Today by Gary Rose

As I looked at this picture, one word came to mind: Today. God gives us “today” and that is enough. Yesterday is history and nothing but a memory; tomorrow may or may not come for us, for who knows if we will see another daybreak. But, we do have “today”and we should make the most of it. Today we may not set the world on fire, we may not even have a good day; things happen. But, we do have the opportunity to do the best we can, where we are and with what God has given us. I wondered what the Bible said about “Today” so I looked at many of the passages that used the word and this one stood out as being different…

¹ Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus;  ² who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also was Moses in all his house.  ³ For he has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, because he who built the house has more honor than the house.  ⁴ For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God.  ⁵ Moses indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were afterward to be spoken,  ⁶ but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.  ⁷ Therefore, even as the Holy Spirit says,“Today if you will hear his voice,  ⁸ don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness,
  ⁹ where your fathers tested me by proving me,
and saw my works for forty years.
  ¹⁰ Therefore I was displeased with that generation,
and said, ‘They always err in their heart,
but they didn’t know my ways;’
  ¹¹ as I swore in my wrath,
‘They will not enter into my rest.’”
  ¹²  Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God;  ¹³ but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called “today”; lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm to the end:  ¹⁵ while it is said, 
“Today if you will hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.”

Notice that the emboldened portions above refer to the rebellion; that is, when Israel rebelled against God at Meribah (See also Exodus 17:7 and Numbers 20:13, 24). When the Bible uses a word or a passage reference over and over, it does so for emphasis and therefore it should be always remembered. There is a lesson in this passage of Scripture: Today, no matter how bad it may be, will never be a disaster if we do not harden our hearts toward the Almighty. Therefore, be faithful like Jesus (vss. 1, 2) and today will be a “today to remember”.

Bible Reading September 9, 10 by Gary Rose

Bible Reading September 9, 10

World  English  Bible

Sept. 9

Psalms 52-54

Psa 52:1 Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God's loving kindness endures continually.

Psa 52:2 Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Psa 52:3 You love evil more than good, lying rather than speaking the truth. Selah.

Psa 52:4 You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.

Psa 52:5 God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

Psa 52:6 The righteous also will see it, and fear, and laugh at him, saying,

Psa 52:7 "Behold, this is the man who didn't make God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness."

Psa 52:8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in God's house. I trust in God's loving kindness forever and ever.

Psa 52:9 I will give you thanks forever, because you have done it. I will hope in your name, for it is good, in the presence of your saints.

Psa 53:1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity. There is no one who does good.

Psa 53:2 God looks down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there are any who understood, who seek after God.

Psa 53:3 Every one of them has gone back. They have become filthy together. There is no one who does good, no, not one.

Psa 53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and don't call on God?

Psa 53:5 There they were in great fear, where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you. You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.

Psa 53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back his people from captivity, then Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

Psa 54:1 Save me, God, by your name. Vindicate me in your might.

Psa 54:2 Hear my prayer, God. Listen to the words of my mouth.

Psa 54:3 For strangers have risen up against me. Violent men have sought after my soul. They haven't set God before them. Selah.

Psa 54:4 Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.

Psa 54:5 He will repay the evil to my enemies. Destroy them in your truth.

Psa 54:6 With a free will offering, I will sacrifice to you. I will give thanks to your name, Yahweh, for it is good.

Psa 54:7 For he has delivered me out of all trouble. My eye has seen triumph over my enemies.

Sept. 10

Psalms 55-57

Psa 55:1 Listen to my prayer, God. Don't hide yourself from my supplication.

Psa 55:2 Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan,

Psa 55:3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked. For they bring suffering on me. In anger they hold a grudge against me.

Psa 55:4 My heart is severely pained within me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.

Psa 55:5 Fearfulness and trembling have come on me. Horror has overwhelmed me.

Psa 55:6 I said, "Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.

Psa 55:7 Behold, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness." Selah.

Psa 55:8 "I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and storm."

Psa 55:9 Confuse them, Lord, and confound their language, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Psa 55:10 Day and night they prowl around on its walls. Malice and abuse are also within her.

Psa 55:11 Destructive forces are within her. Threats and lies don't depart from her streets.

Psa 55:12 For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hid myself from him.

Psa 55:13 But it was you, a man like me, my companion, and my familiar friend.

Psa 55:14 We took sweet fellowship together. We walked in God's house with company.

Psa 55:15 Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.

Psa 55:16 As for me, I will call on God. Yahweh will save me.

Psa 55:17 Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.

Psa 55:18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, although there are many who oppose me.

Psa 55:19 God, who is enthroned forever, will hear, and answer them. Selah. They never change, who don't fear God.

Psa 55:20 He raises his hands against his friends. He has violated his covenant.

Psa 55:21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

Psa 55:22 Cast your burden on Yahweh, and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.

Psa 55:23 But you, God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in you.

Psa 56:1 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up. All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

Psa 56:2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long, for they are many who fight proudly against me.

Psa 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.

Psa 56:4 In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?

Psa 56:5 All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil.

Psa 56:6 They conspire and lurk, watching my steps, they are eager to take my life.

Psa 56:7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, God.

Psa 56:8 You number my wanderings. You put my tears into your bottle. Aren't they in your book?

Psa 56:9 Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call. I know this, that God is for me.

Psa 56:10 In God, I will praise his word. In Yahweh, I will praise his word.

Psa 56:11 I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Psa 56:12 Your vows are on me, God. I will give thank offerings to you.

Psa 56:13 For you have delivered my soul from death, and prevented my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Psa 57:1 Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.

Psa 57:2 I cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me.

Psa 57:3 He will send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah. God will send out his loving kindness and his truth.

Psa 57:4 My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

Psa 57:5 Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be above all the earth!

Psa 57:6 They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into its midst themselves. Selah.

Psa 57:7 My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises.

Psa 57:8 Wake up, my glory! Wake up, psaltery and harp! I will wake up the dawn.

Psa 57:9 I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to you among the nations.

Psa 57:10 For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies.

Psa 57:11 Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.

Sept. 9

1 Corinthians 5

1Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father's wife.

1Co 5:2 You are puffed up, and didn't rather mourn, that he who had done this deed might be removed from among you.

1Co 5:3 For I most certainly, as being absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as though I were present, judged him who has done this thing.

1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1Co 5:5 are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1Co 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?

1Co 5:7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.

1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

1Co 5:9 I wrote to you in my letter to have no company with sexual sinners;

1Co 5:10 yet not at all meaning with the sexual sinners of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then you would have to leave the world.

1Co 5:11 But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. Don't even eat with such a person.

1Co 5:12 For what have I to do with also judging those who are outside? Don't you judge those who are within?

1Co 5:13 But those who are outside, God judges. "Put away the wicked man from among yourselves."

Sept. 10

1 Corinthians 6

1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against his neighbor, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

1Co 6:2 Don't you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1Co 6:3 Don't you know that we will judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?

1Co 6:4 If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?

1Co 6:5 I say this to move you to shame. Isn't there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?

1Co 6:6 But brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers!

1Co 6:7 Therefore it is already altogether a defect in you, that you have lawsuits one with another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

1Co 6:8 No, but you yourselves do wrong, and defraud, and that against your brothers.

1Co 6:9 Or don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,

1Co 6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.

1Co 6:11 Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.

1Co 6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are expedient. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be brought under the power of anything.

1Co 6:13 "Foods for the belly, and the belly for foods," but God will bring to nothing both it and them. But the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

1Co 6:14 Now God raised up the Lord, and will also raise us up by his power.

1Co 6:15 Don't you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!

1Co 6:16 Or don't you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, "The two," says he, "will become one flesh."

1Co 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

1Co 6:18 Flee sexual immorality! "Every sin that a man does is outside the body," but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

1Co 6:19 Or don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have from God? You are not your own,

1Co 6:20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. 

The Menace of Radical Preterism by Wayne Jackson

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Jackson/Boyd/Wayne/1937/preterism.html

The Menace of Radical Preterism

The word “eschatology” derives from the Greek word, eschatos, meaning “last.” It has to do with the biblical doctrine of “last” or “end-of-time” things. The term embraces such matters as the return of Christ, the end of the world, the day of judgment, and the resurrection of the dead.

One philosophy of eschatology is known as “preterism.” The term “preter” issues from an original form meaning “past.” Preterism, therefore, is an interpretive ideology which views major portions of Bible prophecy, traditionally associated with the termination of earth’s history, as having been fulfilled already.

But the term “preterism” is flexible. Some scholars, for instance, have dated the book of Revelation in the late sixties A.D. They contend that virtually the whole of the Apocalypse, therefore, was fulfilled by A.D. 70 - when Judaism was destroyed by the invading Roman armies. A more moderate form of preterism moves the fulfillment of Revelation forward somewhat. These scholars hold that while Revelation was penned near the end of the first century, the major focus of the book is upon the fall of the Roman Empire (A.D. 476); consequently they feel there is little beyond that date that is previewed in the final book of the New Testament.

While we do not agree with either of these concepts of the book of Revelation, we consider them to be relatively harmless.

On the other hand, there is a form of preterism that is quite heretical. This theory argues that all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled; nothing remains on the prophetic calendar.

This radical preterism was championed by James Stuart Russell (1816-95), a Congregational clergyman in England. Russell authored a book titled, The Parousia, (from a Greek word meaning “coming” or “presence”), which first appeared in 1878. Russell set forth the idea that the second coming of Christ, the judgment day, etc., are not future events at the end of the current dispensation. Rather, prophecies relating to these matters were fulfilled with Jerusalem’s fall in A.D. 70. There is, therefore, no future “second coming” of Christ. Moreover, there will be no resurrection of the human body. Also, the final judgment and the end of the world have occurred already - with the destruction of Jerusalem.

Advocates of this bizarre dogma claim that the preterist movement is growing wildly. It probably is expanding some - though likely not as prolificly as its apologists would like everyone to believe. Occasionally the sect will get a thrust when a prominent name becomes identified with it. For example, noted theologian R. C. Sproul has apparently thrown his hat into the preterist ring - at least to some degree. Recently he characterized J. S. Russell’s book as “one of the most important treatments on Biblical eschatology that is available to the church today” (quoted in The Christian News 1999, 17).

Radical preterism (also known as “realized eschatology” or the “A.D. 70 doctrine”) is so “off the wall” - biblically speaking - that one wonders how anyone ever falls for it. But they do. And, as exasperating as it is, the doctrine needs to be addressed from time to time. One writer, in reviewing the A.D. 70 heresy, recently quipped that dealing with preterism is like cleaning the kitty litter box; one hates to fool with it, but it has to be done. He can just be thankful that cats aren’t larger than they are.

The Basis for the Dogma

Preterists strive for consistency in their view of Bible prophecy. The goal is admirable. But when a series of propositions is linked, and they are grounded on the same faulty foundation, when one of them topples - like dominos in a line - they all fall. So it is with the A.D. 70 theory.

Here is the problem. In studying the New Testament material relative to the “coming” of Christ, preterists note that:

1. there are passages which seem to speak of the nearness of the Lord’s coming - from a first-century vantage point (cf. James 5:8);
2. they observe that there are texts which indicate a “coming” in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (cf. Matthew 24:30);
3. combining these, they conclude that the Savior’s “second coming” must have transpired in A.D. 70; and
4. furthermore, since the Scriptures are clear as to the fact that the resurrection of the dead, the judgment day, and the end of the world will all occur on the day the Lord returns, the advocates of realized eschatology are forced to “spiritualize” these several happenings, contending that all will take place at the same time. In this “interpretive” process, a whole host of biblical terms must be redefined in order to make them fit the scheme.

And so, while preterists attempt to be consistent, it is nonetheless a sad reality that they are consistently wrong!

Prophetic Imminence

A major fallacy of the preterist mentality is a failure to recognize the elasticity of chronological jargon within the context of biblical prophecy. It is a rather common trait in prophetic language that an event, while literally in the remote future, may be described as near. The purpose in this sort of language is to emphasize the certainty of the prophecy’s fulfillment.

Obadiah, for instance, foretold the final day of earth’s history. Concerning that event, he said: “For the day of Jehovah is near upon all the nations” (v. 15). This cannot refer to some local judgment, for “all nations” are to be involved. And yet, the event is depicted as “near.”

There are numerous prophecies of this nature, including passages like James 5:8 - “the coming of the Lord is at hand.” James could not have been predicting the literally imminent return of the Savior, for such knowledge was not made available to the Lord’s penmen. Not even Jesus himself knew of the time of his return to earth (Matthew 24:36).

The Components Explained and Briefly Refuted

Let us give brief consideration to the four eschatological events that are supposed to have occurred in A.D. 70 - the Lord’s second coming, the resurrection of the dead, the day of judgment, and the end of the world.

First, was there a sense in which Christ “came” to folks at various times and places? Yes, and no serious student of the Bible denies this. Jesus “came” on the day of Pentecost via the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (see John 14:18). The coming was representative, not literal. The Lord warned the brethren in Ephesus that if they did not repent, he would “come” to them in judgment, and they would forfeit their identity as a faithful congregation (Revelation 2:5). In describing the horrible judgment to be inflicted upon rebellious Jerusalem, Jesus, employing imagery from the Old Testament, spoke of his “coming” in power and glory (Matthew 24:30). Again, this was a representative “coming” by means of the Roman forces (cf. Matthew 22:7). Verse thirty-four of Matthew 24 clearly indicates that this event was to occur before that first-century generation passed away.

The Lord’s “second coming,” however, will be as visibly apparent as his ascension back into heaven was (Acts 1:11). Indeed, he will be “revealed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7), or “appear” to all (2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 9:28).

It is a mistake of horrible proportions to confuse the symbolic “comings” of Christ with the “second” (cf. Hebrews 9:28) coming. And this is what the preterists do.

Secondly, it is utterly incredible that the preterists should deny the eventual resurrection of the human body - just as the Sadducees did twenty centuries ago (Acts 23:8). The entire fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians was written to counter this error: “How say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead [ones – plural]?” (15:12).

But those who subscribe to the notion of realized eschatology spiritualize the concept of the resurrection, alleging that such references are merely to the emergence of the church from an era of anti-Christian persecution. In other words, it is the “resurrection” of a cause, not a resurrection of people.

The theory is flawed in several particulars, but consider these two points:

1. The Scriptures speak of the “resurrection” as involving both the good and the evil, the just and the unjust (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15). Where, in the preterist scheme of things, is the resurrection of the “evil”? Was the “cause” of evil to emerge at the same time as the “cause” of truth?
2. As noted above, the resurrection contemplated in 1 Corinthians 15 has to do with the raising of “dead ones” (masculine, plural) - not an abstract “cause” (neuter, singular). Significantly, the bodily resurrection of Jesus is cited as a precursor to the general resurrection - in this very context (15:20,23). Christ charged that those who deny the resurrection of the body are ignorant of both the Scriptures and the power of God (Matthew 22:29).

Third, the Bible speaks of a coming “day of judgment” (Matthew 11:22). Preterists limit this to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. But the theory simply does not fit the facts. The devastation of A.D. 70 involved only the Jews. The final day of judgment will embrace the entire human family - past, present, and future (Acts 17:31). The citizens of ancient Nineveh will be present on the day of judgment (see Matthew 12:41), as will other pagan peoples. But these folks were not in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. How can clear passages of this nature be ignored?

Here is an interesting thought. When Paul defended his case before the Roman governor, Felix, he spoke of “the judgment to come,” and the ruler was “terrified” (Acts 24:25). Why would a Roman be “terrified” with reference to the impending destruction of Judaism - when he would be on the winning side, not the losing one?

Fourth, according to the preterists, the “end of the world,” as this expression is employed in Bible prophecy, does not allude to the destruction of this planet. Rather, “world” has reference to the Jewish world, thus, the end of the Jewish age. This, they allege, occurred in A.D. 70.

But this view simply is not viable. Consider these two brief but potent points.

1. The responsibilities of the Great Commission - to teach and immerse lost souls - was commensurate with that era preceding the “end of the world” (Matthew 28:18-20). If the “end of the world” occurred in A.D. 70, then the Lord’s Commission is valid no longer. This conclusion, of course, is absurd.
2. In the parable of the tares, Jesus taught that at “the end of the world” the “tares” (i.e., evil ones) would be removed from his kingdom and burned (Matthew 13:39-40). Did that transpire with the destruction of Judaism? It did not. The notion that the “end of the world” is past already is false.

The dogma of preterism - or realized eschatology - is erroneous from beginning to end. For a more detailed consideration of this matter, see our book, The A.D. 70 Theory.

A Common Method of Propagation

The doctrine of preterism is so radically unorthodox that its advocates realize that their efforts to win converts represent a formidable task. Consequently, they have developed a covert strategy that seeks to quietly spread their novel dogma until such a time when congregational take-overs can be effected. The distinctive traits of this discipling methodology are as follows.

• It is alleged that this system represents an attractive, consistent method of interpretation. But there is no virtue in consistency, if one is consistently wrong!
• Preterists criticize what they call “traditional” views of interpreting Bible prophecy. They suggest they have a new, exciting approach to the Scriptures - with a spiritual thrust. Of course the “new” is always intriguing to some.
• The messengers of realized eschatology frequently are secretive in their approach. They select only the most promising candidates with whom to share their ideas. Eventually, then, the A.D. 70 theory will be woven subtly into classes, sermons, etc.
• When ultimately confronted relative to their teachings and methods, they will argue that eschatological issues are merely a matter of opinion, and that divergent views - especially theirs - should be tolerated. This, of course, ignores plain biblical implications on these themes (cf. 2 Timothy 2:16-18; 2 Peter 3:16). If church leaders fall for this ploy, more time is gained for the indoctrination of the entire congregation.

Conclusion

Wise church leaders will inform themselves relative to the theory of preteristic eschatology. If such ideas are discovered to be circulating within a local church, the proponents of such doctrines should be dealt with quickly and firmly. It is a serious matter.

Wayne Jackson

Sources/Footnotes

• Jackson, Wayne. 2005. The A.D. 70 Theory. Stockton, CA: Christian Courier Publications.
• Sproul, R. C. 1999. The Christian News, June 7.

Copyright © 2013 Christian Courier. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Teachings of Jesus (Part 35) Praying and Pride by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1937

Teachings of Jesus (Part 35) Praying and Pride

In the first eight verses of Luke 18, Jesus taught about the importance of praying persistently. Beginning in verse 9, he tells another parable about prayer.

For anyone confident of their own righteousness and looked down on anyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’

I tell you this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself with be exalted.” Luke 18:9-18:14

In Jesus’ time, the Pharisee were the super-religious men who were extremely careful about obeying the Torah, which is basically the first five books of the Old Testament. They also followed the Mishnah, which explained how to obey the Torah. There might be several chapters in the Mishnah devoted to one single verse in the Torah. In addition, they followed the Talmud, which was a commentary on the Mishnah. These guys supposedly really knew God’s word. They were considered ‘holy men’ not only by others but also that’s how many of them thought of themselves.

However, a tax collector was considered the scum of the earth, the very bottom of the religious food chain in Israel. Hired by the pagan Romans, he could charge exorbitant taxes and keep most of the money for himself. He was considered the villain. In light of this parable here are some questions for us to consider today:

WHY DID YOU COME TO CHURCH?
In the parable, both the Pharisee and the Tax Collector went to the temple in Jerusalem to pray. But when you examine their actions and attitudes, you discover they were there for two different reasons. Why did you come today?

Was it to be seen?
Obviously, the Pharisee was at the temple for others to see how good he was. To him it may have been more of a public performance and his behavior at the temple was just part of the script. He had given much thought about what he would wear, and where he would stand, and what he would say, because there was an audience. When he arrived, he walked up to the front and stood before the people in his flowing robe with the ornate prayer shawl the Pharisees wore. It just all part of the religious show for him. The words he prayed may not have been really directed toward God. He prayed to himself. He was there to be seen and to be heard by the other worshipers. Jesus warned about this kind of behavior in Matthew 6:5, “But when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.”

When you prepare to come to church, are you thinking more about who will be there to see you than you are about connecting with God? Do you choose what you’re going to wear based on what other people will think about you? Hard to believe, but some people actually go to church because they think it will help them in their business, politics, or will improve their social standing. Why do you attend church?

The tax collector represents another reason you might be here today. Did you come to seek God? I hope so.

The tax collector showed up because he was in trouble and he believed God could help him. His body language revealed his sense of unworthiness; he couldn’t walk to the front of the crowd, instead he kept his distance. He didn’t focus on the other people there, he focused on God.

Worship does involve an audience. But it’s an audience of one. When we come to church, we should be primarily concerned about seeking God’s face.
Why are you here today? Is it just your habit, a part of your weekend routine? Perhaps you came because your parents or your spouse pressured you to come. Or maybe you feel guilty if you don’t come. Or did you come seeking to connect with the Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe? God says in Jeremiah 29:13, “‘You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.’ declares the Lord.”

Some people may come seeking God, but some who are half-hearted about worship becomes a hindrance to others. I read a letter written by a teenager to a church her friend invited her to amd then later to the minister of the church. She wrote…

“Dear Kathy, I attended your church yesterday. Although you had invited me, you were not there, so I sat alone. After sitting down, a lady came up and informed me that I was in her seat. I was so embarrassed because I didn’t know some seats were reserved. Finally, I climbed over some people hugging the aisle and found another seat. During the singing, I was surprised to note that some of the church people weren’t singing at all. Instead, they looked around or just stared into space. The pastor’s speech was interesting, although some members didn’t seem to think so. They looked bored and restless. I recognized some of my classmates a few pews in front of me, but they were giggling and passing notes. I thought, “How rude!” The speaker talked about the reality of faith, which I decided I didn’t have enough of. The message really got to me and I thought about walking forward, but I was unsure. I saw some people walking out before the service was over, so I figured it must not be too important to stay to the end, so I slipped out too. As I left I said good morning to one couple, but they were in a hurry and must not have heard me. My parents don’t go to church. I came alone yesterday hoping to find a place to truly worship and find some love. I’m sorry, but I didn’t find it in your church.”

When the minister read that letter, he literally got on his knees and said, “Please God, don’t let that be the impression people get when they come here!”
Some really what to be in church to draw closer to Father God, yet there are others who don’t realize that they may be a stumbling block or be hindering or disrupting the church service. Across the nation some take what we do here too lightly. Some play with their cell phones during worship. Some talk or pass notes during the service. Some disrupt the service by regularly coming in late or repeatedly getting up and going out. Some people even leave before the church service is over… all because they are more focused upon their own agenda rather than on effect on others and their service to God.
The next question is: WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE IN CHURCH?

In the parable Jesus showed two totally different attitudes people can display in worship. The Pharisee presented an attitude that said

‘I’m proud of how good I am and who I am’
In some instances, pride can be good. It is okay to say you are proud to be an American, or that you take pride in your neighborhood. But the Bible warns against the dangerous kind of pride characterized by self-love, egotism, and arrogance. This kind of pride is revealed in the prayer of the Pharisee. He wanted others to know about his goodness, so he bragged that he fasted, tithed, and kept all the commandments.

The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18). According to Isaiah 14, once the devil was a beautiful angel named Lucifer. Pride filled his heart and he developed a pride problem. He said, “I will ascend and make my throne with God, I will be like the most high, I’m going up!” But God said, “No, Lucifer, you’re going down!’ That’s really what pride is, reflecting the ego of the devil.

Some people are the happiest when they talk about themselves. Someone has said Pride is the only sickness everyone can recognize except the person who has it!
Also, Pride seldom admits a need

Pride gives a person a false sense of self-sufficiency. Have you ever heard the expression, “I’m too proud to ask for help?” When you are too proud to ask for help or admit you have a problem, you are too proud–period!

Pride also seems to pick out the faults of others
Did you notice the Pharisee was quick to criticize and condemn the tax collector? Pride blinds a person to their own faults and magnifies the failures and faults of others. When you compare yourself to someone else, you’re using the wrong standard. God’s measuring stick is not the goodness or badness of another person; His standard is Jesus–how do you measure up to Him?
I once read a story in which a man described a house in Scotland that was painted white. The house stood out clean and brilliant against the dark green backdrop of the grass-covered hills. One day it snowed and the entire country side was transformed into a winter wonderland. When the man looked at the cottage against the backdrop of the pure fallen snow, he noticed for the first time it was dingy and dirty. It was the same house, just a different backdrop. When you compare yourself to a rapist, you may appear to be morally clean, but when you stand up next to the purity of Jesus Christ, you see a different picture.

There was another attitude expressed in the parable and sometimes in some members of the church. The tax collector displayed an attitude that said:
‘I desperately need God’s mercy!’
He couldn’t even lift up his head, he was so burdened. He pounded his fist on his chest, a spontaneous gesture of his agony over his sin. He uttered seven simple words with a voice broken with emotion: “God be merciful to me, a sinner. You don’t have to pray a long, eloquent prayer full of religious words. If you pray a simple prayer that comes from your heart, God will hear you and He will answer you.

When the tax collector caught a glimpse of the greatness and holiness of God, he realized how dirty and filthy he was. The Bible says, “All our righteousness is as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Even the good things we do are dirty compared to the stark, brilliant holiness of God. When you see God for Who He is–holy, then you will be able to see yourself for who you really are–a fallen creature in desperate need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. That can humble you in a hurry.

Is that your attitude? Have you come to a place in your life where you know you can’t make it another moment without God’s mercy, peace, and forgiveness in your life? This past week I heard someone say on the radio, ‘We should return to God and repent every day.’ So True.
The final question to answer is: HOW WILL YOU GO HOME?

In the parable, Jesus said only one of the two men went home justified. “Justified” is a great Bible word meaning to be “right with God.”
In verse 14 Jesus summarized the main principle of the parable by saying: “He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

A paraphrase of verse 14 could be, “If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”
Just like in Jesus’ parable, you’ll go home today basically in one of two conditions.
You may go home…
1. Unchanged–Religious and proud of it!
The Pharisee was so committed to his religious observance that he could be proud by his performance. So he went home unchanged. Thousands of people attend church Sunday after Sunday, but they leave exactly the way they come in. To them, religious observance is something they the simply DO. God addressed the problem of superficial religion in Isaiah 29:13. The Lord says, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”

Dr. Ray Pritchard wrote some powerful words: Without a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ, religion leads you to Hell while making you think you are going to Heaven.

I hope you go home today the same way the tax collector did:

2. Unburdened–Right with God and thankful for it!
Jesus said that this guy, not the respectable, religious Pharisee went home justified and right with God. He entered his church so burdened down by his sin he couldn’t even lift up his head. But when he cried out for the mercy of God, he experienced the liberation of forgiveness. He hadn’t done anything to deserve it, so he couldn’t brag about it. All he could do was to thank God for it!

Maybe you are here today and you feel a little out of place because you aren’t really a very religious person. In fact, you know you have done some dumb things and messed up your life. Congratulations! Like the tax collector, you are the best candidate for God’s mercy and salvation! Just turn to Him and ask for mercy to forgive you.

CONCLUSION But you must approach God in humility if you want to receive His forgiveness. You can’t strut into His presence bragging about how nice you are. In Bethlehem, The Church of the Holy Nativity is built over the place believed to be Jesus’ birthplace. It is a huge stone complex, but it only has one tiny door through which people can enter. It’s called the door of humility and it is less than 48″ high. Originally, there was a larger door, but when the Muslims first conquered Bethlehem, the soldiers rode their horses into the church to defile it. So the monks reduced the size of the door so only a person can enter. And every person must stoop and bow and enter alone. What a lesson! The doorway of God’s mercy and salvation is open to you today but we must humble our self before Him.

Based on a sermon by David Dykes