Wednesday, January 8, 2007

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 5 of 44

TEXT: "Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, "God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess." And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner." I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted' " (Luke 18:9-14).

IDEA: Worship style doesn’t determine whether we really worship or not.

PURPOSE: To convince listeners that worship really is a matter of the heart before God.Sometimes the worship styles of a church reflect the attitude we take to a cultural or sports event.

I. Different people express themselves in different ways, depending on the nature of the religious entertainment.

What are some of the comparisons we might make?

Some people come to sit passively as they would at a concert or at a play.

Others come with notebooks as they would if attending a lecture.

Others come with the spirit you have going to a baseball game: they want to stand and be involved.

Others come with the same exuberance you might have at a disco or a rock concert.

Is the worship a church practices a basis for judging the spirituality of the folk participating?

Worship style is largely culturally determined.

II. True worship is indifferent to cultural forms (John 4:23). Why was the tax man heard?

He had a heart for God. He felt a need for God. Worship for him was a matter of spirit and truth. He didn’t go to worship simply to be entertained or informed. He didn’t go to entertain or to impress others.

He went as a sick person goes to a doctor. He sensed his own moral desperation.

God always hears the cries of folks who see the truth about themselves and cry out to God for mercy and forgiveness. It doesn’t matter if they are swindlers, liars, gossips, or adulterers.

We never have real dealings with God until we get beyond religious entertainment or the desire for an aesthetic experience or the stimulation of learning something new. We really don’t worship until we come with the felt need that the tax collector had.

When we call out to God in that spirit, God hears us. It doesn’t matter how different groups express themselves.

The fundamental question about worship is this: “Did you face your desperate need of Christ and throw yourself upon His grace?”