Sermon Notes - Things Churches Need... Dependent Prayer - Littleby Baptist Church - April 7, 2024

 1.        Going to start a new series this morning.

2.        This series will hit hard at time and require us to pray and think about things.

3.        It has been for me already.

4.        The series title is going to sound somewhat familiar, but with a twist.

5.        Things churches need…

6.        Many of these things will apply to us as individuals but the focus of our time over the next couple of months will be on what churches need.

a.        A big challenge for us will be to honestly evaluate where we are at on each of these as church and as individuals.

b.       If we find a gap, we need to pray for God to guide us and show us how we need to align with His guidance and His Word.

c.        Then we need to faithfully act on it.

7.        Luke 11:1-4

a.        A prayer many of us are familiar with.

b.       It lists some of the key elements for us to include in our prayers, such as:

                                                                              i.        Honoring God.

                                                                            ii.        Seeking His will.

                                                                          iii.       Asking for what is needed.

                                                                          iv.        Repenting.

                                                                            v.       Asking for faith as we forgive others.

1.        Help us to trust in God enough to let go of the hurt.

                                                                          vi.        Protection from temptations around us.

c.        All things we should remember to include in our prayers.

8.        There is something else here.

9.        If we look at the approach that is taken.

10.   In these verses, Jesus is telling His disciples to depend on God for these things.

a.        Honor God because He is Holy, Perfect, & Set Apart… something we are not.

b.       His kingdom come… we cannot make God’s will be done, only God can.

c.        We are dependent on our perfect God to carry out His perfect will.

11.   Give us each day our daily bread… We cannot survive without our God.

a.        Everything we have on this earth is from God, even the food we eat.

b.       We might say we earned the money to buy it, but God gave us the skills, the job, the opportunity to work… everything comes from Him.

12.   Forgive us… Romans 3:23

a.        All of us need salvation, we cannot earn it.

b.       We are not good enough.

13.   What about forgiving others?

a.        It is hard.

b.       It is easy to hold a grudge.

c.        We need to trust in God, trust in His faithfulness to forgive.

d.       Learn from it.

e.        And ask for His help to forgive.

14.   Lastly, we need to depend on God to help us avoid temptation.

a.        Our flesh is weak.

b.       If left to our own, we would continue to embrace our sin.

15.   There is something all of these have in common.

a.        The obvious answer is they are part of a prayer.

b.       If we expand on that, they are part of a prayer that is dependent on God.

16.   Things churches need… dependent prayer.

a.        Meaning prayer for things that they cannot accomplish on their own.

b.       Some might think all churches are dependent on God for what they are doing simply because they are churches.

c.        But I am not sure that is the case.

17.   There are churches that are dependent in prayer on God because they cannot pay the electric bill, the insurance, or have a major repair that is needed.

a.        Some are praying asking God to open doors because they are bursting at the seams and need a bigger building.

b.       Those examples are at opposite ends of the spectrum, but they both could be praying dependently to God asking Him to work in their situations.

18.   Proverbs 3:5-6

a.        Pray dependently to God, trusting Him to guide our path.

19.   Let’s keep reading Luke.

20.   Luke 11:5-8

a.        Continuing with Things churches need… dependent prayer, we see here that we need to bring our request to God over and over again.

b.       Not to be a pest or babble along.

c.        But, as we are praying dependently on God to work.

d.       We need to be bringing these needs, desires, and opportunities to our God.

e.        We need to bring it to Him regularly until we see Him work.

f.          He is faithful and will give us an answer one way or another.

g.        James 5:16

h.        We need to be persistent in prayer.

i.          We need to cry out to our God.

j.          If a church is going to God for things that are truly beyond their abilities, they will regularly and repeatedly go to God in prayer.

k.        We may wonder if He is going to answer.

l.          We may feel like we are wasting our time.

m.     But our faithful God will answer prayers that our dependent on Him.

21.   Luke 11:9-10

a.        Ask God, depend on Him to be faithful.

b.       Seek His will for what is needed.

c.        Knock at His door expecting that He will be faithful.

d.       As individuals.

e.        And as a church.

f.          We need to Ask, Seek, and Knock.

g.        We need to be coming before our God in prayer dependently.

h.        We cannot accomplish what God has called us to do on our own.

i.          We need the work of the Holy Spirit to guide this church body.

j.          We need the provision from the Father to ensure His will is being accomplished.

k.        We need the grace of Jesus to save people as that is not within our control.

l.          As a church we need to Ask, Seek, and Knock.

m.     We need to come before our God, being dependent on Him.

22.   As we do, we will receive what God wants for this church.

a.        We will find the resources to carry forth.

b.       We will find doors opened for Littleby to have an impact on the world.

c.        We will see how we fit in the puzzle of churches around the world.

23.   When we come to God knowing we are depending on Him as a body of believers, when we come to God seeking His will…He will work.

24.   Luke 11:11-13

a.        Fathers tend to want what’s best for their children.

b.       They try to ensure they have what they need.

c.        Many work and work and work to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

d.       Their children can depend on their fathers to provide good things such as fish and eggs in these examples.

e.        Churches that are seeking God’s will can depend on their Father to provide what is needed according to His will.

f.          Building off of what we have covered so far.

g.        If we dependently turn to God in prayer, we are going to see Him work.

h.        He is a faithful God.

i.          He is true to His Word.

j.          We have to come to Him, depend on Him, and believe that He will carry out His will.

k.        He will provide what is needed.

25.   The last part of vs. 13, Jesus mentions that God will provide one of the best gifts of all, the Holy Spirit.

a.        Every believer and every church needs the Holy Spirit as their guide.

b.       It is the Holy Spirit that helps us to understand the path before us.

c.        For each church it helps us to see what we are meant to do.

d.       How are we to carry out God’s mission.

e.        To see the vision that He has for reaching the community we are in.

f.          For who we are to partner with.

g.        And so much more.

h.        Right here we see God’s commitment to provide for those who Ask, Seek, and Knock.

i.          He is the best Father and knows how to provide for His children.

26.   Here is the challenging part.

a.        As a church and for us as individuals.

b.       What are we praying for that requires us to be completely dependent on God?

c.        Are our prayers God sized prayers or are they things we can accomplish on our own?

d.       The answer is probably somewhere in between.

e.        We are praying for salvations and healings; those only God can do.

f.          But, here at Littleby we are not too worried about paying our bills.

g.        What do we need to be praying for?

h.        Hearts to be opened?

i.          Eternal destinations for our loved ones to be changed?

j.          Our building to be full on Sunday morning?

k.        For God to do something amazing at Littleby that makes it obvious that He is at work?

l.          That we each grow closer to our God?

27.   These may be a good starting point, but they may not be specifically what each of us should be praying for.

a.        In some cases, they are not specific enough.

28.   We need to be praying for the Holy Spirit to show Littleby what His will is for us.

29.   Then we are to dependently pray for Him to work in us and through us to make it happen.