Pride

A flamboyant figure strolled into a court of law and to the witness stand. He was asked estate is then presented Frank Lloyd Wright occupation. You said I'm the world's greatest living architect afterwards a friend sent to them. Frank how could you say that the reply was, well, I was under oath that had to be honest well today in our series on the seven deadly sins we did the introduction last Sunday, but today we begin with the first deadly sin and that is probably August the said and I agree with them that probably that is the beginning of Satan. CS Lewis says pride is the one vice of which no person in the world is free. The pride comes in all shapes and sizes, doesn't it. Sometimes it's obvious without a goodness and hubris that we see in others, but more often that probably takes all kinds of subtle forms and history of this that with pride. It's much easier to see it in others than to see that ourselves with pride is the universal sin. All of you here a product not binding deadly sin of pride were not talking about acknowledging and being thankful for the gifts of the abilities and the talents and achievements which God in his grace gives to each of us, we sometimes say to others, particularly about the children. I'm proud of you. By that we mean that were pleased with their endeavor with her attitude with their achievements were not talking about that were talking about the deadly sin, the sin of pride is an inordinate ruthless preoccupation with self prices.

I'm here if you notice me here maybe 3000 people but price is looking at me this selfishness is self focus is self absorption. There is real value in saying which says that the jackal is aligned in his own backyard and you may think you're a lion in your own backyard when the pride we see ourselves as superior to others from her proud to be put down in others from her pride. We can't receive any valid criticism are correction from her private. We always time the conversation to ourselves or probably we talk about other people from driving. We want all the credit when we are private we refused to apologize when we know that were wrong but were probably were upset that no one has asked our opinion about something. When we are private. We use our position of power to influence to make others feel inferior. Pride makes ourselves the object of worship. Pride makes us think that the rules on the pride to us. Pride makes us think that we are special.

Pride makes us think that in the workforce. There may be 100 others, but we desire that promotion. Pride makes us think that we desire a bigger compensation than others. Pride makes us think that people exist that make life more comfortable for ourselves. Pride is patronizing and dismissive of others.

Pride is not a very destructive in our relationships. Pride is universal sin. Pride is a deadly sin one fourth of all doing what God thinks of pride circulated think of an example of the opposite of pride and then some responses when faced with our own pride. First of all God's view of pride we turn in your Bibles to products from abs reversible chapter 8 and we will see that God hates pride knows the word hates God hates pride number using our Bible a lot this morning.

Hope you brought your Bible. We are a Bible believing church. We believe that this book is the inerrant inspired word of God and on any subject, is a mother what I think are in essence what shall we church things is what the word of God says so. I want you to open your Bible and turning to Proverbs about the middle of your Bible, Proverbs H and that will look first of all adverse 13 Proverbs 813 the fear of the large is hatred of evil pride and arrogance in the way of evil and perverted speech. I hate God is speaking and God says he hates pride and arrogance last week and then in the introduction to the series I said that on the top of the list in Proverbs 6 of things which the Lord hates the first one was haughty eyes turn over to Proverbs 16 Proverbs 16 verse five, Psalms, Proverbs, Proverbs 6 and verse five. Everyone who is out again in the heart is an abomination to the Lord. Be assured you will not go on punish surprise you that it in fact it is an abomination to the Lord. You may think of some sexual sins is abomination to the Lord.

You may think you're free of the sexual sins but here is a statement that everyone who is out again in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Verse 18 the familiar verse often misquoted. Proverbs 16 verse 18 pride goes before the fall. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride goes before destruction in the New Testament.

First Peter is towards the end of our Bibles. First Peter one of the apostles writes on the subject of pride. The last chapter, the first Peter first Peter five verse five likewise you are younger be subject to the elders called yourselves all of you with humility towards one another. Why should we do that for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. You want to go through life with God against you with God opposing you be proud God opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

Paul says in Romans 12 verse three. Don't think of yourself more highly than he ought to think writes in Philippians 2 verse three we are to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves. To do that others more significant than yourselves. Paul is saying that's what we should do. Isaiah 66 verse two. This is the one to whom I will look who does God look for one who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word to the humble person trembles. When God speaks the pride person says well that is just a Bible newbie who believes the Bible. Nowadays, pride puts ourselves center stage. Pride puts ourselves under the spotlight pride for guidance that every single thing you have and every single thing you are comes from God Robert Hildebrand when he was baptized as humans ago.

Quoted from first Chronicles 28 when David is preparing all of the gifts which are going to be used for the building of the temple which he has son Solomon is going to build the last chapter the first Chronicles chapter 29. David, as a people are bringing the gifts says all things, you and W of value: have we given you give an offering to God this morning. I trust ties and offering to God, you're not able to give that unless first God's given you the energy the opportunity to make money.

There is nothing that you can give to God that you have not received pride forgets that pride says this is what I have done. Pride separates us from God and pride.

In fact, defines biblical examples of pride there are many turn to Isaiah 14 for the outstanding example of fright. Isaiah chapter 14 told you you were using your Bible today. Isaiah 14 here is in a sense the person pride who committed it a great enemy himself. Satan was nothing on the example of fright. Think of Satan.

It is Isaiah 14 verse 12 how you are fallen from heaven, or DayStar, son of Dawn, how you are cut down to the ground, you lead the nation's low you said in your heart I will notice that I wills I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God. I will set my throne on high. I will sit on the mind of assembly in the far reaches of the North.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds unit is. I will make myself like the most high, but you brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit where it is certainly going to spend all of eternity were told in the lake of fire which burns forever and ever. This grade beautiful, highly intelligent creation of God. This angel that we are called Satan is cast down, for what reason for pride is going to send. I will make myself like the most high pride deadly sin.

Think of another example in the book of Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel one things we want you to come to culver is to know your Bible, you'll never know your Bible unless you actually use it.

So Bible and read it.

Daniel chapter 4 this man called King Nebuchadnezzar is a great warrior but a successful man.

In fact, he's a leader of the super part of the day he's the king of the Babylonians. Verse 28 of Daniel.

For all this came upon Kim King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 months. He was walking on the roof of the Royal Palace of Babylon and the king answered and said, is not this good a Bible and which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my Majesty look around you see it. I building spell for me for my Majesty look at me one greater than I am broadcasting the very unusual way that this mighty king is reduced to eating grass like an animal verse 37 the end of the chapter as he stumbled, he says no I Nebuchadnezzar plays. I mixed all and honor the King of heaven for all his works are rights and his ways are just. For those who walk in pride he is able to humble God is well. Well able to humble those who walk in pride. Nebuchadnezzar, but enough that he's blasting wants everyone to know how important is pride. T.S. Eliot said most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important to think of that all the trouble and lives owns businesses, nations, governments, churches, friendships, shattered over who's the most important whose number one is coming to shots who is the greatest there's another example, one which I find comes in second Chronicles 26 the king Isaiah the one who died was in the year that he died that Isaiah goes in the tumbling Isaiah 6. But this king of Zion is the king of Judah for 52 years and he's a great king, you might his great scripture says that God marvelously helped life is going well for you. You're very successful in your career, you got great skill great ability.

Things are going well. Remember God's is marvelously helping you, and at the pinnacle of his power is really at the top of the heap. He had the tremendous fall began when he fell in love with himself and he forgot it was going to help is not easy to do that through your cart. Things go well. Got splashed and how easy it is to forget that God has helped us this was a good king, mighty king spiritual king of the text says second Chronicles 26 or 16 when he was strong he grew proud to his destruction of haughty spirit goes before a fall.

Pride going before destruction, he thought, especially as it can even think the law of God apply to him so he goes into the temple he wants to offer the incense and if he said no was king. You can do that.

That's what us and he's angry and right there in the temple got cut sometime in his leprosy and for the rest of his life he lives isolated and alienated from his people. He's a leper pride leading to destruction, pride is opposed by God in its deadly. I do understand.

I think with the undersigned.

That means I must confess it difficult for me to understand how much God hates pride until I remember this, that God is God supreme over all.

We are his creations and creations. We are his creatures and we are to live before him with the opposite of pride and humility. Let's think of a supreme example of humility as it found its fund in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes Philippians 2 verses six through eight are Lord Jesus was in the form of God, he was God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of that, even death on a cross, God incarnate. When he comes into our world. He comes in the form of a servant in the form of a slave. And there's obedient to his father to sign of humility. We don't want to obey. We talked about people who took a long time and getting baptize this avengers.

We don't want to obey regions is a sign of humility under Lord is perfect in his humility and his obedience to the father yes region to death, even death on the cross. What does that look like turned to John chapter 13 New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John John chapter 13 in and will see a wonderful example of humility. The opposite of pride. John chapter 13 verse two during supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him what to say in the Lord is with the 12 in the upper room Jesus and his disciples. Notice how Satan himself had infiltrated the band of the 12 verse 27 of John 13 after he taken a morsel, Satan entered into him.

That is, Judas number last week as we thought of Genesis 3 verse 15 Lord said he coming Messiah will bruise the stipend on that had but the saffron will bruise him on the heel saffron is there, right in the inner circle is not interested, but what happens verse three Jesus, knowing that the father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God. He knew that he knew was going to rise from the dead, he rose from supper. He laid aside his undergarments and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Gord incarnate the Lord of glory is washing the feet of proud man here is humility in action there is a underwater diving or sweating. This is not some ritual is not something done to impress other people know quite the opposite.

We come into the room. The 12 under the custom of the day slave, a child will be there to wash the feet of the persuading or directing on the dark comfort of their feet being lost when no one was there. One would've thought that Peter, the leader of the 12 would've done that would June and he's quieter. Philip Shirley Bartholomew, Nathaniel know none of them are there to wash the sheets. In fact, we know from the Gospels that before this, they had been arguing as to who is the greatest. The lease is going to wash the feet that's done by the slave is done by a child is done by woman done by Granma and no one is there. So the lauric takes that title but surrender stoops and washes the feet of very proud fallen man and the angels of heaven who do not serve the Lord. Apart from feeling their face must've looked on in amazement, the mighty God, the eternal God, the Creator of the heavens of the art is bothering and washing the feet of fallen humility is in the one of a few that self designations are Lord says I am gentle and lowly in heart balder therapist to the meekness and gentleness of Christ.

Second Corinthians 10 verse one with the answer to our pride in singing about it. The cross of Christ. Paul says God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus, to being an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. We learn this through our study of Matthew must always be seen in the light of the cross. When we come to the cross.

When we survey the cross.

That's the end of our self-promotion, self-seeking, self focused self-indulgence provides the model and the motivation for true humility by Richards gain we sometimes thing it will sing by Richards gain I count but loss and pooled contempts on all my pride. Where do we love all places called contempts on the pride of the fruit of the cross. John Stott writes it's there the foot of the cross that we shrink to true size and when 12 competes with Christ of the cross were singing unto him unto him is the glory not Thomas but to him, he receives all of the glory but puffed up with her pride living what importance we shrink to a true size of the cross of Christ and successful responses to her pride for words. First of all is confess.

Confess your product you when these people are always pretending to be humble you you you give this persona that you want people to to think of use you as humble your you think of yourself as this nice kind is very humble people, other private private but not you, you're this humble person seriously says a man is never so proud as when striking an attitude of humility receipt. Of course another false pretentious pride is one of the worst forms of private at some time ago. The biography and autobiography of Golda Meier called the lioness and former prime minister of Israel and the company great minds there as she used to say to people. Don't be humble.

You're not that great. Dealing with false humility, choice of another Zionist sing was my friend. You're not big enough to make yourself that small false humility deadly isn't what we did to.

We are humbly each of us to acknowledge that were private were to come into should come in humility before God, confessing our sin was in the Proverbs 28 verse 13 whoever conceals his transgression will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

Don't conceal your sin is the point in particular Don conceal the fact that your proud confessing your prosper without humble repentance. There is no forgiveness. In fact, if you're a private person. You don't pray much, and you probably don't confess sin. Too often, your proud, humble person through the work of the Spirit of God search me heart no search me oh God, and know my heart comes and confesses their sin before the Lord Jesus.

If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. First, John the one verse nine.

If you don't get into this practice daily of confessing your sin, your hearts going to become hard and such is the self-deception of pride that you hardly see the pride in yourself and will see it more often than others and become very critical of them. What does God look for in our confession, some 51 verse 17 a broken and contrite heart of God.

You will not despise a broken and a contrite heart to God you this budget would be broken before God because of your primate arrogance your false humility, your deception God likes that God is pleased with that because God is opposed to the product, but gives grace to the humble first. Then first word is confess the second word is worship. Worship when we see the stars at night. We realize how small we are in a sense is a humbling experience as a bluebird night see the size of the universe and the small we are. You really think you're this kind of big shot in the universe. You are tiny and when we have a small God. We are proud bars in high school when at the library one time were many Christian books for the run by JB Phillips Englishman and he wrote this book your God is to small and had a teddy bear in the front cover and I I checked it out and JB Phillips has these various figures of who God is and he is saying. And rightly so, your God is too small. When I came back to check it in the library says no one else is in the checker that John you can keep it.

So I thought okay so have it and is assigned to the skilled and firm in high school on it by then Celia was given your God is to small gas as a 17 or 18-year-old boy.

I began to realize yes my God is too small shoes just one of the things we try to do in Calvary. As you come in is to give you a sense of how big God is and so I hope you listened to that prelude, God of grace and of glory that God is a God of grace that God is a God of glory, darkness, oversight, we sign the hold your God focus on God.

You are too consumed with yourself and your little agenda disappointments in your little life in your little family. Think of how big God is the eternal God, whose shoes was so immense he can be measured, who so big he's everywhere as a kind of God we 1000 God that you're going to manipulate an awesome God and in the presence of this great God as we worship him something miraculous happens is will begin to be reduced to one size is called humility. True worship, authentic worship produces humility and have you noticed as I have that when you neglect your worship of God. If you come and just kind of sitting without thinking, and if you go through the week and you're hardly worshiping God know what happens.

You become proud to and from your less concerned with God and your view of God shrinks and your view of your own self-importance. Gross and you get worried because life seems out of control like a small God, and you forgotten that God is big but God is huge and your warning because you forgotten that he will hold you fast and you're disappointed because something happened because you forgotten that God works all things after the counsel of his will, and so as we think about God and as we worship God in this we worship God through the preaching and teaching of his word. We think less of ourselves subbing probably. Can you be before a holy God.

This great God and his mercy were thinking of this last Sunday night in Ephesians 1 is great God has planned my salvation before the creation of the world that he sends his son to redeem me to bind me back. And not only does he forgive my sins by the adopts me into his eternal family, and not only does he give me a little bit that Gracie lavishes me with grace.

And he promises that through the Holy Spirit that this is his mark on me that I'm sealed to the very day of my redemption. What a great God that gives us meaning.

Humility to realize his and he is mine and it's all of his grace were totally undeserving of it. You do absolutely nothing for your salvation, all accomplished by the father the son and the Holy Spirit so that we know in his grace can be safe and that we know, the people of God on the Lord's day – attempted to do something else on the Lord's day. Hope you make this your priority or absolute priority that you will come, and not just sit in the pew, but will worship God and engage with the living God, and you will find as I find it provides begins to go and report content on all of her pride at the cross, responses to pride first confession second worship third identity. I think this is so important was well okay is a Hebrew scholar and that he writes about wisdom and he says this I printed up on the screen.

It can be inferred that self praise is unfitting because it destroys one's relationship with God and with people. The Lord detests a private and society dislikes in this guidance the most. Instead of exalting the posterior self praise diminishes one status and suggests that one is proud feels undervalued and is socially insecure.

Proverbs 27 verse two let another praise you and not your own mind. A stranger and not your lips, one likes the booster delay always boasting what they've done their achievements all lived on as a sign in a sense as well kick of their own insecurity, and much of our pride is a demonstration of it on insecurities and insecurities drive us to prove ourselves to compete with others to be the center of attention refuse to apologize to think what all was right with is the gospel. Do the gospel humbles us and gives us a new identity so that last Sunday evening. We are no in Christ. Baptism is a symbol of that that we had that we have died with Christ, that we been buried with Christ that we been raised with Christ, but I am now a new creation in Christ. I'm in the eternal family of God. This is my identity and that gives us tremendous security and therefore diminishes our pride, I'm sometimes asked by couples who engaged order newly married, I'm sometimes asked is an old married man.

No.

Was it like to be married for such a long time will the answer is it depends who you might, but in my case, I hit the jackpot I can say so. God graciously brings into my life. This beautiful woman who for many many years has been always loyal and loving the people asked what do you do as a couple answers with really going to do anything because in a loving think of it in a loving and secure relationship. You need to talk all the time not need to impress the person that the more I try to impress my wife, the worse it is always going to be doing something no in a goods relationship. It's a joy just to be together, to go for a walk to see anything over that it's more difficult for me than for good not to say anything but a secure relationship is one of being rather than of doing in a secure relationship. It's who you are, rather than what you do. I think of it, I want you to follow Jesus Christ.

I want you to be secure in your relationship with Christ. Your identity is in Christ, I can say many things about myself. You could say many things about yourself, your achievements, your background and all of that.

This is the most important thing. This gives a security I in Christ and he is in me that Ms. compete compete with others will need to put other people die.

You don't need to resend other people want of every conversation revolving writing you know this identity gives a security in Christ. You see, the gospel grinds us Christians are to be people who are grounded in the gospel, grounded in Christ will rejoice that we are in Christ, and we thank God for his sovereign purposes and our lives yesterday on heartaches yesterday, our difficulties, but we thank God for the gifts the abilities the experiences that he gives us yes and the limitations that all of us have.

We understand that we thank God for his providential dealings in her life because he is sovereign God in my life is committed to him. I am his and he is mine. This is my identity and the more I understand that the humbler I will be but would I forget that I'm trying to establish my own identity and to prove myself with my achievements on my appearance of my home on micron. All of these things right will grow confession worship identity and the third one. The lots are enforced when the last one is serve. Serve connection with the queen just I heard that 190th birthday was a book published by the Bible society in the idea kingdom.

The title of the book and the queen approved of this was the seven clean and the king.

She serves Jesus sees herself as the servant queen was the king she serves Jesus is the servant queen.

Yes, the monarch sees herself as a servant and serving not only the people in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, but serving primarily king Jesus, think about serving you servant know when you serve people, particularly in the small trivial things of daily life that takes humility isn't the I'm very thankful. At Calvary we have so many of you who serve. I just have humbly and I praise God for you know your number on this platform.

Never in the spotlights your services often unrecognized it up and applauded. You never get a standing ovation. But you're characterized by humble service as exemplified by our Lord Jesus who said I came not to be served but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many. Serving manner you you you serving a home is on the leader.

My family stop try servant deserving account of the church you say well done. I goaded here for Bible studies can execute. Maybe you going to too many Bible studies. Let's I thought you committed to studying the Bible.

I am committed to studying the Bible, but it's easier service easier for me to Bible study than to serve.

I prefer that I love to study the Bible with the guy sending the Bible. But if you're doing that several times a week and you're not serving can I say there's a problem.

I remember another church and a group of men who, who told me that they were studying the Bible is great excitement. Bible as it developed, then they were telling me that they were going. There were diving deep into the Bible you expression all women to studying the Bible where diving deep into the Bible application being less than people are still in the shallows, but they I mean they're doing a deep dive and said one of them. Even studying some of the Greek words sum they had done our semester in Greek, Lamborghini coffee, but I think there were there were not there were no Greek scholars and that they were doing this deep dive and as I got to know them. I thought you know not one of them in this church is serving cinnamon serving the children sitting in them helping the kitchen we had a glowing crew who would cut the grass and take care of the property and none of them were doing that, but there were no Bible study, spending hours studying the Bible you know if you Bible study doesn't lead you to serve you.

You're getting a big fat private head pulses knowledge puffs up true Bible study humbles us we realize how little we do know true Bible study creates worship of God.

True Bible study creates the transformation of the life that were not following Jesus, I'm following my master who came not to be sad, but to serve as thinking of this in terms of a nomination process and I thought and I was responsible as anyone for this night.

I confesses thinking you know we talk too much about the leadership team at Calvary line in the leadership team. I am in the leadership team missing a pastor and people are going to be an elderly deacon or a pastor someone and they're not part of the leadership team starting this week. Maybe we should change, we should call it the servant is a you saying there's no leadership in the church anesthetists leadership in the church but is a gift of leadership, of course, is to be leadership in the church, God gives us an order and nothing we do away with elders or deacons or pastors.

That's my point. But I'm saying this if any of our pastors, including myself, if any of our elders or deacons or people want desire are thinking of this.

This is an area for me that now I can lead I know I can tell people what they should be doing were totally wrong Sprite were here to set the lead by serving we serve by leaving because were following one is the perfect set. This is the first of the seven deadly sins pride.

Not one of us is exempt because with another quote from CS Lewis's mere Christianity.

The essential vice the utmost evil is pride. As long as you are proud, you cannot know God, the proud man is always looking down on things and people, and of course as long as you're looking down you cannot say something is about looking down on others with pride today when you wife face unemployed for you to do it to confess it before the Lord, your only bosses and is to be in the Lord, let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him go. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me is Jeremiah 9) recorded in first Corinthians 1 and saying that oddballs is to be in the Lord, I ask you to look up to Christ. Messing utilized the spirit of God to convict you of any private.

And remember that God is opposed to the proud, and gives grace to the humble. And Jesus still says whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of God father humbleness under your mighty hand help us to have a true understanding of you bring us time and time again back to the cross when our sins are forgiven grade report contempt in all of her private help us to serve one another. We pray in Christ name