CREATING ATMOSPHERE (3 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: I Timothy 2:1-8
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Creating Atmosphere (3 of 4)
Series: House of Prayer
Jeff Strite
I Timothy 2:1-8
OPEN: In the backwoods of Kentucky there was a family of wayward "church members."
One day while brothers Jim, John, and Sam were out in the woods, a large rattlesnake bit Sam and he became violently ill. The doctor was summoned and did what he could, but he told the family that he believed they would need divine help too, if Sam were to recover. So the preacher and the elders of the church were sent for and they came rushing to Sam's bedside.
The preacher was asked to pray and did so as follows:
"Oh, wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thy wisdom Thou has sent this rattlesnake to bite Sam, in order to bring him to his senses.
He has not been in the church house now for years, and it is doubtful that he has (in all these years, until now) felt the need for prayer. It seems, therefore, that what our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done.
We trust, O Father, that Thou wilt send another to bite John and Jim, and a big one to bite their father, for we conclude the only thing that will help this family is rattlesnakes.
So send us, we pray Thee, 3 bigger and better rattlesnakes."
APPLY: Now, there is a preacher I can appreciate. Not only did he firmly believe in the need for Sam and his family to come to Christ… BUT he ALSO believed in the power of prayer to get it done.
His prayer reflected a belief that God WOULD act in response to his prayers
I. That's what Paul believed too
Paul told the Christians in Colossi to "pray … that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."
To the Ephesians Paul wrote "Pray… that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:19)
To the church in Thessalonica, he wrote: "…pray for us that the message of the ...
Series: House of Prayer
Jeff Strite
I Timothy 2:1-8
OPEN: In the backwoods of Kentucky there was a family of wayward "church members."
One day while brothers Jim, John, and Sam were out in the woods, a large rattlesnake bit Sam and he became violently ill. The doctor was summoned and did what he could, but he told the family that he believed they would need divine help too, if Sam were to recover. So the preacher and the elders of the church were sent for and they came rushing to Sam's bedside.
The preacher was asked to pray and did so as follows:
"Oh, wise and righteous Father, we thank Thee that in Thy wisdom Thou has sent this rattlesnake to bite Sam, in order to bring him to his senses.
He has not been in the church house now for years, and it is doubtful that he has (in all these years, until now) felt the need for prayer. It seems, therefore, that what our combined efforts could not do, this rattlesnake has done.
We trust, O Father, that Thou wilt send another to bite John and Jim, and a big one to bite their father, for we conclude the only thing that will help this family is rattlesnakes.
So send us, we pray Thee, 3 bigger and better rattlesnakes."
APPLY: Now, there is a preacher I can appreciate. Not only did he firmly believe in the need for Sam and his family to come to Christ… BUT he ALSO believed in the power of prayer to get it done.
His prayer reflected a belief that God WOULD act in response to his prayers
I. That's what Paul believed too
Paul told the Christians in Colossi to "pray … that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."
To the Ephesians Paul wrote "Pray… that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel." (Ephesians 6:19)
To the church in Thessalonica, he wrote: "…pray for us that the message of the ...
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