7 Days of Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Handout
I want to thank the church board for asking Pastors John and Connie Jo to fill in for me during December and allowing me and Susan space and time to grieve to recoup. You did so well they asked for you to fill in for the rest of the year. Hope you have something prepared.
We began Advent by exploring the Character of God. We’ll return to that in a couple of weeks, but this morning, I want to talk about one of the most important things a congregation can do. It is so vital that without it, a congregation will lose spiritual power, influence in the community, will wander aimlessly, and most likely will die a slow death as it fails to reach people for Christ. However, the congregation that decides to engage in this most important activity will experience internal and external transformation, people will come to Christ, the church will grow in holiness, experience the blessings and miracles of God, and the community will be affected as love and compassion extend outside the walls. A congregation can experience new life and not only a renewed passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but a renewed passion for Christ Himself.
I’m talking about corporate prayer. Private prayer is essential to the health of any Christian, but there are certain things that will only happen when the body of Christ comes together in the unity of prayer. By corporate prayer, I do not mean coming together and sharing some prayer requests, saying a few prayers about those requests and then going home. By corporate prayer, I mean
Corporate Prayer: coming together in humility, and with a hunger and eagerness to seek God and His presence and allowing the time and space for God to reveal Himself.
Seeking God’s presence is vastly different than giving Him a list of things to do. Think of the typical prayer meeting that you’ve attended. Was it about seeking God’s presence or giving Him a list? Let’s be honest,
A lot of prayer meetings and prayer groups are about lists – about comfort and physical issues – and very little about seeking first the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33).
DS Brett told me a while back that the churches on our District that engage in corporate prayer – usually the 21 days of prayer twice a year – are the churches that are making the most impact for the Kingdom of God. So the biggest question I have for all of us this morning is this -
What kind of a church do we want to be?
If we want to be a comfortable low impact Sunday morning church, then let’s keep doing what we're doing. But if we want to be a congregation where God's presence manifests and empowers us to have high impact in our community, then we must pray individually and corporately. I choose the latter. Thus, I’m inviting the church to participate in a week of prayer. 7 days is not a lot to ask. It will take some sacrifice, but it’s doable. I’m asking every person to come to the church as often as you can for 7 days – either in the morning at 10:30am, or the evening at 6:30pm, or both. Jan 13-19 – Monday through Sunday.
What’s the purpose of this week of prayer? We need it.
And “those people” need it.
Anyone remember my sermon last March at our Annual Meeting? Anyone? I mentioned 5 values that I believe we should strive to become and incorporate into our church culture. We’re going to briefly revisit these values and expound on these later in the year. Aside from seeking God’s presence, these the theme during our week of prayer. As we go through these, please understand I’m not talking about programs. I’m talking about our hearts and who we are as a congregation – our church culture.
These 5 values are about being and becoming, which then influences our doing.
We’ll come back to that.
Let us pray that we
Value 1) Become a Saving Church.
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
All died means that apart from a relationship with Christ all are spiritually and eternally dead and need Christ.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
We’re not talking programs – we’re talking about our faith, our hearts, what we believe and how we live. And how we live should be shaped by God’s love for us and our love for Jesus. Our love for Jesus should produce an authentic passionate zealousness to share the Gospel. I’m not talking about going door to door or anything like that. I’m talking about who we are on the inside. The only way we’re going to be a saving church is if we are concerned about the salvation of souls - of people. How concerned are we about the souls of others and that all might know Jesus? Not enough.
Let’s pray we become a Saving church and that passion for the Gospel would be renewed in and permeate our hearts.
Let us also pray that we
Value 2) Become a Sanctifying Church.
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
The Church of the Nazarene
We believe that God wants to free us, not only from the penalty of sin, but also from the power of sin.
God calls us to a life of holiness – separated from how the world operates and set apart entirely for Him – where Christ is on throne of our hearts and the Spirit has cleansed us from indwelling sin and empowers us to love God, love our neighbors and ourselves – and we live virtuous lives. John Wesley wrote –
“By salvation, I mean not merely deliverance from hell, or going to heaven; but a present deliverance from sin; a restoration of the soul to purity,
a recovery of the divine nature; the renewal of our souls after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness, in justice, mercy, and truth.” ~ John Wesley
Holiness should be a priority for God’s people. Where is holiness on your “spiritual radar?”
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Let’s pray we become a Sanctifying church and that passion for holiness would be renewed in and permeate our hearts.
Let us pray that we
Value 3) Become a Sending Church.
I believe God wants us to
KNAZ should be a place where people hear the call of God and are empowered and encouraged to minister in the way God has called and designed.
I’ve said this before –
“Every Christian is a minister, and every minister has a ministry.”
Your lane.
The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.
For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
The Christian is invited into partnership with God to redeem the world and to share the good news of Christ – in your lane. Some are called to be pastors, missionaries, educators – and others are called to be counselors, secretaries, artists or whatever.
Let’s pray we become a Sending church and that passion for the Call of God would be renewed in and permeate our hearts.
Let us pray that we
Value 4) Become a Spirit-Empowered Church.
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
If Jesus, the Son of God needed the Spirit – how much more do we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
That’s us!
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
It’s one thing to be saved, it’s another to be surrendered to and filled with the Spirit. Where is the Holy Spirit in your life, or in this church? We are to walk by the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit, and serve in the power of the Spirit.
Let’s pray we become a Spirit-empowered church and that passion for Spirit of God would be renewed in and permeate our hearts.
Lastly, let us pray that we
Value 5) Become a Still Church.
If we are to become a Saving, Sanctifying, Sending, Spirit-empowered church, then we must humble ourselves, live a slowed-down spirituality, learn to be quiet before the Lord and listen to His voice above all others.
Ever try to have a conversation with someone who’s constantly moving, talking, interrupting …? Ever try to shoot or hit a moving target? So how are you with being still and quiet before the Lord? Is He trying to talk to you but you’re …? Most of us probably need to learn to slow down and be quiet and to listen to Jesus.
If you recall the story of Martha and Mary. Jesus went to visit them, and Mary sat at His feet to listen and to learn, but Martha was busy serving - doing. Though she was doing for Jesus – she was not being with Jesus. She got angry because Mary wasn’t busy doing. Jesus said,
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
I’m not interested in becoming a busy church, but a church who desires God and what God desires. That will only happen when we learn to sit and be still at the Master’s feet.
Please engage in the 7 days of prayer. I don’t know what will happen – I only know we cannot afford to not do this.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
