
Season 3 - The Storyteller
Episode 11 - “The Parable of the Pharisee & Tax Collector”
Pastor Adam James, December 8, 2019
Text: Luke 18:9-14
Intro: The gift of personal and corporate revival is found in the truth of these verses. The defining and determining issue of the Christian life…pride vs. humility. A critical spirit vs. a contrite spirit.
5 Things Jesus Wants Us To Know:
(1) *This parable is written to humanity (v.9)*
EVERYONE is born into pride, which includes a self-exalting, fault-finding critical spirit.
“I’m so glad I’m not like that religious snob!” (Jesus: “Gotcha”)
The one who thinks they don’t struggle with pride, is the one who is struggling the most.
The one who thinks they “used to struggle with pride” is the one who is struggling the most.
There is a continuum of pride from Arrogance to Self-Pity…same fruit, different variety.
(2) Religious/spiritual pride is especially dangerous and blinding (v.10-12)
Everyone has the cancer of pride, no one has the corner on humility & it might surprise you where you find them. This parable turned the tables upside down of what you’d expect.
Anywhere a person or group take pride & feel self-righteous in how they’re living and judge others as less than, worse than, beneath them… that is a form of religious pride… there are different varieties of the same fruit… different branches of the same tree. (Church & World).
**There cannot be an “air” about us that is critical of others, looks down on others, fault-finding of others, better than others…or the Lord will oppose us & the blessing of God will be lifted. The Pharisee was mocking the Tax Collector IN CHURCH! We need to pursue, invite, welcome, help the “tax collectors”. The “I can’t believe they are here” attitude is DEADLY to a church & offensive to God & people.
(3) Our loving God hates & opposes pride.
Proverbs 6:16-19… “Haughty eyes” (Pride) brings every other sin with it.
Pride seeks to take credit & make sure others know how great we are. Turtle/Rope story
Pride loves to be right, refuses to be wrong. Pride seeks to shift blame on others.
Pride loves to be recognized & applauded. Reagan story
Pride has a critical, fault-finding spirit. Our tendency is to look at the sins of others through a microscope and our own through a telescope (if at all).
Pride compares itself with others rather than with Christ. (“When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” - 2 Cor. 10:12)
Notice how the Pharisee saw the sins of others but not his own. CRITICAL SPIRIT.
Whereas the Tax Collector only saw his own & his need for mercy. CONTRITE SPIRIT.
(4) The gift of humility & spiritual sight is first devastating then liberating. (v. 13-14)
Humility is being the worst sinner you know & running to the only Savior there is…for mercy.
“Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.” - CJ Mahaney
“Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is the first duty and the highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue. And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil.” - Andrew Murray
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” - CS Lewis
Humility is a journey not a destination. (There’s a first time but its not a one-time…)
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken & contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Ps. 51:17)
(5) Eternity is on the line. (v. 14)
There is an Absolute Universal Spiritual Principle of Pride vs. Humility in our Attitude & Approach to God (& others) that is THE determining factor in where we will spend Eternity.
Jesus directly connects it to “justification”.
It’s also the determining factor for believers in how you grow, experience God’s grace & fellowship in the Christian life, and whether or not you will share God’s love with others.
“If you don’t think you need mercy, you won’t show compassion.”
This is Spiritual Gravity in the Inverted Kingdom of God: To go up you go down, to go down you go up.
What does Jesus want us to FEEL?
Sober…Pride can sneak in at any moment. It is to be battled every hour of every day.
Alert…This is what it may well mean to be constant in prayer.
Grateful…Jesus came to make humility & therefore salvation possible.
Determined…To our last breath, to Root out pride, cultivate humility. Run to Jesus again & again.
What does Jesus want us to DO?
Look in the Mirror… Examine yourself
Look in the Manger… Look to Christ
Call out for Mercy… Humble yourself
Rejoice that mercy is Made available… (& share it with others!)
REPEAT UNTIL DEATH
Conclusion:
Because Jesus came in humility, the gift of a humble, broken/contrite heart is available to those who realize they need it and seek it from God.
Discussion Questions:
Getting to Know Me
Christmas carols are some of the greatest worship songs ever written! What is your favorite?
During the Christmas season, it is easy to get very busy and focus on many different things. What are things you do during the holiday season to help keep your heart focused on Jesus, the one whom this season is all about? Any fun traditions?
Who do you look up to in your life as a role model for practicing humility? What about them displays their humble hearts? Describe what is like to be around them.
Into the Bible
Read Luke 2:1-20
Have you ever considered the way Jesus came into our world? What does it say about Jesus that he came as an infant, born in a manger?
Why do you think it was God’s plan for Jesus to enter our world the way that he did?
How does Jesus’s example of humility, not only in his birth but furthermore in his life, death and resurrection, encourage you in your own development of humility?
Application
What was your main takeaway from the sermon? How were you impacted/encouraged?
In his sermon, Pastor Adam described the two fruits of pride, or the two ditches people fall into when it comes to pride, as arrogance and self-pity. Which ditch do you tend towards when it comes to pride in your own life?
Pastor Adam said is his sermon that, “Pride is the mother of all sins – all sins come from the root of pride.” Why is pride the mother of all sins? How would you explain what that statement means?
Pastor Adam described humility as first devastating and then liberating. How do we as believers continue to move towards liberation so that we don’t remain in devastation at the risk of falling to self-pity?
Out of the “5 things Jesus Wants Us to Do,” which stood out most you? Why?
What was your biggest takeaway from Sean and Reggie Gross’s testimony?
What is one thing God is asking you to do or one prayer God is calling you to pray as a result of listening to this sermon?