The Privilege of Prayer — Genesis 3-4

0:00 Good morning. It's a real honor and privilege and blessing to be here with our Lord Jesus Christ and with you all this morning. And, it's a privilege to be able to share God's word. As we look into God's word, I trust that the Lord will stir our hearts with greater love and affection towards our awesome God. Let's pray once more.

0:28 Our heavenly Father, we just bow before you and we love you, oh God, and we adore you, and we worship you because you are God and there's none like you. Speak to our hearts, oh God. Help us to be amazed at who you are and your awesome love for us and this great privilege we have to pray to you, oh God. We ask these things in our Lord Jesus' name. Please do the work in each of us that only you can do, our great and awesome God.

0:59 We ask in our Lord Jesus' name. Amen. Maybe I need this message more than you all do, but I trust it will be a blessing to each of us. And it's interesting that we were just putting into practice, what this message is all about. As I was seeking the Lord as to what he'd have me share about, the theme that was on my heart was prayer.

1:26 I don't know if you noticed it or not, but at least three out of the four songs, the fourth one, I forgot which song the second one was, so I can't vouch for that one. But at least the first, the third, and the fourth song, they were all prayers to God. Did you realize that? If we were singing those words as they were intended, we were just praying to the Lord throughout three out of four of those songs at least. And prayer is such a privilege and such a blessing.

1:55 Sometimes people have asked, who created God? Well, that's a good question if you have a created God. But for a God who's eternal, who never has been created, that's a bad question because God has no creator. And the God whom we worship and love and serve, he is the eternal God. So, let's turn just to be reminded to Psalm 90.

2:20 Psalm 90. And, in Psalm 90. Psalm 90 verse... Beginning with verse one. It says, Lord or Yahweh, speaking of the eternal self existent God who always has been and always will be.

2:48 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth wherever you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. Do you understand how awesome our God is? He's the eternal one who always has been and always will be. That is not true of anything else or anyone else.

3:22 Our God is unique. He's holy. He's perfect. In this God of eternal love and fellowship, calls you and I into fellowship with himself through Jesus Christ. And that is such a huge blessing.

3:42 As we were worshiping the Lord this morning at the breaking of bread, I just I just wished it could just keep on going. You know, so precious, to be before the Lord, worshiping him, adoring him, in fellowship with him, communicating with him. What amazing blessings our God has called us into. My wife asked me last night the question, what's the first mention of prayer in the scriptures? And I thought about that and ultimately, my mind went back to Genesis chapter one verse one.

4:42 And so, in at least a loose sense of the word, if we consider prayer as being communicating with God, when did prayer begin? Well, God is eternal and there was that eternal fellowship in communication, I believe, within the Godhead. When Jesus re... Remember when he was on earth and he prayed to the father, that beautiful prayer recorded in John chapter 17? Well, we call that prayer, right?

5:08 And I understand, yes, it's true. He'd taken on a human form, but he was communicating with the father and so, if we call that prayer, I thought, why wouldn't we, in some sense, perhaps call it prayer also, that eternal communication within the Godhead? And then, I thought of Genesis chapter one in verse 26. Genesis chapter one in verse 26. And it says, then God said, let us make man in our image.

5:42 God was communicating to himself and he said, let us make man in our image according to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God, he created him. Male and female, he created them. And so, God, communicating with himself, said, let us make man in our image.

6:16 And how blessed we are, how wonderful it is that being created in the image of God, we can now communicate with the eternal God who always has been and always will be. In Genesis chapter three, in Genesis chapter three verse nine, The Lord asked Adam a question. Genesis chapter three and verse nine. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, where are you? Is it possible that the Lord still asked that question today?

6:56 I believe it's quite possible. In fact, in a sense, he may be asking us that question many times a day. Whenever we're like sheep going astray in our affections or desires or the focus of our lives. One of the things I love about gathering to remember the Lord Jesus like we did this morning is it just brings everything into focus where it should be upon our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul talked about counting everything lost for the sake of Christ that he may know him and have that fellowship with him.

7:33 That's where I believe my affections and my heart's desires and everything should always be. But sometimes, like sheep, we kinda go astray. And the Lord may in a sense be calling out to us saying, where are you? Maybe sometimes it's, for some people, the internet. Maybe it's the TV.

7:54 Maybe it's the World Cup. Maybe it's a book. Maybe it's a favorite series of some sort. Maybe it's a movie. Maybe it's a social media site or account.

8:05 But, the Lord called to Adam and he said, where are you? So, he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. There we see another example of communicating with God or prayer. Adam, talking with God there in the Garden Of Eden. Adam realized there was a problem, didn't he?

8:33 And, he did what we should do when the Lord calls to us and says, where are you? And, we realize we're not where we should be. We should be quick to confess that we've been going astray and quick to refocus our affections on our God, our first love, our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. In Genesis chapter four, Genesis chapter four in verse nine, we see God asking a similar question to what he asked in chapter three. In chapter three, he asked Adam, where are you?

9:13 In Genesis chapter four in verse nine, then the Lord said to Cain, where is Abel, your brother? This time it wasn't where are you? This time it was, where is Abel, your brother? And, here it seems, is maybe one of the first deceitful or deceptive or false sorts of prayer. He said, I do not know.

9:53 Am I my brother's keeper? And when we come before the Lord, we should not be like Cain, seeking to hide our sin or make excuse for it or pretend we don't know about it. But we should be completely and utterly honest with God. Even as was mentioned this morning, if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Let's take a look at Nehemiah chapter one.

10:58 Understanding what a great privilege we have to pray to God. And and praying to the Lord out of love for him. Enjoying the fellowship with God. Here in Nehemiah chapter one beginning with verse five. It says, is the words of Nehemiah.

11:17 Nehemiah chapter one and verse five. And I said, I pray, Lord God of heaven, oh great and awesome God. The God of Nehemiah is our God. He's the great and awesome God. I remember one time recently where I was talking with somebody and it seemed just about anything that was said, they said awesome, awesome.

11:45 Oh that's awesome. Our God is awesome. He is the awesome one. The great and awesome God. May we be in awe of him.

12:01 Oh, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments. Please, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open that you may hear the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you now, day and night for the children of Israel, your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel. Do you see the honesty there? He was ready and willing not only to confess his sins but even the sins of the people of God as a whole. The children of Israel that is.

12:36 Confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you. He realized that sin is against God. When we sin at times, we feel sorry and we feel grieved and there's a very good reason to feel sorry and grieved about sin because sin grieves the holy spirit of God. So, it's appropriate that we should be grieved by sin in our lives. But it's appropriate that we should then be drawn before God to confess our sin to him and experience that forgiveness and fellowship with the Lord again.

13:13 Both my father's house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant, Moses. And so, went on to confess specific sins of the people of God. Let's take a look also at Nehemiah chapter nine. Nehemiah chapter nine.

13:43 Recently, as I was listening to the book of Nehemiah, this passage struck me. Nehemiah chapter nine beginning with verse one. Now on the twenty fourth day of this month, the children of Israel were assembled with fasting and sackcloth and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of the lord their god for one fourth of the day.

14:24 And for another fourth, they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. So, there it talks about what they did for at least half of the day. It says, for one fourth of the day, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God. And it says, for another fourth of the day, they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God. Now, don't know what it sounds like to you when you read about them doing those things for half the day.

15:59 And also, times of hearing portions of God's word. And, at the end of that week, I felt like that may have been the best week of my life. And, that may be hard for us to understand or understand how or why that could be until we think about and realize that our God is better than his creation. Our God is better than any other person or any other thing. So why wouldn't it be the best week of our lives if it's focused on drawing near to him and communicating with Him and hearing from Him through His word.

16:40 I think of what it says in the book of Psalms. In Psalm. Psalm 16 and verse 11. This was my experience during that week and it can be our experience day by day. As it will one day be our experience with the Lord and glory.

17:08 Psalm 16 and verse 11. Psalm 16 and verse 11. Speaking about the Lord Jesus, but I believe also about what we can experience. It says, you will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy.

17:28 At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. In your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. The Lord wants us to be in his presence day by day, doesn't he? How awesome is our God that he would desire even to dwell within us.

18:06 Our bodies are the temple, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God. And he dwells within us and in his presence is fullness of joy. What a fellowship God has called us into. Let's take a look briefly at first John chapter one. First John chapter one Speaks about our Lord Jesus in verses one and two.

18:39 And in verse three of first John chapter one, it says, that which we have seen and heard, we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Where is full joy found? It's found in fellowship with our God. Why does the world go after the things of the world?

19:17 Why do they go after video games that involve killing and, immoral activities of various sorts? And why do they go after the things of, you know, social media that are displeasing to God many times and videos and... Well, they're seeking pleasure in sources other than God himself. But, we're told about God and his love that love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. So, we should not be found rejoicing in the sinful things of this world, as the people of God, because we know that true joy is found in fellowship with our God, In loving and obeying and honoring him and walking with God.

20:33 Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. And, if you wanna remember those three things, you can just use the word ask as an acronym. A for ask, s for seek, k for knock.

20:53 Jesus said, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened. What a privilege we have.

21:08 When we have a need, we can go before the eternal God of heaven and earth and we can ask and we can seek and we can knock. We're told in the book of James chapter four, the reason why we sometimes don't have things. In James chapter four, at the end of verse two, it says, you do not have because you do not ask. How good it would be if whenever we have a need, whenever something is lost, Whatever kind of need it might be, if we would just go to the Lord first and ask. How many times have you been looking for something you can't find?

21:57 And then finally you think, oh I should pray. And then you pray just within a very short period of time, the Lord helps you to find it. That's happened to me many times. You do not have because you do not ask. And, when we do ask, how should we ask?

22:17 We're told in first John chapter five, first John chapter five, our Lord Jesus also taught this as recorded in the in the gospels. But, first John chapter five and verse 14, it says, now this is the confidence that we have in him, That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Jesus said that we're to ask in his name. We're to pray for things according to God's will. And, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us and if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him.

23:00 What's the reason why we may sometimes not receive the things that we're asking God for? Let's take a look back at first John chapter three, perhaps a somewhat less familiar verse to us. First John chapter three and verse 22. First John chapter three and verse 22, it says, and whatever we ask, we receive from him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Do you see the connection that God makes there between obeying God, living in fellowship with God and praying to God and receiving answers to our prayers?

23:42 Let's read it one more time. And whatever we ask, we receive from Him. The question might be asked, why? Well, the answer is given, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son, Jesus Christ and love one another as He gave us commandment.

24:09 God has called us into this fellowship with Himself and when we've received the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior and just seek to love him and honor him and obey him, God puts his desires within our hearts and then we can pray and ask what's pleasing to God, what's according to God's will and God can answer and give us our heart's desires that are in agreement with what his desires are. The joy of living in fellowship with God. Let's take a look at Malachi chapter one. Malachi chapter one. This chapter has, in some sense, a bit of a different flavor than some of what we've been reading so far.

25:05 And if we have not been giving to God the honor that He deserves, the first place, the first love, these verses can hopefully be of encouragement to us to give Him first place like He deserves. Malachi chapter one and beginning with verse six. It says, a son honors his father and a servant his master. We just had Father's Day last Sunday honoring our human fathers. How much more should we honor our heavenly father?

26:04 Two priests who despise my name. The priests of God who should have been honoring him were despising, thinking little of his name. They were offering defiled food on his altar. They'd been told by God to offer things that were blameless and yet, they were offering to God the blind and the lame and the sick. Is it possible that I've done that kind of thing in my life?

26:36 Sadly, I think it is possible. By way of application, I think that when I go after lesser things, especially anything that's sinful in and of itself, but even when my heart's affections are caught up with things of this world, whether it be the World Cup or anything else, to the extent that it might end up consuming time that God wants me spending on something else, what could that be called? Idolatry. Idolatry. Giving something else the place and the honor that God deserves.

27:16 The Lord deserves our honor. He deserves our reverence. And, He deserves that we should present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. And, as we present our bodies as a living sacrifice by a choice of our will and we choose to present ourselves to God, how are we to do it? We're to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, which means set apart, sacred, consecrated.

27:49 Our lives are to be set apart for our God. And so, the world might say, well I deserve this or this is what I like or this is how I wanna spend my time. But, we're different from the world. Jesus said that he is not of this world and Jesus said that his followers also were not of this world. He's called us out of this world.

28:15 We've been born from above, born of the spirit of God, born of God, and now we're new creations in Christ and all things are to be new in our lives. We've been bought with a price and we don't belong to ourselves anymore. We belong to our God. And so, it's fitting that we should offer our lives twenty four seven as a living sacrifice set apart to God, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. And therefore, God says we're not to be conformed or pressed into the mold of this world.

28:54 If you think of jello, what happens? You pour it into a mold, starts out maybe hot or warm, you pour it into the mold, put it into the refrigerator. Later on, what happens? It's taken on the mold or the shape. It's been conformed to the vessel that it's been put into.

29:14 But, God says we are not to be conformed to this world. But, we're to be transformed, to be changed. How? By the renewing of our minds. This building, you might say in some sense, is going through some renovations.

29:33 It doesn't look the same way it looked last Sunday, does it? Neither should our minds look the same at the end of the day today as they did before we came today. Because God is at work doing renovation project in each of our minds. That's what that word actually means in there in Romans chapter 12 in verse two. It says, we're not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing or the renovating of our minds.

30:04 And as we change our thoughts to agree with the mind of Christ, then we can prove in our own lives and experience what God's good and acceptable and perfect will is. Now, if you ever see somebody walking around and on their shirt they have the letters G A P. I'd like you to think of something. Use it as an acronym and remember God's good, acceptable and perfect will. Okay?

30:39 Let it be a reminder to you. Because God wants us to be transformed by the renewing or the renovating of our minds that we may prove what is God's good and acceptable and perfect will in our lives. How can that happen? Only by living in fellowship with God. Hearing from God's word, allowing our thoughts to agree with His, praying to God, casting all our cares upon Him because He cares for us.

31:08 We have a lot of need this week, don't we? Lord willing, tomorrow morning, there will be lots of children in here. Many of them need the Lord Jesus. Many of them probably do not yet know him as their savior. We can pray that the Lord will save souls.

31:28 But, we also have needs as God's people because we're not sufficient to do the things God calls us to do, are we? I know I'm not. But we know from God's word that our sufficiency is from him. And so, can be praying for one another in the body of Christ as each one has different important roles this week, that the Lord would help us each to do what he calls us to do in the name of the Lord Jesus, and to give the glory to our awesome God, and that we would each be strengthened to do what God calls us to do. How should we pray?

32:43 Because when we hear of people younger or older going astray into sin, why did it happen? It was as a result of spiritual need. And as a result of not focusing on God, not continuing to watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation. And so, as God helps us to become who he wants us to be spiritually, it can help to protect us from sin as well as helping us to grow so that we can do all that our God calls us to do. Colossians chapter one and verse nine it says, for this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will.

33:33 This is a big prayer, isn't it? I I think I would be concerned that praying for what this prayer prays for would be too much except that God records it here for us in scripture. And, I would encourage you to pray this prayer for the body of Christ here locally, as well as all around the world. Paul said that he did not cease to pray for them and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Now, imagine a glass for a moment and imagine you pour in some liquid concrete and then that concrete hardens up.

34:16 If the glass does not break, what happens? The glass is full and so if you try and put something else in, what's going to happen? It's it's not gonna fit unless it's on the microscopic sort of a level. And so, here, what was Paul praying for? He was praying that we as believers, that the believers would be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

34:42 If you and I as believers are being filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, how much room is there for sin? How much room is there for going after temptations? There's no room because if we're filled with the knowledge of God's will and God hates sin, then we will have God's attitude about sin and we will be pursuing the Lord Jesus instead of sinful things and experiencing God's fullness of joy. He also prayed not only that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will and all wisdom and spiritual understanding but that they would walk worthy of the Lord. What's the difference between wisdom and knowledge?

35:28 Knowledge involves knowing things intellectually. It's possible for somebody to know a lot about the bible yet not to be saved. It's possible for somebody to be saved and know a lot about the bible, but to have a life that's displeasing to the Lord. But God wants us to not only be saved, but to live lives where we're walking in wisdom. Wisdom is not only having knowledge, but applying it to make the best decisions in our lives.

36:02 So it's not just having knowledge, but applying that knowledge in the best way to make the wise and the right choices before God. Paul prayed that they would be filled with God's wisdom and that wisdom was to affect and change their walk. Paul said that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. You see how huge this prayer is again? He prayed that they would be fully pleasing to God.

36:38 Doing what's right and appropriate before God. Being fruitful in how many good works? In every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. And, if we're going to do the good works that our God calls us to do, we cannot do it on our own strength. We know from God's word that in us, that is in our flesh dwells no good thing.

37:04 But we can thank the Lord that with him, things are possible. And so Paul prayed they would have the right strength. He prayed that they would be strengthened with all might. How? According to his glorious power.

37:20 And, what is the result? When we have God's wisdom, we're doing what God calls us to do, we're being strengthened by God to do what he calls us to do, then we can also have the right attitudes as we're serving the Lord and loving the Lord. It says here, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power for all patience and long suffering with joy. Now, humanly speaking, those are things that the world would not tend to put together. Patience, long suffering and joy.

37:58 How do those fit together? Well, by the supernatural work of God, the Lord can help us to have joy even in the midst of situations that require great patience and great long suffering. Our God is the one who can help us to have joy even in the midst of trials. Like our Lord said in the book of James, when it says, consider it pure joy, my brethren, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Naturally speaking, humanly speaking, we tend to do the opposite.

38:32 But supernaturally, we can have great joy even in the midst of trials because our God is our helper and our strength and the one working in us to will and to do for his good pleasure. And then it says in verse 12, giving thanks to the father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. And so, we should live lives of thanksgiving, giving thanks to God. And I would encourage you this week, if at some point, whether related to the Vacation Bible School or otherwise, whether something's not going the way you expected and maybe my attitude or yours begins to maybe be a little bit sour or have a little bit of some aspects, maybe of grumbling or complaining or something, I would encourage you to remember to give thanks to God. Because as we give thanks to God and we focus on being thankful for all that our God has done and is doing for us, it helps our attitude to change from one of grumbling or complaining or murmuring, which is displeasing to the Lord, to one of thanksgiving, one which honors our great and awesome God and gives to him the glory that he deserves.

39:46 And, we don't have time to, look at it in any great detail right now, but I would encourage you if you're looking for some, encouragement, to take a look at John chapter 17 and to look at what our Lord Jesus prayed for there. And just briefly, the prayer begins and ends with talking about glory and the glory of our eternal God. And then, the Lord Jesus prayed for his disciples and he prayed that they would be one. And then, he expanded his prayer to not only be praying for the disciples but also to pray for those who would believe because of their word. Now, who are we here today?

40:31 Those of us who've believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, God's word was passed on from the Lord Jesus himself to his disciples, to more disciples and more and more and more and more and more more and more and more. And then eventually, here we are today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what did he pray for for those who would believe? He prayed that we would be one even as he and the father are one. That we would enjoy that fellowship, that oneness with God.

41:58 He prayed that we as believers would be one. And, he prayed that we would be sanctified, set apart, made holy. And, how are we to do that? It's by God's truth. So, that doesn't mean just pretending that every doctrine is fine and that everything's fine with with all believers in that sense, but we should have a love for God's word, a zeal for God's word, and at the same time, have a love for all of God's people, and a zeal that we would all be sanctified by God's word and become who our God wants us to be.

42:36 And then, there's something beautiful in the end of that prayer. I just wanna go to this verse so that I don't misquote it. John chapter 17 and verse 26. The Lord Jesus said, and I have declared to them your name and will declare it, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. How amazing that we have fellowship with the eternal God who always has been and always will be.

43:07 He dwells within us. His love, the love with which God the Father loved the Son, dwells in us. And it shouldn't end in us, but it should go out to all those who are around us. Even as it says in second Corinthians chapter five and verse 14, it says, the love of Christ compels us or motivates us. And, I believe that can be not only our Lord Jesus' love for us, but also our love for him.

43:41 But, not only his love for us, his love for every individual in this world. And, his love for the world compelled him to live in an extraordinary way. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. Jesus loved the church and he loved us individually and gave himself for us. So, as the love of Christ compels us, we too, like the Lord Jesus, should have compassion and reach out to our friends and neighbors, even strangers we meet in our lives, to tell them about the Lord Jesus.

44:26 That they too may be drawn into this extraordinary, supernatural relationship with God where they can begin enjoying Him as they receive Him as their Savior and Lord and continue to enjoy our God for all of eternity. So this week and always, may we be found rejoicing in the Lord, enjoying fellowship with our God, and remember in the midst of the busyness and the hurry in serving God this week to also be like Mary and to take time to sit at the Lord Jesus' feet, to feed upon his word, to allow God to refresh us, that we may think like our Lord Jesus and love him and serve him with all of our hearts. Let's pray. Our heavenly father, we thank you that you are the great and awesome God, the Lord of heaven and earth. And oh Lord, we're so privileged and so blessed to know you.

46:01 And Lord, we thank you for the restoration that we have with you as we confess our sins. We confess, Lord, that we've fallen short of your glory in so many ways But help us, oh God, to love you with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength. Help us not to make excuse for any sin in our lives. Help us to love you like we should. May you be our first love, preeminent, first in priority.

46:34 And help us Lord to be faithful to you. Help us to faithfully serve you because we love you. Help us to enjoy communing with you even in the great trials of life and in the great joys of life. We think of how you say, is anyone suffering? Let him pray.

46:59 Is anyone joyful? Let him sing praises. So, help us, Lord, to communicate with you through all the varying circumstances of life and help us to always remember that you are the best. You are great and awesome. So, help us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, set apart to you, acceptable to you, which is our reasonable service.

47:30 Help us to have the mind of Christ and to prove what is your good and acceptable and perfect will in our lives. We give to you and to your son the glory and the honor and the praise and we thank you in our Lord Jesus name. Amen.