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Notes on Grace, Humility, and Righteousness

The World Jesus Entered

  • Jesus came into a world filled with political strife and a religion of works.

  • The Pharisees focused on traditions and performance, believing their actions determined their standing before God.

The New Testament and Grace

  • Jesus didn't come to reinforce the Old Testament law but to introduce a New Testament centered on grace.

  • The law's purpose is to reveal guilt; it shows us we are wrong.

  • Jesus offers Himself as the solution: He pays for our sins because our good deeds are insufficient.

The Problem of Arrogant Christians

  • The speaker questions why some Christians exhibit arrogance and self-righteousness.

  • The Bible promotes humility, not pride.

  • The sermon will be based on scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, not on current news or audience desires.

Luke 18:9-14: The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

  • The parable is directed at those who trust in themselves and despise others.

  • The speaker notes that the act of despising others stems from a belief in one's own righteousness.

  • The key point: a distorted view of one's righteousness affects how one treats others.

Two Men at the Temple

  • The setting: people worldwide going to their respective places of worship.

  • The parable focuses on two specific individuals: a Pharisee and a tax collector.

  • The Pharisee, often criticized by Jesus (Matthew 23), represents religious hypocrisy.

  • The tax collector symbolizes the outcasts of society.

The Pharisee's Prayer

  • The Pharisee's prayer begins with thanksgiving but quickly turns to self-congratulation.

  • He thanks God that he is not like other men, specifically "extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this tax collector."

  • His life is based on a "measuring stick of performance," constantly comparing himself to others.

  • He believes his righteousness is self-achieved, not a gift from God.

The Tax Collector's Prayer

  • The tax collector, in contrast, is acutely aware of his own shortcomings.

  • He is humble, not even daring to look up to heaven, and beats his breast in sorrow.

  • His prayer: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"

Jesus' Judgment

  • Jesus declares that the tax collector went home justified, not the Pharisee.

  • The principle: "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled."

  • Extending this to the congregation: If you exalt yourself over a brother or sister, God says you will be humbled.