THE PORTAL FOR GOD'S WILL INTO THIS WORLD

Matthew 6:7-15   But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.  (8)  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.  (9)  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  (10)  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.  (11)  Give us this day our daily bread.  (12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (13)  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  (14)  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  (15)  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Message:

When we pray and seek God in earnest desire for His will, we will not be skipping all over the board of the bible and popping from one end of the spectrum to the other.

• He will work and work and work and go deeper and deeper until His will is fulfilled in each issue.

So God is continuing to stress the issue of what allows Him to have His way and what hinders that from occurring.

• And there is something in our humanity that was never put there when He created us, and it hinders His will.
• This carries on into our lives as Christians, and that is why we have to pray so much.

Some people think that if God wants to do something, then they ask why should we have to pray about it.

• They figure God can do anything.
• But God has given man authority in this earth, and that means responsibility.
• God works through the church today and he cannot do what He wants unless His church gives Him free course to do it.

Ezra 5:12   But after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house, and carried the people away into Babylon.

Ezra 5:11   And thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and build the house that was builded these many years ago, which a great king of Israel builded and set up.

When His people were in disobedience, and not representing Him properly in the earth, he was the God of heaven alone.

• But when a temple was in the earth and men erected it for His kingdom to be present, instead of man';s kingdom, he was God of heaven and earth.

The church is his gateway into the world.

Gen 28:11-17   And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.  (12)  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.  (13)  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;  (14)  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  (15)  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.  (16)  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.  (17)  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

John 1:50   Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

Christ became the HOUSE OF GOD.

• The gateway of Heaven.
• God's will was done through Him.
• He was the ladder upon which the angels entered into and left from earth, just as Jacob saw that in his vision.

John 14:1-10   Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  (2)  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  (4)  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.  (5)  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  (6)  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.  (7)  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.  (8)  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.  (9)  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?  (10)  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Jesus is the Father's HOUSE.

The word MANSION in verse 2 is MONAY -- a residence or abode.

• The same word is translated as ABODE in verse 23.

John 14:23   Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

If verse 23 says the Father will make HIS ABODE in us, and verse 2 says that in the Father's HOUSE are many ABODES, and Jesus said the FATHER DWELLED IN HIM, then the mansions are sons of God who contain God the Father's Spirit.

And this is God's GATEWAY.

GATE OF HEAVEN.

• A portal from heaven into this world.

Part of the prayer is for His will to be done, and kingdom to come, and part is to forgive us.

• There is a reason we have to pray for God to forgive us and to promise Him that we forgive others with whom we have problems.
• God cannot use us if we have these things in our hearts, and if He cannot use us, then we cannot accomplish His will.

And before we go any further, notice that every term that refers to the people praying is not ME or I, but US.

• He needs us to pray as part of a group, and not for little old self.
• He needs a BODY working together to pray.

Rom 12:1-2   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

All of us together are many bodies, but he wants many bodies to be ONE LIVING SACRIFICE.

The will of God being accomplished is associated with the need for many bodies to be one sacrifice.

• All the time we live a sacrificial life.
• The things we sacrifice are the things that hinder His Spirit.
• And they are far less important than the greater good and greater need of His will being done.

Every part of this prayer is intended to allow His will to be done and His kingdom to be able to come to where we live and see souls saved.

Every part of the prayer strikes against the things that hinder His Spirit from working through us.

Notice that the prayer says Our Father dwells in Heaven.

• And we then say HALLOWED BE THY NAME.
• He dwells in our praises.
• So while He is in heaven, we want Him to dwell amongst us and influence the world around us.
• Where His throne is there is His influence and dominion.

And the power to see God's will done is on our hands.

• He gave us dominion.
• He let man do with he world what man wants.
• And man has made a mess of it, and he let man do it.
• He let man choose to eat the fruit of life or the forbidden fruit.
• And by the same token, he requires us to CHOOSE to do His will and actually invite His will to be done.

The Greek actually implies an invocation or declaration, speaking something to come to pass.

• WILL OF GOD, BE DONE!
• KINGDOM OF GOD, COME.

God wants His will to be done.

• He wants His kingdom to come and work and bless people.
• But He is waiting for us to speak it and open the door for it to happen.

He rebuked the idea of vain repetition, just to be heard of people.

• If we pray differently when asked to pray in public, than we do in private time with God, we are doing it publicly to be heard of men.
• God does not want us to waste words.
• Be specific.
• Get to a specific point.

Praise Him and have Him dwell in our midst, but then start dealing with specific things.

We ask for bread... it means everything we require.

• We are giving God what He requires, and then he gives us what we require.
• Always give God what He requires first.
• You draw nigh to Him, and then He will draw nigh to you.

He needs us to forgive people, and for us to be forgiven.

The only part of the prayer that is mentioned and stressed twice is forgiving others.

(12)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  (14)  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  (15)  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

This is breaking of self.

• When we are so stubborn that we cannot forgive someone of a thing, then there is a monster inside of us that God hates and cannot stand, and it hinders Him from being able to work through us.

He cannot just move when he wants to move.

• We must live in such a way that gives Him freedom to work and move through us.

If we do not know why he is not moving, that does not change the fact that something is causing him not to move, and until it is removed, He will not be able to work.

• So we have to pray for God to show us these things.

We must break.

2Co 4:6-18   For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  (7)  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.  (8)  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  (9)  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  (10)  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  (11)  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.  (12)  So then death worketh in us, but life in you.  (13)  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;  (14)  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.  (15)  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  (16)  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  (17)  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

This light must come out.

There is a weight involved in looking at our affliction.

• But compared to what glory will result if we suffer, that weight is LIGHT compared to a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Mat 5:13-16   Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.  (14)  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15)  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16)  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

What good is salt if there is no saltness in it?

• Why does he talk like this before speaking about letting our light shine?
• It is because light is indeed in us, but it is up to us whether or not that light is going to lighten the world.
• Paul said the light is in us, but we must BREAK OPEN so that the light can come out and shine on men, or else we are useless in this world.

He called that breaking the dying of Jesus in his OUTER MAN, his body.

• He said it was all done for the people's sakes.
• Their blessings and thanksgiving is going to redound to the glory of God.

REDOUND is to remain over and above.

Out outward man must perish and break open, so the life of Jesus might come out.

Jesus was broken through dying.

• We must bear in our bodies his dying as well.
• Do not look or get concerned with the outward body that is seen.
• That is exactly what people do who do not deny themselves.
• They are looking so much at what will break that God cannot get them concerned over revival that occurs as a result!
• The eternal things are the inward man you cannot see, and the redounding to God's glory of the grace of God that is through the thanksgiving of many.

Romans 8 says the same thing.

Rom 8:17-19   And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  (18)  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  (19)  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Bro Simmons preached of inheritance today.

• We are heirs if we SUFFER... BREAK  and deny self.

THE WORD....

Act 2:4   And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Act 10:45-46   And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (46)  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

Act 19:6   And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Jam 3:1-8   My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.  (2)  For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.  (3)  Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.  (4)  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.  (5)  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!  (6)  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.  (7)  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:  (8)  But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

When God created everything HE SPOKE IT into existence.

The tongue cannot be tamed by man.

• God's Spirit requires submission form us in order to move through us.
• All the things that hinder His Spirit must be removed fro Him to be able to enter us and manifest through us and bless the world around us.
• So when people are submitted enough to finally let His Spirit enter them, it's as though God chose tongues to indicate the entire concept of SUBMISSION TO GOD to do something we cannot do as necessity in order for His Spirit to work with us.
• We cannot tame ourselves nor our own tongues.
• With man this is impossible.
• But with God all things are possible.

If you have never spoken in tongues, it is because in some way, whether you know what it is or not, something in your life is hindering Him.

• I am not talking about high pitched wails, or stutters or gibberish.
• I am talking about actual words and paragraphs and sentences being spoken in other languages.

You do not have to holler when you speak in tongues.

• You do not have to raise your voice to a high pitch.
• You just SPEAK in other languages.

Pray that God not just move, but move through us to speak to people, and to heal and to bless.

• Be so specific about our prayers that we not use vain repetitions of words.
• We invite Him in all the aspects of the prayer that Jesus told us to cover.
• Forgiveness for us and our forgiveness for others, and seeking God to deliver us from evil and to lead us.
• He will not lead unless we ask Him to.
• Ask Him to show us what our personal hindrances are to His Spirit.

He comes and His presence can be felt, and we can waste it by just concentrating upon feeling His Spirit, when He came to DO SOMETHING.

I will never forget a sermon in which we were told that the running of the aisles and the shouting is the same moving of the Spirit that can be channeled to minister to someone in the gifts of the Spirit.

• God wants to minister to people.
• To change lives.
• And us enjoying the feeling of His presence, is not getting that done.

1Co 14:1-5   Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.  (2)  For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.  (3)  But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.  (4)  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.  (5)  I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

The church needs to be helped.

1Co 14:12   Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.

1Co 14:17   For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

1Co 14:18-19   I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:  (19)  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

We all know speaking in tongues is of God.

• But Paul said that we can do something of God and not help other people one bit.
• And he said we can instead seek to excel in edifying others, rather than only edifying ourselves speaking in tongues.
• So if he said to seek to do one gift more than another, it is up to us how effective God can be to others through us.
• You can get your own blessing every service or every day, and it be all of God.
• But you are not blessing one single other person.

Paul fed multitudes because he was broken.

OUR CITY NEEDS TO KNOW THERE IS KINGDOM OF GOD HERE.