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[-
Not
long ago, there was a CEO of a Fortune 500 company who pulled into a
service station to get gas.
- He
went inside to pay, and when he came out he noticed his wife engaged in
a deep discussion with the service station attendant – It turned out
that she knew him.
- In
fact back in high school before she met her eventual husband, she used
to date this man.
- The
CEO got in the car, and the two drove in silence.
- He
was feeling pretty good about himself when he finally spoke: "I bet I
know what you were thinking. I bet you were thinking you're glad you
married me, a Fortune 500 CEO, and not him, a service station
attendant."
- "No,
I was thinking if I'd married him, he'd be a Fortune 500 CEO and you'd
be a service station attendant."]
- Pride
can be a very ugly thing, can’t it?
- As we
continue our series on Pondering Proverbs, we’re going to
discover that this topic of pride is one that comes up often in the
Bible.
- It is
something that God detests, which means it is also something that we
need to make sure is not a dominant force in our lives.
- There
are 3 aspects to pride I want us to consider this morning:
1.) WHAT PRIDE IS
2.) WHAT “BAD” PRIDE DOES 3.) WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT
1. WHAT PRIDE IS
- Now, it is
important that we understand that there are two different kinds of
pride.
- The kind that is
acceptable to God, we’ll just call:
è The Good
Pride
- This is the kind of
pride that you have in your kids, or when you’ve finally accomplished
something you’ve worked very hard at.
- For instance, let’s
consider these Scriptures:
- Grandchildren
are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their
children. – Proverbs 17:6
- This is the type of
pride that you have in your family – you’re glad for them, and their
accomplishments – or just proud that you’re related to each other.
- That is a wonderful
thing, and there is nothing wrong with it.
- Paul wrote to the
Church in Corinth and commended them this way:
- I have the
highest confidence in you, and my pride in you is great. You have
greatly encouraged me; you have made me happy despite all our troubles.
– 2 Corinthians 7:4
- Paul had been
greatly encouraged by a turn-around in the Corinthian Church and he took
great pride in them for their willingness to change their ways.
- I see no problem in
being proud that you did a good job, or that you earned a degree, or
that your child placed first in the spelling bee.
- Those are all great
things, and things you should be proud of – that is Good Pride.
-The other kind of
pride is…
è The Bad
Pride
- Bad pride is pride
that is misplaced – almost without exception; it is pride in oneself
that is not justified, or pride used to be condescending toward others.
- God puts it in a
category of character traits that He hates.
- All who fear the
LORD will hate evil. That is why I hate pride, arrogance, corruption,
and perverted speech. – Proverbs 8:13
- Obviously, if the
Lord hates it, it is something that we want to avoid.
- But before we learn
how to avoid it, let’s look at:
2. WHAT “BAD” PRIDE
DOES (The 3-Ds)
- My fear is that
when we talk about a subject like “pride,” people won’t take it
seriously.
- You think, well
it’s not adultery, or stealing, or something like that.
- But as we’ll see,
the things that pride leads to are very serious indeed.
è Bad
Pride…Leads to Disgrace
[-
Newsweek
provided this description of the dethroned Saddam Hussein:
- In a
part of the world where pride and dignity mean everything, the images
were clearly intended to shame.
- A
nameless doctor or medical technician, wearing rubber gloves, was seen
closely examining the man's hair, perhaps looking for vermin.
-
Prodded with a tongue depressor, the man opened his mouth; the doctor
peered at the pink flesh of his throat and scraped off a few cells for
DNA identification.
- Then
the world saw the man's face – Haggard, defeated meek and weak.
- The
Glorious Leader, Direct Descendant of the Prophet, the Lion of Babylon,
the Father of the Two Lion Cubs, the Anointed One, the Successor of
Nebuchadnezzar, the Modern Saladin of Islam had been brought low, forced
to bow down to contemplate his fate while waiting to stand trial.]
- Saddam Hussein, while perhaps an extreme example, could be the poster
boy for this particular downfall of pride.
- One minute he was the proudest man on earth, and the next he is
humiliated before the entire world.
- Pride leads to
disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. – Proverbs 11:2
- If you are a proud
person, it is only a matter of time until you’re brought down off your
high horse.
- It might be
tomorrow, or ten years from now, but it will happen.
- “For the proud
will be humbled, but the humble will be honored." – Luke 14:11
- Now, what we want
to do, if this is a problem of ours, is take care of it now instead of
waiting until we are embarrassed in front of our family or friends.
è
Bad Pride…Leads to
Disputes
[-
German orchestra violinists are suing for a pay
raise, claiming they play many more notes per concert than their
colleagues do.
- The 16 violinists point to their less-busy colleagues who play flute,
oboe, or trombone.
- The director of the Beethoven Orchestra in Bonn, argues that the
violinists shouldn't be paid more: "Maybe it's an interesting legal
question, but musically, it's very clear to everyone."]
- The church is like the orchestra – There isn't room for prima donnas
or people who think they should be held to a level higher than others.
- Pride leads to
arguments; those who take advice are wise. – Proverbs 13:10
- The arguments that
take place come from the fact that those who think they are superior in
their pride, cannot get along with those who they feel are “under them.”
- When you find
contention in a group, in a neighborhood, in a church or church group,
the basis of it will always be found to be pride.
è
Bad Pride…Leads to
Discipline
- There are a lot of
things that God looks past, but pride isn’t one of them.
- The LORD
despises pride; be assured that the proud will be punished.
– Proverbs 16:5
- Now, why would God
despise pride?
- I think there are a
number of possibilities, but consider it from this angle.
- God is perfect in
every possible way – a person who sets himself up to be something he is
not, is in some ways usurping the place of God in his life.
- Let me put it
another way – the proud person is not going to see the same need for God
in her life, as the humble does, because she thinks she already has it
all together.
-Actually, that type
of person cannot even become a Christian because they do not recognize
their need for a Savior.
- And God says that
that kind of person is going to be disciplined by Him.
- I don’t know
exactly what form that discipline will take, but I do know that God will
follow through on His promise.
- Now I know that
none of you want to be disgraced, fall into dispute, or be disciplined
by God, so let’s go to our next section to find the solution:
3. WHAT YOU CAN DO
ABOUT IT
- There are 3 very
specific things that we can do to rid ourselves of pride:
è
To rid yourself of
pride you must… Perform a Reality Check
[-
Chan Gailey, football coach for the Georgia Tech
Yellow Jackets, told how he learned a lesson in humility.
- Gailey was then head coach of Alabama's Troy State, and they were
playing for a National Championship.
- The week before the big game, he was headed to the practice field when
a secretary called him back to take a phone call.
- Somewhat irritated, Gailey told her to take a message because he was
on his way to practice.
- She responded, "But it's Sports Illustrated."
– "I'll be right there," he said.
- As he made his way to the building, he began to think about the
upcoming article. - It would be great publicity for a small school like
Troy State to be in Sports Illustrated.
- As he got closer, he realized that a three-page article wouldn’t be
sufficient to tell the whole story.
- Coming even closer to his office, he started thinking that he might be
on the cover. – "Should I pose or go with an action shot," he wondered.
- His head was spinning with all of the possibilities.
- When he picked up the phone and said hello, the person asked, "Is this
Chan Gailey?" – "Yes, it is," he replied confidently.
- "This is Sports Illustrated, and we're
calling to let you know that your subscription is running out. Are you
interested in renewing?"
- Coach Gailey concluded the story by saying, "You are either humble or
you will be humbled."]
- Pride ends in
humiliation, while humility brings honor. – Proverbs 29:23
- There is nothing
wrong with knowing what you are good at and what you are not good at –
in fact, that is true humility.
- It is when we have
a puffed up view of ourselves that we get in trouble.
- But if you can take
an honest inventory of yourself, you’ll be fine.
- For instance, I
know that I’m not going to be asked to be on the cover of GQ.
- I also know that
I’m not going to qualify to be in the MENSA club for people with genius
IQs.
- I know that other
people have great ideas, opinions, and so forth.
- But I also don’t
think I’m stupid, or that I don’t have anything to offer.
- In fact, I know
that God has gifted me in certain areas.
- And as long as I
have a realistic view of who I am and what my place is in this world,
I’ll display the kind of humility that God is looking for.
è
To rid yourself of
pride you must… Humble Yourself Before God
- We need to remind
ourselves that there is only one God, and we’re not Him.
- When I look at God
and see that He is the Creator of the Universe, that He is the One who
knows all, and sees all – and that He is perfect in every possible way,
it should bring me down to my knees in worship of Him.
- When I read about
Jesus giving Himself on the Cross to literally die in my place, it makes
me realize that any sacrifice I can give will pale in comparison.
- When I really come
to know God, and accept Him for who He is, I will have no choice but to
bow before Him in fear and reverence.
- True humility
and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life. –
Proverbs 22:4
- I hope you can see
God clearly enough to realize that you are compelled to humble yourself
before Him.
- If you’re not there
yet, I pray that you get there soon – read the Word of God, pray without
ceasing, search Him out with your every moment.
- God will make
Himself known to you, and when He does, you will see what I’m talking
about very, very clearly, and then your life will be changed.
-But don’t be like my
friend who won a humble award ribbon, and then wouldn’t take the ribbon
off, he wore it everywhere, so they took the award away.
è
To rid yourself of
pride you must… Review, Repent, Renew
- Like most areas
where we seek spiritual growth, this is an ongoing process.
- I wish I could push
a button that would take all of the bad pride out of my life forever,
but it just doesn’t work that way.
- Just like you, I
find the ugly head of pride rearing itself up in my life at the most
inopportune times.
- And I’ve come to
realize that I have to constantly work on this, but with God’s help, I
know it can be overcome.
- Periodically I have
to review my life, repent where I’ve allowed pride to take hold, and ask
God to bring me through the process of renewal where I draw closer to
Him, by pushing myself out of the way.
- Don't be
impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and
turn your back on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and
vitality. – Proverbs 3:7-8
- There are the 3
steps right there in that passage – Review, Repent, and Renew.
- Can you do that?
I’m confident that you can.
CONCLUSION:
- As we close, I want
to ask you to do yourself a favor in this area sometime today or within
the next couple of days.
- Ask your spouse, or
a close, trusted friend, if you exhibit this bad type of pride we’ve
been talking about in your life.
- Ask them to be
completely honest with you, and when they are, don’t get mad at them,
because we are lovers of truth, right.
- Because sometimes
in this particular area, we don’t see it in ourselves as well as those
around us might.
- And if you discover
that this is a problem, just do like we’ve talked about today – -
Perform a Reality Check – Humble yourself before God – Review, Repent,
and Renew.
-Let’s humble
ourselves, pray, and ask God to help us this morning.
-First if you do not
know Christ as your Savior it is time to admit, so can’t handle life on
your own. It is time to humble yourself and accept him.
John Ortberg in Love Beyond Reason (Zondervan, 1998), pp. 142-43
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