18/9/16 Sermon Notes (Col Stringer on TRUE HUMILITY)

Rev Col Stringer
18/9/16

Winning impossible wars – Rev Col’s book. Can order online. Sold out in church.

Acts 20:22-24

Paul called the leaders and pastors together. Might be his last time seeing them.

How many of us would go if we knew what was waiting ahead of us like he did?

Imagine finishing your course w joy. A lot of people don’t finish anything. In our society today many people don’t finish anything- marriages, jobs, even not staying in their own country.

One of the keys to finishing w joy in verses 18, 19

U can humble yourself or be humiliated
Spirit of this age is self and me and I
A lot of people have a wrong idea of humility

Pride = self made man

James is the New Testament equivalent to proverbs

James 4:6

To have more, means there is less grace

Resists- actively fights against

The kingdom op by humility and not pride. God loves us but He will not promote pride. He isn’t mad with us but He won’t promote us if we promote ourselves.

Like the law of gravity- works for everyone.
The kingdom of God operates by humility. God isn’t against promotion. He is against self promotion.

Without God, we can’t make it. We can’t make it on our own

Matthew 23:12
Everyone who promotes/exalts himself will be humbled.

Motivational teaching focuses on self promotion. This teaching goes against the world. We were born selfish. It’s great when I are a baby and not so good when u are 30 years of age.

Men will be lovers of themselves. iPhone, iPad, selfies.. All about I.

Maybe the root prob of many of our issues is pride. Only by pride comes contention. Pride is the orig sin. Satan was prideful. Jealous of God. Pride… Elevate and magnify self.

True humility isn’t grovelling. It is just simply total dependence on God.

Self centredness… Focusing on it and not realising it. It’s what’s happening today.

John 15:5
Without Christ we can do zilch, zip, nothing
Commonsense is not common.

Work all u like but without Jesus there is no grace, no access to God. Without Jesus we can do nothing.

Most of us do whatever we can to remedy a situation, then as a last measure we turn to God. That’s pride.

1 Pe 5:6-7
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

It takes real humility to receive grace.

Arrogance to think we can DIY

Jan, Rev’s wife, came back and told him she has heart failure. When it is someone u love, such news shatters u. Didn’t know what to do or pray or how to handle it. He broke down into tears. Prayed for her. Ps Prince prayed for her. And one night he finally prayed- thank You God, thank You for Your grace and favour. I can’t work it out. I trust You. I believe You have healed her. True enough, the next time they saw the doctor he told her that her heart failure was fully cured and her heart is like a teen’s. It was the grace and goodness of God.

Galatians 5:16-21

V1- doesn’t say maybe. Says u won’t.

Fruit of the spirit v22
The real u is a spirit made in the image of God. When we are on earth, what we have is like an earth suit. And once the time comes, we shed the suit and go to heaven.

The real u is loving and kind and not selfish, not demanding, not manipulative.

Relax and let the fruit develop itself. Water and fertilise and it grows. U don’t see an orange tree exerting itself to grow fruits.

Just allow that fruit to develop as u totally depend on God. Changing by ourselves doesn’t work.

It’s so easy to start doing things by yourself.

Believe and receive the grace of God and His favour.

1 Cor 13:4-8
Love never fails

John has a revelation of God’s grace. Peter has pride and a foot in his mouth. The others are calling down fire and all John wants to do is to lie on Jesus’ bosom.

John was the only one who didn’t die a martyr’s death. He was also the only who stayed at the cross and didn’t have false bravado. Depended on God and His love. Practiced and received grace.

God gives more grace to the humble. Why? Kingdom of God operates by humility.

Mark 6: 2-6

The power of God was manifesting before them and all they had to do was to receive.

They just didn’t want to receive him. Pride and arrogance. Gave Jesus a hard time.

V5- Jesus could do no mighty works, not He didn’t want to do, coz they didn’t acknowledge Him.

Mark 6:53-56
As many as touched Him were made well

What’s the diff?
One lot ran away. One lot ran towards Him.

Lady with only 5% chance of survival from brain aneurysm. The pastor, her husband, just prayed and sang in tongues coz he didn’t know what to say. Came out from operation and she’s what doc calls a miracle. No after effects, can’t even tell she had stroke or was operated on.

Humility is not self debasing.

The bible asks us to think better of ourselves (to recognise we are children of God) but not put others down. Likes how our Pastor always gives glory first to Jesus and not to self, not to congregation.

Matt 23:12
Every one who promotes himself will be humbled.

Pride. Just being full of yourself.

Depression, thinking of yourself. Also pride. Focused about self. Whether it is up or down. Poor old me. This is happening to me. Get your eyes off yourself. Put it on Jesus and be Jesus centred. Not self centred. True Humility.

The Kingdom of God operates by humility.

2 Cor 12:7-10
When I am weak in my own estimation then I am strong in God.

Paul was the Pharisees of Pharisees and counted it all as dumb.

When I am Weak, then I am Strong

U may be a self made men but u will come to a point some day where u encounter something u don’t have the answer for.

Jesus on the shore after resurrection. Told them to cast net on the right side. If there is a right side, there is a wrong side. Right side- power, authority. Jesus sat on the right hand of God. Healing on the right side. Doing it the LORD’s way.

What’s not working in your life? Marriage? Job?

Just totally depend on God.

What’s not working? Don’t get bent out of shape.

Humility is saying I’m not as smart as I think I am, I need your wisdom and guidance

Trust and obey, then get out of the way.

I don’t have the answer or ability but I trust in U. I just trust what Your Word says. Amen.

It’s not about our abilities that we receive healing. It is the grace of God.

Cast your nets on the right side.
U have fished all night and caught nothing.
Why not do it My Way now?

Stop working it out anymore. We will humble ourselves. Receive your grace and reign in life as kings.

God is our unfailing and unlimited source of our supply. May we always be at the right place and right time to receive and to be guided and to see things. We are above and not beneath, the head and tail because we are believers and we receive your grace.