LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY [part 1]

If we were to pick anyone to teach us how to pray, Jesus Christ would obviously be the wisest choice. If anyone understood what prayer really was and how to use prayer effectively, Jesus would be the Person we needed to talk to.

As we begin this study, let’s look at the example that Jesus set for us.

Luke 5:16 (ESV) 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

While it is true that we can and should pray wherever we are, we should also have a place to go to for those serious amounts of prayer where we can have privacy and be able to focus on God without all of the interruptions. Jesus would leave the crowds to make time to communicate with God through prayer and so should we.

Luke 6:12-13 (ESV) 12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Not only did Jesus go out to the mountain to pray but notice two things about this section of scripture:

He prayed all night. all night he continued in prayer to God

He spent a lot of time in prayer before attempting to make the right decisions. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve

Luke 11:1-4 (ESV) 1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” [underlining added]

The disciples of Jesus has seen Him preach and teach, they had seen Him do many miracles and they had seen Him heal the sick but yet, they said “Lord, teach us to pray”. John the Baptist taught his disciples or followers to pray and so did the other ‘rabbis’ or teachers but nobody could have taught them about prayer like Jesus, amen?

In this passage, you see a parallel version of what is recorded in Matthew 6:9 and following.  We will look at those verses in just a moment but before we do, here are a couple of quotes about prayer that you may find to be very helpful…

·         “A proper idea of prayer is, a pouring out of the soul unto God, as a free-will offering, solemnly and eternally dedicated to him, accompanied with the most earnest desire that it may know, love, and serve him alone. He that comes thus to God will ever be heard and blessed. Prayer is the language of dependence; he who prays not, is endeavoring to live independently of God:” - Adam Clarke's Commentary

·         “Prayer requires more of the heart than of the tongue.”

In Matthew chapter 6, you see the word ‘when’ repeated several times showing us that it is not a question of ‘if we do’ but ‘when we do’. Jesus didn’t say ‘If you pray…’, He said ‘when you pray…’

Matthew 6:5-8 (ESV) 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

What is a ‘hypocrite’?—“a stage-player, who acts under a mask, personating a character different from his own; a counterfeit, one who would be thought to be different from what he really is.”

It is important to emphasize here that Jesus is talking about having wrong motives when praying in public. He is not saying that we shouldn’t be praying corporately as well as individually. If he was, then he would be sinning in John 17 for example.

Jesus is describing the Pharisees praying in such a way to be heard by the people instead of being heard by god. They would put on a show using long repetitive phrases trying to show how religious they were. Jesus also said that ‘they have received their reward’ and what was that reward? To be seen by others… and that’s it. When you pray, would you rather be heard by God and have your prayers answered or be satisfied with putting on a good show for others to see. Here is a quote from the Life Application Bible, “There is a place for public prayer, but to pray only where others will notice you indicates that your real audience is not God.”

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Don’t lose the emotion in the transition between verse 5 and 6. Hypocrites pray the wrong way but you are to pray the right way. When you pray the right way, not only will your prayers be heard but you will be openly rewarded as well. And what is this right way? ‘in secret’.

What should we be praying about? In addition to the topics listed in this passage, here are a few other topics

WE ARE TO STAY CONNECTED TO GOD. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV) 17 pray without ceasing,  

WE ARE TO PRAY WITH ENDURANCE AND FAITH. Luke 18:1 (ESV) 1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

WE ARE TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT. 1 Corinthians 14:15 (ESV) 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.

WE ARE TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT IN OUR PRAYERS. Romans 8:26 (ESV) 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

WE ARE TO PRAY FOR ALL THINGS. Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

WE ARE TO PRAY FOR OUR ENEMIES. Matthew 5:44 (ESV) 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

WE ARE TO PRAY FOR DISCIPLE-MAKING DISCIPLES. Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV) 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.

‘do not heap up empty phrases …’ How many times do we go on ‘auto-pilot’ when we pray? Such as...

1.       When saying the blessing for your food?

2.       When praying before you go to bed?

What are ‘empty phrases’? Just saying the words you always say without thinking about what you saying and without putting any emotion into those words. How would your spouse like to hear you say this on a daily basis without any emotion, ‘Hi, honey, I am home. How was your day? Can we eat now? Okay, thank you. Good night.’?

Too often, that is what we sound like when we pray. Not thinking about the words, just saying something to count as a prayer so that we can move on from there. This is why I suggest that before you start to pray that you ‘let the dust settle’. Instead of rushing to that place to pray and still thinking about everything you have to do today and who called you earlier, etc., stop for a moment and focus in God like those old radios we used to have with the needle that slid across the radio until it came to your favorite radio station. Sometimes you would be close enough to hear the station but still have to adjust the knob to get it just right. When praying, make sure you are focused on God and thinking about what you are saying instead of just rambling.

Some folks think that if they pray long enough, surely God will hear them. Here is a quote I found about using repetitious words in prayer, "A frequent repetition of awful and striking words may often be the result of earnestness and fervor, but great length of prayer, which will of course involve much sameness and idle repetition, naturally creates fatigue and carelessness in the worshipper, and seems to suppose ignorance or inattention in the Deity; a fault against which our Lord more particularly wishes to secure them."

WHAT CAN KEEP US FROM EMPTY REPETITION IN OUR PRAYERS? [FROM THE PREACHER’S OUTLINE AND SERMON BIBLE]

1. A genuine heart: really knowing God personally and having a moment by moment fellowship with Him all day long.

2. Thought and concentration: really focusing upon what we are saying.

3. Desire for fellowship with God: praying sincerely, really meaning it.

4. Preparation: preparing ourselves for prayer by first meditating in God's Word.

REPETITION IS NOT BAD WHEN IT IS DONE CORRECTLY.

JESUS DID IT. Matthew 26:44 (ESV) 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.

HOW ABOUT PSALM 136?

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“Prayer is not designed to inform God, but to give man a sight of his misery; to humble his heart, to excite his desire, to inflame his faith, to animate his hope, to raise his soul from earth to heaven, and to put him in mind that THERE is his Father, his country, and inheritance.”

God knows what you need and He will take care of you. That’s why Jesus said, Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV) 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

When you pray, be honest with God. He already knows everything about you. He knows what you are feeling and what you need. Don’t try to hide your feelings from God, He will recognize your dishonesty. Read the book of Psalms and notice the many times that David or the other writers would be crying out to God in one verse and bragging on His goodness the next verse. One minute, David might ask something like, ‘God, why did You leave me here in this mess?’ and turn right around and say ‘Lord, I know that everything You do is right’.

If you have kids or grandkids, you know the joy of hearing them come to you and ask for something. I say ‘joy’ because you see their trust in you, knowing that you are able to take care of what they need. God wants to hear you pray. Tell Him what you think and what you feel. But please make sure you approach God the right way… not as your slave and not as your equal but as the one true God. The Creator of all things and the Sustainer of life itself. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We will pick up from here next Wednesday night and you are definitely encouraged to come and join us as we search the scriptures and find out what prayer really is and how our prayer lives can be more powerful. In the meantime, here is a closing passage for you to read and see the awesomeness of our God…

Isaiah 6:1-8 (ESV) 1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” 8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” 

"Gender upheaval, coming soon to a commode near you"

Yes, you read that title right. That is a direct quote from an article written by Owen Strachan. You may not know who Owen is so I am including his bio from his webpage...

"Owen Strachan is executive director of the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood and assistant professor of Christian Theology and Church History at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky. He also teaches for the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Bethany and is the father of two children."

The title to the article is "Children’s Restrooms Are The Next Front Line In The Gender Wars" and as if the title wasn't enough to get my attention, this photo did.

In Owen's article, you will find this paragraph... "It’s true: gender upheaval, coming soon to a commode near you. In Maine, the state Supreme Judicial Court found in a recent court case that a young woman described as transgender could enter male or female restrooms. In California, the state legislature passed a bill that gives students who self-identify as “transgender” the right “to participate in sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities,” including the use of restrooms of both sexes. As if using public restrooms wasn’t frightful enough!"  You can read the article here... http://goo.gl/Zxziel

The article is worth reading but for now, I would like for you to study this photo for a moment and discover what it actually means. This is another case where something was meant for one purpose (to show support to transgender-minded people) but actually shows something else. The Bible (and yes, it really is the authoritative Word of God) says that God created mankind by making them male and female (as shown in Genesis 1:26-27 and Ephesians 5:31). In this photo, you have a red symbol which represents the female and you have a black symbol which represents the male. But what about the symbol that is both black and red? It is part male and part female? Not really a man or not really a woman? If it is not a 'he' or a 'she', is it an 'it'? 'He' and 'she' are personal pronouns that have been around forever but what do you use for the symbol that is part red and part black?

It has been almost 238 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed and so I ask you, 'Does it not seem strange to you that the same homosexuality that recognized as unbiblical and unnatural for all of those years is now being pushed at us from every direction in the last decade?' Federal judges telling Kentuckians that even though we voted to uphold the traditional values for marriage, Kentucky now has to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed in other states or countries?

To show you another side of the seriousness of this problem, I refer you back to Owen's article about the kids... "These measures in Maine and California are seemingly laudable. They have been handed down in the name of opposing bullying. Legislatures and courts should oppose bullying. But there is a palpable irony in these acts of the state. They have effectively bullied their citizens into accepting gender revisionism that compromises the privacy of their children and places them in hostile environments. This is as unnecessary as it is alarming. The public officials involved in both decisions seek to oppose injustice, but they are perpetuating it." He also says "In our enlightened new world, boys can shower with girls. They can enter a locker room of the opposite sex when they wish, and, provided they profess to be transgender, no one can stop them. This is true not only of teenagers, but kindergartners. The sexually curious no longer have a barrier to their exploration. Teachers cannot step in. Administrators cannot intervene. In public schools, per the will of the Maine judiciary and the California legislature, children no longer enjoy the protection our society has assumed as a matter of course."

Here is a quote from the Washington Post written by Eugene Volohk... "So holds today’s Maine Supreme Judicial Court decision in Doe v. Regional School Unit 26, as to a fifth-grade student who is biologically male but identifies and dresses as a girl. Maine law bans discrimination in places of public accommodation based on “sexual orientation,” which includes “gender identity or expression.” The court held that this means that transgender people were entitled to use the restrooms appropriate to their gender identity, rather than their biological sex." ["Barring transgender student from using girls’ bathroom violates Maine law"  http://goo.gl/rbXDh3]

Friends, we must continue to pray for our nation. Pray for our leaders to be leaders of integrity and to lead us by biblical values. Pray for our homes that marriages would be consist of one man and one woman and that each couple focused on God more than they focused on themselves. Pray that our kids would have the proper amount of parental supervision and love. And pray that our churches would teach the true gospel of Jesus Christ and nothing less. And may God bless America once again...

HOW CAN YOU HAVE AN ATHEIST CHURCH?

Sometimes you hear a phrase that catches your attention because the words don't seem to go together. Such is the case with an 'atheist church'. If an atheist is "a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods", then why would he want to go to a "church"?

In USA Today's article, 'Atheist 'mega-churches' look for nonbelievers', you will find the following paragraph as its opening statements... "It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Hundreds packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational sermon, a reading and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God." 

One of the creators of the idea of an atheist church is a British comedian named Sanderson Jones who got the idea after leaving a Christmas carol concert. This is how he described that event, "There was so much about it that I loved, but it's a shame because at the heart of it, it's something I don't believe in," Jones said. "If you think about church, there's very little that's bad. It's singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people — and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?"

So hundreds of people gathered 'rousing music'... what were they singing about? They heard "an inspirational sermon"... about what? What were they reading? And what were they thinking about? Going back to the article, the motto from Sunday Assembly, one of the atheist churches, is "Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More" which is in total opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ which teaches us that everyone has sinned and we can't fix our sin problem by ourselves. Only God can fix that problem through Jesus Christ.

Going back to the idea of an 'atheist church', it seems so ironic that a group of people who "disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods" would want to be called a "church" since the word "church" means "The whole body of professing Christians throughout the world" [Illustrated Bible Dictionary] and you also would call the local gathering of Christ followers a church body.

But what really struck me as I read that article. How many of our churches already appear to be atheist churches? If a church is trying to have 'rousing music' but the gospel is not displayed in the lyrics, then that song could be sung anywhere. If the "an inspirational sermon" isn't rooted in God's Word, then it would be nothing more than a 'how to be a better person' speech that could be heard anywhere as well. If a nonbeliever attends one of our church services and doesn't get confronted with the gospel through the music and the message, then that gathering could have happened in a school, a park or any other place.

It is the gospel of Jesus Christ that makes the church what it is. We must be like the apostle Paul who said "we preach Christ crucified," (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Let no church ever be labeled as an 'atheist church'. Instead we must sing the word and preach the word so that the gospel of Jesus Christ is heard from wall to wall. We are not entertainers trying to draw a crowd. We are the church of Jesus Christ who has been called make disciples of of all nations (Matthew 28:19). 

PRONE TO WANDER

"O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."

You may recognize these words from the hymn, "Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing". These words have been ringing in my head for over a week now. Just think about God's grace being given to us... we were once enemies of God and yet He gave us life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Notice the wording the second half of the second verse...

"Jesus sought me when a stranger, 
wandering from the fold of God; 
he, to rescue me from danger, 
interposed his precious blood."

Jesus searched for me... a stranger wandering away from Him. He not only searched for me, but He rescued me from danger and then He washed me with His blood. Yes, I owe God so much and yet I have no way to repay Him.

And here is where that last verse has so much resonance with us... in spite of all that He has done for us, we still find ourselves wandering off at times, even for just a moment or two. "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;" Why do we wander away from God? Especially knowing the feeling that tells us we are about to mess up. Paul says it so well in this passage from Romans...

Romans 7:15-20 (ESV) 15  For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16  Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19   For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 

And then he asked this great question, Romans 7:24 (ESV) 24  Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [Underline added] Paul answers that question in the next verse and as you read it, I invite you to thank God for His amazing grace. Here is the answer to the question, Romans 7:25 (ESV) 25  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!..." 

Thanks be to God through Jesus our Lord! We are not in this alone. Often we will be tempted to wander off for a while and we may even do that even though we know better. So if we do wander off, remember that He is looking for us. Let us return to Him and ask Him to forgive us. In the meantime, let us focus on the couple of lines in the verse which say "Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, " Will you give God your heart today? You can trust Him.

NEW YEAR, NEW FOCUS

Big changes have taken place in the leadership structure at RFBC. We are currently transitioning to our 'CHURCH LEADERS' format which is divided into four major headings... MISSIONS, OUTREACH, CONNECTIONS and DISCIPLESHIP. These divisions are being designed to connect our church family with our church's mission which is "Bringing In, Lifting Up And Sending Out To Impact Our World". The first two deal with our ministry to those outside our church walls and the last two deal with our ministry to those inside our church walls.

Liz Jones is leading this effort and her goal is to have some type of local missions project for members of our church family to take part in each month.

Stephen Jones will be helping us look for ways to get our church family out into the community to show God's love and be visible in our neighborhoods. 

'CONNECTIONS' will build the relationships within our church family by focusing on various grouping such as...

• CHILDREN -- to be announced
• YOUTH -- STEPHEN AND LIZ JONES
• HIGH SCHOOL GRADS AND SINGLES  -- to be announced
• ADULTS -- DEAN PARRISH
• SENIOR ADULTS-- RHONDA NICHOLS
• MEN -- PAUL GREENWELL
• WOMEN -- BEVERLY PARRISH
• CHURCH AS A WHOLE -- TONY AND BUBBLES SIDEBOTTOM

'DISCIPLESHIP' will develop the level of spiritual maturity in our church family as we grow from one level to the next. A great resource to read is "The Trellis And The Vine" by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne. 

In the weeks ahead, you will hear more about each section and discover how you can get plugged in. 

SOCIAL MEDIA VS BIBLICAL TRUTH

Genesis 1:27 (ESV) 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 

The Bible is very clear that God made us males and females but now facebook has created the opportunity for people to describe their gender as "androgynous, bi-gender, gender fluid or transsexual" (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/apnewsbreak-gender-options-facebook-users-22501422)

"Of course Facebook is entitled to manage its wildly popular site as it sees fit, but here is the bottom line: It's impossible to deny the biological reality that humanity is divided into two halves - male and female," said Jeff Johnston, an issues analyst for Focus on the Family, an influential national religious organization based in Colorado Springs, Colo. "Those petitioning for the change insist that there are an infinite number of genders, but just saying it doesn't make it so. That said, we have a great deal of compassion for those who reject their biological sex and believe they are the opposite sex." (from same article)

America. Our beloved country whose pledge still says "one nation under God" and whose money still says "In God, We Trust" is sliding farther and farther away from God every moment. Since God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, how much longer will He wait before we face His wrath?

2 Peter 2:4-14 (ESV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 

Pray, pray, pray.