Introduction:
A. Have you ever heard
someone say, "I'm just as good as
so
in so; I don't need to go to church?"
B. Or maybe as a
Christian you have sometimes felt
convicted
that you should change or make some kind of
commitment
to the Lord, but then remembered old Bro.
so in so, "I'm doing a
lot better at this than he is;
maybe I am alright after all!"
C. What do we use as a
measuring stick? What attitude
does it show when we try to use people as our
measuring sticks?
Trans.
Christ once told a parable that answers some of these questions. Let's look at it this morning and see what we can learn from it.
Prayer
Luke 18:9-14
I. Let's look at the
Pharisee first this morning.
A. Here we have a man who
in his own eyes felt that he
Was alright, but Christ was
plain that he wasn't the
One who was justified! We got to remember the
Parisees were strictly religious,
not typically
thought of as the bad guys
in Jesus’ time.
B. Where was he wrong?
1. First of all, he
compared himself to people
Rather than to God.
a. Compared to
thieves, people that are unjust, or
an adulterer, he was a good man!
b. When we
gauge ourselves by people, we may
look
pretty good, but they are an imperfect
measuring
tool!
c. We gauge
ourselves by God, we get a better
picture. We realize how miserably we fall short!
2. Secondly, he
became proud when he realized how
much
better he was than other people.
a. Notice how
many times he says, "I." Look
what
I have done!
b. Pride
becomes wrong when it exalts us above
God!
c. What does
the Bible say about pride?
"Pride goes before destruction, and a
Haughty spirit before a fall."(Prov.
16:18)
d. Pride heads
us for destruction because pride causes us to trust in ourselves for
salvation rather than in
God!!
3. That brings us to
the third way he was wrong; he
placed
his trust in the wrong things.
a. In himself
which we've already talked about
by
noticing how many times he says "I."
b. But also in
his works!
1) "I
fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all
my income." (vs. 12)
a) We
do need those folks who tithe!
b) The
church can’t function without
it. God’s work can’t go forth
without it!
c) But
we can’t trust that for
salvation!
2) Works
are good, but they in themselves
will
not save us!
Read Eph. 2:8-10
(vs. 8)
Saved by grace through faith!
(vs. 10)
For good works! The right
faith
will work!
But works without faith are just good works!
II. Let's look at the Tax
Collector. Why was he justified?
A. This man simply saw
himself the way God saw him! The
tax collectors were the bad
guys in Jesus’ day! They
stole from the people! This
would have been real
surprising to the first hearers
of this parable!
B. He saw himself
compared to a Holy God!
1. He saw every
little flaw in his character. He
didn't
justify them by saying, "Oh, but look at
so and so!"
2. He saw every time
he had hurt someone. Whether
intentional
or unintentional!
3. He saw that when
he tried his hardest to be good
he
still came up miserably short of God's ideal!
C. This brought him to a
humble attitude. He realized he couldn't be good enough in himself to
straighten out
the
wrongs he had already committed!
1. The only chance
he had was by the mercy of God!
2. So he cries out,
"God, be merciful to me, a
sinner!"
(vs. 13b)
3. And the scripture
says he went down to his home
justified!
III. What does this say to
us today?
A. Importantly! We need to stop comparing ourselves to
other
people and be concerned about what God thinks of us. That is what
matters!
1. This stands
between us and God more times than
just
about anything else!
a. We have
stopped seeing ourselves through
God's
eyes!
b. We compare
ourselves to other people and
think
we look pretty good! We don't realize how much we really fall short,
how much we
really need God!
1) This
can keep us from coming to God in
the
first place.
2) And it
keeps us from growing as
Christians
because we just can't see
any place we need to
improve!
2. We need to ask
God to help us see ourselves with
God's eyes, and in our broken-ness ask God to
Help us to change!
B. We need to get our
works in perspective!
1. We need to
realize our works can't save us!
2. But we also need
to realize that our works can
help us to evaluate where we are, because when we have true faith in God, we will
work!
a. If our heart
is right, we will want to be
kind to all people.
b. If our heart
is right, we will want to share
the love of God!
c. If our heart
is right, we will want to give
a tithe or more if we can to
God’s work. We
will give ourselves to God
and prayerfully
seek God’s heart as to how
much to give so
that God’s work can be done!
C. When we stop comparing
ourselves to other people and
get our works in perspective, we'll:
1. Realize how much
we need God and trust in what
God has done for us to
salvation!
2. Grow as
Christians like we have never grown
before!
Conclusion:
A. Is the Spirit speaking
to us this morning?
1. Are we comparing
ourselves to the wrong things?
2. Are we too proud?
3. Are we trusting
in the wrong things?
B. As we encounter Christ
at the table this morning, let
us bring our brokenness and
trust in a God who can
make us worthy! Who can
change our lives for the
better, if we will let God!
C. If you trust Christ
for the first time, let me know so I
can help you in your new walk with Christ!
Prayer of Confession
Almighty and All knowing
God,
We confess that sometimes we compare ourselves to others and
fail to see our sins as they really are.
We confess that sometimes we are filled with pride in our own works and
have failed by trusting too much in them.
God, have mercy on us as sinners! Forgive us where we have failed and fallen
short. Free us to live and love in you
because of your never ending mercy and unfailing love!
And all God’s people said,
Amen!
Service of
Communion
