280 Sermon Illustrations on Humility

When we're out to eat, we like to bring a little light-heartedness into the life of the person who is serving our table. My wife suggests that I'm on the "10 Most Wanted List" of waitresses, but I'm just trying to put a little fun in their day. For example, I tell her we can't order because we don't know her name - my mother told me never to talk to strangers. That helps us get acquainted. Later, when she checks back with us, she'll often ask, "Is your dinner okay?" And I like to say, "Oh, it sure is! You're a great cook." She'll get all flustered and usually answer, "Oh, I don't cook your dinner - I just serve it."

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Only Passing It On."

The waitress is right. As much as I appreciate her service, she does not get the credit for the great dinner I'm eating. She's just passing on the good work that someone else did. So are we - as we score our victories, touch some lives, accomplish some good things. We are only serving up what someone else actually has done - what God has done.

Which makes any pride or sense of superiority totally inappropriate. Imagine if, after I compliment our waitress on what a great cook she is, she said, "Well, thank you very much. I've worked hard to be able to prepare food that so many people like. I'm glad you appreciate what I've done." She would be totally out of touch with reality. She'd be stealing the credit that belongs only to the cook. Sounds ridiculous, but that's exactly what we do all too often as we get proud and inflated over what we have done - when, in fact, "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father." (James 1:17) Our pride is stealing the glory from the only One who deserves it. The One who says, "I am the Lord. I will not give My glory to another."

In 1 Corinthians 4:7, God asks two probing questions that expose the foolishness of human pride. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" Anything you or I do that's good, any ability or opportunity we have, any success we have enjoyed is a gift from God, not a personal achievement.

We need to regularly let God give us a spiritual x-ray to see if any of that cancer of pride has started to grow in us. Look, you can be proud of your qualifications, your education, your experience, your resume, your ability, your important connections, your achievements. If you've gotten a little inflated over any of those, if you feel just a little superior to others, if you find yourself saying, "I'm really something" instead of "God's really something" - well, according to God's Word, you're headed for a reality check from heaven. You're headed for a fall.

Peter says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." If you want God against you, you just start thinking you're something ... just start promoting yourself. "Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand," Peter says, "that He may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:5-6) If you lift yourself up, God will bring you down. If you humble yourself, God will lift you up. And He can do it much better than you can.

So quit thinking or acting as if you're the one producing your success. You are serving up what God has done - and He gets all the glory!

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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I am convinced that humility is our necessary response to God. Christ and the cross can touch neither heart nor head without humility. A sobering corollary to this theorem of mine is: the longer I live the Christian life, the more I am confounded by the depths of my pride and my inability to even realize my pridefulness, much less change it. All authentic spiritual growth and activity in my life starts with the realization of these two facts: the necessity of humility and the obstinate character of my pride.

This can lead to despair, for I realize that what is essential to Christian vitality is out of my reach. Repentance is much akin to this. John the Baptist, the one who prepares the way for Christ, commands us to repent. But what is one to do when you want to repent but no soul-quaking occurs? One cannot manufacture repentance on demand, but the Christian life demands ample measures of it. So too with humility. We cannot manufacture it — for that is hubristic humility — but the Christian life demands ample measures of it. Our only recourse is to ask God to make us humble. Having done that, we should ask Him again, but only with more fervency, for without it we are lost — literally. If still our hearts persist in pride or in stoniness, we must compel ourselves to begging and pleading with God to make us humble.

Humility is a jewel. It is precious. We should not be surprised that it is costly to obtain. The cost is our pride. This is a dear commodity that I have employed for years — a difficult thing to surrender. Prideful habits of heart, mind, and will have formed, many of which I rarely realize exist. I doubt it is much different for you. This is where trust in Christ and the promised work of the Holy Spirit is essential. We must throw ourselves into His arms outstretched on the Cross. We must confront the horrible reality that He is there, nailed to a tree, struggling for a breath, mocked, naked, for you and for me. My sinfulness demanded the Cross. That is the degree of my odiousness. If I want a true picture of who I am, I should not look in the mirror or to my resume, I should take a good hard look at the Cross. For that moment, more than any other, defines me without regeneration.

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Copyright © 2002 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #17771]

It is said that long ago there lived a saint so good that the angels came down to see how a mortal could be so godly. He went about his daily work diffusing virtue as a star diffuses light, as a flower emits perfume, without being aware of it. Two words told the story of his days-he gave; he forgave. Yet these words never fell from lips; they were only expressed by his smile, in his forbearance and charity.

The angels asked God that the gift of miracles might be given to this good man. The answer was, "Yes; ask him what he wishes." So the angels spoke to him about it. Would he choose that the touch of his hand should heal the sick? He said, no, that he would rather God should do that. Would he have power to convert souls? He answered, no, that it was the Holy Spirit's work. What, then, did he desire? He said, "That God may give me His grace." When pressed further to give the particular power he would have, he replied, "That I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it." Then it was decided that every time the saint's shadow should fall behind or on either side, so that he could not see it, it should have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow. Thus it came to pass that, falling thus out of his sight, his shadow made withered plants grow again, and fading flowers sweet, gave health to pale children and joy to unhappy mothers. But the saint was never aware of the blessings that flowed from him. And the people, respecting his humility, even forgot his name and spoke of him as the Holy Shadow. How different this dear saint was from some of the present-day leaders in our religious circles whose names almost overshadow the name of Him whom they preach.

"What do you think of the candidates?" That's what a reporter for a news magazine asked a young woman at Dartmouth University after a debate among presidential hopefuls. She didn't say a word about their positions on the issues or their skill at debate. She simply remarked, "None of them seems to have any humility."

Benjamin Franklin, the early American statesman, made a list of character qualities that he wanted to develop in his own life. When he mastered one virtue, he went on to the next. He did pretty well, he said, until he got to humility. Every time he thought he was making significant progress, he would be so pleased with himself that he became proud.

Humility is an elusive virtue. Even Jesus' disciples struggled with it. When Jesus learned that they had been arguing about who was the greatest, He responded, "If anyone desires to be first, he should be last of all and servant of all" (Mk. 9:35). Then He took a little child in His arms and indicated that we need to humbly serve others as if we were serving Christ.

If a news reporter were to talk to our friends, neighbors, or fellow church members and ask them to describe us, would they use the word humble? --DCE

True greatness does not lie with those

Who strive for worldly fame;

It lies instead with those who choose

To serve in Jesus' name. --DJD

Humility can be sought but never celebrated.

I imagine a man must have a good deal of Vanity who believes, and a good deal of Boldness who affirms, that all the doctrines he holds are true; and all he rejects are false. And perhaps the same may be said of every Sect, Church and Society of men when they assume to themselves that infallibility which they deny to Popes and Councils. I think Opinions should be judged of by their Influences and Effects.

-- Benjamin Franklin

I had the opportunity of conversing with Mrs. May Moody Whittle, D. L. Moody's daughter-in-law. I asked her what was her outstanding memory in the life of Dwight L. Moody. Do you know what she said? "He could tell his children that he was wrong and ask them to forgive him." She went on to tell me that one day the children let the horses out of the stable and it took him a long time to get them back. He really told them off. Finally, at night when the children were in bed, Mr. Moody went up and apologized to them for having spoken as he did. This trait is what his children esteemed more than anything else in their father.

Since we're living in the country these days, old city boy here is seeing a lot more farm animals - and learning a lot. There are even some donkeys nearby. It's kind of fun to hear their braying - you know, there's literally no other animal that sounds quite like a donkey. Now, one these is gray, the other one is brown, but they both have the same marking on their back. It's one long dark line along their spine and a shorter dark line across their shoulders - it actually makes a cross. One old farmer told my wife that all donkeys have that cross - and that they have it because a donkey carried Jesus to His birth and on Palm Sunday. I don't know the reason, but there's no doubt that many a donkey carries the cross on his back.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "A Donkey With A Cross."

I have to tell you that I saw myself when I looked at those donkeys. No, I don't have donkey ears and I don't bray. But in a lot of ways, I am sort of a donkey who carries the cross of Jesus. Jesus' great ambassador Paul knew that the message of the cross - the one that he carried everywhere he went - was all he really had to offer. In our word for today from the Word of God in Galatians 6:14, he simply says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Oh, Paul had a list of Christian accomplishments that would dwarf anything any of us could be proud of. But he knew who he was - in his own words, "the less than the least of all God's people." (Ephesians 3:8) He said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." (I Timothy 1:15)

Several years ago I was surprised at a large Christian event by the presentation of a wonderful award. In fact, I was almost in shock as I went up to accept the award. They wanted me to say something, and, for once in my life, I did not know what I would say. And this verse, King James style, was all I could think of - "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." See, I'm nothing without the cross. Paul was nothing without the cross. You're nothing without the cross.

This isn't a matter of putting yourself down and insulting God by saying that He created someone worthless. We are "His workmanship." (Ephesians 2:10) But without the cross, we are stranded in an orbit away from the One who gave us our worth - and the death of Jesus on that brutal cross is the only way to connect with our Creator.

If you've drifted into promoting yourself these days ... if you've been trying to get attention or recognition or advancement for yourself ... how about going out of the self-promoting business? God has you here to promote Jesus and His cross.

God doesn't need you or me - but when we pick up our cross to follow Jesus, He appoints us to His service. And He gives a simple mission to you and me - in a sense, the one He's given those donkeys ... "Carry My cross wherever you go!"

Are you? Your mission is to take as many people as you can by the hand and lead them up Skull Hill to the foot of Jesus' cross where you show them how much Jesus loves them. Anyone who knows you for very long should be guided by you to the cross. I pray that you will not be ashamed of the cross of Jesus - aren't you thankful He wasn't ashamed of you when He died for you on the cross?

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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To discover God's higher road, Christians must stop trying to do something for God but determine instead to become someone for God, Thomas Strong, dean of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's Leavell College, exhorted a chapel audience of faculty, students and guests.

"The process of becoming someone God has called me to be is not something I have mastered," Strong confessed. "It is an ongoing process that will not be complete until I meet Jesus face to face."

From Isaiah 66, Strong described three characteristics of the Christian choosing to take the higher road:

-- First, that person is humble. "He has come to understand his total dependence on God," Strong said. "We are completely inadequate and all that we have is not enough."

As an illustration, Strong shared a story about a top seminary graduate who, confident in his achievements, proudly approached the pulpit to give his first sermon. He suddenly forgot his entire message.

"After fumbling awkwardly through some Scriptures and trying unsuccessfully to salvage his sermon, the embarrassed young man finally walked off the platform with his head down. At the end of the service," Strong continued, "an elderly gentleman approached the broken young pastor and said, 'If you had gone up the way you came down, you might have gone down from the pulpit the way you came up.'"

-- Two, that person is contrite in spirit. "We are broken when we see ourselves as sinners saved by God's grace," Strong said.

Strong cited a national survey of cell phone users, saying 25 percent of the portable phones carried are not even activated. Some Christians similarly never grasp the full understanding of God's grace, he said.

"Will you and I just pretend and be of no value or will we come to the point when we say, 'Oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner?'" Strong asked.

-- Three, that person is reverent before God. "He listens to God speak and then does what God says," Strong said.

"One of the challenges we face in ministry is we speak so often for God to other people and we forget that God must speak to us first," Strong added. "Unless we fall down before God and tremble, we have no right to speak to other people."

Appealing to the seminary students' and faculty's desires to not settle for anything less than God's calling on their lives, Strong concluded his message with the following challenge:

"God wants to do great things in our lives and great things in this city, but he will only move if we become the humble, broken and reverent people God calls us to be."

________________

Heard is a master of divinity student at NOBTS.

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"The danger of pride is that it feeds on goodness."

-- traditional saying

"Humble people don't think less of themselves ... they just think about themselves less."

-- Norman Vincent Peale

"You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit."

-- Harry S. Truman, QFTM 10/25/03

"We grow small trying to be great."

-- E. Stanley Jones, QFTM 10/25/03

"None are so empty as those who are full of themselves."

-- Andrew Jackson, QFTM 2/14/04

As the story goes, the courtiers of the 11th-century Anglo-Scandinavian king, Canute, told him that he was “so great, he could command the tides of the sea to go back.”

Knowing that this was nonsense, Canute, a pious Christian, had his throne moved to the beach. As the waves came in, he commanded them to desist. When the waves paid him no mind, he proclaimed, “Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings. For there is none worthy of the name but God, whom heaven, earth and sea obey.”

Twenty-first century governmental leaders could learn a lot from this 11th-century Viking king.

At the recent G8 summit, the leaders of the world’s largest industrialized economies agreed to stop the world from getting too warm. Really. In their communique, they said that “the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees [Celsius].” Or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just like it’s one thing to command the waves the desist and another to literally stem the tide, saying that temperatures ought not to rise and actually making that happen are entirely different matters.

By way of making that happen, the G8 communique calls for the 32 industrialized nations to cut CO2 emissions 80 percent by 2050. As you no doubt realize, 32 nations are more than 8 nations. That means that the G8’s plans to limit the world’s temperatures require that other countries join them in standing athwart the climate and saying, “Go back!”

Or, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel put it, “even if all G8 countries cut their emissions, we will not meet the 2 degree goal without the emerging economies.”

And the problem is that the emerging economies like China, India, and Brazil have no interest in yelling, “Go back!” Brazilian president Lula spoke for many when he said, “We don’t want to continue to be second-class citizens. We want to go to the top floor.” For that matter, Russia, a member of the G8, has said that it won’t “sacrifice economic growth for the sake of emission reduction.”

Nobody knows how, or even if, the kind of cuts being discussed can be made without sacrificing economic growth.

What is certain is that simply declaring that the world shouldn’t warm up more than we want won’t magically solve the technical and economic challenges.

To be fair, not everything about the pronouncement was Canute-like. For one thing, I am fairly certain that nobody was seated on a throne when the communique was released.

But while the Viking king knew the limits of his authority and competence, the hubris of world leaders today, in contrast, has us imagining that we can control the weather. As the G8 was setting the global thermostat, Bill Gates and others claimed to have developed a technology that suppresses hurricanes. I’m serious.

It isn’t only the weather. We also speak about “directing our evolution” through biotechnology. Our confidence in our ability to control nature knows no bounds.

Eventually, the tide will come in. Let’s pray that it’s only our vanity that gets washed away.

________

Copyright (c) 2009 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #7649]

1. Pass me not, O gentle Saviour–

Hear my humble cry!

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Chorus:

Saviour, Saviour,

Hear my humble cry!

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

2. Let me at a throne of mercy

Find a sweet relief;

Kneeling there in deep contrition–

Help my unbelief.

3. Trusting only in Thy merit,

Would I seek Thy face;

Heal my wounded, broken spirit,

Save me by Thy grace.

4. Thou the spring of all my comfort,

More than life to me!

Whom have I on earth beside Thee?

Whom in heav’n but Thee?

Read Psalm 30:1-12

Two words are repeated seven times in Psalm 30 — “you have.” David is praising God for what He had done for him. Are you doing that today? Perhaps you’ve seen the plaque that says, “Prayer changes things,” and that’s true. I’ve also seen a plaque that says, “Praise changes things,” and that also is true. It’s amazing how our whole attitude and whole outlook can be transformed by praising God.

In verse 6 David gives a testimony: “Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.”’ When we have prosperity without humility, it leads to adversity. Why? Because we start to be more concerned with things than we are with God. David said in his prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” But then he found out that he could be moved. He found out that his prosperity did not guarantee security. So instead of saying “I shall” or “I shall not,” he began saying “You have.” He submitted his will to God’s will. “You have” defeated the enemy. “For You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me” (v. 1). “You have” given me victory. “You have” answered prayer. “You have healed me” (v. 2). “You have brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive” (v. 3).

God did some marvelous things for David. He defeated his enemy, answered his prayer, saved his life and established him (v. 7). And then He gave him joy. “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness” (v. 11). Do you want your life to be transformed today? Move from “I shall” to “You have” and, in humility, praise God for what He has done.

Submitting to God is an exercise in humility. Until you humble yourself before Him and concern yourself with the things of God, you will not become established. For God to work in your life, your will must be aligned with His. Are you submitted to Him? If not, humble yourself before Him and allow Him to transform your life.

When I was younger, I thought that there was probably an answer to every problem. For a time, I knew many of the answers.

I knew about parenting until I had children.

I knew about divorce until I got one.

I knew about suicide until three of my closest friends took their lives in the same year.

I knew about the death of a child until my child died.

I'm not as impressed with answers as once I was. Answers seem so pallid, sucked dry and void of life.

Knowing answers seduces us into making pronouncements. I still have a few friends or acquaintances who are 100% sure on most anything, and are ready to make pronouncements on homosexuality, AIDS, teenage pregnancies, abortion, sex education or whatever is coming down the pike. But, when we get shoved into the valley of our shadow, a pronouncement is the last thing we want.

More important and satisfying than answers is the Answerer. “Thou art with me” -- that's what we crave. There may or may not be answers, but the Eternal One would like very much to be our companion.

_____________

Submitted by Rev. Craig Watters, Senior Pastor First Baptist Church of Louisville, Colorado

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That great African-American educator Booker T. Washington exemplified the beauty of a humble spirit. One day as Professor Washington was walking to work at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he happened to pass the mansion of a wealthy woman.

The woman, who did not recognize him, called out, “Hey you! Come here! I need some wood chopped!” She was a product of her culture and simply perceived him as a black man who was there to do her bidding.

Without a word, Dr. Washington peeled off his jacket, picked up the ax, and went to work. He not only cut a large pile of wood, he also carried the firewood into the house and arranged it neatly.

He had scarcely left when a servant said to the woman, “I guess you didn’t recognize him, ma’am, but that was Professor Washington!”

Embarrassed and ashamed, the woman hurried over to Tuskegee Institute to apologize. The great educator humbly replied: “There’s no need to apologize, madam. I’m delighted to do favors for my friends!”

“[Let] nothing [be done] through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV)

Humility

• let…vainglory — Gal 5:26, Jam 3:14 — an ill motive destroys the virtue of the deed

• but…mind — 1 Pet 5:5, Eph 5:21 — in humility

• better — superior. in talent, etc.

• look…things — Rom 15:2, 1 Cor 10:24, 33, 13:5 — as though wisdom would die, and the work cease, with him

• but…others — awarding to them the praise that is due

Our own and others’ things — S. Martin

I. What do these words prohibit?

1. What do they forbid? — supreme regard for our own things — the closing of the eye, the heart, and the hand to the affairs of others;

2. Why is this forbidden? — because it is not God-like — it transgresses the laws which demand love — it bdcometh not the Gospel of Christ — it is personally injurious.

II. What do they require?

1. Sympathy with others;

2. Readiness to defend and serve thers;

3. Avoidance of all that will damage others.

III. To what extent are these obligatory? — to every man — however rich — however poor.

Conclusion: The text-

1. Illustrates the practical character of New Testament teaching;

2. Exhibits a very high standard of conduct, and leads us where we may hear Christ’s voice;

3. Shows that a selfish man cannot be a thorough and consistent Christian;

4. Exalts before our eyes the dispensation to which it belongs.

Self-sacrificing kindness — A fire having broken out in a village of Denmark, one of the inhabitants, a poor man, was very active in affording assistance; but every endeavour to extinguish the flames was in vain. At length he was told that his own house was in danger, and that if he wished to save his furniture, not a moment was to be lost. “There is something more precious,” replied he, “that I must first save. My poor sick neighbour is not able to help himself; he will be lost if I do not assist him I am sure he relies upon me.” He flew to his neighbour’s house, rushed at the hazard of his life through the flames, and conveyed the sick man in his arms to a place of safety. A society at Copenhagen showed their approbation of his conduct by presenting him with a silver cup filled with Danish crowns.

“Still there are a few spirits upon earth so mean and contracted as to centre all regards on their own interest, exclusive of the rest of mankind.” — Berkeley

“Men are so employed about themselves, that they have not leisure to distinguish and penetrate into others; which is the cause why great merit, joined to great modesty, may be a long time before, it is discovered.” — La Bruyère

All my life I have heard that in order to come to Jesus one must have a “childlike faith.” I had a difficult time with that concept for many years, for it usually meant that one must have the “naiveté,” “simplicity,” or even the “blind resolve” of a child. This did not reconcile with what I saw in the rest of the Scripture regarding how we are to think of God. Solomon obviously did not hold this view when he wrote, “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding”(Prov 3:13). David says to “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8). Furthermore, when I looked up the meaning of “faith” in the original language, I found that it involved having confidence in something that was trustworthy (or faithful). It did not imply anything associated with acting blindly.

I recently received a letter from a lady expressing the tension she was finding in her own life. On one side she wrestled with some of the more difficult doctrines and truths of Scripture. But on the other side she continued to hear she should have a 'childlike faith.’ This was an impossible reconciliation for her and left her somewhat spiritually paralyzed.

Where did we get this idea of “childlike faith”? I searched through nearly a dozen different English translations to find the phrase. I could not find it. Rather, the only reference that emerged was the familiar passage of Jesus in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It is easy to take verses like this out of context. If it were true that Jesus wanted us to make an endless list of metaphors for children, he would have certainly left us with an interesting picture. The picture that usually comes to the modern mind is one of “simplicity.” Children accept everything you tell them, whether you are a parent or a sinister bully on the playground. “Never talk to strangers,” responsible parents tell their kids for good reason.

But other metaphors come to mind that would certainly not apply. Children love to wear their ice cream as well as eat it. Does God want us to become like little children and smear hot fudge across our faces? Children love to chew on their fingers in public. Is Jesus asking us to do the same? How are we to know which metaphors we are to use? Simplicity? Hot fudge? Fingers in the mouth?

If we look at the context of the verse, Jesus spells out what he means in using the metaphor of becoming like a child. It has nothing to do with the popular meaning we attribute to “childlike faith.” In fact, the verse does not even use the word “faith.” Rather, Jesus says, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4).

Read in context, we see that Jesus is referring to one particular attribute of children that is naturally lost in grown-ups. When he speaks of becoming like a child, Jesus means this: humility.

Brennan Manning spells it out this way, “For the disciple of Jesus 'becoming like a little child' means the willingness to accept oneself as being of little account and to be regarded as unimportant,” and may I add — that God is of great account and of utmost importance.

When I look across the landscape of the New Testament I see a church that believed in a Christ who was bodily raised from the dead. They believed it because they had adequate evidence and testimony for it. And when Paul says, “The just shall live by faith,” it is because God's character and “faithfulness” is such that we can bank on his promises. When we cry out to Him in humility, He will hear us. Mature Christians believe in Christ because he is true and is an explanation on which all of life and reality can be based.

Let us do away with this cultural misconception that “childlike faith” equals “intellectual simplicity”; and let us walk boldly forward as humble children of God into the wisdom and greatness the Kingdom of God affords.

__________

Copyright © 2003 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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Pastoral Ministry: Humble Service

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this

life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

--2 Timothy 2:3-4

Save me from the error of judging a church by its size, its

popularity or the amount of its yearly offering. Help me to remember

that I am a prophet--not a promoter, not a religious manager, but a

prophet. Let me never become a slave to crowds. Heal my soul of

carnal ambitions and deliver me from the itch for publicity. Save me

from bondage to things. Let me not waste my days puttering around

the house. Lay Thy terror upon me, O God, and drive me to the place

of prayer where I may wrestle with principalities and powers and the

rulers of the darkness of this world. Deliver me from overeating and

late sleeping. Teach me self-discipline that I may be a good soldier

of Jesus Christ....

And now, O Lord of heaven and earth, I consecrate my remaining days

to Thee; let them be many or few, as Thou wilt. Let me stand before

the great or minister to the poor and lowly; that choice is not

mine, and I would not influence it if I could. I am Thy servant to

do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches

or fame and I choose it above all things on earth or in heaven.

God Tells the Man Who Cares, 105-106.

"Lord, this prayer of Tozer's seems so contrary to the spirit of

today's church growth emphasis, celebrity pastors, and TV

personalities. Enable me by your Holy Spirit to make this prayer

genuinely mine. Amen."

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. — 1 Peter 2:23.

An angry woman, frying pan in hand, ran after ‘a noble ancestor of Hudson Taylor’s, seeking to provoke him into a quarrel. She rubbed it vigorously into his light-colored overcoat the sooty utensil soiling the back of the garment, and her tongue meanwhile lashing the Christian, much to the amusement of the onlookers. James Taylor turned round with a smile, suggesting that if it afforded her satisfaction, she might grease the front as well. The woman, covered with confusion, retired, but the incident was not easily forgotten in the town.

We wonder at Thy lowly mind

And fain would like Thee be,

And all our rest and pleasure find

In learning, Lord, of Thee.

A few years ago, in a press conference following a ceremony in which Corrie ten Boom was given an honorary degree, one of the reporters asked her if it was difficult remaining humble while hearing so much acclaim. She replied immediately, “Young man, when Jesus Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments in the road and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of that donkey that any of that was for him?”

She continued, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in his glory, I give him all the praise and all the honor.”

Jesus’ Farewell Words: Representing Jesus — John 13:12–20 « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. Chapters 13–17 of John recounts Jesus’ farewell words to his followers

1. as I read these words, I would conclude

a. these were all spoken within a very short time-frame, a matter of several hours

b. this occurring during and surrounding the celebration of the Passover and establishment of the Lord’s supper

2. when the disciples were greatly distressed, having heard Jesus repeatedly made reference to His coming suffering

3. so what He says to them is to encourage, to comfort and to calm them in the midst of their anxieties

B. Last week we look at the passage where Jesus washed their feet

1. noting that the disciples on this very evening had been arguing as to which of them would have the greater kingdom position

2. also looking at the interplay between Peter and His Lord

a. at first, reluctant to let His Lord perform this menial task

b. then, lest in any way he should be left out, he asked that not just his feet, but also his hands and his head

3. from these we saw a number of applications

a. perhaps it was one of the disciples (Peter?) had failed in his duty and Jesus compensated by performing his task

b. the spiritual lessons of total cleansing at conversion and the day by day cleansing needed of us who live in this world

c. the humility that Christ’s disciples are called to possess

4. Title for this week, “Representing Jesus” only reflects part of passage

C. John 13:12-20 (NAS)

1. 12 And so when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments, and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master; neither is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

2. 18 “I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘he who eats my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’ 19 From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

D. This section consists of two parts

1. the first is the application of Jesus’ act of washing their feet, which we partly anticipated in our discussion last week

2. the second, enlarges one the theme that they were not every one of them clean, which will anticipate next Sunday’s study

E. What shows that the foot-washing interrupted the supper « — the word again (verse 12) coupled with His rising from supper (verse 4) »

F. What are arguments for & against foot-washing as an ordinance? «

1. Pro: Christ says “you also ought to wash one another’s feet”

2. Con: Christ says it was given as an example, not a command »

G. Look at Matthew 23 which was addressed to the multitudes

1. verse 2; what had the scribes and Pharisees done? « – appointed themselves as spokesmen for Moses »

2. verses 5-7; what were their motives? « – attention, honour, praise »

3. verses 8–10; whom did Jesus say they were depriving? …of what? « – God of His rightful position as Teacher, Father, Leader »

4. do you notice a connexion amongst these titles? « – the Trinity »

5. what do Jesus’ words in John 13 therefore claim? « – His Divinity, 2 Corinthians 5:19; this theme repeats through John 13–17 »

H. What is the application to apostles? « – as ones sent, they must share the self-sacrificing manner of life of their Master »

I. In what sense was Judas chosen (John 6:70) – « as one of the twelve disciples – » in what sense not chosen? « – as one cleansed from sin »

1. what disadvantage kept Judas from this? « – none; he received the same teaching, partook in the same ministry; was sent as an apostle to teach and heal throughout the land with the twelve »

2. what did eating bread with someone signify (eg 2 Samuel 9:11)? « – peace, friendship »

3. since it was the “Spirit of Christ” that gave rise to prophetic utterances, from what Psalm 41:9 & 55:12–14 foretell (David was probably speaking about his trusted counsellor, Ahithophel) , how did Jesus feel about where Judas was heading? « – sad »

4. what is Jesus’ purpose in making these disclosures? « – to confirm the faith of those who would persevere as His followers »

J. Judas was one of those sent, as described in verse 20; what would happened to those who heard his preaching and believe? … what about those who are saved under a man such as Charles Templeton? « – it is not the preacher, teacher, or pastor in whom we believe, but Christ; the failure of the man does not invalidate the message. »

Humility and civility offer common ground where faith and reason can exist in harmony -- whether in a nation or on a Christian university campus. “It is sometimes said -- and it is sometimes the case -- that faith and reason are at war,” said keynote speaker Jon Meacham, managing editor of NEWSWEEK magazine.

But in an age gripped by political and religious extremism, secularists and religionists alike should heed the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “put [a]way childish things” such as the conflict between belief and doubt, religion and science, and faith and reason, said Meacham, author of AMERICAN GOSPEL: GOD, THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE MAKING OF A NATION.

“We must begin to think of the life of the mind and the life of the soul not as enemies, but as two wings that enable all of us to rise above a fallen world,” said Meacham, an Episcopal layman.

Both science and faith are -- in some sense -- about making the invisible and mysterious understandable, and that shared goal of both secular rationalists and people of faith offers the potential for peace, he asserted. “In our country and in our time, I believe it is on the common ground of curiosity and civility and charity and humility that faith between faith and reason is possible,” he said.

Voices of moderation must make themselves heard, or they will be drowned out by the clamor of extremists, Meacham warned. “Extremes make the journey more perilous, and ours is, sadly, an age of extremism,” he said, adding that moderates have a sacred duty to present the “sensible center” in public discourse.

Humility and a sense of history offer Americans a way to find peace in the midst of culture wars, Meacham said, stressing religion can be a force for unity rather than division in the world.

“Reverence for one’s own tradition is not incompatible with respect for the traditions of anyone else,” he said.

The “American gospel” -- the good news about the United States -- is that “religion shapes the nation without strangling it, and life is best lived when Athens and Jerusalem are not at war, but in alliance,” he said, adding religion and ethical secularism have been steadfast allies in many human advances.

America’s founders created a landmark of statecraft by creating a system that checked the rise of extremism and protected personal religious liberty, Meacham said. “Dedicated Christians should be among the fiercest defenders of liberty of mind and heart.”

Faithful Christians who present their views in the public square should make their arguments on the basis of reason and not revelation alone, he asserted. People of faith should humbly recognize their interpretation of God’s revelation is not infallible and they see “through a glass darkly,” as the Apostle Paul said.

“We live in twilight and in hope more than in clarity and certainty. This is why the gift of reason is so essential,” Meacham said. “Light can neither enter into nor emanate from a closed mind.”

Humility and civility should be hallmarks of a Christian university, Lilley said, in remarks following his installation as Baylor’s president.

The challenge for all generations of institutional leaders is to seek “what is right and just and fair,” he said, quoting from the Old Testament book of Proverbs.

“Humility is a virtue that needs the attention of all of us,” he said. “It is the experience of my life that humility is often in short supply at universities -- this one included,” he said.

“I have asked all of us to lower our voices and raise our spirits, and a daily dose of humility can help us as we seek to discover what is right and just and fair.”

Meacham spoke at the inauguration of Baylor University’s president.

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Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. — 1 Peter 5:5.

Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted, or vexed, or irritated,: or sore, or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed and despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret, and be at rest as in a deep sea of calmness when all around and above is trouble. — Andrew Murray.

So shall my walk be close with God,

Calm and serene my frame;

So purer light shall mark the road

That leads me to the Lamb. — C. Cowper.

They huddled together with their hands cupped over their mouths and ears. I stood far enough away that I could see them whispering, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. My friends were telling secrets, and even though I couldn’t hear what they were saying, their askance glances yelled out loud that they were talking about me.

I’m sure you’ve had similar experiences: hushed whispers from the office next door, people suddenly becoming quiet when you come near, memories from childhood of school-yard whisper-sessions between you and your best friend about your ex-best friend, or scenes of whispering classmates pointing and laughing in your direction. Telling secrets can be painful when you aren’t in on the game.

On the other hand, haven’t you also experienced the joy of surprise as a result of the whispering? Perhaps those two friends in the next office were planning to take you to lunch because they remembered it was your birthday. Or you arrive home at your house to find a secret gift left on your doorstep -- perhaps these whispers were plans to extend kindness to you without you knowing. Maybe, whispering in secret is a way to do good deeds in secret without the very human desire to be publicly rewarded for that good. Keeping secrets can be good when the motivation is to practice the discipline of secrecy.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks a great deal about keeping things secret. “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing....but, when you pray, go into your inner room, and pray to your Father who is in secret... but you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:3,6,17-18). In Jesus’s kingdom, there is something to be said for keeping secrets, especially when those secrets nurture humility and protect us from the pride that comes from public lives of righteous living.

Dallas Willard, writing about the spiritual discipline of the secrecy Jesus espouses in the Sermon on the Mount says, “one of the greatest fallacies of our faith, and actually one of the greatest acts of unbelief, is the thought that our spiritual acts and virtues need to be advertised to be known... secrecy, rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God... we allow him to decide when our deeds will be known and when our light will be noticed.”(1) When we desire godly secrecy, Willard goes on to suggest that love and humility before God will develop to the point that we will not only see our friends, family, and associates in a better light, but we will also develop the very Christian virtue of desiring their good above our own.(2) Paul expressed this very truth to the Philippian church when he told them to “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (2:3-4).

Perhaps this practice of secrecy is why Jesus urged many of those he healed not to reveal his identity. Perhaps this practice of secrecy is why Jesus avoided the crowds and would often go off to “lonely places” to pray. Whatever the case, we can follow Jesus more closely as his disciples by keeping secrets -- secret piety, secret prayer, and secret giving. “AND YOUR FATHER WHO SEES IN SECRET WILL REPAY YOU” (Matthew 6:18).

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1. Dallas Willard, THE SPIRIT OF THE DISCIPLINES, (HarperCollins: New York, 1988), 172-173.

2. IBID., 173-174.

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Copyright © 2007 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. "A Slice of Infinity" is a radio ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #20891

The friendship between Elijah and Elisha is a beautiful story of a strong love growing up between an old man and a young one. Elijah was no doubt often the guest in the home of Elisha's father, who was a rich farmer. One day Elijah came through the field, past where Elisha was plowing, and, throwing his mantle over the boy's shoulders, walked away as fast as he could. Elisha knew very well what that meant. It was the call of God to be a prophet. He settled up his affairs at once and went forth with Elijah. As Elijah's translation drew near, Elisha begged that the mantle of the man of God might fall upon him. He had such reverence and love for Elijah that he longed to be like him, and to be able to go on doing his work when he should lay it down. The humility as well as the elevation of a noble soul is revealed in this longing to carry on the work of the Lord in the spirit of his friend.

Do you know what was eaten on the first Thanksgiving Dinner?

Despite what you may have been taught, the Mayflower pilgrims probably didn't have ambrosia, ham, potato salad, and pumpkin pie. Almost assuredly, with their lack of resources, they had roots, berries, wild fowl and perhaps some hasty pudding. Hasty pudding is simply a cornmeal mush, so named for the short time it takes to prepare it.

A chef was preparing a Thanksgiving meal in a restaurant when a young man came running in the back door and shouted at him, "Carl, your house is on fire!" The chef immediately dropped his cookware and bolted out the door with his apron flapping in the breeze. After about fifty yards, he stopped in his tracks and said, "Wait a minute, my name isn't Carl and I don't even have a house!"

Most of us eat "hasty pudding" more often than we will admit. We go off half-cocked with incomplete information to an uncertain location. Happily, our Creator left this advice: "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way" (Proverbs 19:2 NIV. We are to patiently wait on the Lord, for his timely and perfect course of action.

Reflections