Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – If God chose to come into our congregation and zap one sin into oblivion what sin do you think He would choose?

Discouragement – that great destroyer of hope?

How about gossip – that sin which causes so much damage and leaves such ugly scars behind?

Perhaps harboring grudges – clearly one of Satan’s greatest weapons?

What would it be?

Well, I don’t claim to know God so well that I could predict with certainty what He would choose.

But I have a suspicion.

I suspect that He would choose the first sin – first chronologically and first in its prominence in Scripture.

This first sin has great relevance to our passage this morning, and we will deal with that next week, but I think this is such an important subject that I want to give some introductory background on it today before looking at it in Luke.

*I.

The First Sin Identified*

So where did sin originate?

In the Garden of Eden?

Among human beings, yes.

But there was a tempter there who had already fallen into sin.

That first-of-all sins (at least as far as revealed to us) is found in Ezek 28.

Here God pulls back the curtains of time and the physical universe to give us a keen insight into sin’s origin.

This chapter, written around 600 BC, prophesies against the prince of Tyre – an influential Phoenician city on the coast of the Mediterranean just NW of Palestine.

But beginning in v. 11, God moves to the power behind the scene and gives us a brief insight into one of the greatest if not the greatest of His angelic creations.

V. 11: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”

But something happens before v. 15: “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.”

And there it is – the first sin.

It is found in the heart of this great Angel.

He abused his God-given ability to choose.

He chose rebellion.

He is responsible for introducing evil.

So what was the nature of his sin?

V. 17: “Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.

I cast you to the ground.”

This angelic being became enamored of his own beauty and splendor.

Pride was the sin.

Pride is at the heart of all sin.

Pride is nothing less than setting up shop in opposition to God.

It assumes that we are smarter and more sophisticated than His commands, that we do not need Him, that He is immaterial to our existence.

Pride is a killer.

Look where it led this Angel.

Isa 14: 13) “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”

Satan set out to be his own God, and when God rejected him, he set out to see how many he could take with him.

What was the gist of his temptation of Eve in Gen 3:5? “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Eat from that tree, Eve and you will be just like God.

Pride is at the core of human rebellion.

It all started with Satan.

And it always leads toward self and away from God. We’re nothing but blind mimics of Satan.

So the first sin is alive and well in our world and in us.

*II.

The First Sin Defined*

So what exactly is pride?

One dictionary definition is “a reasonable or justifiable self-respect” – like someone who takes pride in their work.

That’s not bad –people doing their best.

That’s not the pride that is sinful.

Another dictionary meaning is “inordinate self-esteem.”

That’s helpful, but it still doesn’t get at the root of why pride is sinful.

The Bible never actually defines pride, but let me suggest a definition that shows the ugly side of pride.

Pride is esteeming myself apart from God. Pride is inordinate self-esteem, but not primarily because I have overestimated my worth or abilities, but because I see myself as anything apart from God.

We all need self-esteem.

It is not healthy to deal with pride by thinking of myself as nothing.

But when I understand that I really am nothing apart from Christ – BUT that I am a certified, bonafide, loved, honored and respected child of God in Christ, then I get my self-worth in proper perspective.

Eve wanted to be like God apart from God. That’s pride.

Pride is nothing less than playing God, something we are so prone to do – even the best of us.

Look at Moses in Num 20.

He had 2,000,000 people out in the Sinai wilderness and no water.

So God instructed him in Num 20:8, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.”

On a previous occasion, Moses struck a rock to bring forth water.

This time God says, “Talk to the rock.”

But Moses is mad.

The people have complained in an ugly, ungrateful way, so v. 10, “Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”

11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.”

Despite Moses’ disobedience God did give water, but Moses paid dearly by not being allowed to go into the promised land.

Why? Look at Moses’ comment.

Shall we bring water.

Who was bringing water out of the rock?

God was.

Moses was no more able to do that than you or me.

But He took credit.

Making himself to be something apart from God. Playing God.

*III.

The First Sin Condemned*

So, how does God view this sin that declares independence from Him? How do you think?

Isa 42:8 answers, “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other” – a challenge He repeats in Isa 48:11.

Would you share your glory and you created everything?

Anytime we touch the glory of God we do so at our own risk, and nothing takes glory from God more than pride.

Did you know pride is #1 on God’s most wanted list?

Turn to Prov 6:16-17: “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes”.

There it is.

Number one on the list ahead of a lying tongue.

Arrogance.

Playing God.

There’s a telling example in II Samuel 6. King David is moving the ark of the covenant from a temporary location back to Jerusalem.

Everyone’s rejoicing that it’s on the move.

Now notice in II Sam 6:6, “And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled.

7 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.” Seems harsh, doesn’t it?

Struck dead for trying to steady the ark.

But before we judge God, we need to ask some questions.

Why was the ark on an oxcart in the first place?

Numerous times God had instructed that the ark be carried by poles as in Exod 25:14-15, “And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them.

15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.”

Further, only men from the tribe of Levi and family of Kohath were to carry the ark and tabernacle utensils; Uzzah was from the tribe of Judah.

Things are going south fast.

Furthermore, even the Kohathites were never to touch the ark (Num 4:15).

In fact, God had decreed that if a Kohathite merely glanced at the ark in the Holy of Holies he would die – instantly!.