[0:00] Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn with me to Jeremiah chapter 33. Jeremiah chapter 33. I think we have the potters here with us, missionaries, church planters.
[0:12] Where are they? Okay, glad to have you here tonight. Hold your hand up back here so they know where you are. Y'all make sure and greet them. They're going to Burlington, Vermont, not North Carolina, and they're going to start Queen City Baptist Church, so y'all be sure and talk to them.
[0:27] Go with me, if you would, to Jeremiah chapter 33 and verse 3. I want to be honest with you tonight and say that sometimes we know things in our head that are not true in our heart.
[0:45] We all know the Bible says God answers prayer, but sometimes we don't have God answer prayers. And if we were honest, it might have been a long time since God's answer to prayer in our life.
[0:59] And so it might be that the verse almost mocks us. It says, 33.3, I want you to underline this, I will answer.
[1:16] Why doesn't he answer? I was reading a biography of George Whitefield.
[1:27] It talked about a pastor up north in the northeast. And he said his people were very orthodox in their head and dead in their heart.
[1:42] He said they knew all the right stuff and gave all the right answers, but they didn't live it out. I really think maybe this verse could be like that in our lives.
[1:54] Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. I think if we really believed that, we'd probably be doing quite a bit of calling.
[2:07] If we really believed that God meant that, we'd probably do a lot of calling. But we'd say we'd want to get a hold of him. We have problems with our children.
[2:19] We have problems with our finances. We have problems in our marriage. We have lost friends and family all around us. There's ministry that needs God's hand on it because it's not going to go forward.
[2:34] And we have the promise of a God who says, I will answer prayer. But I know a little bit about him not answering prayer.
[2:46] I've had times in my life when I felt like the ceilings were made out of lead and my prayers bounced back at me. I've had times when I thought the heavens were brass.
[2:59] I may be the only one in this room that ever even knows that. I don't want to have a cold head knowledge. I want a hot heart knowledge.
[3:11] I want God to work in my life. I want God to answer prayer. In James chapter 4 and verse 1, they'll probably keep up with you back there, I'm not sure.
[3:23] But from whence come wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence even of your lust, your desires, that warn your members.
[3:34] You want a lot of stuff. You want things to happen. Look at verse 1 in your Bible. You see, we're all torn up. We're all agitated.
[3:44] We got wars and fightings going on. And where are they from? Because we got a lot of things we want. We want. And we want.
[3:55] And we never quit wanting. And he said, where do they come from? Of your lust. And they're warring in your members. Verse 2, he said, you know, you lust, you want, you desire, you hunger for, but you don't have it.
[4:10] And then you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You're struggling with everything within you to get what you want.
[4:21] These lusts that run around in your heart. But he said, you don't have it because you don't ask. He said, I hear and I answer.
[4:34] He said that. Is that true? Or is that just true up here? You know, there's 12 apostles. There's 12 patriarchs and God answers prayer.
[4:46] And Jerusalem's in Israel. The northern kingdom's Israel. Southern kingdom's Judea. There's 66 books in the Bible. I quote all that. But is it true here?
[4:56] Is God answering my prayer? When's the last time I prayed and God answered? We went through Jeremiah 33, 3 a week ago.
[5:09] Call unto me and I will answer thee. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which you know not.
[5:22] We saw that was to Jewish people. But that promise to answer prayers to us. Look with me if you would at Psalm 34, 17.
[5:34] I'll just give you about three or four verses right quick that you might look up with me just to show you that God has promised to answer prayer. God has promised to answer prayer.
[5:48] What do you need tonight? Is it a health condition? Is it finances? Is it family?
[5:59] Verse 17 Psalm 34, 17 The righteous cry. If you're righteous in the room say amen. See if you're born again you're righteous.
[6:11] Doesn't mean you're good means you've been made good. And when the righteous cry the Lord hears. Underline that.
[6:21] Book of Psalms. The Lord hears and delivers them out of their trouble. That's what it says. Matthew chapter 21 and verse 22 Jesus made bold brash statements that are almost unbelievable.
[6:42] They are so big and so large. I don't have time to show you a lot of things. I would but you know he actually said in one verse in the book of Psalms he said open your mouth wide I'll feel it.
[6:55] Just go ahead and say big stuff I'm big enough. That's what he said. I didn't say it. He said it. Matthew 21 22 all things it says all things all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing you shall receive.
[7:15] He said you pray I'll give it to you. You pray and I'll give it to you. I think we know that in our heads but I'm afraid and we might not know that in our hearts.
[7:32] I just put out it'll come out in your if you follow my gleanings on Facebook the obituary of Mrs. Prayer Meeting she died for lack of interest no one cared no one came it's a really good quote I didn't make it up I found it reading whatsoever you shall ask in prayer go with me Luke 11 9 he's a good father and just watch what it says he'll answer and he'll give to you it's pretty obvious in the Bible he wants you to believe that he hears and answers prayer Luke 11 9 the Bible says and I say unto you ask and it shall be given you look at that ask and it shall be given to you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you verse 10
[8:34] I've underlined these words receives finds opens all positive statements he said everyone that asks receives he said he that seeketh findeth and he that knocketh it shall be opened verse 11 12 he basically says this your daddy's a good guy why don't you think I am that's what he says in 11 12 he said if you used to ask your daddy for bread would he give you a rock well no he wouldn't then why don't you think I answer prayer just read the verses right there for you verse 13 if you then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give you the holy spirit to give the holy spirit to them to ask him so the first thing I want you to notice is he's a prayer hearing prayer answering
[9:38] God I know what you're thinking we all know that you didn't need to come tell us that but we know it here we may not know it here and it might be evidenced by our lack of asking him it said call and I'll answer I have a little bit of a reputation among missionaries if you call I'll answer well God has a bigger reputation he said if you call I'll answer that's pretty good I mean some preachers too big to answer when you call God said I'm not call me I'll answer if you knock I'll open it if you seek you'll find it if you ask you'll receive it why don't we get our prayers answered then here are several reasons that you could go through the Bible with me and Mark I hope it weighs heavy on you tonight I'm worried I'm afraid we're getting to be orthodox and knowledgeable and doctrinal and heady and we don't have much heart we need practical walking with God stuff
[10:57] James chapter 4 in verse 2 he said you have not because you ask not but in verse 3 he said sometimes you don't ask what I want you to ask so the first thing in prayer according to what the Holy Spirit wrote down and we believe with all of our hearts this stuff is what the Holy Spirit wrote down we know that in our heads now let's believe in our hearts he said in verse 3 you ask I told you you don't have it because you don't ask he said but some of you do ask and I still don't do it some of you do ask and I still don't do it because you ask amiss because you don't ask the right thing you ask because you're selfish and you want it for yourself you ask because you lust after and you hunger for it and I don't want to do it not what I like I'm really not about you I'm about me that's what God would say he said he's a jealous God he said you ask but you ask wrongly if you would go with me to
[11:58] Psalm 106 in verse 13 he gives us a good illustration of that did you know that sometimes God will actually give you what you want when he don't want you to have it and he'll make your purse fat and your soul skinny and I'm afraid we may have that amongst us fat wallets skinny hearts fat blessings and skinny hearts just reading the Bible that's what we do here Psalm 106 13 they soon forget his works they forgot what God had done they waited not for his counsel they didn't even go ask God what he wanted they just do what they want to do they got their own mind made up you know James explained that to us he said y'all lust it's fighting inside of you you wanting stuff verse 14 they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness they wanted a lot of stuff they were desiring a lot of stuff and they tempted
[13:12] God in the desert basically they told God you know you're a big God but I don't know if you you don't see me can you can you even spread a table in the wilderness you might just flood a red sea you might kill all of Egypt's wealth and gods but are you that big they tempted him they tested him they challenged him verse 15 he gave them their request and then he said he sent leanness to their soul if you got your Bible open there just for me in my study I think it happened because in verse 13 they forgot he was doing stuff and they didn't ask him what he wanted and they said this is what we want and he said well I love you so much I just going to give it to you but it's not going to help you see if you pray outside the will of God he might even give it to us but he might not be that happy that he gave it to us
[14:15] I think the hardest thing about what we do is the news gone you get saved and then you live forever man I got saved in 1962 that's a long time ago that's a long time ago and so if I'm not careful I forget all God's done and I quit seeking what God wants I start doing what I want I don't want that leanness first John 5 14 he said and this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us whatsoever we ask we know we have the petitions that we desired of him so the first reason that just for us to look at tonight there's plenty of reasons I won't mention tonight but the first thing is we don't ask according to
[15:19] God's will we don't come submissive and say God what do you want we come heads high chest out fat wallet and desiring and God's like I just don't want to your prayers and if I do there'll be leanness second thing I'd show you tonight you know if you have a messed up home God might not be answering your prayers you know you can come to church and look good and act good but look at 1 Peter 3 7 see he said call on me and I will answer but I have called and he didn't answer and I think maybe a couple of you maybe possibly have endured the same embarrassment you knew he would but he didn't 1
[16:19] Peter 3 7 he said likewise ye husbands dwell with them he's talking to wives according to knowledge giving honor unto the wife as under the weaker vessel that that weaker vessel there is the more fragile vessel it's like the fine china and not the everyday pottery treat her like she's somebody and treat her like she's an heir together underline that see you gotta understand that verse doesn't make much sense to us but 100 years ago women didn't get to vote not much longer before that they didn't get to inherit and in Jesus day they were a piece of property bought sold owned and Jesus that ain't the way it works in my place in my place your wife's like equal she gets she share and share alike she mine too pretty sweet stuff amen you think on that airs together you just go back 200 years ago think about where these ladies might have been heirs together of the grace of life
[17:33] Mormons wife can't go to heaven if she don't marry a good Mormon man and that's the way it works in Jesus kingdom he said I just say boys and girls alike they're heirs together he said but he said if you don't dwell with her according to knowledge if you don't give honor to her and you don't treat her like she's precious you don't realize she's an heir together with you your prayers just might be hindered I don't know how far this goes but you know if I was a wife and wasn't doing what I ought to do or a husband not doing what I ought to do or dad not doing what I do with my kids I think I think about this first God's up in heaven saying I'd like to answer your prayer but go in and make up with your wife and then we'll talk you've been a little bit of a bully you've been jerking her around and I don't like it you've been getting angry with her and thinking you have a right to because you're the man of the house
[18:37] God's like I don't like that you want to talk to me first go in there kiss your wife make up me we'll talk am I off go with me if you would to Hebrews 11 6 I think a third reason that God doesn't answer prayers we don't believe I have a problem with this I'm just going to be honest with you I have preached a lot of times there are times I just wonder if God's going to do it there are times I wonder if God is that worried about me there are times that I get kind of weak in the faith and Hebrews 11 6 that we have read many times here says without faith it's impossible to please him we all go yeah we know that in our head but it says because if you're going to come to God if you're going to pray if you're going to talk to God you got to really believe he's there you know
[19:38] I sometimes think we come to church we sit in here and it's like we're good dutiful south south american or south yes south eastern american I know we're not in south america that was a senile moment there and we're cultural christians we didn't really come to hear from God tonight we came to hear a bible study God's like no no no no it's about me he said it's impossible to please him for he that comes to God must believe circle he is you know he said when they said what's your name he said I am what's your last name I am that I am that who I am I am I ain't gonna be and wasn't I am no ain't in there by the way he is but not only is he there he is a rewarder he's like you know
[20:42] I really want you to come talk to me and I really want you to pray and I really want you to call on me because I will answer but if you're gonna call on me would you mind believe in it when you call there are people you know nowadays you don't call somebody if you call them they won't answer you got to text them say if it's hard I'm gonna call you and then when you do call them you gotta say is a good time because you just can't talk to people anymore not like it used to be you know you got a phone you call them they answer but nowadays they don't want to and that's how we do Jesus we're like I don't know if he'll pick up or not I don't know if he'll answer or not and if he does answer I doubt he'll do what I ask my granddaughter doesn't think that that little brat comes in my office she comes over and hugs me he says can I get M&M's I just one time think I'm going to go no I think
[21:45] I'm just going to do it because when she says it she's already halfway there it's like I came to get my M&M's I gave you the hug I'm picking up my M&M's these kids are going to come in the office and get their suckers you'd be amazed they have no qualms they don't even speak to me they just know I'm in there and I got suckers Mark 6 5 he said Jesus could do no mighty work because of their unbelief and he marveled I can't believe it Matthew 13 58 he said he didn't do many mighty works because of their unbelief we also hold on to sin that might be another reason he doesn't answer them Psalm 66 18 says if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord won't hear me you know the Lord wants to talk first you can't come in there full of bitterness and unforgiveness and selfish living and open rebellion and ask for stuff you come in there saying you know
[22:58] I love you I want to do what you want me to do how much are we holding on to bitterness and selfishness God may not answer our prayers the way we'd like him to we got Bible examples and so just real quickly look at Abraham Abraham had a promise from God just like I can open the Bible and find a promise from God and God and you just keep believing me if you read Romans 4 along with this you find that God said Abraham believed him God told him he's going to have children as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore and God waited until he was an old dead man just about before he ever did it sometimes you pray and you might have quit praying as you asked and he didn't seem to answer but if Abraham had done that and waited 10 years to give up or 20 years to give up or 30 years to give up you get the idea how about some
[24:05] Hebrew children sometimes he said I'm going to answer but probably not the way you want me to because I doubt the Hebrew children really wanted to be snatched up and thrown in the fiery furnace I think they probably were saying we will not bow and we don't care what you do our God can deliver us if he wants to if you read the verse they actually go he can not sure he's going to but he can I pretty well believe they thought we just prayed to heaven and he'll get us out of it but he didn't he got them through it or how about Paul Paul said the Lord he said I want you to take this thorn out of my flesh the Lord said no I'm not going to do it Paul went back and said I ask you for the thorn to be removed I appreciate if you go ahead and do it God said I ain't doing it he goes back to him a third time says now God I I've asked you and you said call and you would answer you said that didn't you and you said if
[25:07] I knock you'll open it you said if I ask you'll answer I'll receive and you're not doing it and God said well I got a better answer that thorn is keeping you humble so I can use you so just get with it sometimes God says no some attitudes that we ought to have if we really want God to answer prayer Jesus had it God in human flesh said not my will but thine he went to God and said I'm here to pray and I know you hear and answer because I'll ask because I know you answer but I'm only doing it because everybody is watching me pray but God I want you to do this but whatever you won't I'm not sure I pray that often I think maybe when we pray we ought to say God is there anything in me you won't change in Psalm 139 23 it says search me oh 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 everlasting
[26:17] God said or God told the psalmist to write down God you just look me over and find out if I'm where I ought to be the story is told that D.L.
[26:29] Moody was going to have a revival meeting and evangelistic campaign and he asked everybody to pray and this lady said well you know I don't have any things to confess and get right with God and he said lady just start guessing you'll most of us could figure out something could be their sin we should give thanks when we pray that's what Paul said he did if you remember he said Lord told me he wasn't going to take it out so now I glory in what he didn't take out tonight I am scared that Austin Gardner and the sweet people of vision are becoming too intelligent we know too much probably everybody in this room could have done a better job and gotten more verses and said better stuff than
[27:43] I could about prayer we all know it here don't you want to know it here don't you want God to hear and answer prayer wouldn't it be a sad situation to get to heaven and God go that's a ton of junk I was going to do for you but I didn't do it because you never did ask me I have big stuff for you if you never ask he said call I will answer call I will answer some of us might just be holding on to sin and won't admit it some of us just might have gotten lazy because the last time we prayed he didn't answer as we kind of got we've lost hope lost faith given up maybe tonight the Holy Spirit saying to you time to get that right let's be a praying people heads bowed your eyes closed
[28:47] I really want to see you make a decision tonight I really want to challenge you to say search me oh God and know my heart and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me I think tonight we ought to go to him and say I haven't been believing you I've been doubting you I haven't been thanking you like I should I haven't been accepting your will over my will and I don't want you to do anything because I'm telling you to I believe the Holy Spirit may be the one speaking to us would you let him work would you do that now I want God to work in our lives I want God to do something Father in heaven
[29:47] I love you and I praise you and I magnify you and I just pray that you would do a work God I want to be a believer in you I want to come to you with a clean heart I want to be praying Oh Holy Spirit of God help us as your children lift up their hearts to you and they don't even know how to pray tonight but they have you and you hear an answer God work in our midst we love you