0:07 With regard to prayers, you know, those of you brothers who were at the quarterly meeting on Wednesday, the emphasis that Phil and I shared really had a big thrust towards prayer and the Lord's call, I believe, over our church 0:19 family to experience a deeper oneness in the spirit that can only come through prayer. Let me say that slowly and carefully again. I believe that there is a deeper unity of the spirit which can only come through unity in 0:37 prayer. Where we're united in prayer and one of the ways in which it will happen is if where we make a commitment to be regular and consistent in our attendance at those prayer meetings. And I think I'm thankful for many of you who shared 0:53 at the Wednesday meeting or have shared with us even since then of your desire to take this more seriously in the year to come. Because I think we're a church that does fellowship and social things very well. You've heard this already from us. We do 1:08 this very well. We and we are hospitable. We love being in each other's homes. We do games together and we are learning to grow in those and how to do those things more Christ-like in a more Christ-like way. But an area I really believe Phil and I 1:23 have been praying about it ourselves and we believe the Lord wants us to grow in in this area, especially if you're a committed member of this church, is to develop the habit of praying together with others. Where when we get 1:35 together, perhaps even in each other's homes, it's not just that well, let's hang out and yeah, we got to pray before the meal, so let's just do that, get the prayer over with and get on to the good stuff. But perhaps if the Lord prompts 1:46 you and you were planning to do something else, just chit-chat, and the Lord says, "You know what? I I feel like can we pray?" And you and the brother perhaps go into a into one of your rooms and just spend time in prayer. You sisters 1:58 do that or or as a family, maybe families are doing that. That's the kind of atmosphere we're trying to see the Lord create through his Holy Spirit in our Saturday prayer meetings. And increasingly in the days to come, you'll 2:12 hear us if the Lord directs Phil and I in that direction, you'll see our hearts moving towards this deeper spiritual warfare. And the reason I believe that unity of the spirit comes more deeply through prayer is because what you read in 2:27 Ephesians 6 is that we wrestle not with flesh and blood. Our battle, dear church, our oneness is so that we can have authority in the spiritual realm. And we can have all the you know, fellowship gatherings and 2:45 um you know, Bible studies and all these other things that could easily become things that enhance our soul, whether emotionally or intellectually. But I believe that one of the ways, perhaps and there I'm sure there are 2:58 others, but one of the ways in which we are most able to penetrate into the spiritual realm is prayer. That's what I get from that verse in Ephesians 6. Maybe I will read it together first. Ephesians chapter 6. You know, he's talking about the 3:20 armor of God. And this is after he's talked about the church in Ephesians chapter 4. After he's talked about the family and the work environment, our everyday lives in Ephesians chapter 5, now he says, "Okay, you guys want to be one." You know that 3:36 unity of the spirit, that's Ephesians 4. Wives being submitted to your husbands and husbands loving your wives as Christ loved the church, that's Ephesians 5. For what purpose? Ephesians chapter 6. Well, the children obeying your parents in the Lord. And 3:51 then he says, "Finally, I actually think that you know, Ephesians chapter 6 verses 1 through 9 should be part of Ephesians chapter 5. I'm not sure how they decided to separate it that way because for me when he gets to Ephesians 4:04 chapter 6, now he kind of sums it all. He says, "Let me tell you why I've talked to you apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors, teachers, husbands, wives, children, masters, slaves, fathers, all of that." Finally, Ephesians 6:10, "Be strong in the Lord 4:22 and in the strength of his might, put on the full armor of God." And then skip down to verse 12. Why? Because our struggle, our battle, our warfare is not against flesh and blood. If it were I think good close friendship between 4:41 us, tight friendship would be sufficient. If our only battle was with flesh and blood, let's just live together physically. Let's be a commune. Let's do everything, you know, let's be like they had down there in Waco, Texas some years 4:53 ago. We'll raise up arms and we'll defend our territory. If our battle was against flesh and blood, that's fine. But it's not. And I hope that through our fellowship, through our unity that we are experiencing in the spirit we are 5:09 wrestling with principalities, rulers powers, the world forces of this darkness against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. And I believe with all I really believe this with all of my heart that the most effective way to win 5:28 the battle there in the spiritual realm is through prayer. That's why perhaps it's I'm wondering, why is it Lord you're impressing on us this prayer? The prayer should be the thing that that perhaps we emphasize in this church and you might hear from us 5:44 more often. Um but it it's also that unity in spirit when we pray, I believe. And I was prompted to share this by listening to you brothers share earlier. And again, thank you for that cuz the Lord really spoke to me. Um 5:58 it's it's through that unity of spirit that we really start to discern each other's burdens. Because I think that we could have all the fellowship outward activities that we do, even games and hanging out in each other's homes and things like that, 6:14 but because we're so good at covering up our issues. We're so good at covering up our nakedness that even in those situations, even a time like last night when we had communion together as a as those who are members of the church, even in a time 6:29 like that there is a guardedness that can come in. A guardedness that whether maybe you don't want to be guarded, but that's just your personality and you have a hard time opening up and being vulnerable with others. And I believe that for those kinds of 6:45 things, for those kinds of burdens that maybe you're carrying and you're afraid to admit to anybody else, even your own wife perhaps, or your own husband and you're carrying this burden and it hurts. It's for those kind of burdens 6:59 that we need spiritual unity. Where we need this oneness that comes through prayer because because I've committed myself what as Seth was saying, committed myself to this body and I see that God has placed me here to be a member of this body. And 7:14 there's another brother, another sister that have also expressed that same commitment and there we are praying for each other, praying with each other, praying around each other. And in the context of that prayer, the Holy Spirit, 7:29 because this is a spiritual thing. This is not a here on this earth thing. This is over there. And in the spiritual realm, the Lord gives me discernment, gives you discernment of how you can pray, intercede, and meet the needs of the 7:43 burdens that I'm carrying without my even having to say a word. Without my even saying anything, the Holy Spirit gives you revelation and you're and and I think this even happens when you're away from us. Perhaps you For those of you that drive in the car 7:57 or you're just sitting there in your workplace and all of a sudden the Lord brings you brings me to your mind. And I haven't shared anything about the burden I'm carrying, but all of a sudden you're prompted by it. You know when it 8:07 usually happens to me? In the middle of the night. When I wake up, which I do by the way sleep and do wake up in the middle of the night. And usually when I do that, I'm like, "Lord, why do you wake me up? There's some reason here." And the Lord 8:18 will bring usually one of you guys, one of you all, or somebody else that's within my circle of influence. You know what says in John 3:16 that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not 8:33 perish, but have eternal life. And do you know that God has likewise sent you into a world? For God so loved the world that only you get to be influenced. Yes, there is some overlap between my world and your world, but if you take that, you know, they 8:51 they talk about Venn diagrams, intersecting circles, and all that. But there is a part of that world that God has placed you in that you and only you can impact. And that's why we're here to strengthen up the church and to build each other up 9:05 so that every member, Ephesians 4, fulfills his function. Not just the evangelist, not just the preachers or the teachers or the elders or the ones who have specific gifts, but everyone from the littlest child who's born again 9:20 to the oldest member of this church, whether it's age-wise or spiritual maturity, where everyone is built up into the fullness of Christ. So, that's our purpose is is through that prayer that God gives us revelation. This is something that cannot happen as 9:37 much as I might sit down and go to coffee with you and have you over, I can't get revelation from God unless I'm dwelling in the spiritual. And I'm living there like we sang in that song about I I I I want to quote it but I'm 9:51 going to mess it up. But being there in that hour of prayer, not just one hour and I think it's metaphorical when it says sweet hour of prayer. It should be a sweet 24 hours of prayer that we're having. And we're dwelling there in the presence 10:05 of God. We're waiting and we are tarrying. This is the word the Lord impressed on me this morning, tarrying. You know where I get that? It's from in Acts chapter 1. It's in the King James, I think it used that word, tarry. Tarry 10:19 in Jerusalem until the promise comes, Jesus told the the disciples. Now, we are not have we don't have to tarry for the Holy Spirit. He's already here. He's already come. On the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came. But what are we 10:33 tarrying for if you are tarrying and we should be? Jesus said, "Watch and pray." If I could paraphrase that again, tarry and pray. Don't just be done with it after a 3-minute prayer. What about tarrying? Whether you're on your knees 10:48 or if your knees start to get sore, you sit down because you don't care if people think bad of you because you're sitting and you're praying or standing or going for a run to pray, but tarrying in spirit. Why? Cuz the Holy Spirit is here. I'm not 11:02 waiting for him to show up. He is there. He's waiting for me to get rid of that which hinders him from filling me completely. That's what I believe. I'm tarrying so that the Lord can show me more of the hindrances in my life that 11:18 prevent him from really using me the way he wants to. From really having an unhindered influence on the world around me as much as he was able to do in the physical body of Jesus. I need to say that again. I want 11:34 the Holy Spirit to have as unhindered a pathway through my body, my physical body, my emotional being, and my spirit, as unhindered a way through my body to flow through my body as he did in the body of Jesus. This is what it means to live as Jesus lived. 11:54 For 33 and 1/2 years, Jesus was here on this earth, and the Holy Spirit could just gush forth through him like rivers of living water. And now he says, "Follow me." If you anyone wants to be his disciple, let him take up his cross and put to 12:08 death all of these things that are hindrances to the power of God flowing through them because of the sin-cursed earth that we're in, because of the flesh that we're in. And even though Jesus never had sin in him, he had a flesh, the 12:22 likeness of sinful flesh it's called. And that likeness of sinful flesh he also had to put to death so that the Holy Spirit could flow through him unhindered. Think of it like a pipe that every single one of us has given us a body that's like a pipe. 12:38 And because we're born in sin, because of Adam and Eve and your ancestors and you, it's clogged. And Holy Spirit is there wanting to flow through and bless others and be be a a minister have you be a minister of good to others, but there's 12:53 blockages. And the Holy Spirit is tarrying for you to get rid of those blockages. Let's tarry before the Lord that he might show us and fall on our face and say, "Lord, I first of all, I repent of those things that you've shown me that 13:08 still you seem to have a hard time I seem to have a hard time getting rid of." That it's so slow for me to get rid of that blockage, that way of thinking about other people, that jealousy, that suspicion of others, that criticism of 13:25 others, that judgmentalism of others, That way of speaking to my wife or to my husband or to my children or just whatever it might be. I tarry before the Lord and I fall on his on my face and say, "Lord, show me help me to get rid of those things once 13:42 and for all. Get rid of it. Burn it up, Lord. I lay it all those ways of doing and being that others have had to put up with. I put it on the altar. There it is, burning up. And then those things that you haven't showed me yet that are still blocking 13:56 the the the flow through me, will you show it to me, Father?" And oh, he will. If we can have tarrying meetings for that, oh, what the Lord will be able to do through us. And I believe that in that spiritual realm where you're coming and we're not 14:11 in that physical room in prayer and we're not here in prayer, but we're there in that place of prayer in the spiritual realm. And together with one accord, we're linking arms spiritually even if we're on the opposite ends of the room. And 14:25 we're praying for each other and we're interceding for each other. And we're interceding for each other's children and each other's spouses so that the problems you may have in your marriage become mine. The problems you 14:38 may be facing with your children become mine. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, let me show you this. I was prompted by this again by what Olu was talking about Caleb, how I too had never thought of it like that. He could 14:56 have gone around for the remaining 38 years of his wandering in the wilderness saying, "Ah, these people. 38 years of my life wasted because of these people and their unbelief." And you know, it's possible to be in a church and to have to walk alongside 15:13 brothers and sisters who are struggling in unbelief perhaps. What will your attitude be, brothers, sisters? What will our attitude be as as you find there are others around you, perhaps even in this church who fall into sin or 15:25 struggle in some way, will it be "Amen, you're slowing us down." Or will it be "Lord, I'm here." I And And And that spirit of faith had not waned one bit after 38 years and even later when he was in his 80s. Hadn't waned at all because he was 15:43 thankful. He kept his eyes on the Lord, not on people around you. What was the secret of Caleb's faith essentially? From the time he was young, he didn't see the giants, he saw God. And the time when he was wandering in the wilderness with 15:56 those people who were complaining, he didn't see the people, he saw God. And then he At the age of 80, I think 85 or whatever it was, he didn't see the giants, he saw God. This is faith. Faith is the assurance of things hoped 16:10 for. What? Not giants being conquered or anything like that, but God. This is the one in whom I hope. The assurance that God whom I hope for is mine. And I am his. And he's going to take care of all these situations. This is the kind of faith we 16:25 have. This unity of spirit makes us feel each other's burdens. Like it did for I think like like it was for Caleb. 1 Corinthians 12 it says, This is a verse that I think every single one of you, at least those who have come and become members of this 16:43 church in the last four, five, six years, maybe, we have shared Phil and I have shared this verse with you in that room, in his office. I think every single one of you. Let's read it in its context, verse 22. It is much truer, 1 Corinthians 12:22, 16:59 that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor. Now, apply that to Caleb's situation. The The ones that 17:14 that Caleb could have deemed less honorable were all the other ones who who didn't believe. They are the less honorable ones. Joshua and Caleb were the honorable ones. But even the honorable ones whom God honored because of their faith, only 17:29 Joshua and Caleb, I think it says God picked them out. Only Joshua and Caleb are the honorable ones, even honored by God. But this spirit was there in Caleb and this is the spirit we must have in the church as well. Where 17:43 those members of the body which we who think are so honorable deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor. The ones that are most shy, most invisible, most anonymous, most like, oh, were they here or were they not? 18:01 Those are the ones that we bestow the most honor on. Can we be this kind of a family this year? I believe it. Um and our unseemly Is there anybody in this church that's unseemly to you? Perhaps it's your wife or your husband 18:20 because of something you went through the last week. That which is unseemly, that means uh seems like nothing. unseemly And the unseemly members come to have more abundant seemliness, not in outward things. It doesn't mean that the shy 18:36 ones all of a sudden are told to get up here and preach the sermon. Don't worry, we won't do that to you. Um but in our estimation instead of thinking about Philip Santos because they the the elders, I think about that el- that that brother, that 18:50 sister, that child that's unseemly. In my estimation, this is more seemly. This is the one that's I'm carrying a burden for through the week, the unseemly member in the church. This is the one that This is the This is the body of Christ 19:05 in action. Uh the unseemly members come to have where more seemliness in my estimation. I think of that one is more important because outwardly there is no seemliness to them. Verse 24, "Where ours are seemly members, and perhaps you're in that 19:22 category, have no need of it. But God has so composed the body giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked." "That there should be no division." This is the verse we share with you. "In the body, but that the members" That's why 19:39 we believe in membership. A lot of people have asked us about this. Is membership a biblical thing? Yes, it is. Perhaps not the way the majority of Christendom does it, where you register and pay your tithe, and that's about it. 19:51 No, you know, we've we we That's not how we operate. Nobody's keeping track of how much each member is putting in the church. Feeling I don't even know who's giving what. We don't want to know cuz it's not about that. And uh but there is that sense of 20:05 commitment. It's as we have told you, if you are functioning as a member in spirit, you are a member in name. If you are functioning as a member in spirit, you are a member in name. Now, for those of you who are members of this 20:18 church here, here's a word of encouragement and exhortation. If you came into the church functioning as a member and we called you a member, don't let it lead you back. Don't regress to the point where now you're a member in name, but you're not really 20:35 functioning in membership in what way? In this way. In this way where you're lifting others up who are less seemly. Bearing each other's burdens cuz he goes on to say Verse 25, "That there should be no division in the body, but that the 20:51 members should have the same care for one another." This is how you know you are a member of this church. Throughout the week do you find a care in you, in your mind, in your soul, and in your spirit for this for the people who are that that are 21:06 sitting around you right now and for others that the Lord may call, is there a care? Then you know that you're a member of this church. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all the 21:23 members rejoice with it. And as we were talking about Caleb, I thought think about the physical body. Let's say there's a there's a part of the body that's really hurting. Maybe it was its own fault. What were you doing 21:35 sticking your finger there anyway? You got it jammed. Okay, it's your fault. So now the other member of my body, this other arm could could sit there and think, man, this whole body is in pain. You know how when you're in pain, when 21:46 you jam your finger or stub your toe, it's like the whole body is in pain. But you'll never find the rest of my body saying looking at that member of the body, even if it could, to use the allegory, and think, man, why did you have to go jam your finger in 21:59 there anyway? I mean, could could you just watch where you're going and then blame the eye and blame the head and all this stuff, blame games that go on. Instead, the members come together. Is there one member that's suffering? We're all suffering. 22:13 And it's not that we're all coming here and just talking about how miserable our life is. No, in the spiritual realm, God gives us revelation of the sufferings of the people around us, those that he has placed in our body 22:25 through the head. Who is it that tells this part of my body that this finger got jammed? The hand that doesn't have eyes to see or to to even be close to that other part of the body that got hurt. It's the head. The head says, this finger just got 22:42 hurt. Now we are in pain. And this hand comes along side and says, oh, can I can I comfort you? Can I ease your pain in some way? Now I believe in when when I when my children get hurt on their head or something, I rub it rub it 22:55 really hard. That's that's how I do it. I don't know if that actually works. They tell me it doesn't work. But this is the life that my children are subject to. But their own body has ways of telling them, "Do what it is that will make you 23:09 feel better. Maybe just go take a nap or lay down and put some ice on it." Who is instructing for the care of this member? It's the head. My dear brother, dear sister, are you hearing from the head of ways in which you can meet my needs, my suffering? 23:26 Your needs, your suffering. I want to more. And I it starts with me. It starts with Phil and I. We're the elders. We're the ones that are called most of all. And I I I say, "Lord, I I'm not hearing enough." If it comes to the place where you have 23:39 to come and tell me what tell us what you're going through. Now, that's that's good. But I say, "Lord, can you give us discernment earlier so that before it gets so bad that now it's like we've got a mess on our hands, which God can still 23:52 take care of." But that you gave me discernment beforehand where I could watch over and be a shepherd. And not just him and I, but where God can give one of you discernment because perhaps there's a brother or sister that's 24:04 closer to you in this church. And they're able to Maybe you spend more time with that person. And God starts to use that special relationship that you have with them, which is okay as long as it stays spiritual. If God can use that 24:18 relationship for you for him to give you discernment about what's going on in their life that he may not be able to do with Phil and I. Perhaps with you sisters because we don't get to sit as much and perhaps we should do that more as well. But we 24:32 don't get to hear you pour your hearts out towards us. Your husband is the right uh forum for that. But perhaps there's a burden that you're carrying. Perhaps it relates to your husband or relates to your wife and you're not sure 24:43 how to handle it. And without your even spilling the beans or even talking about the logistics or the details of your struggle, if God can give us all discernment. Not so we can pry and can't "Oh, what's going on?" But we sense and we go on our knees and 24:59 fall on our face before God and say, "Lord, I am interceding. I don't have a need today. You've taken care of all my needs. My marriage is doing well, my children are doing well, but that family, that marriage, that home, that 25:10 child, that teenager, that young person." You're putting a care in my heart for you, and I know I'm hearing it from you because I'm praying. Watching and praying and tarrying for the Lord to reveal needs to us that we'll never get 25:27 if all we do is hear sermons, all we do is God, play sports every now and then, and I be in each other's homes and enjoy food. Sometimes it's good to cut out food and to deny our body through that fasting so that we can hear the still, small 25:43 voice of God about my brother, my sister. This is the brother, the sister that God has called you to walk alongside. And yeah, maybe maybe you're experiencing something. Maybe you as a husband or a wife are experiencing a 38-year wandering, 26:01 if you know what I mean, because of your spouse. Maybe maybe it is, I don't know. How What will your attitude be towards it? Will be, "Ah, Lord, why'd you give me that husband? Why'd you give me that wife?" Compare yourself with somebody 26:13 else. Caleb could have said, "Lord, why didn't you just call Moses, Joshua, and me out of Egypt? We would have been just fine. Now we got to wait 38 years circling and lo- longing. I mean, you What do you think Caleb was 26:27 thinking for the 38 years? Man, we could be in I could have a home by now. But he said, "Lord, this is where you have me." Is that the mentality of your heart towards this church, towards the your wife, your husband, your children, 26:40 your brothers and sisters, then it then you have understood membership in the body of Christ. We are our brothers' keepers. If one member is honored, we can rejoice with that member that's honored. Somebody talks so much about You 26:56 probably heard me say this, too. Yeah, the real test of this is when two of you work on something and only one of them gets the credit, the other person. And all of a sudden you're like, "Well, do they know that I did it, too?" You 27:05 know? They We thank somebody for putting the chairs and you don't even get mentioned and you worked the hardest of them all. What then? When one member is honored, I'm honored. Because it's my brother. I'm experiencing this unity in the spirit. 27:20 And that church, my dear brothers and sisters, is the church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against. Amen.
