I Die Daily
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:31Devotional Series: Before Honor, Humility
Teaching: Before Honor...Humility pt. 6 (SUN_AM 2023-10-15) by Pastor Star R Scott
I don’t know about you but as I look in the mirror nowadays, I’m having trouble counting at all joy. But as we humble ourselves, God will exalt us. What is this exultation? What do we get through this exultation? If we humble ourselves, God will give us more humility. How do you get exalted in the kingdom? Who’s the greatest in the kingdom? So, if we humble ourselves before God, He will help us become greater which will make us more of a servant and more humble; amen? That’s what the exultation is. It’s not the carnal-minded wisdom of the world exultation. Now, can God take us and place us in positions of preeminence? Of course, He can. Some of the greatest examples that we look at are when we stop, and we look at Joseph and we look at Daniel; amen? But they were not exalted for personal gain. They were exalted to preserve God’s treasure, His people. You don’t get exalted for your good. You get exalted for the good of everybody else; amen? And so, when we humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, He will lift us up higher and higher. You all remember that chorus. We probably ought to sing it, “lower and lower.” Trying to remember which one of the great saints made a statement something along these lines, where he made the comment to those that were around him. He said, “I just really need—if you all would pray, I just need a boosting up. I just need to be lifted up some.” And a little old Salvation Army lady was standing there and said, “Maybe it’s a little lowering that you need.”
He that is little in his own eyes will not be troubled, to be little in the eyes of others. He that is little in his own eyes—you will find out whether humility is taking place in your life or not by whether you’re troubled when you’re little in the eyes of others. And then what do we do? Try to prove to them how great we are. “You don’t appreciate my greatness, my special gifts.” And so, we see the working of God’s grace in the life of Paul. As we finish this morning, according to 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul, through this great revelation, went beyond the revelation and embraced the title Chief of Sinners. Do you pray thanking God you’re not as messed up as others? Do you really see yourself as the chief of sinners in this fellowship?
How do you see yourself: counselor? Teacher? There’s greater judgment. Do you have to question everything? “Why did we have to have the thing on Friday night?” “Why is this carpet gray?” “I think we should go back to the old time for home fellowship.” “I don’t like them.” Who are you? Why does everything have to be seen your way? And it’s bad enough to always have to have your opinion put forth but then to go around seeking others to vindicate it is the very strife that James is speaking of here. To promote your ideas, your opinion.
Humility is doing what we shared in conjunction with women submitting to their husbands. You don’t just acknowledge, and based upon authority and order, say, “Okay, I will step down from this confrontation.” Humility goes the next step and says, “I will embrace this as my own. I no longer have that opinion because the Word of God, the Lordship of Jesus, the authority that’s been placed in my life has spoken. And I receive that wisdom of the multitude of counselors as superseding my singular opinion.” A fool “is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (Proverbs 26:16).
And so, Paul comes to that conclusion that he himself was the chief. He called himself, in 1 Corinthians 15:9, “the least of the apostles.” And then we’ll end with this for this morning, with the very verses that we began with. “Lest…when I have preached to others,” 1 Corinthians 9:27, “I myself should be a castaway.” “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Father, we thank You for the work that You’re doing in our lives, the working of humility, the grace of God that’s been given to us. The need for us, Lord, to daily fellowship with You, that we would embrace Your love, that we would truly believe that You love us. We cannot be humble while we think we have to provide for ourselves. Our eyes are on You. You’ve never failed us. Your ways are just, and we give You all the glory and the honor for what You’re affecting in our lives. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, amen.
He that is little in his own eyes will not be troubled, to be little in the eyes of others. He that is little in his own eyes—you will find out whether humility is taking place in your life or not by whether you’re troubled when you’re little in the eyes of others. And then what do we do? Try to prove to them how great we are. “You don’t appreciate my greatness, my special gifts.” And so, we see the working of God’s grace in the life of Paul. As we finish this morning, according to 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul, through this great revelation, went beyond the revelation and embraced the title Chief of Sinners. Do you pray thanking God you’re not as messed up as others? Do you really see yourself as the chief of sinners in this fellowship?
How do you see yourself: counselor? Teacher? There’s greater judgment. Do you have to question everything? “Why did we have to have the thing on Friday night?” “Why is this carpet gray?” “I think we should go back to the old time for home fellowship.” “I don’t like them.” Who are you? Why does everything have to be seen your way? And it’s bad enough to always have to have your opinion put forth but then to go around seeking others to vindicate it is the very strife that James is speaking of here. To promote your ideas, your opinion.
Humility is doing what we shared in conjunction with women submitting to their husbands. You don’t just acknowledge, and based upon authority and order, say, “Okay, I will step down from this confrontation.” Humility goes the next step and says, “I will embrace this as my own. I no longer have that opinion because the Word of God, the Lordship of Jesus, the authority that’s been placed in my life has spoken. And I receive that wisdom of the multitude of counselors as superseding my singular opinion.” A fool “is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (Proverbs 26:16).
And so, Paul comes to that conclusion that he himself was the chief. He called himself, in 1 Corinthians 15:9, “the least of the apostles.” And then we’ll end with this for this morning, with the very verses that we began with. “Lest…when I have preached to others,” 1 Corinthians 9:27, “I myself should be a castaway.” “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Father, we thank You for the work that You’re doing in our lives, the working of humility, the grace of God that’s been given to us. The need for us, Lord, to daily fellowship with You, that we would embrace Your love, that we would truly believe that You love us. We cannot be humble while we think we have to provide for ourselves. Our eyes are on You. You’ve never failed us. Your ways are just, and we give You all the glory and the honor for what You’re affecting in our lives. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, amen.