UNANSWERED PRAYER (5 OF 5)
by Steve Jones
Scripture: Luke 1:13, Romans 9:20
This content is part of a series.
Title: Unanswered Prayer (5 of 5)
Series: Sync
Author: Steve Jones
Text: Romans 9:20, Luke 1:13
SERMON SUMMARY: Four ways to look at God's "No". 1) No Owe. 2) No, Not Yet. 3) No, Don't Know. 4) No means no
INTRODUCTION: In Mark Twain's book, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, Miss Watson tried to get Huck to pray. Huck tried it. He found a fishing line, but it had no hooks. He tried praying two or three more times for the hooks, but somehow, he couldn't make it work. "I set down one time back in the woods and had a long think about it. No, says I to myself, there ain't nothing in it."
Our problems with unanswered prayer can be relatively minor, like Huckleberry Finn's prayer regarding a fishing line but no hooks, or they can be matters of life and death. Some requests matter more than others in the degree of their consequence.
Today, as we finish our sermon series "Sync" I want to address those occasions when God answers our prayer with a "no." Some of us may think, "That's not really a problem for me." Perhaps - but it might be in the future. God answers many of our prayers with a "yes". But sometimes he doesn't. When that happens, we can't help but wonder why. I want to suggest four Biblical truths about God's "no" that can keep us praying.
I. NO OWE
John 21:22 "What is that to you?"
The place I want to start is the recognition that when God says "no" he doesn't OWE us any explanation at all. In the verse above, the Apostle Peter asks Jesus about the fate of his fellow Apostle John. Peter wants to know how and when John is going to die. Jesus' reply is, "What is that to you?" In other words, "That's none of your business."
In Acts 1:6 the Apostles ask the resurrected Jesus if the time has come to restore self-rule to the nation of Israel, something for which the Jews had prayed for centuries. Jesus' answer?
Acts 1:7 "You don't need to know".
Is that idea off-putting to any of us? The idea that God doesn't OWE u ...
Series: Sync
Author: Steve Jones
Text: Romans 9:20, Luke 1:13
SERMON SUMMARY: Four ways to look at God's "No". 1) No Owe. 2) No, Not Yet. 3) No, Don't Know. 4) No means no
INTRODUCTION: In Mark Twain's book, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, Miss Watson tried to get Huck to pray. Huck tried it. He found a fishing line, but it had no hooks. He tried praying two or three more times for the hooks, but somehow, he couldn't make it work. "I set down one time back in the woods and had a long think about it. No, says I to myself, there ain't nothing in it."
Our problems with unanswered prayer can be relatively minor, like Huckleberry Finn's prayer regarding a fishing line but no hooks, or they can be matters of life and death. Some requests matter more than others in the degree of their consequence.
Today, as we finish our sermon series "Sync" I want to address those occasions when God answers our prayer with a "no." Some of us may think, "That's not really a problem for me." Perhaps - but it might be in the future. God answers many of our prayers with a "yes". But sometimes he doesn't. When that happens, we can't help but wonder why. I want to suggest four Biblical truths about God's "no" that can keep us praying.
I. NO OWE
John 21:22 "What is that to you?"
The place I want to start is the recognition that when God says "no" he doesn't OWE us any explanation at all. In the verse above, the Apostle Peter asks Jesus about the fate of his fellow Apostle John. Peter wants to know how and when John is going to die. Jesus' reply is, "What is that to you?" In other words, "That's none of your business."
In Acts 1:6 the Apostles ask the resurrected Jesus if the time has come to restore self-rule to the nation of Israel, something for which the Jews had prayed for centuries. Jesus' answer?
Acts 1:7 "You don't need to know".
Is that idea off-putting to any of us? The idea that God doesn't OWE u ...
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