Series: Luke
Sermon Title: Kingdom Greatness
Passage:  Luke 9:44-50

Reno Campus
Pastor Jericho Toilolo

Carson Campus
Pastor Dusty Braun

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Reno Campus

Carson Campus

Series: Luke
Sermon Title: Kingdom Greatness
Passage: Luke 9:44-50 NIV

The Way We View Jesus

• Matthew 11:29
• Philippians 2:6-8

The Way We View Our Community

• How We Treat One Another: Within the Church
  • John 13:35
  • Philippians 2:2-4
• How We Treat the World Around Us
  • Matthew 25:40

The Way We View Ourselves

• God Strengthens the humble.
• • Psalm 10:17
• Teaches the Humble.
  • Psalm 25:9
• Saves the Humble.
  • Psalm 76:9
• Give Grace to the Humble.
  • Proverbs 3:34
  • James 4:6 
• Revives the Humble.
  • Isaiah 57:15
• Gives the Humble the Blessing of the Kingdom.
  • Matthew 5:3-5
• Exalts the Humble.
  • Luke 14:11
  • I Peter 5:6

 

DISCUSSION | PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. How have you viewed humility in the past, and After hearing this sermon, what convictions are you experiencing ? 
2. What does Philippians 2:6-8 teach us about the nature of Jesus and His approach to humility and service?
3. Part of humility is allowing God to gradually reveal to us areas of our life where we miss His standard of perfection (which in reality is all areas). In what areas are you weak or have ongoing sin and need the Holy Spirits transformation and restoration.
4. How can we emulate Jesus’ humility and servant-heartedness in our interactions with others?
5. What aspects of Jesus’ character are most challenging for you to embrace and why?
6. How does the practice of daily repentance, involving humility about our weaknesses and sins, enable us to receive God’s love, forgiveness, and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit for continual growth and sanctification?
7. Jesus’ ‘emptied Himself to become a bond servant’ to model humility for us (Philippians 2:7). What lifestyle practice/habit needs emptying for you personally?
8. How does putting others’ interests above our own (Philippians 2:3-4) challenge our natural inclinations and behaviors?
9. What role does humility play in fostering strong, loving relationships within the church?
10. What challenges do we face when trying to serve those who are different from us, and how can we overcome them?
11. How can we practically live out the principle of serving “the least of these” in our daily lives?
12. How does our treatment of others reflect our understanding of Jesus’ teachings and character?
13. How do we reconcile the world’s view of self-promotion with God’s call to humility and servanthood (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6 )?
14. In what ways does humility open us up to receive God’s guidance and strength (Psalm 25:9; Psalm 10:17)?

 

SCRIPTURES TO MEDITATE ON:

• James 4:6 
• Micah 6:8
• Philippians 2:5-8
• John 13:14-15

 

RESOURCES:

• BOOK | Humility: True Greatness | C.J. MahaneyBible Study |  “The Beatitudes” | John Stott
• Article | Cultivating Humility | Andrew Murray
• BOOK | Life Together | Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• Life Resource | CRU | SATISFIED

 

MONTHLY SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TO TRY: Worship

God is actively seeking worshippers! True worshippers. Jesus declares in John 4:23 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Why does God seek after worshippers? He wants to be in relationship with, and close to, those who he seeks, and draws near. 

Our natural response to the active work of God in our lives is worship. Our worship is both an external and internal response to the work, and glory of God in and around us. It should both shift our focus and motivate our hearts to the Kingdom of God. God’s mercy, justice, goodness, and grace can all be seen in how He interacts with humankind. We worship not only because of who He is, but we worship because of what He has done for us.

This weeks practice of Worship:
1. Carve out 15 minutes in your day, preferably at the start or end of your day. Sit still outside and enjoy the splendor of your surroundings. Allow these moments to magnify the majesty of God. 

2. Arrive 15 minutes early to your Sunday service. Sit in a seat in the auditorium, and close your eyes. Take 4 deep breaths and lift your heart in adoration towards God. Picture the Glory of God, be still and know that his glory is real. Then invite his presence to be real to your soul and mind, invite the Holy Spirit to manifest in your declaration of worship through the songs.

 

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT:

James 4 is a great example of why humility is so important. Pride and selfishness wreaks havoc on our relationships with others, the Lord, and our own soul. Verse 6 says “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. Verses 1-3 give  a window to our selfish ambitions and the ways our pride can destroy us, but there is hope. James follows it up in verse 10, “ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” When we realize that we are sinful beings, with hearts full of selfish desires, but then turn ourselves to the Lord, He lifts us up. 

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” Matthew 5:5. Meekness can be defined as strength under control, a gentle spirit, or submission. When we have confidence in who God has created us to be, with all our giftings, talent, and resources, but willfully submit to His purpose for them, the Lord shows us an abundance of favor and grace. There is no amount of gain we can receive by our own strength that compares to the generosity of the Lord. Humility is not about being a martyr, or enduring abuse, it is about knowing we serve a God that is above all He has created, and that we are but a speck in time. It is about realizing that the person in front of us is fearfully and wonderfully made, with purpose and a past just like us, and we can regard them as worthy of love and our time.