Pride Prevents Blessings but Humility Reaps Rewards

1. Read: Luke 14:15-24

2. About the Text:

1) Jesus was eating at the house of a prominent Pharisee.

2) While there, they observed a man with a disease.

3) Jesus asked the Pharisees if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath day.

4) They turned their noses up at this man.

5) Jesus rebuked their snobbery with his words in verses 7-14.

6) Jesus said, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled….”

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. There is just one invitation and only one opportunity to accept it.

1) Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:28, 29).

2) “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37, 38).

2. And there is just one opportunity to obey that invitation.

1) Paul wrote regarding this invitation, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

2) James wrote regarding our life, ” Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14).

3. God’s invitation still rings out today—Come to the Christ! “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:7).

4. The proud reject God’s invitation, but the humble will accept it.

1. The prideful think their business is more important than God’s.

1) I’ve bought a field – the excuse of food.

2) I’ve bought some oxen – the excuse of work.

3) I’ve married a wife – the excuse of family.

4) Consider Matthew 6:33.

2. Proud people make excuses and put God after their own business.

3. God expects us to give up our pride and excuses – to repent.

1) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

2) “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent….” (Acts 17:30).

4. God does not accept excuses today, but he will forgive if we ask.

1) Excuses demand no action on the part of the one with the excuse.

2) Forgiveness, on the other hand, demands repentance of the one seeking forgiveness and repentance demands action (Acts 26:20).

3) It takes humility to ask for forgiveness.

5. We preach forgiveness, but NOT excuses!

1. The pride of man makes God angry.

1) “God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11).

2) God gets angry to the prideful who reject His invitation.

3) This is not some out of control, wild, and degenerate kind of anger.

4) The writer of the book of Hebrews says plainly, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31) and “…our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

2. Those who fail to humble themselves before God will suffer his anger.

1) “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

2) “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15).

3. For those who pridefully lift themselves up against God, they will know His anger.

1. God’s love is for all men, everywhere.

1) “For God so loved the world….” (John 3:16).

2) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

3) “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9).

4) God has proven His love for all men through sending His Son, Jesus.

2. We note, however, that God’s love is special for those who are humble.

1) God can’t work with the prideful, but he can work with the humble.

2) Jesus made special note to deal with the humble: “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” (Luke 7:22).

3) “Hearken, my beloved brethren; did not God choose them that are poor as to the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to them that love him?” (James 2:5).

4) We read in 1 Corinthians 1:26 “For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:”

5) “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’” (James 4:6).

6) “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).

3. Are we humbling ourselves before God?

1. Consider that the humble reap rewards.

1) Accept God’s invitation.

2) Do not make excuses.

3) Avoid God’s anger.

4) Experience God’s love.

2. The prideful prevent blessing.

1) Reject God’s invitation.

2) Set their own excuses above God.

3) Experience God’s anger.

4) Reject God’s love.