The Apostle Paul warned the Church that there would come a day when people would depart from the faith. Let’s read this text responsively:
1 Timothy 4:1-5 (KJV) Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: [5] For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
What causes people to depart from the faith? The Holy Spirit said that first people would heed seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, rejecting the Word of God for the word of the fallen world. Hypocrisy will abound, and the conscience will be hardened and de-synthesized. Then God given appetites would be ignored, Yes, God gave you your appetite.
He gave you the appetite for marital companionship.
He gave you the appetite for food.
These appetites are to be fulfilled as God directs!
What causes the “departure from the faith” but the rejection of God’s Word and the rejection of God’s design. God designed us with appetites. He made our bodies. He gives us food to eat, and companions to live with in a union called “marriage”. But the devil has twisted this, minimizing marriage and establishing taboos on food items. How shall we “contend for” what Jude (in Jude 3) called “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints”?
We need to emphasize PRAYER,
especially at our mealtimes.
(vvs 4-5) For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, IF IT BE RECEIVED WITH THANKSGIVING: [5] For it is SANCTIFIED by the WORD OF GOD and PRAYER.
It amazes me that so few Christians pray over their meals before eating them. There was a show on television I saw once called Kitchen Nightmares. In that show Chef Gordon Ramsay would go into failing restaurants and demonstrate “behind the scenes” why that restaurant was failing. In many cases customers were eating at restaurants that were selling bug infested or rotted and tainted foods. When I saw that show it impressed upon me when I ate “out” to insure that I prayed over the meal.
The Apostle told us as Christians to pray over our meals because this “sanctifies” or “sets it apart for God’s glory”. We need to pray and thank God for our meals prior to eating … especially when we are eating in someone else’s kitchen.
There are times when we are in a hurry and skip prayer so that we can rush to another appointment. When that happens we need to remember the example of the Apostle Paul. Imprisoned and traveling against his will to meet the Caesar the ship that he was on was caught in a bad storm. For fourteen days those on board ate nothing at all. Finally on the fifteenth day at sunrise:
Acts 27:33-36 (KJV) And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. [34] Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. [35] And WHEN HE HAD THUS SPOKEN, HE TOOK BREAD, AND GAVE THANKS TO GOD IN PRESENCE OF THEM ALL: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. [36] Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
Though all were hungry (for they had not eaten in 14 days) the Apostle “gave thanks” (the Greek εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō). He thanked the Father for that which he and the others were about to eat. He “said grace”!
Our Lord Jesus Always “Said Grace”
Most of us in America have never truly experienced hunger nor scarcity of food. We as a nation have been blessed. Pastor Jon Bloom of Desiring God Ministries calls this “The Dark Side of Abundance”. He writes:
“Those of us who live in prosperous regions of the globe and have never known food scarcity perhaps don’t feel much awe in it. That is a sad thing: a lack of awe. It’s the dark side of abundance. We sinners tend to grow blind to glory when there’s a lot of it. God is kind not to give us heaven yet. We would not appreciate more than a fraction of it.”
In our country even the “poor” that I come in contact with are often overweight. The 21 poorest countries in the world are located on the continent of Africa. Other countries with great destitution are Afghanistan, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, and Haiti. Much of the illegal immigration in our country comes over the border from Mexico.
Our Lord Jesus confronted hunger. The Bible tells us that people had flocked to Him to hear Him teach. Jesus, like John the Baptist, often preached away the Temple and in the desert. As time for the evening meal was upon them the disciples told Jesus:
Mark 6:35-36 (KJV) And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: [36] Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
Perhaps you think these men were heartless, but that wasn’t the case. They knew that they had an insufficient amount of food to feed five thousand men and an uncounted amount of women. So they did as we often do – they looked to the “practical” and not to faith. But Jesus had a better idea.
Jesus asked the disciples if they could find anything to eat, to give it to the people. The disciples found a child’s meal. “We have only five small loaves of bread, and two fishes” (verse 38). How could that many people be fed with no more than that? Jesus took the little meal and we read:
Mark 6:41-43 (KJV) And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, HE LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN, AND BLESSED, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. [42] And they did all eat, and were filled. [43] And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
Our Lord “blessed” (εὐλογέω eulogeō) the food. Earlier we saw that the Apostle Paul “gave thanks” (the Greek εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō) for what food they were about to eat. Now Jesus eulogeō or “praises God” for what He has, though it is but a small amount. Praising God for His provision released His power on the little until it became a lot!
God will feed His Children. The Psalmist said:
Psalms 37:25 (KJV) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
and God told the Prophet Ezekiel 34:14-15 (KJV)I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.
God cares for His Children. When we have little this should not stop our prayer. We should look to Him Who loves us. He will provide.
Following another three day revival meeting in the wilderness Jesus called His disciples to Him and said:
Mark 8:2-5 (KJV) I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. … How many loaves have ye? …. And they said, Seven.
There were four thousand to be fed, but an insufficient amount of food. Again, Jesus did not complain.. What did He do?
Mark 8:6 (KJV) … He commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and He took the seven loaves, and GAVE THANKS, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
The Bible uses the same word that the Apostle used on the storm tossed ship. Jesus εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō thanking God for what he had. The Father responded and gave an increase until all could be fed. Our God is in control of every situation that we encounter. When we come to the lean times we need to thank Him for that – and our Father will give us the increase!
Jesus taught us to rely not on the situation, but on the Father. Jesus praised God (EULOGEO) and thanked God (EUCHARISTO) for what God had given, and trusted the Father to supply that which was lacking.
Jesus Taught Prayer At The Lord’s Table
Just before our Lord was to go to the Cross Jesus celebrated the Passover Meal with His disciples (Luke 22:7-8). As the meal progressed Jesus told His disciples:
Luke 22:15 (KJV) … With desire I have desired to eat THIS PASSOVER with you before I suffer:
Jesus took the Cup of the Passover meal and gave it to His disciples. Notice the text:
Luke 22:17 (KJV) And he took the cup, and GAVE THANKS, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
Jesus εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō “said Grace” or thanked the Father for the Cup. But following this ending of the Passover Jesus once more takes Bread and uses the Bread to illustrate His sacrifice for us. We read:
Mark 14:22-24 (KJV) And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Jesus “blessed” the bread (εὐλογέω eulogeō) “praised God” for the bread which represented His Body. Then Jesus took the Cup once more and “gave thanks” (εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō) for the Bread which represented His poured out Blood. The Bible tells us that Jesus both PRAISED GOD and THANKED GOD for the Cross that was on the horizon. Jesus prayed over this simple meal. Every time we practice the Lord’s Supper we remind ourselves that Jesus said grace before every meal – even this one!
On The Road To Emmaus
Following His crucifixion and resurrection the Lord Jesus walked on the Road to Emmaus with the disciple Cleopas and his wife. As Jesus walked with these grieving disciples they lamented over the crucifixion of Jesus, not knowing that they were speaking with the resurrected Savior. Jesus rebuked their tears, saying:
Luke 24:25-27 (KJV) …. O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Still, Cleopas and his wife didn’t realize this was the resurrected Jesus. It was only as they came to their house in Emmaus that they invited Jesus to eat with them. Normally the master of the household said prayers over the meal. Yet we read that …
Luke 24:30-34 (KJV) And it came to pass, as {Jesus} sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it (εὐλογέω eulogeō), and brake, and gave to them. And THEIR EYES WERE OPENED, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
Just as Jesus praised God the Father for the Bread at the Lord’s Table, He praised God for the bread at this Emmaus household. This is what opened their eyes to see Jesus. Listen Beloved, if we were to pray and thank God for our meals at home our children would see Jesus. If we were to pray and thank God for our meals while eating out, others around us would see Jesus.
As Christians we are to have thankful hearts for what God our Father has blessed us with. The Bible says:
Colossians 3:17 (KJV) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
IA little girl had eaten all of her meal but the turnips. She hated turnips! At the beginning of the meal she pushed them out of the way, and cleaned her plate except for those turnips. She sat there looking sadly at the now cold pile of vegetables. Her momma said, “Honey, you should have eaten those first. Now they are cold and the grease is congealed on top of them.” The little girl looked up and said, “I know momma. I guess I was just trying to delay the inedible.”
We may not always get exactly what we want in life. Let us nevertheless praise God for what He has given us – especially over our meals. It was prayer that turned the Roman Empire upside down, ushering in the faith of Christ. Adrian Rogers said:
“In ancient Rome Christians were taken into the Coliseum and put to death before laughing, mocking mobs. But underneath the Coliseum were catacombs—passageways where believers worshiped Jesus and prayed. … they ignited a spiritual revolution that turned the Empire upside down. Comparing coliseums and catacombs, I want to be in the catacomb crowd.”
The Christians of the catacomb overturned the citizen of the coliseum because those Christians cultivated praise and thankfulness to God. Mealtime is a wonderful time to do this. We can bring the light of Christ to a needy world by simply praying over our meals … especially at restaurants. This is one way that we can …
Romans 12:21 (KJV) … Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
God wants us to cultivate a praise filled and thankful heart before Him. We should thank God for our food, reminding ourselves that it was provided by the Lord Who loves us.
Praising and thanking God for our food reminds us and those around us that it is God Who has given us our blessings – even this meal. God told His Old Testament Church:
Deuteronomy 8:15-16 (KJV) Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; [16] Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
It is God Who provides that which we need. We are the beneficiaries of good things because God loves us. God has blessed us with the ABILITY as well as the RESOURCES we have.
Final Thoughts On Mealtime Prayer
Jesus said:
Mark 8:38 (KJV) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Someone once said that praying before a meal would offend their non-believing friends. It probably will. So what? Let them be offended. Jesus said:
John 15:18-20 (KJV) If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Will you offend? Maybe. Maybe not. Who cares? Live for the smile of Christ our Lord, not for the applause of man.
A few final points on mealtime prayers.
aPray, but don’t preach. Be brief and to the point. Thank God and praise Him for the food you are about to receive.
bBe sincere. Talk to the Lord conversationally like you would if He were standing in front of you (and He is, by the way). As much as I love the King James text, know that the Lord doesn’t require us to speak King James English when we pray!
cBe a witness, but don’t be a show off. When Jesus prayed He gave thanks or praised God. He never preached a sermon over a meal.
d If our waiter or waitress is near the table I ask if I can include them in the prayer. You would be surprised how many waitresses and waiters have been thankful to be included in those prayers. You would also be surprised how many waiters and waitresses will stay with us while we pray over the meal and for them. Many of the studies done by Lifeway on the Millennial Generation note that they are not unspiritual … they just don’t like hypocrisy. Be the Christian God made you to be. Tell your Father you are grateful for the food and for the person who made it and delivered it to your table.
eWhen you pray in a restaurantremember to leave a proper tip. It has been said that the smallest tips are left by people who professed to be Christians. Don’t be a positive witness through your prayers and then a negative witness through your tipping. And don’t use those fake tracts that look like money as tips. Leave a fair tip, honoring Christ and blessing your server.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (KJV) And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, {13} To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
I know many of you do not use so called “Social Media” such as Facebook or Twitter or Linked In. I do, and use the services to preach and hopefully reach others for Christ. Frequently I find things on my newsfeeds that I question. One of those things was a picture with a woman looking up with the caption:
Don’t Go To Church – Be The Church!
The reason I question this is because many today believe that they alone are the Church. That’s not true.
The Church – like God’s Old Testament Israel – is never one person.The Lord Jesus Christ ministered on this earth for 3 ½ years and He Himself never ministered alone.
After His baptism and His trial in the wilderness Jesus called twelve men to follow Him. Jesus then built those twelve into a network of people who believed that Jesus alone is …
Matthew 16:16 (KJV) … the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Every Christian should live for Christ whether in Church or out of Church. That is true. But the Church is never just one person – it is a group of people, however large or small, that work together for the glory of God. When we are in the Old Testament we see God reaching out and changing the world not through singular people but through Israel, His Old Testament Church. Now God has not cast away Israel (see Romans 11:1-5). Jesus entered humanity from eternity to reach out to Israel first (see Romans 1:16; John 1:11). Christ came for the Jew first, but also for the Gentile. Jesus Christ came unto His own people, but His own people would not receive Him. So Jesus formed a New Testament people governed by Him that He called the Church or literally (ἐκκλησία ekklēsia) “The Called Out Ones”. In the Church …
Galatians 3:28-29 (KJV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Both Israel (Old Testament) or the Church (New Testament) are the people of God, a people with purpose. What is the purpose of God’s people?
What Does God Require Of The Believer Of Any Age?
God does not save a people to Himself and then ignore them. God saved the Jew and Israel from Egypt in the Old Testament, and saves the Christian and the Church from the world in the New Testament. What does God require of His people?
Deuteronomy 10:12 (KJV) … what doth the LORD thy God REQUIRE OF THEE, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul …
God requires His people do four things.
To FEAR the LORD thy God
To WALK in His ways
To LOVE Him And To SERVE Him
Let’s discuss these four basic requirements for the believer of every age.
Believers Are To FEAR The LORD
Deuteronomy 10:12 (KJV) … what doth the LORD thy God REQUIRE OF THEE, but to FEAR the LORD thy God
We do not hear much of “fearing the Lord our God” in modern pulpits. We hear a lot of the love of God – and God does love you. The Scripture speaks of this many times. But the Scripture also speaks of FEARING the LORD. For instance the phrase
“Fear The LORD” Is Found Nine Times
In Deuteronomy Alone.
It is found twice in this chapter – in the above verse and in:
Deuteronomy 10:20 (KJV) Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
The word “fear” is the Hebrewיָרֵא yare’ (pronounced YAH-RRAY) which can mean to be in dread of or to make afraid. This phrase is found throughout the Old Testament. As well known place where it is found is in the final address that the great man of God Joshua made before stepping down as Israel’s leader. Joshua told the people:
Joshua 24:14-15 (KJV) Now therefore FEAR the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. [15] And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Decide which you will follow. Commit to follow the one True God of Scripture or follow the false. Make a choice, then be ALL IN in that choice. God does not like the lukewarm behavior of wishy-washy people. Jesus told the Church at Laodicea:
Revelation 3:15-16 (KJV) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. [16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The Lord does not care for lukewarm! Be all in. The Prophet Samuel told God’s Israel:
1 Samuel 12:14-15 (KJV) If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice … But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, THEN SHALL THE HAND OF THE LORD BE AGAINST YOU, as it was against your fathers.
When those who should be light become like the darkness God will not condone it. We are commanded to ..
Psalm 22:23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him…
Psalm 34:9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for THERE IS NO WANT TO THEM THAT FEAR HIM.
Psalm 115:11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: HE IS THEIR HELP AND THEIR SHIELD.
In all of these texts the Bible uses the Hebrewיָרֵא yare’which can mean to be in dread of or to make afraid. The wisest man who ever lived – King Solomon – went even farther. He wrote:
Proverbs 9:10 (KJV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Here the word “fear” in Proverbs is the Hebrew יראה yir’âh which is stronger than yare’. How can we describe fearing God?
The unbeliever should fear God because they have no personal relationship with Him. The unbeliever should fear the judgment of God and eternal separation from God. Our Lord Jesus said to whosoever would listen:
Luke 12:1, 3-5 (KJV) … Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy…. [3] Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. [4] And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. [5] But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: FEAR HIM, WHICH AFTER HE HATH KILLED HATH POWER TO CAST INTO HELL; YEA, I SAY UNTO YOU, FEAR HIM.
Jesus warned those who would listen to “fear Him” (φοβέω phobeō, to have a fear or phobia of) who has “power to kill, then to cast into hell”. There is a place of eternal punishment, a place where those without God in this life go to in the next life. Those who have no knowledge of God through Christ should fear God. And those who have knowledge of God but who are disrespectful and disobedient of Him should also fear Him. The Lord tells us in:
Hebrews 10:30-31 (KJV) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. [31] It is a FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD.
Believers in Christ should fear God in the sense that we respect Him, knowing that He will discipline the wayward believer. The Apostle told the Church at Corinth that they were mishandling the Lord’s Table. He told them:
1 Corinthians 11:21 (KJV) For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.
1 Corinthians 11:29-30 (KJV) For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. [30] For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
God can shorten your life.
To the believer acting as an unbeliever we too should have respect for God. Too often we minimize sin and maximize a sickly sweet love of God. God is to be respected. We are to stand in awe of Him. We are not to minimize His commands, nor to to neutralize them so as to satisfy a sin sick world. God tells us that He shall judge His people. God tells us that:
Hebrews 12:5-8 (KJV) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: [6] For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. [7] If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? [8] But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
The great theologian J.I. Packer noted “Some redefine the fear of God for believers to “respecting” Him. While respect is definitely included in the concept of fearing God, there is more to it than that. A biblical fear of God, for the believer, includes understanding how much God hates sin and fearing His judgment on sin — even in the life of a believer. Hebrews 12:5-11 describes God’s discipline of the believer. While it is done in love (Hebrews 12:6), it is still a fearful thing.”
God punishes His errant children. He scourges us when we are disobedient. We are not to make a truce with sin nor with sinners, but we are to rapidly and with dispatch confess our sins to God. We are not to regard His directives as suggestions, but commandments. God loves you, but He will not tolerate evil among His children. We are to respect and love Him.
God despises sin for what it has done to His creation. God despises sin for how it harms us and our families.
Look what God did to Jesus for us. He covered our sins with the Blood of the Cross. See Him, beaten and bruised. See Him with crown of thorns and throne of nails. See Him, bleeding and despised. We dare not make light of sin in the light of the Cross. If you have received the Son as Lord and Savior then you know better than to make light of sin. We are in His Kingdom because of His Cross.
Hebrews 12:28-29 (KJV) Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (εὐλάβεια eulabeia): [29] For our God is a consuming fire.
Let us revere and respect our Lord and King. He will be respected!
Believers Are To Follow The Lord
Deuteronomy 10:12 (KJV) … what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways …
The Bible uses the term to walk to describe how a person lives their life. Before a person meets God in Christ they walk according to their own desires. To the unbeliever who has no fear of God, they walk in their own desires, following their own path.
One day a group of lost but religious people interrupted our Lord and cast a woman taken in adultery – in the very act before Him. They taunted Jesus:
John 8:5 (KJV) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Jesus ignored them for a bit. Then He said:
John 8:7 (KJV) … He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
The men left the square that day, leaving Jesus with His Bible class and this now disgraced woman. Jesus asked “Woman, where are your accusers”? She relied “No one condemns me, Lord”. Jesus tells her “Neither do I condemn thee – go, and SIN NO MORE”. Jesus forgave her upon her respectfully receiving Him as Lord. But then Jesus says something that many forget at the end of this episode. He says:
John 8:12 (KJV) … I am the light of the world:
he that followeth me shall NOT walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.
Those who belong to God are to follow God daily. You see, walking is your way of life. You walked into this Church house today. You will leave shortly, walk to your car, go home, and walk into your houses. You’ll get up tomorrow and walk to your car, go to work, and then you will walk. You walk in the marketplace. You walk! God uses walking to describe your mode of life. If you belong to the Lord, you walk in the light. You daily and hourly follow God. He is with you, always watching, always caring. You do not walk in darkness nor make light of sin. You follow Jesus. God said:
WALK in ALL his ways
God wants His Children to walk in ALL His ways. This phrase is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:33; 8:6; 11:22; 26:17; 30:16 – five times in this Book alone. If we are His and He is ours we are to imitate Him as we live our lives. We no longer belong to this world, but to the present and eternal Kingdom of God. The Child of God does not live as he did before salvation as he does after salvation.
The person who says “I am saved BUT I will follow my own path” should heed Christ’s Word.
John 11:9-10 (KJV) … If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. [10] But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
A fish cannot live in two worlds,
and neither can the Christian.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Those born by the power of faith and by the operation of God’s Spirit are born to walk imitating God in Christ. We walk in the Spirit, in love, in truth, and in wisdom. We respond to Christ’s command and follow Him, children redeemed from the darkness!
Believers Are To Love And Serve The Lord
Deuteronomy 10:12 (KJV) … what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Our God gave His all for us, and wants us to give our all to Him. He does not want us to serve Him because we MUST, but wants us to serve Him because we love Him. God told Israel:
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (KJV) “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: {5} And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.“
God wants our all, our full heart. Our Lord Jesus brought this command in the New Testament when He said:
Matthew 22:36-40 (KJV) … Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. {38} This is the first and great commandment. {39} And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. {40} On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
There is an inherent blessing in loving God with your all. When you love God with all you have He lifts you up. The Lord told Israel:
Deuteronomy 10:22 (KJV) Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.
When Israel entered Egypt there were only seventy people in that family. Now seventy is a pretty good sized family! But when Israel left Egypt there were an estimated 6 million people. The family of 70 became 6,000,000! That is tremendous growth, especially considering that Pharaoh instituted a policy of enforced murder on all male children. Yet God grew His people. Listen Beloved:
What has corrupted our nation?
It is the uncommitted Christian!
We must commit to love God with our all.
We are to put Him first in our day, first in our lives, first in our families. We are to share Him with our children. To turn off the television, and teach our children to love God. We are to read His Word daily, and speak to Him in prayer frequently. We are to commit to assembling together to worship Him frequently. A one day a week or one day a month Christian is of no more use than a light that is only turned on one day a week or one day a month. Oh, that our hearts would be fully focused on Him!
The most important thing in your spiritual life is to love God wholeheartedly. You may understand all the Bible Doctrine you want, but if you do not love Him Who loves you, of what use is it? The Scripture cannot be interpreted and applied apart from Love! You must love! You must love God absolutely, with all your heart …. and then God will compel you to love your neighbor as yourself.
Deuteronomy 10:17-20 (KJV) For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: [18] He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. [19] Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. [20] Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
If you belong to Him, serve Him in your daily walk.
How do you serve God?
Love the stranger.
Do good toward others.
As you have received, so give to those around you.
Loving God is more than giving a tithe to the Church. It is to make others center stage. To do good. To let Christ shine through you.
If you do not belong to Him then He bids you come. Come to Christ. Come and find rest in Him. Be not half hearted, but fully sold out to the One Who loves you! And if you do belong to Him, let Him use you to show His love toward others.
May God the Holy Spirit speak to your hearts and move you this very day!
John 17:1-3 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3] And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
This section of Scripture is often called by the commentaries The High Priestly Prayer of Christ. Jesus Christ is indeed the High Priest of His Church. Yet I do not believe that calling this prayer a High Priestly Prayer of Christ is exactly accurate.
Jesus Did Not Become Our High Priest Until After He Offered Himself Up For Our Sins.
When you look at the Scripture of:
Romans 8:34 (KJV) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also MAKETH INTERCESSION FOR US.
Hebrews 7:25-27 (KJV) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. [26] For SUCH AN HIGH PRIEST became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; [27] Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.
1 John 2:1 (KJV) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
At this point in His ministry Christ is still the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; Romans 8:3; 1 Peter 1:18-21). His sacrifice was coming, but was not yet done. He has walked on the earth for over three years, being examined by all to see if there was any sin in Him. There wasn’t. Even Pilate, on condemning Christ to death, said:
John 19:4, 6 …. “I find no fault in him …”
None could find fault in Jesus. He is the Lamb of God without spot or blemish. He will offer up Himself for our sins, and following His resurrection Christ will be our High Priest.
As I look at John 17 I prefer to call it either “The Shepherd’s Prayer”. Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd:
John 10:11 (KJV) I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Jesus is soon to give His life as the Lamb of God for His Church. As He prepares for this moment, this hour for which He was born, Jesus has two things in mind.
(1) Jesus prays that He will meet His death in a God honoring way.
(2) Jesus prays for His people whom He will leave for three days.
Jesus’ Prays To The Father For Empowerment
John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven …
The Oneness Pentecostals – a branch of Christianity – do not believe in the Trinity of God. They teach a form of doctrine called Modalistic Monarchianism which teaches there is but one God Who manifests Himself in three different ways – as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This doctrine was initially taught in the early Church by a man named Sabellius, who was a theologian and priest from the 3rd century. Sabellianism or Modalism is rejected by most Christians because of texts like Matthew 3:16-17:
Matthew 3:16-17 (KJV) And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: [17] And lo a VOICE FROM HEAVEN, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
At Jesus’ baptism you see three distinct Persons. Christ is being baptized, the Spirit comes to Him, and the Father speaks from Heaven. This is a Trinity.
The Trinity comes into play as the Shepherd Jesus prays. Christ looks toward Heaven, where the Father sits enthroned! Jesus taught His disciples – that’s us – to pray:
Matthew 6:9 … After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven …
John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father …
Now Jesus prays looking toward Heaven, just as He has taught us to do. Though Jesus was just hours from excruciating pain and absolute humiliation His eyes and His heart was not focused on the coming crucifixion, but on His Father and the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Lamb of God was focused on the Father.
The Son of God was focused on doing what was required.
The Lamb, like Abraham’s son Isaac, was willing to die.
Abraham’s son was saved from death (Genesis 22:11). But the Lamb of God would not be.
John 17:1 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee
Jesus spoke. “The hour is come”. What is He speaking of? When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples they fell asleep rather than praying. Our Lord said:
Matthew 26:45 (KJV) … Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the HOUR is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
When Jesus spoke of the “hour” He spoke of the Cross. As He will hang on this Cross as the Lamb of God our Lord will be forsaken by both Father and Spirit. In the agony of our sins being poured out on Him He will cry out:
Matthew 27:46 (KJV) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
quoting the prophetic Scripture of
Psalms 22:1 (KJV) … My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
The Lamb knows why He is forsaken. Our sins will be poured out on Him and judged. He Who is without sin shall be made sin for us, so that we who believe might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). The beatings Christ could endure without groaning. The nakedness Christ could endure without blushing. The nails Christ could endure without a whimper. But as our sins are placed on Him He must cry out.
As hornets burn the flesh with their sting and bite, so our sins torment the soul of the Perfect Redeemer.
We see a great truth here that we need to learn in prayer. Faced with a seemingly impossible burden Christ prays for strength to endure.
John 17:1 (KJV) … glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee
Father, let Me be strengthened in what is to come. Fill Me up with power so that I can do that which is undoable. Let Me glorify You as the Lamb of God! If Jesus prayed thus before His trials, should not we pray the more? If the Strong Man that is our Messiah looked to the Father for empowerment in the flesh, should not we who are weak look upward with confidence and pray?
Jesus Is The Source Of Life
John 17:2 (KJV) As thou hast given HIM power over all flesh, that HE should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given HIM.
What is interesting and often overlooked – I know I have not noticed it till now – is that Jesus prays in the third person at this point. He doesn’t says “as You have given ME power over all flesh” but instead prays outside of Himself, saying “as you have given HIM power over all flesh”. Jesus often did this in Scripture, and it has caused a lot of interesting statements in the various commentaries. In John 5 Jesus speaks of Himself :
(Third Person) John 5:19 (KJV) Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
(First Person) John 5:30 (KJV) I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Personally I believe that Jesus Christ is unique. He is both God and Man. The God of Him could not fail – but I believe He prayed for strength in His humanity as He approached the Cross. I think this would explain the “third person references” that Jesus makes to Himself. Regardless as to whether you agree with me or not, Jesus prayed for strength as the Cross loomed on the horizon. The Giver of Eternal Life is facing death. Christ is the Source of all life. It is through Christ that the Godhead created humanity.
John 1:3-4 (KJV) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
There is no eternal life apart from Christ. There is ETERNITY – an ETERNAL DEATH. But NO LIFE without Christ. You must embrace Him and Him alone if you expect to live into eternity.
John 17:3 (KJV) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
The reason for ETERNAL LIFE is explained in this prayer. As Jesus prayed for strength He wants us to know that God gives Eternal Life to us – not just so we can live forever – but so that we can live forever in union with God. You are given salvation and with it LIFE so that you can know the only True God and Jesus Christ. Let’s break this down textually.
Word Study The word translated KNOW is the Greek γινώσκω ginōskō which means “to perceive or understand intimately”. The reason for Heaven is not that we live forever in uselessness (as many on this earth live). Heaven is not about self existence without end. We are given eternal life so that we can forever learn of the Infinite and Eternal God of the Bible. He is the only TRUE God. All other gods are mere figments of man’s imagination. Eternal life is to KNOW God. Jesus is the Bringer of the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:10-11 (KJV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: [11] And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
God gives us life so that we may know Him.
Life NOT so we can reunite with loved ones
Though we WILL!
Life NOT so we can continue animate
Though we WILL!
Life NOT so we can occupy a mansion
Though we WILL!
We are given eternal life so we can EXPERIENCE GOD to the fullest!
This was God’s plan in Eden, a plan rejected by Adam but re-established by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise Him for His unspeakable Gift! We who are saved will spend all of eternity learning of God, the true God, the Triune God. We will sit at Jesus’ feet and learn of Him forever. This is what Heaven is meant to be. Listen Beloved. If you are YAWNING through this sermon, and are BORED with what God’s Word says NOW, why would you want Heaven THEN? You wouldn’t. And you probably aren’t where you need to be spiritually.
Now Jesus Prays In The First PERSON
John 17:4-6 (KJV) I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. [5] And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
The God-Man Jesus Christ now prays from His humanity, as the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. He is at the end of His earthly existence, and has “finished the work which thou gavest Me to do”. Jesus speaks of His work of representing the Godhead on the earth. From the age of twelve Jesus was focused on “doing My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).
John 14:8-10 (KJV) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Jesus lived to do the Father’s will, so much so that to see Him was to see the Father. Would that we who are Christians live our lives as imitators of God, as dear Children (Ephesians 5:1). Jesus lived to glorify God, and His road was at an end. Barclay noted in his commentary:
“There is only one way to glorify God, and that is to obey God.”
Jesus lived as we should live, representing the Father on this earth. As His work is finished He will soon die. Beloved, we live on this earth until we have finished the work that God has given to us. Once completed – or rejected – then God brings us to Himself. Christ ran a good race. He did as the Father commanded. Now His time was closing. So Jesus prays for His little flock that He must soon leave.
John 17:5-9 (KJV) And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. [6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. [7] Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. [8] For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. [9] I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
All souls belong to God. The Father gave these men to the Son, and Jesus was faithful to the stewardship He was given.
John 6:37-38 (KJV) All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. [38] For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 15:19 (KJV) If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
The Christian who is a Christian indeed is no longer OF this world. We belong to God. Jesus prayed for the men whom He taught, those called of God His disciples. He prayed that His disciples would remain strong as He moved toward the hour of the Cross. Jesus did not pray for the world. Jesus does not pray for the lost who reject Him as Lord and Savior. He prays for His own. He prays that they will be strengthened.
John 17:10-11 (KJV) And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. [11] And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
Jesus prayed for His disciples as the Good Shepherd. Jesus prays for His disciples today as our High Priest. He prays to the Holy Father. This phrase is only found in Bible in this Scripture. That makes the phrase unique. God is our Father in that He loves us and provides for our needs. And yet, even though our Father He is holy. He is without sin.
If the Father is holy, then we who are born
into His family are to be holy.
Leviticus 19:2 (KJV) …Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
1 Peter 1:14-16 (KJV) As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Amy Grant sang a song a few years ago called “My Father’s Eyes”:
I may not be every mother’s dream for her little girl
And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world
But that’s all right as long as I can have one wish I pray
When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say
She’s got her Father’s eyes, her Father’s eyes
Eyes that find the good in things
When good is not around
Eyes that find the source of help
When help just can’t be found
Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain
Knowin’ what you’re going through, and feeling it the same
Just like my Father’s eyes
What she was speaking of was imitating God. As Jesus imitated the Father so perfectly that to see Him was to see the Father, we who are His are to imitate our Father.
We are to be like our Creator in behavior.
We are to reject sin.
We are to be like our Creator in unity.
Jesus prayed “That they may be ONE as we are”
God is glorified in this present world when His people – His Church – is united as the Trinity is united. As God is, so shall we one day be. Let us be in One Accord in all things holy, imitating God to His glory. The Church is not to be like the world, but like the Father. Let us band together to do so as He has called us to do. May God touch your hearts with his Word!
“Prayer is an act of faith. Just by praying to God, you are declaring our trust in someone other than yourself. Your faith is increased as you pray and watch how God answers your prayers. God says in Jeremiah 33:3, Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. God is awesome in power and there is never a time when He is not beside you.”
Charles Stanley
“There is no promise God cannot keep, no prayer God will not answer, and no problem too hard for Him to solve.” Adrian Rogers
Our country is terribly divided today. Civil discourse has ceased. The two leading political parties – Democrats and Republicans – will not work together with a common goal. Even the Church in America seems to have lost its purpose. Beloved, we as Christians must pray.
True Prayer Begins In The Prayer Closet.
Our Lord Calls Every Christian To Pray Daily.
We Must Pray Often.
We Must Live Lives Of Prayer.
Let us stand together and read this promise from our Heavenly Father:
2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
How Does Christ Want His People To Pray?
E.M. Bounds“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use – men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”
The disciples often heard Jesus pray in public. They saw how passionate Jesus was about prayer.
When Jesus spoke to God He did so not as other Rabbis of that time did, but spoke to God as “Father”. Though God is called “Father” in the Old Testament Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology notes that:
“Throughout the Bible we find God portrayed as a Father. This portrayal, however, is surprisingly rare in the Old Testament. There God is specifically called the Father of the nation of Israel ( Deuteronomy 32:6 ; Isaiah 63:16 ; [twice] 64:8 ; Jeremiah 3:4; 3:19 ; 31:9 ; Malachi 1:6 ; 2:10 ) or the Father of certain individuals ( 2 Samuel 7:14 ; 1 Chronicles 17:13 ; 22:10 ; 28:6 ; Psalm 68:5 ; 89:26 ) ONLY FIFTEEN TIMES.” {emphasis mine}
The Jews had an almost superstitious fear of calling God “Father”. Yet when Jesus prayed His prayers were intimate. He frequently and lovingly called God “Father”. This happened so often in earshot of His disciples that one day we read:
Luke 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
John the Baptist taught those who followed him how to pray. Now the disciples were committed to Jesus, and asked Him to teach them how to pray.
Jesus Taught That Effective Prayer
As Well As Giving Begins In The Heart.
Luke records the request of the disciples, but Matthew gives further background to Jesus’ teaching on prayer. Jesus taught that both giving as well as prayer – to be effective – must begin in the private life of the believer.
Prayer And Giving Are Tied Together
Matthew 6:1-4 (KJV) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. [2] Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [3] But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: [4] That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
When we give, we are to give out of a generous heart to our God. We are not to be like the hypocrites are. Who were the hypocrites?
The word hypocrite is the Greek HUPOCRITES, which means “an actor under an assumed character, a stage-player, someone who is playing a part”. A HUPOCRITOS is someone who is pretending to be what they are not. Jesus used HUPOCRITOS for religious pretenders like the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes). They did not give out of a love for God, but out of a love for good PR – public relations. The HUPOCRITOS loved the pat on te back, the atta-boyz, the commendations and rewards. When they gave, they gave just enough to gain the praise of man. Our God looks on the heart:
1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV) … the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Jesus taught His disciples how to GIVE before He taught them how to PRAY because God will not listen to the selfish or prideful person. We are told in Job 35:12 “there they cry, but none giveth answer because of the PRIDE of evil men.” James tells us (James 4:3) “Ye ask, and receive not, BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
You Must Get Your GIVING Right
Before God Will Give You Anything!
If our giving comes from a heart that is perverse, then our praying will be perverse. We will find ourselves publicly praying like the Pharisee in the Temple who said:
Luke 18:11-12 (KJV) …. I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Proud at the offering plate, proud at the altar. Get right in your giving and you will be right in your praying!
Matthew 6:5 (KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
The hardest thing for me to do is to pray publicly. Why? Because many times the flesh rises up, and I begin to listen to the background noise of the congregation as I pray rather than to the Lord. Frequent and daily private prayer helps me to focus my attention on the Father and not on that which is going on around me. When we pray to be heard of man then you have your reward. You need not expect God to answer your prayer.
Matthew 6:6 (KJV) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
The “closet” that Jesus speaks of is a TAMIEION, which is a dedicated place used for praying. It doesn’t mean a “closet” as in a “clothes closet”, but does speak of a sacred place where you meet with your Heavenly Father. Where can your “closet” be? It can be any place where there are no cell phones and no interruptions. It could be a favorite place in the woods or by a stream, in a park, or on a prayer walk. It is a place where you can speak to your Heavenly Father in secret, where no one else will hinder. A place where you can pour your heart out to God. Your prayer closet can even be in a crowd of people if you can focus yourself Godward. Before Jesus was crucified He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. We read:
Luke 22:39-41 (KJV) {Jesus} came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. [40] And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. [41] And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Prayer Is Not A Formula But A Conversation
It is surprising to me as to how many professed Christians are involved in Yoga today. The dictionary definition of Yoga is:
“a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation”
Yoga has no roots in Christian or Judaic faith. An integral part of Yoga is the mantra, a word that is repeated and focused on. This is not what Jesus taught His disciples to do. Jesus said:
Matthew 6:7-8 (KJV) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
The “heathen” or unbelievers use vain repetitions. This is the Greek BATTOLOGEO, which means “stammering speech, stuttering, prating tediously”.
The purpose of prayer is communication with God. You do not communicate with God when you say ten “Hail Marys” and fifteen “Our Fathers”. You do not communicate with God when you rattle off the “Lord’s Prayer”. You do not communicate with God as your “Father” when you repeat “Om” or some other word.
The Elements Of Effective Prayer
Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
What are the elements of effective prayer?
aPrayer is made to the Father Who is in Heaven. He is to be exalted, for He is exalted!
b Before we ask anything of God, we pray that “His Name be hallowed”, that God be glorified. We pray that “Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”. God is to be praised and magnified first before we begin to seek the satisfaction of our needs.
c We ask that God “Give us this day our daily bread”. This request shows us that prayer
(1) is made in before the day has begun. It would make no sense to pray “give us this day our daily bread” at the end of the day, because you would have already received it.
(2) Further, we do not pray for more than our daily bread. Just as Israel was given manna for each day, we should not expect a treasure trove, but that our Father meet our daily needs.
d We also pray that God deliver us from the evil one, which is the literal translation of the text. By praying thus we remind ourselves that our preservation from evil and evil’s Master is in God’s hand – not in ours.
e We pray “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”. Every day we pray for forgiveness, and every day we forgive those who have offended us. Jesus added as He finished the model prayer:
Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
An unforgiving heart is an unforgiven heart!
The Christian is called to love our enemies. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:44-45 (KJV) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
f We end our prayers with “Thine is the Kingdom”. We recognize that our existence is devoted to God’s Will and God’s Work, to build His Kingdom on this earth.
When Should I Pray?
Jesus made solitary prayer the first part of His day. The Scripture says:
Mark 1:35-37 (KJV) And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
Prayer was not something that Jesus tacked on to the end of His day. It was something He did first. He found a solitary place, a place where He could be alone with His Father. Jesus didn’t apologize for this either. When the disciples came and said, “All men seek for You”, Jesus didn’t say “I’m sorry, I’ve been praying”. No, not at all! Jesus said, “Let’s go into the next towns, that I may preach there, for that’s what my duty is” (Mark 1:38).
Jesus made solitary prayer the last part of His day as well. Jesus prayed before He preached. Prayer did not stop Him from going, but prayer came first. Jesus prayed after He preached as well. We read:
Matthew 14:23 (KJV) And when {Jesus} had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.
Prayer was a deliberate act for Jesus. He sent the crowds away. He literally said, “Go away – I’m busy. I’m going to talk with My Father.” Jesus walked away from the crowds. The Scripture says:
Luke 5:15-16 (KJV) But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.
Jesus had multitudes clamoring for Him. They all wanted to hear. They all wanted to be healed. Yet at the end of the day Jesus withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed. If we would be a blessing to others, we must go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. We must seek His guidance and His protection. He must guide us through the day, and give us perspective at the end of the day.
There were times when Jesus prayed all night long, forgoing physical rest so He could gain spiritual rest. The Bible tells us that just before He chose His disciples He prayed.
Luke 6:12-16 (KJV) And it came to pass in those days, that {Jesus} went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
While we toss and turn, worrying about important decisions we are going to make, Jesus prayed until the Father told Him what to do.
Isn’t that the much better option? Wouldn’t it be better if we prayed over the important stuff of our lives until the Lord gave us clarity and direction? This is what the Scripture tells us:
Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. [7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?” she asks. Her mother replies, “Well, every time you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.” The little girl thinks about this awhile, then asks, “So how come ALL of Grandma’s hairs are white?”
If we want to peace that is our inheritance, we need to do as God says. Don’t worry – pray!
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 (KJV) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. 2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
What is the most important thing in the world to you?
You might initially think it’s …
your job (if you have a good job)
or your spouse (if you love your spouse)
or your bank account (if you have money in the bank)
The beautiful person might believe the most important thing is their looks. The aging person might wish for youth once more. But in reality, the most important thing to all of us is
Life!
Our Lord Jesus asked:
Mark 8:36-37 (KJV) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The most important thing to each of us is life. I have never met anyone on their death bed who looked back over their life and wished for one more moment at work, or one more penny in a bank account. When we come to the end of our road – for we will all come there – we will look back on our lives and long for more life. Jesus came to give us life. The Master said
John 10:10 (KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus is the wellspring of life! As John tells us:
John 1:4 (KJV) In him {Jesus} was life; and the life was the light of men.
In Jesus there is life! We look to Him for life, both now and into eternity. There is no life apart from Christ. And if you are living your life WITHOUT Christ then you are living but a shadow of what God wants you to have.
John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees that they were “a generation of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). Was John just name calling? No. A viper is a deadly poisonous snake. What is in the viper’s mouth? Death. Not life, but death. What the Pharisees and Sadducees were teaching brought only death, not life. The Pharisees were representative of religion, the Sadducees representative of liberal politics. What they offered in their teaching was death, not life. They were the thieves and robbers Jesus spoke of later on in His ministry. John preached:
Matthew 3:10-12 (KJV) And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Jesus is the Giver of Life, not of death. Jesus will destroy death, destroy that which is not of God. He will erase evil, and magnify God’s good. After His baptism what happened to Jesus? The Bible says that after He was baptized by John that He was:
Matthew 4:1 (KJV) Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Jesus would be put in a place where He would do battle with the devil. The devil is real. The devil is the thief and robber behind the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Bible says “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and the rulers of the darkness”. We wrestle against the devil’s forces. So God the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to do battle with the evil one, to show us a battle between life and death. The King of the vipers will wrestle the King of Kings. Jesus fasts – goes without food – for forty days and nights. There is nothing to eat. The Bible says that at the end of this fast:
Matthew 4:2 (KJV) … when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Jesus is hungry. He is God in spirit, but God become glorified Man. Man must eat. If Jesus doesn’t eat, He will die. Here comes the devil. The devil always comes to attack us at our weakest moment, and Jesus is at His weakest moment. His stomach hurts. He craves food. He must soon eat, or He will die. The devil, that thief and robber, says to Jesus:
Matthew 4:3 (KJV) …. If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
What is it the devil is saying to Jesus? He is saying “you have the power to make bread. You are able to alleviate this hunger. Command the stones. Turn them into warm, toasty loaves of bread. Eat! Fill your belly! Your life is more important than anything else.” How would you answer this challenge? We are weak, you and I. But Jesus is not weak.
Jesus is life, and life does not compromise with death
How does Jesus respond to the devil? His reply is taken from today’s text:
Matthew 4:4 (KJV) … It is written, {in Deuteronomy 8:3} Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 to defeat the devil, to defeat death himself. It is not BREAD that gives life, but GOD. It is not THINGS that give life, but GOD. There is life in God. There is life in Jesus. We must obey the Lord if we want to be blessed in life.
Obeying God’s Word Brings The GOOD Life
Deuteronomy 8:1 (KJV) All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye OBSERVE TO DO..
God knows what is best for His people. He is our Maker, and the Lover of our souls. He tells His people “You need to not just HEAR what I’m saying, but to DO it.” Why does God give us commandments? He says:
Deuteronomy 8:1 …. that ye may LIVE, and MULTIPLY, and GO IN and POSSESS the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
God wants us to really LIVE!
God wants us to MULTIPLY or INCREASE.
God wants us to GO IN or ACHIEVE.
God wants us to POSSESS and not be possessed by!
God offers all who will heed Him a great life. Not just EXISTENCE, but LIFE. To be blessed we must heed the Great Shepherd of our souls!
Psalms 100:3 (KJV) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
The devil and the world tells us to disconnect from God and be blessed, to live life without God and His Word. He whispers in our ears …
Your life is the most precious thing.
YOU do what YOU can to make it better.
It is this type of thinking that has brought godless abortion to America today. I am told that several states now allow the killing of a baby all the way up to the time of delivery – and celebrate this death! What has brought us to this place of immorality?
It’s MY life and I’LL do what I want to with it.
Following this line of reasoning women have allowed themselves to be used by men to satisfy their sexual desires. The godless bedroom has caused an unwanted pregnancy. What to do? Well, let’s kill it. Yet the Bible tells us that life is most precious. God has a purpose for each person, even while that person is being formed in the womb. He said to Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
And David said:
Psalms 139:14-16 (KJV) I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Life is precious. God gives us His Word and directs us to the best life. When Israel rejected God’s Word and refused to enter the Promised Land the Word of God caused them to wander for forty years. During that time though they wandered God blessed His people.
Deuteronomy 8:2 (KJV) And thou shalt REMEMBER all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
God led His people by humbling them.
Oh, how we need to be humbled!
In America today we are so arrogant.
We think we know all things, but we know nothing.
God makes us wander until we are humbled, realizing that he is God and we are not. God proves us by bring trials our way. He puts what seems to be more than we can bear on us. God does that when we are arrogant. The beginning of the good life comes through humility. What saith the Scripture?
1 Peter 5:5-7 (KJV) … Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
God cares for you. He wants you to have a good life. But in order for you to have a good life you must come to Him as God. He knows what is best. Praise Him! Magnify Him! Lift Him up!
Obeying God’s Word Brings CONTINUED Life
Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV) And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
There are times when God will take away your bread, or allow affliction to come to you. Why does He do this? Because He is mad at you? No. Because He is cruel? Absolutely not. God allows us to hunger so that we will learn to love Him above all else. God is the Giver of life. We were made by Him to live with Him.
God did a very interesting thing with Israel that He did with no other nation. He allowed Israel to be hungry. When they became hungry they started to complain. They murmured against God (Exodus 16:8). God said to His people:
Exodus 16:12 (KJV) I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
God hears when we complain. He hears when we praise Him. God said “I’ve heard your belly aching … so I’m going to give you meat and bread, and you’ll know that I am God!” The Bible says:
Exodus 16:13-15 (KJV) And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. 14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Illustrate The Israelites knew what the quail was. It was meat. But when they saw the bread of God they called it מָן mân, (pronounced mawn), which means “What is it?” They had no clue what this bread of Heaven was, for it was something never before seen. So they called it “What is it?” or Manna. It was God’s provision given day by day. But God put a stipulation on the manna. He said “Gather no more than what a person can eat in a day – one OMER – (which is equivalent to about 2.3 liters according to the Jewish Study Bible). A bottle of soda is 2 liters. Considering this then the amount of manna that each person was allowed was about the size of 1 1/3 of a bottle of soda.
If they were greedy and gathered too much then “it bred worms and stank” (Exodus 16:19).
If they were lazy and didn’t gather it early in the morning, then it melted (Exodus 16:21).
They were allowed to gather two omers the day before the Sabbath (Exodus 16:22)
What was God showing His people and us? He was showing us that God is true to His Word. He provides enough blessing for us each and every day. When we heed His Word then we have a blessed life. When we do not heed His Word, if we are GREEDY life becomes WORMY. If we are LAZY then we lose His blessings. We are to HEAR and DO as God says if we will be blessed!
God loves you, and wants to bless you. But God tells Israel:
Deuteronomy 8:5-9 (KJV) Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee. 6 Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him. 7 For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land …
We are to hear and obey our Lord if we are going to have a blessed life. Our God loves us. He wants us to be blessed!
Let Us Hear And Obey The Word For EVERLASTING Life
Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV) {God} … FED THEE WITH MANNA, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
God sent manna from Heaven to feed His Old Testament people. What did this “Manna” represent? Someone asked Jesus one day:
John 6:28 (KJV) … What shall we do, that WE MIGHT WORK THE WORKS OF GOD?
That is a very good question. God wants us to both HEAR and DO His will. So what is the thing that God wants us to DO above all else? Jesus replied:
John 6:29 (KJV) …. This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Jesus Christ was sent of God the Father. He is the Eternal Son Who was SENT of the Father. Jesus said to the Father:
John 17:3 (KJV) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jesus is sent of the Father. In Him is life. Jesus told the Jews “God SENT Me so that you can BELIEVE on Me”. The Jews replied “Give us a sign that You are sent of God. God SENT us manna in the wilderness (John 6:31). Prove to us You are SENT, Jesus!” And Jesus replied:
John 6:32-39 (KJV) … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
The manna that God sent in the Old Testament to Israel is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Precious Bread of Heaven. The Israelite was to gather the manna daily and early to be blessed. They were to gather enough manna for one day. Jesus is God’s manna from Heaven. He came to give us eternal life. Jesus is enough! He is all we need to live.
Oh, how life is empty until you discover that Manna that is Christ. Oh, how wasted life is that is not lived in Christ. But how rich life is in Him, God’s Manna from Heaven!
I love the story Chuck Swindoll tells of the time he was in service as a Marine many years ago. These are Chuck’s words (from God’s Word – It Never Returns Void”):
“When I served overseas in the Marines many years ago, I had a bunk mate named Eddie. When he found out I was a Christian, he told me in no uncertain terms: “Hey, I want to tell you something, Swindle. I didn’t come over here to Okinawa to be evangelized. So just back off, okay?”
“Sure, that’s no problem,” I answered. So, I’d lie up on my top bunk and I’d try to figure out how I could get Eddie interested in the Lord Jesus. One day I said, “Hey Eddie, can you help me with some of these words?” I dropped down about forty of my verse cards, and I said, “Let’s see if I can do these.” They were verses like John 3:16 and other verses on salvation. So I began: “For God, uh . . .”
“SO,” Eddie added impatiently.
“Oh, okay,” I’d reply, “For God so . . . uh . . .”
“LOVED!”
“Yes, yes, that’s it. For God so loved the world.” We went through dozens of verses just like that. Fast-forward thirty years . . . and the phone rings one day in my study. “Hey, Swindle!” I said, “This can only be a guy named Eddie.”
“Yeah,” Eddie answered, “Hey, you know that trick you played on me in Okinawa? Well, it worked! I’m loving Jesus now.”
Chuck ended with …. “Isn’t God good? The power of the Word of God never fails to amaze me.”
God’s Word has power. His spoken Word created the universe and all that is in it. His written Word promises us life. And if we receive His Sent Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, and live by Him daily, then we have not only a blessed life but ETERNAL life. Oh praise God for His unspeakable and wonderful Gift! May you find Jesus, the Eternal Word of God. May you both HEAR and DO His Word to be blessed!
During the sacrifice of Jesus for the atonement of sin, Jesus shed His blood 7 times for mankind. Each time His precious blood flowed a freedom was returned to us. Read how Jesus’ blood redeems you and sets you free from bondage.
Leviticus 16:19He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and to consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
As a pastor I can tell you not everyone is comfortable praying aloud and in public. If you find that you cannot pray out loud and in public this does not diminish you as a Christian. It is difficult to pray publicly. One of the hazards of public prayer is to become puffed up with pride in your praying. Jesus warned against being puffed up. Let’s read this text responsively to start:
Matthew 6:5-6 (KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [6] But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Sunday when we have more time we’ll discuss the prayer closet. Tonight I want to talk about community prayer.
Whether you pray out loud in public or not, every Christian is called to pray in community.
We are one of the few Churches in our Association that still have a Wednesday night prayer service. Many Churches have stopped this practice because so few are in attendance. Other Churches have replaced the Wednesday night prayer service with inter-Church sporting events. I think this is a very bad trend that every Church needs to stop. Why? Because …
Jesus Believed In Community Prayer
Jesus believed in community prayer. There were times when Jesus prayed alone.
Luke 9:18 (KJV) And it came to pass, as {Jesus} was alone praying ….
There were times when Jesus prayed in the presence of others. For instance, we read:
Luke 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
There Were Other Times When Jesus Got Together With Others To Pray. This Is What We Call
Community Prayer.
Luke 9:28 (KJV) And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, {Jesus} took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
Jesus taught His disciples how to pray together because they would one day have to work as a team. The Lord often took Peter, James and John with Him when He prayed.
Peter needed to be taught community prayer because he would lead the Apostles.
James needed to be taught community prayer because he would oversee the highly influential Church of Jerusalem.
John needed to be taught community prayer because he would write the bulk of the New Testament.
Community Prayer Ignites And Unites The Church
A man came up to Jesus one day and asked: “Master, what is the great commandment in the Law?”. Jesus replied:
Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
This is the center of our faith. We are to love God passionately, and love one another passionately. When love is our driving force then His Kingdom is built. Our Lord Jesus said “love the Lord your God with ALL”. All of our passion is to be poured into Him.
When the passion of the Church dies or is misdirected, the mission of the Church goes undone. We pray together to share our passion with one another.
Just as a small spark will ignite the tinder which will lead to a blaze, we who are Christians pray together to share our love for the Lord and to grow in our zeal. Our Lord Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection:
Acts 1:4-5 (KJV) they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
How did the disciples respond? The Bible says:
Acts 1:14 (KJV) These all continued WITH ONE ACCORD IN PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION ….
While they waited, they prayed. If we want to be a force that God uses we need to pray while we WAIT ON HIM!
Community Prayer binds a Church together. The Bible tells us that the Church is a group of believers bound to one another by a common faith and an uncommon God.
It is the UNIFIED Church
that is the Body of Christ!
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (KJV) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
Every member in the Body of Christ, the Church, is important to God. Every member has a spiritual gift that he or she must discover an exercise. God did not design the Christian to walk alone through this life, but we are called of God to work together as a team. Again, we see this happened in the early Church. The Bible tells us:
Acts 2:1 (KJV) … when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
All one hundred and twenty disciples were praying in one accord in the Upper Room when God manifested His power.
Once God moved on the Church we read that the disciples – with Peter leading – went out into the streets of Jerusalem and began proclaiming the Gospel. What was the result of this unity in prayer? The Bible says:
Acts 2:41 (KJV) … and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
If we want to have an impact on our community we need to learn to pray together.
Community Prayer shares burdens so as to make them bearable.
1 Corinthians 12:25-27 (KJV) That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
If we are members of the same body then we should be concerned when our fellow believers suffer. We are, after all, in this together. The Lord commands that we pray together so that we can share our burdens. James said:
James 5:13-14 (KJV) Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
When a member is suffering he should want the other believers to lift him up to God in prayer. Note that James speaks of “calling the elders of the Church” for specific prayer. Those who are “elders” are mature in their faith. Last Sunday night we called the elders of the Church forward to pray for two grieving mothers. Elder believers should set the tone in the prayer meeting. King Solomon spoke of the blessing of sharing burdens when he said:
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (KJV) Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. 11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
When we stand together in prayer we lift one another up, and bless the Lord, for we who believe are all of His Family.
Community Prayer helps resolve conflicts and reveal sin. The Bible tells us that unresolved conflict can hurt us. The Scripture says:
Job 5:2 (KJV) For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
The Scripture tells us that the first thing we are supposed to do when we come to God in Community Prayer is forgive one another. We read:
Mark 11:25-26 (KJV) And when ye STAND praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Highlight the words “STAND praying”. This is only something the Jew would do if he was praying publicly. When we come together in Community Prayer the Lord commands that we first forgive, the pray. Again, we who believe are One Body in Christ.
A bitter an unforgiving spirit is a poison in the Body of Christ that will destroy it if it is not addressed.
How Often Did Judas Iscariot Pray?
I did a search to see if I could find out how often Judas Iscariot prayed. The Bible says that Jesus chose him just as He chose the other disciples (Mark 3:14,19; Matthew 26:14). What do we see Judas doing in the Church of Christ? Absolutely nothing! Judas criticized and found fault. When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with an ointment Judas fussed:
John 12:5-6 (KJV) Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Judas skipped every Wednesday night prayer meeting Jesus had. He was too busy to pray. He had too much else much better to do.
When we pray publicly we are forced to examine our lives and ask ourselves, “Am I where the Lord wants me to be?” If not, the Community Prayer will lead us closer to the Lord and away from the Spirit of Iscariot.
“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” Pastor John Bunyon
Community Prayer encourages us to keep on going forward for our Lord. When we come together as a community and pray, we provoke one another to love and good deeds:
Hebrews 10:24-25 (KJV) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Those who are the least effective and the most trouble in any local Church are those who will not come together in prayer with their brothers and sisters.
Evangelist Greg Laurie interviewed a young woman who had been on the television show Survivor. This woman was a Christian. She was told that she could bring five things to the island with her. The lady said, “I want to bring my Bible”, but was told that she couldn’t do that because someone else was bringing a Bible. This young lady went to the island without her Bible and found out that contrary to what she had been told, no one had a Bible, and there were no practicing Christians on the island. As each day passed this Christian began to be like the others on that island. Her language changed, her character changed, and in time she became quite hateful, jealous, and spiteful. She told Greg, “I didn’t realize how weak I really was”.
Community prayer releases the power of God. Jesus told us:
Matthew 18:19-20 (KJV) Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
God hears the united prayers of Christians. We need one another, Christians. We need to lift one another up in prayer as we meet together. We need to encourage one another. Nothing blesses me more than, as the Pastor, to hear someone praying for me and my wife. Jesus said:
Mark 11:17 (KJV) My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer …
“…Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons — but they are helpless against our prayers.” Pastor Sidlow Baxter
That which should distinguish a Church is that it is a house of prayer. God bless you all for being here tonight. God help us to faithfully pray together for His glory and honor!
The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). In the original text this is the Present Middle Imperative of προσεύχομαι proseuchomai. This is a command for our own benefit, rendered as a habit. “Pray without ceasing” or “keep on praying”. When you saw Jesus on this earth He was always praying. His whole life was a prayer. Jesus believed in praying, for when you pray you release the power of God on your life and on the circumstances that surround you.
We believe that our Jesus is God Incarnate, that is God in the flesh. We believe that the Bible teaches that He is not only the Son of God, but that Christ is equal to God His Father. He is the Eternal Word spoken of by John. The Apostle declared:
John 1:1-3 (KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The Father Himself said of Jesus:
Hebrews 1:8 (KJV) But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Jesus Christ is Creator God. He is enthroned God. He was “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Yet Jesus prayed. He prayed so much that one day His disciples came to Him.
Luke 11:1 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
If Jesus Christ – both God and the Son of God – needed to pray, then how much more we His creations need to pray?
To Have Power In God We Must Pray
God has given the world many great Evangelists, but two names stand out in history. During the 19th century the Lord gave us Dwight L Moody, and during the 20th century Billy Graham.
Dwight L. Moody didn’t grow up in a Christian family. His parents were Unitarians, believing that all people upon death – by default – enter Heaven. Moody only completed the fifth grade in his education. When he left home at the age of 17 he became a shoe salesman. When he was 18 years old Moody was led to the Lord Jesus by a Sunday School teacher named Edward Kimball. Because of this influence Moody left the shoe business and began to preach the Gospel of Christ. He along with his worship leader Ira Sankey traveled traveled around the world preaching Christ and seeing souls saved. Moody wrote in his book Prevailing Prayer:
“The two first and essential means of grace are the Word of God and Prayer. By these comes conversion; for we are born again by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever; and whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. … These two means of grace must be used in their right proportion. If we read the Word and do not pray, we may become puffed up with knowledge, without the love that buildeth up. If we pray without reading the Word, we shall be ignorant of the mind and will of God, and become mystical and fanatical, and liable to be blown about by every wind of doctrine.”
Billy Graham has preached the Gospel of the Lord Jesus to more than 80 million people. Born to a dairy farmer, and gave his life to the Lord Jesus Christ when he was 16 years old under the preaching of evangelist Mordecai Hamm. Billy wrote in his book Answers to Life’s Problems:
“I am convinced that prayer makes a difference. Let the Bible answer your question: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). God always answers prayer – not sometimes, but all the time. … one of the greatest privileges of the Child of God is the privilege of coming directly to God in prayer. This is possible because Jesus Christ has reconciled us to God through His death on the Cross. …. We have access to God through Jesus Christ.”
Jesus’ Ministry Began And Ended With Prayer
Twice our Lord Jesus went to the Temple and did something that shocked the Pharisees. Jesus chased the money changers and salesmen out of the Temple. At the beginning of His ministry we read:
John 2:13-16 (KJV) And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, [14] And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: [15] And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration would often seek out merchants who had animals without spot or blemish to offer as sacrifices in the Temple. Because of this need greedy merchants had set up sales booths in the outer court of the Temple. The Cambridge Bible commentary said: “The needs of the pilgrims—the money which had to be changed—the purchase of cattle for sacrifice —had made the cloisters, precincts, and even the outer court of the Temple a scene of noisy and greedy barter..”. When Jesus saw this He picked up the discarded ropes that had been used to bring the animals into the Temple and made a whip. With this rope whip Jesus chased both man and beast out of the Temple.
Why did Jesus run the vendors out of the Temple?
The last time Jesus entered Jerusalem for the Passover – just prior to His death – He reenacted this scene. We read:
Luke 19:45-46 (KJV) And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; [46] Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. (see also Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17).
The outer court of the Temple – considered part of the Temple was called the Court of the Gentiles. Jesus often ministered in this area as – unlike the other parts of the Temple – both Jew and Gentile could come into this place. The vendors and sellers had taken over the outer court with the blessing of the Pharisees. When Jesus chased them out of the area He cried out:
Matthew 21:13 KJV … IT IS WRITTEN My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Jesus was not giving a personal opinion as He chased these vendors out. He was quoting God’s Scripture. He quoted from God’s Holy Word:
Isaiah 56:7 (KJV) Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
Jeremiah 7:11 (KJV) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
God’s Temple was to be a place where ALL people – regardless of race or gender – came together to approach the Throne of God’s Grace. The Pulpit Commentary states:
“This visit of the Lord to the temple, in which he spoke and acted as King Messiah, was a fulfillment of:
Malachi 3:1-2 (KJV) Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. [2] But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap”
Prayer Must Be A Priority For Every Church
When Jesus the Messiah came into the Temple He purged it, and restored prayer to its rightful place. There are several spiritual truths we can see in Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple.
When Prayer Is Not A Priority And Other Things Become More Important Jesus Will Purge The Church Or Even Destroy It Entirely. At the beginning of His Ministry Jesus purged the Temple and reminded the Pharisees to maintain a proper priority toward God (John 2:13ff). Just a few years later – most believe it to be 3.5 years – Jesus once more has to purge the Temple(Luke 19:45ff; Matthew 21:13).
Our God is the God of second chances. But if His warnings are not heeded, God will judge!
Right after Jesus purges the Temple for the last time we read:
Matthew 24:1-2 (KJV) And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (see also Mark 13:1-2)
The disciples went to the Temple and marveled at its beauty. As they were moved by the stately walls Jesus prophesied that the Temple would be destroyed. It was, just 35 years after Jesus foretold it. The historian Josephus wrote of the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD:
“Now as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be the objects of their fury, Titus Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and Temple… “It was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe Jerusalem had ever been inhabited.” (The Wars of the Jews, Book VII, Chapter 1.1).
By 135 AD nearly 600,000 Jews had been killed and over 1000 towns and villages were destroyed. Scrolls were burned, and the practice of Judaism was outlawed throughout the Roman Empire. In our day Churches are closing their doors because prayer is not a priority. Beloved, we must give prayer the same priority that Jesus gives prayer.
Right after Jesus chased the vendors out of the Temple (Matthew 21:13) what do we read?
Matthew 21:14-15 (KJV) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. [15] And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Three things happen when prayer becomes a priority.
Those with needs come to Jesus “and He heals them”.
People begin to praise God … even the children. Children stop leaving the Church and start worshiping the Lord. They cried out “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Self righteousness is exposed and eradicated. “The Chief priests and Scribes were sore displeased”
Greg Ezell writes:
“When you read the biographies of Jesus’ life, the Gospels, you learn one of his great secrets. Jesus modeled prayer. If he prayed, we need to pray. If he needed time alone with God, we need time alone with God. We need to emulate what he did. Obviously and practically, Jesus believed that prayer works.”
If our Church believed that prayer works just as Jesus believes prayer works then our prayer meetings would be standing room only.
Prayer is the Child of God calling on the Precious Father to help. Our Father will help. He will bless us. But we must call on His Name believing.
Prayer Is To Ask Our Father For Blessing
Matthew 7:7-11 KJV Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
The Bible teaches us that every genuine Christian is a priest before God. We are to “come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace, in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The stepbrother of our Lord said:
James 4:2-3 (KJV) Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [3] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Jesus often prayed, but never asked amiss. He sought to glorify the Father in His asking. Jesus stayed in constant contact with His Father. The more we pray, the less influence Satan will have over our lives. Jesus said “if you, being evil (fallen creatures) know how to give good gifts to your children”, then shouldn’t the Lord Who is good and perfect and holy know how to give good things to His Children? That’s a rhetorical question: the Lord does know how to give us good things. The Bible promises:
James 1:17 KJV Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
God doesn’t give bad gifts. When we have needs, we should go to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to supply them. Billy Graham wrote in his book The Enduring Classics of Billy Graham:
“Prayer is powerful, but if our prayers are aimless, meaningless, and mingled with doubt, they will be of little hope to us. Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God.”
Prayer is not a wish, but FAITH VOICED. Prayer believes in the God Who is, and Who is a rewarder of those Who diligently seek Him.
Rick Ezell writes: “The evil one chides us into believing: “Prayer doesn’t work, so why pray at all.” We link, all too frequently, prayer requests and prayer answered and miss the main business of prayer and that is conversation, dialog, the building and maintaining of a relationship with our Heavenly Father. If we reduce prayer to nothing more that asking for things, we are no different than the spoiled child that comes to their parent only to make demands.”
When we pray, we pray believing not that we will get everything we ask for, but believing that the Lord Who loves us will only give us what is in our best interest. He would not give us a rock if we ask for a loaf of bread, nor a snake if we ask for a fish. God loves us, and will only give us that which is for our good. Our Lord Jesus prayed knowing this, and was never afraid to ask – nor was He bitterly disappointed when the Father said “no”.
Right after Jesus left the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter, James, and John, a man came to Jesus with his son. The boy was possessed of a demon, so much so that he “fell on the ground, and wallowed while foaming (at the mouth) (Mark 9:20). The man said, “I brought my son to Your disciples but they couldn’t do anything. Will You help, Lord?” Jesus asked the man, “If you can believe, for all things are possible for those who believe”. The man gave the most honest answer I’ve ever heard. He said, “I believe. Will You help my unbelief?” Our Lord cast the demon out, and the boy was made whole. The disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, “Master, Why couldn’t we do this?” Jesus said:
Mark 9:29 KJV … This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
How serious are you in your prayers? Jesus not only prayed but He fasted as well. Fasting is a deliberate act of the will where we put aside other things in order to focus on prayer. There are many different types of fasts. You may stop eating food, or may stop taking liquids. You may do this for a predetermined amount of time. You do not fast to lose weight, but to focus on dedicated prayer to the Lord. The person who fasts puts the Lord first, and this world second. Fasting means that I give up my rights in order to grow closer to my Lord.
Mark 11:24-26 KJV Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them]. 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Fasting is a natural part of dedicated prayer. Forgiveness is a absolutely necessary part of dedicated prayer. As Jesus hung on the Cross dying for our sins, naked, bleeding, and bruised, our Lord prayed:
Luke 23:34 (KJV) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
We who believe must forgive, or else God will not hear our prayers. There are local Churches – good local Churches – that are dying today because its members are carrying around with them festered wounds on unforgiving souls. Jesus said “if you don’t forgive, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses”. Know this, the Bible tells us that:
John 9:31 KJV Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
You both worship and do the will of God when you do not bear a grudge, but forgive one another. Let us abide in Christ and do that which He has commanded we do. He has promised:
John 15:7-8 KJV If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
We pray in the Will of God when we view life through the filter of the Word of God. God wants us to bear much fruit as we work for Him in this life. This will only happen when our prayers are within His Will – and His Word tells us what His Will is. God’s Will is that His Kingdom increase on this earth. TheKingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). As we give ourselves over to His Kingdom He will grow our Church by bringing more souls in. On the Day of Pentecost 120 were praying in an upper room, seeking God’s face. By the end of the day over 3000 came into the Church by faith. This is the power of dedicated, Christlike prayer.
Billy Graham “Prayer is more than a plea, it is a place where we must spend time if we are to learn its power.”
The Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven to this earth with one thought in mind, to seek and save those who are lost (Luke 19:10). What Jesus went through on the Cross was so terrible that The Bible tells us that as He prayed in Gethsemane:
Luke 22:42-43 KJV … Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
God had to send an angel from Heaven to strengthen our Lord. As Jesus prayed and considered the coming horror of the Cross:
Luke 22:44 KJV … being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
His sweat dropped like blood to the ground. Jesus put everything He had into our salvation. He Who is perfectly sinless and innocent died a criminal’s death in our place.
This is why God puts such a premium on building His Kingdom and leading others to Christ. Jesus went to hell’s kitchen for us. He died for all, so that whosoever will believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Because of this God WILL answer the prayer that builds His Kingdom and leads others to Christ. He will answer the prayer that has our Lord Jesus at the center of glory. We are to pray believing not to satisfy our lusts, but to lead many to glory through faith in Christ.
Deuteronomy 7:1-2 (KJV) When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; [2] And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them … [6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
The Bible tells us that:
2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV) ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
All that is in the Bible is profitable. All that God has given usin His Word has a purpose to teach, to equip, to grow the Christian in his or her faith. There is no part of Scripture without value – even those hard passages.
As God the Holy Spirit leads let learn from His precious Word the truth …
With God All Things Are Possible
The Holy Spirit will give us truths from these texts, truths we need. Look! Listen! As we read of Israel entering the Promised Land the Lord tells His people to cast out the nations before you. How does God characterize these nations? He says that they are …
vvs 1 … seven nations greater and mightier than thou
God has just ordered that Israel cast out these seven nations but then – nearly in the same breath – the Lord says they are GREATER (רַב rab – bigger in SIZE) and MIGHTIER (עָצוּם `atsuwm – better skilled in battle, more able) than Israel. What the Lord just told Israel is:
Go Whip A People You Can’t Possibly Whip
Go Beat A People That Are Unbeatable
God has asked His people to do that which is impossible. And yet – it is possible, or God would not have commanded it. Our Lord Jesus told us:
“With men this is impossible, but WITH GOD all things are possible” Matthew 19:26
When God saves a person and saves a people He can work THROUGH us and do wonderful, miraculous things. What is impossible with man is possible with God. But here is the key.
You must be WITH GOD.
I have often heard people misquote and misapply the text of:
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
I have heard preachers who should have known better preach this text and say “God will NEVER put more on you than YOU CAN BEAR”. And everyone will say “AMEN” and go home believing an untruth. The very DEFINITION of “Faith” is when God puts more on you than YOU can bear! That’s the point. Let GOD bear it! Let GOD enable it.
Read all of that precious text. It not only says:
God will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted
above that which you are able …
BUT it also says:
BUT will with the temptation ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE
When the impossible is before you, look to God. When before you is an undoable task, ASK … am I WITH GOD? God OFTEN gives impossible tasks to His people. David didn’t fight a midget with a sling and a stone, but a GIANT. Daniel wasn’t cast into a bird cage but a LION’S DEN. Gideon didn’t fight a superior enemy with a MILLION warriors. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not find Jesus in a JACUZZI. Joshua didn’t knock down the walls of JERICHO with a TANK. Moses didn’t part the Red Sea with the CORPS OF ENGINEERS. Faith is God doing the impossible through the weak,
The broken, the pitiful.
God will make the UNABLE ABLE if we trust in Him.
God loves to challenge His people. God’s Angel came to Mary, the earthly Mother of Christ. The Angel came to Mary and said:
Luke 1:31-33 (KJV) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: [33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Mary, you’re going to have the Messiah. Christ will be born of you. He is the Promise of God to David, the One Who will rule the world one day. And Mary hearing this says:
Luke 1:34 (KJV)… How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Angel, how can I have the Messiah? Angel, how can I have even a child. I have been pure. I have not known a man sexually. I am pure, as my Heavenly Father has commanded me to be. The Angel says:
Luke 1:35-36 (KJV) … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. [36] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Mary, the Lord shall fill your womb as He filled Elizabeth’s. Then the Angel says a great truth I hope you all hear:
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
With God. With God all things are possible. With God there is nothing we cannot do. But we must be with God.
Did The Lord Lead Me Here?
Deuteronomy 7:1 (KJV) When the LORD THY GOD SHALL BRING THEE INTO THE LAND whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee
As humans we get ourselves into many places that are horrible. We make bad decisions. Beloved, if we will do the impossible we need to first ask ourselves is this where God has led me? Where God leads you, God will guide you. Where God tells you go the Lord will enable you.
If the LORD leads you TO it
The LORD will lead you THROUGH it
Put away YOU and grasp GOD
He is able!
One of the worst examples of faith is seen in the life of King Saul. God told Saul to lead the armies of Israel against the Amalekites, a godless and horrid people. God said …
1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV) Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
As we who are of the House of Christ read this we may think this to be utterly harsh. And yet the Amalekites were a people totally without redemption or repentance. They worshiped false gods, sacrificing their children on altars of bronze, spilling the blood of innocents. God told Saul utterly destroy them. Yet Saul and Israel did not do as God commanded. The Bible says:
1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV) But Saul and the people spared {King of the Amalekites} Agag, and the BEST of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and ALL THAT WAS GOOD, and WOULD NOT UTTERLY DESTROY THEM: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
Saul did as Adam did in the Garden of Eden. He knew the command of God, but wilfully disobeyed it. As a result Saul lost the throne. God said…
1 Samuel 15:11 (KJV) It REPENTETH ME that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and HATH NOT PERFORMED MY COMMANDMENTS.
This was why God caused the downfall of Saul, and installed a little Shepherd named David as King. David was “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). God blessed David because David was “with God”.
God tells Israel …
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (KJV) The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the FEWEST OF ALL PEOPLE: [8] But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers
God called Israel to Himself because God is faithful. God made a promise to Abraham many years before (Genesis 15:18-21). God is …
Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV) … the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
God did not call Israel because they were a strong people. God said “you are the fewest of all people”. God never calls the mighty or the proud to salvation. He calls those who are weak. The Scripture declares:
1 Corinthians 1:25-29 (KJV) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: [27] But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; [28] And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: [29] That no flesh should glory in his presence.
God does not choose the powerful, the wise. No Beloved. Our Christ came to save the weak, the poor, the lowly. Who came to Christ in His earthly ministry? The proud Pharisees and Scribes? The arrogant Sadducees? It was
The cripple.
The blind.
The leper.
The weak.
Those without hope.
Those without help.
The sinner sought the Savior.
Jesus said …
Matthew 9:12-13 (KJV) … They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. [13] But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Israel was being sent into the Promised Land because they loved the Lord, and the Lord loved them. Those seven nations had no love for God, but loved sin and darkness. The Promised Land is for those who love the Lord and obey His way. The Promised Land is for those who have been saved by Him and live through Him. Heaven is not for the evil, but the surrendered that walk with God.
Micah 6:8 (KJV) … {God} hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and WHAT DOTH THE LORD REQUIRE OF THEE, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to WALK humbly WITH thy GOD?
Who’s Side Am I On?
There are too many who claim to be “Christian” but have not made up their minds which side they are on. Are you on God’s side, or the world’s side? God tells Israel:
Deuteronomy 7:2, 6 (KJV) And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt MAKE NO COVENANT WITH THEM, nor shew mercy unto them … [6] For thou art AN HOLY PEOPLE unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
If God has saved you from Egypt, if God has called you to His side through Jesus Christ, then you are to walk with Him in holiness. We are to be imitators of God. We will not compromise with the darkness. He said “you will make no covenant with them”. You will follow Him and Him alone.
The greatest single cause of darkness in America today
is the Christian who compromises with sin.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (KJV) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
To be “holy” is to be dedicated to God.
To believe what God says believe.
To do what God says do.
The day that you were saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ God brought you from one kingdom to His Kingdom. You are … here’s a King James word – TRANSLATED. We find this word in:
Colossians 1:13-14 (KJV) {God} hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and HATH TRANSLATED US into the kingdom of his dear Son: [14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
You are no longer to be like the world. You are to be like Christ, to imitate your Heavenly Father (Be ye imitators of God, as beloved children – Ephesians 5:1-2). We are called to be light in a world of darkness (1 John 1:7). God told His Israel:
Deuteronomy 7:3-4 (KJV) Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. [4] For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
Oh Beloved, we must not be as the world,
but our world must be the God of Scripture!
God did not make you holier than thou, but He did make you HOLY when He saved you. If you are HOLY then you are to live WHOLLY for Him. You no longer belong to this world. You belong to God. He purchased you with the Blood of His dear Son. The Bible says:
1 Corinthians 6:20 (KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, WHICH ARE GOD’S.
You belong to God. You are not your own. God saved you. He did an impossible thing the day He saved you and I. He made us His. He made us clean. He covered us and forgave us our sins. As His Children, we are to imitate Him. We are to live for Him.
If you live for Him, He will live in you. Do you know Him? Is Christ yours by faith? If not, today is a good day to call upon Him and be saved! Those whom He saves, He empowers. I can do all things through Christ Who strengtheneth me! (Philippians 4:13). Live for Him. Glorify Him. Speak of Him. May God touch your hearts and lead you to a total commitment to the Lord Who bought you.
bibleteacher.org 