Sermon Tone Analysis

Scripture Introduction

I don’t know about you but when I came to faith in Yeshua I was primarily concerned with getting rescued out of the hellish life I had been living for over a decade in abuse, drugs and violence.

My wife will tell you that when she came to faith at 6 years old she wanted to be rescued from a dark eternity in hell separated from God. Lauren at age 6 and I at age 21 realized we were dyer straights and without a divine rescue operation our present and our future looked tragic..

I wanted an escape from the dark world I was living in, Lauren and I wanted an escape from a dark eternity separated from God.

Chances are when you came to faith you also needed a rescue.

You had some need, want, hurt, desire and you really needed God to step-in and do something about it.

It was beyond you to get out of that thing that circumstance you were in.

You needed more than human help, you needed a God kind of search and rescue operation.

Everyone of us in this room also remembers that moment when you knew that God’s rescue operation was in motion on your behalf.

You might not have recognized it in that moment but when you look back you realize it was no coincidence , it was no accident, it was divine providence.

God sent a rescue worker.

That person, that congregation, that friend, that Rabbi/Pastor, that family member that introduced you to the Messiah, that was God’s divine rescue worker.

All of us can remember that moment God sent His rescue worker to bring us of the darkness that was surrounding all of our lives.

Our passage today is a behind the scenes look at what motivated that rescue worker to reach out to you and what should motivate you to also be a rescue worker.

Ha-Foke-Ba

Sermon Introduction

II can tell by the looks on your faces that you are wishing you would have decided to skip this service and stay in bed today.

I can tell some of you are already wondering, “when I can break for the door, run before he tells me I have a responsibility, nay a command to talk to other people about what I believe!!!”

Can’t you just leave well enough alone?

Can’t God just send an angel or a dream?

Can’t God just send someone else?

Can’t they just accept they are getting what is coming to them.

I have tried before and they did not listen.

I am not ready, I don’t have all the books you do, I don’t have a bachelors degree in Bible.

For those in the room today who don’t know Messiah yet I hope today you will at least understand why we are so passionate about sharing our messianic hope.

But for everybody else; Listen up, Jonah and Jonet, you are not just a prayer warrior, nor an attender of service nor just a huddle upper in circles in chavurot.

You are called, commanded to participate in God’s search and rescue operation for His children.

“Throughout the course of your life, you’re going to give your life to something.

You will.

All people do.

They give their lives to pleasure or to possessions, to the attainment of popularity or to the acquisition of more power.

But always to something.”

Hybels, Bill; Hybels, Bill (2008-09-09).

Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith (Kindle Locations 463-465).

Zondervan.

Kindle Edition.

Throughout the course of your life, you’re going to give your life to something.

You will.

All people do.

They give their lives to pleasure or to possessions, to the attainment of popularity or to the acquisition of more power.

But always to something.

Most people think to themselves as long as me and my little tribe are all right the man up stairs it’s the preacher’s job, the rabbi’s job to conduct the search and rescue operation for the lost.

The clergy give their life for that but I give my life for....

Let’s get real.

Why don’t we just acknowledge that we really are just comfortable now in our salvation and don’t feel a tug and we barely shed a tear for those facing an eternity forever separated from God.

Perhaps we have just gotten over our love affair with the God who rescued us and have moved on to bigger and better things for life.

Maybe we have forgotten or have simply started to deny that the Scriptures say that we were rescued from darkness.

Maybe we have forgotten how deeply hurt people are because of sin’s power, satan’s power and the world’s corruption.

Maybe we have forgotten that the Messiah Yeshua came to earth for a rescue mission not for a coronation nor for a Torah Indoctrination:

The mind of Yeshua hadn’t been consumed by business gains or money or fame or family special interest but instead was endlessly focused on one thing: people — those who were lost and found, young and old, rich and poor, sought-after and rejected.

Never has anyone displayed such a prodigious obsession with people as did Yeshua.

Remember what Matthew, the most Jewish Gospel writer of all the guys, said that Yeshua’s expectation is that his followers share this magnificent obsession with rescuing the lost in .

If you really believe in the redeeming and transforming power of the Messiah's work then you must give yourself to rescuing people from darkness.

I deeply believe that true followers of the Messiah understand that there job was given to them for the sake of the gospel, not just the sake of a paycheck.

I deeply believe that true followers of the Messiah understand that their power, money, influence - no matter how great or small - was given to them for the sake of God’s rescue operation.

I deeply believe that true followers of the Messiah know that the highest and best use of their life — to be part of God’s rescue operation of his children.

Hybels, Bill; Hybels, Bill (2008-09-09).

Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith (Kindle Locations 478-479).

Zondervan.

Kindle Edition.

Give yourself to unbroken prayer.

Hybels, Bill; Hybels, Bill (2008-09-09).

Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith (Kindle Locations 473-476).

Zondervan.

Kindle Edition.

A summons to unbroken prayer at God’s throne prepares you personally for God’s search and rescue operation.

The fervor that ought to characterize unbroken prayer becomes obvious as Rabbi Paul exhorts all believers to have these three defining prayer markers in our life (v.2) :

A summons to all-out earnestness at God’s throne poses a sharp challenge to any half-hearted, casual, and hum-drum substitute for a prayer life.

The fervor that ought to characterize prayer becomes obvious as Paul exhorts Christians to be three things in prayer.

Unbroken prayer is avid not absent.

The term proskartereo can have several ideas,

The term proskartereo can have several ideas, “to stay by or persist in,” “adhere to,” “busy oneself with,” “be devotedly engaged in,” “occupy oneself with earnest diligence,” etc.

It appears in for disciples in the upper room continually devoting themselves to prayer.

“to stay by or persist in,” “adhere to,” “busy oneself with,” “be devotedly engaged in,” “occupy oneself with earnest diligence,” etc.

It appears in for disciples in the upper room continually devoting themselves to prayer.

James E. Rosscup, An Exposition on Prayer in the Bible: Igniting the Fuel to Flame Our Communication with God (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2008), 2332.

Perhaps the best word picture is when Odysseus has his sailors tie him to the mass of ship so he would not be tempted by the Siren’s song.

The one characteristic of avid, ongoing, devoted prayer is that it is rooted in the character of God not in the give me, give me attitude of the pagan babeling ().

The one characteristic of avid, ongoing, devoted prayer is that it is rooted in the character of God not in the give me, give me attitude of the pagan babeling ().

When you get to the point of asking yourself, “Should I keep bother God with this” then you know, you are just getting started.

Avid, ongoing, devoted prayer is not an option: it is a command.

It is a command for fervent devotion to God.

A believer’s prayer life should be characterized by avidness in prayer not absentee card, or IOU card.

Prayer is not set aside to get to more important things.

Unbroken prayer is alert not asleep.

Here “alert” is gregoreo, a military term for a solider stationed in a fox hole, or on a wall, or on guard duty and he must keep vigilant watch, not falling into a doze.

Here “alert” is gregoreo, a term for a sentry stationed on vigilant watch, not falling into a doze.

What do we need to be alert about?

Jam

The fiery darts the enemy is throwing at you.

The idols trying to take back your heart.

Unbroken prayer is appreciative not apathetic.

James E. Rosscup, An Exposition on Prayer in the Bible: Igniting the Fuel to Flame Our Communication with God (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2008), 2332.

This brings the greatest balance to prayer because it tells us that are avidness and alertness are not rooted in fear but in confidence.

We are motivated to pray because we are trully grateful, our hearts have a great appreciation for what has been done for us.

When our prayer life is motivated by gratitude let me tell you what happens:

One: It is an honest admission you have received something good from God.

Two: When you know you have received something good then you the natural result is happiness and a relief of stress.

Three: gratitude allows us to celebrate our working together with God.

Rabbi Paul transitions from personal unbroken prayer to intercessory unbroken prayer for others actively involved in God’s search and rescue operation (vv.