Phil Beach Jr. addresses the pervasive issue of pride in his sermon 'The Devil's Delicious Delicacy - Part 1', emphasizing that pride distorts our perception and leads us away from the truth of our hearts. He confesses his own struggles with pride and encourages the congregation to seek humility and a broken heart before God. The sermon highlights that the devil seeks to devour those who are proud, and true clarity comes only through repentance and recognizing our nakedness before God. Beach urges listeners to confront their pride and to seek God's grace to overcome it, illustrating this with biblical examples of humility and faith. Ultimately, he calls for a heart that is open to confession and transformation through Christ.

Help us as we look into your word and grant us the need that only you can meet, Lord. Grant us the help that only you can give, we pray, Lord. O God, please, for the glory of your Son, do this for us, we ask. We come as needy people, asking your help. For Jesus' sake, amen. To sum up what was said, listen please carefully. First, before I talk, I need to say something. There's something that troubles me more than anything else that I have to confess. Alright? Something that troubles me more than anything else. And the problem is in this room here. And I trust that no one will be offended at what I say. Okay? But I have to be honest before God because my conscience troubles me if I'm not. The thing that troubles me very much that I have to confess, it's not my wife's sins and pride. It's not Mike's, or Danielle, or Norman, or Suzanne, or Wendy. The thing that troubles me the most, Carrie, is my pride and my sin. And because that troubles me the most, I have a very difficult time even being able to share God's Word. So pray for me. Please pray for me. Listen. Everything that you see, this goes right along with what our brother shared, everything you see is an optical illusion as long as you're looking through the eyes of pride. It's pride, Norman, that looks at the facts but wants to see something else. Pride is the problem. And I'm most troubled about my pride because I know that my pride will cause me to perceive you and me wrongly. You see, this is a message that I'd like to share. Born out of seeing Gary's pride, no, Carrie, no, not Carrie's either, Phil's pride, me. I'm the man. I'm the one in need this morning. Okay? The devil's delicious delicacy. The devil's delicious delicacy. Lord Jesus, we need help to talk about this. I need help to talk about this. I'm asking for your help. We all need you to help us to hear and to see. And I pray, Lord, in these next few moments, you'll be gracious and kind because you did die for our sinners and you love us. So I'm asking you to be kind and gracious and to help us to come to you and to see you so that you can deal with our pride. And in dealing with our pride, deliver us out of the world of optical illusions and help us to see clearly, Lord. I know you want more than anything for us to see clearly. And I'm asking you to help us, Lord, by your grace. The devil's delicious delicacies. Wrestling with our nakedness. First Peter, we're going to look at several scriptures and we're going to look to the Lord to help us. First Peter, chapter five, verse number five. Likewise, ye younger submit. Yourselves unto the elder, yea, all be subject one to another, be clothed with humility. For God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. Verse eight. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion. Now, I don't know any of us who, if we're placed in a area where there were roaring lions roaming free, would feel comfortable, especially if while roaming around, we suddenly heard the sound of the roar of a lion. I don't know about you, but I would be terrified at the sound of a roaring lion, especially if I knew that that lion was very hungry and that he perceived me to be a delicious delicacy. I would be in big trouble. Be sober, brothers and sisters, be sober, be vigilant. Why? Because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about. Did you ever see a lion, how he walks back and pants back and forth? You see it on TV, looking, walking to and fro, seeking, seeking what? Whom he may befriend, whom he may devour. That word means to swallow up, swallow up, you know, open wide and swallow. My Lord is teaching me, brothers and sisters, that Satan is a roaring lion and he's continuously walking about, continuously seeking someone to devour. Now listen, the devil's delicious delicacy, that treat that the devil loves more than anything that he is walking to and fro, seeking for, is a heart that is fat, bursting with the juices of pride and arrogance. And I am right in my own eyes. The devil loves proud, fat hearts that are bursting with the delectable juice of pride. What does he do with such hearts? He swallows them up. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9. Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. What makes the heart deceitful and desperately wicked above all things is the pride that it is filled with. Pride. Who can know it? Who can know one's own heart? I, the Lord, search the heart. I try the rains to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. Satan loves pride. I'd like to turn to Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22. Being delivered from the world of optical illusions, of seeing what is not really true, how can it be? How can this happen to you and I, brothers and sisters? There's only one way. As Norman properly stated, it is not simply by learning the facts, because the facts in and of themselves do not change the way we look at things. The way I look at things is based purely and entirely upon whether or not my heart is seeing through the tears that are shed when I see my pride, I confess my pride, I ask Jesus to give me a hatred for my pride, and I weep bitterly because I see my pride has caused me to deny my Lord, has caused me to be unfaithful to my Lord. That's all right. We'll see you, brother. We're going to call him Slim Jim now. He's lost so much weight. Earlier when I whispered that to him, he said, well, you know, Phil, I prayed that there would be less of me, but I never thought the Lord would do it this way. Isn't that great? He's lost probably 50, 60 pounds. Brothers and sisters, listen, the Lord showed me this many, many, many, many months ago, 2020 vision, the ability to see clearly can only come through your tears, tears that are shed that reflect a heart that's been broken because it sees its pride, tears that have been shed because of the heart that's been broken, that sees that because of my pride, I've become an enemy of God, an enemy of the things of God. And so my ability to see clearly is in the measure to which my eyes are either seeing through my tears of repentance or they're seeing through the eyes of my pride. If I look through the eyes of my pride, which is the absence of a broken and a contrite heart, the absence of getting on my knees and weeping at the feet of Jesus like that sinner woman did. And she wiped, she washed his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair. And then she anointed his feet with oil, which represented the worship that God accepts, the worship that comes out of a broken hearted sinner who sees that her sin and her pride is horrible and she's repenting before the Lord. That constitutes a heart that is beginning, just beginning to be able to see clearly. And then the other heart is the proud heart. And we're going to look at a picture of both of those kind of hearts today. Now, remember, forget about the facts that you know. They can't help you now. Most likely, they've only made you proud. And they've only given you the illusion that you know something when in fact, like the Holy Spirit tells us, we know nothing. So disregard your facts. I'm talking about your Bible facts. I didn't say throw them out as if there's no significance to them, but disregard them at the moment as to the basis of whether you can determine whether you're seeing clearly, because it's looking through the eyes of theology that many people have become proud. We don't want that. We don't want that. Now watch Luke chapter 22, verse 14. And when the hour was come, he sat down and the 12 apostles with him. And he said to them, with desire, I have desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you, I will not eat any more thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took a cup, he gave thanks, and he divided it among, and he divided among, take this and divide it among yourselves. And I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come. Verse 19, he took bread, he gave thanks and broke it and said, this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then he took the cup, said it was the New Testament in his blood, which is shed for you. Now here's where the Lord stopped me. And this is where we need to concentrate. All right. Listen carefully, please. It's very hard to see how I take that back. It's impossible to see why, because we still look through pride now. Verse 21. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. Verse number 21. Now go to verse 24. Same setting, same setting. And when there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest? We've got two things going on right now, two different kinds of hearts. Number one, there is the hand of him that betrayeth me. And then right at the table. And then there are the strivings and jealousies of who is to be the greatest. The devil's delicious delicacies wrestling with our nakedness. Let's read on. Verse 25. The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief as he that doth serve. For whether is greater he that sitteth at me or he that serves, is not he that sits at me, but I am among you as he that serves. You are they which have continued with me in my temptations. I appoint you a kingdom as my father hath appointed me, that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Now watch verse 31. Satan's delectable delicacy. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired you. Satan has strongly wanted you, that he may sift you as wheat. Watch. But I have prayed for you that your faith fail not. And when you are converted, strengthen your brethren. Verse 21. Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me at the table. Verse 33. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to confess to you that it is me who will betray you, Lord. I know I'm a weak man. I know I'm full of pride. Lord, have mercy on me. I'm afraid it's me, Lord. Is that what Peter said? Why? He was living in a world of optical illusion, wasn't he? How long did he walk with the Master? Three years. How long did he hear perfect Orthodox teaching? Three years. How long did he see that his Lord wouldn't commit himself to any man because he knew what was in man? Three years. How long did he wrestle with his nakedness and see his corruption compared to the incorruption of his Lord? How long did he wrestle with his nakedness and see how undone he even cried out, Lord, depart from me. I'm a sinful man. Then he says what? Lord, I'm ready to go on and die for you. Satan hath desired you, Peter, because he sees in you, Peter, a heart that is fat and bursting with the juice of pride and self-confidence. Peter, Peter, Simon, Simon, Satan has desired to sift you like wheat. That's me. That's me. I actually prayed and I said, Lord, could you tell Peter something? Honest to God. I didn't pray to Peter. I asked the Lord to tell Peter something. I said, Lord, could you tell Peter that I can see because of the Holy Spirit that he was a very proud man, but I can see that my pride is worse than his and that I'm encouraged because I see how his Lord helped him and therefore I know my Lord will help me. How are you perceiving? Lord, it's me. I've betrayed you. Or, Lord, I'm ready to go with thee both into prison and to death. And he said, I tell you, Peter, I'm going to destroy that optical illusion that you are currently seeing. You, Peter, will deny me three times. And after denying me three times, Peter, you will weep bitterly and the tears of bitterness will cover your eyes. And through those tears, you will open your eyes that will be wet with hot tears of bitterness. And you will look at the world and you will look at yourself and you will look at your brothers and sisters differently. Luke chapter 7. You will not look at yourself the way others see you, but you will see yourself according to the truth. Please endure for a few more moments. Luke chapter 7. Now, when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion servant who was dear unto him was sick and ready to die. Please listen, beloved. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they, now, who's they? The ones that the centurion sent to talk to Jesus. Okay. Now, listen to what they said. Listen to what they said. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him, instantly saying that he was worthy. Who was worthy? The centurion was worthy. Who's saying this? His friends. For he loveth our nation and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went to them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy. Wait a minute. I thought his friends were saying he was worthy. But now he's saying, Lord, I am not worthy. Not only does he say that, listen, don't trouble yourself, for I'm not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come to thee, but say in a word and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say to one, go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh, and to my servant do this, and he doeth it. And when Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him and turned him about and said to the people that followed him, I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. What did Jesus find here? Listen carefully, brothers and sisters. He found a man who didn't believe what others were saying about himself. He found a man that didn't believe that his position in life meant that he had somehow become worthy. He met a man who saw the truth about himself. And such a man, according to Jesus, was given great faith. One more scripture, Revelation chapter 3, verse 17. Because thou sayest... Don't listen to what you say when you are in a gathering like this. Listen to what you say when you are in real life and you are being tested and tried. Listen carefully. Listen. Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed. Here it is. That the shame of thy nakedness do not appear. The shame of our nakedness is our corruption. Jesus said to buy of him gold tried in the fire and white raiment, that we might be clothed. Listen, brothers and sisters. The clothing that Christ has to cover the shame of our nakedness only comes when we are naked before him and we are not wrestling in our nakedness. To wrestle with our nakedness is to be exposed by God's Word, God's Spirit, to see our corruption, and to see it through pride. And when pride sees its own corruption, it wrestles with it. It wrestles. It says, not so, not so. It's not that bad. It's not that horrible. And when we wrestle in our nakedness, then the shame appears. It's before everyone. And the garments that Christ purchased for us on Calvary are not being seen. Because those garments only clothe a broken heart. A heart that says what? Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner, a sinner, a sinner. Not, Lord, I thank thee that I'm not like others. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord, my nakedness is being revealed every day. And my pride will wrestle with my nakedness if I do not come to my Lord moment by moment and ask him for a broken heart. The broken heart goes to Christ in nakedness and finds the sweet exchange. The sweet exchange. My corruption confessed at the feet of Jesus, confessed to my brother or sister if I have to. See, if I won't confess my corruption to my sister or my brother, oh, this gets awful practical, guys. This gets awful practical, ladies. This isn't some message way out here. It's right where we live. Every time we want to exalt ourself, every time we want to be right in our own eyes, every time there's a movement of sin in our heart, that is the nakedness of our shame being exposed. And if we justify ourself, if we try and make what we're doing right, then we're wrestling with our nakedness, and we're not being clothed. And the shame of our nakedness is before everyone. But when we come as broken-hearted sinners, and any time that nakedness is exposed, we confess it. Then the Lord Jesus gives us His grace and helps us. And something of the beauty of His Son begins to shine through this earthen vessel. When we confess we can't love the way we should, something of His love starts working through us. Oh yes, the devil's delicious delicacies, proud hearts bursting with the juice of pride. He's seeking. He's roaring. He's hungry. And our only safety is our Lord Jesus Christ and coming to Him continuously and crying out, Lord, give me a broken and a contrite heart. And help me not to wrestle with my nakedness when it's exposed, because my pride doesn't like it. Keep me broken, so when you expose it, I confess it and receive by faith the provision that Calvary made for me. Father, we just want to bow our hearts before You. We ask for help. Thank You, Lord, for teaching us and help us, Lord, to see our pride and the illusions that we see through our pride and to give us a broken heart, Lord, I pray. If you're wrestling with your nakedness right now and you want special prayer, come join me and we'll pray together, because I want special prayer, because I wrestle with my nakedness daily, daily. When God shows me my corruption, oftentimes my reaction is not, oh Lord, have mercy on me. But it's, hey, it's just the way it is. And I immediately start to justify my corruption by trying to find the reason why I have the right to act or be the way I am being. And Jesus says, I can't help that kind of a person. So I don't want to wrestle. I want to come just as I am, confessing my sin and receiving grace from my Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone want special prayer?