Pride/Humility

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon series and provides an update on the ongoing, extensive revision of the church's Constitution, thanking the congregation for their prayers and…

Martin describes the elders' ongoing 'marathon session' working on the church's Constitution, illustrating the unexpected depth and duration of their labor, and their reliance on prayer.

While we're waiting for others to find their seats, let me just say again on behalf of all of the elders how much we are thankful for your prayers as we had another marathon session yesterday working on the revision of our Constitution. And I don't know whether we should tell you to stop praying so fervently because it seems ever since we've asked you more publicly to pray for us, we find ourselves more and more drawn, I trust, in answer to your prayers and ours and in our study of the Word to a much more radical revision of our Constitution, not so much in terms of its content in a lot of are...

0:19 - 1:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Continually admonish your children to avoid the sin of pride and to cultivate the grace of humility, reflecting the dominant emphases of Proverbs.

Martin's wife comments on his ability to draw 'perfect circles' when outlining sermon points, a lighthearted anecdote about his visual teaching style.

Now after that marathon, session, I went to my desk last evening fully expecting, as I said to one of my fellow elders, that as we return to the rather strangely entitled series of studies, how not to foul up the training of our children, or the training of our children, that I would begin today a series of general exhortations, encouragements, and cautions as we wind down this series. However, as I began to work in that direction, I had a nagging sense that there was yet perhaps a major emphasis in Proverbs that I had not set before you. And as I went back to my Bible and my concordances, and...

2:33 - 4:00 Read in full sermon

Driving home: how unseemly moreover is this sin a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty and yet proud in heart

Martin quotes Charles Bridges on Proverbs 16:5, explaining pride as 'inordinate self-esteem' in a dependent and guilty creature, making man like the devil, and an abomination to God.

but he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor and now just briefly let me read the comments of Bridges on a couple of these texts or part of his comments again to whet the appetite of those of you who have yet to purchase a copy of Bridges and use it for your own devotions and where appropriate in family worship Bridges writes on page 228 commenting on Proverbs 16 and verse 5 everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord how unseemly moreover is this sin a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty and yet proud in heart there he captures the essence of what the si...

23:56 - 25:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: how unseemly moreover is this sin a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty and yet proud in heart

Bridges' quote lists various forms of pride (beauty, talents, rank, goodness), reminding that all gifts are received, reinforcing the definition of pride.

of guilt as a sinner one who ought to be in the company of doomed angels for whom no salvation is provided already in the language of scripture held in chains unto the day of judgment and Bridges says a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty yet proud in heart a true child of a fallen parent who in dreaming to be as God made himself like the devil referring to Adam dreaming to be as God made himself like the devil many are the forms of this hateful spirit some are proud of their beauty some of their talents some of their rank some of their goodness all forgetting that they have noth...

25:24 - 26:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: how unseemly moreover is this sin a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty and yet proud in heart

Bridges' quote on Proverbs 16:18-19 describes the haughty spirit as looking upward instead of at its steps, leading to a fall, illustrating the self-destructive nature of pride.

of guilt as a sinner one who ought to be in the company of doomed angels for whom no salvation is provided already in the language of scripture held in chains unto the day of judgment and Bridges says a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty yet proud in heart a true child of a fallen parent who in dreaming to be as God made himself like the devil referring to Adam dreaming to be as God made himself like the devil many are the forms of this hateful spirit some are proud of their beauty some of their talents some of their rank some of their goodness all forgetting that they have noth...

25:24 - 26:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: how unseemly moreover is this sin a creature so utterly dependent so fearfully guilty and yet proud in heart

Bridges' examples of David, Hezekiah, Nebuchadnezzar, and the daughters of Zion illustrate how God smites the very object of which a proud person boasts.

instead of downward at his steps what wonder therefore if not seeing what is before him he falls there's the haughty man he said no wonder he falls because he's not looking carefully realizing he's in danger he's dependent upon God to direct his steps in his pride he looks upward with his haughty look and so that haughtiness and pride are the sure prophecy of destruction to follow then he goes on to give examples in scripture that there is often something in the very fall that marks the Lord's special judgment God smites the object of which the man is proud David glorified in the number of his...

26:52 - 28:19 Read in full sermon

The point: By repeated, patient instruction, seek to show your children how evil the sin of pride is, linking it to the devil and God's judgment.

Martin references Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 as passages that, if applied to the devil, show that pride made the devil what he is, illustrating the ultimate evil of pride.

now having set forth those definitions now thirdly I want to give some practical directives in the admonition of children regarding avoidance of the sin of pride and cultivation of the grace of humility and the first is this by repeated patient instruction dear parents seek to show your children how evil the sin of pride is you see this is the easy thing to convince them it's evil to pick up one of their toys and bash their brother or sister on the head with it because that splits the head open you need to get stitches or makes a bump or makes them cry it's relatively easy to point out the sin...

37:14 - 38:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second directive warns parents against practices that feed pride, specifically excessive and injudicious praise, boasting about children in their presence, and parents…

Martin recounts his reaction to people who claim to 'fight pride' because God gave them a 'good mind,' using it to illustrate the absurdity of intellectual pride by challenging them to consider their vast ignorance on any single subject.

I'm amazed when people tell me, you know, I really have to fight pride. God's given me a good mind. I want to laugh at them.

42:49 - 42:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate in your children a deep sense of how much they don't know and how much more God knows, leading to humility.

Martin uses the example of a shoe's construction to illustrate how little even intelligent people know about common things, humbling intellectual pride.

Don't think how much you do know. Think how much you don't know on any one subject. I could take my shoe off. I'll hold it up and say, tell me what you know about how a shoe is constructed from the time it's part of a cow's rump until it's there on your foot.

43:12 - 43:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Grandparents should cooperate with parents in cultivating humility and avoiding pride, rather than spoiling grandchildren.

Martin shares a common joke about grandparents spoiling grandkids, using his stern response to illustrate his conviction that grandparents should cooperate in cultivating humility, not feeding pride.

People often jokingly say to me when they know that my wife and I are now grandparents, they say, oh well. It must be fun to be able to spoil your kids. I won't laugh when people say that. I say, no, spoil your grandkids.

44:59 - 45:09 Read in full sermon