Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Part 42 of 44

TEXT: "Also [Jesus] 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: We must look for ways to see ourselves as God sees us.

PURPOSE: To help listeners come to grips continually with how God sees them.

Do you think it’s a damaging thing to have a bad self-image? Why?

What does that do to us?

In Luke 18:14, Jesus says, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I. Doesn’t a good self-image exalt us, and doesn’t humility mean a bad self- image?

What is the difference between a bad self-image and humility?

What is the difference between a good self-image and pride?

Humility is seeing our true condition before God.

(Why is humility so essential to our lives?)

II. Without humility, we don’t get anywhere with God.

Humility is the center of our spirituality. Without humility we will receive nothing from God.

Without humility, we disqualify ourselves before God.

Without humility we make ourselves inaccessible to God.

III. We need to find ways to see ourselves as God sees us. What are those ways?

Now and then, we need to sit down and really think about our sin.

Rather than “sins,” take one particular sin and really look at it. You see what that is and what it means to go with it before a holy God.

Take one attribute of God and focus on it.

Spend time thinking about what it means for God to be holy, or what it means for Jesus, God’s Son, to have died for you.

Or take the attribute of grace: what is it, and why should I ever have it?

Have I come to the place in my life where I no longer see my need of God? What happened?

It’s like someone coming to the place of thinking he has no more need of air, or that a fish has no more need of water, or a person coming to feel that he or she has no more need of love.

Think about that for a while. Then you will sense how desperately you do need God.

Continually.