Sermon Tone Analysis

*BBC THERE IS MORE TO FASTING THAN MEETS THE EYE LUKE 18:9-14  DEC2, 2007*

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/  9 THEN JESUS TOLD THIS STORY TO SOME WHO HAD GREAT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SCORNED EVERYONE ELSE:  10 "TWO MEN WENT TO THE TEMPLE TO PRAY.

ONE WAS A PHARISEE, AND THE OTHER WAS A DISHONEST TAX COLLECTOR.

11 THE PROUD PHARISEE STOOD BY HIMSELF AND PRAYED THIS PRAYER: 'I THANK YOU, GOD, THAT I AM NOT A SINNER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, ESPECIALLY LIKE THAT TAX COLLECTOR OVER THERE!

FOR I NEVER CHEAT, I DON'T SIN, I DON'T COMMIT ADULTERY,  12 I FAST TWICE A WEEK, AND I GIVE YOU A TENTH OF MY INCOME.'  13 "BUT THE TAX COLLECTOR STOOD AT A DISTANCE AND DARED NOT EVEN LIFT HIS EYES TO HEAVEN AS HE PRAYED.

INSTEAD, HE BEAT HIS CHEST IN SORROW, SAYING, 'O GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME, FOR I AM A SINNER.'  14 I TELL YOU, THIS SINNER, NOT THE PHARISEE, RETURNED HOME JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD.

FOR THE PROUD WILL BE HUMBLED, BUT THE HUMBLE WILL BE HONORED."/

*INTRO: THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

*CONSIDER SOME LACKLUSTER PAINTING FOUND AT SOME GARAGE SALE OR FLEA MARKET; WHEN SEEN BY AN EXPERT...IT MAY SELL FOR MILLIONS.

CONSIDER MEN RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE LINED FIELD; CARRYING THE BALL, THROWING AND CATCHING THE BALL, KICKING THE BALL, DROPPING AND FUMBLING THE BALL.

CONSIDER THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT THE PIANO, IVORY KEYS, AND A WOODEN FRAME AND A WOODEN BENCH; CONSIDER THE MIDNIGHT SKY AND THE EARLY MORNING DAWN, THE TELESCOPES ALLOWS US TO SEE INTO THE UNIVERSE AND THE MICRO SCOPE ALLOWS US TO SEE THE PARTICLES IN A DROP OF THE MORNING DEW.

CONSIDER OUR BODIES, THERE IS A HEART BEATING, BLOOD FLOWING, SYNAPSES FIRING AND OVER 100 TRILLION CELLS FUNCTIONING.

CONSIDER THIS BOOK, THE BIBLE IT IS MORE THAN A STORY, MORE THAN TWO HALVES OF A PROMISE..BUT THE WORD OF GOD THAT WILL LAST AN ETERNITY.

YES, THERE MORE TO PRAYING....AND THERE IS MORE TO FASTING THAN MEETS THE EYE.

FASTING IS THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE OF “TURNING SOMETHING DOWN, SO GOD WILL SHOW UP.” IT IS A DISCIPLINE OF SELF- DENIAL THAT IS MEANS TO MAKE US SENSITIVE TO GOD AND THE WAYS OF GOD.

HOWEVER EVERYONE WHO PRACTICES FASTING, OR ANY OTHER CHRISTIANS PRACTICE, MAY NOT BE MOTIVATED TO LIVE FOR AND PLEASE GOD.

IT MAY BE AN ACT TO PLEASE ONESELF AND LOOK GOOD BEFORE OTHERS.

THEREFORE, JUST BECAUSE ONE FAST, TITHES, OR COMES TO CHURCH THERE IS MORE TO THOSE ACTIONS THAN MEETS THE EYE.

THE QUESTION ARISES, “WHY DO I DO WHAT I DO?” WHAT ARE MY MOTIVATIONS?

*EXPL:* IN THE CHAPTER, WE SEE VARIETY OF PEOPLE, A WIDOW, PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN, A PHARISEE, A PUBLICAN, A RULER AND A BLIND MAN.

EACH OF THEM AS A SET OF CHALLENGES AND PROBLEMS AND ALL RESPOND TO THEM IN AN DIFFERENT ASPECT OF PRAYER.

THE WIDOW WOMAN WHO HAS AN ADVERSARY

THE PUBLICAN WHO IS NOT ACCEPTED BY ANY

THE CHILDREN AND THE DISCIPLES TRIED TO ALIENATE THEM.

THE YOUNG RULER WHO WANTED EASY AFFIRMATION

THE BLIND MAN WHO AN EYE AFFLICTION.

IN THE TEXT, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PHARISEE ..THE PRECISE THEOLOGICAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY AND THE UNPOPULAR PUBLICAN OR THE TAX MAN.

THE PHARISEE WHO HAD ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE, OUTSTANDING BY ALL CULTURAL MARKERS BUT THREATENED BY JESUS.

THEN THE PUBLICAN, ONE WHO FARMED THE TAXES” LEVIED FROM A TOWN, CITY OR DISTRICT.

THEY HIRED SUBORDINATES TO COLLECT THE TAX, AND SOME...AND WERE OFTEN GUILTY OF EXTORTION AND CORRUPTION IN ORDER TO MAKE A PROFIT.

ROME APPLIED THE BURDEN, USED JEWS TO COLLECT THE TAX AND WERE BASICALLY HATED BY ALL.

JESUS IS EVEN ACCUSED OF BEING A “FRIEND OF PUBLICANS AND SINNERS ( LU 7:34)

 

 

FROM EACH WE LEARN THAT THERE IS MORE TO PRAYER THAN MEETS THE EYE.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE PEOPLE IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A POWERFUL PRAYER LIFE?

 

 

 

 

 

*I.

WE MUST RELY ON THE LORD.*

V.9.

THEN JESUS TOLD THIS STORY TO SOME WHO HAD GREAT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SCORNED EVERYONE ELSE:

 

SELF-CONFIDENCE – THE PARABLE IS INTRODUCED TO THOSE WHO “TRUSTED IN THEMSELVES.”

THEY CONVINCED THEMSELVES, PERSUADED THEMSELVES, AND SEDUCED THEMSELVES TO BELIEVE THEIR OWN “SUBSTANCE”.

THE WARRIOR RELIES ON HIS ARMOR, THE RICH ON THEIR WEALTH AND THE PHARISEE ON HIS POSITION.

AND IT IS MORE THAN MEAN SELF- CONFIDENCE BUT IT SITS WELL WITHIN THE BOARDS OF “BOASTING.”

I AM THE MAN OR I AM THE WOMAN AND YOU ARE NOT....

 

SCORN – TO LOOK DOWN ON, TO REJECT, TO TREAT WITH DISDAIN...LIKE A PIECE OF TRASH.

TO LOOK DOWN YOUR NOSE AT ANOTHER.

TO DISHONOR.

AND TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE.

SPIRITUAL LESSON - IMP- OUR PRAYER LIVES MUST RESONATE WITH “TRUST IN THE LORD.”

AS INDIVIDUALS WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH, AND THE IS “THINGS” OF LIFE CAN ONLY CARRY US SO FAR.

THEREFORE, WE MUST DECIDE WHO WE WILL TRUST IN; WILL WE TRUST IN OURSELVES, OUR POSITION, OUR POSSESSIONS OR WILL WE TRUST IN THE LORD.

THE PSALMIST SAID, *PSALM 2:1-3 * WHY DO THE 1 HEATHEN RAGE, AND THE PEOPLE IMAGINE A VAIN THING?  2 THE KINGS OF THE EARTH SET THEMSELVES, AND THE RULERS TAKE COUNSEL TOGETHER, AGAINST THE LORD, AND AGAINST HIS ANOINTED, /SAYING/,  3 1 LET US BREAK THEIR BANDS ASUNDER, AND CAST AWAY THEIR CORDS FROM US.

 

PSALM 20:7 SOME TRUST IN CHARIOTS, SOME IN HORSES, BUT WE WILL REMEMBER THE NAME OF THE LORD OUR GOD.

PSALM 118-9 SAYS, IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN MAN.

IT IS BETTER TO TRUST IN THE LORD THAN TO PUT CONFIDENCE IN PRINCES.

PSALM 125:1 “THEY THAT TRUST IN THE LORD SHALL BE AS MOUNT ZION, WHICH CANNOT BE REMOVED BUT ABIDETH FOR EVER.

PROV.

3:5  TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL THINE HEART, LEAN NOT TO THINE OWN UNDERSTANDING, IN ALL THY WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS

 

 

APP: CONFIDENCE MEANS I UNDERSTAND MY STRENGTHS AS WELL AS MY WEAKNESSES

I UNDERSTAND WHERE I EXCEL AS WELL AS WHERE I HAVE DEFICIENCIES.

AND BEWARE OF THE MINDSET OF IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, I CAN HANDLE IT MYSELF, DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO, 

 

 

 PRIDE LIMITS POWER AND “DOING THINGS “MY WAY” WILL LEAD TO PERIL AND PAIN.

OK TO BE CONFIDENT BUT UNDERSTAND OVERCONFIDENCE AND ARROGANCE AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHER IS A TERRIBLE COMBINATION.

IN FACT, THE AMOUR BEARER OF SIN IS SELF CONFIDENCE.

OUR CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE IN CHRIST.

ILL:   FIRST THERE WAS LIFE,

THEN IT NARROWED TO PEOPLE.

THEN US (WHICH KEEPS WE, BUT EXCLUDES THE THEM).

SELF WAS THE NEXT HIT.

ANY MINUTE NOW I'M EXPECTING THE NARCISSISM TO CONTRACT THE CIRCLE YET FURTHER TO ME.

 

ILL; CENTER OF THE WORLD - "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN," SAYS ROBERT FULGHAM'S POPULAR ESSAY AND BOOK.

IN TRUTH, ONE OF LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT AND HARDEST LESSONS COMES TO US LONG BEFORE KINDERGARTEN.

THIS LESSON IS PAINFUL AND UPSETTING TO LEARN, AND IT GOES AGAINST WHAT WE WANT TO THINK IS TRUE.

BUT IT IS VITAL THAT WE LEARN IT.

MANY PEOPLE NEVER DO.

THE LESSON IS THIS: YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF YOUR UNIVERSE.

YOU MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT.

ONCE, A LONG TIME AGO, NICOLAUS COPERNICUS STUDIED THE SKY AND DECLARED, "IF MAN IS TO KNOW THE TRUTH, HE MUST CHANGE HIS THINKING!

DESPITE WHAT WE HAVE SAID FOR YEARS, OUR EARTH IS NOT THE CENTER OF THE COSMOS-BUT JUST ONE CELESTIAL BODY AMONG MANY.

THE SUN DOES NOT MOVE AROUND US; WE MOVE AROUND THE SUN." THAT WAS A RADICAL ADJUSTMENT-A REVOLUTION IN THOUGHT.

YEARS LATER, JEAN PIAGET STUDIED CHILDREN AND DECLARED, "EACH CHILD MUST EXPERIENCE HIS OR HER OWN 'COPERNICAN REVOLUTION.’

THEY MUST LEARN THAT THEY ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THEIR WORLD."

THIS IS A PRIVATE, RADICAL ADJUSTMENT FOR EVERY ONE.

"AFTER ALL," EACH INFANT THINKS, "MY WANTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MET.

LET LIFE CONTINUE THAT WAY!" "WALLS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE I RUN INTO THEM.

THE FLOOR SHOULD BECOME SOFT JUST AS I FALL.

EVERYONE SHOULD GIVE ME THEIR TOYS IF I WANT THEM.

THE RULES OF GAMES SHOULD CHANGE SO I CAN ALWAYS WIN.

AND BIG THINGS LIKE CARS SHOULD NEVER DRIVE WHERE I MIGHT WANT TO RUN OR PLAY."

SOONER OR LATER, LIFE DOES NOT COOPERATE AND THE CHILD IS SHOCKED.

WHAT ABOUT US ADULTS?

HAVE WE LEARNED THE LESSON?

MOST OF US LEARN IT.

BUT SATAN URGES US TO PUT OURSELVES BACK IN THE CENTER.

AND WE OFTEN DO, EVEN WHEN WE KNOW BETTER.

JESUS CHRIST STUDIED HIS AUDIENCE AND DECLARED, "IF YOU WANT TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR THINKING!

DESPITE WHAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE TELLS YOU, YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF YOUR WORLD.

TO FIND LIFE, YOU MUST KNOW THE TRUTH.

ACCOMMODATE YOURSELF TO THAT; IT WILL SET YOU FREE!" THAT IS THE MOST RADICAL ADJUSTMENT OF ALL.

A HARD LESSON.

THE ILLUSION IS EASIER.