1 00:00:09,457 --> 00:00:20,781 Let's open up our Bibles to Luke 11. 2 00:00:20,781 --> 00:00:35,077 Luke 11:1. 3 00:00:35,077 --> 00:00:37,566 "It happened that while Jesus was praying 4 00:00:37,566 --> 00:00:39,460 in a certain place, 5 00:00:39,460 --> 00:00:41,335 after He had finished, 6 00:00:41,335 --> 00:00:43,032 one of His disciples said to Him, 7 00:00:43,032 --> 00:00:46,566 'Lord, teach us to pray just as John 8 00:00:46,566 --> 00:00:49,554 also taught his disciples.'" 9 00:00:49,554 --> 00:00:51,327 I want us to notice some things 10 00:00:51,327 --> 00:00:54,213 that are very, very important here. 11 00:00:54,213 --> 00:00:55,836 I believe with all my heart 12 00:00:55,836 --> 00:00:59,374 it was a fearful thing to watch Jesus pray. 13 00:00:59,374 --> 00:01:01,805 That it was an awesome event. 14 00:01:01,805 --> 00:01:03,509 Higher than any other thing He did, 15 00:01:03,509 --> 00:01:05,490 because if you notice here, it says it happened 16 00:01:05,490 --> 00:01:07,725 "that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, 17 00:01:07,725 --> 00:01:10,545 after He had finished." 18 00:01:10,545 --> 00:01:14,524 No one dared touch that ark. 19 00:01:14,524 --> 00:01:16,471 When He was bowed on His knees, 20 00:01:16,471 --> 00:01:18,460 when He was calling out to His Father 21 00:01:18,460 --> 00:01:19,905 it was like no other thing 22 00:01:19,905 --> 00:01:21,520 anyone had ever seen 23 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,885 on the face of the earth. 24 00:01:24,885 --> 00:01:27,447 And then it goes and it says, 25 00:01:27,447 --> 00:01:29,113 "One of His disciples said to Him, 26 00:01:29,113 --> 00:01:32,673 'Lord, teach us to pray.'" 27 00:01:32,673 --> 00:01:35,270 Now, I find this a most amazing statement 28 00:01:35,270 --> 00:01:36,576 and I find it a statement 29 00:01:36,576 --> 00:01:39,487 that is very, very overlooked 30 00:01:39,487 --> 00:01:42,112 among those who study this text. 31 00:01:42,112 --> 00:01:44,561 If you'll notice something very, very important. 32 00:01:44,561 --> 00:01:49,742 A disciple never came to Jesus and said, "teach us to preach." 33 00:01:49,742 --> 00:01:54,160 A disciple never came to Jesus and said, " teach us to walk on water." 34 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,069 A disiciple never came to Jesus and said, "teach us to raise the dead." 35 00:01:58,069 --> 00:02:05,293 A disciple never came to Jesus and said, "teach us to cast out demons." 36 00:02:05,293 --> 00:02:07,401 Now, if you were to want to know 37 00:02:07,401 --> 00:02:10,546 how to play basketball, 38 00:02:10,546 --> 00:02:13,264 you probably wouldn't come to me 39 00:02:13,264 --> 00:02:17,278 because I know so little about basketball. 40 00:02:17,278 --> 00:02:18,580 You would try to find out 41 00:02:18,580 --> 00:02:22,051 what my expertise truly was 42 00:02:22,051 --> 00:02:23,889 and then you would ask me about that. 43 00:02:23,889 --> 00:02:25,817 You ask a man about his expertise. 44 00:02:25,817 --> 00:02:27,564 You ask a man about the thing 45 00:02:27,564 --> 00:02:32,644 which most impresses you about that man. 46 00:02:32,644 --> 00:02:36,520 I believe that without a doubt 47 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,304 the greatest demonstration of divine power 48 00:02:39,304 --> 00:02:43,446 was seen not when Jesus Christ raised the dead, 49 00:02:43,446 --> 00:02:45,954 and not when He walked on water, 50 00:02:45,954 --> 00:02:48,466 but when He prayed. 51 00:02:48,466 --> 00:02:50,282 And I believe that when the disciples 52 00:02:50,282 --> 00:02:54,026 saw Jesus pray, 53 00:02:54,026 --> 00:02:55,644 they could not believe their eyes. 54 00:02:55,644 --> 00:02:58,459 They could believe even what their ears 55 00:02:58,459 --> 00:03:00,890 were telling them. 56 00:03:00,890 --> 00:03:05,459 Jesus was a man of prayer. 57 00:03:05,459 --> 00:03:07,764 A man of prayer. 58 00:03:07,764 --> 00:03:11,250 Now, let me ask you a question. 59 00:03:11,250 --> 00:03:14,457 When people hear you pray, 60 00:03:14,457 --> 00:03:19,436 do they hear someone who knows God? 61 00:03:19,436 --> 00:03:23,126 Do they hear the rhythm of a religion? 62 00:03:23,126 --> 00:03:27,477 Do they hear words that have been taught to you by other men? 63 00:03:27,477 --> 00:03:29,452 Do they hear form? 64 00:03:29,452 --> 00:03:34,053 Do they hear intellect? 65 00:03:34,053 --> 00:03:36,655 Or do they hear a man or a woman 66 00:03:36,655 --> 00:03:39,599 or a child who spends much time 67 00:03:39,599 --> 00:03:43,881 in the presence of God? 68 00:03:43,881 --> 00:03:46,069 Has anyone ever come to you and said, 69 00:03:46,069 --> 00:03:49,119 "teach me to preach like you preach"? 70 00:03:49,119 --> 00:03:51,439 Well, that may be something to boast about, but not before God. 71 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:53,400 Has anyone ever come to you and said, 72 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,331 "teach me to administrate like you administrate"? 73 00:03:56,331 --> 00:03:58,781 Has anyone ever come to you and said, 74 00:03:58,781 --> 00:04:03,794 "teach me to pray"? 75 00:04:03,794 --> 00:04:05,300 I am not much of a man, 76 00:04:05,300 --> 00:04:07,160 but I have had the privilege in my life 77 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:11,750 to be in the presence of many men used by God. 78 00:04:11,750 --> 00:04:13,770 And the one thing that I noticed, 79 00:04:13,770 --> 00:04:15,878 they had very little in common 80 00:04:15,878 --> 00:04:17,697 except one thing: 81 00:04:17,697 --> 00:04:19,526 when they bowed their knee, 82 00:04:19,526 --> 00:04:24,730 something unusual happened. 83 00:04:24,730 --> 00:04:26,431 There's a saying, 84 00:04:26,431 --> 00:04:28,305 when someone achieves a certain thing, 85 00:04:28,305 --> 00:04:30,484 he may look over and with a twinkle in his eye, 86 00:04:30,484 --> 00:04:33,141 say, "you can't learn that." 87 00:04:33,141 --> 00:04:37,506 "You've got to be born with that." 88 00:04:37,506 --> 00:04:41,575 You can't fake prayer. 89 00:04:41,575 --> 00:04:43,821 Jesus was a man of prayer 90 00:04:43,821 --> 00:04:47,196 and when He prayed, 91 00:04:47,196 --> 00:04:50,012 people saw the difference. 92 00:04:50,012 --> 00:04:51,615 Now, I want to look for a moment 93 00:04:51,615 --> 00:04:54,087 at the idea that Jesus was a man of prayer. 94 00:04:54,087 --> 00:04:55,773 And I've just scribbled down here 95 00:04:55,773 --> 00:04:57,050 a bunch of verses, 96 00:04:57,050 --> 00:04:58,587 and I'm going to kind read 97 00:04:58,587 --> 00:04:59,840 a hodge-podge of verses 98 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:01,592 that you might come to understand 99 00:05:01,592 --> 00:05:04,334 the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus Christ. 100 00:05:04,334 --> 00:05:05,772 And then come to understand 101 00:05:05,772 --> 00:05:07,600 that if prayer was so important 102 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:12,796 to the incarnate Son of the living God, 103 00:05:12,796 --> 00:05:14,716 then how much more important 104 00:05:14,716 --> 00:05:17,129 should prayer be to us? 105 00:05:17,129 --> 00:05:18,586 How much more should we 106 00:05:18,586 --> 00:05:20,366 depend upon prayer? 107 00:05:20,366 --> 00:05:21,909 Jesus lived a life of prayer. 108 00:05:21,909 --> 00:05:24,006 That's the first thing I want you to see. 109 00:05:24,006 --> 00:05:25,455 In Luke 5:16 it says that, 110 00:05:25,455 --> 00:05:28,645 "Jesus Himself would often slip away 111 00:05:28,645 --> 00:05:31,831 to the wilderness and pray." 112 00:05:31,831 --> 00:05:33,218 Do you know oftentimes, 113 00:05:33,218 --> 00:05:35,465 when we find something that we greatly enjoy, 114 00:05:35,465 --> 00:05:38,515 as opposed to what we grudgingly must do, 115 00:05:38,515 --> 00:05:41,631 we try to slip away to it. 116 00:05:41,631 --> 00:05:45,815 A man might want to avoid his yard duty 117 00:05:45,815 --> 00:05:49,187 by slipping away to watch a ballgame. 118 00:05:49,187 --> 00:05:51,092 A man may come into work early 119 00:05:51,092 --> 00:05:54,188 so he can slip away to go hunting. 120 00:05:54,188 --> 00:05:58,479 A wife may want to slip away to go to the mall. 121 00:05:58,479 --> 00:06:00,234 They slip away to the things 122 00:06:00,234 --> 00:06:02,454 that they most enjoy. 123 00:06:02,454 --> 00:06:06,354 Isn't it a crime 124 00:06:06,354 --> 00:06:08,812 that Jesus Christ and the labor of the kingdom 125 00:06:08,812 --> 00:06:10,499 seems almost to be work 126 00:06:10,499 --> 00:06:15,560 that we want to slip away from? 127 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,136 I heard tell of a story of an evangelist. 128 00:06:18,136 --> 00:06:19,793 He got off the plane 129 00:06:19,793 --> 00:06:21,531 and he was received by the pastors, 130 00:06:21,531 --> 00:06:23,795 and immediately they took him out to play golf. 131 00:06:23,795 --> 00:06:25,819 I don't have much of a problem with that. 132 00:06:25,819 --> 00:06:28,876 I've never played golf myself. 133 00:06:28,876 --> 00:06:31,011 But they took him out to the golf course 134 00:06:31,011 --> 00:06:32,312 and that's a fine thing. 135 00:06:32,312 --> 00:06:34,094 I guess they saw that he needed to rest, 136 00:06:34,094 --> 00:06:35,723 and as they were going out there 137 00:06:35,723 --> 00:06:37,209 across whatever you cross 138 00:06:37,209 --> 00:06:39,374 to do whatever you do when you play golf, 139 00:06:39,374 --> 00:06:41,319 the evangelist just happened to mention, 140 00:06:41,319 --> 00:06:43,651 he said, "Well, you know, the Lord is so good. 141 00:06:43,651 --> 00:06:45,852 The other day, He was just..." 142 00:06:45,852 --> 00:06:47,790 And the preacher stopped him and says, 143 00:06:47,790 --> 00:06:51,131 "let's not talk shop out here." 144 00:06:51,131 --> 00:06:53,966 "This is the place where we're going to rest." 145 00:06:53,966 --> 00:06:57,056 The only place you'll ever rest is in Jesus Christ. 146 00:06:57,056 --> 00:06:59,645 And you know, when you're walking with God. 147 00:06:59,645 --> 00:07:03,011 When? When you slip away to Him. 148 00:07:03,011 --> 00:07:07,033 When you say there's so much I have to do. 149 00:07:07,033 --> 00:07:08,647 So much grudging work, 150 00:07:08,647 --> 00:07:09,826 so much labor, 151 00:07:09,826 --> 00:07:11,815 I just wish that I could slip away 152 00:07:11,815 --> 00:07:13,740 to Him for a moment 153 00:07:13,740 --> 00:07:17,631 because He's the One to Whom I escape. 154 00:07:17,631 --> 00:07:20,271 He's the place I rest. 155 00:07:20,271 --> 00:07:21,725 When prayer becomes a labor, 156 00:07:21,725 --> 00:07:24,217 we're not like the Christ. 157 00:07:24,217 --> 00:07:25,869 We're not like Jesus. 158 00:07:25,869 --> 00:07:28,265 It says He would slip away 159 00:07:28,265 --> 00:07:29,982 into the wilderness and pray. 160 00:07:29,982 --> 00:07:31,997 Notice, He would go into the wilderness. 161 00:07:31,997 --> 00:07:34,271 My friend, the world, even the church 162 00:07:34,271 --> 00:07:39,574 is just so filled up with noise. 163 00:07:39,574 --> 00:07:41,042 So filled up with noise 164 00:07:41,042 --> 00:07:42,313 that every once in awhile, 165 00:07:42,313 --> 00:07:44,232 especially those of you who are pastors, 166 00:07:44,232 --> 00:07:46,087 you have got to slip away 167 00:07:46,087 --> 00:07:47,814 and you've got to go to a wilderness 168 00:07:47,814 --> 00:07:49,141 where no one can find you 169 00:07:49,141 --> 00:07:51,581 and seek your God. 170 00:07:51,581 --> 00:07:53,486 And be very careful that sometimes 171 00:07:53,486 --> 00:07:59,799 you don't take along all those books with you. 172 00:07:59,799 --> 00:08:01,302 Because to many, Jesus Christ 173 00:08:01,302 --> 00:08:04,358 can just become proper exegesis, 174 00:08:04,358 --> 00:08:06,862 proper hermeneutic, 175 00:08:06,862 --> 00:08:08,552 a thing to be studied, 176 00:08:08,552 --> 00:08:11,778 instead of a Person to be loved. 177 00:08:11,778 --> 00:08:14,670 Jesus would slip away. In Matthew 14:23, it says, 178 00:08:14,670 --> 00:08:16,658 "After He had sent the crowds away, 179 00:08:16,658 --> 00:08:19,602 He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray, 180 00:08:19,602 --> 00:08:23,478 and when it was evening, He was there alone." 181 00:08:23,478 --> 00:08:26,707 Someone said, "Why did Jesus need to pray so much? 182 00:08:26,707 --> 00:08:28,348 He was the incarnate Son of God." 183 00:08:28,348 --> 00:08:31,336 We're going to talk about that. 184 00:08:31,336 --> 00:08:34,466 But let me show you just the foolishness of that question. 185 00:08:34,466 --> 00:08:36,831 Could it just be possible that He always wanted 186 00:08:36,831 --> 00:08:38,509 to slip away and be alone with God 187 00:08:38,509 --> 00:08:42,393 simply because He loved Him? 188 00:08:42,393 --> 00:08:47,601 Because He loved Him. 189 00:08:47,601 --> 00:08:50,014 It says in Luke 6:12-13, 190 00:08:50,014 --> 00:08:51,975 "It was at this time that He went off 191 00:08:51,975 --> 00:08:53,054 to a mountain to pray, 192 00:08:53,054 --> 00:08:55,635 and He spent the whole night in prayer to God, 193 00:08:55,635 --> 00:08:58,520 and when day came, He called His disciples to Him 194 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,001 and chose twelve of them 195 00:09:00,001 --> 00:09:01,707 whom he also named apostles." 196 00:09:01,707 --> 00:09:03,117 Let me ask you a question. 197 00:09:03,117 --> 00:09:05,848 Have you ever had to make 198 00:09:05,852 --> 00:09:09,281 a really tough decision? 199 00:09:09,281 --> 00:09:13,707 Did you ever pass the entire night in prayer to do so? 200 00:09:13,707 --> 00:09:16,187 If you say no, I say to you, 201 00:09:16,187 --> 00:09:20,253 behold, we've found a man stronger than Jesus. 202 00:09:20,253 --> 00:09:22,901 Isn't it amazing that the Christ would slip away 203 00:09:22,901 --> 00:09:25,284 and spend the entire night in prayer 204 00:09:25,284 --> 00:09:27,294 to discern the Father's voice? 205 00:09:27,294 --> 00:09:31,914 To pick the men that had to be picked? 206 00:09:31,914 --> 00:09:34,981 But we've got the upper hand on that. 207 00:09:34,981 --> 00:09:40,721 That's not so much needed anymore. 208 00:09:40,721 --> 00:09:42,318 It goes on. 209 00:09:42,318 --> 00:09:44,429 Matthew 26:36, 210 00:09:44,429 --> 00:09:46,256 "Then Jesus came with them 211 00:09:46,256 --> 00:09:47,992 to a place called Gethsemane 212 00:09:47,992 --> 00:09:49,433 and said to His disciples, 213 00:09:49,433 --> 00:09:52,444 'Sit here while I go over there and pray.'" 214 00:09:52,444 --> 00:09:56,093 Sit here while I go over there and pray. 215 00:09:56,093 --> 00:09:58,387 Who could forget Gethsemane? 216 00:09:58,387 --> 00:10:00,442 Who could forget the war 217 00:10:00,442 --> 00:10:04,418 that was fought in that place? 218 00:10:04,418 --> 00:10:09,318 My friend, when He got up off His knees, the battle was over. 219 00:10:09,318 --> 00:10:11,807 The war was fought there. 220 00:10:11,807 --> 00:10:14,065 How many things do we have to fight with? 221 00:10:14,065 --> 00:10:15,259 How many Philistines 222 00:10:15,259 --> 00:10:16,792 do we have to put up with 223 00:10:16,792 --> 00:10:18,311 that stay in the land 224 00:10:18,311 --> 00:10:19,885 and they're like thorns to us? 225 00:10:19,885 --> 00:10:22,630 Why? Because we do not take the matter 226 00:10:22,630 --> 00:10:24,754 by the horns. 227 00:10:24,754 --> 00:10:27,378 We do not go to the Lord and wrestle 228 00:10:27,378 --> 00:10:31,864 until the victory is won. 229 00:10:31,864 --> 00:10:35,070 Jesus Christ overcome in that garden, 230 00:10:35,070 --> 00:10:38,575 and He overcome by struggling through it 231 00:10:38,575 --> 00:10:39,970 in prayer, 232 00:10:39,970 --> 00:10:42,172 and gaining the victory. 233 00:10:42,172 --> 00:10:44,285 That passage, "this kind only comes out 234 00:10:44,285 --> 00:10:47,054 through prayer and fasting," - 235 00:10:47,054 --> 00:10:49,923 that just doesn't have to do with demons, my dear friend. 236 00:10:49,923 --> 00:10:52,230 There are so many mountains in your life. 237 00:10:52,230 --> 00:10:53,839 So many obstacles in your life. 238 00:10:53,839 --> 00:10:56,008 So many things in your life 239 00:10:56,008 --> 00:10:59,265 that seek to derail you, to stop you. 240 00:10:59,265 --> 00:11:00,962 And they're going to stay there 241 00:11:00,962 --> 00:11:02,514 because some of those things 242 00:11:02,514 --> 00:11:06,080 just don't go away by counseling. 243 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,024 They go away by falling on your face before God 244 00:11:09,024 --> 00:11:11,646 until He delivers you. 245 00:11:11,646 --> 00:11:13,837 Jesus was a man of prayer. 246 00:11:13,837 --> 00:11:17,574 He showed it in every aspect of His life. 247 00:11:17,574 --> 00:11:18,749 It goes on. 248 00:11:18,749 --> 00:11:22,172 Jesus taught on prayer. 249 00:11:22,172 --> 00:11:24,123 He taught prayer. 250 00:11:24,123 --> 00:11:25,798 The Scriptures are so filled 251 00:11:25,798 --> 00:11:27,953 with the teachings of Jesus Christ on prayer 252 00:11:27,953 --> 00:11:30,305 that there's just nothing we can do with that tonight. 253 00:11:30,305 --> 00:11:32,205 There's two passages that I want to point out 254 00:11:32,205 --> 00:11:34,698 and they're both found in Luke 18. 255 00:11:34,698 --> 00:11:36,043 Verse 1, He says, 256 00:11:36,043 --> 00:11:38,504 "now He was telling them a parable 257 00:11:38,504 --> 00:11:40,437 to show that at all times 258 00:11:40,437 --> 00:11:42,998 they ought to pray and not lose heart." 259 00:11:42,998 --> 00:11:45,317 That's the teaching of Jesus Christ. 260 00:11:45,317 --> 00:11:46,293 Right there. 261 00:11:46,293 --> 00:11:48,959 If you want to sum up everything He taught about prayer, 262 00:11:48,959 --> 00:11:53,195 we ought to pray at all times. 263 00:11:53,195 --> 00:11:55,647 Now, for you young men here, let me just teach you 264 00:11:55,647 --> 00:11:57,275 something that will help you. 265 00:11:57,275 --> 00:11:59,116 I hear so many young men today saying 266 00:11:59,116 --> 00:12:01,548 well, I don't have really a specific time 267 00:12:01,548 --> 00:12:02,831 in which I pray. 268 00:12:02,831 --> 00:12:05,166 I more throughout my day, 269 00:12:05,166 --> 00:12:07,995 I just kind of practice the presence of God. 270 00:12:07,995 --> 00:12:10,440 But I don't really have that secret place I go to. 271 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:12,292 Let me tell you something, young man, 272 00:12:12,292 --> 00:12:13,792 there is no way you can learn 273 00:12:13,792 --> 00:12:15,779 to practice the presence of God 274 00:12:15,779 --> 00:12:22,363 if you do not spend much time in secret prayer. 275 00:12:22,363 --> 00:12:25,617 The power to practice the presence of God; 276 00:12:25,617 --> 00:12:28,225 the power to live a life of prayer, 277 00:12:28,225 --> 00:12:30,435 to always be speaking with the Father, 278 00:12:30,435 --> 00:12:37,041 that is borne out of secret time with the Lord, 279 00:12:37,041 --> 00:12:41,010 segments of time with the Lord in prayer. 280 00:12:41,010 --> 00:12:45,013 And He said we ought to be praying always 281 00:12:45,013 --> 00:12:47,833 and not to lose heart. 282 00:12:47,833 --> 00:12:50,504 The initiating of prayer is never a problem. 283 00:12:50,504 --> 00:12:52,075 Do you realize that? 284 00:12:52,075 --> 00:12:54,061 You have initiated so many petitions 285 00:12:54,061 --> 00:12:55,150 before the throne. 286 00:12:55,150 --> 00:13:01,562 The question is have you wrestled them through? 287 00:13:01,562 --> 00:13:05,345 Have you pressed on in to lay hold? 288 00:13:05,345 --> 00:13:06,701 Have you kept going? 289 00:13:06,701 --> 00:13:09,076 Are there petitions in your heart, in your mind, 290 00:13:09,076 --> 00:13:10,660 down on pieces of paper 291 00:13:10,660 --> 00:13:15,503 that possibly have been there for 15 years, 292 00:13:15,503 --> 00:13:18,837 but you say to the Lord, "I will not let You go." 293 00:13:18,837 --> 00:13:22,748 It is so easy to initiate prayer, 294 00:13:22,748 --> 00:13:28,156 but to persevere in that praying. 295 00:13:28,156 --> 00:13:30,378 So He said we ought to pray 296 00:13:30,378 --> 00:13:31,888 and we shouldn't lose heart, 297 00:13:31,888 --> 00:13:33,724 because losing heart is the very end 298 00:13:33,724 --> 00:13:36,149 of all praying. 299 00:13:36,149 --> 00:13:39,466 And then He says in Luke 18:8 300 00:13:39,466 --> 00:13:41,756 what I consider to be one of 301 00:13:41,756 --> 00:13:45,003 the saddest verses in the entire Bible. 302 00:13:45,003 --> 00:13:47,092 It is this in 18:8, 303 00:13:47,092 --> 00:13:51,915 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly, 304 00:13:51,915 --> 00:13:53,991 however, when the Son of Man comes, 305 00:13:53,991 --> 00:13:57,800 will He find faith on the earth?" 306 00:13:57,800 --> 00:13:59,754 Now, why is that so sad? 307 00:13:59,754 --> 00:14:02,409 Jesus has just given them a parable 308 00:14:02,409 --> 00:14:04,120 to demonstrate to them 309 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,344 why they should always pray 310 00:14:07,344 --> 00:14:10,225 and not lose heart. 311 00:14:10,225 --> 00:14:12,115 It's almost as though Christ is going, 312 00:14:12,115 --> 00:14:14,924 "Listen! My Father is faithful. 313 00:14:14,924 --> 00:14:16,288 My Word is true. 314 00:14:16,288 --> 00:14:18,352 He's willing to do far more than anything 315 00:14:18,352 --> 00:14:19,958 you could ever ask or think. 316 00:14:19,958 --> 00:14:21,954 I am telling you, ask and you'll receive. 317 00:14:21,954 --> 00:14:23,679 Knock and it will be opened to you. 318 00:14:23,679 --> 00:14:25,918 Seek. You'll find." 319 00:14:25,918 --> 00:14:29,575 And then the Lord stops and goes, 320 00:14:29,575 --> 00:14:34,079 "But then again... when I return, 321 00:14:34,079 --> 00:14:41,647 will I find anybody believing this? 322 00:14:41,647 --> 00:14:50,590 Is anyone going to take Me at My word?" 323 00:14:50,590 --> 00:14:54,707 We cast so much doubt, 324 00:14:54,707 --> 00:14:56,965 not just upon the infallible, 325 00:14:56,965 --> 00:14:58,300 written Word of God. 326 00:14:58,300 --> 00:15:00,173 We cast so much doubt 327 00:15:00,173 --> 00:15:02,941 on the character of God 328 00:15:02,941 --> 00:15:06,288 when we do not avail ourself boldly 329 00:15:06,288 --> 00:15:08,859 of the promises. 330 00:15:08,859 --> 00:15:10,411 Either we have no passion 331 00:15:10,411 --> 00:15:12,567 for the advancement of His kingdom, 332 00:15:12,567 --> 00:15:14,610 or we feel that somehow it can be advanced 333 00:15:14,610 --> 00:15:16,201 through the power of the flesh, 334 00:15:16,201 --> 00:15:18,820 the power of the intellect, 335 00:15:18,820 --> 00:15:23,303 the power of ecclesiastical structure. 336 00:15:23,303 --> 00:15:26,259 Now He goes on. 337 00:15:26,259 --> 00:15:27,968 He taught on prayer. 338 00:15:27,968 --> 00:15:30,177 Now, I want to point out something to you: 339 00:15:30,177 --> 00:15:35,870 why it was necessary that Christ pray. 340 00:15:35,870 --> 00:15:39,302 And I mentioned already His love for the Father. 341 00:15:39,302 --> 00:15:42,102 Love for God 342 00:15:42,102 --> 00:15:44,946 will cause you to desire to talk to God 343 00:15:44,946 --> 00:15:47,455 and to hear from God. 344 00:15:47,455 --> 00:15:48,952 But there was another reason. 345 00:15:48,952 --> 00:15:51,003 I want to read a text thats in Acts 2:22. 346 00:15:51,003 --> 00:15:53,093 "Men of Israel, listen to these words. 347 00:15:53,093 --> 00:15:55,711 Jesus the Nazarene, 348 00:15:55,711 --> 00:15:59,308 a man..." Let me read that again. 349 00:15:59,308 --> 00:16:04,009 "Jesus the Nazarene, a man 350 00:16:04,009 --> 00:16:06,734 attested to you by God 351 00:16:06,734 --> 00:16:09,140 with miracles and wonders and signs 352 00:16:09,140 --> 00:16:13,267 which God performed..." which God performed, 353 00:16:13,267 --> 00:16:16,789 "through Him in your midst 354 00:16:16,789 --> 00:16:22,356 just as you yourselves know." 355 00:16:22,356 --> 00:16:24,717 You mark my words, whenever a cult 356 00:16:24,717 --> 00:16:26,586 attacks Christianity, 357 00:16:26,586 --> 00:16:28,386 the first place they're going to go 358 00:16:28,386 --> 00:16:30,443 is they're going to attack the deity 359 00:16:30,443 --> 00:16:33,264 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is that not true? 360 00:16:33,264 --> 00:16:36,369 They are going to attack His deity. 361 00:16:36,369 --> 00:16:38,522 Throughout 2,000 years of Christian history, 362 00:16:38,522 --> 00:16:41,425 we have had to build walls to keep them out. 363 00:16:41,425 --> 00:16:43,161 We have to had to fight. 364 00:16:43,161 --> 00:16:45,355 We have had to amass arms. 365 00:16:45,355 --> 00:16:47,378 We have had to do apologetics. 366 00:16:47,378 --> 00:16:48,986 We have had to do it all. 367 00:16:48,986 --> 00:16:52,503 It is our purpose and our responsibility 368 00:16:52,503 --> 00:16:59,110 to proclaim that Jesus Christ is God. 369 00:16:59,110 --> 00:17:03,556 But one of the things that we have done 370 00:17:03,556 --> 00:17:07,794 is not so much forgotten, 371 00:17:07,794 --> 00:17:11,401 but we no longer comprehend what it means 372 00:17:11,401 --> 00:17:15,504 that this God became flesh. 373 00:17:15,504 --> 00:17:19,895 In His humiliation, in His kenosis, 374 00:17:19,895 --> 00:17:25,514 in His incarnation, the Son of God, 375 00:17:25,514 --> 00:17:28,537 although He did not stop being 376 00:17:28,537 --> 00:17:30,637 what He always was, 377 00:17:30,637 --> 00:17:34,293 He became something He never was. 378 00:17:34,293 --> 00:17:37,353 He continued to be the fullness of deity, 379 00:17:37,353 --> 00:17:40,299 but that fullness of deity took on human flesh 380 00:17:40,299 --> 00:17:46,480 and He walked on this earth as a man. 381 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,611 And one of the things, 382 00:17:48,611 --> 00:17:51,462 and there's a fine line here, but it's very important, 383 00:17:51,462 --> 00:17:53,016 one of the things we have done 384 00:17:53,016 --> 00:17:55,281 is we have relegated every work, 385 00:17:55,281 --> 00:17:58,351 every action of Jesus to deity. 386 00:17:58,351 --> 00:18:01,066 Well, He did that. How did He do that? Well, He's God. 387 00:18:01,066 --> 00:18:03,396 And that's true, but what we need to see 388 00:18:03,396 --> 00:18:05,637 is that the emphasis placed in the Scripture 389 00:18:05,637 --> 00:18:10,077 is that Jesus Christ walked on this earth as a man, 390 00:18:10,077 --> 00:18:11,709 and the things He taught, 391 00:18:11,709 --> 00:18:13,285 and the miracles He performed, 392 00:18:13,285 --> 00:18:15,195 He performed as a man 393 00:18:15,195 --> 00:18:17,603 totally and completely submitted 394 00:18:17,603 --> 00:18:19,027 to the will of the Father 395 00:18:19,027 --> 00:18:22,698 and totally and completely dependent 396 00:18:22,698 --> 00:18:26,299 upon the Holy Spirit. 397 00:18:26,299 --> 00:18:31,503 And in recognizing that what happens? 398 00:18:31,503 --> 00:18:34,335 Jesus Christ, our elder Brother, 399 00:18:34,335 --> 00:18:37,856 becomes also our model. 400 00:18:37,856 --> 00:18:41,784 He becomes our model. 401 00:18:41,784 --> 00:18:43,918 I believe it was McMillan who wrote the book 402 00:18:43,918 --> 00:18:45,565 "Power Without Measure". 403 00:18:45,565 --> 00:18:48,589 Excellent book if you can get a hold of it. 404 00:18:48,589 --> 00:18:51,256 And what I want us to see 405 00:18:51,256 --> 00:18:53,046 is that in His humiliation, 406 00:18:53,046 --> 00:18:55,765 in His incarnation, 407 00:18:55,765 --> 00:18:59,134 God becoming man - yes, very God, 408 00:18:59,134 --> 00:19:02,262 but at the same time, very and completely man. 409 00:19:02,262 --> 00:19:05,785 And as a man, He lived a perfect life. 410 00:19:05,785 --> 00:19:08,493 He taught the perfect Word. 411 00:19:08,493 --> 00:19:11,881 He did miracles without number. 412 00:19:11,881 --> 00:19:15,795 He wrought redemption with His own two hands. 413 00:19:15,795 --> 00:19:19,437 Completely submitted to the will of God 414 00:19:19,437 --> 00:19:21,746 and in the power of the Holy Spirit. 415 00:19:21,746 --> 00:19:24,567 Now, I want us just to look at some things for a moment 416 00:19:24,567 --> 00:19:26,656 I believe will help us. 417 00:19:26,656 --> 00:19:29,228 First of all, I want us to look 418 00:19:29,228 --> 00:19:31,926 at Jesus Christ the man - 419 00:19:31,926 --> 00:19:35,440 totally and completely submitted 420 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:37,150 to the will of the Father. 421 00:19:37,150 --> 00:19:39,340 He says in John 4:34, 422 00:19:39,340 --> 00:19:41,263 "Jesus said to them, 'My food is to do 423 00:19:41,263 --> 00:19:42,808 the will of Him who sent Me 424 00:19:42,808 --> 00:19:48,371 and to accomplish His work.'" 425 00:19:48,371 --> 00:19:51,070 I can't say that. 426 00:19:51,070 --> 00:19:52,730 You know what most bothered me 427 00:19:52,730 --> 00:19:56,806 back there in the back while we were praying? 428 00:19:56,806 --> 00:20:00,339 Would I be praying so zealously 429 00:20:00,339 --> 00:20:03,923 and would I be so concerned about these meetings 430 00:20:03,923 --> 00:20:08,391 if they weren't ours? 431 00:20:08,391 --> 00:20:12,158 If they weren't sponsored by HeartCry? 432 00:20:12,158 --> 00:20:15,616 And if I was not preaching? 433 00:20:15,616 --> 00:20:18,873 I do so much for me. 434 00:20:18,873 --> 00:20:23,444 So much of my food stinks. 435 00:20:23,444 --> 00:20:26,704 It's fodder. 436 00:20:26,704 --> 00:20:28,551 I'd be a hypocrite to stand before you 437 00:20:28,551 --> 00:20:32,378 and say those words are mine. 438 00:20:32,378 --> 00:20:34,804 But Jesus could always say, 439 00:20:34,804 --> 00:20:39,409 "My food, my sustenance, 440 00:20:39,409 --> 00:20:41,674 the thing I live for 441 00:20:41,674 --> 00:20:46,376 is to do the will of My Father." 442 00:20:46,376 --> 00:20:48,804 That's why how much a man prays 443 00:20:48,804 --> 00:20:51,928 will tell you a lot more about him 444 00:20:51,928 --> 00:20:55,819 than how much a man preaches. 445 00:20:55,819 --> 00:20:59,688 You can preach for a lot of reasons, 446 00:20:59,688 --> 00:21:04,006 but to pray in secret 447 00:21:04,006 --> 00:21:06,378 is to do the will of the Father 448 00:21:06,378 --> 00:21:08,122 and to eat a pure food 449 00:21:08,122 --> 00:21:10,272 off the Lord's table. 450 00:21:10,272 --> 00:21:11,856 One of our greatest problems - 451 00:21:11,856 --> 00:21:13,590 and we learn this, we say this, 452 00:21:13,590 --> 00:21:15,222 but listen to what we're saying, 453 00:21:15,222 --> 00:21:16,654 one of our greatest problems 454 00:21:16,654 --> 00:21:22,529 is yes, we really are not like Jesus. 455 00:21:22,529 --> 00:21:24,405 There is much in the reformed movement 456 00:21:24,405 --> 00:21:25,535 talking about the law. 457 00:21:25,535 --> 00:21:27,015 Men will be judged by the law. 458 00:21:27,015 --> 00:21:28,321 And there is truth in that. 459 00:21:28,321 --> 00:21:29,838 Men will be judged by the law, 460 00:21:29,838 --> 00:21:33,473 but it is a small thing for me to be judged by the law. 461 00:21:33,473 --> 00:21:35,029 Put Paul Washer in the scale, 462 00:21:35,029 --> 00:21:37,121 put the law on the other side of the scale, 463 00:21:37,121 --> 00:21:38,905 that's one thing. 464 00:21:38,905 --> 00:21:40,759 Yes, I will fail, 465 00:21:40,759 --> 00:21:43,414 but you know something that is a harder measure? 466 00:21:43,414 --> 00:21:45,468 Put Paul Washer in one side of the scale, 467 00:21:45,468 --> 00:21:49,628 and put the perfect man Jesus Christ on the other side of the scale. 468 00:21:49,628 --> 00:21:54,020 To be compared to Him. 469 00:21:54,020 --> 00:21:56,423 That is our goal. 470 00:21:56,423 --> 00:21:59,287 It could be said that is our only need, 471 00:21:59,287 --> 00:22:02,198 to be like Jesus. 472 00:22:02,198 --> 00:22:03,781 The most dangerous prayer 473 00:22:03,781 --> 00:22:06,259 a human being could ever pray: 474 00:22:06,259 --> 00:22:07,700 Lord, make me like Christ. 475 00:22:07,700 --> 00:22:09,513 I don't care if You have to dethrone me. 476 00:22:09,513 --> 00:22:11,740 I don't care if You have to tear apart my ministry. 477 00:22:11,740 --> 00:22:13,082 I don't care if You have to destroy. 478 00:22:13,082 --> 00:22:14,417 I don't care what happens. 479 00:22:14,417 --> 00:22:17,627 Make me like Jesus Christ. 480 00:22:17,627 --> 00:22:22,014 It's practically calling a death sentence upon yourself. 481 00:22:22,014 --> 00:22:29,038 But then again, unless a grain of wheat 482 00:22:29,038 --> 00:22:31,615 falls to the ground and dies, 483 00:22:31,615 --> 00:22:33,564 it abideth alone. 484 00:22:33,564 --> 00:22:35,809 But if it dies, 485 00:22:35,809 --> 00:22:39,131 it bringeth forth much fruit. 486 00:22:39,131 --> 00:22:42,780 His will was to do the will of His Father. 487 00:22:42,780 --> 00:22:46,987 Also, it says in John 5:19, 488 00:22:46,987 --> 00:22:49,444 "Therefore, Jesus answered and said to them, 489 00:22:49,444 --> 00:22:50,876 'truly, truly, I say to you, 490 00:22:50,876 --> 00:22:53,835 the Son can do nothing of Himself 491 00:22:53,835 --> 00:22:56,333 unless it is something He sees the Father doing, 492 00:22:56,333 --> 00:22:57,698 for whatever the Father does, 493 00:22:57,698 --> 00:22:59,968 these things the Son also does in like manner." 494 00:22:59,968 --> 00:23:02,368 The Son can do nothing of Himself. 495 00:23:02,368 --> 00:23:03,816 A Chinese Christian 496 00:23:03,816 --> 00:23:05,417 after visiting the United States 497 00:23:05,417 --> 00:23:07,419 and seeing all our churches and everything, 498 00:23:07,419 --> 00:23:08,676 do you know what he said? 499 00:23:08,676 --> 00:23:10,396 He said, "I am absolutely amazed 500 00:23:10,396 --> 00:23:15,053 all that you people can do without God. 501 00:23:15,053 --> 00:23:19,769 It's absolutely astounding what you can achieve." 502 00:23:19,769 --> 00:23:22,622 But Jesus said, "I can do nothing... 503 00:23:22,622 --> 00:23:28,892 I can do nothing apart from Him." 504 00:23:28,892 --> 00:23:31,973 We marvel at the Declaration of Independence. 505 00:23:31,973 --> 00:23:34,990 What we need is a declaration of dependence. 506 00:23:34,990 --> 00:23:36,129 Absolute dependence. 507 00:23:36,129 --> 00:23:38,370 It is so hard for those of us 508 00:23:38,370 --> 00:23:40,538 raised in a democracy to understand 509 00:23:40,538 --> 00:23:42,849 absolute sovereignty. 510 00:23:42,849 --> 00:23:48,413 To understand that He is Lord. 511 00:23:48,413 --> 00:23:51,170 And we're not to run behind Him, 512 00:23:51,170 --> 00:23:54,162 and we're not to run ahead of Him. 513 00:23:54,162 --> 00:23:56,598 We're to walk beside Him. 514 00:23:56,598 --> 00:23:58,882 Walk beside Him. 515 00:23:58,882 --> 00:24:02,145 Hopefully, as a young man grows 516 00:24:02,145 --> 00:24:04,214 in his ministry - usually, a young man, 517 00:24:04,214 --> 00:24:07,391 his ministry is marked by activity. 518 00:24:07,391 --> 00:24:09,724 Just activity everywhere. 519 00:24:09,724 --> 00:24:12,110 And when all the sawdust finally 520 00:24:12,110 --> 00:24:13,512 hits the floor, 521 00:24:13,512 --> 00:24:17,203 well, there's just nothing but sawdust. 522 00:24:17,203 --> 00:24:19,034 But as he grows older, 523 00:24:19,034 --> 00:24:21,287 there's less activity, so that he would even 524 00:24:21,287 --> 00:24:24,751 be labeled as not quite as zealous as before. 525 00:24:24,751 --> 00:24:29,284 But much more is done, 526 00:24:29,284 --> 00:24:32,000 because he's seeking only to do 527 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,580 what the Father would have him to do. 528 00:24:36,580 --> 00:24:43,530 Now, also, in John 5:30, 529 00:24:43,530 --> 00:24:45,382 one of my favorite texts in the Bible, 530 00:24:45,382 --> 00:24:47,040 it says this: 531 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:53,596 "I can do nothing on My own initiative." 532 00:24:53,596 --> 00:24:59,085 I can do nothing on My own initiative. 533 00:24:59,085 --> 00:25:01,780 How much do we do 534 00:25:01,780 --> 00:25:05,603 on our own initiative? 535 00:25:05,603 --> 00:25:08,013 Is it not the great sin 536 00:25:08,013 --> 00:25:12,323 to take the matter into our own hands? 537 00:25:12,323 --> 00:25:13,839 And we've been taught that 538 00:25:13,839 --> 00:25:16,146 even in our own culture. 539 00:25:16,146 --> 00:25:17,474 A man needs a car. 540 00:25:17,474 --> 00:25:18,851 Doesn't have money for it. 541 00:25:18,851 --> 00:25:22,082 What does he do? Goes to the bank. 542 00:25:22,082 --> 00:25:24,464 Takes the matter into his own hands, 543 00:25:24,464 --> 00:25:25,743 by his own initiative, 544 00:25:25,743 --> 00:25:27,829 and he gets the job done. 545 00:25:27,829 --> 00:25:31,739 And he's in bondage to it. 546 00:25:31,739 --> 00:25:34,606 Instead of a man saying, 547 00:25:34,606 --> 00:25:36,311 I need a car. 548 00:25:36,311 --> 00:25:38,287 I have no money. 549 00:25:38,287 --> 00:25:41,565 Father... 550 00:25:41,565 --> 00:25:43,122 I need a house. 551 00:25:43,122 --> 00:25:44,596 I have no money. 552 00:25:44,596 --> 00:25:49,867 Father... 553 00:25:49,867 --> 00:25:52,403 I want to do this thing in the name of Jesus Christ 554 00:25:52,403 --> 00:25:55,491 and in the ministry, but Father... 555 00:25:55,491 --> 00:25:59,136 I will initiate nothing. 556 00:25:59,136 --> 00:26:01,555 Show me, lead me, guide me. 557 00:26:01,555 --> 00:26:06,200 Absolute surrender to Him. 558 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:09,799 Absolute surrender. 559 00:26:09,799 --> 00:26:12,574 It's not something I'm giving testimony about 560 00:26:12,574 --> 00:26:13,849 with regards to myself, 561 00:26:13,849 --> 00:26:15,827 but it is something I'm telling you about 562 00:26:15,827 --> 00:26:19,228 with regard to Jesus Christ. 563 00:26:19,228 --> 00:26:22,173 I want you to see Him, yes, as God in the flesh, 564 00:26:22,173 --> 00:26:24,602 but I want you to see Him as a man 565 00:26:24,602 --> 00:26:28,621 totally submitted to the will of God. 566 00:26:28,621 --> 00:26:31,024 And I want you to see that that 567 00:26:31,024 --> 00:26:34,464 is what you are called to. 568 00:26:34,464 --> 00:26:38,160 Prayer is a little thing unless this giant is first slain. 569 00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:40,950 It is the end of self-will 570 00:26:40,950 --> 00:26:45,124 and submitting ourselves to Jesus Christ. 571 00:26:45,124 --> 00:26:47,682 There ought to be a way in which we could answer 572 00:26:47,682 --> 00:26:49,411 every question like this: 573 00:26:49,411 --> 00:26:51,106 Someone says why did you go there? 574 00:26:51,106 --> 00:26:52,276 Or why did you do this? 575 00:26:52,276 --> 00:26:53,085 The answer: 576 00:26:53,085 --> 00:26:57,139 Because I believed it to be God's will. 577 00:26:57,139 --> 00:27:00,346 Well, that's an absolutely great opportunity that's open to you. 578 00:27:00,346 --> 00:27:02,386 No, I have no opportunity except 579 00:27:02,386 --> 00:27:08,798 the doing of God's will. 580 00:27:08,798 --> 00:27:11,258 If all the doors in all of creation fly open 581 00:27:11,258 --> 00:27:13,709 and God says "stop," 582 00:27:13,709 --> 00:27:17,567 then you bring glory to God by stopping. 583 00:27:17,567 --> 00:27:22,209 And you'll save yourself from a whole lot of peril. 584 00:27:22,209 --> 00:27:24,094 Not only that, 585 00:27:24,094 --> 00:27:28,905 and this is the part that I really want us to look at. 586 00:27:28,905 --> 00:27:31,647 In the absolute submission of Jesus Christ 587 00:27:31,647 --> 00:27:33,792 to the will of the Father, 588 00:27:33,792 --> 00:27:37,342 He was absolutely dependent 589 00:27:37,342 --> 00:27:41,779 upon the working of the Holy Spirit. 590 00:27:41,779 --> 00:27:46,958 Jesus Christ, in His humiliation, 591 00:27:46,958 --> 00:27:49,086 in His incarnation, 592 00:27:49,086 --> 00:27:51,414 laying aside His robes of glory - 593 00:27:51,414 --> 00:27:55,280 yes, still God - 594 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,440 but yet walking on this earth as man, 595 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,708 He did what He did 596 00:28:00,708 --> 00:28:04,847 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 597 00:28:04,847 --> 00:28:06,561 Submitted to the will of God. 598 00:28:06,561 --> 00:28:08,233 Empowered by the Holy Spirit. 599 00:28:08,233 --> 00:28:10,039 And therefore again, our elder Brother 600 00:28:10,039 --> 00:28:13,486 is our example. 601 00:28:13,486 --> 00:28:15,168 We can't simply write Him off as: 602 00:28:15,168 --> 00:28:17,148 Well, I'll never be like my elder Brother 603 00:28:17,148 --> 00:28:19,312 because He was God. 604 00:28:19,312 --> 00:28:21,708 Well, there is a great deal of truth in that. 605 00:28:21,708 --> 00:28:26,107 Your elder Brother was God. No, you will never be like Him. 606 00:28:26,107 --> 00:28:27,735 But you should learn from this, 607 00:28:27,735 --> 00:28:29,412 your elder Brother who was God 608 00:28:29,412 --> 00:28:32,223 became a man and as a man He walked 609 00:28:32,223 --> 00:28:35,587 perfectly submitted to the will of the Father 610 00:28:35,587 --> 00:28:37,420 and absolutely dependent 611 00:28:37,420 --> 00:28:40,761 upon the working of the Holy Spirit. 612 00:28:40,761 --> 00:28:42,585 And that is something. 613 00:28:42,585 --> 00:28:45,102 We do not strive for deity. 614 00:28:45,102 --> 00:28:47,993 But we do strive to be like Him, 615 00:28:47,993 --> 00:28:52,173 to be submitted to the will of the Father, 616 00:28:52,173 --> 00:28:56,149 and to be empowered - dependent - 617 00:28:56,149 --> 00:28:58,735 upon the power of the Holy Spirit. 618 00:28:58,735 --> 00:29:00,981 Now, I want to read a few passages 619 00:29:00,981 --> 00:29:05,360 that are eye-openers. 620 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,262 Luke 4:1, "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, 621 00:29:08,262 --> 00:29:11,563 returned from the Jordan and was led around 622 00:29:11,563 --> 00:29:14,812 by the Spirit in the wilderness." 623 00:29:14,812 --> 00:29:16,522 Do you see that? 624 00:29:16,522 --> 00:29:18,531 It's a forceful word. 625 00:29:18,531 --> 00:29:21,159 He was cast out into the wilderness by the Spirit 626 00:29:21,159 --> 00:29:22,890 Matthew tells us. 627 00:29:22,890 --> 00:29:25,498 He was led around in the wilderness 628 00:29:25,498 --> 00:29:29,338 by the Holy Spirit. 629 00:29:29,338 --> 00:29:32,290 Here we have God incarnate, 630 00:29:32,290 --> 00:29:34,750 and yet being sensitive 631 00:29:34,750 --> 00:29:36,351 to the working of the Holy Spirit 632 00:29:36,351 --> 00:29:38,568 and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 633 00:29:38,568 --> 00:29:41,990 How much more must we? 634 00:29:41,990 --> 00:29:43,923 In Peru, there's this illustration 635 00:29:43,923 --> 00:29:46,017 that they always use, and it's like this, 636 00:29:46,017 --> 00:29:48,303 it's when a man is not walking 637 00:29:48,303 --> 00:29:49,974 in a godly way, they tell him, 638 00:29:49,974 --> 00:29:53,873 you're like a drunken man 639 00:29:53,873 --> 00:29:55,446 going down the Amazon 640 00:29:55,446 --> 00:29:58,266 which is fraught with many a peril. 641 00:29:58,266 --> 00:29:59,493 You're like a drunken man 642 00:29:59,493 --> 00:30:01,911 going down the Amazon blindfolded at night 643 00:30:01,911 --> 00:30:03,964 in a speed boat with your family 644 00:30:03,964 --> 00:30:05,153 seated in the boat 645 00:30:05,153 --> 00:30:07,775 and the boat filled with dynamite. 646 00:30:07,775 --> 00:30:10,241 My dear friend, the Christian 647 00:30:10,241 --> 00:30:14,465 not seeking to be led of the Holy Spirit 648 00:30:14,465 --> 00:30:16,809 is in greater peril. 649 00:30:16,809 --> 00:30:21,163 Greater peril. 650 00:30:21,163 --> 00:30:23,067 I want to tell you something. 651 00:30:23,067 --> 00:30:25,088 There are two extremes in this. 652 00:30:25,088 --> 00:30:28,528 And both of them are just that: extremes. 653 00:30:28,528 --> 00:30:30,199 There are men over here who have 654 00:30:30,199 --> 00:30:32,346 no knowledge of the Word whatsoever, 655 00:30:32,346 --> 00:30:34,734 and they claim to be led of the Spirit. 656 00:30:34,734 --> 00:30:38,534 And the spirit that's leading them contradicts the Word. 657 00:30:38,534 --> 00:30:41,142 We know that's false. 658 00:30:41,142 --> 00:30:43,444 But then there are men who say 659 00:30:43,444 --> 00:30:46,690 we'll have nothing of that. 660 00:30:46,690 --> 00:30:48,895 And everything is just a proposition 661 00:30:48,895 --> 00:30:51,500 and a figuring out and correct exegesis 662 00:30:51,500 --> 00:30:53,926 and that is all. 663 00:30:53,926 --> 00:30:55,292 And they know nothing 664 00:30:55,292 --> 00:30:57,171 of being led and directed 665 00:30:57,171 --> 00:30:59,639 by the Spirit of God who will sometimes 666 00:30:59,639 --> 00:31:02,134 make men do unusual things 667 00:31:02,134 --> 00:31:03,651 to accomplish His end. 668 00:31:03,651 --> 00:31:05,838 Never things that contradict Scripture, 669 00:31:05,838 --> 00:31:09,036 but nonetheless, unusual things. 670 00:31:09,036 --> 00:31:10,641 We must be in the Word 671 00:31:10,641 --> 00:31:11,854 and grounded in the Word. 672 00:31:11,854 --> 00:31:13,662 We must also cry out for the Spirit 673 00:31:13,662 --> 00:31:16,255 to reveal God's will through His Word, 674 00:31:16,255 --> 00:31:19,871 but we must be sensitive in all things 675 00:31:19,871 --> 00:31:22,137 to follow Him. 676 00:31:22,137 --> 00:31:24,495 Not only to start 677 00:31:24,495 --> 00:31:26,625 our journey into the wilderness, 678 00:31:26,625 --> 00:31:29,154 but to be led throughout the wilderness 679 00:31:29,154 --> 00:31:30,973 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 680 00:31:30,973 --> 00:31:34,009 Luke 4:14, "And Jesus returned to Galilee." 681 00:31:34,009 --> 00:31:35,694 Look at this. 682 00:31:35,694 --> 00:31:37,332 He returned from the Jordan 683 00:31:37,332 --> 00:31:38,504 full of the Holy Spirit. 684 00:31:38,504 --> 00:31:40,291 Now, He returns to Galilee 685 00:31:40,291 --> 00:31:42,703 in the power of the Holy Spirit. 686 00:31:42,703 --> 00:31:45,140 Luke 4:14. 687 00:31:45,140 --> 00:31:47,756 Luke 4:18 - He speaks about His ministry 688 00:31:47,756 --> 00:31:49,959 or the Scriptures speak about His ministry. 689 00:31:49,959 --> 00:31:51,738 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me 690 00:31:51,738 --> 00:31:53,967 because He anointed Me to preach 691 00:31:53,967 --> 00:31:55,441 the Gospel to the poor. 692 00:31:55,441 --> 00:31:56,948 He has sent Me to proclaim 693 00:31:56,948 --> 00:31:58,428 release to the captives 694 00:31:58,428 --> 00:32:00,122 and recovery of sight to the blind, 695 00:32:00,122 --> 00:32:02,243 to set free those who are oppressed." 696 00:32:02,243 --> 00:32:04,258 The ministry of Jesus Christ 697 00:32:04,258 --> 00:32:09,164 was a Spirit-empowered ministry. 698 00:32:09,164 --> 00:32:13,163 A ministry sensitive to the Holy Spirit. 699 00:32:13,163 --> 00:32:16,759 How much more do we need the same! 700 00:32:16,759 --> 00:32:18,762 My dear friend, many people 701 00:32:18,762 --> 00:32:20,034 treat the Word of God 702 00:32:20,034 --> 00:32:21,663 and the New Covenant as though 703 00:32:21,663 --> 00:32:24,433 it were the law written on tablets of stone. 704 00:32:24,433 --> 00:32:25,328 There they are. 705 00:32:25,328 --> 00:32:27,313 Now obey them in the power of the flesh. 706 00:32:27,313 --> 00:32:31,472 It's impossible! 707 00:32:31,472 --> 00:32:32,748 We read the Scripture, 708 00:32:32,748 --> 00:32:34,739 we see these commands, we know it. 709 00:32:34,739 --> 00:32:37,001 How many husbands have declared, 710 00:32:37,001 --> 00:32:40,334 I know this is right, but I can't make it work? 711 00:32:40,334 --> 00:32:42,960 I know I'm supposed to love my wife this way, 712 00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,240 but I just don't have the strength. 713 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,205 Of course, you don't! 714 00:32:48,205 --> 00:32:50,814 You have the strength to do nothing. 715 00:32:50,814 --> 00:32:52,195 So when you open that book 716 00:32:52,195 --> 00:32:53,698 and you see those commands, 717 00:32:53,698 --> 00:32:55,503 you must realize that the only way 718 00:32:55,503 --> 00:32:59,590 you're going to be brought through this wilderness 719 00:32:59,590 --> 00:33:02,044 is through the power of the Holy Spirit. 720 00:33:02,044 --> 00:33:04,034 Crying out as you read those commands: 721 00:33:04,034 --> 00:33:08,645 "Oh God, fill me! Fill me!" 722 00:33:08,645 --> 00:33:11,734 Fill me. Fill me. Fill me. 723 00:33:11,734 --> 00:33:15,196 The constant cry of the believer. 724 00:33:15,196 --> 00:33:16,431 Fill me. 725 00:33:16,431 --> 00:33:21,417 And will not God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? 726 00:33:21,417 --> 00:33:23,645 You say, well, Brother Paul, we have it. 727 00:33:23,645 --> 00:33:25,475 Yes, what that text means though, 728 00:33:25,475 --> 00:33:27,744 and Spurgeon took it this way, 729 00:33:27,744 --> 00:33:29,659 meant that although we are born again 730 00:33:29,659 --> 00:33:32,489 and the Holy Spirit indwells in us, 731 00:33:32,489 --> 00:33:34,759 we should constantly be crying out 732 00:33:34,759 --> 00:33:37,118 for greater and greater manifestations 733 00:33:37,118 --> 00:33:39,885 of His power so that we might fulfill 734 00:33:39,885 --> 00:33:41,600 the commandments of God 735 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,133 and live a godly life 736 00:33:44,133 --> 00:33:49,480 in constant dependence upon the work of the Holy Spirit. 737 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,092 One of the things that I noticed as a young man, 738 00:33:53,092 --> 00:33:54,658 after I was converted, 739 00:33:54,658 --> 00:33:57,324 an old brother - Pitman was his name - 740 00:33:57,324 --> 00:33:59,353 came to me with a stack of books 741 00:33:59,353 --> 00:34:01,631 and he said, "read these books." 742 00:34:01,631 --> 00:34:08,623 And they were the autobiography of Hudson Taylor, 743 00:34:08,623 --> 00:34:09,727 of George Mueller, 744 00:34:09,727 --> 00:34:12,725 "The Spiritual Secret" of Hudson Taylor, 745 00:34:12,725 --> 00:34:17,997 and every book Leonard Ravenhill ever wrote. 746 00:34:17,997 --> 00:34:19,699 I began to go from there and look 747 00:34:19,699 --> 00:34:22,127 at a lot of different men down through history. 748 00:34:22,127 --> 00:34:25,337 Those on this side. Those on that side. 749 00:34:25,337 --> 00:34:26,887 Those of different places 750 00:34:26,887 --> 00:34:28,401 and denominations and time, 751 00:34:28,401 --> 00:34:30,668 and I found so little in common 752 00:34:30,668 --> 00:34:32,293 with those men and women who had 753 00:34:32,293 --> 00:34:34,977 served God so mightily, except this: 754 00:34:34,977 --> 00:34:38,532 their prayer life and them acknowledging 755 00:34:38,532 --> 00:34:41,576 their greatest need of being filled with the Holy Spirit; 756 00:34:41,576 --> 00:34:43,821 that they could do absolutely nothing 757 00:34:43,821 --> 00:34:45,825 apart from the work of the Holy Spirit; 758 00:34:45,825 --> 00:34:47,657 that they could initiate nothing 759 00:34:47,657 --> 00:34:51,843 apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. 760 00:34:51,843 --> 00:34:53,642 It says in Luke 5:17, 761 00:34:53,642 --> 00:34:55,415 "One day He was teaching, 762 00:34:55,415 --> 00:34:58,718 and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there 763 00:34:58,718 --> 00:35:00,350 who had some from every village 764 00:35:00,350 --> 00:35:02,486 of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem..." 765 00:35:02,486 --> 00:35:07,351 Now listen to this: "And the power of the Lord was present 766 00:35:07,351 --> 00:35:09,865 for Him to perform healing." 767 00:35:09,865 --> 00:35:12,415 I want you to look at that. 768 00:35:12,415 --> 00:35:15,208 The Holy Spirit was present 769 00:35:15,208 --> 00:35:18,020 so that Jesus might heal. 770 00:35:18,020 --> 00:35:19,894 My dear friend, let's go back again 771 00:35:19,894 --> 00:35:21,033 another step. 772 00:35:21,033 --> 00:35:24,707 This Jesus was God. 773 00:35:24,707 --> 00:35:27,520 This Nazarene - this guy from Nazareth - 774 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,409 He was God in the flesh, 775 00:35:30,409 --> 00:35:32,692 but in His humiliation, 776 00:35:32,692 --> 00:35:34,303 to walk before God 777 00:35:34,303 --> 00:35:36,925 as the one true servant of Yahweh, 778 00:35:36,925 --> 00:35:39,916 the one true man of God, 779 00:35:39,916 --> 00:35:43,261 He humbled Himself, laid aside His robes of glory, 780 00:35:43,261 --> 00:35:45,410 took on the form of a man 781 00:35:45,410 --> 00:35:47,660 and He walked in the power of the Holy Spirit 782 00:35:47,660 --> 00:35:49,506 and He did what He did because He was 783 00:35:49,506 --> 00:35:51,053 submitted to the will of God 784 00:35:51,053 --> 00:35:55,278 and He was filled with the Holy Spirit. 785 00:35:55,278 --> 00:35:59,200 How much greater is our need! 786 00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:01,885 How much greater is our need! 787 00:36:01,885 --> 00:36:03,729 Baptists are so reactionary. 788 00:36:03,729 --> 00:36:06,072 We see all this false stuff going on 789 00:36:06,072 --> 00:36:09,262 and about 95% of it is false. 790 00:36:09,262 --> 00:36:10,813 Things being done supposedly 791 00:36:10,813 --> 00:36:12,327 in the name of the Holy Spirit 792 00:36:12,327 --> 00:36:13,958 and the power of the Holy Spirit 793 00:36:13,958 --> 00:36:15,360 that contradict Scripture, 794 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:17,950 but we as Baptists oftentimes what we do 795 00:36:17,950 --> 00:36:20,037 instead of going back to center, 796 00:36:20,037 --> 00:36:23,511 we run to the other extreme. 797 00:36:23,511 --> 00:36:27,452 We have a constant need to be filled 798 00:36:27,452 --> 00:36:31,567 and to be crying out for greater filling. 799 00:36:31,567 --> 00:36:33,717 It says in Luke 6:19, 800 00:36:33,717 --> 00:36:35,915 "And all the people were trying to touch Him, 801 00:36:35,915 --> 00:36:38,736 for power was coming from Him 802 00:36:38,736 --> 00:36:41,033 and healing them all." 803 00:36:41,033 --> 00:36:43,141 It's amazing. 804 00:36:43,141 --> 00:36:45,876 Luke 8:46, "But Jesus said, 'someone did touch Me, 805 00:36:45,876 --> 00:36:49,451 for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.'" 806 00:36:49,451 --> 00:36:54,843 I believe the King James has here: "virtue had gone out of Me." 807 00:36:54,843 --> 00:36:58,778 Jesus was a man 808 00:36:58,778 --> 00:37:00,806 enflamed, 809 00:37:00,806 --> 00:37:03,929 filled with the Holy Spirit, 810 00:37:03,929 --> 00:37:05,320 and the works that He did, 811 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,589 He did in the power of the Holy Spirit. 812 00:37:07,589 --> 00:37:09,073 And when a work was done, 813 00:37:09,073 --> 00:37:11,616 the power of the Holy Spirit came out of Him. 814 00:37:11,616 --> 00:37:15,349 Sometimes, I equate this to preaching 815 00:37:15,349 --> 00:37:16,324 in this way, 816 00:37:16,324 --> 00:37:20,113 it's a small, small similarity, but there is one. 817 00:37:20,113 --> 00:37:24,837 I have noticed that when men preach, 818 00:37:24,837 --> 00:37:28,102 and they're exercising their gifts of preaching, 819 00:37:28,102 --> 00:37:29,885 and they're doing so 820 00:37:29,885 --> 00:37:33,039 in the power of the Holy Spirit, 821 00:37:33,039 --> 00:37:35,585 after the event is over, 822 00:37:35,585 --> 00:37:39,002 they are absolutely worn out. 823 00:37:39,002 --> 00:37:41,053 Virtue has gone out from them. 824 00:37:41,053 --> 00:37:43,491 The Spirit has so lifted them up 825 00:37:43,491 --> 00:37:45,281 and so empowered them 826 00:37:45,281 --> 00:37:47,655 that when it's all over, the man... 827 00:37:47,655 --> 00:37:50,499 it's like a woman who knows her child is trapped in a car, 828 00:37:50,499 --> 00:37:53,001 and with mighty adrenaline, she grabs the door 829 00:37:53,001 --> 00:37:54,567 and rips it off its hinges. 830 00:37:54,567 --> 00:37:57,020 And later, her arms are swollen and tired 831 00:37:57,020 --> 00:37:59,327 because of the force that has gone through her. 832 00:37:59,327 --> 00:38:02,369 In the same way, preaching, 833 00:38:02,369 --> 00:38:04,305 the power of the Holy Spirit, 834 00:38:04,305 --> 00:38:06,458 when a man is doing it according to his gifts 835 00:38:06,458 --> 00:38:08,678 and according to Scripture and God's in it, 836 00:38:08,678 --> 00:38:11,877 it will wear him to the bone. 837 00:38:11,877 --> 00:38:14,438 It will wear him to the bone. 838 00:38:14,438 --> 00:38:19,054 It goes on. 839 00:38:19,054 --> 00:38:21,532 Prayer was essential to Jesus Christ. 840 00:38:21,532 --> 00:38:24,481 And I want to read a few things. 841 00:38:24,481 --> 00:38:26,076 This one commentator - 842 00:38:26,076 --> 00:38:28,481 I don't even know who he is. 843 00:38:28,481 --> 00:38:30,618 He said this, 844 00:38:30,618 --> 00:38:33,406 "Jesus is the dependent man, 845 00:38:33,406 --> 00:38:36,842 and this is just where we fail. 846 00:38:36,842 --> 00:38:39,691 He withdraws Himself into the wilderness and prays. 847 00:38:39,691 --> 00:38:43,229 Ever the dependent 848 00:38:43,229 --> 00:38:49,208 as the obedient and victorious man." 849 00:38:49,208 --> 00:38:50,805 Listen to what he says. 850 00:38:50,805 --> 00:38:53,345 He is saying that "it is Jesus' dependence 851 00:38:53,345 --> 00:38:58,284 upon God that wrought the obedience 852 00:38:58,284 --> 00:39:00,236 and the victory." 853 00:39:00,236 --> 00:39:03,430 Now, Matthew Poole writes this: 854 00:39:03,430 --> 00:39:05,810 "We meet with Christ often, 855 00:39:05,810 --> 00:39:08,318 commending to us the duty of secret prayer 856 00:39:08,318 --> 00:39:12,135 by His own example." 857 00:39:12,135 --> 00:39:14,674 That is so convicting 858 00:39:14,674 --> 00:39:18,173 because I am commending you to secret prayer 859 00:39:18,173 --> 00:39:21,156 by my word, 860 00:39:21,156 --> 00:39:26,412 but would I by my example? 861 00:39:26,412 --> 00:39:31,062 It's a sobering thing to preach. 862 00:39:31,062 --> 00:39:32,900 He says, "We meet Christ often 863 00:39:32,900 --> 00:39:35,040 compelling us to the duty of secret prayer 864 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,885 by His own example as He had done 865 00:39:36,885 --> 00:39:38,376 by His precept, 866 00:39:38,376 --> 00:39:39,987 and always choosing for it 867 00:39:39,987 --> 00:39:42,104 the most private and retired places 868 00:39:42,104 --> 00:39:45,036 to teach us to go and to do likewise, 869 00:39:45,036 --> 00:39:46,855 often to pray to our Father 870 00:39:46,855 --> 00:39:49,740 which seeth in secret and His example 871 00:39:49,740 --> 00:39:52,333 more presses us because we have 872 00:39:52,333 --> 00:39:55,642 much more business with God in prayer than He had." 873 00:39:55,642 --> 00:39:57,261 Do you know what he means by that? 874 00:39:57,261 --> 00:39:58,812 Matthew Poole is saying we have 875 00:39:58,812 --> 00:40:02,798 more business to do with God in prayer than Jesus. 876 00:40:02,798 --> 00:40:05,193 Why? He says, "For this reason, 877 00:40:05,193 --> 00:40:07,698 Jesus had no sins to confess, 878 00:40:07,698 --> 00:40:09,717 nor to beg pardon for, 879 00:40:09,717 --> 00:40:14,482 no need to ask for any sanctifying habits of grace." 880 00:40:14,482 --> 00:40:16,569 Jesus lived a life of prayer 881 00:40:16,569 --> 00:40:19,560 and frequently it was His custom 882 00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,288 to participate in hidden prayer 883 00:40:22,288 --> 00:40:23,347 with His Father, 884 00:40:23,347 --> 00:40:27,294 and yet He had nothing of the need that we have. 885 00:40:27,294 --> 00:40:31,305 He had no need of confessing sin. 886 00:40:31,305 --> 00:40:35,974 He had no pardon to beg. 887 00:40:35,974 --> 00:40:37,777 He had no need to cry out 888 00:40:37,777 --> 00:40:40,935 for grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy 889 00:40:40,935 --> 00:40:43,140 like we do. 890 00:40:43,140 --> 00:40:46,018 I want to finish with an example 891 00:40:46,018 --> 00:40:51,050 from Jesus in Mark 1. 892 00:40:51,050 --> 00:40:54,128 Mark 1:29, 893 00:40:54,128 --> 00:40:56,113 I'm just going to begin to read. 894 00:40:56,113 --> 00:40:58,273 "And immediately after they came out of the synagogue, 895 00:40:58,273 --> 00:40:59,944 they came into the house of Simon and Andrew 896 00:40:59,944 --> 00:41:01,170 with James and John. 897 00:41:01,170 --> 00:41:03,884 Now Simon's mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, 898 00:41:03,884 --> 00:41:06,310 and immediately they spoke to Jesus about her. 899 00:41:06,310 --> 00:41:08,226 And He came to her and raised her up, 900 00:41:08,226 --> 00:41:10,465 taking her by the hand and the fever left her, 901 00:41:10,465 --> 00:41:11,916 and she waited on them. 902 00:41:11,916 --> 00:41:14,046 Then evening came after the sun had set, 903 00:41:14,046 --> 00:41:16,243 they began bringing to Him all who were ill 904 00:41:16,243 --> 00:41:17,958 and those who were demon possessed 905 00:41:17,958 --> 00:41:20,169 and the whole city had gathered at the door, 906 00:41:20,169 --> 00:41:23,174 and He healed many who were ill with various diseases, 907 00:41:23,174 --> 00:41:25,902 and casting out many demons, and He was not permitting 908 00:41:25,902 --> 00:41:28,410 the demons to speak because they knew who He was. 909 00:41:28,410 --> 00:41:31,527 In the early morning while it was still dark, 910 00:41:31,527 --> 00:41:34,630 Jesus got up, left the house, and went away 911 00:41:34,630 --> 00:41:37,298 to a secluded place and was praying there. 912 00:41:37,298 --> 00:41:39,491 Simon and his companions searched for Him. 913 00:41:39,491 --> 00:41:40,993 They found Him and said to Him, 914 00:41:40,993 --> 00:41:42,764 'everyone is looking for You.' 915 00:41:42,764 --> 00:41:43,843 He said to them, 916 00:41:43,843 --> 00:41:47,346 'let us go somewhere else.'" 917 00:41:47,346 --> 00:41:50,737 Now, briefly, what I want to put before you 918 00:41:50,737 --> 00:41:52,636 is first of all what's going on here. 919 00:41:52,636 --> 00:41:54,644 He was teaching in the synagogue. 920 00:41:54,644 --> 00:41:56,470 He was dealing with the demonic. 921 00:41:56,470 --> 00:41:59,718 He comes in from there, and Mark is fond 922 00:41:59,718 --> 00:42:01,425 of using this word "immediately." 923 00:42:01,425 --> 00:42:02,718 Immediately, immediately. 924 00:42:02,718 --> 00:42:04,809 The book of Mark, if you read it properly, 925 00:42:04,809 --> 00:42:05,997 when you're done, 926 00:42:05,997 --> 00:42:07,300 you should be wore out 927 00:42:07,300 --> 00:42:09,202 because it's like snapshots 928 00:42:09,202 --> 00:42:11,356 of Jesus Christ and His activity. 929 00:42:11,356 --> 00:42:12,850 And there's no rest in it. 930 00:42:12,850 --> 00:42:14,266 Immediately, immediately. 931 00:42:14,266 --> 00:42:17,548 And so he says, "Immediately, after they came out of the synagogue," 932 00:42:17,548 --> 00:42:19,469 they went to the house of Simon 933 00:42:19,469 --> 00:42:21,106 and Simon's mother-in-law was sick 934 00:42:21,106 --> 00:42:22,901 and He healed her. 935 00:42:22,901 --> 00:42:24,802 More virtue going out of Him. 936 00:42:24,802 --> 00:42:26,443 "Then when evening came, 937 00:42:26,443 --> 00:42:28,764 after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him 938 00:42:28,764 --> 00:42:30,875 all who were ill, demon-possessed." 939 00:42:30,875 --> 00:42:32,245 The whole city had gathered. 940 00:42:32,245 --> 00:42:33,603 Now let me explain to you, 941 00:42:33,603 --> 00:42:35,509 when evening had come they did this. 942 00:42:35,509 --> 00:42:38,642 Why? It was the Sabbath. 943 00:42:38,642 --> 00:42:40,471 I'm reminded when they were giving out 944 00:42:40,471 --> 00:42:42,467 free land in Oklahoma in the West, 945 00:42:42,467 --> 00:42:45,021 how they put everyone on a line. 946 00:42:45,021 --> 00:42:47,062 And there were literally hundreds of men 947 00:42:47,062 --> 00:42:49,577 on horseback and carriages and all such, 948 00:42:49,577 --> 00:42:51,556 because the moment the gun went off, 949 00:42:51,556 --> 00:42:54,127 they were all going to race to try to find their land. 950 00:42:54,127 --> 00:42:56,935 People died in the stampede. 951 00:42:56,935 --> 00:42:59,447 I want you to know that there on the Sabbath, 952 00:42:59,447 --> 00:43:03,465 thousands of people 953 00:43:03,465 --> 00:43:05,715 are waiting for the night to fall 954 00:43:05,715 --> 00:43:07,694 to make a Sabbath day journey, 955 00:43:07,694 --> 00:43:09,969 to make a journey to Him, to get to Him, 956 00:43:09,969 --> 00:43:11,526 and the moment it was proper, 957 00:43:11,526 --> 00:43:12,898 the moment it was time, 958 00:43:12,898 --> 00:43:14,974 the gun went off and the race began. 959 00:43:14,974 --> 00:43:17,239 To give you an idea of what this is like, 960 00:43:17,239 --> 00:43:20,069 one time in the mountains of Santa Rosa 961 00:43:20,069 --> 00:43:24,628 (unintelligible) in the Andes Mountains. 962 00:43:24,628 --> 00:43:26,451 The people found out that I had 963 00:43:26,451 --> 00:43:28,780 brought a doctor with me. 964 00:43:28,780 --> 00:43:30,726 There were about 1500 people there 965 00:43:30,726 --> 00:43:32,476 gathered for the Bible conference, 966 00:43:32,476 --> 00:43:35,507 and they discovered that I had brought a physician. 967 00:43:35,507 --> 00:43:38,778 Even though the physician had no medicine, and they knew it. 968 00:43:38,778 --> 00:43:40,978 Even though the physician had no tools to work with 969 00:43:40,978 --> 00:43:43,096 and even if he had, he couldn't have done anything 970 00:43:43,096 --> 00:43:46,416 in that filthy place. 971 00:43:46,416 --> 00:43:48,491 You have never seen such a war break out 972 00:43:48,491 --> 00:43:50,715 in all your life. 973 00:43:50,715 --> 00:43:52,572 Not because they were evil people 974 00:43:52,572 --> 00:43:53,829 or bad people. 975 00:43:53,829 --> 00:43:57,489 They were desperate people. 976 00:43:57,489 --> 00:44:02,639 No physician had ever been there before. 977 00:44:02,639 --> 00:44:04,579 They were poor. They were broken. 978 00:44:04,579 --> 00:44:07,131 They had children who were dying and sick. 979 00:44:07,131 --> 00:44:09,729 Men with tuberculosis. Other men suffering. 980 00:44:09,729 --> 00:44:11,882 People who had cuts and wounds. 981 00:44:11,882 --> 00:44:16,468 It just turned into a nightmare. 982 00:44:16,468 --> 00:44:18,067 They stormed the door of the hut. 983 00:44:18,067 --> 00:44:19,613 We moved up to the second floor. 984 00:44:19,613 --> 00:44:20,902 I had to stop preaching. 985 00:44:20,902 --> 00:44:24,090 For three days, I translated for the doctor. 986 00:44:24,090 --> 00:44:26,878 And I want you to realize what's going on here. 987 00:44:26,878 --> 00:44:29,409 You may think that Jesus is in a quiet little village 988 00:44:29,409 --> 00:44:31,652 and a few people come to Him to be healed. 989 00:44:31,652 --> 00:44:35,350 No, thousands of people. 990 00:44:35,350 --> 00:44:37,423 And they are violent and they are angry 991 00:44:37,423 --> 00:44:38,779 and they are pressing 992 00:44:38,779 --> 00:44:40,206 and they are wanting to get in 993 00:44:40,206 --> 00:44:41,834 and they are wanting to be healed, 994 00:44:41,834 --> 00:44:44,257 and He is working and they are angry 995 00:44:44,257 --> 00:44:45,855 and they are distraught 996 00:44:45,855 --> 00:44:47,103 and they are afraid 997 00:44:47,103 --> 00:44:49,093 that their time is going to come and pass 998 00:44:49,093 --> 00:44:50,656 and they're not going to see Him 999 00:44:50,656 --> 00:44:53,036 and there's a battleground going on out there. 1000 00:44:53,036 --> 00:44:54,578 It is a horrid scene. 1001 00:44:54,578 --> 00:44:56,777 And if anyone has ever ministered, 1002 00:44:56,777 --> 00:44:58,898 they would know that this type of thing 1003 00:44:58,898 --> 00:45:01,987 will absolutely wear you out. 1004 00:45:01,987 --> 00:45:05,123 Wear you out. 1005 00:45:05,123 --> 00:45:10,323 Now, it says here in this passage, 1006 00:45:10,323 --> 00:45:12,339 it says that when evening came, 1007 00:45:12,339 --> 00:45:13,654 "after the sun had set, 1008 00:45:13,654 --> 00:45:16,598 they began bringing them to Jesus." 1009 00:45:16,598 --> 00:45:19,189 Now look at v. 35, 1010 00:45:19,189 --> 00:45:20,800 "But in the early morning 1011 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:24,447 while it was still dark..." 1012 00:45:24,447 --> 00:45:27,756 There's not a lot of time in between the two. 1013 00:45:27,756 --> 00:45:31,408 There's not a lot of time. 1014 00:45:31,408 --> 00:45:33,495 I would imagine that people were camped out 1015 00:45:33,495 --> 00:45:35,466 all around the house. 1016 00:45:35,466 --> 00:45:38,034 I would imagine that when Jesus went out of the house, 1017 00:45:38,034 --> 00:45:39,400 He had to make His way, 1018 00:45:39,400 --> 00:45:41,635 as He made His way through angry crowds at times 1019 00:45:41,635 --> 00:45:44,056 that wanted to kill Him or wanted to make Him king, 1020 00:45:44,056 --> 00:45:46,471 I believe He had to make His way through that crowd 1021 00:45:46,471 --> 00:45:50,980 and be very careful not to wake them up. 1022 00:45:50,980 --> 00:45:56,691 Here is a man who has poured Himself out. 1023 00:45:56,691 --> 00:46:00,246 Did He grab any sleep at all it seems? 1024 00:46:00,246 --> 00:46:03,330 And then He arises to do what? 1025 00:46:03,330 --> 00:46:05,572 To pray. 1026 00:46:05,572 --> 00:46:07,113 Now, I have to be careful here 1027 00:46:07,113 --> 00:46:09,624 because there is a great need for ministers to rest. 1028 00:46:09,624 --> 00:46:11,413 There's a great need for ministers 1029 00:46:11,413 --> 00:46:13,225 not to work themselves to the bone 1030 00:46:13,225 --> 00:46:15,265 or to be involved in activities that will 1031 00:46:15,265 --> 00:46:17,621 take them away from their proper activity 1032 00:46:17,621 --> 00:46:21,675 of praying and reading the Word and preaching. 1033 00:46:21,675 --> 00:46:23,480 But I want you to see something here 1034 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:25,359 about the life of Jesus Christ. 1035 00:46:25,359 --> 00:46:28,345 If any man had a reason to say, 1036 00:46:28,345 --> 00:46:30,915 "I've done enough," 1037 00:46:30,915 --> 00:46:34,445 "I've given absolutely everything I can give," 1038 00:46:34,445 --> 00:46:36,209 it was Jesus. 1039 00:46:36,209 --> 00:46:38,683 If there ever was a man who had a reason to say, 1040 00:46:38,683 --> 00:46:41,006 "Lord, I can't pray now, 1041 00:46:41,006 --> 00:46:43,607 there's just too many hurting people 1042 00:46:43,607 --> 00:46:46,144 that I still haven't touched. 1043 00:46:46,144 --> 00:46:48,452 There's too much ministry to do. 1044 00:46:48,452 --> 00:46:51,495 I don't have time to pray." 1045 00:46:51,495 --> 00:46:53,501 If anyone ever had the right to say that 1046 00:46:53,501 --> 00:46:57,064 at that moment, it was Jesus Christ. 1047 00:46:57,064 --> 00:46:59,302 I love what Martin Luther said one time. 1048 00:46:59,302 --> 00:47:01,967 He said, "I have so much work, 1049 00:47:01,967 --> 00:47:03,891 activity to do today, 1050 00:47:03,891 --> 00:47:06,285 I must pray at least three hours 1051 00:47:06,285 --> 00:47:09,377 or I will never get done." 1052 00:47:09,377 --> 00:47:11,874 That's the direct opposite of us, isn't it. 1053 00:47:11,874 --> 00:47:13,715 I have so much to do today, 1054 00:47:13,715 --> 00:47:16,596 I have no time to pray. 1055 00:47:16,596 --> 00:47:17,736 Look what we're saying. 1056 00:47:17,736 --> 00:47:19,481 We are saying with that declaration, 1057 00:47:19,481 --> 00:47:21,436 I am going to go out and accomplish things 1058 00:47:21,436 --> 00:47:28,054 in the power of my own. 1059 00:47:28,054 --> 00:47:30,181 Now, Jesus goes out, and look at this. 1060 00:47:30,181 --> 00:47:32,558 I think, I may be reading into this a bit, 1061 00:47:32,558 --> 00:47:34,519 but I think what we've got going on here 1062 00:47:34,519 --> 00:47:37,889 is a guilt trip by Simon. 1063 00:47:37,889 --> 00:47:39,988 Verse 36, "Simon and his companions 1064 00:47:39,988 --> 00:47:41,679 searched for Him and they found Him 1065 00:47:41,679 --> 00:47:42,898 and said to Him, 1066 00:47:42,898 --> 00:47:45,106 'everyone is looking for You.'" 1067 00:47:45,106 --> 00:47:47,389 What are You doing out here? 1068 00:47:47,389 --> 00:47:52,169 Don't You realize there's all these people? 1069 00:47:52,169 --> 00:47:54,742 What are You doing out here in the dark praying? 1070 00:47:54,742 --> 00:47:57,156 Don't You know that everyone's looking for You? 1071 00:47:57,156 --> 00:48:00,991 There are people out here that are hurting and they need You. 1072 00:48:00,991 --> 00:48:03,595 Jesus never bought into that. 1073 00:48:03,595 --> 00:48:06,945 He knew His priority 1074 00:48:06,945 --> 00:48:11,520 was to be in the presence of His God. 1075 00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:14,173 To seek the face of His God. 1076 00:48:14,173 --> 00:48:16,228 To follow His God. 1077 00:48:16,228 --> 00:48:18,413 And that the greatest thing He could do 1078 00:48:18,413 --> 00:48:20,372 for humanity, 1079 00:48:20,372 --> 00:48:23,833 is the greatest thing you can do for humanity. 1080 00:48:23,833 --> 00:48:28,809 To seek your God. 1081 00:48:28,809 --> 00:48:30,839 For those of you who are in churches, 1082 00:48:30,839 --> 00:48:34,942 maybe some pastors here, 1083 00:48:34,942 --> 00:48:36,989 sometimes I'm asked to go to churches 1084 00:48:36,989 --> 00:48:38,265 and preach to churches 1085 00:48:38,265 --> 00:48:40,067 that are looking for a pastor. 1086 00:48:40,067 --> 00:48:44,059 I do a special thing on the way you should approach it. 1087 00:48:44,059 --> 00:48:45,372 And I'll always sit down, 1088 00:48:45,372 --> 00:48:47,115 I'll ask them to put a chalkboard 1089 00:48:47,115 --> 00:48:49,449 or a white board out in the front of the church. 1090 00:48:49,449 --> 00:48:51,515 And I'll say, okay, 1091 00:48:51,515 --> 00:48:53,653 what do you want your pastor to do? 1092 00:48:53,653 --> 00:48:55,392 And they will come up with all sorts 1093 00:48:55,392 --> 00:48:57,066 and manner of things that that man 1094 00:48:57,066 --> 00:48:58,542 should be doing. 1095 00:48:58,542 --> 00:49:00,072 Then when they're all finished, 1096 00:49:00,072 --> 00:49:02,277 and we've got about 68 hours of work 1097 00:49:02,277 --> 00:49:04,873 each day lined out on that white board, 1098 00:49:04,873 --> 00:49:06,660 I say now, how much time do you want 1099 00:49:06,660 --> 00:49:10,354 that man in the Word? 1100 00:49:10,354 --> 00:49:13,099 The souls of your children? 1101 00:49:13,099 --> 00:49:15,145 They depend upon how he preaches. 1102 00:49:15,145 --> 00:49:18,232 How much time do you want that man in the Word? 1103 00:49:18,232 --> 00:49:19,343 Now next question: 1104 00:49:19,343 --> 00:49:21,897 how much time do you want that man interceding? 1105 00:49:21,897 --> 00:49:32,020 Seeking the face of God so that he knows Him? 1106 00:49:32,020 --> 00:49:34,590 The greatest need - 1107 00:49:34,590 --> 00:49:38,039 I don't know about you, 1108 00:49:38,039 --> 00:49:41,591 but I see the greatest need 1109 00:49:41,591 --> 00:49:44,649 as seeking the Lord as Jesus sought Him, 1110 00:49:44,649 --> 00:49:47,545 and being in His presence 1111 00:49:47,545 --> 00:49:50,701 and being empowered by Him. 1112 00:49:50,701 --> 00:49:53,998 What can not be overcome in prayer? 1113 00:49:53,998 --> 00:49:56,971 Answer me. 1114 00:49:56,971 --> 00:49:59,033 What can not be done 1115 00:49:59,033 --> 00:50:00,786 by the hand of the Almighty? 1116 00:50:00,786 --> 00:50:02,680 Answer me. 1117 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:10,261 What can be done by your feeble arms? Answer me! 1118 00:50:10,261 --> 00:50:14,407 He can take down the Iron Curtain in a day. 1119 00:50:14,407 --> 00:50:19,303 He can convert a nation in an hour. 1120 00:50:19,303 --> 00:50:22,143 Call upon Him. 1121 00:50:22,143 --> 00:50:27,474 Believe Him. 1122 00:50:27,474 --> 00:50:30,919 Let's pray. 1123 00:50:30,919 --> 00:50:36,258 Father, I come before You, 1124 00:50:36,258 --> 00:50:40,846 You're very kind to me tonight. 1125 00:50:40,846 --> 00:50:45,043 I greatly appreciate it, Lord. 1126 00:50:45,043 --> 00:50:50,881 You have been a help. 1127 00:50:50,881 --> 00:50:53,037 And You have been merciful. 1128 00:50:53,037 --> 00:50:57,543 Lord, I pray for Your people. 1129 00:50:57,543 --> 00:51:02,647 I pray for Your people, Your dear saints here. 1130 00:51:02,647 --> 00:51:05,518 Pour out on them the spirit 1131 00:51:05,518 --> 00:51:09,587 of prayer and supplication. 1132 00:51:09,587 --> 00:51:13,149 Let them see, Lord, 1133 00:51:13,149 --> 00:51:14,767 pressing in and pressing on 1134 00:51:14,767 --> 00:51:19,202 is where the battle is won, 1135 00:51:19,202 --> 00:51:22,172 and that the feeblest, 1136 00:51:22,172 --> 00:51:26,129 the least gifted among us, 1137 00:51:26,129 --> 00:51:33,492 the smallest man of the smallest tribe of Zion, 1138 00:51:33,492 --> 00:51:36,261 can gather more victories 1139 00:51:36,261 --> 00:51:39,230 than the greatest warrior 1140 00:51:39,230 --> 00:51:43,007 in twelve tribes by praying, 1141 00:51:43,007 --> 00:51:45,559 by seeking Your face, 1142 00:51:45,559 --> 00:51:48,486 by glorying in Your power 1143 00:51:48,486 --> 00:51:51,772 and putting no confidence in the flesh. 1144 00:51:51,772 --> 00:51:53,656 God help us. 1145 00:51:53,656 --> 00:52:04,651 In Jesus' name, Amen. 1146 00:52:04,651 --> 00:52:06,769 Visit us online: 1147 00:52:06,769 --> 00:52:18,313 www.heartcrymissionary.com