Unanswered Prayer - Part 2

And today on the Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ, known as the connection between prayer and faith. Jesus says is as a member's conditions.

Whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea.

If it's God's will that we just sat past me got not yours to the power to supply new allies in God and does not have any doubt you actually believe God can do is God you know God for the mountains, that's amazing. Joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor Bill Gebhart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us God's word meets our work pastor.

The church used to say Christians, especially in adult situations and things like that. He would say their becoming sin sick and I got that's an interesting} like they have a disease they can't see what everyone sees their own sin, and a justified harbor in her heart. So what's God solution New Testament go with me to first John chapter 1 first John chapter 1 beginning in verse five, first John chapter 1 first. John is written to believers chapter 2 verse one says my little children is not writing to nonbelievers writing to believers in East talk about how do you establish an intimate relationship with God. How do you and God walk together, which is the goal of all our lives, how you do that so he says in verse five.

This is the message we have heard from him and announce to you, God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. Starts out with the fact that should surprise us. God is like.

He has no darkness if we say that we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, we live in Albrecht. You see this pastor could say hey I walk in the light with the Lord know you don't live in darkness is living in darkness, you get a fellowship with God and live in darkness, he said, but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin. He means the sacrifice of Christ, the forgiveness of God is always available in our relationship with him. He's not talking about going to heaven or not. This has nothing to do that. This is written to believers if you want to have a relationship with God. You need to walk in the light just as God's and the like that makes as much sense as anything could with any goes on and he said if we say we have no sin, were deceiving ourselves. The truth is not in she can do that. I don't ever sin that's a lie. I think that's one. You see, it's just the way this works. Then he says here we go. If we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness is that if we say we have not sin, we make him a liar's words monitors if we confess our sins he is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our sins that one word because a lot of people, especially with so many people in this room because your background. Confess I know about confession and yeah not sure you do. Confession is not about you doing so many Hail Marys and our fathers, it's not about you doing that you don't work off your sin.

Christ died for the sin that's over, that's not the word confession doesn't mean what you think when you think of confession. I really gotta confess it's a simple word. The word home only get all Homo one same ghetto word to have the same to say the same word that God says to agree with God. That's what home I go God, I've sinned against you. I know that's it.

I acknowledge my sin before you guys is that's find son. The blood of Christ continues to cleanse you. You and I still walk in the light see that such an important part why because once we came to Christ. Sin did leave us. As you know, and if you don't believe it and you're married, you know, at least it did leave your spouse, you know, I mean that's just the way this works. We said everybody sins of knowledge my sin. Someone walking light with God. You see, that's the whole point. That's the part that he's making. He explains that even further over and check in chapter 2 verse one I'm writing these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone since we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He himself is the propitiation for our sins propitiation main satisfaction he is satisfied the holiness of God with the sacrifice and not for ours only but also those of the whole world, Christ died for the sins of the world so that the point that he is making here is that we have an advocate, the Bible says he's our high priest, Jesus Christ intercedes for us. That's the point. But we have to acknowledge our sin. So if you are involved in a sinful state and you decide I'm not. I like this and let's be honest all of us have certain chronic sins that not only having you given up but you probably don't want. That's our heart to see all of us have. He said you have the knowledge or sense, because if you don't acknowledge her sins as he said to David in the book of Isaiah's and I will listen.

So for some of us.

The first thing we need to do we want to make really good per request to God is acknowledge our own sin.

See that's what is the point that is trying to make. So we have to sometimes we don't pray. Sometimes we pray with the wrong motives sometimes lack faith and sometimes you don't confess our sins, and there's one more. Sometimes there's no answer to our prayers because of how you and I relate to other people's is interesting. I give you three different examples. Go with me to Proverbs chapter 21 Proverbs chapter 21 in verse 13 Proverbs 2113 Solomon writing. He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered in an interesting you turn your back on the needy people of your world. God says I'll turn my back on you. You should answer the cry of the poor because you cry to me and now you expect me to answer you. It's a lot like what Jesus said if you judge people from a judge mental point of view, judge you by that standard.

It's the same idea you don't turn your back so I was to write the beginning and the announcements to know more interesting hey there people in the mission. Therefore you got when you go now. I'm not naïve. I don't think it was all of you, but I do think it was some of you see how you relate to that how you relate to other people, has an enormous effect on how guards can relate to you in prayer. Secondly, go with me to Mark chapter 11, Mark chapter 11 starting in verse 22.

This is interesting. Jesus answered, saying to them, he said, have faith in God and Jesus just make his point with that statement. There is nothing more important in your faith in God. Faith is the most important thing I want Terry relates truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea and does not doubt in his for heart but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to known as the connection between prayer and faith here, Jesus says, let me tell you some this hyperbole by the way, no one thunders, but he said is a member there's conditions.

Whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea.

If it's God's will that we just said has been God's will, not yours. See the power to supply new allies in God and does not have any doubt you have to believe God can do this. He said that could be granted to you if it's God's will and you don't guided I put them out and see that's amazing. He said therefore I say to you all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you received no be granted to if it meets the conditions see this confuses a lot of people though your Z versus a for the Bible says I can as everything I when I got that's what that's what it says no it doesn't. Because you don't have any power in you. Then he says whenever you stand praying, here we go, forgive, wait a minute, I just think that Mayor whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that the father is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions, but if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespass.

Anybody who has anything against anybody who is hurt you anyway I was said anything to you done anything to you. He said you better figure and if you don't expect me to listen see what what are we as people once the core been a Christian, you know, and I I am forgiven.

Do I deserve it and you don't either. I am forgiven everything that I have coming to me in eternity is because God forgave me in spite of myself. That's our faith. So that's why Paul wrote in Ephesians 6 and you have to forgive others exist like Jesus is forgiven you. And you know that I mean would Jesus hear Peter try to impress him and say I know that's the world that rabbis teach only should forgive a person wants to see. That's the whole idea once, but I'll say three times is he.

And when we do when it comes to forgiveness. You see, if you do something to me.

You see it. Shame on you, but if you do it again and I forgive you.

Again, it's what. Shame on me as twice no deal but just think of Jesus in a bucket of forgive you more than once where we all going to see. That's why Paul said, you have to forgive us.

Jesus forgive you now, he says here in Mark 11 that you make sure you have forgiven those who have hurt you when you come to God in prayer is a hard as that's really hard because you know bears the pain of forgiveness always the forgive her always, you always bear the pain somebody, somebody's got pain and only the forgive is going to Barrett you see it, and sometimes away we think we can wait.

This is even fair. So I forgive him and now he's offering and I bear all this pain. I'd rather be angry. I'd rather one vengeance.

I'd rather become bitter gotchas that won't do you any good. In fact, God said he's not offering what he said in Romans vengeance is mine says the Lord. I repay now that's a promise. So don't worry about it. Can't have that handled. But notice even there.

The second thing is if I don't, compassion for the meeting. Whenever we gave forgive those I'm in conflict with one last one is fine in first Peter chapter 3, first Peter chapter 3 note chapter 3, first Peter, I will going to the earlier verses is talking about is talking about a marital relationship and is talking about.

First, the women that part if their husbands are disobedient to the word, how should they handle it. And by the way, you can't read six versus that see more out of context and with American culture. The number six when you read it most the time I taught this in Bible study.

I can just see the ladies eyebrows all furled. You know I mean it, but that's what God said you read on your own. But notice for seven you husbands in the same way live with your wives in an understanding way understandings and interesting word by putting in paraphrase this husbands must become students of their wives. I I believe because I'm following up on the road that's to you by death. The part is a lifetime pursuit you have to be a student of your wife not use it when they say wives today explain right now. He said, as with someone weaker he said was someone weaker since she's a woman there that chauvinism. This is an about flexor muscles. This isn't how I thought you were the word ligament weaker means much more fragile implication emotionally. The analogy of use. I thought this over the year. Peter sees women as a vase and men as a bucket. Okay, if you think of a Basinger think of a bucket. You know the difference.

Women don't have to spend their lives understanding. A man they can get that done a week or two. There is no death. The man we have no doubt we just are who we are now women have found that don't try to change that because that's a lifetime pursuit that you'll probably fail when, but women are much more complicated. Women speak on emotional levels unlocked intimate emotional levels.

Man not so much. Only if you make them. I mean men can. I'm not getting if I would talk to some even my own father on the phone for an hour when he was alive. I got the phone my wife was okay. How is your mother doing she had health issues, you don't know now how about you, but I don't whether you talk about sports for an hour. We ran out of things to say and then that was it.

We could talk about fishing for hours hunting for hours, go for hours that's been, but the idea of just pouring out your heart going deep inside that is really difficult for him again to do with having see is not hard to understand. So that's what he's talking about, but notice what goes on and says show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

How a couple relates to each other, affects both of their prayer lives. Why why we do that, there's one horizontal relationship on earth that is the picture of your relationship with God. Husband and wife and the two shall become one flesh. Marriage is a picture of your relationship with Christ and mine. And that's why we get to the end times what happens in the book of Revelation. It's called the marriage of the Lamb who was the bride, all of us male or female, will matter. We all make up the bride of Christ.

So marriage is held to high esteem by God. He said the way your marriage works have an effect on your prayer life. While so just think of it, you know, your prayers go unanswered. If you don't pray if you prove the wrong motives. If you lack faith, you don't confess your sin and it's how you relate to people know a lot of times when you think God is not answering my prayers. There is a word that describes away God often answers slow that's important to God.

Prayers are answered on God's timing, not yours and see how how tenacious are you to pray without ceasing. I think a lot of Christians will pray about something important for about a week. I'm done, I'm done. I may get the answer.

Gotchas noted that your pray without ceasing. David Jeremiah is a very was it is a very goat) with my late mentor at Dallas Emily Howard Hendricks and David Jeremiah tells a story said to Holly told him he said and I heard them say this, he said, Dr. Hendrix became a believer on 12 or 13 junior high in Philadelphia. His father is an unbeliever, and so Hendrix began praying for his father and he told David Jeremiah. I prayed every day I prayed every day for my dad salvation for 72 years and his dad converted before he died, how many you 10 years, 20 years, but how many of you pray for something serious. Hendrix prayed every day's is amazing. You see, but one days no better than the other. He just pray that the whole time she that's attending. God said slow. I don't want slow God's timing is always different than ours. Sometimes God says no. Paul had a thorn in the flesh three times the entry of the Lord would God say no, no, no, then got explained book.

Paul got understand whenever your week.

Physically he's in pain I'm strong in your life. But whenever you're healthy you're strong in your life. Paul probably has a pride problem.

So God said no deposit then I'll except the pain for the rest of my life.

Sometimes God says no. Then sometimes and often God says grow here just waiting to receive.

You grow. See you will stay in the trial that into what enjoyed grow to I pass the test. Just a way that sometimes the purse turned back on us to see. Will I trust him.

That's an important part of this and you and I both know we run to God when were great trial we run to. We can't wait to pray gotchas him to wait a little bit on this Chris you need to change and then often God says yes yes we meet the conditions.

He says yes I'll do that if I James five says this, the effective prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much and then he says oh by the way Elijah was a man just like you just like you. That was alive and he prayed and it didn't rain for 3 1/2 years. Would you call that powerful prayer. Yes he's just like your the notice, the way he warded it up. He said that the effective prayer of a righteous man will accomplish much. Why a righteous man the desires of his heart is God. She that's a righteous man that's a man walks in light that's a man of knowledge is the sin he meets all these conditions got to say that Meg accomplish a lot prayer such an important part of our lives and we underestimated Billy Graham was asked very late in his life.

If you could doing different what would you do Billy Billy Graham said this, he said if I could do anything better in different I would pray a lot more. I would've prayed more. All through my life. I think of all the things we think Billy Graham accomplished and Graham said yeah but I miss there was something I should've done more not go to more rallies not be more people to Christ. I should've prayed more so this morning just let me say pray without ceasing. And if God isn't answering your prayers. Just make sure it's not because of you spring father. This is such a difficult issue for all of us is hard for us to understand sometimes that you're willing to answer but your answer on your timing, not ours. You just ask us to wait and to wait requires faith sometimes father you won't answer our prayers simply because we praying for the wrong things in the wrong motives. Sometimes father were harboring our own sin. Sometimes father were not forgiving others who have hurt us. Father me your work. Speak to us today and say look, I'm looking like a precondition for my unanswered prayer. The father so often with so much grace you tell us to come boldly to the throne of grace, and you give us the mercy and grace that we need. We thank you for that we thank you for answering our prayers because we realize just like with our salvation were not worthy. We don't deserve it, we simply receive it because of your greatness. Father I pray that all of us continue to pray without ceasing to continue to be dependent on you to continue to examine our own motives in the lives because father that will create a life that will be for our good morning Courtney will create a life of his former pray this in the past you broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world.

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