Matthew 1:1-17...Prayer Fuel

For the OT believers, the promises made by God concerning the Messiah point towards the answer to the OT riddle. How could God forgive wickedness and still not leave the guilty unpunished ()? That answer would come from the promises of God which gave the people hope, which was realized at the coming of Christ.

God’s promises offer to us, as a church, our only hope and will be realized at the second coming of Christ. He is the prophet promised by Moses, the king prefigured by David, and the divine son of man promised by Daniel. In fact, Jesus is the very Word of God made flesh (, ).

In fact, Jesus is the very Word of God made flesh (, 14).

GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISE.

In calling Christ the “son of David” and “the son of Abraham”, the Spirit of God is letting us know that God is faithful to His promise.

Would you pray for our prayer time on Sunday?

That as a church, we are devoted to praising God, inquiring of God, confessing to God, thanking God, and pleading to God in prayer according to His will.

Pray that God will then fulfill His promises in the lives of members of the church by sanctifying us.

Pray that God will then fulfill His promises in the lives of members of the church by sanctifying us.

Pray that one of our most treasured joys, will be seeing the Holy Spirit tangibly working in our lives.

Pray that one of our most treasured joys, will be seeing the Holy Spirit tangibly working in our lives.

GOD’S PROMISES ARE THE LIMITS OF GOD’S OBLIGATIONS.

God hasn’t promised us that we’ll pass every test with “A’s”. He’s not promised to cure of of every ailment we contract. He’s not promised us riches, marriage, children, or long life (in this world). Where there are no promises, there God has not bound Himself to us. But every promise that He has made He will fulfill!! So pray that:

God causes all things to work together for Good for His church ().

That He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (), that nothing shall ever separate us from His love in Christ (), that we will be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us (), that I will learn in whatsoever state I am in to be content (), and that the good work He has begun in me He will complete in the day of Christ (). What He has promised He will perform infallibly, and that is what we are to pray for

That He will supply the churches needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus ().

That nothing shall ever separate His church from His love in Christ ().

That the church will be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us ().

That we will learn in whatsoever state we are in to be content (), and...

That the good work He has begun in us He will complete in the day of Christ ().

What He has promised He will perform infallibly, and that is what we are to pray for.

GOD’D PROMISES: OUR GRANITE ROCK SOLID ASSURANCE.

All our certainty and assurance must be based on such promises. Our heavenly Father is saying to every one of His children: — “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.

A promise made by God about His Spirit through the prophet Joel () is to all of God’s people: Old and Young, even to male and female servants. God would pour out His Spirit in the days of fulfillment of when the Christ, the Anointed One came. So let’s go to God and ask Him to pour out His Spirit upon us confessing:

Lord, we are dead and in need of new life.

Lord, we’re blind and need the Spirit’s illumination.

Lord, we’re ignorant and we need the Spirit’s understanding.

Please Lord, give to us what You have promised!

WHAT BANNER ARE WE FLYING?

“I will build my church” () is the banner that flies over the gatherings of Jesus’ true followers today. His promise is: Lord Jesus please

Piper, J. (2006). What Jesus demands from the world (p. 349). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

He is building his people. He is gathering his flock. He is fulfilling his promise to be with her to the end of the age. He is teaching her by his Spirit and through his word. And he is marking her off from the world through the sign of baptism and by making himself remembered and known and enjoyed in the Lord’s Supper. “Do this” is a demand of the Lord that calls us today to be not just individual followers but a flock, a gathering, a community, and a church.

Build Your people (; , ; , ; , ).

Smith, J. H. (1992). The new treasury of scripture knowledge: The most complete listing of cross references available anywhere- every verse, every theme, every important word (p. 634). Nashville TN: Thomas Nelson. .

Gather Your flock (; ).

Gather Your flock.

Fulfill Your promise to be with us to the end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20).

Teach us by Your Spirit and through Your word (; ; ; ; John 3:34,6:63).

Bring more in to set us apart from the world through the sign of baptism (, 18:8).

And by making Yourself remembered and known and enjoyed in the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:24-25).

“Do this” is a demand from You, dear Lord, that calls us today NOT JUST to be individual followers but a flock, a gathering, a community, a church.

Thomas, G. (2012). The Father’s Gift of the Spirit. In J. R. Beeke & J. A. Pipa (Eds.), The Beauty and Glory of the Holy Spirit (p. 16). Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books.

Alles, R., Behrens, B., Boyer, S., Bruce, C., Dunlop, J., Fajito, B., … Sandu, P. (2007). Elders Roundtable. 9Marks Journal, 4(3), 65.