#1 CAN GOD FIND INTERCEDERS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
DEFINE:
INTERCEDE, INTERCESSION
To be situated between things, To find away to get over or through difficulties.
To intervene on behave of another, to plead, prayer.
Mediate, to produce agreement or RECONCILIATION.
I. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SAD DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, THE CHURCH AND THE
FAMILIES.
A. GOD'S JUDGMENT IS SURE... ONE MAN-EVENT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE...
B. God desires to have a HEDGE BUILT AROUND HIS PEOPLE...
Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand
in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
C. Often times there comes LARGE GAPS in the HEDGE OF GOD'S PROMISES AND BLESSINGS...
One PERSON can make a difference and TURN AWAY THE WRATH OF GOD FROM MEN...
D. Many times in history God looked in vain for anyone who would build again the wall of righteousness
TO STAND AND TAKE THE LEADERSHIP TO INFLUENCE SINFUL HEARTS TO COME TO GOD'S
HOLY STANDARD.
II. JEREMIAH, THE WEEPING PROPHET HAD HOPE... WAS GIVEN SOME STRICT ORDERS...
JEREMIAH GET OUT IN JERUSALEM AND RUN UP AND DOWN THE STREETS OF THE CITY...
WHILE YOU ARE RUNNING LOOK FOR AN INTERCESSOR.
A. PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW AND RESPECT GOD'S LAWS AND RULES...
when people fail God they need some leaders to pick up the TORCH AND RUN WITH IT...
Jeremiah 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the
broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth;
and I will pardon it.
B. When God can find INTERCESSORS TO STAND IN THE GAP AND MAKE A HEDGE OF
PROTECTION... JUDGMENT IS LESSENED...
III. IT APPEARS OFTEN TIMES INTERCESSORS ARE CALLED TO RUN...
A SENSE OF URGENCY... GRAB THE CENSER...
A. SIN AND REBELLION WAS IN THE CAMP...
B. A CENSER WAS A VESSEL THAT INCENSE FROM THE GOLDEN ALTAR WAS CARRIED IN...
It had burning coals of incense, sent a sweet smelling cloud upward...
Numbers 16:47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation;
and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement
for the people.
[48] And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.
B. 14,700 DIED IN ONE DAY, BUT WHAT IF THE RUNNING OF THE CENSER HAD BEEN DELAYED?
C. WILL SOME ONE RUN WITH THE CENSER TODAY?
IV. THE FIERY SERPENT WAS A TYPE OF INTERCESSION...
A. THERE CAME GREAT JUDGMENT IN THE CAMP OF GOD'S PEOPLE...
They had been murmuring and complaining against MOSES and against God.
B. GOD ALLOWED A GREAT MULTIPICATION OF DEADLY POISONOUS SNAKES TO INFEST
THE CAMP OF GOD...
C. The hedge of protection was dropped...
MANY PEOPLE OF GOD DIED ... THERE WAS NO CURE ONCE BITEN...
Numbers 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass,
that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
D. MOSES WAS GOD'S MAN AND HE INTERECEDED TO GOD... RAISE UP A STANDARD...
GOD HAD MOSES COMMAND A BRAZEN SERPANT TO BE MADE AND RAISED ON A POLE...
How many died while the BRONZE SNAKE was made?
E. THE BRAZEN SERPENT WAS KEPT UNTIL HEZEKIAH'S DAYS...
WHEN THIS BRAZEN SERPENT BECAME A TRAP TO GOD'S PEOPLE...
2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake
in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn
incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.
V. MOSES BECOME A TYPE OF A GREAT INTERCESSOR --- MOSES OFTEN STOOD IN THE GAP...
WILL WE BE LIKE MOSES?
A. MOSES TAKES THE MOST DANGEROUS GAMBLE OF HIS DAYS...
BLOT ME OUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO BLOT THEM OUT.
Exodus 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book
which thou hast written.
B. The fire of God's judgment is destroying the camp... MOSES INTERCEDES...
Numbers 11:2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was
quenched.
C. FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS MOSES HAD BEEN MARRIED TO THE SAME WOMAN.
ALL OF A SUDDEN MOSES WIFE BECOMES AN ISSUE TO MIRIAM AND IN A DISCUSSION WITH
AARON OVER THE ISSUE OF MOSES WIFE THEY ATTACK MOSES AUTHORITY...
D. GOD CHALLENGES MOSES, MIRIAM AND AARON TO COME TO THE CHURCH...
GOD WILL SHOW...
Numbers 12:3 [6] And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make
myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
[7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
[8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude
of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
[9] And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed.
[10] And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow:
and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
[11] And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have
done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
[12] Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's
womb.
E. MOSES BEGS FOR HIS SISTER...
LORD HEAL HER... NOW
Numbers 12:13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
F. WHY CAN WE NOT SEE HOW IMPORTANT THE ROLE OF INCESSOR IS IN THE LEADERSHIP
OF THE CHURCH?
VI. GREAT MEN OF GOD HAVE ALWAYS LOVED PEOPLE AND INTERCEDED FOR OTHERS.
A. EARLIER LOT GETS HIMMSELF AND HIS FAMILY IN TROUBLE AND GOOD OLD UNCLE
ABRAHAM COMES TO THE INTECESSOR'S TABLE... AND RESCUE LOT...
Genesis 14:12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and
departed.
UNCLE ABRAHAM CAME TO THE RESCUE... LOT DOES NOT APPRECIATE OR LEARN ANYTHING...
Genesis 14:14 And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,
born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
B. Abraham pleads as one friend to another friend...
Abraham pleads with God for GRACE and MERCY for others.
Abraham could see from where he was standing down over the valley. Sodom was near the DEAD SEA.
The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, GOD AND ABRAHAM WAS STANDING 4,200 FEET
ABOVE LOOKING DOWN...
C. The two angel proceed into the TWIN CITIES, where LOT HAD MADE THE CHOICE TO LIVE.
Genesis 18:26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all
the place for their sakes.
D. 50 --- 45 --- 40 ---
E. PLEASE LORD --- DON'T GET ANGRY...
Genesis 18:30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure
there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
F. 20
Genesis 18:32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once:
Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.
H. LINGERING LOT... PEPRSONAL PRIORITIES ALL WRONG...
GOD WAS MERCIFUL TO LOT FOR ABRAHAM'S SAKE...
Genesis 19:15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife,
and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
[16] And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the
hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him
without the city.
[17] And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life;
look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
I. LOT SHOWS HIS REAL COLOR IN A LACK OF RESPECT AND OBEDIENCE...
LOT SETTLES FOR "A LITTLE" AND MANY SINFUL COMPLICATIONS GROW IN SETTLING
FOR A LITTLE.
Genesis 19:20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither,
(is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
VI. JESUS BECOMES A TYPE OF INCESSOR FOR US... JESUS INTERCEDES FOR YOU AND ME
IN TWO BASIC WAYS... 1. HE BECAME OUR SACRIFICIAL OFFERING AND 2. HE IS CONTINUALLY
MAKING INTERCESSION FOR HIS PEOPLE.
A. JESUS HAS HIS ADVOCACY WITH THE FATHER... A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD...
THAT KNOWS NO END
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
B. JESUS IS TOUCHED BY OUR WEAKNESSES, TRIALS, INFIRMITIES
Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
C. WE HAVE COMMUNION BOTH WITH THE FATHER AND THE SON...
WE ARE OF JESUS A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD...
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
PASS IT ON?
