Supplication | Pastor Michael Paderes

(upbeat music) - Hi, I'm John. I'm one of the pastors of victory and I'm also the director of our provincial churches. At Victory, we are committed to plan churches all over the Philippines, believing that together we can disciple this nation. Hope this message inspires you to honor God and make disciples. (upbeat music) - I mean, super thrilled. I'll be back in Victory Davao. We were here three years ago with my wife, Pia. And before anything, happy, happy, 30th anniversary. Can you all give yourselves a big big hand? (audience applauding) You know, the beauty of a 30 year anniversary is that you have decades to look back to. And so I still remember when victory planted Davao, it's our if I'm not mistaken, second church in Mindanao. If I'm not mistaken, yeah, CDO, I think was first and then this was echo, yeah. So, you know, my generation, I'm gonna put that in here, okay? So, to be here 30 years later, fast forward and see what God has done in and through you. It's amazing. And I tell you, it's beyond our wildest imaginations. We're dreamers and visionaries, but I know who we sent here. He's just kidding. Okay, I love those guys, but I'll just never imagine really, that we could really plan a church like this. In other words, nothing less than the work of God that we see here. So really again, thrilled to be here. Now we are ending our series called When We Gather, which is really a series on our worship liturgy. Okay, liturgy is a Christian word for our order of worship that we do every Sunday, okay, week in and week out. Now, there's two sides to repetition. The downside of repetition, you can see it's really good, okay? You can see it, okay? You can see it's a lot of energy, okay? The downside of repetition, it becomes monotonous, repetitive, and mechanical, okay? (speaks in foreign language) But the upside of repetition is at mastery. An expertise can only come through repetition. I have a favorite Russian saying that goes (speaks in foreign language) which means repetition is the mother of learning. Repetition is the mother of learning. Any skill you want to learn, any subject you want to master, you have to just do it again repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly. So if you translate that to worship liturgy, the downside of worship liturgy, if you just keep doing it every Sunday, it becomes parangdeed religion, okay? On the other hand, the power of liturgy is that because we keep doing the same thing every Sunday, it becomes very formative. The difference is understanding why we do what we do. And that's what the series is about. Why do we keep doing the same things over and over again, every Sunday? If we don't understand, then yeah, it's dead religion. But when we understand it, we understand what God is doing among us together, amen? So if your Bible's our text this morning is out of Acts chapter two, I'll begin in verse 40, all the way to verse 47. And I'd like to ask all of you to stand your feet in honor of the reading of God's word. Acts two, beginning in verse 40, all the way to 47. And with many words, he bore with this and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." So those who received this word were baptized and there were added to that day about 3,000 souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all came upon every soul. And many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles and all who believed or together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possession and belongings and distributing their proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts. Praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. This is the word of the Lord. Holy Spirit, we submit to you this morning. We thank you for your presence that's with us, that's the preaching and the teaching of the word. Renew our minds, transform our hearts and shape our lives into the image of Christ. Come, Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen, and amen, you may go ahead and take your seats. Now what we just read is the earliest picture we have of the worship liturgy of the early church upon birth. And twice it says there, those who were saved through the preaching of the gospel were what? Were added to the church two times, added to the church. Who added them to the church? I'm not sure if it's just a school of campus, who added them to the church? Who added the new believers to the church? God, correct. In other words, it's the work of God. Right? Sorry to put you on the spot. I have a bad habit, my wife, I do that all the time. So, some of the things that are left out, we don't shop for a church. The way we shop for a church. We don't hop, church hop, the way we coffee shop hop, gets, okay? We don't pick the most convenient church because it's just around the corner because there's air conditioning because so and so is our favorite preacher. And we definitely, definitely do not devote ourselves to an online church, gets, okay? What happened here? Twice, God added them to a spiritual family. And what happened? Immediately, they devoted themselves together physically. That's the literal definition of a church Ecclesia. The physical gathering of God's people. And together physically, they devoted themselves to the teaching of the work, to prayer, to breaking bread. Guess what? There was no template. There was no program. There was no encyclopedia. That was simply the natural expression of their new found faith. They heard the gospel, God added them to a spiritual family. And they naturally found themselves together devoting themselves to prayer, baking bread and the teaching of God's Word. Now in the Greek, the word devoted appears twice in that passage read, in English, just once, but in the Greek it appears twice. The first was again, they devoted themselves to the teaching, breaking bread and to prayer. But in verse 46, okay, translated in English as day by day attending. In the Greek, it's the same Greek word for devoted, which really means to give oneself continually, to continue steadfastly. And in the New Testament, the word devoted is closely associated with prayer. If you have the word prayer in the New Testament, not far along will be the word devoted. In fact, in Acts chapter one, when Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, what did they do? They devoted themselves to prayer. In Acts chapter 6, there was a minor problem in the church, what did they apostasy, they appointed seven full of Spirit decons, appointed them so that they can what, devote themselves to prayer and the word. In Romans chapter 12, Paul wrote that the life of the New believer will be characterized by hope, by patience and say what, constancy or devotion in prayer. In Colossians chapter four verse two, Paul ended his letter by exhorting them to continue, again, continue on steadfastly. And again, in the Greek devoted in prayer. There was an in the 18th century, a missionary to Native Americans named David Brainerd, who was a man of prayer. Same thing. I tell you, when you get home, just Google David Brainerd. Not very far along, Mahitamah devoted. The word devoted, again, is closely associated to David Brainerd. And what he did was he was so determined to reach the American Indians, that he would devote himself in intense prayer for hours upon hours in the woods. And it is said of David Brainerd, that he would pray so long, so hard for the Native Americans out in the woods, that in the winter, by the time he gets up from his knees, the snow had melted under his knees. How many of you know, that's devotion. Again, there's a close relationship between prayer and devotion. That's why we talk about a prayer life. We don't say prayer moment or a prayer event or a prayer second. No, no, it's a prayer life. Continuous, steadfast, committed. But let me ask you, but why do we even pray to begin with? I know we grew up or we were told, or we went to church and everyone prayed, so we just prayed like everyone. But why do we even pray? So for the next few minutes, just-- look at what the Bible says about prayer. Let me take you through the Bible and how an overview of prayer from the Bible. In Genesis chapter 1 during the perfect condition of creation, there was no prayer. Why? Man enjoyed perfect fellowship with God. Bible says God walked the garden with Adam and Eve and talked to them face to face as if like they were friends. Okay? But in Genesis 3 you all know this sin entered the world and this perfect fellowship was shattered by sin. Since then since Genesis 3 we have had trouble hearing God. Can, can, but God gives us cell phone very low signal. Yes? You know that cha cha cha cha that you can chop me or bro that did the lake or me echo. Understand what I'm saying right? Paraself low signal. Okay? But because of the brokenness and the fallen of the world despite that low signal we could not help but cry out to God. Okay? In desperation. Right? Now in Genesis chapter 20 verse 7 this is the first time the word pray appears in the Bible. Now in Bible interpretation there's a law that we call the law of first mention which means every time a word appears for the first time in the Bible usually in the Old Testament of course the meaning in that first instance will carry over through the whole scripture. So in Genesis chapter 20 verse 7 again first mention whatever the context is here will carry over all the way to the end of the Bible and the context here was King Abimilek you all know the story Abraham line. Okay? So Abimilek took Sarah to be part of his heart him then God because being faithful to Abraham appeared to Abimilek you know dream he was a Philistine and God said, "We will make man." Okay? Because Abraham is a prophet side note this is the first time the word prophet is also mentioned. If you return her okay I will spare your life otherwise you're gone okay? So through enough Binalicni Abimilek Sisara and so in other words because man is no longer able to feel communicate with God remember low signal okay prophets and priests God told you know he the prophet will pray for you okay? Deepen in the account of the prophet because of the low signal men men are no longer able to feel communicate with God prophets and priests since here now have to intercede with God on man's behalf. In other words prayer became mediated okay through prophets and priests which is why in Exodus chapter 30 in building the tabernacle God told Moses okay Ark of the Covenant but you also have to build an altar of incense okay where priests again remember priests prophets mediators are to burn incense on the altar of incense so that the smoke that would float up from the temple would serve as a symbol of the prayers of the people rising up to the throne of God in heaven. Psalm 141 verse 2 says "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." But again we're talking about mediated prayer so only priests can offer incense you and I could never have offered incense King Yudsayed tried he was proud Kaya Koyan going koyan what happened he was struck with leprosy so in other words the altar of incense was a dream reminder to all the men and women of the infinite gap between God and man because of our sin and that's why we need the priest we need the prophet we need the altar of incense but even then the altar of incense once a year had to be purified by the blood of an animal sacrifice okay this reminded the people yeah God hears her prayer okay but if your prayers will only be accepted through the mediation of a priest and an animal sacrifice okay gets God hears our prayers but he will never accept our prayers outside of going through the temple system with a priest and an animal sacrifice let me ask you oh oh it's a man I'll put somebody say LG who does that remind you of a mediator and the animal sacrifice one is our infinite gap who else does it remind you of Jesus correct okay the number of pastors say LG okay so correct it reminds us of who Jesus Christ the great high priest and the ones for all sacrifice which brings us to Hebrews 9 verses 11 to 15 but when Christ appeared look at this as a high priest of the good things that have come then through the greater and more perfect wait pause how many if you know that's grammatically incorrect it's already perfect you cannot see more perfect but when it comes to Jesus we run out of superlatives we have to break grammar he more perfect 10 not made with hands not that is not of this creation he entered once for all into the holy places not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood thus securing an eternal redemption for the blood of goats and boats and the sprinkling of the file persons with the ashes of a heifer sanctify for the purification of the flesh how much more with the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God purify our conscience from that works to serve the living God therefore he Jesus Christ is the mediator okay there you go of a new covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed in Genesis 3 we talked about it under the old under the first covenant so again for all of the mediation priests and prophets did for all of the symbolic significance of the altar of incense Jesus Christ is the ultimate mediator and the ones and for all sacrifice for our sins therefore let me bring to Hebrews 10 19 to 22 brothers and sisters since we have confidence now to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus again not through the altar by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain we'll talk about that that is through his flesh and since we have a great high priest over the house of God let us draw near with a true heart in full a short surface of faith with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water in other words because of Jesus Christ all of us now therefore let us draw near into the presence of God no more temple no more altar no more animal sacrifice Jesus is the great high priest he is the one sin for all sacrifice we can now enter the presence of God with a clear conscience despite our infinite gap remember that curtain that was mentioned if you read the gospel I think it was Matthew who recorded it at the moment of Jesus death it says there the curtain was torn from top to bottom there was an earthquake first it went dark and then the curtain was ripped from top to bottom you know what that curtain was it was the curtain that separated the holy of holies where the presence of God literally dwelt from the rest of the world at the moment of Jesus death that curtain was torn no more curtain no more barrier into the presence of God Jesus was the ones for all sacrifice in other words today we now have a clear signal to God gets under the old covenant yeah low signal now very clear signal which is why in Matthew 6 Jesus thought that disciples how to pray and look at what he said okay pray to our father you have to remember under the old covenant infinite gap God was his impersonal super holy untouchable unreachable other being okay but then now Jesus says our father now he's a father it was actually blasphemous to Jews to address God as a father but now Jesus but no no no call him father and this prayer the Lord's prayer we all know this has endured for two thousand years and become the central prayer of the church side note the first ever printed book in the Philippines in 1593 is called the doctorida christiana doctrine of christiana first ever printed book in the Philippines printed by some of the earliest Spanish missionaries in Tagalog okay to teach us the foundations of the Christian faith and what's in the doctorina christiana the ten commandments and the Lord's prayer so you can actually argue that the foundation of christian teaching in the Philippines are the ten commandments and the Lord's Prayer. So in Matthew 20 verse 13, Jesus said to the church, "My house, the church shall be called a house of prayer." Okay, and let me add this. It's not in my slide. I just remembered before the 11 a.m. service, James 5 verse 16, what does it say? In fact, let me read that. James 5 16 says, "Date, we have to go through a prophet, go through a priest, alter a incense, but in James 5 16 it says, the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Okay? Who's righteous? All of us. How through the blood of Jesus Christ? In other words, again, before we needed a mediated prayer now, when you pray, the Bible says, it has great power as it is working. Your prayer works. You don't have to go to the pastor anymore. You're more than welcome to come to us. We would love to pray for you, but you don't have to come to us. You can pray for one another. God not only hears your prayers. He accepts your prayers and not only does he accept your prayers, your prayers are powerful, has great power and it will work. Okay, Revelation chapter 21 verses 22 to 23, "Picture of heaven, this is John, I saw no temple." He says in heaven. He gets to heaven, not gets to heaven. Sorry, it was a vision of heaven. "I saw no temple in the city, New Jerusalem, for its temple is the Lord God, the Almighty and the Lamb." Listen to this. I love this. "And the city has no need of sun. There's no sun in heaven." Or moon, no moon, to shine on it. Why? The glory of God itself will be our light. Remember old covenant, we need the temple system, priest, animal sacrifices, new covenant, Ephesians 2 says, "We are the temple of God, the dwelling place of God, low signal, good signal." Guess what? In heaven, no more prayers. We don't need prayers. We don't need a signal. Why? Because the presence of God will be among us. We shall be with God face to face. We shall walk the garden, we will walk Davao with God as if a friend. In other words, heaven, according to the Bible, is Eden recreated. It is Eden 2.0. We will have perfect fellowship with God once again face to face. That's why. Don't be so dependent on yourself. We're not going to need that in heaven. We can talk freely with God. So, in summary, the perfect communion with God, we enjoyed in creation, was lost during the fall. Since then, we've had great difficulty discerning the will of God, hearing, hearing from God. But Jesus became the ones for us sacrifice the great high priest. So today, right now, where we are, we are able to enter into God's presence. Boldly, with a clear conscience, freely, anytime, anywhere. So a simple point for all of you this morning, our fellowship with God has been restored through prayer. Not yet face to face. We're going to get there someday. But right now, we have a clear signal to God through prayer. We have a window into Genesis chapter 1. Every time we enter the presence of God and pour our hearts out to Him. Now, let me land this message on how the Bible encourages us to pray congregationally. Repeatedly, the Bible says, pray together. Come together. Try out together. Okay? So, I believe I'm convinced there is something supernatural that happens. Whether we feel it or not, whether we know it or not, realize it or not, something supernatural happens when we come together and agree in prayer. That's why Jesus said, goodbye. Find two or three and agree. As it is bound and earth, it will be bound in heaven. So something supernatural is happening. Acts 1, again, the disciples were together in prayer. Acts 2, the early church devoted themselves together in prayer. Acts 6, the apostles devoted themselves in prayer. In Matthew 6, Jesus said, pray to our Father, not my Father, not your Father, our Father. Matthew 21, we are to be a house of prayer, not individual persons of prayer, but a house of prayer, correctively. And 2nd, Chronicle 7, 14, if my people humble themselves and pray, I will hear from heaven and heal their land. Bible does not say, if you change your politicians, if you have a Christian president, okay? If all of the Filipinos will repent and be nice, no, no, no. If my people, if the church humbles itself together and prays, God will hear from heaven. So God forms us through congregational prayer. We are united in our hearts when we pray together, when we prevail together, when we intercede together, and when we rejoice together, witnessing God's answered prayers. One short story, 2023, about May-ish, around May 2023, about three years ago. I found out in a meeting that one of our office mates, he done Luna, if you know him, at the every nation office. He works for Coms, and if you attend our Convergence session, the good drums, he's been absent for a few months. I said, what happened to Don? What's Don? Well, he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. Can't remember of what, but yeah, stage 3 cancer, and so he's been receiving treatment radiation. Really? Oh, wow. So I felt bad because I didn't know he just disappeared and never had a chance to pray for him. But a few weeks after that, I was walking past their office. I saw Don at his desk. Don't. Oh, hey, I heard that you were diagnosed with God. Oh, oh, oh, oh, can I pray for you? I asked Don, please, please pray for me. So I just walked over, sitting on his desk in front of his computer. I lay hands on him and you've heard me now, I'm the most boring prayer person in the world. If you want good sounding prayer, good to be sure to manicard us, okay? Radio, Pangraj, Junaboses, tapas, very fluent in prayer. I'm very awkward. So I prayed the shortest, most boring, plainest, simple prayer. Lord, I stand in faith and are given to Don, healing of cancer in Jesus name. Amen. Literally, that's all I prayed. So I left Don, okay? Ma'am morning and 10-ish AM. Then that lunchtime, we have a weekly chapel service in our office. I was leading chapel about 30 or 40 of us. Don't happen to attend chapel that day. And so while I was speaking like this in the middle, I got excited, I said, Don, I stopped in my message. Sorry, to put you on the spot. I just saw you now. Would you be okay if we prayed for you? Okay, can I tell everyone what's happening and can we pray for you? He said yes, yes, peace. And so I stopped in the middle of my message. All of you guys, can we all just get around Don, lay hands on him and pray for him. Lord, same. Same boring prayer Lord. We agree with Don, heal him, save him. Isaiah 53, by your side, he's healed. Amen. Okay. To be slater, I was actually at our world conference in Cape Town in October, 2020. I get a message from Don. Guess what comes up in this medical exam? Totally cancer-free. Let's give God a big hand. Up to now, every time we see each other, think of him. Good, good, good. Because he goes back every three months or maybe now every six months or once a year for cancer-free since 2023. Now, how do you know the banner in the Bible? Michael, Padere, international global healing crusade outage. Did you see the banner? No, because there's so much thing. Why? Because I am not a miracle worker. Okay. I am not this prophetic miracle supernatural work. That was simply the prayer of a righteous man according to the blood of Jesus. My prayer is as effective and as powerful as your prayer. Because we pray not of our own skill, but according to the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen. And so I challenge you. If there's any need in the church, anyone needs healing, anyone needs provision, you are welcome to the come to the pastors. We would love to pray for you, but you don't have to. In fact, we just pray for a miracle right before this service in the middle. Now, I start really begin to conclude, I think our keyboard player wants me to end now. So, hello. Okay. Now, there are different types of congregational prayer just so you know, okay? So it's not a formal time during the service that we do this. We kind of mix it up every few Sundays. But every time we ask you, there's a special prayer request. There's a typhoon coming. There's an earthquake. There's a political crisis and we pray in church. That's congregational prayer. Okay. When we ask you to go into break up into groups of two or three, pray for one another, ask each other or sometimes we say, don't ask, just pray in faith. Okay. When the pastor, pastor, job it or pastor, chito, will tell you, okay, I'm gonna pray and would you just agree with me? Or later, we're going to read together. We're gonna pray together. We're gonna pray for this nation together as a church, a recited prayer. That's also a congregational prayer. Now, Revelation chapter five, we're safe and I'll really close now. Says here. Okay. We're in three minutes. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders felt down before the lamb, each holding a heart. and listen to this. Holding golden bowls full of what? In sense, remember? Alter of incense, which are what? The prayers of the sins. Guess what? In other words, when we get to heaven, throw away your cell phones, we will talk to God face to face. In the meanwhile, we have a clear signal to God. But more than that, every time we pray, every time we cry out, not only does God hear it, not only does God accept it, it is a fragrant aroma to God. God takes pleasure and delight when we come to Him in prayer. Not only should we be bold enough to enter into His presence with a clean conscience, we know we are actually pleasing and honoring, bringing joy to the heart of God when we come to Him. So, simple point, our prayers are a source of joy to the Lord. So, let's pray together, amen? you