Title: Persevering Faith (Luke 18:1-8)
There is no defeat for those who pray always and do not lose heart. Why do people lose because they don't pray and get discouraged.
Then, when and when will we be defeated? We are defeated at the moment when we are discouraged without praying. No matter how desperate the situation may be, it can happen if you pray on your face and do not lose heart. Never lose.
No matter what circumstance or situation you are in, those who do not get discouraged and cling to God will surely solve the problem and will surely win. Our members must have this faith.
Today's passage is the parable of Jesus. It didn't actually happen, but he gave a parable to teach us a lesson.
The judge in the text is, in a way, a vicious person who is the complete opposite of God.
① He said that he was a person who did not fear God.
A person who does not fear God is a person who has no conscience and does not believe in the afterlife or judgment. Such a person is a fearful person who has nothing he can't do. A lot of terrible things happen because of these people in this world.
② You said that you ignore people.
He is a very proud person. Even now, how much are you treated when you become a judge or prosecutor?
But this judge was so arrogant that he was an arrogant and arrogant man who looked down on people with contempt. Therefore, most people do not go to such a person and ask for it. Why is it impossible?
However, a widow who had suffered some kind of injustice came to her and asked for [resolve my grudge against my enemies]. He said that he did not do it once, but visited often.
Still, this unjust judge did not pretend to have heard for a while, but this widow did not give up and continued to go in trouble. It was only to yield to this widow's persistence.
Let's compare this unjust judge to God.
In fact, there is no comparison. This unjust judge is a vicious man. He is a stingy person. Even God is not afraid of people and ignores people. He went to such a person and insisted on them, and he gave in.
But how good God is. He is the God of Jehovah Jireh, who loves us humans and created the heavens and the earth and all things for us and prepared everything for us. Not only that, He is a good God who says, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. He is the God who tells us to ask for it because we will give it to you.
But will God, who is so good, not hear the prayers of his chosen people, who cry out day and night, how can he endure such resentment?
Even in Mark 11:24, Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in the sight of God, believe that you have received it, and it will be done for you.”
However, many people do not have the faith and confidence that if they ask before God, He will surely answer them. So I pray once or twice and if it doesn't work, I give up. It's not about asking for patience.
Hebrews 11:6 says [without faith it is impossible to please]. [He who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.]
If anyone seeks God and calls out to God, it will surely be resolved. It will surely open up a way for you to live.
As I was reading the Bible, I noticed something surprising. It is the Old and New Testaments. However, especially if you read the 4 Gospels, no one who was leper, blind, or sick came to Jesus and went back. It means that there was not a single person who came to Jesus and returned without an answer, regardless of whether that person was a sinner or whoever was in any situation.
What it shows is that you just need to find it before God. Nevertheless, they do not come before God and ask for them. Moreover, there were so many lepers in Elisha's day, but Naaman was the only one who was healed of lepers. Why? Because the others did not come before Elisha. He could be healed if he came to the powerful Elisha and asked him to pray and be healed, but he did not have enough faith to do so.
Everyone! Among the people in the Bible, find out if there is a person who prayed decisively before God and did not receive an answer. Find out if there was at least one person the Lord rejected. There is no one. You must have received an answer, and you must have been blessed.
In the case of Jacob, he not only received an answer, but also received the name [Israel]. The name Israel is a glorious name given to the victor in prayer. In other words, it is a glorious name given by God to those who do not give up while praying, do not lose heart while praying, and risk their lives to pray. It is a very honorable name called [the one who wrestled with God and prevailed]. [Israel] is the glorious name given to those who do not back down, do not give up, persistently cry before God, and receive answers. It means [wrestled with God and won].
God loved this Jacob so much. And bless you. God blessed Jacob who hung on with the belief that if he believed in God's omnipotence, believed in God's faithfulness, and prayed before God, it would surely come true.
Therefore, God wants me and you to be prayerful like Jacob. Not only that, but he is preparing blessings for us.
In Mark 8:22-25, there is a scene where Jesus heals a blind man.
[When they arrived at Bethsaida, people brought a blind man to Jesus and asked him to touch him. But Jesus took the blind man's hand and led him out of the village, spitting in his eyes, laying his hands on him, and asking him what he could see. And he said, "I see people, I see things like trees walking by." Then he laid his hands on his eyes again, and he looked at them, and he was healed and saw all things clearly.
If you read these words, you can see that even Jesus once laid his hands on him and did not completely heal him. That is why he was completely healed by the second laying on of hands. Why are these events recorded in the Bible?
Looking at this, we do not feel discouraged because we prayed once, but if we do not pray once, do it twice, if we do not do it twice, do it three times, if it does not work, pray three times, and if it does not work, we should pray persistently until we become friends.
Even Jesus laid his hands on him twice because he couldn't do it once. That is, don't get discouraged if you pray once and don't give up. Like Jacob, we must risk our lives to pray. Like a widow who visited an unjust judge, if you do not give up and ask for help, you will surely receive an answer.
In the end, only what they prayed for will not be answered to those who pray persistently in this way. While praying patiently, you will receive unexpected grace, become a godly saint, a respected saint, have many testimonies, and become a glorious saint who already receives great blessings when prayers are answered.
Ladies and gentlemen, this morning I am preaching to you to have persistent faith. It means never give up. Believe and ask, but do not give up in the middle and do not back down. If you pray with persistent faith, faith that does not give up, and faith that does not lose heart, you will surely receive answers. I believe you will receive a greater answer than you ask for.