Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
like it. Lord, you're going to break through and send an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a rushing mighty wind, a true revival. And Lord, we're praying and asking you to move in a powerful way beyond anything we could ask or think. Lord, we know God that you can do greater. Lord, that you can do greater than we can even ask or think or imagine. You can touch, Lord, the ones we thought would never be saved, the ones that would never change. Lord, you can strike them down like like Saul of Tarsus and convert them. God, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Lord God, raise up what preaching and teaching that's going to bring conviction of sin. Lord, bring anointing and power. Bring signs and wonders. Lord, whatever it takes, Lord, but we pray for the real thing, God. The The counterfeit thing, the false thing. The devil's had his way long enough, and we pray and intercede, God, for our city, for the lost souls in this city, the lost friends and co-workers and and people we go to school with. The lost family members. The lost children. And we pray for them today. Move us into that place of prayer and fasting and power that will set the captives free. Father, we pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. And amen. You may be seated. Be praying. Be praying for revival. God's about to do something fresh. Amen. Um Everybody take your Bibles. I want you to take your Bibles and let's Let's see. I don't even know where I want to go first. Let me look. I want everybody to turn to Luke chapter 18 first this morning. Luke chapter 18. This is kind of going to be I don't know how to put it but kind of a a discussion uh it's going to include some end times things and and prayer and and about revival, but I just want you to um just kind of follow with me cuz there's a lot of scriptures I want to look at, but this one this one's been rolling around in my heart for some time because it has to do with prayer and with faith in prayer, but it also has to do with the end times. So, I think it's very appropriate. Something that Jesus said here, but Luke And and and as you're turning to Luke chapter 18, I want to say this. I think that Christians, a lot of us, even spirit-filled Christians and we would say that we believe in the
power of prayer, but we have really lost faith in the power of prayer. You understand what I'm saying? I mean, we'll say it because we wouldn't want to be caught saying the opposite, right? Or we wouldn't want to admit it. But I can honestly tell you that that your prayer life, how much you pray, how fervently you pray, how diligently you pray, I mean, it really does show where your faith is. Not so much not so much you know, yes, it can be a flesh issue, it can be a discipline issue, but it it it shows that if if you believe your God is hearing your prayers and your prayers are powerful and that God is really you believe what you're praying is going to happen. Let me tell you something. Somebody that's really in faith for prayer will spend time in prayer because they really are convinced there's power there. They are convinced God hears them. They are convinced that they are making a difference in someone's life. And that's why and that's why with the Lord when he was impressed this on me, he's he's like we have got to regain our faith in prayer itself. Because if we do if we if we regain our faith in the power of of the prayer of a righteous man or woman if we if we really start believing that tremendous power is being being brought down upon the earth and brought down upon a situation. See, and part of the problem is is that we've seen so many situations go bad and people go bad and things happen wrong and it seems like our prayers didn't get answered and we've let discouragement come in and rob us from our faith that really it doesn't matter that people have free choices. They have free will. So they can do things. But God wants us to pray and that he will move in power if we pray in faith. Okay? This is something that we've got to switch to. I was talking to someone this week who, you know, there's a situation I'm I'm I'm dealing with a totally demon possessed 22-year-old that that their parents may even fly me to Texas to help minister to this kid. But the bottom line is is that, you know, his his mother she's spirit filled but a little in fear. And I had to tell her I said, "Look, the Bible says this that he's your child. You bind Satan. Satan's not going to kill him. Luke 10:19, behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. If a lot I mean if Abraham could pray for Lot and keep Lot from being destroyed in Sodom with the rest of the Sodomites, our prayers are effective." Okay? Our prayers can deliver people who don't even want to be delivered. Remember the angels were dragging them out of the city. You hear me? Our prayers are powerful. So, I want to I want to look at that, but let's let's look Luke 18 and listen, let this Let the word of God
change you today. Amen? Not what Pastor Dean says. Let this word change you cuz just this first verse is convicting. It ought to convict us all. Okay? Look what he says. Luke 18:1, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Let me read that one again. "And he spake this parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray." Sometimes to pray? When you feel like praying? No. What did David say? Night and day. Daniel, who was a man Here's something that's beautiful. Daniel, a man greatly beloved. It said when the angel appeared to him, said, "Daniel, you're a man greatly beloved." You know what Daniel's Daniel prayed three times a day. He was a man of prayer. Okay? Busy man, too. Political leader. Right? Three times a day, though. And even when they made a law that he wasn't to pray, what did he do? Three times a day. You're not back I'm not backing off. Men ought always to pray and not to faint. So, here's the parable. He said, "There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, 'Avenge me of my adversary.'" So, I want want to show you something here. The parable Jesus is giving is a parable of spiritual warfare. What was this woman saying? "Avenge me of my adversary." Who's our adversary? Satan. actually, the name Satan means adversary. Okay? So, what he's saying is if you want to have victory over the devil, you want to have victory over your adversary, you're going to have to pray like this woman. You're going to have to have the persistence, the dedication, the commitment, the discipline. You're going to have to say, "I'm I'm going to make up my mind that God is going to avenge me of my adversary. He's not going to have his way in my life. He's not going to run my family. He's not going to run my home. He's not going to have my city. I'm not going to sit here and be discouraged and weak and watch people go to hell." That's it. I'm putting my foot down. Enough's enough. All right? He says there was a there was in a city a judge which feared not God neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, "Avenge me of my adversary." And he would not for a while. Doesn't that sound like God? Sometimes it seems like he waits. But it says he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself. Now, this is a wicked judge he's giving an example of. He said, "Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me." Okay? And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge says.
And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?" Who will God avenge? Who will God fight for? His elect that cry unto him day and night. Amen? I'm fired up about this this morning. Who will he So, what is what is the opposite side of that coin? You You always two sides to every coin. Those who do not cry unto him day and night will not be avenged. GOD WILL NOT FIGHT THEIR adversary for them. Are you with me? Okay? We have an enemy. Right? Peter said, 1 Peter chapter 5, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." Your adversary. Somebody say, "He's my adversary." He's seeking some some way to devour me. That's what he's doing. So, God says, "Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night him, though he bear long with him?" And this is something you guys have got to grasp. Why does God not answer our prayer the first time we pray it, when especially when it has to do with a problem or an area we're battling or spiritual warfare? Why does God bear long? Why does he wait? Because he wants us to pursue him. He wants us to put in the time, the effort. He wants to see if we really mean it. And I'll tell you who else is watching to see if we mean it. Satan. Listen, nobody's fooling anybody. We're not fooling God, and we're not fooling the devil. He knows who who's going after God and is dangerous, and he knows who's not. But I'll tell you this, Satan's goal is to keep everybody away from prayer and from faith in prayer. I mean, we're going to switch it, but look at what Jesus said. So, we've got We've got this this parable Jesus told about prayer. It has a warfare context to it. And then Jesus goes to an end time context with it. Next verse, verse 8. He said, "I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?" See, some people will take that verse and quote it, "Well, well, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Like like that's just a general thing. No, it's in context with this. What faith is God looking for? People who cry unto him day and night and believe that there's power to avenge, to get vengeance and punishment, and power against the devil. It's the faith that persists.
It's the faith that believes. So, in connection, here's Jesus saying, "I want you to pray always and not faint. I want you to understand that if you cry unto me day and night, I will fight for you. I will avenge you of your adversary." But you've got to also add to this mixture faith, that you believe it. All right? Now, we're going to shift gears. We're going to go go go back to the the second one, the faith in prayer. Cuz we got two two slides, but I want you to turn to Matthew. Go to Matthew 21 real quick. Matthew 21. Uh this is so important. Well, actually, put up the first screen first, cuz I want to I want you to see this right here. Where it says right there, Mark 9:23, "Everything is possible for him that believes." Mark 9:23. Do we believe that? "Everything is possible for him that believes." Shoo. It's a lot of stuff. All right? But let's look at Matthew 21. This is We're going to start reading at verse 18. We're just going to read the whole thing. It says, "Now in the morning, as he returned to the city" and this is speaking of Jesus, "he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing there on but leaves only. And he said unto it, 'Let no fruit grow on you henceforth forever.' And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled saying, 'How soon is the fig tree withered away?' And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, if you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this which was done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed and be cast into the sea,' it shall be done.' And verse 22, 'And all things whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Believing, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.' Now, what too was Jesus talking about in this verse? He spoke to a fig tree, he cursed the fig tree, the fig tree died, it made the disciples marvel, and then Jesus started talking about faith in prayer. Believing what you say in prayer. Believing when you speak the word that you're not just saying some verse by memory, but that that verse is alive and powerful and real and will happen to you. Listen, folks, when I say in the morning, I put on the girdle of truth, I put on the breastplate of righteousness, I put on my feet the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, I put on the helmet of salvation, I take the shield of faith wherewith I'm able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, I take the sword of the spirit
which is the word of God. That's real to me. I believe it happens. Amen. See, that's the I don't I'm not just saying words. I believe it happens and I believe there's power in it and I believe there's effect in it. When when Satan came to tempt Jesus those 40 days in the wilderness when he was fasting, what did he do over and over? IT IS WRITTEN. HE SPOKE THE WORD and I can assure you that Jesus believed what he said. When I say to people, there's one thing I I truly believe where my faith is it about something. I truly believe the scriptures. Now, I I don't believe, you know, I know that Christians go through things and the doors get cracked sometimes and sometimes we do suffer, but the bottom line, we can avoid a lot of stuff if we would just do this right here, believe what we are saying. Speaking the word. For instance, when I say to God, you are my Psalm 91, when I say, God, you are my refuge and my FORTRESS AND MY GOD I WILL TRUST, A THOUSAND MAY FALL AT my side and 10,000 at MY RIGHT, IT WILL NOT come near me. I believe that. You see what I'm saying? I believe when I say that and I pray that. I had God specifically speak to me What was it? Friday? Friday when I was praying, specifically tell me something about my life in the end times. Particularly about martyrdom. Now, I want to I just want to tell you, I know and believe in God's protection. See, I believe they're going to I believe I I just have a faith now. I can't speak for you or anybody else because God has different plans for different people. He let them kill James and he delivers Peter from prison. I don't know what he may do. You get what I'm saying? But I know what he's going to do with me. All right? Cuz he told me cuz I believe that they'll try to kill me, won't be able to, many times over. They'll try, will not be able to cuz I I a job to do. Amen. But see, I'm talking about believing this stuff. See, not being fearful. One of the things it says in Luke 21 about the end times, it says men's hearts failing them for fear, looking to things that are coming on the earth. Listen, we as Christians I'm going to tell you, in the flesh, if we see what's happening in the world now, we see what's coming, and it's going to get worse. We And you know, Pastor D has been preaching on this stuff, so then you can get you can move into fear real easy. Especially you ladies, when it comes to thinking about your children. But even us men, we can move into fear real quick. Fear is not from God. Not that kind of fear. Amen. Listen, somebody's going to be left here to be raptured through all that mess. Somebody Somebody's going to make it through every bit of it and be raptured out of here alive. I mean, if every Christian was going to be killed and martyred and destroyed, then guess what?
There'd be no one left to be raptured. I'm planning to be raptured. Not pre-trib, but I'm planning to be raptured. I'm planning to make it. Right? All right. But you understand me. What We We have to get to the part where Hey, you know what? Look Look at the the Look at the trouble and the dangerous atmosphere that the early church was birthed in. I mean, they were birthed under Roman Empire rule. Where you could be killed at the drop of the hat. I see You could look wrong at a Roman soldier, and he could kill you and not even think twice about it. And yet, they flourished. And some were martyred, and some God protected and delivered others, and the church They couldn't stop the church. They couldn't stop the true Christians. Amen. They couldn't have been in a more difficult situation. So, folks, let me just say this. When the economy in the United States collapses, when when everything's going crazy, when we see foreign soldiers on our soul, when they're taking some folks off to prison. Listen, these things are going to happen. You can be the one they can't get. You get what I'm saying? You can be the one that says no in the name of Jesus. I believe you know you get what I'm saying? You don't we you can go through the worst situation, the fall of Jerusalem under the Babylonians. And I remember they threw Jeremiah in a dungeon was going to leave him to die. But God told him no matter how bad it gets, I will deliver you because you've been faithful to me and my word. I will deliver you and I will deliver a small remnant that's been faithful and God kept his word and protected them. Many were killed by the sword and destroyed by the Babylonians and a lot of more of them were taken captive, but God left a little remnant in Jerusalem. You get what I'm saying? Doesn't have to be you. You understand? Believing, praying, believing. Do you believe you have power and authority over the day? Do you believe if you resist the devil, he must flee from you? Isn't that what the word says in James? Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he'll flee from you. Right? Now, if you don't resist, he's not fleeing. If you're not submitted to God, he's not fleeing. But if you submit to God, resist the devil, he'll flee from you. Do you believe that? See, I believe if I'm walking in obedience to God and I tell a demon that's oppressing me to leave in the name of Jesus, it has to leave. I believe it, whether I see anything or not. You see what I mean? That's faith in your prayer and what you believe. Amen. Go to the next one. Praise God. This is just something just Just go to James. James chapter 5.
Whew, I feel this this morning. If we turn in Let me tell you something. If this little church turns into a praying church that's believing, it's over with. It didn't take but a few people to actually move into true faith and power and and a whole a whole region can be turned upside down. All right? Everybody Everybody at James. James chapter 5. I'm fired up about this this morning. I hope you all don't mind me being a little excited. James 5. Verse Verse 16. I'm not even going to fool with verse 15. That might That might take too long. Verse 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elias was a man or Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of 3 years and 6 months and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth fruit. But I want you to back up. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Now, let me just say everybody has heard that verse. Everybody in this room heard that verse before, right? Okay. But do you really believe it? Do you believe it for you? Do you really believe your prayers have tremendous power? Let's go down here. I want you to look at a word here. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much or avails much. Here's the Greek word for this. It's pronounced is-ka-huo. Is-ka-huo. All right? Here's what it means. It says, "To have or exercise force." It means to be able to avail, can do, be good. Means to have might, to prevail, to be of strength. It literally means to be whole or to be healed as well. All right? So, to have force here, to prevail, to have the strength. Now, this is what it's talking about. And And this word here it's talking It says to have strength, to be of strength, to to exercise force. But literally what it's talking about is spiritual force, spiritual power. Because we're not talking about physical strength here. Okay? He says, "The effectual" And you know what that word is? In the
Greek, it's energos, which we get our word energy from. The energetic fervent prayer of a righteous man has much spiritual force and power and strength in it. Now, here's what's interesting about this word right here. And I've got to open up something here. What's interesting about this word, and this is something that you can you can look at when you study the Bible. When you study a word in the Bible, look at And you're looking at it in one particular verse, look at how the same Greek word is used in other verses, and you get an idea of the power of this word, okay? Here's what blew me away. I started looking up I started looking up what this word meant and and other verses that it was in. All right, listen to this. And I'm just going to give you a rundown on these. I don't have a slide for this. The same word is is kouo is used in Matthew 8:28 in referring to the Gadarene demoniac when it says that no man could could is the word in English, but it's the same word that no man could tame him or bind him with chains. Matthew 8:28. Okay? No man could So that means they didn't have the spiritual force, power, or strength to prevail against this demon-possessed individual. Okay? Again, it's interesting. Warfare context, demon-possessed person, right? Now, that word was being used a little bit to say they couldn't bind him with chains. I mean, they couldn't control him physically. So it kind of deals with more of the the physical side, but here's another interesting verse. This word is also used and believe it or not, this blew my mind. In Matthew and just write these down. Matthew 26:40. Everyone's going to know what this verse is when I quote it. It's where Jesus came to his disciples and found them sleeping and said, "Could you not tarry one hour?" It is is kuo is the word could. What Jesus was saying is could you not muster the strength to the the spiritual force to pray with me for just one hour so that you might be able to prevail against the spiritual forces coming against you and coming against me. And that's why the very next verse he said, "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, for indeed the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." What was he telling them? If you don't get this spiritual strength and force by prayer, you won't be able to
stand and resist temptation of the devil. Pretty powerful, isn't it? It's interesting that this word is connected. Let me Let me tell you another place it's found. You're going to like this. Another place it's found is Mark 9:18. You know what this is in context with? This is when the man brought the the boy who was demon-possessed with the deaf and dumb spirit, and he was wallowing on the ground foaming, and the disciples were trying to cast the demon out, and it says they could not. Is cool. Means they did not have the spiritual force and strength to prevail against the demons in the child, and and then to confirm it with later when they asked Jesus, "Why could we not cast him out?" He said, "This kind does not come out but by prayer and fasting." Meaning you didn't have enough spiritual force and strength in you to deal with the demon because you haven't spent enough time praying and prayer and fasting. This word. When it says, "Why could we not cast him out?" And Jesus told them why. You think that only applies to casting a demon out of somebody demon-possessed? No. What about when demons are oppressing and afflicting and attacking you in your home?" You want to know why attacks continue? Why you don't see breakthroughs, you don't see changes, and all of us have done this, but we have been sleeping like the disciples when we should have been praying. We've been watching TV when we should have been praying. We've been playing video games when we should have been praying. And I play video games. All right? You get my point. Do you want spiritual strength and power? Time in prayer, crying to God night and day. I'm going to I'm going to ask this question. Just raise your hand. Am I showing you things that are in the Bible, or is this my my suggestions? Okay. It's in the Bible, right? Let's look at another verse that this same word is used in. And I Are you seeing the spiritual warfare context that this word you Prayer warfare. Prayer warfare. Look at this next one. This next one is in Acts chapter 19, and it's actually used twice. In Acts chapter 19, there were some exorcist who took it upon themselves
to use the name of Jesus and try to cast demons out of a guy. Okay? And you you can go there. I mean, I'm I'm going through these kind of quick because this you know, y'all can check me out later. I don't mind you turning, but I may go too fast for you. But But Acts chapter 19, there's these these guys, the seven the sons of Sceva, decide they they know Paul uses the name of Jesus and gets people free from demons. So, they just decide, "Hey, we'll just try that." Right? Wrong move, buddy. Why? Number one, you're not born again. Number two, you don't have the Holy Ghost. Number three, you ain't spend time with God and pray. You don't have the spiritual strength to do this. You don't have the right, the authority, or the strength to do it. So, they start using the name of Jesus, and what happens? It says the spirits in whom the man was leaped on them, beat them, and it says prevailed against them. It's this word. Ischu. The demons had more strength to beat the snot out of them than they had the strength to cast them out. And let me just say this. Christians have no business getting the snot beat out of them by demons. But they are. They are. They are. They are. You want to You want to know if you're getting the snot beat out? Mental torment, depression, lust, falling into sin after sin after sin. You fear, tormenting fear, all living in fear. You understand? I mean, I could go down a much longer list. We should be free and winning. Amen? Free from the devil, winning the war, pushing them back, resisting them, not not having no I'm not saying we shouldn't have any difficulties, but we should be winning, overcoming, overcomers. Listen what it say. Revelation 12, we are overcomers by the blood of the lamb. Without the blood, we're hopeless. We need to be washed, cleansed, covered. Without the blood, we're But by the word of our testimony. What comes out of our mouth? WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE. The abundance of the heart, Jesus said the mouth what? What the heart's full of comes out. So, if the heart's full of Jesus, full of the word, full of faith, that's what's going to come out of your mouth. All right? All right, let's keep going. One more. Here's another place it is. Revelation 12:8. This word is cool. You know what that one says? Go ahead, turn there. I'm not. I'll just tell you what it says, but you y'all turn there. Go ahead. Revelation 12:8. Actually starts in verse 7. But it the ver- the word is used in verse in verse 8. And this is where it says, "And there was war in heaven." And Michael and his angels fought and the dragon and his his angels. And what did they say? He was cast the dragon and his angels were cast to the earth and they
prevailed not. Oh, if that's not a spiritual warfare context, I don't know what one is. Now, let me let me show you something here. I know this will blow your mind. I don't have time to deal with all this. Our prayers, the prayers of the saints on the earth, give the spiritual strength, not only that you get it, but it gives it to the angels as well to fight. That's what they use. Anything that happens on the earth, and y'all listen to me closely, anything that happens on the earth by God, he does through a man or woman's prayers. Because we are the legal holders of the earth and God will do nothing. This is why it says over there in Amos 3:7, "God will do nothing unless he reveals his secrets to his servants, the prophets." Why does God reveal secrets to prophets? So they will pray that his secrets will come to pass on the earth. That's why he taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." God does what he does on earth through a man or a woman uh who is righteous and who prays. Nothing happens on the earth or in the spirit world except through a man or a woman who is praying. And seeking God and speaking God's word. That's why Jesus had to leave heaven and take on the form of flesh and become a man. He had to become a man to get the job done on the earth for us. Had he not become a man, there would be no redemption. A man, he had to take on a man's body and walk on this earth as a man. Though he was God, he had to walk on the earth as a man, suffer as a man, face temptation as a man, face humility and face that beating and shed his blood and die as a man to pay that price. But by that work of that man is what God does everything ELSE THROUGH. AND NOW we get to be what? Co-laborers with Christ. You ever heard that term? We are co-laborers with Christ. We carry on his mission on the earth. Everything else he does through us. And he only does it first. Every step, every victory, every breakthrough, every every soul that's saved, every miracle that happens, every every answered every everything anything that happens good from God on this earth, somebody prayed it. Somebody prayed it to happen. Whether they knew they prayed it or not, whether they prayed it in tongues or they prayed it in the language they know, somebody prayed it and God answered it and it happened on the earth. Prayer, remember this, man has free will.
So when God finds a man or woman who's surrendered their will, who's crucified their will to the cross, then crucified the flesh, and is saying, "God, thy kingdom come. God, you do what you want in me. God, you pray what you want to PRAY THROUGH ME. THAT'S WHEN HE'S FOUND SOMEBODY I BOY I CAN WORK through them. And what's interesting when he said in Luke 22 to his disciples, do you know what he said? He said, "I have appointed you a kingdom as my father appointed me." Do you know what the word appointed means in the Greek? It means to channel through the the act the thing through which an act is channeled through. So, what Jesus was saying IS THE FATHER CHANNELED the kingdom through me. Now, I'm going to channel it through you. Phew. Luke 22, check me out later. This everything Now, let's let's go to one more thing of this verse. He said the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. You know where I'm going with this, don't you? Righteous, go to the next one. Righteous man. There's the word in the Greek, 1342. Dickaios, I guess it's how you say it or I don't know, something like that. Here's what it means, equitable in character or act by implication innocent, holy, just, meet which means worthy, righteous. Now, let me say this. There's two parts to righteousness. Okay? No one is righteousness apart from the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Okay? That's the gift of righteousness spoken of in Romans that we receive by faith. Okay? But then the Bible talks about in Revelation 19:7 and 8, what does it say? I think we need to turn there cuz we need we need to get this. Cuz there's a bunch of Calvinist and nuts out there that got an idea that because Jesus made us righteous by the cross that they can live any way they want to live. That's not living in righteousness. There's a righteousness we can't earn and then there's a righteousness we have to walk in after we're given it. It's kind of like this. Revelation 19 verse We're going to look at 7 and 8. It's kind of like this. Let me explain. Jesus gives you a white robe. You you you when you're born again you confess your sins to God. You ask Jesus to forgive you and to cleanse you. You're washed. Your sins are washed away. You are made righteous not by good works, not by good deeds, not by being wonderful. You are made righteous by faith in the blood of Jesus and his resurrection. And at that moment you're
given a white robe called the robe of righteousness. That's what God talks about. I can give you a bunch of verses we're going to look at we might look at but the bottom line you're given a white robe at that point. But after you're given that white robe it's up to you to keep it clean. You understand? You can take that white robe and go out and wallow in the mud. Burn holes in it with cigarettes. Vomit on it from being a drunkard. You get what I'm saying? You can soil that righteousness. So you obeying God, walking with God, walking after holiness and purity is simply you keeping clean what God's given you. It's not earning righteousness. It's keeping it. There's a big difference. Amen? And that's what Revelation 19:7 says about the bride. Which if you're going to make it to heaven you're going to be have to be part of this bride of Christ. And look what he says here. This is the second coming of Jesus when he comes back and look at verse seven. He says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and what? His wife has made herself ready." What? Wait, didn't Jesus make her ready? You get my point? What Jesus is talking about here is her responsibility. She's made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is what? The righteousness of Christ of the saints. All right? You see that? All right? Let's back up just to prove it. Go to go to Revelation chapter 3. Just to show you him talking to a church about this white robe of righteousness. Y'all don't mind going through the Bible, do you? Still with me? Hey, guess what? It's only 12:05. We got a few more minutes. All right? We're not Baptist. We're we're not trying to get out and beat the lunch crowd, okay? Here we go. And I should say or Methodist or Presbyterian or Lutheran or anything else that wants to try to time God. All right? You want to see a revival watch? There it is. All right, let's go. Chapter 3 verse 1. And unto the angel of the church of of in Sardis write, "These things saith he that has the seven spirits of God, the seven stars. I know your works that you have a name that you livest and you are dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things in which and listen, the term watchful here again is what? Prayerful. Watching has to do with praying. Reason they called it watching is because of getting up before daylight and praying. I'm not going to tell anybody you have to do that, but you know, some of us if we don't then it ain't going to happen any other time. All right? Be watchful
strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent. If you will not watch, become the people of prayer you're supposed to be. That's what he's saying, if you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. And look at verse four. You have a few names even in Sardis. This this is funny to me. The Lord just told them what to this church. You don't want to hear this from Jesus. You have a reputation that you're alive, but you're dead. That's bad. And then the Lord says, "You have a few even in Sardis." It's how bad this place was, how bad this church was. Who have not what? Defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy worthy. You have a few in your church that have not defiled or soiled or destroyed the robe of righteousness that I gave them. Do you see that? Okay? Now, just for those who who are new here and those who will listen to this message, I'm going to say this. Is that Well, no, I'm not. I'm just going to leave it at that. You have a few that have not defiled their garments. Let's Let's read on. He said, "You have a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments, and they will walk with me." What does that mean about the ones who had defiled their garments? They won't. So, we don't believe once saved always saved around here, no matter how you live. He that overcomes, the same shall will clothed in white raiment. And I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my father and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. I wanted you to see that. God gives us righteousness. Now, let's let's let's look at this. You can go to the next one. Here's some verses for you about prayer. And I'm going to talk about regarding sin, okay? Here's what King David said, the man after God's own heart. Psalm 66:18. You can write it down, you can turn to it if you can keep up. Psalm 66:18. This is what David said, a man, a godly man, a man of prayer, a prophet. He said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." See, we got these bunch of nuts out here that think think they're okay with God, that God hears their prayers, and that every prayer is good. No, it's not. God said, "If I regard iniquity or sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." Now, I don't have the definition up here, but I'm going to give it to you of regard. Just on this one cuz it's very important. Here's what it says. The word
regard in the Hebrew is raw. It means if I see and approve, if I make myself to enjoy, if I have experienced joyfully with sin and iniquity. Oh, boy. If I provide opportunities to sin. If I have respect towards sin and view it. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. Let me tell you I want to tell you the sign of a born again Christian who's right with God. They hate sin. Hate it. Hate it. Hate Don't hate people. They hate the filthiness, the dirtiness, the destructiveness, the evil of any sin. Hate it and don't want it in their life not one time. And see the difference is if a Christian if a a true born again Christian who wants to be right with God, who fears God, if they commit a sin, especially a sin that's under death, they commit a sin, boy, there's a there's a conviction, there's a guilt, there's a I want to I want to be rid of this. I don't want to keep doing this. But someone who decides I can keep doing this and looks forward to it and plans for it and all this stuff, they are regarding iniquity in their heart and their prayers are not heard. Okay? Now, I'm I'm doing these quick. This is This right here itself could be another message. Proverbs 15:29. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Didn't we just read that in New Testament, right? The effectual fervent prayer of who? Righteous man. The prayer of the righteous. So, the Lord is far from the wicked. Proverbs 28:9. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law or the Torah, the written word of God, even his prayer shall be an abomination. You won't hear what the scripture says? The Bible says you should not commit fornication as a believer and yet you're living with your boyfriend or girlfriend? You turn your ear away from hearing the law. I don't want to hear it. Don't start praying. Repent of sin and wickedness and get right with God. Let the blood of Jesus wash your sins away and then you can pray. Amen? This is the world doesn't understand this. Look, let's go look at Psalm 145 18 to 19. The Lord is nigh or near under all them that call upon him to them that call upon him in truth. Is that you see that? That call upon him in truth and he will fulfill the desire of them that fear him.
And fear doesn't mean reverential awe. Fear means to be terrified of falling away or sinning against God. I don't fear God as much as I fear my flesh taking me away from God. But I fear God in the respect that if I allow my flesh to cause me to live in sin and take me away from God that God will keep his word and damn me to hell forever. That's the fear of God. Just in a nutshell. It says he also those who fear him, he also will hear their cry and will save them. That's good news. God will hear the Be convinced. If you're walking with God and you're obeying God, I'm not talking about being perfect, but if you're walking after holiness, after purity, if you're spending time with God day and night, if you're crying after him, believe Take that and believe that what you say, what you ask him that he will do. DON'T DOUBT HIM. Don't let discouragement let the devil don't anybody rob from you that if you prayed something that that's the will of God that it will happen. You see what I'm saying? We got to regain our faith in prayer. And when we regain our faith in prayer, then we'll spend time there and we'll get more power than we know what to do with. Right? Let's keep going. I want to show you something. If you don't think and I'm going to I'm going to pull in a few New Testament verses and I didn't get these up so you're just going to have to to to believe me here but or you can turn to Matthew 15. Going to give you three more real quick. Matthew 15 7 through 9. This ought to be a scary verse right here. There's a lot of people say I'll I'll just save it for Matthew 15:7-9. Everybody turn there. I want you to turn to these these these last three. And I promise I'll quit, maybe. Lord willing. I want us to be crying day and night to God. Amen. Believe in that what we are praying God will do. Look at what he says here about still continuing with the theme. And it's interesting one of the Greek words for prayer is also one of the definitions of prayer is also worship. Worship and prayer are just intermingled like this, okay? Um But look what he says here, Matthew 15, just to bring this over into the New Testament. Okay? You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you? This people draw near to me with their mouth, they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, but in vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Hear me. It is possible to go to church, to pray, to worship, to to worship Jesus and sing pretty songs, hymns, and and
new contemporary worship. And God looked down on it and I'll go this you you might as well be playing golf. You you talk a big game, but your heart's far from me. So see, prayer prayer can be in vain. Worship can be in vain. It's the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man or woman. God's looking for holy men and women. Not perfect men and women, holy who hate sin, who don't want it in their lives, who want to draw near to God. They want purity. They fear God. They respect God. They love God. They know God loves them, but there's a there's a balance between that love and that fear and that respect. All right? First John 3:22, turn to that one. Just to bring it in the New Testament. Some people, you know, they get all bent out of shape when you just quote the Old Testament, though I believe the word of God's the word of God, old or new. Still inspired by God and profitable for doctrine, right? I think Paul wrote that somewhere. Right? All right. First John 3:22. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Kevin, you just had that on your Facebook recently, didn't you? Is that New Testament? Let's read it again. And whatsoever we ask, we receive. That's good, isn't it? Because. Will y'all underline that? HIGHLIGHT BECAUSE. BECAUSE we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Shoot. That's good. Then if you're obeying God and walking with God, you can have absolute confidence that God will do what you ask him to do. So, don't doubt it. Amen? And of course, it's got to be according to to will. We'll get on that later. First John 5 13 through 15. And I'll try to shut up. Are you with me? Everybody? These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. And look at this. This is the confidence that we have in him. If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And we know that he
hears us and whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we've desired of him. OH! What's that? CONFIDENCE. YOU KNOW WHAT confidence is? I love I've loved the way it's put in Romans 4 about Abraham. He was fully persuaded. He staggered not at the promise of God in unbelief, but was fully persuaded that what God said to him about having a child in his old age, God would do. He fully believed it before he saw it or before it happened. That is faith. Fully convinced, fully persuaded, fully believing that what you've asked God, what you've prayed for, especially things we are absolutely knows his will. You can be absolutely confident he will do it. So, if you pray for protection for your family, guess what? If you believe, when you say, "Lord, you said that the angels of the Lord encamp round about those who fear you and will deliver them." If you believe that, you can say, "God, I fear you. I respect you. I believe in you. I obey you. Therefore, your angels encamp round about me and it's going to protect me and my family. Then you don't leave there and stand in fear that something's going to happen to your family. Psalm 34 37, I'm thinking 34. For some reason all of my life Psalm 34 and 37 get crossed up in my head. I don't know why, but it's one of them, I assure you. Um Psalm 91. I mean, I just believe that stuff. And especially as things get bad, confidence, faith, believe. You ladies, don't get fearful. Don't get fearful about what's coming. Don't get fearful when you see these things start coming on there. Don't worry about your children. Pray over your children. Believe God. Amen. No food in the cabinet. Things may get rough. No food in the cabinet. God will provide. Man, the stories I've heard of people on the mission field and people during during times when communist soldiers were coming in and cities were getting, you know, people getting killed left and right and cities were getting, you know, abandoned and refugees running and people stayed behind and and how God would just bring food supernaturally. Someone would walk I mean, I remember one story I heard with a lady had a little baby. And and and her husband was gone and here the the communist come in and I think it may have been China or somewhere and they they come into the city and everybody's running and they're killing people and and and she just prayed and she felt like God said, "Stay. Stay in your house." And I mean, she could look out the window and see the soldiers coming down the street and and she just out of food and she's got a
little baby. And this woman just walks up out of nowhere and said, "I felt like I was supposed to come to this house." And she had a bucket full of milk and a and a and a and a basket full of eggs and and a few other things that got her through until the soldiers passed on through and her husband got back and things God is able in the midst of horrible situations. You know, they tried to kill the Apostle John. The reason the Apostle John lived to be in old age is not because they didn't try to kill him. They tried to kill him over and over again and it is is a known historical fact that they boiled him in oil to kill him. And that didn't work. That's when they said, "Okay, we've tried to kill this man so many different ways. We can't kill him. Put him on the island of Patmos. Keep him away exiled from everybody and maybe he won't have any more effect in spreading Christianity." And what does he do? Write the book of Revelation. And get it smuggled out to the churches. And we have it today. Right? So, God's able. You know, they wanted to kill John for what? 50, 60 years and he died in his old age like Jesus said he would. Right? In the midst of terrible persecution. That's I mean, he lived through Nero. You understand? The Colosseum. He lived through that. The church didn't God didn't allow everybody in the church to die or we wouldn't be here today. We wouldn't have the scripture today. God preserved his people and he preserved his word through dark dark seasons of history. And he can take us through. Amen. And if we have to if some of us or one of us or two of us or all of if we if we have to lay down our lives in the days that so be it. Heaven is better. I I really Are you convinced? You see what I'm saying? I mean, I want to live, but I'm convinced heaven's a good place. And I know the one who made it, so I'm going. Amen. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord. Father, I pray in the name of Jesus. Make us men and women of prayer. Make us men and women that pursue you and cry unto you day and night and do the warfare and and and and operate in the faith and speak the word that you want us to speak and resist the devil and believe in in in that he has to flee and that Lord, not only God, I believe if we move into faith, we're not only going to just be in faith, but we're going to see the answers. We're going to see the miracles. We're going to see the breakthroughs. We're going to see the souls saved. We're going to see the things, but we have to be in prayer and in agreement together. We have to be in faith. We cannot be doubting what we're praying.
So, Lord, just impart that to my brothers and sisters. Impart it and Lord, just cause what I what I've preached to them this morning, what I've taught cause it to become real. So that they will not just be hearers of the word, but doers of the word. And I know God, if we all do this, we're going to see a great revival, a great breakthrough, great miracles, great souls just being saved that we thought we that we lost hope about. Father, I thank you for that and I pray it now. In Jesus' name. Amen.