Corporate Session #2
Tom Pennington
I Peter 5
What do you believe is the greatest danger to your ministry?
My answer: Me
With one voice, the writers of Scripture identify the greatest danger to our ministry: our own pride
Pride isolates: It isolates us from the grace of God and the God of grace.
The theme of I Peter: Standing firm in the midst of suffering
In I Peter 5:1-4 he addresses the elders and transitions with the word “Likewise” to address the people who are under the elder’s teaching in vv. 5-11.
The Biblical Case for Humility: Peter’s proposition: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” also see Proverbs 3:34.
· Pride shows towards others as we view ourselves as exalted, and the standard against which others should be measured. Pride demonstrates itself towards God as self-sufficiency and independence.
· Pride is the first sin to enter the universe and is the root of all others (exalting yourself above God).
· John Calvin, “There is no man that does not cherish within him some idea of his own excellence.” This is terribly true and terribly dangerous. Pride is most deceitful and most dangerous. Pride causes us to write a book, “The ten most people in the universe and how I taught the other nine.”
· We have pride in our possessions (Nebuchadnezzar), our position as pastors (Pharisees), knowledge (I Corinthians 8:1).
· Pride is the occupational hazard of a pastor – we are leading and in the spotlight much of the time. How? Pride shows itself in the hearts of pastors by excessively talking about ourselves and our ministries, comparing our ministries with others, expecting to be served, changing our methods to draw a bigger crowd, crafting our methods to be different, wanting applause for our sermons, building our sermons on what we want to say, exercising heavy-handed authority, trying to be biblically noteworthy, obtaining degrees and desiring to be called by a title, acting like the resident authority on any topic, craving recognition, being impatient with people’s spiritual progress, expecting everyone to agree with our positions on doctrines and controversial issues, resisting and refusing all criticism, catering to the wealthy, pushing our own agenda with the elders in all decisions, we desire imminence in the place of usefulness, we fail to equip other men, lest they shine brighter than us, our views are more accurate, our plans are more practical, our heart is more spiritually mature, we are the wise shepherd and they are the dumb sheep.
· I Peter 5:5: As we push ourselves to the front, God takes up His weapons against us. Isaiah says God will have a day of reckoning where he will humble the proud. God opposes pride in his children as harshly as He does in unbelievers (II Chronicles 26:15-23; II Chronicles 32:24-33).
· If we allow pride to grow undisturbed, we have declared war against God.
The New Testament word “humility” comes from the Old Testament word “low.” Blessed are the poor (beggars) in spirit. Two places in the New Testament
Augustine, “For those who would learn God’s ways humility is the first thing, the second thing, and the third thing.” Luther, “God is the only one who makes something out of nothing, so until we have made ourselves nothing, He can make nothing of us.”
If we can think we can do something of ourselves, all we will get from God is the opportunity to try (Spurgeon).
The Biblical Path to Humility: Peter’s imperatives: Be subject to elders; clothe yourselves with humility
Galatians 5: Humility is the grace of the Spirit. God gives us the grace to be humble and with that humility gives more grace.
Submit to Human Authority (1 Peter 5:5a): “Be subject to” is a military term that means to place yourself under the authority of another. Peter is telling the younger men of the church, as a private would to a general, to the authority of the elders. If you want to pursue humility in your life begin by submitting to the authority God has placed in your life. God establishes authority. Elders, remember your authority stops where God’s Word stops.
You must become a slave to everyone (I Peter 5:5b): “Clothe yourselves” is used only here in the New Testament and means “tie on to yourself the apron of a slave.” There is a big difference between a servant and a slave. See Philippians 2:3-11. I should always be looking to others and how I can serve them by looking to my Lord and how Jesus served God. Is that your mindset towards your spouse – as her slave? What about your children? What about the people in your church? What about your fellow elders? Lloyd Jones, “There is only one thing that can make me esteem others better than myself and that is to look at the Son of God and especially to contemplate the Cross.”
We must embrace God’s providence in our circumstances (I Peter 5:6): The Greek word for “humble yourself” means to bow to someone or to recognize God’s authority. Do you attempt to wiggle out of your circumstances or do you bow to them as God has arranged them to make you holy? Look at I Peter 4:12.
Satan desires to bring fear and faithlessness through circumstances (v. 8). Embrace God’s providence in your life. We buckle under circumstances and are devoured by Satan when we do not see ourselves always under God’s hand and that hand to be a mighty hand. Our circumstances present us the ultimate opportunity to obey the mandate to humble ourselves.
How do we know if we are cultivating a humble heart?
I Peter 5:7: “Casting” is how we humble ourselves. The only other time this word is used in the NT is where the disciples threw their cloaks on the colt. We are to throw on God anything in life that makes us anxious. Why do we “cast”? We cast because He cares for us. What do I cast on God in prayer and what do I decide I can handle myself? Prayerlessness is the believer’s declaration of independence.
“Lord help us never to do anything that would cause you to be opposed to us.”
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