Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Mark 9:30-37

Theme: Developing humility as a part of Christian character.

Date: 03/31/20 File name: GospelOfMark22.wpd

ID Number:

The title of my message is practicing humility.

Humility is an attribute that does not come naturally to the human spirit.

It must be cultivated.

It must be practiced ... regularly.

James 4:6 tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Now think about that for a moment.

God actively resists us when we foolishly live according to our own stubborn will.

I long to be included in the body of believers who are “humble.”

I want to be among the humble saints who serve Christ by serving others.

But it’s not easy.

C.S. Lewis had it right when he said, “If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step.

The first step is to realize that one is proud.”

In our text for this evening, Jesus deals with the pride of his disciples head-on.

As we shall see, Jesus tells his disciples: “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all."

It was a lesson, however, that the disciples were slow to learn.

Each was always trying to out-maneuver their fellow disciples and ingratiate themselves to Jesus.

In Matthew, chapter 20, we see Salome, the mother of James and John, come to Jesus with a request:

“And he said to her, “What do you want?”

She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.””

(Matthew 20:21, ESV)

Now, we cannot be 100% sure, but when you compare the list of women who were present at the crucifixion of Jesus mentioned in the four gospels, we learn that Salome is, most likely, the Virgin Mary’s sister.

That makes Salome Jesus’ aunt and James and John His first cousins.

Learning that Jesus’ aunt was actively promoting her two sons, the other disciples became incensed.

They went spastic:

“And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.”

(Matthew 20:24, ESV)

To put it mildly, it really bent ‘em out of shape.

Even at the Last Supper, envy, rivalry and pride surfaced among the disciples (Luke 22:24).

As Jesus readies himself to wash the disciple’s feet, I think he says to himself, “Oi, vai, ain’t these schlemiels ever going to get it?”

I think that Jesus must look at us sometimes and still go, “Oi, vai, ain’t these guys ever going to get it?”

We live in a proud and egotistical generation.

In American today, people push and promote themselves in ways that would have been totally unacceptable only a generation ago.

Yet in a great part of modern culture, pride, exaggerated self-esteem, and shameless self-promotion have come to be redefined not only as virtues but as the supreme virtue.

Americans are obsessed with self-esteem, self-fulfillment, and self-glory.

Tragically, the cult of selfism has even found its way into evangelical Christianity.

Books, seminars, conferences, magazines, and organizations that promote “self” under the guise of personal spiritual development abound.

The movement has found little resistance in the church, which often seems determined to beat the world at its own fleshly game.

From countless sources, claims are heard that God’s great design for His people is health, prosperity, success, happiness, and – of course – self-fulfillment.

The Bible’s teaching of suffering and cross-bearing and humility for Christ’s sake are either ignored altogether or foolishly explained away.

Like the disciple’s, we frequently argue about who’s number one instead of becoming a servant to all.

This evening, I want you to consider cultivating an attitude of humility.

I. THE DAUNTLESS PURSUIT OF HUMILITY

ILLUS.

Humility is like a watermelon seed.

The moment you think you’ve got a firm grip on it, it squirts away from your grasp.

1. dauntlessness is another word for fearlessness — it's the idea of pushing ahead regardless of our trepidation

a. as believers we must fearlessly pursue humility in a world that will walk all over us when we do

2. humility of character, however, is essential for the Christian if we are going to emulate the servant-attitude of our Lord, Jesus Christ

a. you cannot have a haughty “me first” attitude and be a servant to others

3. American culture programs us to be winners at all costs

ILLUS.

I recently saw a documentary on the Discovery Channel on the rigorous training one must go through in order to become a Navy Seal.

In one section of the show, there were four teams of trainees that were to navigate their inflatable raft over choppy, high seas in a race to the beach.

The team that came in first was congratulated by their training officer.

The commander then got up into the face of the lieutenant of the boat that came in second, and bellowed, “What does that make you seaman?”

The lieutenant responded, “First Looser, Sir.”

a. thinking quickly, the lieutenant found a unique way of denying that they had come in second

b.

being #2 in our culture just doesn’t cut it

4. Christians are to have a different attitude about success, self-esteem, and being #1

A. GREATNESS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES THROUGH HUMBLE SERVICE, NOT STRIVING TO BE TOP DOG

“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.””

(Mark 9:35, NIV84)

1. the logic for pursuing humility as a Christian character trait is pretty simple

a. Jesus called for us to exercise personal humility

1) Jesus was blunt about how to do that – we become the willing servant of all

2) being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people

b.

Jesus epitomized the mind and life of humility

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:3–8, NIV84)

“and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

(Matthew 20:27–28, NIV84)

c. Christians are to emulate Jesus

1) the Apostle Paul tells us in the Philippians passage, Let this mind be in you ...

2) even though Jesus deserved to be exalted and worshiped, he emptied himself of his glory, was made in the likeness of men and became a servant

2. does God expect anything less from us?

a. are we above the Master?

b. the Apostle Peter, in calling his readers to humility, reminds us that Christ is our spiritual model " ... leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps," (1 Peter 2:21) NASB95

3. the reason the believer must cultivate humility is because it was such an essential character trait of our Lord whom we are to emulate

... We Need to Dauntlessly Pursue Humility

II.

THE DESTRUCTIVENESS OF PRIDE

1 pride is not so much bragging as it is the illusion that I am at the center and can manage everything on my own without help

a.

bragging may be a symptom of pride, but pride itself is much deeper

2. humility, therefore, is the opposite of this attitude

a. it's not merely a self-deprecating attitude

b. humility is just living the truth about ourselves ... that truth is "I am not God, I'm not the center of my life, I have things I can't control, I am dependant on God."

c. that's humility

3. we need to pursue humility, because pride is destructive

a. we see that in our text

A. PRIDE DESTROYS UNITY

“But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.”