A FAITHLESS WIDOW

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Kingsville Church of Christ
• July 8, 2007

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Whether or not a person believes God will answer
  prayer is a demonstration of one's faith.
• In Luke 18 Jesus teaches the importance of prayer
  and the importance of having faith that what one
  asks for will be granted.
• Luke 181

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Luke 181

• And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
  that men ought always to pray, and not to faint

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Whether or not a person believes God will answer
  prayer is a demonstration of one's faith.
• In Luke 18 Jesus teaches the importance of prayer
  and the importance of having faith that what one
  asks for will be granted.
• Luke 181
• The parable was to teach that people should pray
  and not faint (lose heart).
• Sometimes a failure to persist in prayer proves
  that we were not too serious in the first place.
  God wants us to persist in prayer in order to
  strengthen our faith.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 182
• In verses 2-5 Jesus tells the story of the
  persistent widow.

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Luke 182-5

• 2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which
  feared not God, neither regarded man 3And there
  was a widow in that city and she came unto him,
  saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4And he
  would not for a while but afterward he said
  within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard
  man 5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will
  avenge her, lest by her continual coming she
  weary me.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 182
• In verses 2-5 Jesus tells the story of the
  persistent widow.
• Jesus used widows in his teachings
• Luke 711-17

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Luke 711-17

• 11And it came to pass the day after, that he went
  into a city called Nain and many of his
  disciples went with him, and much people. 12Now
  when he came nigh to the gate of the city,
  behold, there was a dead man carried out, the
  only son of his mother, and she was a widow and
  much people of the city was with her. 13And when
  the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and
  said unto her, Weep not. 14And he came and
  touched the bier and they that bare him stood
  still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee,
  Arise. 15And he that was dead sat up, and began
  to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
  16And there came a fear on all and they
  glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is
  risen up among us and, That God hath visited his
  people. 17And this rumour of him went forth
  throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the
  region round about.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 182
• In verses 2-5 Jesus tells the story of the
  persistent widow.
• Jesus used widows in his teachings
• Luke 711-17
• Jesus restored life to the only son of the widow
  of Nain.
• Luke 211-4

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Luke 211-4

• 1And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting
  their gifts into the treasury. 2And he saw also a
  certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
  3And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that
  this poor widow hath cast in more than they all
  4For all these have of their abundance cast in
  unto the offerings of God but she of her penury
  hath cast in all the living that she had.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 182
• In verses 2-5 Jesus tells the story of the
  persistent widow.
• Jesus used widows in his teachings
• Luke 711-17
• Jesus restored life to the only son of the widow
  of Nain.
• Luke 211-4
• Jesus tells of a widow who gave all she had to
  the Lord.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Genesis 154

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Gen 154

• And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him,
  saying, This shall not be thine heir but he that
  shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be
  thine heir.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Genesis 154
• The lord promised Abraham that he and Sarah would
  have a child.
• Genesis 16
• After waiting a long time they took matters into
  their own hands and Abraham had a child by
  Sarah's handmaid.
• The widow not only lacked faith in God's timing
  and answering of her prayer, she also took
  advantage of the judge. How?

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 184

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Luke 184

• And he would not for a while but afterward he
  said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor
  regard man

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 184
• The judge did not fear God. She played upon the
  judge's lack of fear of God to get her way.
• Luke 187

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Luke 187

• And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry
  day and night unto him, though he bear long with
  them?

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 184
• The judge did not fear God. She played upon the
  judge's lack of fear of God to get her way.
• Luke 187
• The judge did not fear God but he believed that
  God cared for his people and would eventually
  avenge them.
• Luke 188

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Luke 188

• I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
  Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he
  find faith on the earth?

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 184
• The judge did not fear God. She played upon the
  judge's lack of fear of God to get her way.
• Luke 187
• The judge did not fear God but he believed that
  God cared for his people and would eventually
  avenge them.
• Luke 188
• Jesus asked, "shall he find faith on the earth"?
• Matt. 1720

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Matt. 1720

• And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
  unbelief for verily I say unto you, If ye have
  faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
  unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place
  and it shall remove and nothing shall be
  impossible unto you.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Luke 184
• The judge did not fear God. She played upon the
  judge's lack of fear of God to get her way.
• Luke 187
• The judge did not fear God but he believed that
  God cared for his people and would eventually
  avenge them.
• Luke 188
• Jesus asked, "shall he find faith on the earth"?
• Matt. 1720
• Jesus said that faith will cause one's requests
  to come to pass.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Matt. 1721

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Matt. 1721

• Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and
  fasting.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Matt. 1721
• This verse reveals something even more powerful
  than faith alone.
• Matthew 1720-21

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Matt. 1720-21

• 20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
  unbelief for verily I say unto you, If ye have
  faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
  unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place
  and it shall remove and nothing shall be
  impossible unto you.
• 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
  and fasting.

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Matt. 1721
• This verse reveals something even more powerful
  than faith alone.
• Matthew 1720-21
• Reinforces Jesus' statement in Luke 181 that
  "men ought always to pray, and not to faint"

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Reflect Upon Your Own Life
• Do you demonstrate faith in God's provision?
• Do you ask him for something in prayer and then
  take matters into your own hands when you do not
  immediately get what you desire?

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A FAITHLESS WIDOW

• Kingsville Church of Christ
• July 8, 2007