Pastor Rene's Bible studies
The Gospel of Luke-- Chap 18:1-17
Always pray
Luke 18:1 (NIV)
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always
pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who
neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that
town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my
adversary.' 4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself,
`Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow
keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't
eventually wear me out with her coming!'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen
to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for
his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting
them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
How should we approach God in prayer?
This parable is about the kingdom of God. It follows the previous
section…
The context of Jesus teaching is found in Luke 16:15 "You
are the ones who justify yourself in the eyes of men…
17:20 When is it coming?
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The Jews taught we are the righteous people; the Messiah is coming for
us…
He will deliver us from the Roman political oppression and bless us
materially.
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In 17:21, Jesus teach the Kingdom of God is an attitude of the heart
In the kingdom of God there is a clear distinction; there are two
kinds of people; One will be included and one will be left out;
V. 26-29, Just as the days of Noah, Lot
V. 32 Remember Lot's wife
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The principles Jesus is teaching here apply both for the Jews living in
Jesus time and to us Christians living today;
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How can we receive help in the Kingdom of God?
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All God's people are praying people.
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Here is taught how to obtain spiritual mercies; Through prayer
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Our earnest prayer is pleasing to God.
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Most prayer in the Bible refer to petition as for rain and fire, relief
from famine and plague; for needs-- 1 Kings 8:35-40; 17:20-22
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Christian prayer shared a simple belief that God could be petitioned to
intervene and effect changes in the course of events. Our confidence is
found in the teachings and examples of Jesus himself., such as the model
prayer he offered (Matt 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4), and the assurance that we
can only ask the Heavenly Father in order to receive what is needed (Matt
7:7; Luke 11:9).
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In the book of Acts, we find records of prayers of Jesus' followers; for
the selection of leaders, deliverances from prison, healings etc,
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Paul himself taught in Phil 4:4-6
9 To some who
were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody
else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood up
and prayed about himself: `God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers,
evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice
a week and give a tenth of all I get.' 13 "But the tax collector stood
at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast
and said, `God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' 14 "I tell you that this man,
rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
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Look at these two men from V. 9-14
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Both are standing; The Pharisee stood up and prayed;
The word used described he put himself up in a position as for addressing
a speech to an assembly.
The tax collector is also standing but the word used is different;
he is just standing instead of sitting.
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The pharisee's prayer was not a confession of sin or an expression of need
or not of what God has done for him.
He was boasting of who he was and despising someone else.
He displayed his own religious habits which were true, but they were
inacceptable by God for he used these as ground for acceptance
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God sees with what disposition of heart and mind we come to Him.
We may suppose we are free from gross sins, but even the righteousness
of this Pharisee was not acceptable to God.
He was full of himself and his own goodness.
The grace of God, he did not even think to ask.
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The publican's prayer was full of humility, confession of sin and desires
toward God. His prayer was short. "God be merciful to me a sinner".
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This prayer is recorded as an answered prayer…He only depended upon the
mercy of God.
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Therefore the self-condemned, not the self-righteous, are justified before
God.
15 People were
also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples
saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and
said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone
who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never
enter it."
Here we see the importance God gives to the faith of a child.
Here is an encouragement to families and an exhortation to teach children
and to serve any who are not able of doing service unto him….
According to Jesus, Children may have faith to enter the kingdom of
God.
The promise is to us and to our children, so he welcomes the children
to come with us to him… (Responsibility of the parents…)
We must receive the kingdom of God as children, as our Father's gift.
The three principles taught in this chapter are clear:
We can obtain grace and mercies in the kingdom of God through:
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Earnest prayer
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Dependance on God
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Faith as a child
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