A Faith that Will Not Fail - Humility

Little bit of competition. Little bit of tension going, who is going to be the boss, who is not going to be the boss and all the sudden, Judy's performance started to tank, It was real obvious to me and some of the others that were around her that she was struggling. I stopped by her cubicle. We all lived in cubicles back then. I stopped by your cubicle shut. What is going on? Oh, nothing. Everything's okay.

Not a couple weeks ago by Judy, are you alright yeah everything's fine but it's very evident from her work performance her participation and engagement something had changed. So one day I said to Judy, Judy. Let's go have lunch in the corporate cafeteria, which was in a different building and it's a big building head space. Her about 400 people to have lunch at a time and is usually about 200 people in this room at any given time. I'm really turned up the heat to 80. What is a deal? I know something's not, right? Your performance is just not the same. It's been I've watched you now for about eight years and you're just an outstanding performer in the hope of a sudden, she breaks down and starts to cry in the corporate cafeteria and I'm like, food, Scott. That was probably not a good move. Then she begins to really SOB. And then she says, out loud to me. I recently discovered that my husband of 19 years. Has been molesting. Both of our children, our entire marriage.

If I could do,

Why? Did I push the heart?

Why did I have to be the one that would break her? It was not one of my finer moments.

I actually lacked the ability to be able to serve her. I only had the capacity to push her.

Today, we're going to talk about humility.

Blows. If you were joining us online today or you're here, and it's your first Sunday. Here is part of this series were in week number 3, of a series called faith. That will not fail, ten practices to build up your face when your world is falling apart and we have the key verse as a part of this series that we're doing together. So would you stand with me as we read God's word and read it. With me? This comes from Matthew chapter 7, 24, and 25 will have it each week of this series. It's the key component that holds all this together. So read with me please anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise like a person who builds a house on Solid Rock do the rains come in Torrance and the flood waters rise. And the wind speed against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. And then you may be seated. Great job. I just had a curiosity, the book that we're using is Michelle Curry shots book Of the same title faith. It will not fail. How many of you are following along with her book and using that as a part of your devotionals, nice, that is great fate. If you're joining us online, texture answer online if you're using the book and following along and how many of your finding the book helpful. Yeah, great stuff. Again, those of you joining us online, go ahead and text in that you're participating. If you find that book helpful, here's what I like about this series. And the reason we're doing it in this fashion, I don't often do this. But the spiritual topics that we're dealing with are incredibly important and often missed in our Spiritual Development because who wants to talk about the mint, right week number one, worship is a pretty common one and it's an important one and folks will talk about that. But how often do you hear something on humility? Until today, that's the practice. We're going to talk about the practice of humility. So here's what it means. Humility can refer to a state of being generally Lonas in Spanish, rank or economic means innocence, humility is the opposite of the importance or wealth can also refer to a virtue. That involves a modest self-perception in this sense, it is the opposite of pride and arrogance. Here's what I liked about that particular definition we may have trouble identifying humility. We don't have any trouble identifying pride and arrogance. Doing how many of you know somebody who's got a pride and arrogance problem? Yep. Keep looking ahead. Keep looking at. Don't look to the side.

Yeah, so it but it's opposite. Is this issue of humility?

One of my favorite passages. In all of scripture comes from a JB Phillips translation. He's an English translator translated the New Testament from The Book of Romans chapter 12, verses 3 and 4. I love the way he says this. I use this in my Consulting business all the time without giving them the actual verse reference, right? Because they don't want to hear scripture in a business. Setting us what it says, don't cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a what A seen estimate of yourself of your capabilities By the Light of the faith that God has given to you. Or, is he part of my problem with Judy was, I did not have a stain estimate of myself and a much bigger estimate of myself.

the sense just in that great verse, the contrast, Between the worlds, understanding of accomplishment and humility. Verses Jesus has understanding. This is Worlds Apart. Everything in the world, says pop up. Everything in the world, says gainwell. Everything in the world, says be in charge everything. In the world says you're the boss of everything in your life.

Humble spirit. Different than that.

I want you to see the contrast. Listen to this in Philippians chapter 2, verse 7 & 8, ball is describing for us. The real model of humility instead, he who's he? Jesus, right. Jesus gave up his Divine privileges. So imagine you've done well and decide to give it all up. He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being when he appeared in the human form. Humbled himself in obedience to God, and died a criminal's. Death on a cross. Something he did not deserve and did not have to do.

For me. So far. In our Series, this talk is the toughest for me because it requires me to tell you non flattering stories about myself.

It's much easier. To tell stories on my wife and my kids and my grandkids. Now, you may not know the deal. We have with that. The deal is when I use them as a servant. Sermon example, I have to take them to lunch. Right? And so sometimes if it's a good story it's worth telling on him and I'll just take him to lunch. I'm going to buy myself lunch today,

It's time to change bosses.

And I was the most qualified person of a department of tent.

Been there 7 years.

There's a couple of letters after my name CDC that nobody else in the department had, in fact, only about 1,500 or 1,800 people in the world, even have this particular designate. But pretty highly of myself.

Didn't get an interview. Add more agency, experience, more volume experience, more strategic Direction experience. I had it.

They hired a lady named Jan who came from a PR background. Never manage people. Didn't have any Communications experience in the broader sense of no strategic Direction training.

My immediate assumption was.

Back in the day, it was a lot of that impression.

Little bit of chip on my shoulder for a while.

Transferring to another department.

Got away from Jan and ended up coming back to work for Jan. Jan. And I had to do a trip to South Paulo Brazil together, which is a 9 hour flight. So we got to know each other way more than you would think in a normal business day.

And after I had a chance to spend some time with Jen and began to realize her unique ability. Porsche performance with people without destroying the people. Remember what I said about Judy? All I could do was push her. I didn't know how to serve her. Jen new how to serve us. She became one of my best boss has ever four years. After I got reading cards from her at Christmas. She just had an ability to relate. She could even admonished you rebuke, you and set you on your way and you'd have a smile when you left her office, that is just pure talent. I didn't have that. She can have me. Go at all, she didn't have the qualifications, she didn't have a certification, but here's the difference. And this isn't a mistake. We often make when we're hiring people, we hire for competence, you have the certification, you have this job training, do you have this degree? Do you have a ba or do you have a msaw? Or do you have whatever your degree is that get you in that door? And we don't hire for character? When the reality is we got to have confidence but you better have character and Jen's character was Head and Shoulders above my character at that point in my life. God wanted to teach me a lesson. I didn't even realize it. You know how your test for character. By the way, this is already done the offering that we done you offering this morning. If this is bonus material for your rights, over those of you that end up hiring people, this is the perfect character test. I have a couple of clients for my already do this with v and they've adopted this when you're doing an interview with somebody, you take a $20 bill and you put it in the doorway of the foyer on the floor, when the person comes out of the interview and see that $20 on the floor and picks it up, if they put it in their pocket and walk out, you have just spent the best $20 of your life to not hire someone. If they turn around and bring it back into you and go, hey, I found 20 bucks in the foyer that somebody ought to be having a second interview with absolutely brilliant $20 test, right? It's about character. Jan head character. I had confidence. Somewhere along the way, many of us has come to believe that God owes us. We think that if we work hard to be a good person, if we deserve this problem, free pain, free life. We're on the right track and then somewhere something hard happens. We feel betrayed by God, We have trusted our dreams to him. And it feels more personal and punitive. And I can tell you from first-hand experience that kind of pain caused me to walk away from God for a decade. Once again, why because I had a humility problem. Do you know when you have a problem with God and you disagree with him, and he's the creator of the universe? You have a hierarchy problem?

And you can say he's big enough for you to say it. I don't like the way you did this. I don't like your rules. I don't like the way you set it up.

Right? And it's some point you get to the place where you begin to realize who I really want to accept his love. Grace. His Mercy is compassion is Joy his friendship. Relaxation said that to Moses God said to Moses. I sit and talk with you like a friend. Man, I want to be like Moses someday. I don't want to have to leave 1.6 million juice through the desert. I don't want to do that part but But I want to be a friend with him. This is reality. Is there's nothing further from the truth. God has already given us more than we could ever repay begin his life. Any never promised us a pain-free existence. If I can figure antitussive opposite to the practice of humility, puts us in the right, posture with the one who created us and the one who loves you. put on this side of heaven, we are going to grieve

But he promised us that if we humbly trust him, he will accomplish a rescue far better than our wildest dreams. there's a promise that he gives us in the Book of Matthew 5:5, Now, what's the first thing you notice about this first?

You can read, which means what? Jesus said that these are the direct words of the son of God.

God thinks about blessing those who are humble. Nope, I know what it says. This is a statement of Promise, God, blesses, those who are humble for, they will inherit the whole inherit the whole earth. You see what a contrast? It is for the way we live in trying to accumulate and to get more When God says, I'm going to let these other folks inherit that. It doesn't mean we shouldn't work hard and it doesn't mean we can't be blessed and it doesn't mean we can't have good things. but if you think it's because of you, you are sadly mistaken.

In a culture that spend so much time and money talkin about self-esteem. The practice of humility is severely, neglected. Desperate to feel good about ourselves. We'd rather stay blind to our sin and as a result, we remain slaves. So have an exercise for you for later. So if you got your four at the mall, if you're joining us online and you got your notes there, this is an exercise. I want you to do later. I always try to give you something you can take away from today. So here's your exercise. First, I want you to look at yourself with as much Clarity and honesty as you can muster. Don't try to make yourself feel better. Don't attempt to downplay your sinfulness, or your need. Just tell the truth and own it, cuz he already knows. then after facing your flawed self, Picture of Jesus covering you with himself.

Come to an accurate scene. Estimate of yourself.

God, I like to make myself feel good, but I don't feel good because you know that I do this.

So, here's your prayer, your prayers, very simple. When you do this, Jesus, I don't deserve your deliverance, but I receive it. Thank you for saving me. No more slavery and shame. Only Freedom. So many of us have baggage attached to us that we are carrying around with us in all kinds of places. It's going to be okay, Luca, I promise it's going to be okay.

And yet without honesty there cannot be health, check out this great quote from Pastor an author. Brennan, Manning whatever is denied cannot be healed. Peace lies and acceptance of Truth. You know who knows this better than anybody else in our culture.

Attics. You can sit in their face. Until you get to this point, is not going to change when you get to this place and you can start to have some healing.

That means instead of a defensive, not me, we need to own it. That's me. Let's try that together. That's me. Let's try that a little better, so I feel like it mean it. That's me, right? That's where we're at. So why does this matter in a life of Faith? Because Faith by definition demands trusting in something outside of oneself with the stop making excuses. This will never see Army for anyone or anything, but ourselves, self-sufficient. She has no need for faith. Is powerful illustration of this truth in Peter and Judas. And their different responses. So, think of this if you're not Peter's, one of Jesus's followers, kind of an impulsive, if those of you who did a disc profile for us, you would say he's probably a high I say, and those of you who are thinking about Judas, what was Judas. Other than a betrayer? He was selfish. Did you, did you know the Judas all along for the three years have been stealing from the treasury for himself corrupt? So these are the two characters I want to give you up. Never seen this. Contrasts, I started to do this study.

Who betrayed? Jesus Judas. How many things? Judas betrayed, Jesus. For a bunch of silver. How many if you think Peter betrayed, Jesus? Yeah, denied him three times, but I don't even know that man.

Think about this. Judas betrayed Jesus and spiritual leaders in exchange for silver. Eventually leading those those folks to the Garden of Gethsemane where they arrested Jesus. Peter after, Jesus arrest denies knowing him on three separate occasions, to avoid a similar fate, both chose to turn their backs on them, and they had previously called friend, Peter though, ended up as a pivotal leader in the church. After the resurrection and Jude has ended up alone and committed, suicide, what made the difference, what led one? Man to spiritual transformation while the other ended up in spiritual devastation. I'd never thought about that before.

Because Peter did more than experience regret. When he heard that rooster crow, keep remember. Jesus is painful prediction. And with a spiritual night, he faced his true self. And what he discovered devastated him, it did not isolate him, Peters honest reflection, let him to return to Jesus and this is where the story with Judas to the fork in the road. Judas may have experienced regret but he didn't return to his savior. Judas could not face his shadow. Peter could the ladder befriended The Imposter within the former raged against him? This is the point I want to catch today, so underline this in your notes. If you're following Along online, make sure you make note of this.

Well, excuses lead to isolation confession, facilitates connection with both God and others. But we need to face our true self because Pride wants to be right. Humility. Admits were often wrong. Anybody else besides me have trouble with saying the word Brew River?

Incorrect. I might have been incorrect, but it was wrong.

Pride wants to be right. Humility wants to admit when I'm wrong and pride wants to dominate, humility wants to relate. I love the way my wife says this all the time. She said it for years to minutes. So profoundly true you want to be right? I mean if you want to be right, How many going to be in relationship? You want to be right? Or do you want to be in relationship?

Pride ends up bringing us down. Humility. Ultimately raises us up, South African writer. And Pastor Andrew Murray. Makes it clear. I think this great quote, the truth is this pride May die in you or nothing of Heaven, can live in you.

Ouch, I remember my friend that the Deacon from the Zion family when he had a spiritual truth. Right now, one of those.

Nothing of Heaven can live in you until the pride dies in you. Which is exactly what catch this first Peter Peter writes this. So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God who would need to understand that better than Peter of all the people maybe Judas. But certainly, Peter understood it. And at the right time he will lift you up in honor. if you, and I want to live full of faith, Where to go to the one who holds the power to redeem our biggest regret and we like at Peter have to have the courage to face our true selves without excuse because Grace can reach only those who know they need. No more me.

When we fail this, our grief over our sin lead us to Jesus or away from him. Are we more dependent upon him or less? So, Because defensiveness creates distance, but confession, that connection trust the Jesus doesn't want to berate you. He wants to build you. Don't waste any more time. Hiding behind excuses and blame instead, draw near to him. So here's what I want you to do today, I want you to take stock of your regrets. This is for you to write on the side of your 4th and wall or some planks. Are what are your keys regrets in life? Write them down writing in a journal or in the margin of your note and then ask yourself of these regrets. Do I own these mistakes or do I make excuses for them? Do I bring them to Jesus or do I deny them?

This is simple. Easy.

Because confession is counterintuitive. It's against the ways of this world instincts. They just want to hide her mistakes beneath the veneer of confidence, a dual effort to save face and relationship. We don't want to be embarrassed or humiliated in front of her friends and yet when we refused admission, we end up involved in a cover-up. This is the best part. This is the piece that make the difference. This is the piece that stops us from just following, which written in a book, the Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 4, verses 14 15 and 16 is high priest of ours. Jesus. Understands our weaknesses. Free face, all the same things, the testing that we do any, Eddie did not send. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious. God There we will receive rebuke. Beatings not all that's not what it says, is it? You will because how many of you? I mean this is this is so ingrained in a Groove in, aren't you do something wrong at home and you go home and you get rebuke, you go home and you get chastise, you go home, and you get a spanking, sometimes I mean something wrong. That's what we expect when you come to me.

What? If we rarely honor and even then it's attached to Something's, isn't it? You said, you'll find Mercy and you'll find Grace to help us when we need it. Most. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, With one. Being low. Intend being high. Rachel shelf on how comfortable you are with confession. One being low. Can being high and I'm going to give you a few moments to spend asking God to reveal to you, where you need to practice. Confession. Remember confession is the connection to God. Don't be afraid. We're just going to have some music play here. And I want to give you a chance to reflect on this a little bit and look at your score, one to 10 one being low can be. And I

Show humility says, I have the ability to come to a gracious and merciful god. Recognizing that, I don't deserve it. There's nothing, I've done that, qualifies me for that access, and you've received this great gift. And humbly submit to you. When it comes to the time of confession, the very best thing I think you can do is to look at what scripture says in to pray. Scripture you ever wonder? What should I pray? Start in scripture. Check out what this song says. I'm going to give you two of them just as a reference point for how might I confess better?

Psalms 51 verse 3, I recognize my Rebellion. It haunts me day and night think of that thing that constantly comes to your mind that you're doing that, you know, God is not in favor of great verse for, Against you and you alone have I sinned I have done. What is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say and your judgement against me is just that's a great place to start a prayer. Let me give you a second one. This one comes from Psalm 19.

So true. People cannot see their own mistakes. Forgive me for my secret sins. What a great prayer that's the place to start when it comes to confession.

So I told you story of Judy but in tell you the whole story of Duty Judy. Divorce your husband. He went to jail fact. I think he's still in prison.

About three years later I had taken a leave of absence to go to grad school. I get a phone call a Scott, Judy,

You said, you remember Larry Hamilton at work with Larry, for a better part of a decade? Said yeah. Larry's wife left him for a young contractor, on a brand new house, they would have built. Guess what? Larry asked me to marry him. Would you come to Lake Interlochen Green Lake? Turn on our deck, perform a marriage ceremony for us and redeem what the enemy has tried to steal. Right.

What grade engine? and what a great lesson for me, in terms of humility,

Poppy, thank you today. The gift you've given us in your teaching, and in your truth. Would you allow us to follow you every moment of every day?

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