"What do you think about YOU?": Pride and Humility (7DS 6/7)

The sixth in a series on the Seven Deadly Sins

March 25, 2007
Fifth Sunday of Lent
from Luke 18:9-14 and Philippians 3:4-14

"In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God." – Psalm 10:4


My sermon outline:

• Story of how pride led me to think I knew a shortcut

• Recap of series intro: Lenten series on 7 deadly sins. “sin breeds sin”, and that’s why these are deadly, cuz they lead to more sins. Fortunately for us, life breeds life.

Gluttony (faith/self-control)
sloth (enthusiasm/accountability)
envy (love)
lust (purity)
greed (generosity)

• Today’s deadly sin of focus is pride.
I’m the most humble person I know

Pride: the capital, the first, the deadliest from which the other sins come.
Pride: ultimately a kind of idolatry. Biblically often paired with arrogance or vanity.
The desire to be more important, higher than others.

• In the garden of Eden the devil appealed to pride when deceiving Eve: “You’ll be like God” (Gen. 3:5)

• Not surprising that the devil would appeal to pride, considering it’s pride that led to Lucifer’s being cast from heaven: See Ezekiel 28:12-18. ("Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor." - Ezekiel 28:17)

• 500 year old painting by Hieronymus Bosch, representing Vanity. A wealthy woman, surrounded by her abundant material possessions, stares into a mirror as she adjusts her headdress. She fails to recognize that a devil, sporting a similar cloth headpiece, holds her mirror. Pride is how the devil wants you to see yourself. It’s a distortion of the truth.

• Pride is literally self-centeredness, as opposed to God-centeredness.

• The self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector

• Counter to pride is humility, seeing yourself accurately.
There is a God and you are not it.

• Schopenhauer: pride (esteem) comes from within (I know I’m good) vanity comes from comparison with others (I am better)

• Think neither too highly of yourself nor too lowly of yourself – it is not pride to say “I’m important”. Indeed, we’re all members of a body, designed to function together, we’re all important. Humility ≠ “I’m no good”

• There is no self-worth, but we have worth because of who made us, loves us, bought us, warts and all. The greatest of all is Christ (Philippians 3) everything else can be thrown aside. Not my will but thine. God help me see myself as you see me, motivated by your love.

• Have Thine Own Way, Lord (382)



- Pastor Kerry
This Sunday: xx in worship. Getting warmer!