Let's Pray

Colossians 4:2-6

 

·         Prayer is powerful because God is sovereign.

·         Prayer is less about getting God to hear us and heed our will and more about God getting us to hear from Him and heed His will.

·         “Prayer is the communication with headquarters by which the weapons of warfare are deployed according to the will of God.” John Piper 

 

Let’s Pray with. . . 

1.      Persistence

 

Pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

·         Jesus’ habit of prayer – And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35  

 

·         The example of the widow – Luke 18:1-8

 

·         Nehemiah prays intensely alone, then quietly from his heart

 

·         “I look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the 101^st blow it splits in two.  I know it was not the one blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”

 

·         When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Muller’s reply was “Hours every day.  But I live in the spirit of prayer.  I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise.”

 

·         One Day George Muller began praying for five friends.  After many months, one of them to the Lord.  Ten years later, 2 others were converted.  I took 25 years before the 4^th man was saved.  Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping he would accept Christ.  His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved. 

2.      Watchfulness

 

Mark 14:32-42

 

 

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

 

 

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

 

Watchfulness implies we are in battle, at war - John Piper – Why Prayer Malfunctions, page 46 of Let The Nations Be Glad. 

 

3.      Thanksgiving

 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Let’s Pray for. . .

 

What are we to pray for?  Anything and everything, God is concerned about it all!  But, we must pray for the advance of the gospel and we must pray for God to use us to advance the gospel.

·         “Prayer is designed to extend the kingdom into fruitless enemy territory.” John Piper 

1.      Circumstances to share Jesus. 

·         We can pray about open doors because God has the power to open and close doors.

·         God never closes a door without opening a window.

·         Not necessarily an open door for escape, but an open door for the gospel

·         Thanksgiving Baskets, Community Thanksgiving Program

 

“But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” (1 Corinthians 16:8–9, ESV)

 

“And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.” (Acts 14:27, ESV)

 

“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” (Acts 28:30–31, ESV) 

2.      Conduct that shows Jesus. 

·         Share Jesus always, when necessary use words

·         Our lives should cause people to want to hear what we have to say and believe what we say – Disples are so believable because there was such integrity in every other part of their lives.

·         Nobody cares what you know until they know that you care

·         You are the only Bible that some people will ever read.

 

·         Seize the moment

 

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:11–14, ESV) 

3.      Conversations that point to Jesus. 

·         Gracious – Compassion /

Spiritual, wholesome, sensitive, kind, complementary, gentle, truthful, caring, loving, thoughtful

 

·         Seasoned with salt – Conviction; salt gives flavor, cleanses, purifies

 

Razor sharp edge where compassion and conviction meet.

 

·         Woman at the well

·         Woman caught in adultery

·         Zaccheus

·         Rich Young Ruler

 

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29, ESV)

 

“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 141:3, ESV) 

4.      Clarity so that others will understand their need for Jesus. 

·         Words are necessary / Simple explanation of the gospel

 

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”” (Romans 10:14–15, ESV)

 

Is God asking you to open a door in your heart to Jesus?

Let's Pray by David Peacock Listen on Posterous

Let's Pray 2 by David Peacock Listen on Posterous

House Rules

House Rules by David Peacock Listen on Posterous

Colossians 3:18-4:1 

House Rule #1: Submissive Spirit 

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

Submission does NOT mean (From 1 Peter 3:1-7):

1.        A wife is to submit to every man.

2.        A wife has less value than her husband.

3.        A wife must agree with everything her husband says.

4.        A wife is incapable of thinking and making wise choices for herself.

5.        A wife must avoid efforts to change her husband.

6.        A wife’s primary source of strength is her husband.

7.        A wife fears her husband. 

Submission is a God-honoring inclination in the heart of a wife to honor and support her husband as he leads the family to fulfill the will of God.

 

House Rule #2: Sacrificial Love

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10 

 

House Rule #3: Respectful Obedience 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Ephesians 6:1–3 

 

House Rule #4: Sensitive Instruction 

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 

 

House Rule #5: Sincere Service 

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:45 

 

House Rule #6: Selfless Treatment 

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them... Matthew 7:12 

 

House Rule #7: Christ Centered 

But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

 

 

 

Renewed In Christ

Renewed In Christ by David Peacock Listen on Posterous

Colossians 3:1-14

I. Being new in Christ, we are to live with a heavenly perspective.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Paul does not mean that we should never think the things upon the earth, but that these should not be our aim, our goal, our master. The Christian has to keep his feet upon the earth, but his head in the heavens. He must be heavenly-minded here on earth and so help to make earth like heaven.

Seek and think – (attention of mind and affection of our heart)

II. Being new in Christ, we are to put to death old, sinful habits.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13

“And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”Galatians 5:24

1. Sexual Immorality – (porneia) any sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage
2. Impurity – evil thoughts and intentions of heart and mind
3. Passion – lust that uses others for self-gratification, led by emotion than God’s truth
4. Evil Desire – craving for evil things
5. Covetousness – greedy heart
6. Idolatry – worship of false gods, in this case sex and stuff, being one’s own God
7. Anger – slowing increasing hatred, abiding emotion seeking revenge
8. Wrath – sudden outburst
9. Malice – wishing evil on others
10. Slander – speech maliciously of someone (Matthew 5:22)
11. Obscene Talk – filthiness of talk (Ephesians 5:4)
12. Lying – When we lie, we are like Satan not God

Skunk Illustration – Feed it, move food, dog scare it away, lights, block temporary residence – No we need to kill it!

We must make a decisive break – kill – all old, sinful habits that rear their ugly heads in our new life in Christ.  We should put them to death because they brings God’s wrath and they are part of our past not our present and definitely not part of our future!

God will judge the world with His holy wrath on account of these things.  For the Christian, these things bring discipline not happiness!  

III. Being new in Christ, we are to put on holy characteristics.

“. . .  Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

1. Compassionate hearts – feeling deeply for others – Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
2. Kindness – Good Samaritan, seeking another’s good
3. Humility – putting others before yourself
4. Meekness – willingness to suffer injury instead of inflicting it
5. Patience
6. Forgiveness
7. Love – God-like sacrificial love

Life Questions
1. Does the hope of heaven impact how you live your daily life?
2. What sinful habits do you need to put to death that should not be part of a Christian’s life?
3. What holy characteristic will you consciously put on this week?
4. Have you been made new in Christ?
• Have you died with Jesus?
• Have your been raised with Jesus?
• Are you becoming more like Jesus every day?
• Are you certain you will be with Jesus in heaven?