Reflections on "Free to be Humble" Ephesians 4:1-3; Matthew 11: 25-30

For reasons I can seldom explain, the sermon in the Chapel went better than than the sermon in the Sanctuary.  One would think that the second time through would be better, but sometimes it is not.  

This sermon had several illustrations (one rather long one), which some people seem to like.  The sermon probably had too little analysis.

“Free to Be Humble” May 24, 2014; Easter series; FPC, Troy; Ephesians 4: 1-3; Matthew 11: 25-30

Introduction:  "O Lord it's hard to be humble. When you're perfect in every way. Can't wait to get up each morning. Get better looking every day. To know me is to love me, I must be one heckuva man. O Lord it's hard to be humble, but I'm trying as hard as I can."

Perfection would stand in the way of being humble for most of us.

If you are perfect, no need for God's saving grace.

If you are perfect, the resurrection of Christ is of little consequence to you.

But, for those of us who are imperfect, the resurrection unbinds us from our imperfection; the resurrection frees us to be the people God desires us to be, the people we want to be.

Move 1: Resurrection frees us to be humble

a. Because of the resurrection, we do not have to spend our lives trying to prove ourselves.

              1. Do not have to be king or queen of the mountain.

2. Do not have to put others down in an effort to step on them to elevate ourselves.

               3. Free us to live like Christ – full of humility.

b. Jesus offers the image of how he works by inviting us to share his yoke.

1. The yoke is what links two oxen together so that they can work in tandem in the fields.

2. They can share the burden of the plowing together.

3. Not one superior ox leading the way and the inferior one following behind, but the two sharing the the work.

4. Jesus, the son of God, invites us to share his yoke, which means he has chosen to join with us in our burdens.

5. he willing joins with us.

6. Only the humble in heart would choose to join with us.

c. When Paul writes to the early church in Ephesus, he notes that one of the characteristics necessary for the early church to survive is humility.

1. they need to work together to share the burden of the tasks to which God calls them.

2. the church s about shared ministry, not one person out in front telling everyone what to do.

3. the burden is manageable, if the members who join together.

4. The church needs humble members as they seek to serve the one who is “gentle and humble in heart.”

Move 2: Examples of humility

a. Biblical example: Moses

1. Still a leader.

2. A strong leader in fact.

3. The book of Numbers describes Moses as the most humble man on earth (Numbers 12:3).

4. Links himself with God – and serves the people.

b. USA Today article for their week-end edition: 2^nd Lt. John Bob – posthumously awarded the medal of honor for his actions on march 30, 1967 in battle in Vietnam. A mortar round severed his leg, but he used his ammunition belt as a tourniquet and jammed his leg into the ground to help staunch the bleeding while leaned up against a tree providing covering fire for the evacuation. In addition to his bravery, I was struck by the description of him. He was not a gung-ho officer who was going to get his men killed. He was “quiet, competent and cared deeply about his men” (Jim Michaels, USA Today, “Remembering a remarkable hero,” May, 23, 2014, 2a)

c. I am reminded of Jack Stofer the chair of the committee that called me to serve First Presbyterian Church, Mt. Sterling, KY.

1. I don't think I ever saw him in anything but khaki work pants and a khaki work shirt, except of course on Sundays when he would roll into church in some old suit.

2. He had a beat up old car that seemed to be held together by the rust; the car seldom got out of second gear as he wandered around town and out to his farm.

2.  He didn't have much money.  Loved to farm and raise cattle and was still doing it late in his life, even when he knew he would not make much money, but he loved to work with the earth and watch lambs and calves grow.

3. he raised plants from the seeds, then would bring a few to our house, plant them, and then water them,take care of them, and then celebrate the wonderful tomatoes Leslie grew.

3. He was at church every week sitting on the second row, center section.

4. He gave at least a dollar every week in the offering plate in case some child was watching him -- he wanted to make sure kids knew that giving back to God was important.

5. One week at church we tried the idea of having people announce prayer concerns, and one of the women announced he was having prostate surgery, and I thought he was going to die right there on the second row of church.

6. You would hardly notice him in a crowd; by the time I was there he would be the older guy who blended into the crowd, never drawing attention to himself; I imagine earlier in life he'd been the younger man who blended into the crowd never drawing attention to himself.

7. he'd been born and baptized in the same church; he could fit in with any group in the church because he had no pretensions and had no concern except for the church, its ministry and its members. No ego. He was trusted by all groups in the church because they knew he had no agenda-- just what was best for the church in its ministry.

8. . If Leslie and I had had a son, his name would have had Jack in in somewhere.

9. When he died, Leslie and went back for his funeral and the minister's text was Jesus calling Peter the rock and which the church was built, and the minister's sermon was about what it was like to have Jack, the rock of the church, die.

He became the rock by serving God and serving neighbor; he became the rock by being humble in heart.

Conclusion: The resurrection frees us to be humble.