Prayer Does The Body Good! (Jude 20-21 Part 2)

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Prayer does the Body Good! Jude 20-21 (Part 2)

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.

THE STUDY:

          Last week we looked at the first part of this passage: building yourselves up in your most holy faith. This was focused on the community and the believers building each other up. The next thing Jude mentions along with and as a means of building themselves up in their faith is to be praying in the Holy Spirit. Pray is in the present tense, indicating that prayer needs to be a constant activity of Christians.

Prayer in the Holy Spirit takes place in the control of as well as under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Prayer in the Holy Spirit is not in a special prayer language. Regardless of how believers pray, their prayers should be continual and they should be offered in submission to and in dependence on the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:26–27 gives us this understanding, Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. It was undoubtedly Christ’s prayer in the Holy Spirit that enabled him to pray to the Father, “Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matt 26:39).^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that prayer should be continual, submissive, and dependent on the Holy Spirit. But is should never be “just about you.” Jesus showed us that prayers and supplications should be for the body of believers as well.

CONCLUSION:

             A close friend of mine at one of the churches I pastored lived close to the main roads in town. He had a 12 year old son who had stepped out into the road and was hit by a car. I remember visiting the ICU over the next month and praying for my friend and his son.

My friend developed new friends who had children and/or family members in the ICU as well. They started to bond together as a group and the next thing I knew, my friend was praying for them as well. I remember one of the last conversations I had with my friend before His son and he walked out of that hospital. He said, “The first few weeks my prayers were all about my son. But as I got to know the others who were in similar situations in the ICU I started praying more for them and less for my son. It was at that time my son started getting better, faster.”

I am not saying, pray for others and your personal prayers will happen faster. What I believe we need to remember is to not just pray for our own situations and request but include others as well. Remember, Prayer does the body good! Yours as well as the body of believers.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (293). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

We Can Resist! (I John 5:17)

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

THE STUDY:

This verse equates unrighteousness (wrongdoing) and sin. Extending the analogy, if all unrighteousness is sin, then righteousness would manifest itself as an absence of sin. Although only briefly mentioned here, John’s assumption is clear. We can, if we submit to the will of God, stop the practice of sinning. Thus, praying for that to happen in the lives of others is right and expected—he should pray for the brother (v 16). Sin may still intrude, but it need not control the Christian. Even if sin and the child of God occasionally meet, they cannot live together in harmony.^[1]

           One of the articles of faith that the Nazarene Church has in regard to sin states: We believe that sin is of two kinds: original sin or depravity, and actual or personal sin. We further believe that original sin continues to exist with the new life of the regenerate, until the heart is fully cleansed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit. We believe that actual or personal sin is a voluntary violation of a known law of God by a morally responsible person.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that living a Spirit filled life empowers us to turn from sin and live a life that is SIN FREE! Not that we will never be tempted again but when we are, through the power of Christ that dwells inside us, we can turn from it. We can resist!

CONCLUSION:

          Sin is something that not only affects the sinner but those around them as well. This is why John was saying we should pray for our brother in verse 16. Often someone who has chosen to live a sinful life says, “It is my life! I can do with it as I wish!” However, such an attitude will not stand up under examination. No one sins in isolation, for it affects everyone the person touches.

This truth is well illustrated in the case of Achan (Josh 7). His sin affected not only himself but his family and nation. The same is true of each of us. We would all do well to heed the words of Tennyson in his Ulysses. “I am a part of all I have met.” And others are a part of you—for good or bad.

My encouragement today would be to allow the Holy Spirit to reign in your life so that you can be empowered to turn from the evil one and all his temptations to sin. Do it, not only for your sake, but for the sake of others. You can RESIST!

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (170). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 2:27 (Part 1)

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But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

THE STUDY:

          John mentions “the anointing,” a topic he introduced earlier (v. 20). He seems to imply that the readers received the gift of the Holy Spirit, that is, their anointing, at the time of their conversion. This is a possession they received from Jesus Christ and which remains with them (II Cor. 1:21–22).^[1]

          “You do not need anyone to teach you.” These words are reminiscent of Jeremiah’s prophecy, “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord, ’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11).^[2] Is John saying there is no need for preachers, Sunday School teachers, evangelist, and such? Of course not! These individuals are vital to the continuation of one’s growth in Christ. What John is saying is that believers have no need of deceivers who try to teach false doctrine. They have the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads them in all truth (John 16:13).^[3]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• As a Youth Pastor I remember a game we would play that involved leading. The teens would pair up and one person would have a blind fold placed over their eyes and the other person would lead them through a maze filled with obstacles. The first round would be rather easy. The leader would take the one blindfolded through the maze by their hand. The second round would present a little more difficult task. The one blindfolded was to be lead through the maze by the voice of the leader. The final round was the person blindfolded being lead through the maze by the voice of the leader but with music being played in the background.

• For the blindfolded person, the first round was easy. The second round was a little more difficult but still accomplish-able. The final round was the most difficult. Two reasons why: 1. You needed to have faith in the one who was leading you. 2. You needed to listen more intently to the leader who was calling out the instructions.

CONCLUSION:

         

  

          Church, we need to have faith in the truth: the word of God, the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us and we need to be listening more intently to that which dwells inside of us: the Spirit of God! He is speaking to us; we just need to listen to the truth.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

^[3] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (285). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.