TICKER TREAT: How To Do Your Heart A Favor

We’re stressed out! I don’t think it’s just because we are coming up on the holiday season, although that is an extremely stressful time for many. People of all walks of life, are experiencing stress like never before. Stress about finances, health issues, relationship issues, work issues, and even political issues. There sure seems to be a lot to be anxious about these days! I heard recently a dentist describe how he was seeing more and more cases of people who are grinding their teeth, a symptom of anxiety and stress – so people aren’t just stressed while they’re awake anymore! Besides causing you to lose your hair early, infertility, acne, major mood swings, it has also been linked to cancer, lung ailments, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and suicide. Stress has been called “the silent killer” and can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat.

In light of the stress that I feel is happening all around me, and in my own life… I approached this week’s text. In it, I find Jesus teaching on the simple concept of humility. He shares a quick story, and then gives a very practical application… that I believe, speaks to the exact place that many of us find ourselves today. Simply put: the opposite of stress… is tranquility. And humility leads to tranquility. What if we could do ourselves a huge service? What if we could keep ourselves from all the horrific consequences of anxiety and stress? What if we could do our physical heart a favor, (give our ‘ticker’ a ‘treat’) by taking some practical advice from Jesus that is sure to put us on the path to tranquility and peace?

Luke 14:7-11 – HCSB

7 He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noticed how they would choose the best places for themselves: 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, don’t recline at the best place, because a more distinguished person than you may have been invited by your host. 9 The one who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in humiliation, you will proceed to take the lowest place.

10 “But when you are invited, go and recline in the lowest place, so that when the one who invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ You will then be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I read this and the obvious application is that we should strive to be humble… we should endeavor to give up always having to be first. And that is certainly something we should be trying to do… even though it can be very difficult. It’s difficult, because we like to be comfortable. We enjoy… what WE enjoy. It’s hard to say ‘no’ to what we want, in order to allow someone else to have what THEY want. But that’s Jesus’ definition of humility here.

Much like the time where Jesus said that the ‘last would be first, and the first would be last’, Jesus here says that the one who goes out of their way to humble themselves… will be exalted.

However… is that really the reason we should strive to humble ourselves? Do we strive to be last, in order to play God’s little mind-game, knowing that in the end we’ll end up first? Do we give up the places of honor, because deep down we know that we’re going to end up looking really good to everyone else… we’re going to be… exalted?

In other words, is ‘exaltation’ the motivation for us being humble? Seems odd to me…

I don’t think it is... and I don't think that is what Jesus meant. I do think it’s an inevitable fact for those who are sincerely humble… but being honored certainly isn’t the goal. If it were, then is it really humility?

Matthew 11:28-30…

 “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Many of us know this verse well. Jesus is talking to people then… and today… who are weary and burdened… people who are stressed. And He says, “I will give you rest”. Awesome, right? My response to this: “Thanks Jesus, that sounds super great… but truthfully… when? How? Practically, how do I come to You and find rest? I’m not saying I don’t need it, because I do big time… but that sorta sounds like a nice sentiment… I’m just not really seeing anyone practically do it, because everyone I know… even the Christians… are weary and burdened.”

But verse 29 says, “…take up My yoke” – that’s the part we always concentrate on, right. We describe what a yoke is… and that’s great. But read on… He then says, “…learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart”. It’s like Jesus is saying, ‘Hey I want you all to learn something here! Here’s today’s lesson to be learned… Are you ready? “Be yoked to Me… be exactly LIKE Me… go the exact same direction I’M GOING.”

What’s that? “I am gentle and humble”.

That’s the lesson. Be gentle and humble. And apparently, when we really learn that lesson… we do our hearts a favor… we lose stress… we find rest. Humility leads to tranquility.

Did you know that the ONLY TIME Jesus spoke of His own character… His ONLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL statement is this one: “I am gentle and humble in heart”. That’s it.

Psalm 131:1-3

“1 Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too difficult for me. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself like a little weaned child with its mother;I am like a little child.3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever.”

David wrote this, and ancient rabbis and scholars tell us exactly when he did. We’re told (in 2 Samuel chapter 7) that David wanted to build a Temple for the ark of the covenant. He deeply desired to build a ‘house of God’, which sounds like an awesome thing, right? So, David tells the prophet Nathan about his desires and Nathan thinks it’s an awesome idea too, and says, “Go for it. Do all that’s in your heart. God is with you” (verse 3). But then something interesting happens; that very night Nathan has a dream and the Lord speaks to him and tells him that he needs to deliver a message to David.

The message is basically, God doesn’t want you to build the Temple. God is saying ‘no’ to your dreams and your desires… even though it sounds like a really awesome idea, God says that you are not the man for the job. However, whenever God shuts a door, He often opens a window, and Nathan goes on to say that one of David’s descendants will indeed build the house of the Lord, and that the house would live forever! It was going to be something way better than he could ever imagine.

That was a Messianic prophecy… Nathan was speaking of a future descendant of David’s, named Jesus, who would indeed set up the house of God within the hearts of men and women, and that would last forever! But that’s another story…

What stands out to me today, is David’s response. David could have said, “I can’t do what I want to do?! I'm the king! I’m trying to serve You, God… and do something good! I already received Nathan’s blessing… now I’m being told ‘no’!?”

But David didn’t say that. Instead he writes Psalm 131…

Psalm 131:1-3

“1 Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I do not get involved with things too great or too difficult for me. 2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself like a little weaned child with its mother; I am like a little child.3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, both now and forever.”

He says, “I won’t get involved with stuff that isn’t my concern… stuff too great for me. I have calmed and quieted myself like a weaned child…”. That is a Hebrew word-picture, called an idiom. The idea of ‘weaned child’ is a ‘content, peaceful, and happy child’.

A child who isn’t being weaned is a picture of discontentment. It’s the child that is whiny and crying and DEMANDING. “I want my milk NOW!”

A weaned child doesn’t demand from the Lord, but delights in the Lord.

David is saying, “I’m content. I really wanted this dream to happen… but I see, Lord that You have a bigger, better dream in mind. WAY bigger than little-ol-me. So, I’m good with it. I’ll give up having to have my way. In this case, I don’t need to be at the head of the table… the place of honor… that’s for You.”

You see, Humility leads to Tranquility.

Gang, this is HOW we are supposed to be thinking. This is to be our mind-set. It was David’s. It was also Jesus’. Last verse, please turn to Philippians…

Philippians 2:2-9

“fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name”

Interesting. Why was Jesus highly exalted? ‘For this reason’ Paul says, ‘He humbled Himself’. Sounds a little like our text in Luke 14:11, “…and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”.

May you and I be those that “make our attitudes that of Christ Jesus”. May we consider humility and may it lead us to tranquility… to peace… to heart-health… to bringing Jesus massive amounts of honor.

You can listen to this sermon by visiting www.DesperationChurch.org and clicking on 'Resources', which will take you to the podcast section of our church's web-site. God bless.