25 Aug 2019 - The Mystery of God's Will: Does Prayer Matter?

Exodus 32:9–14 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 9 Exodus 32:9–14 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12“Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 11 Exodus 32:9–14 ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. 13“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, Exodus 32:9–14 ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. Exodus 34:5-8 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. 6Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 5 Exodus 34:5-8 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 7 Does Prayer Matter? Exodus 32:9–10 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 9 “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” 10 Exodus 32:9–10 9 The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10“Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Exodus 32:11–13 11 Then Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:11–13 12 “Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Exodus 32:11–13 “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your 13 servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” Exodus 32:14 So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. 14 Jeremiah 18:7–10 “At one moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to uproot, to pull down, or to destroy it; 7 if that nation against which I have spoken turns 8 from its evil, I will relent concerning the calamity I planned to bring on it. Jeremiah 18:7–10 “Or at another moment I might speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom to build up or to plant it; 9 if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My 10 voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it. Psalm 106:23 Therefore He said that He would destroy 23 them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them. Does Prayer Matter? Pray with chutzpah! Exodus 32:32 “But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if 32 not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” Luke 11:5–8 Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 5 Luke 11:5–8 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8“I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 7 Luke 11:9–10 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10“For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 9 Luke 18:1–5 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3“There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 1 Luke 18:1–5 “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” 4 Kal va’homer / Light & Heavy • ‘how much more’ or • contrast between a small thing with a much greater thing Brad Young Underlying Jesus’ words is an ancient Jewish assumption that an intimate faith in God is tenacious, even to the point of being a little pushy at times because God is worthy of our trust: One prays with bold determination because God is good. He is not like the contemptible friend who would not help his neighbor. Brad Young He is not like the corrupt judge who feared neither God nor man and refused to help a needy widow. Jesus uses irony and humor to illustrate the nature of God. People mistakenly pray as if God is a friend who does not care or a judge who does not deal justly. Brad Young By role-playing with the divine nature and by using an exaggerated characterization of what God is not like, Jesus teaches his followers what God is like. Because God is good, perseverance in prayer will receive an answer. Faith in God is defined as bold persistence. Pray with chutzpah! Matthew 6:7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 7 Matthew 6:31–32 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly 31 seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Rabbi Abraham Heschel The issue of prayer is not prayer. The issue of prayer is God. Pray with chutzpah! Basis of prayer: The goodness of God shown through Jesus on the Cross Exodus 34:5-8 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. 6Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 5 Exodus 34:5-8 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 7 John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 14 Basis of prayer: The goodness of God shown through Jesus on the Cross