THE GLORY OF HUMILITY | BIshop Kyle Searcy | 8.24.25

 THE GLORY OF HUMILITY

Psalm 18:35

You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great.

• David’s greatness was not self-made
• It came from God’s ability to stoop down, help, be gentle with him, be merciful to Him
• But David’s Humility in responding to God’s ways kept Him in greatness. 

• THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMILITY

• The Meek shall inherit the Earth

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek, they shall inherit the earth

• Greatness in the Kingdom is Measured by Humility

Matthew 18:1-4

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven

• It is the Key to Promotion

Matthew 23:11-12

But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

In this verse there are two parallel pairs of active and passive verbs. Active verb (Humble Yourself; Exalt Yourself) – means that we must choose to initiate one or the other.  There is something we must do if we don’t do this thing nothing will happen. Passive verb (He will Exalt you; He will humble you)– this does not depend on us.  Whatever our choice of the active verb the passive thing will happen inevitably whether we want it to or not.

• It’ the Way Jesus Chose to Live

John 8:28-29

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. ²⁹ And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

• It’s the Doorway to Grace

John 1:17

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

James 4:6

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

• WAYS DAVID SHOWED HUMILITY

• The Posture of His Heart Before God

• He called himself poor, needy, and dependent

Psalm 40:17

“But I am poor and needy; yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer.” 

Psalm 86:1

“Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.” 

WHAT HUMILITY IS NOT

• Being poor
• Belittling yourself
• Chronic Illness
• Weakness
• Allowing others to walk over you
• Seeing yourself as a worm
• Shyness

Humility is the deep awareness of our own nothingness, revealed when we recognize that God is truly everything.

To be humble is to see ourselves as empty without Him, and to see that He alone is all in all.

Humility is realizing that apart from God we are nothing, and in Him, everything finds its meaning.

True humility is born when we grasp that our sufficiency is nothing, but God is our all-sufficiency.

Humility is the surrender of self-importance when we see that God alone is all in all.

• How He treated His Enemies 

1 Samuel 24:6

“The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed…” 

• He gave God credit for his victories

Goliath

“The battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.” (1 Sam. 17:47).

Psalm 18:29, 32, 39

“For by You I can run against a troop, by my God I can leap over a wall… It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect… For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.”

Psalm 20:6–7

“Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

• He was always zealous for God’s Glory

Psalm 115:1

“Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory.” 

Psalm 34:2

“My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear of it and be glad.” (Ps. 34:2)

• He admitted sin and repented quickly

2 Samuel 12:13

“I have sinned against the LORD.” 

Psalm 51:3-4

For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight

• He consistently sought the Lord before Making Decisions

1 Sam 23:1-2

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.” ² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

• He Choose Radical Worship Above Royal Image

2 Sam 6:14, 20-22

Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was wearing a linen ephod… ²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, “How glorious was the king of Israel today, uncovering himself today in the eyes of the maids of his servants, as one of the base fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel. Therefore I will play music before the Lord. ²² And I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight. But as for the maidservants of whom you have spoken, by them I will be held in honor.

• SIGNS YOU MAY BE WALKING IN PRIDE

• Constant Contention
• Pride fuels arguments and strife.
• “Only by pride comes contention, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” (Prov. 13:10)
• Unwillingness to Receive Correction
• Pride resists instruction and gets defensive when corrected.
• “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.” (Prov. 11:2)
• Taking Credit Instead of Giving Thanks
• Pride says, “I did this myself.” Humility gives God the glory.
• “Is not this great Babylon that I have built…?” (Dan. 4:30)
• Looking Down on Others
• Pride compares and elevates self above others.
• “God, I thank You that I am not like other men…” (Luke 18:11)

Phil 2:3

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself

• Prayerlessness (Self-Sufficiency)
• Pride lives as though God is unnecessary.
• 2 Chron 7:14 

• WAYS TO WALK IN HUMILITY

• Give God the Glory First
• Regularly acknowledge that all gifts, resources, and opportunities come from Him.
• “What do you have that you did not receive?” 

1 Cor. 4:7

For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

• Serve Others Willingly
• Look for opportunities to wash feet in modern ways — helping, encouraging, supporting even when unnoticed.
• John 13:14–15
• Receive Correction Without Defensiveness
• Thank people who bring feedback, and prayerfully consider it instead of reacting.
• Prov. 12:1 — “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”
• Prefer Others Above Yourself
• Practice small daily choices: let someone else go first, celebrate others’ wins, yield your preferences.
• Phil. 2:3 — “In humility value others above yourselves.”
• Speak with Gentleness and Restraint
• Humility shows up in tone: avoid “I told you so,” harshness, or self-promotion in words.
• Prov. 15:1 – A soft Answer turns away wrath
• Keep a Sober View of Yourself
• Neither inflate your strengths nor deny them — be honest about who you are and where you need grace.

Rom. 12:3 

 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

• Handle Mistreatment with Mercy
• Like Moses and Jesus, don’t retaliate when wronged — entrust justice to God.

1 Pet. 2:23

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously

HOW TO LIVE IN BABYLON | Pastor Chris Searcy | 8.17.25

HOW TO LIVE IN BABYLON

This morning we are going to juggle three different chapters to answer one central

question.

That question is today’s sermon title:

How to live in Babylon

Our three chapters are:

Deuteronomy 6

Jeremiah 29

Ephesians 6

These three chapters are central to the movement of the Gospel through History and we

will discuss the historical context of each as we go through this morning.

Deuteronomy 6

Historical Setting:

• Israel is on the plains of Moab, just before entering the Promised Land (c. 1400

BC).

• This chapter is a linchpin because it defines what covenant faithfulness looks

like: total love for God and generational discipleship.

• Comes right after the Ten Commandments.

• These verses became Israel’s daily prayer (the Shema), recited morning and

evening—shaping their entire religious identity.

Missional Purpose:

• Israel was to be a light to the nations (Deut 4:6–8), showing the world what it

meant to serve the one true God.

• Deut 6 is the heartbeat of that mission.

• It kept Israel’s identity intact through exile and dispersion.

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house

of slavery.

7 “‘You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in

heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous

God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation

of those who hate me,

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10 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my

commandments.

11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold

him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any

work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or

your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your

gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

15 You shall remember that you were a slave[c] in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your

God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore

the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that

your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your

God is giving you.

17 “‘You shall not murder.

18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.

19 “‘And you shall not steal.

20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your

neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant or his female servant, his ox, or his

donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’

Deuteronomy 6

1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules[a]—that the Lord your God

commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going

over, to possess it,

2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by

keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of

your life, and that your days may be long.

3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and

that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in

a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[b]

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your might.

6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in

your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between

your eyes.

9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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Takeaway from Deuteronomy 6:

God establishing His people’s moral code.

Serve God only.

Keep His commands.

Covenant life must be transmitted generationally through parental teaching.

Jeremiah 29

Historical Context:

• Date: Around 597 BC, after the first deportation of Jews to Babylon.

• Audience: Exiles now living in Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah himself

is still in Jerusalem.

• Situation: Many false prophets were promising a quick return to Jerusalem.

Jeremiah writes a letter telling them the opposite: settle down for the long haul,

because the exile will last 70 years.

Jeremiah’s Letter to the Exiles

Jeremiah 29:1

1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to

the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people,

whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Jeremiah 29:4–7

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into

exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your

daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do

not decrease.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord

on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Instruction: Settle. Multiply. Seek welfare.

Jeremiah 29:8–9

8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your

diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they

dream,

9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them,

declares the Lord.

What were they prophesying?

• Trouble is almost over.

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• “It’s your season.”

• “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the

king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels

of the Lord’s house…” (Jer 28:2–3).

Jeremiah 29:10–14

10 “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit

you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for

evil, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.

13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather

you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord,

and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

So what is happening here?

• The Israelites are exiled in Babylon for 70 years because of judgment for sin.

• They were sent there by God.

• False prophets were promising blessing and success was on the way — but it

wasn’t.

• And God told the children of Israel how to live in exile:

◦ Build houses, live in them.

◦ Plant gardens, eat their produce.

◦ Marry, raise children, multiply, do not decrease.

◦ But — when you grow large — do not violently overthrow!

◦ Instead: Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile,

and pray to the LORD on its behalf. For in its welfare you will find

your welfare.

Ephesians 6

Context:

• Author: Apostle Paul, writing from prison (likely in Rome, c. AD 60–62).

• Setting: Ephesus was deeply Roman and pagan, with strong emperor-worship

and temple-based commerce.

• Persecution Christians faced:

◦ Social exclusion (seen as atheists for rejecting Roman gods).

◦ Economic pressure (loss of business, boycotts).

◦ Family conflict (conversion divided households).

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◦ Occasional mob violence (Acts 19).

Message of the Letter:

• Paul encouraging the church to grow and remain unified:

◦ Chapters 1–3: Unity in Christ.

◦ Chapter 4: Unity as a body of Christ.

◦ Chapter 5: Unity in holiness, and marriage.

◦ Chapter 6: Children and parents.

Ephesians 6:1–4

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),

3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and

instruction of the Lord.

• Verse 3: “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

• This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 5:16.

Connection:

• Under the Old Covenant.

• In Exile

• Under the New Covenant:

• The principle remains: Covenant life must be transmitted generationally

through parental teaching.

To Him Be Glory, Living Humbly Before God | Pastor Chris | 8.10.25

TO HIM BE GLORY
Living humbly before God

Context

Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon one of the greatest empires ever at that time period.

He began having troubling dreams no one could interpret and he couldn’t sleep.

Nebuchadnezzar told his magicians tell him the dream and interpret it, or be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.

Daniel 2:11
11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Revelation 21:3

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

The First Dream – God Rules All 

The first dream was of a great statue —

Daniel 2:32–33
32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze,
33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

Then, a big stone from heaven (God’s kingdom) hit the statue’s feet, and the whole statue broke into tiny pieces and blew away.

The stone grew into a mountain that filled the whole world

Daniel 2:44
44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.

Daniel 2:47
47 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Daniel 3:29
29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 

Nebuchadnezzar 2nd dream:
He dreamed about a giant tree with beautiful leaves, fruit, animals, and birds all around and in it.

• Then a holy messenger from heaven shouted, “Cut down the tree! Cut off its branches and scatter the fruit.

Daniel told him plainly:

Daniel 4:25
25 you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.

Daniel 4:30

30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”

Daniel 4:31–32

31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,

32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox… until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”

Daniel 4:34–35, 37

34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

35 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

God is clear

Isaiah 42:8

8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.

Our Response:

Psalm 115:1

1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

The Warning

John 5:44

44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

Jeremiah 9:23–24

23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,” declares the LORD.

How We Are to Live

1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The Greek phrase doxan theou (δόξαν θεοῦ) = “the glory of God.”

Doxa means honor, praise, renown, the credit for something good.

The context is not only “approval” but that in everything, God is the One whose reputation, honor, and praise is advanced, not ours.

Why We Fail

When we fail to live for His glory alone, it’s because we haven’t truly seen Him.

We still think we are the most worthy, the most deserving.

When We See Him, We Stop Reaching for Glory

Revelation 19:11–16
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.
13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.
14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

The End time perspective

1 Corinthians 3:11-15

11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

The cost of Pride

John 12:42
42 Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human praise more than praise from God.