Where Are the Intercessors?

Intro

This message was inspired by a talk at the regional conference by Steve Nicholson, former pastor of the Evanston Vineyard...

The message is called Where Are the Intercessors?

The Lord showed me during Steve’s message how remiss I have been to not preach more on the importance and power of intercession. The axiom is true, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you have prayed.”

I feel like our church is in the middle of getting its “second wind” after a long period of struggle. Things are coming back to life. New ministry opportunities are opening up. I’m really excited about the future. Yet, the most important question we can stop and ask right now is, “What will sustain this momentum?” We’ve had several period in our past where we’ve seen a surge of ministry momentum, yet they never last. They aren’t sustained over the long haul. How can this time be different?

I believe part of the answer is found in the ministry of intercession. The ministry of intercession needs to become the most important ministry in our church, for it is the intercessors who lay the foundation for all other kingdom ministry.

Where are the intercessors?

What is the ministry of intercession?

Read Ezekiel 22:23-31

Let’s begin by asking, “What is intercession?” Our passage doesn’t specifically contain this word, yet it is no doubt what God is asking for when it says that he “sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land”.

This is what the ministry of intercession is. It is the hard job of “breach” work - standing in the breach in people’s lives, covering them in prayer protection when their defenses are down. Literally in Hebrew the word used for intercession means “to assail with petitions on behalf of another.” (Intercession - to assail with petitions on behalf of another.)

In the dictionary is says that assail means “to make a concerted attack”. In other words, the ministry of intercession is an act of spiritual warfare on behalf of someone else. It is to fight for someone who is in a vulnerable place.

This is what God sought for. He looked for someone who would “stand”. This carries the connotation of taking a defensive or fighting position. And it is done “on behalf of,” for the benefit of others against the destruction the enemy tries to bring into their lives.

I don’t know about you, but I would like some intercessors. I’d like to have as many people possible taking a fighting posture in front of me to plug the holes the enemy is trying to exploit. Wouldn’t you like that?

Where are the intercessors?

What are the breaches?

I want to unpack Ezekiel and look at some of the areas where breaches can occur in our life.

The first is the breach of moral decay. This is what Ezekiel is specifically concerned with. His charges are laid against several groups of people - princes, priests, officials, prophets, and wealthy landowners. They are all guilty of extorting and defrauding the weak and vulnerable.

I think it important to note that an invading army did not create these breaches; they only exploited what was already there. Bringing this forward, the church’s primary danger does not come from outside. Our problem is not primarily progressive politics or liberal media or an LGBTQ agenda at Disney. I would argue that these are merely symptoms of a long-slide of the church forgetting its calling to be salt and light. We have lost our preservative effect on culture. And so we should not cry crocodile tears over the moral decay in society; we should cry them over the ambivalence of the church. Where are the intercessors?

This is one area where find breaches, but let suggest some others based on Steve Nicholson’s message. To say it another way, what are the primary sources of spiritual attack in your life?

You mind and emotions. The devil knows that if he can make you unsure, if he can make you second-guess, then he has disabled you. More church leaders are lost to this cause than any other. They hear, and they begin to believe, the lies that the enemy speaks over them - “you’re not good enough, you aren’t called, they don’t like you.” I can absolutely testify to the reality of these accusations. But it’s not just leaders is it? All of you face these same voices of inadequacy regarding your marriage, your parenting, your job and so on. One solution is that we must combat these voices with the truth of God’s word and what he says about us. But we also need to be surrounded by others who intercede for us, who pray protection over our minds. Where are the intercessors?

Friends. Sadly, the enemies voice comes to us through those we thought were our friends. Unknowingly, friends often speak the enemy’s words over us. This was Jesus’ experience when Peter tried to tell him not to go to the cross. “Get behind me, Satan!” The most grief I have experienced as a pastor is the loss of those who I thought were friends, and I imagine it’s the same for you. Where are the intercessors?

Health. Health is another place where breaches are formed. Then enemy sometimes uses the frailty of our bodies to bring discouragement and to open us to further attack. Many who live with chronic health problems eventually become too worn out to stay in the fight. This is true of those in ministry, but also true for everyone. If the enemy can attack your health he will put you out of the game. Where are the intercessors?

Family. This is one Steve didn’t mention, but it has been a significant source of breach in my and Julie’s life. We’ve been attacked more through things going on in our family than probably all others combined. If you are a parent, you know that much of your life is tied up in your kids - even when those kids are grown. And the enemy can bury us by sowing problems and pain among our children. Let me be candid about what has been happening over the last 5 years in our family.

Our middle daughter has rejected the faith and for a period was a drug user - thankfully that part is over, but she has no interest in Christianity.

Our youngest daughter came out to us two years ago and told us she was gay. Talk about a blow. I think Julie and I just lived in silent mourning for about six months before we could even begin to verbally process what was happening even to each other. This same daughter has now recently announce that she plans to marry her partner, which brings a whole new rawness to the pain and a whole new host of issues to try and navigate that you never thought you’d have to deal with.

Our middle daughter and son had a major fight last year and aren’t speaking to one another - which grieves our parent hearts.

I could go on, and my point here is not that you should feel sorry for us. Every family has its issues, and we - right now - are standing in faith that God will redeem every one of these situations. But sometimes in moments of weakness the enemy comes and exploits these breaches in the wall. We need intercessors. And not we alone, your other leaders also face their own attacks, and I know they would love to know they are being interceded for. And the church as a whole faces conflicts and setbacks and we together need intercessors who will pray that mountains get leveled and valleys are lifted up. And you need intercessors. People you can turn to and say “pray” without explanation and you know they will. Where are the intercessors?

Conclusion

Friends, God is still looking for intercessors. Those who will bravely wade into the gaps and fill the holes with their bodies and prayers. Intercession is a ministry of risk. It’s not easy - perhaps that’s why God has to look for them! But I can’t think of a more important ministry to commit to.

To intercede is to enter into the ministry of Christ. When we look at scripture it is so obvious that intercession should occupy the life of believers, for this is how we follow in the footsteps of our Lord. Romans 8:34 “Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.” Hebrews 7:25 “Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” In intercession we join with Christ in his continuing ministry of assailing the throne with petitions for the benefit of others.

Intercessors change the future. Over and over the scripture paint the picture of disaster being averted because God’s people prayed. Cities were saved. Lives were restored. Famine was ended. Here in Ezekiel, the unspoken truth is that all the calamity experienced by the nation could have been averted if God could have found just once person to intercede. Sodom and Gomorrah would still be here if God could have found just a few righteous people to stand in the gap for it. Don’t ask me how this works - how God’s sovereignty and human free will work itself out. All I know is that repeatedly in scripture we see the evidence that when intercessors pray, the future changes. James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”

And as I stated at the beginning, and what I believe is so crucial to this moment in our church, is that intercessors will lay the foundation for sustainable kingdom ministry at the Vineyard. I believe that God is going to raise up a team of warrior-prayers who will spiritually go ahead of the church to drive out the demons who would stand in our way. They will be the trailblazers that make sure the church travels on smooth, straight roads. And they will do this from their knees, crying out to God for his help, rebuking the work of the enemy, silencing his voice, and tearing down his strongholds. Intercessors will undergird our ministry. Intercessors will be our first line of defence against the attacks of the enemy. And when I pull the trigger of the gospel, intercessors will be instrumental in making sure it lands on receptive hearts. Where are the intercessors?

Better, will you be an intercessor?

Let me offer some actions steps:

Pray for your church. Pray for our ministries and their leaders. You can find out most of that info on the wall heading toward the restrooms. Additionally, a small group of us have begun meeting on Sunday mornings at 9am in the fellowship room to pray for the service, the message, and for the various initiatives that I feel the Lord calling us to. This is our initial attempt at an intercession team. If you think God is calling you to this ministry, here is a place to begin.

Pray for you pastors. This feels very selfish of me, but so be it. As I shared, Julie and I have had the snot kicked out of us. There are only rare moments when we don’t feel some kind of spiritual attack on our family, our marriage, or on the church. You don’t have to know details to know we need your prayer. And this includes all your pastors and leaders. I know the Hawleys and the Worgans would be overjoyed to know they are being loved by you in this way. Our ministry leaders will have more confidence knowing that the prayers of God’s people are behind them.

Find your prayer circle. It’s not just church leaders who need prayer, right? You need people praying for you. I want you to know that the leaders pray over you guys. We pray for your protection and growth in the faith. But you need your own prayer circle. These are spiritual friends who will drop everything to answer the call to pray for you. Find people who will be your breach-fillers when you need them, just as you will serve as their breach-filler when they need you.

Join in the ministry that will do more to advance the cause of the kingdom than any other - become an intercessor.

Jesus is the ultimate intercessor that God was looking for. He alone has perfectly stood in the gap and repaired the breach between us and God. Maybe there are some here today...