Not All Prayers Are Created Equal

Not All Prayers Are Created Equal

Luke 18:9-14

-Today we’re going to look at a story of 2 men who prayed and approached God in 2 completely different way–one reached God and the other was access!

-We see the difference between a façade of religion and the genuineness of truly walking with God.

-Not everybody who claims to know God really does!

-The key idea here is the concept of –how a man is declared to be accepted by God / declared to be righteous.

-Luke 18:9, And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

I. Contrast

-He tells us about a Pharisee and a tax collector and some differences in how they each pray/approach God.

1. in Life (Luke 18:10)

2. Perception of Self (Luke 18:11-13)

3. of Approach (Luke 18:14)

II.

-The Pharisee approached God on the basis of his own righteousness and the tax collector approached God depending on God’s mercy!

-The tax collector’s conscientiousness is revealed by the beginning and ending of his simple prayer: he started with “God” and ended with “me a sinner.”

-Unfortunately, for many people, their conscientiousness is of their own perceived self-righteousness and self-glory, and as a result, they are full of self-!

III. Connection

-We will only be able to access God His way…never on our own terms!

-Jesus used this parable to point to the fact that He was the once-and-for-all blood sacrifice, having come to be the for the sins of mankind.

-The only way to successfully approach God is based on the access granted by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the Spotless Lamb of God.

-There is no hope of salvation, to God, mercy, heaven, or anything, except through accepting the sacrificial blood shed by Jesus Christ!

IV. Conclusions

1. God is no respecter of persons, position, or .

2. Justification is secured on God’s terms, never our own.

3. The only way to to our holy God is through personally embracing the sacrifice and salvation of Jesus Christ.

4. We should be worshipfully for the open and constant access to God we have through Jesus Christ.