On Passover we washed each other’s feet, a demonstration of humility. Today, April 10, 2009, is the first day of unleavened bread per Lev. 23:6-8. How do we plan to benefit from these days?

(1 Cor 5:6-8) Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough? {7} Get rid of the old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. {8} Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with bread without leaven, the bread of sincerity and truth.

What is Paul telling us? Isn't he saying that we are to change - into a new batch without leaven? What is leaven in us? Leaven is often compared with sin. But in this verse leaven is specifically compared with puffiness; not the puffiness many of us carry around our waists, but with vanity or pride, where we think we are more than we really are. What should we plan to gain in our attitude, character, and personality from these Days of Unleavened Bread? Or are we simply going to modify our diet for awhile?

Today let’s discuss several aspects of vanity and pride.

First let’s look at some general dangers of pride and vanity.

(Prov 8:13) To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Pride is one human trait very much hated by God. Countless examples in both the Old and New Testaments confirm this. But, God is instantly forgiving when pride is replaced by humility.

We must not become so attached to our choices, even one teacher over another, that we become proud of that association to the total exclusion of all others.

Are we proud of our knowledge of God's word and our attempts to follow His teachings? Notice:

Vanity is hard for a person to see. I'm sure we all think about that when we listen to someone expound on an on about himself....but we must remember that pride was the original sin in Satan.

Do not use your successes to inflate your ego. This is also described in Timothy's requirements for a bishop or overseer:

But notice the attitude of Satan:

(Isa 14:12-14) How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! {13} You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. {14} I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

(Prov 16:18) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Here we see Satan's appeal to Eve's vanity and Eve’s weakness to it.

There is a direct link between vanity and rebellion. The Old Testament has many examples of people who thought too much of themselves and their opinions:

Do any of us have the attitudes of Miriam? Do we respect those selected by God to teach and lead us? Do we respect the instructions of God given by scripture? Or do we insist on our own independent course? How many of us insist on our own way, right or wrong?

Again, there is a direct link between vanity and rebellion.

Many people of our day are doing the same thing. They are not just protesting against capital punishment and for abortion, for instance. They are banding together to oppose the laws of God, the laws of nation, and the mores of society. They want to protect the lives of the criminals while taking the lives of innocent babies. Does this remind you of Christ’s judgment before Pilate where the people insisted on releasing the murderer Barabbas, while at the same time insisting on the crucifixion of our innocent Savior in his stead. For our rebellion, our beloved country courts the same fate as ancient Israel ...the curses of natural disasters, economic failure, foreign domination, captivity and death .

Notice how Paul describes Israel’s punishment.

(1 Cor 10:5) Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

These are the risks and dangers of pride and vanity.

What must we do to be unleavened from our puffed up, vain nature?

First, recognize the tendency toward vanity, self, ego, pride, self importance.....

One way to avoid vanity is to not allow ourselves to become too comfortable in our situation....Notice how Saul's attitude changed in 1 Sam 9 and 1 Sam 15:

and continuing in verse 21:

Notice Saul's sincere humility...No sign of vanity here. But as we continue into chapter 15, notice the change:

continuing in verse 22-23 after Saul had disobeyed the LORD:

skip to verse 26-28

Saul had started humble but became presumptuous. Are we guilty of being presumptuous? Do we insist on having our own way, right or wrong? Is it "our way or the highway?"

Read all of chapters 9 and 15 to see the whole situation. We must not allow ourselves to lose our kingdom too.

Let’s look at some other scriptures which demonstrate the dangers of vanity.

Unfortunately, Moses claimed part of the credit for God’s miracle of getting water out of a rock instead of giving God all the credit. Do we also have a spirit of over-confidence in self, self-importance, and presumptuousness?

These were the results of having a vain confidence in going it alone.

This scripture is a warning to avoid vain prophets. Here are four more worthwhile instructions toward avoiding the negative results of vanity:

It is better to say, "Tomorrow I will do such and such, God willing." Many dedicated followers of Judaism and Christianity make a habit of saying "God willing."

Finally, don't meddle with things too profound (high) for you. Don't get the idea that you know more about something than you really do; that experts in the field and others don't know as much about the matter as you. Humility includes giving others due respect and consideration for their opinions. Let’s look at some more scriptures which encourage us to be humble.

One method of seeing yourself, no matter how successful you have been, is to consider your state as you entered life and whenever you were not blessed with economical security.

In conclusion:

Brethren, with our observance of the Passover, we have physically demonstrated an act of humility by foot-washing, reconfirmed our need for Christ's sacrifice, and rededicated ourselves to living a Godly life. We have physically put leaven out of our food and homes, like the Israelites physically sacrificed bulls for a sin offering. But are we putting sin out of our lives as well? Are we dedicated to putting the leaven of vanity, pride, self-will and self importance out of our lives not just this coming week but throughout the rest of our lives? Brethren, we must live a truly humble life to be accepted by God.

Sermon given by Wayne Bedwell

10 April 2009

Copyright 2009, Wayne Bedwell