We'll continue our study in the parables and
turn to parable number 30 today which is
Luke chapter 18 and verses 1 to 8.
Now today our subject is watching and praying
and we're going to look at a number
of parables that Jesus spoke on this subject
and here is one of them and it's
specified that this is a parable concerning prayer.
It says he was telling them a parable
and the purpose of the parable was to
show that at all times they ought to
pray and not to lose heart.
Now before we go from that first verse,
the two things I want you to notice
in that verse, the two things that we
find difficult in prayer.
One is to pray persistently at all times
and the second is not to get discouraged
and give up.
So the two things he said there because
you know sometimes we pray and pray and
pray and nothing happens and we can lose
heart and we can stop praying and Jesus
knew that.
In Gethsemane Jesus prayed, he didn't get a
clear answer from the father prayed again, saying
the same thing.
There's nothing wrong in saying the same thing
again in prayer.
That's how Jesus prayed on the last day
of his earthly life and then he prayed
for one hour and he went back a
third time, prayed the same thing and there
he has given us an example.
Now if we use our logic, we will
never pray because prayer is one of the
most illogical things you can think of.
You know clever people, I've discovered one thing
through all these years, the cleverer a man
is, the less he prays and the simpler
a man is in his trust in the
Lord.
The more he prays.
Why?
Because a clever person tends to use logic
and he begins to say well, why do
I need to pray?
God already knows my need, right?
Why I don't have to tell him something
which he doesn't know and secondly, I can't
force God to do what he doesn't want
to do.
So let's use praying and then we can
say well, supposing you're praying for somebody else,
you can say well, I don't love that
person more than God loves him.
So let's use praying.
So every angle from which you look at
it, it's not a logical thing to pray
and yet we know that Jesus, the days
when he was on earth, he would often
slip away into the wilderness and pray, prayed
an all-night once and in Gethsemane, as
I said, he prayed again and again.
So there are many things in the Christian
life which if you use your mind, you
won't do.
The Bible says, trust in the Lord with
all your heart and don't lean upon your
reason.
Proverbs 3 verse 5 and 6, it's head
versus heart.
Don't lean upon what your reason says but
trust in the Lord with all your heart
and so there are many things I don't
understand but I see that Jesus prayed and
I see the Bible says pray and even
if I can't explain why God delays and
all those things, I do what scripture says.
So that's just my way of introduction and
it says here that Jesus spoke about a
judge.
Sometimes he tried to draw a contrast between
a bad person and a good God and
here's one of those examples.
He said there was a bad judge and
there was this widow who kept on going
to this judge asking for justice and the
judge would not give justice to the widow
but she would be there every morning, afternoon,
evening, never gave him any peace, early in
the morning and go to the office and
come to the house late at night and
finally the chap got so fed up he
said okay because this widow is bothering me
so much, verse 5, I will give her
that legal protection otherwise she'll wear me out
because she'll never give up and then the
Lord said see what this unrighteous judge said
that even a bad man like that who
didn't fear God, did not respect man, was
willing to do that for a helpless widow.
Why won't a good God do more for
you if you also cry to him day
and night just like this widow did?
See when we pray to God there are
many things that we don't know what is
the right time for God to give an
answer.
Many times in the gospels you read about
Jesus that it was written his hour has
not yet come even in this first miracle
he said no I'm sorry my time has
not come.
Jesus lived by the timing of the father
if it was not time to do something
he wouldn't do it and he didn't know
when the time would come because he lived
on earth as a man.
There are three things I want you to
remember that God does not allow us to
have.
One, Matthew 4.10, worship.
No man is permitted to receive worship.
Only God can receive worship and the other
is Romans 12.19, vengeance.
To take revenge on somebody we're not permitted
to do that.
God says vengeance is mine I will repay
says the Lord.
And the third thing is the timing of
events.
Acts 1.7. It's not for you to
know the times and the seasons which the
father has reserved and kept in his own
power.
So that means however spiritual I may be
I cannot know the time and a season
for something.
Even Jesus when he was on earth because
he limited himself as a human being he
said I don't even know the date of
my second coming.
That's the father knows even the angels don't
know that.
So remember these three things just like you
cannot receive worship from people you're not supposed
to take revenge on people.
Also this last thing which many people don't
realize we are not supposed to know the
time when God does certain things and because
we don't know we keep on praying.
We don't know when God's going to answer
it that's up to him but we know
he's a loving father that's sure.
We know he hears prayer and we also
know that if we don't pray that thing
will not happen.
So here we see that Jesus pictured the
church like a widow.
Isn't that interesting that Jesus did not picture
the church like some Roman soldier or rich
businessman because Roman soldiers and rich businessmen are
very powerful people influential people but a widow
you know in the society in which Jesus
lived 2,000 years ago is just like
in the villages in India today.
A widow who doesn't have a husband doesn't
have a son doesn't have any male member
in the house is one of the most
helpless human beings on the face of the
earth and Jesus took a widow as a
picture of a child of God.
A child of God is not supposed to
be strong.
Jesus said I send you like sheep in
the midst of wolves.
The worldly people are the wolves believers like
a sheep always Jesus took the picture of
a helpless person.
So we shouldn't be discouraged if we are
helpless people if we don't have much money
and if we don't have much influence and
maybe we don't have much education we're not
so smart not so capable not so able
as other people it doesn't make a difference.
That's exactly how we're supposed to be.
Don't envy the other person who has got
capabilities.
Are you like a helpless widow?
That's the picture Jesus used but this widow
was not just a helpless widow she was
persistent.
She kept on going to the judge and
that's the thing we can learn from this
parable.
However weak we may be we should keep
going to God in prayer and asking him
to give us what is our legal right.
What did she ask for?
Did she ask for something illegal unrighteous?
No she asked for her legal right.
You know maybe she had a little property
and her neighbor tried to encroach on that
property because he thought oh there's a helpless
widow she can't do anything I'm a strong
man I will encroach on this widow and
that's how the devil has encroached into our
property.
Do you know that the devil has encroached
into your property and what did this widow
do as the neighbor kept encroaching more and
more and more and more into her property
and she found her property going to her
neighbor what did she do?
She didn't just sit there she said this
is my property I'm not asking for my
neighbor's property I'm asking for my property I'm
going to go to the judge and I'm
going to keep on going till I get
my property back.
How does this apply to us?
Do you know what our legal rights are?
I'm not talking about unrighteous illegal things I'm
talking about what is our legal right?
Who is the enemy?
The enemy is the devil and this is
what this widow prayed here avenge me give
me legal protection verse 3 from my enemy
what is my legal right and where does
satan encroach for example this body you know
the bible says that this body was purchased
by Jesus Christ on the cross and it
says in 1 corinthians 6 glorify God in
your body because you have been purchased it
says in the same chapter this body is
the temple of the holy spirit it says
this body is a member of Jesus Christ
now even though this body is a temple
of the holy spirit the devil is encroached
into this temple he's come right into God's
house do you know God's house is not
this building it's this body and he's come
into this body polluted it with all types
of sins made us slaves to our lusts
made us lose our temper so that we
cannot control our tongue made us lust so
that we cannot control our eyes and what
are we widows doing when the enemy is
occupying all this we sit there and the
enemy is occupying occupying occupying occupying what are
we supposed to do we're supposed to go
to the judge we're supposed to go to
our father to God and say God give
me my legal right the devil's got no
right to take my property this belongs to
you this doesn't belong to the devil does
my tongue belong to the devil it was
purchased by Christ on the cross do my
eyes belong to the devil what right has
the devil to make me use my eyes
to lust no what right is the devil
to make me use my tongue to tell
a lie or to get angry with someone
what right has the devil to use my
hands to commit a sin with these hands
give me my legal right and those who
keep on going to God and say God
I'll never give up till you give me
my right Romans 6 14 says sin shall
not rule over you that's my legal right
1 John chapter 3 verse 8 says the
Son of God came to destroy the works
of the devil that's my legal right Romans
16 verse 20 says the God of peace
will crush Satan under your feet that's my
legal right that Satan should be under my
feet not on top of my head he's
got to be under my feet because he
was defeated on the cross and we got
to tell the devil that he was defeated
on the cross he doesn't like to hear
it I remember once when I was asking
a young lady to tell the devil you
were defeated on the cross she had a
demon inside I didn't know that she turned
around to me and said I have not
been defeated on the cross in another voice
so then I spoke to the demon I
said you have been defeated on the cross
you're a liar get out of her in
Jesus name and then when the demon left
I said now tell the devil you were
defeated on the cross and she could say
and that day I decided one thing I'm
going to tell the devil as often as
possible that he's defeated on the cross I
want to tell you to tell the devil
that you have never done it before tell
him frequently Satan you were defeated on the
cross you got no right to touch my
body you got no right to touch my
family you got no right to touch my
bank account you got no right to touch
my property it all belongs to Jesus now
if you don't ask for your legal rights
the enemy will just keep on encroaching encroaching
encroaching and God wants you to come to
him and claim your legal rights otherwise you
won't get it otherwise you'll find the devil
takes away a lot of things which he
has no right to take what part of
me is the devil supposed to have is
he supposed to have my body no is
he supposed to control my mind no is
he supposed to destroy my business handle my
money no he has got no right on
any part of me do you know that
once you know that you know that's the
main thing I believe we need to know
our legal rights and so this lady the
wonderful thing about her was that she knew
her legal rights she kept on going to
God and asking till she got now we
go to a second parable you know our
faith is manifested in persistence and a weak
believer can prevail in prayer because he's his
father is a righteous judge in Luke chapter
11 we come to a persistent neighbor now
there is a difference here also there's a
neighbor this is a story verses five to
eight of a man who had a visitor
come to his house at midnight and he
didn't have any food to give him he
had already eaten his dinner and he was
very kind to this neighbor and said have
you eaten your dinner and that man said
no and he didn't have any food in
the refrigerator no food in the house so
what did he do he went to his
neighbor's house and banged away at the door
at midnight now you see we wouldn't go
to a friend even a friend's house at
midnight and bang away at his door and
then that man from inside says don't disturb
me I'm in bed my children are sleeping
please don't disturb me and this fellow says
I'm going to disturb you I'm not going
to give up he said go away he
says no I'm not going to go away
he gets on bang this fellow says fellow
won't leave me okay what does he want
and he said I want some bread friend
of mine has come okay here it is
take it please go away Jesus was contrasting
a irritated neighbor with a loving father you
see he said if that neighbor who said
don't disturb me finally got out and gave
the bread because this man persistently not won't
God give what what did this man ask
for lend me three loaves Luke 11 5
what is the application of it for our
life how much more how much more than
this reluctant neighbor verse 13 your heavenly father
will give the holy spirit to those who
ask him very simple question even children can
answer it according to verse 13 will the
heavenly father give the holy spirit to those
who don't ask him no why not because
you don't have because you don't ask because
you don't you don't ask because you don't
value the power of the holy spirit you
know the number of christians who don't value
the power of the holy spirit and they
don't receive that power because they don't ask
they don't ask because they don't value they
value so many other things like they ask
for help they ask for wealth they ask
for money they ask for scooters and cars
and houses and lands what should they be
asking for they should be asking for something
more valuable and more eternal than all this
the power of God's holy spirit why because
that's the only way notice this parable in
both these parables there was persistence asking asking
asking but one big difference and I hope
you noticed what that difference is in the
case of the widow she was asking for
herself and that's right we can go to
God and ask for ourselves Lord give me
victory over my anger give me victory over
my lust give me victory over my love
of money give me victory over my laziness
give me victory over my love of comfort
and ease which hinders me from serving the
Lord give me victory over my love of
food could be so many things it's right
to ask for that forgive my sins give
me victory over sin but this man in
Luke 11 was asking for somebody else that's
the second stage we first ask for ourselves
because we need to be clean otherwise the
pipe through which the living water flows will
not be clean then it'll be dirty water
flowing through us so we need to start
with cleansing our own heart but then secondly
we need to ask for other people because
there are people around us in need I
hope you recognize that all around us are
people who are in need and I don't
meet all of them I meet some and
each of you meet some you have friends
and relatives that nobody else in this room
knows you meet certain people in this world
whom nobody else in this room will ever
meet except you you're the only one who's
going to meet those people maybe you live
in a certain area you have certain neighbors
nobody else in this room knows about them
you got certain relatives nobody in this room
knows about them and those are the people
around you who are in need and when
you see their need what do you do
you can say well that's not my business
but this man could have said that when
he saw this man and this man came
and he said well I haven't had dinner
tonight he could have said well sorry I'm
sorry you didn't have your dinner let's go
to bed now he didn't say that he
had compassion for that man's need that's why
he went to his neighbor's if he did
not care for his friend he would not
have gone to his neighbor's house it's very
important to understand that and he went to
his neighbor's house and said give me something
to meet this man's need and it's a
picture of me going to God and saying
father here is a person in need or
here are some people in need and I
don't have what it takes to help them
give me what I can give them and
Jesus said how much more will your heavenly
father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him that means the gifts of the
Holy Spirit we can say in Luke chapter
18 the first parable we're talking about the
power of the Holy Spirit to help us
overcome sin to occupy reoccupy territory which the
devil took away but here the emphasis is
on the gifts of the Holy Spirit the
supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit by which
we can serve others you know the Bible
speaks about the fruit of the Spirit and
the gifts of the Spirit the fruit of
the Spirit is for myself if I have
joy that doesn't bless you it blesses me
if I have peace in my heart that
doesn't bless you it blesses me and many
things like that character brings my life into
a very blessed position but the gifts of
the Holy Spirit are not for me all
the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for
other people when Jesus said the Spirit of
the Lord is upon me because he has
anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor to set free those who are downtrodden
to release the captives to open the eyes
of the blind it's all for other people
Luke chapter 4 and you read 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 all the gifts of the Spirit
if a man has the gift of healing
who is blessed not him other people if
a man has the gift of evangelism who
is blessed other people if a man has
the gift of teaching who is blessed other
people the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
for other people and a selfish person will
never ask for the gifts of the Holy
Spirit with the proper motive you know there
are a lot of people seeking today for
the baptism in the Holy Spirit for the
gifts of the Holy Spirit but I believe
many of them are seeking with the wrong
motive they are not starting at the right
point they go to God and say God
give me power what are they seeking power
for so that they themselves can become great
evangelists or mighty servants of God they're not
seeking for somebody else they're seeking for themselves
and that's why the devil is able to
counterfeit the gifts of the Holy Spirit because
whenever a man is seeking in selfishness he
will end up with a counterfeit so the
first thing we need to do in seeking
for the gift of the Holy Spirit and
the gifts of the Holy Spirit is start
with the right motive what is the right
motive here we read compassion for somebody whom
who has come across my path who is
in need you got it compassion for somebody
around me who is in need then from
that compassion I go to the father and
say God my dad father give me what
can help this man in my knee in
his knee you know like the disciples when
they had to feed the 5000 what did
they do it was not their job to
multiply the five loaves and feed five that
was not their job their job was to
go to the Jesus with an empty basket
Lord give us some more more hungry fellows
over there and the Lord multiplies the loaves
and they go back and distribute it and
when the basket is empty what do they
have to do come back to the Lord
who did the production Jesus who did the
distribution the disciples it's much more difficult to
produce it's easier to distribute supposing the Lord
told his disciples okay here are five loaves
go and multiply it and give it to
the 5000 how could they have done that
but when he did the multiplication of the
loaves and gave it only that then to
distribute wasn't that easy now some of us
have a problem serving the Lord because we
are trying to produce we're not supposed to
produce we're supposed to distribute I thank God
for the day I discovered that in my
life that I am not in the production
business I am in the distribution business when
I don't have something I just have to
go like this man went to his neighbor
and say father here are some people in
need give me something to give them now
for many many years I have been preaching
God's Word and sometimes five times a day
or different number of times a day even
more than that sometimes and I would have
been a nervous wreck by now if I
had to produce I don't have to produce
I've only got to distribute but I have
to have compassion I want to share this
with you for all of you who are
called to preach God's Word start with compassion
for the people who sit in front of
you that's what I see to be compassion
love these are people who should be kings
but they're slaves to sing these are people
who should be overcomers and conquering but they
are defeated these are people who should be
full of the joy of the Lord but
they are discouraged Lord how can I feed
them how can I feed them give me
some loaves to give them and yet it
bang and bang and bang and bang and
bang and bang and say Lord I'm not
going to leave you until you give me
the supernatural gift of prophecy so that I
can exhort like it says in 1 Corinthians
14 verse 2 and 3 I can exhort
and edify and comfort those are the three
loaves we read about three loaves here I've
often gone to the Lord like that give
me not for myself I'm already encouraged for
these people and God always gives if you
start with compassion don't ever try to seek
God for any gift of the Holy Spirit
if you don't start with compassion for a
needy world for people who are in need
around you that's what we learn from this
parable and the result was it says here
a wonderful verse he will get up and
verse 8 and give him as much as
he needs I want to say one more
thing here it's not enough just to have
compassion I must also recognize that I don't
have what it takes to help this person
if I think oh I've got enough to
help this person I'm not going to be
able to help him I'll tell you what
I mean for example if we are to
think of this matter of sharing the word
when I talk about sharing the word I'm
not talking about just standing in the pulpit
I don't share the word only in the
pulpit I sit down talk to people so
many places when I'm sitting in their house
or they're sitting in my house and that
your sisters also experience don't you sit together
sometimes and what you can share God's word
maybe five minutes three minutes when you sit
talking to people so this parable applies to
all situations where we have to give God's
word to a needy person maybe one sentence
maybe two three minutes and if I think
oh yeah I've got plenty of knowledge I
can teach this person then I have a
sense of self-sufficiency and I won't be
able to bless them I have to have
a sense of my own need Lord I
don't have that's what this man had a
sense of his own need my house is
empty my fridge is empty there's no food
in the house I have to go and
get it from my neighbor if you feel
that you know particularly if you've studied the
Bible a little bit and you got Bible
knowledge you can feel a sense of yeah
I've got what it takes you know it's
very easy for me because I've preached so
many years I can say oh yeah I've
got so much experience preaching God have mercy
on me and I pray that day will
never come in my life where I begin
to think like that I say Lord even
if I preach for a hundred years I
don't have what it takes to help these
needy people I have knowledge oh yes but
knowledge is not what people need they need
a word from heaven there's a lot of
difference between a word from heaven and knowledge
there's a lot of preaching of dry knowledge
in churches today and you know knowledge is
like pictures of food supposing you got a
hundred hungry people in front of you and
you say okay I'm going to feed you
now and you show them a picture of
chicken biryani or another picture of some ice
cream and you enjoy that and you know
they're going to get more hungry at the
end of that but a lot of if
you give knowledge to people it's like that
you give knowledge he doesn't feed them he's
like pictures beautiful pictures color pictures of food
that's what knowledge is don't give people knowledge
give people life and life can only come
from heaven and life can only come through
the Holy Spirit's gifts knowledge can come from
your head you can study and study and
study and study and prepare a wonderful sermon
and give it out to people that's not
the way we're supposed to help people we're
going to seek God for a touch from
heaven an anointing of the Holy Spirit the
gift of prophecy and then we give it
forth it blesses people that's how we're supposed
to do it okay now we go to
a third parable parable number 32 Luke chapter
11 verse 11 to 13 where Jesus said
suppose one of you fathers is asked by
his son for a fish he won't give
him a snake will he he asked for
an egg will he won't give him a
scorpion if you being evil know how to
give good gifts to your children how much
more shall your heavenly father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him and in
Matthew chapter 7 a similar parable he says
instead of Holy Spirit he says how much
more shall your heavenly father give good things
Matthew 7 11 to those who ask him
so here Jesus is picturing the first he
pictured a judge in the second he pictured
a neighbor and the third now he pictures
a father we are fathers and he said
you are evil that's the interesting I want
you to notice here if you verse 13
Luke 11 13 being evil that teaches us
one thing that the best earthly father the
best earthly father is evil compared to God
I'm not saying we are evil but compared
to God we are now yeah I'm a
I'm a father of four sons but I
think to the best of my knowledge I
have tried my best to be a very
good father and none of my sons will
say I was an evil father to them
I have sacrificed to help them but compared
to God even I am an evil father
that's how good God is Jesus is trying
to say how much better God is than
that unrighteous judge how much better God is
than that reluctant neighbor and how much better
God is than the best earthly father that's
like saying the star has got a light
but when the sun arises that light becomes
darkness this light of the star in the
same way my goodness as a father is
like the light of the star but the
goodness of God is like the light of
the sun my goodness disappears so if you
can see God like this you know a
lot of people have got a wrong concept
of God all false religions picture God like
a policeman who's just waiting to catch you
for doing something wrong you know like a
strict judge who's out to punish you and
the devil portrays that picture and I'm sorry
to say that even some Christians think of
God like this they are scared God is
going to punish me God's going to hurt
me no Jesus tried so much to convince
his disciples God is a loving father he's
not here to hurt you he's here to
help you he's here to bless you and
I believe it's our calling those of us
who share the word with other people to
present God to other people as a loving
father because that's what he is he's better
than the best earthly father and Jesus said
if a son comes to his father and
says dad I'm hungry can you please give
me some bread the father will never give
him a stone if he asks dad can
you give me some fish he'll never give
him a snake teaching us that God will
never never never never you can keep on
repeating that never give you something evil we
got to be absolutely convinced about that never
even if I ask him for something evil
he won't give it to me sometimes we
ask God for something and he doesn't give
it to us because we may wonder why
but he knows it's not good for us
right now maybe he'll give it to us
later there's something like if a one-year
-old child asks for a sharp blade which
father will give it to the child and
the child can scream oh daddy you don't
love me you're not giving me that blade
but the father says no I won't give
it to you he'll harm yourself and sometimes
there are gifts we ask God for we
will harm ourselves with that supposing you pray
Lord please help me to win that lottery
ticket I don't think God will answer that
in fact I'm pretty sure he won't because
you'll cut yourself and destroy yourself with all
that money even if you get it so
there are things which God can do but
he won't do just like a father will
take that blade away no matter how much
that child cries no matter how much you
pray God says no because he loves us
too much in the same way you will
not give a father will not give a
500 rupee note into the hand of a
three-year-old child not because 500 rupees
is not good but that three-year-old
doesn't know how to handle it so sometimes
we ask God for something and he doesn't
give it to us and say no hang
on you've got to be a little more
mature to handle that you go and ask
God to give you say a gift of
healing tomorrow boy and somebody you pray for
gets healed your head will become so big
with pride that you'll destroy yourself and go
to hell God doesn't want you to go
to hell so he doesn't give you something
before you are mature enough to handle it
God is a loving father Jesus taught that
very clearly and that's he said it in
order to encourage us to have faith you
know when I realized that I have a
father in heaven it's easy to have faith
that's why Jesus said whenever you pray say
our father in heaven why did he say
that because he wanted us before we prayed
for anything to start with faith if you
don't have faith you can't get anything from
God have you seen that promise in the
bible for those who don't have faith you
know where it is it's a wonderful promise
in the bible for those who don't have
any faith I'll show it to you James
chapter 1 and verse um six to eight
it says here when you ask God for
wisdom let him ask in faith verse six
but if you don't have faith verse seven
don't expect to receive anything from the Lord
what a promise you won't get anything from
the Lord that's a promise for all those
who don't have faith all anybody sitting here
without faith he has a promise for you
you won't get anything from the Lord I
don't want to be like that but how
to have faith by recognizing that I have
a father not a policeman not a judge
a father Jesus said our father who art
in heaven that means one who controls the
whole universe who runs this whole universe this
earth is a small little speck and I've
got a dad up in heaven who runs
this universe and on this speck of earth
there's a small person called me and all
my problems are so small for God you
know sometimes have you seen these ants taking
a small bit of food along the floor
it's so tiny it's a big burden for
that ant you know I think when God
looks at us from heaven it's like that
we are carrying such a big burden that's
your God can you please help me with
this it's like that ant looking at us
human beings can you please help me with
this wee tiny bit of food I say
sure little ant and I take it over
there and put it in the hand says
boy what a miracle that's how God is
I hope you have faith our father who
in heaven praise God we go to now
parable number 33 Matthew 24 verse 45 to
51 here Jesus was speaking about servants who
should be watching you know watch and pray
he said who is that faithful and sensible
master slave rather faithful sensible slave whom his
master can appoint in charge of his household
to give them their food at the proper
time but if that slave instead of giving
them the food beats his fellow servants was
49 the master will suddenly come verse 50
and punish him now here Jesus is speaking
about those who are appointed by God to
feed others and instead of feeding them they
beat them when we stand up to preach
in the pulpit we must never beat people
don't say you fellows are like this and
you fellows are like that that's beating them
feed them a lot of people don't feed
they beat even parents beat their children not
with a stick but with words oh you're
good for nothing how many times I've told
you don't do that we're not to be
like that to our children our calling is
to feed not beat to feed them with
what they need and it says here a
servant must be faithful and wise you know
there are two requirements for a true servant
of God he must be faithful and he
must be wise to give exactly what this
person needs what does this person need like
a good doctor you know a patient comes
to him he examines him looks at the
x-ray looks at the scan report and
says I know what you need this medicine
will take care of it and then another
patient comes and he looks at his blood
report and other things and says I know
what you need is this medicine that's a
wise doctor he knows exactly what to give
to each person and that's our calling to
be wise servants we see people in need
all around us that we can have the
right word when in personal conversation when we
speak to a young person or a sick
person or speak to a church or to
speak in the streets to unbelievers the right
word like a good doctor wise and we
really need to seek God for that and
it says here that blessed is that servant
who does that when the master comes that
means this is what he is spending his
time doing I have to feed other people
the bible says we are priests according to
the order of Melchizedek Jesus Christ is a
high priest according to the order of Melchizedek
Hebrews chapter 7 says that we are priests
according to the order of Melchizedek what did
Melchizedek do in Genesis 14 he gave food
to Abraham when he was tired and exhausted
he gave him some food that's what we're
supposed to do he gave him some words
of encouragement and we're supposed to be priests
of after the order of Melchizedek Melchizedek didn't
come with a stick to beat Abraham he
came with a food and if you're a
priest according to the order of Melchizedek you'll
have spiritual food for the people around you
you listen to God and God will give
you that to feed other people and it
says here about these servants who are always
watching my master may come any time I
must be ready I must prepare these people
to be ready for the coming of the
Lord I want to show you one more
verse in Mark chapter 13 and verse 34
it says here that this is a similar
parable a man was appointed went on a
journey and he left his house in charge
of his servants and to everyone he gave
a particular job that's the thing I want
you to notice in verse 34 if you're
a child of God there is a particular
task that God has given you and you
have to do it and he says he's
appointed a doorkeeper I believe that every church
needs a doorkeeper a doorkeeper is a prophet
who watches who are these fellows coming in
a godly elder brother who makes sure that
the wolves don't come in who makes sure
that the goats get converted into sheep before
they come in do you know why so
many churches around us are destroyed because they
don't have doorkeepers but here it says that
God has appointed a doorkeeper to stay on
the alert to watch and be alert and
a lot of doorkeepers today in Christendom are
sleeping that's why we have such a mess
in so many churches may God raise up
many servants who are faithful and wise and
good doorkeepers the last parable verse 34 34
parable 34 Luke chapter 21 verse 29 to
32 also refers to something concerning the last
days behold the fig tree and all the
trees now in the old testament the figs
were a picture of Israel also Jeremiah in
his visions he sees good figs and bad
figs and the Lord spoke about that as
being the good people and the bad people
in Israel so the fig tree is a
picture of Israel the vine is a picture
of the church but the fig tree is
a picture of Israel and you read in
the old testament about people about the fig
tree and the vine frequently and Jesus said
I'm the true vine but he never said
I'm the true fig tree the fig tree
refers to Israel and the vine to the
church and when it speaks about the fig
tree here in Luke chapter 21 and verse
29 he is speaking about Israel and he
says watch the fig tree one day it'll
put forth leaves not fruit he's not saying
that Israel will become a spiritual nation but
he's saying that Israel will come back to
the land and there'll be a religious people
there and he said that in verse 24
of Luke 21 2,000 years ago when
the Romans were ruling Jerusalem Jesus said Jerusalem
will be ruled by many non-Jewish people
that's the meaning of the word Gentiles Jerusalem
will be ruled by many non-Jewish people
until the time for the non-Jewish people
to rule Jerusalem will be over I'm paraphrasing
verse 24 and you know when that happened
Jesus said it 2,000 years ago but
it happened only in June 1967.
I remember those days and there was what's
known as the six-day war and Israel
occupied Jerusalem for the first time in 2
,000 years and Jesus said when you see
the fig tree putting forth its leaves no
verse 31 the kingdom of God is near
there are many signs about the second coming
of Christ wars rumors of wars earthquakes famines
but those things have taken place throughout these
2,000 years even though there are many
more now but here is something that never
happened in 2,000 years for 2,000
years Israel never captured never had possession of
Jerusalem in fact not only 2,000 years
from more than nearly 600 years before Christ
from the time the Babylonians came and captured
Jerusalem that you read in the book of
Jeremiah and second chronicles when the Babylonians captured
Jerusalem 586 years before Christ from that time
till 1967 Israel never had control over Jerusalem
Jesus said watch we're talking about watching and
praying these things are happening in our lifetime
the kingdom of God is much nearer than
you think one of these days Christ will
come time will be over and the question
in that day will be what did you
live for is your conscience clear have you
settled everything with God and with men are
you right with God are you living for
eternity watch and pray and don't ever get
discouraged let's pray again I want to invite
you to respond to the word of God
that you've heard this evening don't get discouraged
if you're seeking the glory of God persistent
prayer God is a good God he's a
loving father ask him for the power of
the Holy Spirit to serve people around you
who are in need you can't do that
without the Holy Spirit's gifts God will give
you more surely than an earthly father will
give bread to his son he's so eager
to give you the gifts of the Holy
Spirit to serve others if you have compassion
Heavenly Father help us each one to live
our lives with a sense of how near
we are to the coming of Jesus Christ
how we see prophecy being fulfilled right before
our eyes things that you said 2,000
years ago help us to respond to your
word and spend the rest of our days
for the glory of God alone we pray
in Jesus name amen amen God bless you