Coming Down to Go Up

Coming Down to Go Up

Luke 18:9-14

Have you ever been in the company of someone who was all wrapped up in self? (What a small package) If so you know first hand how disappointing it is to share the same space. I believe that there are times when we as creatures place more trust in the creature than we do in the creator. We become more concerned with our ability to make it than the one who made us. (God) As believers in Jesus Christ, we should not have room in our life for arrogance and pride. When one becomes self-righteous he depends more on himself than God. In our biblical narrative today we see two men praying. One is arrogant; the other one is humble. One is inflated with pride; the other is deflated with humility. One was proud of himself; the other one was disappointed in himself. Charles Spurgeon trained many young preachers. On one occasion a student stepped up to preach with great confidence but failed miserably. He came down, humbled and meek. Spurgeon told him, “If you had gone up as you came down, you would have come down as you went up.” If humility precedes an event, then confidence may follow. Jesus shares this parable to help us to understand that in life we must humble ourselves if we expect to go up. He shows us in this parable two men praying. He demonstrates for us the proper way to achieve obtainable positions and goals in life. We can’t help but to notice the posture and pageantry of the two men praying. Let’s examine the prayer of the first man mentioned. He had positioned himself as a high-ranking religious leader. He was called a Pharisee. He was among the brightest of the brightest when it came to religious matters, he understood religious protocol. He had learned the law and was familiar with customary (traditional) prayer and times of worship. His posture was visible and extremely arrogant. He had developed an independent and self-righteous disposition. His pomp was seen and heard by all in attendance. Man cannot save himself and therefore it makes no sense to trust in ourselves. Whenever we find ourselves thinking more highly of ourselves than we should, God reminds us that we were made out of dirt and rescued from sin. This religious man, the Pharisee, the man who was both respected and honored by men could not get pass himself. The Pharisee was praying with himself about himself. What he considered to be prayer was nothing but bragging, self-congratulations. His prayer rose no higher than the beautiful roof of the building in which it was prayed. The Pharisee had established his own righteousness and could only plead what he was not, what he did, and how much better he was than others. His prayer starts out informing God that he was not as other men were. Listen as I give you a remix of his prayer. God, I thank you that the world has people like me. The man on the corner needs welfare and food stamps, I don’t. The prostitute on the street has AIDS, I don’t. The drunk at the club needs alcohol , I don’t. The gay caucus needs morality, I don’t. In the Pharisee’s prayer, we find no reason for us to believe that he believe that he needed God. No feeling that he owed God, no thanksgiving for what God had done for him or given him. No word of praise. It is a sad day when our prayers consist of no gratitude to or adoration for God. No praise, no confession, no request for anything. It is disappointing to see and hear people who speak of their accomplishment without making reference to the one who made it possible (God). The Pharisee asked for nothing, confessed nothing, received nothing and in my personal opinion said nothing. He was religious, he was a tither and he fasted more than the law required, but he was lost. He was lost not because of what he did not do. He did not place his trust in God, he was self-reliant and not God reliant. Man cannot save or keep himself. The other man in prayer understood how to go up. The publican, tax collector understood that if he was going to go up he had to come down.
1. The first thing that had to come down was his attitude. So many people could do more in life if they had the proper attitude. Folk with bad attitudes give those around them bad attitudes. Be aware of those around you, their attitudes are contagious. The publican had the right attitude. His attitude is reflected in his stand. He stood afar off. He saw himself as not being worthy to stand up close. Always be suspicious of those who always want to be seen and heard up close. When your attitude is right, God hears your prayer and not your words. The Pharisee had a 34 word prayer compared to a 2 word prayer of the publican. It’s not how much you say, it what you say that matters. Touch somebody and say work on your attitude.

2. Secondly, in order to go up you must be humble. When we become sin conscious we will develop a humble disposition. None of us today have anything to brag on apart from our savior. We are guilty and shame faced when we truly see ourselves. The publican was too sinful to be lifted up in pride. He was in need of serious help. When you need help, it humbles you. Whenever you have to depend on someone else for something you need, you are humble in their presence. The publican prayed because he was humble. He was grateful and he was not too proud to admit his shortcoming. Humility teaches us how to say, I’m sorry, I was wrong or I am wrong. Forgive me, I’m not always right, I make mistakes and I need help from God to make it. The publican was too broken to look up to heaven, the publican bowed and prayed. God have mercy on me. (Withhold from me what I deserve as punishment). Like my brother on welfare, I’m dependent on your grace. Like my brother with AIDS, I’m infected with sin and mistakes. Like my friends who drink, I need something to ease my pain. And as you give direction to those who are lost, include some directions for me also. Have mercy on me.

3. We must also stop pretending to possess what we do not profess or posses. The Pharisee professed a righteousness that he did not possess. The publican did not proclaim to have something that he did not have. It’s wrong and misleading to go through life pretending to have something or be someone that you are not. Be who you are. Be the best you can be. You don’t have to pretend to be up when you are down. The longer you pretend the longer you miss out on God’s blessing for your life. You don’t have to pretend to be well when you are sick. You don’t have to pretend to high when you are low. You don’t have to pretend to be my friend. I know you are an enemy. You don’t have to pretend to care; I know you don’t give a (blank) about me. You don’t have to pretend to be sinless. I know that you are really sinning less. Stop pretending. Be for real. Pray the prayer. LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME.

From Jordan to Jericho

From Jordan to Jericho
Joshua 6:1-14


What a tragedy it is when God’s people fail to claim their inheritance and wander aimlessly through life as the nation of Israel did in the wilderness. For 40 years, Israel refused to claim the inheritance that God had promised to give them. Israel, under the capable leadership of Moses, was able to crossover the Red Sea on dry ground and witnessed the drowning of Pharaoh’s army. Crossing the Red Sea was a defining moment, for it symbolizes coming out of slavery and separation from the old life. The crossing of the Jordan is about claiming the inheritance. We should all be encouraged to leave behind all of the things that creates slavery and holds us in captivity. From day to day, week to week, we encounter those who have no self confidence, no affection, no self affirmation or no self belief. How can we ever become the person God wants us to be if we have a problem believing in ourselves. I can and we can are powerful words that can change our lives forever. We will not go anywhere or be anybody until we have a faith in God that will not waiver and sure footed confidence in ourselves. Today, as we look at the book of Joshua, we discover the nation of Israel now being lead by a military genius named Joshua. Joshua had faith in God and he also had confidence in himself. From Jordan River to walls of Jericho is an intriguing story. For many years Israel had been stuck in a wilderness wandering from one side to the other. It is a sad day when where you are is where you will be. So many young men and women today have no desire to go anywhere or to do anything. The church today must wake-up and challenge those who are satisfied with being in the wilderness. Far too many people are wandering in the wilderness. It is past time for us to develop a strategy that teaches us how to move from Jordan to Jericho. A plan that helps us to see that there is more to life than eating, sleeping, working and playing. Life is too short to settle for just crossing the Red Sea and living in a wilderness. Life is more than living week to week, pay check to pay check, from one high to another high, from disappointment to another one. Life is about laying claim to what’s on the other side of Jordan. God promised Joshua that if he would lead and obey him he would grant the Israelites safe passage across the Jordan River and give them the inheritance he had promised their forefathers. Today, as I stand before you I want to remind us that you can achieve your goals, you can truly enjoy the fullness of life if you only learn how to go across Jordan and through Jericho. In layman’s terms, we must learn to crossover what seems impossible go through what seems invincible. Then and only then can we say we are truly living. Some things that we are facing today seem impossible for us to change or to deal with. However, the word of God declares that all things are possible to him that believes. The Jordan River was impossible to cross, but God provide a means for them to cross without any trouble. Permit me to point out some obvious things in the text that can help us to go over our Jordans and through our Jericho. God helps Joshua to see that when we depend on him we can be victorious. If we are to crossover and go through we must follow the example of Joshua and the Israelites.

I. We must recognize the hand of God (God’s power). Joshua had to submit to God before God would grant him the peace and guidance needed to cross the Jordan. Remember, Joshua was leading a group who was not present when Moses crossed the Red Sea. It’s extremely difficult to lead those who are not familiar with how they arrived at the present location. Many today are under the misunderstanding that they are where they are because of their own ability. Let me remind each of us today to remember that whatever it is that we have God gave it to us. That we know God taught us. Joshua’s confidence and faith in God was unmovable. We must always have enough sense to place our faith and future in the hands of God. The bible declares that Jericho was shut up, nothing went in and nothing came out. When we trust God, he opens doors and escorts us into places where others did not intend for us to go or see. Even in times like these when in America, same sex marriage seems to be the only agenda on the docket of the church. But a few years ago, God escorted some God fearing people to Washington and they were able to discover that same sex marriage was not the only morality issue that America has. When you look at our nation’s budget, that does not include monies for Africa, the rebuilding of New Orleans, yet we see more dollars going into bombs and military artillery. At the same time, Mr. President, you are cutting welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, Head start, Pell Grants and funding for many other programs designed to assist the least of those in our communities. If you are not standing on Holy Ground, you will miss those line items.

II. Also, we must learn to glance at our problems and gaze at our God. We cannot spend a lot of our time focusing on our problems we must remain focused on our God. So many things, we see and hear daily are designed to cause us to loose our focus. When we lose our focus we will not only not hit the target, but will not even be aiming at a target. To many of us are becoming less God conscious and more time meditating on our problems than we are spending meditating on the Word of God provides us with the balance and stability we need to cope with daily problems. With all of the things taking place around me today, I certainly don’t want to become more concern with making my problems bigger than my God. That’s why I focused more on his word and less on the words of others. The words of the Lord are refreshing and life sustaining. The words of men are often critical and destructive in nature. To depend on a military to protect us is futile. We must understand if one man with the assistance of a few others can create fear in the hearts of America and create what is now called Homeland Security. Don’t you know we need the help of God?

III. Not only do we need to glance at our problems and gaze at our God, but we must surround our Jericho’s. Surrounding the walls of Jericho is a symbol of prayer. When Israel marched for six days, once a day the citizen’s of Jericho did not seem troubled by what was happening outside the walls. The world does not seem to be affected by our unconventional methods in ministry today. It wasn’t until the seventh day things changed. God was building faith and patience in the Israelites. No community, church or person can expect to accomplish much in life without patience and faith. Many of churches today do not have members who are willing to stay the course even when things don’t appear to be changing. Somebody today maybe facing a Jericho moment and things don’t seem to be changing. God starts with the internal and external. Men focus externally ad then move internally. God works on the picture before he picks the frame. Too many of us are more impressed with the frame than we are the picture. The walls of Jericho came down without the force of an army. Once that which has impeded progress for so long comes down, we should not waste time and energy trying to rebuild the broken areas.


As I close today, God wants to give us a faith that Moves the unmovable.
Endures the unendurable.
Loves the unlovable.
Forgives the unforgivable.
Bears the unbearable.
Faces the unfaceable.
And conquers the unconquerable.

This faith has delivered us in times of disasters.
Strengthened us in times of temptations.
Sustained us in suffering.
Kept us in persecution.
Revived us in sorrow.
Assured us in fear.
Led us in times of darkness.
Held us in times of loneliness.
Comforted us in grief.
Healed us in sickness.
Talked to us in silence.
Bless us in brokenness.
Replaced our heartaches with hallelujahs.
Replaced our discord with harmony
Brought light to darkness.
Purity to poison.
Riches to rags.
Joy to sorrow.

Facing the Fire

Facing the Fire
Daniel 3

From day to day, week to week, year after year, we will all face some unpleasant moments in life. Life events are often compared to a roller coaster. You are up one moment and down the next moment. You can be on top of your circumstances at 10:00 a.m. and your circumstances can be on top of you at 10:00 p.m. or before. Life can be hard! It does not matter who you are, nor what you have or think you have. The truth of the matter most of us are not as important as we think we are, nor do we have what we think we have. Life can be difficult no matter how saved you are. Life can be difficult for both saints and sinners; holy and hellish, life can be hard. All of us, whether we like it or not are going to have to face difficult times, we all are going to have faced heated situations and fiery predicaments. Even Jesus, the only begotten Son of God had to go through trials. Jesus declared to his disciples that if they would do it to a green tree he knew that an old dried withered tree would not be exempt. Therefore, he states that we shall have tribulations. And since I know the base of the immutable words of Jesus that I am going to have trials, fiery situations and moments of difficulties, the question is not will I face these moments but the most appropriate question is not will I face these moments, but rather how do I face these moments? I know it’s coming and I know that the moments of the difficulty are I must make up in my own mind, how I’m going to face the fiery and heated moments of life.

In the passage of scripture that I read to you in Daniel 3, we see a fiery, heated situation taking place. The setting of Daniel 3 is during Babylonian captivity. God had permitted King Nebuchadnezzar to invade Jerusalem and destroy the city and the temple and carry some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem to Babylon. The king was selective in those that he chose to carry to Babylon. He chose only the best and brightest, the intellectuals, those who had potential to help make him more powerful. Those that the king chose were the best and the brightest, those with the most potential and possibility from his perspective. Therefore, he chose 3 young men by names of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Even though the king chose more than these three, they are no doubt the most distinguished ones taken from Jerusalem to Babylon. Scholars and Theologians suggest that these young men where in their late teens. Most of us are probably not familiar with them by the names of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. We are more familiar with the names they received in Babylon – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Even though they change their names they could not change their character on the inside. Even though they change the label that had been given t them in Jerusalem, it did not change what had been given to them by God on the inside. The lesson we learn from this is that it does not matter what you call me, I know who I am. Call me what you want to, I know what I am underneath the skin and what you call me does not change me. Stop tripping over what other people call you because as long as you know you are a child of God. It does not change your Christian character. This was evident that it did not change these 3 boys because they refuse to worship the pagan Gods set before them. What is really interesting about this whole situation is that King Nebuchadnezzar used music as his major instrument in trying to get the boys to bow. He put together a live band to play in order to try to get these boys to bow to things outside the will of God. Music has always and continues to have a tremendous influence on our culture. Let’s take a look for a moment at the influence of music. Music has a tendency to mess with our minds. The enemy still uses music today to try to influence our thought process. Some music today promotes the use of drugs and alcohol, calls our beautiful mothers and daughters the “B” word and calls everybody else the “N” word. Music is influential. When I look around in here today many of you owe a lot to Luther Vandross. You have who you have today because Luther helped you make your move. Some of us may not have been born if it had not been for Luther Vandross, Usher, Smokey Robinson and some others. Music is influential. I could come in here every Sunday and just get up and go to preaching, but we try to use music to get us to hear and see the love of God and what God will do in your life. Therefore, when the preacher stands to preach your heart is open and more receptive to the message that God wants to send. Music must be a priority even in worship because the right music gives birth to spiritual mobility and vitality. God used music in the Old Testament with Joshua at Jericho when the trumpet music played something happened. The walls came down.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow down and worship when the music was played. The King is informed of their unwillingness to bow down and worship his image and calls them in and offers them another chance. The three young men refused to bow and submit to the King’s plan. When you bow to the King of Kings you can stand to all other Kings. When you are submitted to God, you will not submit to the devil’s will.

I. This passage teaches us that since we are going to have to face the fire, we must face it with faith. Whatever difficult situation you are going through, realize that you are going to have to face it with faith. You are going to have trouble in your marriage, you are going to have difficulties on your jobs, something is going to go down with the company, something will go bad in your relationship, you are going to go through a financial situation, and sickness is going to come in your home. So when it comes, not if it comes, but when. It’s coming, it’s inevitable. Therefore, I have got to make up my mind that I have got to face the fire with faith. King our God is able, but even if not, he is able, we will not bow (that’s faith!). Our God is able. These 3 boys show us the ableness of God versus the willingness of God. Look at how they say it, our God is able, even if he is not willing. Many people believe that since God has not brought me out, that he’s not able. Just because God has not delivered you out of a bad situation, a bad marriage, a dead end job, sickness still in my home, still unemployed and things are not happening the way I think they should does not mean he is not able. This issue is not that he is able; the 3 boys declare that at this moment God is not willing. God oftentimes wants to produce in us a faith that will trust in his will, more so than his ability. God knows when to bring me out. I would rather be in the will of God than to be anywhere. My faith is in the will of God and that he knows when to bring me out. I know he’s able. God is able – no matter how broke your bank account. God is able – no matter how bleak your future looks. God is able – no matter how bankrupt your business. God is able – no matter how mean your hates are. God is able – no matter how dark your situation is. God is able – no matter how confuse your children maybe. God is able – no matter how high your mountains are or how low your valleys or deep your rivers. God is able. How many today know God is able. Even if God does not do it, even if he does not deliver me, I’m going trust. Even if I don’t get the promotion, even if I don’t get well, even if my situation don’t change, I’m not turning my back on God. I’m not walking out on him.

II. Not only do we need to face the fire with faith, we must learn that we can endure whatever we go through. God will never put more on us than we are able to bear. If I preserve God will preserve. If I keep on keeping on, God will keep me. Nebuchadnezzar turns up the fire seven times hotter when these boys refuse to bow, but they endured it. Rest assured that after you take a stand for God things have a tendency to get hotter. When you make up your mind to do it right, things get hotter. Issues occur on the job, in the home, money issues, folk start acting crazy. The boys were thrown in the furnace but the fire did not burn them. Some preachers say these boys were not burn because they were already on fire. The truth of the matter is that kept them. Somebody here today knows that God is a keep. He that keeps Israel shall not sleep nor slumber. I know in whom I believe and I am persuade that he is able to keep that which I committed to him against that day. All day and all night angels keep watch over me. Trust him in your predicament.

III. Somebody here may be wandering why God would allow us to go through stuff even when we are trusting him. It is because God is always up to something. God is up to something. He has a purpose for your pain. God allows us to go through heated situations for a reason. These 3 boys went through the fire in order to prove to the King and community that God is in control. The text shows us that even when it seems like the person that is over me is in control, he/she is really not. Somebody here maybe going through some fire that’s being inflicted upon you by someone, realize one thing and that is that God is in control. When God is in control, the very ones that are trying to burn you when end up getting burned. The men that went in the fire survive, but the ones who threw them got burned by the fire. That proves that God is in control. You reap what you sow. God often sends his children through the fire to set us free from stuff that has us bound. The ropes burn and set the boys free. God knows hoe hot to allow the fire to get in order to set you free from some stuff. Some folk cannot handle the fire you are going through. God often times takes us through the fire in order to improve our walk with him. Jesus was in the furnace with the boys. God often creates fiery moments to establish the fellowship he needs with us. Jesus always shows up in fiery situations. He will walk with you in the fire.

God often takes us through the fire in order to straighten out the mess we are in.

Straightening Comb Illustration (The comb won’t burn you if you be still.)

God will bring you out of the fire and promote you. The 3 Hebrew boys were promoted by the King. But it wasn’t until after they went through the fire. Somebody here is about to get a promotion but it will not be until you go through the fire. Tribulation is often a set-up for a promotion. You must learn to handle the fire on the level you are on, or you won’t be able to handle on the next level.

When God brings you out, he brings you up. God promoted them in the same place they went through the fire.

Basketball Illustration (Never Flat Basketball)