The legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi was known to be a rather prideful man. He also became accustomed to fans seeking his autograph. One day while eating at a restaurant, he spotted a kid approaching his table. Lombardi grabbed a menu and quickly scribbled his name. When the kid got to the table, coach Lombardi arrogantly handed him the autographed menu. The kid said, "I don’t need a menu. I just need to borrow your ketchup."
Ancient church leaders put the sin of pride at the top of their list of 7 deadly sins for obvious reasons. If you haven’t been with us we are in a series of sermons called “What happens in Vegas stays in you”. Sin stays in us. We have to scrap it off of us.
This list of seven deadly sins was complied back in the 4th and 5th centuries. These sins can destroy the personal spiritual life and so early church leaders wanted us to avoid them at all cost and develop the virtues that trump them.
The Bible teaches us that as believers in Jesus Christ we are to have a humble spirit. That is the corresponding virtue to pride. There is a lot of miss-interpretation about what true humility is today. Therefore, this is a good time for us to see what the scripture really teaches us both pride and humility. Pride is a very elusive thing, a very deceptive sin that most do not see in themselves. However, it is at the root of so much wrongdoing in our lives.
I. PRIDE AND ITS HISTORY.
Pride is the oldest sin in the Book. In Genesis 3 when Satan tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he said to her, 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Eve and then Adam eat from the tree and we have always assumed they wanted to be like God. Pride is a problem for all of mankind. In Genesis chapter 11 we find an ancient story about the people on earth just after the great flood. Noah’s great grandchildren wanted to build a great city and tower. God wanted them to fill the earth and be fruitful but they gathered in the plains of Shinar and said in Gen. 11:4 “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
So out of pride the great-great grandchildren of Noah were disobeying God and not filling the earth, so God confused their languages and scattered the peoples through out the middle east and we call that partially built tower the tower of Babel.
When you read the Bible, and seriously consider sin, you end up seeing yourself and your own sin in-between the lines. Every sin that we are going to talk about, every one of us has committed. I want to remind myself and you about how we can do better in the future. God isn’t finished with us yet and so we are here to grow in His grace and build the virtues to erase the sins.
Ted Turner allegedly once said, “If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect.” Well God wants to perfect us, but not in the Ted Turner style of things, but in the Jesus way.
Let’s first define a few things about pride and then close with instructions to put the humble heart of Jesus into our own lives.
II. GOD TALKS ABOUT PRIDE IN THE BIBLE.
A. Before I tell you why God hates pride there are two examples in the Bible of positive pride.
1. Galatians 6:3 and following which says, “3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.” What Paul was saying is that every Christian should put their efforts into developing their own consistency instead of picking on others.
2. James 1:9 9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.” If you don’t have much today, be happy, because God loves you and in heaven you have riches.
B. But elsewhere God says he hates pride in us. In Proverbs 6 verse 16 it says, There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes,” is the first sin God hates, that’s pride. Really some simple reasons why that is so. I’ve listed five from scripture.
1. Vanity is the simplest form of pride. We are constantly concerned about how we appear. There is an over concern with clothing and make-up and jewelry and shoes and muscles. One author I read wrote, “If we exercise in Spandex – ever-- there’s a good chance we have this problem.” Vanity is the most common form of pride and its irritating and silly, but fortunately not the most dangerous.
2. Pride destroys our capacity to love. The greedy or the gluttonous may still be capable of at least a certain kind of love, but pride is a form of anti-love. Proverbs 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” Prideful people struggle to cooperate with others. They are quick to attack, they breed quarrels. Pride separates people, it won’t allow for reconciliation or compromises or forgiveness and so relationships are destroyed.
3. Pride is stubborn. Stubborness is the pride that causes us to shun correction. It renders us unable to stop defending ourselves. When someone points out an error or flaw we evade or deny or blame someone else. This is difficult to penetrate. Defensive people rarely relax enough to listen to other. This stubbornness doesn’t admit it’s sin. It can’t say I’m sorry to God or others.
4. Pride is contrary to God’s own character. Phil. 2 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death…” Jesus was the most humble man to have ever lived and our goal is to be like him.
5. Pride denies God’s sovereign control. One time Don King the boxing promoter with the Hair that stands straight up, said once, “Sometimes I amaze myself. I say this humbly.” In our pride, we don’t leave room for God to guide us, because we often are trying to manipulate things, instead of letting God’s wisdom guide us. St. Augustine – “It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men angels.” Do you remember the story of Job in the OT, he was a righteous man and a wealthy man who obeyed God, but after tragedy struck his life he wanted to confront God and have God answer him as to why me, why did I suffer like this. Job chapter 38 a great storm comes up and God speaks in the storm and says, 3Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.4“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!” When you really contemplate how your life is a shadow, David said our life is like a weaver’s shuttle. Today our life is like a right click on a computer mouse. When you understand that we should gain a new perspective on life and service and eternity.
III. HUMILITY IS OUR CALLING.
Humility is the Christian virtue that counters pride. It is our calling in life. Humility is not about convincing ourselves or others that we are unattractive or incompetent. It is not about beating ourselves up or trying to make ourselves out to be nothing. If God wanted us to be nothing, he could have done it. C.S. Lewis tried to explain it one day. He understood that confidence and arrogance were components of pride, too, and that humility was what kept them in balance. There was no sniveling, “I can’t do anything,” in what one does, but neither was there the pride that says “It’s all me.” He suggested a definition that I certainly can’t argue with. He says “Humility is the ability to be the greatest architect in the world, to build the most beautiful cathedral that ever existed so that people who saw it would weep tears of joy. And then,” he adds, “humility is the ability to be equally as happy if it was my neighbor who built it.” Humility has to do with submitted willingness. It involves a healthy self forgetfulness. We know that we have become our way into humility when we can live and serve God in the moment and be enabled by the Holy Spirit and not be preoccupied with ourselves. This is an elusive pursuit, for pride is a persistent problem for every believer.
A. Phil. 2:5 says, “5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:” If Jesus was humble and he was, then it should work for us so that we might be a loving, cooperative and compliant follower of the Lord. The Bible does very specifically tells about this virtue and how we are to live.
B. We find our first instruction in Psalms 51:17, 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 10:4 it says there, “4In his pride the wicked does not seek (God) him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 5His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. 6He says to himself, “Nothing will shake me; I’ll always be happy and never have trouble.”Here’s the lesson. HUMILITY RECOGNIZES THEIR OWN SIN. Jimmy Hoffa, the labor leader who disappeared in the 70’s once said, “I may have faults, but being wrong ain’t one of them.” Out side of Christ the person who does not recognize the need of God’s grace will never find true humility. It begins in a reasonable spirit that sees in itself the need of God’s grace. Isaiah 66:2 says, “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
C. A second instruction is in Romans 12. 3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. HUMILITY RECOGNIZES GOD PURPOSE IN OTHER PEOPLE. Bible says, God has gifted others. And others have helped you in any success you have enjoyed. Your life is a mosaic of people who have loved you and encouraged you and helped you. Alex Haley, the late author of Roots, had a unique picture in his office. Framed on his wall was a shot of a turtle sitting on top of a fence post. Haley used to say, "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help. He said, Any time I start thinking, ’Wow, isn’t this marvelous what I’ve done!’ I look at that picture and remember how this turtle, me, got up on that post." If you’re sitting on a fence post enjoying the view, remember, you had help! Humility reaches out to others in cooperation. Cooperation is seen us when we walk humbly before God. Pride makes us abrasive and course. We don’t seek reconciliation. Martin Luther said, "We need goat sense." He tells of seeing two goats meeting on a path on a mountain ledge. Instead of butting one another, one of them laid down and allowed the other one to pass over him. That is real humility and is what we need in the Church.
D. A third instruction is in Romans 12:16 which says, “16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Phil. 2: 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” HUMILITY REACHES BEYOND ITS OWN POSITION TO SERVE OTHERS. I read about the dramatic testimony of Tom Severson, the preacher of Vineyard church in Elgin, Illinois. His congregation has a food ministry that feeds about 50 homeless people a day. One day as Tom was leaving the church building for lunch himself, when a homeless man who Tom recognized as Mike asked Tom for a ride to a local cemetery to visit a relative’s grave. After the visit Mike asked Tom to pray for him, When Tom closed his eyes to pray, the homeless man in one quick motion took a knife and slit Tom across the throat. The man wanted to steal Tom’s car. A fight ensued and eventually Tom lay bleeding to death on the ground. The attacker was scared off because of an approaching truck and later caught by police. Tom Severson said, “They say your life flashes before your eyes in the moments near death and it does. I felt the spirit of God searching through my days, looking at my life through the lens of eternity.” He said, The moments were brief, but I sensed the Lord doing so much work in me. Tom Severson said, He saw himself standing before God’s judgment throne and he could see Jesus looking at him as if to say, “How much love did I pour out on You? How much of it flowed out of you to others.” That experience has changed Tom Severson for the better he said. He has dedicated his life to serving others. To being more open in his love and expressive. It’s not easy sometime to give up the persona you kept a lid on for all your years, but when realize that God has lavished His love on you for so long, you have to let it flow out to others.
E. HUMILITY CONNECTS GOD TO OUR DAILY LIVES. Going to see that in two ways. 2 sub-points if keeping track. We will perform things and tasks that the world thinks are mundane. Jesus once took a child in his arms and said, in effect, Here’s your ministry. Give yourselves to those who can bring you no status or clout. Just help people. If you don’t your whole life will be thrown away on an idiotic contest to see who is the greatest. We might call this the ministry of the mundane. Secondly, there is a ministry of holding your tongue. This behavior flies in the face of conventional wisdom today. We often feel a need to comment of everything, to correct others who we see faltering. I am not suggesting the world doesn’t speak truth in a wayward society, but I am talking about how believers can have a nagging spirit inside the church and outside the church. Holding your tongue is not compromising the truth, it just may be allowing God to work on problems Himself, without your adolescent assistance. There is a great story told by Lewis Smedes about Pope John 23rd who served from 58-63. Apparently a member of his inner circle was continually nagging him to fix this or that problem, this official lived as though he alone saw the severity of the problems facing the church and the world, and as it without his warnings everything would collapse. Finally the Pope John had had enough of the warnings and took his hyper conscientious advisor aside and confessed the he, too, was sometimes tempted to live as though the fate of the world rested on Him. He was helped though the Pope said by an angel who would sometimes appear by the side of his bed and say, “Hey there, Johnny boy, don’t take yourself to seriously.” We are not the messiah.
F. Last of all HUMILITY IS EMBRACING OUR WEAKNESSES AND LIMITATIONS. Pride is out to protect itself. We don’t like it when others can peer into our lives and see our weaknesses. On one hand we falsely act like we are nothing, that we are misery itself and the refuse of the world, buy if someone suggest that is so or we are taken at our world we become enflamed. But in Christ we can be confident that God is glorified in our weakness and they become the vehicles of our witness, because God redeems us from the weakness. This runs contrary to the world we live in.
We live in a world were many people who see no need for God in life. As if God is only a viable option for those who need it, but they would claim they don’t need that crutch. Youth leads them to arrogance and buy the time they are old; their heart can be so hard they can’t find their way back to God. The nominal Christian puts God on a shelf during the week and Sunday morning attendance is superficial. But in humility we realize that God is busy in the details of our lives, He is glorified in our weaknesses, we demonstrate His strength in such and how we live day in and day out is important.
