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Colossians 4:2-4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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We'll read to you Colossians 4, 2-4.
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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
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! At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word
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to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison,
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that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak.
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This is God's Word to us.
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It was written for His glory and for our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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Now, as we've been working in Colossians through chapter 3 and into chapter 4,
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we've seen Paul lay out for the Colossian believers and now for us as recipients of God's Word,
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the way in which the new life will look.
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Having put off the old self, having been changed in Christ,
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the doctrinal word for this would be regeneration.
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Those who have placed faith in Christ are now new creations.
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No longer the old, now the new.
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And Paul lays out this listing of exhortations for how the new life should look.
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The new self shouldn't look like the old self.
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It should now look differently.
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And he's been working in this kind of ever-narrowing way as we go through 3 and into 4.
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Chapter 3, verses 5-17 are particularly exhortations for how the new self should function in relationship with the church.
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Those who also are in Christ, the Christian church.
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Verses 18-4-1 for how the new self should function in the Christian household.
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And then for our context regarding slaves and masters in the workplace.
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And then here we find in 4-2-6, for us today 2-4,
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an ever-narrowing scope for the individual.
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How then is each of us as individuals meant to live?
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And how should we be connecting that to the mission of God?
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And so you can see how it narrows down here at the close of his letter.
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Now over the next two weeks, as we look through verses 2-6,
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there will be basic four activities, lifestyles of the new self.
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And they are this, and we're going to cover just the first two,
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maybe a bit of the fourth today as we get into verse 4.
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But they are the prayer of the new self, found in verses 2-3.
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The opportunity of the new self, found in the last half of verse 3.
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The activity of the new self, found in verse 5.
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And the speech of the new self.
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You can see this in verse 4 and in verse 6.
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So today let's look at the prayer of the new self.
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Verse 2 through the first part of 3.
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Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
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At the same time, pray also for us.
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And there's a simple overarching exhortation for this beginning to one and a half verses.
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And that is pray.
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He starts off verse 2 by saying, continue.
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So, the Colossian believers are, in fact, praying.
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And every believer should be given to prayer.
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It is the right and proper activity of the Christian person that they should pray.
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Here we find, before Paul's exhortation to pray,
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Remember, the church at Colossae is not a church that was established by Paul.
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It's not a church that was visited by Paul or ever was that we know of.
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But he's merely writing to them to correct some doctrine.
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And he finds already that there are prayers.
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He says, continue steadfastly in prayer.
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So, all of us who are found in Christ should be given to prayer.
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The quote on the front of your bulletin this morning by Spurgeon.
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I have a new quote book by Spurgeon, which is why you're going to get a lot of those in the coming months.
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In case you're wondering, I also love Spurgeon.
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We love the babies.
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Truly.
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Spurgeon said, we cannot all argue, but we can all pray.
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We cannot all be leaders, but we can all be pleaders.
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We cannot all be mighty in rhetoric, but we can all be prevalent in prayer.
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You see, God designs His purposes, the way that God is functioning and working in the world,
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to be dependent on the prayers of His people.
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He designs His purposes to be dependent on the prayers of His people.
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Now, our God is sovereign.
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Our God can do whatever He pleases.
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And He does not need us for any of His purposes in this world to be accomplished,
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except that He has decided to use us to that great end.
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He has decided to enact His plans in this world through the prayers of His people.
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And this is because He loves us.
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Without developing that entirely for you this morning,
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you need to know that the invitation for the Christian to pray
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is an invitation into a relationship with God
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because He loves to work through the prayers of His people
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that His people might experience Him,
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that they might know Him.
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The story we read to the children this morning,
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the great tragedy of that story
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is that when Adam sinned,
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death was ushered into this world in a final way.
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At the end of their lives, they would die.
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We see that experience that all around us.
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Things are degenerating.
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They're falling apart.
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They will die.
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But the greater and higher tragedy of that
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is that the wonderful union they had with God,
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the ability to walk with Him
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and to talk with Him was severed.
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They were cast away from God.
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And now we find in Christ that being redeemed,
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the ability again to be in relationship with our Creator.
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And the way we do that is through the reading of His Word.
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He speaks to us and we pray to Him.
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It should be a major activity of the Christian life to pray.
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God draws us in to the things that He's doing through prayer.
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And let me just say, in past experience, recent experience,
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I hope that many of you enjoyed this with me,
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we were able to be brought along in God's work
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in the funding of the Zwimpies heading to Germany.
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There's a family in our church that just recently,
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a few weeks ago, headed to Germany
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to work for a boarding school for missionary children there.
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And they had a great deal of funding to raise,
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to be able to go and to do this thing.
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In fact, the school itself was very, very doubtful.
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Those of you who experienced and walked through that with them,
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when they actually raised the money,
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there was no housing available for them
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because the school didn't actually think
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that they were going to be able to meet the funding goal
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because it takes most families 18 to 24 months
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to raise the funding necessary to come.
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In this case, it only took nine.
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And many of us were invested with the Zwimpies in prayer.
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The only thing that Sam and I could do physically for them
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was a little bit per month, right?
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We devoted to give a little bit to this huge sum
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to be accomplished,
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but we also gave ourselves in prayer.
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And what a joy it was to see God move and work
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through His people, both here and beyond,
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to see the Zwimpies able to go.
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That we could rejoice in them with that
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was a wonderful invitation from the Lord
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to be in relationship with Him
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and to witness His work in the world.
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Now, prayer is an incredibly difficult thing.
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I find that American Christians are not given
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to tackling difficult tasks.
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If it's easy and attainable,
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we'll throw ourselves at it.
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But if something is of challenge to us,
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we tend to not do so.
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It's very difficult to pray,
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to devote ourselves to prayer.
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There are things working against us
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for us not to be prayers.
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The world, our old selves, and Satan
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do not want us praying.
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God enacts His purposes,
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uses the prayers of His people
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to put His purposes in motion,
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and everything that is said against God
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does not want God's people to pray.
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You have to recognize this
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and oh how often we hand victory
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over to these elements.
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We just give it back away.
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We ignore altogether that prayer
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is of great importance.
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John Piper once said,
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when we pray,
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we kneel in a hornet's nest of evil.
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It stirs it up.
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And for those of you
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who work on this property some,
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you'll know there's a huge hornet's nest
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on the eve way down here,
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which has not been affecting
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the coming and going out that bottom door.
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So we've just been trying to figure out
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exactly how we're going to get it down
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and deal with it.
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But the other Saturday morning,
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a group was up here mowing the grass.
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The leadership of Parker White
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was doing that,
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and Parker had a little bit of spray with him,
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a little bit of spray in the can.
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In fact, I picked up the can
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and went,
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this is not going to be enough.
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And he said,
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let's just give it a shot.
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So we put a huge ladder up
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on the side of the building,
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and Parker bravely climbed up there
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and went,
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pssh,
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and quickly climbed down the ladder.
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I know not all of you were there,
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but just if you can picture
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this scene happening,
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and the nest got stirred up.
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It was just enough
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to really make them mad,
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and they began to come out.
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In some coming weeks,
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maybe you can be up here
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when we actually take care of the whole thing
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with finality, right?
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But prayer is powerful.
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It is effective, right?
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God wants his people praying
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so that he can accomplish things
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through his people,
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and I wonder so often
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if things aren't happening
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in our church
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and in churches around us
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because God's people don't pray, right?
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He's just asking.
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He's just saying,
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come into this relationship with me.
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I have such wonderful things
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I want to do,
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and I want you to be part of it, right?
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The invitation is there
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for us to pray,
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and it should be a major part
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of the life of every Christian.
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But not just to pray,
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as the overarching exhortation
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here in the text.
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So certainly pray, right?
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You walk away one thing, right?
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If you're a believer,
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if you're found in Christ,
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pray.
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Put an exclamation mark on it
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in your notes.
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Pray.
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But there are some ways
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in which we're meant to pray.
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Firstly, we're to pray persistently.
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He says, continue steadfastly in prayer.
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Steadfastly means with devotion.
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Some of your translations may say that.
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The Greek word,
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most rightly rendered,
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means with courageous persistence.
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Persistence.
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Which is why this point is to pray persistently,
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with courageous persistence.
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We're elsewhere instructed to pray at all times.
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You'll find that in the parallel text
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in Ephesians 6, 18.
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1 Thessalonians 5, 17,
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Paul says to pray without ceasing.
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This doesn't mean that we go away someplace
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to a quiet hilltop,
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and we never stop praying,
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that we become monastic,
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and we don't engage in the world,
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but rather that we carry about us
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a spirit of prayer.
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We connect everything that we're doing
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as we're walking through the world
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to God's good purposes,
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that we're constantly talking to Him.
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We're constantly aware that He exists.
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He does.
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We're just cognizant of that.
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We look through this lens
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of God's activity in the world,
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and as we're going through the day,
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we're asking that He would bless
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a particular conversation,
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that He would change something for His glory.
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Constantly in the spirit of prayer.
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But also, we're meant to be
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in particular times of prayer.
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I think this is what Paul means here
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when he talks about continuing steadfastly,
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that there's this encouragement
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to particular times of prayer,
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both corporate and individual,
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that we gather as God's people
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together to pray,
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and that we spend time
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in the closet of prayer,
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that we get on our knees
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before the Lord
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in a persistent manner.
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Jesus tells two parables,
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one of which is found in Luke 18,
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in order to illustrate
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the importance of persistent prayer.
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If you will, turn to Luke 18.
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This has the potential
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of being a familiar parable to you.
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It's the parable,
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it's often called,
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of the persistent widow.
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Chapter 18, verse 1,
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it says,
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And He told them a parable
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to the effect that they ought
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always to pray
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and not lose heart.
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And I so love Luke's writing
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because he so often gives us
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the commentary for the text itself, right?
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Why does this parable exist?
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So that they ought always to pray
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and not to lose heart.
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And so we dive into it
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with that in mind.
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He said,
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In a certain city there was a judge
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who neither feared God
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nor respected man.
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He wasn't a good judge.
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And there was a widow in that city
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who kept coming to him and saying,
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Give me justice against my adversary.
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For a while he refused,
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but afterward he said to himself,
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Though I neither fear God
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nor respect man,
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yet because this widow
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keeps bothering me,
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I will give her justice
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so that she will not beat me down
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by her continual coming.
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And the Lord said,
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Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
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And will not God give justice
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to his elect
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who cry to him day and night?
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Will he delay long over them?
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I tell you,
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he will give justice to them speedily.
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Nevertheless,
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when the Son of Man comes,
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will he find faith on earth?
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So you see that there's this unjust judge,
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doesn't fear God,
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doesn't respect man,
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but because he no longer wants to be annoyed,
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he will do what is right.
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And what Jesus is doing,
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he's juxtaposing this unjust judge
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against God who is just,
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who does do what's right.
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He's not suggesting that if we have
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something we desire,
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and we just pester God to death,
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he'll give us what we want.
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What he's saying is,
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that if you ask for things that are just,
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if you ask for justice,
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if you seek justice in your prayer,
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surely God will answer.
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We are to persist in prayer.
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We see another wonderful example of this
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in Acts 1.
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Jesus is walking now.
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He's been crucified.
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He's resurrected.
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He's walked now for 40 days
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amongst the disciples.
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In Acts 1.8,
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we see a command.
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He says,
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But you will receive power
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when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
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and you will be my witnesses
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in Jerusalem,
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and in all Judea,
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and Samaria,
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and to the end of the earth.
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And with that,
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he ascends.
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So this is the last thing
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that is recorded
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that Jesus says to them,
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and then he ascends.
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And can you imagine
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living in that day,
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being the apostles,
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and not knowing what to do next?
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He's given us a command.
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We're meant to be witnesses
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in these varying places,
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these varying spheres of influence
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that we have.
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We're going to receive power
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when the Holy Spirit comes.
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What do we do?
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So they go back to the upper room.
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And we find them there
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with a number of others,
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about 120 in total,
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in verse 14 of chapter 1,
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doing what?
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devoting themselves to prayer.
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They went and they consistently,
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they persisted across the span of time
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where the Spirit had yet to come
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in prayer.
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And the Spirit comes.
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And you know the story, I hope,
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of Pentecost.
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If not, read on in your text.
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What a wonderful thing
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that God works in them by the Spirit.
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And thousands and thousands
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come to faith
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in the Lord Jesus Christ.
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But they don't stop there.
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They don't go,
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oh, we have the Spirit now.
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Now we can stop praying.
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You see the activity of the early church
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in chapter 2, verse 42,
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still devoting themselves
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to the prayers.
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We never outgrow our need
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of the Lord's intervention.
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It is God who works.
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It is God who can accomplish.
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It's by His power
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that things happen in this world.
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So we never outgrow it.
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So we are to pray persistently.
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Persistently.
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Secondly, we are to pray watchfully.
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He says later there in verse 2,
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being watchful in it.
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Keeping alert in your praying.
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In the most basic sense,
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I think there is some understanding here
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of physical alertness.
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That we are to stay awake.
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That we are not to get distracted.
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Matthew 26, 40 and 41.
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It's seen as the Garden of Gethsemane
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before Jesus' arrest
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and His later crucifixion.
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Verse 40, it records,
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And He came to the disciples
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and found them sleeping.
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And He said to Peter,
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So could you not watch with Me one hour?
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Watch and pray
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that you may not enter into temptation.
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The Spirit indeed is willing,
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but the flesh is weak.
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How often do we go into times of prayer
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and fall asleep?
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I'm guilty.
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How often do we go into times of prayer
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and we're so very easily distracted?
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Beloved,
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one wonderful subset of benefit
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to gathering together with God's people to pray
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is the practice of focus.
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Gather with a group of people
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for an hour or so
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and pray together.
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And I hope
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you're not looking at your phone.
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There's nothing distracting you
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that you're engaging in what's going on
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because you're not simply taking turns praying,
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but you're praying together.
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We as a people
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are losing our ability to focus.
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Two years ago
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at our men's retreat,
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we were off and away
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at this incredibly tiny cabin
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for how many of us there were.
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We were packed into this little space
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and we required as part of that time in the morning
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that all of the men
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take some time to themselves,
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some time to study,
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some time of prayer.
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And I had gotten up extra early.
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A couple of us did.
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Some of the elders,
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we got up extra early
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and we did that time
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and then we were cooking.
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So we were trying to be quiet
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in this little kitchen
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cooking up bacon
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and biscuits
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and some other things that we had.
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And I cannot tell you
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how many times
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I looked out across
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a group of men
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who were meant to be taking time
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to study their word
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and pray to God
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and how many of them
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were on their phones.
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Put it away.
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Throw it away
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if you have to.
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Some wonderful features
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on your phone
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where you can just tell it
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not to bother you.
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It's a fantastic thing.
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So in the most basic of senses,
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you need to learn
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to devote yourself to prayer.
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Being watchful in it.
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Setting aside the distractions
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and devoting yourself in it.
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In the broader sense,
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and I think this is what Paul
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particularly means.
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He's primarily aimed at saying
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that believers should be aware
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of the things
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that they should specifically pray for.
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They should be watchful.
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They should be looking around
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at the world around them
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and aware of what it is
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they ought to be praying for.
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I hear so many prayers
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that are so grossly general.
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Catch-all prayers.
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And the greater includes the lesser,
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but the exhortation here
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to be watchful
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is to pray specifically for things.
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Paul gives us an example
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of a specific thing
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to be prayed for.
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It's very difficult
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to pray persistent prayers
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that are vague.
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I found that to be true
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in my own life.
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If I'm only asking
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that God would do
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these huge general things.
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God, work in our church
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for the sake of your glory.
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It's a wonderful thing to pray.
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Please, Lord,
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work in our church
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for the sake of your glory.
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But if this is all I ever pray,
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it's very difficult
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to persist in that.
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But if I say,
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God, work in our church
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for the sake of your glory,
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and here's the ways
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that I believe
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you need to work.
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These are the ways
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that I think you want to work.
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Will you use these prayers
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to do this work
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in our church?
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And he so often answers
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those prayers specifically.
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So pray persistently.
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Pray watchfully.
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Pray thankfully.
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Pray thankfully.
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Thankfully.
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Last part of verse 2 says,
20:33
with thanksgiving.
20:35
With thanksgiving.
20:38
Pause for a moment
20:38
just for a quick aside.
20:39
I'm told that I mispronounced
20:41
the word thankful
20:42
because I say it
20:43
the thankful
20:44
instead of thankful.
20:47
It's one of the things
20:47
that I get picked on
20:48
by my wife,
20:49
so I'm really,
20:49
my mind is self-conscious
20:50
as I'm about to say.
20:53
Thankfully
20:54
and thanksgiving
20:56
a thousand times,
20:57
so I'm just not going
20:57
to worry about it.
20:58
But pray thankfully.
21:02
I'll say it the way
21:02
I want to.
21:04
With thanksgiving.
21:06
This is the fifth time
21:09
that Paul has mentioned
21:11
thanksgiving in Colossians.
21:13
The fifth time.
21:14
It's developing here
21:16
thematically.
21:17
Those of you who have
21:17
been here have seen me.
21:18
I've talked about this
21:19
a couple of times.
21:19
You see it in chapter 1,
21:21
verse 12.
21:22
Chapter 2, verse 6.
21:24
Chapter 3, verse 15.
21:25
And in verse 16.
21:27
So for the fifth time,
21:28
he's talked about
21:29
being thankful,
21:30
the importance
21:31
of being thankful.
21:32
Why?
21:33
I believe it's because
21:34
thanksgiving has
21:36
perspective-shifting power.
21:39
It reminds us
21:40
of who our God is.
21:42
And not only just
21:43
who He is,
21:43
but who He is
21:44
to us.
21:46
We're reminded
21:46
that God is faithful
21:48
and just,
21:48
that He is loving,
21:50
that He cares about us
21:51
when we're thankful,
21:52
when we think about
21:53
all of the things
21:54
that He has accomplished
21:55
for us.
21:56
When we stop
21:57
and ponder those things
21:58
and when we approach Him,
21:59
we begin with these
22:01
hearts of thanksgiving.
22:02
Lord, You have done
22:02
so much on my behalf.
22:05
We could just
22:06
pray prayers of thanksgiving
22:08
for the rest of our lives
22:09
and never run out of things
22:10
to thank God for.
22:12
But thanksgiving helps us.
22:14
It encourages us
22:15
to turn and pray
22:17
bold prayers
22:18
before our God.
22:20
Prayers of thanksgiving
22:21
thanksgiving are fuel
22:23
for asking for
22:25
the supplication
22:26
for what God would do
22:27
in our world.
22:29
And there are some things,
22:30
specific things,
22:31
that we ought to be
22:32
thankful for.
22:33
Generally thankful for
22:34
and thankful for
22:35
in our prayers.
22:38
Five kind of
22:38
all-encompassing things.
22:40
And I'll just
22:41
thank John MacArthur
22:42
for making these,
22:43
this alliteration work.
22:46
So, they are
22:47
God's presence.
22:49
We ought to be thankful
22:51
for God's presence.
22:54
Psalm 75.1 says,
22:55
We give thanks to You,
22:56
O God.
22:56
We give thanks
22:57
for Your name
22:58
is near.
23:00
We recount
23:01
Your wondrous deeds.
23:04
We have a relationship
23:05
with God.
23:07
He is near to us
23:08
and we are near to Him.
23:09
We can, in fact,
23:10
go to Him
23:11
because of the work
23:12
of Christ.
23:13
Because Christ
23:14
intercedes for us.
23:16
When God looks at us,
23:17
He sees Jesus.
23:18
We can enter into His presence
23:20
and we can pray.
23:22
We ought to be thankful
23:22
for God's presence.
23:24
Secondly,
23:25
we should be thankful
23:25
for God's provision.
23:28
This includes
23:28
many specifics,
23:30
but generally
23:30
for God's provision.
23:33
When Paul was adrift
23:34
at sea
23:35
in the midst
23:36
of a storm,
23:38
he was thankful
23:38
for the food
23:39
that God provided
23:40
in the midst
23:40
of a scary,
23:42
horrible situation.
23:44
Acts 27.35
23:45
records,
23:46
And when he had said
23:47
these things,
23:47
he took bread
23:48
and giving thanks
23:49
to God
23:49
in the presence
23:49
of all,
23:50
he broke it
23:50
and began to eat.
23:53
Thankful for the things
23:54
that God provided
23:54
even in the midst
23:56
of a situation
23:56
that was terrifying.
23:59
Thankful for the food,
24:00
for God's provision.
24:02
Thirdly,
24:03
we are to be thankful
24:04
for God's pardon.
24:08
Romans 6.17.
24:10
Paul writes,
24:11
But thanks be to God
24:12
that you who were once
24:13
slaves of sin
24:14
have become obedient
24:15
from the heart
24:16
to the standard of teaching
24:17
to which you were committed.
24:21
We have been delivered
24:22
because of the work
24:23
of Jesus Christ.
24:25
Right?
24:25
We have placed faith
24:26
in that
24:26
and therefore
24:27
we are saved
24:28
and we are to be thankful
24:29
for God's pardon.
24:32
Fourthly,
24:33
for God's promises.
24:36
2 Corinthians 1.20.
24:37
Paul writes,
24:40
For all the promises of God
24:42
find their yes in Him.
24:44
That is why
24:45
it is through Him
24:46
that we utter our amen
24:47
to God
24:48
for His glory.
24:49
We are to be thankful
24:49
for His promises.
24:50
And beloved,
24:51
if you don't know
24:51
your Scriptures,
24:52
you don't know
24:53
His promises.
24:54
Right?
24:54
You don't have
24:55
the undergirding
24:56
and the great encouragement
24:57
of who God is to you
24:59
if you don't know
25:00
your Scripture.
25:02
Get in it.
25:03
Saturate yourself with it.
25:05
Know God's promises to you.
25:07
You can walk through
25:08
so many difficult things
25:11
in life
25:11
just simply by meditating
25:13
on that.
25:14
And what a fuel
25:15
then it becomes
25:15
to ask that God
25:16
would deliver you through
25:17
whatever it is
25:18
that you're dealing with.
25:20
Know God's promises.
25:24
Many of you who know me well
25:26
know that one of my
25:26
spiritual heroes
25:27
is a man named
25:28
George Mueller
25:28
from Bristol, England.
25:30
My father introduced me to him.
25:32
I'm so thankful
25:33
that he did.
25:35
An amazing man of faith
25:36
did so many things
25:38
for the kingdom of God.
25:39
The primary thing
25:39
that most people
25:40
know him for
25:41
is he ran
25:41
a number of orphanages.
25:44
Cared for thousands
25:45
and thousands of kids
25:46
across his lifetime.
25:48
But he saw
25:49
his primary ministry
25:50
was to show
25:52
that God was a God
25:53
that could be trusted
25:54
for his promises.
25:55
That we could place
25:57
faith in God
25:58
and that that faith
25:58
would never be disappointed
26:00
if we believed
26:01
in God's promises.
26:03
So he did some
26:04
very peculiar things
26:05
with this ministry
26:06
to the orphans.
26:07
He did many other things.
26:08
He was a pastor of a church.
26:09
Many people forget
26:10
that he did that
26:10
across his life.
26:12
He had an organization
26:13
that was a funding organization
26:15
for missionaries
26:16
all over the world.
26:17
Did some wonderful work
26:18
in that regard.
26:19
And he oriented
26:21
the way he did things
26:22
in a way
26:23
so that he could always
26:24
easily trace
26:26
the monies that came
26:27
and the other resources
26:28
that came directly
26:29
to answer prayer
26:30
from God.
26:31
I can't get into
26:32
all the particulars
26:33
of that for the sake
26:34
of time.
26:35
But a wonderful example
26:36
of this.
26:37
He saw that as his
26:38
primary ministry
26:39
to show the church
26:40
that we can believe
26:42
the promises
26:42
that God makes.
26:44
And the very best
26:45
biography written
26:45
about him
26:47
was written by a man
26:47
named A.T. Pearson
26:48
and this is from
26:49
that biography.
26:51
He wrote,
26:52
Thus,
26:52
under his great teacher
26:53
being God,
26:55
did this pupil
26:55
early in his
26:56
spiritual history
26:57
learn that supreme
26:58
lesson
26:59
that to every child
27:00
of God
27:01
the word of God
27:02
is the bread of life
27:03
and the prayer of faith
27:05
the breath of life.
27:07
That we are sustained
27:09
by these things.
27:11
Feasting on the word of God
27:12
and breathing in
27:13
and out
27:13
through prayer.
27:15
Fifthly,
27:15
we're to be thankful
27:16
for God's purpose.
27:19
Romans 8.28
27:19
Hope it's familiar to you.
27:21
And we know that
27:21
for those who love God
27:22
all things work
27:23
together for good.
27:25
For those who are called
27:26
according to his purpose.
27:28
So we're to pray
27:29
with thanksgiving.
27:31
Thanksgiving will change
27:32
the way
27:32
that you pray.
27:34
Take a quick look
27:35
at this.
27:35
When the disciples
27:36
ask Jesus
27:37
how should they pray,
27:39
he responds
27:40
like this.
27:42
This is so cool.
27:43
I think you're familiar
27:44
with this.
27:45
Matthew 6.9-13
27:46
This is Jesus' answer.
27:49
Christ, Lord,
27:50
teach us how to pray.
27:51
And he says,
27:52
Pray then like this.
27:52
Like this,
27:53
not this.
27:54
I'm going to make
27:54
that distinction for you.
27:56
There's nothing wrong
27:57
with repeating
27:57
the Lord's Prayer,
27:58
but pray then like this.
27:59
He's giving us
28:00
a pattern for prayer.
28:02
Notice the things
28:03
that I've said
28:03
that we ought to be
28:04
thankful for in that.
28:06
Our Father in Heaven,
28:08
hallowed be your name.
28:10
Presence.
28:11
Our Father.
28:12
Your kingdom come.
28:14
Your will be done
28:15
on earth
28:16
as it is in Heaven.
28:18
Purpose.
28:20
Verse 11,
28:20
Give us this day
28:21
our daily bread.
28:22
Provision.
28:23
Verse 12,
28:24
And forgive us our debts
28:25
as we also have forgiven
28:27
our debtors.
28:27
Pardon.
28:28
And lead us not into temptation,
28:30
but deliver us from evil.
28:32
Promises.
28:33
How cool that is
28:34
that that works together
28:35
in that way
28:36
as Jesus explains to us.
28:37
So we get some further
28:39
fleshing out,
28:40
some further understanding
28:41
as we read the rest
28:42
of the Scriptures.
28:43
What is it that we're
28:44
supposed to be praying for?
28:45
What is it that we're
28:45
supposed to be thankful for?
28:47
It's all running together
28:48
in this way.
28:49
So we're to pray persistently.
28:51
We're to pray watchfully.
28:52
We're to pray thankfully.
28:55
And we're to pray
28:56
intercessory prayers.
29:00
I desperately wanted
29:01
this point to be
29:02
pray intercessory.
29:03
But it is not a word.
29:05
And I really looked.
29:06
I was really hoping
29:07
somewhere,
29:08
some source out there
29:09
would tell me it was okay
29:10
to say intercessory.
29:11
But if you care
29:13
to make up a word,
29:14
you can pray intercessory
29:15
or pray intercessory prayers.
29:18
Verse 3,
29:19
the very beginning,
29:20
says,
29:21
at the same time,
29:22
pray also for us.
29:24
So he's not negating here.
29:26
Paul's not saying that
29:27
all of your prayers
29:28
have to be for others.
29:30
Right?
29:30
Because he says,
29:30
at the same time,
29:31
so as you're praying
29:32
these prayers,
29:33
pray also for us.
29:35
So pray for yourself.
29:37
Pray for those circumstances
29:38
that you're walking through,
29:40
that you're in the midst of.
29:41
Pray for your community.
29:43
And at the same time,
29:45
pray also for us.
29:49
Intercessory prayer
29:50
or intercession
29:50
is just that.
29:52
It's praying on behalf
29:53
of someone else.
29:55
It's praying for someone else.
29:56
It's praying for a lost friend
29:58
or a family member
29:59
or a co-worker.
30:00
It's praying for other believers.
30:02
It's going to God
30:03
on their behalf.
30:04
It's expressing
30:05
kingdom-oriented desire
30:07
for them.
30:09
It's a very wonderful way
30:10
to serve others.
30:12
Please pray for me.
30:14
Number one on my list
30:15
of things you can do for me,
30:17
pray for me.
30:18
Pray for me.
30:20
Put me on the top
30:21
of your list
30:21
of things that you're praying for.
30:23
Those specific,
30:24
persistent things,
30:25
I want to be on that list.
30:26
I need your prayers.
30:27
It's a wonderful way
30:28
to serve me.
30:31
I find so often
30:32
that people's prayers
30:33
are altogether consumed
30:35
with themselves.
30:36
Experience that,
30:37
praying with people.
30:39
And they never pray
30:39
for other people.
30:40
They only pray for themselves.
30:41
giving prayer requests.
30:43
Prayer requests
30:43
are all about them.
30:44
They're never about
30:45
what's happening
30:45
in the world around them.
30:48
And it's a shame.
30:49
So many of us
30:50
are so selfish.
30:54
If you will begin
30:56
to think about others,
30:57
if you will begin
30:58
to look at the world
30:59
around you,
31:00
look at the hurts
31:01
of others,
31:01
it so draws
31:03
ours own
31:03
into perspective.
31:04
I just find that
31:05
so often,
31:06
one thing I try
31:07
to make a clear habit
31:08
of doing is praying
31:09
for the pastors
31:09
in our area
31:10
and meeting with pastors
31:11
in our area.
31:11
And the more I do that,
31:13
the more thankful
31:13
I am for this church.
31:15
You guys are great.
31:16
How many of these guys
31:17
are walking through
31:18
some challenges around us
31:19
that I don't even know?
31:20
I don't know
31:21
how I would bear up
31:22
under some of the things
31:23
that they're going through.
31:25
And so I pray
31:26
for those men.
31:27
And it's such
31:27
a wonderful reminder
31:28
that God's at work
31:30
in our congregation.
31:32
It shifts my perspective.
31:34
And I know
31:34
that those men
31:34
appreciate the prayers
31:36
that I offer up
31:37
on their behalf.
31:39
We ought to be praying
31:40
for those around us
31:41
and beyond.
31:43
Both abroad
31:44
and home.
31:47
Your bulletin,
31:47
I know it doesn't change
31:48
from week to week,
31:49
but your bulletin
31:50
reminds you of some things
31:51
that we need to be praying
31:51
for together
31:52
as a church.
31:53
The Whetstones,
31:55
the Stewards,
31:55
the Zwimpies,
31:56
you guys ever look
31:56
at any of this over here?
31:58
I hope.
31:58
I'm making a list for you.
32:00
I'm starting a list
32:00
off for you.
32:02
You should be in prayer
32:03
for those things
32:04
that are happening
32:05
around the world.
32:06
I hope you know
32:07
more and more
32:08
people who are out
32:09
and beyond
32:10
that we can be praying for.
32:12
Praying for those things
32:13
that are happening
32:14
at home.
32:15
Our community outreach groups
32:16
are a place
32:17
that should be places of prayer.
32:18
You should be investing
32:19
in one another.
32:20
You should be remembering
32:21
each other throughout the week
32:22
and praying for one another
32:24
in this way.
32:27
Praying for others
32:28
shows a maturation
32:32
in your Christian life.
32:35
You know,
32:36
when we have babies,
32:37
those of you,
32:37
especially with really young ones,
32:39
we don't really expect
32:39
a lot from them
32:40
in the form of communication.
32:42
We get a whole lot
32:43
out of them.
32:45
Some of us will teach
32:46
our kids sign language.
32:48
They could tell us
32:48
simple things like
32:49
more,
32:51
thank you,
32:51
little sign language
32:52
things that we do.
32:53
They begin to develop
32:55
their words.
32:56
We want them
32:56
to be communicating with us,
32:58
but we don't expect
32:58
a whole ton
32:59
out of them
33:00
in that regard,
33:01
but we definitely
33:01
expect them to grow
33:02
in their ability
33:03
to communicate to us.
33:05
God wants to see the same.
33:07
Last Sunday evening,
33:09
we had our welcome home dinner.
33:10
If you weren't here,
33:11
I'm sorry.
33:11
It was a lot of fun.
33:12
You should have been.
33:13
And at the very end,
33:14
we were playing a game
33:15
called Inception Duck,
33:16
Duck, Goose,
33:17
where you have
33:17
a big game of
33:18
Duck, Duck, Goose going
33:19
and the people who get tagged
33:20
have to go to the middle
33:21
and then once there's enough people,
33:23
they get a game
33:24
of Duck, Duck, Goose going,
33:25
going the opposite direction
33:26
and pretty soon you have
33:27
these multiple games
33:27
of Duck, Duck, Goose.
33:28
It's kind of maddening,
33:29
happening in the middle
33:30
of the room.
33:32
And I was so very,
33:32
very thankful
33:33
that my sons decided
33:34
they wanted to play
33:35
Cade 5, Judah 3,
33:37
sitting in this big circle,
33:38
primarily of college students.
33:40
And everyone's running around,
33:43
going insane.
33:44
And I just jumped in
33:45
on the game
33:45
because Cade hadn't been tagged yet.
33:47
I know he was kind of
33:47
sitting there itching,
33:48
ready to go.
33:49
And so I tagged him.
33:51
We ran around the circle.
33:52
He caught up to me.
33:54
I let him catch up to me
33:55
and tag me.
33:57
Okay?
33:57
So I'm out of the game
33:59
and it's Cade's turn
34:00
to go around.
34:01
And I was so proud of him.
34:04
Beaming father,
34:05
my five-year-old,
34:06
decides to tag
34:07
his little brother.
34:09
So he tagged Judah.
34:10
And off he goes
34:11
and very clearly
34:12
let him catch him.
34:13
Like he very clearly
34:14
let Judah catch up to him
34:16
and catch him
34:17
to make Judah feel good
34:18
about the game.
34:20
It was a wonderful,
34:21
wonderful thing
34:21
to experience him
34:22
giving up winning
34:24
for the sake of his
34:25
little brother.
34:25
So that's Cade.
34:26
He's five.
34:27
Then Judah goes around
34:28
and I think,
34:29
I think was it
34:30
Hannah McDonald,
34:31
I think?
34:32
Oh, you want to hear?
34:32
I don't remember
34:33
who he tagged then.
34:34
He tagged somebody.
34:35
Judah did.
34:36
Did not try to let
34:38
be kind.
34:38
He was,
34:40
but at three,
34:41
I was really proud of him.
34:42
He was full,
34:43
he was leaning into it.
34:43
He was going as fast
34:44
as he possibly could go.
34:47
And the gracious person
34:48
he tagged
34:49
let him get back around
34:50
to the other side,
34:51
which was also wonderful
34:51
to see.
34:52
But there should be
34:53
this maturation, right?
34:54
Like,
34:55
cool for Judah
34:56
to full on out and go.
34:57
Right?
34:58
Great that Cade
34:59
grew up a little bit.
35:01
Thought of someone else
35:02
in this process
35:03
of this game.
35:04
We should be growing
35:05
in our prayer process.
35:08
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
35:09
wrote a wonderful book
35:11
called Life Together.
35:13
And he said this
35:13
of praying for one another.
35:15
A Christian fellowship
35:16
lives and exists
35:17
by the intercession
35:18
of its members
35:20
for one another
35:20
or it collapses.
35:22
I can no longer
35:24
condemn or hate
35:25
a brother for whom
35:25
I pray,
35:26
no matter how much
35:27
trouble he causes me.
35:29
His face that hitherto
35:30
may have been strange
35:32
and intolerable to me
35:33
is transformed
35:35
in intercession
35:36
into the countenance
35:37
of a brother
35:37
for whom Christ died.
35:39
The face
35:40
of a forgiven sinner.
35:43
So you see how
35:43
this perspective
35:44
even changes
35:45
in our life
35:46
together
35:47
in a Christian fellowship.
35:49
We need to be praying
35:50
for one another.
35:53
Turn to the Old Testament
35:54
book of Nehemiah.
35:56
I'm going to show you
35:57
an example.
35:59
A biblical prayer,
36:01
a record of prayer
36:02
that contains in it
36:03
all of these elements,
36:04
all of these things
36:05
that I've said.
36:06
Persistently,
36:07
watchfully,
36:07
thankfully,
36:08
and in an
36:09
intercessory fashion.
36:13
Nehemiah is after Ezra
36:15
before Esther.
36:16
That helps you.
36:19
If you only have
36:20
a New Testament with you,
36:21
you only have
36:22
one-third of your Bible.
36:29
Nehemiah is a Jew
36:30
living in exile.
36:32
Israel was punished
36:33
for their unfaithfulness
36:34
to God.
36:35
They were judged
36:37
by God
36:38
through a war
36:39
with Babylon.
36:40
Babylon came,
36:41
captured,
36:42
carried away.
36:44
This is now
36:44
some generations later.
36:46
Persia is now
36:47
the world power.
36:48
Power has shifted.
36:49
Persia has conquered Babylon
36:50
and Jews are now
36:51
living in exile
36:52
under Persian rule.
36:54
There have been
36:54
some Jews
36:55
that have returned
36:56
back to Israel,
36:58
but an edict
36:59
has been passed
37:00
by the current king,
37:01
King Artaxerxes,
37:02
in this state,
37:03
the son of the King
37:04
Artaxerxes.
37:05
He's passed this edict
37:07
that they cannot
37:07
rebuild Jerusalem.
37:09
Cannot rebuild Jerusalem.
37:11
But all the same,
37:12
it seems that Nehemiah
37:13
expects that those
37:14
who have gone back
37:15
would have rebuilt it anyway.
37:16
That they would have
37:17
disobeyed the command
37:17
of the king
37:18
and they would have
37:19
rebuilt Jerusalem
37:19
all the same.
37:20
Because he receives word
37:22
at the very beginning
37:22
of Nehemiah 1
37:24
that it hasn't happened yet,
37:26
that the city still lies
37:27
in shambles.
37:28
And I'll pick up
37:29
in verse 4.
37:30
Nehemiah writes,
37:33
As soon as I heard
37:33
these words,
37:35
I sat down
37:36
and wept
37:37
and mourned
37:38
for days.
37:40
Now he did so
37:40
because God's glory
37:42
in those days
37:43
was manifest.
37:45
It was seen
37:45
by how God's people
37:47
were doing.
37:48
Right?
37:48
By the wealth,
37:51
the might
37:52
of how God's people
37:53
were doing.
37:55
And so he
37:55
warns this.
37:57
Right?
37:57
Not because he cares
37:58
so much about the Israelites,
38:00
about his people,
38:00
but he cares about
38:01
God's name.
38:03
He goes on,
38:03
And I continued fasting
38:04
and praying
38:06
before the God of heaven.
38:07
Right?
38:08
You see the persistence
38:08
found in there?
38:10
He continues
38:11
fasting
38:12
and praying.
38:13
In fact,
38:14
he found out
38:15
in the month of
38:16
Chislev
38:17
and he addresses the king
38:19
you see at the beginning
38:19
of chapter 2
38:20
in the month of
38:21
Nisan.
38:22
This is roughly
38:23
four months.
38:24
Four,
38:24
four and a half months
38:26
that he
38:26
continues fasting
38:28
and praying
38:29
before the God
38:30
of heaven.
38:32
Verse 5,
38:32
And I said,
38:34
O Lord,
38:35
God of heaven,
38:35
the great and awesome God
38:36
who keeps covenant
38:38
and steadfast love
38:39
with those who love him
38:40
and keep his commandments.
38:42
You see the giving of thanks.
38:43
Right?
38:44
Like I know who you are.
38:45
I know how you interact
38:46
with your people.
38:47
He's thankful for that.
38:49
Verse 6,
38:50
Let your ear be attentive
38:51
and your eyes open
38:52
to hear the prayers
38:53
of your servant
38:53
that I now pray before you
38:55
day and night
38:56
for the people of Israel,
38:58
your servants,
38:59
confessing the sins
39:00
of the people of Israel
39:01
which we have sinned
39:02
against you.
39:03
Even I and my father's house
39:05
have sinned.
39:06
We have acted very corruptly
39:07
against you
39:08
and have not kept
39:08
the commandments,
39:09
the statutes,
39:10
and the rules
39:11
that you commanded
39:12
your servant Moses.
39:13
Do you see the intercession
39:14
on their behalf?
39:15
Praying on behalf
39:16
of the entire nation
39:17
of Israel.
39:19
Verse 8,
39:20
Remember the word
39:21
that you commanded
39:22
your servant Moses
39:22
saying,
39:23
If you are unfaithful,
39:24
I will scatter you
39:25
among the peoples.
39:26
But if you return to me
39:27
and keep my commandments
39:28
and do them,
39:28
though your outcasts
39:30
are in the uttermost
39:30
parts of heaven,
39:31
from there I will gather them
39:33
and bring them to the place
39:34
that I have chosen
39:34
to make my name dwell there.
39:37
They are your servants
39:38
and your people
39:39
whom you have redeemed
39:41
by your great power
39:42
and by your strong hand.
39:44
You see the giving of thanks
39:45
once again?
39:47
Oh Lord,
39:47
let your ear be attentive
39:48
to the prayer of your servant
39:50
and to the prayers
39:51
of your servants
39:51
who delight to fear your name
39:53
and give success
39:54
to your servant today
39:55
and grant him mercy
39:57
in the sight of this man.
39:59
He's referring to the king.
40:01
He's praying watchfully.
40:03
He knows what it is
40:04
and how it is
40:05
that he ought to pray.
40:07
And up in verse 6,
40:08
you'll see that he's doing so
40:09
day and night.
40:10
That he's physically
40:12
being watchful as well.
40:14
And the last verse,
40:15
verse 11,
40:16
ends,
40:16
Now I was cupbearer
40:17
to the king.
40:19
God had,
40:20
in his sovereignty,
40:21
placed him
40:22
to be a servant
40:23
to the king.
40:24
He drank the king's wine
40:25
to be sure that the wine
40:26
wasn't poisoned.
40:27
So he had access
40:28
to the king.
40:29
And you see in chapter 2,
40:30
the king asks him one day
40:31
what's bothering him.
40:33
You see a repetition,
40:34
a brief,
40:35
so I prayed
40:36
in chapter 2.
40:37
And then he spills it.
40:39
Ask the king to go
40:40
against this edict
40:41
that he had delivered,
40:42
which this was not a thing
40:43
that you asked a king to do.
40:45
For a king to undo
40:46
something he had done
40:47
would be to admit
40:48
his own fault
40:49
and his own failure.
40:50
So this is a major deal.
40:52
Nehemiah,
40:53
likely from
40:54
the human perspective,
40:56
stood to be killed
40:57
for the thing
40:58
that he asked the king
40:58
to do.
41:00
Falsify yourself,
41:01
is what he was saying
41:01
to the king.
41:02
Make yourself
41:03
less than you think you are.
41:05
You're not the king,
41:06
you're just a guy
41:07
who made a decision.
41:08
It was a bad decision.
41:09
This is an offense
41:11
that would have been
41:11
punishable by death.
41:13
And so he prays.
41:14
And he prays this persistent,
41:16
watchful,
41:17
thankful,
41:18
intercessory prayer.
41:20
And God gives him
41:21
great success.
41:22
He's able to return,
41:23
rebuild the wall.
41:24
Read the rest of the book.
41:24
It's one of my favorite
41:25
Old Testament stories.
41:28
So we see here
41:29
the prayer
41:29
of the new self.
41:31
We are to
41:32
pray persistently,
41:34
watchfully,
41:35
thankfully.
41:36
And we're to pray
41:37
intercessory prayers.
41:40
Secondly,
41:41
and in closing,
41:42
you see the opportunity
41:45
of the new self
41:46
in the last part
41:47
of verse 3.
41:49
That God,
41:50
pray for us,
41:50
that God may open
41:51
to us a door
41:52
for the word
41:53
to declare the mystery
41:54
of Christ
41:55
on account of which
41:56
I am in prison.
41:59
You see,
41:59
often in the New Testament
42:00
this idea of a door
42:01
equals opportunity.
42:03
An example of that
42:03
is in 1 Corinthians 16,
42:05
8 and 9.
42:06
Paul says,
42:06
but I will stay
42:07
in Ephesus
42:08
until Pentecost
42:09
for a wide door
42:10
for effective work
42:11
has opened to me
42:12
and there are many
42:14
adversaries.
42:16
So door equals opportunity.
42:17
So there's an opportunity
42:18
for the new self
42:19
which we see expressed
42:20
in Paul's life
42:22
even as he's
42:23
in prison.
42:25
And the overarching
42:26
exhortation here
42:27
is to seize
42:28
every opportunity.
42:31
You see here
42:32
that Paul is in prison.
42:33
He declares that
42:34
at the end.
42:34
We're not
42:35
100% sure
42:36
on which imprisonment
42:38
is happening.
42:40
Some commentators
42:41
will say it
42:41
with confidence
42:42
but we don't know
42:42
for a fact
42:43
that this is his
42:44
Roman imprisonment
42:45
but it likely is.
42:47
Most of the evidence
42:47
adds up to that.
42:49
So he's more than likely
42:51
in his Roman imprisonment
42:52
and he's seeing
42:53
that even this
42:54
is an opportunity.
42:56
His primary concern
42:57
is that he would be able
42:59
to declare
43:00
the mystery
43:00
of Christ.
43:03
How many of you
43:04
would ask
43:05
for others
43:06
to pray for them
43:08
found in such a situation
43:09
that they would just
43:10
be able to share
43:11
Christ
43:12
with those around them?
43:14
Seems to me
43:15
that most of us
43:15
would ask
43:16
that the church
43:17
would pray
43:17
that we be set free
43:18
from prison.
43:19
This is not where
43:19
I want to be.
43:20
This is not a situation
43:21
I want to find myself in.
43:22
Pray for that.
43:23
Pray for me
43:24
and the things
43:24
that are going on
43:25
with me.
43:26
But here Paul says
43:26
no, pray that I'll
43:28
have an opportunity
43:28
to share
43:30
the mystery
43:31
of Christ.
43:32
The mystery of Christ
43:33
as we saw earlier
43:34
in the book
43:34
is simply referring
43:35
to that which was
43:35
hidden in the Old Testament
43:36
but now is revealed
43:38
in the person and work
43:39
of Jesus Christ.
43:40
It's the gospel.
43:40
He just wants
43:41
an opportunity
43:42
to preach the gospel.
43:44
Open up this door.
43:45
Pray that God
43:46
would open it.
43:46
That I would have
43:47
opportunity
43:47
to do so.
43:50
Believers are to pray
43:51
for open doors
43:53
as it is God
43:54
who opens them.
43:55
It's God who brings
43:56
about these
43:57
divine
43:59
situations
44:00
where we are able
44:01
to preach
44:01
the good news
44:02
of Jesus Christ.
44:05
Revelation 3-7
44:06
describes Jesus
44:06
as the one
44:07
who opens
44:08
and no one
44:08
will shut
44:09
and who shuts
44:10
and no one
44:11
opens.
44:13
An example of this
44:14
is found in Acts 16
44:15
verses 9 and 10.
44:17
Luke records
44:18
that a vision appeared
44:19
to Paul in the night.
44:19
A man of Macedonia
44:20
was standing there
44:21
urging him and saying
44:22
come over to Macedonia
44:24
and help us.
44:25
And when Paul
44:26
had seen the vision
44:27
immediately we sought
44:27
to go on
44:28
into Macedonia
44:29
concluding that God
44:30
had called us
44:31
to preach the gospel
44:32
to them.
44:33
They took it
44:33
as a door
44:34
open for going
44:35
and preaching
44:36
the gospel.
44:36
If you read on
44:37
in Acts
44:37
there was a great
44:38
deal of people
44:39
turned to God
44:40
by their work there.
44:43
Paul's Roman
44:44
imprisonment
44:45
was not the end
44:46
of his ministry.
44:48
Just like wherever
44:49
you are now
44:50
is not the
44:51
preparing point
44:53
for your ministry.
44:54
If you are found
44:55
in Christ
44:55
if you are a disciple
44:56
of Jesus Christ
44:57
you are to invest
44:58
in the things
44:59
that Jesus Christ
45:00
cares about.
45:02
The redemption
45:02
of souls
45:03
the redeeming
45:04
of his church
45:05
the gathering
45:05
in of that
45:07
number.
45:10
The summation
45:10
of Paul's
45:11
Roman imprisonment
45:13
is found in Acts
45:13
28 verses 30
45:14
and 31.
45:17
Luke writes
45:17
he lived there
45:18
two whole years
45:19
at his own expense
45:21
and welcomed
45:21
all who came to him.
45:23
It was a house arrest
45:24
that he was under.
45:25
Proclaiming the kingdom
45:25
of God
45:26
and teaching
45:26
about the Lord
45:27
Jesus Christ
45:28
with all boldness
45:29
and without hindrance.
45:33
So there's this
45:34
wonderful opportunity
45:35
laid before him
45:36
and he has the eyes
45:37
to see that this
45:38
is the case.
45:39
God has brought me
45:40
by his good plan
45:41
and his good purposes
45:41
to this place
45:42
to share the gospel
45:44
to seize the opportunities
45:45
that God has placed
45:46
before me
45:47
and the same
45:48
is true
45:49
of us.
45:51
While we don't
45:52
find ourselves
45:52
in prison
45:53
UNG might feel
45:54
like a prison
45:55
it's a place
45:58
for you to serve
45:58
and to work
45:59
for the sake
46:00
of our King.
46:02
Colossians 3
46:02
1-4
46:03
This is the very
46:04
beginning of this
46:04
entire dialogue
46:06
that Paul's been
46:07
taking us to.
46:08
He says
46:08
if then you have
46:09
been raised
46:09
with Christ
46:10
if you are found
46:11
in Him
46:12
seek the things
46:13
that are above
46:15
where Christ is
46:16
seated at the
46:17
right hand of God
46:18
set your minds
46:19
on things that are
46:20
above
46:20
not on things
46:21
that are on earth
46:23
for you have died
46:24
and your life
46:25
is hidden
46:25
with Christ
46:26
in God.
46:27
And then verse 4
46:28
when Christ
46:29
who is your life
46:31
appears
46:32
then you also
46:33
will appear
46:34
with Him
46:34
in glory.
46:36
You see that the new self
46:37
is entirely reoriented.
46:39
We no longer serve
46:40
the world
46:40
we no longer serve
46:41
ourselves
46:42
but we serve Christ.
46:43
Christ
46:44
is our
46:45
life.
46:47
Paul certainly
46:47
saw this to be
46:48
the case.
46:49
Willing to go
46:50
anywhere
46:50
and always
46:51
seeking an opportunity
46:52
to share
46:53
the mystery
46:54
of Jesus Christ
46:56
and beloved
46:56
our lives
46:56
do not line up
46:57
to this
46:58
in so many
46:59
ways.
47:02
I want you
47:03
I want me
47:04
in the moments
47:05
of our days
47:06
as we walk out
47:07
into this next week
47:09
to be able to
47:10
echo
47:11
what Paul says
47:12
in Philippians 1.21
47:13
for to me
47:13
to live is Christ
47:14
and to die
47:16
is gain
47:17
because I get more
47:17
of Christ.
47:19
That we treasure
47:20
Him to the degree
47:20
that all that we do
47:22
is oriented
47:23
in that direction.
47:26
We're going to
47:27
hold verse 4
47:28
into next week
47:29
for the sake of time.
47:30
So let me
47:31
conclude with this
47:32
kind of summary statement.
47:35
As new creations
47:36
in Christ
47:36
we are given
47:38
great opportunity
47:39
to share Him
47:39
with the world.
47:40
The blessing
47:41
of getting
47:42
to carry out
47:44
His mission
47:44
in the world.
47:46
This ought to be
47:46
the great desire
47:47
of the redeemed.
47:49
To share the work
47:50
of our
47:51
Redeemer.
47:53
And as such
47:53
we should be
47:54
pressed
47:54
into prayer.
47:57
Asking,
47:57
pleading with God
47:58
that He would work
47:59
in our efforts
48:00
for the sake
48:01
of His name.
48:03
So pray
48:05
and seize
48:06
every opportunity
48:07
to experience,
48:10
proclaim,
48:11
and display
48:11
the supremacy
48:12
of Jesus Christ
48:13
in all things
48:15
to all peoples.
48:16
Let's pray together.
48:17
Let's pray together.