Ephesians 4:18

February – 2nd Friday

During World War Two, an officer was briefing his men on how to take a certain objective. He
demonstrated to them the manner in which they needed to hug the ground so as to stay below enemy
fire. He said in conclusion, “If you advance on your knees, you will always be safe.”

That’s what Paul tells us in our text. In 6:10-13, Paul gave us the explanation for the fight: we must be
strong in the Lord because we are engaged in a spiritual battle with the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places. In 6:14-17, Paul told us the equipment for the fight: the full armor of God, which
enables us to stand firm against this powerful enemy. He mentioned the belt of truth; the breastplate of
righteousness; the boots of the preparation of the gospel of peace; the shield of faith; the helmet of
salvation; and, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Now (6:18-20), Paul describes the
effecting of the fight, that is, how to fight the enemy, namely,

We fight for God against the enemy through prayer.

I confess that prayer is one of the most difficult topics for me to preach about because it is a difficult
subject for me to understand and practice. On the one hand, I know that the only reason God has
enabled me to persevere as a pastor for almost 32 years now is His grace that has come to me through
the prayers of His people and through my own desperate cries to Him for help. Not a week goes by
without my feeling overwhelmingly inadequate for this ministry. I could not endure without prayer.

Yet on the other hand, the longer I am a Christian, the more acutely I am aware of my own shortcomings
in prayer. I read great men of God like Martyn Lloyd-Jones (The Christian Soldier [Baker], p. 342), who
says that prayer should be a delight for the believer. But I honestly find prayer to be increasingly difficult
and somewhat frustrating. I seem to receive more negative answers to my prayers than positive ones.
Lloyd-Jones says that we should devote much time to prayer, but I honestly find it very difficult to pray
for long periods of time. I run out of things to say. I share this because I don’t want you to think as I
preach on prayer that I’ve got it all together. I’m a fellow struggler with you in this battle. So I’m
preaching this message to myself first of all.

Paul uses the word all four times in verse 18. In addition, he tells us that we are to pray “in the Spirit.”
These five points will be our outline. The final all is that we should pray “for all the saints.” Verses 19-20
specifically apply this, as Paul asks for prayer for himself, that he would be bold and faithful in
proclaiming the gospel.

1. Fight for God by praying with all kinds of prayer.

Verse 18 is strictly speaking not a command, but two participles, praying and staying alert, which are
dependent on the imperative stand at the beginning of verse 14 (F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the
Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians [Eerdmans], p. 411). So the idea is, “Stand firm by praying
and by staying alert.”

Paul often links the two words translated prayer and petition. For example, in Philippians 4:6 he writes,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests
be made known to God.” (Supplication translates the same Greek word behind petition. Also, see 1
Timothy 2:1, where entreaties translates the same Greek word.) It is difficult to draw any clear
distinction between the words, except to say that prayer is perhaps the more general word, whereas
petition may refer to prayer for particular benefits (R. C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament
[Eerdmans], p. 189). In our text, the effect of Paul’s piling up these synonyms for prayer (petition is
repeated twice), along with the participle, praying, is to emphasize the priority of prayer in spiritual
warfare and perhaps also the fact that there are different kinds of prayer that we are to use in the
battle.

The Lord’s Prayer gives us a helpful outline of different kinds of prayer. “Our Father, who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name” (Matt. 6:9), points us toward worship as we pray for God’s glory. “Your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heav­en” (Matt. 6:10) points to prayer for missions,
evangelism, and discipleship. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), is prayer for our personal
needs. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12), is confession of sins
and prayer for our relationships. “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt. 6:13) is
prayer for holiness, both for others and for ourselves. The prayers in the Psalms and in other Scriptures
may give us other types of prayer. But Paul’s point is that we fight for God against the enemy as we use
all types of prayer.

2. Fight for God by praying at all times.

You may be thinking, “Come on, Paul, be realistic! I have to make a living! I have to go to school! How
can I pray at all times?”

The phrase is literally, “at every opportunity.” It’s the same idea as 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without
ceasing.” The Greek word translated without ceasing was used of a hacking cough and of repeated
military assaults. Someone with a hacking cough does not cough every second, but rather he coughs
repeatedly and often. He never goes very long without coughing. In the case of repeated military
assaults, the army makes an assault then regroups and attacks again and again until it conquers the city.
In the same way, we should pray often and repeatedly until we gain the thing for which we are praying.

John MacArthur explains (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians [Moody Press], p.
380),
To obey this exhortation means that, when we are tempted, we hold the temptation before God and ask
for His help. When we experience something good and beautiful, we immediately thank the Lord for it.
When we see evil around us, we pray that God will make it right and be willing to be used of Him to that
end. When we meet someone who does not know Christ, we pray for God to draw that person to
Himself and to use us to be a faithful witness. When we encounter trouble, we turn to God as our
Deliverer. In other words, our life becomes a continually ascending prayer, a perpetual communing with
our heavenly Father.

That last sentence, that our life is to be a perpetual communing with God, is vital. Prayer isn’t just
rushing into God’s presence as if you were rushing into the bank to get some needed funds and then not
going back until you needed more. Prayer is going into the bank many times throughout the day
because you’re in love with the banker. You enjoy talking with him.

Also, when we’re in need, prayer is not to be our last resort: “We’ve done all that we can do! Now, all
we can do is pray!” John Bunyan said (source unknown), “You can do more than pray after you have
prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.” Prayer should be the first thing that
we think to do when we’re aware of a need.

Prayer is not a mere formality to say before a meal or to open a meeting. It’s the way that we
acknowledge our need and dependence on God and lay hold of His promises. As John Calvin wrote (The
Institutes of the Christian Religion [Westminster Press], edited by John McNeill, translated by Ford Lewis
Battles, 3:20:2), “It is, therefore, by the benefit of prayer that we reach those riches which are laid up for
us with the Heavenly Father.” Or, to cite Bunyan again (The Works of John Bunyan [Baker], 1:65), “Pray
often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan.” Pray with all prayer
and petition, at all times.

3. Fight for God by praying in the Spirit.

What does it mean to “pray in the Spirit” (see also, Jude 20)? First, we need to clarify what it does not
mean:

A. PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT DOES NOT REFER TO PRAYING IN TONGUES OR TO PRAYING EMOTIONALLY.

The early church experienced the gift of speaking and praying in tongues (1 Cor. 14:14). While there is
debate about whether that gift is still given, I am convinced that most of what goes under that banner
today is illegitimate. Genuine speaking or praying in tongues is to speak or pray in a translatable foreign
language, not to speak or pray in nonsense syllables. (See my sermon, “Testing Tongues,” on the church
web site.) That criterion alone eliminates most of what is claimed to be tongues today. But in our text,
Paul is talking about making definite petitions to God, not praying in an unknown tongue.
Also, while it is right to involve our emotions in prayer as we sense our desperate need, this is not what
Paul means by praying in the Spirit. It is possible to pray emotionally in the Holy Spirit or to pray calmly
in the Spirit. It is also possible to pray emotionally in the flesh, getting all worked up for reasons far
removed from the Holy Spirit. So, what does it mean to pray in the Spirit?

B. PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT IS TO PRAY IN DEPENDENCE ON THE SPIRIT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S
WORD.

Three comments on praying in the Spirit:

(1). I CANNOT PRAY IN THE SPIRIT IF I HAVE UNCONFESSED SIN IN MY LIFE.

Psalm 66:18 states, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” If I think that I can come
before God’s holy throne in the power of His Holy Spirit, while at the same time holding on to sin in my
life, I am greatly deceived. That’s why Peter tells husbands that if they do not treat their wives properly,
honoring them as fellow heirs of the grace of life, their prayers will be hindered (1 Pet. 3:7).

God knows our hearts. We can’t play games, thinking that we can disobey Him and then come and
sweet talk Him into giving us what we want. You can’t pray in the Spirit, “Lord, bless my business,” while
you’re being dishonest and corrupt. You can’t pray, “Lord, bless my family,” while you’re secretly
enslaved to pornography. You’ve got to repent of all known sin and do the deeds appropriate to
repentance before you can pray in the Holy Spirit.

(2). PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT IS TO PRAY ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL AS REVEALED IN HIS WORD.

Paul has just told us to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (6:17). God’s written
Word reveals to us His moral will for our lives (1 Thess. 4:3) and His eternal will of summing up
everything in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:9-10). The Spirit will never lead us to pray contrary to the will of God as
revealed in the Word of God. You cannot pray in the Spirit, “Lord, bless me as I enter into marriage with
this unbeliever.”

One way of praying in the Spirit is to use the prayers in Scripture to direct your own requests. We’ve
studied two of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians (Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21). There are many other prayers in the
Bible. In addition, all of God’s commandments in Scripture should be turned into prayer for holiness in
the lives of God’s people, including your own life. To pray in the Spirit is to pray according to God’s
revealed will in His Word.
(3). PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT IS TO PRAY IN DEPENDENCE ON THE SPIRIT, UNDER HIS DIRECTION AND
POWER.

Although it doesn’t happen very often, I have had times where I was struggling to pray, finding it difficult
to concentrate, and not sensing the Lord’s presence. Then, suddenly the Spirit prompts me to pray
something and He directs my thoughts and words, giving me power and freedom in prayer that I was
lacking moments before. The Spirit is moving me along in prayer that originates with Him.

Also, at times the Spirit puts the same request on my heart frequently and with an intensity that I
formerly lacked. Maybe it’s on my prayer list and I mechanically went through the list. But then one item
comes home to me with unusual force. I believe that this is, in part, what it means to pray in the Spirit.
We should keep praying, even when we don’t feel this unction of the Spirit. But we also should ask the
Spirit for His direction and power as we pray.

So, fight for God by praying with all kinds of prayer, at all times, and in the Spirit.

4. Fight for God by praying alertly with all perseverance.

A. PRAY ALERTLY!

As I said, the word in Greek is a participle, which is dependent on the command, “Stand firm” (6:14).
Paul is saying, “Stand firm against the enemy by being alert to persevere and pray for all the saints.” The
word means to be awake and vigilant. Jesus told the disciples in the garden (Matt. 26:41), “Keep
watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
As you know, they promptly went to sleep! But before I condemn them, I’ve got to admit that I’ve often
done the same!

This word, be alert, ties in with the military analogy. You’re a sentry on duty. You must watch for any
signs of infiltration by the enemy and go immediately to prayer. Do you see a person who is suffering?
Pray that Satan might not get their eyes off the Lord and devour them in their trial (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Do you
see someone who is depressed or discouraged? Pray that she will put her trust in God and His salvation.
Do you see a husband and wife who are having conflict? Pray! Do you hear of church members at odds
with one another? Be alert and pray!

B. PRAY PERSEVERINGLY.

This is one of the aspects of prayer that I find most difficult. We are to pray with “all perseverance.”
Jesus told the parable of the widow who kept pestering the hardhearted judge, until finally he relented
just to get her off his back. Jesus assures us that God is not uncaring like that unrighteous judge, but He
will bring about justice speedily for His elect who cry out to Him. Jesus’ reason for telling that parable
was, “to show that at all times [we] ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
And yet, Paul’s word about perseverance, not to mention our experience, shows that Jesus’ promise of
God answering speedily must be interpreted by God’s view of time, not ours. The verb form of this
Greek word translated perseverance is often linked with prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; Rom. 12:12; Col.
4:2). It means to devote yourself constantly to it. You don’t give up when you don’t see immediate
results. You wait on the Lord (Ps. 27:14).

I can’t give you a rule for when to go on praying and when to conclude that God isn’t going to answer. I
have prayed for one request for over 35 years now, and at least part of my request cannot be answered
now. So, I modified the request and keep praying. I have scratched some people off my prayer list after
years of praying with no visible results. If God brings them to mind, I’ll pray, but I don’t pray for them
regularly anymore. When I do stop praying for someone, it’s not because I doubt God’s ability to
answer. Rather, after years of praying, it just seems that God is not going to answer and so I leave it with
Him and His sovereign will.

So, we fight for God by praying with all kinds of prayer, at all times, in the Spirit, and by praying alertly
with perseverance. Lastly,

5. Fight for God by praying for all the saints.

A. PRAY FOR ALL THE SAINTS BECAUSE THEY ARE YOUR FELLOW SOLDIERS.

If you’re on the battlefield and your fellow soldiers get shot, you’re in big trouble! The point is, we’re not
Christians in isolation, but in fellowship with the entire church. As Paul has emphasized in Ephesians, we
are one body in Christ. If one member hurts, the whole body hurts. Also, praying for your fellow soldiers
in the battle will motivate you to love them and work out any relational conflicts. It’s difficult to pray for
someone and still be at odds with him. Pick up a church directory and work your way through it, praying
for each person. Even if you don’t know the people, if you meet them there will be an instant
connection, because you’ve been praying for them. Or, you can call and say, “I’m praying for you. Do
you have any special requests? Could we arrange to meet at church this Sunday?”

B. PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES OF MINISTRY.

Paul asks for prayer for himself, that he will “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel”
(6:19-20). He is asking for prayer that he would have opportunities to proclaim the gospel and the
boldness and liberty to make it plain. Every Christian is in the ministry, but evangelists, missionaries,
pastors, and other Christian leaders are especially targets for the enemy. If Satan can bring down a
leader, he scores big time!
The phrase, “the mystery of the gospel,” does not mean that it is a hidden secret, but rather that it is
divinely revealed truth. It is not logical truth that anyone can deduce on his own. Rather, God must open
blind eyes to see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4-6). So Paul asked for prayer
for boldness as he proclaimed this revealed mystery.

When you read through the Book of Acts, you don’t get the impression that Paul was lacking in
boldness! In fact, he was in prison because he had boldly proclaimed the gospel to a mob that had
attempted to kill him! When you read what he had endured for the sake of the gospel, it seems that
nothing could stop him (2 Cor. 11:23-29). So why was he asking prayer for boldness in witness?

There may be two reasons. First, Paul was not a strong, naturally gifted communicator. The Corinthians
had said of him, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his
speech is contemptible” (2 Cor. 10:10). He says that he was with them “in weakness and in fear and in
much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). He knew that he was inadequate in himself, so he needed prayer for
boldness (2 Cor. 3:5).

Second, Paul was about to go before Caesar, who would either acquit or condemn him. There would be
the strong temptation to be diplomatic and to avoid talking to Caesar about his need for repentance
from his sin in order to receive God’s forgiveness in Christ. Perhaps Satan tempted Paul with the
thought, “Think of how many more you could reach if you get out of prison! Just play it safe when you
go before Caesar and you’ll have your freedom.” But Paul wanted to proclaim the gospel boldly and
clearly to Caesar. So he asked for prayer.

Pray for missionaries, evangelists, pastors, and Christian leaders to be fearless and uncompromising
when it comes to the gospel. Pray for me! Spurgeon was once asked the secret of his great success.
Although I’m sure we could identify many other factors, he replied simply, “My people pray for me.”

C. PRAY FOR YOURSELF, THAT YOU WOULD BE BOLD AND CLEAR IN YOUR WITNESS FOR CHRIST.

It’s amazing that Paul did not ask for prayer that he would be released from prison or for prayer for his
health needs. Rather, he asked for prayer that he would proclaim the gospel boldly and not miss any
opportunities. While it’s all right to pray for your personal needs, Paul’s example here, as well as the
Lord’s Prayer, teach us that our primary focus in prayer should be furthering the kingdom of God, not
making ourselves more comfortable. So make Paul’s passion your passion, to pray that you will be used
to proclaim the gospel to the lost with clarity and boldness.

Conclusion
John MacArthur observes (ibid., p. 378), “Ephesians begins by lifting us up to the heavenlies, and ends
by pulling us down to our knees.” Remember, the Christian life is not about making yourself happy and
comfortable. It’s a battle with the unseen forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. To fight for God
against this evil enemy, we must be people of prayer! We will only advance safely on our knees!

1st Friday
Prayer (May)
Matthew 18:18-20

INTRODUCTION:

Today we’re going to see what Jesus had to say about the prayer ministry of the church. There are NOT
a lot of verses to look at because Jesus only talked about the church 2 times. There’s a good reason for
this … the church didn’t exist yet!

Of course, Jesus knew that the church would be established by the preaching of the Apostles after His
death, resurrection, and ascension. That’s exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost when 3,000
people were baptized and became the First (…and I really mean First) Christian Church of Jerusalem.

Jesus first mentioned His Church in Matthew 16. Jesus asked his apostles, “Who do men say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”

Jesus answered, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of
Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew
16:18-19

The second time Jesus talked about the Church is found a couple of chapters later in Matthew 18. Jesus
was talking about how we should handle it if someone sins against us. He said first to personally go and
talk to them. Then, if that doesn’t work, take one of two others along as witnesses.

Jesus said If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church,
treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Then Jesus repeated what he had previously told Peter about the Church:

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:17-18

1. The PURPOSE of prayer in the church

This describes the amazing PURPOSE of prayer in the church. The church has been given authority to
bind and loose on earth what God desires to bind and loose in Heaven. In other words, the PURPOSE of
prayer in the church is to literally change things.

Jesus has given His Church the power to bind or loose things, both on earth and in Heaven. Now, what
kinds of things would need to be "bound" or "loosed"? Well, naturally anything that is against God’s will
would need to be bound (prevented from continuing) and anything that is in accord with God's will
would need to be loosed (permitted to carry on.)

When we pray as a Church, we are accomplishing God’s PURPOSE for His Church. Our church’s prayers
are not JUST to make us sound “churchy” --- our prayers are not just to make us feel good … our prayers
are not even JUST to help us draw closer to God.The prayers of the Church are meant to actually change
the course of history. God has given His Church authority to influence what happens in the world around
us, and even to influence what happens in Heaven. This is an astounding thought!

Did you ever pray about something and then have the feeling --- “Oh, what does it matter if I pray about
this. God is going to do whatever He chooses whether I pray about it or not.” Some people think that
God has everything set in stone … and that nothing we say or do can influence His plans. This is not what
Jesus taught.

All through the Bible, in the Old Testament and the New, we see that God has chosen to work in
partnership with His people. Certainly God can do anything He wants WITHOUT us … but He prefers to
work WITH us.Here’s an Old Testament example from the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a contemporary
of Jeremiah. While Jeremiah prophesied from Judah, Ezekiel was already exiled to Babylon when he
gave this prophecy: This is what the LORD God says: “Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea and do this
for them: I will make their people as numerous as sheep.” (Ezekiel 36:37)

Those who don’t know God’s methods might to say, “Well, if God wants to increase the size of Israel,
He’ll just DO it. After all, who could stop Him?” But God said “Once again I will yield to Israel’s plea.” In
other words, God chose to act BECAUSE they asked Him to. God has chosen to limit himself … He will
wait until we ask - - - then He will act.This is the PURPOSE of prayer in the church. Our Prayer Ministry
means that we join together for the purpose of bringing down to earth the Will of God. Prayer is not a
small, insignificant, non-essential part of our church’s life. Prayer is our central PURPOSE. Jesus said,
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18Then Jesus went on to explain the POWER of prayer in the
church: “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be
done for them by my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:19 Here we see the POWER of agreement in prayer.

2. The POWER of agreement in the church

Our individual prayers have great power. But there is even more power when we come together as a
church and pray in agreement. Now, we know that in human terms total agreement is impossible. No
two people can be in complete agreement … much less a whole congregation of people.But there is one
area where we can come together in perfect agreement. True agreement in prayer comes when we all
sincerely agree to pray for God’s will.

Through the years, I’ve often seen this principle at work in our congregation. As just one example ---
many years ago, we started praying about taking on a major building project. We planned to build a
classroom / office building that would be attached to the old sanctuary. We had some disagreement
about what we should build, how we should raise the money, when we should start the project, and so
on.But the Elders unanimously agreed on one thing. We prayed in perfect agreement that God would
direct the project --- we wanted Him to accomplish HIS will.

In the end we did what none of us had originally planned --- we built this new Worship Center ---
completely separated from the old building. Little did we know that 2 years later we’d find out the other
building was structurally unsound and would have to be demolished. We didn’t know that --- but God
did! As a church, we were able to pray in AGREEMENT. We prayed together for God’s Will, and He
answered our prayers.

There’s a fascinating example of this principle in Exodus 17:9-11. Israel was fighting a fierce battle with
Amalek. Joshua led the fighting, but the outcome of the battle depended entirely on Moses who was
standing on a hill near by. When Moses held up his staff, ISRAEL prevailed. When Moses got weary and
dropped his arms, AMALAK prevailed.

Verse 12 says, When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.
Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained
steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Exodus 17:12-13

As a Church we can take this lesson to heart. The Church has been given the power to prevail in Spiritual
warfare --- if we are willing to fight the battle --- and if we are willing to support each other in prayer.
What Moses did in holding up the rod was a picture of the church supporting her leaders in prayer.

Notice what happened when Moses got tired. Others came around him and supported him. That’s what
we need to do in the church. We have some great prayer warriors here at CHCC and we have some
hard-working leaders. When some of us are weak, others need to step in to help. We need to
continually hold each other up in prayer so that the Church can prevail.

3. God’s PRESENCE in the prayers of the church

Jesus concluded his statement about the church with this amazing promise: For where two or three
gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

When we gather together in His Name, Jesus Himself is here with us. This is true whether we pray
together in a big assembly like this --- or we meet in our Pueblo groups --- or any time two or three of us
pray together. This is not just a comforting thought --- it’s the powerful reality. Our God is among us.
God has chosen to accomplish His Will through us and among us.In a way, this is a limit God has placed
on Himself. He will do no more than what His people ask Him to do. We cannot increase God’s power,
but we can limit the expression of His power --- How? By lack of prayer.

God wants to bless His people, but He has chosen to wait for us to make our request. You see, Prayer is
not a side-issue in the Church. Prayer is our greatest responsibility and privilege.God has determined to
work THROUGH us, not apart from us. This is true at CHCC --- and it’s true all over the world. Recently
I’ve been listening to an audio book called The Heavenly Man. It’s the biography of a Christian evangelist
in China named Brother Yun.

I’ve heard that Christianity has exploded in China in the last 30 years since the church was almost
eradicated when the Communists took power. I’ve wondered how the Church could spread in
Communist China. This book answers that question --- it’s a lot like reading the book of ACTS.

I want to share one story from the book because I think it illustrates the point that God works through
His Church … even in a place where the Church is severely restricted.Yun became a Christian at age 16
through the testimony of his mother. Yun’s mother had been converted by a missionary who was
deported when the Communists took over.

She taught Yun all she remembered about Jesus. It wasn’t much. He knew that Jesus was the son of God
--- He died on the cross to take away our sins --- and He left a book that contained His words. Yun
desperately wanted a copy of that book.Twice Yun walked over an hour to the home of an old pastor
who was rumored to have a hidden Bible. The pastor had been imprisoned for 20 years for preaching
the Gospel. He was afraid to show the Bible to a stranger. Both times he told Yun, “The Bible is a
Heavenly Book. If you want it, you must ask Heaven to give it to you.”

For 3 months Yun prayed and fasted. Finally one night Yun had a vision. In his vision he was walking
down a road and saw two men carrying a red sack. In the sack was fresh bread. When Yun put the bread
in his mouth, it turned into a Bible.The vision seemed so real that Yun tore through the house in the
middle of the night, searching for the Bible. His parents believed he had lost his mind. They knelt on the
floor with Yun and prayed, “Jesus, please have mercy on our son and don’t let him lose his mind. Please
give him a Bible.”
It was still dark outside when there was a knock at the door. Two men stood there with a red sack. They
said, “God wants us to give this to you.” And they handed Yun a Bible.They explained, “Two months ago,
an old evangelist had a vision in which he dug up his hidden Bible that he had buried in his yard 20 years
ago. In the vision he saw your village and your house. He was told to give the Bible to a boy in that
house. He waited 2 months, because he was afraid. Then, yesterday he gave the Bible to us and we have
walked all night to give you this book.”

When I heard that story, I thought about how God could have easily made a Bible appear (after all He’s
the CREATOR of the universe!) God could have sent an angel to deliver the Bible. But that’s not the way
God answered Yun’s prayer.God chose to work through the tiny remnant of a church that still survived
in China. I’m guessing God wanted the first pastor to give the Bible to the boy. When that didn’t happen,
God sent a vision to another evangelist ---but he didn’t obey the vision for 2 months.

Because of this, Yun waited 3 months to receive the Bible he prayed for. That’s how long it took for the
Church to cooperate with God. God will not work APART from His Church. God answered Yuns prayer
THROUGH the cooperation of His Church.

CONCLUSION:

God will not work independently of His church. In all matters related to His Will, God will wait in Heaven
until he obtains cooperation from His people on earth. As His Church, God has given us the power to
move Heaven and earth by coming before Him in prayer.

* Our prayers cannot make God do what is against His will.

* But I believe our lack of prayer can stop… or delay… God’s will from being done.

James 4:2 says “You have not because you ask not.” Is it possible that CHCC misses blessings because we
don’t ask? Is God waiting for us to pray for our congregation - for our leaders - for expanded ministry - ?

November (4th Friday)

Hebrew 6:17-18

Intro: William Penn, the founder of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians.
Once they told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day.
So, early the next morning he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim
his land, the Indians were greatly surprised, for they really didn’t think he would take them seriously.
But they kept their promise and gave him a large area, which today is part of the city of Philadelphia.
William Penn simply believed what they said.
. Have you ever heard the saying, “promises are made to be broken”. That seems to be the prevailing
train of thought today. It used to be that a person’s word or promise was their bond.

. The power of a person’s word is not what it used to be. Today we have to have legalized contracts for
absolutely everything; have you tried to buy a house lately. The amount of paperwork is staggering.

. Even with all the contracts and promises that people have, they still disregard them when they don’t
like the terms that they originally agreed to.

. We are always hearing about sports figures that make an obscene amount of money to start with,
decide that they want to re-negotiate their contracts. It doesn’t matter that they signed the existing
contract. In essence they had made a promise but now they wanted to break that promise.

. Our scripture this morning is describing promises.. Promises that God has made to those who have
placed their trust in Him.. We are back in Hebrews this morning. Hebrews 6:16-20

. 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it.
And without any question that oath is binding.17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those
who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.18So God has
given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God
to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope
that lies before us.19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the
curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal
High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

. The book of Hebrews is for me, and I believe for the Hebrew people that were the original recipients, a
letter of reassurance and hope. The Hebrew Christians had been going through much persecution for
their faith and they needed the reassurance that what they were doing, what they believed in was true
and that they could rely on God.

. In these passages of scripture, the writer of Hebrews is reassuring them and us that we can rely on
God’s promises..There is an old hymn that is in our hymnal called Standing On The Promises Of God. The
chorus goes like this.

. Standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ my Savior, standing, standing, I’m standing on
the promises of God.

In want to call your attention to three promises that can be found in our scripture this morning.

. The first thing we see here is that God promises that He won’t change His Mind.
. We have a promise of security.

. Look at verse 16,17,18 again:

. 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it.
And without any question that oath is binding.

17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure
that he would never change his mind.

18So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is
impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as
we hold to the hope that lies before us.

. He says that when people take an oath or make a promise that they usually call on someone or
something greater than themselves to help them keep that promise.. I’m sure you have heard people
say that they would swear on their mother’s grave that what they were saying is the truth.. You have
probably heard people even say that they swear to God that something they are saying is the truth.. We
even do this in our court system today.. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth so help you God.

. Our assumption is that when you use that higher power to seal that promise then you will not break
that promise.. The writer of Hebrews is saying that God has bound Himself with an oath just like we do..
It’s like God saying I solemnly swear that I am telling you the truth so help me, Me.. God is swearing by
who He is and we can rest assured that He will fulfill His promises.

. Vs 17 Says that God will not change His mind.. I was watching a TV program a few weeks back and
these two guys were talking and one said to the other one, “do you remember the promise that we
made to each other about how if one of us got a beautiful girlfriend that the other one would get her to
him up with one of her girlfriends.” After arguing about this for a minute, the one with the girlfriend
admitted that he had made that agreement. He wanted out of the agreement because he said that
when he made the agreement he didn’t think that either one of them would ever have a beautiful
girlfriend. Things had changed and he wanted out of the promise.

. Folks when God makes a promise, it’s a promise. He will always fulfill His promises. He won’t change
His mind so we can depend upon the hope that He gives us through Jesus Christ.

. God gives us this promise of security.

. The next promise we see is the promise of Refuge.

. Look at verses 18& part of 19 again:

. 18So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is
impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as
we hold to the hope that lies before us.19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls….

God is our refuge and anchor.

. Naval people tell us that back in the days that this was written and to a certain degree that the ship’s
anchor was a safety device as well as a mooring tool.

. When the storms would come, they ships would leave port and go out a little ways and then the crew
would take an anchor in a smaller boat as far out as the rope would allow and they would anchor the
boat. They would do this in all four directions so that when the storms hit, the ship would be safe, it
would be anchored during the storm, no matter which way the storm turned.

. That’s what these two verses are saying. God is our anchor. Folk’s storms are going to come. We may
not know where they are coming from or what direction they are going to take.

. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God promises to be our anchor. When storms come, He will be
there to ride the storm out with us. There was a Christian song that came out several years ago titled
The Anchor Holds.I want to share pert of it with youI have journeyed, through the long dark night. Out
on the open

Sea. By faith alone, sight unknown and yet His eyes were watching me.. The anchor holds, though the
ship is battered. The anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen on my knees, as I faced the
raging seas. The anchor holds, in spite of the storm..God promises that He will be or refuge and anchor
in the storms of life that come.

. “I heard about a picture of an old burned-out mountain shack. All that remained was the chimney...the
charred debris of what had been that family’s sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an
old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his under-clothes with a small boy clutching a pair of
patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the
artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound
theology and philosophy of life. Those words were? Hush child, God ain’t dead!?

.That vivid picture of that burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those
words? God ain’t dead? Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder
of hope! We all need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and
failures, we need mental pictures to remind us that all is not lost as long as God is alive and in control of
His world.”. Folks God promises to be our anchor and refuge in this life and the life to come.. Lastly we
see a promise of Access.

. Look at verse19 20:19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the
curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal
High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
. Before Jesus only the high priest had access to God. Access toi God was Gained through entering what
was known as the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle or Temple. Even then they would enter into the
presence of God only on the Day of Atonement. This was the day that the High Priest would make the
sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of the Jewish nation.

The section of the temple was separated from all the other areas by a curtain.

.The sacrifice of Jesus for our sins did away with this separation between the people and God.

. Jesus’ sacrifice gave us access to God directly. No longer do we need a priest to make sacrifices for us.

. Jesus did that.. Luke records what would seem to be just a side note of the crucifixion story but is so
very very significant..Luke 23:44-46

. Jesus is on the cross, minutes before His death and Luke records this.. 44By this time it was about
noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock.45The light from the sun was gone. And
suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle.

46Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed
his last.. The curtain that had separated man from direct fellowship with God was torn right down the
middle.. No longer did man need a priest to sacrifice for him.. Jesus did that.. No longer did man need a
lamb to be sacrificed for their sins.. Jesus was the lamb. He is called the Lamb of God who takes away
the sins of the world.. Now when we accept this sacrifice that was Jesus on a cross for our sins, we have
access to God.. We don’t need a priest to confess to.. We don’t need a priest to give us penance.

. Jesus was our penance and we have access to God through the blood of Jesus Christ.. The writer of
Hebrews is telling the Jewish people that now, God promises access to Himself through the blood of
Jesus Christ.. He is telling us the same thing.. We are promised this access to God anytime we want it.

. All we have to do is ask.

. God promises that no matter what, He won’t change his mind.. He promises to be our anchor and
refuge when we need Him.. God promises access to Him through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.. Do you
believe in God’s promises this morning.. Christian, He is there for you in the storms of life.. Non
Christian, Do you want access to God? You can have that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
 MARCH (3rd Friday)

2 Kings 1:6-7

REGAINING YOUR CUTTING EDGE

2 Kgs. 6:1-7

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A police officer saw a man dressed as a cowboy in the street, complete with huge stetson hat, spurs,
and six shooters.

"Excuse me, sir," said the police officer, "who are you?"

"My name's Tex, officer," said the cowboy.

2. "Eh?" said the police officer, "Are you from Texas?"

"Nope, Louisiana." "Louisiana? So why are you called Tex?"

3. "Don't want to be called Louise, do I?”

B. TEXT

The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
2 Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”

3 Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied. 4 And he
went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5 As one of them was cutting
down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” 6
The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw
it there, and made the iron float. 7 “Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.”
2 Kgs. 6:1-7

C. THESIS

1. THREE QUOTES:

a. “There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long range risks and
costs of comfortable inaction.” Pres. John F. Kennedy.

b. “In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining
what we are.” Max Dupree,
c. “Unless you do something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.” Ron Osborne.

2. In this morning’s text, we’re going to see a man who got a revelation of how serious it was to be too
limited and to lose your only way to grow!

3. The title of this message is “Regaining Your Cutting Edge.”

I. TOO SMALL

A. RECOGNIZING OUR SMALLNESS, SPIRITUALLY

1. In this portion of text is found what must become your anthem and heart’s cry and our life as a
church. APATHY is a force which tries to seep into churches and make us comfortable, complacent and
satisfied. We wouldn’t be the first church and group of people to succumb to this sickness.

2. The cry that parted the lips of this young man must become our constant, daily, weekly cry. It should
be our cry individually and corporately.

3. The sons of the prophets made a statement that was literal for them but must become a spiritual
statement for us. They approach Elisha and state, “The place where we are living is too limited for us.”

4. This statement has implications for us personally: the place where some of you have been living
spiritually is too limited. Most American Christians spend:

a. about 2 minutes in prayer each day b. Too little time in the house of God

c. Too little time in the Word of God. d. Think that fasting one meal occasionally will bring them
breakthrough in an area of their lives.

5. It is time to realize that the place where you have been living, where you have been abiding and
spending your time is too limited. Touch your neighbor and say, “I need some room”.
B. IDENTIFYING THE SIZE OF THE PLACE YOU OCCUPY.

We know we are living in a small place when:

1. You're not expecting God to set up divine appointments during your day,

2. You're not prepared to pray for people who have needs,

3. You don't expect to be tested in your Christianity,

4. You're concentrating on your own needs and not the needs of others,

5. You're worried about building your own kingdom but not about building God's kingdom.

6. Touch a neighbor and say, “This place is too small for me.”

C. WHAT THE WORD TELLS US

1. The Word tells us that we are commissioned to: a. grow and mature,

b. move from glory to glory, precept to precept, c. move from milk to meat,

d. to press onward and upward.

2. We were never called to grow comfortable, stagnant, stationary, a monument. We are told to expand
and lengthen the lines. And as much as I know you would like to stay with what you know best and what
you grew up with you cannot grow if you stay in the same place and do the same things you have always
done. You can never take it to the next level if you continue to stay in the small place. You must come to
the place where you realize where you are living is too small. There is more out there. There is room to
grow.

3. Touch a neighbor and say, “Give me some room.”

D. SUMMARY & CHALLENGE

1. If you try to live in too small of a place it will cause you to die. You may think you have everything that
you need -- the right friends, the right job, and the right material goods but unless you live in a place
where you can grow you are destined to die.

2. Some of you that you have been the big fish in the little pond long enough; It is time to find a place to
grow.

3. I am calling for you to stand up and proclaim: “Excuse me but I need some room. I refuse to die. I
refuse to accept mediocrity. I refuse to stay like I have always been. I refuse to fight the same sin and
temptation for the rest of my life. I refuse to be comfortable and just eat and go home. I refuse to stay in
a small place. I need some room.”

II. THE DISTRESS OF THE WOOD MAN

He lost the most important thing he had to work with – the axhead, the cutting edge.

A. WHAT IS A “CUTTING EDGE”? (phrase)

1. This is a phrase that’s often used in fashion, technology, scientific discoveries and application, the
latest innovation, etc. People want to have the newest and latest.

2. If a person is said to be “on the cutting edge,” they’re…

a. pioneering b. up to date

c. leading the pack d. covering new ground

They’re the thinkers, the movers and shakers, the entrepreneurs, they make things happen.

3. In spiritual things, it means being…

a. sensitive to the Holy Spirit;

b. Attuned to God (David, a man after God’s heart);

c. In the center of God’s will;

d. To be about the Master’s business.

e. 1 Chron. 12:32; “Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”

B. AREAS WHERE THE 20TH CENTURY CHURCH HAS LOST ITS CUTTING EDGE, lost its prophetic voice.

1. ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. When you’re full of God, your words have power to convict.
a. When Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, spoke to the Israelites (Acts 2:37), “They were pricked in the
heart” (Gr. Says “stabbed, pierced through”).

b. When Peter spoke to the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:33), they were “cut to the heart” (Gr. Dieprionto, “sawn
asunder” or ‘cut to the quick’).

c. When Stephen confronted the Jewish leaders (Acts 7:54) they were “cut to the heart” (Gr. “Sawn in
two”). It’s obvious in these three examples, the anointing on them had a ‘cutting edge.’

2. DIFFERENT THAN OUR CULTURE. You’re the Salt/ the Light of the World. If the salt has lost its savor,
it’s no good for anything, but to be thrown out! That keen edge must be maintained.

3. REBUKING SIN. We’re to love sinners, but there’s a place for rebuking sin. There must be
confrontation. Two opposing kingdoms can’t co-exist without confrontation.

4. BE NOT CONFORMED

C. IT WAS BORROWED

1. What does the loss of the cutting edge have to do with needing to grow? The point is –get this – the
young man was totally dependent on someone else’s edge to remove the obstacle to his growth.

2. YOU’VE BEEN DEPENDING ON a). mama’s and grandma’s prayers long enough….b). you have been
letting others dig truth and life out of God’s Word for you long enough. You can no longer depend on
someone else’s edge to remove the obstacles to your growth.

3. You can’t depend on me to break your bondage. You got to get your own edge. The Word declares
that you are an overcomer, not that Pastor John is the over comer for you.

4. You have got to get in the quiet place and sharpen your own edge. You must get the power to remove
your own obstacles.

5. TD JAKES tells the story about a young man who came to him and asked, “Would you pray for me that
I will have the same anointing you have?” T. D. Jakes began to pray for failure, pain, and trouble to come
into the young man’s life. The young guy said, “Stop! Why are you praying such terrible things over me?”
T. D. Jakes answered, “You can’t have the anointing I have without going through what I have been
through.”

6. There’s no substitute for touching God yourself. The 7 Sons of Sceva found out what happens when
you try to use someone else’s anointing. They were exposed for a fraud.

7. “I have some habits and if I could just get the prayer team to anoint me I could quit.” But the bottom
line is the Word says for you to take every thought captive and to present your body a living sacrifice.

D. HE’D LOST HIS – HAVE YOU?

1. Much of the Christian Church around us has lost its spiritual cutting edge.

2. A dull blade isn’t good for anything:

a. If a razor, you can’t shave with it.

b. If a knife, you can’t cut with it.

c. If an ax, you can’t chop with it.

3. Where are the signs you’re still walking with God? Where are the healings? The conversions? The
baptisms in the Spirit? Are you really walking with the Lord?

III. RESTORATION OF THE AXHEAD

A. SUPERNATURAL AID

1. “The iron floated” vs. 6. Not because the iron’s properties were changed, but because gravity was
overcome. GOD HAS HELP FOR HIS CHURCH!
2. Up to this point – no supernatural, though Elisha was present. They travelled there, cut down timber,
carried the beams to the new location to assembly a new school – all by natural skill and force.

3. But when needed, supernatural aid was provided.

B. THROUGH A ‘TYPE’ OF REDEMPTION

1. Iron was commonly used as a “weight” for fishing nets, etc. Heb. 12:1 “lay aside every weight and the
sin which does so easily beset us.” Linked to sin.

2. Elisha cut down and cast in a stick (cross) into the water with the axhead. [Same with Moses at Mara –
bitter waters healed by the stick.]

3. The stick (cross) causes the iron (sins)to lose their power to “weigh down.” The STICK is a symbol of
redemption!

4. Though Elisha caused the axhead to float, he required the man to “take up his own axhead!”
C. IT’S TIME FOR A DECISION

A reporter from Newsweek magazine once asked Bob Kuechenber, formerly of the Miami Dolphins,
what motivated him to go to college. Kuechenber replied, “Well, my father and uncle were human
cannonballs in carnivals. When I was about to graduate from High School, my dad said I could do two
things with my life: ‘Go to college OR be a cannonball.’ Not too long after that my uncle was performing
at a circus. When he was fired out of the cannon, he missed the net and hit the ferris wheel. I decided to
go to college.”

CONCLUSION

A. ILLUSTRATION

1. A.J. Gordon visited the World’s Fair in Chicago and saw, in the distance, a man in bright gypsy clothes
operating a large hand pump. He was impressed with the man’s energy, his smooth motions, and his
obvious physical conditioning. He was pumping a tremendous amount of water.

2. Getting closer, Gordon was surprised to discover the man was actually made of wood. Instead of
turning the crank and making the water flow, the flowing water was actually turning the crank and
thereby moving the man!

3. That’s the way it is with those in God’s service. It’s not our efforts for Him that achieve the results.
The flowing water of the Holy Spirit, channeled through our lives and lips, keeps us going and yields
infinite results! [Nelson’s Complete, pp. 441-441].

B. GET BIGGER

1. Sir Edmund Hillary, who attempted to scale Mount Everest, lost one of the members of his team in
the failed effort. He returned to a hero’s welcome in London, England, where a banquet held in his
honor was attended by the lords and ladies and powerful people of the British Empire. Behind the
speakers’ platform were huge blown up photographs of Mount Everest.

2. When Hillary arose to receive the acclaim of the distinguished audience, he turned around and faced
the mountain and said, "Mount Everest, you have defeated me. But I will return. And I will defeat you.
Because you can’t get any bigger and I can."

C. THE CALL

1. Repent of mediocrity and pray for a new vision of growth and usefulness.

2. Salvation.