Caleb Walker

Resources: Manuscript, PowerPoint, Devotional

Connect Groups at Franklin Heights Church: https://franklinheights.org/connect/groups/

PowerPoint: https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Be%20Humble%20PPNT.pptx?context=search&role=personal

Review: Last week we looked at how Christians can expect persecution and the perspective we should have when enduring persecution for following Jesus. It’s a witness to the lost; it confirms our salvation; it brings glory to God; it prepares and trains us for future challenges; it’s temporary; and it reminds us that we need to depend on one another and be a dependable brother or sister in Christ to one another. At Franklin Heights the primary place where this relational strengthening for life’s brokenness takes place in in Connect Groups.

Title: Be Humble

Text: I Peter 5:1-11

Memory Verse: I Peter 5:8-9

Theme: Believers are called to display a spirit of humility with each other and God.

Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that Humility is crucial for leaders in God’s church, like a tree whose roots are deep and still stands tall. It’s been said humility isn’t self degradation, it’s having a higher opinion of God that allows our opinion of ourselves to pale in comparison. Humility is seen when we admit and learn from our mistakes. Peter encouraged the elders in the Asia Minor churches to have humility.  Humility runs counter-cultural to the world we live in that’s riddled with “look at me!” syndrome. I am thankful for the humble, servant hearted brothers and sisters at Franklin Heights Church. At our Easter Sunday, one of our members got here super early in the morning to prepare a breakfast brunch for everyone coming, a major undertaking. One of our church members came by yesterday spearheading our Strawberry Festival outreach—one of the largest festivals in Franklin County—just humbly, joyfully serving. These—to me—are giants in the faith, because their humble service is paving the way, reaching hundreds with the gospel. And these are just a few examples of our members who understand and live out what it means to live SENT.

Context: Lifeway says, “When a church faces persecution, it can cause stress and anxiety in the congregation. That‘s when pastors step up to the plate. They work to provide support and care for their weary flock, but they also encourage them to persevere through their suffering in a way that honors their faith” (page. 108, Leader Guide). Humility is required for each of us.

• The difference between pride and humility: Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”
• The disgrace of pride: Isaiah 2:11, “The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”
• The dereliction of pride: Jeremiah 44:10, “They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.” We are derelict in our duty and opportunity to live for God as we should when we embrace the empty, golden calf of pride.
• The directions for being humble: Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12, “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord… But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord,”

     The one who would be humble seeks God, lives in obedience not defiance, simply wants to live in righteousness, wants to be humble, understands the stakes are high/this is protection from final judgement, understands that being a humble person is a blessing to others/not self-promotion and pride, and they have turned to God fort their refuge.

Gospel: Jesus was our humble Savior Who in His death, burial, and resurrection brought us into a place—if we will repent and believe on Him—where we could live and operate in His grace, expressed in humility. Roman culture prized the brokenness of pride, and Jesus flipped the script, exemplifying humility and calling His people to go into the brokenness with humble service to others.

• Matthew 11:29, “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.”
• I Corinthians 4:21, “What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?”
• Philippians 2:(1-11), verses 5-7a, “⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,”
• Ephesians 4:2, “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”
• Colossians 3:12, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”
• & Romans 12:16 & James 4:6

Main Points:

1. For Pastors (I Peter 5:1-4)

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

• The term elder (meaning, “pastor”) is throughout the New Testament writings, modeling and shepherding local churches toward holiness and SENT living, comforting, and encouraging in the brokenness of life, particularly in this context, persecution.
• Peter notes that he was a witness to Christ’s sufferings (while he fled the scene of the cross).
• Peter exemplified suffering well by keeping an eternal perspective toward Heaven.
• Pastors need to be shepherds, not ranchers, not cowboys, but shepherds; that term is used pointedly & intentionally here.
• On verses 2-3, Lifeway breaks down the concepts of “‘overseeing…not lording…being examples’ [very well saying,]: The desire to be an elder can be good (I Tim. 3:1), but the attitude makes all the difference. Congregations need elders who shepherd not out of joyless obligation, but out of joy. The same logic applies to the temptation to take on the ministerial responsibilities for the potential financial benefits (v. 2). Authority is used in humility to serve, which leads to [Christlikeness within the flock]. Servants of Jesus beget servants of Jesus when they are humble like Jesus” (page 110).
• Verse 4 shares that obedient under-shepherds (those pastors who have placed their hearts, minds, wills, and desires, all of life under Christ) they’ll receive what Peter calls an unfading crown of glory, contrasting it to the Olympic athlete victors of Rome; theirs is fading, but the crown of humble, servant hearted under-shepherding is unfading, and what a joy for pastors to lay that at Jesus’ nail-pierced feet someday.

II. For Believers (I Peter 5:5-7)

“⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. 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.”

• When Peter refers to “younger” in verse 5 he is not necessarily referring to age, but rather spiritual maturity.
• Peter used the phrasing of “Clothe yourselves…with humility,” as his doesn’t come naturally and we have to be intentional to do it.
• God opposes/He resist the proud, meaning He stands in stark opposition to this attitude.
• In verse 6, peter doubles down and reinforces the instruction to humble ourselves, knowing He will exalt the one who obediently does this in His perfect timing. We can rest in His perfect timing, can’t we.
• Worry expresses a prideful dependence on onself, whereas prayer-filled humility expresses dependence on God. We are to cast-“to hurl quickly, like a hot potato as my Grandmother used to say when teaching this,” to hurl quickly—our cares and anxieties on Him, knowing He cares for us.

III. A Warning (I Peter 5:8-11)

“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.”

• The command to be sober-minded and watchful is because there is a very real enemy that we are in a spiritual battle against, our adversary, the evil one, pictured as a conniving, roaring lion, aggressively seeking to devour us. The answer, be sober-minded and alert and watchful. 
• We are to resist him, to stand in faith-filled opposition to Him. We can do this because God is infinitely more powerful than him and his schemes.

Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is the doctrine of God’s Purpose of Grace.

     Lifeway says, “Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by his Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end.”

Romans 8:28-39, “²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be^[b] against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

2 Timothy 1:12, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, ² and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”

• In verse 9 we’re reminded that the trials we go through we’re not alone, but are marching forward arm-in-arm with our brother and sisters in Christ suffering throughout eh whole world.
• Peter concludes this first letter by reminding them and celebrating the truths he began with His grace and sovereignty and in the midst of the mess, He is calling people to Himself, to be saved! So let’s keep going in the task God’s given each of us for his glory.

Closing Discussion Questions:

• What are some examples of pride in our culture you’ve noticed?
• What are some examples of humility that have impacted your life in a good way? 
• Why is humility an important quality for a church leader?
• What effects might a humble pastor have upon a congregation?
• Why is it important for believers to turn their cares over to God? How do we do that?
• What are some practical things believers can do to recognize Satan’s schemes? How do we resist his advances?

Devotional: “An Encouragement to Cultivate Humility from I Peter 5:1-11” 04/29/25

     Humility is simply not our natural bent as human beings. It’s been said—and I have chuckled about this with others—“Don’t ask for humility, because if you do God will humble you.” From a colloquial standpoint, I can see where folks are coming from in this statement. For the believer, according to God’s Word and specifically Peter’s exhortation to the local churches of Asia Minor, humility is not a character trait attitude that we run from or are skittish about or are concerned about embracing; rather, humility is something we are to gladly and readily embrace. There are several benefits to embracing humility in the Christian life: (1) Humility is a blessing. (2) Humility is a result of God’s grace in our lives. (3) Humility glorifies God and draws others to Christ. (4) Humility is the modus operandi of our Lord and Savior; to walk in humility is to walk in step with Jesus. (5) Humility is a contributor to fewer worries and stronger faith.

     Humility is a blessing. The mere fact that Peter would compel and call these Asia Minor churches (and us!) to humility speaks to the wondrous joy that as God’s saved followers we—you and I—are capable of humility. Many struggle with embracing humility, because their family of origin or bad influences in their lives have told them they are not capable of humility or they have told them that humility is anything short of a blessing.

     Humility is a result of God’s grace at work in our lives. Allow me to take a que from Peter and encourage you with this truth that humility is a blessing to be embraced by grace. It’s one of the manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit, as well. To be humble in a Christlike way is a testament to your growth in Christlikeness. If you see evidence where you shun self-promotion, are able to serve others without being recognized and to do this with joy, if you see a genuine joy for others to receive the praise and accolades and you are able to celebrate with the—congratulations—you are experiencing God’s grace at work in your life in your humility.

     Humility also glorifies God and draws others to Christ. Humility is an expression of God’s worthiness and is an expression to the lost of the gospel’s winsomeness. It is an amazing reality to think that the humility the Asia Minor believers exercised in response to their persecutors would effectively win their lost persecutors closer to Christ. Walking in humility and responding in humility will glorify God and draw others to Christ.

     Humility is the modus operandi of our Lord and Savior; to walk in humility is to walk in step with Jesus. He was continually (especially emphasized in Mark’s Gospel account) deflecting glory to the Father and not wanting others to make a big deal over His miracles in order to postpone the timing of His crucifixion to the proper time and to exercise humility. Everyone wanted to prematurely promote him to lead the nation of Israel in conquest over Rome, and He continually deflected these attempts and remained resolute on His primary mission to take the sins of the whole world to that cross, down into that grave and to secure resurrection life for all who believe. When we practice humility, we are aligning with God’s greater kingdom purposes.

     Humility is a contributor to fewer worries and stronger faith. Peter makes it clear in these verses that there is a direct correlation between pride and anxieties taking over us and humility and being able to cast those anxieties on the Lord that we may experience His amazing peace. This verse does not prevent the feelings of anxiety and worry and care that are common in our day and age; however, it clearly guides us into what to do with those anxieties and worries and cares. The wondrous reality the saved believer has that the lost do not know is that Jesus wants our anxieties. We cast them on Him. He receives them. He takes ownership of them (100%). He deals with them according to His sovereign (completely in control) and good plan. If He can provide the substitutionary atonement for our sins and arise the third day, is He not more than capable and more than able to completely handle your anxieties. Don’t shake off your anxieties as silly or unworthy of Him! No! He wants them! Give them to Him. Don’t shrug that worry off. Don’t suppress that concern. Don’t just shake off the burden you bear! Acknowledge it: “Lord, I am worried about______________.” The kicker—for the believer—is that we never have to follow up this statement with “And I don’t know what to do.” We do know what to do! Use the below prayer guide to help worry-casting, humility-increasing, God-glorifying practices more-and-more the modus operandi of your life.

How to Pray:

• “Holy Father, I am worried about______________.”
• I know what to do with this; so I’m giving this worry about __________ to You.
• Cultivate and increase Christlike humility in my life for the glory of God and the salvation of the lost.

Thank You for the humility of Jesus in that He became my substitute for sin and that He rose again for me.”