vault backup: 2024-08-10 09:01:40

Church/Homiletics/Homiletics Fall 2018/Final Message - Luke Wortman.md

@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+Title: necessary steps to a true prayer
+ 
+Think about question: how do prayer and faith work together.  
+Pray
+ 
+We get to pray with God--a one-on-one conversation. It's a privilege that we are able to talk to God. Prayers don't have to sound perfect, but in faith and trust in God.
+ 
+Why are prayers difficult?  
+Are my priorities out of order?  
+Am I spiritually dry?
+ 
+If you answered yes, trust Jesus--he wants to guide and answer our prayers.  
+Start to worry about the words and what others are thinking.  
+Example: went to collegiate day of prayer. Wanted to have a sincere prayer. I ripped my pants. Distracted me constantly in my mind.  
+Couple of other distractions: when got into group, room was loud, multiple people praying. Decided to pray when room was quiet--actually prayed over soft-spoken girl! Felt bad and embarrassed. God was listening to us both. God heard both, praying over each other didn't cancel each other out.
+ 
+Ps 100:45 - no limit to God's understanding that He hears all prayers, all over the earth, all at the same time
+ 
+Hebrew 10:19-25  
+Meant to encourage us and a stern warning.
+ 
+Heb 10:22 - let us draw near w/ sincere heart, full assurance of faith,  
+Context - old covenant would not take away sin  
+NT is God and the follower of Christ  
+Main teaching of Heb 10 is that animal sacrifices would not take away sin--foreshadowing the perfect sacrifice of Christ  
+Now an offering is not required. Doesn't mean we don't do anything. We have to take the initiative in asking forgiveness for sin.
+ 
+Now that we know Jesus has paved the way, we can draw near.  
+Five things are part of drawing near.
+
+1. Let us draw near
+    
+    1. To whom: God
+    2. How: all parts of worship, conversations, how would you?
+2. A true heart
+    
+    1. Without hypocrisy
+    2. Embodies the truth, believing the gospel is true
+    3. Full assurance of faith and salvation
+    4. Towards: God, selves, others
+    5. Jer. 17:9 - heart deceitful, we can't pray with a deceitful heart, a true heart is one given up to God
+    6. Matt 6:10 - Jesus gave a true prayer, God's will be done on earth as in heaven
+    7. Praying for his will
+3. A full assurance of faith
+    
+    1. Do doubt to our acceptance in God
+    2. Sometimes we have doubt--God understands because we are human
+    3. Fully trust that God forgives out sins and Christ was that sacrifice
+4. Having hearts sprinkled from evil conscience
+    
+    1. First glance: not knowing what it meant
+    2. Sprinkled from: hearts need to be cleansed
+    3. Indicates consistent character and dedicated to God
+    4. Evil conscience: murder mystery-type shows and how the murderer has an evil conscience, but this is extreme! But we all have it, just a guilty conscience from sin
+    5. When we confess, God cleanses our heart
+5. Our bodies washed with pure water
+    
+    1. Our outward body, is the outward man, the flesh
+    2. No longer condemned as bodies are washed clean
+ 
+When we draw near, we need to ask for forgiveness in trust in God.
+ 
+Back to original question: how do prayer and faith work together? Simple: cannot have true prayer without faith. We pray because we know we are not self-sufficient.
+ 
+Quote from John Bunyan: A sincere, sensible and affection pouring out of the heart and soul through Christ.