Sermon Tone Analysis

*Inscription: Writing God’s Words on Our Hearts & Minds*

*/Part 37: Desperate Prayers/*

*2 Chronicles 20:1-25; Matthew 9:35-38*

*/November 7, 2010/*

 

*Prep: *

·         133, Mem.

Class notes

·         Lanphier in Leftovers and CT

·         Kelby e-mail

* *

 

*Scripture reading: James 4:2b-6 (Genea) *

 

 

intro

 

*Drinks* for *Drinks* announcement: Working hard to reach out

 

Hitting some *heavy* *stuff* – hope you are ready to be bruised, just as God has been *bruising* me!

 

 

prayer

 

Recap: vision 2011

 

I think *last* *week’s* sermon was very exciting for a lot of us – looking at the future and seeing what God has called us to: *Double* the *size* of this church in 2011.

This goal is the *biggest* thing The Gathering has ever *attempted*.

I said this is *not* *about* *numbers*, but about the fact that there are people in Skagit Valley you can reach better than anyone.

·         And this will be *healthy* growth, “*making* *disciples*” as well as “going.”

We have never done anything like this, but Elders and I are convinced that 2011 is the year that we can finally *focus* “*engaging* *culture*,” on reaching those outside our walls.

The necessity of prayer

 

But if you are *not* *used* to *church*, this whole thing may seem *silly*, too reminiscent of *grade* *school* – Ooh, do we get a *pizza* *party* if we make our goal?

Where’s the thermometer?

Even if you’re *used* to *church* and *jaded* by all the campaigns, you may think, “Yeah, that’s *cute*.

I bet you’ll be *happy* if we just get *25*% more people this year.

Okay, let’s all pretend to get excited, but we know this is *unrealistic*.”

And you are *right*, not about the happy with 25% part, but the *unrealistic* part.

I would actually say it is *impossible*.

How often do hear of a church doubling its *size* and its *health* in one year?

·         Unless of course you have some *super*-*star* *preacher*, and I ain’t that (even then you might not have healthy growth).

But that, my friends is the *point*.

I am convinced that *God* gave us a goal that we *cannot* *reach* on our own.

He gave us a goal that can only be reached by *partnering* with him.

Q   *How* do we partner with God? (Hint: Look at the screen.)

Not a praying church (yet)

 

But there is a *big* *problem* here: We are *not* a *praying* *church*.

I don’t mean that we don’t pray, and I know that some of us are real “prayer warriors.”

But as a church, we are not dependent upon God through prayer.

You know that I *love* *you*, and I am not trying to *beat* *up* on you, but let’s *face* the *facts*:

 

Q   *Show* of *hands*: How many do not feel that prayer is a central, vital part of your daily life?

That it is very difficult to have a deep, intimate prayer life?

I am *raising* my hand – I am committed to my *church*, I read the *Bible*, *confess* my sins to my brothers, show *hospitality*, but my prayer life just isn’t what I want it to be.

From *community* *groups*, I know that committing ourselves to “*engaging* *culture*” is *intimidating*.

You are worried about *how* we are going to do this, how are we going to *find* the time, *etc*.

·         All the “*how’s*” will be answered *later*, and I’m convinced once we are doing what we are supposed to do it will be a *delight*.

But the *logistics* really are *least* of our concerns.

Our *greatest* *obstacle* won’t be being too *comfortable* in our *community*.

Or *fear* of talking to others about Jesus.

Or not knowing enough to share the Gospel.

·         Our greatest obstacle will be that we are *not* a *praying* church, at least not *yet*.

If we *are* *praying*, all those other things *won’t* be a *problem*.

Why don’t we pray?

So why don’t we pray?

Q   How many of you basically know *how* to pray? (Talk to God; it’s not that complicated.)

Q   How many of you know prayer is really *important*?

It isn’t an *information* problem, it an *American* problem:

 

You go to churches in *other* *countries*, they’ll pray for *hours* on end.

There first response to a problem isn’t “Let’s call a *doctor*,” it’s let’s pray.

·         Story: *Honduras* – *food* *poisoning*.

Prayer is more common in *poorer* *nations*.

Praying for your *daily* *bread* takes on a whole new meaning if you don’t have any bread in the *fridge* (or you don’t even have a fridge).

·         And with some of the *food* I have eaten, asking God to *bless* the *meal* take on a whole new meaning.

Between last week and this, I’m probably starting to sound really *anti*-*American*.

“Love it or leave it.

Go to Canada, eh?”

 

First of all, they are *just* as *screwed* *up*, just in *different* ways.

Every country has its *strengths* and *weaknesses*.

·         It’s like Cecil said about *marriage*, you choose your pile of *garbage*.

I *love* *America*, it is my country, and it is a *good* *one*, but it so *shapes* our *world* *view* that we are *incapable* of understanding how *unbiblical* it is at points.

Fat, fat Jehoshaphat

 

In our *Inscription* *reading*, we have just finished off 1st Chronicles, and we start 2nd next.

·         Chronicles retells the story of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings, but not as a historical account, rather as a *moral* *lesson*.

It can be *boiled* *down* to this *one* *statement*:

 

NIV *2 Chronicles 15:2* The LORD is with you when you are with him.

If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

·         This is both a *promise* and a *warning*.

There are ma*n*y *stories* of both *seeking* and *forsaking*.

But the one about *Jehoshaphat* (David’s great x 4 grandson) has a special place in my heart: Years ago, when I was too old to be in church plays, I was guilted into being in a church play.

NIV *2 Chronicles 20:1-6, 12-13* ¶ After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to make war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea.

It is already in Hazazon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi) [about 20-30 miles].

3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

5 ¶ Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said: “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?

You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.

Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.... 12 O our God, will you not judge them?

For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 13 ¶ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

They are *serious* about prayer, “from *every* *town*,” “*men*, women, *children*, and *babies*.”

No big *prayer* *campaign*.

No *sermon* series on prayer, no *acronyms* to remind them how to pray.

Q   What gave them the *motivation* to pray?

They were about to be *wiped* out!

They were absolutely and *completely* *dependent* on God.

Without him his they were “*S.O.L*” (you know, “Simply Out of Luck”).

Prayer was *first*, *last*, and *only* option.

If we *don’t* *reach* *our* *goal*, we will be disappointed, I will be embarrassed, but we’ll continue to live out our lives.

The Vikings from Bellingham aren’t going to come and sack MV!

 

·         But if God didn’t come through for them, they would be *wiped* *out*, off the map, by-by, gone.

*Why* don’t we pray like this? It’s not an *information* *problem* it is a *dependency* problem – we don’t genuinely believe that we are in *desperate* *need* of God’s help.

·         In *theory* we believe that God gives us our *very* *breath*, but in practice, we are pretty sure *we* *do* the breathing.