Healthy Church
Part 4 Supplication
Acts 2:42
So last week we celebrated Resurrection Sunday. We deviated from the mini series that we have been in to celebrate a risen Savior! Last week we put the resurrection on trial, and I hope with the evidence presented that you are in agreement with the scriptures that Jesus did physically rise from the dead and lives forever! Amen?! Well, now it’s time to return to and complete our series on the healthy church. We have found the foundation for what we see as a healthy church described for us in the latter part of Acts chapter 2 . We have read and understand that this early church was a healthy church by what was happening in the church. God’s presence was felt and seen in miracles. It was a unified church, not bickering among themselves but of one mind, spirit and purpose. It was a church that praised God, with good reason, they were seeing His hand of blessing upon them!. But, the most telling sign was in the final verse that said that the Lord was adding daily to the church those who needing saving! We saw somethings that the early church was doing that possibly was the reason God was blessing the church. Those things are in verse 42; "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
We have talked about what continuing steadfastly means, to be fixed on, with great desire, pursuing, like radar! We talked about the apostles doctrine, the Word of God, the teaching about and from Jesus and how the early church greatly desired to learn and do these things. We also talked about continuing in fellowship, and it didn’t have any thing to do with food! It had to do with community a common purpose. It had to do with something Jesus taught His disciples about, caring for and sharing with one another. The early church took care of one another, they were like a family not just a bunch of people gatting together to watch an event. They were part of it! Two weeks ago we celebrated Palm Sunday, and read about the triumphal entry. For one day Jerusalem rscognized their King, their Messiah! Itwas all about Jesus! We also considered the next part of verse 42 "they continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread!" The breaking of bread is about one thing, Jesus! He say’s twice "this do ye in remembrance of me!" The people of Jerusalem within less than a week had forgotten who Jesus was. The early church continued in breaking bread to remember! Today we look at the last part of this verse, the last thing mentioned that they continued steadfastly in. Let’s read it one more time! "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
A tale is told about a small town that had historically been "dry," but then a local businessman decided to build a tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene. It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground. The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that "no matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not."
I believe that to be all too true in the church today. We talk about prayer a lot. We have congregational prayer every Wednesday and twice on Sunday. But just like when we talked about Study, there are more than two days in the week. To continue steadfastly means just that. The apostle Paul wrote "Pray with out ceasing" This morning we will consider Prayer as this final key as to why God blessed the early church.
1. Prayer is a Privelege!
Think for just a moment what prayer involves. It involves little ol’ me and a conversation with GOD! The creator of the uniiverse! The one who made me, knows me better than I know myself, the one that holds everything together. I don’t know about you but the president has returned any of my calls, but I can go to the one who made the president and truely calls the shots, whenever and wherever I feel the need! I don’t ever get a busy signal, never hjave been put on hold or gotten an answering machine, He is there whenever and wherever I need Him! Prayer is not a right that we have earned, but a privelege given to the Kings kids!
a. The Privelege of Prayer was Paid for!
By Jesus on the cross. You remeber how it was under the Old Testament. You brought your prayers and confessions to the priest who brought them before God. They needed a go between. The high priest would once a ytear enter into the inner part of the temple, where the ark and the mercy seat were. Where it is said dwelled the glory of God, and that high priest would confess the sins of the people and his own sib=ns and make and offering before God. When Jesus died on the cross bearing the sins of the world upon His shoulders the curtain that seperated man from God was ripped top to bottom. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the way so that little ol me can go boldy unto the throne of grace! I don’t deserve it, I did nothing to earn it, it is a privelege given to me by the blood of Jesus Christ!
It is a shame that such a great privelege has been puirchased and yet so few take advantage of such a wonderful privelege! The early churcg=h recognized the privelege they had and took full advantage of it. They continued steadfastly in PRAYER!
2. Prayer is Petition
That means asking for stuff. Stuuf that you need, that yoy=r friends need, family needs. Things like salvation! That’s what we need more than anything else! If a friend dies penniless and sick and knows Jesus as his savior, he leaves this misery to spend eternal glory with God and his Savior Jesus. If a freind has all his earthly need filled and leaves this life without Christ, he has enjoyed a moment of happiness ina an eternity of torment! It’s good also to pray for physical needs to be met. We pray for the sick, and homeless, the poor and the weak. We pray for marital problems to cease, for unity within our families. we pray for better jobs, a nicer car, a beter place to live. James says ask! He says ye have not because ye ask not! But he also says then when you ask and don’t receive it because you ask amiss. That means you missed the mark. You asked maybe for the right thing, but for the wrong reason. You ask out of fleshly desire. God knows we have needs and He wants to provide for those needs, and He even wants to bless us, so that we can be a blessing to someone else! The early church prayed, a lot I’m sure! They had a lot ot ask for. The early church was already facing persecution. Lord, protect us! The early church was being taken advantage of financially! Lord, Provide for us! The early church wanted to share the Gospel. Lord, Prepare us!
3. Prayer is Powerful
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much!(James 5:16) That means it does a lot of good! A man by the name of Thomas Watson once noted; "The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer fetched the angel." God hears us when we pray!
A couple thing should be noted,
a. Prayer should be Pure in motive. Ask for the right reason!
b. Prayer should be Passionate. If you don’t really care why should God?! Jesus prayed so earnestly, so passionately, His sweat drops were as drops of blood! Man I can’t even imagine praying that passionately that I would break a sweat, much less sweat drops of blood!
c. Prayer should be Perpetual, That means continuous! Pray without ceasing! The things that you are passionate about you talk about a lot! If you are passionate about your prayers, you will want to talk to God a lot about them!
d. Prayer should be Particular. Pray for particular or specific things.
Ok, so we know about Prayer, It’s a privelege, It is Petition, It is Powerful, when it is done with Pure motive, when it is done Passionately, when it is done Perpetually, and when done Particularly, or specificly. We know the early church continued steadfastly in Prayer and that God heard them and blessed them. They were Prayer Warriors! Where are our prayer warriors at? What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use--men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. (E.M.Bounds) Well, isn’t the Pastors job to pray? No, it is the Pastor’s privelege to pray! But one that is open to you! Let me ask you a question; How big is God? Can he handle running the universe? Can He heal cancer? Can he quiet the storm, how about part the sea? Can he make the walls of a mighty city collapse? Can He take bad water and make it good? When the widow was down to her last bit of flour and oil, can God give her what she needs day after day? So what should we pray about? Health, finances, stress, marital problems, problems with your kids or at work? Problems with anger, or lust? Alcoholism, drug addiction? How about in everything we pray! Paul wrote to the Philippian church "6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." As a church we should be praying for one another. It goes back to the idea of fellowship, caring for and sharing with one another. " You can do more than pray, after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed." (John Bunyon). The early church knew the most powerful thing they could do for one another is to pray! Ok, so a few weeks ago I told you we were going to get serious about praying for one another. If you are willing to commit to pray for someone in this church, that means that every day, several times a day you will lift up that person in prayer. I want you to put your hand up. I have something for you!
Over the past month or so we have seen what a healthy church looks like. we have seen what they were doing and we have to examine ourselves to see if we are a healthy church! Do we continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. Are we students of the word? If you want a copy of the book I talked about a few weeks back called "Learning and Living God’s Word" tell me today I’m ordering tomorrow! Are we steadfastly continuing in fellowship. Are we following Jesus’ command that we love one another, by caring for and sharing with fellow believers? Do we continue steadfastly in the breaking of bread? Do we remember that it is all about Jesus. Jesus is the answer! Do we continue steadfastly in prayer? Praying for one another, taking full advantage of the privelege we have. Do we go to GHod with everything in prayer. If we do these things God will bless His church, and we will see His power displayed, we will be unified and He will add to our numbers those who need to be saved. We can become like Walmart "The saving Place"! Amen!? Let’s pray...
