The Integrity of True Humility, Part 3

Today on Insight for Living... ... .... revolves around our personal agenda.

Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll challenges us to break that cycle for something far more redemptive. It's a leadership style that Jesus admired and upheld. Teaching from the Gospel of John, Chuck titled today's message, integrity of true humility. When we get over to chapter 3, something interesting happens. Along the same line of thought, a little time has passed and so there's a debate that breaks out over ceremonial cleansing, according to verse 25, and then John's disciples.

Don't miss that. John has a following. They really love John. They really believe in his message and they've repented and they've lined up alongside him and they're a part of his team, if you will. They're his disciples. They're learning from him. So these who've gathered around him and are jealous for him came to him and they said, Rabbi... now look closely.

You're going to see a whole lot of humanity emerging. Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah. Understand, Jesus is unknown. This is right at the beginning when he's starting his ministry. He's another Jewish man for all everyone knew until John goes, that's the Lamb of God. He came to be baptized. John was reluctant to do it, but the voice came, this is my son, my beloved one. Hear ye him and the dove came. It was clear to John this is the Messiah. And so they refer to him, you know, the one you identified as Messiah. You know, John, he's now baptizing people. He's doing what you've been doing.

Furthermore, everybody is going to him instead of coming to us. I love John's response. Look at this. Verse 27, no one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. So everything we have is a gift.

That's grace. Now read on. You yourselves know how plainly I told you I'm not the Messiah. So he's not talking to his disciples.

He's driving it home. You understand I'm not the one. I'm not the star. I'm not the pivot point. I'm just a voice. I told you that plainly. I'm only here to prepare the way for him.

And read on. It's the bride group who marries the bride. The best man's simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I'm filled with joy at his success. Isn't that great? That's one preacher talking about another preacher.

You don't hear that very much. If there's one sin we preachers make more than any other, it's envy. It's just raw envy, jealousy. You see, this brings up the third characteristic of humility. Seeing God's hand in another's success and rejoicing over it.

Oh, it's a beautiful thing to see. Talk about a need in the body of Christ. Not just among pastors, you know that. It's among all of us.

It takes humility to push aside all this. Well, I'm going to say the two words. All this competition and all this comparison.

Those are the sins that lead to envy and jealousy. Done a little study on both. I want you to listen to the results. Competition. Listen to the definition.

Striving to come out ahead. Without humility, we view others as rivals. Not brothers and sisters.

Not people on the same level at the foot of the cross. They're rivals. They're taking our sheep when they never were our sheep to start with. You're not my people. You've never heard me call you that. You're God's people. I'm not your own.

I don't own you. You don't answer to me. Let's get it real straight. We all serve one head. He's called Christ. He's called the Lord. He's the head of the church. So we're not competing with some other church or some other body or some other group.

Let me go on. We're forever striving to be number one when we're competitive. We fight to be up front, to be seen, to overshadow others, to be larger, to be better than, to have more than.

That's called competition. It has no place in the body of Christ. It has no place in the body of Christ.

It has no place in the believer in the body of Christ. Here's the other, comparison. Competition grows out of comparison. Comparison is the habit of examining for the purpose of noting the similarities and or the differences. Without humility, we lack individual acceptance of others and personal contentment within ourselves.

Hope you're hearing this. We envy others. We become jealous of them. Envy is resentful desire for another's advantage, possessions, or accomplishments.

It's a major issue among Christians. Now jealousy is the fear of being replaced by a rival. Let me spell out the major differences between envy and jealousy.

Listen closely. Envy begins with empty hands, mourning over what it doesn't have. Jealousy begins with full hands, but is threatened by the loss of it. Envy wants to have what another possesses, is unwilling to rejoice on behalf of another who has more. Jealousy wants to possess what it already has. It's unwilling to release it, to bring another joy. John has no envy, he has no jealousies, he says, I applaud, the Messiah's group is larger.

That's the way it's supposed to be. I'm thrilled. You see, true humility cancels out both. John saw God's hand in Messiah's success and he had zero interest in clinging to those who had been following him or having a larger following than the Messiah. No, he said his group enlarging really pleases me.

I'm filled with joy. By the way, I came across years ago, I found a very interesting little piece. It's a spoof on how things would be among Jesus and his disciples if they did things like they're often done in our day today. A little humorous series of statements.

Here's the way it would have been. Pete is the one who begins the meeting. The meeting has been called at the request of Matt, John, Tom and little Jim. Bart, lead us in prayer, okay? Sure. Almighty God, we ask your blessing on all we do and say.

We earnestly pray that you will see our side as your side. Amen. Pete immediately follows with, Jesus, we've been following you around for some time and we're getting concerned about the attendance figures. Tom, how many were on the hill yesterday? 37. Pete, this is getting me ridiculous, Jesus.

37. You're gonna have to pep things up, Jesus. We expect things to happen. John, I'd like to suggest that you pull off more miracles. That walking on the water bit was the most exciting thing I've ever seen, but only a few of us got to see it.

Now if a thousand or so had a chance to witness it, man, we'd have more on the hill than we could handle. Little Jim, I agree. I agree. I agree. The healing miracles are terrific, but only a limited number really get to see what's happened. Let's have more water to wind, more fish and chips.

Never hurts to fill their stomachs. You need to still more storms, Jesus. Have more signs. People like that.

Pete, right. And another thing, publicity is essential and you tell half the people you cure to keep it quiet. You got to stop saying that, Jesus. Let the word get out, Matt.

Now I'm for miracles, but I'd like to hear a few stories I can understand. All this, those who have ears to hear, let them hear, just clouds the issue, Jesus. You have to make it clear so most of us be able to take some home with us. Big Jim, I'd like to offer a new order of service.

Start with a story, then do a big miracle followed by an offering, then maybe a saying or a poem or something followed by a small miracle, something to bring them back next time. Oh, you pray if you like, Tom. Yeah, we got to do something, Jesus.

Little Jim, that's for sure. Your attendance has been awful. It hits you like a spear. You wonder how many elder meetings include stuff like that. Not ours. Never.

Never. This isn't something we manipulate. This isn't something to draw a crowd. This isn't something to make you feel good. This isn't something to outdo the church down the road.

We're not out doing. This is a calling. We take it seriously. Now, we have fun.

It's a great time. Absolutely. But this isn't about us.

This isn't about some game plan that competes with some other outfit. The secret is really in verse 30. Talk about a motto to live by. Look at it.

You've heard it. It's worth repeating. He must increase.

I must decrease. That isn't a motto to hang on your door. Someone said, humility is the fairest flower that grows.

As soon as you display it, it withers. You live it. You live it.

You live it. This brings up the fourth characteristic of humility. Being fully committed to the exaltation of Christ and the submission of self. Fully committed to the exaltation of Christ and the submission of self. Fully committed to the exaltation of Christ and the submission of self.

Fully committed to the exaltation of Christ and the submission of self. It's all about him. That's why we do our music.

It's all about him. That's why I study. That's why I preach. That's why we witness. That's why we tell people about Jesus. Fully committed.

Fully committed. Our greatest delight is to enthrone Christ while dethroning ourselves. We look for ways to give him center stage and then slip off behind the curtain and applaud with everyone else as he gets the credit. We consistently reject praise for ourselves as we deliberately redirect it to our Lord and Savior.

That's the way we live our lives. What is it going to take to turn our attention away from ourselves and back to Christ? When we start handling our families like that so that we talk about Christ more than what we want or what we expect. When Christ and his standard becomes more important than our rules and regulations at our church. When Jesus and Jesus especially is magnified and you can't even remember the names of the people who played the solo or sang it.

I like that. There's a man sent from God. Oh, John. He was not the light.

He just told people about the light. I quoted it earlier. I end by reading it. Matthew 11 11. I want the words to ring in your ears. Matthew 11 11. I tell you the truth.

Of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the baptizer. That's quite a statement. That's quite a statement. My hope is that God speaks deeply to us individually. I mean that. And there's an ounce of stinking pride that you're cultivating over whatever.

Something you own or something you do or something you've accomplished or some big deal that you think is that big. You need to know when you die it's gone with you. Unless, of course, it's making Christ known that lives on. It's like a sweet aroma that fills the hearts of those attending your funeral. That's all they can talk about. That's all they can talk about. He pointed me to Christ or she was a model of Jesus to me and I needed that. Believe me, you'll live like that.

You'll have no problem convincing people that Christ is worth believing in because they will never have seen a life like yours. Ever. And it didn't just walk around pointing your finger up after you've made a good tackle as if that does it. That's fine.

That's okay. I want to know what that man's life is like behind the scenes when he's not in a uniform and he's home with his family and he's got a sick baby and a wife that's run out of energy. I want to know how he treats him. Not this.

Deep down inside I want to know what kind of daddy he is or mama. It all starts right here at the cross. It all starts there.

All the ground at the foot of the cross is level. We bow right there and we all look up. He must increase. Please bow with me. Please take these words to heart. Take them personally. The Lord is speaking to you.

Yes, you. If you're married, not your spouse, to you. If you're a team member, not to other team members, to you.

You own a business, fine. He's talking to you and to others who work around you, each individually. If you've never trusted in Christ, humility begins by submitting to the cross where your sins were paid for, where one died that you might live. And by his grace, he's making his life available to you. Take it. Thank him for it. Thank him for it. Then live his life by his grace. Oh Lord, help us all. Help us all. We don't have many models of this.

It's like talking about a phantom these days. We've had good moms and dads. We've had good friends and we're grateful for each one.

But how rare it is to really say this individual decreases as Christ increases in his life, or her life. I pray that you'd raise up in the midst of our ranks and others around us, other churches, other Christians, that you'd provide a formidable body of people whose lives are so convincing that it takes no persuading to attract the attention of those without Christ. And when they trust in you, may you get the glory.

When they live for you, may you be exalted. This is your work. This is your church. This is your word. We sing your songs. We are your people.

Help us to model that genuinely. In Jesus' name. Amen. Would that every church, every believer, might take on the humility of John the Baptizer. You're listening to Insight for Living and a message from Chuck Swindoll titled The Integrity of True Humility. And if you'd like to learn more about this ministry, visit us online at insightworld.org. Lots of Christians are trying to understand their role in the public square, and in particular when to raise their voice and when to remain silent. So we hope you'll keep listening to hear Chuck present a message about the integrity of righteous resistance.

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