Good morning, church. If I haven't had the opportunity to meet you, my name is Ben, and I get the privilege of being down at our Prescott Valley location. I get to oversee that campus and just know that you are welcomed and loved. And as always, we want to slow down and just welcome our family online. We love you so much out there in Paulding and Baghdad and the rest of our online family. I think when I was up here... A couple months ago, a few months ago, I think I called Paul
Dad. It's not Paul Daddy. It's Paul Dan. And we just love you, Mike and Sue Lynn. We're so thankful for you. But welcome. Does anyone have in their family somebody that has a reputation of repeating the same stories over and over again? I think every family has that. In our family, it's my dad. He loves to tell. the same stories over and over. In fairness, you only got so many stories, but he always says he doesn't need new
material, he just needs a new audience. And one of the stories I've heard countless times is I used to sleepwalk all the time. I mean, it was a problem. I would wake up with cuts above my eye and on my forehead and cheek from running
into stuff. There was one time I sleptwalked from my best friend's house four houses down and across the street in my little underoos at seven, and my dad answers the door, and I was just asleep with my finger in the air, and I'd just been ringing the doorbell just over and over and over again. His favorite story to tell, though, is when we used to do this camping trip with father -sons, and it would be anywhere from six to eight sets of father -sons. somebody had
this gigantic military tent. And so we would all sleep in there and there was room to spare. And this was the 80s. So there's no talk of GMOs or too much sugar. We're downing Coke. We're eating Star Crunches. And as you might expect, the boys would go to bed first and then the dads later. And so I woke up the next morning. And I noticed there was a father and son missing. And I was like, Dad, where's Tim and Jason at?
And he just starts dying laughing. And at some point in the middle of the night, I had been sleeping, sleepwalking around the tent, and I ended up going number one all over them. I thought they were the bathroom. 38 years later, my dad cannot stop laughing as he... He visualizes that father's face and that anger as he was packing up his sleeping bag and his son at three in the morning and leaving, going home. He still owns
them. Who doesn't love a good story? And we've been in a collection of talks, stories as told by Jesus. And we've been looking at parables he taught. In all, Jesus taught 40 parables. It's good to know that a parable is just a story that runs parallel to a truth, okay? And Jesus is the master storyteller, y 'all. And today we're gonna look at the tax collector and the Pharisee who go up to the temple to pray. And
so we're gonna be in Luke 18, verse 19. To some who are confident of their own righteousness and look down on everybody else. We all know who these people are. They're too heavenly minded to be any earthly good. Their Bibles are usually bigger than everyone else's, but only to hit you over the head with it. And Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Okay. So Jesus, in telling the story, immediately
introduces two characters. And it's important that we understand these characters because the audience definitely understood these two different people, okay? The Pharisee has a bad reputation today, but back then they were super admired. They were looked up to. They were the religious leaders of their time. If we need to be honest with ourselves, if Pharisees were around today in that context, these would be elected officials
in the way they presented themselves. This would be somebody you would want your daughter to date. They didn't drink much alcohol. They went to church every week, temple. They tithed and they knew scripture inside and out, okay? No one appeared to be more dedicated to God than this bunch of people. Okay, so we need to understand that. In fact, as the audience was listening to him back then, their eyes and ears, it would have made sense that the Pharisee was going to the
temple to pray. Okay, then you have him introduce the tax collector. This is someone who worked for a foreign government. They had a reputation of overcharging in taxes so they could lie in their own pockets to get rich. They were synonymous with cheating and stealing. They were the lowest of the low. Even within scripture, You could interchange sinner and tax collector, okay? So these two characters would have immediately invoked emotions within the audience. And it really needs
to do that to us. And they would have also attached expectations of the outcome based on these two characters. Because Jesus is the master storyteller. Next verse. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. God, I thank you that I am not like other people. robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. Okay, so the Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. Other translations say he prayed to himself. So you could say accurately that this Pharisee was praying
to himself about himself. Our prayer posture will be a reflection of our posture in life. What does our prayer posture, our prayer life look like as we go through the day? Is it all about what we need and what we want? And don't get me wrong, God calls for us to pray for the desires of our hearts, but that's a piece of
it. Are we waking up every morning and praying that the Holy Spirit will put a family or a person on our heart and we pray that they're blessed, that their finances are blessed, their business is blessed, their children, their health? Are we going throughout our day and inviting God into it? Do we invite the Holy Spirit in before we send a text message or an email? Do we ask him when to be quiet and just listen? Do we pray before we go to the store? We just assume we're
gonna make it back home. Do we understand our desperate need and the sovereignty of God to be involved in everything we do? I remember in recovery, I learned this, probably one of the best lessons I ever learned. And it was learning to accept people where they were at without approving of their choices. And the saying we would say is, that's just where they're at today. That's just where they're at today. And what do I mean by that? I mean, if you would have met me before
I met Jesus, I was a train wreck. And now, just because I'm on this side, by the grace of God, sharing the gospel with you. If I meet someone in day one of knowing Jesus, or maybe they haven't met Jesus, that's just where they're at today. I mean, we all know these people. They don't have the ability to see how selfish they are. They cannot see how judgmental they are or how angry they are. Because that's just where they are today. It doesn't excuse their behavior.
It doesn't mean we don't have hard conversations when needed. But what it does do is it softens your heart. And it goes, man, that's just where they're at today. I used to be there one day, and I still have a long way to go. It helps us from playing the comparison game, which we saw this Pharisee do. He goes, at least I'm not like so -and -so. At least I'm not like this robber. I'm not like this tax collector. I'm not as bad as old Jimmy over there. I don't know a Jimmy
either. But it helps prevent the comparison game as if what my neighbor does or doesn't do has any reflection on how I view myself. Next verse. I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I get. Okay, so he's not only superior in what he avoids, he's also superior in how he performs. See, the Pharisees had become addicted to this. There were 613 Mosaic laws, and they had added thousands of oral laws, okay? And when he goes, I fast twice a week, that was actually more than
was required. When he goes, I pay tithes of all that I get, again, he's making a statement. I do more than is asked. It's almost as if he's saying, God owes me a thanks. See, they had added all these extra rules where they would even break down the herbs in their garden and give 10 % of that. They had become addicted to tradition and religion, and it was even more important that everyone saw them live out this religion. See, I grew up in the South in Alabama, and everybody
goes to church. It's generational. You know what to say. You know how to say it. You know to wear pastel colors on Easter. You do. It's a way of life. And I remember when I started in ministry, I didn't know nothing, y 'all. And I was working on my first Easter. And as many of you know, when someone says he is risen, you say he is risen indeed. I didn't know that. So I'm working parking. I'm like the front guy at the parking thing and waving everyone. And someone drives
by with their window down. He is risen. I go, you betcha. Another car. He is risen. He sure has. This goes on. And as traffic starts backing up, this very, very sweet lady had said it and I said something silly. And she goes, you're supposed to say he is risen indeed. And of course, I acted like I knew that. So, you know, for those next five he has risen, I nailed it. I mean, I was a pro. He has risen indeed. It was like I've been doing it my whole life. Now, there's
nothing wrong with that statement. It's true. Traditions are good. But what we have to be careful of is there's no power in the tradition. There's no power in the religion. Okay, following these laws the way they were was breathing life into these Pharisees. It was giving them life and breath. But we know the only breath and life comes through Jesus Christ. The only power is him as our savior and us being sealed with the Holy Spirit and then that pouring out through
us. as his goodness working through us. See, the Pharisees had become experts at hiding the brokenness of what was in their hearts while becoming masters of their outward expression of religion. God isn't looking for religion. God is looking for relationship. God does not desire the sacrifice of bulls. He desires a broken and contrite heart. So if God is looking for relationship, then we have to ask ourselves,
what kind of relationship is that? In Matthew 7, verses 21 through 23, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesize in your name? In your name, drive out demons and perform many miracles. And then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. Do you see the similarity of this parable and
the scripture? Again, it is people listing off the things they've done for God. I honestly envision someone sitting across Jesus at a table and they just. slide the resume on over to them. Jesus, I don't know if you've been paying attention, but I've been doing a whole lot for you lately. The new in this verse, I never knew you. That word in the Greek is gnosko. It's an intimate knowing. It's the way a husband and wife know each other. This is nothing of the physical.
But we know what that is. It's an intimate, we know their biggest shortcomings and their greatest successes of who they are as people. This is an experiential knowing, okay, this word. And full transparency, I've never been to school for Greek. I've never spoke it, as you might tell from my accent. But I also believe we live in a time where there are enough resources that if you have a desire, you can learn something
and study it. And I also believe we have a responsibility on this stage to teach the second and third and fourth layer of what God is teaching. Because new in the English doesn't cut it. New doesn't tell you the depth of the relationship. I mean, he doesn't even recognize them. There's no intimacy. There's no experiential relationship. I mean, you can know your pizza delivery guy, but you don't know him. I mean, I know he's going to bring me a meat lovers with added bacon, but
I don't know what's going on. I don't know what's going on in his heart or in his head. There was a time when several years ago, I had this relationship that friendship and it went sideways and it really caught me off guard. I had no clue anything was wrong. It came out of nowhere, and I was meeting and talking to someone. And in the beginning, there was attempts at reconciliation. And honestly, I was grieving this friendship. And as I was talking to somebody about it, they really explained
it. It was because I really thought our friendship was here, and the truth is it was over here. And he gave me this illustration of a property or someone's house and how everybody falls within this illustration at some level. As you look at a house, the front yard is where you might see someone and you recognize them and you say, hello, hey, how you doing? But you don't know anything about them. Then you might have some people that are on your front porch. You're going
to have similarities. You might talk sports or family or kids, but everything is very surface level. And there's nothing wrong with these first two. You need people across the board. Then you might have people in the living room or kitchen. Here, you're starting to open up about things that are happening within your life, but very rarely are you vulnerable. Then you have people in the bedroom. And again, nothing of the physical.
This is only for a few, okay? But the main indicator is you go from talking about what's happening in your life to talking about what's happening on the inside of you. You know each other's good and bad. You know each other's struggles and wins. You know how to spur one another on. You know when something's just not quite right with the person that day. You remember week one, Pastor Todd said, our proximity to God allows for understanding. Where's Jesus in this illustration? Is he on
the front porch? Is it all surface level? And if that's where you're at today, that's okay. But know God has more for you. Maybe Jesus is in your living room and you shared some things with him, but there's also a lot that you hide from him. And there's a lot you keep him out of. I want you to know God desires a more intimate relationship with you. Next verse. 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, the sinner. These prayers couldn't be more different. These characters couldn't be more different. Jesus is the master storyteller. This prayer is one of humility and desperation and dependence. It says that he stood at the back of the temple, which now we know that Pharisee had to be at the front. His eyes are glued to the floor while his voice goes up to heaven. There's a need, an understanding of a genuine need for the mercy of God. God be merciful
to me, the sinner. Many translations say a sinner. I think this one is more accurate though. A sinner allows us to minimize our sin. I'm just one of many sinners. I mean, we all sin. The sinner takes singular focus on it doesn't matter what my neighbor does, good or bad. I'm the sinner, and I need the Lord. It says very clearly in Scripture that if you've broken one law, you've broken them all. But we don't like to look at it like that, do we? We'll go, this person murdered
and this person stole. Murder's worse. I'm not disagreeing that murder's worse. But God is in heaven and goes, you're both lawbreakers. See, what the Pharisees had done was, is they took this Mosaic law that was supposed to be a mirror that reflected your brokenness and dirtiness, and then they tried to clean themselves with it. The law was never intended for that. The law was always intended to point you to the need
of a savior in Jesus Christ. Because we've all sinned, we've all fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one good, not even one of us. Luke 18, 14. I tell you that this man rather than the other went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. So the cool thing about this parable is it has really strong bookends. You don't need much for interpretation. We know who they're talking to, self -righteous
and people that look down on others. And then we also know what will happen with these two heart postures. If you exalt yourself, God will humble you. And if you humble yourself, God will exalt you. See, church, we can't miss this, the effect that pride has on the heart. I wonder if I was to ask everybody, if you had to think off the top of your head the absolute worst possible sins you could ever commit on this earth, would pride make your top five? Would pride make your
top 10? In Luke 10, 18 it says, Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Satan wasn't kicked out of heaven because he drank too much. He wasn't kicked out of heaven because he was sexually immoral or because he committed murder. He was slammed to earth because he was prideful. We don't have time to teach this today. But for you note takers, Isaiah 14, verses 12 through 14. And Satan gives these five I will statements, okay? He goes, I will be like the most high.
I will elevate myself. I will be the authority. I will be worshiped. I will, I will, I will. See, I think we can make a case that the absolute worst sin is pride. Because it's the biggest lie ever told. That we have anything that is not his. We get a spiritual gift or a talent and it's some personal accomplishment to us. What do we have that we have not received from God? And why do we act as though we didn't receive
it? When we compare ourselves to others and say, well, I'd never do that sin, or just in any manner we're comparing, we're struggling with pride. This happens with good things too. I read my Bible a whole lot. This person doesn't even know this book. They don't even know this verse. They don't even know this tradition. We're struggling with pride. If at any point in this message you go, whoo, My neighbor really needs to hear this. My wife, my friend, my sibling, you need it.
I need it. You're struggling with pride. See, this parable teaches that self -righteousness and pride blind us from our spiritual need. why humility opens the door to a genuine relationship with God, a gnosco relationship. And when we don't have this intimate relationship with Jesus, we can confuse our glory for his glory. The apostles, James and John, approached Jesus and said, Jesus, we have a request, and whatever the request is, we'd love it if you did it. And he goes, all
right, well, what's your request? And they come before him and go, they replied, let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. You catch that? Oh, Jesus, this is in your glory. You see how easy it is for us to confuse our glory for his glory? But you know what I found interesting as I was studying this, praying on it? They had an opportunity to be at his right and left. At the cross. And they were nowhere to be found. Now, I'm not judging
them. I honestly can't imagine how the apostles felt. They believed and knew with all their heart that this was the Messiah, God in the flesh. And all of their emotions and five senses were challenging this belief as they saw God dying on the cross. See, if we are in a position where we exalt ourselves, we just judge this behavior. But if we take a posture of humility, we recognize what our brothers did and immediately turn it back to ourselves and go, have I ever done that?
Have I ever confused my glory for God's glory? The answer is yes. I believe we all have. I even think of this position. Being on stage is a knife's edge, y 'all. You receive compliments. You're very familiar to people. You have to constantly check the motives and condition of your heart that you don't confuse your glory for God's glory. Even writing a message like this, I have to first filter it through my own heart before I could
ever teach it to y 'all. In fact, if Pastor John or Pastor Todd or I'm up here teaching you something, more times than not, it's because God is in the process of teaching us something, and then we just get to share it in a message format with y 'all. We're just all player coaches up here in desperate need of a Savior, and we need His mercies every day. But then we have to ask ourselves as a church, is there things in my life where I confuse my glory for God's glory? Is it your
success? Is it your bank account? Is it your looks? Is it your family name or the influence you have in the community? And look, pride's sneaky, y 'all, because we know what to say and how to act. We know to say it's in your glory. I know the tone and posture to use when receiving a compliment. So we have to get before God, even when we answer right, and go, God, is there anything
that I take credit for? Is there anything inside of me that when I hear a compliment or I think about my looks or my intelligence or my bank account or influence, is there anything that just puffs my chest out? Just an inch. And if it does, God, I come before you and I repent. And I am sorry that I've taken credit for anything that is yours. All that I have is from you. I can do nothing apart from him. None of us can.
I think about the pitfalls of growing up in the greatest country where we are so blessed in abundance. Our checks are direct deposited. We turn a knob and the water comes on. We have heat and air and houses and cars. Our grocery stores are full. You can get medication. Not all things, but most things can be fixed through procedures and medical advancements. And then we start to have this expectation that when those things don't happen, we get a little fussy, don't we? We start to
think we're owed this. Because we're so used to living this life. Waiting for food when what we deem is too long. Waiting too long in a line, we get a little fussy, don't we? Something breaks down in the car or house. Poor customer service. Bad vacation experience. A delayed flight. We get fussy. Traffic. You go, what does this have to do with pride? When we start to have expectations that life should look a certain way and we're owed something, we've stopped giving the glory
to God. Think how we cheer for our sports teams and our kids. Do you do that every direct deposit? I don't. Every time my water works, every time I eat all the meals I want. Am I cheering? Am I on my feet just praising God? Or have I become accustomed to the blessings he's given me? And we have to be able to ask ourselves those questions because when we get fussy the few times it doesn't happen and we have an expectation that life should look a certain way, we have become the main characters
of our story. We're not the main characters, God is. My life is not about me. It should be about God and others. It's certainly not about my glory. It's about God's glory because Jesus is the master storyteller. He is the author and perfecter of our faiths. Are we in a heart posture where we can lower ourselves and admit that? So that we can be exalted through Christ and he's magnified to where you don't even see who
we are anymore. You only see Christ. Are we in a position of humility where Jesus can tell our story? Let's pray. Father God, The Lord is great and most worthy of praise. Father, I thank you for your blessings, Lord. I thank you for the blessings I'm unaware of. Lord, I come before you and repent of any time I've taken credit for something, Lord. Lord, where I have not given you the glory, I pray that you would search our
heart and know our thoughts. Lord, that you would put... point out anything that you find offensive, Lord. Lord, pride is so sneaky. It shows up in so many ways, Lord. Show us our blind spots. Put people in our lives, Lord, that show us these things, Lord, where we can bolster one another, Lord. Encourage one another and grow together, Lord. That the way we love one another and love you, Lord, points people to you, Father. that the spotlight is not on us, but it is on the
cross, Lord. I thank you for your goodness. I thank you for your love, Lord, that you would be magnified and worshiped as you deserve, Lord, that every day we would offer our bodies as living sacrifices to you, Lord. All that we have is yours, Lord. Let us never lose sight of that. In Jesus' name, amen.