Humble yourselves
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1 Peter 5: 1 – 7
1 Peter 5: 1 – 7
Introduction: Samuel Morse
was born
into a preacher’s home ...
in New England ...
just two years...
after George Washington
was elected
as
the first president
of the United States.
and....
After finishing
his education at Yale,
he went to England
to hone
his painting skill.
And...
Upon his return...
to America …
he was recognized …
as…
a gifted artist …
and was soon
in much
demand.
but
Morse’s first wife died
while he was away
from home
painting …
in Washington, D.C.
And Unfortunately…
He did not receive the news
until it was too late.
So…
In his heartbreak …
he turned away
from painting .
and began trying to develop
a means
of rapid communication
over great distances.
This eventually led …
to his discovery…
of the telegraph.
Now…
Despite his fame
and the many honors
that came his way,
Morse
wasn’t proud
or boastful.
In fact
In a letter
to his second wife
he wrote, …
“The more I contemplate …
this great undertaking,
the more I feel
my own littleness, …
and the more I perceive
the hand of God …
in it, …
and how
He has assigned
to various persons …
their duties.
He being the great
Controller…
And…
all others
His honored instruments....
Hence…
Morse said
our dependence
first of all
on God,
then
on each other.”
My…
Was Samuel Morse
Ever…
a man…
Who
Was clothed…
in humility!
And with that in mind
Let’s read our text
For this morning
It is in 1 Peter
The 5th chapter
The Bible says
In 1 Peter 5:1–7 “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Let’s go
to the Lord
In a word of prayer
(Pray)
I. The folly of pride
Declaration
As
I prepared
For this morning
And thought about
The significance
Of the month of June.
I remembered…
That
for some
This month
Has
Been designated
As pride month.
So
I did
a little research
Into what has been called
Pride month.
And I discovered
That…
Pride month
is a global observance
dedicated
to celebrating the culture,
history,
and rights
of lesbian,
gay,
bisexual,
transgender,
and queer individuals.
It
is observed annually
in June,
and it commemorates
the 1969
Stonewall Uprising.
and serves
as both
a celebration of identity
and a continuous rally
for equal rights.
And
I was also reminded
In my studies.
That….
for those
Who celebrate pride month
They
Have a flag
That they fly.
The rainbow flag
But
Let me make
A couple of observations
If I may.
Regardless
Of whatever identity
You purport to have.
And that is a subject…
For another time.
But
Whatever identity
You purport to have.
Pride…
Is an abomination
In the sight of God!
The Bible says
In Proverbs 16:5 “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
Now
Do you
know
What that word means?
The word abomination?
It is something
That God utterly detests.
He finds it...
Morally repulsive…
And hates it.
Because
It
Opposes
His Divine Character.
Let me say that again.
God hates pride.
Because pride…
Opposes our Lord’s character.
So
Whatever your persuasion…
Whatever
Identity
You choose for yourself
Wrong or right…
And again
That is a subject
For another time.
But whatever identity
You may choose…
of …
Whatever Persuasion
You may be.
listen to me
God!
Hates!!
Pride!!!
He doesn’t hate people
No…
God loves people
In fact
(John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
and
(2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
So God loves people
But yet
God the Creator
God the Sovereign…
Hates pride.
It is an abomination…
to Him.
And
In our text
For this morning
In 1 Peter 5
We find an important truth.
Listen to it
In verses 6 – 7.
The apostle Peter wrote
(1 Peter 5:5–6 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
See
God not only
Hates pride
But at the same time too.
He resists…
The proud.
Which means simply
He stands…
In opposition to them.
And
It doesn’t matter
Who they are.
It doesn’t matter
What walk of life
they may have.
What identity
They’ve chosen for themselves…
What persuasion
They may be.
God
Resists
The proud!
And therefore
Pride…
Is a thing of folly.
That is
It is foolish behavior
It is a foolish action
Or idea.
Discussion
So
Let’s talk
For a few minutes
About the folly of pride.
And first of all
The Bible teaches
That pride
Brings about Shame.
And by pride
I mean
a feeling
of deep pleasure
or satisfaction
derived
from one's own achievements,
qualities,
or associations.
That is…
The dictionary definition
Of pride.
And
The Bible definition
Of pride…
Is that …
of a a heart attitude …
of self-sufficiency,
arrogance,
and even rebellion…
that elevates oneself
above
others …
and even God.
it is characterized
by an excessive focus
on oneself .
and an attitude
that ultimately opposes
God's will.
So
Let’s talk
For a few minutes
About the folly of pride.
And first of all
The Bible teaches
That pride
Brings about Shame.
The Bible says
In Proverbs 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.”
Now
Think about that
For just a moment.
Solomon was saying
That When pride…
Comes upon you.
When you embrace pride…
When you allow yourself
To become prideful.
That
Is when Shame
Likewise
Comes upon you.
Now
Did you know
What the word shame
Means here?
It means disgraceful.
Solomon
Was saying simply
That
No matter who you are.
When you become Prideful
Arrogant
Haughty.
Solomon said…
You!!!
are disgraceful .
Because
pride makes people
overconfident,
self-reliant,
and unwilling
to accept correction,
and it ultimately results
in public embarrassment,
failure,
or dishonor.
What
A foolish thing
It is
For a person
Or for people
To become prideful.
It is a thing
That invites shame
To one’s life.
And
Not only that
But according to the Bible
Pride
In one’s heart
Does not go unpunished.
Again
Solomon wrote
In chapter 16:5
Of the book of Proverbs
(Proverbs 16:5 “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
In other words…
Those
Who are prideful
God knows…
How to abase them!
They shall not go unpunished.
Because again
Pride
Is an abomination
To the Lord.
It is detestable
In His sight.
In fact
I reminded
Of King Herod Agrippa
in Acts 12:21-23
Turn there please
Real quickly.
And read with me
These 3 verses.
The Bible says
in Acts 12:21–23 “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
My
How the Lord punished him
For the pride
Of his heart....
When the people of Tyre
and Sidon
hailed him
as a god
because of his eloquent speech.…
and
Because of his magnificent robes
But when they did…
he accepted the praise
without giving glory
to God.
So
He was immediately struck down …
by an angel ...
and died shortly after.
But see
Pride invites shame
Into one’s life.
That is…
dishonor.
And Pride…
Will not go unpunished…
The Bible says.
Then
Number 3
Pride
Will bring you low.
Solomon said
In Proverbs 29:23 “A man’s pride shall bring him low: But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”
In other words
arrogance,
self-importance,
and
an inflated sense
of superiority
will inevitably
lead to a person's downfall,
humiliation,
and loss of respect.
Just ask Hamon
In the book of Esther.
At
One time
He had the respect…
Of the king of Persia.
But because of his arrogance
And pride in his heart.
God
Brought him down low.
He lost all of the respect
That he had…
And was hanged
on the gallows!
Oh Listen
Pride
Will bring shame
Into your life.
It won’t go unpunished.
And because
it is an abomination…
It will bring you low…
As an individual…
Or even as a church.
Likewise
Pride comes about
As a result
Of self-deception.
The Bible says
In Galatians 6:3 “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
By the way.
Without God
We are nothing!
And by that
Is meant
Nothing to Bragg about.
We as people
No matter who we are
No matter
How educated
We may be
No matter
How
Wealthy
Or successful
We may be…
In the eyes of people.
We have nothing…
To brag about.…
In and of ourselves.
Because
Even though
we have
Fame or fortune
Even though we
possess
incredible minds
Or talents
Well…
Listen please
All
Of those things
Were given to us
By the gracious hand
Of the Almighty God.
So we have nothing
To brag about
Or boast about.
And therefore
(Galatians 6:3 “ if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
In
Other words
If you think
you are self-made
When in reality
You were God made
Then you’re kidding yourself.
You are…
Deceiving…
Your Self.
You are lying…
To yourself!
Deliberation
Then
Pride is evil
And therefore
It should be hated…
Particularly…
By the believer.
Solomon wrote
In Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the froward mouth, do I hate.”
Now
Think about that.
Having reverence for God.
Recognizing
The greatness
And the Sovereignty of God.
Recognizing
How great He is…
In comparison…
To
How insignificant…
We are.
But Reverencing God…
Will cause you
To hate evil…
and in the list
That we read here.
Of things
that are evil…
Pride…
Is at the top!
Pride
Is evil
And therefore
it should be hated
By every believer.
Not embraced
Not celebrated
Not given credence to.
But…
Hated!
Because God hates it!
And
Not only that
But according to the Bible
Pride
Is not of the Father.
The apostle John wrote
In 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
I’m
Just trying to get you
To recognize
The folly of pride.
It’s not a good thing.
Because
According to the Scriptures
It is accompanied by shame.
It will not
Go unpunished.
It
Will bring a man
Or a woman
For that matter
Down low.
It comes from self-deception.
It is evil.
And should be hated.
And it is of the world…
And not of God.
Delegation
And
By way of example
of those
Who embraced pride
In their life
And to see the results
Of their pride…
I want you to Consider
Nebuchadnezzar
For a few minutes.
Nebuchadnezzar…
And you can turn
To Daniel 4…
But Nebuchadnezzar
Was the king of Babylon
Who defeated Judah
And destroyed Jerusalem…
Through the might
Of his kingdom.
and
In Daniel 4
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed
of an enormous,
flourishing tree
that provides shelter
and food
for the world.
But in the dream
A
divine messenger
suddenly commands the tree
to be chopped down,
leaving only the stump,
and declares
that
its mind will be changed
from that
of a human
to that
of a beast…
for "seven times"
And
When Nebuchadnezzar
Brought the prophet Daniel in…
To interpret the dream.
Because
none of the king’s magicians
Could.…
so he turns to Daniel.
so …
Daniel
courageously reveals
that
the tree represents …
the king himself.
and He warns Nebuchadnezzar
that
he will lose his kingdom …
and experience …
temporary insanity …
until
he acknowledges
that God alone
rules the kingdoms of men.
so
Daniel urges the king
to repent
Of his pride
and show mercy
to the oppressed
to potentially
avoid this fate.
But then…
12 months later
According to verse 29
The Bible says
With regards to Nebuchadnezzar
“ he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. “
And in verse 30
It says
Daniel 4:30 “The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”
Now
Did you hear that?
He had deceived himself…
Into thinking…
That the city of Babylon
is great
As it was
He thought…
Because of the Might
Of his own power.
as
Well
As for the honor
Of his…
Majesty.
In other words
Nebuchadnezzar
Was filled with pride
About himself.
Oh but
Don’t you dare miss
The next verse.
The Bible goes on to say
In verses 31 – 33
(Daniel 4:31–33 “While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”
In other words
Pride
Will not go unpunished.
It will bring shame
Upon you.
It will bring you
Very low.
Just ask Nebuchadnezzar!
There is
Another example of pride
That we can look to…
In the life…
Of King Uzziah.
Now
In the Bible…
King Uzziah
Was
a
highly successful
and prosperous king,
In the land of Judah.
But in time
Uzziah
grew arrogant
as his power increased. …
Which is a very common thing
That takes place often
With highly successful people.
And
According
to 2 Chronicles 26
Verses 16 – 21…
In a direct violation …
of God's law, …
he walked into the temple …
to burn incense, …
a duty
By the way
reserved strictly
for priests.
But because his heart
Had become lifted up in pride.
He walked into the temple
To burn incense.
But
. As a consequence
of his presumption,
As
A consequence
Of his pride.
he was struck with leprosy
for the rest of his life.
The Bible says
In verse 19 there
That
“ the leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, from beside the incense altar.”
And
The point is
God
Detests pride.
It is an abomination
to Him.
I will not go unpunished.
It will bring you
Very low.
Therefore
It is not a thing
To be celebrated!
There is another example
In our Bible
About a godly man
Who became Prideful.
His name…
Was Hezekiah.
Now
Hezekiah
Was the 13th king
Of the nation of Judah.
And Hezekiah
Was a godly man.
He is a man
Who was Revered
as one
of
Judah's
most faithful rulers.
In fact
he centralized worship
Of Jehovah God
in Jerusalem …
and restored the Passover.
And
When
the Assyrian king Sennacherib
besieged Jerusalem
in 701 BC, …
Hezekiah prayed
for deliverance.
And when he did…
God dispatched…
an angel.
Who...
decimated ...
the Assyrian army,
saving the city.
I’m just trying
to get you
To see...
that Hezekiah
Was a godly man.
But
That being said ...
In his later years,
The Bible says
His heart was lifted up.
In fact
The Bible says
And 2 Chronicles 32:25–26 “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”
See........
Hezekiah...
pridefully...
showed all his royal treasures ...
to those Babylonian envoys.
And therefore
The prophet Isaiah
rebuked him ...
for his pride ....
It says
In Isaiah 39:5–7 “Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”
But
Here’s my point.
God
Hates pride.
It is abomination
To the Lord.
It is not a thing...
To be celebrated.
Because
According
To our text...
Back in 1 Peter 5:5–6 “ God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
Oh
What a thing of folly..
Pride is!
II. The favor of humility
Declaration
But
What a thing of favor
Humility is!
“God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble”
by the way....
The word humility...
From a Biblical standpoint
Here in 1 Peter 5,
that is....
Biblical humility ...
is defined ..
as
the voluntary,
willful submission ...
to God...
and His authority...
and His position
As the only great One.
and It is…
the active serving …
of others.
It is
the Honest Recognition
Of who we truly are
in Comparison
To who God…
Truly is.
It is understanding that…
We are but clay…
Yet God…
Is the Creator.
It is realizing that
We
Are but dust
Yet God…
Is divine.
He is All Powerful…
Yet we
By comparison
Are awfully pitiful.
And
Because we recognize that
We therefore
Are humble…
Before God…
And before others.
And therefore
“God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble”
So
Let’s look
For just a few minutes
At just how favorable…
Humility is…
From a Biblical standpoint.
Number 1
God gives grace
To the humble.
The Lord
Extends
Unmerited favor
to Those
Who are humble.
And by the way
In the Bible
Grace is manifested
In a number of ways.
There is
Obviously
Saving grace
(Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
and
Not only that
But there is sanctifying grace.
There is sustaining grace
There is sacrificing grace.
But
God gives grace
To the humble.
And let me ask you…
How many of you
Is in need of grace?
All of us!
Every Preacher
Every parishioner
In fact
Every person
Who has Ever lived…
Is currently living…
or ever shall live.
Listen please
Everyone
Is In need
of Grace!
But
Grace is extended
To the humble.
Number 2
The Lord Jesus Christ
Said
In Luke 14:11 “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
That word
Exalted
Means simply
To be honored
Lifted up
Elevated
In status.
And in sharp contrast
To a prideful man
Named Haman…
In the book of Esther.
Mordechai…
Was humble…
And was lifted up by God.
And
to See that....
Turn…
To the book of Esther
If you would please
Esther 2
And read with me
Versus 21 – 23
The Bible says
in Esther 2:21–23 “In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai’s name. And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.”
But
As you read that passage
You realize
That after Mordecai
discovered that plot
to assassinate the king
And after he brought it
To light.
he never demanded recognition
or a reward...
For his actions.
for
his lifesaving deed
In fact…
It was only years later
that the king
happened to read the historical records
and honored him for it.
And the point is
Mordechai
In humility…
Did not
Demand recognition
Yet
God exalted him
God honored him…
For the humility
Of his heart.
As a matter of fact
In Esther 6
a while after
Mordechai
Uncovered the plot
to
assassinate the king
The Bible tells us
Versus 1 – 3
Esther 6:1–3 “On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him.”
But it goes on to say
In verse 11
That Mordechai
Was Eventually…
At the commandment of the king
Brought
“on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour”
See
God gives grace
To the humble.
And God exalts
Or honors a man
A woman
Or a young person
Who is humble.
Discussion
Then
Number 3
God extends riches
Honor
And life
To those
who are humble.
In fact…
It says
in Proverbs 22:4 “By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, and honour, and life.”
Now
That phrase
Means essentially
That provision…
That is riches.
And one’s reputation (Honor)
And once own reality
Is blessed
Because of the humility
Of their hearts.
So
Let me ask you.
How Many of you
are in need
Of provision?
I daresay
all of us
Is in need
of provision.
And
How many of you
Are in need
Of Having There reputation
Protected?
I would say
All of us
Is in need of that.
We need God
To intervene
On our behalf.
But
God gives grace
To the humble
God exalts
Those
Who are humble
And the Lord our God
Extends provision
To all those
Who Walk in humility.
There is
Another blessing
We can garner
By our humility.
We can gain
Wisdom from God.
Solomon wrote
In Proverbs 11:2 “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.”
And
Let me to share
One more blessing
That can come to us
From humility.
God promises
To lift us up
The Bible says
In James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
Now
Do you know
What that means?
The phrase
He shall lift you up?
It means
God raises believers
out of spiritual weariness,
granting them peace,
grace,
and
a closer,
more intimate relationship
with Him.
Oh what a blessing
It is
To walk humbly
With our God.
He
Extends grace
To all of us
Which we are in need of.
He exalts us.
Gives us provision.
Provides us with wisdom.
And lifts us up!
Deliberation
Now
I should point out
That humility…
Runs contrary…
To human nature.
And therefore
It takes some work.
In fact
The Bible tells us
In
Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”
Now think about that.
For most of us
It doesn’t come Naturally
To esteem others…
As better than ourselves.
Most of us
Think quite the opposite.
We
Tend to think
My ideas are better.
My philosophy
Is better.
My way!
Is better.
But God said
Let every one of us
Esteem
Others
To be better
Than ourselves.
That’s humility!
And because it doesn’t come naturally…
It has to be done on purpose.
Let!!
Paul said
That is an act of the will
Notice also
Back
In our original text
Peter said
1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
There again
As an act of the will
He was saying
That you should intentionally
Humble yourselves.
Intentionally
Esteem others
Better than yourself.
And by the way
Don’t miss
The part
About the mighty hand of God.
Humble yourselves under
The mighty hand of God.
That
Should make it quite easy.
Shouldn’t it?
Likewise
Paul wrote
In Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
Now
Did you hear that?
Among other things
He said
Intentionally
Put on
Humbleness of mind
By the way…
That phrase
Put on means …
to dress oneself,
to put on clothes,
or
to envelop oneself.
Paul
uses this
as a metaphor,
meaning that Christians
should intentionally
clothe their lives
in specific virtues
like humility.
But again…
It is an intentional act.
For
Example
This morning
Before Coming down the stairs
I intentionally
Put on my jacket
I intentionally
Put on my tie.
I intentionally
Enveloped myself
In my clothes.
And
In like manner
God wants me
To intentionally
Clothe myself
In humility.
To be enveloped
In humbleness of mind.
But it takes commitment.
It takes
Conscious effort.
And
By way of example
John the Baptist
Intentionally
Clothed himself
In humility.
In fact
Keep your place
In 1 Peter
And turn
To
The Gospel of John
The third chapter
John 3
And let’s begin reading
In verse 22
The Bible says
In John 3:22–30 “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison. Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Now
I want you
To think about
What was taking place here.
After His famous nighttime
conversation with Nicodemus,
Jesus
and His disciples
relocated
to the Judean countryside
to baptize followers.
and
At the same time,
John the Baptist
was baptizing nearby …
to Aenon,
near Salim, …
because there was plenty of water.
But it appears
That
John’s followers
became jealous
and distressed
when they noticed
that crowds
were leaving John
to follow
and be baptized
by Jesus.
so…
They
brought this concern
to John,
expecting him
to defend his ministry
and his followers' prestige.
Oh but
John told
his followers…
Regarding
The Lord Jesus…
He must increase.
But I…
Must decrease!
He must be
Exalted
But I
Must be abased
He
Must be given
The preeminence
And yet I
Must accept
The position
Of lowliness.
John intentionally humbled himself
Before his Savior.
And
Listen please
That’s what all of us
Needs to do.
And it Doesn't come natural...
That’s true
Yet
We need to humble ourselves
Under the mighty hand
Of our mighty God.
What I’m saying is
That…
For
The believer
There’s no place
For pride.
There should be no celebration
Of pride.
Not this month
Or any other month.
Whether
It is pride
In my accomplishments
Pride
In my abilities
Pride
In my possessions
Pride
In myself
And certainly…
There is no place for pride
In sin.
Oh listen
God
Resists the proud
Read our text again
Back in 1 Peter
Peter said
(1 Peter 5:5–6 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
Now…
Did you see that?
Be clothed
With humility
That
When you leave your home
Envelop yourself
With humility.
When you interact
With your spouse
Be clothed
In humility.
When you walk into the church
Surround yourself
Be enveloped
In humility.
When
You are about to minister
In some way
In your church
Be clothed
In humility.
When you have to have a confrontation
With someone
be clothed
In humility.
And
By the way
That is not a one
And done deal
No…
We ought to make it
The pattern
Of our life
(1 Peter 5:5–6 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”
Determination
So
Be wrapped up in
Enveloped
Surrounded by
Clothed
With humility.
And here’s why...
God resisteth
The proud.
That is
He stands in opposition
To the Proud.
oh but..
He Gives grace
To the humble.
So
Do you want to be exalted?
Lifted up?
Honored?
Well
Listen carefully
The way up
Is down.
Let me say that again.
Do you want to be honored
Lifted up?
Then…
The way up
Is down!
III. The Father’s Invitation
Declaration
Now
As we bring this sermon
To a close
This morning.
Allow me to share
Some characteristics
Of humility.
And first of all
Humility
Is
Characterized
By radical dependence
On God.
That
Instead of relying
on self-sufficiency...
well..a humble person
acknowledges their limits
and casts their anxieties
onto God,
trusting Him
to provide.
Are you
Able to do that?
To rely on God
Instead of yourself?
Likewise
Humility is characterized
By a contrite heart
Which reminds me
Of something David said
In Psalms 51
Now
In that Psalm
David was asking God
For forgiveness
Of his sins.
And for restoration
To fellowship
With the Lord.
And in verse 17
He said
(Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
the
word contrite
Carries the idea
Of crouching down.
It is a position
Of lowliness.
But let me ask you…
When is the last time
You came before God
Crouched down
On your knees?
Or even
On your face
Before a holy God?
That’s what God tells us
To do…
The Bible says
In Psalm 95:6 “O come, let us worship and bow down: Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”
See
That’s humility
in
Daniel 6:10
Daniel famously continued
his regular discipline
of approaching God
on his knees
three times
a day,
not to impress anyone
But to humble himself
Under the mighty hand of God.
And
Even
at the dedication of the temple,
King Solomon
concluded his lengthy prayer
"kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven."
Oh listen please
Humility is characterized
By radical dependence
On God.
It is characterized
by a contrite heart.
Approaching God
with
a "broken
and contrite heart"
That lays pride down,
That sets aside
self-righteousness,
and the desire
to control one's own destiny.
And
At the same time too
Humility is characterized
By willing obedience.
see
True humility translates
into a desire
to seek His ways
and obey
His commands.
And
There’s one more Characteristic
Of humility
That I want you to see.
Humility is characterized
By gentleness
With others.
see ...
When a person is rightly positioned…
That is…Humble
before God,
it
overflows
into their relationships.
where
They value others
above themselves .
and refrain from arrogance
and judging.
So Christian
Let’s take a test
Are you radically dependent
On God?
Or on yourself?
Do you approach your Lord
In contriteness of heart?
And do you ever approach Him
On bended knee?
Are you
Willingly obedient
And submissive
To the will of God?
What ever that might be?
And are you gentle
With others?
Or are you more
Like a bull
In a china cabinet
With people?
Determination
You might need
To come to the altar
To make some course corrections
This morning
And if nothing else
I want to invite you
I want to invite…
All of us
To do like Solomon
After the completion
Of the temple
He
Was praying
And praising God
For all these things.
And on bended the knee
He came before the Lord.
So…
Would you do that this morning?
oh Listen
The way up
Is down.
And we need to get up...
Desperately!
Maybe
You’re not a Christian
But let me ask you
Wouldn’t you like
To have All of your sins forgiven
And to be given a home
In heaven?
Well
You can have those things
If you will come to Jesus
And
If you’re not sure how
Would you walk down this aisle
And let us show you how?
If you’re listening from home
Would you call us
And let us help you
Come to Jesus?
Conclusion: Let’s close in prayer
