“LET’S TALK!” John R. Chapman May 2, 2004
I want you all to know that I love you very much. (LEAVE THE PLATFORM, GO TO KITCHEN & WAIT 20 SECONDS, then RETURN) (inform sound man)
Do you think that’s what God feels like when we tell him we love him and then disappear?! We say we want a relationship and then don’t talk to him, don’t listen to him….
Communication is the number 1 problem in businesses, marriages, our health AND our spiritual lives!
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The Top Five Applicant Characteristics College Recruiters Seek, Per Various Perceptions | |
Rank | Per Recruiters | Per Faculty | Per Students | ||
1. | Communication skills | Communication skills | Communication skills | ||
2. | Personality/interpersonal skills | Future potential | Personality/interpersonal | ||
3. | Future potential | Personality/interpersonal | Future potential | ||
4. | Maturity | Scholastic records | Personal appearance | ||
5. | Scholastic records | Maturity | Maturity | ||
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| A man called his neighbour to help him move a couch that had become stuck in the doorway. They pushed and pulled until they were exhausted, but the couch wouldn’t budge. "Forget it," the man finally said. "We’ll never get this in." |
George Barna conducted a study which was published on Jan. 26 of this year. The study showed that in 55% of our nation’s protestant churches a human being could not be reached by telephone. What does that say to the person seeking God through us, His body?
In other areas of our lives, cell phones, email, and instant messaging have now become part of the “norm.” We communicate like “crazy” with each other and we are willing to pay for it. We went from party lines to individual lines, to two lines (1 for the computer) to 2 lines PLUS cell phones for the entire family!
“Let’s Talk!”, pg. 2
In the health realm, scientists have found that it is the lack of communication between blood cells that cause heart disease, heart attacks, etc.
It is our lack of communication with God which causes spiritual disease and satanic attacks!
Why do we not eagerly jump at the chance to talk to God? I remember when I first came to church here I asked Pastor Lyle why we didn’t have a Wednesday night prayer meeting. His response to me was, "there isn’t enough interest!"
Speaking with the youth last Sunday I asked them to consider the time they spend communicating with God (in prayer) and to consider the excuses as to why they don’t spend any time or more time…
I would ask you to consider the same:
You say, “I’m so busy at work…”
“I’m so tired when I get home”
“I’ve got to leave so early”
Well, let me ask you as I asked them….
How much time do you spend talking on the phone with a friend?
How much time do you spend answering email?
How much time do you devote to hobbies?
How much time do you sit in front of the television?
How much time do you spend reading that fascinating book?
How much more should we be spending time with the Father of all Creation, our Creator?
The truth of the matter is we all find time for what we truly believe is important.
Our relationship with God is supposed to be, according to Jesus in Matthew 22:37, the number one thing in our life. The number two thing is our relationship with each other. Both require communication.
God created us to have a relationship with Him. Jesus said that “no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) He then tells us how vital that relationship is in John 15: 4-7. I want to read this to you out of Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase, “The Message:”
4“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
“Let’s Talk!”, pg. 3
5“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. 6Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. 7But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.
He created us.
He took the time to send his son to die for us on Calvary.
He has adopted us as his own sons and daughters.
As an earthly father loves to hear the sound of his children’s voice talking to him, about their problems, joys, friends and lives in general…so our heavenly father wants to hear from us.
He has called us “friend” (John 15:15) 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
That’s amazing “all things”….Have we heard Him is the question!
The word pray in the Greek is “proseuchomai”
pros-yoo'-khom-ahee
From Strong’s G4314 and G2172; to pray to God, that is, supplicate, worship:—pray
(X earnestly, for), make prayer.
Supplicate – to ask humbly, earnestly for something
Worship – to humbly bow before; to praise and give thanks, “I love YOU, LORD”
We Pray to: (topical list of David’s prayers in the Psalms)
1. show trust in God
2. ask for protection
3. for mercy
4. for help
5. for victory, guidance and pardon
6. for rescue
7. for forgiveness
8. for deliverance
9. for pardon
10. for defense against enemies
11. to thank God for all of the above
12. ask God to help others
There are many underlying reasons that we avoid praying. Here are a few:
1. Fear because of sin in life….answer, CONFESS , 1 John 1:9
We’ve not been given a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7)
“Let’s Talk!”, pg. 4
2. Stress: I don’t want him to know I’m upset… First of all He already knows, for God knows EVERYTHING. He just wants you to confide in Him….answer, TAKE IT ALL TO HIM; Be Anxious for Nothing! (Phil 4:6-7)
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3. Pride: I’ll go it on my own, I don’t need help…answer, BE HUMBLE, (Proverbs 16:19); PRIDE IS NOT OF THE FATHER, but of the world
(1 John 2:15)
4. Sometimes, we’re simply afraid of not getting our way! We forget that God knows what is best for us….answer, THY WILL BE DONE (surrender!)
Bill Keller of liveprayer.com has this to say:
God answers some prayers yes, some prayers no and some prayers are on hold for a while. It is those no answers, those prayers on hold that allow doubt to creep into our thoughts. The fact is God is not our
personal servant. We are His. He is not there for our pleasure, we are here for His.
The answer to doubt of course is faith. Faith in a God that created the heavens and earth. Faith in a God that created each one of us in His own image. Faith in a God that loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die for our sins so that we could be reconciled back into fellowship with Him. Faith in a God that has given us His Word to guide and direct our journey here on earth. While we all have doubts at different times in our life, the answer to those doubts is our faith in God.
Here are a few reasons for not avoiding our time with Him:
1. He told us to pray (1 Thess 5:17, Luke 18:1)
2. If we love Him, we’ll obey Him (John 14:15)
3. To be like Him we must follow Him (Matt 16:24)
TURN WITH ME TO PSALM 5:1-3 (KJV)
Vs.3:
3My voiceH6963 shalt thou hearH8085 in the morningH1242, O LORDH3068; in the morningH1242 will I directH6186 my prayer unto thee, and will lookH6822 up.
MY VOICE (not my email, not a proxy, but me, Your Creation, personal & intimate)
THOU SHALT HEAR (attentively & caringly God listens)
in the MORNING (not just one, but all of them)
LORD (Jehovah, Creator of All, Redeemer, All-powerful, All-knowing, eternal)
“Let’s Talk!”, pg. 5
I will DIRECT (arrange, put in order, prepare, value)
A primitive root; to set in a row, that is, arrange, put in order (in a very wide variety of applications):—put (set) (the battle, self) in array, compare, direct, equal, esteem, estimate, expert [in war], furnish, handle, join [battle], ordain, (lay, put, reckon up, set) (in) order, prepare, tax, value.
my PRAYER (my requests and my praise)
and will LOOK UP (eagerly await Your reply, O Lord)
Psalm 5: 3 (NASB)
3 In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
Psalm 5:3 (NLT)
3 Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly
Psalm 5:3 (TMNT)
you’ll hear me at it again.
Every morning
I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar
and watch for fire to descend.
NOT JUST MORNINGS!
Dan 6:10 Three times a day
1 Thessalonians 5:17, Pray without ceasing
Of the early church Paul says "They all joined together constantly in prayer..."
(Acts 1:14 NIV).
Psalm 116:2 (NASB)
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
LISTENING TO GOD IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TALKING TO HIM
Illus: The Job Applicant
Back when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
“Let’s Talk!”, pg. 6
The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified. Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.” The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!” The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.” |
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REPEAT AFTER ME:
3My voice …..
shalt thou hear….
in the morning, O LORD;….
in the morning….
will I direct my prayer
unto thee,…
and will look up.
- Set aside time each day to “stay connected” to the vine
- Keep the channels open – confess sin
- Talk friend to friend, saved to Savior, child to Father…Abba Father…Daddy
- MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP
LET US PRAY
Lord, help us to remember that Your love wants the best for us. That Your wisdom knows what is best for us and that Your power can accomplish it.
(paraphrased from Prodigals and Those Who Love by William Barclay)
CLOSING HYMN: #512 “Take Time to Be Holy”