Sermon Tone Analysis
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What is our intent?
We want God to answer our prayers.
What is the obstacle?
Time.
A long time has elapsed since we prayed for something.
What is the plan?
Persistent prayer
What is the result?
Close with a climactic scene, what things will look like IF we follow the plan.
You won’t loose heart.
God will answer your prayer, change your prayer or change you.
Introduction:
I was in a meeting with Lillian Vernon and she was processing requests for money.
Money was tight, and she was not even looking at the requests.
She was marking them all “No.”
She said to me.
I’m not opposed to spending money.
I want to know that the request is important.
If it is really important the person will put the request through again or set up a meeting to discuss it and make a case for it.
If they really need it, they won’t let be put off by one “No.”What is important enough to you that you won’t take “No” for an answer?
Transition:Let’s think about this in relationship to prayer.
Persistent prayer.
This message explores and answers the question, "Can we pray too much about the same thing?"
The first verse in this parable tells why Jesus told this story.
Jesus knew His disciples, at some point in time, would be inclined to give up.
There are lots of reasons why we might lose hope.
We live in an unjust world.
People are randomly killing other people.
Others in the lust for power will say anything to destroy their opposition.
The entertainment industry promotes violence, sexual immorality and additive behavior as good.
Legal decisions are being made that hurt the cause of Christ.
Brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering persecution because of their faith.
Bottom line: Prayer is the alternative to giving up.
Don’t give up
1.
The characters
A. An unjust judge Luke 18:2
He represents all of are unjust.
This judge was unfit for his job.
Do we think of God this way?
Do we see God as fit to hear our requests?
B. A widow Luke 18:3
She represents you and me.
She was and we are helpless.
C. God the Father Luke 18:7
The unjust judge is not God, and if you feel he is, you need to hear what Jesus said.
He is not in any way like the unjust judge.
He the opposite of those who are unjust.
2. The problem
A. The widow suffered an injustice Luke 18:3
That is bad.
It’s always bad when something happens unjustly to us.
B. The judge caused a second injustice.
Luke 18:4
He wouldn’t give the widow justice.
Why not?
It doesn’t say what her issue was or why the judge said no.
Neither matter to this story.
It’s not hard to imagine the possibilities.
He may have been bribed.
He was friends with the widow’s adversary.
He didn’t think the widow was import.
We want to know “Why?” but that isn’t part of this story.
3. The solution
A. The widow was persistent.
Luke 18:3
She wouldn’t give up.
She kept asking and asking.
She was seeking justice not punishment for someone else.
B. The judge relented and gave her justice.
Luke 18:5
It wasn’t to right a wrong, it was because she bothered him.
4. The moral
A. Prayer isn’t saying something or asking something to God once.
Luke 18:1, 7
Asking more than once isn’t babbling.
Some of us are concerned by Jesus’s statement
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”
Matthew 6:7
The word babble implies either repeating yourself excessively or speaking with meaningless words.
B. God is a just judge.
Luke 18:7
Do you think that God is unjust to you because He didn’t answer your prayer?
What does the character of God teach us about prayer?
The single point is that if an unrighteous, secular judge will finally hear your appeals, how much more will your appeals be heard by your heavenly Father, who loves you and cares about you supremely.
Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983).
Luke (Vol.
26, p. 264).
Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. cf.
C. God will give justice to His children who cry out day and night.
Luke 18:7
If God says “No,” there is another reason why. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.
This may have seemed like an injustice to Paul, but God had a reason for saying “No,” and Paul understood it.
5. Examples from Scripture
Luke 18:1-8 is specifically about praying for justice.
There are other passages of Scripture that show us why we can confidently pray persistently.
A. The Lord’s prayer.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day.
We are to pray for our needs each day!
B. Asking for wisdom James 1:5
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