(music) Well, the world says we need self-confidence more than anything else. Well, no, there are things more important to our lives than self-confidence. So what are those things? Pastor John answered this question in a sermon back in 2009, in a clip suggested to us from Hannah in Canton, Ohio.

It's a good one. This is Pastor John back in 2009 preaching on humility. How important is humility? Listen to John Calvin. This is an amazing quote. I want to read this quote from Calvin. He's really quoting two of his heroes. So you don't hear Calvin's voice directly, you hear theirs, but he's quoting it because he agrees with them.

"I have always been exceedingly delighted with the words of Christusom." "The foundation of our philosophy is humility." "And more with the words of Augustine, 'As the orator, when asked, "What is the first precept in eloquence?" answered, "Delivery." "What is the second? Delivery." "What is the third? Delivery." "So if you ask me in regard to the precepts of the Christian religion, "I will answer, 'First, second, and third, humility.'" Now my question to that quote is, why does John Calvin, Augustine, Christusom say, "First, second, and third, humility"?

Like first maybe, but then a few other things. Why do they keep laying it like, "Fourth, fifth, sixth"? I think they could say that, and here's the reason, I think. The reason is because humility is the soil in which everything good in the Christian life grows. And if that soil goes away, everything good withers.

It's unique in that regard. Let me give you some illustrations. Four, faith. Would anyone depend on Christ as a needy, weak, and sinful person if God hadn't given them humility? Second, worship. Would anyone earnestly make much of the worth of God instead of craving to be made much of himself if God hadn't given them humility?

Third, obedience. Would anyone surrender his autonomy and submit obediently to the absolute authority of Scripture if God hadn't given them humility? Fourth, love. Would anyone seek the good of others at cost to himself if God hadn't created in his heart humility? And on and on and on we could go.

So it's first, humility; second, humility; third, fourth, fifth, sixth, because under everything, everything good that we want to flourish and grow in the Christian life or in the church grows in this soil. And where this soil is ruined, things wither. I want to just give you a taste. This is sort of personal, I suppose.

I could choose so many examples. I want to give you a taste of what the humble life feels like as we close with three objections that the world would raise, perhaps. I know that from time to time these have been raised, whether people you know would raise them, I don't know, but they give me a chance to illumine what the humble life looks like.

Objection number one, humility makes a person gloomy, dismal, downcast, unhappy. My answer, no. Gospel humility frees you from the need to pose, calculate, posture, sniff out what others think so that you're free to laugh at what is really funny with the biggest belly laugh imaginable that makes your face contort and look ridiculous.

I grew up in a home, and I am so thankful. Both my parents served with Jesus. I sat at the table. My grandmother sat here. My sister sat over there. Mommy sat there. Daddy sat there. That's what I called them until the day they died. And Daddy would come home with his jokes from his evangelistic crusades.

We would hear stories of triumph of the grace with tears running down his eyes of how an alcoholic was converted on the last night of the meeting. And mingled in there, he would tell me jokes that he heard, and my father laughed hardest at his own jokes than anybody else did, and it worked to draw you in with amazing effectiveness.

I remember sitting at dinner tables with my father here. He was portly. He always described himself as toothpicks and a watermelon. And so when he laughed, it was like Santa Claus. And my mother at the other end would begin with a loud soprano, "Hah!" And then it would just break over, and both of them would have tears running on their face, uncontrollably laughing.

And my sister and I were drawn into this glory. There weren't any humbler moments in the world because they had totally lost control. No calculations whatsoever, "How am I being perceived?" This is a freedom that can only come to the humble. Proud people don't get red in the face and fall off their chairs with contortions of laughter.

They go, "Haha, haha, haha, haha, haha, haha, haha, haha." "I'm totally in control here. I'm in control here." Because they will maintain their dignity. Well, when the father saw the son coming, he pulled up his ropes between his legs, and he ran. An old man ran. I disagree with the objection that being humble makes you gloomy.

I think it frees you to be the happiest person you could possibly be. Number two, second objection, humility makes you fearful and timid. No, the world thinks that because the best source of courage that they can think of is self-confidence. It's the only source of courage they can think of.

If you destroy my self-confidence by telling me I'm a sinner, I'm weak, I'm dependent, you cut my ability to be bold and courageous and aggressive and strong. It's because they can't imagine another source of courage. There is a better source. God-confidence. Not self-confidence, God-confidence. You want to be strong and bold?

Be nothing and have God on your side. And I don't agree with the objection that the only or best source of boldness is self-confidence. This is Isaiah 51, 12. This is God talking. "I am He who comforts you." Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and have forgotten the Lord your Maker?

Isn't that amazing, friends? Who do you think you are to be afraid? When we're afraid, we don't usually expect accusations of pride. Who do you think you are to fear man and have forgotten the Lord your Maker? Man, if I am on your side, just humble yourself. I'm looking at you.

I look to people that tremble at my word. When I look to you, they die if necessary. Or they get converted if necessary. No. No, no, no, no. Taking away pride and self-preoccupation, self-confidence and self-exaltation, taking all that away does not take courage away. Not if you replace it with God, His promises, His grace.

Finally, number three. Objection three. Humility makes you passive and removes the driving motor of achievement. In America, the most achieving nation on the planet, you spread this message of humility, lowliness, dependence, meekness. You're going to ruin this economy. No. The world thinks that because for them, the driving motor of achievement is feeding the ego with accomplishments.

That's what it feels like. I'm going to take that away. What have I got left? I'm feeding my ego by achieving something. I'm going to climb this ladder. I'm going to make this bundle. I'm going to buy that house. I'm going to have that retirement. I'm going to drive that car.

I'm going to wear that ring. And people will know, I made it. You take that away. What are you going to put in its place? I mean, that's driving the motor of this economy. What you take that away, what are you going to put in its place? First Corinthians 1510, "By the grace of God, I am what I am, and I worked harder than any of them.

Nevertheless, it was not I, but the grace of God that was with me." "By the grace of God, I am what I am, and I worked." This is the Apostle Paul talking. "While he had breath, he labored." "I worked harder than any of them." "He stayed up till who knows what hour, making a tent, so that he wouldn't have to charge his churches." "I worked harder than any of them.

Nevertheless, it was not I, but grace that was with me." "The power of God's grace in the heart of the humble believer who depends utterly on God produces incredible industry." Say it again. "The grace of God, the power of His grace in the heart of a humble believer who depends utterly on God produces in Him incredible energy and industry." Amen.

That clip was taken from Pastor John's 2009 sermon on Mark 10, 32-45, titled "Greatness, Humility, Servanthood." It came to us from Hannah in Canton, Ohio. "This clip has been so precious to me," she writes, "in understanding and experiencing the great joy and freedom of humility. It brings me to tears of joy each time I listen to this clip.

Praise God for this message. I am so thankful for you, Pastor John." Amen. Thank you for listening to today's sermon clip. All of our sermon clips are now crowdsourced. You tell us what bits of Piper's sermons changed your life, like Hannah did today. We share that clip with the APJ audience.

If you have one, email me. Give me your name, hometown, the sermon title, the timestamp of where the clip happens in the audio, and how it impacted you. Put the word "clip" in the subject line of an email and send it to me at askpastorjohn@desiringgod.org. This is an email address, askpastorjohn@desiringgod.org.

Well, we are in the middle of the five days of Holy Week, and Friday we return to look forward to Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Christ and how it has changed us already. It's a really important topic. I'm looking forward to it. I'm Tony Reinke. We will see you on Friday.

Thanks for listening.