back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 01/05/2025
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- Oh yeah, now this is what I'm talking about. 00:05:41.680 |
- All right, good morning and happy New Year's, 00:06:12.660 |
and we trust that he is working in all things. 00:06:15.880 |
So with that, let's begin our service this morning 00:09:45.880 |
I know that this season at the end of the year 00:09:54.980 |
We wanna make sure that we prepare our hearts, 00:10:01.480 |
but that we're intentional with everything that we're doing. 00:10:04.280 |
And so, as you can see, our banner back here, 00:10:11.680 |
And I'll explain 'cause for the next couple times 00:10:14.380 |
that I'm up here, I'm gonna be going over the text 00:10:17.180 |
and how we're gonna be focused on this in the new year. 00:10:25.680 |
the Jubilee Fellowship Lunch is happening next Sunday 00:10:27.880 |
after the third service at 1 p.m. in the Youth Chapel. 00:10:34.980 |
most Jubilee members don't have children this young, 00:10:37.180 |
but if you do, for 10 years and older, it'll be $5, okay? 00:10:43.680 |
So if you go outside, there'll be a table there. 00:10:48.680 |
Today is the last day you can sign up for that. 00:10:51.980 |
If you are applying to take the membership class, 00:10:53.980 |
our next class is starting on January 26th at 9.30 00:10:57.380 |
at the Youth Chapel, and this is an eight-week course. 00:11:01.880 |
Again, it's starting on January 26th at 9.30 a.m. 00:11:05.280 |
Members meeting happening at the end of the month, 00:11:11.180 |
We go over, you know, the finances and various things. 00:11:16.980 |
So if you can't make it, please let us know ahead of time. 00:11:20.180 |
And along with that, our college department will be having a 00:11:27.380 |
It's happening at the end of the month, January 31st to the 2nd. 00:11:32.480 |
So if you are applying to go and you haven't signed up, 00:11:36.280 |
Last time they did this, they reached the maximum. 00:11:39.680 |
And so after a while, they weren't able to add more people. 00:11:46.480 |
And this week is the last week to sign up if you are applying to go. 00:11:49.380 |
And then lastly, there is a big change that's happening at church 00:11:55.480 |
If you are aware of it, it's the way that we're conducting all the 00:12:00.980 |
And the way that it will most likely affect you is the -- first 00:12:06.880 |
I know that we switched to Subsplash last year and found out 00:12:11.080 |
that through various channels in our church that this center is 00:12:14.280 |
actually much more effective and it's actually more cost effective. 00:12:18.380 |
So remember, you had to pay a 2% or 2.3% or something like that if 00:12:23.180 |
you paid with credit card or through the bank. 00:12:28.380 |
If you're going directly from the bank, it's actually only 30 cents 00:12:34.080 |
So it's going to be much cheaper and it's much easier to keep track. 00:12:37.180 |
So we have a short video that we want you to watch. 00:12:39.780 |
Those of you who learn better visually, like I do, there's a 00:12:44.780 |
So if you can watch that, and then afterwards I'll pray. 00:12:50.980 |
So we're going to give you maybe a little bit longer for offering 00:12:55.180 |
time because they're going to have to figure this out. 00:12:57.280 |
And then if you can't figure out today and you need help like I do, 00:13:03.480 |
So if you're part of the Jubilee ministry and you need a step-by-step 00:13:08.180 |
guide like I do, you can go visit that table after service and 00:13:11.880 |
they'll give you the instructions that you need to help you set it 00:13:18.280 |
Here's how to set up a new payment method on the BCC app. 00:13:23.980 |
Click give on the bottom right-hand corner and then click on the 00:13:30.480 |
This will prompt you to enter in your phone number. 00:13:32.680 |
You will then receive a six-digit code for verification. 00:13:35.680 |
Once you are logged in, scroll down and then select add payment 00:13:39.580 |
method. A new window will open where you can add and select your 00:13:47.380 |
Here's how to set up a new payment method on the BCC app. 00:13:53.980 |
Click give on the bottom right-hand corner and then click on the 00:14:00.480 |
This will prompt you to enter in your phone number. 00:14:02.580 |
You will then receive a six-digit code for verification. 00:14:05.080 |
Once you are logged in, scroll down and then select add payment 00:14:09.580 |
method. A new window will open where you can add and select your 00:14:13.680 |
Alright, so we're going to give you a little bit extra time to be 00:14:21.280 |
If you are a member in the church, your membership information is 00:14:25.780 |
So as soon as you put in, I think your phone number, right? 00:14:28.380 |
Put in your phone number, your information will pop up. 00:14:32.280 |
You're going to have to manually put those things in. 00:14:34.680 |
Okay, so let me pray for the offering and then we'll give you a 00:14:37.180 |
little bit extra time to do this on your app. 00:14:42.580 |
Gracious Father, we thank you so much for your continued grace. 00:14:45.580 |
Help us, Lord God, to see how desperately we are in need of you 00:15:00.880 |
Help us to seek you with all our hearts and not just casually 00:15:05.980 |
We pray that even in this giving, this new year, Lord God, help 00:15:11.080 |
us to be intentional with all parts of our lives and we ask 00:15:14.980 |
Lord that you would help us that even with our finances that we 00:15:19.080 |
would glorify you this morning and may it be multiplied for the 00:16:29.680 |
Church family, would you please stand with us and take a moment 00:20:17.340 |
♪ You shine your death and bring us no more tears ♪ 00:26:30.840 |
If you can turn your Bibles with me to Colossians chapter four. 00:26:59.840 |
"devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it, 00:27:06.840 |
"that God will open up to us a door for the word, 00:27:09.840 |
"so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, 00:27:13.840 |
"that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak." 00:27:49.840 |
and we kind of evaluate where we are as a church, 00:28:01.840 |
and 11 chapters of teaching us about who Christ is 00:28:17.840 |
And so every year we evaluate where are we as a church, 00:28:20.840 |
where we need to go, and as you guys already know, 00:28:24.840 |
we're going to be focused on prayer again, right? 00:28:29.840 |
Obviously we're doing this because this is what we see, 00:28:37.840 |
but we're nowhere near where we would want to be 00:28:40.840 |
or where we should be when it comes to prayer. 00:28:57.840 |
Right doctrine, obviously, we would say it's critical. 00:29:12.840 |
prayer is just as critical as the Word of God. 00:29:25.840 |
where the Bible's never opened or rarely opened 00:29:28.840 |
and people don't understand what the Word of God says, 00:29:34.840 |
that we're not following what the Scripture says 00:29:37.840 |
because how can we follow what the Scripture says 00:30:00.840 |
In fact, the devil has a way of twisting Scripture 00:30:05.840 |
and uses our own prejudice and our own weaknesses, 00:30:26.840 |
if we use our mind and we give ourselves to study 00:30:37.840 |
Read the Word of God, and we're going to go through it. 00:30:53.840 |
that we're getting into our 28th year of our church, 00:31:17.840 |
These are things that we're constantly working on to improve. 00:31:19.840 |
So I would say when it comes to certain aspects of the church, 00:31:33.840 |
There was a period in our church when we had prayer meeting 00:31:46.840 |
and various other things have been emphasized, 00:32:02.840 |
this is important enough that we keep focusing on this. 00:32:17.840 |
Just as we are devoted to know the Word of God 00:32:23.840 |
There's four things that are taught in this text about prayer. 00:32:32.840 |
First is, it tells us to be devoted to prayer. 00:32:36.840 |
Secondly, it teaches us to be devoted through prayer. 00:32:48.840 |
So those are the four things that these four verses are going to be, 00:33:11.840 |
just reading passage after passage after passage 00:33:32.840 |
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 00:34:08.840 |
The question is, are you praying unceasingly? 00:34:15.840 |
As much as you are devoted to know the Word of God, 00:34:29.840 |
We need to be people who are devoted to prayer. 00:34:32.840 |
So naturally, the question we have to ask is, 00:34:57.840 |
What do we mean when we say he's a devoted husband? 00:35:02.840 |
He is single-mindedly focused on taking care of his family. 00:35:09.840 |
That's what it means he's a devoted husband, right? 00:35:15.840 |
They love each other, and legally they're married, 00:35:21.840 |
He is focused on taking care of his wife and his children. 00:35:31.840 |
it means that this person is loyal to this company, 00:35:34.840 |
that they work above and beyond what is expected of them. 00:35:51.840 |
who's just coming in and getting the degree and leaving. 00:35:53.840 |
A devoted student is who's committed to learning, 00:35:56.840 |
maybe staying after hours to ask the professor, 00:36:01.840 |
He's trying to get as much as he can while he is learning. 00:36:04.840 |
That's what it means when we say somebody is devoted. 00:36:08.840 |
Now, what does it mean to be devoted in prayer? 00:36:11.840 |
In every other aspect, when we say we're devoted, 00:36:13.840 |
we're talking about somebody who is not just a husband, 00:36:31.840 |
is the one who is constantly given to prayer, 00:36:36.840 |
just like somebody who is preaching the Word of God, 00:36:44.840 |
that he will preach the Word in season and out of season. 00:36:47.840 |
In the same way, someone who is devoted to prayer 00:36:50.840 |
is not somebody who is only praying because it's prayer time, 00:37:01.840 |
when you don't have to wake up early to go to work in the morning. 00:37:04.840 |
Your circumstances don't dictate whether you pray or not. 00:37:10.840 |
Whether it's a time of peace, turmoil, leisure, busy, 00:37:39.840 |
"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, 00:37:42.840 |
and if I command the locusts to devour the land, 00:37:49.840 |
He said, "If I put you in a circumstance where you are desperate," 00:37:55.840 |
You're living casually because your bills are paid 00:38:01.840 |
"God brings turmoil into your life to force you to pray." 00:38:07.840 |
He says, "And my people who are called by my name, 00:38:33.840 |
And sometimes a deep study of the Word of God without prayer 00:38:42.840 |
because a prayer is an active, willful giving to humility. 00:38:48.840 |
"If my people humble themselves and pray and seek my face," right? 00:38:56.840 |
It isn't just getting on our knees and saying the right words. 00:39:02.840 |
You can study the Word of God to gain knowledge. 00:39:05.840 |
You can study the Word of God just to know what is right and wrong, 00:39:08.840 |
what is right theology, what is wrong theology. 00:39:10.840 |
But he says if you want to seek God, you have to pray. 00:39:18.840 |
If God causes you and calls you to humble yourself and pray 00:39:23.840 |
and seek my face and turn from my wicked ways, 00:39:29.840 |
Then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and will heal the land. 00:39:32.840 |
Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 00:39:37.840 |
When things go wrong, we naturally think that if we do A, B, C, D, not realizing, 00:39:44.840 |
could God have done that to cause us to pray? 00:39:48.840 |
Could whatever that may be going wrong in my life, 00:39:52.840 |
could God have ordained that to bring you to him, 00:39:59.840 |
Not our organization, not our might, not our power, but him. 00:40:08.840 |
He will make it right if we humble ourselves and pray. 00:40:13.840 |
But the natural question that comes with that is when there's an emergency, 00:40:17.840 |
when things are urgent, when God puts you in a certain place where you need to pray, 00:40:24.840 |
If you're sick and desperate, somebody that you love is in a dire situation, 00:40:34.840 |
But what if that's not the situation you're in? 00:40:38.840 |
There's a lot of people in our church who are in this situation 00:40:41.840 |
where they are in desperate need of prayer, a lot of choice, 00:40:46.840 |
We've been getting so many phone calls and e-mails of people who are suffering 00:40:50.840 |
with various things and sudden deaths in our churches, in our church. 00:40:58.840 |
What if your bills are paid, your children are healthy, your job is secure, 00:41:07.840 |
How do you pray when there's nothing urgent that's happening in our life? 00:41:14.840 |
The only reason why we don't feel a sense of urgency is because we're not sober. 00:41:19.840 |
A sense of urgency doesn't--if you only feel a sense of urgency 00:41:24.840 |
when your own personal life, your own children, and your own health is at stake, 00:41:33.840 |
We're living in a world where condemnation and judgment is awaiting 00:41:39.840 |
And we have been called to be a light to this world. 00:41:42.840 |
And so to say that there is nothing urgent for us to pray for 00:41:48.840 |
Because we're not thinking about anybody else but me. 00:41:51.840 |
As long as my children are taken care of, as long as I'm healthy, 00:41:54.840 |
and my closest friends are healthy, I don't have anything urgent. 00:41:59.840 |
It's because we have been entangled and been deceived. 00:42:03.840 |
If comfort will keep you from praying, Satan will make sure that you live in comfort. 00:42:14.840 |
If comfort and ease is what's going to keep you away from seeking the Lord 00:42:19.840 |
with a sense of urgency, it is not the Lord that gives you comfort. 00:42:25.840 |
The Lord will do whatever, because the greatest thing that a child of God 00:42:29.840 |
would actively participate in is to seek him with all our might. 00:42:34.840 |
So whatever keeps you from seeking him with all your might may not be from God. 00:42:40.840 |
That your bills may be paid, and you may stay healthy, 00:42:43.840 |
and everything in your life is at ease, and that may not be God doing that. 00:42:50.840 |
Satan is scheming, if comfort, ease, and safety is what is keeping you 00:42:54.840 |
from desperately seeking the Lord, Satan will make sure that that's exactly where you stay. 00:43:06.840 |
Now we didn't see that before Christ went to the cross. 00:43:11.840 |
We didn't see that right as he was going to the cross, Gethsemane. 00:43:16.840 |
But as soon as Jesus is crucified, and he's resurrected, and he ascends, 00:43:25.840 |
By human standard, the early church should have died. 00:43:32.840 |
A few men who were trained just for a few years, 00:43:38.840 |
who failed miserably right before their leader leaves. 00:43:42.840 |
The most powerful nation of that time, the Roman government, 00:43:48.840 |
Their own countrymen, everywhere they turned, was abandoning them 00:43:54.840 |
And according to Apostle Paul, not many of them were influential or wise or smart. 00:44:01.840 |
So the early church, according to human standard, should have been squashed 00:44:04.840 |
and should have never made it out of the first century. 00:44:11.840 |
Not only did they thrive after 2,000 years, even if you're not a Christian, 00:44:15.840 |
there's no other influence was greater than Jesus Christ. 00:44:22.840 |
We see in Acts 1.14, as soon as Jesus ascends, 00:44:25.840 |
what is the first thing that that book of Acts tells us? 00:44:29.840 |
They were meeting together devoted to prayer. 00:44:32.840 |
Acts 2.42, after the Pentecost, they get together. 00:44:36.840 |
It said the whole church devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, 00:44:46.840 |
John and James were going to the temple because it was our to pray, 00:44:53.840 |
In Acts 6.4, the first issue comes into the church. 00:44:57.840 |
It said we cannot be distracted because the apostles needed to be devoted 00:45:04.840 |
When Apostle Paul was selected with Barnabas to go on his missionary journey, 00:45:09.840 |
the Bible says that they were praying and fasting to confirm them, 00:45:15.840 |
So over and over again, we see that the early church was devoted to prayer. 00:45:20.840 |
Now, in our Bibles, the title of the book of Acts, obviously it's Acts, 00:45:25.840 |
or if you go some other translations or somebody to say Acts of the Apostles, 00:45:34.840 |
I think that's misleading because that's not inspired. 00:45:41.840 |
That was something that the men who divided up the chapters 00:45:46.840 |
But I think the right understanding of the book of Acts is not the Acts 00:45:54.840 |
It's really the act of the Holy Spirit through prayer. 00:45:58.840 |
So if there's a central theme going through all of the book of Acts, 00:46:01.840 |
it's not Apostle Peter and then Apostle Paul and chapter 13 and on. 00:46:06.840 |
You have the main central figure as Apostle Peter, 00:46:11.840 |
The central figure throughout the whole 28 chapters is the work 00:46:18.840 |
He says, "You will be my witnesses," in Acts 1:8, 00:46:21.840 |
"when the Holy Spirit comes upon you in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, 00:46:26.840 |
So if you look at the book of Acts, it's Acts 1:8 being fulfilled 00:46:29.840 |
by the power of the Holy Spirit when his people pray. 00:46:35.840 |
That's a theme that you will see all throughout the 28 chapters 00:46:46.840 |
That's why they were devoted to praying because they realized 00:47:09.840 |
So I can't emphasize enough, we must be devoted to prayer. 00:47:22.840 |
Secondly, same phrase, it says, "But be devoted through prayer." 00:47:29.840 |
Now, I'm not just playing word games here because the word "prayer" here 00:47:35.840 |
is in the instrumental dative, which means nothing for most of you. 00:47:41.840 |
Basically, in Greek grammar, what it means is the imperative 00:47:51.840 |
To prayer is the dative, but it's an instrumental dative, 00:47:56.840 |
meaning that the way that you will be devoted is through prayer. 00:48:03.840 |
Hopefully it's not too early that I didn't lose you. 00:48:06.840 |
If you were to understand this text properly, 00:48:12.840 |
Prayer is the avenue in which you will be devoted. 00:48:16.840 |
Prayer is the avenue in which you will continue, 00:48:23.840 |
See, Colossians 3, 1-4, in summary of Christology, 00:48:27.840 |
about Jesus Christ being the head of all things, 00:48:34.840 |
So basically, if you want to study Christology, 00:48:37.840 |
about who Christ is, Colossians is the book that you want to go to. 00:48:40.840 |
It's one of the books that you want to go to, or book of Hebrews. 00:48:46.840 |
"Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, 00:48:50.840 |
"where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 00:48:55.840 |
"for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 00:49:01.840 |
"then you also will be revealed with him in glory." 00:49:05.840 |
What he means by this, when he says, "Devote yourself to prayer," 00:49:09.840 |
is that this is the calling for every Christian, 00:49:16.840 |
to keep our mind and our thought and our life 00:49:22.840 |
Because we're dead now, we're hidden with Christ. 00:49:24.840 |
So the question is like, "Oh, where do I fit? 00:49:43.840 |
"Oh, am I supposed to do this? Am I supposed to do that?" 00:49:47.840 |
The question is, what brings the most glory to him? 00:49:56.840 |
Now, our Lord knows how difficult of a challenge this is 00:50:00.840 |
because we naturally are concerned about our bills being paid. 00:50:03.840 |
What mother and father is not concerned about 00:50:09.840 |
we're going to be constantly entangled with the life of this world. 00:50:16.840 |
So when he says after giving that commandment, 00:50:19.840 |
in chapter 4, he's given us the tool to remain focused, 00:50:25.840 |
to be devoted, to persevere, to continue through prayer. 00:50:31.840 |
Part of the reason why we are not sober is because we're not praying, 00:50:36.840 |
that our flesh is reacting just like any other flesh. 00:50:42.840 |
You've got to know who you're going to marry. 00:50:53.840 |
These are concerns of every human being, naturally. 00:50:58.840 |
So in the midst of this, how do we remain sober? 00:51:03.840 |
How do we constantly get reminded of where we're at, 00:51:13.840 |
Prayer is what's going to cause us to be sober. 00:51:16.840 |
Prayer is what's going to cause us to look to Christ's coming 00:51:20.840 |
and not to be so entangled with what's right in front of us 00:51:24.840 |
that we continually forget that all this is going to end. 00:51:30.840 |
In 1 Peter 4:7, it says, "The end of all things is near. 00:51:34.840 |
Therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit 00:51:42.840 |
He doesn't simply say pray so that you can stay sober, 00:51:45.840 |
but prayer in and of itself is what we need to engage in 00:51:53.840 |
as with someone weaker, since she is a woman, 00:51:56.840 |
and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, 00:52:07.840 |
I mean, just even logically think about that. 00:52:13.840 |
That we devote ourselves to hard work, to be disciplined, 00:52:16.840 |
to get right theology, to scream, to march, to organize, 00:52:48.840 |
Whichever causes God to hear us and respond to us 00:52:52.840 |
and answer us should get the greater priority. 00:53:05.840 |
And we focus our attention on that, and we do all this, 00:53:07.840 |
and then we get frustrated when we don't see fruit. 00:53:09.840 |
And the Bible says, "If you don't abide in me, 00:53:14.840 |
The central thing about abiding in Christ is prayer. 00:53:20.840 |
To live according to the word of God and to pray, 00:53:25.840 |
It is not the activity of prayer that makes the prayer so effective. 00:53:32.840 |
"If my people humble themselves and seek my face." 00:53:35.840 |
Prayer is the avenue that God has given us to seek his face. 00:53:40.840 |
The purpose of salvation is that the barrier between us 00:53:45.840 |
and so we have a free access to the throne of grace. 00:53:49.840 |
So theology points to the fact that the throne has been opened. 00:54:00.840 |
So when we study the word of God, we celebrate. 00:54:03.840 |
Look at that awesome door that's been opened to us. 00:54:10.840 |
But if that's all we do, all you're doing is celebrating the open door 00:54:17.840 |
All we are doing is highlighting how glorious God seems 00:54:21.840 |
because now we can see him without going to him. 00:54:29.840 |
Theology tells us, instructs us, empowers us, 00:54:56.840 |
And then he ends the seven "I am" statements by saying, 00:55:04.840 |
Vine basically was illustrating that you have to be continued with me. 00:55:14.840 |
James says you're frustrated because you do not ask. 00:55:21.840 |
You're frustrated because you're not praying. 00:55:27.840 |
our natural inclination is seek counsel to change our circumstance, 00:55:32.840 |
to change the people around us, change the people around us, 00:55:39.840 |
He says no, your frustration comes directly from the fact that you don't pray, 00:55:44.840 |
that you don't realize that God is the answer, 00:55:49.840 |
and God's going to empower you to be the answer. 00:55:55.840 |
There's a reason why he chose uneducated men, 00:56:04.840 |
because it's much easier to teach people who are already humble to be humble 00:56:14.840 |
So if you're frustrated, if something's going wrong, 00:56:20.840 |
a humble man is a man who is constantly seeking the Lord in prayer. 00:56:25.840 |
In John 15, 7, he says, "If you want to bear fruit because I am the true vine, 00:56:29.840 |
you need to abide," and the word "abide" is used just in nine verses, 11 times. 00:56:34.840 |
The last of the seven "I am" statements, "I am, I am, I am." 00:56:37.840 |
But he said, "You need to abide, abide, abide, abide, abide, abide," 11 times he says. 00:56:50.840 |
you probably remember from the beginning of the sermon, 00:56:52.840 |
the word "devote" means to persevere, to continue. 00:56:56.840 |
He said if you want to persevere, if you want to continue, 00:57:02.840 |
And that's basically what this text is saying. 00:57:06.840 |
To devote yourself, to continue, to persevere, through what? Through prayer. 00:57:11.840 |
So John 15, 7 says, "Abide in me," in my words, "Abide in you, 00:57:15.840 |
and ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." 00:57:21.840 |
Colossians 4, 2 and John 15, 7 is saying the same thing. 00:57:35.840 |
"This is the confidence which we have before him, 00:57:37.840 |
that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us; 00:57:41.840 |
and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, 00:57:44.840 |
we know that we have the request which we have asked from him." 00:57:51.840 |
If you're going to devote any of your energy into anything, 00:57:54.840 |
first and foremost, not only, but first and foremost, 00:58:08.840 |
so that you do not twist the word of God like Satan does. 00:58:19.840 |
To think that you're not going to be deceived, 00:58:28.840 |
can easily be twisted by Satan, we have to pray. 00:58:36.840 |
He says, James 4:2, "You do not have because you do not ask." 00:58:50.840 |
So before you seek counsel, before you want to change, 00:59:14.840 |
and the word of God, then you can go to step two. 00:59:20.840 |
But don't go to step two until you've done step one. 00:59:24.840 |
Spurgeon was asked the question, "Which is more important, 00:59:44.840 |
When we are not praying, the word of God actually damages us 00:59:48.840 |
because it fills us with pride and confidence 00:59:57.840 |
So the natural question is, as we're going to New Year, 01:00:01.840 |
the practical application, I want to put up some of the things 01:00:05.840 |
that we already have that we want to encourage you. 01:00:27.840 |
So first of all, what are we planning for prayer? 01:00:30.840 |
First, corporately, there's already various prayer meetings 01:00:41.840 |
So we encourage you to take advantage of things that are already here. 01:00:45.840 |
Instead of seeking like, "Oh, we're going to do more things. 01:00:52.840 |
First and foremost, take advantage of what's already here. 01:00:55.840 |
So if you're not taking advantage of what's already here 01:00:57.840 |
and say you're looking for something new to add to the calendar, 01:01:02.840 |
you're just going to be filling your--our church is going to be filled 01:01:04.840 |
with schedules and people aren't coming, right? 01:01:07.840 |
So I encourage you to what's already here to commit to that. 01:01:10.840 |
So if you want to devote yourself to prayer, you know, 01:01:12.840 |
I want to pray corporately, there's corporate prayers going on, 01:01:17.840 |
family ministry, BAM ministry, college ministry. 01:01:24.840 |
And I know that because I'm overseeing the family ministry, 01:01:27.840 |
every once a month, Saturday morning, we have a group of people 01:01:31.840 |
that gather together, pray for the issues of the church, 01:01:34.840 |
and to join that meeting to pray corporately, to be devoted to prayer. 01:01:38.840 |
There's monthly prayer meetings that's going on. 01:01:40.840 |
So right now, if you're not in the habit of coming and praying together with that, 01:01:46.840 |
And if you are coming to that, to come to it more deliberately. 01:01:54.840 |
Pray when you come, make a list of things that you need to pray for. 01:01:58.840 |
Maybe even fast that day, before you come, so that we can pray more effectively, 01:02:02.840 |
so that we can make the most of what we already have. 01:02:08.840 |
There's weekly gatherings that are happening, right? 01:02:14.840 |
There are other people who are organically getting together for prayer, 01:02:18.840 |
and I'm very encouraged to hear that there are small groups happening 01:02:22.840 |
where they're praying just two people or four people throughout the week. 01:02:25.840 |
Find out what's going on and see if you can join them. 01:02:31.840 |
One of the things that we implemented was before church begins, 01:02:37.840 |
That's why 10, 15 minutes before church starts, 01:02:40.840 |
we said, you know, try to keep the noise in this room down, 01:02:46.840 |
So there are already things that we have implemented asking you to participate in. 01:02:53.840 |
first and foremost, commit to the things that are already here, corporately. 01:02:59.840 |
If you're in the habit of showing up five minutes late or ten minutes late to service, 01:03:02.840 |
or you come right on time, maybe this is a way to come early 01:03:08.840 |
Individually, make time in the morning to pray. 01:03:13.840 |
Now, I know some of you guys are not morning people, 01:03:15.840 |
but why I say morning prayer is more important 01:03:18.840 |
is because you spend the rest of the day not sober, 01:03:22.840 |
and you fill the day with memories of things that have happened that day, 01:03:25.840 |
and at the end of the day you try to pray, your mind is not alert. 01:03:29.840 |
It's always most effective when you pray in the morning, even if it is harder. 01:03:33.840 |
The first thing that you do is to seek the Lord and depend on Him and to pray. 01:03:39.840 |
Now, I'm not saying what time, I'm not saying where you need to go, 01:03:49.840 |
I don't want my mind to wander and be entangled with things 01:03:51.840 |
that I don't want to be entangled with. I need you." 01:03:59.840 |
A lot of times you close your eyes and your mind starts to wander 01:04:03.840 |
of all the things that need to be getting done, 01:04:09.840 |
So if that's you, make a list of things to pray for. 01:04:13.840 |
And after a while, when it becomes a habit, it's much easier. 01:04:17.840 |
But in the beginning, if that's you, make a list. 01:04:23.840 |
Sometimes we pray for things and we forget that we prayed about it, 01:04:25.840 |
and when God answers, it's just like, "Oh, it just happened." 01:04:41.840 |
There was a time when people would get together for morning coffee somewhere, 01:04:44.840 |
just to get together and drink coffee, do devotions, and pray together. 01:04:50.840 |
If you say, "You know, the leaders didn't contact me." 01:04:53.840 |
"Didn't contact me" is like, "There's three pastors." 01:04:57.840 |
If you're waiting for the leaders to somehow take you step by step, 01:05:01.840 |
obviously it's not going to happen in this size of a church. 01:05:04.840 |
Get people around you that want to pray together. 01:05:07.840 |
Whoever you're complaining with, pray with that person. 01:05:14.840 |
Whoever you're grumbling with, that's the person that's closest to you. 01:05:32.840 |
get in the habit of fellowshipping in prayer. 01:05:37.840 |
There's so many good books out there on prayer, 01:05:39.840 |
but the book that I recommend above all the other books is E.M. Bounds. 01:05:47.840 |
There's so many chapters in there that I would highly recommend to pray. 01:05:52.840 |
Going forward, there are certain things that we want to establish. 01:05:56.840 |
We want to bring fasting back into the church. 01:05:58.840 |
There was a period when we used to fast for every mission group, 01:06:06.840 |
And we'll probably explain a little bit more at the next members' meeting. 01:06:10.840 |
Possible open Zoom prayer meetings so that people can't physically come. 01:06:13.840 |
Maybe when your children are sleeping that we can have time to pray together online. 01:06:17.840 |
There's possibly that we may open some Friday nights outside of our monthly prayer meetings 01:06:24.840 |
so that we can pray together at night on Friday nights. 01:06:27.840 |
There was a time in our church when every Friday night, 01:06:32.840 |
and the whole church would be there praying together 01:06:36.840 |
And so we're thinking of implementing some of these things. 01:06:39.840 |
But more than the newer stuff, to implement prayer, 01:06:44.840 |
what's already here, to be devoted to prayer. 01:06:47.840 |
So I want to finish today, because our Korea team is leaving this Thursday, 01:06:54.840 |
It says, "Praying at the same time for us as well, 01:06:57.840 |
that God will open up to us a door for the Word, 01:07:00.840 |
so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, 01:07:04.840 |
that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak." 01:07:09.840 |
we are running an English camp with the local students there, 01:07:17.840 |
And as I shared before, what's happening in Korea spiritually, 01:07:20.840 |
basically it's just that Christianity is falling apart in the younger generation. 01:07:27.840 |
the foreigners who are able to speak English have an easier time 01:07:32.840 |
connecting with the students than the local Christians there. 01:07:35.840 |
And so we're using that opportunity to get in there, 01:07:38.840 |
connect with the students and hopefully share the gospel. 01:07:40.840 |
So if you can pray for open doors for the gospel, 01:07:45.840 |
will help us to see a clear path that we can go and labor there. 01:07:49.840 |
Pray that we would make the most of the opportunity. 01:07:52.840 |
We're only there for about six days, six, seven days. 01:07:58.840 |
But we're hoping that the short time that we have, 01:08:01.840 |
that we would make the most of the opportunity, 01:08:03.840 |
and that we would be joyful and thankful in heart 01:08:08.840 |
So if you could take some time to pray for that, 01:08:11.840 |
and again, for the sake of time for the service, 01:08:13.840 |
we're going to have to end it, but let me pray. 01:08:15.840 |
And we're going to post this somewhere on our website or Facebook page, 01:08:23.840 |
And then there is another team leaving to India next week, 01:08:25.840 |
and hopefully Pastor Mark will be able to share that next week. 01:08:32.840 |
Father, help us to be a church devoted to prayer, 01:08:37.840 |
not just to know that in theology or in theory. 01:08:41.840 |
Help us, Lord God, to be known not just to be a church that loves the Word, 01:08:47.840 |
but people who are humbled and constantly seeking your face. 01:08:53.840 |
We know, Father, we are helpless against the schemes of the devil. 01:08:57.840 |
So help us to lift our eyes towards you, people who are dependent on you. 01:09:09.840 |
that we may find work, Lord God, that we can engage in that will bear fruit. 01:09:13.840 |
Help us, Lord God, to make meaningful contact, 01:09:16.840 |
and with the students that we will have opportunity to talk to and to share with, 01:09:21.840 |
that we would make the most of the time that we have in this short period. 01:09:25.840 |
And help us, Lord God, as a team to be joyful, to be thankful, 01:09:29.840 |
that even in this, that we would do it for the sake of your glory. 01:09:33.840 |
So may your name and your name alone be magnified through all of this. 01:10:05.840 |
I love the voice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. 01:13:40.840 |
that Christ and Christ alone may be magnified.