Unfeigned Humility
The sermon teaches that true humility is essential for effective service to God and is rooted in recognizing our dependence on His grace.
Miles J. Stanford preaches on the importance of humility, emphasizing that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. True servants of God are characterized by humility, recognizing their own inadequacies and relying on God's enablement for His work. Humility is described as quietness of heart, being at peace regardless of circumstances, and finding rest in the Lord Jesus. The Father exalts those who humble themselves under His mighty hand, teaching them to find joy and contentment in Him rather than in worldly success.
Text
"God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble" (1 Peter 5:5).
Humility is the hallmark of the servant resting in, and sent from, the Father's presence.
"There is a sense in which God's true servant is always a defeated man. The one who drives on with a sense of his own importance, who is unwilling to appreciate the worthlessness of his own best efforts and is always seeking to justify himself-that one will not be meek, and so will lack the essential enablement by which God's work must be accomplished. Our brokenness must not be feigned; we must not be content with the mere language and appearance of humility. We, too, must be as conscious of Divine mercy in our being recovered for God's service as we are of the original mercy which drew us from the dark waters of death." -H.F.
"Humility is quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble. It is never to be fretted or irritated or disappointed. It is to wonder at nothing that is done to me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have my blessed home in the Lord Jesus, where I can go in and shut the door and be with my Father in secret, and be at peace when all outside is trouble." -A.M.
"The Father may allow His servant to succeed when He has disciplined him to a point where he does not need to succeed to be happy. The man who is elated by success and cast down by failure is still a carnal man. At best his fruit will have a worm in it."
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time" (1 Peter 5:6).
Sermon Outline
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I
- Definition of Humility
- Importance of Humility in Service
- Contrast Between Pride and Humility
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II
- The Role of Brokenness
- True Servanthood and Defeat
- Divine Mercy in Recovery
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III
- Characteristics of a Humble Heart
- Resting in God's Presence
- Peace Amidst Trials
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IV
- The Danger of Seeking Validation
- Success vs. True Contentment
- God's Timing in Exaltation
Key Quotes
“God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Humility is quietness of heart.” — Miles J. Stanford
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” — Miles J. Stanford
Application Points
- Reflect on areas of pride in your life and seek God's help to cultivate humility.
- Spend time in prayer and solitude with God to find peace and rest in His presence.
- Focus on serving others without seeking validation or success as a measure of your worth.