Fervent Intercessory Prayer for the Unconverted

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon as part of a 'Manifesto' series for Trinity Baptist Church's 25th anniversary, grounded in Deuteronomy 4:1-10. He explains the dual purpose of…

Moses preaching to Israel before entering the Promised Land is used as an example of a strategic moment in history where God reminds His people of their past, privileges, and obligations, setting the stage for the sermon's theme of remembering and passing on truth.

Now will you turn with me in your Bibles, please, to the book of Deuteronomy, as I read a portion of the Word of God to set our meditation in a biblical framework, Deuteronomy chapter 4. As many of you will know, in the book of Deuteronomy, we have Moses preaching to the children of Israel at a very strategic place in their history as a nation. They are about to move forward and to possess the land of their inheritance,

0:15 - 0:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Stir up your corporate mind and heart to take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the central things of God's grace.

The church's upcoming 25th anniversary is likened to a milestone, prompting the 'Manifesto' series to reflect on God's mercy and goodness, similar to Israel's reflection in Deuteronomy.

If our Lord Jesus Christ delays his return and should spare us as a congregation, the spring of 1992 will find us celebrating our 25th anniversary as a church. And as we approach this milestone of a quarter of a century of God's mercy and goodness to us, I have been constrained to embark upon a series of studies entitled, A Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church. Now, a manifesto is a public declaration of the aims and principles of any group or organization.

3:54 - 4:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Stir up your corporate mind and heart to take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the central things of God's grace.

The term 'manifesto' is defined as a public declaration of aims and principles, clarifying the purpose of the sermon series as setting forth the central issues of Trinity Baptist Church's life.

If our Lord Jesus Christ delays his return and should spare us as a congregation, the spring of 1992 will find us celebrating our 25th anniversary as a church. And as we approach this milestone of a quarter of a century of God's mercy and goodness to us, I have been constrained to embark upon a series of studies entitled, A Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church. Now, a manifesto is a public declaration of the aims and principles of any group or organization.

3:54 - 4:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Stir up your corporate mind and heart to take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the central things of God's grace.

The Lord's ordinances, statutes, and mighty works to Israel are likened to the central things that have been the 'very life and crowning blessing' of Trinity Baptist Church, emphasizing their vital importance.

And having rehearsed the goodness and mercy of God, he gives a warning to the very people who had been recipients of that goodness and mercy, take heed, lest thou forget. And the purpose of this manifesto is expressly stated in those words. It has been an attempt to stir up the corporate mind and heart of this congregation to take heed to itself, lest it forget. Lest we as a congregation forget those things which have been to us what the Lord's ordinances and statutes.

5:27 - 6:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Make known God's mighty works and central truths to your children and children's children, so they may learn to fear God and teach their own children.

The presence of members not yet born when the church began is used as an example of the 'second generation,' highlighting the need to pass on spiritual convictions to them.

God had this vision of the future generations. And in the manifesto, it has been my express concern not only to issue continuous and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending and unending continuous warnings to those who have seen the mighty works of God among us in these 25 years, and to remind you of those things which have been central to our life together under the blessing of God, but also to seek to pass these things on to the next spiritual generation. There are som...

6:54 - 7:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Be more assertive and loving in pastoral intimacy and oversight, frequently asking members about their walk with God, conscience, marriage, and workplace integrity.

Preaching that merely expounds scripture without attacking the conscience is likened to 'beautiful clouds against the backdrop of a bright blue sky,' illustrating ineffective preaching that doesn't lead to self-evaluation.

Preaching that does not merely expound the Scriptures and have it float by like beautiful clouds against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. But preaching that attacks the conscience, that forces people to evaluate themselves in the light of the Word of God and to ask, is the root of the matter in me? And by this means to maintain a regenerate membership. And then fifthly, by our encouragement of assertive, loving knowledge of and care one for another.

18:46 - 19:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Be alarmed and grieved if you sense a creeping deadness in corporate prayer, and cry out to God for a spirit of grace and supplication.

A child persistently asking for something they truly want from a parent is used to illustrate how persistence in prayer demonstrates the reality and sincerity of desire.

For it's only in the persistence of prayer that we demonstrate the reality of desire concerning the things we're asking God. The person who asks and does not receive and ceases to ask really didn't want it in the first place. You parents know this. You let one of your little ones get something in his mind that he really wants and he's going to mama you to death until you either say, honey, sweetheart, son, whatever you call your kids by the pet names, back off and forget it or daddy or mommy's going to have to spank you or you drop what you're doing and say you have a right to have that and yo...

27:03 - 27:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Be alarmed and grieved if you sense a creeping deadness in corporate prayer, and cry out to God for a spirit of grace and supplication.

Moses standing between Jehovah and Israel in Exodus 32, seeking to turn away God's wrath, is given as a prime example of intercessory prayer.

And as Moses in Exodus 32 stood between Jehovah, the incensed God, and the nation of Israel, and as an intercessor sought to turn away his wrath, by intercessory prayers, I'm referring to those prayers in which we stand before God and between God and men over whom his wrath hangs and we plead that they will know, the blessedness of coming out from under the canopy of his wrath and under the canopy of his grace and forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are committed to fervent, persistent, intercessory prayers for what?

28:30 - 29:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon establishes the biblical basis for this commitment, first by examining the place of prayer in the New Testament church, citing the Jerusalem church's birth in prayer…

Martin recounts seeing early Christians in Pentecostal circles trying to 'get God in a hammerlock' through intense prayer, contrasting it with the biblical account of the disciples simply 'sitting' at Pentecost, to correct misconceptions about the Spirit's coming.

It filled all the house where they were, the whole city. So there's no picture of a group of people all stretched out on an altar having prayed half the night and tarried and waited and begged and screamed and pleaded and finally they got God in a hammerlock and God graven the baptism. That whole scenario that some of us saw as early Christians in Pentecostal circles and something in us said, this ain't quite kosher. We've seen it with our eyes and they try to justify it from this passage.

32:30 - 32:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon establishes the biblical basis for this commitment, first by examining the place of prayer in the New Testament church, citing the Jerusalem church's birth in prayer…

A church 'born by clever techniques and carnal appeals' is described as needing to 'continue to give force its carnal appeals by carnal means to carnal men,' contrasting it with a church born of prayer.

church that came to birth in the context of fervent persistent earnest prayer not only comes to birth in that context but the moment its ranks increase it incorporates all of its new life into that context you see that you see the church that is born by clever techniques and carnal appeals the carnal must continue to give force

35:33 - 36:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And if ever our Lord is sickened by lukewarmness, surely it must be when He has given exceeding great and precious promises and the great issues of the salvation and conversion of men and women and boys and girls are at …

The word 'fervent' is explained by the metaphor of water 'boiling' on a stove, with bubbles manifesting, to illustrate the desired intensity and reality of prayer.

The word fervent, the English word translated fervent in the New Testament means boiling. It means hot. It's reached the temperature where the bubbles begin to be manifested in the pot of water on the stove. And the Lord said, I'd rather have you bubbling and boiling or stone cold than merely tepid and lukewarm.

43:26 - 43:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And if ever our Lord is sickened by lukewarmness, surely it must be when He has given exceeding great and precious promises and the great issues of the salvation and conversion of men and women and boys and girls are at …

Gethsemane is presented as the 'great monument to fervent earnest prayer,' where Jesus' 'wrung out sobs and groans' exemplify true fervency in the face of God's coming wrath.

Our Lord Himself sets the great example. Not only could we turn to passages in the New Testament where our Lord is alone to pray and to pray for extended periods but Gethsemane is the great monument to fervent earnest prayer and being in an agony the scripture says He prayed the more earnestly. And His prayers were not eloquent. They were the wrung out sobs and groans of a heart feeling the great, the realities of the coming wrath of God that was to break upon him upon Golgotha.

44:57 - 45:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further develops the biblical basis by detailing the nature of prayer as fervent and persistent, citing 'pray without ceasing' and Christ's example in Gethsemane. He also…

The parable of the friend who goes to his friend at midnight, persistently knocking for bread, illustrates the power of 'shameless insistence' or importunity in prayer.

He knocks and says a friend of mine has come on a journey. I have nothing to set before him. Hey, my kids are left and right of me here in my pallet in the middle of my one room house. I don't want to wake up the whole house.

46:19 - 46:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further develops the biblical basis by detailing the nature of prayer as fervent and persistent, citing 'pray without ceasing' and Christ's example in Gethsemane. He also…

Paul's words 'My little children of whom I travail in birth till Christ be formed in you' are used to liken his earnest, persistent prayer to the intense effort of a travailing mother until her baby is born.

The teaching of the apostles again by precept and example. Ephesians 6, 8, 18 with all prayer and supplication watching their undo at all seasons. Galatians 4, 19. My little children of whom I travail in birth till Christ be formed in you.

47:14 - 47:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Jesus said it. Calvin didn't write that. Men who sat in the Synod of Dort didn't write it. The Westminster Divines didn't write it. Jesus said it. No man can come to me except the Father which is set me. Draw him.

Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones is used as an analogy for the dead, helpless spiritual condition of sinners, emphasizing that only God can give them life.

Jesus said it. No man can come to me except the Father which is set me. Draw him. You see, sinners, by analogy, are like that valley of dry bones in Ezekiel's vision.

52:27 - 52:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon explains why prayer for conversion is necessary: man's natural condition is spiritual death, inability to know or submit to God, and inability to come to Christ. This…

The miracle of the man born blind is cited as an attestation of Christ's power to open blind eyes, applied spiritually to opening understanding and rectifying the will of sinners.

I took off and opened their eyes. But you can. You are the God who in Jesus Christ did what man could not do. That was the great stigma or the great stumbling block of the miracle of that man born blind.

54:13 - 54:32 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin connects fervent intercessory prayer to maintaining a regenerate membership through three general principles: God grants what is asked in faith, prayer priorities shape…

A family where parents consistently pray for seeking God's kingdom first, rather than material possessions, is used to illustrate how prayer priorities shape the spiritual perspectives of children.

Let us pray. You got a mother and father every time a family worship when dad or mom leads in prayer, they pray, Oh, God, help us as a family always to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Help us to be more concerned with the kingdom than with our living room furniture and with our rugs in the car in the garage. I tell you, any family brought up where that was a repeated perspective in prayer, that young person or those children brought up at that table, where such prayers are offered, we'll know that there's something more to live for than furniture and rugs and cars.

63:12 - 63:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin connects fervent intercessory prayer to maintaining a regenerate membership through three general principles: God grants what is asked in faith, prayer priorities shape…

Praying 'give us this day our daily bread' while also diligently working is used to illustrate that genuine prayer for something God has ordained means will lead to using those means.

When you pray, give us this day our daily bread. You really believe God is the one ultimately who gives you your daily bread? Then you go forth to your work with diligence, knowing that's the means He's ordained. And if any man will not work, let him not eat.

65:26 - 65:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Confess with shame the sins of prayerlessness and the many unclaimed promises and unused encouragements to pray.

The story of the blind beggar crying out 'Son of David, have mercy on me' is used to illustrate the power of persistent, undiscouraged crying out to Jesus for mercy, which can 'freeze the Lord Jesus in his tracks.'

And oh God, I can't figure it all out. But one thing I know, my only hope is in you, son of David. Have mercy on me. And when your own flesh and when your friends would say, as did those companions of the blind man, shush, be dumb, be silent.

69:26 - 69:44 Read in full sermon