PROPERLY APPROACHING (American)PRIVILEGE-III
—Matthew 21:33-46
OR:
A CHRISTIAN APPROACH To AMERICAN PRIVILEGE
Attention & Need:
Americans(& generally any nation which is free) are A Privileged & Proud Nation/People...But many Americans, including yourselves, may find your ‘privilege & pride’ are misplaced--or--centered on illegitimate sources.
Characters/Representations in the parable:
Landowner—God
Vineyard—Israel as the focus of God’s attentions & love(& thus also speaks to the Church)
Wall—Ownership/Separation/Protection
Wine Press—Anticipation of fruitfulness/A return
Tower—Concern/Protection
Vine-growers—Spiritual Leaders/Nurture
Slaves—Prophets(Apostles & speaks to(?Preachers/Teachers?)
Son—Son of God/Jesus
Thru this parable, Jesus highlighted/clarified a proper approach to an God-ordained privilege.
There is a Proper(Christian) Approach to (American)Privilege.
What is a Proper/Christian Approach to (American)Privilege?
Or
How should America approach her God-ordained privilege?
9 approaches to American privilege.
We have previously discovered that we must
Approach our (American)privilege with...
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
Furthermore, you must...
4—Approach your (American)privilege with...
HUMILITY(:35-39)
Explanation:(:35-39)
Humble—“Not thinking of yourself as better than other people.”
:35—“And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, & stoned another.”
The spiritual leadership[leasers/renters] “beat,” “killed,” & “stoned” the prophets[servants/slaves].
God, the Owner, will find that those He had ‘left’ to tend the vines & harvest it’s produce, had instead produced animosity toward His servants & thereby, ultimately Himself(the Owner).
:36—“Again he sent other servants, more than the first, & they did likewise to them.”
He was forgiving & patient, & graciously sent other prophets[servants/slaves] in even greater abundance. He did this not to overwhelm but to convict!
The spiritual leaders reacted as before.
Their attitudes were not softened toward the Owner of the land/house.
Such describes the sin of pride, & it’s indifference toward the authority of the Owner.
:37—“Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’”
He then graciously sent his son, believing he would be respected more than the slaves.
:38—“But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him & seize his inheritance.’”
However, the spiritual leaders decided among themselves to kill the son. They reasoned that the vineyard would be given to them if the son were removed from the scenario surrounding the “inheritance.” Without an heir, the obvious inheritors would be those who ‘cared for’ the vineyard.
Abraham ‘supposed’(unmaliciously) that his God-ordained/promised inheritance would go to Eliezer of Damascus(Gen. 15:1-3, 4-6).
Gen. 15:1-6—After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, & the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside & said, “Look now toward heaven, & count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD, & He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
They rejected the son as no part of the vineyard[which was His].
Heb. 6:4-8—“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame. For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, & bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns & briars, it is rejected & near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.”
:39—“So they took him & cast him out of the vineyard & killed him.”
These farmers were so given to their own way, that they even took hold of the son & “cast him out” of his own vineyard. They not only “threw him out” but they even “killed him.”
Explanation/Illustration:
*Pride is cold, indifferent, uncaring, & ultimately selfish. Pride is ‘hot toward self. Pride gives deference(respect) to self. Pride ‘cares’ for self. It is getting, & getting others, to do what you want, in the way you want it. Pride brings about the undoing of everything that is godly.
In churches pride is covered with a religious or pious ‘coat,’ so that it ‘has the look’ without the love. Pride & love do not & cannot exist together in harmony.
Humility “is not abject depreciation. It is not ignominious[shameful/disgraceful] groveling in the dust. That would be a denial of your being the loved creation & handiwork of God.” ““Humility is probably the most unpopular virtue demanded by the gospel, yet until a man is humble, no good thing can come from him no matter what he may do. The Lord can do such great things for[& thru] us if we are humble, & so very little for[& thru] us when we are proud.””(author unknown)—Myron Loss in ‘Humility’ @ SermonCentral.com 2004
“If you do dislike him[the humble person] it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”—C. S. Lewis
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”—Rick Warren
“If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know.” This is only another name for docility. This is the characteristic of an ideal disciple.”…..“But alas! when the consciousness of humility goes into the heart, the grace of humility goes out.”…..“Socrates(469-399 BC) was declared to be the wisest man in Greece. He was asked, “What do you know?” “I don’t know anything”” was his reply.—Keith Brooks in ‘The Summarized Bible: Complete Summary of the New Testament’
*Now if Socrates, who did not pretend to know God, knew humility, truly believing that he knew nothing(though others thought he knew much), then where is the Christian who does not know & live out humility in himself?!
Humility always allows God’s will to reign. And Pride cannot exist where God's will reigns!
Illustration:
We were living in seminary housing at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC ~ 1993/At ~ 6 yrs. old, our oldest daughter, Catherine noticed thru our bedroom window that a new little girl had moved in & was walking near our apartment with her Mom & Dad/Catherine wanted to meet her & she excitedly begged me to let her go physically welcome the little girl & offer her some Hershey Kisses/Catherine was not allowed to have any herself(for a now forgotten reason)/We agreed to let her share with the little girl/We watched form our bedroom window/Before too long, Catherine began sharing the Kisses but we noticed something strange...Catherine was eating the Kisses too!/Not only that but she was eating more than she was offering the little girl!/She was exemplifying pride--Disobeying us(her parents) as well as short-changing the new neighbor--the opposite of HUMILITY!
A Horse to it’s Rider/Gradually, thru proper training, gives itself to the desire/‘whim’ of the Rider/The Horse will allow itself to be directed solely by the rider so that even in the cacophony & tumult of battle, it obeys it’s ‘master’/HUMILITY
—:35—
“Vinedressers/Vine-growers”(See :33, 34, 38, 40)—gewrgov—Noun Masc.—1) A husbandman, tiller of the soil, a vine dresser. Strong—A land-worker, i.e. Farmer. Used 19X.
From—gh—1) Arable land; 2) The ground, the earth as a standing place; 3) The main land as opposed to the sea or water; 4) The earth as a whole; 5) A country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region. Strong—Soil; by extension--A region, or the solid part or the whole of the terrene globe.—& the base of—ergon—1) Business, employment, that which any one is occupied; 2) Any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; 3) An act, deed, thing done: The idea of working is emphasized in opposition to that which is less than work. Strong—from a primary(but obsolete) ergw(to work); Toil(as an effort or occupation); by implication--An act.
“Took”(See :39; :34—“Receive”)—lambanw—Verb—1) To take—; 2) To receive(what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Servants/Slaves”(See :34, 36)—doulov—Noun Masc.—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition—1a) A slave, 1b) metaph.--One who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending & advancing his cause among men, 1c) Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; 2) A servant, attendant. Doulov is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master. Strong—A slave(literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency).
“Beat”—derw—Verb—1) To flay, skin; 2) To beat, thrash, smite. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To flay, i.e. by implication--To scourge, or by analogy--To thrash. Used 15X.
“One”—men—Particle—1) Truly, certainly, surely, indeed. Strong—a primary particle; properly--Indicative of affirmation or concession(in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with de(this one, the former, etc).
“Killed”(See :38, 39)—apokteinw—Verb—1) To kill in any way whatever—1a) To destroy, to allow to perish; 2) metaph.--To extinguish, abolish—2a) To inflict mortal death, 2b) To deprive of spiritual life & procure eternal misery in hell. Strong—from apo[off, away from] & kteinw(to slay); To kill outright; figuratively--To destroy.
“One/Another”2X(See :36—allov)—on de——ov, h , o—1) Who, which, what, that. Strong—the relatively (sometimes demonstrative)pronoun--Who, which, what, that.—&——de—(See :37, 38)1) But, moreover, &, etc..
“Stoned”—liyobolew—Verb—1) To kill by stoning, to stone; 2) To pelt one with stones. Strong—To throw stones, i.e. Lapidate. Used 9X.
From—liyov—1) A stone—1a) Of small stones, 1b) Of building stones, 1c) metaph.--of Christ. Strong—apparently a primary word; A stone(literally or figuratively). RWP—Liyov is a loose stone in the path.—&—ballw—1) To throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls. Strong—a primary verb; To throw(in various applications, more or less violent or intense).
“Another/Third”—on de—See “One” above.
—:36—
“Again”—palin—Adverb—1) Anew, again—1a) Renewal or repetition of the action, 1b) Again, anew; 2) Again, i.e. further, moreover; 3) In turn, on the other hand. Strong—probably from the same as palh(through the idea of oscillatory repetition); adverbially--Anew, i.e. of place--Back, of time--Once more, or conjunctionally--Furthermore or on the other hand.
“Sent”(See :34, 37)—apostellw—Verb—1) To order(one) to go to a place appointed; 2) To send away, dismiss—2a) to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty, 2b) To order one to depart, send off, 2c) To drive away. Apostellw includes a reference to equipment & suggests official or authoritative sending. Strong—Set apart, i.e. by implication--To send out(properly, on a mission) literally or figuratively.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—stellw—properly--To set fast ("stall"), i.e. figuratively--To repress reflexively--Abstain from associating with.
“Other/Another”(See :35, 41)—allov—Adj.—1) Another, other. Allov as compared with eterov denotes numerical in distinction from qualitative differences; allov adds('one besides'), eterov distinguishes('one of two'); every eterov is an allov but not every allov is a eterov; allov generally denotes simple distinction of individuals, eterov involves the secondary idea of difference of kind. Strong—a primary word; “Else,” i.e. Different(in many applications).
“Group”—Added for English clarity/interpretation.
“Servants/Slaves”(See :34, 35)—doulov—Noun Masc.—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition—1a) A slave, 1b) metaph.--One who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending & advancing his cause among men, 1c) Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; 2) A servant, attendant. Doulov is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master. Strong—A slave(literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency).
“More than/Larger than”—pleiwn, neuter pleion, or pleon—Adj.—1) Greater in quantity—1a) The more part, very many; 2) Greater in quality, superior, more excellent. Strong—comparative of poluv/pollov[Much, many, largely]; More in quantity, number, or quality; also (in plural)--The major portion.
“First”—prwtov—Adj.—1) First in time or place—1a) in any succession of things or persons; 2) First in rank—2a) Influence, honor, 2b) Chief, 2c) Principal; 3) First, at the first. Strong—contracted superlative of pro["fore", i.e. in front of, prior or superior to]; Foremost(in time, place, order or importance).
“Did”(See :40—“Do”; 43—“Bearing”)—poiew—Verb—1) To make; 2) To do. Poiew denotes "to do", prassw - "to practice"; poiew to designate performance, prassw intended, earnest, habitual, performance; poiew to denote merely productive action, prassw definitely directed action; poiew to point to the action result, prassw to the scope & character of the result. These words are often used interchangeably. Strong—apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Likewise/Same thing/Same Way/In Like Manner”—wsautwv—Adverb—In like manner, likewise. Strong—As thus, i.e. In the same way. Used 17X.
From—wv—Adverb—1) As, like, even as, etc. Strong—probably adverb of comparative from ov, h, o; Which how, i.e. In that manner(very variously used).—& an adverb from—autov—from the particle au[perhaps akin to the base of ahr through the idea of a baffling wind] (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used(alone or in the comparative eautou) of the third person , &(with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons.
—:37—
“Then/But”(See :35, 38, 44)—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, &, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, &, etc..
“Last of all/Afterward”—usteron—Noun Neuter—1) Latter, later, coming after, the second; 2) Afterward, after this, later, lastly. Strong—More lately, i.e. Eventually. Used 12X.
Neuter of usterov[comparative from upo[under/beneath/through/whither/below/at](in the sense of behind); later].
“Sent”(See :34, 36)—apostellw—Verb—1) To order(one) to go to a place appointed; 2) To send away, dismiss—2a) to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty, 2b) To order one to depart, send off, 2c) To drive away. Apostellw includes a reference to equipment & suggests official or authoritative sending. Strong—Set apart, i.e. by implication--To send out(properly, on a mission) literally or figuratively.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—stellw—properly--To set fast ("stall"), i.e. figuratively--To repress reflexively--Abstain from associating with.
“Son”2X(See :38)—uiov—Noun Masc.—1) A son—1a) Rarely used for the young of animals, 1b) generally used of the offspring of men, 1c) in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father & of a mother), 1d) in a wider sense--A descendant, one of the posterity of any one,—1d1) The children of Israel, 1d2) Sons of Abraham, 1e)) used to describe: One who depends on another or is his follower—1e1) A pupil. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “son”(sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
“Saying”(See :41, 43; :38—epw)—legw—Verb—1) To say, to speak—1a) Affirm over, maintain, 1b) To teach, 1c) To exhort, advise, to command, direct, 1d) To point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say, 1e) To call by name, to call, name, 1f) To speak out, speak of, mention. Strong—a primary verb; properly--To "lay" forth, i.e. figuratively--Relate (in words [usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while rew is properly, to break silence merely, & lalew means an extended or random harangue]); by implication--To mean.
“Respect”—entrepw—Verb—1) To shame one; 2) To be ashamed; 3) To reverence a person; 4) To turn about. Strong—To invert, i.e. (figuratively & reflexively)in a good sense--To respect; or in a bad one--To confound. Used 9X.
English=‘Entropy/Entropic’—Lack of order or predictability—random(ness).
—:38—
“But”(See :37, 35)—de—Conjunction—1) But, moreover, &, etc.. Strong—a primary particle(adversative or continuative); But, &, etc..
“Saw”—eidw/oida—2Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masc.—1) To see—1a) To perceive with the eyes, 1b) To perceive by any of the senses, 1c) To perceive, notice, discern, discover, 1d) To see—1d1) i.e. To turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything, 1d2) To pay attention, observe, 1d3) To see about something 1d31) i.e. To ascertain what must be done about it, 1d4) To inspect, examine, 1d5) To look at, behold, 1e) To experience any state or condition, 1f) To see i.e. Have an interview with, to visit; 2) To know—2a) To know of anything, 2b) To know, i.e. get knowledge of, understand, perceive—2b1) of any fact, 2b2) the force & meaning of something which has definite meaning, 2b3) To know how, to be skilled in, 2c) To have regard for one, cherish, pay attention to(1Th 5:12). Eidw/oida denotes to see with the mind's eye, signifies a clear & purely mental perception. Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only)--To know.
“Son”2X(See :37)—uiov—Noun Masc.—1) A son—1a) Rarely used for the young of animals, 1b) generally used of the offspring of men, 1c) in a restricted sense, the male offspring (one born by a father & of a mother), 1d) in a wider sense--A descendant, one of the posterity of any one,—1d1) The children of Israel, 1d2) Sons of Abraham, 1e)) used to describe: One who depends on another or is his follower—1e1) A pupil. Strong—apparently a primary word; A “son”(sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.
“Said”—epw—Verb—1) To speak, say. Strong—a primary verb(used only in the definite past tense, the others being borrowed from erew, rew, & fhmi); To speak or say(by word or writing).
Epw & fhmi generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; whereas Lalew means an extended or random harangue; while legw means to relate, in words[usually of systematic or set discourse; while rew is properly, to break silence merely].
“Among”—en—
“Themselves”—eautou—Pronoun—1) Himself, herself, itself, themselves. Strong—from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete & the genitive case(dative case or accusative case) of autov; Him-(her-, it-, them-, also [in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons] my-, thy-, our-, your-)self(selves), etc..
“This”—outov, including nominative masculine plural outoi; nominative feminine singular auth; & nominative feminine plural autai—1) This, these, etc. Strong—The he(she or it), i.e. This or that(often with article repeated).
“Heir”—klhronomov[See Fem. Noun below—klhronomia]—Noun Masc.—1) One who receives by lot, an heir—1a) An heir, 1b) in Messianic usage--One who receives his allotted possession by right of sonship; 2) One who has acquired or obtained the portion allotted to him. Strong—A sharer by lot, i.e. Inheritor(literally or figuratively); by implication--A possessor. Used 15X.
From—klhrov—A die(for drawing changes); by implication--A portion(as if so secured); by extension--An acquisition(especially a patrimony, figuratively)—& the base of—nomov(in its original sense of partitioning, i.e. [reflexively]--Getting by apportionment).
“Come”—deute—Adverb—1) Come hither, come here, come; 2) interjection--Come!, come now! Strong—Come hither! Used 13X.
From—deuro—Here; used also imperative--Hither!; & of time--Hitherto.—& an imperative form of—eimi(to go).
“Kill”(See :35, 39)—apokteinw—Verb—1) To kill in any way whatever—1a) To destroy, to allow to perish; 2) metaph.--To extinguish, abolish—2a) To inflict mortal death, 2b) To deprive of spiritual life & procure eternal misery in hell. Strong—from apo[off, away from] & kteinw(to slay); To kill outright; figuratively--To destroy.
“Him”—autov—
“Seize/Take/Gain Possession of”(See :46—kratew)—katecw—Verb—1) To hold back, detain, retain—1a) From going away, 1b) To restrain, hinder (the course or progress of)—1b1) That which hinders, Antichrist from making his appearance, 1b2) To check a ship's headway i.e. to hold or head the ship, 1c) To hold fast, keep secure, keep firm possession of; 2) To get possession of, take, 2b) To possess. Strong—To hold down(fast), in various applications(literally or figuratively).
From—kata—1) Down from, through out; 2) According to, toward, along. Strong—a primary particle; prepositionally--Down(in place or time), in varied relations(according to the case [genitive case, dative case or accusative case] with which it is joined).—&—ecw or scew—1) To have, i.e. To hold; 2) To have i.e. Own, possess; 3) To hold one's self or find one's self so & so, to be in such or such a condition; 4) To hold one's self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong—a primary verb; To hold.
“Inheritance”—klhronomia[See Masc. Noun above—klhronomov]—Noun Fem.—1) An inheritance, property received(or to be received) by inheritance; 2) What is given to one as a possession—2a) The eternal blessedness of the consummated kingdom of God which is to be expected after the visible return of Christ, 2b) The share which an individual will have in that eternal blessedness. Strong—Heirship, i.e. concretely--A patrimony or genitive case--A possession. Used 14X.
From—klhrov—A die(for drawing changes); by implication--A portion(as if so secured); by extension--An acquisition(especially a patrimony, figuratively)—& the base of—nomov(in its original sense of partitioning, i.e. [reflexively]--Getting by apportionment).—& the base of—nomov(in its original sense of partitioning, i.e. [reflexively]--Getting by apportionment).
—:39—
“So/And”—kai—
“Took”(See :39)—lambanw—Verb—1) To take; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; To take(in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Cast...Out/Threw...Out”—ekballw—Verb—1) To cast out, drive out, to send out—1a) with notion of violence—1a1) To drive out(cast out), 1a2) To cast out—1a2a) of the world, i.e. Be deprived of the power & influence he exercises in the world, 1a2b) a thing--Excrement from the belly into the sink, 1a3) To expel a person from a society: to banish from a family, 1a4) To compel one to depart; to bid one depart, in stern though not violent language, 1a5) So employed that the rapid motion of the one going is transferred to the one sending forth—1a5a) To command or cause one to depart in haste, 1a6) To draw out with force, tear out, 1a7) With implication of force overcoming opposite force—1a7a) To cause a thing to move straight on its intended goal, 1a8) To reject with contempt, to cast off or away, 1b) Without the notion of violence—1b1) To draw out, extract, one thing inserted in another, 1b2) To bring out of, to draw or bring forth, 1b3) To except, to leave out, i.e. not receive, 1b4) To lead one forth or away somewhere with a force which he cannot resist. Strong—To eject(literally or figuratively).
From—ek/ex—1) Out of, from, by, away from. Strong—a primary preposition denoting origin(the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote).—&—ballw—1) To throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls. Strong—a primary verb; To throw(in various applications, more or less violent or intense).
“Vineyard”(See :33, 41)—ampelwn—Noun Masc.—1) A vineyard. Used 23X.
From—ampelov—A vine(as coiling about a support).
“Killed”(See :35, 38)—apokteinw—Verb—1) To kill in any way whatever—1a) To destroy, to allow to perish; 2) metaph.--To extinguish, abolish—2a) To inflict mortal death, 2b) To deprive of spiritual life & procure eternal misery in hell. Strong—from apo[off, away from] & kteinw(to slay); To kill outright; figuratively--To destroy.
Argumentation:
1Sam. 8:1-9—“Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. The name of his firstborn was Joel, & the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, & perverted justice. Then all the elders of Israel gathered together & came to Samuel at Ramah, & said to him, “Look, you are old, & your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day--with which they have forsaken Me & served other gods--so they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, & show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.”
Num. 12:1-3—“Then Miriam & Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)”
1Sam. 15:2-3, 10-31—“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. ‘Now go & attack Amalek, & utterly destroy all that they have, & do not spare them. But kill both man & woman, infant & nursing child, ox & sheep, camel & donkey.’””.....“Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, & has not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, & he cried out to the LORD all night. So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul went to Carmel, & indeed, he set up a monument for himself; & he has gone on around, passed by, & gone down to Gilgal.” Then Samuel went to Saul, & Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, & the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep & the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; & the rest we have utterly destroyed.” Then Samuel said to Saul, “Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak on.” So Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? Now the LORD sent you on a mission, & said, ‘Go, & utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, & fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, & do evil in the sight of the LORD?” And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, & gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, & brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep & oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.” Then Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings & sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity & idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king.” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD & your words, because I feared the people & obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, & return with me, that I may worship the LORD.” But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, & the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.” And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, & it tore. So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, & has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.” Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people & before Israel, & return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God.” So Samuel turned back after Saul, & Saul worshiped the LORD.”
Jer. 7:21-27—“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices & eat meat. For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, & I will be your God, & you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ “Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels & the dictates of their evil hearts, & went backward & not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early & sending them. Yet they did not obey Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. “Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you.”
Isa. 66:1-2—“Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor & of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.”
Mat. 5:3, 5—“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”.....“Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”
Php. 2:1-8, 9-11, 12-13—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him & given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, & of those on earth, & of those under the earth, & that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure.
1Pet. 5:5-11—“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks 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 while, perfect, establish, strengthen, & settle you. To Him be the glory & the dominion forever & ever. Amen.”
Jer. 25:1-6—“The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah & to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the LORD has come to me; & I have spoken to you, rising early & speaking, but you have not listened. And the LORD has sent to you all His servants the prophets, rising early & sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, ‘Repent now everyone of his evil way & his evil doings, & dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you & your fathers forever & ever. ‘Do not go after other gods to serve them & worship them, & do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; & I will not harm you.’”
cf.--Jer. 26:4-6; Jer. 29:18-19; Jer. 35:13-16; Jer. 44:2-8; Micah 6:6-12.
Mat. 23:1-15(11-12)—Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes & to His disciples, saying: “The scribes & the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. “Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe & do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, & do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, & lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad & enlarge the borders of their garments. “They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, & to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ “But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, & you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, & for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land & sea to win one proselyte, & when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
2Cor. 12:9-10—“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Mat. 20:20-28—“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him[Jesus] with her sons, kneeling down & asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand & the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered & said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand & on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself & said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, & those who are great exercise authority over them. “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave--“just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.”
Col. 2:16-23—“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility & worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, & not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished & knit together by joints & ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations--“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments & doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, & neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”
Col. 3:12-14—“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy & beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, & forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
Lk. 18:9-14—“Also He[Jesus] spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, & despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee & the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood & prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Application:
?YOU Approach (American)Privilege with HUMILITY?
?How do YOU Approach your (American)Privilege?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Approach your (American)privilege with...
4. HUMILITY(:35-39)
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT(:33a)
2. RELIABILITY/Trustworthiness(:33b)
3. AVAILABILITY(:34)
Pt.# 4 only! presented 07/16/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(SE Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
