I want to pray but… I’m not good enough Carroll FUMC October 14, 2018

I want to pray but… I’m not good enough

Carroll FUMC

October 14, 2018

 Have you heard the saying, "Almost ain’t good enough"? (Pardon the grammar) I’m not sure where it originated... but in high school, if someone said, "well, I ALMOST made it" we would respond, "Well, almost ain’t good enough"

That is true in a lot of things. Almost getting the bronze medal doesn’t count for much. It just “isn’t good enough. “

Almost getting the job “isn’t good enough.

Almost getting the car stopped before hitting another car just is not good enough.”

In this season of political commercials we are reminded that a politician almost doing the right thing just should not be enough to get them reelected.

When you think about it, though...sometime almost IS good enough.

A baby almost walking elicits great praise. Sometimes almost is good enough.

If a child comes home from school with a spelling test with the score of 97%... they might say, "I ALMOST got them all right". and of course, we would be very happy with the almost perfect score. In that case, sometimes almost IS good enough.

The person who sets a goal to lose 50 pounds gets stuck at 30 pounds almost made their goal but most of us would celebrate their victory with them. Sometimes almost is great.

 Some people have the idea that they aren’t good enough. They think that God’s willingness to listen and ability to answer our prayers is dependent on our being good enough. They might say, “I don’t pray because I haven’t been to church for a long time,” “I feel like a hypocrite.” “I don’t have enough faith.” Or just plain,” God won’t answer my prayer. I’m not good enough.”

Perhaps you have felt that way yourself. Maybe you don’t say, “I’m not good enough” but maybe you have said:

“Who am I to ask God for anything? God knows what I am really like.”

“I haven’t prayed for so long I can’t go to God now.”

“That seems so selfish… I can’t pray for that.

“I don’t know what to say… I don’t know those fancy words.”

My friends, if there is one message about which Jesus is very clear is that God’s love is not reserved for those who are perfect. I

•            t’s OK if you aren’t perfect.

•            It’s ok that you feel like your life has not been quite good enough.

•            It’s OK that God knows who you really are.

•            It is OK that you don’t know all the fancy words.

•            It’s Ok that you don’t quite know where to start. It really is OK.

Truthfully, if I waited until I was good enough to pray, I would never pray. pray. Actually, none of us would.

None of us, because “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Did you hear that? ALL! Including me and including you.

“I ain’t good enough”

“You ain’t good enough.”

“All of us together ain’t good enough” … “BUT GOD"

Hear that? … BUT God.

But God

 1. We aren’t good enough

“But God, is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4).

 2. We can’t live God’s way ourselves,

“BUT God will give you another Helper . . . I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:15–18).

  3. We are sinners “But God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

  4. We cannot live the Christian life by self-effort “but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

  Do you see that” But God.” WE aren’t good enough but God’s love is good enough that God accepts us anyway.

WE aren’t loving enough BUT GOD IS.

WE aren’t faithful enough BUT GOD IS.

WE don’t deserve forgiveness, BUT GOD IS.

  That is why the 5th phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is so important “Forgive us our trespasses… or sins.” Are we good enough? NO, But God is. Jesus invites us to pray that simple prayer, “forgive us our trespasses,” as a way of humbling ourselves before the grace of God.

It is not news to God that we need forgiving, it is not a condemnation of us, but it is a NOT SO SUBTLE reminder to us that prayer includes honestly humbling ourselves before God, confessing our sins, and asking forgiveness by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Notice where this phrase is located in the prayer that Jesus taught. It is not at the beginning of the prayer as though we have to be forgiven first. In fact it is almost at the end. But it is important. … important enough to include in the only prayer about which Jesu said, “When you pray, pray lie this…”

So you think you aren’t good enough... you’re right BUT God is plenty good enough.

There is one other thing here.

AS we receive grace and forgiveness we need to remember that no one else is good enough either, BUT God is. God is good enough to offer forgiveness to the whole world,

HOW ABOUT YOU?

  Are you forgiving others as god forgives you? Are you treating others with grace? Are you praying that you will treat them with grace? The fact that you are not good enough on your own is not a problem for God but be careful how you pray… “Forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESSPASS AGIANST US.” Praying “forgive us our trespasses” humbles us before God, but praying “as we forgive those who trespass against us” is an acknowledgement that we can’t expect others to be “good enough” either. It is an acknowledgement that we are all in the same boat and if forgiveness is available to us, it is available to all; even those who hurt us. If forgiveness is available to all it is available to all …and it is not up to us to withhold it. WE must forgive if we want to be forgiven

Do you remember the story about the unjust servant in Matthew 18? It is on page 20 in your new testament if you want to look it up.

A man was taken before the king because he could not pay his debt. The king forgave him his large debt and set him free. On the way out of the palace the servant met a man who owed him 50 cents he loaned him for the pop machine. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded payment. The man begs for forgiveness and the servant will not forgive him so he has him thrown in jail.

Now the kicker… listen to this… The king calls the first servant back, takes back the forgiveness, and throws him in jail along with his friend. He takes back the forgiveness.

Now listen “Forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE those who trespass against us” AS WE FORGIVE!     We will only be forgiven to the same degree that we forgive others. To put it bluntly… if we don’t forgive others we can’t be forgiven. And to work the circle back around to the beginning of the sermon if we tell those who have harmed us that “almost ain't good enough,” I don’t forgive you. …, what do you suppose we will hear from God? Maybe something like ‘Then I can’t forgive you.”

This sentence of the Lord’s Prayer has been called the most dangerous prayer in history because we are asking Go to treat us the way we treat others. Or to put that in a scriptural context not only did Jesus teach “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He also taught “Do unto others as you want GOD to do unto you.” Hearing that, does anyone suddenly have the urge to go forgive someone? If not, maybe you should because I dare say we all have someone about whom we still have hard feelings. Even though we may have forgiven, we many of us still have some bad feelings toward them… And as long as we imprison them in our unforgiveness or hard feelings, we are also imprisoning ourselves.

When it comes to forgiving completely, “Almost ain’t good enough”

We started out with we aren’t good enough BUT GOD says, “I love you and want you to come to me in prayer anyway.” So we pray with humility and we pray for grace in our treatment of others.

 Whether you think you are good enough or not, whether you are as forgiving as you should be; the bottom line is pray anyway. Because you may not be who you and God want you to be today, but prayer is the only way to open yourself up to the forming and transforming power of God. No matter where you are… just pray.