Extraordinary Character
Isaiah 6:8 NLT
…“Here I am. Send me.”
Isaiah 7:13-16 NKJ
Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you
to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord
Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and
bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Curds and honey He
shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the
good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both her kings.”
Isaiah 9:6-7 TLB
“For unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given; and the
government shall be upon his shoulder. These will be his royal titles:
“WONDERFUL,” “COUNSELOR,” “THE MIGHTY GOD,” “THE
EVERLASTING FATHER,” “THE PRINCE OF PEACE.” His everexpanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule with
perfect fairness and justice from the throne of his father David. He will
bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world. This is
going to happen because the Lord of heaven’s armies has dedicated
himself to do it!
• Extraordinary character
Philippians 2:5-9 NLT
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he
was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling
to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble
position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he
appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him
to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other
names…
Mark 10:43-45 NLT
“But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader
among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first
among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of
Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as
a ransom for many.”
Humility: the place of entire dependence on God
Pride: the place of dependence on self
Philippians 2:3-5 NLT
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of
others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own
interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same
attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Matthew 11:29 NLT
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble
and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
4 “In You” Realities:
- In yourself you are nothing.
Galatians 6:3 NKJ
For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. - In yourself you know nothing.
1 Corinthians 8:2 NKJ
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as
he ought to know. - In yourself you have nothing.
1 Corinthians 4:7 NKJ
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? - In yourself you can do nothing.
John 5:19 NKJ
…“the Son can do nothing of Himself…”
John 15:5 NKJ
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in
him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
John 3:30 NKJ
”He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30 NLT
“He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and
less.”
1 Peter 5:5 NKJ
…be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace
to the humble.”
Action Steps to Develop Extraordinary Character:
- Develop a life of introspection.
- Develop a life of serving others.
- Develop a life of helping others succeed.