Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.

Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. That they were righteous and despised others. You notice here that Jesus immediately targeted a certain group of people. And Jesus felt that this group of people really needed to preach to.

This was the group. A group that considered themselves above others who felt that they were righteous and the Bible says despised others. And by the way, people like that need preached to. People like that need to change. God help any of us here at this church ever to think that we're righteous and we're more righteous than anyone else. And God help us that we would never be the kind of people that despises others or thinks that we are above anybody.

That was very, very weak. Kerwin Baptist Church. Look if you would at verse 10. Two men went up into the temple to pray. The one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee, Jesus says, stood and prayed thus with himself.

This is what he said. God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast, which means obviously that's the spiritual act of doing without food to give you time to pray.

I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. What a great man.

At least he thought so. Look if you would at verse 13. And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this is what Jesus said.

This man went down to his house justified rather than the other or the Pharisee. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased or shall be brought low. And he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Father, we thank you for this morning and, Lord, as we deal with the giant of pride. Lord, I don't think that our people would even realize how important this message is. Lord, I think when we come to the subject of pride that we just think this is just another message. And yet, Lord, out of any message that I have preached since I have been back to this church, even the messages that I have preached on revival, Lord, I don't know of anything that is more important to you reviving this church than this message. Lord, I pray that you'd help us this morning, help our people to realize how important this particular message is. In your name we pray, amen.

How many of you would be really honest with me? And let me say it this. I'm going to ask you to raise your hand, but this is the criteria. You have to have some type of exercise equipment in your house. And you have to be using that exercise equipment for something other than exercising. Either you have clothes laying on a treadmill or you have some kind of exercise bike or a treadmill in the garage and you've got stuff stacked on it or you have a little room or in your bedroom you've got a treadmill and there's stuff sitting on it, you've got clothes hanging. How many of you have some type of exercise equipment in your house that is being used for something other than exercising?

Would you raise your hand? Come on, come on. A lot of you. I guess I see about 30 and the rest of you are a bunch of liars is what it is. Most of you, like Brother John just said, you soldiers are the garage sale.

Found somebody that wanted it. I actually have two pieces of exercise equipment in my garage. Believe it or not, I actually do use them. I just don't use them a lot, but I use them. Have you ever driven by, you see yard sales and you see exercise equipment and you see these infomercials? And you know what, I think a lot of these things were bought with very good intention.

But let me tell you why I believe those things didn't work. It's because change is uncomfortable. Change in a good way is often difficult. And let me tell you what pride is.

Listen to me, I want you to get this. Pride's ultimate goal is to preserve self. Pride wants to protect self. Pride wants to promote self. Pride says, I don't need to change. That's what pride is. Now hopefully you'll see why we need this message this morning.

Your pastor needs this message this morning as much as any message. Because what pride does in our life, it tells us we don't need to change, everybody else needs to change. Pride was birthed with original sin. When Lucifer, Satan, the Bible says that Lucifer rebelled against God and he attempted to ascribe the glory of God to himself. And by the way, glory is only supposed to go to God, period.

And the Bible says that Lucifer rose himself up, rebelled against God, took a third of the host of the angels with him, and he said, I will exalt myself above the stars of God. The original sin, this is before Adam and Eve, this is before we were created. The original sin was this, that one of God's angels had pride.

He wanted to exalt himself above God. That's where pride started. Pride continues to be the great divide between God and man today. Let me tell you something, that's why God, the Bible says that God resisteth the proud. He hates pride, because pride is what started this whole thing. I want you to notice a couple things this morning.

First, I want you to notice the problem of pride. You say, preacher, are you just jumping on people? Oh, no, dear friend, no, no, no. I'm going to give you verses for everything that I say. This is God jumping on all of us.

But he does it in a loving way, as God always does. Can I ask you something? Do you think you're all right? Think you're good? Do you think that, you know, compared to everybody else, I'm doing okay?

I think there's other people that need the change more than I do. Have you looked at yourself? Have we done any self-examination?

Is there anything in your life that would tell you, I'm fine the way I am? I want you to notice first this morning the problem of pride. Let me tell you how pride is defined. It is an extremely high or inordinate opinion of one's own importance or superiority.

Whether in the mind or in actions, this is what Webster says. That means this, that pride is basically having a very high opinion of yourself and your superiority. Let me tell you the problem with pride. Number one, it's deceptive.

Pride is deceptive. I want you to look at verse 11 in the passage we just read. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.

By the way, the Bible I believe is just written so wonderfully, obviously. But it's amazing how God put this, that the Pharisee, he wasn't praying to God, he was praying with himself. His prayers were getting as far as his own head. You know why his prayers couldn't get up to God? Because his head was so big. He was praying thus with himself.

God, it says, I thank thee that I am not as other men are. That's deceptive. That man was deceived. You know why?

Because he was as other men are. All of us are just a bunch of sinners. All of us have our faults. All of us have problems.

All of us have things we've done wrong. None of us are above anybody else. None of us are better than the person sitting on the pew with us.

We're all just a bunch of sinners that if you have been saved by the grace of God, we're on our way to heaven. Pride tells you you're better than someone else. But that's deceptive because it's wrong. Pride tells you that I'm in better shape than the other person is. Pride tells you that I've done more than that person has. But that's deceptive. Let me read you a verse. Proverbs 29 and 23 says this, A man's pride shall bring him low.

It's deceptive. You see, pride tells us I'm fine and I'm okay. But the whole time we're not fine and we're not okay. And before long, that pride is the very thing that will bring you low. Second thing is this, pride is destructive. Look at verse 14. This is what Jesus says about, He says, I tell you that this man, who is this man, the publican, the one that was humble, the one that just said, God, I need your mercy, I'm a sinner. He said, this man went down to his house justified, notice this, rather than the other. That means this, that publican, that Pharisee that had so much pride and thought he was better than not only that publican, but everybody else, guess what? He left unjustified.

Destructive. You see, as long as you think you're okay, then you don't need God. As long as you think you're fine, then you don't need God. And can I tell you this, when you don't need God, you're in trouble. Because all of us need him. This man went away unforgiven, you know why? Because of his pride, and that destroyed him.

Can I tell you something, dear friend, you and I need God's forgiveness, you and I need God's mercy, you and I need God's patience, you and I need God's lovingkindness, you and I need everything that God could possibly give us. We're no better than anybody else, it's just that God's been so good to us, and we're undeserving of it, and bless God, if we allow pride to come in our life, and think that we are something that we're not, that will destroy us. It's destructive, can I say this, Proverbs 16, 18 says, Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride is destructive.

Third thing is this, pride is devouring. Notice if you would, verse 14, first part it says, I tell you, this man went down to this house. Rather than the other, notice verse 14, the second part. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be what?

Abased. That means this, pride is devouring, you know why? Because that means eventually God is gonna be the one that has to bring you down.

Pride devours you, you know why? Because when you build yourself up and you leave yourself there, that means you before long, God will change that. He says this, anybody that exalts himself, guess what's gonna happen to him?

He will be abased. That means God says, I promise you, he will be brought low. Can I tell you something, dear friend, you don't want God to have to do that.

Because God can do it well. God knows how to deal with prideful, arrogant people. God knows how to deal with the individual that says, let me tell you something, they're the ones that are wrong, they're the ones that need to get it right, they're the ones that said such, such, they're the ones.

Oh, it's always they're the ones and it's always the other person. What you're saying is, I'm better than this publican, I'm better than this other person. And God says, hey, if that's the way you feel, all right. But when you exalt yourself, guess what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna bring you low. Proverbs 11 two says this, when pride cometh, then cometh shame. Let me tell you something, you wanna get ashamed in your life, you just let pride into your life. And before long, something's gonna happen that's gonna humble you and embarrass you and shame you.

Seen it every time. I'm gonna tell you something, God, you know, I feel like I'm one of these people, I can never seem to get away with anything. God always did something to make sure I got caught. I'm gonna tell you, there have been times in my life, I guess, where I really thought, or pride had built up. I'm not gonna tell you the whole story, because I've told you this whole story here, but just to try to be personal with you. When I came here as youth pastor years ago, I'd just been here a few months, and there was an individual that, and you all know as soon as I say, there was an individual that just was making my life miserable. I mean, you know, I was working with the youth, and we were growing with the teens and stuff, but this parent, this particular lady, she's just, you know, was against everything I wanted to do, and if I wanted to go to McDonald's, she'd think we ought to go to Burger King, you know, but it was just one of those things. And it was just constant, and I'm gonna tell you something. You know, one night, Wednesday night here in church, I showed myself to her. That didn't sound right.

I was unaware. You know, I pray, and I say, Lord, help me as I speak to say the right things. I earnestly try, but something, everything goes wrong sometimes. I made an idiot of myself to her. I mean, she said she, I was talking to somebody, she came up to me, and said, you all remember the story, and I was talking to something, she came up, and she just started another conversation.

Nobody asked her opinion. She just came in, and she was rude the way she did it, and that's true, but I just turned around, and I said, hey, why don't you shut up? I'll talk to you when I'm done. Yeah, that's exactly what everybody else in that section did when they heard it. Let me tell you something. You know what that was?

Pride. That was, I'm above you. Don't bother me.

I'm better than you. You're the one causing the problem. You're the one doing this, and you know what it did? It brought me low. I'm going to tell you something.

There's nothing worse than that little corner house where I lived, and the Holy Spirit of God wouldn't let you go, and finally, about midnight, I have to pick up a phone call or wake up a couple and apologize to a woman because of the way I acted. You talk about humbling, ashamed. That's what pride does. That's what pride does. It devours. Why don't you notice this?

Fourthly, it's divisive. Look at verse 12, if you will. He says this, I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. Let me read you a verse.

Proverbs chapter 13, verse 10. Only by pride cometh contention. You say, preacher, why is pride divisive?

Look at me. Pride brings comparison, and comparison brings division. Did you get that?

If you don't get anything else, and I hope you do, but you don't get anything else, get that. Pride brings comparison. Comparison brings division. Pride compares you with others, and then when that happens, and all of a sudden now comparison is coming, then that brings contention because now we say I'm better, you're worse, or the other person says I'm better, you're worse, but whenever you start comparing yourself with each other before long, contention will come. Strife will come.

You know why? Because we're not supposed to compare ourselves to anybody here. We're supposed to compare ourselves with God, and we will fall short every time. And so our life ought to be so busy trying to become like Christ and act like he would and have the spirit that he would, but instead we're so busy comparing each other, and you know what that does? It causes division in a church.

It causes division. Well, I don't know about that person. Well, I just, you know, you'll have somebody say, well, this person's gonna teach this and it's a class.

You'll have 30 people that feel like they've known them for years. Well, I don't know about that. They haven't been very, they haven't been this, they haven't been that. What is that comparison?

What is that division? What is that pride? Then you have a person say, well, we're gonna have a person run this over here. Well, I don't understand. One time they said something, and one time they just touched us, and I just don't think, and you know, let's be honest, it wouldn't matter who we picked or who we chose.

You'd find a problem with them. You know what that is? That's pride. And that brings division. I want you to notice, lastly, under this, that pride is defying to almighty God. It defies God.

You say, how's that? Proverbs 8 13 says, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogance. And the evil way and the froward mouth, do I hate, God says. That means this, God says, I hate pride, and if you allow pride in your life, that defies God, because you've allowed something in your life that God hates.

Let me read this to you. Psalm 101 tells us this, him that hath an eye look and a proud heart, God says, will not I suffer. God says, I'm not gonna have anything to do with you if you got pride, because God can't stand pride. This morning, can I say this, that pride robs God of the glory that belongs to him. When you and I get pride, we think we're worth this, and we think we're good, and it's all about us, and that glory's supposed to go to God, folks.

You say, all right, what are you saying? I'm saying this, pride says I'm okay. Pride says I don't need to change.

Pride says I'm in better shape than the other person. Pride sees others' faults. Pride sees others' weaknesses. Pride says, don't tell me what to do. Pride says, don't tell me how to change. Pride says, fix others, I don't need fix. Pride says, I'm fine the way I am. That's what pride does, and God says, when we have pride in our life, then God says, I can't use you, and I can't be close to you.

That's the problem with pride. If you're sitting here, and you say, you know what, I'm glad there's some other people here that might need this, but I'm kind of wasting my time coming today. I don't need this. Ding, ding, ding, you're the winner.

I'm going to make a copy just for you. I'm just picking. I want you to notice, secondly, the power of humility, the power of humility. You say, preacher, why are you talking? This is a giant. Let me tell you something, folks, this is a huge giant.

You know why? Because the reason it's a giant is the average person in church doesn't even know that they are proud. The average person doesn't even realize pride is in their life. The average person doesn't realize how unwilling they are to change, how unwilling they are to humble themselves before God, and revival comes when you and I, as God's people, humble ourselves, seek God's face. And I'm sitting here saying it just might be that, man, you've been faithful, you've been a wonderful member, but maybe pride has arisen and you just don't think that there's anything in your life that really needs to change. And I'm here to tell you, we all have things that need to change. Oftentimes we see what we think everybody else needs to change.

We don't see what we need. The power of humility, humility defined is this, it's a modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance. What a difference. Can I say this, number one, this morning, God draws close to the humble. He did in this story. Man, that publican that didn't have the money, he didn't have the rank, Pharisees, you know, they were the religious sect crowd, and here's a publican that was kind of like a half-breed, this publican was, it was poor, he didn't have anything, but let me tell you something, God was immediately drawn to him because of his humility, and that Pharisee that had all the education and all the things, God turned his head away, wouldn't have anything to do with him because of his pride. Listen to me, humility allows God to draw close to you. God draws close to the humble. James chapter four, verse six says, but he giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. You want God to be close to you?

Boy, I sure do. Well, he can't come within a mile of pride because pride and God don't mix, but humility and God, they find each other. Second thing I notice about humility is this, God listens to the request of the humble. Say, preacher, what do you mean? I want you to listen to these verses. I just quoted it to you, 2 Chronicles chapter seven, if my people, which are called by my name, notice this, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, turn from their wicked ways. Listen to this, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. God says, if you humble yourself, then I will hear your request. The Bible can't get any clearer.

Let me give you another one. 2 Chronicles chapter 34, verse 27 says, because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thyself before and humblest thyself before me, God says, I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord. He said, because you humbled yourself, I will hear your request. Let me give you another one, Psalm chapter 10, verse 17 says, Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble.

Thou wilt cause thine ear to hear. Oh, listen to me, dear friend, do you need God to hear you? Some of you got needs in your life, you've got things, you've got family members that need saved, you've got needs that need met, you've got problems and circumstances.

Listen to me, dear friend, all of us, we need God to hear us and we need God to answer our prayer. But if we have pride in our life, he can't do it. But if we'll humble ourselves, oh, that means getting off our high horse and thinking we're something. And that means getting to an altar and saying, and realize that God, I am absolutely nothing without you.

How dare I think I'm better than anybody else? God forgive me. I need to change. I wonder what it would take for that to happen to the average Christian. What would it take for them to finally get to the point that they would be desperate for God to change them? Third thing I notice is this, God blesses the humble with benefits. Proverbs 22 verse four says, by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. He didn't say by ability.

He didn't say by talent. He said by humility are riches and honor and life. That means this God blesses the humble with benefits. I notice fourthly that God lifts up, exalts, and promotes the humble. You see, when you are pride, when you have pride in our life, we lift ourselves up. But when you are humble before God, he lifts you up. And I'm gonna tell you something, isn't it more wonderful when God exalts you than when you try to exalt yourself? Amen. Because nobody enjoys that, do they? Any of you ever been around somebody that really likes to exalt themselves? Any of you like me just can't wait to get away from them, get a shower or something?

It's like whatever that guy has, get it off me. Listen, humility means God exalts you. Let me read you some verses. Proverbs chapter 29 tells us this, honor shall uphold the humble in spirit. Matthew 23 says, and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. James chapter four, verse 10 says, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up. First Peter chapter five, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. Oh, listen to me, dear friend. Many of us, we just, we wanna get ourselves ahead and we wanna get ourselves noticed and we want to exalt ourselves because that's what society teaches you.

You want that position at work? Buddy, you better step by everybody else and make sure they see you. But I'm here to tell you, the Bible's different. The Bible says you abase yourself. The Bible says you humble yourself and God will exalt you. See, but if I do that, they might get somebody else for my position at work. You let them get somebody else for your position at work because if God wants you to have that position, he'll get it for you if you're humble.

God might have something better for you lined up. I want you to notice fifthly that God calls the humble truly great. Matthew chapter 18, I wanna read this verse to you, verse four.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Can I tell you what my fear as a pastor is? And listen to me, I want you to, we deal with this periodically because I know everybody always wonders in church and different things and we used to have a Christian school here and different stuff and everybody has their own opinions. Look at me, and I wanna explain this to you on a Sunday morning. Every one of you need to understand something about me as your pastor. You can be 100% totally yourself around me. Do y'all understand that?

If you understand that, say amen. You can be yourself. You don't have to worry or wonder what brother Hotry's thinking about you. You don't have to sit and think, well, I don't wanna, he might see me do such, such or he might, let me tell you something. You need to have, and I'm telling you, you have total 100% freedom to be yourself around me.

You got that? Now, I don't have 100% freedom to be myself around you. But you have 100% total freedom. I do not, I just don't have opinions. I'm not worried. I don't sit there and think, well, you should or shouldn't do. That's just not in my DNA. You can be 100% free with yourself and be who you are.

You know why? Because you will answer to God for your life. I will answer to God for my life. I won't answer to you and you don't answer to me. So you need to understand one thing, you need to be 100% free to be yourself around me.

I'm not gonna judge you. I will preach what God lays on my heart from this pulpit and I'm gonna preach it passionately because I believe that's what God wants me to do. But just because I preach in the pulpit, don't think that I'm judging you when I'm out of the pulpit because I'm not.

Y'all got that? Say amen. Amen.

Okay, now listen to me. My fear as a pastor is not that some of you might start wearing such and such or doing such and such or going such, that's not my fear as a pastor. You know what my greatest fear as a pastor is? Is that sitting right here in our church, that pride will start to get in here and we'll start to think because we're Kerwin Baptist Church, that we're better than such and such. Or we'll start to think because I've been a member of a church for 20 years or I've been sitting here for 25 years or 30 years or 40 years, that you'll start to think that you're okay. That's what I'm scared about. I'm not scared what you're wearing at Food Lion. I don't care. I go to Harris Teeter, so who cares? .