Confident
Series: Prayer of the Self
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 14th November 2009
Passage: Luke 18:9-30
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 Let's pray.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 Gracious God, as we come to your word now,
00:00:08 --> 00:00:11 we ask that we might be challenged again
00:00:11 --> 00:00:15 as we walk this road with Jesus to Jerusalem.
00:00:16 --> 00:00:20 Father, we pray that you might clear up misconceptions
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 that we have of what it means to be your disciple.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 And Lord, if we are looking to anything else but Jesus
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 for our justification, then Lord,
00:00:31 --> 00:00:35 help us to clearly see that this morning,
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 that we might trust in him and him alone.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 And we ask it for your sake. Amen.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:46 I heard the story of a young lad who mounted a campaign
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 just before Christmas in order to secure a brand new bike
00:00:49 --> 00:00:50 at Christmastime.
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 And he badgered his parents to the point where one day
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 his mother said to him, confusing Jesus with Santa,
00:00:57 --> 00:01:01 well, why don't you go and write a letter to Jesus
00:01:01 --> 00:01:03 and tell him that you deserve this bike?
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 And so the young lad trudged off upstairs,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 started to write the letter, dear Jesus,
00:01:10 --> 00:01:11 I've been good all year.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 And he thought to himself, no, that's not really true.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 He screwed up the piece of paper and threw it away
00:01:18 --> 00:01:19 and started again, dear Jesus,
00:01:20 --> 00:01:21 I've been good for the last six months.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:24 And he thought, well, that's not really true either.
00:01:24 --> 00:01:26 I mean, at the very least, this guy's a realist.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 He started again, dear Jesus, I've been good all week.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 Frustrated, he just screwed the paper up and threw it away.
00:01:34 --> 00:01:35 He knew that wasn't true.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 So in his frustration, he walked downstairs,
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 walked to the mantelpiece where the nativity scene was,
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 picked up Mary, walked back upstairs,
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 plonked it on his desk.
00:01:47 --> 00:01:51 Dear Jesus, if you ever want to see your mother again,
00:01:51 --> 00:01:57 he had a few things worked out about Jesus.
00:01:57 --> 00:01:58 He knew that Mary was Jesus' mother.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 That's a good start.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:02 But in terms of how to relate to God,
00:02:02 --> 00:02:04 it was kind of more like a terrorist.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 He was trying to force God's hand.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 And that's the story we have here.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 The Pharisee and the tax collector
00:02:11 --> 00:02:14 helps us in our confusion about how to relate to God.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:17 Although we read a large chunk there of the narrative,
00:02:18 --> 00:02:19 it's all kind of interconnected.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 But I just want to hone in, particularly in the Pharisee and the tax collector.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:28 We see the Pharisee and the tax collector being spelled out for us
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 in the story of the young children
00:02:31 --> 00:02:33 and then following on with the rich young ruler.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:36 They are, if you like, the Pharisee and the tax collectors
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 in this story as well.
00:02:39 --> 00:02:44 And so let's just hone in on these two stark characters,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:46 comic characters.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:51 The issue that Jesus wants to address here is very clear for us.
00:02:51 --> 00:02:53 In verse 9, it says,
00:02:53 --> 00:02:57 To some who were confident of their own righteousness
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 and looked down on everybody else,
00:02:59 --> 00:03:01 Jesus told this parable.
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 To some who were confident of their own righteousness
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 and looked down on everyone else,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 Jesus told this parable.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:12 But it's not just looking down on other people.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 He's not just saying,
00:03:13 --> 00:03:15 Hey, it's just not a kind thing to do.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:16 Look down on other people.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 He spills out quite clearly
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 that the core issue here
00:03:20 --> 00:03:23 is a core issue of our standing before God.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:25 Verse 14,
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 I tell you that this man,
00:03:27 --> 00:03:29 rather than the other,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:31 went home justified before God.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:33 That's the core issue.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:35 The core issue is,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 Do I trust in myself
00:03:36 --> 00:03:40 or do I trust in Jesus
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 in order to be right with God?
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 That's the issue Jesus wants to address here.
00:03:45 --> 00:03:46 How to be right with God.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 This story is all about people
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 who are self-confident, self-righteous,
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 and somehow think that that makes them okay with God.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:55 Jesus,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 and this is the clutcher for us,
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 Jesus was particularly talking
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 to people who make some sort of attempt at religion.
00:04:04 --> 00:04:05 You could just imagine Jesus
00:04:05 --> 00:04:08 eyeballing the Pharisees at this point
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 and his disciples at this point
00:04:11 --> 00:04:14 because it was specifically those guys
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 who he was addressing.
00:04:16 --> 00:04:17 You could say that Jesus
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 is talking to people like us
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 gathered here right now.
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 And his message for us is very clear.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 God is not pleased by self-confidence
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 or self-righteousness.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 He is only pleased with people
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 who come to him
00:04:33 --> 00:04:34 for their righteousness.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 So let's have a look at it.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 We know from verse 10
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 that there are two men
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 who go up to the temple to pray,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 but in verse 14,
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 it says that only one of them
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 goes home okay with God.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 Only one of them
00:04:47 --> 00:04:49 goes home as a friend of God.
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 It's kind of like,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 if you ever watch the movie
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 there is this post-war situation,
00:04:56 --> 00:04:57 and if two people get into a bit of biff,
00:04:57 --> 00:04:59 they would go into the Thunderdome
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 and sort it out,
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 and when they go into the Thunderdome
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 and sort it out,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 it was like to the death,
00:05:03 --> 00:05:03 that is,
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 this chant would go up,
00:05:07 --> 00:05:07 two men enter,
00:05:07 --> 00:05:08 one man leaves,
00:05:08 --> 00:05:08 two men enter,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:09 one man leaves.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 And you kind of get that feeling
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 as these two men go into the temple,
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 you know that as Jesus' story goes,
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 only one of these guys
00:05:17 --> 00:05:17 is going to come out
00:05:17 --> 00:05:20 having any form of meaningful relationship
00:05:20 --> 00:05:20 with God.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 We are told that one of them
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 is a tax collector,
00:05:23 --> 00:05:25 the other is a Pharisee,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 and again,
00:05:26 --> 00:05:27 I know I've said this before,
00:05:27 --> 00:05:28 we need to come back to it,
00:05:28 --> 00:05:29 we are in danger
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 of mucking it up right from the start
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 because we are familiar
00:05:32 --> 00:05:33 with the Bible,
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 and we automatically,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:35 as Christian people,
00:05:36 --> 00:05:37 go boo his to the Pharisees
00:05:37 --> 00:05:38 because we know that Jesus,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:39 you know,
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 kicked the Pharisees
00:05:40 --> 00:05:41 in the guts all the time.
00:05:41 --> 00:05:42 We know the Pharisees
00:05:42 --> 00:05:43 are the bad guys,
00:05:43 --> 00:05:43 they're the ones
00:05:43 --> 00:05:45 that Jesus consistently hammers,
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 and so we need to try
00:05:47 --> 00:05:48 and hear this story
00:05:48 --> 00:05:50 as it would have been
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 for first century Palestine,
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 in there,
00:05:53 --> 00:05:54 for Jesus' friends,
00:05:54 --> 00:05:55 for Peter, James and John
00:05:55 --> 00:05:56 and the rest of the boys,
00:05:57 --> 00:05:57 they would have known
00:05:57 --> 00:05:59 that the tax collector
00:05:59 --> 00:05:59 was the scum,
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 they knew that,
00:06:02 --> 00:06:03 the tax collector
00:06:03 --> 00:06:04 was the guy
00:06:04 --> 00:06:05 who wore the black hat,
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 he was the guy
00:06:06 --> 00:06:06 who rode around
00:06:06 --> 00:06:08 on the mean looking camel,
00:06:09 --> 00:06:09 he was the one
00:06:09 --> 00:06:10 that no one really liked
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 very much,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 he was the low life
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 of first century Palestine,
00:06:16 --> 00:06:16 he was filth,
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 he was traitor,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 they sold out God
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 for money,
00:06:23 --> 00:06:24 they were not welcomed
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 in a place of worship,
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 he was scum,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 the Pharisee,
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 on the other hand,
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 was deeply,
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 deeply respected,
00:06:33 --> 00:06:36 it's hard to imagine
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 how deeply respected
00:06:37 --> 00:06:38 a Pharisee was
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 in first century Palestine,
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 they were the guys
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 who wore the white hats,
00:06:43 --> 00:06:43 right,
00:06:43 --> 00:06:45 they wore the respectable camels,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 you know,
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 the nice ones
00:06:47 --> 00:06:48 with the smile
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 and the speed limited camels,
00:06:49 --> 00:06:50 they were the kind of,
00:06:51 --> 00:06:51 they were the kind of
00:06:51 --> 00:06:53 the Camry drivers
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 of first century Palestine,
00:06:55 --> 00:06:58 they were not men
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 who made their living
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 out of religion,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 they were regular
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 church attendees
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 who were deeply,
00:07:07 --> 00:07:07 deeply serious
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 and set the pace
00:07:09 --> 00:07:10 for everyone else,
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 in Jesus' day
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 the people would go
00:07:13 --> 00:07:14 boo his scumbag
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 tax collector
00:07:15 --> 00:07:18 but the Pharisee
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 definitely not,
00:07:20 --> 00:07:20 the Pharisee
00:07:20 --> 00:07:21 is the guy
00:07:21 --> 00:07:21 who is dead
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 earnest about God,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:23 a valued member
00:07:23 --> 00:07:24 of society
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 and a very valued
00:07:26 --> 00:07:26 member
00:07:26 --> 00:07:28 of the community
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 of God's people,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:31 well that's the
00:07:31 --> 00:07:32 two extraordinary men,
00:07:32 --> 00:07:33 now let's look
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 at their two
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 extraordinary prayers
00:07:35 --> 00:07:37 because their prayers
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 reveal what their heart
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 is like,
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 let's look at
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 the Pharisee's prayers,
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 now I occasionally,
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 I'll let you in
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 a bit of my psyche here,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:47 occasionally enjoy
00:07:47 --> 00:07:50 the read of the
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 personal ads of a paper,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 you know,
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 I don't know if you've
00:07:52 --> 00:07:53 ever done that before
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 but I can't ever
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 imagine what it
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 would mean for someone
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 to actually
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 advertise
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 their finer points
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 and ask for someone
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 to love them
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 kind of thing,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 I find that kind of
00:08:05 --> 00:08:05 odd
00:08:05 --> 00:08:07 and it must be
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 kind of frustrating
00:08:08 --> 00:08:08 for them
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 example,
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 I read this one,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 30 year old,
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 6 foot tall,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:12 brown hair,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 green eyes,
00:08:13 --> 00:08:13 6 lady,
00:08:14 --> 00:08:15 21 to 28 year old
00:08:15 --> 00:08:15 for friendship
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 and or relationship
00:08:16 --> 00:08:18 and it's like,
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 haven't you got
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 anything else to offer?
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 He's 30 year old,
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 6 foot tall,
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 brown hair,
00:08:25 --> 00:08:25 green eyes,
00:08:25 --> 00:08:25 well that just
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 pretty much opens it up,
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 that's him putting
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 his good foot forward,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:32 that's him advertising
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 his higher points,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 now I've got to
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 understand here
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 that I've never read
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 a personal ad
00:08:40 --> 00:08:41 where someone
00:08:41 --> 00:08:41 highlights
00:08:41 --> 00:08:43 their negative points,
00:08:43 --> 00:08:43 you know,
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 I like to sleep in,
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 I don't have a job,
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 looking for a house
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 for my greyhounds,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:49 you know,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:49 that's,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 you know,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:50 like I've never
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 ever seen that,
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 looking for someone
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 to cook and clean
00:08:53 --> 00:08:53 for me,
00:08:54 --> 00:08:54 is there anyone
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 out there
00:08:55 --> 00:08:55 who's willing
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 to take on this gig?
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 I've never seen that,
00:08:58 --> 00:09:00 that is because
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 our natural human
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 tendency is to put
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 our best foot forward,
00:09:04 --> 00:09:06 we always put
00:09:06 --> 00:09:07 our best foot forward,
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 we promote ourselves
00:09:08 --> 00:09:09 and it's no different
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 when it comes
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 to our relationship
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 with God,
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 our nature is to
00:09:13 --> 00:09:15 outline the wonderful
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 things that we are
00:09:16 --> 00:09:16 or that we do
00:09:16 --> 00:09:18 and we don't mention
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 the things that we do
00:09:19 --> 00:09:21 too wrong,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:21 too often,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 unless we are
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 absolutely confronted
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 with it and have to,
00:09:26 --> 00:09:27 we even go to the
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 point of justifying
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 our wrongdoing
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 by giving them
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 different kind of names
00:09:31 --> 00:09:32 which kind of lessen
00:09:32 --> 00:09:32 the sin of it,
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 so I don't evade tax,
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 I just minimise tax,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 I don't lie,
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 I just,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:39 you know,
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 occasional white lie,
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 I don't gossip,
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 I share prayer points,
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 I don't ridicule people
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 because I was just
00:09:44 --> 00:09:44 kind of joking
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 and I'm not committing
00:09:46 --> 00:09:46 adultery,
00:09:47 --> 00:09:47 I'm having an affair
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 or a midlife crisis,
00:09:49 --> 00:09:50 I didn't steal
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 the stamps from work,
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 I borrowed the stamps
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 from work
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 and by the time
00:09:55 --> 00:09:56 that we've justified
00:09:56 --> 00:09:56 our position,
00:09:57 --> 00:09:57 we're kind of like,
00:09:57 --> 00:09:58 actually,
00:09:58 --> 00:10:00 I'm not that bad
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 after all,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 but God knows
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 our hearts
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 and so the Pharisee
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 prays like this
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 in verse 11,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:09 God,
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 I thank you
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 that I'm not like
00:10:11 --> 00:10:11 other men,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 robbers,
00:10:12 --> 00:10:12 evildoers,
00:10:13 --> 00:10:13 adulterers,
00:10:13 --> 00:10:15 or even like that
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 tax collector
00:10:16 --> 00:10:16 over there,
00:10:18 --> 00:10:20 I fast twice a week
00:10:20 --> 00:10:20 and give a tenth
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 of all that I get.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:22 Now,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 it is so easy
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 to send this guy up
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 because I think
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 that's exactly
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 what Jesus is doing
00:10:29 --> 00:10:29 here.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:31 Hey God,
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 I am
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 just ever
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 so terribly
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 marvelous,
00:10:37 --> 00:10:37 God.
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 But,
00:10:40 --> 00:10:40 you know,
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 the awful thing
00:10:42 --> 00:10:42 about it,
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 the way he does it,
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 is he spiritualizes it.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:49 Thank you,
00:10:50 --> 00:10:50 God.
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 Thank you,
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 God,
00:10:53 --> 00:10:53 that you've made
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 a difference
00:10:54 --> 00:10:55 in my life.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 Thank you,
00:10:56 --> 00:10:56 God,
00:10:56 --> 00:10:57 that you've changed me.
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 Thank you,
00:10:58 --> 00:10:58 God,
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 that I'm not like
00:10:59 --> 00:10:59 other people.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:00 Thank you,
00:11:00 --> 00:11:00 God,
00:11:00 --> 00:11:01 that I'm not like
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 that scumbag
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 tax collector
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 sitting over there.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:09 He spiritualizes it,
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 thanks God
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 for it
00:11:12 --> 00:11:14 because he
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 even recognizes
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 that God
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 has made a change
00:11:17 --> 00:11:17 in his life.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 He then goes on,
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 explains how he's
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 different from other people.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 He fasts twice a week,
00:11:23 --> 00:11:23 he says.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 That is,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 he goes without food
00:11:25 --> 00:11:25 twice a week.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 Normal Jewish practice
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 by this time
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 was that you did it
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 once or twice a year
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 and occasionally
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 as you felt like it.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 And this guy
00:11:35 --> 00:11:37 does it twice a week.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:37 He is
00:11:37 --> 00:11:39 really serious
00:11:39 --> 00:11:42 about his relationship
00:11:42 --> 00:11:42 with God.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 But not just that.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:44 It says here
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 he gives a tenth
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 of all that I get.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:48 I give a tenth
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 of it all.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 He
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 tithes
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 his herb garden.
00:11:56 --> 00:11:56 He gives
00:11:56 --> 00:11:57 some of his peas
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 away.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 This guy
00:12:00 --> 00:12:00 is
00:12:00 --> 00:12:01 thoroughly
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 religious.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:05 He's
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 keeping the
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 command of God
00:12:07 --> 00:12:08 to the letter
00:12:08 --> 00:12:08 of the law.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 And so he says,
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 God,
00:12:11 --> 00:12:12 I must be okay.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 But the problem
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 is,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 is his evaluation
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 of himself
00:12:17 --> 00:12:17 is based on
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 the wrong standard.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 He compares
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 himself with other
00:12:21 --> 00:12:22 people on the
00:12:22 --> 00:12:22 surface
00:12:22 --> 00:12:24 and he doesn't
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 look deep,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 deep in his
00:12:26 --> 00:12:26 heart.
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 He looks at
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 the tax
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 collector and
00:12:31 --> 00:12:31 goes,
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 I must be okay
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 because I'm
00:12:33 --> 00:12:33 clearly not as
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 bad as that
00:12:34 --> 00:12:34 guy.
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 And that
00:12:36 --> 00:12:36 is our
00:12:36 --> 00:12:37 normal
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 human
00:12:38 --> 00:12:38 tendency.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 We do
00:12:39 --> 00:12:39 it by
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 default.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 When it
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 comes to
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 morality,
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 we look
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 down the
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 line.
00:12:44 --> 00:12:44 When it
00:12:44 --> 00:12:44 comes to
00:12:44 --> 00:12:44 riches,
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 we look
00:12:45 --> 00:12:45 up the
00:12:45 --> 00:12:45 line because
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 there's
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 always
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 someone
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 richer
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 than me.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 That means
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 I don't
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 have to be
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 so generous
00:12:48 --> 00:12:48 because
00:12:48 --> 00:12:48 someone else
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 should be.
00:12:49 --> 00:12:49 But I
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 look down
00:12:50 --> 00:12:50 the line
00:12:50 --> 00:12:50 when it
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 comes to
00:12:51 --> 00:12:51 morality
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 because
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 there's
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 always
00:12:52 --> 00:12:52 someone
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 worse
00:12:53 --> 00:12:53 than me.
00:12:54 --> 00:12:55 And that
00:12:55 --> 00:12:55 makes me
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 feel good.
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 I
00:12:57 --> 00:12:57 know a
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 guy who
00:12:58 --> 00:12:58 is serving
00:12:58 --> 00:12:58 two
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 consecutive
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 life
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 sentences
00:13:00 --> 00:13:01 in
00:13:01 --> 00:13:01 Long Bay
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 Jail.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:05 He killed
00:13:05 --> 00:13:05 a mother
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 and her
00:13:06 --> 00:13:06 baby.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:09 And he
00:13:09 --> 00:13:09 was in
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 the same
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 wing of
00:13:11 --> 00:13:11 Long Bay
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 Jail as
00:13:12 --> 00:13:12 the
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 Milpera
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 Bicycle
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 Massacre
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 guys.
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 You know,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 the guys
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 had the
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 shootout
00:13:17 --> 00:13:17 in Milpera
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 years ago.
00:13:19 --> 00:13:19 One day
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 those
00:13:20 --> 00:13:20 bikey
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 guys grabbed
00:13:21 --> 00:13:21 this guy,
00:13:22 --> 00:13:22 they beat
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 him up and
00:13:23 --> 00:13:23 poured
00:13:23 --> 00:13:23 boiling water
00:13:23 --> 00:13:26 all over
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 him for
00:13:27 --> 00:13:29 daring to
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 murder a
00:13:30 --> 00:13:30 baby.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 How dare
00:13:32 --> 00:13:32 you do
00:13:32 --> 00:13:32 that,
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 you scumbag.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 Now,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 these are
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 the guys
00:13:37 --> 00:13:37 who gun
00:13:37 --> 00:13:37 down a
00:13:37 --> 00:13:38 seven-year-old
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 girl.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:40 If she
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 was seven,
00:13:41 --> 00:13:41 it's kind
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 of different.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 When it
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 comes to
00:13:45 --> 00:13:45 morality,
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 we look
00:13:46 --> 00:13:46 down the
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 line and
00:13:47 --> 00:13:47 even when
00:13:47 --> 00:13:47 you're
00:13:47 --> 00:13:47 sitting,
00:13:48 --> 00:13:48 languishing
00:13:48 --> 00:13:48 in a
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 prison cell
00:13:49 --> 00:13:49 in Long
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 Bay Jail,
00:13:50 --> 00:13:50 there is
00:13:50 --> 00:13:51 always
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 someone
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 worse
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 than
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 you.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 It is
00:13:56 --> 00:13:56 our
00:13:56 --> 00:13:56 default
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 position.
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 Even
00:13:59 --> 00:13:59 people who
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 should know
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00 better,
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 consequence of
00:14:03 --> 00:14:03 their sin,
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04 they live it
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 for the rest
00:14:05 --> 00:14:05 of their
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 life around
00:14:06 --> 00:14:06 them,
00:14:07 --> 00:14:07 still look
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 down the
00:14:08 --> 00:14:08 line.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:09 And I
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 think Jesus
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 says very
00:14:11 --> 00:14:11 clearly that
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 that is our
00:14:12 --> 00:14:12 normal human
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 tendency and
00:14:13 --> 00:14:13 how much
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 easy it is
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 for us,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 the religious
00:14:16 --> 00:14:16 people,
00:14:16 --> 00:14:16 to do
00:14:16 --> 00:14:17 it.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 The tax
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 collector is
00:14:22 --> 00:14:22 in total
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 contrast to
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 the Pharisee.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:25 He beats
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 himself on
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 the chest
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 and he
00:14:29 --> 00:14:29 says,
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 God have
00:14:30 --> 00:14:30 mercy on
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 me,
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 a sinner.
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 Who does
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 he compare
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 himself with?
00:14:37 --> 00:14:37 Well,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:38 nobody as
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 far as we
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39 can tell
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39 from the
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 text.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:41 A better
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 reading of
00:14:42 --> 00:14:42 this statement
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 is,
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 God have
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 mercy on
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 me,
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 the sinner.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 He's not
00:14:49 --> 00:14:49 trying to
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 find comfort
00:14:50 --> 00:14:50 in the fact
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 that he's
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 part of a
00:14:53 --> 00:14:53 large group
00:14:53 --> 00:14:53 in the
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 same boat.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:55 He doesn't
00:14:55 --> 00:14:55 say,
00:14:56 --> 00:14:56 sure,
00:14:56 --> 00:14:56 I've made
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 a few
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 mistakes,
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 I've made
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 even some
00:14:58 --> 00:14:58 really big
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 mistakes,
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 I acknowledge
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 my mistakes,
00:15:02 --> 00:15:02 but I'm no
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 different than
00:15:03 --> 00:15:03 anyone else,
00:15:03 --> 00:15:04 I'm only human
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 after all.
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 He says,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 God,
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 I am the
00:15:08 --> 00:15:08 sinner.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 I am the
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 model sinner,
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 I am the
00:15:13 --> 00:15:13 essential sinner.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 He doesn't
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 care how he
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 compares with
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 other people,
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 he doesn't
00:15:19 --> 00:15:19 even look
00:15:19 --> 00:15:19 to the
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 Pharisee,
00:15:21 --> 00:15:24 he just
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 knows he's
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 not okay
00:15:25 --> 00:15:25 with God
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 and he
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 cries out
00:15:27 --> 00:15:27 in despair.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:29 And Jesus
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 says that
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 that scumbag
00:15:31 --> 00:15:33 goes home
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 justified
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 by God
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 while the
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 other is
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 rejected.
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 The scumbag
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 tax collector
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 goes home
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 with God
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 as his
00:15:44 --> 00:15:44 friend.
00:15:44 --> 00:15:48 The way
00:15:48 --> 00:15:48 that we
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 are always
00:15:49 --> 00:15:49 to approach
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 God is
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 God have
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 mercy on
00:15:51 --> 00:15:51 me,
00:15:52 --> 00:15:52 the sinner.
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 The
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 fulfillment
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 of religious
00:15:55 --> 00:15:55 duties
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 doesn't put
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 us in
00:15:57 --> 00:15:57 God's good
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 books.
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 There is
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 no other
00:16:00 --> 00:16:00 way to be
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 right with
00:16:01 --> 00:16:01 the God
00:16:01 --> 00:16:01 of this
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 universe
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 than to
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 ask him
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 for mercy
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 through
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 Jesus.
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 And we
00:16:06 --> 00:16:06 need to
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 all do
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 that.
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 Don't
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 expect to
00:16:10 --> 00:16:10 get into
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 God's good
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 books by
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 the terrorist
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 method and
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 to make
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 demands of
00:16:13 --> 00:16:13 God.
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 Don't
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 expect to
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 get there
00:16:15 --> 00:16:15 by the
00:16:15 --> 00:16:15 resume
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 method and
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 give him
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 a big
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 list of
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 all my
00:16:18 --> 00:16:19 finer points
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 and hopefully
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 they will
00:16:20 --> 00:16:20 outbalance
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 my bad
00:16:21 --> 00:16:21 points and
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 God will
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 be okay.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 God is
00:16:25 --> 00:16:27 not impressed
00:16:27 --> 00:16:27 by the
00:16:27 --> 00:16:27 resume
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 method,
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 even the
00:16:29 --> 00:16:29 resume
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 method of
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 religious
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 people.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 And that's
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 when Jesus
00:16:33 --> 00:16:35 eyeballs us.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 No,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 no,
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 forget that.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:37 That's when
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 Jesus eyeballs
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 me.
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 Because in
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 reality,
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 I am more
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 religious than
00:16:45 --> 00:16:45 the average
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 Aussie bloke.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 I read the
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 Bible, I
00:16:48 --> 00:16:50 pray, I
00:16:50 --> 00:16:50 go to
00:16:50 --> 00:16:52 church, hang
00:16:52 --> 00:16:52 out at
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 church.
00:16:53 --> 00:16:53 In fact, I
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 live at
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 church.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:58 I've got a
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 theological
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 degree and
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 something else
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 called a
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 diploma in
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 ministry, not
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 that anyone
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 knows what
00:17:02 --> 00:17:02 that is.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 I work
00:17:05 --> 00:17:05 full-time in
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 ministry.
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 I travel
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 around the
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 country and
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 speak to
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 church leaders
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 and train
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 church leaders.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 I read
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 deep
00:17:14 --> 00:17:14 theological
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 books.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 I run
00:17:16 --> 00:17:16 youth
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 ministry
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 programs.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 And I
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 even get
00:17:21 --> 00:17:21 to wear a
00:17:21 --> 00:17:21 dress.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 I look
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 religious.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 I'm
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 probably more
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 religious than
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 anyone here.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 Are you
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 impressed?
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 God's not.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 God's not.
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 Don't fall
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 into the trap
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 of thinking
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 that we
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 impress God
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 by what
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 we do.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 Anyone who
00:17:47 --> 00:17:47 says that
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 there is
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 something
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 religious
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 activity,
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 some form
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 of religious
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 activity that
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 you must
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 do is
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 wrong.
00:17:56 --> 00:17:56 He's
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 wrong.
00:17:58 --> 00:17:58 The best
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 case scenario
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 is I think
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 potentially the
00:18:02 --> 00:18:02 first believer.
00:18:03 --> 00:18:03 If he wasn't
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 the first
00:18:04 --> 00:18:04 believer, he's
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 certainly the
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 first guy to
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 follow Jesus
00:18:06 --> 00:18:06 into heaven.
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 you know
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 the bloke?
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 He's stuck
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 up there on
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 the cross
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 beside Jesus.
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 He's on the
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 cross beside
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 Jesus and he
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 says to Jesus,
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 remember me
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 when you come
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 into your
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 kingdom.
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 That is, he
00:18:18 --> 00:18:20 recognized who
00:18:20 --> 00:18:20 Jesus was.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 It was a
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 statement of
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 faith and
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 trust in
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 Jesus, the
00:18:23 --> 00:18:23 guy who was
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 dying beside
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 him on the
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 cross.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 He recognized
00:18:26 --> 00:18:26 that Jesus
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 must be a
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 king because
00:18:28 --> 00:18:28 he's going
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 into his
00:18:29 --> 00:18:29 kingdom and
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 his kingdom
00:18:30 --> 00:18:30 is going to
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 come when
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 he dies.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 And so
00:18:33 --> 00:18:33 what did
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 Jesus say to
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 this guy?
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 Yeah, mate,
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 not a problem.
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 If you can
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 manage to get
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 yourself down
00:18:39 --> 00:18:39 off the cross
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 and get off
00:18:40 --> 00:18:40 the church,
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 then guarantee
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 you can be
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 part of the
00:18:42 --> 00:18:42 kingdom.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 No, that
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 wasn't it.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 Or did he
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 say, hey
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 disciples, bring
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 up the hoses,
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 we need to
00:18:49 --> 00:18:49 baptize this
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 guy.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:53 No, that
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 wasn't it.
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 Today you
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 will be with
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 me in
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 paradise.
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 Today you
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 will be with
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 me in
00:19:04 --> 00:19:04 paradise.
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 God
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 is
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 because he
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 put his
00:19:08 --> 00:19:08 faith in
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 Jesus.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 Christianity
00:19:10 --> 00:19:12 isn't about
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 self-righteousness,
00:19:14 --> 00:19:14 it is about
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 God-given
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 righteousness and
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 that man had
00:19:17 --> 00:19:17 it right there
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 and then on
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 the cross.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:21 Without any
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 activity, on
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 the cross,
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 God-given
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 righteousness.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 But there is a
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 message here for
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 us, not just for
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 those who need to
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 put their trust in
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 Jesus, but that
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 for those of us
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 who have put our
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 trust in Jesus,
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 it is so easy
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 for us to start
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 with faith in
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 Jesus.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:42 We look at
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 where we are,
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 where we're at,
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 what God has
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 done for us, and
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 it seems like a
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 pretty simple
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 choice to put our
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 trust in Jesus.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 But it's easy to
00:19:50 --> 00:19:50 move from that
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 faith in Jesus and
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 back into religion
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 and start having
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 confidence because of
00:19:56 --> 00:19:56 what I do.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:58 it's often a
00:19:58 --> 00:20:00 subtle shift, but
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 it's so easy to
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 do it.
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 The longer and
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 longer you've been
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 a Christian, the
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 more that God has
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 worked in you and
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 changed you and
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 you've been in
00:20:09 --> 00:20:09 church and you go
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 to youth group and
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 you go to read the
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 Bible and pray and
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 you're involved in
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 all these Christian
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 activities and you
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 hang around with
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 Christian people and
00:20:17 --> 00:20:19 you kind of get
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 changed.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:20 changed.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 And you can start
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 looking down on
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 others.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 Even just within
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 the church, you
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 can start looking
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 down on others.
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 It's so easy for
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 your shift to
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 happen from faith
00:20:36 --> 00:20:39 back into who you
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 are and what you've
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 done for Jesus.
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 You start to think
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 maybe I'm not that
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 bad after all.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 God must be
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 impressed with me.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:50 And so you start
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 putting your trust
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 in religion.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 And so the
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 question for us is,
00:20:55 --> 00:20:58 are we totally
00:20:58 --> 00:21:01 looking away from
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 ourselves?
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 When you see
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 yourself standing
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 before the King
00:21:10 --> 00:21:12 Jesus, the Holy
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 Judge, what are
00:21:15 --> 00:21:17 you going to look
00:21:17 --> 00:21:17 to?
00:21:18 --> 00:21:20 What are you
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 going to trust
00:21:21 --> 00:21:21 in?
00:21:26 --> 00:21:27 Let me say that
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 it would be
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 absolutely shocking
00:21:29 --> 00:21:32 for us to
00:21:32 --> 00:21:32 have read that
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 Bible passage and
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 not be terrified
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 by those four
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 words in the
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 middle of verse
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 14.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 Terrified by
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 those four words
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 in the middle of
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 verse 14.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 I tell you,
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 this man,
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 that is the
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 tax collector,
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 went down to
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 his house
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 justified.
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 And here are
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 the four words,
00:21:55 --> 00:21:57 rather than
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 the other.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 Rather than
00:22:02 --> 00:22:04 the other.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:06 The Pharisee,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 the righteous
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 one, the one
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 thanking God
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 for his
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 righteousness,
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 righteousness,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 was not
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 justified.
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 He was
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 condemned.
00:22:16 --> 00:22:16 People who
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 trust in the
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 righteousness that
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 God has worked
00:22:19 --> 00:22:21 in them for
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 the basis of
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 their acceptance
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 and acquittal
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 and justification
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 before God
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29 do not go
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 down to their
00:22:30 --> 00:22:32 house justified.
00:22:32 --> 00:22:35 people who
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 really believe
00:22:36 --> 00:22:36 that the
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 righteousness
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 that God
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 helps them
00:22:38 --> 00:22:38 do in this
00:22:38 --> 00:22:40 life is a
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 sufficient basis
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 for their
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 justification,
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 Jesus says,
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 will not
00:22:47 --> 00:22:50 be justified
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 before God.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 So,
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 Paul's,
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 this is very
00:22:55 --> 00:22:55 serious.
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 Very
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 serious.
00:22:58 --> 00:23:00 we are not
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 justified by
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 the righteousness
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 that Christ
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 works in
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 us,
00:23:04 --> 00:23:06 but by the
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 righteousness
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 that Christ
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09 is for
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 us.
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 Let me say
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 that again.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 We are not
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 justified by
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 the righteousness
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 that Christ
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 works in
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 us,
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 but the
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 righteousness
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 that Christ
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20 is for
00:23:20 --> 00:23:20 us.
00:23:26 --> 00:23:28 Me having
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 a reverent
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 in front
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 of my
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 name,
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 a theological
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 degree at
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 the end
00:23:31 --> 00:23:31 of my
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 name,
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 and all
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 the works
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 that I
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 do in
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 between day
00:23:35 --> 00:23:35 after day
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 after day
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 for God's
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 glory mean
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 deadly squat
00:23:40 --> 00:23:42 for my
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 justification.
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 And if you
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 don't know what
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 deadly squat is,
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 it means
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 nothing.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 And so I
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 plead with you
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 today on behalf
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 of Jesus that
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 for your
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 justification,
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 you do not
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 look to,
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 that you
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 do not
00:23:58 --> 00:23:58 trust in
00:23:58 --> 00:24:00 what God
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 has worked
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 out in
00:24:01 --> 00:24:01 you.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 Instead,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 look to
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 and trust
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 in Christ
00:24:06 --> 00:24:08 alone and
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 all that
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 God is
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 for you
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 in him.
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 2 Corinthians
00:24:14 --> 00:24:14 5,
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 God made
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 him to be
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 seen who
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 knew no
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 sin,
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 so that in
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 him we
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 might become
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 the righteousness
00:24:20 --> 00:24:20 of God.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 And so hear
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 the words of
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 Jesus again,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 everyone who
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 exalts
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 himself will
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 be humbled
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 and he
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 who humbles
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 himself will
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 be exalted.
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 Everyone who
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 ensuring
00:24:34 --> 00:24:37 himself will
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 be humbled
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 and he
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 who humbles
00:24:39 --> 00:24:41 himself will
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 be exalted.
00:24:41 --> 00:25:11 Thank you.