Luke 18:9-17 The I-5 Prayer –approaching God

Intro: Today in Lk 18 we are going to consider 2 scenes / in both we will gain some insight into the attitude of the heart that God accepts in Approaching Him

  1. We will consider the first scene in Detail / & the second one only briefly making some KEY OBSERVATIONS
  2. The First scene involves a Parable that Jesus told the second one in this Chapter – both of which are ONLY told in Luke’s Gospel

Read v. 9-14

As we consider this Parable there are 5 things that I want us to take note of this morning .

1st PURPOSE of the Parable

2nd The CHARACTERS in the Parable

3rd PRAYERS of the Parable

4th The APPLICATION of the Parable

5th The MESSAGES in the Parable

1st The Purpose of the Parable – which Luke tells us in v.9 when he says He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

  1. So we know from the Beginning that this Parable was directed at those

    2. who were trusting in their own righteousness as a Basis of Coming to God

  2. These kind of people have existed in EVERY generation Those who say

& thinks things like

"If I will just try hard enough, then God will accept my efforts"

"If I can just be good enough, God will accept me"

"If I am SINCERE enough, God will accept me"

C)People put these things before God in the hopes that God will accept them for THEIR righteousness

As Jesus is talking, He probably has the PHARISEES in mind

A) It is interesting that today, most Jewish people take the same position

as the Pharisee of the parable

B) For the most part, a Jew trusts in himself for righteousness before God

C) In LEV. we read of the YOM KIPPUR, The Day of Atonement

1) On that day the high priest would go into the Holy of Hollis and offer to God the blood of the sacrifice for the sins of the nation

 

But Today, YOM KIPPUR is no longer a day of sacrifice ( NO temple) / It is instead a day of introspection

  1. On that day, the orthodox Jew sits and thinks about his life over the

past year

B) He sits and thinks of the wrongs that he has done, and the good that he

has done/ his good need to out way his Bad deeds !!!!

C) So In the weeks before, Y.K. there is usually a flurry of activity because everyone is working feverishly to balance the ledger

1) so that they can be on the plus side when the Day of Atonement comes

  1. They WANT God to accept their good works... Worst than that, they

DEMAND that God accept their good works as a basis of righteousness

 

But NOTE: It is NOT just the Jew who is trusting in his good works

  1. People all over the World do the same thing / liken God to Santa Claus – just as long as the good out ways the Bad

  2. In March 1997 issue of TIME MAG. 81% of the people polled said that they believed in HEAVEN

  1. Of that 81% / 76% believed that they would end up in HEAVEN

Only 1% believed they would go to Hell

  1. Ask many People why they believe they will go to Heaven / the answer is usually the same I AM A GOOD PERSON

1) As long as my good out weighs the Bad I will be ok !!!!!

 

There are many Christians who approach God on the same basis

  1. Their confidence before God is based on their own performance instead of the Performance of Christ !!!

  2. So When we read this parable, we MUST not merely think of this self-righteous Pharisee, we MUST look at it and examine our own lives 1) I need to see if I am looking to my own works, or if I am looking to the finished work of Jesus Christ as the basis of my righteousness

 

2nd thing we want to Consider are the Characters in the Parable

  1. In these two men we have a Striking Contrast – one that those living in our Lord’s time would have easily made .
  2. The Pharisees were the most highly regarded of the various sects of Judaism .
  1. Nicodemous was a Pharisee as was Paul back in his days of being Saul before his conversion
  1. They were those men who’s Chief Concern was to OBSERVE the most minute points of the Law
  1. So they were highly respected / & highly regarded men in society

 

The other person in the parable was a TAX COLLECTOR -

  1. Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman Govt. It was for that reason that they were considered TRAITORS by their countrymen
  2. The tax collectors were required by the Romans to collect a certain percentage of the wages of those in Israel
  1. Whatever they collected over & above that percentage was theirs to keep . So they – inflated the taxes for their own WEALTH.

  1. Tax Collectors were so Disliked that People would cross the Street on the other side when they saw a tax collector coming .
  2. So when Jesus spoke of two men, a Pharisee & a Tax collector / today it

would be like comparing a Chief Justice of the Supreme court w/ a Prostitute

    1. These two men couldn’t have been more Different /
    2. The one was the most outwardly religious man in town, & the other was the most notable Sinner in town .
  1. I like the observation that G. Morgan makes concerning these two men coming to the temple to pray / Heavens view of them.

Two men. Each was a man & only a Man. Our Lord described them first by the term which revealed them as Heaven Saw them .TWO MEN !! Whenever men cross the threshold of the temple that is how they are listed before high heaven . JUST MEN / All EQUAL BEFORE God !!!

 

Now the 3rd thing we want to consider are the PRAYERS of the Parable to see how these two men APPROACHED GOD

  1. Note two things first their Posture in prayer / 2nd Prayers themselves
  2. Notice First Posture- The Pharisee we are told in v. 11 STOOD - & addressed the Lord in a very self confident way

 

b) The TAX COLLECTOR on the other hand had quite a different attitude

    1. First we are told in v. 13 that he STOOD AT A DISTANCE
    2. 2ND – He wouldn’t even look up toward Heaven / instead he dropped his eyes & starred toward the ground instead of looking up ….

C)3RD – HE BEAT HIS BREAST – which was a sign of mourning &

remorse in Jewish culture / BROKENESS

  1. His posture indicates clearly He recognized that he was a sinner & was unworthy to approach a HOLY GOD !!!!!

 

The 2nd thing that we want to consider about their APPROACH is their prayers 1st the PHARISEE

v.11,12 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

  1. What is interesting about the Pharisees prayer is it is right in it’s form & language – in that he begins w/ THANKSGIVING
  2. His language is right – but his heart is wrong – he is thanking the Lord not for who God is & what he has done –
  1. No the Pharisees focus is on himself – notice that he uses the personal pronoun (I) 5 times in his prayer .
  1. You could call this the I –5 prayer that gets you know where w/ God !!!!

Talking major Spiritual Gridlock –

1) Jesus says He prayed thus w/ Himself
  1. Notice First he tells God what he wasn’t - I thank You that I am not like other men;
  1. That is such a dangerous attitude to have – when we start thinking that we are better than others / US & THEM – mentality w/ unbelievers
  2. Or that we have come to some deeper understanding of the "SECRETS"

    3. of the Faith !!!! More spiritual than others BELIEVERS

  3. Or that we by our actions – have attained to some super degree of spirituality and are more Holy / Righteous / than others

 

I think that Paul’s attitude is the one that we should adopt – Paul looked at the unbeliever & Said – Accept for the grace of God ….. I

  1. And concerning Himself – Paul said in the Beginning of his ministry - it is a faithful saying that Christ ….save sinners … I am one
  2. And at the end of his ministry Paul referred …. as the Chief of sinners
  1. Concerning his own RIGHTEOUSNESS – Paul liken it to Dung – Cow Manure
  1. Guys We are DELUDED in our thinking when we are led to believe that we can approach God on the Basis of our own Merit
  1. It is only through the BLOOD of Jesus

So First he thanked God for what he was not / then he told God what he was !!! 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

A)A Jew was ONLY REQUIERED to fast ONCE a year/ The Day of ……

B) But it was considered a spiritual merit to fast on other days

USUALLY the days chosen to fast on were MONDAY &THURSDAY

1) What is interesting is Those were the MARKET DAYS/ fresh food

  1. The Pharisees would whiten their faces and put dirt on themselves and go

    2. to the market with long faces / & people would say

    "Oh aren’t they spiritual, after all, it’s market day and all of these foods are out here and they are fasting"

  2. And We have talked about before how they were Fanatical – in their tithing even to the point of counting the spices from their spice gardens

So much of it was an outward show & concerned more w/ what others thought than what God KNEW about the condition of their hearts

  1. Those standing by hearing his prayer might have thought – that is right yes indeed / he is such a holy man

B) Perhaps everyone else in the temple – became quiet as if to say –

Listen up the Pharisee is going to Pray -

  1. But Jesus said that He prayed thus w/ himself !!!!!! ( Comical)

C)Others might have been listening – But God wasn’t !!!

  1. I wonder how often the same could be said about our prayers – because we approach God in a Self Righteous attitude

D)Or we pray in such a way where we are more concerned about how we

sound to others than – what we are actually saying to God

  1. I think when that happens God says I will listen when he starts really talking to me

 

So the Pharisees Prayer was w/ himself / what about the TAX COLLECTOR ?

  1. The Tax Collector – approached God on the Basis of admitting he was a SINNER - & He asked God For mercy

  2. And Jesus said concerning that Tax Collector that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;

1) The Pharisee went away unchanged & still Deceived by his own SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS – that he was Ok – before God .

C) The Tax Collector prayed for mercy & MERCY is what he received /

Great Prayer

  1. Never ask God for Justice / Politician - Picture taken / Didn’t do me

Justice /

Photographer replied w/ a face like that you should be asking Mercy

That is true of all of us if we really looked at our TRUE COLORS we would never ask for JUSTICE

  1. We sometimes pray – God that is not fair / Blast them & the Lord replies

what about You ? You want me to treat you that same way / Well No

B) Now There is a greater significance here in what this man’s prayer for mercy that we will consider in a moment / Let’s continue in outline

So We have two men – one approaches God in a Prideful manner & on the Basis of his own Self righteousness /

  1. The other approaches God on the fact he is a sinner & asks for mercy

B) The application of the Parable Pt. 4 is found in v.14

for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

C) When you see men exalting themselves, you can be sure that the day is coming when they will be abased

The Bible clearly teaches ABOUT PRIDE

It declares that Prov 6:16-17 16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes,

seven are an abomination to Him: FIRST THING A proud look, .

English clergyman Caleb C. Colton said,

A haughty person signals his pride like a flashing red light at an intersection. He displays how "great" he is by his walk, his talk, and his mannerisms" Pride, like the magnet, constantly points to one object: self. Unlike the magnet, it has no attracting pole, but at all points it repels."

James 4:6 God resist the proud, but gives grace….humble.

Prov 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, & an haughty spirit before a fall.

Now the 5th thing that we want to consider about the Parable is the Messages in the Parable – there are several – focus on 3

  1. 1st – As good as the Pharisee was he was not good enough to be accepted by God on the Basis of his own righteousness

B) Our righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord

  1. We are not to compare ourselves to others -/ but to Jesus !!!

C)We can always find another man or woman worse off than us / but

that is not the issue - It is how we compare to Jesus

  1. In other words the Standard is perfection

D)And even if our actions are excellent – the Lord sees our hearts & the motives of our Hearts - Guess what we are Busted

  1. Guilty – No one can say – whole life – been perfect in thought actions & motives of the Heart – not even – Mother Teresa

  1. So that means we are all Sinners / All Separated from God / all Doomed / All in need of a Savior / Which is why Christ Came

That is the first message – Even though the Pharisee was good he wasn’t GOOD ENOUGH - & neither are we

  1. 2nd – Message is that as BAD as the Tax Collector was he had not fallen to low to be lifted by the MERCY OF GOD !!!

  2. There is a great message of Hope in this Parable

1) Don’t quit Praying – no one is a lost cause

b) And if anyone is here today who has not given their life to Jesus / or perhaps walked away

  1. Once walked w/ God but now you have been doing your own thing /

  1. Perhaps you have been thinking that you have gone to far / that God has

given up on You

  1. THINK AGAIN – Mercy of the Lord is available to you who come

3RD MESSAGE IS SEEN IN THE SPECIFICS of the Tax Collectors prayer - Be MERCIFUL to me a Sinner

  1. In it is provided one of the most potent sermons ever preached – for what the man literally prayed was be PROPIATIATED TO ME

B) Put another way Be MERCY SEATED TO ME A SINNER -

  1. Heb. 9:5 uses the same word to describe the MERCY SEAT where the blood was sprinkled on the DAY OF ATONEMENT

  1. This Tax Collector evidently had in mind the RITUAL of the day of Atonement which was the FOUNDATION of Israel relationship w/ God!

  2. On the day of Atonement – the Priest would take two male goats for the sin offering – one would be killed –

  1. the Priest would take the blood & go into the Holy of Holies where the Shekianah glory of God Dwelt – Ark of the Cov.

  1. In the ark were the two tablets of stone that contained the 10 commandments written on them

  1. Those Tablets stood as a Reminder of God’s Standard & the Fact that the PEOPLE had Fallen short of that Standard (God looking down)

  1. That they were guilty of sin & Deserved to be Judged by God !!

 

But on top of the Ark serving as a Lid that covered what the ten commandments was what was called the MERCY SEAT

  1. And the Priest would take the blood from the Sacrifice & Sprinkle it upon

    2. the mercy seat – signifies – that the peoples sins were covered by the Blood

  2. That a Sacrifice was made – to cover the sins of the People – for the Bible says that w/out the Shedding of Blood there is no remission of Sins

  1. The animal was a substitute – He died in place of the People

  1. Then the Priest went out where the other goat was & confessed the sins of the nation over the goat .

  1. Then the goat was placed into the hands of a trust worthy person who led the goat away into the Desert .

  1. This signified the removal of the nations sins that had been put under the Propitiatory covering

So when this Tax Collector prayed Have mercy on me a sinner he was really saying treat me as one who comes on the basis of the blood shed on the Mercy Seat as an offering for sins

  1. This is why the Prayer of the Tax collector was so profound. Not only did it embody his faith in the way of salvation by sacrifice

  1. But it actually expressed the idea in it’s form

  1. It emphasized the fact that between God whom we have offended & sinned against & ME THE SINNER which describes us all

  1. Between us & God – comes the MERCY SEAT

  1. So the Tax Collectors prayer was a visual as well as a VERBAL expression of the way of SALVATION .

  2. The Sacrifice on the day of Atonement was merely a picture of the Final Sacrifice that Jesus the Lamb of God would make

  1. Not a Covering – but AT-ONE-MENT - w/ God on the Basis not of my good works but God’s grace & His Sons Blood !!!!!

So we see in the Parable of the Pharisee & the Tax Collector that I cannot approach God on the Basis of my own Righteousness

  1. Pray w/ myself - But the person who comes to Christ on the Basis of Christ Righteousness - & His Sacrifice is Justified

  2. Just as if you never sinned !!!

Now lets look Briefly look at the next scene where Jesus makes it Crystal clear that those who try to come to God on their own merits won’t be

  1. Then they also brought infants ( Babies to toddler age ) to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
  1. The they here is masculine – interesting – suggest – Fathers were bringing their – Kids to Jesus
  2. Disciples always trying to be Helpful – rebuked them – too Busy –
  1. Made the Mistake that many today make that the Lord is not interested in Children / So Wrong ( Story man of sorrows … no he wasn’t)
  1. Jesus loves KIDS/ Listen one of the Most important ministries in any Church is the Kids ministry - NEXT GENERATION / D.L Moody

1) The Disciples Rebuke but watch what Jesus does

16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

17 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

 

First He says let them come – don’t forbid them – the idea is don’t keep forbidding them – stop it

  1. Second - He says in fact if you want to enter heaven you must become like a Child / what did he mean? – Closing note 3 quick things

B) 1st HUMILITY A little child makes no claims of worthiness or

greatness. ( Not until 21/2 or 3 Amanda thinks she is QUEEN!!)

2ND SIMPLICITY A Child simply submits to the care of his parents and others who love him, relying on them for all that he needs.

3rd –DEPENDENCY He knows he cannot meet his own needs & has no resources to stay alive.

That is the heart that God accepts those who come to him in the humble & Submissive heart of a Child recognizing they are sinners

  1. And Realizing that they are completely dependant on the work of Jesus Christ for Salvation & everything else