And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death.
Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had
made Saul king over Israel.
What a change and what a sad ending. The humble Saul had been
destroyed by vanity which resulted in rebellion. He was more concerned by
impressing the people than by obeying God. It's too bad he couldn't have
benefitted from King Solomon's words:
Prov 29:23 (NKJV) A man's pride will bring him low, But the
humble in spirit will retain honor.
What about us? Is our kingdom to be stripped from us too,
because of our vanity, our pride, our self-confidence in our own strength
and judgments, our confidence that we can water down God's commands to
meet our own wishes and objectives? Will God regret that He called us too?
The answer is in developing an attitude of humility, the very
purpose of putting leavening out of our lives this past week. Christ's
sacrifice should give us all an overwhelming sense of humbleness as we
consider this perfect man suffering and dying for sins we intentionally or
inadvertently commit. How do we continue to develop humility through the
coming year?
First we must ask, "What is humility?" Humility is a state of
deflated pride. What causes it? To answer that question, let's look at
some examples of deflated pride. One of the best examples is found in the
book of Esther:
Est 6:6-13 (NKJV) So Haman came in, and the king asked him,
"What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" Now
Haman thought in his heart, "Whom would the king delight to honor
more than me?" {7} And Haman answered the king, <"For> the man whom
the king delights to honor, {8} "let a royal robe be brought which the
king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a
royal crest placed on its head. {9} "Then let this robe and horse be
delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that he
may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on
horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: 'Thus shall
it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!' " {10} Then the
king said to Haman, "Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have
suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king's
gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken." {11} So Haman
took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback
through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus shall it be
done to the man whom the king delights to honor!" {12} Afterward
Mordecai went back to the king's gate. But Haman hurried to his house,
mourning and with his head covered. {13} When Haman told his wife Zeresh
and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his wise men
and his wife Zeresh said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you have
begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him
but will surely fall before him."
Haman felt a terrific loss of pride and as we read in verse
12, he mourned, but don't think he had a hint of true Godly humility. The
story is humorous and uplifting to those of us who cheer the underdog and
like to see pomposity punctured, but it certainly wasn't very funny to
Haman. He was totally crushed - and later on in the story, totally dead.
Another good example of deflated pride concerns King
Nebuchadnezzar.
Dan 4:29-31 (NKJV) At the end of the twelve months he was
walking about the royal palace of Babylon. {30} The king spoke, saying,
"Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal
dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?"
{31} While the word <was still> in the king's mouth, a voice fell from
heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has
departed from you!
King Nebuchadnezzar was probably filled with fear rather than
humility, but the end result was the same. The arrogance displayed in
these verses was replaced by true humility about seven years later.
David too had an encounter with a man filled with vanity.
Let's read about it in 1 Samuel 17:
1 Sam 17:42-50 (NKJV) And when the Philistine looked about
and saw David, he disdained him; for he was <only> a youth, ruddy and
good-looking. {43} So the Philistine said to David, <"Am> I a dog, that
you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his
gods. {44} And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will
give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"
{45} Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword,
with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the
LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
{46} "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike
you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses
of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild
beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel. {47} "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not
save with sword and spear; for the battle <is> the Lord's, and He will
give you into our hands." {48} So it was, when the Philistine arose and
came and drew near to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the
army to meet the Philistine. {49} Then David put his hand in his bag and
took out a stone; and he slung <it> and struck the Philistine in his
forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his
face to the earth. {50} So David prevailed over the Philistine with a
sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But <there
was> no sword in the hand of David.
The boastfulness of Goliath, who may very well have been of
the Nephilim, had little time to
change into humility as the stone sank into the giant's forehead.
Here's a scripture about the vanity of self will and greed,
its miserable results, and finally the humble person’s repentance for his
errors:
Luke 15:11-19 (NKJV) Then He said: "A certain man had two
sons. {12} "And the younger of them said to <his> father, 'Father, give
me the portion of goods that falls <to me>.' So he divided to them <his>
livelihood. {13} "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all
together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions
with prodigal living. {14} "But when he had spent all, there arose a
severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. {15} "Then he
went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him
into his fields to feed swine. {16} "And he would gladly have filled his
stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him
<anything>. {17} "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my
father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish
with hunger! {18} 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to
him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, {19} "and
I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your
hired servants." '
Verses 18 and 19 demonstrate what our humility should be
regarding sins committed against our human fathers as well as our heavenly
Father.
Now let me give you some scriptures which demonstrate
remedies you can use against your own vanity:
1. Act in a humble manner.
Luke 14:8-11 (NKJV) "When you are invited by anyone to a
wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more
honorable than you be invited by him; {9} "and he who invited you and
him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin
with shame to take the lowest place. {10} "But when you are invited, go
and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes
he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in
the presence of those who sit at the table with you. {11} "For whoever
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be
exalted."
2. Avoid sinners and certainly don’t trust them too far.
Samson was an example.
Judg 16:16-21 (NKJV) And it came to pass, when she pestered
him daily with her words and pressed him, <so> that his soul was vexed
to death, {17} that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No
razor has ever come upon my head, for I <have been> a Nazirite to God
from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me,
and I shall become weak, and be like any <other> man." {18} When Delilah
saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the
lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me
all his heart." So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and
brought the money in their hand. {19} Then she lulled him to sleep on
her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of
his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. {20}
And she said, "The Philistines <are> upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from
his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake
myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.
{21} Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him
down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a
grinder in the prison.
3. Obey God, not your earthly desires.
Josh 7:11-16 (NKJV) "Israel has sinned, and they have also
transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even
taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived;
and they have also put <it> among their own stuff. {12} "Therefore the
children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, <but> turned
<their> backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to
destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the
accursed from among you. {13} "Get up, sanctify the people, and say,
'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of
Israel: <"There is> an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you
cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing
from among you." {14} 'In the morning therefore you shall be brought
according to your tribes. And it shall be <that> the tribe which the
LORD takes shall come according to families; and the family which the
LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD
takes shall come man by man. {15} 'Then it shall be <that> he who is
taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that
he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and
because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.' " {16} So Joshua
rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the
tribe of Judah was taken.
4. Avoid self-sufficiency
Luke 22:31-34 (NKJV) And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!
Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift <you> as wheat. {32}
"But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when
you have returned to <Me>, strengthen your brethren." {33} But he said
to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."
{34} Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this
day before you will deny three times that you know Me."
And we all know what happened after that.
5. We must rely upon God's grace, not our own strengths and
abilities.
2 Cor 12:6-10 (NKJV) For though I might desire to boast, I
will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest
anyone should think of me above what he sees me <to be> or hears from
me. {7} And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of
the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. {8} Concerning this
thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
{9} And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength
is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast
in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. {10}
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then
I am strong.
Let's read a few more verses commanding us to be humble:
Col 3:12-13 (NKJV) Therefore, as <the> elect of God, holy
and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,
longsuffering [patience]; {13} bearing with one another, and forgiving
one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ
forgave you, so you also <must do>.
1 Pet 5:5-7 (NKJV) Likewise you younger people, submit
yourselves to <your> elders. Yes, all of <you> be submissive to one
another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But
gives grace to the humble." {6} Therefore humble yourselves under the
mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, {7} casting all
your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Eph 4:1-3 (NKJV) I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
{2} with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with
one another in love, {3} endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace.
Cain gave us another example:
Gen 4:7 (NKJV) "If you do well, will you not be accepted?
And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire <is> for
you, but you should rule over it."
Cain was being encouraged and warned by God. He wanted Cain
to change. His warning to Cain certainly applies to us. Sin's desire is to
pull us down, but we can rule over sin. We must put sin out. We
must go on to perfection.
I've given you a lot of scriptures today, all of them
concerning growing in humility after casting off vanity or pride. I hope
I've hit at least a few raw nerves. When I ask you next Passover, "how
much have you grown since last Passover?", will you be able to answer
positively? I hope so. You've got a whole year to practice.
Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell
5
April 2010
Last
Day of Unleavened Bread
Copyright 2010, Wayne Bedwell |
|
Studies in the Word of
God
Church of God Most High
P.O. Box 89741
Tucson, AZ 85752-9741
USA
E-Mail
No limitation is
placed upon reproduction of this document except that it must be
reproduced in its entirety without modification or deletions. The
publisher's name and address, copyright notice and this message must be
included. It may be freely distributed but must be distributed without
charge to the recipient.
|
|