The Shepherd and Prayer

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Fellowship of Independent Reformed Evangelicals SE Regional Conference

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Want to record this myself if you don't mind did for our little congregation It's in but let me begin by saying this.
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I got a few scriptures. I'm gonna turn to then we're gonna really make track here. So Speaking of prayer now with me in prayer, please
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Our father and our God we bow in your presence And I want to say one simple prayer
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That was spoken as As it was told from Eli the priest great counsel
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To give little Samuel when he was first called as a young boy To say when the
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Lord would come and speak Speak Lord for your servant. Here's in Jesus name man
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Well, there's much to be said about prayer. Just very quickly. I'd like for you to turn with me and And then the reason
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I'm start I'll begin here is the gospel accounts of the Witnesses as you well know Matthew Mark Luke and John all four gospel writers speak much about The person and works of Jesus Christ.
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I believe that is the most important person we can look to and prayer Of course We cannot even dare compare or match even the greatest prayer warriors that lived
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Cannot even come close to the prayer life of Jesus Christ our master as you well know
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He put prayer as a priority in his life If you go to Matthew 14 chapter 14,
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I'm going to jump around very quickly now and look at verse 23 Verse 23 and I believe
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I'm in and When he had sent the multitudes away the scripture says he went up on a mountain by himself to pray
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And now when the evening came he was alone there That's Matthew's account there on there's many many more scriptures, but I'm just gonna point out a few here
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So you have Matthew? How about Mark go to Mark chapter 1 if you go to Mark chapter 1
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Look at verse 35 and we just saw in the evening and now in the morning
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Having risen a long while before daylight a long while that's he disciplined himself
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To get up way before the Sun rose before daylight He went out and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed
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There he prayed Luke's Gospel Go to Luke chapter 6
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Look at verse 12 Now it came to pass in those days as he went out to the mountain to pray and he continued all night in Prayer to God all night in prayer to God.
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This is before he chose the 12 Apostles Jesus says the Son of Man Son of God Son of Man here is presented in Luke we see much of his human side is humanity and And It's it's incredible what is given
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Luke gives us many more details about the prayer life of Jesus Well, let me begin by saying this with those with those scriptures.
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And what about John? John chapter so all you have to do is go to John chapter 17 the Holy Grail of the scriptures and you don't have to turn
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There but as you well know, that's you we see the high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ His high priestly prayer
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You know, these are troubled times we live in it's like Charles Dickens says in his classic book
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I won't bring the whole Quote to you, but a tale of two cities It was the best of times and the worst of times and that's the days we're living in today
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We're living in days of apostasy But yet at the same time ways are great and wonderful days that we just may be the generation to see the coming of Jesus Christ We we don't know exactly no one knows today or the hour
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Beware of the people that's out there setting these times and days and all this throw it out
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Jesus said no one knows but only the Father and heaven now Christ knows at that time
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As a man, he did not know that but he knows now as he makes intercession for the Saints at the right hand of his father but these are the best of times and the good good, but the worst of times and and We could say these these are also times that try men's souls, right you know, we we have just witnessed a downfall of a brother in the faith and everybody knows brother
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Stephen Lawson and we need to pray for him and his family that he Repents and is restored to the faith.
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I know we know we know that he's disqualified Himself for ministry, but he can be restored
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He can be restored if there's repentance genuine repentance and we pray for that don't we
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And it also causes us to search our own hearts because we are weak take heed least you think you stand you will fall
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Any wonder why we should pray? Jesus himself saw it important to make this a priority in his life
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To pray and if Jesus himself saw this as a priority how much more should each and every one of us
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Make it a priority to pray Especially pastors who shepherd the flock of God, you know as well as I do
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You need wisdom way beyond yourself we need wisdom heavenly wisdom to deal with the
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Sheep of God's flock and to help lead them and counsel them and guide them and point them to the
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Lord Jesus Christ and gently come along their side and and Gentleness as Jesus is meek and lowly in heart.
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We are to make be meek and lowly in heart gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit meekness Temperance self -control all those great fruit.
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It's a fruit and it's doesn't say fruits You can check me on this it's not plural it's like one cluster
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That's given to us by the Spirit of God. And if we need this we need to exercise discipline in prayer the first thing we should do is always go to God in prayer and I find myself doing this more and more as I Grow older is today as a hood.
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I'm another year older Lord teach me to pray.
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I'm still saying that and I've been converted since age 17. I'm still saying Lord teach me to pray Because the depth of it is just incredible.
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This is where Martin Lord Jones I got a lot of quotes for you this morning, but we're going to run through this quickly quickly as I can
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Martin Lord Jones said this to begin Herself To live the
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Christian life. He's speaking of herself the church If she did that men and women would be crowding into our buildings and they would say what is the secret of this?
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what is the secret and That's pretty much what Lord Jones is Christians One of the greatest need for us and is that had this for the
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Spirit of God to cultivate biblical godliness for our souls and exercise
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Godliness and and and by the way prayer is a discipline now, it should be more than a duty
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I used to think this is such a duty, but it is a duty But more as you see it as a duty, it becomes a delight to be in the presence of God How could we just pull away from that when
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God has made us to glorify him and enjoy him forever? Edward says how can you enjoy
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God now you if you cannot enjoy God now? And you're going to live for eternity.
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You got all eternity to enjoy him. This is God's dressing room for us and It's short
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Jane says our life is a vapor. It's a shadow. It's here and it's gone as you well know
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I'm another day a year older again I'm younger than some and older than some here, but at the same time
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I look at my life It's like a vapor and I'm think Lord. Don't you want every day? I think
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Lord I want my life to count for Jesus Give myself away Jesus was constantly just giving and giving and giving and grace and it comes through prayer and also we should as we
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Exercise and cultivate biblical godliness and in order to put the beauty of Jesus Christ on display
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Well, how does this happen? It's through prayer It's through prayer.
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Yes the preached word it Complements prayer but prayer complements preaching it kind of makes me think
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I was telling brother Ben this morning as a small poor Illustration, but if you like trains, I love trains these old coal burners
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Well, they especially like the old old ones, you know nowadays is all electric But if you go back in time you got these old coal burners
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Well, you think of coal is what made them things go, right? They're heavy they make heavy deliveries to deliver all the packages and what they have
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They had to have coal to make that thing go Makes me think it's Spurgeon He always said this and you will know ministers as Spurgeon was one of the great preachers of our times
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Back in years past and one of the great men of God. He had such wisdom
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He had gifts, but you know, he never trusted in himself and he trusted in the
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Spirit of God He would always say and someone came up to him one day, what's the secret of your ministry and he says my people pray for me
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He noticed that he did not say I'm gifted. I'm Great in eloquence. I'm a great preacher.
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I can speak eloquently. He says my people pray for me and He had a boiler room what they called it where men and women would pray as the service
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Would come to meet together and God's people would be together they were praying for Spurgeon as he preached the
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Word of God Don't we need this today? It comes by the preached
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Word of God and power and as brother Matt Rayburn Our has already mentioned to us preach the word and preaching that word is so critical that we dig into the
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Word of God and that's the way of beauty the beauty of Christ has put on display through the power of prayer and the preached word and Also our life our life speaks of that as well if there is ever a spiritual discipline that is lacking among pastors myself, by the way
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And if I'm pointing the finger there, I got four pointing here. I'm preaching to myself We need to make a prayer a priority spend time with God take time to be holy a footnote
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Here also as I present this message it's my utmost desire to encourage you in the faith and I like to begin with and This is gonna be tough as someone what
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I got to say here, but we need strong medicine strong medicines good for the soul So I'm preaching to myself.
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I want to start start with an admonition and then in with the exhortation I have four points and I think
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I'm in trouble with there because brother Matt mentioned three and I hear I'm a four -pointer. So Pray for me.
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So anyway we will try I'll try my best to get through these four points as We look at and look at this and I got something here to hold me by time
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Wow I'm already at 12 minutes. Look at that. So I need to get going the first example and Mention these four points.
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I'd like to look at is Samuel and why did I choose Samuel? Well, of course Jesus is first and that's why
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I mentioned those those scriptures from Matthew Mark Luke and John but Samuel is a
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Very godly example and a good example for each one of us and again, you can look through so many great patriarchs in Scripture You can go to back all the way back in Genesis and look at Enoch Well, not much is said about Enoch, but we know this he walked so close with God God translated
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Incredible in it God translated him. It took him to heaven You have Noah was a preacher of righteousness
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Abraham was the friend of God You have Moses was the meekest man on the earth the Prophet of God that knew
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God face to face and even saw God's glory You have the godly Job Patriarch Job in Scripture who suffered much under the sovereignty of God as God permitted
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Satan to get at him and strip him of and literally everything from his possessions his ten children
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By the way, he prayed for those ten children. Did you ever think about this that all ten children? He made sacrifices to God read in chapter 1 every single morning
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He made sacrifices because he he said I don't believe the text says something like that He was he feared that they would sin against the
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Lord in their hearts That he prayed for each one of those children. Look me God took him
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How he must have felt out from up offering up the soccer sacrifices to God for those ten children
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But as you well know after the trial was over the testing was over later on we don't know exactly how long it was, but it was for just for a season and You know the story of the book of Job Job is a wonderful book to look at on the sovereignty of God and suffering
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If you want to get a proper balance of suffering and the sovereignty of God the book of Job's it
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But Job is a great example to us as well. Now. I'm not gonna focus on Job. We go to Samuel and Why do
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I go to Samuel? Samuel is a wonderful example to us because as we will see
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He is both a priest and a prophet to Israel go with me to first Samuel chapter 12, please
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Samuel chapter 12 Very much like Moses by the way
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Moses being prophet, but there was times that Moses was like a priest He was like a priest in the prophet, but Samuel definitely
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Was prophet priest As you well know a little background on Samuel He lived at the end of the period of the judges.
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He ushered in the period of the kingship As you well know in the first part of Samuel Israel denies and rejects
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God as the king they wanted a king for themselves God lets them have a king.
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That's a judgment. God lets them go their way. That's a judgment and They were not very in tune with God's will but Samuel comes along and Samuel lived at the end of the period of judges and ushered in the period of kingship
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He was Israel's last judge according to 1st Samuel 7 6 and also verse 15 to 17
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He's the first prophet according to 1st Samuel 3 20 acts You can read about Samuel and 3 chapter 3 verse 24 and 13 20
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According to 1st Samuel 2 18 he functions as a priest and was a man of God and he's listed in the
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Hall of Fame of faith and mentioned there in Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32 Yet what stands out most in Samuel was known as a man of intercessory prayer
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He was a man of intercessory prayer and I think about being as Samuel Function as a prophet and a priest intercessor the the main task of the preacher along with preaching the word
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But it's in prayer and being an intercessor Raven He'll said this he says the greatest the greatest privilege in life is not to be a preacher
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It's to be it's to be a man and a woman of prayer and you know why he said that he said preaching
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Not to say God's God is chosen preaching. It is God's method to reach people
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But what he says this preaching affects time But prayer affects eternity
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It goes on and on and that's where the treasures in heaven
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I was laid up in heaven where moth and rust does not corrupt lay up your treasures in heaven.
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It is through Prayer and serving the Lord and all that we do so again
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They're not in competition Against one another they compliment one another now as you well know from verse 13 to verse 18 in 1st
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Samuel chapter 12 The people were demanding a king so God allows them to have a king.
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They chose their king whom they desired Why because it was stiff -necked and hard -hearted
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They wanted to have what they wanted and God let him have it according to Psalm 106 15 the psalmist says this and he gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul
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Now look with me to verse 14. I like to read 14 to 25. There's a lot here a lot here he says this if you fear the
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Lord and serve him and obey his voice and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord when Then both of you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the
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Lord your God However, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord but rebel against the commandment of the
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Lord then the hand of the Lord will be against you and it was Against your father's as it was against your father's now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the
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Lord will do before your eyes And he asked a question is today not the wheat harvest.
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I Will call to the Lord and he will send thunder and rain That you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great
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Which you have done in the sight of the Lord and asking the king for yourselves So Samuel called to the
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Lord. Here's a man of God. Look what he does. He calls to the Lord he prays and the
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Lord sent thunder and rain that day and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel and All the people said to Samuel pray for your servants to the
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Lord your God that we may not die They became fearful for we have added to our sins to evil of asking a king for ourselves
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And then Samuel said to the people and I pay close attention to these next verses do not fear
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You have done all this wickedness This is wonderful because you know, there's sin
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They've sinned against the Lord but listen to the loving -kindness of in these scriptures yet Do not turn aside from following the
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Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart And do not turn aside
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For then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver for they are nothing and Then he says this for the
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Lord will not forsake his people. What a great promise that is Didn't say it doesn't that say that Jesus would never leave us nor forsake us.
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He's our helper. Oh Wow He will not forsake his people.
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That's a promise Even all this wickedness and they chose a king God comes and there's hope and then he says for his great name's sake he and that's the reason why it's not because of anything of Them it's for his great name's sake
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Because it has pleased the Lord to make you his his people now, this is pastors
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This is the text. I want us to look at verse 23 moreover as for me
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Samuel speaks to himself here as he gives this admonition and rebuke loving rebuke and grace to Israel given the promises but yet not withholding the truth and telling them they have forsaken the
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Lord But God can restore them if they turn to the Lord Fear the
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Lord serve the Lord with all your heart not part of our heart all of it
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What does he say moreover ask for me be far be it from me.
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I Think of this far be it from David Far be it from Bill and Randy and Matt and all the other ministers here that served the
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Lord Far be it from us That I should sin against the
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Lord and ceasing to pray for you But I will teach you the good in the right way only fear the
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Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for Consider what great things he has done for you
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But if you would do it, but if you still do wickedly You shall be swept away both you and your king.
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What an admonition what an admonition But Samuel turns it on himself in verse 23
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Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord and ceasing to pray for you intercessory prayer
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Far be it from any of us that we should be on our faces that we would should pull away from Making this a priority to pray for God's people
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Especially in the days we live in today praying for the children Praying for the wives praying for the homes praying we should be there's much to pray about isn't it pastors?
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it makes me tremble to think of these things, but such a wonderful admonition that charges us to be more diligent and steadfast and faithful to our
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God in prayer My As a pastor and stands out must to you in This chapter what what speaks to you?
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It's verse 23, right? It's a solemn charge to us as pastors Be it far from me that I should sin against the
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Lord get that it is sin to hold pull back prayerlessness is sin and Any wonder why the scripture says and first Thessalonians Pray without ceasing
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Spurgeon says we're to pray without ceasing because we sin without ceasing John the
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Great Puritan John Owen and get ready for this one fasten your seatbelts He said this he that is more frequent in his pulpit to his people than he is in his closet for his people is but a sorry watchman
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I Can't say amen say ouch Wow That's convicting
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I When I first read that I said good night. I need to be on my face before God right now
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Well, that's convicting and but so important such an important statement shows that prayerlessness is sin and not just carelessness prayerlessness
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Greg Nicole's Ligonier ministry said this and I got a quote here He says if he points out prayerless a prayerless person is ungrateful because he does not thank
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God self -righteous Because he does not confess his sins to God self -centeredness because he does not ask
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God to bless other people presumptuous because he does not pray even for his daily needs irreverent because he does not praise
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God nor pray for his kingdom to come and Unfriendly to God because his prayerlessness is evidences that he does not enjoy being with God in quote
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So in conclusion in saying that if our heart is absolutely prayerless
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Prayerless then you and I are not a child of God as you well know is
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Saul of Tarsus when he was knocked down on the road to Damascus and he came to the Lord Jesus Christ And he was blinded three days was one of the first thing.
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He says he rises He says Lord. What must I do? and and an ass and an ass prays for him later on and Jesus says about him behold he prays
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Like the breath of a newborn child and to the kingdom When a child is born we so we're so thankful and glad to see this child breathing and crying
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Well, that's the way it is with a child of God. He breathes prayer He's into the he's born from above.
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He's praying. He's eternally eternity minded He's born from above he's born of God.
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So that's a sign of being born again. So a true believer has a praying heart He has a mind that loves to pray because he loves the
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God he prays to question is How can we improve in our prayer life?
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And I like if you never read it's a small little pamphlet JC Rao a call to prayer.
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How many of you read that? Amen, isn't it? Great It's so simple, but constantly page after page after page
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JC Rao says do you pray? Do you pray and every time he's asking that question and I'm reading that little pamphlet.
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I'm thinking wow Do I pray? Pastor do you pray child of God?
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Do you pray? Mother, do you pray father? Do you pray? Do you pray?
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That's the question. Are we praying? Well, there's four important points.
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Wow, I can finally get to my points By the way, these are not exhaustive But can be a help to all of us and it's by no means exhaustive
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But we also need to keep in mind what James says and one chapter 1 verse 22
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Be be doers of the word. That's what really counts, right? We need to be obedient for obedience is better than sacrifice
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Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourself. So the first point I would like to make here is prayer
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To a pastor the prayer life of a pastor and I'm speaking to pastors And it's a humble privilege because I'm walking on my own toes here
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I Don't know about all you other pastors that's prepared this message as I was preparing this message. I said, hey,
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I'm speaking to me This is to me and that's a privilege We have as we study the
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Word of God Amen pastors that the blessing falls on us and then we can pass that blessing to God's people
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But first if there's conviction Oh conviction to me as well But the first point
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I like to bring out is the life of a pastor is one of uttermost priority.
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It's one of priority Priority is really the key word Most pastors church leaders know this and we teach and preach and we give credence to the power of prayer corporate prayer
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Yet so often we neglect this critical discipline in our lives But it should be first and foremost and one thing
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I find in my own self and of course, I'm still by vocational I work pretty much 56 to 58 hours on a milk route now, and then
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I squeeze in time Between takes and here and there and we tried to redeem the time as much as possible
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To spend time with the flock and call them and touch base with them and pray for them Oh, I need to pray for them every day
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That's first and foremost But but here's something else we all as pastors need to be careful of is being so caught up in the busyness of ministry
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The good things that crowds out our prayer life with our Lord It's good to be a servant of the
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Lord and and I'm heading toward this and and and having a prayer life is not automatic
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It's it's basically manual It reminds me of the you know, we're all kind of spoiled on this most cars is automatic
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You don't see many manual shifters anymore do you but I like those old manual shifters But that's the way a prayer life is it's to shift with the manual and this takes labor and prayer saint
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It's it's saying in sanctification as well Look our regeneration our redemption our salvation is all paid for by the blood of the
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Lamb. Amen, and That's glorious. But but when it comes to sanctification, it's
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God that works in us first First there's nothing that could be worked out until it's worked in so when he works in his grace and salvation
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Now it's time in sanctification to work it out Work out your own salvation with what fear and trembling.
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Amen Fear and trembling now. Can I ask you this question? Is it not work to do that?
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But we need the empowerment of the Spirit of God Jesus says without me you can do nothing We need the power of the
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Spirit of God to help us and where we where do we get? Where do we gather this power? Yes, the Spirit of God abides within us in regeneration
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We have a new heart but to work that out There takes spiritual discipline day by day in the mundane the hard things the little things no matter what it is
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It takes exercise of discipline to pray and stay on our faces before God and We need to be watching
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Jesus said let me just add this to it. Not only praying Jesus says watch and pray
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That watching is critical too, isn't it? It's very critical but it's manual exercise thyself
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Paul says to Timothy rather unto godliness Sanctification praying is hard work any wonder why we back away from praying
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Because It's humbling its work its labor
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Look at Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane before he goes to the cross. This is where the battle was won
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He was on his face before his father in Gethsemane the oil with the wine press the
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Olive press and you almost think about he was being crushed for our iniquities bruised
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For our sins and he becomes the he's the Lamb of God Taken on our sin in on himself
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To become a curse on a tree and not only just the physical sufferings as bad as they they were
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But he was going to take the wrath of God himself all
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God's wrath all of our sin so that you and I Can have eternal life and that was purchased beloved, but where was the battle won?
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Gethsemane He took it to his father and he and as you well know as the master was praying
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His sweat became great drops of blood Oh beloved
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Think of that For you and me he took that sin upon himself
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As much more could be said there, but we should focus on Jesus Christ as the great master
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Intercessor The great high priest he won that battle in prayer beloved and Jesus knew and I really believe at that point
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That there was there was terrible temptation as it be began his ministry as The spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
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Look what the devil did He tried to tempt him to bypass the cross by the way to bypass suffering
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Don't you hear this today and so -called? pseudo fake Christianity Bypass the cross but a beloved, you know is this as well as I do.
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There's no crown Before us there's no joy before us unless there's a cross first And that's why
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Jesus says if you are my disciple to be my disciple, you must deny yourself Take up your cross and follow me
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And Jesus did not bypass that cross. He went all the way He said his face like a flint took it all the way
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But the battle was won in prayer at the end at the first of his beginning of his ministry at the end of his ministry prayer prayer
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As you well know as he went into the wilderness he was fasting 40 days praying
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Driven by the Spirit of God in the wilderness Well this much to be said there.
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Let me give you a few quotes here about Prayer John Bunyan said in prayer. It is better to have heart without words than to have words without heart
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Samuel Chadwick says prayer is the acid test of devotion Oswald chamber says prayer does not fit us for the great work prayer is the greater work
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Ravenhill I had to have a quote of Ravenhill here just to give you a little taste of this man It was a godly man. I don't agree with him and his view of sanctification, but I do agree with him many
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Aspects of prayer. He says no man is greater than his prayer life The pastor who's not praying is playing the people who are not praying or straying
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We have many organizers, but few agonizers many players and payers few prayers
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Many singers few clingers lots past lots of pastors few wrestlers many fears few tears much fashion little passion many are interferers few intercessors many writers but few fighters
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Failing here we fail everywhere Amen The pastor's tax is not small beloved.
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It's great. We are to be prayer warriors intercessors priests before our
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God and Savior beloved it comes down to priorities. Is this a priority and prayer is priority
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Is this a priority for you? You know the early church in Acts 6 4 is uh,
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I was Speaking to brother Rayburn about this the Apostles would devote themselves to what prayer and the ministry of the
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Word and as in the context as you well know the early church was growing and Even under great persecution
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God was adding. I love that God adds to his church We are to labor, but the main labor we are to do is first and foremost is prayer ministry service
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Hospitality no matter what it is. Everything is to be bathed in prayer the early church was growing and and And all the service was very it was become a huge burden on the
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Apostles and what did they do? You know what they did they appointed seven deacons to serve to help to carry the
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Apostles carried the load and what a blessing it is for pastors I meant to have deacons to help come along and serve tables and to serve
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God's people So why what why what's the reason so the pastor will have time?
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for what prayer and Study the Word of God so that he may study to show himself approved unto
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God that he may not be a workman that may Be ashamed that he rightly divides the word of truth
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See that's the purpose of having deacons is to come alongside to help the pastor the the elders of the church
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Whether he's lead elder or any elder the elder is to devote themselves to prayer
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Corporate prayer, but yes private prayer To the ministry of the word to prayer in the ministry of the word
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So that is the context but I love what Jesus said seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
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And all these other things will be added unto you seek ye first Seek ye first His righteousness his kingdom set a time each day each week
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Be locked in your study along with God seeking his face as David said in Psalm 27 7 and 8 here
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Oh Lord When I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me have compassion upon me
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And then he says this when you said seek my face My heart my heart not my mind, but my heart said to you your face
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Oh Lord, will I seek? As the old hymn says and I love this old old old hymn take time to be holy speak oft with our
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Lord abide in him Always and feed on his word make friends With God's children help those who are weak forgetting and nothing his blessing to seek
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So prayer must be a first priority in the life of the believer But especially in the life of a shepherd an elder a deacon
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Because of the task is great It is great That's why it's mentioned the
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Great Commission We're to make disciples. That's the command you notice evangelism.
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Is it the command? Even though we should be evangelistic but the command from our
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Lord if you observe it very closely is to make disciples and What to teach them to observe all that the
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Lord commands? But yes, we must reach them then we teach them these two priorities
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Studying prayer is critical to the pastor So you have the priority of prayer and it makes me think of Martha and Mary a man go to Luke chapter 10.
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Let's look at this very quickly. You are familiar with this Luke chapter 10.
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I love this because Much as could be said here verse 38 now it happened as they
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Went that he entered a certain village and a certain woman named Martha Welcomed him and her house, you know, let's see what she's doing.
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She's a servant. She shows hospitality She loves the Lord. Yes, she does
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And she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus feet in this so sweet and heard his word
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But Martha, but anytime you see a but I preached on this once that's a door hinge to Revelation and Scripture, there's always something important when
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God says but The door opens up. There's something here. We need to see it's like a door of Revelation opens up and here but Martha was distracted
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If I'm not mistaken the old authorized King James Version she was cumbered about with much serving
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But was it that service was wrong, but she put this as a priority over What Mary did she was at the feet of Jesus and Notice what she said it says and she approached him talking about the
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Lord and said Lord Do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
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In other words? I'm doing all the work. I'm tired. I'm washing all the dishes.
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I'm serving And what she's doing is good But Notice to her request therefore tell her in other words
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Lord. Tell tell Mary to help me. I Can't do all this work by myself.
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I need help Notice how Jesus graciously kindly Rebukes her and Jesus answered and said to her and he says her name just not once but twice
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Martha Martha you can just hear him in such a gracious way
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You are worried and troubled It's not us about many things
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And verse 42 is the point but one thing one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her she chooses
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To sit at the feet of Jesus to hear his word Should not that be a priority in our lives pastors
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Well, there's many more things I can say about that, but she was distracted in other words the literal
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Translation on that means she was dragging Martha was dragging around with much serving probably fussing about the details
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That really didn't matter She was a servant, but Mary was a worshiper and is it that the first priority that we're called to beloved
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Is to worship our Lord in spirit and truth to worship our Lord in the beauty of holiness to give to the
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Lord You know when we come to meet together assemble As God people cause every
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Lord's Day we come to give to the Lord a lot of times people come and you know Participate, but I think it's it's it's more than participation.
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It's it's a spectator. I'm sorry. It's basically we should be participating
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Worship is giving to the Lord blessing the Lord It's not to be just spectating
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Well much more to be said about that Charles Erdman said this while the master does not appreciate all that we
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Undertake for him. I'm sorry. He does appreciate what all that we do for him and undertake
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He knows that our first need is to sit at his feet and learn his will then our task
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Will she will we shall be calm and peaceful and kindly and at last our service may attain to perfections
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That of Mary When in a latter scene she poured upon the feet of Jesus the ointment of perfume which still fills the world that perfume how can we pass this to a lost and dying world the the aroma of a quite me spirit
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But you see the perfume how the radiate the radiant the the beauty of Jesus is
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Comes from the prayer closet spending time with Christ well, that's the priority the second is
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Pastors life is one not only a priority but public and private prayer You see if you look next to Luke 11 while you're out there at chapter 10
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Notice what it says in Luke 11 now it came to pass as he was praying in a certain place when he sees that one
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Of his disciples we don't know which one Said to him Lord teach us to pray
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Isn't that our hearts cry Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples
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And then he gives the model the blueprint of prayer And he says this and when you pray say our
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Father in heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
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Give us day by day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive everyone who is indebted to us and do not
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Lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one deliver us from the evil one All this is in prayer, and that's a blueprint by the way.
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It's not to be said just in repetition It is to be it's a blueprint a model of how we approach
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God And how we or how it's ordered Jesus everything that he has ordered is perfect and as you will see he then he goes on to speak about a friend who comes at midnight in verse 5 and he said to them which of you shall have a friend and Go to him at midnight and say to him friend lend me three loaves and a friend of mine has come
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To me and on his journey I have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within and say do not trouble me the doors now shut and my
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Children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give to you I Say to you though.
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He will not rise and give to him because he is his friend yet because of his
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Persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs and Jesus says this
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So I say to you ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you
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For everyone who asked receives and he who seeks finds to him who knocks it will be opened And I love this part of this what
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Jesus is speaking of if a son ask a bread from any father among you Will he give him a stone well of course?
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The answer is no What he's saying is our father is so loving and so caring over his own his own shit
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He desires to give what is good according to his will of course and Jesus just taught.
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This is the way you pray And he says or if he ask a fish will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
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Well, absolutely not Or if he asked for an egg with he offer him a scorpion
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Look at the look at the images that Jesus is bringing here Absolutely not if our children come and ask the
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Request will we give him you know think of that if they ask an egg we give them a scorpion
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The sting them well no and then verse 13 if you then and here's the point being evil
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Know how to give good gifts to your children This is so beautiful. How much more?
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How much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and that beautiful well there there's
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There is private prayer. There's corporate prayer Our our request to the
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Lord and still is as a disciple a lifetime learner of Jesus Christ as Lord teach us to pray
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Teach us to pray Well, there's a lot of bullet points.
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I like to give here under that heading Bullet points like number one Jesus commands prayer
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Matthew 18 through 20 Or two or three are gathered in my name He says there am I in the midst of them even though that's the context to that is church discipline
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But yet the presence of Jesus is still in the midst even if there is restorative church discipline
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Christ is in our midst Matthew 7 7 ask and it shall be given seek you shall find knock and it shall be
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Open to you and basically the context is saying ask keep on asking seek keep on seeking not keep on knocking
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Why because it's persistent prayer. It's the kind of prayer that does not give up Don't lose heart.
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Don't faint if you have a child that's astray from the kingdom of God. Don't lose heart pray
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God can do the impossible Great is our
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God Greatly to be praised Nothing's too difficult for him, right?
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Matthew 1819 if two or you shall agree on earth as touching anything they ask and it shall be done for them and my father
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Which is in heaven as surely doesn't mean whatever you ask out there. No, it's according to his will always what he desires
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Second Paul Jesus commands it Paul urges it Paul says in 1st
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Timothy 2a Desire therefore that men pray in every place everywhere lifting up. Holy hands
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Ephesians 618 with all prayer and supplication or their supplication means
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Strong crying of tears from your innermost being pouring out your heart to God Praying in all seasons in the spirit in the spirit.
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That's important. Isn't it? Not it. We can't pray in the flesh That doesn't please God only in the spirit
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Philippians 4 6 and everything by prayer and supplication with thanks with Thanksgiving Let your requests be made known to God Jesus commands it
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Paul urges it the early church practiced it The early church practice it acts 114 these all with one accord continues steadfastly in prayer
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Acts 4 31 and when they prayed the place was shaken wherein they gathered together and they were all filled with the
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Holy Spirit Acts 12 12 he came to the house speaking of Peter and there
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Were many gathered together were praying were praying I like what
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Thomas Watson said on that situation as they were praying Peter was in jail And he said and you know, the angel came and led him out of the gate
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God answered the prayer Peter comes to the door and they they were surprised.
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What are you doing here? Well, God answered their prayer that quick Watson said the angel fetched
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Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel and that encouraging
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Well, there's much more can said about that Matthew chapter 6 Jesus and the
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Sermon on the Mount speaks about public prayer, but there's times public prayer can be a form and A show just as he says it's not lip service that matters.
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It's heart That's why our heart must be in tune with God just as we pray as Bunyan said earlier our heart must be
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It's just not our words Even the Pharisees could speak great words Have you seen many people within the churches today that are very eloquent and it's not to say it's sin to be eloquent
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But they can have it all here and nothing here Tozer said
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You could be You could be straight as a shotgun a double barrel shotgun barrel
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But be empty We better make sure we're filled with God and that comes through prayer well as much much of he said
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I like what
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Jesus says most of all and If you look at chapter, you don't have to go there.
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But in in Matthew chapter 5, he talks about the differences between And he always strikes at the heart
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I'm just gonna just make a short note on this because I got to move on But Jesus was saying they love to pray standing
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They love to pray doing this and saying that and do but he says but you when you pray to your father
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What what are you saying enter into the closet and pray? When I was first converted to Christ I I read that I Literally did that I had to walk in closet and I went in the closet and got on my face before God That's I'm in the closet quiet place a quiet place before God well, the pastor the pastor's life is to be one of a prayer life is to be one of priority one of Public and private prayer.
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He's also to have passionate prayer Elijah is a good example of this and James Interested that this epistle closes with the theme of prayer
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James chapter 5 Word of God speaks about Elijah was a man of like passions verse 13 is
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Any one among you suffering we won't go into all that. So that's a sermon in of itself It's about the healing and praying for the sick
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But he says Call for the elders of the church. Let him pray. Let him pray.
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That's the first thing that is said pray That's the point every circumstance of life.
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We should go to the Lord in prayer when in trouble We should approach God in prayer in earnest prayer in times of rejoicing we should have our hearts and praise to him in prayer
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God desires to be brought into the Changing moods of our lives and all that we have and God is cares for each and every one of us as Jesus says even the hairs of your head are numbered that a
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Lot of people get terrified of that. God knows that much about me. He knows every think about the billions of people on this earth
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He knows all things instantly. It's not hard for him The hair at the number of the hairs the head but what
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Jesus is really saying there. It's just not his Omniscience that he's all knowing but he cares
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That's what he's saying He cares about you if he knows the number of the hairs of your head how much more he cares for you
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That's the context Well, God is all -sufficient as you already know, this is another message of itself.
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God really doesn't need any of us Because he's all -sufficient. He's all -powerful.
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He's all -knowing but aren't you glad he chose you Think of that he chose you before the foundation of the world
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And now here we are Worshiping loving following the Lord Jesus Christ My there's so much more
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I could be have he said about prayer Elijah I had in my notes here to go to the life of Elijah, but I don't have time for that But as you well know the prayers of a righteous man the effective perfect prayers of a righteous man avails much in other words the righteous man he speaks of Here is
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Example is Elijah. He prayed and in by the way, you say prayed again There was a drought after this
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Challenge on Mount Carmel and you see Elijah is very a real man and he's a prophet of fire
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We we look up to him so much as all the Jewish people did He was very
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John the Baptist was very very much like Elijah a prophet of fire But yet he was a man of prayer and his prayers were effective he prayed a
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Righteous man's prayers are effective. It's passionate. It's energetic and there's power in prayer
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It's incredible what can be done through prayer?
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well, I must um Well, I told you I promised you four points didn't I it's tough to get them four points because my time's gone
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Pastors prayer life is one of a priority one of private and public prayer
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Passionate praying last and final. I think this is the most important. This is application persistent prayer
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Persistent as you well know the parable and we heard a little bit of that of the Luke 11
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But if you if you go with me to Luke 18, I want to read this one. I Think this is so critical
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Jesus says this and then he spoke a parable to them and That men always ought to pray and not lose heart some translation says not to faint
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Not to lose heart not to give up. That's what he's saying. You do not quit We're not quitters
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We persist we go forward and he says and he gives a parable and there was a certain city a judge
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It did not fear God nor regard man Now there was a widow in that city and she came to him saying get justice for me for my adversary
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And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, though I do not fear God nor regard man yet because of this widow
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Troubles me. I will avenge her Least by her continual coming. She weary me.
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She did not give up squeaky wheel gets the oil, right? Then the Lord said Hear what the unjust judge said and shall not and shall
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God not avenge his own elect Who cry out there it is praying who cry out day and night
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To him though. He bears long with them and then he and and here's the question and here's the point folks.
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I Tell you that he will avenge them speedily Speedily that speed is no is not always on our time.
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It's God's timetable Hmm He and he will avenge them speedily
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Nevertheless now listen what he says when not if when? Christ is coming.
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Amen when the Son of Man comes Will he really find faith on the earth?
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Even when Jesus comes back And the final consummation we don't know when that is.
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There's a lot of talk about prophecy folks We should be watching and praying in evangelizing and serving
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I Think it's yeah study prophecy, but I think so many people get caught up with this prophecy
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They lose sight of the gospel the gospel message Watching waiting says that in Acts 1 when
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Lord when you're going to restore Israel. It's not for you to know In other words, he said get busy watch and pray
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Evangelize Go tell the world We should be persistent in our prayers
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Importunity persistent The Lord explained the disciples that if an unjust judge would act on and behalf of a poor widow because of her importunity how much more will the
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Justice just God of heaven of the universe intervene on behalf of his elect
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God hears our prayers as we sung earlier the elect God's people and he will avenge them.
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He will answer them This should be an encouragement to our soul beloved Because one day when
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Jesus Christ comes as you well know of and power and glory with all the holy angels
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The hammers of judgment will fall and God's Spirit will no longer strive with man and it will be over God's patience will come to an end
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But as of right now we have a task We are the church militant. We're not the church triumphant yet We long to go join the church triumphant But right now she's the church militant and being and you and myself
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Are part of this we are privileged to be part of this to labor to be a warrior for Christ To be on our faces before God and depend on the captain of our salvation to lead us all the way home
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Our Lord asked will he really find faith on earth? I ask you that questions
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Will he find faith in you? Will you be persistent? Will you not give up don't give up?
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be encouraged And you know, there's an encouragement here That you and I are not orphans.
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We're not left orphans. It's just on ourselves Jesus Christ himself the paraclete is a comforter
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He comes alongside us right he was as with the disciples. He was the paraclete
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He was the comforter and he was concerned about the disciples But you know, he says I'm gonna go away and when
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I do go away, I'm gonna pray to the father He's gonna send you another comforter Did you ever think of this that in Romans 8 26?
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But the Spirit himself enters seeds for us with groanings divine communications, which cannot be uttered too deep for language the
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Spirit of God himself groans He's our helper. He's the other helper
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So we just don't have one comforter we got two comforters Christ and the Holy Spirit praise to the
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Father our great high priest Lives to make intercession for us as our brother Beal mentioned at the opening of this service, but also the
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Spirit of God makes groanings intercessions and groanings which cannot be uttered
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So why not what I'm trying to say think about what before Peter fell and denied the
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Lord He says I'll go with you all the way Lord Jesus said you know
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Before the cock crows you had denied me three times Jesus said something else to him too.
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He said this Peter Satan has desired to sift you like wheat Think of this
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Jesus already knew this Satan has asked permission He's asked permission to sift you like a wheat like wheat just What's the encouragement?
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Jesus looks at him and says but There it is They open door of Revelation, but I have prayed for you
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What was the prayer that? Your faith would not fail
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Our faith and Peter was restored and then you go in the book of Acts this man with the other
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Apostles Helped turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ The same with us as well.
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Let me close with this William Carey one of my favorite missionaries
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He had battles William Carey Missionary labored as a missionary in India as you will know
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By the way for eight years before baptizing his first convert From Hinduism to Christ eight years before he saw his first convert
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And yet in those years Carey learned To live for the glory of God alone as he labored and prayed
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Even his dear wife went insane. I Can't imagine
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The heartache and the burden he felt but yet he had a burden for souls to reach in India He said this this is
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Carey's own words. I Feel that it is good to commit my soul my body and my all
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Into the hands of God and then the world appear little
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The promise is great And God an all -sufficient portion
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Joel Beakey says it's about Carey God's delay became marrow for Carey's soul
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That still happens today to believers when exercised in prayer even in persistent prayer
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God Stop God's silence. He is silent. They find more of God himself
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God is always greater and more valuable than his answers That's a that's a gym
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The greatest mercy is to find God Not his mercies
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Then we discovered that when we ask for silver God may wasp his silences in gold
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That doesn't perish May we Yet like Carey have a faith like missionary
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William Carey in Prayer as he would say to encourage us all expect great things from God Attempt great things for God Amen May God the
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Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be praised for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be the glory forever