#5: Give Up - Prideful Arrogance
James 4:4-8 Victory Fellowship
April 6, 2025 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
5th Sunday in Lent
I. My sermon focus in these six weeks before Resurrection Sunday will suggest attitudes or conditions that, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can and should give up. Not just for 40 days.
a. We need to cultivate a habit of not doing these things:
Worrying Over Things We Cannot Control
Lying
Enduring Sickness w/o Prayer & Anointing
Holding a Grudge (Unforgiveness)
Prideful Arrogance
This week the focus is on giving up Prideful Arrogance
II. (Signs of financial humility)
American Express calls and says: "Leave home without it!"
Your idea of a 7-course meal is taking a deep breath outside a restaurant.
Cell phone companies don't call you to switch.
Your rob Peter...and then rob Paul.
You finally clean your house, hoping to find change.
You think of a lottery ticket as an investment.
Your bologna has no first name.
Fast food places supply you with all your kitchen condiments.
At communion you go back for seconds.
Arrogance is the only disease that makes everyone sick but the one who has it.
a. George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut: "When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me." Adapted from Rackham Holt, George Washington Carver.
III. RELATING THE TEXT:
a. Humble ourselves to be exalted – We cannot not be too proud to acknowledge God. To do so is to be “friends with the world.
Philippians 2:3-4:
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not [merely] look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
b. Cast our anxiety on God – He Cares!
c. Be sober of spirit – CS Lewis: “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”
d. Be alert – Satan devours the proud- Jonathan Edwards: “Nothing sets a Christian so much out of the devil's reach than humility.”
1st Peter 5:6-11:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.8 ¶ Be of sober [spirit,] be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in [your] faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 ¶ And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen [and] establish you.11 To Him [be] dominion forever and ever. Amen.
e. God will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us - forever.
IV. Conclusion: Arnold Palmer recalls a lesson about overconfidence:
It was the final hole of the 1961 Masters tournament, and I had a one-stroke lead and had just hit a very satisfying tee shot. I felt I was in pretty good shape. As I approached my ball, I saw an old friend standing at the edge of the gallery. He motioned me over, stuck out his hand and said, Congratulations." I took his hand and shook it, but as soon as I did, I knew I had lost my focus. On my next two shots, I hit the ball into a sand trap, then put it over the edge of the green. I missed a putt and lost the Masters (to Gary Player).
You don't forget a mistake like that; you just learn from it and become determined that you will never do that again.
PRAYER
Song: When the God-Man Passes By
James 4:4-8:
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
