Seeking to make your place in the world Pride

Humility Finding You Place in God’s World

Jeremiah 2:9-13

My people have committed two evils: The fountain of living waters, They have forsaken Me,

My people have committed two evils: And hewn themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water.

“Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,” says the Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 2:19

Two Evils Going Our Own WayGoing Our Own Way Forsaking GodForsaking God We think we know best We think we can go it alone

To look to anything apart from God to make life work is to forsake God.

God made man dependent. Trusting in our own way defies the most basic fact of man’s creation:

God made man dependent by design Man is not: an autonomous, self-contained, self-sufficient

Any change that will ultimately help a man...must move him away from autonomy and must move him toward dependence upon his Creator

Any change that gives him the illusion that he is able to go it alone makes him a more powerful rebel against God and destroys his usefulness to his Creator

Our creation testifies to our dependence

Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Psalm 100:3

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.. Psalm 139:13-14

Just look at what man can create and how that thing is dependent for existence

Humans can make

Creation inherently demands dependency People acknowledge this about anything that is man-made They rebel against the thought that they are somehow dependent upon their Creator

The implication of our creation: If you need somebody to make you, you need somebody to maintain you.

People must Face their dependency Repent of their proud attempts to be on their own Submit to the Creator

The Creator For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16-17

The Creator God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, Hebrews 1:1-3

There is no way that anyone can escape their dependence upon God One can only rebel against it, which leads to their own destruction.

An Example King Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 4:29-37

From Andrew Murray Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is from the very nature of things, the first duty and the highest virtue of man.... Humility is simply man’s acknowledging the truth of his position as a man and yielding to God His place. Humility Whitaker House Publishers P. 10, 12.

Humility seen in Jesus “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matthew 11:28-30.

From the words of Jesus “ And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matthew 20:27-28

From the words of Jesus “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11

From the words of Jesus “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” John 13:13-14

From the words of Peter “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Being clothed with Humility Athletes, entertainers, politicians, business people, many church leaders are not known for their humility. They are known for their self-confident arrogance, their control over others, and their self-indulgent lifestyles.

As pride has many masks for rebellion – God has different ways to expose man’s self-dependence. Human limitations and sinful pride must be exposed. We must be humbled in order for God to work in our lives.

God’s ways to show people their pride 1. Uses a problem we cannot handle to expose our helplessness Example: Naaman - 2 Kings 5 Our agenda vs. God’s way Proverbs 3:5

God’s ways to show people their pride 2. Uses a command we will not obey to expose our self-centeredness in going out own way Example: Jonah 2 Kings 14:25 & Jonah To love God by going – To love neighbor by telling Proverbs 14:12

God’s ways to show people their pride 3. Uses an outcome we cannot control to expose our lack of faithfulness Example: David 2 Samuel 12 Pride when not being faithful Proverbs 28:13

God Says Thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Isaiah 57:15

God Says God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10

What are we to do? 1.Recognize that you are a dependent creature 2.Repent of self-rule 3.Allow God to have His proper place in our lives 4.Come under His Kingship in all aspects of life This is the beginning of biblical change and the chief requirement for usefulness to God and His Kingdom

A person’s potential for service to God lies not in their ability, nor in their opportunity, but in their humility before the Almighty, the Creator, the Father, our God.

God is not impressed with our Abilities – they came from Him Opportunities – they are gifts from Him

God is impressed with our Humility It testifies of our sense of dependency upon and our love for Him It transforms us into people who love other as Jesus did with no thought for ourselves.