₦sermon 11
(A Sermon Preached by Rev. Fortune Emerence Chinemerem Nwaiwu)
"God opposes the proud but favours the humble"--- 1 Peter 5:5 NLT
Pride is like a deadly disease that kills like a dreadful cancer. It is instigated by the devil into a man’s soul to rebel against the constituted authority of God. When a man is fully inclined with pride, all his actions and thoughts will become fully in mutual opposition with God.
David, a servant of God was made prosperous by God. His wealth became a snare to him. He became so proud and daring to say nothing could stop him or bring him down (Psalm 30:6). This may be understood or however meant that as he has reached to the apex and pinnacle of his moment of glory and splendor, no power from heaven or under the earth would bring him down. He did not acknowledge that his riches were from God. He forgot everything about God even to sing for the LORD’s mercies became a tug of war because his mind was full of pride. Then God turned away from him and he was shattered— Psalm 30:7.
Pride makes us to derail from meeting up the required standard that God desires from us. It makes God to turn away from us. Some people who are favoured with divine riches are painfully suffering the blunt consequence of their ignorance, because Satan has blurred their minds and filled them with spirit of rebellion which has resulted to pride.
There’re some believers when they’re alleviated and blessed by God, they begin to see themselves more superior than others. They wouldn’t any longer attend some church programmes and feel that their mates are not ought to be in such programmes and therefore, they exempt themselves from participating. But this kind of people used to go for church programmes and now that God has lifted them up, they forget anything about God. When the spirit of pride comes into us, it will gradually take away the position of our God in us and then, Satan enthrones and anything we do becomes in severe opposition with God. And when this happens what will follow? All our wealth will crumble down. This is in consonance with the scripture which says: “Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before fall” — Prov. 16:18 KJV.
When God turns away from us because of the sin of pride, destruction, disaster and death become our peril. It could be noted that when the sin of pride had overwhelmed David, God turned away from him and he really felt the piercing terror and pain of it. As he realized that his destruction was so near and he had been shattered already, he cried unto God for mercy and God by his compassionate heart, turned his mourning into joy— Psalm 30:8-11. In verse 12 of the Psalm, it indicates to some extent to which the sin of pride has resulted into. David could no longer sing the praises unto his God; this was because he was inclined by the spirit of pride. He then pleaded with God: “that I might sing praises to God and not be silent. O LORD, I will give you thanks forever” —Psalm 30:12. With such expressions of inner feelings of anguish, one could be perturbed and easily say that there was perhaps a time when David was keeping silent to sing praises unto his God because pride has eaten deeply into the fabric of his soul. Pride could cause us to feel more superior and ignore the most important thing we ought to do. It will make us to ignoring giving the glorious God his due respect and honour. It has caused so many people to show a total disregard to some men of God because such people feel that they know too well more than the men of God. Some feel that they are more educated than the men of God and therefore what the men of God would preach to them, they all know it. What a pity! Do you preach what you cannot put into practice? It should be better for you to humble yourself than when God humbles you, if not you are heading to destruction.
Nevertheless, Uzziah who was a sixteen-year-old son of Amaziah, as king in the place of his father, began his leadership in the fear of God. He sought guidance from his God during the days of Zechariah and God gave him success, 2 Chronicles 26:5. He did what was pleasing to God, (verse 4), declared war against the Philistines, (verse 6), built fortified towers in Jerusalem, had many workers who cared for his farms and vineyards, (verse 10) and he had an army of well-trained warriors, ready to march into battle. All this success King Uzziah had was that he feared his God so greatly. But despite his numerous achievements he had acquired, his tragic downfall was so noticeable— his hubris which is known as pride. In verse 26 of 2 Chronicles 26, when King Uzziah had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his disastrous end. He began to extend rulership to that of burning incense in the temple of God. Burning of incense in the altar of God was a religious function that is meant for the priests of God and not of the King. Perhaps he felt that he knew more than the priests of God. When he was questioned of executing and performing such a religious task that was not meant for him to do, his harsh response to priest Azaraiah shows no sign of significant remorse in him. He didn’t repent and turn to God and he was struck with leprosy by God which he died later. God will never be in good terms with proud people. He humiliates the proud but favours the humble. When we become proud, it means that we don’t need anything from God and don’t feel the need for God as our savior. So don’t let pride ruin your soul. Be humble so that God will lift you high.
——————Meditation Point———————————
God renew my soul, and cast off the spirit of pride in me and I pray from today I will be humble so that you will lift me high, this I ask through the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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