WALK in LOVE - with all Lowliness Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. I have seldom heard sermons on condescension! We have heard tens nay hundreds of sermons on greatness. Never forget the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Brothers and sisters nothing is wrong with greatness but we are concerned that many who sought it never attained it. Why? The wisdom of man is foolishness to God and the foolishness of God is wiser than man. God in His wisdom has laid aside all fleshly conceits by putting things down side up. Jesus said in Mark 10:44, And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. So that the way up is down and the way to greatness is condescension and the way to all these things is His righteousness. The apostles were accounted as men who turned the world upside down. This is the record, Acts 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Listen to the apostle in Ephesians 4:1-2, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness ... Jesus walked this way the apostles walked that way and they beg us to walk worthy of our calling in like manner. In our text the command is to condescend to men of low estate. What is the meaning of that? This is the way to all lowliness! Lets take a look on our Example to find the interpretation for the apostles preached nothing but Christ. Come with me to: Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: One of the most beautiful definition of sanctification I ever heard is that by John Wesley. He said, Sanctification is possessing all the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, writes the apostle. In other words this is the pattern of Jesus,the pattern of the apostle and should be our pattern as disciples of Christ also! What is this mind? Let us open up the KJV wordings of Phil.2.5-7 and say it in our normal phraseology, thus: Jesus Christ did not think his position as God is something he must hold on to but reduced himself to ordinary man even servant of men without reputation. So condescension is not an occasional acts of humility but a reducing of ourselves to men of low estate, of no reputation on this side of heaven. This is foundational. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11.3 Lowliness is required for a walk in love after the example of Christ and we cannot be lowly without first reducing ourselves to men of low estate, servants of men. A man who cannot afford to be neglected, insulted, criticized or opposed is too big for the office of servant of men or Shepherd. Servants care for none of those things. Power is not fitting for a man not lowly. He would destroy half the men he was to serve, just for insulting the man of God. We have heard such words as ,If I be the man of God let .... Jesus never used such words. It sounds like the language of the devil who said ,If you be the son of God command that ... Didnt Elijah do it, we argue. The call is to follow Christ not Elijah. Jesus forbade his disciples to call down fire from heaven like Elijah. Christ is greater than Elijah and Moses. On the mount of transfiguration the instruction is to hear Jesus though Elijah and Moses were there! Matt.17.5 May we consider some of the marks of lowliness in the life of Christ. Firstly He was content to be son of a carpenter. Some of us cannot bear to identify with our lowly circumstances. Are we not ashamed of it. We wish we were born in a palace to one king and not that village subsistent farmer. We often let people know we just arrived from abroad but not from the village. Think of Christ in a Carpenters workshop making chairs for the neighbourhood. Pride of profession, birth, nationality etc have no place in the life of a servant. Servants care for none of those things. They are lowly! Secondly Jesus Christ possessed the disposition and carriage of a servant. He would not allow the people to make Him king! John chapter six verse fifteen says, When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone. He purposed to remain lowly and would not allow the people to distract Him. He could bend down and actually wash the disciples feet. So much so the high priests could not identify him among his disciples without a kiss. The ostentation we see today in church circles is an evidence that the days are evil. Our lamps require trimming,( or do we say overhauling), before it is too late. Thirdly Jesus Christ maintained freedom of access to all. Anyone can get to him without protocols! He walked freely on the streets and people can touch him without restraints. He answered personal questions right on the streets. You can interrupt him or his meetings, even by taking out the roof of his meeting place and yet receive his ministration, not rebukes! Oh what a lowly Jesus. Lord we salute you with tears rolling down from our eyes. We bless the King who is lowly and meek, yet mighty in battle! The one who is pleased to be called The Son of Man! We bless you Lord! Teach us thy ways! You were so lowly that the Pharisees misjudged you. No apology to them. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53.1-3 We shall draw the curtains here and when are paths cross again we shall be discussing ,Walk in Love - With all Meekness - another look on the Person of Christ. Until then take these verses and let them be with you. Psalms 45:4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Matthew 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 2 Corinthians 10:1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: withoutHimwearenothing
Posted on: Mon, 27 Oct 2014 13:39:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015