How to Mortify the
Deepest of Sins!
Romans 8:13
Dec 16, 2012 PM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (James
4:6) - A Bible
Study Tonight
A.
Pride the hardest sin to
touch or deal with
B.
Pride is a mess to try and
conquer
C.
Because just when you
think you have it mastered, you are snagged in it again!
D.
Benjamin Frankin said,
There is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride.
Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive.
Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be
proud of my humility.
II.
Background
A.
The
Problem With Pride
1.
It SHOULD be a good
thing when used in the right way
a.
Boasting of the Lord
(Psalm 34:2; 44:8)
b.
Bragging about how
good God is
c.
Boasting in just
knowing and serving God (Jer 9:24)
d.
You SHOULD have good
self worth (Eph 5:28)
2.
But it usually is a
wrong value of your own accomplishments and abilities
a.
Think we have done
something great
b.
Think we are better
than another
c.
Think and believe we
have no need for God, or prayer, or church, or the Bible
d.
Think that we dont
need correction
3.
Pride is sin (Pr 21:4;
6:16,17) it is THE root sin
a.
Of Lucifer (Isa 14:12-14)
b.
Of
c.
Of all our sins (Mk
7:21-23) it is a work of our old nature
4.
It damns people (Pr 10:4)
5.
It will reap the judgment
of God (Prov 16:18; Luke 18:14; Lev 26:19) God resists you fights against
you!
B.
The
Examples of Pride
1.
Pharaoh (Exod 10:3)
2.
C.
Signs
of Pride
1.
A Critical Spirit
judging others (Luke 20:20)
2.
Mocking of God (Gal
6:7; Prov 14:9)
3.
Impatience (Eccl
7:8)
4.
Covetousness (1John
2:16)
5.
Angry attitude (Eccl
7:9)
6.
Seeking revenge
(Prov 21:24) JESUS DIDNT SEEK REVENGE!
D.
Pride has been the
ruin of every home, every church and every nation that has ever fallen!
E.
The
Conquering of Pride
1.
Must be conquered not
tolerated
2.
Must be
continuously conquered
3.
Thankfully, it CAN be
conquered
4.
While men search for
a throne to build their kingdoms, Jesus reached for a towel to wash His
disciples' feet. Jesus shows us how to conquer our pride!
5.
God has given a believer
the weapons to mortify our pride!
III.
Message - The
Conquering and Managing of Pride (Romans 8:6-18)
A.
The Power of a
Spiritual Mind (Rom 8:6-8)
1.
Gives life and peace
2.
Loves the law of God
LOVES His rules
3.
Pleases God!
4.
Because it is humble
thinks nothing of itself! Thinks of God, of how Jesus did things, and thinks
of others!
5.
It is what I want
B.
Contrast that with
the Ruin of a Carnal Mind (Rom 8:6-8)
1.
Carnal mind is a
mind a way of thinking that automatically obeys his body, his feelings, his
hormones
2.
It is a way of
thinking that thinks mainly of itself, its hurts, its past, its needs, its
worth, its rightness, etc!
3.
Well, It kills it
IS death it wont bring you help!
4.
It is at war with
God it will NOT obey God
5.
It cannot please God
ever!
C.
What God Thinks of
Your Flesh (Rom 8:9-11)
1.
He made it gave it
to you fearfully and wonderfully made by God
2.
If you are born
again, you USED to live in it
3.
But you dont live
there anymore (Rom 8:9)!
4.
Your body is dead in
Gods eyes as we have seen in Col 3:4
5.
Your flesh WILL be
fixed one day resurrected (Rom 8:11)
D.
So, We do not owe our
flesh anything anymore (Rom 8:12)
1.
It is dead
2.
It just needs to be
mortified brought very low in priority - everything about it needs to be
buried put behind you
3.
Including the pride of the
flesh
E.
So, How Do We Manage
and Conquer Our Pride? (Rom 8:13-18)
1.
By Mortifying Your
Pride it is a constant effort!
a.
Hate it fear it
it is deadly it will kill you (Rom 8:13)
1)
That ATTITUDE of
catering to yourself
2)
Seeking to be alone,
Or seeking everyones attention both are a focus on self
b.
Throw it down from
its place in your thoughts and feelings
c.
Render it lifeless
starve it out
d.
Bury it
e.
Most impossible
without the Holy Spirit
2.
Through the Spirit
a.
Through believing faith
just believing OH HOW I WISH YOU REALLY BELIEVED WHAT GOD SAYS ABOUT YOUR SINS
AND YOUR PRIDE
1)
That your pride is dead in
you
2)
That God is going to work
all things out, not you!
3)
That you CAN react to life
and troubles just as Jesus did
b.
Through Praying (8:26,27)
there is a different way to pray
1)
Regular walking with God
seasons of prayer
2)
Where you talk to Him like
He is your Father, your Abba (8:15)
3)
Asking for help with your
PRIDE
4)
Asking for the blood of
Jesus Christ to cleanse you from its stain
5)
Asking for Christs
humility to fill you instead of:
a)
A Critical Spirit
judging others
b)
Mocking of God
c)
Impatience
d)
Angry attitude
e)
Seeking revenge
c.
Through the sword of the
Spirit memorizing and obeying every word
1)
Scripture memorization
cuts the heart, humbles the heart
2)
As you DO the words you
learn, the pride dies because living by this Book is embarrassing!
a)
Preaching
b)
Soul-winning
c)
Loving your enemy
d)
Giving things away
e)
Letting people hurt you
and use you
d.
Through careful choices
small choices always yielding
1)
Obey His Lead in your life
Yield (8:14)
2)
Like learning to dance
someone has to lead let it be Jesus!
e.
Through Humbling Yourself
(1Pet 5:5,6)
1)
Accepting responsibility
2)
Admitting you were wrong
3)
Dont think of yourself,
or protecting yourself
4)
Humble yourself before
your parents, your husband, your wife, your co-workers, your boss, people you
have hurt
5)
GOD promises to give so
much grace and help when you do this
f.
Through Praise (Psalm
34:2)
1)
Praise God for everything
in your life
2)
Get your confidence from
Him
a)
You are His child
b)
You are already an heir
c)
Joint heir with Jesus if
you put up with hard things
F.
There is SO MUCH more on
pride, but enough for tonight!
IV.
Conclusion
A.
Pride the hardest sin to
touch or deal with
B.
Pride is a mess to try and
conquer
C.
Because just when you
think you have it mastered, you are snagged in it again!
D.
Benjamin Frankin said,
There is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride.
Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive.
Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be
proud of my humility.
E.
Pride has been thr
ruin of every home, every church and every nation that has ever fallen!
F.
Do you
have any Signs of Pride?
1.
A Critical Spirit
judging others
2.
Mocking of God
3.
Impatience
4.
Angry attitude
5.
Seeking revenge
G.
The
Conquering of Pride
1.
Must be conquered not
tolerated
2.
Must be
continuously conquered
3.
Thankfully, it CAN be
conquered
H.
How?
1.
By Mortifying Your
Pride it is a constant effort!
a.
Hate it fear it
it is deadly it will kill you (Rom 8:13)
1)
That ATTITUDE of
catering to yourself
2)
Seeking to be alone,
Or seeking everyones attention both are a focus on self
b.
Throw it down from
its place in your thoughts and feelings
c.
Render it lifeless
starve it out
d.
Bury it
e.
Most impossible
without the Holy Spirit
2.
Through the Spirit
a.
Through believing faith
just believing
b.
Through Praying
c.
Through the sword of the
Spirit memorizing and obeying every word
d.
Through careful choices
yielding
e.
Through Humbling Yourself
f.
Through Praise