Kingdom Humility

Today we are kicking off a series to start the school year called Kingdom Community. When I was building out the fall schedule in January I was really eager to put together a series like this to talk about what exactly it looks like to exist in the kingdom of God.

Jesus said that the kingdom is upon you, right now. We are encouraged to understand that we ought to live and exist in the kingdom of God right now, not wait until we die. The Bible isn’t about bringing us to heaven, it is about us (those in the kingdom) bringing heaven to earth through Jesus Christ our King and Lord.

So what does it look like to live in the kingdom of God here on earth? Matthew 18 is a powerful chapter that sets the tone for the life of the believer.

I am going to list a few things that describe a person of humility. And if you got them all, I want you to have complete and total permission to stand up and leave church early today. Hit whatever restaurant you want, you are doing great. Here are some attributes of humility, let’s see if this message is for you today or not.

1. You actually do pray. It’s funny, people will fight to have prayer in school but when they get it they don’t even pray. Some fight for prayer in our schools and they don’t pray at home. Prayerlessness is the ultimate arrogance. 2 Chron. 7:14, “if my people will humble themselves and… pray.”
2. People can influence you. Not in a fear of man way, but you are open to people speaking into your life.
3. You can be corrected without defending yourself. God has put people in our lives to see our blind spots, it’s a gift they have the courage to speak into your life.
4. You rejoice when others are celebrated. Easy with things we don’t care about, hard with things we want.
5. There is no job too small for you.
6. You don’t always have to be right.
7. You naturally seek advice from other people.
8. You are teachable. When we stop learning we start dying.
9. We freely admit our flaws, our mistakes, and our failures.
10. You live to help others succeed.
11. You are not easily offended. I don’t know if social media creates people’s attitude or reveals it, but this social media world has shown the offense of our culture. People live offended. Carrying offense limits your ability to carry your cross. You are living in arrogance when you don’t let someone go, because Jesus forgave you and he gives you the power to forgive them. Refusing to forgive (and don’t worry we have a whole message on this in a few weeks) is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.
12. You have a thankful attitude. You can’t be thankful and prideful at the same time.
13. You don’t live with a sense of entitlement
14. You are quick to forgive and don’t hold grudges
15. You are confident in who you are and content in who you are not.

Alright, there’s my list. Anyone need to leave? Me neither. Writing this message grieved me to my core. It shook me as the Holy Spirit peeled back the layers of my own pride and showed me my absolute need to repent and turn from hidden pride I had not seen.

You see, we laugh at the disciples for having this discussion about who is the greatest. But in our actions, we are arguing over the very same thing. Pride is a tricky, sneaky thing. Only the Holy Spirit can show us where it is lurking in the depths of our soul. It often hides deep beneath the surface and manifests in ways that aren’t obvious to us. I have three questions for you today:

Who do you strive to be?

The disciples ask Jesus a question in verse 1, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Let me start with this, do you think this is a humble question? Our honest questions to God reveal the honest character of our heart. Have you ever asked God this question, Lord, in what ways am I prideful? Or, Lord, how can I be great in your eyes and your eyes alone?

My question to you today is this: what are you striving to be in God’s kingdom? The disciples had the wrong heart and the wrong question. Their motives were completely centered around themselves instead of God’s. Remember, it’s God’s kingdom, not Peter, James, and John’s kingdom.

Our names don’t belong there either. Look at Parkway, our church. This is the way I see leadership at our church, the further you go up in leadership, from guest to member, from member to ministry leader, from board member to staff member, your preferences get less and less important. As you grow up in leadership and influence, your preferences go down. Because we as the leaders of this church are called to serve, not be served.

We are called to change our mindset from getting our way, to staying out of God’s way as he changes the hearts and lives of our visitors. We aren’t here for us, we are here for him. And when we come here for Jesus, we come here for the right reason. Are you striving to put God first, or yourself first?

Greatness is planted in the seedbed of humility. Greatness is watered by the deeds of servanthood. Pride is when we look down on others, humility is when we look up at God.
“God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This is so important it is said seven times in the New Testament.

Who do you resemble in character?

Jesus uses an example in this powerful moment of teaching what believers should be in the kingdom. He reaches for a child.

Expositors Bible Commentary: “The child is held up as an ideal, not of innocence, purity, or faith, but of humility and unconcern for social status. Jesus advocates humility of mind (v.4), not childishness of thought (cf. 10:16). With such humility comes childlike trust.”

Now let’s evaluate the example of a child for a minute: can a child take care of themselves? Are they very strong? Can they carry the responsibilities of adulthood?

Jesus picks an example that needs a savior, he picks the perfect example for us today. I believe that the church gets in its own way more than the devil does. We are so arrogant, full of our own motivations and answers, and rely solely on our own abilities and wisdom. What would happen if we let go of our pride and fully, I mean fully, like a child has to, relied on our heavenly Father for everything?

New American Bible Commentary: “The disciples’ concern was “who is greatest in the kingdom,” i.e., which one of us is greatest. Jesus replies, “Unless you change, … you will never enter the kingdom.” All who are confident in their own kingdom standing should take stock. Is our confidence that of a child trusting the goodness of our Father, or is our confidence in ourselves?”

Abraham Lincoln: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” Listen to me, humility plus nothing equals promotion. All you need, more than skills, good looks, great money, perfect things, is humility. James 4:10, “humble yourself before the Lord, and he will life you up.” You don’t want to be raised up on your own. You don’t want to be raised up by any man. You want to be raised up by God.

What impact do you have on those around you?

F. D. Bruner comments, “Matthew 18:1–4 calls us to humility, then v. 5 gives us a major way to practice humility.”

New American Bible Commentary: “The “large millstone” (literally, millstone for a donkey) referred to the huge stone wheels that were attached to a horizontal bar connected to a donkey’s harness. As the animal walked around in circles, the wheel rolled over a raised stone slab (similar in appearance to a large birdbath), crushing the grain underneath. GK Pelagei (“depths”) refers to the deepest part of the sea. With this vivid metaphor, Jesus leaves no one in doubt over the certainty of drowning. Jesus’ logic proceeds as in 5:21–22. He does not imply that one evil act leads to damnation, but a life-style characterized by causing others to sin is incompatible with true discipleship.”

Jesus poses a difficult challenge here: he is calling us to cause others to move forward into Jesus rather than forward into sin. Hard question time, do you have the tendency to draw other people to Jesus or to the world? Do you draw people to yourself and your things or to God and his things?

We are Christ’s representatives. When we take a role in the kingdom of God, we represent the king. Just like a soldier who has the courage and bravery to wear that uniform and defend this country, they represent America and its leader. Is the uniform you wear, the life that you live, a good representation of the one you claim to serve?

When we live in the kingdom, we have a responsibility to draw others to Jesus. When we draw them to sin, the world, and outside of what Christ offers, we will face judgment. We need to take seriously every action and every word that we say and ask the Lord to reveal to us where we are representing him poorly.

The way we talk about others, is it negative and judgmental? Are we slow to anger and abounding in love or abounding in judgment and slow to see the good in people? Matthew 7:2, “for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Are we leading people toward Christ? Are we causing people around us to compromise on their values because we are a little more lax with our walk with the Lord? Are we fitting into the world more than we fit into the kingdom?

Boil it down to this: does your walk match your talk? How do we match those things? Humility. Humility is the key to it all. C.S. Lewis said it perfectly in one of my favorite quotes from this incredible author: “true humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.”

Are we actively thinking of ourselves less? Look no further than the ultimate example, the man who is speaking in this passage: Jesus. Philippians 2:5-8, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Conclusion

Pride keeps us from being the people that God has called us to be. But the trouble with pride, is we are often so proud, we don’t even know we are being prideful. This is why I love the Holy Spirit, if you ask, God will show you. He shows us as we read the word and as we spend time in prayer. When I say spend time in prayer, I don’t mean when we run down our Christmas list for God to answer, I mean the time in our prayer life when we just sit and listen.

Have you created space to hear from God on this? Have you postured your heart to be in a place to receive a rebuke from your maker on the condition of your heart? Because if you struggle to even ask, you already know the answer, pride is in there. God wants to get it out.

Pride keeps us from being the people he wants us to be. It keeps us from being effective people in his kingdom. It keeps us from love, joy, peace, patience, and all those wonderful and potent fruit of the Spirit. It keeps us from life and life to the full. Receive life today. Receive by letting go of yourself. We can’t hold on to Jesus and on to ourselves, one has to give. Give yourself and see Christ change it all.