Pride Isn’t MY Problem | James 4:13-17

Opening Remarks:

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Lie…Pride Isn’t MY Problem. Pride is everybody’s problem. Pride is the original sin that caused Satan to be cast out of Heaven and Adam and Eve out from the garden. You may not want to admit it, but pride is a problem for you too. PRAY

Introduction: Wrong bathroom in Red Robin. That’s a lot like pride. It’s easy to see in others, but it’s not as easy to spot in ourselves.

James 4 is about pride. They were fighting, they were living for their own lusts. James tells them that God gives grace to the humble and that they need to submit to each other. Pride was a problem.

In fact, they were so full of pride that they weren’t thinking about God at all. In many ways they were acting like God. In verse 11, James deals with how they were judging one another, but look at what he says in vs. 12, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

They were judging each other, essentially taking the place of God. They were so full of pride that they had forgotten God. They’d left Him out of their lives.

So James essentially asks this question, “Who are you? What About God?” We tend to be so full of pride that we don’t ask, “What About God?” Instead, our favorite question is, “What about me?”

Camp week tends to brings out the “What about me?” in all of us.

Don’t get the seat you want on the bus? “What about me?”

Didn’t get the bunk you want? “What about me?”

Call doesn’t go your way on the ball-field? “What about me?”

If we could throw up thought bubbles for every person in this room (be thankful we can’t), the question we might see the most is, “What about me?” We’re proud by nature. It’s who we are.

But James says, “What About God?”

How can we live our lives and miss a detail that important?

Illustration: Two girls in college that went to watch the sunrise on the beach…In California

Too many teenagers spend their days without considering the most important factor – God. You think pride isn’t a problem for you, but it’s your biggest problem.

The reason you’re not getting along with your parents at home is because of pride.

The reason there’s tension in your youth group is pride.

The reason you and your counselor are butting heads already is because of pride.

When we live asking, “What about me?” it causes all kinds of problems.

James gives these proud readers a wake up call. Sometimes you just need to be reminded “What About God?”

Illustration: I remember going out to lunch with my Youth Pastor and talking to him about my future and plans I was considering and he said, “All you need to worry about is following God today. And then do it again tomorrow. And He’ll eventually show you what to do.” Good advice.

Then he followed it up with “Besides, you’re not really good at anything and you don’t have any special talents. So don’t worry about following your dreams. Just follow God.”

Dream Crushed. That’s what Youth Pastors are for, by the way. “Crushing dreams one teen at a time.” That was my ministry mission statement when I was a youth pastor.

What my Youth Pastor was trying to do was help me with my pride. He knew if I didn’t start asking “What About God?” that my life would be wasted.

Here’s what happens when you have a spirit of pride:

I. You’ll make plans without considering God.

Vs. 13 – These businessmen were living as if they were in control of their lives.

They were making all kinds of plans. The problem is they were doing it all without considering God. Too many teenagers live as though they’re in complete control of their lives and God isn’t considered at all.

Most young people spend their days thinking “What about me?” instead of “What about God?”

You wake up with your plans without considering God You skip your Bible reading as if you don’t need any help for the decisions you’re making that day. You are living as if there is no God.

We’d never say it, but many of us live like practical atheists.

Psalm 10:4, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”

We say, “I’m no atheist.” But it never crosses your mind to say, “What about God?” If you live your days with no effort to walk with God, how is that different than atheism?

If you never consider God when you make your plans, you’re just like these guys James is talking about.

Some of you never consider God at all: In your words. In your texting. At school. At work. With your friends. When you’re surfing the internet or scrolling through social media. And if you do that day by day, pretty soon it’s a life habit.

Days without God turn into years without God.

Young person, have you considered God in your plans?

You say, “I’m doing this after high school. I’m going to this college. I’m going to have this career.” I’m not saying it’s wrong. But what about God?

“I’m joining the military. My mind’s made up. I’ve wanted to do it since I was a kid.” We need Christians in the military. But what about God?

You have a dream. You have plans. There’s something you love that you don’t want to let go of. I get that. But what about God?

You might say, “I have no desire to go into ministry.” I’m not saying it’s God’s will for everyone to go to Bible College or into ministry, but you ought to give God the first opportunity to lay claim on your life.

If you have a spirit of pride: You’ll make plans without considering God.

II. You’ll assume you have more time than you do – Vs. 14

James calls life a “Vapor.”

This morning I had a cup of coffee. When coffee is hot you can see a little steam coming out of it. Vapor. By the way, stop spending all your money at Starbucks.

Illustration: One of our teen girls had a Trenta Pink Drink in her hand the other day. I was thinking, “You had a choice between paying off a semester of college or buying that drink, and you went with the drink?”

The steam that rises from a cup of Coffee, it’s gone in a second. Your life is a vapor. It’s like that steam. Pride convinces us we have more time than we really do. But you could be standing before God this time tomorrow. Are you ready for that?

But here’s what a “Vapor” means.

Life is fragile: You don’t know what tomorrow holds.

Young people think they’re invincible. But everything you’re so sure of could fall apart tomorrow.

James says, “Because life is so fragile, live for something that matters while you can.”

Consider God in your daily plans.

Consider God in your college decision.

Consider God in your relationships. Consider God in your friendships.

Consider God in what you do with your life.

Because life is fragile and the only thing you get to take into eternity is what you do for God.

Life is short: There’s no guarantee.

Young people, you think you have years, but you may only have days. You might have 80 years, or you might have 1 year. What would you live for if you knew you had 6 months to live?

Invest in something that matters for God. If you work a career and have a job, great, but be faithful to your local church. Give to missions. Tell people about Jesus. You don’t know how long you have to invest, so start.

Psalm 90:10–12 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; And if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, Yet is their strength labour and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

We could live 70, maybe 80 years, but we don’t know. So the Psalmist wrote, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Number your days. Make every day count. 2024 is half over. What have you done for God? Time flies, and it gets worse the older you get.

Death is certain: None of us get to escape it.

One day you will stand before God and answer for your life. Death is the furthest thing from your mind, but I know enough young people that have died to think, “Nothing is sure.” What would you have to give to God if you died today? No one escapes that appointment with God.

A spirit of pride

Will cause you to make plans without considering God

Will cause you to think you have more time than you do

III. Will prevent you from pleasing God – Vs. 15-17

You can’t please God and be proud at the same time.

Humility puts you in position to please the Lord. Pride makes it impossible.

You can’t please God and have a proud spirit toward your parents.

You can’t please God and have a bad attitude toward your youth pastor and youth pastor’s wife.

You can’t please God and treat teens in your youth group like you’re better than them.

You can’t please God and be a know it all.

You can’t please God if you’re defensive anytime your youth pastor or parents correct you.

The problems you have with other people are because of pride.

The reason you won’t respond this week is because of pride.

Some of you aren’t saved. Life is fragile. Life is short. Death is certain. Pride has kept you in your seat.

There are things you need to make right with others but pride keeps you from it.

Some of you know God is calling you to full-time ministry but pride keeps you from saying “Yes.” Prov. 16:5 – “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.” James says, “Ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this, or that.”

In other words, there is one God and you’re not Him. The only way to live a life that pleases God is to have humility. The only way to live in God’s will is to ask yourself “What About God?” at every decision point.

Teenager, “What about God?”

How many days of this year have you lived without considering God?

How many messages have you sat through without asking, “What about God?

How many hours have you wasted playing games endlessly scrolling on your phone without thinking, “What about God?”

The progression is clear: Daily decisions…Long-term decisions…Life-defining decisions. What you consider to be small matters of pride today will determine how you stand before Christ.

It’s a lie from Satan for you to think, “Pride isn’t MY problem.” It’s everyone’s problem. And it will keep you from living a life that pleases God. Is that really what you want?

Illustration: Man in our church used to fly helicopters as part of a search and rescue unit. Two seats in a helicopter. Pilot sits on the right. At times the pilot will allow the less experienced co-pilot to fly for a bit. When that happens the pilot says, “You have the controls.” Then the Co-pilot says, “I have the controls.”

Questions:

Who is better at his job? The Pilot

More experience? The Pilot

Most trusted? The Pilot

Imagine:

You’re flying and the Pilot gives you control for a while. You have practically no experience, but the weather is clear and there are no dangers. Suddenly a storm comes up and the wind whips up and the lightning is flashing and the rain is beating so hard you can’t see.

Two Options:

1) Keep the controls and risk crashing. Or, 2) “Pilot, you have the controls.”

How many of you think the best idea is to give control to the experienced Pilot?

Here’s what happens with teenagers. You say, “I have the controls.” But you have no idea how to land the helicopter. You have no idea how to fly through a storm. You have no idea what to do in an emergency, but you still have the controls.

This is what happens when we live our lives thinking “What About Me?” We have no way of successfully navigating our lives without God’s help.

When you stop asking “What About God?”

You will miss where He’s trying to land you. You will not escape the storms only He can get you through. You will crash trying to fight Him for control.

Prov. 18:16 “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Illustration: Christopher, quit church, dated wrong girl, got a motorcycle, wouldn’t wear helmet (Christopher’s motto: I have the controls). Pride cost him everything.

Pride will send an unsaved teenager to hell. And some of you are holding on to the controls right now. It’s time to say, “Father, you have the controls.”

Pride will guarantee that a good Christian teenager will live a wasted life. You are holding so tightly to your plans, but the Pilot is so much better. It’s time to say, “God, you have the controls.”

You have the controls:

Friends – You have the controls

Movies – You have the controls

After I graduate – You have the controls

Ministry – You have the controls

Music – You have the controls

“What about God?” ANSWER “You have the controls.”

It’s time to give God the stick.

If you don’t, you’ll miss His plans, you’ll live like you have forever and you don’t, and at the end of your life you won’t please God.

All because of pride. The Pilot knows best. So say this to Him, “Father, you have the controls.”

In your pride, some of you will miss the most important things:

Salvation. Surrender. A life that matters.

Teenager “What About God?” It’s time to stop believing the lie that Pride Isn’t MY Problem. It is time to humble yourself and receive God’s grace.