Use The Emergency Frequency Series

Dr. Tom Doubt, Senior Pastor

Four Mile Creek Baptist Church

February 29, 2004

BACKGROUND:

A. Illustration: Johnny Carson & his late night TV show had a routine where he would play Carnac the Great. He would give an answer & Ed McMann would read the question. “Gatorade” – “What does an alligator get on welfare?” “Bible Belt” – “What holds up Oral Roberts pants?” People actually sent mail to Carson, hoping that Carnac would provide an answer to their problems. Carnac the Great went off the air with Johnny Carson, but has been replaced by Psychic Network & Dial-a-Psychic. None of these gimmicks are any help for the real trials & storms of life.

B. We have been looking at the 5 F’s of flying & what to do when the engine fails.

1. FLY the plane – allow Jesus to be your pilot.

2. FIND a safe place to land – God provides suitable rest.

3. FIX the problem – ask the Lord for wisdom in midst trials.

4. This week – select the emergency FREQUENCY

a. In aviation: turn your transponder to 7700 – locator frequency.

b. Tune your radio to 121.5 MHz, the emergency frequency.

5. As Christians we have access to the emergency frequency that answers concerns. Prayer.

a. To turn your radio on, dialing in the emergency frequency, is going to God in prayer.

b. The prophet Jeremiah shows us that God gives incredible answers when we call upon Him.

Read: JEREMIAH 33:1-3

INTRODUCTION:

A. Jeremiah wrote those words while a prisoner in the courtyard of the guard (v 1).

1. The Babylonian army was laying siege to Jerusalem.

2. So much wickedness existed among the people that God said destruction was inevitable.

3. Neither Jeremiah nor the kingdom of Judah could do anything to stop the Babylonian army.

4. Yet God says to call on Him, He will answer, and do incredible things. It was His promise in the midst of trouble & despair.

B. Scripture abounds with promises of prayer.

1. Call on the Lord in your day of trouble & He will deliver you (Ps 50:15).

2. If you believe, you receive whatever you ask in prayer (Matt 21:22).

3. In Jericho, blind Bartimaeus cried out, “Jesus, Son David, have mercy” (Mark 10:46).

4. Ask & you will receive, then your joy will be complete (John 16:24).

C. So why have so many given up on praying?

1. A child who did not get the bike for Christmas that they prayed for.

2. A teenage whose prayer for a boyfriend went unanswered.

3. The man who prayed for healing for his wife, only to see her die of cancer.

4. The woman who prays to have a child, only to have a miscarriage.

D. Maybe we need to better understand how to use the emergency Frequency before we give up on prayer.

1. If one does not know how to dial in the frequency – nothing happens.

2. If one does not know how to talk on the radio – result may not be satisfying.

THESIS: Jer. 33:3 provides a kneeboard synopsis of prayer:

Call to Him

He will answer

He will tell us of things we do not know

MESSAGE:

A. “CALL” TO THE LORD SOUNDS EASY ENOUGH.

1. Hebrew root for “call” means to call out after you encounter someone.

a. Prayer always involves a personal encounter with God.

b. Not shouting to the back of the plane, not calling out across rooms, and not calling on some alternate frequency.

c. Being on God’s frequency is not just about location, but also about attitude. The right frequency, but wrong attitude, gains nothing.

2. To call is to admit you have a problem & need help.

a. When using 121.5 MHz on the radio, the pilot is expected to state the nature of the problem.

b. The pilot will also be asked if he wants to declare an emergency.

c. The declaration ranges from stating you have a “problem”, not too serious, to “mayday-mayday-mayday”, which is life threatening.

3. The Lord wants us to call, regardless of how serious the need.

a. When lacking something – call on Jehova-Jireh – the Lord provides (Gen 22:13).

b. When hurting – call Jehovah-Rapha – the Lord our healer (Ex 15:26).

c. When in the valley of the shadow of death – call Jehovah-Rohi – the Lord is our shepherd (Ps 23:1).

d. When troubled – call Jehovah-Shalom – the Lord is peace (Judge 6:24).

4. Disciples never asked Jesus to teach them to sing, to preach, or how to witness.

5. Rather, they asked Him: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).

6. When we call to the Lord, we must be genuine in our requests – not as a hypocrite.

a. We cannot pray “Hallowed be Thy Name” – then cuss at our neighbor.