The Integrity of True Humility, Part 2

Today from Chuck Swindoll. We are forever striving to be number one we find to be upfront to overshadow others to be larger to be better than to have more than skull, is no place in the body of Christ is no place in the believer body price John the baptizing true humility never wants to join attempt to overshadow Jesus steal his thunder given his lowly appearance deferred warrior. Jesus today on Insight for living trust. When God points to this man as a model of humility, one that we should emulate our relationships today we live in times where ambition is rewarded and meekness is seen less discover what the Bible teaches about this rare virtue.

Chuck continues his message about the integrity of true humility begins with no you are there you are never far away. Though we cannot see you reclaim by faith, your presence I need for you is total not partial our desire for your will in our lives is immense. There were times we don't live like it. We acknowledge the Lord, the reproof reading of a life like this and then we examine our own lives and it touches us to our hearts. Father I pray today for humble husbands and wives, humble teenagers. I pray for teachers who walk in humility. I prefer leaders who model what it means to give and to serve others.

I pray that we might grow within our ranks. A body of people who truly believe that you must increase, and we must decrease really mean that who make that their life motto, not just words to say that sounds spiritual we really mean it. I pray for professionals who practice their profession with humility. I ask you today Lord that you would give us hearts that break over the needs of our world and rather than gossiping against those we do not appreciate or like will pray for them and will trust you to deal with them rather than getting even getting back.

I pray that it will release the grudges I pray for humble individuals who perfect forgiveness.

Forgiveness like Christ who loved us and gave himself for us.

Okay not to be served but to serve and to give his life speak deeply to us as we see in these words on the pages of John one John three a life model. True humility. Finally, Lord, I pray as we walk with you that the deep, deep love of Jesus will not only be told through our lips would be seen in our lives. Maybe live it, live it from one day to the next.

We would be lost and wonder love and praise your son Jesus, may he be our focus this day is Christ everyone's man to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies Chuck titled his message the integrity of true humility. I search the Scriptures carefully for quite some time to find just the right example, I was drawn first to a statement Jesus made about this man. In Matthew 1111 all those who have ever lived. None is greater than John baptized Jesus said that of all of ever lived that is greater yet is just a man got just the way his biography begins literally, there was a man sent from God. John is just a man and he never forgot that. I love that about John.

He you never ever read even once in beer jealousy, even when his congregation is lessened because of silence congregation growing he was sent by God, that's true. That's what the Scripture says he had a calling he could just strike out what he felt like doing. He was sent by God, one purpose to be a witness to tell the truth regarding the one who was to come right after him. We call that the forerunner but it quickly reads in his biography, he was not that light, he introduced light so this brings up the first of four characteristics of humility that I find in John Butterworth emulating in our lives by the grace of God, the Spirit of God hears the first accepting our God-given role, including our limitations. He accepted the fact that he had been sent by God. He also accepted the fact that he was not the light.

He was not the Messiah.

He was not Elijah. He was not a prophet. He knew who he was. Never try to be someone else.

It's beautiful to see how this emerges when you verse 19 and following you. You read of its this interview between John and those who came from Jerusalem to report his identity. They want to find who is this person is an individual author in the wilderness, drawing a crowd so they sent these individuals were not named, talk to John about who he was in there with her question is pretty simple.

Who are you just tell us who you are, you noticed the first answer I am not telling who is he begins by telling who is not only get a mistake you've read about Messiah. You know he's coming. I'm not him. I'm not the Messiah, so youngsters limitations.

He understood what he wasn't misread on down in verse 23 John replied the words of the prophet Isaiah, I'm I'm a voice I'm a voice shouting in the wilderness clear the way for the Lord's coming of the voice.

He's the word I'm just a voice is the life just a lamp.

His word lingers all soon be forgotten.

In fact, drawn in our words, we would say he was prematurely martyred for not just because never complete because he was never important to John and then they want to know is that he's chosen who is not his cousin told him who he is, except I'm just a voice in the wilderness that doesn't satisfy I'm not Elijah citizen. Furthermore, I baptize with water right here and in the crowded someone you do not recognize though his ministry follows mine. I'm not even worthy look at these words in verse 27 I'm not even worthy to be his slave to untie the straps sent the stucco humility he believed that so the second characteristic I find is giving full effort to resist the total soul temptation to be someone you're not the first is accepting our God-given role, including our limitations, and the second is giving full effort to resist even subtle temptations to be someone or not.

I call for repentance. He takes away the sins of the world. I'm only a man. He is the Lamb of God, I'm a voice in the wilderness. He is the eternal word. I pointed to the way he is the way the truth and the life of the above we get over to chapter 3 something interesting happens along the same line of thought a little time is past and so there's a debate that breaks out over ceremonial cleansing. According to verse 25 and the John's disciples don't miss that John is the following.

There they really love John they really believe in his message and and they repented and there they lined up alongside him and there were a part of his team if you will. There his disciples there learning from him so these two gathered around him and her job was for him came to him and they said Rabbi not know. Look closely you can see a whole lot of humanity emerging Rabbi the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah understand Jesus is unknown is right at the beginning when he starting his ministry is another Jewish man brought everyone knew until John goes, the Lamb of God. He came to be baptized. John was reluctant to do it.

The voice came. This is my son, my beloved one. Him and the dove came was clear to John. This is Messiah and so they referred to him. You know the one you you identified as Messiah.

John he's now baptizing people he's doing what you been doing. Furthermore, everybody is going to him. Instead of coming to us and slowing the growth is not so much like churches are going better work in the small wrong wrong is the goal of the big first that in the Scriptures. I can't find it anywhere comes from our carnal heart is words from where were the ones who baptize see doing baptizing with.

We got our group and some of them are leaving us to go to him.

John's response to this verse 27 no one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. So everything we have the gift that's grace now read on. You yourselves know how plainly I told you I I'm I'm not Messiah trees, not talking to his disciples. He's driving it home. You understand I'm not the one star point I'm just a voice I told you that plainly I'm only here to prepare the way for him in Greenland is the bridegroom who marries the bride and in the best man is simply glad to stand with him and hear his bowels. By the way you so you may have been best man wedding is the easiest role in the world. That's what best men do try to stay awake list of the bows smile yet is so great, best man only a few times is usually not my role, but I love it when is my opportunity to do nothing. So I'm there and I watched the preacher as he does art. I watch the bridegroom as he sweats and I was surprised beautiful is so great II think the light of the bowels. A list of the words I've nothing to do. I'm just a just invited as a friend of the groom and look at what he says next look at what he says.

He says, is the bridegroom who marries the bride this man simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I'm filled with joy and his success is one preacher talking about another preacher you know here that very moment there is one sin we preachers make more than the other is in the is just raw envy, jealousy, you would know this because you probably don't go to pastors conferences of I stopped going long time ago is usually a study of one upmanship, you may not come right out and say it, but you're really saying how big is your church go whatever will having measures how much property you folks what your budget and your baptize last year you will redo it like dog smell on each other since this is done is just the dumbest thing in the work doesn't matter if I have 12 or 12,000 was it matter I don't deserve any follow nor do you see this brings up the third characteristic of humility.

Seeing God's hand in another success, and rejoicing over the beautiful thing to see. Talk about Anita in the body of Christ, not just among pastors. You know that among all all of us. It takes humility to push aside all this will oversee the two words. All this competition and all this comparison was of the sins that lead to envy and jealousy done little study on both want you to listen to the results competition risen to the definition striving to come out ahead without humility. We view others as rivals, not brothers and sisters, not people on the same level at the foot of the cross, their rivals there taking our sheep when the never rushing to start with, you're not my people you've never heard me calling you that your God's people.

I I'm not your old own you. You answer to be. Let's get a room straight. We all serve one head is called Christ.

He's called the Lord is the head of the church. So were not competing with some of the church or some other body are some of the group to go on. We are forever striving to be number one or competitive. We fight to be upfront to be seen to overshadow others to be larger to be better than to have more than call competition is no place in the body of Christ is no place in the believer in the body of Christ is the other comparison competition grows out of comparison comparison is the habit of examining for the purpose of noting the similarities and/or the differences without humility. We lack individual acceptance of others and personal contentment within ourselves.

Hope you're hearing this, we envy others, we become jealous of them. Envy is resentful desire for another's advantage positions or accomplishments major issue among Christians. Now, jealousy is the fear of being replaced by arrival. We spell out the major differences between envy and jealousy. Listen closely. Envy begins with empty hands morning over what it doesn't have jealousy begins with full hands but is threatened by the loss of it and he wants to have one another possesses is unwilling to rejoice on behalf of another who has more jealousy wants to possess what it already has its unwilling to release it to bring another joy song of Solomon 680 says it perfectly. Jealousy is cruel as the three is a young man I was eaten up with jealousy about loss.

This lovely lady. I ultimately married because early in our engagement was so jealous of who she looked at who she talked what she was wearing how she was responding what others said to her, and finally she said to me, if this keeps up, there will be no further engage cruel as the grave's interesting but the grace of God are comforted. I can honestly say I do not say this out of any pride whatsoever, but that cured me. I don't want to lose her and my jealousy was driving away in Josie's separate they never draw together. John is not aware of these new jealousy is larger. That's the way it's supposed to be thrilled to see true humility cancels out both. John saw God's hand in Messiah success and he had zero interest in clinging to those who had been following him for having a larger following than the Messiah know he said his group enlarging really pleases me on filled with joy. This is insight for living listening to a message from our teacher Chuck Swindoll used title to study the integrity of true humility. If you like to learn more about this ministry.

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