The Problem of Pride 1 Corinthians 4:6-21 Adapted from a Michael Luke sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?SermonID=87646

2. A young lawyer has just opened his new
practice.
On his very first day, he sits at his desk waiting
and hoping for a client to walk in.
It doesn’t take very long.
He can see out into the reception area as the
very first person to enter his office comes in
through the door.
The lawyer decides that he should look busy
so he grabs the phone and starts talking:

3. “Un, hunh. Un, hunh. Look, about this merger
deal. I think I’d better come down there and
handle it myself. Yes. No. I don’t think three
million is gonna cut it. We better have Rogers
from NY meet us there. OK. Call you back
later.” He hangs up the phone, looks up at the
prospective client and says, “Good morning!
How may I help you?” The visitor says, “Well, I
thought I was here to help you. I’m from the
telephone company and I’m here to hook up
your phone.”

4. The Bible has a lot to say concerning pride:
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5. Pride does several things:
It blurs our vision.
We can’t see what God wants us to see.
It causes delusion in our minds.
We become confused about what to think and
what to do.

6. It causes us to stumble.
If we can’t see, if we can’t think, and we
operate out of blurred vision and a
blurred mind, it only stands to reason that
we’re going to get tripped up.
Someone said, “Pride is the dandelion of the
soul. Its root goes deep; only a little left behind
sprouts again. Its seeds lodge in the tiniest
cracks.”

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11. Paul doesn’t cover every aspect of pride in this
passage.
He does point out that pride is one of the
major contributing factors to the problems in
the Corinthian church.
Much like the Pharisees in the gospels, there
were those in the Corinthian church that
looked at themselves as being spiritually
superior to others.
Some even considered themselves better than
Paul and the other apostles!

12. Paul contrasts two ways of living:
A life lived out of pride
A life lived in perspective

13. “I Have done it all myself!”
“Look how wonderful I am.”
One fellow thought he was so wonderful that
he’d be broke just paying the taxes on what he
thought he was worth.
In fact, he joined the Navy just so the world
could see him

14. The thing is, you can’t convince people that
you’re wonderful and that Jesus is wonderful
at the same time.
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17. “I am important”
Paul points out that there were a good number
of people in the Corinthian church who thought
they were important.
They considered themselves as kings and as
rich.
They considered themselves wise.
They considered themselves strong.
They considered themselves as honorable.

18. A beaver and a rabbit were staring up at the
immense wall of the Hoover Dam.
The beaver said, “No, I didn’t actually build it
myself. But it was based on an idea of mine.”
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(quoted by both James and Peter)
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19. C. S. Lewis put it this way, “A proud man is
always looking down on things and people;
and of course, as long as you are looking
down, you can’t see something that is above
you.”
We have to realize that we don’t have it all
together.

20. There was a well-known Christian
businessman who was visiting a church and
was asked to give his testimony.
He said, “I have a fine family, a large house, a
successful business, and a good reputation.
I have plenty of money so I can support some
Christian ministries very generously.

21. Many organizations want me on their board of
directors.
I have good health and almost unlimited
opportunities.
What more could I ask from God?”
As he paused for effect, a voice shouted from
the back of the auditorium, “How about asking
Him for a good dose of humility?”

22. “Everything comes from God”
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A life lived in perspective recognizes that we’re
all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.
“I am important only when God works through
me.”

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28. Pride Perspective

29. Paul exercises some discipline on his spiritual
children.
It’s kind of like the father saying:
“Don’t make me come up there” or
“Don’t make me stop this car.”
Paul did what he did not out of contempt but
out of love.
Sometimes we all need to be chastised or
disciplined because we’ve gotten off the right
path and are following the wrong one.

30. Back during the 2001 World Series, “Rocket”
Roger Clemens, pitcher for the NY Yankees
battled Curt Schilling, pitcher of the Arizona
Diamondbacks in game seven.
Clemens had won 20 games already that year
while Schilling had won 22.
It was not the first time they had squared off.

31. Back in the winter of 1991, they both played
for the Houston Astros.
Clemens noticed Schilling working out in an
adjacent weight room.
Clemens, 28, asked the younger Schilling, 24,
if they could talk.
Schilling thought it might be fun to talk some
baseball with Clemens but he had no idea
what Clemens had on his mind.

32. Clemens got in Schilling’s face, telling him he
wasn’t taking advantage of the gifts God had
given him; he wasn’t respecting himself, his
teammates, or the game.
According to Clemens, the conversation got
heated.
But it had an impact on Schilling.

33. Schilling says, "I walked away saying to
myself,
#1: Why would he care as much as he did?
and,
#2: If he did care, there must be something
there.”
Schilling adds, “I began to turn a corner at that
point in my career, both on and off the field.”
Where are you today?

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