Let me read the text again from
1 Peter, chapter 5. It's not what I say about the
Word of God that's most important, it's what the Word of God declares. Five words spoken in the power
of God's Spirit under the inspiration of God's Spirit is worth ten
thousand words spoken in the strength and energy of my flesh.
In verse 5 of 1 Peter 5, he says, likewise ye younger, submit. That's a tough word, submit.
Brother Barnard once was speaking on John chapter 1, verse 12,
in which he says, if many as received him, to them gave he
the privilege to become sons of God. He said that word, receive
Christ, is submit. Submit, surrender. It's an unconditional
surrender. Submit yourselves to the Elder. Yea, all of you,
be subject one to another. Be clothed, covered, robed in
humility. For God resisteth the proud. God resisteth the proud. and
giveth grace to the humble. Now, pride is so natural to us
that it springs up in our hearts like weeds in a well-watered
garden. I left here last Tuesday morning. I had my garden pretty clean.
The tomatoes and the squash and the peppers and the broccoli
and the okra and the beans were almost weed-free. I planted them
wide enough apart so I could run the tiller between the rows
and not have to do so much hoeing. But I had it clean, and I had
straw around the tomato plant where the weeds wouldn't grow
up. I stayed gone 11 days, and I came back, and you can't tell
the broccoli from the weeds. The weeds are nearly as high
as the tomatoes. I grow a weed that's the biggest,
greenest, most productive weed in the tri-state area. And I
don't even have to try. It just grows all by itself.
It's got a thick stem and broad branches. It's a big weed. And that's the way pride is in
here. You don't even have to try. You don't plant it, it's
there. It grows just like weeds in a
well-watered garden. It's the natural. Somebody said
pride is as natural to man as mosquitoes in a swamp. That's
how natural it is. Now here's another thing about
pride, if you kill it, it'll always revive. You can take it
out and bury it, and it revives or comes forth from the tomb.
When we think we have it conquered, when we think we have pride conquered,
our very rejoicing is pride. And the man that thinks he has
the least pride usually has the most. Someone says no man has
more pride than the man who thinks he has none. And pride has a
thousand faces. It's not found just in one place.
It's like Satan. It has a thousand faces. And
by perpetual change, it's hard to locate. And it's even harder
to destroy because it perpetually changes. You'll find pride in
riches or in poverty. Sometimes the poor are prouder
than the rich. You'll find pride in the poor
fit, in the few, and in the prison, believe it or not. You'll find
pride in the prison. You'll find pride in the old
and the young. You'll find pride in the beautiful
and the ugly. You'll find pride in the educated
and you'll find pride in the ignorant. It even grows, pride even grows
on things that are given to destroy. That's right, it even grows on
things that are set forth to destroy. The scriptures, the
grace of God, the mercy of God are sent to destroy pride and
you'll find more pride in religion than anywhere else. Pride of
race, pride of face, pride of place, and the most abominable
pride of all is that pride of grace. Pride was man's first
sin. In the Garden of Eden, man's
first sin was pride. Satan said, eat of the fruit
and you'll be like God. That was his first sin. And at
the judgment, pride will be man's last sin. For he said, many will
say unto me in that day, Lord, we prophesied in your name, and
in your name we cast out devils, and in your name we've done many
wonderful works." Man's first sin was pride, and his last sin
will be pride when he charges God with folly in judging him. There's no place that's safe
from pride. No place. You can't hide from it. It entered
heaven. Turn to Isaiah 14 and listen
to Satan's fall. His fall was because of pride.
Isaiah 14, we begin with verse 12. Our Lord says, How art thou
fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou
brought down to the ground, which did weaken the nations? Verse
13 of Isaiah 14, For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend
into heaven. I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount
of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above
the heights of the cloud. I'll be like God." Pride entered heaven. No place,
no place can guarantee you safety from this evil. It destroyed
and drove man out of the garden of paradise. Pride. I'll be like
God. It led Cain to offer a sacrifice
of works and led him to murder his own
brother. That was pride. It was pride
that caused Cain to reject the blood and bring the offering
of works and end it and destroy his own brother. Pride led David
to number Israel. God had told him not to, even
his general Joab begged him not to, but David's pride of heart.
led him to number the people and cost him thousands of his
best people. It led Peter to boast of his
loyalty and resulted in his denying his Lord. It plagued the early
church. Turn with me to 3 John. This
is a tragic statement. 3 John, verse 9. There's only
one chapter in the book of 3 John, but here, verse 9, listen to
this. John is writing to the church. He said, I wrote to the
church. But diatrophies, who lucked to have the preeminence,
among them received us not. Even the church is not a place
of safety from pride. And this is not even considering
Epsilon, whose pride lifted him up to the point where he tried
to destroy his own father, David, or the pride of Pharaoh, who
said, I will not let the people of Israel go. Finally, he did
let them go and pursued them, and it cost him his whole army.
The pride of Nebuchadnezzar. You could just go on through
the word. Pride is found everywhere. There's no place of safety. Not
this place here, not that place out there. And it's the sin that
God hates. Our text, what does it say? God
resisteth the proud. God resisteth the proud. Turn
with me to Proverbs. Pride is a sin that God hates. And if he finds it even in a
David, he will destroy it. He will search
it out and destroy it. Now look at Proverbs 6. Now this
is an astounding scripture. Proverbs 6, 16. These six things
does the Lord hate. Six things God hates. And the
very first one that's mentioned, yes, seven are abomination unto
him. Verse 17, the very first thing
mentioned is a proud look. God hates a proud look. Turn
with me to Proverbs 16. That's the first thing he named.
Six things God hates. Yea, the wise man Solomon said
there's seven that are abomination to him, and the very first one
is pride. In Proverbs 16, verse 5, everyone
that's proud, everyone that's proud in heart, is an abomination
to the Lord. We've got to do something about
this. God hates it. God despises pride. Turn to 1
John, chapter 2. I'm sure you know this scripture.
1 John 2, verse 16. This sin, this characteristic,
this trait, is not of God. It's of evil. It's of Satan. In 1 John 2, 16, all that is
in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life, is not of the Father. But it's of the
world, and the world passeth away, and the lust there. The
more pride that's in the heart, the more pride that's in my heart,
the less grace will dwell there. God will always bring a man down
before he exalts him. You know, Paul said this, he
said, I know how to abound. You remember the scripture, Philippians
4, 12, I know how to abound. But what did he say before that?
He said, I know how to be abased. God never exalts a man until
He brings him down. The way up is down. I know that. I know that God never uses natural
gifts for His glory. He just doesn't do it without
sanctifying them. Let me show you a scripture,
Matthew 20. And this is so difficult to preach, so difficult to present,
it just has to be revealed. The more pride is found in the
heart, my heart or your heart, and there's no heart safe from
it, there's no place of safety. Like I said, it's like mosquitoes
in a swamp, it's so natural to human flesh. But it's a sin God
despises and it's a sin God hates. And the more pride that's in
the heart, the less grace dwells there. God has to strip us and
break us and humble us before he will exalt us or use us for
his glory. In Matthew 20, verse 21, this
was the mother of the sons of Zebedee. She came to him, verse
21 of Matthew 20, and he said to her, What do you want? What
wilt thou? She said, Grant, Lord, that these
my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand and the other
on your left, in your kingdom. Now skip down to verse 24. And
when the other ten heard it, they were moved with indignation
against the brethren. Part of that indignation was
they wanted to sit there themselves. because they've been arguing
among themselves about who's going to be greatest in the kingdom
of God. That was part of their indignation. But verse 25, Jesus
called them unto him and he said, You know that the princes of
the Gentiles are heathen, pagans, exercise dominion over them,
and they that are great exercise authority. In other words, the
man who's the richest in this world. The man who's the richest,
the man who's the biggest, the man who's the strongest, The
man who's the smartest, the man who has the most power and influence
and office, he's going to run things in this world. That's
so. That's so naturally. That's so among the heathen,
pagan, and Gentiles. That's so. That's a natural principle. That's a principle of the flesh.
But, now watch this next verse, but it shall not be so among
you. This is not the principle of
the kingdom of God. This is not the principle of
the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It shall not be so among
you. It shall not. But whosoever would
be great among you, who wants to be great? Let him be your
servant. Minister there is let him minister
to you. Let him sweep the floors. Let
him feed the hungry. Let him clothe the naked. Let
him help the poor. Let him serve. If he wants to
be great, considered great, honored as great, looked upon as great,
known as great, let him be a servant. You never learn to be great till
you learn to serve. We're studying to be great. We're
going at it the wrong way. We're studying to be full. We
ought to study how to be empty. We're studying how to be smart.
We ought to study how to be a fool. We're studying to abound when
we ought to study how to be abased. We're studying to lead when we
ought to be studying how to follow. Because that's where the mercy
is. That's where the grace of God is. He said it shall not
be so among you. Now in the world, if you're running
a business, let me tell all of you young men and young ladies
that are going into nursing or teaching or are going to be principal
of a school or you're going to run a business, you better learn
something. You better get something on the
ball. You'd better accumulate some influence and get to know
some people and get a good reputation and get some power and strength
and all these things. In the world, that's the principle.
The fellow with the most is going to run it. The fellow with the
smarts is going to run it. The fellow with the education
is going to call the shots. The fellow that's got the credentials,
he's going to have the influence. That's not so in the kingdom
of God. That's so. It's just not so, say so in the
kingdom of God. That's what our Lord said. You want to be great?
You learn how to be a servant. Read the next verse. I just like
that verse 20, it says, "...shall not be so among you," he said.
Verse 27, "...and whoso be chief among you, let him be your servant."
That's who's chief in God's kingdom. He's, "...shall be first, let
him be last." even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. The way to fullness is to be
empty. The way to wisdom is to become
a fool. The way to rule is to serve. The way to lead is to
learn to follow. The way to be great is to learn
to be small. When God Almighty, when He destroys
the pride in us, he'll exalt his grace in us. He gives grace, more grace, more
grace to the humble. The more humble, the more grace.
So their voice is humble, you say. Be clothed with humility. All right, how do I do it? All
right, let me give you, let me give you about five things, and
I have six to be exact, six of them, and you can jot them down
if you'd like to, or put them in your mind. First of all, humility. Humility, and I'm not speaking
as an authority, I'm talking to myself. We're talking together
now, don't get the idea that I think I'm humble. As a fellow
that thinks he is, is not. But this thing of humility, and
I'm preaching to myself and you, we're looking to the Word of
God together. It begins when a person actually sees what he
is. What he is. He comes to discover.
He has this traumatic experience, this horrible experience. And
it is, it's a distasteful experience. Humility begins, this is where
it begins. When a person actually sees what
he is before God, by nature. Now that's where it begins. Turn
to Job 42. That's when humility, that's the start of it. In Job
chapter 42, that's where it begins. It's not going to begin. It's
not going to make any progress. It's not going to get a grip
on your heart. There's no way that you can accomplish this
being clothed with humility or even know what humility is all
about until, first of all, you come to understand, I come to
understand, we come to understand what we are before God by nature. Listen to Job chapter 42. Then
Job answered the Lord. Verse 1, chapter 42, I know that
you can do everything. I know that no thought can be
withholding from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel
without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that
I understood not. Things too wonderful for me which
I knew not. Here I beseech thee, and I'll
speak. I will demand of thee, and declare
thou unto me. I've heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor
myself. I hate myself. I repent in dust
and ashes. Pride is having a high opinion
of ourself. Pride is entertaining a high
opinion of our gifts, our knowledge, our abilities, our righteousness,
our morality, our principles, our character, our reputation,
whatever. It's just having a high opinion. And when a man is brought
by the Holy Spirit into the presence of a holy God, and he sees God
in his holiness, turn to Isaiah, you see the same thing over here
in Isaiah, and he sees God in his holiness, there's no way,
Isaiah chapter 6, there's no way that he can continue to hold
himself in high esteem. There's no way he can continue
to have an exalted opinion of himself, not when he sees God. If someone pulls out a ring that's
10 carat and 10 carat diamond as big as your thumbnail and
shows it off, not many folks are going to walk up behind them
and stick up a quarter carat and say, look at mine. You see what I'm saying? Somebody
said one time, if they call on testimonies in heaven, I hope
I don't have to follow no one. That would be a rough act to
follow. And this is what I'm saying, when we see God in His
holiness, in His majesty, how in the world can we do anything
but say, I abhor myself? I'm nothing. I'm nothing. Look at Isaiah 6. He said, I
saw the Lord in verse 5. He said, then said I, woe is
me, I'm undone. I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean lips. I
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. There's really
only one way for a man to discover the truth about himself and about
his sins, and that's to see God in his true holiness. That's
the beginning. I hate myself. All flesh is grass,
and the glory of man is the flower of the field. It withereth, it
fadeth away, but the word of God endureth forever. That's
the beginning of humility. when we see God in His holiness,
His majesty, His beauty. Oh, the corruption. That's a
pattern all the way through the Scripture. Daniel said, when
I saw Him, my cumbliness melted into corruption. John said, I
fell at His feet as a dead man. That's true all the way through
the Scripture. That's where humility begins
and that's the only place it begins and we can't go any further
if we don't start right there. When we start comparing, this
is, where pride is born is comparing ourselves to others. That's where
pride is born. We do something, we're a little
better looking than somebody else, or we're a little more
talented than somebody else, or we got a little more education
than somebody else, or we got a little bigger house than somebody
else, or we drive a little finer car than somebody else, or we're
a little taller than somebody else, or we got a few more muscles
than somebody else, or all of this foolishness. Let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the wise strong man glory
in his strength. Let not the rich man glory in
his riches. God said, He that gloweth, let
him glow in the fact he knows the Lord. That's the only thing
in which I have any right to glory is the cross. God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross. All of this other is going
to pass away. I've got nothing I got nothing
but a bunch of soap bubbles. That's all these things are.
They're just banishing soap bubbles. I wish we could learn this. It's
in the bulletin this morning, one of our dear, dear, dear friends,
Libby Eccles. She's just 56 years old, and
she's here at the conference. She's a schoolteacher, just retired
recently from teaching school. And she's down here at the conference.
He and Jim were husbands, Pastor Eccles, and they went home to
Pennsylvania and talked to him the other night on the phone.
He said, I left for work Wednesday morning. Libby was all right.
And he said, I came in Wednesday afternoon. She's lying dead on
the dining room floor. An ulcer had ruptured and bled
to death and just died there on the floor. Teach us to number
our days. Now, I don't know where we get
this pride and arrogance and haughtiness and before God when
we're such frail creatures with our beauty as our strength and
our health and our knowledge and our gift, this man may snap
tomorrow. We all have borrowed gifts, they're
not ours, God gave them. What do you have that you didn't
receive? And if you received it, what are your glories? How
in the world could you lord it over anybody? How could you look
down on anybody when everything we have, God gave it to us? And
in His presence, we're nothing but brittle, frail, wilted leaves
that are fit just for burning. Herman, that's all we're worth,
to burn. If there's anything good in me,
it's God, it's not me. If there's anything eternal in
me, it's God, it's not me. God's eternal, God's life, God's
light, God's truth, God's good, God's holiness, and I'm the opposite
of all that. And where on earth in the name
of God have I got any reason to boast or brag or feel arrogant? Or to be sent to hell, that's
what I think. All of us. When we find that monster rising
up in our heart called pride. That's where it starts when you
see God. And when you do, you see, secondly, true humility
is being able to disclaim any personal righteousness. I'm talking
about any, any, any, any personal righteousness. Even, and this
is a difficult area right here now, even to seeing sin in the
best that I am and the best that I do. Humility. That's how it grows, it grows
on that kind of food. Being able, through humility,
is being able to disclaim any personal righteousness, any personal
right, even to seeing sin in the best that I am or best that
I do. Now this is one of the most difficult
areas in the pursuit of humility. We're everyone able to weep over
our sins. You think back to something you
did of recent date or some time ago, and you just say, why that?
I'm just so ashamed of that. I'm so ashamed I said that. I'm
so ashamed I did that. I'm so ashamed that I thought
that. But you know, true humility, and we don't mind bringing those
things to the cross for cleansing. Lord, forgive my thoughts of
lust and my thoughts of covetousness and my thoughts of envy. my words
of haste and temper, and forgive my sins that I've done." And
we bring it to the cross. But aren't we a little bit reluctant
to denounce even our good thoughts and our good deeds and our good
works as filthy rags? And yet that's what Isaiah said.
Now, turn to Isaiah 64. And I know this is a difficult
area right here. And you say, but Preacher, I
read my Bible and I pray, And I give my offerings to the church,
I support your ministry, I keep you on TV, and you and Jay here
working, putting out literature and Sunday school, we attend
the services, our people are good to one another, they cook
and they sow and they go out of their way to do this. I know
that. And we do these things because we love Christ, we love
one another. But it's still flesh. And the best man at his best
state is vanity. And if God, listen to me, here's
what I'm saying. If God were to judge me, to judge
me for acceptance or rejection solely on the basis of the best
thing I ever did, I'd get turned down, Bill. That's what I'm saying. If God were to take the best
prayer I ever prayed and solely judge me on the basis of that
prayer, I'd still go to hell because there's enough sin in
that prayer to damn me. Enough self. I can't help but
be selfish because I'm a selfish man. I was born selfish. I was
born that way. That's my nature. And the
best thing we do, look at Isaiah 64, 6. But we're all as an unclean
thing, all of us, and all our righteousnesses are filthy rags
in God's sight. You see, the Lord is perfect,
infinitely perfect. Now, what's there? Let's take
love. That's the best thing about us,
if you really love somebody. If you really love somebody,
that's the best thing about us. Really, truly love somebody. Now, we're
going to compare our love, that love, to other people's love.
It looks good. You see two people here that
love each other. And you comment, they sure do.
They love each other. They sacrifice and give for one
another. That's good. Compare. You see, we're comparing
to other people's love. Let's compare it to God's love.
God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son. God so loved
that He gave His Son not to die for His friends, for righteous
man some would scarcely die, for good man some would perchance
to die. But God committed His love toward
us, and while we were yet enemies of Christ God, now then, let's
see about our love. Pick out the worst enemy you
ever have known, met, or thought about her, man, pick up that
fella that raped that little girl nine years old and scattered
her remains all over the countryside and love him and give your life
for him. That's God's love. You see what I'm saying? So our
love, really, the best love we got has some reservations. The
best love that I can produce, the best thoughts of love, still
are motivated by self. So you see, it's filthy rags.
It's not perfect. It's not infinitely perfect like
his love. It won't hold up. It comes short
of the glory of God. There's nothing I can do that
doesn't come short of the glory of God. It may not come short
of your glory or your standard or your measure. Somebody gives
a big gift to the church. Now, that's great. That's great. He gave all he had. He just gave
all he had. He still hadn't given what God
gave. You see what I'm saying? It comes short of God's blessing.
That's what we mean by righteousness is filthy, right? And we've got
to have, God can't be satisfied with that righteousness. He's
got to have a perfect, and Christ's righteousness was perfect. He
did love his enemies. He was hanging on that cross
with the blood streaming from his hands and face and side and
back and feet, looking down in the faces of that very man that
drove that spike through his hands, saying, Father, forgive
me. When he was reviled, he reviled
not again. When he was spit upon, he didn't
spit back. When he was lied about, he didn't
lie back. He was perfect. Perfect. And we haven't been subjected
to that test yet. We'd fail it. That's the reason
our righteousness is, and most of, listen to this, most of our
love is reciprocated. Hmm? That's right, Jim, most.
Ah, we, we. He said you love those that love
you. You give to those from whom you hope to get a return, either
from them or God. You see what I'm saying? Most
of our good deeds have something behind them. Not our Lord's. All right? The third thing. I've got to
move. A true humility starts by seeing
God and seeing myself in the light of His holiness. Secondly,
disclaiming any personal righteousness. Now this is where humility grows. I've got to crucify myself. I've got to die. Got to die. There's not too many people proud
of dead bodies. Thirdly, true humility is ascribing
all that I am and all that I have to the grace of God. All that
I am and all that I have. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. It's
ascribing. And I mean sincerely. I don't
mean just popping off. I mean sincerely, strongly, truthfully. God is my witness. 1 Corinthians
15 verse 9, Paul says, I'm least, I'm the least of the apostles.
I'm the least. I'm not fit to be called an apostle. That's what the word meet means,
fit, sufficient. Because I persecuted the church
of God, but by the grace of God, I am what I am. What did Hannah pray? He said,
the Lord killeth and the Lord maketh alive, the Lord maketh
rich and the Lord maketh poor, the Lord doeth all these things.
The Lord lifted the beggar from the dunghill and put him wherever
he is. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him from heaven. Even repentance, it's the goodness
of God that led me to repentance. Even faith is the gift of God,
not of words. Well, I believe this so strongly. I don't believe that I can move
that hand without the grace of God. Bill, I believe that so
strongly. I don't think I can breathe without the grace of
God. Now, I know a lot of friends
who've gone off on what we call the natural health food tangent. Fine. I think, well, take care
of our bodies. Eat the right things and drink
the right things. Leave all things that are harmful,
hurtful to you. But I'm telling you this, you'll
breathe not one breath more than God gives you. Now you get that
through your head. Not one breath. You breathe by
the grace of God. And you walk by the grace of
God. And if God wants to send you to the grave tomorrow, you're
going to the grave. Man's days are appointed and
the number of his months are with the Lord. He cannot pass. That's so. You say you're fadeless.
No. I believe in God. I'm not a fatalist. I believe God. Everything I have is by the grace
of God, physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, spiritually. Anyway, a man can receive nothing. You know what Scripture says?
That could be given him from heaven. Nothing. Every good gift and every perfect
gift is from God. Now you step out in front of
a truck tomorrow, one of those 18 wheelers barreling down with
43,000 gallons of gasoline in it, you'll be wiped out. Because
that's the way God decreed for you to be wiped out. Fools ought
to die early. All that I am, I owe to the grace
of God. Now watch this, true humility
is submitting quietly and willingly to trial and tribulation. That's where humility, you know,
tribulation worketh patience. Patience is also a form of humility. That's the fourth thing. True
humility is submitting quietly, quietly. A lot of people submit
kicking and screaming. But I'm talking about humility
submits quietly and willingly to trial, tribulation, and affliction. David said, you know when David
was walking along and that fellow was cursing him? And one of his
soldiers said, I'll kick his head off. David said, let him
curse. Let him curse. It may be that God will bless
me as a result of his cursing. But I can take that. I can take
that. Old Job, he said, the Lord giveth
and the Lord taketh away. Everything he had was swept away.
He quietly, quietly and willingly submitted to it. Eli said, it's
the Lord, let him do what he will. Abraham, you think about
this trial through which God put Abraham. Think how much he
loved his only son. Now think about it a little bit.
God had already taken Ishmael away. He's gone. He wasn't living
down there in the North 40 somewhere in the corner of the field. Ishmael
was gone. And now Isaac, with yet this humble man, said, uh, I will be done. We've got to
come to that place. I, uh, I don't, I dread trial. I know you do. I don't anticipate
them, but we're, we're We're, as God increases our number and
as God increases our age. Now this is, this couple down
in Georgia called me a few weeks ago, their little three-year-old
granddaughter. And you know how I could identify with that. You
know how much I love my little granddaughter. But she'd been
killed in that automobile accident. Babysitter had her out in the
car. She's gone. They called me on the phone and
I said, I don't know, but two things to tell you. Just two
things. Number one, she's with God. I
know that. I believe that with all my heart.
She's with God. She's not going to have to live
in this world of sin and turmoil and sorrow and problems. She's
going to skip all that. She's going right on to glory.
She's got what you and I want through Christ, in Christ, because
of Christ. She's attained what we are what
we're praying for and seeking. And I said, the second thing,
this is all I know to tell you, God never makes a mistake. What
He does, He does on purpose and wisely. Now, that's all I can
tell you. And they said, well, we know
those two things. I said, that's it. And that's it for every trial.
And they humbly submitted. I get in touch with them every
once in a while. How's it going? Well, we're doing all right.
We're doing all right. God's on the throne. And that's
got to be, that's humility. And maybe, I don't know why I'm
preaching this this morning, maybe somebody out there's got something
in store for them right away. But I'm saying to you, humble
yourselves under the mighty hand of God. It's the judging hand
of God, it's the chastising hand of God, it's the wise hand of
God, it's sometimes the hurting hand of God. I'm not. But now you humble yourself.
And that's by quietly submitting willingly to whatever he brings
to pass this way. Alright? Fifthly, true humility
is willingness to receive instruction, counsel, and rebuke. A willingness
to receive instruction, counsel, and rebuke. And this is not only
for you, this is for me too. For me too. And this is a difficult
area. And this is, somebody said this is the age of super sensitive
church members. Super sensitive. You got to pamper
them, recognize them, make over them, appreciate them, court
them, and never offend them lest they quit. Somebody said there
are not many Nathans in the pulpit who point their finger in a man's
face and say like he said to David, direct the man. And somebody
else replied to him, no, that's true, but there aren't many Davids
that will reply, you're right. Maybe if we had more of those,
we'd have more Nathans. Thou art the man. And what David
said, we'll get us a new preacher. No, he said, I've seen him. Pray for me. True humility in
the last place, and I close. manifests itself in the proper
attitude and spirit toward other people. It manifests itself in
the proper attitude and spirit. You know that we can do things
and sometimes they lose their blessing because of the spirit
which we do. Sometimes they lose their blessing
because of the attitude. that we take in doing it. And true humility, and deeds
don't constitute humility. Humility is a principle, it's
a spirit, it's a grace. It's not doing. And this thing,
now watch these three or four things, Philippians 2. Philippians
2 verse 3 and 4. In other words, there's some
people you call on to do something and you delight to ask them.
There are other people, they'll do it, but you just hate to ask
them because of their attitude. There's a spirit in which they
do it. You'd rather do it yourself than to ask them. You know they'll
do it. You say, if you haven't even helped call on me, they
mean that. But they really don't mean it. They mean call on them,
but at their convenience. Look at Philippians 2, verse
3 and 4. Let nothing be done through strife
or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves. Can we think the worst of ourselves
and the best of others? Look not every man on his own
things. This is what I think is wrong
with one of the things that this present generation, what they
call doing your own thing. That's not it at all. It's doing
God's thing and the things of others. I don't like that kind
of phraseology, but nevertheless, he says, but every man look on
the things of others. It's not doing my own thing.
It's doing the will of God and seeking to make others happy.
I still say this is true. That you can find happiness in
giving it. That you can find satisfaction
in making somebody happy and doing something for others. It's
more blessed to give than to receive. Boy, whoever wrote that's
in trouble. No, no. He knows what he's talking
about, the one that wrote that. That's the principle of the kingdom
of God. It's the same thing that says the mighty do not rule,
but the servant rules. In the same kingdom, giving is
more joy than receiving. In the same kingdom. Here's another
thing. Turn to Numbers 11. Numbers chapter
11. Humility manifests itself in
a proper attitude toward others in not envying, but rejoicing
in the gifts and graces of other people. You see what I'm saying? We're not to envy the gifts and
graces of others. I don't care how well you preach,
you're going to find somebody to out-preach you. I don't care
how well you sing, you're going to find somebody to out-sing
you. I don't care how smart you are, you're going to find somebody
to out-smart you. Now just keep going. And in Numbers chapter
11, verse 27, Numbers 1127 they ran a young
man and said to Moses, Moses, Eldad and Medad are prophesying
in the camp and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses,
one of his young men, answered and said, My Lord, forbid them.
Moses, forbid them. And Moses said, Enviest thou
for my sake? Would God that all the Lord's
people were prophets. The Lord put his spirit upon
all of them. Moses, you know those fellas over there prophesying?
He said, let them preach. Wouldn't it be great if all of
God's servants... I'll tell you another thing about
humility in regard to others. Turn to Colossians 3. This is
something we need to work on here. It's being able to bear
wrongs and injustices without hating somebody. That's right. In Colossians chapter 3, verse
12. It's a long day. It's going to be a long journey.
It's been a long journey. It's going to be a little longer.
Now you're going to be offended.