Praying Through
Pentecostal Prayers • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsOur commitment to mission despite temptation and persecution. People matter more than possessions.
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Thesis:
Thesis:
For kids: Duck Tape Prayer
For kids: Duck Tape Prayer
I will fear no evil
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Lord, You never let go of me
Lord, You never let go of me
History of a Church on Mission
History of a Church on Mission
Rev. Ron Dickinson (Mission Lost) 6 years?
For kids:
Rev. Paul Ventor (Mission Alone) 4 years
Rev. Paul Wier (Mission Together) 20 years
And I will fear no evil
Story of us all on mission
Story of us all on mission
For my God is with me
Getting off mission
And if my God is with me
Making up new purpose
Whom then shall I fear?
keeping ideas to myself
Ideas based on location and property, not people
Lord, You never let go of me
Somebody else could do just as well with our stuff
It's why we don't worry too much when pastors move.
Its' the attitude that says one person is just as good as another.
When we lose sight of the people in our attempts to take care of our stuff we have lost our mission and purpose
Getting into fights
Its all downhill from there
How do we turn back the tide?
What can you and I do ourselves?
Lets look at the big picture first.
Israel on Mission
Israel on Mission
13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord— from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
A Prayer of David. 1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. 2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right. 3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. 4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord— from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
tells us that the mission and purpose of Israel was the same as the mission and purpose of the Church.
Blessed to be a blessing
A kingdom of priests and a holy nation to draw the whole world to God.
How have they done? Focused on people or property?
Can you imagine living in Israel?
Anatomy of Peace - Israelis and Palestinians
Israel almost constantly fighting
Only 30-40 years of peace under Solomon - and he treated the people like slaves.
Building a wall around the nation with drafted labor, moving families into work camps.
Israel's Golden Age
Otherwise they were continually at war with neighboring countries and fights within themselves.
Leaders (and their families) deposed through violence during transitions of political power.
Still happens today.
David's prayers not about taxes or healthcare reforms - it was for protection of his life!
Last line about true hope being beyond this world.
Austria recognized the “genocide” of Christians in the Middle East this week.
Land of Mozart, etc,
If we see it almost impossible to stay on mission in the big picture, what hope do we have at St. Mark?
What hope do you and I have in our lives?
Should we just resolve ourselves to the idea that when we see Jesus, there will be no "Well done, good and faithful servant." but instead our humble apology to him for not doing what he asked and being poor stewards of the church?
No!
We stand against the tide, doing what we know is right, even when no one else does.
We keep our focus on people even when everyone else is focused on other things.
24 “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
26 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Jesus faced the same tide.
Everyone wanted Jerusalem reclaimed.
Jesus wanted the children of God reclaimed
He knew they were worth more than many sparrows, many treasures, even the Temple of God itself.
He knew this would bring conflict.
He has passed that mission on to us.
So we, like all the saints before us stand against that tide knowing we are not alone. Jesus stands with us.
Challenge
Challenge
You
Are you willing to stand for Jesus - to love Him and love others more than you love your own life?
Will you teach your children and those around you with your actions, not just your words, that people are more important than possessions.
Do not fear your enemies
Fear what you could become if you lose your mission and purpose
and fear what might happen to you and your's if you do.
God will claim what is His and take it from us if we try to hold it back.
Our secret idols become exposed
We are branches on the vine of Christ and God is the gardener
If we don't produce fruit we get pruned.
The hand that feeds itself will not outlive the hand that feeds others and teaches other hands to feed others
Eventually it grows tired and when it stops working the body dies
Closing Prayer:
Closing Prayer:
I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Lord, You never let go of me