Sunday, January 15, 2023 AM

But the Bible says, if I'm to love somebody else, I'm to be devoted to them in the right way, even when it costs me,

I'm to think more highly of them than I think of myself, that I'm to approach in a serving manner to love them.

It's the only way it works. And if that's the case, then I'm going to be thinking first and foremost for their good.

I'm going to think, how am I going to relate to this person? What is it that we do agree on? Let's start there. What do we agree on?

Let's find some common ground. I want to minister and love this person, talk with them, so I want to find some common ground, and in fact, even if it's hard for them to talk, if I find your favorite topic to talk about, you'll talk.

Even if you're a quiet person, if there's a subject matter that you like talking about, what is your favorite thing to talk about?

Now, in this, I just want to, if I'm going to try to love somebody else, those are the things that I'm going to be thinking about.

Now, from the lesser to the greater, certainly, if it's true, that my love for my brother or sister means that I'm going to not put myself first and put them ahead of me, to think about them first and them more than myself, how much more is that the fact of the matter when

I come to God in prayer? That I would not be putting myself first, that I would be thinking of Him first and Him most, that I would be fearing the

Lord as I come to Him in prayer. How does that square with Jesus' instructions that we are to come as needy children to a

Father? Sometimes, children come to parents repeatedly and often asking for stuff because they're putting themselves first, right?

I have detected discomfort in my existence. Fix it,

Father. Fix it, Mother. I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm cold. I'm thirsty. How do we square this generous invitation to come to our

Heavenly Father and to pray to Him for our needs, recognizing our weaknesses, coming to Him and proving

His strength and Him showing His faithfulness time and time again? How does that square with us loving

God and fearing God, not putting ourselves first? Not coming time and again with some sort of presumption or assumption that, hey, it's your favorite person again, the one you're most concerned about.

Just why is God our Father? Because of Christ.

Because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That's why we can call God Father. I asked earlier, you know, what can we agree on?

If you're going to try to relate to someone. Let me ask you something. Where is our reconciliation with God as Heavenly Father?

Where is it where we come together in agreement? Tyndale's beautiful English word, at -one -ment.

The atonement is in Christ. What is God's favorite topic?

What does the Father go on and on and on about through the Holy Spirit in His Word? His Son, Jesus Christ.

I want to look again at this passage. And yes, we are encouraged to come as weak children in need to pray to an all -powerful

God who definitely answers with all of His sovereign power. But I want you to see that the content, the vast majority of this text, is about the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

I want you to see how it is that they come and they pray, and it's not about them being the most important.

It's not about Peter and John arguing about who's the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven anymore. They know who the greatest in the

Kingdom of Heaven is. And they come in prayer as weak and needy children, but they come talking about where they have their reconciliation with God and what

God is most favorable about, and that is

His Son, Jesus Christ. Let's look at the content of the prayer. Let's begin reading in verse 25.

They address the Lord and they say, Who, by the mouth of your servant David, you have, by the mouth of your servant

David, you have said, Why do the nations rage, and the people plot vain things?

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.

For truly, against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both

Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever your hand and your purpose determined before to be done.

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your word, by stretching out your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy servant

Jesus. Now, it is a good observation, and I think it is healthy, a healthy form of discipleship, and perhaps you've shared this with others, that when you do not know how to pray, of course we do have the promise of the

Holy Spirit ministers and intercedes for us with groanings too deep to be uttered, but if we ourselves are at a loss of how to pray, that sometimes it's best just to pray the word of God.

Can we not find expression of faith and true expression of how we feel about God and love the

Lord, and yet are in dire straits? Can we not find adequate expression in the word of God? Of course we can.

It is good to pray the word of God. Look here, the church as they gather together, with one accord and unison, they are praying, and they pray the opening lines of Psalm 2.

Psalm 2. Now, who got threatened? Well, Peter and John got threatened, by extension, the rest of the church.

They've been called to preach the gospel, to the good news of the kingdom. Who's the king? Jesus Christ is the king.

He's on one way to the Father, and that's through the Son, Jesus Christ. Forgiveness of sins, preached to everybody they could get a hold of.

And now they've been threatened, by the very ones who crucified

Christ, and raged against Him. So, what do they think of? They do not quote Psalm 2, and insert themselves into the text, as if they are the main character.

They quote Psalm 2 and pray before the Father, and they keep the main character, the main character, and that is, of course, the

Lord's Christ, His anointed. Let's turn over to Psalm 2. I think it will be helpful.

Psalm chapter 2. A passage that is oft quoted, in the

New Testament. Familiar words, as it begins.

Why do the nations rage? The word there may be translated,

Gentiles. It's the Hebrew word, goim. It's not just political nations. We think of politics all the time.

These are just different people groups, with their different tribal languages, from their different areas upon the globe.

Why do all these different ethnicities, why do all these different people groups, why do all these different tribes, with their various dialects, why, why, are they thronging tumultuously?

Why are they making such noise? Why are they so upset?

Why do they plot a vain thing, an empty thing, a useless thing? What's going on?

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against, the kings of the earth are against, the rulers are against the

Lord, and against His anointed, His Messiah, in the Hebrew, His Christ, in the

Greek. They are opposed to Christ, they are conspiring against Christ, and they say what?

Let us break their bonds in pieces, and cast away their cords from us. When Christ came preaching,

He said, the time was fulfilled, read Daniel, right on the dot, right on the money, right on the date, welcome to the beginning of the 70th week, right on the money,

Jesus shows up and says, the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.

What kind of gospel is this? Good news, God's selected chosen servant,

King of kings and Lord of lords, has arrived, His chosen ruler is here, time for everyone to submit.

He comes preaching and He says, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, it's within reach, hi, I'm here, time to submit.

The nations rage and say, let us break their bonds in pieces, and cast away their cords from us. We will not have this man rule over us, was the response.

He who sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall hold them in derision, then

He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure, yet, nonetheless, nevertheless, even so,

I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion. Do you see what the church is praying here and acts for?

It's worth going ahead and reading the rest of Psalm 2, right? Keep on reading. Why is that? Because the

Holy Spirit does not take passages out of context. Holy Spirit is not proof texting here.

So the whole Psalm matters. What kind of confidence does the church have? How are they seeing

Jesus Christ? What are they saying about His status? They're saying that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the

Christ. And yes, the kings of the earth set themselves against Him and the rulers took counsel together against Him.

They conspired against Him and they tried to deliver themselves from His authority. But He who sits in the heavens laughs.

You see, their thrones, notice the kings of the earth, so where are their thrones? They're attached to the ground.

But the one whose throne is in the heavens, this is not a comparison, this is a contrast.

He has all power. In fact, you know, He laughs. All you did was exactly what

I ordained for you to do. That's the sovereignty of God. They hated the

Christ. They conspired together to kill Him. And He who sits in the heavens laughs. You just did exactly what you wanted to do.

But in fact, you accomplished My will and My purpose in bringing about salvation for sinners. So He laughs.

He says, For all of your efforts, you have not succeeded. Yet I have set

My king on My holy hill of Zion. The church is praying this in Acts 4.

Now, they were just up at the temple and the Sanhedrin was telling them what's what. Sanhedrin was threatening them, saying,

Hey, we're the ones in charge around here. Chief priest and his whole family was there. Like the whole priestly mafia was there.

They're saying, Do you know who you're messing with? We're going to take you out. You keep on talking about this

Jesus. They say, We're the ones who are large and in charge. And then the church gathers together and they pray and they say,

No. King Jesus is on the holy hill of Zion. He's ruling and reigning even now.

Hebrews says, This is a mountain that cannot be touched. Meaning, it's not a throne that's attached to the earth that can be shaken.

It is a heavenly throne. Our Lord has gone to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

And his rule and reign is felt in the here and now. And we are to submit to him. I will declare the decree the

Lord has said to me, You are my son. The royal title. You are my son. Today I have begotten you.

Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.

You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. When God called

Israel up out of Egypt, you know what he called Israel? My son. You know what he said in Hosea out of Egypt, I have called my son.

You know what he told his son to do? You're the one I have ordained and I have orchestrated for you to go to the land of Canaan, the land that I give to you.

And all the nations in that land are yours to bust up, to bring judgment.

I've been patient for 400 years with these Amorites and they have not repented though they had the witness of Abraham and Melchizedek and all of these generations of witness.

They have not repented from their idolatry. Therefore, you are my son. You are my chosen servant. You're going to go in there and you are going to break them with a rod of iron.

Dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel. And as a big deal as that is, Israel is just a shadow.

Christ is the substance. Israel is the type. Christ is the anti -type. Israel is full of promise.

Christ is the fulfillment. God does not give to His Son a little sliver of land just east of the

Mediterranean. He gives Him everything. All of it belongs to Christ.

He is the heir of all things, Hebrews says. And that includes not simply a collection of nations called the

Canaanites, but all the nations are given to Him. He's King of kings.

He's Lord of lords. And they all belong to Him. And He is in charge. Now, therefore, be wise,

O kings. Now, therefore, be wise, O kings. Be instructed, you judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son. Do homage to the Son. Bow the knee to the

Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him. Here's the situation. God has placed His Son, King of kings and Lord of lords, upon Mount Zion.

Hebrews observes that we don't yet see all in submission to Him, though we know it's going to happen.

Not all is in submission to Him yet. In the meantime, the inevitable on the horizon.

O kings, O judges, everybody, recognize who is the King. You have a moment. You have opportunity to repent.

You have opportunity to submit yourself to the King. How blessed are all who find refuge in Him. That is the way that after Christ opened the eyes of His disciples to understand the

Scriptures, this is the way that after the Holy Spirit has come so that the

Church reads the Law and the Prophets and the Writings with an unveiled face, they see

Christ in His glory in Psalm 2. The content of their prayer is the supremacy of Christ.

They see Him as the fulfillment of God's promises. When we pray the Scriptures in our prayers, let us not take the

Holy Word of God and then twist it so that we can insert ourselves as the main character and pray as if we ourselves occupy the right hand of the

Father. Christ is at the right hand of the Father.

When we pray the Word, let us pray the fulfillment of God's promises in Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 1 beginning in verse 19 says, For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me,

Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in Him was yes.

Just yes. All the way. No qualifications. None needed.

For all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him, amen, to the glory of God through us.

Now, He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the

Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Yes.

When we're going to pray, when we're going to rightly relate to our Heavenly Father, we know it's not adequate to remain as infants only crying and wailing and calling out for my next meal.

I need to be changed. Put me down to bed. I need everything. It's not fitting that we remain there.

It is fitting we begin there. We should always crave the Word of God as infants crave their next meal.

But it's not fitting that we should remain infants, but that we grow and we mature in Christ to relate to our

Heavenly Father in a more full and mature way, so that we recognize where it is that we can be in agreement.

Where is it that we have our at -one -ment, our reconciliation? What is it that is

His favorite thing to talk about? What is His goal? What is our Heavenly Father's purpose?

What is His plan? How do I fit in that? Now notice, notice that the church is recognizing how their particular moment where they're being threatened and the needs that they have, the goals that they have to achieve in preaching

Christ, and yet there's the threats, how they situate themselves in light of Jesus Christ as they pray to the

Heavenly Father. They recognize that Christ is the foremost in God's purposes, right?

The realization of Psalm 2, the fulfillment of Psalm 2, the nations that were raging, the people plotting the vain things.

Well, this is Pilate and Herod, and this is the Romans and the Jews that are against the

Messiah. But you arranged all of it to accomplish whatever your purpose was determined beforehand.

And this time and again is the testimony of the Scriptures that when we see God's sovereignty most clearly displayed, it is in connection to Him accomplishing

His purposes in Christ. Ephesians 1 would be a fascinating meditation.

Think with me about some of those bumper sticker passages which can be so encouraging, or the knick -knack passages, you know, the ones hanging on the wall.

Romans 8, verse 28, and we know that all things work together for good.

Well, the bumper sticker just ended. The knick -knack might go on.

Now, we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

If you're confused about His purpose, there should be no confusion. His purpose is revealed in Christ. For those whom

He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Remember that we were made in God's image.

To love God supremely and love each other rightly and to steward this creation in righteous dominion. But Adam sinned,

Adam and Eve sinned, and they fell into constant rebellion against God.

How is it that we can ever love God supremely again? How is it that we could ever relate to one another rightly again?

How is it that we could ever have a non -idolatrous proper dominion over this created order ever again?

Who will save us? Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible

God. And when we are conformed to Him, that's when we love God supremely.

When we are conformed to Him, that's when we love each other rightly. When we are conformed to Him, that's when we relate to the created order in just the right fashion.

He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. First rank, right in the front, getting all the praise, getting all the glory, getting all the attention.

And there's much more to say in Romans 8. Colossians 1 is the same way. The foremost in God's purposes is

Christ. And so we see that they recognize Jesus Christ, that He suffered at the hands of His enemies.

They see that He is God's chosen servant. A word that takes up the 66 chapters of the prophecy of Isaiah and compresses them into a glittering beautiful jewel, the title in the crown of Christ that says servant.

And they say, He's your chosen servant. And we recognize that He suffered at the hands of these same enemies that are threatening us.

And they pray accordingly. They see their suffering in light of Christ's suffering.

They see their service in light of His service. They recognize that Christ is the foremost in God's purpose.

Here's how it breaks down practically. One of the mothers there gathered together for that prayer meeting hears that the

Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews that has power, especially in Jerusalem but throughout Judea, has said,

You better not preach or teach in the name of Jesus ever again. And she knows her husband's going to.

So what's going to happen? What's going to happen to the family? What's going to happen for their next meal?

What's going to happen to the children? She knows she is going to be preaching the gospel of Jesus, the good news that Jesus is

King to her babies from sun up, sun down. Right?

No babies. We don't do it that way. Christ is King. Christ is King. That's why we do it this way.

Mommy, why don't we wash our hands like we used to? You know, 24 times a day. Because Jesus is

King, baby. That's why. And He's risen from the dead. He's ruling and reigning today. Well, didn't the

Sanhedrin say you better not ever do that again or else we're going to ruin your life? So, how is the prayer then offered to the

Heavenly Father? It's not, the current tyranny has me uncomfortable.

Please restore my comfort. No. The current political issues of my day is really holding me back from feeling safe and secure.

Would you please restore that to me? No. That's making yourself the center of God's purposes.

What's the prayer? The prayer is, look, we have been commissioned to declare that Christ is King and to teach in His name and to preach in His name to everybody everywhere.

And this promise is for us and for our children. So we are going to obey. God, we need your help.

Deliver us from our enemy. Frustrate their purposes. Show yourself as powerful.

May your name may the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, may the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread so far, so fast, so high that they can't do anything about it.

You see how they pray? It's not about my personal situation as much as it is how

I am and they recognize themselves as the slaves. Verse 29,

Grant to your slaves that with all boldness they may speak your word. This is about us in service to Christ.

They see their need in light of the kingdom. Didn't Jesus say, Seek first the kingdom of God and then these other things will be added to you?

You see, He's the focus of our prayers. He's the focus of our prayers. So that's the content of the prayer.

Where do we, thinking of God first and thinking of God most, where is it that we come together with Him in agreement and reconciliation?

What is His favorite thing to talk about in His word? Is it not His Son, Jesus Christ? So that's how we're going to pray.

That's how we're going to pray. And now the answer to prayer in verse 31. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the

Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness, just as they asked for. So, God answered.

The reason for the prayer is the weakness of the saints. The object of the prayer is the all -powerful God. The content of the prayer is the supremacy of Christ.

And the answer to prayer is the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the

Holy Spirit. So we see how it's answered. The place where they were assembled together shakes and they're all filled with the

Holy Spirit and they go out and they proclaim the word of God with boldness. Now, it sounds a lot like Acts chapter 2 at the very beginning, does it not?

Acts chapter 2. Remember that they've been instructed to wait in Jerusalem until they are endowed with power from on high so that they can go ahead and obey the instructions that Christ gave them.

Don't go. You're going to need to go, but wait. Before you go, you need power from on high.

You need the Holy Spirit. So, Acts 2 verse 1. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the

Holy Spirit. That sounds like the end of Acts 4. And began to speak with other tongues as the

Spirit gave them utterance. And what that manifested into was a bunch of Galileans with thick accents speaking in languages they had never learned before.

And those who had been gathered from the Diaspora back to Jerusalem were confused hearing the gospel preached in their heart language by Galileans.

Now that's confusing. When Peter explains it, he says, Welcome to the new covenant!

Right? So here, at the end of Acts 4, we have a similar moment. God empowering

His people by His Spirit to do the thing that they are called to do. Now, let's think about the beginning of our story in Acts 3.

The temple showdown, how it all began. Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer.

Our story concludes with an hour of prayer. They go up to the temple and they find it powerless to help the man who was born lame and full of those who would shut down the preaching of the gospel.

But now here they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, why are they filled with the

Holy Spirit? Why is the Holy Spirit directing His special presence and empowering presence in and amongst them?

Why there? Why is God making Himself manifestly, apparently, specially present there among them?

Rather than in the Holy of Holies up the hill. Why with them? Because, you see, it's a temple showdown.

Which temple is it? Remember the debate from the

Samaritan woman? Ah, well, we worship in this mountain and the Jews say we should worship in that mountain over there and Jesus says,

Wrong! No! No! The day coming and now is when those who worship

God must worship Him in spirit and in truth for God is spirit. And the Holy Spirit shows up amongst the church.

Why is that? Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? Do you not know that your body is the temple of the

Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own? Do you not know that in Christ the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the

Lord in whom we are being built together for a dwelling place of God and the Spirit? Do you not know that we are living stones being built up into a spiritual temple?

Do you see what just happened? Peter and John go up to the temple, the old covenant temple, at the hour of prayer.

Here, in this hour of prayer, we see the Holy Spirit not present at the old covenant temple filling that place and shaking that place and showing powerful approval in that place, but here amongst the people of God, amongst the saints, amongst these

Christians because here is the temple. That's why the Spirit is filling them. When Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer, they meet a man who was born lame and they prophesy to him and they proclaim the truth to him in the name of Jesus.

They continue to do so and they are preaching for three hours in the temple grounds. They are confronted by the

Sanhedrin that they should not teach or preach in that name anymore although they did it to the Sanhedrin.

They have now gathered together and they pray in the name of Jesus Christ. By the way, that is not a magic formula.

If you pray whatever you think sounds great and then try to, you know, put in the name of Jesus at the end, it doesn't make it perfect or holy or better.

The whole point of confessing, of acknowledging I am praying in the name of Jesus means I am praying in agreement with God.

Jesus is the one by whom I have God as Heavenly Father. Jesus is the one about whom

God is favorable. So, also, the man born lame is healed and is a powerful sign, a powerful wonder and everybody gets really excited at the end.

Here, they pray, God, could you do some more of that? We need more powerful signs and wonders to prove the reality of the risen

Christ. So, you see how the beginning of the story and the ending of the story is echoing one another.

Also this, when they address the man born lame as he is looking to them for some sort of donation, what do they say?

Silver and gold we do not possess. And here, when they prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken.

That doesn't sound like those go together like the other ones do, but they do. Haggai chapter 2 verses 5 through 9.

According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you, do not fear.

My spirit remains among you, do not fear. How does the spirit, the word that he covenanted with them when they came up out of Egypt was what?

Moses said, don't, do not abandon us. You have to stay with us. You can't leave us. And God says, okay, fine.

I will dwell in the midst of my people. How did he do that? At the tabernacle. Right?

At the tabernacle. And, but that's not going to change.

That's going to change. Something else is going to happen. Verse 6, For thus says the Lord of hosts, Once more, it is a little while,

I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and the dry land. Remember, the

God of, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is in them. He's going to shake all nations.

Verse 7, I will shake all nations. Remember the nations of Psalm 2. And they shall come to the desire of all nations.

Should be capitalized in your text. It's the name of Christ. And I will fill this temple. They will come to who?

They're coming to a person named the desire of all nations. And then God says, I will fill this temple. Referring to who?

Referring to what? Referring to the desire of all the nations. That's where the nations gather. Didn't Jesus complain to the chief priests?

My father's house is to be a house of prayer for all nations and you've turned it into a den of thieves. They confront him.

By whose power and authority are you doing these things? And he says, destroy this temple in three days. I will raise it up again.

He's saying, I am the temple. Where did he get that from? Haggai chapter 2. And I will fill this temple with glory, says the

Lord of hosts. And why do Peter and John have no silver and have no gold? Verse 8, The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the

Lord of hosts. Peter and John have no silver and gold because they're not going to come up and beautify the old covenant temple.

They're part of the new covenant temple. And that's a whole different thing. It's about Jesus Christ and the glory that he has and how he gathers all the nations to himself.

The glory of that latter temple, this latter temple, shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place,

I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts. Genuine peace, reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, communion, unity of people that have no business loving one another, all in Christ.

Do you see the connection? I will shake all nations.

The silver is mine and the gold is mine. In the context of Haggai's prophecy of the new covenant and a new temple centered around the

Messiah, the statement is made that the silver and gold belong to God and I'm going to shake things up.

So when Peter and John go up to the temple, silver and gold, we have none. When they get back from the temple and they gather together as the church and they pray that God will do

His work by His Spirit, He shakes the place confirming His promise.

Confirming His promise. The word to the people in Haggai's own day was not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, says the

Lord of hosts. Will the temple be built? And so the people gather The people gather.

They know they've got a big job to do. They've got to preach Jesus Christ as King to all the nations beginning there in Jerusalem.

They know they've got obstacles in their way. They've got people who hate Christ and hate them and they're threatening them. But they go to the

Lord confident of His sovereign power, that His purposes are wrapped up in Jesus Christ. He's not going to let those purposes fail.

And they're bowing the knee to Christ and finding refuge in Him. So they are very blessed. And they pray for God to give them power by the

Holy Spirit to do the job that God has called them to do. And He confirms that indeed He shall by shaking the place in honor of His promise in Haggai 2.

Now back to the way we pray. Back to the way we pray. When Jesus taught

His people to pray in Luke, Luke's first volume, He said,

Pray to God like you would to a father. He looks at the fathers around Him and says, You being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children.

He said, Even so, He says in Luke chapter 11 verse 17, So my Father will give to you the

Holy Spirit. And so it is. When we need strength, when we need wisdom, when we need grace, when we need help, when we need power to obey and confidence and boldness to overcome the fears and the challenges and the struggles of living before the face of Christ as our

King and declaring and heralding the facts of His kingdom and promising the forgiveness of sins in His name.

When we need power to overcome those things, what do we pray for? We do not pray for the mere alleviation of the difficulties.

We pray for the power of the Holy Spirit. And so according to God's supply and according to God's will,

His purposes shall be accomplished. Let's pray together. Father, we come before You today and we recognize how needful we are.

We thank You that You show us these difficulties that are faced by our brothers and sisters long ago, how we relate to them today, how these same concerns are often the focus of our lives.

Father, we thank You that You always accomplish all of Your purposes and fulfill Your promises in Your Son, Jesus Christ.

And You have not left us orphans, but You have sent us the Holy Spirit by whom we cry out, Abba, Father, to You.

And we ask that You would empower us by Your Holy Spirit to do the things that You have called us to do so that as we proceed it will be according to Your strength and for Your glory.