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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church today, it would be important for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called Expository Preaching.
What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible, and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to better understand what the Bible is saying and how it applies to our lives.
With that said, for the last year we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a first century disciple named Luke who wrote it for two primary reasons:
#1 - To give us a history of the church.
#2 - To give us a template for how to accomplish the mission Jesus has given us to take the gospel to the entire world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to www.mcf.life where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.
Today however we are back in as Luke continues with part 2 of a story that we started last week.
If you weren’t with us last week, Luke opened up chapter 12 as he highlighted a great persecution that had taken place against the church in Jerusalem around 43AD as a tyrannical ruler known as Herod Agrippa 1 arrested the Apostle James, had him killed, and then preceded to arrest the Apostle Peter.
And as we discussed last week, this would have been a devastating blow and terrifying moment for the early church, as the #2 disciple of Jesus is now dead, and the #1 disciple is on the chopping block.
But thankfully, the church responded in a way that all of us should respond when we’re backed in a corner and we don’t know what to do. The church responded by earnestly praying and seeking God.
And as we learned, to earnestly pray means to devote an unceasing period of time to intense prayer. In other words, it’s not just praying, “God help Peter”, and then you go about your day.
No, earnest prayer is when we cry out to God as if everything depends on His intervention, because it does.
And what was true for them is true for us as well. If our situation is truly desperate, it should motivate us to desperate prayer. It should motivate us to a continual and unceasing cry to God, knowing that God is the only one that can help us.
Because the fact is, according to Jesus in , God responds too earnest prayer. In other words, God responds when we pester Him.
And we see this play out in , because as the church earnestly cried out to God, God responded by orchestrating a supernatural prison break.
You may recall it took place as an Angel of the Lord appeared in Peter’s cell, woke him from deep sleep, and then led him out of the prison.
And as we learned it was a micracle that Peter and the early church struggled to come to terms with. Because in this moment God did the unexpected and the impossible. He did something out of the box and in a way only He could do.
In fact, once Peter finally came to terms with the fact that God had delivered him, he went directly to where the early church had gathered to pray, but they too struggled to believe God had really delivered Peter. They even went as far as to say his presence was his ghost.
But unfortunately that’s what we often tend to do. We pray for God to do the unexpected and impossible, and then we’re surprised or in disbelief when He does.
But that’s the kind of God we serve. He’s a God that does the unexpected and impossible. Which means if we’re going to put our hope in Him, then we need to be a people that expects the unexpected and believes that with God, the impossible is possible.
So, that’s where we were last week as we looked at the response of the early church to their persecution, and God’s response to their prayer.
As we come back to chapter 12 today, we are going to once again look at two responses. But the responses today are quite different than the responses from last week. In fact, they’re the exact opposite.
The first response we’re going to look at is Herod’s responses as he learns of Peters escape and disappearance.
To his response as he learns of Peters escape and his choices that follow in the days to come. And second to God’s response to Herod, as And se to Peter’s escape and then God’s response to the actions that Herod then takes.
The second response we’re going to look at is God’s response to Herod, as God responds to the actions of Herod.
But before we get to the passage and the responses, I want to begin by building some framework for what we’re about to read in order to help us get our minds and hearts around what Luke is about to tell us.
And so to do that, I want to begin by asking you a few questions that if we’re honest, I think we can all relate with:
Question #1 - Have you ever found yourself wanting to get credit for something you did? In other words you wanted people to recognize you for some type of achievement or accomplishment?
For example, maybe you were instrumental on a project at work. Or maybe you went the extra mile for someone. Or maybe you had an idea that nobody else had. But whatever it was, you were hoping that somebody would recognize you and give you the credit. Anybody want to fess up to that?
Question #2 - Have you ever positioned yourself for glory? In other words, you did something or orchestrated something in order to bring attention to yourself.
For example, maybe you did something nice for someone, and then you made sure others new about it.
Or maybe you were feeling a little discouraged about your appearance, and so you staged an amazing selfie of yourself, and then posted it on Facebook, knowing and hoping people would respond to your doctored image. Any takers on that one?
Question #3 - Have you ever Humblebragged? You might be thinking, “Pastor what does it mean to humblebrag?”
Humblebrag is when you want people to know about a success in your life, and so you present it or broadcast it in a way that makes you look humble. This happens all the time on Facebook.
For example, let’s say you get invited to some sort of prestigious event that you’re going to have to dress up for. So you get on Facebook and write something like, “ "I got invited to the party of the year, but now what will I wear? I don't have anything nearly good enough in my closet! #imnotworthy."
This is a humbelbrag, because in this one post, you’ve done three things:
First, you’ve managed to show everyone how important you are as you broadcast about your invitation.
Second, you’ve also presented a complaint that is meant to draw sympathy to your dilemma of not having something to wear.
Finally, you’ve appeared humble with the hashtag, #imnotworthy, indicating you don’t know how you got the invitation to this event, which will undoubtedly include only the most important people in town.
That’s a humblebrag. It’s you desiring to let people how important you are while at the same time displaying a humble appearance. Can anybody identify with that?
For example, somebody says, “We couldn’t have done it without you!” And you reply by saying, "No, I just played a small part.” And they’re like, “No, really, you saved the day.” And you’re like, “Ok, you’re right.”
I think if we’re honest, we can all identify with at least one of these scenarios. Because the truth is, we all desire recognition.
Now let me ask you this, “If we lumped all those scenarios together, what do they have in common?”
How about this. They all deal with something we all struggle with from time to time. They deal with the issue of pride.
And when I say pride, I’m not talking about a reasonable or justifiable perspective or respect for oneself.
In other words, I’m not talking about self confidence or a true understanding of oneself. Because there’s nothing wrong with being confident about who you are.
What I’m talking about is an improper and excessive self esteem known as conceit or arrogance. A pride that leads us to put ourselves on display, and bring attentions to ourselves, as we desire the approval and praise of others.
And the fact is, from time to time we all struggle with this. And guess what, so did King Herod. And as we’re going to see in a moment, his pride ended up being his downfall. And if we’re not careful, it could be our downfall as well.
So, based on all that, here’s how we are going to approach this passage today:
First, we’re going to read through the passage so we can find out what happened.
Second, we’re going to walk back through the passage and look at how Herod responded.
Third, we’re going to look at how God responded to Herod.
Finally, we’re going to look at how this applies to us and what we need to do in order to avoid Herod’s’ fate.
So, let’s pick back up in as Luke takes us into part 2 of this passage. Beginning in verse 18 Luke writes:
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
Acts 12:18-
As you can see from what Luke tells us, Herod didn’t respond well, and things didn’t end well for him either.
As you can see from what Luke tells us, Herod didn’t respond well, and things didn’t end well for him either.
So, to better understand what’s going on in this passage, let’s go back to verse 18 and take this passage one verse at a time.
Notice again what Luke says Herod did following Peter’s escape from prison:
18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Luke says as the next day dawns, there was not little disturbance, which means it was a big disturbance, as Herod sends for Peter, but much to everybody’s surprise, Peter isn’t in his cell.
It’s kind of like that scene from the Shawshank Redemption, when it’s discovered that Andy Dufresne has disappeared from his cell during the night and nowhere to be found.
And it’s at that point the prison goes on lockdown as an angry Warden interviews confused guards and prisoners in order to discover what happened and where Andy has gone.
Same thing here. The only difference is, once Herod had interviewed everyone, and after finding no answers for where Peter had gone, Herod has the soldiers who were guarding Peter executed.
Luke writes, “…he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death...” (ESV)
You might ask, “Why would he do that?”
This was actually in accordance with Roman law, which specified that a guard who allowed the escape of a prisoner was to bear the same penalty the escapee would have suffered. And since Peter was sitting on death row, the judgment for the soldiers was death as well.
So, that’s Herod’s first response to the miraculous escape of Peter from Prison. A response of outrage, frustration, and anger as he has the guards executed.
And to some degree you have to understand his anger. Because the truth is, this made Herod look bad. Because if you recall, the whole reason Herod killed James and announced his plans to kill Peter was so that he could gain favor with the Jews. In other words, he wanted to the Jews to like him and to respect him.
But now he looks like a buffoon as Peter escapes forcing him to kill his own guards instead. Herod’s grand plan has backfired on him.
And for me, what’s interesting about Herod’s response, is that Herod gives no thought to the fact, that maybe there was a supernatural element here. I mean after all, how does a man like Peter escape from a fortified prison with 16 guards. How does that happen? Could it be that God might have had something to do with that.
I don’t think it even enters Herod’s mind. Which leads to his next response. Because look at what Herod does following the execution of the guards. Luke writes:
Acts 12:
“…Then he went down to Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.” (ESV)
Luke says after his plan fell apart, Herod decided to get out of dodge and he goes too the city of Caesarea.
You might ask, “Why would he go there?”
He goes there because it was one of the cities on the coast of the Mediterranean that his grandfather Herod the Great had built and where once of his palaces was located. A city he where he would have felt comfortable. A city where he would hopefully find the favor and respect he was looking for. And indeed he did.
It all took place
And it all starts with another scenario where Herod is trying to build his glory, but this time its’ not with the Jews, but with a group of people from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Beginning in verse 20 Luke writes:
Acts 12:
20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
Luke says after arriving in Caesarea, Herod becomes angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon.
So, the question then is, “Why does he become angry with these cities, and why these specific cities?”
Heres’s why. Geographically Tyre and Sidon were cities located on the coast north of Caesarea, and they were cities that for the most part were independent, but had become dependent on Caesarea for food.
And for whatever reason, Herod wanted to make them even more dependent on him, and so according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod applied economic sanctions against Tyre and Sidon during this time by withholding the trade of food from them.
It’s similar to what the United States is currently doing to Iran as we apply sanctions against them in order to get them to come to the bargaining table concerning terrorism and nuclear weapons.
Same with Herod. And he knows the best way to get them to submit to him, is to cut their food supply. An so he cuts the trade and puts the People of Tyre and Sidon in such jeopardy where they have no choice but to submit to him.
So, when Luke says, “Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon...”, that’s what he’s referring to. He’s referring to the economic sanctions that Herod had placed on these two cities.
And apparently his sanctions are working, because Luke says when the food started running out, they came to Herod in one accord, meaning together, and they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
And that’s exactly what Herod wanted. He wanted them to come on their hands and knees to him so he could be seen as the benevolent benefactor. So he could stand up and say, “Look at what I have done.”
So, that’s Herod’s second response, get out Jerusalem where he was humliated, and go somewhere where he can receive the praise and favor he so badly desires.
Which leads us to a third response Herod had, because once Herod got what he wanted from the people of Tyre and Sidon, he decided to celebrate his achievement on an appointed day.
So, listen to what Luke tells us he did. Verse 21:
Acts 12:
21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them.
Luke says, on the appointed day, Herod showed up dressed in royal robes and gave a speech.
So, what’s going on here, and what is this appointed day?
While Luke doesn’t tell us what this appointed day is, the Jewish historian Josephus does.
The Jewish historian Josephus tells us this about that day. He writes in the Antiquities of the Jews:
Because in his history of the Jewish people, listen to what he writes about this day and Herod in the Antiquities of the Jews:
“Now, when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Cesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited shows of honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety. At which festival, a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of dignity through his province.” Antiquities of the Jews 19.343
The Jewish historian Josephus gives us a key piece of information here. He tells us the appointed day is a special celebration that was intended to honor Caesar.
First that Herod had just arrived in Cesarea there after coming from Jerusalem.
Not only that, but it’s a festival for the most prominent people in the province.
To put it into perspective, it would be like the Oscars. It was a who’s who event meant to glorify and celebrate the achievements of a man, specifically Caesar. And Luke says Herod here’s about, so he decides to attend.
Because for him , it’s not just an opportunity to honor Caesar, but to honor himself as well. An opportunity to display his own achievements and receive praise from the people.
How does he do it? Luke says he does it by making a grand appearance as he enters in a royal robe and gives a speech meant to bring glory to himself.
Luke says at specific moment Herod makes his grand appearance as he enters in a royal robe and gives a speech meant to bring glory to himself.
You might be wondering, “Why was that such a big deal? What was Herod hoping to accomplish?”
Again, while Luke doesn’t give us the detail, Josephus does, which give us insight into what Herod was trying to accomplish.
Because listen to what the Jewish historian tells us about this event and Herod’s actions:
“On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him.” Antiquities of the Jews 19:344
In his historical account of the event, Josephus gives us a little more detail concerning the robe that Herod wore. And he says it was a robe made completely of silver.
And apparently, Herod picked the opportune time to enter the theatre with the sun just in the right place, allowing the sunlight to illuminate his silver robe as he strode into the theatre.
Just to give you a visual, here’s a picture of the theatre Herod did this in in its current state. We’re actually going to visit this theatre on our Israel trip.
Picture of Theatre
This is actually a picture I took when I went to Israel in 2006.
So, imagine this theatre full of the who’s who of Cesarea, and right there in the middle is where Herod would have entered, just as the sun reaches a certain point. Because behind us is the Mediterranean Sea and the Horizon. Here’s another picture to give you a better perspective. I actually didn’t take this picture.
So Herod knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows the sun is just at the right point, and so he makes a spectacular entrance to bring attention to himself, awe the crowd, and receive praise.
So, does it work. You bet it works. Listen to what Luke tells us happened next:
Acts 12:
22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
Luke says as Herod strolls into the theatre and the sun illuminates his silver robe, the people are so took back by his glorious appearance and his speech, that they begin to shout, “He’s a god, not a man. He’s a god, not a man. He’s a god, not man.”
Almost like a Trump rally I’d suspect. JK.
And not only does Luke record their reaction, but the Jewish historian Josephus gives a similar account of what happened. Listen to what he tells us about this moment.
“…and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.” Antiquities of the Jews 19.345
Josephus says it’s exactly like Luke said. When Herod walked in in his flashy silver robe and gave his self glorifying speech, the people in their amazement began to change, “He’s a god, not a man, he’s a god, not man.”
Herod got exactly what he’d been craving. He got what the Apostle Peter’s escape had robbed him of. He got his praise.
So, how does Herod respond to their praise? Well, Luke doesn’t tell us, but Josephus gives us the details. And Josephus says he responds exactly as you might think he would, with a Humblebrag #notworthy. Josephus writes:
“Upon this the kind did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery...” Antiquities of the Jews 19.346
Josephus says Herod ate. How do we know? Because he didn’t reject what they were saying. Instead, he maintained a false humility as he neither denied or affirmed their praise, #notworthy, but he was loving every minute of it because he had achieved his goal.
All that to say, while Herod didn’t get what he wanted from the Jews by killing James and arresting Peter, he got what he wanted in Caesarea as the people declared him a god.
So, that’s how Herod responded.
But as I mentioned in this beginning of the message, there’s another response in the story. Because just like God responded to the earnest prayer of the church, he’s about to respond to the extraordinary pride and arrogance of Herod. So, how does God respond? Luke tells us, verse 23:
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
Wow, I bet he didn’t see that coming. Luke says as he stands there reveling in the glory, God sends an angel to strike his body with a worm infestation that consumes him and kills him. In other words, they ate him alive.
Now, some of you might be thinking, “Oh come on pastor, did that really happen? Would God really do that?”
If you doubt the Bible, listen to what the Jewish Historian Josephus says happened as Herod stood their taking in the glory. He writes at that moment:
“
“A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner.” Antiquities of the Jews 19.346
What do you think that pain in his belly was? It was the worms.
Josephus goes on to write, “And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign.” Antiquities of the Jews 19.350
Josephus confirms what Luke has told us. And while Josephus doesn’t attribute his death to God’s doing, the Bible tells us that it was God that struck Herod down and filled his belly full of worms to the point that five days later they consumed him and ate him alive. Why? Because Luke says he didn’t give God the glory, but received it for himself.
So, what’s this saying to us? Here’s one thing it’s saying, if you’ve ever wandered, “What does God think about pride, arrogance, or self glorification?”, there you go. The picture the Bible gives us is a man with a belly full of worms that are eating him alive. That’s what God thinks about pride.
But that shouldn’t surprise us, because the Bible is full of God’s thoughts on pride. Here are just a few scriptures where God is rather clear on the subject of pride.
The prophet Isaiah writes:
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
Proverbs
12 For the Lord of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low;
The writer of proverbs puts it like this:
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
be assured, he will not go unpunished.
And if you’re still not convinced how God feels about pride, the writer of proverbs adds this:
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
Notice the number 1 thing God hates; Haughty eyes. Translation, PRIDE.
All that to say, pride doesn’t bode well with God. Which wasn’t just a problem for Herod, it’s a problem for all of us. Because as I said at the beginning, Just like Herod, we all struggle with this from time to time, and some more than others.
You might be thinking, “How so?”
And as a pastor, what I’ve observed is that there are two different kinds of pride that people tend to struggle with, and we see them played out in this situation with Herod.
The first is what I would call “Horizontal Pride”. This is what the Bible refers to as the pride of life. The Apostle John makes reference to this in . He writes:
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
In this passage, The pride of life can be defined as anything that is “of the world,” meaning anything that leads to arrogance, showiness, pride in self, presumption, and boasting.
And John makes it clear in the previous verse, that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world. In verse 15 he writes:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
All that to say, horizontal pride is when we seek to find our worth or status in the things of this life.
For example:
Pride like this creeps in when we seek to find our worth or identity primarily in our work and accomplishments. When who we are, what our title is, what position we hold, and what we’ve accomplished becomes our greatest pride in life.
This was Herod’s issue. His life was all about him. Who he was, what he wore, and what he had accomplished. He didn’t care about anybody else. It was his pride of life.
It can also happen through our kids as we seek to find our self worth and identity in their accomplishments.
As we make their achievements, advancements, and success what we live for and find purpose in. As our children become our pride of life.
I’ve known a lot of parents like this who were consumed by this.
It can also happen socially and economically. When who we know, what others think of us, and what they have and we don’t have, becomes the primary motivation and focus of our lives.
It’s that keeping up with the Jone’s mentality as we constantly compare and measure our lives against the lives of others. As social status and material possessions becomes our pride of life.
And what makes horizontal pride so dangerous is on the surface it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Because after all, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of what we’ve accomplished, or being proud of our kids, or being proud of our success.
The problem comes when it becomes our pride of life. When it becomes what we live for in order to find value, self worth, identity, and purpose.
And if you’re not careful, and you don’t keep it in check, it can take you down a dangerous path of relational, social, marital, financial, and spiritual destruction.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, what kind of dangers are you talking about? Do you have any examples?”
I sure do, I’m glad you asked, because I have two I want to share with you:
Danger #1 - Horizontal pride will trick you into believing that you are better than someone else.
Because isn’t that what comparison is all about? It’s about trying to one up the person next to you.
It’s you trying to elevate yourself above others. Above their status. Above their success. Above their lifestyle. Above their position. Above their possessions. Above their kids success.
That’s what comparison does. Which to be honest, runs contrary to everything the Bible teaches us. Because the Bible teaches the exact opposite.
In Paul writes:
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Paul says, “Don’t live your life for you or your own success. Instead, consider others more significant than yourself.”
Can I just tell you, the only way you can do that is if you stop comparing. If you stop making your life about one upping the person next to you. About being better than so and so. Because as long as that’s your focus, you’ll never see them as more significant than you. And what a trap that is. Because in Paul writes this:
3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Paul says for the person who lives their life thinking they are better than others, they are deceiving themselves.
Why are they deceived? Paul says because they aren’t better than others. Nobody is. God created us all and He loves us all the same. But the pride of life has deceived them. It’s tricked them into thinking that money, status, position, power, wealth, talents, success etc..that those things make you better than others.
But they don’t. They just make you more deceived. Because that’s what pride does. It tricks us into thinking we are better than others, when in fact, Paul says we are nothing. Job puts it like this:
21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job says you go out the same way you came in, with nothing. Nobody is any different than anybody else.
That’s horitzontal pride. It’s
So, that’s the first danger of Horizontal Pride. It tricks you into thinking you are better than others. Here’s a second danger:
Danger #2 - Horizontal Pride will keep you from listening to the wise advice of others.
This danger comes into play when we think everybody else is wrong, and we’re right. Which means, it’s a pride that refuses to admit failure. A pride that pushes us blindly into seeking our own desires, our own needs, and our own self gratification while ignoring the counsel of others.
To be honest, this is where a lot of marital unhappiness and divorce takes place, as one, or maybe both parties in the marriage fail to listen or admit their failure to one another.
I mean think about it, when it comes to your spouse, what keeps you from apologizing when you know you were wrong? Pride. Because the last thing you want to do is give them the satisfaction that they were right.
Let me ask you this, “What keeps you from listening or taking advice from your spouse, when you know their right?” Pride.
Because then it would be official that they maybe their idea was better than your idea.
So
This is where a lot of youth struggle as well, as they refuse to listen to the instruction or advice of grandparents, mom, dad, mentors, coaches, and teachers. Why? Because of pride. Because they think they know better.
Heres’ what the writer of Proverbs says about that:
12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
That’s not good, right? Solomon says there’s better hope for an idiot than the person who fails to listen to the wisdom or instruction of others.
And we could go on an on. Because the unwillingness to listen to the advice of others takes place in all facets of our lives. It happens in the work place. It happens among friends. It even happens in church. And at the center of all of it is pride. Because pride says, “I don’t need the advice of others. I can figure this out on my own.”
And you can sure try, but the reality is, because you wouldn’t listen, you’re in for a rocky road. The writer of Proverbs puts it like this:
18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Solomon says, “Go ahead. Don’t listen. But get ready for a tumble.”
Pride keeps you from wise advice.
So, those are just a couple of examples of the dangers of horizontal pride and the pride of life. And if I had time, I could give you several more. But what I want you to see is that Herod gave himself to this kind of pride, and we do as well.
The question then is, “How do you know if horizontal pride is something you struggle with?”
Here are three tests:
Test #1 - Ask yourself if any attributes of pride apply to your life?
Which attributes? Here’s a list:
Self-promotion, lack of giving to God and others, a selfish attitude, refusal to listen to the advice of others, lack of submission to those in authority, a spirit of rebellion, bragging, lack of humble regard for God and others, the inability to receive a compliment or gift.
Anybody identify with any of those attributes?
Test #2 - When you leave a conversation, ask yourself this question, “What did I learn about that person?”
That’s a great test, because what I’ve observed is that people who struggle with pride, typically don’t care about other people, and it plays out in the conversations they have with others, because at the end, the conversation was about them.
So, if you walk away from a conversation, and you don’t know anything about them or their life, then you probably struggle with pride.
Test #3 - Go look at your Facebook timeline, and ask yourself this question, “Do my posts reflect humblebragging?”
And please hear me, I’m not saying you can’t post about yourself or your kids, but I think you need to consider what your posts say and why you posted them. Because could it be, you posted them with the wrong motive.
In other words, before you post, ask yourself this question, “Why am I posting this? Who am I hoping will see it? What am I hoping it will accomplish?”
So, those are just a few practical tests when it comes to determining if you struggle with horizontal pride. And I think we all would probably fail the test.
So, what do you do if this is an issue? We’ll get to that.
But first, there is another kind of pride that can be even more dangerous. I call this pride “Vertical Pride”. And this is the pride that harms or diminishes our relationship with God.
But, there is another kind of pride that can be even more dangerous. I call this pride “Vertical Pride”.
And this is the pride that harms or diminishes our relationship with God.
Pride tempts us to believe that we are better than someone else.
We saw this pride exhibited in the life of Herod. It took place as the people began to celebrate him and call him a god. As they began to attribute his accomplishments, his appearance, his gifts, and what he had done to him and him alone. As they began to elevate Herod to the level of God himself.
A pride that then blossomed in Herod, as in a show of false humility, he accepted their praise and allowed them to view him as a god. And we saw how God responded to that, right?
Which means, this is a dangerous pride that ultimately leads to death and destruction. And here’s why:
Reason - Vertical pride tricks us into thinking we are the god of our lives.
Not only was this Herod’s downfall, but it was Satan’s downfall as well. This is why God tossed Satan out of heaven. Because, believe it or not, Satan thought he could be a god as well. Why did he think that?
Because when God created Satan, he created him with great beauty and ability. From what the Bible tells us, he was the most beautiful angel in heaven with extraordinary gifting’s.
I hate to tell you this, but we do it all the time. How so? Well, there are several ways. Here are just a few:
But Satan convinced himself of a lie. He believed because of his beauty and gifting’s, that he could be like God. In fact, he thought he could reign over God and His creation better than God could. And so he rebelled against God and tried to establish his own kingdom.
Now, when I say that, some of you might be thinking, “Yeah, but pastor, I wouldn’t do that. I’m not like Satan or Herod. I don’t think I’m like God or that I could be the god of my own life.”
I hate to tell you this, but actions speak louder than words. Because whether you see it or not, we are all guilty of this:
For example:
- We do this when we take credit for our accomplishments instead of directing the credit and glory to God. Not a person in here that’s not guilty of that. We’ve all done it. We’ve all had a moment when people praised us, patted us on the back, gave us accolades, and we soaked it in, never once directing the praise to God.
This happens when we fail to recongize
This happens when we take the glory instead of giving it to God.
- We do it, when we refuse to recongize our need for God's guidance in our life.
This happens in a number of ways, but one I often see is when people fail to pray. Fail to seek his counsel, His wisdom, and His direction for their lives.
Because that’s what failure to pray translates into. It’s you and me saying, “God I got this. I can handle the day. I don’t need you to go before me. I don’t need your wisdom or your guidance. I’m fully capable of navigating my day just fine without consulting you” And in that moment, we declare ourselves the god of our kingdom.
- We do it when we fail to acknowledge that God’s the ultimate provider in our lives.
- We do it when we fail to acknowledge that He’s the provision in our lives as we refuse to tithe and trust Him financially.
We do it when we fail to recognize Him
- We do it, when we refuse to make Jesus Lord or our lives and see Him as the only way to salvation.
And please hear me, I’m not saying there is anything wrong being proud of our accomplishments, or having financial success, or making wise common sense decisions.
There is nothing wrong in having a sense of pride in doing things well. The problem is when we fail to honor the Lord. When we maybe even unknowingly begin to believe that we can accomplish whatever we want apart from God.
This happens when we see the paycheck or our own hard work as the source of our provision. This happens when we fail to tithe and trust God financially. This is you and me saying, “I don’t need God’s help with my finances. I work hard, I provide, I’m a self sufficient self made man.” In that moment, we are declaring ourselves the god of our kingdom.
So those are a few ways. But there’s a much more dangerous way we make ourselves god. And it not only has temporal consequences, but eternal as well. Just ask Herod. Because:
And maybe
- We do it, when we refuse to make Jesus Lord of our lives and see Him as the only way to salvation.
This is the person who refuses to submit their life to the Lordship of Jesus. The person the Psalmist is referring to when he writes:
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
You see, that’s what rejecting Jesus equates to. It’s you declaring you don’t need a savior. You don’t need to bow your knee to anyone. After all, your’e the boss of your life. And that’s the ultimate pride.
I’ve known people like this. In fact, I’ll never forget going to a funeral of a man who lived his life in rebellion towards God. Never willing to admit his need for a savior. Want to guess what the theme song for the funeral was? It was “I did it my way” by Frank Sanatra. He was his own god.
And that’s exactly what Satan wants you to think and believe. That’s what he convinced Eve of in the garden. That she could be her own god. Listen to the words of Satan in :
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Satan convinced Eve that if she ate of the fruit, she would be like God, in fact, she would be her own god. So go ahead Eve, eat the fruit, declare yourself your own god.
Here’s what it comes down to. In , Jesus said we can’t serve two masters. Meaning, we can’t be loyal to God and be self-centered and self-serving. We have to choose one or the other. Either God is your God, or you are your god. It’s that simple.
The problem is when we fail to honor the Lord. When we maybe even unknowingly begin to believe that we can accomplish whatever we want apart from God.
And when a person starts down that path, it leads to all kinds of danger and destruction in our lives.
You’re probably wondering if I have some examples of what that might look like? I do.
Here’s the first danger:
Danger #1 - Vertical pride tricks us into thinking we can function without God.
The question then is, “How do we know if we have pride like this?”
Here’s a great question to ask yourself to determine that, “When it comes to your life, what are you more interested in? Living life your way, or living your life to please God?”
And unfortunately, that’s what happens to a lot of people when they lose perspective on whose really in charge.
The answer to that question will tell you if you struggle with vertical pride. Because as I said, you can’t serve two masters.
Here’s what we all need to understand. It’s not God that sends us to hell. No, that’s not his desire at all. That’s why he sent His Son Jesus to die for us. What sends a person to hell is their pride. Their refusal to make Jesus Lord of their life.
23 The fear of the Lord leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
What leads a person into pride?
Self-centeredness, feelings of inadequacy, immaturity and an inability to handle responsibility, inability to handle wealth, position, and the gifts God has given us.
Signs you have pride in your life:
Satan’s Trick:
He tells us that we must reach certain levels in life to have a sense of worthiness. He wants us to believe that we don’t need anyone else. He doesn’t want us to think we need a savior. That we don’t need to bow our knee to anyone. After all, you’re the boss of your life.
For the Christian, pride comes from a different angle. It convinces us we don’t need to ask for help. Tries to trick us into thinking we can do it apart from God. Discourages us from seeking help from others.
Pride hinders our fellowship with God. The Bible says we cannot serve two masters. Meaning, we can’t be loyal to God and be self-centered and self-serving. If you are more interested in living life your way than you are pleasing God, then you are dealing with pride, and God will have to remove it.
Pride is what ultimately sends somebody to hell.
Pride leads to broken relationships with others. It prevents us from loving and caring about those around us. Pride encourages us to serve ourselves over others. Pride only thinks about how you can benefit from a relationship. Pride seeks to make you the center of attention. And guess what, nobody likes to be around somebody that makes everything about them.
So, a great final question then would be, “If pride is something we struggle with, how do we overcome it?”
As we close, I would suggest 6 steps to dealing with your pride:
Step #1 - Admit that pride is present in your life.
Here’s the deal, before you can deal with pride, you have to acknowledge it. You have to be willing to admit, “Yup,I It’s an issue for me”.
Step #2 - Ask God to forgive you for being prideful.
This is you admitting that you’ve been wrong. This is you humbling yourself before God and acknowledging your sin. And this is what leads to the grace of God in your life. The Apostle James writes:
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Step #3 - Pray that God will give you the ability to turn away from pride.
Pray that God will give the ability to turn away from pride.
Pride is a bad habit. Something that doesn’t go away overnight. As a result, it’s something we need to continually ask God to identify and give us strength to overcome on a daily basis.
Step #4 - Pray that God will set a hedge of protection around your life.
The fact is, just like the Serpent in the garden, Satan is looking for opportunity to trick you into thinking you don’t need God. So pray that God will give you the strength to resist his lies. The apostle James writes:
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Step #5 - Remember where you came from and how far God has brought you.
Sometimes overcoming pride means we need to focus on what God has done for us. That all along it’s been His grace, His hand, His help, His guidance, and His instruction that has brought us this far. Taking time to reflect on that fact reminds us of how much we need him and how inept we really are.
Step #6 - Ask God to recall the good things He has done in your life, and stop comparing yourself to someone else.
The idea here is to quit playing the comparison game. To be confident in who you are and to find your self worth and value in you relationship with Jesus. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Paul says let your focus be on Jesus and what He’s doing in your life. Let your self worth, value, and identity be found in Him.
The alternative is to end up like Herod. A man so focused on himself that he couldn’t see the work of God in front of his eyes. A man who glorified himself and paid the ultimate price.
Let’s Pray
