Untitled Sermon (4)

Luke 18:1-8 Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures Prayer

Attention:

When disease was overtaking the society, the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates said, “For extreme diseases, extreme methods of cure, as to restriction, are most suitable.” He simply meant, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” When circumstances become extreme or difficult in normal times, it is time to take extreme action. We find this appropriate when we pray, going to God with our war clothes on.

Need:

Christians must display determination and persistency by our continual coming to God in prayer until we get our answer. Jesus is teaching us to pray persistently, pray until something happens, and pray with supplication. Supplication is to pray with your entire soul for something that is troubling you. When you do not get your breakthrough at first, refrain from backing off or becoming discouraged, but you must keep coming to God.

Background:

Luke was a companion of the apostle Paul, who partnered with him on his missionary journeys. He was believed to be a Gentile from Antioch. Church tradition agrees that Luke was the author of both the Gospel according to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke is also a physician and wrote from the perspective of a historian (Luke 1:1-4). He consulted with eyewitnesses as he gathered information and did careful research. The Gospel of Luke is believed to have been written between A.D. 58 and 60. He wrote with an emphasis on parables and mainly to Greeks as a culture of original readers. He writes about Jesus Christ as a perfect man and uses a genealogy to trace the physical line through David, proceeding to Abraham through Adam. The place where most of the action took place was Capernaum in Galilee. The Gospel of Luke was a synoptic gospel, which stresses the humanity of Christ, while the Gospel of John stresses the deity of Christ.

Luke’s purpose in writing this book was to confirm that the faith of Theophilus, which was in Christ, was founded upon solid historical evidence (Luke 1:3-4). Theophilus is believed to be a government official, or someone distinguished by the words, most excellent (Luke 1:3). Many suggests Theophilus might not have been a believer yet, or Luke should have referred to him as brother. However, he could have been a believer. Although, Theophilus was the intended recipient of the book, Luke wrote in such a way that even the common reader could appeal to the information of Jesus Christ and embrace faith in Him as God. Luke presented Jesus as the Son of Man, whom Israel rejected. This gave Paul an opportunity to preach to the Gentiles.

Jesus is teaching a parable on prayer. His premise is that people should always pray and never become discouraged from coming to God. Christ is stressing the point of persistency in prayer. Persistency speaks to the idea of continuing after something despite opposition or struggle. Your situation may change, but the situation should not change you when you are determined. In the parable, a widow keeps coming before a judge for justice expecting to be heard and vindicated. However, the judge had to respect for anyone and no reverence for God. The fact that her faith was relentless, she was “wearing the judge out” by her continual coming to him yet he granted her request. She was not taking no for an answer. Jesus promised that He would suddenly deliver His people who come to Him in prayer day and night (Luke 18:7).

Luke 18:1-8 Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures Prayer

1. Pray Persistently (v. 1-3).

a. A persistent widow was relentless, despite a judge having no respect for her.

I. Kept coming--erchomai: to move up to the reference point; unafraid.

· Coming--imperfect tense, action that has gone on over a period of time; frequent.

b. As a pregnant elephant carries a baby for 22 months, we are to never give up or lose heart.

c. Christians cannot let pride or people stand in their way when seeking answers from God.

I. “‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12–13, NASB).

d. Pray like you are expecting God to move “right now.”

2. Pray Until Something Happens (v. 4-5).

a. The woman’s determination troubled (got the best of) the judge and he granted her request.

i. Troubles-- Parecho: to bother, to badger or annoy, to wear out, to struggle, to pound black and blue, to force a response; “to cause something to happen!”

· Troubles--present tense, action happening right now; active.

b. In the movie, “Breakthrough,” a faithful mother prayed intensely for her son, and he suddenly received a pulse.

i. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16, NKJV).

· Effective fervent (energeo) prayer is passionate praying; energeo means to go to war.

c. The child of God must pray regardless of conditions.

d. Christians must keep praying until they get an answer.

3. Pray With Supplication (v. 6-8).

a. Praying with an audible voice day and night will get the attention of God.

i. Cry--boao (day and night): to shout; to roar; to be resounding; to scream.

· Cry--present tense, is happening right now; active.

ii. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).

iii. Supplication is when you keep coming to God with a petition.

iv. Supplication is pouring out your soul before God.

v. Supplication is being specific in prayer; it’s not just talking.

b. Hannah was determined to petition God no matter what people thought of her.

i. “She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth.” (1 Samuel 1:10–12, NASB).

ii. There was an atheist that brought a praying woman grocery.

c. Supplicating is petitioning the Lord with extensive prayer and in a loud audible tone.

i. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; And in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:1–3, KJV).

d. Ask God for everything you need, even if it requires unordinary prayer.