BORN TO BE HUMBLE
Philippians 2:5-12, John 13: 12-17
THE RIGHT
ATTITUDE
V:5 Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
A. For us to have the attitude of
Christ, requires a change in our nature.
1. We have been trained from birth to look
out for ourselves.
2. It is in our nature to elevate
ourselves to the highest level possible.
3. The world reminds us that success is
being better than everybody else.
B. We have been taught to take pride in
ourselves and seek to be better.
1. The world sees humbleness as a sign
of weakness and low self-esteem.
2. Being like Jesus requires us to redefine
strength and weakness.
WHAT IS
THE MIND OF JESUS?
V:6 Who,
being in very nature God,
did not
consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made
in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled
himself and became obedient to death —
even death
on a cross!
A. The first requirement to be like
Jesus is given to as a gift, the moment we recognize
Christ as Lord and Savior.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has
gone, the new has come!
1. God is our helper and the change in
us to be like Jesus, is God-directed and bestowed upon us automatically by His
design.
2. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God
was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against
them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
B. To accept the change in us, we must
love Christ with all our minds, hearts, and souls.
1. We are enlightened by the Word of God
through the Holy Spirit to understand the change and empowered to change our
attitude.
2. It is not an easy task to change our
human attitude to a spiritual attitude.
3. We must consider ourselves as a work
in progress.
Colossians 1:10
And we pray this in order
that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
4. There is some good work and there is
some bad work.
5. It is our choice to do only good work.
6. Every day, we ought to be growing in
the Lord not stagnant.
C. We should never consider ourselves better
than or equal to others in Christ.
1. All of us have a job to do that has
been designed by the Father and we have been
Equipped for this work.
2. God gives us this divine concept in a
parable of the body parts.
1 Corinthians 12:17-20
If the whole body were an eye, where would the
sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of
smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of
them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would
the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
3. Even though Jesus and the Father are
one, Jesus did not consider it to be beneath Him to take off His robe of Glory,
and put on human flesh and become man to save us.
4. The first change in us is to take off
pride and put on humility.
1 Peter 5:5-7
All of you, clothe
yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the
proud but gives grace to the humble."
Humble yourselves,
therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
D. The second change in us is becoming
obedient to God’s commands.
1. Being obedient to God goes against
the desires of man.
2. We want to come into our own be our
own person.
3. It is not always easy to stand
against those who oppose doing right.
4. Our faith grows as we continue to
stand on the Word of God.
5. When we put God first, He comes to
our rescue in times of trouble.
THE REWARD
OF THE MIND OF JESUS
V:9
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him
the name that is above every name,
10 that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven
and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory
of God the Father.
A. Because Jesus humbled Himself before
the Father, became man and died
On the cross for sinful man, the Father raised Him back to His rightful
place
On the throne.
1. We always gain when we humble
ourselves before the Lord.
2. 1st, Jesus was exalted to
the highest place.
3. 2nd, He was given a name
above all names.
4. 3rd, Everyone will
eventually bow down to Him
5. 4th, Everyone will confess
Him as Lord.
B. Whatever we suffer for Christ, we
store up treasures in heaven.
1. Hebrews 6:10-11
God is not unjust; he will not forget your
work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue
to help them.
2. We receive rewards from God while we
are on earth and in heaven.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of Man is
going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward
each person according to what he has done.
C. There are great benefits for us having
the attitude of Christ.
1. Matthew 19:29-30
And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my
sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But
many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
2. God gives us the desires of our
hearts.
3. He provides joy, peace, and
confidence.
4. He is our protector
5. A life with Christ is a life of
purpose and eternal destiny.
John
13:12-17
A HUMBLE
TEACHER
V:12 When he
had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his
place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them.
A. Jesus gives us a great example of how
to humble ourselves to one another.
1. The washing of feet was the job of
the servant of the Jewish household.
2. To kneel before a guest showed
respect.
3. To wash his feet was to lift him up
as a guest.
4. Only when we take off our pride, can
we humble ourselves.
B. Humbleness is not a sign of weakness.
1. It is the strength of our faith at
work.
2. When we take off self, we put on
Christ.
3. Humbleness places us in a powerful
position before Christ.
4. Humbleness places us under the
guidance and direction of the Lord.
FOLLOWING
CHRIST EXAMPLE
V:13
"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am.
14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should
wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I
have done for you.
A. The greatest teacher of all time is
Jesus.
1. His teachings are preserved in the
Bible for all to see and learn.
2. We teach by what we do, not by what
we say.
3. People will long remember your
actions.
4. They will quickly forget what you
have said.
B. We are the light of the world.
1. The only church some will see is the
church they see in you.
2. We are role models for Christ.
3. We are commanded to humble ourselves
as Christ humbled Himself.
4. The work of Christ in us produces
this change.
THE
BLESSINGS OF HUMBLENESS
V:16 I tell
you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger
greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will
be blessed if you do them.
A. We consider ourselves more than
Christ when we fail to follow His examples.
1. Whatever we do for Christ build our
character.
2. To become like Christ, we must
observe His works.
B. We are blessed when we follow the
commands of Christ.
1. The key to our blessings is first to
know the Word of Christ.
2. The second key is to put Christ's
commands in action.
3. We are made new each day as we receive
fresh grace and fresh mercy
4. His grace and mercy endure forever
not to condemn us, but to convict us
Into His righteousness.
C. We are blessed in ways unknown to us.
1. Sometimes we are blessed by what God
didn’t allow to happen.
2. Sometimes we are blessed by what God
designs to happen in our lives.
3. The steps of a good man (woman) are
ordered by the Lord.
4. When we accept the order of the Lord,
blessings flow our way.
5. The world is full of information that
is useless to us.
6. The information that is always useful
is divine and contained in God’s Word.
THANK GOD
FOR THE GREAT TEACHER, JESUS
Rev. M.
Mitchell
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