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Ephesians 3:3-17
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. I like the way one writer defines prayer as a response to God when he says. “Prayer offers believers a means of acknowledging the character and purpose of God and the opportunity to seek guidance concerning His will for them.” Prayer offers believers means of acknowledging the character of God. There is a big statement for you! What exactly does it mean to acknowledge the character of God? We know what it means to acknowledge something, don’t we? So if someone ask you – what is God like in His character? God’s character is revealed in His: names. Every name God uses in Scripture to refer to Himself, and those used of people in Scripture to refer to God – reveals something about God’s character, or Who He is as a Person. God’s character is also revealed through His attributes. Prayer is a response to
- GOD’S PRESENCE. Go to 1Chron. 16:10, 11. Notice in vs. 8 and 10 how David recognizes the power and holiness of God’s name! Do you seek for the Lord with the same diligence, concentration, anticipation, and expectation as you seek for your cell phone or car keys when you’re running 10 minutes late to be somewhere you absolutely must be – like Sunday morning worship? Now, that you’ve answered that – is your seeking at that intensity and level – continual? Interestingly enough the answer either way (yes or no) is true. Go to Acts 17:22 – 28. That passage is a whole series of sermons of lessons! One of the most fascinating things about Scripture is the way God often fits big pictures into little spaces. V. 26 is a statement of God’s sovereignty over all nations and human history. Now watch in vss. 27 and 28. Read! In just those 2 statements Paul summarizes the entire human race. A person is either in verse 27 reaching out for God hoping to find Him while groping in the darkness of sin; or they have responded to God’s invitation for salvation and as a result realize their entire life is in Christ. Prayer is also a response to
- GOD’S CALL. For study purposes the call of God can be classified 3 different ways: 1st is the universal or gospel call to salvation offered to all people through Christians sharing the gospel. When Paul tells us in 2Cor. 5:20, “we are ambassadors for Christ…” He is telling us that every time we share the gospel with someone telling them how to be saved God is calling them to salvation – listen – through us as the instruments He uses to tell whoever where talking to at the moment about salvation! There is another call. It is the effective call or call to repentance which is an act of God where He calls people to Himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith. Go to John 6:44, now look at 6:60-65; looked back up at 6:39. Now go to Romans 8: read 28 – 30. There is a 3rd call God extends to His children, and that is the call to leadership. As you study the Scriptures you will discover an interesting truth about Biblical leadership. Whether in reference to an OT leader or an NT leader, and true Biblical leadership today the one thing that is true in each case is no leader was ever looking for the position to which they were called. Leadership as presented in Scripture is always God initiated. Have you ever noticed that? Biblical leadership is ALWAYS a position of responsibility and accountability. And that responsibility and accountability is a two-edged sword. All power and authority that comes with any leadership title, on any level is kept in check, and properly administrated because they are all under the protective shield of prayer.
If we can help you answer your spiritual questions, call us at (574) 643-9419.
