Are We On The Right Road?

ARE WE ON THE RIGHT ROAD?

This week’s sermon is really directed more at those who are Christians. By this I mean those

1. Who have repented of their sins;

2. Who have accepted Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross at Calvary as the means whereby their sins are blotted out in God’s sight and

3. Who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord.

Last week we looked that the question: Is the Christian on parole? and concluded that he wasn’t but that he is created to do GOOD WORKS. We read thisd in Ephesians 2:10.

We also began to look at how the Christian can keep on the right track - by external circumstances:

1. With the company we keep

2. By what we say

3. By fellowshipping together

This week I want us to look at how we can keep on the right road by protecting our private lives.

Prov. 23:19

Listen my son and be wise and keep your heart on the right path.

We are called to be HOLY.

Holy means a people SET ASIDE to God. That we are a people who want to follow the ways of God.

We have assurance of salvation because Christ died in our place and because when we are born again the Holy Spirit is in our lives. The RESULT of the HOLY SPIRIT being in us is changed lives. Just as you can tell a tree by the FRUIT it brings so you can tell a Christian by his changing life and the FRIUT of the SPIRIT he has.

We are called to travel a special road that God has for us.

Matt. 7: 13 and 14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to eternal life.

This week I want to look at PRAYER and by so doing it will focus us on the conditions that God requires in our hearts for our prayer to be effective.

Prov. 15. 29

The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

What does the Christian have that the non Christian doesn’t have?

Friends

Good Deeds

Money

Success?

I believe it is the ACCESS to God in PRAYER.

Prayer is our SPIRITUAL THERMOMETER for our spiritual life. A sign that your spiritual life is not in order is the amount of time you take to pray.

< It has been said why pray when you can worry?>

How many of us succumb to this from time to time.

I want to try and look at three aspects to PRAYER

1. What IS PRAYER.

2. What HINDERS PRAYER

3. What PROMOTES PRAYER

WHAT IS PRAYER

We need to define what we mean.

I paused and then realised he might not know what a lawyer is. So I said: Do you know what a lawyer is?

He said: Yes Daddy, it’s someone who always tells lies!!!!>

Smart kid.

It is a true story!!

Prayer has been defined as:

Communication between man and a personal, eternal, infinite GOd and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. (Freligh)

What is Prayer NOT:

1. Thinking GOOD THOUGHTS. How often have we said "I’ll think about you when you’re having the operation" or if someone is going through a difficult exam.

2. Self meditation. Trying to separate your mind from your body by meditation, like say in Buddism.

3. To be directed to anyone else but God. We do not pray to the Saints or dead relatives or even your pastor! The reason is because an integral part of prayer involves worship (Eph. 5:19).

4. Is not merely a wish list that we have.

Prayer positively means

1) To Beseech

2) To Ask or Request

3) To Wish

4) To Summon alongside

5) To Offer prayers to God

6) To Supplicate

7) To Pour out and

8) To Intercede.

I would also like to add PRAYER includes LISTENING to God. Hang in there to hear what God has to say to you.

So often we rush into prayer... Lord I need a new Rolls Royce, a new COMPUTER SYSTEM, a New HIFI and please heal my mother’s vaicose veins. In Jesus Name Amen.

Great what now on television!!

Communication is TWO WAY.

Let us look at how God communicaters in prayer:

Genesis 18: 16-33. Abraham’s bargaining with God in Prayer for Sodom.

Gen. 18. 22-33

First he bargains for the city