22 November 2020 - 11am Service
Jesus Talk: Persistent Prayer
This Sunday we continue our preaching series Jesus Talk with a message from Rob Scott-Cook on ‘Persistent Prayer’.
Jesus is on the move. In Luke 10 Jesus appoints 72 to go ahead of him ‘to every town and place he was about to go’. In Luke 13:22 we read ‘Jesus went through the towns and villages teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem’ (13:33). In 14:25 we read ‘large crowds were travelling with Jesus’.
Jesus ‘way’ lies through Samaria from Galilee to Jerusalem and corresponds to Luke 9:51-19:44. It’s not always welcoming territory (9:51-56)- the disciples might feel like sheep amongst wolves at times.
Jesus teaching, usually in parables, is sometimes provoked by questions, sights and sounds on the road. The Good Samaritan is based around a risky journey through bandit territory. The three ‘lost’ things parables of Luke 15 have journeying and seeking in them. Not all the teaching and sayings in these chapters from 10-19 are chronological. But perhaps there is a body of teaching that teaches us how to live ‘with the end in mind’. How do we live out our discipleship on this journey of life with the Kingdom as our goal and destination?
Remember, our 7pm service is also looking at this topic, and Rachel Riddall will be sharing with us. Check it out!
You will find discussion notes below to help you go deeper with this topic during the week.
DISCUSSION NOTES
INTRODUCTION | Luke 11:1-13 & Luke 18:1-8
In Luke’s gospel there are two key passages where Jesus teaches on prayer. The Lord’s prayer in Luke 11 is followed by 2 parables about being bold and persevering in prayer. Luke 18 is another parable about persevering in prayer, about bringing requests to God.
Big idea: How we pray determines what we believe about God.
Folk religion, or human default ways of thinking, tend to project on to God our fears. We see God as a harsh father or harsh judge. In the two parables here in Luke, Jesus tells us that God is the opposite of a harsh father - He is a good father who wants to bless his children. He is not like a harsh judge, he will give justice ‘speedily’.
STUDY QUESTIONS
Key Questions: How does my view of God affect the way I pray?
Why do we tend to project harsh authoritarian pictures of God on to Him? How does knowing Jesus change the way I see God?
Other questions:
Why do we need to persevere in prayer, to keep ‘asking, seeking and knocking’? If Jesus says God will grant his chosen ones swiftly (Luke 18) why do we need to wait?
Jesus asks questions about our faith. ‘Will the Son of Man .. find faith on earth?’ What is the link between our faith and answered prayer?
What is the link between intensity of need and prayer? In the parables on prayer those asking have a strong sense of need. Do I have a sense of how much I need God?
How can the Lord’s Prayer be applied to my life without just becoming a ritual form of words?
In small group life are there things that we are ‘persevering’ in asking God for? Why not keep a group prayer journal, to help us remember to ask but to keep a record of answers too?