9/10/25 Chapel Service

Sermon:

Good Morning Children!

At this point I would guess that most of you know me, having subbed for a class or two for most of you, but in case you forgot, Or haven’t met me yet, I am Pastor Poland. Yes My Mom is Mrs Poland.

A few times some of you have asked me some version of what I am qualified to teach. and honestly, the answer to that is… probably not much. I know some stuff, and was a youth Pastor for a while. But I got my College degree in Philosophy, so if you want to know about Rene Descartes or the Rise of Existentialism as a response to the pure intellectualism of the Enlightenment I got ya. Other than that it is those things that I remember from my time in High School over 20 years ago now...

But that is in a classroom setting. Here, in this sort of setting, this is my jam, this is where I think I am qualified and this is really what I love to do. I especially love to come and teach young people. I was a youth pastor for 10 years And think you guys are awesome. But I also think that you guys are in a lot of danger. And I need you to hear me clearly: I don’t mean this in a “the world is bad and scary and evil and we need to hide here in a Christian School because of it” sort of danger. And I also do not mean in the “well you guys had just another lockdown last week and had an evacuation drill because the world is scary and dangerous” sort of danger.

I think you guys are in danger of being JUST LIKE ME.

I grew up in church. Heard it all like a billion times. From the age of 6 or seven I was in Sunday School memorizing verses. I went to the small Christian School in Alamogordo. If your parents came here in late 1900’s ask them if they remember playing “Carpet Christian” and that is where I went. I was in Youth Group. When I went to college I was in Campus Crusade for Christ, I did all the right things. And my soul was still in danger.

So I worry that you all will be just like me.

So I want to share with you one of two passages that God used in my life, one of two times that I was reading Scripture and became unable to continue because I was crying so hard I physically could not read my Bible. I will share one this time and if they ever invite me back then i will preach the second on then.

So if you would turn with me in your Bibles to Luke chapter 18 we will be reading what the ESV calls the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, other translations enjoying the alliteration call it the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican… but lets turn there together again Luke 18:9-14

And while you are turning there I will give you a bit of free advice. Someone wonce told me that showing up to church without a Bible would be like showing up to School with No clothes on, it should cause you nightmares and never happen. because you need the bible here to check me. Don’t JUST trust me, you don’t know me. Take what I tell you today, read God’s word for yourself and then decide what you will believe.

But with that being said lets start by reading this parable. Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

These are the Words of the Lord for us Today. lets open with a word of Prayer.

Great God in Heaven, source of all comfort and grace love and mercy, we thank you for today. We thank you that you see fit to speak to our hearts. We are grateful that you have not left us to our own devices, but rather you have in your grace and mercy called us out of darkness and into Light and life. you have saved us from the muck and mire and washed us, cleansed us, and given us the joy and privilege of being your people. We thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, our Lord and savior forever. the perfect one who lived the perfect life and became the prefect sacrifice. The one who conquered sin and death as he rose victoriously from the grave and the one who now lives forever to interceded on our behalf. Thank you for your salvation for all who believe in his name. I pray that you would use my words today, speak to the hearts and minds of those in it’s hearing, May all of us here be a people changed by you and your word. It is in the name above all other names, the name of Jesus Christ that we Pray. AMEN

When I was in college. 2008, which again most of you probably were not born in 2008. In fact, none of you were born in 2008. I remember walking around my college campus. And I used to think like this: You know, you look around. You see people in classes… Hopefully one day, most all of you will go to college. If not College, I pray that you are successful in whatever God has called you to do. But at some point, you will find yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by people who do not claim to be Christian, who will not even put on a false pretense or false heirs. And for some of you, you may find it refreshing.

I certainly do now. It's nice when people tell you what they believe and what they think don't pretend.

But then, for some of you, you might find yourself in the same position I was, which is an extraordinarily judgmental.… Haughty… that's a fun word… Pharisaical Position.

I would walk around and I would see people that I knew the night before had been out drinking and partying and carousing. And they come to class hungover. And here was where my heart would go. These fools. If only they were smart. Like, I am. And had repented of their sin. If only they saw how stupid and foolish their alcoholism is, maybe if they were less foolish and more like me, their life would be better.

You'd walk by and you'd see a guy with the the 14th different girl this week. And this guy doesn't know the heartbreak that is in store for him. If this guy would just repent of his sins and be more like me, how much better would his life be? The kids stoned.. the kids whatever…

My thought was never: "they need Jesus”. Just like that. The thought was: “If they could, just if they would just repent, like I did, if they would just go to church like I do if they would just do the right things like I do, then their life would be better.”

And I would walk around with an air of superiority. Never say it. And in truth. I would never, actually, if you were to come and ask me, did you actually think that David, if you were to ask David 20 years ago. Did you actually believe that and say that? I believed it. I truly believed in my heart, I believed it... but I probably couldn't even formulate those words.

Because this judgmental, self-righteous attitude, which is such a part of my Life that it was as natural as breathing. Like If I were to ask you right now how do you breathe it would be hard to describe excatly how to do it. But it just comes naturally. So too was my attitude and pharisaical heart.

And so, one day. Sitting in my dorm room Reading my Bible… Not because I thought it was good to read my Bible, but because you have to read your Bible every day. That's what good people do. You read your Bible, three chapters, maybe four. If you're feeling extra spiritual, then you go pray for 10 to 15 minutes, and then you're better… again not spiritually better… No, You're better than everyone around you.

And so I happened upon this Parable.

And for the first time, my mind and my heart clicked.

I was a Pharisee.

Because here's the Pharisees, prayer, God. I thank you. I am not like these other people. I thank you that I'm not like those frat boys that just go out and party all the time. Thankful that I'm not like these Stoners who just go get high all the time. I thank you that I'm not like these womanizers over here. I thank you that I'm better.

The Pharisee boasts in verse 12, I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get... I boasted I go to church every Sunday and Wednesday and Thursday I go to campus Crusade and on Monday nights I go to my small group Bible study. I'm perfect!

Thank you God for making me so righteous.

I read this Parable and I knew who I was immediately… and Jesus says that the person is NOT justified… they still live in their sins… the very sins they are proud of not being corrupted by they wear each and every day like a scarlet letter proclaiming their pride and foolishness.

And then the tax collector shows up.

The tax collector. Knows who he is. It's not great. He won't even lift his eyes to Heaven. He won't even stand up. He won't even be in the center of the temple. He's hiding in a corner. He's standing far off as the words Jesus uses. In verse 13.

He's far off hiding in the corner. He won't be bold. He has no strength in his heart or mind to even look to Heaven. He knows this. He is a sinner, not just a sinner. The tax collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but beat his breast. He's so filled with grief and remorse and shame and. A lack of dignity and pride. He has nothing left, so he beats his chest. God be merciful to me. A sinner.

This one, you'll have to trust me a little bit if you want me to, I can show you in the Greek. But the actual literal translation… So whenever you translate, you have to make some decisions. What sounds right? How do we speak in English versus how do we speak in Greek? and so the decision was made here to translate: Have mercy on me, a sinner. The literal translation. If you just go word by word by word of the Greek. Have mercy on me The sinner.

The the tax collector, He views himself. As the worst. He's not just A sinner. He's not, like, yeah, there's a lot of Sinners. I'm one of them. No, he says, it's me. I'm the absolute worst. And so he pleads for God's mercy, and this is what Jesus says, and this is what we must hear.

I tell you… this Jesus, the second person of the Trinity God, became flesh, the one who in Matthew has the authority to Pardon someone's sins. Right, If we remember back here… there's a man who comes. He's a paralytic. Maybe you remember this story, and Jesus looks at this paralytic and says your sins are forgiven, and the Pharisees are like, whoa, only God can forgive sins and Jesus says like, I know. I know only God can forgive sins. That's why I said it. But just so you can know that I'm also God. He heals the man. Its done. He's now walking.

So, Jesus, the one who has the authority to forgive sins, the one who has the power to give things, forgive sins. The one who has the work and word to forgives, sins, comes and says, the one who cried out who said, have mercy on me, The Sinner, the one who is pleading for God's mercy. He's justified.

The Pharisee is walking in his sins. So, what's the difference? Jesus says, the one who exalts himself will be humbled. The one who humbles himself will be exalted.

The question for you today, and this is the question for your whole life. Will you humble yourself and plead for the mercy of God?

Or, will you walk around with your air of superiority?

I'd like to rewrite this Parable just a little bit for us this morning.

Call it. There's maybe a little too on the nose, but I hope you get the point.

The parable of the mvcs, students, and the public school student.

He told this Parable to some who trusted in themselves in their own strength and might and position. That they were righteous, and that they would be okay and treated others with contempt. Two kids. We're sitting in the Pew. One a mvcs student, the other a public school student.

The mvcs student proud of themselves. Stood up and prayed like this: God. Thank you. That I'm not like other people. I'm not like. Partiers, drug addicts.,Womanizers. I'm not like those public school kids. I go to church. I read my Bible.

The other. The public school kid. Understood their life. And so they sat. In the corner of their Pew. Without able to lift their eyes to heaven with tears in their eyes, they cry out. God have mercy on me. I know I have sinned.

Tell you the truth right now.

The second one. Will know and understand God's grace and forgiveness. Because everyone who thinks so highly of themselves, God will humble. But whoever comes humbly to God will find Grace, Redemption. And healing.

I tell you this because I was that mvcs student. I was one who thought I was so good and so righteous, and so right, and that I just Escaped by on just being good and better. I could tell you all the right THOLOGY, about how we area saved by grace through faith and it is not of our works lest any should boast… but practically speaking, I thought there was some sort of Continuum, and here was the really, really good people. I can't be them. I don't want to be them. Here's the really, really. Bad people don't want to be them either as long as I'm just better than most.

God will look at me, and he'll be proud of me.

But then, Paul says elsewhere, he says, your righteous is, like, filthy rags. The best deeds you can do in your own strength and might are nothing.

In fact, first Peter 1, 16, Peter says. Here's the standard if you want God to judge you on your actions like this Pharisee did. Here's your actions be perfect. Perfect. Never once lying, never once cheating, never once stealing. Never once disrespecting your subs and talking over them while they're trying to talk, just saying, seen you all, do it.

So here is the choice: Be perfect or realize the ugly truth: you are a sinner.

Cry out to God! He will forgive. He will justify. He will wash. He will cleanse.

If you know what I'm talking about? And never made that decision. Cry out to God: have mercy on me, a sinner. He will hear that prayer, and he will forgive.

If you don't really know what I'm talking about, if this seems strange and new to many of you? It's fine. Come talk to me! If not now, one day when I'm subbing. If not me talk to one of your teachers.

Either way. Cry out to Jesus!

Let's pray.