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SERMON - HUMILITY: THE TOWEL IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD
Kris Vallotton | October 14, 2022
In this message from September 25th, 2022 at Bethel Church in Redding CA, Kris Vallotton shares a prophetic message of encouragement. We are in a hinge season - shifting from a season of oppression into a season of vindication. He exhorts us to follow the example of Jesus who understood that the towel is mightier than the sword and humility sets us up for promotion. What we think is a breakdown is actually a door to spiritual awakening!
THE TOWEL IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD PODCAST NOTES
- You’ve passed the test of sacrifice. Now you are going to be tested with the greatest test of all, the test of favor - protect your innocence.
“The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold,
And each is tested by the praise accorded him.” (Proverbs 27:21, NASB)
- Jesus, knowing Judas would betray Him, washed His feet. (John 13:1-10, 13-17)
- The towel is mightier than the sword.
- Jesus made a strategic move of “going all the way down” to the top.
- We see examples of this “top down” principle in the lives of Moses and Joseph.
- Moses knows he is called to free the Israelites but when he tries to in his own strength he couldn’t do it. When he finally came to a place of humility and realized he couldn’t do it, God said he was ready.
- Joseph has a dream about being the head of a nation but he has a problem with arrogance. It takes 14 years of slavery and imprisonment before he was ready to lead a nation.
- Sometimes the depth and the length of our trials are directly related to the attitude we demonstrate in the fray.
- There is an attitude that God promotes (humility) and an attitude God resists (pride).
Don’t make fun of people when they are down because they are poised for power.
- King Nebuchadnezzar was able to acknowledge his greatness because he also recognized it was from God that his greatness came. (Daniel 4:36,37)
- Feeling bad about yourself is not humility, humility is being able to say, “I am amazing and I’ve found the source comes from the King!”
- Sometimes a breakdown is a door to a spiritual awakening and what you think is a breakdown is actually a breakthrough. God says, “Now you’re ready.”
“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7, NASB)
- Pride opens the door to spiritual warfare in our lives. When I’m arrogant, God opposes me and says, “You’re better than that.” He loves us too much to leave us in that attitude.
- Greatness is planted in the seedbed of humility, is watered by the deeds of servanthood and is cultivated by the hands of perseverance.
- The hinge for God to bring a shift is humility. Humility is the hinge that shifts a nation. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
- Adversity may be the mother of invention but humility is the father of promotion.
- We are in a hinge season - shifting from a season of oppression into a season of vindication.
- I’d be careful when a man humbles himself and you are his enemy because he is poised for possibility. He may look like a little bird but he has a big God behind him. You may not even be able to see it coming if you don’t have eyes of humility. It is a hinge season in which one door closes and another opens. Humility closes the door of oppression but it opens the door of possibility. I’d propose it’s wise to be careful and reconsider attacking someone who bows to humility instead of standing to defend themself. They may not look like an eagle, they may not look like an owl. They may be dressed up as a sparrow and look like they have nowhere to go but I want to tell you that His eye is on the sparrow and that sparrow doesn’t fall from the nest without His intense concern.
- If you are a man’s enemy and you see him reach for a towel instead of a sword, you’d better be careful because he just enlisted the God of angel armies. It took Peter denying Christ three times to realize that towels are more powerful than swords. If you are building gallows for Mordecai and you see him covered in sackcloth and ashes, you better reconsider your ways because you are about to get “Ester-ed”!
Scripture:
James 4: 6-7; 1 Peter 5:5; Luke 1:52; John 13:1-10, 13-17; Philippians 2:3-11; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Matthew 26:52; Isaiah 54:17; Romans 12:14-21; Proverbs 25:21
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