The ROOT of the Problem

root of the problem, and we're going to study 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, the whole chapter.

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

I'm going to get through an entire chapter.

I'm so excited.

Usually it's like a verse or two because I like to go deep.

But my wife is like sometimes you got to pick it up just a little bit.

We got to make some progress, we got to make some progress.

So, father, we just ask that you would speak to us through your word.

Give us understanding, revelation of who you are, jesus, and what you have done to bless us with your grace.

In Jesus' name, we all pray.

Amen, the root of the problem.

We are going to study all of 1 Corinthians, chapter 4.

1 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

And sometimes I've been really familiar with the Bible for a long time, but I just I know like the bits and pieces, but sometimes it's really good to get a whole chunk in there so I can get a bit of everything.

And so that's actually what I learned a lot when I was studying this week, so I'm very excited.

And so that's actually what I learned a lot when I was studying this week, so I'm very excited.

So you guys are lucky that you're here, because you will now understand 1 Corinthians 4 from beginning to end.

The whole thing and that's what we love to do at church is bring that understanding.

Everyone is looking for solutions to their problems, right?

Some just than others.

Maybe you saw this article put out by A&M this week, and I actually wasn't searching for a Texas-specific thing.

Maybe Apple knows what I'm, google knows what I'm searching and gives me I don't know, but this article was called hey Siri, fix my spacecraft.

Oh, my Siri just started listening to me.

Did yours do it too?

Okay, so hey, fix my spacecraft.

Researchers have been testing a virtual assistant that may help astronauts solve unexpected problems during space travel.

Sounds like something Elon Musk would be interested in.

It says the VA uses spacecraft data in real time to give astronauts information on how to solve the problem.

So it seems like you know, today the whole world is turning to the newest AI technology tool.

It's just a tool.

It's fine, but to solve, to fix our problems, you know they're all you know.

They ask you know what's it?

The AI thing?

Chat, ggbt.

They're like you know, fix my life, or grok, or whatever.

Yeah, but there's been some pretty funny AI mistakes.

Did you guys know that in April of 2024, new York City employed this chatbot that would give people legal advice.

And the chatbot quickly started giving people advice to break the law.

It kept telling people to like fire people who complained about sexual harassment or pregnancy, or tell people they had to cut their dreadlocks and they'd give them bad information about trash.

Just said just put it on the side of the road and someone will pick it up.

And yeah, really funny, an entire week of chaos caused by going to the wrong source to fix your problems.

Okay, all that was a funny introduction.

Sometimes we go to the wrong place to get the answer to our problems.

In today's sermon, we're going to learn the root.

Paul is giving us the truth, the real answer to our problems, because he's got a lot.

This church in Corinth has a lot of problems.

Okay, you know, everyone's sleeping with each other and they're doing their drinking, they're doing all the stuff.

Okay, they're just super messed up and Paul does not want to just give them a bunch of rules to fix them, which is, if you've heard any of my sermons, you know we don't use rules to fix people.

The law was not given to transform people.

The law was given to show you you suck at being a good person.

You're not a good person.

That's like a mirror that is held up in front of your face and says you're not good enough to measure up to God's standard, but it pushes us to our need for a Savior, which is the new covenant of grace, where Jesus not only forgives you of all your sin, but he fills you and dwells you with the Holy Spirit and he changes your heart so that you now desire to do the will of your Father without any rules.

That's the truth of the gospel.

He has transformed you already the moment you believed, and that's such an amazing thing.

That's why we talk about it every single Sunday and we will.

And if you don't like it, tough, because that is the gospel, because that is the gospel.

The gospel is not rules and amen to that.

But Paul could have easily wrote 1 Corinthians and been like here's all the rules you guys need to follow, don't do this, don't do that, don't do the other.

But Paul is an awesome, amazing minister of the gospel, and so he is able to deliver to them what the real issues are, and they're issues in their heart, and I'm just going to give you the key right up front.

This is the answer to the test, the answer to the quiz.

The real issue is either pride or humility going on in their hearts.

That is what.

That's what determines whether you're going to walk in a godly path or an ungodly path, not whether you go to heaven or hell.

That's based on whether you believe in Jesus.

But you can believe in Jesus and live a path, walk on a path that is completely dishonest to who you really are and dishonors God with the things that you do and dishonors God with the things that you do.

And Paul wants to see these things line up so that you are a believer but your life looks like you're a believer also, but we're not going to do it again through rules.

Okay, that's the thing we have to know.

You can't change someone's life by rules.

Now you can try, but then you just get legalism, which is just people trying to look godly but in their heart it's not really there.

It's not really what they want.

So we don't want that.

But let's begin.

We'll just start breaking down this chapter and see what God teaches us.

Chapter four let a man so consider us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

So Paul and the other leaders of this church are responsible for this church and he's bringing this up because they're going to be beginning the process of correcting a bunch of things that are wrong in the church, but he's spending this chapter telling them I already know what's wrong and I have the authority to tell you, to help you.

No one likes being corrected.

Anyone in here love when someone's like you stink at this.

No, we don't like that.

So Paul is laying a loving foundation of why he's doing this correcting.

He's not just nagging them and he's certainly not just going to be giving them a bunch of rules, but he's going to be showing them the path of life and what the root of the issues are.

And so he says we are stewards, like the leaders of the church, the pastors.

He calls them stewards.

That means in Greek, under rowers.

So can you imagine those big boats, like those big Viking boats or Roman boats, and they'd have that layer where all the spiders were, and I hate spiders.

Do you guys like spiders?

Okay, brian, you like spiders, you can get out.

Just kidding, I don't know why God made spiders, but I know they're good for killing bugs and mosquitoes.

I agree, they can do it outside my house.

They can have all the outside.

I'll stay inside?

Okay, where was I?

At Spiders?

How did I?

We're under rowers.

Okay, where the spiders are Okay, so they're under rowing, which means they're not in charge, but they're not slaves either.

He's just like I'm part of getting this boat going in the right direction, under rowers.

Okay, he's simply part of the family and that's why he cares, because he's the one responsible to train up others in the mysteries of God.

He says Now, that's a weird phrase for us.

Ooh, the mystery.

Are we like some weird cult-y, like New Age mysteries?

No, okay, that's just a biblical word that means things that used to be hidden but now have been revealed through Jesus and the gospel.

That's the word mystery in the Bible, so it's something that was a secret before Jesus, but once Jesus had come, it's common knowledge to everybody.

And Paul says I'm really good and it's my job to tell you the mysteries, the gospel of Jesus and how it works.

So these mysteries are all the things we need to learn in the gospel, how it works.

It's the life of faith and of grace, and so that's what we talk about every Sunday the mysteries of God, which is just how to live by faith and receive his grace and walk in his grace and he says I need to be faithful.

He said in this verse so he's saying, paul and the leaders of the church, they're going to be the examples of what it looks like to walk by faith.

They're going to be the examples.

So that's the best kind of teacher is someone who can be a willing example.

Not do what I say and not what I do, but do what I do.

You do what I do and what I say, and I'll say what I do and you do what I do.

Simple, right, clear as mud.

No, he's teaching his family how to walk by faith.

Simple, right, clear as mud.

No, he's teaching his family how to walk by faith, because that is the only way that we can walk in God's family.

So he says, but with me, it's a very small thing that I should be judged by you or any human court.

In fact, I don't even judge myself, for I know nothing against myself Yet I'm not justified by this.

But he who judges me is the Lord.

Therefore, judge nothing before the time until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the heart.

Then each one's praise will come from God.

So Paul's saying here I know that I love you guys, I know we're family I don't have to prove it to you or to anyone and I know how to live by faith and I'm living by faith.

I really think I'm doing a good job living by faith.

Paul says but the big picture here is that God sees our hearts.

Have you guys ever seen there's a real famous gangster tattoo that says no one can judge me but God.

You ever seen that one?

Yeah, so it's like you probably see it in the prisons a lot, right, so no one can judge me but God.

And it's like, yeah, but do you really know what that means?

It's not good news for you.

So the big picture is that God does see our hearts and Paul is saying I'm going to help you know what is really going on in your heart, because there's no use in hiding it, because God already sees it.

Your heart determines how your life is going to be lived.

So Paul is not saying I can see everything you're doing.

I see all the bad things you do.

I have goggles that show me x-ray of what you do when you're in your house and what you do in your bedroom, and what you do.

I can see all the bad stuff you do.

Is Paul saying that?

No, he's saying I can show you.

Well, god sees your heart.

I know what is going on here.

Your heart is where the battles are won and lost.

Your heart.

No one can hide what's in their heart forever.

You can hide it for a little while, you can pretend I'm alright, everything is fine, I'm good.

But if it's not good, that is going to come out eventually.

In Proverbs 4.23, it says Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

So, Paul, in this chapter he's saying Guys, I am a really good counselor, I'm a good counselor and I'm a counselor who is good at addressing your heart issues.

A good counselor is one that can guide someone to the truth.

That is the true role of a counselor Not to tell us what you want to hear and not to talk about how you feel or even what you can do to fix yourself.

A real counselor, a biblical counselor, is there to tell you the truth and how it applies to your situation and how you can apply it in your life.

We can only really control one part of our heart.

So Paul's saying I'm a counselor, I'm going to deal with your heart, because that's where God does his work, is in the heart.

And in the heart there's only one real choice you can make Humility or pride.

That is how all of this breaks down.

Humility or pride is the only real thing you have to choose in your heart.

All the damage that's been done to our heart, god will fix that.

All the things our heart desires, he can change that.

God takes responsibility for every part of your heart, except for humility and faith.

That's on you.

That is our place where we engage our faith Pride or humility.

Faith is only compatible with humility.

So if we are going to choose to walk in pride, our faith and that pride are like two rocks butting up against each other and they cannot work together.

Okay, so pride breaks our faith, walk relationship with God.

Pride is going to get in our way of living out the faith that really is in your heart every time.

It works every time this way.

Now, these things, brethren, he says, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other.

So Paul says guys, the problem here is the way you think, thinking.

You're thinking your mind, our mind has to be renewed.

When Jesus saved you, he completely changed your heart and the spirit that's within you, but he didn't do anything to change your mind.

You still had the same old, broken mind you did before you were a Christian.

So we have to renew our minds daily to line up with what he says is true about who we really are in our hearts.

So he says our thinking don't be.

He says you may learn not to think beyond what is written.

So our natural way of thinking is pride, the way your brain has been wired since you were born and then started kindergarten and all the teachers said you can do it.

And then everyone's like you're so amazing and you're so awesome and you don't amazing, and you're so awesome and you don't need anyone and you're an American, and all that's been pounded into our brains, which is the natural way of pride.

The whole world goes this way, the whole world thinks this way and we can call this way of thinking self-sufficiency.

And you're like, yeah, self-sufficiency.

I've heard on the news they say that like it's a good thing, but we're learning in the gospel.

It's the opposite of the way of life.

The way of faith is dependency upon Jesus, and self-sufficiency is actually the opposite of that.

So he says your thinking needs to line up with what is written.

He said Scripture should be our only guide.

Scripture is the only source of all truth.

Where pride get this?

Pride disagrees right here when I say the Bible's true in everything it says.

It's the only source of truth.

Everything else can.

Whatever you want to say, pride says wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're telling me all the people in the world, all the wisdom of the world, all the smart scientists, all the smart psychologists, all of them don't matter at all.

And I say, yep, that's what I mean.

The Bible stands alone as truth and everything must bow to it.

And you're like, wow, that's crazy, because you know what we think inside.

Don't tell me what to do.

You're not the boss of me.

I'm the boss of my life.

That's what the news has been telling me for years and years and years.

That's what my parents trained me.

You're the boss of your life.

And this humility accepts that.

God would not lie to me.

If it's God's word, then he would never lie to me.

He, if it's God's word, then he would never lie to me.

He would probably value his word above his own name, which is exactly what the Bible says that he values his word even above his own name.

He'd rather tell you the truth, even if you don't like him.

Humility accepts that God would not lead me astray and Scripture is the one cohesive message.

And if you really want to understand the Bible, it's really one thing.

It's a cohesive message.

You can live by humility and faith in God or you can live by pride and self-sufficiency.

It's the one message.

It's the one plan Satan had from the beginning.

That's been his only game plan was to get us to abandon trusting in Jesus with humility and embrace self-sufficient independence from God's wicked control of our lives.

Scripture that is what all of the Bible is about.

I dare you read the Bible and see, just with the mind of like what is.

Let me see humility in this and faith, and then pride.

Is it really humility and pride?

It is.

It's crazy.

Look at Proverbs 18.12 says before destruction, the heart of a man is haughty or prideful and before honor is humility.

And that's just one of like 30 verses in Proverbs that talk about humility.

And how amazing it is.

It's just the path of wisdom.

But I want to talk to you guys about Satan.

You don't hear that at church very often.

Look at Isaiah, chapter 14.

Isaiah 14 · chapter mention

This describes how Satan was kicked out of heaven by the bouncers.

He says how you are fallen from heaven, o Lucifer, son of the morning, how you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations.

For you have said in your heart I will ascend into heaven.

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.

I also will sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

I will be like the most high.

Okay, satan is quoted and what's the main word that he says?

I exactly.

Who's the focus of his life?

Self, right Self.

He is the picture of selfishness.

His spirit is a spirit of selfishness.

His spirit is a spirit of selfishness and Isaiah is prophesying and the Lord is saying through Isaiah listen, this is why I kicked you out of heaven.

But there's even more detail in the book of Ezekiel, in chapter 28, verse 12, and then verse 17,.

He says Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre.

So he's symbolically talking about Satan through this other guy, and say to him thus, says the Lord, you were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

And he goes on to describe how his entire body was made of musical instruments.

Satan was the worship leader in heaven before he was.

Pride was found in his heart.

And then he says here, your heart was lifted up because of your beauty.

Why did God make Satan beautiful?

Ooh, there's a good question Because he was the worship leader in heaven.

God's beautiful and so the thing that praises him should also be beautiful.

So Satan's beauty was in line with what God deserved.

Why does God give you gifts?

Not because you're awesome, but because he's awesome and he deserves to have you in all of your gifts.

Honoring Him, that's humility.

Are you an amazing, you know moneymaker?

Then make money for Jesus.

An amazing, you know moneymaker, then make money for Jesus.

You know, honor God with your life.

Are you an amazing singer?

Are you an amazing comforter?

Do you have wisdom?

None of it's because of you.

You didn't earn any of it.

All of it was a gift.

We'll get to that in a second.

So he says to Satan your heart was lifted up because of your beauty.

You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

So he had wisdom, but he corrupted his wisdom.

And that's what happens in the world and that's why this is such a pivotal issue humility and faith.

Humility, you can actually see wisdom, and pride says it corrupts wisdom.

You think you're smart, but you're actually being dumb.

That's what pride does to people, he says.

God says to Satan I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings that they might gaze at you, symbolic of what happens in our lives when we choose to live that poisonous life of pride and self-sufficiency.

So now Paul, going back to our text in 1 Corinthians, paul is going to ask three questions to the Corinthians that will reveal the pride in their hearts.

Okay, so it's getting tough now for his family, but he's having real talk.

Real talk he says who makes you differ from another?

Question one and what do you have that you did not receive?

Question two Now, if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as though you had not received it?

So the first question he says what makes you differ?

God designs each plant with its own purpose and its own fruit.

He likes that we're different.

No one is better than another.

So there's no place for racism in God's family.

That's all pride.

That's.

The heart of Satan is comparing.

We cannot compare.

Are some of us more fruitful than others At different points in our life?

Yes, that may be the situation, but it does not mean anything about our value, and fruitfulness doesn't come from us anyway, because it's something we receive, which is the second question what do you have that you did not receive?

Grace that we're learning about works only by God giving us and we receive, so he gives grace to all of us.

That's all that's happening here.

God's giving, we are receiving.

When do we give back to God?

Well, that's actually not part of the agreement.

Your whole lives you can offer back to him.

You can offer him your praise, you can offer him service, but that's not the part of the relationship.

The relationship is all God gives and we receive, and then?

So then where's okay?

So go back on that second point.

No one has ever earned anything from God, so pride is pointless.

We've never earned anything from God, so pride is pointless.

We enjoy God's gifts, but it's not your wages.

No one ever can walk into God's presence and say where's my paycheck?

I deserve your help, I deserve your power, I deserve your love.

That doesn't work.

God freely offers us his power, his spirit, his love, his adoption, his acceptance.

He freely offers it because the price already was paid by someone who could actually pay it, which was who?

Jesus.

If you don't know, just say Jesus.

You'll always get 32 Jesus points for saying Jesus.

Good job, all of you who said Jesus.

Jesus points for all of you.

Okay.

So he says where then is boasting?

Okay, so pride in the church is stupid, because we have all received grace upon grace upon grace.

We all have been forgiven of our sins, and then we've been given a relationship with God by grace, not by earning it.

And then we've all received a new heart, a relationship with God by grace, not by earning it.

And then we've all received a new heart, a new spirit, by grace, not by earning it.

All of this is free.

So we want to have boasting?

No, absolutely not.

It's never boasting.

So Paul's sarcastic comparison between pride living and humility living is what we're going to see next.

Okay, he's got this like little sarcastic comparison between pride living and humility living is what we're going to see next.

He's got this little sarcastic thing.

He says you are already full.

You are already rich.

You have reigned as kings without us, and indeed I wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you.

So Paul is showing them their self-sufficiency and pride.

The Corinthians were acting as if they had already arrived at spiritual maturity and fullness, believing they needed nothing more.

But Paul is challenging this mindset by pointing out their arrogance and reminding them that they need to continue to grow in their dependence upon Jesus.

Jesus didn't save them so that they could then figure out oh I got this all figured out, watch me go.

It had nothing to do with them, it was only to glorify Jesus more.

So Paul says this, for I think that God has displayed us, the apostles last, as men condemned to death, for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

So now he's going to compare the life of humility and faith with their life that they've been living, which is a life of pride and self-sufficiency.

And this is the root of the problem.

So Paul is going to say all the apostles, we are living this humility life, this life of faith.

So he says we're like condemned to death, which is very biblical, because my old self is crucified with Christ.

So that's how I and death are one.

This is what is on display in our lives.

Why don't you just go around doing whatever you want to do?

Well, that part of me died.

Why do you live the way you live?

Well, the old me died, but we know you.

You still live on the island, you still live here.

You didn't die, you're still alive, I know.

But the old me died on the cross with Jesus.

Well then, who's living now?

Well, actually, jesus lives through me because he rose from the dead and I rise with him, and that's the gospel.

Isn't that amazing how that works.

So, yes, we have been condemned to death, it appears, and living humility accepts that and says, yeah, my old self was condemned to death.

It's kind of like God only had one prescription for what was wrong with us, and that prescription was death.

Death is the only thing.

Yeah, the pharmacist laughs.

That was perfect.

Death is the only thing that can fix you, bro.

That can fix you, bro, and it was, and that is the gospel.

Death is the only solution for our sin.

God could.

This is not a reformation project.

This is not.

How are we gonna fix you?

How are we gonna?

How are we gonna.

What rules can we give to fix you and make your life look better?

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope.

Death is the only solution, and if you have not died with Christ yet, you have a different death coming, and that's the scary part.

You want to die with Christ now so that you can live with him now and in the future.

What do I need to boast about, when my whole part in this was simply that I died with Jesus and then I was raised with him?

What can I boast about In our lives?

It demonstrates humility when we remember that our self-focused lives ended at the cross.

In the world and even spiritual beings angels can see humility.

If we could have spiritual glasses on.

When we looked at each person, you know how some people say I can see your aura.

I made myself laugh, sorry.

So the world says that if we had spiritual glasses, we would be able to see humility.

A heart that depended upon God and pride would be a different color, and that's how the world would look to us.

He says we are fools, for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ.

Again, paul's being a little sarcastic with them, but he's pointing out the difference between his life of humility and their life of pride.

He's saying pride says I'm wise and I have figured this all out.

If I need wisdom, I look to me.

What do you do when you need wisdom?

Well, I got to think long and hard about this.

Who are you looking to if you're doing that?

Well, let me do some research and figure out and I'm not saying these are bad things, but who do we really look to when you need wisdom?

Well, the Word of God says that's humility.

Jesus has done this and I'm going to put my faith in it.

That's humility and faith.

So humility says I don't care if you think I'm foolish, I'm going to keep trusting in Jesus and His Word, I don't care what you think about me.

That's why going to keep trusting in Jesus and his word, I don't care what you think about me.

That's why he says we are fools.

For Christ's sake, they thought he was foolish.

They thought he was dumb, stupid, for just trusting in Jesus.

And I'm telling you, the world will laugh at you guys for coming to church here when they realize what we're teaching.

Laugh at you guys for coming to church here when they realize what we're teaching, that we teach faith in Jesus 100%.

You will be mocked.

I'll be mocked.

They'll make fun of us because we're exclusive.

We trust in Jesus exclusively, as he asks us to, as the Spirit leads us, as the Word of God teaches, we don't mix our message.

Yeah, jesus is awesome, but let's see what you guys can do.

Everyone ready Rah, rah, rah, let's go, let's get out there, let's do all the stuff.

That's not the gospel.

That's not what we're going to do.

I'm going to tell you guys all that Jesus has done for you, all that Jesus tells you about your identity, and I'm going to unleash you to go do whatever you want.

And what you're going to want to do is honor your Father and love.

And it's just going to come out of you like fruit.

It's going to be amazing.

So he says we're fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise.

He says we are weak, but you are strong.

Pride, let me tell you.

Pride can always be recognized in your heart and in my life when I say I got this, I'm strong enough, I got this Before a fall comes.

Pride, right, I got this.

We can't ever think that that's the way of self-sufficiency.

Okay, we can't think we got this.

We can't think that way.

That's not the gospel.

He says we are weak.

Humility says I know I need Jesus so much that I would kill all of you if I had a chance and I wasn't controlled by him.

Maybe not that extreme, but you get the point.

He says you are distinguished but we are dishonored.

So the life of pride says I love getting honor, I love people talking about me, I love being the center of attention, or I love not getting any attention at all because I don't feel comfortable and I feel like I have to impress everybody.

So I shrivel in the corner and I don't open my heart to anybody.

I don't get to know anybody.

Both of them are you value man's opinion of you more than you value what God says about you and God's opinion of you.

Man-pleasing is what that is.

Pride is what that is.

So pride can reveal itself by I love the attention or I hate the attention.

Both of them can be pride, Because who are you looking at in both situations?

Me.

That's what pride is.

That's the root of the issue.

Humility just says even if I'm ignored or laughed at, I just keep my eyes on Jesus and hope he gets all the glory and all the attention and that's where life is.

So he says to this present hour, we both hunger and thirst.

We're poorly clothed and beaten and homeless.

We labor, working with our own hands, being reviled.

We bless being persecuted, we endure being defamed, we entreat or we treat kindly.

So this is humility on display.

Paul says look at my life.

I don't have all the stuff that I need, but I accept what God has chosen for me.

I trust that he has a plan and he has a purpose in everything that is happening to me, even if it's not comfortable.

And I will spend my life working, blessing others.

Not being lazy, focused on myself, but being others focused.

Instead of desiring to serve myself or be served, I'm going to pour my life out for other people and when people are mean to me, I'm going to respond to them with blessing and love.

That's what humility on display looks like.

This is all the opposite of self-life.

This is the opposite of how we were born.

This is the opposite of self-life.

This is the opposite of how we were born.

This is the opposite of self-sufficiency.

We have all.

And then he says we have all been made as we have been made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things.

Until now what he's saying?

There is, my value doesn't come from what the world thinks of me, and it's never even blessed me anyway.

What have I ever gotten from trying to please the world?

It just says great now, what can you do for me now?

What can you do for me now?

What can you do for me?

Impress me more, impress me more.

And Paul says I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children, I warn you.

So I think Paul is actually using some humor in saying all this.

He's asking these questions and he's not being mean about it, but he wants to warn them.

Why?

Because he thinks he's better than them.

That's not what he says.

You guys should have all been like no, we're throwing apples at the stage and tomatoes, because I know you bring your fruit to church ready to chuck it.

He doesn't say yeah, you got strawberries right there.

I should have been ducking.

He does not say I'm better than you and I know better than you, but he says I love you, you're my children and I'm warning you.

Look, he goes even further.

For though you might have 10,000 instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers.

For in Christ Jesus, I have begotten you through the gospel.

Therefore, I urge you, imitate me.

So this correction might seem, might feel, shameful to them.

Ah man, I'm ashamed, paul, that you're doing this.

But Paul is teaching them the right way, which is the way of humility.

And he says I'm living this way fully and that's the best way to teach is the way Paul's doing.

It is he's living humility.

And he says so, just do what I do.

Guys, when we had church, was I all about me?

Was I demanding you all serve me, or was I serving you and loving you?

He says that's what we're going after here, that's what we're doing here.

He says so Paul is sending Timothy to remind them, because we all need reminding in the way of Christ, which is why we're going to talk about the life of faith, the path of humility and faith we're going to talk about pretty much every week for the next 35 years 45 if we're lucky.

We all need reminding of grace because when we wake up in the morning, we have a default switch and that default switch is bird and self-sufficiency.

I wake up and I think what am I going to do today?

I have all these things.

I'm going to live my life.

I'm about me the moment I wake up it's just like is anyone else like that?

Yeah, and he says we have to like, be reminded, and that's why it is vital to connect with your heavenly Father in the mornings, to just spend a moment connecting with him.

You can open your word and you can be like Father, speak to me, reset me according to your word and your ways.

We need reminding.

James 4.6 says God gives grace to the humble, but he opposes the proud.

How simple is that.

But we need to remember that each day.

Pride is the problem.

I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.

It's the root of the problem.

Now look what he says.

Now, some are puffed up.

Puffed up is a good way Paul describes pride.

I think of the jellyfish I see out there on the beach and they're puffed up and I always want to just go poke them.

I want to so bad, just to feel it.

He says some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

But I will come shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power, ooh, for the kingdom of God is not in word power.

You see, paul's like I'm not scared.

I'm not scared to come to you guys, I'm not scared to bring the truth, because pride cuts us off from the power of God.

Pride cuts us off from the power of God.

He wanted them to have the power.

When you don't go to church, when you go to church and there's no power, it sucks Like you walk out like why did we do this?

But sometimes you connect with God, you just get alone with him and there is power there and your life is transformed.

How is this?

In Ephesians 3.20 it says Now, him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly.

Above all, we ask or think according to the power that works within us.

The word power in Greek is dunimas, probably.

I don't know how to pronounce it, but it's where you get the word dynamite from, and dynamite comes from the same word.

Paul is jealous for his kids to know the real life that they've been given, the power that they've been given.

And I'm also jealous for you guys in this room and all on the internet, all around the world, people watching us, to know that power.

We can truly have a powerfully impactful life on this island and across this world.

But it will never happen by being puffed up, ever, never, never.

And Paul says don't even try.

I mean, you can try as hard as you want, but it's not going to work.

You will never impact a single person In your marriage.

Nothing will ever get fixed if you are walking in pride, if you're puffed up With each other.

The only path to see God's power unleashed in your marriage is humility, same with your relationships at church, same with your relationships with your kids and your parents.

Humility is the only way to see God's power unleashed and he will give it to us, because God gives grace to the humble but he opposes the proud.

So what do you want?

He says Shall I come to you with a rod or in love and a spirit of gentleness?

Paul's saying he loves them enough to correct them, but they get to choose how this all goes.

And that's the point of this chapter.

Okay, paul loves his family enough to correct them.

Okay, paul loves his family enough to correct them.

And the issue that needs corrected in their lives and in our church is pride.

Pride will cause a bunch of other sins.

Pride causes all the other sins and Paul's going to address all those sins in the next few chapters.

And it's going to be crazy because we're going to talk about all the sins.

I don't know if you've read ahead, but you're like I wonder how pastor's going to talk about this Pride and humility.

That's why this week is so vital and so important for us to understand, because if you come next week and you're like, all right, tell me about my sins, pastor, it's already done, it's already over.

You're not going to hear the wisdom of God, you're not going to see the power of God in your life, you're just going to hear words.

And I don't want you to just hear words.

I want you to see the power.

Pride is always the destructive thing that causes the sins that eventually kill and destroy our families and our relationship with God.

Paul identify the problems which he'll do in the next few chapters, which is being puffed up in pride, even if they got mad at him and people did get mad at him and call him names, etc.

Close on this one verse, okay.

Philippians, chapter 2, verse 5 through 11.

Philippians 2:5–11

It says Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.

Did you see those three things right there, three descriptions of what humility looks like.

He didn't care what people thought about him.

No care about it.

He made himself.

He took the form of a bondservant, he lived before my needs Another great description of humility.

And third, he says and he came in the likeness of men, which means he identified with your problems.

Your problems were his, you your problems.

That's what humility is Always.

Others focused, he says.

He was found in appearance as a man and he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore, god also has highlighted him and given him the name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should be and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of Faith today, because Jesus is humility.

If Jesus lives in you, this is who you really are and what you're really all about.

This is your life.

Humility, pride is a poisonous corruption of my soul.

How do I know?

It comes from Satan, the ultimate rusty gut bucket.

I just like calling them names because I'm allowed.

Go ahead and come up here and let's sing a song.

The end of this verse is just like we should just let our tongues confess how incredible Jesus is, how amazing Jesus is for his grace.

If you have never come into a relationship with Jesus where you know that Jesus' blood has washed away your sin, today is the day to do that, to say, jesus, I believe in your life and your death and I want to live.

I want I believe in your life and your death and I want to live.

I want you to live through me.

I want your death on the cross to be my death also.

I'm tired of living a self life and I want to live a Jesus life.

I want to live a spirit life.

I want you to live in me and through me and right now, just cry out to him and say Jesus, do this in me.

And maybe you have been walking with Jesus for a long time, but this self-life has been just the way.

It's just been the only way that you've known and this is brand new, shocking news to you that Jesus says come, invites you to the humble life of his spirit.

Then say Jesus, take all of me.

Jesus, I want all of you, I want your humble life to be my life.

Would you guys all stand with us?