Participants: Shelley Quinn
Series Code: 09HC
Program Code: 09HC000003
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00:24 Welcome to 3ABN's Fall Camp Meeting, Homecoming 2009.
00:32 Featuring inspired messages from your 3ABN family. 00:39 Along with uplifting Christian music, 00:41 all to prepare your heart for the coming of the Lord. 00:49 Hello and good morning. It is still the last several 00:54 minutes of the morning and God is blessing us 00:56 as this is the preparation day for what we know 00:59 will be really an incredible Sabbath. 01:01 And I think we are preparing ourselves the best way 01:04 one can do that and that's by hearing good solid 01:06 preaching and teaching of the word. And our next hour 01:10 will be no exception because we have really an anointed 01:13 teacher and preacher of the word, 01:14 our very own Shelly Quinn. We like to hear Shelly speak 01:19 because she is not only a teacher of the word 01:22 but she is a student of the word. And whenever 01:25 she speaks she brings forth nuggets that are meat 01:28 in due season for God's people and so we expect 01:31 that today. We are so very happy that she is here 01:35 because she had a little bug yesterday. 01:37 And she went home just a bit early and we prayed 01:41 that bug out of her, praise the Lord. Amen. And so, 01:44 she is fit and strong and her husband JD is here, 01:47 we've been a little worried about JD too. 01:49 He's had a different kind of bug or may have been 01:53 the same bug I don't know if he passed that bug to her. 01:55 But he is fit and fiddle today. 01:57 Praise the Lord and here, so we are happy for 01:59 Mr. and Mrs. Quinn enjoying good health and we know God 02:04 has a blessing for us today. Before we go much further 02:08 into our program, let's have a word of prayer 02:09 as we rest God's blessing upon our sitting of this hour. 02:12 Dear father, we praise you thank you for your love, 02:15 goodness, grace and mercy. 02:18 We thank you for your word which is a lamp 02:20 unto our feet, a light unto our path. We thank you 02:24 for those who have dedicated their lives to the study 02:26 of the word and for your Spirit, which applies 02:30 the power of the word to our hearts and to our lives. 02:34 And so we thank you today in advance for what you know, 02:37 we know you were going to do through your maid 02:40 servant as she seeks to teach us those things that 02:45 you have taught her. And we praise you 02:48 and thank you in Jesus name. Amen. 02:52 There is a wonderful text that David was pleased 02:56 to write in Psalm, I think it's 113, where he asked 02:59 the question I think rhetorically, who is like unto 03:02 our God and it's a rhetorical question because 03:05 certainly the answer is there is no one like our God. 03:08 There is nobody like our God. The British, he was an 03:12 Anglican Archbishop and then he became a Bishop, 03:19 Thomas Dudley-Smith used that text as his musing 03:26 for a song that he wrote in 1979 just before he retired 03:30 called "as water to the thirsty," trying to determine 03:33 what is God like. Well, he said it's like water 03:36 to the thirsty; it's like peace that follows pain. 03:39 He is like meeting after party; 03:41 he is like sunshine after rain. 03:43 That's what our God is like. Our living Lord. 03:45 He said that's what my living Lord is to me. 04:01 As water to the thirsty, as beauty to the eyes, 04:10 as strength that follows weakness, 04:14 as truth instead of lies, as songtime and springtime 04:23 and summertime to be, so is my Lord, 04:31 my living Lord, so is my Lord to me. 04:42 Like calm in place of clamor, 04:46 like peace that follows pain, 04:51 like meeting after parting, like sunshine after rain, 05:01 like moonlight and starlight and sunlight on the sea, 05:10 so is my Lord, my living Lord, 05:14 so is my Lord to me. 05:23 As sleep that follows fever, as gold instead of grey, 05:32 as freedom after bondage, as sunshine to the day, 05:42 as home to the traveler and all he longs to see, 05:51 so is my Lord, my living Lord, 05:55 so is my Lord to me. Well that's my Lord, 06:03 my living Lord, so is my Lord to me. 06:26 It's so good to be here with you, I love camp meeting 06:29 and I particularly love when we have homecoming, 06:32 because it's just a special time of the year to see 06:35 all of our old friends and some of our new friends 06:37 as well. Let's pray. Loving Father, we come this 06:42 morning in the name of Jesus we just ask for your 06:46 presence, that you would be with us and send your 06:48 Holy Spirit to be our teacher, 06:51 in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. 06:53 We want to also welcome all of you who are watching 06:56 from around the world or listening by radio, 06:59 watching on the Internet. However you are joining us 07:02 it's so good to have all of you here. Now, 07:04 I want to share something with you that I think twice 07:08 about sharing, because they say that when confession 07:12 is good for the soul but hard on the reputation, 07:15 right, yes. My job at 3ABN is programming 07:19 development manager and I have the true privilege 07:23 of working with five of the most talented artists, 07:26 we do all of the graphics that you see, 07:29 set development, promotions, whatever it is that you see, 07:33 the look and feel of 3ABN that's what my 07:36 department does. My job also, I host some programs, 07:42 my job is not to pray with people, 07:46 we have a Pastoral department that does that. 07:48 And because I am on television I've lot of calls 07:52 from people from around the world who want prayer 07:55 or emails or letters. I don't have a secretary, 07:58 so there is no way that I can get to all of that mail 08:01 and answer it and I can't always take time to answer 08:06 the phones and pray with people. Sometimes 08:08 I just forward them on to the Pastoral department. 08:10 I do pray with people all day long, they are at 08:13 the office, we pray in our meetings, 08:14 I am a praying person, but one day because 08:18 I'm on everybody's email list I get all of these emails 08:24 for prayers from around the world. 08:26 And I have been going through about 200 emails 08:29 and I had said a word of prayer here and there as 08:32 people were asking for prayer, but I came to this one 08:36 because I was running late, getting ready to have a 08:38 meeting, I came to this one email and I looked at it 08:42 and I said oh Lord be with them, delete and I went on. 08:46 And in just a few minutes the Lord was all over me 08:52 and I thought Lord forgive me please 08:53 don't let me ever get so busy that I don't pray 08:57 for your people and ever since then God has been 09:00 doing a work in me, he is trying to do a work in me. 09:04 He has really been increasing the amount of time 09:08 that I spent in intercessory prayer and the message 09:11 today is called pleading for the perishing. 09:16 Plead means to make a petition. 09:17 It's the same Greek word pleading an intercession, 09:22 to intercede or to plead are the same Greek word. 09:25 And pleading for the perishing, 09:28 the word perishing means somebody who is in ruins, 09:32 somebody who's on the edge of destruction, 09:34 somebody who has had a loss of well being. 09:38 How many of you know people who have had 09:40 a loss of well being. And you know the Bible tells us, 09:44 Paul wrote to Timothy and here's what he said 09:46 in First Timothy 2, verses 1 through 4, 09:49 he says I exhort you first of all, that supplications, 09:53 prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, 09:56 be made for all men, for Kings, we have to remember, 10:01 Nero was the one who was in office at this time 10:05 a Pagon King. But he is saying, Nero, 10:08 this heathen enemy who was prosecuting Christians 10:13 and all who are in authority that we may lead 10:16 a quite and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 10:19 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God 10:23 our Savior; who desires all men to be saved, 10:27 and to come to the knowledge of truth. 10:31 The word intercession in Greek in enteuxis 10:35 and it's a technical term for coming before a King, 10:39 to make a petition, to plead with this King, 10:44 to meet and converse with this King, 10:47 and to plead on behalf of someone else and you know 10:51 what we're doing when we are in intercessory prayer. 10:57 We are seeking the presence of our King, 11:01 we're seeking an audience to bring a petition, 11:05 have him hear this pleadings for the perishing, 11:09 it's kind of like Abraham did when he was praying 11:14 for the righteous who were in Sodom and Gomorrah 11:16 or what Moses did, which I think is the most incredible 11:19 example of intercessory prayer. 11:21 In Exodus 32, when he said, Lord, 11:26 don't bolt this people out of your book, 11:28 bolt my name out of your book, he was ready 11:31 to stand in the gap of behalf of this people 11:34 and it was so amazing or Daniel, as he pleaded going 11:39 before the King, pleading for the perishing, 11:41 pleading for people's sins Paul and of course Jesus, 11:46 but why does God want us to pray for all man. 11:50 It goes on in verse 5 and 6 and it tells us there 11:53 is only one God who is the God of all mankind 11:57 and one mediator Jesus Christ our savior 12:01 and as disciples of Christ, as children of God, 12:06 he wants us to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. 12:10 He wants us to plead for the perishing, 12:13 we want to be praying people, 12:16 interceding for all of mankind. 12:19 Now, sometimes we think well yes there is great prayer 12:23 warriors, you know J.D. Quinn, 12:25 he is a great prayer warrior I'm married to a man 12:28 who prays all day long. There's great prayer warriors 12:31 but surely God is not wanting me to pray like this 12:35 but he does and in the Bible there is a wonderful 12:38 example and this is just a regular lay person 12:42 like you and me and his name is Epaphras. 12:46 And in Colossians 4, here is what 12:49 Paul writes Colossians 4:12, 13, he says Epaphras 12:54 who is one of you, he is just like you Cheryl, Epaphras, 12:58 a bond servant of Jesus Christ, he greets you always, 13:03 laboring fervently for you in prayers. 13:09 Epaphras was laboring fervently and listen 13:12 what he was praying, that you may stand perfect 13:16 and complete in all the will of God. Let me ask 13:20 you a question. When's the last time you prayed 13:23 for all of your church members? When is the last 13:27 time you prayed and say oh! Lord praying fervently, 13:32 earnestly, laboring in prayer saying Lord let them all 13:36 stand complete in your will. Let them be perfect 13:41 in your will. And Paul went on to say, 13:45 I bear witness to him, he has great zeal for you. 13:49 Well, what God's trying to do in me and I think 13:51 by me sharing this, is he wants to stir up the zeal 13:55 in our hearts for others. You know James says 13:59 that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous 14:02 man avails much. He said Elijah was a man 14:06 with a nature like ours, and and he prayed earnestly, 14:11 earnestly. In the Greek, if you were to make 14:14 a literal translation you know what it says, 14:18 talking about Elijah, in praying he prayed, 14:23 isn't that interesting? In praying he prayed. 14:27 You know what that tells me, sometimes when 14:31 we're praying we are not really praying, 14:34 sometimes it's just lukewarm mealy mouthed 14:39 Wayne babbling. It isn't with earnest zeal in our hearts 14:45 as we come before the Lord, asking, 14:47 pleading on behalf of others. But he says in praying 14:51 he prayed, it wasn't a casual request that it 14:54 wouldn't rain and it did not rain in the land 14:57 for three years and six months. 14:59 The point is this, prayer is the key given by God 15:08 to man to open and shut the blessings of heaven. 15:14 Elijah prayed with energy, it was an energy that was 15:17 supplied by the Holy Spirit. It was not a lifeless 15:22 formula type prayer, he was praying with all of his heart 15:27 and he trusted in God, it was not the eloquence 15:32 of his prayer, it was the fervor with which he prayed 15:37 and the prayers of a righteous man avails much. 15:42 That means there is great efficacy, 15:44 there is great effectiveness, great energy in this. 15:48 And are you righteous? Yes, you're the righteousness 15:53 of God in Christ Jesus. So, what I want to show you 15:57 in this short time, we're gonna have to hurry 15:59 is that intercessory prayer is part of God's plan 16:04 to bring his blessings from heaven down to earth. 16:08 We were created to be co-laborers with God on earth, 16:12 and intercessory prayer is the highest calling 16:15 to ministry that there is. It develops the nature 16:19 of Christ in us. It's our duty as Christians, 16:22 and neglecting this call could be the chief reason 16:27 that the work is not done. Intercessors are doubly 16:32 blessed. Now let me prove that to you from scripture. 16:35 First point, intercession is a part of God's plan 16:38 to bring blessings down from heaven. 16:40 You know in Matthews 6:7 and 8, Jesus instructs us 16:45 and he says, don't be like the heathens when 16:47 you're praying, don't use vain repetition, 16:50 but he says when you're praying, don't be like them. 16:56 They think they're gonna be heard for their 16:58 many words. He says that your Father in heaven knows 17:01 what you need before you ask. But now the irony 17:06 of prayer, if God knows what we need before we ask; 17:09 the irony of prayer is this, that he instructs us to ask. 17:15 In Matthew 7, Jesus said verses 7-11, 17:19 ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find. 17:24 Knock and the door will be opened to you and these 17:28 are linear verbs, that means if you were to look 17:30 at this long line, it's a continuing action. 17:34 The better translation into English would be ask 17:37 and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, 17:41 knock and keep on knocking and then he goes on 17:44 and he says and you being evil know how to give 17:47 good gifts to your children, how much more will 17:50 the heavenly Father give good gifts to those who 17:55 ask him? God longs to bless you, he longs to bless 18:02 mankind and prayer is how we gain, 18:05 bring these blessings down from heaven to earth. 18:12 You know I have, I can't say that scripture without 18:14 mentioning what Luke 11:13 says because it's kind of a 18:17 parallel passage and he's talking about asking, 18:21 seeking and knocking. But he says instead of how much 18:25 more will the heavenly Father give good things 18:27 to those who ask. He tells us what is the best thing, 18:31 then he says how much more will the heavenly Father 18:35 give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Did you ask 18:40 for the Holy Spirit today? Amen. 18:43 That if we come out and meet today without God 18:48 working in us, there is no way that we can be 18:50 successful. So, if he knows what we need before 18:54 we ask, why does he ask us to ask? It is God's will 18:59 to do his work on earth through his Holy Spirit 19:05 in direct response to the prayers of the people, 19:09 but the God does not force himself on anyone. 19:13 The way I think of it is this, a loving God has put 19:16 self imposed handcuffs on his own hands and he says 19:23 I am not going to force myself on Janette and maybe 19:27 Janette is not praying for herself right now, 19:30 but I am her friend and I know she is in great need. 19:34 And I go before the Lord in intercessory prayer 19:38 and I earnestly plead on her behalf. 19:43 Well, that intercessory prayer are the keys that 19:48 unlock those handcuffs and give God permission 19:54 to work in her life and I know there is a lot of parents 19:55 out here, who are praying for your children. 19:57 Maybe your children are not in the church right now. 20:01 Maybe they have backslidden or just become so busy 20:05 and you know what busy stands for? 20:08 Bondage under Satan's Yoke. And we all get so busy, 20:12 but if we pray for our children, pray for your 20:15 relatives, pray for your church members, 20:18 pray for people around the world. God hears 20:22 and answers. James said, we don't have 'cause 20:26 we don't ask or else we ask for the wrong things 20:29 for selfish reasons, but our all holy, all loving, 20:35 all powerful God waits on us to ask that he might 20:41 not interfere with the power of choice 20:43 that he has given to mankind. 20:46 Do you understand that, that he knows what we need 20:49 before we ask, but he instructs us to ask. 20:53 You know I think about it and I think Lord, 20:57 I am not sure that's the way I do it. 20:59 But God says my ways are higher than your ways, 21:02 my thoughts are higher than your thoughts. 21:05 As high as the heaven is above the earth, 21:06 so are my ways above your ways. 21:09 And this is how God has set it up, 21:12 now the second point is this. We were created 21:15 to be co-laborers with Christ on earth. 21:18 You know Romans 8:17 says that we are co-heirs 21:21 with him. But we are also to work and labor on earth 21:26 as he did. We're supposed to walk in his footsteps, 21:30 we are to be co-intercessors with him. 21:34 You are created in the image of God. And in Psalm 115, 21:38 this is what the Bible says Psalm 115, verses 15 21:41 and 16. May you be blessed by the LORD, 21:45 who made heaven and earth, the creator God, 21:48 the heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's, 21:54 but the earth he has given to the children of men. 22:00 Huh! Now the parable of the vineyard in Matthew 21, 22:05 Jesus says hear this parable, there was a certain 22:07 landowner who planted a vineyard and set ahead 22:10 around it, he dug a wine press in it and he built 22:13 a tower. And he leased it to the wine dressers 22:17 and went into a far country. That's what God's done 22:21 with us. See Psalm 24, verse 1 says that the earth 22:25 is the LORD, and the fullness thereof; 22:27 I mean he is the rightful owner of the earth, 22:30 but he has leased it to mankind. He created 22:34 the earth, he created all of his potential 22:37 and then he said, here children, this is yours, 22:41 go be fruitful and multiply, subdue, create. 22:45 Did God create iPhones, computers, or the shuttles? 22:49 No, but he had all of the potential here on the earth 22:52 and we are co-laborers with him here on earth. 22:58 But he, and he wants us to be co-laborers in spreading 23:01 the Gospel. In Second Corinthians 5:18-20 he says 23:06 now all things are of God, who has reconciled us 23:08 to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us 23:11 the ministry of reconciliation; Amen, 23:15 that is that God was in Christ reconciling the world 23:19 to himself not imputing their trespasses to them 23:22 and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 23:27 Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ as though 23:31 God we're pleading through us, 23:34 we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 23:39 Ambassador Teehankee was here from the Philippines 23:41 and he did our corporate worship on Tuesday. 23:45 And he said the first thing that they trained him 23:48 as an Ambassador is that you don't open your mouth 23:51 unless what's coming out of it is the mind of the King. 23:57 The mind of the president, you've got to speak 24:00 as an Ambassador, everywhere you speak is to 24:04 represent the president of that country and 24:08 immediately I thought oh! Lord as an ambassador 24:11 for Jesus Christ every time I open my mouth 24:16 is your mind coming through me? 24:22 Intercessions is our duty as Christians. 24:25 Ezekiel 22, verses 28-30, this is that famous 24:30 stand in the gaps passage but I want to read it 24:34 you in context. Ezekiel 22:28 and 30 God says, 24:41 her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, 24:45 seeing false visions and divining lies for them. 24:50 Thus says the Lord when the Lord had not spoken. 24:54 Are there people in today's what we call a Christian 24:58 realm or a Christian society; are there people out 25:02 there who are saying thus the Lord 25:04 when it's not God who is speaking, that's untempered 25:08 mortar, these false visions and he goes on to say, 25:11 this people of the land had used oppressions, 25:14 committed robbery, mistreated the poor 25:16 and the needy and they wrongfully oppressed 25:19 the stranger. Don't we see that going in on in our own 25:23 world and here's what the Lord says. 25:25 So, I sought for a man among them, 25:29 who would make up a wall and stand in the gap 25:32 before me, on behalf of the land that I should not 25:36 destroy it, but I found no one. I found no one 25:43 to intercede, no one to keep my raft back. 25:49 He says in verse 31, therefore I have poured out 25:53 my indignation on them. I have consumed them 25:58 with the fire of my wrath. And I have recompensed 26:01 their deeds on their own heads says the Lord God. 26:05 That's what God would have done to those rebellious 26:11 Hebrew children who were in the, in the wilderness 26:13 if Moses hadn't stood in the gap and said Lord 26:16 don't bolt their name out, bolt mine. 26:19 But now here is the scripture that was a turning 26:22 point for me, an absolute turning point. 26:25 Isaiah 59, verses 14-16, I want you to turn your 26:30 Bible there because this scripture came, 26:34 is coming alive in my heart and it's changing the way 26:40 that I pray. Isaiah 59, verses 14-16, in Isaiah 59, 26:51 verse 14, the Bible says, justice is turned back 26:58 and righteousness stands far off, for truth 27:01 has fallen in the street and equity cannot enter. 27:07 Do we see that in our own society in today's world? 27:11 So, truth fails and he who departs from evil 27:14 makes himself a prey. Then the Lord saw it 27:18 and it displeased him that there was no justice. 27:23 But now look at verse 16, he saw that there 27:27 was no man and wondered. He saw and wondered 27:33 that there was no intercessor, therefore his own 27:41 arm brought salvation for them and his own 27:42 righteousness, it sustained them. God looked down 27:45 and saw the condition of the world and he saw that 27:50 there was no man to intercede and he was filled 27:54 with wonder. He was so amazed that no one would 28:01 stand in the gap. You know why he was amazed 28:04 there's two reasons. This is what he showed me 28:09 the day that I deleted that email with just a little 28:14 formula player. He was amazed that there 28:18 was no one who loved the people enough to pray 28:22 for them. When we are not interceding on behalf 28:26 of others, it's a lack of love in our own hearts 28:30 and he was absolutely astonished that there 28:35 was no man who believed in his power to deliver. 28:42 That's the only two reasons we are not interceding 28:45 is either we don't love that group of people or that 28:49 individual enough to pray for them or else we are not 28:53 firmly convinced that God has the power to 28:57 deliver them. Now, you think about that, 29:00 that will change your heart, won't it? 29:04 I mean I don't about you but when the Lord was revealing 29:06 this to me, it was like a dagger went into my heart. 29:10 And I thought Lord God, forgive me and now anytime 29:14 there is prayer need and if I'm rushing right past it, 29:17 I'm thinking stop Shelly, Lord pour your love into 29:22 my heart for these people and let me pray, 29:24 let me love them with your love. Amen. And Lord, 29:28 I believe help their my unbelief, 29:31 I believe you've got the power to deliver. 29:36 Jeremiah 29:4-7, God instructs us to pray 29:40 interceding, thus says the Lord of host, 29:43 the God of Israel to all who were carried away captive, 29:47 whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem 29:50 to Babylon. They're in Babylon, they're captive. 29:54 Now God's giving them instructions and listen to this. 29:57 He says, build houses and dwell in them; 29:59 plant gardens and eat their fruit. 30:01 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; 30:03 take wives for your sons and give your daughters 30:05 to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters. 30:09 That you may be increased there and not diminished. 30:14 Now listen, in captivity, in Babylon what God 30:18 has to say, he says, and seek the peace of the city 30:22 where I have caused you to be carried away captive. 30:27 Oh! What, pray for the peace of Babylon, 30:32 God you want me to intercede on behalf of my enemies 30:34 that have carried me away captive? 30:38 I know if you are on the Internet you get all kinds 30:42 of stuff. I mean I get stuff of political nature 30:47 forwarded to me all the time and a lot of that 30:50 I agree with and I am just, just, just can. 30:54 And thinking yes, this is true. But you know what 30:57 God's got me doing now, he's got me stopping to pray 31:02 for the people; to pray for the people, 31:04 the heads of the state around the world. Amen. 31:09 For the senate, for the congress of the United States, 31:11 for the President. For those that we think, 31:16 you know I pray for Osama bin Laden that 31:18 he'll have a change of heart. Amen. Amen. 31:21 I never loved him enough to pray for him before, 31:24 but God is showing me that we need to pray, 31:28 that's why he said in First Timothy when Paul wrote, 31:30 he said you gotta pray for all men. 31:32 And I want to share something with your right now. 31:35 If you've got a pen you might want to write this 31:37 down and for those of you at home. 31:39 Recently I was contacted by the elder of the San 31:43 Diego Korean Adventist Church and they have 31:47 a wonderful ministry going on. 31:50 They've got churches across United States, 31:54 they're praying for North Korea, 31:56 they're praying for mercy. They are pleading with 32:00 the Lord to bless those handful of Christians 32:03 that are there in such a unbelievable situation, 32:09 who were being prosecuted, but they're praying 32:11 that God will open the door for evangelism, 32:15 that they can evangelize North Korea and as soon as 32:18 I heard that I thought oh! Lord forgive me, 32:21 I prayed for a lot of places but I haven't prayed 32:24 for North Korea. Those are your people. 32:27 So, if you've got a pen you might wanna go to 32:30 prayercoalition.org if you want to join in this prayer 32:37 and praying for the people, they have conference calls 32:40 where they've got people calling in from around 32:42 the world and they're praying with earnestness. 32:45 They are praying like Elijah did, praying with prayer, 32:48 that's prayercoalition.org. 32:50 In Ephesians 6:17 and 18, Paul writes and tells us 32:55 that we are to take the helmet of salvation, 32:58 that assurance of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, 33:02 which is the word of God and pray always 33:05 with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. 33:09 Being watchful to this end with all perseverance 33:15 and supplication for all saints. We need to be praying 33:19 for the people who are in the mission fields. 33:21 Praying for the pastors, praying for what's going on 33:24 in every church. Now, the most important thing to show 33:29 you that it is our duty as Christians to intercede, 33:34 is First Samuel 12 and verse 23, First Samuel 12:23, 33:43 it is a sin against the Lord when we do not intercede. 33:50 That's right. First Samuel 12:23, Samuel writes 33:56 and he says moreover, as for me, far be it from me 34:02 that I should sin against the Lord, in ceasing to pray 34:10 for you; far be it for me that I should sin against 34:16 the Lord, reminds of what David wrote in Psalm 51. 34:22 Against you and you only have I sinned, 34:25 but it's our duty, we were created in his image, 34:27 we were given the mind of Christ. 34:31 We are supposed to be praying for our enemies, 34:37 praying for our church, praying for people all around 34:41 the world. The next point intercession is the highest 34:47 calling to ministry, from time to time I have people 34:50 who call and they'll be precious little saints and 34:53 I talked with one not probably a week or two ago. 34:57 Little 93-year-old woman and she said to me, honey, 35:00 there is just not much we can do for the Lord anymore, 35:03 I just can't get out of the house, 35:05 3ABN is my church and I'm saying well Praise the Lord, 35:08 she said, it keeps me going. She said all I can do 35:12 nowadays is just pray. So, I pray for you all everyday, 35:18 I pray for all the people, God's people around the world 35:22 and I told her, you've got the highest calling to ministry 35:26 that there is. Let me prove it to you from scripture. 35:28 Hebrews 7:24 and 25, Hebrews 7:24 and 25, 35:39 the reason I say intercessory prayer is the highest 35:42 calling to ministry is because it is the ministry 35:45 of our risen and exalted savior. The Bible says 35:52 in Hebrews 7:24, but he, speaking of Jesus, 35:57 because he continues forever has an unchangeable 36:01 priesthood. Therefore he is able to save to the 36:08 uttermost those who come to God through him 36:14 since he always lives to make intercession for them. 36:20 He is our advocate, he is the one who's interceding 36:25 for us. Amen. You know when John said in 36:28 First John 2:1, he said my little children I write 36:30 these things to you that you may not violate 36:32 God's law or sin. But if anybody should sin we have 36:36 an advocate before the Father. An advocate means 36:40 one who intercedes on your behalf is Christ Jesus, 36:46 the righteous. Hallelujah. Who is he who condemns us 36:51 Paul says. Who is he who condemns us, it's Christ 36:57 Jesus who died and furthermore he is also risen. 36:59 So, he is not gonna condemn you. He died for you, 37:05 there is no one to condemn you, he is even at 37:08 the right hand of God, he says in Romans 8:34. 37:12 Interceding for us, that's what Jesus is doing. 37:18 So, as our priest King Christ lives in the presence 37:22 of the Father and intercessory is the highest 37:27 expression of his ministry, as our, as he exercises 37:34 his rights as our advocate. The next point, 37:39 intercessory prayer develops the nature of Christ in us. 37:45 Amen. He wants all men to be saved. 37:48 An intercessory prayer is our highest privilege, 37:52 highest calling to ministry, it is the intercessory holds 37:56 the place of infinite importance in God's plan. 38:02 In God's Kingdom of grace, he is looking for those 38:05 who will intercede on behalf of the others. 38:08 He wants us to pray unceasingly. Amen. 38:11 For a perishing world. This is the greatest ministry 38:15 power, you know we talk about people who have 38:18 great elocution, there are so good at sharing the 38:25 message and we think wow! That's the greatest ministry 38:29 power to get the Gospel out. No, no, no, no, the greatest 38:33 ministry power that God has bestowed upon us 38:37 is intercessory prayer. I'm gonna prove it to you 38:41 before the end of this, this teaching. 38:43 What it does is it lines our thoughts up with God's 38:48 thoughts, as we are praying for others. 38:53 We should plead for the power of the Holy Spirit to be 38:56 made known to all men. You know I know, 39:00 I haven't ask her, but I am sure Jerry and Janet 39:03 Page wouldn't mind me sharing this. 39:04 Because they've shared it on 3ABN before. 39:08 When he was a conference president in a different 39:10 conference in the central California where he is now. 39:14 She said that there was this prayer group that 39:16 got started. And they were praying constantly and 39:20 pretty soon everywhere she went within this conference 39:25 people were saying, we are praying for you and Jerry 39:27 to be filled with the Holy Spirit and she said at first 39:30 I thought what do you mean your praying for me 39:32 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I know the Lord, 39:34 I've been a Christian all my. I'm a pastor's wife. 39:39 And she said what is this, and she said, 39:41 she told Jerry what is this, everybody is praying for us 39:43 to be filled with the Holy Spirit and she said then 39:46 one day it happened and life has never been the same. 39:49 We need to pray for our pastors, 39:52 pray for our leaders, pray for leaders everywhere 39:56 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Ask God to show us 40:01 how the prayer of faith helps us to tape into his grace 40:06 as we exercise this power for his glory. Now, 40:10 another point, neglecting this calling could be the chief 40:16 reason that the work isn't finished. 40:21 Don't you want to see the work finished? Amen. 40:25 You know God does too; he's coming back for a spotless 40:29 bride isn't he. Yeah. One without a blemish or wrinkle, 40:35 that encourages me. He says to us and turn here 40:39 if you will, I am gonna read it to you from the amplified, 40:42 it's gonna read a little bit differently than your Bible. 40:44 But I just want to show you it's Isaiah 62, 40:50 Isaiah 62 and let's look at verse 6 and 7. 40:58 This is the watchman on the walls, he has 41:03 called you; he has called me to be a 41:08 watchman on the walls, look at this. 41:09 Isaiah 62:6, I have set watchman upon your 41:13 walls oh Jerusalem, who will never hold 41:17 their peace day or night. You who are 41:23 his servants and by your prayers, that's 41:28 what's implicated here. You who are his 41:31 servants and by your prayers put the Lord 41:34 in remembrance, remembrance of 41:36 what? In remembrances of his 41:38 promises. Keep not silence and give him 41:44 no rest until he establishes Jerusalem 41:48 and makes her appraised in all of the 41:52 earth. Right now he is saying I have set you 41:55 as watchmen on the walls. You John as a 42:00 watchman on the walls, keep not silent, 42:03 you are the servant of God, by your prayers 42:06 constantly put God in remembrance of his 42:10 promises. Pray, pray, pray for your church, 42:16 pray for your family, pray for 3ABN, pray 42:21 for Hope channel. There is no competition 42:24 here, pray that there will be a unity in the body. 42:29 Pray that we can finally get it together 42:33 and quit all of our little silly petty things 42:39 and get out there and get this work done. 42:44 Amen. Pray and ask God to truly pour out 42:50 his blessings on each and everyone of us, as 42:54 lay people that we may go out and do the 42:56 work. You know Jesus said in Luke 18, 43:00 he was talking about the parable of the 43:02 persistent widow and you know how that 43:04 starts. He says he, he taught us this so that 43:08 we would learn not to give up in prayer 43:10 basically is what he is saying and he goes 43:13 through this parable and he finally gets 43:15 down after talking about this persistent 43:18 widow that goes to King, pleading day 43:20 after day, night after night and finally the 43:22 King says okay, you got it. And he saying 43:26 hey this evil King will do this, he said, shall 43:30 not God avenge his own elect who cry out 43:34 day and night to him, though he bears long 43:36 with him, I tell you Jesus says, he will 43:40 avenge them speedily, nevertheless when the 43:45 son of man comes will he really find 43:49 faith on the earth? Will he? He will if we 43:55 will understand his will and we 43:57 understand his will by understanding his 44:00 word. We get into the word, we find the 44:03 promises, we pray those promises back 44:06 to him, bringing him into remembrances of 44:08 his promises, pleading and not giving up. But 44:12 most people, I would say perhaps the 44:15 majority of Christians neglect Christ's call to 44:20 this earnest prayer. To unceasing prayer to 44:24 receive the answer, let me share something 44:27 with you. I think I've got time. In the 44:31 farewell discourse, if you want to turn to 44:34 John chapter 14, you can kind of flip 44:36 through here and follow this with me. 44:38 Jesus, before he went to the garden his 44:42 farewell discourses considered John 44:44 chapter 14-17 in those three chapters he has 44:49 seven prayer promises that he gives to us. 44:53 So, let's begin with John 14:13, Jesus 44:58 says whatever you ask in my name that I will 45:01 do, that the Father maybe glorified in the 45:04 son, do you believe it? Amen. Amen. 45:06 Whatever we ask, why are we asking so little. 45:10 Why do we ask so little? We don't 45:13 believe, I mean we got a middle 45:15 ascension 'cause we say this is what the 45:17 word says. But we need greater faith to 45:21 believe that if God says whatever we ask 45:25 if we are meeting the conditions of prayer 45:28 then it will be done. Look at John 14:14, 45:32 he says if you ask anything in my name 45:35 I will do it. Now according to the 45:37 Hebrew thought, a person's name was 45:41 linked to their character, their rights 45:44 and their authority. So, using the name of 45:46 Jesus in prayer is not some mystical power, 45:52 praying in his name means to be praying 45:53 in his will, in his authority. Now John 45:55 15:7, turn to there, John 15:7 Jesus says, 45:59 if you abide in me, and my words abide 46:03 in you, you will ask what you desire and it 46:07 shall be done. Oh! We get frightened by this 46:11 scripture, because people have twisted 46:14 this scripture around for name it and claim 46:16 it. Yeah. That if whatever desire, O 46:20 Lord I want a new Mercedes Benz. No, 46:23 he says if you abide in me, if you are living 46:28 in me and my word abides in you, my 46:31 word is living in your heart ask whatever 46:33 you wish, whatever you desire and it will 46:36 be done for you, because what happens 46:38 when you're living in the word, you are 46:41 living in Jesus the words in your heart, it 46:44 lines you up with God. His desires 46:48 through his word become your desires, 46:51 his thoughts become your thoughts and you 46:53 are praying in agreement with the 46:55 word and the Will of Jesus Christ. He says 46:59 in John 15:16, you did not choose me but I 47:02 chose you and appointed you that 47:03 you should go and bear fruit that your 47:05 fruit should remain and whatever you ask 47:08 the Father in my name he will give you. 47:11 Whatever, anything, all things. John 16:23, 47:22 boy if Jesus gave seven prayer promises 47:24 in one farewell discourse, seven is a 47:25 number of perfection. John 16:23, this is 47:29 important for us take note of, he says in that 47:32 day you will ask me nothing most 47:34 assuredly I say to you, whatever you ask the 47:36 Father in my name he will give you, 47:40 whatever. Look at the next verse, John 16:24 47:44 until now you've asked nothing in my 47:46 name. Ask and you will receive that your 47:50 joy may be full. No wonder James says 47:53 you have not 'cause you ask not. Or you 47:56 ask amiss because you want to use it in 47:57 selfish pleasures. Look in John 16:26 48:01 and 27, he says in that day you will ask in 48:04 my name and I do not say that I shall pray 48:07 the Father for you, for the Father himself 48:09 loves you, because you have loved me 48:12 and believed that I came forth from God. 48:16 Let me share a story with you. Two years 48:19 ago we were at ASI, sitting at the dinner 48:22 table and Dr. Ratsara, who is the President 48:27 of the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean 48:30 division, that is a mouthful isn't it. 48:33 Precious man of God and God is doing a 48:37 work in his heart and I mean, this was two 48:41 years ago I mean that, that division is on 48:44 fire, because God started doing a work 48:47 in his heart about prayer. Isn't it funny 48:50 that I forget about this, until this year at 48:53 ASI I saw another man from this 48:55 division and the story came to my mind. But 48:59 what Dr. Ratsara shared was that God 49:01 was working in his heart about prayer and 49:05 fasting. So, he decided to try it in a 49:08 district that there had been no growth, no 49:13 baptisms for 20 years, this was a non- 49:16 Christian area and there were 273 49:21 members in this very large spread out 49:24 district. And I don't, if I remember this story 49:27 correctly I don't believe there was a 49:28 pastor, there they were lay leaders. But 49:31 what he did is he went to them and he 49:34 showed them what God was showing him 49:37 about the power of prayer and fasting, 49:42 and what happened was this. There was 49:46 one little farmer there, he was layman but he 49:50 got on fire through prayer and fasting. He 49:53 went out, he did just individually eight 49:56 campaigns and planted 53 churches. 50:03 Amen. Praise God. In two years. Praise 50:04 God. In two years. Amen. But get this, 50:06 273 members praying and fasting, interceding 50:14 on behalf of all of the people for two years. 50:17 In two years it went from 273 members to over 50:23 21,000 members. Two years they baptized 50:31 over 1725 members in two years. Do we 50:37 want to see this work get done. Amen. See 50:40 when we get serious with God, he will get 50:44 serious with us. Our lack of prayer limits 50:49 what God can do, what he can work 50:53 through in our lives. We've got to have 50:57 united fervent prayer, we've got to be like 51:01 Elijah in praying we pray. We've got to be 51:05 like these Africans, we got to wake up 51:10 church. Amen. We got to start praying 51:13 with laboring, fervently in prayer for 51:17 others. Amen. And you know what? You 51:21 will be doubly blessed if you do. Amen. 51:24 Intercessors are doubly blessed. Now I 51:28 know one think J.D. is always telling me. 51:30 He'll come home and we discuss his prayer 51:33 calls during the day of course you know he is 51:34 with the pastoral department of 3ABN. 51:37 And we pray for some people that he's 51:40 prayed for and he'll share stories but he is 51:43 always saying to me, it's so amazing. He 51:46 said, these people are praying for you and 51:49 me Shelly. He said it's so, it's so heart warming, 51:53 'cause they'll call and they'll say we pray for you 51:56 everyday and that's; you know that's 51:58 something that we look at and say Lord 52:00 no wonder we're so blessed, thank you 52:02 Father God. But intercessors are 52:04 doubly blessed. Job 42 verse 10, Job 52:08 received a double blessing when he 52:12 prayed for his friends. Turn to Job 42, and 52:15 verse 10, in Job 42 and verse 10 it says 52:24 and this is after by the way you all know the 52:27 story. Job's friends if you can call them 52:31 friends had just, they thought they knew 52:35 what was going on. You know until God 52:39 shows up and says to them I mean they're 52:41 fussing at Job, telling him how it's all his 52:45 fault, he is not righteous. Have you 52:46 ever had friends that think they know the 52:48 answer to what's going on in your life 52:50 and you sit and listen to them and think 52:52 you're wearing me with your advice, 52:55 that's the way Job was. He had these 52:59 friends who were actually harping at 53:01 him. And God shows up on the scene and 53:05 he says who is this that darkens my 53:08 council with words without wisdom. You 53:13 know we gotta be careful when we are 53:15 offering council to somebody else. We 53:18 shouldn't council or give our opinion to 53:20 anyone unless we prayed and asked the 53:22 Lord what's going on. So Job 42 verse 10, it 53:25 says here God has shown up, he's shown 53:30 himself to Job, Job's beginning to get the 53:32 true picture, he suddenly isn't 53:35 blaming God and Job turns around and 53:39 begins praying for these friends who 53:41 were so irritating to him and it says, and 53:43 the Lord restored Job's losses, when? 53:47 When he prayed for his friends God restored 53:54 the losses and he gave the Job twice as much, a 53:58 double blessing, twice as much as he had 54:02 before. If you've got problems in your 54:06 marriage, pray for other people's marriages 54:08 If you've got problems with your children, pray 54:11 for other people's children. Amen. If 54:13 you've got problems in your church, pray 54:15 for other people's churches. Amen. As 54:17 we pray for others God sees, I mean 54:20 when we are going through a problem we 54:21 surely understand how devastating it can 54:26 be and it makes us pray with more 54:28 compassion. It's the highest privilege and 54:32 the greatest responsibility of a Christian 54:35 and not only does it bring down God's blessing on 54:39 others, but as we've seen it brings down 54:42 God's blessings, double portion 54:45 blessings on us. Why? Because we are 54:48 developing the mind of Christ. Amen 54:52 Don't we want to see his work finished? 54:56 Amen. And usher in the second coming of 54:58 Jesus. Amen. Oh Lord, we do. Amen. 55:02 We do. But we do about this much, we 55:08 say it, it's kind of like a theory, it's something 55:11 that oh! Yeah, this is going to be good. 55:12 But God says I am gonna stir you up, 55:16 I am gonna make you really yearn for it, 55:19 so that you will plead for the perishing, 55:22 intercede on their behalf, pray unceasingly for the 55:28 perishing world, stand in the gap, love people 55:34 enough to intercede trust in God, have faith in God 55:42 enough to believe that he has the power to 55:47 deliver. Amen. Do not sin against the Lord, 55:51 amen, by failing or ceasing to pray for others. 55:57 In Second Chronicles 7:14, he said, if my 56:04 people who are called by my name will 56:07 humble themselves, it does take a good dose 56:11 of humility, you got to understand your 56:14 not master of your own ship, you're not 56:17 in control, your not sovereign, and its, it 56:21 really takes humility to pray for your enemies. 56:25 I am praying right now for a lady, I won't say 56:29 where she lives, but she was a Muslim she became 56:34 A Christian by watching 3ABN. Amen. But she 56:36 is married to a Muslim man who is tormenting her, 56:40 punishing her, beating her everyday, and she 56:44 says, I tell her all the time. Your story inspires 56:48 everyone and she says, I will take a beating 56:50 everyday if I can inspire someone else to stand 56:53 in faith like this, but I also pray for her husband. 56:57 I pray O Lord, change his heart or get him 57:02 out of the way. Amen. He says if you'll pray 57:04 and seek my face and turn from your wicked 57:07 ways I will hear from heaven and I will forgive 57:12 your sin and heal their land. Amen. Let's pray. |
Revised 2014-12-17