Dangerous Church: dangerous prayer
RUMC
August 30, 2009
I think I have told you before about the man who was so consumed with hatred of his neighbor that he prayed that the man would get everything he got twice as much. And then he went and poked out one eye.
When I hear a little ditty like that I think that maybe prayer ought to have a warning label on it. Why not? Everything else in our country has warning labels. Everything from the little moisture absorbing packs that some in electronics which say “Silica Gel — Do Not Eat”. When was the last time you thought that little packet looked appetizing? I mean as soon as I read “Silica gel” I am ready to sprinkle it on my ice cream. It is a good thing they tell me not to eat it.
I understand that those cardboard sun shades for your car have a warning label. Does anybody know what it says? Apparently it says “Warning: Do Not Drive with Sun Shield in Place."
How about we keep going and just put warning signs on everything…
- On a Magic 8 Ball: Not advised for use as a home pregnancy test.
- On a roll of Life Savers: Not for use as a flotation device.
- On a piano: Harmful or fatal if swallowed.
- On work gloves: For best results, do not leave at crime scene.
- On a palm sander: Not to be used to sand palms.
- On Odor Eaters: Do not eat.
- On a blender: Not for use as an aquarium.
- On syrup of ipecac: Caution: May cause vomiting.
- On a microscope: Objects are smaller and less alarming than they appear.
We could go on and on couldn’t we? But the point is we put the silliest warning labels on things for no apparent reason. I wonder if we should put a warning label on prayer. “Warning- be careful what you pray for- you just might get it.” Or “Warning- problems look smaller when viewed through prayer” or “Warning this prayer contains active ingredients that may turn your world upside down!”
Can there be any more dangerous prayer than the one that we read this morning. The one we pray every week? Especially that line that says “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” I have to ask you, do you really mean that? Do you realize how dangerous that is?
Prayer is a dangerous thing.
Someday I may come back and preach a separate sermon on each of these, but today I want to introduce to you the 5 prayers that may be the most dangerous prayers in the world.*
SEARCH ME
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting life." (Psalms 139:23,24)
Why is this “search me” prayer so dangerous? You know what they say- you can fool some of the people some of the time. But you better not even try to fool God. It is even easy to fool ourselves if we want to. When you walk in the room for instance, and the lid is off the cookie jar, the culprit’s little hand is reaching for another cookie- and he is wearing half of the last one on his face. . . ask them what they are doing what do they say “Nothing” They may believe that, but mom and dad don’t.
Here we sit with our minds reaching for another lustful thought, our tongues reaching for another angry word, our fearful hearts making up another lie for the accomplice lips to speak. . . and we have the audacity to pray “Search me O lord?”
By asking that God to search us we are practicing a dangerous honesty with God. We are acknowledging our sin, opening ourselves up to total honesty with God, and asking God to keep us honest with ourselves. Even when we’d rather not know the truth. Search Me O God is a dangerous prayer because it usually leads to a dangerous truth most of us would rather not face. God search me.
BREAK ME
In Ecclesiastes 3, Scripture talks about how there's a time for everything in life. Verse 3 says, there's "a time to tear down and a time to build up."
Having been searched and exposed- it is time to tear down the things that impede our relationship with God.
Most of you have known carpenters and construction workers (especially with PCI in town) and know that their language is about as colorful as - well about as colorful as some of the farmers around here. When I left construction and went into youth ministry that just wouldn’t do. So my prayer was break me Lord. Break me because my tongue is too strong- my habits are too powerful - and my will is too weak. So break me, God.
Houses must be torn down to make way for new hospitals, plants must be plowed under in order to make way for this year’s crop, The cow has to be killed in order to harvest the meat.
As hard as it is, sometimes we must pray the prayer “break me lord” in order to demolish the old and make way for the new creature that we want to be in Jesus Christ. It is a dangerous, scary prayer, but we pray “break me Lord” break me.
STRETCH ME
"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory. 1 Chronicles 4:10,
Maybe you are familiar with the prayer of Jabez. It seems pretty safe- “O that thou wouldn’t bless me” How dangerous can God’s blessing be? If we look at the second part, Wilkerson suggests that it is not a prayer of greed but a prayer for enlargement.. Where do you need to be enlarged? Once God has searched and torn down the things that are in your way where do you need to be stretched or grown. Several times a week, I use this idea of the enlarging or stretching prayer praying not “enlarge my territory,” but Lord, bless me and enlarge my love. Lord bless me and enlarge my acceptance of others. Lord bless me and enlarge my understanding of this scripture. You get the idea. Lord stretch me, enlarge me, push me into new territory, prepare me for the things I think I can’t do.
New territory is always scary. New adventures are always exciting. Think back to the first day of school. God stretch me. Think back to the first time you volunteered to be liturgist, or lead a devotion or pray in public. God stretch me. I vividly remember the strange combination of excitement and sheer terror as I stepped into this spot to preach my first sermon here 2 years ago. God stretch me. What is it that you are afraid to do? What is God asking you to do that is a little scary- or a lot scary? Pray God stretch me.
LEAD ME
With all your heart
you must trust the LORD
and not your own judgment.
6Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
for you to follow. Proverbs 3:5-6
Abraham let God lead him into a new land. The Israelites allowed God to lead them across the red sea and into the desert and finally into the promised land. David prayed over and over “Lead me God.” And now it is our turn. The second most dangerous Christians in the world (in a good way) are the ones who turn themselves over to God and pray “Lead me o God.” The number one most dangerous are the one’s who actually follow where God leads. I think of greats like Martin Luther, John Wesley, Martin Luther king Jr. and Mother Theresa. But I also think of not so greats like the circuit rider whom let God lead him to what I’m sure some thought was a God forsaken wilderness to start a church that became this congregation. What about the people who were led to start the nothing but nets campaign that has sent almost 3 million mosquito nets to Africa now. What about Cadi Trask being led to Africa last summer? What about … well what about you? What are you being led to do? Where are you being led to go? Who are you being led to be. . . by God and for God. Proverbs says “always let him lead you.” I know- easier said than done. But dangerous Christians pray “Lead me, Lord. Lead me.” And then they follow.
USE ME
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
Each of us is a unique tool designed by God to be an implement for God, and for good, if we but place ourselves in the Master Carpenter's hands, and allow ourselves to be used by him.
Sometimes we look at the state of the world around us, and think, even pray, “Lord, do something! Do something about this!” But perhaps our prayer ought to be: “Lord, use me, use me to do something about this!” “Use me, Lord, use my one and only life. Take hold of my head and my heart and my hands, my talents and my resources, my words and my deeds, and use me for your great and glorious purposes!” Now that's a dangerous prayer…and that's a “pray-er” that God can use!
And he will, if you let him. He'll use your words to encourage others. He'll use your mind to instruct and counsel others. He'll use your heart to show kindness to others. He'll use your hands to serve others. And when he does, you will discover the thrill of being a dangerous disciple used by God…A tool in the hands of the Master Carpenter.
SEARCH ME . . . BREAK ME . . . STRETCH ME . . . LEAD ME. . . USE ME. There are no more dangerous prayers than these.
I wonder. . . if companies have to put warning labels on silica Gel and cardboard sunshades. Here we are with one of the world’s greatest powers at our disposal. Do you think we ought to put a warning label on the alter rail so people see it when they kneel to pray. Or maybe on our knees: WARNING SPENDING TIME ON THESE KNEES, MAY BE DANGEROUSLY TRANSFORMING. Or on our hands. WARNING: FOLDING THESE HANDS IN PRAYER MAY CHANGE THE WORLD.
Prayer is not for amateurs. But you are not amateurs. You are God’s chosen. You are the workers God has put in this place. God has given you the gift of prayer. If you don’t pray those dangerous prayers, who will?
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*The “5 dangerous prayers” seem to be attributable to Bill Hybels. Supporting material is original.
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