Read this if you want to understand:

The dangers of pride

Why God wants us to be humble

1. Follow our Leader 

Q - Who’s the greatest man who ever lived?

A - Jesus.

But He was also HUMBLE:

Matthew 11:29 ~ Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Jesus is King of kings & Lord of lords:

(Revelation 17:14 & 19:16)

• But He was not born into an earthly royal family.

• Nor did He come as a strong military leader, to fight against the Roman forces.

Instead - He was born into a lowly family, from the commonplace town of Nazareth.

If JESUS humbled Himself - then so should WE!

This praise song reminds us what Jesus did:

O Hallelujah glory

Have you heard the story?

Of the Man who came from Heaven

It was Jesus

How He laid aside His majesty

Bled and died on Calvary

That we might be set free

In this message - we’ll look at:

A. Pride

B. Humility

2. Q - What is pride?

A - All about self

Psalm 12:3-4

3The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:

4Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?

P R I D E has ‘I’ in the middle!

Pride =  

• Putting ourselves centre-stage.

• ‘Look at me’.

• Please Realise I Deserve Exaltation.

Proverbs 21:4 ~ An high look, and a proud heart … is sin.

--> Pride = Sin.

--> Just like: murder, adultery, theft etc. = sin

It’s OK to be inwardly content - e.g. with how God's blessed us with: a family, a home, a job, our skills etc.

But pride = outwardly boasting / being arrogant about such things, or implying that we’re somehow better than others.

Further reading

Mark 7:21-23

Romans 12:3 & 16

3. How pride started

Isaiah 14:12-14

12How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:

I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north (probably = on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem):

14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

--> Pride started with Lucifer (= Satan*).

--> Notice that Lucifer said: ‘I will …’ five times, as he sought to go higher.

So if we’re proud - we’re copying / associating ourselves with Satan.

Like fans wear football shirts to copy / associate themselves with the team they support.

*It's believed that ‘Lucifer’ = Satan, because of the similar accounts in: Luke 10:18 & Revelation 12:7-12

4. What does God think of proud people?

Proverbs 16:5 ~ Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand (= be sure of this), he shall not be unpunished.

Q - Who wants to be an abomination to God, and be punished by Him?

Further reading

Proverbs 6:16-17, 8:13

Isaiah 65:5

Romans 1:30 then 32

5. So what does God do to proud people?

Isaiah 10:33 ~ Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

--> God HUMBLES proud people.

--> So it’s better to humble ourselves - before God humbles us!

Illustration

It’s like joining the military:

• It’s best to get ourselves fit - before joining.

• Otherwise it will be very painful - when others force us to get fit!

Further reading

Exodus 10:3

and consequences for Pharaoh in chapters 7 - 14

2 Samuel 22:28

2 Chronicles 30:11

Nehemiah 9:10

Job 26:12

Psalms 18:27, 31:23, 94:2, 119:21

Proverbs 15:25

Isaiah 2:11-12 & 17, 5:15, 10:12-13

Isaiah 13:11, 16:6-7, 23:9, 25:10-11, 28:1-3

Jeremiah 13:7-10, 49:16, 50:31-32

Ezekiel 16:49-50, 17:24, 31:10-13

Hosea 5:5

Obadiah 3-4

Micah 2:3-4

Zephaniah 2:10-11, 3:11

Zechariah 9:6, 10:11, 11:3

Malachi 4:1

Luke 1:51-52, 18:14

James 4:6

6. Learning from King Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 4

Verse 30

30The king (= Nebuchadnezzar) spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 

• Remember - PRIDE has I in the middle.

• Nebuchadnezzar was proud - he boasted: ‘I … my … my …’

• So God HUMBLED him:

Verses 31-32

31While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from Heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

32And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field:

they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times (= seven years) shall pass over thee,

until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.

• If we think that WE'RE in charge - God arranges events to let us know that HE'S the Boss!

• Many believers (including me) were saved in a situation where only God could help them - so we then had to call on Him for help.

Verse 33

33The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar:

and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of Heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

• It’s unpleasant when God humbles us.

• But God’s not doing this to be spiteful.

• But so we understand that HE'S in charge - not us.

Verse 34

34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto Heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High,

and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, whose Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation:

• Nebuchadnezzar repented.

• He acknowledged that GOD'S the Boss!

Verses 35-37

35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth:

and none can stay (= hold back) His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?

36At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me;

and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37Now 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 (= to humble).

--> God gave everything back to Nebuchadnezzar:

• God doesn’t mind us being successful.

• What He DOESN'T LIKE - is us boasting that we’ve done it all ourselves, without Him.

Further reading

Daniel 5:18-21

7. Pride has two bad effects on us

A. Pride hinders our relationship with God

Psalm 138:6 ~ Though the LORD be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off.

• It's like trying to: speak to / see / hear someone on the other side of a high wall - the wall gets in the way and hinders communication.

• In the same way - the ‘wall of pride’ gets in the way and hinders our relationship with God.

Further reading

Hosea 7:10

B. Pride is often followed by a fall

Proverbs 29:23 ~ A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Proverbs 16:18 ~ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

God arranges these falls - like He did with Nebuchednazzar.

Example

I used to drive past a large roadside poster saying: ‘Name of sports team' 9/10 : could do better

The poster boasted that this team had been champions for nine years in a row - so they’d probably win again next season to make it 10/10.

Next season - their rivals won instead!

God doesn’t like boasting - so maybe He arranged that fall.

Further reading

2 Chronicles 33:21-24 (King Amon)

Esther 5:11 then 7:10 (Haman)

Proverbs 11:2, 18:12, 28:25

8. The main danger with pride in the church - is taking glory for ourselves

Malachi 2:1-2

1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My name, saith the LORD of hosts, 

I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

Q - Why didn’t God allow Moses & Aaron to enter the Promised Land?

Numbers 20:7-12

7And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

8Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; 

and it shall give forth his (= its) water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

9And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him.

10And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must WE fetch you water out of this rock? 

11And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

12And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me (= to honour Me) in the eyes of the children of Israel,

therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

--> Moses & Aaron CLAIMED THE CREDIT for bringing water out of the rock:

• The Israelites would have thought: ‘How marvellous Moses & Aaron are.’

• Instead of thinking: ‘How marvellous God is.’

That’s like copying someone else’s homework and pretending we did it ourselves!

John Wesley’s tomb correctly states:

‘READER, if thou art constrained to bless the instrument, GIVE GOD THE GLORY!’

King Herod kept the glory for himself - and see what happened to him!

Acts 12:21-23

21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel (= clothing), sat upon his throne, and made an oration (= public speech) unto them. 

22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

23And immediately the angel of the Lord SMOTE him, because he GAVE NOT GOD THE GLORY: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost (= died).

Important lesson for us all:

• We should always give God the glory.

• Otherwise --> bad consequences!

Further reading

Genesis 40:8 then 41:15-16

Psalm 115:1

Isaiah 42:8, 48:11

John 7:18, 12:43

1 Corinthians 3:21

2 Corinthians 4:5, 5:12, 10:17-18

Galatians 5:26, 6:14

1 Thessalonians 2:6

1 Timothy 3:1 then 3:6

9. Paul's experience

2 Corinthians 12

Verse 6

6For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth:

but now I forbear (= hold back), lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.

• God greatly used Paul.

• Paul admits that he was TEMPTED to keep the glory for himself.

• He could see himself: ‘On the red carpet’ / ‘His name up in lights’.

Verse 7

7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, 

there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

--> So God gave Paul 'a thorn in the flesh' (we don't know what this was) to keep him humble.

10. Boasting about ourselves and Praise from others

Proverbs 27:2 ~ Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

--> We should NEVER boast about OURSELVES.

But what if OTHER PEOPLE praise us?

• We all need to be encouraged!

• But it’s dangerous to let praise go to our heads:

‘To smell perfume is good, but to drink the bottle is poison.’

So if people compliment us - we should:

A. Thank them.

B. Then explain that God helped us.

11. How should we treat proud people?

Psalm 40:4 ~ Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud …

• We shouldn’t treat proud people any differently from other people.

• Because if we give them special treatment, it adds to their pride - which ‘puts fuel on the fire’.

Further reading

Psalm 101:5

1 Corinthians 4:6-7

12. Let's now look at the opposite of pride - HUMILITY

When Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager of Manchester United, newspapers reported that he gave this good advice to students graduating from Stirling University:

“Don’t change. No one respects it. I’ve great examples of that in my own club: Bobby Charlton & Matt Busby were fantastic examples.

Throughout their lives they kept their feet on the ground. They were the same people, they had humility - it’s a fantastic quality to have.”

13. Why does God want us to be humble?

Isaiah 57:15 ~ For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, Whose name is Holy;

I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite (= crushed / penitent) and humble spirit …

Q - Do we like to spend time with anyone who boasts?

A - No.

Nor does God.

God wants to spend ETERNITY with HUMBLE people.

So He wants us to develop that humility NOW - on earth.

14. What did Jesus say about humility?

Matthew 5:5 ~ Blessed are the meek (= mild / humble) for they shall inherit the earth.

• It doesn’t get any clearer than that.

• Let’s see what else Jesus said:

Matthew 18:1-4

1At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

2And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,

3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

4Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

• The humblest people on Earth are the greatest people in Heaven.

• Think of the humblest believer you know - and the reward they’ll receive in Heaven.

Further reading

Numbers 12:3-8

Psalms 37:11, 149:4

Proverbs 16:19, 22:4

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Isaiah 66:2

Micah 6:8

Zephaniah 2:3

Matthew 5:3

Acts 20:19

Ephesians 4:1-2

Philippians 2:3

Colossians 3:12

15. If we start low --> God lifts us up

James 4:10 ~ Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.

Illustration

It’s like visiting the basement of a department store, when:

• We take the stairs down = Like when we humble ourselves

• We let the escalator / lift / elevator do the hard work of lifting us back up = Like when God ‘promotes’ us in His Kingdom

Further reading

2 Chronicles 7:14

Psalms 116:6, 147:6

Proverbs 3:34, 15:33, 25:6-7

Isaiah 40:3-4

Ezekiel 17:24, 21:26

Matthew 23:12

Mark 9:33-35

Luke 1:46-49 & 52, 9:46-48, 14:7-11, 18:14, 22:24-27

James 4:6

1 Peter 5:5-6

16. Jesus taught by example

This is what Paul wrote about Jesus in Philippians 2:8-9

8And being found in fashion (= appearance) as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:

A.  Jesus humbled Himself.  ↓

B. Then God the Father lifted Him up.  ↑

Illustration

It’s like climbing to the top of a higher hill on the opposite side of a valley:

A. First we have to go down.  ↓

B. Then we go up.  ↑

Further reading

Zechariah 9:9

John 6:15, 8:50 & 54

17. Learning from King Hezekiah

2 Chronicles 32

Verses 24-25

24In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the LORD: and He spake unto him, and He gave him a sign.

25But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him (= Hezekiah didn’t respond to God’s kindness);

for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

A. Hezekiah was PROUD  -->  this made GOD ANGRY.

Verse 26

26Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

B. Hezekiah HUMBLED himself  -->  God STOPPED being angry.

Further reading about God's reaction to kings humbling themselves

Ahab 1 Kings 21:27-29

Rehoboam 2 Chronicles 12:1-12

Manasseh 2 Chronicles 33:10-13

Josiah 2 Chronicles 34:26-28

18. Let's finish by looking again at the humility of Jesus

Background

A. Jesus healed a disabled man at the pool of Bethesda.

B. People then asked the healed man what had happened:

John 5:12-13

12Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?

13And he that was healed wist not (= knew not) who it was: for Jesus had conveyed Himself away (= slipped away), a multitude being in that place. 

--> Jesus performed a great miracle.

--> But He did NOT claim the credit.

Further reading

Matthew 8:2-4 / Mark 1:44-45 / Luke 5:12-14

Matthew 9:27-30

Mark 7:34-36

Luke 8:54-56

2 Corinthians 10:1

19. Conclusion

Pride is bad.

Humility - as Jesus modelled for us - is good.

Amen