You Won't Faint • Luke 18:1-8

1:24:42 Teaching begins

Notes

Jesus wanted His disciples to pray at all times and not faint, not get discouraged. He means keep on praying even though the answer looks like “no”.

How do you keep praying without a response from God? The answer is: you keep on praying.

You’ll be encouraged, and you won’t faint.

I’m reading in Luke 18 and verse 1.

1. Jesus has been talking about His coming. Now He talks about waiting until then.

A. The connection is that you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you won’t see them. He has to leave. He’s going to come back. It’s going to take a while. You have to wait and keep expecting Him.

B. It’s already been so long that it looks improbable. This is 2025. How much longer, do you think? If ever?

C. Peter wrote about this in 2 Peter 3:3-4 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”

D. The worst thing we can do is lose heart and despair. This isn’t going to happen. I’m a fool.

1. It’s a strong word. It means to be a coward, to show a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger.

2. It means to be afraid of things you ought not to be afraid of. This is hard because we are all afraid of things just like that.

3. I was in the Brother Andrew Open Doors guest house in the Philippines, my first time there. I was about to take a shower and before I turned on the water I looked into the shower and I saw an enormous cockroach eating the soap. I actually called for the housekeeper for help. She picked up the cockroach, crushed it in her hand, looked at me, walked out of the room. Big strong American, huh?

4. I read about a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger. One of the heaviest blows of World War II for Winston Churchill was the surrender of Tobruk. The garrison was 35,000. Enough forces and supplies had been laid in to sustain a long siege, as it already had survived a year before. The German forces were fewer in number than the British. They had all they needed but they gave up anyway. Why? It wasn’t anything outward, they lost heart.

E. If you wait, you win. If you keep heart you can wait.

2. Jesus’ story is about a woman who can last longer than the authority, who doesn’t care.

A. Here’s a judge who doesn’t fear God nor respect man.

1. He is a law unto himself. He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do.

2. A judge should care about law, about people’s rights under law.

3. Not this guy. This is the very opposite of what a judge should be. He’s unwilling and unrighteous. He’s the worst.

B. This widow comes to him seeking legal protection.

1. Someone is picking on her because she can’t defend herself. She has no leverage to make this guy leave her alone.

2. She has no leverage on the judge. He doesn’t care.

C. There is no hope of success. He brushes her off very casually, just get lost, lady.

D. She makes her problem, his problem. She keeps on coming. She exhausts his indifference. He does care for something after all. He cares for his peace and quiet. If I solve her problem, that solves my problem. He’s unrighteous still, still doesn’t care, but he does what she asks.

3. Jesus’ punchline to His parable is that the Father is better than an unrighteous judge.

A. Hear what the unjust judge says. He’ll do it just to get the lady off his back. As far as he’s concerned, she’s an annoying pest.

B. But God will certainly bring justice. He wrote the laws! He cares about every violation. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Of course, He will!

C. Because, it’s His elect who pray to Him. Not some person who is a stranger, has no relationship with the judge, no reason for him to help her. We pray in the name of Jesus. He said we could ask the Father as if we were His only begotten Son. We’re born of His Spirit. We have His life in us. We are His.

D. Now, you realise He does bear long with us. We aren’t perfect like Jesus. We pray wrong, that we may spend it on our pleasures. We don’t pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. But He doesn’t throw us away. He’s not angry. He doesn’t forget us. He’s teaching us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

E. We have a hard time with, “God will help His people speedily”. Really?

1. This is the same word used at the beginning of Revelation, where it says: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Really? 2000 years and counting?

2. God has a timing and when it’s time, it will all happen quickly. It will be so fast people will be caught off guard. They don’t expect God to be so quick. They think He only does slow.

3. You need to understand that in everything God has a timing, and He acts according to that timing. If you go faster you mess up your life. If you go slower, you won’t be ready.

4. Jesus challenges His listeners to persevere to the end. When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?

A. Sometimes God answers quickly. Sometimes we pray and pray, and then wonder. Maybe there’s sin in my life. Of course, there’s sin in my life! I’m not perfect! Maybe I’m not praying right. Maybe God doesn’t know my name.

B. All these maybes lead to doubt. Is God really good? Am I really God’s chosen, His elect?

C. As I question the truth, my heart is weakened. My relationship with God is shaky. My desire to wait is low. I want to flee. My confidence is low. I’m afraid. I’ve lost heart.

D. What will Jesus find when He comes? Will anyone be praying and expecting Him, or will they through cowardice throw out everything and surrender?

5. So what?

A. Jesus wants you to keep praying and not lose heart. The problem is it’s easy to lose heart. So how do you persevere? You persevere as you pray.

B. Talking to God gives you what you need to pray.

1. Prayer is talking to God who is there. Every time you pray you practice this awareness that God is everywhere. You become aware that God is with you.

2. When you pray you acknowledge He is your Father. You practice your relationship to Him. I am Your son, Your daughter. I’m not making this up. You said to pray like this.

3. You remember that His name is holy. He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and truth. He can do no wrong. He is perfect. You practice knowing His character.

4. You give Him thanks for all the good things He is doing right now. He may not answer some prayers immediately, but He is doing good things everyday. You practice being satisfied and happy.

5. You forgive those who sin against you or else God won’t forgive you. You practice being forgiven, being free from bitterness, you practice patience.

6. You practice praying for His will. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. You seek His kingdom first. All that other stuff will be added to you.

7. As you are nourished in prayer you receive strength to keep waiting until God answers your prayers.

C. Connection with God is the foundation of your life. Prayer protects that connection.

1. The devil is always looking to undermine your faith. If he brings God into question, your foundation is shaky. You think and act like you’re on your own. You get discouraged. You can’t stand against attack.

2. As you pray, your life is certain. You can live even though God doesn’t answer all your prayers right now. But you know He will because you live this out: He is your Father and you are His child, with His life in you. You won’t faint.

Let’s pray.