WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Awakening Church Podcast. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:07.040 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:08.640 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:21.679 We've been jumping into a series. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:26.480 Today we conclude it of a sermon series that you've entitled Just Us. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:27.359 Just Us. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:28.480 This quote from Dr. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:36.479 Ephraim Smith says, When Jesus returns, there will be ultimate justice. 00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:40.000 But until then, it's just us. 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:41.039 Isn't that good? 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:41.759 Come on. 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:45.280 Until Jesus returns, there will be ultimate justice, right? 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:49.280 You and I are the hands and feet of Jesus. 00:00:49.520 --> 00:01:00.960 But when he returns, he's gonna wipe this, uh, put everything uh that was wrong right and make all the wrongs in the world right, including the creation, including the crown of his creation. 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:04.239 But until then, y'all is just us. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:14.480 And we get the honor and privilege to be a part of the reconciliation and restoration of the gospel and reconciling heaven to earth here. 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:19.760 And uh that was uh launched with us, courtesy of Micah 6.8. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:25.439 The scripture says, Oh mortarman, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:31.760 To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:42.560 And today, as we conclude this series, uh I want to hover around uh this last part of that verse that is walk humbly with your God. 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:46.640 Walk humbly with your God. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:51.280 Would you look at your neighbor and would you tell him this? 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:55.040 There's power in confession. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:58.319 Come on, there's power in confession. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:00.400 Not for the people in the back. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:03.519 Come on, there's power in confession. 00:02:03.760 --> 00:02:20.080 Um, as I've been listening to this series, uh, if you've been tracking with us the past couple weeks, uh, this uh quote that's been so clear and that thread throughout the whole series that pastor share with us that is this idea of God's will for our life is clear. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:20.800 All right. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:31.520 Uh in fact, we dream about the 1% that we're unknown about, but the 99% of what God's told us to do, He's commanded us to do, found in Scripture, it's clear. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:33.840 But oftentimes, what do we do? 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:37.919 We complicate it so that we don't have to obey it. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:46.960 And today, uh, I believe God's calling us not just to act justly and to love mercy, but to listen, walk humbly with our God. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:03:00.319 And so, how do we do that in a way that's appropriate, life-giving, refreshing as we part of this reconciliation and bringing justice to the world, the reconciliation that God has planned in store for all of us? 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:10.319 Um, uh, the word there in uh Micah 6.8 that says humbly, in the Hebrew, I'm not even gonna dare try and pronounce it, okay? 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:14.240 Uh, I'm not that brave, I'm not gonna insult my Jewish brothers and sisters. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:23.360 Uh, but the word uh in the Hebrew uh has this idea of this meaning making a humble walk or to showing a humble walk with God. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:29.439 Walking humbly to making it has this idea of it's it's a do-it-yourself kind of a project. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:30.240 Do you know what I mean? 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:36.240 Like walking humbly, showing humility, walking with God. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:40.400 And can we all just be honest before we jump into this? 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:45.759 Like practicing humility, it's easier said than done. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:46.800 Am I right? 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:47.759 Right? 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:53.599 Practicing humility, walking humbly, it's easier said than done. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:04:00.080 Uh, in fact, you know, um, I remember uh I actually have a picture of my wife. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:02.560 Uh I believe it's on the screen for you. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.680 Um, she's she's you can you might can't see, but she, y'all, she's beautiful, okay. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.400 Um she also she also leads worship at Storyline. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:13.759 So when she walks off the stage, I have to like keep my composure. 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:14.639 Do you know what I mean? 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:16.639 I gotta be a good steward, right? 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.480 And so she she she walks off the stage. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:19.439 She's just gorgeous. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:20.319 I I love her. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:27.199 She is my my partner and in ministry and life, and I get to do this with her, and I'm so grateful for her. 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:30.319 Um, but uh she brings door to my life. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:37.279 Now, now there's another component though in that picture you don't see to fully get a comprehension of our family, and it's my five-year-old. 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:37.920 Right? 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.920 Uh his name's he's on the screen, I believe. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:42.480 Right? 00:04:43.040 --> 00:04:45.759 Uh I was waiting for that. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:46.560 There was a delay there. 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.959 I was like, Chad, his name's Chad. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:53.519 He's just he's he's he's handsome, isn't he? 00:04:53.680 --> 00:05:01.839 Like German Shepherd Lab, he's about 88 pounds, uh, just tall, dark, and handsome. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:03.360 Come on, somebody, right? 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:06.720 He's he's a total frat, I'm telling you. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:08.160 Uh um, why chat? 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:16.240 I mean, like, I I you'll never experience the joys for those of you who have dogs and you don't you don't give him a human name, you won't experience the joy that I experienced. 00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:16.879 Do you know what I mean? 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:23.279 Like, like having to take him to the dog park and then yelling out, Chad, come here, boy. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:29.439 And you look over and there's this dog galloping towards you, like you won't experience that joy. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:31.199 And uh, I mean, I just love my family. 00:05:31.279 --> 00:05:38.959 And and I remember when Jamie and I were dating, I was flying from Pensacola, Florida when I was getting my master's to come see her in the Bay Area. 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:41.920 And uh, travel can come with this fair share of surprises. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:43.040 Do you know what I mean? 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:51.360 And I remember getting on that plane from Pensacola uh to the Bay Area, and I experienced just difficulty. 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:52.480 Do you know what I'm talking about? 00:05:52.560 --> 00:06:10.319 Like getting on the plane and expecting to get a good seat, praying and hoping, but knowing that, like, for me at least, I check in because I'm a procrastinator by by nature, and I check in and I'm the last person to board the plane. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:11.120 Do you know what I mean? 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:12.800 Anyone else with me out there, right? 00:06:12.959 --> 00:06:14.879 No, but okay, uh, maybe a try over this side. 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:16.000 Anybody else with me? 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:16.319 Right. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:17.279 I see, I see. 00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:22.879 Okay, so I get on the plane and I'm sitting, I get to my seat, and all the seats are for sure fails. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:25.439 It doesn't every time all the seats are just packed. 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.240 Making my way to the back, hoping that there's an extra seat, right? 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:31.439 Hoping there's a seat somewhere that's not in purgatory. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:32.800 Do you know what I mean? 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:39.519 And so I get there, and sure enough, like some of you you don't know this, but there is a seat on the plane. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:41.920 Like, what the bet where's the best seat on the plane? 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:44.560 Best seat on the plane, where is it at? 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:46.319 It's the aisle. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.000 Come on, it's a smart man, okay? 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:51.839 It's the aisle seat because it's easy access, okay? 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:56.240 And then the second best seat is the window seat, right? 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:05.120 Uh, because if you want to leave the two people that are doing whatever they're doing, you can kind of turn towards them, your back, and you can just kind of fall asleep, look out the window. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:06.560 There's great views, right? 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:08.160 That's the second best seat. 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:10.560 The third, the worst seat on the plane, okay. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.639 Some of you walked in here, you grew up in Catholic. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:14.160 Let me explain to you, right? 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.959 Purgatory is the middle seat. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:22.240 It's the play, you're stuck, you're not sure if you're like, it's the worst seat on the plane. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:29.279 And sure enough, like the worst seat on the plane I got sitting in the middle section, and man, I did not want to do it. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:36.160 And of course, I'm a student at this time, and so I want to work on my projects, but you know, I have to put stuff my stuff in the in the back. 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:40.639 And I was starting to work on it, and then the flight attendant came by. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:42.879 She said, Hey, uh, sir, I need you to put your stuff. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:44.000 We're about to get ready to take off. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:46.319 I need you to put your bag underneath the chair. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:47.279 I was like, Okay, fine. 00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:51.759 I close my laptop, I put it underneath, and she's like, Well, it's too big. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.079 I need you to go put it in an overhead bin. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:55.040 I'm like, okay, great. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:00.240 Now I gotta get up, right, with this guy that's coughing the entire time on the plane, right? 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:10.639 And I gotta go over him, and sure enough, I open the bin and it's full, and so I gotta walk up and down this plane trying to find an overhead bin, right? 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.439 And I stuff my stuff in the an overhead bin. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:21.519 I come all the way back to my seating and squeeze through again, and I'm sitting down, and I'm just like, and so you know, I'm just gonna ignore this. 00:08:21.600 --> 00:08:22.399 I'm gonna go to sleep. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.120 Do you know what I mean? 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:28.000 I try to recline my seat just a little bit, and as I recline it, she comes by again. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:29.360 She's like, hey, sir, sir, sir. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.159 And if she was polite, do you know what I mean? 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:35.759 If she was nice about it, it'd be easy to respond. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:45.440 But but she's a little bit rude, and I'm like, inside of me, the temperature is rising, and I'm like, okay, okay. 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:49.840 What I wanted to say, what I wanted to say was like, okay, do you gonna put my seat? 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:52.080 Okay, how's that working out? 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:52.799 Is that is that better? 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:54.480 Like, it doesn't make a difference, you know what I mean? 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.120 Like, oh, okay, is that gonna make a difference? 00:08:57.279 --> 00:09:00.879 Like, what is that gonna do? 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.840 That's what I wanted to say, but you know what? 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:08.960 In my humility, I gotta remember I'm training for the ministry here. 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:15.360 I'm gonna be kind and polite, and I'm gonna humble myself, and I'm gonna acquiesce. 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:21.919 You know, it's a lot easier said than being done, right? 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:27.360 This idea of showing and walking in humility. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:32.480 Proverbs says, when arrogance comes, disgrace follows. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:33.519 Right? 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:38.000 But with humility comes wisdom, right? 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:44.080 It's in my favor for me to acquiesce, it's in my favor for me to be humble, right? 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:45.440 Aren't you proud of me, right? 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:50.399 I didn't get arrested, y'all, like ended up on somebody's TikTok, right? 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:00.080 But humility comes with wisdom. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:20.159 And uh this idea of uh walking humbly with our God, I believe, uh, will help us follow in the things we've been learning in the past couple weeks of act justly, love mercy, and compassion. 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:22.320 And then how do we live that out? 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.919 We walk humbly with our God. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:41.039 And in this story that I believe is gonna help articulate this idea of walk humbly, we're gonna find in Luke chapter 18 and verse number 9 through 14. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:52.399 And this story that Jesus tells us, it's a story of this Pharisee and a tax collector, and they go up in the temple to pray. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:11:11.519 And the Pharisee, thank God that he's not like this sinner, while the tax collector in humility and his shame doesn't look his eyes toward heaven, but in all grace and humility leaves that temple justified before God because of his humility. 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:14.799 And number one, we're gonna see the importance of it. 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:19.679 The import would you look at your neighbor say the importance of humility? 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:23.840 Verse number nine says this. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:31.600 He also tells this parable to some who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:32.960 He said this. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:34.559 Jesus telling the story. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:39.440 Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:42.960 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself. 00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:54.080 God, I thank you that I'm not like the other people, greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this man here, this tax collector. 00:11:54.799 --> 00:12:01.919 Then he says, I fast twice a week, and I give a tenth of everything I get. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:18.000 Now, uh, sometimes we look at this, you know, Pharisee and we uh uh uh kind of despise the Pharisees because we know we have a love for Jesus, and every time Jesus has an encounter with the Pharisees, it's never good, you know what I mean? 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:20.000 And so we despise them by nature. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.559 Now, uh I don't want to take that away from them. 00:12:22.639 --> 00:12:31.519 We should despise the Pharisees, but in this particular story, he says, I fast twice a week and I give a tenth of everything I get. 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:33.840 Like that's that's pretty impressive. 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:34.639 Do you know what I mean? 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:45.759 Like, y'all, I'm a church planner, so like if there's someone that walks into our church and they're like, hey, uh, I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of all that I have, I'm like, that's great. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:47.360 How can we duplicate you? 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.519 Like, how can we copy and paste? 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:51.679 Like, come on, like, put you up on stage. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:54.639 This guy's fasting twice a week, he's giving a tenth. 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.200 Look, y'all, it's a struggle up in Oakland, right? 00:12:57.279 --> 00:12:58.000 This is awesome. 00:12:58.080 --> 00:12:59.679 Like, this guy's great. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:08.559 See, but this is the uh the temptation, right? 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:14.559 The pride is the temptation that comes with obedience, right? 00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:25.679 We can, as we read the scriptures, you can kind of just smell off the pages this pompous uh spirit and haughty, smug, holier than thou, spirit on this Pharisee. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:29.919 And we see here in scripture, but it it's a it's a temptation that comes with obedience. 00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:30.879 And here's what I believe. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:37.360 This past two weeks, we've been talking about acting justly and loving mercy and being compassionate to one another. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:47.360 I believe that this church is a church, a community of people that will walk it out, that will be uh uh uh uh the just and the hands and feet of Jesus in their community, right? 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:52.480 I believe this is the kind of church that will walk it out, that will be compassionate, that will be loving. 00:13:52.720 --> 00:14:00.559 But listen, like the Pharisee, we too can come with a pride that comes from obedience. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:09.519 So let's be careful that we too do not become an accidental Pharisee. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:15.919 You see, this Pharisee mistakenly missed the mark, didn't he? 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:16.480 Right? 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:24.320 He missed the mark thinking, watch this, that his relationship with God consisted only of his vertical. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:26.960 Right? 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:34.480 He mistakenly missed the mark thinking that I'm right with God only because of what I do vertically, right? 00:14:34.559 --> 00:14:36.080 I'm fasting twice a week. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:38.000 That's between me and God, right? 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:41.919 I'm giving a tenth of what I have, that's between me and God. 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:52.559 And so he he mistakenly missed the mark, thinking that my relationship with God only consisted of the vertical, and he neglected the horizontal. 00:14:53.519 --> 00:15:01.840 Sometimes, come on, we all struggle with unloving generalizations that allow us to elevate ourselves above other people. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:04.720 And this is what he's guilty of. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:07.759 His relationship with God was only vertical. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:22.000 It was what's going on between me and God, but it's clearly in scripture, as uh uh Philippians 2 tells us, do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more, what does that say? 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:24.320 Significant than yourselves. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:31.039 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others. 00:15:33.120 --> 00:15:43.759 You see, his relationship with God was not only consisted of the vertical, it was consisted also of the horizontal, of the people that was around him. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:52.639 See, the measuring stick for our relationship with God is also not just vertical, but it's horizontal. 00:15:53.840 --> 00:16:03.759 I wrote it like this the scope of our relationship with God is not just limited to our submission to him, but to our submission to one another. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:16.960 It's really easy for you to listen to this sermon that's between you and God and leave this tent and leave this comfy place and think that you're right with God and treat your brothers and sisters poorly. 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.399 And think, oh, I have a good relationship with Jesus. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:34.159 When Jesus clearly commands us in scripture and his uh followers clearly commands us in scripture that your relationship with God isn't just what you do vertically, isn't just personal. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:39.679 No, no, no, it's horizontal, it's how you treat and love the you beside you. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:46.159 In fact, this is what Micah is trying to communicate, right? 00:16:46.320 --> 00:16:55.039 That this is why God told Micah to open up his mouth because the children of Israel, this is what they were doing. 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:56.000 Is it not? 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:01.200 If you read Micah and the history and the context, the children of Israel, what were they doing? 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:18.720 They were burning incense to God, they were worshiping, they were going to the temple, they were showing up weekend after weekend and lighting incense and the sweet smells going up to God, and they were giving a tenth of what in fact 23% of what they had, 10%, y'all. 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:20.000 23%, that's a lot. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:21.039 Come on, right? 00:17:22.079 --> 00:17:39.920 They're worshiping God, but Micah says, What you're doing is it's not suffice because your brothers and sisters are being oppressed, and in fact to God, you're not right with him. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:45.920 Over here, personally, it looks good, but here horizontally. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:55.440 You see, our relationship with God is not just measured with him, it's measured person to person. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:02.000 He says, You cannot worship me and neglect the oppressed. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.400 They're not mutually exclusive. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:10.319 So he says, Paul tells us, lead each of you. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:15.279 Look not to your own interest, but also to the interest of others. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:23.119 Your relationship, my relationship with God is measured not just in the vertical, but it's measured from person to person to person. 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:26.960 God calls us to do this in our everyday story. 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:41.119 He calls us to do this in our workplace, he calls us to do this with your spouse, he calls us to do this with your girlfriend or your boyfriend, he calls us to do this in our everyday life, to measure it not just in the vertical, but measure it in the horizontal. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:41.599 For what? 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:48.240 That's the cross of Jesus Christ that he came to reconcile you with God, but also came to reconcile you with man. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:53.759 This is the importance of it. 00:18:55.039 --> 00:18:58.240 But but what really what is humility? 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:04.880 Well, we can start with the example found in the tax collector. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:07.359 What really is it? 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:28.720 In verse number 13 it says, but that the tax collector, standing far off, will not even raise his eyes to heaven, but kept striking his chest, saying, God have mercy on me, a sinner. 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:35.039 Would you say that aloud with me, that last part of the verse? 00:19:35.359 --> 00:19:39.599 God have mercy on me, a sinner. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:43.759 What really is humility? 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:50.400 You ever been to uh the Grand Canyon? 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:53.680 It's beautiful. 00:19:53.920 --> 00:19:56.799 I'm from Las Vegas originally. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.799 And uh every now and then we'll go up to the house, right? 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:12.240 So we'll go for a day trip with my friends or with the guys, and we'll just go, you know, stupidly try to hike the Grand Canyon. 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:31.119 And I'm telling you, like when you stand there and you just like think about it, like we don't like you, like even here, you can walk out of this place, and there's no other place that we'll go to and look at a hole in the ground. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:32.480 Do you know what I mean? 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:34.319 That's what it is. 00:20:34.480 --> 00:20:52.240 It's a hole in the ground, like, and when you go to the Grand Canyon, you stand there and you kind of take a step back and look at the the majesty and the the the the uh the the greatness of these rocks and this it's it's not just ordinary hole in the ground. 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.000 For some reason, you take a step back and you feel small. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:05.759 But here's the thing in that moment of feeling small, of feeling insignificant, it's a feeling of I'm kind of happy about it. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:12.640 I'm kind of grateful that I'm I get to observe this beauty, this magnificence. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:17.039 I get to observe, and in this moment, you feel small, but it's a good small. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:26.160 It's like I'm happy that I'm not the center of the universe, and I'm grateful for it. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:38.160 That's humility, and humility can only be matched when you see the majesty of God, when you see the majesty of Jesus, right? 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.960 When we see the greatness of who He is. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:46.319 In that moment, we feel small, we feel insignificant, but not just because we feel small. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:47.200 It's a good small. 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.079 It's like, man, I am not the center of the universe. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:57.839 There's someone else who is bigger, there's someone else who in this moment I feel small and I'm thankful for it. 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:03.119 And that's his tax collector. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:07.920 He's like striking, he's striking his chest, like wow. 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:14.400 I'm so unworthy to lift my eyes to heaven. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:19.279 I'm so unworthy to let my lips bring praise to God. 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:23.200 I'm so unworthy of this moment that I need to stand afar off. 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:27.599 In the Old Testament, we see this all the time of the Old Testament followers of Jesus. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:29.200 They stand afar off. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:34.160 Because it's this idea of majesty, of greatness. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:36.480 And they can't observe it. 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.279 It's too great. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:41.920 Elijah Moses standing afar off, watching God as he passes by. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:51.920 It's I'm small in this moment, and they have a humble understanding of who they are in the lights of God. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:58.160 It's been said, humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:04.079 Which is, by the way, a sharp contrast to the Pharisee, right? 00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:12.960 It is entirely possible for us to address uh your words to God, but actually be praying to yourself, right? 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:16.160 Because your focus is on yourself, not on God. 00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:19.039 Your passion is your own agenda, right? 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:24.880 Uh, not God's, your attitude is not is my will be done, not not your will be done, right? 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.039 The man was full of praise. 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:35.039 The Pharisee was full of praise, but he rejoiced not for who God was, but rather for who he was. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:39.759 It's a stark contrast of humility. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:44.960 He saw himself as the center versus God. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:46.160 C.S. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:48.079 Lewis, I love what he says. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:52.640 A proud man is always looking down on things and people. 00:23:53.119 --> 00:24:01.279 And of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:15.599 And the Pharisee standing low, looking up and seeing the greatness of God, it says, Man, me, I'm just a poor man. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:21.759 He cried as a psalmist tells us, Lord, and he heard my prayers and he saved me. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:24.559 Why? 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:31.279 Because of his posture in his heart of humility. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:40.720 He was showing us as a perfect description of what it could look like as an example of how to walk with God. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:44.160 That's what humility is. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:53.680 So we're seeing the importance of it and what it really is, but so how do we, as Michael tells us, walk it out? 00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:58.400 How do we walk humbly? 00:24:59.200 --> 00:25:04.160 So lastly, the power to do it, the power to do it. 00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:19.200 Uh, verse number 14, it says, I tell you, this one went down to his house, Jesus says, talking about the Pharisee, justified rather than the other. 00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:24.079 Because everyone who exalts himself, what does that say? 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:32.559 Will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:41.039 You see, the word uh Micah uses for us about God is this word uh Eloh Elohim. 00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:43.839 It's a it's a construct of Elohim. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:47.119 It's the idea of he is powerful, right? 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:52.640 He is almighty, he is great, he is a powerful God. 00:25:53.039 --> 00:26:01.599 And listen, to the power to walk humbly comes from a greater discovery of our life of the life of Jesus. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.039 Right? 00:26:03.119 --> 00:26:07.759 We understand the importance of humility, and we've seen kind of the uh what it really is. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:30.720 It's a small view of who we are in light of a great view of who God is, but if we're gonna walk it out, and and the power to do it doesn't come from what we can muster up or conjure up, but it comes really as Jesus is gonna walk for us right now, it comes from this idea of understanding there's a greater discovery of a life found in Jesus. 00:26:30.880 --> 00:26:39.200 When we humble ourselves and see that God is really the one that's great, that's really bigger, then we can see how small we are. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:47.680 And the more we discover about Jesus, about God, we're now equipped to walk humbly with him. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:27:13.440 And in Matthew 26, uh, Jesus going a little farther, just before the last days up until his crucifixion, he fell face down and prayed, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me, yet not as I will, but as you will. 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:24.400 Jesus, in all of humility, expresses his emotions, expresses what he's feeling in the moment, says, God, if any, if it's another option, God, would you let this cup pass from me? 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:25.519 But what does he say? 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:28.799 He says, Lord, it's not my will, but yours be done. 00:27:29.519 --> 00:27:34.960 And this confession should should, our confession should be like that of Jesus. 00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:38.160 Not my will, Lord, but yours be done. 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:38.720 Right? 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:45.440 Humility means nothing for God in his essence. 00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:51.200 I love what this church father said, to whom God the Almighty ever subject himself. 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:57.440 Yet by the incarnation, God the Son has assumed a human nature to himself. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:03.119 And through this nature, Christ can live a humble life. 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:10.079 Thus, our Lord leaves us a striking model for humility. 00:28:10.880 --> 00:28:12.079 Think about that. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:27.039 God who is all powerful, Elohim, who is omnipotent, who is the mighty one, to what can he subject himself? 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:32.960 He did it in a sense to become like one of us, to become human. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:43.920 He subjected himself, as Philippians tells us, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, not even to the death of the cross. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:51.920 For this reason, God highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every other name. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:57.119 Jesus humble himself, subject himself towards humility. 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:11.519 To reconcile the human race with God, but to reconcile the human race with one another. 00:29:15.759 --> 00:29:37.519 This is the power of confession, the power of a humble confession, Jesus reconciling us to himself by first making himself a base and becoming like that of a man so that he could stretch his arms out on the cross to die for your sin and to die for mine. 00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:48.720 And in doing so, he reconciled all of humanity with one another, and therefore we get the power to walk it out through the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:51.680 Come on, this is how we get the power to do it. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:00.559 It's a greater discovery of the life and resurrection of Jesus. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:07.279 It's not by your might, it's not by my power, but by his spirit. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:17.119 Have you heard of the Emperor's New Clothes? 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:21.119 The Emperor's New Clothes. 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:31.440 Some swindlers came to the Emperor's capital city. 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:55.680 And they showed up, uh essentially told him, Hey, if you uh wear these clothes that I'm gonna fashion and make for you, uh, then everyone else, uh I promise you, these clothes that I make for you, uh, and anybody who sees and doesn't see clothes and just sees you as naked, they're inept or stupid. 00:30:57.839 --> 00:31:12.319 And the emperor says to him, Well, I mean, of course, of course, yeah, quickly fashion the fashion the new clothes and uh uh quickly, and and you know, here, take this room and gather some looms and and fashion the clothes for me. 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:32.720 And sure enough, I'll and what happened as they fashioned these clothes, these swindlers, uh uh, the emperor uh uh poked his head in to see the clothes, and remembering what the swindlers told him, if anyone looks upon these clothes and they see nothing, they're inept and stupid. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:52.480 And so the emperor pokes his head uh in this room as they're fashioning these clothes, and and he remembers these words and he looks at this garment, and afraid of being inept or incompetent or stupid, he looks at the swindlers and says, Oh yeah, they're they're those are great. 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:54.640 I cannot wait to wear them. 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:08.640 And he sends some other men in, and them two walk in, and remembering the words of the emperor told to him by the swindlers, they say, Oh man, those are some uh great threads. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.880 Yeah, the emperor will look great in these. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:33.680 And so they throw a big parade and for for the emperor to make this procession before all the town folk, and as he puts on these new threads, he walks out and uh, you know, they're carrying his garments, really nothing is there, and he's parading with people and both sides of him, and a parade of horses and chariots in front and behind. 00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:50.880 And as he parades through the town in this procession, the town folks stand by, and they too remembering the words of the swindler and the emperor, and they're applauding and praising the emperor. 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:53.839 Oh wow, those threads are amazing. 00:32:55.759 --> 00:33:21.759 And then one little boy pokes his head out from the crowd, and he looks at them, and he looks at the emperor, and he says, The emperor is naked, and the emperor and the whole town realizes that they've been duped by this town of swindlers, and they look down, and the emperor looks down at his clothes, and guess what he does? 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:34.640 He just carries along with his head held high, parading through the streets, denying the fact that he is in his chonies, y'all. 00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:51.119 Arrogance follows his grace. 00:33:53.359 --> 00:34:11.199 But with humility becomes wisdom, and it behooves all of us to take stock of what God is commanding us to do. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:12.639 It's clear. 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:20.480 Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. 00:34:21.760 --> 00:34:36.639 You see, this strangely good news of the parable that is the role of the tax collector is available to all of us through the power and humble confession found in the life and resurrection of Jesus. 00:34:38.079 --> 00:34:43.599 See, God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the hupatasa, to the humble. 00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:48.639 Can I pray for you this morning? 00:34:50.880 --> 00:35:06.079 Because the temptation that comes in walking in obedience is to puff up our chests as we act justly and love mercy and to become prideful. 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:14.559 But as we walk out this command clear in for us in scripture to be humble with our God. 00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:18.079 Let me pray for you. 00:35:18.239 --> 00:35:19.920 Jesus, we're so grateful. 00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:28.320 One, for the example, in this tax collector that comes courtesy of this parable. 00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:37.039 But Lord, we're so overwhelmed and in awe, honestly, of the power of where we get to do it. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:41.199 And it's found in the life and resurrection of your son. 00:35:41.679 --> 00:35:54.639 And so help us today and throughout our week as we wake up on Monday morning to put on humility and to walk humbly with our God. 00:35:54.880 --> 00:36:00.559 For Lord, you've commanded us in scripture to do just that. 00:36:02.480 --> 00:36:18.480 And so I pray for my brothers and sisters and for myself, God, as we go about our week, as we report to our direct reports, as we report to our boss, as we report to those that we love, God, we would walk in humility. 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:32.800 For there is power in a humble confession, knowing, God, that we are not the center of the universe, but ultimately, God, you have put yourself in that spot and let us be in awe of that. 00:36:33.679 --> 00:36:41.360 For through that recognition, we can walk humbly with you. 00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:44.719 And that's this in Jesus' name. 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:46.239 Amen. 00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:50.079 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:54.719 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:36:54.880 --> 00:36:56.960 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:36:57.119 --> 00:37:03.039 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.com slash card.