As we continue our review of the basics by which a church stands and is built upon, let’s us linger a bit longer on the topic of Prayer.
Many of you have at least one of these in your homes( hold up a telephone). If there is more than one person in your home, when it rings all run for the phone especially if you are a teenager, thinking and shouting, “I got it, It’s for me. A phone or rather listening or talking on the phone helps personally connect us to others. When we were on the Philadelphia Mission Trip most of out students called home regularly. Why? They missed their family and they wanted to hear their voice. It perhaps gave them the confidence that though they were far away from home, home would still be waiting for them when they returned.
Now what would happen if you were given the private phone number of a famous person be it the president, or a famous sports star, music star, or actor, and you were to told to call them. Would You?
Well this morning I am going to personally give you the phone number of someone much greater than that famous person that you came up with, I want to give you the phone number of God Himself. And his number is so powerful you don’t even need a telephone. Are you ready for that Number?
Then turn with me in your Bibles to Jeremiah 33 verse 3. Or as we will put it Jer 333.
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unseachable things you do not know.
God the author and creator of everything desires you to talk with Him. God has placed that desire deep within our hearts as well- A longing to connect and talk with God. A longing that is as deep as it was for those teens on that mission trip to talk with their mom or dad. To deny this deep desire is to live out your life every day with a sense that something is missing.
Psalm 46:10 says to be still and know that I am God. Begin today in the quiet moments of this sermon to stop and reflect. “Is there a sense in your life that something is missing? Do you live out your day with a sense of incompleteness and emptiness? Then Stop, and remember God, and then choose to talk with Him and include him in your daily life.
Listen to one man’s account of how Prayer changed His life and the lives of an entire nation.
Do you remember last Fall the Sniper that terrorized the Washington area. Well before they were apprehended the snipers killed 10 and wounded 3. What you may not know is, prayer played a vital role in bringing that ordeal 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 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 remained there for what he said were the longest 15 minutes of his life, until the police arrived. He even pulled his truck across the exit, there would now be no escape for these elusive murderers. The rest is now history-the snipers were taken into custody without incident and the horrifying ordeal was over.
Guys according to Jeremiah 33:3, we serve a God who gives incredible answers to prayer.
Listen again To Jeremiah 33:3 this time from the New American Standard version: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
In this verse we are commanded to Call upon God. This command and this verse falls within a context of scripture that seems rather odd. Jeremiah was in prison for speaking out about sin and immorality. Jerusalem was being attacked by the Babylonians. Defeat seemed pretty imminient. The Past Glory of Israel was a distant memory. All seemed lost.
But in the midst of such disaster God gives Jeremiah hope and a message to share. Despite your past and despite your present situation Stop and call on your God and He will answer You.
God says the same things to You…
Maybe you are going through a health crisis and you are not sure what days you have ahead
Maybe your once solid marriage seems to be heading toward divorce and you don’t know what to do
Maybe financial stress is hitting you from every side and no matter what way you juggle you don’t have enough
Maybe your children are making choices that you don’t agree with and they don’t seem to Listen to you anymore
Maybe… You fill in the rest with your story…
The bottom line no matter what the story when we get to the point where we don’t know what to say or do then we are right where God can and will speak if we will but only Call on Him. And He will tell you what you do not know.
In this verse we are given two promises:
I will answer You and the second promise I will tell you great and unseachable things you do not know.
When you take the time to call upon Him He will answer. That is a promise. You won’t get a busy signal or an answering machine. You will get God. That’s a promise. But like we said two weeks ago the answer may be different than you might expect.
His answer may direct you to repentance and forgiveness. When you call on God, he may answer back that you need to repent of a certain sin. You might remark well that’s not what I asked for, No but it is what God requires. The psalmist says, Who can ascend the Hill of the Lord ( which is symbolism for prayer) he who has clean hands and a clean heart.
A few years ago I said some hurtful things to a family member. While in Maine, I began to pray and God answered, but his answer was always the same until I obeyed. You need to make it right. You need to restore that relationship. I was praying for God’s specific and practical direction, but God’s answer pointed me to unconfused sin.
His answer may direct you to persevere through difficult times
In other words his answer is the same as to David, Yea Though I walk through the valley of Death I will fear no evil.
His answer though Life situations do not change or worsen that he will be with us. While Penny’s mom was in the hospital, we all gathered around to pray. Some claimed God’s healing, Others rejoiced when a test came back different, but after a few months God’s answer was not healing but death, and Penny and her family had to walk the lonely road without her mom. Did God fail to hear and answer? No, He just answered differently than we expected or wanted.
His answer may direct you to specific and practical direction
In other words his answer is the same as Paul’s when he heard the Macedonian Call, Come over to Macedonia and help us
In this situation God’s answer is clear and very direct. While in Maine, we sense God wanted us to move closer to Family in South Carolina. So when I prayed, God clearly said send this, Do this, Don’t this, and then eventually Go There.
Regardless of the prayer God does Answer. He always Answers, but exactly what the answer is, is between you and God. Never Fail God will answer and will show us Great and Mighty things that we do not know.
When we call upon our God, we surrender control of our life situations to God. We humbly submit to His Leadership. Throughout my life, God has often answered my prayers by showing me a specific action to do and then giving me the strength to do it. Allowing me to call my walk with God many times the Great Adventure.
One of those adventure moments was going to seminary. After 4 years of college, I was past burn out on school. I knew that God was calling me into the ministry, but I wanted to spend a couple years of the mission field before I went to seminary; so as my senior year of college was drawing to a close I prayed God show me what you want for my life. I had filled out a US-2 home mission application and was waiting a interview. But all throughout the whole process, I seemed to lack total peace. As I prayed the thought of going to seminary kept coming up and I kept explaining to God Why Now was not a good time. Finally, after being dogged enough about seminary, I told God that if today someone mentioned Southwestern Seminary and put an application in my hands then I would switch gears and walk through that door. I felt I was safe our student group was traveling to the University of South Carolina BSU to do drama and most of my classes were canceled for that day. But guess who was at that meeting talking with prospective students- a representative from you guessed it Southwestern Seminary and he placed an admissions application in my hand.
If we will but listen God will clearly direct our every step. As a result of this Great Adventure, One of my favorite verses in all the bible is found in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 “ Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think to Him be the glory"
I close this message with a true Story that echoes the truth of Jeremiah 33:3.
One day George Mueller looked down the streets of Bristol, England, & saw 100’s of homeless children. He was so moved with concern for them that he decided that something had to be done.
He had only two pence in his pocket. That’s two cents. But he decided to start an orphanage. In 60 years, beginning with two pence, George Mueller took care of 10,000 orphans. He looked out & saw homeless kids. He could have said, " I don‘t have any money. There’s no way to care for them, to meet their needs, to buy the food." Instead, he looked at them & said, " I will reach out & help them." And God blessed his efforts in a mighty way.
During his 60 years of ministry, George Mueller never solicited funds from anyone. Instead he committed himself to pray and ask God for what he needed to keep the orphanage running. During his 60 years of ministry George Mueller kept a record of his prayers, & his prayer records filled more than 3,000 pages. His notes show that more than 30,000 prayers were answered.
One night there was no food in the orphanage to give to the children for breakfast. But at 3:00 in the morning a baker called him up & said, "I just can‘t sleep. I’m going down to the bakery to bake some bread. Would it be all right for me to bring some over to you this morning?"
On another occasion a milk truck just happened to break down in front of the orphanage on a day when they had no milk. The truck driver came in & said, "All this milk is going to spoil. Would you like some of it?" And their need was met.
Time & time again, 30,000 times in 60 years, God answered George Mueller‘s prayers.
Guys, The secret to answered prayer is to pray
And The secret to Unanswered prayer is to not pray. The Ball is in your court. You know the phone number for God, why not give him a call, it could and it will change your life.
