Prayer

Prayer
Matthew 7:7-11

I. What: prayer is asking, seeking and knocking

A. Asking and receiving - prayer according to the revealed will of God I John 5:14, 15

B. Seeking and finding - prayer according to the unrevealed will of God Jeremiah 29:12, 13 and Psalm 27:8

C. Knocking and opening - tenacious prayer, Matthew 17:14-21 (when God's will and your way is blocked by an obstacle)

II. Why: why should we pray?

A. Prayer is a command Luke 18:1, I Thes. 5:17

B. Jesus is our example throughout the NT

C. Prayers gets things from God, James 4:2

D. Brings joy, John 16:24

E. Delivers from troubles, Ps. 34:6

F. Brings wisdom, James 1:5

G. Sin not to pray, I Samuel 12:23 Pastor Bruce D. Cummons - "the greatest sin today in the ministry is prayerlessness".

H. Saves from Temptation, Matt. 26:41

III. How: how to pray

A. To God the Father in Jesus' Name, John 14:13, 14, by the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:26, 27; Jude 1:20

B. For God's will, Matt. 26:39

C. Daily needs

D. Forgiveness

E. Deliverance from evil

F. In faith, James 1:6-8

IV. Where: where to pray, Acts 12:5

A. In the assembly, Acts 1:13, 14 and Acts 2:42-47

B. In the closet, Matthew 6:6

V. Hindrances to prayer

A. I Peter 3:7, bad relationship with spouse

B. Selfishness, James 4:3

C. Unforgiving spirit, Matthew 5:22, 24

D. Unbelief, James 1:6-8

Fundamental Thoughts - Sermons

The First Commandment

Mark 12:28-34 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? (29) And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: (30) And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (31) And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (32) And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: (33) And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. (34) And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. (35) Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, (36) Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (40) On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Introduction: When we read (vv 29-30) we need to step back and find where Jesus is quoting from.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

He is “ONE” LORD

Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

There is NONE else

Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

He is God the only God

SO what we have learned so far is that in terms of God, “…there is none else.

We know from scripture there is only one God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is the Holy Trinity; The Great Three in One.

I. A LAWYER SPEAKS UP (v 28)

Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

A. Asking Jesus

1. Which of the commandments

i. Is the most important

B. Historically At This Time There Were

1. Over 600 Jewish Commandments

C. So Which Is The Most Important To Obey

1. These Pharisees expected Jesus to say:

i. The Sabbath

ii. Being Circumcised

iii. The Sabbath

2. They were hoping Jesus would state one of

these

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

i. Yet Christ went to the Scriptures

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

II. THEGREATEST COMMANDMENT (vv 29-31)

A. Know That Your Lord

1. Is one Lord

i. He is Jehovah / Yahweh

a. There is no other God

ii. He is our God

a. We are His people

iii. He is one Lord

1 Corinthians 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

B. We Are To Love The Lord

1. Have a personal relationship

2. A tri-level love

i. ALL thy heart

a. Not a piece or part

ii. ALL thy soul

a. Your walk

b. Your being

iii. ALL your mind

a. Your thoughts

b. What is in your mind

today? This Moment?

3. All this relegates us to a condition

i. A condition of Commitment

a. Which includes loyalty

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

4. A loving relationship involves

i. Both commitment and loyalty

ii. God is committed to you

iii. God is loyal to you

C. Then We Must Love Our Neighbor Too!!

1. An active love

i. Not physical love

ii. Not a lustful love

iii. A concerned love

iv. A caring love

2. A love that is shown in our walk

3. It is not a religious experience

i. It should be YOU

John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

4. We love ourselves

i. Love our neighbor as we love

ourselves

D. Love

1. Endures long

2. Is kind

3. Is not puffed up

4. Thinks no evil

5. Can bear all things

III. THE GREATNESS OF THIS COMMANDMENT (vv 32-34)

A. Causes Men To Think

1. This lawyer hated Jesus

i. Considered Him a heretic /

blasphemer

Yet the lawyer listened to Jesus

i. Being a smart guy

a. His job was to attempt to

trap Jesus

ii. As a good smart lawyer

a. He could find no fault

B. This Love Of God

1. Exceeds

i. Circumcision

ii. Sacrifices

iii. The Sabbath

C. Thou Art Not Far

1. From Salvation

i. Paul witnessing to Agrippa

Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

ii. Have you accepted Jesus?

a. Or almost persuaded

CONCLUSION: As a Christian, we are given eternal life at the time we accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour.

When we accepted Jesus, that set into effect a series of thou shalt’s and thou shalt not’s.

Within this new realm we first are to commit ourselves to the God who loved us so much He put His only begotten Son on the Cross to die for our sins. Christ’s blood, His death on the Cross, paid the price for our sins. He forgave us on that Cross, if we with sincerity accepted Him; we then have an eternal life with Jesus the Christ in the presence of God Almighty.

As an example, when Sharil and I got married we committed ourselves to one another. In this almost 49 years, we have become more loving and committed, but also more loyal to one another.

That is the way we need to be with God and His Son Jesus, if we don’t commit to Him at the start how in Heaven’s name can we expect to ever become loyal to Him.

Where do you stand in His presence? Can you look down in your heart and say, Yes Lord, I am in love with you and God, I do love my neighbors as I love myself.”

What if you can’t say that, you can do something about it. You first can just come to the altar and kneel down here a pray to God, to give you a heart that loves. A heart that loves God and His Son, but also an heart that seeks concern over your neighbor.

The second, may be you have not accepted Jesus as your Saviour, then we have people here who will show you in God’s Word how you can be saved.

All of this, regardless of why, requires an honest sincere heart.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Fundamental Thoughts- Sermons

IT PAYS TO REMEMBER

Psalm 143:5

Introduction: Having just read Psalm 143, It is a prayer Psalm, the last of 7 Penitent Psalms. A penitent psalm is a song of the repentance of a person’s sin. I did not find in my study what was occurring around David or what his particular consequence was. But we know how King David was a friend of God, yet a sinner just like you and I. Tonight I want to put an emphasis on verse 5. David in his prayer makes the statement

Psalms 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

I. REMEMBER GOD’S WORD

A. His Word Endureth Forever

1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1. It isn’t a word

i. It is God’s Word

ii. His Holy Word

B. It Shall Stand Fore Ever

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1. All else will fade

i. The Word of God will endure

II. REMEMBER GOD’S WONDERS

A. All Of His Wonders

1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

1. His Miracles

i. The creation of Man and Woman

ii. The great flood

iii. The Exodus out of Egypt

a. The plagues

b. The parting of the Red Sea

c. Creation of water sources

d. The daily manna

B. The Conception Of Jesus His Only Begotten Son

1. His birth

2. His life

3. His death

4. His resurrection

5. His ascension

6. My salvation

a. His forgiveness

b. His mercy

III. REMEMBER GOD’S MERCY

A. It Is Always Your Heart

Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

1. God is not concerned with your things

i. He is concerned about your heart

a. Rend = Repent

B. Remember His Mercy

1. God is slow to anger

i. He is great in kindness

IV. REMEMBER GOD’S WILLINGNESS

A. God Loves Us Dearly

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1. He let His Only Begotten Son

i. Willingly die on a Cross

a. For you and I

B. He Pardoned My Sin

Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

1. He didn’t retain His anger

2. He Delights in mercy

V. REMEMBER GOD’S WAYS

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

A. Our Ways Are Not God’s Ways.

1. We want things our way

i. Regardless, whether it is right or

wrong

ii. God’s way is always right.

B. How God gets things done in our lives is always correct.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

VI. REMEMBER GOD’S WORKS

Psalms 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

A. Muse (or Ponder) Over God’s Works

1. Some of God’s works are:

a. Marvelous

1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

2. Wondrous

1 Chronicles 16:9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3. Great

Judges 2:7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.

4. Wonderful

Psalms 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

CONCLUSION: We must remember there are some things in our life worth remembering. On the other hand there are things we would like to forget but we cannot.

Things concerning God, we must do our utmost to remember.

We must remember to read our Bible, we must remember to read our Bible, we must also pray and we must remember to read our Bible. Don’t forget to read your Bible.

All of what we know about God is in His written Word. If we fail to read His Word, How do we know the means to fashion or prayers? How do we know how to talk and walk for Him?

In His Word, we find God’s love, we find His mercy and in His Word we find His forgiveness.

Where else can you find it? None of what we have talked about tonight is located somewhere else, it is only in our Bible. Our remembrance of God is in His Book we call the Holy Bible.