Does God Answer Prayer?

Sermon Feb. 6, 2022 My Time and God's Timing. During this last Festive season, God wanted us to enjoy the birth of His Son, BABY Jesus, but should it really stop there? Question: If you could ask God to change just one thing in your life, what would that be? What will you ask God to change during this year 2022? (Think)??? Let's page through the Bible. (pic) . . . . Our loving God wants us to know the TRUTH. 1 Thess 5:16-18 Always be full of joy. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, always be thankful. This is how God wants you to live in union with Christ Jesus. The world just celebrated the birth of Jesus to bring us the TRUTH. Why? He wants us to follow Jesus. (pic) . . . . = Jesus calling He came to reveal what the Father is like and how God expresses His love for us through this BABY Jesus. The question is how will we ever find out what is TRUTH. How do you think? How many times have you prayed and did NOT get an answer from God? So you ask: when will "God give us some answers with our current challenges and knowing the TRUTH?" Why is God's timing so different from my time? Psalm 102:2 David: Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble, incline Your ear unto me, in the day when I call, answer me speedily. (pic) . . . . = My time vs God's time (pic) . . . . = TWO clocks David says: It feels like as if I am carrying my own burdens, please answer me. God, answer me quickly when I pray. Why is God's timing is so different from my time. I realize that God had a purpose and things revolve around His purpose. It amazes me when God plans something HUGE; He selects meek people to fulfil His purpose. So, I studied the Bible, and I noticed that when God arranges something very BIG, He sends a little baby to come and help. We pray and ask God for something urgent. Then we say, God, how can this little baby be of any help in my life. (Let's go thru the Bible) Cain kills his righteous brother Abel. That left us with a murderer as a great, great Grandfather. Gen 4:25 Eve gave birth to another son, Seth. Eve said, "God has given me another son. Cain killed Abel, but now I have Seth as a baby. God sends a baby to change the future of humanity. After several years, humanity became so bad that God wiped out all of humanity with a flood accept Noah's family. Noah's family grew larger, they departed from God, because they did not pray. I could not find any mention of prayers, so God sends another baby to fulfil His plan of Salvation. Gen 17: 19 God said to Abraham, "your wife Sarah will have a baby. You will name him Isaac". Another baby. Isaac had a child called Jacob; then Jacob's wives had 12 more babies, after many years they end up as slaves in Egypt - we know the history of Israel. In their distress, the Israelites began to cry out to the LORD". What did God do, God sends yet another baby to fulfil His great plan for humanity. Exo 2:1-2 A man from the family of Levi married a woman from the tribe of Levi. She became pregnant and gave birth to a baby (a baby boy, called Moses). Baby Moses (was saved on the Nile river bed) he was meek, Then after 80 YEARS, this baby Moses became the leader for Israel to lead them to the Promised Land. The Bible is very clear that God used Moses to lead the Israelites, into the Promised Land (Moses started as a baby) Was this part of God's plan? (The question is: Do you have 80 years to get an answer from God when you cry out to Him?) Israel ended up in the Promised Land, they prospered, and all was going well in the land of milk and honey that God promised Abraham. After some years, Israel forgot about God completely. (Years later, God sends another baby) 1 Sam 1:20 Hannah prayed, she became pregnant and had a baby boy. She named him Samuel. Israel demanded a king, this Prophet Samuel anointed Saul as king, then, kings came, and kings went. Prophets came & prophets went, finally God let Israel go into captivity to Babylon because they did not listen to God. The last Prophet Malachi died, then total silence from God for over 400 years. God did not answer their prayers. Israel came back after 70 years of captivity. Eventually they find themselves under the ruler-ship of Rome. It looked like as if God's plan has fallen apart. The promise of God to Abraham that all nations will be blessed was forgotten, it failed. Where is God, has He left humanity alone to sort out their own troubles, because they do not listen? In the meantime, Israel is waiting for a powerful Messiah to come and rescue them from the Roman Empire to restore their dignity as a nation. But where is God's answer, they're still waiting. God's plan has failed. Israel asked God: we want a Messiah to come and release us from the Roman rulership. They are still waiting today. What does God do, mysteriously God SENDS ANOTHER BABY. Galatians. 4:4 But when the right time finally came, God sent his Son, who was born from a woman and lived under the law. As mentioned the world celebrated Jesus' birth recently. Yes, God sends another baby - but it took 30 years to notice God's plan through Jesus. My time & God's time is so different. WHY? God, I do not have 30 or 80 yrs left to wait for an answer. Maybe there is more than just the little BABY in a manger? This Jesus grew up and started to spread the Good News of Salvation, then He gets crucified on the cross and died. Is that the end of the BABY story? God's plan failed again. It seems that Satan has won. Jesus chose Disciples that were un-educated fishermen and tax collectors and He told them to go out and lead people to Him. Jesus departs into heaven, and He says, "I will return one day" just continue to bring people to Me. Centuries go by - and we are still waiting. Was this part of God's plan for His Son to appear just at the right time as a BABY. BUT WHY? Galat 4:5 God did this so that He could "BUY" the freedom of those who were under the law. God's purpose was to make us his children. Listen. Here is the astounding message for today. Are you with me . . . . We were all Babies before, we are still alive today, now He made us His children. (we were babies before, now we have to mature) If you and I can learn how God engineered circumstances thru all these centuries, then there is a major responsibility for us. The Bible says we are no longer slaves under the law, we are free by God's grace. Let me go back at the beginning, if you could ask God to change just one thing, one thing in your life, what would that be? If I could, but I know I cannot. That is: God please do not wait so long to answer my prayers. I'm growing old, God). And God answers: Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. We have been told over and over that God hears our prayers and He will answer it, then why is He not going ahead and answer my prayers now, why is He waiting so long? (back to our Bibles again - let's read it together) Gal 4:6-7 Since you are now God's children, He has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. The Spirit cries out, " Abba, Father." Now you are no longer slaves like before. You are God's children, (Babes in Christ) and you will receive everything God promised as His children. Let me ask the same as the people in the Bible: God, should we wait for another baby to understand all this? Is there enough time - it seems years before You answer? Heb 5:8 "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered". Are we still patiently waiting for an answered prayer???? When was this baby Jesus planned in the mind of God? Was it with Adam & Eve, or Abraham? NO, it was long before all this. Eph 3:7&11. These riches are too great to understand fully. That secret TRUTH has been hidden in God since the beginning of time. He is the one who created everything. This agrees with the plan God had since the beginning of time. He did what He planned, and He did it through Christ Jesus our Lord. (pic) . . . . = Baby Jesus (only in God's timing) In the meantime, we pray to God, God, have you forgotten about us, please answer our prayers, and don't send another baby, please. Let's see how Paul prayed. Eph 3:16-17 Paul is praying: I ask the Father with His great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through His Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. You may ask, what has that got to do with my life and my UN-answered prayers? Well, when I search the Scriptures, I see that God not only had a plan for the different people and different nations during old times, but also today in your life and in my life. God is the sovereign ruler of the universe, and nothing happens without the will of God. Read the Bible, a third of the Bible is Prophesy. It's the only Book that tells us about the future of God's plan. "Everything belongs to God" (He has a plan for every human being, (In HIS TIME) that includes you and me - we must be grateful and grow in the knowledge and into maturity) He hears every prayer; nothing escapes the ears of God - but we must listen to what God says in His Word. Joh 8:47 Whoever belongs to God, hears what God says. We hear it through the "baby Jesus" that God planned thru the centuries which the world celebrated recently, we must become still and listen to what the Spirit says, (Spirit of Power) God's desire is to accomplish His plan thru your life and my life, then our prayers get answered according to God's will. God's plan is to accomplish His plan thru our lives (when we were born as BABIES, He kept us alive) just like Moses. We have to ask ourselves, Yes, I was a baby before, but am I doing what God has called me to do, am I living according to the plan of God and am I aware of His purpose for me. I must grow up and mature. No more milk, but to eat solid food. Many times, the Israelites asked God, we don't hear from you, where are you? God said, "you are still immature, -you're still a baby and you're not consulting with Me". We pray, God, please answer me. Why are you waiting so long to give me the desires of my heart? And God says: "Be still and know that I am your God". 1 Timothy 2:1 I urge you brothers and sisters, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Can I have your attention: There are only a few people attending our Tuesday Prayer meetings to pray, where we ask God to help them; and we intercede on their behalf" Come and participate to pray for others. Where is God now? He is on His Throne and Jesus who is sitting on His right hand, intercedes for us. Jesus (not the baby Jesus) but the risen Christ is saying "Believe in God, trust God and also believe in Me" From the beginning, God was actively involved in world events and 2000 yrs later, God still reminds us about the birth of the baby Jesus. Is God answering our prayers? We may not understand it as Paul calls it "the mystery of the Good News', but God does answer our prayers in His time and according to His will for our own good. We must become as soft as clay so that He can mold us for His goodness and His glory. But HOW does Jesus help us today (maybe another baby) No. John 14:16-17 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of Power and Truth. The people of the world cannot accept him. But you know him. Please NOTE: That is, you and me who know Him. Our Father brought us into this world as BABIES, the same as Moses, Samuel etc. God adopted us as His children. The role of us as babies have changed - we are now the "MATURE babes in Christ" and we must continue to grow to maturity and understand God's plan to help others and lead them to Jesus. The same as Moses who led Israel to the Promised Land. Eph 3:20 With God's power working in us, He can do much, much more than anything we can ASK or THINK of. Each one of us were a baby before and somebody saved us (just like Moses - maybe not hidden on the Nile Riverbank) And God said to each one of us, I want you to grow up and lead people to Jesus. Yes, we were babies before, now were mature. (pic) . . . . = Baby Instead of letting difficulties draw us into worrying, let us view them from a mature way and see Jesus glorious intervention, Because Jesus saved us and is now walking with us, just like what the Lord did with baby Moses. John 20:21 Jesus said : "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." We must keep our eyes and minds wide open and see what Jesus is doing in our lives. 2 Pet 1:8 The more you grow in the knowledge, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. "We cannot keep on drinking milk like babies, we must start to eat solid food and tell people about the love of God and lead them to Christ Jesus, then our prayers will be answered in God's time" So, when will "God give me some answers on my life's challenges?" God's time seems so slow, but it's always on time. Our loving God wants us to know the TRUTH. My prayers will be answered, but not in my time but in God's time. We must mature and learn by being strong and obedient. God wants all of us to grow and mature from a baby-hood into adult-hood, to trust, to believe and to have FAITH in Christ Jesus. - - Amen 12