Desperate by Pastor Abidan Shah

DESPERATE by Pastor Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson

Introduction: It’s amazing how God lines up our activities at Clearview. He knew that this weekend Curt Mulhollen will be called home and so he set up our 24-hour prayer vigil during the time that he was dying. Also, as many of you know, Curt was very active with our Men’s Monthly Breakfast. It happens(ed) to be this Sunday morning. Then, today’s sermon in our series on the parables of Jesus is on prayer. This week many of us prayed in desperation to God for Curt. Our message today is titled “DESPERATE” and it will teach us how to come to God in our time of need and trust him to answer what’s best. We will be looking at 2 parables by Jesus on prayer. There are similarities and there are differences but the main point is the same –God eagerly hears the prayers of desperation by his children. We as believers should eagerly seek and expect the help of our Heavenly Father and trust him that he will answer in his way and his timing. 

Parable #1 – Luke 11     5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7and he will answer from within and say, “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessnesshe will rise and give him as many as he needs…13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much morewill yourheavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Parable #2 – Luke 18      1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7And shall God notavenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

Question:  Do you have a desperate need in your life today? Are you praying to God for it? Even more so, are you expecting an answer from God? Is he your Heavenly Father? Have you prayed to receive Christ as your Savior?

Context:Both these parables are known as the “how much more” parables. They each tell a story and then draw a contrast between the antiheroes and God. People mistakenly think that these parables are about persistence in prayer. We need to persist in prayer but that’s not the point of these parables. The point is that God will do so much more for us compared to the antiheroes who scornfully and grudgingly did so much less. It’ll make more sense as we look at them side by side:

	Parable #1	Parable #2
Setting	Friendship Friend goes to a friend at midnight to borrow 3 loaves of bread for another friend who is visiting.	Court System A widow repeatedly badgers a judge to get justice for herself.
Antihero	Sleeping Friend   “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you?”   This is understandable because houses back then were basically a one-room affair. Imagine waking up your children, especially babies.	Unjust Judge   “who did not fear God nor regard man.”   This is also sort of understandable because judges have to be unbiased. At the same time, this judge did not even fear God, which means that he was totally heartless.
Offense	Inhospitality   Don’t misunderstand. The charge of inhospitality is not against the friend who was asleep. It is against the friend who asked for bread. The clue hinges on the meaning of the Greek word “anaideia” – “yet because of his “anaideia”he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” Typically, translators have translated this word as “persistence” or “importunity” (annoying persistence). It almost makes the friend who is asking seem noble for coming in the middle of the night and waking up his neighbor friend. Scholars have rightly concluded that its true meaning is “shamelessness.” One more thing: It’s not “shameless persistence.” This word is always negative. The sleeping friend gave the bread because of the shamelessness of his friend. What does that mean? We will see next.	Delayed Justice   Don’t misunderstand: The charge against the judge is not about justice but about delay in justice. Listen to 3“…she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4And he would not for a while.” Why was he delaying? Maybe he was looking for a bribe. Or maybe he was in cahoots with the adversary. Either way, the story leaves us believing that he wasn’t right.
Response	Out of Contempt   8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will rise and give him as many as he needs…”   The friend ends up giving bread but not because of friendship. He gives it out of contempt, disgust, and scorn over his lack of hospitality and common courtesy!Apparently, this friend who asked for bread knew that his friend was coming but he did not plan ahead. His shamelessness is not in waking people up at night but in failing to be a good host in planning ahead for his visiting friend.	Out of Annoyance   5“…because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”   The judge ends up giving justice but not because of justice. He gives it out of annoyance, irritation, and exasperation over her constant badgering and pestering!
Point	Unlike the Sleeping Friend who gave out of contempt, God is our loving Heavenly Father – Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much morewill yourheavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”	Unlike the Unjust Judge who gave a verdict out of annoyance, God is our loving Heavenly Father – Luke 18:7“And shall God notavenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?”

How do you pray? How do you see your Heavenly Father? Do you doubt his love and mercy? Do you think he looks down on you when you ask in desperation? Does he give so you would stop pestering him? Absolutely not! 

He is a loving father. He wants you to come and ask what’s on your heart. He wants you to believe that he will answer. He will not call you shamelessness. He will not call you a pest. He wants you to seek and eagerly expect the best from your Heavenly Father. 

Are you doubting his best? Listen to Luke 11:9  “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asksfor a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will yourheavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Are you losing heart? Listen to Luke 18      1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…8I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.

God’s answer may not always be what we ask. It will be better than what we ask and it will come at a time we do not expect. Trust him.

Are you saved? That’s the prayer he is waiting to hear from you. Ask Jesus to save you today.