Greatness Through Humility

Let's bow our heads and pray together, shall we?

Heavenly, gracious Father, we recall how your Son, Jesus, told his disciples that we are called to be salt and light in this society in which we find ourselves.

And Father, we take that to mean that we are supposed to influence the culture in which we live for good.

And yet, Lord, we humbly confess to you that it feels very often that this world has shaped the culture of the church rather than the other way around.

So, Lord, speak to us this morning.

Implant your truth deep within us that our lives might reveal your glory in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Jesus said to his disciples, not so with you.

In other words, it wasn't the only time Jesus said it, but in other words, Jesus is saying that the way you think needs to be different than the way the world thinks.

And this morning, we're continuing with our course of sermons on Christian character.

That's really important.

I think God is far more concerned in the power of his Holy Spirit to shape your character.

He's more interested in your character, who you are, than what you do.

And so, we come today to think about something which I think is very counter-cultural today.

That is the idea that the disciples of Jesus are called to humility, to be humble people.

I think that it's hardly contentious to kind of stress that.

But I wonder if you have really thought about the way the world is and what you think about humility.

See, we're talking about descending into humility.

Isn't it interesting that the world has a completely different language.

We talk about getting to the top.

We talk about he's risen to great things.

And yet, our topic today, and the Bible reading we had, suggests we think again.

Think about descending to greatness, not just ascending to it.

I haven't seen too many seminars advertised on the internet,

encouraging people to go and learn to be how more humble.

And I wonder, if such a course existed, whether anybody would actually go to it.

For today, we're more concerned about assertiveness.

In a way, in an indirect way, I think that's where human rights legislation

has had a slightly negative impact on wider society.

Because it makes us assertive.

I want to assert my rights.

Very often against your rights.

And there are lessons you can take in going to be assertive.

I don't think we've run any on that particular subject in this church yet,

but there's always time.

The Bible gives a very, very different perspective on the way Christian character should be formed.

And it should be formed around humility.

In Matthew chapter 5, when Jesus talks about what we call the Beatitudes,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

all those sayings that begin with the words,

blessed are those.

The first of those Beatitudes is,

blessed are those who are poor in spirit.

For they shall see the kingdom of God.

Not blessed are those who pump themselves up,

who are keen to assert themselves all the time.

No.

Those who are poor in spirit.

Those who are clear about their own failures.

I don't know about you,

but I find one of the hardest things to find,

to come to face with in my own walk with God,

is my failures.

Somehow I can always kind of think of an excuse.

But the bottom line is,

to be humble,

one of the starting points is,

to take responsibility for your failures.

A while ago,

I was speaking at a large kind of national holiday week,

and I was doing the Bible readings there,

day by day.

And the first few days,

we had wonderful worship leaders,

Tim Hughes,

and what's he called?

The guy that wrote,

da, da, da, da, da, da.

Never mind.

And these guys are so humble.

And at the time,

you know,

it's kind of,

all people who are doing the presentation feel,

quite rightly,

they need to do that.

And as they try to express a word of thanks,

and they tended to overdo it,

when they did it,

and kind of really big up the worship leader,

and the band.

And I noticed that people like Tim Hughes,

and the other guy who I can't remember,

when that happened,

they just quietly disappeared,

and the back of the stage.

And then one day,

one day,

there was another worship leader,

and I went to him before,

I think it was the last day,

and I said to him,

I would like that wonderful hymn,

I Surrender All,

at the end of what I want to say today.

Is that okay?

He goes,

no.

No.

I'm like,

excuse me?

He said,

no.

He said,

the band have rehearsed what we're going to do,

and we ain't changing anything.

And steadfastly refused to do it.

I mean,

just compare

the two different attitudes.

So,

we're talking about

descending into greatness.

What does that mean?

Well,

Hot Off the Press

was a paper written

in this month's

Psychology magazine,

written by a lady called

Madalena Paunel.

And Madalena Paunel

is an associate professor

of psychology

in the University of Leeds.

And he's a very well-qualified person.

And she wrote her article,

and the heading of it was

why psychology

needs to,

needs what she called

a humility revolution.

Let me say that again.

This is a top psychologist,

writing in the

professional magazine

of psychology.

This is the title

of her paper,

Psychology

Needs a Humility

Revolution.

She argues

on the basis

that the history

of psychology

has involved

a good many U-turns.

This is what we used to think,

but we don't think that

anymore now.

Incidentally,

humility

in the 1998

copy of the Oxford Dictionary

in a rather negative way,

it defines humility

as having a low opinion

of oneself.

An extraordinary definition

in 1998 that was.

Professor Paunel

thinks that we need

a revolution in psychology,

humility revolution

in psychology

because of all the

discounted theories

that there are.

And also,

she points out

that moral lapses

occur regularly

between psychologist

and client.

Her antidote to that

is let's,

let's have a humility

revolution.

Time will tell

whether she's successful

in her plea,

but her argument is

the reason we need

to be humble

in our psychological

research

is this,

it is necessarily

limited

and incomplete.

In fact,

on that basis,

you could basically

question all research

that's ever been done.

Partly because

the people who are

doing the researching

are fallen human beings

like you and me.

It doesn't mean

that research

can't carry truth,

but it usually means

that it carries with it

a message as well.

Professor Paunel says,

all research,

all psychological research

is limited

and incomplete.

When I thought

about that,

I thought

that wouldn't be

a bad description

of the way

the Bible

thinks of us

human beings.

We are

limited people,

limited

largely

by the outcome

of sin

in our lives.

We are

never

incomplete

in this sense

that in this life

you will never

become

what you will

become

if you are

in Christ.

I don't think

humility

is

only the

domain

of Christians.

Of course not.

There are

humble people

who I don't think

would claim

a Christian faith.

I suppose

in the last century

you might think

of somebody

like Nelson Mandela

who completely

changed his mind

about how to

bring about

freedom

for black

people in

South Africa.

You could

compare that

with a black

person

called

Muhammad Ali

who in

1967

I believe

it was

was voted

the

20th century

man

of the

century.

Remember

this is a

man whose

strap line

was barely

humble.

I am

the

greatest.

See I'm

not quite

clear how

much our

world values

humility

and it

would be a

shame

wouldn't

it

if in

the church

our

characters

individually

and character

corporately

was a

character

that was

not

humble.

I want

to just

ask you

one or two

questions now

and I don't

need to shout

out the

answer

but I want

you just

to think

about these

questions.

First

question

are you

able

to receive

feedback?

Let me

ask that

again.

Are you

able to

receive

feedback?

My

experience

having been

in a

leadership role

for most

of my

life

is that

on the

whole

I don't

find people

that ready

to receive

feedback.

Say I

have

moments

when I

wonder

whether I

can receive

feedback

particularly

when it

comes via

my loving

therapist

and wife.

I would

love to

be able

to report

to you

that every

time my

wife has

said to

me

something

like

feedback

I have

never

as far

as I

recall

gone down

on all

knees

and thanked

God for

incredible

insight and

wisdom.

No I

found myself

being resistant

to it.

Is that

humble?

I don't

think it

is.

Second

thing is

let me

ask you

do you

refuse to

even listen

to those

who think

differently

than you

do?

Or do

you go

around the

world

inadvertently

creating

enemies?

Do you

even

listen to

those who

think

differently

than you?

Two

social

psychologists

noted that

one of the

things that

is being

taught now

in our

universities

is this

dualism.

The idea

that the

world is

full of

good people

and or

bad people.

And the

trouble is

I'm a

good person

but I

think

everybody

else who

doesn't

agree with

me is

evil.

See

we're

losing

via an

attack on

free speech

we're

losing the

ability I

think to

have proper

discussion over

things which

we disagree

about.

Third

question

really

important

deep in

our culture

in this

country

do you

have a

pecking

order?

That is

are there

some people

who you

gravitate

towards you

may even

want to be

like them

etc etc

and then

there are

a whole

lot more

people.

People we

look down

on

people we

look up

to.

And while

we hold

that kind

of world

to you

it's

very

difficult

to

believe

that

something

like

humility

will

emerge.

Fourth

question

do you

constantly

find

yourself

borrowing

strength?

Ultimately

borrowing

strength from

things that

won't give

you strength.

I mean I

think that's

the kind

of subtext

of that

sketch.

What do

I mean?

Do we

try and

borrow

strength from

things like

status,

position,

your perceived

identity,

your educational

qualifications,

your titles,

all these

things.

If you're

hanging on

to them

and trying

to borrow

strength from

them then I

suggest that

humility

is going to

be an issue

for you.

psychology

needs a

humility

revolution.

I'm

tempted to

say the

world needs

a humility

revolution.

I'm

tempted to

say the

church needs

a humility

revolution.

at the

base of

it all

I think

is what

we believe

about God

and what

we believe

about

ourselves

and the

two

are very

integrately

related

in the

person

of Jesus

Christ.

we are

limited by

our own

self-centeredness

and we're

incomplete

without faith

in God.

I want to

close by

reading a

passage which

in some

ways I

think would

have been

more appropriate

to this

topic.

If ever

there was a

place in

Holy Writ

where the

whole issue

of descending

to greatness

was absolutely

fundamentally

clear, it

would be in

Philippians 2.

Paul is

talking to a

church that

he thinks

has got a

lot of good

things going

for it.

He's very

grateful for

them.

He's writing

from prison

in the year

AD 62

and he

writes stuff

like this.

Verse 3,

do nothing

out of

selfish

ambition

or vain

conceit

but in

humility

consider

others

better than

yourselves.

I think that

would be a

challenging

statement to

much 20th

century

psychology.

Verse 4,

each of you

should look

not only to

your own

interests

but also

to the

interests

of others.

and then

absolute

bombshell.

Jesus

is talking

to his

disciples.

You remember

in the

reading we

had, it

was the

disciples of

Jesus who

got it all

wrong.

James and

John, two

of the key

disciples in

the kind

of, when I

say the top

three, I

mean the

three that

Jesus

regularly took

aside.

They got it

all wrong.

they say,

Jesus, will

you do

what we

want?

I mean

that's a

bad start.

And then

they ask the

question, when

Jesus says,

well what would

you like me to

do for you?

I mean you

might like to

ask yourself

that question.

If Jesus

said to you,

what do you

want me to

do for you?

What kind

of answer

would you

give him?

lottery ticket

numbers?

Deal with

somebody who's

been a pain

in the neck

to me?

Help me get

rid of the

partner of

yours who's

related.

What would

you ask?

Here's the

point.

When they

ask the

disciples, the

disciples ask

an entirely

self-centered

question.

we'd like

one of us

to sit

on your

right hand

and one

of us

on your

left hand

when we

get to

glory.

They

wanted

position

in a

place where

of all

places

position

will no

longer

matter.

doesn't

sound like

me that

even those

who've

been with

Jesus in

his physical

presence

got it.

And I'm

not clear

today that

churches get

it.

Your

attitude,

said Paul,

should be the

same as that

of Christ

Jesus.

You ever

thought about

that?

You probably

think when you

hear that,

no, no, no,

you know what,

he was the

son of God,

give me a

break.

But no,

Paul says

your attitude

should be the

same as that

of Christ

Jesus.

Then,

who being in

the very

nature of

God did

not consider

equality with

God something

to be grasped,

but made

himself

nothing.

You know

what, that

sounds like

humility to

me.

He took the

very nature

of a servant

being made

in human

likeness and

being found

in appearance

as a man.

He humbled

himself and

became obedient

to death,

even death

on a cross.

I don't know

about you,

but when I

read those

words,

if I had

hair on

my head,

it would

stand up

at the

moment.

I'm

supposed to

have the

same attitude

as Christ

Jesus.

And Jesus'

hold on my

life is

meant to be

such that

though I'm

saved by

grace,

I'm called

to obedience

that I might

live the life

that he has

for me.

therefore,

God

exalted

him.

You're not

going to get

a decent

seat in

heaven because

there won't

be any

decent

seats.

They'll

just be

the presence

of God.

life entirely

like any

life that

we can

envisage.

And that

life is

open and

available to

all who

trust in

Jesus Christ

and his

death on the

cross of

Calvary where

he died for

my sin and

your sin.

sin.

And until

we get the

idea that

Jesus,

who could

have had an

amazing life

in heaven for

eternity with

God,

was sent to

earth to

live like a

man to

humble himself

and be

obedient even

unto death,

until we get

that,

we might try

our hardest

with humility.

But humility

doesn't begin

with your

words,

it begins

in your

heart.

I hope you

get this.

So

fundamental

and so

easy to

trip up

over.

You know,

I could

give you

countless

stories of

the stumbling

blocks I've

tripped over

in my life.

What a

different world

we would

live in.

What a

different world

you could

create around

yourself.

If you

just did

those two

things that

Paul says

at the

beginning of

chapter 2,

do nothing

out of

selfish

ambition or

vain conceit,

but in

humility consider

others better

than yourselves.

You could

start that

this week.

Right?

You could

start today.

If you're

going to see

somebody today

who's down

below in

your pecking

order,

you could

try and

start to

think of

them as

better than

you.

Why would

you do

that?

Because we're

called to

love each

other.

I don't

remember

anywhere in

the Bible

where it

says,

love one

another,

but only

those who

you like.

In fact,

I remember

one of the

most counter

intuitive

sections of

teaching is

when Jesus

says,

love your

enemies.

I mean,

hands up

if you

find that

really easy,

but you

could be

forgiven.

I saw

somebody move

their hand

and they're

scratching their

head.

Listen,

this is

core truth,

core reality.

humanity.

Jesus

could have

had a

heck of

a problem

for existence

in heaven

with his

father,

but he

chose

to come

to earth,

to live

in the

mess of

our

humanity.

And you

don't have

to look

too far,

do you,

to feel

the mess

that humanity

is in at

the moment.

came and

dwelt

amongst us

and was

prepared to

go to a

cross

in order

that my

limitedness,

my innate

self-centeredness

can be

transformed

and I

can be

changed.

The old

hymn puts

it from

glory

into glory.

You know,

I stand

here saying

this in

front of

you and

part of

me thinks,

who the

heck wouldn't

want that?

What kind

of mind

would they

have if

they were

turned down

on the

basis that

all this

comes to

us,

not through

our effort,

but through

the grace

of God?

God, why

wouldn't you

want it?

Why wouldn't

you want the

life that he

who created

you and the

earth and the

heavens and

all that

therein is,

has a life

for you to

lead,

which will

bring you

more fullness

than any

other life.

life.

John 10,

John 10:10

verse 10,

I have

come that

you may

have life

and have

it in all

its fullness.

Who wouldn't

want fullness?

Incidentally,

fullness of

life is not

the same as

a full life.

A lot of

people who

live full

lives are

just running

away from

something.

no,

Jesus,

by fullness

of life,

means a

quality of

life which

you will

only find

through him.

And Jesus

said to

his

disciples,

you remember

the kind of

funny touch

in the New

Testament about

this,

in Mark's

Gospel,

it's the

sons of

Zebedee,

James and

John,

who come

and ask

for this

stupid request

to sit

at his

right hand

and one

at his

left.

In the

other versions,

it's the

mother of

James and

John who

come.

I think

it's the

first biblical

example of

a really

pushy

mum.

Jesus

says,

I can't

do that

for you.

It's not

my job.

And the

reason it's

not my

job is

I'm not

even going

to answer

requests

like that.

If you

trust

Christ,

if you

are,

as Paul

would say,

in Christ,

then God

wants you to

live the

life that

he has

for you.

And these

few weeks

we've been

talking about

the kind

of character

that we're

supposed to

have to

bear testimony

to that

life.

Humility

is

foundational.

Maybe

some of

us need

to think

again.

Always

think of

others as

better than

yourselves and

go and

attend the

interests of

others before

you attend

your own

interests.

interests.

What a

different world

it would

be if

only we

got that

basic

message.

The

trouble is

the message

on its

own is

not enough.

It's

non-natural

behavior for

us to be

like that.

So God

has supplied

us with

the Holy

Spirit who

has power

to change

us from

the inside

out.

you know

when Jesus

spoke about

the Holy

Spirit he

didn't talk

about the

froth at

the top

of the

bottle.

He talked

about the

real Jews

beneath.

He said

when the

Spirit comes

the Spirit

will teach

you.

He'll call

to mind

the things

that I

have told

you.

If you

can't take

feedback

think again.

If you

can't even

listen to

people who

disagree with

you think

again.

If you

have a

pecking

order which

even now is

running at

maximum speed

trying to

work out

well who

are the

people I

look up

to and

who are

the people

I look

up to.

Take the

script and

rip it

up.

Because

while you

hold things

like that

you will

never be

humble.

I mean

you can

put on a

show of

humility.

God

requires

those who

have a

humble

heart.

The

sacrifice

of God

said the

psalmist

is a

broken

spirit.

A

broken

and

contrite

heart.

He will

never

turn

away

from.

Come

Holy

Spirit

teach

us.

Show

us.

Rebuke

us.

Call

us.

Do

anything

you like

with my

life in

order that

I might

be an

obedient

disciple

who is

even

prepared to

be

obedient

unto

death.

death.

Reminds

me of

that

amazing

thing

that

Bon

Affer

wrote.

He said

when Christ

calls a

person he

bids them

come and

die.

Die to

themselves

selfishness.

Humility

is a

winsome

quality.

You see

that reading

we had

in there

when the

other

disciples

heard that

James and

John had

come with

this

ridiculous

request

they were

indignant.

proud

people

boastful

people

are

nearly

always

difficult

to live

alongside.

There are

very few

people

who are

boastful

and big

headed

who we

want to

be like

them.

And if

you do

come to

the prayer

team at

the end.

No

this is

core

truth.

Go home

read

Philippians

2.

Go to

work.

Go to

wherever

you go

in these

other

six days

of the

week.

And try

thinking

like this.

I will

think of

others as

better than

myself.

And I

will seek

the interests

of others

before my

own.

And even

if you

know in

your heart

you're not

too humble

today,

humility

will start

to take

root in

your soul

and you

become more

like the

person

Jesus wants

you to

be.

Not so

with you.

Pray God

that in the

church those

words might be

true.

That we

live the

life that

is not so

with the rest

of the world.

But the

life God

in Jesus

Christ

in the

power of

his Holy

Spirit has

given to

us.

Let's

pray.

Our

gracious

Father,

we're very

conscious that

humility in

our culture

today is

a pretty

rare commodity.

humility.

And Lord,

we can't

spot

arrogance,

big-headedness,

hubris in

others.

But Lord,

I pray this

morning that

you would

show us

where we

need to

make running

adjustments to

our lives.

Lord,

we know

that in

our own

strength we

can achieve

nothing of

lasting

spiritual

value.

But Lord,

as we

receive the

nudges and

the whisper of

your Holy

Spirit in

our ears,

we pray that

you will give

us the

strength to

be the

people that

you want us

to be.

So,

Father,

we ask

now,

come,

Holy

Spirit.

Come into

our lives,

Lord,

and

recognizing

that Jesus

surrendered all

to be

obedient to

you.

We dare

to stand

up this

morning in

this church,

February

the 8th,

2026,

and say

from our

heart,

I surrender

all.

Come,

Holy Spirit,

fill our

hearts with

your love

and your

humility

and your

obedience.

peace with

who agreed, said together.

Amen.