The Humility of God (How He Works and Patiently Waits)
Sermon Notes
“The Humility of God”
Advent Sunday # 1
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 emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2.5-8).
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9.9)
The Humility of God (How He Works and Patiently Waits)
1. God has a plan for His people and His world.
Now the LORD said to Abram,
"Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father's house,
To the land which I will show you;
And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12.1-3).
2. God is not frustrated by opposition to this plan nor is His plan delayed. He humbles Himself to wait through and endure the opposition.
Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;
who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship.
He said, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession" (Exodus 34.6-9).
3. God, through His eternal lovingkindness and compassionate humility, patiently and sovereignly works His plan.
But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel" (1 Samuel 15.26).
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16.7).
So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he" (1 Samuel 16.12).
4. Ultimately, God, waiting for centuries and millenniums, will unveil Himself through His Son who is the centerpiece of His plan.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law (Galatians 4.4).
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,
in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1.1-3).
Some thoughts/questions for the Advent season from today’s sermon
1. What color is humility? What does it look like?
2. Will you think about the humility of God this Advent season?
3. Will you humble yourself before God and submit to Him?
4. Do you practice humility with others?
5. Will you practice humility in your family this Christmas?