We can all give thanks to God for who He is and what He does. God will do things because He is faithful and true to Himself. Now that we come to read His word together, you and I know that it is through preaching that faith comes. I know that there are a few here that God has already spoken to this morning. It matters what fruit you have in your life. It matters whether our lives are being lived according to God’s will to His purposes or for ourselves.
2 Peter 1:8-11
‘Give diligence’. Two words meaning work hard at it, focus upon it. Don’t let there be any needless intrusion of what is going to make you go the wrong way. On Friday we looked at a man called Asa who started off well, but things went wrong because in the end He didn’t really rely on God. It came to the point where God had to send someone to say something to him because Asa, at that time, had done a deal of his own strength instead of relying on God as he had done earlier on in his life. We saw how 580,000 of his soldiers knocked out a million of the others because he relied on God completely. There came a time where he did a league with the King of Syria. God sent him a prophet.
2 Chronicles 16:7-10
Asa’s reaction to this is interesting because God was speaking to him through Hanani, and one’s reaction when God comes to you is either to embrace what He’s saying, or to push Him away.
He took it out on the people because the man of God had come to Him and pointed out a few things. Jesus was aware that when He came to people they could either hear what He said or ignore it. God has been speaking to people in this hall latterly. I want to know what you’re going to do with the word that God’s spoken to you, because it matters what we do with the Word He’s given us. This following parable talks about God seeking fruit from a life because the fact of the matter is that either you going to accept and act upon what God is saying, or you’re going to put up the barriers and perpetuate that you’re going to live for yourself. The Holy Spirit is being faithful and coming to you with that Word, or prompt in your heart. This parable is to do with the nation of Israel but it applies to a life.
Mark 12:1-5
I wonder how many times God has spoken to you but you’ve stopped that word from coming into your life. Even though it keeps coming back you keep pushing it away. He sent servant after servant to collect what was rightfully his.
Mark 12:6-14
Jesus, the owner of the vineyard if you life, was talking to the very people who were going to kill him. How much does it take for God to keep coming with His word for you to accept His word? He’s gracious and loving. It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. God is speaking to people about their lives at the mountain. At the end of this parable Jesus spoke about the stone. Little did they know that it was Him that would become the corner stone of the church. He was talking to Jews but it extend beyond this to the gentiles too.
Ephesians 2:19-23
The church is fitly framed together with Jesus Christ as the corner stone. After Jesus’s death and resurrection it was clear as to how the church was going to be formed. We are part of His church. God is coming to your life and asking you ‘where do you fit in?’ What is the fruit in your life? It is God’s word coming to you. God won’t force Himself on you, He’s gracious and patient. He’s here this morning.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Here in these verses Paul points out that we are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in us if we are a Christian.
1 Corinthians 6:19-21
You and I have been bought with a price and the price is Jesus’ life. In the parable they didn’t reference His son. Here now I’m asking you what the fruit of your life is? What are you doing with the words God is coming to you with by the Holy Spirit? What is the effect of the word in your life?
2 Peter 1:1-4
He’s writing to people who have heard that word and are partakers of the divine nature. But he now adds these words:
2 Peter 1:5-12
Always keep an eye open to the end of the sentence in the epistles. As far as you’re concerned this is telling us that there is something that we need to do. We can’t just respond in a meeting and be grateful, although that is wonderful, we must also act on this. We need to know what we must do going forward. God may be speaking to you, but this is very clear from Peter, you’ve got to give diligence. This word is used twice. What does it mean to be diligent? It means that I don’t respond in here and then live anyway out there. We have to be practical about this. I’ve got to prioritise my time and link up with the right people. I need to make sure that I don’t do things that will get me into trouble again. There’s a way of living and of establishing God’s word in your heart.
2 Peter 1:4
You’ve escaped that. It could be you need to escape from that, but God’s power is such that you can escape from that.
2 Peter 1:5
What does virtue mean? Another word for virtue is morality or moral excellence. Add to your faith. You add to your faith. Don’t assume that in here it will happen just in here. If you accept the word God gives you the power to live right, but then you have to live right. We must also add to virtue knowledge. What sort of knowledge are we talking about here? We’re talking about the Bible. We’re talking about taking every opportunity to understand the Bible. We must all know this book inside out. We’re not talking about the letter, we’re talking about opening your heart to let the Holy Spirit in.
This is the book we live by. God is faithful. People are saying now that we should read this word together – great. We must follow the lead God is giving us that we must get involved with this book. ‘Add to knowledge temperance.’ Another word for temperance is self-control. You add self-control to your life by not getting into situations where before you were out of control. You might be thinking that this is all works, it should be faith. There are practicalities of life. God has opened the path for us, but we have to walk down it. There is no way that God isn’t going to see you through at this time. He will, He’s your heavenly father. ‘Add to faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience’.
We are to be patient. We’re to accept as God shows different things in our life of what we need to do. ‘Add to patience godliness.’ Being godly means being set apart, having the things of God in your mind, listening to and talking about the right things and not being ashamed of the gospel of Christ. ‘And to godliness brotherly kindness’. We must care for each other. We shouldn’t cash in on a conversation that is pulling someone down, but we should cash in on a conversation that if lifting up God’s work in a life.
2 Peter 1:8
You won’t be barren. There’s a sense in which God has been faithful throughout everything in the last weeks, in the last months, in the last years. There’s no way that God has not been faithful. Where are we at this morning? I think we’re at the point where God is being faithful in speaking to us, and He is by His Holy Spirit confirming His word in our hearts. You could push Him away, He’s not going to force. He is all love and patience, but isn’t it better to open your heart to what you know He is speaking to you about.
2 Peter 1:9
There’s power in the name of Jesus.
Sunday 30 November 2008
Friday 28 November 2008
Turn to the Lord
I want to help you focus on the main things in life. The main things in life are God’s relationship with you, and learning more about God. I’m going to look at the life of a man who did know a lot of things about God in his early life, and then things went a bit wrong.
2 Chronicles 14:1
He began his reign over Judah well.
2 Chronicles 14:2-9
There was an army’s strength of 580,000, and all of them were men of valour.
2 Chronicles 14:9-11
So he had 580,000 men against a million. And this is what Asa cried.
2 Chronicles 14:11
Asa had totally the right perspective. He had a good ten years, and now is in this battle.
2 Chronicles 14:12-16
Not only a good start to his reign, but now when the first war appeared out of the blue, there was not a problem, because it was God’s name that he went forward in.
2 Chronicles 15:1-7
So he came to Asa and told him that he’d got it right. He’d got the right balance, because everything he did he went forward trusting God to deliver.
2 Chronicles 15:8-12
This is now fifteen years into his reign. He first had ten quiet years, and then the Ethiopians rose up and God defeated them, and now, to mark the occasion, there was a massive offering unto God.
2 Chronicles 15:12-16
Everything was fine at this point. The reason why it was fine was because he trusted in God. He knew his position was from God. No one has any power except from God. In your life, you need to know where God is. Where’s his perspective in your life?
2 Chronicles 15:16-20
This was quite a time.
2 Chronicles 16:1
Something now has happened in Asa’s heart. Before, his instant solution was asking God for help. He rested on him and went out in his name. But thirty-five years in, everything was quiet. Asa didn’t bring it to God.
2 Chronicles 16:2-7
There was no hint in getting God involved. He knew what to do. He had money in the treasury, in the church, in the king’s house. So a deal was done. But God didn’t get a look in.
2 Chronicles 16:7-10
Asa had no relied on God in all this. He knew what to do, and it actually worked. But thirty-five years in, God was forgotten about. One thing you and I need to do, if you’re aware of how it all started off with God in your life, is not forget we’re were from. We mustn’t forget the origin of our faith, and that we started off in God. We mustn’t forget the foundation of your life, if you’re a Chroniclesistian. Are you just going through the motions? Are you letting things go by? You think you know what you’re doing, that you can sort things out. It’s not a coincidence that God’s brought you here and caused you to focus on your walk with Him.
This got to Asa because he knew inside what he had done, and he got angry.
2 Chronicles 16:10
As a leader, things had been found out, and then he took it out on the people.
2 Chronicles 16:11-13
He was still in a rage. As far as he was concerned, he’d dealt with his problem. He’d sorted it. But it wasn’t done in the right way. He cut God out of it. And now he has diseased feet, but he still doesn’t go to God.
2 Chronicles 16:13-15
1 Peter 3:10-13
It might be that you know, in your heart, that God has been getting hold of you. I want to confirm to you, that this is for the reason that he wants to change you on the inside.
What happened, Asa? You started off so well, and yet it ended up like that. It was as if you got too sure of yourself, and you became in charge of Judah. You forgot that God appointed you.
God wants you to turn around. He wants you to realise that you’re dealing with a God who changes people on the inside. It’s that simple. Learn from the life of Asa. Those of you who’ve been a Chroniclesistian for some time, remember the order of things. It’s God with whom we have to do. He is the author of our faith. He is the one who is faithful and in control. We can’t take everything for granted. Our heart is one of thanks that we rest on him, our shield and our defender. We’re going forward in him.
2 Chronicles 14:1
He began his reign over Judah well.
2 Chronicles 14:2-9
There was an army’s strength of 580,000, and all of them were men of valour.
2 Chronicles 14:9-11
So he had 580,000 men against a million. And this is what Asa cried.
2 Chronicles 14:11
Asa had totally the right perspective. He had a good ten years, and now is in this battle.
2 Chronicles 14:12-16
Not only a good start to his reign, but now when the first war appeared out of the blue, there was not a problem, because it was God’s name that he went forward in.
2 Chronicles 15:1-7
So he came to Asa and told him that he’d got it right. He’d got the right balance, because everything he did he went forward trusting God to deliver.
2 Chronicles 15:8-12
This is now fifteen years into his reign. He first had ten quiet years, and then the Ethiopians rose up and God defeated them, and now, to mark the occasion, there was a massive offering unto God.
2 Chronicles 15:12-16
Everything was fine at this point. The reason why it was fine was because he trusted in God. He knew his position was from God. No one has any power except from God. In your life, you need to know where God is. Where’s his perspective in your life?
2 Chronicles 15:16-20
This was quite a time.
2 Chronicles 16:1
Something now has happened in Asa’s heart. Before, his instant solution was asking God for help. He rested on him and went out in his name. But thirty-five years in, everything was quiet. Asa didn’t bring it to God.
2 Chronicles 16:2-7
There was no hint in getting God involved. He knew what to do. He had money in the treasury, in the church, in the king’s house. So a deal was done. But God didn’t get a look in.
2 Chronicles 16:7-10
Asa had no relied on God in all this. He knew what to do, and it actually worked. But thirty-five years in, God was forgotten about. One thing you and I need to do, if you’re aware of how it all started off with God in your life, is not forget we’re were from. We mustn’t forget the origin of our faith, and that we started off in God. We mustn’t forget the foundation of your life, if you’re a Chroniclesistian. Are you just going through the motions? Are you letting things go by? You think you know what you’re doing, that you can sort things out. It’s not a coincidence that God’s brought you here and caused you to focus on your walk with Him.
This got to Asa because he knew inside what he had done, and he got angry.
2 Chronicles 16:10
As a leader, things had been found out, and then he took it out on the people.
2 Chronicles 16:11-13
He was still in a rage. As far as he was concerned, he’d dealt with his problem. He’d sorted it. But it wasn’t done in the right way. He cut God out of it. And now he has diseased feet, but he still doesn’t go to God.
2 Chronicles 16:13-15
1 Peter 3:10-13
It might be that you know, in your heart, that God has been getting hold of you. I want to confirm to you, that this is for the reason that he wants to change you on the inside.
What happened, Asa? You started off so well, and yet it ended up like that. It was as if you got too sure of yourself, and you became in charge of Judah. You forgot that God appointed you.
God wants you to turn around. He wants you to realise that you’re dealing with a God who changes people on the inside. It’s that simple. Learn from the life of Asa. Those of you who’ve been a Chroniclesistian for some time, remember the order of things. It’s God with whom we have to do. He is the author of our faith. He is the one who is faithful and in control. We can’t take everything for granted. Our heart is one of thanks that we rest on him, our shield and our defender. We’re going forward in him.
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Prayer (Part 2 of 3)
One thing from last week. Somehow Almighty God causes us to be co-workers with Him. Everything is prompted by Him – we are prompted to pray in a certain way for a certain person, and Father’s name is glorified.
Matthew 6:5
A clear castigation of those who pray to be seen to be praying. Forget it.
Matthew 6:6-9
We’re not to go on and on for half an hour in the belief that that will cause God to answer. If I’m praying about something and really need an answer, there’s nothing wrong in praying more than once. But don’t simply watch the clock to chalk up brownie points.
God knows what we need, but through His grace and love and mercy He likes us to take part. He loves communication. It was His voice – the communicative ability of God with man – that walked in the garden.
Matthew 6:9-16
Luke 11:1-13
The key part is following on from the Lord’s prayer – “Ask and it shall be given to you. ”We do need to spend time in prayer. It’s not an option. It’s part of us being co-workers with God and it’s Him communicating with us. If your child never spoke to you, it would get to you. Here He is our Father. So, in Matthew and Luke, the whole accent is on the relationship. We saw the story of a man and his friend. I’ll help you – you’re my friend. And so with prayer, the communication is like father and son.
“Our Father”. Jesus always prayed to His father and referred to Him as such. Only once did He refer to Him as God :
Matthew 27:46
This is the only time Jesus is recorded as talking to God as God. Every other time, it was “My father”.
RT Kendal says, “That was the moment all our sins were transferred to Jesus and God turned His back on His one and only son. The sense of fellowship was momentarily forfeited. It was the worst part of His suffering. ”
Father is a term of intimacy . God has a special relationship with His children. He accepts us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. An unbeliever can call God creator, judge, but he can’t call Him father. There is a special relationship, a father-son relationship, from which that intimacy flows.
Galatians 3:25-26
You’re a child of God by faith. So when you pray, as a child with a father, there is an intimacy, a link. When my children were younger, there was total trust – “What you say, dad, I’ll believe. ”No worries about provision – “I’m a member of a family and he’s my dad. ”
Romans 8:16-18
These verses underline the father/son relationship – children of God, birthed into Christ, relationship with the Father. So when the fatherhood was examined . . . I talked about George Muller last week, and thousands of children went through his orphanages, and it was a life of prayer. It was when he read Psalms 68:5.
Psalms 68:5
That he was inspired to take in orphans, and from then on it was a life of faith,
Muller: “By the help of God this shall be my argument before Him respecting the orphans in their hour of need. He is their father, and I have only to remind Him in order to have it supplied. By the grace of God this is no cause of anxiety to me. These children I have cast upon the Lord the whole work is His. I am able to roll the burden upon my heavenly father. ”
Our relationship is with God our heavenly father. We don’t cringe behind a door. That’s not a relationship of father son. Prayer is sharing with your father. You’re asking Him, talking to Him. Think of a child not talking to their father.
Ecclesiastes 5:3-4
You can be at peace in that father/son relationship. We’re His children, but there also needs to be a sense of reverence.
“Hallowed be thy name” – let His name be treated as holy, given the honour He deserves. When people use the word Jesus off-hand at work, with no relation to Him, when they use Christ as a swear word, it does affect you, I find.
Isaiah 42:8
John 5:43
There was something special about father’s name – hallowed be thy name.
This is God’s church. His name is to be revered here. He is in control of His church. If I were to put my name on this church, it would be contrary to what God is about. It’s His work.
“Thy kingdom come”
John 3:3
The Lord’s prayer is a template of the things which should be involved in prayer. We don’t have to use these precise words. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.
Everything is god-ward. “Our Father, . . . hallowed be thy name . . . thy kingdom come. ”It’s good to think about Him and what He wants when I come to prayer.
So much of praying is man-centred. We don’t think of who God is.
James 4:3
Let’s think about what God is about. “Thy kingdom come. ”It’s not to do with me.
1 John 5:14
It’s good for us to be aware of who God is and what He wants. That’s key. So much is it key that the next petition is . . .
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ”We want not just the kingdom to come, but also the will of the King to come about. We’re getting more specific. Prayer doesn’t change God’s will. It changes ours. As we get to know God and learn what He wants and are prompted by the Spirit, He brings our hearts and minds into alignment with what He wants. We can’t force God into a mould and tell Him what to do. Jesus prayed that the cup might pass from Him – yet not as I will, but as thou wilt.
There are two ways God reveals what He wants. He uses the Bible, and there is also the secret will personal to you, which He has planned for you.
Psalms 47:4
Ephesians 2:10
There’s a will of God unique to your life. Your pathway, each one of you, is different from everyone else’s. I want the King’s will in my life. I want His will, not mine. I don’t want sin or rebellion to be in the way. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
John 15:5-8
The key is His words abiding in you. We want everything of God to happen. You’re in alignment. God’s Holy Spirit prompts you to pray in a certain way, and you’re in alignment with God’s will and It’s His delight for you to be a co-worker and see your prayer answered. And the end result is glory to Him, wonderment, thanks for what He has done.
“Give us this day our daily bread”. Our needs – but this comes only after the first god-ward issues.
“And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. ”This isn’t a plea for salvation. When I come to pray I need to have got things sorted out. Just as you clear the decks before taking communion, so here. We’re saved by faith alone, but we need to keep short accounts with God and with other people.
Matthew 6:14-16
You need to keep the right perspective.
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. ”Most commentaries say this should really read “deliver us from the evil one”. God doesn’t tempt anyone . . .
James 1:13
It’s simply a prayer that we won’t get caught in the devil’s snare. But we have this promise :
James 4:7
RT Kendal: “The main thing we learn from the Lord’s Prayer is that we are primarily to seek God’s face, not His hand. Jesus wants for us to have fellowship with the Father. ”
The first part of the Lord’s prayer is God-directed. The second part is directed towards us and our needs. And then we return to God again.
Three guiding principles . . .
Hebrews 4:16
1 John 4:16
He’s our heavenly father, the God of love.
Phillipians 4:6
With thanksgiving. Try and get into the habit – and you can learn this – get into the habit of being thankful to God, no matter what you are praying about.
Mark 1:35
He prayed a great while before day. If we were to leave it at that . . . Aside from audience: “Count me out. ”
Matthew 14:23
Mark says before day. Matthew says it’s evening.
Luke 6:12
Jesus prayed before day, in the evening and all night. There is no set time to pray. The key point is to do it. Whatever is convenient is what’s right. It’s not more spiritual to pray in the morning, in the evening, all night. Whatever fits in best is what we should do. But we need to pray.
So much for the when.
John 11:41
John 17:1
Just talking about practicalities, Jesus prayed with His eyes open here. There is no set pattern. With eyes closed, there is less distraction. But it’s not wrong to pray with your eyes open. What matters is that you pray.
In what posture should you pray
Psalms 95:6
1 Kings 8:54
Kneeling. Then kneeling with hands spread to heaven.
Luke 22:39-42
Jesus knelt.
Acts 7:59-60
All examples of people kneeling. The Pharisees tended to stand.
Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
We pray in Jesus’ name, through Him to Father. He is now sat down at the right hand of God. There is no hard and fast rule as to the posture for prayer. It would look odd on the Central Line in the rush hour if you knelt – although I’ve been on a Muslim airline where there is a prayer mat and the passengers knelt down.
It doesn’t matter when you pray, whether your eyes are open, your posture. The key point is to pray. Common sense says that if you kneel it makes you humbled. But we know that you can pray driving in the car. I used to love praying on the underground – I used to love the idea I could pray to God through the ground. You knew you were talking to God.
Just make sure that the posture is suitable for you to be able to pray. Getting on your knees doesn’t change you. If you’re knackered, getting on your knees won’t change that.
1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Talking to husbands. Our relationship with our wives matters. It’s like keeping things right with those close to you. Don’t think you can pray in whatever posture without having things right with your wife. Your prayers will be hindered.
I think what God is doing in these studies is to cause each of us to increase in our relationship of faith in Jesus Christ, to grow and share that relationship with God. In time that will have a knock-on effect with us corporately. I don’t think we’ll end up having prayer meetings. But as we learn now to pray more individually, so if God wants us to pray specifically for something corporately, it will happen more easily.
Acts 12:1-5
James had just been killed. Peter had been caught. What would happen to him. there was instant and earnest prayer.
Acts 12:7-18
I don’t blame them for being astonished. What were they praying. Was it that he wouldn’t be killed. Probably. Could they have thought God could have got him out of the prison like that. Probably not. What an answer to prayer. Never rule out anything God can do in answer to your prayer. He will answer in the way He chooses.
I have no doubt there will come a time when we will do the same. Not for the same reason. But who knows What I do know is that that was a key part of the early church. I don’t think things were different then. But what an answer to prayer
I’ve spoken to a few people in the last few days who have quoted wonderful things to me – specific answers to prayer.
Five things that we as Christians have in Jesus Christ as far as prayer is concerned.
1. The Christian has the teaching of Christ.
2. The Christian the example of Christ.
3. The Christian has the blood of Christ – and there is a new and living way though what Jesus has done on the cross.
4. The Christian has the intercession of Christ. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.
5. The Christian has the name of Christ. The Christ one – the Christian. The name above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
Isaiah there some magic in asking prayers in Jesus’ name No. But it’s as if all prayer is bound up in this relationship. We are co-workers together with Him. We haven’t uncovered some formula, to which we append the name of Jesus and things automatically work. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about a relationship between father and son. The glory is to His name and we go forward from glory to glory. Very practical. Very real.
Matthew 6:5
A clear castigation of those who pray to be seen to be praying. Forget it.
Matthew 6:6-9
We’re not to go on and on for half an hour in the belief that that will cause God to answer. If I’m praying about something and really need an answer, there’s nothing wrong in praying more than once. But don’t simply watch the clock to chalk up brownie points.
God knows what we need, but through His grace and love and mercy He likes us to take part. He loves communication. It was His voice – the communicative ability of God with man – that walked in the garden.
Matthew 6:9-16
Luke 11:1-13
The key part is following on from the Lord’s prayer – “Ask and it shall be given to you. ”We do need to spend time in prayer. It’s not an option. It’s part of us being co-workers with God and it’s Him communicating with us. If your child never spoke to you, it would get to you. Here He is our Father. So, in Matthew and Luke, the whole accent is on the relationship. We saw the story of a man and his friend. I’ll help you – you’re my friend. And so with prayer, the communication is like father and son.
“Our Father”. Jesus always prayed to His father and referred to Him as such. Only once did He refer to Him as God :
Matthew 27:46
This is the only time Jesus is recorded as talking to God as God. Every other time, it was “My father”.
RT Kendal says, “That was the moment all our sins were transferred to Jesus and God turned His back on His one and only son. The sense of fellowship was momentarily forfeited. It was the worst part of His suffering. ”
Father is a term of intimacy . God has a special relationship with His children. He accepts us because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. An unbeliever can call God creator, judge, but he can’t call Him father. There is a special relationship, a father-son relationship, from which that intimacy flows.
Galatians 3:25-26
You’re a child of God by faith. So when you pray, as a child with a father, there is an intimacy, a link. When my children were younger, there was total trust – “What you say, dad, I’ll believe. ”No worries about provision – “I’m a member of a family and he’s my dad. ”
Romans 8:16-18
These verses underline the father/son relationship – children of God, birthed into Christ, relationship with the Father. So when the fatherhood was examined . . . I talked about George Muller last week, and thousands of children went through his orphanages, and it was a life of prayer. It was when he read Psalms 68:5.
Psalms 68:5
That he was inspired to take in orphans, and from then on it was a life of faith,
Muller: “By the help of God this shall be my argument before Him respecting the orphans in their hour of need. He is their father, and I have only to remind Him in order to have it supplied. By the grace of God this is no cause of anxiety to me. These children I have cast upon the Lord the whole work is His. I am able to roll the burden upon my heavenly father. ”
Our relationship is with God our heavenly father. We don’t cringe behind a door. That’s not a relationship of father son. Prayer is sharing with your father. You’re asking Him, talking to Him. Think of a child not talking to their father.
Ecclesiastes 5:3-4
You can be at peace in that father/son relationship. We’re His children, but there also needs to be a sense of reverence.
“Hallowed be thy name” – let His name be treated as holy, given the honour He deserves. When people use the word Jesus off-hand at work, with no relation to Him, when they use Christ as a swear word, it does affect you, I find.
Isaiah 42:8
John 5:43
There was something special about father’s name – hallowed be thy name.
This is God’s church. His name is to be revered here. He is in control of His church. If I were to put my name on this church, it would be contrary to what God is about. It’s His work.
“Thy kingdom come”
John 3:3
The Lord’s prayer is a template of the things which should be involved in prayer. We don’t have to use these precise words. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.
Everything is god-ward. “Our Father, . . . hallowed be thy name . . . thy kingdom come. ”It’s good to think about Him and what He wants when I come to prayer.
So much of praying is man-centred. We don’t think of who God is.
James 4:3
Let’s think about what God is about. “Thy kingdom come. ”It’s not to do with me.
1 John 5:14
It’s good for us to be aware of who God is and what He wants. That’s key. So much is it key that the next petition is . . .
“Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ”We want not just the kingdom to come, but also the will of the King to come about. We’re getting more specific. Prayer doesn’t change God’s will. It changes ours. As we get to know God and learn what He wants and are prompted by the Spirit, He brings our hearts and minds into alignment with what He wants. We can’t force God into a mould and tell Him what to do. Jesus prayed that the cup might pass from Him – yet not as I will, but as thou wilt.
There are two ways God reveals what He wants. He uses the Bible, and there is also the secret will personal to you, which He has planned for you.
Psalms 47:4
Ephesians 2:10
There’s a will of God unique to your life. Your pathway, each one of you, is different from everyone else’s. I want the King’s will in my life. I want His will, not mine. I don’t want sin or rebellion to be in the way. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
John 15:5-8
The key is His words abiding in you. We want everything of God to happen. You’re in alignment. God’s Holy Spirit prompts you to pray in a certain way, and you’re in alignment with God’s will and It’s His delight for you to be a co-worker and see your prayer answered. And the end result is glory to Him, wonderment, thanks for what He has done.
“Give us this day our daily bread”. Our needs – but this comes only after the first god-ward issues.
“And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. ”This isn’t a plea for salvation. When I come to pray I need to have got things sorted out. Just as you clear the decks before taking communion, so here. We’re saved by faith alone, but we need to keep short accounts with God and with other people.
Matthew 6:14-16
You need to keep the right perspective.
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. ”Most commentaries say this should really read “deliver us from the evil one”. God doesn’t tempt anyone . . .
James 1:13
It’s simply a prayer that we won’t get caught in the devil’s snare. But we have this promise :
James 4:7
RT Kendal: “The main thing we learn from the Lord’s Prayer is that we are primarily to seek God’s face, not His hand. Jesus wants for us to have fellowship with the Father. ”
The first part of the Lord’s prayer is God-directed. The second part is directed towards us and our needs. And then we return to God again.
Three guiding principles . . .
Hebrews 4:16
1 John 4:16
He’s our heavenly father, the God of love.
Phillipians 4:6
With thanksgiving. Try and get into the habit – and you can learn this – get into the habit of being thankful to God, no matter what you are praying about.
Mark 1:35
He prayed a great while before day. If we were to leave it at that . . . Aside from audience: “Count me out. ”
Matthew 14:23
Mark says before day. Matthew says it’s evening.
Luke 6:12
Jesus prayed before day, in the evening and all night. There is no set time to pray. The key point is to do it. Whatever is convenient is what’s right. It’s not more spiritual to pray in the morning, in the evening, all night. Whatever fits in best is what we should do. But we need to pray.
So much for the when.
John 11:41
John 17:1
Just talking about practicalities, Jesus prayed with His eyes open here. There is no set pattern. With eyes closed, there is less distraction. But it’s not wrong to pray with your eyes open. What matters is that you pray.
In what posture should you pray
Psalms 95:6
1 Kings 8:54
Kneeling. Then kneeling with hands spread to heaven.
Luke 22:39-42
Jesus knelt.
Acts 7:59-60
All examples of people kneeling. The Pharisees tended to stand.
Hebrews 1:3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
We pray in Jesus’ name, through Him to Father. He is now sat down at the right hand of God. There is no hard and fast rule as to the posture for prayer. It would look odd on the Central Line in the rush hour if you knelt – although I’ve been on a Muslim airline where there is a prayer mat and the passengers knelt down.
It doesn’t matter when you pray, whether your eyes are open, your posture. The key point is to pray. Common sense says that if you kneel it makes you humbled. But we know that you can pray driving in the car. I used to love praying on the underground – I used to love the idea I could pray to God through the ground. You knew you were talking to God.
Just make sure that the posture is suitable for you to be able to pray. Getting on your knees doesn’t change you. If you’re knackered, getting on your knees won’t change that.
1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Talking to husbands. Our relationship with our wives matters. It’s like keeping things right with those close to you. Don’t think you can pray in whatever posture without having things right with your wife. Your prayers will be hindered.
I think what God is doing in these studies is to cause each of us to increase in our relationship of faith in Jesus Christ, to grow and share that relationship with God. In time that will have a knock-on effect with us corporately. I don’t think we’ll end up having prayer meetings. But as we learn now to pray more individually, so if God wants us to pray specifically for something corporately, it will happen more easily.
Acts 12:1-5
James had just been killed. Peter had been caught. What would happen to him. there was instant and earnest prayer.
Acts 12:7-18
I don’t blame them for being astonished. What were they praying. Was it that he wouldn’t be killed. Probably. Could they have thought God could have got him out of the prison like that. Probably not. What an answer to prayer. Never rule out anything God can do in answer to your prayer. He will answer in the way He chooses.
I have no doubt there will come a time when we will do the same. Not for the same reason. But who knows What I do know is that that was a key part of the early church. I don’t think things were different then. But what an answer to prayer
I’ve spoken to a few people in the last few days who have quoted wonderful things to me – specific answers to prayer.
Five things that we as Christians have in Jesus Christ as far as prayer is concerned.
1. The Christian has the teaching of Christ.
2. The Christian the example of Christ.
3. The Christian has the blood of Christ – and there is a new and living way though what Jesus has done on the cross.
4. The Christian has the intercession of Christ. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.
5. The Christian has the name of Christ. The Christ one – the Christian. The name above every name. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
Isaiah there some magic in asking prayers in Jesus’ name No. But it’s as if all prayer is bound up in this relationship. We are co-workers together with Him. We haven’t uncovered some formula, to which we append the name of Jesus and things automatically work. We’re not talking about that. We’re talking about a relationship between father and son. The glory is to His name and we go forward from glory to glory. Very practical. Very real.
Sunday 23 November 2008
Take Heed How You Hear
God’s word comes that we might have life. But do you hear it in the right way?
God’s word is rich, powerful and alive and by His Holy Spirit, He convinces us of everything – sin, righteousness and judgment. There are different types of people here this morning, and when I read from the Word of God it will either bear fruit for good or it will not affect us. How will you hear these verses?
Romans 6:21–23
John 10:9-10
There were four different reactions to what I have just read.
Mark 4:1–9
There are four different ways of hearing and we are going to look at each category. I want to highlight that if you’re in category one - three, we have a severe problem.
The five verses which I read initially came to you, and you’re one in of these categories.
The disciples couldn’t figure out what Jesus meant. They understood that the farmer would know where the good ground is and would put the seed there as best he could, but if the seed fell elsewhere, it didn’t bear fruit.
Mark 4:10-13
Jesus explained each category of hearer.
Mark 4:14–15
The birds flew down, took the seed, and there was no chance of any fruit. When they have heard physically, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. That’s like the person who came here this morning with an attitude of “This is not relevant to me. This won’t be relevant to me. I’m here under sufferance. I’m here, but in my heart, the Word won’t get involved.”
The moment I read out those first verses, your reaction was “Here we go again. I’ve heard this before”
Psalm 95:7-8
It is possible for us to harden our heart. In our first birth we are born in sin, and we can determine whether or not to let the word affect us. You walked in here having hardened your heart it this morning. I’m trusting God because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, so as we go through these categories, you’ll recognised yourself, and that acceptance is a start – it really is.
The wayside was a pathway through the field. Everyone walked on it and it was like concrete and nothing could take root. The ground was in no way prepared. If you came in like that, I want you to identify it, and ask yourself how it can change – because it needs to change. Don’t think “That’ll always be my attitude – why do I bother coming?” You need to be here. Never rule out the power of God’s word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 6:21-23
John 10:9–10
Mark 4:16-17
These verses mirror Mark 4:5-6. These are people who will readily agree with what is being preached. They will listen and agree – “That’s true. It’s brilliant. I can see the sense. I can understand it.” And in here it’s fine. But when you get outside, and perhaps are talking to your relations “You go to that church. What does it meant to you?” Or you’re talking to your peer group, and there are some who want to go the right way, but you side with pressure from others to go a different way.
Jesus talked about this sort of problem elsewhere:
Mark 8:37-38
This stony heart has a little bit of earth along the top. There’s just enough soil for the word to have a reaction. But below there is a great big stone, and the roots can’t get down. So when the sun comes up, everything gets scorched. What God wants to do is make the soil right. He wants you to have good soil. He doesn’t want there to be a stone.
Ezekiel 36:25-27
That’s God’s heart for you. Harden not your heart. Realise that there has to be an understanding and acceptance so God can get inside you – not just an imprint, but Christ on the inside. I want to get rid of the stony heart. Because under pressure, it will be gone. We have a Christian school. If anyone is a wayside hearer or a stony-hearted hearer, Come University, forget it – you’re gone. There’s a hardness, no depth. But I’m preaching this this morning because God wants to change that. It’s not too late.
Mark 4:18-19
This mirrors verse Mark 4:7. Three things. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the list for other things - they grow up alongside the Word. These people hear the Word with gladness. There’s some depth, because things grow. The word grows, but then these other things are allowed to grow too and before you know where you are, you find the garden you tended has become overgrown. Everything good has been choked and is gone. This sort of person actually knows what it is to understand the Word of God. The problem is that they don’t keep it. Why? Because other things run parallel. We have the seed growing, but we have thorns growing. And if let the thorns grow, they will kill off the seed.
James 4:1-4
If I have thorns growing, I’m allowing them to grow because I have a foot in two camps. I’m not fully in here. I’m kidding myself, and I’m miserable, because there are times when I realise that this is true, this really is the life I want to lead, but ... It’s a compromise.
What are we listing here as the pleasures of this world? Fame, celebrity, the dream, alcohol, drugs, sex, the National Lottery – it could be you. Well this morning, it is you. What is the state of your heart when we read out those five verses initially? What thorn are you hanging on to? Why is it there? Why are you letting it grow? Why are you getting with others who are cultivating the thorn with you? You know it’s wrong.
1 Timothy 6:9-10
1 Timothy 6:17
James 4:13–14
The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches...
Romans 6:21–23
John 10:9–10
Mark 4:20
This is good ground. This parable is referred to in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It talks about those who hear the word and receive it, understand it, keep it. Three different verbs. You receive it, understand it and keep it. The word is inside you.
Galatians 5:19–23
It says in Galatians 5:19-23 in the New Living Translation - When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
Why is God bringing this to our attention? When Jesus Christ came into the world, He did so to save sinners, to eradicate that wall of sin. He broke down the wall of partition through the Cross, through His son giving His life. Jesus wants you to be a good hearer. He doesn’t want you to be a wayside hearer, to have a heart of stone, to cultivate thorns. You could say the thorns represent the world, the stone in your heart, you flesh, and the wayside, the devil. The world, the flesh and the devil were all dealt with once and for all at Calvary. Jesus conquered, too the penalty of your sin. He conquered death for you and me because He does not want you to be that way.
God is speaking to some of you directly by His Holy Spirit. I’m talking about understanding and receiving the words I read at the outset.
Romans 6:21-23
John 10:9-10
If you are by the wayside, if you have a heart of stone, if you’re two-timing with thorns, let’s sort it out.
John 10:9–10
There are cynics who will say if I invite you to put things right with God; they’ll say these are crocodile tears. If that’s you, keep your opinion to yourself, because God is faithful, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, He communicates faith through the preaching of His word. I know there are some here who know that God has been speaking to you. It is as if it is you and God and no one else is involved.
God’s word is rich, powerful and alive and by His Holy Spirit, He convinces us of everything – sin, righteousness and judgment. There are different types of people here this morning, and when I read from the Word of God it will either bear fruit for good or it will not affect us. How will you hear these verses?
Romans 6:21–23
John 10:9-10
There were four different reactions to what I have just read.
Mark 4:1–9
There are four different ways of hearing and we are going to look at each category. I want to highlight that if you’re in category one - three, we have a severe problem.
The five verses which I read initially came to you, and you’re one in of these categories.
The disciples couldn’t figure out what Jesus meant. They understood that the farmer would know where the good ground is and would put the seed there as best he could, but if the seed fell elsewhere, it didn’t bear fruit.
Mark 4:10-13
Jesus explained each category of hearer.
Mark 4:14–15
The birds flew down, took the seed, and there was no chance of any fruit. When they have heard physically, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. That’s like the person who came here this morning with an attitude of “This is not relevant to me. This won’t be relevant to me. I’m here under sufferance. I’m here, but in my heart, the Word won’t get involved.”
The moment I read out those first verses, your reaction was “Here we go again. I’ve heard this before”
Psalm 95:7-8
It is possible for us to harden our heart. In our first birth we are born in sin, and we can determine whether or not to let the word affect us. You walked in here having hardened your heart it this morning. I’m trusting God because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, so as we go through these categories, you’ll recognised yourself, and that acceptance is a start – it really is.
The wayside was a pathway through the field. Everyone walked on it and it was like concrete and nothing could take root. The ground was in no way prepared. If you came in like that, I want you to identify it, and ask yourself how it can change – because it needs to change. Don’t think “That’ll always be my attitude – why do I bother coming?” You need to be here. Never rule out the power of God’s word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 6:21-23
John 10:9–10
Mark 4:16-17
These verses mirror Mark 4:5-6. These are people who will readily agree with what is being preached. They will listen and agree – “That’s true. It’s brilliant. I can see the sense. I can understand it.” And in here it’s fine. But when you get outside, and perhaps are talking to your relations “You go to that church. What does it meant to you?” Or you’re talking to your peer group, and there are some who want to go the right way, but you side with pressure from others to go a different way.
Jesus talked about this sort of problem elsewhere:
Mark 8:37-38
This stony heart has a little bit of earth along the top. There’s just enough soil for the word to have a reaction. But below there is a great big stone, and the roots can’t get down. So when the sun comes up, everything gets scorched. What God wants to do is make the soil right. He wants you to have good soil. He doesn’t want there to be a stone.
Ezekiel 36:25-27
That’s God’s heart for you. Harden not your heart. Realise that there has to be an understanding and acceptance so God can get inside you – not just an imprint, but Christ on the inside. I want to get rid of the stony heart. Because under pressure, it will be gone. We have a Christian school. If anyone is a wayside hearer or a stony-hearted hearer, Come University, forget it – you’re gone. There’s a hardness, no depth. But I’m preaching this this morning because God wants to change that. It’s not too late.
Mark 4:18-19
This mirrors verse Mark 4:7. Three things. The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the list for other things - they grow up alongside the Word. These people hear the Word with gladness. There’s some depth, because things grow. The word grows, but then these other things are allowed to grow too and before you know where you are, you find the garden you tended has become overgrown. Everything good has been choked and is gone. This sort of person actually knows what it is to understand the Word of God. The problem is that they don’t keep it. Why? Because other things run parallel. We have the seed growing, but we have thorns growing. And if let the thorns grow, they will kill off the seed.
James 4:1-4
If I have thorns growing, I’m allowing them to grow because I have a foot in two camps. I’m not fully in here. I’m kidding myself, and I’m miserable, because there are times when I realise that this is true, this really is the life I want to lead, but ... It’s a compromise.
What are we listing here as the pleasures of this world? Fame, celebrity, the dream, alcohol, drugs, sex, the National Lottery – it could be you. Well this morning, it is you. What is the state of your heart when we read out those five verses initially? What thorn are you hanging on to? Why is it there? Why are you letting it grow? Why are you getting with others who are cultivating the thorn with you? You know it’s wrong.
1 Timothy 6:9-10
1 Timothy 6:17
James 4:13–14
The cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches...
Romans 6:21–23
John 10:9–10
Mark 4:20
This is good ground. This parable is referred to in Matthew, Mark and Luke. It talks about those who hear the word and receive it, understand it, keep it. Three different verbs. You receive it, understand it and keep it. The word is inside you.
Galatians 5:19–23
It says in Galatians 5:19-23 in the New Living Translation - When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
Why is God bringing this to our attention? When Jesus Christ came into the world, He did so to save sinners, to eradicate that wall of sin. He broke down the wall of partition through the Cross, through His son giving His life. Jesus wants you to be a good hearer. He doesn’t want you to be a wayside hearer, to have a heart of stone, to cultivate thorns. You could say the thorns represent the world, the stone in your heart, you flesh, and the wayside, the devil. The world, the flesh and the devil were all dealt with once and for all at Calvary. Jesus conquered, too the penalty of your sin. He conquered death for you and me because He does not want you to be that way.
God is speaking to some of you directly by His Holy Spirit. I’m talking about understanding and receiving the words I read at the outset.
Romans 6:21-23
John 10:9-10
If you are by the wayside, if you have a heart of stone, if you’re two-timing with thorns, let’s sort it out.
John 10:9–10
There are cynics who will say if I invite you to put things right with God; they’ll say these are crocodile tears. If that’s you, keep your opinion to yourself, because God is faithful, and by the power of His Holy Spirit, He communicates faith through the preaching of His word. I know there are some here who know that God has been speaking to you. It is as if it is you and God and no one else is involved.
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Prayer (Part 1 of 3)
Our lives and how we pray, how often we pray, is incredibly significant.
In this series, we’ll look at the basis of prayer – what it is and isn’t; why and how we pray, what God is looking for; specific prayers, and practical helps.
There are certain verses where you only need to read them out and it’s obvious we are meant to be in communication with God. We are meant to have a relationship with our heavenly father.
2 Corinthians 6:1
Andrew Murray said are five essential elements of true prayer :
The heart’s desire – a desire which God puts into your heart to pray. It maybe a pressure in your life which causes you to pray.
The expression of that desire in prayer.
The faith that carries that prayer to God. This is all initiated by God, but it’s His delight to make us co-workers with Him.
In that prayer, the acceptance of God’s answers. You anticipate an answer. You aren’t prescriptive – you don’t determine how He will answer. But you anticipate an answer.
The experience of the desired blessing. Seeing God answer prayer.
God in His wisdom had caused you and me to become co-workers with Him via prayer. 95% of what Jesus said on prayer was about talking and asking, not thinking. Some people say prayer might be meditation. But when you analyse what Jesus said about prayer, the majority was about talking and asking, not thinking.
I’ve been fascinated to read a few examples of prayer. Anyone who knows anything of people’s experience in this will think of George Muller. He started orphanages. There are one or two still left near Bristol.
Quotes, along the following lines : They had 28s which was just enough to buy meat, bread, tea and milk for a couple of days. But after that they were in an extremity, facing the prospect of having to sell things they didn’t absolutely need in order to make further provision. A lady had come from London, bringing money with her. For some reason it took three days before she handed that money over, during the whole of which time they were praying. But the money came just at the right moment, and Muller saw it as a wonderful example of God’s answer to prayer.
Day in, day out, just in time, God provided. If you ever want to learn about a person of faith solely relying on prayer, George Muller is one.
Another quote, along the following lines : There were two lady missionaries in China before the communists took over. They had to collect large sum of money to bring to a hospital in order to pay salaries etc. They collected this from a bank, but were delayed and had to spend the night on the hills in bandit-infested territory. They slept with the bag of money between them. Some weeks later, a bandit leader was brought to the hospital. He said he had seen them with the money, and he and the brigands had wanted the money, but didn’t take it because they saw 27 soldieries with the ladies. Some time later, the ladies related this story at their home church in London. The church secretary asked for the precise date when this had happened, and then consulted his meticulous notes – and said that on that day the church prayer meeting had had a special burden for them ... a meeting at which 27 were present ...”
I could ask various of you to quote where God has answered prayer for you specifically.
What God wants to do is strengthen our prayer life and make it more real than it’s ever been. I can look to occasions in my own life. I was preparing for a camp once, and I suddenly realised we had no piano. I got together with the coach driver and said we’d go and find a piano. We prayed for a piano, and we got in the coach and drove. And within a few miles, we knocked on a door at a church. The man said they had been going to get rid of a piano and we could have it. I was probably about sixteen at the time, and that was a classic, just-in-time, answer. That sounds small in comparison to George Muller, but it was very real.
God wants an intimacy in prayer for you and me.
Genesis 3:8-11
It was the voice of God walking. In the beginning was the Word. God is all about relationship and communication. Man’s original state was in communion with God, and it was His voice which was walking in the garden. There was a oneness with the creator. And when sin came there was a barrier to that oneness. Sin broke the relationship and Adam and Eve hid from God. They no longer wanted to communicate with Him. Sin brought a reluctance to communicate.
Exodus 20:18-20
Again, the barrier. You speak – we don’t want to.
As we move forward to today – post crucifixion, post resurrection, we are in a different relationship with God.
It really is paramount that you and I make time to pray. It’s not the case that you can say, “I’m always praying to God because I think of Him all the time.” The more I read of this subject, the more apparent it is that we need to make time to get alone with God in prayer. Not legalism or ritual, but we need to develop communication so we can talk to God and hear from Him.
In the Old Testament, they appealed to Him as the merciful one, but there was not the intimacy which we have in prayer now.
Numbers 10:35-37
A direct appeal to God’s help.
Numbers 14:17-20
Another appeal to God’s mercy and character – but not the intimacy which Jesus brought about when He communicated with father.
Judges 16:28
There was a calling out, but there wasn’t the intimacy you’d have in a family situation.
In the New Testament, the disciples were seeing what Jesus was doing in His prayer life, and one of them plucked up courage to ask about it.
Luke 11:1-3
Totally different – “Our Father which art in heaven.” The common denominator in Jesus’s prayer life is that He got alone with God when there were decisions to be made. There was no formula. I can’t turn to a specific scripture and identify the things you have to do when you pray. But Jesus pointed out that in various instances, people were getting it wrong.
Matthew 6:7
When – not if – you pray. As far as Jesus was concerned, and this is broughtrne out in Acts and in the Epistles, we’re meant to pray.
Matthew 6:8
People say, “If God knows what things I need, why do we pray?” The answer goes back to 2 Corinthians. We are co-workers together with Him, and it’s His delight to involve us in what He is doing. If it’s His delight, it matters that we spend time talking to Him.
How many people spend five minutes specifically on their own praying to God in a day? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes ...
I know the pace of life. I think actually that what God is doing with us is to get out attention to what He wants us to do. And He wants us to start spending time with Him.
John 15:15-17
In prayer, there is the fact of you asking God for something. That’s not selfish, but you do ask. He plants that desire in your heart to pray, and the delights in you praying and delights in answering.
Sometimes in the pressure of life, it’s good to grab minutes, or make a specific time when you can pray to God. And don’t be dismissive of your spouse praying. If they’ve gone off to pray – brilliant. Let’s encourage one another in prayer.
There was an example on the Old Testament of someone who walked with God and then disappeared.
Hebrews 11:5
I’m not saying that suddenly you’re going to disappear. But I am saying that description was that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:6
This is you in your prayer. That’s why a few weeks ago I mentioned about recoring when you pray for something. Write it down and date it and refer back to it. Prayer is real. And if one were to put a flipchart up and we were to record what we were praying for as a church, it could focus our minds on what God has prompted us to pray to look for the answer.
Prayer is born out of faith in God and His promises.
Hebrews 10:22-26
We have to draw together to God. We believe He will answer what we pray. We should get alongside someone else – “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst.” There is something about linking up with someone else to pray.
Supposing you thought it would be good to pray for our young people, and you knew that that was really on your heart and you talked to someone and it was on their heart too. What would be wrong in linking up with that person to pray with that combined desire?
That’s what I think will come about amongst us – we’ll be aware that there is the freedom to do it, and we’ll want to get together. Does that mean I have to initiate something formal? No. But it shouldn’t be unnatural or abnormal for that to happen – and it will happen. I think God is putting in different people’s hearts elements of concern for this and that, where there is a synergy of a desire to come before God – to lift up a particular person, or whatever.
Isaiah 49:8
It will be acceptable because it’s prompted by God. It’s the Holy Spirit who prompts us to pray. It may be a circumstance which automatically causes you to have a need for God’s help. Nothing wrong with that. But Jesus was careful to explain what the role of the Holy Spirit was. This is where we have a different scenario from the Old Testament. Jesus died, rose from the dead, and the spirit of truth came.
John 16:13-15
The Holy Spirit prompts us. We need to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is doing. And that sensitivity will outwork in your prayer life that you are praying according to God’s will because He put that desire in your heart to pray.
Romans 8:26
We don’t know what to pray unless we are sensitive to the spirit. If nothing else, it would help to make that little bit of time. Pray as suits you, but be alert, awake, sensitive.
Romans 8:26-28
Jesus is always making intercession for you and me. That’s His role. We become part of that process. When we have made time for prayer, the Holy Spirit will prompt us to think of the things He wants us to pray about. So it’s vital we give Him time. Sheer practicality. If we don’t give Him time, it won’t happen in the same way.
James 5:13-19
To fulfill that verse, we have to have elders.
Elijah was like you and me, and all he did was pray according to what God wanted and the result was as described there.
Talking is the other thing I know will happen more and more. We’ll find it more natural to share what God is doing in our lives. we wont get over religious. We’re just Christians who want to go forward individually and collectively to what God wants.
Mark 14:32
I think that wasn’t an uncommon thing for Him to say and do. Prayer was part of His life.
Mark 14:33-38
They overheard Him. Sometimes it may help you to pray out loud – not so that others can hear, but to keep you alert and specific.
Throughout Jesus’s life succeeded in fulfilling every ounce of God’s will. And that’s a top priority for us. If we have a decision to make, we pray about it. We don’t want to make a wrong move, to jump in without sorting things out with God.
Mark 14:36-42
I often wonder how this affected the prayer lives of the disciples later, having overheard Jesus pray. I think they overheard Him a lot.
This verse points out that the key thing is to do God’s will for your life. That’s a centrality of my prayer life.
Phillipians 4:6-8
In everything – not something, but everything. If you meet someone who is praying whether to run for the post now or catch the later one, that might be of concern. But ... “with thanksgiving” let your requests be made known, and as a result there will be a guarding of your heart if you offload everything to God. That’s what George Muller did. His whole attitude was that it was God’s problem and He will sort it.
Tonight I hope this will help you to spend time. God wants you to have His peace in your heart.
We need to pray for the trustees. They need wisdom to know how to progress things. God will sort it out.
In your life as you bring everything with prayer and supplication, your heart will be guarded and there will be peace.
Colossians 4:2-5
Ephesians 6:16-20
You would think Paul would be able to preach readily, but he needed prayer.
The Old Testament was different. What made the New Testament different was not only the example of Jesus, but when He sent the Holy Spirit, there came the indwelling Christ, and the promoting of the Holy Spirit created that intimacy in your relationship which you have and can have more of.
In God using His word to talk to us, I’m excited that practical things will happen for good.
Seven things a prayer should be said with:
Sincerity
Simplicity - We’re not out to make things complicated. When Jesus conveyed the Lord’s prayer, it was very simple, and very profound.
Humility - Jesus pointed out the Pharisee who said he was glad he was not like a sinner.
Intensity. This is serious stuff we’re talking about.
Charity – “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We don’t use prayer as a means of getting our own back.
Unanimity – if we’re with a second or third person, we’re united in our prayer.
Tenacity – not giving up without an answer, can we pray more than once? Yes. We need an answer. We need to reach out to those who need Him.
In this series, we’ll look at the basis of prayer – what it is and isn’t; why and how we pray, what God is looking for; specific prayers, and practical helps.
There are certain verses where you only need to read them out and it’s obvious we are meant to be in communication with God. We are meant to have a relationship with our heavenly father.
2 Corinthians 6:1
Andrew Murray said are five essential elements of true prayer :
The heart’s desire – a desire which God puts into your heart to pray. It maybe a pressure in your life which causes you to pray.
The expression of that desire in prayer.
The faith that carries that prayer to God. This is all initiated by God, but it’s His delight to make us co-workers with Him.
In that prayer, the acceptance of God’s answers. You anticipate an answer. You aren’t prescriptive – you don’t determine how He will answer. But you anticipate an answer.
The experience of the desired blessing. Seeing God answer prayer.
God in His wisdom had caused you and me to become co-workers with Him via prayer. 95% of what Jesus said on prayer was about talking and asking, not thinking. Some people say prayer might be meditation. But when you analyse what Jesus said about prayer, the majority was about talking and asking, not thinking.
I’ve been fascinated to read a few examples of prayer. Anyone who knows anything of people’s experience in this will think of George Muller. He started orphanages. There are one or two still left near Bristol.
Quotes, along the following lines : They had 28s which was just enough to buy meat, bread, tea and milk for a couple of days. But after that they were in an extremity, facing the prospect of having to sell things they didn’t absolutely need in order to make further provision. A lady had come from London, bringing money with her. For some reason it took three days before she handed that money over, during the whole of which time they were praying. But the money came just at the right moment, and Muller saw it as a wonderful example of God’s answer to prayer.
Day in, day out, just in time, God provided. If you ever want to learn about a person of faith solely relying on prayer, George Muller is one.
Another quote, along the following lines : There were two lady missionaries in China before the communists took over. They had to collect large sum of money to bring to a hospital in order to pay salaries etc. They collected this from a bank, but were delayed and had to spend the night on the hills in bandit-infested territory. They slept with the bag of money between them. Some weeks later, a bandit leader was brought to the hospital. He said he had seen them with the money, and he and the brigands had wanted the money, but didn’t take it because they saw 27 soldieries with the ladies. Some time later, the ladies related this story at their home church in London. The church secretary asked for the precise date when this had happened, and then consulted his meticulous notes – and said that on that day the church prayer meeting had had a special burden for them ... a meeting at which 27 were present ...”
I could ask various of you to quote where God has answered prayer for you specifically.
What God wants to do is strengthen our prayer life and make it more real than it’s ever been. I can look to occasions in my own life. I was preparing for a camp once, and I suddenly realised we had no piano. I got together with the coach driver and said we’d go and find a piano. We prayed for a piano, and we got in the coach and drove. And within a few miles, we knocked on a door at a church. The man said they had been going to get rid of a piano and we could have it. I was probably about sixteen at the time, and that was a classic, just-in-time, answer. That sounds small in comparison to George Muller, but it was very real.
God wants an intimacy in prayer for you and me.
Genesis 3:8-11
It was the voice of God walking. In the beginning was the Word. God is all about relationship and communication. Man’s original state was in communion with God, and it was His voice which was walking in the garden. There was a oneness with the creator. And when sin came there was a barrier to that oneness. Sin broke the relationship and Adam and Eve hid from God. They no longer wanted to communicate with Him. Sin brought a reluctance to communicate.
Exodus 20:18-20
Again, the barrier. You speak – we don’t want to.
As we move forward to today – post crucifixion, post resurrection, we are in a different relationship with God.
It really is paramount that you and I make time to pray. It’s not the case that you can say, “I’m always praying to God because I think of Him all the time.” The more I read of this subject, the more apparent it is that we need to make time to get alone with God in prayer. Not legalism or ritual, but we need to develop communication so we can talk to God and hear from Him.
In the Old Testament, they appealed to Him as the merciful one, but there was not the intimacy which we have in prayer now.
Numbers 10:35-37
A direct appeal to God’s help.
Numbers 14:17-20
Another appeal to God’s mercy and character – but not the intimacy which Jesus brought about when He communicated with father.
Judges 16:28
There was a calling out, but there wasn’t the intimacy you’d have in a family situation.
In the New Testament, the disciples were seeing what Jesus was doing in His prayer life, and one of them plucked up courage to ask about it.
Luke 11:1-3
Totally different – “Our Father which art in heaven.” The common denominator in Jesus’s prayer life is that He got alone with God when there were decisions to be made. There was no formula. I can’t turn to a specific scripture and identify the things you have to do when you pray. But Jesus pointed out that in various instances, people were getting it wrong.
Matthew 6:7
When – not if – you pray. As far as Jesus was concerned, and this is broughtrne out in Acts and in the Epistles, we’re meant to pray.
Matthew 6:8
People say, “If God knows what things I need, why do we pray?” The answer goes back to 2 Corinthians. We are co-workers together with Him, and it’s His delight to involve us in what He is doing. If it’s His delight, it matters that we spend time talking to Him.
How many people spend five minutes specifically on their own praying to God in a day? Ten minutes? Twenty minutes ...
I know the pace of life. I think actually that what God is doing with us is to get out attention to what He wants us to do. And He wants us to start spending time with Him.
John 15:15-17
In prayer, there is the fact of you asking God for something. That’s not selfish, but you do ask. He plants that desire in your heart to pray, and the delights in you praying and delights in answering.
Sometimes in the pressure of life, it’s good to grab minutes, or make a specific time when you can pray to God. And don’t be dismissive of your spouse praying. If they’ve gone off to pray – brilliant. Let’s encourage one another in prayer.
There was an example on the Old Testament of someone who walked with God and then disappeared.
Hebrews 11:5
I’m not saying that suddenly you’re going to disappear. But I am saying that description was that he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:6
This is you in your prayer. That’s why a few weeks ago I mentioned about recoring when you pray for something. Write it down and date it and refer back to it. Prayer is real. And if one were to put a flipchart up and we were to record what we were praying for as a church, it could focus our minds on what God has prompted us to pray to look for the answer.
Prayer is born out of faith in God and His promises.
Hebrews 10:22-26
We have to draw together to God. We believe He will answer what we pray. We should get alongside someone else – “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst.” There is something about linking up with someone else to pray.
Supposing you thought it would be good to pray for our young people, and you knew that that was really on your heart and you talked to someone and it was on their heart too. What would be wrong in linking up with that person to pray with that combined desire?
That’s what I think will come about amongst us – we’ll be aware that there is the freedom to do it, and we’ll want to get together. Does that mean I have to initiate something formal? No. But it shouldn’t be unnatural or abnormal for that to happen – and it will happen. I think God is putting in different people’s hearts elements of concern for this and that, where there is a synergy of a desire to come before God – to lift up a particular person, or whatever.
Isaiah 49:8
It will be acceptable because it’s prompted by God. It’s the Holy Spirit who prompts us to pray. It may be a circumstance which automatically causes you to have a need for God’s help. Nothing wrong with that. But Jesus was careful to explain what the role of the Holy Spirit was. This is where we have a different scenario from the Old Testament. Jesus died, rose from the dead, and the spirit of truth came.
John 16:13-15
The Holy Spirit prompts us. We need to be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is doing. And that sensitivity will outwork in your prayer life that you are praying according to God’s will because He put that desire in your heart to pray.
Romans 8:26
We don’t know what to pray unless we are sensitive to the spirit. If nothing else, it would help to make that little bit of time. Pray as suits you, but be alert, awake, sensitive.
Romans 8:26-28
Jesus is always making intercession for you and me. That’s His role. We become part of that process. When we have made time for prayer, the Holy Spirit will prompt us to think of the things He wants us to pray about. So it’s vital we give Him time. Sheer practicality. If we don’t give Him time, it won’t happen in the same way.
James 5:13-19
To fulfill that verse, we have to have elders.
Elijah was like you and me, and all he did was pray according to what God wanted and the result was as described there.
Talking is the other thing I know will happen more and more. We’ll find it more natural to share what God is doing in our lives. we wont get over religious. We’re just Christians who want to go forward individually and collectively to what God wants.
Mark 14:32
I think that wasn’t an uncommon thing for Him to say and do. Prayer was part of His life.
Mark 14:33-38
They overheard Him. Sometimes it may help you to pray out loud – not so that others can hear, but to keep you alert and specific.
Throughout Jesus’s life succeeded in fulfilling every ounce of God’s will. And that’s a top priority for us. If we have a decision to make, we pray about it. We don’t want to make a wrong move, to jump in without sorting things out with God.
Mark 14:36-42
I often wonder how this affected the prayer lives of the disciples later, having overheard Jesus pray. I think they overheard Him a lot.
This verse points out that the key thing is to do God’s will for your life. That’s a centrality of my prayer life.
Phillipians 4:6-8
In everything – not something, but everything. If you meet someone who is praying whether to run for the post now or catch the later one, that might be of concern. But ... “with thanksgiving” let your requests be made known, and as a result there will be a guarding of your heart if you offload everything to God. That’s what George Muller did. His whole attitude was that it was God’s problem and He will sort it.
Tonight I hope this will help you to spend time. God wants you to have His peace in your heart.
We need to pray for the trustees. They need wisdom to know how to progress things. God will sort it out.
In your life as you bring everything with prayer and supplication, your heart will be guarded and there will be peace.
Colossians 4:2-5
Ephesians 6:16-20
You would think Paul would be able to preach readily, but he needed prayer.
The Old Testament was different. What made the New Testament different was not only the example of Jesus, but when He sent the Holy Spirit, there came the indwelling Christ, and the promoting of the Holy Spirit created that intimacy in your relationship which you have and can have more of.
In God using His word to talk to us, I’m excited that practical things will happen for good.
Seven things a prayer should be said with:
Sincerity
Simplicity - We’re not out to make things complicated. When Jesus conveyed the Lord’s prayer, it was very simple, and very profound.
Humility - Jesus pointed out the Pharisee who said he was glad he was not like a sinner.
Intensity. This is serious stuff we’re talking about.
Charity – “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We don’t use prayer as a means of getting our own back.
Unanimity – if we’re with a second or third person, we’re united in our prayer.
Tenacity – not giving up without an answer, can we pray more than once? Yes. We need an answer. We need to reach out to those who need Him.
Sunday 16 November 2008
Choose You this Day Whom You will Serve
You may have a place which you visit annually, which marks the passage of another year. There’s something about different places which enable you to remember what you were thinking or praying at the time. This morning I want to look at Shechem, where Joshua ended up at the end of his life, at the age of 110. He wanted to communicate to the people to ensure they were clear in their stance before God.
Shechem had many memories for Joshua and the people of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-6
The first place they dwelt was Shechem. And ringing in Abraham’s ear was God’s word that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Genesis 35:1-4
When Jacob was at Shechem, again they were clearing themselves out. They had things which were wrong, and they gave to Jacob all the strange gods and Jacob hid them.
Joshua 24:1
Everyone was involved. They all came to meet with Joshua at Shechem, and his words were for everyone, young and old, all the tribes. Presenting yourself before God as a living sacrifice or to be examined of God is not a bad thing to do.
Joshua 24:2-3
Everyone would have identified with this comment.
Joshua 24:4-7
At the end of his life, Joshua recounted how God had brought them thus far. And as he did so, he identified the specifics – “I brought you out from those gods and brought you into this land.”
Joshua 24:8-12
This refers to the time where God used hornets. He will use anything to get our attention and maintain our protection – because of His love for us.
Joshua 24:13
All the way through, God provided, day in, day out. All the way through, He guided, day in and day out. Up to this point in time, God has given you the air to breathe, the ability to live and discover His purposes outworked in your life. he’s brought you thus far. When Joshua called the people together, he knew the people realised God had brought them there, but still there were those who carried with them traces of Egypt, and he was worried things weren’t clear cut enough thus far. There was something which niggled Joshua. He knew there had to be clarity of purpose, and a clear recognition of God’s foundation in their lives.
Shechem focused their minds because of its significance.
Look back over your life – how God brought you here, intervened in your life at that point. He may not be as much part of your focus as He was, but you can look back and see how He has bee faithful to you.
Joshua 24:14
It’s not possible to go forward without being 100% clear who you serve. It’s not possible to compromise. It’s not possible to hold on to links with the past, habits which recur. No – a wrong habit shouldn’t recur.
Joshua 24:15
“I don’t want you to be in any doubt before I leave this earth. I may only have a day or two to live, but I’m setting the direction for my house. I’m serving the Lord.”
He said he knew there were gods from the past, that there were gods from the surrounding Amorites ... but choose you this day who you will serve. It really matters to God where we stand, whether we are clear cut. It matters that we have the life of Christ inside us, being lived out in what we think, say and do.
Joshua 24:16-18
They knew what to say, what would please Joshua, and the phrases were trotted out. But he still had a niggle.
Joshua 24:19-20
Joshua saw through their pat answers. Sometimes people know what they are meant to say, but their heart doesn’t back up what they say. There’s a discrepancy between outside and inside. This was the niggle for Joshua. There was a blurring. “But there are circumstances which you can’t treat as black and white.” But the things we are talking about here are black and white. If God called you before Himself today, what would you say to Him? I know what I should be doing, I know I can say the right things, but in my heart, it isn’t clear.
Joshua 24:21-24
He nailed it. The first off-pat answer, he didn’t allow. He went down a level and got to grips with them. And they said they really would put away the strange gods and incline their hearts to the Lord. “His voice, we will obey.” That word obey has been erased in some people’s minds – “No one is going to tell me what to do.” But that attitude is from the gods of the other lands, or from the gods of the Amorites.
“His voice we will obey.” His – God’s. This is all about my relationship with God, listening to His voice and knowing that I need to obey Him. So I really can’t say the right things here and be something different outside. Even as I say those phrases, I run a risk, but I’ll take that risk. What happens in here is matched by what happens out there.
Joshua 24:25-29
What God said to the church in Laodicea reveals how God cannot stand a compromise position, with one foot in the world and one in the church. It gets to Him because He is all truth. His love draws you and me to be 100% for Him. It’s His work of grace inside which cleans us out, breaks the power of sin. We haven’t deserved it.
Revelation 3:14-16
Revelation 3:20
It’s God’s love by His Holy Spirit which brings conviction. It’s God’s love which enables you to realise that to be neither cold nor hot, to compromise is wrong. I want to be clear cut.
What are the gods of this land? The god of fashion. The god of alcohol ...
Revelation 3:20
When Joshua brought all the children of Israel together – all tribes, old, young, male, female ... choose you this day who you will serve. I’ve solemnly and calmly made it. It’s fixed. It’s my decision. I’m open about it. I don’t care what others things. I’ve made my decision. It will outwork in my life and it will be for all of my life.
What a life Joshua had! 100% down the line. He’d gone in to spy out the land with Caleb. All the way through, straight as a die. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You can’t go on saying, “No one is going to tell me what to do.” Because God has put His finger on your life even now, and is saying “Choose you. You can’t be down the middle, can’t be luke warm.” Forget anyone else. Choose you this day who you will serve.
We are coming to a time when we will have Bible studies, and I think God is speaking to you individually. I’ve spoken to quite a few people who want to get to know more what the Bible is about. He’s been speaking to people about how they should pray, what they should pray. So starting soon we will be looking at prayer. I think prayer will become the hub of what we are about, and the Bible will be treasured and studied.
Is that to make us into miserable people? You know as well as I do that that’s bond true. But we’re going to do what God wants us to do.
Choose you this day whom you will serve. Because you are serving something or you are serving God. There’s no middle path. We think we’re just enjoying the world, but the enemy of our souls isolates people in the assertion that we can do what we want to do, and just come occasionally to hear the word of God. Choose you. Don’t be isolated.
The opposite of this is a vibrancy, of Gods’ life inside you. And as we come together, that life is expressed corporately as well as individually. And as we lift up Jesus Christ, so He will draw others to Himself.
This morning it comes down to you and me before God. Choose you this day who you will serve.
Who is it going to be? Are you going to have a backbone? Are you going to respond to what the Holy Spirit has brought to your attention? Is it a case “I may or may not”? I know this word was fro this morning, and I know that in the stillness now, your decision in your heart will outwork something different in your life. Things will be different. “That your joy might be full.”
Shechem had many memories for Joshua and the people of Israel.
Genesis 12:1-6
The first place they dwelt was Shechem. And ringing in Abraham’s ear was God’s word that in him all the nations of the earth would be blessed.
Genesis 35:1-4
When Jacob was at Shechem, again they were clearing themselves out. They had things which were wrong, and they gave to Jacob all the strange gods and Jacob hid them.
Joshua 24:1
Everyone was involved. They all came to meet with Joshua at Shechem, and his words were for everyone, young and old, all the tribes. Presenting yourself before God as a living sacrifice or to be examined of God is not a bad thing to do.
Joshua 24:2-3
Everyone would have identified with this comment.
Joshua 24:4-7
At the end of his life, Joshua recounted how God had brought them thus far. And as he did so, he identified the specifics – “I brought you out from those gods and brought you into this land.”
Joshua 24:8-12
This refers to the time where God used hornets. He will use anything to get our attention and maintain our protection – because of His love for us.
Joshua 24:13
All the way through, God provided, day in, day out. All the way through, He guided, day in and day out. Up to this point in time, God has given you the air to breathe, the ability to live and discover His purposes outworked in your life. he’s brought you thus far. When Joshua called the people together, he knew the people realised God had brought them there, but still there were those who carried with them traces of Egypt, and he was worried things weren’t clear cut enough thus far. There was something which niggled Joshua. He knew there had to be clarity of purpose, and a clear recognition of God’s foundation in their lives.
Shechem focused their minds because of its significance.
Look back over your life – how God brought you here, intervened in your life at that point. He may not be as much part of your focus as He was, but you can look back and see how He has bee faithful to you.
Joshua 24:14
It’s not possible to go forward without being 100% clear who you serve. It’s not possible to compromise. It’s not possible to hold on to links with the past, habits which recur. No – a wrong habit shouldn’t recur.
Joshua 24:15
“I don’t want you to be in any doubt before I leave this earth. I may only have a day or two to live, but I’m setting the direction for my house. I’m serving the Lord.”
He said he knew there were gods from the past, that there were gods from the surrounding Amorites ... but choose you this day who you will serve. It really matters to God where we stand, whether we are clear cut. It matters that we have the life of Christ inside us, being lived out in what we think, say and do.
Joshua 24:16-18
They knew what to say, what would please Joshua, and the phrases were trotted out. But he still had a niggle.
Joshua 24:19-20
Joshua saw through their pat answers. Sometimes people know what they are meant to say, but their heart doesn’t back up what they say. There’s a discrepancy between outside and inside. This was the niggle for Joshua. There was a blurring. “But there are circumstances which you can’t treat as black and white.” But the things we are talking about here are black and white. If God called you before Himself today, what would you say to Him? I know what I should be doing, I know I can say the right things, but in my heart, it isn’t clear.
Joshua 24:21-24
He nailed it. The first off-pat answer, he didn’t allow. He went down a level and got to grips with them. And they said they really would put away the strange gods and incline their hearts to the Lord. “His voice, we will obey.” That word obey has been erased in some people’s minds – “No one is going to tell me what to do.” But that attitude is from the gods of the other lands, or from the gods of the Amorites.
“His voice we will obey.” His – God’s. This is all about my relationship with God, listening to His voice and knowing that I need to obey Him. So I really can’t say the right things here and be something different outside. Even as I say those phrases, I run a risk, but I’ll take that risk. What happens in here is matched by what happens out there.
Joshua 24:25-29
What God said to the church in Laodicea reveals how God cannot stand a compromise position, with one foot in the world and one in the church. It gets to Him because He is all truth. His love draws you and me to be 100% for Him. It’s His work of grace inside which cleans us out, breaks the power of sin. We haven’t deserved it.
Revelation 3:14-16
Revelation 3:20
It’s God’s love by His Holy Spirit which brings conviction. It’s God’s love which enables you to realise that to be neither cold nor hot, to compromise is wrong. I want to be clear cut.
What are the gods of this land? The god of fashion. The god of alcohol ...
Revelation 3:20
When Joshua brought all the children of Israel together – all tribes, old, young, male, female ... choose you this day who you will serve. I’ve solemnly and calmly made it. It’s fixed. It’s my decision. I’m open about it. I don’t care what others things. I’ve made my decision. It will outwork in my life and it will be for all of my life.
What a life Joshua had! 100% down the line. He’d gone in to spy out the land with Caleb. All the way through, straight as a die. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
You can’t go on saying, “No one is going to tell me what to do.” Because God has put His finger on your life even now, and is saying “Choose you. You can’t be down the middle, can’t be luke warm.” Forget anyone else. Choose you this day who you will serve.
We are coming to a time when we will have Bible studies, and I think God is speaking to you individually. I’ve spoken to quite a few people who want to get to know more what the Bible is about. He’s been speaking to people about how they should pray, what they should pray. So starting soon we will be looking at prayer. I think prayer will become the hub of what we are about, and the Bible will be treasured and studied.
Is that to make us into miserable people? You know as well as I do that that’s bond true. But we’re going to do what God wants us to do.
Choose you this day whom you will serve. Because you are serving something or you are serving God. There’s no middle path. We think we’re just enjoying the world, but the enemy of our souls isolates people in the assertion that we can do what we want to do, and just come occasionally to hear the word of God. Choose you. Don’t be isolated.
The opposite of this is a vibrancy, of Gods’ life inside you. And as we come together, that life is expressed corporately as well as individually. And as we lift up Jesus Christ, so He will draw others to Himself.
This morning it comes down to you and me before God. Choose you this day who you will serve.
Who is it going to be? Are you going to have a backbone? Are you going to respond to what the Holy Spirit has brought to your attention? Is it a case “I may or may not”? I know this word was fro this morning, and I know that in the stillness now, your decision in your heart will outwork something different in your life. Things will be different. “That your joy might be full.”
Sunday 2 November 2008
The Wisdom of the World and the Wisdom of God
The fact that God is alive – that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive today, is the reason you’re sitting here today. The breath you’re breathing, it’s because He is upholding your life. If you find it difficult to breathe, you realise the preciousness of life. Miracles occur today because God is alive.
There’s a great difference between life and death, between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world results in death,. The wisdom of God results in life. On the one side you have the world, the flesh and the devil, and death. And on the other you have God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and life.
I want to look at scriptures which highlight the difference.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Galatians 5 talks about the world, the flesh and the devil.
Galatians 5:19-21
Quite a list! We’re coming up to Christmas, when it’s the works “do” and there’s no one from the church is with you. Our stance is the wisdom of God. It’s what God has done inside us.
We need to value what God has done in us, but more, we need to value who He is.
What’s it like for you at a works do? Do you cave in? You don’t want to appear different? The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
One night I was coming home late at night on the train. There was vomit all over the floor. Why is the world’s wisdom, the fleeting moment, the importance of getting paralytic so you can share your experience the next morning with someone else – if you can remember it?
Romans 1:28-33 outlines anyone without God.
Without God in this world, there’s an attempt, through the wisdom of this world, to fill the vacuum with something. But only God is the answer for the need within the depths of a person.
Paul said to the Corinthians that it doesn’t matter what goes on in the world ...
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
This world’s wisdom involves people who scheme, who pursue money, fame, position. It’s automatic because without God that’s the nature of man. I want to help each one of us realise that it is ok to be a fool for Christ. It does actually mean you have a backbone if you make a stand for Christ. I’d far rather be a fool for Christ, than be heralded in the fleeting wisdom of this world. What could be more foolish that Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross? In the eyes of the world, what was that about? He was dying. Yet there was something deeper going on.
1 Corinthians 3:19
Job 5:8-14
When you are a Christian, God protects you, in that no matter what man tries in order to do you down, no matter what people say against you because of your stand, God knows what is occurring.
1 Corinthians 3:20
Psalms 94:3-11
What is Paul referring to Job or Psalms for? He is saying that as a Christian, you are from a different life source. The source of your life is from heaven, from God. The world, the flesh and the devil ... the result of that is inevitably death. Paul is saying he doesn’t want the Corinthians to glory in anything other than what God had done and who He is.
The Corinthians were getting into factions as to who had heard whom preach. And Paul had to point out it was God they were involved with. Who’s your life involved with? It’s God.
“Do you mean you go to that church? Why?” “Because what God has done for me is eternal. He’s changed me on the inside. He did it in me. And that’s why I live my life going His way. In fact He lives inside me. It’s the life of Christ inside. He’s broken the power of sin in my life.”
Jeremiah 9:23-25
What do we want for our children? We want them to understand and know God, to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, as Lord of their lives. We educate in every way possible to maximise the potential of each child. But underlying it all, we want them to understand and know who God is and the life of Christ inside.
1 Corinthians 3:21-24
What does Paul mean? He could just have told people not to get involved in factionalism. He was saying that, but he went on to say is that the key thing is that the word of life came to you – not the person through whom it came.
What I want in all we do is to lift up His name.
“Anything in this world, people of Corinth, everything is worked out because God is in control, and you are Christ’s and Christ is in God.” Or in other words, all things work together for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. God moves heaven and earth that you might know Him.
Once again, let me remind you if you’ve lost your job, or face uncertainty, that you have a loving heavenly Father and you have the life of Christ inside you, and all things are yours and He has heard your prayer and will provide for you. The world can throw anything it likes at you. The enemy can taunt you with the thought of death. But I am in Christ and Christ is in God. Everything is involved in my good because God loves me. He is the God of love.
Does that mean I live any old way? No – we’ve covered that. That’s the world’s wisdom. The agenda of the world is different. For a Christian, the agenda has only one item – to please Him, the one who has given me everything, life itself.
Titus 3:3-8
That’s not a vague hope – it’s the certain hope that one day you will meet Him face to face. In the interim, it’s like heaven on earth, because by His Holy Spirit it’s His life inside you. You can’t conceive of the good things He has prepared for you because of the love He has put in your heart for Him.
I want you to open your heart, listen to the words the choir sing, and let those words confirm to you the life of God inside you.
There’s a great difference between life and death, between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of this world results in death,. The wisdom of God results in life. On the one side you have the world, the flesh and the devil, and death. And on the other you have God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and life.
I want to look at scriptures which highlight the difference.
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
Galatians 5 talks about the world, the flesh and the devil.
Galatians 5:19-21
Quite a list! We’re coming up to Christmas, when it’s the works “do” and there’s no one from the church is with you. Our stance is the wisdom of God. It’s what God has done inside us.
We need to value what God has done in us, but more, we need to value who He is.
What’s it like for you at a works do? Do you cave in? You don’t want to appear different? The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.
One night I was coming home late at night on the train. There was vomit all over the floor. Why is the world’s wisdom, the fleeting moment, the importance of getting paralytic so you can share your experience the next morning with someone else – if you can remember it?
Romans 1:28-33 outlines anyone without God.
Without God in this world, there’s an attempt, through the wisdom of this world, to fill the vacuum with something. But only God is the answer for the need within the depths of a person.
Paul said to the Corinthians that it doesn’t matter what goes on in the world ...
1 Corinthians 3:18-20
This world’s wisdom involves people who scheme, who pursue money, fame, position. It’s automatic because without God that’s the nature of man. I want to help each one of us realise that it is ok to be a fool for Christ. It does actually mean you have a backbone if you make a stand for Christ. I’d far rather be a fool for Christ, than be heralded in the fleeting wisdom of this world. What could be more foolish that Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross? In the eyes of the world, what was that about? He was dying. Yet there was something deeper going on.
1 Corinthians 3:19
Job 5:8-14
When you are a Christian, God protects you, in that no matter what man tries in order to do you down, no matter what people say against you because of your stand, God knows what is occurring.
1 Corinthians 3:20
Psalms 94:3-11
What is Paul referring to Job or Psalms for? He is saying that as a Christian, you are from a different life source. The source of your life is from heaven, from God. The world, the flesh and the devil ... the result of that is inevitably death. Paul is saying he doesn’t want the Corinthians to glory in anything other than what God had done and who He is.
The Corinthians were getting into factions as to who had heard whom preach. And Paul had to point out it was God they were involved with. Who’s your life involved with? It’s God.
“Do you mean you go to that church? Why?” “Because what God has done for me is eternal. He’s changed me on the inside. He did it in me. And that’s why I live my life going His way. In fact He lives inside me. It’s the life of Christ inside. He’s broken the power of sin in my life.”
Jeremiah 9:23-25
What do we want for our children? We want them to understand and know God, to know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, as Lord of their lives. We educate in every way possible to maximise the potential of each child. But underlying it all, we want them to understand and know who God is and the life of Christ inside.
1 Corinthians 3:21-24
What does Paul mean? He could just have told people not to get involved in factionalism. He was saying that, but he went on to say is that the key thing is that the word of life came to you – not the person through whom it came.
What I want in all we do is to lift up His name.
“Anything in this world, people of Corinth, everything is worked out because God is in control, and you are Christ’s and Christ is in God.” Or in other words, all things work together for those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. God moves heaven and earth that you might know Him.
Once again, let me remind you if you’ve lost your job, or face uncertainty, that you have a loving heavenly Father and you have the life of Christ inside you, and all things are yours and He has heard your prayer and will provide for you. The world can throw anything it likes at you. The enemy can taunt you with the thought of death. But I am in Christ and Christ is in God. Everything is involved in my good because God loves me. He is the God of love.
Does that mean I live any old way? No – we’ve covered that. That’s the world’s wisdom. The agenda of the world is different. For a Christian, the agenda has only one item – to please Him, the one who has given me everything, life itself.
Titus 3:3-8
That’s not a vague hope – it’s the certain hope that one day you will meet Him face to face. In the interim, it’s like heaven on earth, because by His Holy Spirit it’s His life inside you. You can’t conceive of the good things He has prepared for you because of the love He has put in your heart for Him.
I want you to open your heart, listen to the words the choir sing, and let those words confirm to you the life of God inside you.
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