1Peter 5:5-9
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”[a]
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
Good morning. Happy father’s day to all of you. Once again. That was a fantastic video. Thank you for the fantastic introduction. Uh, pastor mark mentioned that we have been representing fellowship for the last 34 years in Brazil, where my wife grew up. My wife is on the third row. She can stand up. Today’s a really special day, not just because it’s father’s day, but it’s also my wife’s birthday and I, I would never embarrass her by telling you her age.
But I will say she was born in 1960 and has enjoyed many fruitful decades, uh, together. And we’ve been 34 years in Brazil, 39 years. Almost we’ve been married. Our ministry is focused in training leaders over 3000. Now that have gone out from Brazil throughout the rest of the world. We also have ministered over all of these years at first Baptist church about to buy.
I’ve been the pastor of biblical exposition for the last 20 years have relinquished much of that role now because our son, our oldest son is now one of three senior pastors at the church recently going through a pastoral transition. So he’s now my boss and he preaches a lot more than, than I did.
Church of about 1300 members in Brazil that has, uh, a global and God’s blessed us with a large family. We’ve actually been in family reunions. The last two weeks. This photo is not updated, but we have six children and believe it or not 18, soon to be 19 grandchildren. I can not believe that I am married to a grandmother.
I never thought that that would would happen to me. You have a sermon summary that you should have received when you came in and it may be a little bit of an ironic title. I’m just a child on father’s day. I don’t want talk about that aspect of biblical aspect of the greatest gift perhaps that we can give to our children, to our grandchildren.
And as we all reflect on our own fathers, our grandparents. I think there’s something for each one of us here. One of the biggest struggles we have at father’s day is what to give to a dad. Even Mike struggled cause you can’t give a Carnation to a dad typically on a father’s day. And I can remember back the plaster Paris handprints that I would give to my dad, maybe a tie in the old days, maybe a gift certificate for a back massage or a shoe shine.
I don’t know what you did. Maybe you gave your dad has sixth weed eater for his father’s day. This year. One of the biggest struggles we have, what to give to that some years ago, our kids gave to us, our grandkids and our kids, this display, which sits in our breakfast area of our family. Every morning, we pray for one of our girls and kids, but as I reflect, because they looked at each of the kids and periodically they send us new pictures.
And so we, we trade out the old ones and put in the new ones and wow. It looks like tally grew six inches in the last year here. Do you see how strong Jack’s getting note the progress and the growth and growth and independence of our children and our own little family group. We call it merch clings. As we exchange videos of the kids, taking their first solid foods, the first crawl time to Teeter and toddler and walk the first day at school, we mark their progress.
Probably a lot of you have some place in one of the homes. You’ve lived that, those markets things on the wall or the closet, we have a paper that’s all crumpled and torn and taped that shows the growth of our kids. Physical growth. We measure normally in growing independence two weeks ago, we had the privilege as a family to have a family reunion, 28 of our kids and grandkids sons-in-law and daughters-in-law all together in a log cabin mansion in Colorado, just outside of winter park missionaries, can’t usually do that, but it was given to us for a week.
Can you imagine someone allowing 16 children to invade their home for a week? And we didn’t break anything? It was a miracle, but one of our kids gave as a gift to all of the cousins, all of their nieces and nephews, a Brazil shirt of the Brazilian national team, because most of them speak Portuguese were raised in Brazil or have those.
Each Jersey was personalized with the birth order of each one of our grandkids, a couple were missing. One is with the Lord from one to 18, it was a special moment. But yet again, we had an opportunity to measure growth. I imagine in a few years, we’ll look back and at that gallery of kids and grandkids and say, wow, how much they’ve grown physical growth.
We measure in increasing independence, what our kids say. I can do it myself. When our teenagers start the flex, their muscles of independence. That’s a good thing. It’s hard for us sometimes as parents go,
but there’s a paradox in the Christian life. And it has a lot to do with our role as parents also as children, but not just dads, but also moms and grandparents. It says, well, spiritual growth is marked by increasing dependence. As we grow when Christ and the Christian life, we discover not I, but Christ.
I’m just a little child. I can’t do it sometimes in our triumphalistic culture and the name it, and claim it, theologies that have swept the church. We try to stick out our chest and show God that we deserve it, that we merit, whatever things we want in life and that we can overcome them. We’re more than concrete, but sometimes we forget.
In Christ.
John said it really well. He must increase. I must decrease. I love that verse. I’d love it to be a life theme for me, but I’d have to confess that my life and my ministry it’s been more like Jesus must increase and I want to grow with him, but his kingdom come and my will be done.
Spiritual growth is measured, an increasing dependence. Wow. We’ve learned that the last time, what years
the unexpected has become the norm. All of us control freaks. I have my schedule planned out almost two years. Everything felt to the, to earth, unexpected illnesses, emergency gallbladder surgery, and so much more. Here’s the big idea that I’d like to leave with us this morning based on a passage that God has been kneading into my soul for the last several months along these lines.
And I think especially appropriate on a father’s day. So often as dads, we’re expected to be everything for everyone, the great conqueror defender shepherd, and sometimes we’re afraid to admit I’m just a child. That’s a message that resounds in the scriptures blessed are the poor in spirit. There’s is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek for, they shall inherit the earth. Let the little children come to me unless you become like a little child. You will never enter into the kingdom of heaven. God loves that declaration. Hope God, I’m just a child. So here’s what I want you to take home this week. And that God has been pounding into my soul and I’ve been trying to rehearse and, and recite and remember and humble myself.
God wants us to grow in smallness independence. Hello. I have a verse in Proverbs, which talks about that as well. When it says in Proverbs 14, 26, and the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence and his children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord starts with a little me and a big.
Not a big me and a little God. I’d like you to open your Bibles this morning to first Peter chapter five, an amazing passage, which I want to excavate with you this morning. We’re going to do an archeological dig in this amazing, amazing texts. First, Peter chapter five, verses five through nine, and we’re going to scratch the surface and dig and brush and try to discover artifacts, treasures that God has left here for us.
But at two points in this text, when we get to the, really the heart of the text, we’re going to dig shafts deeper to understand the heart of this passage. Here’s what it says. First, Peter chapter five, verses five. I’ll go all the way to verse 10 is page nine five five, nine hundred and fifty five in your Puba.
If you’re using that, starting with verse five, it says this, likewise, you who are younger subject to the elders, both the older ones, as well as the leaders of the body. That’s in the context, close yourselves, all of you with humility. That’s the theme of this text toward one another. He started out with a vertical aspect towards your elders.
Now he talks about the horizontal aspect to one another for God. And now he quotes the old Testament James and a parallel passage does the exact same thing. This verse must be important. He quotes Proverbs chapter three and he says for God, opposes the process loud, but gives great. To the humble, that’s the heart of this text.
Now he goes on and explains humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time, he may exalt you casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded be watchful, your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
It’s still the same context, pride and humility resist him firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you to him.
Be the dominion forever. And. God, I pray that you would teach us by your spirit, from your word that Christ would be exalted, that we would be appropriately humbled, that you would challenge each of us. But especially today, the dads that we can’t do it alone, that we’re just little children and that we need you above all.
We pray by Christ’s merits alone. Amen. Got to unearth some of the amazing trues that we get. I’m going to just list seven things here for you briefly twice. We’re going to dig deeper into this text. The first thing we discover in first, Peter chapter five, where the theme really is humility, childlike dependence.
That submission to authority is. Primal manifestation of humility. Look at verse five in your Bible. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. As you watch children respond to teachers, coaches, 40 figures. It is amazing to me how I can trace the way moms and dads respond to authority. By the way their kids respond to authority.
The first manifestation of a humble heart is lining yourself up. That’s the idea of subjection, a military idea of the rank and file file with liner solves up under those who are in authority, both church leaders, as well as those who are older. Now, we all know that a characteristic of you is I’m going to do it my way.
I’m going to do it myself and I’ll take on any. But for all of us, this is a reminder that God works through authority structures. We, as parents cannot simply abandon our kids because they turned the 18 is an observation. My wife and I have made as we come back into the north American culture, it seems like we just abandoned our roles as shepherds of our own children, as guides and counselors of our kids, because they turned 18.
That’s when they most need us in young people. That’s when you really need your parents as your best friends, those were invested in your life for 18 years, from 18 to 25. Maybe when they most need that parental authority and humility. That they subject themselves. The second thing we see in this text in verse five, the second part is that humility.
And this is really good news for all of us, especially those who have not had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home humility. He has a Christian virtue that can be acquired and developed that says this clothe yourselves, all of you with humility. And now the horizontal aspect toward one another.
This sounds like the life of Christ and us in Philippians chapter two, where he, who was God in flesh serve, he did not come to be served, but to serve. Now, the neat thing about this is that we can put this on it. Doesn’t come genetically. It’s just like the fear of God or the true biblical wisdom. You don’t have to be raised in a Christian home to acquire that it’s open to anyone who will humble himself trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Don’t lean on your own understanding, acknowledge him, or literally know him in all your ways and heal, direct your paths
we can put on not false modesty, not manipulation that looks like humility.
It is acquired. They’re seeking not genetically. That’s good news for all of us who haven’t had that privilege. Now here’s the third thing. And now we’ve really get to the heart of this past verse five, the last part, explain. The two principles we’ve just seen when it says four. And now the quotation marks.
If you’re using the ESL are the pew Bible. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble we covered. God’s grace. We covered God’s favor old God, pour out, open up the windows of avid. Bless me. Bless my family. Bless my children. Bless my grandchildren. But how do you become a candidate for God’s grace?
He gives two answers in the heart of this passage. First. He reminds us the proud don’t get it. Those who think they deserve it, have disqualified themselves from the race. Yes,
God literally lines himself against. I dunno. How many of you were football lineman in high school? Imagine a five foot, 10, 160 pound offensive guard. And he’s been playing neighborhood ball for years and he actually, by a lot of exertion has made the varsity team, but they play little schools from little towns and he’s pretty much having his way with a lot of people until they come up against the state champions and that five foot, 10, 160 pound guy looks up.
And on the other side of the line is a six foot five, 310 pound Lyman. Who’s going to go to Alabama.
Now, imagine yourself, little you, little me on the line. And we look up and up and up and it’s God
the word here. Brings that description. God actively resists the proud, because you are a jewelry thief, not the also Lord, not the us, but to your name, give glory Psalm 115. God hates glory, thieves all, but he loves to pour out his grace on the humble. We could paraphrase by saying if God is against us, who can be for us?
That’s terrifying. I want to dig a shaft here. I’d like us to dig a little bit deeper as though we’re doing this excavation. We’re finding these, these incredible relics and artifacts and treasures on the surface, but the passage is actually quoting the old ones. Proverbs chapter three, which says, God resists the proud, but as we dig this shaft a deeper into our archeological site, we discover that God resisting the product of the long and infamous history.
Think with me about king Herod in the days of the early church, acts chapter 12 tells how, how he imprisoned James, the brother of John, one of the inner circle of Jesus. He kills James, nothing happens. It goes on his Merry way. And he sees that it pleases the people in the priests. And so he now gets Peter and he puts him in the jail.
I want you to open your Bible in acts chapter 12. And look what happens at the end of the chapter. This is amazing. This illustrates for us as we dig deeper into the scriptures, how God resists actively, those who exalt themselves
as though we were the strong
acts chapter 12, verse 20, the same herd has already killed James. The leader of the church is already in prison. Peter, it says his now heard, was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord and having persuaded blast this, the King’s Chamberlain, they asked for peace because their country depended on the Kings country.
On an appointed day, heard put on his world robes, took his seat upon the throne and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting the voice of a God and not of a man immediately, an angel, oh, Lord struck him down because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and breathe.
His last, he persecuted God’s church. He killed God’s apostle. He placed Peter in prison. Nothing happens, but you steal God’s glory. Watch out.
We’re going to dig deeper into the scriptures, to the story of Nebuchadnezzar, amazing story. Look in your Bibles at Daniel chapter four. Now you can answer how to dream. God gracious. Warned him what was about to happen if he did not humble himself and recognize the sovereignty of our great God, he had every opportunity, but a year passes and his chest swells, and he thinks he’s hot stuff.
And we’ve read in verse 28 of chapter four, Daniel 4 28, all this came upon king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of 12 months, he was walking on the roof of the Royal palace of Babylon. And the king answered and said is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a Royal residence. And for the glory of my majesty,
while the words were still in the King’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven O king Nebula. To you, it is spoken. The kingdom has departed from you and you shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made the grass like an ox, seven periods of time shall pass over you until you know that the most high rules, the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will immediately, the word was filled
and he became an ox like an ox. Interesting earlier in the chapter verse 17, the sentence is by the decree of the Watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones to the end, that the living may know that the most high rules, the kingdom of man, and he gives it to whom he will and sets over it. The loneliest of names.
God plays us in positions of authority of leadership and yes, fatherhood the least so that he can be the greatest.
The gallery of faith in heaven is filled with the unworthy, the undeserving, because God resists the proud all, but he loves to give grace to the humble. That’s the next race quoting Proverbs chapter three, go back in your Bibles to first Peter five back to the surface. Here’s the good news. Oh, he resists the proud who steal his glory, but he loves the poor is grazed on the undeserving, on the unworthy who cry out.
Oh God, I’m just a little child. Everyone in this room. Qualified. Except those were full of themselves is not this great career that I made because of my hard work and study is not this scholarship that I gained because I was a great athlete is not this wonderful family that I have because I have done so many things, right?
God resists, this is the gospel, but God gives his favor, his grace to the humble. That’s what we’ve seen on the sermon on the Mount. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, unless you become like a little child, you will know by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. This is the gospel. It’s Jesus, not high, but Christ for by grace.
Are you saved through faith? And there’s not of yourselves. It’s the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast. It’s all about Jesus. If you’ve never heard the simple, pure message of the gospel, it’s simply this, you and I are miserable sinners. We deserve nothing, but hell God graciously gave his only son to die on Calvary for us, everyone who says I can’t get to heaven.
I can’t do enough. I’m not worthy enough and takes that step of faith over the pit of hell into the arms of Jesus. The Bible says you are saved because now Jesus gets all the glory. If you’ve never, we’ve done that. If you’ve ever said that God has got, I’m just a child. I deserve nothing but death. I can’t do it on my own.
I can’t run my family. I can’t run my business. I can’t keep my own heart straight. My mind, my mind.
God desires, the poor grace unmerited favor that Jesus merit. And I wanted to get a little deeper here again, quickly.
God resists proud, but gives grace to the humble. Where does that come from? What comes from Proverbs chapter three, which says this toward the scorners. The mockers the proud he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor grace, the wise woman inherit honor, but fools get disgrace. Who said that? Solomon,
where did Solomon get that from his daddy?
Because king Solomon, when he had the opportunity.
When God appears to him in a vision and says, Solomon, ask for anything, he’s a newly minted king. He could ask for riches. He could ask for glory. He could ask for victory. He could ask for territory. And here’s what he says, oh Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David, Mike daddy.
Although I am, but a little child, Simon, wasn’t a little child. He was a grown man. He says this, I don’t know how to go out or come in. It’s like a little baby, a little child. He he’s toddling. And he doesn’t know how to get back into the house. Give your servant, therefore, to understanding mine, to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil for who is able to govern this great people.
God loves this.
I’m just a child. God have mercy on me. Is that your prayer? Is that how you wake up in the day? When you face insurmountable obstacles, are you just going to triumph currently, take them on and your own strength. Are you going to humble yourself and demonstrate that for your kids? Even to the point at times when you get down on your knees, look your son or grandson or granddaughter in the face and say, daddy, sins.
I’m just a child. What a great gift. But where did Solomon get that? If we dig a little bit deeper, we discover that that’s how his dad. That’s what David had said to Solomon. In fact, he records it just a few verses later when Solomon says this, when I saw with him was a son with my father, David tender, the only one in the sight of my mother.
He taught me and said to me, Solomon, let your heart hold fast. My word, this was their family devotions, something we’ve lost that are they, we saw in the video, the shepherding role of the parents, my commandments, and live saw them and whatever you do get wisdom. The fear of the Lord humility, small, meet big God trust in the Lord with all your heart.
Get insight. Do not forget, do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her. She will keep you love her. She will guard you the beginning of wisdom. Solomon is this get wisdom and whatever you get, get insight. Ah, he didn’t miss them because his dad taught him. In fact, David lived that way with all of his failures.
He was a friend of God who prayed. Oh Lord. My heart is not lifted up. My eyes are not raised too high. I do not occupy myself with things too great into marvelous for me, but I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother. Like a weaned child is my soul within the oh, Israel, hope in the Lord from this time and forever more.
That’s the prayer that God wants to answer. Oh Lord. I’m just a little child in my studies in the workplace am my unemployment in my ministry and my finances as I leave my home, as I raise my children in the face of temptation and the hard decisions I need to make and yes, in the midst of a global pandemic.
God gives grace to the humble. And then he exalts the humble in his time. When it’s clear in the heavenly corridors that God’s going to get all the glory, then he can risk exalting the hump. He did it with Joseph, with Moses. He did it with David. He did it with Daniel and he’s doing it with you and me not to us, Lord, not to us.
I love what I call it. The four seven principle, which comes from first Corinthians four, seven and second Corinthians four seven first Corinthians four seven. And that’s a simple question. What do you have that you didn’t first receive? And if you received the, why are you glorying as though you hadn’t been.
Second Corinthians four seven is my wife’s favorite passage. It says we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the glory would be his and not ours
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble, humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God. So that at the proper time, when it’s less of you and more of him, he may exalt you. Now. Here’s where it gets really good. I love these last two prints as we finish. I’ve used verse seven of first Peter chapter five, so many times in pastoral ministry, you know it, but I’ve always taken it out of context, looks at what it says.
Verse seven, casting all your anxieties, your worries on him, because he cares for you.
As a generic principle. That’s true. What I didn’t perceive is that anxiety worry is actually a form of pride. That’s the context, the whole passage flows. That’s, it’s still continuing casting. As you humble yourself, realize that you are not God, I’m not God. This God complex, which we collectively have individually had as the, we had control over the universe, really diminishes God and exalts ourselves.
As though we could change our destiny control the opinions of others as we frenetically promote ourselves and our accomplishments, Facebook and Twitter and Tik TOK and everything else, anxiety worry, really puts us on the throne. And diminishes guide. It’s a form of pride and here’s the last one. This is also amazing in this exact same context, we get this order be sober-minded be watchful, your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour, resist him firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of sufferings are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Here’s what the passage is saying. The devil it’s prowling around sniffing out pride. That’s the context. It’s like a perfume of filet Minyard. The devil it’s like spraying yourself with this. Meat. And because he is characterized from the beginning with pride, he is the father of pride. He wanted to put his throne above the throne of God, himself.
He wanted to be Jesus in the universe when he sniffs out his own kind bounces
resistance. How
magical formulas sign of the cross declarations evidences of pride. And triumphalism no humble yourself. Humility is the anti devil repellent.
Because he hates humility because it exalts God. The parallel passage in James is fascinating because it says this.
He gives more grace. Therefore it says that he quotes the same passage. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble submit yourselves, therefore to God resist the devil. And he will flee from you. The end of the passage says humble yourselves before the Lord. And he will exalt chew a spray a day, keeps the devil away
of humility, genuine, not false modesty.
So here’s the prayer that God, most slights most likes to. Oh, God, I’m a dad, but I’m just a child. I don’t understand the emphasis new world. These technologies, these, these waves that are inundating my family. Oh God. Give me grace. Uh, I don’t know how to be a godly husband. I don’t know how to be a grandpa.
I don’t know how to be a leader in the church and in my home, in my business, I’m just a child.
And I wonder if God, with his angels in the breakfast area of heaven, instead of looking at a display of his children, us look how John is so much stronger and independent. He doesn’t need us anymore. Oh, look how Susie just diminished six inches. Well, Cal mark is it’s just a little bit weaker and dependent on us, more grace Grice,
because God wants us to grow smallness. What a gift to give children, spouse, grandchildren, not I, but Christ. Thank you Lord for your word. Thank you. Thank you for the unanimous message of the scriptures. Forgive us for so often exalting ourselves, showing how strong we are flexing our independent muscles this week.
Less of us, more of you. May you increase? May we decrease? You’ll be glorified, not toss. So Lord, not to us, but to your name, give glory. Amen. God bless you.