# Who Is Going to Exalt You

February 9, 2026

To Luke 14, Luke chapter number 14 tonight. Luke 14 in God’s word tonight, and we’ll just read a touch more than usual, starting in verse number one, skip down to where we want to get to, and our last verse we read will be our theme, if you will, our text.

And we’ll start in verse number one. How many of you got a nap in today? You got your nap in? Come on now, good Baptists, we get our naps in on Sunday. It’s amazing. You know, I typically don’t take a nap ever, but Sunday afternoon, my body knows it’s Sunday. It’s nap time, you know. Now, if you didn’t get it in, you cannot get it in right now, all right? This is not the time for it.

And Sarah, you know, with all that pain mess and everything, she can’t sleep sometimes, sleep pattern all out of whack and all that. I said, Sarah, if you can’t sleep, pull up a sermon of mine. I put a lot of people to sleep now, you know, and you’ll be good to go.

So Luke 14, look in verse number one, would you please? And the Bible there says, “And it came to pass as he, Jesus, went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees.” Now that’s interesting.

Typically, Jesus is, you know, there are laws, and he’s giving it to them, if you will. But Jesus went and ate with him. That’s pretty good. He treated even as enemies. He’s going to eat with them. Maybe it was because the Pharisees had a good grilled steak or something, maybe, and I’m joking about that. But he’s going and eating there at the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day.

This means they weren’t cooking that day. They watched him. Now, they were watching Jesus. They’re trying to catch him, you know. They’re always had their eye on Jesus, looking for some angle to get him. But Jesus really taught them some lessons. We won’t get them all covered tonight, really just one of them. But Jesus—they’re watching Jesus.

And Jesus kind of turns the tables on them and gives them some lessons. We’re going to look at one of those. Look at verse number seven.

“And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms, saying to them,”

Watch this. He said, he’s been watching them. They’re watching Jesus. Jesus kind of turning—he’s saying, “I’m watching you. I’m watching how you choose where you sit.” They had seats of honor, and it was kind of by their standing, social standing, by their, all their ranking, if you will. And Jesus watched all that. And he put forth this parable.

Verse number eight: “When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, set not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him.”

“And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, ‘Give this man place.’ And thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say to thee, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.”

I just recently listened to a story. A pastor said he was doing a wedding rehearsal night after the wedding rehearsal. You go to the reception dinner—the rehearsal dinner, excuse me—at a restaurant. And he went down to the end of the table. He’s kind of one of the first ones there and just sat down there out of the way, you know. And the guy, I guess the dad of the groom typically pays for that, you know. The bride’s dad or the dad of the groom typically pays for that, because the next day the bride’s parents are paying for everything there, you know. And he came and he said, “Hey, Pastor, we don’t want you to sit down there. They want you to move up a little bit.” So he moved up a little bit. And then they said, “No, no, not fine, a little bit more and a little bit more.”

And the pastor said, you know, that I was a little embarrassed, but he said that really didn’t show honor. He said that’s kind of what he’s saying there. He said, “Don’t go to the highest place. Somebody’s going to come along and say, ‘How you move down there? Let that person sit there.’”

And that’s what he’s teaching. He’s teaching these Pharisees because he watched how they came in and where they sat. I mean, they’re trying to sit in the prestigious place, the popular place, the head of the table, whatnot, and where everybody looks up to them. And he said, don’t do that. He’d been watching that. And he said, go sit down the lowest part. And if somebody’s going to move you up, let them be them, not yourself, you know.

Now, here it kind of culminates with this verse number 11. This is what we’re trying to get at here. We’ll just go back to this verse here in just a minute. But he says, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Now, just a minute. I don’t think it’ll be long tonight, but for just a minute.

By the way, I just felt a wave of unbelief come across when I said, “We won’t be long tonight.” I felt that now, you know. Brother Josh says, “Yeah, yeah, you did feel it.” We’ll see how that goes.

But this thought: Who’s going to exalt you? Who’s going to exalt you? Who’s going to lift you up? Will it be yourself? Who will it be, the Lord? It won’t be both, for sure. Who’s going to exalt? Just for a little bit tonight, let’s pray and ask the Lord to speak to our hearts.

[Prayer omitted.]

This is really an underlining theme in Scripture. Let me just read for you Proverbs 25:6 and 7, the way it puts it: “Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men: for better it is that it be said of thee, Come up hither, than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes hath seen.”

Same. So I don’t want you—it’s Old Testament. It’s in Proverbs. It’s in Matthew. It’s tall, and it’s here in Luke. But let’s go back to this verse number 11. And let’s just dissect it for a minute here. Luke 14. And look in verse number 11 one more time. We’ll be on that verse pretty much the rest of the night, besides at the very end of it. Watch what he says. He says, “For whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased.”

Notice that “whosoever.” Sometimes we just tend to think we’re the exception to the rule. “Well, I’ve got so much experience, I deserve to be exalted. I’ve been around for a while. I know how things work. I’ve got this experience. I’m talented. I know things. I’m knowledgeable. I’ve been around. I’ve got work experience,” and on and on. And we think we’re the exception.

But he said, “For whosoever”—no matter who the person—“for whosoever shall exalt themselves shall be abased.” Pretty amazing. Whoever it is. Now, he goes on—by the way, my mind goes to, well, I won’t—I’ll leave it alone. Let’s just keep going, amen. Sometimes it’s better if the preacher just, let’s move on there, you know.

“For whosoever exalteth himself.” Now, that “exalteth himself,” if you were to look in the Strong’s Concordance, it would say “to elevate.” It goes on and it says “to lift up.” It’s talking about someone that’s going to either, if you’re here, trying to elevate or lift yourself up.

It’s amazing. I think we do that sometimes without even knowing we’re doing it. It’s just, it’s just in our self-righteous, self-aware state of mind. You know, it’s amazing how we tell the stories where the angle of the story makes us look good. Aren’t we good at that? And we just do without even thinking, you know, it’s just kind of in us. Maybe self-protecting, self-exalting ourselves, we just happen to show our talents, you know. We just happen to show our abilities. Or sometimes we’re exalting ourselves by putting others down—our little remarks about everybody and what they’re going to do and how they do. You know, sometimes this is part of because, you know, by us somehow subconsciously, putting everybody else down, it exalts us a little bit.

But whoever exalteth himself. A couple years ago, I think it was our 25-year anniversary. We went to South Carolina for an anniversary trip, my wife and I. And we were just in a, like a gift shop. We went to the Outer Banks. You ever been to the Outer Banks? Come on, have you ever been there? A couple of us have been there. It was an enjoyable getaway. And we went to a gift shop. It was a secular place.

And they had the postcards there. And I was shocked to see a postcard in a secular place. And this little saying on there was by D. L. Moody. I thought, wow. I never thought I’d find that in a secular place. You just deal Moody. And it was a light—there’s a lot of lighthouses there. And it had a lighthouse. And I bought it. It’s in my office. I should have brought it over. You just have to believe me. It’s really over there. I promise you, folks, all right?

But it says it’s of a lighthouse, and it says, “Lighthouses never blow”—they don’t let me—I think it says, “Lighthouses never blow their horns; they just shine.”

And if we’re not careful, we’re blowing, tooting our own horn. By the way, you can’t tell the size of a car by the sound of the horn also, you know. But, oh, this guy’s exalting himself. He’s tooting his own horn, if you will, you know. And he says, “Whosoever,” no matter who it is, exalteth themselves. Then what’s the last part of this verse, or this phrase here? “For whoso exalted themselves, what? Shall.”

Shall. Let’s get that “shall” for just a second. You know, if the Bible says something will happen, it’s going to happen. But when the Bible uses the word “shall,” it’s a little stronger. By the way, I learned that from a man in Yon’s church—used to be in her church for years, David Humphreys—used to go to her church. I learned that from David Humphreys: if it says “shall,” it’s even stronger.

And the Bible says, I tell you what, whoever, whoever it is, doesn’t matter, no exception. You’re elevating yourself always. God says you shall. That’s the will is strong enough, but God’s even more stronger. Is that grammatically right or not, “more stronger”? Praise the Lord, I’ll take that right there. You know, it is right now. It’s even stronger. It’s more stronger. We’ll just stick with that there, you know. It’s more stronger.

He says they “shall be abased.” Now, that “abased,” it means to be humbled. According to Strong’s—I don’t always go by it—but that’s pretty amazing: to be humiliated. Now, here’s the thing about that: it’s God’s word, and God’s the one that makes sure His word is fulfilled. So basically, He’ll use people and circumstances, different things. But God says, “I’ll humiliate you.” Wow. Any of us would like for God to humiliate you? Boy, I don’t know that. But God says, if I go around and I’m elevating myself, trying to put my—and show me and what I’m charged and all the rest of that—God said, “No, if I’m elevating myself, God says, I’m going to see to it, you shall be abased.” Wow. Boy, that’s pretty strong.

I want that. Now let’s go to the other side of the coin, if you will. Look at the last part of that verse there. Look at verse number 11. He says, “And he that,” what’s the next two words?

That’s pretty amazing. It’s the same Greek word for abased: humiliated. Someone humiliates themselves. Pretty amazing. When I humble myself, I humiliate myself, if you will.

I love this story: William Carey. How many of you know the great missionary William Carey to India? God just used him greatly. He was a very talented man. He was very good at linguistics. He learned many languages, and he was just very gifted. He could learn those languages very quickly. If you haven’t figured it out, I don’t have that gift, amen. The only language I try to speak is hillbilly. Amen, that’s it, you know.

But William Carey was very gifted at that. And so the British government—you know, the British government for a while, they had a lot of the world’s possessions. I mean, they just, they had a lot of countries. And so they wanted to use William Carey as a linguistics man and help them in ruling and the language and whatnot. And so they were kind of working William Carey, if you will. Well, William Carey, he didn’t really want to be involved in it unless it helped get the gospel out. He’s like, “Man, I’m not about all that. I’m about getting the gospel, the kingdom of God, and winning souls,” amen. But they were really trying to just work him, if you will. They were buttering the turkey, if you will, you know.

And so they had him at a state dinner, a lot of higher-up officials there, and they were trying to honor him, whatnot. And at this dinner—and by the way, God did use him. In fact, when he died, the British government put all their flags all over the world at half-mast because God did honor him—but he wasn’t about that. He was about getting the gospel up.

But at this state dinner, some of the military officers were there, and they were a little bit bothered by the British government trying to honor William Carey, whatnot, and “Who does he think he is?” type mentality, whatnot. And some of those English officers were talking, and one of them said, “Well, did you hear the doctor—that the great Dr. Carey—at one time was just a shoemaker?”

And in fact, William Carey was standing close by, and he heard that. Now, back in the day, there’s a shoemaker and a shoe cobbler. A shoe cobbler is those that made peach cobbler. No, no, I’m joking about that. A cobbler just repaired shoes. And then shoemakers, they made shoes. And, boy, to call a shoemaker a… shoe cobbler would be like a slam on him, a disgrace, you know. They’re just the bottom of the totem pole. But a shoemaker, you know, you rose a little bit.

But anyway, these English officers were talking. He says, “Well, Doctor—the great Dr. Carey—at one time was just a shoemaker.” William Carey heard it, and he said, “Sirs, excuse me, to be honest with you, I was never a shoemaker; I was only a shoe cobbler, my friend.” You call that humbling yourselves?

He wasn’t about lifting himself up. He was just working at humbling himself. And the Bible there says, “But whoso humbleth himself.” What’s the rest of that? That part right there in that verse number 11. Let’s go back to it. Let’s finish it out. He said, “And he that humbleth himself,” what’s the next? What’s the last three words? “Shall be exalted.”

Right. There is again, “shall.” You can bank on it for Him. “Shall be exalted.” God oversees that. Let me ask you: Who would you like to exalt yourself? You or God?

What a promise. Kind of reminds me of Samuel going over to Jesse’s house, and he’s going to anoint one of those eight boys to be the king. And David’s out there watching the lowly job of watching the sheep. And yet he’s out there, and Samuel says, “We’re not going to eat. No fried chicken. No fried chicken until you get that boy in here,” you know. And they went out there and they found him. And God—he’s out there just working—and God said, “That’s the boy, I’m going to exalt him.” And God had him brought in and anointed king. God can exalt you. He’s very capable of that.

I thought of a story years and years ago. We had a man that was our song leader and our choir leader, and he was a good man, did a good job. But we had a man at the time that was in our choir, and he had much more experience, and he had led choirs, and his choirs had been on the radio and all these different things. But he never told him about it; he was just quiet about it. And the man that was our song leader and choir leader at the time was doing a good job, but maybe not quite the experience and talent and all those things. But the man in the choir that had much more never said a word, never said a word. Always followed, never a bad attitude, never tried to correct the choir leader, anything like that, just always so good about it.

And there came a time when the song leader and the choir leader—that man had stepped down—and I caught some wind from some other people that this man had a lot of experience. And I went to him and said, “Hey, brother, would you be willing to lead the choir and lead the songs in our service?” And he said, “I’d be honored.”

And I was always impressed all that time. He had all the talent, experience; he knew what he was doing, probably much better. But we never said a word. Just humbled himself and followed and obeyed. Never, never a bad spirit. Never, never complained. He didn’t lead anybody. He doesn’t know what in the world he’s doing. Never any of that. And boy, in the right time, God exalted him. And he was a song leader, our choir leader for several years until he moved away.

And I’m just saying, God can exalt you. You know, they say the large birds, they kind of crow. You never hear an eagle singing a beautiful song. It’s the small birds that play the pretty songs. And it’s the small Christians, if you will, that make beautiful music for God. Yeah. Just, God can exalt us.

I love this little quote. I’ve heard D. L. Moody use it. I don’t know where it originated from him or where. But I love this quote: “Faith gets the most. Love works the most, but humility keeps the most.” I like that. “Faith gets the most. Love works the most, but humility keeps the most.” But whosoever humbleth himself shall be exalted.

There’s a story, of course, years ago in the early days of America, and there was a squad—the story says a squad—of military men. And there was a timber that they were trying to move. And those men were there. They’re trying to get all on—they’re working on that and trying to move this timber, but it was heavy and big. And there was a corporal directing. He wasn’t doing a thing. He just kept saying, “Heave! Heave!” and just ordering them to heave, you know. And it was just a little bit more than they could handle.

And a man came up on a horse. And he stopped and he watched the situation. That corporal just demanding—I think if I remember right, the book had this lording, was lording over them and saying, “Heave! Heave!”—and they just couldn’t move it. And the man on the horse said, “Well, why won’t you help them?”

And the corporal said, “I’m a corporal.”

And so the man on the horse got off the horse and went over there and tried the best he could and tried to get in a good spot to help with the timber. And he said, “All right, let’s do it.” And all of them together, not the corporal, moved that timber. And then he got back on his horse. And he said, “Now, Corporal, next time you need some timber moved and you need a little help, just call me the Commander-in-Chief.” That was General George Washington. He got off the horse. Hey, it’s a principle in God’s word.

Let’s read it one more time, if you would. Then we’re going to turn one more passage and we’ll be done. But verse number 11 right there: “For whosoever”—it doesn’t matter who—“for whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Look over, if you will, in Philippians chapter number two. We’ll be done for the night. I know what you’re thinking: “Well, you’re not done, Pastor.” We’ll see now, you know. But we’re going there. We’re going there now, you know. Miracles do happen still in our day and time. Philippians 2. And isn’t it amazing how Jesus illustrates? He’s just a perfect example in every area. He really, really is.

Look at this, Philippians 2. Look in verse number three. Philippians 2, verse number 3. When you get there, would you say amen? Philippians 2, verse number 3, the Bible there says, “Let nothing be done through strife and vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

By the way, no one has ever humbled themselves as much as Jesus did because no one ever started off so high. Creator, His God Almighty, and He humbled Himself, became a man, and even humbled Himself, became obedient unto death. Wow, nobody’s ever humbled himself like Jesus. Nobody. It is not possible to humble because He started much higher than anyone has ever been.

Watch what God does. He makes sure that principle—“whoso humbleth himself shall be exalted”—He makes sure it’s followed out. Look at this. Verse number nine: “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Now, I said Jesus humbled Himself like nobody, and I’m going to make sure He’s exalted like nobody.

Would you bow your heads and close your eyes just briefly tonight? Would you spend some time asking the Lord, “Help me, Lord, to live my life so You exalt me. Help me to live my life, Lord, so You are the one that’s doing the exalting.” Would you spend some time to the Lord on that thought tonight? Would you stand? We’ll have word of prayer. You’ll be obedient as the Lord speaks to our hearts.

[Prayer omitted.]

Amen.

Original File: 2026-02-09 - Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂ Who is going to exalt you＂- Sunday PM 2⧸8⧸2026