1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,640 Morning, y'all can have a seat. For those of y'all that don't 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,800 know, my name is Stacy Morris. I am Director of Ministries here 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:13,080 at Refuge Church and I am also Pastor Steve's wife and he is 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,880 out of town today so it gets to be me. 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:18,840 For those of y'all that know me, you know that my most favorite 6 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:23,200 place to be aunt in the whole world is with a microphone 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,120 talking about Jesus. You can put me on a street 8 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:27,680 corner. I don't have to be here 9 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,680 anywhere. I don't have to be on a stage. 10 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,240 I could be hiding under a bed. It doesn't matter to me if I 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:33,920 have a microphone. I can talk about Jesus. 12 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,640 I am. I'm in a I'm in a pretty good 13 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:41,840 spot. So God showed up last week and, 14 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:48,760 and, and so did his people. Churches across the world were 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:55,240 crowded and they were full. Here's what I'm going to tell 16 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:56,360 you. The enemy didn't like that. 17 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,720 The enemy was not it was not a huge fan of of that situation. 18 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:05,720 And so this week, like the enemy didn't even wait. 19 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:08,600 He didn't go, well, let's, let's let him settle in a little bit. 20 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,200 No, he's like, you know what? Monday morning, boom, we're 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,280 going to start attacking. So just within our church body, 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,840 this is just Monday. I'm talking about someone in 23 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,280 this church had a family member who tried to commit suicide. 24 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,760 Another member of our church found somebody in their storage 25 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:33,720 unit who had committed suicide. And in our parking lot, a man in 26 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,400 a car that does not go here committed suicide. 27 00:01:36,960 --> 00:01:41,360 That was Monday. So the enemy was like not we're 28 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,440 not we're, we're going to make sure we destroy that. 29 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,320 But the enemy isn't very smart because he didn't realize that 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:54,080 our good God can do amazing things with brokenness. 31 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:58,680 He can do amazing things with the enemy's schemes, right? 32 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:00,360 Because the enemy doesn't get to win. 33 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,720 Do I seem really loud or is it just me? 34 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,680 Does it seem just loud here? OK, I am loud minus the 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:11,280 microphone, so my apologies. He got an Amen because she knows 36 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:12,640 me. She knows me. 37 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:19,000 OK, so we are in a sermon series titled The Last Hour. 38 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:25,120 There's a lot to learn at the end of the journey. 39 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,240 As Steve talked about last week, the last hour can be 40 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,520 challenging. He related that to a road trip 41 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:37,520 and you know, if you've ever travelled, I don't know, with 42 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,080 yourself or children, you know that last hour like you are 43 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:42,760 going, you know what, Jesus Take Me Home. 44 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:45,240 Like I'm not, I'm not going to make it because the last hour 45 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:49,480 seems like the worst. I don't know about you all, but 46 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,400 especially this week, but sometimes it feels like are like 47 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,680 are we living the last hour? Like is Jesus about? 48 00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,360 Is it? Is it going to be back at you 49 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,280 know, eleven O 8? So like I'm start. 50 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,760 I'm starting to wonder sometimes, right, if we are in, 51 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,800 we are in our last hour before Jesus comes. 52 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:17,520 What, what would you do if you knew it was your last hour? 53 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:25,240 How would you spend it? What would you do and think 54 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,280 outside of like, you know, like if you're, if you are on, on 55 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,880 death row, they give you a final meal right in your in your last 56 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:35,840 hour, right? Think beyond that. 57 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,960 Think beyond what you would earthly do per SE, but what 58 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:42,840 would you do? What would you do for the 59 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,000 Kingdom? What would you do in your final 60 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:46,640 hour? Or would that even be your 61 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:52,800 thought in your final hour? Jesus gives us a lot to think 62 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:58,560 about when it comes to our last hours by looking at what He 63 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:03,800 chose to do in his pastor Steve shared last week about the Last 64 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,640 Supper and betrayal, right? He went through it and he said 65 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,200 he washed the feet of disciples. He instituted communion 66 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,840 symbolizing his upcoming sacrifice. 67 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,520 I wonder how confusing that was. All right. 68 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,079 What do you mean? Your body broken for me? 69 00:04:17,079 --> 00:04:19,000 You're standing right here. What do you mean your blood? 70 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:21,279 Like, is that confusing? I don't know. 71 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,520 It makes sense now. But did it make sense then? 72 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,560 I mean, sometimes prophetic things don't make sense, I 73 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,560 guess. He foretold of the betrayal of 74 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,640 Judas and Peter's denial of Jesus. 75 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:40,640 So Jesus spent his final hours serving his friends, witnessing 76 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,160 to them about the goodness of God, warning them of upcoming 77 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,760 pitfalls and breaking bread with them. 78 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:53,520 Is that what we would choose in our final hour? 79 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,880 OK, those y'all that know me know that I love a good Bible 80 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:58,360 drill. So get out your Bibles because 81 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,120 all the scriptures are not going to be on the stage. 82 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:01,800 They're not going to be up there on the screen, right? 83 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:03,280 Some of them are going to. You're going to have to read 84 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:04,600 them. I know y'all are so excited 85 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,440 about it. Get your phones, your Bibles, 86 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,520 whatever you got. And we're going to turn to 87 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,520 Matthew. We're going to go to Matthew 26. 88 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,240 I marked it, but it still doesn't mean I can turn the 89 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,160 pages. Oh, and just because y'all don't 90 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,840 need this information, I got new readers. 91 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,120 OK? This is why it's important. 92 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,440 Typically when I'm up here preaching, I wear readers and 93 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,520 then I can't see y'all because I can only see if if y'all have 94 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:30,440 ever worn readers. You understand that once you 95 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,120 look up everything be blurry. Only the words are clear. 96 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:37,400 I have bifocal readers now, so I can see clearly all of your 97 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:39,440 little faces now. So y'all can't be y'all can't be 98 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,800 falling asleep. I can see you now, but then I 99 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,560 have the readers at the bottom. I tell you, modern technology, 100 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,000 it's amazing. OK, sorry, I digress. 101 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,720 Matthew 26. We're going to start in verse 102 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,920 36. Let me find 36 right there. 103 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,440 Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called 104 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:02,600 Gethsemane, and He said to them, sit here while I go over there 105 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,200 and pray. He took Peter and the two sons 106 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,760 of Zebedee, Richard, James and John along with him, and he 107 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:12,800 began to be sorrowful and troubled. 108 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:21,640 Then he said to them, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the 109 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:27,000 point of death. Stay here and keep watch with 110 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,800 me. Going a little further, he fell 111 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,160 with his face to the ground and prayed. 112 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:40,440 My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me 113 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,440 yet? Not as I will, but as you will. 114 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,680 Then he returned to his disciples and found them 115 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:53,200 sleeping. Couldn't you men keep watch with 116 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:59,360 me for one hour? He asked Peter, watch and pray 117 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,040 so that you will not fall into temptation. 118 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:07,160 The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 119 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,040 He went away a second time and prayed. 120 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:15,360 My father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away 121 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,000 unless I drink it may your will be done. 122 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:24,320 When he came back, he again found them sleeping because 123 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,240 their eyes were heavy. So we left them and went away 124 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:35,320 once more and prayed the third time saying the same thing. 125 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,720 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, are 126 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,000 you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come and the 127 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,640 Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 128 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:54,120 Rise, let us go. Here comes my betrayer. 129 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:55,720 Who? There's a lot. 130 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:57,640 There's a lot we're going to. We're going to stop with that 131 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,960 and we're going to pray. God, thank you so much for your 132 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,400 word. I thank you for what we are 133 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:07,600 learning about your Son. I thank you that He is our 134 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,200 example of how we should strive to live our life. 135 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,760 God, I ask that you be with us as we go through your scriptures 136 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,960 and speak clearly to our hearts. Speak clearly to our souls and 137 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:25,480 to our minds so that we can hear the message to ingest it God and 138 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,560 apply it to our lives once we walk outside of this building. 139 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,039 Thank you for being here. Thank you for all that you have 140 00:08:32,039 --> 00:08:35,280 to say this morning. In Your name we pray, Amen. 141 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:45,880 Jesus knew what was coming. Sin was coming for Him, not His 142 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:50,200 sin. Our sin was coming for Him. 143 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:55,240 He didn't sin, but our sin was coming for Him. 144 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:03,960 He was 100% man and he was 100% God, so that means he felt all 145 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,680 the human feelings about what was to come with all the 146 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:08,760 knowledge of God as to what was coming. 147 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:10,840 That's a lot. That's a lot to take. 148 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,840 I don't know that inside of me that I could take all of that as 149 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,880 a human. He was probably dreading the 150 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,640 physical torture that was going to happen, right? 151 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,400 A lot. His body was going to be ripped 152 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,240 to shreds, and he was probably dreading that as a human with 153 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:35,320 his human emotions. That wasn't the worst part. 154 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:39,680 It sounds like the worst part, but that wasn't the worst part. 155 00:09:39,680 --> 00:09:45,800 The worst part is on the cross, all of our sin came upon him, 156 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:51,960 all of it. And in that moment that he took 157 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:58,760 all of our sin, God the Father could no longer look at him 158 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:04,640 because God can't look on sin. He could no longer look on him. 159 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:11,320 So he was in darkness. I don't mean darkness like we 160 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:14,560 turned off the lights, darkness like it's night time. 161 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:25,240 I mean evil, lonely, oppressing darkness that He suffered for 162 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:29,920 our sins and He knew it was coming before it happened, which 163 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:33,520 is why he went to the Father and prayed. 164 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,840 He was without the presence of God. 165 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:47,080 The title of the sermon is watch and pray, watch and pray. 166 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,960 It's what Jesus was asking his disciples to do. 167 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:54,880 It's what He's telling us to do today. 168 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,640 So when I was preparing this sermon, I was preparing it on 169 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:05,520 Tuesday because Steve left to go out of town Thursday morning. 170 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:09,880 And I, I, my techie is, is limited. 171 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,200 Like I have limited techie abilities and it does not go to 172 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:16,080 building slides. That's it. 173 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:18,120 Not it. Lance was out of town in 174 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:20,240 Colorado, so he was not here to do that. 175 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:23,080 So Steve had to build the slides, which he had to build on 176 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,960 Wednesday. So I had to write the sermon on 177 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,720 Tuesday. And you already know how, how, 178 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,440 how Monday went down. Monday, Monday was it was a hard 179 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:34,880 day. And so I sat down here at church 180 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,600 Tuesday to write the sermon and was interrupted, was 181 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,440 interrupted, was interrupted, was interrupted. 182 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:41,800 And then I couldn't focus my mind. 183 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:43,960 I couldn't get it together. I finally said I got to go home. 184 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:46,360 I got to, I got to go figure it out at home. 185 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:47,960 I probably decided that about 4:00. 186 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,240 I said no, just to get off at 3:00, but whatever, who's 187 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,360 counting? 4:00 I said I'm going home. 188 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:54,280 I'm going to do it at home when I got home. 189 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,800 And guess what? Lives in my house or 190 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,080 distractions all up over the place. 191 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:01,920 So distract, distract, distract. I finally sit down, finally 192 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:03,840 going to write the sermon and I'm like, OK, here we go. 193 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:07,360 God, I'm ready to go. And I have about 135 points. 194 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:10,000 And I felt like that was a little aggressive for a Sunday 195 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,640 morning, right? Like I don't know if y'all were 196 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,560 really willing to sit with that. I didn't plan to cater food 197 00:12:14,560 --> 00:12:18,000 today. So I was like, God, I, I, I got 198 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,040 to get it together and all about me. 199 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:21,920 I got to get it together. I have to focus. 200 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:24,680 I, I, I, I, I. And God said precious Angel 201 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:29,440 baby, this thing about you, girl, he said over and over in 202 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:35,560 my mind, I kept hearing the word, It's simple, simple over 203 00:12:35,560 --> 00:12:38,280 and over in different ways, just simple. 204 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,680 And I was like, OK, I'm obviously over complicating 205 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:42,760 things. And then you all that know me 206 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:45,040 know that it's a gift, it's a talent. 207 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,960 So I just stopped what I was doing. 208 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,800 I stopped my my researching and my studying. 209 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:56,760 And I mean, I read every commentary from here in Yonder. 210 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,440 I was just diving into research and study and God just stopped 211 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:03,680 me. And it's like, no, no, no, it's 212 00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:08,080 simple. So I stopped and I prayed and 213 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,040 then as God does it, it all just poured out. 214 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,080 I wish I had stopped sooner because I was up till 2:00 AM 215 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,760 riding because I didn't stop to pray till, you know, midnight, 216 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:19,360 whatever, it's fine. I did it. 217 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:24,120 I stopped and I prayed and God was like, this is what you have 218 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,760 to say. So Steve would would be so 219 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,960 disappointed, but I only have two points 2, that's it, just 220 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:32,760 two. But I got a lot, I got a lot of 221 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,440 my two points. So the sermon is watch and pray. 222 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,720 So we're going to start with watch, right? 223 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:43,200 Simple watch Matthew 2638. We read Matthew 26 already. 224 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:47,160 But in verse 38 he said, and then he said to them, my soul is 225 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,360 overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. 226 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,800 Stay here and keep watch with me. 227 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:58,640 Jesus asked the disciples to keep watch. 228 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:07,240 He was going to pray, right? Because he knew evil was coming. 229 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:15,600 Evil is coming for you today. Are you watching? 230 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,840 Are you watching for that? One of the things that our 231 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,480 prayer crew, we have a lot of positions with prayer crew, but 232 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,080 one of the positions on Sunday morning for prayer crew is chair 233 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,480 prayer. And so someone comes in as 234 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:33,200 typically me or it is Laura Clark, we come in and we lay 235 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:38,920 hands on every single chair in this sanctuary and we pray for 236 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:40,520 the people that are going to be sitting in them. 237 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:43,880 So all of you, all of you were prayed for probably while you 238 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:45,800 were at home still getting ready, right? 239 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,240 We pray over the chairs. So this morning as I was, it was 240 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,880 my turn to pray. I was praying over the chairs. 241 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:57,880 The thing that kept coming into my mind was, Lord, protect them 242 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:00,840 from evil. When they enter into this 243 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,600 building. God, I pray that evil is left 244 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:05,400 behind. As a matter of fact, when they 245 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,240 enter into the parking lot, I pray that it doesn't even follow 246 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,600 them because it follows you, because the enemy does not want 247 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:17,240 you to be anywhere near Jesus. He wants you to have doubts. 248 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:22,000 If he can, just, if he can just get one doubt, just one, He's 249 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,480 got a foothold to stand on. Like if you watch someone climb 250 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,800 the side of a mountain, right, they're trying to find a place 251 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,760 to put their foot. They need the tiniest. 252 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,240 If you ever watch someone climb a mountain, they need the 253 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:39,960 tiniest sliver of a rock to get the spikes of their shoe on, to 254 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,160 give them leverage to go forward. 255 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:44,640 The enemy is the same. You just need something small. 256 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:49,080 You don't need something big. And if you're not watching, he's 257 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,080 going to find that foothold first. 258 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,720 Peter, 58, says be alert and of sober mind. 259 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:05,840 Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion 260 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:15,000 looking for someone to devour. Picture that a roaring lion. 261 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,640 Think of what they do. They get low in the grass and 262 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,920 they hide and they're very still and you don't know that they're 263 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:27,600 there until they attack you. They've been watching your every 264 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,720 move, finding just the right moment where you're just the 265 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,720 most vulnerable to jump in and get you. 266 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,760 The enemy is the same. That's why he's likened to the 267 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,040 lion. I don't know about y'all, but if 268 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:49,120 you go on a safari in Africa, I don't suspect you'll lay down 269 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,240 and take a nap, right? No, you're probably not even 270 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:54,840 going to go by yourself. You're going to have a tour 271 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:56,760 guide. You are going to probably have 272 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,640 some weapons on that tour bus. You are going to be on the high 273 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,079 alert, paying attention because everything around you kind of 274 00:17:04,079 --> 00:17:06,319 wants to eat you there. So you're going to be paying 275 00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:07,800 attention. Here's what I'm going to tell 276 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:08,440 you. It's the same. 277 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,640 It's the same everywhere around you. 278 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,440 There is something trying to attack you, whether it is social 279 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,920 media, whether it is your neighbor, whether it is your own 280 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,400 thoughts. Something is trying to attack 281 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:32,360 you and it is led by the enemy. We are called to be Watchmen. 282 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,760 OK, so I just did a little research on Watchmen. 283 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:38,400 In the Bible. There are two different kinds of 284 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:43,200 Watchmen that is talked about. 1 is a person appointed to guard 285 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,040 and observe to prevent harm. So they were centennials or 286 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:51,360 guards that sat on the city walls or in the in the 287 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:55,280 watchtowers, right? Because cities had big walls 288 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,840 around them. So they would sit on the walls 289 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:01,080 and they were watching for danger. 290 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,320 They were watching for their enemies. 291 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,840 They could be marching in to attack them. 292 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:08,160 That's what they're watching for. 293 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,680 Now, the walls were built for protection, right? 294 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:14,480 Yeah. But those walls couldn't do the 295 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:17,080 whole job. If someone wasn't guarding the 296 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:19,560 wall, the enemy could break the wall down. 297 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:21,600 They could burn the wall down, right? 298 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:28,360 The Watchmen were there to protect not only the people in 299 00:18:28,360 --> 00:18:30,800 the city, but the walls that protect the city. 300 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:33,480 We're going to go to Nehemiah. So you're going to flip yourself 301 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:34,760 into that. Old Testament people. 302 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,120 Here we go, Nehemiah. And it's in chapter 4. 303 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:42,160 OK, And I'm going to kind of poke around this chapter instead 304 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,720 of reading the entire thing to you, let me give a little story. 305 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:53,560 So Nehemiah is called by God to go help rebuild the wall. 306 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,680 OK? He is heading to go help the 307 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,440 Jews rebuild their wall. It has been burned. 308 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:06,280 It is rubble, it is crushed and he is coming to rebuild it. 309 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,600 The enemies are like what? They're going to build a wall 310 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,920 that's just going to crumble. Like what a waste of time. 311 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:16,120 So the enemy, their enemies are mocking them and laughing at 312 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:16,960 them. Ha ha ha. 313 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:18,880 You're never going to be able to do it right. 314 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:25,360 Wait a minute. It helps if you don't re flip 315 00:19:25,360 --> 00:19:27,760 the page because Esther's not where I want to read for all. 316 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:32,600 Just want y'all to know that. So we're going to start in verse 317 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:35,240 4. It says hear us our God, for we 318 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,960 are despised. Turn their insults back on their 319 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:43,440 own heads, give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 320 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:48,400 So Nehemiah is like God don't let the enemy win. 321 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,880 We're trying to rebuild this wall. 322 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:56,240 Don't let the enemy in, verse 6 says So we rebuilt the wall till 323 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:00,360 all of it reached half its height, for the people worked 324 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:07,040 with all their heart. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the 325 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,640 Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashad heard that the 326 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:15,800 repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps 327 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:18,840 were being closed, they were angry. 328 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:23,120 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem 329 00:20:23,360 --> 00:20:27,080 and stir up trouble against it. But. 330 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:34,520 We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet 331 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,880 this threat. They were watching. 332 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:40,720 They were watching. They prayed, Lord, strengthen us 333 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:45,320 and they are watching. Meanwhile, the people of Judah, 334 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:47,920 well, they're, they're, they're complaining a little bit. 335 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,560 Oh God, we're too weak, right? We're not. 336 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,560 I don't think we can do it. God, we can work and watch. 337 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,440 What was me? I don't think we can do it. 338 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,600 And God's like, hi, you have my strength. 339 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:01,920 Clearly you can do it. OK. 340 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:04,560 That's what happens, right? We complain. 341 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:06,800 Oh, we can't do it. Too tired. 342 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,680 Have you ever gone on a walk with your children? 343 00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:11,560 See. Y'all get it? 344 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:12,480 OK. Same. 345 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:14,560 That's what they were doing. What was me? 346 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:15,800 Yeah, it was terrible. It was awful. 347 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:23,720 So they posted guards while the people were working. 348 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:30,360 People were guarding the workers day and night. 349 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:35,280 OK, When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and 350 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,400 that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall. 351 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:40,880 Each to our own work. But here's how they did it. 352 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:46,040 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other 353 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:51,200 half were equipped with Spears, Shields, bows, and armor. 354 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,360 The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 355 00:21:55,560 --> 00:22:00,000 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did 356 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:05,960 their work with one hand, held a weapon in the other, and each of 357 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:10,080 the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. 358 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:15,320 But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 359 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:23,000 It took a village. It took a village of people to 360 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:26,640 watch. Isn't that what we are? 361 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:32,720 It takes a village of people to watch against the attacks of the 362 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:34,440 enemy. You're not supposed to do it 363 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,880 alone. Just like you wouldn't go to 364 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,600 Africa all by yourself and hope for the best. 365 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:47,800 It takes a village of people. OK, the second type of Watchmen, 366 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,240 they they were prophets and spiritual leaders called to 367 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,040 guard people's spiritual well-being. 368 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,720 So their role was to sound the alarm like the guy in the with 369 00:22:58,720 --> 00:22:59,760 the trumpet. They were. 370 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:01,680 I wish I had one that would have made this. 371 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:03,080 I could have just bugled for you. 372 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:07,120 That would have been great when sin threatened the community and 373 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:11,080 to call God's people to repentance in order to avoid His 374 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:14,840 judgement. For example, in Ezekiel 317, God 375 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,680 tells the prophet, I've made you a watchman, so hear the word I 376 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,760 speak and give them warning from me. 377 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:26,880 OK, so the Watchmen were not only messengers of warning, but 378 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:32,960 also stewards of accountability. Did you catch that? 379 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:39,280 Stewards of accountability, if they failed to deliver God's 380 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:46,160 message, Not only did the people suffer, but so did the watchman 381 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:52,240 because he didn't do his job. He didn't do what he was called 382 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,480 to do. So the image of this watchman 383 00:23:55,920 --> 00:24:00,880 underscores the urgency of repentance and the weight of 384 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,080 spiritual leadership. Get them Bibles out again. 385 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,960 We're going to go to Mark, OK? Mark 13. 386 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:09,720 Oh my God, I flipped right to it. 387 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,280 And we're going to start in verse 32 and we're going to read 388 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:18,520 through 37 work 1332. Here we go. 389 00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:25,680 But about that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels 390 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:30,800 in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 391 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:36,840 Be on guard, be alert. You do not know when that time 392 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:40,480 will come. It's like a man going away. 393 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:45,560 He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with 394 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,000 their assigned tasks, and tells the one at the door to keep 395 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,480 watch. Therefore, keep watch because 396 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,920 you do not know when the owner of the house will come back, 397 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:01,000 whether in the evening or at midnight, or when the rooster 398 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,440 crows. I don't know about y'all but my 399 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,360 rooster crows all day. So see. 400 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,800 Tony agrees 24/7. If you turn the back porch light 401 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,640 on, he must crow at it. I'm just saying he crows all day 402 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:17,280 long 24/7. That's no stop it. 403 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:22,920 Or at dawn if he comes suddenly, do not let him find you 404 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:26,640 sleeping. What I say to you, I say to 405 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:32,200 everyone. Watch parallels here. 406 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,360 Beautiful. OK, I want you to see this. 407 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:42,560 The owner Jesus of the house, the church left his house, left 408 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:46,800 us the body of Christ to care for it. 409 00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:51,800 And we each have what are assigned tasks. 410 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,480 Everyone is called to keep watch and to be a watchman. 411 00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:59,680 This is why we have Christian communities. 412 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:01,760 This is why we come to church on Sunday. 413 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:05,680 It's why we have our groups. It's why we do special events. 414 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,960 To have you come and be a part and fellowship together and 415 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,800 build a relationship together, right? 416 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:15,040 Because that makes us stronger when we get to know each other. 417 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,680 Like, have you ever seen a husband and a wife, right? 418 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,560 So they're in a they're in a space and the wife decides she's 419 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:23,720 ready to go. And so she gives her husband the 420 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:25,280 eye and he's like, oh, it's time to go. 421 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:26,040 Are you ready? Yeah. 422 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,920 A good example of this. I just watched it. 423 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:30,360 Was it last week? Week before? 424 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:32,720 I don't know. I served at the welcome desk and 425 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:36,720 Jason Henry was on the door and Mary Henry was at the desk when 426 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,640 someone came in. And he wasn't sure he'd he'd 427 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,920 give Mary a look and then Mary would be like, oh, is this your 428 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,080 first time visiting? And then boom, now we know we 429 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,960 got first time visitors, right because he only had to look at 430 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,280 her and she knew, right? So when we joined together as 431 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,400 community, we get to know each other. 432 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,480 We get to know. And then you can walk in at 433 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,120 church and go, you look off what's going on. 434 00:26:58,720 --> 00:27:00,520 I see, I, I see, I see something in you. 435 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,640 What's going on? If you don't know someone, you 436 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,960 can't do that, right? We are building relationships 437 00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,960 with the body of Christ so we can keep watch together as a 438 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,920 group over ourselves and each other. 439 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,800 Are you? Are you keeping watch or have 440 00:27:19,800 --> 00:27:27,440 you let sin infiltrate your mind, your thoughts, your heart, 441 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:33,320 your spirit, your life? Are you connecting with God and 442 00:27:33,320 --> 00:27:37,760 His Word daily? Are are you sleeping in? 443 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:44,680 Are you being vigilant about what you let yourself see and 444 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:49,240 hear and think about, or are you giving the enemy that foothold 445 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:53,000 that I talked about earlier? These are questions for you to 446 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:57,640 think about. Isaiah 5610 through 11 says this 447 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,000 is a tough one. Israel's Watchmen are blind. 448 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:05,520 They lack knowledge. They are all mute dogs. 449 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,480 I don't want to be that. They cannot bark. 450 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,520 They lie around in dream. They love to sleep. 451 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,080 They are dogs with mighty appetites. 452 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,400 They never have enough. They are shepherds who lack 453 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,720 understanding. They all turn to their own way. 454 00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:28,840 They seek their own game. I don't know about y'all, but 455 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:30,760 that is not the kind of watchman I want to be. 456 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:37,920 That is not what I want God to say about me or any of us. 457 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:43,800 A good watchman is vigilant, accountable, courageous, 458 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:50,400 faithful and compassionate, not afraid to share God's Word and 459 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,960 sound the alarm at any sign of danger or trouble. 460 00:28:55,680 --> 00:29:02,480 Have you ever known someone who you see is about to or currently 461 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:06,280 taking a step that doesn't line up with the Scriptures right? 462 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,720 It's not. It's not a biblical direction 463 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,240 that they're heading. We probably all have. 464 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:16,080 Do you say something to them? Do you? 465 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:21,120 Do you point it out in love? Do you do you ask good questions 466 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,920 even if they're going to get mad at you? 467 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:33,840 I have and I have not, right? But I have. 468 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:39,560 I have lost friends because I could see the the direction they 469 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:44,200 were stepping and and their actions didn't align with the 470 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,760 word which all of our actions should align with the words. 471 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,480 It wasn't. And so I asked some good 472 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,320 questions and well, they, they, they didn't like my good 473 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,960 questions. They didn't like, and they were 474 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:03,440 offended that I seemed maybe unsupportive of their choices. 475 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:07,720 I can't deny that I wasn't supportive of their choices. 476 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:09,680 That is not a good sign right there. 477 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,160 That's not a good sign. That's just, that's a terrible 478 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:14,240 sign. I've only got to .1, which is 479 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:15,960 why we're going to two points. OK, I'm going to go faster. 480 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,880 OK. I have lost friendships because 481 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:21,320 I tried to point them to the book. 482 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:22,880 That makes me sad for two reasons. 483 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,560 One, because I love those people. 484 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,640 I love them with my whole heart and I want the absolute 1000% 485 00:30:29,640 --> 00:30:34,320 best for them. And two, because I see where 486 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:39,000 they're going. I'm watching and I see and I am 487 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:44,480 afraid for their life choices and I want them to be in right 488 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:49,360 relationship with the Lord. OK, we're going to move on to 489 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:52,680 pray and let's just begin praying now that Stacey going to 490 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,640 get through this. OK, go back to Matthew 26. 491 00:30:55,640 --> 00:31:01,040 We're going to go 39 through 44, and I got to open my Bible. 492 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:06,880 Matthew 263939. Here it is going a little 493 00:31:06,880 --> 00:31:09,280 farther. He fell with his face to the 494 00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,480 ground and prayed. My Father, if it is possible, 495 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,920 may this cup be taken from me yet? 496 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:19,240 Not as I will, but as you will. Then he returned to his 497 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,080 disciples and found them sleeping. 498 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,480 Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour? 499 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:31,040 He asked. Peter, watch and pray so that 500 00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:32,880 you will not fall into temptation. 501 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,640 The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 502 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:40,880 He went away a second time and prayed. 503 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:44,800 My father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away 504 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,920 unless I drink it, may your will be done. 505 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,600 When he came back, he again found them sleeping because 506 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:54,640 their eyes were heavy. So we left them and went away 507 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:59,800 once more and prayed the third time saying the same thing. 508 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:04,840 Jesus knew in his final hour he needed to be with his Father. 509 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:08,840 He knew He didn't ask just one time. 510 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:14,720 He asked three times, repeatedly, the same thing. 511 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,160 He asked, not because God is deaf, not because he thought, oh 512 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,920 maybe God didn't hear me. I should ask again. 513 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,280 No, because he was praying fervently, because he was in 514 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,360 anguish and he needed his father. 515 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:33,800 That's why he went back over and over with the same prayer. 516 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:36,680 Have you ever had to pray the same prayer over and over? 517 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,600 I have and many y'all know Steve and I struggle with fertility 518 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,040 for many years. We were blessed, got pregnant 519 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:47,400 with Lance. It was amazing. 520 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:57,440 From the ages of 26 to 40, count those months, I prayed fervently 521 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:04,120 to get pregnant again. I did not until my the day of my 522 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,680 hysterectomy. Sitting there knowing I was 523 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:10,760 going to have a hysterectomy and I was 40, didn't need to be 524 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:12,640 carrying any baby at 40. It didn't matter. 525 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:17,840 I prayed one last prayer. God let that pregnancy test be 526 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,880 positive. It was not. 527 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:23,280 And truth be told, I already had a baby at home. 528 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:26,440 I had Lizzie at home. She wasn't even a year. 529 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:32,200 She's still a baby. But I prayed fervently now. 530 00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:35,560 He answered my prayers in his way, right? 531 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:39,360 Just as he did for Jesus. He answered my prayers in his 532 00:33:39,360 --> 00:33:41,240 way. And I have three beautiful 533 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,960 children and seven others that I got to foster in love and 534 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:45,480 mother. And I still hold dearly in my 535 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:50,760 heart ten children, far more than I ever prayed for, because 536 00:33:50,760 --> 00:33:53,960 that's how God works. That's how God's economy works. 537 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:56,520 I'm so overtime. I apologize, OK? 538 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:02,200 Prayer strengthens you and equips you for whatever God has 539 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:07,360 in your path for the day. Ephesians 618 And pray in this 540 00:34:07,360 --> 00:34:11,159 Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. 541 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:16,679 With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all 542 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:19,320 the Lord's people. Now, in this Scripture, praying 543 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:22,480 in the Spirit is not the same as speaking in tongues. 544 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,199 It means praying from a heart and mind guided and filled by 545 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,239 the Holy Spirit. That's what this is referring 546 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,199 to. God wants to hear all your 547 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:34,600 prayers. Big, small, silly, ridiculous, 548 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:39,000 painful shouts, right? Anger. 549 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:41,120 Sometimes we pray in anger. He can take it. 550 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:44,000 He's a big God. He even wants to hear your 551 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,000 impossible prayers. Those may be his favorite. 552 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,719 Be alert to what's going on around you in the people's lives 553 00:34:50,719 --> 00:34:56,560 here so that you can pray for them, pray with them, pray over 554 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,360 them. Let me tell you something. 555 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,560 People can't pray for you if you're walking around going, 556 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,480 hey, everything's great. Oh, my life is so fantastic. 557 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,000 Everything is so wonderful and inside you're dying. 558 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:12,080 We can't pray if you're being fake. 559 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,840 You got to bring the real you with the real problems, with 560 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,600 your real issues, with your real struggles. 561 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:23,200 You got to bring that to the people so we can carry that 562 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:27,120 burden with you, so we can walk it through with you and go to 563 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:32,040 God with you in prayer. James 516 says, Therefore 564 00:35:32,040 --> 00:35:35,360 confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that 565 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,360 you will be healed. The prayer of a righteous person 566 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:47,240 is powerful and effective. If Jesus, Jesus asked people to 567 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:52,280 pray with him, so should you, right? 568 00:35:52,360 --> 00:35:56,320 We're supposed to be doing it. Here's what I'm going to tell 569 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:57,680 you. Jesus had the ability to pray 570 00:35:57,680 --> 00:35:59,600 all by himself. He didn't need those people. 571 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:05,960 He did not need the disciples. I mean, I son of God didn't need 572 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:10,600 it, but he asked for it because he was a living example of what 573 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:15,160 we are supposed to do. Follow his example. 574 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:21,160 Colossians 4/2 says devote yourselves to prayer, being 575 00:36:21,160 --> 00:36:25,920 watchful and thankful. Let's pray. 576 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,320 God, thank you so much for this morning. 577 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:38,200 Lord, I thank you that you are here and that you are protecting 578 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,400 us and that you are guiding us. Lord, I thank you that we can 579 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,040 come to you with anything in prayer and you hear us. 580 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,240 You not only hear us, but you answer us. 581 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,400 You don't answer us. You answer us in the best way 582 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:59,000 with the best way forward, the best answers for us whether we 583 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:02,440 see it or not. And I thank you for this church 584 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:06,080 family that we get to do this together, keeping watch 585 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:09,280 together. Lord, I thank you for those that 586 00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:12,360 are here and those that you have yet to bring to this body. 587 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,320 I thank you that we get to do this life together.