“Seven Dips In The Jordan”
2 Kings 5:1-15 and  John 9:1-11

    Here we have a man, a general, called Naaman. He is a general of the armies of the king of Syria. He is also a close friend with this nation’s ruler - king Benhadad. It says that he was a valiant soldier, and was regarded highly for his many victories. However, this great man had developed a problem; he had leprosy, the most feared disease of the ancient world. There is a lot we can learn from this chapter in Naaman’s life. In a very real sense we are all in the same predicament as Naaman.

    A pastor tells of a visit to a seriously ill man in the hospital. The sick man said that the doctors had told him he was “pre-terminal”. The pastor thought for a moment and said; “Isn’t that true of everyone?”  You see, we are all under the curse of death; we are all pre-terminal. We are infected with a disease called “sin” and I want to tell you this morning, only Jesus has the cure! And, you can get it at the Cross of Calvary.
    I am sure that Naaman looked at all the fame and fortune and glory of his life and quickly discovered that the only thing at this point in his life that would bring him happiness at all would be to be rid of this devastating disease.
    In verse 2 it tells us of a young girl from Israel, who was taken captive during one of Naaman’s victories, and was a servant in his house. We can assume there was no bitterness in this girl because she is concerned about her master’s health. She tells Mrs. Naaman about a prophet in Samaria - whom we know is the prophet Elisha – and Mrs. Naaman tells her husband, and suddenly he has hope!
    Can I stop here for just a moment? There are many people in our world today who are dying of the curse of sin. Many of them don’t know that there is someone who can cure them. They need someone to tell them… They need someone to give them hope!
    Now, Naaman goes to see Ben (I told you they were good friends) and together they load up silver and gold and clothing and Lord knows what else, in order to try and buy a favor, or purchase a cure. But, as we have heard in this story, and in the story of the Cross, the cure is free! There is no price to pay, except for the price of obedience.
    That brings us to the next part of the story; Naaman ends up at Elisha’s door to ask for a cure, and Elisha sends out a servant to tell him to “go jump in the lake” or rather, in this case, the river! And do it seven times!
    Now, let me stop here again for a moment. The instructions to Naaman were very plain, very simple, and very clear - “go dip in the river seven times, and you will be cured.” There is hardly any way to misunderstand the instructions.  In the same way, God’s cure for sin’s curse is plain and simple as well: ”Whosoever believes in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, shall be saved!” It’s pretty easy to understand, and there is no complex philosophical; mathematical; psychological process we must go through. It’s simple  -  repent, believe, and be saved!”  “Go, dip, and be cured!”
    Naaman is insulted however, and especially because Elisha didn’t even come out to greet the famous Naaman!  “Why, surely he would come out and shout to his Lord, and wave his arms around, jump up and down, and say some kind of majical words!”  But, the “Jordan?” Does he know how muddy and filthy that water is? Does he realize who he is talking to? So, Naaman does his “Lone Ranger” imitation on his stallion, and rides off in a rage. “There has to be a better way!”
    More and more people today refuse to believe that Jesus is the only way to God. In fact, we live in a world today that has so many options when it comes to religion that you just have to pick the one that suits you best!  But, when Jesus said; “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me” He wasn’t kidding! It wasn’t a suggestion or a ploy to get people on his side; it was the truth! Peter said in Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved.”
“What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!”
    Elisha wanted Naaman to learn that the cure he would receive was not anything Elisha the prophet could do, but what the power of the living God could do! He wanted Naaman to experience “faith”…and today, salvation is based on the same principle.
    Of course, the good part of this story is that through the prodding of his servants, Naaman humbled himself; threw off his “medal laden” uniform that represented all his accomplishments; swallowed his pride; and in obedience to a simple request, walked into the water! And, when he had dipped himself seven times in the muddy Jordan, he was cleansed…he was healed. He came away saying; “Now I know there is no other God in all the world”! Many of us have experienced and felt and understand exactly what Naaman was talking about! When in simple, humble obedience, we knelt at the foot of the Cross, and were cleansed of the curse of sin. “God is who He says He is; God can do what He says He can do!”

“Thanksliving” 2
 Hebrews 4:14-5:3 and 7:23-25 and 1^st. Peter 2:4-9

    Now, we heard the words; “you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house - to be a holy priesthood”… And, in verse 9 - “But, you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood.” This is kind of a neglected subject among Christians today - that which we call the “priest-hood of believers.” Maybe it’s because we don’t really understand the concept, or we have a misconception of what this term means. As I read and re-read this scripture, I thought to myself; “If we are to be a priesthood, then we need to know what a priest is and what a priest does.            

    Well, if you go back into the Old Testament, you soon find that a priest had a two-fold purpose on behalf of the people; One was intercession and the other was sacrifice. They interceded with God and they sacrificed to God on behalf of their people. Our Scripture from Hebrews tells us the same thing.
    First, let’s look at intercession. In 1^st Timothy 2:1 we read; “I urge you then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.” As “ministers of reconciliation” as we are referred to in this scripture, this ministry of prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving should be our top priority. “I urge you, first of all” says Paul. There is no greater prayer we can pray than that of intercession on behalf of someone else. One of the problems in the church, I believe, is that we have lost sight of just how powerful that can be.
    A story is told of a young English woman who was an invalid. She was unable to attend church, but she carried a great burden of prayer for God’s work. She read about the ministry of D.L. Moody and she began to pray, “O Lord, send this man to our local church”. Day after day she prayed that prayer, believing that Moody was God’s man to bring revival. She had no way of reaching Moody…only God could bring him to England. Well, it just so happened that Moody was planning a vacation to England, but not to preach. However, when the local pastor learned of Moody’s plan to visit, he asked him to preach at a local service. Moody accepted the invitation, and when he preached in that church, the power of God fell upon the people and literally hundreds rose to their feet to dedicate their lives to Jesus.
    Moody was surprised by such a large response and realized that God was working in a special way in this local church. He decided to stay 10 more days, and as a result hundreds more found salvation, and 400 of them joined that local church. This invalid, this lady named Marianne wrote down the date in her diary - February 5, 1872 - the day God answered her prayer and sent a spiritual awakening! And, from that time on she prayed in intercession for the evangelist D.L. Moody…for 29 years, until he died.
    This is just one of hundreds of stories that could be told about intercessory prayer. James 5:16 says; “The prayer of a righteous man” or in this case a righteous, invalid woman, “is powerful and effective.” Moses interceded for the nation of Israel; Abraham interceded for Lot; Elijah, Samuel, the list could go on and on; they interceded in prayer, and in some cases changed the course of history!
   In the Book of Acts, chapter 12, we find Peter in prison, facing death, and verse 5 tells us that the church was interceding - “earnestly praying to God for him.” And of course, the angel came; unbound Peter; and led him right past the guards and out of prison. He came and knocked on the door of the house where they were praying. It’s interesting that they were “earnestly praying” but when Peter came to the door, they didn’t believe it. My friends – “God is who He says He is…and He can do what He says He can do!”
    Who can we pray for? Who can we believe God will move in some way to save and bring into the kingdom? The Bible says we ought to pray for our leaders and those in authority;  We certainly should intercede for our unsaved family and friends;  And, we can certainly pray and intercede for our missionaries all over the world;  We can, and should pray for one another; We can and should pray for the church; As a priesthood of believers, this is our number one duty, responsibility, and privilege! Not just a quick prayer whenever we happen to think about it, but a regular, consistent, time of intercessory prayer. We ought to be thankful as Christians that God has given us this connection that opens and moves the very heart of God! 
    In his Book “Power Through Prayer”, E.M. Bounds says; “Talking to others about God is a good thing; but talking to God about others is an even greater thing!  We will never be able to speak to others about God with success until we have spoken to God about them!  (repeat that in your mind.) Prayer warriors pray so as to affect their own lives - and the lives of others, so as to have an impact upon the church!”
    The second responsibility of the priest was sacrifice. The New Testament tells us of four sacrifices that can be made by us as Christians; #1. Romans 12:1 says “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice”  #2. Hebrews 13:15 says we can “make a sacrifice of praise”. #3. Hebrews 13:16 speaks of a “sacrifice of good works” And #4. A sacrifice of “sharing”. It says “with these sacrifices God is pleased!” It seems to me that if the first one is true, if we offer ourselves, our bodies as a living sacrifice; the other three ought to follow. (Praise, good works, and sharing!)
    Sacrifice is simply a way of life to those who give themselves in service of Almighty God.  Phil. 2:3&4 tells us; “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourself. Each one of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” When we are doing for others, it is a sacrifice because it takes away from something we could be doing for ourselves. However, when we give, share, and do for others they are blessed, but do you know that we receive an even greater blessing? Some of you know exactly what I am talking about!
    During this season we call Thanksgiving, the time when we typically remember all the ways that God has blessed us; with salvation; forgiveness; mercy; grace; love; good health; prosperity; family and friends; I would call you to remember that we are a “priesthood of believers” whose responsibility it is to “intercede” for others and to “sacrifice” for others - THAT WE MAY BE BLESSED!  I call this a life of Thanks-living. It is a way of life, and not just a holiday. 
    In light of all this, let me close with God’s Word from 2^nd. Cor. 9:12-15…“This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ, (What is this service of which he has spoken twice?) It is the service of the priesthood, of intercession and sacrifice.) “And, in their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” What kind of gift is it?  (Indescribable!) 

Thanks-Living

    In Psalm 116, the Psalmist David asks the question; “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” If you really think about that question, there really is nothing materialistic or monetary that we can give God; He owns it all! I could say: “Because of all your benefits toward me Father, I’m going to give you this nice new watch. It’s a great watch. It keeps good time. It’s got the date on it and everything! And, it’s pure, artificial gold!  Then God says: “No thanks. You see, I have the sun and the moon which I created to keep track of time. And besides, I am eternal, I have no need for a watch! 

    “Well, O.K. then, How about a raise in pay! How does $5.00 more a Sunday sound?” And God says: “O Ye of little faith, don’t you know by now that no matter what the amount you give, it’s for your benefit and not mine!” “Don’t you realize that I have blessed you in so many ways because I love you?” “All I want is your love in return.”
    Once we realize that there is nothing we can render unto God except ourselves; our devotion, our time, our talents, our abilities, our prayers, and our praise…we will know that it is these things that are our “Thank-offering.” What can we do except “enter His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts!”
    Imagine, if you will, it is 1789 and George Washington is addressing the nation; “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection, aid, and favor; "Whereas, Both Houses of Congress" (Did you hear that, "Both Houses of Congress?") "have by their joint committee requested me `to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving & Prayer…To be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many favors of Almighty God. . .Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday the 25^th. Of November, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may unite in rendering to Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this great country; and for the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.” (Thanksgiving Proclamation declared by President George Washington - 1789 ) Some of our government leaders need to read this several times at their Thanksgiving tables!
    Our founding fathers openly recognized God as Creator and the source of all blessings as a nation. It was also George Washington who said: “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and His Word”.  How times have changed!  Our nation seems to be working hard to push God out of our lives and our schools and our government, and, I for one think we have lost what Thanksgiving is all about. However, we need to know that neither government, nor proclamations, not even laws can turn our this nation toward God. God, himself, has told us in His Word the only thing that will work. It’s found in II Chronicles 7:13 - “If my People, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.” This Thanksgiving, let’s not just acknowledge all the little, undeserved blessings we have received, let’s take some time to humbly pray for ourselves, our churches, our community, and especially our nation. Let’s not just give thanks for what God has done, but also what He can do!  Our prayer should be as that of King Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20:13 - a classic line where he said: “O God, we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee!” The nation turned to God, and the nation was delivered. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever!” (Psalm 136)
    One of the most beautiful Psalms of thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, & we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving & His courts with praise; give thanks to Him & praise His name. For the Lord is good & His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." With all my heart I believe we are a people & a nation that has truly been blessed by God. And, of all those who "give thanks to Him & praise His name" we should be at the top! 
    It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, & draw up a list of resolutions for New Years. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful.  Let me pass on a part of the list that several housewives compiled. They wrote that they were especially thankful:
"For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their after-dinner snacks. "For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house, because they usually end up making them big enough to call in the professionals.”  "For children who put away their things & clean up after themselves. They’re such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents!” "For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.” And, "For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done.”
    Now our list might not be the same as theirs, but I’m convinced that if we began to make a list, we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions. Like you, I’m sure, my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, & the nation we live in, despite all its flaws…But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, our church family, & the mercy that God showers upon us each day.        
    Our forefathers had "a boundless faith in God." That almost sounds strange today in a time when powerful forces are at work in our nation to strip us of every reminder that the very foundation of our nation was built upon the conviction that we are "one nation, under God."  Our hallowed "Declaration of Independence" pro-claims, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights . . ." And it ends with these words, ". . .with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes & our sacred Honor."  Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday or anniversary. It is simply a day set aside to express our nations thanks to our nation’s God.
    The 100th Psalm was written for the people of Israel. God said to them, "When you come into the promised land, & settle down in your warm homes, & you have plenty to eat, don’t forget Me. I led you out of the wilderness & I brought you into a land flowing with milk & honey". But it doesn’t take very long to realize that the people of Israel needed a reminder, & I am afraid that we need it, too.  Maybe God had us in mind, too, when this Psalm was written. Did you notice to whom it is addressed? The first verse says that it is addressed to "all the earth," & the last verse says that it is includes "all generations." This message of thanks-giving is so deep & wide that it applies to every person, in every era, in every stage of life.
    Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why it was there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help." That is the basis of thankfulness - to remember that we got here with the help of God, & that He is the provider of every blessing we have.
    During this season we call Thanksgiving, the time when we typically remember all the ways that God has blessed us; with salvation; forgiveness; mercy; grace; love; good health; prosperity; family and friends; I would call you to remember that this a life of Thanks-living… It is a way of life, and not just a holiday. 

Thanksgiving - “Attitude of Gratitude”
Scripture – Deuteronomy 26:1-11

    When we think of Thanksgiving, there are several directions our mind could go. Some people might think of ( what some would call ) the very first Thanksgiving. Plymouth Rock; the pilgrims, the Indians, and all that was involved there…around 1621. Others may think of the fact that Thanksgiving did not become an actual national holiday until President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation. In 1939 President Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday to the third Thursday in November, in order to extend the Christmas shopping season. In 1941 however, Congress was moved to permanently fix the date on the Fourth Thursday in November. Actually, the first Thanksgiving really wasn’t a day of giving thanks to God at all, but it was really a “harvest festival.” It was a time of celebrating and sharing the harvest. However, as Paul Harvey would say, “here’s the rest of the story”….

    The first Thanksgiving actually took place back in the days following the desert wanderings of the Israelites – as they were led by Moses and Joshua to the Promised land. Here is the record of the offering of the “firstfruits” as required by God, when they had settled in the land.  It was to be a time of rejoicing and thanksgiving for “all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household” says verse 11…So, let’s see what we might learn from this scripture.
    First of all, this is a lesson on “deliverance.”  For the Israelites, it was a time of deliverance from the slavery of Egypt, and, a deliverance into the land of promise; flowing with milk and honey!  It was a call for the Israelites to have an attitude of gratitude to God and God alone who had brought them out, and brought them in, just like He promised He would do! 
    Do you remember what their first attitude was the first time they reached the Jordan and were about to cross into the promised land? It is recorded in Numbers 14 – “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land only to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt? We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” This was their reply to the report of the spies that went to explore the land. Instead of being extremely grateful for all that the Lord had done, all they could do was complain!  Complain about what they didn’t have, and not giving thanks for what they did have…It was all about Deliverance!” 
    How many times has God brought us deliverance? Has He delivered anyone from some form of slavery? We can become slaves not only to an addiction but slaves to our own habits and attitudes and way of thinking, and God is the only one who can truly deliver us! We pray in the Lord’s prayer; “deliver us from evil”…He has delivered us from sickness; He has delivered us from grief; He has delivered us from poverty by giving us jobs and good health… And, most of all, He has delivered us from the consequences of sin and death through Jesus Christ. For his deliverance, do you (financially) give thanks with the firstfruits of your harvest, or with the leftovers?  The Israelites were not only to bring or give something, they were also to say something…it is found in verses 5-9… It speaks of God’s deliverance.  By the way, don’t forget to thank Him for all the troubles you don’t have or didn’t have to go through.
    The second thing I find in this scripture is a lesson on “dependence”. This is in verses 10-11  “and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that YOU, O LORD have given me.”  It was a response to the fact that they were totally dependent on the Lord.  Someone once said that if you want to know how important you are, just stick your finger in a bucket of water and see how much of an impression you make! Everything we have, everything we are, comes from and is dependent upon God! He deserves the firstfruit of what He has provided. (Go back and read Deut. 8:10-18)  Again, in the Lord’s prayer, we say “give us this day our daily bread” because “it is He who supplies seed to the sower” (2^nd. Cor. 9:10) We we ought to pray that and mean it!...knowing that we are totally dependent on God… And, we ought to have an attitude of gratitude!
    Third, I believe verse 11 also says that because of our deliverance from sin and evil and pain and grief, and because of our dependence on God and the fact that all that we are and all that we have and need comes from God… verse 11 says that “you and the Levites and the aliens among you shall rejoice!” All of this should cause us to rejoice! When it comes to thanksgiving and rejoicing and giving…I can’t help but think of the verse that tells us how “God loves a cheerful giver” or you could say a “happy giver” or a “rejoicing giver”!
    The attitude of gratitude was God’s requirement of thanksgiving… And, when we come before him with thanksgiving in our hearts and praise on our lips… and when we offer our thanks with the firstfruits of our labors… listen to what God says will be the result of our obedience; in chapter 28 of Deuteronomy verses 1-13 …”If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you.
The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.
The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.
Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
    This Thanksgiving I pray that – of all the things that we truly have to be thankful for in our lives – we would stop to remember that what God desires more than anything is an attitude of gratitude – expressed in the “firstfruits” of all that we have.
    When the Israelite worshipers came to offer their “firstfruits”, they came to remember His deliverance; they came to remember their dependence; and they came rejoicing for all that God had done!  I believe that’s a good way for us to celebrate as well!

The Bride - Conclusion
Revelation 3

Sardis:

    In all of the other letters to the churches, Jesus complimented the church. He told them what was good about their church, and then followed with his condemnation. Here, for the church at Sardis,  there is no good word.
They had a reputation of being a going and growing church. They did everything right. They were a busy church. They appeared to be flourishing. From outward appearance, they looked good. But, that was not the reality.
    Man’s evaluation is not always the same as God’s. The church needs to consider what Jesus says about it rather than what men say. We are too prone to be concerned about what we think of each other rather than what the Lord thinks about us. What appeared to flourish, Jesus says was actually dead. Here was a church that was dead and didn’t know it. Jesus is not so concerned about the activities we engage in, the promises we make or the things we do, rather he looks at the heart…What does the heart reveal? What are the signs of life in a church?
First, there Is Growth. Not just numerical growth. There are many kinds of growth.
(1) Growth within the life of the church family.
(2) Growth in faith through service.
(3) Growth in being a witness for Christ.
(4) Growth in stewardship of time and money.
(5) Growth in our knowledge and relationship with God and each other.
Second, there is compassion and love for each other, and love for the lost.
Third, there is unity. (Division and “clicks” is a sign of decay and death.
Fourth, there is emotion. People don’t walk around like zombies. There is laughter and joy, and genuine concern. There is sharing and caring between all people of all ages. Paul warns Timothy about a time when people will “have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.”

Philadelphia:

The Messiah is the One who has the key of David. Jesus has the key to the kingdom from where all blessings flow. He has the key to grace. All who would find salvation must find it in Him. He has the key that will unlock all the bars and barriers to man’s heart. He has the key to health and healing. He has the key to heaven. Jesus has all authority on earth and in Heaven. What He opens, no one can shut and what He shuts no one can open. (Isa. 22:22).
“I know your deeds” says Jesus. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Because of their faithful testimony and witness, Jesus places before them an open door. Most likely the door Christ opened for them was the same one He had earlier opened for Paul at Ephesus, a door of effective service (1 Cor. 16:9). The Lord of the Harvest was saying that if they would walk through the door of opportunity He was opening they would find the fields white unto harvest. It would not be easy, for this church had only a little strength. It was not a large church. It had not many significant members. It lacked financial strength, but with what spiritual strength it had, it was faithful in using for the glory of Christ. When a church is doing what it is supposed to be doing for God’s glory and the sake of the kingdom, God opens doors! No matter how big or how small…I truly believe that. I have experienced that!
    Verse 10 gives a specific promise in regard to the Great Tribulation. Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you out of the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I have often said if something is true, the opposite is also true…so, what does this say to churches that are not true to God’s Word?

Laodicea:

To this church Jesus has no word of commendation, neither is there any word of condemnation for false teaching or immorality. The trouble at Laodicea is the trouble with many churches today; they were neither hot or cold.    
    The Greek words are striking, and we are left no doubt concerning their meaning. Cold means icy cold and hot means boiling hot. Jesus would prefer us to boil or freeze rather than simmer down into a luke-warmness. Outright rejection of faith is better than the insensitivity to it of the Laodiceans. To profess Christianity while remaining untouched by its fire is a disaster for the church and for the world. To profess truth and not act as if it were true is enough to make God sick. They said they believed, but lived like it was unimportant.  It’s kind of like reading a sign that says “wet paint” and believing that it is wet…and even touching it to see if it is wet… and then sitting in it anyway!
Conclusion:
What do you notice about these seven letters to the churches? I think that most churches could find a little of each one in them…But, Jesus still loves the church no matter which one. Any church can become a Philadelphia church…where God will open doors of great opportunity but it requires recognition of our problem, repentance, and “change.” Don’t forget who Jesus is writing to: the “church” the “bride” the one whom He loves and desires to be with and enjoy forever! 

The Bride of Christ – 5
Revelation 1:9 – 3:22 “Letters to the churches”

    We have been talking about the church as the “Bride of Christ” and what the Bible has to say concerning the church and all that goes into preparing for the return of the bridegroom. This morning we are going to begin by reading the scripture from the Book of Revelation. If the church is the “bride of Christ”, then you could say that these are letters written to the bride as she awaits the return of the bridegroom.

Don’t miss the fact that these 7 letters have a 3-fold application…
First, they were literal churches that existed in this day when John says he was “in the spirit” on the island of Patmos. The Apostle John was a pastor…no doubt God used him to write down these letters from his pastor’s heart to these 7 literal churches that he knew personally.
Second, these are for all churches in all centuries throughout this church age. The messages in these 7 letters apply directly to our churches today.
Third, there is a chronological application (most interesting) - A complete panorama of church history can be found in these 7 letters. From the apostolic church of John’s day, to the day in which we now live. For example:
Ephesus—the careless church—A.D. 30-100—abandoned their first love—turned devotion into duty. They started out deeply in love with Christ. Read Ephesians and you’ll hear Paul speak of their love for Christ twenty times! “You are rooted and grounded in love” he said…but years later in today’s passage in Rev. 2 John relays Jesus’ words, “you have left your first love.” And that was the general state of the church at large in the first century: they had left their love, devotion turned to duty and complacency, and they were careless!
Smyrna—the crushed church—A.D. 100-300—verse 10 - “10 days” Study church history and you will see that the 2nd and 3rd centuries hosted 10 great waves of persecution…the 10 Roman persecutions, from Nero to Diocletian.
Pergamos—the compromising church—A.D. 300-500
Thyatira—the corrupted church—A.D. 500-1500 (the dark ages)
Sardis—the crippled church—A.D. 1500-1700
Philadelphia—the consistent church—1700-1900—the reformation…a church for which the Lord did not have one word of rebuke.
Laodicea—the cooled off, lukewarm church—1900-present…we live in this period of church history.
    You and I live in the Laodicean church age, but we can be a Philadelphia church during this Laodicean age, and other combinations as well. Before telling them what they’re doing wrong, the Lord tells them what they’re doing right; but let’s find out where we stand as the bride of Christ;

Ephesus – “You have forsaken your first love”… In Matthew 24 Jesus said “at that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold…” Let me see if I can explain what “you have lost or forsaken your first love” means; You have a car…not a new car…but a nice car. It has a 3.0 six cylinder engine; automatic transmission; power steering and power windows and power locks; cruise-control; and “zoom-zoom-zoom”…but all of that is absolutely useless without the most important thing you need… a key. Without the key, my car is useless.
    Jesus says that the church has lost something; something’s missing. Something’s not quite right. Something’s out of sorts. We have a church that can have new paint, new carpet, new tables and chairs, a church with structure, but without power. We have a church with a discipline, but no convictions. We have a church with money, but is spiritually bankrupt. We have a church with talent, but lacking anointing. We have a church with history, but seemingly no future…We have a church that goes through the motions of being the W.I.F.E.
( Worship, Instruction, Fellowship, and Expression ) but, like a car with no keys, we have lost our first love. The “Key” the one most important thing that is needed in the hearts of the people to make the church run and move forward and have a future is missing.
    Smyrna – The persecuted church… Jesus focused on three areas of struggle for the Church in Smyrna – First  Jesus says, "I know your afflictions"…"I know your tribulations"…"I know the pressure you are under"…"I know the stress that you have in your life"…This word has the meaning of "a steady, crushing force"…Are we under any less pressure today?
Second, Jesus said, "I know your poverty"…Jesus knew about the financial struggles that faced those early Christians. Christians today have no idea...We really don’t understand that kind of poverty. But even still, whatever our financial situation Jesus knows about it! He understands our financial struggles. But Jesus didn’t only mention their poverty, he went on to say; "but you are rich!" Wait a minute! How can they be rich if they are living in poverty? Jesus knows that outwardly, the Christians in Smyrna were poor, they struggled to make ends meet, but inwardly they were rich in faith and spiritual blessings.
Third, Jesus said, "I know the slander that you are facing"…"I know the blasphemy"…"I know the cruel things that are being said about you" "I know about the people who are going out of their way to try to tear you down"…And today, Jesus knows what people say about the church...and religion, but Jesus says “Be faithful!”
    Pergamum – The compromising church - First of all they had some of their members who held to the teaching of Balaam. What is Balaamism? Vance Havner said "There have never been more Balaamites in our churches than now. We call them ’worldly’ Christians." The second group condemned by Christ is the Nicolaitans. Though it is difficult to know exactly who these people were it appears they claimed to have a special relationship to God…a “special anointing” that others don’t have. God was calling them to no longer compromise on what was true, condone what was ungodly or crave anything that wasn’t pure. We live in a time and a place where it is so easy to compromise our stand. It is easy for us to get caught in the “grey areas.”  I’m not talking about those who are old and grey, but those that like the Balaamites and Nicolatians, try to live with one foot in either camp. If we are guilty of living a compromised Christian life, Christ calls us to repent.     
    Thyatira – The corrupted church. - How can we tell whether a teaching or a doctrine is from God or from a Jezebel? Here are some things we can look for: Firstly Jezebel doctrines teach that something evil can be good. Such as; Homosexual marriages are okay as long as they are based on love. Seeking after material possessions is okay as this is a sign of God’s blessing. Doing away with the bible is okay as long as you are in communion with God and relying on his spirit’s revelation. (You don’t need to read or study God’s Word…just follow the Spirit”) All these are wrong, but seem to be good.
    Christians who are bound by Jezebel’s doctrine similarly have no regard for God’s word. They would rather “experience” God rather than study his word. They would rather worship God or fellowship with other believers than sit under biblical teaching. (In other words, worship and praise are o.k. but, they don’t attend anything else, and therefore are easily swayed by Satan’s counterfeit schemes for lack of a knowledge of truth.) 
I will continue next time with Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea…

The Bride– 4
Romans 12

    Last time we took a closer look at the parable of the ten virgins. We took note that there were many things they all had in common, and there were really two things – or two ways in which they differed. The first was that five were “unprepared” for the bridegrooms coming; and the second was that they didn’t have any “extra oil”.

    I also want to go back to our second lesson and the acronym for the church which was W.I.F.E. Do you remember what they stand for?
( Worship; Instruction; Fellowship; Expression/Evangelism )
    We also learned that the purpose of the church – in lesson three – was to bring “Praise, Glory, and Honor” to God in all that we do. So, let’s put all this into one bag for a few minutes and see if we can tie it all together… Let’s start with “worship”…
    What comes to mind when you hear the word worship? Well, worship is “responding to who God is…and what He has done” is the most common response. However, what goes through your mind as you worship? Are you really focused on God? Do you think there is a way to measure our worship? Our fellowship? Our Instruction? Or Our Expression?
In our scripture it says;
#1 – We are to become “living sacrifices” submitting our entire selves… every arena of life…over to God. As Andy Stanley once said: “We need to wake up in the morning and say “Thank you Lord for this day, I give it and all that I do to you”…”this is our spiritual act of worship.”
#2 – “Do not conform to the pattern of this world”…What is the pattern of this world? That depends on which area of life you are talking about. For instance, how does the world think financially? How does the world think when it comes to relationships, marriage, children, politics, work, and so on? God calls His people to be different!
#3 – “Be transformed” … A process that begins in the mind…how we think, what we think, which in turn affects how we feel; which is our emotions…our attitudes…our passions and compassion; which will change how we react or how we act as individuals, as a church, and in the world! What and how we “think” will affect every part of our lives.
#4 – Then – then – then and only then “You will be able test and approve what God’s will is”!  Why is it so hard for us to find out what God’s will for us as individuals or as a church? Maybe because we are too focused on the world!
#5 – Verses 3 through 21 or the end of the chapter, is the way we measure the value of our worship, our instruction, and our fellowship…It is measured by the “Expression” or the results. In other words, all of #1, 2, 3, and 4…being manifested in our lives or in the church.  
    We begin to see ourselves as God sees us – “with sober judgment” it says – and we understand that we are no better, no worse, no different, than anyone else in the church. We understand that everyone is important, and everyone has different gifts and different ways of serving and none is more important than any other! From the richest to the poorest, from the good, bad, and the ugly!
    Then from verse 9-21 I have nine things listed that will begin to manifest themselves – if our “spiritual act of worship” is in the right place… If we have the first button in the right button hole… all these things will be the result of proper worship, instruction, and fellowship; according to this scripture:
#1. We will “hate what is evil and cling to what is good.”
#2. WE will be devoted to” and “honor one another.”
#3. We will “never be lacking in zeal” in serving the Lord.
#4. We will be “joyful, patient, and faithful”.
#5. We will bless those who come against us.
#6. We will “Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.”
#7. We will “live in harmony with one another.”
#8  We will “do what is right” and “live at peace” with everyone.
#9. We will “not seek revenge” but “overcome evil with good!”

The Bride – 3
Matthew 25:1-13

    This parable has been referred to as “The Ten church members” or “The ten professing Christians”.

This parable is a story about what the kingdom of heaven is like now, but it begins with the words “at that time” which refers to the time when the bridegroom returns. The virgins represent all professing Christians, some of whom are born-again believers and some “have a form of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5).
    Is the Bride a single person? (No, many people) A single church? (No, many churches.) A single denomination? (No, many different denominations.) It is “the” church made up of many people, churches, denominations…no matter of size or location or tribe or tongue. Sometimes we lose sight of that fact.
    It is interesting that in the parable the bridesmaids all appeared to be alike:
They were all “virgins” or bridesmaids or churches or Christians. The analogy works in any area.
They were all expecting the bridegroom.
When the bridegroom was delayed they all fell asleep.
They all took their lamps.(righteous life) The lamps refer to the testimony of their lives: Jesus commanded us, saying, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glory your Father who is in heaven.”
All of them trimmed their lamps. (Have to keep your lamp trimmed in order for it to burn clean and bright.)
They all wanted to be a part of the wedding feast. But not all of them were prepared. The one difference was that the foolish had no oil. (Holy Spirit)
    This is a warning from the parable: Be sure that you are truly prepared, because it is possible to look just like everyone else, talk like everyone else, carry a Bible and desire to go to heaven, think of yourself as a Christian, yet ultimately be unprepared. It is possible to know about Christ and not know Christ. It is possible to know the Word of God and not be living for God. It is possible to profess to be a Christian and not be filled with the Spirit.
    Notice that not knowing when He was coming was not the problem. The problem was not being ready when He did arrive. Notice also that the wise did not realize that the foolish had no oil…(Is it possible to pretend to be filled with the Spirit?) What is the ultimate test? – “Fruit” – “Fruit that lasts, or is consistent. Knowledge was not the problem. They all knew about the wedding and the bridegroom…the problem was in the preparation.
    “Give us some oil” they said, but spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute. “The oil” symbolizes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Oil is commonly accepted by Bible scholars as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. There is a little chorus that our children used to sing that suggests this truth.

“Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning;
 Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
 Give me oil in my lamp, Keep me burning,
 Keep me burning ‘till the break of day.”

    I have to admit I don’t like this parable. I like most of the stories Jesus told, because most of the ones He told emphasized gracious invitations; offers of mercy; and that’s the way this story starts, but then there are those words - "and the door was shut." That’s so final. This story seems so contrary to the image of God - forgiving, endlessly forgiving. But Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like this story too. I like the parables that emphasize grace - come anytime - God will take you just as you are. But there is an end to the window of opportunity, and it comes at death or at the second coming, whichever comes first. “and the door was shut”…There are no second chances then.

The Bride of Christ - Part 2

I want us to look at several scriptures this morning in order to get a feel for the real purpose of the church, the Bride of Christ:

Rom. 15:5-6 – “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Eph. 1:11-12 – “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”
Matt. 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
1 Peter 2:12 – “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
1 Peter 4:11 – “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
Phil. 1:9-11 – “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”
Phil 2:9-11 – “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Cor. 10:31 – “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Rev. 4:8-11 – “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,”
Rev. 5:13 – “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!”
The three common words in these and other scriptures are: “Praise, Glory, and Honor.” 
In all that we say and do as Christians, we ought to bring praise and glory and honor to God. All of the ministries of the church ought to bring praise and glory and honor to God.
    There are basically four main ministries in the church or of the church, and they conveniently spell the word WIFE. They are: Worship – Instruction – Fellowship – Expression ( actions )
                           (W)           (I)                 (F)                 (E)

    The true foundation of ministry is character. What do think of when I say that someone is a person of “character”? Character is what flows out of the life we live. Sometimes we may say that a person has some character flaws; would you say that the church, the bride of Christ, has some character flaws? What are they? I think if we really tried to bring praise , glory, and honor to God in all that we do and say, we – the bride or the wife- could greatly improve our character flaws.

    The nature of ministry is service.  Serving God and serving one another. Jesus said that we cannot serve two masters…we cannot serve God and money; nor can we serve God and self! It is always “self” that causes the flaws that make the bride look bad.
    The motive for ministry is love.  It is love that motivates us to do our best for God. It is love that helps us to build people up. It is love that motivates us to use our gifts and talents to build the church and grow the kingdom. It is love that glorifies God. Paul said that if we do or say anything that is not motivated by love, we are just a clanging symbol!...The bride becomes like watching the Gong show.
    The greatest tools of ministry are the Word of God and Prayer.  The Apostles said “we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word”. If we have the Word and no prayer, it’s like light without heat… If we have prayer and no Word, it’s like heat without light… the two together produce the fruit that glorifies God.
    The power of the ministry is the Holy Spirit.  That goes without saying. The power of the Holy Spirit goes before us; is within us; and backs us up!”
    And, finally, the model for ministry is Jesus.  He is the “foundation of character”; He had the nature of “service”; He is “love”; He came to show the truth of God’s Word and teach us to pray; and of course, He gave us the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to do the ministry of his church.
The Bride is to be all of these things so we can be presented “holy and blameless” before the bridegroom.

The Bride   
Ephesians 5:22-33 and  Rev. 19:7 – 21:2-3 – 21:9-10

Let me start with what the Bride of Christ Is Not:
1. It is not Israel of Old Testament times.
2. It is not a part of the New Testament church.
3. It is not just the whole New Testament church.
4. It is not the 144,000 Jews.
5. It is not the tribulation saints.
6. It is not any single individual or any one special group of individuals.

7. It is not any one denomination or all the denominations combined.

    It is "that great city, the holy Jerusalem". This is what the angel pointed out to John when he promised to show him the bride, the Lamb’s wife—the Holy City, the heavenly Jerusalem. What a simple revelation! If the city, the New Jerusalem, is the bride, then all who go to live in the Holy City make up the bride…All redeemed will live in the city:
The early church was promised the city (John 14:1-3; Hebrews 13:14).
Every Christian is promised the city (Rev. 3:12; John 14:1-3; Hebrews 12:23).

The tribulation saints  (Rev. 6:9-11; Rev. 7:9-14; Rev. 15:2; Rev.20:4 
Note: In Rev.19:9 it says “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb”…The 144,000 Jews will be there (Rev. 7:1-8; Rev. 14:1-5) The Old Testament saints will be there. (Hebrews 11:10-16)  Therefore, we must conclude that all saints in the first resurrection (from Abel to the last one saved in the future tribulation) will go to live in the New Jerusalem and that all such saints will be at the wedding supper of the bride.
    In Isaiah 62:5 God speaks through the prophet, “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” In the book of Hosea, God commands the prophet to marry a woman who is an adulteress. Even though she is unfaithful and leaves her husband, God commands Hosea to purchase her back from the slave market as a parable of God’s love for His people. It is not an act of empty symbolism. In Hosea 2:19-20 God promises His people, “I will make you my wife forever, showing you righteousness and justice, unfailing love and compassion. I will be faithful to you and make you mine.” (NLT)
    Max Lucado tells a story from ages past about a stately prince and a peasant girl who fall in love. This is really a difficult one to understand. On the one hand is a prince who literally had the world at His disposal. There has never been a more perfect specimen of a man that ever lived. Nothing about Him was common. You wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that He is a perfect catch.
    On the other hand there is a peasant girl. She is nothing more than average. At her best she is plain, but at her worst she can be just plain ugly. There are times when she is cranky and moody, and she rarely ever ach-ieves all she could. To look at her from anyone else’s eyes you would never believe she was worth much. But if you could see her through the eyes of the prince, you would believe that she is “to die for.”
    Because the prince determined that He couldn’t bear to live without her, he asked her to be His bride. The angels in heaven listened expectantly as she accepted his proposal. The prince promised his bride that He would come back for her soon, and the peasant turned princess pledged to faithfully await his return.
    To this point the story could be any of a number of fairy tales, but now the plot takes a bizarre twist. You would expect the bride to be always thinking about the coming wedding, but she rarely ever mentions it. You would think that her every waking moment would be lived out in anticipation and preparation for the coming of her prince. However, by the way she lives you wouldn’t even know she’s the bride of a perfect prince. More frequently than not, you can’t even tell the difference between the bride and any of the other peasant girls in the village. There are even times when she can be seen flirting with the other men of the village in broad daylight, and who knows what she is doing when nobody is around to see!
    Can you imagine a peasant girl fortunate enough to be the object of a perfect prince’s eternal love? You would expect her to be captivated by His love and filled with a sense of wonder that she was fortunate enough to be loved by Him. You would think that she would be careful to remain pure in anticipation of the return of her royal groom. Instead, to look at her you might wonder if she even remembers she is engaged at all. How could a peasant forget about her prince? Is it possible for a bride to forget her groom? (Lucado, When Christ Comes, p. 138)
    That’s a good question, but only we are able to answer it. You see, the story of the prince and His peasant bride is not a fairy tale, or some medieval fable. It isn’t a story about anyone else at all, but rather a story about us, you and me, the church. We are the ones the Bible calls “The Bride of Christ.” And to be quite honest, far too often observers might ask if we’ve forgotten about the bridegroom.
    One thing I’ve noticed about couples who are engaged to be married. They become obsessed with preparation. They want to make sure that everything is right, the dress and the tux, the weight, the hair, it all needs to be just right. Why? Is it so that their fiancé will want to marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiancé is marrying them. The same is true for us. We want to look our best for Christ. We want our hearts to be pure and our thoughts to be clean. We want our lives to be marked by grace and love. We want to be prepared for His coming. It’s not so that He will love us. He already has proven His love for us on the cross. We want to be that pure spotless bride because He loves us.
    The more we give ourselves over to Jesus in this life, the greater we will appreciate the privilege of living in heaven. I think our reward in heaven will directly correlate to our willingness to live by faith while we are here on earth. In John 14:2-3 Jesus said, ”In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”…It begs the question – “How are we preparing for His return?”

More Thoughts on Prayer
1Tim 2:1-4   

    Does prayer really change things? The answer of course, is “Yes”…I have experienced the changes that prayer can bring into a person’s life. While it is true that change is the result of prayer, the real purpose of prayer is to bring us into a closer relationship with Almighty God. Prayer would be - and is - a wonderful privilege even if nothing changed. We take our relationship with God in the wrong direction if it depends on whether or not He does what we ask of Him. In reality, our relationship with God is based on whether or not we do what He asks of us!

    The first thing we need to know is that our prayers should always be positive. We ought to always find something positive to say about the person or the circumstance for which we are praying. And, we should always remember that God is at work in every person’s life in one way or another, and we don’t know what He might be doing in their lives. We can easily destroy the work of God in a person’s life with a simple negative word or attitude. That’s why we must take to heart scriptures like “Let your speech be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so you may know how to answer everyone”. (Col.4:1) Or, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs.” (Eph. 4:29) We should always be positive, and especially in our prayers.
    Second, our prayers ought to be personal. When interceding for others, we can reflect on how they affect us personally. When praying for the Philippian church, Paul said; “I have you in my heart…and I long to see you.” This was a personal prayer. It reflected his attitude concerning this church. Our prayers can do the same. Our prayers may reveal attitudes of love, concern, even anger, guilt, or joy…It is good to reflect our personal feelings toward someone or something…They may bring us joy or make us mad…The circumstance may also bring us joy or make us angry. We need to be honest with God. By the way, if you don’t know the person or are not personally involved; perhaps you should be! Sometimes just a phone call to let them know you are praying and why…and you are wondering if there is anything in particular you should be praying for…will change a life.
    We also need to make it a purposeful prayer. I can remember my early attempts at prayer…”Bless Mary, bless Joe, bless Oscar…”  It was prayer, and you could say it was even “positive” prayer… But, it certainly wasn’t personal or purposeful. The point is, if we don’t know what we ought to pray…maybe it’s an opportunity to find out what to pray for. Going back to Paul’s prayer for the Philippian church, he says; “I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight”…so you may be able to discern what is best…and be filled with the fruit of righteousness”…I would like someone to pray that for me, wouldn’t you?!  Do you see the purposefulness in that prayer? 
    Okay, does prayer change things? I want to give you three short answers to this question about prayer; first, the power of prayer can change circumstances;  second, the power of prayer can change perspective; and finally, the power of prayer changes us.
    Prayer has the power to change circumstances. I have experienced it myself. I’m sure you all have experienced it as well. The power of prayer can change health circumstances; the sick are healed, the lame walk, miraculous healing takes place - not only physical but spiritual and emotional healing as well. How many times have you heard stories of tragedies that were avoided because someone felt as though they needed to pray!  Look at the story of Peter in prison. The circumstance was that Peter had been arrested, put into a prison cell, to face persecution; prosecution; and even death following the Passover, but Acts chapter 12 tells us that the believers were gathered at the house of Mary - the mother of John Mark - and they were praying!  Was the circumstance changed? Yes! Did those who were praying have any idea what was happening? No!  God was changing a circumstance in which they were unable to do anything but pray…and pray they did. This is why our prayer journal is so important. Circumstances can be changed when we pray.
    Secondly, Prayer changes our perspective. 2 Kings 6:15 - “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh, my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked, “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
    It says; “Elisha prayed!” and God changed the perspective of Elisha’s servant.  Believe me when I say “When we continually pray for the people on our list, we will gain a new and different perspective of their life…their families…and their circumstances and their attitudes.  And, they may get a different perspective of the church. Take the time to find out more about them and God will help you see from a different perspective.
    Finally, prayer changes us.  I sometimes think this is the whole purpose of prayer; and it is the greatest reward of prayer.  Our faith will grow; our relationship with God will deepen; our attitudes about other people - and especially those on our list will change; our understanding of who our real enemy is will change;  We will gain compassion and patience. Many things will happen to us, because we have committed ourselves to pray! 
    We learn to rely on God. We learn to trust in His promises. His desires become our desires and our Christ-like character begins to show through. It is not our great faith that changes things; it’s our faith in a great God that changes things. We serve a LIVING GOD who has the power to answer our prayers!  And He is at work even now to change and transform. That’s the point! We are not doing this just to get those on our list in the door of the church; we are praying for God to bless them in all of these areas and change their lives!  So, pray when you feel like it; and when you don’t feel like it, pray until you do! 

Motivation - 2
 
    The thing that God cares about more than anything else in this universe is people—sinful human beings like you and me. Do you remember what John 3:16 says about the motivation behind God sending His only Son into the world? Why did God send Jesus to die in our place? Because, He “...SO LOVED the world!”
    Bill Hybels points out in his book, “we see this aspect of His nature—we can literally see His compassion, His great love for all people—programmed into creation itself. I say this because scientists have discovered a principle of design built in the universe that they refer to as the Anthropic Principle. And basically it says that when we look at the world around us, it would SEEM that our universe was somehow designed to support and nourish human life. For example:
< If the ratio of carbon to oxygen had been slightly different than it is, none of us would be here to breathe the air.
< Change the tilt of the earth’s axis slightly in one direction, and we would freeze. Change it the other direction and we’d burn up.
< Suppose the earth had been a bit closer or further from the sun, or just a little larger or smaller or if it rotated at a speed of any different from the one we’re spinning at right now. Given any of these changes, the resulting temperature variations would be completely fatal.
< The seasons, the water, the atmosphere, the soil, the trees,…The lesson we can draw from this Anthropic Principle is this: Someone must have gone to a lot of effort to make things just right so that people like you and me could be here to enjoy life. In short, modern science points to the fact that people matter to our Creator.
    You know, the only time Jesus told three parables in a row was when He told of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost son. And—our Lord shared this medley of stories to illustrate this fact that lost people have infinite value to our Heavenly Father. He cares about all humanity. He stands with His arms open inviting all people into relationship with Him. So, this means when we don’t share the “good news”—when we turn our backs on people around us who obviously need to hear the Gospel- we in essence are turning our back on God who loves all people so much that He sent His only Son to Earth to “...to seek and to save that which was lost.”
    Lee Strobel tells the true story of a woman who had an affair with an American soldier during the Korean war,  an affair that left her pregnant. Shortly afterwards, the GI went back to the United States and she never saw him again. She gave birth to a little girl, but this little girl of course looked different than the other Korean children. For example: she had light-colored, curly hair. Well, in that culture, children of mixed race were ostracized by the community. In fact, many women would kill their children because they didn’t want them to face such rejection. But this woman didn’t do that. She tried to raise her little girl as best she could. For seven years she tried — until the rejection was too much. Then she did what nobody in this room could imagine ever doing. She abandoned her little girl to the streets where this little child was ruthlessly taunted by people. In fact, they called her the ugliest word in the Korean language, “tooki,” which means, “alien devil.” And it didn’t take long for this little girl to draw conclusions about herself based on the way people treated her. For two years she lived on the streets, until finally she made her way to an orphanage. One day, not long after she arrived word came that a couple from America was going to come adopt a little boy. All the children in the orphanage got excited because at least one child was going to have hope. One little boy was going to actually have a family. Well, this little girl spent the day cleaning up all the little boys —giving them baths and combing their hair—and dressing them in the best clothes she could find—all the time wondering which one would be chosen—which one would be adopted by the American couple. The next day finally dawned and the couple came and this is what the little girl recalled:
“The father was so big—he was like Goliath. I saw his huge hands lift up each and every baby. I knew he loved everyone of them as if they were his own because I saw tears running down his face, and I knew if they could, he and his wife would have taken the whole lot of them home with them. Then he saw me out of the corner of his eye.”
Now listen to her description of herself.
“I was nine years old, but I didn’t even weigh 30 pounds. I was a scrawny thing. I had worms in my body. I had lice in my hair. I had boils all over. I was full of scars. I was not a pretty sight. But the man came over to me, and he began rattling away something in English, and I looked up at him. Then he took his huge hand and laid it on my face and then he said, ‘I want THIS CHILD. This is the child for me.’” As the man reached out to her she said later, “The hand on my face felt so good and inside I said, ‘Oh keep that up. Don’t let your hand go.’ But nobody had ever shown that kind of affection to me before. I didn’t know how to respond. So, I yanked his hand off my face, and I looked up at him and spit on him. Then I turned around and ran away.”…Well, the couple returned the next day. They understood the suffering this little girl had gone through, the trauma she had experienced. In spite of her initial rejection of them, they went back to the little girl with lice in her hair and worms in her body and boils all over her skin. They said, “We’ve got to have this child. This is the one we want to adopt.” And they did. They got her the medical attention she needed. They loved her just like she was her own biological child. She grew up and became a follower of Jesus Christ. She got married and has her own children now and lives here in the U.S.
    I share this story because the actions of this couple are a reflection of God’s attitude and actions toward each one of us. Our Heavenly Father looks at all people—and in spite of the fact that they are scarred by the ugliness of sin—in spite of the fact that they reject His love He says, “I’ve got to have that child!” And God feels this way about ALL people! Because of His great, GRACE-FILLED love - more than anything - He wants to adopt them as His sons and daughters. He has given us the task of telling this wonderful truth to the people around us who are not Christians, and if we truly love God, that’s exactly what we will do.

“Motivation”
As the following stories show, the right kind of motivation can be a very powerful thing.

STORY #1 — A reporter from Newsweek magazine once asked Bob Kuechenber, formerly of the Miami Dolphins, what motivated him to go to college. Kuechenber replied, “Well, my father and uncle were human cannonballs in carnivals. When I was about to graduate from High School, my dad said I could do two things with my life: ‘Go to college OR be a cannonball.’ Not too long after that my uncle was performing at a circus. When he was fired out of the cannon, he missed the net and hit the ferris wheel... I decided to go to college.”

STORY #2 — A loaded mini-van pulled into a campground. The instant the van came to a stop at their assigned camp site, four young boys hopped out and in great haste began unloading all the gear and hurriedly setting up the tent. When they finished, the boys each rushed off to find firewood, while their sisters and their mother quickly unpacked their food and cooking utensils and then set up the camp stove. A nearby camper who had watched all this feverish activity walked over and commented to the children’s father: “That, sir, is some display of family teamwork! How do you motivate them to work like that?” The father replied, “It’s easy. You see, I have a system. No one goes to the bath-room until the camp is set up.”

STORY #3 — A man received a “FINAL NOTICE” from the IRS stating that his tax payment was overdue, and unless it was immediately forthcoming, the IRS would be forced to take legal action. The very next day, the man appeared at the IRS office the moment it opened with the overdue payment in hand. As he handed it to the clerk he said, “I would have paid sooner but I never received your ‘FIRST NOTICE.’” The clerk replied, “Well, the truth is, we ran out of the ‘FIRST NOTICE’ forms. Besides we discovered that the ‘FINAL NOTICES’ are much more effective.”

    As I said, these stores show that the right kind of motivation can indeed be a very effective thing! What would motivate you to share your faith?  If you knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow – What question would you ask your kids or your neighbor or co-worker or your best friend?
    You see, lost people face an approaching death without hope. As Paul says in Ephesians 2, they are “dead in their trespasses and sins...” We need to remember this and realize that if we don’t do something, they will die without Jesus, and spend eternity separated from God so they desperately need what we have! And, they don’t just need what we have to help them deal with death—they need to hear the good news of the Gospel to help them deal with LIFE!
I want to share the words of an old Steve Green song;
                  “Every day they pass me by. I can see it in their eye;
                   Empty people filled with care, headed who knows where.
                   On they go through private pain, living fear to fear.
                   Laughter hides the silent cries, only Jesus hears.
                   PEOPLE NEED THE LORD. PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
                   At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door.
                   PEOPLE NEED THE LORD. PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
                   When will we realize… we need to give our lives...‘cause people need the Lord...
                   People need the Lord.”