sermon: The Danger of Trusting in Oneself
Isaiah 5:21
Martin G. Collins
Given 21-May-11; Sermon #1048; 71 minutes
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Martin Collins, acknowledging that the expression “woe” (suggesting agony, despair, and grave calamity) gets our immediate attention, reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun. Everything, including fashion, thought, and evil endlessly recycle. America, as well as the rest of the world, has gone through a series of turnings, raveling, and unraveling. Suffering always follows sin; if we break physical or spiritual laws, these laws will automatically break us. When humanists set themselves up as the determiners of right and wrong, they commit egregious idolatry. People don’t know how to use their minds properly because their carnal natures are hostile to God’s laws. When people, apart from the knowledge of God, profess themselves as wise, they become abject fools. The horrible perennial conflict between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael is the result of Abraham doing his own thing, trusting in himself. Narcissism and self-absorption, the chief characteristics of Satan and Cain, destroy the relationship with God. Knowledge and wisdom are not synonymous; knowledge of Scripture is not the same as applying or living Scripture. People who have been wise in their own eyes, including philosophers, politicians, educators, and religious leaders have miserably failed in their quest to make the world better, but have lead us into world wars, economic disasters, and perennial conflicts. There has never been humanism without attending or accompanying moral perversion. When people set themselves up as the ultimate authority, they inevitably descend into moral depravity, unable to extricate themselves from their abject foolishness.
Topics: (show)
Abel’s sacrifice Acts 4:12 Affliction American Revolution Applying knowledge Arrogance Become as little children Believing the lie Book knowledge Cain’s sacrifice Calamity Classical humanists Distress Ecclesiastes 1:9 Enlightened Epithumia Excuses Failure to understanding Faith I Corinthians 1:18-25; 3:18 I Timothy 1:5-6 Fool The Fourth Turning Genesis 16:8-12 Great Depression Grief Human reasoning Humanism Hypocrites Hypocrisy Idolatry Isaiah 5:21 Ishmael Job 38-41 John 3:18-21; 5; 6:38-40; 14:6 Knowledge of good and evil Living a lie Luke 12:19-21; 18:9 Mark 8:32 Matthew 23:13-15 Memorizing Moral perversion Narcissism Neil Howe Pharisee and Publican Pride in intellect Pride Proverbs 9:10; 16:18-19 Prudence Psalm 14; 40:8 ; 143:10 Pseudo-humanists Rebellion against God Rhythms of history Rich fool Romans 1:21-24 Scientific humanism Self-absorption Test of wisdom Transitions Use of knowledge Use of wisdom Willfulness Willfully sinful Wisdom Wise in their own eyes Woe to scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites Woe Worldly men and women
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