Receiving the gift of mercy. Luke 18:9-17.

I'm sure most of us have spent some time

on social media at some point and if you

have you'll have come across

inspirational posts a bit like these

that should appear there you probably

can't read it but you know some nice

picture with an inspiring motivational

statement like believe in yourself or uh

you're lovely or you will succeed and of

course some of those things are quite

nice to read and and sometimes that's

just what we need actually a little bit

of encouragement we all need some

encouragement at some point in our lives

don't we but whilst most of us need

encouragement at times and that's that's

right other

people can be a little bit full of

themselves this is who Jesus addresses

in verse

9 he also told this Parable to some who

trusted in themselves that they were

righteous and treated others with

contempt so these are those who trust in

their own righteousness they assume that

they are better than others they've

reached the stage of Holiness that

allows them to look down on judgment and

even contempt at those around them they

probably see it as their god-given right

to go around and point out where

everyone else is going

wrong they assume of course God is

pleased with me not like so many of

these other compromisers that are around

these

days and don't get them started on

church with all its faults they could

tell you what's wrong with

everyone one of the Hallmarks of

self-righteousness is that we start to

look down on others verse n and we treat

others with contempt this is the kind of

person Jesus is speaking to and as we IE

these

proud religious people it's easy for us

to condemn them assuming that actually

Jesus is speaking to them and not to

us because after all most of us in this

room are probably well we consider

ourselves probably quite good

Christians not like those wishy-washy

Christians up the road and all the

things that they do no we we're you know

we come we come to an fi church and

we're we're Bible believing church and

you know we might be quite proud of

ourselves in

that maybe we thank our thank God that

we we're not like some of those hyper

strict Christians we may know as well

you know who have to do this that and

the other and you go oh dear how silly

how ridiculous you know we sort of get a

bit smug as we look down on

them so it's easy isn't it as we come to

a passage like this to start to apply it

to other

people without realizing perhaps this

applies to us

too so we need to heed Jesus's warning

of how not to be and that's our first

point how not to be the parable Jesus

tells uh it starts almost a bit like a

joke doesn't it so verse 10 two men went

up to the temple to pray so really like

two men went into the bar and you know

then what follows and and one said that

one said that and then there the punch

line and this Parable does kind of have

a punch

line but it's no

joke for what is at stake is getting

right with God being justified before

God being justified means to be declared

righteous it is your standing your

status before a holy God when you are

Justified God says you are not

guilty you are acceptable you are

pleasing to God so this isn't a laughing

matter this deals with how we can be

made right with God and that is

something that every single person needs

to be made right with

God verse 10 Jesus introduces us to

these two men they go to the temple one

is a Pharisee the other is a tax

collector now because many of us are so

familiar with the sort of biblical

framework and and what we understand

some of these things we we can miss the

point of

this so if I don't if you've ever walked

into um a film halfway through and you

kind of haven't got a clue what's going

on you think well you know everyone's

running around there's car chases

there's people shouting at each other

and for a moment you don't really know

you don't know how to orientate yourself

to what's going on who are the goodies

and who are the bades here you know

what's happening who who should I be

rooting

for now for those of us who know our

Bibles we usually view the Pharisees in

a negative light don't we but actually

at that point the Pharisees were the

good guys

they were the good guys they were really

good the Pharisees were serious about

their religion they were deeply

religious people uh you would have

viewed these as devout and moral

specimens of religious Excellence they

were top notot religious people this is

the sort of guy that would be a church

goer and they would go to all the

meetings they would tithe Faithfully

they would strive to do the right thing

he would be so holy that you would feel

intimidated in his presence he would

barely smile in case that was a sin you

know it was like this is how serious

they were about their

religion and everyone the crowd

listening to this he himself would

assume if anyone was right with God it

would be him of course God would like

him he was one of God's firm

favorites so to the original hearers the

Pharisees were obviously the good guys

in this

story and in this this Parable the

Pharisee he stands by

himself you have to wonder why why is

that pointed

out probably because he viewed himself

so

holy that he didn't want to be close to

the

contamination of others I don't know

okay there we go right so he he he

separated

himself from others possibly because he

doesn't want to be contaminated uh by um

the the sin of of others he stands on

his own he's in a class of his

own how how could he pray with all these

other Sinners

nearby with all their distracting

sinfulness and you know I think that's

possibly why some people some Believers

Never find a church to settle

it they have

this self-righteous approach to worship

like that they're better than than other

people in some way and you often find

this sort of person they're moving from

church to church not wanting to submit

MIT to what's being taught not wanting

to learn they assume that they are the

ones who have something to

bring and this kind of person often gets

frustrated when the church leadership

don't recognize their special

standing their special uh gifts and so

they end up going from church to church

and uh just noting all the thoughts of

that church and in the end probably not

going to any church at all because they

can't find a church good enough these

churches are just full of Sinners and

they don't want to be

there that's what happens when you get

self-righteous you just you're just full

of judgment and

contempt that's the attitude here he

stands by himself he's separated himself

off from other worshippers he's too good

that's what's going on he's too good do

you

know this was many years ago I went to

this um it was a Christian meeting it

was was all sorts of different

Christians were at this meeting and it

came to the singing bit and I was really

surprised cuz when it came to the

singing B this guy was sitting next to

you he got up and he left the aisle that

we were on and he stood to the side and

a couple of other people did this I

thought what's what's wrong with me do I

smell or something am I am I giving off

bad spiritual Vibes or something you

know what's happening here maybe I'm

being unfair maybe he wanted room to

express himself and he didn't want to

hit me or something with energetic

worship I don't know

but I wanted to say to

him why were you unable to worship when

you were sitting next to me what was it

I help me understand he he wanted to

separate himself off for some reason and

that's what this guy in this Parable

does he doesn't stand with the rest he

chooses a spot all by himself he's got

contempt for those around him he he

hopes well I hope

that no one here feels too good to

worship with those around you we are all

sinners aren't we but there's all always

things you can point out that that

people do wrong but I hope you're

willing to join in worshiping the Lord

with your brothers and

sisters now it's noted that he

stood that's not a problem standing to

pray that was often the the posture that

they took when when praying in those

days and praying is a good thing as well

I mean that's that's great isn't he so

he's standing he praying and and Jesus

has just told in the first eight verses

of this chapter that your disciples you

to pray and never go give up so this is

a good thing he he's there he's praying

to the

Lord but the prayer he prays it's not a

template to

follow he makes a self- congratulatory

show of praying to God verse 11 God I

thank you that's a good start thanking

God we teach our children start by

thanking God and that's brilliant so

he's start by thanking God but look what

he's saying look what he's thanking God

for this isn't a humble prayer seeking

God this is a self-praise prayer this is

like a peacock Fanning his his feathers

trying to impress God saying oh look at

all these wonderful things I do he's

full of himself he genuinely believes

he's better than everyone else

there verse 11 God I thank thank you

that I am not like other

men what a prayer to

pray and what why can he get you this

this this way of thinking that he is not

like other men he's he's better than

everyone how can he arrive at this

conclusion one of the ways he does it is

he points to certain sins that he hasn't

done so he says I'm not a robber or an

evildoer an adulterer and certainly not

like that tax collector over

there you know it's relatively easy

isn't it to find sins that we haven't

done and think well I I must be quite

good then if I haven't done those things

you know I'm certainly not like um I

haven't cheated my benefits I haven't

stolen anything I haven't covered up any

Scandal I haven't blown anyone up I'm

not like a pimp or a drug dealer I'm not

an adulterer I'm not sexually confused

you know I know what I am yeah I Thank

God I'm a good person I'm a moral

upright person a pillar of society I

thank God for

that it's possible for us to be so taken

up with what we haven't

done that we forget what we have done or

at least what we were as

well there's always going to be people

worse than

us we can always compare ourselves to

other people and make ourselves look

good but you you know it's not how we

compare to other people that

matters it's not other people's

righteousness you have to live up to

it's the righteousness of God he's

perfect might look good but when you

come and compare yourself to the

righteousness of God you will always not

make it it's the righteousness of God

that counts he is the standard and you

are not good enough he holds himself up

to others and he can fool himself into

thinking actually is a pretty good

guy but he failing to see the reality of

the situation the reality of the

situation is God says in Romans 3:10

Romans 3:10

there is no one righteous not even

one when I read that we agree don't we

we go yes that's right yeah the world

the church is full of Sinners thank God

I'm not like

that we kind of stand aside from it and

forget to include ourselves in in in

that

sometimes anyway anyway this Pharisee

he's still praying thanking God that

he's not like other men pointing out

their sin to God look look thank you God

I'm not like them and then he starts to

pray about the good things he has done

he's offering up his good things to God

because surely God will be pleased with

that won he verse 12 I fast twice a

week now this is way above what was

required by the Mosaic

law actually you really only need to to

to fast about once a year on the day of

a

but he fasts twice a week that's amazing

what a

guy and he tithes all he has the law

only required him to tithe certain

things but he tithes everything that he

has I mean this is a mega sort of

religious bloke this is what ah he's

fantastic isn't he he's a mega

star and this can be a danger for so

many of us thinking that perhaps God

owes us because we've kept a few

commands we've done some some good stuff

or we've invented our own

legalistic things to

follow like you know don't do that don't

do that on a Sunday don't play football

don't watch TV you know or loads of

things or you must do this we just pile

all things into our religion and then

when we we live up to our own rules we

think well God must be really pleased

with me

you know or or maybe we we do great

things like we we come to church

brilliant we read our Bibles brilliant

we we go to the church prayer meeting

fantastic and maybe we volunteer we do

all sorts of things and and most of

those are really good and helpful but

you know those things that we do they

don't make us right with

God this is where we we get so confused

we sort of drift into it doing these

things they don't make you right with

God our religious performance our great

feats of OB how many sacrifices they are

not the

basis on which we are made right and

acceptable to

God being miserable being a wet blanket

as you put it that doesn't make you

right with God we're told to rejoice in

the lord always aren't we so just

because someone is miserable and mean it

doesn't mean they're

holy so the question for us this morning

is what are you trusting in for your

standing before God what is it that you

are holding up to God and saying this is

why I'm acceptable to

you do I think God must be pleased with

me because I'm a pastor an elder a

deacon a youth leader a member a cleaner

a

giver do we think well God of course God

likes me because I was brought up in a

Christian

home I don't

swear I give to charity I look after the

vulnerable

just to reemphasize let's be clear these

things don't make us right with God I'm

sure I'm sure you're getting it now but

they do not make you right With God all

those

things

Sinners that's what we are we need God's

daily mercy and forgiveness but the

Pharisee he's so taken up with his own

goodness the things he's done he's done

the things he hasn't

done that he think he's forgotten who he

really is

he looked good to those around him the

baddy the crook the nasty piece of work

the tax collector we look at him in our

second Point how to be

justified well as we come to this guy we

might think well maybe he wasn't that

bad you know maybe he was just

misunderstood but everyone listening to

the story knew he was bad there was

there was a reason that no one liked Tax

Collectors back then they worked for the

occupying power for Rome they inflated

your tax bills to line their own pockets

they were traitors they lied they

cheated uh they were greedy they were

selfish people had good reason to hate

Tax Collectors with a

passion so here is the undeniable baddy

of the parable as the Pharisee walked to

the temple no doubt he had been looking

forward to it enjoying the walk being

greeted by those that he passed knowing

what to say how to act and everyone

would go what a lovely guy there he is

off to pray what a what a fantastic guy

but what about the tax collector as he

made his way to the temple it would be a

different story for him there' be no

springing his step no greeting him he'd

be hiding hiding his face trying to get

there without being

noticed this scene Jesus paints shows us

how he was feeling verse 13 He also

stands for far off but it's not because

he was too

good he stands far off because he feels

too bad he's ashamed of

himself he's the worst of them he he

knows everywhere he goes everyone's

looking at him judging him they know who

he is he knows who he is as he enters

the temple he knows he doesn't fit in he

doesn't fit in with all these good

people he feels self-conscious he he

feels a fraud to be there after all the

temple the church that's for good people

right that's for people who've made

it how can he stand there with all these

good people especially that disapproving

Pharisee over there and he can't even

look up to heaven and pray as others did

he looks down he's beating his breast

out of remorse and and shame about his

dirty heart before

God he's got no feathers to unfurl

and show before that you just just you

don't feel worthy to come before the

Lord perhaps you don't even feel worthy

to come into a place like

this and yet you want to be made right

with God you want to know his

forgiveness can it be can it be that God

could forgive someone even like

you if you've ever felt the

shame of your sin then the gospel is

good news for you listen listen to the

pray praise this a simple genuine humble

prayer one of my favorites in the Bible

verse 13 at the end it says God be

merciful to me a sinner isn't that so

simple he can only plead for

mercy God I'm I'm no good turn aside

from your wrath towards me cleanse me

blot out my sin be favorable towards me

he's not trying to excuse himself is he

he not Lord would you just understand

how hard it's been for me he's not

trying to blame others I had a bad

upbringing my friends are leading me

astray or my life is just been rubbish

and he's not comparing himself to others

Lord I know I've been bad but have you

seen them over

there actually the Greek here it's not a

sinner it's the

sinner at this point it doesn't really

matter what anyone else has done or

hasn't done this is this is a moment

between him and God God is is the

righteous

one and he is the

sinner so he pleads for

Mercy I wonder if you've ever prayed a

prayer like

this if you were a Believer the chances

are you pray it quite

often when God brings to your attention

some area of

rebellion when you fallen into sin again

when you didn't do what you knew you

should when you didn't speak when you

knew you should when you spoke when you

should have held your

tongue when your thoughts went somewhere

they really shouldn't when you lost your

temper when you were

selfish when you were

impatient when you weren't

kind when your pride rears its ugly head

head

again don't we come back to this

prayer oh God have mercy on me The

Sinner I wonder if you've ever prayed

that

prayer so only when we humble ourselves

and give up parading our goodness before

God and man and ask for God's mercy that

we get

it I said that there was a punch line a

sort of punch line to this Parable and

here it is the meticulous lawke keeping

law in inventing religious guy he's not

made right with

God he goes home still in his sin he

might look good he might believe he is

good but he left in his sin because he

refused to Humble himself and come and

ask for mercy and so he doesn't get

Mercy but the despised lowlife tax

collector the baddy he humbles himself

he asks for mercy and God gives him

mercy so it's the sinner who goes uh

home made right with God not the

religious man it's the one who trusted

in God and not in himself who is saved

and this is such good news for those of

us who are aware of our

sin this is such an amazing message for

us for our community for our sinful

world isn't it no matter what you've

done no matter how low you've

gone no matter how wonderfully good you

might

be we all alike are invited to come to

the throne of Mercy to come to Jesus to

confess your sin and the good news is

you will find

Mercy you will find forgiveness and you

will be declared Not Guilty by God

himself this is the amazing good news of

the

Gospel two men two prayers but only one

went home forgiven when you go home

today I wonder whether you will be one

whom God says they are not guilty or

whether you'll still be in your

sin the difference is one of you will

have sought Mercy the other

words well Luke follows up this account

with another that builds uh on what

we've just learned it's our final Point

how to enter the kingdom of

God when important dignitaries um visit

much of their time is taken up with

meeting other important people so I

don't know if Donald Trump's planning a

visit to the UK but when he if he does

he won't be meeting people like you and

me perhaps you'll be relieved about that

perhaps you'll be disappointed I don't

know uh but uh if he does come here

he'll be meeting the other important

people but what about when the Son of

God comes to Earth who does he meet does

he just come to meet with the important

people

well it seems when Jesus was walking on

the earth the parents were eager to get

Jesus to bless their children verse 15

they were bringing babies or or young

toddlers to Jesus now in those days the

status uh the standing of children was

pretty low they were almost treated as

second class

citizens so similar to the parable where

it's assumed that God isn't for the tax

collector is for the important religious

person here we might assume that Jesus

is not for little children unimportant

people like that he's just for important

grown-ups and adults like

us that's what the disciples were

thinking Jesus isn't for these children

they're not important surely the Messiah

has come for the important

grownups and so they get annoyed when

all the parents are bringing their

children uh to Jesus and getting in the

way but that's not the way Jesus sees it

is it he loves the children in fact did

you notice verse 16 Jesus Calls the

children to him says children children

children Aon did that last week children

come here come here

yeah he calls the children to him isn't

that wonderful not only does he allow

them to come I suppose I better let them

come he calls them to himself and he

warns the disciples don't hinder

them as

parents as a

church we need to ensure we're not

hindering our children from coming to

Jesus but more than that is that we need

to be bringing our children to Jesus so

so what does that look like well it

includes things like we need to be

praying with them we need to be reading

our Bibles with them we need to to be

making our faith a normal part of life

we need to be modeling what it looks

like to follow Jesus how do they know

what a Christian life looks like well

because they can look at you and say I

can see how mom lives I can see how dad

lives I can see how Grand lives that

helps help me understand what it means

to follow

Jesus bringing your children to to Jesus

includes bringing them to to church and

I think in light of what Jesus says we

do need to think carefully if we are

regularly taking our children away from

church or to other things I know it's

hard in our culture there's Sports there

there's all sorts of things that get in

the way but I just think we need to

think this this through to act

wisely we need to bring our children to

meet with the Lord and his people don't

hinder them coming to me says Jesus and

for the rest of us I know I know

children are noisy aren't they they tear

around the church banging into us they

cry they disrupt they get in the way and

you think oh Crums all these children

like dear me we thank the Lord for them

but then we get annoyed with them don't

we and yes I think we do need to control

our children for their own safety and

the safety of others but this is what

being a part of God's family is like

isn't it bearing with one another in

love like whatever the needs whatever it

is you know the the the young the noisy

those with special needs you know we

bear with one another in love we're a

family of

God and what's going on out there on a

Sunday morning is not to be seen as

child minding or

babysitting hopefully I'm sure they are

these children are being brought to

Jesus they been being taught the B Bible

our children are precious to Jesus and

we need to do all we can as parents as

grandparents as a church to bring them

to

Jesus that doesn't mean that everything

that we ever do is all about the

children that's not not what he's saying

at all but they are part of of the

church and we must be mindful not to

hinder them coming to Jesus they may not

have the same voice and opinion as

grown-ups but they have the same

need that is to know Jesus

in fact Jesus uses young children to

teach a fundamental truth about how to

enter the kingdom of God so verse 16

halfway througho not hinder them for to

such belongs the kingdom of God to such

what does that mean well to children to

to the childlike to those who are like

children now that doesn't mean we're all

to start having tantrums and naps and

drinking our milk out of bottles and

being childish so so in what way are we

to be like

children the key is in verse 17 he says

whoever does not receive the kingdom of

God like a child shall not enter it

Jesus is speaking about how we enter

into the

Kingdom so just for a second picture the

newborn baby just been born and they

they're just sort of just coming out of

hospital they don't try start trying to

pay their mother for the milk do they

that would be absurd they can't do that

you just it's Unthinkable they don't try

start trying to pay their their dad for

the petrol money for taking them home

from hospital that's just that's

ludicrous you can't do that they don't

start trying to prove that they're

worthy to be accepted in this into the

family they've just been born

into nothing nothing doesn't even go

through their heads they can't they just

what children do they receive don't they

that's all they can do they've got no no

other ability to do anything else they

receive and everything they have

everything theyve given is a gift

and that's what Jesus is saying that's

what we are like before God all we can

do is receive what Jesus has done on the

cross for us and he's done all that is

required to save you all that is left

for you to do is to trust him and

receive it trusting is is another way

that we we should be like children so

young children are often trusting they

trust their parents until they learn

other wise sadly in some cases but they

instinctively they trust their parents

and of course we have to teach them

children I'm really sorry you can't

trust all grown-ups you know some

sometimes you you just you

can't but in that same childlike way we

are to trust Jesus It Is by Faith by

trusting in Him and what he's done on

the cross that we are

saved this is how we can be made right

with God this is how we enter into the

kingdom of God as a a baby cries out for

milk so we cry out for Mercy that's how

we're saved we never grow out of this

this is why it's one of my favorite

prayers because no matter how much you

advance in

Christianity no matter how Sanctified

and holy you

become no matter how respected and

educated and gifted you might be if you

ever reach the point where you imagine

you had graduated from from needing

God's mercy that is exactly the point

you need to get on your knees and ask

for Mercy because none of us get beyond

the point of needing God's mercy we will

never outgrow

it so as we close have you have you ever

confessed your sin and stopped trusting

in

yourself have you ever put your faith in

Jesus asked for mercy and humbly

received what he did on the cross to

save you

when we come in simple childlike trust

our father is pleased to give us Mercy

to forgive us and bring us into a right

relationship with himself perhaps

there's someone here who needs to pray

that prayer for the first

time perhaps there's someone here who

needs to come again lay aside those

other things you've been trusting in and

ask for the Lord's Mercy once again it's

so simple isn't it God have mercy on me

the sinner let's be quiet before the

Lord perhaps you need to pray that

prayer right now