A Place for His Name, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer what are you going to do when God doesn't answer in exactly the way and on the timetable that you think you should. I don't know why you are doing this when you hit that moment, the choice is trusting prayer waiting prayer or now I'm going to take it in my hands. I'm going to turn it into an eye. Can you trust that God is moving even when used can't see it because he promised he would.

Biblical teaching here on Summit life with pastor JD Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly made a batch you doing today right in the middle of the teaching series called the whole story and we've been slowly moving from Genesis toward Revelation each day hitting most of the major stories along the way, if you visit any of the previous messages you can catch up online@jdgreer.com but they were looking at a tragic moment in the history of Israel, the people return from following God had given themselves over to worshiping idols. Sound familiar maybe a little too familiar today is a cautionary message for us all.

So grab your Bible at pastor JD picks up the story any detailed chapter 10 starting in verse four rows above the cherubim cherubim of the angels and moved to the threshold of the temple, so it leaves the holy place. They stopped at the entrance of the East gate of the Lord's house went up the East gate of the temple and the glory of the Lord was above them in the glory of the Lord went up from within the city keeps moving out toward the east and going up the mountain. There, on the eastern side, which is the Mount of olives and then disappearing up into heaven, and that's the last they see it it departed from Earth.

So, you read that right before this temple was destroyed or you think is that it is not the last chapter has a glory in the presence of God departed forever. No more thankful your Bible demand. In Ezekiel God had determined to bring salvation of the human race. Interestingly, now when you go to the life of Jesus the Gospel of Luke tells us that on Jesus's final ride into Jerusalem. Yet she takes a very interesting route because it is he coming into Jerusalem. It's as if you went up about olives he got on a donkey came back down it says that he go to the East gate of Jerusalem, and then he goes all the way into the temple where he takes out a weapon. He cleanses it. Driving out the money changers were buying and selling in the temple, and he says you tear this temple down I rebuild it in three days talking about himself. Interestingly, the place of Jesus were drove them out from was the court of the Gentiles. And as Jesus is driving out these money changers. He says 1946. Is it not written, my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you know you turned it into a den of thieves. This was supposed to be. He set a place where foreigners from under nations found open me, but instead you turn this into a place where you could just make money for yourselves to Jesus without a weapon. He cleansed the temple restoring it to its original purpose, and then he offered himself up as a sacrifice because animal blood could never take away sin and animal blood can never cleanse the heart matter how many animals you use only his blood could do those things they could not only cleanse our sins, he could take it away and we change our heart so that we would love and seek God and not give ourselves to idols and then Jesus turns and he says whosoever will, in other words, foreigners from any nation on earth people at any stage of life with whatever they bring to this temple think on the median break is on the real temple may combine the forgiveness and healing that Solomon promised they can find it in my name, the glory of God. Ezekiel predicted would no longer be found in a beautiful place. The temple, the glory of God. He said to be found in a beautiful person, Jesus, and anyone who comes to him from any nation by faith for forgiveness and healing for their sin will receive at the moment they asked for and those who come to God through his name in prayer. God says I'll hear the things of their asking. So we are supposed to. You see, take all the promises that Solomon gave them about the temple take those applying to ourselves what is that mean how you apply these promises do you well give you a handful of things here on this is what it looks like to take the promises and make them your number one God answers prayer God answers prayer, and I know on addressing so obvious here's my question for you, you honestly believe that he does answer prayer. Listen to these promises again.

Verse 29 for a first Kings eight my eyes, my years ago we opened this temple, but day and night here. Whatever my servants pray whatever they pray when you been defeated by an enemy because you sin against me. When the heavens are shot up because there's no rain even when it's your fault. In other words, when famine or plague comes to the land or bladder mildew locus or grasshoppers when an enemy sees you in any of your cities whatever disaster disease may come when disaster disease is coming to your life into the life you want your kids when any prayer plea is made by anyone among your people Israel for us in the church when you spread out your hands toward this temple, and pray I will forgive men, I will actually just forgive also begin to act on your behalf things.

I begun the practice of in my prayer time is saying to God after. I pray pray also that and I'll say God I trust you with this reason, I do that because I often find myself telling God about my problems without the faith that is going to move see I know that when I place my trust in him. If you hear what I mean by this. He has to move is how to manipulate an image that he promised he will ever abandon or let down those who lean on him in faith that a course of minute is going to do things exactly like I think they should be done just that. I know he's moving with goodness and grace as I continue to believe he promises that he is trust existing Moose recently are our pastoral team to go short spiritual retreat when the exercise we did as a team is individually we are quiet times we rewrote Psalm 136 in her own words. Psalm 136 of the Psalm where the psalmist recounts all the ways God is been good Israel between everything he puts this repeated phrase, for his steadfast love endures forever. So glad that the staff team had been right all the way to God's work in their lives and after each major movement, just write the phrase, for his steadfast love endures forever to write your own Solomon a sense when I got to the end that I look back over what I'd written and read it out loud. I had this overwhelming sudden sense of how faithfully God God through his steadfast love and worked in my life.

My parents godly as they were did not engineer most of the strategic moments in my life. God did and see in them what I did as I begin to think about my own kids because I worry a lot about the right kind of parent to my kids and what if I don't do something absurd to do what I do something wrong mostly about how to create these moments for them. What I realize is that God had been the one who would been so faithful to me could not then trust that he would be faithful to my kids to have his steadfast love seeks to endure forever, so I just said God I trust you to work in their lives. Yes, I'm afraid about this and that underlies what I'm trusting you to orchestrate these moments because your steadfast love for them endures forever, and I know that he's working see and then when it because I'm believing and then see as a parent I suddenly found myself walking on water are not seeking to me the ways anymore. She God says when we trust in him with all our heart and we don't lean on our own abilities. We acknowledge him in all our ways. He promises to direct our paths. He promises to sustain our steps. He promises to give us that power that we so desperately need. Are you trusting God with the things in your life that you need. Because when you lean on him.

He moves he promises to be has to be your second your second thing that you take from when faced with a critical need, our choices, trusting prayer, turning idols, that's a choice you have is like is why the choice you're going to face needs in your life are you going to trust God with them or are you going to turn to a substitute provider. Here's what that looks like what was the motivation and the got. I'm not sure that you can really make me happy in romance and my sexuality. So in that area.

I'm not really going to obey you for limited matters in amount, hands my board for an hour to live together, can you choose you on the date, to choose what I want to do with my sexuality because I was the like. Light your way is to be best that I can trust you with. He said I'm not sure God will supply all my needs, so I'll hoard my money. I refuse to be generous in a magnetized work worry about it all the time. I'm not sure that God's plan is really best for me, I will lay down my life before hammer my career before him as a blackjack is a where you will me to go will go in her room and to do all do or I don't really feel like God can take care of me where he sends me so I might go on a mission trip when you have a need to do one or two things you trust God or you turn to an idol turning to an idol. I hope you see from this story will drive out the glory of God from your life and will send you into a type of spiritual exile.

What are you going to do.

Here's the question, what are you going to do when God doesn't answer in exactly the way and on the timetable that you think he should have you had that experience. I don't know why you not doing this when you hit that moment, the choice is trusting prayer waiting prayer or now I'm going to take it in my hands. I'm going to turn into an idol.

Can you trust that God is moving even when used can't see it.

Just because he promised he would honor my favorite promises that that Jesus gave a prayer, so colorful.

Luke 1111 while father among you father among you for son asked him for a fish one set of a fish give him a serpent, a snake or fiasco and egg is hungry will give him a scorpion. Maybe parents do that your kid ask you for some chicken nuggets you're gonna have any chicken nugget players like Opera play, without question, only that you love your kids, you take care of but let's reverse that. I think we we can do that will traverse that if your child parents ask you for a scorpion. Are you going to give them a scorpion now as a parent. Sometimes you tell your kids know not in spite of the fact that you love them, you tell them no because you loved cicadas in a different one of the great ironies of our lives is that sometimes what looks to us like bread, is in reality a scorpion, what looks like a scorpion is in reality bread and write this down.

I giving you this before. Sometimes God answers our prayers by giving us what we would've asked for if we knew what he knew and we trust that just like we do this with our kids.

Sometimes our heavenly father looks over our lives and says I'm not going to give you that I'm going to withhold that because you don't really know what I know no good thing does he withhold Psalm 8411 says from those who walk up rightly so, when God says no. Sometimes he does. You just have to trust him. What are you going to do when you have that kind of neat. Are you going to continue to trust God who gave himself for you at the cross, or your term for refuge to substitute providers and giving yourself an obedient side there's number three, testifying to a prayer answering God is a crucial part of our witness testifying to a prayer answering God is a crucial part of the witness of the people of God's role in the Old Testament we the summer church today, the foreigner he said was supposed to hear about this prayer answering God and come to the temple and experience that prayer answering another tear about it. But experience him. That's the reputation were supposed to have in this community summer church in Jesus's name throughout the Bible God presents answered prayer as a critical part of our witness. When Moses described Israel what it was about Israel that would distinguish them from every other nation on earth you. He said it was good to be the thing that he said.

Deuteronomy 47. What great nation is there that has God so near to it as the Lord our God is to us for what ever reason we call upon it.

What is supposed to distinguish this church from all the other things going on in our community is not great music. I love great music is not great preaching is important is that is it's not even great generosity was supposed to distinguish us as answered prayer. When Elijah wanted to demonstrate the Israel which God was the true God.

What was the test that he chose this problem up Mount caramel it which God really answers prayer. Prayer was supposed to be one of the main ministries that we have as a church. It takes up in that there's a passage a lot of people know and ask but like you don't really know. I do know if the longest time.

What the big impact of this on acceptor sex all the apostles are busy taking care of widows and the poor people in the congregation and eventually they say you know what this is important, but we are being taken away from that the things that God specifically called us to, which is prayer in the words of the appointed people that would come alongside and minister to the poor made these people became deacons. We always do is we we say yes so we need to free up people are called to ministry like me to to focus on prayer in the world. We only focus on our part side what monsters do is just a prepared teacher to work any prayer that I do, was supposed to be part of teaching you work that's what you assume it means I'm praying is a way of making sure that preach the word rightly, but a way that's written in Greek. It's not prayer like just insupportable work. Prayer is its own ministry. Prayer is something not just that we do as I helped the other things that we do. Prayer is itself the thing that we do to set does that make sense. In other words, what if we saw this time we have at the end of every service where we have prayer counselors.

No pastors prayer leaders down for what we saw that not a simply relief valve that if the management overwhelmed and you want to come talk to somebody browse my bread was what if we saw that is maybe one of the most important things that we do will become together on the weekend is we are people who pray for needs that are going on in our community congregation.

What if one relief valve.

What if it was a key part of our service because what God has given us the ministry is preaching the word yes and being the people who pray and God moves any answers our prayers and telling other people, you come to God and you can find in him a refuge you will find anything else y'all. Jesus said, my house shall be a house of prayer for all nations. Inset house appreciate is important.

Preaching is is is good. He also prayer. They own as you summer church members is not how people describe our church visa give you three words to describe the summer church after being there for six weeks is that one of the three words that they would choose prayer we put a tonic energy in this church in the Lord only the sermons are preach that small groups do we put the same when we put the same energy in the prayer are we known as a praying. People do people here about our answers to prayer and then I want to know how to notice God. It was your refuge this way. She's a crucial part of her witness.

Why I was forced to recognize this one, I live over in Southeast Asia and all these language told you when I got there I could say hi my name is any worse or better. My house is on fire. That's all I could say in their language so I will do such. Pray for people in it, or by my second my Community Bank.

I can pray for them to pray for them and some of the people to pray for God better said that if they were healed and I remember I remember very clear.

Been there about 14 months.

Remember that the day that a group of 13-year-old boy showed up on my doorstep knock on my door and opened the door, one of said and in good alignment. He said I said hello Mr. would you come to my parents house because my mom is very sick and what you pray for. I said absolutely and and one the other kids that will away. This is a Christian and and the other third and 13 your boys what problem there once a yes he is Christian but this is I heard them say this is a man that God listens to the reputation of praying and seen right.

I was forced to that because I didn't know how to preach. This will hit their language. What if that became the substance of our ministry again. Are we out praying for people here were just told your neighbors. I cannot cannot pray for that about about cannot pray with you or can I pray for you about that that I do this sometimes about that in preparation for this message up on you. Get back to doing this more often tell the waitress imagines Mdm. like hey you know about the praying to God thanks for our food here to make specific I can pray for you for and I've had times where I taught just some of the just begin to open up as a discipline on aliveness going on alive and became a great way to begin to share the hope in God out one of our campus pastor said he is yeah I asked waitress that one time and she said yeah. Praying for a new job and that George's development pray that God is an answer that prayer before you bring about food but I will pray that God will provide for you deploy all John to say is what is in your workplace in your school in your neighborhood, you develop a reputation.

The somebody that's set I'll pray for you and I'll teach you to pray and I'll I'll put God's reputation on the line is a God who answers prayer, and I'll point you to open him know I have pointed out, Jesus got the angriest when Israel obscured obscured this dimension of the ministry to foreigners and it is covered it up with other things but away they needed money changers they needed people to be. They need to be able to buy and sell what was most angry about is that they have secured all these little things obscured the one simple thing that were supposed to.

And that is the people of prayer. Here's number four we see sin finally draws out the presence of God. Sin draws out the presence of God. Although this prayer, Solomon makes God's activity in our lives condition on when we repent. When you get really familiar with your sin when you we are aware of you'll cover you expose it to God. That's when he begins to move. King David said it this way.

Psalm 6618 if I regard sin in my heart regard means.

I know it's there and I'm not going to do anything about. I like the sand I'm not gonna turn away from. If I regard sin in my heart.

The Lord will not hear me if are in, no matter how bad the sin is if you confess that God forgives it, but it's when you say I'm not going to deal with this.

Even if it's a small sent like I told you never father God, than when you're close to him as I know when you regard this in your heart he will hear. Paul tells us in Ephesians we grieve the Holy Spirit by how we treat each other, gossiping of failing to forgive slander into cutting corners, telling lies and moral compromises. A few weeks ago we look at a man a naked in Israel who for some God told her not to do, and he hid the thing that he stole his tent because about a bunch is like about the battle of the power got departed from them, and they died. What is shown us is that unconfessed regarded Harvard sin extinguishes the power and presence of God. What water does to a flame. You come this weekend you like I want God's help.

Okay. Is there unconfessed sin in your life, not a means of sin in your life because of course there is. Is there unconfessed sin in your life that you're regarding your old not doing that will deal with that. He'll forgive you whatever it is, but you confess it humbly in turn away from it are the areas of your life that are not under his control. He wants to help you but you had to surrender to him to give them control first listen. He can be can heal. We can forgive whatever you bring to it.

But you gotta bring it to whatever you expose before him, no matter how bad it is.

He can cover it and heal it. Sin is not more powerful than God's presence. Yes it is true. Sin drives out the presence of God is also true. The presence of God in your life will drive out sin when you exposure send to him as a God I need you and he will heal it. He will cover it. He will will him will forgive and he'll begin to fill you with his spirit so that you lose your desire for that sin will change your heart. Whatever you expose to God he can cover and heal. When you keep it covered. When you keep it in color cover. That's when his presence. The parts whatever you expose, he can heal.

Have you got unconfessed sin in your life that is cut you off in the presence of God do we as a church have things that we harbor and hide to keep us from seeing the power of God flow through us to the community to the nations. Some church. We are praying people were praying people or be known as a people of prayer for all nations. We glorify God in this church by our answer his answers to prayer to be lead other people to open God and prayed him. This is the best thing we can do for world missions will always quote Andrew Murray Google one who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history is your small group praying for things are going on the mission field in our church plant you as you say it will use my we partner with an pray for is the greatest thing we can do in evangelism. I think that statement that Ian balancing the guy was with a lot of prayers that he said is that we should never talk to men about God more than we talk to God about those men is the most important thing we can do in the preaching moment.

Every time I preach what we have we have a handful of people that are in the boiler room and it's it's a rumor did was get together. Pray for me while I preach, because we know the secret power goal is to have teams in every service at every campus.

This most important part of our ministries again. Once we saw what we do at the end of the service.

What is our prayer times is not something we do gives power and the real thing is his own ministry itself. We need to become a people who describe this where people prayer for all nations, and one of the describe name in ascertaining where you can find more information about Pastor JD in this ministry at our website.

JD Greer.com all of our daily messages are available on the website as well.

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