Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Spiritual Foundations Pt.6

Let's go back to Hebrews chapter 4. We want to take a couple of minutes here and talk again about the rest of God and refresh our minds on what the Spirit said to us this morning. Verse 9 of the 4th chapter, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. [There is no rest in the flesh. There is no rest in the world's system. But there is a rest to the people of God.] For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The captain of our salvation, the great high priest that has gone before us, and that we enter into the rest, is spoken of over in Philippians. Turn over there for just a second. I want you to take a look at the spirit that this rest is going to require of us if we're going to affect the same ministry that He affected, if we're going to be faithful to accomplish the task that's at hand. Scripture says in Philippians 2:3 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 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 [say the next words with me] made himself..." We're talking about laboring to enter into the rest. We're talking about the rest of course being a cessation of our own works, our own labor. The rest is coming into that spirit of humility that we took time to try to develop this morning. We've said that the rest of God is divesting ourselves of self-confidence and coming into that confidence in God. The confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will He will do it (I John 5:14).

As we understand that we see the ministry that the Lord walked in here, in His earthly ministry, and the Scripture says here that He made Himself of no reputation, but He took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). Let me share something with you. We're talking about walking in the Spirit and you're going to find out that the flesh will never--you know we're trying to discern between flesh and Spirit and when God's speaking. Let me tell you the flesh will never tell you to be a servant. Whenever humility is mentioned you can be sure of one thing the flesh is not the author of it. Whenever dying to self is the topic, flesh is not the author of this with one exception and that's if you think there's some type of merit in it or it's going to cause righteousness.

But true spiritual humility, the esteeming others better than ourselves, begins to be the spirit we can move in and be confident that God is ordering our steps. It's very interesting here that His making Himself of no reputation then was the great example that He set before us because he said let this mind be in you. Labor to enter into the rest (Hebrews 4:1). Study, we said that word meant in Hebrews. So what are we studying to accomplish? We're studying to be able to understand the mind of Christ. How the Lord operated so that we could walk in His steps. The Lord never vaunted Himself. The Lord never, of course, exhibited any type of self-agenda. He came only to speak the words that the Father had given Him to speak. So as we try to emulate that and we prayerfully try to bring every thought into subjection, we see that He was found in fashion as a man and humbled Himself (Philippians 2: 8). We want to talk a little bit about that humility aspect tonight and let you see right here that humbling is something that's initiated by the individual.

The true spirit of humility is exhibited by choice. It's the awareness of what our natural abilities are, divesting ourselves of those and becoming then dependent or subordinate when in fact we could come into positions of independence and dominance. Humility is obedience to the commandments of God rather than following the natural course of survival of the fittest as we saw in our skit tonight. It's a very interesting principle here that when we're weak is when we're at our greatest strength. Now remember that weakness is a weakness of choice. It's like the role of the wife who is choosing to subordinate herself; and because of that what does the Scripture call her? The weaker vessel.

Well if you can believe what's being said today, really, the female isn't the weaker vessel, they live longer. In a lot of ways the female is superior to the male. Some would have us believe in every way. I wouldn't go that far. I'm not that humble. But we realize that the woman is not inferior in any way and in some ways superior and yet by choice subordinates herself, why? Because the Word of God requires it. Because the wisdom of God has said this is the plan from the beginning. "My original intention was that the woman was created for the man." Now what's happened? In all of our society today, in all of our great wisdom man now opposes that. But from the beginning it wasn't so the Scripture says. But somehow we've figured out a better way. We understand through anthropology the evolution of process. But I want you to understand something the woman choosing to submit and subordinate and obey is one of the greatest examples of humility. We all, whether male or female, are the bride of Christ, if we're going to recognize His headship. If Jesus is your husband, then you must humble yourself and come into that role of subordination.

Now, of course, in the case of our husband, He is far superior to us in every way. The humility is seen in the willful choice to rank under. We can operate outside of Him and be successful in the world's arena, in the temporal kingdom of darkness and make to ourselves momentary pleasures and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season as Hebrews tells us. It is pleasurable. There're great treasures that are out there that are temporal that can be embraced and enjoyed for a season. But we choose to subordinate ourselves and we choose to rank under. That's the humility, beloved, that God's calling us to if we're going to be the bride of Christ.

Now tragically what happens is--and it's what happens in so many natural relationships--there's that encounter with this lover of our soul as we sang tonight. And we sing, "Jesus I will never let you go. You've taken me from the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock." And we burn with that first love and the awareness that we can be loved unconditionally. That love overwhelms us and we bow our knees before it. But it doesn't cause the abolishing of sin that's in our members. We're regenerated, we become a new creature, we become alive spiritually but sin is still in our members.

Now time goes by and we begin to be seduced by the other things that are out there, the cares of the world, the drawing away by the lusts of other things and we begin to lose sight of our first love. The moment our eyes turn from the lover of our soul we're back into self-exaltation and the love of self. We now are no longer willfully putting ourselves under and we're beginning to make choices that are contrary to the known will of God and the Word of God. We begin to make decisions that are amiss as to who we might be hanging around with, what we're doing with our time and our resources. We know what the Scriptures teach here, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves (Hebrews 10:25), worshiping the Lord with the first fruits of all of our increase (Proverbs 3:9), preferring others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), humbling ourselves and going into all the world and preaching the gospel (Mark 16:15) and all these different things. Now all of a sudden we become to busy. We begin to be distracted by the attractions of the world. What is that? It's the lack of humility. Listen, the moment disobedience manifests itself, pride is the sister force with disobedience. The two work hand in hand. Only by humility can we find ourselves making choices against the inward appetites that are within everyone of us.

So, Jesus came and humbled Himself and became obedient to the death of the cross. "Wherefore [Now watch. Here's the one thing, and we saw it again in the skit tonight. Here's the one thing the enemy will always come to us and say God's holding out on you. There's something better for you. If you'll bow I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world (Matthew 4: 8-9). They're mine to give the enemy says. I'll give you peace and I'll give you prosperity. I'll give you health, long life, length of days will I add to you. Just bow and worship me. And he's always going to operate from the exact opposite in principle to what God wants to work in your life and in mine. When Jesus humbled Himself, the Scripture says then in Philippians 2:9 because of His obedience] God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." Now, every one of us here has that inclination within us. Let me ask you a question, let's see if we can get something in a survey here. How many of you would rather be in charge than servant? I'm not talking about, "Well wait a minute, the biblical principle says that if I humble myself then God will exalt me." No, I'm not talking about that. I'm saying how many of you would rather be in charge than a subordinate? Let me see your hands. Okay. The rest of you are lying. Because that's what's in us. It's what's been given to us by our father Adam. It never goes away. In some of us it's more prominent than in others but to be able to effectively deal with that power, that force that's within us we have to humble ourselves. Now, humility is not an attitude. Humility's an action. It's choosing against our own desires. It's reckoning ourselves dead indeed. So it's very important to understand the principle.

Look over to I Peter 5 for just a second. We talked about the roaring lion this evening, which goes about seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8). In I Peter 5:5 it says, "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble." Interesting, we're talking about laboring to enter into the rest. We're talking about studying, that's what that word labor means. It means to study. You know the Scripture says to study to show ourselves approved to God, workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). Study is more than just an academic endeavor as it's talking here because the two other words study and due diligence that have to do with that word labor. We understand that if there's not a doing or obedience then our faith is in vain. So when the Spirit speaks to us here and says that we are to be clothed with humility, it's the same thing as being clothed with the armor of God that we talked about. Put on the whole armor of God that you might be able to stand (Ephesians 6:11).

Study-become aware, this study what are we studying? We're studying to know who we are. You know the Scripture says we're not ignorant of his devises (II Corinthians 2:11). We just saw some of the enticements of the enemy here. One of the greatest methods, of course, that he uses is flattery. Has God said? You're being held out on. You're better than that. Why don't they recognize your worth? How come you're always getting the raw end of the deal? You never get a break. Nobody around here cares about you. The enemy begins to flatter you and tell you there's better for you and all you have to do is separate yourself into whatever it is that he's seducing you with. People will go to other churches because their gifts can be used there. That's self-fulfillment. People then will be involved in the pursuit of financial increase. Whatever the seduction might be of the enemy. How can we then protect ourselves and come to the rest of God where we really believe that He's ordered our steps and has placed us where he wants us and is going to take us where He wants to go without all of this other natural assistance. Like those who come and have a word for you and an opportunity happens to arise. I want to tell you something beloved there's always a ship ready for Tarshish. There's always a ship ready to take you opposite of the will of God. If you're going to allow your life to be governed by circumstances, there's always a way out of the will of God. But I want to tell you something else. For every ship there's a storm. God loves you too much to let you run unopposed away from His will for your life. With every storm there's a great fish. With every act of repentance there's regurgitation. But if you don't repent, you will be digested and become another casualty of those who were not able to rest in the will of God for their lives. So, it's very important for us to understand this clothing of ourselves with humility.

James 4:10, "Humble yourselves [humble yourselves, now this is something I want you to see.] in the sight of the Lord, [not in the sight of men] and He shall lift you up." You see, men have one perspective of what humility is and God has another. Moses was the meekest man on the face of the earth. Let me ask you, "Do you think Pharaoh thought he was meek?" A man that would come and stand before him and defy the king of the earth and make demands, "let my people go"? A man who wasn't smitten with fear and trepidation because of the throne on which he sat and the peoples it represented. I want to tell you who was fearful. It was the Egyptians as they heard the death cries. As Pharaoh's, finally, hard heart was broken and the people allowed to depart, and God having already seen the hardness of Pharaoh's heart used him for His own purposes and once again hardened his heart to come and he was finally broken without remedy.

What is this humility that we're talking about, though? What is the spirit of meekness that Moses walked in? It's having been trained in a certain vocation. And it's having natural abilities and choosing to no longer identify with those, as we talked about Paul this morning, counting these things loss. You see, it's a clothing of ourselves. It's a choice. Now until we study to where that becomes the first response as we're being approached by circumstances. Until the first response we have is to humble ourselves and say, "You know, I don't know how to go out or come in. I don't have a preference. I don't have an agenda. I got this new job opportunity. 'You only have to work five minutes a day and you make a million dollars a year.' I need to pray about it." How many of you'd pray about that? How many of you'd have a tendency not to pray about that one? Let me see your hands. Hold them up high. How many of you'd have a tendency not to pray about that one? Yea, most of us. That's why we need to study, to be diligent, to be obedient in the small things, labor to enter into that rest.

We're not in the rest if we respond to anything first out of our own natural inclinations. The ceasing from our own labors, it's tough to come to that place, beloved. It's a daily process of dying. It's a discipline. It doesn't just happen. So we have to clothe ourselves with humility. I don't know what's right. "Taking this job of only having to work a minute a day for a million dollars, look at how it would free me up for the kingdom of God and allow me to minister. And I could give all this money. I could even buy a tent for the African ministry." That's not the issue. What is God telling you to do? Pray. You don't have time to pray about it. Here's the offer. You either do it or you don't get it. That's how Satan moves. The servant of the Lord doesn't make haste. I want to be sure that God's ordering my steps. It's very important, beloved that we come to that place of clothing ourselves with humility and humbling ourselves in the sight of the Lord.

You know, there's a natural humility. That's this Casper milk toast, you know, "I'm nothing. Aw, shucks." That's not humility. That's not true biblical humility. Humility is saying, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) Amen? That's biblical humility. "No, what you mean is, 'God can do all things.'" "No, what I mean is, 'I can do all things through Christ which originates this course. I can do all things.' I'm an agent and God is for me and nobody can be against me (Romans 8:31). Everything I touch will prosper, and every place I put my feet, He will give it to me because I am fulfilling the promises and the purposes of God (Deuteronomy 11:24)." What are you doing? Let him that boast do what? Boast in the Lord. That's what you're doing right here. The natural mind begins to think, "Well, who does..." He can do all things. You didn't hear what I said. "Because, I want to tell you what I believe. I believe that with all of my heart. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. I want to tell you what I believe just as strongly that without Him I can do nothing" (John 15:5). So we see it throughout the Scriptures, don't we? We find it in the different biblical characters. We find God saying to His servant, "When you were small in your own eyes, I could use you. When you understood really, what your worth was."

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that [you] present your bodies [as] a living sacrifice, holy, [and] acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that [you] may prove what is [the] good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" (Romans 12:1-3). So, in that twelfth chapter of Romans, go ahead and turn over there for just a second and look at that third verse. Then, as we begin to present our bodies as this sacrifice, as we begin to prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, it happens when we don't think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. Now remember what we're talking about. We're talking about laboring to enter into the rest of God, ceasing from our own labors.

Most of us here have the right doctrine, but let me ask you something-really-what do you think about yourself tonight? Most of us really, if you'd be honest, most of us think we've got it together, enough to get by. I mean some of us here are deluded. Serious. Some of us really are deluded. We are deceived. We're blind. We've got those little bulbs I was talking about this morning. Others of us are at least honest enough to say, "Hey, I'm not the greatest thing on the planet, but you know, I'm taking a survey and I think I got about 70% whooped." You begin to make some realistic analysis of your own abilities and that's what you trust in. But if we'd be truthful, if you understood the Scriptures, and that's the point we're trying to make tonight, let the Scriptures speak. Study; understand who you really are and what your natural tendencies are. Most of us just aren't truthful about who we are. It's so ugly that we don't want to think about it. But the fact of the matter is, beloved, that's not how God sees us. It is in us but it doesn't dominate us. For sin no longer has power over us (Romans 6:14). But you've got to realize what's in you. You've got to realize what those natural tendencies are and the fact that every time - "Hi, I'm Bob, and I'm an alcoholic." "Hello, Bob." We've got the twelve step programs and these people talk about the fact that they're alcoholics and "I'm always going to be an alcoholic." Get out of here! Stop glorifying alcohol. If we're going to glorify something let's at least talk about the real problem here. "Hi, I'm Bob and I am a sinner." Amen? It's not alcohol, drugs, and sex. It's sin. It's in our members. If we don't guard ourselves against it, it will manifest itself. And it will take advantage of us. And then we will begin to try to deal with it in the natural. It takes greater advantage of us. It uses our desire to be free against us, to bring us into a greater dependence on self, instead of just saying, "I can't do it. Without Him I can do nothing" (John 15:5). We humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and He receives us and He regenerates us and He renews our minds. And we rise back up with the same sin in our member and we say I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me.

What's the difference? It's who we're trusting in. But the humility that's necessary is the recognizing of our tendencies to revert to the flesh. When someone confronts us with it we begin to try to justify ourselves. Casual justification is, "I just make a little excuse." The ultimate justification we call hypocrisy, a life that's a lie, an Ananias and Sapphira spirit. Instead of just saying, "Yea, that's what I am. That's what I need. I'm the man." We'll never be able to enter into that rest as long as we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. I want to share it with you again. You're no better in the natural today than you were the day you got saved. You say, "Well I believe that I've grown spiritually and I've matured." The same sin is in your members today that were there the day you got saved. Prior to the regeneration and after the regeneration, nothing changed. The same sin is in your members. The same forces are in your members. The same tendency to self reliance, self exaltation, it's all there--didn't go anywhere. But now we reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto Christ (Romans 6:11). We make a conscience declaration, "It's still in there but it doesn't have power over me any longer, because, I recognize the lordship of Jesus Christ. And, I prepare myself for this war that's at hand. And, I fill my mind with the Word of God. And, I fill my spirit with prayer and communion in worship. And I labor to enter into that rest. And, I'm aware of my natural tendencies and I guard against them and I choose Christ. I choose not to trust or pursue the natural." So, that's the basic foundation. That's what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.

The Scripture talks about that necessity of just constantly making the choice to humble ourselves. Not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly. See, a lot of us just want to blow it off. I'm talking about sitting down and deal with this issue. Come to grips with it. Be serious. And then once you've established that and understand who you are, realize then that God, as this third verse finishes us, God has given to every man what? The measure of faith.

Faith calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). I talk about my righteousness because God has pronounced me righteous. I talk about my victory because God has promised me victory and said faith is the victory. But without Him I'm totally lost. I'm totally helpless. I'm under the power of my own appetites. I'm under the dominion of the god of this world. The moment I take my eyes off of God's methods and His Word, I'm a slave to sin and to death. So, as we look at the Scriptures here and we talk about faith, it's a lot more than just quoting Scriptures and thinking that if we can memorize enough or get pumped up enough, we can cast out a devil or lay hands on the sick. Beloved, it's absolute dependence upon God, is what faith is. It's the understanding that I'm here in this place where I'm going to lay my hands on this person, or I'm going to deal with this demon because God has placed me here and in humility I find myself beyond my ability. When you humble yourself, God will exalt you. When you see the need of total absolute dependence upon God, you're beginning to enter into that rest. The passage in Micah 6:8 that many of us are familiar with that the Scripture speaks--we sing the chorus, "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

Humility is choosing against our natural inclinations to obey God's Word. Humility is recognizing that I could do it in the natural, but I would rather do without it in faith. Humility. So, we begin to acknowledge Him early and seek His will and pray not my will but thine be done (Luke 22:42). Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11) and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13). Thy kingdom come thy will be done (Matthew 6:10). When Janet sits down with the grandbabies to pray over their food, every time as they get ready to pray, whatever the food is or the prayers might be, the prayer is always prayed the portion of the Lord's prayer, "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in Jesus' name. Amen." As soon as they're able to speak, get it coming out of their mouths. "Thy will be done. Thy will be done. Thy will be done. God is my source, my very present help in trouble." (Psalms 46:1).

So, as we're learning to walk in the Spirit, and we're learning to enter into that rest, it's the holding the promises up against the perceived circumstances. Things really don't look all that great right now but, the promise says we're going to come into a land that flows with milk and honey. The promise says very clearly that if I don't faint, in due season I'm going to reap, praise God (Galatians 6:9). The promise is that if I endure to the end, I'm going to be saved (Matthew 10:22). Do you have that rest tonight? Do you have that assurance tonight? Then I'd encourage you to stop thinking of yourself more highly than you ought to. The anxiety that you're experiencing is because you're still trusting in your own abilities. If God is for us nobody can be against us (Romans 8:31).

Father, we thank You for the Word of God tonight and we just ask that You would cause us to go to Your Word in all humility and see who we really are.

We say that we're not ignorant of Satan's devises, but I think we need to come to the place where we're not ignorant of our own inclinations. When the pressure is on, what bad habits do we revert to? Do you have a tendency to lie when you get under pressure? The Bible doesn't say every liar will have his place in the lake of fire except when he's under pressure. Don't you understand who the father of lies is? Don't you understand that pride is what is forcing you to lie instead of saying, "Yep, I did it. I'm the man." "Well, you know, I just shade it a little bit. I manipulate it a little bit. I'm going to repent. I know that I'm going to become better and that this won't happen again." Don't you understand the power that's dominating your life? Come to grips with it. We look for the least offensive thing to call it. "You know, I do have a slight fear of men's faces." No you're a liar. And you're full of pride. Why don't you humble yourself and let God exalt you.

"Well, you know, I'm just a type A personality and I'm a shaker and a mover. And I'm just that type of a person. I'm a go-getter. I'm just a natural leader." No you are a proud, arrogant, selfish sinner. We need to humble ourselves and in due time let God exalt us.

If the spiritual foundation of obedience and trust and rest is going to dominate in our lives, then we're going to have to prove ourselves faithful in the small things. We're going to have to now habitually begin to obey and deal with the promises of God and see all of the tendencies to naturally make things happen. And lay it down and count it as dung that we might know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings and be made conformable to His image (Philippians 3:8,10).

Speak to our hearts, Father, that we might be doers of Your Word and not hearers only, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord tonight. As Gary plays for us and we allow the Lord to speak to our hearts, "Who am I Lord? My family is the least of the families. And I'm the least in my family. Who am I?" That's who every one of us in here are. We are nothing. You're absolutely insignificant in the scope of history; but God chose you for His kingdom. He chose you to effect eternity by your own decision to follow Him and by those that you might touch. We're not insignificant in the eternal plan. So why would you live for a history that will forget you and not invest in a kingdom that'll carry the testimony forever, as you hear, "Well done good and faithful servant. Enter into the rest." Don't fear him that can kill your body but Him that can kill body and cast soul into hell (Matthew 10:28).

The world will call you weak. They'll call you a fool. It's by design. They can't receive the invisible treasures. They're foolishness to them. What a treasure to have the world sneer and mock and know that God will confound the mighty. Can you rest in that?

We ask, Father, that You'd make it real, in Jesus' name.

As we sing this together this evening, just rejoice in the work that's taken place in our lives. There is a rest to the people of God. (Sing: "Lord You Are So Precious to Me") Sing it one more time. Just worship Him. Hallelujah! Just take a moment and just worship Him and let Him know how thankful you are tonight. Hallelujah! Lord, we are thankful. We rejoice in your goodness to us. We thank You for Your love, that You sought us, Lord. While we were sinners, You tracked us down and You drew us unto Yourself. Hallelujah, You lavished Your love upon us. You declared Your eternal purpose for us, Lord and we just thank You that You said You'd never leave us or forsake us. So, we rest in that promise tonight. And we cease from our labors of trying to appease You and trying to somehow satisfy You. We believe that we are accepted in the beloved and we confess that as a finished fact of history, sons of God, heirs and joint heirs with Jesus. Now having begun in the spirit we will not be matured in the flesh (Galatians 3:3). So, we trust in You for every area of our lives, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "Humble yourself." Amen. Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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