Lord Have Mercy - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 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. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

I struggle with comparison; I can't help but try to figure out where I stand with everything. I look at salaries, education, church membership, and attendance. I look at vote totals, almost everything I can think of, and compare it to something similar. I know that about myself, and I am working on it. I am just being transparent about my personality quirk; sometimes, it comes in handy; I get nominated to be the treasurer or auditor of many organizations because of this instinct. I get called in to consult with organizations because they want to know what other organizations are doing in similar situations. 

I am not the only one who thinks about comparison; I am just willing to say it out loud. We buy clothes, cars, and houses and then compare them. Oh, girl, where did you get that outfit from? How much did it cost? Was it on sale? What kind of extra features came in that new truck you just bought? What neighborhood do you live in again? Don't let there be some fellas around an open flame with some meat that needs to be cooked; we all compare people, places, and things. Comparison is not a bad thing all the time; sometimes, you need to compare things to teach people as well. That is why Jesus spoke in parables a lot, the kingdom of God is like a seed the man scatters on the ground but doesn't know if it grows or not, or the kingdom of God is like the mustard seed and if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move mountains. 

Jesus is talking to Pharisees, religious leaders. This passage is part of a larger conversation about prayer. Jesus just finished telling the Pharisees about the parable of the persistent widow.

The thing about Jesus's parables is that the good guy is not who the people listening to the parable think it is. Jesus was talking to Pharisees, so they would expect the Pharisees to be the story's hero. The Pharisee in the parable is pompous when he says "other people," which literally "the rest of humanity" in Greek. The Pharisees thought he was the best in the world because he regularly attended church and tithed. 

The tax collector has a bad reputation. Tax collectors in the Bible were not like IRS agents are today; they were independent business owners; who would collect taxes and give money to the Roman government. Because they were independent, they could collect more money than they had to give to the government and keep the rest. So, some collect enough taxes to get rich off the backs of the poor people in the area, and the people began to hate all the tax collectors, good or bad.

Pray consistently

Both people go to church and know they need to pray. You can't get away from this concept in Christianity, and prayer should be a regular task in your life. Not just blessing food or praying corporately at church, we should be praying before we make major decisions, we should be praying before we make minor decisions we should be praying at all times. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. I hear people complain about taking prayer out of school or other places as if that caused the decline of institutions. I submit to you that if prayer is in you, it should not matter if you get to make a big show out of it in public. They can take prayer out of the building but can't take it out of me. 

Pray with determination 

The tax collector went to the temple expecting his prayer to be answered, begging for it to be answered. His determination was so strong it bordered on desperation. If he didn't think God would answer his prayer, why even ask? The man asks because he expects an answer; God is not a man that he should lie nor the son of man that he should seek cause to repent. This man, this tax collector, came to the church looking for grace and mercy and expects to receive it. 

Someone might think that the tax collector is not worthy; only God's assessment of righteousness matters.

Pray authentically 

One of the reasons I believe Christianity gets a bad reputation in the world today is because Christians aren’t authentic. We act like we have it all together when we are truly broken on the inside.

This man said Lord have mercy on me, 

The prayer may not be in public but in private 

The subject and verb may not agree

They may not ask you to pray this prayer at a presidential inauguration.

Need heaven to move on my behalf

Lord, Have Mercy on Me

-Employers

-Employees

-Unemployed

You aren't big and bad by yourself; no matter where you are in life, you need the Lord's mercy. 

Psalm 51:3 David said my sin is ever before me."

Humble. Self-emptying. Obedient. These are the qualities of Jesus Christ and his faithful followers, qualities that led to Christ's exaltation. Remember, said Jesus, "all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Luke 18:14). The path to God's future includes serving others sacrificially, as we follow a Lord who "came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:28).

The tax collector didn't care what anyone else thought

The tax collector was justified because he put his faith entirely in God, asking God to be merciful to him. He took an honest look at his past, regretted many of his actions, and asked God to forgive him. 

Let your memory be your motivation 

Let your past power your future 

Isaiah 40:4-5

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Late in the midnight hour, God is going to turn it around, it's going to work in your favor!

Don't Move Until God Moves - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

29 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

I don't like quick fixes; I like simple fixes, but the quick ones bother me; almost every time someone suggests a quick fix, I know we will be back here quickly fixing it again in a few months, if not sooner. However, it is hard not to want the quick fix; we watch television shows where they solve the world's problems in 30 minutes, really 22 minutes with 8 minutes of commercials. Advertisements promise you will lose 15 pounds in weeks without diet or exercise, take this online course to learn how to make six figures almost overnight. Millions of people play the lottery even though we have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than winning. We want the quick fix because it makes us feel good no matter the reality of the situation. 

Jeremiah is dealing with the results of a quick-fix mentality in scripture. Jeremiah wrote a letter to the Hebrews in Babylonia captivity; the whole letter is verses 1-23. Jeremiah wrote the letter in chapter 29 because of what another prophet did in chapter 28.

The Hebrews were captured, and in chapter 28, Hananiah prophesied that this dire situation would be over quickly and easily; he said that they would be out of captivity in less than two years. Things would be back to what they were real soon, don't worry, we will be back in Israel in less than two years. Jeremiah had a vision of a yoke on the people's necks, meaning the people had to work and work hard. Hananiah prophesied the yoke was broken. Jeremiah prophesied that people needed to figure out how to live under King Nebuchadnezzar; Hananiah prophesied the leader would be removed. Hananiah died a year after making his prophecy. 

Hananiah's prophecy removed blame from the people and absolved them of personal responsibility. We don't have a book of Hananiah; we have a book of Jeremiah, though. 

God told Moses in Deuteronomy 28 before the people entered the promised land that this would happen. Prophets told the people of God to change their ways 800 years before Babylon took them over. 

It's easier to reminisce about Israel, blame Nebuchadnezzar, or think this situation is temporary than to do any substantial work to change it. 

Psalm 137:1-4

137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

2 We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it.

3 For there, those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

4 How shall we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?

Nebuchadnezzar is not absolved of what he and the Babylonians did; we just can't sit around blaming them without any action. This prophet told those who moped that God says, "Your old life is dead. Your new life is to be found in Babylon. Deal with it. Settle down. Adjust!"  Jeremiah did not want the people to have false optimism . 

There is no quick fix; you will have to change your behavior in Babylon with new people, new land, and more work. Things were nice in Israel, but we are not in Israel anymore and won't be back anytime soon. Reach out to the people around you right now. You may not like your present situation, but your survival depends on accepting it. 

Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Hebrews might have a few things they want. 

• They might wish they still had the temple. But they don't.

• They might wish they still lived within the walls of Jerusalem. But they don't.

• They might wish they could still drink the wine of their own vineyards. But they can't.

• They might wish they could sing their songs in Judah, but they can't.

Admiral James Stockdale spent 1965-1973 as a prisoner of war in a camp sarcastically called the Hanoi Hilton. Stockdale was the highest-ranking US military officer in a camp with no prisoner rights, no set release date, and no hope that any prisoner would even get out alive. The Vietnamese Army used prisoners as propaganda. 

In his book "Good to Great," author Jim Collins asked Stockdale this question: Who didn't make it out? "Oh, that's easy," said Stockdale. "It was the optimists."

"The optimists were the ones who said, "we're going to be out by Christmas. Christmas came and went. Then they'd say, "we're going to be out by Easter," and Easter would come, and it would go. The optimists would pin their dates on Thanksgiving, then Christmas again, and eventually, "they died of a broken heart."

"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end. Instead, you must confront the most brutal facts of your reality, whatever they might be." And that's what Stockdale did to survive the prisoner camp.

Therefore, Jeremiah's advice to the Jewish people in exile — and by extension to us — is to do two things. First, decide if we're "here" (wherever "here" is) in the will of God, and second, if so, settle into life as though we're here for life — or until God moves us on. Jeremiah's counsel is that in life, the circumstances in which we find ourselves are not always amenable to an easy solution. It might be best to adapt to your surroundings, adjust to make life bearable, and adopt the lifestyle that's the social norm for your neighborhood.

This does not mean you compromise your faith but are willing to take the long view. This problem, situation, and context are here to stay for the indefinite future. 

When we find ourselves in a new place, new life, or new experience, we should decide how we can live a meaningful life within the situation rather than outside of the situation.

Settle into the land and make a community with the people in the area. Look at what you have around you and put it to use, don't spend a bunch of time and energy talking about what you used to have in Jerusalem; work on the land you live in right now. There are resources and opportunities all around us, but as long as we keep saying we can't do anything, we will be right. 

There is still time to grow; there is still time to change; just because you are in Babylon doesn't mean you cannot grow. Peace is a state of mind, not just a location or a status. Shalom is used throughout the passage, applying it to all walks of life. God is present and active with the people even in a foreign land. God is concerned about their spiritual and their physical welfare. God didn't just say keep praying; God said work the land, start some families, build homes on the land you currently live in. 

God is with you in Babylon and Jerusalem, in Baghdad and Boston; move beyond God bless America to God bless me everywhere.

Admiral Stockdale said to Jim Collins: "I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would get out; that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which in retrospect, I would not trade."

Hope in an uncertain future. I can tell you it will be alright because I told you that you would have to work for it. 

Jeremiah 29:11-14

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

Parting Words - Pastor Johnnie Simpson Jr.

2nd Timothy 1:1-14

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, a beloved son:Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did,as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

I am not ashamed to admit I learned a lot from my mother and grandmother; my mother taught me how to ride a bike, do a front handspring, pray, and read the Bible. I remember sitting at the kitchen table reading Galatians 2:20. I remember visiting my grandparents during the Summer. Grandma Hargrave in Chicago would take us to Maple Park United Methodist Church, and Grandma Bruce would take us to St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Freeport, Illinois. My mother and grandmother have been influential in my life and development. 

In his acclaimed book, Mama Made the Difference: Life Lessons My Mother Taught Me, Bishop T. J. Jakes says:

"Mamas Teach Us to Believe in God," he comments: "So much in our lives begins with believing—love, peace, growth, change, destiny—I am so thankful that my mother always taught me to believe. She taught me to believe in God … and she taught me to believe in myself.… The strong Tide of my mama's many lessons flow out of the currents of these two streams." 

We see the influence of a mother and grandmother in scripture in 2nd Timothy 1. Timothy is Eunice's son and Lois's grandson, both Jewish women. Acts 16 tells us that Timothy's father was Greek, and we are not sure if he was a believer or not. 

The year is A.D. 67. He's doing jail time in Rome for the second time under Nero, an emperor whose days are also ending. Nero would die about a year after Paul in A.D. 68. Nero had been emperor since A.D. 54, and it had not been a smooth ride. The Great Fire occurred in A.D. 64

At least 70 percent of the city burned down, and the people blamed the Christian for their city burning down. Can you imagine blaming a community for a disaster without any proof? Can you imagine abusing a group of people because of their race, ethnicity, or religion because something happened that damaged your town or economy?  The Christians were an easy target for abuse because people wanted to blame outsiders or foreigners for the catastrophe.

Church tradition says that the apostle Peter was a victim of this outrage and was crucified head down. Later, Paul was beheaded, and within three to four years, the young church had lost its two foremost apostles, including its most eloquent and learned voice — apologist and theologian, the apostle Paul.

However, the church was not without leaders. Although Peter and Paul were gone, the second generation of pastors was ready to carry the torch. One of these was Timothy, arguably Paul's favorite and most devoted disciple. It is Timothy to whom Paul addresses his parting words. Paul knew Timothy's mother and grandmother, and he mentored Timothy in the fundamentals of the faith. Timothy served with him in Ephesus for about three years and was undoubtedly with him on many of Paul's travels, including Troas, Philippi, and Corinth.

Paul is sharing parting words to the young man who was a trainee, an intern, and then a co-worker with the apostle. His advice to Timothy was that he should not forget what he was taught, what was deposited into him over his life. Paul wants to reassure Timothy, remember Timothy's tears, request Timothy, and remind Timothy that he has been redeemed.

Faith is deposited like a treasure; we must put something into it to get something out. If I haven't been putting money into a bank account, then when I need to make a withdrawal, there won't be any money there to withdraw. If you haven't made any faith deposits, if you haven't spent any time praying, reading your Bible, fasting, tithing, going to church, or building up your faith, then when your faith is tested, you won't have much faith to draw on when you need to use faith.

I was discussing with some younger preachers who were badmouthing seminaries. Now I joke about seminary all the time, but I appreciate the growth I gained from earning a Master's in Divinity and would like to pursue a doctorate soon. However, the other preachers were upset that they knew some people who graduated from seminary and didn't know any more Bible than when they started school. I said that it is because you don't go to seminary to learn the Bible; you go to seminary to learn about the Bible. You learn the languages; you learn the history and customs. You learn research methods in seminary and how to write papers. If faith was not in you before you went to seminary, the seminary would only expose that. 

I know that pressure can do at least two things; bust a pipe or make a diamond. 

If the faith wasn't in you to begin with, then it's going to be hard to call up something that wasn't there to begin with.

Reassure

Paul wants to encourage and reassure Timothy by letting Timothy know that he prays for him every day. Paul resorts to prayer a lot; and Paul worships God with a clear conscience, and Paul prays day and night. What have we wanted bad enough to be willing to let it consume our prayer lives?  

The motivational speaker, E.T. the Hip-Hop Preacher, tells a story about a student who wants to be successful. In the story, a student asks a teacher to teach him how to be successful, and the teacher says follow me. The teacher walks out into the ocean, and the student follows the teacher until the water covers the student's face, and almost drowns. The teacher and the student go back to the beach, and the teacher asks the student, when he almost drowned, what he wanted most. The student said he wanted to breathe, and the teacher told him you would never be successful until you wanted to accomplish your goal as badly as you wanted to breathe. Work on it day and night, Paul had something to pray about all the time, night and day, and he kept praying. If we want something to reach God, we should at least be able to pray about it and pray about it all the time, bombard heaven with that request until God says I'm sick of hearing about here, take it. 

Remember

Paul remembers Timothy's tears, sees them and lets Timothy know they mean something. Recalling your tears will lead to joy. Paul says I know you cried for a long time, I also know that the Bible says weeping may endure for a night, but joy shall come in the morning. Remember what you used to cry over and rejoice that you aren't crying over it now. I remember your tears and realize you are much stronger now; you are much wiser now; what used to knock you down doesn't even phase you anymore. 

Request

Paul requests Timothy to rekindle his gift. To "rekindle the gift" means to stir up the grace and faith, and love that we have received, and we stir them up by putting them into practice. 

Don't spend so much time getting mad at others for what we think they should or should not be doing; we can only focus on our actions and responses. 

It is so easy to lose sight of God's gifts. The most important thing to do is stir up the gifts of grace, mercy, and love.  - 

God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, a more apt translation is a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love, and a strong mind, more accurately translated to self-discipline. Therefore, armed with this spirit, Timothy shouldn't be ashamed of what happened to Jesus (his martyrdom) or what's happening to Paul (his imprisonment). Instead, because Timothy has the spirit of God's power, he should embrace his portion of suffering that comes along with the good news of God. In this letter's view, all who follow God in Christ will be persecuted (3:12), and Timothy is no exception.

That is not something everyone would be walking around with proudly. But you can put aside the shame and fear when you understand it is not about you but the one in you. Paul can worship with a clear conscience because he knows he has been redeemed.

Redeemed

Paul knows that his time is almost up but that he serves an on-time God. We are saved, not by works but by grace. We can trust in Christ Jesus because he has already done the job of saving us. We are washed in the blood of the crucified lamb; we are all that God says we are.