July 17, 2022 Sunday Worship Service (Steve)
Things are a little different this morning.
And Luke chapter 11 beginning with verse one we read and I came to pass as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him. Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples Talk about prayer this morning, and, and Jesus, of course, must have really impressed them when he went to his father in prayer. He had a way of praying evidently that really, really got their attention and so impressed with someone who can lead just an excellent prayer as we've had a few this morning and I need to pre-write. Pray right now, though, I'm not going to say is going to impress, anyone, okay? If you'll go out with me, again, thank you so much. For all your love, and grace. Thank you, Father, for your blessings that you give us day by day, that we enjoy. And thank you, Father, for the special blessings of Jesus Christ, who gives us father, the Forgiveness of our seeing and who blesses our spiritual life that we might be in tune with you father and we may have that whole of eternal life. Thank you so much, father for your love and grace, may you bless this our as well. Join our hearts and Minds together and worship and praise of Your Great Name. And as we talked about the things that will help us to be become more in tune with you. Father, and have a better understanding of your Divine will. Thank you so much. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
I would you describe your prayer life. Are you very devout in your prayer life? Do you spend a lot of time in prayer? Do you find everyday an opportunity to pray to God and talk to Jesus and talk to God about your life and maybe the things you need and how you need to make maybe grow spiritually become more in tune with the Lord Jesus Christ.
If someone were to ask you, can you teach me how to pray? What would you say? Would you take that challenge? Would you be able to describe someone how to pray to God for answers? Pray to God for those things that you need in life.
Well, first of all, I just want to say right off that the way to pray to God is from the heart. It's not a matter of what you say, so much as it is how you feel inside that inner man, opening up and talk into almighty God. And and asking God, for those spiritual blessings and asking God for the things that you are concerned about in this life, If the heart is not in, watch your praying, I think you're wasting your time. Well, I saw a heart needs to be involved in the things that we talked about about. So what would you say is the most important principle of prayer? What is the, what is the most important thing about prayer? An emotion Porton thing that you want to get right when you pray the gay. What is that most important thing?
That's a good point, your will be done. We know that God will do his will, okay? But we know that sometimes we can have the power perhaps to move God to do. I will do those things that we need in our life, right? Because God can be persuaded because of his great love. He has for us, if we approach him in the right way, if we are living the right kind of life, God is affected. Someone said, you know, I don't expect God to be impressed with your prayer list at first affects you and what you're asking. And so I think that's very important to our well-being in the two are bringing us together with God show. Whom we pray. We need to put much effort into it. We really need to open up your heart and are mine and express our feelings. That's one of the things about the holy spirit of God. That he says he makes intercession for us, okay, with groanings and others which cannot be expressed. Otherwise when you get down and you are praying and you really are hurting, you are really pressed with under some circumstances and you're really praying to God it open it up. Heart to God. That's what's really important in the Holy Spirit, can take what you want to say, what you cannot say, evidently and express it to God in such a way as she gets the feeling of it. All our feelings have to be in our prayer in the Holy Spirit. Helps us in our prayer, life to really express our feelings to God. I believe that moves God more than maybe what you say and words that God Can Be Moved with our feelings. When he knows hot, the seriousness of our prayer and our trust and confidence in him. and in the very prayer that we asked, go see if we do not believe. I trust God to answer our prayer will probably just wasting our time and trying to pray to God because we must pray through faith, okay?
Let's read if you ever want to read. Luke chapter 11, verse 1, through 13. And get a picture of what's going on here. How it came to that came to pass that she was praying in a certain place when he ceased that one of his disciples said to him. Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. So he said to them when you pray say, Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our sins. While we also forgive anyone who is indebted to us and do not lead us into temptation, but Deliver Us from the evil one and he said unto them, which of you having a friend. and go to him at midnight and say to him friend lend me three loaves For a friend of mine, has come to me on this journey and I have nothing to set before him. And he will answer from within and safe, do not trouble me the door is now. Shut, my children are in with me in bed. I cannot arise and give to you. I say to you that though he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend yet, because of his persistence, he will arise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you ask and it will be given to you. She can you shall find knock and it shall be opened to you for everyone who seeks receives and you everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks, it will be open. If a son asks for bread, from any father among you will, you will he give him a stone or if he asked for a fish? Will he give him a serpent? Instead of a fish or if he asked for an egg? Will he offer him a scorpion if use in being evil? Know how to give good gifts to your children? How much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Read-along reading. But Jesus after he illustrates or gives us a model kind of prayer. He goes on to tell us how important it is for us to be persistent in our prayers and persistent in prayer. Would mean I'm going to keep on praying, keep on praying, and keep on persisting until God either tells me absolutely no, or the he goes ahead and reaches out to help me in my time of need, whatever. It might be sure. We keep praying about those things. That would be persistent in the things that we, we pray about. Also, In Matthew. Chapter 6, verse was speaking on the sermon of the mount. He also gave this time model prayer. And here's what he said, he said and when you pray do not use vein reputation as the heathens do for they. Think they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him in this manner. Therefore pray Our Father in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our debts. As we forgive our debtors and do not lead us into temptation, but Deliver Us from the evil. One for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Troy Kell, just not to be like in our prayer, not to be like the heathens. Who are they do much speaking thinking that God is going to hear them because of the many many words that he speaks in that prayer that God you're going to have to answer him. We do not impress God. Okay by saying what we say God has all knowledge and wisdom. There is nothing that God doesn't know about and he knows every need that you have even before you ask him, don't think that you can lead a prayer that will impress Scott. Do we do want God to hear us? And God wants to hear this and show him, we pray to Our Father in heaven. We pray in such a way as, as God, receipt will receive our message that we're approaching him with and surrender to the need that we have. And our God is a loving God and he truly desires to do that, you know? Sometimes when we are praying we we want to impress the congregation, right? Gation we think about you, what I want to say things that they want to hear. I want to say the things that she important to them, the things they want to hear. And I want them to think that I said a very good prayer. Are you that way? Brothers, we sometimes go that way, are we not? But listen, the congregation are the audience that you are praying with. And for our, they are not God. I hope the audience is not God. We pray to God in behalf of our audience, are of the congregation. It's not about impressing. the congregation it's about praying to God Almighty and asking him to minister to the needs that we have in behalf of the congregation In behalf of the congregation. So prayers are very important and in Jesus prayed often and he would go into the mountains and pray all night, he would pray do that. He was so impressed with, this is prayers for others. Wanted to be able to pray, like he did because they saw that Jesus got an answer when he prayed.
And I think if we learn to Praise, Jesus, learn to pray, we'll get some answers to for our prayer seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened, asking it shall be given to you and all of that, okay? He is saying he will answer our prayers. God does answer prayer. And we need to have confidence in that when we pray to our Heavenly Father, this model prayer teaches us. Many principles about our heavenly father things that we really need to understand about God. When we do approach him in prayer, okay, don't want to look at some of these things. First of all, he says, he is our father And Hebrews the 12th chapter verses 9 and that was up there earlier, says furthermore. We have had human fathers who correct us and we paid them respect. Shall we? Not much more readily be in subjection to the father of spirits and live. Do you think God is the father of our Spirits? He is the father of creation that includes you but he's also the father of your spirit and he does correct us and reprove us and do the things that will help us to rate, pay respect under him. Even when he is disciplining us as children, even when we're not really being who we should be, he just tries to correct us understand. He is the spirit of our innermost being of our soul. And that is a vitally important to him. You remember when you remember when Saul had sinned against God and God had to refuse then to accept him as king over Israel. He told Samuel, he said, I want you to go to the house of Jesse and anoint his son to be the next king over Israel. And so he went to Jesse's house and had eight Sons. He had seven grown sons many more big strong men and Jesse passed them by in front of Samuel. The prophet who said that's not him. That's not him. That's not him. And he went through 7 sons and you said, don't you have any other Sons? He said, God has not chosen any of these men. These while I have one more young boys out there taking care of the Sheep. It just a Shepherd boy and not even grown up yet. Samuel said you go get him. We cannot shut down until he comes in. Banana.
1st Samuel, 16 and verse 7. And I think we have that up here. He says, but the Lord said to Samuel do not, look at his appearance, are at his physical stature because I have refused him for the. Lord does not see as man sees for the Lord, looks on the for a man, looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. And so this young lad came in here, you know, this running looking boy with bright eyes and a handsome, little fella, and God said to Samuel anointing. He's the one on the heart. I know we read the next chapter 13, that that David is said to be a man after God's Own Heart. He always was, he's the psalmist. What a great young man he was. And so he was anointed to be the next king over Israel and he did in your rain for 40 years. Over the house of Israel because he Please God, because he had a heart under got the Lord, okay, stand. That God is our father and sometimes
He doesn't show weekend be. I guess molded into the image of his son Jesus to the point that we may please him and receive the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus, he does it for us, not for himself like a father May discipline a child because he wants him to sit down and behave or something because the father don't want to put up with that. That's not the way it is. He does this to bring us to Salvation in Christ. Okay. Secondly, he says he is the Divine being He says Hallowed be thy name, Hallowed be thy name. God is the Holiness and holy. He is the righteous and righteousness. He is the Purity in pure. God is very righteous and pure and holy high and lifted up beyond all things. He is God, who created the world and all the things that are there in.
In 1st Peter, 1 verse 15 and 16 Peter will say this but as he who is he who has called you is Holy, you also be wholly in all of your conduct because it is written be holy for I am. Holy, God is a holy God, that's right. He is a Divine, being a holy God. So he is The Sovereign one. Okay? Again the creator of all things if you will, he says your kingdom come. I'm talking about the prayer. Okay, I'm bringing this out of the prayer as your kingdom come. Your will be done. Understand that the kingdom, as I indicated in a Bible class is in you that simply means the rain of God, God Reigns in our life. And the kingdom of God is in you, and you are in the kingdom of God. And you can be anywhere in the world and being the kingdom of God in Russia and China, and anywhere else in the world and still be a citizen in the kingdom of God, and God will rain in your life. That's through obedience to his Divine will doesn't matter what race Creed or whatever you are or where you're from. Okay. Only Christians live in America.
but in all nations, And the kingdom of God range in you.
God's kingdom has come, and we are in the kingdom of God, today. We're not waiting on the kingdom to come. I know someone to teach that, well, that kingdom is not here yet, but when Jesus comes back, he will come back with the kingdom. The kingdom is here and we're in the Kingdom. We are in the Kingdom today. Polish that God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear son in whom we have Redemption through his blood. The forgiveness of sin, we have been delivered into the kingdom of God. There's where the forgiveness of sin is if you're not in the kingdom of God, you do not have that forgiveness. In the kingdom is where forgiveness is shared with those who are in there. Gay.
He goes on to say, he is our provider. Give us this day, our daily bread. I want you to know that God doesn't have a catering service. Okay. It doesn't just go around and make sure everybody gets what they want to eat. But the Bible teaches that we have to work for a living but God makes that a possibility. Does he not? I really don't know anybody that can twerk if they want to work here in America their jobs, many that it's not talkin about anyone who is in bad health, or anyone who is not capable of working. But God wants all of those who are capable of working to work. Even Paul said to Timothy of a man will not provide for his own is worse than an Infidel, but also we read in 1st Thessalonians 3 verse 9 through 12. He says this
well, I thought we would
Okay, we'll move on. All right, sorry about that. Maybe I didn't give that to you as I should have been understand that expects everyone to work and you can read that in in the scripture that I just gave you how that God says, if a man would not work, neither shall they eat? I know, we're very open and very ready to have someone who needs to hand out, who need some help? That's great, and that's wonderful. And we should but when a man will refuses to work and he just wants to lay back and laziness and slothfulness and not work to prepare for his family. Orangedale, he does not deserve to be fed by those who are working. Okay.
And then he says he is the judge because he forgives our sins. If we're willing to forgive those who sin against us, and that's what Jesus said in Matthew 6, when it gave the model prayer, he said, for, if you forgive men, their sins, your heavenly father, will forgive you of your sin, but if you forgive not your heavenly father will not forgive you.
I know is your loving God and he wants to forgive us, our sins and mistakes, and the shortcomings of Our Lives. He desires to do that. God wants to forgive us, and we don't want to forget our brother or forgive our sister. We got a grudge against you and the grudge against you and I'm not going to forgive you. I want you to know that. He says, if we do not forgive those who trespass against us, God will not forgive us of our trespasses. Shuffle. My music.
Fajardo to be right.
Who has it is growing up, most of the pickup done it. We have our buses and our fights and arguments in this brother of mine mine and we do all of those things but you know we don't carry grudges. We don't need a brother or sister that we grow up within our family that are siblings. That has said something bad to it. Why do we do that in the family of God? Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and we do not forgive one another. When we are offended, or think we are offended by one of the other brother. That's a sad thing is very sad ending. And if we want to be forgiven of our sins, you simply saying forgive and you will be forgiven
and then, in the closing of the prayer, The prayer is Jesus said lead us, not into temptation made us not into temptation. But God doesn't lead anyone into temptation and James 1:13. You said, let no man say when he is tempted, I am tearing of God or God cannot be tempted by evil. Or does he himself tempt anyone God doesn't tempt us to do. Evil wallet. Rain is God, please keep us from the evil one. Keep us from that one who wants to lead us into temptation and then descend, we pray that you will, but here's what God does Duke and 1st Corinthians. 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able but with the Temptation also provide, a way of Escape that you might be able to bear it. Now that's awesome. Is it? Not God doesn't lead you into temptation but he will lead you away from it. If you'll let him lead you, if you will be led by his word, if you'll be laying, he'll get you out of that Temptation so you can endure that rather than falling into send That's what that prayer is all about. God's help from beginning to the end. God is all-powerful. God can do all things. We need to have all that faith and trust in God, that he's going to take care of when we pray, let us pray with all the confidence and all the faith, and all the love that we can in God, because he loves us and desires to save us. Well, much more could be said, but my time is up, but let us understand. There is a general kind of prayer that we pray about all kinds of things, when we're in a congregational setting, and even on privacy in home when we go into, the closet is just said, in the Old, and New Testament, going to the closet, shut the door. And you pray to the father who is in secret and he will reward you in secret, okay? She'll really get down and talk to God. Do we not when we're in that private place that secret place. No one else is around and we really pour out her heart and are sold to God asking for forgiveness. Just asking to, for strength, asking, for Faith, asking to increase in our service. That's what really counts. But sometimes, when the congregation together, we have a congregational prayer, and will pray about things that the congregation needs in the things that we need to do. And I'll reserve us a Congregation of God's people. And there are different kinds of prayers. Are kind of a general prayer than one. That's really important. Frances, I want to share this with you, and I'll close. And that's the Lord's supper. Now, that's a specific prayer. Okay, those prayers that we stay over this table, When we get ready to give, thanks for the bread. You know Jesus Took bread said to the apostles, take eat, this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me. Understand that, when we're going to say a prayer over the bread, it's about what that bread represents to us and what that bread means to us, it's not a time to talk about old brother so and show who fell down and broke his leg or something like that. Okay, we're talkin about the bread that represents to us, the body of the Lord. Jesus, that was crucified on the cross. And when we can do get ready to pray for that bread. That's why I'm, we pray about that. When it comes to the communion, okay? The fruit of the vine, when begin to take that, we understand. Jesus said, as he handed a cup to a said, you all drink of it and he said, for this is my blood in the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sin. That's what it's about for the remission of sin. He shed his blood on that crew across there. Such things as specific prayer. Okay, and we need to stick to that. It's not a time to talk about all of the other things, and people who are sick, and people needing Destin. And all of those things, pray for what you're praying for be specific and be focused in on what your prey is specially when it comes to the Lord Shopper and those kinds of things. God bless you, except I appreciate you being here this morning. Thank you so much for for being here. And I hope that when you think about prayer. Maybe a little more important about prayer, you got something a little deeper. I think on that when you approach God and the Throne of God that you can approach him with the right attitude to write heart and you'll be able to impress God if you will rather than anyone else praying Shaker. Spend time in prayer, spend time in Bible study, spend time and worship spend time coming together. Love your brothers and sisters and let us grow as a Congregation of the Lord in this community. We can cuz I know we love each other. Thank you for being here this morning. That's remember that Jesus that he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, Mark 16. And 16 also said to the apostles, go into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.
Show preacher to everyone. Everyone needs to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be given the opportunity to be saved. Peter said on the day of Pentecost as you preach to the Jews and Acts chapter 2. And he's convicted them that they had crucified the Son of God and to ask him in her brother. What shall we do? When Peter said repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Maybe you're here this morning. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? The son of God? Do you want to go to heaven when you die? Do you want to have a relationship with God? So when you offer up prayer, he'll hear you that when you ask for forgiveness of sins as a Christian, he will give you that and Grant that pardon. Are you here this morning? And do you just live your life? Are you living it in the Lord? Whatever you need is this morning brothers and sisters? Maybe you need to repentance and turn back to God. If you're wandering away, come back home, God loves you. If you're open to the invitation this morning, we invite you to come as we stand and sing.