Humility – 3

Humility – 3

Subject – Humility Found in Jesus

By Rick Welborne

Luke 22:23-27 (NLT2)
²³  The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
²⁴  Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.
²⁵  Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’
²⁶  But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.
²⁷  Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. 

--Please know the context of the text we just read. Jesus just told them about His impending death and how He would suffer to establish a new covenant in His blood. Beautiful and sacrificial humility.

--He tells them that the person who will betray Him is sitting at the table with them. They take a few minutes to question who could possibly do such a thing.

--Quickly they go to the important issue and the one that shows their lack of humility. They began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest. 

--Imagine me telling my pastoral staff that someone among us is a false minister and he will betray me and my demise is close at hand. 

--They discuss that for a little while but move quickly to which one of them will be the greatest. Hmmm!

--We have already established that this virtue of humility that Christ had was simply His surrendering to letting God be God. Humbling to God that He will be everything in His life. 

--We see how the Son of God in heaven and the Son of Man on earth lived and submitted His life to God only to bring honor and glory to His Father alone.  

Philippians 2:8-9 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                        ⁸ …He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
⁹  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

1. The Humility of Jesus in His Own Words.

--Listen to the words of Jesus as He speaks of His relationship to the Father and how He consistently uses the words “not and nothing” speaking of Himself.

John 5:19 (NKJV) ¹⁹ …the Son can do nothing of Himself, 

John 5:30 (NKJV) ³⁰ I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. 

John 5:41 (NIV) ⁴¹ "I do not accept praise from men,

John 6:38 (NIV) ^38…I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

John 7:16 (NIV) ¹⁶ Jesus answered, "My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me.

John 7:28 (NIV) ²⁸ I am not here on My own, but He Who sent Me is true. 

John 8:28 (NIV) ²⁸  So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on My own but speak just what the Father has taught Me.

John 8:42 (NIV) ^42… I have not come on My own; but He sent Me. 

John 8:50 (NIV) ⁵⁰ I am not seeking glory for Myself; 

John 14:24 (NIV) ^24…These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father Who sent Me. 

--These words from Jesus show how it was so obvious that God the Father could use Him to purchase redemption for all of us. He was nothing that God might be all.

--He resigned Himself to the Father’s will and power so that God could work through Him. With all He did with His own power, His own will, His own glory, He could still proclaim, I am nothing. Humility.

--Jesus’ life of total surrender, submission, and dependence upon the Father’s will was His source of perfect peace and joy. 

Andrew Murray – Jesus lost nothing by giving His all to God. God honored His trust and did all for Him, and then exalted Him to His own right hand of glory.

--Because Christ humbled Himself and because God was always with Him, He also found it possible to humble Himself before men and to be the servant of all.

--His humility was simply the surrender of Himself to God allowing Him to do in Him what He pleased, regardless of what men might say about Him or do to Him.

2. Our Call to Self-denial – Humility.

--We often hear that we want to be partakers with Christ, to have what He had and to be able to do what He did. We are called to a life of self-denial.

--We must be willing to acknowledge that there is nothing good in ourselves. We are just empty vessels in need of God filling us. We must do as the Apostle Paul…I die daily. 

--I know this is hard for us to grasp but if we will ever conform into the image of Christ, it will be with the absolute knowledge and surrender of self to Christ so God can be everything. Our calling:

Romans 11:29-30 (NCV)
²⁹  God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them.
³⁰  At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because those people refused to obey.

--I know when we think about these verses, “The gifts and calling of God is irrevocable.” We normally think of being a pastor, missionary, prophet, teacher and I believe that is somewhat true.

--But I also believe it is much deeper than that. We are all, yes all, called to a life of self-denial so that when people see us, they see Jesus. This is the nature of true humility.  

Psalm 149:4 (NKJV)
⁴  For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. 

--Sadly we have not been taught or sought after on our own what it means that Jesus was meek and lowly of heart. His humility before God releases our understanding that God is truly all in all.

--This is the life Christ came to reveal and to impart—a life surrendered to God through our death to sin and self. If we feel this is out of our reach, so much the more, we should seek Him.

Isaiah 57:15 (NLT2)
¹⁵  The high and lofty One who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. 

--It sounds like to me that living a life of self-denial and a life of humility is a wonderful place to dwell because our humility and self-denial gives God room to heal us.

--How many marriages, families, churches, businesses, cities, countries, etc. could be healed and be put back together if we denied ourselves and humbled ourselves before God and people.

--Sadly, too often, pride will not allow us to do it because of our selfishness. We think it is about winning and losing but when we don’t humble ourselves, we all lose.

3. The Secret – Nothing but a Clay.

--Please, God, help us learn the secret of knowing you in deeper way and, therefore, being able to understand the beautiful nature of the God we serve. 

--Help us, help me, learn that I am nothing but clay in your hand. A vessel, and a broken vessel at that. If I don’t humble myself in the Potter’s Hand, I am sunk.

Isaiah 29:13-16 (NIV)
¹³  The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.
¹⁴  Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
¹⁵  Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"
¹⁶  You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"? 

--Pride is telling God we don’t need Him and humility is telling God that whatever it takes to make me a vessel of honor, I am willing. Break me if You have to. We must realize:

Isaiah 64:8 (NKJV)
⁸  But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. 

--The wisdom of humility is that we know all that we have received was given to us by God. As we submit in the Potter’s hand and wait on Him, He forms us according to His will. 

--Jesus saw Himself as clay in His Father’s hand and His desire was to serve Him. Therefore, He wanted to serve those in whom the Father loved. Us. 

--Life Church we are clay. Clay has no life without God. Clay has no will so we submit in His hands. Clay has no purpose until the Potter creates it. Clay’s job is to submit to the Potter.

--Are you clay in the Potter’s hand? Are you clothed in humility? Examine your daily life? Ask your friends you can trust if you are humble. Ask God to help you humble yourself like Jesus.

Romans 13:14 (NLT2)
¹⁴  Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.

Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 4

Bearing the Fruit of Holy Spirit – 4 

Subject: Walking in the Fruit of the Spirit - Longsuffering

By Rick Welborne

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

--We have already looked at the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, and peace. Tonight we will be looking at longsuffering which will not necessarily be one of our favorites. 

1. The Fruit of the Spirit – Longsuffering.

Longsuffering - having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. Patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship. Suffering for a long time without complaining. Very patient during difficult times.

Biblical Longsuffering - It has been said that longsuffering means “suffering long.” That is a good answer, but a better definition is needed. The word longsuffering in the Bible is made up of two Greek words meaning “long” and “temper”; literally, “long-tempered.” To be longsuffering, then, is to have self-restraint when one is stirred to anger. A longsuffering person does not immediately retaliate or punish; rather, he has a “long fuse” and patiently forbears. 

--In regard to God’s longsuffering, it is associated with mercy (1 Pet. 3:20) and hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). God was longsuffering as he waited for Noah to build the ark. Eight people were saved by His patience.

--Thank God that He did not surrender to circumstances like we do or succumb to trials. Many translations of the Bible replace the word longsuffering with the word ‘patience’. One of our favorite words.

--God is the source of longsuffering or patience because it is part of His character. He is patient with sinners. 

Romans 2:4 (NLT2) ⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 

--At the same time, God’s longsuffering can come to an end, as seen in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the sending of Israel into captivity.

--The believer in Jesus Christ receives the very life of God, His divine nature. We receive certain promises when we receive Jesus and we are filled with His Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:3-8 (NIV) ³ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.                                                                                                   ⁴  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
⁵  For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
⁶  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
⁷  and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
⁸  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

--That life produces certain characteristics (fruit) that are displayed in the believer as he obeys Holy Spirit who lives within him. One of those godly characteristics from Galatians 5:22 is “longsuffering.” 

--The word is translated “patience” in the New American Standard Bible. Longsuffering is to be exhibited by all believers:

Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  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. 

Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV) ¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
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.

--Think how our lives would be affected if longsuffering was exhibited in individual relationships, family relationships, church relationships, and workplace relationships. 

--By obeying Holy Spirit, the believer in Christ can say “no” to retaliation and exhibit a forgiving and longsuffering attitude. As God is longsuffering with us, we can and must be longsuffering with others.

2. God’s Longsuffering for the Lost.

--The ultimate example of God’s longsuffering is His waiting for individuals to respond in faith to Jesus Christ. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

2 Peter 3:9-11 (NKJV) ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
¹⁰  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
¹¹  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 

--When I first became pastor here at Life Church we had a guest to come and speak to us by the name of Roger Heligas. He told us a story of a lady who knew what it meant to have longsuffering. 

--This lady was not a Christian when she got married but soon after someone shared Christ with her and she became a believer…a follower of Christ. She wanted so much for her husband to be saved.

--God spoke to her and told her that her husband was her mission field. She did not harass him or talk down to him as an unbeliever but she loved and honored him as her husband. 

--She thought surely he would give his heart to Christ quickly. He didn’t. He did not forbid her to go to church or to read the Bible at home but he did tell her that he did not want to be preached to. 

--How long did she wait? 10 years? 20? 30? 40? 50years? Nope still not saved! The devil would tell her he was never going to be saved…just give up! She refused! He is my mission field!

--Shortly after their 55^th Anniversary her husband gave his heart to the Lord! The lady was ecstatic and was so thankful to God for saving him. The next 6 months were like heaven on earth!

--They went to church together, they prayed together, they read God’s Word together…it was truly everything she dreamed. Six months after his salvation he had a heart attack and died. 

--Friends and family asked her what kind of God did she serve? He is a faithful God who saved my husband…He gave me a ministry 55 years ago and was faithful to see her accomplish his mission.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT2) ⁶  And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. 

--This is longsuffering…to persevere…to wait in patience for God to complete His work. Could she have given up? Of course! But her husband would probably have been lost forever.

--When I think of this kind of longsuffering…I always think about what Joseph went through…His story was similar to this lady…how so?

3. The Longsuffering of Joseph.

A. Joseph was given a dream and a promise.

Gen. 37:5-7 (NKJV) ⁵ Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
⁶  So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
⁷  There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."

--We all have dreams and we receive certain promises from God. Our job is to be faithful. Joseph started a journey that would test whether he had longsuffering in him or not.

B. Joseph faced adversity that would test his patience and perseverance. 

--He found himself in a pit! The other choice…kill him. The pit was his refuge. He was sold into slavery and taken to a foreign country. Unless God got involved nothing good would happen.

Genesis 37:36 (NKJV)
³⁶  Now the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

C. Joseph was falsely accused…another test.

Longsuffering - is to have self-restraint when one is stirred to anger. A longsuffering person does not immediately retaliate or punish; rather, he has a “long fuse” and patiently forbears.

--Joseph is falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and now is in prison. Just like the pit was a refuge…the prison was another refuge. He could have lost his life for being accused of rape. 

--Because of his praying, I believe Joseph is receiving Holy Spirit strength and longsuffering. How else could a man walk through all this? He is patiently waiting for God’s promise. Longsuffering.

D. Joseph is forgotten in prison. Longsuffering.

--The years are starting to add up and the dreams seem like a distant memory. A baker and a butler have dreams and Joseph interprets them. The baker restored but the butler is executed. 

--Joseph encourages the butler to remember him when he is restored. For two years he forgets until the king has dreams that cannot be interpreted. Joseph is suffering long with supernatural patience. Tough!

E. Joseph’s dreams finally come true. Longsuffering pays off big-time!

--Joseph is put in charge of everything in Egypt only answering to Pharaoh. God uses him to save the then known world. His brothers come and bow before him not knowing who he was. His dream!

--The only way longsuffering, patience, and perseverance pays off is when God’s supernatural fruit leads to salvation and restoration. 

Genesis 45:7-8 (NLT2)
⁷  God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.
⁸  So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

--The fruit Holy Spirit – longsuffering helps us see the whole picture and helps us to save others and to restore families. From the promise to the prize was about 14 years. Wow!