ACTS POEMS: Prayer #3

October 29, 2006
Making Prayer a Priority Part 3

"The outcome of prayer is not dependent on me...
GOD ALONE determines the outcome."

As a church we need to see this truth play itself out, so we are looking at stories throughout the Bible where this statement comes alive.
First, we looked at Elijahs "contest" and saw the Lord literally produce results from nothing because of one man's faith.
Second, we looked at how the church came together in a time of great need wanting to remain obedient despite persecution and saw God bring about greater results than their plans.

Tonight, we want to look at: ACTS 12 "Peter in Prison."

ACTS 12 "points of interest"

• 12:5 "the church prayed" ~ Act 4 unity prayer is not just a one-time thing but a repetitive action of the church.
• 12:12 "many gathered for prayer" ~ when we look at this hilarious story (find the humor especially in the servant girl leaving Peter at the door), it become abundantly clear that even the early church didn't fully believe, so DON'T BE SURPRISED when He answers
• 12:17 "tell James (Jesus' bro) and the other brothers what happened" ~ the apostles appear to not even be at the prayer meeting. It is so key for us to understand that: GOD DOESN'T JUST LISTEN TO THE LEADERS.

APPLICATION

• Elijah on mt carmel taught us to pray bigger, to pray for the impossible to become possible
• Acts 4 taught us that we need to pray TOGETHER.
• Acts 12 teaches us that in 2006: When needs arise, someone in the Orchard needs to open up their home to become a "house of prayer."

ACT POEMS: Prayer by Adam via Jeff

Here are the notes from the sermon that Jeff preached for me last week. Basically, if you want to catch up, read the story found in Acts chapters 2-3. Then, realize that the church's reaction to the persecution of John and Peter was to pray. And not just to pray, but to pray in unison. To pray as one heart lifting their voices together before the Father. This talk was about bringing our hearts together in prayer for a powerful response from heaven.


I want to teach you all a saying…
“The outcome of prayer is not dependent on me…
GOD ALONE determines the outcome.”

Acts 3 and 4 “The story of the blind man. Peter and John’s arrest.”

When we pray together…
• …it should happen no matter the circumstances.
• …it should happen in unison.
• …it should bring about powerful results. (Rev. 8:3-5)

Prayer tonight…
• Last week, we learned the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel. It taught us to pray bigger, to pray for the impossible to become possible.
• Tonight, we need to take that knowledge and pray together.

ACTS POEMS: Prayer PART 1

ACTS POEMS
*Altar call
*Communion
*Talks from the pastor
*Small and Large Gatherings
*Prayer
*O
*E
*M
*S

October 15, 2006: PRAYER part 1

1Kings 18 "The Contest on Mount Carmel" (New Living Translation)
Later on, in the third year of the drought, the LORD said to Elijah, "Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!" So Elijah went to appear before Ahab. Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the LORD. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.) Ahab said to Obadiah, "We must check every spring and valley in the land to see if we can find enough grass to save at least some of my horses and mules." So they divided the land between them. Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself. As Obadiah was walking along, he suddenly saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and bowed low to the ground before him. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" he asked. "Yes, it is," Elijah replied. "Now go and tell your master, `Elijah is here.'" "Oh, sir," Obadiah protested, "what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? For I swear by the LORD your God that the king has searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to end to find you. And each time he was told, `Elijah isn't here,' King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of his claim. And now you say, `Go and tell your master, "Elijah is here."' But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of the LORD will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and cannot find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the LORD all my life. Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the LORD's prophets? I hid 100 of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water. And now you say, `Go and tell your master, "Elijah is here."' Sir, if I do that, Ahab will certainly kill me." But Elijah said, "I swear by the LORD Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I will present myself to Ahab this very day." So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come, and Ahab went out to meet Elijah. When Ahab saw him, he exclaimed, "So, is it really you, you troublemaker of Israel?" "I have made no trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "You and your family are the troublemakers, for you have refused to obey the commands of the LORD and have worshiped the images of Baal instead. Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah who are supported by Jezebel.*" So Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!" But the people were completely silent. Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only prophet of the LORD who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets. Now bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose whichever one they wish and cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood of their altar, but without setting fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and lay it on the wood on the altar, but not set fire to it. Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!" And all the people agreed. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You go first, for there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, and prepare it and call on the name of your god. But do not set fire to the wood." So they prepared one of the bulls and placed it on the altar. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning until noontime, shouting, "O Baal, answer us!" But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. About noontime Elijah began mocking them. "You'll have to shout louder," he scoffed, "for surely he is a god! Perhaps he is daydreaming, or is relieving himself. Or maybe he is away on a trip, or is asleep and needs to be wakened!" So they shouted louder, and following their normal custom, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out. They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response. Then Elijah called to the people, "Come over here!" They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been torn down. He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the LORD. Then he dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold about three gallons. He piled wood on the altar, cut the bull into pieces, and laid the pieces on the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water over the offering and the wood." After they had done this, he said, "Do the same thing again!" And when they were finished, he said, "Now do it a third time!" So they did as he said, and the water ran around the altar and even filled the trench. At the usual time for offering the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,* prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O LORD, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself." Immediately the fire of the LORD flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, "The LORD—he is God! Yes, the LORD is God!" Then Elijah commanded, "Seize all the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one escape!" So the people seized them all, and Elijah took them down to the Kishon Valley and killed them there.

I want to teach you all a saying…
“The outcome of prayer is not dependent on me…
GOD ALONE determines the outcome.”

IF THIS IS TRUE
• We will stop praying so small.
• We will begin praying bigger.
• The impossible will become possible.
BEGIN PRAYING DIFFERENTLY TONIGHT!
• A personal prayer.
• A prayer for a friend or family member.
• A prayer for the church.

We ended our evening with an extensive time of prayer. Each of those in the adult services wrote down the 3 prayers listed above and we prayed as a group for them. Remember:

The outcome of prayer is not dependent on me.
GOD ALONE determines the outcome.

ACTS POEMS: Small and Large Gatherings PART 2

ACTS POEMS
*Altar call
*Communion
*Talks from the pastor
*Small and Large Gatherings
*P
*O
*E
*M
*S

October 8, 2006
Make the LARGE GATHERING a priority.
Though Jesus tells us in John 4 that it doesn't matter whether we worship the Father on a mountain or at the temple in Jerusalem and tells us that He cares how we worship, he shows tremendous zeal for the Temple set apart as a place of worship. So much so, that it rubs off on his followers that they each made regular temple worship part of their routines.

v Jesus: Matthew 21:12-23 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, `My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David." But the leaders were indignant. They asked Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" "Yes," Jesus replied. "Haven't you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, `You have taught children and infants to give you praise.' Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight….23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him.

v The Twelve: Acts 2:44-3:12 And all the believers met together in one place … They worshiped together at the Temple … all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (3) Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. …He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.

v Paul: Acts 14:1-7 The same thing happened in Iconium.* Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God's message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area. And there they preached the Good News.

v The Church: Acts 5:12-14 And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women.

v Heaven: Revelation 5:8-14 And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song… Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus… And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: …And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

v You: Philippians 4:9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Closing Challenge
Ø Commit to the large gathering!
Ø What are you committing to?
l John 2:13-19 “Jesus’ passion for his Father’s house.”
l “House/place of prayer” Matt 21, Mark 11, Luke 19

ACTS POEMS: Small and Large Gatherings PART 1

ACTS POEMS
*Altar Calls
*Communion
*Talks from the Pastor
*Small and Large Gatherings
*P
*O
*E
*M
*S

October 1, 2006
Don’t Avoid the Small Gathering
The Small Gathering Allows for Certain things to Take Place/Certain Blessings to Happen

Share Life
**Acts 2:41-47 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.”
**When Christians actually participate in each other's lives it changes the community around them.

Prayer
**Acts 16:12-15 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we agreed.
**Prayer groups change hearts.

Encourage
Hebrews 10:22-25 For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
**Encouragement changes our actions.

Authentic Worship
**Romans 16:3-5 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.
**James 5:13-20 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops. My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
**Authenticity changes the church.

Kingdom
**Acts 28:21-24 and 28:30-31 They replied, "We have had no letters from Judea or reports against you from anyone who has come here. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about this movement is that it is denounced everywhere." So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe… 30…For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense.* He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.
**Kingdom commitment will change what we say and how we live.

Closing Challenge
 Commit to a Small Group!