To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: (Luke 18:9)
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (Luke 18:10)
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. (Luke 18:11)
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (Luke 18:12)
“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.’ (Luke 18:13)
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)
Humility – 2 WEEKER
I am not a humble person.
Myspace Name Drop New Website Preaching Somewhere
So many areas in life – pride and ego – wreck
Talk for awhile on Humility
Personal message
“Man, I wish … would hear this” – Easier to fix others
When read bible – associate with good guy
Bad guy? Well your neighbor, boss, friend, spouse.
Parables
catch us – blindness
Of course I’m the tax collector in this story
Encourage – be open to the possibility of being ‘caught’
“So instead of loving what you think is peace, love others and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmakers, hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed—but hate these things in yourself, not in another.” —Thomas Merton
About me – not you
Prob: Self-Important People
Unhappy
Jayne – 2010 – “Selfishness makes you miserable”
Hard to get along with
Always acting like you’re the expert doesn’t make you look like an expert. I makes you look like an idiot.
Don’t reflect Jesus
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; (Philippians 2:6)
rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:7)
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8)
Relationships
Self-Importance is why we fight
Only by pride cometh contention: (Proverbs 13:10)
No matter how long you’ve been together, ego is something you’ll always have to deal with
You’re important too
Gym – metal – Jessica doesn’t like
Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. (Romans 12:16)
Moving into a new house
Powerrack in spare bedroom Treadmill in living room
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (Philippians 2:3)
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. (Philippians 2:4)
You’re smart too
Watching TV – recognizing actors
You need to have a ridiculously small list of things that only you are allowed to be right about.
New couples – You can be right, or you can be kind
Listening
I was wrong
In conflict – check yourself
Me and Jordan – apologize
Emperor’s new clothes
Dreamers fantasize their self-importance; they think they are smarter than a whole college faculty. (Proverbs 26:16 MSG)
Closing
Go around valuing others
Next time – humility in our beliefs about God, the Bible and Church