SERMON: SEEING SPIRITUALLY

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in your Bibles to Ephesians 6:10-13

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

            -- for the past couple of weeks, we’ve been watching the third season of the Netflix show, “Stranger Things” -- I am not a fan of scary movies -- I don’t like horror films, and I tend to avoid supernatural shows, especially ones that portray supernatural evil events -- so, I was a little leery of this show when it first came out in 2016 -- but when I learned that the original concept was to create a show reminiscent of the supernatural movies and shows from the 1980s that I grew up with -- shows like Poltergeist, Ghostbusters, and The Goonies -- I decided to give it a chance

            -- if you haven’t seen it, the show is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s -- Hawkins is a small town, and everything in the show is just so familiar to those of us who grew up in the 80s -- they captured the pop culture and the feel of the 1980s perfectly in this show -- watching it, I’m reminded of what it was like to be young in that time

            -- the series revolves around a group of young friends whose lives get affected by paranormal experiments being conducted secretly in their town by the U.S. Government

            -- not to give too much of the plot away, but in the show, the Government unintentionally discovers a portal to another dimension, called “the upside-down” -- it’s a place that looks just like Hawkins, where these kids live -- the same buildings -- the same trees -- the same environment -- it’s recognizable, but it’s different

            -- the upside-down is dark and scary and just feels wrong -- instead of being inhabited by people, it’s inhabited by evil forces, whose hatred of the people of Hawkins is just palpable

            -- as the show progresses and the characters begin to realize the existence of this unseen dimension in their midst, they move back and forth between the two worlds to battle the evil that is threatening their community and their friends

            -- the reason I’m telling you all of this is not to get you to go watch the show -- but I’m bringing this up because as I was watching the show this week, it struck me how the “upside-down” they portray in this story is a perfect illustration of a spiritual reality that we should all be aware of and keep in our minds as we seek to follow Christ in our day-to day

            -- a couple of weeks ago, we looked at this passage from Ephesians 6 where Paul talks about putting on the armor of God -- our focus in that message was on the need for prayer in our lives and how this was one of the two weapons that Paul talks about as being part of the Christian’s armor -- the second weapon being the sword of the Spirit -- the word of God

            -- this morning, I wanted to call your attention to the opening of this passage where Paul talks about the reason why we should put on the armor of God in the first place, because this is where the spiritual reality I was just talking about is realized

            -- we read here that we are to put on the full armor of God and to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes -- the image that Paul is giving us in this whole passage is one of a battlefield -- of a warrior standing against a foe who is seeking to defeat him -- and that’s a powerful image we need to get firmly fixed in our minds

            -- we have an enemy -- the Bible is clear that we have a spiritual enemy who seeks to kill and steal and destroy -- who hates us with all his being -- -- in 1 Peter 5:8, we read that our enemy is the devil and that he prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour  -- the devil is our enemy and he wants nothing more than to bring harm to the kingdom of God by hurting us or by keeping us from being and doing what God wants us to do

             -- that enemy is real, and that is why Paul counsels us here in Ephesians to stand in the power of God with the full armor of God protecting us from the schemes of the devil -- from the plans of the devil to harm us

            -- Paul goes on to tell us here that, therefore, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers -- against the authorities -- against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms -- and that’s the spiritual reality I want you to get firmly fixed in your mind this morning

            -- there is an unseen dimension that is affecting our lives in this world today, much like the upside-down in the Stranger Things series affected the people living in Hawkins, Indiana

            -- this unseen dimension is there and it’s real -- the Bible tells us that -- but because we can’t readily see it, we tend to forget about it, and focus all our time and energy only on what we can see with our worldly eyes -- so, even for us as Christians, we see reality as being only found in the earthly realm we live in

            -- that’s why when we see evil in this world, we blame it on the source that we can see -- when you hear about violence and crime on the nightly news, you blame it solely on the people who did it -- when we see atrocities or injustice imposed on citizens of a foreign land, we blame it solely on their leaders or their government or their way of life

            -- and because we are only focusing on what we can see with our worldly eyes, when we look for answers to these problems, we only focus on what we can see and touch and feel and do in this world

            -- that’s why this passage from Ephesians is so important -- it is a reminder to us that the battles we face in life -- the true source of all of this evil and injustice and wrong-doing in our world -- is not the flesh and blood we see

            -- it’s part of a larger spiritual battle coming from the devil’s schemes against us and put into place by the rulers and authorities and powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms

            -- that’s the reality I am wanting you to see today -- that’s the reality I was reminded of while I was watching Stranger Things -- the people in Hawkins were being faced with an evil that was coming against them, but they didn’t know it -- they didn’t see it -- they could only see what was on the surface -- and, so, they couldn’t do anything about it

            -- it was only the group of kids and a couple of adults in the show who became aware of the upside-down -- this unseen dimension and the forces within it -- who were able to stand against the evil in their midst

            -- in order to take our stand against the devil’s schemes, we must learn to see this unseen spiritual dimension around us with spiritual eyes of faith -- and we must learn to rely on the Lord and His mighty power

            -- if you would, turn over to 2 Kings 6:8-17 and let’s look at another aspect of this unseen spiritual dimension

            -- while you’re finding your place in 2 Kings, let me give you the context and background of this passage -- this passage takes place during the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah -- as you remember, following the reign of Solomon, the nation of Israel was divided into two, with the nation of Israel taking ten of the twelve tribes and taking over the northern part of Solomon’s kingdom and the nation of Judah taking two of the twelve tribes and residing in the southern part of Solomon’s kingdom

            -- Elisha has now taken the mantel as God’s prophet to the nation of Israel -- Elisha was Elijah’s protégé -- and when Elijah was caught up to heaven in the chariot of fire, Elisha took up his mantel and his responsibilities to speak God’s word to the nation of Israel

            -- as this passage opens, Israel is at war with the nation of Aram -- but God helps the Israelites in their struggle by revealing to Elisha the schemes of the enemy

            -- look at 2 Kings 6:8

2 Kings 6:8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

            -- so every time the Arameans set up an ambush for the king of Israel and his men, God warned Elisha and the Israelites avoided the trap -- this didn’t set well with the king of Aram, so he decided to capture Elisha -- he found out that Elisha and his servant were in the city of Dothan -- so he sent horses and chariots and a large army to Dothan at night and they surrounded the whole city while Elisha and his servant slept -- the trap was set, and Elisha was about to get caught

            -- verse 15

2 Kings 6:15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

            -- early the next morning, Elisha’s servant gets up, rubs the sleep from eyes, and looks out to see that the city is completely surrounded by their enemies

            -- a vast army is arrayed there to capture Elisha -- men with swords and bows -- chariots and horses -- there was no way for them to escape -- and the servant cries out to Elisha, "what shall we do?"

            -- verse 16  

2 Kings 6:16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

            -- Elisha tells his servant to not be afraid -- there are more with them than there were against them -- he prays and asks God to open the eyes of the servant so that he might see the truth of the situation

            -- you see, just like us, the servant was only looking at things on the surface -- he was only looking at the situation with worldly eyes -- he was completely unaware of the spiritual dimension that surrounded them

            -- so, God opened his eyes, and the servant saw the Lord’s army surrounding them -- the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha, protecting them from the enemy

            -- this is the other side of the story in regards to the unseen spiritual dimension that we live in -- not only is this spiritual dimension like the upside-down from Stranger Things -- filled with evil beings who seek to harm us -- but this spiritual dimension is also filled with God’s angels, who are sent to minister to us in God’s name -- to protect us -- to speak God’s word to us -- to stand along with us in our struggle against the devil’s schemes

            -- the spiritual dimension that surrounds us encompasses all of the heavenly realms -- it includes both the rulers and authorities and the powers of this dark world, as well as God’s angels

            -- Frank Peretti pointed this out in his fiction book, “This Present Darkness” -- in this book, Peretti showed the unseen battles that occur between the spiritual forces of good and the spiritual forces of evil in this unseen spiritual dimension, and how this battle affects our lives in the world today

            -- now don’t get me wrong -- I am not telling you to find your theology or your doctrines from either Stranger Things or Peretti’s novels -- I’m not doing that -- but I am telling you that both of these entertainments portray a deeper spiritual truth that we see in the Bible -- namely, that there is an unseen spiritual dimension around us -- and that spiritual forces of good and of evil are all around us, even though we usually can’t see them

            -- also, I’m not telling you that every evil in our world today is the result of the devil’s schemes -- we have a part to play in that, too -- we bring evil and sin into our lives every day on our own when we give into our desires and seek to meet these desires in ungodly ways -- when we give into temptation and disobey God’s word -- our flesh is just as much an enemy as the devil

            -- but I do want you to be aware of the reality of our spiritual enemy -- I do want you to keep in mind that we have an enemy who actively schemes against us and who works in this world to bring harm to people and to God’s creation -- that there is an unseen spiritual dimension that surrounds us and that we need to be aware of so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes

            -- that’s the take home message for today -- that’s why Paul counsels us to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power and to put on the full armor of God -- we need to remember that and stop trying to do this Christian life in our strength and in our own power

            -- when we realize the reality of this spiritual dimension around us, it will give power to our prayers and strength in our desire to walk with God daily

            -- let us pray

SERMON: INDEPENDENCE DAY

I.  Introduction

          -- turn in Bibles to Mark 5:1-5

Mark 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

          -- this morning, on the first Sunday after July the Fourth -- the day when we celebrate our independence from Great Britain -- the day we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans -- I wanted us to spend some time talking about the true freedom that we realize in Christ Jesus

          -- in Luke 4:18-19, when Jesus was speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth at the start of His ministry on earth, He turned to the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and proclaimed the reason why the Father had sent Him -- He said He had come to preach good news to the poor -- to proclaim recovery of sight for the blind -- to release the oppressed -- to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor -- and to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

          -- the thing is when Jesus said He came to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, Jesus wasn't talking about people in a physical prison -- he was talking about people who were in a different kind of prison -- people who were held in a prison of spiritual bondage -- these are the ones that Jesus came to set free

          -- and I think it's important for us to note Jesus said He came to proclaim freedom to those in prison -- He came to announce its availability to those who would listen

          -- through the atoning death and resurrection of Christ Jesus, freedom from sin and death had arrived in this world -- it was available as a free gift from God -- it was an act of God’s grace -- giving us what we did not deserve

          -- but the prisoners Jesus was talking about had to act on His proclamation -- that's why the verse in Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "you are saved by grace through faith" -- God’s grace in Christ Jesus has opened the door to freedom, but it takes faith to walk through that door into the kingdom of life

          -- it reminds me of the Andy Griffith show -- remember Otis, the town drunk? -- Barney would always lock Otis up in the jail, but the key was sitting there on a nail right outside the door -- Otis could get his freedom any time he wanted -- all had to do was reach out through the bars and grab the key and open the door -- it's the same way with the prisoners Jesus was talking about in Luke 4:18 -- Jesus proclaimed freedom through Himself -- but, now, they need to take the key in faith and step out into that freedom that He offered at Calvary

II.  Scriptural Lesson (Mark 5:1-20)

          -- in this familiar passage from the Book of Mark, we read of someone who does just that -- who steps out of spiritual bondage and into the freedom that Jesus offers -- let’s look at this passage together now

          -- look back at verse 1 again

Mark 5:1 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

          -- Mark tells us that this passage takes place in the region of the Gerasenes, along the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee -- this area historically was the site of the Decapolis -- a group of ten cities that were situated east of Galilee and down the Jordan River towards the Dead Sea -- the people who lived here were not Jews -- they were Gentiles -- and that’s important to note

          -- they were not followers of Yahweh -- they did not believe in God or worship Him in His temple -- they did not follow the law of Moses -- they were an unclean people who lived in unclean ways according to the Jews -- far from the presence of God -- far from freedom -- the last people the disciples would have expected Jesus to visit

          -- but Jesus is going there for a reason -- as Mark tells us, when the disciple’s boat landed on the eastern shore of the lake and Jesus stepped out, He was confronted by a man with an evil spirit who came towards Him from out of the tombs

          -- Mark tells us this man had been in this condition for some time -- that the people had tried to bind him for his own protection, but that he would tear the chains apart and break the irons on his feet and now no one could do anything with him -- he lived alone, with his demons, in the tombs

          -- this man was the poster child of someone living in a prison of spiritual bondage -- unlike the Jews who carried their chains hidden within, here was a person the disciples could look at and realize instantly that he was in a spiritual prison -- the spiritual chains that bound him were obvious

          -- the demons had stolen his sanity -- they had taken over his mind -- they had stolen his dignity, and left him naked for all the world to see -- they had stolen from him the necessities of life -- leaving him without food or clothes or a home -- and they had stolen from him his humanity -- forcing him to live in the tombs isolated from those who knew him and loved him

          -- Jesus has brought the disciples here so they could see the visible chains of spiritual bondage released and know the freedom He had come to proclaim to all -- even to those who keep their chains hidden

          -- when we see people like this man from Gerasenes -- when we see people that do not believe in God and have not put their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins -- it’s easy for us to look at them and know that they are living in a prison and know that they need to seek freedom through Jesus

          -- but these are not the only ones who may be caught up in the chains of spiritual bondage -- there are a lot of Christians out there -- maybe some of you -- who are still held in chains of some type or the other -- that’s why Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free -- Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

          -- you see, when Christ went to the cross as an atonement for our sins, He not only purchased for us freedom from our past sins -- but He purchased for us freedom from our present and our future sins and from everything that is keeping us from becoming more and more like Him

          -- but what happens in the life of a lot of Christians, when we get saved, we don't let Jesus remove all our chains -- we keep a few wrapped around us and don't let Him take them off -- these chains are the things that are hindering us in our walk with Christ -- these are the things that are keeping us from growing in grace

          -- for some of us, it's a sin in our lives that is really difficult to get rid of -- maybe it's an addiction to pornography or drugs or alcohol or an impure thought life -- maybe it's pride or arrogance -- maybe it's gossip or anger or hatred -- whatever it is, it's still there in our heart holding us in bondage

          -- maybe we're in bondage to our past sins -- maybe we know that they have been forgiven, but we just can't let them go, and Satan is using them to hold us back

          -- maybe we're in bondage to legalism -- maybe we think that we have to come to church to be saved -- that we have to belong to a certain church to be saved -- that we have to do this good work or that good work or follow this church law to be saved

          -- maybe we're in bondage to the future -- our lives are filled with worry and anxiety and we just can't let it go and move on in faith in Christ

          -- maybe we're in bondage to another person -- maybe someone in our life is controlling what we say or what we do -- maybe we have unforgiveness in our heart towards another -- or maybe we need to ask forgiveness of another

          -- whatever it may be, it's obvious that most Christians have not totally accepted the freedom that Christ has to offer

          -- it’s like Martin Luther King, Jr., pointed out in his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 -- King said that President Lincoln proclaimed freedom for the slaves in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, but 100 years later, his people had still not accepted all the rights and privileges that went along with that freedom

          -- in other words, although they were free in name, they were still in a form of bondage -- they had never walked through that last gate and left all their chains behind -- freedom was theirs for the taking, but they just wouldn't accept it -- the same is true for many Christians today

          -- but, as Jesus is about to show us, freedom is there for all -- for the unbeliever and the believer -- for all of those who call out in His name and ask Him to free them from the chains that bind

          -- verse 6

6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”

          -- even wrapped up in the spiritual chains of demonic possession, this man knew that the answer to his problem lay in Jesus -- even from a distance, he saw Jesus and ran to Him and fell at His knees and cried out, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

          -- at that moment, the demons trembled in fear -- while somewhere deep inside, the man who was bound in chains, looked up at Jesus with hope

          -- verse 9

9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

          -- even a legion of demons was no match for the Son of God -- as Matthew and Luke record in their accounts of this event, with just one word, “Go,” Jesus cast the demons from this man and into the herd of pigs that were feeding nearby

          -- with just one word, the chains that bound this man were released -- with just one word, healing came -- with just one word, freedom was realized

          -- the same was true at Calvary, when with just one word -- “Tetelesti” -- “It is finished” -- Jesus proclaimed freedom to all who would receive it

          -- verse 14

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

          -- an act of God is always noted -- when someone like this man is freed from spiritual bondage, people know immediately -- the people who were tending the pigs that turned into deviled ham ran into the town to tell everyone what had happened -- and everyone came out to see for themselves

          -- when freedom is realized -- when freedom is received and lives are changed -- people notice and come to see

          -- when the townspeople came out, they saw that the man who had been possessed had been restored -- he was sitting there with Jesus -- dressed and in his right mind -- freed once and for all -- and it scared them, because they just couldn’t understand

          -- you see, they had no frame of reference for what had just happened -- remember, these are not Jews who grew up with the word and the witness and the promises of God -- they were unbelievers who lived in a dark land held hostage by Satan and his demons

          -- a light had come, but they couldn’t understand it -- so, they reacted in fear and begged Jesus to leave their region

          -- you know, people always have a choice -- to either receive freedom through Jesus and the Word of God -- to accept it as their own on faith -- or to reject it -- these people rejected Jesus and so Jesus left

          -- God will not stay where He is not welcome -- but He will always leave a door open for those who want to join Him

          -- verse 18

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

          -- as Jesus was getting into the boat, the formerly demon-possessed man begged to go with Him -- freedom does that -- it causes us to want to be with our Savior

          -- but Jesus told him no -- go back to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you -- how he has had mercy on you -- so the man went back and began to tell in the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him

          -- you see, Jesus knew that the people in that region would need to hear the truth about freedom from one like them -- from someone that everyone knew had lived in spiritual bondage, but was now freed through the power of the Son of God in their midst

           -- freedom demands a response -- just like we sing in “Our Country, ‘Tis of Thee” on holidays like the Fourth of July -- “From every mountainside, Let freedom ring”

          -- Jesus called on this man to let freedom ring -- to proclaim His freedom to these people -- so that they might all come to know the freedom that is possible if they would but accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, too

          -- the Bible tells us that the people heard the good news that this man proclaimed -- and the next time Jesus landed on the eastern shore of Galilee, the people flocked to see and to hear Him

III.  CLOSING

          -- let’s bring this to a close -- as everyone knows, I occasionally volunteer to minister out at Valdosta State Prison as part of a Kairos Prison Ministry Team -- the theme of Kairos is simple and is summed up in the phrase, "Listen, listen, love, love" -- we don't try to spend our time preaching to the inmates -- heck, many of them know the Bible better than we do -- but instead we spend our time listening to what they have to say and loving them with the love of Christ

          -- at the closing of the weekend, the inmates are given the opportunity to reflect on the weekend and on any changes that might have happened in their lives since they first walked into the gym on Thursday night, the start of their three-day weekend -- I’ve done a lot of these weekends, and it seems like a common refrain I hear from the prisoners at the end of the weekend is "Though I may never see freedom again, I am freer now than ever before in my life."

          -- that got me to thinking -- you know, here's these guys sitting in prison-- some of them serving life sentences -- knowing they will never get out into the real world again -- but yet they can say they are freer now sitting behind bars than they've ever been before in their lives

          -- Jesus said in John 8:36, "if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." -- and that is exactly the spiritual truth these men were expressing -- freedom isn't dependent on your circumstances or your physical location -- freedom is a matter of the heart -- freedom is a matter of receiving through faith the grace and forgiveness that we have through Christ

          -- if you have been freed from the chains of sin and death by the blood of Jesus Christ, then you can be sitting in a cell in Valdosta State Prison -- you can literally be locked behind bars and razor wire -- but you can be freer than someone outside those walls

          -- freedom came to the demon-possessed man from Gerasenes because he fell at the feet of Jesus and cried out for mercy -- that same freedom can come to all of us today -- no matter if it’s the freedom of salvation we need or if it’s the freedom that comes from walking with Jesus in faith -- freedom is there for the taking

          -- I have no doubt that almost everyone here today has been saved -- you have tasted the freedom of Calvary and have experienced the forgiveness of your sins through Jesus

          -- but maybe you’re still living with some lingering chains of spiritual bondage in your life -- maybe you’re struggling with a nagging sin this morning -- maybe you’re struggling with doubt or with despair over the future or over a loved one who seems to be far away from you and the Lord -- maybe you’ve let yourself be bound again in your freedom

          -- remember again the words of Galatians 5:1 -- “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free”

          -- this morning is an opportunity for you to truly experience the freedom that comes through Jesus -- just come to Him as the demon-possessed man did -- just cry out to Him and ask Him to free you -- ask the Spirit to fill you -- and trust in faith that He will respond to any heart that seeks Him in this way

          -- this week, we celebrated our Independence Day in America -- today, we can celebrate your spiritual Independence Day, if you just cry out to Jesus for healing

          -- let us pray

SERMON: THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER

I.  Introduction

          -- turn in Bibles to Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

          -- as we open this morning, let me share with you a story from a book by Ben Patterson

          -- several years ago, the East Indian evangelist K.P. Yohannan came to the United States for a visit -- he really wanted to meet some of the spiritual leaders of our nation, especially one man who was known in India for his powerful sermons and uncompromising commitment to the truth

          -- On the Sunday that Yohannan visited his church, there were over 3000 people there for the worship service -- the choirs were outstanding and the preaching was everything he hoped it would be -- then the pastor made an announcement about a special emphasis at the midweek prayer meeting -- he said that there were some things laying heavy on his heart and he asked the people to come and pray -- the pastor said the service would be held at a certain chapel on the church campus and invited everyone to come and join in -- excited, Yohannan determined that he would attend this special service

          -- when he showed up at the chapel later that week, he brought with him some definite assumptions about prayer meetings based on his life and experiences in India -- Yohannan knew that prayer meetings were essential -- they were of primary importance in the life of a church -- in fact, without them, the church would be powerless in the face of evil and persecution and harassment

-- Where he came from in India, and in many other parts of the world where Christians are persecuted and harassed for their faith, the prayer meeting is the centerpiece of the church's life -- Everyone comes, the meetings often last long into the night, and it is not unusual for believers to arise daily before sunrise to pray together for the work of the church.

-- fearing a huge crowd, Yohannan came early to get a seat -- But when he arrived at the chapel, it was empty -- and not only was it empty, but it couldn't hold but around 500 people -- Yohannan thought he must have heard the pastor wrong and had come to the wrong place -- He was worried, so he went outside to double-check the name of the chapel, but he was in the right place

-- at about 7:30, a few people came into the room,  but there was no leader, no songs or worship -- just chitchat about news, weather, and sports -- Forty-five minutes later an elderly man, the leader, but not the pastor, walked into the chapel to offer a few devotional thoughts from the Bible and give a brief prayer.

-- The meeting was over, and as the seven attendees filed out of the chapel, K. P. Yohannan sat in stunned silence, his mind filled with questions: Was this it? Weren't they going to stay and wait upon God? Where was the worship? The tears? The cries for guidance and direction? Where was the list of the sick, and the poor, and those in need? What about that burden that the pastor said was heavy on his heart? Weren't we going to intercede for a miracle? And where was the pastor?

-- That meeting became a paradigm for his experience of prayer meetings in the American church -- In all his travels here, he saw the same pattern repeated over and over again in hundreds of midweek prayer meetings -- Almost anything happens but prayer -- There are announcements, singing, homilies, and a few prayers offered, but usually only by the leader-and that's in the churches that actually have prayer meetings in their schedules -- Many more make no pretense even to have a church prayer meeting

-- There seems to be time for everything else -- to study, to fellowship, to preach, but not to pray. -- Church leaders who think nothing of spending two or three days to plan programs or of spending thousands of dollars to hire consultants to help them do it, blanch at the thought of spending even one night to wait on the Lord to show them what to do. -- How can this be?

-- Yohannan remembered the words of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 6:12 in this passage we just read -- this verse says that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" -- he wondered, “if this is true, then the first thing any church should do is pray, isn't it?  -- Can there be any other way to reach a lost world?  -- Do we really think our plans and programs alone can bring down dark strongholds of spiritual evil in the heavenly realms?”

-- for the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about spiritual deserts and about how to get out of them -- last week, we spent some time talking about how a Christian should live and move and act in this world today -- how our lives should be informed and empowered through spiritual practices to make us alive -- to bring us into the times of refreshing promised through the Spirit

-- in that message, I made the observation that the one area in the church and in the life of most Christians in America today that is lacking is prayer -- we simply do not understand prayer -- we don’t know what it means to pray -- we don’t know how to pray -- and we certainly don’t put enough importance on prayer in our lives

-- the experience of K.P. Yohannan illustrates that well enough -- prayer is simply not an emphasis in most churches in America today -- and because of that, we find ourselves relying on our own strength and our own power rather than on the power of God to do His will and to minister to others in His name

-- going back to the desert analogy, everyone knows that you have to be careful of following mirages when you are wandering in the desert -- these false images seem to promise refreshing water and oases with trees and plants and teeming life in that dry and desolate place -- but when you get there, there is nothing there but more sand

-- without prayer, the church is living in the middle of such a mirage -- as Paul put it to Timothy, we have a form of Godliness, but in practice, denying its power -- without prayer -- without earnest, heart-felt prayer that reaches to the throne of God -- we cannot do anything of value in God’s kingdom

-- so, we’re going to spend some time talking about prayer this morning -- in this familiar passage in Ephesians 6, Paul counsels us to put on the full armor of God so that we may take our stand against the devil’s schemes -- he reminds us that we are in a battle -- and we need to protect ourselves against the rulers and the authorities and the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm

-- he goes on to list all of the armor we need to put on -- the belt of truth -- the breastplate of righteousness -- our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace -- the shield of faith -- and the helmet of salvation -- you’ve heard all of that before -- but the thing you need to remember is that all of this armor is to protect you from the devil’s schemes -- to protect you from his attacks

-- but standing there taking blows from the devil -- even wearing armor -- is not going to win the war, much less the battle -- if a boxer stands in the ring and blocks every punch his opponent throws, that’s great -- but he’s not going to win the fight until he goes on the offensive -- wars are not won by simply protecting yourself from the enemy -- you must defeat the enemy by attacking and overpowering them in some way

-- it’s not enough to put on the armor of God to win the battle -- that’s why Paul goes on in this passage to mention our offense weapons -- he tells us in verse 17 to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God -- and most people quit right there -- they think that is all we need -- but Paul’s instructions don’t end at verse 17 -- they continue on in verse 18 with our most important weapon of all -- that’s why Paul uses the conjunction “and” here at the end of verse 18 -- it’s the sword of the Spirit “and” something else

-- look back at verse 18

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

-- our secret weapon in the war against the devil’s schemes? -- prayer -- with the sword of the Spirit -- with the word of God, we hear God’s voice -- He speaks to us through His word -- in the Bible, we are given direction -- we are told what is expected -- we are told what to do -- we are given our mission and reminded of our calling -- but the word of God is passive in the sense that it leads us to action, but doesn’t act on its own

-- we have to employ what we read in Scripture -- we have to put it into action -- to do what God’s word says to do -- to do what God tells us to do -- that’s why I say that Bible study alone is not enough -- knowledge about God is of little value if you don’t do something with that knowledge -- you actually need to apply what you learn in order for there to be any value in your life or any effect in God’s kingdom

-- and that’s where prayer comes in -- it is through prayer that we are empowered with God’s presence and actively engage the enemy and live out God’s mission in our lives

-- the sword of the Spirit -- the word of God -- is a powerful weapon -- but it must be joined with prayer to be effective against the devil’s schemes -- that’s why the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” -- weapons, plural -- more than one -- our weapons include more than the sword of the Spirit -- it includes prayer -- as James said, the prayers of a righteous person are powerful and effective

-- so, in the time we have remaining, I want us to drill down into verse 18 and see what we can learn about the importance of prayer in our lives today

          -- look back at verse 18 -- it says “and pray in the Spirit”

          -- so, the first thing about powerful and effective prayer, it must be prayed in the Spirit

          -- what does it mean to pray in the Spirit? -- praying in the Spirit means the Holy Spirit within you empowers your prayer and adds to it -- it’s like when you pray with other people -- the people join in your prayer by lifting up to God the words that you are praying together -- they affirm what you are saying -- they pray with you -- and together your prayers are amplified and magnified and are carried to the throne of God

          -- it’s like that when you pray in the Spirit, except you’re using God’s megaphone -- the very Spirit of God joins in your prayer -- He guides you in what to pray -- He directs you to what is really needed -- to what needs to be asked for -- and His voice joins with yours on the spiritual plane to carry your prayers before the Father in Heaven

          -- to pray in the Spirit means that you are praying in one accord with God Himself -- that you are praying for His will to be done -- you are praying for His presence and His power in this situation -- you are praying for Him to get involved and to meet your need in accordance with His will

          -- if we are going to defeat the devil and his schemes, we must pray in the Spirit -- we must pray like this -- one way to do this is to pray Scripture -- to pray back God’s word to Him -- to lift up the promises of God to us in His word and wield the sword of the Spirit in battle against the devil

          -- when you pray in the Spirit, you should sense power in your prayer -- you should sense the presence of God in your prayer -- you should feel God’s hand upon you -- leading you in your prayer

          -- too many of us, though, have failed to pray in the Spirit -- instead, we pray in the opposite way -- we pray in the flesh -- we pray selfish prayers that don’t seem to reach past the ceiling -- we pray prayers that are obviously not in accordance with God’s will -- we pray prayers that are either just rote recitations or long, wandering dissertations that mean little

          -- as Jesus said, God doesn’t hear you because of the length of your prayer or because you pray in public on the street corners with lifted hands -- God hears your prayer when it comes from the heart -- when it comes from your spirit -- and when it is joined with the Holy Spirit

          -- verse 18 again -- “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions”

          -- on all occasions -- that tells us that our prayers must be without ceasing -- our prayers must be constant -- we have to learn to adopt an attitude of prayer in our daily lives

          -- too often, we relegate prayer to just certain places and certain times -- before a meal -- maybe first thing in the morning or right before we go to bed -- at church or during Bible study -- but Paul says we must learn to pray on all occasions

          -- the devil’s schemes occur throughout our day -- the devil is more likely to attack you at work or during your trip to the store or Wild Adventures or wherever you are during the week than he is right at bedtime or in church

          -- I rarely feel a spiritual attack when I sit down to pray before a meal -- I think gluttony is probably more of a fleshly problem than a scheme of the devil

          -- remember to pray throughout your day -- remember to lift up the Lord and seek His wisdom throughout your day -- seek His presence before you go to a meeting or you go to a public place or you meet with a friend -- surround your life in prayer and keep God’s presence always before you

         

          -- verse 18 -- “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”

          -- all kinds of prayers and requests -- our prayers must be varied -- there is not just one kind of prayer to prayer -- our prayers should be shaped by our needs and our purposes

          -- if you look in the Bible, you will see many different types of prayers given to us as examples for us -- prayers of worship, adoration, and praise -- prayers of thanksgiving as we come before God and thank Him for all that He has done

          -- prayers of confession and repentance -- prayers for healing of our spirits and our bodies -- intercessory prayers, where we pray for other people -- and prayers of supplication, where we lift up our needs to God -- where we pour our hearts to God -- where we give God all our emotions and tell Him what is going on and ask for His help

          -- what does this tell us when Paul says to lift up all kinds of prayers and requests? -- there is no one way to pray --  there is no right way to pray -- the only wrong way to pray is by not praying at all

          -- people tell me, “I don’t know how to pray” -- yes, you do -- you pray from your heart -- you just talk to God and tell Him what is going on and what you need -- you don’t worry about form or fashion -- you don’t worry about your words -- when you don’t know what to say, the Bible says the Spirit will intercede for us with groanings and words we cannot hear -- the important thing is that we pray

          -- here’s something to note -- remember that this command to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests comes as part of a discourse on spiritual warfare -- why do people feel like they can’t pray? -- why do people feel like they don’t know how to pray? -- it’s because this is one of the devil’s schemes -- if he can keep us from praying, he has eliminated our most powerful weapon against him

          -- don’t let the devil do that -- just pray

          -- verse 18 -- “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert…”

          -- be alert -- remember, we are in a battle -- we are being confronted by our enemy -- we are in hostile territory when we’re walking in this world

          -- be alert -- keep your eyes open for opportunities to use the sword of the Spirit and to pray for God’s presence and power

          -- ask God to open your eyes to see the need around you -- Jesus said that the fields were ripe for the harvest -- look for opportunities to pray God’s presence into this world

          -- think about when you drive somewhere -- every day we see distracted drivers -- we see people in a hurry -- we see unsafe situations -- don’t get angry -- don’t judge -- pray for them

          -- if you see an ambulance or a fire truck or a policeman coming past with their lights on, pray for that situation -- even if you don’t know what it is, the Spirit does and He will join in your prayer

          -- when you’re at the store and you see someone in a tense situation -- a screaming child -- a crying baby -- a frazzled mom -- pray for them

          -- pray for the guy holding the sign at the street corner -- even if he’s not really homeless, pray for God to become real in his life -- pray for him to come to know God in a real and personal way -- pray

          -- pray with the waiter or waitress at the restaurant -- ask them if you can pray for them -- ask them if they have a need -- and include them in your prayer before the meal

          -- the message here is to be alert -- look for ways to pray God’s power and presence in this world around you, wherever you are

          -- back to verse 18 -- “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying…”

          -- always keep on praying -- persevere in prayer -- be persistent in your prayers -- keep praying -- don’t quit

          -- even if you don’t see anything happening, continue to pray -- you never know how your prayers are affecting someone else’s life

          -- when I first started at Moody, I had a coworker who was just rough -- he was rough and gruff and used foul language and didn’t do his share of work -- he was not a pleasant guy, and people in the office would avoid him

          -- when he found out I was a Christian, his behavior got worse -- he made a point out of using foul language around me and harassing me when he could -- so, I started praying for him -- and nothing happened -- everyday, I would pray for him -- when I got to work, I would pray that God would do something in his life -- that God would change him -- nothing -- nada -- no visible change at all

          -- but I kept at it -- and over time, I realized that he had changed -- he still cussed, but not as much -- and he didn’t cuss around me any more -- he still wasn’t a great person to be around, but he got better -- and people started to notice it and started to say something about it -- I’d hear people say, “he’s getting better in his old age” -- God was working on him -- it was slow -- it took time -- but it happened because I was persistent in prayer -- I didn’t give up

          -- you’ve got to remember, a lot of the times we are praying against someone that the devil has in his grasp -- you are praying against a situation that the devil has set up -- that means you are engaging in warfare -- the devil isn’t just going to let go -- you’re going to need to pray and keep on praying and chipping away at the devil’s defenses with God’s power and presence

          -- always keep on praying

          -- finally, the end of verse 18 -- “and always keep on praying for all the saints”

          -- do not neglect your prayers for the saints -- for those who are engaged in God’s work -- for our brothers and sisters in Christ

          -- we are the ones who are constantly under attack from the devil’s schemes -- we are the ones the devil wants to weaken in the faith and in our spiritual lives -- if he can keep us from praying -- if he can keep us from doing what God says to do -- if he can keep us from reaching out to others with the life-changing and life-transforming gospel message -- if he can keep us living in a mirage of plans and programs and Bible study without application -- then he has defeated us

          -- pray for the saints -- pray for your leaders -- pray for the churches in our area -- pray God’s presence and power on all of them

          -- pray for their families -- pray for their protection from physical and spiritual harm -- pray for God’s grace and mercy to be with them

          -- when you pray, don’t forget to pray for all the saints -- those here in this church -- those in our community -- and our brothers and sisters in far-flung places, like Cuba and the Middle East and Asia and other areas hostile to the gospel

          -- pray for them and for God’s kingdom to be made manifest in them and through them

          -- we’re going to close now -- but I want you to really spend some time this week thinking about this verse -- think about what it means -- think about the importance of prayer -- and honestly ask yourself if you are praying as you should -- consider how you can make prayer more focused and more important in your life

          -- Paul’s message to us here comes in the context of spiritual warfare -- and it is informed through his experience and his lifetime of walking with God -- remember that he wrote these words from a Roman prison -- it was prayer that sustained his faith in those dark days of imprisonment -- it was prayer that fed his soul while in that prison

          -- prayer is something we must regain in our lives and in our churches if we are going to be successful in defeating the enemy and expanding God’s kingdom on earth

          -- let us pray