Neil Cole on Humility

Neil Cole
Originally uploaded by yafflickr.

Opening was a Film Clip: The Jerk

False Modesty is not humility. Putting yourself down is very self centered. Ego is deadly. Neil says this is something that he deals with every year, ... ok every month..., ok... every week, ... ok... every day... every morning.

When he got out of seminary he thought he would turn the world upside down in one year.

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is not thinking of yourself at all.

The Christian life is about tearing off the false identities so that our self image is what God intended it to be.

What is your true identity?
The Kingdom is costly but worth it
Christ in you is the hope of glory (Col 1:27), and nothing else.
*Marriage is learning to strip away the layers of false identity and seeing Christ in each one of us... Christ is the hope of Glory.
*In order to get to that point, it takes pain, conflict, fear, etc. You must go through it to get the reward.
When will Christ be enough?

1Peter 5
"... all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble."

God does not bless those who are proud. We must learn to be humble. God grace will be poured out on this movement if we are humble.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that HE may exalt you at the proper time."

You have two choices in humility...
1. Humble yourself and let God exalt you.
2. Let God humble you.

You also have two choices.
1. Exalt yourself and let God humble you.
2. Humble yourself and let God exalt you.

Humility is not putting yourself down, but rather putting others up.

Read Philippians 2

Summary:
We need to learn to exalt others around us. We need to lift up others. We need to accept when Christ is stripping things away from us. We need to respond with humility.

Ask yourself the following questions to Philippians 2
When will Christ be enough for you?
What will it take for Christ's Spirit to become the most noticeable thing about you?

Let other's have first on things. Lift up others and care for others.

Film Clip: Aragorn recieves the sword from the head elf, Elrond, to defend himself during the battle. Aragorn walks out a differnt man. He walks in a common Ranger, but leaves the person he was meant to be, humble king.

We all need to put aside the Ranger and become the person that we were meant to be. We all have royal lineage in Jesus Christ. Who can summon spiritual warriors to fight for you.

Film Clip 2: Aragorn goes to visit the dead in the mountain... He does not fear death.