Quote By A. W. Tozer

"Humility always wins where force cannot win."

Tozer, A. W.  Voice of A Prophet.  Ed. James L. Snyder.  Minneapolis, MN:  Bethany House, 2014.  p. 62.

Verse of The Week (03/11/16)

Heart Cry: Keep Me Small & Humble (Jam. 4:6) (Part 4)

As we begin to wrap up this message, we must engage today's heart cry.  Our heart cry is, or at least it should be, “Lord, keep me small and humble.”

“They that know God, will be humble, and they that know themselves cannot be proud.”¹ (John Flavel)

   A little boy came to his father one day and said, “Dad, I measured myself, and I’m eight feet, four inches tall.”

   His father said, “Son, you know you’re not eight feet tall.”

   “Yes, I am,” the boy replied. “I measured myself, and I’m more than eight rulers tall.” 

   The father went to see what the boy was measuring himself with and discovered it was a six-inch ruler. You can always get taller if you’re using the wrong gauge.

   A lot of us think more of ourselves than we ought to think because we’re measuring ourselves against the wrong people. We’re comparing ourselves with each other instead of with God. We need to measure ourselves against the right standard.² (Tony Evans)

1 Pet. 5:6

Bring your heart cry to Jesus.

1 http://www.preceptaustin.org/james_46_commentary.htm (accessed 3.2.16)

2 Evans, Tony. The Battle Is the Lord's. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, n.d.

Heart Cry: Keep Me Small & Humble (Jam. 4:6) (Part 3)

Several questions arise from this verse (Jam. 4:6).

What is pride?  Pride is the tendency to declare or think of yourself as being above other people, that you are better than or superior to them.  Pride is the mindset that keeps you thinking you have no need to obey God.

Never let it be said God didn't warn you! “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling” (Prov. 16:18). “A man’s pride will bring him low . . .” (Prov. 29:23). “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

Why is God opposed to pride? Pride is illustrated in the building of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 1:28; 9:1; 11:4). God's instruction:  Multiply, spread out and fill the earth.  Man's intention:  Multiply, stay put and don't fill the earth.

Read Jam. 4:1-6a. This is the context of today's Bible verse. God is opposed to pride because it says, “God, I know that You want exclusive rights to me (Jam. 4:5) and that, though it is difficult sometimes to give up selfishness and worldliness (Jam. 4:1-4), You give extra grace (Jam. 4:6a) so I can please You and obey You; no thanks, my way is better.”

What does it mean when it says God is opposed?  A good example of God's opposing someone is found in Numbers 22:22. God's opposing a person means He stands in that person's way so that he or she cannot prosper.

By the way, it isn't just that God is opposed to pride. God hates it! (Prov. 8:13). In the Greek, the word “opposed” means 'God sets Himself to do battle against.' You can be sure about this: If God sets Himself to do battle against you, you will neither prosper nor prevail.

Have you ever met someone who never seems to catch a break – not ever – in life? How much of this person's misery does he bring upon himself, simply because he will not humble himself before God?  

Heart Cry: Keep Me Small & Humble (Jam. 4:6) (Part 2)

“GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” (Jam. 4:6)

Today's verse contains a contrast.  The contrast is illustrated in the “Parable of the Pharisee And the Publican” (Read Lu. 18:9-14).  Did you see the pride of the Pharisee and the humility of the publican?

Let's go back to the verse in James.  Several questions arise from this verse.  (We will examine those questions tomorrow.)

Heart Cry: Keep Me Small & Humble (Jam. 4:6) (Part 1)

Three Sundays ago we started a new series called “Heart Cry.”  I asked the question, “What is on God's heart?”  Do you remember the candy hearts?  On each was written a saying, expressing the giver's desire.  

Three Sundays ago, this is what was on God's heart: “Be true.”  We looked into 3 John 3-4, considering the meaning of “walking in the truth.”  In response to this, our heart cry was, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus.”

Two Sundays ago, this is what was on God's heart: “Be dependent.”  We looked into John 15:5, considering the meaning of “abiding in Jesus.”  In response to this, our heart cry was, “Lord, keep me dependent.”

We're going to switch Bible authors, from John to James.  Today's Bible verse is James 4:6 - “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.'

How many of you have a translation in which half of those words are in capital letters?  When you see this, you now that the writer is quoting from or alluding to the Old Testament, which is the left section in your Bible.  In this case the writer, James, is alluding to Psa. 138:6 and quoting from Prov. 3:34. (Read these two verses.)

So far in our series, here is the conclusion that holds the sermons together: God's heart is that you would want what He wants for you.  The natural question becomes, What does God want for you? More specifically, what does God want for you today, hearing this message?  God wants for you to be small and humble before Him.

Other Sets of Eyes

You don't really think you can go it alone, I hope. Case in point: Mexico vs. Argentina last Saturday.

I know the referee made a bad call (re: Argentina's first "goal"). Team Mexico knows the referee made a bad call. Everyone watching on TV knows the referee made a bad call. Even fans and players for Argentina know the referee made a bad call.

Everyone makes mistakes. The bad call is not the issue. The issue is that the call stood. There was a brief moment when even the referee seemed to question his call. With stakes so high, the right thing to do was not to be right but to get the call right. Other sets of eyes were not brought into the situation.

One bad call created momentum. Argentina never looked back and Mexico never recovered (from the distraction). Could the outcome of the game have been different had the right call been made?

There is a game with much higher stakes. It's the game of life. Many bad calls in life can be avoided simply by including other sets of eyes. Lesson: Let people speak correction into your life. Easier said than done.