2016-08-21 Luke 18:1-8 Faithful Living in a Faithless World (1): Melting Hearts

FAITHFUL LIVING IN A FAITHLESS WORLD (1): MELTING HEARTS (Luke 18:1-8) August 21, 2016 Intro – Cher once said, “The trouble with some women is that they get all excited about nothing -- and then they marry him.” Well, Jesus knew that his disciples were in danger of feeling exactly that way. They had gotten all excited about Jesus, believed He was the Messiah, committed their lives to Him in expectation that He would soon bring in the kingdom of God. As they approach Jerusalem on this extended journey, Lu reveals their exact frame of mind in Lu 19:11: “they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.” It will appear, but not in the way or timing they expected. So, beginning in Lu 17:20, Jesus clarifies the kingdom is multi-dimensional and is coming in stages. The spiritual dimension is available now, thru repentance and spiritual re-birth. But beginning in Lu 17:22, Jesus teaches His disciples the physical culmination of the kingdom is delayed. It’s not going to happen now as they expect. Rejection by the nation will lead to His own death and resurrection and ascension – meaning that kingdom consummation awaits an unexpected 2nd coming. It’s delayed – indefinitely. Well, DELAY is a bitter pill to swallow. And worse, it will be accompanied by persecution and martyrdom. Reality is going in the opposite direction of their expectations. Knowing how tough this will be, Jesus gives a parable instructing them how to live in light of this news. His basic instruction is in v. 1: “they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” “Keep the faith. Don’t get disheartened. Keep believing.” He challenges them, and us, with a question in v. 8: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Literally, will He find that faith on earth? What faith? The faith that is holding firm – has not lost heart. Faith in His promise. Faith that delay does not mean cancellation. That faith. Faith that finishes strong, does not waver. The delay will be long in human terms. And meantime, His disciples and us are going to face a hostile world – a wicked world that will reject Him. It’s going to look like He’s never coming – like it was all a charade. And the question will become – can you hang in there with a faith that is continuing, constant, and unflinching in its trust that He will one day straighten it all out. Jesus wants to help them and us to live with the “already, but not yet” tension of God’s kingdom program. How do we live a kingdom life in a kingdomless 1 world? He’s showing us how to live a faithful life in a faithless world – so that He will find that faith when He comes again. I. What Not to Do (lose heart) V. 1: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. In light of delay -- 2 instructions. Taking last first, “Do not lose heart.” If Jesus is to find “that faith” His followers must not lose heart in the meantime. Living a kingdom lifestyle in a non-kingdom environment is not easy. Nothing outside will encourage that. The impetus to be faithful to God’s commands has to come from within – from the heart. So, Jesus says, “Do not lose heart.” It will take tenacious faith to obey that command. Why do people lose heart? In Deut 1 Moses give his last sermon before he dies and the people go into Canaan. He reminds them that 40 years ago he sent spies to look the land over. When they returned they reported a land “flowing with mild and honey” – a fertile, desirable land. But they also reported vicious tribes of fearsome people – giants of epic proportion. So 10 of the spies urged rejection of God’s plan. Only 2 – Joshua and Caleb said, “Let’s go!” What did the people do? Deut 1:27, “27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven.” Moses’ urged them to go. They would not, and thus wasted 40 years getting nowhere. What caused the loss of heart? They believe me rather than God. They saw big people and a small God, and that is the recipe for a melting heart. Focus on the problem. Doesn’t matter what. Discouragement, disease, persecution – anything from being mocked and thought hopelessly out of date to having one’s life threated. Loss of something or someone. Focus on the problem is a recipe for disaster. Melted hearts are always the result of misplaced focus. You can’t diminish God in your life without eventually losing heart. When that happens, life becomes business as usual. God works in the lives of others, perhaps, but not mine. We ignore Him as either powerless or indifferent. Nothing could be further from the truth, but that becomes the untruth that drives us. Delay in the answer we want results in a denial of God’s providence, and loss of faith that He is coming again. We lose heart. 2 A pretty young widow named Martha Skelton in VA in 1770 had many suitors. Two men came together one day, but as they entered, they heard a violin and a harpsichord and a couple singing together. Immediately they knew. It could only be Tom Jefferson – the only violinist in the vicinity. They took one look at each other and calmly left – defeated before they even started. If Jefferson as there, there was no hope. They saw only the obstacle, lost sight of the prize and were defeated by “melting heart disease.” Beloved, don’t lose heart. One man asked on his folks 50th anniversary why they never seemed to fight. The father said, “Oh, we had disagreements, but after awhile one of us always realized that I was wrong.” So when God seems unresponsive and you’re about to lose heart, realize you’re wrong; God is right. Live by “that” faith, not by your sight, and here’s what will help. II. What To Do (pray) V. 1: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray (literally – it is necessary that they pray).” How do we keep from losing heart? Pray. Always pray. When things look bleak, pray. When things look impossible, pray. When things look good, pray more. Always pray. Prayer is the expression of “that” faith that Jesus wants to see when He comes again. When faith stops, prayer stops. And when prayer stops, faith stops. Without prayer, “that” faith will not be found. Jesus is urging, “Don’t give up. It may be awhile, and conditions will get tough. But don’t lose heart. Pray!” Pray for what? Well, in this context, it can be only on thing – the kingdom! It is delayed. Rejection by Israel has put the consummation of the kingdom of God on hold. But it is not canceled. So, as those who want to see God vindicated, His name glorified and justice done, we must pray. Do you long for that? Then pray for the kingdom. Have you prayed for that lately? Has it even entered your mind? Let’s admit, we are so into this world that the idea of the kingdom of God is at best a passing fancy. But it should not be so. How did Jesus teach his disciples to pray in Mt 6: 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come.” The second request – right after praying for God’s honor – your kingdom come. Prayed for that lately? It’s one of 6 requests Jesus Himself taught us to pray for, and I’ll bet you could count on one hand the times we’ve prayed for that in the last month. That’s how sinfully distracted we are with our own concerns. We long for this world far more than we long for His kingdom. 3 What’s the very next request: “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”? Your will. Not mine. Not the pastor’s. Not the president’s. Not part mine and part yours but Your Will! This is the heartbeat of a true, dedicated believer. “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Those who have “that” faith long to see the kingdom and will of God right here and right now. He or she is praying for it, looking for it, longing for it. J. I. Packer says, “The goal of the kingdom is the actual eliminating of all active opposition to God's will, and all disharmony caused by sin, as well as the salvation of God's people.” If that’s what occupies God’s mind day and night, shouldn’t it ours as well? Can we honestly pray for it? Nothing can prevent the kingdom of God, but our prayers can hasten it. God does not need us, but He does want us and has greatly privileged us to be part of His plan. When David Livingstone was asked what sustained him in the perils of missionary work he quoted the commission all of us have: “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). When his wife died in Africa, he made the coffin and helped lower it into the grave. Then he read the Great Commission again and said, “These are the words of a gentleman of the strictest and most sacred honor and He will keep His work. Let us now get on with our task.” He is with us, Beloved. Don’t lose heart. Pray for His kingdom to come. Now, does praying for God’s kingdom mean we should not pray for the specific needs we have on a daily basis in the interim? Of course, not. Even the Lord’s Prayer instructs us to pray for our “daily bread.” Our daily concerns are His daily concerns. But prayer has a context, and the context is God’s kingdom. If our daily concerns are His daily concerns, His long-term concerns must be our long term concerns. We must integrate His kingdom focus into our daily concerns. We are already citizens of that kingdom, so we must pray for short term needs in light of kingdom values. Our prayers are usually very now focused -- They much more about us and our needs than about God and His concerns. And we lose heart even as we are praying because we are praying selfishly. Perhaps the most unusual prayer ever was one Jonah prayed from the belly of the fish that swallowed him when he was running from the Lord. Check it out in Jonah 2 sometime. How would you be praying, “Lord, please, get me out of here! NOW! Please. I get it. I’ll go to Nineveh, just please get me out.” 4 But that’s not how Jonah prayed. There is not a single request in that prayer. Amazing. Instead, he recounts how he got where he is, then says this in Jonah 2: 7) When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. This is a marvelous prayer. Jonah’s had an epiphany. God is in charge. He’s been intent on his own way, but now, “I remembered the Lord.” That a challenge for all of us. Don’t forget the Lord in the first place. Save yourself a lot of trouble! Keep His person and plans foremost in your mind. 8) Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. This verse has multiple layers. “Steadfast love” is chesed – unmerited love, mercy grace. Jonah is seeing that by pursuing his own vain idol of nationalism – he didn’t want to see Ninevites saved because of the brutality of Assyrians toward Israel – by pursuing his idol of nationalism he was forsaking steadfast love. What a lousy trade. How foolish he had been. But on another level he sees that God’s grace extends beyond himself and beyond Israel. It extends to the hated Ninevites also. They’ve forsaken it for their own vain idols, but that’s where he comes in – God’s instrument to give them opportunity to repent. God isn’t just Israel’s God. He is everyone’s God. Do we pray like that – acknowledging our idols –praying for God’s grace on our worst enemies? That’s a kingdom prayer. That’s how we pray and not lose heart. Chase your own ambitions outside of God and I promise you one thing. They will destroy you. Idols always destroy. God warns against selfish prayers in Jas 4:3: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” That’s a guaranteed way to get no answer and to lose heart. We’re not here to fulfill our passions; we’re here to fulfill God’s passions. Do that long enough and His become yours! Jonah wasn’t looking for the blessing – getting out of the fish. He was longing for the Blesser. That’s why he closes his prayer: 9) But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!” Thanksgiving – from the belly of a fish?! Yes, because he realizes salvation belongs to the Lord. And he’s reached the point where his physical survival is immaterial. His spiritual salvation is already assured. He can trust God with the rest. He’s now praying for God’s kingdom, not Jonah’s. How does this look in practice? It means we see every request in light of God’s sovereignty and coming kingdom. Praying for a new car? Great – pray for what will best further God’s program. Praying for your own health or 5 someone else’s? Great. Pray for the answer that will most reflect God’s glory. See, there’s a reason that Jesus put, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” at the beginning of His model prayer for us. He’s encouraging us to make every request for our own needs in light of the big picture. How will this further God’s will and God’s kingdom? We are praying for God’s kingdom, not our own! That’s the faith He wants to find. Conc – Let me close with this. It’s easy to have faith in theory. It’s when the trial comes that we find out if we have “that” faith. C. S. Lewis was by common consent the foremost 20th century defender of the Christian faith in the most secular of environments at Oxford. His thoughtful writings and explanations of the Christian faith were greatly used of God. But then came his own trial, and he fainted for a while. Lewis did not marry until late in life when he met and eventually married Joy Davidson, an American recently divorced from an abusive husband. Originally a marriage of convenience to allow Joy to stay in England, it became a true union of loving hearts. But they had been married only a short time when Joy was diagnosed with cancer. A brief period of remission followed aggressive treatment, but within 3 short years, Joy was gone. Lewis’ faith, which had passed every intellectual test, was not severely tested in the crucible of experience. Intense and paralyzing grief overcame him. Every element of his faith was profoundly challenged. He said, “What chokes every prayer and every hope is the memory of all the prayers we offered and all the false hope we had.” Perhaps some of us here today can relate. In the end, the experience actually strengthened Lewis’s faith. But that happened as a result of his realization that he and Joy had not been praying in submission to God, but in their praying had been telling God what to do. In reviewing notes he made during his darkest hours he made this very telling observation: “These notes have been about myself, and about Joy, and about God, in that order. The order and the proportions are exactly what they ought not to have been.” Lewis discovered what we all must. When we make it about our kingdom, we will faint away, returning to our worldly roots. But when our prayers are about God’s will and God’s kingdom – that’s the faith that He wants to find when He comes, and that’s the faith that will sustain us in the meantime. Faithful life in a faithless world! Let’s pray. 6