Exercise Humility with One Another

The 1958 movie “A Night to Remember” was a dramatization of Walter Lord’s book Titanic.

In the movie again I say dramatized for audience consumption….Captain Edward John Smith sees the icy waters of the Atlantic rushing over the surface of the bow of the ship. He picks up a megaphone and yells—abandon ship…every man for himself {EMFS}.

The movie then cuts to scenes of mass panic where every man woman and children are doing just that panicking…a child is crying for his mother…men pushing others out of the way…individuals jumping overboard.

In actuality, Captain Smith most likely said those words not on a bullhorn to the masses but to a small portion of his crew after they had done all that they could do.

So let’s give Captain Smith the benefit of the doubt.

However, in times of great distress it is the most natural thing for us to do to try to save self…. …every man for himself….

We don’t need horrible incidents like the sinking of the Titanic to see this…

Let’s look a little closer to home

• When you hear a crash at home in the living room where the children are playing and mom or dad comes in to see…and each child’s natural response is…I didn’t do it…and points the finger {EMFS}
• When something goes wrong at work—every man for himself justifying what he did and pointing his finger at the other employees
• When the marriage starts crumbling, neither spouse is enjoying this relationship any more… “if my spouse would only change” {EMFS}….
• When the church is not growing…every man for himself…lets go find one that is growing and as we leave…let blame the pastor, the music, the younger generation, the older generation…

You know —the most inspirational movies and stories are not when every man is for himself…

The modern remake of Titanic gave us a glimpse of every man not for himself…Jack Dawson, a lower class youth who stowed away on the Titanic gave his life for the upper class Rose Calvert. Jack Dawson lost his life to save another….

The movie was one of the highest grossing films of history…

What inpsires is not every man for himself…but in times of pressure every man for another….

• Captain Miller leading the 2^nd Ranger Platoon to Save Private Ryan in Normandy France
• Desmond Doss risking his own life relentlessly retrieving wounded soldiers on Hacksaw ridge.
• Harry Potter laying down his life in front of Voldemort.
• Frodo laying down his life for middle earth

Our culture is filled with inspirational examples of clothing yourself with humility toward one another….thinking of another not self

And this church is filled with examples of the opposite of every man for himself…

Better together…

Today we are continuing our summer series Building One Another

This is a study of the places in scripture that refer to how a community of God’s people is to function with “one-another.”

This summer series is part of our yearly theme

Being Careful How We Build…Scripture teaches us that for Christians, our lives and eternal existence are based on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross…1 Corinthians 3:11 - For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

And Paul also affirms…1 Corinthians 3:10 - But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

Today we are discussing

Exercise Humility with One Another

Turn with me to I Peter 5:1 which is on page 182 in the back section of the Bible in the chair in front of you.

The Apostle Peter is writing to a group of believers—communities of believers, local churches, about how to handle coming storms that have appeared on the horizon.

The communities are already beginning to experience the initial winds and rains of that storm.

The growing Christian movement was perplexing to the Roman society and misunderstood.

The Romans began to blame Christians for societal ills and

Around 64 AD Empereror Nero began persecuting Christians..

Peter understood that the coming persecution could result in Christians loosing wealth, possessions and even life. Under the threat of that some in the body of Christ might be tempted to resort to “Every man for himself” instead of “Every man for another.”

In chapter 5, Peter concludes his exhortations to believers……

Please follow along with me as I read..

1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, (notice the shout out to the suffering) and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, (Notice that Peter is reminding the pastors that there is glory to come even though now there is suffering)

2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. (when life gets hard in shepherding the temptation is “every man for himself)

4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. [notice the future emphasis]

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; [Not every man for himself] and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another (there is our catch phrase for the summer), for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, (notice the connection..what happens in times of pressure…we start worrying)

7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

In 1 Peter 5, God gives us 4 truths to help us develop humility toward one another in order to persevere in faith during times of trouble.

In times of trouble…

I. Recognize that the character of our natural responses is Satanic

This passage may seem to be strategic shout outs at isolated and distinct issues—

Elders—tempted to lord it over the flock during suffering

Young men—tempted to run away

Pride

Anxiety

The Devil

However, there is probably more interconnection in Peter’s mind among these issues than ours…

When Peter says in verse 5… I Peter 5:5 God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble….and then 5:8 …Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

…Is peter changing subjects?

…Did he loose his train of thought…

…Is he suffering from social media imposed ADHD?

If Peter is afflicted in this way, then his buddy James is also…Notice James connects the exact same concepts…

James 4:6–7 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”7Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Maybe James and Peter are both suffering from ADD and can’t keep their focus…

But if they are then their friend Paul is too…notice the connection between pride and the devil in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy.

1 Tim 3:6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.

Can we conclude then that neither Paul, nor James, nor Peter in our passage is struggling with ADHD—skirting around from topic to topic.

But let us recognize that these concepts are interrelated…

But how?

Perhaps this old quote from Puritan writer William Gurnall might help us. In his book “The Christian in Complete Armor”—which you can download for free in a pdf form because the copywrite has expired—says…

“O, if men have an apparition of the devil, or hear a noise in the night, they cry, ‘The devil! the devil!’ and are ready to run out of their wits for fear; [Now let me pause a minute and say, Some Christian traditions have an inordinate fear of Satan—seeing a demon behind every rock and casting demons out of everyone…But on the other hand, some Christian traditions are do not speak or talk about him and therefore are not sobered by his characteristics in us. Gurnall goes on to say….while some cry in fear the devil the devil….but do not recognize] they carry him in their hearts, and walk all the day long in his company, and fear him not. When thy proud heart is clambering up to the pinnacle of honour in thy ambitious thoughts, who sets thee there but the devil? When thy adulterous heart is big with all manner of uncleanness and filthiness, who but Satan hath been there, begetting these brats on thy whorish spirit? When thou art raging in thy passion, throwing burning coals of wrath and fury about with thy inflamed tongue, where was it set on fire, but of hell?—William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor

“With thy inflamed tongue….you got to love the old writers…”

On a side note as I was studying, this week, I observed that the same Greek word use for the devil, which is diabolos is the exact same word used for malicious slander and gossip..

Embedded in the very word is the connection between our sin and the devil

Every time you are slandering/gossiping/grumbling about someone else, do you know what you are doing….deviling…

Here is the point, in our natural responses to one another without Christ, every man for himself, we are following in the footsteps of Satan…and further more…the devil uses your pride to consume you…

You see don’t you, the humble can not be devilish…The devil can not play devilish music on the humble heart…The devil has no hold on the humble—look at Christ….

The devil found no foothold on our humble Savior though He tried….

In times of trial…pressure…hardness

• Recognize that the every man for himself….is deviling…

• That exaltation/pride you are feeling over another person is deviling
• That tearing down of the spouse…is deviling.
• Kids that grumbling against parents is deviling…
• Employees…that bitterness against the boss…is deviling
• Men…that constant verbal jab at your wife…is nothing other than deviling….

Secondly,

II. Understand how the two manifestations of our natural responses are anti-grace

In our passage today Peter mentions two manifestations of our natural responses in times of trial

1) Pride and 2) anxiety

Peter says….

• “God is opposed to the Proud” and 2) casting all your anxiety upon him

It is natural in times of trial and pressure, to revert inward to self-concerns….every man for himself…

A. Pride is a natural response in times of pressure

You may ask what is the definition of pride…and Scripture looks at it in many ways and theologians have offered many definitions…

C. S. Lewis says,

“Well, now, we have come to the center. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride. Unchastity, anger, grief, drunkenness and all that are mere flea bites in comparison. It was through pride that the devil became the devil. Pride leads to every vice. It is a complete anti-God state of mind.” –C. S. Lewis, Mere Chrisitanity

Stuart Scott says…

“What’s the definition of pride? If we could sum it up, it’s the mindset of self, the pursuit of self-exaltation, a desire to control all things for self….Pride can be labeled as ‘practical atheism’”—Stuart Scott, Pride and Humility

Sounds a lot like “every man for himself” doesn’t it…

Now, let me help define pride by relating it to its opposite…

What is the greatest commandment in Scripture (Love God)

What is the second commandment like it..in Scripture (Love others)

Pride is the exact opposite of Love God/Love others…where I think the world revolves around me and I believe all things including people exist to serve me….

Therefor, this is why

C.S. Lewis….said Pride is a complete anti-God state of mind

And Stuart Scott—“Practical atheism”

If you want to study pride more I would encourage you to pick up Stuart Scott’s pamphlet on “Pride and Humility”

Now, after Peter mentions Pride he mentions another natural response in times of pressure

Anxiety…

In times of trial/pressure/hardship we worry.

B. Anxiety, a “child” of pride, is also natural response in times of pressure

Now for a moment…I want you to ask yourself, did Peter switch subjects again…Pride, devil and now worry?

Remember C.S. Lewis’s observation about Pride leading to every vice?

Can worry also be a manifestation of our pride…every man for himself…?

When I worry… what am I consumed with? Or should I say, “whom am I concerned about”…

What will happen to me?

What will happen to my money?

What will happen to my family?

What will happen to my job?

What will happen to my earthly pleasures and treasures and securities…

What will happen to the relationships I cherish…

Sounds a lot like….every man for himself the mind is consumed with self and what will happen to me

If worry is related to pride then worry should also share a similar characteristic of pride—being anti-god [FATHER/SON]

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this about worry…

Matthew 6:31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If pride is a complete anti-God state of mind, then worry its child, is for those functioning as spiritual orphans as if they do not have a Heavenly Father.

…Pride and anxiety are “anti-grace”

C. Pride is “anti-grace”—the grace of God does not come to the proud

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble

D. Worry is ALSO “anti-grace”—The anxious person refuses to believe in the caring goodness of God

And casting all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you…

If I am holding on to my worries…all of the fear of loss of securities of life…you believe that God is not concerned for you and your situation…

-Tim Keller says that in worry we fear everything but God and worry is always a stab at the integrity of God.

Let’s take an extended look at how pride is anti-grace…Tim Keller helped me in the following illustration….as I listened to one of his sermons on this….

The clearest way to see the anti-grace nature of is to look at the greatest picture of grace…the good news of Jesus Christ in the Gospel.

Let me define the Gospel here for us from the outset…

God’s grace in the gospel is that God has provided a way for you to be reconciled to your creator through Jesus Christ. This is a God’s gift to you in His grace

So, how do you receive grace…?

In humility you renounce your efforts in saving yourself through good works, theological knowledge, self-efforts to love God, or penance and accept Jesus Christ alone…. Jesus took the penalty that I deserved. Jesus bore the shame of my nakedness so that I can be clothed in His righteousness. Jesus took the courtroom trial for me (Stefan’s message last week) so that I could be released from court; He was separated from His Father so that I could be reunited with the Father.

…the moment you renounce your self-efforts to save self… every man for himself…and believe in Christ…God treats you as having Christ’s righteousness—which means you can be with God upon your death….and you receive grace…

Now, there are typically two responses in rejecting the Gospel…

• I am good and don’t need it…I don’t need grace…I am doing just fine. Some have said… “God is not that mad and I’m not that bad”…in this case…Grace is rejected because Grace is not perceived to be needed….I am sufficient in myself. I will save myself…
• Secondly, some may recognize they are bad….they say…Well I am bad, but my sins are greater than God’s grace. God can not forgive me and I can not forgive myself…I will have to make up for it myself…in this case…God’s Grace is not sufficient, it is rejected in hopes that I will make up for my sins…

Do you see?

Do you see?

On one hand… the self-righteous and on the other….those who may be in self-pity…both manifest pride—every man for himself—and in so doing reject the grace of God…

God opposes the proud…but gives grace to the humble….The humble who renounce their ways of saving themselves…

Now you say, Brent I understand all of that with the Gospel but in everyday life…I don’t see that happening in the way I interact with others….I’m not saving my self by my own efforts…its not every man for himself is it?

Let me illustrate that also…

• What are you doing when you launch into self-defense and self-justification in the argument with your spouse last week?
  • Is that your way of “saving yourself?” –every man for himself
• What are you doing when you retaliate against one another—saving yourself—every man for his own vengeance
• What are you doing when you worry about the loss of earthly pleasures and treasures—trying to cling to these items about which you are worrying—your way of saving yourself….
• Do you know what enslavement to sinfulanger, anxiety, despair, depression really is…. “failed or perceived failed efforts to save self”

The Bibles says…GOD DOES NOT GIVE GRACE TO THOSE WHO ARE SAVING THEMSELVES WHETHER IN SALVATION OR IN SANCTIFICATION….

What is the solution….

The third truth to help us persevere in times of pressure/hardness…

III. Adopt humility as the correction to our natural responses.

A. Clothing ourselves with humility

“…and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.”

In the type of imagery that we have been developing…then humility would be defined as

Humility: “Stop trying to save yourself, rely on God’s salvation, and start turning your attention to loving (and hence ‘saving’) others.”

What Power exists that changes us from everyman for self to every man for another?

For if our natural state is pride/anxiety and every man across the world is infected that way…what can change us to the inspirational type stories?

The only power of transformation is The Gospel and that is what Peter shared earlier in his book.

1 Peter 2:21–24 since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

Did you see what Christ did…?

Not every man for himself…He was not saving himself…but trusted God…with His security…and God would exalt him at the proper time….and because of Christ’s humility you were saved….His inspirational every man for another—love is what drew you to him…

Now…do you remember what everybody at the cross was saying to Jesus as he was dying…Save yourself…

Luke 23:35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”. . . 39One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

If Jesus has saved his life at that point…what would have happened to all of us????

Do you see the irony of all of this…Jesus save yourself and us also!!!!!

But if he had saved his life to demonstrate that he was God, and they believed he was God, they would still be damned…and could not be saved…because there could be no atoning for their sins!!!

In not functioning as everyman for Himself…he provided the means of salvation for everyone…

Saving self results ultimately in the you not being saved and those around you not being saved either

In Loosing your life you actually gain it and may save others….

The least shall be the greatest

The last shall be the first

The humble will be exalted….

Humility: “Stop trying to save yourself, rely on God’s salvation, and start turning your attention to loving (and hence ‘saving’) others.”

How are you trying to heal the chaos in your relationship?

Saving yourself…..or loosing your life on behalf of

…your spouse

….your children?

…your peers/boss

…you community

Also the Gospel is the only power to help you overcome worry…

B. Casting our anxieties on God

“…casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

If you are doubting God’s care for you all you have to do is look at the Gospel…

When the storms of this life come and you may loose earthly securities or even life…God has already shown his greatest care for you in establishing your greatest security—A home with Him..

If worry is doubting the goodness of God then let that be forever settled with God’s love for you in Christ….

Finally, …

IV. Remember the blessing for humility is God’s eternal security/salvation in contrast to your insufficient attempt to save yourself and the insecure earthly pleasures and treasures.

Throughout 1 Peter, Peter reminds us of the salvation and security to come as opposed to our attempts to save ourselves and our earthly securities…

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

1 Peter 3:8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.

5:1 I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

5:6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

5:10After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

The irony of Pride and anxiety is that we are gaining our security and salvation now but those earthly securities do not deliver for eternity

• In pride, I always have to be more righteous but there is always someone else more righteous and compared to God’s standards it is not enough…
• In pride, I always have to be more wealthy but wealth evaporates
• In pride, I always have to be more popular to make a name for myself but the praise of man last for 15 seconds
• In Pride, I always have to strive for health but health is fleeting…

Humility on the other hand does not concern itself with present security (grabbing more of it than others) or worrying about it….

Humility trusts God that

• In Christ I will have His righteousness so my standing with God is secure—I don’t have to be better than you now…I can just love you instead of attempting to be better than you…
• And in Christ I will have a resurrected body that lasts forever…I don’t have to despair about the diagnoses…I can use the terminal diagnoses to point you to my hope and hopefully save you…
• And in Christ I will have glories and delights above earthly pleasures and treasures so I can be generous with my time and earthly treasures to help you….
• And in Christ, God will give me a lasting name…so that I don’t have to make a name for myself now…I can simply lift you and your name up now…

Jim Elliot (most of you know his name) was a man who was not concerned about saving himself, but trusting God so he was free to go about loving and saving others. He, without thought for his life, attempted to take the Gospel to the unreached Auca Indian group. In 1956 that group of Indians killed Jim and his fellow missionaries…

He lived out what he wrote in his journal 7 years earlier on October 28, 1949, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

But that is not the end of the story, His wife, Elizabeth, also was infected with this kind of seemingly foolish lack of concern for her own life….she returned to the same group of Auca Indians two years later, learned their language and shared the Gospel….She authored the book about her husband and her work “Through the Gates of Splendor”

The Name of her book comes from the last line of a verse from the Hymn we rest in Thee..

Notice the themes of from where our salvation/security comes, notice the grace that comes from recognizing that, notice the eternal security, in contrast to our foe the devil…

• We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender! We go not forth alone against the foe; Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender, We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.
• Yes, in Thy Name, O Captain of salvation! In Thy dear Name, all other names above; Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation, Our Prince of glory and our King of love.
• We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling, And needing more each day Thy grace to know: Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing, “We rest on Thee, and in Thy Name we go.”

4. We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender! Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise; When passing through the gates of pearly splendor, Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

In Elisabeth Elliott’s daily radio broadcast that aired from 1988 to 2001 she almost always opened her broadcast with the phrase, “you are loved with an everlasting love”—

Notice from where her security came—not from every man for self, but the ONE who was for her in love….and this freed her to love

Humility: “Stop trying to save yourself, rely on God’s salvation, and start turning your attention to loving (and hence ‘saving’) others.”

You will gain you life and possibly

Your spouse

Your children

Your church

Your community.