Wartime Communication

INTRODUCTION (Series Slide) Good morning, my name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor here. Well, with the opening of our Adult Wing last week, our building expansion is pretty much done on the inside. Praise God! Thank you to so many of you that have been a part of that! However, we still have a lot of work to do outside. As there is a ton of sod to put in, A LOT of landscaping, another round of pavement on the parking lot and more. All of that exterior site work will begin in May. Our plan then is to do a huge Grand Opening of our finished building in August, when everything will be looking beautiful inside and out. And we’ll just use that Grand Opening as another excuse to invite and tell a whole lot of people about Jesus! Thanks for being here today as this is our 15th and final message in our study through the Letter of Ephesians. And today Paul is going to talk about prayer. Which is good because I know very few Christians who could say, “Yeah, my prayer life is AMAZING!” Most of us don’t feel great about how much we pray, but aren’t sure how to make any changes. But we’re going to get some help today. Ephesians 6:14 24 Page 801 And before we start reading, it’s important to point out that today’s passage is highly connected to last week’s. In many ways it’s a direct continuation. So while we’re going to concentrate on verses 18 20 today, I’m actually going to start us back in verse 14 in a few seconds. Last week we talked about how our main fight is against our spiritual enemy, the devil. And if we’re to avoid being defeated by attacks which are aimed to draw us away from God, we need to put on the armor of God. So we’re going to start there at verse 14, and then I’ll keep reading into today’s passage (Ephesians 6:14 24) – NIV 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. 21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. 23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Title slide) The passage finishes with Paul telling the Ephesians that Tychicus, who helped carry both their letter AND the letter to the Colossians, will fill them in on anything else they need to know. But I want us to concentrate primarily on verses 18 20 today Right after Paul explains the Armor of God, he begins to talk about prayer. Because prayer is the mode, the method, by which a lot of the fighting happens with the armor of God. And I wanted to read the context of the passage for you again, because I find that today’s verses (and a lot of teaching on prayer, often gets removed from its context) Prayer here is in the context of a spiritual battle. It reminds me of one of Pastor John Piper’s most famous quotes “Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den. God has given us prayer as a wartime walkie talkie so that we can call headquarters for everything we need as the kingdom of Christ advances in the world.” – John Piper That is the context of this Scripture passage is it not? We don’t read here that prayer is mainly for obtaining more peace or comfort, or a vending machine of pleasures… But Paul has just said that we’re at war; we must put on our armor; And now he says, “And you better stay alert! And pray!” Now, this isn’t to say that there aren’t other reasons to pray. We certainly see that in Scripture Prayer is conversation with God. We pour out our feelings to Him. We confess sin. We praise Him We pray even for our needs: “give us this day our daily bread” But here’s what I want you to understand: Whatever you believe to be the purpose or meaning of life, is the lens through which you will see the purpose of prayer. So if you believe that the main purpose of life is to be comfortable, or happy, or successful, or for your kids to succeed in sports, or school… And by the way, everyone in this room is going, “Oh that’s not me!” But my suburbanite friends: Our schedules betray our words. Don’t trust what you say, look at what you do And if your schedule is full of comfort seeking activities (you stream 3 hours every night), or it’s full of sports, or working 70 hours a week, then that is, most likely, your purpose. And the purpose of your life is the lens/filter (PUT ON GLASSES), through which you see everything else. And so if you’re looking through that lens, then you’re mostly going to pray about your kid making the all star team, getting a new job, making more money, for your aches and pains to go away… That’s what your prayer life will primarily be about because that’s what we think life is about! HOWEVER, what if you put on a different lens, a Biblical lens (put on different glasses) And you say, “You know what, the Bible tells me that life here is like a mist, it appears and it’s gone.” “It’s like 2 seconds long, and then eternity in heaven or hell begins” “So I don’t want all of my prayers to be about me being comfortable for those 2 seconds” “lot of American Christians are going enter an eternity of rest…already rested” But with Biblical lenses on, those prayers for comfort and ease may still be on your prayer list, but they go to the bottom. Your primary concern is now for things like “the lost” (for those who are facing an eternity in hell) It’s for putting on the armor of God and fighting against your enemy who’s trying to destroy you and God’s work Your concern is for living your life in a way that glorifies God…because THAT (not comfort) is God’s main purpose for your life. And that’s why this section on prayer is a part of the broader passage on spiritual warfare. When we see life correctly (Biblically), through the right lenses, it will absolutely change how we pray. And truthfully, I think it gives much more urgency to prayer. When I let my mind actually dare to think about truth: And I remember that the devil wants to take my sibling, or friend, or co worker to hell for all of eternity. Now, I know I need to pray. (GLASSES OFF) PRAY ON ALL OCCASSIONS SO with that in mind, let’s dig deeper into the passage We’re going to look at verse 18 again, but there is a purposeful structure to this verse that isn’t as apparent in our NIV translation as it is in more wooden translations. So let me actually read this to you in the ESV, and you’ll see it. praying at ALL times in the Spirit, with ALL prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with ALL perseverance, making supplication for ALL the saints – Ephesians 4:18 (English Standard Version) And so actually four times in the original Greek, Paul uses the word for “all” Because when we wear the right lenses, there’s an emphasis to the seriousness and necessity of prayer. And I want to break down these “Four alls” THE FOUR “ALLS” OF WARTIME COMMUNICATION #1: Pray on ALL occasions This is similar to 1 Thessalonians 5 where Paul says to pray without ceasing. If life is short, and eternity is real, then prayer is one of our main purposes. Having a regular, daily prayer time is very important, but we need to be careful that we don’t then think of prayer as something we just check off. “Yep, did my quiet time at 7am” CHECK “Yep, , prayed before the meal…ruba dub dub, thank you for the grub” CHECK Because Scripture shows examples of routine prayer, deep seasons of prayer, and also prayer that looks more like abiding in the vine & praying without ceasing. This reminds me of the classic book The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence Brother Lawrence was a monk from the 1600’s who was a dishwasher at a monastery. And in his long and tedious work, he practiced praying on ALL occasions And he began to train his mind to focus back on God whenever it strayed away. And he felt he could stay focused on God for most of the day. And soon enough, people from far and wide began to come and visit him in the monastery and learn how they could begin to pray more on ALL occasions. It’s a fascinating concept, and you can find that book in our brand new church library if you like. (If it’s already been checked out, you can place a hold to get it next!) THE FOUR “ALLS” OF WARTIME COMMUNICATION #1: Pray on ALL occasions Another reason that we don’t pray anywhere close to “all occasions” is because we’ve never taken the time to build up our muscle for prayer. Prayer, like anything, is a discipline…and it takes time and effort. I think of it this way. I’ve been a runner for about 15 years now. I’m not amazing, but I run faithfully 3 times a week. And people always say to me, “Ew! Why?! How could you ever ENJOY running?!” And I always say, “If I ever get hurt, and I can’t run for 6 months, and then I start running when I’m out of shape. It’s awful. Miserable. Painful.” However, once you’ve built up the stamina for it, it’s amazing. The other day, I had a hard day, and I went out in the evening for a 4 mile run. And I was just listening to music, and talking to God, and I was completely lost in thought for about a half mile. And it’s like, you ever drive, and you’re so lost in thought that you go, “How’d I get here?” That’s what running is like for me. It’s an amazing release and a time to think and pray. But you have to build up the muscle for it. And similarly, to get to that place in prayer, you’ve got to build your muscle for it. But you’ve got to start somewhere. SO start. Get in the game tonight, tomorrow morning. And Paul’s 2nd “All” in the text is going to give us some ideas on how to do that. PRAY ALL KINDS OF PRAYERS Okay, #2: THE FOUR “ALLS” OF WARTIME COMMUNICATION #1: Pray on ALL occasions #2: Pray ALL kinds of prayers If you’re going to build your prayer muscle, and you’re going to start battling in prayer, and specifically praying for the advance of God’s Kingdom… …you want to be willing to pray in different ways (“all kinds of prayers). The ACTS Prayer A – Adoration C – Confession T – Thanksgiving S – Supplication All Kinds of Prayers: Guided Prayer Methods (ACTS, etc.) Pray with Worship Music Pray with an App (Echo) Prayer Walk Stop talking and listen Pray on your Commute Prayer Postures Journal your prayers Prayer Retreat (Show Wilderness Fellowship images) One of my favorite places in the world is Wilderness Fellowship (just over an hour away from here), And they have these individual prayer cabins you can rent for $60 a night And try different things even as you pray for your friends and family to come to Christ next weekend at Easter Maybe set an alarm on your watch for the same time every day this week, and pray for their salvation.. I’m going to clearly present the Gospel for your friends & family next week And I think it’s an especially easy invite for those of you who know young families with kids that can go to the egg hunt afterwards. Be bold this week. Time is short. Make the most of EVERY opportunity. And remember, the real battle is fought spiritually, not in the words we say. So prepare in prayer. Or come here and pray (Open Prayer Slide) We believe so strongly that these battles must be won in prayer, that we are opening up our Worship Center Monday – Thursday this week… …from 7 9am and 3 5 pm each day. And we want you to stop by, and come in and pray. There will be some worship music on, and some prayer prompts. And you can stay for 5 minutes or 2 hours It’s up to you. You can come once, or 8 times. But come, and pray. Let’s battle to win souls for Christ. PRAY WITH ALL ALERTNESS AND PERSEVERANCE THE FOUR “ALLS” OF WARTIME COMMUNICATION #1: Pray on ALL occasions #2: Pray ALL kinds of prayers #3: Pray with ALL alertness and perseverance This reminds me of when Jesus is in the Garden of Gethsemane that Thursday night before his death. And he goes off to pray, but the 3 disciples keep falling asleep. And he comes back and says: (Matthew 26:41) – NIV “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” We are to be ALERT in prayer. In the very early days of WWII, when Hitler was just starting to take over Europe, Winston Churchill was worried that his country wasn’t taking Hitler seriously, so he said this to Britain: “I must drop one word of caution, for next to cowardice and treachery, overconfidence leading to neglect and slothfulness, is the worst of wartime crimes.” – Winston Churchill And for many of us, the reason we don’t pray (that we’re not in the war) is the same: It’s overconfidence: We don’t think we need to. Especially here in prosperous America. We think we have it figured out on our own. And again, if comfort is the main purpose, and we largely have that figured out, then what is there to seriously pray about? Do not let the devil lull you to sleep in the pursuit of comfort. We’re in a war. We have to stay ALERT, as Paul says. Sinclair Ferguson says it this way: “Christ is building His church on territory that has been occupied by an enemy. Alertness is always essential when living in a war zone.” – Sinclair Ferguson This is one of the reasons our Prayer Meeting here is so important to us. (normal prayer meeting slide) And part of the reason for why we moved it to our old Parent/Child Room just inside the first set of worship center doors, can be found on the sign by the door. It says this: (Show sign) Prayer Room – The engine room of the church. We meet there (in the Engine Room) 15 minutes before every service, to pray, and ask God to move. To ask Him to rescue people from darkness, and convict us of sin, to make us more like Him, and to move powerfully in our services. And that is the engine room of the church. We want you to join us for that…because that’s what makes everything happen! Listen to me: The devil does not fear a smart church, or an organized church, or even a big church…you know what he fears? He fears a praying church. And so we’ve got to stay alert to the necessity of prayer. And as Paul says, we’ve got to persevere in it. You don’t stop coming to a prayer meetings because prayer is where the battle won And you don’t stop, you persevere in prayer for your lost friends, even if they say “No, I don’t want to come to Easter” Twice this month already, I’ve had someone tell me, my relative is coming to church now and reading the Bible, and they NEVER have come in their whole life (despite all of the years I’ve been praying). But what’s happening? Somebody’s persevering in prayer for them. Be that person for your friend or family member. PRAY FOR ALL THE LORD’S PEOPLE And then finally, Paul tells us to: THE FOUR “ALLS” OF WARTIME COMMUNICATION #1: Pray on ALL occasions #2: Pray ALL kinds of prayers #3: Pray with ALL alertness and perseverance #4: Pray for ALL the Lord’s people (fellow believers) So as soldier of Christ, you’re not just concerned about yourself…and not even just about those who are lost, but about your brothers & sisters in the Lord’s army. Your community of Christian friends, your house group is key here. Don’t just show up every week, but hold up your small group in prayer. Add them to your prayer list. Pray for them each day. It will change how you see your relationship to them. Here’s a challenge for you: Pray for other people like you would pray for yourself And then Paul adds this, verse 19: “pray also for me as I make known the Gospel” And I would encourage here, and humbly ask you, to pray for your pastors. I would love your prayers this week, as with Good Friday, and Easter, I will be speaking 9 times next weekend. Pray for my voice Pray for boldness And pray that God uses the words I say to help bring people from darkness to light. And look at the last part of verse 20. “Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” That’s a powerful verse. What is Paul saying? I think of it this way. The other night, I was reading one of the parables of Jesus with my kids, and Jesus was talking about the actual horrors of hell. And if you read the Gospels, Jesus does speak like that at times. A few years ago, we taught verse by verse through the Gospel of Luke (it took us 90 weeks!) And there was a season in the middle of Luke, when I think I had to teach on hell almost 7 weeks in a row But I’m reading this parable with my family, and one of my kids just stopped, and it hit them hard, and they said, “Whoa. Is it really that bad? And people are going there without Jesus right?” Yeah. Only Jesus can save us. And without putting our faith in his saving death, the punishment for our sin will be upon us…and that means people will go to hell. And THAT is why Paul says here, “Pray that I may declare the gospel fearlessly, as I should” When we wear the glasses of truth, and we think, often, and rightly about reality… …We SHOULD (every single one of us SHOULD) declare the Gospel, fearlessly. We SHOULD remember, that we’re in a war, not with other people, but with our spiritual enemy, who wants to hold our friends & family captive forever. And so I pray that God gives you a spirit of boldness and takes away your fear this week as YOU go out and boldly proclaim his good news. Let me pray