WEBVTT 00:00:03.786 --> 00:00:16.734 Last week we started talking about some of the characteristic marks of a community that is gospel-centered, and remember what we talked about last week, and that is that a gospel-centered community is a joyful community. 00:00:16.734 --> 00:00:22.111 How many of you have experienced more joy in your life this week than you have prior? 00:00:22.111 --> 00:00:24.928 I hope that you've experienced that in great ways. 00:00:24.928 --> 00:00:27.748 I know that I've had some great times this week myself. 00:00:27.748 --> 00:00:33.365 So today we're going to be looking at the second characteristic, and it is humility. 00:00:33.365 --> 00:00:39.198 Humility the title of today's message is a humble community. 00:00:39.198 --> 00:00:42.686 It's from chapter six out of the gospel centered community book. 00:00:42.686 --> 00:00:45.860 So let's look at Philippians, chapter two, verses one through eight. 00:00:45.860 --> 00:01:06.371 So if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love and participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 00:01:06.371 --> 00:01:15.734 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but, in humility, count others more significant than yourselves. 00:01:15.734 --> 00:01:23.405 Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others, but also to the interests of others. 00:01:23.405 --> 00:01:52.694 Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form, that he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 00:01:52.694 --> 00:01:56.460 Let's pray this morning, father. 00:01:56.460 --> 00:02:03.254 I am so grateful for the words that we find in the book of Philippians and in every other book of the Bible. 00:02:03.254 --> 00:02:21.628 Father, your word is filled with life and light because they are your words, and so we ask that the words from this chapter today and the things that we speak about will produce life and transformation and change and hope and encouragement and conviction where conviction is needed. 00:02:21.628 --> 00:02:25.846 Father, we give you permission to do exactly what you want to do here today. 00:02:25.846 --> 00:02:29.713 We ask these things in Jesus' name, amen. 00:02:31.277 --> 00:02:42.366 So I've been in the ministry this year it's 31 years and for about the first 10 years of my ministry I practiced something that I learned that I needed to make a change on. 00:02:42.366 --> 00:02:53.502 So about for the first 10 years of my ministry, whenever I would speak I would use self-deprecating humor, right so I would talk poorly about myself. 00:02:53.502 --> 00:03:03.528 One Sunday, I asked my wife, who happens to be high in belief so if you have a wife who's high in belief don't ask a question unless you want the answer, okay. 00:03:03.528 --> 00:03:08.246 So I asked her one Sunday after church so what did you think of the service? 00:03:08.246 --> 00:03:10.745 She paused. 00:03:10.745 --> 00:03:15.049 The pause is always dangerous, right? 00:03:15.049 --> 00:03:22.167 So she paused and then she thoughtfully said you don't have to do that, you really don't have to do that. 00:03:22.167 --> 00:03:24.126 And I said what do you mean? 00:03:24.126 --> 00:03:24.805 Explain what you mean. 00:03:24.805 --> 00:03:25.299 And she said you don't have to talk that. 00:03:25.299 --> 00:03:25.496 And I said what do you mean? 00:03:25.496 --> 00:03:25.687 Explain what you mean. 00:03:25.687 --> 00:03:28.074 And she said you don't have to talk down about yourself all the time. 00:03:28.074 --> 00:03:31.397 It's really not, it's not necessary. 00:03:33.181 --> 00:03:39.317 And so I'm thinking I can't even remember all that I was thinking. 00:03:39.317 --> 00:03:43.625 All I knew is that I needed some time in prayer, so I needed some comfort from the Lord. 00:03:43.625 --> 00:03:50.540 So I began to talk to the Lord and pray, and he spoke to me so gently and kindly and he said Tyler, you're full of pride. 00:03:50.540 --> 00:03:54.835 I thought my wife was being harsh. 00:03:54.835 --> 00:03:56.921 She wasn't being harsh at all, she was just being honest. 00:03:56.921 --> 00:04:02.923 The Lord came right behind her and sometimes the voice of the Lord sounds strangely like my wife's voice. 00:04:02.923 --> 00:04:05.931 It's like confirmation, you know. 00:04:05.931 --> 00:04:07.201 And so she's. 00:04:07.483 --> 00:04:09.489 So the Lord spoke to me and said you're full of pride. 00:04:09.489 --> 00:04:10.640 And I said what do you mean, lord? 00:04:10.640 --> 00:04:12.183 How can I be full of pride? 00:04:12.183 --> 00:04:15.451 I only talk negatively about myself. 00:04:15.451 --> 00:04:20.485 I'm always, you know, tearing myself down or making myself look a certain way. 00:04:20.485 --> 00:04:24.630 And he said well, who are you talking about all the time? 00:04:24.630 --> 00:04:35.514 And I said it's like when you know the answer but you don't want to say it out loud, right? 00:04:35.514 --> 00:04:40.927 And I said me Myself, and I right. 00:04:40.927 --> 00:04:47.259 And so the important lesson I learned that day is that I right. 00:04:47.259 --> 00:04:49.406 And so the important lesson I learned that day is that pride can clothe itself in a lot of different ways. 00:04:49.425 --> 00:04:52.413 False humility is called false humility because it's not actual humility. 00:04:52.413 --> 00:05:05.569 It is actually a form of pride, and so I was being prideful because I was consistently talking about myself, even if I wasn't building myself up or talking about how great I was or whatever the case might be. 00:05:05.569 --> 00:05:06.492 Does that make sense? 00:05:06.492 --> 00:05:18.380 So in our passage today, paul is writing to the Philippian church and he's exhorting them to follow Christ's example when it comes to the expression of humility. 00:05:18.380 --> 00:05:27.619 How many of you are thankful that we have an example found in scriptures that just isn't some kind of like, something that's a fairy tale or, you know a story that we have an example found in scriptures that just isn't some kind of like something that's a fairy tale. 00:05:27.619 --> 00:05:33.021 Or you know a story that we have to believe that didn't actually occur we don't know whether it occurred or not. 00:05:33.021 --> 00:05:33.483 It's at. 00:05:33.483 --> 00:05:39.365 Jesus actually came to this planet and lived the life that he lived and died the death that he died. 00:05:39.365 --> 00:05:43.182 And we, we can learn from his humility, and that's what Paul is saying here. 00:05:44.064 --> 00:06:05.427 And if this community will learn to walk in humility we're learning, aren't we Even this morning we're learning to walk in humility, then the community would be able to walk in love and unity, especially as they were about ready to face increased persecution. 00:06:05.427 --> 00:06:38.711 Why are we harping so much on all of this stuff, my friends, things are changing in this world and we need to be prepared for what comes, and one of the ways that we can do that is to learn from Jesus and to put into practice the things that Jesus did and said and lived, so that we can face whatever it is that we face here in this life and know that if he's with us, everything's going to be okay, not as we define, but as he defines. 00:06:38.711 --> 00:06:39.833 Okay, right. 00:06:39.833 --> 00:06:43.084 So this would be such a powerful. 00:06:43.084 --> 00:06:49.504 If the church, if a community, could learn to walk in this way, to walk humbly before God. 00:06:49.504 --> 00:06:52.612 Think about the missional tool that that could be. 00:06:52.612 --> 00:06:57.540 How many more people could we reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ? 00:06:57.540 --> 00:07:10.644 If there was a church that practiced humility as a core part of who they actually were, what a difference that could be made in this world. 00:07:10.644 --> 00:07:11.846 So let's jump right into it. 00:07:12.408 --> 00:07:17.281 First point is we can't walk in true humility unless we are Christ followers. 00:07:17.281 --> 00:07:24.346 It's funny to me, and it's a little bit crazy, that we expect people to act like Christians when they're not Christians. 00:07:24.346 --> 00:07:31.742 Why are we shocked by what's going on in the Olympics? 00:07:31.742 --> 00:07:32.043 Is it horrible? 00:07:32.043 --> 00:07:33.084 Some of the things that are going on? 00:07:33.084 --> 00:07:33.346 Absolutely. 00:07:33.346 --> 00:07:34.288 But why are we shocked? 00:07:34.288 --> 00:07:37.074 This is not a Christian organization. 00:07:37.074 --> 00:07:48.586 This is not an organization that even all of the people that are involved are Christian by any stretch of the imagination, and so when things like this happen, we shouldn't be surprised. 00:07:48.586 --> 00:07:55.867 We can be saddened, we can become prayerful, we can be you know all of those things, but we shouldn't be surprised, right? 00:07:57.209 --> 00:08:18.093 So we can't walk in true humility unless we are followers of Jesus Christ, because we have to be changed, we have to be transformed in order to live this way and the passage again says so if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy. 00:08:18.093 --> 00:08:24.795 So Paul is giving several qualifiers before he asks the Philippians to do anything. 00:08:24.795 --> 00:08:31.351 He's saying because you have experienced these things, then you can live like this. 00:08:31.351 --> 00:08:32.153 Does that make sense? 00:08:32.153 --> 00:08:36.128 And that's what I want us to take away from this message this morning. 00:08:36.128 --> 00:08:44.152 God has provided us everything that we need to be able to be obedient to the things that he asks of us. 00:08:44.152 --> 00:08:47.759 To be able to be obedient to the things that he asks of us. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:52.381 We have every gift and every grace that we need to be obedient to him. 00:08:52.381 --> 00:08:59.369 So he wants the people that he's writing to, paul does, to focus on the things that they have experienced in their life with Christ. 00:08:59.369 --> 00:09:01.250 How has their life changed? 00:09:01.250 --> 00:09:02.471 What do they know? 00:09:02.471 --> 00:09:05.215 How is the gospel that's being preached to them? 00:09:05.215 --> 00:09:07.256 How is it changing them? 00:09:07.256 --> 00:09:11.640 How is it affecting their focus and their mindset? 00:09:11.640 --> 00:09:15.225 So let's break down the first part of this passage and look at it just phrase by phrase. 00:09:15.225 --> 00:09:18.327 The first phrase is encouragement in Christ. 00:09:18.327 --> 00:09:22.692 So all of these things again that Paul is saying to the church in Philippi. 00:09:22.692 --> 00:09:27.297 He's saying to them because these things have already happened for them. 00:09:27.297 --> 00:09:30.464 They've already experienced these things. 00:09:30.464 --> 00:09:31.969 Here's the reality, and this is one of the. 00:09:32.289 --> 00:09:35.075 There are two sides to the gospel message that we need to get right. 00:09:35.075 --> 00:09:40.431 The first side is this we are far worse than we could ever imagine. 00:09:40.431 --> 00:09:45.225 You don't have to say amen to that, but just think about it for a minute. 00:09:45.225 --> 00:09:46.090 We are far worse than we can ever imagine. 00:09:46.090 --> 00:09:47.577 You don't have to say amen to that, but just think about it for a minute. 00:09:47.577 --> 00:09:49.783 We are far worse than we can ever imagine. 00:09:49.783 --> 00:10:07.870 If we were to weigh every thought, every motive, every attitude, every action, every non-motive or non-action or non-verbal thing, when we should have said something or should have done something, and put all of that on the scale of righteousness and justice, we would come up severely lacking. 00:10:07.870 --> 00:10:19.283 We are far worse than we can ever imagine and despite that, we have been rescued by the work of Jesus. 00:10:20.806 --> 00:10:23.888 Let's look quickly at Colossians, chapter 1, 13 and 14. 00:10:23.888 --> 00:10:38.552 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transformed us to the kingdom of his beloved son, which is who, jesus, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 00:10:38.552 --> 00:10:50.280 My friends, we should be encouraging ourselves in Christ, be encouraging ourselves in Christ. 00:10:50.280 --> 00:10:53.827 What a change has occurred in our lives if we have become truly true followers of Jesus Christ. 00:10:53.827 --> 00:10:55.791 The second phrase is comfort from love. 00:10:55.791 --> 00:11:16.640 So we are far worse than we could ever imagine, but there's a second arm to the gospel, and that is we are far more loved than we could ever understand, far worse than we could ever imagine, but we're far more loved than we can ever understand For God. 00:11:16.640 --> 00:11:19.804 So what Loved the world? 00:11:19.804 --> 00:11:24.791 And in Galatians 2.20, it says I have been crucified with Christ. 00:11:24.791 --> 00:11:28.275 It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. 00:11:28.275 --> 00:11:30.708 And the life I now live in the flesh. 00:11:30.708 --> 00:11:37.809 I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:11:37.809 --> 00:11:39.044 What was his motivation? 00:11:39.044 --> 00:11:39.947 What was his heart? 00:11:39.947 --> 00:11:42.405 What was the attitude that he took to the cross? 00:11:42.405 --> 00:11:43.811 It was love. 00:11:43.811 --> 00:11:46.264 It was love. 00:11:46.264 --> 00:11:49.239 It was love. 00:11:49.239 --> 00:11:55.946 Before you try to change, before you try to do anything in your Christian walk, please get these truths right. 00:11:55.946 --> 00:12:01.932 Please concrete them, cement them as a part of who you are. 00:12:03.321 --> 00:12:06.094 The third phrase is participation in the Spirit. 00:12:06.094 --> 00:12:13.711 How many of you are thankful that we've been given the Holy Spirit, we've been baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. 00:12:13.711 --> 00:12:17.129 And not only that, but he lives in us. 00:12:17.129 --> 00:12:23.769 The Holy Spirit of God lives on the inside of us as believers in Jesus Christ. 00:12:23.769 --> 00:12:35.423 John 14, 26 says but the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 00:12:35.423 --> 00:12:41.214 We have a built-in tutor, we have a built-in autocorrect. 00:12:41.214 --> 00:12:53.907 Built-in autocorrect, we have a built-in part of the Godhead living on the inside of us as believers, encouraging us, helping us, strengthening us, convicting us, changing us. 00:12:53.907 --> 00:13:01.908 And then, finally, the last phrase is any affection and sympathy. 00:13:04.020 --> 00:13:06.307 Have you ever experienced the kindness of God in your life? 00:13:06.307 --> 00:13:12.096 Have you ever had him show mercy towards you when you knew that you didn't deserve it? 00:13:12.096 --> 00:13:17.091 That's the definition of mercy His loving kindness, his faithfulness. 00:13:17.091 --> 00:13:23.086 I don't know about you, but I feel like that. 00:13:23.086 --> 00:13:28.423 I'm continuously experiencing the kindness of God and the compassion of God. 00:13:29.225 --> 00:13:30.046 Ephesians 2,. 00:13:30.046 --> 00:13:33.712 Just let these words wash over you but God. 00:13:33.712 --> 00:13:48.176 But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. 00:13:48.176 --> 00:14:08.114 By grace, you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 00:14:08.114 --> 00:14:14.028 This is the reality that we, as believers, find ourselves in. 00:14:14.028 --> 00:14:17.061 We're far worse than we can ever imagine. 00:14:17.061 --> 00:14:26.115 We're far more loved than we could ever understand, and we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God and the kindness and the mercy of God. 00:14:26.115 --> 00:14:35.364 Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 00:14:35.364 --> 00:14:39.831 This is good news Now. 00:14:39.831 --> 00:14:56.323 If you're not a believer yet, this can become good news for you, and I encourage you today to take this seriously, to acknowledge where you're at, the fact that you have not yet made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. 00:14:57.505 --> 00:15:06.621 The Bible says that we are to repent, which means to change our mind, to turn away from our sin, our old way of thinking, our old way of doing things, and we are to what. 00:15:06.621 --> 00:15:22.524 Put our faith and hope and trust in Jesus Christ and the work that he did here on this earth, taking my sin and my shame and my guilt on the cross, and by faith in him I can be given by grace. 00:15:22.524 --> 00:15:23.686 You are saved through faith. 00:15:23.686 --> 00:15:26.953 I can be given the great gift of salvation. 00:15:26.953 --> 00:15:28.466 It's a free gift from God. 00:15:28.466 --> 00:15:35.464 I encourage you this morning turn your heart to Jesus Now. 00:15:35.565 --> 00:15:38.846 Believers are called to walk in unity when it comes to the essentials. 00:15:38.846 --> 00:15:48.360 I know that word unity is not very popular anymore because everybody thinks unity is equal to what Compromise. 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:53.493 I can't be unified with people because that means I have to compromise. 00:15:53.493 --> 00:15:55.182 I don't even know that. 00:15:55.182 --> 00:15:57.289 The biblical truth of unity is bigger than that. 00:15:57.289 --> 00:16:03.130 It's much bigger than that, and we should be able to agree upon the essentials. 00:16:03.130 --> 00:16:08.942 Amen, should be able to agree upon the essentials. 00:16:08.942 --> 00:16:09.182 Amen. 00:16:09.322 --> 00:16:16.361 Paul goes on to say to the Philippians complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 00:16:16.361 --> 00:16:20.653 This is the way that we're supposed to live in unity. 00:16:20.653 --> 00:16:29.610 If we have experienced the gospel benefits in our own lives, then the result should be if we've been given these gifts, then what should we give to others? 00:16:29.610 --> 00:16:32.726 The same things that have been given to us. 00:16:32.726 --> 00:16:37.081 We should give to others the same grace that's been given to us. 00:16:37.081 --> 00:16:44.667 We should give to others the same compassion and kindness and mercy and love and all of those things should be given to others. 00:16:44.667 --> 00:16:53.799 It's a gift that we have to be able to do this. 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:57.830 Our unity begins and ends with God. 00:16:57.850 --> 00:17:00.019 How many of you know, we're not going to agree upon everything. 00:17:00.019 --> 00:17:06.053 Like if I just mentioned the word rapture, I'm sure there's probably multiple, multiple feelings when I say that word here in this room. 00:17:06.053 --> 00:17:08.327 Some people are like I don't know what that means. 00:17:08.327 --> 00:17:11.942 Other people are like this, it means this, and then others. 00:17:11.942 --> 00:17:14.049 You know on and on and on Right. 00:17:14.049 --> 00:17:27.069 But the essentials, the essentials of the gospel, we should be able to be unified around because they are absolutely true and without a need for further interpretation. 00:17:27.069 --> 00:17:27.811 Does that make sense? 00:17:27.811 --> 00:17:33.069 You see, unity isn't agreeing on everything. 00:17:33.069 --> 00:17:40.471 It's refusing to let our areas of disagreement keep us from walking in love toward each other. 00:17:40.471 --> 00:17:45.761 Can't we go back to joy? 00:17:45.761 --> 00:17:47.085 Joy was so much more. 00:17:47.085 --> 00:17:59.965 Joy is important, and that's the reason why we started with joy, because if we get that right, how many of you know we can do with humility right If we're living a life filled with joy. 00:17:59.965 --> 00:18:05.734 So the next point is that pride is a community killer. 00:18:05.734 --> 00:18:10.450 I can't talk about humility without talking about pride. 00:18:10.450 --> 00:18:14.869 Pride is a community killer. 00:18:17.622 --> 00:18:33.205 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, travel back with me to eternity, past, and envision heaven, father, son and spirit and all of the created beings that are with them. 00:18:33.205 --> 00:18:35.190 These are called angels. 00:18:35.190 --> 00:18:37.682 What is the angels' number one job? 00:18:37.682 --> 00:18:44.989 To bring honor and glory and praise and blessing to God and blessing to God. 00:18:44.989 --> 00:18:50.172 And one of the ways that they do that most proficiently is through praise and worship. 00:18:50.172 --> 00:19:00.468 And there's a choir in heaven like no choir that you ever heard here on this earth Perfect, pitch, perfect, never miss a note. 00:19:00.468 --> 00:19:05.689 Everything is done in complete perfection and all the time. 00:19:05.689 --> 00:19:17.515 There's no end to the worship songs of heaven, the sounds of rejoicing and the sounds of joy and the dancing and the celebration. 00:19:17.515 --> 00:19:26.542 Can you imagine what it's going to be like and what it is like and what it was like before evil ever showed up on the scene? 00:19:26.542 --> 00:19:31.252 Imagine the pristine nature of it, the perfection, the purity. 00:19:32.980 --> 00:19:39.342 There was one created being in particular whose name was Lucifer, star of the morning. 00:19:39.342 --> 00:19:45.532 That's what his name means, star of the morning, and he was particularly gifted within his being. 00:19:45.532 --> 00:20:09.904 He had instrumentation built in His essence, was gem-like in character and in quality, and when the light of the glory of God would shine upon him, it would reflect and radiate, and he was a sight to be seen, a sight to behold, and he happened to be the worship leader of heaven. 00:20:09.904 --> 00:20:25.016 He led the choir and over time and we don't know how much time, but over time a third of that choir began to say things like when's Lucifer going to lead worship again? 00:20:25.016 --> 00:20:27.882 We like when Lucifer leads worship. 00:20:27.882 --> 00:20:32.613 Look at you, look at how amazing you are. 00:20:32.613 --> 00:20:39.806 Have you noticed lately how that particular hue reflects off of you when the light just hits you just right? 00:20:39.806 --> 00:20:44.092 Can you imagine that song that Lucifer wrote? 00:20:44.092 --> 00:20:46.075 What a great song. 00:20:46.075 --> 00:20:48.047 It's the best song I've ever heard. 00:20:49.601 --> 00:21:07.948 And before long Lucifer began to believe what was being said and as he looked in the mirror and made his proclamations over himself you are brilliant, you are amazing, you are pretty much like God. 00:21:07.948 --> 00:21:23.212 Excuse me, let's pick it up in Isaiah how you are fallen from heaven, o shining star, son of the morning. 00:21:23.212 --> 00:21:29.423 You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. 00:21:29.423 --> 00:21:36.981 For you said to yourself I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. 00:21:36.981 --> 00:21:41.689 I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. 00:21:41.689 --> 00:21:47.135 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the most high. 00:21:47.135 --> 00:21:55.429 Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. 00:21:55.429 --> 00:22:15.580 Lucifer, star of the morning, the worship leader of heaven, began to believe that he was equal to God, and God made it very clear that that was not true as he kicked him and one third of the angels out of heaven. 00:22:17.683 --> 00:22:21.288 And how many of you know that Satan has been changed as well? 00:22:21.288 --> 00:22:26.656 He no longer maintains his beauty or his essence. 00:22:26.656 --> 00:22:29.821 He no longer reflects the glory of God. 00:22:29.821 --> 00:22:31.506 He's the antithesis of that. 00:22:31.506 --> 00:22:40.125 He's the opposite of anything that you could think of that would contain kindness or goodness, or love or joy or mercy or any of those things. 00:22:40.125 --> 00:22:43.529 He is evil and wicked in every way. 00:22:43.529 --> 00:22:57.111 He's a sadistic clown in a house of mirrors and he calls to us to enter into his house and to look in the mirror. 00:22:57.111 --> 00:23:02.547 Some of the mirrors in that house say to us you're amazing. 00:23:02.547 --> 00:23:04.329 Look at you. 00:23:04.329 --> 00:23:10.953 Nothing will ever stop you. 00:23:10.953 --> 00:23:27.819 And other mirrors in the room tell you that you're a victim and that you're owed things and that your rights are being trampled on and that you are less than All of these mirrors and all of these images. 00:23:27.819 --> 00:23:33.788 That are distortions of the gospel, distortions of what God intends for us. 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:56.315 My friends, pride is insidious in nature and it attempts to rule mankind, from Adam and Eve to each and every one of us. 00:23:56.315 --> 00:24:06.058 Except for the Lord, jesus Christ, all of us have followed in Satan's footsteps in one way or another. 00:24:06.058 --> 00:24:14.749 All of us have succumbed to the temptation, except for Jesus, to be proud, to live a life of pride. 00:24:14.749 --> 00:24:21.593 See, pride in its most reckless form attempts to make God in man's image. 00:24:21.593 --> 00:24:23.968 I'll make him like I want him to be. 00:24:23.968 --> 00:24:26.704 You know what you're actually doing. 00:24:26.704 --> 00:24:31.470 When you do that, you're actually saying I'm God. 00:24:31.470 --> 00:24:34.988 I'm the one who makes the decisions. 00:24:34.988 --> 00:24:38.249 I'm the one who commands God what to do. 00:24:38.249 --> 00:24:41.230 I'm the one who prays and he jumps. 00:24:41.230 --> 00:24:45.548 I'm the one who confesses something and he has to do it. 00:24:45.548 --> 00:24:47.813 I'm the one. 00:24:47.813 --> 00:24:57.252 My friends, this did not work for Lucifer and it's not going to work for you and I. 00:24:57.252 --> 00:25:03.667 God resists the proud. 00:25:03.667 --> 00:25:10.239 Let that linger for a minute. 00:25:10.239 --> 00:25:13.586 God resists the proud, but thank God, the verse doesn't end there. 00:25:13.586 --> 00:25:14.148 What does it say? 00:25:14.148 --> 00:25:22.147 From there on out, he gives grace to the humble. 00:25:22.167 --> 00:25:24.332 The essence of pride is self-centeredness. 00:25:24.332 --> 00:25:41.964 It's all about me, regardless of how you look at it which can manifest itself offensively, as arrogance, as self-exaltation, or defensively, as fear, self-preservation. 00:25:41.964 --> 00:25:47.780 So I'm going to ask you to we're going to have an interactive part of the message here. 00:25:47.780 --> 00:25:49.384 So you've got two hands right. 00:25:49.384 --> 00:25:52.172 So on your right hand, I'm going to give you two lists. 00:25:52.172 --> 00:25:54.424 So, on your right hand, just keep track. 00:25:54.424 --> 00:25:55.086 Don't. 00:25:55.086 --> 00:26:01.285 Don't wave your fingers too much, because you don't want people next to you counting how many of these apply to you, right? 00:26:01.285 --> 00:26:02.727 So I've got six of them. 00:26:02.727 --> 00:26:10.715 So I'm saying none of you are going to actually get to six, but maybe some of each of each of these statements will qualify. 00:26:10.715 --> 00:26:13.164 You'll say, okay, I can relate to that, right? 00:26:13.164 --> 00:26:14.648 So just keep track. 00:26:14.648 --> 00:26:17.522 On your right hand for the first list, on your left hand for the second list. 00:26:17.522 --> 00:26:18.566 You ready, here we go. 00:26:18.566 --> 00:26:19.067 Number one. 00:26:19.067 --> 00:26:23.428 So these, the first list, is characteristics of arrogant pride. 00:26:23.428 --> 00:26:28.628 Arrogance, you know, flamboyant pride, outward pride. 00:26:28.628 --> 00:26:31.304 I must be in control. 00:26:31.304 --> 00:26:35.403 That's that thumb if you need it right, I must be in control. 00:26:36.045 --> 00:26:39.252 I am threatened by people with legitimate differences. 00:26:39.252 --> 00:26:41.548 I avoid disagreement or critique. 00:26:41.548 --> 00:26:47.351 I see other gifted, competent people as competition. 00:26:47.351 --> 00:26:51.828 I can be hypercritical of others. 00:26:51.828 --> 00:26:55.607 I lack self-awareness. 00:26:55.607 --> 00:27:00.571 I have a hard time seeing or admitting my sins, errors and faults. 00:27:00.571 --> 00:27:05.484 I long to be respected by everyone. 00:27:05.484 --> 00:27:11.335 How'd we do Any of those fingers get counted? 00:27:11.335 --> 00:27:13.525 All right, let's go to the left hand. 00:27:13.525 --> 00:27:15.210 Hopefully the left hand will be much better right. 00:27:16.599 --> 00:27:18.336 Characteristics of fearful pride. 00:27:18.336 --> 00:27:20.288 I avoid leading at all costs. 00:27:20.288 --> 00:27:21.955 I'm hesitant to take charge. 00:27:21.955 --> 00:27:23.867 Avoid leading at all costs. 00:27:23.867 --> 00:27:27.467 I'm hesitant to take charge. 00:27:27.467 --> 00:27:29.551 I'm paralyzed by people with legitimate differences. 00:27:29.551 --> 00:27:38.588 I spend a lot of time and energy thinking about or responding to disagreement and critique. 00:27:38.588 --> 00:27:39.791 I'm overly sensitive. 00:27:39.791 --> 00:27:46.057 I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. 00:27:46.057 --> 00:27:49.445 I see other gifted, competent people as threats. 00:27:49.445 --> 00:27:50.769 I lack self-confidence. 00:27:50.769 --> 00:28:02.265 I'm often paralyzed by an awareness of my sins, errors and faults and, finally, I long to be liked by everyone. 00:28:04.731 --> 00:28:09.705 We did better on that list right Now. 00:28:09.705 --> 00:28:12.816 The lists are not here, created here to create condemnation. 00:28:12.816 --> 00:28:17.675 Condemnation is when Satan says to you this is who you are and you'll never change. 00:28:17.675 --> 00:28:29.346 But they are here and I have to tell you I've been dealing with this all week, so, and I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me, I'm just saying this all week. 00:28:29.346 --> 00:28:38.632 So, and I'm not asking you to feel sorry for me, I'm just saying when we prepare these messages, god deals with our hearts too, right First, and so it's so important for us to humble ourselves before God and to acknowledge our need. 00:28:38.632 --> 00:28:42.106 And that's what this is about is qualifying where our need is. 00:28:43.789 --> 00:28:49.519 You see, all forms of self-centeredness manifest themselves in a lack of love for others. 00:28:49.519 --> 00:28:57.979 If you ask yourself the question why am I not loving well or I'm not being loved well by others? 00:28:57.979 --> 00:29:02.455 Pride or self-centeredness may be your answer. 00:29:02.455 --> 00:29:14.351 It's hard to love others when you feel this way, when you're driven by these things, when this is at the back of your mind at all times and you don't even realize it, don't even recognize it. 00:29:14.351 --> 00:29:19.192 All right, let's move on to some good stuff. 00:29:19.192 --> 00:29:24.872 It's all good, but a gospel-centered community is filled with people who put others before themselves. 00:29:25.573 --> 00:29:31.038 It goes on in Philippians 2 to say but in humility, count others more significant than yourselves. 00:29:31.038 --> 00:29:36.652 Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. 00:29:36.652 --> 00:29:40.358 Now for honest, this is hard to do. 00:29:40.358 --> 00:29:41.846 Can we own that? 00:29:41.846 --> 00:29:44.470 This is hard to do at times. 00:29:44.470 --> 00:29:53.311 It's against fallen nature, it's against the agenda of Satan and it's against the culture of this world. 00:29:53.311 --> 00:30:04.049 How many of you know that the culture of this world in our generation and the generations my generation at least and the generations that follow, have been an individualistic culture. 00:30:04.049 --> 00:30:10.779 It's all about me, my feelings, my agenda, my whatever. 00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:12.906 It's all about me. 00:30:12.906 --> 00:30:20.059 It's all about me, jesus, have you ever sang that song with the wrong words? 00:30:20.059 --> 00:30:22.885 And all this is for me? 00:30:22.885 --> 00:30:32.231 Yeah, that's like if we were to sing honest lyrics to worship songs, we could come up with a lot of parodies. 00:30:32.313 --> 00:30:41.598 Right, we are trained to be consumers instead of servants. 00:30:41.598 --> 00:30:46.301 We're trained in our culture to be consumers. 00:30:46.301 --> 00:30:47.843 What have you done for me lately? 00:30:47.843 --> 00:30:57.634 So let's look, let's kind of compare a consumer and a servant, just with a few statements, a few questions. 00:30:57.634 --> 00:31:01.374 A consumer says what's in it for me? 00:31:01.374 --> 00:31:04.611 What does the servant say? 00:31:04.611 --> 00:31:06.852 How can I serve others? 00:31:06.852 --> 00:31:11.174 A consumer says who's going to meet my needs? 00:31:11.174 --> 00:31:17.612 That's a real big one in marriage, but we're not going to go there today. 00:31:17.612 --> 00:31:27.891 Instead of asking ourselves the servant question, which is, who can I relate to and whose needs can I meet See how different that is. 00:31:29.926 --> 00:31:32.365 I'm critical of the community's faults and weaknesses. 00:31:32.365 --> 00:31:34.913 I can tell you what's wrong with Trinity Community Church. 00:31:34.913 --> 00:31:41.395 Or we're looking for God's grace at work in the community. 00:31:41.395 --> 00:31:44.034 In other words, where is God working to bring about change? 00:31:44.034 --> 00:31:48.451 What is he doing and how can I be on board with that? 00:31:48.451 --> 00:31:54.275 Consumerism gravitates toward people who have something to offer. 00:31:54.275 --> 00:31:58.112 So I get around people who can be a blessing to me. 00:31:58.112 --> 00:32:04.067 Right, and a servant recognizes the diversity of gifts in the body. 00:32:04.067 --> 00:32:07.476 Every person should be able to be a blessing. 00:32:07.476 --> 00:32:13.237 It's not like just because we feel like we need a certain thing that we gravitate towards certain people. 00:32:13.237 --> 00:32:18.712 We should all be interested in all of the others, in each of us. 00:32:18.712 --> 00:32:29.445 Another one is consumer uses others for personal gain, while a servant empowers others for the good of the kingdom of God. 00:32:29.445 --> 00:32:33.794 This church is filled with servants. 00:32:33.794 --> 00:32:36.920 I've seen it time and time and time again. 00:32:39.166 --> 00:32:43.718 I have to say I have to say this carefully because of the subject matter but I'm proud of you. 00:32:43.718 --> 00:32:56.446 I know we're talking about pride, but I'm proud of you in a good way, in a good sense, because you do prove your love for each other by the way that you serve each other. 00:32:56.446 --> 00:32:58.811 But how many of you know? 00:32:58.811 --> 00:33:03.589 Just because we've scratched the surface on that, that doesn't mean that we're where we need to be. 00:33:03.589 --> 00:33:10.567 We still have work to do that we're where we need to be. 00:33:10.567 --> 00:33:11.189 We still have work to do. 00:33:11.209 --> 00:33:12.472 Our consumerism can actually be rooted to a lack of faith. 00:33:12.472 --> 00:33:13.698 In other words, we don't believe the gospel. 00:33:13.698 --> 00:33:14.882 Let me give you some examples. 00:33:14.882 --> 00:33:21.606 So if we're worried about what others think because we aren't convinced that God delights in us, that's a problem. 00:33:21.606 --> 00:33:26.755 Psalm 149.4 says for the Lord takes pleasure in his people. 00:33:26.755 --> 00:33:29.900 He adorns the humble with salvation. 00:33:29.900 --> 00:33:34.556 We're anxious and self-seeking because we don't believe God will meet our needs. 00:33:35.566 --> 00:33:38.653 I'm going to say something here and I know that I'm stepping on a landmine. 00:33:38.653 --> 00:33:50.414 But the prepper community that's all I'm going to say the prepper community we have to ask ourselves the question. 00:33:50.414 --> 00:33:57.515 There's nothing wrong with storing a few items, but some people have actually asked me this recently what should we do? 00:33:57.515 --> 00:34:02.613 And you know what I've said to them, and this is an answer I feel like the Lord gave me. 00:34:02.613 --> 00:34:10.867 If you're putting things away so that you can be a blessing to others if things get hard, that's a good reason to do that. 00:34:10.867 --> 00:34:30.947 But if you've bought a backhoe recently to dig up portions of your backyard so that you can bury an arsenal of whatever the case might be an arsenal of whatever the case might be that might not be the right motivation. 00:34:30.947 --> 00:34:31.369 Does that make sense? 00:34:31.369 --> 00:34:41.610 Because Matthew 6.33 says but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added to you. 00:34:41.610 --> 00:34:47.480 Have we forgotten about manna in the wilderness or quail being blown on the wind? 00:34:47.480 --> 00:34:55.626 Our God will provide and we do not need to be afraid Now. 00:34:55.646 --> 00:35:02.358 There's nothing wrong with using wisdom, and you know, we have some cans in our pantry that we have purposely. 00:35:02.358 --> 00:35:04.032 There's some asparagus in there, I think. 00:35:04.032 --> 00:35:06.311 There's some frozen spinach in the freezer. 00:35:06.311 --> 00:35:07.114 There's, there's some. 00:35:07.114 --> 00:35:08.818 There's frozen spinach in the freezer. 00:35:08.818 --> 00:35:13.550 There's a few things that we haven't tapped into yet, just in case. 00:35:13.550 --> 00:35:22.717 Right, so you still love me. 00:35:23.398 --> 00:35:33.900 All right, see, I gotta be real careful with that, because am I getting over into that mode where I'm, like, more concerned about what you think of me than what God says? 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:42.139 Okay, we compare ourselves with others because we forget that Jesus is our righteousness Wow, 1 Corinthians 1.30,. 00:35:42.139 --> 00:35:51.356 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 00:35:51.356 --> 00:35:53.880 That's powerful. 00:35:53.880 --> 00:36:01.478 Those who trust God to meet their needs are free to consider the needs of others. 00:36:01.478 --> 00:36:05.313 How do you know that you're walking in humility? 00:36:05.313 --> 00:36:07.793 You're concerned about everybody else. 00:36:07.793 --> 00:36:13.836 Your thoughts are towards others, towards God first, and towards others. 00:36:13.836 --> 00:36:23.251 How can I be a blessing today as long as I'm looking to get my needs met. 00:36:23.251 --> 00:36:27.762 Here's a saying, a quote as long as I'm looking to get my needs met, I will never get my needs met. 00:36:27.762 --> 00:36:29.269 Here's a saying, a quote as long as I'm looking to get my needs met, I will never get my needs met. 00:36:29.269 --> 00:36:40.619 But when I begin to meet the needs of others, when I begin to live for them instead of for myself, I find that God graciously takes care of my needs in the process. 00:36:42.543 --> 00:36:44.086 I experienced this in 2020. 00:36:44.086 --> 00:36:50.697 I had a major colon problem which required four different surgeries and different points. 00:36:50.697 --> 00:37:19.576 During that time, I became and also I don't know if you remember or not, but we were at home a lot and as being at home and feeling pain and not having the energy to get up and do anything, and laying around a lot and getting grumpy and tired and weary my wife again the loving, I'm telling you, she is very loving and kind and compassionate, but she speaks the truth. 00:37:19.576 --> 00:37:22.965 She'd say to me things like well, what are you thankful for? 00:37:22.965 --> 00:37:34.811 Nope, we're not doing that, not today, maybe tomorrow, but today I just need everybody to feel bad for me, right? 00:37:34.811 --> 00:37:40.545 And so, again, I went to the Lord and I said Lord, what is wrong with me? 00:37:40.545 --> 00:37:45.014 Why am I feeling so down, so discouraged, so depressed? 00:37:45.014 --> 00:37:51.206 You know what he said to me Because you're not giving anything to anybody else. 00:37:51.206 --> 00:37:56.916 That's who I made you to be and you're not doing that. 00:37:56.916 --> 00:37:58.806 You know what I started doing. 00:37:58.806 --> 00:38:00.992 I grabbed my phone and started texting. 00:38:00.992 --> 00:38:05.429 I apologize if I spammed you back in those days, but I started texting people. 00:38:05.429 --> 00:38:10.759 I started calling people, I started reaching out and saying what can I do to be a blessing to somebody else? 00:38:10.759 --> 00:38:11.847 And you know what happened with. 00:38:11.847 --> 00:38:14.635 My attitude Started changing. 00:38:17.764 --> 00:38:23.717 Imagine a community where people consider the needs of others and took action to meet those needs. 00:38:23.717 --> 00:38:31.592 Imagine a community where pride and ego are put to death and selflessness and service are brought to life. 00:38:31.592 --> 00:38:34.577 Imagine how this would affect marriages. 00:38:34.577 --> 00:38:40.389 Guys, pride kills marriage. 00:38:40.389 --> 00:38:43.673 I don't care which side of it you're on. 00:38:43.673 --> 00:38:45.677 Pride kills marriage. 00:38:45.677 --> 00:38:51.168 The pretenders and those who try to rule others, both sides of that. 00:38:51.168 --> 00:38:52.972 Pride is a killer. 00:38:52.972 --> 00:38:55.175 Run away from it. 00:38:55.175 --> 00:38:58.199 Flee from it, by the grace of God. 00:38:58.199 --> 00:39:12.153 Imagine how families would be affected if fathers were humble enough to be able to say to their sons you got what it takes, you're going to make it. 00:39:12.153 --> 00:39:13.476 I'm praying for you. 00:39:13.476 --> 00:39:35.981