Earnest Prayer and Opened Prison Doors

Today on Summit life with JB Greer and some of you don't get introverted, you no longer approach God like a kid you never learned to come to God with a shameless bold persistence that a child has with her. What you call me absolutely confident of their goodness absolutely confident that God will not withhold from you. Whatever it is that you need and you don't get those things could you ask what you asked after author and theologian Katie Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly benefits talking about prayer and how as Christians easy for us to tell someone that will be praying for them that will be taking their particular need or desire to first of all, do we then actually doing and second is that really what a healthy prayer life looks like. After Jesus teaching from the book of acts chapter 12 to uncover God.

JD titled today's message earnest prayer and open present wants to do something in this church regarding prayer something greater then what he has done up to this point. You see, every major season of awakening in Christianity. Every single one that's in the church on a college campus in a workplace. Every single one has been characterized by intense, persistent corporate prayer every single 11 concern of the devil. Samuel Chadwick says, is to keep the saints from prayer our enemy fears nothing from prayerless studies no matter how smart the man or woman is in that study, there's nothing from prayerless worker, prayerless religion, he laughs at our toil box at our wisdom, but he trembles.

When we pray.

Prayer turns ordinary mortals into men and women of power prayer brings fire brings rain brings life it brings God. There is no power like that of prevailing prayer we've experienced a lot Summit in the last decade, but I believe that God has a lot more for us and I'm not just saying that like you with a leader supposed to say to come to get you hyped up like is so much more. We just scratch the surface.

I sincerely believe that God has a lot more for community. The Raleigh-Durham is a lot more for you are our family for your families got more for these nations were seminar people to that I believe that the Lord has told me and a few others of us that we are only going to get there.

Were not going to get there, apart from prevailing prayer getting singles waiting room was one of the mission leaders of the previous centuries of the history of missions is the history of answered prayer. Another one said, I'm convinced that woman stand before God and to discover that every soul ever brought to a knowledge of Christ was in some way related to intercessory prayer. Just let me ask you a question. As we get into this church basically made up of individuals right what your personal prayer life like village and MBA courses that you want to embarrass the average Christian just asked him to tell you about their prayer life. Most subjects are pretty good. I am about to Bob about doing pretty good that I would tell me about you know I do you serve your church yes I did. I got on a mission trip desire as the average Christian to describe in particulars and with details. Your prayer life seems are shuffling their feet and look around you. It would prove that he cites a study that was taken at a prominent evangelical seminary in which they they surveyed just the people in the seminary that were headed to the mission field that's like your US or crème de la crème right as it is your varsity Christians once are going overseas just the missionaries. Only 6% 6% could testify to a daily consistent, significant time where they prayed and talk to God in any significant manner. 6%. The courses that it would be painful and embarrassing to uncover the prayer lives of most evangelical pastors, much less know what he would call ordinary people. What is your personal prayer life like what if God was going a lot more for us or for our community more for our schools more for our families but we never got it simple because we did not ask. Now some of you if you're honest and hope that you will be honest is not to get anywhere in the start be offered itself. If you're honest you're kind of skeptical on the whole subject of prayer. Right because sometimes you pray and things happen and sometimes you really don't forget to pray the bank you pray for happens anyway right and you like the stomach that do not look at me like that I can read I can read. I think I do not look at me like that you like your gun rights of that note, you like this is me right now.

My cousin Mike did.

This is actually change anything.

So all this to say I think the Holy Spirit is a lot for us and acceptor 12, which is to give you a snapshot into how prayer works with the prayer life of the church was like to be in this ridiculous situation you go to sleep with a bit with it.

But if you have your Bible, don't turn there yet is a megastar this teaching the next 12 I met you will start this teaching back in the gospel of Luke.

So if you have a Bible, take it out now and open it to Luke chapter 11 regional start here is because of its legacy before but look at acts were originally one volume by the same author and are designed to go together like the one volume. So what does is a lot of things that he has Jesus teach them the gospel of Luke. He shows you how they apply in the book of acts, Luke is like a doctorate acts as the application or you think of it like a hand in a glove on Luke is about your life in Jesus.

So it's showing you the exact shape of the divine hand and bent that hand in the Holy Spirit goes into the glove of the church and you see what it looks like as this divine hand begins to move this book. That's what you see with this idea of prayer. Look at the doctor, not a Jesus is about many goes to the church applied in the book of acts to Luke chapter 11 verse one. The disciples asked Jesus a question I would Lord teach us to pray. Evidently they had noticed that prayer seem to be the source of Jesus is power in his miracles and his preaching, the reason we know that is because they didn't say Lord, teach us to do miracles or Lord, teach us to preach to just regular sermons. The way to you.

For each, that's what I would think that I would've asked but they saw that the power behind but the preaching of the miracles was in the prayer so there like Lord, teach us to pray right and by the way, the whole teaching is about prayer for the power of the Holy Spirit you see the data in verse 13 and chapter 11 is like, how much more will your father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him to. This is about the power the Holy Spirit will, in response to their request. The first thing Jesus does.

He teaches him what we now call the Lord's prayer and then Jesus tells you see the next verses, verse five and and down beneath this odd little story to Jesus tells that is so bizarre you think about it in relation to prayer, the motion will rewrite over it and never really think about what it say it tells a story about a guy who is in bed asleep at midnight when a friend of his columns and asked him at midnight to borrow three loads of rags. He does have some unexcited visitors show up Matthew details that just make sure the skull settles in. In those days. Middle the night was really the middle of the night because people went to bed when the sun went down.

So midnight was like two hours after REM started and how you been back for three to have four hours and is not like you today you college students midnight is and I would have forgot you to bed.

This was literally the middle the night. So this guy's been given REM for couple hours in those days of the whole family something one big area which is gross. That's what they did answer for this guy to get enough to wake up all of his kids and everybody the house. Furthermore, this neighbor is asking for some emergency food relief is asking for three loaves of bread, which is enough to feed a family of six for a week. So in other words, this guy has asked this brass neighbor has made a ridiculously excessive request at a most inopportune time. Yet Jesus says because of it is what's an extraordinary together. They will go well yet because of his use that word in casual conversation this week impudence right one translation says shameless persistence because of his shameless persistence he will rise and give him whatever he needs the neighbor hands over these three cases, a pop tart. Not because this management is a Sprint because Rihanna is after this EPUB is not to be a friend anymore right just because of his boldness and his persistence in asking.

And so Jesus reasons want your heavenly father who never sleeps and who loves you like precious children, will he give you whatever you need to do his will, if even an annoying neighbor to get an excessive request at an inopportune time through persistent asking.

Don't you think that you who are like precious children to God, not an annoying neighbor got you think you could obtain that one thing that you absolutely need to do God's will and that is the power the Holy Spirit, Jesus goes on. So I tell you, ask, it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you.

For everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds the one who knocks it will be open three verbs by the way ass he could not all in what I call the imperfect verb tense which means it implies continuous action, which is reinforces this idea. Persistence is not that you asked once and leave it to the sovereignty of God. You asked once and you keep on asking for you especially see it in the metaphor of knocking right when you knocking somebody story don't walk up and go right. If I hear that sound at my door night.

I don't think semi's knock on the door. I think somebody I could follow the bunk bed and I will when you not just you keep beating until somebody comes to the door he says that's what prayer for the power the Holy Spirit is like. We ask repeatedly we not continuously, and only then does God open heaven's door poured out.

Now some of you more theologically astute you like well why is God's will to give the power the Holy Spirit and why not give it the first time that we ask you for this. I don't know. I don't know. I have no idea that maybe if I were God, I could tell you but I'm not God but but I do know this is clearly what Jesus is teaching herein clearly teaching that somehow God only gives certain things by persistent asking you to keep on asking Charles Spurgeon used to say this ways like some of heaven's best fruit is on branches of the tree that you don't get much taken one time you had a cigarette brand to keepsake and until that best fruit because the ball off.

Honestly this teaching is so counterintuitive and Jesus knew that Calvinists were to have such a hard time with it that he asked to put it in the loop twice which Jesus never does.

He never teaches the same thing twice. If you want to be moves on, but he knew the summaries Calvinists are to have such a hard time with it that you wrote in there twice, but he teaches the exact same thing in Luke 18, only this time through a more extreme and even more bizarre parable. Luke 18 Jesus tells this parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. This is in a certain city that was a judge meter fear God more respected man is a bad guy was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying, give me just as a gift by adversary. But what I think is a like for a while he refused, but eventually he said to himself, though I meter fear God nor respect man because this widow keeps bothering me. I will give her justice so she will not beat me down to her continual coming. Do you have anybody in your life like this, you have four of them. There are 11 men younger then Jesus says quite unbelievably, if you ask me.

This is what prayer to God is like.

Who but Jesus could get away with telling a parable like that. I'm seriously like hearing God to a cranky old unjust judge. I'm really glad Jesus told this parable not meet you where God down through persistent incessant event annoying asking how is that not rude to God. The point of course is not to compare God to an unjust judge. The point is to contrast him with one if even an unrighteous selfless judge will grant answers because of persistent asking Jesus reasons won't God who cares about his children like a tender father what he give to them what they need when we come to him persistently asking for the outpouring of his spirit.

God is not like an unjust judge and were not like, you know, I know without him. He's not like a neighbor that were past three years of fatherhood care so much about us.

He spilled his own blood to rescue us this widow would have to approach the judge like a stranger. Yet we come boldly into God's presence like little children come into the presence of their parents.

She has no right to claim incorporate Hebrews tell us that we come boldly before the great throne of grace because of the blood of Jesus on our behalf and basically what Jesus is saying that this is not help you not give you what you need. I died for you.

I poured out my blood for you. While I do that not give you what you need in the hour that you needed to do what I want you to do but go Jesus ends this teaching back in Luke 11 is like a bridge raptor this.

Luke 1111 what father is there among you. If your son asked for official instead of a fish give him a serpent activity that did asking for chicken nugget liking on a chicken nugget over no parent does that really asked for an egg is you give him a scorpion. If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, and I've always thought it was odd. Here Jesus chose this moment to use the word evil about us.

I was a sister, gratuitous insults they had taught us on our depravity. Allow to throw that in there now, here's what you that were there.

Most of us feel like we are at our most selfless and most virtuous women were doing with her children and that's not really act selflessly. My children and Jesus says in your very best moment with your kids compared to how the heavenly father treats his kids.

Your evil and if not even you would do that your kid you if like the heavenly father's best father's everyman would not give to his children what they need everything they need in the hour they need to do it. You see were like precious kids to God and my kids are the one group of people that I would get up in the middle the night every single time to help write that the only people I would do that for you people.

I love you people. I really do not show up at my house at 3 AM asking for some it's not urgent, strobe outside my window yelling up to me you better of a bulletproof episodic unity that you may even hesitate in saying this to me is about person it even my wife asked me for something. Not urgent at 3 AM I'm not given the right and she's like she's like, hey I you drink water, my first question is are your legs broken right if you're sick or your legs are broken. I'm glad you can get you some water, but otherwise did itself. My kids are the one group that a show by my bedside at 3 AM like there's a monster in the closet might want to see you know when I get up and drink a lot or help them use the bathroom. Any number of things. What because my kids are different and what Jesus is saying is some of you don't get answers to prayer as you never learned approach God like a kid you never learn to come to God with the shameless bold was persistent that a child has with her. When you call me absolutely confident of their goodness absolutely confident that God will not withhold from you. Whatever it is that you need and you don't get those things could you asked with reluctance. You asked with doubts right that your doctor now was looking in them applied and accept 12 active as well leave you contact Maxwell getting here and who was the ruler of Israel pretty bad guy has taken captive. James who was essentially the leader of the church and he had him beheaded, and this made all the Jewish leaders really happy and so errors like why if I could get some mileage out of that when I get the vice president of the church. Got your Peter and how execute him to so he gets in verse five he keeps him in prison, but rises that's huge but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church on landlord earnest again alive things now when Herod was about to bring them out on the very night he was about to bring them out the next morning executed Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains and centuries before the door regarding the present. In other words, this is maximum-security prison and, behold, an angel the Lord stood next to him in a light shown in the cell and he struck Peter on the side and pull him say get out quickly. By the way, scholars point out that that's a stronger sword. You can use a Greek for strike, which means that the law comes like tile later.

Right to the chains off his hands, and angel said to him dress yourself and put on your sandals. What appears naked. I do not know how, but he did so, and he said to him raptor cloak around you and follow me, and he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the Angels real regarding the see a vision when it passed the first and the second guard they came to the iron gate leading into the city it open for them of its own accord like an automatic door to grocery store whatever and they went out and well on the street and immediately the angel left it. When Peter came, Sally said now I'm sure Dolores in his angel and rescued me from and of Herod from all the Jewish people were expecting when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, not the mother of Jesus for the mother of John's other name is Mark Butler was a detail in their try to show you this house meeting was not led by church leaders, which is led by ordinary people.

He never heard of the book of acts of us for when we hear from again. The Jerusalem church was a large multisite church. Yes, it was on that had hundreds of house groups that met all over the city and this is just one of those house groups that have gotten together and a concern for Peter and they are praying all night long prices where it says his name was Mark where many were gathered together, and were praying.

There's your imperfect verb tense again your imperfect verb tense means they make.

They didn't pray last night and leave it to the sovereignty of God.

They prayed and they kept praying all night long, and when he knocked at the door, the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.

Recognizing hear voice and her joy to know when I gave. She ran about 10 left Peterson out in roadies like I just escaped from prison in the road is not a great idea and she reported that he was staying at the gate and they're all like you're out of your mind, but she kept insisting it was so. And they kept saying it is his dose today think you were then executed vinegars, ghost, systolic wandering the streets of Jerusalem. Verse 16. The Peter continued knocking and when they open. They saw him and were amazed. But mostly to them with his hand to be silent. He described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison, and he said never tell these things to James into the brothers. Then he departed and went to another place, but there are three important things I want you to see about prayer in this story, all of which you should learn from the gospel of Luke. There is number one, whatever they were afraid of. They talk to God about whatever they were afraid of a talk to God about they were afraid for their future so they talk to God about their future. Eugene Peterson in his book is a book called answering God how to pray the Psalms points out that there are two kinds of prayers in the book of Psalms that I never answer the phone for years and never seen this. This is new information for me. He said he said the first kind of prayer you find in the book of Psalms will go evening prayer, evening prayer is our super you prayed night. A good example Psalm for a song for you. Find David in the evening telling God what he's worried about what he's mad about who he's ticked off at where he's sad and where him and remind himself of all the promises of God. That's evening prayer, morning prayer, by contrast, Psalm chapter 5 is a good example that is active.

Petitionary prayer were you boldly pray against things in the world that are not right. I think you see both kinds of prayer morning and evening prayer here in acts 12. This is in one sense, evening prayer where they are committing what they worry about to God and then leaving it with him. So here's my very simple question for week born the second what you do when you are afraid. What you do when you at night or worried about six. I encourage you to start the actual practice of evening prayer was in some ways anywhere might be a metaphor. But I mean literally for you to take 10 to 15 minutes a night and for you to take this practice of just going through what you worry about what you mad about which disappointed with where you're sad and then leaving it at Jesus feet and inches every year to about it when you take Pastor Jenny up on his challenge of evening prayer just might change things you're listening to Pastor JD Greer on Summit life if you join us late. You can listen to this entire message when you visit us online@jdgreer.com in our home church. The summit in Raleigh, Durham, North Carolina. We've committed to planting thousand new churches within our generation talk about lofty prayer goals. JD can you explain why that is so important to ask what certainly not about extending the name of the summit church some 90,000 churches are independent churches. We we just believe that God has called us to multiply for the last century in America. It's been the age of the mega church where churches get bigger and bigger and bigger one the most sobering statistics Molly is that as churches have gotten bigger in the United States than they've ever been in history in any country.

At the same time, the percentage of Americans going to church on a weekly basis has gone to hell, not what we see is that it's not a handful of congregations growing growing really big. That's the answer it's it's multiplication and so we have taken on our church. The mission of planting thousand churches. Hey you know this was some of life is a part of that mission because were able to be in the new areas, new cities and you will see what the response to the word is like. We've often said church planters from our church together teams from the local city, and from our congregation and and move their and and started a new work and we would love to see you be a part of this if you want to find out more about this that strategy that you can go to JD Greer.com you can also reserve their your copy of scent, which is volume 2 of our study through acts that take you a little deeper into the stories in the in the promises that recovering volunteers and covers chapters 9 to 28. If you miss volume 1 cover chapters 1 to 8. There still time to get that as well. It would be our pleasure to help you understand your role in the great commission more clearly. Do you want to remind you donate to support this ministry you are helping us reach people around the world with this gospel centered Bible teaching you actually taking part in the great commission.

In this way, when you get today to support this ministry will express our gratitude as well as the gratitude of your fellow listeners by sending you the work, but thinking back, volume think I created explicitly for you from the summit 19 words with your donation of $25 request your copy by calling eight 335-5226 35 24. Give online.com when there Molly benefits all the time we had to connect to my battle plan prayer Tuesday night