Pentecost 13 year C 07 Sermon Prayer 4
Three weeks ago we began a month long exploration of prayer…to discover what it means… to be in communion… with the Creator of the universe
We found out…
1. the only way we can know anything about God…is because God chooses to reveal himself to us…
we learned
2. our first reason to pray isn’t our need for God, but God’s invitation to us. And how right from the beginning…God’s been pursuing and inviting us to enjoy his presence …asking us to speak to him…
and listen to him… even delivering the invitation in person…at great cost…in Jesus… and then drawing us… deeper into communion with him… by his Holy Spirit.
We learned
3. we’re all beginners… and need to be taught how to pray. So at Jesus’ side we approach our Father and
4. we learn how to pray for God’s cause and ours in the Lord’s Prayer…
And last week we learned that
5. speaking is only half the story… in our relationship with God… and we learned how… through silent contemplation and praying the scriptures anyone can learn to listen for God…
and enjoy God’s presence.
Today… I want to explore yet another aspect of prayer – and that’s praying and working together in God’s cause – the relationship between our praying and our living.
The question… for those of us in Jesus’ school of prayer is… though we’ve prayed ‘Thy will be done’…
are we actually prepared…to harness our very lives…
to God’s will…no matter what the cost – as Jesus did.
We’re reminded … prayer isn’t a state of being…
but an active relationship. God invites us and we respond… and we’re changed. We’re strengthen and guided in the Way the Truth and the life… to carry out God will, and make His cause our own.
Wouldn’t you think it’s a contradiction in terms…
to pray with Jesus… without putting his teaching… into practise.
And we see in Jesus example… that in prayer gives us the energy for God’s service.
We move from the activity of prayer to the action of discipleship… When we live a life of prayer…
every thing we do… becomes an extension of our prayers…our whole life…
becomes a witness to God’s cause…
So if you want a good definition of mission …
that’s it: a life in witness to God’s cause. And to witness effectively … we have to understand the complexities of the mission field…don’t we?
A century ago… most Christians thought
the mission field was overseas… in the jungles of Africa…or among the poor in India. But today in secular New Zealand we know that’s not true.
In fact…when we’re humble and honest enough…
to admit it…we know our closest mission field…
our first mission field… is our own hearts…
and if our life is an extension of our prayers…
then we know the true ‘test of prayer’ is ‘are we more patient, more loving, more merciful, more compassionate humble, and faithful?’
It could be said… that another test of our progress in prayer…in the mission field of our own hearts…
Another test is our ability to endure suffering…
You see in Jesus school of prayer…
we learn communion with God…
is never about immunity from suffering…
We learn and that even in the midst of suffering…
we can find peace. We learn…God can work out his purposes of love… no matter what the circumstances.
We remember Paul’s advice to the Philippians.
‘Don’t worry about anything, but in everything… by prayer and thanksgiving… let your requests be made known to God. [] And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding… will guard your hearts and your minds… in the knowledge of Christ Jesus.’
And so having kindled the fire of prayer…
in the first mission field…which is our own hearts… we’re ready for the fire to break out and spread…
to our relationships with others.
And still within this… first mission field…
is the heart of the church…the corporate heart…of the Body of Christ… the gathered people of God…
the heart of the church… also needs to be
continually transformed and built up through prayer.
After Jesus ascension…in today’s reading…
did you notice… how ‘they all join together in constant prayer.’ as they wait… for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…
Jesus told them to wait together for this help… because they wouldn’t be able to continue work in his name without it…in the service of God’s cause..
Why should we be any different?
God’s people… are invited to call on the name of God together. Not only as individuals…but together…
in prayer and sacrament. We come together to pray and to worship… at God’s invitation. And Jesus said…
I will build my church…
And all over the world… strong growing churches…
with effective witness to God’s cause…these churches are calling their people to times of corporate prayer…
They’ve learned that even in our diversity…
when we pray together… we’re drawn together…
in love and unity… in obedience to God’s cause.
One such church is London’s Holy Trinity Brompton the home of the Alpha Programme and the Marriage Course… that we run…In the conviction that times of praying together would strengthen and transform their church… Holy Trinity started modestly.
At first… those who responded…
only met to pray for half hour a week. Today…
as more and more of their people discover the…
deep rewards of praying together....
Holy Trinity has had to schedule more opportunities throughout the week. [pause]
This is truly a challenge for us here in the Upper Clutha...are we hearing and responding...
to God’s invitation ...to pray and to wait...
on the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit?
For the Church to be built and transformed...
into an effective vehicle of God’s blessing
for the world...
first the heart of the church must be transformed...
to conform more closely to the image of God...
before we can ask the world to change... we have allow ourselves to be changed... through prayer and sacrament... together...into a merciful, just and compassionate body of believers…and praying together…being in communion with God together … is a vital part of this.
Because we are invited to speak and to listen for God together. Most of the ‘you’ words…
written for the early church… are plural… you …together
We hear how the early church raised their voices together in prayer.
"Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, David:
who asked 'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? Why do the rulers of the earth gather together against God and…conspire against your holy servant Jesus
We hear how ‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. There were no needy persons among them.
In our church only a few respond eagerly…
to the invitation to pray together as God’s people…
Where is our trust in the companionship of Christ and the Holy Spirit if we are reluctant or shy or afraid to pray with other Christians?
It’s not so hard…remember kneeling beside the bed of a child… to help them with their prayers? Or how easily you speak the Lord’s Prayer in worship…
my friends that is corporate prayer…
its simply gathering with others in the family of God… for the purpose of prayer…
out loud or silent… but together.
During my study leave on prayer I became convinced that we haven’t yet heard God’s invitation…
to pray together as a church. That’s why I’m going to set aside half an hour every Wednesday afternoon at 530… to meet with anyone else who feels the call to corporate prayer.
Today we’ve see that only with our own hearts transformed in the first mission field….
can we sincerely pray… for our work together in the second mission field…
located anywhere that hearts are turned away from God and God’s cause…of reconciling and restoring all creation
My prayer... is that in praying together... our church will be encouraged to go out into the second mission field... to say a joyful yes to every sign of God’s life and love... and that we’ll be strengthened to say a forceful ‘no’
to every principality and power that brings division and destruction – to our families, our community and the world.
You see... mission – in witness to God’s cause…
is simply another way to pray… with our whole being…
and is the true work of the children of God.
So lets respond together to God’s invitation to communion…
so that in Jesus’ name… we can build a community of healing and wholeness …a touching place for everyone… where forgiveness and grace abound.
