When you attend worship service how do you come in? Do you enter believing the Lord is going to bless you, because of all the things you do for Him? Or, do you enter realizing if it had not been for the grace and mercy of the Lord I would not be here? I want you to understand the posture you take entering into the presence of the Lord will determine your outcome. The primary objective of coming into His presence is to recognize the Lord is my everything. There is nothing I have been able to do successfully without Him, and there were times I have fallen short by not doing as He instructed. You understand there are some good things you’ve done, but there are some things that you’re not proud of. Therefore, you come into His presence with humility knowing there are still some things that require His help. By taking this posture you are allowing the Lord to meet you where you are, and provide the needed blessings to continue on this Christian journey.
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus shares a parable about how a Pharisee and tax collector came into the temple to pray. The Pharisee came into the temple believing he had every right to be there. He held a position of leadership within the religious community and was respected by the people. He then begins to pray by thanking God for not being a sinner, and goes on to tell Him what he does every week. This is someone that is self absorbed, and is focused on lifting himself up in the presence of God. The tax collector barely comes inside the temple to pray. He says, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” He knows there are shortcomings in his life, and he needs God to help him change his ways. Jesus states, “I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” Jesus wants you to be authentic when you come into the presence of God, recognizing no matter what I’m doing. There are still imperfections in me, therefore I will humble myself in His presence. Knowing, I’m still here through the grace and mercy of God. When I enter this way, I’ll leave better than how I came in.
The purpose of this parable is to ensure you have the right posture when coming into the presence of God. You are not coming to present yourself better than anybody else,
