back to indexBerean Community Church Praise and Prayer 09/20/24
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so that when we, after the time of singing praise, 00:08:58.460 |
you can just come up right up to the stairs as well. 00:09:13.460 |
That's not to say that God does not hear your silent prayers 00:09:18.460 |
but although God knows your heart and every need, 00:09:38.460 |
but my guess is it's difficult to concentrate 00:09:42.460 |
but it actually takes that much more concentration 00:09:48.460 |
all that we're thinking, feeling, and desiring 00:09:52.460 |
So would you join with me now in a word of prayer 00:10:05.460 |
to know that you, as the God of the universe, 00:10:16.460 |
you give to us mercy every single day in Christ. 00:10:23.460 |
that we would then have such a sense of privilege, 00:10:32.460 |
and at all of the kind of care that you show us, 00:11:03.460 |
♪ Looking back the fire of a thousand years ♪ 00:15:38.460 |
♪ Once again I look upon the cross where you died ♪ 00:15:44.460 |
♪ I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside ♪ 00:16:36.460 |
♪ Once again I look upon the cross where you died ♪ 00:16:42.460 |
♪ I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside ♪ 00:17:02.460 |
♪ Once again I look upon the cross where you died ♪ 00:17:08.460 |
♪ I'm humbled by your mercy and I'm broken inside ♪ 00:17:46.460 |
Good evening again and tonight as we take time to pray, 00:17:51.460 |
I'm gonna be guiding our thought on a central theme 00:17:55.460 |
about such a common problem that it feels like 00:18:04.460 |
And I am talking about the problem of apathy. 00:18:11.460 |
sometimes because there are circumstances and situations 00:18:16.460 |
or actually when we think about the things of God 00:18:19.460 |
like Sunday worship, Bible study, and even prayer meetings, 00:18:23.460 |
there is the problem of repetitiveness, redundancy, 00:18:31.460 |
But we recognize that upon examination of our hearts, 00:18:37.460 |
the problem isn't that we have the same thing 00:18:43.460 |
Because we're gonna come into worship every week. 00:18:46.460 |
Because even when we think about our prayer meetings, 00:18:53.460 |
We're gonna be praying over our sins and confessing them. 00:18:56.460 |
We're gonna be praying over the topics that people share. 00:18:59.460 |
We're gonna be praying over the things that we struggle with 00:19:01.460 |
and the needs of the church, et cetera, et cetera. 00:19:04.460 |
And so I wanna give just a first encouragement 00:19:10.460 |
on fighting this common problem that happens so regularly, 00:19:17.460 |
we are participating in things that we commonly always do. 00:19:21.460 |
The scripture says in Isaiah chapter 29, verse 13, 00:19:26.460 |
"Then the Lord said, 'Because these people draw near me 00:19:29.460 |
"with their words and honor me with their lip service, 00:19:35.460 |
"and their reverence for me consists of tradition 00:19:41.460 |
We're familiar with this because Jesus quoted it himself, 00:19:45.460 |
that God is incredibly, for lack of better words, 00:19:55.460 |
God is not accepting of just ritualistic traditions. 00:20:00.460 |
It is not okay if we just simply show up on time 00:20:08.460 |
So my challenge tonight is going to be let us pray 00:20:12.460 |
that things like this we have the proper attitude. 00:20:16.460 |
Let's pray that we don't grow tired or worrisome 00:20:31.460 |
And I wanna put up a couple of prayer points, 00:20:35.460 |
things to put off and things to put on for us. 00:20:43.460 |
are there certain thoughts or attitudes in my heart 00:20:45.460 |
so that we guard against any kind of apathy that is growing? 00:20:50.460 |
First and foremost, as you would commonly suspect, 00:20:58.460 |
So as in previous maybe times of coming together to pray, 00:21:02.460 |
I wanna ask, are there sins by which we have not confessed, 00:21:06.460 |
either past or present, or even if it feels like, 00:21:09.460 |
well the moment has passed, it's already been two weeks, 00:21:11.460 |
whatever it may be, if somewhere in your mind 00:21:15.460 |
you thought of your sin as it's just a bruise 00:21:27.460 |
Because any unconfessed sin causes us to be careless. 00:21:33.460 |
that when an individual thought, you know what? 00:21:36.460 |
I know this lamb is blemished, the lamb is blind, 00:21:39.460 |
the lamb is this, but let's just offer it up. 00:21:44.460 |
That kind of carelessness is indicative of apathy. 00:21:52.460 |
By chance do you come tonight with a level of disappointment? 00:22:06.460 |
A level of kind of like almost there to quit mentality. 00:22:14.460 |
Pray for a heart that's willing to wait on the Lord. 00:22:17.460 |
And then there's this question of is there any part of you 00:22:24.460 |
amazed at the incredible grace God has given you? 00:22:30.460 |
Please take time now just to think about where your heart is 00:22:40.460 |
I'm gonna give you some time to privately pray. 00:22:47.460 |
Father God, you have taught the people from long ago 00:22:53.460 |
not to come into your presence completely burdened to come, 00:22:59.460 |
but rather, God, with amazement, with thoughts of you. 00:23:04.460 |
I pray, Father God, that as we have joined together, 00:23:07.460 |
let our hearts rise to you and do a spiritual work in us, God, 00:23:13.460 |
that you would challenge us to fight, to guard our hearts 00:23:20.460 |
We pray now, God, you would hear our prayers. Amen. 00:24:14.460 |
Just to mention again, because I forgot to give you time, 00:24:22.460 |
if anybody would like to come up to kneel and pray, 00:24:24.460 |
please go ahead and do that now for the next five minutes. 00:24:29.460 |
please go ahead and pray over the things that we need to put off, 00:24:35.460 |
and then in about five minutes, we'll continue on with more worship. 00:32:00.980 |
♪ Wishes and dreams that are yet to come true ♪ 00:33:49.520 |
of guarding our hearts against any kind of apathy. 00:33:53.100 |
We know that should we lose sight of why, purpose, 00:34:19.800 |
because you are doing technically all the right things, 00:34:25.920 |
the sharing, the discussion questions, all of that, 00:34:46.280 |
"and go in search for the one that is strained? 00:34:54.580 |
"more than over the 99 which have gone astray. 00:34:57.920 |
"So is it not the will of your Father who is in heaven 00:35:14.440 |
in seeing one lost sheep coming to salvation. 00:35:28.000 |
and that our heart then would be in accordance with his 00:35:39.220 |
all the individuals in your immediate vicinity, 00:35:45.680 |
who have heard or perhaps aren't coming around. 00:44:23.580 |
And so Father, we pray that at our church, God, 00:44:29.580 |
we're so blessed with equipping and preaching. 00:44:33.580 |
Lord God, we're blessed with fellowship, community. 00:44:55.580 |
and the love of the Lord Jesus that conquers everything. 00:44:59.580 |
And I pray, Father God, we would have eyes to see, 00:45:06.580 |
not just individuals who are attendants and new visitors, 00:45:17.580 |
But Lord God, then that we would be convicted and moved 00:45:26.580 |
As we think about guarding our hearts against apathy, 00:45:39.580 |
The moment we are apathetic about the Lord Jesus 00:45:47.580 |
And God had given us this warning in the scriptures 00:45:53.580 |
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven 00:46:04.580 |
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 00:46:11.580 |
In as much as we're staring at the building of the account, 00:46:14.580 |
in as much as we have hope of collecting and collecting, 00:46:29.580 |
What is it that we're staring at that we admire so much? 00:46:36.580 |
Another way to put it, A.W. Tozer said in a book, 00:46:40.580 |
he says, "There is this principle also of being impressed. 00:46:47.580 |
"is to simply impress us with all the lesser things of life." 00:46:51.580 |
So, the exact same thing stated another way is, 00:46:58.580 |
Are you so impressed with the things shown on YouTube? 00:47:02.580 |
So impressed with people's, whatever it may be, 00:47:06.580 |
their homes, their makeovers, their this and that, 00:47:13.580 |
Are we so apathetic because we're so impressed 00:47:19.580 |
So, as we put up the next set of prayer topics 00:47:28.580 |
and if you brought your notebook or something to write on, 00:47:35.580 |
What is it in your heart that's a precious treasure? 00:47:39.580 |
You feel at an incredible loss if you don't have it. 00:47:55.580 |
because the people that you feel like have made it 00:48:00.580 |
are the people who have actually fulfilled your ambitions? 00:48:10.580 |
"Lord, rather than asking you to rip this out of my hand, 00:48:23.580 |
you're afraid your children will not be happy, 00:48:29.580 |
Are there any areas where you're lacking trust 00:48:39.580 |
In these things, please take time as you pray 00:48:53.580 |
But this is the time to get really specific with God 00:48:56.580 |
and say, "God, I trust you with my salvation. 00:49:13.580 |
As again, I brought up how A.W. Tozer put it, 00:49:16.580 |
"Are you distracted and impressed by the world?" 00:49:20.580 |
Let's pray as King David did when he said to God, 00:49:39.580 |
But rather, let's pray for a great, great vision 00:49:47.580 |
Please go ahead and take those topics and pray. 01:04:32.580 |
or you can just pray if you're here with your family. 01:04:49.580 |
getting ready for the influx of new students, 01:04:52.580 |
and this year they're going to different campuses as well. 01:05:10.580 |
So let's pray that all of those will be effective. 01:05:22.580 |
beloved family members are either sick severely. 01:05:26.580 |
We sometimes hear that there are passing of loved ones, 01:05:29.580 |
whether it's grandparents or even father, mother. 01:05:36.580 |
but also we would request one prayer for Elder James. 01:05:54.580 |
So let's pray for health both for Diane and the baby. 01:06:03.580 |
there is still like a worry for complication. 01:06:16.580 |
We have our next training and meeting just in a week or two. 01:06:23.580 |
please pray that it will be a successful trip 01:06:26.580 |
where we can have divinely appointed opportunities 01:06:32.580 |
We will be primarily working with college students. 01:06:37.580 |
either doing a cultural exchange, English corner, 01:06:47.580 |
and then we've also planned a time to whoever we meet 01:06:51.580 |
We're going and doing a hike and a long walk together. 01:06:54.580 |
So let's really pray that God will prepare our hearts as a team, 01:06:58.580 |
prepare hearts of the people that we'll talk to, 01:07:01.580 |
and have a really fruitful time of ministry out there. 01:07:05.580 |
So I'm going to go ahead and request that you guys look around, 01:07:09.580 |
take initiative to get into pockets of three. 01:25:21.580 |
♪ Yes he wrote that we would be free indeed ♪ 01:26:25.580 |
Father God, we do want to, with all of our hearts, thank you. 01:26:38.580 |
your putting away the things that are ignoble 01:26:41.580 |
and causing us to be all the more conformed to your son. 01:26:45.580 |
And it is our prayer that you will cause us to mature 01:26:56.580 |
that we will be passionate about the right things, 01:27:05.580 |
but rather we will grow, we'll grow in faith and love. 01:27:08.580 |
We thank you, God, this day that you heard our prayers. 01:27:17.580 |
the shuttle service to the far lots will be going, 01:27:25.580 |
please make sure you make your way out to the lot. 01:27:28.580 |
Also, we need your help to reset our sanctuary back for service. 01:27:35.580 |
to that side of the sanctuary for the storage,