Spring Teaching Series “Parables” Sunday, May 24 Pastor Chris

Sunday, May 24 Parable . . . an earthly story with an underlying spiritual or moral teaching which is not always apparent immediately. Used primarily by Jesus to . . . Give light to the searching heart and darkness to the unrepentant Reveal knowledge for the purpose of salvation Conceal knowledge for the purpose of judgment

YOU CAN’T BE GOOD ENOUGH TO EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN! Sunday, May 24 Self-righteousness of Man vs. Holiness of God   Jesus urged His hearers to understand their complete inability to be righteous enough to attain the kingdom of heaven. In essence, He’s saying to us all: YOU CAN’T BE GOOD ENOUGH TO EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN!

Divine Accomplishment Sunday, May 24 The Debate Divine Accomplishment vs. Human Achievement

Luke 18:9-14 NASB Pg. 1046 Espanol Pg. 1364

The Parable Contempt means to “despise, or count as nothing.” Sunday, May 24 The Parable   While the parable is centered on two praying people, the THEME OF THE PARABLE is NOT about prayer . . . It is a WARNING to those who “trusted in themselves.” Contempt means to “despise, or count as nothing.”

Sunday, May 24 Pharisee A religious sect, noted for their strict adherence to the Law (lawyers) “separated ones” Believed perfect obedience to the law of Moses would gain them entrance to Heaven Religious focus on self-effort and self-righteousness

Publican Tax Collectors Extortioners: collected more than required Sunday, May 24 Publican Tax Collectors Extortioners: collected more than required Traitors: though a Jew, worked & helped an occupying power

Pharisee Attitude: Pride (high view of self) Sunday, May 24 Pharisee   Attitude: Pride (high view of self) Position: Stood proudly for all to see “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” (Matt. 6.5) Audience: Man Content: Degrading of others Result: Condemnation

Publican Attitude: Humility (“some distance away”) Sunday, May 24 Publican   Attitude: Humility (“some distance away”) Position: Lowered eyes, beating his chest Audience: God “When you pray, pray in the secret place and your Father will reward you” (Matt.6.6) Content: Plea for mercy; recognition of the enormity of his sin Result: Justification (salvation) made free from guilt; declared righteous

Sunday, May 24 “The Pharisee went to the temple to pray, but forgot his errand. He thought he had need of nothing, not of the favor and grace of God, which, it would seem, he did not think worth asking.”   “The publican (tax collector) owns himself a sinner by nature, by practice, guilty before God.” Matthew Henry Commentary

Sunday, May 24 “Instead of comparing himself with God’s perfect standard and seeing how sinful he really was, he compared himself to others in the community and prided himself on being better.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary

Sunday, May 24 Matthew 23.5 “(Pharisees) do all their deeds to be noticed by men.” Matthew 5.20 “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you WILL NOT ENTER the kingdom of heaven.”

Sunday, May 24 Romans 12.3 “I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Galatians 6.3 “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Sunday, May 24 Ephesians 2.8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Titus 3.5 “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”

Sunday, May 24 Jesus says: “You {Pharisees} are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” Luke 16.15 “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 5.3

‘O God, Have mercy on me.’ We come to God as Sunday, May 24 We come to God as “empty, impoverished, despised, bankrupt, pitiable, desperate BEGGARS!” S. Michael Houdmann, www.gotquestions.org Our only hope? ‘O God, Have mercy on me.’

Sunday, May 24 Ezra 9.6 “O, my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.”

Divine Accomplishment Sunday, May 24 Contrast Self-righteous, good works Human Achievement Humility, brokenness, trust in work of Christ Divine Accomplishment

Sunday, May 24 Phil. 3.4-7 If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Sunday, May 24 1 Cor. 1.27-29 God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised GOD HAS CHOSEN, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

Sunday, May 24 Great Standard: Perfection . . . “be holy for I am holy” Great Lie: “You can be good enough” Great Truth: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you WILL NOT ENTER the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5.20)