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October 7, 2019 8:28 pm
Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners to receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org God hears our prayers and God wants to answer our prayer. Prayer is not just petition, though it includes that prayer is not just worship note include that as well. Prayer can also be there. I said complaining.
There are Psalms in the Bible that we call Psalms of lamentation to lament.
We are crying out to God you're not happy about something. I guess our close this form of music today might be someone singing the blues are a lot of country songs actually I was just watching the special last night on the history of country music in and how many of those sons of the most interesting titles they came across these actual country songs and not making any of these up. These are real songs. Here's one she got the Goldmine and I got the shaft that the modern song of lamentation right there about this one. You stuck my heart in an old tin can and shot off a log. Not good.
There's another one. How come your dog don't bite nobody but me.
And here's another you done tomorrow.
My heart and stomp the sucker flat and maybe the weirdest of all, you're the reason our kids are so ugly, so I Hank Williams. He is a well-known person country music. He had his song. I'm so Lonesome I could cry these things here that Lonesome Whippoorwill. He sounds too blue to fly the midnight train is whining, low. I'm so lonesome I could cry if it's a country song. You gotta have a train in there somewhere, right when the sun is at his own country song, so to speak, some 4423, he says, wake up all Lord, why do you sleep get up, do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way.
Rise up and help us Lord of that while there was a country song.
Maybe we call it my heart is aching for you to be wake and I mean I don't know.
But here's the point I'm making. He was being honest to God Lord. Honestly, it seems like you're asleep right now it seems like you're not paying attention. Wake up Lord. Here are cry is not always a bad thing to complain to God to bring your concerns to God to bring your questions to God to bring your pain and sadness to God. Even Jesus as he hung on the cross cried out my God my God why have you forsaken me. Some would suggest Jesus is having a crisis of faith.
How ridiculous it was the opposite. It was a moment where he was dying for the sin of the world and he was simply describing what was happening as God the father turned his holy face away and poured the sin of all humanity on Christ would never committed a single sin. So Jesus cries out in English. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, but Jesus was forsaken, so I might be forgiven. But here's the point.
Jesus said, my God, my God, he was crying out to the father and you can do the same thing when you're in pain when you're hurting, you should pray you should pray when you're happy you should pray when you're sad you should pray when you're confused you should pray when you have complaints.
James 513 says is any of you suffering hardships. You should pray.
Is any of you happy, you should sing praises. While a lot of us are still feeling the pain over the loss of our friend Jared Wilson who loved us so unexpectedly. I think about it constantly. It's been like we've lost a family member and it's very hard to deal with the back where having his memorial service this coming Tuesday at 10 o'clock and everybody is invited as as we remember him and we say goodbye to him and we celebrate what God did in and through his life and we also say will see you later because that is the hope of the follower of Jesus Christ will see our loved ones later who had faith in Christ as well. But what you do when you have that Harding what you do when you have that P what you do with your grief you committed to the Lord you pray about it and we want to be praying for Jared's wife now widow.
Tragically, Julie and his two sons of Finch and Denham as well, but we need to commit these things to the Lord. It's the only thing we can do. Let me ask you this. Have you ever been and what appeared to be an impossible situation with no way out. Let me restate that question. Are you in right now and impossible situation with no way out, or have you ever ever desperately needed, or even wanted something, but it seemed there was no way you would ever have it every ever thought there was no future for you and for you. It was just too late.
If so, you need to need no more of you need to know more about the power of God and will can take place through prayer.
For one thing certainly stands out in the pages of Scripture is that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and on occasion even the course of nature itself, but the thing that prayer changes the most is us God will allow hardship and difficulty in our life so he can reveal himself and put his power and glory on display for those who are watching because when we pray were acknowledging our weakness ever acknowledging our need for the help of God.
Maybe that's what we don't pray as much. As we got to a minute or about you. I need to pray more. How many of you feel you need to pray more, yeah. How many of you feel you pray enough. Just don't raise your hand. There might be someone there might be someone but I think we all know we can pray more, but prayer is an admission of weakness in our part and some people like to admit they have need, especially men. And why is that simple answer there stupid bully me restate that were stupid at times, we don't think we need God may not draw, who was the strongest man whoever lived.
Don't give me a superhero name. Maybe Samson well.
The real answer is the strongest man whoever lived was Jesus Christ himself and we read repeatedly in the Gospels that Jesus prayed and he prayed a lot. He would spend the night in prayer he would rise up early while the disciples were still praying are still sleeping and pray as well and as a crucifixion approached, he turned of the father and prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and said father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.
I don't think anyone is ever gotten this right in the film because usually when they show Jesus in Gethsemane. He's just saying father if it's possible let this cup pass from me. It's not the way it was.
He was in English. He was crying out in pain as he said these words over and Hebrews 57 it says during the days of Jesus life on earth. He offered up prayers and pleadings listen with loud cries and tears to the one who can save them from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission loud cries and tears.
There's a place for that to in prayer and it's implied in the original language. He said it over and over. So in other words, he didn't just pray one time father if it's possible let this cup pass, but it was more like father if it's possible let this cup pass father if it's possible let this cup pass father if it's possible let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done. In Dr. Luke at the detail that he sweat, as it were great drops of blood. So Jesus prayed a lot and if Jesus who was God, prayed a lot.
You and I need to pray a lot to and in this passage before us.
He gives us a prayer. We often call it the Lord's prayer.
No mention if you could go to an elite university in every class taught by the finest person in that field from all of history rent since you could study music under Beethoven or tiny Tim, I just threw that in the supremacy of the of you have ever heard a tiny Tim Google though don't, you'll only you will stay there long but the was a joke about this. Have a drama class taught by Shakespeare be taught political science by Thomas Jefferson, and a philosophy class taught by CS Lewis.
Well, we would like that because are experts in the field about this class on prayer taught by Jesus Christ.
That sounds good to me. I'd be in that class who knows more about prayer than Jesus. And so that's it, we can look at here in just a moment, the disciples came to him as the Lord we have a question. Would you teach us how to pray.
Now there's a lot of things that could invest Jesus ornament to the said Lord and having a big family reunion. Can you show me how to do the multiplying of the loaves and fish miracle that would really make my life easier and I wouldn't have to go to Cosco by all that food. Another might say Lord and to get a girl out in the day.
Could you show me how to walk on water that would really impress her know the government say Lord we watched you, we've observed you were asking you if you would teach us how to pray and the fact is that Jesus gave them this prayer which shows prayer is something can be can be taught in maybe you need to be taught how to pray. And sometimes you are taught by watching others do it in your taught of course by reading Scripture, and there are certain principles that you can engage when you pray now we call this the Lord's prayer, and there's nothing wrong with calling that that the Bible never addresses it as such. I don't think it really was a prayer Jesus himself pray is a will of course he did know actually that because Jesus would never need to pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us because Jesus never sinned. If you want to read. The real Lord's prayer the prayer that only Christ can pray later on.
This is for extra credit. I'll give you a little gold star for do it. Member Goldstar from school is a long time ago but John 17 that is the Lord's prayer to brother-in-law.
It's a prayer.
Only Christ can pray this could better be described as the disciples prayer or maybe the template for prayer McCullough. Would you like we think of it as the Lord's prayer. It's a model for all prayer so like when you want to buy a home, and maybe you go to a track in the homes are built, yet the of those model homes ever walk in those model homes and gone there's pictures of people that don't live therein, and you know it's supposed to feel like this is the home of a person well this is the model prayer. This is the template for all prayer to be reading from Matthew six versus 9 to 14 and I'll tell you what I want us all to do this together. You see it there in the spring, but let's all stand up and I want to say this prayer out loud together.
Now I can have your reader premier Bible but you have so many translations it would sound like the day of Pentecost.
So let's just read this. This is the new King James version.
Let's read it together in this manner therefore pray our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen and a beautiful prayer love that good. You just stay standing for the rest of the service servicing you'll listen better, just this step, the said you stand I getting sick once it just messing with you. The Lord's prayer. Now we think of this maybe is the big gun in case of emergency, break glass and pray this prayer is nothing wrong with if you're in a moment of crisis and you just say our father who art in heaven, that's okay. You pray that prayer you have a hard time getting to sleep at night. Just go to that prayer.
Think about that prayer. Ponder that prayer. That's all good but is not just the big gun so to speak. It's not just the in case of emergency prayer. As I said it's a model for prayer. So here's the point number one if you're taking notes you have complete access to the creator of the universe through prayer.
You have complete and total access in all states pass if you will, to the creator of the of the universe through prayer. Let's start at the beginning, our father who art in heaven, let's apply this to the presidency. You could say our presidents in Washington DC. Ellen say you wanted to talk to the president you wanted to talk to them about something he said or did her one of his tweets or whatever it might be and so so you call the White House new said hello. I'm an American citizen and I want to speak to the president. I doubt you're going to get through to the oval office acknowledges say you are the daughter or the sun or maybe the grandchild of the president.
You don't need to go to the White House operator. You probably have his personal digits. So you just call and you say dad I need to ask you a question that's called access that's a relationship were talking about here. This is God Almighty, but I have I have them on speed dial.
I have his private number I can access them anytime I want. I remember when I first was getting to know Billy Graham and he invited me to his home in Montreat, North Carolina, Montreat outside of Asheville and it was a beautiful humble log home decorated by his wife Ruth, and she was cooking something on the stove and I just walked in and and for me, going to the home of Billy Graham was better than going to the Oval Office because to me I he was seen of the greatest evangelist Weber lived in as a young evangelist. I was just so impressed by everything and I would just take it all in and I member I be talking with them and I'd say will Dr. Graham and if they don't call me Dr. Graham call me Billy. That's a right so Dr. Graham you know it was hard for me to call him Billy.
I had too much respect and Billy you know that's kind of that southern did everyone there, Billy, Johnny, you know, they put wise in IE's on a lot of their names and so just go to personal the call amending William billing like really know he said call me Billy, so I finally got around to calling them that ended but his family they got an even more intimate name. It was daddy in the South. It's daddy and mama not father, mother, or even doubt among daddy and his grandkids: daddy Bill and that's what I used to call my grandfather not daddy Bill but daddy Charles. My grandmother was mama Stella as they were from Arkansas. So this is an intimacy and I don't have the right to: daddy Bill, but I did have the right to call him Billy that his relationship now we have relationship with God and we have access to God. You know the other day my son Jonathan was injured saying some before I spoke and he said we know Pastor Greg said afterwards we call me pastor Greg having you so I want to be respectful to say dad it's okay, you can say that and you know my grandkids up. I'm in a room and I'm talking to someone of my grandkids come running up to me. Sorry our conversation is getting put on pause limited talk to my grandchild. That's relationship okay you have relationship with God.
You're his daughter you're his son. He loves you. He lights up when you walk into the room he wants to hear from you. He wants to talk to you. He wants to spend time with you. It's never a drudgery.
It's always a delight in the same should be true for us.
Our father who art in heaven. Well, okay, our father father and the father is well.
He's a good good father.
As we say and why is he a good good father because we read about it in Scripture you want to know what the father in heaven is like. Just look at Jesus. Jesus said in John 14 nine he that is seen me has seen the father. RI what was Jesus like well Jesus was approachable little children were drawn to him. He blessed them. Look at the tears streaming down his face as his face as these at the grave of his friend Lazarus look at them getting down in his hands and knees and washing the feet of the disciples, including Judas is in the upper room, look at that picture that Jesus gave us some of the father in the story of the prodigal son were God the father is presented as a dad of father who misses his wayward son, and longs for his return.
And then when the boy makes his way back home. The father can't wait to see him and pulled from his chair and runs to his son and throws his arms around him and shows deep affection to him and says this my son was dead, but he's alive again this is your father in heaven of father who will always either of father who listens a father who loves us. Your father in heaven city that's a problem in heaven heaven is so far away. I need someone here on earth will for starters, God is omnipresent, which means present everywhere so is in heaven and here is heaven really that far away.
I think we think you know here is that the sky and then here's the solar system.
And then here's the third heaven and the just so so far. And maybe in a sense that's true, but in another sense heaven is closer than you realize.
Heaven is another dimension. It's a supernatural realm. So for the father in heaven to step into your world is nothing to him. He's here. My father, who art in heaven how would be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So God is deeply involved in deeply concerned about what you're facing right now. If it concerns you concerns him but what does Jesus teach us in this template for prayer when you pray for our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven now, we wrote the Lord's prayer it would probably sound like this, our father who art in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
Just get on the business as my list. Others a place or petition. Nothing wrong with asking the father in heaven for what you need but notice that Jesus says, first take time effectively to contemplate the greatness of God. No, there are exceptions if you thought the latter in your on your way down helpful do okay. You can even finish the large ridge. God help her maybe around surfing and a great wife shark is approaching you and you know because you hear the music than content because John Williams is over there directing this orchestra and you don't know whether even on the beach to addicted to the well is getting closer. God help me God deliver meet God save me the strength getting closer in any state. God, I just pray he's a Christian shark and well the shark is aim for this meal that I'm about to receive.
I give thanks. These are the jokes people in a note to say, but as I think about the awesomeness of God as I contemplate the greatness and bigness of God. It will cause me to see my problem, challenge need in a different light. It won't change it necessarily but it will change my perspective. I'll see it differently because, listen to this God is bigger than your problem. Whatever it is, God is bigger so my father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, set apart your name honored and glorified, be your name, you know, one thing I left out, no one of go back to it for a moment that she was. Point number two point number two was notice it's our father in heaven, not my father in heaven were being taught by Jesus to pray with other believers. He doesn't teach us to pray, give me this day my daily bread, and nor does he teach me to pray, forgive me my sins as I forgive those who sin against me. He teaches me to pray.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us is nothing wrong with asking God to forgive you of your sin and provide your daily bread but the emphasis here is this is something we should do together.
Christians need to pray with Christians and helps doesn't ever had a burden or overwhelm something see a Christian friend is a can we pray yes and after you pray, you just feel so much better. That's because there's power in unified prayer. That's why Jesus said if any two of you will agree on anything. It will be done of your father in heaven. Of course we need to be aligned with the will of God. But the point is praying together makes all the difference in the world. The Bible tells us to bear one another's burdens don't do it alone.
Don't do life alone. Don't try to be a solo Christian our father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. So we do this together and then of course we give him honor and glory. Point number four now. Prayer is getting God's will on earth, not my will in heaven. Prayer is getting God's will and earth, not mine will in heaven. Verse 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven covered people say have been wrestling with God a lot in prayer really hope you're losing you don't want to talk God into something that is not his will, not that you could why even try EC prayer is is not about changing God's mind.
It's many cases about changing my mind. Prayer is not pulling God my way it's pulling me his way. So I'm say Lord I want your kingdom to come and I want your will to be done and when I talk about the kingdom. I really just say Lord I long for heaven. Every Christian is been prewired to know God and they been prewired to long for a place they've never been to before. Sort of a homing instinct receive in the animal kingdom.
God is put it in humanity as well. We long for heaven were homesick for heaven. So when I'm praying your kingdom come, your will be done. I just think I long for the day when I'll be in heaven in the presence of the Lord. But I'm also saying I long for the day when Jesus will come back to this earth again because the word that is used here by Christ. Come is a word that means something that's sudden and instantaneous.
So effectively when I say your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I'm say Lord please come back and do it soon, and it's also a personal request. I'm say Lord I want your kingdom in my life.
I want your rule in my life. Jesus said the kingdom of God is in the midst of you by that he meant when he was a with a group of people on here wherever I am.
Much of the kingdom of God is so when I see your kingdom come, your will be done and say Lord I want your rule in my life.
I want you to be in charge of my life. I wouldn't give you the master key of every door in my little house. I want to give you all my passwords noon you can access all my social media accounts. You can access anything I look at here it is Lord.
My wife has all my passwords.
I hope yours does to your husband but no secrets.
Lord, I want you to web access.
You say would you want to say you do what you want to do this is what Jesus meant when he said seek first the kingdom of God. Also when I pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I'm praying for the salvation of those that don't know the Lord and we can play a part in bringing the kingdom to others. Can't wait. We did that at the SoCal harvest God's kingdom is brought to this earth. Every time a new soul is brought to Jesus. Point number five. God wants us to bring our needs before him, each and every day God wants us to bring our needs reform. Each and every day. Verse 11. Give us this day our daily bread nudge on the Quito.you left a change that. I suppose give me this day my daily meeting in cheese. I suppose give me this day my daily bread. Now what is this me what it's obvious that Brad bread was a staple of the first century diet so it includes adequate bread speaks of everything.
It speaks of your finances in speaks of a roof over your head. It speaks of your health. Just everything you need and like my daily bread to funny thing back in the 60s there was an expression for money. Someone might come up did to humanity heavily bread. By the way that's by default 60s way of speaking. Think everybody in the 60s. Even Jimmy bread yeah too many drugs but God wants to provide everything you need in life and it's a reminder that everything I have in life is provided for me by God.
Notice it says give me this day my daily bread. It doesn't say give me this month my monthly bread. This year my yearly bread. The Lord will sometimes allow things to happen in our lives that will remind us we need him every day. Maybe you're going through some like that right now all of us in a while you you have this financial crisis.
All of a sudden you have this health scare. All of a sudden you have this problem in your marriage. You have this problem with your kids or you have this other problem and it's like God help that's okay sometimes allow these things to remind us that she's the provider we need to come to him each and every day not just asking for stuff, but giving him glory for this stuff is already given when the last time he just prayed a prayer of thanks a Lord, thank you for this. Thank you for providing for this. Thank you for my wife. Thank you for my husband. Thank you that I don't have a wife or husband.
I don't know but giving him thanks. Point number six. God wants us to ask for an extension forgiveness to others. God wants us to ask for and extend forgiveness to others and some people don't think they need forgiveness. I don't know that I really send today seriously. No I can think of a single impure thought. I got a I did lose my temper.
One side hi don't think I'd send it out. We are sitting right now with pride by the way, but whatever know we sin every day. We really do. The Bible says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
But then it also goes on to say in first John 19 and we will confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all on righteousness. So I need to ask God constantly for forgiveness. I think most of us get that.
I think most of us want dad but here's where it gets tricky. Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who were indebted to us. Wait, what yeah forgive people a great person. They hurt me this great this person bullied me on social media are this person insulted me.
This person did something that's so horrible I can forgive them ever really Jesus said you better be praying not only for your daily bread, which you been to be praying and extending forgiveness.
Every single day like with CS Lewis said about this and I quote everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea until they have something to forget" it's a great concept. Forgiveness I love forgiveness until it's time for me to forgive someone that doesn't deserve it. Now let's just concede the point. They don't deserve it. Therefore I will not forget that you hold on now, do you deserve forgiveness window no okay you don't deserve forgiveness.
Should God give it to you. Why would you not extended to another person as well.
The Bible says you been forgiven. Therefore, be tenderhearted, forgiving others listen to this one person point of this way, forgiveness is not about absolving the perpetrator. It's about healing the victim. Here's another statement I like forgiveness isn't giving into another person. It's getting free of that person got it, see it in a way that's even not about the person. Let's just say here's this person. He did this thing to me. I choose to forgive him. Doesn't deserve it. Did it anyway is getting free now and not really, but I am because I was not driving me crazy. So when he walks in the room. I'm not seething over in the side because of let it go. Let it go and forgiveness.
You been forgiven.
Point number seven my last point we cannot overcome the devil in our own strength.
We cannot overcome the devil in our own strength. Verse four. Do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil better translation of this would be deliver us from the evil one that would be Lucifer or the devil. We cannot completely remove ourselves from temptation. Otherwise we would have to leave the entire planet. And even if you did that but so you got into one of those spaceships that Elon musk is building in urine. Space I'm free all of you get tempted in space to walk around on the moon you'll celeb bad thoughts come on, gonna follow you wherever you go. So the point of it is is that I need God's help. Really what I'm praying is Lord don't allow me to walk into a situation that would overwhelm me and cause me to sin, but deliver me from temptation in any trap. The devil is set for me it's really an acknowledgment of human weakness and were no words saying I know I could sin Lord help me. One passage I memorized as a very young man. I still remember today it's first Corinthians 1013 and it says forgot neither you're hoping I did not have forgotten. I have first Corinthians 1013 there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God who is faithful will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Allow me to loosely paraphrase it is always a way out, of every temptation. How many of you have ever been tempted to sin. Raise your hand. How many of you ever have ever given in the event temptation measuring okay while you're a wicked bunch of people what uncanny know what you are servicing less people, less people raising Jennifer service. What's up with that knowledge. Knowledge, I'm a joke actually. So we've given it but there was always a way out wasn't interferon is the way I was sometimes as simple as the door. I need to walk out of this door and it will be better. We were just back in Boise, Idaho were going to do a harvest Crusade there next year and so were looking forward to that. So we are meeting with some of the leaders there in the way the big lunch meeting and so runaway that this dinner to meet some of the folks we've invited us and we drive by Krispy Kreme donuts now I know we have those in California, but it seemed like we used to have more for a while. They were everywhere. Now there's not as many Simon C1 for a while drove by it. I'm going to be people for dinner. I need to get there but it's Krispy Kreme donuts. This is not the appropriate time to eat a doughnut and the sign is lit up when you know what that means there making them fresh so I said let's let's go in there so we go in and they give you a free donut and and there's so good, to be honest with you I've eaten six and one city really good. Am I the only one.
How many of you have eaten six Krispy Kreme donuts raise your hand again is that is me.
How many of you be more than 600 not going to deal their goods out.
Are they good or good going down anything they literally melt in your mouth at some cold milk. Yes, but they're not so good after they've been sitting in your stomach. I went there a while ago with some friends and actually couple years ago where motorcycles and and I eat six and milk and literally I'm on my motorcycle at night. It's freezing an idyllic and falling asleep.
I'm in a food coma because there's the sugar spike and then the sugar crash right okay this is like sin apologies to Krispy Kreme and I will letter some attorneys for you, your donuts are awesome okay but that's the problem they're nice going down but afterwards of the what was I thinking. Then you get in your scale and it breaks okay. That's not a good there was a way out.
I did that to say, pull the car over get out of the car walk-in but they always give you the first one free is because they love you like a drug deal. Here's the first one you know in your hook.
They know you get out there smart over there.
Chris is always a way out of every temptation you face.
Don't tell me you take it out of the trap. Don't tell me you can't get out of than a moral relationship. Don't tell me you can't stop looking at porn. Don't tell me you can't control your temper, don't tell me you can't stop drinking or stop using drugs or whatever it is you're doing. Don't tell me that because you can.
And there's a way out.
If you want to take the way out, but there will say I can.
I'm just the devil got only the devil made me do it. The devil's powerful but he needs your cooperation. So when I say deliver me from temptation I'm saying, Lord, help me to be smart and avoid those things that will bring me down. Ultimately, Lord, give me the strength I need to resist. Jesus gave us a template for prayer to encourage us to pray and the reason I chose this message today, in particular that I just want to remind you, you need to pray about everything is pray about everything. Get into a habit of prayer and we make for very formal. Well it's time to ask the blessing.
Sometimes it's even like you knows, you know you the food journal would seek no one asked the blessing of everybody stop your mouth is full, then you pray that it's like you messed up you didn't pray the little token prayer. I'm not saying that's a bad thing to give thanks with we get hung up and becomes a a rule or we pray with her kids before they go to bed. These are all good things but we need to expend way beyond that, we need to get into a lifestyle of prayer. So when that burden hits me right then I pray when I'm driving down the road and something comes to me troubles me concerns me.
I just turn it into a prayer right just keep your eyes open your driving.
Philippians 4 says don't worry about anything, pray about everything in the peace of God that passes all human understanding, will guard protect your mind in Christ Jesus, pray, cry out to God in your sorrow and pain call on the Lord for his provision is protection in his guidance and give thanks to the Lord for your joys. His provision loop back to something I said earlier, I want to keep talking about Krispy Kreme donuts. Neither undone with us only back to that statement of Jesus, forgive us our debts as we forgive those who are indebted to us, that's interesting work debts you think you just say forgive us our sins and it is translated that way in some translations, but debts is a really apropos word that is chosen here because the word that Jesus uses different forgive needs to cancel a debt specifically, sin is a debt and it is a dead I can't pay it be like if you found out you owe the IRS $5 million and you had 10 bucks in your account. There's no way you can be that dead will you all these things because of your sin because of our sin. So I'm saying Lord pay my debt pay my debt right now and that's exactly what he did on the cross. The Bible says he canceled the debt that you owed at the cross. As I've often said he came to pay a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay but he settled it at the cross. Everything is paid for another way. This is sometimes translated this trespasses forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. That's a good translation as well. You know the word trespass. Sometimes you see it may be a part they just landed some grass they belittle cord there and assigning enough of it, no trespassing and I want you to be stomping on their new grass and so when I trespass. I'm breaking a commandment as we get into the life of Moses and we talk about how the Lord given the 10 Commandments there. These commandments written by the finger of God on tablets of stone from Mount Sinai and when I break those commandments. I'm trespassing. I'm crossing the line.
Listen, every one of us is cross that line.
Every one of this sin. Every one of us needs Jesus and I want to close by asking you this. Have you asked him to forgive you of your sin. Only the Christian, only the child of God can say my father who art in heaven, not your nonbeliever. You can say God up there somewhere, but for me, for us. He's our father. And that's because of what Jesus did. After Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. He appeared to Mary Magaly there at the tomb and he said I am going to go to my father and your father to my God and your God await now. It's not just that Jesus calls him father. You can call him father to because a relationship only through Christ have US Jesus to forgive you of your sin.
Are you still down with the power of sin. Are you trapped by somebody some addiction. Whatever it is the root of it is said may express itself in other ways that the root is sin. Only Christ can break the power of sin in your life and you can do it for you right here right now but you have to reach out to him and say God help me, Lord, I know I've said I'm sorry I turn from it. Jesus rescued me come in my life and forgive me of all of my sin. We just look at the short little film about what the Lord did of the so-called harvest over 8000 people went down in that field and made a profession of faith. You saw that incredible video of tears streaming down their faces, young and old, men and women all kinds of backgrounds all finding what they were looking for. In Jesus that can happen for you as well because Jesus who died on the cross rose again from the dead three days later and he's right here right now standing at the door of your life, and he is knocking, and he is saying if you hear his voice and open the door he will come. Would you like Jesus to come into your life would you like to know God is your father. Would you like your sins forgiven today.
It can happen. Let's all pray together.
Father, I ask you to speak to the hearts here. Those that are watching and those that are listening wherever they are.
Help them to see their need for you help them to come to you. Help them build to believe in you right now we ask letterheads about their eyes are closed. If you would like Jesus Christ to come in your life if you would like him to forgive you of your sin. If you would like to know that you will go to heaven when you die wherever you are, would you just lift your hand up and I like to pray for you raise your hand up and I pray for you today raising your hand your St. I need Jesus today I want to go to heaven when I die I want this relationship with God you been talking about this raise your hand up wherever you are all pray for you, bless you. As your hand God bless you. You, bless you.
God bless each one of you raising your hand wherever you are. I can't see all of you. Of course, but I want you to just pray the simple prayer after me just pray Lord Jesus, and know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin. I turn from that sin. Now that I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for sharing this prayer and answering it in Jesus name I pray, amen. Bless you guys