Humble yourself and receive Grace

Sermon note (4th svc)By Rev Col Stringer

Humble yourself. 

Jesus is Lord. 

Acts 20:22-24
And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

The joy of finishing. 
You could finish your course with joy. (And joy is not the name of his wife;p)

Stop and listen to what is coming out of your mouth. 

How is it possible to finish your course with joy?

Acts 20:18-19
And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;

Humble yourself. 

Not Self-promoting, self-made man. 

James 4:6
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

Give grace to the humble!
God resists (actively against) the proud! 

The kingdom of God operate not by pride but by humility!

God hates pride!

God is not mad at us. He wanna promote us and not us promoting ourselves. 

The kingdom of God operate by humility. 

Gravity operates for everybody. 

The kingdom of God operates by humility! God is not against promotion He is against self-promotion and self-centred

Matthew 23:12
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Everyone who promotes himself will be humbled 

A lot of motivation teaching is self-promotion. 

We were born self-promoting and selfish. When we were baby, we will cry when we need attention. It is great when we were babies but not when we are 30 years old. 

“The world revolve around me.”

The root cause is pride.
 
Through humility is not based on ourselves. True humility is dependent on God!

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Without Me, you can do NOTHING. 

Without Me(Jesus), there is no access to God! 

Without Jesus, we can do nothing! The more i realised how much we depend on God, true humility is dependent on God!! 

Is arrogant to think we can do something without Jesus!

It takes humility to receive grace!! 

For them that receive the abundance of grace! To receive! And not to work for!!

God resist the proud but give grace to the humble!!

1 Peter 5:6-7
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

“Thank you for your grace, thank you for your favor. I believe my wife has already been healed and You have paid the price for my wife.”
Rev Col’s prayer when his wife was diagnosed with heart disease. He was dumbfounded and did not know what to pray and then decide to pray that. He did not know what he was praying, just the grace of God

Humble is truly dependent on God!

Galatians 5:16-21
Walking in the Spirit
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Kingdom of God operates by humility not by pride. 

The fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, long-sufferings, self-control. The real us is the Spirit. 

If you are born of God, when you are called to the Lord, you just zip and your real you, the Spirit man inside of you, just go back to the Lord. 

Look into the mirror and say to yourself, the fruits of the Spirit in you. 

True humility is total dependent on God. 
Meek and humble, not selfish, self-promoting. 

This is grace. This is favor. Humble yourselves before the Lord. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Love never fails. The one whom Jesus loves, John meant himself. All that John wanted to do is to sleep at Jesus bosom. Love never fails. He don’t have to proof anything. The only one at the cross where Jesus was crucified was John. 

Grace came. Grace HAS TO be RECEIVED!

Is pride when you think you have to do it yourself!

God gives more grace to the humble! Not by pride but by humility 

Mark 6:2-6
And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

This is called pride and arrogant. 
Recognise yet not receive. 

Mark 6:53-56
Many Touch Him and Are Made Well
When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

When you come to the end of yourself, true faith is just surrender. 

God gives more grace to the humble! It takes humility to receive the grace!!

Matthew 23:12
And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Pride – full of yourself. Thinking low of yourself also pride. When you are into depression also about self. 

Get yourself out of the centre and put Jesus as the centre!

The kingdom of God operate by humility!

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The Thorn in the Flesh
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities (my inability to produce results) , that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

He said he is the least of all the apostles. For when i am weak, then i am strong!

There is God’s way and our ways. 

John 21:4-6
But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?”
They answered Him, “No.”
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side (side of power, authority) of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.

Do it God’s way. Every walk will be blessed. 

What is not working in your life? Maybe marriage? Maybe your business? 

Come to the Lord and trust in Him. 

True humility is total dependent on God.
Just trust in Jesus. Just talk about the goodness of God. It is not about “me and my faith”
Humble yourself or be humiliated, that is your choice. 

Cast your net on the right side. Just trust in Him and do it God’s way. 

True humility is trusting in God.