“And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon 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 every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14

How do we come to God in worship and prayer? At times we feel that God should hear and answer our prayers because of all our efforts to obey Him and faithfully serve Him. We look around us and see so many who call themselves “Christians” but disobey God and disregard His Word. They are unfaithful! They have sinned and compromised their faith!

In contrast, we feel that God should certainly hear our prayers and accept our worship since we have been faithful to God’s Word and have given up much to follow Christ. We are not unfaithful as others are!

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican was told by Jesus to those “which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.”

When we feel that God will hear and answer our prayers or accept our worship because we have been faithful Christians and are not unfaithful as are so many others, we are praying in a similar fashion as the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable. Rather, we should come to God as did the humble tax collector who knew of his own sinfulness and unworthiness before God, for “this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

When we come to God in worship and prayer, we should come humbly, acknowledging our sin and unworthiness before God. With the publican, we join in praying: “God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Since Christ has died for our sins and is risen again, we can also come before God with the assurance that He forgives our sins and hears and answers all our proper prayers (cf. 1 John 5:11-15). One might even say that we come to the LORD God in humble boldness — humble because we are unworthy sinners, but in boldness and in faith because Christ died for us and has redeemed us (cf. Heb. 10:19ff.).

Before Thee, God, who knowest all, with grief and shame I prostrate fall. I see my sins against Thee, Lord, the sins of thought, of deed, and word. They press me sore; I cry to Thee: O God, be merciful to me! O Jesus, let Thy precious blood be to my soul a cleansing flood. Turn not, O Lord, Thy guest away, but grant that justified I may go to my house at peace with Thee. O God, be merciful to me! Amen. (“Before Thee, God, Who Knowest All,” The Lutheran Hymnal, Hymn # 318, Verses 1,3)

Many, even among those who call themselves Christians, will be shocked on the Last Day to find out that they were practicing idolatry and worshiping and serving a god of their own imagination and making and not the God of the Bible, who created the heavens and the earth.

Right after God said, “I am the LORD thy God … Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2,3), God also said, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth….” (Exodus 20:4).

And, of course, when we read on in Exodus (chapter 32:1ff.), we find that before Moses even made it down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments inscribed on the two tablets of stone, the people had fallen into idolatry and were worshiping a golden calf and calling it by the name of the LORD (or Jehovah).

We are quick to criticize the ancient Israelites, but so often we are guilty of the same thing. We worship and serve — with our own worship forms based on our culture and likings — a god made in our own image.

No, I’m not saying we carve an image out of wood or stone or make it out of molten metals like gold; but we make our god in our own image and likeness by assuming that God thinks as we think, that our opinions and views are those of God, and that our likes in worship forms are what God desires of us (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).

Think about it. How often don’t we hear people say that they don’t accept this part or that teaching of the Bible because it is not in agreement with the views of our “modern” culture and society? Even though the Bible clearly teaches that God is righteous and holy and will judge all who break His commandments with eternal death and damnation, we imagine a god who grades on the curve and who will admit into heaven all who at least try to do good. Even though God, in His Word, plainly says we are all guilty and stand condemned under His law and that the only way one can be spared in God’s judgment and receive instead of death and damnation His mercy and pardon and eternal life in heaven is by clinging in faith to Jesus Christ and His holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead, people imagine a god who accepts all regardless of whether they repent and trust in Jesus.

Even though the God who says, “I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6), judged the world in the great flood (Genesis 6-8), rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19), and decreed the death and utter destruction of the Canaanites (Leviticus 18), people imagine a god who will tolerate every form of evil and sexual perversion and who will not judge our own land and people for their abortions and evil.

When people gather in their churches on Sundays and preach only love and tolerance for what the Bible calls sin and wickedness or when they preach that people can be saved if they are good and show love toward others, how is this any different than the Israelites in the wilderness calling a feast to the LORD when, in fact, they were gathering to worship a god of their own making?

So, what’s my point? Why do I point out the idolatry of “Christians” and “churches” today? I point it out in the hope that we all examine ourselves and our churches and preachers with the Word of God and determine if we are worshiping and serving the true God or a god of our own imagination and making. I’d rather you be spared the shock of learning the truth on the day of Christ’s return when He will say to so many who claimed to have worshiped and served Him, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23).

God has not changed! His commandments have not changed! He still is a God who punishes sin and wickedness! He has never judged based on a curve and He never will! Trying your best at being a good person won’t cut it. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23); and “the wages of sin is death” — spiritual, physical and eternal — (Romans 6:23)!

There is only one way to be spared in God’s judgment, and that is to cling in faith to Christ Jesus and His cross (cf. John 8:24; 14:6; Rom. 3:24-26)! “Jesus Christ the righteous … is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1,2). He took the punishment and paid the price for all and rose again on the third day in order that we might repent of our sinful ways and look to Him in faith for pardon, forgiveness and eternal salvation.

Instead of deceiving ourselves and making a god after our own image, let’s accept what God says of Himself in the Bible and worship and serve the true God by repenting of our evil ways and clinging to Christ and His cross for God’s pardon and eternal peace!

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)….” Ephesians 2:4-5

It is an amazing thing to consider. Even while we were dead in our sins, God so loved us that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for us and pay in full for our sins and the sins of the whole world.

The Bible tells us in Romans 5:8: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And not only did God send His Son to die for us and redeem us to God; as He raised up Christ Jesus from the dead on the third day, so He has raised us (all believers) up from our spiritual darkness and death and made us alive together with Christ through faith (cf. John 5:24-26).

By His grace alone and by means of the message of the Gospel, He brought us to trust in Jesus and His cross and gave to us the assurance of forgiveness and life in Jesus’ name. God, who is rich in mercy beyond all understanding, because of His great love for us in Christ Jesus, redeemed us and saved us from sin and eternal death by bringing us to know and trust in Messiah Jesus as our Savior.

It is as Paul writes a few verses later: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

What a gracious blessing that is for all who believe!

O merciful God, we thank and praise You for Your great love toward us in sending Your Son to die for us and redeem us and for making us alive to You and Your grace by bringing us to know and trust in Your Son, Christ Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Ephesians 2:1-3

What were we before God intervened and made us alive through faith in Jesus Christ? We were spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. We were disobedient to God just like the rest of the people of this world and living contrary to His commandments. We followed the ways of this world and lived according to the suggestions of the devil, who rules over men’s hearts here in this world. Just like other people, we lived to fulfill our own sinful desires and passions, and we were from birth headed for the judgment and condemnation of God.

Since we were dead in our trespasses and sins, we were unable to know God or come to Him. Being blind and dead spiritually, we were lost and blindly living according to the ways and passions of our corrupted and sinful human nature and walking in the same way as other lost sinners in this world. We were under the sway and control of the devil, who first deceived Eve in the Garden and brought sin and death into this world.

This, of course, is what makes our salvation such a mighty miracle and working of God. He, in grace, brought us to know Him and His mercy in Christ Jesus. His Spirit raised us up from spiritual darkness and death and brought us to know and trust that, because of Jesus’ holy life and innocent sufferings and death in our stead – because of His atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world – we are in Christ forgiven and accepted of God and have eternal life with Him in heaven.

We were lost but now are found. We were blind but now we see. We were dead but are now alive to God through faith in Christ Jesus.

We praise You, O God, for raising us up from spiritual darkness and death and making us alive to You in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Graciously preserve us in the true faith that we may live with You forever in heaven – all for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

[Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.]

For our members who were unable to attend this morning, today’s service may be viewed here: