HUMILITY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER 1 Peter 5:5

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1 Page 1 HUMILITY TOWARD ONE ANOTHER 1 Peter 5:5 Dan Brooks, Pastor August 12, 2012 Morning & Evening Prayer of Intercession: 6 Lord, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you. (Jeremiah 10:6-7) 23 I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. 24 So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. (10:23-24) Read 1 Peter 5:1-5 When Peter addresses the elders, he calls them to do their work willingly, eagerly, being examples to the flock. And as he transitions to the younger men, he uses the phrase Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. It seems he carries forward from the preceding verses the thought of subjection. So the thought builds something like this: Elders, subject yourselves to Christ. Younger folks, subject yourselves to the elders. Then Peter goes on to write, clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility one toward another. I. Believers clothe themselves in Christ-like Humility. A. Christ clothed himself with humility. humility: (ταπεινοφροσύνη) lowliness of mind; estimating ourselves of little importance because we actually are of little importance. The correct estimate of oneself and others. 1. Christ humbled Himself in His birth. a. Phil 2 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. b. A difference between Christ and us: He is of the highest importance, yet he shows a lowliness of mind. c. He doesn t estimate Himself to be above the incarnation. d. Point: What an astonishing act of humility that the Creator-God would become the same flesh and substance of what He created. God became man. 2. Christ humbled Himself in His service. a. John 13:4 He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. b. λέντιον: a linen cloth, a towel, or an apron worn by a servant c. διέζωσεν: to gird around d. Ill.: The start of school always awakens our fashion consciousness. Every student wants to know what everybody else is going to wear. We talked about it at supper last night. One of my suggestions was met with the reply of, Dad, I don t want to go to school looking like a nerd. That comment made me realize that my fashion consciousness needs to be adjusted. You could say, in one sense, I m out of tune. e. Q: The night Jesus laid aside his outer garments and wrapped himself in a servant s towel, what was tuning His fashion consciousness? f. A: The service of love. Because He was intent on serving God and others His choice of physical attire followed. The apron of a servant was the perfect attire for God s Servant Jesus Christ. What he chose to wear that evening revealed and expressed what was in His heart.

2 Page 2 g. Point: Because Christ s heart was clothed with a servant s humility, His body was wrapped in humble attire. h. Q: What does your dress say about your heart? 3. Christ humbled Himself in His death. a. Phil 2:8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. b. The cross was the low point of His earthly ministry and yet it is the pinnacle expression of His humility. c. Point: The problem for most of us is that we are not willing to put self to death. 1. Obedience to God will never require our atoning death on a cross like Christ s, but obedience to God will require the death of self. 2. Lk 9:23 And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. d. Paul s application precedes what we have just traced: Phil 2 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. e. We first noted that humility is a right assessment of one s self, but now see that humility is a right assessment of others. The assessment is this: they are more significant than I am. f. We live in a consumeristic society. Advertisements abound reinforcing the notion that we deserve or need or have earned or are entitled to enjoy or possess or receive benefits and privileges and products and services. g. Our government is reinforcing this self-centered attitude through all kinds of programs and entitlements. h. But Christ is calling His people to a different kind of mindset: 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. i. Application: What is your response to change? 1. Changes in your business, school or church. 2. Often we evaluate them on how they impact us. 3. But the mature and loving believer will evaluate the benefit to others. B. Christ calls us to clothe ourselves in humility. 1. clothe yourselves: (ἐγκομβώσασθε) to gather or tie a knot; to fasten as a garment. a. The corresponding noun, ἐγκόμβωμα, was the name of an apron worn by slaves, which was tied round them when at work, to keep their dress clean. The word seems to teach that humility is a garment which must be firmly fastened on and bound closely round us. 1 b. The Greek gives an interesting description of the act of putting on humility. The word clothe means to tie a piece of clothing to oneself. For example, slaves used to knot a white scarf or apron over their clothing to distinguish themselves from freemen. The suggestion is that Christians ought to tie humility to their conduct so that everyone is able to recognize them. 2 c. Point: Our humility is our most important distinguishing attire. In God s eyes for us to appear in any setting or to engage in any form of Christian service without a genuine humility is to be immodestly dressed. 1. That means I walk into a setting like this saying, These people are more important than I am. Their wants, their desires, their needs, their interests are more important than mine. 1 The Pulpit Commentary: 1 Peter (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) (207). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. 2 Kistemaker, Simon, James, Epistles of John, Peter and Jude, NTC, Baker,

3 Page 3 2. That humility is what guards us from crazy expressions of pride. 3. Pride imposes self on everyone else; humility serves everyone else. 4. Pride walks in and says, Look at me. Humility walks in saying, I need to look on the needs of others. 2. toward one another a. The humility Peter speaks of is oriented toward others. b. Q: How do you recognize a humble person? 1. In context, a humble elder is one who serves willingly, eagerly, as an example to the flock. 2. A humble young person is ne who willingly subjects himself or herself to leadership, at home with parents, in the church with pastors and leadership and in school with teachers. c. In the body of Christ the members of the community live for one another.... ταπεινοφροσύνη (in humility) is here the heart of Christian existence in which life is ordered to willing service for others and the believer lets himself be assigned to his proper place by the hand of God (1 Pt. 5:6) 3 d. Are you humbly allowing God to position you as He chooses? e. Are you living for others? II. Believers receive God s help in response to their humility. A. God resists the proud 1. the proud: (ὑπερηφάνοις) to show oneself above others a. Peter is quoting from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) Prov 3:34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor. 1. Scorner and scoffer often translate the same Hebrew word. b. Prov 21:24 Scoffer is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride. c. He is incapable of discipline 9:7-8 7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. 8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. d. He is unwilling to be reproved 13:1 A wise son hears his father s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. (See also 15:12) e. He is unable to know God s wisdom14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding. f. He is the source of great contention Pr 22:10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease. g. He is the object of God s imminent judgment Pr 19:29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools. 2. Questions: a. When was the last time you went looking for reproof? 1. Do you ever ask your parents for input? Hey Dad, anything in my life that you are concerned about or that you wish I would do differently? 2. Do you ever talk to your teachers about how you could improve, not just as a student, but as a person? Hey, Mr. Smith, have you observed anything in my life that causes you concern? What could I do to serve you better? 3. Teachers, do you seek that kind of feedback from the the administration or your peers? What about from the students? 3 Theological dictionary of the New Testament c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (8:23). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

4 Page 4 b. Do you know why a scoffer seeks wisdom in vain? When he actually finds it, he is not willing to hear the reproof? He does not listen to reproof and he does not like to be reproved. c. The proud scoffer does not want to be told that he is wrong. d. But an empty search for wisdom is not the proud person s most serious problem. 3. God resists: (ἀντιτάσσεται) To set an army in array against, to arrange in battle order. 4 a. The word resisteth [translated opposes in the ESV] in the Greek is a military term, used of an army drawn up for battle. Pride calls out God s armies. God sets Himself in array against the proud person. 5 b. Like a general with a mighty army opposing his enemy God arranges His strength to battle your pride. 1. Perhaps the turmoil of your life is best explained by God s resistance. 2. Perhaps you ve been in one job after another, not so much because you have bad luck with employers, but because you are a proud person and God is resisting you. 3. Perhaps you re at war with your spouse, not so much because of your spouse s attitude and actions, but because you are a proud person and God is resisting you. c. What do you do if you realize you are proud? d. Prov 30:32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. e. Ill.: Usain Bolt would do well to read some verses like this. His ego is now as legendary as his running. Pr 27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips. B. God gives grace to the humble 1. to the humble: (ταπεινοῖς) low, not high particularly of attitude; in regard to how we think of ourselves, lowly, humble, modest. a. Prov 30:2-4 2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. 4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son s name? Surely you know! b. Agur humbly admits he doesn t have the answers. c. Here is the one God will help! 2. gives grace: (χάριν) The absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver 6 a. What help should the humble believer expect to receive from God? b. The same kind of help Peter received after he proudly boasted that he would never deny Christ. c. Mk 14: And Jesus said to them, You will all fall away, for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee. 29 Peter said to him, Even though they all fall away, I will not. 30 And Jesus said to him, Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. 31 But he said emphatically, If I must die with you, I will not deny you. And they all said the same. d. He denied (Mark 14:68-72). 4 Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.) (G498). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers. 5 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 1 Pe 5:5. 6 Zodhiates, (G5485).

5 Page 5 e. Mark 14:72 records that Peter broke down and wept. f. Sometime later, the Lord Jesus restored Peter. John 21:15ff records the story for us. 1. Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Was Jesus s question. 2. A humble Peter replies, Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. 3. Three times in total Christ asks Peter a form of this question. 4. Three similar commands come from Christ s lips: Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. 5. And then a final command: follow me. g. 50 days after the resurrection Peter would receive grace he could not fathom. The Spirit of God would fall upon him and he would preach a message in Jerusalem that would be used of God to convert thousands. The proud boaster was transformed into a humble, effective servant. h. So when Peter writes: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, he is not only quoting his Bible, he is testifying from personal experience.