Prayer – Does it make a Difference?”

Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 16:23-24
“A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a pub. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The pub owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."
INTRO-video, half of prayer is an encounter
I’m guessing all of us find ourselves in this video
-we find ourselves asking—
-is God listening?
-is He influenceable?
-if He is, why doesn’t He respond?
-why am I still facing this addiction?
-despite my prayers—this relationship still fell apart
-I still lost my job, she stilled died
-I’m still not healed—I’m still in this depression
-I’ve prayed—yet she’s as hardened towards Jesus as ever—God—why?
What intensifies our emotions—perplexes our brains—confuses our souls
-are the promises Jesus has given in the upper room—
a. 14:13-14-whatever you ask in My name—this I will do-in order that the
Father is glorified in the Son
-you may ask Me whatever in My name—I Myself will do
b. 15:7-if you remain in Me and My word remains in you—whatever you want-ask and it will become for you
c. in this today’s text—Jesus again makes this sweeping promise (read 16:17-24)
In each passage—Jesus raises our expectations regarding prayer
-and so it’s reasonable to ask—what’s going on?
-what are we to do with these verses?
-everything inside of me wants to embrace them
-everything in my theology says I should, I must believe them
-but experiences sometimes seem to contradict them
-there is the temptation—as CS Lewis put it—
-to see them as old fashioned sayings which have to be outgrown
Illustration- selection school……………………
-and it all felt like opened doors that suddenly slammed shut
-a bad dream, a cruel joke
-it’s tempting to dismiss these verses
- 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
But I can’t—and you can’t
Because they were uttered by the One who is nothing but reliable in everything He says and does
-so what are these texts saying?
-and more importantly—what are they doing?
Here’s what they are clearly saying—
1. PRAYER HAS TO BE A LIFE PRIORITY
-as with the rest of Scripture—they underscore that prayer is not an option
-prayer is the place where man and God meet
-the means God uses to advance His kingdom
-prayer was the routine of the EARLY CHURCH-Acts 2:42
-Jesus valued prayer enough to spend many hours at the task
-the more intense the demands upon His life—the more He prayed (Mk 1:35)
-the greater the darkness—the greater were His prayers
-such that He closed this conversation with the longest recorded prayer in the Gospels- John 17.
-and it is prayer that largely defines Jesus’ present ministry-Heb 7:25
As Philip Yancey writes in his book on Prayer—
“When doubts creep in, and I wonder if prayer is a sanctified form of talking to myself, I remind myself that Jesus, who spoke the worlds into existence—and holds all things together—felt a compelling need to pray”
2. PRAYER WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE
-in each promise, something happens as a result of prayer
-His actions depend upon our asking-14:13
-what will be done depends upon our requests-15:7
-receiving hinges on asking-16:24
-Jesus underscored this often-both in how He lived and what He taught
-when the disciples seemed to be absolutely helpless in their attempts to help an afflicted boy
-Jesus’ response was simply—these are matters that require prayer
-other texts underscore this—
-Js 4:2—you have not—because you ask not
-Moses prayed—and God withheld His judgment-Ex 32:10-14
-Jabez prayed—and God expanded his boundaries-I Chron 4:10
-James writes—the prayers of righteous saints can accomplish much-5:16
I think prayer is the means of releasing God’s willingness and ability to act in the world that otherwise would not happen
-pray—and something of the marks of God’s rule become present in the present
-pray—and God fills our sails with His Spirit
-pray-and God awakens the church-the revivals of Edwards, Wesley the Lewis revivals were first revivals of prayer, when even 2 gather together to pray God s moved
-who of us have not witnessed this—that when a decision is covered with prayer—a day is begun with prayer--it is generally different?
-Karl Barth came to this settled conclusion--“He does not act in the same way whether we pray or not” God hears and moves when we pray
-in fact—He does not act (what do you think?), wow the God of the universe relies upon your prayers
-as Bonhoeffer wrote-“A day without prayer is a day without meaning”
I suspect up this point—we pretty much agree
-prayer is important
-prayer changes things—maybe not the things I want to change
-but this still hasn’t addressed the issue
-if these are promises from God—why isn’t God coming through?
-let’s start with a safe answer—a third lesson from these texts--
3. ANSWERED PRAYER DOES DEPEND UPON CONDITIONS
-for these verses do seem to establish some conditions—ones that should not be easily dismissed—or taken lightly
THE CONDITION OF BELIEVING-14:12-14
- 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
-the promise of vs 13 is linked with the condition of vs 12—“the one believing”
-there are no answered prayers for those who lack faith
-but there are answered prayers to those who take God at His word
-believing in His promises—His power—His faithfulness
-that answered prayer springs from trust is underscored throughout the NT
-Matt 21:22-if you believe-you will receive whatever you ask
-Mk 11:24-whatever you ask—believe that you have received it, and it is yours
-Js 1:6-but when he asks, he must believe and not doubt
-Js 5:15-the prayer offered in faith will make the person well
B. THE CONDITION OF ABIDING-15:7
-Jesus begins with a conditional clause in the second promise statement-if you remain in Me and My words remain in you
-if we are intimately connected to God—allowing His word to pour into us
-and us into Him—such that there is this undivided whole-this intimate union
-than ask—and you will receive
-which makes sense
-for in abiding—things get sifted out
-prayer ceases to be a selfish activity
-we will have His heartbeat, understand His priorities—pursue His will
-and hence—pray according to His will
-and as I John 5:14 puts it—if we ask anything according to His will—He hears us
C. THE CONDITION OF IN MY NAME-16:23-24
-in each of these, Jesus seems to also link His promises to praying in His name
-not as some magical incantation—some formula, some technique used to give power to our prayers
-but prayer that understands that we can come boldly to the throne of God because we come in His name—not our own
-under His authority—as one in alignment with the heart of Jesus
-one can add others that Scripture mentions—
-praying earnestly
-praying over time
-praying with fasting
Each of these conditions challenge us to do some assessing
-but what if—in all of this—God is still not answering my prayers—He does not seem to be hearing
-I am trusting
-I am abiding
-I am coming in His name
-I am praying legitimate requests
-I am not asking God to restore amputated legs
-bring my dog back from the dead
-let the Don’s win the league
-and yet my prayers remain unanswered
-illus-someone is my old church her sister used her lack of healing as failing to meet the conditions
-as a sort of club to beat her for not having faith
-the fact is--she had huge faith
-and she loved Jesus—and she still died of cancer
4. UNANSWERED PRAYERS MAY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THESE CONDITIONS
A. THEY MAY HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH A FLAWED WORLD
-there are some things we cannot escape
-a sinful world means there will be sickness--there will be death—there will be accidents—there will be wars
B. THEY MAY HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH GOD’S BETTER WAYS
1. WAYS THAT BECOME CLEAR OVER TIME
-though Paul pleaded to be healed-God healed in ways that transcended the physical-2 Cor 12-though Moses begged to enter the promised land-it was better for Israel—for its next leader-that he was out of the picture
-though David prayed God would heal his son—God had another man to rule the kingdom
-though Elijah prayed for his death—God kept him alive for something far better
-Heb 11:39-40-none of them received what was promised—for God planned something better
point-lots of unanswered prayers stand as wonderful acts of grace—where God protected us from ourselves—prayers that would have kept us from growing
-prayers that would have led to us settling for second best
Illus-Bruce Almighty-what happens if God answered every prayer
-if God answered every prayer—He would in effect turn the world over to us to run
2. WAYS THAT REMAIN A MYSTERY
-for we look through a glass dimly, we never see the whole picture
-we live with God’s indiscernible will
-that points us to a God who cannot be conformed to our small box, where we often like to put God
SO WHAT IS THIS TEXT DOING?
-Back to my first point—calling us to this mysterious—yet most significant act
-as FB Meyer once put it—
“The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer—but unoffered prayer”
Texts that illustrate and example prayer are all throughout the Bible. Also, there are places where God gives us some understanding on the realities of prayer and that is where we are today.
So in summing up- There is a tension between the promises of prayer in Scripture and the reality of answered and so called unanswered prayer. How do we live with that tension? What can we glean from the words of Christ that help us be okay with the constancy of the tension? Using three texts: John 14:13-14; 15:7; and 16:23 four suggestions:
1. Prayer has to be a life priority. It is where God and man meet. It was exampled as a priority in Jesus’ life.
2. Prayer will make a difference. Receiving in prayer depends on us asking.
3. Answered prayer does depend upon conditions.
Ø The condition of believing 14:12-13
Ø The condition of abiding 15:7
Ø The condition of being “in Jesus name” 16:23
4. Unanswered prayers may have nothing to do with these stated conditions but may have to do with:
Ø The fact that we live in a flawed world
Ø The fact that God may have a better way and that prayer itself is a mystery
But even with all of this, prayer must be our priority, it is the lifeblood of faith, prayer may go unanswered and that may hurt us, but the greater tragedy is a prayer that is not answered but a prayer never offered. Not matter what, get on your knees, seek God in all things and pray! God’s been speaking to me this week, roman 8v 28, Jer 29 v 11
When we pray, remember:
1. The love of God that wants the best for us.2. The wisdom of God that knows what is best for us.3. The power of God that can accomplish it.
finish with 2nd half of video, prayer is an encounter
Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions. Each one reportedly had a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the paths to these places became well worn. As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, it was soon apparent to the others. They would kindly remind the negligent one, "Brother, the grass grows on your path."
Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray--to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight--all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word 'concern' out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice.
Prayer is surrender--surrender to the will of God and cooperation with that will. If I throw out a boathook from the boat and catch hold of the shore and pull, do I pull the shore to me, or do I pull myself to the shore? Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.

A woman went to Andrew Murray with the problem of feeling she couldn't pray. He said, "Why then, do you not try this? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are, and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him, with a childlike trust, to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. In such a trust you are in a right relationship to Him. You have nothing -- He has everything."



The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Theme:
In Jesus, we receive the right to become children of God. 2nd Sunday after Christmas
Object:
A gift you received for Christmas
Scripture:
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 (NIV)
This tie I am wearing was one of my Christmas gifts. I really do like it. Did you receive a lot of gifts for Christmas? I'm sure that you did. Of all of the gifts that you received for Christmas, what was the very best one? What was your favorite? (Give the children an opportunity to tell you about their favorite gift.)
You know, there is one thing that I have learned about Christmas gifts. No matter how much you enjoy receiving them, they just don't last. Some of you may have received new clothes. They look nice and you enjoy wearing them, but sooner or later, they wear out, go out of style, or you outgrow them. I am sure that many of you received toys. You really enjoy the toys, but eventually, they either get broken or you get tired of playing with them. Perhaps you got some candy. Well, when you eat it, it is gone. Except for what you wind up wearing around your waist.
There is one Christmas gift that is different. It never wears out. It never goes out of style. You will never become tired of it. It is like the Energizer Bunny -- it is a gift that keeps on giving year, after year, after year. Do you know what that gift is? It is the true gift that Christmas is all about. It is God's gift to us. His Son, Jesus.
The Bible tells us that all who receive Jesus and believe in his name become the children of God! When we become the children of God, we have all of the rights and privileges of being His child. He will love us, protect us, and provide everything that we need. The best part is that it never ends. The Bible says that "kindness and love will be with us every day of our life, and we will live forever in the house of the LORD." (Psalm 23:6 paraphrased)
I enjoy giving and receiving gifts at Christmas, but I think it is important for us to remember that the greatest gift of all was God's gift to us. It is the gift that keeps on giving!
Dear Father, we thank you for loving us so much that you gave your Son so that we too could become your children. Amen.

“The Dangerous Work of being Jesus to the World”

Series: Conversations with Jesus
John 16:8-11
INTRO
You ever have a night you just want to write off—a sort of bad dream?
Maybe it was something like that for the disciples only much darker.
Jesus gathered them in this upper room and announced He was leaving and they may have thought—let’s just write this off
But Jesus wanted them to get perspective
-His leaving wasn’t such bad news
-His leaving made it possible to send the Spirit (read 16:7)
-something He announced earlier-chap 14
-they were about to enter the age of the Spirit
-Who would come to continue what Jesus did—A REVOLUTION!
-only He is coming to enter our lives as a permanent Resident-14:17
-to penetrate our evasions, defensive ploys, and indifference in order to make His home in us
-and once He does—teach us-14:26
-for truth is what He uses to transform us
-and conform us to the image of the resurrected Jesus
-for change is impossible on our own
-ONLY THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAN DO THE CHANGING
What we can do—must do—is yield, GET IN STEP with Him–submit to His filling
-position ourselves for this wind of God—which blows where it pleases–Jn 3:8
Illustration – sailing–in irons against the wind–positioning ourselves correctly for where He blows.
But Jesus expanded their understanding of the Spirit’s work
-Jesus declared that something bigger is at work in the Spirit’s coming—and they would need to understand this as well (read John 16:8-11)
A. The first thing we notice is that the Spirit is not about to be poured out for our
personal benefit alone
-this Agent of change is also coming to penetrate the self-deceptions, evasions,
defensive ploys, indifference-and REJECTION of the world
-in order to engage and draw it to Himself
-for again—we cannot do this—we cannot bring others to faith
-HE ALONE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD
B. The second thing we notice is the tenor of the language
-with us—it is residential, educational language-indwell, teach you
-with the world--it is courtroom language
-prosecution language
-He is coming as a legal counsel, a prosecuting attorney, an advocate in a
lawsuit
-to “convict”, confront, expose, cross-examine, prosecute, bring to account—all of
these acts are wrapped up in this term
-the Spirit is coming as a “troublesome voice” to “serve papers”, put the world on
notice
-and in the process--open the world to things it does not want to see
Three things in particular—
A. THE SPIRIT CONFRONTS THE WORLD REGARDING ITS UNBELIEF
-this is the Spirit’s intended work in every age
-to confront the world regarding its rejection of Jesus
-which if nothing changes is the unpardonable sin—there is no remedy for it
-Jn 3:18-whoever does not believe stands condemned
-God’s wrath is upon him-vs 36
3
-the only hope out of this blindness is the convicting work of the Spirit—who
comes to press home the world’s propensity to sin—reject God
-the awareness of one’s lost condition
-convicting men of their guilt, of their tendencies to fill the hole with something
other than God-material things, addictive behaviors
-trapped in patterns of behavior that dishonor Him
There is something else—
B. THE SPIRIT EXPOSES THE WORLD TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
-more particularly—to its unrighteousness
-of its misguided assumptions of justice, ethics, morality
-for in the act of going to the Father
-living a life of holiness on this earth—going to the Cross
-Jesus redefined righteousness
-and exposed the feebleness of our assumed morality
-righteousness that might seem impressive to men—amounts to filthy rags, to
menstruous cloths in the eyes of God-Isa 64:5
-it is utterly unclean, unrighteous
-Paul came to grips with this convicting work of the Spirit
-and when he realized the true nature of righteousness—not of the hand—but
the heart
-He assessed his own acts of external righteousness as so much rubbish
(crap)-Phil 3:11
But the Spirit is not finished—
C. THE SPIRIT CONVICTS THE WORLD OF ITS JUDGMENT
-that if it refuses to receive the love and grace of God
-if it relies on its own standard of righteousness—there will be a day of
reckoning
-all of our good works will not get us there
-and there will be no help from the evil one
-who stands condemned—his works destroyed-I Jn 3:8
-who was judged and disarmed on the cross-Col 2:15
-who has no hold-no future-John 14:30
Ultimately—all of this is a grace work designed to open peoples’ eyes and see the hope
and love that is in Jesus
4
-for this prosecutor’s work is rooted in LOVE—aimed at bringing people out of the
mire and mud of sin, personal failure
-because we are of immeasurable value to Him
APPLICATION
So what does all of this mean for us?
-it would seem the task of the Spirit-filled church is clear
-Jesus is calling us, the church, to something—
-to position itself where the Spirit is blowing—
1. MOVE OUT INTO THE PUBLIC SQUARE
-to not insulate itself
-stay within the walls
-but engage in the courtroom of public opinion
-this is what Jesus commanded
-what the early apostles did
-Peter-Acts 2:14f
-Stephen-Acts 7:2f
-proclaim truth-out where the Spirit is at work
-out where there are arguments and opinions and conflict
-and we must—for the Spirit’s clear aim is to do it through us
-for just as the Son became flesh and blood—the Spirit wants to bring change
through flesh and blood
-through us
-for it is out of us God intends to pour life His giving power to others-7:38-39—
what Jesus referred to as the Spirit
2. BE A PROPHETIC VOICE
-a prosecuting voice
-a “troublesome” voice—after all—the Spirit came to unleash a prophetic
community-Acts 2:17
-as we must be--for the scale and scope of evil has never been so blatant,
powerful, destructive (Guiness, Unspeakable)
-as Peggy Noonan puts it—“we are barreling down a dark corridor”
-so we must not be afraid to follow the Spirit’s agenda
A. Speak about SIN
5
-declare what is not popular—that there is truth and falsehood—good and
evil
-that alternative religions are ultimately deceitful
-that our great sin is rejecting Jesus
-letting people know we love Jesus and are not ashamed of the fact
B. Speak about RIGHTEOUSNESS
-that we are not all good at heart
-it is rather the opposite-we all have a propensity to go our own way
-there is a depth of evil that lurks in all of us-the greatest of which is to reject
God
-and relying on human good works is an empty thing
C. Speak about JUDGMENT
-in a manner that does not relish, desire punishment for anyone
-but like the Spirit—words of severity are matched by a soul that grieves-
Eph 4:30
-that like Paul—I wish I could be accursed for the sake of you
This then is not a call to be a haranguing, angry, abusive voice
-but a careful, compassionate voice-backed by a life of love and grace
And in all of this—we just may find ourselves in step with the Spirit
If you need a model-go to Acts 17—where Paul before Felix—“discoursed on faith in
Jesus, righteousness, and the judgment to come”
3. PREPARE FOR ONE OF THREE RESPONSES
A. REPENTENCE—which too is the work of the Spirit
-Acts 2:22, 37-they were cut to the heart
-I Cor 14:24-speaks of the powerful convicting work of the Spirit in the
context of worship—drawing one toward the mercy of God—an unbeliever to see his sin
But conviction does not inevitably lead to repentance—for the Spirit does not coerce conviction
-hence there are other responses—
B. EVASION—denial-which is to ignore or postpone the Spirit
-Felix and Paul—enough for now—but the convenient time never came-
Acts 24:25
C. RESISTANCE
-for sin develops elaborate resistances to anyone or anything that exposes its work
-though in these moments one might sense the intense work of conviction most powerfully
so in summing up this short passage is packed with Jesus’ explanation of the
Holy Spirit’s role as he comes to earth and Jesus departs to heaven. Three important actions that will transpire in his role are:
1. The Spirit will confront the world regarding its unbelief. No one will come to salvation in
Christ apart from this work.
2. The Spirit will expose the world to its unrighteousness. Although the world believes itself to be righteous, the Spirit will reveal that only Jesus was righteous and that all our righteousness is as filthy rags.
3. The Spirit will convict the world of its coming judgment. Consequences will happen if it does not focus its trust on Jesus Christ.
By promising this to the disciples and John recording it for us to read, what is Jesus saying to us?
The task of the Spirit-filled person or church is clear:
• We must not insulate ourselves rather move out into the square of the world.
• We must not take a defensive posture rather be willing to be a prophetic voice for God.
• We must prepare ourselves for whatever the response: conviction to repentance; passive evasion; or active resistance.
One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small boy into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't, Dear," she said, "I have to sleep with your daddy." A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice: "The big sissy."