The Secrets of Rising – from the Messiah | Jonathan Cahn Sermon

Summary

The sermon presents humility and self-giving as the Messiah’s “secret of rising”: in God’s kingdom, people are lifted up not by competing for status, but by choosing service, trusting God for recognition, and giving rather than taking.

Main Ideas

• Humility is chosen strength, not humiliation. The preacher distinguishes humility from being a doormat, acting out of fear, or being forced into a lesser role. A humble person can freely take a lower place because their worth does not depend on public status.
• Jesus’ wedding-feast parable teaches a deeper principle. In Luke 14, Jesus advises guests not to claim the place of honor, but to take a lower place and let the host invite them higher. The sermon interprets this as a spiritual principle: self-exaltation leads to being brought low, while humility opens the way to honor from God.
• The world and fallen human nature pursue rank. The preacher describes people competing to be first, wealthy, admired, or powerful. He compares this to status-seeking among animals and gives examples from politics, gossip, religious life, and history. In his account, pride repeatedly leads to downfall.
• The Messiah’s path reverses the usual idea of success. Satan is portrayed as seeking to ascend and being cast down, while Jesus—already exalted—chooses to descend, serve, and give his life. The sermon says salvation comes through the Messiah’s self-giving and calls believers to follow that pattern.
• Giving brings freedom from status anxiety. A life focused on what others owe us can produce resentment, jealousy, fear of loss, and self-pity. By contrast, the preacher says that living to bless and serve frees a person from depending on recognition or repayment. The believer’s identity and reward, he argues, rest with God.
• Humility is grounded in God, not self-contempt. The sermon says humility does not mean hating oneself or denying one’s strength. It means looking to God rather than constantly trying to raise oneself above others. Because God sees and knows a person, human approval is not essential.
• Greatness means service. Drawing on Jesus’ teaching that the greatest must become a servant, the preacher does not tell listeners to abandon ambition altogether. Instead, he urges them to redirect it: aspire to be greatest in love, generosity, righteousness, and service.

Practical Applications

• When overlooked, unrecognized, or treated unfairly, turn to gratitude rather than retaliation. The preacher recommends thanking God and trusting that hardship can contribute to spiritual growth. This does not mean approving of the mistreatment.
• When you receive little, be faithful with what you have. Avoid constant complaint and praise God even in limited circumstances.
• When offended, examine the ego. Rather than immediately seeking vindication, treat the moment as an opportunity to become less self-centered.
• When others mistreat you, respond from strength rather than fear. The sermon applies Jesus’ teachings by urging listeners to bless those who curse them, pray for enemies, and give rather than retaliate.
• Choose humble, unseen acts of service. Do what is right even when no one notices, avoid advertising your good deeds, and let God—not people—be the source of honor.
• Stop comparing worldly recognition with spiritual worth. The preacher encourages contentment with one’s identity in God and warns against pursuing temporary status at the expense of enduring spiritual value.
• Serve with joy. Service accompanied by resentment, he argues, can reveal a continuing desire for status; the goal is to serve gratefully and willingly.

The sermon closes by returning to the Messiah’s own descent—from heaven to rejection, crucifixion, and the tomb—and subsequent exaltation by God. It presents this as the pattern behind both salvation and the believer’s calling.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Jonathan Cahn — the principal preacher, as identified by the video title and channel context.
• The Bible — quoted or referenced passages include Luke 14, Matthew 23, Ephesians, Isaiah, Zechariah 9:9, and the book of Acts, along with teachings attributed to Jesus.
• Unidentified voice or voices in a brief dramatic interlude — the subtitles include a passage about Satan’s throne and a child leading the world into darkness; the speaker and source are not identifiable from the subtitles.