New for September...Sermon Series on Prayer
Dr. Barry Scott will be starting a sermon series on prayer in September. He will use the model prayer of Jesus known as the Lord’s Prayer. Each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer will be a focus of a message on the different components of an effective prayer life. The Lord’s Prayer is a model for authentic communication with God. This prayer may be brief, but it packs a wallop. As we study it and delve into its meaning, we’ll learn some of the greatest truths we will ever acquire. We will find that this prayer is at the very heart of who God is and what he longs for His Children to be. The first message in this series will begin Sunday, September 9 and is entitled “The Sin of Prayerlessness.” Messages to follow include: Here Is the Way To Pray, The Blessings of the Father, Praying to a Holy God, Praying for the King to Rule, Praying for the Father’s Will, Bread for the Journey, The Need for Forgiveness and Forgiving, Praying for the Father’s Protection, and Prayer’s Shout of Acclamation. Be in prayer for this special series that it will be used of the Holy Spirit to move our congregation to becoming a prayer centered church in our approach to ministry.
The Sin of Prayerlessness
I Samuel 12:18-25
September 9
Introduction: Sins fall into 2 great categories. Sins of Comission—doing! Sins of Omission—not doing! The greatest sin of omission, the most serious sin perhaps of God’s people is prayerlessness
God desires that this church will one day be known not just for its missions, its programs, its friendliness, its location, its name, but for its passion for prayer.
Let us examine why prayerlessness is a serious sin of omission and at the same time receive encouragement about prayer’s power.
1.Prayerlessness is a sin against God on several levels.
- Through prayerlessness the cross of Christ is despised and belittled.
- The great highway of prayer was opened by our mediator, Christ.
- The right and privilege of prayer came at a great cost
- The cross assures our access to the throne of God.
- Prayerlessness is a serious sin because we spurn God’s offer of friendship and grieve the Holy Spirit.
- There is really only one test of our prayer life. Do we want God?
2. Prayerlessness is a serious sin because it deprives the church. - Prayer is the means to receive answers and blessings
- Bible is full of encouragement to pray.
- We need to pray privately, but sin by not praying together as a church.
- The book of Acts is a prayer manual of the early church.
- When we work, we get what we can do, but when we pray we get what God can do.
3. Not only is the church deprived, but others are deprived by prayerlessness.
- Samuel asked to intercede for another and he took that very seriously
- We need to pray for each other.
- Our evangelism is rendered ineffective by prayerlessness.
4. Prayerlessness results in the cause of Christ being defeated.
- Understand that prayer is supernatural, not natural. It is participation in spiritual
- warfare. This explains why it is very difficult to pray.
- If we do not pray we are not using the greatest source of power available to us.
- Nothing happens in the church that is of God that is not undergirded by prayer.
- I Samuel 12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you
- We need to repent of our prayerlessness and desire that our church be known as a House of Prayer.
The Blessings of the Father
Matthew 6:7-12
Focus: “Our Father who art in heaven”
Introduction—The most important truth Jesus taught about God was His Fatherhood. Everything about prayer makes sense if we believe God is our Father.
That God is a father we can address in prayer is the most shocking part of the Lord’s Prayer. It is one of the most outrageous theological statements ever made. Who would ever have hoped or dreamed that the God of the universe, the God of all universes, should be our Father. I. God is our father through his son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus addressed God as Father every time with the exception of the cross.
Jesus calls God a Father more than 200 times in the Gospels.
Jesus boldly assumed a relationship of intimacy with God.
The privilege of call God Father comes through the gift of Christ.
Jesus had a natural inherent right to call God His Father, but we call God our Father through grace.
God is the father of all people by creation, but he is only Father in the fullest sense through redemption.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we enjoy that intimate relationship with God.
John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”
Through Christ we are brought into the family of faith through adoption.
Romans 8: 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
II. Note Jesus taught God is really a father. God is Abba or daddy.
This is a great challenge to all earthly dads. At worst we are stumbling blocks as earthly dad distorting the Fatherhood of God. At best we are only small imitations, imperfect copies of the perfect Father/Daddy.
The greatest picture of God’s fatherhood is the story of the Prodigal Son.
III. When we pray our Father we know we have been blessed by the Father. To be blessed by the Father means these four things for sure: We are loved, we are forgiven, we are welcomed, and we are family
To be blessed by the Father means we are loved and accepted.
To be blessed by our Father is to know we are forgiven.
To be blessed by our Father is to know you are welcome and enjoyed by God.
To be blessed by our Father is to know we are family. We pray our Father. I am not an only child.
Conclusion: When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we come to the Father, we call him Dad, and he wants to bless us as our Father.
What Impresses the Lord?
Luke 18:9-14
Introduction: The parable of the Pharisee and publican(tax collector) is a great lesson about what does and does not impress the Lord.
1. What impresses God is when you do not try to impress God.
- The Pharisee thought he was impressive to God, but he was not.
- Spiritual pride caused the Pharisee to overrate himself.
- The Pharisee gave himself an A+ for overcoming sin, but he fails to realize he is an idolater worshiping at the altar of self.
- The Pharisee had a self-centered rather than God-centered attitude.
- God is mot impressed when we try to impress him
2. What impresses the Lord is when you do not try to impress others.
- The Pharisee put on a show, but for the wrong audience.
- He based impressiveness by a skewed comparison to others.
- The parable has a shocking twist. The Pharisee tried to impress God, but he didn’t The tax collector did impress God without even trying.
3. What impresses God is when you aren’t impressed with your self, but you are impressed with God’s love, mercy and grace.
- God is impressed with true humility of heart.
- God is impressed with honesty.
- God is impressed with helplessness.
- The tax collector went home justified a word which means to be “right with God.”
Conclusion: All are invited to come to the Lord’s Table today. How we leave will depend on which of these two men we are most like in attitude.
What Shall I Do With Jesus?
Matthew 27:11-26
Intro: Almost every statement attributed to Pilate in Scripture is in the form of a question.
- Are you the king of the Jews?
- What is truth?
- Where do you come from?
- Which one do you want me to release, Barabbas or Jesus?
- Shall I crucify your king?
- Pilate’s greatest question: What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?
I. Pilate example teaches us we need to be careful who we listen to in answering that question.
- Pilate almost did the right thing with Jesus, but he didn’t.
- Pilate listened to much to what others thought he should do.
II. Pilate reminds us we are responsible for the decision we make about Jesus.
III. What shall I so with Jesus? To some degree we are answering that question.
- What is the right thing to do with Jesus?
The Greatest Subject in the World
I John 4:7-19
Introduction: We take it for granted as Christians, but the love of God is the greatest subject in all the world.
- God is not just love, but all of God’s character is shaped and guided by His love.
- God’s love is a revealing love.
- God’s love is an envisioning love
- God’s love is a preceding love
- God’s love is an assuring love
- God’s love is an identifying love
- God’s love is a seeking love
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