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welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our God this evening you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 55 for our call to worship Psalm 55 i'll pick up reading the latter half of the psalm beginning in verse 12 for it is not an enemy who reproaches me then i could bear it nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me then i could hide from him but it was you a man my equal my companion and my acquaintances we took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God and the throng let get death cease them let them go down alive into hell for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them as for me I will call upon God and the Lord shall save me evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my voice he has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me for there were many against me God will hear and afflict them even he who abides from of old say law because they do not change therefore they do not fear God he has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with them he has broken his covenant the words of his mouth were smoother than butter but war was in his heart his words were softer than oil yet they were drawn swords cast your burden on the Lord and he shall sustain you he shall never permit the righteous to be moved but you O God shall bring them down to the pit of destruction bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out their days or live out half their days but I will trust in you a man will turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 27 hymn number 27 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] let us pray our God and our Father it is a joy to gather in the house of the Guv God on this Lord's Day evening we thank you for the privilege that we have to gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and to call upon you our Father and how we thank you for the priestly office of Christ that he is our mediator and that we can come through him to the Father we thank you for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and certainly we praise the triune God we look with joy and anticipation to that day when we shall see Christ as he is we look forward to that day when you will consummate the age and we will enter into that eternal rest but until such time may we value in prize and and delight and the Sabbath and may you help us God to live in a manner that is consistent with your Holy Word and our Father we would ask that you would just grant us a boldness and a courage to hold forth the word of truth to those with whom we come into contact we would ask that you would be exalted in this place tonight that you would be enthroned upon our praises as we sing unto you that you would be pleased to dwell in the midst of your saints here that you would encourage our hearts that you would strengthen us with might and the inner man that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith we would pray that you would give us eager ears and hearts ready to receive the written word help us to put into practice what scripture testifies help us by the presence of the Holy Spirit to obey you and to honor you and to glorify you and even now Lord God we are ashamed in many respects of the lack of obedience to your law we confess our sins and our iniquities unto you pleading the promise of first John 1:9 thinking through the implications of Psalm 134 how we praise you that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and even now cleanse us and purify us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the by Justice of God in him we thank you for his life of perfect obedience to every jot and tittle of your law we thank you for his death at Calvary that atonement that sacrifice that satisfied divine justice and how we praise you for the resurrection and even the current session of our Lord Jesus Christ on high god we praise you that we always have one that lives to make intercession for us we praise you that he is our our blessed Redeemer and our surety and our friend and God as we sing as we pray as we look to you tonight may these things truly encourage our hearts we ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation certainly with reference to spiritual matters may you grant us all grace to resist temptation may you lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one surround us and hedge us in and cause us to be a holy people cause us to perfect holiness in the fear of god as paul bids us as well Lord bless this congregation with temporal things we know there are many among us that are sick many who struggle with chronic pain and suffering we would commit them to you into the word of your grace and pray that you would uphold encourage and strengthen each one of them Lord God we ask thee would bless other churches here in Chilliwack we thank you Father that we're not alone we thank you that there are other places faithfully proclaiming the truth of your gospel and our desire is to see those churches progress and and to grow and to know the nearness of God as their good and may you bless the preaching of all the churches here in Chilliwack to the saving of sinners we look around this community and while we are thankful that we have the peace and the Liberty and the freedom to worship you God our hearts go out to those who are not saved those who are dead in their trespasses and sins so we pray for the powerful preaching of the gospel attended by the Spirit of God and then many in this community would be turned from their useless idols to the true and living God be gracious and merciful we pray we also ask thee would bless the evangelistic and missionary enterprise going on throughout the earth we praise You God that your word is not restrained but it's going forth from sea to sea we have the promise from Scripture that Christ will have dominion from sea to sea the father has gifted him with all the nations and he is biddest church to go therefore and disciple the nation's so we thank you that this is at least in some degree going on we pray that you'd raise up more men that are qualified for the ministry according to 1st Timothy 3 and Titus 1 she would raise up more men that have a burden for lost souls and foreign lands and we pray that you would send forth men to labor in your harvest because truly it is plentiful but the laborers are few we pray for I rbs that all would go well in this transition time that this would be a solid seminary that would be committed to teaching men not only with reference to pastoring churches in our own countries but as well sending forth missionaries into distant places we do pray God for the Hamiltons and the santiago's and the copiers in China we pray father for others in other lands that you would just watch over them she would grant them safety and protection grant them usefulness under your blessing and may you indeed be pleased to save sinners in these places scripture tells us to look for many conversions from every tribe and tongue and people and nation we know that Christ indeed is enthroned at the right hand of the Father that he sends forth the holy spirit he does bless the preaching of the word and as the Prophet to his church he speaks and our Father we pray that you would give hearing ears to to people throughout the earth and that the gospel would advance and progress we ask our Lord that you'd bless Mike tonight as he preaches the word we pray that you'd set him apart fill them with your Holy Spirit cause him to handle accurately or word of truth and cause us to receive accurately your word of truth and may we not not be like that foolish man and James that looks at his reflection in the mirror and walks away and forgets what he looks like but rather cause us to be of the word may we be humbled under your word and may we be a faithful people seeking to glorify the Lord God Most High we ask that you would look with favor upon us as we continue in our worship again we pray for those regions affected by fire we ask God that firefighters would be able to contain such things that you would bless your people and watch over and and just look with favor upon your saints and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to 579 hymn number 579 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 5 Daniel chapter 5 for our scripture reading this evening Daniel 5 beginning in verse 1 Belshazzar the King made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in the presence of the thousand while he tasted the wine Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem that the king and his Lords his wives and his concubines might drink from them then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem and the king and his Lords his wives and his concubines drank from them they drank wine and praise the gods of gold and silver bronze and iron wood and stone in the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared and rode opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace and the King saw the part of the hand that road then the Kings countenance changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other the King cried aloud to bring in the astrologers the Chaldeans and the soothsayers the King spoke saying to the wise men of Babylon whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom now all the kings wise men came but they could not read the writing or make known to the king its interpretation then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled his countenance was changed and his Lords were astonished the Queen because of the words of the king and his Lords came to the banquet hall the Queen spoke saying O king live forever do not let your thoughts trouble you nor let your countenance change there is a man in your kingdom and whom is the spirit of the holy God and in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him and King Nebuchadnezzar your father your father the King made him chief of the magicians astrologers Chaldeans and soothsayers in in as much as an excellent spirit knowledge understanding interpreting dreams solving riddles and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel whom the King named Belshazzar now let Daniel be called and he will give the interpretation then Daniel was brought in before the king the King spoke and said to Daniel are you that Daniel who was one of the captives from Judah whom my father the King brought from Judah I have heard of you that the Spirit of God is in you and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you now the wise men the astrologers have been brought in before me that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation but they could not give the interpretation of the thing and I have heard of you that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom then David our Daniel answered and said before the king let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another yet I will read the writing to the King and make known to him the interpretation o King the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty glory and honor and because of the majesty that he gave him all peoples nations and languages trembled and feared before him whom ever he wished he executed whomever he wished he kept alive whomever he wished he set up and whomever he wish he put down but when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened and pride he was deposed from his kingly throne and they took his glory from him then he was driven from the sons of men his heart was made like the beasts and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys they fed him with grass like oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over whomever he chooses but you his son Belshazzar have not humbled your heart although you knew all this and you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven they have brought the vessels of this house before you and you and your Lord your wives and your concubines of drunk wine from them and you have praised the gods of silver and gold bronze and iron wood and stone which do not see or hear or know and the God who holds your breath in his hand and owns all your ways you have not glorified then the fingers of the hand were sent from him and this writing was written and this is the inscription that was written man a man a chuckle who farsan this is the interpretation of each word man a God has numbered your kingdom and finished it to cow you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting Paris your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians and Belshazzar gave the command and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom that very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain and darius the mede received the kingdom being about 62 years old amen will let us pray our Father we thank you for your sovereignty and your power displayed in such passages we know that you hold men's breath in your hand that you are the giver of life you are the one who takes life you are the God who works out his plan in history certainly your Providence is most glorious wherein you govern all your creatures and all their actions and all according to your purpose and plan to bring glory to your name and blessing to your church how we thank you that you have looked with favor upon us we thank you for the mercy and grace that you've shown us we thank you that you have given us the faith and repentance to close with our Lord Jesus Christ continue with us now we pray and his most blessed name Amen well for our final him before the preaching the words you can turn to him number 80 him number 80 again will stand as we sing together [Music] well good evening yeah if you'll turn with me you're in your Bibles to first Peter chapter 5 first Peter chapter 5 we will look at verses 5 through 7 this evening pastor Butler in the past several months has preached on the good example of humility with Peter I'm kidding we see one who is quite prideful quite arrogant but yet we see on the other side in 1st Peter chapter 5 one who has learned his ways in a lot of ways he is a do as I say not as I do kind of person but we see his row we see his discussion of humility here in verses 5 through 7 so 1st Peter 5 verses 5 through 7 but we will read verses 1 through 11 to set the context begin reading with me in verse 1 the elders who are among you I exhort I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that would be will be revealed Shepherd the flock of God which is among you serving as overseers not by compulsion but willingly not for dishonest gain but eagerly not as being lords over those who entrusted to you but being examples to the flock and when the chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders yes all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God app resists the proud and gives grace to the humble therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time by casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks over about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour resist him steadfast in the faith knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your Brotherhood in the world but may the God of all Grace who called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after you have suffered a little while perfect establish strengthen and settle you to him be the glory and Dominion for ever and ever amen well let us pray God of heaven and earth you are the lord over creation you're the one who sustains creation you're the one who is omnipotent omniscient who knows all things we know God that you are one God in three persons you are and you are a different being you are one being different from mankind you are the Creator and we are the creature Oh God yet you are please in your goodness and kindness to dwell with creatures you're pleasing your goodness and kindness to contrive all our happiness in salvation I'll contrive our happiness through Christ our King before the foundation of the world yet O God we know that many of us here struggle with pride we do not humble ourselves as we ought we consider ourselves better than others than considering others better than better than ourselves forgive us O God strengthen us with this help us to know that you do care for us and may your kindness and condescension in the cross of Jesus Christ made this humble us O God may we have a right view of ourselves a right view of you and a right view of our Savior Jesus Christ do you pray here for those who know Christ O God we pray that you would humble us help us with this battle as we do suffer as we do battle in this life help us to watch and pray and fight and for those who do not know Christ O God may you humble them by your spirit help them to show that you had them you show them your their sin through the Holy Spirit that they might see their need for Christ Jesus and believed for as your scripture says blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs truly is the kingdom of heaven save them O God grant them the gift of faith that they might believe on Jesus Christ but we do pray O God that all these things would be done to your glory for you are the Creator we are the creature we pray that you would be glorified O God in all things in the name of Christ amen well just a brief introduction to the book of first Peter before we begin first Peter is all about the idea of hope and instruction for the Christians in times of suffering now there's a specific focus on what type of suffering in first Peter and the kind of suffering that I think he highlights is the idea of verbal suffering we see in first Peter chapter 3 verse 16 having a good conscience that when they defame you as evildoers those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed and then in chapter 4 verse 14 verse 14 Peter says if you are reproached for the name of Christ blessed are you so he is referring to the idea of verbal suffering slander reproach especially from the outside world and then the less despite suffering despite verbal suffering the people of God still remain the people of God and how should the flock of God treat one another even in times of suffering because you see suffering does not then he could allow us to sin suffering is not excuse for us to sin but nonetheless how must we treat one another when we do have suffering even in the midst of persecution and in the text we're dealing with here Peter draws upon the issue of pride and several places who we see this theme in verses 5 through 6 humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and so in 1st Peter 5 verses 5 through 7 Peter charges us as believers to humble ourselves towards one another but ultimately to God by casting our cares upon him that's the focus this evening on this issue of humility but before we move further as we think through this issue let me ask you this question are you humble are you humble my answer to that question will become very apparent in a little bit but nonetheless think through that are you humble and as we look through this issue of humility we will look at three considerations or three headings this evening we will first look at the command to humble ourselves verses 5 through 6 a secondly we will look at the way to humble ourselves in verse 6 B to 7 a and then lastly the reason to help our selves so the command the way and the reason so let's first of all look at the charge to humble ourselves we actually have several charges in verses five and six we see in verse six humble yourselves that's the main one of the main verbs and then towards the end of verse five all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility and then in verse five it says you younger people submit yourselves to elders you see as we will look at in a moment humility has an outward manifestation and humility sorry initially a humility does focus on the inward aspect but there's an outward manifestation when it with respect to humility and one of the evidences of humility is this idea of submitting to one another likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders now there's been some debate on what younger people actually means here it could mean those who are actually young in age and that they're actually submitting to elders who are older than them or perhaps more related to the context especially with this work this word likewise it probably refers to church members toward their elders and perhaps younger church members or perhaps new converts towards their elders and this isn't actually uncommon for the book for a first Peter with respect to the relationships that we face in this life he talks about citizens towards the governing authorities he talks about slaves to masters wives to husbands and then here church members toward their elders and perhaps one way an apt way to describe these younger church members would be the cage staging Calvinist type perhaps in the midst of persecution they're not liking the way the eldership is going thus they think they know a little bit more than the eldership they think they understand a little bit more they perhaps read two pages of Berkoff and think they should blog about what they must do what that eldership must do and so we see here that there's people actually engaging not so much in submission but engaging in pride towards their elders because there's an outward manifestation of what pride looks like but Peter goes on further you see humility is not just an outward thing humility is an inward disposition that all Christians should exhibit and perhaps usually when we equate pride we create cockiness we create with someone who's loud and obnoxious and speaks a lot that's not the way the word meet what the word means here in first Peter that's not what the word means in the Greek it actually refers to something that's inward so it doesn't matter if you're introverted or extroverted you can still struggle with pride we may not see it but you may be the proudest peacock in the room you may look across the room at someone else who's loud you might look at the front of the room to someone who's maybe a little loud but nonetheless pride starts here and so Peter says then clothe yourselves all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility you see humility according to Colossians 3 and what Paul says there it is something that Christians must put on and even this word here to be clothed with humility it's actually a very rare word it's not viewed very many times in the New Testament so there's some difficulty understanding it but it carries the idea of taking the posture of service towards one another's toward one another I like the way Albert Martin described it's like putting on an apron in the sense that usually when our wife puts on an apron or a lady puts on a Burin it is this it is for the purpose of serving someone so we're putting on the posture of service that we might do it without being seen because this idea of humility is countercultural to the time that Peter is writing you see humility was associated with being a slave was associated with being a nobody was associated with not being seen by others by doing things that we aren't that that aren't meant to be seen by others they do things so that they may not receive praise and it is very countercultural of this timing you know what it's countercultural this time as well our focus of individual self focus on ourselves we turn all our attention to ourselves instead of outwardly to others because as Calvin says our hearts truly are like Idol factories we really very much love ourselves very much and are very prideful and Peter clearly is speaking to believers here calling us to humble ourselves so now it's clearly evident that we do struggle with this and perhaps one of the ways that epitomizes our 21st century context is that very thing called Facebook now I think there are good things about Facebook there can be good things but when you think about Facebook it's called face book saving face book it really should be called me book in a lot of ways because let's be honest whenever we go on there whenever we write something on there it is to be seen by others it is to look good in front of others people allowed to post about look I had a great calf day boom exploding legs today because of what happened I don't care you know people are sleeping you should be sleeping you know there are other things I don't mind hearing about if you have children and you have a birth you get married that's cool but there are a lot of other things that we post on Facebook in order to be seen by others very much epitomizes this desire this pride that Wells up this lack of humility within us and so Peter says clothe yourselves with humility and verse 6 therefore humble your selves because it is very much an inward thing and as Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 verse 3 he defines it very well he says consider others better than yourself and then Thomas Watson gives us probing common he says the reason this is the case is because you see your own heart and you know it better than anyone you know what lurks you know what's within you know the thoughts that you're thinking that none of us gets none of us get to see but God also knows as well and as JC rile says we have to have a right the root of humility stems from a right knowledge and it starts with the right knowledge of ourself the person who really knows himself and his own heart that person must never be a proud person brothers and sisters humility is not something that's outward its inward and then Peter gives us the grounds for he grounds it in the old testament notice what he says in verse five and be clothed with humility for God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble you see this is very much countercultural from the time you see God operates different from the world and as the Old Testament said God opposes the proud this is found from proverbs chapter three and in that the writer - the the the the the writer of the Proverbs highlights several prohibit prohibitions in verses 27 through 31 don't hold don't hold good from others don't plan evil against your neighbor don't contend for no reason don't envy a man of violence and then he gives some motivations and one of those motivations is that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble and what does this actually mean God giving grace to the humble well I think Gil's very helpful here he says it refers to even the grace to be humble I think that's the way that James takes in James chapter 4 when he quotes the same text in James chapter 4 verse 6 James writes but he gives more grace therefore he says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble therefore submit to God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God and He will draw near to you cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded lament and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom humble yourselves in the of the Lord and he shall lift you so only struggle with pride when we struggle with the inward aspect of pride we can go to God and ask him for grace to deal with that and grace to deal with many other things as well so the call then here brothers and sisters is to humble ourselves and as I've said already he's speaking to believers here because we still struggle with this very much even with that thing called Facebook Christians posts very Christian II type things Christians pose very boastful things now perhaps you do mean it because you want people to be encouraged by the words that you've been reading or is it because you want people to see who you're reading do you post things kind of to show how smart you are or is it because you actually want people to be edified by what you're saying because it's very much an inward thing but you want to hear something incredibly dreadful I see posts like that I see posts of people showing how they're doing their devotions on a Sunday when we should be keeping it to ourselves before God and I look at them and I see them and I think I am better than them because I don't do those things what does that show us brothers and sisters it shows us that pride stems from here it shows us that humility begins right here even why do we serve why do we do things in the church let's be honest every time we do something let's not let's not kid ourselves there probably is some sense where there's like a look at me a little bit of moment in those times nonetheless we can still go to our God and he can help us and strengthen us so we are called to humble ourselves but how exactly do we do that so let us look then we've looked at the command to humble ourselves on this look secondly at the way tumble ourselves in verses 5 vs. 6 B to 7 a that the phrase that he might exalt you will come back at to in a moment but nonetheless vs. 6a 6b to 7a therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God you see we must not only have a right view of ourselves but we must have a right view of who God is rile again the PERT it's actually the same court I just broke it up the person who knows God and His infinite majesty and holiness that person will never be a proud person you see even here humble yourselves under God that he might exalt you in due time but this this this word under the mighty hand of God is also a rare word in the New Testaments actually found only here in the New Testament which means that you draw our attention back to the Old Testament it's a jar draw our attention back to the book of Exodus when God by his mighty hand brought the people out of bondage when God by his mighty hand brought the people from slavery under a proud tyrant they released him they really he released them from captivity we see that Exodus 3:19 in Exodus 6 chapter 1 as well but even what we said already God opposes the proud and gives grace to them well he we see here he's opposed the pride of Pharaoh with what we've read already in Daniel 5 here prose is the pride of Belshazzar see God will bring the prideful down God will bring the arrogant down the ones who do not profess faith in Jesus Christ he will humble them on that day of judgment and if you're an unbeliever here today you are prideful against this holy God you look to yourself instead of this God and He will humble you believe on Christ now repent of your sins and you shall have everlasting life but we see here God's mighty hand to deliver his people from tyranny to leave deliver his people from the captivity of sin and we even see here sometimes the wisdom of God's providence they were under slavery for a while they were under bondage for a while and when we think about sometimes we don't always understand and God's dealings providentially sometimes you understand the ways in which life goes but neither did the one who wrote this book either when we think about Matthew chapter 16 he Peters just confessed that Peter is that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and then several verses later he said Christ is saying how he must go and suffer and die and Peter's saying Lord may it never be and as we've seen through I think three weeks ago several weeks ago we see Christ foretell prophesy that Peter will deny him and Peter even after Christ says you will deny him Peter says right now won't happen not gonna happen and then even what we saw today with Peters swinging his sword trying to prevent the very Providence of God to prevent the very plan of God you see God deals with us God deals with the world in ways that we cannot understand sometimes he is the God of heaven and earth he is wise overall and sometimes we'll look at this in a little bit moment sometimes in our life some things come upon us and we don't know why but it may be to show us further our need for Christ our King our need for God as proverbs 3 again says trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding so we have to have a right view of Hugh got as a humility towards God but notice what Peter says in verse 7 therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God by casting all your care upon him by you see the the III added that word by in there because I think that's how it should be translated you see the way this verb is functioning the way this word is functioning ties in with the word to humble yourselves humble yourselves by casting all your cares upon him now there's an implication with respect to that isn't there because what does it mean why does casting your cares upon him what does that have to do with pridefulness what does that have to do with being arrogant you see when we trust our own way when we are anxious in a lot of ways and not trusting in God we are essentially saying to God we have a different way we have a different plan our plan is better than yours we think we know better than God Almighty but we don't know better than God Almighty and even this word anxiety care I think does refer to the cares and anxieties of the world but sometimes those circumstances are magnified under persecution you see care is very much used that way in Matthew chapter 13 the parable of the sower the cares of the anxieties of the world come upon them but these circumstances are magnified all the more under persecution and we're being mocked when we are being reviled when perhaps we're being beaten and thrown in prison all those regular things are magnified all the more and sometimes perhaps our anxiety we don't always trust God as we should and so pride not only takes its form with respect to how we view with the outward manifestation but it also takes affect with respect to how we view our lives do we trust in our God humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God by casting your cares upon him the reality is there are many anxieties and cares that we have in this life there are many trials and tribulations and difficulties that we face in this life nonetheless we must still go to our God by casting our cares upon him so the application is how do we humble ourselves then brothers and sisters by going to our God in prayer as we've heard so often recently in the sermons in the morning watch and pray and fight must he pray to our God asking him for strength and grace we must read the Word of God reminding us of our lot in this life reminding us of what our Christ calls us to do because we have been saved and also perhaps participating and being present at the means of grace the primary means through which God speaks to his people so how then do we humble ourselves by casting anxieties upon God so then why should we humble ourselves we've seen the command to humble ourselves we've seen the RIA the way to humble ourselves let us look thirdly then at the reason to humble ourselves notice at the end of verse seven for he cares for you you see sometimes when we are prideful and arrogant we do need a correcting rod but sometimes we need a comforting reminder as well that's the way Peter seems to go with this for he cares for you and when we think about proverbs 3 verses 19 and 20 by wisdom as God founded the earth by understanding he established the heavens as Peter says in 5 verse 11 to him be the glory and Dominion for ever and ever amen this high and lofty one cares for you this one who cares for man who is a worm this one who considers more valuable than the lilies more valuable than the birds of the air he cares for us and perhaps we sometimes ask the question how do I know that he cares for me because sometimes perhaps we say with the psalmist how long O Lord how long must we go through these certain types of things but nonetheless we still have reminders and ways that he does care for us even though there's times we do not feel like he does and there are two ways that we'll look at are first of all two graces his sustaining grace and then secondly his saving grace that shows that he cares for us so we see his sustaining grace perhaps we see a sustaining grace in the purpose for the trials that we face you know in 1st Peter 1 verse 7 he kind of does explain why we go through certain things that the genuineness of your faith being much more precious than gold that perishes though it tested by fire may be found to praise honor and glory at revelation of Jesus Christ whom whom have not seen who me whom having not seen you love that it's to test the genuineness of our faith that's probably why that's one of the reasons why we go through various trials in this life another reason perhaps we are being prideful and arrogant and perhaps God Almighty must bring us down a notch or two perhaps we think we know better than everyone and God is saying you really know nothing you know if I'm being really honest and candid about seminary and about a master's degree and the further you study one of the professor said the more you study the realize how little you realize the more you realize how little you actually know I can't tell you how true that if we can help very little about this life just walk into a used bookstore and see all the volumes on one wore that I've never heard of before you see we know nothing God knows everything but yet he may be bringing us down perhaps in our times of anxiety he is driving to this driving us to Christ driving us to the Savior perhaps it is a time of reproof you know the writer to the Hebrews and Hebrews 12 quotes proverbs three again the Lord reproves him whom he loves perhaps that is a way that God is showing how he sustains us and protects us and preserves us and shows us further our need for him so maybe we don't feel like God is with us but perhaps he's showing us further our need for him that we might that this love for the world might be broken all the more that we might have more love for Christ our King he's breaking us she's causing us humbling our humbling us under him but not only do we see the sustaining grace and the purpose for the trials but we see his sustaining grace in Christ we see that in Christ commonality with our sufferings you know on earth Christ was reviled and mocked Christ went through the very same things Peter is writing against and Peter uses Christ as an example in verses 21 through 25 he says for to this you were called because also suffered for us leaving us an example that you should follow his steps who committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth who when he was reviled did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but committed himself to him who judges righteously who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree that we having died to sins might live for righteousness by though by whose stripes you were healed for you were like sheep going astray but have now returned to the Shepherd and overseer of your souls you see Christ was mocked and reviled and he took it sometimes and we're mocked and reviled were quick to respond and defend ourselves Christ took it on our behalf yet you and I cannot Luke 23 further highlights Christ mockings and sufferings how many different types of people mocked him in Luke chapter 23 we see the chief priests and scribes the Pharisees and the Jews mocking him we see the Romans mocking him are you really the King of the Jews save yourself and then we see thieves mocking him consider the murderers mocking him considered the lowest of the low yet he did not revile back so he understands our suffering and he is that great great high priest who is like us in every way yet without sin but he's also with his people even when during his reign now what does he say to Paul in acts 9 you are persecuting me he is with us when we are persecuted he strengthens us when we were persecuted and I don't know about you but sometimes in great trials sometimes there's a greater sense that our Savior is with us bitter sense that he is near and drawing near to us in times when we need him the most not always because like the psalmist they're going through difficult times yet they still trust in the Lord but perhaps in other ways in those difficult times Christ is near with us perhaps you remember or heard of the missionary in the 19th century John Patton the one who is the missionary to Vanuatu was now modern-day Vanuatu to the cannibals and he had to flee for his life and one night he had to hide in a tree and these are the words that he said while he was in that tree and he had gone through many sorrows brothers and sisters he says never in all my sorrows did my lord draw near to me alone yet not alone if it be to glorify my god I will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree to feel again my saviors spiritual presence to enjoy his consoling fellowship if thus thrown back upon your own soul alone all alone in the Midnight's in the bush in the very embrace of death itself have you a friend that will not fail you then gladly would I have lingered there for one night of comparative peace see Christ is with us and he sustains us and strengthens us and prepares our hearts for eternity so we see how God Almighty sustains us and it's a reminder sometimes we need these reminders but we also see how God cares for us and his saving grace as well we see that in what Christ won and what Christ did but what Christ won we see in chapter 5 verse 6 that he may exalt you in due time you see Christ was in a state of humiliation now he's in a state of exaltation and just as we are in a state of humiliation so too will we be exalted one day as well because we have commonality with Christ the firstborn the firstfruits of the Resurrection because of what he has done because of his life death and resurrection because he was raised from the dead we have hope that we will be raised from the dead as well Oh death where is your sting Oh death where is your victory and it's because of Christ Almighty and we can take hope knowing that our sufferings only are for a little while because when we die we will be taken with Christ but when he comes again our bodies will be raised and we will to participial will get to participate in full that inheritance that is imperishable unfading and undefiled so this is one aspect of what Christ won and it really is one of those things that shows us it shows us that in the due time when Christ comes but we also see what Christ did for us Ryle again the person who knows Christ and the price at which he was redeemed that person will never be a proud person you see here we see the cross work of Christ we see the Exodus the the prodi-g the the second Exodus the the prototypical Exodus if you will in which Christ saved us from sin saved us from bondage to the sin saved us from our being slaves to righteousness and then the less are called to humble ourselves very much is rooted in the gospel and this is exactly what Paul does for us in Philippians chapter 2 after he says in Philippians chapter 2 that you need to consider others better than yourself he goes on in 5 let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God did not consider robbery robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross therefore God has also highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every night name that at the name of Jesus every taut knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father so perhaps we don't always remember perhaps who always forget the ways in which God cares for us but nonetheless we see the ways in which he does and his sustaining grace and his saving grace as well and perhaps we should confess with the song but I have trusted in your mercy my heart shall rejoice in your salvation even when we don't always feel like God is near so then so brothers and sisters we've seen the charge the way and the reason to humble ourselves in conclusion then we really are called to humble ourselves to one another considering others better than ourselves and ultimately considering God better than ourselves by casting our cares upon him because he cares for us because he cares for you then we know this because he did not leave us in our sin but sent his son we know this because of the cross work of Jesus Christ we know this because he sustains us in our trials we know this because he does correct us when we are being prideful we know this because he hears our prayers we know this because as he has raised Christ he will grant us this inheritance as well and that's just several things under many things that show us how God truly does care for us brothers and sisters there's this humble you does it the fact that the God of heaven and earth cares for you now unbeliever how do you view yourself you see you take your glory off the Savior and you put it onto yourself every time you transgress the law of God you are sinning against this God you think your standards are higher and better than God's standards you think that you have a better way of salvation in God's Way of salvation the way that is prescribed in Scripture is believing on Jesus Christ believing on the one who humbled himself and if you believe on this one who humbled himself you shall have everlasting life you shall have joy unending but if you do not as I've said he will humble you he will bring you down believe on Jesus Christ and you shall have ever last life believe so let me close with this question that we began with are you humble let's pray Oh God Almighty we thank you for your mercies we thank you for your grace in Christ our King we do thank you that Christ did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but humbled himself taking make himself of no reputation taking the form of man assuming human nature for oh god we are worm and we are wicked and we have sinned against your law and we set ourselves up against you O God for those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and still live with remaining corruption help us and strengthen us that we might consider to continue to humble ourselves under your hand by casting our cares upon us knowing that you do care for your people and for those that are unbelievers here today O God would you cause them by your spirit to convict them and show them their sin convict them to show them their need for Christ that they might humble themselves though they might be poor in spirit that the kingdom of God may be theirs and father God we do thank you for this truth that you do care for us may this humble us may this strengthen us may this comfort us may you continue to remind us of your great grace towards us and we praise you for all these things in the name of Christ amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation you