Overcoming Pride and Arrogance
Introduction:
The captain of the ship
looked into the dark night and saw faint lights in the
distance. Immediately he told his signalman to send a
message: “Alter your course 10 degrees south.”
Promptly a return message was received: “Alter your
course 10 degrees north.”
The captain was angered; his command had been ignored.
So he sent a second message: “Alter your course 10
degrees south – I am the captain!” Soon another
message was received: “Alter your course 10 degrees
north – I am seaman third class Jones.”
Immediately the captain sent a third message, knowing
the fear it would evoke: “Alter your course 10
degrees south – I am a battleship.” Then the reply
came: “Alter your course 10 degrees north – I am a
lighthouse.”
The captain had to overcome his pride in
order to avoid destroying his ship.
Text:
Luke 14:7-11 “So He told a parable to those who
were invited, when He noted how they chose the best
places, saying to them: ‘When you are invited by anyone
to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place,
lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and
he who invited you and him come and say to you, Give
place to this man, and then you begin with shame to take
the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit
down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited
you comes he may say to you, Friend, go up higher. Then
you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at
the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be
humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ ”
NKJV
Aim:
Only by overcoming our pride can we expect to see our
Father in heaven.
Analysis of Text:
Jesus was eating in the house of one of
the rulers of the Pharisees. (Luke 14:1) “Now it
happened, as He went into the house of one of the rulers
of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they
watched Him closely.”
NKJV
While they had been watching Him closely, He had been
observing them as well. He noted how Pharisees were
choosing seats of honor at the table. McGarvey informs
us that seating arrangement during that time was as
follows: Three tables in the shape to a flat-bottomed
U. Guests sat on the outer margin of tables while
inside was vacant. The central seat of each table was
considered the seat of honor. These were places
Pharisees were striving to occupy. Jesus observed this
and decided to teach a lesson on humility.
When invited to a wedding feast, don’t
sit in the chief seat. Why? Someone more honorable
[important] may come in and you will be asked to move to
a lesser seat. You would be shamed before everyone.
Embarrassed! Instead, practice being humble and take
the lowest place. Then possible you will be asked to
move to a higher place.
Principles Learned:
1.
Let’s not stretch this parable to the
breaking point.
We should never feel self-contempt. We should possess
self-respect and dignity. (Leviticus 19:18) “. . . but
you shall love your neighbor as yourself: . .”
NKJV
Remember we are made in God’s image. The
pride condemned here is synonymous with arrogance,
conceit, self-importance.
2.
Pride is a sin.
[Serious business] “A haughty look, a proud heart
. . . are sin.” (Proverbs 21:4) God hates it. “.
. . Pride and arrogance . . . I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
Pride makes a man unclean. (Mark 7:21-23) “For from
within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from
within and defile a man.”
NKJV
Pride in a man’s life is evidence that he is still of
the world. (I John 2:15-17) “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. For all that is
in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but
is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the
lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides
forever.”
NKJV
Work of the flesh!
3.
Pride can cause other problems.
It can keep us from becoming a Christian. (Matthew
18:1-4) “3 and said, ‘Assuredly; I say to you, unless
you are converted and become as little children, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.’ 4
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
NKJV
It can keep Christians from confessing sins, both to God
and others. (I John 1:8-9) “If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.”
NKJV
(Matthew 5:23-24) “Therefore if you
bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that
your brother has something against you, leave your gift
there before the altar, and go your way. First be
reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your
gift.”
NKJV
4.
A dire need for self-examination
In order to ascertain
whether or not we have ever been guilty of the sin of
pride, let us ask ourselves these questions, being
scrupulously honest in our answers:
·
Have we ever been
motivated by pride to accept an important capacity in
the local congregation?
·
Have we ever declined an
opportunity to serve so as to be pressed a little
harder?
·
Have we ever been
motivated by pride to refuse a job within the local
church which seemed to be insignificant and unimportant?
·
When we were
constructively criticized, did we resent it because our
selfish pride had been offended?
·
Have we ever become
jealous and envious when someone out-did or
out-distanced us, or they were promoted and commended
and we were not?
·
Have we ever pushed
ourselves to the breaking point because of our pride?
·
Have we ever had
difficulty appreciating what others have done, and
expressing that appreciation, because of pride?
·
Have we ever been
controlled by pride to the extent that we would not
admit that the position we held on a given matter was
wrong?
·
Has our pride ever
hindered us in responding to the invitation when we
really should have done so to make things right?
Don’t look for pride in others until you’ve rid it in
your own! Wendell Winkler
Some very soul-searching questions!
5.
The Treatment for Disease of Pride
We must come to a proper balanced understanding of our
worth. God loves us and considers us precious. But we
are mere men; we are not God. All that we have and hope
to have we owe to our Heavenly Father. We are not
capable of saving ourselves. This thought alone should
keep pride and arrogance out of our lives
Conclusion:
The Holy Spirit, through the prophet
Micah, left us with these words. (Micah 6:8) “He
has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the
Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And
to walk humbly with your God?”
NKJV
Let’s follow this advice and work at cultivating
humility in our lives. Instead of seeking seats of
honor, let us take the lowly places among men.
Invitation:
Did the self-exam reveal you have a
problem with pride in your life? Rid yourself of this
disease by first confessing this sin before men.
Bobby Stafford
August 9, 2015
More on Worship
Video
