“TARRYING AT THE THRONE”
Matthew 2:13-18
As a pastor in the Free Methodist Church for nearly 18 years, and your pastor for the last 4½ years, it is time for me to come front & center regarding God’s will for our church.
I know there are a number of indicators that people use to gauge health & success in organizations such as government, businesses, schools, athletic teams and even churches.
For example, the Super Bowl has not yet been played, and already 7 NFL coaches have been fired from their jobs. The reason—they didn’t win enough football games this past season.
Put yourself in the shoes of California’s governor of a year ago. Regardless of your political affiliation, it would be a jolt to your emotional well being as an elected official to be told that the popular and electoral vote was no longer a guarantee to keep you in office. A re-call can lead to a
re-vote, which can and did lead to a new governor.
USC beat University of Michigan, 28-14, on January 1st in the Rose Bowl. Their coach, Pete Carrol, was hired only 4 years ago. He had been fired in the NFL 2x. (‘too soft’) He was voted ‘Coach of the Year’ by the NCAA in only his 4th year as head coach. (1st in 25y.) The history of coaches in recent years at USC had become so muddled and the rich history of success had been so forgotten, that the very first day of practice, this coach didn’t lead the team in grueling three-a-day practices. He drove them to a local beach for an all-day volleyball tournament & party. It was his first step in re-building a dynasty, of restoring the order of family-atmosphere. He is one coach who will be back next year. 13 coaches in Division 1-A have lost their jobs so far.
So where is security found?
Is it found in our team winning all of its games?
Or in winning the league championship?
Or in winning a major bowl game? (Means $13-17 million)
Is our business growing?
Are there more people?
Are there more and better products?
Is there enough money?
Is there a financial profit?
Are our shareholders satisfied?
Do we have a corner on the market?
Are we #1?
Somehow, to be anything less is not enough these days.
Somehow, we come up with our own game plans, hoping we find a higher level of success, which we bask in until the clock or calendar says again game time.
Is our church growing?
Friends, nowhere in the Bible is ‘church success’ defined by terms of attendance or finances. Nowhere is it defined by any number of staff pastors, programs, buildings, or years in one place. Nowhere.
Yet all these things can often build & spread the reputation of a church.
Somehow, the human heart is impressed with what is visible or, at least, measurable.
The colossal of whatever it is we value by our senses becomes our thermometer of success.
Somehow, our human spirit says there is something more to being a Christian, …or possibly less.
Somehow, the spirit of love radiating from the heart toward God and toward one another gets second billing.
Somehow, the spirit of Christ-like character, also called Christian Holiness or Perfection, is tossed aside as inconvenient or unnecessary. It gets second rating.
Somehow, the atmosphere of simplicity & contentment, of evangelism & mission is set aside as low priority. Back burner. Put it off until tomorrow.
Somehow, the atmosphere of the early church as seen in Acts, when ‘everyone was filled with awe’, is often lacking from today’s Christian experience. Acts 2.43
But it doesn’t need to be that way.
Somehow, the best gauge of success, one that radiated from the life of Jesus, is the heart that bleeds simple prayer.
Jesus was the master student & master teacher of prayer.
In defending the highest purpose of the church—as both a people and a place—Jesus put it this way—
“Is it not written:
‘My house will be called
a house of prayer
for all nations’?”
Mark 11.17
The Bible is clear that God expects—even commands—His people to come to Him in prayer.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Ch. 7.14
We are to ‘devote ourselves to prayer’ even as the early church ‘devoted themselves to…prayer.’ Col. 4.2; Acts 4.42
We are to ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence,’
To pray continually…is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Heb. 4.16; 1 Th. 5.17-18
“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” 1 Peter 4.7
Examples abound in Scripture from Adam to Jesus.
Jesus did not say ‘If you pray’. He said, ‘When you pray.’
Jesus did not just teach prayer and punch the clock.
He practiced prayer as intentional lifestyle.
In Mark 1.35, we’re told that ‘very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.’
This was his consistent example throughout the gospels.
Yet, there are a number of facts that—when considered—might cause people to think Jesus was unsuccessful.
He was born to poor parents in a simple barn, not in a sterile hospital.
From birth, a wicked king sought to kill him. His parents had to protect him. Take him out-of-country. Hide him.
He only had twelve disciples, probably considered a small, insignificant church. At least not featured in any church growth magazine.
One of those twelve betrayed him.
One of them denied him.
Of that one—Jesus had to rebuke him, saying, “Get behind me, Satan!”—Not a sign of team unity. Mark 8.33
At times, his motley crew of twelve argued with one another.
At one point in his ministry, several of his students quit following him. Too difficult teachings. John 6.66
Then there’s the fact that he did not heal every person who had need.
His family—save his mother—rejected him, at least for a time.
He was scorned and mocked by others.
He gained no popularity points by overturning tables and benches in the temple area. Mark 11.14-16
His forerunner—John the Baptist—was so hated, they killed him.
It was said of Jesus: “He is possessed by Beelzebub!” Mk 3.22
Others were saying, “He is John, he is Elijah, he is one of the prophets.” No one really knew who he was. Mark 8.28
‘Isn’t this the carpenter? And they took offense at him.’ Mark 6.3
The religious and political leaders hated Jesus to the point of killing him.
His ministry lasted only three years. Three.
So, at the end of that ministry, he was found nailed to a wooden cross between two thieves.
Yet, his life was defined by prayer.
Prayer was what he exercised and emphasized, and prayer is what he is doing now at the right hand of the Father.
Prayer is what the Holy Spirit is doing even now in the heart of the believer.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8.26
Prayer, my friends, is our purpose, and it is how we need to begin each day of this New Year. This morning, I would like us to consider four realities regarding prayer to make us sharper in prayer, and to make us more obedient to God. Especially as we approach our Weekend of Prayer this coming weekend.
1) The need for prayer comes even during times of prosperity. (11)
It is a common mistake among Christians to think that the only time we need to pray is when we are in trouble.
“Besides who needs to pray when things are going well?”
While tribulation is a legitimate time for prayer, it maybe a sign of trouble if this is the only time we pray.
“God, if you get me out of this problem,
I’ll do anything for you.”
For five minutes…maybe.
Even with the best of intentions, when prayer is based upon bargaining with God, it usually doesn’t last.
But ‘lifestyle prayer’, which is based on conviction, recognizes the perpetual need we have in prayer, even in the good times of life.
Vs. 11-- “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.”
The magi reached their journey’s purpose, apparently undaunted by Herod’s threat, and they came to the place where the Savior was staying and they bowed down—literally, they prayed on their faces before him.
Friends, in life right now you may not have any thorns or thistles. Or your view of the church may be as smooth as silk and as sweet as sugar. You may see the church in all her beauty. She’s spotless as far as you’re concerned.
When this happens the temptation is to live prayer-lessly. We reason, “The church doesn’t need my prayers. My family and friends don’t need my prayers. I don’t need my prayers. Everything is really good right now.”
But the LORD would forewarn us: The need for prayer comes even during times of prosperity.
There’s a second and opposing reality.
2) The urgency of prayer comes because of the threat of danger. (13, 16-18)
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’”
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
Some theologians believe Bethlehem’s population 2,000 years ago was about 1,000 people, which means they lost 20-30 boys under two years of age.
No threat is greater than the taking of a human life. In fact, it’s a felony to even mention it, let alone do it. Joseph and Mary would have felt this fear and danger with any child, but especially the Son of God. Their hearts were prayerful.
So the threat of Herod-like situations pushes any of us to our knees quickly.
Some of you have experienced this first-hand. A personal calamity or distress has effected your life and it has left you hurting and numb. It may be a cold relationship of a family member caused by disagreement, rejection, rebellion, disobedience or loneliness. It may your health or lack of it. The circumstances of life can be as a thorn deeply lodged in the flesh. You know it is there. It reminds you to pray.
Some of you know this about the church. You are in the trenches of ministry, or you have unique or lengthy perspectives on the church that allow you to see the faults and weaknesses of the church as no one else does.
“Un-health is right here! I have found it!”
Friends, unless this observation drives us to prayer, we are carnal and weak, and the church is worse off because of our failure to lovingly follow through with prayer.
The weaknesses you observe may be in any of the five areas of purpose: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission (evangelism).
It may be in another areas: volunteers or helpers in a given area, finances in a given area, such as missions or Kiddie Kollege or the budget, prayer, etc.
This coming Saturday and Sunday is a 36-hour period when we want to focus our praying on every area of the church—from every perspective—that lacks any degree of health.
Now I would love to see 72 different individuals come to the church and fill the 72 slots of prayer. But let’s consider this third reality.
3) The time and place of prayer is secondary to the practice of prayer. (14-15a)
“So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.”
Surely there would be a better time to pray than on the run to a foreign country? Egypt of all places?! During the night of all times? What about Bethlehem? What about Jerusalem? What about any of the synagogues? How about the temple? How about Joseph’s Nazareth home or even his carpenter’s shop? How about mid-morning or mid-afternoon? Wouldn’t any of these been better than a midnight’s run to Egypt?
So regarding a prayer vigil at the church, some might say,
“I cannot come to the church to pray. Since I won’t come; therefore, I won’t pray.”
Now I hope none of you adopts that attitude.
Or you might say, “I will not come to the church to pray. I can pray anywhere.”
You know what—you’re right!
Some of you might not come because of the weather, or your work, or family responsibility.
The time and place of prayer is secondary to the practice of prayer.
Prayer can be practiced anywhere.
So why is the church building emphasized?
It is emphasized because Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR emphasized it.
‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ Mark 11.17
Which leads to my fourth and last reality of prayer.
4) The time and place of prayer is primary to the enrichment of prayer. (15b)
“And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’”
Joseph had to go to Egypt and it wasn’t just to save his son’s life. It was to be in obedience to God, and to align the life of Christ to the prophecies of Scripture, whether Joseph knew it or understood it or not.
Friends, when you are in the right place at the right time, there is no better set of dynamics that lends itself to the enrichment of prayer, a Biblical gauge of success.
Okay, let’s all be honest. Every one of us has situations in life we’d like to delete. But life isn’t like that, and God isn’t like that. His thoughts and ways are always above ours. But to take a life circumstance, not like it, and then to eliminate it from our life by running or hiding, produces further un-health, and it is prayer’s worst enemy.
For some of you, the place of enrichment for prayer is right here at the church.
For some of you, the place of enrichment for prayer may be a specific chair in a given room.
Or as you drive to work through the early morning dew.
Or as you work at the office, or in your kitchen or garage.
I am not going to dictate where and when a person should pray.
Furthermore, praying in your home or in your car does not say at all that you do not hold in your heart that God’s house is not a house of prayer.
Let’s be careful not to be legalistic toward prayer. But let’s also be careful not to trivialize prayer, or the One to whom we are praying, or the throne on which He sits.
Prayer has made a life difference in the heart and life of Mankind from every generation of people.
Will you join this number?
Will you tarry at the throne?
Or will you dilly-dally?
The choice is yours. Choose wisely.
