Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.
Who is the most authentically humble person that
you know? And what is it about that person's
attitude, their concern for others, their approach
to life that makes them so attractive? Here's
the question. Would you like to be like that?
I want to be like that. And today, we together
can learn how. Stay with me. Today on Living
on the Edge, Chip Ingram reveals the secret to
authentic humility. I'm Dave Drewy, and in our
series, Choosing Love, we're discovering that
love isn't a feeling, it's a choice. And today,
Chip shows us how Jesus modeled perfect servanthood.
No job too low, no recognition required, no thanks
needed. You'll learn why humility grows through
obedience, not introspection. And you'll discover
the incredible rewards that come when you follow
Christ's example of descending into greatness.
So grab your Bible and turn to Philippians 2,
verse 5. Here's Chip Ingram with today's message,
Love Serves. Notice, humility flows from a specific
mindset. Hear the command. Have this attitude
in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, although he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form
of a bondservant and being made in the likeness
of men. When it says he emptied himself for Bible
students, the word is kenosis. Literally, it
means he made himself nothing. It's a sacrifice
that's unbelievable. And what he's doing is,
he's saying, I was in the form, the very essence
of God. I make myself nothing, never ceasing
in any way, relieving himself of any deity. He's
fully God, fully man. And then notice what it
says. Taking the form, the essential nature,
not just of a servant, but of a bondservant.
A bond servant in Jewish and in Roman culture
had no rights. He's the guy that empties the
trash. He's the guy that has zero rights, no
anything, anywhere, at any time. Could you just
pause for a moment? Could you imagine? I mean,
when you think of how we cling to our rights,
how come they didn't do that for me? Don't they
know who I am? Can you imagine the creator of
the universe? taking the form of a bondservant.
And it says he's made in the likeness of a man.
The word likeness is our word schema. This is
the word that means just the outward fashion
of, the appearance of. And he was fully human,
except he wasn't like all other men. There's
no sin nature. Jesus, everything he did, he said,
follow me, model this. I can do nothing apart
from him. His entire life was I'm dependent on
the Father and in the power of the Holy Spirit
to live this life so you can follow behind me
and you be dependent on the Father and the power
of the Holy Spirit. And he did that because he
loves you. He did that to rescue mankind. He
descended into greatness. You want to have a
mindset? You want to embrace the mindset with
regard to your position? Right? We all have one.
We do. And prestige, you know, like what makes
me a somebody. Let me give you three characteristics
of the mindset of a servant. You might jot these
down. And then think about how they might play
out in your home, in your driving, at work. Characteristic
number one, no job is too low. Why? Because you're
a servant. There's trash on the ground, pick
it up. Why? You're a servant. No recognition
is required. No one needs to know who you are.
No one needs to say, oh, wow, you're... No recognition.
You don't have to casually, like I certainly
do at times, tell people that you know so -and
-so or you work so -and -so. See, you don't have
to bring recognition to yourself. No job too
low. No recognition needed. No thanks required.
You know, when a servant would do his job, no
one said, oh, wow, thanks so much. It's he's
a servant. That's what he's supposed to do, serve
all the rest of us. You see, it's a mindset.
Can you imagine what it would be like to be married
to someone who thought their job was to serve
their mate? Can you imagine a mom or dad who
thought that the whole goal of their life was
to serve their children in a way to help them
be responsible and to grow up? Can you imagine
what it would be like to have a boss or a supervisor
who saw themselves not as the head and the requirement
and got mad when people didn't get their deliverables,
but I'm going to serve you and help you be successful,
and maybe the best way to serve some of you is
help you find another place? Because you struggle,
this isn't what you were intended for, but the
mindset isn't, you hack me off, get out of here,
I want to serve you. Well, those are the three
characteristics of a servant's mindset. Can you
take any more? Let me give you three characteristics
of what makes great servants. Number one, they
observe needs. See, real servants realize, I'm
not here for people to serve me. And so they
observe needs. If you've ever been to a very
good restaurant and the waiter or the waitress,
do you ask for water? They're there. You ask
for a second of this. I mean, they're watching
your table and they observe needs. When you stand
up and when you're here, do you just go and talk
to someone you know? Are you observing? I wonder
what the needs are. Wonder how things are going
here. I wonder if they need help in the children's
ministry. I wonder if they need help over here.
Who might need, servants have this mindset of,
there might be some needs I can fulfill. Second,
is they take initiative. You don't have to ask
them. They just take initiative. Oh wow, there's
a need, I'll fill it. I'll take care of that.
I'll do that. And third, they don't draw attention
to themselves. Now, that's pretty different,
isn't it? That's what Jesus did. And he loved
deeply and better. And that's why he's the greatest
human being who ever lived, because he was a
human being. Fully God, but a human being. That's
how he viewed position and prestige. Finally,
we become truly great when we embrace Christ's
mindset toward Productivity. Ask yourself, what
did he really accomplish? Quite a bit, huh? Being
found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross. Underline the word humbled
himself. Put a box around becoming obedient.
and then circle death and circle on a cross.
Jesus descended from the supreme creator and
ruler to taking on human flesh, to being a servant,
to making his life a sacrifice, to dying for
us, and then to die in the most humiliating way
known to mankind. Now, here's what you need to
get. especially those with a sensitive conscience,
which I really appreciate. The way to eliminate
your pride is not to focus on how arrogant you
are. It's not to walk out of here and go, you
know, I think of myself, and I'm really into
position, and yes, I think my possessions make
me of someone, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, don't
go there. When you try and get rid of pride,
out the window, it comes back in the door. If
you get it out the door, it'll come back in through
the attic. You know how you can become a humble
person? It's really, really easy. Obey. You obey
your way to humility. Because humility isn't
some feeling. Humility is considering others
more important than yourself. So what do you
do? You act on the truth that these people are
actually more important than me. Therefore, my
time will go toward helping others. My money
is going to go toward helping others. And my
talents will go toward helping others. And more
than some kind of feeling, you do what Jesus
did. He acted on it. And by the way, just a little
note, put a little star. He didn't feel like
it. Do you remember the garden? Emotionally.
Jesus didn't, you know, love is giving another
person what they need the most when they deserve
it the least at great personal cost. Jesus was
not in the garden going, Father, from eternity
past, we're going to save him. This is great.
Holy Spirit, I want to high five you. I'm going
to go to the cross. We're going to do this. Oh,
Father, oh, Father, if there be any way, not
my will but yours be done, but if there's a plan
B, a plan C, I don't want to do this. I don't
want to be separated from you. I don't want the
cost. I don't want the pain. I don't want to
do this nevertheless. Can I tell you something?
When you don't feel like reading the Bible and
read it, when you don't feel like praying and
pray, when you don't feel like giving and give,
when you give time and you care, when you're
tired and say, I don't feel like it, I don't
feel like it, I don't think you're being a hypocrite.
I think you're probably more pleasing to God
than almost any other time in your life. It takes
a lot more faith to obey when you don't feel
like doing it. You are living in such a feel
-oriented culture. I'm kind of tired. I don't
feel like reading. I'm kind of tired. I don't
know if I can make it to the small group. I'm
kind of tired. I'm so worn out. Blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah. How did Jesus feel? He was beat within
an inch of his life. They crushed thorns into
his skull. Love serves. I choose love. I choose
to serve. And something supernatural happens
when that occurs. Humility grows by obedience.
If you walk out these doors and go, I want to
be more humble, I intend to be more humble, you
will not be humble. You act your way into humility.
Obedience is the pathway to humility. Humility
is about considering others, people, more important
than yourself. You're listening to Living on
the Edge with Chip Ingram. We'll hear more from
Chip in just a moment. If today's message is
speaking to your heart, don't keep it to yourself.
Share this teaching with someone who needs to
hear it by visiting livingontheedge .org. While
you're there, be sure to check out all of the
other faith -building resources we have available,
including teaching videos, blogs, and devotionals
from Chip. It's all waiting for you at livingontheedge
.org. Let's continue with Chip's message. So,
let's do a quick test and then we're going to
get to something very exciting like the really
wonderful side of the rewards of humility. Here's
the test. How other -centered are you? Okay,
get out your device or devices and just scroll
through the last two or three weeks and how many
names and times on your devices are about serving
other people and how many are about you? That
will tell you. Second is go home, pull up your
bank statement and a couple of your credit cards
and look at where your money went and ask yourself
how much of the money entrusted to you, because
it's not yours and it's not mine, went to expressing
your love to God and to helping other people
and how of it went to you and to service your
debt. See, the reason Jesus talks so much about
money is because it's at the core. It's the MRI.
If you want to know where your heart's at, it's
not how you sing a song. It's not how often you
come to church. If you want to know where your
heart's at, you know, it's like the old thing,
just follow the money. And so the reason he says
and taught to him, look, the first 10%, just
so you know that I own it and you don't, you
write that check to me. But if you live on a
bit of a budget and you decide how much is enough,
then over and above that how much is enough,
you begin to share and give and love. And then
what he says is I keep descending into greatness.
All these people's lives change and people get
loved and people come to Christ and they experience
the life of Christ. See, my money tells me whether
I'm humble or whether I'm about me. And then
I ask myself, what about my talent? Where's my
talent going? I mean, my energy. Did you know
in Christendom, 50 % of all the people that go
to Bible -believing churches do not give anything
of their time or their money. And I would love
to say our church is a big exception. It's not.
It's exactly that same place. And by the way,
if you look at our numbers, we don't need your
money. I mean, we could do a lot more. But here,
my challenge is, You want to be a servant? Then
serve. Get your priorities in order. Get your
time in order. You can't do anything I'm talking
about unless God speaks to you and strengthens
you. Your priorities will never get right until
your finances get right. And if you think there's
any ulterior motive, give it somewhere else.
But maturity, joy, power. Love demands humility
that requires obedience. Now, just before you
think, oh my lands, I want to tell you something
that makes all this worthwhile. Are you ready?
The next and last point is we experience the
reward of true greatness when we follow Christ's
example of servanthood. Now, remember I said
everyone wants to be great? Are you ready? Okay,
how great do you really want to be? Okay? How
great do you really want to be? Because if you
are willing to take your position, your possessions,
your prestige, your power, and say, I'm a steward
of that, and I'm going to use that humbly as
God directs to serve and to love God and to love
others, here's the promise. Christ will exalt
you. He always exalts those who practice humility.
In fact, notice, here's the example from Jesus.
For this reason. What reason? This descending
into greatness, also God highly exalted him.
Literally, it super exalted him. And he bestowed
on him the name which is above every name. Why?
So that at the name of Jesus. Every knee will
bow. Where? Of those who are in heaven, of those
who are on earth, and those who are under earth.
And that every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ and put a box around Lord. The word is
Yahweh. He's referring back to Isaiah 45, 23,
where God Yahweh says, I am the one and every
knee will bow before me. If you want a passage,
God the Father is Lord, Jesus is Lord. And notice
the reason, for the glory of God. You know, Mother
Teresa didn't own a whole lot. And there's people
that have built huge, huge things. But we remember
Mother Teresa. Why? She just loved people. And
she loved people that no one cared about. And
God exalted her. As you humble yourself, as we
as a church, like never before, humble ourselves
by being obedient, God will exalt you. What would
it be worth? What would it be worth to have a
deep, loving, connected family? Deep, loving,
connected friendships? Be the person that changes
the entire culture where you work or your neighborhood.
See, God gave Jesus the greatest position and
the greatest name. Now, here's the deal. We need
to apply this very specifically, and I want to
do it very soberly. For those of you who are
here and you are a follower of Christ, You're
absolutely certain that you are in God's family.
You've trusted Christ. At a certain point in
time, you were convicted of your sin and your
lifestyle. You realized that you needed to be
forgiven and saved by a holy God. And you extended
the empty hands of faith and said, I turn from
my past life and I ask Jesus to come into my
life and forgive me for my sin. I believe you
died in my place and rose from the dead. If you're
one of those people, here's the question. Your
knee is going to bow. and you are going to confess
him as Lord, my question is, is he Lord today?
If you have never said, I'm all in, and saying,
whatever that means, my geography, my family,
my money, my dreams, I may be a little scared.
In fact, if you're not a little scared, you don't
know what I'm talking about. But I'm going to
trust God, and I'm going to stand up, and I'm
going to publicly declare, he is my Lord. He
will call the shots from this moment on. And
if you've never done that, I'll ask you to stand.
And I will tell you, you will experience power,
some difficulty, and some joy and reward that
you've never experienced. And you will find yourself
having to get into God's word because he'll begin
using your life. There's another group of you
that you're here and you're exploring and you
wouldn't claim necessarily to be a Christian
or you're not really sure if you are in the family
or out of the family. You're a good person, a
moral person. You're visiting a church. But if
you died today, you are not absolutely certain
that you would spend eternity with Christ. Every
person is going to bow the knee and you will
profess Jesus is Lord. Option A. Is that if you
haven't done that, you bow the knee and you humble
your heart and you say, I need you, God. Will
you forgive me? I want to turn from sin. I ask
you to come into my life and I want to follow
you. Option B is you say, well, no, I'm not ready
to do that. Maybe later. I don't want anyone
telling me what to do. I'm not sure about this
God stuff. If that's good for you guys, fine.
I'm going to do my own thing. The day will come
when you will bow your knee. And instead of joy
looking at your Savior, in absolute dismay and
distress, you'll go, oh, I remember when I was
in that church and I heard God's voice and I
may never hear it again like this. I so wish
I could go back. But you can't. And he brought
you into this room on this day to forgive your
sins and give you a new life. God wants you to
be great. He wants you to be great. He just wants
you to descend into greatness. The acid test
of greatness is love. This is about being loving
people. The road to greatness, have you got this
word down now? It's humility. The road to greatness
is considering others more important than yourself.
And finally, the opportunity for greatness, it's
serving. It's serving in the church. It's serving
at home. It's saying, I'm a servant. No job is
too low. I'm a servant. I'm available. I'm a
servant. I don't need recognition. I want to
be a part of the change engine. I'm not someone
who comes and sits and observes and intellectually
believes the things that everyone intellectually
believes. I'm a servant. God, just show me where
to plug in. This is Living on the Edge with Chip
Ingram, and we're in our series, Choosing Love.
Today, Chip revealed that humility isn't something
you feel your way into. You obey your way into
it. Chip has one more powerful challenge to share
in just a moment. If you're serious about transforming
your relationships, you need to get your hands
on Chip's newest book, I Choose Love. This book
tackles the hard questions. How others -centered
are you really? Where does your time, money,
and energy actually go? Chip doesn't let you
off easy. He challenges you to look at the data
on your devices, review your calendar, and follow
the money to see where your heart truly is. But
I Choose Love doesn't just convict you, it equips
you. You'll discover practical ways to serve
without seeking recognition. If you want to descend
into true greatness through servanthood, order
I Choose Love today at livingontheedge .org.
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Well, now here's Chip with one final thought.
Before we go any farther today, I want to bring
you back to that very important option A and
option B I talked about at the close of the program.
Because God has said it will happen. Every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord. And option A is that people will
do that willfully, joyfully, that they will recognize
that God the Son who made all that there is,
who came and died in your place and my place
for the sins of the whole world, who rose from
the dead, who's seated at the right hand of the
Father, is opening his arms and saying, come
unto me. Let me love you and forgive you. I came
that you might have life and have it abundantly.
Option B is for those who say, I don't want that.
I'll control my life. No one's going to tell
me what to do. And we don't always say it that
harshly. Sometimes we say it like, we'll all
get around to the God thing later. Or, you know,
I think that's probably true, but I'm going to
do some stuff that I think is really fun right
now and maybe later. Or maybe you're one of those
people that are literally shaking your fist in
the face of God and saying, no one and nothing
is going to rule over me because you have a warped
view of God or had a bad religious experience.
We don't talk about this much in our day, but
I want you to know there is a reality of eternity,
and God sent the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
and whoever believes in Him has eternal life.
The one that has the Son has life. The one that
does not have the Son of God does not have life.
There are two endings, a group of people that
God will say to them, your will be done, and
you will be separated from Him forever and ever
and ever. And there's a group that will say to
God, Your will be done. Forgive me. I bow my
knee, and I do it voluntarily. I don't know where
you're at, but here's my prayer, that at this
day, on this moment, you would be an option A
person. And you would surrender your heart and
your life at this very minute and say, Lord Jesus,
forgive me. Come into my life. I acknowledge
you as the Lord, the Savior, the Creator of the
world, and I want to follow you. I believe you
died in my place. You rose from the dead. I receive
you as my Savior. Make me your son. Make me your
daughter. And then I want to tell you to get
on your phone and text the best Christian you
know and tell them what you just did. And then
go to livingontheedge .org. That's livingontheedge
.org. It's very easy to find, and we have some
resources to help you in your brand new life.
Now find a good church this weekend that teaches
the Bible and get on the journey. Only God can
change a life. But what's your part in the process?
I'm Dave Drewy. Join us tomorrow as we discover
the answer on Living on the Edge. Today's program
is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.