Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today.

Our desire is for the word of God spread throughout so that all may know Christ.

Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina introducing tonight would be preaching on prayer for good while and I feel like it's it's time to deal with the Lord's prayer. And if you're going to deal with the Lord's prayer you got a deal with the the Scripture before it.

The Scripture during it in the Scripture, after it to really be able to completely understand the Lord's prayer, and as we begin to deal with that. You have to set the scene where the disciples say Lord, teach us to pray and then when God gives what we call the Lord's prayer, and you no longer probably next week I believe it is.

I will be sharing that really it's the disciples prayer we call it the Lord's prayer because the Lord gave that example. But what was he was giving that example for them to pray, so it's really a prayer that we should be praying and it's not that we are supposed to pray those exact words. It's an example to us and if were talking about prayer and we been preaching on prayer for a while.

I think you would be good to take God's example, that he gave us and how we should pray but what created this stage for the disciples to be taught how to pray.

Look at Matthew chapter 6 and got I want to speak on this subject tonight problem or power problem or power not yet hear me out. Prayer can give you power but prayer can also sometimes be a problem and were going to look at this in and see when is it that prayer becomes a problem in your life and not that it's it it's a problem that you're praying, it's a problem and how your praying notice. If you would Matthew chapter 6 and this of course is a sermon on the mount as we call it like a verse one take heed. Now those are two very strong words in the Greek it means this, you better listen to what I'm getting ready to say it was a very nice political way to say listen that he do not your alms or prayers before men to be seen of them. Otherwise, ye have no reward of your father which is in heaven. Let me just stop right there. That's a serious thing, when God says that if we do this particular thing you will not receive a reward from your father in heaven. The whole point of prayer is to receive that reward from the father.

Amen.

The whole reason we are praying is because we need something from him. We need him to do it.

He's our father easy.

We go to. I want my prayers that have power. But if God says something that's going to prevent those prayers, not only from having power but to have any kind of impact at all. I want to know what it is and this is what he says take E that you do not give your alms prayer prayers to be seen of men. Notice if you would verse two. Therefore when thou do as thine arms do not sound the trumpet before the as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the street that they may have the glory of men. Verily I sent to you. They have their reward. But when thou do a Psalms. Let not my left hand know what thy right hand do it.

In other words, it should be that personal and private your time with the Lord, our prayer should have no motive whatsoever to get the glory from men limited this way.

Anything we do should not be done so that it would make people think higher of us. That's why God says that all the glory belongs to the fall. That means everything in our life should not be done so that people would admire us or think higher of us and let's be honest all of us are just sinful enough that that is very easy for us to do to do things in our lives almost again and most become a habit we don't even realize were doing it but were really doing it not for the Lord but for the glory of men so that they would think hate is a great Christian.

Hey, there's a me that's a really good person more.

There really doing some things for God and we gotta be careful. That's when prayer can become a problem.

Now notice if you would verse four that thine alms may be in secret and I father would see it in secret shall reward thee openly and when thou pray as thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say into you.

They have their reward. But that when thou pressed enter into thy closet, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret and I father would see if in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them for your father know with what things ye have need of before we ask him. Now he is getting ready in the following verses to begin to give them the model or the example to follow in prayer so you and I have got to understand this.

The Lord's prayer was part of God teaching number one how not to pray. And then he gives the model prayer the Lord's prayer to teach us how to pray. So prayer can do one or two things it can be a problem, or it can be powerful.

Now once you notice that you have on your outline what are some possible problems that he described all this in the first eight verses so what are some possible problems. Well, obviously the first thing is this prayer can express selfishness if you're not careful. Now that now listen to me Dr. John Phillips in one of his commentaries really like this and I copied this offer here because I wanted to read this to you not know. Listen to me. We must be careful in prayer because our sin nature can follow us right into the throne room. Nothing is safe from our sinfulness can be different, we could be doing the right thing in praying, but do it the wrong way literally are selfish motives and our self-glorification mode motives can literally enter our prayer life and my the only one that is that my flesh is capable of and you and I've got to be careful to understand that hey I gotta make sure I'm looking at myself in and make sure that selfishness doesn't enter the throne room with me when I go to the father that Nellis Jimmy he say how does that happen. Notice really under that there is the thing of this prayer can express selfishness focusing on selfies and you will know what is that mean well oftentimes and were guilty of this in our public meeting in our corporate worship we would call it.

Oftentimes let's say we open up our service in prayer we pray for the offering. Whatever the case might be in David Polly sit right down here. Let's just say you know we just sang a song on a Sunday morning is a David, would you come up and pray, and David comes up to you. Would you lead us to the Lord in prayer.

Do you know what you and I sometimes do we literally focus on the one who was praying when that happens is a what what any preacher how many times has somebody been praying. Maybe they mumble a word or say something out of place, and later on some articles of energy pray and read about that was funny you know kind of thing you messed up. There were some why even listen Caleb listen like if David Polly comes up to open us up in prayer on a Sunday morning. He is leading in prayer, but you and I are to be praying to the father during that and we are not to focus on the individual behind this public praying, if you said and don't pray and you're just listening to what he would have the same when he says that right yeah that's right. Amen. You know, think that that's not what really should be happening. What should be happening is while he's praying you and I should be praying to the father during an opening of a church service. If I have David Polly come up here and open up in prayer while he's praying you should be Lord now Lord forgive me for it. If there's anything in my life is not right. Lord, I want to make it right got. I need you to do a work in my heart today got. I pray you help our preacher today. Lord, I pray you help my heart I pray that I would be open to what you want, yell get this so often times literally without even noticing it. Instead of focusing on the one were all supposed to be praying to. We can literally focus on the one who was praying and and and oftentimes it it it draws the attention not only to an individual.

Is that a God, but then oftentimes I what I said we almost can advertise our self during prayer ever had it in and please, I have no body or anybody's prayer in mind. Sometimes I'll say something I don't even know and somebody maybe two years ago, you might write some like this and and you think I don't listen to me. Have you ever had somebody get up and praying during that prayer. They let God and everybody know you knob Lord. I spent a whole lot of time with you this morning. Lord I know you are sweet today as I got up and fasted and prayed. When a difference where not appear to let everybody know what we've done in our prayer life. You agree with me on that. I don't think anybody way that it never has done. I only know the miser done that here. I'm sure villages been her 50 years, maybes, or I'm just saying that I have heard over the years, you find that and I because I was an evangelist. I almost every other week was preaching at a pastors fellowship or part of a preacher's fellowship or whatever the case might be in here want to find some of that going on. Go there preacher gets up and it made a you know this preacher scheduled to preach the past, fellowship, and even during the message during the preach and it's almost an advertisement of the great things he's done as a pastor and dear friend vérité were it not here to get the glory and and prayer should not be focused on self.

It's not focused on well you know Lord you know as well as I know that been faithful in there been some hard times and but I've hung in there Lord went you only tell everybody that if you hung in there. God knows if you hung in there younger sentencing not try to criticize anybody. I'm just this is that this is God's teaching on prayer so prayer should not focus. He said I don't pray like these religious crowd due there in the street corners and in their praying and giving alms and and or gone through all this tradition and then oftentimes what they would do. They would stand at the different portions of the street corner and they would pray and agonize in prayer and and you know that they would literally sometimes play what always means you will always me and and while they're saying what was me the insider building themselves up people, like well aren't they humble know they were, you know why Jesus knew their heart. He saw what was going on and so you and I gotta make sure that our prayer is not focused on self and notice the second we focused sometimes on personal needs Nellis and we tend to do that sometimes it's amazing how really selfish some of our praying is now the Christians focus and and and and get this much I want to understand the Christians focus on others should be seen in prayer more than anywhere else. We believe the Bible teaches that we are to put others before ourselves right. If that's the case if we are putting others before ourselves the first place that that should be seen as in prayer and dear friend.

Literally if somebody could enter into our prayer closet and listen to us break. The first thing that they ought to be able to get is is poor, they should pray for others because our focus listen to me and you say what I have needs and I need the Lord that that's fine but it shouldn't be focused on that. It should be others. It should be focused on him and others member the whole rule we give them joy Jesus first others I get you third. Our prayer life should be focused on him as the but as the first priority others as the second priority and then us.

Third, we often are focusing on the outward. Let me explain this and that's why God does in this passage that these men like to stand in public.

Oftentimes you and I make the very terrible mistake of judging someone's spirituality by looking at the outside and I'm not just talk about.

We look at the outside like how they're dressed or how they look, I'm talking about.

Oftentimes their deeds and their actions like of a person gets up and ready. They are fluent in their prayers you think boy, that's a man that walks with God and another individual might come up and then they might, you might hear them praying they might mumble a little bit it, they might not be polished and and you'd almost say you know well you know I'm sure they might walk with God. A whole lot more than the guy that just know gave the book you agree with that. You and I better be careful that we don't judge someone spirituality by focusing on the outside that's exactly what the religious hypocrites were doing here and that's why Jesus was correcting them. I think sometimes you and I and them and limit you. The second thing on this at my existence of go hand-in-hand. Notice under possible problems.

Prayer can express selfishness and second prayer can focus on form.

If you're not careful.

Now we see what you mean.

We oftentimes can can focus the importance of our prayer by how long we pray how much we pray and we we oftentimes focus so much on the form of it but look at me in Bible days when prayer was done by great men of God. It was done because they were godly. It was not done because they were trying to make themselves godly and oftentimes you and I we have this rule. Well, you know you know whether a person prays we focus on the outward and then we begin to focus on the technique of it. Well, gotta do this and I've got to do that, notice what Jesus was saying, these men they have their standard lines. Their standard prayers their rituals that they do their speaking certain ways and giving their arms and God says it was hypocritical because although they had all the lingo down, and although they had all the form down.

They were denying the godliness thereof. You and I sometimes need to quit worried about you know MFI five prayer gotta say things a certain way and listen different if we do that, that's were trying to pray to men as oftentimes you know so many sometimes new Christians and even people administered for while they're so afraid to pray in public and I understand that you know oftentimes I think about once or twice over the years. I mistakingly somebody that does not want to pray in public just because they would you close in prayer.

I just wouldn't think it it it could absolutely scare the living daylights out of some people, let me tell you why it can scare the living daylights out of you because you're worried about what people are going to hear you say and if you don't say things right a certain way and you don't necessarily put you know what I think the best prayer is is one individual doesn't know how to pray. They just want to talk to God you get where I'm going with this prayer can become a problem when you and I are focusing on the form instead of what our prayers really made of.

And that's simply talking with government talk about that. The second I and had the privilege of Robinson being in evangelism for about 10 years and I have if your it wouldn't be in a meeting offered all kinds of different people pray the ones that I felt and I'm not judging because that's what I'm telling you not to do, but there been times where individuals have prayed in while China pray you literally him and you could feel the presence of God. They weren't polished and they didn't say that these in the valves and have everything down it oftentimes would just start some like this God, you know, I have nothing to offer you got. I need your help tonight. I might not know all the things to say we need you tonight. I don't think anything means more to God than that I think were you and I can begin to get in trouble is when we have all the stuff down. We've done it so long, we know how to do it and you and I look at me. What I'm saying is this literally, we could get up to this equipment and pray without even thinking about. We've done it so long and so much and gotten so good at it that we really don't even need God to come up. Pray and dear friend I'm here to say that you know what you and I need to quit focusing on the form and talk to God out of a sincere heart notice.

The second part of it there so those are some possible problems that God gives in these first eight verses, obviously, but once you notice this powerful prayer RI but what is proper notice verse eight and actually he gives different things.

Verse five he says, when thou pray as thou shall not, for they love to pray daily for six but when thou press enter that closet will now shut thy door. Notice this, pray to thy father which is in secret now under powerful prayer notices number one. The simple approach. Do you know what prayer is prayer is simply an individual approaching God living in them in them even make it a little bit easier.

Prayer is simply you communicating with God. There is nothing mystical about prayer. If you and I believe you believe God is real, obscene, or you would be here tonight if you believe God's real and he's real look at me, you don't have to go this mystical little magical phrases to even enter into the presence of God.

He's with you. Prayer is you communicating with him. Let's quit making it so this and so that in you and I need to just talk to him just communication thought is, and by the way, what is communication essay. My wife and I we also about marriage and communication were getting ready to have a marriage October 4 and fifth. Our marriage enrichment seminar. Hope all married couples all ages.

Whatever the case might be, it's a Friday night, Saturday morning it will be a lot of time it's free.

You have a nice meal Friday night, breakfast every morning and it's on marriage enrichment. It doesn't mean that you're about Ray to kill each other. Need to come to this enough. You are about ready to kill each other.

You need to come to this which I come talk to me now instead of waiting for a few weeks is little you know we know anybody did, but what I'm saying is this is enrichment it's on becoming one. It would be good for all couples ostomy. My wife and I go out and spend the day and we have problems with communication let me tell you what usually causes a problem with communication is this little word we call awareness oftentimes of an individual does not communicate with their spouse because they're not aware of them. You are you and I do not communicate with God were not aware, look at me if gift God made himself known in a physical presence and he was right there. We saw him, I guarantee you we be talking to, but he is right there, as if he was, but is not in that physical presence because we have the Holy Spirit in our heart.

But God is not only with us but in us and oftentimes you and I are not communicating with the father because were just simply not aware that he's there. We know he's there but were not aware and so prayer the simple approach is this you talk to God. Quit worrying about headlamp say the certain phrase lab say this not to say that and I'm not saying this so next time you need you, per the scope of the prayer to be scared at the death that you don't pray some wrong. Remember, Lord, I don't know what to say my best in every matter to someone talk about.

I'm just saying it. What I'm saying should encourage you to feel free to get up and pray, as opposed to make you scared because I out about you. We need to quit worried about how perverse is this phrase in that phrase in an innovative of how it flows off the tongue. Prayer is the simple approach you just talk to God. That's all he wants, okay, what does powerful prayer include the simple approach and simple ingredients. I'll give these to you and will let you go for tonight. This is preparing. This is why God set up getting ready to give them the Lord's prayer and were to take the Lord's prayer, phrase by phrase and them so I it'll it'll be probably a little bit of a Bobby, five, six, seven week series on the Lord's prayer, but I think it will be profitable for you what what are some simple ingredients of prayer I want you to write these down if you don't have the paper. If you do have the paper and hope everybody did just have your pin ready might want it very three very simple things. Exclusion realization and confidence okay is a preacher how how how do we know that. Listen, prayer, powerful prayer involves exclusion what any it means excluding other people mentally not physically say preacher. I don't really understand powerful prayer means this I exclude everybody else and I even exclude myself, and I focus solely on God. Does that make sense to everybody.

In other words this if I come into this and I have anybody or anything that is on my mind more than God than my prayers like I have power for my prayer to have parent notice. If you would look at look at verse six, but that when thou praised interim thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret labor. Seven but when ye pray, use not vain repetitions is not a word about there, the repetitions is not worried about the need of the phrases and all that stuff. He says don't don't do that like the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard from their much speaking.

They were safe. Be not ye therefore likened them for your father know with what things ye have need of, before ye ask him exclusion you got exclude others and yourself that you say let it make sense preacher is just that I gotta keep others first was doing. I'm talking about. The focus of your prayer should be God and God alone. That's it. The whole priority of your prayer life should be God you literally in an and what I'm saying is this where in the South member, the Joe doesn't talk about sometimes we have prayer meetings in the South and and will get some men and we pray with our deacons and staff. Just try to for every service now and will say all right. Let's pray we do that, I'll pray and there's might be three, four, five of them and praying at the same time and knowing some pray out loud and some people and I want to say I can't do that that you just know I can construct is all the what were saying is this in prayer, you should be able to exclude others. I don't mean exclude others like you're not gonna pray for them. I mean exclude others that they're not gonna bother you while you're talking to God by getting if somebody's done me wrong today and I want to go.

I need to go home and pray, but it's hard for me to pray because somebody did me wrong. Listen, I need to exclude them because I cannot let what they did keep me from praying to God you understand what I mean exclusion secondly got exclude yourself. I mean you can have to overcome yourself, to spend time in prayer. So there is exclusion this what he said go to your closet, pray in secret will. What is he saying here.

You gotta get away from everybody and everything you got exclude them.

You gotta get away from them.

Even when you're praying in a room with five other people. Your focus should be on God J. Secondly, there is realization would mean realization. Notice what it says, pray to thy father, powerful prayer means you realize who and what God is the fatherhood of God.

All the relationships that that suggest, you gotta realize notice this in the Old Testament maybe 2×2 or three times God is referred to as a father is almost nonexistent, and not even directly when Jesus came to earth, he introduced a new relationship with our Creator as he introduced him as father and to me that's the best name for God, not that it means more than others.

I mean it means more to me because he's father that word father involves so many emotions so many different aspects of relationship you know why a father provides a father protects the father paddles God says is a of you on earth know how to give good gifts to your children. Imagine what your father in heaven would do for you. Aren't you glad that he's not only God, he's father. What would you go to God in prayer. You gotta realize he's my father through it. If any of you had a good relationship with your earthly father or have a good relationship with your earthly father. You know when you go to them if you need something insincerity. That's what God says you come to me. I'm your father and you and I've got to have this realization of who he is and what he is and what he's done in my life, and at what would you got understand we can't come like he's is great being that we cannot approach and have started bother you, but he's your dad. This is my boys don't bother me when they need something that's not a bother to me. I want them to come to me, that makes sense. God wants you to come to hear so there is exclusion there is realization but third there is, thank you for listening to you received a blessing from our broadcast.

The current Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Rd. in Kernersville, NC. You may also contact us by phone in 336-993-5119 or near the Kerwin Baptist Church.com enjoy our services live all Armenian honor website and church.

Thank you for listening. The Kerwin broadcast God bless you