What kind of Church? 4
A Praying Church.
2 Chronicles 7:11-16
Acts 4:23-31
What a delight and a challenge it is to discern the Spiritual DNA of the Church that Jesus is building in this day and generation. How humbling to receive the gentle rebuke of the Holy Spirit for all we have added to such a Church, often with the best of intentions, to keep such a Church as we see it pure and holy. How illuminating that God is not interested in any of our sectarian nuances, denominational drum beating, or defence of our Church, seeing such as Pharisaism revisited!
The crucial issue for us today is to discern the Pure Bride Jesus is preparing, the winsome church He alone is building. Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labour in vain…. Psalm 127:1. Thus far we have said that it needs to be a Hearts Burning Church (on fire for Jesus today), an Out of the Box Church (boldly breaking out of the man-made constraints we have added), and a Sent Church (Apostolic with every believer in their unique assigned mission-field). Such a Church will not only be winsome to the world, strong in resisting the contemporary taunts of irrelevance but it will also be more than able to win the battles in the Spiritual realm against the devil and all his minnows. So for today’s message, I need to state the obvious for sometimes the obvious can be taken for granted and the ground of our authority in Christ be lost by stealth!
The Church Jesus is building is supremely a Praying Church: since the Cross there has been an open heaven, for this is what Christ purchased for you and me on the Cross. This means total relationship restored, total communication re-established, and total authority given unto all believers: wow! So what went wrong you ask! Good question! Over two millennia we have allowed stuff to block that open heaven: religion, the established Church, sin, believing we could do better than God, a judgemental spirit, and so much more! The daft thing is that the Cross is not in any way defective, it’s a completed work, and therefore we can still return to that place of Open Heaven and clear out the stuff that has blocked it off. A Praying Church not only knows this but revels in the truth that the more they get this right the more effective they are for Jesus today. Growing churches all around the world have found this to be so and the communities they serve are eternally grateful they have. If we are serious about Canterbury and the salvation of this area of East Kent then we must be such a Church standing in agreement around the Throne of Grace for the thousands upon thousands of souls the Father wants to draw through Jesus into His Kingdom.
So what does our 2 Chronicles reading show us? Well, Solomon had built a new Temple and it was filled with God’s presence and a prayer of dedication had been prayed over it, job done (a bit like what happened here in 2001)but God had one final thing to say to Solomon. He (God) not Solomon had chosen this place for himself as a temple for Living sacrifices. You see, the spiritual fabric of this building is not bricks and mortar but the Living Stones who are the Saints of St Andrews.
Then God says to Solomon and to us: If my people (my family) who are called by my name (Christians not Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, URC or any other label) will humble themselves (as our Lord did) and pray (believing that heaven is open) and seek my face (to get heavens perspective) and turn from their wicked ways (constant confession and repentance is vital), then (and only then) will I hear from heaven (communication channel open again!), forgive their sin (that’s grace) and heal their land (touching heaven changing earth).
God continues with the ‘how’: Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place (total communication restored). Finally God says: I have chosen and consecrated this temple so my name will be there forever: my eyes and my heart will always be there (authority given and relationship restored). Can the Open Heaven be re-established: without doubt. Can it be so for St Andrews: yes I believe it can for it is God’s heartfelt desire for ‘none to perish but all come to repentance’ (2 Peter 3:9). The measure of our humility and holiness before the throne will shape our progress in this crucial area.
So did those early Christians see it like this? Absolutely! Evidence their confidence oozing out even in the face of persecution and pain, their unswerving trust in God and focus on heaven, just like the silent nameless majority of believers across the two thirds world today! This is inspiring and challenging to the Contemporary Church in the so-called developed world and somewhat of a rebuke too. After Peter & John had been on trial they returned to the believers, reported and prayed! They didn’t lament the state of the religious establishment, give the enemy any credit, nor cower under the magnitude of their task. Without further ado……they raised their voices together in prayer immediately invoking the ‘commanded’ blessing of God on their unity, and the power of their agreement around the Throne was incredible! How did they pray?
Sovereign Lord. They immediately set all that had happened in proper context: under the Open Heaven and through the completed work of the Cross. They trusted God’s sovereignty. Do we?
You made everything (Heaven, Earth, Sea): Creator. By reminding themselves of God as Creator they affirmed that nothing was impossible! Faith rose in their hearts as they prayed. Does faith rise as we pray?
You Spoke! Prophetic words spoken by King David were coming to pass. They stood on God’s Word and chose to trust His promises. Do we stand on His promises, do we open ourselves to hear His voice?
Now Lord: consider their treats whilst they didn’t hide the crucial challenge they were facing they chose to see the bigger picture. Enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand and perform miraculous signs and wonders in the name of your holy servant Jesus.
And we are told that after they had prayed the place was shaken and filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God boldly which is exactly what they had prayed for! Surprise Surprise!.
So I could now give you a bucket full of prayers quotes from the great saints of yesteryear, I could exalt you to pray more and move into your identity as a precious son or daughter of God (with growing family likeness), I could remind you of your inheritance such as an Open Heaven and Authority given by Christ himself, but instead let me say what I believe needs to change and quickly: we need to stop telling God what to do and start listening for our assignments sent from the throne of Grace. We need out of holy desperation to not leave his presence until He has spoken and given us heavens’ agenda alone.
Jesus is building His Church and it’s a praying one! In fact it is so passionate about prayer because it has learnt the secret of real effective Christina Discipleship starts on ones knees. And the Church that prays together stays together: and for our challenging journey ahead we need that Open Heaven: total relationship, communication and authority which is ours by right as God’s Children.
Christians are great at focusing on the insignificant and missing the magnificent: Prayer and consistent answers to prayer breaks that cycle and we revert to how we should be hopelessly in love with the Lover of our Soul, expectant Faith-filled saints specialising in moving mountains, and humble servants fit for the Masters Service.
Pastor David
June 5th 2016.