Humility

In Exodus chapter 20 – we see where God more or less sets the standard for what we will call “the attitude of worship”

Ex 20: 1 And God spake all these words, saying,

2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

God says . . . I am the one who set you free . . . I am the one who did “what you were unable to do” for yourselves . . . I am the ONLY ONE that you should worship.

The idea here “of humility” takes us to the central concept of not only salvation – but also of worship after we have experienced salvation.

The purpose of Ex 20: 1 -2 is to put God’s people in remembrance of who He is and who we are.  When we consider salvation – we can look at the two extremes which exist within our heart as we read  from Luke 18:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

One of these men lived a good life – a life that was filled with RELIGION . . . there is no doubt that he was a good man – but his pride would not 

allow him to see (that just like the publican) he was in bondage to sin - and because Satan had taken him captive – he was in need of deliverance . . .

When the religious man heard the words of Ex 20:2 which were in effect “I am the Lord thy God, which has paid the price for your sins . . . I am the 

God which desires to bring you out of the house of bondage called sin” When the Pharisee heard these words - he looked at the publican and said in his heart – this man

here beside me – he needs to be delivered more than I do . . . he is more of a captive than I am – so he needs God more than I do.

The Pharisee was lifted up in pride because of all of his religious activities . . . and the pride that he had in himself would not allow him to properly honor God.  The Pharisee believed that the sins of the

publican had taken him really far away from God – while he believed that his own religion was responsible for bringing “his life” much closer to God than most other people experienced . . .

After we have been saved – we must not worry about losing our salvation – but it would do us well to consider that if we follow the path of the

Pharisee instead of following the attitude of the publican – then we can certainly lose our “ability to worship” as we apply the honor that rightfully belongs to God – to our own lives or to our religion.

God tells those of us whom He has set free – He tells us that we are obliged to ONLY serve the GOD that has set us free and to serve no other

Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye WILL serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

The point here – is that once we truly recognize who God is . . . Once we come to a clear understanding of what God has really done for us . . . once we reach this point in our lives - this knowledge is intended to 

motivate us to worship “Him” and to worship “Him” alone . . . Let me ask you a question . . . if knowing that Jesus (not figuratively but) literally took our place in death – if this awareness of what Jesus has done for us 

does not possess the power to bring us to the altar of worship . . . then what do you think does have the power to do this in our lives . . . If the cross is 

not enough to motivate us to seek proper worship in a NTC - then explain to me how programs or entertainment . . . are things which are able to provide what is lacking in the knowledge of how Jesus suffered on our behalf?

Matt 6: 24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

“To be in bondage” is to be under the penalty of our sins (or to be in danger of the sentence being carried out) regarding the eternal penalty for those sins . . . to be set free does not mean that

we are Innocent (because we ARE guilty) . . . to be “set free” means that we have been pardoned of our guilt.  It means that someone has taken our

place.   It means that the sentence of our guilt has been carried out – it is just that the sentence was applied to someone else - someone who was innocent . . .

You see we all have a choice – we can serve “the god” (Satan) that has taken us captive in sin (and as a result leave our first love) . . . or we can 

serve THE GOD that has offered us a pardon – but it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to serve BOTH.  The church at Ephesus was told to repent 

– she was told to return to what she had left . . . she was told to make a choice – Jesus reminded her that she could not be true (or faithful) – to more than ONE MASTER.

If she chose to stay on her present course – then Jesus (because He is a jealous God) meaning that he will not allow his people to share commitment

between the God of heaven and the god of this world – He will not allow us to “split our devotion” and give Him a percentage while we also give Satan a percentage . . .

God wants our complete and total love – God is not willing to share us in this respect . . . so you see – if a church “dries up on the vine” it is not 

because Satan has over powered God . . . this "drying up" can only occur when you and I chose to leave our first love – which will result in God MOVING OUT and removing the candlestick . . .

So as we look here at II Thessalonians 1:1 where Paul, Silas and Timothy wrote a letter to a local church in the city of Thessalonica . . . can we see

that there is a connection today between us and this same letter as it applies as equally to our local NTC as it applied to the church of the Thessalonians?

Consider our attitude about religion – and our attitude about worship . . . Is the purpose of the Lord’s NTC – to lift up man – or is the purpose of the church to honor GOD?

God tells us in John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So if we define our worship as a list of religious activities – then our worship is not spiritual – and if our worship is not spiritual – then it 

cannot be focused upon a SPIRITUAL GOD and if it is not focused upon a spiritual God - then it cannot honor a spiritual God . . . which means it must then be focused only upon CARNAL and sinful MEN

No man can serve TWO masters . . . no man can actually “worship” in religion . . . no man can truly define himself as “a Christian” by listing all of the “good things” that he does in his life.

Pr 6: 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look . . . 

Do we view ourselves as Christians because of WE have done - or do we view ourselves as Christians because of what JESUS CHRIST has done for us?

The way that we answer this question is the difference between "a proud look" which God hates - and an "humble heart" which God loves.