03.08.2015 1 Cor. 11 - How to be with God as He is with us

03-08-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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Simple takeaway from last week – to live the unoffensive life in the world – learn to practice gentle, non-cooperation with evil – learn to practice gentle, non-cooperation with evil - I will explain! At work – let’s say that there is gossip and backstabbing – practicing this – in that situation – determine never to engage in it. There are all kinds of ways to do this – and when we determine to never engage in the things that offend and hurt – whatever it is – it could be saying things on social media – determine not to do it. You don’t make a big deal about it – but in doing so, people will recognize it – they will know – if, over time, you do not engage in gossip, they will know that – and it will provide you with the opportunity to win people to Christ’s love.
Lord, thank You – help us, in our lives, to be these unoffensive people wherever we are – that we might be able to win the most – to be a light of God’s love to this dark world. There is so much darkness in this world – so much that we cannot imagine – and yet that is what will make our light so much brighter. Help us to learn to be lights. Prepare our hearts to hear from You – speak to us – help us to lay our concerns aside. The enemy would like to interfere with that – so that we don’t experience Your love – and that love is beyond our ability to understand.
1 Cor. 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2 I praise you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head. 5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head. 6 For if a woman will not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should cover her head.
Many scholars believe that this is very much a cultural thing – and I do too – I have studied this in depth about 8 or 9 years ago – if you want to talk about it, come see me - but I believe it has very little application to our lives today. If you are a missionary to the Middle East – it may very well be applicable to you today!
But there is something nestled in here that we miss in here:
. 4 Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered disgraces his head.
Men, in Corinth, were praying and prophesying in church!
And
. 5 But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is one and the same thing as having a shaved head.
Women were praying and prophesying in church!
They were a community of prayer and prophecy! Are we such a community?
Prophesy – briefly – there are two aspects – one – predicting the future. We talk about how Jesus fulfilled all these prophecies in the Old Testament. That is not what is being talked about here. The word can also mean speaking forth God’s word. That is what he is talking about here. Speaking God’s word to the people of God in a specific context is what prophecy is all about.
1 Cor. 14: 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.
12 It is the same with you. Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, seek to abound in order to strengthen the church.
It is not enough to just be happening from the pulpit during the service. We all need to be speaking encouragement and comfort into one another’s lives.
You may feel like you don’t know enough. If you know Christ and are reading your Bible, you know enough. It might be a simple verse that you read. It is possible that God spoke that word to you so that you can encourage someone else. I think we sell ourselves too short. God wants to use all of us to build, strengthen, and encourage one another.
When we talk about prayer – it is always discouraging and convicting, at least for me. I always feel like I am not doing it enough. My prayer life is not where I want it to be and I feel guilt and shame and feel lazy and undisciplined. And you know what? Those feelings will not help your prayer life.
Here are some ways you can go about praying during your normal day.
We read these heroic stories – how someone spent three hours on their knees or spent an hour each day in prayer – and we think that is the goal and we feel like a failure – and eventually we just give up. Most people live in a world where they don’t have an hour a day to go into the closet to pray – but that does not mean you can’t have an effective and powerful prayer life.
Prayer is first about our relationship with God. Through prayer we recognize God’s continual presence and activity in our lives.
“Don’t seek to develop a prayer life — seek a praying life. A “prayer life” is a segmented time for prayer. You’ll end feeling guilty that you don’t spend more time in prayer. Eventually you’ll probably feel defeated and give up. A “praying life” is a life that is saturated with prayerfulness — you seek to do all that you do with the Lord.” – Dallas Willard
There are times when you can have extended, devoted time to prayer. But prayer is much more than that, and if that is what you think is a prayer life, that is insufficient. God is talking about something that is 24/7! You can have a praying life when you are changing diapers, when you are cooking, when you are taking a test or writing a paper.
1 Thess. 5:16 Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
If our prayer life is only about requests, you cannot pray without ceasing and live very long – but you can pray without ceasing when we understand what prayer really is – it is more than that.
You don’t want your brain surgeon to be praying about his financial concerns while he is operating on you – do you? But you do want him to pray without ceasing, right?
Praying without ceasing is learning to be with God who is always with us. He is with you in every moment. You are going to go to work tomorrow – Do you want to go with God? He will go with you! Whatever you face – you will go through it – and you can go through it alone or you can go through it with God.
Brother Lawrence – worked as a dishwasher in a monastery – and while he washed dishes, he would practice the presence of God. And that is what we are doing – learning to practice God’s presence as often as you can. This is not as hard as you think – people do it all the time – although it is not practicing the presence of God – it is practicing a different presence – constantly in relationship – on their device – people jogging, working out at the Nat – they are practicing the presence of whatever is in their ears!
We can do it in all those ways! How many of us practice the presence of anxiety all the time? Our minds can be turned to instead being filled with iPods, anxiety, or fear, they can be filled with God.
You might not pray for Aunt Barb while you work –
Henri Nouwen – “A prominent characteristic of American spirituality, however, is to view prayer as a method for getting what is needed from God, hoping that he will create a little room in his heart or his own schedule in order to address certain needs or desires. However, prayer is about human transformation, not God persuasion.”
As we learn to be with God, as we practice prayer, we are transformed. God is not concerned with Him answering our prayers – that is easy for Him – No Big Deal. He is concerned about us being transformed into His image.
How to be with God as He is with us:
1) Learn to enter God’s presence to listen - Be careful, Eccl. 5:1 says – Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong. 2 (5:1) Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few.
Ps. 62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! For he is the one who gives me confidence.
Learn to enter God’s presence to listen. Listen before speaking in prayer. Prayer is not one-way communication – but so often, for so many of us – it is. It is not talking AT God, it is talking WITH God. We need to COMMUNICATE – to share, back and forth.
We listen to God because God will speak. If you give God time to speak, He will speak.
Now He does it in all kinds of ways – He does it through reading His word and giving a sense of understanding of Who He is – if you go with the attitude to listen – just try it –and you will discover – you will discover.
Sometimes God examines our hearts – Search me, O God… - and He points out a ‘hurtful way’ – the way you said this was hurtful! Sometimes He just wants to tell us how much He loves us. If you are driving and see a beautiful sunset – it is okay to acknowledge that God is loving you through it.
Stuff is going on in our lives, and if we don’t stop to listen, we will miss that it is God.
Phil. 4: 6 Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
2) use worry as a trigger in your life for prayer. Think of all the times you worry in a day – and if you do – then learn to practice the presence of God. Wow – that can change your life significantly.
Matthew 6: 31 So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
“'If you want to worry, worry about that which is worth the effort. Worry about larger things than your family, your friends, or tomorrow's meeting. Worry about the things of God: truth, life, and light!”
Know THAT God is deeply concerned for you. He sweats the details of your life.
3) Appreciate the value and importance of very short prayers. There are a lot of them in the Bible.
Peter starts to sink: Lord, SAVE ME!
Three words – but what a powerful prayer!
Blind men: Lord, have mercy on us! And they were given their sight! Sometimes that is all we can do in prayer. Lord, give me wisdom!
Lord, give me patience!
4) Pray – learn to pray the scriptures.
You received either the Lord’s Prayer or Psalm 23 when you came in this morning – and in this assignment – you will see that praying the scripture is something that Jesus did – He prayed Psalm 22 on the cross! Paul prayed and made allusions to Old Testament Scriptures. The Psalms are a prayer book. For centuries, Christians have prayed through Scripture. It is a good way to pray when we don’t’ have our own words to pray.
There are some verses that I use in my prayer life – I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord!
I have been practicing this for a long time. There is tremendous benefit – and take whatever one you have – thoughtfully pray this psalm or passage at the beginning of your day…
It doesn’t take long – but select one phrase from the passage to meditate on throughout the day.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” – when financial anxiety comes in – remind yourself. Bring the word back.
For me -= this past week – He restores my soul! I get discouraged and I think – He restores my soul! And I bring myself to the presence of God.
At the end of the day – contemplate how God spoke to you throughout the day. Write it down. This is your assignment – and it is mine – we are doing it with the young adult group – they have to do it – and if they don’t I won’t get them pizza anymore. If you can take your passage, for one week – I am doing a research project on this – write in – I would appreciate it.
"As you lie down in your bed, drive the car…
You will be constantly distracted by your worries – but if you focus on these, your worries will become less obsessive.