Humble Yourselves Under the Mighty Hand of God

In one paragraph

This message came from 1 Peter 5:6-11, a single paragraph that Pastor Nathan said has stayed on his mind for two to three weeks and that he finds more useful than almost anything else when people come to him struggling to get out of their own way. He laid out four imperatives from the text and four things God promises to do in response. The sermon closed with communion, which he framed as the...

Read together

1. Psalm 136 Opening reading: 'give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever'
2. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Carl read it as a matter of first importance: Christ died for sins, was buried, raised on the third day according to the scriptures
3. Isaiah 64 We are the clay and he is the potter, we are the work of his hand
4. Romans 8:28 In all things God works for the good of those who love him, called according to his purpose
5. 1 Peter 5:6-11 The main text of the sermon: humble yourselves, cast your anxiety, be sober, be on alert, resist the devil
6. James 4:6-10 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble; submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, humble yourselves and he will exalt you
7. Ephesians 5 Wake O sleeper, arise from the dead, referenced as staying alert and not going back to sleep
8. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; God will provide a way of escape
9. Matthew 7:24-25 Anyone who hears these words and acts on them is like a man who built his house on the rock
10. Ephesians 6:10-11 Benediction: be strong in the Lord and his mighty power, put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil's schemes

Talk about it

1. Peter describes himself as a 'fellow elder' rather than speaking from a position above his readers. What does that kind of shared authority look like in practice, and where do you see it or miss it in your own relationships?
2. The pastor said that casting your cares on God is part of humbling yourself, and that reeling your anxieties back in after handing them over is the opposite of true casting. What makes it so hard to leave something with God once you have given it to Him?
3. The sermon pointed out that 'be sober' covers more than alcohol or substances, that anything intoxicating can take your wits out of the question. What are the things in your own life that most reliably pull your attention away from what God is doing?
4. Peter says the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by brothers and sisters throughout the world, and the pastor connected that to not feeling like the lone ranger in your struggles. How does knowing others are going through the same thing actually change the way you carry difficulty day to day?
5. The closing promises, that God will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us, are described as things that are on God, not on us, after we have done the four things Peter commands. Where do you find it hardest to stop striving and let God do that completing work?