Embracing Growth: Evolving Our Prayer and Faith

 

Summary

Taking a deep breath, let's delve into the essence of today's message. We began by acknowledging a fundamental aspect of human nature: our tendency to resist what we cannot control or understand. This resistance often manifests in our interactions with new ideas, people, and even our spiritual practices. Our worldview, shaped by our experiences and beliefs, can become a fortress that limits our understanding and acceptance of the unfamiliar. This is particularly evident in our prayer life, which often reflects a static view of God, one that hasn't matured alongside our personal growth.

As we explored the teachings of Jesus, we discovered that our prayers should evolve to align with a more mature understanding of God. Jesus challenged his followers to pray in a way that reflects a deeper relationship with God, one that seeks alignment with His will rather than merely asking for personal desires. This requires us to see God as He truly is, not as we have imagined Him to be. The story of Philip and Jesus illustrates this point, as Jesus emphasized that seeing Him is akin to seeing the Father.

The journey of the apostles, who struggled to understand Jesus' mission until after His resurrection, serves as a reminder of our own potential blind spots. Their story encourages us to approach our faith with humility, recognizing that we may not have everything figured out. This humility is crucial as we strive to see the world and others through God's eyes, a perspective that often requires us to let go of preconceived notions and prejudices.

The prayer of Bartimaeus, "Lord, I want to see," encapsulates the heart of today's message. It is a call to seek clarity and understanding, even when it challenges our comfort zones. This prayer invites us to embrace a dynamic faith, one that is open to growth and change, much like the portable tabernacle of the Israelites. By adopting this posture, we align ourselves with God's vision, allowing His truth to set us free.

Key Takeaways:

- Human Nature and Resistance: We naturally resist what we cannot control or understand, often retreating to familiar worldviews. This resistance can limit our spiritual growth and understanding of God. To overcome this, we must be open to new perspectives and willing to challenge our assumptions. [00:24]

- Prayer Reflects Our View of God: Our prayers often reveal our perception of God. If our prayers are static, it may indicate a stagnant view of God. Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that aligns with God's will, encouraging us to see Him as He truly is. [03:26]

- Humility in Faith: The apostles' journey with Jesus highlights the importance of humility in our faith. Despite being close to Jesus, they struggled to understand His mission. This reminds us to remain humble and open to learning, acknowledging that we may not have all the answers. [13:17]

- The Prayer of Bartimaeus: "Lord, I want to see" is a powerful prayer that calls us to seek clarity and understanding. It challenges us to let go of our comfort zones and embrace a dynamic faith that is open to growth and change. [27:59]

- Freedom Through Truth: Embracing Jesus' teachings allows us to see the world and others as God does. This truth sets us free from our limitations and prejudices, enabling us to live in alignment with God's vision. [34:40]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Human Nature and Resistance
- [00:54] - Worldview and Defensiveness
- [02:24] - The Limiting Nature of Corners
- [02:54] - Grown Up Prayers
- [03:26] - Prayers Reflect Our View of God
- [04:45] - Jesus' Instruction on Prayer
- [05:42] - Aligning Our Will with God's
- [06:17] - A Grown-Up Version of God
- [07:01] - Philip's Request and Jesus' Response
- [08:13] - Misunderstanding Jesus
- [09:37] - The Disciples' Preconceived Notions
- [11:02] - The Challenge of Seeing Clearly
- [13:17] - Humility in Faith
- [27:59] - The Prayer of Bartimaeus
- [34:40] - Freedom Through Truth

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 14:8-9 - Philip's request to see the Father and Jesus' response.
2. Mark 10:46-52 - The story of Bartimaeus and his prayer, "Lord, I want to see."
3. Micah 6:8 - The call to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Philip's request to Jesus in John 14:8-9 reveal about his understanding of Jesus' relationship with the Father? [07:01]

2. In Mark 10:46-52, how does Bartimaeus' approach to Jesus differ from the crowd's reaction to him? What does this tell us about his faith? [27:28]

3. According to the sermon, how did the apostles' preconceived notions affect their understanding of Jesus' mission? [11:02]

4. What are the three factors mentioned in the sermon that can distort our ability to interpret the world accurately? [31:29]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Jesus' response to Philip in John 14:9 challenge common misconceptions about God's nature? What does this imply about the importance of seeing God through Jesus' teachings? [07:21]

2. What does Bartimaeus' prayer, "Lord, I want to see," signify in the context of spiritual growth and understanding? How can this prayer be applied to one's personal faith journey? [27:59]

3. The sermon highlights the apostles' struggle to understand Jesus' mission. How does this serve as a reminder of the importance of humility in faith? [13:17]

4. How do the three factors—past, personality, and prejudice—impact one's spiritual perception and growth according to the sermon? [31:29]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your current prayer life. How might your prayers reveal your perception of God? What changes could you make to align your prayers more closely with God's will? [03:26]

2. Consider a time when you resisted a new idea or perspective. What was the underlying reason for your resistance, and how can you approach similar situations with more openness in the future? [00:24]

3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of humility in faith. How can you cultivate a humble attitude in your spiritual journey, especially when faced with challenging or unfamiliar teachings? [13:17]

4. Bartimaeus' prayer, "Lord, I want to see," is a call for clarity and understanding. What specific areas of your life do you need to seek clarity in, and how can you incorporate this prayer into your daily routine? [27:59]

5. Identify a personal prejudice or assumption that may be limiting your spiritual growth. What steps can you take to address and overcome this barrier? [31:29]

6. How can you ensure that your faith remains dynamic and open to growth, much like the portable tabernacle mentioned in the sermon? What practical steps can you take to avoid building a "temple" of rigid beliefs? [24:20]

7. Reflect on Micah 6:8. How can you actively practice justice, mercy, and humility in your daily interactions and decisions? What specific actions can you take this week to embody these virtues? [14:03]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Unfamiliar

Human nature often inclines us to resist what we cannot control or understand. This resistance can manifest in our interactions with new ideas, people, and even our spiritual practices. Our worldview, shaped by our experiences and beliefs, can become a fortress that limits our understanding and acceptance of the unfamiliar. To overcome this, we must be open to new perspectives and willing to challenge our assumptions. This openness is crucial for spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of God. [00:24]

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you resisted a new idea or perspective. How can you approach it with openness and curiosity today?


Day 2: Dynamic Prayer Life

Our prayers often reveal our perception of God. If our prayers are static, it may indicate a stagnant view of God. Jesus teaches us to pray in a way that aligns with God's will, encouraging us to see Him as He truly is. This requires us to move beyond merely asking for personal desires and instead seek a deeper relationship with God. By aligning our prayers with God's will, we open ourselves to a more mature understanding of Him. [03:26]

"Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'" (Matthew 6:8-10, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your recent prayers. How can you shift your focus from personal desires to seeking alignment with God's will?


Day 3: Humility in Faith

The apostles' journey with Jesus highlights the importance of humility in our faith. Despite being close to Jesus, they struggled to understand His mission. This reminds us to remain humble and open to learning, acknowledging that we may not have all the answers. Humility allows us to approach our faith with a willingness to grow and change, recognizing our own potential blind spots. [13:17]

"Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" (1 Peter 5:5, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your faith journey where you may have been resistant to change. How can you practice humility and openness in this area today?


Day 4: Seeking Clarity and Understanding

The prayer of Bartimaeus, "Lord, I want to see," is a powerful call to seek clarity and understanding. It challenges us to let go of our comfort zones and embrace a dynamic faith that is open to growth and change. By adopting this posture, we align ourselves with God's vision, allowing His truth to set us free. [27:59]

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psalm 119:18, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need clarity and understanding? How can you invite God to open your eyes to His truth today?


Day 5: Freedom Through Truth

Embracing Jesus' teachings allows us to see the world and others as God does. This truth sets us free from our limitations and prejudices, enabling us to live in alignment with God's vision. By letting go of preconceived notions and prejudices, we can experience the freedom that comes from living in God's truth. [34:40]

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32, ESV)

Reflection: Consider a prejudice or preconceived notion you hold. How can you seek God's truth to overcome it and experience freedom today?

Quotes

It's human nature to resist things we can't control or don't understand. It's just human nature, it's true of all of us, to resist things, to naturally react to, to resist things we can't control or don't understand. We want to be open-minded, some of us even pride ourselves about our open-mindedness, right? But at the same time, we wanna make sense of the world and we wanna make sense of things and we want the world to make sense. [00:14:57]

Our prayers are primarily about forgive and give and rescue me or rescue someone I love. Consequently, prayer is reduced to what it's reduced to informing God of our needs, wants and wishes or perhaps the needs wants and wishes of somebody we care about. That's why we pray that's why we've been taught to pray the point being if you want to know how your view of God or if you want to understand your view of God just listen to your prayers. [04:08:50]

And we discovered that God is not merely a conscience cleaner he's not merely a life guard more importantly, we discovered the purpose of prayer. And the purpose of prayer is to align our wills to the will of our father in heaven. So before we get to what we want need and wish for we are to pray your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [05:26:25]

But when you follow Jesus as they discovered, when you follow Jesus through the gospels, and when you follow Jesus in this life it will require some change. It will require us to give up some assumptions, perhaps some things that we've believed our entire lives, and that's difficult to do. It's difficult to do because well it's human nature to resist things. It's human nature to resist things we can't control or just don't understand. [07:45:63]

They thought, this is so amazing. They thought I mean, they'd been with Jesus three years. They thought they knew what God was up to. They thought they knew what Jesus was up to. They thought they knew what God was about But they had some unlearning to do. They had some growing up to do in fact, Luke tells us that just a day, just a day before they entered Jerusalem. [09:02:44]

I mean, who am I to think that I have it all figured out when the men and women who were face to face with him so oftentimes did not understand what he was trying to communicate. We're actually better off waking up every single day and approaching every single day, every relationship, every decision with our hands and our hearts wide open to the reality that we only know what we know. [13:30:42]

I assume, I just assume every single day that I have more to learn, more to change, more to discover, errors to correct, more to unearth regarding the gospels, or my heavenly father and Jesus what he came to do. So I have tried so hard not to build a new temple but the problem is this if I stop learning, if I stop growing, if I put down a foundation in error, half-truths, half-baked insights to put it another way. [23:07:95]

And he responds he says, "Lord, I want to see." "What can I do for you Bartimaeus?" "Lord I want to see." Let me ask you do you wanna see, do you wanna see? Do you wanna see what you can currently see even if it requires letting go, even if it requires giving up admitting you've been wrong? Do you want to be right even if it doesn't feel right? Do you wanna see? [27:59:14]

Seeing is clarifying, but the problem is the reason we resisted is sometimes it's terrifying. It usually requires something of us, compassion, an apology, forgiveness, restoration, admitting we're wrong. But the alternative is to live and to walk in the dark. Worse, if we're not willing to see, we may miss Jesus. We will certainly miss-interpret Jesus or worse, we might like Judas attempt to use Jesus. [29:34:77]

The purpose of prayer to align our wills with God's will. And that becomes so much easier when we see the world and the people in the world the way he does, it becomes easier when we see ourselves the way he does as well, Lord I want to see. Sandra my wife has her own version of this prayer it's longer and perhaps it's better it is certainly more emotional. [30:13:71]

Heavenly father I want to see, I don't want to walk in the dark. I don't wanna build a temple to a God who doesn't even exist. Heavenly father I want to see. It's human nature to resist things we can't control or don't understand. It's human nature to hold on to what's comfortable. Following Jesus requires movement, growth, change. It eventually requires us to let go of comfortable ways of thinking, comfortable assumptions, prejudices and beliefs. [33:22:10]

He says if you, this is Jesus speaking, if you will hold if you will hold to my teaching if you will cling to my teaching, even when it conflicts with what you were raised on what you were raised to assume about the world and the people in the world if you will embrace my teaching, here's the promise if you will hold my teaching, you really are my followers. And then you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free the truth will set you free to see me as I really am [34:40:50]

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Transcript
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