A SINNER'S PRAYER

SERMON TEXT: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

SERMON THESIS: Sin repented of is sin forgiven.

INTRODUCTION: Do you remember when you prayed the sinners prayer that went something like this...Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I repent of my sin. Come into my life, Lord Jesus, and save me from my sin. I now turn from my sin and receive you as my Savior. Thank you for saving my soul? The tax collector, in our Parable, prayed a similar prayer and received forgiveness. The prayer he prayed serves as a model for all repentant sinners. In this message, we will explore three biblical principles that will help each of us in our Christian walk.

First, as we consider a sinners prayer, we discover that...

I. PRAYER IS THE PATH TO GOD REGARDLESS OF ONE’S SPIRITUAL CONDITION. In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, two men went into the temple to pray. Both men had a spiritual need, but only one of them found the path to God. The Pharisee approached God, based on his moral performance. While the tax collector approached God, in a spirit of deep humility, as a sinner in need of God’s saving grace. Let’s observe the prayer of each man. First, the Pharisee. He prayed...

“The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get” (Luke 18:11-12). 

Second, the tax collector, on the other hand, prayed...

"But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' (Luke 18:13). 

Let’s analyze these two prayers. The Pharisee prayer was centered on self; pleased with his performance, and looked down on the tax collector with contempt. The tax collector saw himself as sinner and cried out for God’s mercy. Both men were sinners and could have pleaded for God’s mercy, but only one found the path to God’s presence through prayer.

In way of application, what are the lessons to be taught here?

 1. Not all praying is a path to God. Although anyone can pray, the only prayer that a sinner can pray and get a response from God is, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

 It was out of a heart felt need that the Psalmist prayed...

“Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (Psalm 130:1-2). 

One writer said about this Psalm, “This is one of the clearest expressions of God’s mercy in the Old Testament.” A sinners plea for God’s mercy will usher in God’s forgiveness. The Psalmist goes on to say...

“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3). 

2. Proper motivation is essential in finding a path to God. Note the personal pronouns in the Pharisee’s prayer. He prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all that I get”(v. 11,12).

Prayer is the path to God regardless of one’s spiritual condition, however, inappropriate, or misdirected praying, will not find the God of all mercy. God is not obligated to respond to selfish, self-centered praying.

II. PERSONS WHO ARE COMPLACENTLY PLEASED WITH THEMSELVES BASED ON PERFORMANCE WILL BE CONDEMNED RATHER THAN FORGIVEN.

It was the repentant tax collector who found mercy and received grace. It was Jesus Himself who commended this man’s prayer. He said, “I tell you that this man (the tax collector) rather than the other (the Pharisee), went home justified before God”(v. 14). Jesus goes on to say, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”(v. 14). I like the way in which Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse in The Message. He writes, “Jesus commented, ‘This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, your going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.” It was the Apostle Peter who wrote...

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (I Peter 5:6). 

As a commentary on verse 14, one writer said, “God justifies the humble who cry for His mercy. God counts humble confession as righteousness.” Are there lessons to be learned here?

1. Many belief systems are based on performance. Like the Pharisee in this Parable, man’s way to God is the way of good works. This belief system says, if I do enough good things over against the bad things I do, then one day the scales will be tilted in my favor. The person who adheres to this belief system, like the Pharisee, will in the end be condemned.

2. Forgiveness is based on confession, repentance, belief and faith. Thus the path to God begins with a cry for His mercy. “Mercy” is what God gives us in place of what we deserve. “Grace” is what God gives us in place of what we do not deserve.

The tax collector went away justified, i.e., just as though he had never sinned. One writer said, “God is ready to forgive our sins rather than to eliminate us because of them.” It was the Psalmist who said...

“If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3-4). 

The writer I quotes above goes on to say, “He (God) does not keep a list of our sins at His fingertips.” Thus we, like the tax collector can sing, “My sin O the bliss of this glorious though, my sin not in part but the whole has been nailed to the cross and I bear it not more–Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! O my soul.” The tax collector went away justified, but the Pharisee went away under the condemnation of God. What made the difference? A simple prayer... “God, have mercy on me, a sinner”(v. 13). Have you prayed that prayer? That kind of praying opens a path to God.

Finally,

III. THE TRULY REPENTANT PERSON WILL BECOME A RECIPIENT OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN. Not only was the tax collector set free from his sin, he was, likewise, delivered from a natural inclination to sin. This is called full redemption. The kind of redemption written about in Psalm 130, in which the Psalmist said...

“O Israel, hope in the LORD;For with the LORD there is lovingkindness, and with Him is abundant redemption” (Psalm 130:7). 

Hear this writers commentary, “For the Christian, redemption in Christ is not merely from sins, but from a natural inclination and dedication to sin. God hears our cry of repentance ( ...have mercy on me, a sinner), grants us mercy, and forgives our sins through Jesus Christ.” It was the Psalmist who said, “He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins”(Ps. 130:8).

Had the tax collector know this old hymn, “Redeemed How I Love to Proclaim It,” He could have gone away singing a song that not even the angels in heaven can sing... Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb... His child and forever I am.” It all started with a simple prayer in the temple. A prayer that went like this, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Or as the thief from the cross prayed...

“And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42,43). 

Have you become a recipient of God “full” redemptive plan?

CONCLUSION: If not, here is what you need to do...

Note: To learn more about God’s plan of salvation, log on to: www.greenwoodbaptistchurch.com