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Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - The One Prayer God Always Answers

July 1, 2025 | 29:0

Robert Jeffress - The One Prayer God Always Answers
Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.
#Prayer #Righteousness #Self-Righteousness #Pride #Sin #Mercy #Holiness #Forgiveness #Salvation

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - The One Prayer God Always Answers | July 1, 2025
  • ♪ music ♪
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  • [announcer] from the pulpit of
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  • The first baptist church of dallas, texas,
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  • This is "pathway to victory" with dr. robert jeffress.
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  • Hi, i'm robert jeffress,
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  • And welcome again to "pathway to victory."
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  • It's disappointing when a prayer goes unanswered.
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  • Sometimes our heavenly father clearly says, "no."
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  • Other times, he tells us to wait.
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  • And we don't like either one of those responses.
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  • Well, today we're going to look at a request
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  • That god responds to every single time.
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  • It's a simple seven word prayer
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  • That has the power to transform your relationship with god.
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  • My message is titled, "the one prayer god always answers,"
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  • On today's edition of "pathway to victory."
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  • ♪ music ♪
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  • [announcer] jesus declared, "you are the salt of the earth
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  • And the light of the world."
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  • With so much darkness creeping into our schools
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  • And communities,
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  • Now is the time to answer that calling.
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  • Become the salt and light the world desperately needs
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  • Through the "pathway to victory"
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  • Salt & light matching challenge.
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  • Your gift today doubled in ministry impact
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  • Will empower "pathway to victory" to proclaim the gospel
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  • And stand for biblical truth.
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  • Push back and hold strong against moral decline
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  • By joining the salt & light matching challenge.
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  • ♪ music ♪
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  • You know in the bible,
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  • God uses the term righteousness in two distinct ways.
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  • Sometimes when the bible talks about righteousness,
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  • It's talking about a judicial righteousness,
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  • Our standing before god.
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  • To be righteous is to be in a right relationship,
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  • A right standing with god.
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  • Paul said in romans 4:5,
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  • "but to the one who does not work,
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  • But instead believes in him who justifies the ungodly,
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  • His faith is counted as righteousness."
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  • The moment you trust in jesus christ
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  • For the forgiveness of your sins,
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  • In the great courtroom of heaven,
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  • God pronounces you forgiven, righteous.
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  • You are in a right standing with himself.
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  • But other times,
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  • The word righteousness in the bible
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  • Refers to right acting before god.
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  • It's our conduct, our obedience.
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  • It's an ethical, not a judicial,
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  • But an ethical kind of righteousness.
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  • For example, in 1 peter 3:12, peter says,
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  • "for the eyes of the lord are toward the righteous,
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  • And his ears attend to their prayer,
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  • But the face of the lord is against those who do evil."
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  • One reason we don't get our prayers answered sometime
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  • Is we're not acting righteously.
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  • We may be in a right relationship with god,
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  • We may be forgiven of our sins,
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  • But if we don't act righteously,
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  • God doesn't hear our prayers.
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  • Judicial righteousness, ethical righteousness.
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  • But jesus said the prerequisite for both of them,
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  • Both a right standing with god
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  • And a right acting before god is to want it.
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  • It's to hunger for it.
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  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
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  • My friend and bible scholar r.t. kendall
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  • Tells about a time that he was nine years old
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  • And he was staying one night with his grandmother,
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  • And the next day he had a test at school
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  • That he wasn't prepared for.
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  • So when he awakened the next morning,
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  • He told his grandmother that he wasn't feeling well
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  • And didn't feel like going to school.
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  • She said, "okay, well, go back to bed."
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  • And he protested and said,
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  • "well, i would like breakfast first."
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  • (congregants laughing)
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  • She said, "if you have an appetite,
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  • That means there isn't much wrong with you,
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  • So you go get dressed for school
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  • And i'll prepare breakfast."
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  • Well, you know, jesus is saying the same thing here.
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  • Your appetite is
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  • A pretty good indication of your spiritual health.
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  • If you're a christian this morning and you have a hunger,
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  • You have a thirst for being more obedient to god,
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  • Then you're in pretty good spiritual shape.
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  • You may not feel like it,
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  • But you're on the road to spiritual health.
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  • In fact, 2 peter 1:3 says,
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  • "you have everything you need for life and godliness."
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  • If you hunger for an ethical righteousness,
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  • Obedience to god,
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  • You're on your way to spiritual health.
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  • But if you're not a christian this morning,
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  • If you're just here by accident,
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  • Perhaps you tuned into this broadcast by accident,
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  • But you have a desire, a hunger to be clean,
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  • To be forgiven, to be in a right relationship with god,
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  • It's a good indication that
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  • You are also on your road to spiritual health.
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  • In fact, if that's true of you this morning,
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  • You are only seven words away
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  • From a right relationship with god.
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  • And today,
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  • We're going to discover what those seven words are
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  • In a familiar parable.
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  • Turn to your bibles into luke 18,
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  • Beginning with verse nine,
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  • As we look at the one prayer god always promises to answer.
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  • Luke 18.
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  • Now, this is one of those parables jesus told
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  • That's very easy to interpret
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  • Because luke gives us the right interpretation
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  • At the beginning of the parable.
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  • He tells us the reason jesus told it.
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  • Look at verse nine,
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  • "and jesus also told them this parable
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  • To some people who trusted in themselves
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  • That they were righteous and viewed others with contempt."
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  • This parable is directed toward a group of people,
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  • Specifically the pharisees who trusted in themselves.
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  • Literally in the greek text it says,
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  • "who based on themselves, thought they were righteous."
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  • They thought god looked on them with favor,
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  • That they had a judicial righteousness,
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  • They were not guilty before god.
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  • They also were ethically righteous,
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  • They did all the right things.
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  • But their reason they believed that
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  • Was a standard that was based on themselves.
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  • You know,
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  • Today there's a lot of talk about having self-esteem
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  • And that people suffer from a bad self-image.
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  • But the truth is, the problem with most of us,
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  • Is not that we think too little of ourselves,
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  • But that we think too much of ourselves.
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  • Dr. david myers is a psychologist
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  • Who has written a lot about
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  • What he calls the inflated self syndrome in america.
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  • He reports that when the college board
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  • Surveyed high school seniors, they found that amazingly
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  • 0% of high school seniors thought that
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  • They were below average compared to other students.
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  • 60% believed they were in the top 10% in their ability
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  • To get along with others.
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  • And he concluded that
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  • The most common error in people's self-image
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  • Is not unrealistically low self-esteem,
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  • But rather self-serving pride.
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  • It was not an inferiority complex,
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  • But a superiority complex.
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  • That was the group that jesus was talking to!
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  • Those who thought they were righteous!
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  • And notice the second phrase he uses,
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  • "and they viewed others with contempt."
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  • I mean, that's the byproduct of feeling superior.
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  • What's the good of being superior
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  • If you can't look down on other people, right?
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  • There are actually some people
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  • Who are proud of their own humility.
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  • Whenever i read this parable
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  • That jesus told about the pharisees,
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  • I'm reminded of the third grade sunday school teacher who,
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  • After teaching this lesson to the children, said,
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  • "now children, let's bow our heads in prayer,
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  • And thank god that we're not like the pharisees."
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  • (congregants laughing)
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  • For people who feel that way,
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  • A purpose of this parable that jesus told is very clear
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  • In verse nine.
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  • This parable is not a parable that teaches us how to pray.
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  • It's not a parable that answers the question
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  • Why god answers some prayers
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  • And doesn't answer other prayers.
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  • This parable is about how to be righteous,
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  • How to be in a right standing with god.
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  • And in this parable,
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  • We find two very different approaches to god.
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  • One that is based on our goodness, our own works,
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  • And one that is based on god's grace.
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  • Now, let's look at the two characters,
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  • The two players in this parable.
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  • Verse 10, jesus said,
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  • "two men went up to the temple to pray,
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  • One a pharisee and the other a tax collector."
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  • If jesus were telling the story today, he might say,
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  • "two people went into the church to pray,
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  • A preacher and a prostitute."
  • 00:09:33.863 --> 00:09:36.465
  • That's the contrast jesus is trying to give us here.
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  • The pharisee! let's look at him, first of all.
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  • Now, today, and this is so important to understand.
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  • We think of the pharisees as the villain.
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  • They were highly revered, respected men.
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  • They knew the old testament backwards and forwards.
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  • And not only that,
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  • They were thought to be truly godly people.
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  • They had a desire to be godly.
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  • Their problem was they had the wrong idea of godliness.
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  • They thought that godliness was based on themselves
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  • And not the grace of god.
  • 00:10:12.301 --> 00:10:15.171
  • Now, notice his prayer.
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  • The bible says jesus said,
  • 00:10:18.140 --> 00:10:20.009
  • "this pharisee, when he went to pray, he stood to pray."
  • 00:10:20.009 --> 00:10:25.314
  • Now, a lot of people make a big deal out of that.
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  • "oh, look how proud he is. he stood."
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  • There's nothing wrong with standing to pray.
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  • In fact, a good jew would stand to pray.
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  • Today, if you go to the western wall, the wailing wall,
  • 00:10:34.490 --> 00:10:38.294
  • People stand there and pray
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  • And pour out their hearts to god.
  • 00:10:40.062 --> 00:10:41.864
  • The problem with this man's prayer was not his posture,
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  • It was his attitude.
  • 00:10:45.634 --> 00:10:46.869
  • And you see that in the second phrase.
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  • He stood and he prayed to himself. (laughs)
  • 00:10:49.038 --> 00:10:54.443
  • Isn't that a funny phrase?
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  • He prayed to himself.
  • 00:10:56.245 --> 00:10:57.880
  • Now, he probably didn't think he was praying to himself,
  • 00:10:57.880 --> 00:11:00.649
  • But you look at the prayer here,
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  • It was a prayer of self congratulations
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  • About all he had done.
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  • Look at verses 11 and 12.
  • 00:11:07.356 --> 00:11:09.024
  • "the pharisee stood praying this to himself,
  • 00:11:09.024 --> 00:11:11.961
  • 'god, i thank you that i am not like other people,
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  • Swindlers, unjust, adulterers,
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  • Or even like this tax collector over here
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  • Standing next to me.
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  • I fast twice a week, i pay tithes of all that i get.'"
  • 00:11:23.205 --> 00:11:28.644
  • This pharisee's problem was he had an i problem.
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  • I, i, i, i.
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  • He was focused on himself.
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  • Have you ever noticed people today
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  • Who try to give a testimony
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  • But they can't help
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  • But make themselves the hero of the story?
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  • Their testimonies are what
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  • One friend of mine call brag-a-monies.
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  • It's about me, me, me, me, me.
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  • Contrast him to the other character in this story,
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  • The tax collector.
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  • The tax collector!
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  • The jewish people hated tax collectors for two reasons.
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  • First of all,
  • 00:12:08.150 --> 00:12:09.652
  • They were helping fund the oppressive roman government
  • 00:12:09.652 --> 00:12:12.221
  • That was occupying their land.
  • 00:12:12.221 --> 00:12:14.690
  • But not only that, they were cheating people,
  • 00:12:14.690 --> 00:12:16.792
  • Taking more than they were supposed to take.
  • 00:12:16.792 --> 00:12:19.562
  • And so this tax collector went up to pray as well.
  • 00:12:19.562 --> 00:12:24.099
  • Don't miss the point that
  • 00:12:24.099 --> 00:12:25.668
  • This tax collector was just as much under god's judgment
  • 00:12:25.668 --> 00:12:30.739
  • As the pharisee was.
  • 00:12:31.207 --> 00:12:32.608
  • They both went to the temple to pray.
  • 00:12:32.608 --> 00:12:36.212
  • But notice his prayer in contrast to the pharisee's.
  • 00:12:36.212 --> 00:12:39.615
  • "the tax collector, standing some distance away,
  • 00:12:39.615 --> 00:12:44.353
  • Was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven,
  • 00:12:44.353 --> 00:12:48.057
  • But instead was beating his breast, saying,
  • 00:12:48.057 --> 00:12:50.860
  • 'god, be merciful to me, the sinner.'"
  • 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:56.198
  • This is one of the shortest prayers in the bible,
  • 00:12:57.233 --> 00:12:58.801
  • Seven words in the english language,
  • 00:12:58.801 --> 00:13:01.136
  • Six words in the greek text.
  • 00:13:01.136 --> 00:13:03.272
  • And yet this prayer reveals
  • 00:13:03.272 --> 00:13:05.507
  • The two essentials for righteousness,
  • 00:13:05.507 --> 00:13:08.244
  • For a right standing with god, for god's salvation.
  • 00:13:08.244 --> 00:13:12.147
  • First of all, he expresses sorrow for his sin.
  • 00:13:12.147 --> 00:13:17.052
  • You hear that in the prayer, "be merciful to me, the sinner"
  • 00:13:17.052 --> 00:13:22.424
  • Is what it actually says in greek.
  • 00:13:23.158 --> 00:13:24.660
  • It's articular. there's an article before the word sinner.
  • 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:27.596
  • It's not, "be merciful to me, a sinner,
  • 00:13:27.596 --> 00:13:30.566
  • Just like everybody else in the world."
  • 00:13:30.566 --> 00:13:32.201
  • No, "be merciful to me, the sinner."
  • 00:13:32.201 --> 00:13:35.004
  • I am the chief sinner of all!
  • 00:13:35.004 --> 00:13:39.541
  • By the way, notice his position.
  • 00:13:40.175 --> 00:13:42.611
  • He stood some distance away.
  • 00:13:42.611 --> 00:13:45.381
  • Away from what?
  • 00:13:45.381 --> 00:13:47.049
  • Well, probably away from the altar of sacrifice,
  • 00:13:47.049 --> 00:13:50.386
  • Representing the presence of god.
  • 00:13:50.386 --> 00:13:52.922
  • But he even stood away from the pharisee,
  • 00:13:52.922 --> 00:13:55.024
  • "oh, i can't be near a holy man.
  • 00:13:55.024 --> 00:13:57.693
  • I can't be near to him
  • 00:13:57.693 --> 00:13:59.528
  • And i certainly can't stand near to god."
  • 00:13:59.528 --> 00:14:02.064
  • But here's the paradox.
  • 00:14:02.064 --> 00:14:03.933
  • By standing far away from god,
  • 00:14:03.933 --> 00:14:06.135
  • He was closer to god than the pharisee.
  • 00:14:06.135 --> 00:14:09.505
  • Here's one thing you understand.
  • 00:14:09.505 --> 00:14:11.073
  • The more you understand the true holiness of god,
  • 00:14:11.073 --> 00:14:15.911
  • The more you understand how sinful you and i really are.
  • 00:14:15.911 --> 00:14:20.582
  • A real encounter with the genuine god
  • 00:14:20.582 --> 00:14:23.819
  • Leads you to understand your own un-holiness.
  • 00:14:23.819 --> 00:14:28.123
  • Isaiah's expressed that.
  • 00:14:28.123 --> 00:14:30.225
  • Remember in isaiah 6
  • 00:14:30.225 --> 00:14:31.527
  • When he had the vision of god on his throne
  • 00:14:31.527 --> 00:14:33.796
  • And the angels flying around the throne.
  • 00:14:33.796 --> 00:14:37.199
  • What was isaiah's response?
  • 00:14:37.199 --> 00:14:40.869
  • He fell down and he said, "woe to me, for i am undone.
  • 00:14:40.869 --> 00:14:44.540
  • I am a man of unclean lips."
  • 00:14:44.540 --> 00:14:48.043
  • Or remember when the apostle peter saw the glorified lord
  • 00:14:48.043 --> 00:14:52.047
  • In luke 5:8, he said,
  • 00:14:52.047 --> 00:14:53.349
  • "depart from me, lord, for i am a sinful man."
  • 00:14:53.349 --> 00:14:57.853
  • Or remember the apostle john in the book of revelation,
  • 00:14:57.853 --> 00:15:01.757
  • There on the island of patmos,
  • 00:15:01.757 --> 00:15:03.392
  • When he saw the vision of the glorified christ
  • 00:15:03.392 --> 00:15:06.395
  • In the state he'll be when he returns one day.
  • 00:15:06.395 --> 00:15:09.131
  • What did he do?
  • 00:15:09.131 --> 00:15:10.399
  • The bible says, "he fell down as a dead man."
  • 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:13.702
  • That's what happens to any sinner who confronts a holy god,
  • 00:15:13.702 --> 00:15:18.340
  • You're aware of your need.
  • 00:15:18.340 --> 00:15:20.676
  • But an expression of sorrow for your sin
  • 00:15:20.676 --> 00:15:23.245
  • Isn't enough to be forgiven.
  • 00:15:23.245 --> 00:15:25.714
  • It's not enough for salvation.
  • 00:15:25.714 --> 00:15:27.716
  • There's a second ingredient you see in this brief prayer,
  • 00:15:27.716 --> 00:15:30.586
  • And that is he requested god's mercy to cover his sin.
  • 00:15:30.586 --> 00:15:35.924
  • He said, "god, be merciful to me, the sinner."
  • 00:15:36.892 --> 00:15:42.031
  • Now that word, greek word translated merciful,
  • 00:15:42.998 --> 00:15:45.067
  • Is not just any word for mercy.
  • 00:15:45.067 --> 00:15:47.536
  • It's a very special word.
  • 00:15:47.536 --> 00:15:49.605
  • It's a word that is a form of the word
  • 00:15:49.605 --> 00:15:52.441
  • That was used to describe the mercy seat in the temple.
  • 00:15:52.441 --> 00:15:57.679
  • Remember, in the temple,
  • 00:15:58.180 --> 00:15:59.982
  • The holiest place of all was the holy of holies.
  • 00:15:59.982 --> 00:16:03.552
  • It was behind the veil,
  • 00:16:03.552 --> 00:16:05.687
  • And only one person could enter into the holy of holy
  • 00:16:05.687 --> 00:16:09.024
  • Once a year, that was the high priest.
  • 00:16:09.024 --> 00:16:11.960
  • Remember in the holy of holies,
  • 00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:13.495
  • Behind the veil there was the ark of the covenant.
  • 00:16:13.495 --> 00:16:17.266
  • And that ark, among other things, contained the two tablets,
  • 00:16:17.266 --> 00:16:21.070
  • Moses tablets with the 10 commandments.
  • 00:16:21.070 --> 00:16:24.206
  • On top of the ark, which was more like a box,
  • 00:16:24.206 --> 00:16:27.276
  • There was a lid covered in gold.
  • 00:16:27.276 --> 00:16:30.145
  • It was called the mercy seat.
  • 00:16:30.145 --> 00:16:33.649
  • And on each end of the mercy seat
  • 00:16:33.649 --> 00:16:36.618
  • Was the replication of an angel, a cherub,
  • 00:16:36.618 --> 00:16:41.290
  • And the cherub on each end had outstretched wings.
  • 00:16:41.290 --> 00:16:45.761
  • They were thought to protect the holiness of god.
  • 00:16:45.761 --> 00:16:48.997
  • And it was believed that the spirit of god dwelt between
  • 00:16:48.997 --> 00:16:52.668
  • The cherubim on that ark of the covenant.
  • 00:16:52.668 --> 00:16:55.938
  • And the picture was very clear.
  • 00:16:55.938 --> 00:16:57.506
  • It was a picture of god's judgment.
  • 00:16:57.506 --> 00:16:59.475
  • God, a holy god, is looking down on the law, his law,
  • 00:16:59.475 --> 00:17:03.979
  • Which he gave his people.
  • 00:17:03.979 --> 00:17:05.514
  • A law which the israelites broke every day of every year.
  • 00:17:05.514 --> 00:17:10.052
  • It was a picture of the judgment that god's people deserved
  • 00:17:10.052 --> 00:17:14.990
  • For the law they had broken.
  • 00:17:14.990 --> 00:17:17.226
  • But once a year on yom kippur, the day of atonement,
  • 00:17:17.226 --> 00:17:21.897
  • The high priest, after making an atonement for his own sins,
  • 00:17:21.897 --> 00:17:26.135
  • Would take the blood of an innocent animal
  • 00:17:26.135 --> 00:17:28.737
  • And he would come into the holy of holies
  • 00:17:28.737 --> 00:17:30.939
  • In the presence of god,
  • 00:17:30.939 --> 00:17:32.608
  • And he would take that blood
  • 00:17:32.608 --> 00:17:34.076
  • And he would sprinkle it on the mercy seat
  • 00:17:34.076 --> 00:17:36.979
  • That covered the broken law.
  • 00:17:36.979 --> 00:17:39.748
  • And the picture was as god looked down,
  • 00:17:39.748 --> 00:17:42.384
  • He no longer saw the law that had been broken,
  • 00:17:42.384 --> 00:17:45.654
  • But he saw the covering,
  • 00:17:45.654 --> 00:17:47.356
  • The atoning of that innocent animal.
  • 00:17:47.356 --> 00:17:51.493
  • And of course,
  • 00:17:51.493 --> 00:17:52.895
  • All of that was a picture of what jesus christ,
  • 00:17:52.895 --> 00:17:55.797
  • Our perfect high priest, would do one day.
  • 00:17:55.797 --> 00:17:59.768
  • The high priest for hundreds of years
  • 00:17:59.768 --> 00:18:01.803
  • Would have to come in year after year after year.
  • 00:18:01.803 --> 00:18:05.908
  • He would have to first of all,
  • 00:18:05.908 --> 00:18:07.109
  • Make an atonement for his own sins.
  • 00:18:07.109 --> 00:18:09.244
  • He would come with the blood of an animal
  • 00:18:09.244 --> 00:18:11.947
  • And he had to do it repeatedly.
  • 00:18:11.947 --> 00:18:14.750
  • But jesus christ is our perfect high priest,
  • 00:18:14.750 --> 00:18:18.620
  • And he's entered not a manmade temple,
  • 00:18:18.620 --> 00:18:20.789
  • But the true temple, the presence of god.
  • 00:18:20.789 --> 00:18:23.592
  • And he approached the temple of god and the throne of god,
  • 00:18:23.592 --> 00:18:26.261
  • Not with the blood of an animal that was worthless,
  • 00:18:26.261 --> 00:18:29.364
  • But with his own blood.
  • 00:18:29.364 --> 00:18:31.133
  • And he obtained what?
  • 00:18:31.133 --> 00:18:32.534
  • Eternal redemption.
  • 00:18:32.534 --> 00:18:34.970
  • That's what the writer of hebrews said in hebrews 9:11-12.
  • 00:18:34.970 --> 00:18:39.341
  • "but when christ appeared
  • 00:18:39.341 --> 00:18:41.210
  • As a high priest of the good things to come,
  • 00:18:41.210 --> 00:18:43.879
  • He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle,
  • 00:18:43.879 --> 00:18:47.449
  • Not made with hands, that is not to say of this creation
  • 00:18:47.449 --> 00:18:51.119
  • And not through the blood of goats and calves,
  • 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:53.956
  • But through his own blood he entered the holy place
  • 00:18:53.956 --> 00:18:57.426
  • Once for all,
  • 00:18:57.426 --> 00:18:58.927
  • Having obtained eternal redemption."
  • 00:18:58.927 --> 00:19:02.497
  • Why do i mention this?
  • 00:19:02.998 --> 00:19:05.400
  • Because when this tax collector said,
  • 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:07.936
  • "lord, be merciful to me,"
  • 00:19:07.936 --> 00:19:11.740
  • He was asking for a blood atonement,
  • 00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:14.643
  • A covering that would wipe away his sins.
  • 00:19:14.643 --> 00:19:18.280
  • He understood he was powerless to forgive himself.
  • 00:19:18.280 --> 00:19:21.650
  • He needed the forgiveness
  • 00:19:21.650 --> 00:19:23.118
  • That was based on the sacrifice of
  • 00:19:23.118 --> 00:19:25.420
  • The true high priest, jesus christ.
  • 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:28.457
  • You see that even in the way he prayed.
  • 00:19:28.457 --> 00:19:32.861
  • James montgomery boice points out
  • 00:19:32.861 --> 00:19:34.830
  • The simple sentence structure of this prayer.
  • 00:19:34.830 --> 00:19:38.033
  • It's a prayer that starts with god and ends with the sinner,
  • 00:19:38.033 --> 00:19:43.305
  • But has mercy in the middle.
  • 00:19:43.905 --> 00:19:45.874
  • It is god's mercy, it is god's grace
  • 00:19:45.874 --> 00:19:49.544
  • That connects sinful man to a holy god.
  • 00:19:49.544 --> 00:19:54.816
  • "god be merciful to me, the sinner."
  • 00:19:55.617 --> 00:19:59.388
  • Two men with two very different ways to approach god.
  • 00:19:59.388 --> 00:20:03.825
  • One who tries to approach god based on his own righteousness
  • 00:20:03.825 --> 00:20:07.996
  • And one who approaches god based on god's grace.
  • 00:20:07.996 --> 00:20:13.435
  • Now, if jesus had stopped right here with the prayer
  • 00:20:14.503 --> 00:20:18.407
  • And said, "now i'm going to give you a pop quiz, audience.
  • 00:20:18.407 --> 00:20:21.543
  • You've heard the story.
  • 00:20:21.543 --> 00:20:23.245
  • Which man walked away from the mountain
  • 00:20:23.245 --> 00:20:26.315
  • Justified in a right relationship with god?"
  • 00:20:27.215 --> 00:20:30.752
  • The audience without a doubt would've said,
  • 00:20:30.752 --> 00:20:32.487
  • "why, the pharisee of course!
  • 00:20:32.487 --> 00:20:36.258
  • The pharisee is the one who ended up righteous.
  • 00:20:36.258 --> 00:20:38.960
  • I mean, look at all of the things he's done!
  • 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.363
  • He's tithed, he's fasted,
  • 00:20:41.363 --> 00:20:43.098
  • He's not like these adulterers and murderers.
  • 00:20:43.098 --> 00:20:47.769
  • He's righteous!
  • 00:20:48.136 --> 00:20:50.172
  • Why would that tax collector think
  • 00:20:50.172 --> 00:20:53.141
  • A little seven word prayer
  • 00:20:53.141 --> 00:20:54.743
  • Suddenly makes everything all right with god?"
  • 00:20:54.743 --> 00:20:57.112
  • Haven't you heard that before?
  • 00:20:57.112 --> 00:20:58.780
  • How can people think that praying a prayer of salvation
  • 00:20:58.780 --> 00:21:01.950
  • Erases all of the bad that they've ever done before?
  • 00:21:01.950 --> 00:21:05.854
  • They would've picked the pharisee for sure.
  • 00:21:05.854 --> 00:21:09.291
  • And that's why jesus turns their expectations upside down
  • 00:21:09.291 --> 00:21:12.994
  • In verse 14.
  • 00:21:12.994 --> 00:21:14.396
  • He says, "no, i tell you this man, the tax collector,
  • 00:21:14.396 --> 00:21:19.267
  • Went to his house justified rather than the other."
  • 00:21:20.302 --> 00:21:25.774
  • You know what's interesting to me?
  • 00:21:26.508 --> 00:21:28.877
  • I'm sure when the pharisee finished
  • 00:21:28.877 --> 00:21:31.113
  • His self-congratulatory prayer,
  • 00:21:31.113 --> 00:21:33.882
  • I'm sure he felt great.
  • 00:21:33.882 --> 00:21:36.551
  • I'm sure he left the temple mount that day saying,
  • 00:21:36.551 --> 00:21:39.454
  • "you know, nothing like some good quality prayer time
  • 00:21:39.454 --> 00:21:42.457
  • With the lord." (chuckles)
  • 00:21:42.457 --> 00:21:44.893
  • And i imagine that the tax collector probably left
  • 00:21:44.893 --> 00:21:48.029
  • Just as miserable as he went,
  • 00:21:48.029 --> 00:21:51.733
  • Feeling bad and terrible about his sin.
  • 00:21:51.733 --> 00:21:54.936
  • But guess what?
  • 00:21:54.936 --> 00:21:56.171
  • Your relationship with god isn't based on how you feel
  • 00:21:57.272 --> 00:22:01.176
  • About your relationship with god.
  • 00:22:01.176 --> 00:22:02.911
  • It's how god views you.
  • 00:22:02.911 --> 00:22:05.747
  • How he sees you!
  • 00:22:05.747 --> 00:22:07.549
  • How he feels about you.
  • 00:22:07.549 --> 00:22:08.884
  • And jesus said, "i'm telling you,
  • 00:22:08.884 --> 00:22:11.386
  • Regardless of this tax collector's feelings,
  • 00:22:11.386 --> 00:22:14.222
  • He left the mountain that day justified,
  • 00:22:14.222 --> 00:22:18.927
  • Declared not guilty,
  • 00:22:18.927 --> 00:22:21.863
  • Because his prayer wasn't based on his righteousness.
  • 00:22:21.863 --> 00:22:25.400
  • It was based on my mercy."
  • 00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:28.303
  • And then jesus adds this word, these familiar words,
  • 00:22:28.303 --> 00:22:31.773
  • "for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
  • 00:22:31.773 --> 00:22:37.112
  • But he who humbles himself will be exalted."
  • 00:22:38.046 --> 00:22:41.817
  • The person who refuses to bow before god
  • 00:22:42.684 --> 00:22:46.755
  • And admit his need for forgiveness will one day be humbled.
  • 00:22:47.989 --> 00:22:53.061
  • One day he will be shocked to hear from the lord
  • 00:22:54.062 --> 00:22:57.165
  • He thought he served, utter these words,
  • 00:22:57.165 --> 00:23:00.502
  • "depart from me, you worker of iniquity,
  • 00:23:00.502 --> 00:23:04.139
  • For i never knew you."
  • 00:23:04.139 --> 00:23:07.409
  • On the other hand, the person who bows before god and says,
  • 00:23:08.610 --> 00:23:12.814
  • "god, i am a sinner, i am the sinner,
  • 00:23:12.814 --> 00:23:16.485
  • And i have no hope except jesus christ."
  • 00:23:16.485 --> 00:23:20.322
  • The person who humbles himself will one day be exalted
  • 00:23:20.322 --> 00:23:24.392
  • And will be welcomed into god's kingdom.
  • 00:23:24.392 --> 00:23:27.829
  • ♪ music ♪
  • 00:23:27.829 --> 00:23:29.464
  • As a.w. tozer said, "in ourselves, nothing.
  • 00:23:29.464 --> 00:23:35.103
  • In christ, everything."
  • 00:23:35.604 --> 00:23:39.140
  • ♪ music ♪
  • 00:23:39.474 --> 00:23:43.411
  • When we ask for righteousness,
  • 00:23:44.045 --> 00:23:46.414
  • We can be absolutely certain that
  • 00:23:46.414 --> 00:23:48.483
  • God will answer our prayer.
  • 00:23:48.483 --> 00:23:51.753
  • Well, in closing today,
  • 00:23:51.753 --> 00:23:53.054
  • I want to encourage you to participate in
  • 00:23:53.054 --> 00:23:54.956
  • The salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:23:54.956 --> 00:23:57.325
  • For just a short while longer,
  • 00:23:57.325 --> 00:23:59.194
  • Your gift to "pathway to victory" will be matched
  • 00:23:59.194 --> 00:24:02.330
  • And therefore doubled in ministry impact,
  • 00:24:02.330 --> 00:24:05.100
  • Up until the deadline of midnight, july 6th.
  • 00:24:05.100 --> 00:24:08.403
  • All around us, we see the reality of evil.
  • 00:24:08.403 --> 00:24:11.506
  • And darkness has crept into many churches,
  • 00:24:11.506 --> 00:24:14.009
  • Schools, and communities.
  • 00:24:14.009 --> 00:24:15.944
  • But this is no time to retreat.
  • 00:24:15.944 --> 00:24:18.480
  • This is the time to step forward
  • 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:20.582
  • To advance the kingdom of god.
  • 00:24:20.582 --> 00:24:23.118
  • Together, we can push back against the moral decline
  • 00:24:23.118 --> 00:24:26.321
  • In our nation.
  • 00:24:26.321 --> 00:24:27.689
  • Together, let's reach as many people as possible
  • 00:24:27.689 --> 00:24:30.892
  • With the gospel of jesus christ.
  • 00:24:30.892 --> 00:24:33.828
  • Now, stay right there,
  • 00:24:33.828 --> 00:24:35.130
  • I'll be back with more "pathway to victory"
  • 00:24:35.130 --> 00:24:37.332
  • In just a moment.
  • 00:24:37.332 --> 00:24:39.200
  • [announcer] is fear holding you back
  • 00:24:40.001 --> 00:24:41.403
  • From sharing your faith?
  • 00:24:41.403 --> 00:24:42.837
  • Millions of christians have the desire,
  • 00:24:42.837 --> 00:24:44.773
  • But lack the courage to speak up.
  • 00:24:44.773 --> 00:24:46.942
  • With god's holy spirit, you can become unstoppable.
  • 00:24:46.942 --> 00:24:50.512
  • Our enemy hates for the church to grow,
  • 00:24:50.512 --> 00:24:53.014
  • Not just in numbers, but in its influence for the gospel.
  • 00:24:53.014 --> 00:24:56.952
  • And he will do everything he can to stop it,
  • 00:24:56.952 --> 00:25:00.322
  • So we must do everything we can to stop him.
  • 00:25:00.322 --> 00:25:03.858
  • In my faith building book "unstoppable power,"
  • 00:25:03.858 --> 00:25:07.128
  • You'll discover how to call upon the holy spirit
  • 00:25:07.128 --> 00:25:09.965
  • To be your confidence in any situation.
  • 00:25:09.965 --> 00:25:13.468
  • [announcer] in his bestselling book, "unstoppable power,"
  • 00:25:13.468 --> 00:25:16.237
  • Dr. robert jeffress reveals
  • 00:25:16.237 --> 00:25:17.839
  • How you can boldly proclaim the gospel
  • 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:20.075
  • With the same confidence the apostles had.
  • 00:25:20.075 --> 00:25:22.811
  • You're invited to request the book, "unstoppable power,"
  • 00:25:22.811 --> 00:25:25.914
  • When you give a generous gift to
  • 00:25:25.914 --> 00:25:27.482
  • The "pathway to victory," salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:25:27.482 --> 00:25:30.719
  • And when your gift is $75 or more,
  • 00:25:30.719 --> 00:25:33.688
  • You'll also receive the companion study guide,
  • 00:25:33.688 --> 00:25:36.224
  • Along with the complete "unstoppable power" teaching series
  • 00:25:36.224 --> 00:25:39.561
  • On dvd video and audio disc.
  • 00:25:39.561 --> 00:25:42.130
  • We face the same kind of growing opposition
  • 00:25:42.130 --> 00:25:46.735
  • In the 21st century
  • 00:25:46.735 --> 00:25:48.637
  • As those first century christians experienced.
  • 00:25:48.637 --> 00:25:51.506
  • That opposition was no match for the power of jesus christ.
  • 00:25:51.506 --> 00:25:56.011
  • [announcer] remember,
  • 00:25:56.011 --> 00:25:57.312
  • Your gift today will have twice the impact,
  • 00:25:57.312 --> 00:25:58.880
  • Thanks to the "pathway to victory"
  • 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:00.482
  • Salt & light matching challenge.
  • 00:26:00.482 --> 00:26:02.417
  • Thank you for partnering with "pathway to victory"
  • 00:26:02.417 --> 00:26:05.120
  • As we boldly proclaim the gospel
  • 00:26:05.120 --> 00:26:07.155
  • In a world that has lost its way.
  • 00:26:07.155 --> 00:26:10.158
  • ♪ music ♪
  • 00:26:10.492 --> 00:26:11.593
  • When we express sorrow for our sin
  • 00:26:11.593 --> 00:26:14.362
  • And ask for god's mercy to cover our iniquity,
  • 00:26:14.362 --> 00:26:17.832
  • We can know for certain that god will answer our prayer
  • 00:26:17.832 --> 00:26:21.770
  • And put us in a right standing with himself.
  • 00:26:21.770 --> 00:26:25.273
  • Well, the most important question a person can ask in life
  • 00:26:25.273 --> 00:26:28.510
  • Is this one:
  • 00:26:28.510 --> 00:26:29.844
  • How can i have a right relationship with god?
  • 00:26:29.844 --> 00:26:34.015
  • And the verse that gives the answer to that question,
  • 00:26:34.015 --> 00:26:36.518
  • In my opinion,
  • 00:26:36.518 --> 00:26:37.919
  • Is the most important verse in all of the bible.
  • 00:26:37.919 --> 00:26:41.022
  • Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next
  • 00:26:41.022 --> 00:26:44.025
  • On "pathway to victory."
  • 00:26:44.025 --> 00:26:46.461
  • Admittedly, a pastor's setting himself up for trouble
  • 00:26:47.529 --> 00:26:50.999
  • When he announces he's going to talk about
  • 00:26:50.999 --> 00:26:53.034
  • The most important verse in the bible
  • 00:26:53.034 --> 00:26:54.602
  • Because everybody has a different idea of
  • 00:26:54.602 --> 00:26:57.439
  • What that verse should be.
  • 00:26:57.439 --> 00:26:59.507
  • But i think you would agree with me
  • 00:26:59.507 --> 00:27:01.009
  • That if you had to select
  • 00:27:01.009 --> 00:27:02.377
  • The single most important verse in the bible,
  • 00:27:02.377 --> 00:27:05.547
  • It ought to be one that answers
  • 00:27:06.181 --> 00:27:09.050
  • The most important question in life.
  • 00:27:09.050 --> 00:27:12.654
  • [announcer] set your dvr
  • 00:27:12.654 --> 00:27:13.822
  • And join us next time for the message,
  • 00:27:13.822 --> 00:27:15.590
  • "the most important verse in the bible,"
  • 00:27:15.590 --> 00:27:18.359
  • Here on "pathway to victory."
  • 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:20.695
  • ♪ music ♪
  • 00:27:20.695 --> 00:27:20.695