Ddd (Dignity Deficiency Disorder)

Bunbury

Wed pm

28/07/10

“DDD”

(Dignity Deficiency Disorder)

Intro: *** I was sitting in the emergency waiting room of the hospital the other day waiting to be attended & the theme music of a daytime T.V. program caught my attention, it was the theme music of Days Of Our Lives. Not having a T.V. myself I didn’t even know it was still on T.V.

I’ve never seen a full episode of it (boredom wouldn’t permit me to watch a full episode) but the one impression I’ve taken away from the little I know about the mindless mush of this show is that practically everyone in the program is a doctor / lawyer / corporate executive or some other kind of extremely impt person.

The subtle message of nonsense pumped out through Days Of Our Lives over the years is that to have any dignity in life you have to be some kind of high rolling professional w/ lots of money.

Something tells me that this idea is in conflict w/ the very heart of the gospel message!

It’s a lie that says unless you have a bulging pay packet, work in a high rise office & live the beautiful life surrounded by the beautiful people you can’t have any real dignity.

But this is a lie that needs to be exposed!

My Bible tells me that the Son of God who came down to earth to take on Himself the form of a man made Himself of no reputation.

Mark 10:45 (NKJV) For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

He had nowhere to lay His head, was despised & rejected by men but He now sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven.

As the church we need to guard against the folly of embracing the world’s idea of dignity.

Many Christians today suffer from what I call ‘dignity deficiency disorder’ simply b/c they are looking in the wrong places for dignity.

T/n I want to preach a sermon called ‘DDD (Dignity Deficiency Disorder).

Text: Luke 14:7-11 (NKJV) So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

# 1. Dignity addiction.

A. Every one of us are born w/ an inbuilt craving for dignity.

a. Every one of us wants to feel as though our life is valuable / means something / makes a difference.

i. No one wants to live w/ the feeling that they are a nobody & don’t count.

ii. What Jesus was witnessing at this feast / luncheon / dinner was the great grab for dignity.

Vs 7. He noted how they chose the best places, .....

iii. Let’s face it, everybody wants to be somebody in life – no one wants to be a no one!

*** A young lawyer was setting himself up in his first private practice. As he sat in his office which was basically bare except for his desk w/ a telephone on it & a book case w/ filled w/ impt looking legal books, he wondered how long it would be b/4 he got his first client.

Then as luck would have it he saw a man across the road cross the street & stride towards his front door. Feeling nervous & wanting to make a good impression on the working class man he quickly picked up the phone receiver & began talking to an imaginary client on the phone. The man now standing in the office in front of his desk waited several minutes while he concluded his conversation w/ this very impt client. Finally after ending the conversation he looked up at the man, now directly in front of his desk & w/ an air of superiority said to the man “Can I help you?” The man looked at the young lawyer & without missing a beat said “I’m from the phone company, I’m here to connect your phone!” OUCH!

b. You see this is the problem we all face – we all have a dignity addiction!