Talking with God - Part 1

Well, amen. I want to thank the choir, the combined adult and youth choirs for that wonderful

song, and that really should carry us forward as a church. God, we do believe. He can do

the impossible. God can do whatever he wants with our church, and we are excited to see

what that is in the future. Thanks, buddy. I might need that. Appreciate that. Brought

me by Bible. Very good. Thank you, man. All right. We are going to take a turn from the

last few months where we've been in the book of Ephesians, and I invite you to turn over

to the gospel of Matthew. Matthew, if you would, chapter 6. Mentioned it a little bit at the

end of the service last Sunday, I truly believe that God is leading our church into a season

of prayer. That does not just represent a sermon series, though there will be sermon series

themed on prayer, and we're beginning one today. But I truly believe that our church as a whole,

individually and corporately together, is being called by God into an actual season where we

need to commit ourselves personally and united as a church in the effort, the discipline of prayer.

So I ask that you would go home and you would search your own heart, and then you would search

your calendar, and try to find moments where you can literally schedule dedicated prayer time.

We're going to be talking about that more in the weeks to come, and try to provide opportunities

and pathways to do that, both individually and together as a church. But let's begin this season

of prayer by diving into the pattern that God laid out for us to pray. So Matthew, chapter 6,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

we read about the Lord's Prayer. This series, this first series in our season of prayer,

is called Talking with God. And we start off by talking about the Lord's Prayer. Would you go

ahead and advance me to the next slide? This thing isn't cooperating yet this morning. There we go,

thank you. A lot of it is done by the Bible exposition commentary, and then over the next few weeks,

we will be covering Matthew, chapter 6, verses 5 through 15. Matthew 6, 5 through 15. Let me say this

Matthew 6:5–15

about the Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer is less of a prescription and more of a pattern. You

understand what we mean by that? It wasn't God so much saying, this is how you have to pray, and if you

pray these words, then you'll get to God. That wasn't at all what he was saying. Instead, he was giving

us a pattern by which we can pray. There we go. It advanced this time, so I think we got it working.

Matthew 6, 5 through 8, is the first section of this passage that we'll cover this morning,

and then we'll get into the actual content of the Lord's Prayer next week. So let's begin

in Matthew, chapter 6, verse 5. If you're able to join us in standing as we read the Word of God,

Matthew 6:5

would you do that now? Matthew chapter 6, and verse 5. Whenever you pray, you must not be like the

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen

by people. Truly, I tell you, they have their reward. But when you pray, go into your private room,

shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret

will reward you. When you pray, don't babble like the Gentiles, since they imagine they'll be heard

for their many words. Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you

ask Him. God, we know that you do know exactly what we need even before we ask. We know that you've

called us to pray. You've called us to communicate with you, just to talk with you, God.

That is sometimes an intimidating thing. It's sometimes an uncertain thing. We thank you for

your scriptures that enlighten how we can do that. I pray that you would speak to us by your Holy Spirit

in this moment. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Thanks for standing.

I want to draw your attention back to verse 5. Back to verse 5. Whenever you pray, Jesus is teaching us,

don't be like the hypocrites. Well, who was He talking about? He was talking about the Pharisees

back in the day, the great religious leaders in the Jewish tradition. At that moment in time,

the Pharisees kind of held the keys to the Jewish faith. And in public and in their synagogues or

their types of churches, they would often pray loudly and proudly for everybody to hear.

So Jesus is using them as a direct example of how not to pray. Now, don't raise your hand and don't

shout out anybody's name, but have you ever seen somebody who prayed and it just seemed like they were

doing it to get attention? I have. I really hope I haven't been that guy before, but we've all seen

that kind of person probably. It's like, are you doing this sincerely? Are you really talking to God

right now? Or are you just talking in front of others? Well, it's interesting because, well, you know

what? It was working and now it's not. So would you mind taking me to the next slide? Hippocrates,

the word we get right here in Matthew 6 and verse 5, don't be like the hypocrites. Hippocrates is that

Greek word there. And from that word, we get the idea of actor or stage player. Isn't that interesting?

How many times when you and I prayed, do we feel like maybe we're just acting? Maybe we're just playing

on a stage. We're doing it. We're putting on a performance for the benefit of those around us.

And we're not really, truly communicating with God out of dependence on God.

So that is what Jesus is warning against. Look over in Luke 18, if you would. Luke chapter 18.

Luke 18 · chapter mention

I didn't put it on the screen. I figured we could just turn in our Bibles. Luke 18, verses 9 through 14.

Luke 18:9–14

Just a couple of books over from Matthew.

Luke chapter 18, beginning in verse 9.

Luke 18 · chapter mention

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves,

that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. Know anybody like that?

Trusted in yourself that you're righteous and you look down on everybody else?

So he tells this story to make this point.

Two men, verse 10, went up to the temple to pray.

One was a Pharisee. The other was a tax collector.

Now pause for a minute. Anybody know a famous tax collector in the Bible?

Yeah, what do you think? Matthew, that's right.

Matthew was a tax collector. Now that doesn't mean that this story is based on Matthew's life.

However, we see from the life of Matthew, and we see from studying culture in that time,

tax collector was a hated position.

Now you had the protection of the government.

It was a powerful position.

You probably accumulated wealth.

However, the everyday people hated you because you were collecting the taxes from them.

And more than likely, you were crooked.

More than likely, you were a dishonest person.

So this was not a good guy, okay?

So we've got a Pharisee, the pinnacle of the religious world,

and then we've got a tax collector,

kind of the bottom of the non-religious world, right?

So two very distinct, different people.

One a Pharisee, the other a tax collector, went up to the temple to pray.

Verse 11, the Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself.

God, I thank you that I'm not like these other people.

Greedy, unrighteous, adulterers.

And then he even says it, right?

You kind of knew who he was talking about, but then he says,

or even like this tax collector over here.

I fast twice a week.

I give a tenth of everything I get.

And I imagine he goes on and on and pontificates about how great he is

in his prayer, talking to God, right?

Verse 13, however, the tax collector, standing far off,

would not even raise his eyes to heaven,

but kept striking his chest and saying,

God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I tell you, this one went down to his house justified,

rather than the other,

because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

You understand there's a difference here?

One was putting on a show.

He was a hypocrite, wasn't he?

He was playing a part.

He was a stage player in that moment.

The other one knew the truth about himself.

He had humbled himself before God,

and he couldn't even lift his eyes to heaven.

The only difference between those two men

is one knew the truth about himself,

and the other one didn't.

But they were both rotten to the core.

But one had the faith to humble himself before God

and cry out to God for mercy.

Well, the Bible says he found mercy.

He found justification in that moment.

So, Hippocrates, do you pray?

When you pray, do you pray more as an actor?

Are you acting?

Are you playing a part?

Or are you crying out like that tax collector did?

Let's go back to verse 6.

Matthew 6 and verse 6.

When you pray, go into your private room.

Shut your door.

Pray to your father who is in secret.

So, prayer is personal.

Prayer is personal.

That's what we can glean from this.

Now, this doesn't mean that the only time

that it's appropriate to pray

is when you're by yourself.

If that were true, then Jesus would have done wrong,

and many others throughout the New Testament

would have done wrong

when they prayed in public,

prayed in front of people.

We see that time and time again.

So, it's not exclusively that you must pray in private,

but prayer is a private thing.

It's a personal thing.

We must understand that about prayer.

Luke chapter 5.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

Back in Luke again, but earlier in the book.

Luke chapter 5 and verse 16.

Luke 5 · chapter mention

Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness to pray.

So, we see Jesus actually modeling this.

Jesus would often withdraw to deserted places

or to the wilderness and pray.

He would get away.

How many of you guys have watched The Chosen?

Either up here at church,

or maybe you've gone to the theater,

you've watched it at home on one of the streaming apps.

By the way, I can't recommend that show enough.

Outstanding.

Now, it is not a one-for-one account

of the biblical narrative.

They took artistic license

and added on some things to the story.

It is simply meant to portray the life of Jesus

and his dealings with his disciples

as it may have happened

in accordance with the scripture,

and then adding on some extra details

and backstories and that kind of thing.

And they make that clear.

This is really meant to drive you to the text

rather than see it as a replacement for the text.

There is no replacement for the word of God.

However, The Chosen did an excellent job

in portraying how often Jesus would just disappear.

His disciples wouldn't know where he was.

People might come asking,

where's your master?

Where's your rabbi?

And they wouldn't know where he was.

He's off praying somewhere.

And the Bible teaches us that Jesus often did that.

Why?

Because he needed to commune with his father.

If the son of God needed to commune with his father

privately by himself,

how much more do you think you and I need to?

We're not God.

We're not divine.

All of our life source runs from him.

We will be spiritually dead inside

if we don't continually go back to that well

of talking to God.

Prayer is a deeply personal thing.

When it's not personal,

it becomes impersonal.

It becomes public.

It becomes a religious right.

It becomes a tradition that we feel like we should do.

But it's not personally meaningful to us.

So prayer is personal.

Back in verse 1 of Matthew 6,

it gives us some admonishment about that.

Be careful not to practice your righteousness

in front of others to be seen by them.

Otherwise, you have no reward with your father in heaven.

Why would you have no reward?

Because you were not doing it for heavenly gain.

You weren't doing it for God.

You were simply doing it for the approval of man

and you already got it.

So that reward is done.

There is no other reward left for you.

So he says,

be careful not to practice your righteousness.

And one of these chief ways would be prayer

in front of others just to be seen by them.

Now, should we live out a life of testimony

and faith in God?

Absolutely.

We should.

But that should never be the motivation

is to gain praise from others

or to just be seen by them

because prayer is a personal thing.

Then,

I want to remind you of this.

The heart of the one praying

is more important than the style of the prayer.

We sang that song this morning, didn't we?

Heart of worship.

I was back there getting ready for baptism,

but I thought I heard it playing out here.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

because it's all about him.

Listen,

the heart of the one praying

is more important than the style of the prayer.

That tax collector,

when he poured out his heart to God,

he might not have gotten all the words right.

He might have not gotten everything

theologically and doctrinally straightened up

and lined up just how it should be

or how they would teach it in seminary.

But his heart was in the right place

and God blessed it.

Meanwhile,

the Pharisee,

who almost assuredly got everything in order

as it should be theologically

and according to the Old Testament

that he had studied

and knew practically by heart,

he would have gotten all his ducks in a row,

but his heart was so far from God.

Y'all,

I'm afraid that that is a microcosm

of our churches today

and we might not be exempt from that.

It's that we have long-time Christians

who can tell you everything

about the Bible,

everything about God,

but their hearts

are so far removed

from God.

The heart of the one praying

is more important

than the style of the prayer.

Why is that?

Because in God's kingdom,

you look through these parables

where Jesus says

the kingdom of God is like this.

A sower went out to sow seed.

A kingdom of God is like this.

It's the shepherd who left the 99

to go hunt down the one.

Over and over again,

in God's kingdom,

relationship is greater than rules.

The word of God teaches us

this life-changing,

life-transforming difference

between the Old Testament

and the New Testament.

Both are valuable.

Both reveal God to us.

But something happened

when Jesus died on the cross.

The law died.

God's law

was no longer

controlling over us.

The Bible says

what the law could not do,

Jesus did.

The law could never bring us to God.

So plug in

all of your religious rules,

all of your religious expectations,

all the standards

that you think

you and everybody else should meet.

That will never bring you to God.

A relationship with Jesus Christ

must bring you to God.

It's when I get off sidetracked

by all the rules

that Christianity and church

can start to implement

on everybody else.

That's when I get farther away from God.

Now it might look like

I've got my act together.

It might look like

I'm doing really well,

but I know inside

there's a passage in Scripture

that literally says

you're full of dead men's bones.

You look like you're alive

and doing great on the outside

and inside you're dead.

And I know

when I start getting like that.

And God's got to get back to me

and say

it's about prayer.

It's about me.

It's about your relationship with me.

It's about my love for you

that I can

see born in your heart

and then you can show out

and shine out

to others around you.

That is what will change

your life,

your kid's life,

your wife's life,

your husband's life.

That's what will do it

every time.

So relationship

is far greater

than the rules.

You might have been

following Jesus' rules.

You might have been following

the rules of the Bible

most of your life.

There's another one

who did that.

His name was Nicodemus.

But he couldn't seem

to figure out

that Jesus was the answer,

not the rules.

Now,

let's go to verse 7.

When you pray,

don't babble

like the Gentiles.

What's he talking about?

Well,

there were these Gentiles

who would pray

to their false god.

What's a Gentile?

Not a Jew, right?

Everybody who's not a Jew.

So,

if there's any Jews

in the room,

the rest of us

are Gentiles,

alright?

So,

often in that day,

you would have

these Gentiles

who are worshiping

their false gods

and their MO,

their modus operandi

is that they would

just try to use

as many words

as possible

because the more

they would pray,

the more words,

the more flowery language

that they would use

when they pray,

they would feel like

their false gods

were honored by that

and their lives

would be blessed.

So,

this is a direct reference

to that.

Well,

that still happens today,

doesn't it?

That still happens today.

And they feel like

as long as they were

using a bunch of words

and praying

as much as they could

and as often as they could

to their gods,

then their gods

would give them

whatever they wanted.

Prayer does not

work like that.

Now,

I used to live in Nevada

and we literally

had slot machines

everywhere,

okay?

Now,

we didn't

in our house,

okay?

But,

but everywhere you went,

I mean,

you go to the gas station,

there's a slot,

a few slot machines

right up there by the door.

You go to the grocery store,

they're right over there

by the checkout counter.

I mean,

everywhere you go,

there were slot machines

in the state of Nevada.

When God brought us

back home to Texas,

I was so grateful

to go to Brookshire's

and not see a slot machine.

So,

that was nice.

Prayer is not

a slot machine.

I'm not going to ask

for a show of hands

of how many of you

have played a slot machine

before,

okay?

Look,

if you go off

and do that,

it's your business

between you and God,

that's fine.

But listen,

prayer does not

work like that.

You don't just

put something in

and expect to get

something out.

You don't just put in

words and get out

answers,

okay?

Prayer is a meaningful

communication

with the God

of the universe.

The God

who knows so much

more than you do.

The God

who knows so much

more than we do.

We just bring

our requests to Him

and then we sit back

in trust

and faith

believing He will act

according to what

He knows is best.

We might get

what we ask for

or we might get

something totally

different than what

we ask for

because God knew

that's what we needed.

We might ask for

the trial,

the struggle,

to be over

and God might

want to take us

through it a little

bit more.

There might be

all kinds of ways

that God intends

to answer your prayer

but it will never be

like pulling a slot

machine.

Okay God,

I need a new truck.

Give me a new truck.

I prayed for it.

Prayer doesn't work

like that.

And then in verse 8,

don't be like them.

Your Father knows

the things you need

before you ask Him.

Prayer releases

the pressure.

How great is that?

Now I will ask you

to raise your hand

on this one.

How many of you

felt pressure

at some point

this last week?

How many felt

some pressure?

For those of you

who didn't,

I need you to like

talk to me

after the service

because I felt

a lot of pressure

this last week

at different moments.

That is amazing.

Y'all have cracked

the code.

Look,

we are all

under pressure,

right?

We are.

Some of you

were like,

don't pressure me

into raising my hand.

I feel pressure

right now.

Prayer releases

the pressure.

It's not up to you.

It's up to God.

It is simply up to you

to take it to God

because the good news is

God already knows

what you need

before you ask.

He knows the solution

before you bring Him

the problem.

But He still wants you

to bring Him

the problem.

What kind of a relationship

would I have

with my two little boys

down here

if I just met

all their needs

and never wanted them

to ask me for anything?

How one-sided

of a relationship

would that be?

Why are you asking me

for this?

Like,

I don't do enough

for you?

Of course I want them

to ask me for things.

Now,

I'm not always

going to give them

what they ask for.

You want nacho cheese

Doritos for breakfast?

No,

you can't have that.

I mean,

it sounds good to me too,

but no.

No.

So,

I'm going to give them

what I know

they should have

and would be best

for them,

but I still want them

to come keep asking me

for things.

You want donuts

this morning?

No,

we're not going

to go get donuts.

However,

on Bo's birthday,

which is today,

we did go get donuts.

It's a chocolate bar.

That's his thing.

Thanks.

But prayer releases

the pressure.

You don't have to ask

just the right thing.

You don't have to say

just the right thing.

Now,

look,

if you ask amiss,

if you ask the wrong way,

if you ask incorrectly,

God's not going to

just give you that.

Remember,

prayer's not a slot machine.

You don't just put in coins

and get out reward.

Just because you ask for it

doesn't mean that God's,

oh,

you shouldn't have asked for that.

Here it comes.

How many of you guys

have seen the whole genie thing

where you get three wishes,

right?

And if you say it the wrong way,

you know,

I want a million bucks.

So you get a million deer bucks.

I should have specified

what kind of bucks you wanted.

God knows what we need.

He knows what we're asking for.

He knows our heart.

He knows us better

than we know ourselves.

And he knows his will for us.

He knows where he wants to take us.

So that's the good news.

Prayer releases the pressure.

God,

I'm giving this to you.

Now,

James 4, 3,

you ask and you don't receive

because you ask with wrong motives

so that you may spend it

on your pleasures.

There is this aspect of it.

If you're asking

not out of a motive

to please God,

not out of a motive

to walk in God's will,

not out of a motive

to recognize

that you might have been

going the wrong way

and you want to course correct

and you want to get back

on the following Jesus path,

right?

If that's not the motive,

then you don't receive

what you're asking for

because you're asking

out of wrong motives.

God,

I want you to make me

succeed at work

so I can take the dream vacation

that I always wanted

and I can spend all my time

and energy and money

on myself

and my pleasures.

Well,

God may not provide that for you.

But you say,

God,

I really need a raise at work

because the things

that we could do

with that extra money

increase our giving

to your work at the church

and increase what we do

for other people

that don't have

what they need.

God,

I want you to take

any additional income

that I receive

and do what you want with it.

Maybe God will do that for you.

That's up to Him.

But prayer releases

the pressure

if your motivations

are in line with God.

Ephesians 3 and verse 20.

We just finished

our study of Ephesians

but back in the middle

of the book,

verse 20 of chapter 3,

all glory to God

who is able

through His mighty power

at work within us

to accomplish

infinitely more

than we might ask

or think.

You don't always have to ask

for the right thing.

I've heard people say,

I'm not very good at praying.

What does that mean?

Who's good at praying?

If you pray

sincerely,

you're good at praying.

I'm talking to God.

There's no expectations

or standard

that you have to meet.

He can accomplish

so much more

than you could ever ask

or think.

By the way,

if there's any teenagers

hanging in here,

they're missing you

in the back right now

so y'all need to slip out

if there's any

that haven't done that yet.

Finally,

I might need you

to take me to the next one.

It's not working again.

Y'all,

we're going to get

this thing figured out,

all right?

Sometimes it does,

sometimes it doesn't.

God's sovereignty

does not change

our need to pray.

Have you ever thought

this before?

Well,

if God is sovereign

and God knows everything

that's going to happen,

then how does my prayer

change things?

Anybody ever thought that?

Can my prayer

change God's will

or God's mind?

Does it make any difference

at all?

Let me remind you,

God's sovereignty

does not change

our need to pray.

God still wants you

to ask

even though

He already knows

the outcome.

That's just like

when we put our faith

in Jesus for salvation.

The Bible teaches

that God knows

all the ones

who are going

to turn to Him

and repent of their sin

and be saved.

He already knows

who's going

to do that.

But He goes ahead

and wants us

to make that decision.

He calls us

to do that.

He draws us

to Himself.

And it's the same thing,

it's the same principle

as we continue

through our life

with Him in prayer.

God already knows

what's going to happen,

but just like

a good father

with His children,

He wants that child

to go ahead

and ask,

am I going

to supply your needs?

Absolutely I will.

Am I going

to supply your needs

whether you ask

or not?

Yes,

because I love you

and I care for you.

But I want you

to go ahead and ask.

If you don't ask,

then you don't receive

my full blessings

of that relationship.

Do you understand?

It's not God

holding dangling blessings

out in front of you.

You better pray more

so you can get these.

It's having that relationship

with Him

that comes

from constant communication.

If you and your wife

never talk,

you probably don't have

a thriving relationship,

right?

You might have learned

how to coexist

with each other,

but you probably

don't have

a thriving relationship.

And it's the same way

with God.

If we don't talk to Him,

then we're just familiar

with who He is.

We might have filled

our heads

with a lot of facts

about Him

and information,

but we don't personally

get to call Him friend

or personally get to call Him

our dear close father

because we don't have

that kind of relationship

with Him.

But that's not His fault.

He wants it.

He wrote a love letter

to you right here

and He said,

talk to me,

pray,

talk with me,

communicate with me

so He can accomplish

so much more

than you or I

could ever ask

or think.

I want to leave you

with this quote.

Prayer is not about

changing God,

but it's being willing

to let God change us.

Prayer is not about

changing God.

Man, God's never

going to change

and I thank God for that.

But prayer is being willing

to let God change me.

It's taking it to Him.

Saying, God,

I need you to work here.

I need you to work.

Prayer drives us to God

through a cycle

of depending on Him

and being grateful for Him.

Dependence and gratitude

over and over again.

It's not just asking Him

for things

and waiting for them

to show up at your door

like an Amazon package.

That's not what prayer is.

Prayer is a cycle

of dependence on God

for everything.

Emotional dependence,

material dependence,

spiritual dependence,

mental dependence,

dependence for your health.

In every way,

holistically,

across the board,

we become dependent

on God

because He will always supply.

He will always be there.

And then we get to send Him

all the gratitude

that comes from that.

And then the last slide,

if you would,

what's our takeaway?

Am I praying more

for show

or from personal dependence

on God?

That's our takeaway today.

Am I praying more

for show

or from personal dependence

on God?

Would you bow your heads with me?

Can we ask that question

right now?

Maybe don't close up the Bible

and put everything away

right in this moment,

but just for about 60 seconds or so,

just a moment of quietness,

a moment of silence

and stillness

that says,

God,

do I talk with you

more for the benefit

of those around me

or from personal dependence

on you?

There's a song that says,

Lord, I need you.

Oh, I need you.

Every hour,

I need you.

You're my one defense.

You're my righteousness.

Oh, God,

how I need you.

There's another song

that says,

every hour,

I need thee.

Oh, bless me now,

my Savior,

I come to thee.

God desires us

to come to him

time and time again

throughout the day.

Never hang up the phone

with our willing,

always available,

Lord Jesus Christ.

God, I ask that you would

work in each heart

this morning.

Draw us to yourself.

May the takeaway

from today

be that so many

in this room

go home

and carve out

more time

to talk with you.

There's nothing

the devil wants

to do more

than to distract us

from our lifeline

of prayer.

There's nothing

that our flesh

resists more

than the access

to the Holy Spirit

that we get

when we pray.

I pray

that you'd

convict each heart

and it's in Jesus' name

we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.