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The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all! – Andrew Murray
Humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it. The truly humble person knows himself and accepts himself – Romans 12:3
I. He is Selfless (5-6)
a. The “mind” of Christ means the “attitude” Christ exhibited. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”. After all, outlook determines outcome. If the outlook is selfish, the actions will be divisive and destructive. James says the same thing (see James 4:1–10).
b. Contrast the attitude of Christ to that of Satan and Adam and Eve
c. A reporter was interviewing a successful job counselor who had placed hundreds of workers in their vocations quite happily. When asked the secret of his success, the man replied: “If you want to find out what a worker is really like, don’t give him responsibilities—give him privileges. Most people can handle responsibilities if you pay them enough, but it takes a real leader to handle privileges. A leader will use his privileges to help others and build the organization; a lesser man will use privileges to promote himself.” Jesus used His heavenly privileges for the sake of others—for our sake
d. More than twenty times in the New Testament, God instructs us how to live with “one another.” We are to prefer one another (Rom. 12:10), edify one another (1 Thes. 5:11), and bear each other’s burdens (Gal. 6:2). We should not judge one another (Rom. 14:13) but rather admonish one another (Rom. 15:14)
II. He Serves (7)
a. From heaven to earth, from glory to shame, from Master to servant, from life to death, “even the death of the cross.”
b. Matthew 20:28, “Jesus came to serve, not to be served.”
III. He Sacrifices (8)
a. Dr. J.H. Jowett has said, “Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.”
b. Is it costing you anything to be a Christian?
IV. He Succeeds (9-11)
a. God gave Jesus what He let go!
b. What do you need to let go of tonight?
c. Humility is selfless, serves, sacrifices, and ultimately leads to success
d. Story of the Old Man and the Sea
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