Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): Coming up on Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: Is God the unjust God who can't be bothered with us and only answers us and gives us what we want because we bug him to death and try his patience? Of course not. What is God like? He is our loving heavenly Father. And like a father, if we come to him as a boy and ask for a fish, he won't give us a serpent. And if we ask for bread, he won't give us a stone. Our heavenly Father knows what we need and he has promised. He has promised to hear the cries of his servants, his chosen ones, his disciples living in difficult days where there's erosion of their faith.

He has promised to hear them.

Guest (Male): This is Telling the Truth. And today, Stuart Briscoe is opening up scripture to Luke and taking a closer look at the parable of the widow and the judge. Stuart's coming right back with more. Joy is an integral part of the Christian faith. And we want to help you navigate the ups and downs of life with an attitude of joy by sending you Stuart and Jill Briscoe's five message series, Rediscovering Joy. It's our way to thank you for your gift to help more people experience life. And if you're able to make your gift today monthly, we'll also send you a special Joy is Jesus coffee mug.

Call us today and request it, 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388. Or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, let's hear from Stuart.

Stuart Briscoe: I'd like to direct your attention to Luke chapter 18. And the first 14 verses have been assigned to me to speak to you from this morning. I'm going to concentrate particularly on the first eight verses, although we certainly will refer to the rest of them as well. I'll read the first section to you. Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said, in a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, grant me justice against my adversary.

For some time, he refused, but finally, he said to himself, even though I don't fear God or care about men, 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. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. 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? 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?

That that question there is jarring, I think, in that particular context. And and I think sometimes when we we read that that passage of scripture, we just sort of read the parallel and think, well, that that question there doesn't seem to be relevant at all and just sort of pass over it. I think it's the key to understanding it. And what a startling question it is. When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth? Now, I think it would be true to say that if we read this particular parable casually, we are in danger of getting hold of the wrong end of the stick big time.

Let me ask you a question. Is it possible for teenagers in high school or slightly older in college and university to notice the fact that the majority of people are cheating? And that because the people are cheating, if they're going to keep up with them, if they're going to compete, they really have no alternative but to cheat themselves because everybody's doing it. Is it possible that the disciple of Jesus could actually find himself just giving up on principle and settling for something less? And you know the answer to that. Is it possible in the business world where lying is rampant for a Christian disciple to decide, if I tell the truth in a situation where everybody else lies, there's no way I can survive.

There's no way I can make a living. Fellow came to me one day and said to you, quite frankly, I have to resign my job if I'm going to be a disciple of Jesus because the business I'm in, you can't be honest and make a living in it. And he was a very successful man in his area of responsibility. Is it possible for a disciple of Jesus to be living in a situation committed to Jesus and his principles but find such an erosion of principle that in the end, they just give up. And the answer is yes.

Is it possible for young couples who are looking around them and they see that their parents struggled in marriage, they say to themselves, you know, we're not sure we want to commit to marriage. And lots and lots of people have decided the sensible thing to do is live together before we get married. So that's what we'll do. We know it's not the way Christians should do it, but everybody's doing it and lots of folks are doing it and so they give up on principle. And the question they have to ask is this, when the son of man returns, will he find faith on earth?

Will he find people just giving up on principle? Will will you find people just giving up on discipleship? Will you find people giving up and taking a stand? Well, there are other illustrations that I I don't have time to get into them right now. But you get the picture, don't you? Now, the parable is told for this express purpose. Peter in his second epistle wrote about this. He's it's really it's really very surprising. He He said, you know, there are scoffers abounding right now. This is 20 centuries ago, folks. 20 centuries ago, Peter wrote about this.

And he said there are scoffers around and they are scoffing about this idea of Christ coming again. And they're saying, where is the promise of his coming? Ever since the creation, things continue as they always did. Have you Have you Have you noticed quite a lot of people never talk about the coming of Christ? Have you noticed that there a lot of Christians who never refer to the fact that the second pole of their spiritual lives is that they look back to the fact that he has come and they look forward to the fact that he will return.

Have you come across any Christians who don't really want to think about it? Could Could it be that a lot of people have actually given up on believing that he will return and that they should be ready? That it will be cataclysmic, that it will be sudden and that we are to be found actively on the job. This is why the parable has been told, which raises a question, of course. If it is true that we should not give up, then how do we go about it? On the 29th of October 1941, in the dark, dismal, dreary, dangerous days of the Second World War, when England was facing a very very uncertain future with the Nazi armies just a few miles away on the coastline of France, Winston Churchill went to an event at Harrow School that he dearly loved.

It was the evening when the school sang the Harrow songs, some of which had been written specially for him. And on this particular occasion, he went and as they were singing their patriotic songs, particularly the old man was sitting there with tears streaming down his face. And then he was asked to speak to the boys. Now, remember that he is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at this time, that he is the old lion who is standing up to what he called that jackal Mussolini and that crazy madman painter from Austria, Adolf Hitler. And he made his way to the podium and he spoke for 4 minutes and 12 seconds.

This is his most oft-quoted speech because it is most often misquoted. Some people say he only got up and said three things and sat down. That's not quite right. He said a few more, but towards the end of his speech, this is what he said. Now, remember the days, remember who's speaking, remember where he's saying it. This is what he said. Never give up. Never give up. Never never never never in nothing great or small, large or petty. Never give up. Can Can you imagine in those days listening to that man speak? Can you imagine how those young boys must have felt the hair on the back of their neck rising?

They are hearing the most stirring rhetoric. They're hearing the greater challenge. Never give up because they are looking at an old man who doesn't have an ounce of give up in him. And he's making a nation discover they don't have an ounce of give up in them either. And that's what the church of Jesus needs today. Never give up. Never give up. Never never never never in matters large or small. Never give up. Oh, I know his coming has been delayed. I know the era in which we live is fraught with difficulties. I know there's a tendency to give up on principle.

I know there's a tendency to cut corners. I know there's a possibility of losing focus and becoming weary in intensity and just deciding you've done your bit and let somebody else do it anymore. But the message is very very straightforward and clear. Jesus told the parable and he said, men not always to pray and never give up. And the key is prayer. The key is prayer.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Stuart Briscoe on Telling the Truth. He's back with more in just a moment. Are you living in the joy Jesus has chosen for you? For many, joy is something that's become lost or clouded by life circumstances. So many all over our world are weighed down by loneliness, grief, and worry. And people are longing to find the joy that Christ promises all who follow him. We want to help you live in complete joy by sending you Stuart and Jill's five message series, Rediscovering Joy. In it, Stuart and Jill examine the lives of several people throughout scripture and show you how to re-encounter the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ.

Rediscovering Joy is our way to thank you for your financial support of Telling the Truth today. And if you're able to make your gift monthly, we'll also send you a special Joy is Jesus coffee mug to remind you to embrace joy every single day. So request yours today when you call and give, 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388. Or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. For many, our smartphones have become our social connection. But we want to help you make a spiritual connection with the Telling the Truth mobile app. You can listen to daily programs, engage in Bible reading plans, journal, and share your thoughts and prayers on the community wall.

Get the Telling the Truth app through your app store or log on to tellingthetruth.org/mobileapp. Now, back to Stuart.

Stuart Briscoe: Now, Jesus in this parable that he's telling is not giving us a picture of God. He's giving us a caricature of the opposite of God. Is God the unjust God who can't be bothered with us and only answers us and gives us what we want because we bug him to death and try his patience? Of course not. What is God like? He is our loving heavenly Father. And like a father, if we come to him as a boy and ask for a fish, he won't give us a serpent. And if we ask for bread, he won't give us a stone.

Our heavenly Father knows what we need and he has promised. He has promised to hear the cries of his servants, his chosen ones, his disciples living in difficult days where there's erosion of their faith. He has promised to hear them. And are we like the widow who is poor and impoverished and total without totally without resources? Of course not. We have been blessed with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. And are we like her without an advocate? Of course not. The risen Christ is at the Father's right hand, ever living to make intercession for us.

So why would there be an answer of give up in us? For the Father knows what we need and he is totally committed in the end to bringing justice to bear, which means that this crazy old world that is not the way it ought to be one day will be the way it ought to be when Christ returns. And that is the polarity that we look to. That is the objective that we have. We are living in the light of his irreversible, irrefutable, irresistible return. But we forget. We cut corners. We give up instead of praying.

I'll give you a case study. Acts chapter 3 following. Peter and John heal a man. The people gather around and say, oh, how did you do that? He said, I did it in the power of Jesus of Nazareth who is risen from the dead. Tell us more. So they preach us the resurrection. It's in Jerusalem. It's not long after the resurrection and the authorities are frightened to death that this message is getting out there. And so they grab Peter and John like the unjust judge and they throw them in jail without a charge and without a trial.

Next morning, they brought out, put in front of the Sanhedrin who questioned them. How did you do this miracle? Simon Peter, totally unabashed by the whole situation, said, we we did it in the name of Jesus of Nazareth who, if you may remember, a few weeks ago you crucified, but God raised him from the dead. And so the people tried to shut up Peter. And they say, you must not speak in this name of Jesus who you say rose again from the dead and to don't speak in his name again. And they kicked them out.

So Peter and John go back to their believing community and they pray. Of course they do. They don't give up. They pray. And notice how they pray. It's wonderful. Acts chapter 4. Sovereign Lord, sovereign Lord, it's who you pray to that matters. Sovereign Lord, you who made the heavens and the earth, the land and the sea, and all that is within them. You are the one who spoke by your servant David. And here they quote Psalm 2 that talks about the rulers rising up against the Lord's anointed and they make application of it in their prayer.

And they said, the rulers around here, Lord, rose up against your servant Jesus and they killed him. But you did have your determinate foreknowledge and counsel in this thing and you were actually in control when they put Jesus to death and you raised him from the dead. Now, that's who you pray to. You pray to the sovereign Lord who is the creator of heaven and earth, the land and the sea, and all that is in them, who raised up Jesus from the dead and who works out all things according to his determinate foreknowledge and counsel and eternal purposes.

That's who you pray to. And then this is what they prayed. Now, behold their threatenings. It's very difficult down here, Lord. Don't know if you've noticed. Keep an eye on this situation. And would you please get us out of here as quickly as possible? No, they didn't. They said, behold their threatenings and please embolden your servants so they may speak your word faithfully because they didn't have an ounce of give up in them. They prayed, which is precisely what Jesus told them to do. Don't give up. Pray. And not surprisingly, the place was shaken. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and off they went.

And immediately, I love it. They got themselves thrown into jail again. God, however, had an angel who had graduated from picking locks school. And he went into the cell and he opened it and he got Simon out. And then, you know, I love the sense of humor here. He locked the cell behind him. And then, Peter says, hey, now what do I do? You got me out of here. Now what do I do? This angel said, there's a whole crowd of people at the temple and they want to hear more about Jesus. And so Jesus so Peter goes off and tells him.

And then the next morning, the jailer sent by the Sanhedrin to get Peter out of jail has a bit of a problem because he unlocks the cell and there he is gone. And the cell was locked. So he comes back to the Sanhedrin and says, sir, I'm not quite sure how to explain this, but I put him in the cell and I locked it. And I went down there this morning and I unlocked it and there he was gone. And it was locked. And I'm not quite sure how to explain it, sir, but I'll tender my resignation if you wish.

Somebody said, well, where is this man? Somebody else said, he's at the temple court preaching. Of course he was. Of course he was. Wasn't anybody giving in. So they hold him in and they beat him up. They beat him up this time. And he goes out from his beating up and he says, praise God that I was worthy to suffer for his sake. Men ought always to pray and not give up. The problem with the contemporary church is this, far too easily we forget to pray and far too quickly we give up. And that's why the question is asked, when the son of man returns, will he find faith on earth?

Very very searching questions indeed. Remember, we are not a poor widow with no resources and no advocate. And God is not an unjust God who doesn't care about man. We are unbelievably rich in Christ. We have an advocate with the Father. And we have a Father who is totally committed to putting things to right ultimately, finally when Christ returns in glory. And that is the orientation that we have. And in the light of that, we live in the power of the resurrection. And we always pray. And we never never never never give up.

Guest (Male): Stuart Briscoe with you today on Telling the Truth, looking at the meaning behind the parable of the widow and the judge in the book of Luke. Stuart's coming right back with more. When you support Telling the Truth, you make a life change possible for people all over the world. And by becoming a monthly partner today, you can help reach even more listeners with sound biblical teaching so they can experience life in Christ. When you do, we'll say thanks for your first monthly gift by sending you Stuart and Jill's five message series, Rediscovering Joy, along with a special Joy is Jesus coffee mug.

Rediscovering Joy examines the lives of several people throughout scripture and shows you how to re-encounter the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And the coffee mug will be a daily reminder for you to embrace the joy that's yours in Christ. So request yours today when you call and give your first monthly gift or you can request Rediscovering Joy as thanks for your one-time gift. Call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388. Or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. And now, let's hear more from Stuart. Stuart, you said that people are giving up on their principles today. Has society changed?

Stuart Briscoe: Has society changed? Well, that's that that that's a big question. The answer is, first of all, I don't know that people are anymore sinful or anymore fallen than we've always been. I mean, scripture is very clear on that point. But I think society has changed in that attitudes towards sinfulness and attitude towards fallenness have certainly changed. What what used to be taboo, what what used to be rejected by society as a whole, people did it. But there was a sense of shame. There was a sense of of keeping it under cover. Now, the same sort of things are done, but to a certain extent, it's it's much more open.

It's regarded as normative. It used to be that society, and we talk about North American society, I suppose, generally or certainly Western society, it it used to be that there was a general consensus as to what was right and what was wrong, what was good and what was evil. Now, it's more anything goes. You shrug your shoulders and say, whatever.

Guest (Male): And what would you say to people who are tempted to cut corners in life?

Stuart Briscoe: That depends entirely on the corners. There's no question about it that truth is pretty straightforward. Now, some people want to go around the truth. They they they want to circumvent the obvious right thing to do. They want to get away from facing up to the reality. And so I would say in situations like that, quit going around the subject, cut to the chase or if you like, cut the corners and tell the truth. As Mark Twain said, if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember what you said. On the other hand, let let let me put it to you this way.

I think the general feeling of people in our society is that they like to have that which is comfortable and that which is profitable and that which is popular. And I I would go along with that, I think. But I think scripture says we should be committed to that which is good and right and true. And here's the issue. We have to decide which way we're going to go if it comes down to between between what is good and what is comfortable, what is right and what is profitable, what is true and popular. And it's in those areas that we cut corners.

Guest (Male): Thanks, Stuart. Before we close today's broadcast, remember that when you call and give to help more people experience life, we'll send you Stuart and Jill's five message series, Rediscovering Joy as our thanks. And if you're able to make your gift monthly, we'll also send you a special Joy is Jesus coffee mug to remind you to embrace joy each day. So please request yours when you call 1-800-889-5388. 1-800-889-5388. Or you can give online when you visit tellingthetruth.org. Next time, experience life on Telling the Truth with Stuart and Jill Briscoe.