Embracing Humility: The Path to Transformation

As the choir was singing that last song, I began to think about a year ago I started praying, "Lord, I want to see you rightly. I want to see you rightly." And I started reading the book of Revelation as for what it is. It says it's a revelation of Jesus Christ. I quit reading the book trying to figure out the timeline and when something's going to happen. How many know there's been all kinds of divisions in the body over when something's going to happen? And I just said, "I'm going to read it to try to get a revelation of Jesus." [00:55:52]

Paul almost to me, I feel like he's writing to us and being a little bit facetious because he says, "Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if you have any comfort from his love, if you have any common sharing in the spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves." [04:17:52]

Jesus in John chapter 12 makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem that we have been discussing and singing and celebrating today. He makes that in, and it is the time that it is time. Jesus even says when he goes in, "It's time for the son of man to be glorified." There is a voice from heaven when you read the account in John chapter 12. And Jesus even says that there were others around that hear the voice from heaven. And Jesus says the voice is not for my benefit. It's for your benefit. [13:08:00]

Jesus knew. You can walk through a lot of difficulties and a lot of challenges in your life if you know. If you know that he's with you. If you know that he will never leave you and forsake you. If you know that this way seems difficult, but it must be the way. It must be the way. And what does Jesus begin to do in this in John chapter 13? The supper had ended. The devil, this is such interesting in scripture, the devil has entered the heart of Judas the Scariot. [14:43:80]

Jesus chooses because he knows there, he says, "Hey, there's things coming." He says in verse 7, "What I'm doing you do not understand now, but you will know later." It's so true that there's things that you can walk through in life if you walk through them with the understanding of, "I might not understand it today, but I believe I'll understand it tomorrow. I'll see the picture of it tomorrow. I'll experience whatever it is. And I can get through today because I know tomorrow." [18:09:36]

I love Peter's response because in verse 9, Peter says, "Okay, Lord, not my feet but take my hands, take my head, take all of me." There's an immediate shift. And Jesus actually said, "Peter, if you're bathing, I don't need to do your hands and your head. I need to do your feet." I love Peter's response because he's saying, "Jesus, you'll not do that." And Jesus says, "If you want to have part of this kingdom that's coming, if you want part of this miracle that's going to come." [21:19:52]

I want us to take the principle and the concept and the attitude of our heart and the place of our heart to be that, "Lord, I'm going to prepare my heart. I'm going to prepare my life. I'm going to look at the relationships around me. I'm going to look at my attitude. I'm going to look at how I've been thinking about money. I'm going to look at how I've been thinking about my family connections. I'm going to think about how I've been thinking about my job. I'm going to reflect and I'm going to take a posture of humility." [24:45:36]

I believe true humility is found in knowing the source. I know who I am, and I recognize that I did not achieve it on my own. You see, now hear me out. There are gifts that each of you have, and you do not need to be bashful of your gift. I don't want the people at Bethesda walking around going, "Oh, you know, no." You've got gifts. You've got talents. You've got singing. You've got music. You've got giving. You've got administration. You've got hospitality. You've got gifts. Use those gifts. Thank God. [34:54:76]

True humility is found in the posture of our heart. Some people I've discovered have the pride of the worm. They're so proud of what they're not. I was moving chairs one time at a church. I feel like in my mind it was like after a funeral or something, and we were in a setting where we had to do a lot of rotating of rooms, and I'm just pitching in and helping move chairs and tables. And someone that was a guest walked up to me and they said, "Oh, it's so great to see a humble pastor moving chairs." [35:16:32]

True humility is the way forward. James 4:10 says, "Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up." Humble yourself before the Lord and he will lift you up. Proverbs 18:1 16 says, "A man's gift makes room for him." True humility is the way forward. The fifth thing, true humility is radical reliance on God. Radical reliance on God is what I will describe as confident humility. It seems like an oxymoron of words. [37:40:92]

I am confident that all things work out for my good. I am confident today that I am surrounded by his goodness. I am confident that I can run and not be weird. Come on, anybody getting confidence today? I want you to be confident but have humble confidence and humility in a foundation of that. Listen, I have a good God. I serve a God. I am confident that my sins have been removed from me as far as the east is from the west. [38:29:20]

I believe in this holy week, in this Easter, in this resurrection season, that there's many of you that God says, "I want to give you 30, 60, 100fold." But it happens in this preparation right now in your heart. This can't be the way, but oh, it's the way, Lord, with our heads bowed, our hearts being humbled before you today. Those here who don't know you have never made a decision to follow you. I pray that right now your Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit's the one that's got to do it. [45:21:00]