A Prayer For The Church Member
Now this passage that Mike read for us, by the way, speaking of the work of the adversary, you'll notice that I don't have a laptop up here. I hope this doesn't shine in your eyes, too bad because there's a shield there to keep some of the light down. But anyway, is in Ephesians chapter 1, verses 18 and 19, you noticed. It says, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. I just want to explain the phrase to you because many times people misunderstand what that means. When you don't understand something friendship directions to somebody has given you or the way to get somewhere, you will say what explain that to me as they begin to explain it your response, maybe. Or I see what you saw before. Hopefully. But you mean you understand that's what Paul was talkin, about the eyes of your understanding, you going to be able to, I see about this truth, so he prays for the Ephesians, first of all. But he also prays for all of us and he prays in three areas which are very important to us. There are three areas of discouragement that we saw that most often result in even depression. So it's important for us to see these three areas of discouragement and to recognize the fact that Balls for can be effective for all of us. Now, I've got a kind of rearrange things a little bit here, if you'll forgive me. So that I can see these notes. First of all, when you can't see any future on things, look black, All praise about that. When the financial pressure. Is getting you down. And there's little relief in sight, all praise about that. When the harder you work, the more you fall behind, seems like, did you ever experience that full phrase about that? So, if you've experienced any one of those, or maybe all three of them for all, praise for you today.
first of all, it's important. To realize when you can't see any future. All praise and as Mike read that you will see the whole, the whole the future that we have is Believers in with God, in heaven, he prays about that. The Hope, which gives a gorgeous and Reassures us is the hope of Salvation. And you remember, I said to you before that The hope of salvation.
Is is a word that sometimes we use in the subjunctive, which cast doubt and the fact that we really have a whole it's not it doesn't occur that where in the Scripture it is Surety, we know that we have salvation when God gives us salvation and Wells us with the Holy Spirit who is a witness to the fact that we have that insurance. So it's important to know that we have salvation and that is the whole that was in it within us in. 1st Thessalonians, 5:8. We have an important verse in this regard, and I want to read that to you.
And I would encourage you to turn to a 1st Thessalonians 5:8.
Boris talking about those who are living dissolute, lies, summer drunk and then somewhere living in the world and he says this, but since we belong to the day, let us be sober having on the breastplate of righteousness and
I'm sorry. what is this a hair and
Law of breastplate of faith and love. About the breastplate of righteousness and for the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation. So it's important for us to understand that as God gives us, the needs that are before us as he provides for us. The first, is that it provides hope for the future. That's important because God expects us to live according to the hope that he's given us. So,
Now, I've got to press another button there, to get back to my notes and I hope you'll forgive me. Because interesting, me enough, I was praying about the onslaught of the adversary today and Part of what happened Cheryl has been sick this week as well and we pray for her and she said she felt like it was the onslaught of the adversary because she was begin. Teach Revelation, excuse me, for sharing that personal thing. But I felt I was important today. Also, for reasons that I can understand, I have a dead battery on my laptop and even though someone has graciously provided the television for me to see the Lord friends on. That didn't work. And so I have a backup plan which I hope you will give me just a minute or two to work with us to live. Are lies. With the right perspective. Is the hope of Christ's return. When when we have the perspective of the Lord is coming soon for us, we have a difference in our life. It's important to see that difference. It's important to hold on to that difference because the thing that keeps us in confidence of the future is Christ's return as bad as things. May go in this world, we have the whole of Christ return as bad as things may be for us. Personally, we have the whole of Christ return. The Assurance of the word of God is that. Now again we have the fashions in Titus 2 verses 11 through 13 and if you want to turn into that, Titus 2 verses 11 through 13.
There's the way I do this.
I'm sorry.
Well I tell you what, if someone has that verse, maybe you can read it for us while I attempt to find out why I can't get it up. Titus Chapter 2 verses 11 through 13
Unguarded.
Okay. Looking. I'm sorry. I just dropped this page and apparently that's one that I'm going to need no matter who looking for that blessed, hope and the Glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, that's how we're comforted ball. Tells that the Titus in this case, he says, we are comforted by the fact, of Christ's return. So it's important to understand that God has given us comfort and hope the Hope in addition is the Hope which gives us our confidence. On the completed work of justification that completed work of justification as the hope of the future. You know it's interesting that as you read in the scripture and I mentioned this to you before but it's important as you reading the scripture that God's work through the Lord Jesus Christ makes me justify not I will be justified but I am justified that's the completed work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I need you to think about that. You realize that God Has already completed the work. It's already done. It's already finished. And God sees us as Justified as we've already seen, Titus 3 verse 7, Is the additional verse line. I have to press this for a minute, to get to that and then I have to figure out how I do it. Well, I probably didn't practice this enough so you're going to get a chance to help me today. Because everything went wrong for some reason or other I can I can bring it out. Wine award is hang on men. I'm sorry, I'll get through it. If you'll just bear with me a minute, I know which button do I push but I have to go back now and get that original screen and I have to hold it for 6 seconds in order to do it. But in the meantime, I want you to realize that the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has done is finished. As far as God is concerned. We've talked about that before, but it's important for us to give that concept cuz we are so much creatures of time that that we can't believe that God already has the work done in his as far as he's concerned. It's finished, it's done. There is nothing left to do. Christ has done that work. So it's important to realize that that's the hope of the future for us. Let's now turn to Titus.
Let me do that again. One more time. I'm sorry that you're experiencing me experimenting with this but, you know, this is something that we have to do. in order to put up with my infirmity, as I talked about earlier,
Okay. Titus 1:11. Says this.
For the Salvation has appeared. I'm sorry for, I can't see this here. Bringing salvation for all people. The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all people teaching us the denying ungodliness and worldly passions, we should live righteously, so overly Godly lives in all things. So it's important to understand that God wants us to live the way he has purposed because he has given us, the hope of Salvation. So it's important to realize that the whole gives us something and Abel's us to live for him.
Now.
On the shore for the extra pauses, but I'm sure that that the Lord will speak to your hearts through even this halting thing today. There we go. The Hope which protects us As we?
Experience the Frailty of life is the hope of the Resurrection. The hope that sustains it's a relief to the Frailty of life is the hope of the Resurrection. Do you ever think about that in relation to yourself as you grow older? And you realize that you have infirmities and life is getting shorter? What is it as a Christian? That sustains you through that? The hope of the Resurrection, The guarantee of the Resurrection, the Lord has died. The Lord Jesus Christ has died for you. He has Justified you as we talked about and ultimately because he rose from the dead, he's termed as the first fruits of those who slept another words because he rose from the dead. There will be the rest of us who rise from the dead, that's guaranteed. That is what God already sees. And so it's important to understand that the resurrection is a hope for each one of us.
I want to just look at this to make sure I got the right first year. So that being justified by his grace, we might become his according to the whole of eternal life. That's the passage of scripture that you have. And by the way, if I don't always mention the verse and I don't I'm going through, I might skip some of the verses, you have them in your notes so that you can see them, God will enable you to go back to this and ultimately become effective. I believe that studying the word of God yourself, because that's the work of a faster to equip. The Saints for the work of service. You ultimately need to study the word of God yourself. The holy spirit, is your teacher and you will learn from a number of years ago. And it with that in mind, I was preaching at a church and somebody came up to me and said, you know, you don't give invitations very much And I said, no, I'm probably don't and he said well you need to do it more often. I said well I'll try and do that. And several months later and he said I figured out what was the deal is, he said you don't give an invitation to much yourself because you leave it to the Holy Spirit and you know what? It is a far better job, then you would and he said it hurts when he doesn't. So it's important to understand that down there cuz it won't. I will need it anymore. I knew I'd have agents all over the place here but that is important thing. We talked about was when Financial pressures, get you down, and All praise for you, that you can see the riches. I'm gone to see that we have a secure inheritance reserved for us 1st, Peter, 1:3, Everest foreign mean, you can turn their if you want to 4 ft of 14 says to an inheritance Incorruptible and undefiled Reserve in heaven for us. Oh, I don't know whether you've ever thought about that, I hope you have but it's important to see two or three things. First of all, you know, in this day and age that you can have money. For instance, you invested in the stock market and not a given day lose, most of what you had and rested because the stock market closed down and other times it goes up again, I think you're rich and then pretty soon it goes down again. And it's important to understand that God has given for us through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is giving us an inheritance that faded, not away. Reserved in heaven for us. That is the riches that fall pray that we would remember. I didn't Erica's Incorruptible on this file and then fade, if not a way, you know, I was in. I just have an instance of this when I was in Canada, it was 1969. And my cousin was a farmer, a wheat farmer in those days, he's retired now and his son is out for it in the form. But he had grain, that was worth a lot of money. Is a B in the grain bin since 1958 over 10 years cuz the Canadian government decided that he couldn't sell that he didn't need the money.
That doesn't happen in God's plan that inheritance is available to us. Even on this Earth. We can cash a check in effect by praying in Christ name and he will give us what we need. And then when we get to heaven, we are Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ and inheritance Incorruptible. Undefiled, and it faded not away. And it's reserved for us. You can put money in the bank and you hope that it stays there but you have no, but no assurance that it will through thick and thin many people that lived through the depression realize that the banks failed. Well, how does that happen? Because their Banks and because they're managed by humans, but this is man, this inheritance is managed by God, it's an inheritance Incorruptible on the file and I'll fade it another way. To see that our ministry is part of God's. Eternal purpose. To see that our ministry is part of God's Eternal purpose, to allow us to minister.
Riches. Daughters. Did you hear that to allow us to minister riches to others? It's important that we understand that God hasn't left us here. To be fan ourselves continuously. God's purpose is for us to reach others to bring others into the fold. If he only wanted us to enjoy ourselves, we'd immediately upon being saved, be taken to Heaven because we can enjoy ourselves much more there. but he's left us here because you would have contact with somebody that no one else has You will have contact with an individual that no one else can relate with. You will have contact with somebody that no other Christian knows. That's why you're here in order to minister God's love the others. So it's important that we realize that that we take command of that is at work and that we realize that God's purpose, it is for us to
Be a witness for him because we are we belong?
To the day. Ephesian 38 says, let us be sober having on the breastplate of righteousness and a helmet of salvation.
We should be dressed for Action as it were. It's important to understand that God has left us here so that we can we can be ready to serve him. It's also important. To see that we will experience. The riches. Of God's grace. Not just now. but through eternity, Not just now but through eternity, The Riches of God's grace. I don't know whether you realize it or not, but God's grace, that won't stop when we die. God ministers in Grace To Us throughout eternity. That's what the word of God teaches. He ministers Grace to us. If he's in his I think it was 3:30 and look that up for yourself. That I later on the ministry of God's grace, we have an eternity God's unmerited, favor, Remember I said to you that Grace was getting what we don't deserve. That's what God gives to us. And it's important to understand that he has given us his grace and minister to us. Continually not only in this world. But in that switches to come That is third thing. We see about false prayer for the believer is when the Hardy work, the more you get behind sometimes, but Paul prayed that you would experience and see the power To experience the power of God is a very important part of the Christian Life. First of all, where do experience the power of God in changed life? God changes are live for the preaching of the Cross has them. The fairies from Lisa's, put on us, what your saved. It is, the power of God.
People think we're we're a little bit strange. When we believe in the word of God. How do we realize as Believers that God gives us power to live for him? I talked about this before, in a little different way. But it's important to understand that when you seek to live for God, you can't do it on your own. Remember when Israel was given the law Moses came down from the mountain and read the law to the. And Israel said, all the god commands will do na
They didn't do that. They couldn't do it. Another word of God teaches that the law came in with his demands and gave me their feet in their hands. And a fact sweeter word, the gospel brings it bends me fly and gives me wings. It bids me fly and gives me wings. God's power is available to us to live effectively and that's important that God doesn't just ask us to do something that we can't do. He asked us to live for him and gives us the power to do it. It's like working on the farm, like, remember working on the farm across the street from where we live and one of the one of the jobs was cultivating caught. Now you could either do it with a whole one or two. I'm one person at a time and it took a long time to get that field on or you could do it six rows at a time with a John Deere tractor. That was what was effective cuz you could get a feel done in less than a day with the John Deere tractor. How made the difference? Power made the difference. And so it's important to understand that God gives us power.
It's also important to understand that the one who gave us
Salvation is the one who is sovereign.
Asian Sovereign control of all things.
Isn't that great, don't you praise the Lord that even with regard to the events of these this week, God is in control.
because we believe, at least I do. That the adversaries people will do everything they can to upset.
Even the decision in the Supreme Court. That they will fight that and try all kinds of meas to defeat. What God has done to understand that Altima T God is in charge. The Lord knows. What are you doing? and so,
What's the what's the verse affair?
Someone read that force. Would you, please?
Well, you can read it yourself.
Right.
Thank you, Mickey, All Things by the word of his power. All things. Did you hear that? Not just a few things, not just those things that matter to him. Because everything Matters, tab, he upholds, all things by the word of his power. You know, it's interested in the word of God that when it speaks of Salvation, the gods arm was involved. What a wonderful speaks of of even creation, it was just him speaking. Just speaking and the same thing was true. When the Lord walked on the water in the storm. What did he say? Peace be still not what he did. It's what he says, opposed All Things by the word of his power. It's important to that power that we know that that power is available for every one of us to live our Christian lives that we have the power available to us. It's important to understand that each and every day that power is available for to us. It is that which requires us as I said before the yield we have to yield to God, we have to give up our own efforts and say, you know, Lord I'm not real effective, it doing this. But you are. You are, that's what accomplishes his purpose. And so it's important to understand that is the same at awesome. Power, which will never allow us to be. Behind. I'm sure.
So that we will miss the trumpet sound. We will never miss the coming of the Lord, because he knows who we are. Someone was talking to me the other day. I may have mentioned it to you, and they realize that those were buried will be raised. That was what they understood the second, but she said, what about the those who are cremated or lost at sea? What, you know, what? God knew long before man, knew about DNA. He knows exactly where everyone who is accepted him as Savior. Is whether they're buried in the ground where they're buried at Sea, no matter where they are, God knows and those will be raised first, and then we, which are alive and remain 1st Thessalonians, 4 is the key passes for this and it says, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel with a trumpet of God, the dead in Christ, it doesn't say the very end, it says the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. In the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air wear for Comfort one. Another, with these words, this is the comfort that we minister to each other and to those that need the Lord that God knows God. In control and God has planned that the Lord will come to take us to be with him, you know several years ago I was working and the couple had a war in Santa Barbara larger sign of Greater Santa Barbara and they lived in a gated community in Montecito which is an exclusive Community. He was a doctor and they had sold his interest in the hospital in Orange County and they came and build a custom house in Montecito. They had a lot of money. But it's interesting. The one you received a letter from either him or her, they always signed it till the shout.
They look forward to the coming of the Lord. Jesus Christ. In spite of the fact they had lots of money. Their reward was in heaven and they waited for the shop for the trumpet, sound for the Lord, be with him. That's the way I have. That's the confidence that we have that Dawn will take us to be with him no matter what happens here, no matter whether evil prevails or not God ultimately will take us to be with him. And so it's important that we understand that God has given us this confidence. This whole business insurance could even One finances, go bad, even when the future is black, whatever it may be. God has given us the power to live this life here, as hard as it is, but he ultimately will take us to be with him. That's what's encouraging. We can get this, courage. We can get this hardened. We can get depressed. God gives us Comfort. We have to rest in that Comfort. Let's parenfaire. Father, we thank you. For the insurance that we have of knowing that you have taken care of everything that you give us hope for the future. That you give us strength for the day. That you have secured for us the riches of Heaven that the riches here may pass away. But we will one day inherit. We've already inherited the one. They will experience the inheritance of being Heirs of God and Joint heirs with Jesus Christ. That's hard to imagine. Father, all the wealth that is available to us when we pray, Lord, that you want to enable us to live for you in such a way as to honor and glorify your name. They will. We will live as Christians in this age, they will seek to reach others because we have the best news that anyone can receive and even though they resist that news, we realize that that's the news that they need and we have the opportunity to share that we pray, that will be effective at sharing that news. We ask it in Jesus name, amen.