Prayer time 1 Samuel 12

Recently I’ve been meditating on a verse in for my life, and for our lives together in FBR.

The context of is that Samuel, who describes himself as “old and gray” (), is giving his farewell address to the nation of Israel.

Near the end of his discourse, Samuel says this,

— Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.

It seems that when we consider what great things God has done for us, the effect is that we fear the Lord, and serve Him faithfully with all our heart.

Let us take time collectively, as a church family, to consider “what great things God has done for us.”

I can say with an astonished, grateful, joy-filled heart that God has done great things for FBR.

By God’s grace Jimmy is saved.

We support two missionaries (Billy Sampson and Wayne Vanderwier)

We are planning to outreach again at the Touch of Dutch and Jasper County Fair.

God has a hold of us, and are beginning to make disciples.

We are forming Care Groups.

We are simplifying our church.

God has done great things for us in FBR. But in response to His goodness to us, what will be the effect on our lives here in the near future?

Will we “fear the Lord and serve him faithfully”? With Samuel’s exhortation in view, here are four hopes and prayers I have for our family of believers.

we have planted two churches in the New England region of the U.S., we have adopted four churches around the world, we sent missionaries to an unreached people group in Southeast Asia, we equipped 12 men in our Pastors College for pastoral ministry, one of which is planting a church in Croatia, and we continue to produce gospel-centered worship music. God has done great things for us in Sovereign Grace. But in response to His goodness to us in 2016, what will be the effect on my life, and on our lives in 2017? Will we “fear the Lord and serve him faithfully”? With Samuel’s exhortation in view, here are seven hopes and prayers I have for our family of churches in 2017.

Grow in fearing the Lord

Beloved I wish our nation would fear God more. I hope you resonate with my desire because we live in a post-Christian culture where we don’t talk about the fear of the Lord the way we once did.

My hope and prayer for FBR is that we would recapture the consistent biblical exhortation to “fear God” and that we would grow in fearing the Lord because it leads to us living lives that are distinct from the post-Christian culture around us.

When Samuel exhorts us to fear the Lord, he is not talking about a slavish fear. Rather fearing the Lord means to revere Him and give him due respect and honor.

Do our lives reflect a reverence for God?

Do we give God respect and honor even amid a culture that is increasingly dismissing God?

Let’s look together at the first church and how they experienced the “fear of the Lord”.

Turn to Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

The result of the preaching was truly amazing. The church grew from 120 to over 3,000. The apostles continued their teaching and also did many wonders and miraculous signs.

In v42-47 Luke depicts the Jerusalem church as a loving, caring, and supportive community.

So in v41 around 3,000 souls were converted and then God placed them into the community where they were continuing in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, meals, and praying for one another.

Then look at v43 at the preaching and response it generated, which had an ongoing effect in Jerusalem. “Then fear came upon every soul”.

Everyone come under fear, or awe. The surrounding area was conscious that God was at work in their midst.

The new converts didn’t merely add Christianity to their already busy lives,

but devoted themselves to their Christian experience.

V 42 is a compact description of Christian discipleship.

Then look at v43 at the preaching and response it generated, which had an ongoing effect in Jerusalem. “Then fear came upon every soul”.

Everyone come under fear, or awe. The surrounding area was conscious that God was at work in their midst.

Everyone came under fear, or awe. The surrounding area was conscious that God was at work in their midst.

Then in Chapter 5 we that an unfortunate example of selling possessions by this husband and wife named Ananias and Sapphira.

4 That their sin was not the keeping of money, but the lie, is clear from Peter’s questions. (read v4)

8 It also seems from Sapphira’s behavior that the lie was something that they had planned out together ahead of time. (read v8).

11 The severity of the couple’s judgment is as disturbing to us as it was to their contemporaries (5). (Read v5,11).

The judgment was not Peter’s or the church’s doing in the first instance, but is rather God’s judgment.

We must note the main point, which is not that God demands our financial accounts be in order, but rather

that God hates hypocrisy of any kind,

how much more that which is deliberate and designed to test the Spirit of the Lord (9). (read v9).

We need to remind ourselves of how easy it is to play the hypocrite. Like this couple we see that it is possible to deny ourselves in one area, but it’s really to serve ourselves in another.

To take on a mere profession of Christianity but actually mock God and deceive others.

Let us take heed. We cannot serve God with a divided heart. — 2 Their heart is divided; Now they are held guilty. He will break down their altars; He will ruin their sacred pillars.

Yet we know that we have divided hearts from time to time.

Let’s turn to

The Apostle’s like Ananias before them, found it difficult to believe that Paul was saved.

It was not until Barnabas (‘the Son of Encouragement’), took responsibility for him

that the disciples were prepared to accept this former persecutor of the church.

— 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

So Paul’s opponents soon tried to kill him, and for his own protection (30 says…) the brothers sent him away to his own country.

So then Luke ends the account of a general summary in

— 31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

This company of believers had grown from a small group in an upper room to the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria.

The church was edified (strengthened meaning that it was ‘being built up’) in terms of size and maturity. Remember too, that God was the agent, and that this was an ongoing divine activity.

Then an they were ‘walking’to stress that believers were living or continuing in the fear of the Lord (cf. 10:2, 22, 35; 13:16, 26).

The concluding clause summarizes all this by saying that ‘in the comfort (or encouragement) of the Holy Spirit, (the church) was being multiplied’.

Growth in numbers and in the godliness of believers resulted from the work of the Holy Spirit,

enabling leaders and people to minister to each other and

to live in a way that expressed fear of God rather than fear of their persecutors (cf. ; ).

Turn to . Here in v1-22 we read of Paul’s ministry to the Ephesian church for the space of three years.

The focus is especially on the theme of spiritual warfare and the gospel triumphing over it all (v11-20).

In v13-16 some Jewish itinerant exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits (v13).

But this particular evil spirit didn’t need that info. Because he had already heard of both Jesus and Paul (v15), but not the sons of Sceva!

Then that spirit beats them up (v16) so that they ran.

— This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

With such events going on at Ephesus, it is little wonder that the people were in awe and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor “magnified”.

The burning of magical scrolls and public confession of sorcerers! Man o man, revival his this place!

Pray that the preaching and teaching ministry here would catapult us into an people.

Pray that the surrounding area would know that God is working in our midst.

Pray that the surrounding area would know that God is working in our midst.

Pray that God would remove all forms of hypocrisy from our lives as His people.

Pray that God would remove all forms of hypocrisy from our lives as His people.

Pray that’s we’d not just have a form or godliness but lives filled with God’s power to effect transformation and draw souls to Him!!

Pray that’s we’d not just have a form or godliness but lives filled with God’s power to effect transformation and draw souls to Him!!

Pray that we too would be “built up” and walk in the fear of the Lord and as we’re encouraged by the Holy Spirit, we would multiply (make disciples)!

Pray that we too would be “built up” and walk in the fear of the Lord and as we’re encouraged by the Holy Spirit, we would multiply (make disciples)!

Pray that we labor for the Lord in such a way that, the demonic world and our world would notice and be transformed.

Pray that we labor for the Lord in such a way that, the demonic world and our world would notice and be transformed.

All of that so that the name of the Lord Jesus be magnified.

All of that so that the name of the Lord Jesus be magnified.

So in v41 around 3,000 souls were converted and then God placed them into the community where they were continuing in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, meals, and praying for one another.

Then look at v43 at the preaching and response it generated, which had an ongoing effect in Jerusalem. “Then fear came upon every soul”.

Everyone come under fear, or awe. The surrounding area was conscious that God was at work in their midst.

Will you pray with me, that FBR would be filled with people who fear the Lord?

Grow in holiness

— “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

10:12–22 Fear the Lord. After pointing out the three lethal temptations (see note on 6:1–25), Moses resumes his speech demanding complete love for God (ch. 6), which is really the heart of the Ten Commandments (ch. 5).

10:12–13 fear … walk … love … serve … keep [observe]. Moses piles up five concise requirements in which the central one is love. These related statements are all integrated around love.

In Deuteronomy, fear of God is linked to love of God, and obedience to his commandments. In other words, as we grow in fearing the Lord, we will grow in obeying Him.

One of my prayers and hopes for FBR is that we would continue to build our church on the gospel.

And as we seek to apply the gospel to our lives, my prayer is that our church is filled with happy, holy people that reflect the power of the gospel.

So, will you pray with me that we, as a church family, would grow in holiness?

Will you pray that as we grow in holiness that our lives would be distinctly different from our culture and reflect a reverence for God alone?

Pray that God’s joyful, holy people would reflect the power of the gospel to our culture.

Pray that our reverence for God would grow as a congregation.

Pray that our reverence for God would grow as a congregation.

Pray that our lives would be distinctly different from our culture and that our witness would be winsome to our neighbors.

Pray that our lives would be distinctly different from our culture and that our witness would be winsome to our neighbors.

Grow in serving God with all our heart

As we ponder the great things God has done for us, Samuel says that we will not only fear the Lord but that we will also “serve him faithfully with all our heart.”

In Paul presents a more positive description of maintaining freedom in Christ.

As we ask ourselves, “How do I abide and live in this freedom that Christ has purchased for me?” (Gal. 5:1)

It is only ‘through the Spirit, by faith [in Christ]’ (v. 5a) that this freedom can be maintained and people can stand firm.

The life of faith lives in confident expectation of final vindication before God: ‘we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness’ (v. 5b).

In Paul continues to pit circumcision and the law against grace and faith:

— For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

Freedom from the law does not lead to sin. On the contrary, as Paul makes clear in 5:13–14, the true intent of the law, serving one another in love, is fulfilled by those who have faith in Christ (5:5) and are in union with him (5:6)

the true intent of the law, serving one another in love,

is fulfilled by those who have faith in Christ (5:5)

and are in union with him (5:6)

— 13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Note that those whom Christ has set free in salvation, have all been freed to not serve themselves but through acts of loving kindness, we are to serve one another!

Pray that our church be filled with people who faithfully serve God and His church [people].

Pray that the whole body () would grow in serving God with all our hearts.

Pray that the whole body () would grow in serving God with all our hearts.

Pray that those who currently are serving the Lord, that they not lose heart and become discouraged and lose their commitment to serve God and His church.

Pray that those who currently are serving the Lord, that they not lose heart and become discouraged and lose their commitment to serve God and His church.

One of the values that marks the gospel culture seen in FBR is that of service to God and others.

Will you pray with me that we do not lose this value and that God gives us the grace to strengthen this value by serving God with all our heart?

Grow in racial and ethnic diversity

By the time Samuel gives his farewell address the nation of Israel has become more diverse. For example, in Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. Cushites were black African’s, so Moses had entered into a bi-racial marriage. Ruth, the Moabite, had married Boaz who is a part of the earthly lineage of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In other words, Samuel’s exhortation was given to a nation that was growing in ethnic diversity, which points forward to how the gospel reaches people from different tribes, tongues, and nations. Therefore, my prayer is that God would allow our family of churches to grow in racial and ethnic diversity in 2017 as one means to reflect the power of the gospel.

Grow in reaching the lost with the gospel

Pray that God uses our church, filled with happy, holy people, who serve God and those around them with all their heart, to draw unbelievers to Himself.

We must not forget that the Christian life is attractive to those Jesus is drawing to Himself.

Pray that God would give us more opportunities this summer to reach the lost and share the gospel with them?

Pray that our evangelism efforts would be blessed with God’s grace and power to convert and transform those we talk to.

If you’re reading this blog post as a member of a Sovereign Grace church, most likely you’re from the United States.

Pray that our evangelism efforts would be blessed with God’s grace and power to convert and transform those we talk to.

However, that is changing, and it’s my hope and prayer that it changes more in 2017. Of the four churches, we adopted last year, two of them were from outside the United States. I’m also aware of at least 15 churches in countries outside of the U.S. who are currently interested in being adopted into Sovereign Grace, and we are in the process of planting a church in Croatia. What that means is that for us to advance the gospel globally, greater sacrifice (finances, resources, time, etc.) is needed from the members of our churches in the U.S. Therefore, pray for our understanding of how to be a global family of churches. Pray God would expand our vision, and give us opportunities to reach every tribe, tongue, and nation with the gospel. Pray Sovereign Grace Churches around the world are filled with happy, holy people who fear God and serve Him with all of our hearts for His glory alone.