Sunday I preached on the 3 tenses of salvation found in the Scriptures. Here is a video describing the past tense.
Two Points:: Thursday March 4
I have been thinking a lot about prayer in the last few days. So I wanted to make two points this week about prayer.
Point 1: Pray with Importunity. Read Luke 18:1-8 Jesus said, "Ask you will receive...seek and you will find...knock and the door will be opened." When Jesus is teaching about prayer he is always teaching us to be persistent.
::Don Carson says, "In prayer, we are like naughty boys who ring the door bell and run away."
::Andrew Murray says, "God trains us in the school of answer delayed. To teach us perseverance, he does this."
::Isaiah 30:18 says, "Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
::Read Psalm 130 here
All of these things are pointing to teaching us to wait on God, to pray with perseverance. We live in 2010 America and we want things to happen quickly. Comfort is important to us. As we learn these lessons of prayer not just in a scholastic way, but also in a practical and personal way, we learn to depend upon God.
We also learn that comfort for today is really quite over rated. This life is not about you and your comfort. Each day can be seized to attempt to bring more comfort or for deeper communion with God. Prayer can be a great teacher of this truth.
Point 2:Prayer is based on God's promises. Read Jeremiah 29:11-12 Many times we read Jeremiah 29:11 and get all excited about the promise that is there. We put that on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. But verse 12 brings more to the table. Meditate on verse 12.
I have heard people ask if God is all knowing and all powerful , isn't prayer redundant or what is the point of praying if God does what he likes? Terry Virgo said, "Praying not redundant, it is motivation to seek God. God's statements of promises are invitations to move."
Point 1: Pray with Importunity. Read Luke 18:1-8 Jesus said, "Ask you will receive...seek and you will find...knock and the door will be opened." When Jesus is teaching about prayer he is always teaching us to be persistent.
::Don Carson says, "In prayer, we are like naughty boys who ring the door bell and run away."
::Andrew Murray says, "God trains us in the school of answer delayed. To teach us perseverance, he does this."
::Isaiah 30:18 says, "Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."
::Read Psalm 130 here
All of these things are pointing to teaching us to wait on God, to pray with perseverance. We live in 2010 America and we want things to happen quickly. Comfort is important to us. As we learn these lessons of prayer not just in a scholastic way, but also in a practical and personal way, we learn to depend upon God.
We also learn that comfort for today is really quite over rated. This life is not about you and your comfort. Each day can be seized to attempt to bring more comfort or for deeper communion with God. Prayer can be a great teacher of this truth.
Point 2:Prayer is based on God's promises. Read Jeremiah 29:11-12 Many times we read Jeremiah 29:11 and get all excited about the promise that is there. We put that on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. But verse 12 brings more to the table. Meditate on verse 12.
I have heard people ask if God is all knowing and all powerful , isn't prayer redundant or what is the point of praying if God does what he likes? Terry Virgo said, "Praying not redundant, it is motivation to seek God. God's statements of promises are invitations to move."
Some quotes on prayer
From Paul Miller's "A Praying Life"
"Helplessness is a door to God. The gospel uses my weakness as the door to God's grace. This is how grace works"
"Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God."
"Jesus is not just the Savior of my soul. He's also the Savior of my prayers."
"Suffering is God's gift to make us aware of our contingent existence."
"Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the valley and the child focuses on the shepherd."
"Even when the father turns his back on him, Jesus trusts. Faced with the storms of life, he tightens his grip on the father."
"Pray yourself into prayer" -Don Carson
"We are like naughty boys who ring the door bell and run away." -Don Carson
"God trains us in the school of answer delayed. he does this to teach us perseverance." -Andrew Murray
"Its as thought the promises of god are waiting on our prayers to release them." -Andrew Murray
"Helplessness is a door to God. The gospel uses my weakness as the door to God's grace. This is how grace works"
"Oddly enough, many people struggle to learn how to pray because they are focusing on praying, not on God."
"Jesus is not just the Savior of my soul. He's also the Savior of my prayers."
"Suffering is God's gift to make us aware of our contingent existence."
"Both the child and the cynic walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The cynic focuses on the valley and the child focuses on the shepherd."
"Even when the father turns his back on him, Jesus trusts. Faced with the storms of life, he tightens his grip on the father."
"Pray yourself into prayer" -Don Carson
"We are like naughty boys who ring the door bell and run away." -Don Carson
"God trains us in the school of answer delayed. he does this to teach us perseverance." -Andrew Murray
"Its as thought the promises of god are waiting on our prayers to release them." -Andrew Murray
Prayer
I would like you to take a moment and think about a question. What would you like for God to do in your life or change about yourself?
The question is to help me to know how to pray for you in a proactive way. So much of my prayer for people is reactionary to difficult times or circumstances. There is value to that sort of prayer. But it has gotten stale. I want to pray for you, help me to pray for you.
As you think about that question, I would like you think deeply about it and think dangerously about it. By deeply, I mean go beyond the surface thoughts. Get to the core of what you want God to do in you. By dangerously, I mean to ask for something that will require a change in you that may not be comfortable. Ask for something that you have found impossible to attain for yourself.
Leave your answers in the comments section. If you want to share something a bit more personal and do not want to comment here, email me at rik@northchurchstl.com.
The question is to help me to know how to pray for you in a proactive way. So much of my prayer for people is reactionary to difficult times or circumstances. There is value to that sort of prayer. But it has gotten stale. I want to pray for you, help me to pray for you.
As you think about that question, I would like you think deeply about it and think dangerously about it. By deeply, I mean go beyond the surface thoughts. Get to the core of what you want God to do in you. By dangerously, I mean to ask for something that will require a change in you that may not be comfortable. Ask for something that you have found impossible to attain for yourself.
Leave your answers in the comments section. If you want to share something a bit more personal and do not want to comment here, email me at rik@northchurchstl.com.
Prayer
As a way to more effectively pray and to be more active in my prayer life, I would like to ask those who read this blog to give me some things to pray for them about specifically.
A few guidelines for you. First, I want to pray proactively. That is to say I do not wish for this forum to be a place for you to write about issues that you are having with health or friends
A few guidelines for you. First, I want to pray proactively. That is to say I do not wish for this forum to be a place for you to write about issues that you are having with health or friends
Two Points::Thursday February 25
Point 1: I have quoted on several occasion the book "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller. It is one of the best reads I have found. Each page is filled with gospel centered thoughts about prayer and very practical. Life sped up for me for a while and I did not read it much, but I have picked it back up and found this gem today.
He is talking about the role of prayer in parenting when he says, "Until we become convinced we can't change our child's heart, we will not take prayer seriously." That is not a truth that is only applied to the area of parenting. Many time we do not pray because we are not yet convinced that we can not take of our problems and the problems of others.
I have learned this in my own life and as I pastor people. My first reaction is to apply my skill set to problems to "fix" them. It is only when I am unable to "fix" the problem that prayer becomes the option. I am focused in my own prayer life to pray first.
Point 2: I like to listen to sermons on my way to my new insurance job. I have 25 minutes or so in the car and I have found a good way to redeem that time is to listen to sermons on my iPod instead of wasting that time listening to sports radio. Today I listened to this sermon.
The manuscript of the sermon is here. I put in the manuscript so that you might be able to wrestle with the points more than just hearing it.
The reason that I post this on here is that I have been in contact with some people on places like facebook and in everyday life who are not involved in a church, but consider themselves to be Christians.
Let me be clear about two things. First, your salvation is not tied to your being engaged at church. Church involvement or membership is vital to the Christian life. The sermon details the reasons for that well. Second, I am not saying this to get you to come to North Church. I want you to be involved in any church where Christ is preached and the gospel and scripture are honored.
Many who are Christians and are not involved in churches are in the place they are in because of past involvement with churches or because they reject their own need to be involved. If this is you I want to ask you to read the sermon I linked on here with an open mind. We are all in need of authority in our lives. The church is an organism that God created for that purpose.
He is talking about the role of prayer in parenting when he says, "Until we become convinced we can't change our child's heart, we will not take prayer seriously." That is not a truth that is only applied to the area of parenting. Many time we do not pray because we are not yet convinced that we can not take of our problems and the problems of others.
I have learned this in my own life and as I pastor people. My first reaction is to apply my skill set to problems to "fix" them. It is only when I am unable to "fix" the problem that prayer becomes the option. I am focused in my own prayer life to pray first.
Point 2: I like to listen to sermons on my way to my new insurance job. I have 25 minutes or so in the car and I have found a good way to redeem that time is to listen to sermons on my iPod instead of wasting that time listening to sports radio. Today I listened to this sermon.
The manuscript of the sermon is here. I put in the manuscript so that you might be able to wrestle with the points more than just hearing it.
The reason that I post this on here is that I have been in contact with some people on places like facebook and in everyday life who are not involved in a church, but consider themselves to be Christians.
Let me be clear about two things. First, your salvation is not tied to your being engaged at church. Church involvement or membership is vital to the Christian life. The sermon details the reasons for that well. Second, I am not saying this to get you to come to North Church. I want you to be involved in any church where Christ is preached and the gospel and scripture are honored.
Many who are Christians and are not involved in churches are in the place they are in because of past involvement with churches or because they reject their own need to be involved. If this is you I want to ask you to read the sermon I linked on here with an open mind. We are all in need of authority in our lives. The church is an organism that God created for that purpose.
5 questions for North Church
Last night Dave talked about 5 questions as he finished his message. I wanted to take a minute to talk about them and give my thoughts on the direction that God took my spirit last night.
1. Will we take God at His word?-John 17:20-23 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. This is Jesus praying for us just a few hours before his death. Jesus prays for us to be connected with God and each other for the purpose of world knowing Jesus and that He loves them. Scripture is filled with promises of God doing things in us and through us.
Mark 9:24 has been in my head since I preached it in the Images of Jesus series several months ago. The context is a man with a demon possessed son comes to Jesus and asks Jesus to heal his son. Jesus says that all things are possible for those who believe. The man responds with honesty and humility and vulnerability by saying, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
I thought of this last night during response time. I believe Jesus. But I have unbelief as well. That is my prayer. I believe, help my unbelief is my prayer because I trust God, but I am weak and like the man in Mark 9, there is much at stake.
2. Will we serve in our gifting?- Here are a few facts that we know from scripture: God has gifted each of those who trust in Him as Savior. God has prepared you for works of service for the building of the church. The one who knows what he ought to do, but does not do it, sins.
One of the objectives of your leadership is to make you aware of your giftings. There is responsibility on us as your leaders to equip you and to help you realize your gifts. There is responsibility on you as the one that is gifted to seek out those gifts and to serve with them. The question is simple, will you serve in your gifting?
I want to say a bit more about this one. This does not simply mean a role that you have in our Sunday service. There are many things that need to happen on Sunday nights for our service. These are things that are service to the body. What Dave is getting at here is more than that. We want you to run in the giftings and serve in them because of the magnitude of what is at stake. Romans 12 is a good place to read about gifts.
3. Will we give up what is comfortable- Leaving what is comfortable is hard and we do not like it. We have to understand that the prize of following God is beyond our ability to comprehend. Giving up our comfort for the sake what God is calling us to not a trade down! The prize is deeper relationship with God, the prize is the blessing that we receive because of obedience.
Let that thought sit on your spirit, because you might get asked to something that will threaten your comfort.
I will write on the other two questions later in the week. I wanted to keep it shorter because I want to encourage response and interaction. Please, interact on here with your thoughts and anything that God spoke to you last night or even today.
1. Will we take God at His word?-John 17:20-23 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. This is Jesus praying for us just a few hours before his death. Jesus prays for us to be connected with God and each other for the purpose of world knowing Jesus and that He loves them. Scripture is filled with promises of God doing things in us and through us.
Mark 9:24 has been in my head since I preached it in the Images of Jesus series several months ago. The context is a man with a demon possessed son comes to Jesus and asks Jesus to heal his son. Jesus says that all things are possible for those who believe. The man responds with honesty and humility and vulnerability by saying, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
I thought of this last night during response time. I believe Jesus. But I have unbelief as well. That is my prayer. I believe, help my unbelief is my prayer because I trust God, but I am weak and like the man in Mark 9, there is much at stake.
2. Will we serve in our gifting?- Here are a few facts that we know from scripture: God has gifted each of those who trust in Him as Savior. God has prepared you for works of service for the building of the church. The one who knows what he ought to do, but does not do it, sins.
One of the objectives of your leadership is to make you aware of your giftings. There is responsibility on us as your leaders to equip you and to help you realize your gifts. There is responsibility on you as the one that is gifted to seek out those gifts and to serve with them. The question is simple, will you serve in your gifting?
I want to say a bit more about this one. This does not simply mean a role that you have in our Sunday service. There are many things that need to happen on Sunday nights for our service. These are things that are service to the body. What Dave is getting at here is more than that. We want you to run in the giftings and serve in them because of the magnitude of what is at stake. Romans 12 is a good place to read about gifts.
3. Will we give up what is comfortable- Leaving what is comfortable is hard and we do not like it. We have to understand that the prize of following God is beyond our ability to comprehend. Giving up our comfort for the sake what God is calling us to not a trade down! The prize is deeper relationship with God, the prize is the blessing that we receive because of obedience.
Let that thought sit on your spirit, because you might get asked to something that will threaten your comfort.
I will write on the other two questions later in the week. I wanted to keep it shorter because I want to encourage response and interaction. Please, interact on here with your thoughts and anything that God spoke to you last night or even today.
