WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:08.000 Alright, well, if you would uh grab uh your copy of uh God's Word and uh you can get it open uh to Psalm 86. 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:23.519 Again, just like last week and all throughout this series, uh, we're gonna be in a few different passages uh each week as uh as we go through uh what it looks like to be a healthy church and a in a strong church, which of course is the title of our new series. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:32.079 And really, this is where we are really seeking to lay out kind of the culture, you know, what is our culture as a church? 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:36.320 You know, what is our what is our way of life as as redemption? 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:41.679 And so this is uh really all about what our six distinctives are. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:43.359 And I believe we have a slide here. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:01:01.439 Again, we showed you this uh last week, but the slide here is what shows what our six distinctives are, and so these are you know the core values informed by the scriptures uh that we are committed to pursuing uh to the glory of God. 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.959 After all, if you think about it, right, that that's why we exist, right? 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.400 That is why we have been put here on this planet. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:13.439 Do you realize that there are so many people out there in the world who are asking that very question? 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.040 Like, why am I here? 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:15.519 Right? 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:17.760 What is the what is the point of all of this? 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:19.280 Sometimes it seems very random. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:26.400 Sometimes it seems like uh there should there is a purpose and they're and and they're struggling and they're searching and they're looking for all kinds of things. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:32.560 How amazing is it that we as the church, who have the scriptures, have that answer. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:33.040 Right? 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.040 We are here, we exist to bring glory to God. 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:44.319 And so last week we began by explaining uh what our disciple-making philosophy is. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.000 And you see it there on the screen, right? 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:48.719 It's to be purposeful, right? 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.040 It's it's to be very intentional. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:56.079 It's not just about, you know, let's let's show up here on a Sunday and kind of see what happens, right? 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:57.599 That's that's not the point of it at all. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:01:58.560 We're supposed to have a plan. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.439 The plan is supposed to be uh biblical. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:08.159 Well, this morning uh we're jumping into the next one here, which is uh all about prayer. 00:02:08.639 --> 00:02:09.439 Okay, prayer. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:18.719 Now, when you hear uh that's gonna be another sermon on prayer, uh, what is your kind of gut reaction to that? 00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:19.199 Right? 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.080 Like how does that how does that kind of land on you? 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:27.439 Like maybe for you, if you're being honest this morning, you're kind of like, ugh, boring. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:28.159 Right? 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:33.840 Like maybe for you that the topic of prayer is is just kind of, it seems dry. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:34.400 Right? 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:34.879 Really? 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:35.919 Do we have to talk about this? 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.319 I feel like there are other things more pressing in my life that I would like to learn about or or or even grow in. 00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:42.560 Really? 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:44.000 Prayer, prayer seriously. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:45.599 We want to talk about this. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:47.439 Maybe for you you think it's boring. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:03:04.080 Maybe for some of us, when you think about the topic of prayer, uh it's feelings of guilt and and shame that begin uh to bubble up, and you're like, man, like I know this is important, and I understand that this is what the Bible says, but but man, I'm I'm just so terrible at this. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:04.560 Right? 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:05.840 And I'm not great at it. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:16.319 And and and honestly, I don't even I don't even really desire to, and I know that I should, and and so I I feel the conflict there, and I feel guilty about this and and even shameful about it. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:21.280 Maybe for for others of us here this morning, you know, we're we're trying. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:22.400 I mean, I mean, we really are. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:41.280 We're we're trying to pray, and we're trying to make it a commitment and a priority and all of that, but it's again, it's just difficult, and and again, I'm fighting this kind of lack of desire, or maybe even praying about something or a bunch of things, uh a lot, and you're just not seeing much attraction being gained there, and and it doesn't feel like maybe even the Lord is hearing me, let alone answering. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.000 And so for you, you're just kind of you're discouraged about the whole thing. 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.120 Like, I want this to be great, and it just doesn't feel like it is for me. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:04:07.439 Maybe, maybe for some of us though, you know, you're coming in here and you're like, yeah, man, prayer, like prayer is so important, and we need to we need to we need to get this as individuals and as the church, and and you know, I know that I'm not perfect and I'm trying and I stumble and I fall and I make all kinds of mistakes and and I and I leave it for too long and all this, but I but I want to learn, right? 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:14.159 I want to I want to dig in here, I want to grow, and I wanna I want to improve to the glory of God, my my prayer life. 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:32.399 Well, my heart this morning uh would be that no matter what your kind of natural reaction is to the topic of prayer, my heart would be that we would all come away from this here this morning, a little more inspired by Jesus Christ and his word, right? 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:42.800 To be the types of individuals and families represented here and really a church family that's committed to to fervent prayer. 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:43.439 Right? 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.480 Fervent prayer. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:49.360 I love I love that word, I love that description, I love this quote by Hannah Moore. 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:56.879 Now, she was a contemporary of William Wilberforce and instrumental in seeing uh the abolishment of the slave trade. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:04:57.920 But look at this, this is so good. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.959 And I think this kind of this kind of pulls apart the fervency a little bit. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:05.519 She says there that prayer is not eloquence, okay, primarily. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:13.519 We often think that, you know, I need to I need to say the right words, and my prayers need to be, you know, real flashy and real shiny and impress people and impress God. 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:17.920 She's saying here, it's not it's not eloquence, but but earnestness. 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:18.399 Right? 00:05:18.480 --> 00:05:20.160 That that's that's fervency right there. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:25.120 Not not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it. 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:25.519 Right? 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:27.360 You're like, I don't like to feel helpless. 00:05:27.439 --> 00:05:31.759 Well, that's actually a good thing that you would, that you would feel that way because it drives us towards prayer. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:39.199 She says, um, not figures of speech, again, flashy language, but earnestness of soul. 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:39.759 Right? 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:40.399 Fervent. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:44.639 Fervent is how our prayers ought to look. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:45.199 Right? 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:56.240 And that's absolutely the kind of intensity that that we kind of see modeled here when it comes to prayer by the early church in the New Testament. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:56.879 Right? 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:19.920 You never get a sense here as you read uh the books of the Bible in the New Testament specifically, that that Christians prayed simply because it was like this this onerous command, you know, by God laid on them like this massive weight and burden, and you know, it was met by this reaction that was kind of like, well, you know, you know, I I guess, you know, I guess I better check that box, right? 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:25.680 Because God tells me to, or, or, you know, I God tells me I have to pray, so I, you know, here goes, right? 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.319 That's that's not the mentality that they had. 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.639 No, they they prayed because life demanded it, right? 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:37.600 It was very much a necessity, right? 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:41.519 They had so much going on in their lives, right? 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:43.360 And the same thing goes for us, right? 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:47.920 There's so many ups, there's so many amazing things happening throughout the course of our lives. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:07:02.720 There are also so many downs and so many challenges and so many disappointments that that the early church, and I think us too, we we we should feel like we we can't we can't even imagine not praying uh without some fervency or with fervency. 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:05.680 Okay, God, God, you have to move here. 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:06.160 Right? 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:07.360 That should be the heart of our prayers. 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:10.399 Lord, I like I need you so badly. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.560 Uh you need to move on on our behalf, God. 00:07:12.639 --> 00:07:14.000 We have so many needs. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:14.560 Right? 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:22.399 But we we need you to move on on behalf of the church too, and and and for your glory and the building of your kingdom here on earth. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:23.040 Right? 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:36.079 And it's precisely that type of mentality, that type of fervency, that I think often it is just it's so largely missing in North American churches these days. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:38.879 We're a sleepy bunch. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:39.680 Right? 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:48.560 Where we're, I think, too comfortable oftentimes, because we have so much, there's so much plenty here in Canada. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:49.199 Right? 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:57.920 Oftentimes we're just so distracted by by other things that have captured our hearts, and you know, we we want other things so badly. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:02.720 No wonder we don't have much of an intensity and fervency when it comes to prayer. 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:03.199 Right? 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:07.920 Maybe it's that we're we're just not gripped enough by the greatness of God. 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:08.639 Right? 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:13.120 And we don't see him as the scriptures lay him out for us and as he is working in the world. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:17.439 We're not compelled by his mission to go and make disciples. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:34.159 You know, as the Lord starts to work in our hearts and and we see him as he is, and we see what he has called us to, and just the magnitude of the mission, and and at the same time we see how feeble we are to you know make any of it happen on our own. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:39.360 You know, as all these things begin to come together for us, we begin to pray. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:39.919 Right? 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:48.879 And we will begin to pray fervently, right, with some enthusiasm, some passion, some desire, some desperation. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:55.679 And so listen, this is what we're gonna be talking about here this morning as we look at some of these great texts, these great verses. 00:08:55.919 --> 00:09:02.480 And as we do that, before we get into it, I want to pray, and so why don't you join me as we do that together, Lord? 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.159 We come before you and we know that, um, Lord, you are an amazing God. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:11.120 We know that you are an awesome God, but Lord, at the same time, we confess how we lose sight of that so easily. 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:22.799 And Lord, as we get our hearts and our and our focus and our attention on ourselves so easily, and and we could be we are such you know self-centered people when we when you break it right down, Lord. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:27.840 And Lord, as we see that, we it's no wonder that that sometimes we just don't we don't pray. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:33.279 We don't pray, period, let alone with fervency, let alone with with earnestness of soul. 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:40.000 And so, God, I pray that as we go through the challenges and the ups and downs of life, we see the good, we see the bad, we see all of that. 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:45.600 Father, I pray that we would also recognize that we need to bring all of these things to you. 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:50.159 Lord, I pray that we would learn to pray in a way that brings you glory, Lord. 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:55.919 I pray that we would learn to have a big biblical vision for what the church is about, Lord. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:05.519 I pray that we would see that you have called us to this thing, and this thing is amazing, and this thing is so utterly beyond uh what we who we are, what we're capable of, Lord. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:08.320 We need you to move and you to work. 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.600 And so, God, inspire us here this morning. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:14.240 God, show us that you are great. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:22.399 Show us that you are for us, show us that you hear us, show us that you love to answer prayer and move on the behalf of your children. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:28.240 And again, for the sake of your great name, we pray all of this in Christ's name. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:29.200 Amen. 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:30.080 Amen. 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:32.799 Well, here's the first uh thing here this morning. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:34.639 Uh, three things to go through. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:42.639 It says this we are committed as a church here, okay, to glorifying God through fervent prayer, right? 00:10:42.879 --> 00:10:46.000 Knowing how desperately we need his help. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:46.559 Right? 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:48.399 We are desperate for that, right? 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:49.840 That's that's the why right there. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:51.519 Why do we pray? 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.759 Well, because we we need him, right? 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:54.879 We need him so badly. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:57.279 Take a look at Psalm 86, verse 1. 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:58.639 Maybe you're there in your Bibles. 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:04.240 If if you don't have a Bible or you don't really want to flip around a bunch today, this will be on the screen uh for you as well. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:13.919 But here's what it says it says, Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:17.919 I just love how that just gets that just gets right at it right there. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:18.399 Right? 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.360 I love that verse and said by uh King David. 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:22.879 I love that word incline, right? 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:24.000 You know you know what that word is. 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:25.039 It means bend, right? 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:27.600 You've heard the phrase bend your ear, right? 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:32.320 Incline your ear, stretch, stretch out, extend towards me. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:33.519 Right? 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:36.480 This verse is simply to say, hear me, God. 00:11:36.720 --> 00:11:36.960 Right? 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:39.279 And please respond. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:48.480 And so in this here, you you see David's admission of absolute neediness. 00:11:48.799 --> 00:11:53.279 Right, which if you think about it, that's pretty impressive for a king. 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:53.679 Right? 00:11:53.840 --> 00:12:00.879 I kind of like to think of kings, or I can only imagine that kings, uh, generally speaking, would be fairly uh confident people. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:07.679 You know, they they say something, something gets done, and and and and and they they make a command and people work and people obey. 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:13.120 And so you can imagine they would probably in some ways feel quite puffed up and pretty impressed with themselves. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:15.360 And and David, you don't sense any of that here. 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.559 Where he's like, no, I'm I'm poor and and I'm needy. 00:12:18.639 --> 00:12:21.279 Lord, would you please have mercy on me? 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:37.919 Now, if you were to read down through the rest of this psalm here in Psalm 86, you would see that the particular crisis that David was dealing with here had to do with, he kind of says, insolent or or or ruthless men rising up uh against him. 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:38.320 Right? 00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:40.799 That was his day of trouble as he describes it. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:46.559 This is the specific crunch uh that made his need for help uh so apparent. 00:12:47.039 --> 00:13:03.919 Now, of course, uh you and I, we've had uh plenty of moments, maybe not specifically uh like David's, but plenty of our own stories where you know our lives have detonated in all kinds of painful and messy ways. 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:10.960 You know, and even as I say that, I can imagine that you would point to something that happened maybe recently or or or in the past, where you're like, yeah, that's it for me. 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:12.960 That's the crunch, right? 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.679 That was that was my day of trouble. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:22.399 And as you've kind of thought about that and kind of processed some of those moments in your life, they're they're they're sobering, aren't they? 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:23.519 I mean, they really are. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:39.279 They're ultimately from God's sovereign hand, which is another amazing thing, you know, kind of think about and realize that God is in control uh of all of that, but but in those moments, it's where we're just we're faced with with just that acute reminder, right? 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:47.759 It's like a knife just like jammed in our hearts of uh a reminder of just how desperately you and I need God. 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:48.639 Right? 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:50.399 And it's it's in it's kind of incredible. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:14:04.879 I don't know if that's the best word, but it's kind of incredible to, you know, how how in the just the blink of an eye, right, and just the the snapping of our fingers, right, we can know, right, that only God can help me here. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:05.759 Right? 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:08.000 Have you had your eyes open to that? 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.519 Where it where it's like, you know, no amount of money, right? 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:25.840 No, no rest, no vacation or time off, no, no person could ever help me here in in this moment, in this need, in the in the way that I need God to help me right now. 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:26.320 Right? 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:32.799 That's how desperate, that's how, that's how total my need is for the Lord. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:15:12.720 Now, while we've all experienced or you know, at some point will experience those heavy circumstances where our need for God is, again, so glaringly obvious to us, as we've already mentioned, perhaps as you've you know grown in your walk with the Lord and and you're starting to kind of absorb who he is a little bit more, and your understanding of the scripture is becoming a little bit more complete, and you just kind of walk some days with him, perhaps you've also grown more aware that you know, in time as we grow, um you've become aware of just the reality that, hey, at the end of the day, there's there's simply never a time where I don't need God. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:13.120 Right? 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.399 Have you kind of realized that? 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:24.000 Like literally every single day is filled with just innumerable, it seems, moments where our need for God is exposed. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:24.639 Right? 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:28.320 And perhaps you've experienced you know some of these this week. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:37.759 Right, like any of you kind of asked the question, like, how on earth can I, you know, possibly get through to my thirdborn child? 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:38.240 Right? 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:39.360 Have you asked that question? 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:42.240 It's like the first two, they're like kind of normal. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:42.720 Right? 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:50.240 And what we tried kind of worked with them, especially with the firstborn, secondborn with maybe a little touch and go, but it kind of worked out, thirdborn, right? 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:51.759 I have no idea what I'm doing. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:52.159 Right? 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:54.399 It's like we broke the mold with that kid. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:15:55.919 How do I get through it? 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:08.080 You realize in that moment that no matter no matter how much you you yell, no matter how many consequences you put in place, no matter how much you you encourage and direct, nothing seems to work with the thirdborn child. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:08.639 Right? 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.279 And so for you, it's like, man, I need the Lord. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:11.759 Right? 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.240 I've read all the books, I've talked to all the people. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:15.679 It's Him that I need. 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:17.600 Lord, would you get through? 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:26.720 Perhaps a question that you've asked this week is like, how can I, how can I learn to better, you know, express myself to my spouse? 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:27.200 Right? 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:35.279 Like share my disappointments, my my frustrations in a way that doesn't spark World War III. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:36.000 Right? 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:41.840 And every time we seem to try and have a conversation about this, it just goes off the rails and it gets bad. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:42.320 Right? 00:16:42.399 --> 00:16:43.440 Like, how how can I do this? 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.200 God, I I I need you. 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:50.559 Right, or maybe for you this morning, and I felt this way certainly. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:17:04.559 Like, how in the world can I, you know, walk into church today and serve wherever it is that I'm serving, knowing just you know how brutal my heart was and my attitude was throughout this week. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.920 I'm supposed to come in here and and and and and serve in a way where people are encouraged. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:12.079 I'm I'm pointing them to Christ no matter what I'm doing. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:15.920 I'm supposed to be you know filled with the with the Spirit, He empowers me to serve? 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:23.839 Like, how can I even do this today, knowing that my drive with the family, you know, and just kind of even getting out the door was just so brutal? 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:24.960 How can I do this? 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:26.480 God, I I need you. 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:40.799 I mean, we could we could literally take hours here just going through all kinds of you know different examples and all the different attitudes and the issues and and the scenarios that we might experience on a single day alone, right? 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:46.000 That so clearly highlights our desperate need for God's help. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:56.000 I think there's something else here to be mindful of, aware of, and perhaps you know you've already noticed this in your heart as well. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:02.079 And then it's that as we increasingly become more and more aware of our need for God, and you're like, yeah, I get it, man. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:10.720 Like every single day, every single moment I need the Lord, and who am I to try and you know figure out the course of my life or or somebody else's life if I'm responsible uh for someone else? 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:18.799 Like I realize that as I'm growing there, though, perhaps you've seen that there's still this urge inside of you. 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:22.960 I know I need to run to God, but there's this urge inside of you to run elsewhere. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:24.319 Have you realized that? 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.680 Like, you know, right? 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.200 You've heard a million messages on prayer, and I need to bring that to the Lord, right? 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.839 I know that, but have you found that your heart still functions in a way that you want to run to other things? 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:34.319 Right? 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:36.400 You run to idols. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:36.880 Right? 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:38.559 It should be fervent prayer. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:40.079 That is my true lifeline. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:45.119 That that is the answer there, but instinctively, I want to go elsewhere. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:48.720 What are the things that that you run to? 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:51.680 What are the idols of your heart that you go to? 00:18:52.319 --> 00:19:02.319 Perhaps for you, instead of you know fervent prayer and bringing these things to the Lord, these needs, these desires, for you maybe it's it's it's this like codependent relationship on another person. 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:03.119 Right? 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:10.880 And relationships are so good and and they're given to us by God, and and there's something to be enjoyed, certainly, but sometimes we we kind of go too far with that. 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:15.839 Instead of bringing needs to to Christ, we didn't we just constantly have that one person. 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:17.519 I that person is my lifeline. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.000 Right? 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:19.440 That person will solve everything for me. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.799 It could be a spouse, it could be a parent, it could be a friend. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:23.519 Right? 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:30.079 Instead of instead of praying, you're constantly looking to another person to kind of iron out your issues. 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.480 Perhaps for you, instead of fervent prayer, you kind of throw yourself headlong into your career. 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:38.880 And I'm just gonna bury myself in work. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:47.359 And if I can only just you know kind of feel successful over here, maybe that will kind of drown out the lack of success I'm I'm sensing kind of in my in my walk with the Lord. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:51.039 And so you kind of run to that, even though you know what the right answer is. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.319 For others of us, maybe it's just simply entertainment. 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:57.680 Right? 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:59.839 My dumb phone. 00:20:00.480 --> 00:20:00.720 Right? 00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:02.799 I'm just I'm growing more and more sick of it. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:09.839 And anytime I'm feeling a little bit anxious, maybe about something, and and for me, I just found sometimes my tendency to just kind of bury myself in my phone. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:14.400 Start scrolling things, start reading articles, start listening to podcasts, whatever it is. 00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:19.279 I'm trying to busy myself instead of that, instead of that fervent prayer. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:21.759 We so want comfort, don't we? 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:23.599 And we run to those things. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.440 Maybe that comfort is even turned into some kind of an addiction. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:34.000 Maybe it's an addiction that is somewhat acceptable as a society. 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:48.799 Maybe it's an addiction that is not, but either way, it's it's starting to really put some problems between you and the Lord, and maybe some problems between other people, but you keep running to it, even though you know that the answer is to pray fervently. 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:52.079 Have you identified what those those things are for you? 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.559 Have you identified what your heart longs for and what your idols are, what they run to? 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:58.079 Have you been bringing those to the Lord? 00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:58.880 Have you been confessing those? 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:05.279 Have you been just like, Lord, I know that I shouldn't be going here, but but I am, and Lord, I want to continue to bring that before you. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.279 I want to you know bring somebody else into this. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.680 I don't want this to be a secret anymore. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:10.319 Right? 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:13.680 Just asking the Lord in prayer to incline your ear to me, God. 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:14.720 Would you do it? 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:15.759 Would you, Lord? 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:18.319 I I admit that I am poor and needy. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:19.680 God help me. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:26.480 And remember, this isn't something that we just do uh you know on an individual level, though we certainly do. 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.400 A fervent prayer is something that we do collectively, right? 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.319 That's something that we do together as the church. 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.880 It's one of the you know the main distinctives of a healthy church and a strong church. 00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:38.960 That's why we're talking about that today. 00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:39.519 Right? 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:45.920 So, as a you know, local church community, which we are here, we should we should be rallying together around this. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:46.400 Right? 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:47.839 Fervent prayer. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:48.319 Right? 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:55.279 As we have these burdens and as we're identifying idols in our hearts and stuff like that, it's it's it's inviting other people into that process as well. 00:21:56.160 --> 00:22:03.759 Lifting each other's burdens with a certain desperation, with a A certain earnestness with an intensity before God. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:06.799 We would do that as we pray together. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:12.640 You know, and that's kind of the heart and the idea behind praying together in small groups throughout the week. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:13.039 Right? 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:14.319 Bring these things before the Lord. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:15.119 Be honest about it. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.720 Everyone's in the same boat. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:19.359 Everyone needs Christ the same. 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:22.640 Are we rallying together for this? 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:37.279 You know, when you meet together in your teams on Sunday as you serve and maybe you're a greeter or you're serving in redemption kids or whatever it might be, and you gather together and pray, are you crying out to the Lord with fervency? 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:40.000 Not like, oh man, it's like it's 9.15. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:41.119 I guess we better get this done. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.680 No, like are you, like, we need you, God. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.079 Who are we to carry out the mission here? 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:48.000 We we need your help. 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:48.559 Right? 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:49.279 Do we do this? 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:54.880 I mean, I think about even just last week's message, and you know, it's about purposeful disciple making. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:57.119 I mean, how overwhelming is that? 00:22:57.440 --> 00:22:59.680 To even consider, like, this is what we're called to? 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:02.799 Like, I'm telling you right now, we're we're not naturally good at this. 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:03.279 Right? 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:03.920 We don't do it. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.440 We we don't want to get to know each other. 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:10.480 We don't want to, you know, unpack our hearts and kind of wade through the mess and the muck that is our hearts. 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:11.759 We don't want to do that. 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:18.640 As much as people might say that we want to do that, when we when we actually start to do it, it's like, I don't know that I want to. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:19.680 Right? 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:27.359 I'd rather just kind of keep it surfacey and have a smile and let's just only go so deep. 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:28.640 Right? 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:31.119 We we don't even want to go after that. 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:36.559 And I think as we think about this even more, we we realize, man, I just can't pull this off. 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.160 Right? 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:39.759 We need the Lord. 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:41.440 God help us. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:43.279 God, get the glory through this. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:44.559 That's our desire. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.279 Here's the second thing. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:55.440 We're committed to glorifying God through fervent prayer, utilizing this weapon as we go to war. 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:59.839 Here's Ephesians 6, verse 18. 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:09.599 We've talked about this verse many times at our church, but here's what it says: It says, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.640 Supplication are like requests, asking for things. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:21.200 To that end, keep alert, with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:34.880 Now, as we just kind of read that, again, we're pulling that out of context here, so it's important that we remember the context and realize that this verse, you know, what's going on around this verse is that Paul is dealing with the reality of spiritual warfare. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:35.200 Right? 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:40.160 And you could read all about that in verses 10 down to 20 in Ephesians chapter 6. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:40.559 Right? 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:46.000 Paul has just told the Ephesian church here to put on the whole armor of God. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:47.039 Why? 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:48.000 Why would he say that? 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:49.200 Why would he tell us to do that? 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:50.720 Why would he get the early church to do that? 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:52.559 Well, because we're at war. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:53.440 Right? 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:53.839 We are. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:24:57.279 This is a serious battle here that we've got on our hands, right? 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:07.759 We've got an enemy, his name is Satan, and it's his his spiritual forces or demonic forces of evil, it says, that they scheme against us, right? 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:22.640 Against the church, against believers in this attempt to render you and I, our church, completely ineffective in actually bringing God any glory whatsoever and fulfilling the Great Commission, which is the mission to make disciples. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:26.880 We have an enemy that is that is constantly coming after us. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:39.519 Listen, as much as you and I, you know, might want spiritual ease in our life, you know, I think we all want comfort, we all want, you know, kind of a peacetime mentality. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:44.559 We have to understand that this is just straight up not the times that we live in. 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:45.119 Right? 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.640 That's not it at all. 00:25:46.880 --> 00:25:50.559 A spiritual war is afoot and we're in the thick of it. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:56.319 Christians, churches, we're up to our neck, up to our eyeballs in it, whether we like to believe it or not. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:05.359 Because listen, we're you know, we're so blessed, I think, to, you know, to live in a country that is not war-torn. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:05.920 Right? 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:19.599 Like Remembrance Day was just uh this past Monday, and trusting that you had a moment and some time there to kind of just reflect on that and what was done to kind of you know secure our freedoms here and those who lost their lives. 00:26:19.759 --> 00:26:24.880 I trust that you had some time to thank the Lord for that and the amazing blessings that we have here. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.119 It's a massive privilege to live in the country of Canada. 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:38.960 But I think sometimes as the church, we can get kind of lulled into thinking that spiritually it's it's peacetime as well. 00:26:39.200 --> 00:26:39.440 Right? 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:46.720 We see with our eyes that things are pretty comfortable here in our country, but spiritually uh it's not. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:47.279 Right? 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:48.720 It's not peacetime. 00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:49.200 Right? 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:52.079 There is a a mission to carry out. 00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:52.559 Right? 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:54.640 Our enemy is is real. 00:26:54.799 --> 00:27:01.119 He is not flesh and blood, which means that we need spiritual weapons to fight. 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:01.599 Right? 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:02.240 That's what we need. 00:27:02.400 --> 00:27:07.599 Ephesians 6 tells us that our only offensive weapons that we have are the sword of the spirit, right? 00:27:07.680 --> 00:27:08.480 And the armor of God. 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:10.960 That's the only that's the only offensive weapon that we have. 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:13.359 The sword of the spirit is the word of God. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:16.799 We're gonna get much more into that topic next week. 00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:24.400 But then if you think about it, praying at all times in the spirit, which verse 18 tells us, that's a weapon of war as well. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:28.559 Spirit-filled, fervent prayer. 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:30.880 Why at all times? 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:32.799 Why does he say pray at all times? 00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:34.000 That sounds exhausting. 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:34.559 Right? 00:27:34.640 --> 00:27:34.880 Really? 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:38.160 I can't take it, can't take a break there, can't take a breather? 00:27:38.319 --> 00:27:42.000 Well, it's just the idea here that our enemy doesn't take a day off. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:45.680 He's not gonna be like, oh, it's Sunday and they're gonna go to church? 00:27:45.920 --> 00:27:48.160 There, we'll just kind of give them that day of rest? 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.039 Yeah, we agree. 00:27:49.200 --> 00:27:49.680 Go for it. 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:51.599 We'll pick it up again on Monday. 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:55.279 No, have you noticed that like Sundays are like the worst days sometimes? 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.440 It's like the hardest day on our attitude. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:28:02.480 It's the it's the hardest, like we like have you found that if you're a people person on Sundays, you're not a people person all of a sudden. 00:28:02.880 --> 00:28:04.400 I don't want to engage in relationships. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:06.079