Humiliation | Part 6A

When you say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, you are speaking the Word of God over your life, and His Word will never return unto Him, boy! All right, look at your neighbor and say, let's get into it. Oh, come on now, say it like you mean it. Let's get into it. This is the church you will not sleep in. Somebody will wake you up up in here, and say, I'm missing this Word. We read before the prayer in Philippians chapter 4, I want to reread that again, but I want to give a shout out, because we've got a lot of places that are watching us in real time today. This is not a prerecorded message. This is happening. It's our third service today. I'm going to acknowledge the people that have chimed in on YouTube today to let us know they were watching from California, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia, Iowa, Virginia, and Montana. That's just in the U.S., and beyond the U.S., Egypt, Spain, Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Africa. Can we give all those places a shout out? From Shreveport, Bossier, Louisiana. We are in part six of a series study called Humiliation. Lord willing, this is the finale. Lord willing, next week, we're going to get into another series called Exaltation as we follow this journey that is recorded in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 to 11, from glory to glory, speaking of Jesus's incarnation, his humiliation, his exaltation, and his adoration. So, we've been talking about humiliation, how to apply this to our lives. We have looked at six individuals in scripture so far who walked out humiliation. Today, we're going to end in our finale, Lord willing, with the final person of study, and

that is the apostle Paul and the humiliation that he walked out. And when we get to that last point, whoo, come on, somebody. We're going to be set up for the next series, and I'm going to be ready for some grilled chicken after these three services today. Watch this in verse 13 of Philippians chapter 4. If your eyes can still see it, say amen. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Shreveport and our Bossier campus, will you declare that out loud? I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. If you've never stood on that verse, that is a verse to stand on, to speak over your life and over every situation that you're walking into. And if somebody tells you, well, you just can't speak that word over your life, you read to them verse 12 and say, yes, I can. Because in context, the apostle Paul, by God's Spirit, is writing this word, and he is speaking of all types of situations. Look back up in verse 12. He says, I know how to be abased. I know what it's like to be on the bottom. And he's saying, I can be abased and know how to be abased because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. But he don't just know the bottom. Notice verse 12, I know how to abound. He's saying, not only have I walked in what looked like defeat, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I know what it's like to walk in victory and to abound because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Matter of fact, he then says, everywhere and in all things. Oh, read that part out loud. Everywhere and in all things. That means you can apply this verse to any situation of your life.

Do you realize there is, hey, do you realize, let me get down here. Y'all gonna act like this today. Do you know that there is, hey, do you know there is nothing more powerful, Jacoby, there is nothing more powerful than for a born again believer to declare the word of God over their life in the authority of the name of Jesus. There is not a more powerful. position in your life right now, Ms. Neeson, no more. Powerful position that when you declare the word over your life in the name of Jesus, Isaiah 55, 11 says, my word shall not return unto me void. Jesus said in John 15 and eight, if you abide in me and my word abide in you, ask what you will and it shall be done. Isaiah 34, 16 says, seek out of the book of the Lord and read for not one of these will fail for what his mouth hath commanded, his spirit will gather. There is something extremely powerful about declaring the word over your life. Listen, there's a difference. 1130 cause 8945 didn't get none of this cause I didn't have time. And I don't tell them about all these extras. There's a difference between waking up in the morning and saying, today's going to be a good day. Now, if you lived in my house and you woke up in the morning, you said today's going to be a good day. Well, I'd be grateful. Everybody loves positivity. Not everybody are morning people. My wife and I first got married. I wanted to turn Fred Hammond on wide open. And I didn't understand why I went to the kitchen and cabinet doors weren't closed telling all your business girl. And after a little while of marriage, I met the in-laws house, the in-laws house. My father-in-law says, Hey, let me ask you a question. I was like, Oh man, I'm nervous. He said, does Christian still leave the cabinet doors open? Is she doing that? I said, yes. Why does she do that? And he said, cause she's not a morning person. She don't even like the sound of a cabinet closing till and all your stuff. Am I right though? When you don't want to hear the sound of a cabinet shut, you definitely don't want to hear Fred Hammond playing wide open. So I'm waking up. This is the day. This is the day. Hey, this is the day that the Lord. Hey. And my wife was like, you better calm your little self down. I ain't doing all this right now. I ain't woke up yet. But if you wake up in the morning and say, this is going to be a good day and hallelujah, we appreciate the positivity, but there's really that that's good. And that's positive. But there's a difference between saying this is going to be a good

day versus waking up and say, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Why? You said, because the second one was a song. No, no, no. Before it was a song, it was scripture. It is the word of God. There is, there is a difference between making a positive statement versus declaring the word of God over your life. When you say I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, you are speaking the word of God over your life and his word will never return unto him void. So don't go into these hard things talking about. I think I can do this. Are y'all hearing me? Don't go into that difficult situation. I believe I can do it. I believe I can do it. I believe I can do it. I believe I can do it. I believe I can do it. I believe I can do it. I believe I can fly. I believe I can do it. Speak the word over your life. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Let's practice it. Ready? Read. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Verse 12 is telling you that you can apply this when you're abased on the bottom. You can apply this when you abound. I think sometimes we have this idea. We need Jesus when we're on the bottom, but when we get on the top, we got it from here. No, I need the Lord to prosper. I need the Lord to be successful in every area of my life. I need Jesus when it's a bad day and I need Jesus when it's a glorious day because without Jesus in the glorious day, I would take credit for it. And if I took credit for my good days, that might make me a little arrogant. That might make me proud and that might mess up everything good in my life. I need Jesus in every season when I'm abased and when I'm on the top everywhere in all things, I am instructed by his word both to be what full Deuteronomy eight says, when you have eaten and art full glory, when you have eaten and art full, that's going to be me about one 32 o'clock today. When thou has eaten and art full, he said, don't forget the Lord thy God. But I also need Christ when I'm hungry. to stand in faith that never have the righteous been forsaken or his seed baking bread. Watch this, both to abound to be on top and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. So he's talking about in victory, he's talking about in defeat, he's talking about when I'm exalted, he's talking about when I'm abased. I need Jesus in every season of my life. If you can agree with that say amen. Now if you would turn with me to first

Corinthians chapter number one. First Corinthians chapter number one. Now we're gonna go on a little journey and we're gonna come right back to that point. We're not gonna come back to Philippians 4 but we're gonna come back to the point of Philippians 4. If things go the way I believe they're gonna go we're gonna come back full circle but I'm gonna take you through a little journey with the Apostle Paul. I want us to look into the Apostle Paul's life and see him pray and prayers are immediately answered. Anybody like seeing something like that? He prayed and he got results. Ain't that what we believe in God for? And then we're gonna look at when he prayed and God said nah. Now we don't want to see him do it. But we're gonna see it though. Because sometimes we wonder Lord why did you answer that prayer? But I really really want you to answer this one. I know you answered prayer because you did that one. I don't know what's going on here Lord. If you ever been there today you're gonna learn what was going on right there. Because we got it we got to recognize our need that I can do all things through Christ when I'm abounding and when I'm abased. Amen. If God only exalts the humble then I need to know how to stay humble. And it's easy to be humble when it's hard. It's actually harder to be humble when it's not so hard. And that's when the Lord can't do what he wants to do in our lives. Because we've in essence taken over and taken the will and taken the credit. All right that's gonna be good. Watch this 1st Corinthians chapter 1 when you get there say amen. We'll start in verse 22. For the Jews require a sign. Show me a miracle. Prove to me that you're of God. The Jews require a sign. And the Greeks seek after wisdom. The Greeks are all about knowledge and the Jews were all about power. Those two ideologies still exist today. You've got places that focus on power and signs and wonders and signs leave you wondering if it was a sign. And then you got other places that focus on wisdom, intelligence, education, knowledge. Verse 23 but we preach Christ crucified. Under the Jews that would be an offense a stumbling block. Because they wanted a Messiah that would conquer Rome not one that would be crucified. The Greeks would call that foolishness. But under them which are called or saved both Jews and Greeks Christ is the power of God

and the wisdom of God. And you and I as believers we see Christ as God's power and his wisdom. Amen. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling or the community of believers around us brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many strong or mighty after the flesh not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty. So God will take something the world will say will never work and he'll make it work for his glory. God will take what the world calls weak and shows you his strength. God will take what the world calls foolish and show you his wisdom. The world says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. And Jesus said love your enemy and bless them that do you wrong. The world says the way to the top is climbing the corporate ladder at whatever expense. And God says the way up is down. Humble yourselves and you will be exalted. Verse 28 God says he uses the base things of the world and things that are even despised. Hath God chosen. Yeah and things which are not. You can't even see it. To bring to naught things you can see. Only God can take something you can't see and get rid of something you can't see. Only God could take something you can't see and make. Something you see oh my goodness Why does he do this? Why does he take what the world calls foolish? Why does he take what the world calls weak and do wise and strong things? Why does he do this? Why does he do these things? Why does he operate in weakness? Why does he operate in our humility verse 29 read it out loud that no flesh should glory in his presence God is saying I do something in such a way that no man can take the credit No man can brag about it. I want to do something in your life that can't be explained naturally I want to do something in your life that the world would say was foolish that the world would say would never work But i'm gonna make it work just so no flesh can glory in my presence In other words god is saying I want to do something in your life that you can't take the credit for Does anybody want the lord to do something in their life that they couldn't take credit for

Oh hallelujah that that that's humility That's operating in humility now go with me if you would to the book of acts the 16th chapter acts chapter 16 Paul had all these reasons to brag To boast in his credentials To brag about his resume He Writes about it in philippians 3 if you're taking notes this in philippians 3 he writes about all these bragging rights he had From his birthrights to his education To his titles to his seat his position And then he says this at the end of that resume He says the things that I counted again For christ I count as a loss He went on to say the things that were gained to me I count as dung For jesus and dung probably means what you're thinking it means right now Is a bunch of dung compared to what he had in christ Proverbs chapter 20 verse 6 says Any man will proclaim his own goodness In other words people are ready to brag on themselves But a faithful man who can find The apostle paul in philippians 3 said i've come to a place in life Where I don't brag about what I used to think I had to brag about Matter of fact the things that I used to think were gained are actually just loss At the end of the day. I just need christ He gets the glory for everything in my life. Not my education. Not my training. Not my experience. None of that No, he gets the glory for everything in my life. Hallelujah Now watch this in act chapter 16 because I want to look into The apostle paul's journey because here we're going to see his faith Exercise after being humiliated for his faith So act 16 when you get there say amen Now pay attention to this because this is going to set us up for what we're going to read next

Which is where we'll close in about an hour and a half. So watch this in uh, act 16 I'm, just kidding business watch this So we'll look at it in uh verse number 20 in verse 20 paul and silas were imprisoned Because of preaching and teaching the word of god verse 20 and they brought them in in to the magistrates Saying these men being jews do exceedingly trouble our city They teach customs that are not lawful for us to receive neither to observe being romans And the multitude rose up together against them and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them Imagine being beaten because you preach jesus and teach the word of god. That's the setting here And when they had laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison Prison Charging the jailer to keep them safely Who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison? And made their feet fast in the stock. So they're locked in chains in a prison Because they were teaching the word of god So what is paul gonna do Now in this prison And at midnight paul and silas prayed Oh, let's read just that part and at midnight paul and silas pray and you would have two and I would have two You just threw me in prison for preaching and i'm in change and paul and silas prayed that one I can get Praying out of a prison Praying out of a situation. I cannot get out of praying out of a situation I don't have the power to be free of and so paul and silas pray that one might be easy But look at what they did next paul and silas prayed and read it saying praise is unto god In the prison Paul said let's praise the lord Now, let me define praise real quick because praise is consumed with Who god is and what he has done? Praise has nothing to do with us praise has nothing to do with what's going on in my life Which means I can be sick as a dog and praise him for being a healer

And you look at me and say man, you've been you've been sick for three months How are you praising god for being a healer because my sickness don't change who he is I can be filled with depression and anxiety And praise him for being the prince of peace. Why because my situation doesn't change his power But his power can change my situation All glory to god see we can't wait till we get the breakthrough and then praise because so often the breakthrough is really Thanksgiving not praise because you just walked through something god did and you are giving him credit and thanking him for what he's done In your life, but praise doesn't need an experience praise is based on knowledge. I know he's a way maker I know he's a healer. I know he's a savior. I know he is deliverer. I know he is a peace Giver I praise him for who he is. It doesn't have anything to do with where I am or what I have Because you can see somebody broke busted and disgusted and they're off and god praying you say man I wonder why they praise god so hard Because my praise don't have nothing to do with who I am She just lost her apartment she just lost her job down there praising god Because my praise is not dictated by my circumstances Oh Man come on church, you can praise him in a prison You can praise him on the side of the road You can praise him in any situation because your situation doesn't change who he is Somebody needs this right now because you've been waiting you've been waiting for the breakthrough to give him praise You've been waiting for something to happen like he needs to deserve it. He's done enough to deserve it He don't have to do nothing else to prove to me that he's god. He's god He's worthy of my praise. No matter what my life is filled with right now That's a hard thing to do but it's so powerful when you praise him in your prison Because man will feel like the lord hasn't been good to us one week We'll come up and you know in the assembly in the corporate worship hands in our pocket like I don't know what they're doing They ain't lived a week I lived it week Paul and silas prayed and sang praises That's staying humble while humiliated That means i'm on the bottom remember what paul said I can do all things through christ

I know what it's like to be on top and I know what it's like to be on the bottom And right now he's on the bottom. He's in the inner prison locked in chains He's on the bottom, but even there he can do all things through christ that gives him strength He's going to be found faithful even while humiliated for his faith This is going to be a key to unlock some things in your life if you'll see it So let's read verse 25 shreveport and bosier out loud together and at midnight paul and silas prayed and sang praises under god And the prisoners heard them read the next two words and suddenly I'll read it again the next two words and suddenly and suddenly how many need an end suddenly in your life and suddenly And suddenly god knows how to do it and suddenly When did that end suddenly come that end suddenly came into their life when they wouldn't let their circumstances Dictate their faith when they wouldn't let the prison wall dictate their praise They said my god is still who he said he is no matter what i'm experiencing right now in my life and god and suddenly I thank god for the end suddenlies Those times in your life when you prayed and you magnified the lord and you know he moved And suddenly, and suddenly there was a great earthquake. So that the foundation of the prisons were shaken. And immediately all the doors were open. All the, look here, all the doors, all the doors were open. Everyone's bands were open. Everyone. If God's got to give everybody in your company a pay raise just to get to you, he's able to do it. Woo. God will bless the whole city just to get the Word of God. I'm speaking that. Amen. And the keeper, verse 27, the keeper of the prison, it's going to stir somebody up. I've got to figure out which aisle I'm about to run down. Hey, did I tell you, you were going to shout before this, sir? Did I say, you're going to shout. It shows I'm standing right here. This thing right here, I'll make you shout. Hey, this thing, this will bring a shout out of somebody that didn't have a shout. Look at this. Look at this. Look at this. Verse 27, and the keeper of the prison awakening out of his sleep. Let's read that out

loud and deepen your voice with awaken. Ready? And the keeper of the prison awakening out of his sleep. The keeper of the prison was asleep. He was sleeping in where he put them. I'm telling my enemy right now, you better not sleep on me. You better not sleep on me. Did you think I was down? Did you think I was out? Did you think it was over? Did you not know that you might have slept? But my God, neither sleeps nor slumbers. You might have slept, he didn't. Boy, I got a feeling that there's some enemies that's about to wake up and they're going to wake up to you being somewhere else. They're going to wake up to you being somewhere else. They went to sleep and you were in prison, but they woke up and you were free. They went to sleep and you were depressed, but they woke up and you had joy. Well, I want to thank you for allowing me into your viewing area today, and I hope that you were blessed by the ministry of God's Word. Our broadcast is made possible through the faithful financial support of our members and partners here in this viewing area. And I want to encourage you to prayerfully consider supporting the work of this ministry so that we can take the message of Jesus as the manifested Word of God, reaching more people in more ways and in more places than ever before. Thank you for your support. Have you ever looked around your life, took inventory of your situation, but yet your mind seemed to be disconnected from the reality of the goodness around you and you could not understand why am I in such a struggle when I'm better off than I have ever been in my life? Does that speak to anybody in here right now?