Embracing Humility: Living for Christ and Others
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, everyone! Today, we delved into the profound concept of humility as outlined in James 4:10. We began by celebrating the incredible commitment of our congregation to our upcoming Vacation Bible School, which is a significant outreach opportunity. The importance of reaching children with the gospel between the ages of 0 and 13 was emphasized, as this is a critical period for spiritual formation.
We then transitioned to the core of today's message: humility. Humility is about dying to our own needs and desires to lift up Jesus and others. This is a distinctive trait of the Christian life, setting us apart from the world. We explored how humility is essential for both coming to faith in Christ and living out that faith daily. James 4:10 teaches us to humble ourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt us in due time.
We also discussed the importance of how we speak to one another, emphasizing that defamation, gossip, and slander have no place among believers. We are called to treat each other as family, loving our neighbors as ourselves. This aligns with the royal law that Jesus established, which is to love one another.
Furthermore, we examined the concept of presumptiveness, recognizing that we are not in control of our lives. We are frail and ignorant of what the future holds, and thus, we must depend on God's sovereignty. Planning is not wrong, but it must be done with the understanding that God's will ultimately prevails.
In conclusion, we reflected on the poem "Only One Life" by C.T. Studd, which reminds us that only what is done for Christ will last. Our lives are fleeting, and we must invest in what is eternal—God's Word and people. Let us live humbly, speak kindly, and trust in God's plan for our lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. Humility as a Distinctive Trait: Humility involves dying to our own needs and desires to lift up Jesus and others. This is what sets Christians apart from the world. It is essential for both coming to faith in Christ and living out that faith daily. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. [38:37]
2. The Power of Words: How we speak to one another matters deeply. Defamation, gossip, and slander have no place among believers. We are called to treat each other as family, loving our neighbors as ourselves. This aligns with the royal law that Jesus established, which is to love one another. [52:25]
3. Dependence on God's Sovereignty: We are not in control of our lives. We are frail and ignorant of what the future holds. Therefore, we must depend on God's sovereignty. Planning is not wrong, but it must be done with the understanding that God's will ultimately prevails. [01:22:06]
4. Living for What Lasts: Our lives are fleeting, and we must invest in what is eternal—God's Word and people. Only what is done for Christ will last. This perspective helps us prioritize our actions and decisions, ensuring they align with God's eternal purposes. [01:23:53]
5. The Role of Humility in Relationships: Humility is crucial in our relationships, whether in marriage, family, or community. The best relationships are those where individuals yield to one another, recognizing their own brokenness and striving to uplift each other. This creates a distinctive and loving community that reflects Christ. [44:35]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[32:46] - Celebrating Our Congregation
[34:15] - Importance of Reaching Children
[35:41] - Teaching the Gospel to Kids
[37:11] - Growth of Vacation Bible School
[38:37] - Introduction to Humility
[40:05] - Humility in Contrast to the World
[41:43] - The Bible as Truth
[43:09] - Humility and Salvation
[44:35] - Humility in Relationships
[46:16] - Personal Testimony on Humility
[49:13] - Be Who God Made You to Be
[50:50] - Living Out Humility
[52:25] - Warning Against Defamation
[55:44] - Treating Each Other as Family
[57:19] - The Royal Law
[01:00:50] - Recognizing God's Sovereignty
[01:05:09] - Living Out Heaven on Earth
[01:12:10] - The Frailty of Life
[01:22:06] - Dependence on God's Will
[01:23:53] - Living for What Lasts
[01:27:44] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
#### Observation Questions
1. What does James 4:10 instruct believers to do, and what is the promised result?
2. According to the sermon, how is humility defined in the context of the Christian life? [38:37]
3. What are some specific ways the sermon suggests we should speak to one another as believers? [52:25]
4. How does the sermon describe our control over our lives and the importance of God's sovereignty? [01:22:06]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is humility considered a distinctive trait of the Christian life, and how does it set believers apart from the world? [40:05]
2. How does the way we speak to one another reflect our humility and adherence to the royal law of loving our neighbors as ourselves? [55:44]
3. What does it mean to depend on God's sovereignty in our planning and daily lives, according to the sermon? [01:22:06]
4. How does the poem "Only One Life" by C.T. Studd reinforce the sermon's message about living for what lasts? [01:23:53]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you prioritized your own needs over lifting up Jesus and others. How could you have approached it with more humility? [38:37]
2. Think about your daily conversations. Are there instances where you might have engaged in gossip or slander? How can you change your speech to align with the call to treat each other as family? [52:25]
3. In what areas of your life are you trying to maintain control instead of trusting in God's sovereignty? How can you start to depend more on God's will? [01:22:06]
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of investing in what is eternal. What are some practical steps you can take to prioritize God's Word and people in your daily life? [01:23:53]
5. How can you practice humility in your relationships, whether in your family, marriage, or community? Share a specific example where yielding to another person could strengthen your relationship. [44:35]
6. Reflect on the concept of living for what lasts. What changes can you make in your daily routine to ensure your actions and decisions align with God's eternal purposes? [01:23:53]
7. The sermon mentioned the importance of recognizing our own brokenness. How can acknowledging your own faults help you to be more compassionate and less judgmental towards others? [01:03:31]
Devotional
Day 1: Humility as a Distinctive Trait
Humility involves dying to our own needs and desires to lift up Jesus and others. This is what sets Christians apart from the world. It is essential for both coming to faith in Christ and living out that faith daily. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. [38:37]
James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you prioritized your own needs over others. How can you approach a similar situation with humility this week?
Day 2: The Power of Words
How we speak to one another matters deeply. Defamation, gossip, and slander have no place among believers. We are called to treat each other as family, loving our neighbors as ourselves. This aligns with the royal law that Jesus established, which is to love one another. [52:25]
Ephesians 4:29 (ESV): "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
Reflection: Reflect on your conversations over the past week. Is there someone you need to apologize to for hurtful words? How can you speak more life-giving words today?
Day 3: Dependence on God's Sovereignty
We are not in control of our lives. We are frail and ignorant of what the future holds. Therefore, we must depend on God's sovereignty. Planning is not wrong, but it must be done with the understanding that God's will ultimately prevails. [01:22:06]
Proverbs 19:21 (ESV): "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
Reflection: What plans have you made recently without seeking God's guidance? How can you invite God into your planning process today?
Day 4: Living for What Lasts
Our lives are fleeting, and we must invest in what is eternal—God's Word and people. Only what is done for Christ will last. This perspective helps us prioritize our actions and decisions, ensuring they align with God's eternal purposes. [01:23:53]
2 Corinthians 4:18 (ESV): "As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Reflection: Identify one activity or habit that consumes your time but has no eternal value. How can you replace it with something that invests in God's kingdom?
Day 5: The Role of Humility in Relationships
Humility is crucial in our relationships, whether in marriage, family, or community. The best relationships are those where individuals yield to one another, recognizing their own brokenness and striving to uplift each other. This creates a distinctive and loving community that reflects Christ. [44:35]
Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV): "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Reflection: Think of a relationship where you struggle with pride or selfishness. What is one practical step you can take to show humility and uplift the other person this week?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "We believe in a concept here that was actually brought to us by the president or the founder of Lionheart Christian Academy that we partner with. He talks about this, that a shot clock begins when a child is born and it goes to zero, at age 13. And we have the greatest opportunity to impact our culture and the life of a child between the ages of zero and 13. Now that does not mean that someone can't accept Christ beyond 13, but you have now become the statistical outlier to actually do that." [34:15] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "We talk to children about the fact that you must, first of all, know that you are a sinner in need of a savior. You must also know that Christ came to die if you had been the only one. And you need to know that if you give your life to him, he wants your life for the rest of your life. That's what we teach. The gospel will be presented, and here's why it matters for the rest of you who are not part of the 160. It means that you and I need to pray, and then begin to invite family, friends, neighbors, anybody that you know that has a child that has an opportunity, because this is one of the biggest opportunities we have to present the gospel." [35:41] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Humility. Now, wait a second. Well, that's the build-up. The build-up is for the word humility? Absolutely, because here's what humility actually means. It means that we are dying to our needs or wants and living to lift Jesus and others up. We are dying to lift Jesus and others up. We are dying to our wants and needs. The reason that this is so important is that this is a distinctive of the Christian life. This is why the Christian life looks so different than the world." [38:37] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The characteristic that we are to show is unconditional love. Now, that does not mean that we don't have the standards of scripture, but what it means is I don't care whether you live on the standards of scripture as far as it is for our relationship, but I do care about that as far as it stands between your relationship and God. And I want you to know what the truth is. And ladies and gentlemen, the Bible is truth. Amen?" [41:43] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "If you're not crossed the line of faith and invited Christ to be your Savior and Lord, I want you to understand this is a safe place for you to ask really hard questions about faith and what you're going through and how it doesn't seem to line up with things that you see other Christians living. And I will tell you, this is not a perfect place and we are not perfect pastors. We are not. We are, we will tell you, first of all, and I will share more about this today of our own brokenness and our own faults and our own sin and how we deal with that on a daily basis. Because folks, that is the truth and we will not shy away from it." [43:09] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "The best church is the church that the people who are a part of it love each other with humility. Amen? The best marriages are when two people who realize that they're sinful and broken yield to one another in the process of Christian marriage and despite that, out to their children and their grandchildren and their people who live around them. The best families are the families that humble and die to themselves and live for uplifting Jesus and others around them. The best country, the best republic, the best school systems, the best churches do that same thing. We live out humility." [44:35] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Be who Jesus called you to be. Be the best you that you can be. And you know what that is? It's very clear, and James makes it very clear. Humble yourself and God will exalt you. Don't live on humanity's view of success. Be who God made you to be. Be the best you that God has uniquely gifted you to be and live this out in faith for the rest of your life. That's what we're called to do and to be. Some in retirement, some from the school system, some as a lawyer, as a doctor, some as a plumber and electrician. Some working for the city, others working for other entities. Be the best you that God has called you to be because your network and the people that you're around need you to be distinctively humble before them." [49:13] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "We defame someone else when we say it. We defame someone else when we say it. We say bad things about them and their character. Now this doesn't even say that those things aren't necessarily true. It says, but when we share them with somebody else, here are the other words that the Bible uses for this same idea. He uses the issue of gossip, slander. That's a fun one. And then this one, which I love, backbiting. It's a word picture. It is somebody does something and you're in a conversation with them. You're in a conversation with them. You're in a conversation with them. They think the conversation is over and they turn. And what are we doing? We're biting their backs. We are saying they're moving on and doing this or doing on, going on with their life. And we are tearing them down from behind. This is not the way Christians should act. We are to lift one another up." [53:53] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "We should fulfill this royal law, which is essentially just this. I should treat you like I would want to be treated. I should think to myself, what would help me live my life today? What kind of an encouraging word? And guess what? I should be giving that word to others. Unfortunately, as humans, what we do is we say, I should love people as I love myself. I wish someone would love me as I love myself. I wish someone would love me so I can love other people. No, you and I are called to be the instigator of that. You must first love in order to be loved. And this means that we should love others first in this process." [01:02:05] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We need to live our life not in presumptiveness because we need to depend on God's sovereignty. Listen to James 4, 15 through 17. It says, instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills. It's based on him, not on me. We will live and do this or that as it is. You boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Verse 17, so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. That focuses in on who God is because, listen, the things that matter are all based on him. The things that are eternal, we could go into all the phrases. I've never seen a funeral with a U-Haul. Now, some of you, and I would probably be the guy that would do it just to prove all those people wrong, okay? I'm going to have a U-Haul behind my hearse because I want that, okay? Put it down, Jennifer. I want that. All right. But we can't take any of this with us." [01:22:06] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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