Turn back, if you would, to Luke
chapter 18. Luke 18. The title of the message this evening
is A Prayer for Mercy. A Prayer for Mercy. Look with me at verse 10 of Luke
18. Two men went up into the temple
to pray. The one a Pharisee and the other
a publican. Two men. Two different men. They went to the temple. For
this reason, they went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee, Scripture says,
he stood. You can kind of picture him. I'm sure he stood in a very grave
and solemn manner. Probably even looked around just
to see who all was watching him. He showed great devotion, great
seriousness. Stood with boldness and probably
great confidence. But all that wasted because it
was in himself. He stood alone, apart from the
publican. No doubt he distanced himself
from that publican, probably like he would a leper. Wouldn't
take a chance of being seen with the publican or being being even in the same space
with him, polluted by him. Our Lord taught in Matthew 6,
5. He said, when thou prayest, be
not as the hypocrites. He said, they love to stand praying,
standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets
for this purpose. that they might be seen of men. And verily, I say unto you, they have their reward. If that's their desire, to be
seen of men, they're going to get just what they want. They have their reward. The Pharisee stood and he prayed
thus with himself. And you read this prayer and
you'll see there's no request in it for pardoning grace. There's no request in it for
mercy. There's no confession of sin. He wasn't praying. He begins with thanksgiving and
that's a, we should. We should start with thanksgiving.
We should always be thankful in prayer. Thankful for his grace,
thankful for his mercy. Thankful for every gift that
received from him. Thankful for all that he's done. Thankful for all that he is.
Thankful that he's kept us from sin. But that wasn't this Pharisee's
purpose in giving thanks. He thanks God, but listen in
verse 11. He stood and prayed thus with
himself. God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are. extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
and even as this publican. Something just tells me when
he said that he just looked over at him and just sneered. He thanks God not to exalt God,
but he thanks God in order to exalt himself. He places his righteousness,
this Pharisee has placed his righteousness in his own works,
in everything that he's done. He's not thanking God, but rather
he's just blessing himself. He says, I am not as other men. But he was as other men, and
no better. A sinner, a sinner in Adam, just
as other men are. A sinner by nature, just as others
are. The same iniquity. Whether he
knew these things or not, he's a sinful man. He had the same
corruption in his heart, no goodness in him, and no righteousness. Verse 12, the Pharisee goes on
to say, I fast twice in the week. I give tithes of all that I possess. In Matthew 23, verse 23, our
Lord He rebuked the Pharisees. Just listen to these words. He
said, woe unto you, scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites. He said, you pay tithe on mint
and anise and cumin, but you've omitted the weightier matters
of the law. You pick the easy things. You've omitted the weightier
parts of the law, judgment, mercy, faith. These ought you have done,
not to leave the other undone. Those Pharisees, they were very
strict in observing those outward things of the law. That gave
them credit with the people. That must have impressed the
people, or at least they thought it did. especially the priest
and the Levites. Those little trifling ceremonies
and traditions of the elders, they stuck to those. But they neglected the important
things. Those things are the greatest, greatest importance. Nothing more than an outward
show of the flesh. Think about what God told Samuel
when he sent him to anoint a king. The Lord said to Samuel, look not on his countenance. We judge people that way, don't
we? I do, I won't speak for you all,
okay? I'll say that, that's how we
typically judge people, isn't it? They're outward countenance,
that's all we can see. But he tells Samuel, he said,
look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature,
because I've refused him. For the Lord seeth not as man
seeth. Man looks on the outward appearance,
but the Lord, he looks on the heart. And that Pharisee, he
may have had everybody in that temple fooled, but not God. Listen to these words from Luke
16, 15. Our Lord speaking here, he said,
ye are they which justify yourselves before men. but God knoweth your heart. That which is highly esteemed
among men, it's an abomination in the sight of God. You pay tithes of men, and Annas
and Cumans. You've omitted the weightier
parts of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Scripture declares
this Pharisee went up to the temple to pray. But there's no
indication that he did any such thing. I'm weak. He is strong. I'm poor. His riches are beyond measure. I see no evidence that this that
this Pharisee asked for anything. Apparently, he had no need of
anything. He had no love for his fellow
man, quite the opposite of that. He said, I thank thee that I'm
not like other men. You know, if we ever get to the
point that we think that we're not
like other men. And I'll ask you to do this for
me. If you ever see me to the point where I think I'm not like
other men, remind me of this. Remind me of this one short passage
of scripture. All have sinned. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. He had no thought for his fellow
man. Samuel, he spoke to the children of Israel and he said
this, moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against
the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. He said, but I'll teach
you the good and right way. I pray the Lord would enable
us to pray, to pray for one another. But you know, according to scripture,
it's not just our brethren that we're to pray for. Matthew 5.44, turn there with
me. It was Matthew 5.44. It's easy to pray for those that
we love, those that we care about, those that care about us. But
listen to this passage. I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good unto them that hate you. And pray for them. Pray for them that despitefully
use you and persecute you, that ye might be the children of your
Father, which is in heaven. For he maketh the sun to rise
on the evil and on the good. He sendeth the rain on the just
and the unjust. That Pharisee, he had no need
of mercy. He had no need of atonement. The Pharisee spoke thus with
himself. He just as well had been talking
to himself. But listen, two men, two men went up to the
temple to pray. And what time we have left this
evening, I want us to look at this second man. Look with me
at Luke 18, verse 13. Follow along with me. And the publican. You know, those
publicans were looked down upon. Nobody cared for them. But I believe it's a good thing.
It was a good thing to be known as a publican. Our Lord was said to be the friend
of publicans and sinners. That don't sound like a bad group
to be identified with, does it? If you turn over page Luke 19,
verse 2, We read of one in particular, a man named Zacchaeus. Look there at Luke 19, verse
2. It says, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he
was chief among the publicans. I was just thinking about the
fact He was a friend of publicans and sinners, and we see that
he saved the chief of the publicans, and he also saved the chief of
sinners, doesn't he? This publican, whom the Lord
was pleased to save. Well, this publican, standing
afar off, back to our text here, standing afar off, we read that
the Israelites, they trembled at Mount Sinai. They stood afar
off. The old writers say this is a
reference to humility. He stood afar off. He didn't
even want to be seen. The Pharisees, they stood right
in the middle of the temple or out on the corner of the streets.
They stood in places to be seen of men. This man didn't want
to be seen of men. Humility. I'm not worthy. not
worthy of the least of his many great blessings. And he wouldn't
lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but he smote upon his breast
saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Just a few points, just a few
points this evening regarding this public and in his prayer. And the first one is this. The fact that he was a sinner, and he knew he was a sinner,
did not prevent him from approaching God. He said, God be merciful to me,
a sinner. God be merciful to me, I am the
sinner. He went to God. He cried for
mercy. He came bringing nothing. I am the sinner. The Pharisee,
he compared himself to others. He found plenty that he thought
he was better than, This publican, he's not concerned about anybody
else. He's not comparing himself to anybody else. God be merciful
to me, the sinner. He came by faith. He came believing
God. And rightfully so. Listen to
a few of these scriptures. He is the Lord God, merciful
and gracious. God's word declares that he is
slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. We read showing mercy
to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. There's grace, grace for the
guilty. There's mercy for the miserable. There's salvation for sinners. Jesus Christ came into this world
to save sinners. Second, he was brought to see
his need for mercy. He didn't let his sin prevent
him from approaching God and he was brought to see his need. He knew something of his need. There is nothing in us, nothing
in us that entitles us to mercy. Not our feelings, not our works,
not our ceremony, nothing. Only Christ, only the Lord Jesus
Christ. Not my sin, not my righteousness,
not my good works, not my bad works. Only one thing can commend
me to God and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, God be
merciful. That means be propitious to me,
the sinner. Turn with me to Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2. Verse 17. Wherefore, in all things it behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God,
to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. To reconcile his people, Christ
became a man. He was taken from among men.
He was made a high priest to offer sacrifice for sin, to make
intercession for the sins of his people. And he made his soul an offering
for sin. He shed his blood. He's our faithful
high priest, our mediator. And he pleads his perfect righteousness. He is perfect righteousness.
And he is plenteous in mercy. God spoke to Moses. He said this,
I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Third, he was brought to see
his sin, the source of it. He beat on his chest. He didn't
beat on his arms, he didn't beat on his legs, he didn't slap himself
in the face. He beat on his chest, crying,
God be merciful to me, the sinner. This heart, it's a proud heart. It's a wicked heart. Jeremiah
wrote this. He said, the heart is deceitful
above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it? When God destroyed this world
by the flood, we read that God saw the wickedness of man was
great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his, what? His heart was only evil continually. The wickedness that comes out
of this mouth, where's that come from? Turn with me to Matthew 15. Matthew 15. Somebody already
answered it, but we'll read it anyhow. Matthew 15, verse 17. Do not yet understand that whatsoever
entereth in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast into
the drought. Everybody understands that, right?
We eat, it goes into the stomach, and we don't have to explain
where it comes out, right? We understand how that works.
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the
heart. And that's what defiles a man.
For out of the heart, out of the heart proceeds evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies. Is it any wonder, is it any wonder
that he beats on his chest brought to see his sin. In this
flesh dwelleth no good thing. A sinner. A sinner. Does that describe you? A sinner
in Adam. I have his nature. I was conceived
and born in sin. A sinner by birth. a sinner by
choice, a sinner by practice. I've committed sin, and now I
come to Him as a guilty and filthy sinner, deserving of wrath, deserving
the lowest hell. And again, this this public, and he doesn't do
like the Pharisee and find somebody else to say, well, I mean, I'm
bad, but I'm not as bad as this one. I'm not as bad as that one. No, he just speaks of himself.
He speaks only of himself as if he were the only sinner in
the world. And in his prayer, he cries out
to God. He didn't go looking for a priest.
He doesn't go looking for somebody dressed in a robe or some kind
of religious garment. He goes to God. God against whom
he has sinned. But David knew that, didn't he?
Huh? He said, against thee, and thee
only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. And he cries
out to God. You know, only God, only God
can give mercy. God has mercy. He has forgiveness. Only He can
forgive sin. Only He can put away sin. And He's promised that He will. Listen to these words from Micah,
the book of Micah. Micah 7, Who is a God like unto
thee, that pardoneth iniquity, that passeth by the transgression
of the remnant of his heritage, his people, his sheep. He retaineth
not his anger forever because he delighteth in mercy. And he'll turn again and he'll
have compassion upon us. And he'll subdue our iniquities
and cast our sins into the depths of the sea. A God who pardons transgression
and sin. This publican came to him, he
smote on his breast, crying, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Again, propitious. That means, listen, show mercy
on me, Not for anything I've done or
anything I haven't done. Show mercy on me because of the
sacrifice of another. Have mercy on me for Christ's
sake. Fourth point. What was the result of this prayer
for mercy? Look back at our text. Again,
Luke 18 verse 14. I tell you, in verse 14, I tell
you, this man, this publican, he went down to
his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that
exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself
shall be exalted. I tell you this man. Any question who he's talking
about there? Not talking about the Pharisee, is he? Talking
about the publican. This one whose sin did not prevent
him from approaching God. This publican who's seen his
need for mercy. This publican who was brought
to see his sin. He owned himself a sinner, unworthy
of any favor. This man who treated that publican,
that publican who was treated with such contempt by that Pharisee,
he went down to his house justified rather than the other. Turn with
me to Romans 3. Justified. Turn with me to Romans
3. Look at verse 20 of Romans 3. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin. The Pharisee, he approached God
with his deeds. He approached God with that which
cannot save a man, by the deeds of the law. By the deeds of the
law, by your doing and dying. The law cannot save. It cannot
justify, it cannot give you a righteousness. The law can only condemn. Well, that's that Pharisee, but
what about the publican? He cried out for mercy. What
was the result? God's word declares that he went
down to his house justified. Look at Romans 3 verse 24. Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justification. I tell you, that's
just the opposite of what we deserve. We deserve condemnation. That's a big word, isn't it?
Justification. What does that mean? To be justified means to be holy. It means to be without sin. It
means to be without guilt. Absolutely pure and perfect in
the sight of God. When He sees me, what does He
see? The blood of the Lamb. He sees
me as worthy and not as I am. He views me in garments as white
as the snow. For the Lamb of God is worthy,
and He washed me. This I know. Justified. We have the holiness
and righteousness of His Son, as if it were our own, by the free and sovereign grace
of Almighty God. He chose us, He redeemed us,
He called us according to the good pleasure of His own will by the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ, He perfectly
obeyed God's law. He bore our sins in His body
on the tree. He was buried and rose again,
and he sits. He sits at the right hand of
the Father where he ever makes intercession for his people. I pray he'd make this my prayer. Listen, not just some words to
repeat, but truly make it Our prayer. God, be merciful to me, the sinner. And granted by the person and
work of his son, that I might go down to my house just like
that publican justified. All right. Let's have a closing.