Good morning. Welcome back to our fourth anchored in the word morning reflection. And the passage that we've been working through is Luke chapter 18, looking at verses one through eight. And we've been talking about the importance of prayer in the last days. This morning, we're going to focus in on a warning that Jesus gives in this text. But alongside that warning is a comfort to the believer. And so let's go ahead and turn our Bibles again to this passage. We'll read it and then we will look at the warning. and then the comfort that is associated with that warning. Here's what God's word says. And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint, saying, there was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man, and there was a widow in that city. And she came to him saying, avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. The Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you, he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Now, as I mentioned earlier in this study, there is a warning in the text. And the warning is that there are going to be many people that when the Lord Jesus returns, they will not be ready. They will be caught off guard. And if you remember back to the first day, we emphasize that this teaching about prayer is associated with his teaching in the last days. And so notice what the text says in verse 8. He asks a question. When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? The anticipation is there are going to be many people who will not be looking for Him, who will not be anticipating His return. These will be perilous days because many people will not be ready for Him. Now this is the second contrast in the passage. The first contrast that's given is between God and the unjust judge. So when we look at this contrast, we see that God is good and the unjust judge is evil. If the unjust judge will sometimes do things that are good, though his motive is wrong, how much more would God, who is righteous and just and holy and good, do what is best for people? So that's the first contrast that's presented in the text. The second contrast is the one we're looking at this morning. And that is the contrast between God's people and those who are in the world. God's people are a people who will experience his grace. The unbelieving world will experience God's judgment. And that's what is implied in verse eight when he says, nevertheless, when the son of man cometh, shall he find faith in the earth? The answer is many people will not be looking for him. Now this reminds me of a similar passage of scripture that I referred to the week before when we were talking about the day of the Lord. And that passage is in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. I'm going to read through it so that we can get the sense of it, but then I want to draw your attention to the contrast that we find in the passage. In fact, as I'm reading this, I want you to listen for the contrast that we find in the text because we see both the warning side and the comfort side in the contrast that's drawn here. Here's what the scriptures say. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are the children of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Let us not sleep, as do others. Let us watch and be sober." Now, did you notice the contrast between the us and the them? Those who are the children of night and the children of darkness, and those who are the children of the day, the children of light. In fact, I'm going to draw it out this way. In verse two, he talks about you, brethren, yourselves know, they know about the day of the Lord. It cometh as a thief in the night. Then he's going to draw their attention to the fact that in that day, they shall say to you peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them." It doesn't say upon us, it says them. Notice the contrast. Then in verse 4 he says, but ye brethren are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Do you see the contrast? Then we move to the next verse, verse 5. He says, ye are all the children of the light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of the darkness." There's the contrast. Then verse 6, he says, let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. And then verse number 9, God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation. You say, Joel, why is that so important? It's important because when we look at the warning of this passage and the soberness of the passage on the same side of it is the opposite comfort. The believer will not face wrath. That day will not overcome the Christian. Why? Because we're ready for it. We're anticipating it. We have embraced the Lord Jesus as our Messiah. The implication is that though this day will occur and many people will experience God's judgment on that day, we can take comfort in the promise that those who trust in the gospel will not face his wrath. Aren't you thankful for that? Boy, I'm thankful for that. That gives me so much comfort, and strength.