Sunny Thoughts From Sunset – October 27

Love the cooler weather! Hope you’re having a great Fall!

The Sunset pastor continued our series in “First Peter—Trials, Pilgrimage, Courage and Hope” with a message, “Rewards of Humility.” The text was from 1 Peter 5:5: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We’re thinking about humility today. Here’s a story about the selection of a leader in a fairly mature, spiritual church. One who was being considered was sort of quiet, always in Sunday School and church but not too well known in the community, a serious Bible student, and of exemplary character. The other was a well-known business person in the community, fairly wealthy, and was known for his strong and strongly expressed opinions, was usually in church if nothing more important was happening, was a bit ambitious and was a self-promoter. Which of the two do you think this good church selected? Yes, the one who was godly and faithful, and who was not putting himself forward.

Webster defines humility: “not proud or haughty, not proud or assertive; having a spirit of deference or submission; unpretentious.”

The pastor made three points: (1) Why does God prefer the humble? (2) Why does God oppose the proud? (3) Who is a Bible example of humility?

(1) Why does God prefer the humble? V5ff: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because… God gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

(a) Peter says that young men should defer to the older. Why? Because older people, if they’ve been walking with God, have more life experience and wisdom than most younger people. If they haven’t been walking with God, it makes little difference whether they’re older or younger—they may both be fools. But normally, in God’s house, the older are wiser, which is why elders should be older, not new converts.

(b) God prefers the humble because they’ve been listening to God, and learning from him. Psalm 25:9: “The Lord guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” The humble man or woman is open to God’s leadership. He does not have his own agenda but God’s. His prayer is not “Thy kingdom come, my will be done,” but “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” He is not ambitious for his own life but is eager to see God’s will accomplished in his environment.

Have you ever known anyone who had everything all planned out—so planned out that if God interrupted the plan, he would feel put upon and distressed? It’s good to plan, to an extent—we should pray in the morning about what God wants us to do that day—but if things go a different way as the Lord leads, we should thank God for his intervention.

(2) Why Does God Oppose the Proud? V5: “God opposes the proud.” The proud have everything together, and they are the ones who put it together and hold it together. They’re always right, never wrong, never need to say “I’m sorry,” and always have an air of superiority—so that they feel like they’re smarter and better than everybody around them.

Why does God oppose them? Because the proud exalt themselves above God, and God can’t get through to them. They’re not learners; they already know it all. Why do they need God? They think they don’t. They already have everything, and any interruption from the good Lord would be a distraction.

(3) Who is a good Biblical Example of Humility? Numbers 12:3: “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Moses was selected by God to be the greatest leader in the Old Testament. God said, “Moses, Go tell Pharaoh, Let my people go.” In his humility, Moses saw all of his shortcomings. He couldn’t speak well. He had no leadership experience—only experience as a murderer of a fellow Israelite which led him to be a fugitive. Living on the back side of the desert, his only job was herding sheep.

God said, “I’ll take him.” Isaiah 66:2: “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” If you are humble before God, he will lift you up, using you for his glory.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.” [Psalm 92:12]

May you flourish this week—physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally—our prayer for you from your friends at Sunset Christian Church.

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