Text: Luke 18:9-14
Grasping the Heart of Worship (Full Sermon Manuscript)
Introduction:
SEENZONED: “Seen full” means indifferent or ignoring our sins.
Background:
Pharisee – expert of the law (Torah), respected, faithful
- serves God seriously by going without food from sunrise to sunset on Mondays and Thursdays and
- by tithing all their possessions
- keeping the moral and ritual commandments of the law.
- Common people admired them greatly.
Tax Collector – outcasts
- collaborated with the hated Roman oppressors,
- Fleeced/ tricked their fellow Jews and practiced all sorts of fraud/scam.
- The common people disliked them.
- Like, Zacchaeus.
Plot Twist:
The disciples of Christ, after learning or hearing this parable, their default response would be: “Good thing I am not like that Pharisee.” Or maybe we also share a similar reaction, “Oh, I am sure I am not like that Pharisee who looks down on others.” If that was in your thoughts, then you have fallen likewise. You have judged and condemned the Pharisee without looking at examining yourself first.
Main Idea:
- Reverent Heart
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- Bowing down; adoration; worship
- • Jesus is King, we should offer the greatest respect and adoration to our King when worshipping Him. When praying, let us glorify Him with our words. Instead of always asking from God, first, utter praises and adoration to our God.
- A problem: Demanding Heart
- As if God owes you a lot. God does not owe you anything, instead, you owe everything to God. Hence, the proper response to God is a humble act of bowing, kneeling, and begging for His mercy, grace, and redemption
- Entitled Heart: I gave this; I did this
- Self-centeredness; selfish ambitions do not bring you far to eternal places. Remember in Philippians 2:1-5, having the mind of Christ. It points to humility—a selfless kind of attitude. This Christlike character is the one that “values others above themselves”
2. Repentant Heart
- Lord, have mercy
- We should live in dependence on Him in our daily battles with our sins through prayer as we continually cry out to Him for His power to enable us to obey His will.
- Forgive me
- The gospel is a vital gift from God not only for our salvation but also to enable us to deal with the ongoing activity of sin in our lives.
- Wrong response: blaming God
- Wrong response: not admitting your sins
3. Receptive Heart
- recognizing your need for forgiveness
- Accepting Christ’s finished work
- Accepting God’s grace
Ptr. John Paul Arceno
UCBC New Jersey
November 8, 2021
This section is an excerpt only; download the full manuscript here.