The Bushel Of Pride | James 4:13-17

Opening Remarks:

Matthew 5:14-16

Bushels

Last Night - Familiarity

This Morning - Money

READ James 4:13-17

Tonight’s Bushel is a problem for all of us - PRIDE

Pride is the original sin. It got Satan kicked out Heaven and got Adam and Eve removed from the garden of Eden. And whether or not we want to admit it, pride is our problem. PRAY

Introduction: Have you ever had a really embarrassing moment?

How many of you can think of a moment in your life that was so embarrassing that you still get embarrassed right now when you think about it?

I’ve had too many to count in my life.

Illustration: Wrong bathroom in Red Robin.

That story is a lot like pride. Pride is one of those things that’s easy to see in others, but it’s not as easy to spot in ourselves.

The problem is, we all have a problem with pride.

Think of the nicest, humblest person you know, and you know what their biggest problem is? Pride.

For most of us, our primary concern at any point on any day is, “ME.”

From the time we’re born, we’re only really concerned about ourselves.

Brand new babies don’t think about anyone else. They only think, “ME.”

We spend our whole lives trying to overcome our problem of pride.

James 4 is about pride. These folks were having problems. They were fighting, they were living to please themselves. James’ solution is simple: He tells them that God gives grace to the humble.

In other words, pride was their problem.

Pride points to an unhealthy elevated view of self.

Young people struggle with this.

Either they place too much value on their looks, or their likability, or their RIZZ.

Or a young person that thinks they know all about life and don’t need someone else telling them what to do.

However it looks, pride is at the root of every human heart.

These folks had elevated themselves above each other. They were down on each other, judging each to the point that James wrote in vs. 12, “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

James was saying, “There’s only one God, and you’re not Him.”

They’d left God out of their lives. They were living as if God didn’t matter, so James essentially asks this question , “What About God?”

That’s the question I want us to ask tonight. “What about God?”

For most young people, the first question in any given situation is “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?”

What about where I want to sit?

What about what I want to eat?

What about how I look tonight?

What about me, me, me?

We are proud by nature. But one way for a young person to grow up and mature and be like Jesus Christ is pivot from “What About Me?” to “What About God?”

What does GOD want for my life?

What does GOD want me to do today?

How does GOD want me to respond?

How would GOD desire for me to dress?

What would GOD want me to watch?

It’s amazing that we can’t live life and forget about God.

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

They missed one very important detail - the sun rises from the East, not the West.

But I wonder how many young people in this room have forgotten the most important detail = if you leave God our of your life, everything else falls apart:

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

The reason you have tension with someone in your youth group, maybe even tonight, is not because they’re such a bad person, it’s because of pride.

The reason you and your youth pastor or youth pastor’s wife are butting heads is because of your pride.

We’re so good at thinking, “Me, Me, Me!”

And James gives them a wake-up call. Sometimes you need one of those.

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 made my life all about me, my life would be wasted.

A spirit of pride will…

I. Cause you to live like there’s no God.

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

They were making all kinds of plans, but they were doing it all without God.

Too many teenagers live their lives without considering God.

You wake up and spend most days never asking, “What About God?”

You go weeks on end without considering God.

Your making life plans without asking, “What About God?”

It seems as if too many Christians live their lives as if there’s no God. Like a practical atheist.

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 if it never crosses your mind to say, “What about God?” you might as well be.

If you live your days with no effort to walk with God, how is that different than atheism?

If you’ve decided what you’re doing with your life after High School and you haven’t considered God, how is that different than atheism?

Some of you never consider God at all:

In the words you speak

In the texts you send

In the music you listen

In the movies you watch

In the things you like on Social Media

In the way that you talk about other people in your youth group

And if you do that day by day, days without God turn into years without God.

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. It’s what I’ve always wanted.” 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 the first consideration is what does He want?

A spirit of pride will cause you to

I. Live like there’s no God.

II. Cause you to assume you have more time than you do – Vs. 14

James calls life a “Vapor.”

I drink 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.

One of our teen girls likes to buy a Trenta Pink Drink. 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.

When we live without God, pride convinces us we have more time than we 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 I’ve stood beside the caskets of at least 4 young people who called me their Youth Pastor.

Young people much younger than me who woke up that day thinking they had forever.

The year after I moved to South Dakota, we lost three young men from our youth group in Oklahoma.

James says, “Life is so fragile, you must live for something that matters while you have time.”

The reason you need to ask, “What About God” is because if you don’t, you end up wasting your life. The only thing you get to take into eternity is what you do for God.

Life is short: There’s no guarantee.

You might have 80 years, or you might have 1 year.

What would you live for if you knew you only had 6 months to live?

Invest in something that matters for God while you can.

Be faithful to your local church.

Give to missions. Go on Missions trip.

Tell people about Jesus. You don’t know how long you have to invest, so start.

Psalm 90:10, 12 The Psalmist wrote, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”

Make every day count. 2024 is 3/4 done. What have you done for God this year?

One day you will stand before God and answer for your life.

What would you have to present to God if you died today?

A spirit of pride

Will cause you to live like there’s no 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.

Illustration: They say girls are good at multitasking and guys can only do one thing at a time. I like to think that guys simply choose to do one thing really well. But one thing is for sure - we can’t be proud and please God at the same time.

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 parents correct you.

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

Here’s the point: If you have pride, your light can’t shine. It’s a bushel that hides anything good from showing in your life.

You can’t be a witness and you can’t glorify God if you have pride in your heart.

You can’t have light if you have sin in your heart that you’re hiding from everyone around you.

You can’t have light if you refuse to submit to God’s call on your life to serve Him.

You can’t have light if you refuse to forgive someone who has wronged you.

Pride is a bushel that hides our light.

But let’s take it further, some of you are so proud that you’ve never received Christ as your Savior.

Life is fragile.

Life is short.

Death is certain.

Pride will keep you in your seat. And pride will keep you out of Heaven.

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.”

Pride leads to punishment, but there is a way to secure God’s grace.

James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

Pride is your problem. Not their problem. Not our problem. Your problem.

And the only way to make it right is to get on our faces before God and humble ourselves and beg Him to forgive us.

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.”

Pride only has bad consequences:

It will send an unsaved teenager to hell. It’s time to say, “Father, you have the controls. I need to be saved.”

It will make you live a life God can’t bless with His grace. It’s time to humble yourself and say, “Father, you have the controls of my life.”

It will hide your light. It’s time to say, “Father I want my light to shine, so forgive me of my pride.”

It’s time to say, “God, 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”“You have the controls”

Music – You have the controls

It’s time to stop asking “What about me?” and start asking, “What about God?”

“What About Me?” only brings heartache.

Ask Adam and Eve.

Ask King Saul.

Ask David on the rooftop.

Ask Judas.

“What About God?” leads to blessings

Ask Joseph.

Ask Daniel.

Ask Jesus.

Ask your Youth Pastor or your Pastor.

Ask your Youth Director’s wife.

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

Salvation. Surrender. A life lit up for God’s glory.

But if you daily ask “What About God?” you get to enjoy the best things in life.

God’s plans. A life that matters. Pleasing God. Having a light that shines.