The Damage from Spiritual Deterioration & Dullness (Part 4) by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

* Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. We have been examining why Christians lose their saltiness, their effectiveness or influence of Jesus Christ. We list several more in this message. One big reason is pride in our hearts. Solomon warned us about the consequences of letting pride grip your life. * Proverbs 11:2— When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. * Proverbs 13:10— Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. * Proverbs 16:18— Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 was literally fulfilled on the world stage on February 17, 2006 ,when Lindsey Jacobellis was having the race of her life in the 2006 Winter Olympics at Torino, Italy. Lindsey was racing in the championship heat of the Ladies Snowboard Cross race. She was looking real good. In fact, she had a lead of three seconds or 140 feet over Tanya Freeden of Switzerland. As Lindsey slid up the last hill of the race and high into the air, she knew the race was in the bag. In her excitement, as she flew high into the air, she did some pre-mature celebrating and showing off to the huge crowd that was gathered at the finish line. She wiggled or rotated her snow board back and forth in the air which looks very impressive, but when she landed, she fell on her face right before the finish line and watched Tanya Freeden come up from behind and pass her for the gold medal. Lindsey got up and finished, but had to settle for the silver medal and the loss of millions of dollars in commercial endorsements that come from winning a gold medal. Over-confidence, showing off, or perhaps cockiness, caused her to fall before the finish line and lose a greater reward. May we not make the same mistake in our race for Christ. God help us to finish our race for the Lord without getting distracted, proud, and cocky, lest we too, fall before the finish line and lose our influence, usefulness, and some of our reward from the Lord. * 2 John 1:8— Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. This 35-minute message was preached on Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.