#pharisee #taxcollector #parable #salvation #Miracle #Jesus #bibleteaching #history #christianity #christian #DavidMalam #God #doctrine #ChartridgeMissionChurch #chesham #thefriendliestfellowship
The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a foundational parable for correctly understanding how God wants us to approach Him. David Malam is back at Chartridge with yet more unmissable real-life stories that help illustrate this famous Bible story.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFsS9v92WagSFvsvBV-IsyUU
Chartridge Mission Church was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a friendly fellowship and would love you to visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is wheelchair friendly, with an accessible toilet.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Cheques can be made payable to Chartridge Mission Church and sent to the above address for the attention of Pastor Barry Kempson.
Filmed on Sunday, 27th April 2025.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a foundational parable for correctly understanding how God wants us to approach Him. David Malam is back at Chartridge with yet more unmissable real-life stories that help illustrate this famous Bible story.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFsS9v92WagSFvsvBV-IsyUU
Chartridge Mission Church was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a friendly fellowship and would love you to visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is wheelchair friendly, with an accessible toilet.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Cheques can be made payable to Chartridge Mission Church and sent to the above address for the attention of Pastor Barry Kempson.
Filmed on Sunday, 27th April 2025.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Oh, who am I, that for my sake, my Lord should take frail flesh and die?
00:14Luke 18, verse 1.
00:16Then he, that's Jesus, spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray, and not lose heart, saying,
00:24There was in a certain city a judge, who did not fear God, nor regard man.
00:31Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary.
00:39And he would not for a while.
00:41But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God, nor regard man,
00:46Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
00:55Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said,
00:59And shall God not avenge his own elect, who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them?
01:07I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
01:11Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth?
01:19Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
01:28Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
01:36The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
01:41God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
01:52I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
01:58And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven,
02:07but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
02:14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other.
02:21For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
02:31Amen.
02:33So those of you who remember glass milk bottles,
02:37you may recall the introduction of the cardboard pint cartons.
02:43Do you remember that?
02:44When they first came out, they caused considerable interest,
02:49because opening them without spilling half the contents wasn't always straightforward.
02:55Well, such was the national interest.
02:57The CEO of the company, who actually made these cardboard cartons,
03:03decided, don't know why, decided to go on live national television
03:10to demonstrate the correct way of opening these cardboard pint cartons.
03:16You had to first pull a certain piece of card out,
03:20gently ease two parts apart to create a funnel.
03:25Well, you can guess what happened.
03:27Despite exuding tremendous confidence,
03:30despite reassuring the nation it was a really easy task to do,
03:34he failed completely to make an adequate funnel shape,
03:39and he ended up tearing the opening mechanism to the extent that
03:43the milk poured out all over the studio table
03:48and just a dribble into the glass that had been provided.
03:52In fact, his failed demonstration became an effective teaching method
03:58for how not to open a cardboard pint milk carton.
04:05Well, in the story we have before us this evening,
04:10in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke 18,
04:16Jesus teaches his disciples by warning them that there is a wrong way
04:21to approach God in prayer.
04:25There is a right way and there is a wrong way to pray.
04:30The master teacher shows us the right way by teaching us how not to come before God in prayer.
04:40So we read in verse 9,
04:42Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others.
04:53So Jesus teaches us how not to come before God.
04:59He illustrates a wrong attitude prevalent in his day,
05:02but also in its own way prevalent in our own generation.
05:08One man comes to pray.
05:10He's confident in his own righteousness.
05:14And not only that,
05:15but the result of that is that he looked down on everyone else.
05:23He's self-righteous.
05:26He believes he's better than others.
05:29He's self-sufficient.
05:31He's superior.
05:32He's self-important.
05:34But he's also utterly, utterly deluded.
05:38Two men go up to the temple to pray.
05:45And one commentator reflects and says,
05:48Two men went up to the temple to pray,
05:52but they took very different journeys.
05:57We're going to think about the prayer of the Pharisee
06:01and the prayer of the tax collector this evening.
06:04But before we think about the prayers,
06:06and in particular the difference between the two men's prayers,
06:10just consider that actually there are some similarities
06:13between the Pharisee and the tax collector.
06:19They, quite probably, it's quite likely that both were quite wealthy.
06:25That's probable, probably true.
06:27And in a strange way,
06:29they were both grudgingly respected in society.
06:32They weren't popular, but they had status.
06:36People knew them.
06:37They were people of influence in their communities.
06:41Not popular, no, but maybe there was a grudging respect.
06:46And of course, this particular day,
06:49they both felt that they should go to the place of prayer.
06:55So there are similarities between them.
06:59But, of course, their prayers are very different.
07:05So let's firstly just consider the prayer of the Pharisee.
07:11The Pharisee went up to pray,
07:14but one of, but as the commentator says,
07:17two men went up to the temple to pray,
07:19but one of them forgot his errands.
07:21You see, the Pharisee standing in the temple courts,
07:26a good distance from others around him,
07:28begins his prayer well.
07:32In verse 11, he says,
07:33God, I thank you.
07:37God, I thank you.
07:38He begins with apparent thankfulness to God.
07:43He begins by referencing God.
07:45But, of course, there's nothing else of prayer in what follows.
07:51There's no confession.
07:53There's no worship.
07:56There's not even a request or a supplication.
08:01And the translation,
08:03he stood and prayed thus with himself,
08:07in many ways appears to be true.
08:10He was praying to himself.
08:13He's, it's obvious that this is not a prayer at all.
08:17In fact, it's just a statement,
08:19a statement about himself,
08:21a self-satisfied statement.
08:24And there's no evidence of any personal need at all.
08:28In fact, this man is perfectly satisfied with himself.
08:32He applauds himself.
08:34He struts.
08:35He worships himself.
08:36Of course, he trusts in himself.
08:39He stands before almighty God.
08:41And he commends himself.
08:45Luther, I don't know what the German is,
08:47but Luther says of him,
08:49see how he rumbles and blusters.
08:53You can imagine that, can't you,
08:55in graphic German Lutheran language.
08:59And the instinct of the Pharisee
09:00that all is good here.
09:03God must accept me.
09:05Not only am I good enough for God,
09:07but I'm vastly superior to others.
09:11How pleased God must be with me.
09:15After all, I fast twice a week.
09:18I give tithes of all that I get.
09:21I go above and beyond what is expected of me.
09:25In religious duties,
09:27I am exemplary.
09:30And there's some truth in that.
09:31And what is the outcome
09:34of this man's religious works
09:37and his self-righteousness?
09:43We're told that he despises others.
09:49He treats others with contempt.
09:53He's not an extortioner.
09:55He's not unjust.
09:56He's not committed adultery.
09:58We have no reason to believe
10:00he was lying at this point.
10:02Outwardly, his life is moral.
10:05But this trust in himself
10:07led him to be full of contempt for others.
10:12His problem was
10:14he doesn't see himself
10:15as God sees him.
10:20So is this so far removed
10:22from our society today?
10:26Is it?
10:26People often say, don't they,
10:29I'm not perfect.
10:31But I'm not as bad
10:32as that man
10:34or that woman.
10:35I haven't done this.
10:37I haven't done that.
10:38I'm not an extortioner.
10:39I'm not an adulterer.
10:41I have some small moral failings,
10:43of course.
10:43But I've not done anything
10:45really bad.
10:46But of course, the problem
10:47the Bible places
10:49before us
10:50is the problem
10:50of our hearts.
10:53It is heart sins
10:54that God sees.
10:56I haven't murdered
10:57but I have hated.
10:59I haven't stolen
11:01but I have coveted.
11:03I haven't committed adultery
11:05but I have lusted.
11:07So despite
11:08all his learning,
11:10this Pharisee
11:11has no sense
11:13of his need,
11:15no thought
11:16that his heart
11:17wasn't right
11:19before God.
11:21I don't know
11:22if you recall
11:23the last recorded words
11:26of those
11:27in the Titan
11:28Submersible.
11:29Do you remember
11:30not so long ago now
11:31that craft
11:32going down
11:34to view
11:34the Titanic
11:35and then
11:37moments before
11:39that cataclysmic
11:40disastrous
11:41explosion,
11:43that really sad
11:44event.
11:45well the last
11:46recorded message
11:47of the Titan
11:49Submersible
11:50to those
11:50on the surface
11:51was
11:52all good
11:54here.
11:55All good
11:57here.
11:58The Pharisee
12:00had a similar
12:00mantra.
12:02All good
12:03here.
12:04But he seems
12:05to be completely
12:06oblivious
12:07to the fact
12:08that everything
12:09is uncovered
12:09and naked
12:11before the eyes
12:12of him
12:13to whom
12:14we must
12:15give
12:15account.
12:16He has no
12:17understanding
12:18at all
12:19that his
12:20sin
12:20has separated
12:21him
12:22from God.
12:24So there's
12:25the prayer
12:26or the kind
12:27of statement
12:27of the
12:29Pharisee.
12:31And what
12:32about the
12:32tax collector?
12:34Well with
12:35apologies to
12:36anyone
12:36working for
12:37HMRC
12:38I doubt
12:41tax collectors
12:42have ever
12:43been popular
12:44or ever
12:45will be
12:46but did
12:46you know
12:47that the
12:47Romans
12:47had a very
12:49elaborate
12:49system
12:50to oversee
12:51the collection
12:52of taxes?
12:53They sort
12:53of privatised
12:55the process.
12:57You see
12:57what would
12:58happen is
12:58that individuals
12:59would bid
13:00in a public
13:01auction
13:01for the
13:02right to
13:04collect taxes
13:05in particular
13:05areas.
13:07Some of
13:07these regions
13:08would be
13:08small
13:09with a
13:10small
13:10population
13:11but some
13:13of the
13:13regions
13:13would be
13:14large
13:15and these
13:16would be
13:16highly
13:16sought after
13:17and of
13:19course
13:19there's no
13:19oversight
13:20no public
13:22body
13:22overseeing
13:23the tax
13:24collectors
13:24so they
13:25could make
13:26up their
13:26own profit
13:27margins
13:27and they
13:28could charge
13:29over and
13:30above the
13:31normal
13:31taxable
13:32rate.
13:32So of
13:32course
13:33there was
13:33extortion
13:34and
13:35underneath
13:35it all
13:35of course
13:36is that
13:37the tax
13:39collectors
13:39were ensuring
13:40that the
13:41Romans
13:42and their
13:43invading
13:44armies
13:44were there
13:45to stay.
13:46They were
13:46furthering
13:47their cause
13:48and making
13:49a good
13:50living
13:50too.
13:52So we're
13:52told that
13:53the tax
13:54collector
13:55stood
13:56afar off.
13:58We're told
13:58that he
13:59stands at a
13:59distance.
14:00He didn't
14:00enter the
14:02inner courts
14:02of the
14:03temple.
14:04He most
14:04likely
14:05confined
14:05himself to
14:06the court
14:07of the
14:07Gentiles
14:08outside.
14:09And the
14:09language
14:09suggests that
14:10this was a
14:11deliberate
14:11choice on
14:13his behalf.
14:15He chose
14:16the outer
14:16courts.
14:18And he
14:19does so for
14:19good reason.
14:20In fact,
14:20it's quite
14:21likely,
14:21commentators
14:22suggest,
14:23that because
14:23of his
14:24work for
14:24the Romans,
14:25this man
14:26may well
14:27have been
14:28excommunicated
14:29from the
14:29temple,
14:30or at the
14:31very least,
14:32he wasn't
14:33welcome
14:34there.
14:36He was
14:36a traitor
14:36to the
14:37nation,
14:38a traitor
14:39to the
14:40nation's
14:40gods.
14:41So he
14:42has to
14:42confine
14:43himself to
14:44the court
14:44of the
14:44Gentiles.
14:46But how
14:46very different
14:47his prayer.
14:50He's
14:50absorbed with
14:51one thing,
14:51isn't he,
14:52and one
14:52thing only,
14:54that he
14:54is utterly
14:55unworthy
14:56to come
14:56before God,
14:58but to
14:59God he
15:01must come.
15:02this is
15:04of course
15:04one of
15:05the true
15:05signs
15:06of the
15:08Christian.
15:09And you
15:09can go
15:10so far
15:10as to
15:11say that
15:11without
15:12that same
15:13attitude,
15:15we cannot
15:15call ourselves
15:17Christians.
15:19Unworthy
15:19to come
15:20before God,
15:21but to
15:22God he
15:23must come.
15:24So he
15:24stands,
15:25but he
15:25bows his
15:27head,
15:28his head
15:28is bowed
15:29because
15:30his heart
15:31is bowed.
15:31And of
15:31course
15:31there's
15:32more.
15:33His
15:33brokenness
15:34is revealed
15:34to us
15:34a little
15:35more in
15:36that he
15:36beats
15:37his chest.
15:38His
15:38desperate
15:39need for
15:40God is
15:40evident,
15:41even in
15:42how he
15:42walks,
15:43his
15:43stance,
15:45his
15:45actions.
15:46He's
15:46overwhelmed
15:47with a
15:47need of
15:48forgiveness.
15:48There's
15:48only one
15:49other
15:49occasion
15:50when Luke
15:50references
15:51people beating
15:52their chests
15:53in his
15:54gospel,
15:54and that's
15:54when the
15:55Lord was
15:56crucified
15:56and the
15:57people went
15:58home,
15:58having seen
15:59what had
16:00been done.
16:01And what
16:02about his
16:02prayer?
16:04Well,
16:04in contrast
16:05to the
16:06Pharisees,
16:07his prayer
16:07is short.
16:09It's not
16:10eloquent.
16:11It's not
16:12full of
16:12well-constructed
16:13sentences
16:14and careful
16:15theology.
16:17It has
16:18a degree
16:18of repetition.
16:20It's very
16:21different.
16:22But his
16:22prayer contains
16:24a statement
16:24and his
16:26prayer contains
16:28a request.
16:30The
16:31statement
16:31is very
16:33simple.
16:34He calls
16:35himself
16:36a sinner.
16:38God,
16:38be merciful
16:39to me,
16:41a sinner.
16:43And in
16:43sense of
16:44the language
16:44that he
16:45is the
16:45sinner
16:46or the
16:47great
16:48sinner.
16:49The
16:50great
16:50sinner.
16:51And it's
16:51not just
16:52the things
16:52he's done,
16:53it's what's
16:54in his
16:55heart.
16:56He's
16:57conscious
16:57of that
16:58great
16:58debt
16:59that he
17:00owes to
17:01God,
17:02that he's
17:02sinned and
17:04fallen short
17:05of the glory
17:06of God.
17:07And he's
17:07completely
17:08undone,
17:09with nothing
17:10in his hands
17:11to bring,
17:12before the
17:12God who
17:13knows his
17:15heart.
17:16But he's
17:16acutely aware
17:17too,
17:18the God he
17:19comes before
17:20is holy
17:21and pure
17:23and without
17:24blemish.
17:25So he
17:26makes this
17:26statement,
17:29God be
17:30merciful to
17:30me,
17:31the
17:32sinner,
17:33or the
17:33great sinner.
17:35But then
17:36there's his
17:36request.
17:37The phrase
17:38be merciful,
17:40his request,
17:41is a very
17:41rich word.
17:43It's only
17:43used one
17:44other time
17:44in the
17:45New Testament.
17:45in the
17:47book of
17:47Hebrews,
17:49there's a
17:49sense the
17:50word is
17:50used in
17:52the meaning
17:53of a
17:53tone for
17:55me.
17:56It has
17:56the same
17:57root as
17:57the Bible
17:58word
17:58propitiation,
18:00turning away
18:00of God's
18:02anger.
18:03And just
18:03think for a
18:04moment where
18:04this tax
18:05collector is
18:06standing.
18:07He's in
18:07the outer
18:08courts of
18:09the temple,
18:10but all
18:10around him
18:11is the
18:12aroma and
18:13the smells
18:14of sacrifice.
18:15yet he
18:17cannot go
18:18to the
18:18priest to
18:19offer a
18:20sacrifice for
18:21himself.
18:22He can't
18:23give his
18:24own sacrifice,
18:26neither will
18:26the priest
18:27offer a
18:27sacrifice on
18:29his behalf,
18:30but he
18:31knows a
18:32sacrifice is
18:33what he
18:35needs.
18:36So two
18:38men went
18:39up to
18:40the temple
18:41to pray.
18:43Well,
18:44we'll
18:44conclude
18:44our
18:45time
18:46together
18:46with a
18:46few
18:47brief
18:48and
18:49simple
18:49lessons.
18:51And the
18:52first one
18:52is this.
18:54As
18:54Christians,
18:56we're not
18:57all called
18:58directly to
18:59be involved
18:59in Christian
19:00work.
19:00We're not
19:01all called
19:02to take
19:02meetings or
19:03be
19:04missionaries.
19:05We're not
19:05all called
19:06to be
19:06influential
19:07and important
19:08figures in
19:09society.
19:10but we
19:11are all
19:11called to
19:13be humble
19:13for the
19:15one who
19:16exalts
19:17himself will
19:18be humbled
19:18and he
19:20who humbles
19:20himself will
19:22be exalted.
19:23There's a
19:23story about
19:24Augustine of
19:25Hippo who
19:27was asked
19:27what the
19:28most important
19:29quality for
19:31a Christian
19:31should be
19:33and he
19:34answered
19:35humility.
19:38Well, the
19:38person asking
19:39the question
19:40pressed him
19:40further and
19:41said,
19:42well, if
19:42humility is
19:43the first,
19:45what is the
19:45second most
19:46important quality
19:47for a
19:48Christian to
19:49exhibit?
19:50Augustine
19:51said,
19:52humility.
19:54This chap
19:55hadn't quite
19:56got it.
19:57He asked
19:57for a third
19:58time.
19:58He said,
19:59and what's
20:00the third
20:01Christian
20:02characteristic
20:03that we
20:05should all
20:05have?
20:06And of
20:06course,
20:07Augustine
20:07said,
20:09humility.
20:09And of
20:09course,
20:10the gospel
20:11message in
20:12its essence
20:13is a
20:14humbling
20:14message,
20:15isn't it?
20:16We must
20:17always come
20:18with nothing
20:19in my
20:20hands I
20:21bring,
20:22simply to
20:22the cross
20:23I cling.
20:25And what
20:26more wonderful
20:26example do
20:27we have
20:27than King
20:29Jesus
20:29himself?
20:30those
20:32wonderful
20:32words in
20:34Philippians,
20:35let this
20:35mind be
20:37in you,
20:38which was
20:39also in
20:39Christ
20:40Jesus,
20:41who being
20:42in the
20:43form of
20:43God,
20:44did not
20:45consider it
20:46robbery to
20:47be equal
20:48with God,
20:49but made
20:50himself of
20:52no reputation,
20:54taking the
20:54form of a
20:55bond servant,
20:56and coming in
20:57the likeness of
20:58men,
20:59and being
20:59found in
21:00appearance as
21:01a man,
21:02he humbled
21:03himself and
21:05became obedient
21:06to the point
21:06of death,
21:08even the
21:08death of the
21:09cross.
21:11He who was
21:12rich,
21:14beyond all
21:15splendour,
21:18Christmas
21:19carol quoted
21:20in April,
21:21I think that
21:22must be a
21:22record,
21:23but he who
21:24was rich,
21:25beyond all
21:27splendour,
21:28all for
21:29love's sake,
21:31became as
21:31poor,
21:33thrones for
21:35a manger,
21:36did surrender,
21:38sapphire paved
21:39courts for
21:41stable floor.
21:43We're all
21:44called to
21:46be humble
21:46and to
21:47follow the
21:48master's
21:49example.
21:51And then the
21:52second lesson,
21:53very simply,
21:54is sometimes
21:54all we can
21:57do is pray.
21:58That's all we
21:59can do.
21:59And I apologise
22:00for the
22:01superficiality of
22:02the example.
22:04I was a
22:04teacher,
22:05we had a
22:06harvest service
22:07on one
22:08occasion,
22:09a packed
22:09church full of
22:10parents and
22:11excited children,
22:12and every
22:13year we'd ask
22:13the children to
22:14write poems
22:15about something
22:17usually around
22:18creation or
22:19harvest,
22:20and the best
22:21ones would
22:22read out their
22:23poems to
22:25the whole of
22:26the school with
22:27all the parents
22:28attending as
22:29well.
22:29So the
22:31children would
22:32occasionally write
22:33the poems,
22:34often the parents
22:35would,
22:35but anyway,
22:37the children who
22:37wrote the best
22:38poems would be
22:40getting ready to
22:40read them in the
22:41service,
22:41and on one
22:42occasion,
22:43seven-year-old
22:44Jessica's poem
22:45was chosen,
22:46and she was there
22:47along with lots of
22:48other children ready
22:49to read.
22:50I was sitting at
22:51the front,
22:51leading,
22:52and when it was
22:53time for her to
22:54read, there was a
22:55pause.
22:57I looked across
22:58and at Jessica
23:00only to see a
23:03maths teacher next
23:04to her waving her
23:05arms like this.
23:09I realised something
23:11wasn't quite right,
23:13so I didn't
23:14hesitate,
23:15and in the
23:17silence I
23:17strode across
23:18to the maths
23:20teacher who
23:21was sitting next
23:21to a very
23:22pensive Jessica,
23:24and perhaps I
23:25rather needlessly
23:26asked,
23:27is everything
23:28okay?
23:30And the
23:32maths teacher
23:32whispered,
23:34she's had
23:35an accident.
23:37Well,
23:38that was a
23:39blow,
23:40but I quickly
23:41formulated my
23:42plan.
23:43I would read
23:44Jessica's poem
23:45for her so
23:47that she would
23:48have her
23:48moment of
23:49fame.
23:51So I asked
23:51the maths teacher
23:52where the copy
23:53of Jessica's
23:55poem was so
23:56I could rescue
23:57the situation
23:59and all would
24:00be well.
24:02And the
24:02maths teacher
24:03looked at me
24:04and in a
24:05tone that even
24:06now turns my
24:07blood to ice,
24:09she quietly
24:10said,
24:12she's sitting
24:13on it.
24:13she's sitting
24:14on it.
24:16Sometimes,
24:17in all
24:18honesty,
24:19all we can
24:20do is pray.
24:23In the
24:23storms of
24:23life,
24:25that's a very
24:25superficial
24:26example,
24:26please forgive
24:27me,
24:27but in the
24:28storms of
24:29life,
24:30when the
24:30storms come,
24:32all we can
24:33do sometimes
24:34is pray.
24:35the winds
24:38and waves
24:38still know
24:39his voice
24:41who ruled
24:43them whilst
24:44he dwelt
24:46below.
24:48So firstly,
24:49we should be
24:50humble like
24:51our master.
24:52Secondly,
24:53sometimes all
24:55we can do
24:55is pray.
24:57And then
24:57thirdly,
24:58isn't it
24:58interesting,
24:59the tax
25:00collector knew
25:01more about
25:02prayer than
25:03the religious
25:04Pharisee.
25:06The Pharisee
25:07strode
25:08confidently
25:08and proudly
25:10into God's
25:11presence.
25:12But the
25:12Bible tells
25:13us that
25:14when we
25:14really pray,
25:16when pride
25:17and self
25:18are on the
25:19cross,
25:20like Peter
25:21fishing all
25:22night,
25:23catching nothing,
25:24and Jesus
25:25telling him
25:26to cast
25:27his net
25:27on the
25:27other side
25:28and there
25:29is such
25:29a catch
25:30of fish
25:31that the
25:32nets cannot
25:32contain them,
25:33Peter is
25:35suddenly struck
25:36with the
25:37realisation
25:38that he is
25:39in the
25:39presence
25:40of the
25:41divine.
25:43And what
25:43does he do?
25:44Faced with
25:45that realisation,
25:47he cries
25:48out,
25:49depart
25:49from me
25:50for I am
25:52a sinful
25:52man,
25:54O Lord.
25:54Did he want
25:55the Lord
25:55to depart?
25:56Of course
25:57not.
25:58But this
25:59is prayer.
26:00This is
26:00real prayer.
26:02This is
26:02genuine
26:03prayer.
26:05And the
26:06tax collector
26:06knew more
26:07about it
26:08than the
26:10religious
26:10Pharisee.
26:12And finally
26:13and wonderfully
26:15there was
26:16forgiveness
26:17for the
26:18tax collector.
26:20There was
26:20a way his
26:21sins,
26:21though many,
26:22could be
26:23forgiven.
26:23There was
26:24a sacrifice
26:24for his
26:26sins.
26:27Not far
26:28from the
26:28temple mount,
26:29of course,
26:29there's another
26:30mount called
26:32Calvary.
26:33A sacrifice
26:34will take
26:35place there
26:35to gladden
26:37the heart
26:37of this
26:38troubled
26:39man.
26:41I wonder
26:41what this
26:41man knew
26:42about sacrifice.
26:43He knew
26:43he needed
26:44a sacrifice.
26:47Well,
26:47perhaps he knew
26:49the story
26:50of Abraham
26:50and his
26:52only son
26:52Isaac
26:53on the
26:54mountain
26:54and the
26:56words of
26:57faith to
26:57Isaac,
26:58Abraham
26:58uttered
26:59those
26:59remarkable
26:59words,
27:01God
27:01himself
27:02will
27:03provide a
27:04sacrifice,
27:05my son.
27:06Perhaps he
27:07knew all
27:08about the
27:08Passover
27:09lamb.
27:10He must
27:10have known
27:11about that.
27:12Killed so
27:13the Israelites
27:13would be
27:14safe in
27:15Egypt.
27:16Perhaps he
27:16knew about
27:17the Day
27:17of
27:17Atonement
27:18when the
27:19High Priest
27:20would enter
27:20the Holy
27:20of Holies
27:21to offer
27:22a sacrifice
27:23for the
27:23sins of
27:24the people.
27:25Perhaps he
27:25knew all
27:26about the
27:27temple
27:27sacrifices.
27:29Maybe,
27:30maybe he
27:31had heard
27:32others tell
27:32him of a
27:34man called
27:34John who
27:36looking one
27:36day upon
27:38another said,
27:40Behold,
27:41the Lamb
27:42of God
27:42who takes
27:44away the
27:46sins of
27:47the world
27:48but he
27:49knew that
27:50he needed
27:51a sacrifice
27:52for his
27:52sins.
27:54Isn't it
27:54wonderful that
27:56there will be
27:56a sacrifice
27:57for sins
27:58for him?
28:00God will
28:01provide a
28:02sacrifice for
28:03him.
28:04A lamb
28:05will pay the
28:06price for
28:06his sin.
28:08His cry
28:08for mercy,
28:10for atonement,
28:11for forgiveness
28:12will be heard
28:13and far
28:14more.
28:14because God
28:16promises not
28:17just to
28:18forgive our
28:18sins when
28:20we trust
28:20in his
28:21son but
28:22he gives
28:22us what
28:24we can't
28:24possibly ever
28:26earn, the
28:27righteousness,
28:28the goodness,
28:30the purity
28:31of his own
28:33son.
28:33So he
28:33looks upon
28:34his children
28:35it is as
28:36though they
28:37have never
28:37ever sinned.
28:41Isn't it
28:41wonderful?
28:41well there's
28:42forgiveness
28:43for this
28:45man.
28:48Do you
28:48know the
28:49story of
28:49Alvis Rice?
28:52Does anyone
28:52know that
28:53story?
28:54He reminds
28:55me of the
28:56tax collector
28:56in our
28:57story.
28:58It's a
28:58true story.
29:00He committed
29:01the biggest
29:02fraud of
29:03the 20th
29:04century.
29:05A fraud
29:06so big
29:07it nearly
29:08brought down
29:09a government.
29:10In fact
29:10his whole
29:11life was a
29:12lie and
29:13fraudulent.
29:14He managed
29:15to obtain
29:15employment in
29:16Portugal by
29:17forging a
29:19certificate for
29:20a university
29:21degree from
29:23an Oxford
29:24college that
29:25didn't exist.
29:27But to make
29:27it look
29:28authentic he
29:28put gold
29:29lettering on
29:31the certificate.
29:32He persuaded
29:33the company
29:34that printed
29:35Portuguese bank
29:36notes to
29:37print millions
29:38for the
29:39Portuguese
29:40colony of
29:41Angola and
29:42to send
29:43them to
29:44his bank
29:45which he'd
29:45managed to
29:46gain control
29:48of.
29:49And when
29:50he was finally
29:50found out
29:51it was
29:53discovered he
29:53was responsible
29:54for ruining
29:55the lives of
29:56thousands who
29:57found out
29:58overnight that
30:00their bank
30:00notes were
30:01forgeries and
30:03worth nothing.
30:04He took
30:05poison before
30:06he went to
30:07trial but
30:09he wasn't
30:10successful.
30:11The poison
30:12didn't kill
30:12him and
30:13he found
30:14himself in
30:14hospital and
30:16in the bed
30:16next to him
30:17was a
30:18Christian and
30:20that Christian
30:21started to
30:22talk to him
30:22about the
30:24friend of
30:25sinners.
30:27When he
30:27stood trial
30:28eventually for
30:29his crimes
30:30to the great
30:31shock of
30:32everyone the
30:34master
30:35wheeler dealer
30:36the one
30:37who'd
30:37managed to
30:37hide his
30:39fraud for
30:41years the
30:43expert at
30:44covering his
30:44tracks confessed
30:46everything to
30:48a spellbound
30:49court.
30:51He spent
30:5225 years in
30:54prison for
30:55his crimes
30:56but during
30:58that
30:59imprisonment
31:00he had
31:03visits
31:04from that
31:05Christian who'd
31:07been in the
31:07hospital bed and
31:08others too
31:09who spoke
31:11about the
31:12friend of
31:13sinners
31:13and he
31:15too
31:16became a
31:18Christian and
31:19cast his
31:20care upon
31:21the Lord.
31:22he became
31:24a witness
31:25to everybody
31:26in the
31:27prison.
31:28One of the
31:29most trusted
31:30prisoners in
31:31the entire
31:32establishment.
31:33He left
31:34prison, he
31:36died penniless
31:37with absolutely
31:39nothing.
31:40At one time
31:40he was one of
31:41the wealthiest
31:42people in
31:43Europe.
31:44He died
31:45without a
31:46penny but
31:48he died
31:48at peace
31:50and he
31:51died as
31:52the one
31:53who could
31:54testify that
31:55God had
31:56indeed been
31:57merciful to
31:58him, the
32:00great
32:00sinner.
32:03Alvis
32:04Reuss.
32:05A little
32:05bit like
32:06this tax
32:07collector in
32:09the story
32:11today.
32:12here might
32:14I stay
32:16and sing
32:18no story
32:20so divine
32:23never
32:24was
32:25loved
32:26dear
32:26king
32:27never
32:28was
32:29green
32:30like
32:31thine
32:33this
32:34is
32:34my
32:35friend
32:36in
32:37whose
32:38sweet
32:39praise
32:40I
32:41all
32:42my
32:42days
32:43could
32:44gladly
32:45spend
32:48have
32:50I
33:02I
33:03I
33:03I
33:03I
33:05I
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