SundaySermonNotes - New Beginnings Alliance Church

Sermon Notes - August 17, 2008

Messenger: Elder Gary Herrmann

Scripture: Matthew 23:8-12

Title: "Who Humbles You?"

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SCRIPTURE: Matthew 23:8-12

8) But you are not to be called 'Rabbi', for you have only one Master and you are all brothers.
9) And do not call anyone on earth 'father', for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
10) Nor are you to be called 'teacher', for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
11) The greatest among you will be your servant.
12) For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
NOTES:

"Who Will Humble You?"
Matthew 23:8-12

Holman Bible Dictionary definitions:

PRIDE: Undue confidence in and attention to one’s own skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position.

HUMILITY: A personal quality in which a person shows dependence on God and respect for other persons.

MEEKNESS: A personality trait of gentleness and humility, the opposite of which is pride. Meekness does not refer to weakness or passivity but to controlled power. Aristotle described meekness as the middle position between excessive anger and excessive lack of anger.

HYPOCRISY: The false claim to or pretense of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings.

What a commander of the King of Aram teaches us about humbling ourselves

(2 Kings 5:9-14)

A. When in need we often want the solution that best preserves our “egos”.
B. We need to listen to our friends and advisors as they speak “common sense” to us.
C. After Naaman humbles himself God heals him.
D. Jesus immortalizes Naaman as the only one healed of leprosy in his day (Luke 4:27).

What two Babylonian kings teach us about God humbling us

(Dan 4:28-33) and (Dan 5:22-28)

A. God gives Nebuchadnezzar fair warning and opportunity to humble himself (4:27).

B. Nebuchadnezzar fails to heed the warning and has his kingdom taken from him by God (Dan 4:28-33).

C. Seven years later Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself and has his kingdom restored. Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself, but only after Gods prodding.
D. Do we heed God’s warnings to humble ourselves or do we require Gods prodding before we humble ourselves?

E. Nebuchadnezzar’s pride exalted himself and his accomplishments; Belshazzar’s pride was a direct affront to God as he openly sought to defy God.

F. Belshazzar, like his father before him, had fair warning. Belshazzar’s had witnessed everything that happened to his father, but failed to learn anything from it (Dan 5:22-28).
G. Belshazzar, by failing to humble himself, brought swift judgment upon himself: he was slain that evening.

Opposing models of humility: Pharisees vs. Jesus

(Matt 23) (John 13:1-17) (Matt 26:47-56)

A. Context: Jesus is accusing the Pharisees of the pretense of spirituality and holiness which is hypocrisy - rooted in spiritual pride.
B. Because they were the spiritual leaders Jesus warns us to do as they say, but not do as they do.
C. In today’s terms, the Pharisees were “playing” church and “playing” Christian. We often do this by covering up secret sins to make us “appear” to be something we are not (hypocrisy).
D. The church today is especially vulnerable to these sins; the way to avoid them is through true humility that is transparent and pure.
E. Jesus models for us true humility and meekness as recorded in John 13:1-17 and Matt 26:47-56.
F. Jesus' model: serve one another. (shown by washing disciples' feet )
G. World's model: humility & meekness are associated with weakness and being a doormat. FALSE! Humility and meekness requires real strength.
H. Jesus demonstrates the strength in humility and meekness when he was arrested in the garden (choosing to go to the cross rather than being rescued by 12 legions of angels)
I. The path of humility and meekness is hard and only the strong may walk in it.

Summary:

A. Which model of humility will it be for you today?

- The Pharisee’s model of humility impressed the world, but was a stench in Jesus’ nostrils.
- Jesus' model will not win us popularity with the world, however we must follow it.

B. Remember…
- Jesus’ words: whoever exalts himself (playing Christian) will be humbled and whoever humbles himself (honest Christian) will be exalted.
- Examples from the OT: Naaman, Nebuchadnezzar, and Belshazzar
- One way or another all of us will be humbled.