Heavenly Wisdom About Pride Message 5 in Proverbs Sermon Series

Transcription

1 Message for THE LORD S DAY EVENING, March 25, 2012 Message 5 in Series from Proverbs ( Heavenly Wisdom for Earthly Living ) Christian Hope Church of Christ, Plymouth, North Carolina by Reggie A. Braziel, Minister Heavenly Wisdom About Pride Message 5 in Proverbs Sermon Series Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV) As we continue with our series of messages from the Book of Proverbs, please turn with me to tonight s scripture text in Proverbs the sixth chapter. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV) 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. P R A Y E R ************************************ I N T R O D U C T I O N The word of God does not picture man as a good person, but to the contrary, the Bible pictures man as having no goodness or righteousness of his own that God will accept. The Bible doesn t picture man as being bad in some ways, but rather as being totally depraved, rebellious toward God, and bent toward evil continuously. The Bible doesn t picture man as needing a little sanding around the rough edges but rather in need of a total miraculous transformation.

2 And yet despite God s truthful assessment of man s sinful nature, man has continued to have a proud, arrogant, overblown view of himself. Normally when we think of the very first sin we think of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. And indeed that was the first sin of man. But actually the very first sin occurred long before the fall of man when the angel Lucifer became so puffed up with pride he wanted to be worshiped as God. Listen to Isaiah s account of Lucifer s pre-creation rebellion against God. Reading from Isaiah the fourteenth chapter. Isaiah 14:12-15 (NKJV) 12 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. 15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit. When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden, did he not appeal to her PRIDE? God had warned Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, for on the day they ate from that tree they would surely die. Now listen how Satan used pride to bring Eve down. Genesis 3:4,5 (NKJV) Then the serpent said to the woman, You will NOT surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.

3 And so with pride in her heart, Eve rebelled against God, as Satan had done before the creation. Then in her pride, she gave some of the forbidden fruit to Adam. And as Paul Harvey used to say, Now we know the rest of the story. ************************************** The Book of Proverbs has a great deal to say about PRIDE. Let s spend a few minutes searching these scriptures together. First of all. I. PRIDE is a DESPISED Sin 1. God hates all sins! But when you study Proverbs and other scriptures throughout the Bible, you discover God has an intense hatred toward the sin of pride. 2. Look at verses 16 and 17 of our text again. Proverbs 6:16-19 (NKJV) 16 These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, We have a tendency to minimize the seriousness of PRIDE. In fact, if I were to have you make a list of the ten worst sins, chances are PRIDE wouldn t even be on some of your lists. But notice a proud look is right at the very top of the list of things God hates. Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV) The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.

4 Proverbs 16:5 (NKJV) Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. 3. Why does God hold a special hatred toward the sin of pride? Its obvious isn t it? -PRIDE was the very first sin committed against Him when Satan rebelled. -PRIDE was at the very root of man s fall in the garden. -PRIDE is at the root of virtually ever other sin man commits. -And more people will go to hell because of PRIDE than any other sin. 4. No wonder God hates PRIDE so much! You and I must come to hate pride in all of its forms as much as God hates it. We must completely yield our minds and hearts to the Holy Spirit to rid us of even the slightest aroma of pride. ***************************************** Secondly, I would have you to consider.. II. PRIDE is a DESTRUCTIVE Sin 1. Turn with me to PROVERBS 16:18. Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18 NKJV) Then flip over a page or two to PROVERBS 18:12. Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility. (PROVERBS 18:12 NKJV) And one more, PROVERBS 29:23. A man s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. (PROVERBS 29:23 NKJV)

5 I L L U S T R A T I O N It was just a little over 100 years ago (April 10, 1912) that the RMS TITANIC set sail on her maiden voyage from South Hampton, England to New York city. Among the 1,300+ passengers aboard the Titanic were some of the wealthiest aristocrats in the world. The manufacturers of the TITANIC had billed her as The Unsinkable Titanic. In fact, many of the aristocrats aboard joked, Even GOD couldn t sink the Titanic. But just five days after setting sail, we know the TITANIC did in fact sink after striking an iceberg in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic. Many of those who perished in that historic tragedy had refused to get in the lifeboats because they still held to the false hope the TITANIC could not sink. And in the end, one thousand five hundred souls perished. 2. Behind every failed marriage is a proud heart that says, I deserve someone better. Behind every adulterous relationship is a proud heart that says, I deserve to be happy. Behind every crime committed is a proud heart saying, I ll never get caught. Behind every drunk driving accident is a proud heart saying, It will never happen to me. Behind every Church split are people with proud hearts saying, We re right and you re wrong. Behind every rebellious teenager is a proud heart saying, I m smarter than my old man and old lady. Behind every drug addict is a proud heart saying, This drug killed others, but it won t kill me. 3. Yes PRIDE is a DESTRUCTIVE SIN. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

6 PRIDE IS A DESPISED SIN. PRIDE IS A DESTRUCTIVE SIN. Thirdly, I would have you to consider III. PRIDE is a DISGUSTING Sin 1. Turn with me to Proverbs 21:24 A proud and haughty man Scoffer is his name; he acts with arrogant pride. (Proverbs 21:24 NKJV) Next turn to Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey; So to seek one s own glory is not glory. (Proverbs 25:27 NKJV) And one more in Proverbs 30:32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. (Proverbs 30:32 NKJV) 2. One doesn t have to listen very hard to hear the disgusting voice of pride. -Listen to the arrogant politicians as they try tell the rest of us what s best for us. -Listen to the disgusting pride of the Hollywood elite who snub their proud noses at God-fearing Americans as though we are ignorant fools. -Listen to the proud news media as they take shots at Christian beliefs every chance they get. 3. Sometimes the disgusting nature of pride can be seen much closer to home. -Think of those people who make you feel as though you are one notch beneath them every time you around them.

7 -Think of that self-righteous Christian who is always boasting about all their good deeds. -Think of that self-centered person who loves to be the center of attention in every conversation. 4. It has been said, Pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick but the one who has it. PRIDE is a DESPISED SIN. PRIDE is a DESTRUCTIVE SIN. PRIDE is a DISGUSTING SIN. And finally. IV. PRIDE is a DECEPTIVE SIN 1. Proverbs 11:2 says, When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. 2. There are a couple of scriptures outside of Proverbs that speak of pride s deceptive nature. Obadiah 1:3 (NKJV) The pride of your heart has deceived you, You who dwell in the clefts of the rock, Whose habitation is high; You who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground? Galatians 6:3 (NKJV) For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 3. One of the most deceptive things about pride is that it can creep into one s mind and heart and they not even realize it is there. 4. PRIDE has many faces. -PRAYERLESSNESS is a form of pride. (II Corinthians 12:7,8) -SELF-SUFFICIENCY is a form of pride. (Revelation 3:16-18)

8 -FALSE HUMILITY is a form of pride. (Luke 18:10-14) -PREJUDICE and BIGOTRY are forms of pride. (II Corinthians 5:12) -BEING JUDGMENTAL and HYPER-CRITICAL of others is a form of pride. (Matthew 7:1-5) -AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT is a form of pride. (Matthew 18:21-35) -SELF-EXALTATION is a form of pride. (Romans 11:18) -LACK OF CONCERN FOR THOSE IN NEED is a form of pride. (Ezekiel 16:49) -OVER CONFIDENCE in self is a form of pride. (Proverbs 3:7) -REFUSAL TO CONFESS AND GIVE UP A SIN is a form of pride. (Psalms 32:3-4; Hebrews 12:5,11) -BOASTING ABOUT THE FUTURE is a form of pride. (James 4:13-17) -SHOWING FAVORITISM is a form of pride. (James 2:1-7) -PUTTING YOUR OWN NEEDS AHEAD OF OTHERS is a form of pride. (Philippians 2:3) -SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS is a form of pride. (Matthew 6:1-4) 5. As you see from this list, PRIDE truly is a very deceptive sin. Often PRIDE is present in our lives in ways we don t even realize. ********************************************** C O N C L U S I O N In our study this evening we have learned that PRIDE is a very SERIOUS SIN with very SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. Perhaps this evening you have come to realize there are some PRIDE issues in your life you weren t even aware of. The question now is, What do I do about those pride issues?

9 Well you can do one of two things: One, you can HUMBLE yourself before GOD and confess your sin of pride and by the power of God s Spirit deal with this pride issue head-on. James 4:10 (NKJV) Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up. Or two, you can cling to your PRIDE and be HUMBLED by God through His loving discipline. Hebrews 12:5b-6 (NKJV) My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. It has been said, A Church steeple is a symbol of what every true Christian should be. The closer we get to God, the smaller we become. May CHRIST increase and may we decrease!

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