Spiritual Habits for the Fall and Winter

Announcements

Ruth Sermon Series, Starts next week

Church Work Day 8/30 @ 8 AM

Call to Worship

Psalm 121 NKJV

A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Introduction

As We Enter the Fall and begin our series into Ruth Next week I wanted to help you Start the school year well with Biblical habits that can super charge your faith over the last quarter.

My personal goal is that you are a better Christian for being here.

Text

1 Thessalonians 4:3 NKJV

For this is the will of God, your sanctification:

Prayer and You

Prayer and it’s power

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV

pray without ceasing,

How to pray:

1) Pray intentionally

Puritan Thomas Watson Said this about prayer:

The Christian Soldier, or Heaven Taken by Storm Christian Soldier, &c.

Prayer without fervency and violence, is no prayer; it is speaking not praying.—Lifeless prayer is no more prayer than the picture of a man is a man. To say a prayer is not to pray; Aschanius taught his parrot the Lord’s Prayer.

Are your prayers nothing more then a parrot repeating words back to his master? The parrot while colorful and funny when it says human words it means nothing to it. When you pray are you like a parrot just mimicking the words you’ve heard others say? Parrots live a long time, they memorize tons if words, they don’t know what they mean and are not thinking as they squawk them. Are you not thinking and instead just squawking words that sound like prayers.

Puritan Matthew Henry said this about prayer, The greatest blessing we can ask of Christ for our children is, that he would break the power of Satan, that is, the power of sin, in their souls; and particularly, that he would cast forth the unclean spirit, that they may be temples of the Holy Ghost, and he may dwell in them.

2) Have a clear mind as you go into pray: Beware of distracted prayer

Mark 14:32–42 NKJV

Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

(Comment on prayer with to much oon the mind)

Distracted prayer is not prayer. We were at Disney this week and I noticed how many parents where on the phone when their kids we looking to them and they got half dad/ half mom. A prayer to God must be all of you in that moment.

3) Pray The Lord’s desires back to him

You can see that the women approaches Jesus with one of the desires of God in her mind. She wants her daughter healed, so she brings her daughter to the Lord in word.

Matthew 19:14 ESV

14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Parent/grandparent it is your job to bring your children in prayer before the Lord. No time limit is given. It is God’s desire that we bring our children to him again and again.

Saint Augustine in his auto-biogrpahy the Confessions records who his mother prayed for him. His father was a Roman and a pagan, his mother was a North African and a Christian. She prayed for him for years! She shed more tears over his rebirth then his own initial birth, she followed him around the Roman Empire and kept him in constant prayer.

REALLY CONNECT THIS POIN: God’ mdesire is none should perish but have everlasting life. So do you have lost children and grandchildren? moms in the room do you shed more tears for the rebirth of your loved ones then the birth of your loved ones? Men are you focused on rebirth more then the moment of initial birth of your children? I can remember being tired but focused. Needing to put everything aside for my daughter and son as they were brought into the world. Are you putting everything aside for the second birth? Are you focused on the birth process of God as he brings about new life?

4) What to Pray for.

In general when praying, and if you’re not sure what to talk about to the Lord, pray his word back to him. Do that often, if you have verses memorized use those as part of your prayer life. If you have good Christian music memorized use that as a way to.

Another verse to add to your mind 1 Thes. 4:3

1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

So when your looking to pray pray to become more like Christ.

Another reminder when looking for what to pray for from the Proverbs

Proverbs 2:3–7 ESV

3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; 7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

So when your not sure about a decision coming up Seek the Lord’s wisdom and He will give it to you. The temptation of our day is to look for something grand from a movie but God works through his common means. What does the word say about situations? Ask God to make it clear to you through his word by the Holy Spirit. Verse 6 is The Lord gives wisdom! Seek him and he will give you. He has stores of wisdom that he wants to give you. You just need to be like this women and come boldly to the Lord and seek his face.

5) Pray Worshipfully Remember who you stand in front of

To pray you must think on the words that you are saying and realize who you are saying them to.

I always think of Isaiah’s vision

Isaiah 6:4–5 ESV

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Have you ever been in a room when a man of importance walks in? You never want to be glib in front of a judge. He will make you pay for contempt of court. This is even more so of God, when you pray are you glib, hap hazard? Do you reflect on the Holyness of God when you pray or

How you stand before the Lord is it like this women who feel down before him (v25)

6) Pray as you would speak to a friend.

Are you fimaler enough to God that you could speak to him like you do a loved one?

Martin Luther was famous for approaching god in prayer in both reverence, yet also as one approaches an intimate. Luther was confident in prayer. This was a man with a death warrant over his head.

Do you approach God enough that people around you believe that you believe in him? Do you know him boldly?

Worship together Churchmanship Corporate Worship

No such thing as a lone Christian. Covid lock-downs are over people must come back to the church.

I have heard that Today that all over the country Pastors have cancelled service. God sees this.

Look at what the Lord says about his bride.

Psalm 87:2 ESV

2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.

The idea here is that God loves his temple, in the NT we know that the Temple is composed of all believers and Christ it’s cornerstone

1 Corinthians 3:16 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Ephesians 2:21 ESV

21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1. Worshiping Together Causes More Growth

Psalm 34:3 ESV

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

In private you provide for your own good, but in public you do good both to yourselves and others. And that is a received rule, that good is best which is most diffusive, most communicative.

Live coals, if separated, and lay them asunder, will quickly die; but while they are together, they serve to continue heat in one another. We may quicken one another, while we join in worshipping God; but deadness, coldness, or lukewarmness may seize upon the people of God, if they forsake the assembling of themselves together. It is more edifying, and therefore to be preferred.

2. Worshiping Together Fights Sin

Hebrews 10:24–26 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

In times of compromise, this is especially pertinent. He that wants the public ordinances, whatever private means he enjoys, is in danger of apostasy.

Possible risk of idolatry

David was as much in the private duties of God’s worship as any, while he was in banishment; yet, because he was thereby deprived of the public ordinances, he looked upon himself as in great danger of idolatry:

1 Samuel 26:19 (ESV)

19..., for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

Bible Study Reading

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Romans 15:4 ESV

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Read it

Listen to it

Come here it preached

How to grow the next few weeks

We will be reading through the gospel of Ruth over the next few weeks.

Ypu could read the book of Ruth every week over the next 12 weeks and I promise you it will impact you.

Notice words, what do they say about God, how do events in the story happen?

How can you immatate the people in the book.

What is God up to?

Ask what does this do today

Resources

Study Bibles, Commentaries I recommend

Application: (BREAK DOWN THOSE VERSES)

Robert McCheyenne Bible reading plan

Conclusion

Give the Gospel

Benediction:

2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.