Pride - A Deadly Sin

Introductory Comments

1. It was a sinister looking scene. Before me stood carts covered with all kinds of objects - sharp probing picks, drill heads, and other objects I could not identify, except for the syringe that looked larger than any I had ever seen before. In the middle if the carts was the chair that I was expected to sit in. I had never had this procedure before and I was surprised at how threatening it seemed. I was about to undergo a root canal. But I was spared. After sitting down, the dentist took a final look in my mouth. And whether it was because the tooth was in worse shape than he had thought or because he could see my apprehension, he gave a final verdict, "The tooth should come out". No root canal, just a simple pulled tooth.

2. A root canal is supposed to be a painful and long experience. I’m thakful that I only know this because of what I’ve been told. A root canal is necessary when your tooth’s nerve chamber becomes infected by decay. A root canal treatment is often the only way to save your tooth. Inside your tooth’s hard outer shell is a nourishing pulp of blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerves. The root’s canal, allow these vessels and nerves to extend to the bone. Deep tooth decay, or injury can cause serious damage and infection to the pulps nerves and vessels. A root canal cleans out the infected pulp chamber and canals. Then the roots can again provide health to the tooth.

3. Today I will begin to perform a root canal on you. I am not a dentist but the procedure I use has been entrusted to me by God. This root canal will go deeper than the roots of our teeth. The procedure may be painful and long, and yet it is necessary if you, if we as a church, want to live healthy, growing, godly lives.

4. The infections we will look at and try to clean out has been called "seven deadly sins", not to be confused with the mortal sins of the Roman Catholic church. But rather seven sins that lie deep within us and infect our purity, our character, our relationship with God and our relationships with one another. These sins lead to others sins and they must be dealt with. They are the root of our problems.

5. These sins are pride, avarice, envy, wrath or anger, sloth, lust and gluttony.

6. I ask that each of us honestly look at ourselves and ask God to reveal these sins to us and to cleanse us of them. Then, according to God’s promise, we will be purified. 1 John 1:8,9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

7. Today we begin by looking at pride - perhaps the deadliest of all sins.. We first considera n example of pridei n the bible.

Teaching

1. We go back to the time when the people of Israel were held captive in Babylon. We begin with King Nebuchadnezzar (N.), the king of Babylon.

2. In Daniel 3 we read that he made an image of gold 90 feet high. The image was probably of the god Nabu, but the name of this god also formed the first part of Nebuchadnezzar’s name. All people were commanded to fall down and worship the iamge whenever N. decided. They were to worship a false god, and by doing so they worshipped N. because of his name and because they were obeying his command.

a. As we may know the story, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to do so and were thrown into a firey furnace. When N. saw that God spared them, he praised God and acknowledged His greatness to all peoples.

b. But soon after, N. had a dream that only Daniel could interpret. The dream said that N. would become as a madman, with the mind of an animal. He would live with wild animal for seven years until he would acknowledge that God is sovereign. And the dream came to pass.

3. In today’s passage, Daniel is talking to Belshazzar (B.), N’s son. He has seen the writing on the wall, literally, and Daniel has come to intrepret this writing. In his interpretation, Daniel reminds him of what had happened to his father and why. Read Daniel 5:20-21.

4. And even though Belshazzar knew this, he did not humble himself. Vs. 23 says that he set himself up against the God ofheaven. And as a result B. would lose his kingdom.

5. Both N. and B. were inflicted with the sin of pride. As we read, pride is "setting yourself up against the Lord of heaven". Pride is not acknowledging that God is sovereign. Pride is elevating ourselves higher than we ought to