2. Cultivating Humility In Our Lives
1 Peter 5:5-7 & Selected Scriptures
© November 27, 2016
Wade Harlan 2

3. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. – James 4:6-10
33 Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.
– Proverbs 15:33 (NIV)
“For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” – Matt. 23:12

4. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
2. If you’re not humble, God will oppose you.
5 Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 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. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:5-11

5. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
2. If you’re not humble, God will oppose you.
3. It is a prerequisite to revival.
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
– 2 Chronicles 7:11-14

6. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
2. If you’re not humble, God will oppose you.
3. It is a prerequisite to revival.
4. It is a prerequisite to entering and being great in God’s kingdom.
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 18:1-4

7. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
2. If you’re not humble, God will oppose you.
3. It is a prerequisite to revival.
4. It is a prerequisite to entering God’s kingdom.
5. It is commanded by God and strongly emphasized by Jesus.
8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? – Micah 6:8
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
– 1 Peter 3:8,9 (NIV)

8. WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT?
1. It is a prerequisite to being exalted.
2. If you’re not humble, God will oppose you.
3. It is a prerequisite to revival.
4. It is a prerequisite to entering God’s kingdom.
5. It is commanded by God and strongly emphasized by Jesus.
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. – John 13:14-17

9. WHAT HUMILITY IS NOT: 1. The #1 character attribute to be avoided.
2. “A seemingly noble way for inferior person to cover up their cowardice.”
3. Letting people wipe their feet and walk all over you.
Something you either have or you don't.
“Humility is a trait so rare that the minute you realize you have it You by default have lost it.”
5. Having a low view of one’s self and abilities.
“I’m a loser, a sinner, and a screw-up.”
“I’m a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad person.”

10. WHAT HUMILITY IS:
Is a deep-seated appreciation of my utter need for Christ’s help in every moment of my life.
Is a low view of myself apart from Christ.
It involves a deeply understanding that my life, all my gifts and abilities and the discipline to develop these gifts and abilities are all a gift from God.”
is behavior that springs forth from a right understanding of God and my desperate dependence on Him.
“Humility is understanding and living out the truth that I am utterly dependent on God.”

11. WHAT HUMILITY IS:
“Humility is understanding and living out the truth that I am utterly dependent on God.” This is why Moses was the most humble man on the face of the earth.
3 (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) 4 At once the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them came out. 5 Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, 6 he said, “Listen to my words:
“When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. 7But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.8With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” 9The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them. – Numbers 12:3-9 (NIV 1984)

12. HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE HUMILITY IN OUR LIVES?
“Humility is understanding and living out the truth that I am utterly dependent on God.”
1. Understand and live out God’s truth about our utter dependence on Him.
We are created us in God’s image, thus we have incredible intrinsic value.
we have been chosen by God, adopted as beloved children, holy and dearly loved into His family.
God chose us and gave us faith to believe.
God has given each of us at least one spiritual gift to use for the benefit of others.
God has given each us unique gifts, abilities and the discipline to develop them.

13. HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE HUMILITY IN OUR LIVES?
“Humility is understanding and living out the truth that I am utterly dependent on God.”
1. Understand and live out God’s truth about our utter dependence on Him.
apart from God we can do nothing of lasting value.
we enter the world with nothing and leave with nothing.
While we have a new nature, we still have an old nature that is inclined to do evil.
We have hearts that are desperately sick.
9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jer 17:9
The world is gigantic, yet God is mindful of us. I matter to Him.
God has given each us unique gifts, abilities and the discipline to develop, but considers it ”evil” when we don’t use the gifts He’s given us. (Lk. 19)

14. HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE HUMILITY IN OUR LIVES?
“Humility is understanding and living out God’s truth about who we are.”
1. Understand and live out God’s truth about our utter dependence on Him.
2. Let our sins and God’s forgiveness and grace penetrate to our core.
20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! – Romans 7:20-25
My example of avoiding sin in high school

15. HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE HUMILITY IN OUR LIVES?
“Humility is understanding and living out God’s truth about who we are.”
1. Understand and live out God’s truth about our utter dependence on Him.
2. Let our sins and God’s forgiveness and grace penetrate to our core.
3. Let the pain in our lives keep us humble and ever dependent on God.
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

16. Why Is Humility Important? How Can We Cultivate Humility in Our Lives?
It’s a prerequisite to being exalted
If you’re not humble God will oppose you.
It’s a prerequisite to revival.
It’s a prerequisite to entering God’s kingdom.
It’s commanded by God and strongly emphasized by Jesus.
How Can We Cultivate Humility in Our Lives?
Understand and live out God’s truth about our utter dependence on Him.
Let our sins and God’s forgiveness and grace penetrate to our core.
Let the pain in our lives keep us humble and ever dependent on God.

17. THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
What do feel God would have you do differently as a result of today’s message?
What do you feel God would have you do to become more humble and dependent on Him.
What are some areas that you realize you take pride in and don’t give God enough glory for?