The Kingdom Heart

A sermon which reminds us that God values heart posture over outward works. Like the tax collector and Mary, true justification comes from humility, gratitude, and making God our only audience. Works flow from love, not self-promotion. When our hearts align with His Word and Spirit, our service endures, pleasing the Lord and reflecting His Kingdom value.

Introduction

This message is for equipping the body of Christ with the right perspective so that their efforts and their works might be received by the Lord one day and not be in vain.

This message is also intended to be a mirror for us to check where we are in our walk with the Lord, to not be deceived by our own thoughts and miss the destination set by the Lord.

With that, let’s read Luke 18:9-14.

Teaching

In today’s language:

• The Pharisee being akin to a Pastor/Bible teacher in those days, following the times of systematic bible study, teaching and preaching to other people etc. This was his basic pre-occupation. Was much respected and noted in the society.

• The tax collector was like a corrupt government official who life was pre-occupied with making more money, even if it comes by unfair means. This person was usually much hated and despised by the people around.

Two men in the same place before the same God for the same thing – prayer. And yet the verdict from Jesus is a surprising one! Verse 14 says, the tax collector went home justified before God!

Why is that?

The answer is in verse 9 - “…to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else”. When the very core of a person is not right with God, everything that person does for God or for others is a vain, futile effort. It is not received by the Lord, because the heart intent is not right.

The tax collector was quite an empty person, having nothing really to show for himself except having an acute awareness of his faults and shortcomings, which he didn’t deny or try to hide! He really needed God’s washing and mercy. It was a place of great vulnerability.

The Pharisee on the other hand, far from being empty, was quite full of himself, and almost prayed expecting a garland and a medal from God for all his great lifeworks.

But God doesn’t think like we do!

The justifying criteria Jesus highlighted here was, not what or how much you have done, right or wrong; but the posture of your heart! In the Kingdom of God, it is not the works, but the heart that counts! Does that mean that we can live like the tax-collector and then go pray for forgiveness periodically? No. Just a few verses down we see an actual story of a tax collector who completely turned around his life, when his heart was changed! (Luke 19:1-10, The Story of Zaccheus)

1. Let’s address the aspect of ‘work’ first, before we go to the ‘posture of our heart’: The way God sees work is as an overflow of the gratitude we have for God in our heart, which comes laden with a sense of honour and privilege to even be able to serve this big God in heaven! Which is why it’s called “ministry” or serving. Our personal gratitude to the Lord results in our acts of service towards God and His people.

   
   

   There is no expectation of returns or wanting to get the first prize – it’s a very freeing, beautiful kind of pouring out of everything we have. Just a response to what He has done within us!

   
   

   Our works are not what qualifies us to get a bigger crown or a more comfortable seat when we reach heaven – that is a very worldly thinking. ‘I did this much, so I must get this much.’ This is just what the Pharisee thought. The Pharisee thinking, the karma-philosophy all comes in from here, that your works will get you something extra or a step higher. Nothing is further from the truth.

   
   

   For a Christian, who has been ransomed by the blood of the lamb - The works of his hands are just the humble outflow of his heart. Nothing else. This kind of service has so much that honours God – It’s a service that comes from a place of humility, gratitude, reverence. It is from God and to God! That is MINISTRY in its purest sense.

   
   

   Ephesians 2:8-10 reads – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

   
   

   So, our hands are to be an evidence of our hearts. Why? Because it is patterned after the same model as the Master Himself! His hands and all the works of it are evidence of His heart! He saves, rescues, defends, makes a way, breaks down gates, splits the sea etc etc etc because He loves like a crazy person – so wholly, so completely! It’s His heart which spurs His hands. His works are a reflection of His intentions and affections.

   
   

   Sadly, in the world we live the enemy has completely twisted this understanding and taken the ‘heart’ aspect out of the equation, making it all about works! Satan always aims to corrupt the core. Regardless of where your heart is (indifferent, ridden in unbelief, dependent on your own intelligence or strength or skill or in the vilest of places) your work is expected to be noticeable enough. It is the tone and language of the world! It is from this very equation that – striving, oppression, entitlement, selfish ambition etc come. Such kind of work is not regarded or received by the Lord.

   
   

2. Let’s come to the second and the main part of this message today, The Heart Posture: I cannot emphasise enough the absolute non-negotiable aspect of the right heart posture in anything we do in life, whether it’s for God or someone we love or something we make. For that is the essence of every relationship, every foundation we build, be it in business, in work, in marriage, in friendships anything. When the heart is right, there is a flourishing. When it isn’t there is a decay!

   
   

   In the story of the Pharisee & the tax-collector, we can take an easy guess and say that the heart posture of the Pharisee wasn’t right. But how do we know if the heart posture of the tax collector was? (Apart from Jesus saying it)

   
   

   How do we measure / check our heart’s posture? Our heart’s positioning.

   There are 2 pointers that can help give a direct glimpse into this hidden aspect:

   • Who is my audience?

   • What’s my standard/measure of comparison? (What / Who am I comparing myself or the work of my hands to?)

In the parable, both the men were apparently engaged in a ‘holy task’, i.e prayer. But who do you think was the audience for the Pharisee? What was his standard of comparison? For the tax collector? (Let’s read the prayers they prayed to understand)

If my audience is not God himself and my standard of comparison is not His word, then I, as a blood-bought Christian, am massively missing the mark and the point! Psalm 119:6 hints at David’s measure of comparison – “May I not be ashamed when I compare my life with your word!”

We are not to compare our lives/marriages/ministries/work/friendships/ children with others and either feel great and smug or feel terrible and small. That is such a fleshly realm to live in. We compare every aspect of our lives with the word of God – that is the only standard there is! When we do that, everything that doesn’t align begins to pop out and that’s where we start to work with our Saviour in fixing it!

Our general attitude in life (are we serious about getting things right, or do we take things too casually thinking ultimately God is gracious and He will have mercy), our wants, desires and admirations (what gets us excited/motivated – why?), our speech (impulsive and careless comments, gossip, slander etc) – everything comes under the scanner and it is good!

The trend of the times, the cultures that exist around us, our peer groups and their opinions do not dictate our living. It’s only His word.

Application

Now if this is the standard of the Kingdom, then it should apply the same everywhere for everyone, at all times and ages, right? Because the standards of the Kingdom do not change with time and cultures. So, let’s look at another set of people, keeping in mind these measures and see if Jesus had the same verdict or did He respond differently.

Let’s turn to Luke 10: 38-42. (Summarising the parable of Martha & Mary)

What’s happening here?

Who is serving?

In the Jewish setting, especially in those times, hospitality was a very big part of their culture – to the point that it was almost a societal expectation. So it was very normal for the hosts to do their best/ present their best to the guests. Now here, Martha is doing just that – almost going overboard to give the best to Jesus and waiting to feel really great when he says – “Wow Martha! What a prep!”

But surprisingly, Jesus was not too impressed! How do we know this? From verse 41-42.

Why was Jesus not impressed? Let’s check:

Who was Martha’s audience?

In verse 40, the Bible interestingly uses the word “distracted” for Martha. Which shows that there was something she was supposed to pay attention to or focus on but was not. So when we examine closely, her main audience was not exactly Jesus – it might have been the societal expectation or the personal drive to be the best host in the village or something else. It just was not ‘ONLY JESUS’.

What was her standard of comparison?

Her sister Mary. A human.

What was produced from such kind of “serving/work”?

Worry, striving, feeling upset, entitlement, irritation (even with Jesus, slightly!)

Now let me re-frame my earlier question: With whom did Jesus actually feel ‘served’?

Verse42 – not only does Jesus defend Mary, but he also gently hints at a coming time when all our serving will go through fire and much will be taken away/burnt up, all that came from the self. But what Mary has picked won’t be – because that kind of serving will endure, because it wasn’t about Mary! It was about Jesus. It was completely devoid the self. It was self-less and hence it was worthy of the King! (Ref 1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Mary gave Jesus His due! Her complete attention and devotion, irrespective of what people around her might think or comment, including what her sister might scold her for! A very interesting revelation that the Lord gave many years ago when I was going through this passage was – The story of Martha & Mary is not about 2 people or personality types. But Martha and Mary are symbolic of heart postures- that is what Jesus was highlighting

Conclusion

The offering / obedience we put forward with a very subtle intention of wanting to show something / prove something to someone else – instantly becomes impure before the Lord. It isn’t worthy! So Martha’s serving wasn’t highly regarded, the Pharisees’ prayer did not justify him before God.

Whereas anyone – even a corrupt government official, whose life has been about bribes and money begins to serve God freely out of the change and gratitude in His heart, keeping God as their only audience, using His word as the only measure for their lives – pleases the Lord immensely and finds themselves standing on grounds where they are not just accepted, but also justified by the Lord!

Self-Promotion never works in the Kingdom. It doesn’t mean we bring in fake humility and try to put up a show. Sometimes, even in our so-called “humility” we are actually fishing for recognition from people. The Lord sees the heart and He knows what exactly who our main audience is! Matthew 23:12 says – “Those who boast or elevate themselves will be lowered by God, while those who act with humility and serve others will be lifted up.”

It is always a contrast between earthly ambition and kingdom values. Earthly ambitions do not work in the Kingdom!

A heart that refuses to be shaped by the Word and Spirit is a heart like king Saul. Tall physically but small before God. David on the other hand, was small physically but tall before God.

David’s audience through his entire life was only God! Even when he sinned and failed terribly… His prayer of repentance in Psalm 51:4 reads “Lord, against you alone I have sinned” Even when he got a chance to strike back king Saul who was hunting him down – his conscious awareness of God was so strong that he refused to “lay a hand on God’s anointed” even when he had the chance!

In the Kingdom everything is about the heart – let’s course-correct, let’s guard, let’s serve out of joy and gratitude as our personal offering to our personal saviour!

Amen.

Background

Kainos Church India, Bengaluru led by Ps. Manoj and Lincy Iype is a gathering open to all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church is ideally located for believers in the Koramangala, HSR Layout, Agara, Sarjapur Road, Bellandur areas of Bengaluru and our Church Service in English starts at 10am on Sundays.

These notes are from the Sunday Sermon held on 22nd March 2026