Turning Point - David Jeremiah

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Do you believe that God is truly present in the
church and in your life. Your answer will impact how
you pray, how you worship, and how you live today.
On turning point, doctor David Jeremiah considers the closing words
of the Lord's Prayer and four attributes of God that
highlight the reality of His presence from Prayer the Great Adventure.

(00:29):
Here's David to introduce the doxology of prayer.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, that's the part of the prayer that we say
sort of absent mindedly when we're done praying the middle
of the prayer. And this is really important because just
as we began the prayer with our Father, who are
in Heaven, howled be thy Name, we end the prayer
with this doxology, and I think as we do so
we'll see how this all fits together. And the bookends

(00:54):
are wonderful. So get ready as we study in just
a moment for the doxology of prayer. One lesson on
the doxology of prayer, and then two lessons on Tuesday
and Wednesday on the intersections of prayer. And then we're
going to listen to the interview that we did on
prayer with Sheilah Walsh on Thursday, and we'll finish out

(01:16):
the week with a special message on the warfare of prayer.
So prayer is the subject for August, and I'm glad
you're joining with us to discuss it together. Hey, I've
been telling you every day during the month of August
about our special book that we're making available during the
month of August. As you know, we've been doing this
for years now, and we've done it with the hope

(01:38):
of building your library of books that will be a
blessing to you. And when we send these books to you,
we know you read them, most of them, and you
pass them on, but you keep them and they're there
for you when you need them. And this is one
of those kind of books. It's a book that gives
you some examples of how to pray for specific things
that you need in your life. And the book is

(01:58):
called Everything to God in Prayer. It's a beautiful, beautiful
gift book. It's got a padded cover and gorgeous print
and coloring and I'm chruer look for you to have
this and it's yours for the asking. When you send
a gift of any size to Turning Point during the
month of August, why not do that right now before
you forget it, and help us with the cost of

(02:19):
radio and production during this specific time of vacation. It
will be most appreciated, and we'd like to see thank
you with the special book now here is the Doxology
of Prayer. Doctor A. J. Gordon, who was the founder
of Gordon College in the Northeast, had a dream that

(02:41):
changed his life. While he said he did not normally
believe in dreams and their value, this one had such
a profound impact on him. It seems that it was
like this. He fell asleep on a Saturday night, kind
of overwhelmed and worn out from all of his preparation
throughout the day, and as he fell asleep and began

(03:03):
to dream, he was in the pulpit in his dream,
and a stranger came into his church and sat down
about halfway back in the center section. Gordon said he
saw everything around the man with absolute clarity, even could
read the pew number in which he was seated, but
he could not see the man's face. He remembered that

(03:24):
the face wore a serious look, like a person who
had a great sorrow, and that while he was preaching
in his dream, this stranger gave him utmost attention. When
the service was over, as he retold his dream, doctor
Gordon tried to reach through the crowded aisle and find
this man. But when he got to the pew where
he had been seated, he was gone. And so he

(03:45):
came up to the man who was seated beside him,
and he said to him, who was that stranger that
was here today? The man said, oh, Pastor, that was
Jesus of Nazareth. Gordon said, in his dream, ball the
man out for letting him get away. But the man
replied to him in the dialogue that he recalled, he said, Oh,

(04:07):
do not be troubled. He has been here today, and
no doubt he will come again. Gordon records in his
book The Shock and the Subsequent self Examination, that that
dream provoked in his life. He said, one thought lingered
in my mind with something of comfort and more of awe.

(04:27):
He has been here today and he will no doubt
come again. And mentally repeating these words is one regretfully
meditating on a vanishing vision. He said, I awoke and
it was a dream. And yet it was not a dream.
It was a vision of the deepest reality, a miniature
of actual history. The impact of that dream on AJ

(04:50):
Gordon's life was historic. He says that within a few weeks,
just the fact that Christ was present in the congregation
changed the whole nature of their worship and their church.
In fact, it was through that dream and the resulted
blessing on the church that Gordon College was initiated and

(05:13):
is today a college which has a testimony for Christ.
I read that story, and I have been very enamored
of recent days that in most of the men of
God and the women of God that I have read about,
there has been some signature event in their life that
has had a momentous impact on them. Maybe it has

(05:33):
been a sermon or a verse, or some happening, And
I could go through probably a dozen of them today
that I have recorded. But here is a man whose
whole life and ministry was transformed by the very real
picture of the presence of God in his church and
in his life. And I could not help but wonder if,

(05:54):
in spite of all the teaching we have on praise
and worship, and in spite of all of that that
we do, if we yet have come to the place
where we really do believe that when we come together
in the church, he is here with us. I do
not know which pew he occupies, but the scripture tells
us he is here. And when we prepare to pray

(06:18):
and offer up our prayers to God, he is there,
and he hears us, and He is a very present God.
While we need to know of his majesty, we also
need to know of his presence. And when we praise God,
that is the thing that happens to us in our praying.

(06:40):
In our praising God, we evoke the manifest presence of God.
Not that He is more here during praise than at
any other time, but his manifest presence becomes.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Real to us.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
When we worship the Lord, we draw near to God.
And when we draw near to God, he draws near
to us. And that is why I am convinced that Jesus,
when teaching his disciples to pray, taught them to pray
by beginning with praise and ending with praise. That the

(07:16):
Lord's prayer is bookended by praise and worship. In the
middle are all of the things which mostly occupy our
praying today. But at the beginning and at the end,
there is this dramatic reminder to us of worship and
praise and adoration of God. In this prayer, we have

(07:37):
learned that we begin with praise by saying our Father,
who aren't in heaven, hallowed be thy name. That it
continues with priorities, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. That it is
not afraid to address the need of provision. Give us
this day our daily bread. That it promises wholesome personal

(07:59):
relationship to every one of us who are willing to
forgive others, that we ourselves may be forgiven. That it
will provide protection by giving us victory over temptation and
delivering us from the evil one. In this prayer, filled
with all of that wonderful truth, we begin with praise
and we end with praise. The beginning of the prayer

(08:20):
is devoted completely to God. It is centered around the
word Die. The second half of the prayer is centered
around the word Hour. But once again at the beginning
and at the end, there is praise and worship. So
as we've come full circle back to the end of
the prayer, we are literally back at the beginning of
the prayer. Some have called this little phrase that we

(08:42):
have read the doxology of the Lord's Prayer. Now, I
need to tell you that those of you who study
from the NIV and some of the other translations of
the Bible, the last part of verse thirteen is not included.
Apparently there were some in studying the manuscripts of the
early text who believe that this had been an addition
and should not have been added to the prayer. It

(09:03):
is in the King James version of the Bible and
many of the standard versions. But I do not wish
to quibble with its inclusion, because whether it was added
or whether it was there at the beginning, it is
the very core of the prayer itself. It fits, it belongs.
It doesn't look to me like anything that's come in
from a foreign place to be added to the prayer.

(09:25):
I believe that it is a part of the prayer.
Some have said it would have to have been a
part of the prayer, because no Jew would ever have
ended his prayer on a negative note. And so the
prayer ends positively with this doxology. Now, it's interesting to
me that we have indeed come back to the beginning,
For we prayed at the beginning thy Kingdom, and we

(09:47):
conclude with Thine is the kingdom we prayed at the beginning,
Thy will be done, and we end with Thine is
the power we prayed at the beginning, hollowed be thy name,
and we end with Thine is the glory we begin
with on earth as it is in heaven, and we
end with forever. It's almost as if the last part

(10:08):
of the thirteenth verse is kind of a summary statement
of everything that the Lord has been teaching us in praying.
The last chord of the Lord's prayer brings us to
the mountain peak of praise and allows us one last, good,
hearty glimpse of the God to whom our prayer has
been addressed. I say this advisedly because I'm not really

(10:32):
a great fan of psychology unless it is completely and
totally biblical. But there is a psychology to this prayer
in this sense. It would be very, very difficult for
us if we developed a habit of bringing to God
all of the multitudes of our needs and petitions and
personal relationship issues and protection issues and all of that,

(10:53):
and then we ended our prayer without another fresh glimpse
of the one to whom we pray. Because we will
our prayer with a sense of our need instead of
a great sense of the one who has promised to
meet our need. When we finished the prayer with the doxology,
we are reminded of four of the great attributes of

(11:14):
God himself. I have wondered why these four were chosen.
There are so many things we could have been reminded
of concerning God. But these four seem to be very
important attributes. And I, now, as I've internalized this in
my own prayer life, believe that these are four of

(11:35):
the most important things you can remember about God when
you're about ready to say Amen. First of all, we
must praise Him for his sovereignty. Thine is the kingdom.
James Neil, who is a Greek scholar, has suggested that
this final statement in verse thirteen might be what he

(11:55):
calls a hendiadis. Hendiadis is like this. It is two
or three words linked by the word, and the last
which describes the first. Let me give you an illustration
from a verse. You know, John fourteen six says I
am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If you
translated that using the concept of the hendiatis, you would

(12:16):
say I am the Way, the True, Way, the living way,
if you translate Matthew six' thirteen b using the concept
of the, hnditis it would be like, this dine is The,
kingdom the Powerful, kingdom the Glorious, kingdom the Eternal. Kingdom in,
essence it is all saying the same. Thing it is
reminding us of these powerful attributes Of god. Himself in The,

(12:42):
bible we are told That god is. Sovereign he is
sovereign in. Creation jeremiah ten twelve says he hath made
the earth by his. Power he hath established the world
by his. Wisdom he has stretched out the heavens by his.
Discretion how do we get the? World god did it
by his own sovereign. Decree god created the, world And

(13:05):
god is sovereign over the. World in that same text
In jeremiah, ten we read when he uttereth his, voice
there's a multitude of waters in the, heavens and he
causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the.
Earth he maketh lightnings with rain and bringeth forth the
wind of his. Treasures how does the world? Work god
has sovereignly willed, it so he is in. Control And

(13:29):
god is sovereign in the affairs of men and in
your life as. Well he is in control of. History
how many of you have ever felt like your life
was out of? Control this is a great season for
trying that, on if you LIKE i, mean this is
a wonderful time to just back up and, say how

(13:50):
did this happen to? Us my life is out of.
Control we are creatures who like things ordered and packaged and.
Organized at LEAST i am everything in its place and
in its, time with our arms around it and feeling
like we've got it. TOGETHER i had a day like that.
Once it was, wonderful.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
You, know it was this.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
Great but you know what happens sometimes when things are
out of. Control we began to think that things are
really out of. Control AND i want to tell you.
Something he is in. Control when you look up into
heaven through the open door of The book Of, revelation
there is a throne room and it is. Occupied there

(14:32):
is one seated there who is in. Control when we
don't understand how things happen because we have a frame
of reference in which they should, happen we Think god's
not in control. Anymore But god's in. Control AND i
could use illustration after illustration in the word Of god
to show you That he uses all kinds of things

(14:54):
to accomplish his. Will he's a Sovereign. God now when
you get one praying at the end of your, prayer
that's a pretty good thing to, remember isn't. It. Lord
i've brought before you all these, things AND i don't
know what to do with AND i don't see the.
END i don't see how they off it. Together But,
God thine is the. Kingdom you're in. CONTROL i lift
this all up to. You you're the One. God you're in.

(15:17):
Control nothing catches you by. Surprise you are in. Control
And god does not make, mistakes does. He he cannot
make even one tiny little sliver of a mistake and
still Be. God some years, ago WHEN i was going
through a particularly difficult time over some issues THAT i was,
facing someone gave me this little sliver of. Poetry it

(15:40):
goes like. This my father's way may twist and, turn
my heart may throb an, Ache but in my Soul
i'm GLAD i know he maketh no. Mistake my cherished
plans may go, astray my hopes may fade, away but
Still i'll trust My lord to, lead for he doth
know the. Word though night be dark and it may

(16:03):
seem the day will never, Break i'll pin my, faith
my all on. Him he maketh no. Mistake there is
so MUCH i cannot. See my eyesight's far too. Dim
but come what, May i'll simply trust and leave it
all to. Him by and by the mist will lift
plane it. All he'll make through all the, way though

(16:24):
dark to, me he maketh no. Mistake he's in. Control
what a wonderful thing to remember as you're finishing up your. Prayer,
GOD i don't understand everything that's, happening BUT i know
you're in, control and you don't make any, Mistakes SO
i trust. You we must praise him for his. Sovereignty
but notice, Secondly thine is the kingdom and the. Power

(16:47):
we must praise him for his. Authority he's not an
Absentee god afar off just hearing our prayers and pulling
little strings and pushing little. Buttons his power is everywhere.
Present his power is demonstrated in the way he interacts
with his. PEOPLE i remember a great passage of scripture

(17:08):
In isaiah chapter. Forty It's isaiah forty twenty eight to thirty.
One listen to the power Of god in this precious
promise from The Old? Testament have you not? Known have
you not? Heard The Everlasting, god The, lord the creator
of the ends of the, earth neither faints nor is he.
Weary his understanding is. Unsearchable he gives power to the,

(17:31):
weak and to those who have no. Might he increases.
Strength even the youths shall faint and be, weary and
the young men shall utterly. Fall but those who wait
upon The lord shall renew their. Strength they shall mount
up with wings like. Eagles they shall run and not be.
Weary they shall walk and not. Faint he's The god

(17:51):
of all, authority and he extends his power to us
when we put our trust in. Him how many of,
you when you, pray oftentimes find yourself rehearsing what you've,
prayed and, then while you don't want to say it out,
loud you're, thinking, well he's not going to do. That
he's not going to do. That BUT i KNOW i
ask you for, this But, god you're not going to do.
That you, know WHEN i finish my, PRAYING i like this, Reminder.

Speaker 1 (18:14):
Fine is the.

Speaker 2 (18:15):
Power it's not in. Them did you see that they
took all the power to, themselves how did you get
where you? Are it was my, might and it was my,
wisdom and it was my, strength and it was my,
intuition and it was all of. That they've grabbed hold
of the concept of the modern day positive mental latitude,

(18:37):
situation which says that anything your mind can, conceive you can.
Achieve do you believe? THAT i don't believe. That i'm
thankful that some of the things my mind has Conceived
god hasn't let me. Achieve. AMEN i am not an ultimate.

(18:59):
POWER i cannot do whatever my mind sets forth to.
Do BUT i have one who, can and he is My.
God and The bible says nothing is too hard for.
Him the Same god who created the world is The
god who moves and shakes and the lives of men.
Today and when we, pray it is a powerful thing

(19:20):
to remember as we say Our. Amen not only is
he in, control but he is all, powerful and he
can do the things we've asked him to do in
the accordance of his, will and he. Will and then
the prayer says we must praise him for his, majesty
for thine is the. Kingdom he's in, Control thine is the.

(19:41):
Power he's all, mighty And thine is the. Glory he
is The god who is seated upon the throne in.
Heaven and then there's one little last word that we
would just kind of chop off if we're not, Careful
but don't you do? That Forever mine is the. Eternity

(20:05):
god is? Forever how long is? Forever what is? Eternal
as far back as you can, think multiplied by as
many numbers as you can, imagine and then tripled and
doubled beyond anything your calculator will allow you to. Do
you have just touched the beginning of eternity past and

(20:27):
as far out into the future as you can see
or think or. Dream you haven't even begun to touch
the eternity Of. God one of the problems we have
As christians listen up, now is that we confuse immortality with.
Eternity are we immortal if we have Trusted? Christ we are,

(20:49):
immortal and in sents everyone's, immortal because your soul is
going to be somewhere, forever my. Friend but are we?
Eternal absolutely. Not we have eternal, life and that is
we've gotten the life That god gave us when we Trusted.
Christ but what's the difference between immortality and. Eternity immortality

(21:09):
begins someplace and goes on, forever but eternity has no.
Beginning there never was a time When god was, not
and there never shall be a time When he ceases to.
Be he has forever and ever been the ONLY i
am there. Is he is the Eternal, god and The

(21:30):
bible tells us that his, son who is a part
of the Eternal, godhead is the same yesterday and today and.
Forever he never. Changes and WHEN i put that period
at the end of my prayer and my last word is,
FOREVER i make a statement about The god WHOM i

(21:51):
worship and WHOM i, serve and to WHOM i, PRAY
i don't have to fear the, future FOR i have
A god whose track record is, impeccable and whose present
ministry with me and with you and with all who
will trust him is. Immeasurable that's The god we. Serve

(22:11):
every day is today With. God god has no, past no.
Future Is god worried about the. Future he doesn't have a.
Future god sees the future as, today and WHEN i
come to, HIM i do not need to fear the
future anymore THAN i fear the. Present with my hand in,
his because he is the same, yesterday, today and. Forever

(22:35):
he is the one constant in your life and in.
Mine he is the one, faithful immutable one in whom
you can. Trust we live in a world that is
decaying and changing and falling apart in so many, ways
but there is one in whom we can, trust and
that period to your prayer is a reminder that he
is the only forever one you know if you count.

(22:58):
It for eternity is the Everlasting, god and you are
talking to him in. Prayer Our, father who aren't in,
Heaven hallowed be thy, Name Thy. Kingdom, Come thy will
be done on earth as it is In. Heaven give

(23:22):
us this day our daily, bread and forgive us our,
debts as we forgive our. Debtors and lead us not into,
temptation but deliver us from. Evil For thine is the,
Kingdom thine is the, power And thine is the. Glory. Forever,

(23:46):
amen you have been with, us and we have been
so appreciative of her presence as we have taught this
sacred section Of God's. Word we certainly haven't covered, everything
we haven't answered all your, questions but hopefully we've made
this more indelibly important to, you and that it will

(24:06):
be a place that you'll come to. Often and if
you kept the outline of this, prayer it can guide
you in your future prayers in a way that will
astound you when you begin to do. It we'll talk
more about that tomorrow as we deal with the intersections of.
Prayer but thank you again for being a part of this.
Series there is a study guide and a set of

(24:29):
CDEs that accompany. This you can get them by going
To David jeremiah dot. Org there you will find those
resources and many others that you might be interested. In
resources to help you understand and Study god's. Word it's our,
purpose it's our, plan and we hope you will allow
us to do it for. You I'm David. Jeremiah thanks for.

Speaker 1 (24:50):
Listening for more information On Doctor jeremiah Series prayer The Great,
adventure please visit our, website where we also offer two
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At davidjeremiah dot org Slash. Radio That's davidjeremiah dot org Slash,

(25:15):
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(25:36):
versions complete with notes and articles from Doctor jeremiah's decades of.
Study get all the details when you visit our Website
davidjeremiah dot. Org Slash, Radio this Is David Michael. Jeremiah
join us tomorrow as we continue the Series, prayer The
Great adventure On Turning point With Doctor David jeremiah