Bibleline Radio Show – 2014-03-18 – The Principles Of Prayer Pt.6


Transcription:

This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the Internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make your Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, and that today’s concluding message of this teaching will be a blessing to you and your family.

But now look at the next statement. Where has it letter C? I believe 90% of the time you pray God wants to use you to answer it. to answer it. Girl praise, Lord, Dad has lots of problems and needs you to comfort him and to give him a peace of mind. Now if you were sincere, could that be fulfilled if you said, Dad, I love you. I think you’re the greatest dad in the whole world. The Lord helped us in the past.

I know he’ll help us again, Dad. Now what you’re praying for is it something that you could help fulfill. is something that you could maybe say. And sometimes you pray for your kids that they’ll have good attitudes and, Lord, let those kids know that I love them. But then you never tell them you do. Put feet to your prayers. Maybe God wants to use you because He’s revealed to you somebody has a need on something. A lot of times I believe God reveals to the person needs to pray for her because He wants you to think about what can you actually do.

You have to read James chapter two, somebody comes to you, and they don’t have anything to eat, nothing to wear in it. God bless you. But you don’t give them anything to help them. And it says, your faith is dead. It’s not productive. This is what he’s talking about. Look back here to notes. So you have here at letter D, see what is wrong now. Lord, if it be thy will, save little Johnny.” Well, isn’t that a good prayer?

Lord, if it be thy will, save, is it God’s will to save little Johnny? Didn’t God already say that he so loved the world? Didn’t God already make a payment for the sins of everybody? Didn’t he already say, going to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature? Didn’t he already say that? But that’s a good spiritual way to relieve yourself of responsibility. I prayed for them. Yeah, but you put the responsibility back on God. God put the responsibility on you.

Would it be better to say, Lord, help me to know how I can reach John in. Lord, help me to figure out a way, to seek a way that I might be able to get the God’s put a John in. Or maybe there’s somebody in this town or that town or somebody that can help reach this person. You see, if you can put the responsibility on you, you’ll pray a lot more sincere. When you try to put the responsibility back up on God, then you can breathe better.

Oh, I feel sogif better. I don’t have the burden anymore. I gave it back to God. It would be like James, I want you to see that that stuff gets fixed out there, ever called their tearing up all the yard out there, you know, and they’re supposed to be putting in some leach fields and things like that so you’re living or running smoother around here. And James never goes back there he says pastor I want you to do that.

I want you to do that. Oh no no no no no I don’t want all the on and gray. I want you to have it. You do it. Wait a minute. There’s responsibilities like he’s up there doing that job and Peter’s got a certain job. Everybody’s got certain jobs. Well, what if they turn around and say, Jackie, we’re gonna… You can do it so much better. We’re just gonna give it all back to you. Let you do it all.

Doesn’t that wonderful? Not really. I mean, I know how to do some of the editing for the radio broadcast, but the last thing I want is for Greg to say, Yankee, why don’t you do this? I don’t want to do that. That’s your job. You see, there’s things that God has told us to do, but sometimes God’s people don’t want to do what God says to do. So the best way to do that is where it is. What can I do to help Johnny come to know the Lord?

That would be better. When you become concerned, genuinely over a person, you will try to do what you can’t reach. For example, if I want to reach people in the area, then I got to create a ministry that’s designed to do just that. One of those machines is the I want to program. And James says that he has to now trust the Christ of Savior just about every week. Well, what if we didn’t do that? Well, then there’s people that we wouldn’t have reached.

But what about those on the internet? We had some people that come be joining the church that heard me on the radio and they came out to trust Christ of Savior. All right, we got a few that away. We get some from the so and and on Friday night, we get some from the ranch on Thursday night. And we try to figure out a way that we can do something, But we’re just getting started. What if we would keep doing the same ministries right now for the next 10, 15, 20 years?

Do you see what can come from it? And what if we had a 50 to 100 young guys that are trained in youth ranch ministry that can go out and start a ranch ministry? What could they do? Be awesome. But you see, if I want that and pray for that, then I’ve got to commit myself to try to see that some of those things get accomplished. I can’t just sit in my office and just pray, Lord, get it done.

And then I don’t do anything. You can’t pray for something. It’s like, okay, we need somebody to get ready for the third Sunday dinner. What if instead of somebody volunteering to do it, why don’t we just all pray that somebody will do it? But nobody does it. Wouldn’t be excited to show up and then there’s no food because everybody trusted somebody else to do it. No, that wouldn’t be nice. Look down your words that how may I know his will?

Christianity is a cross and a cross is a night crossed out. It’s not about you and it’s not about me. It’s about the Lord. Man was endowed by God with three capacities for knowing him. We often talk about this and that’s the knowledge, emotion, will of man. Your knowledge, take your Bible-looking Ephesians in chapter 4, the book of Ephesians in chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 kind of gives you an idea of the way that you thought. God says that our knowledge, what we knew, was is limited because we walk in the flesh.

See there verse 17? Verse 17 of Ephesians chapter four says, this I say therefore, and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth, that means from now on, walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. So that means that that’s the way you used to be. And when we read chapter two, it says the same thing over again. And he says here in verse eight, having the understanding darken. It means that you did not have the knowledge on how to do the will of God because you were not a chalice of God.

You were alienated from the promises of God. You didn’t know. Now you’re a chalice of God and God doesn’t want you the way you used to be. God says I want to enlighten your mind. Here he says you had a darkened mind. So just hold your place down. Look in Ephesians in chapter 1 and look in verse 18 where he explains himself. Where he says in verse 18, the eyes of your understanding men, what? Enlightened. They were darkened. Now enlightened.

You couldn’t see before. Now you can see. And so you You now can see things you could not see before. And the knowledge, the enlightenment comes from the revealed will of God. So as you begin to read the Word of God, instead of the Word of God, you’ll find it will tell you what to do and what not to do. And so when you approach the Bible, just look at the Word of God as though there’s a person here talking to you.

I just worked on a page. There’s a person speaking these words. These are the word of God and you’re picturing God saying this because it’s so important for you to realize your walk with the Lord is so important and nobody can do it for you. So you look at the next statement, emotions. And everybody has emotions, but I want to show you something that’s a little bit strange. Look there in chapter two of Ephesians and notice what he says.

in verse two and three. Verse two and three says, wherein in time past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the earth, the spirit that now work in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation, behavior, manner of life, in times past, in the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of even as other. There’s one thing that’s missing in that.

You do not find in these verses the fruit of the Spirit. You know, the works of the flesh, you can find what the works of the flesh are. And it talks about even your emotions and the hatred, the jealousy, the envying, those are emotional qualities, but this doesn’t show So the love, the joy, the peace, the understanding, all the things that you want to have when you read the Galatians in chapter 5, verse 22 and 23. See, there’s another world outside of the works of the flesh.

And so when you’re talking about the emotions of man, we all have emotions. God says your emotions were like a dead man. It was of the flesh. The lost man cannot have the fruit of the Spirit. They cannot really know the love of God and the peace and the joy. All this happiness that you could have. See those are emotional qualities also, but that’s the fruit of the Spirit. So this is what you can have now and it is the will of God that you have the fruit of the Spirit, not the work of the flesh.

That’s the way you are, but not the way God wants you to be. Look at number three. The will of man. So knowledge darkened, emotions deadened, the will determined. It is self-determination. I want my own way. I want to do what I want to do. Where in the world do we ever get such a nasty spirit like this? Where did it come from? You ever heard of the devil? The lost man’s owe sinful nature is identical to the rebellious nature of the devil himself.

So God wants you, your will, to be submissive and not self-determination upon yourself. What I want, my will versus God’s will. So it is the will of God for you to know the Word of God so that you can know the will of God. So God wants the best for his own and your knowledge of his will is the best. Therefore, understand this for the child of God. He is doing everything to make His will reveal to you. Did you know that God will reveal a lot of things in your life, but you probably won’t be sensitive enough to pick it up?

God works in everybody’s life. Obedient or disobedient, God is working in your life. Because you’re His child, He doesn’t let you go. He’ll put roadblocks. He’ll send people they’ll say things. who put a circle of thorns about you in order to prick you so that you’ll get back to the Lord. Let her a, I want you to see this. His will is revealed usually better be in time and see in the long run. His will is revealed sometimes it’s just a natural thing as you go through life and you see and you begin to read and study the Word of God.

Dr. Seymour used to say be natural in your spiritual life and spiritual in your natural life. In other words, the way you are is the way you really are. You don’t put on a show. Whenever you are in church, you should be any different than when you are at home. Or on the job. Wherever you are, it’s the way you really are. And so be natural. Be the way you’re supposed to be. That way you don’t have to try to put on the show.

You know, when I go to church, you get around my Christian friends and I have to put on my Christian attitude. But then whenever you’re not around them, you can be the other way. No, no, no. Your character is what you are. Well, nobody else would know what you’re doing. And you would still do right. would be better. I don’t worry so much about my reputation because that’s left up to people, but I’m very concerned println my character. That’s how I am between me and God.

Whether anybody agrees with my reputation or that’s up to them. I can’t make people like me, love me, but whatever. You just got to make sure that you try to stay as strong as you can between you and the Lord so that nothing that people say and do hinders your walk with the Lord. But look at this statement here. A, his will is revealed usually through mortal means. We’ll cover that later and you’ll get that Sunday. God’s will will be revealed in time for you to prepare for it.

Don’t live in constant fear that God will spring some great task on you for which you are totally unprepared. And I should add unless you’re just plain lazy and you don’t prepare it all. I do believe that God knows what’s coming in the road. For example, a man over there just shot an arrow and here comes this arrow. This arrow is a tribulation coming into my life but it doesn’t got here yet but the arrow is on the way.

So if I would read and study the Word of God and prepare by the time that arrow gets to me I could have have the right shield of faith, the right verse that I need to be able to block that thought from causing me to question and doubt and stay faithful. But if I don’t study the Word of God and read the Word of God and don’t you to Him and figure like, well, everything’s fine now. I know, but you ought to understand you’re either in the midst of a problem going into one to coming out of one and there’s arrows that are already shot.

They’re already on their way. is already on its way. Like arrows, a shot. Like sparks that fly upward. Trouble, trouble, trouble. I was always told never trouble, trouble until trouble troubles you, but I can guarantee you, trouble is on its way. You’re going to have troubles in this life. So one of the best things you and I can do is try to prepare for them. And if I do right, if I study the Word of God and try to do what’s right, I don’t believe that God is going to allow some big great thing great thing to totally cause me to collapse, for which I am totally unprepared for when I do want to be prepared, when I do want to stand strong and when I do want His will, I am trusting that God will teach me what I need before I need Him.

And I’ve lived long enough to realize I believe that it’s true. But if you neglect to read and you neglect to pray, the arrows are on their way and many are going to be shot through. And they’re going to have questions and doubts and tribulations it comes and testings it comes, temptations it comes, and they’re not going to be able to stand. You and I are the one to determine whether we stand or whether we fall. You can’t blame it on anybody else.

God will not place upon you anything greater than what you can bear had you prepared for yourself. But a lot of God’s people do not prepare. They don’t prepare to be used and they don’t prepare for the defense of the arrows from the wicked one. You get a chance to read Ephesians in chapter 6. Look back there to note. Let us see, it will always be pleasant and desirable in the long run. If you do what God wants you to do, the Lord might let you live long enough to see how wise God was and how he’s He’s working your life.

And you can look back over your life. Remember I said this long time ago. Years and years ago, I heard this verse, Psalms 37, for delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee what? The desires of thine heart. All right? For 50 years, I have delighted myself in doing what God says to do. So then if that’s true, I should be able to look back over my life and say, did God keep his word? The light thyself and the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

I’ve lived long enough to see. God has given me the desires of my heart.” He meant what he said. He kept his word. I have no regrets. No regrets. Now look at the last thing down here. The first step in knowing the will of God lies in being willing to do his will. When you know it if God walked in here right now, and he says How many of you are willing to do my will? And you would probably say, what do you want?

What do you want me to do? It doesn’t, no, no, no. I’ll reveal my will to you when you commit yourself to do it. But just look at this for John chapter 7. The Gospel of John In chapter 7 and look there in verse 16 There may be a lot more Meaning in this verse, but I believe this could be one that could be Applied verse 16 Jesus answered them and said my doctrine is not mine But his that sent me if any man will do his will He shall know of the doctrine Whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself If any man will do his will, he shall know.

I decided years ago, I don’t really care what the will of God is, I’ll do it. If I can find out what it is, Lord I want to do it. I’ll go wherever you want me to go, do, be whatever. It doesn’t matter. And so I have enjoyed my life. I have had a good run. God has been good to me. I have no complaints, no gripes, no grumbles, no murmuring, no complaining. I just thank the Lord for letting me have the opportunity to serve Him this side of eternity.

And I believe that if you’re willing to do the will of God, God will reveal His will to you. Because see, you make yourself usable and He’ll start using you wherever you are. where you want to be. Start being faithful with what you have, where you are, to do what you can. Stop looking for the big stuff and just start being faithful in the little stuff. There’s always somebody who says, well, I’m too important for those little bitty jobs.

Oh, really. David said, I’d rather just be a floor mat or a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord. It’s better just to be found faithful doing what God wants you to do. And when we get to heaven, regardless of what somebody else did or didn’t do, every man shall receive his own reward according to what? His own labor. And that’s why I said in the book of Hebrews in chapter 10, verse 35, cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward, you’ll get rewarded for what you do.

But what you do is because of what you know. And what you know is because of the confidence, the faith you have in the Word of God. So don’t cast that away because if you do, you’ve lost the reason to serve. you lose the motive to serve, you won’t serve. It’s easy serving God if you love Him. But if you do not love Him, the Christian life becomes a drudgery. You become bored very quickly. We always say, don’t be bored, serve the Lord.

But put God first. Put down the last part, but this verse you already know. When it says, the presenture bodies is a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable on the God, which is your reasonable service, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Presenting your body is important because you see if you get down physically you can get down spiritually very quickly and that’s why take care of the body you only get one and whenever you don’t take care of the body you may have to move out and you may not want to have to move out out of the body.

But it’s the only one you got. You better take care of it because you can’t stay here if the body dies. So one day we’re going to have to leave here. But don’t you want to use this old body as long as you possibly can and serve the Lord as long as you can? I just feel like there’s so much I want to do. Some people are looking for ways to get out of doing something. If I could, if I could go more hours than what I go, I would do it.

But I do think I have to stop a little bit and get some rest. But I try to go as much as I possibly can because I enjoy doing what I do. Careful training of a keen mind, alert brain, well guarded tongue, consecrated eyes and ears. Drinking, dulls your sentences makes you easy prey. What you read and hear affects your mind, clear to discern the keener things of God’s will. Put God in charge of that body of yours because it belongs to him.

And whenever God wants something done, be usable. Let God use your eyes and ears and mouth and feet and hands so that you can do the thing God wants you to do. do. It belongs to Him. Look up here. Letting this hand represent you and me and the wall of represents sin. We all have sin on us. Now God says that He loves us. He hates our sin, but He loves us. And the wages of sin is eternal separation from God.

The Bible says all have sin so we’re all condemned. But God loves us. He wants us to go to heaven. To go to heaven we have to be perfect as righteous as God. And none of us are perfect. None of us are righteous. So God says, by our works, we’ll never be good enough to get to heaven because we’re all sinners. This hand represents Jesus Christ. He’s the Lord God in the flesh. He came into the world because He loves us, hates our sin, because our sin separates us from the Lord.

So Jesus Christ took the sin and He paid for it on the cross. And He came back from the dead and said that if we would believe that he did it for us, he would put this payment to our account. We get to go to heaven on what Christ did. The Bible says, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe it than him should not perish but have everlasting life. For he God hath made him Jesus Christ, who knew no sin to be sinned for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

That’s news in the world. Let’s pray, show Him. With every head bowed and every eye closed, one of the greatest things you can ever do is just agree with God. Agree with God that yes, I’m a sinner. I am. The Bible says we all are. I am a sinner. And I believe that when Christ died, He died for me because that’s what He said. Agree with God on that. You don’t have to understand everything, but you can agree with him on that.

And when he says, if you would believe that he did it for you, he said he would save you and give you eternal life as a freak. Believe that. And if you’re watching by internet tonight, there’s nothing that you have to do. You don’t have to join anything or stop anything, promise anything, just Lord, I’m a sinner. Christ died for sinners. I mean, she’s already paid for your sins. All you have to do it, believe he did it for you.

You can handle that. You can do this. Would you trust him? And if you will, God said He would save you right now and give you right now eternal life. Father, we thank You so much for the free gift of everlasting life that You promised to everyone who believes. We ask the Lord as Your children to look to You and to serve You, to do what’s right, and to always talk to You, always letting You talk to us. Father, one of the greatest things You want us to do is to seek Your will.

What do You want? It’s a lot more important than what we want. that as it is in heaven, that it will be on earth, your will, your lust for your glory. Christ and we pray, amen. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you are blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, You can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free, 1-800-576-3771.

That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Radio Broadcast link. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org.

Thanks for joining us on Bibleline and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. friend one day it will happen the trumpet will sound and we will be changed caught up to meet the Lord in the air so live today and every day believing that the Lord is coming soon and just keep looking up