Foolish Pride
Griffith Baptist Church – 3/30/08
P.M. Service
Text: Daniel 4
Main Verse: Daniel 4:37 - Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
The Introduction
For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one could write as well as he. Then the works of Lord Byron began to appear, and their greatness was immediately evident. Soon an anonymous critic praised his poems in a London paper. He declared that in the presence of these brilliant works of poetic genius, Scott could no longer be considered the leading poet of England.
It was later discovered that the unnamed reviewer had been none other than Sir Walter Scott himself!
Source unknown
I wonder, when something bigger than ourselves eclipses our importance, how do we feel?
Nebuchadnezzer faced this in this chapter
1. The Proclamation of the King – 4:1-3
2. The Revelation to the King – 4:4-18
3. The Interpretation to the King – 4:19-27
4. The Degradation of the King – 4:28-33
5. The Entire Restoration of the King – 4:34-37
Transition Statement: What are the telltale signs of Pride? These are not given for your convenience to determine in someone else’s life but to determine in your own.
Body
1. The Signs of Pride
A. Pride Focuses on Self (4, 30)
i. A life that is wrapped up in itself makes a very small package.
ii. Our needs, wants, and life are more important than others
iii. It loves to talk about its accomplishments
iv. In fact, its feelings get hurt when no one notices what it thinks is a great deal
v. It is part of that sin nature that we battle - Mark 7:20-23 - 20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
B. Pride is Stubborn to Acknowledge Mistakes
i. In Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, ( Nobel laureate) portrays a marriage that disintegrates over a bar of soap. It was the wife’s job to keep the house in order, including provision of towels, toilet paper, and soap in the bathroom. One day she forgot to replace the soap, an oversight that her husband mentioned in an exaggerated way (’I’ve been bathing for almost a week without any soap"), and that she vigorously denied. Although it turned out that she had indeed forgotten, her pride was at stake and she would not back down. For the next seven months they slept in separate rooms and ate in silence.
’Even when they were old and placid, ’ writes Marquez, ’they were very careful about bringing it up, for the barely healed wounds could begin to bleed again as if they had been inflicted only yesterday." How can a bar of soap ruin a marriage? Because neither partner would say, ’Stop. This cannot go on. I’m sorry. Forgive me."
ii. Pride says it is right and does not want to listen
iii. It is a slap in the face to be corrected and steps on our ego
iv. It does not see any weaknesses that need to be corrected
C. Pride Cares Little for Others
i. Example: Jezebel was a wicked and uncaring queen
ii. It does not recognize the needs of others
iii. It does not seek the best for others
iv. It seeks what it can get out of it
v. It wants to be lifted up but could care less if others are lifted up more.
D. Pride Ignores God (29)
i. 12 months went by after the dream and already the King was feasting on His world which HE had built, totally ignoring God’s Word to him.
ii. We read God’s Word, think it sounds nice and than walk away unchanged.
iii. God requires change inside and out and pride interferes with that.
iv. Pride affects us as Christians in different ways:
a. Interferes with service
b. Destroys relationships (marriage, family, friends, etc)
c. Divides churches
d. Causes insubordinate attitudes (work, home, church, etc.)
e. Turns our ears off to hearing God speak
f. Allows Satan control of our heart and life
E. Pride is Eventually Judged (33)
i. Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 11:22; 29:23)
ii. The ultimate act of pride is rejection of Jesus Christ.
iii. For Christians, it may be as simple as loss of reward, loss of blessing, or it may include physical, financial, family, and other problems that God uses to get our attention.
Transition Statement: What does God expect from us? Our entire life ought to be characterized by humility and the pursuit of it.
2. The Face of Humility
A. Discipleship – Luke 9:23-26
i. Clarence Jordan, author of the “Cotton Patch” New Testament translation and founder of the interracial Koinonia farm in Americus, Georgia, was getting a red-carpet tour of another minister’s church. With pride the minister pointed to the rich, imported pews and luxurious decoration. As they stepped outside, darkness was falling, and a spotlight shone on a huge cross atop the steeple.
“That cross alone cost us ten thousand dollars,” the minister said with a satisfied smile.
“You got cheated,” said Jordan. “Times were when Christians could get them for free.”
Michael Jinkins
ii. We have to be humble enough to put ourselves last (deny himself)
iii. We have to be ready for whatever the cost may be (take up his cross)
iv. We have to be willing to follow, not lead (follow me)
v. A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing. - M. Luther
B. Meekness – John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.
i. A. W. Tozer once wrote, The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God, everything. That is his motto.?
Quoted in Today in the Word, September, 1989, p. 19
ii. Our lives point to Jesus Christ
iii. Our behavior reflects what we think of our Christ.
iv. Where we place Christ in our lives tells us what where we place ourselves
C. Honoring – Romans 12:3, 10, 16 – 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
i. Verse 3 – not a devaluing of yourself but a proper estimation of your worth
ii. Verse 10 – you take delight in loving and lifting others around you up
iii. Verse 16 – don’t think yourself better because you are more well off financially, educationally, or positionally (status) – James 2:1-4 - 1My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
D. Servitude – Matthew 20:26-28
i. Milt Rood worked for years and years in Spokane as a car salesman. He was also very active with the Union Gospel Mission work with juvenile delinquents. Week by week he’d patiently teach the Word and pray with young boys in trouble. One week Milt went into the Hospital for exploratory surgery. The doctors found he was full of cancer. They sewed him up again and sent him home. He died within a week. After the funeral, Ron Kinley remarked, ’It’s interesting that at the funeral no one ever asked how many cars he had sold!"
John Underhill, Spokane, WA
ii. In God’s kingdom it is the true servant that gets exalted
iii. Self-promotion never works with God
iv. This mirrors who Christ is and anytime the Father looks at us, it is Jesus image that He wants to see, not our sinful own.
Conclusion:
Do you have any marks of pride in your life?
Would you be brave enough to have someone trustworthy evaluate your life to tell you whether you are proud or humble in spirit?
If you wouldn’t be that brave, chances are you have more pride than you thought and less humility than you give yourself credit with having.
