Bible Text: Luke 18:9-17 | Preacher: Pastor Andrew Okai

Sermon prepared by the Holy Spirit

and Pastor Andrew T. Okai

23rd Sunday after Pentecost

October 23, 2016

 

Sermon text: Luke 18:9-17

Sermon theme: Jesus in the Temple

 

Introduction

Grace, Mercy, and peace…

 

Today from our gospel text, Jesus is seeing not only visiting the temple; but visiting hearts in the temple…

 

And as I read through the text, I began to wonder about how my own life is being examined by our Lord as he visits the temple of my heart…

 

This story became even more interesting to me when I began taking into consideration the current election process where the candidates are weighing their characters against each other… the reason for which many have turned off the news until after the elections…

 

This is the same issue we find in our first reading this morning; in the very first book of the Bible where many first things occurred… the first man, woman, marriage sin, family, response of the sinful nature, etc.

The first response of the sinful nature is a careless action… Cain & Abel…

As a matter of fact, this action goes back to the garden between Adam and Eve… (This is what I consider as the acquired relational deficiency syndrome)

It leaves us unrelated to God and then to one another… (Leaving our focus on ourselves). And this is what God came down to fix

Clear examples of this can be seen in the giving of the 10 commandments and in looking at the cross…

Self-centeredness always leaves us with the desire to above others – it is in the absence of contentment that we find ourselves living in this sinful manner… James 2:8 If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, “Love your Neighbor as yourself”, you are doing right.

 

So from the gospel text let us visit the temple with Jesus this morning as we give him the opportunity to also visit the temples of our hearts as we continue this message under the theme Jesus in the Temple

 

The problem in the temple

Luke 18:9 to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable…

The problem in the temple was that there were some people who were very confident of their own righteousness…

Question: as Jesus visits the temples of hearts this morning what is he seeing…

The self-righteous heart says: I’m doing my best to make it in…

I’m better off then my neighbor; I don’t need repentance…

 

 

The Pharisee in the temple

Luke 18:11 the Pharisee stood by himself and prayed; God I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector.

The first problem with this prayer; he is giving thanks first – confession before thanksgiving… ACTS

The second problem his imperfections are far lesser than others… this guy is using a scale to determine how bad others are… but the last time I checked here is what the scripture says James 2:10 for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

 

Matthew 7:3 why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in our own eye?

This is why when Jesus visits this sanctuary this morning, he sees us no different…

 

The publican in the temple

Luke 18:13 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.

Our Lord honored this tax collector’s worship and devotion for three reasons;

He was a grateful sinner: an act of gratitude (Being here is a privilege) 

He was a humble sinner: an act of submission (Lord do your will in me…)

He was a repentant sinner: an act of sorrow (Lord I am sorry)

It was not the length of the prayer or the stance in the worship; but rather the attitude of his heart…

Luke 18:14a… He went home justified before God… this is our God’s ultimate purpose for visiting the temple of our hearts…