Impact Notes: Wednesday, April 10, 2024

“I’d Rather Be a Tax Collector!” Bible Study

Good afternoon Family, 

If you could go back in time, which would you rather be: A Pharisee or a tax collector? No one in our day and age would choose being a Pharisee, but in Jesus’ day, no one in their right mind would choose being a tax collector!

But as only Jesus could, He told a parable in Luke 18 which placed the tax collector in a positive light and the Pharisee in a negative light. In our Christian culture, it is unfortunately acceptable and expected to find one’s spiritual identity in religious activities like fasting, tithing, and living “holy.”

This was the stuff Pharisees were known for. Those things are not bad in and of themselves, but if we’re not careful, we will substitute a reliance on God for a reliance on ourselves. This is called self-righteousness, and even Christians who have been blessed with imputed righteousness by grace through faith in Jesus have a tendency of being merciless and judgmental of others at times. 

Be sure to bring your children and teens out this evening, and meet me at the church at 6:30pm! If you can’t make it out to the church, grab your Bible and join us online (Facebook) for Bible Study. You will find the notes for “I’d Rather Be a Tax Collector Than A Pharisee” attached.

Lord Have Mercy,

Pastor Chris