Sermon Tone Analysis

How Difficult it is to be Wrong!

Text: Luke 18:9-14

Purpose: To see how important it is to admit we are wrong.

Opening Song: O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

Closing Song: Redeemed

On *January 28, 1986*, the space shuttle *Challenger* and its crew embarked on a mission to broaden educational horizons and promote the advancement of scientific knowledge.

The most outstanding objective of the Challenger 51-L mission was the delivery of educational lessons from space by teacher *Christa McAuliffe*.

A lesson was, indeed, delivered, but not one which anyone expected.

Just *75 seconds after liftoff, tragedy struck*.

Before a watching world the shuttle suddenly erupted overhead, disintegrating the cabin along with its crew.

The debris plummeted to earth, along with our nation's glory.

*What had gone wrong?*

That was the pressing question everyone asked.

As teams of researchers examined the wreckage, the specific cause was soon found.

*The problem was with the O-rings* (circular rubber seals), which had been designed to fit snugly into the joints of the booster engine sections.

Evidently, the O-rings had become defective under adverse conditions, and the resulting mechanical failure led to the tragedy.

Was that the whole story?

*The truth eventually got out.

The New York Times put it frankly*: the ultimate cause of the space shuttle disaster was *pride*.

A group of *top managers failed to listen* carefully *to* the warnings, advice and *criticisms *given *by those down the line* who were concerned about the operational reliability of certain parts of the booster engine under conditions of abnormal stress.

Just think: heeding criticism could have saved seven human lives.

Dr. Alfred J. Poirier, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Peacemaker Ministries says, “Among the many things I've come to learn is *the dominant role that giving and taking criticism has in exacerbating conflict*.

Yet, *even more, I've learned that the remedy wonderfully provided by God requires us to return to the cross of Christ.”*

First of all, let me define what I mean by criticism.

I'm using criticism in a *broad sense* as referring to *any judgment* made about you by another, which declares that you fall short of a particular standard.

*The standard may be God's or man's*.

The judgment may be *true or false*.

It may be given *gently with a view to correction*, *or harshly and in a condemnatory fashion*.

It may be given *by a friend or by an enemy*.

But whatever the case, it is a judgment or criticism about you that you have fallen short of a standard.

*However it comes, most of us would agree that criticism is difficult to take*.

Who of us doesn't know someone with whom we need to be especially careful in our remarks lest they blow up in response to our suggested corrections?

*Many people would never dare confront or criticize their pastor or leader for fear of retaliation*.

Many just find another organization to work for or church to attend.

In fact, don't you know of leaders who select those to be nearest to them who are easiest on them?

How many times have you been warned to "walk on eggshells" around that person?

As sad a commentary as this is, such *people are not much different from me.

I, too, do not like criticism*.

Any criticism is hard for me to take.

I'd much *rather be commended than corrected, praised than rebuked*.

I'd much rather judge than be judged!

And I do not think that I am alone in this.

Yet, while we go on defending ourselves against criticism, we find Scripture teaching something different.

The ability to hear and heed correction or criticism is commended in Scripture, particularly in Proverbs.

Being teachable, able and willing to receive correction is a mark of the wise.

And the wise father or mother will encourage as well as model such an attitude for their daughters and sons.

A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool.

Proverbs 17:10.

The way of a fool seems right to him, but *a wise man /listens to advice/* Proverbs.

12:15.

Pride only breeds quarrels, but *wisdom is found in those who /take advice/* Proverbs.

13:10.

The ability to take advice, correction, and rebuke is not only considered a mark of the wise, and the inability a mark of the fool, but both the wise and the fool reap according to their ability to take criticism: *He who scorns instruction will pay for it*, but he who respects a command is rewarded Proverbs 13:13.

There is gain in taking criticism.

No wonder David exclaims in Psalm 141:5: Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head.

My head will not refuse it.

David knows the profit of gaining wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

He knows rebukes are a kindness, a blessing, an honor.

*Wounds from a friend can be trusted*, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Proverbs 27:6.

Ask yourself: Is that how I look at a rebuke?

Is that how I perceive criticism, correction or counsel?

Do I want to look at it that way?

*Charles Spurgeon* gave this counsel: Get a friend to tell you your faults, or better still, welcome an enemy who will watch you keenly and sting you savagely.

What a blessing such an irritating critic will be to a wise man, what an intolerable nuisance to a fool!

Leadership, Vol. 3, no. 2.

Last time I preached I addressed the idea, How difficult it is to be right!

This morning I want to address its opposite thought: How difficult is it to be wrong!

Why is it so difficult?

·         It is against our nature to admit we are wrong.

·         It may look good to justify our margins but it doesn’t work when we are justifying our wrong behavior.

·         It is much more gratifying to point out the problems of our critics than to accept their criticism.

·         It is much easier to disregard criticism when it is vitriolic.

·         When we are wrong we have to accept responsibility.

·         When we are wrong our behavior must change.

·         It is difficult thinking outside of our own life experience.

Peter was once very self assertive but *after his repentance he was humble.

That didn’t mean he was never wrong*.

Because *Paul had to correct him*: 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.

13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that *even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy*.

14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Galatians 2:11-14.

*Just because we may be in need of correction** because we may be wrong in certain areas of our lives or our thinking doesn’t mean we are full of pride like the Pharisee*.

*But it does remain a danger* because or our own fallen nature since it is so difficult to accept criticism.

And for that reason Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is so very important to us.

Luke 18:9-14: To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance.

He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In a few of the translations it is brought out that the Publican is really saying that he isn’t one among many as the indefinite article implies as it is given in English.

The other translations use the definite article “the” in front of sinner changing the emphasis to singling himself out as the chief of sinners which accurately reflects the Greek.

Had Peter heeded the reproof and warnings that Jesus gave him he would have been kept from falling into the same pit as the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable.

You know as well as I do that there is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency.

Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.”

(COL 154) And Peter proved that by rejecting Jesus’ warning that he would fall away.

Peter indulged in the same weakness of the Pharisee when he said, “I thank You that I am not like other men: robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector.”

Peter made the same speech when he made the comparison, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

34 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

Then Peter went on to reject Jesus’ warning, the warning of a friend, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”