Fervent Intercessory Prayer for the Unconverted

Introduction: The Manifesto of Trinity Baptist Church and its Biblical Framework

0:05 This message was delivered on Sunday morning, September 1st, 1991, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:15 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,

0:57 and through Moses, the prophet, the man of God, God is reminding them of some of the critical aspects of their past history, history, of their covenant privileges and obligations, and follow now as I read, and these themes are set before us in Deuteronomy chapter 4, verses 1 through 10. And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances which I teach you to do them, that ye may live and go in and possess the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers, giveth you.

1:40 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what Jehovah did because of Baal Peor, for all the men that followed Baal Peor, Jehovah thy God hath destroyed them from the midst of thee, but ye that did Jehovah your God are alive, every one of you this day. Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that

2:21 ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it. Keep therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of all the peoples that shall hear of all these statutes. And say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people, for what nation is there that hath a God so nigh unto them as Jehovah our God is, whensoever we call upon him? And what great nation is there that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day?

3:07 Only take heed. And keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life. But make them known unto thy children, and thy children's children, the day that thou stoodest before Jehovah thy God in Horeb, when Jehovah said unto me, Assemble me the people. And I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

3:54 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.

4:34 And in this manifesto, I have been attempting to set forth the principles of any group or organization. And I have been attempting to set forth from the word of God those central issues which have constituted the very life's blood and heartbeat of this assembly in its 25 years of experiencing the grace and mercy of God. And in doing this, two primary goals have constantly been in view. The very goals articulated here in Deuteronomy.

5:09 Chapter 4. After Moses speaks of what God had done for his people, he first of all warns them in verse 9, take heed to thyself, lest thou forget.

5:27 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.

6:10 and mighty works had been to Israel, her very life and her crowning blessing. But then there was a second purpose for which Moses exhorted the people of God, and you will notice that it's mentioned in verse 9 and again in verse 10. Make them known unto thy children, that is, the mighty works of God, and thy children's children. And then with reference to God assembling the people and delivering his law, it was with this end in view, the end of verse 10, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

6:54 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 some in the membership here now who are not even, who are not even born when Trinity Church was born.

7:38 And you are now a part of the second generation. And as God has a vision and a concern that his truth be passed on to the next generation and to the next, so this concern has been central to this manifesto, that a generation that has grown up under these principles, has seen them in operation, might have them, articulated so clearly, and their biblical basis expounded so convincingly, that their father's convictions will become their own intelligent spiritual convictions.

8:21 That understanding them and committing themselves afresh to them, they may under the blessing of God, pass on that legacy to yet an unborn, spiritual, spiritual generation that we trust God in his mercy will bring to himself as the fruit and fruition of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. So this passage sets the framework of the rationale for this manifesto. And in all of these things that we've addressed in the manifesto, and I've said it again and again, we are very conscious that we have not,

9:05 not attained to perfection any of these things. We must say in the language of Philippians 12, we count not ourselves yet to have laid old, but this one thing we do for getting the things that are behind and pressing on. We seek to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of us. And in whatever measure we have attained, we say without any reservation in the language, of the Apostle in first Corinthians 1510, we are what we are by the grace of God.

Five Core Affirmations of Trinity Baptist Church's Manifesto

9:44 Now, because we have many visitors among us, let me at least state the five tenants in the manifesto, the five planks, the five affirmations without in any way seeking to expound them. If it awakens your interest, you may desire to get them on tape and listen to them. That's your leisure. But our manifesto thus far has declared as follows.

10:10 Number one, we are determined that Jesus Christ shall have his rightful place in the totality of the life and ministry of this assembly. We are determined that whoever else has his nose bent around here, Christ will never have his bed, that he will have his rightful place in the totality, right. That is, of the life and ministry of this congregation as its foundation, its Lord, and its only source of life. Secondly, we are determined that all of our life and ministry

10:50 shall be molded by the Word of God and the Word of God alone. In this charge that we read from Deuteronomy, God was careful to underscore through Moses that the nation of Israel was to frame its life by God's revealed will, neither adding to nor diminishing from that which God Himself had spoken. And this indeed has been one of the great principles that has shaped our life over these 25 years, a determination that all of our life and ministry shall be molded by the Word of God.

11:32 Thirdly, we are determined to maintain a God-centered climate and perspective in the totality of our life and ministry. God has constituted the church according to Ephesians 3.21 that in the church He and His Son might receive glory. And He's a jealous God.

11:57 And He says, Jehovah is my name, I will not give my glory to another, neither my praise unto graven images. Again, Romans 11.36 says that of Him and through Him and unto Him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

12:20 And whenever you find a church that cannot affirm its unreserved corporate amen to that perspective, that in the totality of its life there shall be a pervasive God-centered, centeredness in every program, in every public service, in every board meeting, in every council chamber, in every prayer meeting, in everything and anything that is done, whenever you find a church that cannot add its hearty corporate amen that of Him, through Him, and unto Him are all things to whom be glory. There you have a church that has departed from the very purpose for which God has constituted it. And therefore,

13:04 we are determined to maintain a God-centered climate and perspective in the totality of our life in ministry. Fourthly, we are determined that our life in ministry will unquestionably confirm the unique place assigned to the church in the saving purposes of God. The church is not a humanly contrived organization, but a divinely contrived organization. A divinely imparted, constituted institution.

13:39 For we read in 1 Timothy 3.15, it is God's house, it is the pillar and ground of the truth. And that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church and the apostolic labors were expended to found churches and to nurture churches and to correct and guide and assist churches and all apostolic endeavors went out from and flowed back into churches. And we are determined that our life in ministry will unquestionably confirm

14:19 that the church is given a unique place in the saving purposes of God. And then fifthly, we are determined to strive for a membership comprised only of truly regenerate and genuinely converted men and women. We are determined, we have been over these 25 years, we must continue in this determination to strive, I didn't say we have attained, to strive for a membership comprised only of truly regenerate and genuinely converted men and women. We've considered the biblical basis of that goal.

15:03 And we have seen from the scriptures that in the book of Acts, the descriptions of the growth of the church are descriptions of the Lord adding to the church such as should be saved. Multitudes were added unto the Lord, both of men and of women. Many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized. Many of the Corinthians hearing believed and were baptized.

15:34 And all of the epistles addressed to the churches of the New Testament assume that they are companies of regenerate and converted people. And it is our determination continue to strive to have a membership rule comprised only of regenerate, converted men and women. And having demonstrated that that goal is thoroughly biblical, I have for a number of few weeks now committed myself to giving them a dark și dnanillingot. I believe we will Layton giving me half a season.

Seven Manifestations of Commitment to a Regenerate Membership

16:00 Amen. So, when I re-sign you and going to bed, I believe you would dig into and talking to you the later this then election, you may do miscarriage before you go. Weeks believing this to be perhaps the most crucial element in the manifesto thus far sought to highlight those plain manifestations of this determination as it works itself out into our practice. And we have seen that this determination has framed the manner in which we deal with the children of our church members.

16:32 We do not assume that they have a right to membership because they're sweet little children or because they say they love Jesus or because when they become young adults they're decent and orthodox until they manifest the maturation of emerging manhood in womanhood and can intelligently bear witness to a converting work of God in their lives and have a life that validates it. They have no right of entrance into the membership of this church. Secondly, in our message and methods of evangelism we are seeking to maintain a regenerate membership only. Therefore, we have not departed from the full-orbed biblical message of evangelism.

17:17 We have not held back on what we might call the darker, more stringent elements of the gospel in which men are called not only to embrace a freely offered Savior and full pardon and acceptance with God in Him but men are called to repent. To turn from a life of self-centeredness and a willful commission of a life pattern of sinfulness. They are called upon to repent. They are called upon to embrace Christ not only as a Savior to deliver them from the penalty of sin but from the power and the practice of sin.

17:53 And in our message and then our methods of evangelism we have refused to run people through a sales pitch to get a decision. We've refused to psychologically, we've conditioned them to walk an aisle and raise a hand and pray a prayer and receive Protestant absolution and then run them through the tank and into the membership. We've refused these things. Why?

18:17 Because they contribute to an unregenerate membership. And then thirdly, in our general policy and procedure in the reception of new members we've sought to maintain a regenerate and converted membership only. Fourthly, in our commitment to biblical, discriminating, applicatory, passionate and earnest preaching. By this means we seek to maintain a regenerate membership only.

18:46 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.

19:21 This is one of the ways that a regenerate membership is maintained. As the body of Christ is encouraged to act consistent with itself so that where the graces of holy love and selflessness and tenderness of conscience are manifested in the life of the congregation, those who do not profess to be saved will see, if I ever get saved, I'll become like one of them. And those who profess to be saved and are in the membership but the root of the matter is not in them, they will increasingly feel the pressure coming not merely from the pulpit, in biblical, experimental, applicatory, passionate and earnest preaching,

20:04 but by the corporate life of the people of God showing them up for what they are. Religious hypocrites with no real sensitivity to sin. They don't go confessing their sins to their brethren. They're too hard and proud to do that.

20:19 They do not spontaneously and naturally go out in loving concern to the brethren. They have a heart that is devoid of holy love, which is the first fruit of the Spirit. And so by our encouragement of asserting loving knowledge of and care for one another, we're seeking to maintain a regenerate membership. And then the sixth evidence of this is our commitment to assertive, loving, pastoral intimacy and oversight of each member.

20:49 Our commitment to assertive, loving, pastoral intimacy and oversight of each member. Our consciences do not accuse us that we are too assertive and too loving and too intimate. Our conscience is when they accuse us, accuse us that we allow ourselves to the pressure of other things and the remaining sin of our own hearts to be less assertive than we really ought to be that we don't ask enough of you frequently enough. How is it with your walk with God?

21:21 How is it in the secret place? How is it with your conscience? How is it in your marriage? How is it in the workplace?

21:29 Are there compromises? Our consciences do not accuse us of being heavy-handed. They accuse us of being sinful. They accuse us of being sinfully negligent.

21:41 But we do strive to have an assertive, loving, pastoral intimacy and oversight of each member to the end that if there are patterns of an unregenerate life among the members, this issue may be addressed personally, lovingly, and pastorally. And then the seventh plain manifestation of this determination we considered last Lord's Day, and that is our commitment to the practice of righteous church discipline. Our commitment to the practice of righteous church discipline. And we examined five central texts from Matthew 18, 15 to 20 to Titus 3, 10 to 11,

22:25 all of which clearly mandate that when men and women persist in a lifestyle inconsistent with conversion or hold to beliefs incompatible with being in a state of grace, the church, not the elders alone, but the church is to act in removing them from its membership. The end in view is to be their restoration to holiness and to truth, yes. But if they persist in ways of unholiness and holding to views inconsistent with being in a state of grace, righteous church discipline is a gracious means given by the head of the church,

The Eighth Manifestation: Fervent Intercessory Prayer for the Unconverted

23:10 to secure that the church will have predominantly a regenerate membership. Now in some 20 minutes, I've covered what it's taken many hours to cover some 20 hours, I would imagine, in the previous 17 sermons. And what I wish to do in the time that remains this morning is to put a capstone over these plain manifestations of our commitment to strive for a truly, regenerate, genuinely converted church membership and address this eighth and final manifestation, and it's this.

23:50 Our commitment to fervent, persistent, intercessory prayer for the regeneration and conversion of sinners. Our commitment to fervent, persistent, intercessory prayer for the regeneration and conversion of sinners. Now in the opening up of this final strand of the plain manifestations of our commitment to strive for a regenerate, converted membership, I'll follow the same outline as we've used in the past. I'll give an explanation of the key words, the biblical basis for this commitment,

24:32 and then demonstrate how this commitment is related to the maintenance of a regenerate church membership. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words.

24:42 Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words.

24:46 Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words.

24:50 Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words.

24:54 Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Briefly then, an explanation of the key words.

24:58 Briefly then, an explanation of the key words. Prayer is the key commodity. And in the life of the church, with all of our sins and all of our failures, we have never allowed prayer to take a place in our corporate life that could justly be labeled as something packed on. But rather we have sought to give to prayer that place assigned in the Word of God in which it is an integral and indispensable element of our corporate life.

25:34 Corporately, I'm referring primarily to our seasons of prayer as a church when gathered for worship as we are this day, when we gather on Wednesday, when we gather for our monthly Saturday morning concert of prayer and other seasons of prayer, though indirectly it would refer to our family and to our closet. And we are convinced that these prayers should be fervent and persistent. That is, they should be fervent and persistent. They should have the marks of reality.

26:11 Jesus said in Matthew 15, This people draws near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. We have never been content if we began to sense that our prayers were merely the motions, of our lips. We've been alarmed if we have sensed a creeping deadness coming over any of our corporate seasons of prayer. It has grieved us.

26:39 It has alarmed us. If there were long pauses, it has driven some of us to our knees. Lord, don't take away the spirit of grace and of supplication from us. But, oh Lord, send your spirit upon us that our prayers, our prayers may be always tinged with fervency and with persistence.

27:03 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 your persistence has worn me down, I'll get it for you.

27:45 And it's the persistence that demonstrates that the initial asking was sincere. And so when I use the term that we are committed to fervent, and persistent prayer, I'm simply trying to capture that fact of the relationship between genuine desire expressed in fervency and its continuance over time into the form of persistence. And then I've used the term intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is that kind of prayer in which we seek to stand between God and men in their need.

28:30 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?

29:14 Not merely the growth of the church. Not merely an increase of numbers. But for the regeneration and conversion of sinners. Our prayers are not, Lord, just increases, just increases, Lord, increase our numbers.

29:29 Lord, increase our ranks. But our prayers, our Lord, save sinners. Do for them what you did for the Thessalonians where Paul said, they themselves report of us what manner of entering in we have unto you. How that you turn to God from your idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

29:56 That's what we pray for. True conversions. We pray for the thing Paul was commissioned to effect through his ministry in Acts chapter 26 and 18. God says, I'm going to send you forth to open their eyes.

30:10 To turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those that are sanctified by faith in me. That's what we're praying for. Not colleges. To get people into the church.

30:31 Not emotional upheavals to get them sympathetic to the church. But true conversions. Turning from their idols. Turning to the living God.

30:41 Eyes opened that they might turn and receive forgiveness and an inheritance through faith in the Lord Jesus. Well, that's a simple explanation of the terms, alright? You've got an idea of what I mean in the use of them then. We are committed and have been over these 25 years albeit so imperfectly and in a way that constantly needs the cleansing of the blood of Christ but nonetheless real.

Biblical Basis for Fervent Intercessory Prayer: New Testament Patterns and Apostolic Directives

31:10 Our commitment to fervent, persistent intercessory prayer for the regeneration and conversion of sinners. Now, secondly, having explained the key words used, what is the biblical basis for this commitment? What is the biblical basis for such a commitment? Well, I begin by saying, number one, the place assigned to prayer by the patterns of church life in the New Testament.

31:42 The mandate for such a commitment rests first of all on the place assigned to prayer in the life of the church in the New Testament. Take, for example, the Jerusalem church. It comes to birth in the context of prayer. Now, I did not say while it is praying.

32:08 There's nothing in the Bible that says the spirit came on the day of Pentecost while they were praying. It simply says they were sitting. That's not very spiritual, I know, and it shatters a lot of images but we must not go beyond the text of Scripture. Acts chapter 2 and verse 2 says, Suddenly there came from heaven the sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind.

32:30 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.

32:59 It just doesn't fit. They were in a very unspiritual posture, so they were sitting. They didn't even tell us what they were doing. Everything is focused upon the divine intervention.

33:09 God comes from heaven. But the context of Pentecost was indeed earnest, fervent, incessant prayer. How do we know that? Look at chapter 1 and verse 14.

33:25 Having told us that the 120 gathered in an upper room, what were they doing? Verse 14, These all with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brethren. Now they had a church business meeting in the midst of that with regard to the selection of Judas' successor, so they weren't just praying and nothing else. But Luke is able to say, at least describing one of the predominant activities in those days between the ascension of our Lord, for our Lord went back to heaven and ten days later

34:09 when the Spirit descended on Pentecost, they were with one accord continuing steadfastly in prayer so that it is accurate to say that the church came to birth in the context of prayer and no sooner does it come to birth and begin to multiply itself but that it incorporates its totality of membership into a life of prayer turn to the end of chapter 2 verse 41 then they that received his word were baptized and they were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls and they

34:53 that is all who were added the entire assembly now swelled to three thousand one hundred and twenty they continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and the prayers the stated seasons of corporate prayer perhaps even parallel to the seasons of prayer established there at the temple and there's a hint of that in the very next chapter but this much is clear that that

35:33 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

36:06 it's carnal appeals by carnal means to carnal men in order to grow and to keep the church that is born is the church that incorporates into its life a praying people because they are given the spirit of adoption whereby we cry have a father and they are given the spirit of grace and of supplication impelling them not only do we have the example of the Jerusalem church but also the example of the not only do we have the example of the Jerusalem church but also the example of the under this heading of the place assigned to prayer by the church in the New Testament, but the apostolic directives.

36:49 Look at 1 Timothy 2 and verse 1, a passage referred to before we prayed together earlier in this service,

36:59 as Paul is about to give specific directives for the ordering of the public worship and ministry of the church. There in Ephesus, he says to Timothy, I exhort, therefore, first of all, first in order, first in importance, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgiving be made for all men. There's the general directive, more specifically, for kings and all that are in high place, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity, and why? So that we'll have it all nice and easy on our own, personal, easy street? No!

37:43 But that the gospel may continue to triumph. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. In other words, the church is to have as one of its dominant activities, prayer for God's intervention in the hearts of civil leaders, that under their guidance there would be a climate in society, conducive to the ongoing proclamation of the gospel unimpeded by all of those obstacles that come when there are perverse men making perverse decisions,

38:24 affecting the lives of multitudes among the nations. You see the place of prayer? I exhort, first of all, that all kinds of prayers be made in the broadest scope for all men, but in particular, we are to focus upon praying for kings and those in high places who make the decisions that affect the whole climate of society, that those decisions will result in a climate conducive to the free, powerful proclamation of the gospel of the grace of God. We not only have the example of the Jerusalem church,

39:06 the clear apostolic directive we could add to this Colossians 4, 2, 1 John, 1 Thessalonians 5, 16, but we have the explicit command of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 18, 1, in the context in which our Lord has been speaking of His second coming, in the context in which the second coming never left His mind for this parable of the unjust widow, as I hope to expound sometime in the coming year, concludes with a reference to the second coming. Nevertheless, Luke 18, and verse 8, when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?

39:50 The end of chapter 17 is all about the second coming. In the middle of that, our Lord says, He spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray and not to faint, saying, and here the people of God are likened to a destitute widow. In a hostile world that like this man who had taken advantage of, a poor widow, she has no recourse but to cry to this judge who neither feared God nor regarded man. And she is overcome, she overcomes his reluctance by her sheer persistence.

40:28 God says, hear what the unjust judge says, and shall not God avenge His own elect which cried to Him day and night? You see, our Lord, when saying men ought always to pray, is encouraging His church, to be marked by earnest and persistent prayer throughout the entire age until He returns and avenges her of all her adversaries.

40:56 The emphasis here is broader than individual persistent prayer. It is, in this sense, a directive for the church in this age in which the church is like the oppressed widow. And she has a gracious father, not a reluctant, hard-hearted, indifferent, or judge. Nevertheless, the Lord says, in spite of such an encouragement to persistent, consistent, earnest, fervent prayer, when the Son of Man comes, will He find many people really believing it?

41:29 May God grant that He'll find some people here believing it. Not faith in general, not faith primarily in terms of the faith with respect to the body of truth concerning divinely revealed religion, but in the setting, the faith that does believe of God is open to the cry of His people. And therefore, they continue to pray and they do not faint. Well, surely the biblical basis for this commitment, I believe I could rest the case there and say closely,

Biblical Basis: Nature and Focus of Prayer

42:07 that not only is the place assigned to prayer by the church in the New Testament the basis of this commitment, secondly, the nature of this prayer as fervent and persistent and intercessory is warranted by the Word of God. Fervent and persistent. That is not by fits and starts. The Scripture tells us that we are to pray without ceasing.

42:40 1 Thessalonians 5.16 Now, does that mean we're to spend 24 hours out of every day consciously engaged in intercession? Of course not. The only way you could do that was to be made into a superman or superwoman, superwoman, superwoman, and then fail to fulfill many other biblical duties.

42:57 But it means that our commitment to prayer must not be by fits and starts and sporadic, but there must be a pattern of constancy in prayer. We are to be fervent in those prayers. We are not to have our Lord's words spoken to us because thou art neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm. I am about to spew thee out of my mouth.

43:26 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.

43:51 Lukewarmness, He says, causes me nausea. I'm about, I'm about to spew you out for your lukewarmness. 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 stake and we claim to believe in an everlasting hell to be shunned and the glories of an everlasting heaven to be gained. And prayers are propunctory and predictable and tangible.

44:26 Cursedly the same week in and week out how the Lord must be sickened. How He must long to hear the broken sob of a broken heart. The earnest piercing cry that cries out God in mercy come and turn the hearts of men to yourself. You see this prayer as fervent and persistent is the prayer that is mandated by the scriptures.

44:57 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.

45:39 The teaching of our Lord all of the words used to describe prayer point to the matter of earnestness and persistence. Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you.

45:54 And they are all present imperatives. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking.

46:01 The imagery of all of those things. Is just suffused with the concepts of fervency and persistence. And then the picture in Luke 18 that we've already alluded to. And then the friend who goes to his friend at midnight in Luke 11.

46:19 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.

46:31 Oh, go on, oh. He kept on knocking. He kept on knocking. And Jesus said though he would not arise and give him because of his friendship, he arose and gave him as much as he needed because of his importunity.

46:47 Literally his shameless insistence. And then Jesus says and I stand and knock, knock and knock again with a shameless insistence. You see, fervent, persistent earnestness is warranted by the very teaching as well as the teaching. As well as the example of our Lord.

47:14 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.

47:33 Whatever a travailing mother is, she's all earnestness and she's all persistence till her baby's born. Paul likens his prayer. Paul likens his prayer. He could say prayers to that of a travailing mother.

47:45 He could say to the Philippian church, I remember you without ceasing. Philippians 1, 3. Colossians 1, 3. Same thing to the Colossian church.

47:55 Same thing, 1 Thessalonians 1, 3. Same words. Then 1 Timothy 1, 3. It's easy to remember.

48:03 Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians and 1 Timothy. First chapter, third verse in all of them he says, remembering without ceasing. Remembering without ceasing. Remembering without ceasing with respect to his prayers on their behalf and that they were intercessory is clear.

48:21 Look at all of those texts. He says, I'm praying on your behalf. I will first of all that prayers, intercession, supplication be made on the behalf of all men. Surely the biblical warrant to pursue this commitment to fervent, persistent intercessory prayer is rooted in the Word of God, the place assigned to prayer in the experience of the early church.

Biblical Basis: Man's Condition and God's Commitment

48:50 The nature of this prayer we have seen must be marked by fervency, persistence and intercession. But now the focus of these prayers, we've said, is the regeneration and conversion of sinners. Now why in the world do we need to have a commitment to fervent, persistent, intercessory prayer? Prayer for the conversion, the regeneration of sinners?

49:16 Well, the answer to the Bible is very simple. The nature and condition of men demands the sovereign, supernatural intervention of God if they're going to be regenerated and converted. Man's nature is such that unless God sovereignly, supernaturally intervenes, they will not be regenerated and converted. Why?

49:37 According to Ephesians 2, 1 to 3, men are dead in their sins, captive to the world, to the flesh and to the devil. And in that condition, they are by nature children of wrath. That's the distilled teaching of Ephesians 2, 1 to 3. You hath He made alive who were dead, and in your state of spiritual death, you were slaves of the devil, of your lusts and of the world, and you were under wrath.

50:06 You were without hope, without God. In that condition, the Bible says, men cannot know the very truth which would save them, 1 Corinthians 2, 14. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God. Why?

50:21 They are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them. Can is a word of ability. Neither can he receive them until he knows.

50:40 And if he won't receive them, he won't be saved by them. His state is helpless and hopeless apart from the intervention of God. Not only can he not know saving truth, he cannot submit to God. Romans 8, 7, and 8.

50:54 The carnal mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can it be. Neither indeed can it be.

51:04 The native disposition of every man and woman's heart is, oh, but that he should reign over me. Who is this place that he should take up his place of sovereignty in my life and call the shots? No way. I will not have this man to reign over me.

51:23 The carnal mind is enmity against me. Neither indeed can he know saving truth. Neither indeed can he be saved by God. Neither indeed can he receive them until he is saved.

51:34 Neither indeed can he receive them until he is saved. Neither indeed can he grow. Neither indeed can he receive them until he is saved. He is not subject to the law of God, and neither indeed can he be saved.

51:42 Well, a man can't be saved, as we'll see tonight, until he joyfully submits himself to God and to His law and to the yoke of his sun. But Romans 8, 7 says, in himself he cannot. He will not only, that's true, but he cannot. He cannot know them. Neither indeed can it be.

51:57 The sad state of man is, he can't even get to the only remedy on his own. John 6.44, Jesus said, no man can come to me except the Father which has set me, draw him. Salvation's in Christ, he's the remedy.

52:09 John 6.44, Jesus says, no man can come to me.

52:16 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.

52:27 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.

52:44 He sees them spread out in the valley, dry, bleached, lifeless bones. And God says to the prophet, can these bones live? Ezekiel, knowing that the God of heaven and earth asked the question, is very cagey in his answer. He says, oh Lord, thou knowest.

53:04 He didn't say, ah, sure, we'll just go over. We'll go over there and we'll do a little talking to those bones and a little persuading. We'll get a decision out of them. We'll get them to live.

53:14 Wouldn't you bones like to come together and live and have flesh on you and become people again and no longer be in a valley of dry bones? No, Lord, I'll take care of this. Sure, I can get them to live. The prophet was no fool.

53:29 But neither did he discount God could do something man couldn't. He says, oh Lord, thou knowest. He says, God, the answer to that question lies. With you, then lie with me.

53:41 And when we see what men are and take it seriously, according to Ephesians 2, 1 to 3, dead in trespasses and sins, bound by the devil, by the flesh and by the world and under wrath, no saving truth, be subject to God, to the remedy. What's our hope? Our hope is that God in sovereign grace would intervene. And that's why we pray.

54:13 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.

54:32 Even the Pharisees said, whoever heard of a thing like this, a man born blind now sees. It was an attestation of the power of Christ. He can open blind eyes. He can open the understanding.

54:47 He can be so brave and living, saving me to perceive the truth. He can rectify the will so that it wills to choose the rules of a gracious God. And he can change the disposition so that the sinner comes most freely and willingly and joyfully to Christ, the only savior of sinners. And this is why the impartation of spiritual life in the Bible has three dominant images.

55:16 Creation and resurrection. You ever wondered why those are the dominant images of the impartation of spiritual life? John 3. Except a man be born again.

55:26 Except a man be born from above. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit. He cannot see. He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

55:35 Why does Jesus liken the impartation of spiritual life to birth? Then it's likened to creation. Any man in Christ knew creation. 2 Corinthians 5.17

55:46 Ephesians 2.10 We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Galatians 6.15 In Christ neither circumcision or uncircumcision availeth anything but a new creation.

56:02 Then it's likened to resurrection. You hath He made alive who were dead. Ephesians 2.1 2.5

56:08 He has quickened us together. What's the common denominator of birth, of resurrection, and of creation? In all three, God works upon that which is born to give it life.

56:27 In creation, God speaks into existence that which had none before He spoke. And in resurrection, the dead body contributes nothing to its getting out of the grave. God is telling us that salvation is in my hands.

56:47 And that's why we intercede. We stand between dead, helpless sinners. And the God who can recreate them, who can raise them from the dead.

57:03 We do that not only because the native condition of man demands the sovereign intervention of God, but secondly because God is committed to effecting this sovereign supernatural change in the case of a vast multitude whom no man can number. God's committed to doing it. In Isaiah 53.11 He's made a promise.

57:23 He shall see of the travail of His soul. And beside...

57:27 Satisfied. In John 6.37-39 Jesus said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And him that comes to me I'll in no wise cast out.

57:37 Why? For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the will of Him that sent me. That of all that He hath given me I should lose nothing.

57:47 But raise it at the last day. The Father and the Son is committed. That a vast multitude whom no man could number. Shall experience the sovereign supernatural intervention of God.

58:04 And how do we know it's a vast multitude? Revelation 7, 9 and 10. And I saw a great multitude whom no man can number out of every kindred, tribe and tongue and people and nation standing before God saying salvation unto our God. Well you see what an incentive to pray.

Biblical Basis: Prayer as Divinely Appointed Means

58:25 Because God's made gracious commitments to Himself. And to his Son. And the Lord Jesus is confident that all of His seed shall be gathered unto Him. And thirdly, Prayer is the divinely appointed means in the accomplishment of this commitment God has made.

58:51 It is a divinely appointed means. Ezekiel 36 37 God says after saying I'll give a heart a stone. I'll take out the heart of flesh. I'll put my spirit within you.

59:04 I will. I will. I will, then God says, moreover, I will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. God says, I'm going to do it.

59:14 Well, then do we sit back and say, oh, God's going to do it. Let's watch it. God says, no, if I'm going to do it, ask me to do it. The revelation of his purpose is not to make us passive, but it's to make us active in the channeling of our prayers into that which is certain in the purposes of God.

59:35 And making him say, uncle, and change his mind. And it's the glorious privilege of aligning and pleading with him to do the very thing he's committed to do. The Lord Jesus himself operates by that principle. Psalm 2.

59:53 He says to Messiah, ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, the othermost part of the earth for thy possession. You mean Jesus doesn't get them automatically because he died? Because he was exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father? Rewarded with exaltation as the reward of his voluntary humiliation?

60:18 Philippians 2. No, he doesn't get it automatically. From his place of exaltation he must ask. And the Father gives.

60:26 And what is true of the Son is true of all the sons and daughters of the kingdom. What is committed to Christ by covenant engagement, what Christ is committed to do by purchase of his blood, becomes the framework of the believers. The ness of the heart Cenan紀 1. Galatians 23 verse 1.

61:09 Knowing that he didn't sit back and say well, God's elect will be brought. Do what I will. No, he says, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. Now, very, very quickly, what's the connection then between this commitment?

Connection to a Regenerate Membership: Principles and Priorities

61:28 We've looked at the nature of that commitment, the biblical basis for it. How's that all tied up with a regenerate membership? And I can only give you the heads in the interest of time. Number one, the general principle that we obtain from God that which we ask and expect from him.

61:46 That's a general principle of Scripture. James says you have not because you ask not. Positively, Jesus said in Matthew 7, ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find.

61:58 Knock and it shall be opened unto you. Matthew 9, 29, according to your faith, be it unto you. The general principle is we obtain from God that which we ask and expect. And if we want a regenerate membership, a truly converted membership, then as this becomes a dominant element in our prayers, according to it, unto us, God will graciously hear and answer our cries and regenerate and convert sinners and bring them into the membership as we pray.

62:32 Oh, God, expose hypocrites. Expose those who don't have the root of the matter in them. As Mr. Dixon led us in prayer before the Sunday school, our he reflected on this last weekend in the summer.

62:45 And you remember what his prayer was? Oh, God, thinking of that text. The summer is past. The harvest has ended.

62:51 We are not saved. We are not treated with God that the Lord would yet save some today. When that's our concern and the focus of our prayers, according to our faith, be it unto us. Secondly, the general principle that that which we make a priority in prayer becomes a priority in the spiritual perspectives of those who hear.

63:12 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.

63:52 And that church in which there is fervent, persistent intercessory prayer that men will be regenerated and converted. That's a church in which there will be a spiritual perspective of those who hear those prayers that look, you can't become a part of this people in the truest sense until you're regenerated and converted. You don't by hearing prayers that repeatedly plead, Oh God, for the children among us, for those who've sat among us for decades that are still not regenerate and converted have mercy upon them. What's happening?

64:37 A climate is created in that congregation where regeneration and conversion are known to be absolutely essential before you ever came into the church. And then finally, the general principle that the things we most seek from God in prayer, Okay. are the things we are most likely to pursue by legitimate means. The things we most seek from God in prayer are the things we are most likely to pursue by legitimate means.

65:05 Why do we pursue them earnestly and fervently in prayer? Because we really want them. Well, if we really want them and God has told us how to get them, we'll use the means to get them if we really want them. So prayers that are born out of a really want to always give birth to actions according to the will of God that are the means to get what we want.

65:26 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.

65:40 No man, knowing the scripture, dares pray, give me this day my needful bread, and then sit on his duff and do nothing. Well, when we pray, Lord, regenerate and convert sinners, and we really mean it, and the prayers are fervent and persistent intercessory prayers, there's the place where the preaching and the witnessing and the endeavors that God has ordained in His Word are most likely to be profusely manifest.

66:10 And where God puts the means, He's most likely to secure the ends. So where there is a church that fervently, passionately, earnestly prays for the conversion, the regeneration, the regeneration of sinners, there you will find a church seeking to seize every opportunity to put the Word of God before men. For men are brought forth by the Word of Truth. James 1.18

66:36 Faith comes of hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And so from those prayers will come God-directed, Spirit-blessed endeavors to the unconverted. Well, I hope I've made the case out of the Bible. I haven't asked you to flip to a lot of passages, there were just too many.

Reaffirmation and Appeal: A Legacy of Prayer

66:54 I've just quoted the references, quoted the passages.

66:58 To my knowledge, I've not misquoted any of them. Now I say to you in closing, dear people of God of Trinity, are you prepared to reaffirm this commitment?

67:08 That we might have a regenerate and converted membership. A commitment!

67:17 Consistent intercessory prayer! That God would regenerate sinners. God would quicken them. That they might turn in repentance and faith.

67:28 Many of you who are here, the second generation, you're not just the fruit of something that automatically happened. Mom and Dad shed tears in secret for your soul. This church has cried for years. You're the fruit of its prayers.

67:46 Will you pass on that legacy to another generation? Of all the things you singles could ask God to teach you in your singleness, may I say, put this up at the top of the list, oh God, teach me to wrestle in the secret place. For whether God has it or not, it's up to you. For whether God has it or not, it's up to you.

68:03 Whether God has prolonged singleness for you or marriage, whatever he has for you, you are not up to it in yourself. And it's in the secret place that weak people are made strong. For they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles.

68:20 They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. My unconverted friend, all of this would be mockery did I not close by this simple, straightforward appeal to you. Why?

68:32 Why do you go on? You're unconverted state. Oh, you say, Pastor Martin, you just gave me a good handful of excuses. You said, I can't see.

68:40 I can't be subject to God. I can't. So why are you asking me that silly question? My friend, listen to me.

68:49 Though I don't retract one word I've said, because it's God's word. That same God holds you accountable for not coming. And for not submitting. And for not submitting.

69:00 You say, that's not fair. Well, you may not judge it fair, but that's reality. If you take it seriously, you know what you'll do? You'll go crying to that God, saying, God, who am I to question what you said?

69:12 But one thing I know, if you deal with me in wrath, I've had it. And one thing I know, you brought me to a place where your mercy was preached. And where your salvation was held forth. And where I was urged to go to you and cry out to you.

69:26 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.

69:45 It says, he cried the louder, saying, son of David, have mercy on me. He wouldn't be discouraged. And the scripture says, Jesus stood still. You want to freeze the Lord Jesus in his tracks this morning?

69:59 Cry out like a blind beggar, son of David, have mercy. And the cry for mercy will freeze the gracious son of God in his tracks. And he'll hear that cry. And whosoever shall call.

70:14 Upon the name of the Lord. Shall. Shall. Our Father, we do delight again to call upon you, the living God.

70:40 Oh Lord, we thank you for this access that we have been given by prayer. And while we have spoken of prayer this morning, we confess with shame. That there are so many promises that have been left unclaimed. So many encouragements.

71:00 To pray that have been left unused. Wash us from the sins of prayerlessness. And yet we thank you for the measure to which you have taught us and dealt with us as a church. That you've not allowed us to shove prayer into some corner of a tacked on activity.

71:21 Oh Lord, we give you praise for the extent to which there's been any commitment to fervent, persistent, intercessory prayer. For the conversion of sinners, but oh God, whatever measure you have given, we pray that you'd give much more that the coming generation of men and women in this church will outstrip this generation in its commitment to earnest, fervent, intercessory prayer. And oh God, for those among us who need to cry to you, will you not move them so to cry that they may know the mercy of Jesus? Jesus promised to every sinner who seeks it.

72:03 May your blessing rest upon us as we leave this place, sanctify the hours of the afternoon to our prophet. Bring us together again to praise you, to wait upon you in the ministry of the word, to glorify you on this, your blessed day. Oh Lord, hear our cry and dismiss us with your blessing. For Jesus' sake.

72:29 Amen.