Joy in Thinking like Jesus

[0:00] humility he humbled himself what humbles you well lately for me getting older falling off roofs things like that humble me I have some observations on getting older that as I think about them they make me humble I don't always go the extra mile but when I do it's because I miss my exit humility most people don't think I'm as old as I am until they hear me stand up I really don't mind getting older but my body's taking it badly getting older is just one body part after another saying ah you think that's bad watch this humbly my mind is like an internet browser now that

[1:15] I'm older 19 tabs open three of them are frozen and I haven't got a clue where the music's coming from I missed the 90s when bread was still good for you and nobody had a clue what kale was and I'm getting the age where I talk to myself and if you catch me talking to myself just know this I'm having a staff all right one more do you ever get up in the morning look at yourself in the mirror and think that ain't right that ain't that can't be right humbling humbling there's an old saying it needs more skill than I can tell to play the second fiddle well conductor composer Leonard Bernstein was asked which instrument is the most difficult of all he said second fiddle is I get lots of first violinist those are easy to find but to find somebody who will play second with enthusiasm is hard to find and if you have no second fiddle you have no harmony so it is in church if we have no second fiddle we have no harmony

[3:06] I didn't play fiddle but I played trumpet and I never got above third I didn't even know what second was like humility humility the dictionary defines it as a modest or low view of one's own importance our text in Philippians 2 would add humility is regarding others as more important than ourselves humility it's the right view of self and it's also a right view of others humility who does that who regards others as more important than themselves really it's unnatural who does that Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus does that the Lord of Lords and King of Kings the mighty God all eternal does that

[4:13] Paul urges us in verse 5 here in chapter 2 to think like Jesus to have the same mind which is in Jesus who by the way thought this way from the very beginning he didn't just start thinking this way after he came to earth he was already thinking this way which means that's God's true nature to consider others more important I don't know about you but that's I can't totally take that in God who's the only one who deserves to think of himself more important thinks of others humility so before we begin to unpack verses 6 through 8 remember where we are Paul's concerned for this little congregation that he very much loves it's a congregation he has shared that has given him joy he receives joy when he thinks about them when he prays for them he prays with joy because this is a gospel oriented church this is a church that is helping the gospel progress this is a church that understands Paul and loves Paul and supports Paul this is a church he really enjoys and even as Paul himself is facing death he describes in chapter 1 18 to 26 he says

[5:48] I find joy I will rejoice even though I'm facing death because what really matters to me is to live is Christ and to die is gain so what matters overall is no matter what happens to live is Christ to die is gain and if that's your value if that's what matters most to you you'll find joy no matter what you think to live is Christ to die is gain he talks about well will I live or die do I have a choice in it no but what would I prefer well you know going to heaven being with Christ that's very much better but even though I prefer that what matters more the spiritual needs of the church on earth and so I'm convinced that God is not done with me yet so what matters are the spiritual needs of the church over my own preferences so is this a perfect church that Paul loves so much they are a wonderful church they are a wonderful church but they're not perfect as we see here his call for unity there obviously is a tension going on in this this good little church they're not one they're not one they're not thinking the same they're not having humility of mind toward one another their unity is at stake and what matters more than their personal preferences is the unity of the church that's why I appreciated

[7:30] Rick's comments and prayer today about you know if you can join us at the same time because our unity is important even though we're not physically united we're spiritually united and just even to consider that oh my church is gathering right now I want to gather because the Lord appreciates that kind of unity and that kind of unity reminds us of who we are and who we're chosen to be we're not even though right now we're scattered I think it's I think our unity is in danger during this time it's very easy and I'm not saying tuning in later is you know you're saying I'm not saying that at all because of course life happens and that's what we do but if we can even that symbolic sense of unity so Paul's concerned about that with this church so he calls them to unity in 127 he talks about walking in a manner worthy of the gospel literally he says he's talking about be good citizens worthy of the gospel you live in this

[8:56] Roman town you live in this American town be good citizens worthy of the gospel whatever that looks like be do your politics worthy of the gospel do your whatever you're doing your fight for justice worthy of the gospel because the gospel matters more than your politics so he calls them to strive together for unity he calls them to a selfless attitude for the sake of unity in chapter 2 complete my joy he says Paul's got a lot of joy already we've already found that he finds joy in these people he finds joy to live as Christ and die as gain he finds joy even in his circumstances or in his future expectations he's finding joy so he's got a lot of joy in his cup but he's saying one more thing would fill my cup to the brim it would complete my joy and that's if you all will strive for unity together strive for unity that will bring me joy so this is what he's calling for and now as we come we looked at those those appeals last week he appealed to strive together against the external enemies who would battle against the gospel now and then in chapter 2 striving for unity overcoming the internal dangers of focusing on ourselves and self selfish living so now he gives in verse 5 and following the example the ultimate example of what it means to live selfless the ultimate example of what it means to live with humility the ultimate example of what it means to live to really regard to really have the attitude really have the conviction that others are more important than me and the example is Jesus and Jesus found joy in his humility and so we too can find joy in thinking like Jesus joy comes from humility joy comes from genuinely following the example of Jesus so Paul here is urging in verse 5 believers to cultivate the same attitude the same mindset to think along these same lines as Jesus did and so in verses 5-11 he reveals two acts in verses 6-8 we have the act of Jesus what he has done and then in verses 9-11 the response of God the Father who acts so the son is humbling himself and the father in response then exalts the son so let's look at these two acts first of all the son acts

[12:14] I would summarize it this way the son acts in selfless humiliation for his people he does it for us for sinners he acts in selfless humiliation so what does that mean well he makes three choices look at verses 6-7-8 each verse he makes a choice verse 6 what does he do though he was in the form of God he did not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped so first it's a thinking it's a regarding the first thing he chose the first thing he did was not count equality with God as a thing to be grasped then what does he do verse 7 he made himself nothing he emptied himself and then verse 8 what else does he do he humbles himself so he has a regard he has an emptying of himself and then a humbling of himself three choices that began from eternity past so look at verse 6 verse 5 have this have this mind have this attitude think this which is yours in Christ Jesus who what did

[13:37] Jesus do who though he was in the form of God though he was in the form of God what is the form of God what does this word form mean does it mean that God has a body that God has some kind of external form no that's not what this word means God is spirit God describes himself in human terms as having a hand right or that kind of thing but that's just to communicate a truth to us God is spirit he's not limited to a form so what does this mean he has a Jesus was in the form of God well this word is a unique word it means not an external form but a form that truly represents his true nature so he had a form he had an expression that was the true nature of who he really was and what was his true nature

[14:41] God so what is his first choice is that is that Jesus thinks selflessly because he's in the form which is God now there's lots of scripture that describes to us that Jesus has always been God he did not become God later like some teachings the Bible is consistent talking about he has always been God he is eternal so Jesus himself in John 17 prayed to the father give me the glory that I had before at the foundation of the world so it's not a glory that's new it's a glory that I already had John 1 1 in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God Genesis talks about let us make man in our image the scriptures talk about in Isaiah a child will be born to a virgin and his name will be called

[15:55] Emmanuel God with us Isaiah 9 who will this Messiah be he will be mighty God eternal father this is not just a New Testament concept this is a biblical concept that there is a son of God from eternity past there is a plurality to the God hood there are not many gods there is one God three persons mystery but this is the testimony of the scripture so though he's in the form of God though he has a pre-existence before his incarnation at that point John verse 6 tells us though he was in the form of God what did he do what did he think he did not think he did not regard his equality the fact that he was equal with

[16:56] God as a thing to be grasped a thing to be held on to a thing to cling to it's not saying that he was clinging or hoping or grasping to get equality he's saying the equality that he already had he did not regard the fact that he's equal with the father as a thing that he has to just not let go of in fact that word is a very interesting word all the translations just try to translate it different it's a hard word to grasp in one word as a thing to be grasped a thing to be seized some of your translations might have as robbery I think the old king James did not consider his equality as a thing of robbery but most scholars believe that what the word intends here is since he already had the equality it wasn't something he's going after it's something he already has so it's not something that he intends to take advantage of to exploit what does that mean when

[18:10] Jesus decided to leave his throne and to come to earth he decided to not take all of his power and glory and manifest that as to exploit it let's look at the next phrase I think it'll explain it more so instead of considering his equality with God as a power to use to his advantage what does he do verse seven he empties himself my translation has made himself nothing I don't know what that means he emptied himself and of course we ask what does that mean and I remember being in seminary and coming through my advanced Greek class was on Philippians 2 and I remember they made us read all kinds of stuff a lot of paper maybe not wasted but dialog what does this emptying mean did he empty himself of his godness did

[19:21] God stop being God can God do that I would argue no he is who he is so how does he empty what is he emptying of well this word for empty is used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 17 where he talks about I preach in a certain way straightforward without using wisdom without using man's manipulations without you know doing all these eloquent words you know try to fluff it all up I just preach in order that the message of the cross is not empty if I add stuff to my preaching to try to make it sound better I actually empty the cross of its power I deprive the cross of its straight on meaning that is its power if I try to fluff it up a bit he uses it again this word empty he uses it again of himself in 1

[20:25] Corinthians 9 where he's talking about I do have the right to to take money from congregation because workers but he says but my boast is I get to give it for free and I prefer to give the gospel for free that's why I work as a tent man and so do not deprive me do not empty me of that joy so emptying is depriving something it's not getting rid of something he's not exchanging his godness for humanness what he's doing is depriving himself of using it and he does it by adding two things he says in verse 7 so he made himself he emptied himself how by taking the form of a servant becoming in true form in true nature a servant not form like what's a form of a servant is there a picture of what a servant looks like is there an actual shape of what a servant is that what he did he put on a servant's clothes no no no it's not that word form doesn't mean that external but more of the true nature so literally he became a servant became a slave he came with that attitude what is a slave by the way my translation has servant but it's actually slave what is a slave does a slave have any rights no slave owner anything no is a slave entitled to anything no nature of a slave he came with no entitlements he came owning nothing remember he even talked about the head

[22:23] I don't even have a place to lay my hand I don't have a spare set of clothes I don't have a bank account he didn't say that but clearly he didn't Judas holds the money yeah yeah right these wonderful ladies that come with me they take care of my needs so so he deprives himself of his power taking the form of servant and being born in the likeness of men so he empties himself by adding he empties himself by adding a whole new nature a way of thinking and he empties himself by veiling himself in life I love the old the old carol which one is it veiled in flesh the godhead see I mean that's such a great way of saying it veiled in flesh we see the godhead he's veiled in flesh and by the way remember the glory peeked out every once in a while you know they're in a storm

[23:36] Jesus says hush and Peter goes who is this right this this whoa what were the sea listens to him and then remember when he got arrested in the garden one of my favorites in John 18 who are you looking for Jesus Nazarene I am 600 men fall to the ground professional soldiers Roman soldiers excuse me who are you looking for why do they fall to the ground because he said a word and the word was less just a glimpse just a little light came out it's like can't handle it so it kind of comes out but he did not use that to his advantage he could have so when he knew what people were thinking was that because he's omniscient nope he did not use his omniscient it's because the father told him or the holy spirit told him he even said when I speak to you every word

[24:51] I say to you is not of my own initiative I speak what the father tells me you believe that everything he said was waiting what gotcha every miracle he did was based on faith everything he did he did as a man not using his power he did by faith and obedience that's amazing now he did have one advantage to you and I he did not have a sin nature when he was born right born of a virgin born by the power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing protecting him from inheriting the sin nature he got Mary's DNA but not her sin nature and that's so the the scriptures describe the Holy Spirit protected him so that he is a holy child he is the same nature that Adam was before he fell he was holy pure without a sin nature he is the true second

[26:05] Adam who lived as a real man who had real temptations remember in the garden did he really want to go to the cross let this cup pass let this cup pass let this cup pass no he's really tempted he was really tempted real temptation and he had to overcome it by faith and by obedience so I just want you to grasp a little bit about what this means that he thinks a certain way and then he empties himself he deprives himself of those powers that would make it easy for him so he lives in the flesh as a servant to do what he came to do so in his pre-existence his first choice verse 6 is he thinks selfless then in his incarnation he empties himself he deprives himself and then finally verse 8 tells us that he humbles himself he voluntarily humbles himself for what purpose for his mission being found in human form that's humbling he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross he humbles himself he lowers himself voluntarily he takes the attitude of submission and dependence by being found as a man and learning obedience to the father's will does

[27:50] God learn no he's all knowing right but Jesus submitted himself to learn came as a babe learned to obey his parents no we said join the caravan we didn't say stay back and talk to the rabbis age 12 right so what did he do yes mom yes dad I'll go back I'd rather be over there talking to the guys talking theology and scripture yes ma'am learn obedience Hebrews 12 says he learned or Hebrews 5 7 says he learned obedience to the things which he suffered he learned he learned things he did not know and by the way Jesus coming in the flesh did experience things that God himself had never experienced right

[28:56] God knows all things God knows and understands all things but God has not experienced certain things God has not experienced temptation God's not tempted he doesn't have selfishness in himself but Jesus learned it and that's why Hebrews talks about when we pray to Jesus when we pray and we're going through temptation we pray to him because he gets it he's been there he's been tempted in every way yet without sin he understands how hard it is right so another way that he's humbled himself so why humbling why does he do all this why does he make these choices well the clue is at the end of verse eight he becomes obedient to the point of death even death on a cross his death was a plan of God to come and give his life and on the cross tells us the purpose he did not just come to die to just be a martyr to live a great life and be our example he actually came to accomplish something by dying on a cross he dies on a cross to lay down his life in our place to bear our sins on the cross to pay our debt so now all of this we could go on and on there would there could be seminary classes that go for a whole year on these verses there are books on these verses we go into the depth and it's amazing but I want you to remember why Paul talks about this is simply to show an example of what

[30:51] Jesus thought like what his attitude was so to give us an example of this is how to think think like Jesus thought don't regard yourself more important deprive yourself are there things that I need to deprive myself of in order to serve others are there attitudes that I have that I think you know well I'm not equal with God but hey I'm up there right I mean I don't need to stoop to this do I have those kind of attitudes of course I do I'm human especially when I'm tired and hungry or I'm depressed so how do I change that how do I empty myself how do I humble myself and here he defines humility in verse 8 as an obedience and obedience isn't a dirty word it was a dirty word to me before I was converted and like the commands the commands were a burden to me but when

[32:05] God changed my heart his commandments were no longer burdens I actually wanted to it was a good word because I wanted to I voluntarily wanted to do that so we're called to humility too so how do we maintain such an unnatural mindset how do you actually maintain a mindset that thinks of others is more important that's willing to voluntarily deprive myself of things so that I might serve others how do you maintain that I can do that once in a while but how do you maintain that how did Jesus maintain that so Hebrews 12 says therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside every weight and the sin which clings so closely so we're confessing our sin we're repenting and let us run with endurance the race that is before us how do I run the race with endurance not just today how do I keep running the race how do I stay in the race how do I do it with endurance how can I last if you've been a

[33:13] Christian long enough and you try and you fall you try you fall you try you fall it gets tiring of falling how can I last because I can only stir myself up for a while I can only make a promise and keep it for a little while I want to be a promise keeper but when I try to be a promise keeper I find I'm a promise breaker I'm not ragging on the promise keeper dude that's that's good we true Christians want to be able to be that but what we find is we can't so how do I maintain it so listen to Hebrews 12 let us run with endurance the race that is set before us how looking to Jesus keep him right in front of you as you run I've told the story of my half marathon that I ran a long time ago when I was according to

[34:15] Linda 12 miles how did I do it I'd never run more than five miles before my life we get four miles through San Francisco then four miles along the beach which was that was like 18 miles along the beach hit a wall like I want to quit I just want to stop why am I doing this and then I look there she is right in front of me oh so you run a 12 mile marathon by looking to Linda I don't want to this is better this is better looking to Jesus who's Jesus he's the founder and the perfecter of our faith he can strengthen my faith who by the way look at this looking to Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross how did he endure the cross for joy for joy how do you endure how do you do humility how do you endure suffering for joy not because of God to do it for the joy set before him real motivation he's looking forward to the joy before him and then the writer's not done he says consider him consider

[35:42] Jesus not only look into Jesus but consider him think about him meditate upon him regard what he did consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faint hearted you grow weary or faint hearted does the race get too long and is that stretch along the beach just way too monotonous there's lots of water out there but it's not drinkable you know I mean the race gets really long and hard sometimes and I'm tempted to get faint hearted to give up and to lose heart what will keep me from doing that consider Jesus it's not hard it's not it's not a b c d e f g I gotta do it's just let me think about Jesus here what did he do okay let me look to him so let me ask him Lord I need some more strength I'm ready to wear out give me some more strength send your spirit revive me change me work in me and look into him this is a staggering thought that the son would leave his throne to save a wretch like me here's how

[37:02] Charles Spurgeon put it how can we measure the descent of Christ when our highest thoughts cannot comprehend the height from which he came the depth to which he descended is immeasurably below any point we have ever reached how can we measure I don't understand how far he's too because I can't comprehend how high he was and I cannot comprehend the depth to which he's stooped because I've never been that low so it fills me with wonder and awe this is what Jesus did for me so the son acts in selfless humiliation for sinners and we see in verse 9 through 11 the father acts in response the father acts because the son has done what he has done the father now responds with an act or actually two acts of his own the father acts in exultation and vindication of his son first is exultation notice verse nine says therefore therefore because of what the son has done because the son has fought this way because the son has emptied himself because the son has humbled himself the father now exalts him to the highest extent far above all rule and authority on heaven and earth

[38:42] Jesus himself said before he ascended all authority has now been given to me now now that I'm raised now that I've gone to the cross and I have endured the cross and I've come back from the grave and now I'm about to ascend to my father all authority in heaven and earth given to me I mean I got it all I am the sovereign to the end of time I am the sovereign I will put enemy after enemy after enemy under my feet why isn't he doing it quicker because he knows what he's doing and because he's very very patient because there are others that need to repent we got to go through another hardship we have to go through another dark time because God still is drawing people to himself you and I might be ready to go to heaven you and I might be ready for him to come back come back come back but he's saying

[39:46] I got more you would want me to wait for you wouldn't you yes Lord okay got it I will look there's the Old Testament promise Psalm 2 I will install my king on Zion I will exalt him to the throne Psalm 110 he says to the Lord says to my Lord sit at my right hand sit at my right hand until I put all your enemies under your feet so he exalts him to the highest place far above all but then it says that he gives him something he bestowed on him he graciously gave Jesus a name that is above every name what's the name gave him a name in the Bible names are significant names have meaning names reveal their true nature remember heel grabber there was red right

[40:54] Jacob had two sons no not Jacob Isaac thank you Isaac had two sons one was red or hairy Esau then there's the one coming out with his grabbing onto his heel the heel grabber we're going to call you Jacob we're going to call you heel grabber we're going to call you deceiver we're going to call you man who trips up brother for his own gain and it's exactly who he turned out to be until God broke him and gave him a new name which is the name Israel which means he who wrestles with God because they just done a little wrestling all night wrestling night and then got pinned and then that was that the pinner gets to name the penny he who wrestles with God names mean something Peter his name was Simon Jesus gave him another name no you're

[41:55] Peter you're the rock Levi I'm going to call you Matthew gift of God he renamed several people that's why in the scriptures we have several apostles that have more than one name because they probably had their given name and then Jesus gave them their Christian name so Saul becomes Paul right Saul becomes Paul so what's this name that he gave them well verse 9 says it's a name above every other name at the name of Jesus oh that's the name it's Jesus that name significant that name means savior remember God did tell Joseph you shall call his name Jesus why because that name means something that name means he will save his people from their sins he's a savior so that's the name right well is that a name above every name well in my heart and mine yeah but there's but the name

[43:05] Jesus is very common in the first century there's lots of Joshua lots of Jesus there's Jesus today too hey your name is Jesus does that mean Jesus yep so Jesus was his earthly name so what's the name that's above every other name well we have to keep reading so he exalts him why does he exalt him he has two reasons verse 10 and 11 verse 10 he exalts him so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth so first of all he's he wants to give him lordship he exalts him so that every knee will bow to him and notice that it's every knee every knee knees in heaven whether those are human or angelic every knee on earth every creature and even under the earth which refers to shoal or the grave or satanic every knee will bow so it's a universal sovereignty that he has and it's an irresistible sovereignty if the knee doesn't bow now it will there will come a day when every single knee will bow now hopefully many of those bow now voluntarily for the heart of faith we bow we sing about bowing before him because we want to honor him we recognize he deserves that there are those who will not do that there will come a day when they will do it they will worship him they will submit to him and then verse 11 says not only every knee bow but every tongue confess to admit to openly declare that Jesus

[45:12] Christ is Lord what's his name his earthly name is Jesus Messiah is his title Jesus Messiah is Yahweh Lord capital L capital O capital R capital D he is Yahweh which he himself knew on earth because he said I am I am I am the bread I am blank light I am divine I am I am I am and then he even said before Abraham was I am claiming the divine name that was revealed to Moses as his own but he was not acknowledged as that on earth so when he's exalted the father gives him here's

[46:12] Yahweh here's Yahweh here's the one that was dealing with Adam and Eve here's the one that was dealing with Abraham here's the one that was in person dealing with Moses here he is what did he look like back then sometimes he looked like a cloud sometimes he looked like a pillar of fire sometimes you know he had human form of Abraham talking right to this angel who turns out to be the Lord yeah that's Yahweh we know as Jesus that's the name he's given above every other name there's no higher name than Yahweh so Jesus is exalted because of his humility father exalts him and he humbles himself for the joy that is set before him so to kind of wrap this up I want to ask a practical question because we've titled this joy in thinking like

[47:21] Jesus delighting to think like Jesus how do we get joy in thinking like Jesus how does thinking like Jesus having this low view of ourself and a high view of others how does that bring us joy because I would think that naturally would be the other way but think of myself I can have joy right now that's happiness joy is deeper joy is more transcendent than that joy is so listen to 1st Peter 5 5 to 10 these are my these have become my life verses in the last eight years since my depression these are the verses that finally broke me out of 12 year depression he says verse Peter 5 clothe yourselves all of you with humility toward one another there it is we're all called to humility toward one another why for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble okay that's enough reason

[48:22] God's opposed to the proud so if you're proud and you work for yourself God's not going to really encourage that okay yeah you want to do that and like your one body part says to the other yeah you think that's good humble yourselves therefore now watch this so clothe yourselves with humility but now he says humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you notice see there's that he is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble the humble will be exalted the exalted will be humbled those are the biblical principle Jesus humbled himself he was exalted you humble yourself you will be what you'll be exalted lifted up can I find joy in that well here's the key of the joy humble yourselves therefore where under the mighty hand of God it's not just humble myself humble in relation to others humble myself under

[49:44] God's hand well what's God's hand that's kind of scary because under his what if his hand he pushed lower lower but if he's not done yet well if he's not done lowering you and he's not yet at the proper time notice that see at the proper time he may exalt you at the proper time that means when he decides it's time not because I prayed so I get an answer it's no when he decides time is right so what do I do in the meantime while I'm still humbled and while I'm still lowly I'm casting all my anxieties on him why because he himself cares for you there's the joy because even in my humbling even in my lowering even when he hasn't yet decided to lift me back up he himself cares for me and because

[51:00] I know that because I'm convinced of that I'll take my anxieties and I'll cast them on me that relationship that I can't fix that I stay up night thinking about dialoguing that night taking that and I'm casting it on him because I haven't got a clue how to fix it and however I figure out how to fix it will probably ruin it I'm going to take it and cast it on him I know he's going to bring it back to me at some point okay it's not let go and let God it's not like you know I let go and okay I don't have to worry about it anymore no it's no I know I have to deal with this at some point he has a yoke for me right but it's easy it's like I don't I'm carrying too much so I'm going to cast it on him because I don't know how to do it yet and he'll show me when it's ready when it's done so I learned eight years ago okay Lord here's my depression it was just like that right it's just that easy no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no took a while took a while but you know what

[52:09] I found that he cares for me so that while I'm still under the pressures I can throw the pressures back when you do that you do that or do you try to bear well he's put me under this I got to do huh really come to me that's what was our passage today come to me all who are wearing heavy load heavy laden you don't carry too much yeah I got a yoke for you but my yoke is easy so if it's too much guess who's not doing the right thing there yes that takes faith and it means I trust him I really trust him humble myself under the mighty hand of God means I have to really trust him I have to really believe that he is good whatever humbling

[53:13] I'm going through right now is for good I also have to really trust that his timing's good because I'm absolutely convinced that the lifting up needs to happen right now right that's because that's me I want it now because I feel really low so I also have to trust that no he knows better he goes on in 1 Peter 5 be sober minded be watchful your adversary remember you have an adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour resist him firm in your faith knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brothers throughout the world watch this after you have suffered a little while don't you like how scripture does it after you suffered a little while five years ten years twelve years one month a week who knows what a little while probably depends on your

[54:17] Christian faith the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself lift you up he will restore you he will confirm you he will strengthen you he will establish you that's the promise the call is to humble humble yourself under his mighty hand to accept his sovereignty to embrace his plan even if you don't know what it is it's to trust that he is good it's it's being willing to wait to be exalted let me tell you this eight years ago when I was at the end of my stuff it took me a while to humble myself in this manner to really trust him to really accept the pressureness from him and I'm convinced of that from him because he is sovereign not that there are other causes and conditions but ultimately from him and I believe it was when I could truly say to him okay even if the proper time of exalting me is not till my death

[55:43] I'm okay with staying depressed if that's your lot for me and I had to get over myself because you know that's a lot of suffering and he kind of went someone else suffered I think a little more than you look at my son and then it's kind of like oh yeah who do I think I am I'm not suffering anything so can I do it can I live with that that's what he wants it's when I was able to finally do that I literally felt a burden there's no secret it was coming to that mindset and was really trusting him as really being willing to accept whatever the lowering was if it's lowering in the soul if it's lowering in your position in life if it's lowering in a relationship if it's lowering in a position that you have

[56:49] I don't know what the lowering is what the humbling is whatever lot he has chosen for you you're accepting of it being willing to be under his mighty hand waiting for his lifting up in the meantime okay you got to take this okay you got me down here but you got to take this you got to take this because I can't that will free you and that will bring you joy that will bring you joy brings you joy not because oh finally relief no it brings you joy because I'm happy being this lowered person because that's what he wants I'm happy with that because by comparison to his son so where is joy and humility it's fully trusting

[57:51] God and his sovereignty trusting his timing his purpose because I know he really cares for me so we're called to think like Jesus which is a choice of an attitude it's a choice of depriving ourselves of things for others it's a choice of humbling ourselves in obedience for the joy set before let us pray Father we thank you for your word we thank you for this incredible incredible passage that we could not really mind the depths of if we took more and more weeks we thank you for this revelation of who Jesus is that he's always been like this and it humbles us oh Father to consider him who would do this for us for me for one so unworthy and so

[58:55] Father make that conviction settle into my heart to recognize that my unworthiness and your gift and then my view of others unworthiness make me more like Jesus this we pray in Christ's name amen