Embracing the Humble and Compassionate Heart of Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: Humility in Service

Jesus' life was a profound testament to humility, from His birth in a manger to His death on the cross. He chose to enter the world not as a king in a palace but as a vulnerable baby in a humble setting. Throughout His life, He consistently put others before Himself, serving selflessly without seeking recognition. This humility is a reflection of His character and a call for His followers to live selflessly. As followers of Jesus, we are called to emulate this humility, serving others without seeking recognition and putting their needs above our own. This is not just an act of service but a way of life that reflects the heart of Jesus. [37:23]

"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." (Philippians 2:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a specific way you can serve someone today without expecting anything in return. How can you make this a regular practice in your life?

Day 2: Sacrificial Love

Jesus exemplified selfless, sacrificial servanthood by prioritizing others above Himself, even to the point of suffering and death. His love was demonstrated through His willingness to lay down His life for us. This is the essence of true servanthood, where one's own needs are secondary to the needs of others. As His followers, we are called to serve others selflessly, putting their needs above our own, even when it requires sacrifice. This sacrificial love is not just about grand gestures but also about the small, everyday acts of kindness and service that reflect Jesus' love for humanity. [40:59]

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, ESV)

Reflection: Identify one person in your life who could benefit from your sacrificial love today. What specific action can you take to prioritize their needs above your own?

Day 3: Trust and Obedience

Obedience to the Father was a hallmark of Jesus' life, rooted in His complete trust in God. He came to do the will of God, even when it meant enduring suffering and death. This obedience was not blind but was based on a deep trust in the Father's plan and purpose. As His followers, we are called to trust God fully and obey His will, even when it doesn't align with our desires or understanding. This obedience is a testament to our faith and trust in God's goodness and sovereignty. [44:14]

"And Samuel said, 'Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.'" (1 Samuel 15:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust and obey God? How can you take a step of faith to trust Him more fully today?

Day 4: Kingdom Priorities

Jesus was focused on the kingdom of God, preaching about it and living for it. He prioritized the kingdom above all else, challenging His followers to do the same. As His followers, we are called to evaluate our priorities and ensure that God's kingdom is our primary focus. This means aligning our lives with His mission and purpose, seeking first His kingdom and righteousness. It is a call to live with an eternal perspective, where our actions and decisions are guided by the values of God's kingdom. [50:18]

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your current priorities. What is one change you can make to align your life more closely with the priorities of God's kingdom?

Day 5: Compassionate Action

Jesus' compassion was not just about feeling but about doing. He saw the brokenness and pain of humanity and acted to alleviate it. His compassion was demonstrated through His actions, as He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and comforted the brokenhearted. As His followers, we are called to see the needs of those around us and take action to help, sharing in their burdens and struggles. This compassion is a reflection of Jesus' love for humanity and a call for us to be His hands and feet in the world. [54:19]

"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life is in need of compassion today? What specific action can you take to share in their burdens and offer support?

Sermon Summary

In this season of Christmas, we are reminded of the profound significance of Jesus' coming to earth. It's not just about the festivities, but about the purpose and intentionality behind His arrival. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us, to restore us to Him, and to reestablish His kingdom. This kingdom is a place where God's people can enjoy His blessings under His rule and presence, a reality disrupted by sin. As followers of Jesus, our goal is to become His apprentices, to be with Him, to become like Him, and to do what He did. This means reflecting God to the world and working towards restoring humanity to God and His kingdom.

Jesus' coming was marked by humility. Despite being God, He chose to enter the world as a vulnerable baby, born to a poor couple in a humble setting. His life was characterized by humility, from His birth to His death, where He served others selflessly, even washing the feet of His disciples. As His followers, we are called to emulate this humility, serving others without seeking recognition.

Jesus also exemplified selfless, sacrificial servanthood. He prioritized others above Himself, even to the point of suffering and death. His love was demonstrated through His willingness to lay down His life for us. As His followers, we are called to serve others selflessly, putting their needs above our own, even when it requires sacrifice.

Obedience to the Father was another hallmark of Jesus' life. He came to do the will of God, even when it meant enduring suffering and death. This obedience was rooted in His complete trust in the Father. As His followers, we are called to trust God fully and obey His will, even when it doesn't align with our desires or understanding.

Jesus was focused on the kingdom of God. He preached about it, prioritized it, and lived for it. As His followers, we are challenged to evaluate our priorities and ensure that God's kingdom is our primary focus, above all else.

Lastly, Jesus came with compassion. He saw the brokenness and pain of humanity and acted to alleviate it. His compassion was not just about feeling but about doing. As His followers, we are called to see the needs of those around us and take action to help, sharing in their burdens and struggles.

Key Takeaways

1. Humility in Action: Jesus' life was a testament to humility, from His birth in a manger to His death on the cross. As His followers, we are called to serve others without seeking recognition, putting their needs above our own. This humility is a reflection of Jesus' character and a call to live selflessly. [37:23]
2. Sacrificial Servanthood: Jesus' love was demonstrated through His willingness to lay down His life for us. As His followers, we are called to serve others selflessly, prioritizing their needs above our own, even when it requires sacrifice. This is the essence of true servanthood. [40:59]
3. Obedience Rooted in Trust: Jesus' obedience to the Father was rooted in His complete trust in Him. As His followers, we are called to trust God fully and obey His will, even when it doesn't align with our desires or understanding. This obedience is a testament to our faith. [44:14]
4. Kingdom Focus: Jesus was focused on the kingdom of God, preaching about it and living for it. As His followers, we are challenged to evaluate our priorities and ensure that God's kingdom is our primary focus, above all else. This focus is a reflection of our commitment to His mission. [50:18]
5. Compassion in Action: Jesus' compassion was not just about feeling but about doing. As His followers, we are called to see the needs of those around us and take action to help, sharing in their burdens and struggles. This compassion is a reflection of Jesus' love for humanity. [54:19]
** [54:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Christmas Traditions and Church Invitation
[01:45] - The Importance of Community
[03:00] - Prayer and Fellowship
[05:00] - The Purpose of Jesus' Coming
[07:00] - Becoming Apprentices of Jesus
[09:00] - Jesus Came Humbly
[11:00] - Selfless, Sacrificial Servanthood
[13:00] - Obedience to the Father
[15:00] - Focus on the Kingdom of God
[17:00] - Compassionate Living
[19:00] - The Power of Forgiveness
[21:00] - Closing Prayer and Announcements

Sermon Clips

"I'm going to ask you to do. Stand up real quick. I want you to look around. I want you to group up in groups of three or four. Listen to me. Look at me. Nobody's by themselves. If you see somebody that's not in a group, you get them in your group. Everybody, you got two seconds. Ready? Go. give you just conversation. I just super fast conversation. I want you to take off on this theme. I can't believe how expensive everything is. Okay. Go, go amongst yourself." [00:28:47] (41 seconds)

"many of you would say that's the most miserable two minutes of my life? A couple of true introverts is like, why? Okay. Listen, this is, this is just the, that's the beginning of what it is to be in a group, man. You were created for, that's why everybody's laughing. That's why everybody's smiling right now. That's why everybody's happy right now. God created you to do this life in groups. We need groups to get, much deeper than that. They go much further than that. When you're really broken and you need somebody to come alongside you, that's what a group does. When you're really desperate and have a need, that's what a group does." [00:30:26] (34 seconds)

"When you need somebody to come alongside you and just encourage you through a dark time, that's what a group does. And it starts with that. It starts with just being together and just enjoying each other's company. God created us. There's some weird like magnetism in us, man. We need to be connected to other people. So I really, really, really want to encourage you. If you're not in a group, you need to get in a group. And so maybe it's one of those three that we're featuring today. Maybe one of those groups at the table is perfect for you. If it's nothing, go talk to Lauren. She'll be in the Connection Center. Find a group that works for you. Find a group that is right for you. Man, it's dark out there, man. It's hard out there. Nobody was intended to try to get through this thing by themselves. So really want to encourage you. Find a group. Amen? Okay, let's pray. We'll get into the Word." [00:31:04] (45 seconds)

"Father, thank you just for fellowship. Thanks for a chance to be. With your people. We can see you in the people around us. What an incredible thing to think that these people around us are created in your image. We can actually experience your presence in the people around us. So God, thank you for giving us each other. Thank you for giving us group leaders and people that will open up their houses and teach us and lead us and guide us and spend time with us. Thank you for Lauren and her leadership. God, I just pray that you'll just encourage each one of us. It's hard, I know, to live for just a few minutes. But we can't wait to hear from people, but just encourage us, Lord, to find a group of people to do life with. God, I thank you for this season and this chance that we come to sing about Jesus coming. This chance that we come to worship him, not only as a baby but as this risen King." [00:31:45] (49 seconds)

"God, we thank you just for this opportunity we have now to hear from you through your Word. So I just pray, as we always do, Lord, that you'll not just open up the book for us, man. Open us up to your Word. Show us what we need to see. Show us Jesus. Show us what you have for us. Amen? in your word today. In Jesus' name, amen. And at Christmas." [00:32:52] (19 seconds)

"is, I don't know, it's the time of year when we celebrate the most important thing that ever happened, that Jesus came. And contrary to some people's beliefs, he didn't just come so we could have a fun holiday and eat a lot of cookies and have Black Friday sales and create jobs for Santa's elves. Jesus came for a purpose. Jesus came with real intentionality. He came for a really important purpose to reveal the Father to us and to restore us to the Father and to restore his kingdom. Because God's kingdom was designed to be this amazing place where God's people can enjoy God's blessing under God's rule in God's presence." [00:32:59] (47 seconds)

"He also came to restore us. To what humans were created to be the image of God, reflecting him to the world around us. So our goal as disciples, as Jesus followers, how many are Jesus followers? Okay, there it is, man. Followers follow, right? Followers follow. Our goal is to become apprentices of Jesus. And that means being with him. And that means becoming like him. And that means doing the stuff that we see him doing. So that we, as his body, can continue his work of reflecting God to the world and restoring humanity to God and restoring his kingdom until it's fully here. And if we're going to become more like Jesus, that means that we're going to carry out our purposes the same way he carried out his. So today we're going to talk about not just that Jesus came or even why Jesus came." [00:33:46] (58 seconds)

"Today we're going to talk about how Jesus came. And that we can be more like him. And that we can be transformed by his teaching and by his model and by his spirit. And so we can fulfill our purposes in this life the same way that he did. So really quickly today, we're going to look at six ways, six characteristics of how Jesus came. Here we go. Number one, Jesus came humbly." [00:34:47] (25 seconds)

"Joy alluded a little bit to this earlier, but man, one of the, I think, strongest and strangest characteristics of how Jesus came was that he came with this attitude of, you know, he came with this attitude of, you know, he came with this humility. I mean, Jesus is a pretty big deal, you know, and him coming to earth was a really big deal. This was God coming to the world he created. I mean, if you were him, how would you have made your entrance? Right? I mean, fireworks, yeah, right?" [00:35:08] (34 seconds)

"Blue angels flying over, an earthquake, I mean, something. And when the president walked in, he was like, they play his song. And everybody, oh, stand up. We got to honor the president. Because when a bride, I did a wedding last week. I mean, when her music comes on, right? Here comes the flowers, right? Everybody stands up to honor her. If you ever go to a Spurs game, when they introduce the Spurs, you get the laser light show, right?" [00:35:41] (28 seconds)

"everybody stands up and claps and all that stuff, right? I just, that's for basketball players. And if, if I were God making my grand entrance into the world that I created, that I came to say, I'd make a big entrance, right? I would have some really cool walk -in music. Nah," [00:36:25] (26 seconds)

"baby to a poor couple in a barn. On a silent night when the only music was animal noises. And they didn't put him in a throne or a golden crib. They laid him in a feed trough. I love the lyric in that song. We sang it today. It says, from a throne of endless glory to a cradle in the dirt. He came so humbly." [00:37:18] (31 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?