Have you ever wandered through a rummage sale or garage sale and come cross an item which caused you to wonder, why would anyone want to get rid of something so nice? You examined it, looking for an imperfection. You tried to see where it had been broken and repaired.

Have you ever gone shopping and found an item, which in your opinion must have been priced wrong? The price was so ridiculously low, that you actually asked the salesperson, if the price was correct?

Recently, Diane and I were shopping for a couch. Not having bought a couch in quite sometime, initially I was surprised by the cost. We had been to four stores. In each store we had found the type of couch we liked. Depending on the store, the price ranged from $800 - $1,000, which started to make our old couch look pretty good.

You can imagine our surprise when walking around the fifth store, we saw the exact couch we were looking for in the clearance section of the store. The price tag was almost 70% less then those we had looked at.

We examined the couch with a fine tooth comb. Something must be wrong with it, why else would it be this inexpensive? Why would the store want to get rid of it?

Our couch shopping is similar to the analogy in this morning scripture reading from Ezekial 31. God is speaking through Ezekial, to the country of Egypt. God described the beauty of the great cedar tree. The cedar tree represents the nation of Assyria, a mighty nation, the largest and strongest of any nation. It rose above all others, as the cedar rose above all other trees. Assyria, was thought to be indestructible. Yet God tells Egypt,

"Because it towered high and set its top among the clouds, and its heart was proud of its height. I gave it into the hand of the prince of the nations; he has dealt with it as its wickedness deserves. I have cast it out."

A great nation being cast off, by God. Why?

What imperfections did God find in Assyria that would make Him cast them out?

Truthfully, God could have cast Assyria out for a multitude of sins. They were guilty of the same sins that he had cast out Israel and Judah. God, however was casting Assyria out, because of its PRIDE. They had gotten too big for their britches.

They were not the only nation which walked around with buffed up chests strutting their stuff like a proud peacock. Egypt was just as guilty. Which is exactly why, God is telling Egypt this prophecy. The Egyptians were to look at the fall of the mighty nation of Assyria as a warning as to what was going to happen to them. Like Assyria, Egypt took pride in its strength and beauty. Her pride would be her downfall. She would crash like a mighty tree and be ‘cast out’.

What timeless principal of God do you and I need to learn from this story?

God hates pride!

Does this mean we should not be proud of our works? Of course not, take pride, BUT be humble.

As a parent, one of the most important things I would tell Ann, is that when Justin and Austin, come through the door from school proudly holding in their hands, a test paper with a 100, or a 1st grader’s version of Rembrandt or Picaso, or a story that they scored the winning goal. Be proud, celebrate it, bask in the sunshine of the moment, BUT, and this is an important BUT, don’t forget to give thanks to God. Recognize God in their successes. Pride’s downfall is that it casts out God from our lives.

After Greg’s valedictorian speech last June, many people congratulated, Diane and me, for Greg’s accomplishments. Most people said, "You must be very proud." Proud we were, but what I was feeling more of, was an overwhelming sense of humility and thankfulness. Something we too often forget to have.

This was Assyria’s problem. This was Egypt’s problem. This was Israel’s problem. I question, if as a nation, we have not done the same?

Do we forget to include God in our triumphs, in our lives?

When you think of recent attempts: to remove the words "In God we trust." as our nations motto; to ban the hanging of the 10 Commandments from our court rooms; to ban prayer from commencement exercises; to ban nativity scenes from town squares. Am I wrong to wonder if we have learned anything from the prophecy of Ezekial?

I wonder if we have done any better on the home front. Have we removed saying grace from our kitchen tables, unless of course its Thanksgiving? Does Jesus take a back seat in our Christmas celebration? Have we taken away trust in God in our family? In our prosperity have we forgotten, God, from whom all blessings come? Are we any different from our nation? Are we any different from Israel, Egypt or Assyria? Have we forgotten what God did to these pride filled nations.

"I have cast it out."

Failure to be humble and grateful will effect us as it did to Assyria and Egypt. Humility needs to be found in our nation, our towns, our families and ourselves.

James 1:21-22 reads,

"Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to save your soul."

Humility begins with the way you listen for God’s Word. Jesus said,

"Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from the mouth of God."

Did you come hear this morning to hear a sermon or God’s Word? Did you come here hungry to be transformed, to be changed by God’s Word.?

I will be the first to admit, that not everyone, likes my preaching style, not every word that I speak is divinely inspired, BUT every sermon I preach is based on the Word of God. Therefore God is speaking His Word to you and to me.

It is no different then when the disciples listened to Jesus tell the wonderful story of pride and humility. You can find the story in Luke 18.

Two men are in the temple praying. One is a Pharisee who prays,

"God, I thank you that I am like other people; thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."

The other is a tax collector, who is described as not even looking up to heaven, but actually beating his breast saying,

"God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

Jesus concluded the story by saying, it was the tax collector who went home justified stating,

"For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

The Pharisee did not go to the temple to pray. He went to announce to everyone how good he was. His pride caused him to look down at others as well as it prevented him from learning anything from God.

The tax collector recognized his sins and begged for forgiveness. The tax collector’s prayer should be our prayer. It expresses our need for God’s mercy every day. It expresses the truth,

"there but by the grace of God go I."

The truth God’s Words spoken to Egypt, thousands of years ago, is still true today. God casts out the pride filled. Don’t let pride in your achievements cut you off from God. Let your achievement bring you to your knees in gratitude & in humility.

Pride casts God out, while Humility invites God in.

Amen

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