Jesus Served with Humility

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: 

it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.  

Ephesians 2:8-9

Understand the call of discipleship; that God is transforming us into something different.  God will not put us into something that is against His will.

All the steps that Jesus went through to get us to be more like Him.  That is the goal; to be more like Jesus; not like a man.  Man is prone to fall because of the duality of our nature.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.  And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.  For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.  Luke 22:24-27  

The worst thing you can say is ‘I am humble’.  There is nothing wrong with being the greatest but not at the expense of others.  Jesus came to serve; not to be served.  We need the same mind as Jesus. 

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:  Philippians 2:5  

The blessing is in serving; not in being served.  It’s not always about making it to the top, sometimes it is about helping someone else make it to the top.  The greatest among us is those who serve.  Jesus showed great humility in his relationship with the disciples.  He showed patience and forgiveness yet sternness and chastisement.

If you’re never corrected, how will you ever learn?  Even when someone knowingly does us wrong, we have to react differently; the mind of Christ has to be within us.  We are among those that serve.  

“I stand tall in God even though I look small to others.”

My destiny – coming up from where I was to where I am.  Many people have difficulty submitting and receiving leadership placed over them.  We are out of discipleship because we are to follow not try to lead.  One of the hardest lessons to learn is humility.

Many of us are more blessed than what our status calls us to be.

A father is different than an instructor.  We are not sitting next to God, we were begotten of God.  It takes humility to understand where we are in God.

For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.  1 Corinthians 4:15 

We need someone in our life that we are to be accountable to.  Without accountability to someone, we are subject to being judgmental, self-righteous and prideful.

We must have someone in our life to tell us our wrong and our need to change.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  1 Peter 5:5-6  

The elder in this context is not in relation with our natural age.

We can’t celebrate the millions than John saw and think we are the only ones who have it; this is not about denominations.

Challenge yourself to a life of servitude.  We walk in humility; clothed in humility.

We need to take the time to seek God.  The bible says whatever we are called to do, wait for it. 

Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;  Romans 12:7  

God doesn’t have anything to do with a proud spirit.

for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  1 Peter 5:5b

Our humility is more than just to God; it extends to our fellowman.  We have to have love and humility for each other.  It is the Holy Spirit that causes us to love and not hate.

The ‘They make me sick’ attitude leads to resentment which leads to hatred.  We need to humble ourselves to forgive. 

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  Hebrews 12:2-7  

Think about your heavenly reward in terms of forgiveness.  

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.  Luke 23:34 

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.  Luke 23:43 

           

God does not deal with the spirit of inconsistency.  God exalts in His time. 

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.  Galatians 6:9   

          

Others should see your humbleness not hear about it.  We should be pointing people to God not to us.  We should be looking for people to follow God, not follow us.

Don’t allow your anointing to take you places that your character is not prepared to keep you.

Steps to Humility

¨      Listen to godly advice –

And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.  Exodus 10:3

¨      Don’t quit when things don’t go your way –

And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  Deuteronomy 8:2

¨      Always come to God in humility –

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

¨      Be quick to obey the word of God; don’t take your time thinking about it Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord.  2 Chronicles 34:27

¨       Seek humility and honor will follow –

A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.  Proverbs 29:23

¨      To live with God, stay humble –

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  Isaiah 57:15

¨      True greatness is given to humble people –

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 18:4

¨      When you go down in humility, you will go up in God’s kingdom –

But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.  Matthew 23:8

¨      Obey your leaders –

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  Hebrews 13:17

¨      Grace and favor abounds in the humble –

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  James 4:6

Practical ways to live Humble

§     Submit to God’s word –

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:   That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

§     Be under authority in the church –

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  Hebrews 13:17

§     Have an accountability partner –

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  James 5:16

§     Follow the guidelines for Christian families –

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

§      Follow the rules of society –

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

Jesus humbled himself to be baptized by John the Baptist.   Likewise, John was humble before Jesus because he knew who Jesus was.  Humble yourself so that God’s will can be fulfilled in your life.

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.  John 3:34  

               

The anointing was given to Jesus without measure. 

You can’t afford to miss the will of God in your life because of your pride.

Excerpt from Word Enrichment on Discipleship

- Bishop Joel C. Lofton

(Biblical Studies)

03/16/20