And let me say that this evening, I truly do. And I mean this as
honestly as I know how. I pray, I ask that our Lord bless
this service this evening. You know, so often we'll make
statements like that, and it's almost like, well, we've said
that so many times, we just expect, that's what you're expected to
say. I truly desire to be sincere. I want that. This evening, I'd like for you
to turn to John 15, I'm sorry, Romans 15. I'm going to say something
out of the book of John. Romans 15, verses 30 to 33. As we were considering a moment
ago, why you're turning to Romans 15. I was thinking back just a few
moments ago, we were in for the Todd's study. Scripture was read. Prayer was had. We came in to the sanctuary and
Scripture was read. Prayer was had. And I thought on the Scripture. that was actually read when he
said, turn to John 17, thought on our conversation all day today,
which is on prayer. And here was the master, our blessed Lord and Savior,
our federal head, God, The Word who was made flesh. God made flesh. He who came into
this world as the representative of all that the Father had everlastingly
loved. Sovereign God. in all of my feeble attempts
to try to express something of His majesty. Luke, I've just
lost it. What to say? And here is the
one that the Father uttered from
heaven these words, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well
pleased. Now this is God speaking. And here is the Lord Jesus Christ
praying. He who spoke everything. He who made everything. By Him
all things consist. I told Brother Todd this afternoon,
we believe and we do believe in God's absolute sovereignty. We love to speak of Him who is
God. He who does as He will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. He who absolutely has purposed,
and His counsel is going to stand. And I know that. I believe that. And here is God Himself, God-Man,
the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, praying. Well, we got to verse 11 of John
17. It says, And now I'm no more
in the world, but these are in the world. I come to thee. Holy
Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou has given
me, that they may be one as we are. Praying the Lord Jesus Christ,
praying the Father to keep through his own name, his own character,
those whom he had given to the Lord Jesus Christ. As we rode
over this afternoon, this statement was made. I jotted this down.
It says, if our perception of God's sovereignty leads us to
forsake prayer, we have a wrong perception of his sovereignty. Let me tell you how we are, because
I know how I am, and I just feel that we all pretty well think
the same way. Almighty God is the sovereign
God. He's going to do His will. God
is going to do what He's purposed to do, and that's absolutely
right, and I know that, and I'm so thankful for that. He worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will. Pray without ceasing. Pray without ceasing. You have not because you ask
not. Romans 15. The Apostle Paul is writing to
the church at Rome. In the last three verses of the
15th chapter, he says now, verse 30, I beseech you, brethren,
for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit,
that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for
me. that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea,
and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted
of the saints, that I may come unto you with joy by the will
of God, and may with you be refreshed. Now the God of peace be with
you all." Prayer. Whichever believer, I know, exercises
but readily admits to feel himself to be weak in. Prayer, the asking, the thanking,
the crying of the new heart that longs for communion with him
who's everlastingly loved him. I want to pray. I want to talk
to Him. I want to bear my heart to Him. I want to be honest. It's the expression of the new
heart that hungers to approach Him who chose to show mercy to me. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom I'll
have compassion. Bob, I want to talk to him. It's so good to talk to him. I want to talk. I want to pray.
I want to seek. I want to ask. I want to thank. Because there's three things
that I do know concerning prayer. Number one, the regenerated saint of God believes that God hears his prayer. This is not just a formal exercise
of a dead heart. It's real. This is real. Someone says, well, sure, it's
real. It's real. In 2 Kings 19, there was a king whose name was Hezekiah. 2 Kings
19. And this king received a letter
from an evil king, Sennacherib. And Isaiah the prophet told the
servants of Hezekiah, in 2 Kings 19.6, Isaiah said unto them concerning
the letter that he had gotten, he said, saith the Lord, Be not
afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants
of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast,
a breath of pestilence upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and
shall return to his own land. And I will cause him to fall
by the sword in his own land." That letter that Hezekiah got
is recorded in 2 Kings 19 verses 10 and 11. Thus shall you speak
to Hezekiah, king of Judas, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou
trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered
into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard
what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying
them utterly, and shalt thou be delivered. The Lord said concerning that
letter that was sent by the king of Assyria, they blaspheme me. And Hezekiah took that letter. The scripture says, starting
in verse 14 of this same chapter, received the letter of the hand
of the messengers and he read it. Now that letter was a letter
that was read by a king, by a man, that was alive. He was living. We're right now, we're in a vapor
of a time. That's what the Scripture says,
this life is but a vapor. We're right here for right now. And he was right there for right
then. And he was alive. And that was
a real threat to him. It was a real letter. It was
a real trial. It was a real tribulation. It
was a real testing for this king. And he read that letter. And
basically this is what it said. You surrender or else. And the Scripture says that Hezekiah,
in the latter part of verse 14, went up into the house of the
Lord. And he spread it before the Lord.
And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, O Lord God of
Israel, which dwells between the cherubims, Thou art the God,
even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made
heaven and earth. Lord, bow down Thine ear and hear. Open, Lord,
Thine eyes and see. Let me just inject this for just
a moment, if I may. You would think, well, Hezekiah,
do you think that the Lord couldn't bow down His ear? Do you think
that Hezekiah, the Lord, couldn't open his eyes and see? Don't
you realize, Hezekiah, that God Almighty is sovereign in all
things, that He does as He will? He was a man that was between a rock and a hard place.
And Almighty God, by His good providence and by His sovereign
mercy and grace and compassion, hemmed this man up. And Almighty God was going to
bring honor to Himself. And He put Hezekiah in a place
to where Hezekiah, who knew something obviously, who God was, thou
alone, all the kingdoms, you made heaven and earth. Lord,
your God, bow down thy ears. and hear, open, Lord, thine eyes
to see, and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent
him to reproach the living God." One would ask, well, surely there's
no need to ask because God is sovereign and He's going to do
as He will. Ask. You have not, because you
ask not. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of
Assyria have destroyed the nations of their lands and cast their
gods into the fire, for they were no gods, but the work of
men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed
them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech Thee, save Thou
us out of His hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may
know that Thou art the Lord God, even Thou alone. Then Isaiah,
the son of Amos, sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God
of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against the Nechareb
king of Assyria, I heard you. Do you know how wonderful it
is to know that he hears? It's not dead. He actually hears. A believer
believes that. Secondly, we believe when we
pray that God cares. He cares for those who have everlastingly
been the objects of His mercy. He cares. Casting all your care
upon Him, for He careth He's concerned for you. Almighty God is the source of our help. Casting how much care? All. All. The Lord Jesus in John 10, 13
to 15 says the hireling fleeth because he's a hireling and he
careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd and know
my sheep and am known of mine as the father knoweth me, even
so know I the father. I lay down my life for the sheep. He cares. He cares. He who has everlastingly stood
in that eternal covenant of grace. He who has everlastingly answered
for me. He who laid down His life for
the sheep. He said, cast all your care because He cares. Stop and realize, He who spoke
David said, when I consider the heavens, who is man that thou
art mindful of all of his people in this world at any given time, when one is brought to fill their
need of him? And to our shame, how seldom
that is. To realize that we pray and He
hears and He cares. What comfort that is because
my burden is His burden. He careth, He's
concerned. We have not a high priest that
cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was at
all points tempted, like as we are, yet without sin. And to
know He cares. And that I can approach Him and
ask Him, Lord help me, I confess unto You, I know the The frailty. Lord, I confess, I don't even
know how to pray. I don't even know what to ask.
Lord, help me. Lord, I have this burden. And
thankfully, you have brought me to this place to cause me
to cast myself upon you. And I know you care because you
said you do. Thirdly, We believe when we pray that
God is able, knowing that He is able to do
exceedingly and abundantly all. Almighty God, able to do according
to His will all that is profitable for the eternal and temporal
good of His people. This King, what did He do? He did all He could do. Cast Himself upon God Almighty,
believing all the while that God Almighty was going to do
exactly as He said He was going to do. Lord, would you bow down
your ear to hear, your eye to see. 2 Corinthians 9, 8, And
God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always,
having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good
work. He who predestinated us according
to the purpose of Him who worketh all things, after the counsel
of His own will. Paul, back in Romans 15, said
to this, said to the church at Rome, strive together with me
in your prayers to God for me. Be my companion in agony. Strive together. It's a struggle. It's a warfare. Paul said in Ephesians 6, 12,
we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. It's a wrestling. Genesis 32. Genesis 32, a man named Jacob. Verse 24, Genesis 32, 24, "...was
left alone." I said, I mean this. Oh, the blessing of being set
alone. Where Almighty God puts a man,
where God's going to deal with him. He was left alone, hemmed
up. And there wrestled a man with
him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he
prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh.
The hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with
him, strived with him in agony with him. And he, that is the
man, the Lord Himself, said, Let me go for the day breaketh.
And he said, Oh, how these words just My heart rejoices. Hear the Lord who said, I will
never forsake you. I'll never leave you. And the Lord said to Jacob, let
me go. And he said, I will not let thee
go except thou bless me. Let me go. Let me go. Not unless you bless me. I can't. The Lord asked His disciples
after some wouldn't follow Him anymore. He said, Will you go
away also? And Peter said, Lord, Where will
we go? You have the words of eternal
life. We can't. Turn with me to Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36. I know how familiar
you are with this passage of Scripture. But we're not familiar enough. Ezekiel 36. Here's the sovereign God. God Almighty, God who will do
as He will. Then will I sprinkle clean water
upon you. And you shall be clean. The blood
of Christ. From all your filthiness, from
all your idols, I love God Almighty speaking in His sovereign, distinguishing
grace to His people. I will sprinkle clean water upon
you. Ye shall be clean from all your
filthiness and from all your idols. Will I cleanse you? A
new heart also will I give you. A new spirit will I put within
you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh. And
I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within
you and cause you to walk in My statues. And you shall keep
My judgments and do them. And you shall dwell in the land
that I gave to your fathers. And you shall be My people. And
I will be your God. And I will save you from all
your uncleanness. And I will call for the corn
I will increase it and lay no famine upon you. I will multiply
the fruit of the tree, increase of the field, that you shall
receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall
you remember your evil ways, your doings that were not good,
and shall loathe yourself in your own sight for your iniquities,
for your abominations, not for your sakes. Do I this, saith
the Lord God, be it known unto you, Be ashamed and confounded
for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord God
in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities.
I will also cause you to dwell in the cities and the way shall
be built. And the desolate land shall be
tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed
by. They shall say this land that was desolate is become like
the garden of Eden. And the waste and desolate and
ruined cities have become fenced and are inhabited. Then the heathen
that are left round about you shall know that I, the Lord,
build the ruined places and plant that which was desolate. I, the
Lord, have spoken it and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord God, I will
yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it
for them. I will increase them with men
like a flock, as the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in
her solemn feast. So shall the way cities be filled
with flocks of men, and they shall know that I am the Lord." Almighty God has promised what
He's going to do. He will do it. He said, yet for these things
will I be inquired of. You will ask. The Scripture clearly sets forth, Almighty
God is God. And we ask. You say, it seems as though to
me, that's not the issue. He said,
you will ask. You have a faithful pastor. He's
been my friend a long time. Do you believe that God's called
him to pastor this church? I know you do. Do you believe that the Lord's
going to teach him? I know you do. Ask him. Lord, would you teach our pastor? Lord, would you hold him by your
everlasting arms. You say, well, he's promised
he's never going to leave him. He's never going to forsake any
of his people. You ask him, do you believe that God's going
to bless the assembling of his people together? Do you believe
that he's in the midst where two or three are gathered together
in his name? You say, well, absolutely. I believe that because he said
he would. Ask him. Lord, would you meet with us
this evening? That is absolutely consistent. You say, but it seems
as though that it's consistent with His Word. You ask. I will and you shall ask. I will bless you. And I will
be inquired of. Paul's confidence was founded
upon God's Word. But I'll tell you this, the Apostle
Paul was taught by the Spirit of God something of the means
of God Almighty blessing through prayer. And if it was not so,
Paul the Apostle would have never asked the church at Rome, strive
together with me in prayer. Pray with me. But we ask Him who has absolutely said,
I will do all my pleasure. It's honoring to the Lord. I
can tell you that. It's honoring. And it is obedient on our part
when we ask. And it unites us. in honoring Him when we pray
to Him for one another. Pray for me. But while the Apostle Paul requested
the fellowship of prayer, it wasn't for his good, it wasn't
for his honor that he asked these things. Back in Romans 15, He
said, I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake
and for the love of the Spirit, not for my sake, not for my sake,
for His sake, who is worthy of all honor? The four and twenty
elders who cast their crowns in revelation before Him and
He who had taken the book And they said, Thou art worthy
to receive all honor, for Thou hast redeemed us. Who is worthy? Paul says, I'm
asking you for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the love
of the Spirit, I'm asking you to pray with me. Pray with me, pray for me. Who
is worthy? He is worthy. Who has everlastingly
stood as our surety? Who's worthy? Who came into this
world as our federal head, as our representative? Who has made
sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him? For whose sake? For His sake. Who but the Spirit of God powerfully
blows as the wind. We don't know where He comes
or where He goes. But He's going to call out all
that everlastingly have been loved and given to Christ. Loved
of the Father, given to Him. Do we believe that all that the
Father hath given Him shall come to Him? Absolutely, we believe
that. Lord, would you save my kids? Lord, if it please you, would
you save my grandchildren? There are those in my family,
those in my neighborhood, they show absolutely no interest whatsoever
in the gospel. Lord, if it please you, would
you show mercy? Someone said, He's going to show
mercy. I'm going to ask him. By the grace of God, Paul said,
I am what I am. There's no merit in me. All honors do him strive together
with me. And the Lord places not only
the burden to ask, But he places also the burden
that you ask, that which you're praying for. Delight thyself
also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart. He places within the heart of
his people that for which they ask. And they do ask according
to his will and purpose. Paul asked three things. And while we look as we start
to finish this little passage right here, I want you to look
at the things that he asked. Specific things I told Brother
Todd I saw in this passage of Scripture. A lot of times we'll
say to someone, pray for me. If you have something on your
mind, that you desire someone to pray with you, strive with
you. Share what you can. Share what you can. I understand
there's some things that are better left unsaid. I understand
that. But I'll tell you this, you share
what's on your heart as you can for God's honor. for your good. Paul asked three things. First of all, he asked in verse
31, that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea.
Now let me ask you this. Do you think that the apostle
Paul knew, as we quoted the first scripture a while ago, I'll never
leave you and I'll never forsake you. Do you believe that The Lord
hedges His people round about. That's what Satan told the Lord
concerning Job. You hedge them about, I can't
get to Him. Do you believe that Paul knew that until God Almighty was ready
for him to leave this world, no one was going to do anything
to him outside of God's purpose and God's will? Do you believe
he believed that? Sure he did. You believe that? Sure you do. You that believe,
you believe that. I'm here, this is the day that
the Lord hath made. He's ordered it. That which comes my way, that
which crosses my path, the lot that has fallen upon me, this
is my lot. David said it's good. that I've
been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes." It's good. This is the Lord. It's the Lord. Let Him do that
which seemeth to Him good. Lord, would You heal me in my
infirmity? Lord, if it please You, would
You heal me according to Your will and purpose? Paul said, pray with me that
I might be delivered from those that believe not." Secondly,
look what he asked, "...and that my service which I have for Jerusalem
may be accepted of the saints." He had, well, back in verse 26
of this chapter, it said, "...it hath pleased them of Macedonia
and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints
which are at Jerusalem." And he had a gift. He had a monetary
gift. And it was from a Gentile church
to the church at Jerusalem. And you say, well, I know this,
but there's no way in the world that a believer or a believing
church would not be gracious in accepting a gift. This was
from a Gentile church to the church at Jerusalem. You say,
but yeah, but they're all believers and will always be gracious to
each other. and we'll always see each other in the best light,
and we'll always be thankful to God for that which He has
done for all of us, and we'll have no prejudices whatsoever." Paul said, pray that my service,
which I have for Jerusalem, may be accepted to the saints. There's enough rebellion in all
of us. I don't even have to finish that
statement. You know. Paul said, would you pray that
the church at Jerusalem would accept this gift from this Gentile
church and that they would accept it. And thirdly, he asked in
verse 32, that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God
and may be with you and be refreshed. Would you pray that the Lord
would allow me to come and visit with you. He would allow us the privilege
to be able to meet together. You say, well, the steps of a
good man are ordered by the Lord. God is going to put His people
just exactly where He's going to put them. You're right. The apostle says, would you pray
that God would bless that our paths may be able to cross, that
we can have some fellowship. There was a time that Paul was
going to go to Bithynia. He purposed in his heart he was
going to Bithynia. And the scripture says, but the
Spirit suffered him not. Paul said, pray with me. And
he asked specifically. We've been sent to preach the
gospel. Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. The reason we do that is because
He has commanded us to do it. Go into the world, preach. Jews, Gentiles, preach
to them. God is going to save His people. God's will is going to be done.
There's not going to be one of God's sheep, one of God's elect,
one that God Almighty has eternally set His affection, His love upon. Not one of them will be lost. And the Lord prayed in His high
priestly prayer, Father, I will that where they are, that where
we are, there they may be also. I will. Father, keep them. Keep them through Your Word.
They're not of the world. They're in the world, but they're
not of the world. I read the words of our blessed Savior in
that high priestly prayer, and I read the words that He prayed, and I'm thankful Because of all those that He's
everlastingly loved, He said, I pray for them. And for those
that will hear through them, He prayed. Pray. Ask Him. Ask Him to do that which He has
eternally purposed to do for Christ's sake. Now the God of
peace be with you all. The Lord said, I form the light.
I create darkness. I make peace. I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things.
The God of peace be with y'all. The God of all blessing be with
you. He who does all things well be
with you. He who said, I'll never leave
you. The God of peace be with you. Christ who has made peace by
His blood be with you. Strive together with me. God
has ordained it. The Lord said to Peter, Satan
hath desired to have you and sift you as wheat, but I prayed
for you. I've prayed for you that your
faith fail not. And knowing that His prayer,
the Father, that's what He said, Father, I know You always hear
me. I think of that thief upon the
cross. That one moment was Rayleigh
upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And I mean, as you read the Scriptures,
you can just truly see, as Peter said, Book of Acts, seeing the
grace of God. You can read in one of the Gospels
there where both of them were railing on the Lord. And then
one of them said, we deserve what we're getting. This man has done nothing. And then he said to him, Lord,
when you enter into your kingdom, Will you remember me? And I think
to myself, here is one based on the words of our master. He
said today, you'll be with me in paradise. And I think knowing
what I know concerning God's sovereign grace, He who everlastingly
knew, is known, knows all of His people, who has always remembered
Him in mercy. He's always remembered Him. And
here was one that said, would you remember me? I can enter in. Knowing that the God of all hope
remembers. Always in mercy, always in love. I've always loved you. But I
can say to him, ask him, Lord, would you have mercy on me? Do
you remember me? That is the sweetest request. that a sinner would ever ask
the Master, would you remember me in mercy? Lord, you said you came into
this world to save sinners. Would you save this sinner? Lord,
would you have mercy on me? Last verse of Scripture. 1 Samuel 12. People had asked, told Samuel, we want a king.
And Samuel told him, God is your king. He said, no, we want a
king like everybody else has got. And Samuel said, the Lord has
said, this king's going to abuse you. I'm telling you what he
said. He's going to take your lands.
He's going to take your kids. He's going to, we want him. And
the Lord gave them what they wanted. And now, they've seen
something of the fallacy of their ways. 1 Samuel 12, verse 20. And Samuel said, after the Lord
had brought them to see what they'd done, Samuel said unto
the people, You have done all this wickedness, yet turn not
aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your
heart. And turn you not aside, for then should you go after
vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.
For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great namesake,
because it has pleased the Lord to make you His people. Moreover,
as for me, God forbid, that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing
to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve
him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things
he has done for you. But if she, if you shall still
do wickedly, you shall be consumed both you and your king. It is absolutely a settled truth in the heart of God's people.
As we said at the beginning of this message, Almighty God is
going to do that which God Almighty is pleased to do. But God forbid that we should sin against the
Lord. and not praying for each other. Amen.