Castaway Series: Dealing First with Your Own Logs (Part 4) by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

We have been looking at how to get the beam out of your own eye. We pick up where we left off in the last message by addressing the issue of humility. A fourth principle on humility is realizing that God will test your humility and whether you have a servant's heart. A true test of servanthood is if I act like one when I am treated like one. The humble person remains the same person in all circumstances whether he is put down or exalted, humiliated, or honored. If a person has a humble, servant's heart, there will be no limit to what he can accomplish if he is unconcerned with who gets the credit. D.L. Moody said, "A man can counterfeit many graces and character traits, but it is difficult to counterfeit humility." One man tried to counterfeit his humility when he said, "Only my great humility keeps me from telling you how truly wonderful I am." Beloved, you don't have to try to prove yourself or pretend to be something you are not when you have humility because you are not seeking fame. Studying the Scriptures and putting them into practice will help you get the beam out of your own eyes. * John 5:39 — Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. * Psalm 119:25—My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word. The thirst of one Christian for the Word of God can have significant impact in the lives of many others. For example, in 1792, a little peasant, teenage girl in Llanfihangel, Wales, named Mary Jones, became intrigued with the Bible and longed to read from its pages. As her parents were too poor to afford one, she went to a neighbor's house and borrowed a New Testament. Her eyes fell on three words: Search the Scriptures. Fifteen-year-old Mary determined to purchase a Bible of her own, and for six years, she toiled with her hands, sacrificing many other things in order to earn enough money to purchase her own copy of the Word of God. Times were very difficult, pennies were hard to come by, and Bibles were rare. But in the spring of 1800, Mary walked 25 miles barefooted across rugged paths, streams, and mountain trails to a place called Bala, carrying her hard-earned money. She arrived there late in the day and found lodging with the local Methodist minister, but she could hardly sleep for the excitement of having a Bible of her own. Early next morning, she proceeded to the house of Rev. Thomas Charles, who was reported to have Bibles for sale. Imagine her sorrow to learn that his stock of Bibles was exhausted. Her inconsolable grief so moved Thomas Charles that he said, "My dear child, I see that you must have a Bible. It is impossible to refuse you." Two days later he was able to get more Bibles and not only gave Mary the one she purchased, the pastor gave her two more as a free gift for her family. Rev. Charles, deeply moved by that scene, developed a burning determination to do everything in his power to make the Bible available to anyone who desired it, to the millions in Christendom that did not have one. He laid plans, garnered support, expended energy, and in 1804, the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed. It was the "granddaddy" of all the world's Bible societies. Thank God for those who thirst for His Word! The need of one provoked an entire ministry to meet the needs of multitudes around the world. Oh that all believers would have the same thirst for the Scriptures that Mary Jones had in her heart. May the desire of our hearts be that which is expressed in these verses. * Psalm 119:97- O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. This 33-minute message was preached on Wednesday night, May 11, 2022 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.