Susan on the dock of the bay
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Posted on Thu, Sep 17, 2009
Highlights from a sermon given by Pastor Michael Spearl on Aug. 15, 2009 by Susan Bond
The Proud and the Humble
Can a person enter God's Presence and not be changed?
Using the Scriptural account of the Pharisee and the Publican in Luke 18:9-14, Pastor Michael answers this question. The Pharisee left his prayer time worse off, while the Publican (Tax Collector) left better off. The listeners to this account had to conclude that it's all in the attitude.
Pastor Michael described the perspective of the Pharisees: Seeing God as Guardian of the Book, they figured that performance was first. Love for God was measured by individual accomplishment. A person who thinks like a Pharisee cannot pray, for he has no intimacy with God and he is always comparing himself to others. James 4:1-3 indicates that pride not only inhibits asking but also obstructs us from receiving. Verse 6 says, "God gives grace to the humble." In the act of asking, we show trust and humility.
Confessing that his financial independence made him prideful, Pastor Michael remarked, "Pride is like bad breath: everyone has it but me." Freedom came for him when he realized he couldn't do it himself.
How does God deal with pride? He uncovers it, He confronts it, and He breaks us. Pastor Michael encouraged us with words from 1 Peter 5:6,"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
Jesus actually makes bones about it when he calls the Pharisees white-washed bones. Indeed, while humility is the mother of virtue, pride is the father of sin. When it comes to spiritual change, pride is the obstacle, humility the key. When we admit our weakness, God's power is unleashed within us. The tax collector's prayer contained an honest definition of himself: "I am a sinner." He didn't focus on himself; instead he reached out to God. This opened the divine door.
Can a person enter God's Presence and not be changed? What do you think?
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