Quote from Forum Archives on May 22, 2002, 7:55 am

Posted by: jmichaelwalls <jmichaelwalls@...>

I had the privilege to preach at a pastor's fellowship on Tuesday.  Here is what I preached.

 

ROADBLOCK TO REAL REVIVAL
2 Chronicles 7:12-15
Introduction: What is a roadblock? Most of you do not know me. I spent
two years as a police officer in Petersburg, Virginia. We would find a
place where you could not turn around and block the road. Usually it was
for traffic violations such as the city stickers that each location
issued to each vehicle owned by citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In North Carolina, we have seat belt checks.
If I would ask you what is the roadblock to revival, I am sure that there
would be a various and great diversity in answers. I will be asking
because one of you may know the answer and steal my thunder so to speak.
Some may say that prayerlessness is the roadblock to revival. No
prayerlessness is a symptom of the roadblock. Some would name the sin of
gossip, anger, or various other sins as the roadblock to revival.
Actually these are the symptoms and not the roadblock.
Let’s look at verse fourteen and you will find the roadblock. It is the
word "humble". The opposite of humble is the roadblock of revival. It is
the sin PRIDE.
Every word is inspired of God in this Bible and also the order that each
word is placed is inspired of God. Isn’t remarkable that God placed in
our text this sin that is the roadblock to revival first? It is placed
before prayer. Pride proceeds prayer. It is placed before seeking God’s
face. It is placed before turning from their ways.
I do not know how to read Hebrew. But when I can read English. The word
"humble" means be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought
into subjection. It is my understanding that the position of humility is
found on one’s knees. Why is that? When one is on his knees, he is at a
position that he can not really defend oneself.
So why come to a pastor’s fellowship and preach this subject? The
question maybe should why not come to a pastor’s fellowship and preach on
PRIDE? It is the sin that has a way to worm into anyone’s life no matter
how spiritual a person may be. Let’s be honest, it is very easy for pride
to worm into our lives.
Last night, I was in a revival meeting. I had been called upon to lead in
prayer at the beginning of the meeting. I asked the Lord to deal with us
as the individuals that we are and to work on each of our lives. Boy, did
God answer that prayer! The man preached on this subject.
I went home last night and researched the words pride and proud in my
King James Bible on my computer. I found them ninety-seven times. That
was without the different various forms of the word. A careful study of
the Bible shows not one positive note with pride. You never find that the
Lord says He was proud of His children. Jesus never said he was proud of
his disciples. It behooves us to rid ourselves of that word from speech.
It is far better to use Biblical terms.
Does God hate pride? How severely does God hate pride? Have I allowed
pride to worm into my ministry?
Proverbs 6:16-19
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto
him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An
heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to
mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord
among brethren."
Proverbs 16:5
"Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though
hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."
Proverbs 21:4
"An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin."
If there will be one sin that the world could point out in the lives of
Fundamental, Independent Baptist preachers, it is this sin. The Pharisee
in Luke 18 was the fundamentalist of Jesus’ day. With many fundamental
preachers and including myself, if we would be honest, this account in
Luke 18 is our testimony. To use a phrase from our dear Brother Paul, GOD
FORBID.
Let me give three reasons why God hates pride so much.
I. GOD HATES PRIDE SO MUCH BECAUSE PRIDE IS DECIETFUL. Obadiah 1:3
"The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the
clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart,
Who shall bring me down to the ground?"
It is deceitful because it makes us pretend. When we are around other
preachers, we pretend that all is well. When we are with our church
folks, we pretend that all is well. Roy Hession wrote the book "The
Calvary Road". He said, "Openness is a willingness to know myself." Since
I cannot know myself entirely, I must be open to the One who does know me
completely: the Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 139:23-24
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And
see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting."
Pride causes us to blame others for our problems.
You are not responsible for all what is done to you but you are
responsible for how you respond. Instead of playing the blame game, which
pride says, it that person’s fault, let’s take personal responsibility
for our reactions.
Pride makes us critical. A man who is proud is suspicious of others and a
humble man is suspicious of himself. Let me see if I can illustrate this
with a simple test. Is there anyone around that you feel that you are
better than that person? Why we are better than a crooked politician is,
are we? Or may be a harlot or drunkard? When we understand that potential
for all sinful behavior lives within our heart, we will find that we are
proudfully critical. Only by the grace of God, I am what I am.
Pride causes us to water down sin and rename it. Almost every sin is the
Bible is now linked with a disease. Drunkenness is now called alcoholism.
Anger is called Internal Expulsive Disorder. D. M. Hardison says that we
have given sin pretty disease names, which says we are sick. Who could
blame a man whom is sick?
II. GOD HATES PRIDE SO MUCH BECAUSE IT IS THE ESSENSE OF ALL SINS.
1 John 2:16
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
Pride removes God from our minds. When Adam took of that fruit in the
Garden, it was that desire to make one wise that was the eraser of pride
that remove God from his mind.
Pride keeps Christ from being Lord of all areas of our lives. We have
allowed ego to come in. Ego is nothing less than edging God out.
Pride is the very nature of the devil. It was pride that caused Satan to
be cast down from his lofty position.
Pride is the worship of self. In the middle of the word pride is the
letter "I". In the middle of the word sin is the letter "I".
Once a Sunday School teacher gave a lesson on the parable of the Pharisee
and the publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed with himself thanking God
he was not like other men: "adulterers, extortioners, and publicans." The
teacher really blasted the Pharisee because of his proud, condemning
attitude. He was glorying in the fact that he was better than common
sinners—"not as other men." As the class ended the teacher said,
"Students, let’s bow our heads now and thank the Lord we’re not like that
Pharisee!"
III. GOD HATES PRIDE SO MUCH BECAUSE IT IS DESTRUCTIVE. Proverbs 16:18
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
Andrew Murray said to welcome anything that helps us to humility. William
Law said that pride must die or nothing in heaven will live in you.
Pride keeps folks from salvation. It was pride that kept me in the pew
during the first verse of the invitation on the night that I was saved.
Pride is keeps us from going on with God. It is pride that says that we
are satisfied with our present level of spiritual growth. Prayerlessness
is the first sign of pride.
Pride kills those relationships with those around us.
Proverbs 13:10
"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."
Every time we have a dispute that ends godly relationships, it is pride
that causes that rift to occur and remain. This is true almost every time
that my wife and I have a fuss between us. It is true almost every time a
church member and I have a fuss between us.
Conclusion: Let’s go back to our text verse. Look how this worded. It is
worded this way "shall humble themselves". Humility is our
responsibility. Humility is a choice.
"Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked I,
Help me to bow that head and die;
Beholding Him on Calvary,
Who bowed His head for me."
Let me close with these words from that Isaac Watts’ song.
WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

 

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most—
I sacrifice them to His blood.

 

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small:
Love so amazing, so Divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

 

Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
All scriptures are King James Bible
Isa. 41:10