Lent 2005 - The Nails of the Cross -- Pride
Matthew 1:18-25

by Pastor Eldon Reich

Today we began a series of sermons on the Nails of the Cross.

There are many types of nails with which Jesus Christ was crucified.
And many nails that may yet crucify Him today.
But the far most reaching one is the nail of PRIDE.

What is pride?

What is its affect on us?

What can we do to be free from it?

In Both Greek and Hebrew

Sin comes from a root which literally means

"to miss the target" – God’s target.

We cannot hit God’s target because sin clouds our eyes to see it clearly.

Pride comes from a similarly physical term and is almost synonymous.

Pride literally means, "to be swollen."

I remember one day my sister and I were in a bit of a fight.

There were four of us children and She was the oldest.

I’m sure it wasn’t anything I deserved.

But being 5 years younger than her, I should have know better.

In the scuffle she smacked me in the eye.

I learned then that you could be smacked in one eye and go black in both.

I looked like a raccoon.

One was swelled up and almost shut.

I couldn’t see out of it.

That’s what pride does to us.

To be swollen so we can’t see.

I.  WHAT IS PRIDE?

An exaggerated self esteem, an over high opinion of oneself, or arrogance.

Pride is a self inflicted injury to the soul.

Its like punching ourselves in the eye.

We are unable to see clearly.

Lucifer the First Arch- angel of heaven had his downfall because of pride.

Isaiah 14:13-15
You said in your heart, “I will ascend to Heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountains. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

Pride cost Lucifer his eternal destiny with God.

And left Him separated without hope.

Pride affects our sight

Our self concept and leaves us with a swollen self appraisal.

As you know, I went to Rochester to have surgery.

I went because one of my four Parathyroid glands got a swollen idea of itself. 

It decided that it could do the job alone. 

And it swelled up to 12 times larger than it should have. 

It was doing what it was created to do--that was to produce Calcium, 

But as it over produced. it shut down the other three parathyroid glands and.

Began to cause a deterioration in my bones and could have given me.

Kidney or gall stones. And it could have even affected my heart.

Only after it was removed did the other glands become active again.

The doctor said they needed to be reawakened because they were dormat.

PRIDE is that swollen concept of self.

We think we have to “be all” and “do it all”.

People around us can be overlook and unused.

And even at time, hurt and abused.

They just stop working and back away.

Jesus said: Mark 13:38-40

“Watch out for the teachers of the laws. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.  

Jesus states that the pride of the Pharisee and teachers.

Was a swollen concept of self.

But look how it affected others.

And it hurt the widows and less fortunate.

Mark 13:40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

II. WHAT IS PRIDES’ AFFECT ON US AND OTHERS?

1. It destroys our capability of correct reasoning.

There was a 16-year-old girl who got her first job at a super store.

That night she excitedly told her father what her salary was and how the store would let her charge any purchase she made in the story with a 10% discount and just deduct it from her pay. Her father cautioned her not to let the charging get out of hand.

She just rolled her yes.  I’m old enough to take care of myself.

Two weeks later the father picked her up after work and asked:

"Well, what does it feel like to get your very first paycheck?"

She stared out the window for a moment, then replied, "I owe them $5.74."

Pride affects the way we think and reason.

It can lead to greed when we feel that SELF does not have enough;

2. It can ruin our relationship.

“Pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick but the one who has it.”

C.S. Lewis says of Pride,

“There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.  It is the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Prov 26:12 says that there is more hope for a fool than someone wise in their own eyes.

And when we’re swollen with self.

We can be hurt so quickly.

We can we wounded by an unforgotten compliment.

We’re hurt by an unrewarded thanks.

We’re devastated by an overlooked invitation.

We’re offended by an unintended offense.

None of us are immune.

Nations have broken treaties and fought wars over pride.

Even the Church has defended its Pride with crusades, excommunication, and shunning.

Even burnings at the stake and Crucifixion on a tree.

Maybe it’s happened to you.

Maybe it’s happened by you.

But we need to become like a child and in humility be

Grateful for what God has given us

A small boy face was full of freckles.  

One day he and his grandmother went to the zoo where there was a local artist painting faces.  A little girl was having her face painted as well and said:

“You have so many freckles there’s no place to paint.”

Embarrassed the little boy just dropped his head.

His grandmother knelt down next to him and said;

“I love your freckles.   When I was a little girl I always wanted freckles.”

And she traced her fingers across his cheeks.  “Freckles are beautiful!”

The little boy said: “Really? “

Grandmother said: “Of course, just name one thing that is more beautiful than freckles?”   The boy paused and looked at his grandma for a moment and then said: “Wrinkles”!

Pride can ruin our relationship with others.

Humility overcomes our pride.

3. Pride definitely can cuts us off from God.

Like Lucifer and the Pharisees

We will take credit for things that we shouldn’t.

Pride puff us up and we don’t need God.

It’s like the beaver told the rabbit as they stared up at the immense wall of Hoover Dam, "No, I didn’t actually build it myself. But it was based on an idea of mine." —Charles H. Townes

Pride cuts us off from God.

It is the dandelion of the soul, because its roots go deep

I don’t know about your lawn, but dandelions are a plague to mine.

It only takes a little dandelion to be left behind and it can sprout again.

I have found them in my driveway in the tiniest crack,

I have gassed them, poured oil on them, cut them, dug them, used weed killer. 

That just seems to encourage them.

They just perk up and bloom in the sun.

The Bible says: God is good

Pride say- I am good.

It cuts us off from the real goodness.

It feeds on goodness.

There was a lighthouse keeper who once a month

would receive a new supply of oil to keep the light in the lighthouse burning

so ships could safely sail near the rocky coast.

One night, a woman begged for some oil to keep her family warm.

He was pleased to be asked and gave it.

Another man asked for oil to use in his lamp.  He gave it.

Another man needed to lubricate a wheel.  And on it went.

At the end of the month he was out of oil.

And the lighthouse was dark.

And ships were wrecked and lives were lost.

When the authorities investigated,

the man was very apologetic.

He said he was only trying to be helpful doing good with the oil.

Pride can feed on goodness and in attention-seeking cost us

the focus and purpose of our lives.

Pride can destroy our relationship with the living God

Simply by doing good.

We have not been left without a remedy.

The very nail that Crucified Christ,

Can be that nail that help us see we can’t do it on our own.

And we can but throw ourselves at the feet of Jesus.

III. HOW CAN WE BE FREE FROM PRIDE?

Recognize pride is

1. AN INSIDE JOB in our lives.

It comes from our fallen nature.

Our carnal nature prone to sin.

I John 2:16 For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

Pride is an inside job.

But it 

2. Needs outside help to deliver it from you.

I Peter 5:6-7 Humble yourself therefore under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

A Professor had given his class a take home quiz, and when the time came to handing it in he wanted the student to sign a form stating that they had not received any outside assistance.  One of the student was unsure of whether he should sign the form, since he had prayed for the assistance of God.  The Professor carefully studied the answer script and said "You can sign it with a clear conscience. God did not assist you."

Friend we need outside help with pride.

And God is ever willing to give it.

That’s what the cross was all about.

Jesus came to die for our sins and to set us free.

I Corinthians 6:20 You were bought at a price therefore honor God with your body.

Recognize that pride is so deadly it requires:

3.  Ongoing surveillance to conquer it.

Its not a one time remedy.

For we all fight the sin of swollen pride.

The Berean chuch. Acts 17:11 They examined the scriptures daily.

Psalms 119:33 Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.

There must be ongoing surveillance against pride.

To do that we must

4. Compare yourself upwards, and not downwards.

The Pharisee look down and compared themselves to the publicans, and widows.

Rather than looking up and comparing themselves to the ever loving and holy God.

PRIDE SWELLS SHUT THE EYES OF OUR SPIRIT.

WE can see it in the two thieves on the cross

crucified that same days with Jesus.

One of the criminals lookED down and hurled insults at Jesus saying.

Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us? Luke 23:39

But the other criminal, whose name is known only to God,

rebuked him, saying, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence?

We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."  "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 29:40-42

That thief recognized his sin.

And his need for salvation.

And our Lord, suffering the agony of the crucifixion answered him,

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 29:43

Which thief are you more like today?

Making demands of God, thinking you are never wrong?

Hurt by things you feel you deserved?

Complaining of times you were overlooked or neglected?

Gossiping about how your underappreciated?

Or today are we like the thief who came humbly to God.

And recognize his sin.

And recognizing his great need of a Savior,.

Who called out.

Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

And Jesus words will be yours as well.

“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 29:43

Closing hymn:

Bend our pride to thy control

Shame our selfish gladness

Rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom

Grant us courage

Lest we miss thy kingdoms goal.