PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
Trinity Fellowship
3/4/07
WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE GREATEST SERMON EVER DELIVERED; NOT MINE, NOT BILLY GRAHAM’S, BUT JESUS’: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
WHAT JESUS SAYS IN THIS GREAT MANIFESTO IS NOT ONLY SIGNIFICANT TO HIS DISCIPLES THEN AND THERE, BUT TO US TODAY. IT IS AN EARTH SHATTERING IDEA: THAT HE HAS TAKEN CARE OF THE PRICE AND CONSEQUENCES OF OUR SIN.
BUT AFTER ACCEPTING THAT FOR OURSELVES, WE NEED TO LET HIS SPIRIT NOW DO A COMPLETING WORK IN US, SO HE CAN USE US TO REACH THE SPIRITUALLY DYING OF THIS WORLD.
THE BIBLE HAS A
*IT IS AS FILTHY RAGS (NOT HAVING A RIGHTEOUSNESS OF MY OWN THAT COMES FROM THE LAW, BUT THAT WHICH IS THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST—PHIL. 3:9)
*GOD MADE JESUS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (1 Cor 1:30)
*GOD RECKONS RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM WORKS (Romans 4:6)
THIS WAS REVOLUTIONARY STUFF! WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SHOW US IS THAT WHEREVER OUR HEARTS AND MINDS ARE, OUR BODIES, SPIRIT, AND SOULS WILL FOLLOW.
*Prov. 27:19 “the mind of man reflects the man
*Romans 8:7 “the mind set on the flesh is hostile”
*Colossians 3:2 “...seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth.”
WITHOUT LETTING THE HOLY SPIRIT WORK IN OUR HEART, WE CANNOT BEGIN TO TAKE ON THE HEART AND MIND OF CHRIST
*Genesis 8:21 “the Lord said...the imagination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
*Hebrews 8:10 “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of
THE MODEL PRAYER
LAST WEEK WE STUDIED HOW, WITHIN THE SERMON, JESUS PRESENTS US WITH A MODEL OF THIS CHRIST-LIKE LIFESTYLE; THAT IT DEFINES THREE THINGS:
RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS
TODAY WE LOOK FURTHER WITHIN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO FATHER GOD THROUGH OUR PRAYER TIME: JESUS TELLS US TO Pray Without Ceasing - MATTHEW 6:5 - 18
- not babbling (v.7)
-but in all things
-at all times (Eph 6:18; 1Thess 5:17)
-for each other (James 5;16)
THE LORD’S PRAYER IS JESUS’ MODEL FOR ALL PRAYER (NOTE: SEE SERMON ON “THE LORD’S PRAYER”)
-Adoration
-Interests of God and His Kingdom
-plea for forgiveness
-petition for needs
Matthew 6:7‑8
“Our Father, Who art in Heaven,
Hallowed by Thy Name;
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Will be Done
In Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give Us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power
and The Glory, Forever and ever,
Amen.”
I cannot pray "OUR,” if my faith has no room for others and their need.
Love: I Peter 1:22-=”love one another deeply”; 2:17- “love the brotherhood of believers”; James 2:8 - “love your neighbor as yourself”;
Divisions: Titus 3:9-11 “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” I Cor. 1:10-”I appeal to you brothers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you, and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought” Acts 4:32- “believers who are of one heart and one mind.”
I cannot pray "FATHER,” if I do not demonstrate this relationship to God in my daily living.
Extol Him: Psalm 68:4- “Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds— His name is the Lord --and rejoice before him, a father to the fatherless, defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”
True Worshipers: John 4:23-24- “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
I cannot pray "WHO ART IN HEAVEN,” if all of my interest and pursuits are in earthly things.
Pursuit of Wealth: James 5:1-6 (read)
Worry: Matthew 6:31-33 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I cannot pray "HALLOWED BE THY NAME,” if I am not striving with God's help to be holy.
Righteousness: Romans 3:10- there is no one righteous, not even one.
Christ’s Righteousness: 2 Cor. 5:21- “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
I cannot pray "THY KINGDOM COME,” if I am unwilling to accept God's rule in my life.
Put to Death the Earthly Nature: Colossians 3:15 - “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, . . . And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
I cannot pray "THY WILL BE DONE,” if I am unwilling or resentful of having it in my life.
Instability: James 1:6-8- “he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”
I cannot pray "IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN,” unless I am truly ready to give myself to God's service here and now.
Living Sacrifice: Romans 12:1- “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do no confirm any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I cannot pray "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD,” without expending honest effort for it or if I would withhold from my neighbor the bread I receive.
Work: 2 Thess. 3:10 - “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: if a man will not work, he shall not eat.”
Giving: 2 Cor. 9:7, 11 - “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver . . .
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
Living Sacrifice: Romans 12:1- “Therefore I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do no confirm any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
I cannot pray "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US,” if I continue to harbor a grudge against anyone.
Col 3:13 Bear with one another, and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord Forgave you.
I cannot pray "LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,” if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.
Matthew 26:41- Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.
I cannot pray "DELIVER US FROM EVIL,” if I am not prepared to fight with my life and my prayer.
Prayer: James 5:16 - “Pray for each other that you may be healed . . . The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
John 15:13 - “Greater love has no one than this: that they would lay down their life for his friends.”
I cannot pray "THINE IS THE KINGDOM,” if I am unwilling to obey the King, and allow my life to become His kingdom.
Priesthood: Rev. 1:6 - “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to Him be glory and power forever and ever
Obedience: I Sam 15:22 - “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.”
I cannot pray "THINE IS THE POWER AND THE GLORY,” if I am seeking power formyself and my own glory first.
Isa 64:6 - “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”
I cannot pray "FOREVER AND EVER,” if I am too anxious about each day's affairs.
James 4:13-14 - “Now listen you who say, ‘ today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
I cannot pray "AMEN,” unless I honestly say "Not MY will, but, THY will be done, so let it be."
What is His will? Hebrews 10:6 - “First he (Christ) said, ‘Sacrifices and offering, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’ (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
John 3:16 - “ . . . that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
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