Sermon for 4/29/2007
Psalm 28
What If God Did Not Answer Prayers?
Introduction:
A. Read Psalm 28:1-2.
B. After Adam and Even sinned by eating from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, the Bible says, (Gen 3:23 NIV) So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
C. Before sin entered the world, we know that Adam shared a relationship with God face to face. Literally, mankind walked and talked with God. (Gen 3:8 NIV) Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
D. After sin, that relationship was broken. We no longer walk and talk with God. God is holy and we are not. (Psa 24:3) Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place?(Psa 24:4) He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
E. (Rom 3:10 NIV) As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
F. Therefore, God could say to us the words of (Isa 1:15 NIV) When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.
G. In a book titled The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark written a year before he died, astronomer Carl Sagan included prayer along with astrology, spoon bending, witches and ESP as examples of irrationality.
H. Does God listen to us? Does God hear and answer our prayers?
I. I am not sure about all of you, but I know that there have been some times in my life where I have cried out to God … asking Him for some kind of answer … and NOTHING! NO response! NO answer! SILENCE!!!
J. Have you ever wondered if God listens to your prayers?
K. When Franklin Roosevelt was President of the United States he often endured long receiving lines at the White House. He complained that no one really paid any attention to what was said. One day, during a reception, he decided to try an experiment. To each person who came down the line and shook his hand, he murmured, "I murdered my grandmother this morning." The guests responded with phrases like, "Marvelous! Keep up the good work. We are proud of you. God bless you, sir.” It was not till the end of the line, while greeting the ambassador from Bolivia, that his words were actually heard. Nonplussed, the ambassador leaned over and whispered, "I’m sure she had it coming."
L. Despite how you feel or what you might think, please be assured that God is listening. He may be SILENT, but He is always listening!!!
M. He is listening because God hears everything. But does He answer my prayers and cries for mercy? Does prayer make a difference?
N. Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. There is a prayer observance in Mount Airy at City Hall and one in Dobson at the old courthouse all at noon. Please go! I have gone the past several years and the prayers and messages are inspirational!
Thesis: Lonnie Gunter a few years ago spoke on the idea of “What if God did not answer prayers?” This is what we are going to talk about for the next few minutes.
For instances:
I. What if God did not answer prayers? We would all be under the control of the devil.
A. When mankind sinned, in some way power in this realm went to the devil. Many questions about this especially when we examine the book of Job because God is still the ruler but in some way the devil has sway over this world. Look at these verses:
1. Isaiah 14:12 says that he once laid low the nations.
2. In John 12, 14 and 16 Jesus calls the devil the prince of this world.
3. 2 Corinthians 4:4 calls him the god of this age.
4. Ephesians 2:2 calls him the ruler of the kingdom of the air.
5. 1 John 5:19 say that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
6. Revelation 12:9 says that the devil, Satan, leads the whole world astray.
B. When I look at this we cannot help but be reminded of what happened a few weeks ago at Virginia Tech. Ezekiel 28 seems to be talking about the devil and it says in vs. 16 that he is filled with violence. Jesus said of him in John 8:44 that he was a murderer from the beginning.
C. Virginia Tech President William Steger said, “I’m really at a loss for words to explain or to understand the carnage that has visited our campus.” How can we explain how a senior at that University locked people in a lecture hall, and killed them? Who or what was behind all of this at Virginia Tech? Simply it was the devil.
E. George Lucas in his movie series, “Star Wars,” gives us a good picture of how the devil operates in Senator then Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine acts like a puppet master, playing both sides of the fence, creating division and confusion at every turn, and in the end we see all of the death, destruction, murders, and wars that result. Why does he do all of this? Only to gain more control and power for himself.
F. In Matthew 4:3 he is described as the tempter. In the Garden of Eden he successfully tempted Adam and Even. Today he still is successfully tempting mankind.
H. 1 Peter 5:9 tells us to resist him. This is impossible without God. The devil has complete sway over this world.
I. (1 John 3:8 NIV) He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. But all of us sin. (Rom 3:23 NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
I. In Luke 11 Jesus calls him the strong man. Our only hope is for someone stronger to attack and overpower him!
I. What a horrible world it would be if the devil were allowed to have free reign! If God did not answer prayer that is how it would be!
II. What if God did not answer prayers? We would be under the control of others.
A. It all becomes the survival of the fittest. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. The strong get stronger and the weak get weaker. No compassion, no mercy shown to one’s fellow man. Those who are unable to survive are removed. Evolutionists have a more politically correct term it is called natural selection.
B. (Exo 2:23 NIV) The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.
C. If God does not answer prayer, then the misery of the Israelites would still be going on. Slavery would be the norm instead of the exception!
D. Most of us would not have freedom, we would be slaves. 1 Corinthians 7:23 tells us not to become slaves of men but we would have no choice.
E. This place would become the law of the jungle. No rules but survival! No concern for right or wrong but only survival!
F. This is what the Psalmist is talking about in Psalm 28:3-5. Read it!
G. David knew this very well with King Saul. David was King Saul’s servant and King Saul hunted him down to kill him. David says in (1 Sam 26:18 NIV) And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of?” But if God does not answer prayers David would be dead as any slave that is hated by his master!
H. (Psa 102:17 NIV) He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
I. Abraham said in Genesis 18:25 Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
III. What if God did not answer prayers? We would be under the control of ourselves.
A. This doesn’t sound bad. If there is one thing that is highly valued today its self-reliance. Folks value the capacity in others to stand on their own two feet; to have the where-with-all to weather the storms; to adapt, overcome and conquer. It’s a trademark of our times. We strive to raise our children to be independent, self-sufficient and to just learn how to stand on their own two feet.
B. This is our dream, to be in charge of our own destiny. To be over ourselves. Really a sham because the devil has sway over everything but he makes us feel like we are in control. We have freedom to control ourselves.
C. When real troubles come self reliance, self sufficiency is not going to cut it. And yet – that is where we are so often directed – look inside. Dig deep; pull yourself up by your own bootstraps!
D. There is a motto: Give a man enough rope and he will hang himself.
E. David knew this very well in the situation with Bathsheba!
F. When Paul turned inward, he didn’t find any kind of help! (Rom 7:19 NIV) For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. (Rom 7:20 NIV) Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.(Rom 7:21 NIV) So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.(Rom 7:22 NIV) For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;(Rom 7:23 NIV) but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.(Rom 7:24 NIV) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
G. Paul also said in (Gal 5:17 NIV) For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
H. Mankind, left by himself, always has a tendency to do evil. (Rom 1:28 NIV) Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind; to do what ought not to be done. (Rom 1:29 NIV) They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, (Rom 1:30 NIV) slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents ;(Rom 1:31 NIV) they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Rom 1:32 NIV) Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
I. No by ourselves we are a mess. In a large textile mill hung a sign which read: “When your thread becomes tangled, call the foreman.” A young woman - new on the job - whose thread became tangled thought, “I’ll just straighten this out myself.” She tried, but the situation only worsened. Finally she called the foreman. “I did the best I could,” she said. “No you didn’t,” said the foreman. “To do the best, you should have called me.”
Conclusion and Invitation:
A. This is all very frightening to thing about. What if God did not answer prayers? However, the truth is found in Read Psalm 28:6. He might not respond in our timeframe or in the way that we want, but he will answer our cries for mercy.
B. Look at vs. 9
1. (Mat 1:21) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
2. If God doesn’t answer prayers, then he wouldn’t have sent Jesus.
3. Give plan of salvation. All of these parts involve prayer, asking for help from God. (Acts 22:16) And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’
C. One last thought- There will be a time and place where God will not answer prayer. (Luke 16:19) "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. (Luke 16:20) At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores (Luke 16:21) and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. (Luke 16:22) "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. (Luke 16:23) In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.(Luke 16:24) So he called to him, ’Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’(Luke 16:25) "But Abraham replied, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. (Luke 16:26) And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’(Luke 16:27) "He answered, ’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, (Luke 16:28) for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’(Luke 16:29) "Abraham replied, ’They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’(Luke 16:30) "’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
D. The rich man’s two requests were not granted. Prayers in torment are not answered!
