The Realities of a Persevering Christian | Luke 18:1-8
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I’m going to quote a famous football movie scene and I wonder how many of you will recognize it.
Rudy: We're gonna go inside, we're gonna go outside, inside and outside. We're gonna get 'em on the run boys and once we get 'em on the run we're gonna keep 'em on the run. And then we're gonna go go go go go go and we're not gonna stop til we get across that goal line. This is a team they say is... is good, well I think we're better than them. They can't lick us, so what do you say men?
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This is from the movie Rudy where he is standing in an empty locker room and quoting Knute Rockne the Notre Dame Football coach from the late 1920s that was popularized by the movie Rudy. Rudy might be considered the best football movie of all time as you follow Rudy and see his perseverance through discouraging events during his high school and college football career being that he was very small in size and had limited athletic ability.
We all have faced discouragement in just about every area of our lives. John Wesley theologian from 1700s was an outstanding preacher and thinker of his time. In his journal there is a single page that reads this way.
More Perfect Illustrations: For Every Topic and Occasion Perseverance: Rewards of Perseverance
A single page from the journal of John Wesley reads:
Sunday A.M., May 5—Preached in St. Ann’s; was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday P.M., May 5—Preached at St. John’s; deacons said, “Get out and stay out.”
Sunday A.M., May 12—Preached at St. Jude’s; can’t go back there either.
Sunday P.M., May 12—Preached at St. George’s; kicked out again.
Sunday A.M., May 19—Preached at St. Somebody Else’s; deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.
Sunday P.M., May 19—Preached on the street; kicked off the street.
Sunday A.M., May 26—Preached out in a meadow; chased out of meadow when a bull was turned loose during the service.
Sunday A.M., June 2—Preached out at the edge of town; kicked off the highway.
Sunday P.M., June 2—Afternoon service, preached in pasture; 10,000 people came.
We can be certain we will face discouragement in our walk with the Lord and in our day to day, but we are called to persevere. Today’s parable, we will see how the Christian is to persevere by relying on God constantly through prayer.
I have titled this sermon “The Realities of a Persevering Christian” and I hope to share with you 4 of these realities from our text today.
The Reality of Dutiful Prayer
The Reality of our Fallen World
The Reality of Sincere Persistence
The Reality of Faith and Prayer
Before we begin, let us commit our time to the Lord.
The Reality of Dutiful Prayer
The Reality of Dutiful Prayer
Our passage comes right after Jesus is teaching the Pharisees and disciples about the second coming of Christ. The judgement that will occur at the coming of the Kingdom. It is worth noting that in Luke’s Gospel we see Jesus and his disciples being rejected by men over and over. From the end of chapter 9 through chapter 11 they are rejected by people regularly. Luke highlights the care and compassion of Jesus for the disciples in teaching them to persevere and preparing them for a life of ministry after he departs. We see that same care from Jesus in our passage today. Verse one tells us the purpose of telling this parable to the disciples.
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Jesus is preparing the disciples for ministry and he shares with them and exposes them to some harsh realities. He tells them, “You will not see the kingdom the way you expect it” which was to see freedom from Roman rule. He tells them the cost of discipleship is to deny self. He tells them that you must lose your life to keep it. Not only are these messages hard to swallow, but they were not seeing much success in their ministry either. I wonder if Jesus was sensing discouragement in his disciples which might have led him to give them (and us) this parable to encourage them to pray and not lose heart/persevere.
The pastor and evangelist Dr. Jesse Hendley preached at a Sword and the Lord Conference in 1952. I want to read the opening remarks of his sermon to you.
Great Preaching On: Prayer XIV. The Greatest Sin in America Today
We are living in dark days physically. War clouds continually hang over our heads.
We are living in dark days mentally. Never have I seen as much trash, filth, dirt and sin being poured out in booklets, magazines, pamphlets, novels, TV and every way else under the sun that people are goggling up. Then we wonder why we are out of touch with God! People are reading and thinking all sorts of evil instead of the things of God’s holy Word.
Then we are living in dark days spiritually. As I travel around I find there are very few who seem to know definitely that they are right with God. They are muddled in their thinking and in their spiritual experience. And to multitudes, God seems to be very, very distant. We are living in dark days spiritually.
We are living in dark days of terrible sin, with sin abounding as never before. The greatest and most alarming fact is that we Christians seem not to be concerned about it.
He goes on in his sermon and says,
Great Preaching On: Prayer Prayerlessness of Christians Is the Sin that Damns America
The greatest sin in America is not homosexuality. The greatest sin in America is not the dirty, filthy magazines which people are reading. The greatest sin in America is not the adultery and the fornication and the other awful, terrible sins that are going on. The greatest sin in America is the sin of prayerlessness committed by Christians.
Dr. Hendley’s remarks were true in 1952, but they are just as true for us today. I believe we have lost the sense of our duty for prayer.
Our first reality for the persevering Christian to the reality of dutiful prayer
We are to bring our concerns and our failures to the Lord. This is how we are to persevere, by fulfilling our duty to pray.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “17 pray without ceasing,”
This is how Christians should characterize themselves as being a person of prayer.
Prayer is simply communication with God. In our Tuesday prayer meetings we have been looking at scripture before we pray to build our vocabulary in our prayers. Prayer is a discipline that the Christian should dedicate their life to, it is to our benefit to do so. It aligns our thoughts toward God. It also gives us perspective as we think about our circumstances in light of eternity.
Also notice Luke’s comments on the parable, he understands the link between prayer and perseverance. That is what Jesus was teaching the disciples through the parable and what I hope we walk away with today. An understanding that our ability to persevere is linked to our prayer life.
I’d like to come back to our duty to pray at the end of our time with some practical advise to build our practice for prayer to fulfill our duty.
The Reality of our Fallen World
The Reality of our Fallen World
Our next reality for the persevering Christian is the reality of our fallen world. Read with me.
2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
Let’s look at each character closely.
Notice how the judge is described by Luke, “who neither feared God nor respected man.” This is a terrible description of a person. Someone who does not fear God views the world very different. When their ethics do not come from Christian principles you begin to live with a different values. You become more comfortable with living in such a way where the ends justify the means. It doesn’t matter what you do, it only matters that you get what you set forth to obtain. This isn’t what you want from a judge who is responsible for seeking justice.
The judge was also not seeking to be respected by man. There are people who aren’t Christian nor hold to Christian values but who care for the marginalized, or who seek the betterment of a community. That is not this judge. This judge is a terrible person kind of person.
300 Illustrations for Preachers (Corrupt Judge Sentenced to 28 Years)
In 2009 news surfaced that Mark Ciavarella, a judge in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, had sentenced around 3,000 children to months of detention after they had committed minor infractions. This corrupt judge was later sentenced to 28 years in prison for accepting $2.2 million as a “finder’s fee” for the construction of a for-profit facility—the same facility to which he had been sending these so-called delinquents. When the truth came out, 2,480 of those convictions were reversed and expunged.
Corrupt judges like this one do not fear God or other people. However, the Bible indicates that even a corrupt judge will respond to the persistent pleas of people.
The second character here is the widow. This being a parable (a story) Jesus could have chosen any character, but he chooses a widow. We have to ask why? There are two things that I believe the disciples would have captured hearing this parable with a widow.
First, widows in this culture were to be protected by the Law. In the Old Testament and in the New Testament, widows were to be protected, along with orphans because they are most vulnerable to be oppressed or taken advantage of by others with more power.
Second, a widow reminds us of death and the fallen condition of man.
This is the reality of our fallen world and this is what Jesus is highlighting with these two characters.
There is nothing that tramples perseverance more than the discouragement we receive regularly in our world.
Discouragement is something we can all relate to. We have all experienced the hardship of persevering. Whether that is discouragement in your marriage, discouragement in dealing with health issues, discouragement when looking at the state of the world with so many people getting laid-off right now. Or hearing news about the status of our economy. Discouragement as we phase into a new stage of life. Discouragement in your work environment.
We might be tempted to deal with discouraging messages or news by simply ignoring them.
Having grown up in Houston Texas, I used to visit Joel Osteen’s church Lakewood, mainly because how impressive the music was there. I remember the last service I attended there Joel was talking about discouragement and how he didn’t allow his family or staff to bring him discouraging news. He didn’t want to hear it and he was teaching his church to do the same.
This is contrary to what Jesus taught. We will see how this parable develops and how Jesus gives the reader hope to persevere despite the discouragement we experience in our fallen world.
The Reality of Sincere Persistence
The Reality of Sincere Persistence
Read with me verses 4-5
4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ”
The widow kept coming to the judge. She was persistent in her request for justice. The widow who was protected by the law of God was not asking for an unreasonable request. The widow was asking for what was hers, she deserved justice from her adversary. We don’t know what the issue was but it could have been a theft or abuse. The text reads as if there has been a clear wrong doing toward the widow and her only hope is for the Law of God to protect her, and so she goes to the unrighteous judge continually.
The judge doesn’t want to grant her her request, but the widow remains persistent. Eventually she wears down the judge. We see in verse 5 a soliloquy. We see the thoughts of the judge. A few items to note from verse 5.
First, the description of not fearing God nor respected by man is not a label others have placed on him, but it is how he describes him self. Such a terrible man!
Second, his motive for giving the widow justice is a selfish one. “because this widow keeps bothering me” Again, we don’t have to look far to see people in our present day doing good acts for selfish motives. I’m certain many of us have been guilty of this as well.
Lastly, the greek word used for “beat” when he says “so that she will not beat me down” means to literally beat or to give a black eye. The judge was in his thoughts was being motivated by fear of getting beat up with this widow.
One commentator suggested that maybe this was Jesus’s attempt to joke or lighten the mood for the disciples in thinking of a lowly widow beating up an unrighteous judge.
Whether that was how it was understood, it is hard to tell but the point is that the widow received justice by being persistent.
That’s the lesson of the parable. That is our defense against discouragement, this is how the persevering christian keeps on keeping on. By admitting our dependency for God as we pray.
This is what we see in the Psalms. The Psalms has been described as the handbook for prayer. The Psalms teaches us how to pray. To be sincere and persistent in prayer.
Out of the 150 Psalms, 59 of them are lament Psalms and 50 of those Psalms are categorized as petitions or prayers. Let’s read some of them together and see the sincerity of these prayers.
This Psalm is a call to God in the midst of distress
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. 1 O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah 3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah
This Psalm is a prayer to trust in the salvation that comes from God. Notice the sincerity and persistence in this Psalm.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. 5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Or this last Psalm is a prayer for rescue
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
We see the persistence of the Psalmist in their questioning and we see their sincerity in their prayers. This the reality for the persevering Christian. The reality of sincere persistence. This is what Jesus prescribed for his people. To come to him in full disclosure and bring to him your discouragement.
The Reality of Faith and Prayer
The Reality of Faith and Prayer
There is one more reality for the persevering Christian and that is the reality of Faith and Prayer
Read with me the last 2 verses of our passage.
6 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?”
If an unrighteous judge is able to be provide justice for this widow when she is persistent. How much more will we see from a perfect, holy, merciful, just God! Jesus says that we can expect justice “speedily.” How fast is speedily? Well, to the creator, author and sustainer of life, it is right on time.
God does not delay. Even when we might wish for justice to occur on our timeline, His timing is always perfect.
Our duty is not to determine when and how God acts, but to rely on him continually by coming to Him in constant prayer.
We don’t determine how God acts/answers when we pray. It is a blessing to see God answer our prayers in our immediate needs, but we know for certain that our world is passing away. Ultimate justice is coming! Christ is coming and will bring about justice and bring us into a place where we will be reunited with those we have have gone before us. He will bring justice and bring us to a place where there will be no more sin, sorrow, or sickness.
Do you long for this ultimate justice? Do your prayers reflect this longing? Is your faith in Christ’s coming, your faith in redemption informing your prayers. Is your faith of eternity with God reflected in your prayers?
Jesus does something interesting in the last verse when he asks the question. “when the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Jesus is linking the concept of faith and prayer with this question. Our faith should inform our prayers. Our understanding of eternity should be reflected in our prayers. When we rely on God and see our circumstances in light of eternity, (which is our faith) this changes how we pray about our circumstances.
The question Jesus asks at the end here, seems like a concerning question. It sounds like he is saying, “will anyone have faith, or will anyone be saved?” I think the question he is asking is more like the question Knute Rockne asked at the end of his speech to his football team. “So what do you say men?”
Jesus’s question is more likely a challenge question. “Will he find faith?” will you persevere through the reality of the fallen condition of our world, will you persevere in being dutiful in your prayer life, will you persevere in you sincere persistence in prayer. Will Jesus find faith on earth?
Devoting ourselves to prayer
Devoting ourselves to prayer
We have basically finished our first month in 2023. This is around the time people begin to lose traction on their goals for the year. I have found that instead of setting goals, I set habits I want to have to help me accomplish goals. I’d like to spend the time I have left with some practical advise for building the habit of being constant in prayer.
John Piper has a sermon on prayer and came up with an acronym that I thought was longer than it needed to be so I modified it a bit to FAD to help us remember it.
F - Free and Formed
A - Alone and Assembled
D - Desperate and Delighted
Free and Formed
Free and Formed
Free prayer would be unstructured prayer. Prayer were at any given time, you pour out your soul to God. Free prayer has no guidelines, prayer lists, or books. You just pray as you feel led to. I know many of us do this already and this is good. I’d like to challenge us to also incorporate formed or structured times of prayer.
Formed prayer are scheduled, and include lists of prayers, or the use of scripture to guide your prayers. Formed prayers are scheduled during your week and planed by having and keeping up with a list of needs your collected. We do this every Tuesday at noon. Although we would love to see you there, you can develop this habit on your own.
Think of a marriage or dating. Free spontaneous dates are fun and exciting, but if you only have spontaneous dates, you might find yourself forgetting to take your date out. Same is true if it is only ever planned, your dates could become dull. You want a balance in your life and same is true of our prayer life. Let us have a free and formed times of prayer in our week.
Alone and Assembled
Alone and Assembled
Having a persistent prayer life means prayer regularly alone and in the assembly of Christians.
It is crucial for the believer to have alone times with God. This develops your personal relationship with God.
It is just as crucial to pray every time we gather with other Christians. We see in Acts how the early church gathered like in Acts 1:14 or Acts 12:12.
I know we do this every time we gather, whether for Life Groups, any of bible studies, our prayer meetings. But is alway a good reminder for our ministry leaders, our Family Bible Hour teachers to make time for prayer when we assemble.
Desperate and Delight
Desperate and Delight
Last we have D - Desperate and Delight. The Persevering Christian who is persistent in prayer must come to the Lord in desperate, sorrowful times, and in joyful times. We come to God with our deepest heartaches and fears. A person who is persistent in prayer won’t be unfamiliar with tearful prayers, yet we say with the apostle Paul, “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” (2 Cor. 6:10). God desires to meet us in our desperate times and in our times of delight.
Don’t let prayer become a FAD that comes and goes in your life, but like the widow in our parable, let us be persistent in our prayer. Let us start today!
We are now going to have a time of prayer as an assembled body of believers. Let us bring our desperate thoughts/concerns to God and hurt with those who are hurting. Let us rejoice with those who rejoice and praise the Lord for His provision.
As you feel led to would you stand and pray. I’m also going to invite one of our Elders Tom O’Toole to come up during this time and he will close our time after a few minutes with our closing prayer and benediction.