CLS Psa 50_15 God Glory and Prayer

Secular:

One of the great things about a good conversation is that it is the exchange of ideas… conversation verses MSN, Y! or Soundbites
Two people committed to discussing an idea or situation
I am all always invigorated when someone passionately contends for what they believe, when they share, well articulated, convictions….
I also love it when my kids come with hurts or questions…. Or just to feel loved…
Rebekah nuzzled up beside me…. She needs to be close when we talk….
Being the imperfect dad, husband, pastor that I am…. Sometimes during conversation my attention wanes…. My thoughts wander…. I get impatient….
Sadly… I do a lot of apologizing… and try to listen more lovingly…. Faithfully….

I think sometimes we miss the greatest conversations with God when we forget…

He is always patient
He is always attentive
He is never unjustly angry
He is always willing to listen
And He really wants us to share the passion of hearts… our greatest triumphs, trials…. And just everyday life… snuggle up for a chat…. Even in trials

Biblical:

Psalm 50:15…"call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Personal:

Apart from intentional interaction, how can he form us?
Friend of my dad used to joke

She went to daycare everyday as a baby
She goes to school every day… on a bus everyday
She takes dance class, attend brownies or plays ringette everyday
She is out with her friends every weekend
I do everything for her
I don’t understand why she is nothing like me and But we don’t get along.

Proximity and modelling are the best teachers… not just about words
Getting and staying close

Bridge:

God wantsus close
God doesn’t admire our business
He desires our proximity
Closeness brings perspective to the fact we are first about being (not doing)
Then He can demonstrate his love to us and his glory through us
That’s prayer
Stop the business of self and start praying
God wants to demonstrate his love to us….
And His glory through us.

Body:

God Wants us to be Part of His Blessing….

… and active part of his loving us!

Like Israel…. We know from the earliest covenants that God wanted to bless Israel…. But He says…
(Ezekiel 36:37, ESV)"“Thus says the Lord God: This also I will let the house of Israel ask me to do for them: to increase their people like a flock."
Not just random blessing… not outside his sovereignty but his divine glory demonstrated in answering prayer!
Like Sarah being returned to Abraham from King Abimelech and sparing his life….
(Genesis 20:7, ESV) "Now then, return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. (in whose hands was his life?) But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all who are yours.”"
Who would say it is not God that prepares hearts, converts sinners to saints? Who would say God is not personally interested in people labouring for him? But we are taught to pray…
(Matthew 9:38, ESV)"therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”"
Why would God have us ask? Is this not his heart, his purpose?
God loves us… and wants to demonstrate that love through our faithfulness and trusting in him in prayer!
God chooses to bring glory to his name through the answered prayers of those who seek his glory too!
God wants to demonstrate his love to us….
And His glory through us.

II. Not too big for our britches!

God choosing us to be a blessing to the nations, to our world… doesn’t mean it originates in us…
We are the clay vessels…. Holding the rich treasure of God…
(2 Co 4:6-7, ESV) For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Not our pride!!
This is our call…. To pray as those who have seen the glory… not those who are glorious… or powerful… it isn’t us… but it is through us!
(2 Corinthians 2:14-16, ESV) "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?"
Who is sufficient for these things?"
God wants to demonstrate his love to us….
And His glory through us.
Not too big for our britches!

Prayer isn’t about pulling strings!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God," (Ephesians 2:8, ESV) – Salvation by God alone
(1 Th 3:12) and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you – love is from God
"nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith." (1 Timothy 1:4, ESV) – faith is a gift God
"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him," (Ephesians 1:17, ESV) –Wisdom is from God
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." (Romans 15:13, ESV) – Joy is a gift of God

But we still have a responsibility…. We have a role!... (like prayer….)

"To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22, ESV) – Might save some
"Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith," (Philippians 1:25, ESV) – advance faith
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works," (Hebrews 10:24, ESV) – stir to good works
"But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory." (1 Corinthians 2:7, ESV) – impart wisdom
"Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith." (2 Corinthians 1:24, ESV) – work for their joy
Divine Sovereignty / Human Responsibility are compatible
We must be faithful…. We must demonstrate… his love to us….
And His glory through us.

It isn’t about pulling strings

III. Our Joy in Serving… The Glory to God

The purpose… we get the joy of serving God, praying to God…. And He gets all the glory!!
"whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:11, ESV) – he gets the glory!!
God decrees bring him glory
God’s truth brings him glory
Demonstrated in prayer
"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:7, ESV) – God does things so that they testify to him… answers to prayer testify to him
Praying in concert with his will testifies to him
"so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." (1 Corinthians 1:29, ESV) – it is about his glory! And is usually in the answer to prayer!
End of self…
Psalm 50:15…"call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Prayer is the ongoing reminder…. In many words and many situations the simple biblical truth….
"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5, ESV)
Bigger hammer…. Worker harder? No pray smarter!
So much of our life is scurrying about doing the inconsequential… the fading and temporary….
Instead of prayer… we put a lot of personal muscle… intellect… spin our wheels
Nothing of eternal consequence comes first from us…
We hear…You must…. You must…. You must…. In ministry…. In marriage…. In family life….
We need to spend more time in prayer for our family, marriage, and ministry….
Busy doesn’t accomplish God’s purpose…. God’s glory…
Ever watch somebody doing something wrong…. And they just keep going and going…
AFV kid going the wrong way in football
Pray… mediate on his word
Depend on him, his truth, his will and plan…. Makes sense…
When we depend on organizations, we get what organizations can do; when we depend on education, we get what education can do; when we depend on man, we get what man can do; but when we depend on prayer, we get what God can do -- A.C. Dixon
If our marriage is on the rocks…. Our parenting has taken a nose dive…. If We don’t see souls saved… If we don’t have rich worship…. If don’t make an impact… it starts with a failure to pray 1st… pray long… and agonize in prayer….
If God uses our prayers…. To bring glory though miracles of transformation…
We should strain to pray….
It is a about being…. Close conversation…. Loving meditation… in earnest for the promise of blessing the nations… because He answers prayer!
Paul… trusted in God, his plan and purpose… (Romans 15:30, ESV) "I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to agonize (strive) together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf," Grant God’s purpose…. Through your prayers… feel the urgency… the passion… the value…. Pray…. To His Glory

Our Joy in Serving… The Glory to God

God wants to demonstrate his love to us….
And His glory through us.

Conclusion:

God Wants us to be Part of His Blessing….

… and active part of his loving us!

- not a passive faith (Faith without works is dead)

Not too big for our britches!

Not about us

Prayer isn’t about pulling strings!

Not about God the puppet

Our Joy in Serving… The Glory to God

God wants to demonstrate his love to us….
And His glory through us.