Why dosen't God Like Religious People?

Read Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9–14 NLT

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “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.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The context

Read Luke 18:9

Luke 18:9 NLT

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else:

How might different people have responded to this information?

Read Luke 18:10

Luke 18:10 NIV84

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

Who would be the Hero and the villain of this story?

The Pharisee's prayer

Read Luke 18:11-12

Luke 18:11–12 NIV84

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

What does this prayer tell you about: 1) The religious leader 2) Yourself 3) Jesus feeling about this prayer.

The purpose of religion clearly should be to draw us nearer to God and to our fellow human beings. But the prayer of the Pharisee holds God at arm’s length and others at a level below.

The Tax Collector Prayer

Read Luke 18:13-14

Luke 18:13–14 NIV84

“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.’ “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.”

What does this prayer tell you about: 1) The tax collector 2) Yourself 3) Jesus feeling about this prayer.

Give one word for the Pharisee prayer. Give one word for the tax collector prayer.

Most of us are more in danger of the sins of the Pharisee than of the tax collector.

Pride goes back as far as Cain and Abel and, unfortunately , is all to prevalent today, especially with religious people. Why? How often are we Pharisees?

Why is being humble so hard? What do we each need to do to turn pride into humility?

Conclusion: Why doesn’t God Like Religious People?

First: God doesn’t like them but HE still loves them.

Second: It isn’t that HE doesn’t like religious people, it is when religion gets in the way of relationship:

The heart of the matter isn’t that God doesn’t like good(religious) people, it is that good(religious) people don’t like God. That is because they don’t give room for the grace of God for not only others but themselves.

1) Our relationship with God. True religion make us feel our need for God, so that we are drawn to Him. But a Pharisee type of religion lets God know how fortunate He is to have someone like me. He tithes and fasted just for God.

2)Our Relationship with others. We need to remind ourselves that the church is the only institution in the world whose membership is based on unworthiness. You and I come to God no more worthy than anyone else.

THEREFORE: As Martin Luther put it: “Or repentance is a life long task. When we get to the point of being good, we need more than ever to be experts in repentance, lest we allow our religiosity to lose our souls.

True worship of God should make us humble, for it is in humility that we are more apt to love God and other people.