Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021043
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:09 >> IT'S BEEN 2,000 YEARS SINCE THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF THE CROSS 00:12 ILLUMINATED A WORLD VEILED IN DARKNESS AND CONFUSION ABOUT 00:15 THE CHARACTER OF GOD AND STILL TODAY THE GREATEST NEED 00:18 OF MANKIND IS A REVELATION OF GOD'S LOVE AS REVEALED 00:22 IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST. 00:23 AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS "THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL" 00:27 WITH PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR. 00:28 COMING TO YOU EACH WEEK FROM SACRAMENTO CENTRAL CHURCH 00:31 IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA, DISCOVER HIDDEN TREASURES 00:34 IN GOD'S WORD TODAY. 00:38 >> I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS A PARABLE WITH YOU FROM 00:42 THE WORD OF GOD TODAY THAT IS FAMILIAR TO MOST. 00:46 IT ONLY APPEARS ONE TIME IN THE BIBLE. 00:49 IT'S IN THE BOOK OF LUKE 18. 00:51 NOW THE SERMON TODAY IS DEALING WITH THE SUBJECT OF AM I 00:55 A PHARISEE OR A PUBLICAN? 00:57 AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW WHAT CHAPTER WE'RE GOING TO. 01:00 LUKE 18:9. 01:04 LUKE 18:9. 01:05 YOU DON'T FIND IT IN MARK OR JOHN. 01:09 YOU THOUGHT YOU MIGHT FIND THIS IN THE BOOK OF MATTHEW BECAUSE 01:11 MATTHEW IS A FORMER PUBLICAN, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON MATTHEW 01:15 DIDN'T PUT IT DOWN. 01:17 BUT LUKE RECORDED THIS UNIQUE PARABLE. 01:20 LUKE 18:9. 01:22 I'M GONNA READ IT THROUGH. 01:24 I MIGHT REFER BACK TO IT A FEW TIMES ALONG THE WAY. 01:28 "AND HE SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO SOME WHO TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES 01:33 THAT THEY WERE RIGHTEOUS AND DESPISED OTHERS. 01:37 TWO MEN WENT UP TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY, ONE A PHARISEE, 01:42 THE OTHER A TAX COLLECTOR. 01:45 THE PHARISEE STOOD AND HE PRAYED THUS WITH HIMSELF, 'GOD, 01:50 I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER MEN, EXTORTIONERS, 01:55 UNJUST, ADULTERERS, OR EVEN AS THIS TAX COLLECTOR. 02:00 I FAST TWICE A WEEK. 02:02 I GIVE TITHES OF ALL THAT I POSSESS.' 02:06 AND THE TAX COLLECTOR, STANDING AFAR OFF, 02:09 WOULD NOT SO MUCH AS RAISE HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, BUT HE BEAT HIS 02:13 BREAST, SAYING, 'GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER.'" 02:19 AND JESUS SUMMARIZES THE PARABLE BY SAYING 02:22 IN VERSE 14, " I TELL YOU THIS MAN," THE PUBLICAN, 02:26 "WENT DOWN TO HIS HOUSE JUSTIFIED RATHER THAN THE 02:29 OTHER, FOR EVERYONE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF WILL BE ABASED 02:34 AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF WILL BE EXALTED." 02:37 NOW YOU'RE PROBABLY THINKING, "PASTOR DOUG, WE'VE READ THIS 02:41 PARABLE BEFORE AND SHOULDN'T TAKE US LONG TO GET 02:45 THROUGH THIS. 02:47 SEEMS LIKE THE LESSONS ARE OBVIOUS. 02:49 IT TELLS US WHO HE SPOKE IT TO AND HE SUMMARIZES WHAT THE 02:52 MORAL IS AT THE END, SO WE CAN NOD REVERENTLY AND CLOSE OUR 02:57 BIBLES NOW AND SAY, 'THAT WAS A GOOD STORY.'" 03:00 BUT THERE'S REALLY A LOT MORE HERE THAN YOU MIGHT SUSPECT 03:03 BECAUSE IN THIS PARABLE YOU'VE GOT TWO GROUPS 03:07 ARE REPRESENTED. 03:09 ONE IS SAVED, ONE IS LOST. 03:12 WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE WE FIT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE 03:17 IN THIS STORY GOT THINGS BACKWARDS. 03:21 THE PUBLICANS WERE THE MOST RELIGIOUS OF THE BELIEVERS IN 03:25 GOD BACK IN THE TIME OF CHRIST. 03:27 AND SO WHEN JESUS TOLD THIS STORY, IT WAS CONSIDERED AN 03:29 OUTRAGEOUS ILLUSTRATION THAT WAS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT 03:34 BY ANY MEANS TO SAY THAT THE PUBLICAN WOULD BE SAVED 03:39 AND THE PHARISEE WOULD BE LOST. 03:42 NOW I, LIKE SOME, HAVE READ THIS STORY BEFORE AND THOUGHT, 03:46 "WELL, THE TRUTH IS JUST RIGHT THERE ON THE SURFACE. 03:49 I'M GONNA APPRECIATE THAT AND MOVE RIGHT ALONG." 03:53 AND THEN IT OCCURRED TO ME ONE DAY, "WELL DOUG, 03:56 DON'T GO SO FAST. 03:59 YOU MIGHT BE IN THAT STORY SOMEWHERE AND IT MIGHT NOT 04:01 BE WHERE YOU THINK." 04:04 THIS PARABLE IS PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING TO THOSE THAT ARE IN 04:07 THE CHURCH BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE QUICKLY THEY BOTH GO TO CHURCH. 04:14 NOW THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS THAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON THAT WE CAN 04:17 APPRECIATE, BUT SOMEONE GOT SOMETHING BACKWARDS. 04:21 I HEARD ONE TIME ABOUT A TEENAGE BOY THAT GOT A NEW 04:24 SURFBOARD FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND THEY GOT A NEW WETSUIT AND HE 04:28 DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT SURFING, BUT HE TOOK IT TO THE BEACH 04:31 FIRST CHANCE HE COULD GET. 04:33 HAPPENED TO BE A DAY WHERE THE SURF WAS OUT REALLY HIGH. 04:36 THEY HAD A LIFEGUARD THERE WITH HIS MEGAPHONE AND SOME FLAGS 04:40 WERE UP BECAUSE ONLY EXPERIENCED SURFERS WERE OUT. 04:43 WELL, HE GRABBED HIS BOARD, DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE WARNING 04:45 FLAGS, AND HE WENT CHARGING OFF INTO THE SURF. 04:48 AND HE HEARD CALLING OVER HIS SHOULDER, "YOU ARE AN 04:52 UNEXPERIENCED SURFER. 04:53 GET OUT OF THE WATER." 04:56 AND HE JUST FROZE. 04:57 HE WAS MORTIFIED. 04:58 HE TURNED AROUND AND CAME WITH HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS UP OUT 05:02 OF THE WATER AND HE WALKED OVER TO THE LIFEGUARD AND SAID, "HOW 05:05 DID YOU KNOW THAT I WAS A NOVICE?" 05:08 HE SAID, "WELL, FOR STARTERS, YOUR WETSUIT'S ON BACKWARDS." 05:11 [LAUGHING] >> AND HE WAS THE LAST ONE 05:17 TO KNOW IT. 05:19 AND THE DANGER WITH ARROGANCE IS--HAVE YOU EVER TRIED 05:24 TO TELL AN ARROGANT PERSON THEY'RE ARROGANT? 05:28 THEY JUST CAN'T SEE IT. 05:31 AND THE REASON THEY CAN'T SEE IT IS 'CAUSE THEY'RE ARROGANT. 05:34 AND SO I WANT YOU TO PRAY FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT BECAUSE SOME 05:39 OF YOU THINK YOU'RE PUBLICANS AND YOU MIGHT BE PHARISEES. 05:42 SOME OF YOU MIGHT THINK YOU'RE PHARISEES AND YOU'RE 05:44 REALLY PUBLICANS. 05:45 AND SOME OF US PROBABLY MODEL A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH OF THESE 05:49 BEHAVIORS, BUT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO STUDY 05:52 THIS BECAUSE ONE IS SAVED, ONE IS LOST. 05:55 WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE THE RIGHT ONE. 05:58 SO LET'S FIRST TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THEY HAD IN COMMON. 06:02 THERE WERE SOME GOOD THINGS AND WE MAY REFER BACK TO 06:05 THE STORY A COUPLE OF TIMES. 06:07 FIRST OF ALL, THEY BOTH BELIEVED IN GOD. 06:10 THAT'S GOOD. 06:12 IT'S SORT OF OBVIOUS THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE KINGDOM, 06:14 YOU NEED TO START WITH DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD. 06:18 MOSES IN THAT GREAT DECLARATION IN DEUTERONOMY 6:4 SAID, "HEAR, 06:23 O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE. 06:27 THE LORD IS GOD. 06:28 THERE IS ONE LORD." 06:30 JAMES 2:19 REMINDS US, "YOU BELIEVE THERE IS ONE GOD. 06:35 YOU DO WELL." 06:36 IT'S GOOD. 06:37 STARTING POINT. 06:38 BUT KEEP IN MIND THE DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE THAT. 06:41 SO JUST BECAUSE YOU GO TO CHURCH AND BELIEVE THERE'S 06:43 A GOD DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO IT. 06:47 I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR SALVATION BEFORE AND THEY 06:49 SAY, "OH, DON'T BOTHER ME. 06:51 I BELIEVE IN GOD. 06:53 AND THEY THINK THAT'S ALL THERE IS. 06:56 WELL, YOU MUST DO THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL. 06:58 YES, WE MUST BELIEVE IN GOD. 06:59 PSALM 14:1. 07:01 IT'S THE FOOL WHO SAID IN HIS HEART, "THERE IS NO GOD." 07:04 THERE'S AN ABUNDANCE OF EVIDENCE FOR THAT. 07:06 ISAIAH 44:6, "BESIDE ME THERE IS NO GOD." 07:09 WE KNOW THAT GOD IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT IN SALVATION, 07:15 BELIEF IN HIM. 07:16 WE ALSO READ ON AND FIND OUT THEY DID SOMETHING ELSE 07:19 THAT WAS GOOD. 07:20 THEY BOTH WENT TO CHURCH. 07:23 WELL, THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT. 07:25 WE NEED TO GO TO CHURCH. 07:27 I'VE OFTEN SAID IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO GET YOU 07:29 TO CHURCH ONCE A WEEK, YOU PROBABLY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH 07:31 TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN. 07:33 AND WHILE I'M ON THIS POINT, SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, 07:39 I'M NOT GOING TO CHURCH BECAUSE THERE'S HYPOCRITES 07:42 OR PUBLICANS THERE." 07:45 WELL, THAT SHOULDN'T KEEP YOU. 07:47 THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE. 07:50 DON'T STAY AWAY FROM CHURCH BECAUSE SOMEBODY AT THE CHURCH 07:52 HAS HURT YOUR FEELINGS. 07:54 YOU'RE NOT GOING BECAUSE OF PEOPLE. 07:56 YOU'RE GOING BECAUSE OF GOD. 07:58 AND I DON'T WANT TO RUSH PAST THIS POINT. 08:01 I RUN INTO PEOPLE ALL THE TIME AND THEY SAY, "YES, I STILL 08:04 BELIEVE THE MESSAGE, BUT I DON'T GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE 08:07 BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HYPOCRITES." 08:10 OR IT'S BORING. 08:11 A LOT OF THE TEENAGERS IN OUR MEETINGS LAST WEEK, THEY SAID, 08:13 "WELL, IT'S SO BORING." 08:16 WELL, DO WE GO TO CHURCH TO BE ENTERTAINED OR TO WORSHIP GOD? 08:20 AND IF YOUR WORSHIP OF GOD IS NOT INTERESTING, 08:22 IT ISN'T GOD'S FAULT. 08:23 YOU MIGHT LOOK AT YOURSELF. 08:25 ANOTHER THING ABOUT GOING TO CHURCH, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE 08:28 THIS DOESN'T TRANSITION INTO A SERMON ABOUT WHY YOU NEED TO GO 08:31 TO CHURCH, BUT A GOOD PREACHER CAN'T MISS THIS COMMERCIAL 08:34 OPPORTUNITY, IN SPITE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH IN THE 08:39 DAYS OF JESUS, IN THE DAYS OF JESUS THEY HAD A LOT OF 08:43 PHARISEES IN THE CHURCH. 08:45 THERE WERE A LOT OF HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH. 08:47 INDEED, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE GOING TO CONDEMN THE SON OF GOD 08:49 TO DEATH WENT TO CHURCH. 08:52 JESUS NEVER FAILED TO BE SEEN IN THE TEMPLE, IN THE 08:55 SYNAGOGUE. 08:56 HE WAS IN CHURCH. 08:57 HE PRAYED IN CHURCH. 08:58 HE TAUGHT IN CHURCH. 09:00 HE WORSHIPED IN CHURCH. 09:01 AND CHRIST IS AN EXAMPLE FOR US. 09:03 SO WHATEVER EXCUSE YOU MIGHT COME UP WITH FOR NOT GOING TO 09:06 CHURCH, YOU WANT TO FOLLOW CHRIST, YOU NEED TO AT LEAST AS 09:10 A BARE MINIMUM DO WHAT THE PUBLICAN AND THE PHARISEE DID. 09:14 THEY DID GO TO CHURCH. 09:16 SOMETHING ELSE WE NOTICE THEY HAD IN COMMON. 09:20 THEY PRAYED. 09:22 BELIEVED IN GOD, THEY WENT TO CHURCH, AND THEY BOTH PRAYED. 09:27 MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU READ IN LUKE 18, THE BEGINNING OF THIS 09:30 SAME CHAPTER, JESUS SAYS--HE TOLD THE PARABLE, SAYING THAT 09:36 MEN ALWAYS OUGHT TO PRAY AND NOT LOSE HEART. 09:40 ALWAYS OUGHT TO PRAY. 09:43 SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO COME TO CHURCH, IMPORTANT TO PRAY. 09:45 BY THE WAY, THE PHARISEE WENT TO CHURCH BECAUSE SOLOMON HAD 09:51 SAID THAT THEY WERE TO COME AND TO PRAY TOWARDS THIS PLACE. 09:55 THE PUBLICAN WENT TO CHURCH BECAUSE IT WAS TO BE CALLED A 09:57 HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLE. 10:01 AND THEY BOTH WENT AND THEY PRAYED. 10:04 NOW THE PHARISEE, HE WENT UP TO THE FRONT AND THAT--BY THE WAY, 10:08 YOU COULD COME TO THE JEWISH CHURCH OR TEMPLE OR SYNAGOGUE. 10:11 IT WASN'T OPEN ONCE A WEEK. 10:14 THEY HAD SPECIAL SERVICES ON THE SABBATH, BUT THEY COULD 10:16 COME THROUGH THE WEEK AND PRAY. 10:18 JESUS TAUGHT DAILY IN THE TEMPLE. 10:21 I REMEMBER GOING, VISITING SOME CHURCHES IN ITALY YEARS AGO. 10:26 I WAS KIND OF AN AGNOSTIC BACK THEN AND I WAS WITH A TOUR 10:29 GROUP AND WE WENT TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL STAINED GLASS IN THIS 10:32 ONE CHURCH AND THERE WAS A SIGN ON THE DOOR THAT SAID THAT, YOU 10:36 KNOW, THEY WERE ONLY OPEN ONCE A WEEK. 10:38 AND OUR TOUR GUIDE--THIS WAS A NEW CHANGE AND HE WAS KIND 10:42 OF MIFFED. 10:43 HE SAYS, "I GUESS GOD IS NOT AVAILABLE." 10:45 HE WAS VERY SARCASTIC ABOUT IT. 10:47 AND I NEVER FORGOT THAT, BUT REALLY IT WAS TO BE A PLACE 10:52 WHERE THE DOORS WERE OPEN. 10:53 YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN IN CITIES LIKE THIS, WHERE ALL WEEK LONG 10:55 THEY KEEP THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH OPEN AND PEOPLE 10:57 CAN COME IN. 10:58 ANY TIME YOU COULD GO IN THERE AND FIND PEOPLE PRAYING. 11:01 IT WAS LIKE THAT IN THE SYNAGOGUES BACK IN THE TIME 11:03 OF CHRIST. 11:04 SO SOMETIME DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK, THEY WANDERED 11:10 INTO CHURCH DURING THE TIME OF PRAYER AND THERE'S ONLY 11:12 TWO OF 'EM THERE THAT DAY. 11:14 SO THEY BOTH PRAYED. 11:16 NOW I OUGHT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND EXPLAIN SOME OF THE 11:19 DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS. 11:22 YOU GOT THE PHARISEE AND YOU'VE GOT A PUBLICAN. 11:27 START WITH THE PHARISEE. 11:29 WHO WERE THE PHARISEES? 11:31 THE WORD PHARISEE, AS NEAR AS WE CAN TELL, IT COMES FROM 11:34 THE WORD IN HEBREW MEANING THE SEPARATED ONES. 11:38 NOW, EVEN THOUGH IN THE STORY IT SEEMS LIKE THE PHARISEE'S THE 11:40 MOST ARROGANT MAN IN THE WORLD, THAT WAS NOT TYPICAL 11:44 OF ALL OF THEM. 11:46 THE PHARISEES WERE A CONSERVATIVE ELEMENT OF 11:50 BELIEVERS THAT WERE VERY ZEALOUS ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES, 11:55 THE LAW OF GOD, AND THE PURITY OF THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH. 11:59 AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS BACK IN THE TIMES BEFORE 12:02 JESUS, WHEN THE JEWISH NATION HAD BEEN CONQUERED BY THE 12:05 BABYLONIANS, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE 12:08 PROPHETS IS YOU WERE OVERCOME BECAUSE OF YOUR 12:10 UNFAITHFULNESS TO GOD. 12:12 SO WHEN THEY CAME BACK FROM THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY IN THE 12:15 TIME OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, THIS SECT DEVELOPED BECAUSE THE 12:19 PERSIAN INFLUENCE WAS COMING IN AND THEN THE GREEK 12:22 INFLUENCE WAS COMING IN. 12:23 THEN THE ROMAN INFLUENCE WAS COMING IN. 12:25 AND THEY SAID, "WE ARE NEVER GOING TO ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE 12:28 INFLUENCED BY THE PAGANS AROUND US. 12:30 WE'VE GOT TOO MUCH HISTORY IN THE BIBLE OF WHAT HAPPENS 12:33 WHEN WE GET INTO IDOLATRY. 12:34 GOD WITHDRAWS HIS PROTECTION." 12:36 SO THERE WAS THIS GROUP WHO FOLLOWED THE THINKING OF EZRA 12:41 AND NEHEMIAH, THAT WERE VERY ZEALOUS FOR LOYALTY TO GOD. 12:45 AND IT WAS A GOOD THING. 12:46 THEY WERE A GOOD PEOPLE. 12:48 NOW YOU COULD BE A SCRIBE AND BE A PHARISEE. 12:52 YOU COULD BE A PRIEST AND BE A PHARISEE. 12:54 OF COURSE, MANY OF THE PRIESTS IN THE TIME OF CHRIST 12:56 WERE SADDUCEES. 12:58 SORT OF LOT OF NEPOTISM IN IT BACK THEN. 13:00 YOU COULD BE A LAWYER. 13:01 YOU KNOW, CHRIST TALKS ABOUT THE SCRIBES, THE LAWYERS, 13:03 THE PHARISEES. 13:04 YOU COULD BE A LAWYER AND STILL BE A PHARISEE. 13:07 IT'S LIKE YOU CAN BE A LAWYER AND BE A DEMOCRAT. 13:09 YOU CAN BE A LAWYER AND BE A REPUBLICAN. 13:10 SO THE PHARISEE WAS A MIND-SET OF THINKING THAT WAS AN 13:13 UMBRELLA OF THIS CONSERVATIVE, SPIRITUAL, ZEALOUS GROUP. 13:20 AND THEY EVEN HAD A FEW FRACTIONS OF THE PHARISEES. 13:22 ONE WERE THE ESSENES. 13:24 HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE ESSENES? 13:26 THEY WERE THE ONES WHO WROTE WHAT WE DISCOVERED 1948 13:28 AS THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS. 13:30 THEY WERE THE VERY DEVOUT GROUP OF PHARISEES. 13:35 SOME OF THE PHARISEES WOULD TRY TO INFLUENCE THE ROMANS. 13:39 THE ESSENES SAID THEY'RE HOPELESS AND THEY JUST KIND OF 13:41 WENT OFF BY THEMSELVES AND THEY GOT ALL OUT OF POLITICS. 13:44 THE PHARISEES DID INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN POLITICS 13:47 A LITTLE BIT. 13:49 PART OF THE SANHEDRIN, GREAT POLITICAL BODY IN ISRAEL, 13:52 WERE PHARISEES. 13:54 NOW THEY WERE VERY DEVOTED AND RIGOROUS IN THEIR PRAYERS, VERY 14:01 RIGOROUS IN THEIR WASHINGS. 14:02 THEY CONDEMNED JESUS ONCE BECAUSE THE DISCIPLES DID NOT 14:05 GO THROUGH THE CEREMONIAL HAND WASHING AND CHRIST SAID, 14:08 "IT'S NOT WHAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH THAT DEFILES YOU, 14:10 BUT WHAT COMES OUT." 14:11 AND JESUS SAID, "YOU ARE SO ZEALOUS ABOUT CLEANING THE 14:14 OUTSIDE OF THE CUP, PHARISEES, BUT YOU'RE NOT CLEANING 14:17 THE INSIDE OF THE CUP." 14:18 HE WASN'T CONDEMNING THEM FOR BEING FASTIDIOUS AND CLEAN. 14:21 HE SAID, "MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN THE RIGHT PART." 14:24 AND IT WAS THE PHARISEES--REMEMBER, HE WENT TO 14:27 THE HOUSE OF SIMON, WHO HAD BEEN A LEPER THAT WAS HEALED. 14:30 HE WAS A PHARISEE. 14:32 BUT HE WAS LOOKING DOWN AT MARY. 14:34 IF THIS MAN WAS A PROPHET, HE WOULDN'T LET THIS UNCLEAN WOMAN 14:37 WITH THIS SORDID REPUTATION TOUCH HIM. 14:40 THAT WAS THE PHARISEE MIND-SET. 14:41 DON'T LET THE SAMARITANS TOUCH YOU. 14:43 DON'T LET THE SHADOW OF A SAMARITAN GET ON YOU. 14:47 AND SO THEY WERE SEPARATING THEMSELVES FROM ANYTHING 14:50 THAT COULD DEFILE THEM AND MAKE THEM UNHOLY. 14:54 VERY ZEALOUS OF THE LAW. 14:55 VERY ZEALOUS FOR THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 14:57 VERY ZEALOUS FOR FAITHFULNESS IN THE LITTLE THINGS. 15:01 WHAT DID CHRIST SAY TO THE PHARISEES? 15:02 "YOU PAY TITHE FROM YOUR LITTLE HERB GARDENS, YOUR MINT AND 15:06 YOUR ANISE AND YOUR CUMIN, BUT YOU OMIT THE WEIGHTIER MATTERS 15:10 OF THE LAW, JUSTICE, MERCY, LOVE." 15:13 AND SO THERE WAS THIS ONGOING BATTLE, WHERE CHRIST WAS 15:16 TELLING THE PHARISEES, "I'M THANKFUL FOR YOUR DEVOTION, BUT 15:21 YOUR PRIORITIES ARE MESSED UP." 15:24 AND IN THIS PARABLE, THIS PHARISEE WAS EXHIBIT A OF 15:28 A SELF-RIGHTEOUS, HYPOCRITICAL PHARISEE WHO WAS NOT THINKING 15:32 ABOUT LOVING HIS FELLOW MAN OR THE INWARD CHANGE. 15:37 HE WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH EXTERNAL RELIGION. 15:40 THE PHARISEES WERE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT A FORM 15:44 OF GODLINESS AND NOT HAVING THE POWER ON THE INSIDE. 15:48 SO HERE YOU'VE GOT THE PHARISEES. 15:50 OH, A LITTLE MORE HISTORY. 15:51 THEY BEGAN TO EXIST ABOUT 144 YEARS, THIS GROUP, 15:55 BEFORE CHRIST. 15:57 THEY HAD SEPARATED THEMSELVES, WANTED TO PRESERVE 16:01 THE WORSHIP OF GOD. 16:02 AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM IN THE WRITINGS 16:05 OF JOSEPHUS. 16:08 THEY ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE RIGHT. 16:12 WHO WAS IT THAT SAID-- JIMMY HOFFA. 16:15 YOU REMEMBER THAT UNION BOSS THAT DISAPPEARED, A LEADER OF 16:18 THE TEAMSTERS? 16:19 HE SAID, "I MAY HAVE MY FAULTS, BUT BEING WRONG AIN'T ONE 16:23 OF 'EM." 16:25 SO THAT WAS THE PHARISEE MENTALITY. 16:28 AND RALPH WALDO EMERSON SAID, "NOTHING IS SO SHALLOW 16:31 AS DOGMATISM." 16:34 AND PHARISEES WERE ALSO VERY ZEALOUS OF THEIR ANCESTRY. 16:39 JESUS SAID, "YOU CLEAN AND YOU WASH AND YOU PAINT THE TOMBS 16:44 OF THE PROPHETS, BUT YOUR ANCESTORS ARE THE ONES 16:46 WHO KILLED THEM." 16:48 THAT HYPOCRISY. 16:49 SOMEONE ELSE SAID, "SOME PEOPLE ARE SO PROUD OF THEIR 16:51 ANCESTORS, YOU WOULD THINK THEY FELT RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM." 16:55 NOW THE PUBLICANS. 16:57 LET'S FIND OUT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHO WERE THE PUBLICANS. 17:02 IF YOU'VE GOT A BIBLE TRANSLATION THAT'S A LITTLE 17:04 NEWER--MATTER OF FACT, EVEN THE NEW KING JAMES DOESN'T USE 17:07 THE WORD PUBLICAN VERY MUCH. 17:09 IT USES THE WORD TAX COLLECTOR. 17:11 NOW IN CASE WE HAVE ANY PEOPLE HERE--WE ARE THE CAPITAL 17:14 OF CALIFORNIA. 17:15 WE MIGHT HAVE SOME TAX COLLECTORS HERE TODAY. 17:20 BIBLE SAYS WE SHOULD LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AND OUR ENEMIES, SO 17:22 WE LOVE EVERYBODY, BUT THE TAX COLLECTORS TODAY ARE DIFFERENT 17:27 THAN THE TAX COLLECTOR IN BIBLE TIMES. 17:29 YOU COULD BE AN UPSTANDING CHRISTIAN AND STILL BE 17:32 A TAX COLLECTOR. 17:34 BUT IT'S HARD. 17:35 NO, I'M JUST TEASING. 17:36 [LAUGHING] >> ACTUALLY, I KNOW WE DO HAVE 17:39 SOME PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE IRS IN OUR CHURCH. 17:41 I'M JUST GIVIN' 'EM A HARD TIME. 17:43 BACK IN CHRIST'S TIME, THE TAX COLLECTORS WERE CONSIDERED 17:46 TRAITORS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT COLLECTING TAXES FOR ISRAEL. 17:50 THEY WERE COLLECTING TAXES FROM THE JEWS FOR THE ROMANS. 17:56 AND WHAT YOU COULD DO IS YOU COULD SECURE A CONTRACT. 17:58 YOU PROBABLY HAD TO PAY SOMETHING OR BRIBE SOMEBODY. 18:01 YOU HAD TO KNOW SOMEONE IN HIGH PLACES. 18:03 IT WAS KIND OF LIKE THE MAFIOSA. 18:06 AND THEY WOULD GO TO THE ROMAN AUTHORITIES AND THE ROMANS SAY, 18:08 "LOOK, WE DON'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. 18:10 WE DON'T KNOW THE CULTURE. 18:11 WE DON'T WANT TO COLLECT TAXES, BUT WE NEED THE TAX MONEY. 18:13 WE WILL SUBCONTRACT TO YOU PUBLICANS, TAX COLLECTORS, 18:18 TO COLLECT THIS MUCH TAX FROM THESE DISTRICTS. 18:23 AND ONCE YOU GIVE US OUR REQUIRED DUE, YOU GET TO KEEP 18:26 THE LEFTOVERS. 18:27 AND THEY WOULD EXPLOIT AND EXTORT VAST SUMS, NOT ONLY SO 18:33 THEY COULD PAY THE ROMANS WHAT THEY OWED, BUT THEY'D KEEP IT 18:37 FOR THEMSELVES. 18:39 THIS IS HOW ZACCHAEUS BECAME FABULOUSLY WEALTHY. 18:41 HE WAS A PUBLICAN. 18:43 HE WAS A TAX COLLECTOR IN JERICHO. 18:45 GREAT PLACE TO HAVE A CONTRACT FOR BEING A TAX COLLECTOR. 18:50 BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED TRAITORS, TAKING 18:54 GOD'S MONEY FROM GOD'S PEOPLE AND GIVING IT TO THE PAGANS, 18:59 THEY WERE HATED. 19:00 AND AS YOU LOOK THROUGH HOW THE TAX COLLECTORS WERE REFERRED 19:04 TO, FOR INSTANCE EVEN JESUS OFTEN LUMPED THE WORD SINNER 19:11 AND TAX COLLECTOR TOGETHER, THEY WERE A PRETTY BAD BUNCH. 19:14 THEY WERE KNOWN FOR KEEPING THE BARS OPEN, FOR GETTING INVOLVED 19:19 IN PIMPING AND PROSTITUTION, AND IT WAS NOT 19:23 A PRETTY PICTURE. 19:24 THEY WERE THE BOTTOM OF THE SPIRITUAL FOOD CHAIN. 19:27 LISTEN TO THIS. 19:28 MATTHEW 11:19. 19:30 "THE SON OF MAN CAME EATING AND DRINKING, AND THEY SAY, 'LOOK, 19:33 A GLUTTON, A WINEBIBBER, A FRIEND OF TAX COLLECTORS 19:36 AND SINNERS!'" NOTICE THE LINK THERE, 19:38 TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS. 19:40 LUKE 15:1, "THEN ALL THE TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS DREW 19:45 NEAR TO HEAR HIM." 19:46 INTERESTING. 19:47 OF ALL THE PROFESSIONS MENTIONED TO BE LUMPED 19:49 WITH SINNERS IN GENERAL, IT WAS THE TAX COLLECTORS. 19:52 THEY WERE SORT OF EXHIBIT A OF SINNERS. 19:56 SO WHEN JESUS TELLS THIS PARABLE ABOUT THE TWO PEOPLE 19:58 GOING TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY, THEY ARE DIAMETRIC OPPOSITES. 20:03 ONE IS THE ANTITHESIS OF THE OTHER, TWO COMPLETE EXTREMES. 20:08 THE PHARISEES WERE CONSIDERED THE MOST PURE, RELIGIOUS, 20:11 ZEALOUS. 20:13 THEY WERE OBEYING IN THE MINUTEST DETAIL OF THE LAW, 20:16 OBEDIENT, HOLY, GODLY. 20:18 THEY DIDN'T WANT TO BE DEFILED. 20:19 PURE. 20:20 AND BY THE WAY, AGAIN, NOT TO BE TOO HARD ON THE PHARISEES. 20:25 YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD--MOST OF US WOULD VOTE THEM INTO 20:28 LEADERSHIP OF OUR CHURCH BECAUSE FROM THE PEOPLE'S 20:32 PERSPECTIVE, THEY ALWAYS LOOKED UPON THE PHARISEES AS THE ONES 20:35 WHO WERE THE CLOSEST TO GOD. 20:37 THEY LOOKED UPON THE PUBLICANS AS THE MOST GODFORSAKEN 20:41 UNTOUCHABLES THAT WERE LOST. 20:44 SO WHEN JESUS TELLS THIS PARABLE, A ROAR OF 20:50 CONSTERNATION WENT THROUGH THE CROWD WHEN THEY HEARD HIS 20:54 ILLUSTRATION THAT THE PUBLICAN IS SAVED WHEN THE DUST SETTLES 20:58 AND THE PHARISEE IS LOST. 20:59 IT WAS A SHOCKING THING TO SAY. 21:01 YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY KILLED JESUS IN THE END THAT HE 21:05 WOULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS. 21:07 SO PUBLICANS WERE--BY THE WAY, ONE MORE. 21:10 MATTHEW 18:17. 21:12 WHEN SOMEONE WAS DISFELLOWSHIPPED FROM 21:15 THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF UNFAITHFULNESS, JESUS--THESE 21:18 ARE THE WORDS OF JESUS. 21:20 MATTHEW 18:17, HE SAID, "BUT IF HE NEGLECTS TO HEAR THE CHURCH, 21:23 LET HIM BE TO THEE LIKE A HEATHEN MAN 21:26 AND A TAX COLLECTOR." 21:29 NOT ONLY WERE THE PUBLICANS COMPARED TO JUST SINNERS 21:31 IN GENERAL. 21:32 THEY WERE COMPARED TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN A JEW. 21:35 A HEATHEN, A PAGAN. 21:39 AND SO, WOW. 21:43 BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? 21:44 THEY BOTH WENT TO PRAY TO THE SAME GOD IN THE SAME PLACE. 21:49 AND THEY BOTH WENT TO PRAY. 21:51 SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME OF THE QUALITIES OF THEIR PRAYER 21:55 NOW THAT DISTINGUISH THEM. 21:58 FIRST WE'LL TAKE THE PRAYER OF THE PHARISEE. 22:00 BY THE WAY, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS STORY, FRIENDS, I HOPE 22:04 THAT YOU WILL HAVE THE COURAGE, I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU TWO 22:07 PICTURES, TO EXAMINE THOSE TWO PICTURES AND SEE IF YOU'VE GOT 22:12 ANY GENES THAT RESEMBLE EITHER PUBLICAN OR PHARISEE. 22:17 YOU MIGHT FIND YOU'RE RELATED TO BOTH, BUT I'LL DO IT. 22:21 YOU DO IT. 22:22 BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES SOMETIMES DO WE FALL 22:25 INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES. 22:28 AS YOU LOOK AT THE PRAYER OF THE PUBLICAN, AND YOU MIGHT 22:31 WANT TO RETURN TO LUKE AND JUST READ THAT THROUGH 22:33 ONE MORE TIME. 22:34 LUKE 18:10--OR 11. 22:38 "THE PHARISEE STOOD." 22:40 HE WANTS TO BE SEEN PRAYING. 22:43 "AND HE PRAYED THUS WITH HIMSELF." 22:46 SOUNDS STRANGE. 22:47 PRAYED WITH HIMSELF. 22:49 I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS PRAYED WITHIN HIMSELF OR HE'S 22:51 TALKING TO HIMSELF. 22:54 "GOD, I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE OTHER MEN, EXTORTIONERS, 22:58 UNJUST, ADULTERERS, OR EVEN AS THIS TAX COLLECTOR," MEANING IN 23:03 HIS PRAYER HE MUST HAVE GLANCED OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SEEN IN 23:08 THE BACK OF THE CHURCH--NOTICE IT SAYS THE PUBLICAN STOOD 23:10 AFAR OFF. 23:11 THE PUBLICAN'S IN THE BACK AND HE WON'T SO MUCH AS LIFT UP 23:14 HIS EYES. 23:15 HIS HEAD IS DOWN. 23:16 THE PHARISEE IS STANDING, PROBABLY ARMS STRETCHED OUT. 23:19 HIS HEAD IS UP. 23:20 JUST VERY OPPOSITE POSTURE. 23:22 HE'S IN THE FRONT. 23:23 NOW I DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANYONE SITTIN' UP FRONT FEEL BAD 23:26 TODAY, BUT PROBABLY WE HAVE ALL THE PUBLICANS IN 23:29 THE BACK TODAY. 23:30 THAT WHERE THEY ARE? 23:33 JUST KIDDING. 23:34 COME ON, LIGHTEN UP. 23:35 [LAUGHING] 23:40 >> SO WE NOTICE THAT IT SAYS THAT THE PHARISEE WAS CONSCIOUS 23:44 OF HIS GIVING. 23:46 THEY WERE GIVING VISUALLY. 23:48 THEY LIKED TO HAVE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY WERE GIVING. 23:52 THEY GAVE TO BE SEEN. 23:54 CHRIST BEGAN HIS MINISTRY BY SAYING THE HYPOCRITES GIVE 23:56 TO BE SEEN OF MEN. 23:58 THAT'S ALL THE REWARD THEY GET. 24:01 MATTHEW 23:6, "THEY LOVE THE BEST PLACES IN THE FEASTS, THE 24:05 BEST SEATS IN THE SYNAGOGUES." 24:07 SOMETHING ABOUT A PHARISEE, POSITION IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. 24:11 NOW I KNOW WE HAVE NO PHARISEES HERE TODAY, BUT I HAVE SEEN 24:14 SOME CHURCHES WHEN THEY GO THROUGH NOMINATING COMMITTEE 24:17 PROCEDURE, IF SOMEBODY GETS THEIR POSITION OR IF THEY'RE 24:20 VOTED OUT OF POSITION, A LITTLE PHARISEEISM STARTS 24:24 TO BUBBLE OVER. 24:26 "THAT'S MY POSITION! 24:29 HOW DARE YOU GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE." 24:31 I'M SORRY TO SAY I'VE SEEN PEOPLE TRANSFER OUT OF A CHURCH 24:33 TO ANOTHER CHURCH BECAUSE CHURCH FELT SOMEONE ELSE OUGHT 24:37 TO USE THEIR GIFTS AND FULFILL THIS POSITION AND THEY WERE 24:40 SO INDIGNANT, THE THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD GET 24:43 THAT POSITION. 24:46 IS THAT THE SPIRIT OF HUMILITY OR THE SPIRIT OF THE PHARISEE? 24:50 AND YOU MIGHT THINK THE SECT OF PHARISEES DIED OUT BACK 24:54 IN CHRIST'S DAY. 24:55 THAT'S NOT TRUE. 24:56 THEY'RE VERY MUCH ALIVE TODAY. 24:58 THIS PARABLE IS NOT JUST FOR THE TIME OF CHRIST. 25:01 AND BY THE WAY, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WE STUDY THIS 25:06 CAREFULLY BECAUSE THE LORD CAN'T HEAL YOU OF PHARISEEISM 25:13 UNLESS YOU RECOGNIZE IT FIRST. 25:15 IT IS THE HARDEST CONDITION TO REACH 'CAUSE IT FEELS NO NEED. 25:20 IT DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT HAS ANY PROBLEMS. 25:23 DO YOU SEE ANYTHING IN THE PHARISEE'S PRAYER WHERE 25:25 HE SAYS, "LORD, I GOT THIS PROBLEM"? 25:27 HE DOESN'T LIST ANY PROBLEM THAT HE'S GOT. 25:30 HE IS BLIND TO HIS PROBLEMS. 25:31 ALL HE SEES IS HIS VIRTUES. 25:35 YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO SINGING OUR OWN PRAISES, WE 25:37 USUALLY SING A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL, DON'T WE? 25:41 ALSO WHEN WE'RE SINGING THE PRAISES OF OUR CHILDREN, THAT 25:43 USUALLY WORKS THERE AS WELL. 25:46 IN MATTHEW 5:20, "FOR I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS 25:50 EXCEEDS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES, 25:54 YOU WILL BY NO MEANS ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 25:57 WHY DID JESUS SAY THAT? 25:58 PASTOR DOUG, I THOUGHT THAT JESUS HAD CONSIGNED 26:00 ALL THE PHARISEES TO BE LOST. 26:02 NO, THEY HAD A LOT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 26:04 SO WHEN JESUS SAID, "YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST EXCEED THEIR 26:07 RIGHTEOUSNESS," HE'S TALKING ABOUT A HIGHER QUALITY OF 26:10 RIGHTEOUSNESS. 26:11 THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS BEFORE MEN. 26:14 OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS MUST BE BEFORE GOD. 26:18 THEY WERE COMPARED WITH WHAT--THEY WERE ALWAYS 26:20 COMPARING THEMSELVES WITH WHAT PEOPLE SAW. 26:22 AND THEN AGAIN IN MATTHEW 6:1, "TAKE HEED THAT YOU DO YOUR 26:26 CHARITABLE DEEDS, NOT BEFORE MEN TO BE SEEN BY THEM. 26:30 OTHERWISE YOU HAVE NO REWARD OF YOUR FATHER, 26:32 WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. 26:34 THEREFORE, WHEN YOU DO YOUR ALMS, WHEN YOU MAKE AN OFFERING 26:37 OR GIVE A DONATION, DO NOT SOUND A TRUMPET BEFORE YOU 26:40 AS THE HYPOCRITES DO IN THE SYNAGOGUE AND IN THE STREET, 26:43 THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE GLORY OF MEN." 26:46 IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE SOMETHING TO SOMEBODY, YOU DON'T WANT 26:50 EVERYBODY TO KNOW ABOUT IT. 26:51 THEN YOU HAVE TO ASK, "WHY AM I DOING IT? 26:54 SO PEOPLE CAN THINK THAT I'M GENEROUS AND HOLY OR BECAUSE 26:56 I REALLY CARE ABOUT THE NEED IN THE PERSON?" 27:01 SO THEIR GIVING WAS PUBLIC. 27:04 THEY PRAY TO BE SEEN. 27:07 THE PHARISEE WENT TO THE TEMPLE BECAUSE IT WAS A PUBLIC PLACE. 27:10 JESUS SAID, MATTHEW 6:5, "AND WHEN YOU PRAY, YOU SHALL 27:14 NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES. 27:16 FOR THEY LOVE TO PRAY STANDING." 27:20 NOW IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG IF YOU STAND AND PRAY? 27:22 FOR PERSONAL PRAYER, I BELIEVE KNEELING IS THE APPROPRIATE 27:26 POSTURE TO HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD. 27:28 IT'S APPROPRIATE ALSO IN CHURCH TO HAVE A BENEDICTION WHERE 27:31 WE CLOSE AND STAND. 27:33 SOLOMON DID THAT IN THE BIBLE. 27:35 BUT TO MAKE A SPECTACLE OF YOUR PRAYER IS THE IDEA. 27:39 ARE YOU WANTING EVERYONE TO SEE YOU PRAY? 27:42 AND NOT ONLY SOMETIMES WOULD THEY STAND SO PEOPLE 27:46 COULD SEE 'EM PRAYING. 27:47 THE CONTENT OF THEIR PRAYER WAS A SPECTACLE. 27:51 NOW YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN IT BEFORE. 27:53 I'VE DONE IT WHERE YOU PRAY, AND BECAUSE YOU'RE PRAYING IN A 27:58 GROUP, YOU BECOME SO CONSCIOUS OF THOSE IN THE GROUP WHO ARE 28:01 LISTENING TO YOUR PRAYER THAT YOU'RE PRAYING FOR THE BENEFIT 28:04 OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HEAR AS OPPOSED TO REALLY TALKING 28:06 FROM YOUR HEART TO GOD. 28:09 AND WE'RE REAL GOOD DOING THIS WITH OUR KIDS. 28:11 YOU KNOW, WE'RE KNEELING DOWN, WE'RE PRAYING. 28:13 "AND DEAR LORD, PLEASE HELP JOHNNY GET GOOD GRADES 28:16 AND DO HIS HOMEWORK." 28:17 AND JOHNNY'S THERE KNEELING WITH YOU, RIGHT? 28:20 "AND HELP HIM CLEAN HIS ROOM." 28:22 AND IT'S LIKE ARE--YOU KNOW, ARE YOU PRAYING OR ARE YOU 28:24 PREACHING IN YOUR PRAYER? 28:27 WE'VE ALL DONE THAT, YOU KNOW. 28:28 YOU TRY AND MAKE LITTLE INNUENDOS AND MESSAGES 28:30 IN YOUR PRAYER. 28:32 THAT'S STANDING IN YOUR PRAYER. 28:34 THAT'S THE PRAYER OF THE PHARISEE. 28:36 "LORD, I THANK THEE I AM NOT AS OTHER MEN." 28:39 ANOTHER SIGN THAT YOU COULD HAVE SOME PHARISEE DNA IS IF 28:45 YOU ARE CHATTING WITH OTHER BELIEVERS AND YOU SAY, "HAVE 28:49 YOU HEARD WHAT SO-AND-SO DID? 28:53 WHY, SHE WENT TO LUNCH WITH HER BUSINESS ASSOCIATE, 28:56 JUST SHE AND HIM ALONE AND SHE'S MARRIED." 29:00 COULD BE WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SAYING IS, "LORD, I THANK YOU 29:03 I'M NOT AS OTHER MEN." 29:06 OR YOU MIGHT BE TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE AND SAY, "HAVE YOU 29:10 SEEN WHAT THAT FELLOW WEARS TO CHURCH? 29:13 THAT'S NOT AT ALL RESPECTFUL, UNLIKE MY MODEST ATTIRE." 29:20 AND WHAT THE LORD HEARS IS, "LORD, I THANK THEE I AM 29:23 NOT AS OTHER MEN." 29:26 DO I NEED TO GIVE ANY MORE CASES OR YOU GET THE IDEA? 29:29 I ALWAYS SAY YOU SHOULD GIVE AT LEAST THREE EXAMPLES. 29:31 I CAN'T THINK OF A THIRD ONE. 29:33 I COULD TALK ABOUT POTLUCK, BUT--YOU KNOW, DO WE SOMETIMES 29:36 GOSSIP ABOUT EACH OTHER? 29:39 AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOST FAMOUS THING IS WHEN WE GOSSIP 29:45 AND DISGUISE IT AS A PRAYER REQUEST. 29:50 AND THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. 29:53 SOMEONE IS TELLING SOMEBODY ELSE, THEY SAY, "WELL, I'M NOT 29:56 GOSSIPING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THIS SO WE 29:58 CAN PRAY ABOUT IT." 30:01 YOU EVER SEEN THAT ONE DONE BEFORE? 30:03 AND REALLY, THEY DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW AND YOU CAN PRAY BY 30:07 YOURSELF, BUT IN YOUR HEART YOU COULD BE, "LORD, I THANK THEE 30:11 I AM NOT AS OTHER MEN." 30:14 WHAT SPIRIT IS THAT? 30:17 WHAT SPIRIT IS IT THAT MAKES IT TO THE KINGDOM? 30:21 SO THEY PRAY TO BE SEEN. 30:23 NOW LET'S LOOK MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE PHARISEE'S 30:26 PRAYER. 30:27 IN THE PRAYER, YOU NOTICE SOMETHING. 30:31 HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF MORALLY SUPERIOR TO OTHERS. 30:36 ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 30:38 HE DESPISES THOSE WITH A LOWER SPIRITUAL CALIBER. 30:43 HE SNEERS OVER HIS SHOULDER AND SAYS, "I'M THANKFUL I'M 30:46 NOT LIKE THAT EXTORTIONER BACK THERE. 30:50 I THANK YOU I'M NOT LIKE OTHER MEN. 30:52 I'M BETTER THAN OTHER MEN." 30:55 THERE'S SOMETHING UNHEALTHY ABOUT THAT. 30:57 HE CONDEMNS HIS NEIGHBOR. 30:59 WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT CONDEMNING OTHERS? 31:02 CAN WE BE JUDGING OURSELVES WHEN WE DO THAT? 31:04 WE CAN'T LOOK ON PEOPLE'S HEARTS. 31:07 HE'S EXALTING HIS OWN RELIGIOUS PRACTICES AT THE EXPENSE 31:10 OF HIS NEIGHBOR. 31:13 HE TRUSTS IN HIS OWN GOOD DEEDS TO MAKE HIM ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. 31:16 DO YOU EVER HEAR HIM PLEADING THE MERITS OF CHRIST? 31:20 OR IS HE EXTOLLING HIS VIRTUES? 31:23 THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE THAT DO THIS. 31:26 HAVE YOU EVER READ THE PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH IN THE BIBLE, WHEN 31:28 GOD SAID THROUGH THE PROPHET, "HEZEKIAH, GET YOUR WILL 31:31 FINISHED UP. 31:32 GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER. 31:33 YOU'RE GOING TO DIE." 31:34 AND HEZEKIAH TURNED HIS FACE TO THE WALL AND HE BEGAN TO CRY. 31:37 YOU EVER READ WHAT HE CRIED WHEN HE PRAYED? 31:39 "LORD, I HAVE SERVED YOU FAITHFULLY. 31:43 HAVEN'T YOU BEEN READING THE PAPERS? 31:46 I GOT RID OF ALL THE PAGANISM IN THE KINGDOM. 31:48 I GOT RID OF ALL THE IDOLS. 31:49 I GOT RID OF ALL OF THE SODOMITES. 31:52 I HAVE TRIED TO BE FAITHFUL. 31:53 I'VE EXALTED YOU. 31:55 I'VE PRAYED TO YOU. 31:56 I'VE TRUSTED IN YOU. 31:57 HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME?" 32:01 AND YOU KNOW, GOD DID HEAR HIS PRAYER. 32:03 LATER, HE HAD TO SHOW HEZEKIAH WHAT WAS IN HIS HEART WHEN HE 32:07 BEGAN TO BOAST ABOUT--HE WAS BOASTING TO THE BABYLONIAN 32:11 AMBASSADORS ABOUT EVERYTHING IN HIS HOUSE, WASN'T HE? 32:14 HEZEKIAH WAS A GOOD KING. 32:16 SAYS HE WALKED IN THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD. 32:18 GOOD KING, BUT HE HAD THE PHARISEE MENTALITY. 32:23 "HAVEN'T YOU HEARD? 32:24 LORD, YOU OWE ME." 32:26 THAT'S THE IDEA IN THE PHARISEE'S PRAYER. 32:28 "LORD, YOU OWE ME. 32:29 I AM GOOD." 32:32 IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT HE FAILED TO SENSE HIS SIN 32:36 AND HIS NEED FOR GOD. 32:37 GOD OWED HIM. 32:39 HE MEASURED HIMSELF WITH OTHERS RATHER THAN WITH GOD. 32:43 HE LACKS A HUMBLE OR A CONTRITE, REPENTANT SPIRIT. 32:47 AND NOTICE SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THE PHARISEE'S PRAYER. 32:50 HE FEELS GOD'S--HE FEELS THE NEED OF GOD SO LITTLE THERE IS 32:53 NOT A SINGLE REQUEST IN HIS PRAYER. 32:56 HE IS SO FULL OF HIMSELF HE DOESN'T EVEN ASK FOR ANYTHING. 33:02 HIS THANKS IS NOT THANKING GOD FOR BEING GOD. 33:05 HIS THANKS IS FOR HIMSELF. 33:06 "I THANK THEE I." 33:08 AND YOU NOTICE IN THE PRAYER FIVE TIMES HE SAYS, "I, I, I, 33:12 I, I, I." 33:13 NOW MOST PEOPLE, WHEN WE'RE SELFISH IN OUR PRAYERS, IT'S 33:18 BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING, "LORD, PLEASE DO THIS FOR ME. 33:20 PLEASE DO THAT FOR ME. 33:21 PLEASE DO THIS FOR ME. 33:22 PLEASE GIVE ME THIS. 33:23 PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THAT PROBLEM, THIS PROBLEM." 33:25 WE ALL DO THAT. 33:26 THAT'S OKAY. 33:27 IT'S OKAY TO PRAY ABOUT YOUR NEEDS. 33:29 PHARISEE DOESN'T EVEN PRESENT ONE OF THOSE SELFISH PRAYERS. 33:32 HE IS SO SELF-RIGHTEOUS HE DOESN'T NEED ANYTHING. 33:36 HE'S BASICALLY JUST BASKING IN HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH IS 33:40 THE ONE THING THAT'S GONNA MOST DISQUALIFY HIM TO BE SAVED. 33:44 YOU HEAR THAT? 33:46 TRUSTING IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WHAT WILL 33:49 DISQUALIFY US ACCORDING TO THE PARABLE. 33:52 PROVERBS 11:2, SOLOMON SAID, "WHEN PRIDE COMES, 33:58 THEN COMES SHAME. 34:00 BUT WITH THE HUSBAND-- I'M SORRY. 34:03 WITH THE HUMBLE IS WISDOM." 34:05 WITH A HUSBAND TOO. 34:06 [LAUGHING] >> IT'S MY GLASSES. 34:13 C.S. LEWIS SAID, "WHEN A MAN IS GETTING BETTER, HE UNDERSTANDS 34:16 MORE AND MORE CLEARLY THE EVIL THAT IS STILL LEFT IN HIM. 34:21 WHEN A MAN IS GETTING WORSE, HE UNDERSTANDS HIS OWN BADNESS 34:24 LESS AND LESS." 34:27 HAVE YOU EVER READ THE LORD'S PRAYER? 34:29 HOW MANY TIMES IN THE LORD'S PRAYER DO YOU FIND THE WORD I? 34:33 THE PHARISEE'S PRAYER IS FULL OF I. 34:36 HE HAD I PROBLEMS. 34:39 IT IS A SELF-CENTERED SALVATION. 34:44 HE THANKS GOD, NOT FOR ALL THAT HE HAS, BUT HE THANKS GOD 34:49 FOR ALL THAT HE IS. 34:51 REALLY, IT'S A BRILLIANT PARABLE THE WAY THAT 34:55 JESUS WORDED IT. 34:56 IT'S JUST REALLY BRILLIANT BECAUSE IT IS THE EPITOME 34:59 OF THE SELF-CENTERED PRAYER. 35:02 THE PUBLICAN AND THE PHARISEE BOTH GO TO THE TEMPLE TO 35:05 WORSHIP GOD, BUT REALLY ONE IS WORSHIPING HIMSELF. 35:11 HE PRAYS WITH HIMSELF AND HE DESPISES THE ONE WHO IS 35:16 DEPENDING ON GOD'S MERCY. 35:18 YOU KNOW HOW THE BIBLE BEGINS? 35:20 TWO BROTHERS BRING THEIR OFFERINGS TO GOD. 35:24 WORSHIPING THE SAME GOD, THEY BOTH PRAY, BUT CAIN DOES IT 35:28 HIS OWN WAY. 35:29 IT'S AN OFFERING OF HIS WORKS, THE FRUIT FROM HIS VEGETABLE 35:33 GARDEN, RIGHT? 35:36 ABLE BRINGS A SACRIFICE. 35:39 HE'S CLAIMING THE BLOOD TO COVER HIS SIN. 35:42 THE ONE WHO WAS WORSHIPING HIMSELF, CAIN, DESPISES 35:46 AND KILLS HIS BROTHER. 35:49 THAT'S GONNA BE REPEATING ITSELF IN THE LAST DAYS. 35:51 ULTIMATELY, IT'S THE PHARISEES IN THE LAST DAYS THAT GET 35:54 THE MARK OF THE BEAST. 35:55 IT'S ALL ABOUT WORSHIPING THEMSELVES. 35:59 BECAUSE WHO'S BEHIND THE BEAST? 36:02 EASY QUESTION. 36:03 ULTIMATELY, WHO'S BEHIND THE BEAST? 36:05 THE DEVIL. 36:06 HOW DID THE DEVIL GET STARTED ON HIS ROAD TO DESTRUCTION. 36:09 WASN'T IT SELF-WORSHIP? 36:11 SO EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THE DEVIL'S CHURCH MODELS 36:14 THE DEVIL. 36:16 IT'S ALL SELF-WORSHIP, TRUSTING IN THEIR OWN ABILITY. 36:21 YOU KNOW, I HAD TO LAUGH. 36:23 AS I WAS PREPARING FOR THE SERMON, I RAN ACROSS 36:26 THIS OLD SONG. 36:27 SOMEONE HERE MAY STILL REMEMBER MAC DAVIS, THE SINGER, COUNTRY 36:30 SINGER FROM LUBBOCK, TEXAS. 36:32 HE'S STILL ALIVE TODAY. 36:34 HE WROTE A SONG ONCE, "OH LORD IT'S HARD TO BE HUMBLE." 36:37 OH LORD, IT'S HARD TO BE HUMBLE WHEN YOU'RE PERFECT 36:39 IN EVERY WAY. 36:40 I WON'T SING IT FOR YOU. 36:41 I CAN'T WAIT TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR 'CAUSE I GET BETTER 36:44 LOOKING EACH DAY. 36:46 TO KNOW ME IS TO LOVE ME. 36:47 I MUST BE ONE REALLY GREAT MAN. 36:50 OH LORD, IT'S HARD TO BE HUMBLE, BUT I'M DOING 36:52 THE BEST I CAN. 36:55 ANY OF YOU EVER HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE? 36:57 IT GOES BACK A WAYS. 36:59 THAT'S THE PHARISEE. 37:01 THAT'S HIS PRAYER. 37:03 HE'S FAMOUS FOR HIS FASTING. 37:05 YOU NOTICE HE BEGINS TO TELL THE LORD ABOUT HIS GOODNESS 37:09 AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE CITES IS, "I FAST." 37:12 NOW HE WAS ONLY REQUIRED BY THE JEWS TO FAST ONCE A YEAR 37:15 AT ONE OF THE FEASTS DURING THE PASSOVER. 37:19 BUT HE SAYS, "I FAST TWICE A WEEK." 37:24 THAT DAY HE'S PRAYING COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE DAYS. 37:26 JESUS TALKED ABOUT THAT. 37:29 MATTHEW 6:16, "MOREOVER, WHEN YOU FAST, DON'T BE LIKE 37:32 THE HYPOCRITES, WITH A SAD COUNTENANCE. 37:34 FOR THEY DISFIGURE THEIR FACES THAT THEY MIGHT APPEAR 37:37 TO MEN TO BE FASTING." 37:40 I SUPPOSE THEY TOOK THEIR BELTS AND THEY CINCHED THEM UP 37:42 A NOTCH OR TWO SO THEY'D LOOK A LITTLE HUNGRIER THAN THEY WERE 37:46 AND THEY'D PUCKER THEIR FACES SO THEY'D LOOK A LITTLE GAUNTER 37:48 THAN THEY REALLY WERE AND THEY'D NOT DO THEIR HAIR, 37:51 BUT TRY AND LOOK A LITTLE DISHEVELED. 37:53 AND FOLKS WOULD SAY, "WHAT'S UP?" 37:55 "I'M FASTING." 37:57 [LAUGHING] >> AND YOU GO, "WOW." 37:59 YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO RESPECT THAT. 38:01 I MEAN, I WENT OUT TO DINNER WITH SOMEBODY ONE TIME 38:03 AND THEY DIDN'T ORDER ANYTHING. 38:04 I SAID, "MAYBE NOT CHINESE. 38:06 YOU WANT TO DO ITALIAN?" 38:08 THEY SAID, "NO, I'M FASTING." 38:09 "THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT? 38:11 WE DIDN'T HAVE TO MEET OVER LUNCH." 38:13 I FELT REALLY DUMB. 38:14 SAID, "LET'S TALK DURING LUNCH." 38:16 AND SO THEY MEET WITH ME AND THEY, "I'M FASTING." 38:18 WELL, I FELT REALLY BAD. 38:20 I FELT LIKE A GLUTTON JUST EATING A NORMAL MEAL BECAUSE 38:27 THEY'RE JUST WATCHING ME EAT, LOOKING HUNGRY. 38:31 [LAUGHING] >> THAT'S TRUE. 38:35 THAT MADE ME FEEL REALLY BAD. 38:38 SO IMPRESSED WITH THEIR FASTING. 38:40 MATTHEW 9:14. 38:43 YOU REMEMBER THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST CAME TO JESUS 38:45 AND THEY SAID, "WHY DO WE AND THE PHARISEES FAST OFTEN?" 38:49 ANYTHING WRONG WITH FASTING? 38:51 WE OUGHT TO DO MORE OF IT. 38:53 NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 38:55 JOHN THE BAPTIST'S DISCIPLES FASTED. 38:57 PHARISEES FASTED. 38:59 "BUT YOUR DISCIPLES DON'T FAST." 39:01 JESUS SAID, "THEY WILL WHEN I'M GONE. 39:03 THE BRIDEGROOM'S WITH 'EM. 39:04 AFTER THE BRIDEGROOM IS GONE, THEN THEY'LL FAST." 39:06 SO THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH FASTING. 39:09 NOTHING WRONG WITH PRAYING. 39:10 AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH GIVING. 39:12 YOU KNOW WHAT'S WRONG IS THE PHARISEE, HE LIVED BASED 39:16 ON MAKING COMPARISONS HORIZONTALLY. 39:20 WHEN HE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT THE STANDARD WAS, HE LOOKED 39:23 AROUND AND HE COMPARED HIMSELF TO OTHER MEN. 39:26 HOW DOES GOD FEEL ABOUT OUR COMPARING OURSELVES 39:29 AMONG OURSELVES? 39:30 PAUL ADDRESSES THIS. 39:32 2 CORINTHIANS 10:12, "FOR WE DARE NOT CLASS OURSELVES OR 39:37 COMPARE OURSELVES WITH THOSE WHO COMMEND THEMSELVES. 39:41 BUT THEY, MEASURING THEMSELVES BY THEMSELVES, COMPARING 39:44 THEMSELVES AMONG THEMSELVES, ARE NOT WISE." 39:48 YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND SOMEBODY ELSE OUT THERE THAT YOU CAN 39:52 POINT TO AND SAY, "BUT I'M BETTER THAN THEY ARE." 39:56 AND KEEP IN MIND THE GREAT DANGER AMONG CHRISTIANS WHEN WE 40:01 HAVE THE HORIZONTAL MIND-SET. 40:03 NOTICE THE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PUBLICAN 40:05 AND THE PHARISEE. 40:07 THE PUBLICAN, HE IS COMPARING HIMSELF TO GOD AND HE SAID, 40:11 "LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME." 40:14 IT'S LIKE ISAIAH. 40:15 WHEN HE WAS BROUGHT INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD, 40:17 HE SAID, "WOE IS ME." 40:19 THE PUBLICAN, HE SAID, "COMPARING TO THESE GUYS, 40:22 I'M PRETTY GOOD." 40:25 THE PHARISEE. 40:26 I'M SORRY. 40:26 I GOT THAT WRONG. 40:27 THE PHARISEE, HE'S COMPARING HIMSELF TO THOSE AROUND ONE AND 40:30 HE SAYS, "COMPARED TO THEM, I LOOK PRETTY GOOD." 40:33 AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL KIND OF FALL INTO THAT TRAP 40:35 A LITTLE BIT. 40:36 SOMETHING ABOUT--YOU KNOW, WE GRAPPLE FOR SELF-ESTEEM. 40:43 MAYBE IT'S AN INSECURITY THAT WE FIND IT EASIER TO CRITICIZE 40:47 OTHERS AROUND US BECAUSE WE FEEL GUILTY ABOUT OUR FAILURES, 40:52 SO WE--IT'S LIKE A SURVIVAL MECHANISM. 40:55 WE RECITE TO THE LORD WHAT VIRTUES WE DO HAVE AND IT MAKES 40:58 US FEEL A LITTLE BETTER AND WE POINT OUT THE FAILURES OF 41:01 OTHERS AROUND US AND WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THE CHURCH DOES 41:04 THAT, THE STANDARD, KIND OF LIKE THE WATER WASHING OUT 41:08 OF A SWIMMING POOL, IT JUST SLOSHES BACK AND FORTH 41:11 AND GETS LOWER EVERY TIME. 41:15 AND WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES WITH EACH OTHER, MY STANDARDS 41:20 WILL LITTLE BY LITTLE BE DROPPING BECAUSE I'LL ALWAYS 41:22 FIND SOMEONE LOWER I CAN COMPARE TO. 41:25 YOURS WILL BE DROPPING BECAUSE YOU'LL BE COMPARING YOURSELF 41:27 TO ME. 41:29 AND IT JUST KEEPS GOING DOWN. 41:31 THE ONLY WAY TO TURN THAT TREND AROUND IS WHO SHOULD WE COMPARE 41:34 OURSELVES TO? 41:37 ONLY WAY WE'RE GONNA PULL OURSELVES UP BY GRACE TO BE 41:41 A DIFFERENT KIND OF PEOPLE IS BY KEEPING JESUS BEFORE US 41:44 AS OUR EXAMPLE. 41:45 THE PHARISEE WAS LOOKING HORIZONTALLY. 41:48 THOSE THAT COMPARE THEMSELVES AMONG THEMSELVES AND BY 41:50 THEMSELVES ARE NOT WISE. 41:52 YOU NOTICE HE SAID, "I THANK YOU I'M NOT LIKE OTHER MEN." 41:55 PHARISEE BACK HERE, I'M BETTER THAN HE IS. 41:59 WHEN WE GOSSIP ABOUT ONE ANOTHER IN THE CHURCH, 42:02 PUBLICAN OR PHARISEE? 42:05 PHARISEE. 42:06 THAT'S THE MENTALITY THAT CAN'T MAKE IT INTO THE KINGDOM. 42:10 THE PHARISEE IS HORIZONTAL. 42:13 THE PUBLICAN IS VERTICAL. 42:16 IF YOU WANT TO BE IN THE KINGDOM AND BECOME LIKE CHRIST, 42:19 YOU NEED TO LIVE BY THE VERTICAL. 42:21 YOU CAN'T BE SAYING WHAT IS MY STANDARD AND LIVING 42:24 BY THE HORIZONTAL. 42:26 SOMEONE ONCE SAID-- MATTER OF FACT, 42:28 IT'S BILLY GRAHAM, I THINK. 42:29 SAID, "THE SMALLEST PACKAGE IN THE WORLD IS SOMEBODY WRAPPED 42:32 UP IN THEMSELF." 42:36 WHAT IS THE RIGHT PRAYER? 42:38 LET'S FINISH ON THAT NOTE. 42:41 LUKE 18:13. 42:45 IN ENGLISH, IT'S SEVEN WORDS. 42:47 YOU NOTICE HOW MUCH LONGER THE PHARISEE'S PRAYER IS THAN 42:50 THE PUBLICAN'S PRAYER? 42:52 BEST PRAYERS IN THE BIBLE ARE SHORT AND TO THE POINT. 42:56 PETER'S PRAYER, "LORD, SAVE ME," WHEN HE WAS DROWNING? 42:59 GREAT PRAYER. 43:00 IT WORKED. 43:01 THREE WORDS. 43:02 IN GREEK, THIS PRAYER IS FOUR WORDS. 43:07 IN ENGLISH, OF COURSE, IT ENDS UP BEING SEVEN JUST BECAUSE WE 43:09 BREAK IT UP MORE PLACES. 43:12 "GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER." 43:14 GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, A SINNER. 43:17 IN GREEK, IT STARTS WITH THEOS AND ENDS WITH ME A SINNER. 43:20 IT'S LIKE ONE THING. 43:24 FOUR WORDS IN HIS PRAYER. 43:27 NOW I'M NOT AGAINST LONGER PRAYERS. 43:30 PERSONAL PRAYER, THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE LONGER. 43:32 JESUS CONDEMNED THE PHARISEES THAT LOVED TO STAND AND PRAY 43:34 LONG PRAYERS TO BE HEARD OF MEN, BUT CHRIST SAID, "I TELL 43:39 YOU THIS MAN WENT DOWN TO HIS HOUSE JUSTIFIED RATHER 43:43 THAN THE OTHER." 43:44 HE DOESN'T SAY, "BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE PUBLICAN'S SAVED 43:48 ALONG WITH THE PHARISEE." 43:50 NO, HE CONTRASTS THEM. 43:52 HE SAYS, "RATHER THAN THE OTHER." 43:55 ONLY ONE WENT HOME FORGIVEN. 43:57 ONLY WENT HOME JUST IN THE SIGHT OF GOD. 44:00 IT WAS THE ONE WHO TRUSTED IN GOD'S MERCY. 44:05 HE CAME BEFORE GOD LOOKING FOR GRACE. 44:07 HE WAS NOT PLEADING HIS VALUE BASED ON HIS WORKS. 44:12 NOW WOULD THE PUBLICAN HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT AFTER 44:14 HE WAS FORGIVEN? 44:15 LET'S HOPE SO. 44:17 BUT THE ESSENCE OF HIS PRAYER, PSALM 51:7, WHAT'S THE ESSENCE 44:22 OF THE PUBLICAN'S PRAYER? 44:24 "THE SACRIFICES OF GOD ARE A BROKEN SPIRIT. 44:27 A BROKEN AND A CONTRITE HEART, THESE O GOD, YOU WILL 44:31 NOT DESPISE." 44:34 HE CAME BEFORE THE LORD BROKENHEARTED. 44:36 COULDN'T EVEN FIND THE WORDS. 44:37 THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD TO MAKE HIS PRAYER ELOQUENT. 44:40 IT JUST SAID, "LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER." 44:44 HE CONFESSED. 44:46 HE REPENTED. 44:48 HE BELIEVED. 44:49 HE WAS JUSTIFIED. 44:51 HE WENT THROUGH THE STEPS IN THAT PRAYER. 44:54 HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. 44:55 HE STOOD IN THE BACK. 44:56 HE SAID, "I'M NOT WORTHY." 44:59 STAYED IN THE BACK. 45:01 NOW I'M NOT--PLEASE, DON'T EVERYBODY THINK WE'RE SUPPOSED 45:03 TO FIGHT FOR THE BACK SEATS. 45:04 YOU ALREADY DO THAT. 45:06 WE HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME SABBATH SCHOOL. 45:08 I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. 45:08 EVERY WEEK, WE BEG PEOPLE, "PLEASE SIT UP FRONT. 45:11 WE WON'T CALL YOU A PHARISEE. 45:13 COME UP FRONT. 45:14 JUST DON'T STAND AND YOU'LL BE OKAY." 45:20 JAMES 4:10. 45:21 "HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE THE LORD AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP." 45:26 PHARISEE HUMBLED HIMSELF. 45:28 YOU KNOW WHAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT THIS STORY? 45:30 YOU MIGHT WONDER, "CAN GOD REACH A PERSON THAT SEEMS 45:34 UTTERLY HOPELESS? 45:35 CAN HE REACH A PUBLICAN AND A HARLOT?" 45:39 AND YOU GOT THE STORY IN THE BIBLE ABOUT HOW GOD 45:41 CALLED--IT'S INTERESTING. 45:42 HE CALLED ZACCHAEUS FROM A TREE. 45:45 JESUS CAME TO ZACCHAEUS AND LOOKED UP. 45:48 BUT WHEN HE CALLED PAUL, PAUL WAS ON THE GROUND, A PHARISEE. 45:53 AND HE HAD TO LIFT PAUL UP AS HE HAD GOTTEN KNOCKED DOWN 45:56 BY GOD'S GLORY. 45:58 AND HE BROUGHT ZACCHAEUS DOWN AND THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH 46:03 BOTH THE PUBLICAN--MATTHEW WAS A PUBLICAN. 46:07 YOU KNOW WHO TOOK CARE OF JESUS WHEN HE CAME OFF THE CROSS? 46:10 TWO PHARISEES. 46:11 NICODEMUS. 46:12 JOHN 3:16, CHRIST WAS SPEAKING TO A PHARISEE, RIGHT? 46:18 JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA. 46:20 JESUS WAS PUT IN THE TOMB OF A PHARISEE. 46:24 IT WAS A PHARISEE THAT EMBALMED HIM AND THEY PAID FOR 46:27 AND SUBSIDIZED HIS BURIAL. 46:30 AND SO THAT TELLS US THAT THERE'S HOPE FOR EACH OF US. 46:33 I'LL TELL YOU WHAT GOD CAN'T HELP IS THAT 46:36 LAODICEAN CONDITION. 46:37 THIS IS THE PHARISEE CONDITION. 46:38 AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS HOW GOD IDENTIFIES THE CHURCH 46:41 IN THE LAST DAYS. 46:42 YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING? 46:43 REVELATION 3:17, "BECAUSE YOU SAY, 'I'M RICH AND INCREASED 46:51 WITH GOODS AND HAVE NEED OF NOTHING. 46:54 LORD, I THANK THEE I'M NOT AS OTHER MEN.'" 46:57 I PAY TITHE OF ALL I HAVE. 46:59 I GO BEYOND THE 10%. 47:02 I FAST TWICE A WEEK. 47:04 I'M NOT AN ADULTERER, AN EXTORTIONER, OR A SINNER LIKE 47:07 THIS OTHER PERSON. 47:09 COULD THAT BE THE LAODICEAN STATE OF MIND OF THE PHARISEE? 47:15 JESUS SAID, "YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU ARE POOR AND WRETCHED 47:18 AND MISERABLE AND BLIND AND NAKED." 47:21 YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR SPIRITUAL BANKRUPTCY. 47:23 DID THE PUBLICAN KNOW THAT HE WAS A SINNER? 47:27 COULD GOD SAVE HIM? 47:29 THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID IF YOU'RE HOLD OR COLD, I CAN WORK 47:31 WITH YOU. 47:32 IF YOU'RE ON FIRE FOR THE LORD, YOU'RE DOING THE GOOD DEEDS, 47:35 BUT YOU'RE DOING IT FROM THE RIGHT SPIRIT, YOU'VE GOT 47:37 THE VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP, HE CAN WORK WITH YOU. 47:40 IF YOU'RE REPENTANT AND ON YOUR KNEES AND BROKENHEARTED, 47:42 CONTRITE HEART, HE CAN WORK WITH YOU. 47:45 BUT IF YOU'RE ONLY ON THE HORIZONTAL PLANE AND YOU'RE 47:47 TRUSTING IN YOUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND YOU'RE 47:50 GOSSIPING ABOUT EVERYBODY ELSE'S WICKEDNESS, THAT IS THE 47:52 MOST PITIFUL CONDITION AND YOU CAN'T GO HOME JUSTIFIED. 47:57 SO HERE'S THE QUESTION. 47:59 AS WE COME BEFORE THE LORD TODAY, I WANT TO GO HOME 48:02 JUSTIFIED, DON'T YOU? 48:05 THEN WE ALL NEED TO ASK THE LORD TO HEAL US OF OUR 48:08 PHARISEEISM AND TO GIVE US HIS SPIRIT. 48:13 PSALM 32:1, KING DAVID WROTE, "BLESSED IS HE WHOSE 48:18 TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN, WHOSE SIN IS COVERED. 48:21 BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD DOES NOT IMPUTE INIQUITY, 48:25 IN WHOSE SPIRIT THERE IS NO DECEIT." 48:29 THOSE WHO COME TO CHRIST FULL ARE SENT AWAY EMPTY. 48:34 THOSE WHO COME TO JESUS EMPTY AND SAY, "LORD, HAVE MERCY 48:37 ON ME," ARE SENT AWAY FULL. 48:40 SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU COME BEFORE THE LORD. 48:42 WE MUST COME BROKEN, RECOGNIZING OUR NEED, AND HE 48:45 CAN THEN CLEANSE AND FILL AND HEAL US. 48:48 A BAPTIST PREACHER I RESPECT NAMED VANCE HAVNER SAID, 48:51 "GOD USES BROKEN THINGS. 48:54 IT TAKES BROKEN SOIL TO PRODUCE A CROP, BROKEN CLOUDS 48:57 TO GIVE RAIN, BROKEN GRAIN TO GIVE BREAD, BROKEN BREAD 49:02 TO GIVE STRENGTH. 49:03 IT'S A BROKEN ALABASTER BOX THAT GIVES FORTH PERFUME. 49:06 IT IS PETER WEEPING BITTERLY WHO RETURNS IN GREATER POWER 49:10 THAN EVER. 49:11 ALL THROUGH THE BIBLE, WE SEE THAT GOD USES BROKEN THINGS." 49:14 AND THAT PUBLICAN, HE SAID, "LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, 49:17 A SINNER." 49:19 IF WE COME, TRUSTING IN HIS GRACE AND HIS MERCY, IF WE COME 49:22 TRUSTING THAT HE CAN TRANSFORM AND FORGIVE US, RECOGNIZING 49:27 THAT WE ARE SINNERS, THEN GOD CAN BLESS AND TRANSFORM US. 49:31 WHEN WE START TO TRUST IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WE MAKE 49:33 FIG LEAVES FOR OURSELVES, THAT WON'T DO. 49:38 I PRAY THE LORD WILL HEAL ME OF THAT DEADLY DISEASE 49:42 OF PHARISEEISM. 49:44 I--IS THAT YOUR PRAYER? 49:47 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SONG IN THE HYMNAL WE DON'T SING VERY OFTEN 49:49 BECAUSE IT'S NOT--IT'S NOT A REAL GOOD MOTIVATIONAL 49:52 OPENING LINE. 49:53 CHIEF OF SINNERS THOUGH I BE. 49:56 HOW CAN YOU MARKET A SONG LIKE THAT? 49:59 BIBLICALLY, THAT'S HOW YOU MARKET IT. 50:01 SO WHY DON'T WE TURN TO THAT? 50:02 WHAT'S THE VERSE NUMBER? 50:04 TWO-NINETY-FIVE. 50:05 LET'S STAND TOGETHER AND SING THAT, 295. 50:10 [MUSIC] 50:16 ♪ CHIEF OF SINNERS ♪ ♪ THOUGH I BE ♪ 50:21 ♪ JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD ♪ ♪ FOR ME ♪ 50:27 ♪ DIED THAT I MIGHT LIVE ♪ ♪ ON HIGH ♪ 50:32 ♪ DIED THAT I MIGHT NEVER DIE ♪ ♪ AS THE BRANCH IS TO THE VINE ♪ 50:42 ♪ I AM HIS AND HE IS MINE ♪ 50:50 >> BEFORE WE SING THE SECOND VERSE--THEY'RE SHORT VERSES. 50:53 WE'RE GONNA DO ALL THREE. 50:56 HOLY SPIRIT MAY BE SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY TODAY AND YOU REALIZE 50:59 THAT YOU'VE BEEN MAYBE CONDEMNING YOUR NEIGHBOR 51:02 OR TRUSTING IN YOUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FORGETTING 51:06 THAT WE ALL ARE SINNERS WHO DESPERATELY NEED JESUS. 51:10 AND YOU MAY HAVE SOME SPECIAL NEED IN YOUR LIFE 51:13 OR WHATEVER IT IS. 51:14 WE JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY AS WE SING VERSES 51:16 TWO AND VERSE THREE, IF YOU HAVE SOME SPECIAL NEED 51:20 FOR PRAYER OR YOU MIGHT WANT TO RENEW YOUR RECOGNITION OF YOUR 51:23 NEED FOR JESUS' MERCY, COME. 51:26 WE'LL HAVE PRAYER TOGETHER AS WE SING VERSE TWO. 51:29 [MUSIC] ♪ OH, THE HEIGHT ♪ 51:33 ♪ OF JESUS' LOVE ♪ ♪ HIGHER THAN THE HEAV'N ABOVE ♪ 51:42 ♪ DEEPER THAN THE DEEPEST SEA ♪ ♪ LASTING AS ETERNITY ♪ 51:53 ♪ LOVE THAT FOUND ME ♪ ♪ WONDROUS THOUGHT ♪ 51:58 ♪ FOUND ME WHEN ♪ ♪ I SOUGHT HIM NOT ♪ 52:05 >> VERSE THREE. 52:06 ♪ CHIEF OF SINNERS ♪ ♪ THOUGH I BE ♪ 52:11 ♪ CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL TO ME ♪ ♪ ALL MY WANTS TO HIM ♪ 52:20 ♪ ARE KNOWN ♪ ♪ ALL MY SORROWS ♪ 52:25 ♪ ARE HIS OWN ♪ ♪ SAFE WITH HIM ♪ 52:30 ♪ FROM EARTHLY STRIFE ♪ ♪ HE SUSTAINS THE HIDDEN LIFE ♪♪ 52:46 >> ALMIGHTY FATHER IN HEAVEN, LORD, AS WE COME BEFORE YOU 52:50 TODAY, I BELIEVE THAT ALL OF US RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE NO HOPE 52:57 EXCEPT IN YOUR GRACE AND MERCY. 53:00 AND WE SHARE IN THE PRAYER OF THAT PUBLICAN. 53:04 LORD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER. 53:09 AND LORD, WE PRAY THAT WE CAN ALSO KNOW BY FAITH WE CAN SHARE 53:12 IN THE PROMISE OF CHRIST THAT WE CAN GO 53:15 TO OUR HOMES JUSTIFIED. 53:18 FORGIVE US FOR THE TIMES WHERE WE'VE COMMITTED 53:20 THE GREATEST SIN, THE ONE OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE 53:24 THAT IS THE MOST HOPELESS OF ALL. 53:26 FORGIVE US FOR OUR PRAYERS AND OUR GOSSIP THAT SOMETIMES 53:30 HAS BEEN CLOAKING OUR OWN SELFISHNESS. 53:34 HELP US TO LAY OUR SOULS BARE HERE IN YOUR HOUSE, LORD, 53:38 BEFORE YOUR THRONE, SAYING, "WOE IS ME. 53:41 I AM UNDONE." 53:42 AND THEN HEARING YOU SAY, "YOUR SIN IS PURGED." 53:47 I PRAY YOUR BLESSING IN EACH PERSON'S LIFE. 53:50 LORD, BE RIGHT NOW IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY WITH THOSE 53:52 WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION TODAY. 53:55 HELP THEM TO EXPERIENCE THAT CLEANSING AND THAT FORGIVENESS. 53:57 WHAT A JOY TO KNOW THAT WE CAN GO HOME JUST BEFORE YOU 54:02 BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS. 54:04 WE ALSO PRAY FOR A SPECIAL DOUBLE BLESSING ON THOSE WHO 54:07 HAVE SEALED THEIR COMMITMENT THROUGH BAPTISM TODAY. 54:10 FILL THEM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. 54:12 HELP THEM TO RECOGNIZE THEIR LIVES OF MINISTRY NOW. 54:15 KEEP THEM SHOULD TEMPTATION COME, AS YOU DID YOUR OWN SON. 54:18 BE WITH US AS A CHURCH FAMILY. 54:20 BIND OUR HEARTS TOGETHER IN CHRISTIAN LOVE. 54:23 WE THANK YOU FOR HEARING THIS PRAYER 'CAUSE WE'RE COMING 54:25 BEFORE YOU, PLEADING THE BLOOD AND THE MERITS OF JESUS. 54:28 AMEN. 54:31 >> HELLO FRIENDS, I'M DOUG BATCHELOR. 54:33 FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS, AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN 54:36 A MINISTRY OF EVANGELISM, REACHING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, 54:41 CHANGING LIVES WITH THE POWERFUL MESSAGE OF 54:44 HOPE AND PURPOSE FOUND IN THE BIBLE. 54:47 AS DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, WE HERE AT AMAZING FACTS HAVE ACCEPTED 54:51 THE GREAT COMMISSION CHALLENGE TO SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS 54:54 THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. 54:55 WHAT BEGAN AS A 15-MINUTE RADIO PROGRAM HAS BEEN BLESSED BY GOD 55:00 TO GROW INTO A MULTI-FACETED, INTERNATIONAL MEDIA MINISTRY. 55:05 THESE ARE TRULY EXCITING TIMES, YET WE CANNOT DO ANY OF THIS 55:09 WITHOUT YOUR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP. 55:11 >> AMAZING FACTS HAS BEEN A HUGE CORNERSTONE IN MY 55:15 WHOLE CONVERSION EXPERIENCE AND MY WALK WITH CHRIST. 55:18 >> INVESTING IN AMAZING FACTS IS A NO-BRAINER. 55:22 IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN ETERNITY. 55:23 >> I AM SO THANKFUL FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN AMAZING FACTS. 55:25 IT'S CHANGING PEOPLE'S LIVES. 55:27 >> AMAZING FACTS HAS TOUCHED MY LIFE IN WAYS THAT 55:30 I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN. 55:31 >> WE ARE A PART OF GOD'S GREATER PLAN. 55:35 >> INVESTING IN AMAZING FACTS IS ACTUALLY AN INVESTMENT 55:38 IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 55:40 >> I'M A PRODUCT OF THE GIFTS THAT SOMEONE HAS GIVEN. 55:44 >> I'M ONE CHANGED LIFE. 55:45 >> I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME. 55:47 >> THOUSANDS OF LOST SOULS ARE COMING TO KNOW JESUS 55:50 AND ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS. 55:53 THOUSANDS MORE ARE EXPERIENCING NEW DEPTH IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP 55:56 WITH CHRIST. 55:58 WE BELIEVE THAT THROUGH CONTINUED PRAYER, TRUST IN GOD, 56:01 AND OUR SACRIFICIAL GIVING, THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS MESSAGE 56:05 OF HOPE AROUND THE WORLD TO ONE AND TO ALL. 56:11 [MUSIC] 56:18 >> HOW MUCH MORE EXCITING CAN IT BE THAN THAT? 56:31 >> IN THE SAME WAY ALL OF THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM 56:34 REVOLVE AROUND THE SUN, EVERYTHING WE DO HERE AT 56:37 AMAZING FACTS REVOLVES AROUND THE NUCLEUS OF GOD'S WORD, 56:41 THE SCRIPTURES. 56:42 THAT'S WHY WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE RELEASE 56:45 OF A NEW RESOURCE THAT WILL BLESS YOU IN YOUR 56:48 PERSONAL STUDY. 56:49 IT'S THE AMAZING FACTS PROPHECY STUDY BIBLE. 56:52 AND THIS BIBLE IS LIKE NO OTHER. 56:54 IT IS FILLED WITH WONDERFUL RESOURCES. 56:56 OF COURSE, IT HAS A CONCORDANCE. 56:58 IT HAS THE MAPS, RED LETTER EDITION, 57:00 NEW KING JAMES VERSION, HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY 57:03 OF THE BIBLE, AND BEST OF ALL, ALL 27 OF THE POPULAR 57:07 AMAZING FACTS STUDY GUIDES ARE IN THIS BIBLE, ANSWERING 57:11 QUESTIONS LIKE HOW WILL JESUS COME, WHO IS THE BEAST, 57:15 WHAT IS THE MARK OF THE BEAST, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY 57:17 ABOUT DEATH AND HELL AND HEAVEN AND MUCH MORE? 57:20 IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN A COPY OF THIS 57:22 INCREDIBLE BIBLE STUDY RESOURCE, THEN SIMPLY CALL THE 57:25 TOLL-FREE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN OR GO TO AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. 57:31 >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THIS BROADCAST. 57:33 IF YOU'VE MISSED ANY OF OUR AMAZING FACTS PROGRAMS, 57:35 VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. 57:38 THERE YOU'LL FIND AN ARCHIVE OF ALL OUR TELEVISION 57:40 AND RADIO PROGRAMS, INCLUDING "AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS," 57:43 "CENTRAL STUDY HOUR," "EVERLASTING GOSPEL," 57:46 "BIBLE ANSWERS LIVE," AND "WONDERS IN THE WORD." 57:48 YOU'LL ALSO FIND A STOREHOUSE OF BIBLICAL RESOURCES GEARED 57:51 TOWARDS ANSWERING SOME OF YOUR MOST DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. 57:54 AND OUR ONLINE BIBLE SCHOOL IS JUST A CLICK AWAY. 57:56 ONE LOCATION, SO MANY POSSIBILITIES, 57:59 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG. 58:02 [MUSIC] |
Revised 2015-02-05