Participants: Wes McDonald
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000402
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00:31 Hello friends, I'm Wes McDonald,
00:33 I wanna welcome you today to Faith Chapel here 00:36 at 3ABN. We're glad that you could be with us as 00:39 we open the word of God and we learn together. 00:42 Before we do that would you pray with me? 00:46 Father in heaven, I thank you that we can 00:49 come before you today and ask for your blessings 00:53 upon our time together, I ask that you'll anoint 00:57 my heart, mind, my lips with words from on high, 01:01 may there be a blessing to our viewers today 01:03 and may we all learn of you, in Jesus name, amen. 01:11 Our message today is straight way, 01:15 sounds like a strange word for a message but 01:19 you'll see what I mean in a moment. 01:21 Let's turn to Mark 6 and verse 30 to 34 and 01:25 read together. We'll open God's word in Mark the 01:28 6th chapter. And the apostles gathered 01:33 themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all 01:36 things, both what they had done, 01:38 and what they had taught. And he said unto them, 01:42 Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and 01:45 rest awhile: for there were many coming and 01:48 going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. 01:53 And they've departed into a desert place by ship 01:56 privately. And the people saw them departing, 01:59 and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out 02:04 of all cities, and out went them, 02:06 and came together unto him. And Jesus, 02:09 when he came out, saw much people, 02:13 and was moved with compassion toward them, 02:16 because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: 02:20 and he began to teach them many things. 02:25 Jesus short life upon this earth and his even 02:30 shorter period of ministry was non-stop rapid 02:37 pace work. He and the disciples often times had 02:42 very little time for sleep and they had so much 02:46 depended upon them that they even sometimes had 02:50 no time even to eat. So Jesus was a busy man, 02:56 Jesus did not have time for little things he was 03:00 always, always, always busy. How many of you 03:03 have a life like that. Constant demand, 03:07 so if you're a mother, you have children, 03:09 you have the husband, you have the house, 03:11 you may have jobs in addition to that, 03:13 you are up earlier, you stay up late, 03:15 you barely have time to sleep, 03:17 you have no time for yourself and then you 03:20 think I even, don't even have time for prayer or 03:23 Bible study, how many of you actually feel that 03:25 at times? Let's look at Jesus life for a moment. 03:28 I wanna direct your attention to the first 03:31 chapter of Mark and I want you to notice every 03:34 time we come to the word like straight away, 03:38 which means right away or immediately. 03:41 We'll also see the word immediately; 03:43 we'll also see the word anon which again means 03:46 right away. And you are going to get the picture 03:49 of Jesus as a very busy man. 03:51 Let's go to Mark the first chapter, 03:53 now we're going to read through a number 03:55 of verses. The beginning of the gospel of 03:58 Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 04:02 And in verse 10, and straightway coming up out 04:05 of the water, he saw the heavens opened, 04:08 and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. 04:12 Moving on to verse 12, and immediately the spirit 04:17 driveth him into the wilderness. Verse 18, 04:22 and straightway which means immediately they 04:24 forsook their nets, and followed him. 04:28 Moving on to verses 20 and 21, 04:30 and straightway again immediately, 04:33 he called them: and they left their father 04:35 Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, 04:39 and went after him. And they went into Capernaum; 04:42 and straightway, here we are again with that word 04:45 on straightway, on the Sabbath day he entered 04:49 into the synagogue, and taught. 04:51 Moving on to verse 28 to 31, and here it is, 04:56 immediately his fame spread abroad throughout 05:00 all the region round about Galilee. 05:04 And forthwith, right away in other words when 05:07 they were come out of the synagogue, 05:10 they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew 05:13 with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother 05:17 lay sick of a fever, and anon, which means again 05:21 right way they tell him of her. And he came and 05:25 took her by the hand, and lifted her up; 05:27 and immediately the fever left her, 05:30 and she ministered unto them. 05:32 Moving on to verse 38, and He, meaning Jesus said 05:37 unto them, Let us go into the next towns, 05:39 that I may preach there also; 05:41 for therefore came I forth. Moving on to 05:46 verse 42 to 43, And as soon as he had spoken, 05:49 immediately the leprosy departed from him, 05:52 and he was cleansed. And he straightly 05:55 charged him, and forthwith, 05:57 right away sent him away. Jesus' life was busy. 06:06 He was obviously the busiest man who had ever 06:09 lived or ever will live and every moment, 06:13 every portion of his day had no time lost Jesus 06:17 was not a timewaster. I must confess to you 06:21 that I have a problem with that I cannot say that 06:26 I use every moment of every day to the best 06:29 advantage and it is something that I struggle 06:31 with something that I pray about and God has 06:34 blessed me and I've been improving over the 06:36 years. But I'm not where I want to be how about 06:39 yourself, do you ever waste time? 06:41 Well I can't here you so you can answer for 06:44 yourself. But Jesus schedule was so busy that 06:48 honestly as you read the entire book of Mark, 06:50 the entire book of Mark reads that way. 06:53 Every time Jesus did something it was right at 06:56 the way with no time for rest in between and He 06:59 was often up early and he stayed up late and 07:03 everyone was demanding his attention and He was 07:06 always busy, busy, busy, busy, 07:08 in fact He was so busy, He didn't have time 07:10 to pray. He was so busy that you would think 07:14 Jesus didn't have time for worship. 07:16 He didn't have time for God. 07:18 And in reality that was the case through out the 07:22 day he had very little if anytime of quietness 07:26 for personal reflection, meditation, study, 07:30 prayer because everyone was seeking his 07:35 attention, seeking his healing, seeking his 07:38 teachings. All throughout the day in his day 07:40 began early and it ended very late. 07:43 And so what you do when you have to save 07:46 the world? What do you do when you have to save 07:49 lost souls and everyone is demanding your 07:52 attention and you have no time to eat, sleep, 07:55 rest anything, how do you get your time with God 07:58 when there is no time. Well I'll tell you what 08:02 Jesus did? Jesus made time for God. 08:09 Jesus took away time out of sleep in order 08:13 to make time for God. You know I myself some 08:16 number of years ago I was pasturing and my mind 08:19 was always labored with different demands were 08:23 replaced upon me and in the churches and in the 08:27 my labors for lost souls and so I was always 08:33 concerned and often times I would wake up quite 08:36 early in the morning. Sometimes, 08:38 1 O'clock in the morning, on one occasion I 08:40 remember waking up at 11 O'clock at night, 08:42 that was very difficult. But typically I'd wake 08:44 up maybe 3 O'clock, 4 O'clock in the morning 08:47 and it used to kind of bother me 08:48 I used to worry about it. 08:49 I'd say, oh my goodness, I can't sleep, 08:51 this is terrible, I'll never make it through 08:53 the day and I used to really be kind of upset 08:56 and just kind of you know feel sorry for myself 08:59 that I couldn't sleep and then I remember one 09:03 time I thought to myself alright. 09:06 Instead of being upset because I can't sleep I'm 09:09 gonna start doing something productive 09:11 with that time I'm going to spend that time 09:13 in prayer. And you know what was interesting, 09:19 I didn't really get anymore sleep but I felt 09:22 better. Once I started to devote that time that 09:26 I was awake much earlier than one I wanted to be, 09:28 when I devoted that to prayer, 09:30 communication with God then it was like I had 09:35 energy to the next day. It was like I could get 09:38 by on very little sleep no matter what happened 09:40 I could make it and I could survive and you know 09:43 what I was so much more satisfied and I think 09:46 my life was productive for good. 09:49 Turn if you will to Luke 6 verse 12 and 13, 09:53 let's read together. Luke 6, and it came to 09:57 pass in those days, that he went out into a 10:01 mountain to pray, and continued all 10:04 night in prayer to God. And when it was day, 10:09 he called unto him his disciples: 10:11 and of them He chose twelve, 10:14 whom he also named apostles. 10:18 Jesus was profoundly busy and yet in order to get 10:23 the required time He needed with God so that He 10:27 could have the direction He needed to save the 10:29 world, there were times when He spent the entire 10:32 night in prayer. And He did this 10:36 often times by going out to a quiet place, 10:39 do you have a quiet place where you can spend 10:41 time with God. A place where no one 10:43 can bother you, no one can interrupt 10:45 you where it's just precious, you and your 10:49 Savior alone. Jesus did that, 10:53 it was the only way that He could do that, 10:55 he would often send his disciples away, 10:58 so you go rest a while and they say master you 11:00 need to rest, you need to take some time for 11:03 yourself, He'd say don't you worry about me. 11:05 You go and you rest and then He would go rest 11:09 in God. He wasn't sleeping, 11:13 but he would spend the entire night in prayer 11:17 and then he would start the next day in the same 11:19 way all day busy. You know when we devote 11:23 time to God and prayer in this way, 11:26 God does something for us, he provides a miracle 11:28 on our behalf and gives us energy that we didn't 11:31 have, gives us capabilities that we 11:33 didn't have because if you devote yourself to 11:36 God, God devotes special attention to you because 11:40 He sees that you seek after him, 11:42 you hunger and thirst after righteousness, 11:44 it's important to you, will you want to be more 11:46 Christ like, you want to be more like God, 11:49 you want to have the mind of Christ, 11:51 you want to save lost sinners, 11:53 lost souls for eternity, God will not allow you 11:57 to suffer for having spent time with Him in 12:00 prayer friends. I can tell you that from my 12:03 own personal experience. But often times as 12:07 professional time wasters we keep ourselves busy 12:11 not necessarily doing the good things that 12:13 Jesus did, but we spend them doing things that 12:16 are less good, maybe not the best things. 12:21 Have you ever spent time doing the things that 12:24 were not the best? Or you may even be 12:28 doing good things but not the best things. 12:31 What are the best things that we could do? 12:33 Let's turn to Luke 10 verse 38 to 42 and let's 12:39 read together. Now it came to pass as they went, 12:44 that He entered into a certain village: 12:47 and a certain woman named Martha received him 12:50 into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, 12:53 which also sat at Jesus' feet, 12:56 and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered 13:00 about much serving, and came to him, 13:02 and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister 13:06 hath left me to serve alone? 13:08 Bid her therefore that she help me. 13:12 And Jesus answered and said unto her, 13:14 Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled 13:19 about many things: But one thing is needful: 13:25 and Mary hath chosen that good part, 13:28 which shall not be taken away from her. 13:34 Are we in such a case that we have not been doing 13:37 the one thing that was needful? 13:41 Have we not been sitting at the feet of Jesus as 13:45 Mary did? Have we been too much like Martha, 13:49 too busy doing all the good things and 13:51 neglecting the best things? Friends, we need 13:56 to spend time with Jesus doing that which 13:58 is best. In John the 12th chapter, 14:01 we find another illustration of 14:03 Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus because she 14:07 loved her master. You know when you 14:08 are a sinner and you have, we're all sinners but 14:12 when you realize how deeply you have offended 14:15 God and you realize how merciful He has been 14:18 to save you, then you want to spend time with 14:22 Him and you want to be close to Him because 14:24 you adore Him for having giving you such 14:26 a second chance on life. Let's go to John 12 and 14:30 see about this Mary, Mary had been guilty 14:33 of terrible sins and Christ had forgiven her 14:36 multiple times. Those to who much has been given 14:40 much is required those who have been forgiven 14:43 much love much. Mary had been forgiven much 14:46 and she loved much. Let's turn there now read 14:50 together. Then Jesus six days before the passover 14:55 came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, 14:58 which had been dead, whom he raised from 15:01 the dead. There they made a supper; 15:03 and Martha served: but Lazarus was one 15:07 of them that sat at the table with him. 15:11 Then Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, 15:14 very costly, and anointed the feet 15:17 of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: 15:21 and the house was filled with the odor of the 15:24 ointment. Then saith one of the disciples, 15:27 Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, 15:30 which should betray him, Why was not this 15:33 ointment sold for three hundred pence, 15:37 and given to the poor? This he said, 15:40 not that he cared for the poor: 15:43 but because he was a thief, and had the bag, 15:46 and bear what was put therein. 15:49 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: 15:52 against the day of my burying she hath 15:54 kept this. For the poor ye have always with you; 15:58 but me ye have not always. 16:02 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he 16:05 was there: and they came not for Jesus' 16:08 sake but that they might see Lazarus also, 16:12 whom he had raised from the dead. 16:14 But the chief priests consulted that they might 16:16 put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason 16:20 of him many of the Jews went away, 16:22 and believed on Jesus. You know the poor 16:28 we will always have with us and we must attend to 16:31 that, but even more than that we must 16:34 spend time with Jesus. We must spend time 16:37 with God. Prayer is like the breath for the soul, 16:41 a day without prayer is like a day without 16:44 breathing. Have you spent time in prayer and I'm 16:48 not talking about that little thing where you 16:50 live the house in rush in the morning and you ask 16:53 the Lord to bless you, and to protect you and 16:55 then you don't think anymore about God all 16:57 day long. Friends you and I need to have an all 17:01 day long running conversation with God. 17:04 There's not a moment nor a second that we are 17:08 saved without being an attitude of prayer with 17:10 God. You and I need to devote our entire lives 17:14 to God and every moment of every day include God. 17:18 You know it's very difficult to fall into sin 17:21 if you're praying at the time. 17:22 Can you imagine while you're praying to God 17:25 to keep you from sin falling into sin? 17:27 It's a bit absurd. You remember Jesus told 17:30 the disciples just pray, lest He enter into 17:33 temptation. What they do? They fell asleep. 17:36 And they felt a temptation and they denied 17:39 their savior. When he needed them the most 17:43 are we guilty of that at times? 17:45 Have you ever denied your Lord? 17:47 I have, I have. It gives me great shame and 17:51 reproach to realize that but I'm, 17:52 Praise the Lord, God forgives. 17:55 When we repent confess our sins, 17:58 He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to 18:01 cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 18:05 Jesus loves us and He will save us from our sins 18:09 if we'll allow him. You've heard it said, 18:13 early to bed and early to rise makes you healthy, 18:16 wealthy and wise. I'm not suggesting 18:20 to you that all of us need to spend all night in 18:23 prayer as often as Jesus did, 18:26 but I will tell you that for sure we need to 18:28 spend more time communicating with 18:30 our Savior. And when there is no time we 18:34 need to go to bed early, and we need to get up 18:38 early so that we can begin our day in a 18:41 productive way with Jesus as our guide. 18:45 Turn if you will to Isaiah 26 and verse 9 18:49 let's read it together on the screen. 18:52 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; 18:57 yea with my spirit within me I will seek thee 19:00 early: for when thy judgments are in 19:04 the earth, the inhabitants of the 19:06 world will learn righteousness. 19:09 We live in the time when the judgments are 19:10 going to be in the earth. We live in that time 19:15 when we need to seek Jesus early; 19:18 we need to seek our Savior early. 19:20 We live in that time today friends. 19:23 We need to know our Savior personally like we 19:26 know better than we know our wife, 19:29 better than we know our son or daughter, 19:31 better than we know our best friends. 19:33 The Bible tells us again in 19:35 Isaiah 55 and verse 6, let's read that together. 19:40 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, 19:44 call upon him while he is near. 19:48 Friends, today is the day of Salvation. 19:50 This is the time of the Lord, 19:52 this is the day of the Lord, do not put off till 19:55 tomorrow that which you can do today. 19:58 Do not put off that time with God. 20:00 You need and I need to spend more time in God's 20:03 word, more time in the book and more time in 20:07 prayer. Amen. How many of you realize? 20:09 You know it's not enough to realize, 20:11 you have to act upon it. Devote time to God in 20:15 prayer. I can remember when my daughter was 20:17 in high school I told her, her name was Sabra. 20:20 I said Sabra, get up in the morning very early 20:25 and spend at least an hour in your Bible before 20:28 you begin your day. Well you know she started 20:31 to do that and she would get up very early and 20:35 her door would be closed, 20:36 she wouldn't make a peep, because she didn't want 20:37 anyone to bother to even know she was awake. 20:40 But she was in studying her Bible, 20:42 and she was in prayer and you know her entire 20:44 life I could tell that something different was 20:48 happening to her. She was, she was always 20:51 a good girl but she is 28 now. 20:54 She is always been a good girl and a good woman. 20:57 But when she began to do that there was 21:00 significant change that was occurring, 21:02 that was visible and you could tell it. 21:05 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, 21:08 call upon him while he is near. 21:11 We need to know our God and our savior. 21:13 Matthew 7 verse 21 to 23, 21:16 let's read that together as well. 21:19 Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, 21:23 shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; 21:25 but he that doeth the will of my Father which 21:28 is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day 21:32 Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? 21:36 And in thy name have cast out devils? 21:40 And in thy name done many wonderful works? 21:45 And then I will profess unto them, 21:47 I never knew you: depart from me, 21:51 ye that work iniquity. Jesus will know us as 21:57 we know Jesus. If we devote our times and our 22:00 lives to him then it will be said I know you. 22:05 Come enter into the blessings which I've 22:07 stored for you. But if we neglect that time with 22:11 God we will fall into temptation and because we 22:15 neglect the time with God we may not even realize 22:18 where we in we have fallen. 22:20 Friends, to neglect time with God is to neglect 22:23 to breathe. Turn with me also, 22:26 or let's turn together to John 17 and verse 3. 22:32 And this is life eternal, that they may know thee 22:38 the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 22:43 whom thou hast sent. In the Bible when it is 22:50 said that a man knew a woman. 22:53 It meant that he knew her intimately. 22:57 When we talk about knowing God it is intimate, 23:01 it is close. Intimacy cannot occur unless there 23:07 is time spent. Can you really say that you're 23:11 intimate with God? Can you? 23:15 Can you say that you have developed that prayer 23:18 life and that time with him that is going to 23:21 be necessary to take you through the times that 23:23 are ahead of us? We live in such a 23:26 difficult time of earth's history; 23:28 can you really say that you are safe to begin 23:31 your day without divine direction on how to 23:34 go about it? Well all about us, 23:37 terrible things are happening, 23:38 catastrophes that are of unprecedented magnitude. 23:42 Why I heard just the other day that not only 23:45 the Arctic, not only the North Pole area is 23:49 melting down but Antarctica is melting from 23:53 beneath you know, kind of fooled everyone 23:55 because they didn't see anything happening 23:57 up above. But Antarctica is melting from 24:01 the water beneath and it's eroding it and it's 24:04 going to make the seas rise even more. 24:06 Every island will disappear we're told. 24:09 So live in a time that is fearful and yet 24:13 joyful. It will be fearful to those who do not 24:16 understand scripture, who do not understand 24:18 that this was all predicted, 24:20 it is the end time, it is the most exciting 24:23 time to live in and yet it is a dangerous time to 24:25 live in for those whose hearts and minds and 24:28 thoughts and time are not given to Jesus. 24:32 Are you ready to stand at the end time? 24:38 Are you ready to stand in a time when these 24:44 things will come about us when religious 24:46 persecution will come upon those who are 24:47 Christians, when you will be tempted and 24:50 the Bible tells us that even the elect if 24:54 possible even the elect could be deceived? 24:58 If possible will you be the very elect that will 25:01 not be deceived? Friends, that's not going 25:04 to happen. Without some time in scripture 25:08 and some time in prayer. If there was anything 25:13 I could tell you today, spent time on your 25:16 knees and time in prayer. The greatest Christians 25:20 of all are the ones who have the boniest most 25:24 sore knees. Okay. You know you get a lot 25:28 of less headache, if you get more knee ache. 25:31 You know if you're knees are sore, 25:32 your head hurts less. I found this to be true. 25:37 But about prayer we don't need to deal with 25:40 this in such a formal way always. 25:44 You don't need to have your eyes closed you 25:46 can pray while you're driving down the street, 25:48 Jesus knows your thoughts, He knows what you're 25:52 thinking about, you can thank a prayer, 25:54 it's not a formal thing where you have to recite 25:56 like in some churches. No. You talk to Jesus 25:59 just like He is your best friend and He is 26:02 your very best friend. 26:04 And we need to this day in, day out and 26:07 First Thessalonians 5 and verse 17 it tells 26:12 us everything. Pray without ceasing. 26:19 We can never be safe for a moment nor an hour 26:22 nor a second without prayer. 26:25 We need to take time to behold it. 26:28 Can you take, can you become closer as a 26:31 husband and wife if you never spent time 26:33 together. Can you become closer to God 26:37 if you never spend the required time? 26:40 Go through your day in such a way the one all 26:44 is said and done, Jesus will look down and 26:46 He will say I know this one, 26:48 I know that one and I know you. 26:51 Come enter into the joy that I have for you 26:55 entered into heaven. I'm sending angels after 26:58 you come, come. When He comes I want 27:01 to be caught up in the air to meet Him but it's 27:03 going to require that I remain faithful unto the 27:05 end and in order to do that I have to pray. 27:11 Let's pray now. Father in heaven, 27:16 grant us the grace to remain true to the end 27:20 help us to be wise unto salvation, 27:23 help us to daily commit our time to you in 27:26 prayer and Bible study and not to have a moment 27:30 without being an attitude of prayer because we 27:33 long to see Jesus and we want to live with 27:36 you forever, in Jesus name, amen. 27:41 Friends, let's give our hearts to Jesus day 27:46 by day. Let's devote that special time to God 27:49 in prayer early in the morning, how about it, 27:53 would you join me in that? Thank you. |
Revised 2014-12-17