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Aug 12, 2018

The Stench You Can’t Ignore

The Stench You Can’t Ignore

Passage: Proverbs 11:2

Speaker: Patrick Lafferty

Series: Proverbs, Searching for Wisdom

Often our foolish choices are a function of nothing more than our ignorance. But more often than we might admit that folly proceeds from the one thing that is the greatest obstacle to wisdom: pride. What is pride, really? Where does it lurk? Why do we fall prey so easily to it? But most importantly, what will supplant it?

Order of Worship

Pre-Service Text: Isaiah 42:8
Call To Worship: Psalm 24 (NIV)
Sermon Title: The Stench You Can’t Ignore
Central Text: Proverbs 11:2,12; 13:10; 15:25,33; 16:18-19; 21:4; 28:26
Response: Confession of Sin
Prayer of Confession (in unison)
Assurance of Pardon, 1 Timothy 1:15
Benediction: 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Post-Service Text: Romans 12:3

Sermon Slides for 08.12.18

Illustrations

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wild Animals

John Adams - Vain

Readings & Scripture

Pre-Service Text: Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other. . . .

Call To Worship: Psalm 24 (NIV)
LEADER: 1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?

ALL: 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God their Savior.

LEADER: 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, God of Jacob.

ALL: 7 Lift up your heads, you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.

LEADER: 8 Who is this King of glory?

ALL: The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

LEADER: 9 Lift up your heads, you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?

ALL: The Lord Almighty—
he is the King of glory.

Central Text: Proverbs 11:2,12; 13:10; 15:25,33; 16:18-19; 21:4; 28:26

Prov. 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.

12 Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.

Prov. 13:10 By insolence comes nothing but strife,
but with those who take advice is wisdom.

Prov. 15:25 The LORD tears down the house of the proud
but maintains the widow’s boundaries.

33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom,
and humility comes before honor.

Prov. 16:18 Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Prov. 21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin.

Prov. 28:26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

Response: Confession of Sin
Call to Confession
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” ~1 John 1:9

Prayer of Confession (in unison)
Heavenly Father, we who own more than we use, proclaim more than we experience, and request more than we need, come asking your forgiveness. We seek your salvation, then act like we can save ourselves. We beg your forgiveness, then repeat our errors. We experience your grace, then act defeated. We rely on your power, but only in difficult times. We have become confused and misguided. Forgive our every sin, especially at this time the sin of pride. Bring us to an unbroken commitment and steady trust in you, through your son Jesus Christ, who is the only hope for our salvation. We humbly ask this in his name. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinner.” ~1 Timothy 1:15

Let us truly believe the good news of the Gospel.
ALL: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!

Benediction: 2 Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Post-Service Text: Romans 12:3
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment,
each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Related Scriptures:

  • Isaiah 42:8
  • 1 Samuel 18:6-16
  • Psalm 10:4
  • Luke 11:34-35
  • Philippians 2:1-4
  • 1 John 2:16

Discussion Questions & Applications:

 

  1. Who was that popular kid in your school that you thought was so high on themselves? Or were you that kid? How did they make you feel? (Or how did you feel being that kid?)
  2. How is the pride scripture warns of different from the natural pride you feel for a job well done, either by you or someone you love?
  3. How can you tell when you’ve fallen prey to pride?
  4. How does the Gospel uniquely challenge but also supplant pride? Why is it both more enlivening and compelling than merely leading us to loathe ourselves?

Quotes:

  • Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 1 Samuel 18:7
  • I think I have this thing where I need everybody to think I’m the greatest—the quote-unquote fantastic Mr. Fox—and if they aren’t completely knocked out, dazzled, and kind of intimidated by me, then I don’t feel good about myself. Fox in Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox
  • The more people think that you’re really good, actually the stronger the fear of being a fraud is.  David Foster Wallace
  • . . .it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began. Other vices may sometimes bring people together: you may find good fellowship and jokes and friendliness among drunken people or unchaste people. But Pride always means enmity – it is enmity. And not only enmity between man and man, but enmity to God. . . . The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether or see yourself as a small, dirty object. C.S. Lewis
  • Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he like best?" "Does he collect butterflies?". They ask: "How old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weigh?" "How much money does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him. Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
  • Jesus refused to be a stunt-man. He did not come to prove himself. He did not come to walk on hot coals, swallow fire, or put his hand in the lion’s mouth to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say. “Don’t put the Lord your God to the test,” he said. Henri Nouwen

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InView Media Album 08.12.18