Living Hope Fellowship Church

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. Living Hope Fellowship Church...Sermons by the Pastor

PRIDE AND LOVE

by Pastor Kevin Badgley 11/10/02

Luke 18:9-12 says, “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”

Some people just go on and on about themselves! How much can God stand to listen to!

Verse 13-14 says, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

The Pharisee and the publican were two people in the same church service, using the same altar, talking to the same God. One was proud; one was humble.

The most powerful force for backsliding in the world

is pride.

The Bible says that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel of the created beings in heaven. Lucifer knew all about God, but he forgot that God knew all about him too, and the Bible says that iniquity was found in him. He lifted up himself, but he is now called Satan, which means “the fallen one”. It was all because of self-will and pride.

It is dangerous to fall into pride, because it is a Luciferian trait. When people raise up in pride, their countenance changes. You can also see it in their body language and hear it in their voice.

You don’t have to be a religious leader to have a Pharisee’s heart, the heart of one who feels they have “arrived”.

2 Corinthians 10:12 says, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Not all Christians are in the same “place” in God.

The publican was very aware of his position and declared himself for what he was. The Pharisee, however, was actually praising God that he was not like other men!

Pride is a hellish thing that comes in various forms. It can come with a chin high and the nose up, or it can come with a lower lip drooped down with an attitude that says, You had better treat me right, or I’m going to cry right in front of you.

Some puff out the chest while others droop the lip! Some use manipulation, whereas others just try to

bull their way through.

The height of pride is when a person decides that there isn’t anyone who can help them, including God, and they destroy themselves!

Every one of us should search our hearts. We see the hypocrites, but there is something wrong with every one of us! We can only stand before God because of Jesus. We can’t get up the ladder by stepping on the hands, heads, or backs of somebody whom we think is further down than we are!

Jesus is the head of the church. Why do we keep kicking the feet around, slapping the hands away, poking the ears and the eyes and saying, Get out of my way! When you fight the body of Christ you harm yourself and others. Proud people haven’t a clue what it is like to be knit together in love. They are peevish and easily offended. The Bible says that charity is not easily provoked.

Proverbs 13:10 says, “Only by pride cometh contention. . . .”

James 3:16 says, “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” Furthermore, Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride cometh, then cometh shame. . . .”

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” so quit pointing to one another as an example of something not to be, and let’s look at Jesus for our example!

Pride will destroy you. Don’t worry about carnal offenses aimed at you. If we become offended, we will become offensive, and we won’t bring anybody into the kingdom of God. There is no excuse for ungodly behavior in the house of God. However, if people haven’t had enough contact with the Spirit of God, the flesh manifests. God watches how we live, how we pray, and how we love others.

When love is coming at us, we enjoy it. We like to be loved when we aren’t lovable! We love to be forgiven. Think about it. If you have been born again, I guarantee that you have been loved by God when you weren’t lovable! Then He turned us around and made us His disciples!

John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” Jesus made it a commandment, because there was a potential for us not to love as He loves.

Our flesh likes hating our enemies! However GOD SAID in Matthew 5:44, “. . . Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Luke 6:35 says HE is “. . . kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

1 Peter 4:8 says, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” It isn’t hard to hurt or destroy people’s reputation or their physical body, but to love them unconditionally is. It is a higher place that we must come to. (See James 5:16.)

Let’s go on in God no matter what comes our way. Don’t take up pride and reproach. Let’s overcome the warfare in the body of Christ. Let us become Christ-centered. Then we will see the salvation and glory of God!

livinghope@hughes.net