25-0202p Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(0:32) Good evening to those that are here and physically at the building and those who are on the phone. (0:44) The lesson tonight is I was leaping through these little booklets that give scriptures, talk about different things, (1:02) and then the one that I was looking at had self-righteousness, and that made me remember about my stepfather. (1:29) He liked to drink alcohol, and once his mother wrote a note to the landlord who owned a store that sold beer. (1:47) And he wanted the landlord to permit me to deliver some beer home.

(2:04) I noticed when I was there that whatever was on the note, I didn’t look at it. (2:14) I just delivered it and handed it to her. (2:17) She wasn’t thrilled with the idea since she was in danger of losing a license to sell alcoholic beverage.

(2:36) I was caught with carrying alcoholic beverage along the highway, and I could not use any other way other than walk down the highway. (2:57) Because there was a vocational school there, there was a fence there, and a gate. (3:04) So I couldn’t go that way away from the road.

(3:11) I was afraid the police may come along, see me carrying that brown bag and getting suspicious of what may be in that brown bag, (3:29) and stop and search to find what was in the bag. (3:39) Because the lady was not happy with giving me alcoholic beverage since I was underage, (3:56) and since I was afraid of being caught having that, I told my mother my fears and also how the landlady acted. (4:18) And that I no longer wanted to be sent after any more beer.

(4:30) Well, that displeased my stepfather. (4:35) Now, I knew that this was not right as far as it wasn’t legal because I had already been baptized into Christ. (4:54) But we had moved away from the location that we were.

(5:01) And at this time, the church was not meeting at that location. (5:13) Of course, my stepfather wasn’t pleased, as I said. (5:22) After this, he called me self-righteous and sanctified.

(5:32) But I want to delve into this attitude of self-righteousness. (5:44) Since he came to call me self-righteous, I want to look at some verses in Proverbs (6:00) that speak along this line in dealing with this subject. (6:08) The first Proverbs is Proverbs 12, verse 15, which says, (6:20) The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsels is wise.

(6:33) And there are those people that do not want to be told anything. (6:43) What they want to do is do whatever it is they want to pursue. (6:52) Don’t tell me anything, any difference.

(6:58) It could be wrong. It could be illegal. (7:03) But they’re going to pursue it.

(7:05) And don’t tell me what to do. (7:12) But those that heed counsels and heed instructions is wise. (7:22) Proverbs 14, verse 12 says, (7:27) There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

(7:39) How many times have we heard someone just hammer down what they think is right? (7:54) It’s the only way for them. (7:59) They’re going to go that way no matter what. (8:03) It may be wrong, but to them it’s the right thing to do.

(8:12) But as this Proverbs says, but its end is the way of death. (8:22) They need to realize that this way is not the way to go. (8:32) We need to seek the way that the Lord wants us to seek.

(8:40) Then in Proverbs 16 and 2, the verse that was read in our hearing, (8:50) All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. (9:03) There seemed to be this person at work that was a co-worker. (9:14) He liked to drink beer himself.

(9:21) And in his eyes, nothing wrong with drinking beer. (9:29) And I tried to get him to see that it could be unhealthy. (9:36) It could lead to drunkenness.

(9:40) That it’s just not good. (9:44) Oh, I’m all right. I’m all right.

(9:48) Later he was arrested for using a riding lawnmower on the road. (9:59) Going to the store to get him some more beer. (10:07) And he was on TV.

(10:11) But I didn’t know it was unlawful to ride a lawnmower on the road. (10:18) I thought, well, you found out. (10:25) But people can be deceived into thinking that they are all right.

(10:34) But never realizing that the Lord weighs the spirit. (10:43) Or as the NASB has it, the motives. (10:54) Proverbs 20 and verse 6. (10:59) Most men will proclaim each his own goodness.

(11:07) But who can find a faithful man? (11:14) There’s a lot of, oh, I did this, I did that. (11:20) And the good things that we do, we can just go on and on with telling about what we did. (11:32) But God wants a faithful man.

(11:36) For unfaithful, the goodness that we do can be nullified. (11:44) By all the unfaithfulness that we do. (11:56) Then Proverbs 25, 14 says, (12:03) Whoever falsely boasts of giving is like clouds and wind without rain.

(12:13) I can remember the one who was wanting to have his sinful practices, (12:26) and though it be sinful, to be accepted, and he’d be accepted here. (12:37) He didn’t think that what he was doing was wrong in the eyes of God. (12:46) And wouldn’t accept, and we wouldn’t let him have his way.

(12:56) If he was going to be a member here, he was going to have to cease practicing (13:04) his ungodly practice. (13:10) But he came back with, I gave $1,000 to the church. (13:17) Didn’t make any difference how much he gave here.

(13:24) He still wanted to practice his sinful ways. (13:30) He couldn’t be accepted. (13:32) If we’re going to please God, we couldn’t accept it.

(13:39) Then in verse 27 of Proverbs 25, (13:46) it says, (13:48) It is not good to eat much honey, (13:54) so to seek one’s own glory is not glory. (14:03) We’re seeking our own glorification. (14:09) That’s not glory.

(14:12) I’m going to tell you what all that has been practiced by self, (14:21) that is seeking glory, but it’s still not. (14:27) It’s not glory because that’s just what has been sought. (14:35) One’s own glory.

(14:39) Then Proverbs 26, 12 says, (14:43) Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? (14:49) There is more hope for a fool than for him. (14:55) He thinks he knows everything. (15:03) He thinks that he’s the only one that knows about things.

(15:13) He may know some things, but so does the other person. (15:21) It says that there is more hope for a fool than for him. (15:30) Then Proverbs 27, verse 2. (15:35) I know this is a familiar proverb.

(15:42) Let another man praise you and not your own mouth. (15:50) A stranger, not your own lips. (15:56) So it says if anyone is to praise you, (16:02) let another man do the praising and not your own self.

(16:12) Proverbs 28 and verse 26. (16:18) He who trusts in his own heart is a fool. (16:25) But whoever walks wisely will be delivered.

(16:34) Someone that trusts his own heart. (16:41) Remember hearing someone say that (16:48) they wouldn’t exchange a stack of Bibles for their feelings. (16:57) They’re trusting in their own heart.

(17:02) You don’t want to listen to what the Word of God says. (17:08) But if we walk wisely, we will be delivered. (17:14) And walking wisely will take up listening to what God says.

(17:23) Looking into His Word to find out what is the safe way to go. (17:35) And then the last proverb that we want to look at. (17:41) Proverbs 30, verses 12 and 13.

(17:50) There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes. (17:57) Yet it is not washed from its filthiness. (18:03) There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes.

(18:11) And their eyelids are lifted up. (18:18) The sermon we heard this morning really fits this. (18:25) The sermon that we heard this morning, (18:32) we can see that there can be a stop to this, (18:41) to the things that are going on.

(18:46) But the way the world and the way the worldly things that are going on (18:59) adds to confusion. (19:04) There’s spiritual confusion and then the confusion that the world has. (19:13) And they just seem to think it is great.

(19:23) Not realizing that all of this is going in the end. (19:29) And we will meet with our destruction. (19:38) So we need to think about this.

(19:47) In Romans 3, verses 9 and 10. (20:00) Paul is talking to these Jews. (20:05) And as he said in the first chapter of Romans, (20:11) he’s telling about how, and this is mainly concerning the Gentiles.

(20:21) How they have gone off in the world and departed from God. (20:29) And God’s given them over. (20:32) To praise mine.

(20:36) But then in the second chapter, he’s talking to the Jews. (20:46) He’s about, you’re not any better. (20:53) Don’t judge others when you are doing the same.

(21:02) They had the law, but they disobeyed the law. (21:07) And they didn’t keep the law. (21:12) So in verse 9 of Romans 3, he says what then? (21:20) Are we better than they? (21:24) Not at all.

(21:26) For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. (21:36) As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. (21:46) The only one that can claim self-righteousness is Jesus.

(21:54) All others, no matter how good we do, there is none of us that has not sinned. (22:09) And so we’re all under sin. (22:14) And in Romans 3, 21 through 27, he says, (22:25) But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, (22:33) being witnessed by the law and the prophets, (22:38) even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, (22:44) to all and on all who believe.

(22:50) For there is no difference for all who sin and fall short of the glory of God. (23:02) Now, I was accused of self-righteousness. (23:09) But as a young person and underage, I still realized I shouldn’t be having that beer.

(23:21) I shouldn’t be having it. (23:26) And even the landlord, she knew that I shouldn’t be having it. (23:33) But she let me have it anyway so I could take it during.

(23:41) And the more I thought about it, (23:45) and knowing that her actions just proved she didn’t enjoy doing what was written on that note, (24:00) that note was asking her to let me have a bottle of beer to take. (24:11) But I was fearful because I realized that if the state police come down the road, (24:21) there’s a highway. (24:23) Come down the highway, became suspicious of what I was carrying in that bag.

(24:35) They would have stopped and searched and found I wasn’t supposed to be having it. (24:43) And I was fearful of that. (24:46) So I spoke to my mother about it.

(24:48) The reason I didn’t speak to him was because if I had done that, I wouldn’t have gotten far with it. (25:03) So I let my mother tell him. (25:10) And his reaction to that just showed that he didn’t care.

(25:17) He didn’t care who got in the trouble. (25:22) He didn’t care that I would have gotten in the trouble. (25:30) Well, the landlord would have.

(25:34) And she had the note. (25:37) I don’t think she destroyed it. (25:42) But if she did, she would have found out.

(25:49) If I had said, well, my stepfather sent me after it, (25:54) he would have gotten himself into trouble. (25:58) But there was no really talking sense to him. (26:04) Because if you say, you know, even you would have gotten into trouble, (26:12) and he would have something to say about that.

(26:16) But there was no reasoning with him. (26:20) Of course, later on, realizing that I meant that I wasn’t going to deal with alcoholic beverage, (26:34) beer or whiskey or whatever, I wasn’t going to deal with it, (26:40) he called me self-righteous. (26:44) But is it self-righteousness when a person realizes he’s wrong, (26:51) realizes of what he’s doing he shouldn’t be doing? (26:56) Self-righteousness comes when you just, oh, well, I’m not doing this for myself.

(27:05) I’m doing this for him. (27:06) But I didn’t like helping other people participate in sin. (27:18) But we realize that it is the righteousness of God, (27:24) apart from the law, that is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ (27:31) to all and on all who believe.

(27:37) Then he asks the question in verse 27, (27:44) Where is boasting then? (27:50) It is excluded. (27:53) By what law? (27:55) Of works? (27:57) No, but by the law of faith. (28:08) So if I am righteous, it is God’s righteousness I have, (28:14) and not my own.

(28:18) It is an eye that made up the deal that it’s unlawful (28:28) for a minor to have alcoholic beverage, (28:38) and it is an eye that says that drunkenness (28:45) keeps one out of the kingdom of God. (28:50) It is God. (28:56) And yes, there was a law of the land (29:03) that I realized I needed to obey as well as God’s law.

(29:13) So therefore, if I am righteous, it is God’s righteousness that I have. (29:20) We can see from the readings in Proverbs (29:25) that there are just some who just seem to be right in their own eyes, (29:33) and pure in their own eyes. (29:38) They like to boast about all that they do, (29:46) but really, we need to be careful about that.

(29:53) We need to have God’s righteousness, (30:00) and we can receive it now through faith in Jesus (30:05) as a son of the living God. (30:09) So if there is anyone that needs the prayers of the church, (30:15) if there’s anybody that needs to have something brought up (30:23) that they need prayers from the church, (30:27) we would urge you to do so while we stand and while we sing.