He focused on the parable in Luke 18 in this message. In Luke 18:9 it describes a Pharisee that goes and prays in the best spot in the temple. He goes where everyone can see him. His apology is this
The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ (Luke 18:11, 12 NIV). This just makes me sick. He never says sorry to God. He says I thank you that I am not like this person or that person or eww that person. I am especially glad not to be that tax collector. My life is pretty good I fast twice a week when you only require once a week. And I always give a tenth of all I get. Even though probably a tenth of what he got could be more than some people make total. He was still living in plenty of luxury. He didn't even say I sin but not as bad as those people he just said I thank you I am not those people. I don't take money from people, I don't have sex with others, I don't commit evil. He just thinks he is great and has it all together. This is how our world gets very caught up thinking. We don't fear God. We just say well God at least I am not like that person, because that would really suck to be them. Wow they are horrible people but I am pretty great. Btw this person was not real, this was just a parable.
But the Pharisees name means to be separated. Also to obey God. So they came up with all these crazy religious rules to follow. I feel like you know when the faith is not God and becomes a practice of religion when you start judging others based on rules humans made up. The Pharisees trusted in themselves. They decided their good deeds were good enough to get them to heaven. They were like a private club that only they could get in to, and anybody else was not following God correctly. They were kind of thought to be Gods favorite but in the end the extremes of the rules they took it to brought them down and away from God.
The tax collector on the other hand wasn't even aloud to go in to pray. He had to wait outside because he wasn't good enough. It says he wouldn't even look up to heaven and I believe this is because he feared God so much and knew His great power, and he knew his own sin. He was truly broken and just asked for forgiveness for he knew he was a sinner. This man left justified Jesus said. He was humbled. He knew his own sin.
Here were Levi's main points for the week.
1. Half apologies only make things worse.
It's like doing something with your left hand that undoes something your right hand did.
It goes back to the not really thinking you did anything wrong and trying to blame it on them. I'm sorry that you got hurt. I'm sorry your feelings are hurt. I'm sorry that you feel that way. Usually the person has a right to be upset.
There is a Chinese proverb that says if you are going to bow, bow low. If you are going to go to the work of doing it, do it all the way. Give your full heart. If you don't do it all the way it's clearly not your heart so why do it all? It's like with kids if you tell them to clean their room and they just shove it in a closet. Why did they even do it? They obviously didn't respect you enough to obey or have a true heart to do it.
If it is worth doing at all it is worth doing all the way.
those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; (Proverbs 30:12 NIV).
2. The only way to be fixed is to be broken.
I love the word broken. I probably over use it. But in a relationship with God it is vital. We just have to realize our imperfectness. We have to acknowledge that He is greater. It's not a one day deal either. Brokenness needs to continue.
You must acknowledge and understand you are asking for something you don't deserve.
3. Body language matters. It's not just what you say it's how you say it.
You must say sorry with your whole body and make it clear that it's important to you. It's not just oh yeah I am sorry whatever you are really the jerk here not me.
There is a study that shows up to 65% of communication is nonverbal. That is pretty important!
You have to be beating off your chest, like the tax collector, that you have humility.
4. Don't make your apology all about you.
The Pharisee used the word "I" 5 times in his apology.
The apologies heart should be for the one who has been wronged. Not well this hasn't been easy for me too.
Or trying to have sincerity and be on their level and say well someone did this to me too and I know how it feels. If you know how it feels don't do it!! Don't draw the attention to you! Your pain is not the focus here. It's about their pain and what you did to them. When we ask God for forgiveness He will cleanse our pain too!
5. Focusing on yourself leads to despair.
A prideful man led to nothing good. The one who focused on God went home justified.
Peter and Judas both failed. Peter was even in the inner circle with Jesus and still denied knowing Him.
Judas went and hung himself because of what he did and couldnt actually face the punishments.
But Jesus reappeared to Peter.
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus ), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” (John 21:1-22 NIV).
God offers forgiveness, we can offer ourselves to Him pleading for help and mercy. God save me. I don't deserve it I have sinned in many ways but God I need you!!
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