Bible Study Notes
4-23-2016 work party
A.
Murray, Humility
Chapter
5
Highlighted=quote from book
Pray
Recap
God Created us to show
& share His goodness
Pride interferes w/ the
great blessings God wants to give us & empower us to give to others
Pride comes from the devil,
entered the world at the fall
We must be restored to
full humility to regain that connection to the full blessedness God offers
Jesus is the source of
restored humility, we get it from and through Him.
Jesus is the model of
that fruitful humility; he was perfectly yielded to the Father & the Spirit
We therefore need to
prayerfully study Jesus’ life & strive to follow His examples.
Humility brings
blessing/effectiveness
Humility
is manifested in meekness & service
We have been looking for insights about humility
from Jesus’ life & teaching
This week we’ll look at Jesus' disciples to see what
we can learn from their lives and teachings
The
Disciples’ humility was far from perfect
Religion
& effective service are possible (to a degree) without true humility
The disciples showed great religious zeal &
rendered great service, but lacked consistent humility
deeper down
than all this there was a dark power, of the existence and the hideousness of
which they were hardly conscious, which had to be slain and cast out,
We may find
professors and ministers, evangelists and workers, missionaries and teachers,
in whom the gifts of the Spirit are many and manifest, and who are the channels
of blessing to multitudes, but of whom, when the testing time comes, or closer
intercourse gives fuller knowledge, it is only too painfully manifest that the
grace of humility, as an abiding characteristic, is scarce to be seen.
External
teaching and personal effort are not enough—on their own or in combination—to truly
conquer pride
For three
years the disciples had been in the
training school of Jesus.
They had
doubtless often tried to learn His
lessons, and firmly resolved not
again to grieve Him. But all in vain.
Nothing can avail but this, that the
new nature in its divine humility be revealed in power to take the place of the
old, to become as truly our very
nature as that ever was.
It is
only by the indwelling of Christ, via the Holy Spirit, that we become truly
humble.
All Christ's
teaching of His disciples, and all their vain efforts, were the needful preparation for His entering
into them in divine power, to give and be in them what He had taught them
to desire.
The work of
preparation and conviction, the awakening of desire and hope which His teaching
had effected, was perfected by the mighty
change that Pentecost wrought.
It is only
where we, like the Son, truly know and show that we can do nothing of
ourselves, that God will do all.
Those
dynamics are reflected in scriptural accounts of the lives of the disciples
Acts
1:6-8, 12-14; 2:1-4, 42-47
When they had gathered together they
asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He
answered them, “It is not for you to
know the times or seasons that the Father has established (We must rely on God) by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when
the holy Spirit comes upon you (Power
to do God’s will comes from God, but God will honor/act upon & through
those who seek His will), and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
***
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey
away. 13 When
they entered the city they went to the
upper room where they were staying, … 14 All these devoted themselves
with one accord to prayer (the necessary,
but not sufficient part that we play—focused/ prioritized/continuing prayer—mutual
reinforcement)
***
1 When the time for Pentecost was
fulfilled, they were all in one place
together. 2 And suddenly there came from
the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in
which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them
tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with
the holy Spirit (God
honored their efforts)
***
42 They
devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to
the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. (contrast that to the disputes about who is the greatest)
43 Awe came upon everyone, and
many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together
and had all things in common 45 they would sell their property and possessions and divide
them among all according to each one’s need. 46 Every day they devoted
themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in
their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and enjoying favor
with all the people. And
every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. (the fruits of humility)
Romans 7:14-24; 8:18-19, 23, 26-27
… I am
a creature of flesh and blood sold as a slave
to sin.15 I do not understand my own behavior; I do not act as I mean to (helplessness
on our owns, even amongst those greatly gifted), but
I do things that I hate.16 While I am acting as I do not want to, I still
acknowledge the Law as good, 17 so it is not myself acting, but
the sin which lives in me.
***
21 So
I find this rule: that for me, where I want to do nothing but good, evil is close at my side. 22 In my inmost self I
dearly love God's law, 23 but I see that acting on my body there is a different
law which battles against the law in my mind…24 What a wretched man I am! Who
will
rescue me from this body doomed to death? God -- thanks be to him -- through Jesus
Christ our Lord.(we
can’t do it on our own, but only through God’s grace, which He will provide if
we seek/accept it)
***
26 … the Spirit
too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do
not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit
personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words;(Bring
your weaknesses & failures before God, even if you don’t know what to say) 27 and he who can see into all hearts knows
what the Spirit means because the prayers that that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in
accordance with the mind of God. 28 We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have
been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good (God responds). 29 He decided beforehand who were the ones destined to be molded
to the pattern of his Son, so that he should be the eldest of many brothers;30 it was those so destined that he called; those that he called,
he justified, and those that he has justified he has brought into glory.
Common Pattern:
Recognition of weakness on their own
Going to God for help
God honoring that
The disciples’ teachings recognized that pattern
Philippians
4:6-8
6 Never
worry about anything (accept that you can’t do
it on your own); but tell God
all your desires of every kind in prayer
and petition (go to God for help) shot through with gratitude, and the peace of God
which is beyond our understanding will
guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus (God
honors that).
Hebrews
4:14-16
14 Since in Jesus, the Son of God, we
have the supreme high priest
who has gone through to the highest heaven, we must hold firm to our profession
of faith. 15
For the high priest we have is not incapable of feeling our weaknesses (recognition of weakness/inadequacy)
with us, but has been put to the test in
exactly the same way as ourselves, apart from sin. 16
Let us, then, have no fear in
approaching the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace when we are in need of help.(Going to God for help)
James 1:2-5; 4:8
2 My brothers, consider it a great joy when
trials of many kinds come upon you, 3 for you well know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and 4
perseverance must complete its work so that you will become fully developed, complete, not
deficient in any way. 5 Any
of you who lacks wisdom (Recognition
of weakness/inadequacy) must ask God (Going to God for help) , who gives to all generously and
without scolding; it will
be given. (God honors that).
***
8 The
nearer you go to God, the nearer God
will
come to you. (Going to God for help, God honors that)
1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Bow
down, then, before the power of God (recognition
of weakness, seeking God’s help) now, so that he
may raise you up in due time (God
honors that); 7 unload all your burden on to him, since
he is concerned about you.
1 John 1:8-9 & 5:14
If
we say, 'We have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; (Recognition of weakness/inadequacy) 9
if we acknowledge our sins(Going to God for help), he is trustworthy and
upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil(God honors that).
***
Our fearlessness towards him consists
in this, that if we ask anything in
accordance with his will( seeking God’s help) he hears us (God
honors that).
