Small Mind Thinking

Welcome to Sharper Sword, the publication ministry of White House Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

White House believes that individuals can reach their potential for the Lord as they grow in Christ.

We want to hear our Lord say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Let's join Pastor Doug Fisher as he preaches another important biblical message from the Word of God.

Well, we're supposed to constantly be looking at nature as a teaching tool, would you agree?

And the concept of the Bible is he said to look at different things and then consider them.

And tonight I'm gonna ask you to consider something from the scriptures.

Look at 1 Samuel 15.

1 Samuel 15.

I want to ask you to look at a classic scripture tonight that uh no doubt you've heard uh spoke about before.

And we're just going to uh do something to consider.

They said there in that song, Consider the Lilies.

Uh we're gonna consider something tonight, and I want to be careful.

I I realize it's midweek, and uh what you don't need tonight is a bunch of negative.

Would you agree?

Man, sufficient was the evil of today.

Meaning, if you went to work, there's all kinds of things going on.

So I'm gonna try to present this in a semi-positive way, but I want you to do something tonight.

Uh in uh in the military, once in a while, they would uh they would uh in the midst of uh turmoil, somebody would say attitude check.

Now they didn't do that as you get into higher ranks because our attitude's always supposed to be right.

But when we were in uh the basic school and in boot camp for officers and down there in uh boot camp at Paris Island, once in a while uh somebody would say, uh, usually a drill instructor, attitude check.

And the idea is uh take a look at yourself for a moment.

Consider how you're thinking about yourself for a moment.

And the idea of attitude check is uh what's what's the attitude I have towards this situation?

What's the attitude do I have towards these circumstances?

And tonight it's uh it's a little message about attitude check, but please don't don't be negative about yourself.

Let's just check our attitude a little bit because what the Bible does, it checks our attitude constantly.

When you read your book, it just checks our attitude and it makes sure that we don't get so temporal-minded, temporary-minded.

He wants our attitude to be eternal.

Would you agree with that?

So, with that in mind, look at 1 Samuel 15.

You know this, but look at verse 17.

Verse 17.

Samuel said, When thou wast, past tense, he's talking to Saul, when when you were little in your own sight, was not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

I want you to focus in when thou wast little in thine own sight.

And brethren, the concept of being little in your own sight is humility.

Would you agree with that?

So the attitude check is uh how are we doing with uh our humility?

Because humility in God's eyes and viewpoint is a very, very high thing.

What do you mean, high thing?

Humility is a high, pricey, valuable characteristic in God's, if you would, economy of character.

Humility allows us closer to God.

Would you agree with that?

God resists us the proud, but he gives us grace to the humble.

Humility is something that we we want to constantly have in our thoughts, and humility is an attitude.

I'll say it again: humility is an attitude.

He said, when you were little in your own sight.

Uh let me say it another way.

When you were little in your own sight, self was not in the center.

When we're little in our own sight, self is not in the center.

Self is not what everything revolves around when we're little in our own sight.

The wonderful thing about humility is it it takes self out of the center and typically puts God in the center.

Self-centeredness is small-mindedness.

I'm gonna say this a couple of times tonight.

Self-centeredness is small-mindedness.

Now, what do you mean?

What do you mean?

You mean like like you're small in your own mind.

Brethren, uh, big vision comes when you're little in your own eyes.

Huh?

Yeah, big vision from God comes when we don't have ourselves in the center.

I'm gonna say it again.

Big vision.

The things that God wants us to see in a big way.

Wisdom does not come when self is in the center.

Because if God gives wisdom when self is in the center, we think we figured it out.

When humility is there and God gives wisdom, we say, I didn't figure that out.

That was just given to me.

I know where that came from.

That wasn't my original thought, that came out of heaven.

So self-centeredness, if you would, is very small-mindedness.

Uh, there's little indicators that we have about our attitude when self is in the center.

I want to I want to show you by example tonight, just little things that we want to watch for.

And uh the example is about Samuel talking to Saul.

Look again, verse 17.

He's talking to Saul and he said to Saul, Saul, when thou wast, past tense little in thine own sight, was not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel?

So let's go back to when Saul was little in his own sight, when his attitude was humble, if you would.

And look at 1 Samuel chapter 10.

1 Samuel 10 · chapter mention

I want to say again, 1 Samuel chapter 10.

1 Samuel 10 · chapter mention

Self-mindedness is small-mindedness.

Self-mindedness is small-minded, and we don't want to be small-minded like like not-minded the way Christ would have us.

Now, I know I know we don't want to be high-minded.

We don't want to be heady, but when we're little in our own sight, God can really do something with us.

1 Samuel chapter 10.

1 Samuel 10 · chapter mention

Here's when Saul was little in his own eyes.

It's the verse number 22.

Verse number 22 of 1 Samuel 10.

He says, Therefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man uh yet come hither.

And the Lord answered.

They're looking for Saul.

And here's what God answers them.

Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

So when it was time for him to become king, he had hid himself.

And uh look, there's different kinds of preaching on this, and everybody can have their own interpretation.

I want you to be reminded that he's little in his own sight right now.

He's little in his own sight right now.

So he hid himself amongst the stuff.

Some preach that he was running from God.

I don't know what he's doing, but I know this.

He doesn't think he can do it.

He does not think he can do it.

This is their first king, and he does not think he can do it.

I don't know about you, but I appreciate when somebody says, I don't know if I'm capable of doing that or not.

And you think, that's the right spirit, that's the right attitude.

No, no, no.

Don't you like confidence?

Confidence is one thing in the Lord, but confidence in ourselves can become arrogance.

Attitude check.

When he was little in his own sight, he hid himself amongst the stuff, and in my opinion, it's just an opinion, I just think that he didn't quite think he could do it.

And brethren, the way to go through life with the Lord is to not think you can quite do it.

What?

That what do you mean that?

That like Lord, I can't do this today without you.

Father, I can't I can't do this at work today without you.

Lord, I can't do this in the Lord, in the work of the Lord without you.

Lord, we can't raise our family without you, without your wisdom.

When we're little in our own sight, we we don't have this great confidence in ourselves, but we have confidence in the Lord.

And there's a confidence in God that's important.

And when we're little in our own sight, when our little in our own sight, uh, our attitude is dependence on Him.

Dependence on Him.

Uh we have people going for different things, different jobs, different possibilities, different promotions.

Boy, the best way to go in is little in your own sight, but I know in front of people we we have to say, well, yes, I do understand that, and yes, I can do that, and yes, I'm able to do that, but in the back of our brains, we need to be saying, but not without God.

But not without God.

Whether that comes out of our mouth or not, it's gotta be, but not without God.

Brother, I gotta tell you something.

I don't care how much you study, how confident you are, let God take away your hope and see how well you do.

Let God take away part of that charity and see how well you do.

Let God remove a little of that faith and see how well you do.

Brother, I'm gonna go back to hope because when he takes away hope, it takes away motivation.

It takes away the ability to move forward.

And by the way, hope is something we take for granted, but when we're little in our own sight, even though we're saying, Yes, I can do that, yes, that I can accomplish that, we're saying, Oh, but God, please let these words be true.

Without you, I can do what?

Nothing, and I need you in everything I'm doing.

So the attitude check is when we're little in our own sight, he hid himself among the stuff.

He knew he could not do it without God.

And by the way, may I say to you, God touched him and empowered him.

Look at verse number chapter 11, look at verse 6.

Chapter 11, verse 6.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul.

Brethren, the Spirit of God is still coming upon people.

The Spirit of God is still empowering people.

If we don't pray for the filling of the Holy Ghost, we've missed something.

Let's not lose that doctrine about being, Lord, fill me today with thy Holy Spirit.

May the Spirit of God come on me today in whatever it is that I'm doing, training children, uh, working a job, uh, whatever it is.

Uh, and God's Spirit is involved in all aspects of our life.

Would you agree with that?

There's not anything you do that God doesn't know how to do and can't teach you how to do it in a better way.

Doesn't matter what it is.

And may I say to you, the Spirit of God came upon Saul, but it didn't stop there.

Back up just for a moment and notice chapter 10.

Chapter 10, look at verse 26.

Chapter 10, verse 26.

And God uh also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him a band of men whose hearts God had touched.

Brethren, the greatest leadership is when it's not so much you leading, it's God touching people to follow.

Training children, having having family.

Oh God, touch my children, uh, empower my children to want to submit.

Huh?

Yeah, the filling of God.

One of the things about being filled with God, filled with the Spirit is submitting ourselves one to another.

But it's not just for children, it's for we adults too.

I need to be in submitted form today.

I need to be submitted a few times during the day.

It's required to be submitted to be what God wants me to be.

It's required.

It's required to be submitted.

We're supposed to obey those that are in authority and say, who'd you submit to today?

I submitted to the speed limits today.

I want you to know all day long.

I submitted to the speed limits.

I just want to make sure I'm not lying.

Yesterday I didn't, but today I did.

All right.

The idea is submission is part of it.

When we're little in our own sight, we're not self-minded, and we're not so much self-willed.

We don't want to have self-will all the time.

We want to have God's will.

You see, now you're not making any sense.

Listen to me.

I'm crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I live.

Yet, say it, not I.

Well, then who is it?

It's Christ living within us.

And that's who we want to be submitted to, and therefore it's not so much us, it's Him in us.

It's not self-willed, it's God willed within us that we're submitting to.

Well, when now that happened, then notice chapter 11, stay with me, chapter 11, verse 11.

You're doing great tonight.

Chapter 11, verse 11.

Haven't got to the negative yet.

I'm going to try to make the negative right.

Chapter 11, verse 11.

And notice when when he was little in his own eyes, not self-willed, following God's leading, and then God had touched men to follow.

Uh here's what happens.

Uh Saul came up against the Ammonites in the morning watch and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day, and it came to pass that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

Brethren, uh Saul in leadership, in verse number 11, he put the people in three companies.

That wasn't him figuring out.

This was the guy that hid himself amongst the stuff.

This is the guy that's little in his own sight.

This is the guy that the Spirit of God has come upon, and he's touched men to follow.

And Saul says, Let's divide up into three companies.

That was God working in him.

It was God empowering him.

And brethren, those are wonderful things when we get thoughts where we go, wow, that's a good idea.

And you say, wait a minute, that came from God.

I better thank him real quick.

I had a couple good ideas today.

They weren't mine, they were his.

I was talking with somebody today.

I got a good idea that helped both of us, and I said, just a moment, pulled out my phone and put it in the memo section.

They say, Did you tell a person?

I absolutely did.

I said, that was a good thought, wasn't it?

He said, that was a good thought.

I said, that didn't come from me.

He said, I know.

I saw you write it down.

Brethren, that's a wonderful way to be when we're when we're little in our own sight, not self-willed, because self-willed is small-mindedness.

Self-minded is small-mindedness.

Self-minded doesn't see the big picture.

Now, there's a couple of characteristics that uh that come up with uh the concept of self-mindedness, and uh I I um I kind of hesitate now, kind of if you would, how to how to put this in a way that's uh that that turns out, I guess that turns out uh in a positive way.

And I I thought about this for a little while.

Look at 1 Samuel 15.

1 Samuel 15.

And I hope this comes out in a positive way.

It's a little indicator, attitude checks.

1 Samuel 15.

So, and now we have a situation where Saul's not little in his own sight anymore.

We know that by verse number 17.

The Spirit of the Lord is grieved now in his life, but watch what happens with his attitude.

Look at 1 Samuel 15.

Notice verse 13, please.

Verse 13.

And Samuel came to Saul.

Notice what Saul does.

And Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord.

And then he says, This I have performed the commandment of the Lord.

Now that should put red flags up right there.

If you've got to tell a prophet, hello, good to see you.

By the way, I've done everything God told me to do.

Oh, you did.

Man, when we have to go around telling everybody, here's what I did.

Here's what I did.

It's almost like we're trying to convince ourselves.

And that ought to be an indicator that self's involved.

He said, I've performed the commandment of the Lord.

And then Samuel says, Uh, what meaneth then the bleeding of the sheep in mine ears?

Brother, he was supposed to destroy everything.

And he said, Hey, good to see you, Samuel.

I've done everything I was supposed to do.

And Samuel said, Why do I hear the sheep then?

If you've done everything you're supposed to do.

Now notice one of the characteristics when we're got self in the center.

One of the characteristics in Saul verse 15 said, and Saul said, They, they, underline the word they.

They have brought them from the Amalekites.

For the people, underline the people, spared the best of the sheep, and the oxen to sacrifice in the Lord thy God, and the rest, notice the next word, we have utterly destroyed.

What's that?

That's that's self in the center.

That's blaming on someone else and saying, but we did right.

They did wrong, but I've done right.

Brethren, you know self is in the center there.

One of the attitude checks that we have is when we have to justify ourselves.

Like they did that.

I didn't do that, they did that.

I gotta tell you, after a while, it doesn't matter who did what, whether they did it or we did it, and sometimes it's about image.

What do you mean?

They did this, but we did this, and I'm telling you, so you think well of me, Samuel.

Because self-willed has to constantly promote our image.

How people think about us, what people think about us.

Brother, if we're doing right, God will promote our image.

But self, when we're when we're not little in our own eyes, we've got to pump ourselves up in front of people.

Let me say that again.

One of the attitude checks we gotta have is am I out pumping myself up in front of people?

Am I out trying to create an image so they think something of me?

And I know it's not true.

I know what I'm projecting is not true.

I know who I really am.

And I'm telling them I'm doing this, I'm I'm telling them I'm doing that, I'm telling them, yeah, I got this big deal going on, or I got this big thing going on, or I'm doing this, or I'm doing that, and it's like I'm out promoting my image.

Brethren, we're not politicians.

God knows who we are.

And I'm not saying, but that's that's we would we would we would say that a lot with politics where they promote themselves.

Brethren, as a Christian, we don't have to very much.

In fact, the best, the less less we do, the better.

Would you agree with that?

So Saul's out there producing his own image, but it's a false image.

It's a fake, feigned, feigned.

F-E-How do you spell it?

F-E-I-G-N.

Feigned, fake, false image.

And that ought to bother our conscience if we do that.

I'm not trying to be negative.

But there ought to be an attitude check inside of us to go, did I present myself falsely today?

Did I go out and make myself into something that I'm really not in front of somebody else, and they're really thinking that about me, and I know it's not true, and they know it.

Well, maybe they don't, but God knows it's not true.

Because self-will or self-minded does that.

Self-minded exaggerates who we are.

Maybe that's not a good way to say it.

Self-mindedness makes me exaggerate who I am for somebody else's approval.

Because, brethren, the fear of man bringeth a snare.

Come on, is that right?

The next verse talks about the approval of the king.

So when I'm insecure, I might try to present myself in a false way that that, you know, I don't want them to think bad about me, so I'm gonna say this about myself, and I'm not genuine.

I'm not being genuine.

Over in Australia, they say fair dinka.

You're not being genuine.

One of the most important things in the country of Australia is be genuine.

Be genuine.

Be genuine.

I think one of the most important things with God is be genuine.

Be genuine.

Be who we really are.

In this case, you know, brethren, he's not little in his own eyes anymore.

So he's presenting himself in a false manner.

He's presenting himself in imagery.

He's representing himself in a way that's not really true.

And one of our attitude checks tonight simply is this Am I pumping up my image more than I should?

Am I genuine before God?

Does my conscience convict me because I I just told a lie about myself to somebody, and I'm lying to myself about my own image, and that's not really who I am.

And why don't I just get comfortable with who I really am and just be who I am so I don't have to tell lies because I might tell this person this and that person that, and I can't remember who I told what.

And after a while, we think I got them fooled, and they're going, No, you're only fooling yourself.

It's so transparent, it's so easy to see.

You're not anything you say you are.

And people know they just don't say anything out of kindness.

Come on, you still with me or not?

You ever been around somebody, they just pump themselves up and pump themselves up, and you don't say anything, and they pump themselves up, and then you're with somebody and they pump themselves up, and you kind of look at each other and go, nothing, and just walk on, and everybody knows it's fake.

Everybody knows it's false.

The only person that's being fooled is the one pumping himself up.

Does that make sense?

Brother, let's just be genuine.

Um, if God's in it, he'll touch our hearts to accept each other for who we are.

He'll bring that one accord.

We don't have to pump ourselves up and and and make exaggerations about who we are and what we are.

We don't need that.

Now we all do it once in a while.

Come on, we've all lied about ourselves a little bit.

And if you didn't say amen, I'll say amen for you.

We all do once in a while, and then don't we get convicted later and go, you know what?

I gotta text them back and say, I just, you know, I owe you an apology.

What for?

Uh I told you about something about myself, it's not really true, and I'm sorry.

Sometimes you get a text back and say, I knew that, don't worry about that.

That's forgiveness already, amen.

That's that's when it that's when you're in friendship.

So he he he says, I perform.

Now wait a minute.

Uh he doesn't do that just once.

Look at verse 20, stay with me.

So one of the things about self-image or self-centeredness is that we really are too concerned about our image sometimes.

Verse 20.

Saul said to Samuel, Yay, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way of the Lord, the Lord, which the Lord sent me.

Have brought Agag and the king of uh Amalek and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

There's 21 again, but the people, the people, the people, the people.

I did right, but the people.

Now, the image doesn't stop there because notice what happens in verse number 30.

Stay right with me, verse 30.

Samuel is uh is rebuking him a little bit in verse number 28, and then Saul says this to Samuel.

Then he said, I have sinned, yet honor me now.

I have sinned, yet honor me now.

Look at those two words.

That's like, I'm sorry, but honor me.

That's a disingenuous sorry.

That's a disingenuous, like, okay, I've sinned, but but would you honor me?

Honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people.

Make me look good.

Because self-centeredness says, okay, I'm sorry, but would you go honor me?

Would you would you make me look before the elders and before Israel and turn a good with me that I may worship the Lord thy God?

And you know what?

Samuel does it.

Samuel turned again after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

Now, there's a good part in there that Saul worshiped the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

But here's what's going on, brethren.

You understand, he's not got a constant walk with the Lord, so he's flip-flopping.

He's going both ways.

He's going both ways.

And brother, don't we want to be consistent?

I tell you, being filled with the Holy Ghost makes us more consistent.

And being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't make us want to present this false image.

And when we do, we get convicted about it.

The point being is, and when we say we're sorry, we really mean it.

We really mean it.

Self is not at the center.

Stay with me a little longer, if you would, and uh notice uh this in 1 Samuel 22.

1 Samuel 22, watching your time tonight.

You say you say that, you really don't mean it.

I'm sorry.

1 Samuel 22.

That's the best joke I got.

1 Samuel 22.

Now you know this.

Uh when we're when we're self-centered, when we got self-in the center and we're small-minded, this takes place.

Verse 7.

Verse 7, then Saul said unto his servants that stood amongst about him, hear now, you Benjamite, that's his own tribe, the Benjamites, will the son of Jesse David give every one of you vineyards, uh fields, and vineyards.

Here's what he's doing: he's making comparisons.

When we're image conscience, we make comparisons.

Like, look what I've done for you compared to somebody else.

Brother, now we got to be careful about comparisons.

It's another attitude check.

Uh, imagery, what someone thinks about us, me making false imagery to somebody else, false impressions.

That's uh that's self-centeredness.

Uh another attitude check is am I putting someone else down to make myself look good?

Am I putting someone else down to make myself look good?

May I say, in business sometimes there's comparisons.

Come on, that's gonna come up.

Uh and in life sometimes there's comparisons.

But what I want to be careful about is getting too consistent in putting other people down to lift myself up.

Because that's gonna grieve the Holy Ghost.

Putting other people down to lift myself up in a competitive way, not wanting to esteem someone higher than myself, not preferring someone better than myself.

Preferring someone better than the self says, no, they're good people.

No, you're right, they're good.

But when I'm in that attitude check of comparison with self in the center, I might put them down to make myself look better.

Are you still with me?

And that's what Saul was doing here.

He was going to put David down.

The next thing he says is uh David's out lying in wait for me.

He's trying to ambush me.

He's putting David down to try to make himself look better.

And and we do that once in a while if it's factual, but what we have to be careful about is uh doing that in such a way to win an argument.

What do you mean to win an argument?

We don't have to always win the argument.

And the tactic, the chessboard tactic of putting someone else down and making them feel bad about themselves so we look better, grieves the Holy Ghost.

And we have to be careful about that.

This competitive spirit, where self has kind of gripped my mind, and I'm no longer small-minded, I'm not preferring someone else, I'm not, if you would, esteeming someone else.

I'm not looking on the things of others to better them, but I got self in the center, I'm willing to throw them under the bus to make myself look better.

That grieves the spirit.

Would you agree with that?

These are just attitude checks.

And I'm not trying to be so negative tonight.

I'm just saying once in a while, we need to we need to carefully check ourselves and say, hey, have I grieved the spirit in that way?

Because the image thing, the competitive thing, and then if you would, I want to take you just uh a little bit further and uh, let's jump into the New Testament.

I got more in the Old Testament, but let's jump in the New Testament.

Look at Matthew 23.

Matthew 23.

And let's jump over here because this is somebody that we would categorize, and when I say the name, the word, the group, you'll go, yeah, I don't want to be like them.

So uh Matthew 23, Jesus says this, verse 2.

Saying, Jesus is speaking, verse 1, Jesus saying, the scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

So the Pharisee, the concept of a Pharisee, is verse number 5.

But all their work they do for to be seen of men.

It's about image.

That's what that means, verse 5.

They do for to be seen of men.

Their motive, their reasoning to do it is to be seen of men.

They make broad their phylacteries.

You know, the garments and the phylacteries were that which kind of depicted how much scriptures they know.

I don't know if you'll wear that.

They would wear these garments, and depending on how much scriptures they knew and how quote-unquote spiritual they were, they would broaden those things to make them look like they knew a lot of scripture.

Brother, I want to tell you something.

People that know a lot of scripture don't don't have to broadcast it.

People that know a lot of Bible, uh, they don't they don't walk around so everybody can see that they know a lot of Bible.

So they broaden their phy, they they they make broad their phylacteries.

It's man-made.

It's man-made.

And enlarge the the borders of their garments.

Same concepts.

The the concept is to to make themselves uh their image, to make themselves look more spiritual.

They they love the uppermost rooms at the feast, chief seats in the synagogues, and they love the greetings in the marketplace.

To be called a men rabbi.

Rabbi.

Now, there's another thing we need to know about when self is in the center.

Look at verse 14.

Verse 14.

And he says this: Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, ye devour widows' houses, and here's the key.

For a pretense, make long prayer.

But it's just pretense.

Underline the word pretense.

And for a pretense, make long prayer.

I uh I pulled up the definition of pretense.

Um it's um it's it's it's holding out in a way that uh others are seeing something that's false or feigned, and it's presenting to others something that's not true.

A false or a hypocritical appearance, pretense.

Uh under the pretense of something.

So they've pretended to pray, please look up here, but they're not really connecting to God.

They just know the words.

How can you pretense in prayer?

People can pretense in prayer publicly.

You say, are you really?

Yeah, I'll show you in a moment.

It's when self is in the center.

When self is in the center, all we're doing is praying to ourselves.

What do you mean?

Sometimes our prayer is just talking to ourselves, and the Holy Ghost is not leading us.

I've been guilty of that.

Anybody else?

This is not negative, this is positive.

Did you ever get into your prayer life and it's just kind of pretending?

Wait a minute, I'm just gonna stop for a moment.

Because I know we don't mean to, but sometimes if we're just focused on ourselves, self-centered or self-willed or self-willed, when will is in self is in the center, we're small-minded.

And when we pray, all we're kind of doing is we don't even think about going before the throne of God.

We don't think about who we're talking to.

We just kind of mouth the words because it's something we're supposed to do.

And I've been guilty, have you?

Like, like, man, I had a long prayer today, but I didn't connect.

I just keep rambling on.

Sometimes five minutes of true connection is better than rambling through a list.

I hope you don't take this wrong, but sometimes we uh we if we get in the wrong spirit about ourselves, we do it because we're supposed to.

And it kind of makes ourselves feel a little bit better, but we really didn't connect because there wasn't humility.

Now please look at this statement.

Look at Luke 18.

Luke 18, and I think we'll be done with this.

Luke 18, because I'm not trying to scold anybody, I'm just saying a little attitude check tonight.

Stay with me.

Luke chapter 18.

Luke 18 · chapter mention

You say, man, I'm I'm I'm I was I came in encouraged, but now I'm discouraged.

Stay with me.

Luke 18.

Look at verse 9.

Verse 9.

So he spake this parable unto certain.

Here's the key, which trusted in themselves.

Now, I know we don't trust in ourselves for our salvation.

Stay with me.

But sometimes when we get back focused on self, we can get into this category.

Which trust in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.

So it's the opposite of preferring, it's the opposite of esteeming, it's the opposite of seeking somebody else's good.

They're thinking about themselves.

Two men, here's the parable.

Two men went up to the temple to pray.

The one a Pharisee, the other a publican.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with who?

Himself.

But he said the right words.

God.

But he's praying with himself.

But he's saying the words, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are.

Now he's comparison.

Extortioners.

I just want to thank you, God, as I talk to myself, that I am not an extortioner.

I just want to thank you, God, as I talk to myself that I'm not unjust, that I'm not an adulterer.

And in comparison, even as this publican.

So he's got all the makings of not being little in his own sight.

He's got himself in competition.

He's got himself in his own image, presented himself image and believing his own image, and he's not really talking to God, even though he said God.

He's just talking with himself.

Whereas the other one, here's the parable.

No, it doesn't, I guess I couldn't get to the other one yet.

Verse 12, he justifies himself.

I fast twice in the week.

That makes me spiritual.

I give tithes of all that I possess.

That makes me spiritual.

And notice verse 13.

Here's the parable.

And the publican standing afar off would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.

There's the humility.

There's someone who's not thinking self in the center, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, now he's connected.

Because there's humility.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

And he said, I spake this parable.

Here's the reason I spake this parable.

I spake this parable to those who trust in themselves, that they're righteous.

And despise others.

Brethren, here's the attitude.

If we get to the place where we think we're somebody and they're not, careful.

We need to be careful.

If I get too competitive, I need to be careful.

By putting someone else's down to lift me up.

If I get so image conscious that the imagery is so important that where I'm constantly trying to promote myself so I believe it.

Because some of this, he said, I fast twice in the week.

That was that was a statement for himself.

I give tithes of all that I possess.

He's going through this laundry list.

I'm not like other men are.

I'm not an extortioner.

I'm not unjust.

I'm not an adulterer.

I'm not like this publican over here.

I fast twice in a week.

I give tithes.

He's convincing himself.

It's the parable.

And then he says, here's the public or publican who's got God and he's connected with God.

And he said, God, be merciful.

Let me start right there.

Please, your mercy.

Verse 14, I tell you, here's the end result of the parable.

This man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

And then here's the important statement for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased.

And he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

So small-mindedness.

Well, what do you mean, small-mindedness?

Self-mindedness doesn't get to see the big picture.

When self is in the middle, self obscures everything going on.

But when self is not in the center, God says, now look at this.

Now see this.

Now perceive this right.

Now hear this.

Now help over there.

Now do this.

And self is not in the center.

And when we do well, God gets to glory.

When self is in the center, our viewpoint is obscured.

Would you agree with that?

We can't see.

Or let me put it a different way.

When we've got a beam, or even a little something in our mind that doesn't allow us to see clearly someone else and their situation, self is in the way.

May I say to you that we're obscured from being able to truly help someone?

Humility, brethren, is so important.

Oh God, keep me humble.

Did you ever think that thorn that you got that you just kind of wish it would go away?

That it's a very valuable entity in your life that keeps you humble.

I mean that thorn, that that thing that just keeps pressing down and causing suffering.

Because a thorn causes suffering.

Come on, is that right?

A thorn is something that we're supposed to embrace that keeps us humble.

It's something that causes suffering, keeps us in check, takes away pride.

That thorn does not let us pump ourselves up.

That thorn does not let us get too competitive where we put somebody else down so we can raise ourselves and makes ourselves look good.

That thorn takes away that compassion, comp competition.

That thorn takes away that that false imagery that we sometimes get involved with.

That thorn, if you would, keeps us humble so we don't put someone else down for the expense of how we look.

That thorn makes us smite our breasts and say, God, be merciful.

I'm not even near what I need to be.

And I know that.

That thorn opens our hearts and minds for wisdom.

That thorn is also called a cross, which we're supposed to bear daily.

I die daily.

I'm crucified with Christ.

Oh Lord, empty me out and fill me with thy spirit.

So we can be what you want us to be.

We're coming into bus days.

We're coming, we're coming into God and country.

The Spanish is having a friend day upcoming.

Without you, God, we can do what?

Nothing.

We're unprofitable servants that just have the opportunity to even be in church tonight.

What a privilege to be in church tonight.

What a privilege to hear the word of God.

Brother, if we understand anything out of this book tonight, what a privilege to even understand.

I mean that.

What a privilege.

If you got something out of the book tonight, scriptures, not from my words, but from the scriptures.

Oh God, help me to go back to be little in mine own sight so I don't get self in the center and miss opportunities.

Why do you say that?

When Saul was little in his own sight, God touched the heart of men and they conquered.

And they gave God the glory for conquering.

When Saul was no longer walking with God, he had to go say, Now, would you make me look good?

Make me look good before the elders.

David's not doing right.

Look what he's doing.

Brethren, that was a lie.

David wasn't doing that.

Saul was.

What I'm saying is, brethren, we get our minds all confused.

And the attitude check is, am I filled with the Holy Ghost today?

Now, may I remind you of something kind of old school?

Friend, friend, friend, do you know the scripture?

Friend, friend.

I've got somebody that's come over and I don't have any food, friend.

Friend.

It's not for me, it's for them.

Friend, friend.

How much more will God give the Holy Ghost?

But it's not for Me, it's to bless someone else.

The parable is someone came over late, the guy didn't have any bread, so he came to the neighbor and said, I need some loves.

Please borrow.

May I borrow some loves?

It's not for me, it's for them.

And he goes on to say, How much more shall the Father give the Holy Ghost?

Because we don't give up and we ask.

And we ask.

But our attitude is it's not just for my benefit, it's for the benefit of my family.

It's for the benefit of someone else that I work with.

It's for the benefit of a ministry.

What?

To be filled with the Holy Ghost is for someone else's benefit, not just for me.

Are you still with me tonight?

To be filled with the Holy Ghost is not just for me.

God fill me today so I can be a better dad.

God fill me today so I can be a better employee.

God fill me today so I can be a better manager.

God fill me today so I can be a better child of God.

God fill me today so I represent you well.

God fill me today so I'll witness and give somebody a track on your behalf.

God fill me today so I can be here in your stead, doing what you would do if you were here.

God fill me today and get self out of the sun.

Thank you for listening to this message by Pastor Doug Fisher of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemon Grove, California.

To learn more about Lighthouse Baptist Church, visit our website at www.lighthousebaptist.com or call 619 461 5561.