The Pitfalls of Pride, Part 2

Thank you, Kristen. Let's pray together. Father. We are grateful once again for the opportunity We have to worship your blessed name and we ask today that Lord you'd open our hearts and minds that once again We would behold the the wonderful beauty of our God as we study his word And pray Lord that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord We pray in Jesus name Amen Turn with me once again, if you would in your Bible to Luke chapter 9 Luke chapter 9 as we finish what we started last week and looking at the pitfalls of pride this is a great lesson for us because for the most part we are our prideful people and Christ teaches his apostles about a lesson on humility in a society that emphasizes self-promotion Self-centeredness Self-exaltation those are virtues in our society.

They are vices in the scripture and Yet we are told by our Lord exactly how we are to to live our lives We are at odds with society as Believers the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 that we are to walk worthy of our calling We are to walk in loneliness of mind We are to walk humbly before our God The Bible says these words over in the book of Micah the 6th chapter the 8th verse What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly?

with thy God Psalm 138 verse number 6 says though the Lord be high Yet he has respect unto the lowly Psalm 10 verse number 17 says Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble And over in Proverbs 15 33, it says before honor comes Humility When we were born again When we gave our life to Christ we came to a place that we recognized that we had nothing That we were nothing and we could offer nothing to God we had to Depend upon him for everything. We cried out to him It's how Christ describes it in Luke 9 23 that if any man come after me let him deny himself Take up his cross daily and follow after me Christianity is a life of self-denial It's a life where we come to realize that we have nothing to offer God and We cry out to him for mercy and he saves us because of his grace and because of that wonderful mercy We come to a place where we realize that we are broken before God that we are contrite before God That we have nothing to give to God Now we never come to that place on our own God brings us to that place The Bible says in Jeremiah 23 29 that God's Word is like a fire and God's Word is like a hammer It's a fire that purifies and it's a hammer that shatters the rock Now that's important Because you won't notice that that when God's Word is preached one of two things happen You come under conviction because God's Spirit is convicting you You repent of your sin you fall upon the mercy of God and you cry out to him or You rebel against what he has said Over the years as I have been preaching now since I was Oh 19 years of age I've come to realize that there are people who come to me and say, you know I just feel so beaten down by by what you said And I and I and I just have a hard time With what was said?

I feel like when I come to church I get beat up And I always say well that's a good thing not a bad thing and There are others who hear the same sermon and they say wow that that was so convicting God really spoke to me through his word and I realize and understand what it is. I should be doing When Jeremiah said that God's Word is like a rock That's shed like a hammer that shatters the rock God's Word when preached Beats down upon your heart and those who are humbled by that word submit to it and There are others who become hardened at that word and they don't want to submit to it You see sometimes we have to come to a place in our lives where we Submit ourselves to as we said last week first Peter 5 God's mighty hand of destiny We come to a place where we realize that Lord we have nothing We are nothing and we need you but so many times We don't want to capitulate to God's commands They're too hard for us and the reason we feel beat up is because we don't want to submit We don't want to come under the conviction of the Spirit of God and we fight against it we stiffen up our our neck against it and we don't want to succumb and Submit to the truth of God's Holy Word And yet the Bible speaks that we need to humble ourselves before God And when God's Spirit begins to work in conjunction with his word God begins to soften the heart and the heart becomes responsive to the Word of God Nobody can just wake up one day and Live a life of self-denial It's God's Spirit that does that it's God's Spirit that does the convicting work in your life and in mine Nobody ever saved himself Nobody ever came to a place where they could say well, I I'm gonna be humble today I'm gonna be contrite today It's God's Word that does that in conjunction with his Spirit.

It's God's Word that saves a sinner It's God's Word that causes a man to to deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow him because by nature We don't want to follow God Because the Bible says there's none that seeks after me And yet Christ said Unless you seek me You won't find me so God's Spirit must do a work and God's Spirit causes us to seek after him and to humble ourselves before him to cry out for mercy But like we said last week even though I Deny myself and come to Christ with a broken and contrite heart with a bankrupt spirit as Matthew 5 3 says the old man's the stench of the old man still resides in our lives and Pride tends to raise its ugly head more often than it ought in our lives And we come to realize that that we are prideful people and that's that's where the disciples are here in Luke chapter 9 They've already made the great confession Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God They've already said in John 6.

Where else are we gonna go? You have the words of eternal life. We've committed our lives to you and yet pride Would raise its ugly head in their lives and this would not be the last time it would happen Just like for you and me when we become arrogant and we become argumentative and Pride begins to raise its ugly head in our lives It won't be the last time So therefore we need to understand what the Bible says concerning humility of mind That's why Paul said over in Philippians chapter 2 these words words that are very familiar to us He says in verse number one if therefore there is any encouragement of Christ if there is any consolation of love If there is any fellowship of the Spirit if any affection and compassion make my joy complete by being of the same mind maintaining the same love united in spirit intent on one purpose Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind Let each of you regard one another as more important than himself Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others Paul says I want you to have this kind of mind It's a lowly mind Don't think too highly of yourself Make sure you look out for the others interests And not yours and he gives that great illustration of of the Lord Jesus Christ who humbled himself And became a man Became obedient even unto death And how he was highly exalted because of the great work of his father you see We need to realize that humility of mind should permeate our fellowship It should permeate our families It should be a part of of our of our lives And we can do that because we have the Spirit of God that resides within us And there's that battle that rages on in your life and in mine Because we really truly look out for ourselves And that's what the Apostles were doing The context is very very important in Luke chapter 9 As you recall they had made the confession thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God in Caesarea, Philippi and Christ had given that long exhortation about denying yourself and and and and and Hating your life that you might be able to keep your life and and all of those things and it was hard for the disciples To to digest just like it was hard for us when we we first read it and we were trying to understand How is that?

I refuse to want to associate with myself any longer But that's what salvation really truly is And Christ said listen there are some of you here today Who will see the kingdom of God you'll see the Son of Man and all of his glory And some eight days later Christ would take Peter James and John on top of a high mountain Unveil his flesh And they would behold the glory of the Lord Moses and Elijah were on that mountain and they were able to see them and commune with them and then They would come down from that mountain And when they got down at the base of the mountain there was an issue There was a father who had a young boy who was demon-possessed And he came to Christ and he he begged Christ to cast the demon out of a son because he had gone to the other nine To cast out the demon and they could not Christ rebuked them Oh foolish and perverted Generation how long shall I be with you bring the boy to me and he cast out the demon remember that story And the Bible says that the people were all amazed at the work of Christ Mark's account says that when they got to the house They asked the Lord.

Why is it we could not do? What you've already commanded us to do Because we know from Luke 9 verse number 1 he had given them authority over demons to cast them out He'd given them the power to to heal the sick Matthew's account says he'd given them power to raise the dead So they'd already been given the power to do those things yet on this occasion. They could not Why couldn't we do it and Christ says these things only come out by prayer See they'd already begun to manifest an independent spirit an arrogant spirit and They were unable to do it.

And then the Bible says in Luke chapter 9 That the people around them at the base of the mountain were all amazed at the greatness of God And while everyone was marveling At all that he was doing he said to his disciples This is verse 44 let these words sink into your ears for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men Son of man is going to die Now this is about Nine days later From when he said If any man came after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow after me Why because he had talked about his death after the great confession that Peter made it that what the Christ Son of the Living God And Christ told them very plainly about his death burial resurrection Some eight or nine days later.

He said the exact same thing don't forget the Son of Man is going to die because the crowd was all amazed at the power of God and Maybe they were thinking boy. This is great. Maybe maybe he's gonna usher in the kingdom Crisis, don't forget Don't forget The Son of Man is to be delivered verse 45, but they did not understand The statement and it was concealed from them so that they might not perceive it and they were afraid to ask him about this statement Why were they afraid What were they afraid of It was because down deep in their hearts they didn't want to talk about self-denial They didn't want to talk about death.

They didn't want to talk about humility Because that wasn't in their hearts How do we know that? the very next verse In an argument arose among them as to which of them Might be the greatest The argument arose Once again It was all about them So he told you last week as we begin six principles for the pitfall of pride that pride destroys Unity Remember this is the first generation of preachers They had to be one.

They had to be unified. They had to be yielded to the Spirit of God and Yet an argument would erupt in the conversation about which of them was the greatest of the Apostles Pride is so destructive. It is so Divisive Because each of them thought That they were better than the other that they were greater than the other and After Jesus had already spoken twice to them within a nine-day period About his own death in his own suffering. All they could think about was Themselves See they're all like us They were just as narcissistic as we are It was all about them It wasn't about their Messiah It wasn't about their King was all about them and their prominence in the king That's what he want to talk to him about his death again because you're thinking about kingdom reigning Kingdom ruling Kingdom authority they're thinking about themselves see that's what was important to them So as they walked along the way they There began an argument among them as to which of them was going to be The greatest Folks pride destroys every relationship in the church It destroys the family relationship It destroys everything Remember in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 Paul says these words And I brethren could not speak to you as to spiritual men But as to men of flesh as to babes in Christ.

I Gave you milk to drink not solid food for you were not yet able to receive it Indeed even now you are not yet able For you are still fleshly For since there is jealousy and strife among you. Are you not fleshly and are you not walking like mere men? For one says I am of Paul Another I am of the Paulus Are you not mere men? What then is the Paulus and what is Paul? Servants to whom you believed even as the Lord gave you opportunity to believe He says there's jealousy to strife I'm a follower of Paul I'm a follower of a Paulus You know, we're here today People come and say say is your church Calvinist Are you a follower of Calvin?

Or are you a follower of Arminius? Are you Arminians? Are you Calvinists as? If we were a label on our chest a pin that describes us I'm a follower of Calvin I'm a follower of Arminius Who cares You need to be a follower of Jesus you need to understand the truth of God's Holy Word These were the people in Corinth and Paul would say in 2nd Corinthians these words I found this so interesting he says Verse 20 2nd Corinthians 12. I'm afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish And may be found by you to be not what you wish that perhaps there may be strife jealousy angry tempers dispute slanders gossip arrogance Disturbances in the church.

Yeah The Corinthians were very fleshly people They were very carnal people always thinking about themselves and we tend to fall into that category as well and The Apostles could only think of themselves and that's why pride Destroys unity The reason there is petty jealousy. The reason there is gossip. The reason there is anger The reason there is slander is because somebody's not getting what they want And until they get what they want they will continue to derail ministry they will continue to to tear down Others to build themselves up it is destroyer of unity That's why Paul said in Ephesians 4 need the endeavor to keep the unity the spirit the bond of peace You got to do all you can to keep it You already have it.

You're already one in Christ and you better do all you can to keep it because it's so easily destroyed An argument arose among them as to which of them was The greatest Destroys unity number two it declares Superiority it declares Superiority why would there be an argument because somebody's better than somebody else's that's why least in their own minds And we told you last week that In the in the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 that we are not to compare ourselves by ourselves Because if we do we're not wise people we're foolish Our standard is Christ himself but they were comparing themselves among themselves and by themselves as To which of them would be the greatest they are declaring their superiority and you can understand the conversation It would be Philippa who might say, you know I was in this village and and I had the opportunity to heal three blind men Thomas might say well, that's that's nothing you should have been in my village Because I not only healed three blind men.

I healed three deaf men as well So you say you're number one. I say I'm number one and Then there's there's Andrew says well, wait a minute.

I I had the opportunity in the village that I was in to not only Take care of all those in that village who were paralyzed and there was about ten of them. I Even had the opportunity to heal some lepers and to raise somebody from the dead So I would say that I probably am greater than you are Remember in Luke 9 1 they'd all been given the same authority all been given the same ability And as this argument would erupt on this on this road to Capernaum because that's where they were going Peter James and John they'd be sitting back and listening to everybody because they had the upper hand see They have all the cards and they knew that and they'd be sitting listening to the conversation as these men would argue among themselves as to who was the greatest and finally when they were done arguing maybe Peter James or John said Fellows by the way, guess what?

We will let you know something We walked on the mountain with Jesus We were on the Mount of Transfiguration and you weren't We were the ones called up on the mountain and you didn't quite make it up there you weren't even asked to be there but we were And not only that We saw the glory of the Lord You know what we talked to Moses and we talked to Elijah who you've been talking to lately We have the upper hand We walked on the Mount of Transfiguration where you guys been walking lately. Oh, and by the way when we came down from the mountain You could even cast a demon out of a guy So I would tend to say that we are among the greatest of the twelve not any of you guys You can see how that would happen We tend to think that our ministry is superior to somebody else's ministry Our marriage is superior to somebody else's marriage Our family superior to somebody else's family because we compare ourselves Among us as we like to declare our Superiority You ever been in a conversation with somebody where they just can't wait to give their story To let you know what they know To let you understand what they have seen Happens all the time remember growing up as a kid Went to Southern Baptist Church in the Midwest Southern Baptist Church in the Midwest and they used to give us pins for perfect attendance And so my mom used to pump medication in me every Saturday to make sure I was there on Sunday for that perfect attendance pin And it began with a circular pin with little clips on the end of it because every quarter you'd add a bar And I can remember being called up front in the Sunday school class and Getting my little bars on my little pins and they used to run down my lapel And I used to go to church so proud because I had perfect attendance and Everybody could see that I didn't miss a Sunday Now folks, I believe you ought to be in church every Sunday.

I believe that I Don't think you ought to get pins for being in church every Sunday But I can recall those days in you you'd walk down the hallway of the church and you'd glance at the other person's lapel and you'd think Didn't make it one Sunday, did you? Because they didn't have perfect attendance pins but I did and you begin to think yourself superior because you're a church every Sunday as If that makes you better than somebody else But we love to declare our superiority That's a pitfall of pride But there's a third element and that is this That pride demonstrates Depravity It demonstrates depravity The Bible says this But Jesus knowing what they were thinking in their what's next word heart Singular Not plural Because all their hearts were united as one All of their hearts were united as one toward the same root and that was Arrogance and pride it was a collective heart He Knew what they were thinking in their heart.

Oh their hearts were united, but they were united on who was the greatest and so we know that Romans 2 5 says that our heart is Stubborn and unrepentant. We know Jeremiah 17 9 says our heart is deceitful and desperately wicked And we know that Mark chapter 7 Says these words verse number 20 that which proceeds out of the man. That is what defiles the man for from within out of the heart of men Proceed the evil thoughts fornications thefts murders adulteries deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as the seat sensuality envy slander pride and foolishness All these evil things proceed from within and defile The man Their hearts were polluted They were all thinking about the same thing they were all thinking about themselves and It just demonstrates our depravity it demonstrates how far short we fall from the standard that God himself sets But because we become so self-righteous, we don't even see it And yet that's what happened.

So so because of the destruction of their unity because of the declaration of their superiority and because of the demonstration of their depravity the Lord Jesus Christ gives an illustration of humility Listen to what happens Verse 47, but Jesus knowing what they were thinking in their heart took a child and stood him by his side And said to them whoever receives his child in my name receives me And whoever receives me receives him who sent me For he who is least among you. This is the one who is Great Now Mark's account tells us that when they got to the house of the Lord Jesus asked them What you were discussing on the way?

And none of them said anything Didn't have to because Jesus knew what was in their heart, but he asked the question not because he needed information But because he wanted them to understand the reality of their sin And they wouldn't answer him. So what he does is he takes this child a Child young enough to pick up old enough to stand And he uses that child as an illustration very important lesson Why? Because in Jewish society children were looked down upon Because they had nothing to offer They had no accomplishments.

They had no achievements Rabbis said they would teach no children under the age of 12 Why? Because it was a waste of their time Most children because the mortality weight wouldn't even live to the age of 12 so they wouldn't waste their time on someone that might die and They wouldn't waste their time on someone who could give nothing back to society So it wasn't until they were 12 that they would even consider working with a child And yet Jesus takes a child and Places it down beside him as an illustration of what it means To be great You see he wants them to realize that you need to see yourself as this little child Matthew's account Matthew 18, which is a parallel account to Luke 9 and Mark 9 says this At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven He called the child himself and said him before them.

He said truly I say to you unless you are converted in other words unless you are turned around and become like children You shall not enter the kingdom of heaven Whoever then humbles himself as his child. He is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven in other words. Listen, your thinking is wrong Everything that you are saying is wrong You need to be turned around you need to be converted you need to realize that you come into the kingdom a certain way and You grow in the kingdom that same way You must see yourself as a little child In other words when you come into heaven you come with no achievements and no accomplishments you come with nothing because in reality you are nothing and Yet as this child You now are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven Why?

Because you came on my terms and not yours You came humbly before me Offering nothing to me because you have nothing to give to me and I received you into the kingdom You must continually view yourself that way Because what you have I gave you remember back in Luke 9 1 he gave them the authority to cast out demons He gave them the authority to heal the sick The Bible says what do you have that you did not receive from God everything you have you receive from God and that's why the Bible says in Luke 7 that John the Baptist was the greatest man who ever lived and Yet Christ says the least in the kingdom of God is Greater than John the Baptist How can that be?

Because we are cloaked in the righteousness of God in the kingdom of God. We are all equal. We are all one No one's better than somebody else We all came in the same way with nothing offering nothing because we are nothing And we gave our life to a king who is everything and All that we have today we owe to him because he gave it to us And Christ says you need to see yourself as this little child But notice this There's another pitfall to pride and Christ says very simply this You need to receive this child he says in my name In my name whoever receives this child in my name receives listen me Pride are you ready for this?

disdains deity Pride disdains deity It rejects who Christ is it denies who Christ is and Christ says very clearly this little child you receive him you receive me Folks we forget That we are one with Christ right First Corinthians 6 says he who is joined to the Lord is one with him is one Spirit right we are one with Christ He goes on in 1st Corinthians 6 says that if you join yourself to a harlot you join Christ to that harlot you are so one with Christ that when you commit Immorality, it's like joining Christ to that prostitute.

That's how one you are with Christ So Christ says when you receive one of these little ones you receive me In other words he says very clearly I Am them and they are me We are so one with Christ.

That's why in Matthew 25 Christ says when I was hungry You fed me when I was thirsty You gave me something to drink when I was in prison you visited me when I was naked you clothed me Well, when do we see you naked and in prison hungry and thirsty?

What did Christ say when you did it to the least of these my brethren you did it as unto? me we are one with Christ and When you begin to argue and Declare your spirit your superiority as if you are better than somebody else you are really saying you are better than God And you can pass judgment on somebody else Because you're higher than God It disdains deity. That's why Jesus would have gone to say in Matthew 18 these words he said Verse number five and whoever receives one such child in my name receives me But whoever calls is one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble It is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea Christ is listen, it will be better for you to die a horrible death than to offend One of these little ones Those who come into the kingdom like a child Those who live like a child and grow in a kingdom like a child grows completely dependent upon God Leaning completely upon him Don't offend one of those little ones Because it would be better for you to die a horrible death than for that to happen He goes on to say these words in verse number seven woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come but woe to the man through whom the stumbling block comes The world's gonna cause my little ones to stumble because that's who they are We expect that from the world but not from the church Not from those in the body And if your hand or your foot caused you to stumble cut it off and throw it from you It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than having two hands or two feet To be cast into the eternal fire And if your eye caused you to stumble pluck it out throw it from you It is better for you to enter life with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into the fiery hell See that you do not despise one of these little ones For I say to you that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of my father who is In heaven in other words Don't look down.

Don't belittle any of these little ones that are in my kingdom Why? Because if you do you are belittling me you were despising me So therefore if your if your hand offends you cut it off if your eye offends you pluck it out in other words Do whatever you got to do to make sure you don't cause one of these little ones of mine to fall into sin Because sin is so treacherous You got to make sure you live a right life So pride is that which destroys unity it declares superiority demonstrates the property it disdains deity And number five it defiles ministry It defiles ministry Jesus says these words in Luke chapter 9 For he who is least among you this is the one who is great You see ministry is only as Christlike as the person himself Is Christlike And if you're going around seeking to be the greatest And not studying your mind on being the least you're gonna defile every ministry you're involved in If you're going around wanting to be recognized because of your ministry you're gonna defile that ministry For whoever wants to be great must be the least among you You must not seek to serve yourself Christ said in Matthew 20 verse number 28 the Son of Man came not to be served But to serve and to give his life a ransom for many He came to give his life away So you should live in ministry to give your life away So you in the ministry of your family should live to give your life away Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Therefore if you don't do that you defile every ministry you're involved in If you can only think of you and how people see you and how you are recognized You're gonna defile that ministry because it's it's self-serving It's about you and not about Christ and the last pitfall of pride Is that it drives exclusivity it drives Exclusivity John having heard all of this says these words verse 49 and John answered and said master We saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to hinder him because he does not follow along with us But Jesus said to him do not hinder him for he was not against you It's for you John feeling conviction as to as to what Christ said helps us to understand that this wasn't just a an individual thing Pride wasn't individual pride was corporate we saw somebody doing ministry and They weren't a part of us They weren't a part of the other 12 So we try to stop them hey, you can't do that You're not one of us We've been given the authority to do that not you someone's trying to cast out demons We try to stop it Christ says wait a second Now first of all, you must notice that We know that Christ has only given the authority to the 12.

So this is an anomaly Did Christ give authority to somebody else? We know it's not a false teacher because if it was a false teacher Christ would have rebuked that false teacher and was supported there hindering this other person But Christ says very clearly It's not against you There's that they they believe in me and they they believe in the truth of God's Holy Word and they are committed to that truth You need before them not against them But pride tends to drive exclusivity That somehow we are an exclusive little group and we are better and bigger than everybody else But we're not Christ is simply if they're committed to the truth If they're committed to me They're with us They're not against us You should support them You should be alongside of them You should be encouraging them See pride is such a pollution In the church, isn't it?

It is so devastating It's a pollution in our families That all we can think of is is is us and here we are on the first Sunday of of September To partake of the Lord's table to celebrate the giving away of his life He embodied humility He said here he was meek and that he was lowly and we come and we we come to celebrate His humiliation How can we live Otherwise To celebrate his Humiliation and to live for our own selves exaltation Would make the partaking of the Lord's table blasphemous would it not So it tells us Where we are in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ That as he humbled himself so we too should humble ourselves and Follow after him in lowliness and meekness Let's pray father.

We thank you for today In the great opportunity we have to celebrate you and your great humiliation Lord the Apostles had a hard time dealing with The fact that you would give yourself away and die They had a hard time grasping that We understand why Lord it just goes against everything That we believe in everything that we think about We think so much about ourselves me on this day We learn to be as John the Baptist was You must increase we must decrease We pray in Jesus name, amen