Empowered Through Prayer: Our Mission as Image Bearers

But we take serious the words of Jesus. Then Jesus says in John 15, 5, He says, Apart from me, you can do what? Nothing. Nothing. Apart from me, you can do nothing. So how is it that we can be involved in the work of God if we're not connected to God? It's impossible. We must be connected to God. We must be intimately connected with Him. If we're going to be fruitful. If we're going to be useful to God in His hands. [00:00:56]

So prayer, of course, is a vital connection. It's an essential connection that we have of staying in communion with God. In hearing from Him. And prayer is more than just talking to Him, but it's also listening to Him and what it is that He wants us to say. What it is He wants us to do. Where it is He wants us to go. Prayer is vital for our relationship. Prayer is sort of the avenue by which we receive the power from God. [00:01:31]

Prayer is like that cord that connects us with the outlet, with the power of God that enables us to do great things for God. We can't do that by ourselves. We need God. We need to be connected to him. Otherwise, we're just empty and of no value. I've used this quote a number of times from A. W. Tozer because it's one of my favorites. And I think it is so true and so helpful for us to be reminded. [00:03:54]

Beth Moore concludes, Only God knows how often he allows us to be a part of divine moments when we're completely unaware of the significance. God had intervened in details only he could have known and it was a God moment that I will never forget. So when you hear a story like that, how do you feel? If you and I are going to take the mission of Jesus serious, if we're going to be able to be yes, Lord, yes to your will, to your way, to whatever you want me to go, whatever you want me to do, there's no telling what kind of adventure he might send us on. [00:11:49]

There's no telling where he might direct us and no telling what the cost might be because following Jesus isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be life-changing. Following Jesus isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be life-changing. And too often, we in the church, especially in America, we have this notion that following Jesus is going to be nice and the sailing's going to be smooth and it's going to be sunny skies all the way. But following Jesus, doing his will, is not meant to be comfortable, but it is meant to be life-changing. [00:12:50]

We talked last week about the mission of Jesus, that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. And he's invited us into that same mission, that we can join him and we can partner together with him to be a blessing to our neighbors, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. And this is a crucial element to becoming like Jesus. And so we use the acronym BLESS, B-L-E-S-S, stands for these five practices that are really tangible that I think might be helpful for us to just put into practice loving our neighbors and blessing our neighbors and blessing our community. [00:13:12]

Well, the best reason that we need to start with prayer is because Jesus started with prayer. Jesus began with prayer. Everything that Jesus did was all about prayer. And it wasn't just so that he could set an example for us, but it was essential in his life. And if it was essential in his life, how much more essential should it be in our life? Jesus starts with prayer, and we need to begin with prayer. In the Gospel of Luke, we see over and over again, Jesus goes off to pray. He prays, he prays, he prays, he prays. [00:18:59]

Over and over again we see Jesus prioritizing prayer and I'd like for us to focus on one of these occasions here just briefly from Luke 6 beginning of verse 12 through 16 as we know the mission of God is to seek and save the lost we know that's why Jesus came and he gave us that same mission when he ascended into heaven that he wants us to go continue on the work that he started and we we have recorded here in Luke 6 if you're able to stand I want to invite you to stand as we'll read just these few verses Luke 6 verses 12 through 16 you [00:20:24]

But this is where he starts. He doesn't jump ahead of the father, but he starts by going to the father in prayer. Jesus wanted to have clear direction. By morning, he's got clear direction. But the choices that he made were not really the obvious choices that we would have. We would be looking for those who are the most educated, right? Who's got some business acumen? Who's got some money that we're going to need resources here? Who's got some experience that we can use? But those aren't necessarily the people that Jesus selected. [00:25:31]

Having these people together wasn't easy, but that's who God wanted. And sometimes we look around the diverse group that we have here, and we think, well, it would be easier if some of us weren't here and we had some different ones here. But this is who God has brought together for us, for such a time as this, for this church, for this place, for this community to seek and save the lost, to be out on mission together. Growing up, we always had dogs growing up, and my dad was old school, so we had dogs that were outside. [00:27:28]

But to live out the mission of God, we've got to start with prayer. We've got to begin with prayer. And so last week we talked about downloading that app, and we got some flyers that will help you download that app to bless. And I meant to ask Pastor Josh before, I looked it up yesterday to see how many, what the number of people who... who have signed up in this church. Do you remember what that number is? 23. We've got 23 people that according to the, you know, they are identified as lights. So in our neighborhoods, we've got 23 people, and there are already a number of people that are praying for your neighbors. [00:32:31]

Help us to put into practice, loving our neighbors, and help us to start by praying for them, even the ones that are difficult to get along with. May you change our relationship to be that which would please you. I pray that we would begin to see you work among us. I pray that there would be a time where there would be fruit that would come from an ordinary person who says, here am I. Use me as you see fit. May we hear testimonies and stories of how you're working in our community, in our neighborhood. [00:38:48]