1 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,360 Good morning. Turning your Bibles to Psalm 2 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,760 Chapter 90. We're starting off the first 3 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,400 week of summer in a brand new series that we've called Ancient 4 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,080 Prayers Present Power. We're going to dive into a 5 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:06,280 number of the prayers that we find throughout Scripture and we 6 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,600 want to ask this, what can we learn from the prayers of those 7 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:15,880 who have come before us? How can our prayer lives be 8 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:21,120 deepened and changed when we dive into Scripture and see the 9 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,800 words that the Saints have preceded us, have prayed? 10 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,080 How can we move our prayers beyond what I would call please 11 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,120 and thank you prayers, right? A lot of our prayer life can 12 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,760 devolve into thank you, Lord, please do this. 13 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,040 And so how do we grow deeper in a prayer life? 14 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,840 How can we really encounter God through prayer? 15 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,280 And there's an amazing reality when we think about prayer. 16 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,520 Just think about this. If you're a follower of Jesus, 17 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:56,160 when you come into a moment of prayer, you get to come to your 18 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,760 Heavenly Father as a son or daughter of that father. 19 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:04,320 You're a kid coming to your dad. You get to talk to him about 20 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:08,400 what's going on in your life. You get to ask him for his help, 21 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,480 for his strength. But it's also a reality that 22 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,680 when we come to prayer, we come to the Almighty King of creation 23 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,360 and glory, the one we were just singing to, the one who is holy, 24 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:26,480 holy, holy, who is due all, all honor and praise and glory. 25 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,120 And both those things are true. They should affect us, that we 26 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,480 come in with a sense of relationship, but we also come 27 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,160 in with a sense of reverence and awe. 28 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,760 You know, prayer is the means by which hearts are changed. 29 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,680 Prayer is a means by which miracles are done and 30 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,960 accomplished. Prayer is a means by which the 31 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,280 power of the Creator God is let loose in His creation. 32 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,160 Martin Luther had this to say about prayer. 33 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:02,600 He said to be a Christian without prayer is no more 34 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,920 possible than to be alive without breathing. 35 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,640 Think about that. That prayer ought to be so 36 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,280 foundational to what it means for us as people of God. 37 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:21,720 That's like breathing for us Jesus disciples we're going to 38 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:23,480 see when we come to the fall here. 39 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,760 They come to Jesus and they say teach us to pray. 40 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,000 And they say that because just like for many of us in this 41 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,920 room, prayer doesn't always come naturally. 42 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,320 Your baby doesn't have to say teach me to breathe. 43 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:46,800 But we do need some teaching in the area of prayer to grow into 44 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,560 this. It's, it's unnatural and awkward 45 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:51,400 for all of us. I just want to let you know, 46 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,160 very few of us just immediately dive into prayer and it's, it 47 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:59,400 just flows. And so we want to learn today to 48 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,400 grow in prayer. We want to go deeper in prayer. 49 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,040 We want to pray prayers that would impact ourselves and 50 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,440 impact our world. And so if you're here today and, 51 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:15,640 and you want to see that happen, you want to move past wish lists 52 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,200 of prayer and the whole lives of prayer, that's what this summer 53 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,560 is going to be about. And we start today with someone 54 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,320 who, even if you're not a church person, even if you're not a 55 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,760 follower of Jesus, you don't know much about this Christian 56 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,640 anything. You're probably familiar with 57 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,840 the guy whose prayer we're going to read today. 58 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:37,640 He's a guy by the name of Moses. If you ever saw the animated 59 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,320 movie, I know it's old now because I'm old Prince of Egypt. 60 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,360 If you go back and you think about Charlton Heston and the 10 61 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,720 Commandments, this is the man who leads the people out of 62 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:54,720 Egypt. This is the guy who parts the 63 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,480 Red Sea. Well, God parts the Red Sea. 64 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,760 God uses Moses to do it. He's the guy who gets to go up 65 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,080 on the mountain to meet with God, like on the literal 66 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:09,560 mountaintop, spend days with him and receive the 10 commandments 67 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,840 and bring them down. He's also the guy who went went 68 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:15,240 from the mountaintop to having to wander around in the 69 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:18,480 wilderness with a bunch of grumbling, ungrateful people for 70 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:21,800 40 years. You can learn something from 71 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,120 somebody who's been on the literal and figurative 72 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,880 mountaintops and wandering in the wilderness. 73 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,680 Wherever you are in the room, you're probably somewhere 74 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,120 between those spaces. So we got something to learn 75 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,040 from Moses today. So let's look at Psalm 90. 76 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,040 Now a little little little Bible tidbit for you. 77 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,120 This is probably the oldest Psalm. 78 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:48,080 This is the Psalm of Moses, which dates it at somewhere in 79 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,560 the neighborhood of 3450 plus years old. 80 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,400 That's how old this prayer is, and yet I think it's going to 81 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,440 resonate and hope it's going to resonate deeply in your life. 82 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:05,600 Today in Canada, June 29th, 2025, hear the word of the Lord. 83 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:12,240 Lord, you've been our refuge in every generation, before the 84 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:17,040 mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the 85 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:23,320 world, From eternity to eternity, you are God. 86 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,320 Let me ask you a question. How do you usually start your 87 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:30,680 prayers? I think I've shared this story 88 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:36,280 before, but growing up in church, we had a guy who our 89 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:39,080 family would often pick up and take to church. 90 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:42,320 His name was Ted Irwin. And, and, and Ted had some 91 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,320 intellectual and cognitive disabilities, but I loved it 92 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:48,720 whenever Ted would pray because Ted would always start like 93 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,600 this. Hey God, it's me, Teddy Irwin. 94 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,800 He always wanted to announce himself into the presence of 95 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,600 God, right. How do you start your prayers? 96 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:01,880 How do you engage with God in prayer? 97 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,120 Do you do you start with dear God, thank you and then you kind 98 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,760 of move into some thank you things and then you get to your 99 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,200 list of things that you really came to God for. 100 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:15,080 Maybe you just jump into the list. 101 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:20,400 Dear God, please. But look at how Moses starts, 102 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:23,360 right? We usually we get the God part 103 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:27,640 out of the way so we can get to the US part, but Moses gets to 104 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,120 the God part and just kind of sits there for a bit. 105 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,560 You're going to see this isn't going to be a recurring theme 106 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,000 over and over again in the prayers that we look at. 107 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,280 I think it has something to teach us today. 108 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,920 He starts with the character of God. 109 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:50,960 And if you don't take anything else from this morning, let me 110 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:54,720 encourage you that one way that could radically transform your 111 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:58,520 prayer life is to start your prayers dwelling on who God is 112 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:03,640 before you get to your stuff. One of one of the greatest 113 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:08,520 blessings of prayer is not just that we have a God who will help 114 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:12,440 us in our problems, but when we come to prayer, it can change 115 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,720 our perspective. I've got an image that I'm going 116 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:17,640 to put up on the screen. They're going to put up on the 117 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,480 screen back here behind me. I think I did forget to mention 118 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:22,480 that. Did we get the image? 119 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:26,120 No image. OK, scrap that. 120 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:28,200 We don't have an image this morning. 121 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,680 How many of you have seen one of those pictures where you look at 122 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:36,200 it one way, you see one thing, It could be the one I was going 123 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:38,400 to put up there. There's a, there's a classic 124 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:43,960 picture from the 1800s of, of a rabbit and and a duck. 125 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:47,840 And you look at it one way and depending on, on how you're 126 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,200 wired, your brain works, you'll look at and you'll see a rabbit 127 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,840 right away. But then as soon as someone 128 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:54,840 says, no, no, I see a duck. Don't you see the duck? 129 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,800 Just look over here. All the sudden you can't help 130 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,040 but see the duck. And now you're seeing two things 131 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,960 in one image because your perspective changes, your 132 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:08,120 perspective changes because what you are focusing on changes. 133 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:13,880 A change of perspective comes from a change of focus, and 134 00:09:14,080 --> 00:09:17,400 changing that focus that changes our perspective can change 135 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:23,760 everything even when nothing actually changes, right? 136 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,520 Nothing changes in those photos when you look at them, and yet 137 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,880 everything changes in the way that you see them. 138 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:38,080 And I would say oftentimes our greatest need is not that God 139 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,240 would fix our problems, it's that he would fix our 140 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:47,280 perspective, right? And that comes through first 141 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:53,600 having our perspective change so that we would see God as he is. 142 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:56,840 I love songs like the songs we just sang, man. 143 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:03,840 Just it takes the vision that I have, the, the narrow scope that 144 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,280 I have off of me, and it places it on to someone so much bigger. 145 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:12,440 And here, that's exactly what Moses does. 146 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,880 He has a perspective. They get so much bigger because 147 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:19,400 he prays prayers that are rooted in God's permanence. 148 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:24,800 Lord, you've been our refuge in every generation. 149 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,120 How big is our God? How huge is he? 150 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:33,960 How permanent is he? Before the mountains were born? 151 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,320 Before you gave birth to the earth in the world. 152 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:43,240 He's so permanent. He's from eternity to eternity. 153 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:48,880 That's our God. He is all things forever. 154 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,720 So often when I'm coming to God in prayer, I don't know about 155 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:59,480 you be it's often because I feel overwhelmed by the size of a 156 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,080 problem that sits in front of me. 157 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:08,920 But when you start to have your eyes opened to the permanence 158 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:15,880 and the power and the preeminence of God, it's amazing 159 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:18,840 how big problems seem to get so much smaller. 160 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,960 I find all the time when I recognize how big my God is, my 161 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:25,560 problems don't seem nearly as big. 162 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:32,600 Some of us, we have an incredible gift to be able to 163 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,440 turn any molehill into a mountain. 164 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:41,600 Some of us today, I know in this room you're facing mountains, 165 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,680 man, you're like, you're at the base of the mountain. 166 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:48,800 It's a legit mountain, but God is the one who gave birth to the 167 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,960 mountains. That's nothing to our God. 168 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,840 That's the one that we're approaching when we come in 169 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,200 prayer to remind ourselves of that. 170 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:08,960 And he's not just some majestic out there over everything. 171 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:10,640 God, right? He's the one we get to come and 172 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:14,760 call ABBA Father. He's your dad. 173 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:21,080 If you're a follower of Jesus, you need an antidote to your 174 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:27,560 anxiety. Stop and remind yourself that 175 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:33,760 you are in the presence of the One who who has provided for and 176 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,800 been present with his people. As Moses says through every 177 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:41,840 generation. Lord, you've been our refuge in 178 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:47,280 every generation. Is your heart longing for peace? 179 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:50,720 It just it's, it's in chaos and upheaval because that's how your 180 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:55,480 life feels right now. Stop and remind yourself that 181 00:12:55,480 --> 00:13:02,160 you're in the presence of a God who has been a refuge. 182 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,720 He's a space where you can find peace. 183 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:14,600 Here's my challenge for you in your prayer life. 184 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:20,760 Would you start by doing this before going to God to ask Him 185 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:24,480 for something? Spend some time with God 186 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,800 reflecting on the nature and the character of the God you're 187 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:33,040 about to ask this, this alone. This might change everything for 188 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,200 you in prayer. What I want to do throughout 189 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:39,160 this message, I want to take some time after each of these 190 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,760 sections and I'm just going to invite us to pray together. 191 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,800 Like I want us to actually do these things, not just talk 192 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,080 about these things. So I'm going to invite you to 193 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:54,240 bow your head right now, and I'm going to just give you a little 194 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:59,920 time here to pray to God and not to come with Him for things to 195 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:01,960 ask, but just to call out to Him, Lord. 196 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,360 Just. I recognize you're so big. 197 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:13,680 You're the one who created all things. 198 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:21,600 God, you are so much bigger than this struggle, this promise or 199 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,880 this problem, this circumstance that I'm facing right now. 200 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:32,000 Would you just call it to God and just just claim this truth? 201 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:37,040 God, whatever I'm facing right now, it has an end date. 202 00:14:38,680 --> 00:14:44,400 But with you, there is no end. God, my problems, they might be 203 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:50,400 big, but in comparison to you, they are as nothing. 204 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:56,720 God, you're, you're not just the place I go when things get hard. 205 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:03,240 You're my home and my refuge, the place where I'm safe. 206 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:09,280 Amen. Continue going on in in the 207 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:14,920 prayer of Moses here he says, you return mankind to the dust, 208 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,440 saying return descendants of Adam. 209 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,320 For in your sight, 1000 years are like yesterday that passes 210 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:29,280 by like a few hours of the night you end their lives. 211 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,800 They sleep. They are like grass that grows 212 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,560 in the morning. In the morning it sprouts and 213 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:38,800 grows and by evening it Withers and dries up. 214 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:44,720 Not only do we need to pray prayers of perspective that 215 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:50,160 focus on the permanence of God, but honestly, it's really 216 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,360 helpful to pray prayers where we spend some time reflecting on 217 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:58,880 our own finiteness, getting honest about that like this. 218 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,080 This prayer is incredibly stark in its contrast. 219 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,400 Moses starts with this recognition of a God who is from 220 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,920 eternity to eternity. Then he says in US, we're like 221 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:15,440 grass in the morning. In the morning, it sprouts up. 222 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:20,400 By the evening it has withered up and dried up and it's dead. 223 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:27,440 And, and this prayer in both of these aspects is so 224 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:33,840 countercultural because because we, we live in a, a culture in 225 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:38,240 the place where we live where nothing feels permanent, right? 226 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,400 I think that's why so many people feel so unmoored. 227 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,880 We struggle with anxiety and we struggle to have peace because 228 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,600 it just feels like there's nothing that we can count on 229 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,320 that that's steady, that will last. 230 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:57,520 My sister and brother-in-law just recently bought a farm and 231 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,320 as I was talking to him, he was telling me that the the 232 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:08,480 farmhouse dates to about 1850. And I thought, whoa, that's an 233 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,440 old house. Because I don't know if you know 234 00:17:11,440 --> 00:17:18,359 this, but in our entire region there's maybe 20 buildings that 235 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:23,480 date to the 1850s and earlier in in this whole region of Waterloo 236 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:27,480 region, that's about the extent of the buildings that are around 237 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:37,040 from that time. Moses says to God, 1000 years is 238 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:43,080 like a day. I look at a house that's 175 239 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,920 years old and think that's so old. 240 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,840 It's literally about 3 lives of, of human lives. 241 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:54,040 We're going to talk about that in a second. 242 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,880 About 80 years plus 80 years gets you to 160. 243 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:02,880 So that plus 15 years, you go back and if you could track back 244 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,200 maybe into the third generation back somebody what's around. 245 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:10,760 And there were 20 homes in all of this that we now inhabit. 246 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,440 We live in a culture where nothing feels permanent. 247 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,880 Everything is changing. And yet the second thing that's 248 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,080 true is this. We live in this culture that 249 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:24,720 denies death. It acts as if life will last 250 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:29,920 forever. It it, it idolizes youth, right? 251 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:36,960 We, we're bombarded with ways and supplements and creams to 252 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:41,560 try and stay young and hold off the effects of aging. 253 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,560 We we try and live as if there will always be another tomorrow 254 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:54,040 to live for. And then in verse 10, Moses says 255 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,560 something that is as true right now, today as it was when he 256 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:03,360 said it. Our lives last 70 years or if we 257 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:07,360 are strong, 80 years. Because here's the truth. 258 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:11,880 The average life expectancy if you were born in Ontario and you 259 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:16,200 are a male is just shy of 80 years. 260 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,520 If you're a female, you maybe get an extra 4 in there. 261 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:27,440 That means like for me, I got more years probably in the 262 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:31,360 rearview mirror than I do looking out the front of the 263 00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:38,600 car. If you are 60, you are not 264 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,560 middle-aged. You are three quarters dead. 265 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:51,760 That's what that means. Some of you right now you are 266 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:53,800 like wrapping up the school year. 267 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,960 Rachel prayed about that. I'm going to tell you you're 268 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:59,160 going to blink and school will be a wrap. 269 00:20:01,360 --> 00:20:03,440 Some of you right now, you're in the diapers. 270 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:08,600 And daycare reality. I'm just a bit ahead of you on 271 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:12,360 that. College applications come real 272 00:20:12,360 --> 00:20:16,200 quick. And I'm not trying. 273 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,560 I'm not trying to be morbid with us this morning. 274 00:20:18,560 --> 00:20:21,560 I just want to be honest because we're not honest about this. 275 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:25,920 We pretend and we live in a fantasy world. 276 00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:30,640 God is permanent. God is unchanging. 277 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,440 God is infinite. We and our lives on this earth, 278 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:43,800 they're finite, They're fragile. We see God for who he is and we 279 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,440 get honest and look in the mirror about who we are. 280 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,800 We stop with the wrinkle remover. 281 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:52,120 We see the wrinkles. It changes the way we pray 282 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,520 because because what you're going to see here in a minute is 283 00:20:55,640 --> 00:21:00,560 acknowledging our predicament has the potential to lead us 284 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,360 into lives of much greater purpose. 285 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:09,120 Like how would your life be different today if you really 286 00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:12,800 lived like life had an expiry date on it? 287 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:20,360 How would it change your life if in your prayers you regularly 288 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:23,680 reminded yourself that tomorrow is not a promise for you? 289 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:31,400 Do we spend 70 to 80 years here? But also 20 to 80 years that we 290 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,440 spend here have the potential to echo for eternity. 291 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:38,880 How would that change? What you pray for? 292 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,280 So let me, let me just. Take a time. 293 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:44,000 Let's take a time out here and let's pray. 294 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,440 Invite you again just. Not because when you close your 295 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,920 eyes, somehow you get closer to God, it just removes the 296 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:53,560 distractions. But I'm going to invite you to 297 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,360 just do that. And just acknowledge. 298 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:01,520 To God, hey, thank you for this gift of life. 299 00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,440 It's not going to last forever. I I I I acknowledge that. 300 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,320 I acknowledge that. My time on this earth is in 301 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:13,800 limited supply. That although I. 302 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:19,480 Can do whatever I want to do to try and deny that reality or to 303 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:23,680 increase the length of my days. Father, you alone will determine 304 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,280 the length of the days that will make up my life. 305 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,560 Amen. That's the light and airy part 306 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:36,800 compared to what comes next. I I. 307 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:38,400 Was reading that some. Of you who travelled with us 308 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,400 through Ecclesiastes. I was like, oh man, I just put 309 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:47,440 us in Ecclesiastes Part 2. Listen to this for we're 310 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:48,800 consumed by. Your anger. 311 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,000 We're terrified by your. Wrath. 312 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:56,360 You have set our. Iniquities before us, our secret 313 00:22:56,360 --> 00:23:00,960 sins in the light of your presence all of our days ebb 314 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,040 away under your wrath. We end our years like a sigh. 315 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:10,200 Our lives last. 70 years, or if we're strong, 80 years. 316 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,400 And even the best of them are struggle and sorrow. 317 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:19,280 Indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. 318 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,240 You understand? Who understands the power of 319 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:28,080 your anger, Your wrath matches the fear that is due you. 320 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,800 It's one thing to. Pray prayers that recognize your 321 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:34,720 finiteness. It's another thing to pray 322 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,000 prayers that recognize your fallenness. 323 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:41,240 We need to pray prayers. That are honest about our sin. 324 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:47,600 We live. In a world where everything 325 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:52,440 feels temporary, we live in a world where we live as if life 326 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,240 is not temporary. We also live in a culture that 327 00:23:56,240 --> 00:23:59,360 could probably best be described if we were to take honest 328 00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:04,040 evaluation of it as entitled. And this is not a. 329 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,600 Generational thing. I'm not picking on any 330 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:09,760 generation. All of us live this way. 331 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:17,360 We breathe in the air of rights while neglecting things called 332 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:21,880 responsibilities. We conflate. 333 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:25,320 Needs with wants all the time in Western culture. 334 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:28,760 It's why it's so good to get out of the bubble of Western culture 335 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:32,200 if you get the opportunity. The other day. 336 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,960 Just my own personal like I I'm here with you. 337 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:37,400 I live in this culture. I fall into this all the time. 338 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:44,080 The other day I am sitting out by the pool and. 339 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,200 I'm starting to get. Really grumbly because the Wi-Fi 340 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:50,000 isn't working well. Let me repeat. 341 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:54,920 That I was outside in a on a beautiful sunny day by the pool 342 00:24:55,960 --> 00:25:00,080 and my spirit was getting grumbly because the Wi-Fi wasn't 343 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:08,160 working Well, I have a home with a yard and a pool and. 344 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,600 This thing. Called Wi-Fi that if you had 345 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,000 told me 30 years ago would exist, I would have just not 346 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,080 believed that was a thing that could be. 347 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:23,320 If I got hot. And I was bothered I could jump 348 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:25,560 in the pool and instead I just started to complain about the 349 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:29,120 Wi-Fi. I didn't actually. 350 00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:31,440 Need a change in my circumstances. 351 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,960 In that moment, I needed a change in my heart. 352 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:39,440 I needed a perspective change. I need an attitude change. 353 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,600 Moses reminds himself in this prayer. 354 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:52,880 Of this we are owed nothing. But God's wrath, it's not the 355 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,600 perspective. We come at things with that's 356 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,760 not our natural perspective. But that's where. 357 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:04,400 Moses goes to he's got the eternal, the infinite, the all 358 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,720 powerful God. He's holy, He's without sin. 359 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:12,800 He is the one, as we sang, who is worthy of all praise and 360 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:17,840 honor and glory. And then we've got us sinners 361 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,840 undeserving of anything but judgement. 362 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,440 Yeah. Our days are full of sorrow and 363 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,640 struggle often times. If you had a year, like if this 364 00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:36,360 past year for you was no sorrow, no struggle, come talk to me. 365 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:38,840 I would love to know how you got through an entire year with no 366 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,200 sorrow, no struggle. And those stink. 367 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,600 But what we actually deserve, what we're entitled to, is 368 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,600 death. That's that's the. 369 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:55,360 Story of Scripture that from Genesis 3/4 when sin enters the 370 00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:58,440 picture, sin brings death. If you're a Sinner, you deserve 371 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,480 death. Those are my words. 372 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:04,320 It's the words of scriptures, the words of Paul. 373 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,720 That we are. All of us sinners. 374 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,360 And the wages? Of that sin is death. 375 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:15,880 It's Romans 620. Three if you want to go market 376 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,040 somewhere. But yet our. 377 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:22,320 Natural posture when we encounter anything in this world 378 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:24,840 that is uncomfortable. Sorrow, struggle. 379 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:29,800 Rough is I don't deserve this. Why is this happening to me? 380 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:35,760 And I get it. Sorrow and struggle stink, but 381 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,200 the reason we come at it with I don't deserve this is because we 382 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,080 don't actually know what we're entitled to. 383 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,520 I'm entitled to death. I'm entitled to punishment. 384 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,360 I'm entitled to the wrath of God. 385 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:49,320 Moses recognizes this. He brace it. 386 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:51,240 He. Approaches. 387 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:58,160 God with reverence rather than entitlement, with confession. 388 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,960 God, you, you. See my even my secret sins, You 389 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,600 know them. We live. 390 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:10,120 In a culture of entitlement and excuses. 391 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,800 We live in a. Place where we blame others and 392 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,720 accuse God all the time. I want to tell. 393 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:19,400 You this this is really important. 394 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,200 Spiritual. Maturity can only come when we 395 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,240 stop blaming and start confessing. 396 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:30,560 You will never. Grow up until you own up. 397 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:34,280 That's true for all. Of us. 398 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:37,080 God does not. Owe you? 399 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:42,800 You didn't do. Anything to deserve anything 400 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:47,400 from him except his wrath. So we need to spend. 401 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:52,040 Some time confessing and being honest about our state in front 402 00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:55,400 of God and even confessing our entitlement when we come to Him 403 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,960 and we feel like he's to blame for all my troubles. 404 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:04,600 No, there were no troubles on this earth until human scent. 405 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:08,160 We own the troubles of this earth. 406 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:12,560 So let's spend some. Time in confession and prayer. 407 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:22,960 Father, Yes, we come. To you we got problems. 408 00:29:24,360 --> 00:29:26,640 We've got sorrows. We've got struggles. 409 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:34,240 And yes, we we do want to. Come to you and ask you to enter 410 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:35,960 into those and to fix our problems. 411 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:39,720 But before you do that. Would you show us? 412 00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:44,960 Our sin. Would you show us? 413 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:49,200 Where we are contributing. To the issues that. 414 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,480 We keep on walking through. Would you open our? 415 00:29:54,480 --> 00:29:58,080 Eyes to our own culpability and responsibility. 416 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:03,920 Father, would you remind? Us that what we need more than 417 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:08,440 anything else is not a change of circumstance, but first and 418 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:13,160 foremost a change in our hearts. We are prone to. 419 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:16,920 Rebellion. We're prone to do what we want 420 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:19,440 to do. We're prone to ignore your 421 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,120 teaching and ignore your commands, and then wonder why it 422 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:26,200 all goes wrong. We're so quick to. 423 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,560 Miss all the ways that you have blessed us and been gracious to 424 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:32,440 us while we get caught up with all the things that we think we 425 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:35,360 deserve. We confess that. 426 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,120 Amen. When you do all this, it leads 427 00:30:40,120 --> 00:30:43,440 to a hinge point. And here's the hinge point, 428 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:47,440 verse 12. Teach us to number. 429 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:52,240 Our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our 430 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,600 hearts. When you get perspective, it 431 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:58,800 changes what you pray for. And we? 432 00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:02,840 Start to pray prayers for lives of purpose, not just for the 433 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:07,080 resolution of problems. When we see who God. 434 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:11,720 Is when we see who we are, When our perspective is changed, our 435 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:17,880 prayers get changed. If God. 436 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:21,920 And the things of God last forever. 437 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:30,120 And if my days on this earth are finite and of limited supply. 438 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:32,720 That should affect how? I pray. 439 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,880 It should lead me to pray prayers like this. 440 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:40,920 God, would you, would you show me how to live my life in such a 441 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,480 way that the things I live for outlast my life? 442 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:49,920 I want to speak. Specifically to young adults. 443 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:55,560 Don't. Live like you have forever. 444 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,280 I don't know how we got. To this place where it's 445 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:04,240 normative. To say that. 446 00:32:04,360 --> 00:32:07,720 That you can just kind of take your 20s off from life. 447 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:11,440 And waste a. Decade. 448 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,560 Now, I'm not saying. Listen, you don't have to have 449 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,080 everything figured out. Nobody in this room has 450 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:21,360 everything figured out. You don't have to get it all 451 00:32:21,360 --> 00:32:23,880 together, but you need to live for something. 452 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,280 Playing video games. In your parents basement rent 453 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:31,360 free is not living for something. 454 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,680 Don't waste. Your life in your 20s. 455 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,920 You don't get to. Claim those 10 years back later. 456 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:45,560 Life. Is like a coin you can. 457 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,400 Spend it. Any way you wish, but once you 458 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,200 spend it, it's spent. You don't get it back. 459 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,200 That's true for all of us. Whatever age you're at, redeem 460 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,760 the time. Make the time matter. 461 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:03,680 Do things that matter. Pray prayers that matter. 462 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,480 Wisdom is about. How we use the knowledge we have 463 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,880 in such a way that it changes the way we live. 464 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,160 It's it's, it's, it's about praying this prayer. 465 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:27,200 God, I I. I know these realities, these 466 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:30,880 truths of of your permanence and my fight, nightness and my 467 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,600 fallenness. Help. 468 00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:39,640 Me to have those truths not just be truths that I know in here, 469 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,200 but that affect how I live out there. 470 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:48,720 So yes. Pray that God would help you in 471 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,200 your circumstances. But. 472 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,360 Also that he would help you to live with meaning and purpose no 473 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:01,160 matter your circumstances. You can't know. 474 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,240 How many days that you have? But you can. 475 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:08,080 Ask God to help you make all your days matter. 476 00:34:11,159 --> 00:34:13,320 How would it? Change your prayer if every 477 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,840 morning when you woke up, your prayer was Teach me to number 478 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,840 today. As if today. 479 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:26,239 Is the last day I got help me to live in such a way that today 480 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:28,600 matters for all the days of eternity. 481 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:33,679 Sometimes. Actually, the answer to that 482 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:35,760 prayer is simply to pray for others. 483 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:39,800 Do you know? That last Sunday we had. 484 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:43,960 The awesome privilege of seeing 18 people get baptized, which 485 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,400 was fantastic, but what some of you may not know is that a 486 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:51,000 number of those people who got baptized on that day where 487 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,800 people that I know, people in this church have been praying 488 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:58,840 for by name, some of them for years. 489 00:34:59,920 --> 00:35:04,120 Those prayers helped to change things for eternity. 490 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,640 I guarantee you. Every single person who got 491 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:12,440 baptized up here a lot had somebody praying for them and 492 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,280 that they were an answer to somebody's prayer. 493 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,640 EM Bound said. Prayers outlive the lives of 494 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:24,440 those who uttered them. They outlive a generation. 495 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,200 They outlive an age, they outlive a world. 496 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:29,600 Sometimes the answer what can I do with my day that would be 497 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,280 meaningful for all eternity is pray. 498 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:38,320 DL Moody said every great movement of God can be traced to 499 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:42,480 a kneeling figure. Praying this prayer. 500 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,680 Remembering this reality, it'll help us live with more urgency, 501 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,920 with more gratitude, with more focus on what really matters. 502 00:35:48,920 --> 00:35:50,840 And so here's my prayer prompt for us. 503 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:58,320 Let's pray God help us to live lives of purpose. 504 00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:04,120 Help us to live. Lives that matter teach us to 505 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,360 have. Wisdom to. 506 00:36:05,360 --> 00:36:11,240 Know how to spend our lives, our days, however many days they are 507 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:16,720 on, the things that will outlive our days that are eternal. 508 00:36:16,720 --> 00:36:20,000 Help me to know God. Help me to know what's eternal 509 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,840 and what's just noise. Because, Father, we. 510 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:25,960 Don't want to live for the noise, we want to live for what 511 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:28,720 matters. We ask this. 512 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:32,640 Out in Jesus name, Amen. So we pray for. 513 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:34,000 Prayers that are rooting God's permanence. 514 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,520 We pray for prayers that are honest about our finiteness, 515 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:41,000 about our fallenness. They lead us. 516 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:45,480 Towards purpose and finally this pray prayers that call out for 517 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:49,320 God's mercy and grace. Love how he ends this. 518 00:36:49,320 --> 00:36:53,960 Lord, Lord, how long? Turn have. 519 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:58,560 Compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the. 520 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,840 Morning with your faithful love so that we may shout with joy. 521 00:37:03,240 --> 00:37:06,320 Be glad all our days. See, now we're getting to the 522 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:10,080 praying for the things. Now we're getting to the praying 523 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,080 for the problems, because now we're in the spot where we can 524 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:18,440 pray for them properly. Make us rejoice for as many days 525 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,200 as you have humbled us, for as many years as we have seen 526 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,200 adversity. Let your work be seen by your 527 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:26,720 servants and your splendor by their children. 528 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:32,520 Let the favor of the Lord our God be honest. 529 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:36,360 That's usually where we start. But. 530 00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:40,680 It is a great place to finish. Establish. 531 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:45,520 For us, the work of our hands establish the work of our hands. 532 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:50,720 God, you are permanent. Would you take our temporary 533 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:53,440 work of us finite beings, and would you establish it so it 534 00:37:53,440 --> 00:37:56,880 lasts and matters? This is a gospel. 535 00:37:56,880 --> 00:38:03,440 Centered prayer. Yes, we are finite and fragile 536 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:07,440 and fallen, but man, God, you are full of mercy. 537 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:11,080 God. God doesn't. 538 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:15,000 Just want you to survive this life. 539 00:38:15,920 --> 00:38:17,000 He. Wants to. 540 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:19,240 Establish the work of your hands. 541 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:23,400 It is absolutely true. The God owes me and he owes you 542 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:26,080 nothing, that the wages of sin is death. 543 00:38:26,080 --> 00:38:27,680 But that's not how that verse ends. 544 00:38:28,840 --> 00:38:31,880 The wages of. Sin is death, but the gift of 545 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:37,120 God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, because 546 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:41,280 our God is holy. And and. 547 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:45,800 Completely within his rights to to judge us. 548 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:53,240 But he's gracious and he's good, and he's merciful, and he's 549 00:38:53,240 --> 00:38:57,080 given us Jesus. Even when. 550 00:38:57,080 --> 00:39:02,040 Your life is a mess because of the choices that you have made. 551 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:06,240 God loves you and He is full of grace towards you. 552 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:10,400 Even in a mid. In the middle of the of the 553 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,800 world, in the middle of life, if you're in the middle of the 554 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:19,280 moment that is full of sorrow and struggle because of sin, God 555 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:24,320 himself comes down in the person of Jesus to satisfy the wrath of 556 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:26,560 God so that you can be free from sin. 557 00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:31,280 Our life. On this Earth will end. 558 00:39:32,720 --> 00:39:38,640 But what we do? With God, through His power, by 559 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:42,000 his presence, and through His grace, will last forever. 560 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:47,680 Start asking God. For more than survival when you 561 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:50,720 pray. Ask him to save. 562 00:39:50,720 --> 00:39:57,360 And satisfy you if you've never come to a point where you have 563 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:01,560 prayed the very first prayer, the prayer that undergirds all 564 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:07,480 other prayers, which is God. I am finite and fallen and 565 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:11,360 broken and I'm a Sinner who deserves your wrath. 566 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:15,120 That's what I'm entitled to. But I believe. 567 00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:18,880 In a Jesus who paid for that wrath on the cross, and I trust 568 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,160 in him. And because I believe. 569 00:40:22,160 --> 00:40:26,320 That he died and rose again. I too will be risen to new life 570 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:28,920 with Christ. That's the starting point. 571 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:32,000 That's the salvation prayer. That's the call that cries out, 572 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:36,000 that unleashes all the other prayers, a call out for His 573 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:40,760 mercy, grace and forgiveness, and a recognition that the wrath 574 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:47,560 of God has been paid by Jesus. For your sake, let's take some 575 00:40:47,560 --> 00:40:51,720 moments and pray here. First, I would just. 576 00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:55,720 If you're in that spot. You're not sure where? 577 00:40:55,720 --> 00:40:59,480 You stand with God. You've come to the point of 578 00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:01,600 recognition. I am a Sinner. 579 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:04,200 I do have a. Problem. 580 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:09,160 I am falling. I know this life's going to end, 581 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,080 but I don't know what comes after this life. 582 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,640 You can call. Out to God today and just simply 583 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:19,080 say this God. I'm. 584 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:23,080 A Sinner. I know I deserve death because 585 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:26,320 of my sin. But thank you for. 586 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:30,280 Sending your son to die on the cross in my place to save me. 587 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:34,360 And because of that. I want to receive the life that 588 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:38,080 is offered through Him. I'm done with my sin and I'm 589 00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:41,960 turning towards you and. When you pray. 590 00:41:41,960 --> 00:41:47,360 That prayer the Lord answers every time, all the time, 591 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:52,680 affirmatively yes, and welcomes you into His family as a dearly 592 00:41:52,680 --> 00:41:56,760 loved child of God. For those of you. 593 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,400 Who are children? The Most High King you know 594 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:04,920 Jesus as Lord and Savior. You can pray this. 595 00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:08,960 God. Satisfy me. 596 00:42:09,840 --> 00:42:12,000 You've saved me, but would you satisfy me? 597 00:42:13,320 --> 00:42:16,160 And would you establish the work of my hands? 598 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:24,120 Make this life matter. Make it last for. 599 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,800 Something that will last well beyond me. 600 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:33,000 Amen. So we conclude, how do you pray? 601 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,160 Like Moses, How do we grow in prayer? 602 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:40,200 Start with God's character. Be honest about your finiteness 603 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:43,480 and your fallenness. Ask for wisdom. 604 00:42:43,480 --> 00:42:45,560 So that you can live for what matters. 605 00:42:46,640 --> 00:42:50,120 And then call out. To God for His grace and mercy. 606 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,080 Church, let's not just. Pray more, let's pray more 607 00:42:54,080 --> 00:42:56,800 deeply, and let's close in prayer. 608 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:01,320 Father, You have given us the gift of Your Word. 609 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:05,800 You have given us. This beautiful gift of the 610 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:10,640 prayer of Moses to be an encouragement and instruction to 611 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,160 us as to how we can grow deeper in our prayers. 612 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:17,280 And Father, I pray that you would take some of these lessons 613 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,000 that we can learn through Moses. Apply them to our. 614 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:26,760 Lives so that our lives are changed, not just our problems, 615 00:43:26,760 --> 00:43:31,280 but our perspective. We want to encounter you. 616 00:43:31,280 --> 00:43:34,680 Deeply in prayer, I pray. That you meet us. 617 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:37,800 Not only today, but in all the days that follow, in Jesus name, 618 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:38,560 Amen.