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The Prayer that God Received Happily

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[Luke 18:14]

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

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When Jesus was on earth there were people called Pharisees.
These people thought they believed in God really well.

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They often wanted to show their fasting to others so they did it in an open place. They fasted two times a week to show others they really believed in God.

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The Pharisees also gave offerings really well.
They never forgot to give tithes of everything they earned.
The other people thought they really served God well.

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The Pharisees assumed God would like them most if they gave offerings well and when they fasted.
The Pharisees thought they were righteous people.

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So they disregarded all the people who did not live their lives like them. They detested tax collectors the most because they thought they were all sinners and that they could not go to heaven.

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Jesus told those arrogant people a story.

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There were two men who came to pray at the temple. Among the two men, one was a Pharisee who thought he was righteous. So, he came to the temple without any hesitation.

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And the other person was a tax collector who the Pharisees detest. He went to the temple quietly and unnoticeably.

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The Pharisee went into the temple and prayed proudly. "God, thank you for not letting me be a swindler. God, thank you for not letting me do bad things. And I want to especially thank you for not letting be a tax collector." The Pharisee prayed to God to show how clean he was.

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The Pharisee continued to pray.
" I fast two times a week. And I never forget to give tithes of everything I earn as offerings to you." This Pharisee prayed to show off.

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However, the tax collector went to the corner and prayed while hitting his chest and he could not even look at the sky. "God, I am a sinner. Show pity on this sinner."
The tax collector confessed his sin humbly.

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Jesus told the people how God saw these two people.
"God acknowledged that the tax collector was more righteous than the Pharisee."

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"Whoever exalts himself will fall and who ever humbles himself will be lifted up."
Jesus told the people gathered there an important lesson.

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The passage today tells us that even if we think we believe in God really well like the Pharisees, when we detest others God will not be happy about whatever we do. On the other hand, God received the humble prayer of the tax collector who confessed his sins.

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Even if we work a little harder in our belief than others we should never pray with pride in our hearts. God will answer the prayers by the ones who think they are not perfect and seek for his help.

(You can change the conclusion of this sermon best suiting to your listeners of this sermon. We want to make it clear that the provided conclusion is only a sample conclusion provided by CTM.)