10-9-22 How To Pray According To Jesus

Your Bibles if you would join me in Matthew chapter number six Matthews gospel chapter number six in order read verse five down the verse number 13 when you find your place if you would honor God's word will stand and read those verses. It starts out in verse number five is Jesus launches into this great subject of prayer which will be our topic for the next number of weeks he says in Matthew six verse number five and when thou prayers. Thou shall 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 unto you, they have their reward. Thou, when thou prayers enter into thy closet and window has shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret and my father would see if in secret shall reward thee openly. Verse seven but when you pray, use not vain or empty repetitions is the even do, for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not you therefore likened them for your father know with what things ye have need of before you ask him. Verse nine down verse 13 with me after this manner therefore pray ye are father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Father, we are so thankful that we can come at this time seeking your Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and giving us understanding of this great truth of prayer. Thank you that you love us enough to give us your word you sent your son to die for us, that we might be saved that I pray today that the Holy Spirit would move among us.

If anyone doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ that today they might be saved as your people got. I pray that we would be people of prayer lighthouse will be a praying church. Lord I pray that your your word would come alive to our hearts. Let me step out of the way and may your word become the that the preacher today. We ask it in Jesus name.

And God's people said then you may be seated this morning. Great preacher, Martyn Lloyd Jones said prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul is that man is at his greatest and highest went up on his knees.

He comes face to face with God in prayer is, I believe the greatest privilege of our lives.

What greater thing could be offered to Austin to commune with our Creator that we might common to the presence of the eternal God, through this great avenue of prayer and thrust the date of value. Prayer is to value God to steam prayer is to esteem God and in essence, prayer is as important as God in our life because it is to elevate God in our life and my prayer and desire for lighthouses that we would be a praying church. We must understand that all we do in our service in our working in the area of evangelism and discipling in teaching and preaching and all of this that we do in the ministry of the church is without effectiveness. It will be without power. It will be without lasting fruit without being fed with prayer. It would be like plowing and tilling a field in planting seed without the sun of the rain. We are in desperate need for God's sun and rain to come down upon us, and that comes through prayer. My grandfather was a farmer for some 50 years and one thing that farmers understand as they pray for rain date they can do all the work of planting. They can do all the work of sewing, but they realize that none of that will take effect unless the creator of this earth since fourth rain and sun upon their fields and we must come the same way prayer moves the hand of God working without God in prayer is to work and labor in vain is John Bunyan who wrote Pilgrim's progress that rightly observed the we can do more than prayer. He says after we prayed that we cannot do more than prayer before we prayed and we need to be gripped by that truth.

Prayer must proceed are working. Prayer must proceed are evangelism prayer must precede our are singing our greeting are giving our discipling. Whatever we do must be based in prayer the last week we looked at how not to pray as we examine for wasted that Jesus says here that can hinder our prayers.

We looked at that last Sunday and Wednesday we looked at six more truths from the word of God that can hinder our prayers. I think many Christians don't realize there is a right and there is a wrong way to pray.

There are ways to be an efficient and praying because we are not praying according to the word of God and we must realize that God defines how we are to approach and we don't come to God based on what we think we come to God based on what he says and I would ask your friend today you pray according to the word of God you pray biblically. Today we will look at how to pray in the joy for us is our teacher is the Lord Jesus Christ, who better to learn about how to pray than from the intercessor himself. We have the one who sits upon the right hand of the throne of God, who intercedes for us, telling us how to approach the throne.

This is an opinion from Jesus. In fact, God never gives an opinion, you'll never find an opinion in all the Scriptures from God. God never gives a suggestion. God never says hey, this would be a good idea. He just gives us axioms he gives us standards of total truth given as a command because it is the only way it is to be done.

So this morning I pray that we would be gripped by the truth before us that we would sit on edge in our minds and perhaps even on our seats that we would say, dear God or Jesus teach me to pray. We also need to be warned. I think the as we look at this text that familiarity does not breed contempt and what I mean by that is, sometimes we come to a portion of Scripture that many of you as we read through verse nine through verse 13, you were able to quote that by memory, after this manner therefore pray our father which art in heaven, you could go through that whole portion of Scripture, not even thinking about it because you've already memorized that end and it's a blessing to have those things memorized, but sometimes we can say well I'm very familiar with that passage of Scripture. All I've seen that before. I've studied out before I even taught on a series on that before, and in so we can come to such a glorious passage of Scripture that the great king, the Lord Jesus Christ is telling us how to approach them in prayer that we would take this in a casual way and almost blaspheme this with the way we approach it. I don't want to do that is like a man who lives in Colorado by seeing the beauty and the magnificence of that mountainous landscape that he sees on a daily basis. The sometimes he can wake up and gone throughout his day and not even see it, but it's people like you and me that if we were to go to Colorado we would be so overwhelmed by the glory that landscape that we could sit back in for hours. Just gaze upon those mountain ranges.

The magnificence and I pray that we would come like a child in our faith as we look upon these verses and say these are the words of our God telling us how to approach him in prayer and we would look at them as a fresh new breath of air. Upon our prayer life this morning. The disciples in their lives expressed their longing for prayer.

When you read Luke's gospel chapter number 11 you come to verse one and two and it says this and it came to pass that as here as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when he ceased one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray is John also taught his disciples and he said unto them, when he prays that our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. He begins to teach them on prayer. I think it's first to take note of is we look at that verse and passage that they saw Jesus praying they saw him praying this prayer life impacted them. Jesus Christ believed in prayer we ask you as parents have your children never seen you pray today. Here, you pray, do they hear you talk about the cares and the worries of this world and all the tragedies that go on in the recession and problems in government or problems overseas and in all the fears of Ukraine and nuclear possibilities of war that were closer now they say that even during the Cuban missile strike the missile crisis I should say in all of that starting up in the world.

They hear us talk about the fears, no worries enough in inflation and high gas prices they hear more fear coming out of our mouth or lay ever hear Faith coming out they hear us elevate the glory of God in the midst of of of of some chaotic times or they hear us just elevate the chaos and forgot to be people living by fear what's coming out of our mouth. Why would we ever expect them to live by faith. Husbands and wives. Do you spend time praying you you spend more time trying to change your spouse and implore the throne of God seeking God's help to change, not your spouse. With the change you first and then the work on your spouse you think your and I are our pride would do a better job of changing our spouse in our prayers would we put the power now in our own hands to change the people around us while he never listens to me, she never listens to me. Why don't we stop talking to them and talk to the Lord. If a church is impotent without prayer.

How much more marriage. If the church is impotent without prayer. How much more parenting when we stop fighting with our kids and go to the throne of God in Russell like Jacob did with the Lord over our children with the godparents would get a hold of that truth. With the got a husband and wife would come to the throne of God was sincere prayer longing that God would work in their marriage that their light would shine before men, and he would say what happened to you guys. What I was sure I pray that our children would see us as parents and as spouses and say well want to be a parent like that. My mom and dad have a big God. They go to God all the time. When stress comes.

They don't talk about the craziness of the world they talk about the greatness of God. We don't talk about how big the waves are on the Sea of Galilee. Talk about a big Jesus is when he calms the storm what conversations going on in your home where prayer let's bleed over the rest of our life was the communion of Christ with his father because the disciples to say I want some of that. I want some of that in my life. You imagine being a disciple of Christ and you wake up in the morning with New Orleans after good eight hours and Jesus comes off the mountain say Jesus where you been raised as I did pray last night I just I didn't sleep was all I did was pray last night. I will be so convicted here that we would say Lord can you teach me to pray.

Something is missing in my life when Christ has such a high view of prayer then be a person who so desperately need of God would have such a low view of it by the practice of it in my life all how can we ever come to Matthew nine, Matthew chapter 6 verse 9 to 13 with some casual approach equity ever look upon.

This is some passage that we think we understand they desire to learn to pray, they pursued knowing how to pray.

I think that says so much. They were so moved by the Lord, praying that they had to come to him and say Jesus teach us how to pray. Teach us how to pray this if if if you don't know how to pray today. That's not the problem. The problem is within two months from now. You still don't know how to pray.

The problem is if you say I'm not quite sure how to approach got up from not sure what I should say it's not a problem today.

The problem is if you stay there anybody wake this morning believe that and so sometimes you say well you not on the conservative that if it is a struggle praying. I just don't want to pray with him. Six months later in the same boat. What that shows me as they don't care to increase their prayer understanding of life and let me say this as well. Prayer is not just talking to God. Tonight is a will. I do not rate was just talking to God if it's just talking to God and Jesus would say pray like this just talk to God. Does Jesus say that no he doesn't. He says when you pray, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this and then do this do this do this do this and do this you just see it. And so when we teach people pray, we need to make sure and say thank you for asking this court take a few this going take more than just 30 seconds me tell you how to pray this. Is this a big deal so to this morning on the to be teaching will prayer and will be teaching for the next several weeks on this so you're not going to finish all this in one day I'll tell you right now. I didn't finish my sermon this morning so were really going to get so far today which is halfway through verse nine so now they also said in Luke chapter number 11.

Teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples how to pray like I think that's interesting. Both Jesus and John the Baptist had such a prayer life that calls their disciples to say, teach us to pray like you're praying, there's something about your prayer life that I must be missing because I don't do that. I don't have imagine praying with EM bounds measuring going into Charles Spurgeon's prayer rooms. Imagine praying with DL Moody.

Imagine that we would walk away leaving retentive over the thin lack of prayer life that we have no one… Submitted. No wonder my street hasn't been saved. No wonder revivalism break out like it did in Whitfield's day.

It takes a moving of God, and we try to move before God. That's why we don't pray we we run out to work when a microwavable Christianity takes too much time to pray when I have time for that. I get a 7 o'clock appointment at 8 o'clock appointment to get to. I got a podcast to listen to at 730. I got a Facebook post update.

God says no wonder this is my house was to be called a house of prayer and what lighthouse we need to be known as we need to be known as a church that prays I didn't share this and users with every every Sunday at 8 o'clock. The staff we get together. Pray for the service we pray for and pray for the week, but we just have a special time in it. I might start setting outside open up to anybody the church.

8 o'clock next Sunday if you come early salicylate service I should share the early service so that the use we don't want all of you to come the early service I need to tell you had a check don't talk on the early service will be able got out of the bag goes okay but but but take time with you, earlier would be blessing next Sunday in the late service just to find few people down here praying at the altar. You know what happened if you had two or three, four, five or 1015 people down here praying and circulated start there's people at the altar praying. Were they doing asking God to move casino. Pastor Josh has nothing to offer us. If God doesn't move so there there, praying there seeking God of their souls or loss that would be saved if there's there's people struggling that you would give them victory. There's people broken you bring healing with the God you know if it is a handful of people they could spark revival just by getting serious about God. They don't care if anybody sees in their hearing for God to see their here so that they can come to the throne of God and so if you decide to come the early service you can pray with us over in room 107 but if you just want to come and pray early before the late service encourage you to do that. But wherever your prayer life is today. I want to see all of us to grow in our prayer life and I pray that that would be the case of had several people tell me this week and even the date preach. I've been been workable prayer life and I just really focusing on the Lord more Nazi pray to God that's edifying to me. I look regional prayer because I always need increase in my prayer life and refocus and reengage on that for sure.

But there's one thing that we do. We should be known as a people of prayer. These altar should be filled with people praying about people say role. I don't know if we should have altar calls, you know, and I was a thing of the start of the 20th century to get our stuff and I say what you ask your question that should there ever be a time were God's people are invited to respond to what they heard, not in some formulated way to where we stir them up with emotions and playoff their emotions.

That's that's not what we do here but I think there's a time when humility is important. I think there's a time when we humble ourselves before God, whether at your seat at an altar wherever that is, you have a chance to respond and do business with God. Jesus says come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden, and the Levites of gold compelled him to my house be folded there would be a response from people as a church we must understand, prayer is also an act of dependence is as one man said prayer is this is dependence. Leaning upon God's omnipotence is our weakness, leaning upon his omnipotence is a recognition of on our part of our desperation and need of God. When we pray we are leaning on him and I thought about our prayers are like there's there's so meager oftentimes will like our best prayers are like offering got five loaves and two fishes to feed 5000 men is likewise not really going to cover that much you know it, we we come in and we we give God meager offerings but all what God can do with meager offerings. When we offer up to God, we prayer that he turned that into groanings before the throne that cannot be uttered. And he takes our prayers and he can feed the multitudes of people with the prayers we lift up to him. If God's people were to pray things change.

Move the moving of God begins to happen question is do we believe his word. Men like John Wesley did. So I went why Weston wake up and pray for a couple hours every day for these men, who shook earth and shook kingdoms that they they they were men of prayer. There were some students who came to visit the church of why of Charles Spurgeon and they said we want to we want to see Charles Spurgeon preacher when it came to church.

They want to go to the great halls of that sanctuary would fill 10,000 or so people in and there's a man who greeted them and he says hey he said the you guys are new here today, so yeah, we've come to see Charles Spurgeon. He says well you know that's not a big deal. He says let me show you so you are boiler room and they were thinking.

You know this guys nice and you know but we really don't see the boiler room of the church is really in any begin to walk the students down to the lower area of the facility and they were just appeasing the man because I got well you know just be nice.

We really want to get back up to the sanctuary and in vitro. Spurgeon and we got downstairs he opened the door. There were 700 people on their knees crying out to God before the service ever started.

He said my name is Charles Spurgeon.

This is my boiler room with light house could use a good boiler room could we need to be people of prayer. Tell your friends nothing's going to happen today, tomorrow, Wednesday, Sunday, the rest of this churches future without us being in prayer.

Prayer must proceed every work is the rain that comes down upon the soil and it is the God who would move through that. So how do we pray according to Jesus what he says in verse number nine after this manner therefore pray you, but he doesn't say in these exact words doesn't know. I believe this prayer is not simply something that that is to be recited, but rather it is an outline for how we are to pray you just warned them in verse seven. Not to pray empty repetitious prayers and so sometimes you will say is it wrong to recite a prayer or to repeat this prayer to God. I would ask you, is it wrong to pray the Scriptures.

Obviously not. Is this Scripture since her pray this take. I would encourage all of us to for the next several weeks as we examine these verses that you would pray this as you enter into prayer with all sincerity you would begin to memorize the words of Christ about this and that you wouldn't say my prayer would only contain those words, but they would be an outline that I would understand and remember and repeat over and over in my heart that I would grasp them that that I would understand how I look to approach God in prayer that what I'm supposed to pray for and understand this is a skeleton to hang our prayer request. Our thoughts upon the also the word prayer variances after this manner therefore pray using the present imperative in the Greek, which means it is a command that is to be continually done. Prayer is not to be a blessed pastime, but it's to be a habit of our life would be people of prayer. The Bible says in versus 2517 pray without ceasing. It's the ideas we would breathe to live. We would pray to spiritually find victory Luke 18. Once Jesus says that men ought always to pray, so how are we to pray.

Jesus tells us first on verse number nine that we are to pray our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. First of all, we are to pray to our father. We need to understand the relationship we have with God. As we come in prayer. So when Jesus begins his teaching on prayer.

He teaches first on how the believer is to approach God, how we are to see him. This is absolutely monumental because in my mind I would have thought that Jesus would say as you approach God in prayer. This is what you should say our eternal creator God omnipotent ruler of heaven and earth.

He doesn't say that is not that how you would've thought he would say you had the recognized the glorious dreadful this awesome Creator omnipotent on this and note there's nothing wrong with approaching God like that in prayer. But that's not the way Jesus says to start. Rather, he gives us the name father pate or this intimate name for God. As we approach our God in prayer know the concept of God as father is spoken of in the Old Testament, but very limited in the Old Testament God was seen as father not of an individual but father of the nation, father of the Jewish people. Jeremiah 31 nine God said I am the father to Israel and Ephraim is my firstborn. Ephesians 422 he came to Pharaoh. Do you remember what he said Israel is my son so the Old Testament refers to God as father around 14 to 15 different times in the Old Testament, and it's always to the nation, father of the nation, father of the Jewish people, but not father and to an individual person when you come to the New Testament that changes.

God is seen not simply as the father of the nation of the Jewish people forgot his father of the individual believer absolutely incredible even in verse one down the verse number 18 again 15 times the Old Testament it's used God as father of the individual 10 times in verse one through 18 of chapter 6 Jesus says in verse number one through four.

Give so that your father in heaven sees it only verse 53. Pray only to your father in heaven who would see it not to be seen by men. Verse eight he says your father in heaven knows your needs before you ask, verse nine, pray to your father which is in heaven. Verse number 14 and 15 your father in heaven will forgive you.

Verse 16 through 18. He says fast so that your father in heaven alone would see it. So Jesus refers to God as the father of the individual 10 times just in chapter 6, verse one through 18 Jesus refers to God as father, 160 times in the Bible secret in the Gospels is incredible 248 times in the New Testament God is referred to as father.

That's a 1600% increase from the Old Testament think God's trying to get our attention.

This is a relationship friends. That is incredibly powerful to grasp JI Packer's great book entitled knowing God. If you've not read that I would encourage you to do so. JI Packer writes in that book knowing God. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his father.

If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers, and his whole outlook on life. It means that he does not understand Christianity very well at all for everything that Christ taught everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the old everything that is distinctively Christian, as opposed to merely Jewish is summed up in the knowledge of the fatherhood of God.

Listen to what he closes with father is the Christian name for God father is the Christian name for God.

Do you understand the weight of that today who came this morning in prayer just considered to yourself to prayer to God with the way that God is our father some great truths. The result of God being our father.

If I could list a few. First of all, it means that we are loved.

Some here never had a good father. Some of you had fathers. It never told you one time that they loved you they say this if you're a dad today. If your father make sure you tell your children you love. Make sure you tell them it's a big deal.

My dad tells me that in he was down yesterday and got to see him daughter turned 18 yesterday whole new set of white hairs came in and asked me how I will be 90 years old shall still be my little girl man she's still my little girl never change, but it's so important.

I know my dad would say, you know his dad never really said I love you a lot. There was a generation of men in our country that they just think I was kind of a weakening thing to say you love someone supported tell me you love belief some holes if you save never done that before the start today.

Call your son up you got upset on urges what you know I love you.

I don't know if I've ever told you that Micah should and if you feel uncomfortable. You know what courageous men do. They walk over the threshold of fear they do what's needed young that's what you tell your kids 11 not just after you discipline before – Dragon she let them know you love your the Bible says in first John 31 behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. What love is that this is also a great difference from all the pagan ideas of God.

The gods of false religions in the world are seen as angry God needing to be appeased by some work that man would produce and appease the wrath of that God. The Greeks had a chief God named Zeus the Romans called him Jupiter optimist Maximus not ask… Not the overly optimist prime.

Yeah we we have that you have reviewed as the years but this is.

This was their premier God and so they called Jupiter their their chief God Jupiter and Zeus were the same person. It just was the Greek God name the Greeks sees the Romans named him Jupiter and so one of the significant legends of the Greek and Roman gods was the was the legend of Prometheus Macy's was a God who felt some compassion on mankind because there was a time they said agreement.

Greek mythology that man did not have fire survival is very difficult for man and and they live in a very difficult time and so Prometheus was this God who said you are not going to get some fire from heaven and bring it down demand to increase their life and so he brought that is a gift to man. Moses was so upset with this, he was so angry at Prometheus for doing this they took Prometheus bound with chains of the Adriatic Sea on a rock so that he would burn during the day with the sweltering heat and he would freeze at night under the cold and then he would he send a vulture to eat out the liver of Prometheus which would grow back and he would tear it out again and again and again and again and that was the image of their chief God's feelings about doing something good for those on earth, we come to the Bible and in and in. It's so different we don't have a God that were working to appease.

We have a God who sent his own son to appease himself. Christ died for our sins when when when you study into Hinduism you go to the Genghis River. Why do they take babies down and thrown into that river. Why do they because they want to appease their gods.

Why did the Philistines, Leah baby upon the arms of dad daughter others under the arms of molecular burning sacrifice to appease their God and one of the Muslims who have a good angel they say on one side about Angel and the other in every day they record their deeds and if there 51% righteous. They make it into heaven.

But if they're not been there to be cast out. That's why they that's why they the only way for a Muslim to get to heaven is to fulfill what assigned Foxwell to become a marcher at the die as in a holy jihad and so that's why these these martyrs that you see over these years. It's an act of desperation to appease Allah, the opposite is without says that we come to the Bible and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. If that doesn't make us just fall on our knees today and say dear God, how could you be so simple, so overwhelming. We have to be careful to John 316 doesn't build contempt in our heart because of familiarity of that verse right, we are loved friends by your heavenly father. Secondly, we are part of his family. Maybe you come from a family that's broken. The truth is, all of us have messed up families you learn other years while my family doesn't have it all together like yours. All you think there's such a family. Just get enough of them together and you'll find out if not altogether pregnant. All our family never has any problems all really bring all the aunts and uncles together in a whole big jamboree get the hundred of them together. Let's see what happens.

This bring up aunt Susie's name families have issues. Note that we all deal with a level of brokenness because of sin, right of our families are symbols.

Therefore, it is none of our families without brokenness at some level.

But no matter what the level of brokenness, praise God. You can be a part of God's unbroken family heavenly family.

Romans 815 says forgive not receive a spirit of adoption of bondage again to fear, you have to go back in fear of the Old Testament trying to try to think you can you can earn favor for keeping the wall. You can't keep the laws never designed to to earn favor with God, or to any of that. It was it was designed to show your need of mercy. But he says that you received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father Abba, father Galatians for success and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts and you know Jesus says here, I want you to come in God to prayer, saying our father and when his spirit comes inside of us you in his spirit cries out Abba father from in the believer's incredible truth. You know what a babies born he was out of the precious child and you know hundred Jeremy there you have a baby on the way. Super excited and we have babies born around the church and is just great. You have a baby drinking of the water you get one on New Haven. I meant so every time you little baby born dad stands there just like me my life.

I remembered member saying say dad she's a bit like saving your fight over this and if I don't talk about in and you know that the child always says dad dad first because it's easier for them to say dad that then mama they can get their lips together quite yet you know that means like I am the winner. Four out of four baby is like I was like you love the most, like that to my little daughter Kaylee.

My youngest down front. You may love mom more now, but you love me more than all the girls side with the girls it is it is that way in the house.

You know the old gentleman. This would look sweet as you hurt me on the Iressa rally Candace for 310s of a second.

I got up elbow in the back of my head my way. Yes, we will Kaylee jump in on Jack Russell man, but when you when you come that baby you you say dad that you know if if you are if you spoke Aramaic you would you would get over that child you say say and that's that would be there.

Dad. Dad.

Dad, being that that's how they would say this is this is an intimate term. This is a term used by only family members, and so when he says when when I come inside of you. I'm crying from without. If you father 10 credit that is beyond special.

You know, when Jesus was in the garden. Mark 1436. He said Abba father Abba father. All things are possible and the take this cup from me. Abba was less than you came to God and just were humbled by that reality. The question one might ask is, can everyone pray this prayer our father who art in heaven, no, no, because if you're not a Christian. He is not your father. Jesus said in John 844. You are of your father the devil before I was saved, God was not my father. He was my enemy is my judge when I got say the judge became my father blew beautiful and glorious true friend. If you don't know Jesus Christ. If you were stable for God today and he said why so that you have used. I don't know what I would say I'll be down from brother Tom and will have men women down front. These doors and you could come down and say you know what I want to know how to be adopted into the family of God.

I need to know how to become a child of God. I want God to be my father, you could come today and trusted him Wednesday we had a couple young couple present precious couple who came in the testified of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What a joy this is my new brother and sister in Christ this morning. The only service we had a couple who gave a great testimony. Kaylee Julia Rogers and powerful testimony of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did in their life and how they want to live for him and take up their cross and follow him and see his work accomplished in their life and that couple that young couple got baptized in the early service.

What a beautiful thing that was there are brothers and sisters in Christ that if you don't know Christ today.

You can be saved. The third wonderful truth of God as our fathers, we have a father who will provide for us. You can be trusted with the needs of our life.

Matthew six verse 31 and 32 Jesus therefore take no thought for your life, what you shall eat notes about noon, so you're thinking the race is in the oven status through the days the ice cream still in the freezer. Don't think about what you're going to eat. Don't think about what you're going to drink that don't don't don't have fear about provision is what he thought about here.

Don't fear what you're going to be close with people working that day as day laborers that they were literally working that day to eat that this is very, very real subject for them, etc. after all these things the Gentiles seek. Notice what he says overcome this fear. Christ are overcome this daily worry whether I'm eating today because today have shelter.

He says dear heavenly father knows what things you have need of eating those you have need of all these things he says in Matthew chapter 6 verse number eight. You have to you have to price in vain repetitions prayer just casually chanting to get your father's attention. He says in verse eight. Your father knows what things you have need of before you ask anybody glad your father knows her needs.

He says in Ephesians chapter before he that stole let him steal no more. But let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good.

Not only so that he could have enough but also that he would have so much that he would give to others who are in need. If you're faithful to work to do to be faithful to what God put your hands. He says he will make sure you are not only provided for your provider for so much. You have leftovers in a good anybody been given the leftovers and he gives us more than we need to be presenting a need next week from one of our churches that we support in the Philippines owes connecting with them this week and communicating back and forth in our log.

You know they have a church that's over the Philippines in a church plant that they have know this young church trying to raise $14,000 to build the church building. No there there there having church and right now they erected some bamboo sticks and put like some like a lean to type shelter in. And that's how they're having church. They've raised over 6000 I said by next if they don't have 8000 I believe the church organist send an $8000 and let them build that building a minute and so say you know why because all of us walk in here and guess what we have we have a ceiling we have we have more than enough that we we've been blessed. I look at these these dear souls on the little girls little boys adults in their band cut bamboos down that church. I wonder how many Christians across this country would sit under a bamboo hut that church with people. The toilet that used to be no grocery store on the phone to go to church like that II loved we were meeting at the fairgrounds because it's like the only people come, the fairgrounds thwarted old storefront when it was really rough around here.

I freedoms we did have carbamate. It was raw for a long time is presumed somewhat on the state when we were over on the other side would go. These places are people that are really serious about Jesus and I would have order processed only once your facilities are skid nice until you there's there's people that window, you church that you will see come in the early days. I said I'd rather have the people come in the early days of of any that I just want people who love Christ were were were not so thankful God's done will provide for we have a father who gives us only good gifts. James 117 says every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, no, no shadow of changing every good gift you got only gives us good gifts. Ephesians 1 Susan's grace be to you and peace from God our father from the Lord Jesus Christ. God blesses us with so much just all the things that we have. I believe in prayer, there needs to be a time of thinking our father for his many rich blessings.

The Bible says in Ephesians 520 giving thanks always for all things in God and the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes people say you know these young people in this generation and they they're not thankful enough for what they have. I remember as a child I walked up to late miles both ways in the snow without any shoes on his uphill both ways these young kids today.

They have their laptops and iPhones and all his stuff and they're not things for what they have and we used to go to the bathroom and I would have to walk and sometimes kids today can be very thankful for what they have and sometimes they can miss thankfulness just like all of us have done in our lives but adults. I think that our father in heaven would look at us and say there's a whole lot that your father in heaven's given you the you're not thankful for either you want them to be thankful but you've missed a whole lot more thankfulness toward your father in heaven and what they've had for their earthly father. We need to be thankful friends. Five. We have a father who wants constant communion with us.

Maybe you had a father was distant, I can be tough for your dad you you want to go fishing with Regis remembering that story about one of the premier politicians and of our country, where he was writing. There is a journal Between him and his father very well known that in son, and the dad had a journal entry that said this went fishing with my son today a day wasted. What's interesting. His son had a journal that they found that was on the exact same date and it read this went fishing with my dad today was the best day of my life. Sometimes we get so busy with life. We forget what really matters. I have a funeral that I do. Probably every two weeks from bearing somebody you know I've never had somebody say what I wish I would work more only I could've patted my 401(k) a little bit more. If only I could have done a little bit more to buy more stuff. But you know what there've been dads and their been moms never been people who, with tears in their eyes. It will wish I could go back and spend more time with my family, I just work myself to death. Don't give all your best to your job, work hard, for the glory of God, to make sure you love your family.

What I love in the Scriptures, as we have a God who wants to be with us you know in the Old Testament there were three tribes on the north and three on the east and three on the south throne, the Westin and in the middle of all of those 12 tribes of Israel.

God put his tabernacle his dwelling place right in the midst you know what he does in the New Testament.

He says my dwelling place is no longer in a tent or a tabernacle. It's in a body it's in. You God wants the intimacy of our relationship so close that he literally takes up residence in us. First trillion 619. What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, not your own. What glorious truth and you get the Revelation chapter 21 it reads and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, behold, the tabernacle of God is with man, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, God himself shall be with them and be there… Going to set his tabernacle, the word means tent is going to put his tent with us his dwelling among us. What a gorgeous and really in the Bible it says in my father's house are many mansions. It it it really cares. I give many rooms like it's his father. The father's house and he's he's bringing us into his house. What a wonderful thing that God wants us to dwell with him.

I can tell you we probably would feel that way about all of each other right out of the six, 700 people. This church is a review I would my window large house they deliver one another, but all especially not those 18 over there since we have a father who loves us enough also to discipline us as a child I despised discipline was later life to realize the value of it. Remember some young kids when I was growing up and rebellious stage of my life and in in these guys admit my mom and dad let me do whatever I want and I remember specifically thinking their parents must love them so much in the order I got to realize her parents don't even care it was when they went down a rough road and I seen God turn us by his grace and his mercy and salvation and that discipline is indeed an act of love Hebrews 12 verse five says this and have you forgotten the exhortation which speakerphone he was on the children, my son, God is speaking to us despise not thou the chastening of the Lord morphing window are rebuked of him.

Hebrews 12 verse number six.

The Bible says this we have it versus read this together, for whom the Lord loveth he chase it if and scourges every son whom he received what that means simply as God disciplines every child belongs to him.

You know why because discipline steers us from the room to the right is a father who disciplines but also forgives us. Matthew 614 says your heavenly Father will also forgive you that's critical to understand our relationship to God, especially at times in our lives when we know were not where we need to be. And sometimes we made some great lapses of sin in our life. Sometimes we feel like were just unworthy to come into God's presence. There's been times in my life I felt like black like I can pray. I feel so ashamed and in a just distant from God, and anybody else ever feel like just unworthy approach God in prayer just weighs on you, and maybe that season just continues to be read Luke 15 because I believe it would 50 really contains this in a response to this verse 17 of the prodigal son is as we came to himself, he said, how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to my father will send him father, I have sinned against heaven and before the notice.

The next phrase and am no more worthy to be called thy son, he felt so unworthy, but his desperation drove him to his father. He said make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father when he was a great way off, his father saw him had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed her. Who would've thought that was going to happen in the sunset of them father, I've sinned against heaven and nightside of the more worthy to be called thy son. Verse 22,000 father respond father said it was servants bring the best Rachel put it on and put the ring on his hand and she was on his feet and bring him to the fatted calf and kill it. Let us be married for this my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found. They began to be married. I believe there are some people in this room today that you have felt unworthy you feel like God doesn't want anything to do with you. You have been sitting under a pile of lies you need to understand this is what Jesus says the father does to those who come to him in brokenness when you come and say God I am not worthy. He says you never were worthy.

It's not about your goodness it's about my goodness as a child. The father rejoices over you say, but I never had a good father on earth. I can even understand what a good father would be like. That's why the Bible says he's a father in heaven.

This is a father who is better than any father that ever lived. I got four precious daughters and I've had them tell me this is a dead kind of weird but when we when we dress for we know for yourself up. We was asked mom like mom you not overlook my area and address whatever they told me this year's exhibit I really want to know what you think. I don't know why but I care more what you think and even what she says really want to know what my dad thinks about me tell you something friends that's the me tell you something. It's a big deal. Are you and I speak to her children say this to your sons and your daughters are not your coworkers on a construction site you'll talk to them. That way I do construction for six years or some gruff ways we would talk to you guys can get pretty gruff.

It's not always right to do, but I just understood. Talk you kids like to talk your spouse like you understand their values being defined by how you communicate our value, how your dad and your mom think about you is many times how you begin to view yourself, your value becomes defined by them would say something that I you need to make sure you treat them little precious children as precious when I see Jesus when I see God the father in the Bible.

He wasn't afraid to express his love.

We see John in the upper room, laid his head against the chest of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a precious intimacy with our king, and God and Creator. How awesome he is a father who would rejoice over you last couple thoughts and will be done in noticing this prayer.

Jesus doesn't say pray my father but pray what our father so as we enter into this prayer. You don't see personal pronouns do you know where he says our father give us our daily bread.

Forgive us as we forgive others lead us not into contagion, deliver us one further to Jews were pray.

Was this God do not answer the prayer of the traveler. The Jews were pray that because the traveler needed dry weather, good weather. I everybody else and that they wanted rain and agricultural setting. You needed retain like not answer the prayer the traveler may call Busby sacrificing and so our prayers need to involve the thought of other people.

It's okay to pray for our individual needs, but not at the expense of everyone else. God answered his prayer if it would also benefit others don't.

Don't answer this prayer. I know it's going to be a sacrifice for everybody else around me, but I need you to answer this Nuno that's that's not what he saying it's our father. One key ingredient of effective biblical praying at the pray for others.

Pray selflessly and ask you to pray for other people there, six, 700 people in the search. There should be somebody you're praying for every week from this church. What you think about this for just a moment were most if if you're not if you can go seven days or a couple weeks or month without praying for anybody by name from this church, or at least you know there need in your hearts lifted up even if you forgot the name that you know the person your hearts aching for them design some pray for something if you can go a long season without even praying for somebody in the church. What's that saying.

Does anybody want a child of theirs to come in their house sit in their home and then leave without any interaction or concern for anybody else in their family unit that would say that child's really kind of selfish that child's really so focused on day there should be some concern for the other members in the home. Don't they know their brother overhears dealing with leukemia.

Don't they know their mothers dealing with diabetes build another father broke his arm. The other week. Is there no concern for that and they just come in and leave come in and leave no thoughts. Sandoz things are happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Every week in this church. I don't expect you to know everybody in the church, but expect us to at least begin to learn who people are and into get around and in every week. You should come in and say you know I will release one person's name and if you could learn 1015 20 people of the course of your would not be a blessing and begin to pray for people knowing when Caleb and Julie Rogers just got baptized this morning. The only service would've been great to say about it.

When asked to church with Roger some to just send them a letter saying I am so excited for you guys know you're in college original. Pray for you Wednesday night when you see people that are either sharing prayer requests and you could pray for them as a dear lady in church on this last Wednesday I said where's your husband at annuities doing some health issues. It is the chemo radiation really knocking down in and in and I said pray for him and I may try pray for him and I said I just want you know that that's a big deal for people to care for them to care for their needs. And it's when you're in the state of needs that you realize how valuable that is.

Friends don't don't be like that child who comes in the home and leaves without interaction and even concern yourself with other people interacting with you. You interact with them. You reach out to them you care for them. Today we learned that God is our father. What a beautiful truth. Maybe they just need to come and say got I just want to thank you for being my father you're my dad and I haven't thank you enough.

Perhaps for the blessings you poured out to me. I'm going through some trials right now. Father night I pray that you would give me wisdom to navigate the mute you give me courage would help me through this struggle here whatever whatever you need to employ your father in heaven for his ear is open. We have not because we asked.

He cares about her needs and if you're here today and you said I'm not sure if God is my father. I'm not sure if I died today that heaven will be my home. I'll be down front with men and women down front. You come in so you know what Pastor Josh, I just want to make sure that when my life so broadly in heaven with Debbie the greatest thing laying your head on your pillow tonight knowing Evans Rome knowing the God who created all things is your father how awesome it's all stand this morning has been nice close. If you're here today you say Pastor Josh I know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, would you just raise your hand is a testimony of your faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Praise God so good to know Christ. Put your hands down here today and say, Pastor. I'm not sure that fighting for God that heavenly moment you remember me in prayer and I will come to you mirrors you but I love the New York going to pray for you Zuni railing. Pray for me as I'm not sure the same for God and he's in rice intervention have not sure when I was just raise your hand.

My great thing is is seen in just know that answers my encouragement for everyone else.

All week long and just when you go to God and think about your phone I want to go to God and think about what are the implications of that. What does that mean for me to study the New Testament in the areas where it talks about God as your father spend all week dwelling upon that in senior everyone is just.

We rejoice that word came out of all failures that we make as fathers in this world craving you grant us a fresh understanding that you may we embrace that truth is just Lori is asking Jesus