Flattery, Covetousness, Self-Glorying

In this part of the sermon: Flattery is defined as excessive, insincere praise, often ascribing things people don't have or applauding evil, always motivated by self-love and a desire to gain something from…

The harlot in Proverbs 7:21 flatters a young man to get a companion for the night, illustrating that flattery is motivated by selfish gain, not the good of the flattered.

Flattery is always motivated by self-love. I want something from you therefore I will heap laurels of praise upon you. You read in Proverbs 2 Proverbs 7 about the harlot who goes out to seek a companion for the night and she finds the young man and it says in Proverbs 7.21 she flattereth him with her speech.

10:23 - 10:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Flattery is defined as excessive, insincere praise, often ascribing things people don't have or applauding evil, always motivated by self-love and a desire to gain something from…

Daniel 11:21 mentions one who gains kingdoms by flattery, further demonstrating flattery as a means to a selfish end, such as power or approval.

Now what does she have in mind? Not his good but a companion for the night you see. Her motive is centered in herself and so she uses flattery as a means to that selfish end. We read in Daniel 11.21 of one who shall gain kingdoms by his what? His flattery. Or I may want someone's approval. I want them to like me so I flatter them not because I'm concerned that they receive just thanks or praise but because I want something from them.

10:48 - 11:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Flattery deludes a person because the human heart is what it is deceitful and desperately wicked and even in a Christian those remains of deceitfulness and wickedness are there.

Flattery is compared to a net spread for one's feet (Proverbs 29:5), ensnaring a 'dumb brute beast' who sees only grass but not the hidden trap, illustrating how flattery blinds people to their true condition and leads to destruction.

Until I see myself as God sees me I'll never be driven out of myself to seek to lay hold of Christ. Until I as a Christian see myself as God sees me I'll not be able to know the areas of weakness that need to be fortified by the grace of God and the areas of shortcoming that need to be made up by his grace and the use of the appropriate means to that end. So flattery always has as its end delusion which leads to destruction and we find that here in Proverbs 26 and again in Proverbs 29 in verse 5 a man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet he becomes ensnared like some dumb ...

13:07 - 14:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Flattery deludes a person because the human heart is what it is deceitful and desperately wicked and even in a Christian those remains of deceitfulness and wickedness are there.

The Old Testament term for flattery, 'smoothness' or 'smooth things' (Isaiah 30:10), is used to describe people's desire for comforting lies rather than challenging truth, highlighting the deceptive nature of flattery.

Until I see myself as God sees me I'll never be driven out of myself to seek to lay hold of Christ. Until I as a Christian see myself as God sees me I'll not be able to know the areas of weakness that need to be fortified by the grace of God and the areas of shortcoming that need to be made up by his grace and the use of the appropriate means to that end. So flattery always has as its end delusion which leads to destruction and we find that here in Proverbs 26 and again in Proverbs 29 in verse 5 a man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet he becomes ensnared like some dumb ...

13:07 - 14:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The flattery of ministers is their preaching of smooth things rather to please than to profit when they avoid just reproofs and searching truths and close application that they may not displease when they conceal some pa…

Preaching abstract truth is compared to beautiful balloons floating around, admired but not impactful. True ministry, however, is like a machine gun aiming at the heart, applying truth directly and painfully, distinguishing between flattering and profitable preaching.

you ladies in the ladies class here's an area that we touched on this morning that's hard to deal with something so personal and so practical as we had to touch on this morning that's hard it'd be so easy so easy to speak of the general truth of the woman's place in the abstract and leave it up here floating and everybody looking at this floating balloon of truth and saying isn't that pretty isn't that nice look at that but when a machine gun in that balloon is aimed right at your heart and begins to go that that that that that that and you begin to feel what that truth says to you oh then it'...

19:01 - 20:31 Read in full sermon

The point: As parents, do not alter your ministry from scriptural guidelines to gain the acceptance of your children, prioritizing their well-being over your desire for their approval.

Martin recounts seeing a man bragging about physically assaulting someone, contrasting this with the fact that no one ever brags about covetousness. This illustrates that covetousness is a sin always 'cloaked' or hidden under more socially acceptable terms like 'good business deal' or 'ambition'.

their cruelty or meanness some guy who's a bully will boast about the people whose nose he's pounded I was walking through I was walking through two guys the other day and I saw such a clear example here's some fella that looked so miserably out of shape I think he was just telling a big story but he was bragging to two of his buddies this guy came and I pounded him in the nose and he was going on so everybody in the store could hear he's bragging about his meanness see now when people are breaking the law of God that way they're not embarrassed they like to brag about it you men know how your...

24:57 - 26:27 Read in full sermon

The point: As parents, do not alter your ministry from scriptural guidelines to gain the acceptance of your children, prioritizing their well-being over your desire for their approval.

A king's lament that God made one defect in the human body by not putting a window in the breast is used to explain why Paul calls God as witness to his lack of covetousness—only God can truly know the heart's motives.

so he says to these people look when I came to you my ministry that seemed to be a concern for your souls was exactly that this concern was not a cloak covering up an inner canker of covetousness no no I did not desire your money I did not desire anything from you there was no cloak of covetousness and mark what he says now God is witness you see they couldn't judge this they could judge whether he flattered them when he says neither at any time used we words of flattery they could sit there and say boy that's the truth he sure didn't he sure didn't he was gentle among us as we read later on b...

26:27 - 27:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Paul so walked in the fear of God that it utterly consumed these wrong motives in his manward relationship and dear ones that is the only way for you and for me in the ministry that we have to be delivered from wrong mot…

Martin recounts Elihu's speech in Job 32, where Elihu, a young man, respectfully but firmly rebukes Job and his friends, stating he cannot give flattering titles because his Maker would soon take him away. This powerfully illustrates how the fear of God enables one to speak truth without flattery, even to respected elders.

God put me here you saved me you've commissioned me to be a witness you've commissioned me to be light you've commissioned me to be salt Lord I must discharge my burden and that sense of the fear of God and the eye of God and the fact that we shall stand before God this overrides and consumes all other lesser motives I think this is most beautifully stated in the sixteenth psalm when the psalmist said I have set the Lord always before me for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved the focus in the one hand is on man and what I can get from him and what he'll do to me the other the fo...

39:46 - 41:15 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Let me not I pray you accept any man's person now notice neither let me give flattering titles unto any man for I know not to give flattering titles in so doing my maker would soon take me away

Paul's ability to remain calm amidst constant opposition is compared to the unruffled eye of a hurricane, illustrating how setting the Lord always before one's face provides stability and consumes lesser cares.

everything in me a younger man less experienced less knowledgeable in the ways of God and my temptation would be to flatter Job but I dare not because I see an eye above Job the eye of my God and if I speak flattering words and disobey the entrusted word of God he my maker shall destroy me oh beloved that's the core of the issue whether it's a parent sitting down dealing with his child how dare I flatter my maker has entrusted me with this ministry witnessing to a neighbor standing in this pulpit the face of man what is it? will stand before the face of him from whom the earth and heaven shall...

42:41 - 44:09 Read in full sermon