Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME230722S
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00:14 >> Good morning, church. 00:16 >> Good morning. 00:17 >> It is really good to see each 00:19 and every one of you here today 00:21 at Pioneer Memorial Church 00:22 to worship with us 00:23 on this wonderful Sabbath. 00:25 So thank you one and all 00:27 for being here. 00:29 We also want to greet each 00:30 member who is watching online 00:32 or listening on the radio 00:34 or accessing our service 00:35 any other way. 00:38 Today, we're here to worship 00:39 God. 00:41 Today, we're here to praise God, 00:42 to worship God, to look to Him 00:44 as a congregation and say, "God, 00:46 what do you have for us today?" 00:48 And so thank you for being here, 00:50 because we know God will show up 00:51 in very big ways 00:53 for each and every person. 00:55 Let's continue on with our 00:56 worship service 00:58 by our call-to-worship time. 01:01 And so please join me 01:02 when prompted 01:03 by the words on the screen. 01:06 And it begins by saying... 01:31 Let's bow our -- 01:32 Let's bow our heads. 01:35 God, today, we come together 01:37 and we gather knowing that 01:39 You are here and we gather 01:41 because You are here. 01:43 We ask that Your spirit touch 01:45 our hearts and our lives. 01:47 We ask that You come into us 01:48 and fill us so that we can 01:50 know more about You. 01:52 We desire nothing 01:53 but You today, God. 01:55 And so, as we gather here, 01:56 we ask, as You always are, 01:58 to be here and change us 02:00 to be better reflectors 02:01 of your character. 02:03 We ask this in your name. Amen. 02:07 ♪ 05:02 ♪ 07:19 ♪ 10:31 >> It happened just 10:33 a few hundred yards 10:35 from this very spot. 10:37 It was last millennium. 10:38 I was a seminary student, 10:41 getting my master's, 10:43 and along with me, 10:44 a number of my friends decided 10:47 to play football. 10:49 Flag football. 10:50 We joined with the intramural 10:51 program here at the university. 10:53 And just over yonder, over that 10:55 way, a few hundred yards -- 10:56 It was winter, of course, 10:58 we chose a name for our team. 11:00 We called ourselves the Moombas. 11:02 And I asked my friend 11:03 who suggested and says, 11:04 "What does that mean?" 11:06 He said, "Well, 11:07 they use it in Australia, 11:08 and roughly translated, it means 11:10 'Everybody have a good time.'" 11:13 That sounds like our football 11:14 team, because we certainly 11:15 weren't going to win, so we 11:17 might as well have fun, right? 11:18 So, indeed, 11:20 we did not win that much. 11:21 We weren't the worst team, 11:22 but we were definitely not in 11:23 contention for first place. 11:25 And one particular game 11:26 exemplifies that fact 11:28 with one glowing exception. 11:31 We were down in the points. 11:32 In fact, we were quite down. 11:34 We were on defense, 11:35 standing in our end zone. 11:37 The offense had the ball the 11:40 first or second yard line there. 11:42 We were in danger of once again 11:43 being scored upon when my friend 11:45 Rob called time-out. 11:49 Now, time-out is normal 11:51 to be called for, you know, 11:53 maybe the offense would plan 11:54 something or whatnot, 11:55 but defensive time-outs -- 11:56 that doesn't happen a whole lot. 11:58 And what happened 11:59 next hardly ever happens. 12:00 My friend Rob called 12:01 a defensive huddle. 12:04 Now, a huddle -- that's 12:05 where you gather all the players 12:06 around in a circle 12:07 and you talk strategy. 12:09 And, again, usually, this is 12:10 an offensive thing, 12:11 not a defensive thing. 12:12 But we're the Moombas 12:12 and we're having a good time. 12:14 So we gather in a huddle 12:15 and we look to Rob. 12:17 We said, "Well, what do you 12:17 want?" 12:18 He said, "Okay, here's the plan. 12:21 When their center hikes the ball 12:22 to their quarterback, 12:23 the quarterback is going to drop 12:24 back in the pocket. 12:26 He's going to look and then he's 12:27 gonna pass it 12:27 straight down the middle. 12:30 When he does so, 12:31 I am going to leap 12:32 in the air and block the shot -- 12:34 block the pass. 12:36 And I'm going to block that ball 12:38 right into --" and then he 12:39 points to another guy in the 12:40 huddle -- "right into your 12:41 hands, so be ready." 12:47 Now, normal people would think, 12:49 "How do you know that? 12:53 And if you know that, 12:54 why didn't you tell us 12:56 all the other plays 12:57 for the rest of the season when 12:58 we were losing so badly," right? 13:01 But we're the Moombas. 13:02 And so, "Break!" 13:03 And our guy 13:04 goes out to the side here. 13:05 Rob lines up in the middle. 13:07 Kid you not. True story. 13:09 They snap the ball. 13:10 The quarterback dropped back 13:11 in the pocket. 13:12 Looks left, looks right. 13:13 Passes straight down the middle. 13:15 Rob, who has the benefit 13:16 of being 6'7" with 13:17 the wingspan of the Titanic, 13:19 jumps up and he swats the ball, 13:21 and I kid you not, right into 13:22 the waiting arms 13:24 of our teammate. 13:28 Now, the story should end 13:31 where our guy runs all the way 13:32 and scores a touchdown, 13:33 we win the championship, 13:34 and we have T-shirts. 13:35 No, none of that happened. 13:36 I think we lost the game 13:37 just like we normally did. 13:41 But for just the tiny, little 13:43 ripple in the fabric of time 13:47 that that little story made, 13:50 I think it nonetheless 13:51 illustrates quite well 13:53 a profound truth. 13:56 Sometimes, the only way to get 14:00 done what needs to be done 14:04 is to huddle up. 14:08 And what's true in football 14:10 is sometimes even more true 14:12 in the church. 14:14 Sometimes, to get done what 14:17 needs to be done in the church 14:19 can only get done 14:22 when we huddle up. 14:25 If you have a Bible, 14:26 take a look, please, 14:26 at 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 14:30 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 14:32 While you are looking that up, 14:33 let me just briefly remind 14:34 you where 14:36 This is Part 4 and the final 14:38 part of this series entitled 14:40 "The Shot of a Lifetime." 14:42 In Part 1, we learned 14:43 what the shot of a lifetime is. 14:44 The shot of a lifetime is not 14:46 getting a dunk in a big game 14:47 or hitting a home run 14:48 or becoming rich or famous, 14:49 as important as those things 14:50 may be. 14:51 The shot of a lifetime 14:52 is coming to know 14:53 Jesus Christ as your 14:54 personal friend and savior. 14:56 There's nothing 14:56 better than that. 14:58 There's nothing beyond it. 14:59 It's the highest privilege 15:00 that a human being can have. 15:01 It is the ultimate. 15:02 It is the shot of a lifetime. 15:05 We also talked in those early 15:06 parts about unity, that 15:07 Jesus has called us 15:09 to this immense level of unity. 15:12 Jesus prayed, you know, 15:13 John 17, "Father, 15:15 may they be one as we are one. 15:16 I in you, and you in me." 15:18 Wow! That's sky-high unity. 15:20 And we learned that that unity 15:22 is not merely 15:23 for the blessings of fellowship 15:24 inside of the church, 15:25 as good as those can be. 15:28 It is primarily a blessing. 15:29 It's a launching pad 15:30 for discipleship, for helping 15:32 other people to also know 15:34 Jesus Christ as their personal 15:35 friend and savior. 15:37 We looked in Part 2 about 15:39 how this is an individual call. 15:40 God has called each one of us. 15:41 Each one of us has been doused 15:43 in the blessings of God, 15:44 dripping wet 15:45 with the blessings of God. 15:46 Of course, the responsibility 15:48 and the privilege, 15:49 the joy of making disciples 15:51 lies with each one of us. 15:53 And last week, we talked, in 15:54 Part 3, about the specific ways 15:56 to reach other people for Jesus. 15:58 We looked at spiritual gifts 15:58 a little bit. 16:01 creativity that God calls us to 16:03 to reach other people for Him. 16:05 Which brings us to Part 4. 16:09 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 16:11 Very short verse. 16:12 And my guess is -- And 16:13 those of you 16:14 if you have your Bibles open, 16:15 there's enough unanimity 16:17 amongst the various 16:18 translations that we can kind of 16:19 do this one together. 16:20 What's the first word 16:21 of that verse? 16:22 >> "Pray." 16:23 >> "Pray." That's right. 16:24 Pray without what? 16:26 >> Ceasing. 16:26 >> Ceasing. 16:27 Pray without ceasing. 16:29 Let me put that up here. 16:30 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 16:32 "Pray without ceasing." 16:33 Now, the "pray" part 16:35 we would expect, right? 16:36 Even an atheist, 16:37 if he walks into a church 16:38 and cracks open a Bible, 16:39 expects to see the word "pray" 16:40 at some point, right? 16:42 It's just part of the 16:43 religious Christian drill. 16:45 But pray without ceasing. 16:48 Without ceasing. 16:50 I mean, 16:51 how many things do you do 16:52 without ceasing, right? 16:54 I remember when my daughters 16:55 were 3 years old, respectively, 16:57 at different times. 16:58 It seemed that, sometimes, they 16:59 would ask questions without 17:00 ceasing, right? 17:02 You know, "Daddy, Daddy..." 17:04 You know. 17:05 The only thing, 17:06 generally, that we do 17:08 without ceasing is breathing. 17:12 What happens when you stop 17:13 breathing long enough? 17:15 Yeah, yeah. 17:17 In other words, 17:18 the Apostle Paul, 17:19 under the inspiration 17:20 of the Holy Spirit of God, 17:22 was inspired to put praying 17:25 on that level -- life or death. 17:32 Ladies and gentlemen, 17:32 I would submit to you 17:33 that this is the holy huddle. 17:37 Prayer is the holy huddle 17:40 that God is calling us 17:42 to continually, perpetually -- 17:44 In the original language, 17:45 it means "without gaps." 17:46 Don't stop, don't let there be a 17:48 gap, always have an attitude 17:49 of prayer. 17:50 This is the holy huddle. 17:53 God is calling us 17:54 together into this huddle, 17:55 sometimes as a corporate body, 17:57 sometimes in smaller groups, 17:59 sometimes just us, 18:01 just me and God. 18:02 You and God together, 18:04 this holy huddle. 18:06 And he says, 18:07 "Do it without ceasing." 18:11 Wow. And inquiring minds 18:15 want to know, "Why? 18:19 Why? 18:21 Why put such a sky-high value 18:25 that you would call for prayer, 18:27 this holy huddle of prayer, 18:28 not just once, not just twice, 18:30 but 24/7, 365? 18:32 Why? What is it that happens 18:34 in that holy huddle 18:36 that is so good that God asks us 18:39 to do it continually?" 18:45 I think there's at least three 18:46 reasons that the Bible gives, 18:48 three answers to that question. 18:49 Let's do some digging. 18:51 Acts 10:1, please. 18:53 Acts 10:1. 18:59 And we are talking about 19:00 discipleship, 19:02 reaching other people for Jesus, 19:03 using unity in our midst 19:05 as a springboard 19:06 to help other people to know 19:07 Jesus Christ. 19:09 Now, what we're going to read 19:09 here in Acts 10, 19:10 this is definitely 19:12 a discipleship environment 19:14 that we're jumping into here. 19:14 You see, 19:15 the early Christian church, 19:17 for all of the blessings 19:18 and the wonder, the miracles -- 19:19 I mean, Acts 2, 19:20 Pentecost comes. 19:21 The Holy Spirit is pulled up. 19:22 Peter preaches for 3 minutes 19:24 and 28 seconds, and 3,000 19:25 people are baptized. 19:27 Miracles are being done. 19:28 There's these incredible divine 19:30 conflicts that take place 19:31 amongst Christians 19:32 and the religious rulers, 19:33 and it's an amazing time 19:35 to be alive. 19:36 But for all of its blessedness, 19:39 the early Christian church had 19:40 a profound discipleship problem. 19:46 And it's about to be addressed. 19:49 Acts 10:1 says, "At Caesarea --" 19:51 this is on the coast 19:52 there of Palestine -- "there 19:53 was a man named Cornelius, 19:55 a centurion, in what was known 19:57 as the Italian Regiment. 19:59 He and all his family 20:00 were devout and God-fearing. 20:02 He gave generously 20:03 to those in need and --" What's 20:05 that next word there? 20:06 "Prayed." 20:08 "And prayed to God regularly." 20:10 Now, this man 20:12 is not a Christian, 20:13 as we'll find out here, at least 20:13 not at this point in the story. 20:15 He's not a Christian, 20:15 but, obviously, he believes 20:16 in God. 20:19 to Judaism, but he's a Gentile. 20:23 That comes important later 20:25 in the story. 20:26 Verse 3. 20:27 "One day at about 3:00 in the 20:28 afternoon, he had a vision." 20:30 Later on, we would learn this is 20:31 during his regular prayer time. 20:33 "He distinctly saw an angel 20:34 of God, who came to him 20:35 and said, 'Cornelius.' 20:38 Cornelius stared at him in fear. 20:40 'What is it, Lord?', he asked. 20:42 The angel answered, 20:43 'Your prayers and gifts 20:44 to the poor have come up as 20:45 a memorial offering before God. 20:48 Now, send men to Joppa --'" 20:50 that was south on the coast 20:51 there -- "'to bring back a man 20:52 named Simon, who is called 20:54 Peter. 20:55 He is staying with Simon, 20:56 the tanner, 20:57 whose house is by the sea.' 20:59 When the angel who spoke to him 21:00 had gone, Cornelius called 21:01 two of his servants 21:02 and a devout soldier 21:03 who was one of his attendants. 21:05 He told them everything that had 21:06 happened and sent them to 21:08 Joppa." 21:08 Now pause for just a moment. 21:10 Let's be clear about this. 21:12 This came about 21:14 because of prayer. 21:16 Cornelius, though he's not 21:17 a Christian, is in prayer. 21:19 He is in prayer regularly. 21:21 Again, if we were 21:22 we would see that. 21:23 And it's in the context 21:24 of prayer here 21:25 that the next thing happens. 21:27 Notice carefully here. 21:27 Verse 9. 21:29 "About noon the following day, 21:30 as they were on their journey 21:31 and approaching the city, 21:33 Peter went up on the roof. 21:35 to --" What? 21:36 To pray, okay? 21:37 So he's doing 21:38 the same thing here -- to pray. 21:39 "He became hungry and wanted 21:41 something to eat, and while 21:42 the meal was being prepared, 21:43 he fell into a trance. 21:45 He saw heaven opened 21:46 and something like a large sheet 21:48 being let down to Earth 21:49 by its four corners. 21:51 It contained all kinds 21:52 of four-footed animals, 21:53 as well as reptiles of the Earth 21:54 and birds of the air. 21:55 Then a voice told him, 'Get up, 21:57 Peter, kill and eat.'" 22:00 Now, if you want to offend 22:04 any self-respecting Jew, 22:06 tell him this, okay? 22:08 Let down a sheet 22:09 containing probably some 22:10 clean-meat animals. 22:12 But reptiles? 22:13 No, that is not 22:14 appearing on the dinner plate 22:16 of any kosher Jewish restaurant 22:17 that you or I know of, okay? 22:19 And so, in answer to this 22:20 command -- "Rise up, get out 22:21 your steak fork, cut off a 22:23 slice here, have lunch" -- 22:24 Peter says the only thing 22:26 that probably most Jews 22:27 of his day would say. 22:30 "Get up, Peter, kill and eat." 22:30 Verse 14. 22:31 "'Surely not, Lord,' 22:33 Peter replied. 22:34 'I have never eaten anything 22:35 impure or unclean.' 22:38 The voice spoke to him 22:39 a second time. 22:40 'Do not call anything impure 22:43 that God has made clean.' 22:46 This happened three times, 22:48 and immediately, the sheet 22:49 was taken back to heaven." 22:51 Hmm. "While Peter was wondering 22:53 about the meaning of the vision, 22:54 the men sent by Cornelius 22:55 found out where Simon's house 22:56 was and stopped at the gate. 22:58 They called out, 22:59 asking if Simon, 23:00 who was known as Peter, 23:00 was staying there. 23:02 While Peter was still thinking 23:03 about the vision, 23:04 the spirit said to him, 'Simon, 23:07 three men are looking for you. 23:09 So get up and go downstairs. 23:11 Do not hesitate to go with them, 23:12 for I have sent them.' 23:14 Peter went down 23:15 and said to the men, 23:17 'I'm the one you're looking for. 23:19 Why have you come?'" 23:29 A first reason that God asks us 23:31 to regularly huddle with him 23:34 in prayer is that when we pray, 23:38 Christ leads. 23:42 When we pray, Christ leads. 23:48 Why did the spirit here -- 23:49 During Peter's prayer time, 23:50 why did the spirit have to say, 23:51 "Peter, go ahead 23:52 and go downstairs. 23:53 Don't be afraid to go 23:53 with those guys." 23:54 Why did he have to say that? 23:57 Because Peter was a Jew, 23:59 and they were Gentiles. 24:01 Exactly. Now, Jewish custom 24:04 of the day was pretty strong, 24:05 pretty universal. 24:07 They did not socialize 24:08 with Gentiles. 24:09 They saw them definitely as 24:10 the enemy almost all the time. 24:12 And, so, these Gentiles come. 24:13 So God has to guide him here. 24:15 And it's a really, really 24:17 good thing that the spirit did. 24:20 In fact, 24:20 had Peter not be praying -- 24:22 had been praying, had Cornelius 24:23 not been praying, it's quite 24:25 possible that you and I 24:27 would not be sitting here today, 24:29 because, you see, up 24:30 to that point, 24:30 for all the blessedness 24:31 of the early Christian church, 24:32 they had one major problem. 24:34 They still assumed that 24:35 salvation was just for the Jews. 24:38 You know, Jesus said 24:39 to the woman at the well, 24:40 "Salvation is from the Jews." 24:42 But the disciples in the early 24:43 Christian church extrapolated 24:45 that a little too far and 24:46 essentially limited salvation 24:48 to those that were Jews. 24:51 But when Jesus died 24:53 on the cross -- Remember, 24:54 we read this earlier on. 24:55 "If I am lifted up, 24:56 I will draw all people to me." 25:00 The church 25:01 So, in the most dramatic 25:03 fashion, God, in prayer with 25:06 Peter, goes after his stomach. 25:08 [ Chuckles ] 25:09 If you want to mess 25:10 with somebody, 25:11 mess with their plate, okay? 25:13 They will remember it. 25:15 They will pay attention, right? 25:16 Feed your kid green beans. 25:17 When they don't like green 25:18 beans, you'll hear about it. 25:19 Even to this day, 25:20 I won't tell you what, 25:21 but if you serve me 25:22 a certain vegetable, 25:23 I will not eat it, okay? 25:25 Right? If you want to mess with 25:27 somebody, mess with their plate. 25:28 This was a huge tenet 25:29 of Judaism. 25:30 One of the identifying marks 25:31 in those days is that they did 25:32 not eat those foods, 25:34 and God uses this not to make 25:37 every meat clean. 25:40 Some people wrongly use 25:41 this story to say that 25:42 every single meat now is clean. 25:43 You can eat pork, you can eat 25:44 snake, you can eat cockroach, 25:46 scorpions, et cetera. 25:46 No, no, no, no, no, no. 25:48 Leviticus 11 was written before 25:49 there was a Jewish nation. 25:51 It's a human thing, 25:53 not a Jewish thing. 25:55 Instead, Peter himself 25:56 confesses later in the chapter, 25:58 "God has shown me that 26:00 I should call no man unclean, 26:03 no person unclean." 26:05 And let it sink in and sink in 26:06 well. 26:07 If Cornelius 26:08 had not been a man of prayer, 26:09 if Peter had not been 26:11 a man of prayer, if they had 26:12 not been praying that day, 26:13 then it is quite likely 26:14 that the Gentiles -- 26:15 certainly not in the way here -- 26:16 they would never have been 26:17 reached in this fashion. 26:18 Cornelius, as later happened, 26:20 would never have become 26:21 a Christian. 26:22 would not have come. 26:23 And, again, you and I may not be 26:25 sitting here today 26:27 because we're Gentiles, 26:28 and, praise the Lord, 26:29 the Gospel came our way 26:32 because somebody prayed. 26:35 When we pray, Christ leads. 26:38 And when we think about 26:39 discipleship, when we think 26:40 about reaching other people, 26:42 this story illustrates in spades 26:43 that we must be 26:45 a praying people. 26:46 You know, when we are in 26:48 a discipleship situation, 26:49 those of you that have sought 26:51 to share your faith before, 26:52 it is so important to hear 26:53 the whisperings of the spirit, 26:54 is it not? 26:54 You need to know 26:56 when to open your mouth. 26:57 You need to know when to keep 26:58 your mouth shut. 26:59 You need to remember things that 27:01 you did not remember before, 27:02 but they were stashed there, 27:03 and the spirit 27:04 taps your brain on its shoulder 27:05 and says, "Hey, remember this? 27:06 You need to say this 27:06 at this point." 27:07 The spirit 27:08 can put you in locations 27:09 that you would not otherwise be. 27:11 You need to be praying 27:13 if you are seeking to disciple 27:14 others for Jesus. 27:18 Now, one quick caveat here. 27:20 This is not a sermon 27:21 on Bible study. 27:23 But if it were, 27:24 I would say this. 27:26 If you study your Bible but you 27:28 don't pray, you're dangerous. 27:32 If you only pray 27:34 and you don't study your Bible, 27:36 you're dangerous. 27:38 If you only study your Bible 27:39 but you don't pray, 27:40 then you have no soul. 27:41 You have no connection, 27:42 living connection, 27:43 with Jesus Christ, 27:44 and so you become a legalist, 27:45 you become a Pharisee, very well 27:46 known for your theoretical 27:48 knowledge, but no substance. 27:50 And you're dangerous. 27:53 But if you only pray 27:54 and you don't study your Bible, 27:55 let's be honest, 27:57 every now and then, we don't 27:58 hear correctly. 28:01 And the Bible is there to bring 28:02 us back to reality. 28:04 It's a corrective, okay? 28:05 So the two need 28:06 to go together, right? 28:07 And if you are studying your 28:08 Bible and if you are praying 28:11 and if you are seeking to reach 28:12 other people for Jesus, 28:13 great things can happen. 28:16 For when we pray, Christ leads. 28:19 And that whispering voice 28:20 is there to guide us 28:22 along the discipleship path. 28:24 And, again, Peter most likely 28:26 would never have heard 28:27 God's very explicit discipling 28:29 instructions except that 28:31 he was in the habit of prayer. 28:36 So, let me just ask you, in the 28:38 quietness of your own mind, 28:41 how is your hearing? 28:45 I don't mean 28:45 your physical hearing. 28:47 I mean your spiritual hearing. 28:50 How is your sense of hearing? 28:54 Are you praying regularly? 28:55 Are you in prayer with God? 28:57 Are you not just speaking, 28:58 but are you listening, as well? 28:59 Are you huddling with Jesus? 29:00 Are you praying that He might 29:01 speak and guide and, yes, 29:03 lead not just in your life, 29:04 but in the lives of those you 29:06 are seeking to help to know 29:07 Jesus? 29:08 Ladies and gentlemen, 29:09 there is no substitute for this. 29:12 You can't fake God. 29:14 You can't 29:16 fake genuine spiritual results. 29:17 I mean, you know, people may 29:19 look at the outside 29:20 and may wonder certain things, 29:21 but when it comes to sharing 29:23 Jesus with others, you can't 29:24 fake results like that. 29:27 There's only one path, 29:28 and it's in the holy huddle 29:30 of prayer, and praise the Lord 29:32 that we can huddle with Jesus 29:35 and that, when we do so, 29:37 He will lead 29:40 as we make disciples for Him. 29:45 That's the first reason 29:47 to huddle in prayer with Jesus. 29:49 There is a second. 29:52 Take a look, please, at 29:56 Isaiah 6:1. 30:02 This is certainly 30:03 one of my favorite portions 30:04 of the Book of Isaiah and, 30:05 indeed, of the Old Testament. 30:08 This is talking about 30:10 Isaiah's official call, 30:12 commission into God's work. 30:14 He's already been functioning 30:15 as a prophet 30:16 in the first five chapters here, 30:18 but this takes it 30:19 to a whole new level. 30:21 And he's going to talk here 30:22 in Verse 1 about a guy 30:24 by the name of Uzziah, 30:25 King Uzziah. 30:26 King Uzziah had reigned 30:27 for more than 50 years 30:29 and had been one of the primary 30:30 bulwarks against Assyrian 30:32 incursions into Palestine. 30:35 And he's just died. 30:36 This was 30:37 a time of great uncertainty. 30:39 Israel, Judah -- people did 30:41 not know what the future held. 30:42 Was there disaster 30:43 on the horizon? 30:44 Were they were about to be 30:45 Isaiah is wondering the same 30:46 thing, and that's where 30:48 we join the story. 30:49 Isaiah 6:1. 30:50 "In the year that King Uzziah 30:51 died, I saw 30:53 the Lord seated on a throne, 30:55 high and exalted, and the train 30:57 of his robe filled the temple. 31:00 Above him were seraphs, 31:02 each with six wings. 31:05 With two wings, they covered 31:06 their faces, with two, 31:07 they covered their feet, 31:09 and with two, they were flying, 31:10 and they were calling 31:11 to one another. 31:12 'Holy, holy, 31:15 holy is the Lord Almighty. 31:17 The whole Earth 31:19 is full of his glory.' 31:23 At the sound of their voices, 31:24 the doorposts and the thresholds 31:26 shook and the temple 31:28 was filled with smoke." 31:34 You know, there are times 31:35 when I am glad that the Bible 31:36 is a written document 31:38 rather than a video. 31:41 Book of Judges comes to mind. 31:43 But there are times 31:44 when I wish I could at least see 31:47 a little video clip, because 31:50 this must have been astonishing. 31:53 Can you picture this? 31:54 Isaiah -- the spirit of prophecy 31:56 tells us 31:58 when he is given this vision, 32:00 this vision of God Almighty 32:03 descending into His temple. 32:06 And this is more than 32:07 the Shekinah glory that was 32:08 hovering over the mercy seat 32:09 there in the Most Holy Place. 32:10 This is more than that. 32:11 There's some more detail here. 32:13 This doesn't happen very often 32:14 in Scripture, 32:15 where God shows up and there 32:17 are details, discernible 32:18 details, of His person. 32:19 This is one of them. 32:21 God is there high 32:22 and exalted on His throne. 32:24 In other words, He's in control. 32:27 This is a place of leadership 32:27 on that throne. 32:29 And the train of his robe 32:31 fills -- I mean, what was that? 32:33 You know, we have weddings, 32:34 right? 32:35 And there's long trains 32:36 on the bride's dress. 32:37 None of them 32:38 have filled the temple. 32:41 But God's does. 32:43 And these seraphs are there, 32:44 these holy, righteous, 32:45 sinless beings. 32:46 These angels are there. 32:47 They're hovering. 32:47 With two of their wings, 32:48 they're covering their faces. 32:49 Even in their sinless, 32:51 righteous state, 32:52 never having sinned, untainted 32:53 by corruption and selfishness, 32:55 they consider themselves 32:56 unworthy to view this. 32:57 So their faces are covered, 32:59 their feet are covered 32:59 in respect. 33:00 They're hovering 33:01 with the other wings. 33:02 And, apparently, the only thing 33:03 that is fitting for this 33:04 occasion is to speak those 33:07 words, "Holy, holy, holy is the 33:12 Lord Almighty." 33:16 And so powerful are the words 33:18 and the presence of God 33:19 that they saturate the building 33:21 to the point of destruction. 33:23 Because that's what it means. 33:24 If the doorposts and the jambs 33:26 and the frames on my house 33:27 are rattling, something -- 33:29 this is not good. 33:30 Something is about to happen. 33:32 The very foundations 33:34 of the temple of the Living God 33:36 are in danger of giving way 33:38 beneath the weight of 33:39 the awesomeness, the grandeur, 33:41 and the holiness of God. 33:45 Now, what would you say at that 33:50 moment if you were Isaiah? 33:59 Well, what did he say? 34:02 Verse 5. 34:05 "'Woe to me,' I cried. 34:09 'I am ruined, 34:11 for I am a man of unclean lips 34:13 and I live among a people 34:14 of unclean lips, 34:15 and my eyes have seen the King, 34:17 the Lord Almighty.'" 34:26 Let's be real clear about this, 34:27 what's happening here. 34:28 I think this is one of 34:29 the major reasons 34:31 why people don't genuinely pray, 34:35 because sometimes, what we find 34:39 in prayer -- genuine prayer, 34:40 not just, you know, thanking 34:42 God for the food and et cetera, 34:44 genuine, honest prayer -- 34:45 sometimes, one of the first 34:46 things we find when we honestly 34:48 pray is bad news. 34:52 Because when we pray, 34:53 we are naked before God. 34:57 There are no secrets in prayer. 35:00 God sees it all. 35:02 And if you are being honest 35:03 with Him, He will show you. 35:04 He will reflect 35:05 that back to you. 35:06 You cannot help but see yourself 35:08 as you truly are if you 35:10 genuinely engage in prayer. 35:14 I think this is why some people 35:15 don't pray. 35:17 To which I would say, 35:20 that is a profound tragedy. 35:23 Because God is not interested 35:26 in showing your flaws or mine 35:28 just to lord it over us. 35:31 God is not interested in showing 35:32 you your weaknesses 35:33 simply to make you feel bad. 35:34 Far from it. 35:35 In fact, the only reason 35:37 that God reveals our true, 35:40 filthy, sinful state 35:42 is that He might set us free 35:43 from that very thing. 35:45 That's why He does it. 35:47 Don't shy away from that bad 35:49 news that comes in prayer. 35:51 It is your doorway to paradise. 35:53 It is your stepping-stone 35:54 to righteousness, to being set 35:56 free in Jesus Christ. 35:58 And, indeed, this is exactly 36:00 what Isaiah finds. 36:02 Verse 6. 36:03 "Then one of the seraphs 36:04 flew to me with a live coal 36:06 in his hand, which he had 36:07 taken with tongs from the altar. 36:08 With it, he touched my mouth 36:10 and said, 'See? 36:11 This has touched your lips. 36:13 Your guilt is taken away 36:15 and your sin atoned for.' 36:18 Then I heard the voice 36:19 of the Lord saying, 36:20 'Whom shall I send? 36:22 And who will go for us?' 36:23 And I said, 'Here am I. 36:26 Send me.'" 36:30 In the space of a prayer, 36:32 Isaiah goes from being 36:33 a spiritual loser 36:35 to being a missionary for God. 36:43 A second reason that God 36:44 calls us to huddle in prayer 36:47 so often is simply this. 36:50 When we pray, our fears flee. 36:55 You know, there's so many 36:56 lessons that we could pull from 36:57 this little story of Isaiah. 36:58 I think this is 36:59 one of the better ones. 37:01 When we pray, our fears flee 37:03 because they cannot bear up 37:05 under the weight of the atoning 37:06 power of Jesus Christ. 37:08 When we are honest in prayer 37:09 with our fears, 37:11 God knows exactly how 37:12 to melt them with 37:13 the brightness of his presence. 37:15 This is one of the things 37:16 that prayer is for. 37:17 And notice carefully. 37:18 It's again specifically 37:20 a discipleship context. 37:22 Isaiah, when he had this 37:24 renewal experience in prayer, 37:25 he is immediately sent out 37:27 to disciple others. 37:29 "Who will go for us?", God says. 37:31 Isaiah, now refreshed, 37:32 "Here I am, Lord. 37:33 I'm ready now. Send me." 37:39 One of the biggest reasons that 37:40 people don't share their faith 37:41 is because they're afraid. 37:43 We talked about this briefly 37:44 a few weeks ago. 37:46 They're afraid they won't say 37:47 the right thing, that they won't 37:48 have the right answer. 37:49 Somebody is going to stump them. 37:50 They're gonna mess up. 37:51 They're going to, you know, 37:53 stub their toe and swear. 37:54 Something's going to go wrong, 37:55 right? 37:56 And so they're afraid of it, 37:57 and so they don't witness. 38:00 What fears are holding you back 38:02 from sharing Jesus with others? 38:06 What are they? 38:09 And whatever they are, 38:11 may I gently challenge you? 38:14 Don't let another day go by, 38:16 bring them to Jesus, 38:17 lay them out clearly, 38:19 tell Him honestly what they are, 38:22 and let Him take them away. 38:24 Because it is in prayer that 38:25 God works, that Jesus works. 38:27 When we pray, our fears flee. 38:34 So the second reason 38:36 that Christ asks us to huddle 38:37 with Him in prayer. 38:38 There is a third and final one 38:39 for today. 38:41 Psalm Chapter 34, please, 38:42 Verse 4. 38:43 Psalm 34:4. 38:48 So, Psalm of David, 38:50 at a time in his life -- 38:52 He had fled from King Abimelech, 38:54 pretended to be insane. 38:55 It was a tumultuous, 38:56 chaotic time. 38:58 David was not feeling confident. 39:01 And so he sought a solution 39:03 and he found one. 39:05 Verse 4. Psalm 34:4. 39:07 David says, "'I sought the Lord, 39:09 and He answered me.'" 39:11 Does that sound like prayer 39:11 to you? 39:13 Yeah, it does to me. 39:14 This is prayer. 39:15 David prays. He's in trouble. 39:16 He's uncertain. He's unsure. 39:17 He doesn't know 39:18 what the future holds. 39:19 So he prays. 39:20 "'I sought the Lord, 39:21 and He answered me. 39:23 He delivered me 39:24 from all my fears." 39:25 That's what we just learned. 39:26 "'Delivered me from all my fears 39:27 in prayer.'" 39:27 Verse 5. 39:28 "'Those who look to Him 39:28 are radiant. 39:29 Their faces 39:30 are never covered with shame. 39:31 This poor man --'" probably 39:33 tapping on his chest there -- 39:34 "'called, and the Lord heard 39:35 him. 39:36 He saved him out of 39:37 all his troubles. 39:38 The angel of the Lord encamps 39:40 around those who fear Him, 39:41 and He delivers them. 39:43 Taste and see that the Lord 39:46 is good. 39:47 Blessed is the man 39:48 who takes refuge in Him.'" 39:50 >> Amen. 39:53 >> David went from being 39:54 uncertain and hesitant to being 39:56 bold and confident, 39:58 and that transformation 40:00 all started when he prayed. 40:04 A third reason that Christ longs 40:06 to huddle with us and prays 40:08 so often is that when we pray, 40:10 lives are changed. 40:14 And not just ours, 40:16 but others, too. 40:19 A final story. 40:20 And I am going to intentionally 40:22 change some of the details, 40:24 the identifying details, 40:26 of this story 40:27 so that you hopefully will not 40:28 be able to identify the people 40:29 that are involved. 40:30 But the substance of the story 40:31 is absolutely true. 40:35 Many years ago, I was 40:36 traveling on the West Coast. 40:37 I was in California. 40:39 And unbeknownst to me, 40:40 a friend of mine knew that 40:41 I was traveling through that 40:42 particular part of California, 40:44 a pastor friend of mine. 40:45 And he calls me up and said, 40:46 "Hey, I see that 40:47 you're in our area here. 40:49 Hi. How are you? 40:49 And can we 40:50 get together right away?" 40:51 I said, "Well, sure. 40:52 Good to hear from you. 40:54 What's up?" 40:54 We met together, and 40:56 he shared with me what was up, 40:57 and, indeed, it was quite 40:58 serious. 41:00 He explained that 41:01 they had a local grade school 41:03 and Adventist high school 41:05 there, academy, and there was 41:07 a group of about seven students 41:08 they had matriculated through 41:09 all of those years. 41:10 They had graduated 41:11 a few years ago and had kind of 41:13 gone away from the church. 41:16 Not much interest in spiritual 41:17 things, kind of gotten 41:18 into the wrong circles 41:19 from drinking, et cetera 41:20 that was going on there. 41:22 And then, one day, 41:25 somebody in that group suggested 41:27 that they get a game. 41:30 And I'm not going 41:31 to give much details on it. 41:32 Those of you that are aware 41:33 of such things, you'll know 41:34 exactly what I'm talking about. 41:34 But there is a game. 41:36 It is sadly readily available 41:39 where you can ask questions 41:40 of the game, 41:42 and it supposedly will give you 41:44 answers back on these topics, 41:46 any topic that you choose. 41:48 Well, they got it. 41:50 They got that game. 41:52 And they knew better. 41:54 They had gone through, as I say, 41:54 our schools. 41:56 But they thought, "Well, surely 41:57 this can't be that dangerous." 42:02 They begin to ask questions of 42:04 the game, and the game answered. 42:07 You know, the devil loves 42:08 half-truths or even 90% truth. 42:11 If he can just put 10% 42:13 deadly error in there, 42:13 he's happy. 42:14 He's happy, okay? 42:16 Bald-faced lies -- rarely, 42:17 rarely told by the devil, okay? 42:19 And, so, he begins to give 42:20 answers, and the answers are 42:22 incredibly accurate for these -- 42:23 "Wow, this is interesting. 42:24 Well, ask him 42:25 this or ask him that." 42:26 And pretty soon, the game 42:27 is beginning 42:28 to give directions back. 42:29 Now, this is just pure 42:30 and simple. 42:31 of the devil, okay? 42:33 And if you are dabbling 42:35 in the occult, 42:37 if you can hear my voice 42:38 right now, if you are dabbling 42:38 in the occult and you think 42:40 that you can control 42:41 what is happening, 42:42 you are wrong. 42:44 You are absolutely wrong. 42:46 Every single story of people 42:48 who "dabble in the occult," 42:50 you stick in it long enough, 42:51 you cannot get out 42:53 of your own accord, 42:55 as you're about to see. 42:58 The game told them to go 42:59 to a cemetery. 43:01 They went to the cemetery. 43:02 They went to a certain grave. 43:04 They went to the grave. 43:05 And they were asked to call 43:07 someone, and they did. 43:09 And out of the grave came 43:10 "a ghost." 43:12 Now, we know that there 43:13 are no such thing as ghosts. 43:14 Amen? 43:14 >> Amen. 43:15 >> We know 43:16 what the Bible has to say. 43:17 Ecclesiastes 9:5-6, 43:18 among other texts in the Bible. 43:20 You know, "The living know 43:20 that they shall die, but the 43:23 dead know..." 43:23 >> Nothing. 43:24 >> Nothing, zero, zip, nada. 43:26 When you're dead, you're dead. 43:27 It's like a dreamless sleep. 43:28 You can't have any communication 43:30 with anybody who's still living. 43:31 That's what the Bible says. 43:34 But we also know that the Bible 43:35 says that the devil 43:36 can impersonate the dead -- 43:38 and, sadly, with a great 43:39 amount of accuracy. 43:42 And so there's a demon 43:43 impersonating this dead person, 43:45 and the dead person 43:46 begins to get quite aggressive, 43:48 this demon, and making requests. 43:49 And by now, 43:51 absolutely terrified. 43:53 And when they refused 43:55 what this evil spirit asked, 43:57 one of the young adults 43:59 was possessed. 44:06 Again, if you play with fire, 44:07 you will get burned. 44:11 They called my pastor friend, 44:13 who called me. 44:14 And I said, 44:15 "Yeah, let's go right away." 44:18 We met with this group of young 44:19 adults at a local Adventist 44:20 church there. 44:21 We went to the front pew. 44:22 And they were carrying 44:23 their friend -- The friend, 44:24 essentially from the time 44:26 at that cemetery, he was 44:30 breathing, 44:30 but he could not communicate, 44:31 couldn't open his eyes, 44:33 could not control his movements. 44:34 They carried him from place 44:34 to place. 44:35 They carried him 44:36 into the church. 44:37 They put him there on the front 44:38 pew. 44:39 He just kind of flopped there 44:40 on the pew. 44:41 And we huddled. 44:45 We prayed. 44:48 We pled the blood 44:49 of Jesus Christ. 44:51 You know, the one thing 44:52 the devil hates more 44:53 than anything else 44:54 is the blood of Jesus Christ. 44:57 We can pray 44:58 for all manner of blessings. 44:59 The devil doesn't like 44:59 that either. 45:02 that says, "Game up for you, 45:03 Satan," is the blood 45:04 of Jesus Christ. 45:06 When Jesus was on that cross, 45:07 what were his final words? 45:08 "It is..." 45:08 >> Finished. 45:09 >> "It is finished." 45:11 Now, the Great Controversy 45:12 wasn't quite finished yet, 45:13 but the end had been secured. 45:16 And when you plead the blood 45:17 of Jesus Christ, the devil 45:18 has no option but to leave. 45:20 And so we prayed there 45:22 with our holy huddle. 45:23 And the young man stirred 45:25 a little bit. 45:26 He stirred. 45:27 He opened his eyes a little bit 45:28 and closed them again. 45:29 And it came in my mind 45:30 the very story that we read here 45:31 a couple Sabbaths ago. 45:32 You remember Jesus, 45:33 when He met the man 45:34 who had legion inside of Him, 45:35 and He commanded him 45:36 to come out, and then 45:37 this conversation took place. 45:38 There was a little delay. 45:40 We huddled again. 45:41 We began to pray and we pled 45:43 the blood of Jesus Christ, 45:44 asking, by the power 45:45 of His Holy Spirit, 45:46 that the blood of Jesus Christ, 45:47 and we commanded that demon 45:48 to leave. 45:50 And after several minutes 45:51 of praying, he did. 45:56 And that young man was set free. 46:01 He opened his eyes, he blinked, 46:03 did not know where he was. 46:06 We reminded him 46:06 of the circumstances, 46:07 and, "Yes, I remember, I 46:09 remember." 46:12 Ladies and gentlemen, 46:15 when we pray, lives are changed. 46:21 Prayer itself is not a thing, 46:23 but God is, 46:24 and He works through prayer. 46:26 That holy huddle of being 46:28 with him -- there's nothing 46:28 magic about mouthing -- 46:30 making words with your mouth 46:31 or supposedly an attitude 46:32 of prayer, but there is great 46:33 power in Jesus Christ. 46:35 And He has chosen, in these 46:36 holy huddles, to give His power 46:38 to change people's lives there. 46:40 Some of you may be thinking, 46:42 "But, Pastor Shane, 46:43 that was an extreme example. 46:45 I mean, that's demon possession. 46:46 That's like one of the most 46:47 extreme forms of discipleship 46:48 you could ever imagine." 46:50 Hear it and hear it well. 46:54 Every conversion is a miracle. 47:00 Whether you are possessed 47:01 by a demon or just distracted 47:03 from spiritual things, 47:04 like millions of people 47:05 in this country, 47:06 every conversion is a miracle. 47:08 We would like to think -- 47:09 I mean, wouldn't it be great 47:10 if we could just smile 47:11 and be nice and have clean 47:12 restrooms on a Sabbath morning 47:14 and people would be baptized? 47:15 Wouldn't that be great? 47:17 Now, we need clean restrooms, 47:18 and you please smile 47:19 when a guest comes in. 47:20 But if their hearts are to 47:21 be changed, I can't do it. 47:22 You can't do it. Only Jesus can. 47:25 And that is why, 47:26 when we are seeking 47:27 to reach other people for Jesus, 47:28 we must pray. 47:30 We must pray. 47:31 We must intercede for them. 47:33 I don't understand all the rules 47:35 of the Great Controversy. 47:37 All I know 47:38 is that there are times 47:40 when I don't pray, and there is 47:42 no progress, spiritually, with 47:43 someone I'm seeking to reach. 47:45 And then there are times 47:46 when I remember and I pray 47:47 and I intercede, and things 47:49 happen in that person's life. 47:51 And I've seen people become 47:53 Christians and join the church 47:55 because other people were 47:56 interceding for them in prayer. 48:00 So, again, I ask you, 48:02 how is it with you? 48:05 How is it with you 48:06 and the holy huddle? 48:08 Are you 48:10 who prays every now and then 48:15 or are you a disciple-maker 48:15 for Christ 48:17 that lives a life of prayer? 48:21 Throughout this series, we have 48:23 seen, in multiple places, 48:24 that Christ 48:24 is calling us to unity. 48:26 As we learned a few Sabbaths 48:28 ago, unity is actually a 48:29 location. 48:32 It is found by the church 48:33 only as we are found 48:35 at Jesus' wounded side. 48:38 And prayer turns out to be 48:41 how we travel to that location. 48:44 Ellen White has that famous 48:45 phrase in "Steps to Christ." 48:46 "Prayer does not bring God 48:47 down to us but, rather, brings 48:49 us up to God, right to the very 48:52 side of Christ." 48:53 And as we are united 48:55 as a church, as a campus, 48:56 as a worldwide body, 48:58 as we are united, 48:59 we seek to share Jesus 49:01 with other people, and to do 49:02 those two things successfully -- 49:04 to be united and to share Jesus 49:05 with others -- we must have 49:06 Christ leading and His courage 49:08 and His power to change lives, 49:09 all of which flow freely 49:11 to the soul that frequently 49:13 and regularly lives in prayer 49:15 with Jesus Christ. 49:17 Ladies and gentlemen, this is 49:18 not a flag-football game. 49:21 This is the Great Controversy. 49:22 This is the kingdom of God, 49:24 and eternity is on the line, 49:26 so, please, let us unite 49:28 in Christ. 49:29 Let us use that as a springboard 49:31 to make disciples for Him. 49:32 And let us pray together, 49:34 individually, corporately, 49:36 regularly throughout the day, 49:37 each day that we may have what 49:39 we need to let the world know 49:41 that their friend and savior, 49:42 Jesus Christ, has come, 49:44 and that by God's grace, 49:45 they, too, might make 49:47 the shot of a lifetime. 49:49 >> Amen! 49:51 [ Applause ] 50:00 ♪ 52:47 >> Jesus, indeed, you are 52:49 a merciful savior. 52:51 You love, Lord, to pull us out 52:52 of the muck and the grime of sin 52:54 that we have 52:55 Thank you. Thank you for that. 52:58 Lord, as we seek to help others 52:59 to have this same experience, 53:01 please, Lord, please huddle 53:03 with us. 53:04 Remind us, Lord, 53:05 throughout the day, 53:06 every day, to be listening 53:07 to You and to Your voice. 53:08 Great things can happen 53:09 when we do. 53:11 Please, Lord, may this become 53:13 a church, a campus, 53:16 a worldwide movement of prayer. 53:19 This we ask in your name. Amen. 53:21 ♪ 56:39 >> Before you go, let me take 56:41 just a moment to share with you 56:42 an opportunity to get into 56:43 the Bible in a fresh, new way. 56:46 All across the world, 56:47 more and more people are hearing 56:48 the call to examine 56:49 the Scriptures for themselves. 56:52 If you've felt drawn to learn 56:53 more about God's Word, 56:54 but you don't know 56:54 where to start 56:56 or you're just looking for 56:57 a more in-depth examination 56:58 of Bible truths, 57:00 then I have something right here 57:01 that I believe 57:02 you're going to enjoy. 57:04 I would like to send you 57:05 a series of Bible-study guides. 57:07 Each of these study guides asks 57:08 and answers very important 57:10 questions, such as these 57:11 examples right here. 57:13 Why does God allow suffering? 57:15 Can God be trusted? 57:17 Each of the initial five guides 57:19 begins with a story 57:20 to introduce the subject. 57:22 Then, through a series 57:23 of focused questions, 57:25 you'll soon be learning portions 57:26 of the Bible 57:27 you may never have known before. 57:29 And when you're through, 57:30 you'll be able to share 57:31 with others these inspiring 57:32 truths from God's words. 57:35 Just call our toll-free number. 57:36 It's on your screen now. 57:38 877, the two words HIS-WILL. 57:41 Friendly operators are standing 57:43 by to send you these guides. 57:45 Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:47 Call that number. 57:48 And don't forget to join me 57:50 next week right here 57:52 at this same time. 58:00 ♪ |
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