- When Paul came to the end of his life, he said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
In Timothy 6:12, he tells Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life to which you were called.”
Luke 18:1-8 ESV And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 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?”
3 questions to frame this teaching:
1. WHY DOES JESUS TEACH THIS PARABLE?
Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.
Luke 18:8 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Luke 7:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Luke 17:22-24 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
Revelation 21:8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
2. WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO WAIT WELL?
- 1) The Delay
Luke 17:22 “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.
- 2) Disregard for Christ and his gospel
Luke 17:25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
- 3) Deception of daily living
Luke 17:26-27 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.
Luke 17:28-30 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 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.
“We are in a war against ordinariness. The battle is to keep God in life!” —John Piper
Matthew 24:11-13 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Luke 18:7-8 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.
Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
3. WHAT QUESTIONS MUST WE ANSWER?
- When Jesus comes back will he find us individually and corporately praying persistently and living faithfully?
Practical Prayers
Long for Jesus to come back
Let the rejection of the gospel bother you
Look at the routines of everyday life through the lens of the kingdom of God.
Pray as you go and in the secret place
Pray for God to renew this city
- Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Pray for help today and for hope tomorrow
Revelation 22:17, 20 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!