Breakout 1

Bible and Prayer (Tuesday)

Bible

, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Preaching/Teaching is an ordinary means by which God gives his supernatural gift of faith to his people.

· Preaching Matters

God brings life by his word, for example; Ezekiel’s vision of a valley of dry bones. We read there: “So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. . . . I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” (37:7, 10). Imagine—a man speaking dead bodies to life.

God’s word, spoken by Ezekiel, is what brings his people to life.

Preaching is Important

It is a divine command

Matthew 10:5–7 ESV

5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Preaching is empowered by the Spirit of God

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 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.”

Preaching is important to our churches

Acts 8:4 ESV

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Acts 15:35 ESV

35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Acts 15:

The apostle Paul, his ministry and greatest tasks is to preach the gospel

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 ESV

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Preaching in the importance of salvation

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

It is important that those who preach and teach the Bible will be judged more strictly

James 3:1 ESV

1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Which is exactly what we see in the New Testament. Jesus—God’s word made flesh—taught God’s people. And its Peter’s preaching of the gospel in that first ignites the church, and the apostles’ faithful teaching that sustains it.

But it is first and foremost a message that can be supported based on historical fact: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.” (). This is the good news; the Gospel. And preaching that message is the source of our life as a church and eternal life for each of us.

· Types of preaching

Expositional.

That “exposes” a passage of Scripture to us.

It’s designed to explain a particular passage of scripture, so that the main point of the sermon is the main point of the passage.

You hear a sermon where the pastor tells you to turn to this passage and then you read the passage and then he explains to you every line of the passage. That is expositional preaching.

Topical

The preacher determines the primary point he wants to communicate in the sermon and may or may not use a main passage of scripture to support that point.

You may ask “what does the Bible say about love” or “what does the Bible say about preaching and prayer” and you pull all those passages that talk about preaching and prayer or that talk about love or money or thankfulness and you talk about several different passages and that is a topical sermon.

It is easier in these types of sermons to take passages out of context if you do not do the interpretive work required to understand the passage correctly.

Preaching = God’s Word + God’s People

Purposes of preaching in a church

§ Because preaching isn’t just exposition of God’s word; it is God’s word for God’s people.

Application of scripture

People are going through all sorts of struggles in this life. You have your struggles. I have my struggles. We all want the truth. We want to know what to do. How to fight. Who is helping us and walking with us through our struggles.

We are taught Scripture, but how to apply that Scripture to our lives is what helps us grow in our walk.

Faithful, humble way to help apply the truth

Authority rests on scripture

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.

What do we declare in preaching?

The kingdom

Mark 1:14–15 ESV

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

The person of Jesus Christ and his life

Acts 2:22 ESV

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—

The victory of Jesus Christ

Acts 2:33–35 ESV

33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’

We can have victory in our life when we know Jesus had victory over sin and death.

Declaring sinners to repent

Acts 17:30 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

We preach at all times

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

We edify one another when we preach God’s Word

Prayer

Pray together –

Matthew 6:5–15 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

o God uses our prayer together to advance his kingdom

God uses our prayer together to advance his kingdom

, we read that Peter and John were released from jail and the church gathered to hear their report

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” ().

We want God’s name to be honored everywhere

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We want his will to be fulfilled.

We are sent out by Christ

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

We continue the mission of Jesus Christ

John 20:21 ESV

21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

· God is glorified through the unity of our prayer.

Ephesians, chapter 4, Paul calls on the entire church to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Praying together is one way that we satisfy this command by visibly uniting together as God’s people to pray.

Prayer together is a means of God’s grace in which we grow spiritually as we hear others commit to prayer.

Corporate prayer unites us

Corporate Prayer is talked about throughout the Bible in many different areas.

Acts 1:14 ESV

14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

They prayed during persecution

Acts 12:5 ESV

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

They prayed for healing

Acts 9:40 ESV

40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

The Apostles taught the importance of prayer in the church

Colossians 4:2 ESV

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

For the spread of the gospel

Colossians 4:3–4 ESV

3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

James taught to pray for the sick

James 5:14 ESV

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

We pray for sinners

1 John 5:16–17 ESV

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

The Apostles were devoted to prayer

Acts 6:3–4 ESV

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts

They prayed for the church

Colossians 1:9–10 ESV

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

· How to Pray

ACTS model

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

Praying for our church

Pray for the preacher.

Your pastor goes through a lot that most of the church does not know. Your pastor is under attack, and he needs the prayers of his church. The prayers of those he ministers to. He pours into people all the time, and he needs followers of Jesus to pray for him.

Pray the members.

Pray for our church as a whole.

We can do all of this because of the promises God had made through prayer.

God promises to hear the prayers of the opressed

Psalm 10:17 ESV

17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

He promises to hear the prayers of the humble

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

The prayers of the obedient

1 John 3:22 ESV

22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

When we pray we must believe in God’s promises

Mark 11:24 ESV

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

So…how do we expect the supernatural to be at work in our church? We celebrate the regular preaching of God’s word, and we pray. Those are the ways that God naturally does what is supernatural. His normal means of grace.