INTRO.- The brother in humble circumstances. Did you ever have those? Ever live in humble circumstances?
ILL.- One day, a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country so he could have his son see how poor country people were. They stayed one day and one night at the farm of a very humble farm family.
When they got back home the father asked the son, "What did you think of the trip"?
The son replied, "Very nice Dad." Dad said, "Did you notice how poor they were?" "Yes". "So, what did you learn from this trip?"
"I’ve learned that we have one dog in the house, and they had four. We have a fountain and imported lamps in our garden, they have a stream with no end and the stars in the sky. Our garden goes to the edge of our property, they have the entire horizon as their back yard."
At the end of the son’s reply the father was speechless and then his son said, "Thank you Dad, for showing me how poor we really are."
How poor where you when you were growing up? What do you have now that you didn’t have when you were growing up? Were you really that poor?
What were your humble circumstances? Where were you born? How did you live? No doubt, most of us had a lot less than we do now. No AC, lucky to have screens on our doors, no TV, fortunate to have a radio, and even a car.
ILL.- In Sunday School one time Matt Sandy said they were so poor when he was little that he had no remote control for the TV! Poor boy!
If many of you were to go back home to where you born and raised there probably wouldn’t be a house there any more!
Most of us were raised in somewhat humble circumstances as far as this world is concerned, but we must always know that there is something better than greatness or even great wealth!
Matthew 16:26 Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
ILL.- Bill Gates of Microsoft is still number one in the money game at $59 billion but he won’t be number one when he dies. Wealth will meaning nothing to God at death.
Bill Gates needs Jesus just like everybody else. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. AND, God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. And Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:16)
PROP. - James speaks of two different people; the rich and the poor. What’s the meaning?
1- Humble means high
2- Rich means low
3- Perseverance means salvation
I. HUMBLE MEANS HIGH
9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. Humble means high?
I Peter 5:5-6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
If we go down, we will also go up! If we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up. But the problem is this: most people don’t like to humble themselves before anyone, including God! We don’t like to admit that we could be wrong. We don’t like to say, “I’m sorry. I was wrong.” And even to God.
ILL.- A preacher named Eddie Martin said: This well-dressed woman came forward during the invitation. I took her hand and prepared to give her a prayer to repeat after me. I took this woman’s hand and began to give her the prayer to repeat after me. “Dear Lord, I know I’m a no-good sinner.” She never said a word. I looked at her and said, “Don’t you want to be saved?”
She said, “Yes, Eddie, I do want to be saved, but I’m not a sinner.”
“Then you can’t be saved,” I said, “Jesus only died for sinners.”
“But, Mr. Martin,” she replied, “I’m a good sinner.”
“A good sinner! Lady, there is no such thing as a good sinner. You will have to take your seat. God can’t save you until you become conscious that you are a no-good sinner and need His forgiveness.”
“But, Mr. Martin, you don’t understand. I’m really not a bad sinner.”
I told her to go back and sit down. She held on to my hand with a vise-like grip. Finally she looked me in the eyes and said, “Oh, please forgive me. I know I am a no-good hell-deserving sinner. I am a proud, no-good sinner. I do need Christ to forgive me of my sins.” “Wonderful! Now, lady, you are ready to do business with God.”
Until a person is willing to be humble before God, they cannot be saved or lifted up in any form. Doesn’t this story remind you of a Bible story?
Luke 18:9-14 “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 20:26-28 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 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.”
Greatness comes through being a humble servant. We go up by going down. The humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled.
ILL.- Someone told this story about the famous inventor Samuel Morse who was once asked if he ever encountered situations where he didn’t know what to do. Morse responded, "More than once, and whenever I could not see my way clearly, I knelt down and prayed to God for light and understanding."
Morse received many honors from his invention of the telegraph but felt undeserving. He said, "I have made a valuable application of electricity not because I was superior to other men but solely because of God, who meant it for mankind, must reveal it to someone and He was pleased to reveal it to me."
Morse was honored but only because he first humbled himself before the Lord.
When we humble ourselves before the Lord, seeking to honor Him, we will experience the greatest “high” there is. Pride brings people down. Humility lifts people up.
Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.”
II. RICH MEANS LOW
10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower.
11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
ILL.- Someone asked Willie Sutton, the notorious bank robber why he robbed so many banks. "Because," replied Sutton, "That’s where the money is."
William "Willie" Sutton (June 30, 1901 - November 2, 1980) was a notorious U.S. bank robber. During his forty year criminal career he stole an estimated $2 million, and eventually spent more than half his adult life in prison. What’s the meaning? Crime doesn’t pay and riches can ruin your life.
I Timothy 6:6-10 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
I Timothy 6:17-19 17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
ILL.- Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy steel magnate of a past generation, once remarked to a group of men that he did not feel the need of prayer. “What is the use of praying?” he asked. “I already have everything I want. What more could I ask for?” One of his hearers remarked: “Perhaps, sir, you might pray for humility.”
Rich means low. Possessing great wealth means nothing. The rich will be brought low and die just like everyone else.
ILL.- My twin sister, Sharon Hughlett, sent me some pictures on email. They were pictures of then and now. They were pictures of famous people (many from Hollywood) of how they once looked compared to how they look now. Many of these pictures spanned 20 years or more. And you can imagine how most looked now? Old or older and very haggard looking.
Possessing wealth doesn’t keep a person from aging. What’s the idea? We all age. We all are brought low in death, even the high and the mighty, even the rich folks. Therefore, they need to make preparation for death and there’s only one way to do that! Jesus is the way!
III. PERSEVERANCE MEANS SALVATION
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
I discovered many years ago there is only way to do a job and that is to finish it. There is only one way to run a marathon and that is to finish it. There may be a certain amount of glory in competing but the real joy comes at the finish. This is true for many things in life: jobs, sports, marriage, raising kids, and seeking the Lord.
ILL.- I don’t like Sarah Palin. Well, I do like Sarah Palin. There are some things I like about Sarah Palin. I like that she is a Christian. I like that she is a conservative Christian. I like her family, but I wouldn’t vote for her in an election and even if she were to win the Republican nomination for President. Why wouldn’t I vote for her? Not because she is a woman. Not because she is a Republican. Not because she is a Christian.
The reason I wouldn’t vote for her is because she didn’t finish her governorship of Alaska! She didn’t finish her full term as the governor of Alaska. At one time she was considered as the most popular governor in America. Not so now. She went from a high of 93 percent favor in May of 2007 to 54 percent in May of 2009.
I have a problem with someone who quits a job before the job is done. This holds true for politicians and every day workers. And apparently, God must feel somewhat similar about people when it comes to faith in Him.
Matthew 24:12-13 “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
1 Timothy 4:16 “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Hebrews 11:24-27 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible."
He persevered because he saw him who is invisible. DO YOU SEE HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE? Can you see Him through the eyes of faith? That’s the only way we can see Him, BUT we must see Him if we are going to persevere to the end!
James 5:11 “As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
Job’s perseverance. Yes, he persevered through a whole lot more than we have. If he can, we can. And if we do, we, too, will discover that God is full of compassion and rich in mercy.
CONCLUSION-----------------------
Hold Lightly Earth’s Things - Martha S. Nicholson
Let me hold lightly things of this earth;
Transient treasures, what are they worth?
Moths can corrupt them, rust can decay;
All their bright beauty fades in a day.
Let me hold lightly temporal things—
I, who am deathless, I, who wear wings!
Let me hold fast, Lord, things of the skies;
Quicken my vision, open my eyes!
Show me Thy riches, glory and grace,
Boundless as time is, endless as space...
Let me hold lightly things that are mine—
Lord, Thou dost give me all that is Thine!
Steve Shepherd, Jonesboro Christian Church, AR
jonesborochristianchurch@suddenlink.net
