JSM 23 | Uprightness.14 | Devotion.2 | Prayer.2 (12/1/24)

JSM | Uprightness .14 | True Devotion.2 | Prayer .2

By Rev. Nicholas Sybrowsky

LIVE Uncut!

Invocation:

Live prayer.

Opening Word & Reading for Worship:

Communion taken live.

Worship Song Set Live.

Results of Pure Piousness promote True Righteousness glorifying the Creator & benefiting mankind’s eternal life.

Intro:

Suffice it to say that Greater Uprightness is the core value within this particular section of the discourse of Jesus known as the sermon on the mount.  We have the account of this sermon from the perspective of Matthew & other disciples and Apostles of Jesus the Christ our Lord.  Currently we are in a verse by verse examination in a subsection of this discourse about piety practices.  Devotional deeds such as charity for the poor, a fervent and effective prayer life and fasting.  Doing these things to be “seen” are going to provide you with a “reward”, but Jesus warns his disciples that practicing alms before mankind “to be seen” will limit eternal reward.  

Let us continue to observe the deed of prayer. Two weeks ago, we examined the idea of “vain repetitions” and what it means to be heathen-like.  We also looked at the concept of strength & durability or an inability to tarry in prayerful devotion such as in the garden of Gethsemane & the prayer warriors listed in the Hall of Faith of Heb. 11.  Another idea presented to you was that there is a Righteous Growth that only God knows of.  

Last week we observed Thanksgiving American Roots in Divinity and declared that Prayer is critical for shaping your heart.  Looking at God’s heart, the heart of Man and the heart of prayer we know that God helps those who help themselves & He helps those who can’t help themselves too!  Ironically, we soon examine the deed of fasting.  I suspect this last week was a difficult week for anyone trying to fast.

 Main Text:

"Mat 6:1, :5-:15 & Lk 11:1-13 KJV  (1) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. (2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. (3) Give us day by day our daily bread. (4) And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. "

Here in Luke the Lord gives Further Instruction.

"(5) And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; (6) For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? (7) And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. (8) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. (9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? (12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? [Luke 11:1-13 KJV]"

1.  Learn to Pray

Algorithms, Formulas and potions oh my!  Lions, Tigers & Bears, oh my! Divination is considered a wicked action.  According to Oxford Dictionaries (Cite 3) an algorithm is a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.  Like that of the Rubik’s Cube.  A formula is considered a mathematical relationship or rule expressed in symbols.  A potion is considered a liquid with healing, magical, or poisonous properties.  Again, Algorithms, formulas & potions, oh my!  Ironically by religious terms the Lord Jesus Christ in his rabbi form was considered to be practicing a form of divination and/or religious malpractice by the Jewish sects.  His unsanctioned teachings were revolutionizing their piety practices in a way that disempowered them to continue in the direction they were leading the people.  Hallelujah!

  This begs me to define the term divination.  Divination according to my American Heritage dictionary is:  The art or act of foretelling future events or revealing occult knowledge by means of augury or an alleged supernatural agency.  Remind you that Jesus wasn’t the first to prophecy his coming crucifixion at that time of physical public ministry.  There were 117 OT prophecies fulfilled in Christ according to Zondervan resources.  One hundred seventeen scriptures shared & declared prior to his entrance into public ministry in  Lk 4:21 Jesus is recorded reading Isaiah and then saying, 

“…This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” ~Jesus the Christ

(For more scripture see Isaiah. Cite 5).  

Eight, 48, 117, let alone 332!?! To me this also proves furthermore of God’s infinite existence and power. (Share TX Red Silver Dollar 8 of 332. See Note 6 for astonishing statistical probability illustrated in Evidence That Demands a Verdict by the Mcdowell father & son.) 

Sometimes when using the term “In Jesus name”, it can sound like that of vain repetitions similar to the heathen’s reference of Jesus(Mt. 6:7).  A ruled in concoction or chant that symbolizes effective prayer.  It can actually take on the form of superstitious practice instead of true righteousness.  I too pray this way and I hope to always sustain humble care and fear of the Lord as I bottom line some of my prayers.  Advising someone to 

“Pray the Lord’s Prayer ten times and then you’ll be right with God.” 

 This won’t result in reconciliation if we fail to listen and allow repentance and change to occur within our heart.  We must be careful to avoid sprinkling all of our prayers with Jesus fairy dust.  Be critical of your prayer life and be purposeful in your lifestyle.  Let righteousness lead you.  Remember the Heathen Boy Praying the alphabet?  We’ve got to start somewhere.  Start small but finish big.  Let’s not be overcritical of how we learn to get where the Lord desires us to be in our learning to pray.  The main point in our text from Jesus is that we must be careful to avoid hypocrisy and praying “to be seen”, thereby limiting our reward in heaven.  Also, I suspect this could be limiting our prayer effectiveness on earth.  

"Pray and have good success." ~Condescending Tone of Voice. That’s not what Moses passed down to Joshua in 1:8.  “This book of the law…Observe to do according to all that is written…”  

• Read & pray the words in the Bible. 
• Use ACTS acronym (Reference CRU) (Cite 15).  
• Meditate in The Lord’s Prayer.   

All these are a “Certain place”(11:1) to start. 

According to the unsanctioned Lord Jesus Christ as a Rabbi he taught his disciples to pray.  And in Luke he gave us further instruction about prayer.  We see this in Lk 11:5-13.  With humility & thanksgiving.  Simply resting in His faithfulness.  With the help of James 5:16 may I suggest to you that the main ingredient for effective prayer is righteousness.

2.  Pray to Learn

Prayer promotes focused concentration and empowers us to learn new ideas that can help us develop new skills and new desires.  According to the Author of Hebrews 4:12 

"For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. [Heb 4:12 ASV]" 

Paul describes the armor of God in Eph. 6.  The last piece of armor is one of offense; the Sword which is the Spirit & Word of God in prayer.  Ceaseless prayer within the Word & Spirit of God.  While in chains as an ambassador for Christ Paul wrote 

"And take the helmet of salvation [covering your mind], and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (18) with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, [Eph 6:17-18 ASV]" Mind Emphasis mine.

:8 “importunity” (KJV) :9-:10 “Ask…seek…knock…”  watch the door swing wide “open”.  These are examples of fervency, persistence & endurance that produce results.  It may be hard to fathom the spiritual while in the physical, but these virtues of tenacity are what make up “fervency” in the prayer effectiveness.  

In :11-13 Luke makes clear that Jesus is showing that we in the flesh are prone to do evil, yet we have the ability to give good gifts to our children as parents.  The Lord presents a timeless truth here:  God is good.  God is good and if we ask our Father God who is good for anything then it will be given.  We have permissive will & to be successful we need to train our will to align with God’s instruction & perfect way.

How might we blaspheme the Lord’s name?  Taking the Lord’s name in vain is the 3rd commandment (Ex 20:7) passed down to us from the Lord to Moses and now to us.  One of the worst things a Christian can do is preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ & then act in opposition in their daily life.  Jesus described this as hypocrisy.  Doing things to be seen yet on the inside you don’t mean what you say and say what you mean.  You present yourself as a Hypocrite AKA Dissembler, Phony, Fraud, Pretender or Charlatan.  Let us practice and learn to train our speech to match what we do and believe. 

If you agree with me and Thomas Paine that virtue isn’t hereditary then you agree that you must learn to exercise righteousness.  Learning to do the right thing is described well with the following scriptures in regard to teaching & training them in the way they should go.  

Deu 6:6-8 

“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: [7] And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. [8] And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. [Deu 6:6-8 KJV]” 

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. [Pro 22:6 KJV]”

Many of the first Higher Learning Campuses in America were initially founded by religious institutions. Piety was infused within the backbone of all education (Cite 11).  Education at home & abroad is important in light of this idea.  How do we avoid the idolization of education?  The same pathway to “bridling the tongue”(Js.3:2,8 ).  We submit to God.  

Again, all education of the higher than basic was initially considered to be rooted in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Arguably that’s what’s wrong with some of our collegiate education system.  As we’ve explored other ideas of old, some have forgotten that which supersedes the other fancy ideas for our itching ears (2Ti 4:3).  If you forget that the purpose of education is to grow in moral righteousness & godly character, then you will develop more character defects of the flesh instead of character virtues rooted in divinity.  

3.  Prayer in Secret promotes Exemplification of Prayer in Private & Public.

If we are committed to following Jesus, we will pray in secret & in private.  This devotional prayer deed can lead & likely will lead to sharing more personal prayer life in the lives of those around you more openly.  I know some of you don’t like to pray openly and this can be difficult for you.  That’s okay, Moses himself was fearful of public speech.  Be encouraged in the yoke of Jesus (Mt.11:29).  In your devotion to charity, fasting & prayer you will grow and be challenged to grow.  If you lack this resistance your faith may remain the size of a mustard seed, but you can move mountains with that (Mt. 17:20).  May I encourage you to strengthen the size of that faith (Rm 12:6).  Let me invite you to examine the subject of spiritual gifts.  It’s there that Paul indicates moving mountain ranges in proportion to our faith (Discovering Spiritual Gifts See Gift of Faith)

At some point as a disciple of Jesus Christ we’re all called to fulfill our God given purpose & walk in our identity as the Salt & Light a city set upon a hill.  Carry your cross whatever that may be.  If you’re not sure what that cross is; pray about it.  As we can see in our main text in :13 the comforter also known as the Holy Spirit will be given to you that you may know.  And we know that Galatians 5:22 indicates the Holy Spirit is what we need to bear good fruits.

May I ask you, Got Fruit?  What kind of fruit do you have?  Invoke the merciful spirit of God and he will reveal the truth that you need to have in order to see your hidden faults & blind spots.  But watch out!  Overcoming character defects adds more to your workload.  Yet it’s a workload worth taking on.  It’s quite acceptable to simply strive to be good with your mustard seed in the yoke of Jesus.  But to be great as God is likely calling you to be then you must examine yourself to develop greatness.  

4. Be careful what you ask for because you just might get it.  

In general, the Bible refers to the will of God as 3 different senses:  “the law of God"(Ps. 40:8; Ro. 2:17-18), God’s “perfect will”(1Ti 2:4; 2Pe 3:9; Jn 6:40) & “permissive will”(1Pe 3:17, 4:19; 1Jn 5:19)(Cite12). Keeping these 3 types of God’s will in mind. Sometimes we ask for something from God that isn’t good for us, yet because God is good, we get goodness from our faithful and Holy Father.  The gift received on the surface may appear to be something other than what we asked for.  God is good & gives us good gifts.  If we who are in the flesh get something different than what we asked for then the question one should ask themselves is, “Am I in righteousness?”  "Am I in the will of God?"  Perhaps the gift we’ve gotten is driving us back to a more perfect union in communion with the Father who loves us.  

5. In about 6 weeks we’ll return to JSM 25 | Uprightness .15 | True Devotion.3 Fasting.  Next week: Jesus Christmas | The Reason for the Season of Christ-mass.  

Conclusion:

Learn to pray.  Pray to learn.  Pray in secret & be emboldened to Private & Public prayer. Be careful what you ask for.  God has plans & purposes for us & the world.  The fact is that people often choose to reject the best that God desires for them.  The many troubles & suffering in this world as a result of rebellion against God are not necessarily his desire or highest purpose.  As I shared last week, we have a choice regarding the posture of our attitude & development of virtues.  This text reveals that we also have a choice in the spiritual realm practicing this deed known as prayer (Eph 6:12).  The secrecy the Lord instructs isn’t a license to not make time for prayer in your life.  We see this exemplified in the Gospel account of our Lord.  John 17 captures Jesus’ desire for us.  This lengthy prayer among others demonstrates the riches of a healthy prayer lifestyle. 

Exhortation:

Lk. 11:13 …Holy Spirit…Just because there is power in your prayer doesn’t mean you’re practicing divination out of alignment with God (Weed See Note 13).  Prayer is the drive train that connects heaven & earth to where rubber meets the narrow road.

Righteous fervent prayer that moves heaven & earth only requires the faith of a mustard seed.  Show the size of a mustard seed 

Photo from excellent article by Author Phillip J. Long, PhD

The Parable of the Mustard Seed - Matthew 13:31-32 - Reading Acts 

 “Not my will, but yours Father” ~Jesus the Christ  

Prayer in the yoke of Jesus makes us whole.  Pick up your bed and follow Jesus.  If the Father heard the prayer at the pool of Bethesda, then He can hear your prayer today.  He will answer our prayers! (Jn 5:14-15)

Altar Call to Action/Suggested Response:

• Together, let’s build up the altars of prayer.  Let us begin in our own personal body.  At home & abroad let us build up the Core Altar, Community Altar, Salvation Altar & Miracle Altar (Recommended Read:  In Jesus Name. Cite 14)

 

James 5:16

 “Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. [Jas 5:16 KJV].”  

• Memorize, Meditate & Recite the Word of God.  May I suggest to you that in doing this it may feel at times that the repetitiousness has a sense of many words but the distinction here is that you’re not a heathen;  unbelieving.  You’re learning the word of God.  The word of God does not come back to Him useless or void(Is. 55:11).  IF we allow it to lead our example above reproach.  

When persecution comes be gentle yet exceedingly glad.   

Jer. 32:38 

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: [Jer 32:38 KJV]”

Driving your flesh suit!!  Seek with ALL your heart.  It’s yours to operate.  It’s up to you to develop a reliable religion within you that results in true righteousness; virtue.  A righteousness that glorifies God and honor’s his perfect will (Dt. 6:5).

Prayer & song.  

We need each other to survive!

In Jesus Name (God of Possible)

Benediction:

Bow your heads with me & let us pray.

Father, Virtuosity is doing the common uncommonly well.  Let us grow in skillful prayer & tested confidence.  Develop virtue within us that drives your Kingdom come & perfect will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven.  Father as you did in the early church according to Acts 2:22; use us in the yoke of Jesus Christ to perform powerful works, wonders & signs for your cause.  Not for us to be seen and known by others, but that they ALL can come to know you and see you in your nobility & glory.  

Next Week/Message:

Credits, Citations & Notes:

1. Christian Minister’s Manual Used in Live Service.
2. Translations:  KJV, ASV
3. Oxford Dictionary
4. American Heritage Dictionary
5. Entry into Public Ministry

   [Luke 4:14-21 KJV] (Cf. Mt. 4:12-17; Mk 1:14, 15) (14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. (15) And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (16) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (17) And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, (18) The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (20) And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. (21) And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. [Luke 4:16-21 KJV]

6. Note astonishing statistical improbability illustrated

   “According to Floyd Hamilton, in The Basis of Christian Faith, [he] writes, “Canon Liddon is authority for the statement that there are in the OT 332 distinct predictions which were literally fulfilled in Christ.” (Cite 7) furthermore after reading through the list of fulfillment details someone might say: “Why, you could find some of these prophecies fulfilled in the deaths of Kennedy, Nasser, King, and other great figures.”  Answer:  Yes, one could possibly find one or two prophecies fulfilled in the lives of other men, but could one person fulfill all of these major prophies?”  Peter Stone, in the book Science Speaks, examines the mathematical probabilities that apply to the fulfillment of these predictions.  Backed by trusted H. Harold Hartzler, of the American Scientific Affiliation, Goshen College, writes: […backing Science Speaks as…] as dependable & accurate in regard to the scientific material presented.  The mathematical analysis included is based upon principles of probability which are thoroughly sound and Professor Stoner has applied these principles in a proper and convincing way (Cite 8) Peter Stoner’s says, “ We find that the chance that any man might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all eight prophecies is…1/100 Quadrillion 17 zeros.  In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it by supposing that] we take 1017 [(more than a Quadrillion)] silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas.  They will cover all of the state two feet deep.  Now mark one of these silver dollars [(red)] and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state.  Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one.  What chance would he have of getting the right one?  Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them according to their own wisdom.  Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God ore the prophets just wrote them as they thought they should be.  In such case the prophets had just one chance in 1017 of having them come true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.  This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of these prophecies to a definiteness which lacks only one chance in 1017 of being absolute.”  ~Stoner (Cite 9).

    

   That just one power quotient away from a Quintillion and a Trillion by British Standards (Large Numbers Cite 10). 

    

   “[Professor] Stoner then considers a group of 48 of the prophecies and reported the probability to 10157  power.  With that he illustrates:  Take this number of electrons, mark one, and thoroughly stir it into the whole mas, then blindfold a man and let him try to find the right one.  What chance has he of finding the right one?”  Such is the chance of any individual fulfilling those 48 prophecies (Cite 9).” 

    

   Eight, 48, 117, let alone 332!?! To me this also proves furthermore of God’s infinite existence and power.

7. Hamilton, BCF, 160 of Evidence That Demands a Verdict Josh Mcdowell & Sean Mcdowell, PhD; pg. 230
8. Hartzler, “F,” as cited in Stoner, Science Speaks (SS) of 
9. SS, Peter Stoner, 100-107 of Evidence That Demands a Verdict Josh Mcdowell & Sean Mcdowell, PhD; pg. 229-231.
10. Large Numbers of Britannica {https://www.britannica.com/science/large-number}
11. American Collegiate History 
12. The Will of God Article(s) by Donald C. Stamps author of the Full Life Study Bible taken from the Fire Bible.  Apostasy Article.
13. Weed AKA Marijuana or Cannabis; whatever you wanna call it.  Make no mistake it is a form of Hallucinogen.  A concoction that promotes divination like atmosphere/process.  Combined in the Christian prayer life and you risk dangerous practice of divination.  The Bible declares divination to be wicked. 
14. Altar (Recommended Read:  In Jesus Name. Cite 14) 
15. ACTS Pneumonic Acronym by CRU.