July 9, 2025 • 50 mins
What if the root of all our problems came down to just one heart issue? This eye-opening exploration of 1 Corinthians 4 reveals the fundamental battle each believer faces—choosing between pride and humility. While most spiritual teachings focus on behavior modification through rules, we discover that transformation never happens that way.
The gospel shows us a radically different path. Rather than giving the struggling Corinthian church a list of dos and don'ts, Paul targets the underlying condition: pride. He masterfully exposes how pride—our natural tendency toward self-sufficiency—disconnects us from experiencing God's power. Through three penetrating questions, he challenges their boasting: "What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"
We journey into a fascinating exploration of Satan's fall, seeing how his repeated "I will" statements demonstrate the essence of pride—placing self at the center. This self-focus corrupts wisdom itself, making us believe we're being smart when we're actually being foolish. In stark contrast stands Jesus, who "made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant," showing us perfect humility.
The practical implications transform how we approach every relationship. Whether in marriage, parenting, work, or church life, humility is the only channel through which God's power flows. As James 4:6 simply puts it: "God gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud." This isn't just theological theory—it's the operating system of the Christian life.
Ready to exchange self-sufficiency for Christ-dependency? This message will show you how embracing your true identity in Christ leads to experiencing His power in ways you never thought possible. It's time to live from who you already are rather than striving to become something through your own efforts.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
root of the problem, and we're going to study 1
Corinthians, chapter 4, thewhole chapter.
I'm going to get through anentire chapter.
I'm so excited.
Usually it's like a verse ortwo because I like to go deep.
But my wife is like sometimesyou got to pick it up just a
(00:21):
little bit.
We got to make some progress,we got to make some progress.
So, father, we just ask thatyou would speak to us through
your word.
Give us understanding,revelation of who you are, jesus
, and what you have done tobless us with your grace.
In Jesus' name, we all pray.
Amen, the root of the problem.
(00:43):
We are going to study all of 1Corinthians, chapter 4.
And sometimes I've been reallyfamiliar with the Bible for a
long time, but I just I knowlike the bits and pieces, but
sometimes it's really good toget a whole chunk in there so I
can get a bit of everything.
And so that's actually what Ilearned a lot when I was
studying this week, so I'm veryexcited.
(01:04):
And so that's actually what Ilearned a lot when I was
studying this week, so I'm veryexcited.
So you guys are lucky thatyou're here, because you will
now understand 1 Corinthians 4from beginning to end.
The whole thing and that's whatwe love to do at church is
bring that understanding.
Everyone is looking forsolutions to their problems,
(01:25):
right?
Some just than others.
Maybe you saw this article putout by A&M this week, and I
actually wasn't searching for aTexas-specific thing.
Maybe Apple knows what I'm,google knows what I'm searching
and gives me I don't know, butthis article was called hey Siri
, fix my spacecraft.
(01:45):
Oh, my Siri just startedlistening to me.
Did yours do it too?
Okay, so hey, fix my spacecraft.
Researchers have been testing avirtual assistant that may help
astronauts solve unexpectedproblems during space travel.
(02:06):
Sounds like something Elon Muskwould be interested in.
It says the VA uses spacecraftdata in real time to give
astronauts information on how tosolve the problem.
So it seems like you know,today the whole world is turning
(02:27):
to the newest AI technologytool.
It's just a tool.
It's fine, but to solve, to fixour problems, you know they're
all you know.
They ask you know what's it?
The AI thing?
Chat, ggbt.
They're like you know, fix mylife, or grok, or whatever.
Yeah, but there's been somepretty funny AI mistakes.
(02:49):
Did you guys know that in Aprilof 2024, new York City employed
this chatbot that would givepeople legal advice.
And the chatbot quickly startedgiving people advice to break
the law.
It kept telling people to likefire people who complained about
(03:13):
sexual harassment or pregnancy,or tell people they had to cut
their dreadlocks and they'd givethem bad information about
trash.
Just said just put it on theside of the road and someone
will pick it up.
And yeah, really funny, anentire week of chaos caused by
(03:33):
going to the wrong source to fixyour problems.
Okay, all that was a funnyintroduction.
Sometimes we go to the wrongplace to get the answer to our
problems.
In today's sermon, we're goingto learn the root.
Paul is giving us the truth,the real answer to our problems,
because he's got a lot.
This church in Corinth has alot of problems.
(03:54):
Okay, you know, everyone'ssleeping with each other and
they're doing their drinking,they're doing all the stuff.
Okay, they're just super messedup and Paul does not want to
just give them a bunch of rulesto fix them, which is, if you've
heard any of my sermons, youknow we don't use rules to fix
people.
The law was not given totransform people.
(04:15):
The law was given to show youyou suck at being a good person.
You're not a good person.
That's like a mirror that isheld up in front of your face
and says you're not good enoughto measure up to God's standard,
but it pushes us to our needfor a Savior, which is the new
(04:35):
covenant of grace, where Jesusnot only forgives you of all
your sin, but he fills you anddwells you with the Holy Spirit
and he changes your heart sothat you now desire to do the
will of your Father without anyrules.
That's the truth of the gospel.
He has transformed you alreadythe moment you believed, and
that's such an amazing thing.
(04:55):
That's why we talk about itevery single Sunday and we will.
And if you don't like it, tough, because that is the gospel,
because that is the gospel.
The gospel is not rules andamen to that.
But Paul could have easilywrote 1 Corinthians and been
like here's all the rules youguys need to follow, don't do
this, don't do that, don't dothe other.
(05:16):
But Paul is an awesome, amazingminister of the gospel, and so
he is able to deliver to themwhat the real issues are, and
they're issues in their heart,and I'm just going to give you
the key right up front.
This is the answer to the test,the answer to the quiz.
The real issue is either prideor humility going on in their
(05:37):
hearts.
That is what.
That's what determines whetheryou're going to walk in a godly
path or an ungodly path, notwhether you go to heaven or hell
.
That's based on whether youbelieve in Jesus.
But you can believe in Jesusand live a path, walk on a path
that is completely dishonest towho you really are and dishonors
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God with the things that you doand dishonors God with the
things that you do.
And Paul wants to see thesethings line up so that you are a
believer but your life lookslike you're a believer also, but
we're not going to do it againthrough rules.
Okay, that's the thing we haveto know.
You can't change someone's lifeby rules.
Now you can try, but then youjust get legalism, which is just
(06:25):
people trying to look godly butin their heart it's not really
there.
It's not really what they want.
So we don't want that.
But let's begin.
We'll just start breaking downthis chapter and see what God
teaches us.
Chapter four let a man soconsider us as servants of
Christ and stewards of themysteries of God.
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So Paul and the other leadersof this church are responsible
for this church and he'sbringing this up because they're
going to be beginning theprocess of correcting a bunch of
things that are wrong in thechurch, but he's spending this
chapter telling them I alreadyknow what's wrong and I have the
(07:09):
authority to tell you, to helpyou.
No one likes being corrected.
Anyone in here love whensomeone's like you stink at this
.
No, we don't like that.
So Paul is laying a lovingfoundation of why he's doing
this correcting.
He's not just nagging them andhe's certainly not just going to
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be giving them a bunch of rules, but he's going to be showing
them the path of life and whatthe root of the issues are.
And so he says we are stewards,like the leaders of the church,
the pastors.
He calls them stewards.
That means in Greek, underrowers.
So can you imagine those bigboats, like those big Viking
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boats or Roman boats, and they'dhave that layer where all the
spiders were, and I hate spiders.
Do you guys like spiders?
Okay, brian, you like spiders,you can get out.
Just kidding, I don't know whyGod made spiders, but I know
they're good for killing bugsand mosquitoes.
I agree, they can do it outsidemy house.
They can have all the outside.
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I'll stay inside?
Okay, where was I?
At Spiders?
How did I?
We're under rowers.
Okay, where the spiders areOkay, so they're under rowing,
which means they're not incharge, but they're not slaves
either.
He's just like I'm part ofgetting this boat going in the
right direction, under rowers.
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Okay, he's simply part of thefamily and that's why he cares,
because he's the one responsibleto train up others in the
mysteries of God.
He says Now, that's a weirdphrase for us.
Ooh, the mystery.
Are we like some weird cult-y,like New Age mysteries?
No, okay, that's just abiblical word that means things
(08:53):
that used to be hidden but nowhave been revealed through Jesus
and the gospel.
That's the word mystery in theBible, so it's something that
was a secret before Jesus, butonce Jesus had come, it's common
knowledge to everybody.
And Paul says I'm really goodand it's my job to tell you the
mysteries, the gospel of Jesusand how it works.
So these mysteries are all thethings we need to learn in the
(09:20):
gospel, how it works.
It's the life of faith and ofgrace, and so that's what we
talk about every Sunday themysteries of God, which is just
how to live by faith and receivehis grace and walk in his grace
and he says I need to befaithful.
He said in this verse so he'ssaying, paul and the leaders of
the church, they're going to bethe examples of what it looks
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like to walk by faith.
They're going to be theexamples.
So that's the best kind ofteacher is someone who can be a
willing example.
Not do what I say and not what Ido, but do what I do.
You do what I do and what I say, and I'll say what I do and you
do what I do.
Simple, right, clear as mud.
(10:04):
No, he's teaching his familyhow to walk by faith.
Simple, right, clear as mud.
No, he's teaching his familyhow to walk by faith, because
that is the only way that we canwalk in God's family.
So he says, but with me, it's avery small thing that I should
be judged by you or any humancourt.
In fact, I don't even judgemyself, for I know nothing
against myself Yet I'm notjustified by this.
(10:25):
But he who judges me is theLord.
Therefore, judge nothing beforethe time until the Lord comes,
who will both bring to light thehidden things of darkness and
reveal the counsels of the heart.
Then each one's praise willcome from God.
So Paul's saying here I knowthat I love you guys, I know
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we're family I don't have toprove it to you or to anyone and
I know how to live by faith andI'm living by faith.
I really think I'm doing a goodjob living by faith.
Paul says but the big picturehere is that God sees our hearts
.
Have you guys ever seen there'sa real famous gangster tattoo
(11:13):
that says no one can judge mebut God.
You ever seen that one?
Yeah, so it's like you probablysee it in the prisons a lot,
right, so no one can judge mebut God.
And it's like, yeah, but do youreally know what that means?
It's not good news for you.
So the big picture is that Goddoes see our hearts and Paul is
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saying I'm going to help youknow what is really going on in
your heart, because there's nouse in hiding it, because God
already sees it.
Your heart determines how yourlife is going to be lived.
So Paul is not saying I can seeeverything you're doing.
I see all the bad things you do.
I have goggles that show mex-ray of what you do when you're
(12:00):
in your house and what you doin your bedroom, and what you do
.
I can see all the bad stuff youdo.
Is Paul saying that?
No, he's saying I can show you.
Well, god sees your heart.
I know what is going on here.
Your heart is where the battlesare won and lost.
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Your heart.
No one can hide what's in theirheart forever.
You can hide it for a littlewhile, you can pretend I'm
alright, everything is fine, I'mgood.
But if it's not good, that isgoing to come out eventually.
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In Proverbs 4.23, it says Guardyour heart above all else, for
it determines the course of yourlife.
So, Paul, in this chapter he'ssaying Guys, I am a really good
counselor, I'm a good counselorand I'm a counselor who is good
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at addressing your heart issues.
A good counselor is one thatcan guide someone to the truth.
That is the true role of acounselor Not to tell us what
you want to hear and not to talkabout how you feel or even what
you can do to fix yourself.
(13:22):
A real counselor, a biblicalcounselor, is there to tell you
the truth and how it applies toyour situation and how you can
apply it in your life.
We can only really control onepart of our heart.
So Paul's saying I'm acounselor, I'm going to deal
with your heart, because that'swhere God does his work, is in
the heart.
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And in the heart there's onlyone real choice you can make
Humility or pride.
That is how all of this breaksdown.
Humility or pride is the onlyreal thing you have to choose in
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your heart.
All the damage that's been doneto our heart, god will fix that
.
All the things our heartdesires, he can change that.
God takes responsibility forevery part of your heart, except
for humility and faith.
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That's on you.
That is our place where weengage our faith Pride or
humility.
Faith is only compatible withhumility.
So if we are going to choose towalk in pride, our faith and
that pride are like two rocksbutting up against each other
(14:44):
and they cannot work together.
Okay, so pride breaks our faith, walk relationship with God.
Pride is going to get in ourway of living out the faith that
really is in your heart everytime.
It works every time this way.
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Now, these things, brethren, hesays, I have figuratively
transferred to myself andApollos for your sakes, that you
may learn in us not to thinkbeyond what is written, that
none of you may be puffed up onbehalf of one against the other.
So Paul says guys, the problemhere is the way you think,
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thinking.
You're thinking your mind, ourmind has to be renewed.
When Jesus saved you, hecompletely changed your heart
and the spirit that's within you, but he didn't do anything to
change your mind.
You still had the same old,broken mind you did before you
were a Christian.
So we have to renew our mindsdaily to line up with what he
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says is true about who we reallyare in our hearts.
So he says our thinking don'tbe.
He says you may learn not tothink beyond what is written.
So our natural way of thinkingis pride, the way your brain has
been wired since you were bornand then started kindergarten
and all the teachers said youcan do it.
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And then everyone's like you'reso amazing and you're so
awesome and you don't amazing,and you're so awesome and you
don't need anyone and you're anAmerican, and all that's been
pounded into our brains, whichis the natural way of pride.
The whole world goes this way,the whole world thinks this way
and we can call this way ofthinking self-sufficiency.
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And you're like, yeah,self-sufficiency.
I've heard on the news they saythat like it's a good thing,
but we're learning in the gospel.
It's the opposite of the way oflife.
The way of faith is dependencyupon Jesus, and self-sufficiency
is actually the opposite ofthat.
(16:59):
So he says your thinking needsto line up with what is written.
He said Scripture should be ouronly guide.
Scripture is the only source ofall truth.
Where pride get this?
Pride disagrees right here whenI say the Bible's true in
everything it says.
It's the only source of truth.
Everything else can.
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Whatever you want to say, pridesays wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait.
You're telling me all thepeople in the world, all the
wisdom of the world, all thesmart scientists, all the smart
psychologists, all of them don'tmatter at all.
And I say, yep, that's what Imean.
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The Bible stands alone as truthand everything must bow to it.
And you're like, wow, that'scrazy, because you know what we
think inside.
Don't tell me what to do.
You're not the boss of me.
I'm the boss of my life.
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That's what the news has beentelling me for years and years
and years.
That's what my parents trainedme.
You're the boss of your life.
And this humility accepts that.
God would not lie to me.
If it's God's word, then hewould never lie to me.
He, if it's God's word, then hewould never lie to me.
He would probably value hisword above his own name, which
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is exactly what the Bible saysthat he values his word even
above his own name.
He'd rather tell you the truth,even if you don't like him.
Humility accepts that God wouldnot lead me astray and Scripture
is the one cohesive message.
And if you really want tounderstand the Bible, it's
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really one thing.
It's a cohesive message.
You can live by humility andfaith in God or you can live by
pride and self-sufficiency.
It's the one message.
It's the one plan Satan hadfrom the beginning.
That's been his only game planwas to get us to abandon
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trusting in Jesus with humilityand embrace self-sufficient
independence from God's wickedcontrol of our lives.
Scripture that is what all ofthe Bible is about.
I dare you read the Bible andsee, just with the mind of like
what is.
Let me see humility in this andfaith, and then pride.
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Is it really humility and pride?
It is.
It's crazy.
Look at Proverbs 18.12 saysbefore destruction, the heart of
a man is haughty or pridefuland before honor is humility.
And that's just one of like 30verses in Proverbs that talk
about humility.
And how amazing it is.
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It's just the path of wisdom.
But I want to talk to you guysabout Satan.
You don't hear that at churchvery often.
Look at Isaiah, chapter 14.
This describes how Satan waskicked out of heaven by the
bouncers.
He says how you are fallen fromheaven, o Lucifer, son of the
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morning, how you are cut down tothe ground, you who weakened
the nations.
For you have said in your heartI will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne abovethe stars of God.
I also will sit on the mount ofthe congregation on the
farthest sides of the north.
I will ascend above the heightsof the clouds.
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I will be like the most high.
Okay, satan is quoted andwhat's the main word that he
says?
I exactly.
Who's the focus of his life?
Self, right Self.
He is the picture ofselfishness.
His spirit is a spirit ofselfishness.
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His spirit is a spirit ofselfishness and Isaiah is
prophesying and the Lord issaying through Isaiah listen,
this is why I kicked you out ofheaven.
But there's even more detail inthe book of Ezekiel, in chapter
28, verse 12, and then verse 17,.
He says Son of man, take up alamentation for the king of Tyre
.
So he's symbolically talkingabout Satan through this other
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guy, and say to him thus, saysthe Lord, you were the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom andperfect in beauty.
And he goes on to describe howhis entire body was made of
musical instruments.
Satan was the worship leader inheaven before he was.
Pride was found in his heart.
And then he says here, yourheart was lifted up because of
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your beauty.
Why did God make Satanbeautiful?
Ooh, there's a good questionBecause he was the worship
leader in heaven.
God's beautiful and so thething that praises him should
also be beautiful.
So Satan's beauty was in linewith what God deserved.
Why does God give you gifts?
Not because you're awesome, butbecause he's awesome and he
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deserves to have you in all ofyour gifts.
Honoring Him, that's humility.
Are you an amazing, you knowmoneymaker?
Then make money for Jesus.
An amazing, you know moneymaker, then make money for Jesus.
You know, honor God with yourlife.
Are you an amazing singer?
Are you an amazing comforter?
Do you have wisdom?
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None of it's because of you.
You didn't earn any of it.
All of it was a gift.
We'll get to that in a second.
So he says to Satan your heartwas lifted up because of your
beauty.
You corrupted your wisdom forthe sake of your splendor.
So he had wisdom, but hecorrupted his wisdom.
And that's what happens in theworld and that's why this is
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such a pivotal issue humilityand faith.
Humility, you can actually seewisdom, and pride says it
corrupts wisdom.
You think you're smart, butyou're actually being dumb.
That's what pride does topeople, he says.
God says to Satan I cast you tothe ground, I laid you before
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kings that they might gaze atyou, symbolic of what happens in
our lives when we choose tolive that poisonous life of
pride and self-sufficiency.
So now Paul, going back to ourtext in 1 Corinthians, paul is
going to ask three questions tothe Corinthians that will reveal
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the pride in their hearts.
Okay, so it's getting tough nowfor his family, but he's having
real talk.
Real talk he says who makes youdiffer from another?
Question one and what do youhave that you did not receive?
Question two Now, if you didindeed receive it, why do you
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boast as though you had notreceived it?
So the first question he sayswhat makes you differ?
God designs each plant with itsown purpose and its own fruit.
He likes that we're different.
No one is better than another.
So there's no place for racismin God's family.
That's all pride.
That's.
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The heart of Satan is comparing.
We cannot compare.
Are some of us more fruitfulthan others At different points
in our life?
Yes, that may be the situation,but it does not mean anything
about our value, andfruitfulness doesn't come from
us anyway, because it'ssomething we receive, which is
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the second question what do youhave that you did not receive?
Grace that we're learning aboutworks only by God giving us and
we receive, so he gives grace toall of us.
That's all that's happeninghere.
God's giving, we are receiving.
When do we give back to God?
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Well, that's actually not partof the agreement.
Your whole lives you can offerback to him.
You can offer him your praise,you can offer him service, but
that's not the part of therelationship.
The relationship is all Godgives and we receive, and then?
So then where's okay?
(25:27):
So go back on that second point.
No one has ever earned anythingfrom God, so pride is pointless
.
We've never earned anythingfrom God, so pride is pointless.
We enjoy God's gifts, but it'snot your wages.
No one ever can walk into God'spresence and say where's my
paycheck?
I deserve your help, I deserveyour power, I deserve your love.
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That doesn't work.
God freely offers us his power,his spirit, his love, his
adoption, his acceptance.
He freely offers it because theprice already was paid by
someone who could actually payit, which was who?
Jesus.
If you don't know, just sayJesus.
You'll always get 32 Jesuspoints for saying Jesus.
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Good job, all of you who saidJesus.
Jesus points for all of you.
Okay.
So he says where then isboasting?
Okay, so pride in the church isstupid, because we have all
received grace upon grace upongrace.
We all have been forgiven ofour sins, and then we've been
given a relationship with God bygrace, not by earning it.
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And then we've all received anew heart, a relationship with
God by grace, not by earning it.
And then we've all received anew heart, a new spirit, by
grace, not by earning it.
All of this is free.
So we want to have boasting?
No, absolutely not.
It's never boasting.
So Paul's sarcastic comparisonbetween pride living and
humility living is what we'regoing to see next.
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Okay, he's got this like littlesarcastic comparison between
pride living and humility livingis what we're going to see next
.
He's got this little sarcasticthing.
He says you are already full.
You are already rich.
You have reigned as kingswithout us, and indeed I wish
you did reign, that we alsomight reign with you.
So Paul is showing them theirself-sufficiency and pride.
(27:24):
The Corinthians were acting asif they had already arrived at
spiritual maturity and fullness,believing they needed nothing
more.
But Paul is challenging thismindset by pointing out their
arrogance and reminding themthat they need to continue to
grow in their dependence uponJesus.
(27:45):
Jesus didn't save them so thatthey could then figure out oh I
got this all figured out, watchme go.
It had nothing to do with them,it was only to glorify Jesus
more.
So Paul says this, for I thinkthat God has displayed us, the
apostles last, as men condemnedto death, for we have been made
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a spectacle to the world, bothto angels and to men.
So now he's going to comparethe life of humility and faith
with their life that they'vebeen living, which is a life of
pride and self-sufficiency.
And this is the root of theproblem.
So Paul is going to say all theapostles, we are living this
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humility life, this life offaith.
So he says we're like condemnedto death, which is very biblical
, because my old self iscrucified with Christ.
So that's how I and death areone.
This is what is on display inour lives.
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Why don't you just go arounddoing whatever you want to do?
Well, that part of me died.
Why do you live the way youlive?
Well, the old me died, but weknow you.
You still live on the island,you still live here.
You didn't die, you're stillalive, I know.
But the old me died on thecross with Jesus.
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Well then, who's living now?
Well, actually, jesus livesthrough me because he rose from
the dead and I rise with him,and that's the gospel.
Isn't that amazing how thatworks.
So, yes, we have been condemnedto death, it appears, and
living humility accepts that andsays, yeah, my old self was
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condemned to death.
It's kind of like God only hadone prescription for what was
wrong with us, and thatprescription was death.
Death is the only thing.
Yeah, the pharmacist laughs.
That was perfect.
Death is the only thing thatcan fix you, bro.
(29:57):
That can fix you, bro, and itwas, and that is the gospel.
Death is the only solution forour sin.
God could.
This is not a reformationproject.
This is not.
How are we gonna fix you?
How are we gonna?
How are we gonna.
What rules can we give to fixyou and make your life look
better?
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
(30:18):
Death is the only solution, andif you have not died with
Christ yet, you have a differentdeath coming, and that's the
scary part.
You want to die with Christ nowso that you can live with him
now and in the future.
What do I need to boast about,when my whole part in this was
(30:42):
simply that I died with Jesusand then I was raised with him?
What can I boast about In ourlives?
It demonstrates humility whenwe remember that our
self-focused lives ended at thecross.
In the world and even spiritualbeings angels can see humility.
(31:04):
If we could have spiritualglasses on.
When we looked at each person,you know how some people say I
can see your aura.
I made myself laugh, sorry.
So the world says that if wehad spiritual glasses, we would
(31:29):
be able to see humility.
A heart that depended upon Godand pride would be a different
color, and that's how the worldwould look to us.
He says we are fools, forChrist's sake, but you are wise
in Christ.
Again, paul's being a littlesarcastic with them, but he's
(31:50):
pointing out the differencebetween his life of humility and
their life of pride.
He's saying pride says I'm wiseand I have figured this all out
.
If I need wisdom, I look to me.
What do you do when you needwisdom?
Well, I got to think long andhard about this.
(32:10):
Who are you looking to ifyou're doing that?
Well, let me do some researchand figure out and I'm not
saying these are bad things, butwho do we really look to when
you need wisdom?
Well, the Word of God saysthat's humility.
Jesus has done this and I'mgoing to put my faith in it.
(32:32):
That's humility and faith.
So humility says I don't careif you think I'm foolish, I'm
going to keep trusting in Jesusand His Word, I don't care what
you think about me.
That's why going to keeptrusting in Jesus and his word,
I don't care what you thinkabout me.
That's why he says we are fools.
For Christ's sake, they thoughthe was foolish.
They thought he was dumb,stupid, for just trusting in
(32:55):
Jesus.
And I'm telling you, the worldwill laugh at you guys for
coming to church here when theyrealize what we're teaching.
Laugh at you guys for coming tochurch here when they realize
what we're teaching, that weteach faith in Jesus 100%.
You will be mocked.
I'll be mocked.
They'll make fun of us becausewe're exclusive.
(33:16):
We trust in Jesus exclusively,as he asks us to, as the Spirit
leads us, as the Word of Godteaches, we don't mix our
message.
Yeah, jesus is awesome, butlet's see what you guys can do.
Everyone ready Rah, rah, rah,let's go, let's get out there,
let's do all the stuff.
That's not the gospel.
(33:38):
That's not what we're going todo.
I'm going to tell you guys allthat Jesus has done for you, all
that Jesus tells you about youridentity, and I'm going to
unleash you to go do whateveryou want.
And what you're going to wantto do is honor your Father and
love.
And it's just going to come outof you like fruit.
It's going to be amazing.
So he says we're fools forChrist's sake, but you are wise.
(33:59):
He says we are weak, but youare strong.
Pride, let me tell you.
Pride can always be recognizedin your heart and in my life
when I say I got this, I'mstrong enough, I got this Before
a fall comes.
Pride, right, I got this.
We can't ever think that that'sthe way of self-sufficiency.
(34:21):
Okay, we can't think we gotthis.
We can't think that way.
That's not the gospel.
He says we are weak.
Humility says I know I needJesus so much that I would kill
all of you if I had a chance andI wasn't controlled by him.
Maybe not that extreme, but youget the point.
He says you are distinguishedbut we are dishonored.
(34:43):
So the life of pride says Ilove getting honor, I love
people talking about me, I lovebeing the center of attention,
or I love not getting anyattention at all because I don't
feel comfortable and I feellike I have to impress everybody
.
So I shrivel in the corner andI don't open my heart to anybody
(35:04):
.
I don't get to know anybody.
Both of them are you valueman's opinion of you more than
you value what God says aboutyou and God's opinion of you.
Man-pleasing is what that is.
Pride is what that is.
So pride can reveal itself by Ilove the attention or I hate
the attention.
Both of them can be pride,Because who are you looking at
(35:28):
in both situations?
Me.
That's what pride is.
That's the root of the issue.
Humility just says even if I'mignored or laughed at, I just
keep my eyes on Jesus and hopehe gets all the glory and all
the attention and that's wherelife is.
So he says to this present hour, we both hunger and thirst.
(35:51):
We're poorly clothed and beatenand homeless.
We labor, working with our ownhands, being reviled.
We bless being persecuted, weendure being defamed, we entreat
or we treat kindly.
So this is humility on display.
Paul says look at my life.
I don't have all the stuff thatI need, but I accept what God
(36:19):
has chosen for me.
I trust that he has a plan andhe has a purpose in everything
that is happening to me, even ifit's not comfortable.
And I will spend my lifeworking, blessing others.
Not being lazy, focused onmyself, but being others focused
.
Instead of desiring to servemyself or be served, I'm going
(36:42):
to pour my life out for otherpeople and when people are mean
to me, I'm going to respond tothem with blessing and love.
That's what humility on displaylooks like.
This is all the opposite ofself-life.
This is the opposite of how wewere born.
(37:03):
This is the opposite ofself-life.
This is the opposite of how wewere born.
This is the opposite ofself-sufficiency.
We have all.
And then he says we have allbeen made as we have been made
as the filth of the world, theoff-scouring of all things.
Until now what he's saying?
There is, my value doesn't comefrom what the world thinks of
(37:24):
me, and it's never even blessedme anyway.
What have I ever gotten fromtrying to please the world?
It just says great now, whatcan you do for me now?
What can you do for me now?
What can you do for me?
Impress me more, impress memore.
And Paul says I do not writethese things to shame you, but
(37:45):
as my beloved children, I warnyou.
So I think Paul is actuallyusing some humor in saying all
this.
He's asking these questions andhe's not being mean about it,
but he wants to warn them.
Why?
Because he thinks he's betterthan them.
That's not what he says.
(38:07):
You guys should have all beenlike no, we're throwing apples
at the stage and tomatoes,because I know you bring your
fruit to church ready to chuckit.
He doesn't say yeah, you gotstrawberries right there.
I should have been ducking.
He does not say I'm better thanyou and I know better than you,
but he says I love you, you'remy children and I'm warning you.
(38:33):
Look, he goes even further.
For though you might have10,000 instructors in Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers.
For in Christ Jesus, I havebegotten you through the gospel.
Therefore, I urge you, imitateme.
So this correction might seem,might feel, shameful to them.
Ah man, I'm ashamed, paul, thatyou're doing this.
(38:56):
But Paul is teaching them theright way, which is the way of
humility.
And he says I'm living this wayfully and that's the best way
to teach is the way Paul's doing.
It is he's living humility.
And he says so, just do what Ido.
Guys, when we had church, was Iall about me?
(39:17):
Was I demanding you all serveme, or was I serving you and
loving you?
He says that's what we're goingafter here, that's what we're
doing here.
He says so Paul is sendingTimothy to remind them, because
(39:44):
we all need reminding in the wayof Christ, which is why we're
going to talk about the life offaith, the path of humility and
faith we're going to talk aboutpretty much every week for the
next 35 years 45 if we're lucky.
We all need reminding of gracebecause when we wake up in the
morning, we have a defaultswitch and that default switch
(40:05):
is bird and self-sufficiency.
I wake up and I think what am Igoing to do today?
I have all these things.
I'm going to live my life.
I'm about me the moment I wakeup it's just like is anyone else
like that?
Yeah, and he says we have tolike, be reminded, and that's
why it is vital to connect withyour heavenly Father in the
(40:28):
mornings, to just spend a momentconnecting with him.
You can open your word and youcan be like Father, speak to me,
reset me according to your wordand your ways.
We need reminding.
James 4.6 says God gives graceto the humble, but he opposes
(40:49):
the proud.
How simple is that.
But we need to remember thateach day.
Pride is the problem.
I'll fight anyone who saysotherwise.
It's the root of the problem.
(41:10):
Now look what he says.
Now, some are puffed up.
Puffed up is a good way Pauldescribes pride.
I think of the jellyfish I seeout there on the beach and
they're puffed up and I alwayswant to just go poke them.
I want to so bad, just to feelit.
He says some are puffed up, asthough I were not coming to you.
(41:30):
But I will come shortly, if theLord wills, and I will know not
the word of those who arepuffed up, but the power, ooh,
for the kingdom of God is not inword power.
You see, paul's like I'm notscared.
I'm not scared to come to youguys, I'm not scared to bring
(41:51):
the truth, because pride cuts usoff from the power of God.
Pride cuts us off from thepower of God.
He wanted them to have thepower.
When you don't go to church,when you go to church and
there's no power, it sucks Likeyou walk out like why did we do
this?
But sometimes you connect withGod, you just get alone with him
(42:16):
and there is power there andyour life is transformed.
How is this?
In Ephesians 3.20 it says Now,him who is able to do
exceedingly, abundantly.
Above all, we ask or thinkaccording to the power that
works within us.
The word power in Greek isdunimas, probably.
(42:37):
I don't know how to pronounceit, but it's where you get the
word dynamite from, and dynamitecomes from the same word.
Paul is jealous for his kids toknow the real life that they've
been given, the power thatthey've been given.
And I'm also jealous for youguys in this room and all on the
(43:02):
internet, all around the world,people watching us, to know
that power.
We can truly have a powerfullyimpactful life on this island
and across this world.
But it will never happen bybeing puffed up, ever, never,
never.
And Paul says don't even try.
I mean, you can try as hard asyou want, but it's not going to
(43:23):
work.
You will never impact a singleperson In your marriage.
Nothing will ever get fixed ifyou are walking in pride, if
you're puffed up With each other.
The only path to see God's powerunleashed in your marriage is
(43:43):
humility, same with yourrelationships at church, same
with your relationships withyour kids and your parents.
Humility is the only way to seeGod's power unleashed and he
will give it to us, because Godgives grace to the humble but he
opposes the proud.
So what do you want?
(44:04):
He says Shall I come to youwith a rod or in love and a
spirit of gentleness?
Paul's saying he loves themenough to correct them, but they
get to choose how this all goes.
And that's the point of thischapter.
Okay, paul loves his familyenough to correct them.
Okay, paul loves his familyenough to correct them.
(44:27):
And the issue that needscorrected in their lives and in
our church is pride.
Pride will cause a bunch ofother sins.
Pride causes all the other sinsand Paul's going to address all
those sins in the next fewchapters.
And it's going to be crazybecause we're going to talk
about all the sins.
(44:47):
I don't know if you've readahead, but you're like I wonder
how pastor's going to talk aboutthis Pride and humility.
That's why this week is sovital and so important for us to
understand, because if you comenext week and you're like, all
right, tell me about my sins,pastor, it's already done, it's
(45:12):
already over.
You're not going to hear thewisdom of God, you're not going
to see the power of God in yourlife, you're just going to hear
words.
And I don't want you to justhear words.
I want you to see the power.
Pride is always the destructivething that causes the sins that
(45:34):
eventually kill and destroy ourfamilies and our relationship
with God.
Paul identify the problemswhich he'll do in the next few
chapters, which is being puffedup in pride, even if they got
(45:55):
mad at him and people did getmad at him and call him names,
etc.
Close on this one verse, okay.
Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5through 11.
It says Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
who, being in the form of God,did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but madehimself of no reputation, taking
(46:18):
the form of a bondservant andcoming in the likeness of men.
Did you see those three thingsright there, three descriptions
of what humility looks like.
He didn't care what peoplethought about him.
No care about it.
He made himself.
He took the form of abondservant, he lived before my
(46:41):
needs Another great descriptionof humility.
And third, he says and he camein the likeness of men, which
means he identified with yourproblems.
Your problems were his, youyour problems.
That's what humility is Always.
Others focused, he says.
(47:03):
He was found in appearance as aman and he humbled himself and
became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the
cross.
Therefore, god also hashighlighted him and given him
the name, which is above everyname, that at the name of Jesus,
every knee should be and everytongue should confess that Jesus
(47:23):
Christ is the Lord, to theglory of Faith today, because
Jesus is humility.
If Jesus lives in you, this iswho you really are and what
(47:45):
you're really all about.
This is your life.
Humility, pride is a poisonouscorruption of my soul.
How do I know?
It comes from Satan, theultimate rusty gut bucket.
(48:06):
I just like calling them namesbecause I'm allowed.
Go ahead and come up here andlet's sing a song.
The end of this verse is justlike we should just let our
tongues confess how incredibleJesus is, how amazing Jesus is
for his grace.
(48:27):
If you have never come into arelationship with Jesus where
you know that Jesus' blood haswashed away your sin, today is
the day to do that, to say,jesus, I believe in your life
and your death and I want tolive.
I want I believe in your lifeand your death and I want to
live.
I want you to live through me.
(48:48):
I want your death on the crossto be my death also.
I'm tired of living a self lifeand I want to live a Jesus life.
I want to live a spirit life.
I want you to live in me andthrough me and right now, just
cry out to him and say Jesus, dothis in me.
And maybe you have been walkingwith Jesus for a long time, but
(49:10):
this self-life has been justthe way.
It's just been the only waythat you've known and this is
brand new, shocking news to youthat Jesus says come, invites
you to the humble life of hisspirit.
Then say Jesus, take all of me.
Jesus, I want all of you, Iwant your humble life to be my
(49:36):
life.
Would you guys all stand withus?
root of the problem, and we're going to study 1
Corinthians, chapter 4, thewhole chapter.
I'm going to get through anentire chapter.
I'm so excited.
Usually it's like a verse ortwo because I like to go deep.
But my wife is like sometimesyou got to pick it up just a
(00:21):
little bit.
We got to make some progress,we got to make some progress.
So, father, we just ask thatyou would speak to us through
your word.
Give us understanding,revelation of who you are, jesus
, and what you have done tobless us with your grace.
In Jesus' name, we all pray.
Amen, the root of the problem.
(00:43):
We are going to study all of 1Corinthians, chapter 4.
And sometimes I've been reallyfamiliar with the Bible for a
long time, but I just I knowlike the bits and pieces, but
sometimes it's really good toget a whole chunk in there so I
can get a bit of everything.
And so that's actually what Ilearned a lot when I was
studying this week, so I'm veryexcited.
(01:04):
And so that's actually what Ilearned a lot when I was
studying this week, so I'm veryexcited.
So you guys are lucky thatyou're here, because you will
now understand 1 Corinthians 4from beginning to end.
The whole thing and that's whatwe love to do at church is
bring that understanding.
Everyone is looking forsolutions to their problems,
(01:25):
right?
Some just than others.
Maybe you saw this article putout by A&M this week, and I
actually wasn't searching for aTexas-specific thing.
Maybe Apple knows what I'm,google knows what I'm searching
and gives me I don't know, butthis article was called hey Siri
, fix my spacecraft.
(01:45):
Oh, my Siri just startedlistening to me.
Did yours do it too?
Okay, so hey, fix my spacecraft.
Researchers have been testing avirtual assistant that may help
astronauts solve unexpectedproblems during space travel.
(02:06):
Sounds like something Elon Muskwould be interested in.
It says the VA uses spacecraftdata in real time to give
astronauts information on how tosolve the problem.
So it seems like you know,today the whole world is turning
(02:27):
to the newest AI technologytool.
It's just a tool.
It's fine, but to solve, to fixour problems, you know they're
all you know.
They ask you know what's it?
The AI thing?
Chat, ggbt.
They're like you know, fix mylife, or grok, or whatever.
Yeah, but there's been somepretty funny AI mistakes.
(02:49):
Did you guys know that in Aprilof 2024, new York City employed
this chatbot that would givepeople legal advice.
And the chatbot quickly startedgiving people advice to break
the law.
It kept telling people to likefire people who complained about
(03:13):
sexual harassment or pregnancy,or tell people they had to cut
their dreadlocks and they'd givethem bad information about
trash.
Just said just put it on theside of the road and someone
will pick it up.
And yeah, really funny, anentire week of chaos caused by
(03:33):
going to the wrong source to fixyour problems.
Okay, all that was a funnyintroduction.
Sometimes we go to the wrongplace to get the answer to our
problems.
In today's sermon, we're goingto learn the root.
Paul is giving us the truth,the real answer to our problems,
because he's got a lot.
This church in Corinth has alot of problems.
(03:54):
Okay, you know, everyone'ssleeping with each other and
they're doing their drinking,they're doing all the stuff.
Okay, they're just super messedup and Paul does not want to
just give them a bunch of rulesto fix them, which is, if you've
heard any of my sermons, youknow we don't use rules to fix
people.
The law was not given totransform people.
(04:15):
The law was given to show youyou suck at being a good person.
You're not a good person.
That's like a mirror that isheld up in front of your face
and says you're not good enoughto measure up to God's standard,
but it pushes us to our needfor a Savior, which is the new
(04:35):
covenant of grace, where Jesusnot only forgives you of all
your sin, but he fills you anddwells you with the Holy Spirit
and he changes your heart sothat you now desire to do the
will of your Father without anyrules.
That's the truth of the gospel.
He has transformed you alreadythe moment you believed, and
that's such an amazing thing.
(04:55):
That's why we talk about itevery single Sunday and we will.
And if you don't like it, tough, because that is the gospel,
because that is the gospel.
The gospel is not rules andamen to that.
But Paul could have easilywrote 1 Corinthians and been
like here's all the rules youguys need to follow, don't do
this, don't do that, don't dothe other.
(05:16):
But Paul is an awesome, amazingminister of the gospel, and so
he is able to deliver to themwhat the real issues are, and
they're issues in their heart,and I'm just going to give you
the key right up front.
This is the answer to the test,the answer to the quiz.
The real issue is either prideor humility going on in their
(05:37):
hearts.
That is what.
That's what determines whetheryou're going to walk in a godly
path or an ungodly path, notwhether you go to heaven or hell
.
That's based on whether youbelieve in Jesus.
But you can believe in Jesusand live a path, walk on a path
that is completely dishonest towho you really are and dishonors
(06:01):
God with the things that you doand dishonors God with the
things that you do.
And Paul wants to see thesethings line up so that you are a
believer but your life lookslike you're a believer also, but
we're not going to do it againthrough rules.
Okay, that's the thing we haveto know.
You can't change someone's lifeby rules.
Now you can try, but then youjust get legalism, which is just
(06:25):
people trying to look godly butin their heart it's not really
there.
It's not really what they want.
So we don't want that.
But let's begin.
We'll just start breaking downthis chapter and see what God
teaches us.
Chapter four let a man soconsider us as servants of
Christ and stewards of themysteries of God.
(06:46):
So Paul and the other leadersof this church are responsible
for this church and he'sbringing this up because they're
going to be beginning theprocess of correcting a bunch of
things that are wrong in thechurch, but he's spending this
chapter telling them I alreadyknow what's wrong and I have the
(07:09):
authority to tell you, to helpyou.
No one likes being corrected.
Anyone in here love whensomeone's like you stink at this
.
No, we don't like that.
So Paul is laying a lovingfoundation of why he's doing
this correcting.
He's not just nagging them andhe's certainly not just going to
(07:29):
be giving them a bunch of rules, but he's going to be showing
them the path of life and whatthe root of the issues are.
And so he says we are stewards,like the leaders of the church,
the pastors.
He calls them stewards.
That means in Greek, underrowers.
So can you imagine those bigboats, like those big Viking
(07:50):
boats or Roman boats, and they'dhave that layer where all the
spiders were, and I hate spiders.
Do you guys like spiders?
Okay, brian, you like spiders,you can get out.
Just kidding, I don't know whyGod made spiders, but I know
they're good for killing bugsand mosquitoes.
I agree, they can do it outsidemy house.
They can have all the outside.
(08:12):
I'll stay inside?
Okay, where was I?
At Spiders?
How did I?
We're under rowers.
Okay, where the spiders areOkay, so they're under rowing,
which means they're not incharge, but they're not slaves
either.
He's just like I'm part ofgetting this boat going in the
right direction, under rowers.
(08:32):
Okay, he's simply part of thefamily and that's why he cares,
because he's the one responsibleto train up others in the
mysteries of God.
He says Now, that's a weirdphrase for us.
Ooh, the mystery.
Are we like some weird cult-y,like New Age mysteries?
No, okay, that's just abiblical word that means things
(08:53):
that used to be hidden but nowhave been revealed through Jesus
and the gospel.
That's the word mystery in theBible, so it's something that
was a secret before Jesus, butonce Jesus had come, it's common
knowledge to everybody.
And Paul says I'm really goodand it's my job to tell you the
mysteries, the gospel of Jesusand how it works.
So these mysteries are all thethings we need to learn in the
(09:20):
gospel, how it works.
It's the life of faith and ofgrace, and so that's what we
talk about every Sunday themysteries of God, which is just
how to live by faith and receivehis grace and walk in his grace
and he says I need to befaithful.
He said in this verse so he'ssaying, paul and the leaders of
the church, they're going to bethe examples of what it looks
(09:41):
like to walk by faith.
They're going to be theexamples.
So that's the best kind ofteacher is someone who can be a
willing example.
Not do what I say and not what Ido, but do what I do.
You do what I do and what I say, and I'll say what I do and you
do what I do.
Simple, right, clear as mud.
(10:04):
No, he's teaching his familyhow to walk by faith.
Simple, right, clear as mud.
No, he's teaching his familyhow to walk by faith, because
that is the only way that we canwalk in God's family.
So he says, but with me, it's avery small thing that I should
be judged by you or any humancourt.
In fact, I don't even judgemyself, for I know nothing
against myself Yet I'm notjustified by this.
(10:25):
But he who judges me is theLord.
Therefore, judge nothing beforethe time until the Lord comes,
who will both bring to light thehidden things of darkness and
reveal the counsels of the heart.
Then each one's praise willcome from God.
So Paul's saying here I knowthat I love you guys, I know
(10:48):
we're family I don't have toprove it to you or to anyone and
I know how to live by faith andI'm living by faith.
I really think I'm doing a goodjob living by faith.
Paul says but the big picturehere is that God sees our hearts
.
Have you guys ever seen there'sa real famous gangster tattoo
(11:13):
that says no one can judge mebut God.
You ever seen that one?
Yeah, so it's like you probablysee it in the prisons a lot,
right, so no one can judge mebut God.
And it's like, yeah, but do youreally know what that means?
It's not good news for you.
So the big picture is that Goddoes see our hearts and Paul is
(11:36):
saying I'm going to help youknow what is really going on in
your heart, because there's nouse in hiding it, because God
already sees it.
Your heart determines how yourlife is going to be lived.
So Paul is not saying I can seeeverything you're doing.
I see all the bad things you do.
I have goggles that show mex-ray of what you do when you're
(12:00):
in your house and what you doin your bedroom, and what you do
.
I can see all the bad stuff youdo.
Is Paul saying that?
No, he's saying I can show you.
Well, god sees your heart.
I know what is going on here.
Your heart is where the battlesare won and lost.
(12:20):
Your heart.
No one can hide what's in theirheart forever.
You can hide it for a littlewhile, you can pretend I'm
alright, everything is fine, I'mgood.
But if it's not good, that isgoing to come out eventually.
(12:41):
In Proverbs 4.23, it says Guardyour heart above all else, for
it determines the course of yourlife.
So, Paul, in this chapter he'ssaying Guys, I am a really good
counselor, I'm a good counselorand I'm a counselor who is good
(13:01):
at addressing your heart issues.
A good counselor is one thatcan guide someone to the truth.
That is the true role of acounselor Not to tell us what
you want to hear and not to talkabout how you feel or even what
you can do to fix yourself.
(13:22):
A real counselor, a biblicalcounselor, is there to tell you
the truth and how it applies toyour situation and how you can
apply it in your life.
We can only really control onepart of our heart.
So Paul's saying I'm acounselor, I'm going to deal
with your heart, because that'swhere God does his work, is in
the heart.
(13:42):
And in the heart there's onlyone real choice you can make
Humility or pride.
That is how all of this breaksdown.
Humility or pride is the onlyreal thing you have to choose in
(14:02):
your heart.
All the damage that's been doneto our heart, god will fix that
.
All the things our heartdesires, he can change that.
God takes responsibility forevery part of your heart, except
for humility and faith.
(14:23):
That's on you.
That is our place where weengage our faith Pride or
humility.
Faith is only compatible withhumility.
So if we are going to choose towalk in pride, our faith and
that pride are like two rocksbutting up against each other
(14:44):
and they cannot work together.
Okay, so pride breaks our faith, walk relationship with God.
Pride is going to get in ourway of living out the faith that
really is in your heart everytime.
It works every time this way.
(15:06):
Now, these things, brethren, hesays, I have figuratively
transferred to myself andApollos for your sakes, that you
may learn in us not to thinkbeyond what is written, that
none of you may be puffed up onbehalf of one against the other.
So Paul says guys, the problemhere is the way you think,
(15:30):
thinking.
You're thinking your mind, ourmind has to be renewed.
When Jesus saved you, hecompletely changed your heart
and the spirit that's within you, but he didn't do anything to
change your mind.
You still had the same old,broken mind you did before you
were a Christian.
So we have to renew our mindsdaily to line up with what he
(15:54):
says is true about who we reallyare in our hearts.
So he says our thinking don'tbe.
He says you may learn not tothink beyond what is written.
So our natural way of thinkingis pride, the way your brain has
been wired since you were bornand then started kindergarten
and all the teachers said youcan do it.
(16:15):
And then everyone's like you'reso amazing and you're so
awesome and you don't amazing,and you're so awesome and you
don't need anyone and you're anAmerican, and all that's been
pounded into our brains, whichis the natural way of pride.
The whole world goes this way,the whole world thinks this way
and we can call this way ofthinking self-sufficiency.
(16:38):
And you're like, yeah,self-sufficiency.
I've heard on the news they saythat like it's a good thing,
but we're learning in the gospel.
It's the opposite of the way oflife.
The way of faith is dependencyupon Jesus, and self-sufficiency
is actually the opposite ofthat.
(16:59):
So he says your thinking needsto line up with what is written.
He said Scripture should be ouronly guide.
Scripture is the only source ofall truth.
Where pride get this?
Pride disagrees right here whenI say the Bible's true in
everything it says.
It's the only source of truth.
Everything else can.
(17:21):
Whatever you want to say, pridesays wait, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait.
You're telling me all thepeople in the world, all the
wisdom of the world, all thesmart scientists, all the smart
psychologists, all of them don'tmatter at all.
And I say, yep, that's what Imean.
(17:42):
The Bible stands alone as truthand everything must bow to it.
And you're like, wow, that'scrazy, because you know what we
think inside.
Don't tell me what to do.
You're not the boss of me.
I'm the boss of my life.
(18:05):
That's what the news has beentelling me for years and years
and years.
That's what my parents trainedme.
You're the boss of your life.
And this humility accepts that.
God would not lie to me.
If it's God's word, then hewould never lie to me.
He, if it's God's word, then hewould never lie to me.
He would probably value hisword above his own name, which
(18:27):
is exactly what the Bible saysthat he values his word even
above his own name.
He'd rather tell you the truth,even if you don't like him.
Humility accepts that God wouldnot lead me astray and Scripture
is the one cohesive message.
And if you really want tounderstand the Bible, it's
(18:48):
really one thing.
It's a cohesive message.
You can live by humility andfaith in God or you can live by
pride and self-sufficiency.
It's the one message.
It's the one plan Satan hadfrom the beginning.
That's been his only game planwas to get us to abandon
(19:08):
trusting in Jesus with humilityand embrace self-sufficient
independence from God's wickedcontrol of our lives.
Scripture that is what all ofthe Bible is about.
I dare you read the Bible andsee, just with the mind of like
what is.
Let me see humility in this andfaith, and then pride.
(19:32):
Is it really humility and pride?
It is.
It's crazy.
Look at Proverbs 18.12 saysbefore destruction, the heart of
a man is haughty or pridefuland before honor is humility.
And that's just one of like 30verses in Proverbs that talk
about humility.
And how amazing it is.
(19:52):
It's just the path of wisdom.
But I want to talk to you guysabout Satan.
You don't hear that at churchvery often.
Look at Isaiah, chapter 14.
This describes how Satan waskicked out of heaven by the
bouncers.
He says how you are fallen fromheaven, o Lucifer, son of the
(20:16):
morning, how you are cut down tothe ground, you who weakened
the nations.
For you have said in your heartI will ascend into heaven.
I will exalt my throne abovethe stars of God.
I also will sit on the mount ofthe congregation on the
farthest sides of the north.
I will ascend above the heightsof the clouds.
(20:36):
I will be like the most high.
Okay, satan is quoted andwhat's the main word that he
says?
I exactly.
Who's the focus of his life?
Self, right Self.
He is the picture ofselfishness.
His spirit is a spirit ofselfishness.
(20:59):
His spirit is a spirit ofselfishness and Isaiah is
prophesying and the Lord issaying through Isaiah listen,
this is why I kicked you out ofheaven.
But there's even more detail inthe book of Ezekiel, in chapter
28, verse 12, and then verse 17,.
He says Son of man, take up alamentation for the king of Tyre
.
So he's symbolically talkingabout Satan through this other
(21:22):
guy, and say to him thus, saysthe Lord, you were the seal of
perfection, full of wisdom andperfect in beauty.
And he goes on to describe howhis entire body was made of
musical instruments.
Satan was the worship leader inheaven before he was.
Pride was found in his heart.
And then he says here, yourheart was lifted up because of
(21:42):
your beauty.
Why did God make Satanbeautiful?
Ooh, there's a good questionBecause he was the worship
leader in heaven.
God's beautiful and so thething that praises him should
also be beautiful.
So Satan's beauty was in linewith what God deserved.
Why does God give you gifts?
Not because you're awesome, butbecause he's awesome and he
(22:08):
deserves to have you in all ofyour gifts.
Honoring Him, that's humility.
Are you an amazing, you knowmoneymaker?
Then make money for Jesus.
An amazing, you know moneymaker, then make money for Jesus.
You know, honor God with yourlife.
Are you an amazing singer?
Are you an amazing comforter?
Do you have wisdom?
(22:29):
None of it's because of you.
You didn't earn any of it.
All of it was a gift.
We'll get to that in a second.
So he says to Satan your heartwas lifted up because of your
beauty.
You corrupted your wisdom forthe sake of your splendor.
So he had wisdom, but hecorrupted his wisdom.
And that's what happens in theworld and that's why this is
(22:50):
such a pivotal issue humilityand faith.
Humility, you can actually seewisdom, and pride says it
corrupts wisdom.
You think you're smart, butyou're actually being dumb.
That's what pride does topeople, he says.
God says to Satan I cast you tothe ground, I laid you before
(23:13):
kings that they might gaze atyou, symbolic of what happens in
our lives when we choose tolive that poisonous life of
pride and self-sufficiency.
So now Paul, going back to ourtext in 1 Corinthians, paul is
going to ask three questions tothe Corinthians that will reveal
(23:36):
the pride in their hearts.
Okay, so it's getting tough nowfor his family, but he's having
real talk.
Real talk he says who makes youdiffer from another?
Question one and what do youhave that you did not receive?
Question two Now, if you didindeed receive it, why do you
(24:01):
boast as though you had notreceived it?
So the first question he sayswhat makes you differ?
God designs each plant with itsown purpose and its own fruit.
He likes that we're different.
No one is better than another.
So there's no place for racismin God's family.
That's all pride.
That's.
(24:22):
The heart of Satan is comparing.
We cannot compare.
Are some of us more fruitfulthan others At different points
in our life?
Yes, that may be the situation,but it does not mean anything
about our value, andfruitfulness doesn't come from
us anyway, because it'ssomething we receive, which is
(24:43):
the second question what do youhave that you did not receive?
Grace that we're learning aboutworks only by God giving us and
we receive, so he gives grace toall of us.
That's all that's happeninghere.
God's giving, we are receiving.
When do we give back to God?
(25:06):
Well, that's actually not partof the agreement.
Your whole lives you can offerback to him.
You can offer him your praise,you can offer him service, but
that's not the part of therelationship.
The relationship is all Godgives and we receive, and then?
So then where's okay?
(25:27):
So go back on that second point.
No one has ever earned anythingfrom God, so pride is pointless
.
We've never earned anythingfrom God, so pride is pointless.
We enjoy God's gifts, but it'snot your wages.
No one ever can walk into God'spresence and say where's my
paycheck?
I deserve your help, I deserveyour power, I deserve your love.
(25:54):
That doesn't work.
God freely offers us his power,his spirit, his love, his
adoption, his acceptance.
He freely offers it because theprice already was paid by
someone who could actually payit, which was who?
Jesus.
If you don't know, just sayJesus.
You'll always get 32 Jesuspoints for saying Jesus.
(26:18):
Good job, all of you who saidJesus.
Jesus points for all of you.
Okay.
So he says where then isboasting?
Okay, so pride in the church isstupid, because we have all
received grace upon grace upongrace.
We all have been forgiven ofour sins, and then we've been
given a relationship with God bygrace, not by earning it.
(26:40):
And then we've all received anew heart, a relationship with
God by grace, not by earning it.
And then we've all received anew heart, a new spirit, by
grace, not by earning it.
All of this is free.
So we want to have boasting?
No, absolutely not.
It's never boasting.
So Paul's sarcastic comparisonbetween pride living and
humility living is what we'regoing to see next.
(27:01):
Okay, he's got this like littlesarcastic comparison between
pride living and humility livingis what we're going to see next
.
He's got this little sarcasticthing.
He says you are already full.
You are already rich.
You have reigned as kingswithout us, and indeed I wish
you did reign, that we alsomight reign with you.
So Paul is showing them theirself-sufficiency and pride.
(27:24):
The Corinthians were acting asif they had already arrived at
spiritual maturity and fullness,believing they needed nothing
more.
But Paul is challenging thismindset by pointing out their
arrogance and reminding themthat they need to continue to
grow in their dependence uponJesus.
(27:45):
Jesus didn't save them so thatthey could then figure out oh I
got this all figured out, watchme go.
It had nothing to do with them,it was only to glorify Jesus
more.
So Paul says this, for I thinkthat God has displayed us, the
apostles last, as men condemnedto death, for we have been made
(28:07):
a spectacle to the world, bothto angels and to men.
So now he's going to comparethe life of humility and faith
with their life that they'vebeen living, which is a life of
pride and self-sufficiency.
And this is the root of theproblem.
So Paul is going to say all theapostles, we are living this
(28:30):
humility life, this life offaith.
So he says we're like condemnedto death, which is very biblical
, because my old self iscrucified with Christ.
So that's how I and death areone.
This is what is on display inour lives.
(28:51):
Why don't you just go arounddoing whatever you want to do?
Well, that part of me died.
Why do you live the way youlive?
Well, the old me died, but weknow you.
You still live on the island,you still live here.
You didn't die, you're stillalive, I know.
But the old me died on thecross with Jesus.
(29:12):
Well then, who's living now?
Well, actually, jesus livesthrough me because he rose from
the dead and I rise with him,and that's the gospel.
Isn't that amazing how thatworks.
So, yes, we have been condemnedto death, it appears, and
living humility accepts that andsays, yeah, my old self was
(29:33):
condemned to death.
It's kind of like God only hadone prescription for what was
wrong with us, and thatprescription was death.
Death is the only thing.
Yeah, the pharmacist laughs.
That was perfect.
Death is the only thing thatcan fix you, bro.
(29:57):
That can fix you, bro, and itwas, and that is the gospel.
Death is the only solution forour sin.
God could.
This is not a reformationproject.
This is not.
How are we gonna fix you?
How are we gonna?
How are we gonna.
What rules can we give to fixyou and make your life look
better?
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.
(30:18):
Death is the only solution, andif you have not died with
Christ yet, you have a differentdeath coming, and that's the
scary part.
You want to die with Christ nowso that you can live with him
now and in the future.
What do I need to boast about,when my whole part in this was
(30:42):
simply that I died with Jesusand then I was raised with him?
What can I boast about In ourlives?
It demonstrates humility whenwe remember that our
self-focused lives ended at thecross.
In the world and even spiritualbeings angels can see humility.
(31:04):
If we could have spiritualglasses on.
When we looked at each person,you know how some people say I
can see your aura.
I made myself laugh, sorry.
So the world says that if wehad spiritual glasses, we would
(31:29):
be able to see humility.
A heart that depended upon Godand pride would be a different
color, and that's how the worldwould look to us.
He says we are fools, forChrist's sake, but you are wise
in Christ.
Again, paul's being a littlesarcastic with them, but he's
(31:50):
pointing out the differencebetween his life of humility and
their life of pride.
He's saying pride says I'm wiseand I have figured this all out
.
If I need wisdom, I look to me.
What do you do when you needwisdom?
Well, I got to think long andhard about this.
(32:10):
Who are you looking to ifyou're doing that?
Well, let me do some researchand figure out and I'm not
saying these are bad things, butwho do we really look to when
you need wisdom?
Well, the Word of God saysthat's humility.
Jesus has done this and I'mgoing to put my faith in it.
(32:32):
That's humility and faith.
So humility says I don't careif you think I'm foolish, I'm
going to keep trusting in Jesusand His Word, I don't care what
you think about me.
That's why going to keeptrusting in Jesus and his word,
I don't care what you thinkabout me.
That's why he says we are fools.
For Christ's sake, they thoughthe was foolish.
They thought he was dumb,stupid, for just trusting in
(32:55):
Jesus.
And I'm telling you, the worldwill laugh at you guys for
coming to church here when theyrealize what we're teaching.
Laugh at you guys for coming tochurch here when they realize
what we're teaching, that weteach faith in Jesus 100%.
You will be mocked.
I'll be mocked.
They'll make fun of us becausewe're exclusive.
(33:16):
We trust in Jesus exclusively,as he asks us to, as the Spirit
leads us, as the Word of Godteaches, we don't mix our
message.
Yeah, jesus is awesome, butlet's see what you guys can do.
Everyone ready Rah, rah, rah,let's go, let's get out there,
let's do all the stuff.
That's not the gospel.
(33:38):
That's not what we're going todo.
I'm going to tell you guys allthat Jesus has done for you, all
that Jesus tells you about youridentity, and I'm going to
unleash you to go do whateveryou want.
And what you're going to wantto do is honor your Father and
love.
And it's just going to come outof you like fruit.
It's going to be amazing.
So he says we're fools forChrist's sake, but you are wise.
(33:59):
He says we are weak, but youare strong.
Pride, let me tell you.
Pride can always be recognizedin your heart and in my life
when I say I got this, I'mstrong enough, I got this Before
a fall comes.
Pride, right, I got this.
We can't ever think that that'sthe way of self-sufficiency.
(34:21):
Okay, we can't think we gotthis.
We can't think that way.
That's not the gospel.
He says we are weak.
Humility says I know I needJesus so much that I would kill
all of you if I had a chance andI wasn't controlled by him.
Maybe not that extreme, but youget the point.
He says you are distinguishedbut we are dishonored.
(34:43):
So the life of pride says Ilove getting honor, I love
people talking about me, I lovebeing the center of attention,
or I love not getting anyattention at all because I don't
feel comfortable and I feellike I have to impress everybody
.
So I shrivel in the corner andI don't open my heart to anybody
(35:04):
.
I don't get to know anybody.
Both of them are you valueman's opinion of you more than
you value what God says aboutyou and God's opinion of you.
Man-pleasing is what that is.
Pride is what that is.
So pride can reveal itself by Ilove the attention or I hate
the attention.
Both of them can be pride,Because who are you looking at
(35:28):
in both situations?
Me.
That's what pride is.
That's the root of the issue.
Humility just says even if I'mignored or laughed at, I just
keep my eyes on Jesus and hopehe gets all the glory and all
the attention and that's wherelife is.
So he says to this present hour, we both hunger and thirst.
(35:51):
We're poorly clothed and beatenand homeless.
We labor, working with our ownhands, being reviled.
We bless being persecuted, weendure being defamed, we entreat
or we treat kindly.
So this is humility on display.
Paul says look at my life.
I don't have all the stuff thatI need, but I accept what God
(36:19):
has chosen for me.
I trust that he has a plan andhe has a purpose in everything
that is happening to me, even ifit's not comfortable.
And I will spend my lifeworking, blessing others.
Not being lazy, focused onmyself, but being others focused
.
Instead of desiring to servemyself or be served, I'm going
(36:42):
to pour my life out for otherpeople and when people are mean
to me, I'm going to respond tothem with blessing and love.
That's what humility on displaylooks like.
This is all the opposite ofself-life.
This is the opposite of how wewere born.
(37:03):
This is the opposite ofself-life.
This is the opposite of how wewere born.
This is the opposite ofself-sufficiency.
We have all.
And then he says we have allbeen made as we have been made
as the filth of the world, theoff-scouring of all things.
Until now what he's saying?
There is, my value doesn't comefrom what the world thinks of
(37:24):
me, and it's never even blessedme anyway.
What have I ever gotten fromtrying to please the world?
It just says great now, whatcan you do for me now?
What can you do for me now?
What can you do for me?
Impress me more, impress memore.
And Paul says I do not writethese things to shame you, but
(37:45):
as my beloved children, I warnyou.
So I think Paul is actuallyusing some humor in saying all
this.
He's asking these questions andhe's not being mean about it,
but he wants to warn them.
Why?
Because he thinks he's betterthan them.
That's not what he says.
(38:07):
You guys should have all beenlike no, we're throwing apples
at the stage and tomatoes,because I know you bring your
fruit to church ready to chuckit.
He doesn't say yeah, you gotstrawberries right there.
I should have been ducking.
He does not say I'm better thanyou and I know better than you,
but he says I love you, you'remy children and I'm warning you.
(38:33):
Look, he goes even further.
For though you might have10,000 instructors in Christ,
yet you do not have many fathers.
For in Christ Jesus, I havebegotten you through the gospel.
Therefore, I urge you, imitateme.
So this correction might seem,might feel, shameful to them.
Ah man, I'm ashamed, paul, thatyou're doing this.
(38:56):
But Paul is teaching them theright way, which is the way of
humility.
And he says I'm living this wayfully and that's the best way
to teach is the way Paul's doing.
It is he's living humility.
And he says so, just do what Ido.
Guys, when we had church, was Iall about me?
(39:17):
Was I demanding you all serveme, or was I serving you and
loving you?
He says that's what we're goingafter here, that's what we're
doing here.
He says so Paul is sendingTimothy to remind them, because
(39:44):
we all need reminding in the wayof Christ, which is why we're
going to talk about the life offaith, the path of humility and
faith we're going to talk aboutpretty much every week for the
next 35 years 45 if we're lucky.
We all need reminding of gracebecause when we wake up in the
morning, we have a defaultswitch and that default switch
(40:05):
is bird and self-sufficiency.
I wake up and I think what am Igoing to do today?
I have all these things.
I'm going to live my life.
I'm about me the moment I wakeup it's just like is anyone else
like that?
Yeah, and he says we have tolike, be reminded, and that's
why it is vital to connect withyour heavenly Father in the
(40:28):
mornings, to just spend a momentconnecting with him.
You can open your word and youcan be like Father, speak to me,
reset me according to your wordand your ways.
We need reminding.
James 4.6 says God gives graceto the humble, but he opposes
(40:49):
the proud.
How simple is that.
But we need to remember thateach day.
Pride is the problem.
I'll fight anyone who saysotherwise.
It's the root of the problem.
(41:10):
Now look what he says.
Now, some are puffed up.
Puffed up is a good way Pauldescribes pride.
I think of the jellyfish I seeout there on the beach and
they're puffed up and I alwayswant to just go poke them.
I want to so bad, just to feelit.
He says some are puffed up, asthough I were not coming to you.
(41:30):
But I will come shortly, if theLord wills, and I will know not
the word of those who arepuffed up, but the power, ooh,
for the kingdom of God is not inword power.
You see, paul's like I'm notscared.
I'm not scared to come to youguys, I'm not scared to bring
(41:51):
the truth, because pride cuts usoff from the power of God.
Pride cuts us off from thepower of God.
He wanted them to have thepower.
When you don't go to church,when you go to church and
there's no power, it sucks Likeyou walk out like why did we do
this?
But sometimes you connect withGod, you just get alone with him
(42:16):
and there is power there andyour life is transformed.
How is this?
In Ephesians 3.20 it says Now,him who is able to do
exceedingly, abundantly.
Above all, we ask or thinkaccording to the power that
works within us.
The word power in Greek isdunimas, probably.
(42:37):
I don't know how to pronounceit, but it's where you get the
word dynamite from, and dynamitecomes from the same word.
Paul is jealous for his kids toknow the real life that they've
been given, the power thatthey've been given.
And I'm also jealous for youguys in this room and all on the
(43:02):
internet, all around the world,people watching us, to know
that power.
We can truly have a powerfullyimpactful life on this island
and across this world.
But it will never happen bybeing puffed up, ever, never,
never.
And Paul says don't even try.
I mean, you can try as hard asyou want, but it's not going to
(43:23):
work.
You will never impact a singleperson In your marriage.
Nothing will ever get fixed ifyou are walking in pride, if
you're puffed up With each other.
The only path to see God's powerunleashed in your marriage is
(43:43):
humility, same with yourrelationships at church, same
with your relationships withyour kids and your parents.
Humility is the only way to seeGod's power unleashed and he
will give it to us, because Godgives grace to the humble but he
opposes the proud.
So what do you want?
(44:04):
He says Shall I come to youwith a rod or in love and a
spirit of gentleness?
Paul's saying he loves themenough to correct them, but they
get to choose how this all goes.
And that's the point of thischapter.
Okay, paul loves his familyenough to correct them.
Okay, paul loves his familyenough to correct them.
(44:27):
And the issue that needscorrected in their lives and in
our church is pride.
Pride will cause a bunch ofother sins.
Pride causes all the other sinsand Paul's going to address all
those sins in the next fewchapters.
And it's going to be crazybecause we're going to talk
about all the sins.
(44:47):
I don't know if you've readahead, but you're like I wonder
how pastor's going to talk aboutthis Pride and humility.
That's why this week is sovital and so important for us to
understand, because if you comenext week and you're like, all
right, tell me about my sins,pastor, it's already done, it's
(45:12):
already over.
You're not going to hear thewisdom of God, you're not going
to see the power of God in yourlife, you're just going to hear
words.
And I don't want you to justhear words.
I want you to see the power.
Pride is always the destructivething that causes the sins that
(45:34):
eventually kill and destroy ourfamilies and our relationship
with God.
Paul identify the problemswhich he'll do in the next few
chapters, which is being puffedup in pride, even if they got
(45:55):
mad at him and people did getmad at him and call him names,
etc.
Close on this one verse, okay.
Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5through 11.
It says Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
who, being in the form of God,did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but madehimself of no reputation, taking
(46:18):
the form of a bondservant andcoming in the likeness of men.
Did you see those three thingsright there, three descriptions
of what humility looks like.
He didn't care what peoplethought about him.
No care about it.
He made himself.
He took the form of abondservant, he lived before my
(46:41):
needs Another great descriptionof humility.
And third, he says and he camein the likeness of men, which
means he identified with yourproblems.
Your problems were his, youyour problems.
That's what humility is Always.
Others focused, he says.
(47:03):
He was found in appearance as aman and he humbled himself and
became obedient to the point ofdeath, even the death of the
cross.
Therefore, god also hashighlighted him and given him
the name, which is above everyname, that at the name of Jesus,
every knee should be and everytongue should confess that Jesus
(47:23):
Christ is the Lord, to theglory of Faith today, because
Jesus is humility.
If Jesus lives in you, this iswho you really are and what
(47:45):
you're really all about.
This is your life.
Humility, pride is a poisonouscorruption of my soul.
How do I know?
It comes from Satan, theultimate rusty gut bucket.
(48:06):
I just like calling them namesbecause I'm allowed.
Go ahead and come up here andlet's sing a song.
The end of this verse is justlike we should just let our
tongues confess how incredibleJesus is, how amazing Jesus is
for his grace.
(48:27):
If you have never come into arelationship with Jesus where
you know that Jesus' blood haswashed away your sin, today is
the day to do that, to say,jesus, I believe in your life
and your death and I want tolive.
I want I believe in your lifeand your death and I want to
live.
I want you to live through me.
(48:48):
I want your death on the crossto be my death also.
I'm tired of living a self lifeand I want to live a Jesus life.
I want to live a spirit life.
I want you to live in me andthrough me and right now, just
cry out to him and say Jesus, dothis in me.
And maybe you have been walkingwith Jesus for a long time, but
(49:10):
this self-life has been justthe way.
It's just been the only waythat you've known and this is
brand new, shocking news to youthat Jesus says come, invites
you to the humble life of hisspirit.
Then say Jesus, take all of me.
Jesus, I want all of you, Iwant your humble life to be my
(49:36):
life.
Would you guys all stand withus?
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