What's The Catch?
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
Announcements:
Let me know by Jan. 27 if you’re interested in going to an escape room. If so we’ll get an exact date set and we’ll go from there.
prayer request
What’s the Catch?
What’s the Catch?
Last week we started our series on prayer and we discussed a few things
Jesus gave us a model prayer in Matthew 6:5-13
Not like the hypocrites
don’t turn prayer into a show
pray to yourself
still ok to pray in public
Looked at the prayer Jesus modeled.
We can address God as Father
We need to recognize God’s kingdom and His will being done
God’s got total control and we should be wanting what He wants
We ask for what we need
even though God already knows
We ask for forgiveness and we forgive others
Keep us away from sin and the evil one
This week I’ve titled this message What’s the Catch?
There is usually a catch behind everything that a person does.
What’s a catch?
A catch is the motivation behind something being done
Going to a car dealership to purchase a vehicle
the sales person will butter you up
get you coffee
call you friend
use the right words
motivated solely to get you to buy a car
Not all people are motivated for themselves or personal reasons
As followers of Christ we should be motivated to do what’s good and what’s right because of Christ
So now I have to ask, what’s your motivation when you pray?
Is it something you feel like you have to do?
the Youth Pastor has been talking about praying so I feel like I have to
something has scared you into praying?
We live in scary times
Do you really want or need something?
I really want this person to fall in love with me
I need an A on this exam
Or is there some other motivation behind your prayer?
Our passage for tonight we’ll look at James 4:3
When we pray, we ask for things we want or need, but what is our motivation?
James addresses that in this verse
Read Passage
So James says you don’t receive because you ask with the wrong motives. So what is the right motives?
Can we see what the right motives look like?
Answer is of course we can and we see it in Jesus
The motive for everything Jesus did, was to give Glory to God.
Through His Relationship With God
Through His Relationship With God
We know this was a motivation for Jesus because of His relationship with God
God is the Father, and we see earlier that Jesus called God Father.
Which we are encouraged to do the same
Again, God is the Father of everything
John 12:27-28 says “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say- Father save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name.”
So what hour is Jesus talking about here?
He knew that He was about to be handed over and crucified
He could have easily said, no this is to much for me, God save Me, don’t let Me go through with this.
instead Jesus focus was on glorifying God through what He was about to go through.
He knew and understood that there was more to it.
That God was using Him to provide a way for all of humanity to be saved from death
He focused on God first
Our relationship with God should be part of the same motivation when we pray
Most of the time when we pray there is something going on in our life
We have some trouble we are facing
someone we know is sick
we have to make a big decision
All kinds of reasons that prompt us to pray.
And most of the time we focus on what we want to happen.
Doesn’t matter what the outcome will be, but what will make us happy at that moment
Instead, let’s look at and follow Jesus’ example when we pray
Instead of saying “God I really need this to happen”
Let’s try God I would like this to happen, but whatever You allow happen, let it glorify you and let me glorify you.
We won’t always like the answers that God gives us, but God is always glorified.
Jesus showed the right motivations even when He taught
Jesus showed the right motivations even when He taught
Looking back at Matthew 5:16
Jesus says “In the same way let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus repeatedly taught this way.
Jesus would always lead people towards God and glorified Him.
He showed how God was always providing and how God always did what was good and right.
Whenever Jesus performed a miracle, it wasn’t a look at me, look what I did
It was always give glory to God for what He did
Everything that you do, the way your light shines, should always bring glory to God.
So when we pray, let’s be motivated to pray in a way that whatever happens allows us to teach others about God.
I love using my foot as an example.
6 years ago cut my heel really bad.
13ish staples
boot
long recovery
but always praised God it was never worse
asked for prayers for a quick healing full recovery
Still gave God the glory even though things sucked
God set it up where I could share Him with the doctors, nurses, others who would say how lucky I was etc.
I was able to teach others about God and give God glory even though things weren’t the best
Closing out
Going back to James 4:3
when we pray we need to make sure that we are praying with the right motivations
We are not created to fulfil our own self desires, but we were created to glorify God.
We need to remember that when we pray
We should always come to God in a way that whatever we ask for, whatever we want in life, will give Him glory in some way.
We could say everything right, but if we are not praying with the right motivations then it’s all for nothing. Here are a few things to remember
Praying with concern for God’s glory as our motive will sometimes be difficult to do sincerely.
Remember it was difficult for Jesus to go to the cross, but He still did
It’s difficult for us to pray in a way that glorifies God because we like to look out for ourselves
Just recognize it and ask, but always remember and give God glory through everything.
Praying with concern for God’s glory as our motive is a reality when we’re willing for God to withhold the answer if that would bring Him more glory.
Sometimes we don’t get the answer we want right away.
Jesus prayed in Luke 22:42 that if God was willing to take away the need for Him going to the cross, but he said not His will, but God’s be done
It’s difficult to wait on God’s answers sometimes, but let’s keep reminding ourselves that God will do amazing things and hold to that faith.
Praying with concern for God’s glory as our motive is just as valid in praying for ordinary, little things as in praying for big things.
It doesn’t matter how big or how small, we should always go to God for everything in our lives and want to give Him glory honor for answering everything
Praying for someone to be healed that’s sick. Big thing giving God glory when they are healed
Even though that may be them going to heaven to be with Him
Praying for the safe return of your cat that’s lost
This may seem silly but still being able to and willing to give God honor no matter what should be our motivation.
Praying with concern for God’s glory as our motive gives us words to pray when we do not know God’s will in a matter.
We don’t know what’s going to happen when we make big decisions in life
If we are praying in a way that gives God glory, we know that what happens will be used for His good and we will be able to share that goodness with others.
Praying with concern for God’s glory as our motive will bring more peace and rest into our praying
Nothing is more nerve racking than knowing I’m not in control of something.
But I do know that God is in control of everything and when I pray for things I know that God’s got everything in control.