1/12/14  PRAY!  Jesus Is Our Lord

Get this: We must be people of prayer, people who really pray.  Jesus is our Lord, we don’t just serve some higher power.
    Have you noticed the attacks against Jesus? People in government are saying that people can’t pray in the name of Jesus at public events.  People who quote the Bible are ridiculed.  Scriptures are being carved up to take out what is not popular.  We now have this thing called politically correct that supersedes the Bible.
    Someone wrote an expression of politically correct thanks.
    In today’s politically correct environment where you have to be so careful to keep from offending anyone, we might all have to give reports like this fourth grader who reported on the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. “The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of you know what. When they landed, they gave thanks to you know who. Because of them, we can worship each Sunday, you know where.”
From the files of Leadership
    It is obvious we are in a battle.  But, what is this battle?  It is a battle to take God out of daily life and replace Him with anything and everything anyone wants.  It is a battle to bring confusion to the world and keep people from Jesus.
    Here is an interesting challenge from history. I am going to read it to you.
Armor of Integrity
    During the time of the twelve Caesars, the Roman army would conduct morning inspections. As the inspecting Centurion would come in front of each legionnaire, the soldier would strike with his right fist the armor breastplate that covered his heart. The armor had to be strongest there in order to protect the heart from the sword thrusts and from arrow strikes. As the soldier struck his armor, he would shout “integritas” [in-teg-ri-tas], which in Latin means material wholeness, completeness, and entirety. The inspecting Centurion would listen closely for this affirmation and also for the ring that well kept armor would give off. Satisfied that the armor was sound and that the soldier beneath it was protected, he would then move on to the next man.
    At about the same time, the Praetorians or imperial bodyguard were ascending into power and influence; drawn from the best “politically correct” soldiers of the legions, they received the finest equipment and armor. They no longer had to shout “integritas” to signify that their armor was sound. Instead, as they struck their breastplate, they would shout “Hail Caesar”, to signify that their heart belonged to the imperial personage, not to their unit, not to an institution, not to a code of ideals. They armored themselves to serve the cause of a single man.
    A century passed and the rift between the legion and the imperial bodyguard and its excesses grew larger. To signify the difference between the two organizations, the legionnaire, upon striking his armor would no longer shout "integritas," but instead would shout “integer” [in-te-ger].
    Integer means undiminished, complete, perfect. It not only indicated that the armor was sound, it also indicated that the soldier wearing the armor was sound of character. He was complete in his integrity, his heart was in the right place, his standards and morals were high. He was not associated with the immoral conduct that was rapidly becoming the signature of the Praetorian Guards.
    The armor of integrity continued to serve the legion well. For over four centuries they held the line against the marauding Goths and Vandals, but by 383 A.D., the social decline that infected the republic and the Praetorian Guard had its effects upon the legion.
    As a 4th century Roman general wrote, “When because of negligence and laziness, parade ground drills were abandoned, the customary armor began to feel heavy since the soldiers rarely, if ever, wore it. Therefore, they first asked the emperor to set aside the breastplates and mail and then the helmets. So our soldiers fought the Goths without any protection for the heart and head and were often beaten by archers. Although there were many disasters, which led to the loss of great cities, no one tried to restore the armor to the infantry. They took their armor off and when the armor came off, so too came their integrity.” It was only a matter of a few years until the legion rotted from within and was unable to hold the frontiers. The barbarians were at the gates.
John Di Frances, Reclaiming the Ethical High Ground (Reliance Books, 2002), pp.103-106
    That which made them strong -- heavy armor, integrity of heart, disciplined training -- was neglected.  It brought them to defeat.
    As believers in Jesus, we are standing for Him.  We are proclaiming the truths of the Bible.  We recognize that we cannot try to make things easier by abandoning the armor that God has given us simply because it is heavy and the battle is hard.  As believers in Jesus we will continue in the way God taught His church to go.
    While this is not my main thrust of this message, let me remind you of the armor that God has given us.
Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
    God has given us some amazing equipment to win the battle.  Use it.
    What do we see from the early church?  They faced this powerful and evil Roman government.  What did they do when they were challenged?
    The early church believed in Jesus and were not afraid to proclaim Him even when society rejected Him.
    Peter and John were in trouble for boldly proclaiming the teachings of Jesus, for boldly proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus.  They were hauled before the religious leaders and challenged.
Acts 4:8-12 NIV
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
11 He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone’.
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Salvation is only from Jesus.
    This is a vitally important passage of scripture.  The footnote from the Fire Bible expresses it well.
Salvation... in no one else. Jesus’ disciples were convinced that the greatest need of every individual was to be rescued from the consequences of rebellion and opposition against God so they could enjoy a personal and eternal relationship with him. They preached that this need could be met by no one other than Jesus Christ. He is the only one whose perfect and sinless life (Heb 4:15) could have provided the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for sin once and for all (1Pe 3:18). This truth reveals the exclusive nature of spiritual salvation (i.e., the fact that it comes only one way—through faith in Jesus Christ; see Jn 14:6). It also highlights the church’s responsibility of communicating the message of Christ to every person. If there were other ways to be spiritually saved and to have a personal relationship with God, then the church would not have to face its mission with such urgency. But according to Christ himself (see Jn 14:6, note), there is no hope of salvation for anyone apart from Christ and faith in him (cf. 10:43; 1Ti 2:5-6). This fact is the basis for the church’s need to support missionary efforts (i.e., people and ministries that take Christ’s message to people in other places, nations and cultures).
    Acts 4:12 is a critical verse.  Jesus is the ONLY way to eternal life.  He is not one of the ways, He is not a good way, He is the ONLY way.  That truth needs to stir us.  Peter and John did not compromise the message, even when they were brought before the religious leaders who could cause them much trouble.
    Later on Peter was in trouble again.  King Herod had James killed.  He arrested Peter and was planning to kill him as well.  What did the church do?
Acts 12:5 NIV
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
    The enemy brought the battle to the front door. The church took up the battle.  They called an all night prayer meeting.  They prayed, not because they couldn’t do anything else, but because it was the best thing to do.
    What does it say the church was doing?  Earnestly praying.
    The early church responded to the battle by earnestly praying.  The situation appeared hopeless.  James had been killed.  Herod arrested Peter and put him in maximum security.  Because of their faith in Jesus and the power of prayer, they prayed earnestly for Peter without ceasing.
Acts 12:7-10 NIV
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.
    God had no problem answering their prayers.  The solution to the spiritual battles we face is prayer.  This is why it is so hard to pray because the enemy fights prayer.
    Believers have employed prolonged times of prayer together.  Prayer meetings have been a common form of spiritual battle.  There is something powerful about praying together.
    God is pleased when His people come together to pray.  Powerful prayer is more than just a few minutes as a part of a service.  God inhabits prayer meetings.  Prayer is critical to bringing the genuine power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
    As a result of prayer, Peter was released from jail.  Prayer is what God is calling us to do.
APPLICATION
Why is it so hard to pray more than just a few minutes?
What can we do about this?
How is prayer going to impact OUR world?  The world we live in here in Wisconsin?
What are we going to do so that our world is impacted?
Identify a place to start, then start.