INCREDIBLY CONFIDENT & TREMENDOUSLY HUMBLE

Mar 26, 2006 pm
Mike Blume

  Scripture Text:

 
John 13:1-5 KJV  Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.  (2)  And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;  (3)  Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;  (4)  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  (5)  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

  Message:

The Kingdom of God works and operates under a very important manner and principle that you have to be aware of if you want to really advance in it.

  • And the strange thing is that advancement in the world is what we think about and apply to the Kingdom when we think of advancement there.

 Mat 20:20-28 KJV  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.  (21)  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.  (22)  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.  (23)  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.  (24)  And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.  (25)  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.  (26)  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;  (27)  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:  (28)  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 world says hoard and skimp to get rich.

 The Kingdom says the more you give the more you wil receive.

 Climbing on top of another in order to get a high position is not the way of the Kingdom of God.

  • I know of one brother who had a position in the music in his church.
  • And when someone looked like they were going to be used, his entire family, also involved in music, rose up and did so many dirty things to this person, that the person ended up backlsiding away from the Lord.
  • The person never took their prized positions, but they wil stand before God one day for thier vile and wicked attitudes of self-promotion.

 The world tells you to climb on top of other people to get higher, but Jesus said to be servant of all and thereby be greatest of all.

 Mar 9:35-37 KJV  And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.  (36)  And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,  (37)  Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

 The reason this is so important is because of the way the Spirit of God uses us in the Kingdom.

 You need tremendous confidence, and great humility.

  • You cannot have that in this world and succeed.
  • This world prizes pride and loftiness.
  • But God's Spirit cannot use us.

 The greatest in the kingdom are the ones who are used of the Spirit the most.

  • But the way in which the Spirit works and what it requires in us demands that we be the most humble and serving.
  • That is because SELF must be out of the way in order for Spirit to work through us.

 Jesus was distinctly noted to be fully aware of having all things given to Him of the Father, and that He came from God and was going directly back to God.

  • And with such powerful confidence, He does the most opposite thing people would expect in the world where people have huge confidence.
  • He grabs a towel and does the most humbling miniscule work of washing the disciples' feet!
  • Who knows where their feet walked and in what circumstances they took to arrive where they were?
  • What humbling work Jesus did.
  • The very Leader of the entire Kingdom of God!
  • The KING!
  • Usually the world gets the rookie and the new guy at the job to take out the trash and mop the floors and be the gopher.
  • But Jesus was doing the job of the gopher!

 How could he have so much confidence and then do the very lowest of tasks?

  • He knew exactly how the Kingdom operated.
  • He knew what the Spirit required.

 When we're too proud to so much as wash someone's feet, we are too worldly.

  • We are simply too proud to stoop to such low levels.
  • And it is because there's a strain of self-pride in us that comes form a world around us that prides in itself.
  • But every bit of the pride of self inside people is that much more of what hinders the Spirit of God, if the Spirit is even in them!
  • The Spirit requires yielding.
  • It requires selflessness.
  • It needs a free course through lives, and the more selfless we are, and dependent upon Him to have His way, the more He can use us powerfully.

 1Co 13:1-3 KJV  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.  (2)  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  (3)  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

 1Co 13:13 KJV  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

 The greatest people in the Kingdom are not the ones using the most gifts of the Spirit, though.

  • They're the ones who allow God's Love to flow inside and out through them to the world.
  • God is love.
  • He does healing and He does miracles, but HE IS LOVE.

 Mat 7:21-23 KJV  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.  (22)  Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  (23)  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

 I always think of Matt 7 when I read 1 Cor 13.

  • Miracle workers were left out due to the lack of knowing Jesus, or LOVING Him.

 And if we love Jesus....

 1Jo 4:20 KJV  If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

 Letting God's love flow through you requires you to cast aside all personal self-exalting pride.

  • God loves every soul.
  • He respects none above another.
  • Do we?

 

Jam 2:1-9 KJV  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.  (2)  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment;  (3)  And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:  (4)  Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?  (5)  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?  (6)  But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?  (7)  Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?  (8)  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:  (9)  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

 John 13:6-9 KJV  Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?  (7)  Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.  (8)  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.  (9)  Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

 Peter was too proud.

  • He could not think of Jesus as King and stooping down to wash feet!
  • He had the wrong concept.
  • Had not God got hold of Peter about this, Peter would never have been able to be used of God.

 Jesus was ready to leave and be crucified.

  • He had to leave the Kingdom in the hands of men who knew how the Spirit works, requiring their confidence in all God can do in them and who He made them, but with incredible humility in knowing THEY must be out of the way for Him to greatly use them.

 So He tells Peter to not hinder Him.

  • He must let JESUS WASH HIM.
  • Washing is the entire salvation process!
  • So Jesus is dealing with Peter's pride in being washed, as well as Peter's thoughts that the KING should not wash feet.
  • Pride works in both these sides of the issue.
  • Allowing one to wash your feet, or being great and washing feet.

 

John 13:10-20 KJV  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.  (11)  For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.  (12)  So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?  (13)  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  (14)  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  (15)  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  (16)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  (17)  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.  (18)  I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.  (19)  Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.  (20)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

 Jesus told them that He is sending them to the world.

  • Those whom He sends are just like Himself going.
  • Therefore they had to understand this principle of the Kingdom.
  • BE CONFIDENT in God's power all over you, but also know it can only be powerful through you when YOU get out of the way.

 Care for people others are too proud to care for.

  • God will highly exalt you in the kingdom.
  • And in this world, those who cannot see your greatness are BLIND.
  • God shall show your greatness before all one day.

 We are not above our Master.

  • If He had to be humble to wash feet, and He is greatest, how much more do we have to be humble.
  • He demands it of us.
  • You will indeed be happy if you follow this!
  • Eternally happy!
  • Oh, the rewards and exaltation HE will give you!

 Bro Bustard is passed away, but I recall the criticism he got from so many people for lending a helping hand and doing what he could for some people others would not waste their time with.

 We must get out of the way in order for the Spirit to use us!

 We need great confidence as well as strong humility.

 And such a person can only be like that due to properly understanding the Kingdom.

 Rom 6:13 KJV  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

 Notice we simply are to be alive from the dead and yield ourselves to God as such, in order for Him to use us.

  • That means He can use you as soon as you are saved!
  • You had no chance to do any great works of goodness.
  • You earned nothing!
  • God simply did all the work when He raised you from the dead, and you simply proceed from that point and say HERE I AM WORTHY TO BE USED.
  • Not worthy because you earned some score marks from God or did some great feats.
  • Just because you stand in the confidence that God's work in resurrecting you with Jesus Christ is all God needs to use you powerfully.
  • Just keep self out of the picture and never think highly of yourself, because the Spirit is the Worker, and you're just the vessel.