Sermon Notes
Pastor Jeff Stanfill

"Humility's Opportunity"
Rehoboam
October 8th, 2006 - AM Service

HUMILITY'S OPPORTUNITY
TEXT: 1 KINGS 12:1-17
INTRO:
Interstate travel is great. One can get on a superhighway and move from state to state, city to city in far less time.

But there is one problem for every driver - the missed exit. Have you ever driven past your exit at 70 MPH? What is worse than seeing the exit as you drive by is discovering that you are ten, twenty, thirty miles down the road from your missed exit. In a strange city your not sure if the not exit will get you where you want to go. In the countryside, your not sure where the next exit is!

Missed exits are like missed opportunities. They happen for many different reasons - distracted and didn't see it, didn't recognize where you were, out of place (the wrong lane!) and could not make it.

Rehoboam makes me think of a driver out on the Interstate for the first time, enjoying being in command of the vehicle with the wheel in his hands, the open road before with all its potential and possibilities. And then he misses his exit.

Let's see what I'm talking about.

Rehoboam's father Solomon died. He ascended to the kingship of Israel. READ 12:1-2. Jeroboam being at the inauguration is not a minor detail from the guest list. Jeroboam was a man God chose to be a catalyst for punishing Solomon for his wayward ways. God's prophet predicted that he would lead 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel. Until that time he lived in exile in Egypt.

READ 12:3-17.

I. REHOBOAM'S PROFILE
Rehoboam quickly presents a profile of who he is as a man and king.
1. He is slow to respond to others (v.5). He needs three days to consider their need. It was not three days to see how to address their need but three days to decide whether to address their need.

2. He disregarded the advice of those who knew the most. (v.8). Instead:

3. He sought advice that was self-serving. (v.8). We can say that he at least sought out advice but he did it like so many of us do. He went around asking until someone told him what he wanted to hear. And what he wanted to hear was something about himself, something that would bolster what he already wanted to do. Self-serving advice is deadly. Prov 27:5-6. Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. KJV And for those who are asked for advice heed this practical truth. Prov 28:23 He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

4. He was haughty with others. (v.13-14). The Bible even says that he was harsh in the way he answered. With no regard for others, Rehoboam watched the kingdom walk away from him - v.16)

5. Have you noticed that neither wisdom nor grace is passed along in the genes? Don't think that since Aunt Odette is such a godly woman that you will have favor from God.

6. And while Rehoboam inherited a challenge from his father with Jeroboam, we must remember that while our situation comes from God, our response comes out of the condition of our heart. And in Rehoboam's heart something is missing. See if you notice the same thing missing that I notice.

II. REHOBOAM'S MISSING QUALITY.
1. He had opportunity, he had privilege, he had resources but it was in him as a man that he lacked something. What would it be? He lacked humility. Lacking humility he missed humility's opportunity to serve.

2. Why did Rehoboam respond to the people as he did? Without humility one is absorbed in themselves. Why did Rehoboam not heed the experienced advisors? Without humility one thinks they know better than others. Why did he seek advisors to tell him what he wanted to hear? Without humility we judge anything not like ourselves as wrong.

3. A person of humility does not think lower of themselves rather they think higher of others than themselves. Phil 2:3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

4. A person of humility includes others well-being as their own. Phil 2:4. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5. A person of humility uses their advantage for others' advancement. Phil 2:5-7. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

6. Rehoboam did none of this. He did not consider the people as being more than himself. He did not consider their well-being but his own. He did not use his position of leadership to advance the people themselves but as an occasion to look bigger than his father.

ILLU: My fantasizing in prayer about "one-up-manship" due to my lack of humility.

III. HUMILITY'S OPPORTUNITY.
1. The opportunity that humility brings us to is that of service. We wish humility brought us to greater power, bigger paychecks, better looking children and bigger cars and houses. It may not but it will bring someone to greater service.

2. A person lacking humility will see service as slavery. The wise, old men said "servant" and Rehoboam heard "slave"; they said "service" and Rehoboam heard "slavery"; they said "give" and Rehoboam heard "have it taken away from you." The NT uses two different words for servant and slave. A servant is what Jesus came to be. He came to serve, not be served. Being a servant to others is what we are to copy from Him. Being a servant is about one another. Being a slave, with its servile surrender of the will to another, is something reserved for our relationship with Jesus. Apostle Paul called himself a bond slave of Jesus Christ, not to any of the churches. Slavery is not part of the relationship we have with one another, only to the Lord and His work. But a person lacking humility interprets serving others as slavery and it is beneath them to do.

3. A person lacking humility will miss seeing the greater vision of serving. Let's pay attention to v.7. We miss the point if our vision of v. 7 is only this, "Rehoboam, serve them first and then they will serve you." That is nothing more than the American business model for customer service. Take care of the customer's needs and they will come back - hopefully. But Rehoboam's opportunity was not to be served as a king but to lead an entire nation of humble servants. "Rehoboam, you serve these people, let them watch and learn from you and they themselves will be servants." That is the greater vision of serving. Humility is always in pursuit of a greater vision, a greater opportunity.

CONCL:
When we look at the privileges to which he was born, the availability of wise, experienced counselors, and the time he had to make a good decision we have to say that Rehoboam had the opportunity. But like a driver on Interstate, he blew right by it

No one can lead us through a humility development course. There is no curriculum that will do that. But as humility is Biblical described, the Holy Spirit can use that description to transform us so we do not miss opportunities to reflect Christ's character.

# A person of humility does not think lower of themselves rather they think higher of others than themselves. Phil 2:3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Rom 12:3. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Rom 12:10. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Rom 12:16. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

This week consider that person at work as more deserving of kindness. That unpopular student at school is in need of someone to consider them better than the rest of the class considers them and it is your assignment as a disciple of Jesus Christ at that school to associate with him or her and show them honor.

# A person of humility includes others well-being as their own. Phil 2:4. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

This is at the heart of an active faith in Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 10:24. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

How different would your family function if everyone acted in the interest of the other family members this week? If as a husband, I made decisions, spent money, managed my time, and used my words for the good of Mary Ann, what good would come to her? Is that not really loving someone?

# A person of humility uses their advantage for others' advancement. Phil 2:5-7. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Rehoboam was the king. He was in a position of privilege and power. Why was he in that position? To advance others. What position of advantage are you in? Those who supervise people are in the position to advance the others under their leadership. Older brothers and sisters are in that position of birth order to help the younger as they learn and mature.

Without humility, opportunities to serve become power struggles. This is a great reflection of the character of God when we do this.

PRAYER.
Father, help us use what we are learning of the character of Jesus Christ today. Renew a desire for humility within us though we live within a prideful culture. Give us the faith to trust you that "nice guys finish first with God." Father, help us overcome our doubt that serving is the greatest opportunity we ever have. And may we serve with renewed zeal and power this week.

Who would present themselves today as available for service?