A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway
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0:01 - 0:08Well you can open up
your Bibles to Ecclesiastes. -
0:08 - 0:10I don't intend to stay there
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0:10 - 0:11only make a point from there;
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0:11 - 0:18only draw forth a principle
from there actually. -
0:18 - 0:22Ecclesiastes chapter 4.
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0:22 - 0:25Father, I pray that You would feed us
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0:25 - 0:33from Your Word,
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0:33 - 0:36totally dependent upon You
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0:36 - 0:39to make it convicting,
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0:39 - 0:41to make it powerful,
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0:41 - 0:42to reach our hearts,
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0:42 - 0:46and reach our consciences.
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0:46 - 0:49Lord, please reach our hearts,
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0:49 - 0:54our souls,
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0:54 - 0:57with this message.
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0:57 - 0:59I pray in Christ's name.
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0:59 - 1:04Amen.
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1:04 - 1:09I was really thinking about 2018,
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1:09 - 1:14that if that if I could
preach a message today -
1:14 - 1:20that would somehow
flavor this year for us. -
1:20 - 1:26that's what went into my thinking.
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1:26 - 1:31Ecclesiastes 4:9
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1:31 - 1:40It's really a proverb.
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1:40 - 1:44Ecclesiastes 4:9
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1:44 - 1:49"Two are better than one."
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1:49 - 1:54That's the preacher Solomon.
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1:54 - 1:56"Two are better than one,"
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1:56 - 1:58and he's going to tell us why.
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1:58 - 2:00"...because they have a good reward
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2:00 - 2:04for their toil."
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2:04 - 2:10And even like the Geneva translation
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2:10 - 2:13actually brings out that the good reward
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2:13 - 2:18is probably that they have a better reward
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2:18 - 2:22than they would have
if they stayed separate. -
2:22 - 2:25That's kind of the idea there.
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2:25 - 2:28V. 10 "For if they fall,
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2:28 - 2:32one will lift up his fellow."
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2:32 - 2:34Now you can see the reality of that.
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2:34 - 2:36If these two guys are separate,
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2:36 - 2:40and one falls and can't get back up,
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2:40 - 2:44obviously when you're
together with somebody else -
2:44 - 2:46and they can come help
you and pick you up, -
2:46 - 2:47what's been accomplished -
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2:47 - 2:48the greater good -
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2:48 - 2:51is far beyond what the two could have
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2:51 - 2:52achieved separate,
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2:52 - 2:54because if they're separate and they fall,
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2:54 - 2:55and they can't get back up,
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2:55 - 3:01they've lost everything.
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3:01 - 3:05They've lost the whole day.
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3:05 - 3:07"If they fall, one will
lift up his fellow, -
3:07 - 3:10but woe to him who is alone when he falls
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3:10 - 3:11and has not another to lift him up."
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3:11 - 3:13And you know that could be spiritually.
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3:13 - 3:15Undoubtedly, that's why the Lord has
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3:15 - 3:17put us all together in the church
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3:17 - 3:19to lift up one another.
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3:19 - 3:23Again, "if two lie together,
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3:23 - 3:27they keep warm,
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3:27 - 3:32but how can one keep warm alone?
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3:32 - 3:34And though a man might prevail
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3:34 - 3:37against one who is alone..."
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3:37 - 3:39Here you have adversaries.
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3:39 - 3:42One guy against another guy.
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3:42 - 3:45And you might be prevailed
against by one guy, -
3:45 - 3:47but if there's two of you,
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3:47 - 3:50"two will withstand him."
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3:50 - 3:53And then he throws in
the proverbial saying, -
3:53 - 3:56"a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
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3:56 - 3:58He actually takes it from one to two,
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3:58 - 4:01and then three.
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4:01 - 4:03A threefold cord.
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4:03 - 4:05The title of my sermon:
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4:05 - 4:08"A Threefold Cord."
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4:08 - 4:10Solomon's point is clear.
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4:10 - 4:11Two are better than one.
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4:11 - 4:13Not two separate, but when they're
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4:13 - 4:14brought together,
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4:14 - 4:16to get the advantage,
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4:16 - 4:21the two must be working together.
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4:21 - 4:23Their bodies must be close together
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4:23 - 4:24to retain the heat.
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4:24 - 4:26They must withstand a foe together.
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4:26 - 4:29And even more, if you take three strands -
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4:29 - 4:31like if you braided hair
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4:31 - 4:34or you took three threads
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4:34 - 4:35and you wound them all together
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4:35 - 4:38to create one cord,
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4:38 - 4:40the reality is it's even better than two.
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4:40 - 4:44And the thing is it's not quickly broken.
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4:44 - 4:46There's a strength.
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4:46 - 4:52Now, I totally intend to spiritualize
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4:52 - 4:54this truth today.
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4:54 - 4:55Totally.
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4:55 - 5:00The threefold cord is your life.
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5:00 - 5:07One strand in that cord: secret prayer.
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5:07 - 5:10Craig came very close to that one today.
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5:10 - 5:13It's right there with secret fasting.
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5:13 - 5:18That's one strand.
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5:18 - 5:21Because one of the things
I want to emphasize today, -
5:21 - 5:22look, this prayer and fasting
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5:22 - 5:25isn't just for a week
of prayer and fasting. -
5:25 - 5:28This is your life.
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5:28 - 5:30This is our life.
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5:30 - 5:35One strand: secret prayer.
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5:35 - 5:39But wrapped, brought close together,
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5:39 - 5:44the second strand: doing good.
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5:44 - 5:50Third strand wound in there:
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5:50 - 5:56self-denial.
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5:56 - 5:58(incomplete thought)
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5:58 - 6:01Listen, prayer without doing good
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6:01 - 6:03and without self-denial
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6:03 - 6:08has no feet.
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6:08 - 6:12It's no good to pray that God
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6:12 - 6:15make the Gospel advantageous to souls
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6:15 - 6:16in our community if we're not willing
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6:16 - 6:23to take that message to
those ears of those people. -
6:23 - 6:24But you know what happens
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6:24 - 6:29if you have works without self-denial?
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6:29 - 6:32It's just cheap.
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6:32 - 6:37All it will result in is cheap, little
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6:37 - 6:44demonstrations of religion.
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6:44 - 6:49Brethren, if you try to do
works without prayer, -
6:49 - 6:51they'll just be powerless.
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6:51 - 6:57It will be a demonstration of the flesh.
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6:57 - 6:59Prayer is our dependence on the Lord.
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6:59 - 7:02You wrap all three of these together.
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7:02 - 7:05You wrap them all together.
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7:05 - 7:08You see, the principle here is
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7:08 - 7:13they need to lie together
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7:13 - 7:15to really produce the warmth.
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7:15 - 7:19They need to be close.
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7:19 - 7:21You know, the thing here is
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7:21 - 7:23if an adversary comes
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7:23 - 7:25or if you're working and one of you falls,
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7:25 - 7:26the other one lifts up the other.
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7:26 - 7:29These lift each other up.
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7:29 - 7:33These bring strength to one another.
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7:33 - 7:35They prevail together.
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7:35 - 7:37That's the issue.
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7:37 - 7:38They fail otherwise.
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7:38 - 7:39But God helping us,
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7:39 - 7:42what I want us to do is -
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7:42 - 7:45look, I'm going to show you from Scripture
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7:45 - 7:49this threefold cord is absolutely
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7:49 - 7:52something that God wants us
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7:52 - 7:53with the hand of faith
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7:53 - 7:59to reach up and grab hold of.
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7:59 - 8:01Brethren, I just think
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8:01 - 8:05how fruitful we might be;
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8:05 - 8:08what a church we might be
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8:08 - 8:15if you really take this threefold cord
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8:15 - 8:19into the grips of your own faith;
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8:19 - 8:20lay hold on this
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8:20 - 8:27and seek to live this out.
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8:27 - 8:33The first strand in this threefold cord:
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8:33 - 8:35secret prayer.
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8:35 - 8:36Let's look at it.
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8:36 - 8:37Matthew 6:6
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8:37 - 8:39Let's go to Matthew 6
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8:39 - 8:41a second time this morning -
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8:41 - 8:46now this afternoon.
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8:46 - 8:56Matthew 6:6
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8:56 - 8:59"But when you pray,
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8:59 - 9:06go into your room..."
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9:06 - 9:10King James: "enter into thy closet."
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9:10 - 9:11If you ever wonder where that idea
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9:11 - 9:16of the prayer closet - it's right there.
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9:16 - 9:19"Enter into thy closet."
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9:19 - 9:21You see, again, just like with Craig
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9:21 - 9:22in the first message,
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9:22 - 9:27this is something that Jesus assumes
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9:27 - 9:31is going to be a reality in your life.
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9:31 - 9:33The closet. The secret place.
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9:33 - 9:35And notice: "shut the door."
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9:35 - 9:37Why do you shut the door?
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9:37 - 9:38Well, not just so that you're
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9:38 - 9:39not the hypocrite;
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9:39 - 9:43so that the people in the
other room can't see you. -
9:43 - 9:46It's because this is about
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9:46 - 9:48shutting out the disturbances,
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9:48 - 9:51shutting out the distractions,
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9:51 - 9:54and just your soul
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9:54 - 9:56alone with the living God.
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9:56 - 9:58"Go into your room..."
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9:58 - 10:00"Enter into thy closet..."
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10:00 - 10:03"Shut the door and pray."
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10:03 - 10:05Don't get on your phone.
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10:05 - 10:07Don't get on your computer.
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10:07 - 10:08And if you don't have a place
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10:08 - 10:11that you can go to get away from those,
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10:11 - 10:14then you need to have one.
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10:14 - 10:16Many of you know
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10:16 - 10:18that Susannah Wesley -
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10:18 - 10:24her secret place was under her apron.
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10:24 - 10:26She put it over her head
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10:26 - 10:27and the children knew,
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10:27 - 10:30don't go there.
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10:30 - 10:37"Pray to your Father Who is in secret,
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10:37 - 10:41and your Father Who sees in secret
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10:41 - 10:44will reward you..."
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10:44 - 10:47And I'll just add openly.
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10:47 - 10:49Brethren, we're talking about
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10:49 - 10:54shutting ourselves away to God;
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10:54 - 10:56to where God and your soul
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10:56 - 10:59are alone.
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10:59 - 11:03Where we depart from here;
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11:03 - 11:07we go into the presence where
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11:07 - 11:10our own soul flies away to where He is;
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11:10 - 11:12where there's a connection.
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11:12 - 11:14This is what I was talking about
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11:14 - 11:17when I was talking about fasting.
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11:17 - 11:21Brethren, I find there are seasons
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11:21 - 11:24when something happens.
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11:24 - 11:27There is a connection with the Lord -
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11:27 - 11:29yes, there are times when it's difficult,
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11:29 - 11:31when I feel cold.
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11:31 - 11:34There are times when connecting with God
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11:34 - 11:37just - it seems like He's far away.
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11:37 - 11:40It seems like my thoughts are wandering.
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11:40 - 11:42I start to pray and then
I wander off here. -
11:42 - 11:44Or I'm out walking somewhere,
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11:44 - 11:45and I see something,
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11:45 - 11:47and my mind's gone over there.
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11:47 - 11:49Or I start thinking about some situation
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11:49 - 11:50that I need to deal with
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11:50 - 11:52and it's difficult.
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11:52 - 11:53But there are other seasons,
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11:53 - 11:55there is a connection with the Lord.
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11:55 - 11:56That's the issue.
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11:56 - 11:59Your Father - He sees in secret.
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11:59 - 12:01He's there in secret.
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12:01 - 12:05Brethren, secret prayer is not to be
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12:05 - 12:08some mere duty of the Christian,
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12:08 - 12:10like taking out the garbage
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12:10 - 12:12or getting the oil changed on your car
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12:12 - 12:13where it's this check list.
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12:13 - 12:15You know, all the things
I've got to do today. -
12:15 - 12:17Well, I need to make sure that I do that.
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12:17 - 12:18So you run over and you pray,
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12:18 - 12:21"Lord, I want this, this, this, this..."
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12:21 - 12:23Well, yeah, I did my prayer thing today.
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12:23 - 12:25Brethren, that isn't it.
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12:25 - 12:27We must consider secret prayer
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12:27 - 12:29to be one of the great works of our life.
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12:29 - 12:31When you think about your life,
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12:31 - 12:33do you even think that way?
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12:33 - 12:35Does that enter into your mind?
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12:35 - 12:37That when you think about the things
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12:37 - 12:38that you want to do well in life -
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12:38 - 12:40and you know this,
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12:40 - 12:42you know.
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12:42 - 12:47If you're ever going to
do anything well in life - -
12:47 - 12:49you know, somebody's a chess champion.
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12:49 - 12:50Did that just happen?
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12:50 - 12:56Or they play the violin extremely well.
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12:56 - 13:01Somebody can play a sport.
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13:01 - 13:03Can you cook well?
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13:03 - 13:05Sew well?
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13:05 - 13:08Weld well?
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13:08 - 13:11Can you problem solve
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13:11 - 13:12issues on your computer?
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13:12 - 13:13Well, that's well and great,
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13:13 - 13:17but the question is can you pray?
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13:17 - 13:19Do you even regard this
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13:19 - 13:22as the great work of your life?
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13:22 - 13:24I mean, listen, when you have
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13:24 - 13:26the great apostle himself
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13:26 - 13:28coming along to those Gentile churches
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13:28 - 13:31and saying 1 Thessalonians,
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13:31 - 13:33"Pray without ceasing."
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13:33 - 13:36Craig's been dealing
with the Colossian letter. -
13:36 - 13:38To the Colossians, he says,
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13:38 - 13:40"Continue steadfastly in prayer."
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13:40 - 13:42To the Romans, "be constant in prayer."
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13:42 - 13:44Listen to what God is telling you.
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13:44 - 13:46This man is under inspiration.
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13:46 - 13:48God is telling you,
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13:48 - 13:49be constant in this.
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13:49 - 13:51You know the words of Jesus Christ Himself
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13:51 - 13:54there in Luke 18.
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13:54 - 14:01He says (yeah, you can grab that brother);
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14:01 - 14:03What does He say?
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14:03 - 14:08He says that we need to be
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14:08 - 14:10steadfast in prayer.
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14:10 - 14:16"Men ought always to pray and not faint."
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14:16 - 14:18These are the calls of our Savior,
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14:18 - 14:19this apostle.
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14:19 - 14:21(incomplete thought)
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14:21 - 14:23It's like to everyone
of the Gentile churches, -
14:23 - 14:25he needed to say this to them.
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14:25 - 14:26You need to pray.
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14:26 - 14:27Not just a little.
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14:27 - 14:30You need to pray constantly.
You need to persevere in it. -
14:30 - 14:32You need to be about it.
You need to not faint in it. -
14:32 - 14:34This is something that we need
to give ourselves to. -
14:34 - 14:37How often do you think this way?
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14:37 - 14:41This is the great work
of the Christian's life -
14:41 - 14:43that we pray, we pray, we pray.
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14:43 - 14:45Secret prayer.
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14:45 - 14:49The desire of secret communion with God.
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14:49 - 14:54Brethren, it's one of the great evidences
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14:54 - 14:57that you've become a Christian.
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14:57 - 14:59Listen. I prayed some
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14:59 - 15:03when I was a nominal Catholic.
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15:03 - 15:05But when God saved me,
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15:05 - 15:07I wanted to commune with Him.
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15:07 - 15:09I spent hours communing with Him.
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15:09 - 15:11Why? Something happened.
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15:11 - 15:12Something in the desires happened.
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15:12 - 15:14If you don't have a desire to be
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15:14 - 15:17communing with the Father in secret,
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15:17 - 15:19you need to go back and start over again,
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15:19 - 15:20because something's wrong
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15:20 - 15:22and something's broken.
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15:22 - 15:24But see, I know with a lot of you,
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15:24 - 15:28there's a desire there.
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15:28 - 15:30But you know what?
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15:30 - 15:33The longer we go on
in the history of mankind, -
15:33 - 15:35and the more gadgets we develop
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15:35 - 15:38and devise and the way technology is
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15:38 - 15:40and the distractions of this world,
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15:40 - 15:42we are in the communication age,
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15:42 - 15:43and the problem with it is
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15:43 - 15:46all this communication floods us.
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15:46 - 15:48And I know there's a desire
in some of your hearts, -
15:48 - 15:50but listen, if you're going to be
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15:50 - 15:51men or women of prayer,
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15:51 - 15:53you've got to be disciplined.
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15:53 - 15:56And you've got to learn
to say no to things. -
15:56 - 15:59You are going to have to make time
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15:59 - 16:01in your day.
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16:01 - 16:02I'll tell you this,
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16:02 - 16:05when something is important to somebody
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16:05 - 16:07you can typically see
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16:07 - 16:09the level of importance that it holds
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16:09 - 16:11in a person's life by the sacrifices
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16:11 - 16:15that they are willing to
make for it to happen. -
16:15 - 16:18And if you're not willing
to make those sacrifices, -
16:18 - 16:20that says an enormous amount
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16:20 - 16:25about how important you think this is.
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16:25 - 16:27Strive, brethren, strive
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16:27 - 16:30to make this one of the great works
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16:30 - 16:31of your life.
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16:31 - 16:34This is your life: Prayer.
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16:34 - 16:37Constant. Always.
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16:37 - 16:39Secret place.
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16:39 - 16:44Do any of you not even have that place?
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16:44 - 16:52Whether it's under the apron, ladies...
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16:52 - 16:55whether you actually find
a closet somewhere, -
16:55 - 16:58or whether it's out
under the stars at night. -
16:58 - 17:01Is there that place in your life
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17:01 - 17:07where you go and shut the door?
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17:07 - 17:11If that's foreign to you,
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17:11 - 17:14listen, then stop.
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17:14 - 17:18Forsake your way.
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17:18 - 17:20Because if that's foreign to you,
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17:20 - 17:22the way that you are on
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17:22 - 17:24needs to be forsaken
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17:24 - 17:26because it's a bad way.
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17:26 - 17:27It's a wrong way.
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17:27 - 17:28It's a backward way.
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17:28 - 17:29It's a powerless way.
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17:29 - 17:37It may be very likely an un-Christian way.
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17:37 - 17:44The secret place.
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17:44 - 17:48"Men ought always to pray."
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17:48 - 17:50This needs to be our life's work,
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17:50 - 17:52no matter what else God has called you to.
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17:52 - 17:56You say, God has called me to
do this and this and the other. -
17:56 - 17:58That's ok.
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17:58 - 18:00But God has called you to this.
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18:00 - 18:02And so matter what else
He's called you to, -
18:02 - 18:07He has called you to
make this a life's work. -
18:07 - 18:10Because, brethren, this is where
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18:10 - 18:19your life derives power.
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18:19 - 18:21When you watch people
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18:21 - 18:23in the Christian life,
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18:23 - 18:26and you marvel,
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18:26 - 18:31wow... what patience!
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18:31 - 18:35What holiness!
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18:35 - 18:37What power they have in their lives!
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18:37 - 18:40What power they have
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18:40 - 18:43demonstrated in some way!
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18:43 - 18:45Brethren, the power of God
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18:45 - 18:47is channeled into the Christian life
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18:47 - 18:49through prayer.
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18:49 - 18:52Prayerlessness does not produce power,
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18:52 - 18:56because prayerlessness is basically
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18:56 - 18:57avoiding God.
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18:57 - 18:59It's not going to God in the secret place.
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18:59 - 19:03And you're not going to
experience the reward. -
19:03 - 19:07Brethren, you know very well this reality.
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19:07 - 19:13Moses' face shined only when
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19:13 - 19:16he was in the presence of God.
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19:16 - 19:17And I can use that.
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19:17 - 19:19You say, well, that's an
Old Testament thing -
19:19 - 19:21and we don't actually
go into His presence -
19:21 - 19:23in the Shekinah glory like he did.
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19:23 - 19:26Brethren, if that's what you
think, you think wrong, -
19:26 - 19:29because Paul used that very example
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19:29 - 19:32and brought it out in
2 Corinthians 3 for us. -
19:32 - 19:34For you and I.
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19:34 - 19:36Because there's a reality in that truth
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19:36 - 19:40that when we behold the glory of the Lord
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19:40 - 19:42and when we're standing in this presence,
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19:42 - 19:45there is where the change takes place.
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19:45 - 19:46People that spend much time
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19:46 - 19:48in the presence of God
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19:48 - 19:52end up unlike people that don't
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19:52 - 19:55spend that time.
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19:55 - 19:58This is where we derive that power.
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19:58 - 20:00Brethren, you know what happens
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20:00 - 20:05when you go into the secret place?
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20:05 - 20:08Look, if you go and your mind,
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20:08 - 20:13your heart, your spirit lifts up to God -
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20:13 - 20:16something happens.
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20:16 - 20:17I'll tell you one thing that happens.
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20:17 - 20:19There's an awareness
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20:19 - 20:20that you're speaking to God.
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20:20 - 20:22And oftentimes what that does is
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20:22 - 20:25it produces an awareness of yourself.
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20:25 - 20:27Because it's a place where you come
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20:27 - 20:29and you put your conscience
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20:29 - 20:32under the very gaze of omniscience -
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20:32 - 20:34One Who knows it all.
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20:34 - 20:36Do you find that happens?
-
20:36 - 20:38You go to Him and it's like
-
20:38 - 20:45you're trying to talk to
Him about something, -
20:45 - 20:48but suddenly your conscience is there
-
20:48 - 20:49beneath His gaze,
-
20:49 - 20:51and it's saying something's not right.
-
20:51 - 20:53You see, when we're regular
-
20:53 - 20:55in the secret places of prayer,
-
20:55 - 20:56you know what it does?
-
20:56 - 20:57You know what it does with your life
-
20:57 - 21:00as far as purity and holiness?
-
21:00 - 21:02(incomplete thought)
-
21:02 - 21:04The secret place is the place
-
21:04 - 21:06where we come and we confess.
-
21:06 - 21:07It's the place where we come
-
21:07 - 21:09and we lay down our pride,
-
21:09 - 21:11our lack of gentleness,
-
21:11 - 21:13our lack of faith,
-
21:13 - 21:14our irritability,
-
21:14 - 21:17our lack of patience.
-
21:17 - 21:19It's that place where
you cry out for help. -
21:19 - 21:22"Lord, take that away."
-
21:22 - 21:23Have you ever been there?
-
21:23 - 21:24Where it's like, "Lord,
-
21:24 - 21:26You have promised in Your Word
-
21:26 - 21:28to conform us to the image of Christ.
-
21:28 - 21:30Lord, that's Your promise!
-
21:30 - 21:31It's right there.
-
21:31 - 21:33I read it in the pages of Romans 8.
-
21:33 - 21:36You have promised that I'm predestinated
-
21:36 - 21:38to be conformed to the image
-
21:38 - 21:41of this firstborn Son.
-
21:41 - 21:45You have promised in Your Word
-
21:45 - 21:46to make us blameless
-
21:46 - 21:47and make us holy.
-
21:47 - 21:49You have promised that by degrees
-
21:49 - 21:51that we are going to be conformed
-
21:51 - 21:53to the image of this Lord
-
21:53 - 21:55Whose glory that we see.
-
21:55 - 21:56You've promised that."
-
21:56 - 21:58It's the place where you go there
-
21:58 - 22:00and you ask for power.
-
22:00 - 22:01It's the place there, brethren,
-
22:01 - 22:03where your heart is lifted up
-
22:03 - 22:06and you adore Him for not dealing with you
-
22:06 - 22:07according to your sins.
-
22:07 - 22:08Do you ever go there
-
22:08 - 22:11and you're just struck
by all the blessings -
22:11 - 22:12that you have?
-
22:12 - 22:13And by the fact that He has not
-
22:13 - 22:15dealt with you according to the things
-
22:15 - 22:16that you've done in your life?
-
22:16 - 22:20And you're lifted up to the cross?
-
22:20 - 22:24And Lord, thank You! Thank You!
-
22:24 - 22:26It's that place of adoration.
-
22:26 - 22:29Listen, brethren, it's
a place of weeping - -
22:29 - 22:31weeping over your failures,
-
22:31 - 22:34but weeping over just gratitude.
-
22:34 - 22:36It's a place where you connect
-
22:36 - 22:39with the living God.
-
22:39 - 22:40Brethren, secret prayer
-
22:40 - 22:43is where we meet God.
-
22:43 - 22:47Don't let the busyness of this world
-
22:47 - 22:49rob you of your God.
-
22:49 - 22:51Brethren, don't you recognize
-
22:51 - 22:53that the greatest thing
we have in salvation -
22:53 - 22:55is our God?
-
22:55 - 22:56It's like what are you going to do?
-
22:56 - 22:58Live on the broken cisterns
-
22:58 - 23:02when you have this fullness that is there?
-
23:02 - 23:04Brethren, the rewards that come
-
23:04 - 23:07when God says:
-
23:07 - 23:09You go into that secret place.
-
23:09 - 23:11I'm going to reward you.
-
23:11 - 23:13Oh, you better believe it.
-
23:13 - 23:14He created us.
-
23:14 - 23:16He knows what the greatest rewards are.
-
23:16 - 23:18He knows what most satisfies.
-
23:18 - 23:20He knows what most brings joy.
-
23:20 - 23:23He knows what's for our greatest good.
-
23:23 - 23:26Rewards - the reward of the Father.
-
23:26 - 23:30Don't let the cares of
this world encroach. -
23:30 - 23:32Because I'll tell you this,
-
23:32 - 23:33you know what happens -
-
23:33 - 23:35have you ever read in Scripture
-
23:35 - 23:38about those who get encroached upon
-
23:38 - 23:43by the cares of the world?
-
23:43 - 23:45Both places I read about it in Scripture,
-
23:45 - 23:48it's not a good thing.
-
23:48 - 23:50One is the cares of this world,
-
23:50 - 23:54they encroach and there's no fruitfulness.
-
23:54 - 23:55The other one is a steward
-
23:55 - 23:57who goes about getting drunk
-
23:57 - 24:00and beating his fellow servants,
-
24:00 - 24:02and the cares of this world come upon him
-
24:02 - 24:05and then the Lord Jesus returns,
-
24:05 - 24:07and he's not ready.
-
24:07 - 24:10You know what the cares of the world do?
-
24:10 - 24:13They make you fruitless.
-
24:13 - 24:15What do you think Jesus is saying?
-
24:15 - 24:17You think that guy was
ready to meet his Lord? -
24:17 - 24:19You think it's like he's just going to
-
24:19 - 24:20get a pat on the back?
-
24:20 - 24:22Well done, good and faithful servant?
-
24:22 - 24:24Although, there were these minor things
-
24:24 - 24:27like you were getting drunk all the time.
-
24:27 - 24:31And the thing that all of this
-
24:31 - 24:36is couched in the midst of
is the cares of the world. -
24:36 - 24:39We may think, oh, the cares of this world,
-
24:39 - 24:41to be distracted sometimes away from
-
24:41 - 24:45secret prayer a minor thing.
-
24:45 - 24:48Uh uh.
-
24:48 - 24:53You're not ready to meet the Lord.
-
24:53 - 24:55You're not ready.
-
24:55 - 24:56Don't let the cares of the world
-
24:56 - 25:02rob you of God or of His reward.
-
25:02 - 25:05Listen to this. Just listen.
-
25:05 - 25:08You know these words, but listen.
-
25:08 - 25:17"Every one who asks receives.
-
25:17 - 25:19The one who seeks finds.
-
25:19 - 25:25The one who knocks, it will be opened."
-
25:25 - 25:27Do you know what the reality is?
-
25:27 - 25:33Those who pray most, receive most.
-
25:33 - 25:35You know, if you look at your life
-
25:35 - 25:39and you wonder, why don't
I have what they have? -
25:39 - 25:43Ok, I'm not saying this
works all the time. -
25:43 - 25:45There are times we ask for things
-
25:45 - 25:48and the Lord doesn't give them to us.
-
25:48 - 25:49But I can tell you this,
-
25:49 - 25:51when you have promises like this,
-
25:51 - 25:52that if you ask, you will receive -
-
25:52 - 25:56everyone who asks receives -
-
25:56 - 26:00if you notice that in
the spiritual kingdom, -
26:00 - 26:04there are some people
that have a lot more, -
26:04 - 26:11there is a good likelihood
that they pray more. -
26:11 - 26:14You take Brainerd -
-
26:14 - 26:19he was a missionary to
the American Indians. -
26:19 - 26:20You look at his life.
-
26:20 - 26:22You say, wow...
-
26:22 - 26:26he reached heights.
-
26:26 - 26:29But look how he prayed;
look how he fasted. -
26:29 - 26:31And Edwards could say,
-
26:31 - 26:32maybe not a single time
-
26:32 - 26:34that he wasn't rewarded -
-
26:34 - 26:36even sometimes the same day.
-
26:36 - 26:38Brethren, you know what's happening
-
26:38 - 26:39if you're not in that secret place
-
26:39 - 26:41praying every single day?
-
26:41 - 26:44You're robbing yourself.
-
26:44 - 26:46You're robbing yourself
-
26:46 - 26:49of how those times with the Lord
-
26:49 - 26:51would transform you
-
26:51 - 26:53into a greater likeness of Christ.
-
26:53 - 26:56You're robbing yourself of beholding
-
26:56 - 26:57more of the glory of God.
-
26:57 - 27:01You're robbing yourself of the rewards.
-
27:01 - 27:06You're robbing yourself
of answered prayer. -
27:06 - 27:08Those who pray the most,
-
27:08 - 27:12stand in the presence of God the most.
-
27:12 - 27:16And just like it was with Moses,
-
27:16 - 27:18they're going to have the most
-
27:18 - 27:20glory of God shining from their faces.
-
27:20 - 27:21Those who pray most walk where
-
27:21 - 27:25other men don't walk.
-
27:25 - 27:26They experience what other men
-
27:26 - 27:29don't experience.
-
27:29 - 27:35Listen, Jesus says if you love Me,
-
27:35 - 27:36He says My Father will love you
-
27:36 - 27:37and I will love you,
-
27:37 - 27:43and He says I will manifest Myself to you.
-
27:43 - 27:46But you're not showing much love for Him
-
27:46 - 27:50if you don't care to spend time with Him.
-
27:50 - 27:52But He says if you love Me,
-
27:52 - 27:53it's going to be rewarded
-
27:53 - 27:58with manifestations of Christ.
-
27:58 - 28:00That's valuable.
-
28:00 - 28:04Brethren, the great commandment
-
28:04 - 28:08that Jesus gives to us:
-
28:08 - 28:10Follow Me.
-
28:10 - 28:13You say, oh, I thought it was love...
-
28:13 - 28:15Yeah, it's hard to separate those two.
-
28:15 - 28:19Follow Me. Follow Me.
-
28:19 - 28:23He said if you would be My disciple,
-
28:23 - 28:26you must follow Me.
-
28:26 - 28:28You notice when He came
around to everybody, -
28:28 - 28:30James and John: Follow Me.
-
28:30 - 28:33Peter and Andrew: Follow Me.
-
28:33 - 28:35Matthew: Follow Me.
-
28:35 - 28:38Rich, young ruler: Follow Me.
-
28:38 - 28:39That was always it.
-
28:39 - 28:41Follow Me.
-
28:41 - 28:43Do you see Him out there?
-
28:43 - 28:45Those of you that have read your Gospels?
-
28:45 - 28:48That's why it's so important to
be in the Gospel all the time. -
28:48 - 28:49Because you see Christ -
-
28:49 - 28:51the One we're supposed to follow.
-
28:51 - 28:53Let's follow Him.
-
28:53 - 28:56Do you see Him?
-
28:56 - 28:58Follow Him.
-
28:58 - 29:00"He went up on the mountains...
-
29:00 - 29:02Matthew 14:23
-
29:02 - 29:04"...by Himself to pray.
-
29:04 - 29:08When evening came, He was there alone."
-
29:08 - 29:10Now think with me.
-
29:10 - 29:13"He was there alone."
-
29:13 - 29:15Where? On the mountain.
-
29:15 - 29:18That was His closet.
-
29:18 - 29:19Alone.
-
29:19 - 29:23That's what shutting the door is: alone.
-
29:23 - 29:29You're not alone today,
-
29:29 - 29:31even if you shut the door
-
29:31 - 29:42and you've got this
buzzing in your pocket. -
29:42 - 29:44You know how the King James says
-
29:44 - 29:46"quit yourself like men?"
-
29:46 - 29:51Be a man!
-
29:51 - 29:56Don't be some little
slave of a cell phone. -
29:56 - 30:01Be a man.
-
30:01 - 30:02You're going to have to be one
-
30:02 - 30:04if you're going to be familiar
-
30:04 - 30:08and make it the great object of your life
-
30:08 - 30:14to pray like some of the
men and women of old, -
30:14 - 30:18whose lives we cherish.
-
30:18 - 30:21We're moved on when we read them.
-
30:21 - 30:25But how do you think
they lived lives like that? -
30:25 - 30:27Oh, if you looked at their prayer lives,
-
30:27 - 30:31you'd have some idea.
-
30:31 - 30:35Mark 1:35 "Rising very early
-
30:35 - 30:38in the morning while it was still dark,
-
30:38 - 30:40Jesus departed and went out
-
30:40 - 30:45to a desolate place and there He prayed."
-
30:45 - 30:46Hear Him.
-
30:46 - 30:50A mountain by Himself.
-
30:50 - 30:54A desolate place all alone.
-
30:54 - 30:56Hear His words.
-
30:56 - 30:58Do you see Him out there?
-
30:58 - 30:59You know what He's saying to you?
-
30:59 - 31:05Follow Me. Follow Me.
-
31:05 - 31:07Luke 5:16 "He would withdraw
-
31:07 - 31:11to desolate places and pray."
-
31:11 - 31:14Luke 6:12 "In these days,
-
31:14 - 31:18He went out to the mountain to pray
-
31:18 - 31:22and all night He continued
in prayer to God." -
31:22 - 31:25You find Him in these places
-
31:25 - 31:27before the sun rises in the morning.
-
31:27 - 31:29You find Him there in the afternoon
-
31:29 - 31:32all the way till night.
-
31:32 - 31:35You find Him there all through the night.
-
31:35 - 31:39Desolate places.
-
31:39 - 31:44Listen, if you want to excel at this,
-
31:44 - 31:48you need to arrange your life around this.
-
31:48 - 31:51It's not going to happen by magic.
-
31:51 - 31:52Be resolute about this.
-
31:52 - 31:55Make the sacrifices that are necessary
-
31:55 - 31:58to maintain one or two or three times
-
31:58 - 32:00of secret prayer every single day.
-
32:00 - 32:03You say, two or three times?
-
32:03 - 32:05I don't even do it once a day!
-
32:05 - 32:08Then repent!
-
32:08 - 32:10That's not praying constantly.
-
32:10 - 32:13That's not showing up in the secret place.
-
32:13 - 32:16That's not imitating Christ.
-
32:16 - 32:21Follow Me. Follow Me.
-
32:21 - 32:25Follow Me.
-
32:25 - 32:29Brethren, I thought about this.
-
32:29 - 32:31If I could take every moment
-
32:31 - 32:35that I've ever wasted in my life,
-
32:35 - 32:38and could have given it to secret prayer,
-
32:38 - 32:45how different my life would be.
-
32:45 - 32:47I mean just think of the
greater sanctification -
32:47 - 32:53that you and I might have in our lives
-
32:53 - 32:57if we took some of the needless,
-
32:57 - 33:01unnecessary wastes of time out of our life
-
33:01 - 33:06and replaced it with secret
communion with God, -
33:06 - 33:07just how our lives would be different.
-
33:07 - 33:12More answers to prayer.
-
33:12 - 33:15Don't let your friends;
-
33:15 - 33:16don't let your family;
-
33:16 - 33:18don't let the cares of this world;
-
33:18 - 33:19don't let your business;
-
33:19 - 33:24don't let your pleasure rob you of God.
-
33:24 - 33:28This is the greatest gift of all.
-
33:28 - 33:30I'll tell you this,
-
33:30 - 33:35those who have experienced God come close,
-
33:35 - 33:37they know it.
-
33:37 - 33:38They know it.
-
33:38 - 33:41There's nothing in this
world that compares. -
33:41 - 33:43There's nothing better.
-
33:43 - 33:46If you say, I don't know that,
-
33:46 - 33:51listen, if you love Him
-
33:51 - 33:54and you give yourself to seeking Him,
-
33:54 - 33:59He says He'll manifest Himself.
-
33:59 - 34:03And if you're not knowing
these manifestations, -
34:03 - 34:09it's not because He hasn't
promised to give them. -
34:09 - 34:14Look, spend the time to find God.
-
34:14 - 34:17Spend time - the time necessary -
-
34:17 - 34:22to find God in ways that thrill your soul;
-
34:22 - 34:25that cause you to drop on your face
-
34:25 - 34:26because He's come
-
34:26 - 34:28and the sense of His holiness
-
34:28 - 34:33is enough to put you on the floor.
-
34:33 - 34:34Because brethren, I'll tell you,
-
34:34 - 34:42you have experiences like Isaiah had.
-
34:42 - 34:44Yeah, I know he went to the temple;
-
34:44 - 34:46he saw the Lord; he actually had a vision.
-
34:46 - 34:48But when you have experiences
-
34:48 - 34:49where God comes close,
-
34:49 - 34:52it's life changing.
-
34:52 - 34:54You ask how to pray?
-
34:54 - 34:57Listen, I'll tell you from
my own experience, -
34:57 - 35:00have the Word of God involved with it.
-
35:00 - 35:02Oftentimes, going out -
-
35:02 - 35:04I like to pray outside -
-
35:04 - 35:08walking and begin to recite Scripture
-
35:08 - 35:10that I'm memorizing.
-
35:10 - 35:14Oh, that so primes the pump for prayer.
-
35:14 - 35:17Mack Tomlinson - and I'm
starting to do this now - -
35:17 - 35:23he has told me about
praying through the Psalms. -
35:23 - 35:24I'm beginning to do that.
-
35:24 - 35:26Tremendous help.
-
35:26 - 35:30Think about the promises of God
-
35:30 - 35:31when you pray.
-
35:31 - 35:34Think about reasons as to why
-
35:34 - 35:37God should give you
what you're asking for. -
35:37 - 35:45Brethren, instead of
starting your secret prayer -
35:45 - 35:49just running headlong into God's presence
-
35:49 - 35:53with all the things that you want.
-
35:53 - 35:56You say, I don't know what to pray for.
-
35:56 - 35:58Just go and get in the presence of God
-
35:58 - 36:03and begin to admit your faults.
-
36:03 - 36:06Confess your sins.
-
36:06 - 36:09Have a fresh look at the cross.
-
36:09 - 36:10Because I'll tell you,
-
36:10 - 36:11when you begin to go out
-
36:11 - 36:13and you begin to confess,
-
36:13 - 36:21and you're being transparent
before the Lord, -
36:21 - 36:25you start to look to the cross afresh -
-
36:25 - 36:29Christ's sufferings and His death for me -
-
36:29 - 36:37you're right where the
Spirit will help you pray. -
36:37 - 36:40So, that's one strand.
-
36:40 - 36:43But hear me, don't get impatient here.
-
36:43 - 36:50Second strand: doing good.
-
36:50 - 36:56Brethren, Galatians 6:9.
-
36:56 - 36:57Don't turn to these texts,
-
36:57 - 36:58but just listen,
-
36:58 - 37:00because I'm going to move through
-
37:00 - 37:02some of these quickly.
-
37:02 - 37:06But Scripture says, the apostle says,
-
37:06 - 37:10"Let us not grow weary of doing good."
-
37:10 - 37:11Or, "well doing."
-
37:11 - 37:15We are to be well-doers.
-
37:15 - 37:17"For in due season, we will reap
-
37:17 - 37:19if we do not give up."
-
37:19 - 37:22Do you remember what
was said about our Lord? -
37:22 - 37:28"He went about doing good."
-
37:28 - 37:32Again, He says, follow Me.
-
37:32 - 37:34See, if we watch Him,
-
37:34 - 37:35we find Him up on the mountain.
-
37:35 - 37:38We find Him out in desolate places.
-
37:38 - 37:39But keep watching Him.
-
37:39 - 37:41Oh, that's good in itself.
-
37:41 - 37:44That's doing good, but
watch Him in between. -
37:44 - 37:46Watch what He's up there
-
37:46 - 37:48getting fresh grace to do;
-
37:48 - 37:51communing with His Father.
-
37:51 - 37:53because then He comes down
-
37:53 - 37:55from the mountain.
-
37:55 - 37:58He comes away from the desolate place.
-
37:58 - 37:59And what does He do?
-
37:59 - 38:04A life just full of good.
-
38:04 - 38:05That's it.
-
38:05 - 38:07That's what it is to be His disciple.
-
38:07 - 38:08Are you His follower?
-
38:08 - 38:10That's what a Christian is:
-
38:10 - 38:11a follower of Christ.
-
38:11 - 38:12Do we follow Him?
-
38:12 - 38:14Do we follow Him to the secret place
-
38:14 - 38:18and then follow Him among the people?
-
38:18 - 38:22To do good. Doing good.
-
38:22 - 38:24Do you know what sort of Jesus
-
38:24 - 38:31you do not find in your Bibles?
-
38:31 - 38:34We do not find the sort of Jesus
-
38:34 - 38:36Who didn't smoke, didn't drink,
-
38:36 - 38:38didn't watch R-rated movies,
-
38:38 - 38:40didn't send His children to public school,
-
38:40 - 38:42didn't come late to church.
-
38:42 - 38:45We don't find that Christ.
-
38:45 - 38:47You say what?
-
38:47 - 38:50Listen, my emphasis is this:
-
38:50 - 38:56you don't find this Christ
-
38:56 - 38:59of negative emphasis
-
38:59 - 39:03in the pages of your Bible.
-
39:03 - 39:06Acts 10:38 doesn't say that Jesus
-
39:06 - 39:12went about not doing evil.
-
39:12 - 39:15That's not the Jesus of the Bible.
-
39:15 - 39:17You say, what? You're saying He did evil?
-
39:17 - 39:23No, I'm just saying that's not the issue.
-
39:23 - 39:27So often you find religious people -
-
39:27 - 39:30professing Christians -
-
39:30 - 39:32"well, what's wrong with that?"
-
39:32 - 39:34"Well, I don't do that."
-
39:34 - 39:37You know, the typical
fundamentalist attitude: -
39:37 - 39:39"I don't drink. I don't smoke.
-
39:39 - 39:42I don't dance."
-
39:42 - 39:45So?
-
39:45 - 39:50You say, what, the
pastor's saying you can? -
39:50 - 39:53I'm saying this:
-
39:53 - 39:57we're called to be followers of Christ.
-
39:57 - 39:59When you do spiritual inventory,
-
39:59 - 40:01sure, it's good if you haven't
-
40:01 - 40:03viewed pornography this week.
-
40:03 - 40:07It's great if you haven't
beaten your wife this week. -
40:07 - 40:12But brethren, those things are a given.
-
40:12 - 40:14If that's the level at which
-
40:14 - 40:16you're trying to live your Christian life,
-
40:16 - 40:20my friend, you are missing the whole point
-
40:20 - 40:24of why Jesus Christ saved a people.
-
40:24 - 40:25Have you ever read?
-
40:25 - 40:29He saved a people
-
40:29 - 40:32for His own possession.
-
40:32 - 40:35And what would chiefly characterize them?
-
40:35 - 40:38The fact that they don't do bad?
-
40:38 - 40:42Brethren, that they be
zealous of good works. -
40:42 - 40:44That's it.
-
40:44 - 40:46Get away from this negative-oriented
-
40:46 - 40:52kind of Christianity.
-
40:52 - 40:54You know you ask some people
-
40:54 - 40:56about their Christianity,
-
40:56 - 41:01and it's like it's all the negative.
-
41:01 - 41:03It's all about what they don't do.
-
41:03 - 41:05Listen, Jesus didn't save us
-
41:05 - 41:07just to stop doing the bad things.
-
41:07 - 41:08Of course He did that.
-
41:08 - 41:10Of course, by the Spirit to put to death
-
41:10 - 41:12the deeds of the body.
-
41:12 - 41:15Of course that.
-
41:15 - 41:17But doing good,
-
41:17 - 41:20doing good -
-
41:20 - 41:22this is the will of God,
-
41:22 - 41:24that by doing good, you should
-
41:24 - 41:27put to silence the
ignorance of foolish people. -
41:27 - 41:29In the same way, doesn't Scripture say,
-
41:29 - 41:32"Let your light so shine before men
-
41:32 - 41:33that they may see your good works
-
41:33 - 41:36and give glory to your
Father Who is in Heaven?" -
41:36 - 41:37Right there in Ephesians,
-
41:37 - 41:38we came across it:
-
41:38 - 41:40"We are His workmanship,
-
41:40 - 41:43created in Christ Jesus for good works."
-
41:43 - 41:45Brethren, this is the heart and soul.
-
41:45 - 41:47Again, when we talk about making it
-
41:47 - 41:49a primary endeavor of your life to pray -
-
41:49 - 41:52one of the primary endeavors of our lives
-
41:52 - 41:54is doing good.
-
41:54 - 41:56with so many people it's:
-
41:56 - 41:58Well, I didn't miss church on Sunday.
-
41:58 - 42:01Listen, church going - well, that's good.
-
42:01 - 42:04Not forsaking the assembling
together of yourselves is good. -
42:04 - 42:06But why do we come together?
-
42:06 - 42:10To stir up one another
to love and good works. -
42:10 - 42:12You see, that's the issue.
-
42:12 - 42:15You being here - that's only to equip you
-
42:15 - 42:17for the real work.
-
42:17 - 42:20To go out these doors
-
42:20 - 42:22and among one another
-
42:22 - 42:24and among the world
-
42:24 - 42:26out here in the midst of all this.
-
42:26 - 42:29Brothers, sisters,
-
42:29 - 42:31do good.
-
42:31 - 42:34Let that be the banner
that flies over your life. -
42:34 - 42:35Do good.
-
42:35 - 42:38Don't just live your life
not getting drunk, -
42:38 - 42:40then selfishly seeking
-
42:40 - 42:42to live for your own profit
-
42:42 - 42:44and your own good.
-
42:44 - 42:46Look for every occasion to do good.
-
42:46 - 42:47Look for opportunities.
-
42:47 - 42:49In your secret prayer,
-
42:49 - 42:51ask God, please, open doors.
-
42:51 - 42:53It's amazing how many times
-
42:53 - 42:54my wife has said
-
42:54 - 42:56I asked the Lord for an opportunity
-
42:56 - 42:58to evangelize and He brought it -
-
42:58 - 42:59almost instantaneously,
-
42:59 - 43:01like that day.
-
43:01 - 43:02Right away.
-
43:02 - 43:03I find that to be true too.
-
43:03 - 43:06You ask the Lord for
opportunities to do good, -
43:06 - 43:09the door will swing open.
-
43:09 - 43:10Just ask Him.
-
43:10 - 43:13Ask Him.
-
43:13 - 43:17Brethren, we are one
of the richest countries -
43:17 - 43:18that has ever lived.
-
43:18 - 43:20Well, you say, there are oil countries
-
43:20 - 43:21over in the Middle East.
-
43:21 - 43:22That doesn't matter.
-
43:22 - 43:26In light of all of human history,
-
43:26 - 43:29we are one of the richest countries
-
43:29 - 43:33that has ever existed.
-
43:33 - 43:36The average person in this country
-
43:36 - 43:38is so incredibly wealthy
-
43:38 - 43:40compared to the poverty you find
-
43:40 - 43:43in other places.
-
43:43 - 43:45You know why you've
been given those riches? -
43:45 - 43:47To do good with it.
-
43:47 - 43:51The rich are told to do good.
-
43:51 - 43:54Look for every opportunity.
-
43:54 - 43:55Brethen, look around you.
-
43:55 - 43:57There are needs everywhere.
-
43:57 - 43:59You know the Gospel.
-
43:59 - 44:01What a mess of good you might do
-
44:01 - 44:03knowing the Gospel!
-
44:03 - 44:04Look, we have that message
-
44:04 - 44:05that men need to hear.
-
44:05 - 44:07How are they going to believe
-
44:07 - 44:09in a Christ that they've never heard of.
-
44:09 - 44:11This is the message that empowered by God
-
44:11 - 44:13is salvation unto men.
-
44:13 - 44:15Jesus Christ - think
about the good He did. -
44:15 - 44:16He went to the cross.
-
44:16 - 44:18He laid down His life.
-
44:18 - 44:19And He's actually made it
-
44:19 - 44:21that with all that good that was done,
-
44:21 - 44:23yet people will not believe
-
44:23 - 44:25unless we do the good of taking
-
44:25 - 44:28the message of that cross to their ears.
-
44:28 - 44:30Otherwise, they die in their sin
-
44:30 - 44:31and they perish.
-
44:31 - 44:33Think about all the good we can do.
-
44:33 - 44:35You have the Gospel.
-
44:35 - 44:38You walk through this world
-
44:38 - 44:39and you come back here,
-
44:39 - 44:42one week, come back,
one week, come back... -
44:42 - 44:44And if you're not taking
-
44:44 - 44:46that fragrance of the Gospel out there,
-
44:46 - 44:48look at all the missed opportunities
-
44:48 - 44:51of enlightening the world.
-
44:51 - 44:53Brethren, do good to men's souls.
-
44:53 - 44:55(incomplete thought)
-
44:55 - 44:56I know James was saying
-
44:56 - 44:59we need to order some more business cards,
-
44:59 - 45:00but we've got tracts.
-
45:00 - 45:02Let's use them up.
-
45:02 - 45:04No matter what the financial situation is,
-
45:04 - 45:06use up tracts and we'll buy more.
-
45:06 - 45:10Keep those things flowing.
-
45:10 - 45:11Do good, brethren.
-
45:11 - 45:14Do good at work, at play,
at home, at school. -
45:14 - 45:16Relieve people's poverty.
-
45:16 - 45:18Brethren, if you see suffering,
-
45:18 - 45:20try to meet it.
-
45:20 - 45:22Use the spiritual gifts that
God has given to you -
45:22 - 45:24to help one another,
-
45:24 - 45:26to serve one another.
-
45:26 - 45:28Take what God has given to you.
-
45:28 - 45:29Look for opportunities.
-
45:29 - 45:32Look for the widow.
Look for the orphan. -
45:32 - 45:33Look for missions.
-
45:33 - 45:35Look, brethren, look.
-
45:35 - 45:36Get your eyes opened.
-
45:36 - 45:38We need to open up our eyes.
-
45:38 - 45:41Look, this is not about
you being comfortable. -
45:41 - 45:43God did not give you the
riches that He gave you -
45:43 - 45:45in this world so that you can just
-
45:45 - 45:47keep increasing your standard of living
-
45:47 - 45:49and standard of living, and it goes up,
-
45:49 - 45:50and you can wear nicer clothes
-
45:50 - 45:53and live in nicer houses,
and drive nicer cars. -
45:53 - 45:54It's not about that.
-
45:54 - 45:57The rich need to be liberal.
-
45:57 - 45:59Give and give more.
-
45:59 - 46:00Go to the jails,
-
46:00 - 46:01go to the college campuses,
-
46:01 - 46:02go to the nursing homes,
-
46:02 - 46:04get involved with this crisis pregnancy.
-
46:04 - 46:07Brethren, pray for the
women's Grace House. -
46:07 - 46:10Be involved in that as you're able to.
-
46:10 - 46:12But have compassion on people.
-
46:12 - 46:15Try to disseminate some sort of love
-
46:15 - 46:17to everyone you meet.
-
46:17 - 46:18If you're just thinking
-
46:18 - 46:20how can I just show kindness?
-
46:20 - 46:24Brethren, sometimes it may just be
-
46:24 - 46:28greeting somebody.
-
46:28 - 46:30I mean, I'm not saying you have to
-
46:30 - 46:33do a full three point sermon
-
46:33 - 46:38to the guy that you meet at HEB,
-
46:38 - 46:43but it might just be greeting him
-
46:43 - 46:45and being nice to people.
-
46:45 - 46:52It's good if Christians are just nice.
-
46:52 - 46:54But see what happens is
-
46:54 - 46:56when you begin to intertwine
-
46:56 - 46:58those secret prayers with the doing good,
-
46:58 - 47:00what happens is,
-
47:00 - 47:04God brings power to that doing good.
-
47:04 - 47:05I mean, He begins to bless it.
-
47:05 - 47:11There begins to become a reward in it.
-
47:11 - 47:13You know, brethren, there are some things
-
47:13 - 47:16we do that don't touch men's hearts.
-
47:16 - 47:18And there are some things that do.
-
47:18 - 47:20And the difference is God.
-
47:20 - 47:21The difference is Him.
-
47:21 - 47:23And it may have to
do with the difference -
47:23 - 47:25being in us, but He's able
to make that difference. -
47:25 - 47:27It comes back to Him.
-
47:27 - 47:29Brethren, you only get one life here.
-
47:29 - 47:30And the reality is,
-
47:30 - 47:31look, if we had two or three
-
47:31 - 47:33or five or ten lives,
-
47:33 - 47:34we might waste one of two of them,
-
47:34 - 47:36but you don't have that.
-
47:36 - 47:38And we're to be zealous.
-
47:38 - 47:40And you remember how it is on the end.
-
47:40 - 47:42Brethren, what was Jesus looking at?
-
47:42 - 47:44He was looking at the
good that people did. -
47:44 - 47:46I was hungry and you fed Me.
-
47:46 - 47:49Brethren, go do that.
-
47:49 - 47:52I was in jail; you came.
-
47:52 - 47:54Brethren, go do that.
-
47:54 - 47:56Go do that.
-
47:56 - 47:59That's what He's going to be looking for.
-
47:59 - 48:00Because you know what?
-
48:00 - 48:02That's just like the things He did.
-
48:02 - 48:03He did good.
-
48:03 - 48:05And He tells us: follow Me.
-
48:05 - 48:06He was zealous of good works
-
48:06 - 48:07and He wants you to be.
-
48:07 - 48:09Not mediocre, brethren.
-
48:09 - 48:10Not mediocre in good works.
-
48:10 - 48:15He really wants you to
pour yourself out that way. -
48:15 - 48:17Don't live your life so cheaply
-
48:17 - 48:18where you're just going around
-
48:18 - 48:19asking all the time:
-
48:19 - 48:22what's wrong with this?
what's wrong with that? -
48:22 - 48:27It's just so cheap.
-
48:27 - 48:29Brethren, you know what the reality is?
-
48:29 - 48:31When you go into that secret place,
-
48:31 - 48:33you can pray,
-
48:33 - 48:37"Lord, I know it.
-
48:37 - 48:38I know I can be insensitive.
-
48:38 - 48:40Take away this hard, selfish,
-
48:40 - 48:45insensitive heart.
-
48:45 - 48:51Make my heart full of love for people."
-
48:51 - 48:53Now, the last one.
-
48:53 - 48:55The last thread.
-
48:55 - 48:56Bear with me.
-
48:56 - 48:57Don't get impatient here,
-
48:57 - 48:59because this is critical.
-
48:59 - 49:02Threefold cord - it's when
they're all wrapped around. -
49:02 - 49:06Listen, if there's not self-denial,
-
49:06 - 49:08you will not make the disciplined
-
49:08 - 49:13decisions necessary to get
into that prayer closet. -
49:13 - 49:15If there's not self-denial,
-
49:15 - 49:17like I said before,
-
49:17 - 49:20any good works you do will be cheap
-
49:20 - 49:21(incomplete thought).
-
49:21 - 49:23You know the greatest good that Jesus did
-
49:23 - 49:26was laying down His life at that cross.
-
49:26 - 49:28The greatest good are the things
-
49:28 - 49:31that cost us the most,
-
49:31 - 49:34usually.
-
49:34 - 49:35Self-denial.
-
49:35 - 49:39Craig brought up: it's dangerous.
-
49:39 - 49:42It is dangerous.
-
49:42 - 49:45And he hit it right on the head: motive.
-
49:45 - 49:48Self-denial is dangerous
-
49:48 - 49:53because on the one hand,
-
49:53 - 49:56the Apostle Paul actually said
-
49:56 - 50:02people who are seduced by demonic spirits
-
50:02 - 50:08are going to preach abstinence -
-
50:08 - 50:11whether that be marriage or food.
-
50:11 - 50:13Now, you know what
the interesting thing is, -
50:13 - 50:16abstinence from food
-
50:16 - 50:19is like lent,
-
50:19 - 50:22or Catholics who can't
eat meat on Friday's. -
50:22 - 50:24We look at that and we say,
-
50:24 - 50:26well, that's demonic.
-
50:26 - 50:28Then here's Jesus over here saying,
-
50:28 - 50:31"when you fast..."
-
50:31 - 50:35I think you know that's not demonic.
-
50:35 - 50:39But isn't it close?
-
50:39 - 50:42Abstain from food is what people teach
-
50:42 - 50:44who have been influenced
-
50:44 - 50:48by these seducing spirits.
-
50:48 - 50:54Abstaining from food is
also taught by Jesus. -
50:54 - 51:00How do we bridge that gap?
-
51:00 - 51:02Because there's self-denial involved.
-
51:02 - 51:05Listen, Craig alluded to the passage
-
51:05 - 51:06in Colossians 2.
-
51:06 - 51:09You know what Paul warns about?
-
51:09 - 51:11He warns about man-made religion.
-
51:11 - 51:15Don't taste. Don't touch.
-
51:15 - 51:16Have you ever read that?
-
51:16 - 51:19He warns against asceticism.
-
51:19 - 51:22Who knows what asceticism is?
-
51:22 - 51:24It's self-denial. It's self-mortification
-
51:24 - 51:27of the body.
-
51:27 - 51:29And he's actually warning against it.
-
51:29 - 51:32And yet the same apostle comes along
-
51:32 - 51:34to the Corinthians and says
-
51:34 - 51:38right at the end of 1 Corinthians 9,
-
51:38 - 51:47I beat my body and I keep it under.
-
51:47 - 51:50But you see brethren, the thing is here,
-
51:50 - 51:54it's all got to do with motive.
-
51:54 - 51:56Self-denial.
-
51:56 - 51:59That's the last strand
that I want to bring out. -
51:59 - 52:01This needs to be interwoven
-
52:01 - 52:04with secret prayer, with doing good.
-
52:04 - 52:06Yes, it's fraught with dangers,
-
52:06 - 52:10but the reality is, brethren,
-
52:10 - 52:14Jesus Christ said this to us -
-
52:14 - 52:16in fact, I want to read you Paul's words
-
52:16 - 52:18before I tell you what Jesus said.
-
52:18 - 52:20He said, "I do not run aimlessly.
-
52:20 - 52:23I do not box as one beating the air,
-
52:23 - 52:25but I discipline my body
-
52:25 - 52:26and keep it under control,
-
52:26 - 52:28lest after preaching to others,
-
52:28 - 52:30I myself should be disqualified."
-
52:30 - 52:32King James says "cast away."
-
52:32 - 52:38The reality of that is
not standing the test. -
52:38 - 52:40And you know what he's saying?
-
52:40 - 52:43He's saying that I beat my body
-
52:43 - 52:44and I bring it under control
-
52:44 - 52:45and I say no to it
-
52:45 - 52:49and I don't let it master me,
-
52:49 - 52:52because in the end, I
don't want to be cast away. -
52:52 - 52:54In the end, I don't want to perish.
-
52:54 - 52:57Brethren, you know what I love about Paul?
-
52:57 - 53:00He's never the hyper-Calvinist.
-
53:00 - 53:03"Oh, well, I'm saved, so
it doesn't really matter." -
53:03 - 53:07"Well, if I'm one of the elect,
I'm in, no matter what I do." -
53:07 - 53:09You know, he didn't think that way.
-
53:09 - 53:11He recognized this,
-
53:11 - 53:15you need to recognize what he's saying.
-
53:15 - 53:19He's saying I recognize that my body
-
53:19 - 53:22has such appetites that if I give myself
-
53:22 - 53:27into those I may perish at last.
-
53:27 - 53:31Listen, Jesus said this:
-
53:31 - 53:33"If anyone would come after Me,
-
53:33 - 53:40let him deny himself,
-
53:40 - 53:43take up his cross daily..."
-
53:43 - 53:45That means die.
-
53:45 - 53:47Cross - death instrument.
-
53:47 - 53:50Die daily.
-
53:50 - 53:52"...and follow Me."
-
53:52 - 53:55See, we keep coming back to that.
-
53:55 - 53:59Follow Me.
-
53:59 - 54:01Follow Him to the secret place.
-
54:01 - 54:03Follow Him in being zealous of good works.
-
54:03 - 54:11Follow Him in - you
talk about self-denial - -
54:11 - 54:14He wasn't born into a wealthy family.
-
54:14 - 54:18He could have been.
-
54:18 - 54:26He was born into some degree of poverty.
-
54:26 - 54:30He went to the cross.
-
54:30 - 54:33His own ease?
-
54:33 - 54:35He said, I did not come to be served.
-
54:35 - 54:36I came to serve.
-
54:36 - 54:40I came to pour Myself out for others.
-
54:40 - 54:42That's the example that we have.
-
54:42 - 54:44John said, "Truly, truly, I say to you,
-
54:44 - 54:46unless a grain of wheat falls
into the earth and dies, -
54:46 - 54:48it remains alone."
-
54:48 - 54:50You want to be fruitful? There's dying.
-
54:50 - 54:53Death brings fruitfulness.
-
54:53 - 54:54Dying to self.
-
54:54 - 54:55Deny self.
-
54:55 - 54:57Carry the cross daily.
-
54:57 - 55:00Brethren, let's face it.
-
55:00 - 55:04By nature - I'm talking
about our lost states - -
55:04 - 55:07we're soft. We love pleasure.
-
55:07 - 55:08You know what?
-
55:08 - 55:10You could say, what about
-
55:10 - 55:12the guy that goes into the military
-
55:12 - 55:13and he becomes a seal.
-
55:13 - 55:16Does he like just soft things?
-
55:16 - 55:17No, he likes the honor.
-
55:17 - 55:20He likes the attention.
-
55:20 - 55:22But see, we're like that.
-
55:22 - 55:25If it makes us look good,
-
55:25 - 55:26we'll make some denials
-
55:26 - 55:28if it makes us look good;
-
55:28 - 55:30we'll make the denials to be
-
55:30 - 55:31this kind of athlete over there,
-
55:31 - 55:33because we want that applause.
-
55:33 - 55:38But by nature, we are honor seeking.
-
55:38 - 55:40We are the kind of people
-
55:40 - 55:44that we seek self-gratification
-
55:44 - 55:46and applause and pleasure.
-
55:46 - 55:50That's what we are.
-
55:50 - 55:53Brethren, the reality is
-
55:53 - 55:57that when we get saved,
-
55:57 - 56:01I know that the cross of Jesus Christ
-
56:01 - 56:04has dealt our selfishness a mortal blow,
-
56:04 - 56:08but you and I know it's not dead yet.
-
56:08 - 56:10That principal is still -
-
56:10 - 56:12that's in operation within us,
-
56:12 - 56:15and that's why Paul has
to come along and say, -
56:15 - 56:16I beat my body.
-
56:16 - 56:18I give it a black eye.
-
56:18 - 56:22I keep it under.
-
56:22 - 56:24And that's why you get Jesus
-
56:24 - 56:25coming along and saying,
-
56:25 - 56:26you need to die.
-
56:26 - 56:28You need to deny yourself.
-
56:28 - 56:31Why? Because, brethren, I'm telling you
-
56:31 - 56:34just like I mentioned that
in regards to Paul, -
56:34 - 56:36there is something in our appetites
-
56:36 - 56:38that is willing to carry us away
-
56:38 - 56:40if we give place to it.
-
56:40 - 56:43This is what it is about the Spirit of God
-
56:43 - 56:45and putting to death
the deeds of the body. -
56:45 - 56:47It is by this Spirit,
-
56:47 - 56:49you are putting to death something
-
56:49 - 56:51that needs to be put to death.
-
56:51 - 56:53There's something in our mortal bodies.
-
56:53 - 56:55It likes softness.
-
56:55 - 56:58You know, one of the things today
-
56:58 - 57:01with all the wealth that we have,
-
57:01 - 57:05we have so much softness.
-
57:05 - 57:07And we don't really even think about it,
-
57:07 - 57:11I'm afraid.
-
57:11 - 57:17We are able to keep the temperature
-
57:17 - 57:22within very narrow bands 99% of our life.
-
57:22 - 57:25And we scream like -
-
57:25 - 57:26I know it's graphic -
-
57:26 - 57:28I just think of Bob Jennings talking about
-
57:28 - 57:31people screaming like stuck pigs.
-
57:31 - 57:35But we scream bloody murder,
-
57:35 - 57:37like my mom used to say,
-
57:37 - 57:39if we just have to walk from the door
-
57:39 - 57:43out to our cars and it's 30 degrees.
-
57:43 - 57:46Oh, it's so cold out here.
-
57:46 - 57:48We are so soft.
-
57:48 - 57:51The temperature, the humidity...
-
57:51 - 57:54And our food.
-
57:54 - 57:58We are a pampered people.
-
57:58 - 58:00That's just a reality.
-
58:00 - 58:02My great uncle came back from
-
58:02 - 58:04fighting in the Battle of the Bulge.
-
58:04 - 58:06He came in on like day four or five
-
58:06 - 58:09after D-day,
-
58:09 - 58:12and he fought behind Patton.
-
58:12 - 58:15And I went and talked to him -
-
58:15 - 58:16he and his wife were in their 90's,
-
58:16 - 58:18sharing the Gospel with him
-
58:18 - 58:18over in Tennessee.
-
58:18 - 58:20His wife said when he came home
-
58:20 - 58:22from the war, he slept on the ground
-
58:22 - 58:24in the backyard.
-
58:24 - 58:26Because he had been so used to that
-
58:26 - 58:27during the war,
-
58:27 - 58:32that getting in a bed was unheard of.
-
58:32 - 58:35We need some of that in us.
-
58:35 - 58:37Because brethren, we're soft.
-
58:37 - 58:39Doesn't it seem like they're figuring out
-
58:39 - 58:41how to make clothes softer?
-
58:41 - 58:44And towels softer?
-
58:44 - 58:45And if you would have heard
-
58:45 - 58:48how we cried when we went to Mexico
-
58:48 - 58:50because the water wasn't exactly
-
58:50 - 58:53the right temperature in the showers?
-
58:53 - 58:55Right, Pete?
-
58:55 - 58:57I mean, we are soft.
-
58:57 - 58:59And brethren, if we're going to
-
58:59 - 59:01live this Christian life
-
59:01 - 59:04with the kind of sacrifices that
-
59:04 - 59:06we need to be making,
-
59:06 - 59:10brethren, you need to deny the self.
-
59:10 - 59:12And listen, motive has
everything to do with it. -
59:12 - 59:15If the motive is, oh yeah,
-
59:15 - 59:17I'm going to make these sacrifices -
-
59:17 - 59:19so it comes back to the fasting thing.
-
59:19 - 59:21You see, fasting fits right in
-
59:21 - 59:23with all this self-denial.
-
59:23 - 59:26If you do it because you
want to be seen of people, -
59:26 - 59:28and you want to put a notch
in your spiritual belt, -
59:28 - 59:30and you want to make
sure everybody knows. -
59:30 - 59:32Listen, I have a friend I
went to high school with. -
59:32 - 59:34He's now a Jesuit priest.
-
59:34 - 59:36He let the whole world know,
-
59:36 - 59:37right on the Internet - I saw it there.
-
59:37 - 59:39I was kind of finding out what's going on
-
59:39 - 59:40with his life.
-
59:40 - 59:43He tells the story publicly
in front of the whole audience -
59:43 - 59:45about how when he was
a kid in elementary school, -
59:45 - 59:47he'd walk - this is back when I knew him.
-
59:47 - 59:48I used to be his neighbor.
-
59:48 - 59:51And he put rocks in his shoes.
-
59:51 - 59:53Why? Well, that's what Catholics do.
-
59:53 - 59:54This self-mortification.
-
59:54 - 59:57But the thing is, he
had to tell everybody. -
59:57 - 59:59I'm not talking about the things
-
59:59 - 60:00that you go and broadcast.
-
60:00 - 60:02Paul was setting himself forth
-
60:02 - 60:04as an example, but he didn't tell us
-
60:04 - 60:07exactly how he did, what he did -
-
60:07 - 60:08that's not the issue.
-
60:08 - 60:10But brethren, we need to
-
60:10 - 60:13look at our lives.
-
60:13 - 60:15Look, I'll tell you this.
-
60:15 - 60:18It doesn't help us to make things
-
60:18 - 60:22more comfortable, more soft.
-
60:22 - 60:24So often we can get this, you know,
-
60:24 - 60:26we're in this day where we have
-
60:26 - 60:28so much wealth.
-
60:28 - 60:30We can eat exactly these right things.
-
60:30 - 60:32All these diets, well,
-
60:32 - 60:34it's in the name of health,
and I'm going to live longer -
60:34 - 60:35and I'm going to be healthy.
-
60:35 - 60:38But I'll tell you this,
if all the pampering -
60:38 - 60:40makes you soft spiritually,
-
60:40 - 60:41it's not helping you.
-
60:41 - 60:43You might live a little bit longer,
-
60:43 - 60:44but that's not what we need.
-
60:44 - 60:46We don't need to live longer.
-
60:46 - 60:49We need to live better while we live.
-
60:49 - 60:52Brethren, don't go after
-
60:52 - 60:55all the self-pampering in this life.
-
60:55 - 60:57Don't do that.
-
60:57 - 60:58Hudson Taylor.
-
60:58 - 60:59Brethren, there was a reason
-
60:59 - 61:01before he went to China,
-
61:01 - 61:02he went into the inner city.
-
61:02 - 61:06And he was eating the
very meagerest of diets. -
61:06 - 61:07And you know this. You've heard it.
-
61:07 - 61:09He slept on boards.
-
61:09 - 61:11And he lived in poor housing
-
61:11 - 61:13in the slums.
-
61:13 - 61:15Why? He was preparing
-
61:15 - 61:16to go to China.
-
61:16 - 61:17And he recognized this.
-
61:17 - 61:19He recognized that if he's going to
-
61:19 - 61:20make it over there
-
61:20 - 61:23being all lavished with the best food
-
61:23 - 61:24and the softest clothes
-
61:24 - 61:25and the nice house,
-
61:25 - 61:29which really is how he grew up;
-
61:29 - 61:40he wasn't going to do well over there.
-
61:40 - 61:42(incomplete thought)
-
61:42 - 61:44You say, well, Hudson
Taylor did those things. -
61:44 - 61:46I'm not a Hudson Taylor.
-
61:46 - 61:48Yeah, but the thing that
we have to recognize -
61:48 - 61:50is how did Hudson Taylor get to be
-
61:50 - 61:51where he was a Hudson Taylor
-
61:51 - 61:53and accomplish the things that he did?
-
61:53 - 61:55There was a lot of self-sacrifice;
-
61:55 - 62:00a lot of self-denial.
-
62:00 - 62:03Now, I don't know where
I came across this, -
62:03 - 62:06but I believe that this was John Piper
-
62:06 - 62:09that basically pointed out -
-
62:09 - 62:13he was taking fasting, again,
-
62:13 - 62:18which is a form of self-denial,
-
62:18 - 62:22and he put fasting
-
62:22 - 62:24and young people
-
62:24 - 62:28struggling with pornography
-
62:28 - 62:32into the same little message.
-
62:32 - 62:36And I made a slight
little effort to find it, -
62:36 - 62:39but I just don't know where it's at.
-
62:39 - 62:42But you know what he said?
-
62:42 - 62:47He said you take young people today
-
62:47 - 62:52who are so wired
-
62:52 - 62:56to just gratify everything.
-
62:56 - 62:58We get sick. We take the medicine.
-
62:58 - 63:03Get sick. Go to the doctor.
-
63:03 - 63:06Soft.
-
63:06 - 63:08We're supposed to get out of bed.
-
63:08 - 63:09You know the Scripture says,
-
63:09 - 63:14"consider the ant."
-
63:14 - 63:16The ants often out there -
-
63:16 - 63:18these fire ants around here are often
-
63:18 - 63:19out there - you wonder,
-
63:19 - 63:21how did all those piles get out there?
-
63:21 - 63:23Well, the reality is,
-
63:23 - 63:24they were at work
-
63:24 - 63:28when a lot of us were still in bed.
-
63:28 - 63:29Get out of bed.
-
63:29 - 63:31That's one of the self-denials.
-
63:31 - 63:33Just get out of bed.
-
63:33 - 63:35You don't need to sleep ten hours a day.
-
63:35 - 63:38Get out of bed.
-
63:38 - 63:40Stop with all the softness.
-
63:40 - 63:41Take up the cross.
-
63:41 - 63:46But Piper said these young people -
-
63:46 - 63:49instant gratification;
-
63:49 - 63:51instant.
-
63:51 - 63:53I mean, again, I've been reading
-
63:53 - 63:54Adoniram Judson.
-
63:54 - 63:57He oftentimes would board a ship
-
63:57 - 63:59and because of tides and winds,
-
63:59 - 64:01they would often sit there for three days.
-
64:01 - 64:03Can you imagine if you got on an airplane
-
64:03 - 64:05and you had to sit on the airplane
-
64:05 - 64:08for three days before it took off?
-
64:08 - 64:10Again, we'd all be screaming like...
-
64:10 - 64:11what's going on?
-
64:11 - 64:13We'd get off the airplane.
-
64:13 - 64:15We'd find some other way.
-
64:15 - 64:17We don't have patience
for that kind of thing. -
64:17 - 64:19We want our food now.
-
64:19 - 64:20We want it the way it is.
-
64:20 - 64:21Send it back.
-
64:21 - 64:23It's not cooked just like I want it.
-
64:23 - 64:26It's not the right temperature.
-
64:26 - 64:27You know what?
-
64:27 - 64:30When you have young people
that are wired that way, -
64:30 - 64:32you have parents that
give them everything. -
64:32 - 64:34Oh, you want those clothes?
Here, have those clothes. -
64:34 - 64:38Oh, you want that cell phone?
Here, have that cell phone. -
64:38 - 64:39And more and more,
-
64:39 - 64:41you know we get away
from agricultural life, -
64:41 - 64:44and this is one of the struggles
I've had in the city. -
64:44 - 64:47It's like putting the
children to work is hard. -
64:47 - 64:49And so you grow up with
this pampered generation, -
64:49 - 64:51that knows very little about hard work,
-
64:51 - 64:54about getting out in rough conditions,
-
64:54 - 64:57and what happens?
-
64:57 - 65:01You've so trained those young people
-
65:01 - 65:04to say yes to their appetites,
-
65:04 - 65:06that when their body says:
-
65:06 - 65:08"I want sexual gratification."
-
65:08 - 65:10It's just like, "yep!"
-
65:10 - 65:15Just right there.
-
65:15 - 65:17Brethren, if I could desire something
-
65:17 - 65:22of this church that there would be -
-
65:22 - 65:24not the kind of self-denial
-
65:24 - 65:25that you want to parade,
-
65:25 - 65:26so that you could tell people
-
65:26 - 65:29like putting stones in your shoes.
-
65:29 - 65:32But brethren, you don't
need the softest towel -
65:32 - 65:34You don't need the softest clothes.
-
65:34 - 65:36You don't need the most comfortable shoes.
-
65:36 - 65:39You don't need the most comfortable
temperature in your house. -
65:39 - 65:43You don't always need to eat
all the fancy food. -
65:43 - 65:45You don't need to live in the nicer house,
-
65:45 - 65:50or have the more comfortable car.
-
65:50 - 65:52You know, it can almost be like,
-
65:52 - 65:55that automobile doesn't
have air conditioning. -
65:55 - 65:56We need to fix it!
-
65:56 - 65:58Well, you know, that
isn't necessarily something -
65:58 - 65:59that needs to be fixed
-
65:59 - 66:01for your automobile to do
-
66:01 - 66:03what automobiles are supposed to do.
-
66:03 - 66:06Look, I'm the first one
to like air conditioning. -
66:06 - 66:09I know the heat down about kills me.
-
66:09 - 66:13But brethren, we are soft.
-
66:13 - 66:15And the truth is that
-
66:15 - 66:17there's decisions that we can make
-
66:17 - 66:20to keep our body under,
-
66:20 - 66:22like Paul did.
-
66:22 - 66:27Take up your cross daily.
-
66:27 - 66:31Adopt a course of habitual self-denial.
-
66:31 - 66:36Basically, what Piper
was getting at is this: -
66:36 - 66:41When young people
-
66:41 - 66:46actually develop the habits of fasting -
-
66:46 - 66:50that kind of self-denial -
-
66:50 - 66:52it makes it a whole lot easier to say no
-
66:52 - 66:54to these bodily appetites when it comes
-
66:54 - 66:57to sexual problems.
-
66:57 - 67:00And I just wondered hearing that,
-
67:00 - 67:04huh, I wonder if a poll could be taken
-
67:04 - 67:06and everybody was totally honest
-
67:06 - 67:08and we knew all the facts,
-
67:08 - 67:10if the young people most likely
-
67:10 - 67:15to fall into some kind
of sexual temptation -
67:15 - 67:17are likewise the ones that are least given
-
67:17 - 67:19to fasting.
-
67:19 - 67:21I wonder if that correlation is real.
-
67:21 - 67:27I suspect there's reality to it.
-
67:27 - 67:28You see, the fat guy
-
67:28 - 67:36who says, "oh, my stomach hurts," -
-
67:36 - 67:38I mean, that's one thing.
-
67:38 - 67:41Being overweight - that's
a good indication -
67:41 - 67:43that you're not saying no
-
67:43 - 67:46to these bodily appetites.
-
67:46 - 67:47You see, the thing is,
-
67:47 - 67:49when you have secret prayer
-
67:49 - 67:51and doing good
-
67:51 - 67:53and self-denial,
-
67:53 - 67:57oh, brethren, that is a threefold cord
-
67:57 - 68:01that is not easily broken
in the Christian life. -
68:01 - 68:02Because what it will do
-
68:02 - 68:05is it will free you to make sacrifices
-
68:05 - 68:07even when it's uncomfortable to do good.
-
68:07 - 68:10And you surround all that with prayer
-
68:10 - 68:11and bringing down the power of God,
-
68:11 - 68:14brethren, I'll tell you
what it will produce, -
68:14 - 68:17it'll produce the kind of life
that we find in Christ. -
68:17 - 68:18And may God help us to have
-
68:18 - 68:20as much of the life of Christ
-
68:20 - 68:22and the strength of His life in our lives
-
68:22 - 68:24that is mortally possible
-
68:24 - 68:28for men and women like
us who've been saved -
68:28 - 68:32to make us as much like Him as possible.
-
68:32 - 68:34Deny yourselves.
-
68:34 - 68:35You know what Scripture says.
-
68:35 - 68:37Sell your possessions
and give to the poor. -
68:37 - 68:38Is that a denial?
-
68:38 - 68:40It is.
-
68:40 - 68:41Make time for prayer.
-
68:41 - 68:42Is that a denial?
-
68:42 - 68:44Rather than doing the
pleasurable things? -
68:44 - 68:45It is.
-
68:45 - 68:47Take more time in fasting
-
68:47 - 68:48even beyond this week.
-
68:48 - 68:50Make this a year of prayer and fasting.
-
68:50 - 68:51Is that a denial?
-
68:51 - 68:52That is a denial.
-
68:52 - 68:55Jesus talked about all forms of denial.
-
68:55 - 68:57Take the lowest seat.
-
68:57 - 68:58Don't seek the places of honor.
-
68:58 - 69:03Serve the Lord in ways
that nobody else will know. -
69:03 - 69:04Die to yourself that way.
-
69:04 - 69:05Die.
-
69:05 - 69:07Go do good things.
-
69:07 - 69:11Give in ways that people
don't even know you do it. -
69:11 - 69:13Make sacrifices that nobody else sees
-
69:13 - 69:14but you and the Lord.
-
69:14 - 69:17Saying no to your flesh,
-
69:17 - 69:20even when by all rights,
-
69:20 - 69:21you could pamper it.
-
69:21 - 69:24I'm not saying eating a bowl of ice cream,
-
69:24 - 69:26having a piece of lemon meringue pie...
-
69:26 - 69:27but you know what?
-
69:27 - 69:29There can be times and places
-
69:29 - 69:32when you say no.
-
69:32 - 69:35We're not going to that party.
-
69:35 - 69:39We're not going to that get-together.
-
69:39 - 69:41You know, several years back,
-
69:41 - 69:43an Assemblies of God church
-
69:43 - 69:44just south of Monterey asked me
-
69:44 - 69:47to come down and preach
at a missions conference. -
69:47 - 69:49I knew that was risky going in.
-
69:49 - 69:52But, I had a group of people there
-
69:52 - 69:55and they all wanted to jump and shout
-
69:55 - 69:56and clap and scream,
-
69:56 - 69:59and I kind of killed that right off.
-
69:59 - 70:01But I said to them -
-
70:01 - 70:03this was a bunch of people
-
70:03 - 70:06that didn't even have their Bibles.
-
70:06 - 70:08And look, I had to be honest with them.
-
70:08 - 70:10I said we're having a missions conference
-
70:10 - 70:12and you don't even have your Bibles.
-
70:12 - 70:14I said you're not fit to go.
-
70:14 - 70:17This group at large is not fit to go.
-
70:17 - 70:19I said you know the people that end up
-
70:19 - 70:20making a difference is when
-
70:20 - 70:22all the other young
people are over here -
70:22 - 70:24hooting and hollering
and having a good time; -
70:24 - 70:27it's the person that makes the sacrifice.
-
70:27 - 70:28They go grab their Bibles
-
70:28 - 70:31and they go off by themselves.
-
70:31 - 70:34That's the person who's going to
-
70:34 - 70:36end up turning the world upside down.
-
70:36 - 70:39Self-denial.
-
70:39 - 70:41Sacrifice.
-
70:41 - 70:43Threefold cord.
-
70:43 - 70:46Oh, brethren...
-
70:46 - 70:49Make an immediate beginning.
-
70:49 - 70:52Here it is 2018. A good mile marker.
-
70:52 - 70:54If there's something that resonates
-
70:54 - 70:56in your own conscience,
-
70:56 - 70:59don't procrastinate.
-
70:59 - 71:02Immediately. Immediately,
-
71:02 - 71:04make the determination.
-
71:04 - 71:07Monday morning - different.
-
71:07 - 71:09Re-order.
-
71:09 - 71:13Brethren, this is our life.
-
71:13 - 71:14Threefold cord.
-
71:14 - 71:16Not easily broken.
-
71:16 - 71:18Strong life.
-
71:18 - 71:20Father, I pray,
-
71:20 - 71:20help us.
-
71:20 - 71:22Give us grace,
-
71:22 - 71:26in the name of Jesus Christ, I pray.
-
71:26 - 71:27Amen.
- Title:
- A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway
- Description:
-
Believer, in this upcoming year live a life with the threefold cord of secret prayer, doing good, and self-denial. As you secretly commune with Christ you will, out of love for Him, be zealous for good works and die to yourself daily.
MP3: https://illbehonest.com/threefold-cord-prayer-good-denial
- Video Language:
- English
- Duration:
- 01:11:27
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway | ||
Carrie Spradlin edited English subtitles for A Threefold Cord: Secret Prayer, Doing Good, and Self-Denial - Tim Conway |