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NO BETTER WAY TO FAIL This morning we continue our series: “Learning Lessons from Losers, Lovers and Leaders” by looking at Uzziah who became the king of Judah at the age of sixteen. He reigned for 52 years from 791 to 740 BC. During his monarchy he had incredible success. He build a large, well-equipped army, won significant victories over his enemies, fortified the capital city of Jerusalem, and constructed fortress cities in strategic locations that extended his influence. He irrigated desert lands, increased his herds, and developed extensive vineyards and fields. His wealth was great, his kingdom expanding, his people secure. And 2 Chronicles 26.8 tells us: 2 Chronicles 26.8: His fame spread as far as the border of Egypt because he had become very powerful. Uzziah began well as a king. And the Bible tells us he began well as a man. 2 Chronicles 26.4-6: He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.

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Uzziah began well in every way and he enjoyed God’s blessing on his life and on his kingdom. Unfortunately, the story doesn’t end there. Look at 2 Chronicles 26.16. 2 Chronicles 26.16: But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. Two weeks ago we looked at Samson who was greatly blessed but life imploded because of his passions. Uzziah fails because of his pride. We Christians believe in redemption. We believe in prodigals coming home and we believer in failures rising up to live great lives. You can finish better than you began. At this church we believe in that story. We preach that story. We’ve seen that story. But there’s another story. And it’s the story of Uzziah. It’s the story of men who once sought and served God with their whole hearts. But who failed to finish well. (WHY DO MEN FAIL TO FINISH WELL?) How does that happen?

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Sometimes it’s because 1. WE BECOME COMFORTABLE AND COMPLACENT. When we first come to faith, we usually have an awareness of how much we need God’s grace and strength. He saves us from despair, or he frees us from the power of alcoholism or some other addiction, or he releases us from the shame of guilt, or he saves our marriage – whatever it is that drives us to Christ, when he does that first saving work in our lives – we are so grateful that we serve him with all our heart and we are so aware of how desperately we need him that we seek him with all we are. But time passes, and life gets better, and we get comfortable, and we don’t feel the need as strongly. And we can become complacent spiritually and feel like we can handle life on our own. And we begin to drift until we are far away from God and who we once were. And we fail to finish well. Another reason is

2. WE BECOME DISTRACTED. Sometimes, all it takes is nothing more than becoming preoccupied with the responsibilities and pressures of life. Raising a family, making a living, doing all the things a responsible person is told to do.

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All the pressures and the pleasures and the promises of this life are so real, so right there, so right now, that it’s incredibly easy to get distracted. And “the immediate” diverts us from “the important” and “the urgent” distracts us from “the essential.” We spend our lives doing what we think must be done this minute instead of what must be done for eternity. It’s understandable, becoming distracted. But it still keeps us from finishing well. Here’s a third reason. 3. WE BECOME JUVENILE IN DEALING WITH THE DISAPPOINTMENTS OF LIFE. Sometimes, people see their lives passing by and they’re disappointed with where they are. A job that promised so much, turns out to be just a job. A marriage that was once full of romance and excitement, turns into a relationship with a real person that requires work and sacrifice to keep it good. Kids leave and there’s nothing to fill the void. Or they’re making so many mistakes that we wonder where we failed, and our lives are full of sadness and pain. Or life is unfair and we get hurt. And we become angry inside and bitter. And a life that was once filled with joy and promise, now seems dull and disappointing or painful and pointless.

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And we may not know what we want, but we know we don’t want this. And it’s not uncommon for men to throw off all the responsibility they have shouldered for so long. and think, “Now it’s my turn. I’m going to do what makes me happy.” And mistakenly, many guys think what will make them happy at 45 or 55 or 65 are the same things that they thought would make them happy at 16. It’s really hard to finish well in your relationship with Christ, when you forsake most of your responsibilities seek after the pleasures of the world and decide that you’re going to live a life of “me first.” That’s a lesson you’re supposed to learn when you’re 25, not a mistake you make when you’re 55. Here’s a fourth way we fail to finish well and it brings us back to Uzziah: 4. WE BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND PROUD. 2 Chronicles 26.16: After Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. Before his success, Uzziah sought God. As a young man learning to govern a nation; as a warrior fighting battles, as a visionary trying to build a better life for himself and his people, Uzziah needed God and he knew it. So he sought and served God. But after he became successful and wealthy, after his fame reached Egypt, after, the Bible says, after he became powerful, he became proud.

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Success, the very thing we long for and work for, the very thing we often make our goal and we believe will bring us the fullness of life, it can become a temptation and a trap. In the book of Proverbs we read: Proverbs 30.8-9: … Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily

bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Along with success comes a tendency to develop an independent spirit. It’s a spirit within us that asks, “Who is the Lord?” Look what I did. Look what I achieved. Look at the life I created for myself. I should be able to do with it whatever I desire. When you have little, it’s easy to say, “Lord, you are Lord, do with me and what I have as you will.” But once you have worked and succeeded and amassed much, it becomes more difficult to say, “Lord, you are Lord. None of this belongs to me, because I belong to you.” When we get to a place in life where we think we’ve got it made, often we come to the conclusion that we’re the ones who made it. And once successful, we tend to view our achievements as our doing and forget all the help we have received from God and from others.

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2 Chronicles 26.15: His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. How did Uzziah become famous and powerful? He was greatly helped. How many people become successful without help along the way? None, that’s how many. Someone has to give us a chance. Someone has to believe in us, see potential in us, and overlook the many mistakes we make along the way. Usually someone has to teach us and mentor us. And all truly great successes require a team that supports us. We need the help of others. And in the case of Uzziah, he had divine help, as well. 2 Chronicles 26.6: As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. When we become rich, and it doesn’t have to be riches in terms of possessions – the same dynamic is at work when you are rich in the praises of others, or when you are rich in terms of the position you reach, or when you are rich in being sought out and looked up to. At that moment there will be the strong temptation to ask: Who is the Lord? And there will be an inclination to answer that question – most likely you won’t say the words out loud, you probably won’t even allow the thought to rise to the level of your consciousness, but deep down, where our lives are determined –

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there will be the temptation to answer the question “Who is the Lord?” I am.

I worked hard. I created my success. And I’ll decide what to do with it.

This is not theoretical for us. We live in an extremely successful community. And some of you are among the most successful men in our most successful community. You’ve achieved great things. You are financially well off and you are respected, even admired, by others. Some of you who are younger, you are up and comers, golden boys, hot shots and studs, and you are on the fast track to the top. And this is the time, if you are going to finish well in your relationship with God, that you must be wary of the temptation of pride and the independent spirit it brings, and the inevitable fall that follows. There are many ways to finish poorly. But there’s no better way to fail than pride – letting a spirit of independence and self-importance overtake you. John Ruskin: Pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.

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One quick word and we’ll move on. There is a kind of pride that moves us to excellence. There is a kind of pride that says God has provided me with gifts and strengths and I must acknowledge them and claim them and use them for a great purpose. That kind of pride is to be encouraged. And the last thing we want is for Christian men to think that faithfulness to God means denying the wonder of being made in the image of God or the incredible potential within them. The Right Stuff I like guys with confidence and swag. Men who are comfortable with themselves and confident of their abilities who believe they can do great things and set out to do them. That’s not what we’re talking about. That doesn’t take God’s blessing from us or lead to our fall. I’ve always loved this quote from the great British preacher C. Spurgeon. C. H. Spurgeon: Never ask to be a ... cringing, fawning thing; ask God to make you a man – those are scarce things now-a-days – a man who only fears God, who knows no fear of any other kind. Let’s look at the example of Uzziah, and we’ll learn more about what pride is in its negative form and why it causes us to fail at life.

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THE EFFECTS OF A PROUD HEART 1. Pride causes us to believe we deserve special privileges. Uzziah went into the temple to do what only a priest could do. He had everything a king could have, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted the rights that were reserved for the priesthood. And his pride told him that he deserved whatever he wanted. Here’s what’s remarkable about Uzziah. He had everything he needed and much more. Wealth, power, and fame, God’s blessing on his life. And it wasn’t enough. There was this one thing that he didn’t have – the privileges that belonged to priests alone. The human heart responds in one of two ways when we have been blessed. When we see all that we possess – talents, opportunities, wealth. One is the way of humility. It says: to whom much is given much is expected. I have been blessed with much so I bear special responsibilities and I must serve in special ways. This is the lesson that Pelagius teaches young Arthur in the movie King Arthur. Clip: King Arthur

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There is another response to being blessed, and that was the way of Uzziah, the way of pride. It says I deserve all that I have and more. I have achieved more, I have created more, I have borne more pressures and responsibilities and I have helped more people than anyone else, so I deserve more. I have done special things so I am worthy of special privileges. There are several Hebrew and Greek words in Bible translated as pride. And a common meaning is the idea of lifting oneself up to a high place. It’s placing ourselves on a pedestal above others and above the rules that others are expected to live by. This is a dated quote, but do you remember how Tiger Woods explained his actions that led to his divorce and so many other problems that have plagued him since? Tiger Woods: I convinced myself that normal rules don't apply; I felt that I was entitled. That’s what pride does to us. And it’s incredibly common when we’re successful. Pride tells us that we’ve done more than others; therefore, we deserve more than others.

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Brothers, do you know what we deserve? Nothing. The Bible says we don’t deserve forgiveness, we don’t deserve a second chance, we don’t deserve grace, and we certainly don’t deserve a Savior named Jesus who died on the cross so we could spend eternity with a holy God. Being God’s servant is a privilege. Being a servant to others is a privilege. Being used by God for the most mundane tasks is a privilege. Being saved from your sins and escaping hell is a privilege. God has given us all kinds of special privileges, but one that he never gives is placing ourselves above others or putting ourselves in his place, no matter what our lying, stinking pride tells us. 2. Pride makes it difficult for us to be corrected by others. 2 Chronicles 26.17-18: Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. They confronted him and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord.” What adjective is used to describe the priests that spoke the truth to Uzziah? Courageous. Do you want to be the kind of person that others need courage to tell you what you need to hear? If so, be prideful. Be prideful, and people will get the message that you would rather do it your way and be wrong than be corrected and be right.

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And they will be afraid to tell you the truth you need to hear. How did Uzziah respond when the priests tried to correct him? 2 Chronicles 26.19: He became enraged. Pride will not allow us to say, “I could be wrong,” so we attack those who try to correct us and we don’t receive the information we need about ourselves and our mistakes. And the result is what? Proverbs 16.18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride goes before a fall, the Bible says. Several years ago Bill Gates said that if you want to be successful you have to be open to information that is unpleasant and upsetting. You have to be told about problems and you have to create an atmosphere where people can bring problems to you. Bill Gates: You have to be constantly receptive to bad news ... Sometimes I think my most important job as CEO is to listen for bad news. If you don't act on it, your people will eventually stop bringing bad news to your attention. And that's the beginning of the end. Pride tells others: I won’t listen, I won’t change, and I won’t be receptive. Bring me criticism and correction at your own peril. Want to fail as a company? Bill Gates says make it hard for people to give you bad news.

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Want to fail as a man? Be so filled with pride that the people who know you best and love you most can’t tell you how to improve or what to change. Look back on some of your biggest mistakes, and I’m guessing you’ll find they were caused by ego. You didn’t listen to others, and you kept going down a path you later regretted. Or you got your feelings hurt when there was little reason to and you reacted out of anger or self-pity. You struck back or you closed down and moved on. I feel certain some of us in this room have lost or left good jobs, damaged or destroyed our marriages, or pushed our kids away, because of pride. We felt disrespected and criticized when we had little reason to, and our reaction ruined something that was once very important to us. One of my favorite movies is There Will Be Blood. For my money there’s no better actor working in film today than Daniel Day-Lewis. In There Will be Blood, he plays Daniel Plainview, a self-made oilman who is driven to succeed primarily by avarice, anger and pride. In this scene he is speaking to a man who claims to be his long lost brother and he shares his heart, his dark heart, and we get to see what pride does to a man. Clip: There Will be Blood

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When you are proud, you look down on others. You don’t want them in your life, you don’t want them close to you, you don’t want them expecting you to explain yourself and you certainly don’t want them correcting you. All of us are far from perfect. All of us need correction. And pride makes it hard for others to give and for us to receive what we need to keep growing into the man God wants us to be. 3. Pride removes God’s blessing from our lives. God could have punished Uzziah’s pride in any number of ways. But he chose leprosy. Why? Because leprosy was one of the diseases in the Bible that made a person unclean. And God was indicating to Uzziah that he had become spiritually diseased and unclean in his sight. 2 Chronicles 26.21: King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house – leprous, and excluded from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. As a result of his pride, God takes away Uzziah’s position, privileges and power. And in his stead, Uzziah’s son Jotham now lives in the palace and rules of Judah. James wrote: James 4.6: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

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Dwight Moody got it just right. Dwight Moody: God sends no one away empty except those who are full of

themselves.

Be filled with pride and you will end your life without God’s blessing; in fact, you will find God opposing you and your plans, in hopes that finally you will humble yourself and return to him. And that leads to a fourth observation. 4. Pride leaves us alone – removed from God and from the love of others. What was Uzziah’s greatest punishment? He no longer lived in the palace. He no longer commanded his armies. He no longer traveled to enjoy the works of his hands – his cities, his herds and his vineyards. But it’s worse than that. Verse 21 tells us he lived in a separate house, cut off from his wife and his son and his grandchildren. Come into his presence and they too would become unclean, so he was quarantined, not only from everything he prized, but also from everyone he loved. And for the rest of his life Uzziah lived isolated and alone. What a graphic picture. That’s what pride does. It makes us angry, it makes us obnoxious and hurtful, it pushes away the counsel we need and the people we love.

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One more clip for There Will be Blood. Plainview’s son, the only person he has ever loved, lost his hearing in a drilling accident when he was just a boy, and now comes to tell his father that he is leaving to start his own company. Watch how the Daniel Planview reacts and what pride causes him to do to his son. Then there is a brief flashback as he thinks about his son when they were both younger and what they once had. And then, his final state, in his mansion, alone, decrepit, the life drained from his bod and his soul. This is shot in a very powerful way. Plainview lives in the incredible mansion he has built, but notice how dark the world that he has created for himself. Clip: There Will Be Blood If we don’t overcome pride, we end up alone,

if not physically, then at least emotionally, cut off from others.

But Uzziah’s greatest punishment was that he was no longer allowed into the temple. He had tried to take the privileges of the priests and stand at the altar of God and offer incense. But now he could not even enter the temple. Where God was most present, he was no longer permitted. The God that he had loved and served; the God who had loved him and blessed him and given him success – he ends up separated from that God, unable to enter his presence.

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Want to end up alienated from your wife and your children? Be proud, be right, be superior. Point out their every fault, even if it’s only with a glance. Never be satisfied. Set your standards so high they can never reach them, be slow to praise, dismiss the effort if the performance isn’t perfect. Become angry when they don’t recognize all you have done or appreciate all you have given them. Want to end up alienated from God? Convince yourself that you are righteous, at least you try harder than others; that you don’t need mercy or grace, because you have kept the rules and lived so well – much better than most. You’ll see that as an honest assessment of who you are and all you’ve done. But God will call it pride. And because there is room for only one God in your life, room for only one Savior in your soul, he’ll step away from you who have decided that you are the Lord your God and that you need no other. How can we avoid Uzziah’s mistakes? What steps can we take that will help us finish well?

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1. Seek out a spiritual advisor. 2 Chronicles 26.4: He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. All of us need someone who knows us and who has permission to speak truth into our lives. Someone whose opinion we value and someone we know cares about us. A friend, a father or a mother, a pastor, a mentor. A small group that we meet with and open our lives to. As long as Uzziah had Zechariah, he sought God, and he was faithful and he enjoyed God’s blessing. It’s when he started going it alone, that his pride got the best of him. If you’re not in a small group, when Quest is over, I encourage you to join one. We’ll help you find one. A small group – I’ve been meeting with the same three guys for ten years – a small group holds us accountable, prays for us, and tells us what we can’t see about ourselves, including how our pride is getting in our way.

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Second, 2. Remember your role as a servant. There’s no higher title in the Kingdom of God than “good and faithful servant.” As followers of Jesus, we don’t aspire to be great – we aspire to be greatly used. Look how Paul identified himself to the church in Rome, a church he had never met. Romans 1.1: Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the Gospel. His first words of self-introduction are: I am a servant. Paul says “being an apostle is my calling, it’s my ministry, it’s the role I am to play in the Kingdom of God.” But being a servant – that’s my identity, that’s who I am. Being a servant, that tells me how to be an apostle, how to serve God and how to relate to others. That’s what I want you to know about me, that’s my highest aspiration, and that’s how I will be judged. Was I a faithful servant to my Lord Jesus Christ and to the people who bear his name? Why do we Christians so value servants? Because that’s the role our Lord adopted.

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Jesus, though in very nature God, he came to earth:

Philippians 2.7: ... taking the very nature of a servant ... Servants don’t exist to exalt themselves, they exist to serve and exalt their Lord. The moment we forget that we are servants, the door to pride is opened. But as long as we remember that we follow a God who became a servant, we will find power and beauty in being humble and living for his plan and his glory. Mother Teresa – Nobel Peace Prize 1979 story 3. Stay close to the Cross. C. H. Spurgeon: Stand at the foot of the cross, and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the thorn-crown; mark his scourged shoulders, still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and his whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the throes of inward grief, showing themselves in his outward frame … And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: if you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God's only begotten. Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at his feet. A sense of Christ's amazing love to us has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. May the Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary, then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we shall take the humble place of one who loves much because much has been forgiven him. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Go there. Stay there. Spend time there. And you will finish well.