The Peril of Pride

I love that song and we're going to be in the Book of Daniel tonight in the Book of Daniel and Daniel chapter 4 and I know everybody's been wondering about winter. When are we going to get back together and Lord willing and we'll make a phone call, call out. But unless something changes. We're going to plan on coming back Sunday morning, and I will kind of face back in and anybody was got risk factors or you know, we're still going to do the services online and you can still see if it if you want if you have risk factors be safe. And you know, if you want to stay in a few more weeks, I totally understand that but for those that want we're going to try to come back Sunday, but we're going to come back. Will do two Services Sunday morning and instead of doing Sunday school have a 10:00 service and then we'll have an 11:00 service and you can pick which service do you want to come to and we'll have probably from social distancing and in place will have masks for everyone to where I got lots of mass. I appreciate all the ladies and making a mess and it wasn't a lot of people in church, but we're going to have many precautions in place and we're going to we're going to try to be wise and be precautious and I'm still waiting on some results of for the big testing it was done last week. So that's test. I'm not sure if they're all in yet, but that's kind of helps Drive The Narrative or what's up what we're dealing with right here in our local area so far. We've been we've been blessed and but that's the plan so I'm excited about that. I think I know many people are hella people laugh. But that's kind of look the current thinking. I've been talking to someone and just to several people and but will let you know for sure whether another call out later later this week and free in the last we last name again assembly right brother. And what's the what's going on this week on godliness? All right. That is that is good. And I'm alright you feel turn your Bibles over to Daniel chapter 4 and we're going to be back in the Book of Daniel and I know my topic today, I I know it will I know what I know what to well and is something that you probably know well as well and it is something that is a fierce strap. And it always presents itself to us. It comes at us and very subtle very attractive ways and it will tell us that were fine. You will tell us that were okay, but the reality of it is as it will pull us. What was far from God all the way from God. I will pull us far away from people that are trying to help us and the topic we're going to discuss here. We're going to look at get it it just in level one of the greatest kings in the in the Bible we talked about this and previous weeks and we're going to look at character of Nebuchadnezzar. What a great powerful man. He was and how he was he was purchased brought to it literally brought to his mates and that everything taken from him. We're going to look at the topic of Pride and that's where we're going to be at today. The pride pride will try to kill you cuz it ensures you that everything is just fine. Pride will say to you you don't need church or I will tell you that you have no needs that you're you're okay and pride will tell you that he knows people out there, but they just don't get you and that's pride and when we try to define pride. It's dry. It's like trying to describe Asia. You know Asia is a very large and has her many many facets many specie many and tangent May face. A pride is Friday is conceit prize egotism. Friday is a feeling of superiority and equally true pride is a feeling of is a event. It is a heightened sense of one's value and you've all met people like that to have a very heightened sense of their value and if we're honest with all struggle with that end in our lives and you people view themselves more, highly The Bible teaches us that pride is a misplaced sense of self-worth if we look over here and in the in zone 10 for the Bible says the wicked through the private discount Nets will not seek after God God is not in all his thoughts. So the Bible clearly states there that prize is his wickedness and we don't think of Friday this week. We don't we think of witness is not probably think of wickedness is you no running around on cheating on my wife that's wickedness are are beating on a kid that's wicked Messer, you know, things like that. It doesn't God God is not in all his thoughts. So God says this and no matter What definition you might read in Webster's or wherever God says it prize when you are not when he is not in all of our thoughts and that is what God we say God. I'm going to I'm going to give you everything in my life except for this one thing. I'm going to hang on that. That's probably why we say God damn it to you and do whatever you want me to do except for this one thing. I know what your your Bible says to do this, but I'm telling you I know better this time and I'm not going to do what your worth is. I'm going to do what I'm going to do and you're telling God, you know better than him. That's that is that is what we talkin about that is pride. It is the Source of arguments and divisions Bible says in Proverbs 13:10. If it's only by Pride cometh contention the with the well advised is wisdom at the at the stores that carry marital Strife every relationship problems every every Division and if you need any type of relationship, you can imagine price right there. It's right there at the base of it is on the list of deadly sins. It actually has a list of these six things the Lord hates 7 are an Abomination says what a proud proud look right on top of this Friday is his a present perfect situation anger perpetuates hurt her back was full of sadness while keeping it behave the restorative effects of commission humility and Reconciliation that was said by many John Squires and in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 18, the Bible says Pride goeth Before Destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Are the greatest enemies to your so if you ask you know, what is what is my greatest? Enemy? What would you say he would say was this thing right here? Is this send that I'm struggling with that. Tell me the greatest enemy to your soul is a son that makes God your enemy resist the proud and Ashley causes God to resist you. That's what that is a Fierce and deadly sin and God resists the proud but he gives grace to the humble. You know, we could jump right in the message here who could jump in our texts but there's a lot of us that would sit here and say, you know, I'm glad I got this message is not for me. I'm good here. You know I get up I get a free pass on this one, but I want I want to share with you a couple points is that was Jonathan Edwards any priest a message on the Tennessee Pride. He lets out several points, and I'm just going to share a sample of those with you and I guarantee it's going it's going to get home. I get home. And the first thing is his fault finding fault finding is a Tennessee of Pride weekend Overlook her own problem. And we focus on the problem of others. You know, what it is is the greatest obstacle to overcome any relationship problem will always find fault with other people will see so much evil on his own heart that is not have to focus on the problems of other people, you know, it's a proud person will will it just is he's quick to point out everybody else's problem. Yeah. This is wrong here. That's wrong there. Yeah, that's wrong. They're all they got that wrong there. But you know somebody that's truly humbled and they see themselves for who they really are there. They're trying to clean things up at home ear flaps on her own their own problems and their own and we all have we all have our own issues that we should be focusing on we don't have time to you. No believe whatever kind of pointing at people there's three fingers. Back it up. And so proud people tend to be problem identifier. And the second thing we see is a horse spirit horse spirit speaks with others. It's it's it's like the same superiority Pride. It is in his hiding in our hearts, why were belittling other people trying to lift ourselves up by putting other people down. That's a harsh spirit and I'll tell you why I said what's up turned out like they did you have Christian's with gentleness and humility as Christ treats them and the other one trait that would be mentioned here is superficiality that's wearing a mask and pretending to be something that they're they're not instead of admitting a problem and pleading with God to give Grace just saying all I'm fine. Everything's fine. Nothing is wrong here. It's it's fake it's fake. Nobody really knows who they are that a sealed it. They never let anybody see it. I pride price SQ. No hide your Brokenness. Don't don't show that Pride says take your Brokenness and cover it up. You know what? There's there's a there's a powerful thing to just get the reel it in. It's getting real man. I say it just humbling yourself and God gives grace to the humble now only superficiality but but defensiveness a defensive Pride causes some people defy you get defensive. I didn't do anything. I didn't do nothing wrong and I have nothing to apologize for you know, when you get into an argument or Skirmish with someone honestly think that you have no nothing wrong to disclose you really think that you know, when you hide it when you hide in Christ rights as you're able to admit your failure in your confidence is in his profession, he know you can admit that and try says hi. Says, you know, you don't have anything to hide from you already made perfect in the righteousness of Christ and it just admitting your wrong is good that's humility. So for a humble Christian, the more the world is against in the more silent and it hit him still he will be Unless it's in his prayer closet and that's where he will not be silent and still and so I defensive spirit. I was just saying that that was mentioned in Jonathan Edwards sermons was up the lack of trust in God message write a fry just not just just refusing to trust God fully, you know, if you don't trust God fully then you tend to what trust in yourself right? And I need you have all these moments where you think that you know better than God that you you know that I know your word says that but I just know this situation just trust me on this one, you know, and you trust yourself more than God and you think your sins are greater than his grace and your problems are greater than his resources in your difficulties are greater than his power and and you know and who is to say that Brightwheel, it probably will talk you into saying it Alaskan of what I lack of trust in God will bleed into every relationship you have. You can't trust anything you have any trust in you you ask if you can trust God. Can you really trust your mind? If you really think you can trust God can you really trust your friend and you can't trust God you you eventually will lose confidence and everything and so a lot of trust in God and then was this thing is is is is tension attention-seeking Behavior. So there's this constant desire to be more than just to be made over and you know make maybe maybe it's never it's the problem never being able to say no because you're always wanting to please everyone and his Desiring attention-seeking Desiring this this attention this glorious and see the thing is Glory Glory belongs to God glory doesn't belong to us. When I desire for you to love me more than my desire is to please God. I got a problem with pry and if you don't answer if I have if I were My nail and have an invitation but that's impossible and everybody get on your knees and your house wherever you are. And after I listed all these things it would be stop right now or what any of us be less standing. I mean, I'm sorry on my knees. What are you that that really hits home button that really hit some Celeste. Let's look at Our text today and in this with it this this thought that pride is his is the sin that will force. To resist you and as we look here we're going to read our tax and it's going to yeah, it's going to unpack itself, but we are going to read through it and make some applications and then we're going to finish it by looking how we can get how we can get a victory over price. We see the Peril of Pride and we're going to see how we can fix you ever cry cuz she can't get victory over pride and and Daniel chapter 4. We have the most powerful King on Earth and he dreamed a dream and he calls in his wife's man in his astrologers and they cannot tell him the meaning of the dream. So he calls in Daniel they say there's just this guy and he can he can he can interpret dreams and and and I down and Daniel sits there for an hour and does not speak OK and in the presence of the king. He he's he hears a signs. He's over. Is there before the king he will not speak for hours, and then he tells the king is drained and we'll start they were pick up in chapter 4 and verse number 20.

This has been came in the magician.

We're going to be in purse number 22 says the tree that bow saws which grew and was strong whose height reached unto the heavens and the site there of to all the Earth whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much Amazon meat for all under which the Beast of the field dwell in a bond whose branches the boughs of Heaven had their habitation. It is now our King neberkenezer stop. That's who it is. This is the dream now are grown and become strong and for the light brightness is grown and reach unto the heaven and I Dominion to the ends of the Earth did the Babylonian Empire was was impressed. If it was it was it was a massive and it says anywhere as the king saw a watch her and I holy one coming down from heaven saying she was a tree down in Destroy it even has a field Where would the jewels that have in a let his portion be with the beasts of the field till seven times pass over him. This is the interpretation. Okay, and this is the decree of the most high which is come upon my Lord the game that they sell Drive be from Men. Talking about you. You're going to be going to drive Nebuchadnezzar. The grey King The King that was half of the Babylonian Empire the keys that develop the Hanging Gardens of Babylon seven wonders of the world is going to be but little she is going to be cut down. He's going to be driven from men and Dr. Wehling shall be with the beasts of the field and they shall make me to the grass as the Austin and they shall when he went to do in heaven and 7 * shall pass over the hill down newest the most high ruler and the kingdom of man and give it to whomever he will. All right, so there's kind of a the purpose statement here. It's inverse number 25 daniel-san business. You are going to experience something like you just cannot believe it's getting ready to happen. And this is going to happen till then. I'll know that the most high Roulette in the Kingdom of man yelling. God deals with you when he resists you for being for having a proud Spirit. He's going to do it until you realize this truth until you humble yourself and say God. I'm not in control you're in control till now I know is that the most high ruler and the kingdom of man and give it to whomsoever. He will answer you say, hey stop resisting stop resisting the first number 26 and 27 is whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots the kingdom shall be sure on to be after that thou shalt have known that the Heavens to roll where where 40 Kinglet my counsel be acceptable Envy by showing mercy of the poor if it made A lengthening Tranquility you saying that your team? Will you please will you please listen? Will you stop resisting? Will you realize that God just God that puts one up and set another down and please look at God look at God and in oh God help me to remove this route of Pride. It's going to kill me. This word apprised going to kill you. It's going to find you a prize you hear preaching and you say all that message that's not for me and and Daniel speaks for the king and he played with him and if Daniel or two if you were in King Nebuchadnezzar shoes if Daniel wants to look at you and tell you this was going to happen. You know, what would you wake me up with you? Anyhow lot of us would probably do the same thing that never says I'm getting ready to do. He's a very powerful man. He's he's making Nebuchadnezzar.

The craziest thing I've ever heard, you know, never gather was all he was Almighty and his kingdom. I mean whatever he said when his his word was law. And so the Jackson to the king it says you have pride your Foolish Pride get over yourself humble yourself to God and that's not what we never can answer to that. That's likely what not what many of us would do at anyone say hey baby arrived, but it's not that bad. And you know, I just came up on the King Nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 months. He walked in the Palace of the kingdom of Babylon the king spank and said is not this the great battle on that. I have built for the house of God kingdom by the might of my power in for the honor of my Majesty all these things that you see the conceit you see that You see the pride and I want you to notice at the end of 12 months. All right. God gave him twelve months. God gave him an entire year. I have warned you but God has great mercy and compassion. You got long-suffering it extends for a while. But at the end of 12 months I said, hey, that's it. That is it. You are at the end of your promise. There's a line drawn Here and Now is the Day of Reckoning and I wonder how many of us we're at, you know, where at 11 months and 29 days. You know God has been merciful unto us. That's hell. Yeah, we need to heed the warning. We need to heed the warning just like Daniel was trying to tell the King Nebuchadnezzar and he would not heed and God was merciful. He gave him twelve months. But God has a line and look at your mercy number 31 says while the word was in the king's mouth while the word was in the kingsmouth their fellow voice from Heaven saying, okay, Nebuchadnezzar II videos spoken the kingdom is departed from me and they sell drive me from men and I'm well in Shelby with the beasts of the field and they shall make me to eat grasses Austin 7 * Elsa pass over the until they all know us the most Hyrule at the Kingdom of man and give it to whoever he will sustain our was a thing full feel the pain that has her and he was driven from the end and Jenny grass is awesome. His body was wet with the Dew of Heaven Hill his hairs were grown like eagles feathers and his nails like birds. Alyssa just it's just an unbelievable what happened to Nebuchadnezzar and you no Pride Bridal blind you and pride will find you. It will find you it will pull you away from God. So, how do we how do we say how do we confess this? I want you to see here in the last. Where is here and we're going to close with the first timer 30 for the Bible says that the end of the day. I never can a scissor lift up mine eyes unto heaven and hot mine understanding return them to me and I bless the most high and I pray is an honored him that liveth forever who's Dominion is Everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation to generation AKA tender what God purpose came to pass until thou knowest at the most high rules in his King umn give it to whoever he will and that's what happened seven years of Nebuchadnezzar living like this out in the field like it like a wild beast like an animal he lost his kingdom. He was taken from men and at the end of those days he did he came to his senses and acknowledge this and so we see that As far as this are my four points of application and we will close out here tonight. The first thing I want you to see is that we must confess confess confess to the theft of God's glory. You know, that's the first step that is the first step to attacking. The Peril of pride is confession just confessing it as a stand and say God, I'm out of septic Glory that doesn't belong to me. This is all about you. This is not about me and you know, we got to get over ourselves when we have this feeling up of always being want to be that go-to guy wanting to be known as the best and just realized and so confession signals the beginning of the end for our pride you agree with God about your sin by we look over him in the song Psalm 129 or 1/3. Reverse number 23 and 24 the Bible says search me o God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and leave me in the way Everlasting and the second thing we see here is we have to Humble ourselves humble ourselves. So if we read over in Romans chapter 12 verse number three, the Bible says therefore I say through the grace of God given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he got nothing but to think soberly according as God have been to every man The Measure of Faith if so, how how should we think of ourselves? Okay. Should we think of ourselves we should pray we should ask God thank God, you know, I I want I want to make you look I want to make you look good when I go to work. I want to make you look good. I want to when I go and not at the home like I want to make you look good when I when I see my friends I want to make you look at I want to point people you give me the right thoughts the right action and and soak humble ourselves. We humble ourselves God when he leaves for Grace all over his grace on us and that's what we need more than anything in this life. And that that is that is a key right there. And then the third thing we must do is acknowledge that every good thing in Us is from God James chapter 1 verse number 17 every good and perfect gift is from above it raining down from the Father of Lights. There is neither Shadow on returning and so God gives us everything good everything you have that your so-called proud of you you realize that that came from God. The lord giveth the lord taketh away they came that is from God. He gives us everything good and and you know, Paul said it this way in 1st Corinthians 15. He said by the grace of God, I am what I am ever getting him came from God by the grace of God and then lastly to to get a big tree over the Peril of pride get in the habit of serving of it get in the habit of serving others. I love this verse in Galatians Galatians chapter 3 and verse number 24

That's the wrong words, but it says I serve one another with love serve one another with love. And so when you when you begin to serve someone and you start to serve another person that cannot really they cannot give anything back to you. Okay? Lots of people will do things for people so they can get in return. That's the way our society off of work and I'm going to do for somebody so I can get back get out of that mindset just just serve just give just love the people that can fit in a can't possibly in return. They can't return the favor. And when you do that, man, God will bless that he will glass your life and there's there's a great Freedom that comes with that so service you have service is not resolved and you exhausting yourself service. It comes with you humbling yourself and any other service may not even be appreciated. May not even be appreciated in the short-term but serve any what sir and we can see these things are in fashion humility acknowledging we're good things come from and then getting to have a surveying and I appreciate I just want a church. I appreciate you guys did a great job of serving each other through covid-19 pinjaman and I want to own in Keurig that that's mine. That is what a great spirit of humility with sing and that's what that is a wonderful. Thank God is going to bless that lets let's keep that momentum going forward unless I'll be very very mindful mindful of the strap pride is always lurking it's always there is always trying to pull us in so, you know, if it's okay, you're all right. You don't need it. You're just fine. That was bad as a downfall of many and it will cause much contention in our life. And God will resist us because of it, but if we will humble ourselves, so give us great and I pray that would be an encouragement to you. I want to challenge you with that this mid-weight and I miss you guys. Will I want to remind you will be doing the operation Love Thy Neighbor this Friday will be going to be our last delivery time, and then we're going to have drive-thru pickups after that, and then I'm more willing. We'll see something. You can call here on Sunday morning and again to Services Sunday 1 at 10 a.m. 1 and 11 a.m. And I can't wait. I'm very excited. I hope everybody has a wonderful night. Thank you all thank you all for joining and God bless you.