 Isaiah chapter 28, so we're going to look at this chapter, especially the beginning of this chapter this morning, and see what we can take from this. So Isaiah chapter 28, who is Isaiah? So Isaiah is a prophet, and he's a prophet considered mainly a prophet to Judah. But he's talking about, he's talking about Ephraim in this chapter. Now who is Ephraim? He's talking about Ephraim which is in the northern kingdom. If you remember in Israel there was a split, after King Solomon you had his son Rehoboam who lost the kingdom, and basically two tribes went to become the lower kingdom of Judah, and then the northern kingdom of Israel was the ten tribes from there. The northern kingdom of Israel was much more wicked than the tribe, or not the tribe, the nation of Judah, and they were actually judged, they were actually carried away by the Assyrian Empire, they were judged by God, about 150 plus years before Judah was taken into captivity by the Babylonians. So they were worse, they got judged first, and what we see in Isaiah chapter 28 is it's actually not, it sounds like a warning, but it's actually a prophecy, it's actually a prophecy of what's going to happen to Ephraim, which was kind of the, many times in the Bible, Ephraim, it will kind of just, I'll explain that in just a couple of minutes, but it's basically talking about the whole northern kingdom of Israel, they're going to be taken away, it's a prophecy, there's also a prophecy of Christ in verse 16, we're not going to discuss that this morning, but basically Ephraim is this tribe, it's one of the tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, it contains the capital of Samaria, it was the capital of, go to Genesis chapter 21, it was the capital of the northern kingdom, Genesis chapter 41 tells us who Ephraim actually was, Ephraim was the second son of Joseph, alright, so if you've ever looked at a map of the 12 tribes of Israel and where they actually, you know, settled before the kingdom even split into Judah and the northern kingdom, you'll notice that there's 12 tribes, but the Levites didn't get any land, and Joseph you won't see has any land either, instead the Levites, you know, didn't get any land, that would mean 11, but then of course you have it replaced by, Joseph is also taken away, that would be 10, but instead the inheritance was given to Manasseh and Ephraim which were the sons of Joseph or Jacob's grandchildren, look at Genesis chapter 41 in verse number 51, the Bible says in Joseph called the name of the first born Manasseh, for God he said, have made me forget at my toil and all my father's house, and the name of the second he called Ephraim, for God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction, so like I said, Ephraim is the capital of the northern kingdom, many times throughout Isaiah and throughout the Old Testament when God is talking to Ephraim he's kind of like, he's just kind of addressing the whole northern kingdom of Israel, alright, in Isaiah chapter 11 verse 13 I'll just read for you, you go back to Isaiah chapter 28 the Bible says, the envy also of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off, Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim, he's kind of just calling Ephraim the northern kingdom there, he's just kind of generalizing that name as the whole nation and that's how we can read Isaiah chapter 28, it's kind of a prophecy about what is going to happen to Ephraim or to the northern kingdom because that is who the prophecy was brought down upon, go back to Isaiah chapter 28 now that we kind of have some context of Ephraim what are we talking about this morning, look at Isaiah chapter 28 we're going to focus on the first few verses here, the Bible says woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine, there's a lot that we see in verse number one there, alright, the title of the sermon actually this morning is the drunkards of Ephraim, alright, look at verse number two, behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the hand and again verse number three the crown of pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under feet, verse number four and the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley shall be a fading flower and a hasty fruit before the summer which when that when which when he that looketh up seeeth while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up so this is a prophecy on what is going to happen to the northern kingdom of Israel and why it's going to happen to them, alright, the title of the sermon this morning is the drunkards of Ephraim here in Ephraim you see you know things are going well for this nation you know they have money success they have fatness the Bible says here you know but the root of the problem turned to chapter 29 if you would very quickly and while this verse in chapter 29 is not necessarily talking about the northern kingdom of Israel it's kind of a generalizing verse it's a concept look at verse number 29 so we see you know the drunkards of Ephraim comes up this statement and it's actually the title of the sermon but I want to tell you this morning is you know the Bible the sermon this morning is not on drinking okay it's not on drinking as you may think that that's where a drunkard would go that the sermon this morning is going to focus on the root of the problem with Ephraim look at verse number 9 of verse number of Isaiah chapter 29 the Bible says stay yourselves and wonder cry ye out and cry they are drunken look what it says it says they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink so look I believe in Isaiah chapter 28 these people were actually literally drunks it literally says that they were you know stumbling at strong drink they were they were drinking they were drunk the references vomit and all these things filthiness that will come along with drunkenness but the root of the problem was pride with Ephraim the root of the problem was pride now there's a great comparison I hope I can get you to understand this comparison this morning between pride and drunkenness and that's what I want to focus on for a few minutes this morning just think about this idea of drunkenness for a few minutes just think about you know why people drink you think why do people drink you go out soul winning and you're soul winning on a Saturday went maybe not so much on a Saturday morning but Sunday afternoon as many times you will come along across people in their garage and they're watching a football game and they're drinking or they're having people at their house and they're drinking why do people drink people drink turn to Hebrews chapter 11 turn to Hebrews chapter 11 people drink generally generally because it feels good it feels good in that moment that's why they do it it's basically you know people that drink and are in our you know even drugs applies here people that are making themselves not sober as the Bible would say they're they're experiencing selfishness in a moment is what they're doing that's the only reason because look the Bible tells us that you know drinking and not being sober it hurts everybody else it hurts everyone around you it hurts your family it hurts your relationships it hurts your body it hurts your mind it hurts you and other people around you but it makes you feel good in that one moment in Acts chapter 118 it would be called you know the reward of iniquity that's what the Bible called the money that Judas got so when Judas when he betrayed Jesus what did they do they paid him all this money I bet you that felt good to get all that money right there in that moment but then what happened I mean it ended up costing him his life he ended up killing himself over you know that situation look at Hebrews chapter 11 verse 24 I mean look sin sin in general sin in general it will reward you in that moment that's why people fall into it because they're looking for that one moment that feels good that rewards them that gives them that selfish little boost that they were looking for look at verse 24 the Bible says that Moses in the faith chapter in Hebrews chapter 11 it says Moses rejected this it says Moses he was tempted with this this this reward of iniquity this feel good for a moment situation he rejected it look at verse 24 says by faith Moses when he was come to years that means when he he got older he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season so Moses he rejected the royalty he rejected the family that raised him and he went instead to his own people that were slaves at that time and and it says look he could have he could have had but he could have the pleasures of that nice life for a little while but he rejected that he did not fall into that trap but look this is why people chase drunkenness because especially at the beginning I'm sure it seems fun it seems fun for a season but then the problem is after that season's over you know after that day is over after that night is over everything else everything becomes worse this is the problem you know with not being sober but Isaiah chapter 28 go ahead and go back there Isaiah chapter 28 just keep out you have to keep a bookmark and Isaiah chapter 28 we're gonna keep going back to Isaiah chapter 28 all right and then turn to Proverbs chapter 23 so Isaiah 28 really gives us this comparison you say okay I get it I get it no Christian should drink you know no Christian should drink but the Isaiah chapter 28 gives us several similarities between between drinking and pride between drunkenness and pride and that's what I want to point out to you this morning and then I want to show you how we can avoid both of these things especially the pride is what I want to talk to you about this morning look at Proverbs chapter 23 look at Proverbs chapter 23 we see several similarities in the Bible between drunkenness and pride and that's what I want to show you for a few minutes this morning look at Proverbs 23 and verse number 29 you say you know pride and drunkenness I mean what do those things have in common pretty much everything the Bible says look at Proverbs 23 verse number 29 the Bible is talking about drinking or drunkenness in Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 29 so the first thing that they have in common is both of these things will get you in trouble both of these things will cause you great harm and trouble in your life look at verse 29 of Proverbs chapter 23 the Bible says who hath woe you know what that means that means trouble who hath sorrow that means sadness who has contentions contentions means like everybody that you meet in your life it just like there's just all this trouble and stress and in constant you can't get along with anybody it's talking about drinking here who have babbling this means that you just like say things that make no sense who have wounds without cause who have redness of eyes and then it answers the question for us here in verse 30 it says they that tarry along at the wine they that go to seek mixed wine it's talking about people that are drunks here it's saying you're gonna have sadness you're gonna have depression you're gonna lose friends you know and here's another thing you look at the redness of the eyes and here's another thing about drunkenness and pride that's very similar is that these things are very obvious to others it's saying who have redness of eyes look it's very obvious when someone has a drinking problem because why they look different they have wounds without cause their eyes are red even the the next day their eyes are all red and they have you know bags and weird stuff around their eyes it's like what in the world we've been to everyone knows everyone knows when someone is a drunk but many times who is the person that doesn't realize that they're a drunk the drunk themselves this is exactly how pride is both drunkenness and pride and this is why it's so both of them are so dangerous by the way because both drunkenness and pride are not seen by the person that is in that sin imagine being innocent and not realizing it this is the danger of not only drunkenness but pride as well this is why you'll hear people say about someone who's a drunk or someone who has you know has a has a drinking problem that's what the Bible call a drunkard by the way someone who has a drinking problem there's like well he's just gonna he's just gonna have to hit he's just gonna have to hit rock bottom before why why would someone say that somebody just has to hit rock bottom because once they hit rock bottom the reason that they say that the reason that's even a term is because it takes hitting rock bottom to realize yourself that you have an issue that there's that you're in sin this is how dangerous these sins are this is why you know you have to lose your wife or you have to get arrested or whatever people would just give up and say well they just have to hit rock bottom on their own because no one can make you know this is why you know you have this thing out in the in the world today called an intervention why in the world would you need to intervene in a situation where the person in that sin knew that they were in the sin the whole purpose of an intervention shows you that drunkenness and pride being similar is something that the person in it doesn't realize so they have these interventions were all the friends and all the family get together and they come together and they're basically acting as the witnesses in Deuteronomy and they're coming to the person in numbers saying look it's not just me that thinks that you have an issue look you have a problem you have a problem you have a problem they're trying to get that person to see their sin pride is the same way go back to Proverbs chapter 23 go back to Proverbs chapter 23 the second thing that they both have in common is this turn up actually turn to Proverbs chapter 20 Proverbs chapter 20 you go to Proverbs chapter 20 and I'll just I'll keep reading for you Proverbs chapter 23 both pride and drunkenness will cause you shame both pride and drunkenness will cause you shame remember in Proverbs chapter 30 or 23 it said who have babbling it literally says that the drunkard will just say things that make no sense if you ever been if you ever been unfortunately around a drunk person you know that this is true they will literally just say things they're just like they just many times they can't even talk they just babble they're just babbling all these things and many times that a person that is in that state is very adamant and thinks that they really know the truth about things which is completely crazy and inversely logical to put it that way but in Proverbs chapter I'm sorry Proverbs chapter 11 I led you astray there so the Bible says who have babbling so babbling is something of drunkard but look pride will do the same thing to you pride will do the same thing to you look I have literally like sat across from prideful people and I have literally just just like Ben like what in the world are you talking about we just like what they're saying just makes no sense at all it's like it's like it's like you're listening to a drunk person somebody that is just filled with pride is going to babble and say things that make no sense look at Proverbs chapter 11 in verse number two so look drunkenness will cause you shame it will cause you to babble it will cause you to have wounds without cause in Proverbs chapter 11 the Bible says when pride cometh pride is the same folks then cometh what then cometh shame but with the lowly is wisdom turn to Luke chapter 14 look both drunkenness and pride I mean think about it they give you this false sense that you're great someone that is sitting there and is a drunkard and is babbling thinks they know everything somebody that is prideful thinks that they're much greater than they are they think they're great when they're not great what a terrible situation to to be in I mean you can see this with drunkards even in our society today you probably see it every week when you see somebody look they think that they are great when they're not great they think that they are strong when they're weak what a terrible situation to be in never seen somebody who's clearly out of their mind on some kind of you know alcohol or drugs walking through the streets just being like they think that they're strong they think that they're strong they're weak they're a fool they could barely walk I mean what a terrible state to be in imagine somebody at a job imagine somebody at a job imagine somebody working at an auto company and somebody works at the auto company and they clean the windows imagine them going into the the chief engineer the the president of the company and just telling them here's how you need to build a car here's how you need to design this car better just thinking that they know everything people would look at them and just be like you're a fool what are you talking about but this is what pride will do to people just the same as drunkenness will do that to someone look at Luke chapter 14 and verse number 8 look both will cause you shame is the point that I'm trying to make here Luke chapter 14 look what Jesus says in verse number 8 the Bible says when thou art bidden to any man to a wedding it's like when you're invited to a wedding sit down not at the highest room less the more honorable man than thou be bidden of him this is like a person that goes to the wedding and they like they don't even hardly know the person and they go sit at the head table right next to the groom and they're just like button everybody out of the way and they sit right down next to the groom or next to the bride or whoever they take the best seat in the whole place and look at verse number 9 it says and he that baby that says if that's what you do the person that invited you and him come and say to the give this man place and they'll begin with shame to take the lowest room it's like someone's gonna come up to you and say what are you doing sitting there that's not your chair you don't belong there and they're gonna move you to the back of the room he's like what the Bible is saying here is like that's gonna be really embarrassing for you what Jesus is trying to tell people here is like look don't get this false set Jesus trying to warn against pride here he's trying to warn against the drunkenness of pride against the drunkenness of Ephraim this drunkenness that could make you can you imagine what is wrong with the person that would do that well the Bible tells us what's wrong with somebody like that they come in they think they're great they look at the room and they say I am better than everyone in this room and they sit in the best chair in the entire room why because they think that they're better than everybody that's why the Bible says that attitude Jesus saying that attitude is gonna cause you shame it's exactly the same as if you would walk into that wedding and you would just be completely drunk or completely high and you just be battling and making no sense and they would pick you up by the back of your belt and just chuck you out the front door the shame is gonna be the same is what the Bible is saying to us here so look it's it would be embarrassing but here it's what pride will do to you Jesus is trying to warn us here turn to Galatians chapter 6 drugs and alcohol will do the same thing to you and pride will do the same thing to you will cause you shame it will cause you embarrassment I mean this is the person that just thinks he's great it thinks he's super smart thinks he's super spiritual see you know to all others it to all others look at them they just see a drunk walking through the street that's what the Bible is telling us here both will make you shamed both will turn you into a fool look at Galatians chapter 6 look at Galatians chapter 6 look what the Bible says in verse number 3 it says for a man think himself to be something when he's nothing boy there's a there's a that's a problem it's one thing if you think you're something and you are something but the Bible says if you think you're something and you're nothing he deceives himself this is pride folks this is pride this is this idea that a person thinks he's great thinks he's better than everyone and to everyone else he's just a drunk walking through the street he's just wandering around babbling looking like a fool turn to Proverbs chapter 20 Proverbs chapter 20 the Bible says that that drinking that alcohol will do exactly the same thing to you look at Proverbs 20 in verse number one the Bible says wine is a mocker wine is a mocker it's like the alcohol that you drink the things that make you not sober is going to mock you it's going to make fun of you it's going to cause you to be a fool is what the Bible is saying both will make you shamed both will make you a fool what's the next one go back to Proverbs chapter 23 so are you starting to see the similarities between pride and drunkenness here this is why you know these two things are brought up over and over together in Isaiah chapter 28 the second one or the third one is this the third the third similarity between pride and drunkenness is both will damage you physically and spiritually both will damage you physically and spiritually look at verse 34 of Proverbs chapter 23 look at verse 34 of Proverbs chapter 23 the Bible says yay this is the back to the person drinking again okay back to the person drinking alcohol it says yay thou shalt be as he that lie down in the midst of the sea or as he that lie upon the top of a mast this is this is what the Bible is saying the Bible is saying that you are going to feel safe when you should feel safe this is a guy that he's he's like if you come out fishing with me this is like you jumping off the boat and saying I'm gonna go in the water and take a nap and we're gonna be like you're crazy you're gonna drown this is the guy that goes up to the top of a mass this is a guy that goes on a very tiny ledge of a cliff and he's like I'm gonna take a nap here and thinks that he's safe the Bible says like no he's gonna be he's gonna be hurt he's gonna be damaged this person is going to find himself in trouble now turn to Proverbs chapter 16 you say okay I see that and then in verse you turn to Proverbs 16 in verse 35 says they shall strict they they have stricken me thou shalt say and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not when shall I awake I will seek it yet again this is saying that this person that goes to sleep on the top of a mast and goes in the ocean to take a nap this person is going to be damaged greatly this is the drunk but what does it say about pride look at verse 18 of Proverbs 16 verse 18 of Proverbs 16 look both drunkenness and pride will damage you physically and spiritually look at verse 18 it says pride goeth before what are you safe are you safe being a prideful person are you safe taking a nap in the ocean are you safe taking a nap on a cliff are you safe being prideful it says pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall just like falling off of that mast just like drowning in the ocean the Bible says if you get prideful what's coming next is your destruction the Bible says look ultimately ultimately what we can take from Isaiah chapter 28 this prophecy about the northern kingdom of Israel look the northern kingdom of Israel was completely destroyed Judah was taken into captivity for 70 years and then they came back the northern kingdom of Israel those 10 tribes are gone they were destroyed no one could ever say that they were part of those 10 tribes they're called the lost 10 tribes of Israel for a reason because they were completely destroyed pride goeth before destruction ultimately drunkenness and the root of it pride will destroy you is what I'm trying to get you to understand to destroy your body just like drugs and alcohol to destroy your mind just like drugs and alcohol you destroy your relationships just like drug drugs and alcohol turn back to Isaiah chapter 28 pride will do the same thing as drugs and alcohol will do to you say what what's what's the point of this look down to verse number seven let's finish out a couple verses in Isaiah chapter 28 and then we'll apply that to us in our lives look at Isaiah chapter 28 and verse number seven I just want to show you for a few minutes how how pride will do the exact same things to you physically and spiritually that drunkenness will do okay look at verse number seven it says now me Isaiah chapter 28 is mainly focused on the leaders on the spiritual leaders of the northern kingdom of Israel look at verse seven it says but they have also aired through wine and through strong drink are they that they have also have aired through wine and through strong drink are out of the way the priest and the prophet have aired through strong drink they're swallowed up of wine they're out of the way through strong drink they air in vision they stumble in judgment look even the leaders even the pastors were were drunks and look the Bible says I mean why does the Bible say we shouldn't drink first of all I mean in Proverbs go actually turn to Proverbs chapter 31 turn to Proverbs chapter 31 just real quickly I mean not not to beat this in on alcohol but look at look at Proverbs chapter 31 and verse number four what is the purpose of you know Lemuel our king saw him as mother telling him to never drink here look what she says in verse four she says it is not for kings oh Lemuel it is not for kings to drink wine nor for princes strong drink look you are if you are saved today you are a king and a priest the Bible says so this applies directly to us but look at verse five why shouldn't a king drink lest they drink and forget the law and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted what was happening in Isaiah chapter 28 like they were perverting judgment you know what that means that doesn't mean that though they weren't you know they were look they couldn't recognize right and wrong anymore this is what the Bible says if you are a drunkard you will not recognize what is right and what is wrong now apply that to pride look at verse number seven or verse six she says give strong to drink under him that's ready to perish like give that to the unsaved people what the unsaved people that have no hope they just don't want you know they don't want to accept the gospel just let them just give it to them they'd be of heavy hearts why let them drink and forget his poverty let me just just not for you save person you have a purpose in this world you have you're a king and a priest you're to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ with your feet like it's not for you you need to be able to recognize what's right what's wrong have correct judgment like give the give it to them that just want to just forget their poverty just forget everything let them let them let them do it forget his poverty and remember his misery no more you know the irony the irony of somebody that's trying to drink to forget their misery that person would have to be drunk always to forget their misery because you'd wake up and you'd sober up you know oh it's worse now that's why you see people they just have to be drunk all the time they're trying to just forget their misery but the Bible says that's not for us go back to Isaiah 28 so the priests the leaders were were were prideful and drunk look at verse 8 for the tables are full of vomit and filthiness so that there is no place clean whom shall he teach knowledge and who shall he make to understand doctrine them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts for preset must be upon preset preset upon preset line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little for with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people this some priests that's a drunk not going to speak the word of God he's just going to be just like blabbering all this you know something else to whom he said this is the rest where with me may cause the weary to rest and this is refreshing yet they would not hear but the word of the Lord was upon them preset upon preset preset upon preset line upon line line upon line here a little and there a little that they might go and fall backward and be broken and snared and taken where for here the word of the Lord you scornful men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem look at verse 15 now because you have said we have made a covenant with death and with hell we are in agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come unto us for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood we have hid ourselves just like the actual drunkard these people were prideful and actual drunk but just like the drunkard are these people safe no their refuge their safety the Bible says here the reason you know they're they're happy they're drunk they're they're prideful the Bible says but refuge their refuge is alive the Bible says it's fake just like that guy just like that heroin addict walking down the street flexing his muscles like this in the middle of the street in the middle of the freeway when he's he's weak he can barely physically stand his refuge is a lie pride will bring you to the same place the Bible is saying so look drunkenness and pride is a falsehood in your life is the conclusion that I want you to come so with application this morning how can we avoid this you say I believe you first of all you know you should want to live in reality that's the first thing before we even get to the application you shouldn't want to live in a place where you feel something that's not real this is why they should be sober this is why the Bible says over and over be sober be sober be sober because God needs you to have proper judgment to know right from wrong evil and good he needs to be able to discern those things in order to do his work for the kingdom of heaven on earth this is why the Bible says in Proverbs 31 as they just did what do they do they drink to forget they drink to get out of reality but pride will also take you out of reality so the first thing is just make a commitment that I want to be in reality in my life I want to be in reality in my life because the problem is with the drunk and this is same with pride the problem is with the drunk that he might drink tonight to forget his poverty he might drink tonight to forget his problems but tomorrow those problems will be worse because of what he did tonight pride is the exact same way you're saying pastor you're preaching to the choir I know that Christian shouldn't drink drunkenness this is Christianity 101 right here you know drunkenness filth babbling people acting stupid look honestly if you drink the Bible literally says you're an idiot so it says not only are you foolish for drinking but you are going to become more of a fool from drinking it's like who wants to sign up for that that's what the Bible says you know you don't have to be sober around too many drunks to realize that that's true all right you say look I get it I get it pastor but here's the thing folks as you grow in your Christian life this you know don't drink and stay away from alcohol stay away from drugs this may be a very simple Christianity 101 lesson but many Christians will struggle in their lives with pride this is what I need you to understand this morning go back to Isaiah chapter 28 so how can we avoid pride because look drunkenness easy one easy one I'm not an idiot I don't want to become an idiot I don't want to damage myself and people around me Christians kings praise should not drink we get that but guess what pride will do the exact same thing to you it'll do the exact same thing to your family it'll do the exact same thing to your relationships it'll be the exact same thing to the Christian and many Christians throughout their Christian life will struggle with pride so please listen up look at Isaiah chapter 28 look at Isaiah chapter 28 look at verse number one says woe to the crown of what woe to the crown of pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower look it says that they were beautiful but they're not going to be beautiful soon this is this this is a prophecy that the beauty of this nation is soon to not be beautiful anymore which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine so the first thing is this we see in verse number one it says these two words I want to focus on in verse number four it says in the glorious beauty which is on the head of the fat valley the first thing is this beware of beauty you say what what do you mean what do you mean beware of beauty in your Christian life what do I mean by that here's what's going to happen here's what's going to happen in your in your Christian life let me just let me just prophesy your Christian life for you okay good to the Romans chapter seven here's what's going to happen to you you are gonna you know you're gonna you know if you do the right things if you come to church you listen to preaching you read the Bible you you're gonna grow and you apply these things in your life you're gonna grow in your Christian life you're gonna change in your Christian life if you just don't just hear everything and don't just read everything and forget it if you actually read these words if you actually listen to Bible preaching and then you actually say you know what I need to change that in my life you're gonna grow you're gonna change you're gonna you're gonna grow in your Christian life you're gonna start learning you're gonna start learning things that you never knew were in the Bible you're gonna as you read the whole Bible you're gonna start look and let me tell you something it will be eye-opening to you as you grow in your Christian life it will be eye-opening to you are you in Romans chapter 7 let me give you a little preview of what's going to happen to you the world and the things outside of the church and outside of the Bible when people that are not safe things are going to start like just really standing out to you they're going to really stick out to you you're just going to be like whoa look at that stuff that's crazy you're going to start learning what God's word has for you in your life and you're going to start doing those things and it's just going to become more and more shocking to you people that don't know these things look at Romans chapter 7 verse number 12 the Bible says wherefore the law is holy the law we're talking about the Bible here the Word of God the law is holy in the commandment holy and just and good then look at verse 13 he says was then that which is good made death unto me it's like it is the Bible there to just convict me of everything it says God forbid it says but sin that it might appear sin working death and me by that which is good that sin by the commandment think of the Bible when you hear commandment might become exceedingly sinful what that is saying is that as you learn the Bible from preaching reading studying as you learn the Bible these sins that everybody else is see because what everybody else is doing is the opposite of what this verse just said what everybody else is doing is they're sitting there and they're watching TV and they're watching people be a bunch of whores and a bunch of whoremongers on TV they're watching just fornication everywhere and they're watching people all around them and they're watching you know people just do drugs and just alcohols no big deal and just in all kinds of sin everywhere and what that's doing is that's making sin less sinful that's why that's why people want drinking buddies by the way because they want validation for their sin because even their conscience even if they're not saved their conscience tells them this is not right that what I'm doing they want validation but as people validate each other and as people fill their minds with with the same media with the same TV shows with the same pornography with the same garbage from everywhere sin becomes normal they start to scar their conscience they start to cover up the law that God even wrote in their heart but you as you listen to the Bible study the Bible read the Bible you're going to go the other way suddenly the sins in your life you're going to be like oh man I need to quit doing that oh man I'm saved and God says that he'll chastise his sons and God says that you know if I willfully sin after I know something's wrong I'm going to have like a big beating in my life and you're just starting to get that sin out of your life and that says it's gonna start popping up and you're gonna start grieving the Holy Spirit you're gonna start pushing these sins out of your life and then the sins out there gonna look even worse and it's just you're gonna have clarity on these things but but we need to make sure back to the point of the sermon we need to make sure as this growth happens and as we come into this understanding we start pushing sin out of our lives and start separating from sin and getting things right and actually growing in the Christian life we need to make sure that we don't start feeling beautiful like these people say what do you mean like I like these people I'm not I'm not like this this was the problem the extreme example of this is the Pharisees in the Bible and I know that they were not saved the ones that were they were suffering from this but they had the oracles of God think about the Pharisees learning about them in Acts they had the or they had that they had the Bible that was their advantage they had the Bible given unto them but they were so prideful that they knew more than everyone else they were literally blinded by it and when the gospel came to them they they couldn't even see it yet the Gentiles got it why it was pride they were drunk with pride that's why make sure that as you grow in your Christian life turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 4 make sure that as you grow in your Christian life you don't get this attitude that you know what I'm better than everyone you say what do you mean pastor what are you talking about if I'm not a drunk am I not better than a drunk if I'm if I'm not in fornication am I not better than someone who's in fornication if I'm not in all these wicked sins and have gotten all this out of my life and I know what the Bible says does not not make me better than somebody else does not not make me more spiritual than somebody else but here's the context folks look at 1 Corinthians chapter 4 look you may be getting right you may be more right with God than all those people you may be more right with God you may be more pleasing you may have a life I mean hopefully you all have a life that is more pleasing to God than people that are just out in the world that are unsaved but look at 1 Corinthians chapter 4 in verse number 7 look what Paul says to the church in verse number 7 he says for who make a thee to differ from one from another then look what he says and don't don't miss this he says and what has thou that thou did not receive he's like these people were in the church and they were like comparing each other and one person was trying to be like more spiritual than the other person he's like he's like what do you have that's different from one another yeah you might all have different talents you might have all all be you know so what you might be saved for this many years and what you might be saved for this many years one of you may know the Bible this well and what do you may know the Bible much better than the other person he's like but everything that you've been that you have you've been given like what do you have that you did not receive you know what that means everything that you have you were given it's like somebody gives you a gift and you go out and bragging about it somebody gives you a gift every talent that you have you say I'm a really good singer you only have that because God gave it to you you know the problem is is that you get we get good at something we get good at something and we grow in a certain area and all of a sudden we think look at us we know great I am look you may go out and you just may become the best evangelist in this church I pray that that happens to a lot of people you may go out and just get people saved every single week I pray that that happens but you know what that is a gift that God gave you that is that is only by the grace of God that you have that and then he says again he then he repeats it he says now if thou didst receive it why does that glory as if thou has not received it he's like here these people they were bragging about these things it's like why are you bragging about these things as if you earned them it's like just like pastor Mahia Sermon you know what if you if you get in church you get saved you get in church you learn the Bible you become a soul winner you start going out and preaching the gospel to every creature as the Bible says that you should that's your reasonable service that's not something that oh look at how great I am it's like no that's your reasonable service to the God who saved you to the God who came here and suffered and died for you when you deserve to go to hell this is what the Bible teaches don't glory in these things this is the danger for the Christian that starts doing the right things and really starts growing is that they get into pride which will take them down the same road as drunkenness it is a major danger be careful of beauty be careful of thinking I am more beautiful than anybody this is what happened to Ephraim they were beautiful and they were more beautiful than anybody but you know what that flowers gonna fade because that pride for them it was prideful right before they were destroyed what's the last one what's the last word that they keep what's the last word that they keep repeating in verse number one and then again in verse number four it's this idea of fatness that they were fat from the fat valley this isn't talking about fatness okay it's talking about just like fatness like just having abundance now as a pastor this is like this is a difficult one to preach right here this is a difficult one to preach and the only thing I could think to to preach this point was Psalm 73 so go ahead and turn to Psalm chapter 73 because let me tell you something folks you know as far as fatness goes you know we're fat in this country you know we're fat in this country we have abundance in this country it's a tough thing to stand up as a pastor and try to preach to a church full of Americans that hey you shouldn't be you shouldn't be fat I mean you shouldn't be have abundance okay beware of the fat valley all right because why because we don't really have any trouble today that's why you say oh inflation yeah you know what compared to what 99% of the people in the world have dealt with especially as Christians we don't have any trouble today nobody's coming after our lives no one's trying to cut our heads off no one wants to torture us for going out preaching the gospel it's like every now and then we might have somebody especially in Fresno we don't really have any trouble today I mean we're going out and every now and then you know we might have somebody who's a little rude at the door I mean you know which is even rare here I'm this is a very nice town let me tell you of the all the places I've gone so many this is a very nice town but the Bible I mean so how do you write I mean how do you tell people to be aware of comfort in their lives in in this environment that we're all living in how do you do that the only way I can do it do it is with Psalm 73 look what the Bible says it just gives us a warning about comfortableness about the fatness here it says thinking you know just thinking about how to preach this to Americans I can't come up with any better words than the Lord's words in Psalm chapter 73 look at verse number four the Bible says for there are no bands in their death but their strength is firm these people seem strong these people seem strong they don't fear anything look at verse five it says they are not in trouble as other men this is this is a this is the American Christian right here they're not in trouble as other men yeah I think Christians are probably being persecuted around the world like basically all the time at one place or another in the world but guess what not here not as long as I've been alive how look we may go through some some you know persecution from people that we know or people that we you know we've made some separation in our lives but for I mean in the context of things this is not really persecution in the context of history not as other men have gone through it anyway neither are they plagued like other men and because of this like a verse number six because we have no trouble because we have no trouble because we have no problems because we just basically you know we think we're strong I mean we feel good we have abundance I don't really need anything none of you I'm sure need anything look at verse number six is therefore pride compass them about as a chain violence covered them as a garment their eyes stand out with what with fatness they have more than their heart could wish these people had no trouble no problems and and they had more than they could ever want what was the result pride they got prideful they started to think they started to think like isn't this true isn't this true when things are going well in your life you start to think like there's not this happens to everybody you have to literally actively fight this in your life things are going well you're up you know life is going good finances are going good maybe your job is going good maybe your health is going good you know you're gonna have those times in your life I pray that you have those times in your life but you just have to make sure you have to check yourself and not be like I'm great I'm awesome because things are awesome look these people literally turn on God's blessings because of his blessings this is what people do and then incomes pride drunkenness and destruction so how do we how do we do it I was reading I was thinking it reminded me of an article that I read earlier this week it said 60% of Americans today live paycheck to paycheck meaning they live I mean they they they use up all the money every single time they save nothing they're just like paycheck to paycheck 60% of Americans and I thinking about that and I was like just like you know that's kind of the answer for us in our Christian lives you kind of need to live your I mean not that that's a good thing financially to do but you kind of need to live your Christian life paycheck to paycheck what does that mean means you just need to appreciate every week you just need to appreciate every spot of growth you just need to appreciate appreciate every church service appreciate every single time you see your brothers and sisters in Christ appreciate your job every week appreciate your living condition every week because look it might not be there the next week you have to think that way it might all be taken away you have to just look at it that way and it's extra dangerous this this pride that could creep in so just live first of all live your Christian life your spiritual life paycheck to paycheck just appreciate everything look folks you got to you got to do that on purpose you got to try to do that you got to remind yourself because the natural flesh is going to take you in this in this area into this area of I've got it all figured out things are going well for me God is blessing me and you're going to get prideful and then things are going to change for you quickly you're going to you're going to suffer from all the things that a drunk suffers from so all that to say this folks drunkenness and pride are both destroying forces in your life and they are extra dangerous they are extra dangerous forces in your life because you may not realize that you are falling into them this is what makes them so dangerous it's pretty easy look it's pretty easy to see if you're in a major sin like fornication you know you're not married you're fornicating with some I mean that's that's pretty easy but this drunkenness and especially pride is very easy for someone to slip into and not know they're slipping into it this is why and I'll just close with this this is why I turned to Philippians chapter 3 this is why spiritual leadership in your life is so important this is why it's important that every man in this room is a spiritual leader of his home this is why it is important that a spiritual leader of your church is so important because why because they're there to protect you the Bible says the Bible says that God has given you pastors and teachers and they are there to protect you that's why you will see people that shun all spiritual leadership in their life they always fall into this trap they always fall into this trap look at Philippians chapter 3 look at Philippians chapter 3 look at verse number 13 look even Paul you say the best event you're Paul best evangelist that has ever walked the earth probably or you know the best one that we know of that's ever walked the earth he must have been he must have been prideful he must have thought he was great right look what he says in Philippians chapter 13 of verse number Philippians chapter 3 in verse 13 he says brethren I can't I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus he says Paul even says towards the end of his life he's like I've not apprehended I'm not there he's like I'm not where I need to be what does he do he's like I'm just every day I'm pushing forward I'm living my spiritual life paycheck to paycheck I'm just I'm thankful for everything that I have I've not apprehended I've not gotten there I'm probably not gonna get there and he's just like I just keep going forward I just keep going forward look that's why God God kept him humble in second Corinthians chapter 12 he said I he had a he had a physical problem in ailment he asked God to heal it and God said no he said my strength is made perfect in weakness that was God speaking God said my strength is made perfect in you through your weakness is what he meant that so he was he was doing that he kept that ailment on Paul so Paul would stay humble so Paul wouldn't fall into the drunkenness of pride and that's why Paul said at the last part of that verse he says I glory so God said my strength but then at the end he Paul says he says I glory in my infirmities so what was God's God's strength was in that verse and Paul points out his infirmities his illness his pain why so God's strength could be realized in his life look you get prideful you destroy your life you will be no more of no more profit God needs you profitable just like he needed Paul profitable so look folks drunkenness that's an easy one drunkenness that's an easy one it's all over the Bible that we should be sober but pride will result in the same destruction is what I'm trying to get you to understand so as you grow in your Christian life always be watching for this lean on your spiritual leadership listen to your brothers and sisters in Christ you know keep yourself humble why so God's strength can be realized in you that's why because guess what there's a lost and dying world out there they need you to remain in this fight what's bar heads and have a word of prayer