Date:      24th October 2007                                                  (Wednesday PM)                                                                                Ref: A0343

Place:     Kambah P.S.

Title: Hands Lifted In Intercession

Text:        & Exodus 17:8-13

Illust:     IAt the 1st battle of Bullecourt in April 1917, the Australian diggers of the 4th Division attacked the German defensive positions of the Hindenburg Line. – Through courage daring, tenacity, & old fashioned aggression they captured the enemy trenches – Problem was that they were now facing counterattacks – The officers on the ground repeatedly called for an Artillery barrage to their front to hold off the enemy – It never arrived – Forced to withdraw. – Major fiasco. ~ In our text there is a battle being fought, One element of the battle involves the physical act of waging the war, hard fighting man to man, but what I want to focus on this PM is the crucial element of intercession.

I.                   Intercede

A.               Fighting In Prayer

i.                 Firstly we see that Moses took with him Aaron and Hur, and ascended to the hill summit, to watch the battle, and to pray & vs. 10.

ii.               Here is Moses he is old and advanced in years, he is not able to go himself into the battle; but he could pray for those who were in it. – This is the same in the K.o.G. – Not all able to go to outreach, not able to go on impact teams, not able to go to Zimbabwe / Malawi – But you can pray.

iii.             Our text teaches us the lesson that Moses prayer was as essential to the success of the Israelites as the fighting of the troops.

      In fact prayer is fighting of its own kind

         Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. (NKJV)

iv.             Real prayer is hard, exhausting work. Even had Moses been physically capable of taking part in the conflict, he was better employed where he was, in this work of earnest intercession. – This is the truth you and I must understand. Easy to be discouraged – but your prayers are critical.

      You need to realise the value of your work when you pray, how much you can still do, how useful you are.

B.               Intelligence

i.                 Note, also, Moses was on a hill overlooking the site of the battle; it was in full view of the battle that this intercession of Moses was carried on.

      The Pulpit Commentary states “Prayer needs to be fed by knowledge, by watchful interest in events as they shape themselves around us, by study of the special needs of circumstances of the time.” [1]

ii.               To be effective in prayer we need to be seeking, as far as possible, to keep ourselves informed of the situations about what we pray. – A society where information about nations, situations easy to obtain – Online – Wikipedia / News, News Papers, Library, Harvest Magazine. – You can always ask

      Zimbabwe – Leadership / Ancestral Worship / 2 x Tribal Groups / Lawlessness

      Malawi – Leadership / Poverty / cultural pride

iii.             Important when you can, know what you can about what you pray for.

II.                 The Intercession

A.               The Promises of God

i.                 Moses interceded, while holding up in his hands the rod of God & vs. 9, 11. The rod was the symbol of God’s power as pledged for the defence of Israel.

ii.               Jesus has promised, that as we go out to do His work, the work that He has commissioned us to do that He is with us. – This is the task He wants done, not our idea, our plan, it is His. Therefore we can be assured that He is into this. - & Matthew 28:18-20

iii.             Faith holds up the rod in laying hold of God’s word and promises, and pleads them before him.

         2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. (NKJV)

B.               Fellow labourers

i.                 Also Moses was not alone. Aaron and Hur held up Moses hands when they grew heavy through fatigue & vs. 12.

ii.               Fellow labourers; Jesus had the 12 disciples, yes He was training them, but there is an important dynamic of labouring together in the work that knits hearts, that is powerful – We are not designed to function as a lone wolf

         Ecclesiastes 4:12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (NKJV)

iii.             Critical element in any endeavour for God, the fellow labourer. – Important to Paul.

         Philemon 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. (NKJV)

         1 Thess 3:2  ..Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ,  (NKJV)

iv.             God’s people hold up the hands of ministers by praying for them.

         1 Thessalonians 5:25 Brethren, pray for us. (NKJV)

III.              Decisive Influence

A.               Critical

i.                 Can’t emphasise enough that intercession is not an optional extra, this is the lesson of our text, when Moses hands dropped, there was a slackening of intercession, there was a reversal in the battle. Amalek prevailed & vs. 11 ~ The intercession of Moses had a decisive influence upon the tide of battle.

ii.               There is a need for sustained and persevering entreaty of God if we are to have the victory. This is a testimony to the power of prayer.

B.               Power of Prayer

i.                 Can you imagine what would happen if the Church were more alive to this secret of gaining victories by earnest supplication!

ii.               The influence of prayer cannot be overrated. It decides battles. It sways the tides of history. It opens and shuts the windows of heaven & puts to the rout spiritual enemies

         James 5:17-18 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (NKJV)

iii.             Paul made use of this mighty power

         Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, (NKJV)

iv.             But even Paul did not pray so much as Jesus

         Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (NKJV)

         Luke 6:12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. (NKJV)

IV.             Altar Call

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[1]The Pulpit Commentary: Exodus Vol. II. 2004 (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, Ed.) (77). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.