Sermon Tone Analysis

A believer cannot read through the Book of Proverbs and not notice two re-occurring topics that Solomon hits again, and again, and again.

The first is the abuse of the tongue.

Solomon refers to the uncontrolled tongue, the lying tongue, and the gossiping tongue.

In our journey through the Proverbs I’ve preached several messages on controlling our speech and vocabulary.

The other topic that Solomon hits again, and again, and again, is the issue of pride.

There are five primary passages in the Proverbs that refer to this sin that God so thoroughly hates:

* /"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate."/

(Proverbs 8:13, ESV)

* /"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."/

(Proverbs 11:2, ESV)

* /"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."/

(Proverbs 16:18, ESV)

* /"One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."/

(Proverbs 29:23, ESV)

* /"Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride."/

(Proverbs 21:24, ESV)

As Baptists, we have developed over the last century our own hierarchy of sins that are to be especially avoided.

The four greatest commandments in Baptist life have been, Thou shalt not drink, thou shalt not smoke, thou shalt not chew and thou shalt not date with those who do!

If you are really spiritual, you can add the next two commandments to the list: Thou shalt not play cards – except Old Maid – and Thou shalt not go to movies.

The problem in church life today, is that we tend to zero in on the sins of the flesh while ignoring the sins of the spirit.

Now, if you drink, or if you smoke, or if you chew, or if persistently run around with those who do, I think you ought to stop it, and I think I have Biblical president on my side for saying that.

But, and I’ve got to be honest with you this morning, I’d rather be in fellowship with a believer addicted to nicotine, but who has a humble spirit, than to be around a believer who is addicted to arrogant pride, but who abstains from tobacco products.

There are some sins that must especially be exorcized in the believer’s life – sins that the early church considered deadly in that they can kill the Christ-like life within us.

Those deadly sins include: Pride, Envy, Anger, Sloth, Greed, Lust, and Gluttony.

In any listing of the Seven Deadly Sins, you’ll always see Pride listed first.

The others will be listed in a variety of orders, but pride will always have the primacy.

The late Scottish theologian, William Barclay, said, “Pride is the ground in which all the other sins grow, and the parent from which all other sins come.”

!

I. PRIDE IS THE GREAT SIN AND THE ROOT OF ALL OF MAN'S PROBLEMS

* ILLUS.

C.S. Lewis, a British philosopher, wrote: /“The essential vice, the utmost evil, is pride.

Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison.

Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”/

#. it was through pride that the devil became the devil

#. it was through pride that man fell from grace and lost paradise

#. fundamentally, it is pride that keeps lost folks lost

#. pride is a sin that we so easily detect in everyone around us, but to which we’re so easily blinded to in ourselves

#. there are few other sins so thoroughly condemned in the Scriptures as is the sin of pride

#. it's opposite virtue is humility and there are few in our society who seek to cultivate it in their lives

#. now let me hasten to say what pride is not:

#. pleasure in being praised is not arrogant pride

#. the child who is patted on the back for doing a lesson well or making a good play

#. the wife or young woman whose beauty is praised by her husband or boyfriend

#. the steadfast believer to whom Christ says, ‘well done thy good and faithful servant'

#. find pleasure in that praise and take delight in it

#.

this is not pride

* ILLUS.

If you remember one simple rule about receiving praise, you'll be fine.

Praise is like chewing gum – enjoy it briefly, but don't swallow it!

#. admiration of another's accomplishments is not arrogant pride

#. we often tell another ‘I'm proud of you' when they do something noteworthy

#. a father may be proud of a son's athletic achievements

#. a teacher and mentor is proud of a prize student's accomplishments as an adult

#. a soldier may be proud of his regiment

#. a student may be proud of his alma mater

#. what we really mean when we say this is that we have a warm-hearted admiration for these people or things

#. this is not pride

#. a healthy sense of self-love and personal worth is not arrogant pride

#. what is the second greatest commandment?

#.

Jesus tells us it’s similar to the greatest commandment

* Matthew 22:37-39 /"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."/

#. a healthy sense of self-love and personal worth is not pride

#. when the Scriptures tell us to love ourselves it means we must have a due regard to the dignity of our own natures, and a due concern for the welfare of our own souls and bodies because we are God's creations

#. this is not pride unless it grows into what we call narcissism which is excessive love or immoderate admiration of oneself

* ILLUS.

A poet once wrote: /"Who comforts me in moments of despair?

Who runs fingers lightly through my hair?

Who cooks my meals and darns my hose?

Squeezes nose drops in my nose?

Who always has a word of praise?

Sets out my rubbers on rainy days?

Who scrubs my back when in a shower?

And wakes me at the proper hour?

Who helps keep me on the beam?

And figures in my every dream?

I do!

That's who."/

#.

I’m sure that poem was written by a narcissist

!! A. THE PRIDE WHICH SCRIPTURES SO THOROUGHLY CONDEMNS WE CALL ‘HUBRIS’

#. hubris is – to use Solomon’s words – an arrogant pride that leads to presumption and haughtiness and a swagger in one’s walk and talk

* ILLUS.

Hubris is what we saw in Kathy Griffen last week.

Kathy Griffen is a well-known comedian who makes her living by bashing a degrading other famous people.

She won an Emmy last Saturday for her reality show "My Life on the D-List".

During her acceptance speech she said: /"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award.

I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus... “/ She then held up her Emmy, made an off-color remark about Christ, and proclaimed, /“This award is my God now."/

#. this is hubris, a smug, vain, and overbearing ego that leads to a pompous and haughty attitude

#. and more people are afflicted with it than are willing to admit

#. we loath it when we see it in someone else but, thoroughly doubt that we are ever guilty of it ourselves

#. lets be honest with ourselves this morning, what person here today doesn’t covet the front of the line, the back of the church, and the center of attention?

#. this kind of pride welled up in Lucifer's heart and made him attempt to set his throne on high in proud independence of God

* Isaiah 14:12-14 /"How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! . . .

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 mountain.

I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."/

#. pride was Lucifer's undoing and the primary means by which he brings about the undoing of men and women still

#.

pride always seeks to replace God's will with /“I will”/

#. as Satan sought to lure Adam and Eve into disobedience to God, the Devil appealed to Adam and Eve's pride

* Gen. 3:1, 4 /"Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals . . .