The LORD's Mercy is Very Great - Mar 2, 2014

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SERMON:

To begin our meditation today I’d like to direct your attention to a passage that isn’t part of our sermon reading, or any of our other readings for today either. This passage is found in First Peter chapter 1, verse 12. It says…

“It was revealed to [the prophets] that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12 NIV).

Angels are so ethereal and mysterious to us that sometimes we forget that they are creatures. The Bible tells us that they are immensely powerful, but they are still being created by God. And as such, their powers and abilities aren’t unlimited. The angels who remained faithful to God are indeed sinless and holy, but they are still LEARNING about the great God who made them.

The angels know God all-powerful. They witnessed the creative power of the LORD when he put the universe in order. The angels know the LORD is utterly just. They stood at his side when Satan and his crew were cast out of heaven. The angels know God is all-knowing. Over the course of human history they have seen his prophecies come true, and have even carried some of these prophecies to mankind as his messengers.

But of all the things that cause the angels to praise God, it seems that the LORD’s MERCY is most amazing to them. They long to look into human history to see what God is doing to reclaim the fallen race of man.

There are, no doubt, many things that the angels could teach us about the LORD. But WE are actually in a better position to teach THEM about the LORD’s mercy—for we have experienced THAT first hand.

The story of God’s interaction with mankind is, above all, a story of mercy.

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For the past eight weeks we’ve been getting to know one of the major characters in the Old Testament—king David. We’ve learned a lot about David and his time in history. We’ve seen how he was a sinner, just like us, prone to horrible sins and foolish actions. We’ve seen that the story of the LORD’s interaction with David is, above all, a story of God’s mercy.

David was just a shepherd boy. The youngest of his brothers. But the LORD took him from shepherding the flocks of his father, and made him the shepherd over the people of Israel.

When David sinned, for example, in committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband Uriah, the LORD responded with righteous rebuke, but also, with mercy and forgiveness.

Today as we look one more time into the life of David, we will again see the LORD’s mercy in action.

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David was getting along in years by the time of our sermon reading for today. As an older man, David was beginning to lose the vigor and strength he once knew. Once a mighty warrior in Saul’s army, and a conquering king on his own throne, David had now been banned from the battlefield.

During a battle with the Philistines king David had nearly been killed. Only the quick sword of Abishai saved the king. And from that point on the men swore that David would never again take to the battlefield with them. They would not risk losing their king.

This must have been hard for David to take, but he listened to his men.

Perhaps it was David’s growing frailty that opened the door to temptation. We all know from experience that when we’re tired, or hungry, or weak in some other way, temptation can easily find a foothold in our lives.

Here is what happened to David.

1 Chronicles 21:1-19 (NIV)

^21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. ² So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.”

³ But Joab replied, “May the Lord multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

⁴ The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. ⁵ Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah.

⁶ But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him. ⁷ This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel.

⁸ Then David said to God, “I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

⁹ The Lord said to Gad, David’s seer, ¹⁰ “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ”

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the Lord—days of plague in the land, with the angel of the Lord ravaging every part of Israel.’ Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

¹³ David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”

¹⁴ So the Lord sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. ¹⁵ And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the Lord saw it and relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the Lord was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁶ David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown.

¹⁷ David said to God, “Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Lord my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people.”

¹⁸ Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. ¹⁹ So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord.

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Once again we see that great king David, was just a man. Just a human being, corrupt and sinful just like you and me. Earlier in life David didn’t go around counting up the fighting men to see how strong Israel was. As a young man, when David faced Goliath, he rightly proclaimed,

“…it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:47 NIV).

But now things had changed, and David was counting men. Even Joab, David’s general, could see that this census wasn’t right. But David wouldn’t listen. Temptation had taken hold.

As is the case so often, when the deed was done, David’s conscience gripped him tightly. And in sad repentance, David confessed his sin to God.  

Though a sinner, king David was a man after God’s own heart. When he perceived his sin, he repented and looked to God for forgiveness.

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In this case, the LORD did a remarkable thing. He let David choose his own rebuke. Through the prophet Gad, David was given a choice, 1) Three years of famine, 2) Three months of enemy pursuit by the sword, or 3) Three days of plague from the LORD’s own hand.

David was in deep distress when this decision fell on him. And in the crucible of this pressure to choose, David’s faith in the LORD shines out brightly. All the tragedies and hardships that David had ever faced in life had taught him one thing: It was far better to fall into the hands of the LORD, than to fall into the hands of sinful men. For from men comes sin, and pain, and suffering. But from the LORD comes mercy. David’s words of response are worth hearing again, they are his confession of faith.

“Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into human hands” (1 Chronicles 21:13 NIV).

Of all the things David had learned in life, this was the most valuable pearl of wisdom. With the LORD there is mercy. I pray that God would bless us all with this conviction before we exit this world: I will trust in the LORD, for his mercy is very great.

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David’s sin of counting the fighting men of Israel had its consequences. Horrible consequences chosen by David himself. 70,000 men died. But still, those consequences were limited. And when the angel of the LORD stood ready to strike the city of Jerusalem down, the LORD stayed his hand.

We find the same thing happening in our own lives. Our sins have consequences. Sometimes those consequences are horrible, and chosen by no one else but ourselves.But the LORD’s rebuke is limited, whereas his mercy is unending.

Our sins bring suffering into our lives, but that suffering will only last for a time. The LORD has promised that all who trust in his Son Jesus will one day emerge from the sin infected world of suffering to see the glory of the LORD.

The LORD’s mercy is very great. He responds to our sins, with forgiveness. And even when his rebuke comes, it only comes for a time. But his mercy WILL endure forever.

In the book of Revelation the apostle John saw a wonderful vision depicting the future glory of God’s people. John wrote…

“^21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. ⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4 ESV).

The LORD’s mercy on sinful mankind is very great. And we who know of forgiveness through the Son of God have begun to experience that mercy. And in the future God has promised that we shall know his mercy even better.

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But let’s rewind for just a moment. Back to David. Back to Jerusalem under the upraised arm of God’s destroying angel. For there’s something we don’t want to overlook here. Something that shows us how the LORD’s can be a just God, punishing evil fully, and yet also a God who shows mercy.

When David saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand, poised to deliver one last blow, he fell facedown to the ground and prayed to the LORD. In verse 17 David prays,

“Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I, the shepherd, have sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people” (1 Chronicles 21:17 NIV).

David had experienced a lifetime o f the LORD’s mercy. And in his interaction with the true God, David had begun to take on the LORD’s character. Only in small ways, but it was true just the same. The image of holiness that Adam and Eve had lost in the garden was being restored bit by bit in David. Here we see godly compassion in David, and the desire to take the fall for others. To ease their suffering. To save them from death. By God’s mercy, David was modeling Christ’s attitude.

“…LORD my God, let your hand fall on me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people” (1 Chronicles 21:17 NIV).

And God answered David’s prayer in the most remarkable way. About a thousand years later, God’s hand did indeed fall on David’s family. On one single descendant from his family. A thousand years after this prayer, the full cup of wrath over the sins of ALL mankind was poured out on JESUS OF NAZARETH while he hung crucified on a Roman cross. And when the darkness was over, the hell which David, and Israel, and all of us deserved—was gone. Absorbed by the Son of Man, and the Son of God—Christ the King.

That’s why we can rejoice today. The LORD’s mercy is VERY GREAT. And because of Christ, the record of our sins has been swallowed up and lost forever.

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No wonder the angels long to look into what the LORD is doing for mankind. What story could be more amazing, more important, more inspiring, more powerful, or more exciting?

Perhaps one day we’ll get to share our story with angels. Perhaps we’ll get to see their eyes grow wide with excitement and awe as we tell it.

But for now, there are others who need to hear this story. Countless others around us. People who have been taught that Jesus is just a great moral teacher, a bringer of laws. People who have been taught that Jesus is just a weak symbol of charity, a long haired hippie who liked to help the poor. These people need what we have. They need the truth of what Jesus really means. He is the physical embodiment of God’s mercy. He is the Mediator who stood between us and the hammer of God. He is our Savior, and theirs! He is the only way to truly know the God who made us all, and he is the only way to escape God’s final judgment.

In ancient days, the prophets wrote about him. Long ago, the apostles walked beside him. And today, we know him as our great Savior—through which we have come to know and possess the mercy of God. The angels long to look into these things. God help us to cherish this knowledge, this saving faith. And God give us the fire to make these things known today.

Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds, in Christ Jesus.

David Teaches Godly Humility - Feb 23, 2014

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SERMON:

If there is one sin that has done more damage to the human race than any other, that sin must be pride. If you think about it, just about every sin can be traced back to pride.

When children disrespect their parents, they’re essentially saying, “Even though God has set these people to watch over me, I know better than them.”

When people steal, they’re saying, “Even though God gave this to you, I have the right to take it for me.”

When people lie, they’re saying, “I’m so important that I can alter the truth to get what I want.”

Me, me, me. That’s what pride is all about.

Some have even speculated that it was pride that caused Satan to rebel against God in the beginning. Created as one of God’s holy angels, Satan apparently thought that HE was just as powerful, and just as wise as the LORD. So why shouldn’t HE be in charge?

Pride leads us to elevate ourselves out of our rightful place, and to commit sins of every kind. THE LOVE OF MONEY MAY BE THE ROOT OF MANY KINDS OF EVIL. BUT A STRONG CASE CAN BE MADE THAT PRIDE IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

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Therefore, as followers of God, you and I want to avoid an attitude of pride. In our lesson for today, king David shows us what godly humility looks like. Godly humility admits sin. Godly humility accepts rebuke. And godly humility trusts that the LORD will lift up the humble—for he is gracious and powerful to do so.

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This is the seventh message in a series of eight dealing with the life of king David. At this point in David’s life, he has been the king of Israel for some time. Though he was generally a just ruler, David failed to discipline his own children by bringing them to justice for their crimes.

Last Sunday we heard how David’s son Absalom committed murder—but king David did nothing about it. Eventually Absalom returned to Jerusalem to cause more grief and heartache.

Absalom was a handsome man, and he used his good looks along with golden speeches to win the hearts of the people. Once he secured popularity in the capital, he secretly sent messengers throughout the land of Israel. On an appointed day Absalom traveled seventeen miles south, to the city of Hebron. There he had himself declared king. Across the land the messengers he had dispatched announced the same.

When David learned what was going on, he knew it was only a matter of time before Absalom swept into Jerusalem to destroy everything he held dear. And so David gathered up his family, and those who were still loyal to him, and fled the capital.

We pick up the story three miles north of Jerusalem, as David and his group of exiles reach the city of Bahurim.

2 Samuel 16:5-14 (NASB)

    5   When King David came to Bahurim, behold, there came out from there a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out cursing continually as he came.

    6   He threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were at his right hand and at his left.

    7   Thus Shimei said when he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of bloodshed, and worthless fellow!

    8   “The Lord has returned upon you all the bloodshed of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. And behold, you are taken in your own evil, for you are a man of bloodshed!”

    9   Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over now and cut off his head.”

  10   But the king said, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses, and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David,’ then who shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ”

  11   Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son who came out from me seeks my life; how much more now this Benjamite? Let him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him.

  12   “Perhaps the Lord will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day.”

  13   So David and his men went on the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside parallel with him and as he went he cursed and cast stones and threw dust at him.

  14   The king and all the people who were with him arrived weary and he refreshed himself there.

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At the beginning of David’s reign, there had been war between Saul’s family and David’s supporters. Saul’s family wanted one of Saul’s sons to rule instead of the LORD’s chosen king David. And while that conflict eventually came to an end, there were still people in Israel who were bitter about it. Shimei was apparently one of these.

When Shimei saw David fleeing from Jerusalem, he believed that the LORD had finally ousted that rotten king David. Shimei placed all the blame on David for the bloodshed that had come as a result of the strife between the families of Saul and David. And now it looked to Shimei as if David was finally getting what he deserved. DAVID’S OWN SON Absalom had rebelled against him. Ha! What sweet vengeance, what poetic justice.

And so Shimei went out to harass David. And to his cursing and ranting, Shimei added stones and dirt.

Imagine this happening today. The president of the United States, forced to flee from Washington, D.C.. And a man throwing stones and dirt on him as he fled. How do you think the secret service would respond to that? Not too kindly, I would guess.

David’s men responded in the same way. A warrior named Abishai offered to silence the insolent Shimei once and for all.

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But David wouldn’t allow it. And the way David responded to Abishai’s offer tells us what kind of thoughts were going through David’s head at the time.

David was wondering if this was it for him. Maybe the LORD was ending his reign. Perhaps the LORD himself had sent Shimei to curse David on his way out. After all, David’s own SON had rebelled against him and was now seeking his life. Why shouldn’t Saul’s clan rise up to exact their revenge?

“Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him. Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me instead of his cursing this day” (2 Samuel 16:11-12 NASB).

An so the taunts and the stone throwing continued. And David did nothing to stop it.

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Let me tell you about something else that happened on this trip which gives us insight into David’s thoughts. When David left Jerusalem, the priests of the LORD followed. And they were carrying the Ark of the Covenant with them. But David paused and told them to return the Ark to Jerusalem. In 2 Samuel 15, it says,

“²⁵ Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”” (2 Samuel 15:25-26 NIV).

This was David’s attitude: If this is the LORD’s will, then let it be so. I’m ready to accept whatever the LORD has determined to do.

THIS IS GODLY HUMILITY.

David knew he was a sinner. He wasn’t about to say, “Why me, LORD, why me?” Earlier in his life, David prayed to the LORD saying,

“Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18 NKJV).

THE FIRST BATTLE AGAINST PRIDE IS WON WHEN WE SEE THAT WE ARE SINNERS. Sinners who don’t deserve all the love and care that the LORD sends to us.

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THE SECOND BATTLE AGAINST PRIDE IS WON WHEN WE HUMBLY ACCEPT THE LORD’S REBUKE.

In the book of James it says,

“          “God resists the proud,

            But gives grace to the humble.”

⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:6-10 NKJV).

God doesn’t allow hard times to come into our lives to crush us. He lets difficulties come into our lives so that we will turn away from our sins and cling to him for help and forgiveness.

When success comes into our lives, we sinners often respond by giving ourselves the credit. We respond with PRIDE. Sometimes the wheels have to come off the bus before we set our pride aside and admit that God is the source of all our fortunes, all our talents, all our blessings. “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

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When David left Jerusalem, his heart was heavy. His son Absalom had incited the nation against him. His enemies were rejoicing. Shimei was throwing stones and dirt and mocking him as he went. But instead of being full of prideful anger toward the LORD, David clung to the LORD in hope. And that is when the third battle against pride is won. THE THIRD BATTLE AGAINST PRIDE IS WON WHEN WE TRUST IN THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM.

This is what godly humility looks like. We see it in David, and we see it other followers of God also. The apostle Paul once wrote…

“I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13 NASB).

SO HERE IS THE BATTLE PLAN TO DEFEAT PRIDE. First, we admit that we are sinners. Second, we accept the LORD’s rebuke. And third, we trust that the LORD will lift us up, in good time, and we will see the light of his grace shinning on us.

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As sinful human beings we’re going to BATTLE with pride for the rest of our lives. But because of the Gospel of Christ, we know that the WAR against pride has already been won.

We know that the sinless Son of God humbly ACCEPTED the Father’s rebuke for our sins. We know that the sinless Son of God patiently SUFFERED physical pain and spiritual hell on the cross—in our place. We know that the sinless Son of God TRUSTED that the Father would raise him from the dead on the third day.

And because Jesus did all this, our sins of pride have been erased. They are atoned for. We stand forgiven in Christ, and our relationship with the Almighty has been restored.

And so remember, dear Christians, as you battle daily against your own sinful pride, remember that the war has already been won—in Christ Jesus our Savior. Because Christ’s righteousness covers us, the Father sees us as being perfectly humble. As pure as his own Son. This is what the Gospel tells us.

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When David fled from Jerusalem, he wasn’t sure if God would restore him to power. He didn’t know if his journey would end in death. And when hard times come into OUR lives, we don’t always know what the LORD’s next move will be. But in Christ we can be sure that God’s grace will shine on us. When we leave this world clinging to the cross of our Savior, our souls are bound for eternal bliss at God’s side in heaven. And there, finally, we will cease from battling our sinful pride. For in heaven pride will be no more. And we will praise our great God and Savior with hearts of purest humility and love.

So, pray to the LORD in faith when the stones and the dirt of this world shower down on you. Bow in humility before the LORD, and get ready to be lifted up.

PRAYER: Father in heaven, we are sinners. We struggle with thinking too highly of ourselves. Teach us to put one another first. Teach us to bow before you in humble repentance. Help us to accept hard times when they come, and to see when those times come from your hand as a rebuke. And always, LORD, help us to see the great forgiveness you have secured for us in Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Humility - Sep 1, 2013

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SERMON:

Modern culture tells us that it is healthy for person to be proud of who they are. For the past few decades we’ve been told, over and over, that we all aught to think highly of who we are and what we’re capable of. We have been coached to develop a strong sense of self-esteem.

Through our Bible readings today, God will lead us to seek a different character trait. A trait that God says is precious when found in the human heart—humility. (1 Peter 3:4)

Old Testament............................................... Proverbs 25:6-7 (NIV)

⁶ Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,

and do not claim a place among his great men;

⁷ it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”

than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

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The book of Proverbs was mostly written by King Solomon. When he was a young king, the Lord came to Solomon and basically said, “Ask for whatever you want, and I’ll grant it”. Solomon didn’t ask for riches, or honor, or power, or even long life. Solomon asked for wisdom, so that he might rule God’s people justly. Part of the wisdom that Solomon received has been preserved, for us to absorb, in the book of Proverbs.

In the verses we just read, Solomon’s wisdom tells us NOT to brag ourselves up. That’s certainly different than what our modern culture teaches. Today, every football player has an end-zone dance, and celebrities constantly manufacture publicity for their own self promotion.

But Solomon warns us, if you talk yourself up, those with real authority may come and put you back in your place, and in a most embarrassing way. A much safer approach is to be humble concerning yourself. Then if there is any change in position, that change will bring you honor instead of disgrace.

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As God’s people we don’t need to push ourselves forward. We don’t need to seek fame and recognition from others, we have the love of our Creator.

One of my favorite Christian authors confessed on his blog that while he was jogging one day, he asked God to make him famous. In a split second he felt like God answered him with a laugh, saying:

“Ha! You want fame? The creator of the universe knows your name. The Alpha and Omega knows who you are and what you care about. That’s as famous as you’re ever going to be. Whose acknowledgement of you is going to stand up next to mine?” (Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff)

Humility can grow from a lot of different soils. But for us, it starts at the cross of Christ. There God’s Son took our sin. There God’s Son suffered our hell. There Gods Son died our death. There we became free.

Yesterday, God’s own Son willingly suffered so that we could be free. Maybe today, we can reflect our Savior’s humility, as we interact with people.

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Psalm of the Day............................................................ 119:1-16 (ESV)

      P:      Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

      C:      who walk in the law of the Lord!

      P:      Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

      C:      who seek him with their whole heart,

                              who also do no wrong,

               but walk in his ways!

      P:      You have commanded your precepts

               to be kept diligently.

      C:      Oh that my ways may be steadfast

               in keeping your statutes!

      P:      Then I shall not be put to shame,

               having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

      C:      I will praise you with an upright heart,

               when I learn your righteous rules.

      P:      I will keep your statutes;

               do not utterly forsake me!

      C:      How can a young man keep his way pure?

               By guarding it according to your word.

      P:      With my whole heart I seek you;

               let me not wander from your commandments!

      C:      I have stored up your word in my heart,

               that I might not sin against you.

      P:      Blessed are you, O Lord;

               teach me your statutes!

      C:      With my lips I declare

               all the rules of your mouth.

      P:      In the way of your testimonies I delight

               as much as in all riches.

      C:      I will meditate on your precepts

               and fix my eyes on your ways.

      P:      I will delight in your statutes;

      C:      I will not forget your word.

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In this Psalm the Psalm writer expresses a deep humility. But not just humility in a general sense. The Psalm writer expresses humility toward God.

Look again at the first few verses here. The Psalm writer is praising other people. He’s totally impressed by these people because they know God’s Word, love it, and honor God by using his commands as the playbook of their lives.

Then we get to a transition in verse 5. The Psalm writer says,

“Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” (Psalm 119:5 ESV).

Basically, the Psalm writer sees people living by God’s Word and he says, “I want to be like them! They’re the blessed ones! I don’t have that now, but that’s what I want to be like.”

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When the Magi brought their gifts to the young Jesus, they bowed down before him in reverent worship. They gave his parents expensive gifts expressing their respect and awe. This Child was the promised Savior. Throughout Jesus’ ministry many other people had the opportunity to bow down before him in physical worship.

We don’t have a visible Jesus to bow down before. But even so, every time we hold the Bible to be more trustworthy than our own personal thoughts, we are expressing the same attitude that those people had toward God’s Son.  

True humility toward God must include respect for what he says in the Bible.   

In Isaiah 66 God speaks, saying…

“…’Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?

² Has not my hand made all these things,

and so they came into being?’

declares the Lord.

‘These are the ones I look on with favor:

those who are humble and contrite in spirit,

and who tremble at my word’” (Isaiah 66:1-2 NIV).

Prayer: Lord, give us the wisdom and faith to always put your Word above our own thoughts and above the ideas of mere humans. Make us humble in heart and mind, humble toward your greatness and toward all you reveal to us in your Holy Word. Amen.

NT Letter.............................................. Hebrews 13:1-8 (ESV)

Where the writer of Psalm 119 SPOKE about keeping God’s commands, Hebrews 13 describes how to do what God says in specific, practical ways.

13 Let brotherly love continue. ² Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ³ Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. ⁴ Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. ⁵ Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” ⁶ So we can confidently say,

       “The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear;

       what can man do to me?”

⁷ Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

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It’s easy enough to express humility with words. But, to live out humility in our lives is something different. It’s easy enough to want to live “the Christian life”, but how do we define “the Christian life?” Too often we take the world’s definition of “the Christian life” and leave God’s definition untouched in the pages of Scripture.

Here the writer of Hebrews gives us a description of things that we should be doing.

We should seek to be loving our fellow Christians with a brotherly love. A family love which forgives and forgets.

We should seek to show hospitality to strangers in need, not just showing care and politeness toward people we’re acquainted with.

We should be visiting people that we know who are in prison, or people who are mistreated, instead of forgetting about them or thinking, “Oh, what can I do?” We can BE there, that’s what we can do! Sometimes being there is more than enough.

We should be honoring marriage by what we say and do. We shouldn’t join the world to denigrate marriage, or treat it like it’s not important, or encourage un-Christian behavior by one spouse toward another.

We should be shunning all sources of lust, and the temptation to break our marriage vows. We should be putting our spouses first.

We should cultivate an attitude of contentment in our homes, instead of an attitude of always clawing after what’s new.

We should be boasting in the Lord, and not worrying about the future since we have God’s promise that he won’t abandon us.

We should look to those people who have been good spiritual examples to us. Solid Christian men and women, and we should seek to model our lives after theirs.

These aren’t things that the proud and self-righteous do. These things take a humble attitude to accomplish. An attitude that doesn’t push self to the front. An attitude like our Savior’s.

Interesting that this text from Hebrews brings us back around to Jesus. It says,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8 ESV).

God’s Son is just as serious today about our following his example as he was yesterday. And Jesus is just as compassionate toward us today, as he was when he took those nails for us. He is unchanging, as is the forgiveness that he has won for us. May that unchanging forgiveness bet your focus as you seek change according to the Holy Spirit’s Biblical directing.

Sermon Reading............................................. Luke 14:1, 7-14 (ESV)

14 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.

⁷ Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

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That first part sounded pretty familiar didn’t it? Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted? The whole story mirrors our Old Testament reading from Proverbs. Don’t seat yourself high, or you might be lowered. Take the lowest spot instead, that you might be lifted up.

After his little Old Testament lesson, Jesus turned to the host of the party and said something even more remarkable. He told him that he aught to invite people who haven’t earned his attention, and cannot repay him. Invite the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. And why? Because the payoff is better, for God will make sure the generous are paid back in the end.

This is the type of attitude a Christian is to cultivate. An attitude that trusts that God will take care of everything in the end. If you know that God will punish the wicked in the end, why would you need to take revenge? If you know that God will repay you in the end, why would you worry about spending resources on people who can’t repay you.

This type of attitude is only possible through faith in Christ Jesus. This would be foolish if there were no afterlife, and no guarantee of heaven. But those who long for that great Heavenly City can approach this earthly life very differently. With our future secure because of Jesus, we can learn to joyfully use the resources we are blessed with in this life, to God’s glory.

This is humility taken to a whole new place isn’t it? It’s one thing to say, “Lord I’m going to play this game according the rules. If you want to give me a win, that’s cool”. It’s a larger step of faith that says, “Lord I’m going to live MY LIFE your way. If you want to give me success in this life, cool. But if not in this life, I’ll see you in heaven”. 

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May the Lord grant that in our dealings with others we are humble, putting them first. May the Holy Spirit move us to always bow to his Holy Word, instead of to our own thoughts and ideas. God grant that we have the strength of faith to live according to what God’s Word actually says. The Lord grant that we place our hope in his promises, and travel through this life learning patience and humility—always keeping our hope centered on Jesus, who was humbled for us, and who has lifted us up in the hands of eternal forgiveness.

Amen.