Pastor points out the Old Testament’s words, “Thus says the LORD,” and compares them to the words of Jesus in the New Testament that say, “But I tell you.” What does this tell us about who Jesus is? Pastor explores the “But I tell yous” as found in Matthew chapter 5 and we learn what Jesus calls us to. That call is to a changed heart, which can only happen when we come to faith in Jesus. God’s call is personal! He wants to change each one of us by the shed blood of Jesus, the Son of God.

In Week 7, we hear more of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Jesus calls us salt and light. What does He mean when He uses these words to describe how we are to be? As historians have looked at world history, more and more of them are coming to the realization Christianity changed everything. Jesus has had a greater impact on the human condition than anyone in all of history. What Jesus produces in people, changes them!

We finish Matthew 4 on following Jesus, and begin the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 that opens with the Beatitudes.

Week 5 of our Matthew study digs into chapter 4 on the Temptation of Jesus, His three temptations and the reality of an unseen spiritual world.

Week 4 of our Matthew study is all about John the Baptist and his message of repentance, a message that can be difficult for the religious to accept.

Scripture - Luke 18:1-8; “The Widow’s Plea”

The Parable: “The Widow’s Plea” is an earthly narrative with a heavenly meaning - We should always pray and not give up!

This is a story that lets us know that there will be challenges and difficulties that we all will face. But in this parable Jesus is teaching us to endure - to not give up and to do so through prayer - leaning into Him and trusting Him.

The parable begins be telling of a judge that didn’t know God and didn’t care at all about people - and there’s a widow that continues to go to the judge for justice against her adversary. Over and over again and again she goes to him and each time he refuses to help her until he gets so tired of her continually pursuing him for justice that he finally gives in so she would leave him alone.

Jesus goes on, “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?”

Many interpret this to mean we need to be relentless in pounding on God’s door for what is just and what is right and what we need. But what Jesus is actually doing is challenging us to compare what we know of the unjust judge to what we know about him, the righteous judge,The Living God, who cares for us all.

The unjust judge doesn’t care about this widow, he only care about himself. God is NOT like that! GOD CARES!

Jesus is saying that if even an unjust judge responds to pleas, don’t you know God who sees His children as precious will care so much more and will respond to His children. God is good and gracious and nothing like this unjust judge.

When things are rough and it seems that God is not listening, that is NOT the case! For our God is a righteous and caring judge!

Let’s compare the two:

The Judge
⁃ Unjust
⁃ Unloving
⁃ Uncaring
⁃ Merciless
⁃ Evil
⁃ Rude

God
⁃ Just
⁃ Loving
⁃ Caring
⁃ Merciful
⁃ Good
⁃ Gracious

God wants us to always pray and not give up. The Lord wants us to bring our needs to Him, our concerns and worries to Him, our struggles, our cries and our pleas and to understand how good He is.

PRAYER MAKES GOD REAL!

When we talk to God and bring to Him the cares and concerns of our lives - His presence becomes real - in that circumstance we are living by faith! We’re not giving up hope - We’re praying by faith to the Living God.

Jesus finishes with, “I tell you, He (The Father) will see that they (His children) get justice, and suddenly. However, when the Son of Man (Jesus) comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Jesus is saying here for us not to give up hope. Don’t allow the threats of opposition and attacks of the enemy to drive us away from Him, Living God who alone delivers us.

Don’t allow the opposition of others to take our eyes off the goodness of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hang on to your faith!!! Hang on to your faith as never before!

How?
1. Pray to God - because prayer makes Him real!
2. Listen to and meditate on His Word
3. Be encouraged by fellow believers, those who have faith to live for God.

Pastor shares a powerful story of God’s victory in pain from the book “Walk On” by Ben Malcolmson.

In Summary, hang onto the Lord!! It’s a battle out there, but our God has won the victory. We will win because Jesus has already won!!

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. This book written by Luke, a non-Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group, small group or home group study.

In our study of Matthew this week we look at chapters 2 and 3, with an emphasis on deliverance through Jesus the Messiah and the fulfillment of the New Covenant through Him as well.