Blindfold of Pride

blindfold of pride

Illustrate here: Blindfold with the word pride painted on it and someone wearing it and quoting:

Pride

I desire to do something amazing for God (long pause) someday.

Today is just not my day.

I often think about letting Him take control.

Today is just not my day.

Maybe I worry about what everyone will think about me.

Is today my day?

What would it matter anyway?

I’m doing just fine.

Life couldn’t be any better.

As long as I take care of myself and what I want that’s all that matters.

Life couldn’t be any better. (long pause)

Could it?

·       There are hurting people all around you.

·       You just won’t allow yourself see them. They need God.

·       They need hope. They need a miracle from the only miracle worker. But you can’t see past your pride.

·       You’ll never see the missed opportunities. You’ll never see the lives you injure, corrupt, and even destroy because your pride is in the way.

o      The blindfold of pride.

o      I believe the church is in dire need of a blindfold removal.

2 Timothy 3:1 “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred.3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

1.     Pride is a conceited sense of one’s superiority. It means to be arrogant, haughty, egotistical, or overconfident.

·       Pride exalts me, myself, and I above all others.

·       Pride is selfish and exhausting work.

·       Pride is confidence in the wrong things.

·       Pride is self-reliance because of what we have, who we know, or what we have done.

There are 2 powerful stories in the book of Luke that Jesus taught about the sin of pride.

Luke 14:7 “When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:8 "When you are invited to a wedding feast, don't sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? 9 The host will come and say, 'Give this person your seat.' Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 "Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, 'Friend, we have a better place for you!' Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.11 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

12 “Then he turned to his host.”When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," he said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you."

1.     Be careful at how you look at yourself and how you perceive others vs. how God looks at all of humanity.

a.    Jesus taught us two lessons here.

                                                             i.      First, speaking to the guests, tells them not to seek places of honor.

1.     Service is more important in God’s Kingdom than status.

                                                          ii.      Second, He told the host not to be limited about whom he invited.

1.     God opens His kingdom to everyone.

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

2.    Proud Pharisee vs. crooked tax collector.

Luke 18:9 “Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: 10 "Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector.11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: 'I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don't cheat, I don't sin, and I don't commit adultery. I'm certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.' 13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.'14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."

·       We see this statement again from Christ about being justified before God, “those who humble themselves.”

a.    Humility is a choice, an option, an alternative.

The bible teaches us that men look on the outward appearance but how God looks on the heart. 

b.    You might say in public or private, “I am too good to help those kinds of people.” I’m better than that.

                                                             i.      I am more educated than you therefore everything I will ever think, do, dream, or imagine will be better than you. 

                                                          ii.      I am the most incredible looking girl/guy at school, at work. 

o      I was here before you or I know more people than you, I have a better relationship with the Pastors, I serve as part of the volunteer staff.

o      They think they are the only ones doing anything and the only ones capable to do that thing.

o      Everyone asks them to do stuff because the world can’t do without them.

o      These type people walk blindly right into the devils trap.

·       To keep you full of pride will completely cut you off from God.

Isaiah 14:12 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

·       Pride was the exclusive sin of the devil himself.

o      Don’t stay wearing the Blindfold of pride.

2.    Humility is like an elevator. (act this out)

·       I get in the elevator on my knees before God.

·       My position never changes-I am in a humbled state.

·       But God pushes the button, the door opens and I have been raised to a new level. I didn’t do it, God did!

o      My talents, strengths, and abilities didn’t land me there God did.

·       People give way too much credit to their gifting and not to God.

o      My achievements, my possessions, my education, and the people I know doesn’t impress God and His circle of friends.

1 John 2:16 “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

o      God still demotes and promotes. He pays tribute to the humble.

·       We must crave what Christ craved, humility.

o      Remember humility is not self-degradation: it is a realistic self-assessment and commitment to serve.

3.    What does God think of pride?

Proverbs 6:16 “There are six things the LORD hates—no, seven things He detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.”

·       All encompassing the physical body but all coming from the heart. 3 involving the mouth.

Proverbs 8:13 “All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech.”

Perverse-wicked, bad, mean, vicious.

·       Pride is infectious, crippling, and destructive.

·       Pride will bankrupt you.

·       Pride will make you drive what others think you should drive, go where others think you should go, wear what others think you should wear, and be who others think you should be.

·       Pride leaves you helpless, causes a person to despise others, and prevents him/her from learning anything about God.

o      You’re so vain I bet you think this sermon isn’t about you. Your so vain I know this sermon isn’t about me, bout me, bout me.

·       If God hates pride and He does then I’m telling you the blindfold of pride will keep you from your divine calling and purpose for God. You can’t get there wearing this!

·       The blindfold of pride will terminate a relationship with Christ.

o      Pride will take you farther than you wanted to go and keep you longer than you intended to stay.

·       If God hates pride and He does then I’m telling you that the blindfold of pride will keep you from:

o      An amazing marriage. An astonishing relationship with your children. 

o      The promotion at work. Opportunities. Financial freedom. Giving gifts. Relationships. Forgiveness.

o      God’s house, God’s truths, God’s blessings, God’s miracles, and God’s heaven.

4.    Humility is a characteristic of greatness.

a.    Moses

                                                             i.      Numbers 12:3 “Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.”

                                                          ii.      Deuteronomy 34:10 “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.”

b.    John the Baptist

John 3:30 “He must increase and I must decrease.”

c.     Paul

                                                             i.      Paul in the year 59a.d. wrote to one of the churches and made this statement. “I am least of the apostles.”

                                                          ii.      Then 5 years later in 64a.d. he wrote another letter to the church in Ephesus. Here he said, “I am least of the saints.”

·       He was least of the apostles now 5 years later he’s least of the saints.

                                                        iii.      After that one year later in 65a.d. just before he dies he writes to Timothy and he says, “I feel like I am the chief of all sinners.” The longer Paul walked with God the more he served and loved God the smaller he became.

d.    Jesus

                                                             i.      Philippians 2 The model of a servant.

                                                          ii.      Giving himself to the point of death was the essence of who Jesus was. It was in His DNA.

I plead with you to let down the blindfold of pride this morning.

·       Untie the knot and let God have control.

You have fought long enough, you have waited long enough, you have argued with God long enough and you have lived this way long enough.

·       Full of yourself, full of pride, full of the “but what will everyone think of me infection?” but empty inside.

Vacant of God you are and completely unoccupied.

·       Will you fully surrender to Him this morning?

·       Will you allow Him to use you for His service?

Isaiah 57:15 “The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:

"I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.”