series: Counter cultural convictions #
verse: Daniel 4:28-37 #
King Nebuchadnezzar is humiliated and humbled because he was so prideful. Not just a boastful nature, but a spiritual pride.
Do we have spiritual pride? #
Spiritual pride leaves to an obsession with control. Nebechadnezzar thinks that the fruits of his labor all came by his own doing. Spiritual restoration occured when he let go of his control and gave all glory to God most high. When we have the courage release our control and pride to God, then we actually experience such great complete peace. Not just temporarily, but eternally. Letting go isn’t losing something, it’s allowing God to lead our lives.
How can we become courageous to lose control? #
You have to look up and toward God and recognize his greatness, and our lowliness. Understand that he is WORTHY of our devotion. Allow our struggles to ignite our hearts and humble ourselves. When we go through hardship, we need to understand that we never even deserved to live. So we should be joyous as we go through difficulties. Seeking control will kill our joy and peace in any situation (regardless of it going good or bad).
- Look at Daniel 4 where the king is content and at ease because his kingdom was prosperous. His life was flourishing, and yet in verse 5 he quickly became afraid because of a dream.
- His joy and peace was incomplete. So as easily as he can obtain prosperity, he can lose it. The natural order of life is to become anxious. Because when we are up, we are anxious to stay up. And when we’re down, we are anxious to get up. It’s an infinite cycle.
- The king places his identity within his own glory and prosperity. So the thought of losing it has completely taken over his mental state. Having a heart of humility is realizing that we don’t deserve anything. We have to admit that we are prideful and recognize how everything in this life is a gift. Every breath we take, every bite of food. We depend on God for everything.
What are the benefits to losing control? #
We feel powerless when we lose the very thing we thought we could control. The best example of this is our very own lives. We assume we get to live and control our own lives, but the irony is that we become gain more power by giving it all to god. Our lives were never meant to be in our control to begin with. We often look for relationships that glorify ourselves, and this prideful and sinful. Pride makes us look for people that match our needs, rather than us matching other’s needs. Community groups do not exist to meet your needs. It’s to meet the needs of other people. God honors those who honor him. Proper worship is one way to honor God. Worship is not about us, it’s about God. Practicing proper worship helps us to get back on track. It will fuel courage to lose control.
Call to action #
Come to Church as a servant, and not just as a consumer. Participate, be active and involved. Don’t attend for your own satisfaction or glorification, but rather for the sake of others.