Lessons About Prayer

Songs on prayer tonight because that is the subject of our study this evening as we continue to look at the Literally the last days of the life of Christ. We're coming toward the end of his life Although we're not near the end of this study yet. There's a lot of material on the last week of Christ's life as I'd mentioned earlier But we are within the last few days of our Lord getting into Jerusalem Maybe within a couple of weeks of his death and so as I Read these passages and these stories and think about what we're studying on Wednesday nights I have to keep reminding myself that the Lord is within a couple three weeks. Maybe I don't know exactly of his death and he knows that And I ask myself If that were me if I knew that and let's just say three weeks I was going to die of a very violent Horrible death I knew how it was gonna happen. I knew when it was gonna happen What would I be like would I be frantic would I be terribly anxious would I be? You know just out of control with worry or fear But our Lord although he knows all of that You just see him moving Purposefully under the hand of God knowing that he is fulfilling the purpose and plan of the Father and in the Father's time table There is no sense of anxiety. There's no sense of a frantic pace. There's no sense of worry or panic or fear anything like that In fact, he is focusing his constant attention on other people I mentioned I think it was last week that he alternates between instructing his disciples and challenging the Pharisees and both are following him at this time for different reasons obviously, but both are following him and so We'll see both of those tonight in fact in chapter 18 of Luke if you have your Bible you want to turn to Luke 18 Luke's gospel chapter 18 verse one then Jesus told his disciples a parable So he's speaking to his disciples there, but then the next Story verse nine to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else Jesus told this parable the two parables are very similar in the sense that they both speak about prayer But one is addressed to the audience of his disciples one address to the audience of the Pharisees And so we're gonna look at both of those This evening those lessons about prayer as Jesus continues to move toward the cross He is now on his way to Jerusalem. He will very soon get to Jericho Where the last stop before getting up to Jerusalem that we'll see that in chapter 19 Okay, so let's look at the first parable of prayer prayer and persistence is the subject of this story that Jesus is teaching and let's let's look at the story that Jesus told and see what The key players are key characters are in this story Luke 18 verse one will just read the first five verses Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up so the purpose of this parable is very clearly described He is teaching about persistence in prayer keep on praying don't give up. That's the reason for this story Verse two he said in a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought and There was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea grant me justice against my adversary For some time he refused But finally he said to himself even though I don't fear God or care what people think Yet because this widow keeps bothering me I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually come and attack me Some of you probably have in your translations. She won't come and weary me or wear me out We'll get to the the meaning of that word in just a little bit But let's let's take a look at this story that Jesus told there are three elements in this story surrounding the two main characters in the story The first element of the story that you find is that of a desperate widow a desperate widow now It would be difficult. It is difficult in any time to be widowed But not near as difficult today as it was then It was probably the most desperate condition in life to be in in that particular culture a Widow in that time would have had no training no job No money in all likelihood no property She probably would have would have had no power or status in Society and the only way she would be able to make it at all as a widow is if she had family to care for her if she had family Then they would take care of her that was a very clear obligation in in families in Bible times and they would be careful to do that But if she did not have a family Then she would become a beggar she would become She would become a street person she would become pretty much what we would think of today a bag lady or something like that There would be no way for her to take care of herself and So she would just be out on the streets an outcast Apparently that's the condition of this widow. There's no family mentioned There is no recourse that she has to help her Except appealing to this unjust judge and so I take it that she falls in the latter category of a widow who is in very desperate straits who has no one to care for her no one to provide for her and she's basically fending for herself And on top of that she has an adversary that did you catch that in In verse three grant me justice against my adversary Now who this adversary is and what he has done to her we have no idea But it's someone who is causing her a lot of pain or grief probably Someone who has taken advantage of her a local villain of some kind who has taken advantage of her Situation may be legally maybe as far as her family's property is concerned in some way She she has been taken advantage of by this person this adversary. She has no way to protect herself She has no way to fend for herself or to to to Get relief from this adversary. There are no government programs to help her There's nothing her only recourse is a personal appeal to this judge. That's the only recourse she has and so You know get clearly in your mind the desperate condition of this widow It's part of the important Infosess of the story second characters obviously the judge and He is an unjust judge Jesus calls him that in verse six An unjust judge Now Jesus describes this man with two crisp statements In verse two in a certain town there was a judge who first of all neither feared God secondly Nor cared what people thought Now those are bad characteristics for anybody to have But very bad for a judge If you're a judge and you do not fear God what does that mean? How does that play out in your job? First of all, what does it mean that you didn't fear God let's start there Okay, doesn't have compassion on people because he doesn't have any relationship with God therefore no rules or regulations to To go by Want to come back to some of that sorry John? He's not in all of God No reverence no respect for God Okay, that that is the essence of the meaning fear of God so he does not have that in his life Okay All right no no concept of lover justice making his own rules He's gonna call the shots as he sees him or maybe as they best benefit him. Yeah Okay kind of goes along with something that Max said And I think the idea of the unjust judge who does not fear God I think that really is the thrust of this this whole scenario Here is a man who because he does not fear God In his vocation he has no sense of accountability to a standard if you do not fear God then in all likelihood especially in his occupation There's no standard of right and wrong If you don't fear God there's no authority that you feel like you are responsible to So you make up whatever rules you want? You judge based on what probably will benefit you the most What will gain you friends and influence and potential contracts or whatever? You know whatever is gonna benefit him that's how he's going to judge. He has no sense of justice Which is really bad for a judge no sense of justice because he has no respect for an ultimate authority And thus has no concept of right or wrong or ultimate authority So this is this is what this woman's up against this is her only recourse and this is a guy that has no standard of right and wrong No standard of justice because he has no fear of God But notice the second statement that Jesus makes of him he neither feared God nor cared what people thought Okay, what do you think how do you think that plays into his judge ship? Doesn't respect me in okay? Doesn't fear any consequences all right makes his own rules Yeah Anything else that comes to mind when you think of someone in his position who does not respect other people or had doesn't care what people What other people think? Full pride okay Self-absorbed selfish man Yeah, all of that I think is true and would would no doubt affect the way he would carry out any decisions from his Court of law from his judges bench If he doesn't care what people think if he has no respect for the views or opinions of other people then Certainly here's a man who he doesn't care how his decisions affect other people I Don't I don't care whether this is right or wrong or I don't care how it affects you I don't he doesn't see other people as people with Real lives real feelings real families you're just a number on the docket for me and I Don't care. I don't care what anybody thinks. I don't care what you think. I don't care how this is going to affect you I don't really care about justice or about you or anything about your life. There's no compassion and So he makes the rules as he goes along and does whatever is best for him this judge Who has that opinion toward God and that opinion toward people who is going to live by what's best for him this judge? Is this woman's only recourse? Okay, do you see the you see the scenario Jesus is painting a scenario of great extremes? Here's a woman who has absolutely no help in life No evidently no family no government help no no opportunity To address the wrong that's been done to her and Here's a judge who cares nothing about absolute standards or justice and Couldn't care less about this woman And and how her life is affected by anything he may say or do there's absolutely no Compassion toward her and this is this is her only resort You kind of want to say to the lady lady don't even bother Don't even bother with this guy probably drinks with your adversary in the evenings, you know and laughing about your case So don't even bother with with him But But let's look at the third element of this story go back to the widow not only is she a desperate widow She is also a persistent Widow you saw that in the story didn't shoot verse three She kept coming to him with the plea grant me justice against my adversary So she won't let him alone. I mean she she probably is Disheartened at his response verse four says for some time he refused he wouldn't listen to her He would not Admit her case into the legal system and would not listen to what she had to say But she realized this is my only opportunity It's my only chance to get any justice and so she just keeps coming You know, I just picture that she's on his doorstep when he leaves the house in the morning and When he goes into his You know courthouse or whatever she's right there he walks by the window at 10 o'clock and she's standing out there waving at him Don't forget me. I'm out of here You know and when he goes to his health club in the afternoon. She's there tagging along and when he goes to dinner With the higher-ups in society and the lawyers that he's doing business with she's right there. She's tagging along Judge don't forget me. I want to talk to you about something and When he when he goes to his social club in the evening She's right there. She's tagging along and so she will not give up So notice notice what he finally says in Verse four finally he said to himself even though I don't fear God I mean, I don't care anything about justice for this lady and I don't care what people think her Condition and situation has no impact on me whatsoever. I couldn't care less Even though I feel that way verse five yet because this widow keeps bothering me I will see that she gets justice so that she won't eventually come and attack me Now the way that the NIV this more recent addition to the NIV has translated the verb Come and attack me What other translations do you have there? I know sometimes it translated won't weary me or? Wear me out wear me out. What what are some of the others of you have? And I actually have the new American standard. What is what does that say at the end of verse five? Wear me out. Okay I'm sorry Okay, that's the literal meaning of the word that's why the the newer aversion of the NIV has said unless she come and attack me I think probably they've taken it more literally than they should have the word the Greek word was literally to give a black eye That that was the way the word was used and so basically what he's saying is and I think he's probably saying You know this woman tagging along when I'm going to dinner with the lawyer friends and and going to the health club and my social club with all my buddies This woman tagging along all time asking for justice. She's gonna give a black eye to my reputation You know, I I can't handle that. I can't take this You know the guys are starting to laugh and so what what's going on with this lady? What's wrong with you and so I'm not gonna allow her to attack me like this. I'm not gonna allow my reputation to suffer a black eye And that's literally the idea here It's not just wear him out, but but he is he is literally concerned about his reputation suffering because of the persistence of this lady Now that's the story that Jesus told Now go back to verse one. Why did he tell this story? To teach you disciples what? Keep on praying Well not to give up it's an interesting way to tell the story, isn't it? What is Jesus point here? What is the meaning of the story is is this story? Intended to serve as an illustration of our praying. What do you think? Are we like are we likely unjust widow? Outcasts no opportunity to Appeal to anyone desperate poor no family relationships Is Jesus saying we as his disciples are like that? Okay Okay Okay, all right Donna said we're children of God and and Linda has talked about the the judge and The difference between God and the judge I think both of you are on to something here But the purpose of this parable is not to use them as an illustration of our praying Jesus is probably not teaching us that you poor orphans spiritual orphans out there that have no recourse and You know have no family relationship with me Your only recourse is a God who is too busy to care about you I mean after all he's you know polishing harps in heaven and keeping up with all the books of millions and billions of people and Doing great works and and what he didn't have time for you He's got more important things to do that is not the purpose of the story But there are people who although they probably wouldn't say it in that terms in those terms There are people who think that what this parable is teaching is that you just keep coming back and wearing God out Pray for hours Just keep coming and don't give up and maybe maybe after time maybe if you cry out for hours and hours And and I believe in in that kind of persistent praying if God lays upon your heart to do that But maybe if you do that you can you can wrench a blessing out of the closed fist of God That's not what Jesus is saying Really the point is the contrast and And both of you have touched on it Don and Linda both and others of you I'm sure we're thinking the same thing the point really is the contrast It is a contrast to our situation that Jesus is highlighting here because we are not like the widow are we She is poor powerless for gotten Abandoned no relationship to the judge. He couldn't care less about it. It doesn't know her from anyone else Well, we're not like that. We're in God's family We're his dearly loved children. We matter to him And so the point is in the contrast and then obviously God is not like the unjust judge is he? God is not crooked and unrighteous and unfair and disrespectful and uncaring he's not like that Preoccupied too busy with other things to care about what's happening to you God is not like that He's righteous. He's just he's tender. He's compassionate. He's our father. He loves us the point is this If an unjust judge if that terrible a man Would finally listen To a woman who has absolutely no hope of ever getting through to him simply because she won't give up Then how encouraged ought we to be to continue praying To a father who loves us Who loves to hear our voice who wants to to do what is best for us? How encouraged should we be to continue praying? Now I know what some of you are thinking Because I've thought the same thing at times when I've read this story Well, if God is that anxious to answer my prayers then why why the need for persistence at any anyway? Why if God is so loving and so powerful and tender and compassionate and wants to meet our needs then why at the very thought before we even utter our prayer? Doesn't he just answer it and give us what we ask? Why not? We'd be spoiled brat wouldn't we? That's exactly right Lindsey good way to put it. We would be spoiled brat There's a lot in that there's a lot there If we always got quickly everything we asked for God would become Our little puppet that we just pull the string and he does whatever we tell him to do We would be spoiled brat just like a child that sees that in a parent timing big rough rough and different systems and prayer sometimes we will not be able to point it in because that's the point we pray and we want it to be later to be allowed to meet our needs That's so true when we persist in prayer doesn't God sometimes use that to purify our request and our motives and all and realize after we pray for something for a while You know, I'm really on the wrong track here For the wrong reasons and God uses that sometimes to purify our request and help us see We shouldn't been asking for that in first place. There are lots of reasons why God made the lay answers to prayer And why he encourages persistence sometimes persistence Strengthens our faith strengthens our sense of dependence on him Because we know we're at the end of ourselves and so sometimes that's the need for persistence sometimes like Tommy said we we We We need to be persistent in prayer to purify our own request sometimes it's like Lindsay said persistence in prayer to keep on praying about something keeps us from becoming spoiled brat by getting everything we want the first request and that in a sense is a purification of our request too There are lots of reasons sometimes God wants to teach us some things Brings us closer to him draws us closer to him Right coming back to him brings us into a closer fellowship with him. There are lots of reasons why God may delay not the least of which is Delays are only from our perspective because we're the ones at measure time, right? God doesn't measure time Could be that when God has answered a prayer request that we've been praying for for three or four years God doesn't measure time like we do God is more concerned about what's happened in our lives and to him it's not a delay It's consistent with his continual working to purify us and make us more like Christ and the time is of no consequence to him It's not a delay in his mind Okay, think about it that way a little bit And I think we'll maybe be purified of our petulence You know God give me this nail why aren't you why aren't you come on God wake up? You know If we realize that the whole issue is not about time and how long you've prayed the issue is about what God's doing in your life and in your heart through continually coming back to him and developing your relationship with him and And then obviously sometimes God says no doesn't he? And that is just as much an answer to prayer as yes You know, probably every one of us in this room can look back to an answer to prayer that was no And now from a different perspective we thank God for that You know Not not everything is that way not everything do we have clear A clear view about and understanding of some things that happen just don't make any sense at all but Know is an answer and sometimes God has purposes far beyond what we can understand but the point here is is Teaching us that God does love us and care for us from wants to answer and we didn't read verses six through eight We've anticipated what Jesus says there look at verse six the Lord said listen to what the unjust judge says Okay, go back and remember what he said think about what he said even though I don't fear God care what people think I'm gonna I'm gonna listen to her and answer because she keeps bothering me Listen to what he says and here's the contrast and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones Who cry out to him day and night will he keep putting them off? I tell you he will see that they get justice and quickly However when the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth again? He will see that they get justice and quickly From God's perspective Quickly again God doesn't measure time like we do So don't read that and say wait a second. I didn't get justice quickly. I didn't even get anything not yet Well again, that's from God's perspective The God who loves us will see that we get what we need in his timing Then the interesting statement to the end. What do you think Jesus means when he says however When the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth does that seem kind of out of place for the whole story? What does he mean by that? What do you think he's talking about? Okay, you think that's the idea. I mean it's tied right to this story So you think the faith he's talking about here is the confidence in him to keep coming even when we don't get an answer That's rare faith Um, I believe you're right, Donna. I think that's exactly what he's talking about here that When I come back is there even going to be this kind of faith on earth? Will I find any of this? Will I find this among and it's not it's not Jesus throwing up his hands and despairing of whether or not There's going to be any faith when he comes back. I think it's more direct challenge to the disciples. Am I going to find this among you? Okay, am I going to find this kind of faith among you when I come back? Are you going to be doing this when I come back? Never forget that faith In relationship to prayer Is confidence in God Faith is not trusting that our prayer will be answered the way we ask That's faith in our prayers. It's not faith in God Or sometimes it's even faith in our faith. You've heard people say well. It didn't have enough faith Now we're not we're not talking about faith in our faith. We're talking about faith in God Faith in God is willing to have enough confidence in him to trust him with the answer regardless of what it is And Jesus is looking as disciples and saying keep coming back Will I will I find this kind of faith among you that is willing to trust me regardless of how long it may appear to you You're not getting an answer Do you really trust me? Are you trusting your prayers your faith? The right words whatever A Lesson in persistence prayer and persistence. Okay any other comments or questions about that before we move quickly to the next Out Yes Yeah Yeah, that's it's a good point. I think we do see evidences of of impatience on the part of the disciples And that incident you mentioned about James and John wanting to call fire down from heaven on the village that would not let them stay there in some area that That's a great example of that and there there others as well. Where you see them wanting things done their way and now That's why we are We certainly are we certainly are Yes Yes, it is it is a different story I think that was in lukely 11 where Jesus tells the story about the man who Goes to his neighbor at night and asked for bread because he had unexpected guests come in. It's a little different little different idea, but the same idea of persistence Keep knocking Yes, yes Yeah, the contrast there is not the the idea of Here's an unjust judge god is extremely opposite, but it's your your best friend your neighbor someone who you have confidence in God is like that and beyond Yeah Okay good Good Okay, let's take a look at the next story then that Jesus tells who will get into it at least tonight We've got about five or six minutes left. So this very familiar story is about prayer as well But it has to do with not persistence but pride Prayer and pride Gatine verse nine To some who were confident of their own righteousness and look down on everyone else Jesus told this parable who do you think he has in mind Who are the people who are confident in themselves and look down on everybody else Pharisees obviously Here's the story verse 10 let's introduce get introduced to the two prayers The two people praying the two prayers Verse 10 two men went up to the temple to pray one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector I just love how Jesus draws such stark contrasts in the minds of his listeners He brilliantly purposefully is setting them up for the lesson to be driven home with force and impact in their hearts by the drastic differences he draws between these two people let's let's look at them a Pharisee Who does who does a Pharisee represent in Israel how would a Pharisee be viewed by the average person in Israel Very important yes highly esteemed Who were they what what did they do Come on it's only been about two years ago we did the introduction to the life of Christ and talked about the Pharisees Come on surely you remember I don't even remember that What what did someone say Teachers of the law yeah Teachers are keepers keepers yeah both really I mean they they were keepers of the law in the sense that They were known for being zealous about the law and making sure that they kept it Uh in a very exacting fashion and so they were always Making interpretations of the law and adding kind of Heges so you didn't get too close to breaking the law you know and and uh they were very zealous about The law Problem was not their regard for God's law the problem was That they added so many traditions to it that they got confused between the traditions and God's law And the traditions became as important to them and as authoritative to them as God's law they had a great steam for God's law And so they were they were seen as being the most religious Most holy most zealous for righteousness and God's law they were they were highly esteemed In the nation of Israel and Jesus tore them to shreds For the hypocrisy Okay, now he's but he's gonna set up in their minds this This is the good guy in your minds That's what he's gonna do is gonna set them up to think This is the good guy. This is the religious guy. This is the guy that really loves the word of God And who is very careful about his life and and how he lives in righteousness and holiness and He's a religious leader He's the good guy in the story all right And then tax collector Who's a tax collector? What does he do? They were despised weren't they you talk about Pharisee being highly esteemed you're all the way on the other end of the spectrum when you come to a tax collector Tell me a little bit about tax collector what what was wrong with a tax collector Pardon me they were usually crooked. Yes Yes In what way what did they do? Okay, they weighed the tax gathering in their favor for sure they did that Yeah, they would charge more and in fact the Roman tax system allowed these men To gather whatever they could they gave them a quota that they had to send to Rome But they allowed them to gather whatever they they could and so Obviously that's a setup for corruption I mean, you know People's hearts are just not made to handle that our sinful human hearts and so But in the eyes of the Israelites because of that They were the most despicable traders imaginable Because they've sold their soul to the Roman government that despised Romans who were squashing Israel under their heels They were considered to be the worst kind of trade they were considered monsters Uh, they were the lowest level lackeys of the Roman government publicans tax collectors were And so they were despised um They were not allowed to give testimony in court that was one evidence of how they were esteemed They were not allowed in the temple Not supposed to be And that's another way in which they were esteemed The the closest Social equivalent in our day would be Like a Pimp Okay I just say it Someone who someone who takes advantage of other people and makes a living exploiting others That's the closest Social equivalent on how you would look at someone to the way and the normal Israelite would look at a tax collector Okay, do you have in mind now what Jesus is setting up here? Two people are going to the temple to pray One is the most highly esteemed and respected religious leader in the land The other is the most low down despicable person you can imagine These two people are going to go into the temple to pray Now one of them will walk right into the to the temple in the court of the Jews The other will stand off because he knows he's not he knows he's not welcome there And he'll stand at a distance But they both go to that temple to pray Well, we're going to see next week how Jesus Talks about them and what he the lesson he draws from them But those are the two people and the stark contrast is a very important point of the story It's a very important part of what Jesus is getting across Okay, and you can answer questions before we close up shop tonight Okay Okay, let's pray Father, we thank you that we can come to you in prayer we thank you that we are not Like the widow No connections no recourse no no hope Thank you father that you are not likely unjust judge That you do care about us you love us Thank you that you are our father And Lord when the Curse of this life Because of evil and sin in this world When this cursed world throws at us it's worse You grieve you grieve at what's happened And you long for us to be by your side someday I thank you father that you love us that much and I thank you that you Want what is best for us you do answer our prayers Pray father that you would encourage us tonight to be persistent not give up not give up on pray And I pray that we will understand as we get more into it the lesson of Pride humility as well in prayer we ask all this in Jesus name amen