SPEAKER_00: The scripture text this morning comes from the book of Revelation, chapter 5.
SPEAKER_00: Reading the chapter in its entirety.
SPEAKER_00: The month of January.
SPEAKER_00: The preaching will go back to the theme that was introduced last September, a new theme for a new year.
SPEAKER_00: Many of you remember that theme, it's a kingdom of priests.
SPEAKER_00: That's what we're focusing on in this year.
SPEAKER_00: That we are, by God's grace, God's priest in his kingdom and helping him in the building of his kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: And so we looked at that in September, focusing mostly on the fact that priests declare God's praises.
SPEAKER_00: The first calling of priest is to be good worshipers.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever else we're doing in our lives, to be good worshipers.
SPEAKER_00: The passage this morning, in a beautiful way, combines our calling to be good worshipers with our calling to pray.
SPEAKER_00: And to hear the word of God, which is a vision that was given to the Apostle John.
SPEAKER_00: What a vision it was.
SPEAKER_00: Then I saw on the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
SPEAKER_00: And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?
SPEAKER_00: And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
SPEAKER_00: And I began to weep loudly, because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.
SPEAKER_00: And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more.
SPEAKER_00: Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.
SPEAKER_00: And between the throne and the four living creatures, and among the elders, I saw a lamb standing as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
SPEAKER_00: And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.
SPEAKER_00: And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
SPEAKER_00: And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priest to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.
SPEAKER_00: Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.
SPEAKER_00: And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
SPEAKER_00: And the four living creatures said, Amen.
SPEAKER_00: And the elders fell down and worshiped.
SPEAKER_00: This is God's holy word.
SPEAKER_00: Would you please pray with me?
SPEAKER_00: Mighty God, you gave your apostle a mighty vision, not only for his sake, but for ours.
SPEAKER_00: And so this morning, would you give us that vision?
SPEAKER_00: Help us to see what we perhaps have never seen.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to understand in new ways.
SPEAKER_00: But Lord, may it be life-changing what we see in your word by the work of your spirit this morning.
SPEAKER_00: We ask in the name of your Son.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: This morning we are talking about the one who is worthy of our praise and our prayers.
SPEAKER_00: The Lamb of God.
SPEAKER_00: If you go back and you read through the book of Revelation, in Revelation chapter 4, we find that the God Himself, the Father, is being praised and exalted on the throne.
SPEAKER_00: The ancient of days is being worshipped.
SPEAKER_00: And then in chapter 5, the worship continues, but now the focus is on the Son.
SPEAKER_00: This morning we're looking at the subject of worship.
SPEAKER_00: The old English word, worship.
SPEAKER_00: In other words, worship is giving the proper response to the revelation that God gives.
SPEAKER_00: And when God chose you who He is, and God shows you what's going on in heaven, and you see it.
SPEAKER_00: Because you can go to church week after week and not see it.
SPEAKER_00: But when you see it, and the Holy Spirit opens your eyes and you see it, and it's like the veil is pulled back, you see it.
SPEAKER_00: And you respond.
SPEAKER_00: And you're not responding from the heart of flesh.
SPEAKER_00: You're responding by what the Spirit is giving you and eyes to see and a heart to feel.
SPEAKER_00: That's what's going on here.
SPEAKER_00: As Peter says, our first calling is to declare his excellencies, because once, and this is true for everybody in this room, once you were dead in your sin.
SPEAKER_00: And don't ever forget that.
SPEAKER_00: Once I was dead in my sin.
SPEAKER_00: There was that day and there was that time.
SPEAKER_00: But because the Lamb of God came as Christmas reminds us of the incarnation that Jesus came, I'm not dead anymore.
SPEAKER_00: And neither are you, Christian.
SPEAKER_00: Once you were in darkness, once you were dead, but now, because of Christ, if you are in Christ, you are alive.
SPEAKER_00: And you will never die spiritually.
SPEAKER_00: And so with a new life comes a new heart and comes and flows out new worship.
SPEAKER_00: May our worship get better in 2019.
SPEAKER_00: Because what we see by faith in the scriptures, in the heavenlies, is becoming more eye-catching and heart-changing.
SPEAKER_00: Only the Holy Spirit can make that happen.
SPEAKER_00: We need the Spirit to show us and to grow us.
SPEAKER_00: That we're captured by His beauty.
SPEAKER_00: I like the way Jonathan Edwards defined worship.
SPEAKER_00: Worship is soul-ravishing sightings of the glory and the beauty of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: I can't think of a better definition.
SPEAKER_00: Soul-ravishing sightings of the beauty and the glory of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And we all know that you can worship without that happening.
SPEAKER_00: You can worship.
SPEAKER_00: And it just feels more like a lecture.
SPEAKER_00: Or you did a Bible study.
SPEAKER_00: That's not what Edward's getting at.
SPEAKER_00: This is worship.
SPEAKER_00: To pour out what Jesus pours in.
SPEAKER_00: Not triple.
SPEAKER_00: To pour out.
SPEAKER_00: That's what we're asking for this new year.
SPEAKER_00: The absence of joyful, exuberant worship is a serious sin.
SPEAKER_00: May I repeat that?
SPEAKER_00: The absence of joyful, exuberant worship is a serious sin.
SPEAKER_00: Perhaps in the eyes of God, as serious as murder and adultery.
SPEAKER_00: That we would not give all of ourselves, all of our heart, all of our being to proclaiming his glory and his excellencies.
SPEAKER_00: As we are captured by our Lord's beauty and glory, we offer him our own transforming hearts in response.
SPEAKER_00: In this text today, we see this once again: the Lamb of God receiving adoration and praise.
SPEAKER_00: As he says in verse 10, because he has made us a kingdom and priest to our God.
SPEAKER_00: Priest adore.
SPEAKER_00: Priest praise.
SPEAKER_00: Priest worship God.
SPEAKER_00: But as we're going to see also today, priests pray.
SPEAKER_00: This month we're going to look at the privilege of prayer, the privilege of praying as priest.
SPEAKER_00: This is timely in January.
SPEAKER_00: The new month as we begin the new year.
SPEAKER_00: As we gather our prayer requests, as we pray over the things that are on our hearts, as we ask God to move mountains in our lives.
SPEAKER_00: I pity the church that doesn't ask God to move mountains.
SPEAKER_00: That's a maintenance church.
SPEAKER_00: We're not a maintenance church.
SPEAKER_00: We're a kingdom-centered church.
SPEAKER_00: And we need God to move mountains.
SPEAKER_00: And that's why we pray.
SPEAKER_00: So let's take a closer look at John's vision.
SPEAKER_00: John sees a throne.
SPEAKER_00: Seventeen times in Revelation 4 and 5, we see the word throne.
SPEAKER_00: Kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: In control.
SPEAKER_00: It's not the White House down the road that's in control.
SPEAKER_00: It's no president.
SPEAKER_00: It's no king.
SPEAKER_00: John is coming back again and again to the throne.
SPEAKER_00: God Almighty is running the universe.
SPEAKER_00: Twenty-four elders gathered around the throne.
SPEAKER_00: Innumerable angels.
SPEAKER_00: Four living creatures.
SPEAKER_00: These four living creatures, perhaps a more exalted order of angels?
SPEAKER_00: I like the way that one commentator on this passage put this.
SPEAKER_00: The danger for all preachers is trying to explain this passage and in doing so of getting in the way of its splendor.
SPEAKER_00: May I not get in the way this morning?
SPEAKER_00: May I just point to the way?
SPEAKER_00: This is mind-boggling.
SPEAKER_00: This is a soul-ravishing view of Christ that we see.
SPEAKER_00: Remember in the book of Revelation, the vision was given to prepare the church for all that was in front of it.
SPEAKER_00: If you read the book of Revelation carefully, it's not just a praise service.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, it is.
SPEAKER_00: But there's a lot of angst in this book.
SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of people crying out for justice.
SPEAKER_00: There are a lot of people crying out for mercy.
SPEAKER_00: Because the world is not as it should be, is it?
SPEAKER_00: And we pray, we ask God, God, may your will be done, may your justice be executed on earth.
SPEAKER_00: We pray for justice.
SPEAKER_00: We work for justice.
SPEAKER_00: We pray for reconciliation.
SPEAKER_00: There are people who are going to die without Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: There are people in families?
SPEAKER_00: Neighbors who are going to die and be separated from the love of God for eternity.
SPEAKER_00: And that is sprinkled throughout the book of Revelation.
SPEAKER_00: What are we doing?
SPEAKER_00: Are we pleading?
SPEAKER_00: Are we praying?
SPEAKER_00: Are we bringing these people to the throne of God and saying, God, please change their heart?
SPEAKER_00: You changed my heart.
SPEAKER_00: This is the vision.
SPEAKER_00: All of this in the book of Revelation.
SPEAKER_00: And John in his vision sees a scroll in the hand of God.
SPEAKER_00: And in the scroll is the history of God's glorious redemptive plan.
SPEAKER_00: And this includes and what reveals not only supreme praise to the Almighty and the Lamb for complete deliverance and the total victory over all evil, but it also brings about God's judgments that he executes on this world.
SPEAKER_00: It exposes the evil of this world, it exposes the folly of this world.
SPEAKER_00: All of this is contained within these seven seals.
SPEAKER_00: It's the history of God's redemptive plan.
SPEAKER_00: And John is weeping loudly because there's no one who is worthy to go to the ancient of days and to take that scroll.
SPEAKER_00: He said, I saw a strong angel proclaiming in a loud voice, who is worthy to open that scroll?
SPEAKER_00: And the drama in the language of the text suggests that John is weeping because John doesn't see anyone stepping forward to take the scroll.
SPEAKER_00: He said, I began to weep loudly because no one came forth.
SPEAKER_00: And then the angel said, Weep no more.
SPEAKER_00: The lion of Judah will take the scroll.
SPEAKER_00: Verse 5, the lion of Judah has conquered.
SPEAKER_00: John verse 6 saw a lamb looking as if it had been slain.
SPEAKER_00: And we find out that the lamb is the lion standing in the center of everything.
SPEAKER_00: This slain lamb looking as though he had the wounds of having been slain.
SPEAKER_00: Of course, this is picturing Jesus Christ as he was crucified.
SPEAKER_00: But he's no longer dead.
SPEAKER_00: This is a living lamb.
SPEAKER_00: And he has seven horns, and the horns symbolic of power.
SPEAKER_00: Seven being the number of perfection.
SPEAKER_00: The risen one, the ascended one, has all power.
SPEAKER_00: But he also has seven eyes.
SPEAKER_00: Not only is he omnipotent, but he's omniscient.
SPEAKER_00: He sees everything.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing that escapes his notice today.
SPEAKER_00: Including our sin, including our praise, including the events of the world or Washington or anything else.
SPEAKER_00: He sees it all.
SPEAKER_00: And it's all under his control.
SPEAKER_00: And he says the seven spirits of God were sent out into all the earth.
SPEAKER_00: Why does he say that?
SPEAKER_00: Because there's nothing that he doesn't see.
SPEAKER_00: Let me just say, pastorally, whatever's going on in your life, there's nothing that he doesn't see.
SPEAKER_00: And that's why he says, cast your burdens upon him, because he cares for you.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing going on in your life that he's not aware of.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing going on in your life that he's not concerned about.
SPEAKER_00: It's the continuing presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God's people, these seven spirits that are sent out into the world and are searching.
SPEAKER_00: It's as though he is saying, What do my people need from me?
SPEAKER_00: Verse seven.
SPEAKER_00: And he went and he took the scroll.
SPEAKER_00: Verse eight, and as he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp.
SPEAKER_00: The author of music.
SPEAKER_00: He's glorified through music, isn't he?
SPEAKER_00: There's something about music that expresses, that helps us to get in touch with our emotions as well as our thoughts.
SPEAKER_00: Each holding a harp, each holding also a golden bowl of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
SPEAKER_00: And now you're very directly involved, aren't you?
SPEAKER_00: Verse 9, and they sang a new song.
SPEAKER_00: And this is the song, worthy are you to take the scroll.
SPEAKER_00: To open its seals, for you were slain.
SPEAKER_00: Three things, notice, three things.
SPEAKER_00: For you were slain, Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Your blood purchased the people for God from every tribe and tongue and nation.
SPEAKER_00: And thirdly, what's the third work of the Lamb?
SPEAKER_00: To make you a priest, to call you into the kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: To suit you up for spiritual warfare.
SPEAKER_00: If you're one of those people that says, you know, I'm not interested in spiritual warfare.
SPEAKER_00: I just want to do my thing.
SPEAKER_00: I want to go through life with my little world.
SPEAKER_00: I want to be in my little cocoon.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I don't even know where you are spiritually if that's if that's what you're thinking.
SPEAKER_00: Do you hear this?
SPEAKER_00: The reason Jesus was crucified on the cross was to make you not only a son and a daughter of God, but a priest.
SPEAKER_00: He's got important spiritual work for you to do.
SPEAKER_00: It's not just ordained clergy.
unknown: Right?
SPEAKER_00: That's what we saw last night.
SPEAKER_00: Paul in the book of Peter.
SPEAKER_00: You are in the ministry every bit as much as I am in the ministry.
SPEAKER_00: Believe it.
SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus paid for it.
SPEAKER_00: Don't abuse, don't misuse that calling that he has conferred upon you.
SPEAKER_00: In your vocation, whatever your vocation is.
SPEAKER_00: In your calling as a parent or a spouse or a friend, as an elder or as a deacon, making coffee in the nursery, whatever it is.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever it is.
SPEAKER_00: It says, you have made them.
SPEAKER_00: You are the them.
SPEAKER_00: You have made them a kingdom and priest.
SPEAKER_00: How's that sentence end?
SPEAKER_00: Not unto ourselves, but to our God.
SPEAKER_00: The purchased ones are the praising ones.
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes a picture or a vision can change your life forever.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that true?
SPEAKER_00: Have you noticed?
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's in your career.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's in a sport.
SPEAKER_00: Maybe you know you spent months or years practicing a sport, and one day something clicks.
SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you're a musician and you practice and you practice, and finally one day something just comes together.
SPEAKER_00: And all of a sudden you play on a whole different level.
SPEAKER_00: This vision that John had has the same potential of doing that in your life spiritually.
SPEAKER_00: As the veil is pulled back, if you see what John saw, you're not going to live your life the same way.
SPEAKER_00: The pieces fall together in a place like only God can do.
SPEAKER_00: This is why we are here on earth as God's priest.
SPEAKER_00: And this is what we will do for all eternity.
SPEAKER_00: Adore Him, thank Him, love Him, worship Him.
SPEAKER_00: Bowing down in worship to the Lamb who alone is worthy.
SPEAKER_00: With people from every tribe and tongue and nation, with all the host of heaven.
SPEAKER_00: Because priest, praise.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing in your life that's more important than your worship.
SPEAKER_00: There's nothing in my life.
SPEAKER_00: Look, friends, it's possible to preach and not worship.
SPEAKER_00: It's possible to pastor and not worship.
SPEAKER_00: You can do anything and miss it.
SPEAKER_00: But we not only pour out our praise, in the last few minutes, let's discuss what he says.
SPEAKER_00: The prayers of God's people.
SPEAKER_00: It's our privilege to pray.
SPEAKER_00: I'm going to give you three applications.
SPEAKER_00: Okay, fellow priest, when it comes to your prayer life.
SPEAKER_00: First of all, the privilege that we have to pray.
SPEAKER_00: Not everybody is a priest.
SPEAKER_00: I think sometimes we can take that for granted.
SPEAKER_00: No, we all have that right, right?
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we all no, no.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a priest, you're in the minority.
SPEAKER_00: I suspect you're in the minority in the city of Alexandria or Washington, D.C., or Fairfax County, or wherever you live.
SPEAKER_00: You're in the minority.
SPEAKER_00: It's a privilege.
SPEAKER_00: Especially when we see what Jesus has done to make us priest.
SPEAKER_00: If he values our status this highly, do we?
SPEAKER_00: This is part of our identity, friends.
SPEAKER_00: When you catch yourself thinking, well, I'm just a priest, what?
SPEAKER_00: You're not thinking.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I know how you have access.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I know I can go to God.
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I know I can go to God whenever I want.
SPEAKER_00: I know God's always listening to me.
SPEAKER_00: I know I've got a copy of God's word.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I know all that.
SPEAKER_00: If you're doing that.
SPEAKER_00: And that kind of nonchalant.
SPEAKER_00: Oh, of course I've got that.
SPEAKER_00: You don't understand it.
SPEAKER_00: You just don't.
SPEAKER_00: This is a privilege.
SPEAKER_00: Because of the work of Christ, you can go into the holy of holies.
SPEAKER_00: You have immediate, direct access to God the Father.
SPEAKER_00: It's like the more you understand this, the more electrifying it is.
SPEAKER_00: It'll jolt you into living in a different way.
SPEAKER_00: He made us a king.
SPEAKER_00: Past tense.
SPEAKER_00: He has made us a kingdom of priests.
SPEAKER_00: Not what one day he will.
SPEAKER_00: He has already.
SPEAKER_00: We have already been called into the priesthood because we were called out of darkness into light.
SPEAKER_00: What are you waiting for to exercise your priesthood?
SPEAKER_00: Are you just going to try to scrimp by on earth?
SPEAKER_00: And when you get to heaven, then you're going to get down to business?
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't work that way.
SPEAKER_00: It starts now.
SPEAKER_00: It starts here.
SPEAKER_00: Heaven has a center.
SPEAKER_00: We see that in the vision.
SPEAKER_00: The Father and the Lamb are at the very center of all the activity of heaven and all the pouring out of praise.
SPEAKER_00: Everything else in heaven is focused on them.
SPEAKER_00: Do you have a center in your life, something bigger than you?
SPEAKER_00: Do you have something in your life that captures you, that takes your breath away?
SPEAKER_00: And I'm not talking about your house.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not talking about your car.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not talking about your job.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not talking about your marriage.
SPEAKER_00: Do you have something that's bigger?
SPEAKER_00: Heaven does.
SPEAKER_00: And on earth we do when we see the vision that John saw.
SPEAKER_00: We have immediate access to the Almighty.
SPEAKER_00: We have an intercessor, the one who is worthy.
SPEAKER_00: We pray in his name.
SPEAKER_00: We pray on the basis of his merits.
SPEAKER_00: His righteousness.
SPEAKER_00: He says to us, he says to me, Tom, this has nothing to do with your spiritual credit.
SPEAKER_00: This has nothing to do about you checking your boxes, how good you were.
SPEAKER_00: Tom, all the credit is mine.
SPEAKER_00: All the funds in the bank are mine.
SPEAKER_00: Come and access them.
SPEAKER_00: Come in my name.
SPEAKER_00: Can you believe it?
SPEAKER_00: Do you see that?
SPEAKER_00: Because it's all been paid for by my blood.
SPEAKER_00: And I'm still getting used to that.
SPEAKER_00: It's all paid for by his blood.
SPEAKER_00: The privileges that I have.
SPEAKER_00: Secondly, not only do we have the privilege, but our prayers are precious to him.
SPEAKER_00: These golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, listen to the psalmist in Psalm 141, verse 2.
SPEAKER_00: Let my prayer be counted as incense before you in the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
SPEAKER_00: Sweet smelling incense.
SPEAKER_00: If you go back, and Josh, Pastor Josh is teaching a class right now in Sunday school on the imagery of the Old Testament in the tabernacle and how it all points to the fulfillment in Christ.
SPEAKER_00: These beautiful images and symbols.
SPEAKER_00: The incense that burned.
SPEAKER_00: Let's go back and do a very brief review.
SPEAKER_00: The altar of incense was not outside in the outer court.
SPEAKER_00: You came into the outer court, and there was the altar of burnt offering where you offered your sacrifice for your sin.
SPEAKER_00: The priest took it after you slayed the animal.
SPEAKER_00: And the priest took the blood and sprinkled it on the horns on the altar of burnt offering outside.
SPEAKER_00: But now only the priest could come inside.
SPEAKER_00: And the priest comes inside the tabernacle into the holy place.
SPEAKER_00: And there, right in front of the curtain that separated the holy place to the Holy of Holies, was the altar of incense.
SPEAKER_00: And it was beautiful.
SPEAKER_00: It was overlaid with gold.
SPEAKER_00: And it was every day, it was the job of the priest to fill it with the incense, the sweet aroma.
SPEAKER_00: The sweet aroma that would rise to God in the heavens.
SPEAKER_00: What is that?
SPEAKER_00: What is that sweet aroma?
SPEAKER_00: We've already said it, alluded to it.
SPEAKER_00: The Apostle Paul says it in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1, let us therefore offer our lives to God because of the fragrant offering of the sacrifice of Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Because Christ's sacrifice was so sweet smelling to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: When you bring your sacrifices in his name and through him, it is just as sweet to the Father.
SPEAKER_00: And the way that the Father describes it is sweet smelling incense.
SPEAKER_00: The altar of incense offered up every day by the priest.
SPEAKER_00: There's a lesson there, right?
SPEAKER_00: Offered up every day.
SPEAKER_00: Priest, your life as you live your life to the glory of God.
SPEAKER_00: As you seek to please him and obey him.
SPEAKER_00: What makes our prayers beautiful to God?
SPEAKER_00: Our ability to, and I'm talking about prayer.
SPEAKER_00: What makes your prayer pleasing to God?
SPEAKER_00: Your ability to put words together.
SPEAKER_00: Your sincerity?
SPEAKER_00: The sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: The finished work of Jesus Christ on your behalf is what makes your prayers so beautiful to God.
SPEAKER_00: So precious to God.
SPEAKER_00: We have been washed by the blood of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Our sins have been washed.
SPEAKER_00: We have been forgiven.
SPEAKER_00: And our prayers are beautiful because of that.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus sprinkles our prayers with his finished work.
SPEAKER_00: And the Holy Spirit as well intercedes for us.
SPEAKER_00: Not because of you.
SPEAKER_00: When you pray, Jesus, God is not looking at your spiritual scorecard.
SPEAKER_00: He's looking at Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: And that will give you boldness.
SPEAKER_00: As you believe that.
SPEAKER_00: How many of our prayers never go anywhere because we're just embarrassed?
SPEAKER_00: How many times do our prayers seem to never go anywhere because we're guilty?
SPEAKER_00: Our consciences are defiled.
SPEAKER_00: We're going to talk more about that this month.
SPEAKER_00: A guilty conscience will stop a prayer before it gets anywhere.
SPEAKER_00: Our hearts condemn us in so many ways.
SPEAKER_00: Our prayer lives just kind of shrivel up.
SPEAKER_00: And there's Jesus saying, Come to me, come to me.
SPEAKER_00: Come under the fountain of my washing.
SPEAKER_00: Get a fresh application.
SPEAKER_00: Our prayers are precious to him.
SPEAKER_00: But lastly, our prayers are powerful in building his kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: If only we could see how God is using our prayers to build his kingdom, how differently we would pray.
SPEAKER_00: Our prayers not only include praise and adoration, which they should every day, but intercession.
SPEAKER_00: We pray that God builds his kingdom even here on earth, now.
SPEAKER_00: In the book of Revelation, as I said earlier, there's so much crying out for justice and mercy.
SPEAKER_00: There's a lot of desperation in the book of Revelation.
SPEAKER_00: Have you noticed that?
SPEAKER_00: But there's also a lot of delight in the book of Revelation.
SPEAKER_00: And these are the two things that I believe will change your prayer life more than anything.
SPEAKER_00: A growing sense of delight, a growing sense that God is your father and that he's for you, and that he loves you, and that he accepts you and that he delights in you and he wants you.
SPEAKER_00: And if you're struggling with that, sign up for sonship.
SPEAKER_00: I mean that.
SPEAKER_00: Are you growing in your faith and believing that?
SPEAKER_00: Do you have a growing sense of God's delight in you?
SPEAKER_00: It's true.
SPEAKER_00: But also a growing sense of desperation.
SPEAKER_00: This world is broken.
SPEAKER_00: God's not asking you to fix it.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't that good news?
SPEAKER_00: He's asking you to assist him, and the way that you assist him is through your prayers.
SPEAKER_00: Because your prayers connect your faith to his kingdom power.
SPEAKER_00: Did he have to do this?
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: Could he have done all this without our prayers?
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00: He's God.
SPEAKER_00: For his own reasons, he chose, he decided that he wants to fix this broken world with through you.
SPEAKER_00: And that's why we pray.
SPEAKER_00: For some reason, in some mystical way, our prayers are powerful in his hands with the filling of his spirit.
SPEAKER_00: And yet, time after time, so many Christians say, prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Why would I go to the prayer meeting?
SPEAKER_00: I can pray at home.
SPEAKER_00: If that's your attitude, you haven't read the scriptures very well.
SPEAKER_00: Throughout the scriptures, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, time after time we see corporate prayer meetings, God's people coming together to pray, to seek God together.
SPEAKER_00: There's something that happens.
SPEAKER_00: If you haven't experienced, it's time.
SPEAKER_00: It's time.
SPEAKER_00: Our prayers are powerful.
SPEAKER_00: What did Jesus say to the disciples after he ascended?
SPEAKER_00: That he said, get going.
SPEAKER_00: I discipled you for three years.
SPEAKER_00: Now it's time for you to move out.
SPEAKER_00: No, he didn't.
SPEAKER_00: He said, You go back to Jerusalem and you wait.
SPEAKER_00: You wait and you pray.
SPEAKER_00: You wait and you pray until the Spirit of God comes down on you and fills you and empowers you in a way that you're not accustomed to.
SPEAKER_00: And did that end then?
SPEAKER_00: Once the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost, was it all over then?
SPEAKER_00: No.
SPEAKER_00: Look in the book of Acts.
SPEAKER_00: Time after time, they're waiting and they're asking God's power to come down upon them.
SPEAKER_00: And that happens through prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Because there's mountains to move.
SPEAKER_00: Are you learning how to live with this perspective?
SPEAKER_00: Listen, this is true.
SPEAKER_00: The deeper you get into enemy territory, the more air cover you need.
SPEAKER_00: Some of you are aware, because I know as your pastor, some of you are going through some really hard things.
SPEAKER_00: And you're very aware of the attacks of the evil one in your life.
SPEAKER_00: You're very aware of it.
SPEAKER_00: The deeper you get into enemy territory, the more you need air cover, and air cover is prayer.
SPEAKER_00: You don't dare go into that enemy territory with your IQ or your bank or your experience.
SPEAKER_00: See where that gets you.
SPEAKER_00: Kingdom priest pray.
SPEAKER_00: It's not for people who believe in prayer, it's not for people who talk about prayer, it's for people who actually pray.
SPEAKER_00: And so we close with a question.
SPEAKER_00: John's question.
SPEAKER_00: The question that he was wrestling with, is he worthy?
SPEAKER_00: Who is worthy for all of this?
SPEAKER_00: Only one.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus Christ is worthy.
SPEAKER_00: So I have a last question.
SPEAKER_00: If he's worthy of all that, is he worthy of your praise?
SPEAKER_00: Is he worthy of your prayers?
SPEAKER_00: Is he worthy of your devotion?
SPEAKER_00: We're going to sing two songs in a moment.
SPEAKER_00: The first song is just going to wrestle with that question, is he worthy?
SPEAKER_00: Do I really believe that?
SPEAKER_00: And feel the tension and the drama of the song, of the brokenness of the world.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus had the answer.
SPEAKER_00: But then the second song is just a pouring out of praise to the one who is worthy.
SPEAKER_00: And so please pray with me now.
SPEAKER_00: Oh Father, thank you for giving us such a text.
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for giving us such a vision.
SPEAKER_00: But most of all, thank you for giving us such a sacrifice as your son.
SPEAKER_00: Oh Father, we cry out with the elders and the four living creatures and the innumerable angels and all the saints in heaven.
SPEAKER_00: Worthy is the Lamb.
SPEAKER_00: Oh Father, please, by your Spirit, work in our hearts now that we might pour out all that you pour in to the worthy one.
SPEAKER_00: In his name we pray.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.