The Sin that Turned Angels into Demons: And How to Protect Yourself From It
by Tim Zello
Chapter 13
Discern, Disarm, and Destroy
Loving Titles, Rewards, Position,
Recognition, and Compensation
Christ spoke against seeking titles, rewards, position, recognition, and compensation in Matthew 23 and then said, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted (11-12)”.*
I heard the following story about a special event that took place at a large multiracial church:
One Sunday morning the church was honoring a group of young people who had just graduated college. They had each earned a professional degree.
They were sophisticated young people. And they were feeling good about themselves and their advancement.
The African American pastor got up behind the pulpit to deliver a message he had prepared a message just for them. He looked at the graduates and said, Young people, someday, you’re gonna die.
The graduates looked at each other in confusion. They were anticipating praise and congratulations for their esteemed accomplishments. The pastor repeated himself, Young people, someday, you’re gonna die.
And, when you die they’re gonna to take to a cemetery. They’re gonna dig a hole in the ground. They’re gonna put you in a grave…and then throw the dirt on top of you…and then there gonna go back to the church and eat potato salad. And when it’s all over, which would you rather have…a Title or a Testimony?
Pharaoh had the title but Moses had the testimony!
Saul had the title but David had the testimony!
Jezebel had the title but Elijah had the testimony!
Nebuchadnezzar had the title but Daniel had the testimony!
Herod had the title but John the Baptist had the testimony!
Pilate had the title but Jesus had the testimony!
Which would you rather have - the honor and prestige of this world? A title? Or when your funeral is over for some person to say, “If it hadn’t have been for him, if it hadn’t been for her - I wouldn’t have found a Savior? If it hadn’t have been for him I wouldn’t have met Jesus. That’s a testimony!
A resident of a drug rehabilitation program had just graduated. After graduation, he wanted to stay and work at the rehab. He was told the only job they had was kitchen duty. He said, “Well, I need a job and I feel called to work here, so I’ll take it.”
The next day, while he was working, he looked over and saw a cockroach. He thought to himself, “I’ll kill that cockroach and show them I’m a hard worker.”
As he went over, the cockroach said, “Wait a minute. If you won’t kill me I’ll give you anything you want.” The young man was surprised and thought he was going crazy but he replied, “Okay, I want to be the Executive Director of this rehab tomorrow.”
The cockroach rubbed his legs together, and said, “You got it!”
Poof! The next day the intern woke up, and sure enough, they made him Executive Director.
As he was sitting at his desk, he started thinking; it would be great if I was the President, CEO, and Chairman of my rehab and have all the power and influence. He looked over and saw the same cockroach running across the floor. He told the cockroach his wish, and the cockroach said, “Sure, I’ll give you anything you want.”
The cockroach rubbed its legs together and said, “Tomorrow you’ll be the number one man.” Poof! Sure enough, the next day the young man found himself promoted to President, CEO, and Chairman.
Several years went by and when he walked into the front door of the program he saw a new resident on his knees. He asked the student, “What are you doing?”
The student answered, “I’m talking to God.” Well the man went to back to his office pondering. He sat in his large chair and the same cockroach showed up. He told the cockroach, “Listen, I have only have one more wish. I want to be like God.” The cockroach said, “You got it.” Poof!
The next morning when the man woke up, he found himself back working in the kitchen.*
Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave [servant] and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.”
The following is a paraphrased and modernized version of One Solitary Life, which was originally part of a sermon entitled “Arise, Sir Knight” delivered by Dr. James Allen Francis in 1926 at the First Baptist Church in Los Angeles.[i]
Jesus was born in little known village, the child of a poor woman. He grew up in another little known village. He worked as a carpenter until he was thirty. And then for three years He was a traveling preacher.
He never had a family.He never went to college.He never owned a home.He never had an insurance policy but he had the assurance that his heavenly Father would take care of him.
He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place where he was born. He never prepared a resume or handed out a press release. He never wrote a book or autobiography. He never held an office. His photograph was never on a flyer, poster, billboard, or magazine cover. He never started or promoted an organization called “Jesus Christ Ministries.” He never appeared on a television show or spoke on a radio program. He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness.
He never had his picture taken with an important person. He had no credentials but himself. While still a young man, thirty-three years old, opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. One betrayed him.
He was turned over to his enemies. He was unjustly imprisoned and went through the mockery of a trial. Without complaining, arguing, or envying, he watched a murderer be released instead of him.
He was spat on, cursed at, stripped naked, and beaten in front of his own mother. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying, his clothes.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When he was dead he was taken down and laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone and today he is the centerpiece of the human race. If you put together all the militaries that ever fought, all of the emperors, presidents, prime ministers, dictators, and governments that ever ruled, and all the kings and queens that ever reigned they have not affected humanity as powerfully as Jesus Christ.
The following is a paraphrased and modernized version of Others May You Cannot, which wasoriginally written by G.D. Watson (1845-1924), a Wesleyan Methodist minister and evangelist.[ii]
If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility.
God's call will put such demands of obedience on you that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians. At times, He will let other people do things that He will not let you do.
Other Christians who seem very religious will promote themselves. They will act differently around influential people. They will work schemes to carry out their plans. But you cannot. And if you attempt it, you will meet with failure and rebuke from the Lord.
Others may boast of themselves, of their work, and of their successes. But the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do it. And if you begin it, He will lead you to despise yourself and all your good works.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money or may have a legacy left to them. But it is likely that God will keep you poor.
God wants you to have something far better than gold. He wants you to have a helpless dependence upon him. So He can demonstrate his faithful love for you in supplying your needs day by day.
God may let others be honored and put forward. But He will keep you hidden in the shadows in order to produce some fragrant fruit. The type of fruit He desires for his coming glory…fruit that can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it now.
He may even allow others to get credit for things you have said or done. But the eternal reward for your work is held in the hands of Jesus, and you will not see it until He comes.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you with a protective love. He will rebuke you for the little words and feelings or for wasting your time. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with his own.
He does not owe you an explanation of these mysteries. But if you allow yourself to be his child, He will wrap you up in an intimate love. He will give you the precious blessings for those who belong heart and soul to him.
Settle it forever then, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit. It is his option to tie your tongue or chain your hand or close your eyes in ways that He does not seem to do with others.
And when you are so possessed by the living God that your heart delights over this unusual, personal, private guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the entrance of Heaven. Let this be the testimony of your life!
By modeling our attitudes after Jesus we can discern, disarm, and destroy pride.
Read Chapter 14: Discern, Disarm, and Destroy
Win the War by Winning Battles
[i] Source obtained from the Internet at http://www.sjvls.org/bens/bf007sl.htm#1stversion (accessed on December 1, 2006)[ii] Source obtained from the Internet at http://awildernessvoice.com/highcalling.html (accessed on December 1, 2006)
He never had his picture taken with an important person. He had no credentials but himself. While still a young man, thirty-three years old, opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied him. One betrayed him.
He was spat on, cursed at, stripped naked, and beaten in front of his own mother. His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth while he was dying, his clothes.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When he was dead he was taken down and laid in a borrowed tomb through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone and today he is the centerpiece of the human race. If you put together all the militaries that ever fought, all of the emperors, presidents, prime ministers, dictators, and governments that ever ruled, and all the kings and queens that ever reigned they have not affected humanity as powerfully as Jesus Christ.
The following is a paraphrased and modernized version of Others May You Cannot, which wasoriginally written by G.D. Watson (1845-1924), a Wesleyan Methodist minister and evangelist.[ii]
If God has called you to be really like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility.
God's call will put such demands of obedience on you that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians. At times, He will let other people do things that He will not let you do.
Other Christians who seem very religious will promote themselves. They will act differently around influential people. They will work schemes to carry out their plans. But you cannot. And if you attempt it, you will meet with failure and rebuke from the Lord.
Others may be allowed to succeed in making money or may have a legacy left to them. But it is likely that God will keep you poor.
God wants you to have something far better than gold. He wants you to have a helpless dependence upon him. So He can demonstrate his faithful love for you in supplying your needs day by day.
God may let others be honored and put forward. But He will keep you hidden in the shadows in order to produce some fragrant fruit. The type of fruit He desires for his coming glory…fruit that can only be produced in the shade. He may let others be great, but keep you small. He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it now.
He may even allow others to get credit for things you have said or done. But the eternal reward for your work is held in the hands of Jesus, and you will not see it until He comes.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you with a protective love. He will rebuke you for the little words and feelings or for wasting your time. So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with his own.
He does not owe you an explanation of these mysteries. But if you allow yourself to be his child, He will wrap you up in an intimate love. He will give you the precious blessings for those who belong heart and soul to him.
Settle it forever then, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit. It is his option to tie your tongue or chain your hand or close your eyes in ways that He does not seem to do with others.
And when you are so possessed by the living God that your heart delights over this unusual, personal, private guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the entrance of Heaven. Let this be the testimony of your life!
By modeling our attitudes after Jesus we can discern, disarm, and destroy pride.
Win the War by Winning Battles