Sunday School starts back up Sept. 8, 9:30am
Sunday's Full Service
Announcements
- Sunday School for Adults and children: Sundays, 9:30am starting September 8
- Nursery available downstairs in Room 22. Ask an usher for help finding your way.
- Want to give online? Simply go to www.betheljackson.org and click Give
- Please share the Facebook Live event on your personal page. You can get there by clicking here.
Sermon Notes
- Christians are meant to be salt (14:34-35).
- Humility distinguishes Christians as salt in a prideful world
- It is quite easy in our world to be self-absorbed.
- Curated for me- Netflix- Spotify- Podcasts- advertisements- social media
- Our problem: is we are a prideful people- We love to serve ourselves, talk about ourselves, think about ourselves, and pamper ourselves.
The Big Idea: God will humble those who exalt and exalt those who humble themselves.
3 stories that illustrate this and 3 characteristics of humility from this passage.
- The Pharisee ruler and the man with dropsy (1-6).
- Setting
- Ruling Pharisees House (1) Critique of the Pharisees is evident through this whole passage.
- They were watching him carefully (1)
- A man comes before him with dropsy (Significant swelling esp. Legs affect the heart , kidneys, liver, and the blood).
- Jesus asks questions on either side of this healing
- Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?
- If permitted they break tradition.
- If not permitted they appear to oppose God.
- Christ is pointing out their foolishness
- Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?
- Jesus is asking a rhetorical question highlighting the failure.
- He is once again calling them to repentance.
- They have appeared to learn nothing from his ministry.
- Jesus' healing demonstrates His authority.
- As always with Jesus his miracles substantiate His authority.
- The Pharisees can say nothing in response. -Silence-
- These ruling pharisees- enlightened religious leaders.
- The one watching Christ closely eager to correct- were silent.
- Some people think they will give God a piece of their mind someday.
- It wont work like that.
- God is power/authority incarnate.
- Every mouth will be stopped when he speaks.
- This story shows the ruling Pharisee demonstrating fake authority when the son of God humbles him by showing a true authority.
- The Person who esteems themselves more highly than they ought (7-11).
- Many acknowledge this as a good principle.
- Jesus is teaching us the attitude to approach the kingdom of God.
- What not to do: Take for yourself the place of honor (8).
- What to do: Take the back seat.
- When Christians are marked by humility they bring honor to their God and its life-giving.
- Humility leads to honor while pride leads to destruction.
- “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- The Reward of those who care for the outcasts (12-14).
- Don't invite only those who repay
- Invite those who can never repay (14). Why?
- When you do, you're joining in the mission of God.
- When you do, you prioritize the blessing from God.
- When we respond in humility and participate in God’s mission we demonstrate our faith in Christ and lay up treasures for the resurrection of the Just.
3 Characteristics of the humble
- The Humble listens and responds to the words of God.
- They Humble place others above themselves
- They Humble serve for an audience of one.
The beauty of living a life in pursuit of humility is that your following in the steps of Jesus
- He laid aside the beauty of heaven to humble himself as a servant on Earth.
- He became obedient even to the point of death.
- He took the reproach and punishment of sin.
- He did all of this on the cross when he took our place.
When we walk in humility as Christians we follow in his footsteps!