Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 38 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 1 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: Humility is seeing ourselves before God; to see ourselves before God, however, demands that we are open to Him.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be aware in practical terms of what it means to “see God.”
Where does humility come from?
It comes from seeing God.
How do we “see God”?
I. Sometimes we are conscious of our sin before we’re conscious of God.
When the tax collector went to the temple, do you think he was aware of his sin before he entered the temple?
Sometimes people carry a deep sense of guilt about something they have done.
We all have “secrets” that we may not want to face or want other people to know about.
Then we discover that God knows.
One reaction is to turn away from God.
Subconsciously we say, “What would He have to do with the likes of me?”
We can turn to Him and cry out for forgiveness or for mercy on the basis of what Jesus Christ has done.
II. Sometimes we see God when we look for Him with all our hearts.
That can occur in the study of the Bible.
In every passage that you read, ask yourself, “What does this passage tell me about God? Knowing that, what does it say about God’s relationship to me?”
It is easy to read the Bible for passages that comfort me or make me feel good. But the Bible is a God-centered book. Studying it is one way we can be confronted by God.
God may confront us as we worship.
The real test of a “worship service” is the answer to the question: “Did we catch a glimpse of God?”
The Communion/the Lord’s Table is also a way.
We don’t necessarily worship God in our brokenness, but if in our brokenness we see His body given for us and His blood shed for us, we are confronted by God.
We’re confronted by our sin: WHY this body? WHY this blood?
We’re confronted by Christ’s sacrifice.
We’re confronted by the fact that it is “for us.”
