Ai And The Humbling Of Man

"Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…"

—Deuteronomy 8:17–18a (NKJV)

---Introduction: A Moment of Pride---

We are living in a remarkable age—an age of breathtaking technological advancement. In just one generation, we’ve gone from rotary phones to smartphones, from libraries to the internet, from hand-written letters to global instant communication.

And now, we have created machines that can mimic human thought, write essays, generate artwork, answer theological questions, and even simulate conversation. Artificial Intelligence—AI—is being called by some the most important invention since the wheel. Others warn it is the greatest threat to humanity since the Tower of Babel.

So what does the Church say?

Do we fear it? Should we embrace it? Ignore it?

I would suggest this morning that we take another path entirely. -We should be humbled by it.-

---I. The Age of Man’s Self-Congratulation---

The Book of Deuteronomy gives us a powerful warning. As the people of Israel prepare to enter the Promised Land, God warns them not to forget Him amid their prosperity. He tells them that when they settle in good houses, eat and are full, and their silver and gold multiplies, they will be tempted to say:

“My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.”

It is not hard to hear echoes of that today, is it?

-When we look at AI, do we not see the pride of man in full bloom?

-When we marvel at our medicine, our science, our knowledge—do we not risk forgetting the One who made all things possible?

We live in a time when man praises himself. But Scripture says:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”* (Proverbs 16:18)

The truth is this: -We have taken credit for what God has given by grace-.

---II. Tools Reveal, They Do Not Redeem---

AI is just a tool. It is not good or evil in itself. It is like a hammer: it can build a house or be used as a weapon.

But what makes AI different is that it *mirrors us* back to ourselves. It simulates our intelligence, our writing, even our reasoning. And that troubles people.

Why? Because it pulls the mask off our ego. It reveals that much of what we called “uniquely human” is actually repeatable, programmable, and imitable.

And in that moment, we are tempted to despair: -If a machine can do what I do, then what am I?-

But let me offer the opposite view: -Maybe AI has come not to destroy man, but to humble him.-

Maybe it is God’s mercy that we are shown our limits. Maybe it is His kindness to remind us that we are *not* gods—that we are the clay, not the potter.

---III. A Stiff-Necked People---

In Exodus 32, God calls the Israelites a *stiff-necked people*. That phrase repeats throughout Scripture—Israel’s pride, their refusal to bow, their tendency to take the glory for themselves.

It is a human problem. It is **our** problem.

We think because we can write code, we can control the universe.

We think because we understand cells, we understand life.

We think because we can build machines, we can do without the Maker.

But even the angels fell when they refused to submit to God's order. Tradition tells us that Satan refused to serve a creature of dust—man—and so fell. Pride was his ruin.

Shall we make the same mistake?

Shall we look at the works of our hands and claim we no longer need the hand of God?

---IV. The Cross, Not the Code, Saves---

Let me be very clear: **No machine can redeem a soul.** No algorithm can forgive sin. No AI can say, “Your sins are forgiven you.”

Only Christ can do that.

We are not defined by our intelligence, our creativity, or our capability. We are defined by our need for grace. And it is grace—not technology—that saves.

-AI cannot pray.

-AI cannot repent.

-AI cannot love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

But you can.

That is your calling—not to outthink a machine, but to walk humbly with your God.

---Conclusion: A Call to Humility---

So what is the Church to do?

We are to remember. We are to give thanks. And we are to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

AI will change the world, yes. But it will never change this:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”* (Proverbs 9:10)

Let us fear God, not machines.

Let us thank Him for every good gift—including the ones we build—and give Him the glory.

Let us remember that we are not gods, and never were. We are the people of God, the sheep of His pasture. And it is better to be a redeemed sinner than a brilliant machine.