Series C – Tenth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, July 24, 2016 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough
| Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough: |
| Time Stamp | Transcript |
| 0:26 | The holy Gospel According to Saint Luke |
| 0:31 | chapter 11 verses 1 through 13. now Jesus was praying in a certain place |
| 0:37 | and when he finished one of his disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples and he |
| 0:44 | said to them when you pray say father Hallowed Be Your Name Your Kingdom come |
| 0:51 | give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us |
| 0:58 | and lead us not into temptation and he said to them which of you who has a |
| 1:04 | friend will go to him at midnight and say to him friend let me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a |
| 1:11 | journey and I have nothing to set before him and he will answer from within do not bother me the door is now shut and |
| 1:18 | my children are all in bed with me and I cannot get up and give you anything I tell you though he will not get up and |
| 1:24 | give him anything because he is his friend yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs |
| 1:31 | and I tell you ask and it will be given to you seek and |
| 1:36 | you will find knock and it will be open for you for everyone who asks receives |
| 1:42 | the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks it will be opened what father |
| 1:48 | among you if his son asks for a fish will instead of a fish give him a serpent or if he asks for an egg we’ll |
| 1:55 | give him a scorpion if you then who are evil know how to |
| 2:00 | give good gifts to your children how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him in |
| 2:08 | the name of Jesus amen brothers and sisters there is a lot of false teaching when it comes to |
| 2:14 | prayer if you’ve watched Christian television or listened to Christian radio there is a good chance that you have been exposed to literally false and |
| 2:22 | dangerous teaching as it relates to prayer today we’re going to use the occasion of Our Gospel text to address |
| 2:28 | what is and what isn’t Christian prayer and we’ll begin if you would with kind |
| 2:35 | of the negative Concepts but let us return again to Our Gospel text and note |
| 2:40 | very carefully what Jesus and God’s word teaches us regarding praying to God our |
| 2:46 | Father here’s what the text says now Jesus was praying in a certain place and when he |
| 2:52 | finished one of his disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray as John |
| 2:59 | taught his disciples it’s important to note Jesus God in human flesh the Son of God |
| 3:05 | was a man of prayer and this may be seen from his withdrawals for prayer His |
| 3:11 | blessings at meals his prayers at exorcisms and his prayers at healings |
| 3:18 | he finds Assurance in prayer Jesus prays for his disciples and he gains help in |
| 3:24 | prayer especially during his sufferings on the cross for your sins and mine |
| 3:30 | in the Gospel of John his prayer at the raising of Lazarus convinces those around him of his Divine Mission his |
| 3:36 | praying is so much an attitude that individual acts seem to be secondary |
| 3:41 | Christian prayer then we must understand this is the certainty of being heard by |
| 3:49 | God in virtue of his love and his Mercy for us so that all things might be brought to |
| 3:55 | him let me say that again Christian prayer is the certainty of being heard in |
| 4:02 | virtue of God’s love and mercy for us so Jesus said to them when you pray |
| 4:09 | say that doesn’t seem very explosive does it but the reality is is that what |
| 4:15 | Jesus just said is very explosive in light of the many false doctrines regarding prayer today |
| 4:22 | Jesus In Our Gospel text reinforces the fact that Christian prayer requires Faith requires certainty in God’s love |
| 4:30 | and tender care for his sons and daughters and he uses the word specifically |
| 4:37 | now I don’t try to Vex you with Greek I understand the Greek well it seems like |
| 4:43 | Greek to you but I think it’s important that we understand something here the Greek word for prayer Pros eukamai it |
| 4:50 | literally means to petition a deity to pray to ask to beseech it is petitionary |
| 4:59 | prayer it is an invocation of God |
| 5:05 | is not a two-way conversation where the expectation is that you talk to God the |
| 5:13 | same way that you speak to a friend or a relative and this point will be further driven home as we work through this text |
| 5:20 | now the false teaching regarding prayer along these lines works this way you’ve |
| 5:25 | probably heard it said that Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship and this is a true statement if by the |
| 5:33 | statement you mean that Christianity is not a set of man-made Rules by which we |
| 5:38 | follow them and climb the ladder to God instead it is a relationship with God |
| 5:43 | that is based on faith and all the things that Christ has done for us to |
| 5:50 | secure our Salvation we were born with a bad relationship with God because of our sin and Christ has died for our sins and |
| 5:58 | calls us to repent and to be forgiven if that is what you mean by Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship then |
| 6:05 | that is a fine statement to say but what ends up happening within evangelicalism |
| 6:11 | is that people take this concept don’t rightly Define it and then start |
| 6:17 | extrapolating doctrines from the slogan itself well Christianity is not a |
| 6:22 | religion it’s a relationship they say so let me ask you what kind of relationship |
| 6:27 | would it be if every time you spoke to God you didn’t give him the opportunity to say what’s on his mind |
| 6:34 | can you imagine what kind of a marriage you would have if every time you’re with your spouse and you sit down and you |
| 6:40 | talk and all you did was unload on your spouse all the things that you’re thinking and feeling and need and then |
| 6:46 | never gave your wife or spouse the opportunity to say a word back you’d have a terrible relationship the |
| 6:53 | argument goes and so people are taught wrongly the |
| 6:59 | prayer kind of goes like this sit down you open up your Bible you have |
| 7:04 | your quiet time and then you go to God in prayer and then you express to God your desires your needs your hurts your |
| 7:11 | habits whatever it is that you’re looking for healing in your life and then you pause and you listen |
| 7:19 | for that still Small Voice where then God will speak to you in the wind or |
| 7:24 | maybe somewhere in your heart and Whisper things to you what’s on his mind |
| 7:30 | this is not what scripture says prasukumai the Greek word totally rules |
| 7:36 | that out and the rest of our pericope rules that out as well because Jesus in |
| 7:43 | the latter half of our gospel text reinforces that prayer requires us to |
| 7:48 | believe and to trust that God hears us that when we ask we receive when we seek |
| 7:57 | we find this calls for Faith right |
| 8:02 | another thing prayer is not an exercise in decreeing and declaring |
| 8:12 | right you’re thinking decreeing and declaring if you have not run into this teaching you will |
| 8:17 | it is growing in popularity and it’s demonic here’s how people are being taught to |
| 8:23 | pray nowadays do you have an issue in your life maybe you haven’t found your |
| 8:28 | spouse yet maybe you’re having trouble with your finances oh you’re the weather hasn’t been so good with your farm well |
| 8:34 | here’s what you need to do you need to activate your faith and the way you do |
| 8:40 | that is you stand up and You Begin decreeing and declaring I declare that I |
| 8:48 | will find the perfect spouse I declare that my finances are going to be amazing |
| 8:54 | that I will be prosperous and wise and healthy I declare that the weather will |
| 8:59 | stop being ornery and that the sun will shine appropriately and only the right amount of rain will fall on my crops |
| 9:08 | people are being taught that this is Christian prayer Jesus says |
| 9:15 | and you will receive he does not say decree and declare and things will come |
| 9:20 | into being behind the doctrine of decreeing and declaring as a prayer |
| 9:26 | is the false doctrine that you are a little God that you are a little deity and just as |
| 9:34 | God spoke the universe into existence by saying let there be light and there was light let the Earth produce plants and |
| 9:41 | it did you too can create things in your life with your powerful words because you are made of God’s stuff |
| 9:50 | is patently false if you ever hear a Christian minister teaching you to do |
| 9:56 | these things stop listening to that Minister it doesn’t matter how many |
| 10:02 | other things he’s gotten right what he’s teaching you is demonic and teaching you |
| 10:07 | that you are a little God avoid him nor is prayer listen to this one a |
| 10:15 | matter of unplugging your conscious mind there’s a practice known as practicing |
| 10:21 | the presence of God and what it requires you to do is turn your brain off and |
| 10:26 | then soak in the spirit in the presence of God kind of like well working on your suntan |
| 10:34 | so pull out your spiritual Shay’s lounge and sit there and soak up the Rays of |
| 10:41 | the sun this time the sun is the Son of God and just bake in the presence of God |
| 10:48 | scripture nowhere teaches you to do this either in fact Jesus says when you pray |
| 10:53 | say which means your brain is engaged it’s |
| 10:59 | not unplugged okay unless of course you’re prone to just speaking without having your brain in gear which is a |
| 11:06 | very dangerous thing to do at least that’s what I’ve found in my life so now that we know what Christian |
| 11:12 | prayer is not lot is said there when you pray say |
| 11:17 | prasukumai you are petitioning you are asking you are humbly confessing you are |
| 11:23 | creature in need of God in need of what he has that you have |
| 11:28 | nothing and that he has everything so what is Christian prayer well in prayer Christians pray according to |
| 11:36 | scripture with one eye opened and looking toward Christ’s return at the |
| 11:42 | end of the world first Peter 4 7 makes this clear where Peter says the end of |
| 11:47 | all things is at hand therefore be self-controlled sober minded for the sake of your |
| 11:54 | prayers yeah when’s the end of the world |
| 11:59 | tomorrow which tomorrow I don’t know but it will be tomorrow |
| 12:04 | it’s coming Christ is at the door so be self-controlled and sober minded for the |
| 12:11 | sake of your prayers should we stand when we pray or should we kneel when we pray scripture |
| 12:17 | encourages both in Mark 11 25 Jesus says whenever you stand praying notice he |
| 12:23 | says stand forgive if you have anything against anyone so that your father also who is in heaven May forgive you your |
| 12:30 | trespasses but prayer can also be done on our knees we see this in Acts chapter |
| 12:36 | 21 verses 5 through 6. when our days were ended we departed and went on our |
| 12:42 | journey and they all with the wives and children accompanied us until we were |
| 12:47 | outside the city and then kneeling down on the beach notice it says kneeling we |
| 12:53 | prayed and said farewell to one another then we went on board the ship |
| 12:59 | and they returned home there was a day when it was very common to see kneelers in churches |
| 13:10 | unfortunately that day is not today it’s very rare to see anybody kneel for |
| 13:17 | prayer and yet scripture so clearly teaches that this is a good way to pray |
| 13:25 | scripture also reveals that Christians are to honor each other especially husbands are to honor their wives for |
| 13:32 | the very sake of their prayers Peter writes in First Peter 3 7 husbands |
| 13:38 | live with your wives in an understanding way showing honor to the woman as the |
| 13:44 | weaker vessel since they are heirs with you of the grace of life and the reason for this is so that your prayers may not |
| 13:50 | be hindered have you ever stopped to think the way you treat your spouse |
| 13:56 | could hinder your prayers in prayer Christians are to avoid |
| 14:02 | foolishness we learn this from James Chapter 4 verses 1 through 10 where James writes he writes what causes |
| 14:09 | quarrels and what causes fights among you you Christians is it not this that |
| 14:15 | your passions are at War within you the passions he’s referring to are the |
| 14:21 | desires the sinful and deceitful desires of our sinful flesh |
| 14:27 | you desire and you don’t have so you murder you covet and you cannot obtain so you |
| 14:35 | fight and you quarrel you do not have because you do not ask and you ask and |
| 14:44 | you do not receive because you ask wrongly wrongly to spend it on your passions oh |
| 14:51 | you adulterous people how’d the song go oh Lord won’t you buy |
| 14:57 | me a Mercedes bands please God don’t answer that prayer |
| 15:05 | what do you need a Mercedes-Benz for and why would you ask God for it so that you can let everybody know and |
| 15:12 | Telegraph to them how big your bank account is how wealthy you are how |
| 15:18 | important you is God answers that prayer it’s not because |
| 15:24 | he’s had mercy on you it’s because he’s turned you over to your sinful Passions |
| 15:30 | right you do not have because you ask wrongly |
| 15:35 | to spend it on your passions oh you adulterous people do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with |
| 15:43 | God so the person who tells you on Christian radio or television that God wants you |
| 15:51 | to be the head and not the tale the god the way he demonstrates his love for us |
| 15:56 | is by making your bank account fat giving you a Bentley and a mansion in an |
| 16:03 | Olympic-sized swimming pool and a well a private island in Tahiti |
| 16:09 | the scripture makes this clear that man is lying to you and if you ever |
| 16:15 | hear a Christian Minister preach this way turn him off forever |
| 16:21 | he’s sending you to hell do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity |
| 16:26 | with God and you want to know what the world’s all about just pick up well one |
| 16:31 | of those fashion magazines it could be Vogue or GQ or Esquire or even Men’s |
| 16:38 | Health right and what is the magazine filled with oh the latest fashions the most amazing |
| 16:46 | watches and jewelry all things designed to let everybody know how fashionable you are how |
| 16:54 | affluent you are aren’t you great you want to be noticed by people you want |
| 17:00 | people to think the best about you based upon your clothes your watch your |
| 17:06 | perfume your car this is what the world pursues after |
| 17:11 | and it’s wicked self-centered idolatrous and Evil |
| 17:16 | you do not ask God according to these passions |
| 17:22 | so whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God |
| 17:31 | this is what you want to pursue after go for it but understand this you have now |
| 17:36 | made yourself an enemy of God by doing so or do you suppose that it is no purpose that the scripture says he |
| 17:42 | yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us and there’s a |
| 17:47 | mention of Prayer in the Holy Spirit you’ll notice at the end of our gospel text Jesus says that God will give the |
| 17:54 | Holy Spirit you see the Holy Spirit according to scripture is intimately inextricably linked to your prayers |
| 18:03 | right do you not know that he earns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in US |
| 18:09 | but he gives more grace therefore it says God opposes the proud and he gives grace to the humble submit yourselves to |
| 18:17 | God resist the devil and he will flee from you draw near to God He will draw |
| 18:22 | near to you cleanse you your hands your Sinners purify your hearts you |
| 18:27 | double-minded be wretched and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning |
| 18:33 | and your joy to Gloom humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you |
| 18:41 | see prayer is that it is humbling yourself before the Lord |
| 18:48 | not exalting yourself which is why doing it on your knees is a good practice |
| 18:56 | when it comes to our prayers intercessory prayer is vital |
| 19:01 | it’s important James also writes chapter 5 verses 13 through 18 is anyone among you suffering |
| 19:09 | let him pray is anyone cheerful let him sing praise |
| 19:14 | is anyone among you sick let him call for the Elders of the church and let |
| 19:19 | them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith will save the one who is |
| 19:27 | sick it doesn’t say heal it says save the prayer of faith will save the one |
| 19:33 | who is sick even if the person dies and the Lord will raise him up and if he has |
| 19:39 | committed sins he will be forgiven therefore confess your sins to one another pray for one another that you |
| 19:45 | may be healed the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is as it is working |
| 19:53 | do you hear that the prayer of a righteous person has great power and you might be tempted to sit there and say |
| 19:59 | well that’s great for the righteous person but what about me |
| 20:04 | I’m not so righteous yeah but see scripture says |
| 20:10 | you have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ you have a righteousness given to you by |
| 20:16 | God as a gift you see God sees you as perfectly righteous because you are covered and |
| 20:23 | you are in Christ in other words your prayers Saints and holy ones have great |
| 20:30 | power because scripture says so because of Christ not because of you but because |
| 20:36 | of him and the example given here Elijah was a man with a nature like ours yeah sinful |
| 20:42 | and he prayed fervently that it might not rain for three years and six months we all know the account this is what led |
| 20:49 | to the showdown at Mount Carmel and notice the text doesn’t say that Elijah |
| 20:54 | decreed and declared I decree and declare that there will be no rain until |
| 21:00 | I say so nope he prayed fervently |
| 21:05 | Lord God please let it not rain so that it might not raining for three |
| 21:10 | years and six months it did not rain on the earth and then he prayed again and Heaven gave rain and the Earth bore |
| 21:17 | its fruit scripture also tells us about the power of intercessory prayer when it comes to |
| 21:25 | the ministry of Peter Peter’s Ministry was nearly cut short |
| 21:30 | scripture teaches us in Acts chapter 12 verses 1 through 5 about that time Herod |
| 21:36 | the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church he killed James |
| 21:42 | the brother of John with the sword and when he saw that it pleased the Jews he |
| 21:47 | proceeded to arrest Peter also this was during the days of unleavened bread this |
| 21:53 | is the Passover time and when he had seized him he put him in prison delivering him over to four squads of |
| 21:59 | soldiers to guard him intending after the Passover to bring him out to the |
| 22:04 | people he was going to be given the Barabbas treatment who would you like me to release to Peter called cephas or |
| 22:11 | right that was his intention |
| 22:17 | so Peter was kept in prison but note this it says but Earnest prayer for him |
| 22:24 | was made to God by the church do you think that’s in there for no |
| 22:30 | reason it isn’t it tells us about the power of prayer |
| 22:36 | that God heard their prayers on behalf of Peter and God intervened miraculously and |
| 22:44 | sprung him out of the clink prayer is to be offered according to |
| 22:50 | scripture for your brothers and sisters in Christ as well as your enemies Jesus |
| 22:57 | says in Matthew 5 43-46 you have heard that it was said You shall love your |
| 23:02 | neighbor and hate your enemy but I say to you love your enemies and pray for |
| 23:08 | those who persecute you that would include Isis |
| 23:15 | the Muslims in your neighborhood that are acting out and freaking you out |
| 23:23 | love your enemies pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven for he |
| 23:30 | makes the son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust for if you love those who |
| 23:36 | love you what reward do you have do not even the tax collectors do that yeah they do |
| 23:43 | and then Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit In First Corinth in first Timothy 2 verses 1 through 4 says this first of all then I |
| 23:50 | urge that supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgivings be made |
| 23:57 | for all people for kings that would include presidents even if the president |
| 24:03 | is of a party that you never vote for for kings and all who are in high |
| 24:09 | positions so that we may lead a Peaceable and quiet life Godly and |
| 24:16 | dignified in every way and notice what then it says these prayers this is good |
| 24:22 | and it’s pleasing in the sight of God our savior who desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of |
| 24:29 | the truth yeah your prayer on behalf of everyone |
| 24:38 | is good and pleasing in God’s sight so Jesus teaches us to pray |
| 24:46 | father Hallowed be your name |
| 24:52 | doesn’t seem very explosive right but it is you see the spirit is at work in prayer |
| 25:00 | the holy spirit is attesting to us that we are God’s children |
| 25:06 | and the Holy Spirit is interceding for us in our Frailty specifically in regard |
| 25:11 | to this invocation of God Jesus says for you did not receive the |
| 25:18 | spirit of Slavery to fall back into fear you’ve received the spirit of adoption as Sons by whom we cry Abba Father |
| 25:26 | actually that’s Paul writing in Romans 8 verse 15. you did not receive the spirit of slavery you instead received the |
| 25:33 | spirit of adoption as Sons by whom we cry out Abba Father Romans 8 15 makes it |
| 25:39 | clear to pray Our Father how would be your name that is given us to do by God |
| 25:45 | the Holy Spirit himself verse 26 in Romans 8 says likewise the spirit the |
| 25:51 | Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness for we do not know what to pray as we ought |
| 25:57 | instead the Holy Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that are too deep for words |
| 26:05 | you see we believe the holy spirit is quite active in the life of the believer the ability to pray Our Father Who Art |
| 26:12 | in Heaven and believe it is given by the Holy Spirit and even when we’re not sure what it is that we are to pray God the |
| 26:19 | Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf with groanings that are too deep for words you’re not alone when you pray |
| 26:27 | Cyril of Alexandria the Church Father writing about this that Jesus said pray |
| 26:32 | Our Father Hallowed Be Your Name says this for the Savior said when you pray |
| 26:38 | say our father and another of the Holy evangelist adds Who Art in Heaven |
| 26:44 | he gives his own glory to us listen carefully |
| 26:49 | you’ve got to understand this God is giving his glory to us God raises slaves |
| 26:55 | like you and me to the Dignity of Freedom he has crowned The Human Condition with such honor as surpasses |
| 27:02 | the power of our own Natures he rescues us from the measure of slavery giving us |
| 27:08 | by his grace what we did not possess by nature and now permits us to call god |
| 27:17 | father have you ever thought of how absolutely bold and outrageous that is |
| 27:23 | you were born dead and trespasses and sins you were born a slave to sin you |
| 27:30 | were born under the Dominion of the devil and Jesus teaches us to pray Our Father |
| 27:40 | Who Art in Heaven that is a bold prayer |
| 27:47 | bold for people like you and my like me to be praying in such a way but this is |
| 27:52 | only possible because of the Cross this is only possible because of what Christ has done for us this is truly a bold |
| 28:00 | prayer no joke I’ve seen people recently teaching in the church Christians should |
| 28:06 | never pray the Lord’s Prayer because that’s vain repetition |
| 28:11 | would Jesus ever teach you to do such a thing that’s vain never or they’ll say oh that Lord’s Prayer |
| 28:19 | that’s common that’s ordinary that’s boring paw |
| 28:25 | to pray Our Father Who Art in Heaven is well the most bold thing you could |
| 28:32 | possibly pray who are you to pray that God is your father that’s how Jesus prayed and we |
| 28:39 | all know he’s the son of God in human flesh but Jesus teaches us to pray this way because of what he has done for us |
| 28:46 | we have now been adopted into God’s family we are no longer slaves we are |
| 28:52 | heirs and so when we pray Our Father that is bold |
| 29:00 | it’s outrageous it’s scandalous and it’s wonderful all at the same time |
| 29:09 | Your Kingdom Come Jesus teaches us to pray another false teaching about this |
| 29:14 | if you ever hear somebody say well there’s a difference between the gospel of Salvation And The Gospel of the |
| 29:21 | Kingdom they’re two totally different things I mean we’re all about well we want |
| 29:26 | people to be saved but now we’ve got to preach the gospel of the kingdom and by this here’s what they mean it’s our jobs |
| 29:33 | as Christians to conquer the world it’s our job as Christians to conquer |
| 29:40 | the world make all nations into Christian nations and establish the |
| 29:46 | kingdom of God here on Earth and once we do that God will show up Jesus will show |
| 29:51 | up and say good job good job golf club golf club golf club good job now I’m |
| 29:57 | King it’s nonsense absolute nonsense |
| 30:03 | when people preach what they call the gospel of the kingdom and say that it’s your job to go take Dominion |
| 30:09 | they are ignoring what scripture says when will God’s kingdom come |
| 30:16 | visibly when will it come when we establish it or when Christ brings it |
| 30:22 | right Matthew 25 says this Jesus speaking in verse 31 when the son |
| 30:30 | of man comes in his glory oh that would be the last day and all the angels with |
| 30:35 | him then he will sit on his glorious throne and before him will be gathered all the nations and he will separate |
| 30:42 | people one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats he will place the sheep on his right the |
| 30:49 | goats on the left then the king will say to those on his right listen come you |
| 30:55 | who are blessed by my father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the |
| 31:01 | foundation of the world sounds to me like on the last day Jesus |
| 31:07 | will say to the righteous ones now you get to inherit the Kingdom as if it |
| 31:13 | wasn’t there their entire lives right and we understand this though |
| 31:19 | that the kingdom of God does come it is Among Us now but it comes when people |
| 31:26 | are brought to penitent faith in Christ and they bear fruit in keeping with that |
| 31:31 | repentance and they trust God’s word they believe the gospel and in return as |
| 31:38 | a result they live Godly lives both here in time and then thereafter in eternity |
| 31:44 | right in other words there is no difference between the gospel of Salvation And The |
| 31:49 | Gospel of the Kingdom scripture clearly teaches they are one and the same |
| 31:56 | give us this day our daily bread Jesus says |
| 32:01 | I think Ephraim the Syrian another church father has it right on |
| 32:07 | this give us our constant bread of the day he translates this text he says look he has |
| 32:15 | said seek the kingdom of God and these things over and above will be given to you as well he said bread of the day in |
| 32:22 | order to teach us poverty in relation to the things of the world |
| 32:30 | do you ever feel like man I only have enough in my bank account |
| 32:36 | to pay for my bills and to put food on my table |
| 32:42 | and then next month I have to really work hard in order to replenish that supply and then I have just enough to |
| 32:50 | pay my bills and put food on my table and meet my daily needs |
| 32:57 | this is what you prayed for give us this day our daily bread this |
| 33:02 | teaches us poverty in relation to the world the one who has this is not rich in the world’s eyes |
| 33:08 | but they are rich in faith they are rich in faith because they understand that it is God who meets our |
| 33:14 | daily needs we don’t pray that God be our big quartermaster in the sky or our |
| 33:20 | big concierge your genie we don’t pray that we ask that our storehouses be |
| 33:25 | filled to the max so that we can take it easy for the next 20 years in fact that will come up in next week’s |
| 33:32 | gospel lesson instead we are taught that we are creatures and that every day we |
| 33:39 | walk by faith every day we need God every day we are beggars |
| 33:45 | and every day God is the one who meets our needs and forgive us our sins as we ourselves |
| 33:54 | forgive everyone who is indebted to us in other words this |
| 34:00 | to forgive sins is what it really means to be like God |
| 34:05 | to forgive others sins is exactly what it means to be christ-like |
| 34:12 | oh Lord if you kept a record of wrongs who could stand but with you there is forgiveness therefore you are feared and |
| 34:19 | Jesus is one command as I have loved you love one another well how has he loved us |
| 34:24 | by forgiving us to hold a grudge to be unforgiving |
| 34:31 | to say I will not forgive you I hope you get what you deserve |
| 34:38 | is the opposite of what it means to be like Christ |
| 34:43 | and lead us not into temptation truly we have an enemy the evil one himself |
| 34:52 | who prowls around like a roaring lion Desiring to devour you |
| 34:58 | to shipwreck your faith and drag your carcass into the fires of hell with him on the last day |
| 35:05 | so it is not in vain that we pray lead us not into temptation the threat |
| 35:11 | is real the danger is off the charts real |
| 35:17 | and so we pray lead us not in Temptation now all of these petitions all of these things that Christ has taught us to pray |
| 35:24 | call for Faith they call for trust that God hears you that God truly is your |
| 35:31 | father in Heaven and that he will answer your prayer even if that answer takes |
| 35:37 | years to come right and the way we know this is because of |
| 35:42 | what Jesus said the text continues he said to them so which of you has a friend will go to him at midnight and |
| 35:49 | say to him friend let me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey I have nothing to set before him |
| 35:54 | the scenario by the way in a middle eastern culture where houses are quite close to each |
| 36:01 | other where you can hear what’s going on in your neighbor’s house or in the house above you right |
| 36:07 | it’s quite a silly scenario and this is an honor culture |
| 36:13 | we don’t quite get that as Americans but if you’ve traveled anywhere in the East honor is a big thing shame is a terrible |
| 36:21 | thing to happen and for you to invite somebody and they show up late and you |
| 36:26 | don’t have something to set before them well you’ve Dishonored that person by |
| 36:33 | doing that so that’s your scenario which of you has a friend will go to him at midnight and say friend let me three |
| 36:39 | loaves it’s kind of like you have a friend coming in from out of town their plane arrives at Fargo at 10 30 at night |
| 36:46 | because weather delays you pick them up you get them home and you got nothing in the fridge and not putting something |
| 36:52 | before them is to shame them to dishonor them so what do you do |
| 36:58 | will you tell why didn’t you go in the restroom and take a quick shower and freshen up and and they close the door |
| 37:04 | and then right run next door quick do you got some food I don’t have |
| 37:11 | anything in my fridge we got somebody who came in from out of town all right that’s your scenario |
| 37:16 | so Jesus says about this he says he will answer from within don’t bother me the |
| 37:23 | door is shut my children are with me in bed yeah they kids didn’t have their own |
| 37:29 | rooms back then that just had to be really awkward right go away it’s midnight |
| 37:37 | right I cannot get up and give you anything Jesus says I tell you though he will not will not get up and give him |
| 37:43 | anything because he is his friend friendship it doesn’t come into play here he says yet because of his |
| 37:50 | impudence because of his the outrageousness of what’s being asked for he will rise and |
| 37:57 | give him whatever he needs notice the need is given begrudgingly |
| 38:03 | but this is not how God works God doesn’t give begrudgingly God isn’t like |
| 38:09 | your neighbor God is not like them at all Jesus says I |
| 38:14 | tell you ask and it will be given to you |
| 38:19 | seek you will find God isn’t like that knock and the door will be opened God |
| 38:28 | desires for you to ask he desires for you to seek and he Wills for you to find |
| 38:36 | everyone who asks Jesus says receives the one who seeks finds the one who |
| 38:41 | knocks it will be opened why because that’s how great God is |
| 38:49 | and then he gives another example what father among you if his son asks for a |
| 38:55 | fish will instead of a fish give him a serpent I don’t know any dads like that even the ones who are prone to pranking |
| 39:01 | right or if he asks for an egg we’ll give him a scorpion thank God we don’t have any of those here |
| 39:07 | right if then watch this if then you who are evil |
| 39:14 | and that’s what we are if then you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children well |
| 39:20 | how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him |
| 39:28 | you see God is not like us although we are evil we know how to treat our children well |
| 39:36 | but see God is not evil he is good and he is kind and notice that in the |
| 39:41 | context of prayer Jesus says how much more will the heavenly father give the |
| 39:46 | Holy Spirit to those who ask him well we’re asking to learn how to pray of |
| 39:51 | course you are in learning how to pray you need the Holy Spirit |
| 39:57 | you cannot do this apart from the Holy Spirit the holy spirit is inextricably |
| 40:02 | and intimately linked to our prayers now in hearing this you might be saying |
| 40:09 | pastor Pastor Chris you got to understand this my prayers |
| 40:14 | have faltered I have not been praying as I should as |
| 40:19 | this scripture teaches me I have not believed that God has heard my prayers yet alone answered them |
| 40:27 | and what you’ve shown me from scriptures about prayer I have not been doing and |
| 40:33 | now I feel guilt I feel guilt and sinful |
| 40:38 | because of my inaction because of my laziness because when I pray I’m |
| 40:43 | distracted and because of my lack of faithfulness when it comes to prayer |
| 40:52 | scripture tells us this First Timothy 2. there is one God |
| 40:58 | and there is one mediator between God and Men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as |
| 41:06 | a ransom for all in other words you’re in good company my prayers have |
| 41:12 | failed too they have not measured up I’m in the same boat as you are but |
| 41:18 | there is one whose prayers never failed |
| 41:24 | Jesus and he is the one who gave himself as a ransom for your sins and for mine |
| 41:31 | and John chapter 17 teaches us so clearly that Jesus has actually prayed for you |
| 41:41 | he mentions you in scripture you’re there in John 17. let me read when Jesus |
| 41:49 | had spoken these words he lifted up his eyes to Heaven he said father the hour has come glorify your sons of the son |
| 41:55 | may glorify you since you have given him authority over All Flesh to give eternal life to all whom you have given him and |
| 42:03 | this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom |
| 42:09 | you have sent I glorified you on Earth having accomplished The Works that you gave me |
| 42:14 | to do that’s right he accomplished them he was sent to bleed and die for your sins and he now has accomplished them |
| 42:20 | and now father glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed |
| 42:27 | I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world yours they were and you gave them to me |
| 42:34 | and they have kept your word now they know that everything that you have given |
| 42:40 | me is from you for I have given them the words that you gave me and they have |
| 42:45 | received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you and they have |
| 42:51 | believed that you sent me and I am praying for them I am not praying for the world but for |
| 42:57 | these whom you have given me for they are yours now if you’re tempted to think |
| 43:03 | well he’s talking about the disciples he’s praying for the disciples the text continues later I do not ask |
| 43:11 | for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word |
| 43:16 | that they may all be one just as you father are in me and I in you and they |
| 43:23 | also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me |
| 43:29 | you see your prayers have faltered faltered but Jesus his prayers never faltered and he |
| 43:36 | has prayed for you you are in him you trust the father has sent him you know |
| 43:43 | that he accomplished his mission and he bled and died for your sins he has tucked you into himself in the waters of |
| 43:50 | your baptism you have heard his Absolution today that your sins are forgiven |
| 43:56 | and so it is true your prayers have faltered you have not prayed as you ought therefore repent |
| 44:03 | repent and be forgiven and Trust in the one who has bled and |
| 44:09 | died for you and the one who has prayed for you perfectly |
| 44:15 | in the name of Jesus amen |
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