Luke 18:1-8_Sermon_Tenacity

{ILS} IT Support

• Every phase of life has more tech and automation & less human support

• Have you ever yelled the word “Representative”?

• Have you ever had to find your security code or phrase?

• You want to set up a new phone you just bought to be like the one you had?

• Yeah, We’ll see

• Only unrelenting effort will get it done

{SCR} Luke 18:1 Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him, asking, ‘Give me justice in this case against my adversary.’

{MPT} The need for prayer and encouragement is not situational

• The more accurate phrase may be - it SHOULD NOT be situational

• This is a painting by Elo Wobig in Luxembourg, inspired by Psalm 23 

• Green pastures and still waters

• Dark Valleys and Shadows of death

• People of faith must ask themselves, do i pray in both?

{MPT} You are going to encounter uninvolved people who have control

• Jesus is anticipating his absence

• knowing his people need to be prepared

• This is a painting of Pontius Pilate and Jesus, in front of a crowd

• Pilate has ultimate authority, but wants no trouble or hassle

• has an incredible moment of human history in his hands

• abdicates responsibility

{SCR} Luke 18:4 For a while the judge refused but finally said to himself, I don’t fear God or respect people, 5 but I will give this widow justice because she keeps bothering me. Otherwise, there will be no end to her coming here and embarrassing me.”

{MPT} Only tenacity will settle this

• Is Jesus concerned that his followers are lacking tenacity?

• Time is running short, there are only so many days to test his followers

• I’ll tell you why scripture is so interesting

• It’s different every time we read it

• Hearing scripture is different, raises eyebrows for some

• would say scripture never changes, it’s the unaltered word of God

• Our experiences change, our concerns change, our joys change, our dreams change, so we hear different parts of the text

• The tenacity is not about everything we want

• It  is understanding what God wants, and never letting up, ever

• How hard is it to discern between what God wants and what we want?

{SCR} Luke 18:6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 Won’t God provide justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he be slow to help them? 8 I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Human One comes, will he find faithfulness on earth?”

{MPT} The focus flips from the authority figure to the listener

• If you are in charge, because i am no longer with you in person…

• What will your level of tenacity be? 

• I like showing you stained glass depictions of stories, look at this one

• Jesus is knocking at a door

• What is in his hand? - a lantern, why? Night, = unexpected

• Will i find you faithful when it’s dark out there

• Even if others are indifferent

• Even if others are unjust

• Will you choose violence, indifference, absence?

• Let’s look one more time at the Prayer of St Francis