AVOIDING THE COMPARISON TRAP (SPIRITUALLY)
LUKE 18;9-14
INTRO-
THIS MORNING WE ARE AGAIN GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE COMPARISON TRAP. THIS TIME SPIRITUALLY. INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT OUR LIVES OF WHERE THE LORD WANTS US TO BE, WE LOOK AT OTHERS AND SAY WE ARE NOT AS BAD AS “THAT “ PERSON OR “THOSE PEOPLE”
THERE IS GREAT DANGER WHEN WE FEEL WE HAVE ARRIVED SPIRITUALLY OR WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO ANYTHING OR ANYONE OTHER THAN CHRIST.
LUKE 18 BEGINS WITH A PARABLE ON PRAYER. PERSISTENT PRAYER AND THE CORRELATION THAT GOD WILL BRING JUSTICE AND HEAR THE PRAYERS OF HIS PEOPLE.
LUKE 18:9-14 TALKS ABOUT 2 DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO SPEAKING TO GOD.
LUKE 18:9-14 READ
THE PHARISEE’S DURING JESUS TIME WOULD OF BEEN CONSIDERED THE LEADERS OF THE DAY. THEY WERE SUPER RELIGIOUS, EXTREMELY CAREFUL TO FULFILL THE LAW. THE TAX COLLECTOR WAS THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN. HIRED BY THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT, THEY CHARGED RIDICULOUS TAXES AND WERE ABLE TO KEEP MOST OF THE MONEY. EVERYONE HATED THE TAX COLLECTOR EXCEPT THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT. IT IS JUST LIKE THE LORD TO MAKE THE GOOD GUY THE BAD GUY AND THE BAD GUY THE GOOD GUY BY THE WORLD’S STANDARDS. LET ME GIVE YOU AN ILLUSTRATION I FOUND BY DR. DAVID DYKES ON SERMON CENTRAL. I CHANGED IT A LITTLE TO FIT US NAZARENES
ILLUSTRATION-
THE PARABLE OF THE DEACON AND THE DRUG DEALER.
AS NAZARENE BOB WALKED INTO CHURCH ONE SUNDAY MORNING, HE WAS DISGUSTED TO SEE LARRY LOWLIFE THERE, FOR LARRY WAS A DRUG DEALER WHO HAD JUST GOTTEN OUT OF JAIL. BOB WARNED SOME OF THE USHERS TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON LARRY BECAUSE HE WAS A NO-GOOD CROOK. BEFORE THE OFFERING, IT WAS BOB’S TIME TO PRAY. HE WALKED UP PROUDLY TO THE MICROPHONE AND BEGAN TO PRAY USING HIS RELIGIOUS TONE OF VOICE. “HEAVENLY FATHER, I THANK THEE I’VE BEEN DEACON IN THIS CHURCH FOR TWENTY YEARS. I EVEN REMEMBER WHEN I BUILT THIS BUILDING USING MY OWN TWO HANDS. AND I THANK THEE THAT I HAVEN’T MISSED A SINGLE SUNDAY FOR OVER TEN YEARS, THERE WERE TIMES , O LORD, WHEN I WAS SICK, BUT I CAME ANYWAY. AND FATHER, THOU KNOWEST I USED TO SING IN THE CHOIR, UNTIL I WAS PERSECUTED BY THE SONG LEADER WHO WOULDN’T SING MY STYLE OF MUSIC- BUT I CAN ENDURE PERSECUTION JUST LIKE THOU DIDEST. THOU HAST BLESSED ME FINANCIALLY SO I’VE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE YOU MUCH MORE THAN THE TEN PERCENT . I THANK THEE THAT I’M MORALLY PURE FOR I DON’T DRINK, AND I DON’T CUSS ON SUNDAYS, AND I DON’T SMOKE UNFILTERED CIGARETTES AND I DON’T USE DRUGS OR SELL THEM-LIKE SOMEONE WHO IS AMONG US TODAY. LORD, WE NEED MORE PEOPLE JUST LIKE ME IN OUR CHURCH. AND LORD, HELP EVERYONE TO COME OUT TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7 P.M. AT OAK PARK FIELD TO WATCH OUR CHURCH SOFTBALL TEAM BEAT THE METHODISTS AGAIN AND BLESS THE GIFT AND THE GIVER IN JESUS NAME. AMEN.
EXTREME? YES. BUT THAT IS SOME PEOPLE’S IDEA OF A PRAYER.
QUESTION- WHY DID YOU COME THIS MORNING?
I CAME TO WORSHIP THE LORD CAN YOU DO THAT AT HOME? YES
I CAME TO SEEK ANSWERS FROM THE LORD CAN YOU DO THAT AT HOME? YES
I CAME TO BE WITH PEOPLE OF LIKE MINDED FAITH CAN YOU DO THAT AT HOME? NO YOU CAN NOT I LEAD THE PARADE THAT WE NEED TO BE IN CHURCH..YOUR OWN CHURCH.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN WE ARE PRAYING THAT THE PRAYER IS TO THE LORD AND NOT A MINI SERMON TO THOSE AROUND US. PRAYER SHOULD ALWAYS BE DIRECTED TO GOD ALONE.
ILLUSTRATION-
THERE WAS A LITTLE BOY WHO WAS KNEELING BY HIS BED WITH HIS MOM TO SAY HIS NIGHTLY PRAYER. HE BEGAN TO SHOUT TO THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. DEAR GOD (GET LOUDER) I’VE BEEN A REAL GOOD BOY THIS YEAR SO PLEASE LET ME GET A NEW BICYCLE FOR MY BIRTHDAY. HIS MOM, SON, GOD IS NOT DEAF; YOU DON’T NEED TO YELL. HE SAID; GOD IS NOT DEAF, BUT GRANDMA IS AND SHE IS IN THE NEXT ROOM.
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.
I. PHARISEE’S
THE PHARISEE’S USED THAT TIME FOR SELFISH PURPOSES, HE WANTED TO EXALT SELF. HE WAS SELF ABSORBED WITH HIMSELF. HIS ATTITUDE WAS LOOK AT ME THEY PRAYED STANDING, UP FRONT, WITH ALL THEIR COLORFUL ATTIRE, THE CENTER OF ATTENTION, TO PEOPLE WHO EXALTED THEM INSTEAD OF GOD. THEY CAME TO THE MOST SACRED PLACE- THE CHURCH, TO EXALT THEMSELFS INSTEAD OF GOD. TO SHOW EVERYONE HOW GOOD THEY ARE BY WHAT THEY DO NOT DO.
I AM NOT A ROBBER, I AM NOT AN ADULTERER
I DON’T SMOKE , DRINK, OR CUSS, AND I DON’T ASSOCIATE WITH ANYBODY THAT DOES.
BY THEN LETTING EVERYONE KNOW WHAT HE DOES:
I FAST TWICE A WEEK- IT WAS ONLY REQUIRED TO FAST ONE DAY A YEAR, SO I AM 101 TIMES BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE. I TITHE ON MY INCOME. I GIVE EXTRA. ALL THAT IS GOOD ,BUT WE CAN MISS IT..
OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE THINGS OF GOD PLAYS A BIG PART IN OUR LIFE. WE CAN RISE AND FALL BY OUR ATTITUDE. A GOOD ATTITUDE IS A BLESSING FROM GOD AND GIVE’S GOD GLORY FOR WHAT HE IS DOING IN YOUR LIFE. A BAD ATTITUDE IS A CURSE, A DECEPTION, BECAUSE IT REVEALS OUR HEART AND SHOWS HOW WE ARE SELFISH AND BOASTFUL.
WHO IS JESUS TALKING TO HERE;
PROBABLY RELIGIOUS LEADERS, A LOT OF PHARISEE’S, SCRIBES, TEACHERS OF THE LAW. PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE.
II TAX COLLECTOR
THE TAX COLLECTOR KNEW WHAT HIS PAST WAS. HE IS CONSCIENCE OF THE FACT THAT HE HAS SINNED. HE KNEW THAT HE NEEDED GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND MERCY. HE KNEW HIS REPENTANCE REVOLVED AROUND GOD AND NOT AROUND WHAT HE DOES. HE CAME TO THE TEMPLE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT BETWEEN HIM AND GOD. THE PHARISEE WAS ALL ABOUT “I”. I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER MEN. I FAST TWICE A WEEK, I GIVE A TITHE. THE TAX COLLECTOR CANNOT EVEN LOOK TOWARD HEAVEN, AND SAID, “GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER” SURE WHEN YOU COMPARE YOURSELF TO AN AX MURDERER, YOU LOOK LIKE A HERO, IT DOESN’T MATTER THAT YOU ARE BETTER THAN AVERAGE, WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
HERE IS WHAT SHOULD BE OUR PRAYER THIS MORNING:
GOD, I DESPERATELY NEED YOUR MERCY
WHEN WE GET A TRUE LOOK AT WHO JESUS IS, WE SEE THAT OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS (ISAIAH 64:6) WE SEE THAT IN OURSELVES WE DO NOT MEASURE UP., BECAUSE WE MEASURE UP AGAINST ANOTHER FALLEN AND DESPERATE PERSON, DOES NOT MAKE US LOOK BETTER.
COUNTRY SONG;
OH LORD IT’S HARD TO BE HUMBLE
WHEN YOUR PERFECT IN EVERY WAY
I CAN’T WAIT TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR
CUZ I GET BETTER LOOKING EACH DAY
TO KNOW ME IS TO LOVE ME
I MUST BE ONE REALLY GREAT MAN
OH LORD IT’S HARD TO BE HUMBLE
BUT I’M DOING THE BEST THAT I CAN.
THE TAX COLLECTOR’S PRAYER IS NOT LONG AND ELOQUENT. IT IS SEVEN SHORT WORDS- “GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME A SINNER” NO BIG DICTIONARY WORDS, SINCERE AND FROM THE HEART
THINK ABOUT THIS:
DO YOU EVER LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO DON’T GO TO CHURCH, AND THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE BECAUSE YOU GO TO CHURCH, IF SO JESUS IS TALKING TO YOU THIS MORNING
DO YOU EVER LOOK AT PEOPLE IN PRISON, AND THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT,? IF SO , JESUS IS TALKING TO YOU THIS MORNING
DO YOU EVER LOOK AT PEOPLE WHO ARE DIVORCED, AND THINK THAT YOU ARE BETTER THAN THEM, JESUS WANTS TO TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING
HUMILITY IMPRESSES GOD
THERE IS TWO WAYS TO LEAVE HERE THIS MORNING:
UNCHANGED AND NOT WILLING TO CHANGE, OR REPENTANT AND RIGHT WITH GOD.
PRIDE SEES FAULT IN OTHERS, BUT IT IS HARD TO SEE IN OURSELVES.
OUR GOD IS NOT A GOOD LUCK CHARM.
YOUR NOT SAVED BY WEARING A CROSS AROUND YOUR NECK. DO YOU TREAT GOD LIKE A WISHING WELL? WHEN EVER YOU NEED HIM TO SO SOMETHING FOR YOU, YOUR RIGHT THERE. BUT WHEN YOU DON’T NEED HIM, YOUR NO WHERE TO BE FOUND.
THE PHARISEE DOES NOT REALLY PRAY AT ALL. HE ASKS GOD FOR NOTHING. HIS THANKSGIVING WAS ALL SHOW. THE TAX COLLECTOR CLEARLY DISTRESSED BY HIS OWN UNWORTHINESS PLEADS FOR GOD’S MERCY. JESUS SAYS THIS MAN; RATHER THAN THE OTHER, WENT HOME JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD.
CLOSING:
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO BE RIGHT WITH PEOPLE? MORE THAN WHAT GOD THINKS? HOLINESS IS NOT WHAT WE DO, IT IS A LIFESTYLE TO LIVE A PLEASING LIFE TO JESUS. WHAT DO YOU SAY THIS MORNING?
