thank you Andy great job
well this morning I want to finish up this series
a four part series we started a number of weeks ago
about prayer enemies of prayer
and this morning I'm going to add two to that list
we've talked so far about six enemies of prayer
and when I say prayer I don't mean just
you know bowing our heads and praying for a moment
but really having an effective prayer life
and my guess is that a lot of you in this room
if you had sat down and given it some thought
taken an hour or so and said well
what do you think he's going to talk about
you would have named some of these that I've named
and so it came as no surprise to you
I'm going to mention two this morning however that might
there are two this morning I'm going to talk about
that probably a lot of you in this room
wouldn't have said necessarily would have come to your mind
when you think about enemies of prayer
but I think you'll see they may be two of our fiercest enemies
that we've talked about yet
the first believe it or not is success
if you ever thought about how success in life
could actually be a hindrance to your being effective in prayer
believe me you're going to see in just a moment
it can be now I want to be real clear about this
I hope everyone in this room considers themselves successful
you know humility is not having a bad self image and think
well you know I'm just no good to anybody
that's not humility
that's not true humility
so I hope you look at yourself
and I hope you have enjoyed success in your life
and it doesn't mean because you're successful
you can't have an effective prayer life
I hope many of you have been successful in parenting
I hope many of you have been successful in marriage
that you're successful in being a grandparent
that you're successful in your job
you're successful perhaps in some area of interest
that you hold in life
there's nothing wrong with success
so don't hear me saying that this morning
I just want to caution you
that success can be
and often is
a real hindrance to prayer
let me show you what I mean
if you have your Bibles
look with me to Proverbs chapter 30
Proverbs chapter 30
and we're going to look at verse 8
the latter part
and then verse 9
and then we're going to go to another text
in just a moment
but look at Proverbs chapter 30
verse 8 and verse 9
the writer of Proverbs
he's asking God
for two things
and I want you to
note what these two things are
this is what he says
give me neither
poverty or wealth
I want you to think about that for a moment
that sounds pretty noble right
on the front end
give me neither poverty nor wealth
don't let me starve to death
don't let me have to scramble
to find something to eat
to have shelter over my head
please God
don't leave me in a state of poverty
but also
don't give me wealth
now probably we'd be
way more hesitant
about praying that second part
right
God don't make me
wealthy
but that's what he
prays
and then he
adds this
feed me
with the food
I need
now
a lot of us in this room
kind of think
of ourselves
as being in that category
we think
well you know what
really that's not so unusual
that's kind of how I am
I just want enough
to get by
right
I bet many of you
in this room have said
I don't care
a thing in the world
about being
rich
I really just don't want
to be rich
I don't have to have
wealth
it's not something
that's really
important to me
now some of you
said something contrary
to that one time
or another
right
you said
well I hope one day
I'm really rich
and really wealthy
I found as we get older
as we age in life
we realize it's not
going to happen
a lot of us
kind of get over that
and we say
you know what
I don't have to be
wealthy
I don't have to have
everything
we want enough
to get by
you ever say
anything like that
I just need enough
to get by
I just want to live
comfortably
right
well
I want to tell you
I'm not sure
we're being as honest
in our assessment
of that
as we
want to pretend
we are
because
what the writer
says here is
I just need
enough
all I need
is enough
to get by
today
if you follow
that line of thinking
it's not necessarily
being comfortable
it's simply
having enough
to cover
today's
needs
how many of us
in this room
honestly can say
when we die
we hope we die
just two or three minutes
before our
banking account
is deplete
because that's
what it is
to have
just enough
to get
by
right
you die
and you don't
have anything
left over
you don't
have anything
to leave
family
or friends
or
a charity
that you'd like
to perhaps
leave in your will
you just
die
and there's
nothing left
over
that's what
this prayer
is about
just give me
enough
for today
so
when we think
about that
we say
well you know
maybe you don't
cut it quite
that close
you know
let's
live
comfortably
but what he
prays for
is just enough
to get by
who would pray
a prayer like that
don't surprise you
Solomon prays it
and of course
you know about
Solomon
and he tells us
why he prays it
look at the very
next verse
otherwise
I might have
too much
and deny you
saying
who is the
Lord
or
am I
still
profaning
the name
of my
God
you know
what he's
saying
he's saying
the problem
with having
too much
is
I'll come
to place
I'll say
who is the
Lord
in other
words
who needs
him
who needs
God
in your life
if you got
everything
and you can
meet every
challenge
that ever
arises
by just
reaching in
your back
pocket
and pulling
out your
wallet
who needs
God
so God
don't give
me so much
that I become
independent of you
and self-sufficient
and I don't need
you in my life
but Lord
here's the other
thing
I don't want to be
tempted to have
to steal food
I don't have to
be tempted to
take from
someone else
what is not
mine
and thereby
profane your name
or break your law
that's what he's
talking about
and so Lord
I don't want to
fall in either
one of those
categories
I want just
enough
in other words
I don't really
want to be
that successful
now I'm going to
tell you
if anybody
could write this
and know about
this
it was King
Solomon
when you read
about Solomon
in Chronicles
and Kings
I want to tell you
many of you read
Forbes magazine
Fortune 500
some of you in this
room keep up
with that kind of
stuff and
and boy you know
who are the ten
richest people in
the world and
where they live
and all that kind
of stuff
you've never read
about any human
being who
succeeded in life
financially as
much as King
Solomon
when you read
Chronicles and
Kings and about
his wealth I'm
telling you it is
opulent wealth it
is mind-blowing you
think to yourself
how could anyone
have a mask when
you read about his
stables and the
palace he was
greater than the
temple he built in
Jerusalem for God
when you read about
his wealth you just
say man that's just
awful that's crazy
kind of money and
boy he had it he
lived an opulent
lifestyle and I
think as he's
writing this he's
thinking back at
times perhaps when
that wealth didn't
serve him well but
this guy's got money
he had a thousand
wives a lot of us
have trouble
supporting one
right I mean I
had a film in
church a while back
that he his credit
card got stolen and
he didn't report it
he told me for six
months because he
found out the guy
that stole it was
spending less than
his wife was right
so here's a guy
that's true by the
way I mean it's
true he told me
that's not true she
spends like that
anyhow here's a guy
who says boy there
is danger in having
too much we need
just enough to get
by because he
recognized what
happened in his
life was this he
himself turned away
from God when he
started out he had a
whole heart for God
but by the time he
finished he had
turned his back to
some degree on the
things he'd been
taught in his youth
I want you to look
at a second passage
go with me to the
book of Revelation
chapter 3 and let
me set this up for
you in Revelation
chapter 2 and 3
this is known as the
seven letters to the
churches of Asia
minor Jesus is
speaking to John
and he's going to
dictate seven letters
he will send to these
seven churches in Asia
minor now many of
you probably most of
you in this room are
somewhat familiar with
these seven letters
you know this already
these seven letters are
strikingly similar in
form not in content
the content of every
letter is unique and
individual and
different from one to
the next but the form
is almost identical he
begins with a greeting
from the Lord Jesus
Christ depicting Jesus
in a certain fashion
that is appropriate for
that city in every
individual letter he
then talks about what
he knows about them and
he either commends
them or he is critical
of them in every single
letter he makes a
promise to them at the
end of every one of
these letters I want
you to hear what he
says to the church at
Laodicea let me just
preface this by telling
you this this is the
letter in which there
is not one word of
commendation he doesn't
say anything good about
this church in Laodicea
everything in this
letter is of a critical
nature look with me to
chapter 3 and verse 14
and here's what we find
to the angel of the
church in Laodicea
write the amen the
faithful and true witness
the originator of God's
creation says I know
your works that you are
neither cold nor hot I
wish that you were cold
or hot now everybody in
this room has heard this
passage right you've heard
it read you read it
yourself you've studied it
you've heard sermons about
it I'm fearful when we
come to this passage
sometimes we bring our
thinking modern thinking to
bear on the words of Jesus
and misunderstand what he's
saying for instance let me
give you an example how
many of you have ever
attended a church where
there just wasn't much
spirit or much life I mean
it just it was just dull and
boring and you left there and
as you left you turned to
your spouse and you said
something like this man that
place didn't have much life in
it right have you ever said
something like this it was as
cold as a milkshake in there
I mean I don't tell you I
preach in some of those
places right I mean it's dead
as three o'clock it was it was
just lifeless it was cold there
was no warmth of spirit that
place just isn't on fire and
then you've been to that place at
some time in your life where man
they preach the word of God and
the singing is uplifting and
there's the spirit of God that's
moving in that place and we
say something like this when we
leave there man that place was
on fire I mean those people are
on fire for God the fires of
revival are burning in that
church you ever heard those
expressions as a result I'll
tell you something it taints our
thinking about this passage because
what we have the tendency to think
is this that hot is good and cold
is bad but I want you to look at
the passage that's not what Jesus
says he says you're neither hot nor
cold you're in the middle you're
tepid you're lukewarm you're neither
hot nor cold I wish you were one or
the other Jesus is not saying I wish
you were good or bad why would he
want them to be bad you understand
that so what he's saying is this both
are good to be hot is good and to be
cold is good but you're not either
you're lukewarm and that's good for
absolutely nothing now what does he
mean both are good because you see
we got to divorce it from how we think
in that spiritual realm about hot and
cold have you ever been out working in
the yard and it's 95 degrees and your
wife comes out and she has pity on you
and brings you a glass of cold lemonade
boy doesn't that taste good you're
outside and you come inside and it's
air conditions blowing and it feels so
good and it's so refreshing just kind of
revives you when you felt like you're
going to pass out or it's cold and you
go inside and it's warm and cozy and you
sit by the fire hot is good and cold is
good but lukewarm it's just in between
it's absolutely nothing and that's what
Jesus is saying here in verse 14 15 and
16 look at verse 16 so because you are
lukewarm and neither hot nor cold I'm
going to vomit you out of my mouth now I
want to tell you you've heard that all
your life you've heard the sermon
preached this passage preached but I
think sometimes we just kind of hurry
through this we don't really think
about it do you realize how repulsive
an image that is your eyes how
offensive that is to say to someone
imagine tomorrow at work your boss does
something that just really ticks you
off how many gonna walk into his office
30 minutes later and say you know what
I just want to tell you something you
make me vomit better be careful about
that one right because he probably
gonna throw you out of his office try
this today when you go home guys your
wife works real hard she puts the meal
on the table you take five six seven
bites out of it you turn to and say
hmm this makes me want to puke you think
you get by all that very long boy it's
pretty offensive thing to say to
somebody you make me want to vomit and
that's what Jesus says now get this these
are not people we would think of as being
his enemies these seven letters are to the
seven churches of Asia minor this is one
of his churches he has loved and died
for and he says to this church you make
me sick well I'm gonna tell you if he says
that to the church the way out of Asia we
ought to pause real carefully and say what
in the world would make Jesus say
something like that I mean that's so
unlike Jesus it's so uncharacteristic of
Jesus to say something so repulsive is
that what is it in the world they have
done that is so offended our Lord well
look at the very next line if you will
verse 17 because you say I am rich I have
become wealthy and need nothing picture
of arrogance isn't it and you don't know
that you are wretched and pitiful poor
poor blind and naked let me tell you about
these people in Laodicea the church of
Laodicea if you had looked at all seven
of these churches this is where the fat
cats were this is the wealthy church this
is the one that has all the money they
need it was a banking community they dealt
often in gold they had three primary
things they made their living from banking
the production of clothing this white
garment and an eye salve they ship this
eye salve for medical purposes to other
communities in Asia Minor Jesus capitalizes
on that and this is what he says he says
when I look at you I see how you see
yourselves now you understand we see
ourselves one way someone else sees us a
different way oftentimes right we can be
delusional and this is what they see we're
doing just fine our bank accounts are full we
got more than enough money all the goal we
could ever want we're producing this white
garment look at us man check out these
threads I am really dressed to the nines
right what about my vision nothing wrong
with my vision we've got this eye salve we
produce and I can see perfectly we're on top
of our game that's what they see when they
look in the mirror and see themselves but
here's what Jesus sees he says when I see
you I see people who are poverty stricken
he's talking about spiritually bankrupt
people he says when I look at you I see
people who are in rags you're naked and
you don't know it remember that children's
book we read to our kids the king who
thought he'd been convinced by this fellow
that he had these beautiful clothes but
really he's standing there absolutely naked
for the people and he says you think you
see so well but you know what I see I see
somebody who is blind and miserable and
naked now I just want to ask you you kind
of upset you and alarm you and cause you
pause to wonder how God looks at us today
we see ourselves one way does God look at
us another you see when you're on top of the
world and you got everything going for you
and you're successful in life as the world
measures success it's pretty easy to get
arrogant and think we never say this out
loud in church we really just don't need
you very much you say well we never think
that here at first pickings well let me
just caution about something it'd be pretty
easy to think that because after all look
at your building I mean look at this
facility their church is out there meeting
that all over this countryside who don't
have a secondary place who don't have a
primary place to worship as nice as this is
let alone your primary house of worship I
mean that's a beautiful beautiful edifice over
there and it's as pretty as any place I've ever
preached it's gorgeous right and look at your
pastors you've had you've got a history of
having had great pastors Fred one of my dear
friends there's not a better pastor in South
Carolina it'd be pretty easy wouldn't it say you
know what we have got some good preaching here at
first pickings and not only that we've had a
history of it going way way way back and what
about your music I mean I've told Brian any
number of times I'd rather work with him and
about anybody I know he just he is gifted in
music your pianist the instrumentalist the
choir I'm not blowing smoke at you this one
I'm telling you you've got an outstanding
music program and I've heard many of you say
we are loaded with town here at first
Baptist Church of Pickings right and I know
this about you you've got good key leaders and
the people in the church love each other and
that's a wonderful thing but I just want to
caution you about something it'd be pretty easy
to say well Lord you know what we don't really
need to depend on you that much we've kind of got
this I mean we're we're kind of good to go we got
good preaching good music good leaders good
building we're meeting our budget everything's
everything's cooked we're rock along just fine right
success can do you in in terms of prayer listen to
what Jesus goes on to tell them I advise you verse 18 to
buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be
rich and white clothes so that you may be dressed and
your shameful nakedness not be exposed and ornament to
spread on your eyes so that you may see as many as I love I
rebuke and discipline so be committed and repent now verse
20 get this listen I stand at the door and not if anyone hears
my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and we'll
have dinner with him and he with me verse 20 in my estimation is
one of the verses in the New Testament that is misinterpreted as
much as any verse in the entire New Testament in fact I don't mean to be a
offensive to you today but probably many of you in this room I'd be surprised
if many of you in this room have not used this verse in an incorrect
fashion let me tell you why I say that when we read that verse most of us our
minds go back to that time in revival when somebody came and said Jesus is
knocking at your heart's door and if you will just open your life to him and
open your heart to him he will come in and he will save you and he will give you
eternal life because Jesus wants you to be saved and he's knocking at your heart
and he's not going to force his way into your life but if you'll open that door
the latches on the outside you've heard all those things and he'll just come in to
you I want to tell you something spiritually that's true
Jesus wants men and women to be saved he'll not force himself upon you he's inviting you in the
book of revelation other places to come to him but here's the cold hard truth that's not what this
verse is about Jesus is not talking to an individual and he's not talking to people who are lost he's
talking to his church remember that and the door he's knocking at is not the door of your heart
it's the door of the church you got to ask yourself what would bother him so much that he says i
want to vomit you out of my mouth you make me sick it nauseates you here's what it is he's on the outside of
his church looking in instead of on the inside directing the life of the church they have shut him out you
know why they have shut him out because they have become all sufficient we've got everything we need
we're okay and i'm going to tell you something there are a lot of churches around the country today
mostly the successful ones who are suffering from that same exact problem because god at one time they
were dependent on him and god blessed and with that blessing they became arrogant and they came to the
place that they said god we don't really need you anymore we're capable of running the show on our own
and god has been left out of the church i believe all this country this morning there are places where
people are meeting and sermons are being preached and singing is taking place and god is standing on the
outside looking on the inside wanting in could that have happened here at first baptist church of pickens
you say well no no we really do pray really look at all the things you do and then ask yourself this
how much time do we spend praying and how much time do we spend entertaining and meeting and doing all the
other things that we do you see success can sneak up on it's happened to me in my life before
where with one victory and another victory and another victory it's pretty easy to think you know
what we got this we know how to do this and we thereby exclude god from the picture all together
let me mention a final enemy of prayer and i close and this one likewise is going to surprise you
perhaps not only a successful life but an ordinary life james chapter five before the guys put it on
the screen don't put it on the screen just yet guys and before you turn to it let me just ask you
how many of you in this room know what james chapter five those verses i talked about verse 13 and
following are about does anybody here know i'm sure i'm betting half of you you don't trust yourself to
say it but i'm betting at least half of you probably know what james five is about you know what it's
about you're not going to say are you but i know you know it it's about prayer he's going to cite elijah
as an example and he's going to say here's why you ought to pray because look how elijah prayed and what
resulted from that prayer right but here's my question if prayer is so effective and we need god
to answer prayer why don't we pray that's what this series has been about why don't we pray what
are the hindrances to prayer the enemies of prayer can i tell you the biggest reason we don't pray and
none of us want to hear this i don't even want to say this but it's true it's because we see so few
prayers answered isn't that right because if we were seeing prayers answered all the time we'd be
encouraged and we'd say well let's just pray more that's what happened in acts chapter two
the more they prayed the more god did the more god did the more they prayed but we suffer from the
opposite we pray and we don't see anything and so as a result we say what's the use so we pray these
little namby pamby prayers and we're content to do that and just move right along saying hey we'll
handle all this ourselves well let me show you what the problem was look at james five go ahead and put
it on the screen and turn to it if you have your bible james 5 verse 17 elijah was a man with a nature
like ours i like that you know what that means he was ordinary just like we are he put his pants on
same way you do he got up in the morning did everything he did throughout the day went to bed
got up the next morning he's an ordinary guy yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain
and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land then he prayed again and the sky gave
rain and the land produced its fruit if you want to understand the scripture clearly can i give you a tip
on something one of the things i do is this and i'm i was blessed to be able to to do this because
i'm not a quick study like a lot of you i was a slow reader so i just read things real slow and as i'd
read them i'd stop and think well what would that do what would that be like and try to insert myself in
that situation and just flesh it out we read this so quickly we miss it do you hear what he said he
prayed it wouldn't rain for three and a half years and it didn't rain not two weeks not a month
not three months not six months three and a half years and we've had some droughts in south carolina
remember a few years ago i can remember that weather map and it had us all in red you know how long it
didn't rain about two and a half months two and a half months you multiply that to where it's three
and a half years you've never seen a drought in south carolina three and a half years do you know
what it would do it would devastate i don't mean it would hurt it would devastate our economy there
wouldn't be a creek bed around that had a drop of water in it our lake levels would plunge like you
have never seen before remember that drought we had back somewhere in the early teens 2012 13 14
owned a lake house down on lake hartwood small little place shallow lot bad for that drought
i'm gonna tell you they could have clemson could have played a football game between my dock and
where the water began right i mean it was long long long way out there to where the water was you
remember driving over there that was about a two or three month drought can you imagine how lakes would
dry up there wouldn't be anything green in the upstate how would that affect agriculture well you'd lose
tomatoes and beans and soybeans and all that but let me tell you something else every cattle farmer
because they couldn't afford to buy hay they'd have trouble even finding if they could buy it and afford
it they'd be selling off all their cattle prices would go through the roof you could go to the grocery
store and not find groceries that's what happened in israel it didn't rain for three and a half years you
know why god was bringing ahab in israel to their knees he wanted to get ahab's attention and bring him
absolutely to his knees and so he says he prays and for three and a half years it doesn't rain
why did this ordinary guy pray and god did incredible things and we pray and nothing happens
well i gotta be honest with you i purposefully left out verse 16b i want you to look at that text
read verse 16b the intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful
the intense prayer that's part of it fervent prayer the righteous is very very powerful
the other thing is this the righteous this was an ordinary man in terms of he was a human being
like all of us but i want to tell you something and this is part i hope you'll get as i bring the
message to a close there was nothing ordinary about elijah's spiritual life at all he was an ordinary
flesh and blood human being but i'm going to tell you something his spiritual life was exemplary
it was extraordinary i mean this is a guy who listened to the voice of god obeyed the voice of god was
obedient to god lived a holy separated consecrated dedicated pure life and i just wonder is that the problem we
have i wonder if today in the church we have become so ordinary we look like everybody out there in the world
in fact can i tell you something there are a lot of churches working their hardest to try to convince the world
we're just like you there are a ton of churches out there selling themselves today on this idea you can
come here and be comfortable because we're just like you we're no different than you are
i'm going to tell you something when people come in the church of the place they look just like
everybody they pass on the street boy something is bad wrong with the church our language shouldn't be
the language of the people on the street our actions shouldn't be the actions of the people on the
street our holiness and purity shouldn't be like the purity and the holiness of the average guy on the
street i'm not talking about living a puritanical legalistic life i'm talking about a life that's simply
dedicated to god that says hey you know what i'm going to listen to god i'm going to obey him i'm not
going to be influenced by my culture i'm going to influence my culture i close by reading you this verse
in isaiah look at isaiah 59 1 and 2 surely the arm of the lord is not too short to save
that's what isaiah writes he says surely the arm of the lord is not too short to save he can reach us it's
not he's got a short withered arm and he's incapable of reaching us nor his ears too dull for hearing
some of you are going through a stage in life right now you've gotten older and you don't hear as well
you need hearing aids right and your grandchildren they speak to you and they say boy papa
dad mom they need some hearing aids that they can't their ears dull their hearing's dull
and isaiah saying surely god's arm is not too short that he can't reach us and surely his hearing is
not so dull he's not so ancient he hasn't been here so long that he doesn't hear us and this is what he
says no but your iniquities have separated you from your god and your sins have or your sins have hidden his
face from you so that he will not hear isaiah concludes this
yes
he says no the reason we're being punished god's not listening to us pray
it's not because he can't hear us he can't see us he doesn't know we're in need
it's because we have so much sin in our lives we have become repulsive to him
and we're just not holy and pure and so i'm going to tell you something until we address our own
spiritual poverty the real problem and need in our life he's not going to be concerned about these other
things about which we're praying
i'm telling you that if you haven't already come to know this
we've got much bigger fish to fry spiritually than most of the things that we pray about
we're far far in greater spiritual poverty than even we know
do you realize how much the world has impacted the church how much we look like people everywhere
else in the world do people see anything about your life that they say well you know what that's
somebody who's dedicated to god i don't mean they said that guy you know he follows this bunch of rules
and regulations no not that kind of thing i'm saying they just know there goes a man who is
holy committed pure clean heart clean spirit clean mouth clean life he's dedicated to god i'm
going to tell you something either james lied or what he said is true the effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much and that may just be your problem and my problem that we don't fit that
category anymore there's a way to fix that it's not an easy path but you know what the path is
is it's recognizing that about yourself recognizing that the world has influenced you and impacted you
that you're not as sold out to god as you once were and it's a path of repentance that leads to
confession where we fall on our face and we say oh god i want to know the truth about me i don't want to
look in that fake mirror anymore that causes me to look one way the way the i'd like to see myself i
want to see what you see would you dare to ask yourself that during this invitation time brian's
going to come and he's going to lead us in a song a beautiful song just as i am listen would you ask god
god show me right now in these verses we'll sing show me just how i am to you let me see the truth about
me i don't want to i don't want to live in the dark anymore i don't want to be delusional anymore
i want to know what you see when you look at me let's stand he's going to sing you pray if you need
to come here the front you do that if you want to just kneel right there at your seat or sit there
at your seat you just do business with god
just as i am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me
and that thou bidst me come to thee
oh lamb of god
i come
just as i am
and waiting
to rid
my soul
of one
dark
blood
to thee
whose blood
can cleanse
each spot
oh lamb
of god
i come