Luke 18:1-8: Persevering Prayer - Worth it!
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Context. Series.
Jesus is talking about the end times, when his disciples will want him to return, when his people will face injustice and the evil of the world continues. We face confusion over what God is doing and why He isn’t doing certain things.
The space between his ascension and his return.
This leads into Jesus speaking to not losing heart. What causes you to lose heart, to lose focus?
There are things which are okay to let go of or not prioritize - not worth it. There are times when it is worth it.
++ Illustration - IGA job and friend RJ...
RJ needed a job, and decided perseverance was worth it!
Worth it? Not Losing Heart Before God is worth it!
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
INTRO + CONTEXT
Ordinary life will continue but then Jesus will return.
Jesus is saying “Be ready! & Don’t Lose Heart!”
18:1
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. (ESV)
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Don’t Lose Heart. Stay focused, stay ready for Jesus to return.
Common Life leads to cold love.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Ordinary life will continue but then Jesus will return. Just like the flood, people were focused on living their lives - they weren’t sensitive to hat God was doing.
Ordinary life will continue but then Jesus will return.
Jesus is saying “Be ready! & Don’t Lose Heart!” Common Ordinary life can lull us to apathy, to distraction, to discouragement and to cold love.
Jesus is saying “Be ready! & Don’t Lose Heart!”
Matthew 24:10-13
10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (ESV)
10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Jesus is saying “don’t lose heart”
Opposition will come and common life leads to cold love. Opposition leads to giving up, common life leads to growing cold.
Don’t lose heart. Don’t give up, or grow cold. Be ready!
Opposition will come and common life leads to cold love. Stay ready. Don’t lose heart!
NOTE: Jesus’ teaching is specifically related to his people facing opposition and yearning for justice and help. Not talking about praying for a +++parking spot and persevering until you get one.
Big Idea: Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
How do you persevere when you are discouraged or feeling apathetic?
If someone comes to you this afternoon and says “I am struggling in life, lacking power and joy, but I don’t feel like praying.” What do you say? What does Jesus say?
If someone comes to you this afternoon and says “I am struggling in life, lacking power and joy, but I don’t feel like praying.” What do you say?
“To come to pleasure you have not you must go by a way in which you enjoy not." - St. John of the Cross, 16th century Catholic monk.
“If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever.” - C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century, Preacher.
- St. John of the Cross, 16th century Catholic monk.
C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century, Preacher.
Three questions:
How do we not lose heart?
What is our answer to Jesus’ question?
What do we do when we have the wrong answer?
How do we not lose heart?
>>> Ask.
Pray! Pray! Pray! Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
The Parable. 2 Characters. “Open Bibles”
i. Judge: wicked, not respectable or caring.
ii. widow: desperate, vulnerable.
VS. 3 - widow keeps coming, she is representing herself in court. In the 1C, you would want a male relative or representative. She has noone.
Widows were low, desperate, needy. She has no money to bribe. Her only source of help is this judge.
VS. 4-5 -
Judge gives in, because of selfishness. “beat me down.”
Jesus uses a bad character to teach something. Is God like this judge? Jesus answers.
VS. 6-7
God isn’t like the judge. He doesn’t ignore his people. God is Just, he will save, rescue, and bring justice.
The Point of the Parable:
We are like the widow. Desperate and needy. God is NOT like the judge. He is good and trustworthy and will bring justice.
standard Jewish “How Much more” argument..
How do we not lose heart?
Answer is Persevere in prayer!
Persevere, don’t give up, don’t grow cold. Because God is faithful, he will fulfill his promises, he will bring justice, he will return, will make all things new.
Big Idea: Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
Have you ever not felt like seeking God but decided to anyway and found yourself being stirred in passion and faith?
Spurgeon quote
“If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever.” - C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century, Preacher.
St. John quote
“To come to pleasure you have not you must go by a way in which you enjoy not." - St. John of the Cross, 16th century Catholic monk.
Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
“If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever.” - C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century, Preacher.
We must persevere in prayer! What if we don’t know how to pray? What if our heart is too cold?
Getting Started in Prayer
i. Corporate Prayer: Sundays 9:25am, tomorrow 7am.
ii. S.H.A.P.E: Scripture, Hearing, Action, Prayer, Exaltation.
iii. Just start.
How do we not lose heart? Pray! It is Worth it!
Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
Spurgeon
A Christian ought never to be in such a state of mind that he feels bound to say, “I do not feel that I could pray;” or, if he does, let him pray till he feels he can pray. Not to pray because you do not feel fit to pray is like saying, “I will not take medicine because I am too ill.” Pray for prayer: pray yourself, by the Spirit’s assistance, into a praying frame. It is good to strike when the iron is hot, but some make cold iron hot by striking. We have sometimes eaten till we have gained an appetite, so let us pray till we pray. God will help you in the pursuit of duty, not in the neglect of it. - C. H. Spurgeon, 19th century preacher.
2. What is our answer to Jesus’ question?
VS. 8
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (ESV)
8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The question is not on whether God will be a good judge and bring justice. The question is whether people will be ready, trusting, and persevering when he returns.
Losing heart (vs.1) is the opposite of “having the faith” (vs.8)
Not losing heart is the same as having faith. We don’t lose heart, the same way that we keep faith - pray!
How do we not lose heart and have faith? We pray!
There is a connection between faith and persevering prayer.
Persevering prayer is an expression of trust. It is also an energizer for trust.
If we don’t persevere in prayer then we are either giving up or growing cold - we are losing heart.
Piper Quote
“If we lose heart and drift away from prayer, then the Son of man will not find faith in us when he comes. Faith is the furnace of our lives. Its fuel is the grace of God. And the divinely appointed shovel for feeding the burner is prayer. If you lose heart and lay down the shovel, the fire will go out, you will grow cold and hard” - John Piper
Prayer ignites passion to persevere.
John Piper
Review:
How do we not lose heart? (pray!)
What is our answer to Jesus’ question? (if we aren’t persevering in prayer then our answer is “no” - we lack faith).
What is our answer to Jesus’ question?
What do we do when we have the wrong answer?
What do we do when we answer incorrectly?
Do I have the faith to persevere in prayer and not lose heart? What if the answer is “no.”
What do we do when common life has lulled us to grow cold? What do we do when obstacles have caused us to give up?
Repent & Believe! Start to walk by faith today, resubmit today. It is worth it!
Respond to Jesus and rejoice in grace. Series
Prayer ignites passion to persevere. Pray in response to Jesus.
GOSPEL - we are accepted because of Jesus.
We lack faith, we waver, we give up. Our life is sinful. But Jesus lived the perfect life in our place! Jesus didn’t waver. Jesus did persevere in prayer.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN!
A young soldier, played by Matt Damon is to be rescued from battle because his brothers were killed and they want one son to live. A company is sent in, led by Captain Miller - Tom Hanks.
A young soldier, played by Matt Damon is to be rescued from battle because his brothers were killed and they want one son to live. A company is sent in, led by Captain Miller - Tom Hanks.
Various men in the company are killed in the process. Including the Captain. At the end of the movie, the captain is by this bridge dying and they are winning the battle and Matt Damon is going to be saved. Tom Hanks with his final breath pulls Matt Damon close and whispers “earn this.”
The next scene is years later. Matt Damon is an old man and he visits the grave of the Captain and gives a speech at the gravesite. With a quaking face and tears in his eyes, he says: “Everyday I remember what you said on that bridge. What you and the others did for me. I have tried to live a good life. I hope in your eyes, I have earned what you gave me.
His elderly wife comes over and he looks her in the eye and says “Tell me I lived a good life. Tell me I am a good man.”
When we believe that we have received what we don’t deserve. When we feel gratitude. When we believed that we have been saved. We respond. This is true. Series
We Don’t Earn it! The Widow beats down the Judge. She earns it with her persistence and shamelessness. R.J earns the job with his persistence and dedication. We don’t earn God’s love or his ear. Series
Jesus’ point: We are the widow. We have nothing! God is Not Like the Judge.
See the widow, had noone to represent her. She was alone before a judge. We have someone who represents us, we have a mediator — Jesus! Jesus stands before God in our place.
We don’t achieve, we receive what Jesus has achieved but trusting Jesus. When we trust Jesus, we are justified and made right before God. We are adopted into God’s family.
We don’t pray to a Judge. We pray “Father.” Big Idea
We come as kids...
Brielle - “again dad, again dad, again dad....!” “dance with me dad” She persists because I have what she doesn’t and because she trusts my love.
RECAP
Three questions:
How do we not lose heart?
What is our answer to Jesus’ question?
What is our answer to Jesus’ question?
What do we do when we have the wrong answer?
Getting Started in Prayer
i. Corporate Prayer: Sundays 9:25am, tomorrow 7am.
ii. S.H.A.P.E: Scripture, Hearing, Action, Prayer, Exaltation.
iii. Just start.
C. H. Spurgeon