Presumption vs Unbelief in Prayer (SS Open Forum)

The point: After searching your heart, pray that God will take the searchlight even deeper, using Psalm 139 as a model.

Paul's repeated fervent prayer for the removal of his 'thorn' (2 Corinthians 12) illustrates that even a godly man can misinterpret his true needs, and God's refusal can be an act of greater love and wisdom to promote dependence and humility.

Paul with his thorn. 2 Corinthians 12. He said, God has commissioned me to be an apostle to the Gentile nations. Now God has allowed this physical affliction, whatever this stake in his flesh was, Paul said, I need to have that removed, or I can't accomplish the will of God.

11:29 - 11:50 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not 'lay back and say, well, God, do whatever you want' in matters where human responsibility is involved, as this would be presumption.

The analogy of God constructing a church building in heaven and dropping it on the church property illustrates that while God could act miraculously, He typically works through human means and responsibility, challenging passive faith.

But always with the understanding that a sovereign, infinitely wise, all-knowing God may have something in mind that is completely other than this. But someone says, if that's so, then shouldn't we just lay back and say, well, God, do whatever you want? No, that would be presumption because if God's going to give us a building, how's he going to give it to us? He's not going to construct it in one of the empty rooms of heaven and then some morning or in the middle of the night drop it down on the corner of Change Bridge and Horseneck Road and we will all go by and have a celebration.

19:24 - 19:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in responsible planning and projection of needs, as this is the only responsible activity for leaders and congregations.

Martin recounts an experience at an institution where leaders made specific, unfulfilled 'faith prayer goals' for money, leading to 'double talk' and cynicism among students. This illustrates the danger of presumptuous claims and setting false standards for God's action.

Or, on the other hand, we'd be tempted to cynicism and unbelief. And you see, I have seen that. I was part of a situation where they had so-called faith prayer goals for every thanksgiving and the students were told in this particular institution by the leadership, we know, we know that by the morning of December, November 24th or 5th, whenever thanksgiving would fall on that particular year, God is going to send to us $1,000. And if you have $100,000, I'm sorry, and if you have anything, you will be found in little prayer cells wherever you can pray with fellow students thanking God the money...

21:42 - 22:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin emphasizes God's omniscience and sovereignty over all contingencies, contrasting it with human fallibility in planning. He argues against both passive fatalism ('God will…

The miraculous provision of ravens feeding Elijah is used as an example of God's direct intervention, but Martin clarifies that such instances are not normative and always have specific divine reasons, not capricious ones.

Except miraculously in certain incidences which are not normative. God sent ravens to provide food for his servant Elijah. But there was reason behind that. God was not capricious.

23:30 - 23:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not take individual promises from Scripture apart from the whole teaching of the Word of God, especially young people, to avoid error.

Martin cites an interview with Bob Harrington, who preaches a 'God is in your corner' gospel focused on happiness, prosperity, and wealth, exemplified by his lavish lifestyle. This illustrates the extreme dangers of misinterpreting biblical promises and promoting a prosperity gospel.

And they say, this is what it says, and this is particularly the ploy of the so-called faith healers. And the God is a good God theologian, you know. You're driving Ford, you ought to be driving Cadillacs. And we're not building a straw man.

30:28 - 30:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Come to God as children to a loving Father, pleading faithfully for things not explicitly against His will, trusting His wisdom and love.

The analogy of a child asking a loving parent for something illustrates the filial relationship in prayer. A good parent may refuse a request out of greater love and wisdom, teaching children to trust their parent's judgment even when they don't understand the reasons.

The point that Bob is making both the Matthew passage and the Luke 11, 13 passage indicate that in our coming to God as His children we ought to come in that context of the filial relationship. The intimacy of a son with a father and where there's a good relationship and a child has confidence that the father is administering the household and all that he gives from that place of administration for the best interest of the entire household as well as all the individuals. He can come and say, Dad, or she can come and say, Dad, Mom,

44:15 - 44:50 Read in full sermon