Call Unto Me

(I was inspired to write this sermon after reading Lou Bartet’s sermon of the same title and text--most of this sermon is different, although you might pick up on a similar thought or two, I also used the same opening illustration that Lou credited to www.presidentialprayerteam.org)

May 25, 2003 Sunday Morning

TITLE: Call Unto Me

TEXT: Jeremiah 33:1-3

Introduction

I’m sure most of you will remember the sniper incident that terrorized the Washington area for awhile.

Before they caught the snipers, they managed to kill 10 people and wounded 3.

What you may not know is, prayer played a vital role in bringing that situation to an end.

50 Christian truckers got together to pray that somehow the sniper terrorizing the Washington area would be caught.

Ron Lantz was scheduled to retire in a few days and didn¡¦t even live in the area, but he felt sure that God would answer their prayers.

In fact, he told the others attending the prayer meeting that God was going to use him to catch the sniper.

A few days after they began to pray

Ron was listening to the radio as he was driving through the region

and he felt compelled to pull off the highway to a rest stop.

It was just a couple of miles from where the initial prayer meeting had taken place.

As he pulled in, he was shocked to see a car similar to what was being described on the radio.

Carefully trying to read the license plate, a chill went up his back as the numbers matched.

He quickly called 911 and stayed there for what he said were the longest 15 minutes of his life,

until the police arrived.

He pulled his truck across the exit,

so there would be no escape for these murderers.

The rest is history-

the snipers were taken into custody without incident

and the horrifying ordeal was over.

I heard that Ron Nantz attended a Nazarene Church and was a small group leader in his church.

I’m sure most people would look that and say that it was a coincidence...

But, I guess I’m not most people...

I believe that God heard the prayer of that group of truckers....

and many others who cried out to God...

I believe that God directed the mind of Ron Nantz...

And, I believe that God will direct us as well...

If we will humble ourselves before God in prayer...

and if we will listen to God’s voice when He speaks to us...

and, if we will obey, and do what God tells us to do.

We have devoted this month of May to prayer...

My prayer for you is that prayer has become an even more important part of your life...

and, my prayer for us as a Church is that, as this month comes to an end that this emphasis on prayer doesn’t end.

I hope that, although we will go on to other subjects as God directs us...

that prayer will be an underlying strength for our church.

This morning, I had planned to talk to you about the 3 relationships in prayer...

when we are born, our relationship with God is Creator-Creation...

When we get saved, our relationship with God is Father-Child

And as the relationship grows, we begin to know God as Friend...

And prayer is so crucial to the development of our relationship with God...

(idea from Jack Hyles book, "Exploring Prayer", pp 170-179)

But, I felt led to go a different direction...

Read Text: Jeremiah 33:1-3

When Jeremiah wrote this, he "was still confined in the courtyard of the guard" (33:1).

He is in prison and Jerusalem has been conquered and destroyed.

The Children of Israel had long hoped for the restoration of Jerusalem...

and to be united in their land.

But there was nothing that Jeremiah or the others could do to restore Jerusalem.

It was beyond their power.

So, God tells them, "just ask me...and I will tell you things that you cannot even begin to dream about."

Body

1. First of all, God tells the the people to "Call Upon Me"

The Hebrew word for "call" is the same word that is used in Psalm 147:9, to describe the "cry" of the young ravens for food.

When we lived in Anniston, some birds built a nest in our carport.

We hardly noticed them at first...

but after awhile, we begun to hear the cry of those young birds...

we would climb up on our van so we could see the baby birds...

and they would be in there just crying and crying...

mouths wide open...

just hoping that we had brought some worms with us.

If you compare that idea with the idea of prayer...

then you begin to see that our prayer life should be one of urgency...