Humility | November 26th, 2023

Call To Worship: Psalm 63.1-5

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. ____________________________

Holy Harvest: Fruits of the Spirit

Humility

Philippians 2.1-11

CPCC 11.26.2023

INTRO: In his book “Love Beyond Reason,” John Ortberg tells the story of a CEO from a large Fortune 500 company who pulls into a gas station to fill up his car. He goes inside to pay, and when he comes out he notices his wife is in a deep conversation with the gas station attendant. It turns out that she knows him. In fact, they had dated when they were in high school.

The husband gets back into his car and he and his wife drive off in silence. He is feeling pretty good about himself and brags to his wife, “I bet I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking you’re glad you married the a Fortune 500 CEO and not a gas station attendant.” She looks at him and smiles. “No, I was thinking if I’d married him, he’d be a Fortune 500 CEO and you would be a gas station attendant.”

I don’t recommend humiliating arrogant people to make them humble. The Bible has a much more gentle and lasting way to go about changing our attitude.

Similar to gentleness, humility is one of those character traits that seems to run counter intuitive to our culture. We like being around people who are gentle and humble, but it seems that culture praises the opposite.

ILLUS: Before I was a pastor, I was a staff writer for Entrepreneur Magazine. One of my assignments was to write a monthly column listing business trade shows and seminars focusing on success. Most of the seminars shared common themes: How to be more aggressive, how to close sales, how to generate leads, how to lead with authority, and how to destroy your competition... but not once did I hear of a seminar that taught business leaders how to be kind, fair, gentle, or humble. The desired character traits of the ideal business leader in 1990 were often at odds with the character traits followers of Jesus were called to emulate. 

Fortunately there were exceptions. 

In my time at Entrepreneur, I was able to speak with two executives who were anomalies among their peers: Truett Cathy of Chick-fil-A and Norm Miller of Interstate Batteries. Both men were strong leaders, devote Christians, and humble men. Under their leadership, their companies unabashedly operated under Christian principles and strove to do business in a way that glorified God over the typical corporate culture.

I’m sure there are other examples of CEO’S living out their faith in business, but after interviewing dozens of driven and arrogant entrepreneurs, Truett Cathy and Norm Miller made a lasting impression on me with their faith and humility.

Today, we close out our Holy Harvest series with a bonus “Fruit of the Spirit” of that empowers Jesus' followers: Humility.

You probably thinking that Humility is not one of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5. However, last week I read from a different list from the Apostle Paul that includes humility as a quality Christians need to exhibit. 

Colossians 3.12

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

A humble attitude is honored throughout the Bible. It is an attitude God desires and demands from us.

Micah 6.8 

O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Without the power of the Holy Spirit, Humility is a difficult trait to learn because it usually means putting others before ourselves. We may not think being humble is powerful, but consider this, Jesus’ most powerful act was to humble himself to the point of taking our sins to the cross so we could have a relationship with God. 

Paul reminds the Church of Philippi and us of this in today’s passage:

READ Philippians 2.1-11: 

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. [Paul repeats this command in Romans 12.3] 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

The book of Daniel gives us a great insight into godly humility as we see how God deals with two of the Babylonian Kings Daniel served. King Nebuchadnezzar was anything but humble. Despite God revealing the King’s dream and meaning through Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar reacts arrogantly, and creates a statue in tribute to the glory of his kingdom, then, most egregiously, Nebuchadnezzar demands his people to worship it. 

You know the story: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to bow down, Nebuchadnezzar blows a gasket and orders the three faithful Israelites to burn to death in the furnace that was used to make the idol. Then Nebuchadnezzar orders the guards to crank up the furnace seven times hotter than normal, which kills the guards who throw the three into the furnace. 

Long story short, the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are unharmed. The ropes binding them evaporate, but the young men are safe, they don’t even smell like smoke. While looking into the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar sees a fourth person, whom he recognizes as an angel. He orders Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego out of the furnace and praises their God.

He’s a changed man right?

Wrong.

Nebuchadnezzar has another dream and Daniel interprets it, only this one is terrible, seven years of madness and living like a wild animal. Daniel pleads with Nebuchadnezzar to change his ways so the judgement of seven years of madness will not happen to the King.

Nebuchadnezzar arrogantly ignores the warning.

A year latter he is on his balcony over looking the might city of Babylon and declares how amazing the city is and how amazing he is for building it. As soon as the words leave his lips, the Lord confuses his brain and true to the prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar runs around his palace grounds like a wild dog eating grass for seven years.

His crime? Arrogance. 

But here’s the cool part of the story:

God’s warning also came with a blessing. If Nebuchadnezzar will acknowledge that it is God who gives him his power and ability to rule and build, God will restore him and make him more powerful than he was before. All he has to do is humble himself before God.

Listen to what Nebuchadnezzar does:

Daniel 4.34-37

“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth.

No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’

“When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before.“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

Maybe we struggle with humility because, like Nebuchadnezzar, we are more stubborn than we will admit, and often have to learn humility the hard way.

The sad thing is most people don't learn. 

In Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar’s heir to the throne Belshazzar, did not learn from his predecessor.

Chapter 5 opens with a mysterious hand appearing before the King who arrogantly orders a feast for his nobles despite the fact that the Persians are attacking the wall protecting Babylon. Suddenly, a mysterious hand appears and writes on the wall. Now in a panic, the King calls for Daniel. Daniel warns the King of the result of Nebuchadnezzar’s, arrogance: 

Dan. 5.20-22 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society. …22“You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven.

Needless to say, It doesn’t end well for Belshazzar.

Today’s message is a simple one: if we learn to live in Jesus’ humbleness our lives and our relationships will become radically different. Keep in mind, the more you live like Jesus, there is much you will lose: anger, bitterness, jealousy, envy, fear, arrogance, pride and a few others behaviors like these. If you like these qualities, then ignore what I have said so far.

God desires us to live lives of Christ -like humility. Humility is the glue that the Holy Spirit uses to grow us as one in Christ. Without it, we stay more like the World.

James was the Bishop of the Church in Jerusalem, which made him a key leader of the growing movement of Jesus followers. You would think that being the CEO of Jesus Followers International would be an easy and delightful job, but it wasn’t. It was hard, mostly because the people who were choosing to follow Jesus were still carrying around the baggage of their former lives as they were learning to let go and take on Jesus’ character.

One of the big issues James faced was the arrogance of many of the believers. Their lack of humility lead to arguments, fights, and threats of legal action. In his famous discourse to church members, James pleads for humility as they learn to live together as followers of Jesus Christ.

James 4.1-10

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. 5 Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. 6 And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Pro 3.34)

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. 

Peter uses this same argument in his letter with one addition in 1 Peter 5.6-7:

6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 

This is such an important point. God cares for you.

We are not alone in this. Learning to become more like Jesus is not a matter of trying harder, it is a matter of admitting we need Jesus and letting God transform our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. and that takes an act of humility on our part…and God provides that to us as well.

Just ask Norm Miller

ILLUS: Here’s the rest of the story of Norm Miller, whom I introduced you to at the beginning. 

When I was interviewing Norm Miller, CEO of Interstate Batteries for Entrepreneur Magazine. He was very open about his Christian faith, and this was before he found out I was a Christian. When I told him I was in the process of applying to Seminary, he thought that was outstanding and asked me about my calling and what the Lord was doing in my life. I was suppose to be interviewing him about Interstate's expanding business and instead, the CEO of a $1.5 billion company wanted to know about my call to seminary.

He went on to tell me that they have a full time chaplain in their corporate office and how important prayer was to his decision making. My editor cut all of that from the story.

But here’s the thing about Norm, before he came to Christ he was a raging alcoholic. He lived to party and regularly blacked out from binge drinking. Although he worked up from being a salesman at a local Interstate store to working at the corporate office and traveling for the company, His marriage was in shambles. His career was suffering. His life was a mess.

In 1974, he closed down a bar and drove home. He was pulled over but talked his way out of a ticket. He made it home and dropped into bed. The next morning he woke up with a hangover and called in sick to work. As he laid there in bed he came to a realization, he was an alcoholic, just like his father. He writes that he realized that his life was out of control and he was frightened. He says he cried out in desperation, “God, help me! I can’t handle it.”

What God did next is amazing. Norm says that God immediately removed the desire to drink. He says he knows God doesn’t do this for everyone, but God did for him.

There is much more to his faith journey, but for Norm Miller, humbling himself and admitting that he was not in control, and that he needed God radically changed his life, both personally and professionally. He says seeking God lead him to the truth of God’s love for him, and that truth, Norm says, set him free.

Like Nebuchadnezzar, in humility, Norm Miller cried out to God, and became a new creation.

James 4.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James is repeating a promise Jesus taught His disciples:

Luke 14.11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

CONCLUSION:

While we have been looking at adopting Jesus’ behavior in this Holy Harvest Series, the underling theme asks a very personal question of you, “Who am I becoming in Jesus?” The goal is found in what the Apostle Paul list of the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, self-control, hope, patience, kindness/goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and as we find in his other lists, and in how Paul lived his life after becoming a follower of Jesus Christ: in complete obedience and humility.

Here’s what I want you to remember about the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have already been given to you as a follower of Jesus: The Fruit of the Spirit is not a salad bar where you pick what you want and leave the rest. The Fruit of the Spirit is like a smoothie where all the fruit is blended together into something wonderful.

I pray that you will continue on this journey of discovering how to use the gifts of God’s Holy Harvest to continue to act, think, love and become more like Jesus Christ. 

This is what Discipleship is all about. Being a Disciple and Making Disciples. The Fruits of the Holy Spirit equip us for the greatest challenge Jesus gives to those who follow Him:

Matthew 28.18-20

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the people, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Pray

BENEDICTION: From Romans 12.1-2 & 9-10

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect…9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.