Today's Message "At Least I Am Not That!

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14; Romans 10:3; Proverbs 26:12

Good morning Strangers Rest. The title of my message this morning is “At Least I Am Not That” and it is a message about being self-righteous. To ensure we are all on the same page, I want to give you the definition of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness (also called holier-than-thou attitudes) is an “attitude and belief of moral superiority derived from a person deeming their own beliefs, actions, or affiliations to be of greater virtue than those of others.” Self-righteous individuals are often intolerant of the opinions and behaviors of others that they deem to be less virtuous. I want you to keep this definition in mind as I go through this message.

This message began percolating in my mind several weeks ago as I listened to a message by another man of God. This minister of the gospel opened his message by talking about the LGBTQ+ community and the impact they are having on families and America in general. This community, if you listen to some political and Church leaders, are credited with nearly everything that is wrong with our society. Imagine being part of a group that is blamed for nearly everything that is going wrong in society. This community has become the punching bag for those who profess to love Christ and demonstrate their supposed love by hating those that disagree with them. While I do not believe God ordains same-sex unions, I strongly reject the idea that one group of people are the source of all that is wrong in America. It wasn’t that long ago that we, African Americans, were deemed to be what was wrong in America. So to hear a man of God lay the struggles of a nation at the feet of one group of people was troubling to me.

But let me tell you why I struggled and it goes to the heart of this message. People in the LGBTQ+ community are not welcomed in a lot of Churches but Churches will welcome in their congregations and freely fellowship with liars, fornicators, adulterers, people who hate, those whose disposition is anger, jealousy, having selfish ambitions, people sowing discord (dissensions), and those who are always ready to argue (contention). All these people are welcomed in the Church as long as they are not a part of that “other” community. And get this, all of these behaviors (which are sin) are listed in Romans chapter one right alongside of those practicing same-sex relationships. So, while we detest one group, we quietly accept the other because some of us were once a part of that group and, in our minds, we were not so bad. When we look at our sins and downgrade them when comparing them to someone else’s sin that by comparison we believe is worse, that is a problem. That is being self-righteous. That is saying, I might be bad, but “at least I am not that!” 

For those of you watching via live stream please open your Bibles to Luke chapter eighteen and we are going to begin reading at verse nine. “(9) Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: (10) ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ (13) And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14)

Jesus spoke this parable to some individuals who trusted in themselves that they were righteous while despising others that they deemed less righteous. As we read these verses, did you see yourself in this Pharisee or did you see yourself in the repentant tax collector? I want to speak to your heart because all of us have the potential to be just like this Pharisee. All of us have the potential to judge others so we can feel better about our situation. In this parable, a Pharisee was praying next to a tax collector. The tax collector of course was a sinner, and the Pharisee, who was also a sinner but saw himself as righteous, had no problem pointing that out to God. This Pharisee, in his proclaimed self-righteousness, despised the person he was supposed to be interceding for since he was a religious leader. He proclaimed that he was justified in his righteousness by saying, “(12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.” You see, in his mind his acts justified his right standing with God. How many times have we evaluated the things we do outwardly as more important to God than what is in our hearts? Paul addressed this in his letter to the Galatians when he wrote, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Galatians 2:16) Our works do not justify us – it is our faith in Jesus that justifies us. God desires our hearts and no amount of fasting or money given to the Church will ever override that!

As the man continued to talk, he described what was in his heart. He said, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.” Do you see what he did? He really felt justified and better about himself and confessed “At least I am not that!” by saying “I am not like other men….” He wanted God to know that he should be recognized for what he was doing and for what he was not doing – “I am not that!” But look at what Jesus said. Jesus said that the man who saw himself as a sinner “…. went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Strangers Rest, when I read this story, the Holy Spirit parked right in front of my house, came in, sat down with me, and began to share with me how there have been times when that attitude existed within me. He showed me that, at times, I had been like that Pharisee. He brought to my remembrance times when I confessed “at least I am not that” – regardless of what “that” was. And with me, those thoughts were often associated with sins I might have done or been doing versus what others were doing.

Now let us be honest with one another. Isn’t it nice when we think our sins are not as bad as someone else’s sins? I need you to hear this because it’s important: when my sins were as bad as someone else’s, not only did I continue to seek out someone who I believed was worse than me, but after I repented for my sin, I transitioned from “at least I am not that” to “at least I repented”, which is just as bad. Here is my point: there is a lot of hatred being poured out from Christians on others and we (Christians) are the ones who are supposed to be loving, kind, considerate and compassionate. We look at the lives of others and deem ourselves as better, more secure in Christ and therefore able to stand in judgment of them with our statements “At least I am not that!” This is why we can walk around in this building and not speak to someone. This is why during this special season we greet those we like with a heartfelt “Merry Christmas” while shunning those that we have a “spiritual” problem with. How can we have a conversation with God and won’t speak to those God loves? When we deem ourselves as better than someone else we are exalting ourselves and Jesus had plenty to say about that.

Do you recall the parable Jesus told to His followers when they attended a wedding feast? When they arrived at the wedding feast, Jesus noticed how those with Him were selecting their seats. Based on what He was seeing this is what is recorded in Luke 14:7-11: “(7) So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: (8) ‘When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; (9) and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. (10) But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. (11) For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.’” If you have ever attended a wedding reception where people of influence were seated closer to the wedding party then you understand this story. Jesus told those with Him to choose the lower seats and wait to be invited up to a higher seat versus exalting themselves and sitting in a higher seat and then being humbled when asked to move to a lower seat. Jesus said that everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and that is what He was saying about the Pharisee and the tax collector.

When the Pharisee prayed, he prayed a very self-righteous prayer. He said, “God, I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.” This is how some Christians think when evaluating themselves against others they deem less worthy of God’s blessings. When this man specifically called out the tax-collector, you can sense the hate that he had for the man. Can you see him looking down on him and turning up his nose? Can you see him passing the man in the hallways of the synagogue and not speaking; acting like he didn’t even see him? Because he was in such an elevated position in his own righteousness, he did not have time for the likes of this tax collector. He lived and breathed “At least I am not that!” This Pharisee forgot one of the foundations for loving God and it is our love for one another. First John 4:19-21 tells us, “(19) We love Him because He first loved us. (20) If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (21) And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”

As I prepared this message I thought about a discussion we had in the young adult Sunday school class two weeks ago. While discussing the lesson we talked about how we sometimes compare ourselves to others and what that comparison does to our self-esteem when we believe others have something we do not have. We also discussed what that comparison does to our relationship with God. We spoke honestly about how our comparisons are often made to make us feel better about ourselves, leading to our judging another person’s situation. I was encouraged by this group of young adults who processed what the lesson was saying and were able to identify things within their lives that they believed needed to be changed. After our discussion we all agreed that we have no room to judge confirming what James wrote in his letter. James says in James 4:11-12, “(11) Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (12) There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:11-12) 

Please understand that simply stating what the Bible says is not judging; judging starts when we begin to assign what we believe is the reason for someone’s action or situation and that is not our role. When it comes to our looking at the lives of others, we are to simply stand on God’s word in love and hope we can help lead someone to Him – even as we continue to work on ourselves. This is how Paul states it in his letter to the Christians in Corinth, and I will be reading from the Amplified Bible. Second Corinthians 10:12 says, “We do not have the audacity to put ourselves in the same class or compare ourselves with some who [supply testimonials to] commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they lack wisdom and behave like fools.”

Strangers Rest, I admit that I have said in my heart, “At least I am not that!” I said it and I meant it because I believed the comparison made me look better. Then the Holy Spirit came a knocking! If you have never had those thoughts, I commend you. However, if you have had moments when you experienced those thoughts, I want to encourage you to acknowledge them, recognize them for what they are and then do something about them. First, start seeing people as Jesus sees them by remembering what is recorded in First Timothy 2:4 where it says God, “(4) Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (First Timothy 2:4) And Ezekiel 18:21-23 which says, “(21) But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (22) None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. (23) Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord GOD, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Ezekiel 18:21-23) The death that Ezekiel is referring to in verse twenty-three is spiritual death, being separated from God for all eternity. That is not God’s heart, and He reaffirms this in verse thirty-two. “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,’ says the Lord GOD. Therefore turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32) Strangers Rest, this needs to be our hearts too.

Now let me circle back to the beginning. Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee who viewed himself as a righteous man deserving of heaven. In his prayer, he looked down on the tax collector and professed that he was not like him. In other words, he said, “At least I am not that!” You see, in his mind he had everything together. He said he fasted, tithed, was not an extortioner, unjust, adulterer or like the tax collector. In his mind, he was worthy of heaven. That Pharisee was like many Christians. We look at other people and say, “At least I am not that.” Or we say, “At least I am not that bad.” We might be bad, but we are not “that bad.” If you have found yourself looking at others and thinking in your heart that you are worthy because you are not like them I want to remind you of what Jesus said about that self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus said the  tax collector, “…. went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  

Strangers Rest, this morning I thank God that He has forgiven me and because of that forgiveness I will not look at another and think “At least I am not that!” because in reality “I was that!” What about you? May God bless and keep you!

Until next time, “The Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.”  (Numbers 6:24-26)