Never Give Up (On God)
Notes
Transcript
Psalm 121 / Luke 18:1-8 / Genesis 32:22–31
Nagging: A Christian Practice
Nagging: A Christian Practice
The Widow: Give me justice against my adversary
Jacob: Give me a blessing!
The widow: She continually came before the unrighteous judge
Jacob: I will not let go unless you bless me
In both cases, they were granted their requests
We don’t get what we want
We don’t get what we want
5 reasons that are our fault:
5 reasons that are our fault:
We haven’t dealt with our own sin:
Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”
We don’t ask:
James 4:2 “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.”
We don’t believe:
James 1:6-8 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
We want wrong things:
James 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
We need the hindrance:
2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
God is the Righteous Judge
God is the Righteous Judge
He is unlike the unrighteous judge in Luke 18.
He IS the man in Genesis 32.
Romans 8:31-32 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
Luke 18:6-8 “And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””
3 Things to do:
3 Things to do:
Consider our state
Consider our state
Are we in Christ?
Are we causing our own calamity by sin?
What is it that we should be asking for?
Consider our God
Consider our God
Is He Righteous?
Is He Good?
Has He proven Himself?
Never give up (on God)
Never give up (on God)
Spend time with our Good God - Bible, worship, prayer
Ask for what we need
Believe that He will answer perfectly in His time
Church Family, there are many disasters, difficulties, and disappointments in this life, but when we consider the character of our God we see that we should never give up on Him! We still know where our help comes from.