God is Merciful (Luke 18:9-14)
Gary McManus, 03/24/2019Part of the Prayer series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
March 24, 2019, The Third Sunday in Lent
Luke 18:9-14
Prayers that ask for forgiveness are at the top
of the list of prayers that the Lord answers.
Jesus tells the story of a man asking for
forgiveness.
KJV=publican=tax collector
Religious Jews of Jesus day:
tax collector= notorious sinner
two people coming for prayer. . .
one considered a very bad man,
the other considered a very good man. . .
Please notice:
BOTH DO COME FOR PRAYER. .
Please conclude: YOU are to come to prayer.
Pastor’s note: also listen for an answer to your
prayer and there are ways to do that.
The answers to the prayers are SURPRISE endings. . .
Jesus tells us a surprise ending to teach us about God.
We may have our concerns on our MINDS. . .
The heavenly father is looking upon our hearts.
There are some 40 to 60 references in Bible
to God’s mercy—half of them in the Old
Testament that our God is a God of mercy.
The notorious sinner knows God.
The notorious sinner knows himself.
Do you know that in your heart?
Mercy is a quality of God. . .a quality
of God IN ABUNDANCE. . .
Jason Frenn, author,
Dave Earley, author
Three times in the OT when our God
did not forgive the sins of the people
(Deuteronomy 29:18-20, Joshua 24:19,
2 Kings 24:3-4)
HOWEVER, the people expressed no interest
in desiring forgiveness—they showed no signs
of repentance.
See Luke 3:8, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 57:15
Mark 1:15.
The Pharisee (See Proverbs 11:19, 20:6, Matthew 6:4-6)
Also Matthew 6:16, 10:41-2
Our relationship to God BEGINS WITH
the Lord’s his mercy.
Additional sources for today’s message:
Jason Frenn, The Seven Prayers God Always Answers
Dave Earley, The 21 Most Effective Prayers of the Bible
Matthew (commentary), three volumes, W.D. Davies
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