The Most Important Thing in A Christian's Life 6/6/2021
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:50
0 ratings
· 70 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Vision
Vision
I am stirred today in my spirit. The Lord has unsettled me over the last few weeks. We have great great things happening at Branches Church, and I am so thankful for what the Lord is doing.
I am thankful for what He continues to do. When I pray I can see where God is leading us, and it is exciting! The lives that will be changed, the miracles that will happen, the people who will come to know Jesus, be baptized in His name, and be filled with His Spirit.
We can see the sprinkling of what God would do through Branches Church in our community.
However, if we would have God do great miraculous wonders in our presence. If we would like to experience more than good church, good worship music, good fellowship, all the good things we now have. It is going to require a commitment and sacrifice. Not just any sacrifice, and not just any commitment.
It is on this subject of the commitment and sacrifice a Christian must make to see the great supernatural things of God that I am going to preach on this morning. If you are interested in experiencing those things will you join me in preaching? How can I join you in preaching? When you agree with me, you can say amen, say yes, give the Lord a hand clap of praise.
Clap your hands to the Lord as a praise if you want to see God do great things.
1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.
2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.
4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist.
5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.
6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other.
8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.
9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
Ezekiel had a vision in prayer, a spiritual guide came to him and took him on a tour of new Jerusalem. It starts in Ezekiel chapter 40 and ends in the last chapter of the book of Ezekiel.
The center piece of the portion we just read is a river that flowed into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea gets it’s name from the fact that it is so filled with minerals that nothing can live in it, no animal can drink from it. It is made bitter by so many minerals and so much salt. But this river flowed from the House of the Lord until it emptied into the Dead sea.
When the water of the rivers emptied into the Dead Sea, the bitter waters were healed. Bringing life back into the sea. Along the banks of the river there were many trees.
9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
The river represents the Spirit of God. In Revelation John saw the river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, a pure river, the river of life.
Jesus said that rivers of living water would flow out of the heart of believers. John wrote that the rivers of living water were the Holy Spirit.
38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
If the river of God flowing into a dead sea can produce life and healing. What can the Spirit of God do when it is flowing in your life? Healing! Blessings! Miracles!
Notice where the river flowed from. Ezekiel was led on tour of the entire city. From the mountains outside the city, to the gates and walls, the courts. The river flowed from the church!
It didn’t flow from the sports arena, it doesn’t come from the King’s palace or some government building. It doesn’t flow from a business, or a market place. It’s not coming from the economic center. It flows from the house of God!
If you are going to get in the flow of what God is doing? You can get in at the source! It’s going to be at the house of God.
Ezekiel started out in ankle deep water and as he went the water got deeper, to his knees, to his waist, until it became waters to swim in.
That’s how it should be. The Spirit of God should grow, taking up more space and depth until we are carried by the river. The river taking you where you should go. Paul warned us not to quench the Spirit, don’t stop the flow. He said we should be led by the Spirit!
But the only way to enter into the flow of what God is doing is through prayer! It all starts in prayer.
Repentance happens in prayer. Entering into the Kingdom of God happens in prayer. Prayer is the most important thing in a Christian’s life. It is the most important thing at Branches Church.
I don’t know how long I am going to preach on prayer. But God is directing me to preach on prayer, and He is calling this church to a deeper sacrifice of prayer.
We had regular prayer meetings until last year, and for obvious well intentioned reasons we stopped. But we are getting back to it. I would rather we stop every other program and scheduled event do nothing but pray than to continue without it.
Jesus said let my house be a house of prayer! Listen, prayer works, and His people are a people of prayer. Branches Church is a people of prayer.
This Saturday we having prayer. I am praying for a break through!
It has been too long since we experienced a miracle. Too long since someone was baptized in Jesus name. Too long since the last time someone was filled with the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues.
We are not called to sit idly by and wait until conditions are right for God to move, we are called to prayer and God moves in our prayer!
The Laws of Prayer
The Laws of Prayer
Laws that govern nature. Growth of trees, animals, all of nature has laws. His laws, that guide every bit of nature.
There are such laws that God has placed that govern spiritual things.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
If you sow corn, going to reap corn. Whatever a man sows, he will reap. This is a blessing and a curse.
If you sow good things, reap good things, sow bad, reap bad, if you sow to the spirit, you will reap of the Spirit. If you sow in the flesh, you will reap the works of the flesh.
Sow plenty, reap plenty.
Sow little, reap little.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Don’t get weary, keep on sowing you’re going to reap.
First law - you must sow to reap.
First law - you must sow to reap.
Second and Third law
Second and Third law
Found in Matthew 21:19-22
19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.
22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
You can ask anything, but you have to believe that is the second law. You have to believe! You will never receive any thing in doubt.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
The effective, fervent, intense, prayer of faith!
“I am not Elijah” You may not be, but you can pray to the same God!
Third law is that natural law cannot withhold results.
“How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” PRAYER! The fig tree and the mountain must respond!
The power of prayer is that in prayer God gave a place for changing even the laws He has placed. When that effective fervent prayer touches God, He will ignore His own barriers to answer.
Fourth Law of prayer
Fourth Law of prayer
2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James said first you don’t pray, then when you do pray, you pray selfishly. Selfish prayer is wasted prayer.
Jesus never prayed selfishly for himself. His only prayer for Himself was about doing the will of God. “Let this cup pass from me, never the less your will!”
When Satan tempted Him, it was all about self. Satan’s temptation was all about self.
Turn this stone to bread, feed yourself.
Worship me and I will give you all this.
If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down the angels will save you. Save yourself.
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
God will reward you when prayer is not about your self. The call of the Christian is one of self denial!
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
The turning point came in Jonahs life when he sacrificed himself. It wasn’t in the whales belly. It was when he said to the people on the boat, all your trouble is because of me. Throw me over. He sacrificed himself to save those people on the boat.
Prayer is the sacrifice of self on the altar of God.
The last law of prayer for this sermon
The last law of prayer for this sermon
One of the greatest lessons on prayer that Jesus ever taught his followers was in the garden of Gethsemane.
You sit here while I go over there and pray. He prayed with such intensity wrestling with the will of God that great beads of sweat developed like drops of blood falling from his face.
42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
The most intense moment of His life. His back is against the wall. Rejected by his own people, He came to His own and His own did not know Him. Facing the cup of sin, full of the worst sins of humanity, every rape, murder, lie, and sin would fall on Him. Betrayal of Judas. Coming betrayal of His followers.
About to suffer the physical pain of being arrested and tortured. Peter pulls a sword from its scabbard to defend Him cutting off a soldiers ear.
Jesus said put away your sword…do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
53 Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?
It’s never too late to pray! Even now! In the last moment I could pray and He can respond. It’s never too late to pray.
Wherever you are, it’s not too late to pray!