back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 01/05/2025
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We will begin this morning by singing the song, All Things. 00:02:26.440 |
And as we start this new year and this morning, 00:05:49.120 |
Let me get to a few announcements before we get started. 00:05:52.120 |
First of all, if you are a part of the Jubilee Fellowship, 00:05:57.120 |
there's a fellowship that's going on next Sunday 00:06:24.120 |
is happening on January 26 at 9.30 a.m. at Youth Chapel. 00:06:32.120 |
And so if you are planning to become a member of the church, 00:06:36.120 |
Members meeting is happening on January 26 as well at 2 p.m. 00:06:40.120 |
And so please, this is the beginning of the year. 00:06:53.120 |
So please sign up for that or please come to that. 00:06:56.120 |
And then the College Ministry is going to be doing a fundraiser 00:06:58.120 |
that day before the members class membership as well. 00:07:05.120 |
the theme "Run to Win" is going to be happening 00:07:11.120 |
This week is the last week to sign up for it. 00:07:16.120 |
And then finally, we're switching over to Planning Center. 00:07:26.120 |
It's actually much more cost-effective and easier to run. 00:07:29.120 |
So our brother Justin was in the process of setting this up. 00:07:33.120 |
So we're going to give you a little bit extra time to set this up. 00:07:36.120 |
If you haven't gotten an email or you didn't have time to read it, 00:07:39.120 |
if you are a member in the church, if you sign up, 00:07:44.120 |
it will pop up whatever information that's already on there. 00:07:51.120 |
you're going to have to go down and fill it out manually to be able to use it. 00:07:55.120 |
So they're going to switch over starting from today. 00:07:58.120 |
So there's a short video that our media team made, 00:08:01.120 |
and we're going to show it to you twice because it goes over a little bit quick. 00:08:06.120 |
you're going to have to go through whatever app you normally use. 00:08:11.120 |
there will be an avenue for you to go and put the numbers in. 00:08:15.120 |
And so we're going to give you a little bit extra time today for the offering 00:08:19.120 |
If you are like me and you need step-by-step guidance aside from the video, 00:08:24.120 |
there will be a table outside where Justin is going to take you step-by-step. 00:08:28.120 |
So if you're part of the Jubilee ministry and you are in need of extra guidance, 00:08:37.120 |
So after service, if you need extra help, just go to that table and they'll help you. 00:08:44.120 |
Here's how to set up a new payment method on the BCC app. 00:08:49.120 |
and then click on the three lines in the top right-hand corner. 00:08:53.120 |
This will prompt you to enter in your phone number. 00:08:56.120 |
You will then receive a six-digit code for verification. 00:08:59.120 |
Once you are logged in, scroll down and then select "Add Payment Method." 00:09:03.120 |
A new window will open where you can add and select your form of payment. 00:09:10.120 |
Here's how to set up a new payment method on the BCC app. 00:09:15.120 |
and then click on the three lines in the top right-hand corner. 00:09:19.120 |
This will prompt you to enter in your phone number. 00:09:22.120 |
You will then receive a six-digit code for verification. 00:09:25.120 |
Once you are logged in, scroll down and then select "Add Payment Method." 00:09:29.120 |
A new window will open where you can add and select your form of payment. 00:09:35.120 |
And, again, if it wasn't enough, you can go outside and visit. 00:09:37.120 |
And, again, part of the reason why we're doing that, 00:09:39.120 |
you'll notice that the fee that they charge is significantly lower. 00:09:43.120 |
And so we thought that this would, again, be more wiser to use. 00:09:48.120 |
So let me pray for us, and we'll give you a little bit of extra time, 00:09:50.120 |
if you can give them a little bit of extra time, 00:09:54.120 |
And then, again, just be mindful that this is what we're doing. 00:10:01.120 |
Father, we thank you for this new year and sustaining us through 2024. 00:10:11.120 |
to be mindful of how we spend our time, our future, our days, Lord God, 00:10:17.120 |
that we will be intentional with what you have given us. 00:10:21.120 |
Help us, Lord God, to fix our eyes upon Christ, 00:10:24.120 |
that all that we do hope for, all that we desire, 00:10:28.120 |
will be founded upon Christ and Christ alone. 00:10:34.120 |
that it would be a reflection of our true worship before you, 00:10:37.120 |
and may it be multiplied for the sake of your kingdom. 00:11:58.120 |
Let us all rise and let's spend a few moments 00:12:09.120 |
to greet the neighbors around us before we continue. 00:15:58.120 |
♪ You've shattered death and freed us from our fears ♪ 00:22:28.120 |
- Hello, my name is Joshua, and this is my testimony. 00:22:33.120 |
going to church, and aware of God's presence in my life. 00:22:36.120 |
Although I was brought up in a Christian household, 00:22:50.120 |
and I went about living my life without a second thought. 00:22:53.120 |
Throughout my youth, I always believed that God existed, 00:23:05.120 |
just because of the fact that I believed in God. 00:23:23.120 |
and I continually sought to fulfill my personal desires 00:23:35.120 |
Outside of church, I rarely interacted with other Christians, 00:23:38.120 |
and lacked fellow brothers and sisters around me. 00:23:41.120 |
It wasn't until I transitioned out of my youth 00:23:44.120 |
where I truly began to find my identity in Christ. 00:23:49.120 |
pursuing God and his truths became a personal choice, 00:23:59.120 |
was to get involved with a Christian fellowship on campus. 00:24:05.120 |
as I prepared to start this next chapter in my life. 00:24:14.120 |
There was an incredibly wide variety of individuals 00:24:18.120 |
and the presence of sin was all around me wherever I looked. 00:24:22.120 |
that this was not the crowd I wanted to insert myself into. 00:24:26.120 |
and check out some of the Christian fellowships on campus 00:24:31.120 |
I was amazed at how welcoming everyone I met was 00:24:33.120 |
and how they genuinely wanted to get to know me. 00:24:36.120 |
I was able to experience fellowship and community 00:24:38.120 |
alongside fellow believers who all loved Jesus 00:24:43.120 |
I was soon able to get plugged into a church in the area. 00:24:45.120 |
Even though I had attended church all my life, 00:24:56.120 |
and actually comprehend its implications for my life. 00:25:02.120 |
down to earth to die on the cross for our sins. 00:25:06.120 |
took on the burden of our sinful imperfections 00:25:08.120 |
so that we could be saved by God's merciful grace. 00:25:14.120 |
that not only did he take on the burden of our sins, 00:25:17.120 |
and the Holy Spirit will always reside in us. 00:25:22.120 |
through being a good Christian and doing good deeds. 00:25:34.120 |
It took me a while to abandon this legalistic view 00:25:36.120 |
and understand that God doesn't extend his grace to us 00:25:38.120 |
for who we are or what we have done with our lives, 00:25:40.120 |
but instead he saves us for who he is and through Christ. 00:25:44.120 |
that while a perfect Christ-like life may be unattainable, 00:25:46.120 |
it is necessary to not let sin define my life 00:25:53.120 |
God's plan for my life has become more evident 00:25:59.120 |
seeking to only fulfill my personal and selfish desires. 00:26:02.120 |
More and more, God has shown himself through scripture 00:26:08.120 |
A verse that has stuck out to me over the years 00:26:11.120 |
It states, "And do not be conformed to this world, 00:26:13.120 |
"but be transformed by the renewing of your mind 00:26:15.120 |
"so that you may prove what the will of God is, 00:26:17.120 |
"that which is good and acceptable and perfect." 00:26:20.120 |
While the material world fails to provide us with fulfillment, 00:26:27.120 |
I am set free from the guilt, shame, and burden of my sins. 00:26:31.120 |
as I seek to glorify God and be a witness for Christ. 00:26:40.120 |
- Josh, do you understand when you're going into the water, 00:27:22.120 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to Colossians chapter 4, 00:27:34.120 |
But we'll be reading all the way to verse 4 today. 00:27:39.120 |
that's going to be the new theme of our year, 2025, 00:27:45.120 |
And I'll explain what we're doing through the sermon. 00:27:54.120 |
"keeping alert in it with attitude of thanksgiving, 00:27:59.120 |
"that God will open up to us a door for the Word 00:28:02.120 |
"so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, 00:28:06.120 |
"that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak." 00:28:23.120 |
May our hearts, Lord God, turn to you, to you alone. 00:28:27.120 |
Whatever distractions that we may have brought into this room, 00:28:33.120 |
would cause us, Lord God, to fix our eyes upon Christ, 00:28:36.120 |
that we may seek him, that we may desire him, 00:28:40.120 |
that we may follow him and worship him this morning. 00:28:49.120 |
Many of you guys know the text in Hebrews chapter 12, 12. 00:28:52.120 |
It basically encourages the church to strengthen, 00:28:59.120 |
strengthen the weak hands and your feeble knees, 00:29:04.120 |
may be able to run the way that God has intended. 00:29:09.120 |
we do an evaluation, the leaders have a meeting, 00:29:15.120 |
what are the areas that we need to strengthen in. 00:29:17.120 |
We go through our four-fold vision, the covenants, 00:29:20.120 |
what are some things that need to be emphasized. 00:29:23.120 |
If you've been here at our church for at least the last four or five years, 00:29:26.120 |
you know that this has kind of been our theme 00:29:31.120 |
And if you put it all together in the last 28 years, 00:29:34.120 |
I would say probably more than half of our theme has been on prayer. 00:29:39.120 |
And so you may think, like, we're going to do this again? 00:29:42.120 |
What's going to be different this year than last year? 00:29:49.120 |
why being devoted to prayer is an emphasis again this year, 00:29:56.120 |
Especially because we belong to a Bible-emphasized church 00:30:00.120 |
that we tend to think that because we are learning the Bible, 00:30:04.120 |
we're doing inductive Bible study, the Word of God is being taught, 00:30:08.120 |
that because of the Bible that we're healthy and we're safe. 00:30:16.120 |
but the prayer and seeking God is just as important. 00:30:20.120 |
It is not just important, I would say it is critical. 00:30:24.120 |
It is critical that a church or individual Christians 00:30:29.120 |
who are lacking in prayer are easily susceptible to deception. 00:30:34.120 |
And if anybody in this room says, you know what, not me, 00:30:37.120 |
I've been a Christian for a while and I know the Word of God 00:30:40.120 |
and maybe the other people don't know as much as I do, 00:30:44.120 |
already that statement tells me you're deceived. 00:30:47.120 |
The fact that you have confidence that you're not going to be deceived 00:30:58.120 |
It's scheming to take the things that are good and taint it constantly. 00:31:04.120 |
So prayer has to be something that we need to continue to grow in. 00:31:10.120 |
Our church has been around for about 28 years 00:31:13.120 |
and there's a lot of things today that we do much better 00:31:16.120 |
than we did when we first planted the church, 00:31:18.120 |
whether it's small group, whether it's our membership class, 00:31:21.120 |
whether it's the pastoral meetings, whatever it is that we're doing 00:31:24.120 |
because we've been doing it for so long that we've improved. 00:31:27.120 |
Every year we try to improve and hopefully we'll continue to improve. 00:31:31.120 |
But if there's one area of our church that I would say 00:31:33.120 |
that we are weaker than when we first started is prayer. 00:31:37.120 |
There were times in our church where when the church was smaller 00:31:40.120 |
it was much easier for the whole church to gather together. 00:31:43.120 |
Every Friday night after Bible study we would spend time in prayer. 00:31:50.120 |
It was much easier to take lengthy time to pray after Bible study, 00:31:55.120 |
but as the church got bigger and bigger and we had more and more programs, 00:32:01.120 |
but it's become harder and harder for the gathering of prayer. 00:32:08.120 |
to have a church that is high on the Word of God 00:32:12.120 |
and not practicing prayer puts us in a situation 00:32:18.120 |
and Satan can come in and he can be scheming. 00:32:21.120 |
He can take right theology and apply it in a wrong way 00:32:31.120 |
Again, I'm going to take the next couple of times that I'm up here. 00:32:37.120 |
and then I'm going to be out at the mission field for a couple of weeks, 00:32:40.120 |
and then when I come back, I'll do the part two of it. 00:32:42.120 |
But today, when he says to be devoted to prayer, 00:32:47.120 |
It's just in this text alone, in verse 2, that I want to emphasize. 00:32:53.120 |
This is going to be the outline for the next couple of weeks. 00:33:01.120 |
I'll explain what that means, to be devoted through prayer. 00:33:11.120 |
So the three and four I'll address when we come back, 00:33:15.120 |
and then one and two we'll talk about this morning. 00:33:22.120 |
and just go over passage after passage after passage, 00:33:27.120 |
and spend the next 30-40 minutes just reading the text. 00:33:29.120 |
That's how much emphasis there is in the New Testament 00:33:36.120 |
Why prayer is not just important, but critical. 00:33:43.120 |
it is no different than never touching your Bible. 00:33:46.120 |
That I can stand here and teach you false theology, 00:33:52.120 |
You have no way to discern if what I'm saying is right or wrong. 00:33:57.120 |
Maybe if I throw some good stories behind it, 00:33:59.120 |
and gives you warm feelings, like, "Oh, I like that." 00:34:04.120 |
Even as you hear the Word of God, if you do not know the Word of God. 00:34:07.120 |
And we know how critical knowing the Bible is for the Church. 00:34:14.120 |
But it is equally critical that we need to pray. 00:34:19.120 |
That if you're not praying, you are just as susceptible 00:34:25.120 |
than if you weren't paying attention to anything that the Scripture says. 00:34:29.120 |
I want to just read you a couple of verses, just to emphasize. 00:34:32.120 |
Proverbs 12, 12. "Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, 00:34:35.120 |
be devoted to prayer." 1 Thessalonians 5, 16, 18. 00:34:38.120 |
"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing, constantly. 00:34:42.120 |
In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 00:34:50.120 |
That word basically means to persevere, to be faithful. 00:34:55.120 |
So, to properly understand, when somebody says, 00:34:58.120 |
"That person is a devoted husband," what does that mean? 00:35:02.120 |
He's not just a husband, he's a devoted husband. 00:35:07.120 |
A devoted husband basically means that he is committed. 00:35:10.120 |
He didn't just become a husband because he went and did the ceremony 00:35:17.120 |
means that he is singularly focused on his family. 00:35:20.120 |
For their well-being. He's willing to sacrifice. 00:35:24.120 |
Takes good care of them, physically and spiritually. 00:35:28.120 |
A devoted employee means that he's loyal to this company. 00:35:34.120 |
He's not trying to get milk the most out of this company for himself. 00:35:38.120 |
A devoted employee is somebody who is loyal to this company 00:35:46.120 |
to make sure that this company is taken care of. 00:35:49.120 |
That's when somebody says a devoted employee, that's what they mean. 00:36:03.120 |
He's trying to get the most out of the situation that he's in. 00:36:09.120 |
So in every other context, when we say the word devoted, 00:36:20.120 |
To be devoted to prayer isn't just simply I pray before the meal. 00:36:37.120 |
To be devoted to prayer means to pray in season and out of season. 00:36:45.120 |
to make the word clear in season and out of season. 00:36:55.120 |
In season and out of season, preach the word. 00:36:59.120 |
And in the same way, to be devoted to prayer is to pray, 00:37:10.120 |
But that it's important enough that you make time. 00:37:12.120 |
That you sacrifice other things in your life to make that a priority. 00:37:44.120 |
we've had so many sudden illnesses and sudden deaths through family members in our church, 00:37:50.120 |
that many of you are dealing with difficult situations. 00:37:55.120 |
And my guess is that you are praying more than usual. 00:38:01.120 |
Because that's typically what happens when there's a sense of urgency, an emergency. 00:38:04.120 |
Something happens in our life, we tend to pray. 00:38:07.120 |
You may not become a spiritual giant overnight, 00:38:11.120 |
but when there's a sense of urgency, it causes us to pray. 00:38:19.120 |
at the dedication of the temple that Solomon built, 00:38:23.120 |
God says this as the temple is being dedicated. 00:38:25.120 |
He says, "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, 00:38:29.120 |
or if I command the locusts to devour the land, 00:38:32.120 |
or if I send pestilence among you into your life." 00:38:35.120 |
And if you notice here, it says, "When I do this." 00:38:40.120 |
He said, "When I allow famine, pestilence, locusts to devour the land, 00:38:47.120 |
and you are placed in a situation where you become desperate." 00:38:52.120 |
And it says, "If the people who are called by my name 00:38:55.120 |
humble themselves and pray and seek my face." 00:39:01.120 |
Oftentimes when we face trials and difficulty, again, 00:39:04.120 |
especially if you're a believer, your first tendency is probably to pray. 00:39:09.120 |
And God says that there are times when God will do that deliberately, 00:39:12.120 |
because what God desires of us more than anything else is not a peaceful life, 00:39:18.120 |
is not a secure bank account, is not a healthy and long life. 00:39:23.120 |
What God desires of us more than anything else is ourselves. 00:39:27.120 |
And so he says, at times, if he allows these things to happen, 00:39:32.120 |
and if my people who are called by my name, he says, 00:39:41.120 |
You notice how being humble and praying goes hand in hand? 00:39:49.120 |
And this is the reason why God deliberately chose people who are of no repute. 00:39:54.120 |
They didn't have any power, they didn't have any money, they weren't well-educated, 00:39:57.120 |
because it's easier to tell people, instruct people who have nothing, 00:40:02.120 |
to teach them that they have nothing so that they would be desperately hanging on to God. 00:40:07.120 |
Sometimes the study of the Word of God makes people arrogant. 00:40:14.120 |
Some of the most difficult people to talk to are people who are just quoting verses left and right. 00:40:24.120 |
But the Word of God, if not careful, becomes a source to become proud. 00:40:31.120 |
That's why if you study the Word of God without being devoted to prayer, you're in danger. 00:40:44.120 |
If you do one without the other, you are in danger. 00:40:51.120 |
it causes you to be more critical, judgmental, and proud. 00:40:55.120 |
If you pray without studying the Word of God, 00:40:59.120 |
then you become susceptible to all kinds of lies and deceptions that come in. 00:41:04.120 |
So if you're a man who's like, "I know the Word of God." 00:41:07.120 |
But when you say, "Are you devoted to prayer?" 00:41:12.120 |
You're not any more mature than somebody who's not studying the Word of God. 00:41:23.120 |
If my people are called by my name, hung themselves, and what is prayer? 00:41:30.120 |
It's to humble themselves and pray and seek my face. 00:41:37.120 |
Prayer isn't just coming and saying words and then spending a lot of time 00:41:47.120 |
Think about what the purpose of our salvation is. 00:41:50.120 |
That the barrier that was caused because of our sin 00:41:56.120 |
So because we have been covered by the blood of Christ, 00:42:06.120 |
Study of the Word of God tells us what it took for Jesus to open this door 00:42:16.120 |
So if all you're doing is studying the Word of God and not devoted to prayer, 00:42:19.120 |
all you're doing is look how great that door is. 00:42:31.120 |
Prayer, the theology and the Word of God tells us what happened. 00:42:38.120 |
Prayer is the advantage that we have to be able to come to the throne of grace. 00:42:43.120 |
So if you study the Word of God without praying, 00:42:45.120 |
you are just as immature as somebody who doesn't know anything about the Word of God. 00:42:50.120 |
In fact, you may actually be in more danger without praying. 00:42:54.120 |
That's how critical, not just important, critical prayer is 00:42:58.120 |
because prayer causes theology to be applied correctly. 00:43:05.120 |
Prayer is what causes theology and the Word of God to apply correctly. 00:43:10.120 |
oftentimes your theology causes you to be more critical of other people. 00:43:17.120 |
Your own sins doesn't seem as bad as other people's sins 00:43:21.120 |
when you're not actively seeking God because you're comparing who you are with other people 00:43:27.120 |
When you're standing in the throne of His might and His holiness, 00:43:38.120 |
He says, "If my people humble themselves and pray and seek my face 00:43:42.120 |
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven. 00:43:46.120 |
I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land." 00:43:51.120 |
Whatever has gone wrong, again, we have a tendency. 00:43:56.120 |
Let's make a plan, and plan one, plan B, A, B, C, D, E. 00:44:01.120 |
These are good things that we need to be responsible. 00:44:05.120 |
But first and foremost, God said, "I will heal the land." 00:44:16.120 |
He said, "If you humble yourselves and seek me, I will heal." 00:44:22.120 |
He may cause us to do things, but ultimately He says, "I will heal their land." 00:44:27.120 |
"Now my eyes will be opened and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place." 00:44:33.120 |
Remember when Jesus was at the temple and He was cleansing the temple? 00:44:44.120 |
Now, if you notice, everything that was taught about the temple is where they sacrificed, 00:44:48.120 |
they burned incense, where the priests did all these things. 00:44:52.120 |
We had the Holy of Holies, and so many instructions were given. 00:44:57.120 |
But a simple description of it from Jesus Himself said, "It is a house of prayer." 00:45:02.120 |
This is where we come to meet God, to meet God. 00:45:06.120 |
Not simply to learn theology, not simply to know right and wrong, but to meet God. 00:45:12.120 |
So if you're studying the Bible without meeting God, without actually entering the throne 00:45:17.120 |
and seeking God and to know God, you've missed the whole point. 00:45:23.120 |
The natural question for us who are rich, and every single one of us is rich. 00:45:34.120 |
Many of our brothers and sisters in this room are wrestling with emergency in their lives, 00:45:38.120 |
and they are praying, they're asking us to pray. 00:45:49.120 |
God answered prayer, your children are healthy, things are going well, 00:45:52.120 |
your business is humming along, you made some good investments, 00:45:57.120 |
and your stock has gone up, your housing price has gone up, 00:46:00.120 |
and so you're at ease, everything, "My God is so good." 00:46:09.120 |
If our eyes are focused like the rest of the world, 00:46:14.120 |
if our peace and our joy comes from having a good house, 00:46:20.120 |
bank account that's increasing, and living healthy long lives, 00:46:24.120 |
and our children are well, if our happiness and joy is based on that, 00:46:32.120 |
But the whole point of the cross is to remind us that this world is passing away, 00:46:37.120 |
that we have been crucified with Christ, there's no longer us who live. 00:46:41.120 |
And part of the reason why rich people don't feel a sense of urgency 00:46:45.120 |
is because we've allowed our material things to be our comfort, to be our peace. 00:46:51.120 |
And so we know that we should pray, but there's no urgency to pray. 00:46:58.120 |
But there is no Christian, when in the right perspective, 00:47:03.120 |
with heavenly perspective, that doesn't understand the urgency of where we're at. 00:47:08.120 |
One, we're only here for a short period of time. 00:47:12.120 |
And the benefit of getting older is that your body reminds you of that. 00:47:20.120 |
Two, we are surrounded by people who do not know Christ. 00:47:27.120 |
we're living in a world where a majority of them do not know Him. 00:47:32.120 |
That we've been put here to be the light and to be the salt of the world. 00:47:38.120 |
Other than to be trampled on the ground, it's useless. 00:47:42.120 |
Part of the reason why we don't feel a sense of urgency, 00:47:44.120 |
maybe it's because we have forgotten our calling of where we're at. 00:47:49.120 |
If comfort and ease is what keeps you from praying, 00:47:55.120 |
then the devil will make sure that you stay comfortable. 00:48:00.120 |
The devil will make sure that your bills are paid. 00:48:12.120 |
If that's what keeps you from praying and coming to God. 00:48:20.120 |
God will build turmoil because His ultimate goal is to bring us to Him. 00:48:24.120 |
For us to humble ourselves and to seek His face. 00:48:28.120 |
We typically think that if all bills are paid and everything is good, 00:48:32.120 |
our children are well taken care of and our retirement is growing and everything. 00:48:40.120 |
Not realizing that you are being deceived if you're not devoted to prayer. 00:48:54.120 |
Chapter after chapter, we are told that they were praying constantly. 00:49:02.120 |
They were not just praying, they were devoted to praying. 00:49:05.120 |
I mean, humanly speaking, the church should have never made it out of the first century. 00:49:13.120 |
His disciples, a few men who failed miserably before he takes off. 00:49:20.120 |
These are the people who are going to change the world and very little training. 00:49:28.120 |
The most powerful nation, the Roman government, was actively trying to destroy them. 00:49:36.120 |
And then Apostle Paul to the Gentiles describes the early church of not being wise, 00:49:42.120 |
not being educated, not of good repute or just base people. 00:49:49.120 |
He said, "God deliberately chose you because he was trying to challenge the system of the world." 00:49:56.120 |
By human standard, this should have never taken off. 00:50:00.120 |
No psychologist, no historians will look at the first century Christians and say, 00:50:07.120 |
It flourished despite all of that because God was in their midst. 00:50:13.120 |
And God was in their midst because they devoted themselves to pray. 00:50:16.120 |
Acts 1.14, as soon as Jesus descends, what do we find the church doing? 00:50:20.120 |
Gathering together, 120 of them, praying constantly, it says. 00:50:24.120 |
Acts 2.42, after the Pentecost, the churches gathered together 00:50:29.120 |
and everyone was devoted regularly to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, 00:50:37.120 |
In Acts 3.1, when the first miracle takes place, 00:50:41.120 |
it was Peter and John who was going to the temple because they were regularly praying. 00:50:50.120 |
Acts 6.4, they established the seven deacons so that they can be more devoted 00:50:55.120 |
and not to be distracted to prayer and the word. 00:50:58.120 |
Acts 13.3, when Apostle Paul and Barnabas are set apart, it says the church prayed and fasted. 00:51:10.120 |
Jesus told them, "Follow me and I will make you disciples of men," 00:51:13.120 |
and was the primary thing that Jesus taught them in those three years that they walked with him. 00:51:18.120 |
Well, we don't have to guess because the disciples asked. 00:51:23.120 |
They didn't ask, "Teach us how to evangelize, teach us how to dissect the scriptures." 00:51:28.120 |
He says, "No, teach us how to what? Pray. Teach us how to pray." 00:51:33.120 |
Even when Jesus sent them out two by two to go evangelize, 00:51:37.120 |
they would come back and say, "Well, we did great things," but they'd come back and say, 00:51:42.120 |
Some of these things cannot be done unless you pray and fast. 00:51:47.120 |
Don't take any money, don't take a staff, don't take a second tunic, 00:51:51.120 |
don't take any of the stuff that you tend to rely on. 00:51:59.120 |
Over and over again, we are told the early church was devoted to prayer. 00:52:07.120 |
In fact, the Book of Acts, obviously most of our Bibles just says Acts on it. 00:52:13.120 |
When the people later on was dividing scripture, 00:52:16.120 |
they decided to divide it into the verses and the chapters, 00:52:21.120 |
And some of your translations will say Acts of the Apostles. 00:52:27.120 |
But I think that's a mistake because the Book of Acts is not about the apostles. 00:52:36.120 |
It said, "You will receive the Holy Spirit when the Spirit comes upon you in Jerusalem, 00:52:39.120 |
Judea, Samaria, to the remotest part of the world." 00:52:41.120 |
So the Book of Acts is divided into ministry in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, 00:52:51.120 |
So it's not chapter 1 through 12 through Apostle Peter, 00:52:57.120 |
The whole theme about it is about the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer. 00:53:03.120 |
You'll see, next time you read the Book of Acts, chapter 1 to chapter 8, 00:53:08.120 |
it's how the Holy Spirit, through the prayers of his people, 00:53:16.120 |
So the real title of this should have been "The Work of the Holy Spirit Through Prayer," 00:53:24.120 |
If you read it again, you'll see that that's the theme over and over again, 00:53:32.120 |
Not only do we need to be devoted to prayer, we need to be devoted through prayer. 00:53:37.120 |
Now, I'm not just adding words in here because the word "pray" in the Greek-- 00:53:43.120 |
and rarely I mention Greek because I don't know enough to mention Greek, to be honest. 00:53:49.120 |
Two, three years of seminary Greek isn't enough. 00:53:53.120 |
It's just enough so that I can read the commentary and know what they're talking about. 00:53:56.120 |
But every once in a while, you notice something there that really helps to understand. 00:54:05.120 |
Some of you guys who took Latin, you may better understand this. 00:54:08.120 |
But instrumental dative basically means that the imperative is to devote yourselves, 00:54:14.120 |
and the channel, the avenue in which you devote yourselves is through prayer. 00:54:20.120 |
So correct understanding grammatically of this verse is to be devoted through prayer. 00:54:31.120 |
That you're going to continue through prayer. 00:54:33.120 |
That you're going to persevere through prayer. 00:54:36.120 |
That you're going to be devoted to the Lord through prayer. 00:54:40.120 |
That prayer is the avenue in which we will persevere, in which we will be sanctified. 00:54:46.120 |
So if you're not praying, you don't have the tools to persevere. 00:54:53.120 |
You don't have the tools to be devoted to Christ. 00:54:57.120 |
In fact, Jesus repeatedly said over and over again that if we want to bear fruit, we need to abide. 00:55:09.120 |
In 1 Peter 4.7 it says, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be of sound judgment and be sober in spirit for the purpose of prayer." 00:55:18.120 |
You notice how it says, "Be sober so that you can pray." 00:55:24.120 |
1 Peter 3.7, "Your husbands, in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way as with someone weaker, since she is a woman. 00:55:31.120 |
And show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers would not be hindered." 00:55:39.120 |
Not so that your wife can be happy, not so that your children can be taken care of. 00:55:52.120 |
I mean, think about it, just even logically speaking. 00:55:55.120 |
If you and I gather all the finances, all the gifted, all the talented people together, and we decided to plant the church. 00:56:06.120 |
They're elders and, you know, celebrity pastors. 00:56:11.120 |
And they all gather together with all their knowledge, with all their know-how, with all their discipline, and plant to the church. 00:56:19.120 |
Will there be more power there than a church who knows nothing? 00:56:24.120 |
Brand new Christians who are devoted to prayer because they have access to God. 00:56:37.120 |
Superficially, you may think that this church may bear more fruit because, humanly speaking, we can do more. 00:56:47.120 |
Here is simple people who are just seeking God. 00:57:07.120 |
And that's why the early church were so devoted to praying. 00:57:11.120 |
Because they knew, they understood that it wasn't in them. 00:57:21.120 |
If you look at the Gospel of John, it's divided into seven "I Am" statements that Jesus gives. 00:57:39.120 |
If you look at all the "I Am" statements, Jesus is breaking their false hope in the religious system. 00:58:01.120 |
So He goes through all these "I Am" statements to break false hopes that people have. 00:58:09.120 |
But the very last thing that He says to them before He departs is, "I am the vine." 00:58:16.120 |
That if you want to bear fruit, you must abide in me. 00:58:20.120 |
And if you look at John chapter 15, the word "abide." 00:58:31.120 |
So we know that that text, just by repetition, the whole point that Jesus was trying to make. 00:58:56.120 |
Ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. 00:59:01.120 |
Do you see the connection between John 15, 7 and Colossians 4, 2? 00:59:11.120 |
The reason why we need to abide is abiding, continuing through prayer is where the power lies in the church. 00:59:20.120 |
The power of the church is not our organization. 00:59:34.120 |
Revival doesn't break out because we studied enough. 00:59:36.120 |
Revival doesn't break out because we're experienced enough or we're organized enough. 00:59:41.120 |
Revival simply breaks out because people cry out to God. 00:59:53.120 |
They get desperate and they come before God and they cry out to God. 00:59:56.120 |
And when God shows up, it's a church that should have died. 01:00:02.120 |
A movement that should have never made it out of the first century experiences the power of God. 01:00:09.120 |
And people realize when that power shows up that it wasn't them. 01:00:13.120 |
Why did these apostles were so bold that they were even willing to risk their lives? 01:00:19.120 |
The only thing that they could think of is they were with Jesus. 01:00:26.120 |
And that's why you and I need to be devoted to prayer. 01:00:37.120 |
But before we do that, we need to learn to pray. 01:00:45.120 |
1 John 5, 14-15, this is the confidence we have before him. 01:00:50.120 |
That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 01:00:54.120 |
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from him. 01:01:03.120 |
And I pray that it would be deeply embedded into your psyche. 01:01:07.120 |
James 4.2, you do not have because you do not ask. 01:01:12.120 |
When you're frustrated, the first thing that you do is to grumble. 01:01:29.120 |
We need to identify what's wrong in order for us to correct that. 01:01:37.120 |
First and foremost, we need to ask ourselves, before we do anything else, is ask that question. 01:01:49.120 |
Before we organize, before we talk, before we grumble, are you devoted to prayer? 01:01:55.120 |
Because if you're not devoted to prayer, the response that you will most likely get is you do not have because you did not ask. 01:02:08.120 |
If you believe the power is in you, then do whatever, everything in your power to do. 01:02:16.120 |
But if you believe that the power is in him, first thing, not the only thing, but the first thing that needs to happen is we need to be devoted to prayer. 01:02:28.120 |
I want to give you some guidelines or at least some practical application before we end today. 01:02:35.120 |
We have a mission team that's going to be going out to Korea. 01:02:38.120 |
And so we have prayer requests that I'm going to put up later. 01:02:42.120 |
And we're going to put it up on our website and Facebook. 01:02:45.120 |
So hopefully you guys could take some time to pray for the Korea team. 01:02:48.120 |
And then the India team is leaving next week. 01:02:50.120 |
So we'll give prayer requests for that next week. 01:02:54.120 |
But the obvious answer is, well, we're going to be devoted to prayer. 01:02:58.120 |
What is it that the church is going to do so that we can be more devoted to prayer? 01:03:02.120 |
Well, first thing is to see what we're already doing and do it better. 01:03:13.120 |
There are already various prayer meetings that are going on. 01:03:17.120 |
And if you are curious, how can I get more involved in prayer? 01:03:21.120 |
Every college group has their own prayer meeting. 01:03:23.120 |
If you're part of the college ministry, ask Pastor Nate, and he'll direct you. 01:03:28.120 |
I don't think Pastor Nate will ever say, "Hey, hey, hey, knock it off with this prayer." 01:03:35.120 |
If you want to encourage the pastors, first and foremost, say, "Hey, how can we pray?" 01:03:47.120 |
There's a prayer meeting going on with the BAM ministry. 01:03:49.120 |
So if you're part of that ministry, ask, "How can I participate and join?" 01:03:53.120 |
Instead of waiting and saying, "Hey, the leaders didn't provide it," there's already avenues, 01:03:57.120 |
so we want to encourage you to participate in that. 01:04:00.120 |
Once a month on Saturday morning, they gather together, and there's quite a few of them that gather together, 01:04:05.120 |
and they collect the prayer requests in the church, and they pray. 01:04:09.120 |
So if you want to be devoted to prayer, first and foremost, take advantage of what's already here. 01:04:14.120 |
Instead of waiting for something new to happen, there's monthly prayer meetings that are happening that we have at church. 01:04:23.120 |
So one, if you're not in the habit of coming to that once a month on prayer, then we ask you to devote yourself to come to that. 01:04:31.120 |
Find babysitters if you need to to participate in that. 01:04:35.120 |
If you are coming to that prayer meeting, come better prepared. 01:04:43.120 |
So before you come, that you come ready to pray instead of being so distracted and then coming into this room and having a hard time focusing. 01:04:55.120 |
There are weekly gatherings that are going on. 01:04:58.120 |
Whenever I hear this, I'm so encouraged because I hear pockets of people who are gathering together. 01:05:05.120 |
I hear it sometimes with the band people that our classmates or whatever are getting together, and we're going to take some time to pray. 01:05:12.120 |
And so if you want to be devoted to prayer, these things are already happening in church. 01:05:16.120 |
And then there are some groups just organically, two people, four people, three people here and there, just getting together and having fellowship and praying. 01:05:24.120 |
So if you have a gathering of friends that you gather together, that's a good place to start. 01:05:29.120 |
Have your meals, have fellowship, but pray first. 01:05:34.120 |
Not just pray that God will bless the situation and keep us safe, but let's pray first. 01:05:39.120 |
Let's dedicate the first 20 minutes to prayer. 01:05:42.120 |
And then make the most of what you already have in your schedule because most of us are busy. 01:05:48.120 |
So take a look at what's happening and to pray individually. 01:05:56.120 |
I know some of you guys say, "Well, I'm not a morning person." 01:06:02.120 |
Nobody wakes up, "Oh, my God, what a beautiful day." 01:06:05.120 |
It's like, "Oh, my gosh, it's time to wake up." 01:06:12.120 |
The reason why I encourage morning prayer is because your mind is least distracted in the morning. 01:06:17.120 |
You fill your head with all the stuff and concerns and paying bills and taking care of children and at work. 01:06:24.120 |
And then you try to focus your mind on praying. 01:06:29.120 |
So I encourage you, even if it's for a short period, to wake up and commit yourself to prayer. 01:06:33.120 |
If you say, "I will pray if I feel like praying," you're not going to pray, right? 01:06:39.120 |
Every once in a while, you hear a sermon or something happened in your dreams, like, "Oh, I'm so ready to pray." 01:06:46.120 |
If you don't commit yourself to pray, you're not going to wake up wanting to pray, right? 01:06:51.120 |
So I encourage you to pray, to devote yourself in the morning to pray. 01:06:56.120 |
Make a list of things to pray for, especially when in the beginning of your prayer life, 01:07:01.120 |
the greatest problem is your mind constantly wanders and is distracted. 01:07:06.120 |
So if you make a list of things to pray for, it will help you to focus, to go down the list and pray for these things. 01:07:14.120 |
If you write down, "These are the things that I'm praying for," and then when they get answered, write down, "God answered my prayer." 01:07:21.120 |
And then when you look at how God is answering prayer, it will motivate you to pray more. 01:07:27.120 |
A lot of times we pray and then we forget about it, and even when God answered, you don't know. 01:07:32.120 |
"Oh, yeah, yeah, I did pray for that. Oh, God did answer that." 01:07:35.120 |
When God shows up and He prays and you pray and it is answered, that's the fuel for you to pray even further. 01:07:45.120 |
Don't wait for a church where I'm looking for some big movement in the church to happen. 01:07:52.120 |
Find a person that you're with, a good friend that you're meeting with regularly, 01:07:57.120 |
I hear, again, there's people in our church who are gathering, you know, and say, "What are you doing?" 01:08:02.120 |
They say, "Oh, we just decided to pray every Tuesday, every Thursday, or Friday." 01:08:09.120 |
If there's one grumbling and complaining that I don't mind hearing in the church, it's grumbling to pray. 01:08:17.120 |
I say, "Peter, how come we don't pray enough?" 01:08:31.120 |
To find somebody to regularly pray, and then read a book on prayer. 01:08:35.120 |
There's one book that I always recommend to people, E.M. Bounds on Prayer. 01:08:39.120 |
It is not a casual read, but I think it's the most thorough theologically and practically that you can apply for prayer. 01:08:48.120 |
There are specific chapters in there that I would recommend. 01:08:51.120 |
If you read that, and you look at the discipline of prayer from other people, that it will motivate you to pray. 01:08:58.120 |
Going forward, we want to establish, and we'll go into more detail at our members' meeting, a fasting chain. 01:09:06.120 |
We used to have a fasting team that would help the church to sign up for fasting. 01:09:12.120 |
Again, as the church got bigger and bigger, it got more and more difficult. 01:09:16.120 |
But that's something that we want to try to re-implement. 01:09:21.120 |
Again, not that those people will be fasting, but they'll remind us and make fasting sign-ups so that we can be more devoted to praying. 01:09:27.120 |
Possible Zoom meetings online, for those of you who can't make it physically because you have small children. 01:09:32.120 |
We're going to have various times where we're going to say, "Hey, at this time we're going to get together." 01:09:39.120 |
Then, at some point, we want to re-establish Friday night praying, even if it's not every week, that we want to devote a time just to come and pray. 01:09:53.120 |
Those are some of the things that we're trying to implement in New Year. 01:09:56.120 |
But those are things that, if you're just sitting and waiting for that to happen, you don't need to. 01:10:02.120 |
Because there are many things that you can do. Things that are already here, corporately. 01:10:06.120 |
Things that you can do immediately, in your personal time of prayer. 01:10:10.120 |
We're hoping, even if we take one more step to better our church to praying, it is worth it. 01:10:20.120 |
We can't just be a church known for the Word. 01:10:23.120 |
We have to be known for the Word and prayer. We need to pray. 01:10:29.120 |
If you can go to the next one. For the sake of time, I'm not going to go through all of the prayer requests. 01:10:33.120 |
But our Korea team, if you can put up the picture. 01:10:38.120 |
Our Korea team will be leaving this Thursday evening. 01:10:41.120 |
We're running an English camp to reach the students out in South Korea, obviously. 01:10:48.120 |
But Christianity, I mentioned this before, in Korea is just tanking. 01:10:53.120 |
It's 33% in the regular population and then the Gen Z and younger has dropped to 3%. 01:11:00.120 |
And then when I talk to the college campus Christians, they say they think it's less than 1%. 01:11:05.120 |
That's how rare it is to find Christians on campus. 01:11:11.120 |
And so Korea has the worst population, I think it's .6. 01:11:17.120 |
And so the birth rate is so low that they think that in the next 30 years, if something doesn't change, 01:11:28.120 |
But for whatever the reason, the younger people are more open to non-Koreans coming in and sharing the gospel with them. 01:11:35.120 |
So we're hoping that our connection with them will lead to relationships that will lead to the gospel presentation. 01:11:45.120 |
It's a short trip. They're leaving Thursday and they'll be back the next following Saturday. 01:11:49.120 |
And then the India team will leave on Friday and they'll be back the Saturday after that. 01:11:53.120 |
So it's a two very short trips but we're hoping and praying that God will ordain it to be fruitful. 01:12:02.120 |
So either on the Facebook somewhere or on the website or somewhere. 01:12:05.120 |
So we're asking again first and foremost to pray that the doors may be open. 01:12:11.120 |
That we may preach it clearly and that we may bear fruit as a result. 01:12:28.120 |
Knowing that ultimately we are in your hands. 01:12:33.120 |
Help us Lord God to be people who are humbled before you. 01:12:39.120 |
That despite our weaknesses, despite our shortcomings. 01:12:44.120 |
That you said that you're willing to use us if we get rid of the ignoble things in our lives. 01:12:50.120 |
That we seek you Father God with all our heart. 01:12:56.120 |
Help us in our weakness to come to you to recognize. 01:13:01.120 |
The solution is not in this world that is not in us but is in you and you alone. 01:13:06.120 |
Make us a house of prayer Lord God for the sake of your glory. 01:13:39.120 |
I love the voice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. 01:17:14.120 |
That we may live lives worthy of the gospel that you have given.