Quiet Times Search

• Admit my sin and weaknesses
• Ask for help from God and others
• Commit myself to serving God, no matter my shortcomings

1. Always know that God is in control and I am not
2. If I just being humble, God will lift me up again
3. Use my failure to help people to remind them God is the one

Not all the answers but I do know where get them along with advice from others

Going to share about 2-3 scriptures for use to discuss / feel free to be part of things

We need Jesus - Matthew 18:1-6

v1 - Side conversation while Jesus was doing miracles among them
Disciples we arguing about who was the greatest... maybe they were saying - I am the best parent or I have the best kid

v2 - God thoughts: The ones we are to teach are the ones who teach us the very lesson we need to teach them

v3 - It does not come naturally, we need to change

Starts with us - to get our relationship with God in order first - to be a child of God

Why is it so important to become childlike?

• So we can have a relationship with God / welcome Jesus
  
• Make it to heaven / considered the greatest
  
• Not become a stumbling block

• Humble ourselves
• Rely on God
• Seek out answers/advice from others
• Earniestness to learn
• Be relatable

• He who was rich, became poor - 2 Corinthians 8:9
• And became sin for us - 2 Corinthians 5:21
• He is able to sympathize with us
• He was tempted in every way - Hebrews 4:15-16
• He got down and washed the disciples feet - John 13:1-5

Some feel distant from him because of our sin but God is desperately looking for us - Luke 15:8

God is a consuming fire who should be feared - Hebrews 12:29

He is God who wants us to love him and not idols - Deuteronomy 4:24

God is a blessed and only Ruler, king of kings and lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15

Our problem is that we think God is like us
My thoughts are not your thoughts - Isaiah 55:8

Societies throughout history have developed their own relgions based off God's which human resemblance:

• Greek methoology is full of sinful gods
• Hinduism feature gods who remind of ourselves

Our Father is without blemish or stain
In fact many can say, if God is like my father, I want nothing to do with Him

God appeared to Ezekiel in blazing fire and he fell facedown - Ezekiel 1:27-28
John saw Jesus with eyes of blazing fire and fell at his feet as though he was dead - Revelation 1:14-16T

The paradox of God: He says to not be afraid but at the same time to have a humble, contrite spirit - Isaiah 66:2
When a holy God confronts sinful humans, the only result can be fear and trembling

Our relationship with our father is very telling as to why we are and who we are.

“What does my dad really think about me?” Lots of fathers don’t realize their vital role.

Many issues come from fathers having lost their sense of purpose.

Society is guiding boys to remain boys as long as possible— extending childhood into their thirties—while forcing girls to become women long before they are ready.

Millions of young men are staying single. They want the privileges and rewards of manhood but only the responsibilities and moral requirements of boys.

God has a special place in His heart for two specific groups of people: fatherless children and widows.
 
have in common? The most important man in the leadership role of their lives is gone.

Dad have good intention but there many things working against them:

• Divorce - best thing for kids is to see their parents humble themselves, repent of their selfishness, forgive one another, and recommit to their marriage
• Work - Before the industrial revolution, fathers primarily worked at home. When dad finally did get home, he was too tired to engage, and his family got the leftovers. Men need to set boundaries and learn to say “no,” his work priorities will constantly pull him away.
• Entertainment - the television becomes their influence instead which is a terrible father.
• Anti-father bias in media - dads on TV today are incompetent and constantly outwitted by their wives and disrespectful kids.
• The church - many church programs separate families to the point that kids never see their fathers

Devil will never stop attacking what God prioritizes.

Having no accountability always leads to irresponsibility

One day we will stand before God one day and be held accountable for how we lived

Our actions not only have immediate consequences but eternal ones as well:

• We will all stand before the judgment seat of God - Romans 14:10
• He will “judge men’s secrets” - Romans 2:16
• He will bring to light the things hidden in the darkness, disclosing the motives of our hearts - 1 Corinthians 4:5
• He will judging the words of our mouths - Matthew 12:36
• He will testthe deeds we have done - Romans 2:5-8

This is wired into our consciences and confirmed throughout His Word

Everything in a man’s thinking changes when he realizes that he is only one heartbeat from standing before the Lord

Do you know for certain where you will spend eternity after you die?
Most men don’t understand what God requires for someone to be ready
We must take full responsibility for ourselves, our wives, and our children

Preparing for that day is why we should become accountable to one another

Here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man - Ecclesiastes 12:13–14

Accountability dynamically helps make us into men - humble, wise, responsible, faithful men.

Do you realize that as the leader of your home?
You are driving, the husband is more responsible.
Very, very rarely will a wife want out of a marriage if her husband is leading
Men simply give up when a marriage turns south or they disengage and sit around waiting for their wives

We must take courage and always be willing to make the first move, God has put something into men that longs to be courageous.
When a man uses that courage to lead his wife well, she tends to bloom.
When a wife lives with a leadership void, both of them will feel resentment toward each other and less secure together.

The idea of 50/50 leadership is a farce that creates two heads and two directions.
Our wives should have the freedom to influence without having to bear the weight of responsibility and accountability

History is littered with self-centered men who have dominated, belittled, ignored, and abused their wives in the name of male leadership.
God’s biblical design of leadership, the strong die for the weak.
The more powerful or influential you are, the more humble, servant-hearted, and sacrificial you are to become

Jesus, God’s Son was the most powerful leader of all time
He served and shepherded them instead of throwing His weight around
Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant - Mark 10:42-45
For there is no “greater love”  - John 15:13
Free her up from carrying the marriage and family. Rescue her.
She is called your helper, just as God is a “helper” to us - Psalms 54:4
Women are perfectly designed to partner with us so that our strengths complement one another’s weaknesses

Lead your wife by serving her well.

The following “heart hindrances” that will push your chidren away.

1. Your absence - they become sheep without a shepherd.
   • You are saying "You’re not important enough for me"
2. Your anger
   • React in anger, you can thoughtlessly say or do things in the heat of the moment that deeply wound your son or daughter’s spirit long-term
   • Love is slow to anger - 1 Corinthians 13:5
   • Humble yourself and quickly apologize
3. Unjust discipline
   • Must explain rules and consequences clearly using God’s Word and authority rather than their opinion - Ephesians 6:1-3
   • Ask yourself, “How can I train them without losing their heart?”
4. Harsh criticism
   • Don’t be sarcastic or belittling
   • Kids who have no freedom to fail will tend to rebel
5. Lack of compassion
   • Mercy warms hearts; carelessness distances them.
   • We must provide a listening ear, wise counsel, prayerful support, and a willing hand
   • Help them think of you as an oasis

Give us more instructions about this - Judges 13:8

Angel appeared to Manoah's wife to tell her a special son was coming and laid out the ground rules
Manoah was humble and smart enough to ask for directions and divine confirmation
Instead of wondering and worry, he wanted to know more

Men stereotypically have a storng resistance for directions

We try to please our wives when we only need to ask

Does anything in your walk with Christ make you wonder which way to turn?
 

Must we bring you water from this rock? - Numbers 20:10

Sometimes we say "I did the best I could" but instead, we should say "I should have called you sooner"

An independent spirit often keeps us from doing our best

Moses became a humble, obedient servant yet in a moment he lost everything that he had worked so hard to gain

• The Israelites were thirsty and grumpy
• They complained about the lack of water
• Moses angerily rebuked them and struck the rock twice

His prideful self-reliance cost him the opportunity to lead them to the promised land.

What would it mean for you to rely on God?

You are his successor, yet you have not humble yourself - Daniel 5:22

Belshazzar, refused to learn from his grandfather's mistake

Nebuchadnezzar long refused to bow before the Lord

God humbled him by cause him to live like a wild animal

Belshazzar dishonored God when he brought out gold cups from the temple for a drunken, idol-worshiping party

Daniel explained to him, hos days as king had come to an end - Daniel 25:30

It does not help to dwell in the past, but it is a good biblical idea to learn from it.

What lessons from the past jump out at you?

Those who humbel themselves will be exalted - Luke 18:14

We need a regular spiritual checkups to assess our relationship with God

Jesus told a story of self-righteous Pharisee who had no idea of his desparate spiritual sickness and the tax collector who, after some painful soul-searching found himself in desparate need of mercy and forgiveness

True confession before God means being honest enough to admit who you really are and humble enough to understand you can never earn God's forgiveness

By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city - Daniel 4:30

Breakdown of how much we learn from our senses:

• 1% - taste
• 2% - touch
• 5% - smell
• 11% - hearing
• 83% - sight

Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream and Daniel told him what it meant - the king's pride would result in a severe bout of divine discipline

Daniel begged the king to give up his pride so that God could relent

God had given Nebuchadnezzar an opportunity to humble himself

God immediately accounced that the king would no lose his kingdom and be sent out to live a wild animal

Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way from taste and smell of grass since could not learn from sight

Are you teachable? When God speaks to you, take it to heart

He had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall - 2 Chronicles 26:16

It takes a man of true humility to keep his feet on the ground over the long haul when he is given power and authority over others

Uzziah, Judah's tenth king, was not such a man

His long and sometimes distinguished reign came to an unfortunate end because of his arrogant thirst for power

Uzziah expressed his arrogance by entering the sactuary though this job was reserved for his priest

Had Uzziah remained humble, he might have become one of the nation's greatest kings - instead, he spent his later years shut away from people in a leper colony

Do you understand your place in the big picture?

You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak - 2 Chronicles 12:5

The Bible includes many examples of God sending men to free his people from their sin and rebellion

Shemaiah to a message of freedom to his people - All that was required was for them to turn to God

It was difficult message for Shemaiah to give such a message to his home country of Judah

Shemaiah's willingness to speak God's message made a difference:

• The leaders listened
• Judah humbled themselves
• God relented on his plan to destroy Judah - 2 Chronicles 12:6-8

When you have the courage to give a difficult message to hear, you can make a difference in your world

All of us have strayed away - Isaiah 53:5

Jesus Christ was the perfect example of that kind of giving

Isaiah saw this example of a humble, suffering servant from his own time

He depicts a man who willingly subjected himslef to unspeakable suffering on the behalf of others

How does Jesus' selfless giving motivate you? 

Jairus fall at Jesus' feet, pleading with him for his dying daughter - Luke 8:41-42

Desparation has a way of making people forget about themselves and take unusual risks

Jarius knew the risks when he fell at Jesus' feet:

• Jewish countrymen won't take kindly of him approaching Jesus this way
• By falling to his knees, Jairus acknowledge that Jesus was everything he said he was

He needed more than faith to come to Jesus, he needed courage

Being a synagogue leader, he had access to the very best health care

Jairus had one final hope - Jesus, he knew Jesus could heal his daughter

The Savior  who never turns down a humble man gave him exactly what he needed

Where do you turn when you're in desparate need?

Naaman became angry and stalked away - 2 Kinds 5:11

Naaman had a serious infectious skin disease

He went to Eliasha for healing and he said to go the Jordan and wash 7 times

Naaman was disappointed and angry with this but his servants encouraged him to do as Elisha said

He obeyed and was healed - God of Israel is a God of second changes

Because of Naaman's eventual humble obedience, he was healed and later found salvation - 2 Kings 5:15-18

Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors - 3 Chronicles 33:12-13

Times of stress can motivate a man to do little self-examination

Manasseh made sinning into personal art form:

• Peresecting those who worshiped the true God
• Practiced:
  • Soothsaying
  • Sorcery
  • Idolatry his father abolished

God warned Manasseh that he would pay for his sins but he refused to listen

Assyrian forces invaded Judah and took him away to Babylon for 12 years of suffering

The once proud Manasseh humbled himself saying "The Lord alone is God!"

I'm not a professional prophet but the Lord called me away from my flock and told me, 'Go and prophesy to my people in Israel' - Amos 7:14-15

Willingness may not impress some personnel managers but it is exactly God looks for in a servant

Amos was a humble shepherd who also tended a grove of sycamore-fig trees

He had something God values about professional credentials - willingness to follow and obey

God gave him a message to preach and he preached it with enthusiasm

Most people believe that they need training credentials to minister to others

God cares most about your willingness to faithfully serve him

Nebuchadnezzar flew into a rage - Daniel 3:13

Anger can erupt from a lot of things but most commonly from pride

The proud man tends to believe that he is owed something such as respect and admiration

Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance knew no bounds and it show showed up when three men refused to bow down to his idol

Like his anger, Nebuchadnezzar had Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego thrown into blazing-hot 

Uncontrolled pride turns into uncontrolable anger

God used the situation to save his faithful and humble the proud

If you want to keep anger from being a problem in your life, put a check on your pride

I am humble and gentle at heart - Matthew 11:29

The apostles could see how genuinely humblr and gentle Jesus was

Humility came from freely leaving heaven to take on human flesh so he might save all who come to him in faith

Jesus never struck back at those who did him harm but called on his Father to forgive them

He could expect them to be huble ad gentle because that is what he was like

Some men do not consider humility as a strong quality to follow

Humility was a quality of the strongest man who ever live, Jesus Christ

He refused to humble himself when the prophet Jeremiah spoke to him directly from the Lord - 2 Chronicles 36:11-12

Those who prefer to recieve nothing from God should pave their way with stubborn defiance

Zedekiah ascended the throne at age 21

He refused to listen to the Lord's word as spoken by Jeremiah

No man who maintains a stubborn attitude has ever done anything great for the Lord

How might you change your future for the better by humbly listening to God?

She is your equal partner in God's gift of new life - 1 Peter 3:7

Peter was a married man who understood how God expected him to treat his wife - to honor them

You should remain humble in your marriage and avoid exalting yourself over your wife

Treating them apporpriately help not to hinder (our sin) our prayers

Do you want a happy, peaceful life? Treat your wife with understand, compassion, and respect

His mother named him Jabez because his birth had been so painful - 1 Chronicles 4:9

When we receive a vision for something specific, we are to pray equally specifically

Jabez was an honorable man whose name meant "pain"

Only recorded words was a well-known prayer - "Please be with me in all I do and keep me from all trouble and pain" - 1 Chronicles 4:10

God said yes to everything Jebez asked:

1. God would bless him - went to the source of all good things
2. God would expand his territory - wasn't afraid to ask things specifically
3. God would be with him inall that he did - he knew was heading nowhere without God
4. God would keep him from all trouble and pain - aka asked for a humble heart and for ability to do right

You have too many warriors with you .. Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength - Judges 7:2

God called Gideon to lead his army of 32,000 to meet the Midianite emenies

The vast majority of Gideon's army would not be going to battle and he lead them home

God wanted to keep Gideon and the Israelites humble to know their Source of their victory

• 10,000 were too afriad to fight
• All but 300 would go into battle with the Lord
• The enemy's men were too many to count  Judges 7:12

When you feel that you do not have the strength to fight your battle, you are in a good starting place