The Judge of All the Earth
The Power of Prayer Persistence • Sermon • Submitted
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· 24 viewsWhy does God seem to enjoy when we continue to pray for the same thing over and over? Why does God not give an answer sooner (even if it is no)? Is there a hidden blessing in the experience of persistance in prayer?
Notes
Transcript
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. 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?”
The Judge
The Judge
What was he like?
did not fear God
did not respect man
Thought Highly of self
loved his power
see people beg
But eventually
gets tired of that.
The Widow
The Widow
Persistent
kept coming
kept coming
Her Plea
“give me justice”
“give me justice”
“For a while he refused”
Eventually,
wears him down
Why?
Because she keeps
Bothering me
Pestering me
Troubling me
Eventually,
to save face
others don’t wonder
get rid of her
Parables
symbols
Symbols
Symbols
Judge?
Widow?
And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 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?”
Judge = God
But not really
God not like that.
sharp contrast
again.
Selfish Judge
vindicate her
to get rid of her
No Pitty
No Grace
God opposite
infinite compassion
The judge Opposite
US
US
Unfortunately,
widow is
fitting symbol.
Widow
1st Century
Ancient Near East
Bottom
Socio-economic
Widows
Can’t work
Can’t own land
Can’t testify in court
Without man
as advocate
widow was nothing!
No right!
Like us
choosing sin
lost connection
Son of Man
In sin
separated from God
We must come
with no status
no value
no right
no power
To Almighty Judge
please help
Yea,
we are worse
than the widow.
Because,
we are guilty!
Love of God
Love of God
Praise the Lord
Our God is
gracious
forgiving
sympathetic
reaches out
to save!
For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:
He cares about us
so very much.
In Heavenly Places “The Apple of His Eye”, October 4
The church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.…
Inaccuracies
Inaccuracies
God not like Judge
God is loving
We are not like Widow
We are guilty
May not seek God
God seeks us!!!
The Adversary
The Adversary
And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
Adversary = Satan
And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Prosecuting Attorney
accusing
reminding old sin
what we did wrong
Sadly,
often right!!!
Last Week
Last Week
Prayer
Neighbor Seeking Bread
Reason
Asking to Give
Today
Today
Prayer
Widow and Judge
Why does widow plead?
Why does widow plead?
Deliverance from Adversary
Today
prayer for deliverance
God’s mercy
Joshua
Joshua
Israel
back from Babylon
Captivity =
punishment for sin.
Zechariah
messages of grace
forgiveness
encouragement
protection
re-establishment
Vision - Chapter 3
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.
Satan
ever ready to accuse
often right.
Accurate record
or our wrong doing...
Almost drive you
to despair.
Accuses God
you cannot help
they are mine
they sinned
unfair to help
calls found
His goal
to make it seem
no more chances
gone too far
too late
lost in sin!
What happens next?
And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?”
God defends
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Even when
Satan is right,
God forgives!
He is our substitute!
grace of God
so UNFAIR.
Story Continues
Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.”
Satan is right
He is filthy
(representing Judah)
God says more,
take filthy garments away
removes sin
Gives pure clothes
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
God longs
to cleanse us.
to purify us.
make us right.
give us His righteousness!
And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by.
God is
always willing to forgive
offer righteousness.
Conditions
Repentance
Faith
Widow
plead God
forgives.
Christ’s Object Lessons Chapter 14—“Shall Not God Avenge His Own?”
Notwithstanding the defects of the people of God, Christ does not turn away from the objects of His care. He has the power to change their raiment. He removes the filthy garments, He places upon the repenting, believing ones His own robe of righteousness, and writes pardon against their names on the records of heaven. He confesses them as His before the heavenly universe. Satan their adversary is shown to be an accuser and deceiver. God will do justice for His own elect.
In this life
continual temptation
constant accusation
Jesus was tempted
Jesus was accused
we are no different.
In this world
don’t expect
justice
fairness
life is not fair.
Judges here
not like Christ
faulty.
Social Justice
goal to pursue
don’t be fooled
unattainable here.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
They abused Jesus
They will accuse us.
This life
no peace here.
Good new?
Our Advocate
Has Been there!
He was
tempted
accused
maligned
conquered
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
What are you going through?
What are you going through?
He get it!
He has been there!
He understands!
He cares!
Because of all that...
Next verse:
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Come to Throne
With Confidence!
Broken in Sin?
Broken in Sin?
Come to Jesus
Oppressed by Accuser?
Oppressed by Accuser?
Come to Jesus
Weighed Down by the World?
Weighed Down by the World?
Come to Jesus
Hurting Today?
Hurting Today?
Come to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus
Brother
Friend
Father
Spouse
Advocate
High Priest
Unlike This World
You may be...
fed up
let down
kicked to curb
GIVING UP.
You Have A Friend
An Advocate
A Gracious God
In Jesus
Come to Him!!!!