The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
When George Mueller was a young convert he began praying daily for five friends to come to know Christ as Savior.
Two friends became Christians within two years of his own conversion.
But it seemed as if his prayers for the remaining three friends would never be answered.
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But they were.
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One of those men was converted about ten years after Mueller’s conversion.
The fourth apparently was converted shortly before Mueller’s death, in response to what was probably Mueller’s last sermon.
And the fifth man was converted within a year of Mueller’s funeral.
George Mueller had been praying for him for more than sixty years!
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Beloved, if your prayer is biblical and aligns with God’s desires...
Then do not give up!
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Are you praying for a loved one who is lost?
Keep lifting your prayers to Him!
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Are you praying for a deeper understanding of God’s Word?
Keep lifting your prayers to Him!
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Are you praying for godly wisdom and discernment?
Keep lifting your prayers to Him!
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Are you praying for speedy return of Christ?
Keep lifting your prayers to Him!
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And that right there...
Praying for the Lord’s return...
That will be our focus for today.
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So, please turn your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.
We will conduct our study in Chapter 18 and focus on verses 1 through 8.
Our message this morning is titled “The Parable of the Persistent Widow.”
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As you are turning to our passage today, please keep in mind this fact:
Over the course of the last three weeks we have discussed...
The Kingdom of God as “right-now”...
The Kingdom of God as “still-to-come”...
And the return of the Son of God.
Today’s message looks at what our prayer life should look like in regards to the end times.
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So, this morning we will cover three main points:
1) The Importance of Prayer
2) The Parable
And...
3) The Lord’s Elect
Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Heavenly Father...
You are so mighty and awesome...
You are truly like no other.
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Help us to be faithful in following Your commands...
For we would be lost without Your perfect Word.
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Be with us at all times...
And protect us from our enemies.
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Thank You for giving us the gift of the Holy Spirit...
Our God and Comforter.
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And it is in Jesus’ name we pray all these things...
Amen.
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
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.’
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.’ ”
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?”
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) The Importance of Prayer
1) The Importance of Prayer
Verse 1: And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Beloved, Jesus gives the following parable in order to let the disciples know that in light of the afflictions and hardships of life...
And in light of the approaching judgment that He described in the previous section...
They are not to lose heart.
As the Pillar New Testament Commentary on Luke says:
“The exhortation to ‘always pray’ need not be understood as continuous prayer, but rather to pray consistently and persistently, again and again without losing heart or giving up.
Rabbis typically exhorted disciples to limit prayer to three times a day, but not to pray constantly, which was considered tedious to both God and man.
A different picture of prayer emerges in this parable.”
So, Beloved, we are to be in constant communication with God...
That is what it means to “always pray.”
Before you start your day, pray.
Before you eat your breakfast, pray.
Before you get in your car, pray.
Before you walk into work, pray.
Before you go into that meeting, pray.
Before you answer that phone call, pray.
Before you eat lunch, pray.
Before you talk to that person, pray.
Before you go into the convenient store, pray.
Before you come home and greet your family, pray.
Before you talk about your day, pray.
Before you have your dinner, pray.
Before you watch that show you love, pray.
Before you play that game that is so fun, pray.
Before you hope in the shower, pray.
Before you go to bed, pray.
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Your prayers do not need to be long and elaborate...
Just share your heart with the Lord...
Ask Him for guidance in all you do...
Nothing is to big or small to place before the Lord...
All He wants is your heart...
As Psalm 55:17 says:
17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice.
And when you don’t have the words...
Give Him your tears...
Our Heavenly Father wants us in constant communication with Him.
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Now, before we proceed any further in our study...
Let me remind you of what Jesus was just talking to the disciples about right before our passage...
Just look with me at Luke 17:22-37:
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it.
23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them.
24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
27 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.
28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—
30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back.
32 Remember Lot’s wife.
33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.
34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.
35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”
37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
So, after talking to the disciples about His eventual return...
He instructs His disciples to not lose hope...
For to them it may seek like He will be gone a while...
But He most assuredly will return...
But in those times of waiting...
Stay in communication with Him...
No matter the situation...
Don’t stop praying!
As Acts 16:25 shows us:
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Even if we are in jail...
Keep on praying to the Lord...
He hears you...
And be mindful...
For others are watching our example.
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Likewise, take into consideration what it says in Ephesians 6:18:
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Furthermore, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 puts it pretty short and sweet:
17 pray without ceasing,
The call is for continued prayer, not in the sense of praying at all times, but in praying again and again...
So, shoot up your arrow prayers to God all throughout your day...
Talk to Him about anything and everything...
Share your praise...
Share your requests...
Share your heart.
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So, now that we got a good understanding of the point of the parable...
Lets get to the parable itself...
And that takes us to our next point.
2) The Parable
2) The Parable
Verses 2-6: He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
Beloved, we need some historical context before we can breakdown this parable...
In the 1st century...
In an age when social services were almost exclusively dependent on human good will...
Individuals like widows, orphans, and the sick and needy were exposed to a precarious social existence.
In Israel a woman’s link to the outside community depended largely on a male family member...
For example, a father in the case of a daughter...
A husband in the case of a wife...
A son in the case of a widow.
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So, the widow of this parable has no male to plead her case...
This leaves her especially defenseless and vulnerable...
As the Reformation Study Bible puts it:
“As a woman without a husband or other male relative to press her case, the widow has no legal leverage and has nothing but right on her side.
She seeks justice, not revenge, against a legal adversary who is exploiting her social vulnerability.”
That is why Scripture is always talking about the call to take care of the widows...
As Isaiah 1:17 says:
17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
And take a look at Deuteronomy 27:19, which says:
19 “ ‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
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So, courts were the province of men, and women came there only when there was no man available to plead their case.
This widow represents those who are alone, destitute, powerless, helpless, unloved, uncared for, and desperate.
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Next, I want us to understand that the parable we are studying consists of a “lesser to greater” argument...
So, the way that goes is that if “A” (the lesser) is true...
Then how much more “B” (the greater) must be true.
So, in this case...
The comparison is between a wicked judge and the perfect Judge of all creation!
The comparison is between the reluctant action of an unjust judge and the intentional just actions of our mighty and loving God!
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Theologian James R. Edwards says:
“Jesus describes a judge who neither feared God nor had regard for human beings, and is thus accountable to nothing outside himself, whether to God, human rights, or standards of justice.
He acts solely in self-interest.”
So, Beloved, this man, the judge, was thoroughly wicked and only thought of himself.
In fact, that description of the judge that he “neither feared God nor respected man,” was used in ancient literature to describe the most wicked and rebellious people, who had no regard for what God commanded or people expected.
Not only was he wicked, but he was also comfortable with his corruption, as his boasts, “I neither fear God nor respect man.”
He had no shame and, in his mind, no one could move him to do what was right.
His lack of love for God and others is in direct opposition to Jesus’ summarization of the law by giving them as the two commands of love of God and neighbor as recorded in Luke 10:27:
27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”
Furthermore, the resolution of the judge has nothing to do with moral reform...
He has no more fear of God or respect for people than he ever had.
He is motivated solely by practicality, as was the man tucked in bed with his family.
The widow’s incessant pleas interrupt his life and exhaust him, and tax his patience.
In other words, in order to get her off his case, he must deal with her case.
Theologian Darrell L. Bock puts it this way:
“An additional description gives the judge’s frame of mind:
He fears being ‘beaten down,’ a [Greek] term that literally means ‘to give someone a black eye.’
Used figuratively, it means to wear down emotionally or to beat down someone’s reputation.
Since this judge is not concerned with loss of reputation, the term here refers to the woman wearing him down emotionally.
She is a nuisance!
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The judge foresees that the woman’s constant requests will eventually wear him out, and so he purposes to take up her cause.
He wants to avoid the hassle of her coming on a regular basis.
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If he continues to refuse, she will continue to come.
He decides to vindicate her in order to stop her from bothering him any longer.
The woman’s constant intercession has brought success.
Here is the example that the disciples’ prayer should emulate.”
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So, the judge is not given as a symbol of God...
Rather, he is given as a symbol in contrast to our mighty and awesome God.
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The point that Jesus is making is that if such an unrighteous man like this judge would respond to persistent pleas...
Would not God, who is not only just, but also loving and merciful, do so more readily?
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Beloved, God, who always does right and is filled with compassion for believers who suffer...
He will certainly respond to His beloved ones who cry for His help and who pray to Him day and night.
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Just like the woman pleaded with the judge for justice...
We, as Jesus’ followers, are to pray persistently for justice for God’s people.
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In fact, the widow’s persistence reflected faith that her request would be granted someday...
And Jesus calls on His followers to demonstrate this same kind of faith as they wait for His return.
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The story Jesus presents in His illustration has parallels with His teaching about prayer in Luke 11:1–13:
1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread,
4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.”
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;
12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?
13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
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So, if an unjust Judge, under pressure, will hear a case he previously refused to hear...
And if a neighbor, under pressure, will give his neighbor bread in the middle of the night...
And if we who are evil give good gifts to our children...
Then how much more will God give to His precious elect?
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Well, that is the perfect spot to transition to our third and final point.
3) The Lord’s Elect
3) The Lord’s Elect
Verses 7-8: And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
So, Jesus’ return may seem long delayed, but God does so for good reason...
You see, Beloved, God will not keep putting off His elect like the judge in this parable...
However, any delay has a very good reason in His infinite wisdom.
As 2 Peter 3:8-9 says:
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
So the question comes up...
“Will God be patient much longer as He sees His elect suffer?”
The implied answer is no.
From God’s perspective, justice will come to His elect.
From a human perspective, of course, justice may seem to be a long time coming.
Therefore God’s people must persist in prayer, as the widow persisted until she received justice.
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In general, Beloved, what seems like delay to us is the outworking of God’s patience to gather all His elect through the preaching of the Gospel.
We can be confident that He is working all things together for our good in every circumstance as Romans 8:28 says:
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
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So, you may be asking...
Who is the elect?
Well, the elect are all true and genuine believers...
As believers, we are called the elect because God choses us before we can ever choose Him...
We are not chosen based on what we have done...
We are not chosen based on what we will do...
If that was the case then we would merit our salvation.
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Beloved, we must look at what Scripture says regarding God’s order of salvation...
For example, look with me at James 2:5, which says:
5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
God did not choose us because we where special in any way...
God choose those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be the ones who are rich in faith.
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You see, Beloved, we where chosen before the foundation of the world...
Before you and I ever did anything...
God already chose His elect...
As Ephesians 1:4–13 says:
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight
9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ
10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
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Paul, presents what has historically been called the “Golden Chain of Salvation” in his epistle to the Romans...
Here he lays out the order of salvation from and eternity past to the very future...
So, look with me at Romans 8:29–39, which says:
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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So, those whom He foreknew...
They are His elect.
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And those whom He predestined...
They are His elect.
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And those whom He called...
They are His elect.
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And those whom He justified...
They are His elect.
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And those whom He glorified...
They are His elect.
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As mind blowing as it may sound...
The Scriptures make it clear...
Those whom the Father chooses...
Are those whom Christ died for on the cross...
And are those whom the Holy Spirit indwells...
The Trinity in full cooperation together!
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Beloved, I can’t tell you why God choose you and not your neighbor, friend, or family member.
I only know what Scripture says...
And if you are a believer, then that means God choose you for His purpose and His purpose alone.
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As God’s elect, that also means God loved you before you ever existed...
God loved you before your parents ever met...
And God loved you before you did anything good or bad.
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It also means, as God’s elect, God loved you when you where lost and in rebellion against Him...
God loved you when you entered His royal family...
And God loves you when you fall short every day.
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It also means, as God’s elect, God loves you while you await His return
God will love you when you are finally given your new glorified body...
And God will love you until all eternity.
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So, don’t lose heart while you wait for the King of Kings to return...
Don’t lose heart while you wait for the Lord of Lords to return...
Keep on praying...
And keep the faith.
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As Peter says...
“Be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.”
So, be on guard...
And make a practice of righteousness...
Or as 2 Peter 1:3–11 says:
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,
6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,
7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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Furthermore, take a look at what is recorded in Colossians 3:12–17, which says:
12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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So, Beloved, the big question is will the Lord find faith when He returns?
This suggests that when He returns, the true faith will be comparatively rare.
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As it was in Noah and Lot’s time...
The period before His return will be marked by persecution, apostasy, and unbelief...
But His elect...
His chosen ones...
They are predestined to stand firm.
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As Pastor John MacArthur says:
“The doctrine of the second coming brings comfort, promotes holy living, and spurs evangelism.
It has implications on how believers view everything they own, how they live their lives, and how they pray.
Prevailing, persistent prayer for the Lord’s return drives the heart to leave the things of this passing world and to love Christ’s appearing.
That should be a defining characteristic of every Christian’s life.”
Likewise, Revelation 6:10 says:
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
And as Mark 13:26–27 records:
26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
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The Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament on Luke says:
“A disciple’s attention is to remain on God’s kingdom.
The passage calls for maintaining a hopeful perspective about God’s plan.
The disciple is to persistently pray for the kingdom’s full coming, trusting that God will respond to this request, though there is delay.
Jesus expresses the hope that the Son of Man will find faithful people on his return, a remark that serves as a call to stay faithful.”
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Only God knows if we are one of His elect before we even exist...
However, our life...
It will act as a proof for us and other if we are on of His elect...
And one of those qualities is if you look forward to Christ’s return...
For all who are genuine followers of Christ look froward to His return...
As John the Beloved said in Revelation 22:20:
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
So, as this message comes to a close...
I would like you to consider this:
During the reign of Queen Victoria, a London doctor visited a 72-year-old lady named Maria Vincent.
Her husband had abandoned her some years earlier.
She was poor and lived in very humble surroundings.
She was undernourished and had neither warm clothes or wood for a fire.
The doctor couldn’t believe her friends would allow her to live like that.
When asked about it, Maria said she had no friends. Later in the discussion she corrected herself.
She admitted that there might be one, but was sure that she had forgotten about her.
The doctor pressed her for the identity of the friend.
And finally Maria told him that it was the Queen herself.
She said that the two of them had been childhood friends.
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The doctor left, not sure that he believed Maria, but when he got home he wrote the Queen a letter relating the incident.
A few days later he received a letter from the Queen.
The story was true.
The Queen had not forgotten.
Enclosed in the letter was enough money to provide for all of Maria’s needs.
For the remaining years of her life, Maria Vincent lived comfortably as a friend of the Queen.
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Beloved, the most important relationship you can possibly have is with God...
With Him as a friend, you have nothing to worry about...
And when it is all said and done...
You will have an eternity with Him.
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Let’s pray...
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Heavenly Father...
If anyone hearing this message right now does not know You in a saving way:
Then open their hearts to the truth found in Your Word.
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I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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For those hearing this message who already know You:
Equip us with the tools to serve you faithfully.
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Again, I appeal to Your Name’s sake!
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It is in Jesus’ name we pray all these things...
To God be all the glory.
Amen.
