The Power of Prayer and the Problem of Pride

Welcome summer church.

All four campus locations and you have a Bible you want to get out now and begin to open its last week we looked at the difference that one person can make for a city, a family circle of friends. Hezekiah was a man who stood in the gap between his generation and God because of Hezekiah's faith God works salvation in his generation and explain you that in so doing, Hezekiah gives us a picture of Jesus, who was the ultimate stand in the gap person for us and then explain you that God intends to use you to be that for somebody else, your faith, your obedience becomes the vehicle that means by which God pours out salvation in your community. Why don't we experience more of the work of God in our community.

Why don't we see God doing more in our community for the Bible never presents God as being unwilling or uncaring to pour himself out to the people around us. It never presents the world. Believe it or not is too simple or too cynical.

It always goes to the churches as the church is not willing to put itself in that stand in the gap position of faith and generosity in the combat vehicle for the people. But the Bible always says looks to the people of God says this is where this is where the outbreak of revival always begins.

I really want you to think about that for example if you're a UNC student nor North Carolina Central. Nancy State student or new student, your generation college students is one-shot outbreak of the spirit of God, and it has nothing to do with their believe it has to do with you. If the Christian community on that campus weathers can be willing to rise up and stayed in the gap on behalf of that community and see it pour out. Don't let your college years go by not experience that, by the way I want to you how encouraged I was on Friday night we had 2000 of you come out to the prayer meeting on San Miguel. It was amazingly full of every square inch of the church campus but it was also my mother was rigorous by that Hezekiah was that man in his generation. So what happened next would happen after Hezekiah led them in a great revival you other stories of the where are they now stories a come on VH1 about all the 80 stars that we knew would love so much I just I love the shows like watching a train wreck. I thought sometimes but social interstates of the stars went on to become great directors like Tom Hanks and Robert Redford, Tom Cruise became a Scientologist and a type a weirdo was his legacy. Sometimes what it was totally random.

I never watch.

I wish I could remember who was something the star of the 80s when I don't want to dryclean the chain of dry cleaning stores around much year. The karate kid open the carwash detailing business with the wax on wax off is not really true but you get the point Arnold Schwarzenegger became of course the governor and Nicholas Cage of course went on to become the greatest actor of our generation. So where are they now where they now what happened next.

Where were they now after Hezekiah is really interesting and truly instructive for us because how Hezekiah's life turns out.

After a great start is to show you and I the potential that our lives could have both for good and for bad given to see something at the end of the story that if you're if you're not familiar with Hezekiah story is a blow your mind. I'm serious if you're not familiar with the story you are not to see this coming. To get started psychic. I don't go to the Bible to turn the settings 19's recent turn of second Chronicles of each of your your Bible, and that place from last week thinking citing by the way, there are some of you that don't need me to tell you where trips are turned to because because you figured out the summit secret that you download the transcript on Friday afternoon and you got in your hands right now and you know every word that I'm about to say we put the jokes in there on Friday afternoon.

They're the ones who are viewable in a record was in this totally lame was going to laugh. They're the ones of the inside tribe. It's available for you things, blogging, or website. So I killed enough time thinking citing okay sinkings 19 records the story the greatest battle that never happened so natural rib was the wicked king of Assyria probably have a worse name that I've ever heard Sinatra rip something something McDonnell Douglas not a ribs or whatever, but knows his name Assyria, which he ruled was a really terrible place.

A place so bad that according to the veggie tales people slap each other with fishes and the parents in a room traveling thought about Thompson algorithm had gone on a mini world conquest in Concord. Of the 46 city states and getting in second Kings 19 he brought about 1/4 of a million troops to camp outside of Jerusalem 250,000 troops to camp outside of Jerusalem was a huge army, especially when you consider that the entire population of Jerusalem at that time was about 10,000 people and that that scholar say that the number of soldiers that Hezekiah had was about 2002 were dealing with an army that out out out populates outnumbers the population. What is at 25 to 1 and outnumbers Jerusalem's Army hundred and 25 to 1. So Maghreb sends a smack talking letter to Hezekiah on the people of Jerusalem.

It said verse 10 do not let your God, in whom you trust deceive you by promising that Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria to him like the right is my meter was along so just versions of the game. All that you have heard of the kings of Assyria have gone to all lands devoting them to destruction.

Shall you be delivered. Are you the exception of the gods of the other nations deliver them many sound messengers among the people to say, do not let Hezekiah fool you.

Don't let him hold his whole God to deliver you stop because all the other 46 Masons are conquered and pray to their God, to them and look what happened to them your job. 46. Know you to be number 47 verse 14, Hezekiah received a letter from the hand of the messengers and he read it Monticello.

This went up into the house of the Lord, and he sprinted out before the Lord, you read it when he said verse 17 God's truths in accurate has destroyed all these nations and their gods.

But that's because they were not really gods at all, just a working man's hands but you you oh Lord our God save us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you oh Lord your God alone.

God heard that prayer, God sent the prophet Isaiah to tell Hezekiah verse 32 thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, he shall not come into this city. He won't even shoot an arrow added. By the way that he came he shall return for I will defend the city to save it for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David verse 35 at night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down hundred and 85,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. While Israel was sleeping without a single casualty on their side, so Maghreb's records is not a 46 and one with this would be a total shutdown and when people rose early in the next morning, behold these were all dead bodies and so natural rib departed and went home and live banana by Nancy was worshiping in the house of Ms. rock his God, his son struck him down with the sword. Things did not turn out well for all snacks.

Now you go to my McMenamin I want to give myself the history Channel nerds will find this interesting. I know you're out there. Archaeologists have uncovered Sinatra's palace and Nineveh found the wall were so Maghreb had inscribed all of his victories always conquest and so when they find this wall you see all these 46 nations. I'm referring to. And it gives details about it.

Conquest what he took from them when it comes to Jerusalem.

All it says is that had he had Hezekiah trapped like a bird in a cage. Strangely, though it never really says anything that happened after that because even get all the details all the conquest deleted other things which you don't course perfectly cooperates with the story was written here in a book called what if what if military historian William McNeil called this the most important battle that never happened. Had so Maghreb been victorious. He said a McNeil by the way, not writing as Christians run as a historian is at its Maghreb been victorious Judah would've been destroyed. There would've been no continuing nation, which means no Israel for Jesus to amend born into.

Therefore no church human history. He said would've been fundamentally altered and I would add you and I would not be sitting here today. McNeil called it most the most faithful might have been in all of recorded history and what makes it so remarkable to me.

He says, was that there was no natural reason for the people to the bias in accurate Jerusalem was nothing in military terms, cities much bigger and much more powerful to Jerusalem, had just surrendered on the spot. This inaccurate try to escape total annihilation. McNeil says this and I quote the inhabitants of the small, weak and fragile kingdom of Judah had the audacity to believe that their God was the only true God's power extended over all the earth. He said for me pondering how a small company of prophets and priests to the king in Jerusalem inspired so many to believe and help their views about their God came to prevail so widely in our day defies historical imagination.

Never before or since has so much depended on so few believing solely in their one true God, and in such bold defiance of common sense. That is exactly what the kings of Israel were supposed to do for the people of Israel. They were supposed to believe God in the face of impossible odds and lead their people to victory and that is exactly what you are supposed to do as a person who stands in the gap for the community.

God has sent you to reach. In so doing this Hezekiah gives you a picture of prayer done right give you four quick things. These are things that describe prayer from people who stand in the gap by hitting our number one Hezekiah prioritize God's glory and his purposes in his prayer prioritize God's glory and his purposes in his prayer, he puts God's glory and purposes for my first 19 show these people, but the Israelites in your documents.

Show them that you were God alone. Hezekiah knew that was God's purpose.

Scripture told him it was God's purpose and what he discovered within the purposes of God, and he prayed the purposes of God back to God.

He sought outpouring of the power of God to that software works if I got told you last week affected prayer is discerning what God wants and then asking him for it. You don't ever stop to listen to what God want to discover what God wants you discounting Russia what it is that you want, but if you want to effectively pray we say prayers that start in heaven are heard by heaven which means listen if you are experiencing on answered prayer in your life the first place that I would start is with the question of how well my prayers are gear are grounded in God's revealed purposes in Scripture is your prayer filled with the promises of God toward all and promises of God. There are 3000 of them in your Bible, 3000 they are on every page. Which means you just need to open your Bible, get on your knees, find the promises of God and begin to pray the promises of God back to God because affected prayer begins when you take the purposes of God that had been revealed, prayed them back to God and then you receive the power of God. Jesus said something that that confuses a lot of people. He said if we have faith like a mustard seed we would move mountains. People like well I'm gonna hear from everyone. Well the librarian on the mount move Catholic Muslim prayer morning about mountains. They were about cool anthills may still and move within that you ask right. My faith must not even as big as a mustard seed must be something all my faith or you think this universe, it is a small group at you like well.

As per thing that will work. Or maybe God doesn't even exist.

Maybe that's the problem. Faith as a mustard seed things about faith. This will most misunderstood concepts in our culture. What I'm about to say right now faith according to the Bible is never just a positive emotion you workup toward God.

Faith is not a hopeful optimism.

It's not a presumptuous optimism that God will give you what you want if you believe in hard enough. According to the Bible faith, listen to this must be a response to what God has revealed. So if you do not know what God has revealed there is no way possible for you to have faith but it is not just general optimism you have about God in life, faith is a direct response to revelation where there is no perception of Revelation. There can be no faith and how does God reveal himself. He reveals himself primarily through his word and secondarily through his Spirit in those things he shows us what mountains he wants to move and then you ask him for him to move those mountains and that's exactly what he does. So you remember in the model prayer that Jesus gave the first thing he told us to say before we gave a single request to God was your kingdom come, your will be done. I'm going to learn what your will is from your Bible and then from your spirit and now when I ask you to move the mountain you want to move and then I'm going to see them move.

That's why I tell you get on your knees, open your Bible, don't read your way through Scripture prayer with you.

Scripture Scripture is not a textbook full of thoughts and what you learn is about flow promises that you want you to believe and thereby enter into not only the relationship with God, he has for you, but the power of God. You want to live with, so I will say it to you again. If you are experiencing unanswered prayers in your life the first place that I would look is whether my prayers are grounded in God's real purposes in Scripture whether I'm listening to God as I pray because the prayers that are heard by heaven want to start an avid number two Hezekiah was confident that God's victory would come they knew God would establish his kingdom. The matter how bad the odds quarter million soldiers camped outside its walls.

Letter demanding his surrender in his hands.

He's in the temple. It is spread out before God, so God can read it because he knew that when God gets involved in matter if it's 1/4 million of its 250 million. It's all the same to the creator of the universe.

Number three. He knew prayer was the means by which God's victory would come to the bedroom come prayer was the means by which it would come his confidence in God, did not lead him to do nothing desiderata say well you know it's all in God's hands in 1/2 an hour.

I wanted to have no disbelief in God's sovereignty moved him to pray. We know that prayer is the means by which God has sovereignly appointed to get his work done so our confidence in God to get the victory does not lead us to complacency our confidence in God's victory compels us to pray. Now there's a handful of you that we have a problem with that is not all of you with a handful of you because you just ask questions. I was God knows everything and got God's will order you not to be or what difference does it pray about me. What difference does it make a prayer not so you will be with. I pray this and I don't do it anyway. I've explained to you like this. God's sovereignty is what gives you the courage to pray I know is to get the victory, but also note these appointed prayers. That means that victory in the analogy I always use with you, but give it to you dozen times but it goes like this house compared to eating right now. Here's how we do this.

Does God know the danger that I yes yes has not appointed the date you're going to die. Yes, yes, someone cannot tell you yes okay what you eat out. I've got one question anything you do change that day.

Do you think you do change God's mind about when you.nope, what you eat to live what I was, if you donate then you die. If you donate and then you die with Debbie the day that God had preordained for you to die and I answer that is quit asking stupid questions and just eat because eating is the preordained way that God has set for living. Prayer is the preordained way that God has set to get his work done on earth.

So when we pray we are enacting the victory that God wants to bring on earth and what God does.

He moves his people to pray when we pray we move the arm that moves the world when we pray, God begins to work, not disorders are a special place in my heart because when I was a missionary in Southeast Asia the situation were for my friends from the United States had gone a little trip on a mission trip in the area where I was passing out Bibles that were written in the local dialect and the people had never seen a Bible in their local dialect.

Me and my roommate had smuggled in every single one of these Bibles, brought a man on this team as you go give them out on day four.

There was a flash mob, descended on them of 2500 people who were trying to kill these guys, there should not the police pulled them into the police station date baby was all this, they burned their cars towards their cars to the ground.

It was as big nasty mess that the US Embassy had to get involved with will be Islamic police there want to figure out who was behind these Bibles printed in their language so they started to do this investigation. They put me in my roommate under house arrest. They didn't have any connection that they were going to make yet, but they figure they look hard enough they find one and so they put us under house arrest and then I every afternoon I would get the newspaper and I would read it was a big deal in this area would read the state of where this investigation was.

I remember reading the phrase.

That said, we have discovered the southeast Asian contact that they used to bring these Bibles in it was a friend of mine, I read that I thought that's it, because my number is all over his phone record. There is no chance that an arrest him and arrest me my stay in jail for life and I get kicked out of the country on what could happen. I went down to see him.

Amendment 3 AM in the morning at a hotel and we got we went we met. We left we prayed we spread this out before God is a guy we don't want to do this because life in front of him is him is been imprisoned on the work that we've established your Southeast Asia. It might stop what you can do enough rinse that they have my name. I know they have my name. I've seen it investigating me.

He said it's all we thought that afternoon he was going to prison. We waited today about the way I found out that during that same time this church before I pastored it was Holmes that I try to start.

Found out what was going on and one Sunday morning, they pretty much cancel their sermon part and they just on their face in a parade and so so we waited today for someone interested.

We waited two days we waited a week. We waited three months and not the first thing ever happen, and the only way that I can explain what happened is to say that God did with them the same thing. He pretty much did this in Accra which you got big arm around them and he said that's far enough bunches go home. I want you forget about it when you pray, God begins to work here is the question I would have for you what you need to spread out before God needs bills that you feel like are impossible to pay.

Maybe it's a goals that God is put in your heart, not selfish ambitions, or dreams, but things you believe the spirit of God is put in your heart to do. Maybe it's a bad report. Like Hezekiah got maybe it's a letter that just came home from the principal what want your kids. You gotta spread it out before God for like Hezekiah here for like some impossible Army sales what you know to be God's purpose for you know I think we experience that feeling in general, sometimes of the people God our world tells us you know you cannot possibly maintain Christian confession in this age or the age to come.

In the age of reason. This is going to get you mean you my believers are kidding and I believe in their kids definitely are going to believe the church is declining in Western society is going to continue to and if you keep if you take the Bible teaching on things like sexuality seriously yearning to be on the wrong side of history in Hollywood says it and the college professors, a lot of them will say it in the secular media will say it feels overwhelming when you feel like that. Think of Hezekiah and the size of the Army in front of him and realize that God can do more while you sleep and we can do in 10,000 lifetimes, and by the way, realize that feeling I were on the brink of being Christ.

That's not new for the church in this day and in 303 A.D. the Roman Emperor Diocletian went on a rampage and try to stamp out the church, he said, in order to get every copy of the Bible Roman empire, and to burn them all defend whole families of Chris's alliance, just 10 years later the new Emperor of Rome got in Constantine became a Christian himself and begin to establish Christianity is a religion of the Roman Empire, the French atheist bull tear in the 18th century said that within 100 years of his death, no one would even remember the Bible said in an age of reason and age of enlightenment not only really cease to believe it. He says our grandkids. When I did remember that there is such a thing in the market of something as part of an archaic path. Bolter's doctor who was with him when he died, said never in all my life that I ever want to see a man like Voltaire died in his last words he said were I'm abandoned by God and man will not. Somebody please help me I would give half my fortune for just six more months and today 2014 in his house.

As I speak is a functioning Bible printing press, fences, God just showing off right is a monument is a monument in France that's erected to a small group of people you probably never heard of it will be Huguenots very hated group of gospel.

Loving Christians in their day the government religious leaders tried to destroy them.

At one point I thought they killed every single one of them, but they survived and the groom today.

There's this old monument that stands in France that commemorates them and it's got this little inscription across the bottom that I love pound the way you evil hands. The hammer breaks the amble stands the Chinese communist revolution tried to stamp out Christianity in the mid 20th century. Today mouse. The town is dead. The communist wave has subsided and the church is growing in China faster than any place in any time in human history. Some of our people summit church. Are they are get to be a part of it pound away.

Pound away, you evil hands, your hammer breaks the amble stands. God will build his church and the gates of hell will never be able to stop it. Islamic terrorist cannot stop it. Secular media cannot stop it. Kim Jong-Il in the head's lunatic son cannot stop it. In North Korea, cynical professors at your college campus cannot stop it. Hollywood will not stop it. Secular media will not stop it. God's glory will cover the earth.

God's glory will cover the earth hasn't back.

It tells like the waters cover the sea. He will redeem people from every tribe and tongue and the planet to worship around the throne and there is nothing that is erected in his way that he will not take out in a moment because God will accomplish all that he has purposed you have things that you believe God is working in your life and your family need to get on your face and open your Bible and you pray those promises back to God so that God can enact the power there's promises in your life when Martin Luther made his famous stand for the gospel of what they call the deed of berms. He was immediately put into hiding because people were trying to kill them.

Church leadership immediately try to gather up all of Luther's books on the gospel and burn them.

Luther from hiding wrote these words that we still saying the church today a mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing our helper. He admits the flood of mortal ills prevailing and still our ancient foe that seek to work as well.

The body they may kill God's truth about a sale, his kingdom never fail if that was true then it's true today. It's good to be true tomorrow.

It's good to be true. The day after tomorrow.

You were not on the wrong side of history. Because history is his story. And if you are on his side and you will be on the right side of history because inside is the only side that never fails.

Number four.

After praying faithfully, Hezekiah plan fervently go to Jerusalem today. One of the places that you will go on your tour men once and this is every trip I've ever heard.

There's this place called the Siloam tunnel and your tour guide will explain you this is a tunnel built by Hezekiah archaeologist uncovered in the 19th century and they have labeled it as one of the most astounding engineering feats of the ancient world because when Hezekiah knew this macro was coming with 100 number 250,000 soldiers to surround Jerusalem. The first thing you do in a siege, as you call the water supply to the river bringing water into Jerusalem. He knew that if you cut it all to what he did as he went several miles away, and he dug something out of the river and made a tunnel that went for several miles and came up under the walls of Jerusalem. So is this a lot about you won't be part of it. It's absolutely amazing that they figured out how the big deal people because macro people were starting to get their product figured out where to meet in the middle is just amazing and so what you said what you have is is is with this unbelievable ingenuity. They figured out how to keep themselves alive during this leads I point that out to you. Basically, for one reason and that is to try to show you that praying like Hezekiah pray does not preclude planning or prepping or vice versa. However, it always said is this get on your knees and pray like it's all up to God and the get up and work like it's all up to you. Pray does not preclude planning or vice versa. And that model is why we do what we do with things like all in summit church is not because God has needs and that her prayers weren't strong enough is that we know that when we pray for God to reach our city and we get up off our knees and we do what Hezekiah did. We open our wallets we open our pocketbooks and say, God, this is what we have because sure God does not need that, but that's what God uses to reach our community so our prayers for God to reach our community we played on Friday or Bart answer by the way that we yield our treasures and our stuff to him.

It's a God use this use these things as a part of your of your process so this was a awesome moment, don't you think for Hezekiah the people God. Hezekiah did exactly what kings and leaders supposed to do.

He led the people to believe in God in the face of overwhelming odds awesome right awesome.

Look at the next story saying he's 20 opens with Hezekiah getting sick with a life-threatening disease that covered his body with boils verse one the prophet Isaiah came and said to him, thus says the Lord.

Set your house in order. Hezekiah, for you shall die. You should not recover from this disease then says that Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and wept bitterly played with God to take away sickness. I read this and honestly it's a little whiny return, just face the wall away from the prophet of God, get the image of him, curled up sucking his thumb feeling sorry for himself, weeping bitterly. It's okay to ask for healing sure about the despondency that turned to the wall. The pouching watch how this unfolds.answers him in grace and says her five heard your prayer senior tears. Behold, I will add 15 years to your life. Hezekiah said Isaiah. What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me about the fact you just told you is not good enough. So Isaiah's as well. The sundial will jump forward 10 steps, which is about 20 seconds. All once the band got a new time for about 20 seconds, but Hezekiah answered it's an easy thing to the shadow delete content steps rather let the shadow go backward 10 steps assert a single demanding is listen. The writer is giving a tone to Hezekiah's life. He's become demanding. He turned his face to the wall. He pouts and he cries to get pushy with God about signs well, God gives them the sign is your son make the shadow go back and then just why God promised he recovers. Verse 11 the king of Babylon here is that Hezekiah has gotten better. So we sent some envoys from Babylon with a letter of congratulations on a present for him. This is a lesson prime opportunity for Hezekiah to give glory to God. To post to the nations about how God saved him from snack rib how God delivered him from his sickness how God did it all.

When the Babylonian show up verse 13 Hezekiah welcome them and show them all his treasure house all his silver to gold the spices the precious oil. His armory probably walking through this tunnel.

This engineering masterpiece.

He showed them all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house, or in all his realm, but Hezekiah did not show them what is missing from that, no glory is given to God. No explanation of how God saved them how God did it all. Only look at my riches.

Look at my power with how much I accomplished. He never even took them into the temple. The author second Chronicle says that this was a manifestation of Hezekiah's prime mouth of the Babylonian sleeve.

The prophet Isaiah came to confront Hezekiah and he told him, verse 17 to hold the days are coming when all that's in your house shall be carried off to Babylon on the battle into their notebooks out right now, like there's some really nice stuff here when they were to go back and steal the stuff in that they did nothing shall be left, says the Lord. Some of your own sons you shall be born to you shall be taken away.

They will become UNIX and palace of the king of Babylon, which involve castration, which meant the end of Hezekiah's line verse 19, and Hezekiah said Isaiah the word of the Lord that you have spoken is good for he thought, why not if there will be peace and security of my days. What, after all that God has richly blessed Hezekiah with he's demanding MET and proud and selfish. It became about him to the point that he says who cares about others loans is good for me versus… 15 years and then he died how his life ends should service to things for us. One is a warning.

Now there's a promise warning. It is so easy to receive the blessings of God to make them all about you. God has blessed you with life and prosperity, and family and salvation and a good church and it becomes about you.

It becomes about your conference.

It becomes about your needs. It becomes about your glory. So you're not concerned with whether or not the church is able to reach people in our community. You're concerned with whether or not the church is taking care of your needs. You're not using the blessings that God gave to think about others.

You're just saying am I comfortable and I bless there's a question are you using your success that God has given you in your life are you using it to give glory to God. If you're a prospering athlete are you using your success as an athlete to look up God's name or your own name whose exultation, are you more and more worried more about you spend with your time thinking, how do I take what I've been given and how do I direct attention to Jesus show that he's the real hero. He's a real champion.

I was nothing.

When he saved me Lord, I belong to me, belongs to him. If you're a prospering businesswoman businesswoman who was overcome incredible odds to get where you are. Are you thinking more about how much people admire you for your success. Or are you using that success direct attention to God and are you saying I am what I am simply because of God's grace. When the armies of Satan were around me. There was not a thing that I could do. God delivered me. God save me from the point of death. I don't deserve glory. I don't deserve attention you deserve. Glory settled admire me what day am Hezekiah's evil in his last days. Listen to this Hezekiah's evil was not immorality or murder or idolatry. Hezekiah's evil was simply not leveraging his success to give glory to God using you leveraging your success. Give glory got in the way of asking that you leveraging your health and your resources for the mission of God you been blessed by God's salvation with family with resources and you know that people all around us perish, but you think like Hezekiah never say this out loud, but you think.

Who cares me I'm save my family save money to take care of not not happy with all that happens I'll be okay sure 'tis right here in my own city are growing up without mothers and fathers and their people all around the world that are dying with no chance to hear about Jesus it's okay my days will be okay while freedom will have peace will have blessing the people that I love right now are blessed and so you spend all your money in all your time on personal comforts, personal pleasures, personal ambition, you work for most of your life so you get to where you take the last 20 years your life on vacation so you say now that I've gotten where I save all my money and I got to where I can rest and I'll die with peace and happy tires about my grandkids. And who cares whether not they in the society. They grow up and know about Jesus. Who cares for people all around the world. These unreached people groups ever have a chance to hear as always I die happy and my kids.

God blessed. Here's why. I don't think I can ever pile of luxury in my life, or could lease do with a good conscience, not now, not when I retire because I get one shot to bring salvation to the world around us.

That is dying, body and soul and I just don't feel like we can look around them and say who cares I'm saved. I blessed my kids you know the gospel cochairs were going to heaven. Warning, this is how so many of God's people in their lives.

They pass the test of adversity, but they fail the test. Prosperity because in the time of adversity, they turn to God in the time of prosperity. They turn back into themselves. That's the one will be Hezekiah.

Here's a promise, Hezekiah's tragic end at the end of every other king in the Bible points us to the need of a greater king. A king who would not think about his own interest for the king who would think about his people's interest in God's interest. King David, Israel's greatest king by far the king after God's own heart ended his life and failure using his position of power for sexual conquest and murdering those who got in his way. Solomon the wisest Jewish king that it ever live the God bestowed with incredible wisdom and military power ended his life and failure leveraging his great wisdom and power to please himself. Hezekiah arguably the most faith filled king who ever lived, ended his life and failure leveraging that great faith to bring healing to himself, but not caring at all about the welfare of others. But one day another king of Judah would arise like Hezekiah, he would trust God in the face of impossible odds. When the armies of Satan came against him, even to the point that they nailed him to a cross. He would never stop trusting God, but unlike Hezekiah when death came to him and asked God to extend his life and say who cares about future generations as long as I'm okay, this king would lay down his life willingly so that future generations could live, he would say yes if there's any other way. Let this cup pass from me father but not my will but yours be done. I'll gladly drink the cup of death if it means that my children get the live in because we were precious to him because we were precious to him. He did not pray for an extension of his life, he eagerly laid down his life. You understand the irony of this Hezekiah asked God to extend his life as he could care less about the death of his children. Jesus eagerly laid down his life and tasted death for his children so they would never have to answer Paul the apostle would say that's my King. That's my King, and I'm convinced that one died for all that you died for me than those of us who live should no longer live for ourselves, we should live for the glory of the one whose life and death. We now live.

We should leverage our lives to extend his salvation to those who have never heard about this is all about the whole posture of our lives is not the season for the rest. Here we are at the end of this thing we call in. I told you always not been about a season when we needed to raise the money always been about a whole new posture that we take toward Jesus really say I don't want to just be generous for a season like to meet some need.

I will my whole life to be about his glory. I want to be about his mission once you make a mistake. Hezekiah really all it was also nontobacco living for me. Told you my struggle with generosity is on house of muscle goals to reach that goal with no rest for me first go around with my 10% God will give God a 10% pay my taxes every year blowing me. Will God show me as a follower of Jesus things a follower of Jesus doesn't look Jesus is Lord of the 10% follow Jesus as your Lord of the hundred percent. So my question is simply how do I leverage this for the glory of the one whose life I live over the world to hear about his bring salvation. My question for you is you giving God a blank check with your life and that's what it is a blank check done anyplace anytime I want to live anymore for me. I want to leverage what I have my life made the mistake of Hezekiah and bring it into this make this everything you would go over campuses is boundless.

If you are not sure you are a Christian, I want you to understand that before don't want anything yes something for you is you can't save yourself you had to do it for you. You live the life you were supposed to live and die, but that the office he was a gift you receive his gift of forgiveness. You never see that I would invite you to open your heart to receive it by faith right now. Jesus, yes I receive you manuals for the rest your life following him or not your life back and loved him and start receiving you lean over and ask the person that invited you come to the campus. I hear and say explained to me more about what it means to have this kind of relationship God means to receive Jesus is not. If you are Christian, I will ask you what I've asked you every week. The last three weeks your life a blank check given God blank anyplace anytime anywhere you catch it.

Any amount you want your money. I sign my name it all along that right now, anyplace, anytime the rest of my life. Maybe the Holy Spirit's been putting something specific on your are the last few weeks told you there are several things you can read it was a church to try to reach more people. God's been putting his finger in your hearts and asked that you have savings, it is Veronica Nasser stock car or house and you know what I want you here blank check. Usually Phillips about on you. Say yes Lord as we come to the end of all you not understand where we are not ready make the sacrifice you your spirit says given I say right now just resolve that you and the Holy Spirit, but not pray we would be if people fueled by the gospel. Overwhelmed by his great love for us.

And lead crazy is