Episode 123: Death to Self/Humility - Part 3

This is our 3rd and final message of this important teaching that tragically is so neglected in the teaching/preaching of the Church today. Somehow, where we are going at this junction in history will require a renewed emphasis on dying to ourselves, on humbling ourselves, and utterly rejecting the culture of self-promotion that is so prevalent in much of the  Body of Christ today. This isn't an extreme teaching - this is the basis of the Christian life!Here are the notes for the teaching:DEATH TO SELF – 2022 – PART 3 - IS HUMILITY THE GREATEST NEED IN GOD’S KINGDOM?Scene from Indiana Jones - “ONLY THE PENITENT MAN SHALL PASS. THE PENITENT MAN IS HUMBLE  BEFORE GOD. THE PENITENT. PENITENT. ..WHAT DOES A PENITENT MAN DO? KNEEL!” THE "NEW" HUMILITY PRAYER” IN LIGHT OF MY IDENTITY IN CHRIST…"O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me, Deliver me, Jesus,from the desire of being loved (BY OTHERS),from the desire of being extolled,from the desire of being honored,from the desire of being praised,from the desire of being preferred to others,from the desire of being consulted,from the desire of being approved, from the fear of being humiliated,from the fear of being despised,from the fear of being forgotten,from the fear of being wronged,from the fear of being suspected, And, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire that others might be loved more than I, that others might be esteemed more than I,that in the opinion of the world others may increase and I may decrease,that others may be chosen, and I set aside,that others may be praised and I unnoticed,that others may be preferred to me in everything,that others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should."QUOTE: A.B. SIMPSON – THE SELF LIFE & THE CHRIST LIFE"It is one thing to be little in our own eyes, it is another thing to be out of our own sight altogether. True humility is not thinking meanly of ourselves, it is not thinking of ourselves at all". HUMILITY/DEATH TO SELF – KEY VERSES/PASSAGESMatt.16:24-25 - Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and fol ow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. John 3:30 - “He [Jesus] must become greater, I must become less” John 15:5 – “…apart from me you can do nothing” I Peter 5:5 - Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6, 10 - “…God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.” JOHN THE BAPTIST CRUCIFIES “SELF PROMOTION” Luke 7:28 - I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” John 3:30 – “He [Jesus] must become greater(increase), I must become less(decrease)” ”Jesus must become more important, while I become less important” “On Social Media, Jesus must get more fol owers, likes and partners on His greater platform, while I lose fol owers and donors as my reputation fades into obscurity” (DIV - Dave’s International Version) THINGS WE WOULD HAVE NEVER SEEN!!! (and SHOULD NOT see today!!) John the Baptist Fivefold Prophetic Ministries www.johnthebaptist.comwww.noneisgreaterthanme.comLUKE 14:7-11 – PARABLE OF THE GUESTS7 When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: 8 “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. 11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” LUKE 14:12-14 – PARABLE OF THE GUESTS (CONTINUED) 12 He also said to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, don’t invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest/because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid. 13 On the contrary, when you host a banquet, invite those who are poor, maimed, lame, or blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Definition: …so that it refers to the preceding verb and indicates the purpose of the designated actionLUKE 14:16-24 – PARABLE OF THE LARGE BANQUET (DINNER PARTY) 16 Then He told him: “A man was giving a large banquet and invited many. 17 At the time of the banquet, he sent his slave to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, because everything is now ready.’ 18 “But without exception, they all began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. I ask you to excuse me.’ 19 “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m going to try them out. I ask you to excuse me.’ 20 “And another said, ‘I just got married, and therefore I’m unable to come.’ 21 “So the slave came back and reported these things to his master. Then in anger, the master of the house told his slave, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and al eys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’ 22 “‘Master,’ the slave said, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there’s still room.’ 23 “Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be fil ed. 24 For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will enjoy my banquet!’” LUKE 14:25-33 – COST OF DISCIPLESHIP25 Now large crowds were going along with Him, and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build, and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to face the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 Otherwise, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and requests terms of peace. 33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. LUKE 14:34-35 / MATT 5:13 – SALT OF THE WORLDLUKE 14:34-35 - “Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35 It is useless either for the soil or the manure pile, so it is thrown out. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear.” MATTHEW 5:13 - “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. REVIEWING OUR “ROCK OC” DNA / OUR VALUES* NO SELF-PROMOTION / PLATFORMS? / TITLES? – BEING LIKE JOHN THE BAPTIST* THE WAY WE WANT TO MINISTER TO OTHERS * THE WAY WE WANT TO TESTIFY / HOW WE TELL STORIES (IF…)* NO REBUKE FOR BEING “TOO HUMBLE” – “HUMILITY ATTRACTS HEAVEN” * MOTIVES MATTER – God SEES ALL! Matt.16: 24-25 - denying ourselves and losing our lives? (Luke 14 reaffirms) John 3:30 – becoming less? MUST…John 15:5 – how much can we do apart from Him? WHY do people think it’s them!!! I Peter 5:5 - Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – HOW TO FAIL IN LIFE & MINISTRYJames 4:6, 10 - “…OUR JOB - Humble ourselves / HIS JOB - He will exalt us.” Luke 14:11- Exalt ourselves? Humble ourselves?