The Gift of Humility

The Gift of Humility
James 4:10
Pentecost 18
September 23, 2018

Philippians 1:2 (ESV) 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have you ever seen a beggar? More than likely you have see someone carrying a sign asking for money. Do you ever consider yourself a beggar? Most of us would say no. We have a roof over our heads and food on the table and clothes on our back. We would say there is no need to beg. Like the manager in Luke 16:3 (ESV) 3 And the manager said to himself, ‘… I am ashamed to beg.

Would we be ashamed to beg?

The last thoughts of Martin Luther that were written down on the day of his death was, “We are beggars, That is true.”

James in our Epistle reading for today notes we are to

James 4:7 (ESV) 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:10 (ESV) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

The gift of humility is the goal that James want the Christian to know, understand and do.

But do we want that gift of humility. James saw in the Christians of his day a problem, which he notes.

James 3:16 (ESV) 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

James 4:2–3 (ESV) 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

Do you give to street beggars? One answer to the negative I hear is that what you give will be used to feed their addiction. But James notes that we ask in pray but we don’t receive because we ask wrongly to spend it on our passions.

Wow, we have passions, and some of those passions move us the wrong way.

So James is trying to redirect our passions, Not to be consumed by the desires of this world, but the desires of God.

James 4:4 (ESV) 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The Fourth Petition Give us this day our daily bread. What does this mean?

God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.

James 4:6–10 (ESV) 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

The proud doesn’t need handouts from God, but considers themselves to be self-sufficient.

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

So when Jesus was tempted in

Matthew 4:2–4 (ESV) 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Where did that quote come from:

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV) 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Wow, you have that humbled word again, that gift of humility that God was trying to teach to the people of Israel. Jesus even though He is the Word of God in Flesh, quotes the word in times of temptation.

So where do we go during times of temptation, or tough times, to God Word, Amen, but first we need to realize that we are in need, we can’t do it ourselves. We are not self-sufficient, we need a Savior, we need forgiveness, not just for one hour on Sunday morning, but we are beggars every day of our lives.

James continue:

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you (why we are here at Peace). Cleanse your hands , you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

(Confession/Absolution)

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

James 4:6 (ESV) 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Yes, the Gift of God’s Grace is understanding humility.

Luther was correct with the last words he wrote, “We are beggars, That is true.”

Philippians 4:7 (ESV) 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding
Ephesians 6:10–20
Pentecost 15
September 2, 2018

Philippians 1:2 (ESV) 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We live in a world where people are looking for that special pill, that will burn off the extra fat and increase the muscle mass, all the while you sleep. The question is why? Why are people like me going to the gym? Is to to look better, feel better, because it is the new fad. Is it to compete in bodybuilding competitions, I can’t say for other people, but for me it is just to better myself.

Realizing I am no longer in my 20’s that is all I am going to admit to, for denial is still great, and the body needs more attention as it is slowly falling apart. My realization that I am better with the exercise program, than without.

St. Paul in this part of Ephesians is noting that you do need to do something more. It isn’t hitting the gym and it purpose may surprise you.

St. Paul starts with Be Strong. However St. Paul isn’t expecting you to get out the free weights. The focus is not muscle mass, but faith in Christ.

Ephesians 6:10 (ESV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Now the why why in faith, instead of muscle mass?

Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

The goal is not to be the new weight lifting champion, but to stand against the devil. Please note that the text does not say to attack the devil.

Many Christians look at this illustration of St. Paul of putting on the armor of God as an offensive move.

That the Christians need to go out there and attack, sin, or sinners, to take the battle to the devil, to attack the sinful world around us with the Gospel, to storm the devil’s stronghold. But this is not what St. Paul is saying.

But to stand against the devil. You could call this guard duty. Few like guard duty, it is not considered glamorous.

Matthew 16:18(ESV) 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Prevail against it has the idea of a defensive action, not an offensive.

Why not an offensive, because The victory has been won, as the great Easter hymn tells us, Jesus Lives the Victory’s Won.

Luke 10:18(ESV) 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The enemy so to speak is not humanity. For Christ dies on the cross to redeem humanity. We struggle against the spiritual forces of evil.

Ephesians 6:13 (ESV) 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God (notice it is God’s Armor for a purpose), that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Consider, then, if the battle is the Lord’s, if Christ is still with us, if he has won the victory, if the arms are given by God, then it would be a mistake to presume that the outcome of the battle is uncertain. To the contrary, the Christian’s great comfort, his ability “to withstand in the evil day” (6:13), derives from his knowledge that the enemy has already been decisively defeated and that Christ already reigns in triumph at the Father’s right hand (1:20).

So we may ask what is this magic pill or armor of God so to speak?

Galatians 3:27(ESV) 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Baptismal Liturgy, Therefore, depart, you unclean spirit, and make room for the Holy Spirit in

the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The armor of God that even an infant can bear. As God gives faith through holy Baptism,

Titus 3:5 (ESV) 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Regeneration and renewal of the Holy spirit.

This is all god’s Action.

Psalm 37:7 (ESV) 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

God puts us in His Word His armor in His church to keep us safe.

Baptism liturgy: Grant that he be kept safe and secure in the holy ark of the Christian Church,

As the Ark saved believing Noah and his wife his 3 sons and their wives from the great flood, so also the Christian Church, those that gather around God’s Word and Sacrament, are kept save.

So when we see the raging of sin and turmoil in this world, we should ever cling to God’s Armor, His Word, Holy Baptism, and the gathering here at Peace, for this is the place we will be kept save in God’s holy Word and Sacraments.

Here is where we have true Peace. Amen.

Philippians 4:7 (ESV) 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.