100228 Now is the Time
Understanding the House of Prayer
Tim Franklin
Introduction:
· This Friday night is our next MyHop meeting. It is a 7 p.m. at Church on the Rock in Melbourne. You should have in your bulletin an announcement with time and direction to COTR. I want to encourage you be a part of building this House of Prayer in Brevard county.
o MyHop began last year when Gary and Bonnie and Tony and Rachel and Kelly and I began to answer the call of God to build a House of Prayer in Brevard.
o The vision is to simply to build a House of Prayer consisting of networked churches and believers committed to night and day corporate prayer.
o We have had two meeting this year and both have been very good. Church, I need you to be there this week! God is moving all over the earth and I cannot stress enough the importance of developing a prayer life at this time.
· Strike while the iron is hot! This is a proverb that speaks, “When you have an opportunity to do something do it while you have the chance.” Opportunities seem to come at the most unexpected times and often in unexpected ways but they are opportunities none the less. You may have an opportunity to save your marriage, save your children, or your own soul. But you have to respond.
· I want to talk about Houses of Prayer this morning in light of His House of Prayer. See also an article by Mike Bickle: http://www.myhop.org/ resources—understanding a house of prayer.
· If you read the MyHop Blog Friday you will have a little insight into today message.
· Zechariah 1:16 'Therefore thus says the Lord:"I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it," says the Lord of hosts, "And a surveyor's line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem."' NKJV God is building His house and His house is a house of prayer.
1. Understanding the House of Prayer
A. Where did the House of Prayer Begin?
i. The House of Prayer actually began in the garden of Eden. The garden was made for the purpose of encounter, dwelling with God, resting in Him. It is interesting that God made Adam and placed/put him in the garden. In fact, in many parts of the world it is common to have a garden. Not the farming type for fruits and vegetables but for rest, and sitting with family and guests. Encounter and sharing of hearts. God is really into that!
a. Put him-Heb. Nuah-- Our root signifies not only absence of movement but being settled in a particular place (whether concrete or abstract) with overtones of finality, or (when speaking abstractly) of victory, salvation, etc. For synonyms cf. šabat, connoting the absence of activity (or, of a particular activity), šaqat which connotes the absence of disturbance from external causes, šalam, connoting wholeness, i.e. the state of well being, and domî "quiet, " raga "to be in repose." (from Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Copyright © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission.)
b. Garden, Heb-ganan, The verb and its derivatives occur about 130 times. The basic idea of the verb is to cover over and thus shield from danger. ganan is used only in reference to the protective guardianship of God. Of its eight occurrences, six have to do with the Assyrian crisis in the days of Hezekiah. Isaiah assured the king that God would care for Jerusalem like a mother bird hovering with wings spread over her young in the nest (Isa 31:5). God would protect Jerusalem in this crisis for his own sake and for the sake of David (Isa 37:35). The deliverance of Jerusalem would demonstrate to the world that God was faithful to his promises and mighty to deliver his people from their oppressors. Zechariah twice uses the same verb to describe the divine protection of God's people in their wars against the sons of Greece (Zech 9:15) and of Jerusalem in the last days (Zech 12:8). gan, gannâ. Garden. A garden (gan, gannâ) is a plot of ground protected by a wall or a hedge. These areas were often irrigated (Isa 58:11) and were used to cultivate flowers, fruits, and vegetables (Song 5:1; Song 6:2). During the hot summer months such gardens provided a refuge from the stifling heat (Song 5:2; Song 8:13). The king's residence probably included an elaborate garden or private park (2 Kings 25:4). Frequently gardens were used as burial places (2 Kings 21:18,26). Isaiah condemned the people of his day for turning their gardens into centers for pagan worship (Isa 1:29; Isa 65:3; Isa 66:17). An enclosed and fruitful garden became the figure of a chaste woman (Song 4:12) and of national prosperity (Num 24:6; Jer 29:5; Amos 9:14). The destruction of such gardens typified desolation (Amos 4:9). (from Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Copyright © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) Adam was put in the garden to commune with God. It was the safest place he could be and the most pleasureable.
B. What is its history?
i. From the time of the fall of man God was looking for encounters with man. He wanted to be close to man and man close to Him. He covered him in the garden with skins. He called Abraham out from where he lived to go to a place that God wanted to prepare for him in demonstration of his intense love for Abraham, his children and his children’s, children.
ii. In David he finally found a very unique man! 1 Samuel 13:14 …The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, …." NKJV This is powerful! You may be a mom, an engineer, VP of corporation, a student etc. but at the end of the day God is looking for a man after his own heart!
a. A house of prayer begins with a hungry heart for God. While David tended sheep He wrote songs, pondered God, pondered God’s ways and his heart for God grew incredibly big. Ps. 27:4-8 One thing I have desired of the Lord , That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord , And to inquire in His temple. … Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. …When You said, "Seek My face,"My heart said to You, "Your face, Lord , I will seek." NKJV We have to catch this because this is what drives the house of prayer—a big heart for God or a heart that longs to be bigger for God. It entails being positioned and be positioning one’s self before God. Jn 4:23 True worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship him. NKJV The house of prayer was begin cultivate in David’s heart when he was a nobody tending sheep in his own seemingly insignificance! In the mundane, in the routine—in that place David made great room for God.
b. David becomes King.
(i) David vows to prepare a place for the God of Israel! Psalms 132:1-8 Lord, remember David And all his afflictions; 2 How he swore to the Lord, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 "Surely I will not go into the chamber of my house 0r go up to the comfort of my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to my eyes …5 Until I find a place for the Lord, A dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." … 8 Arise, O Lord, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. NKJV David, thus vows to live in extravagant devotion to seek the Lord with everything he has: time, money, fasting, resources, etc. He was extravagant in all these things.
(ii)David has a God encounter and God gives David the blue print for His house! I Chr. 28:11-19 “David gave his son Solomon the plans…12 for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord…also for the division of the priests and Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the Lord…19 All this, said David, “the Lord made me to understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.” NKJV David had a God encounter and in it he received the plans to build God’s house. It was an encounter that he vowed to God and every king after him was also vowed to! Jesus the Son of God is part of that linage who kingdom shall never end. If Jesus gave it to David to initiate don’t you think that Jesus will too honor His Word forever!
(a) It was revelation! Psalms 119:96 I have seen the consummation of all perfection But Your commandment is exceedingly broad. NKJV
(b) It was a revelation of worship led by full time singers and musicians. David has that Rev 4 and 5 experience like John did and David vows to build a place where God is worship night and day and day and night.
c. David sets up the tabernacle of worship. 2 Sam 6, I Chr. 15 When he becomes King he takes Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:3-10) and the first thing he does is set up the tabernacle he had received from the Lord in his encounter with God. (2 Sam 6)
(i) These were government employees: 288 singers, 4,000 gatekeepers, 4,000 musicians.
(a) 1 Chronicles 16:37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the ark regularly, as every day's work required; NKJV
(b) 1 Chronicles 25:7 So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the Lord, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight. NKJV
(c) 1 Chronicles 23:5 four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the Lord with musical instruments, "which I made," said David, "for giving praise." NKJV
(d) I Chr. 22:14 David gave over 100 billion dollars in modern day prices for the building of the temple. Much of that was his own personal giving.
C. Where will it finish?
i. Amos 9:11"On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; NKJV God promised to restore David’s Tabernacle and thus to reverse the damage of Israel’s apostasy. The fullness of the Tabernacle of David speaks of Jesus’ Millennial government over all nationsthat is based on 24/7 Davidic worship and intercession.
ii. There were 7 national revivals/restorations. Every time Judah strayed a reformer king eventually came back in power and restored David’s vow to the Lord. Ps 132:1-8.
a. Hezekiah’s revival included restoring full-time singers and musicians as commanded by David. (2 Chr. 29:25-27) He stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with…stringed instruments…according to the commandment of David…for thus was the commandment of the LORD…27 The song of the LORD began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David…NKJV
b. Josiah’s revival included restoring full-time singers and musicians as commanded by David. (2 Chr. 35:3-15) He said to the Levites…4 “Prepare yourselves…following the instruction of David…” 15 The singers…were in their places, according to the command of David… NKJV
c. After the 70 years of Babylonian captivity, God raised up godly leaders, Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah who established full-time singers and musicians as commanded by David. (Ezra 3:10-11) The priests stood…and the Levites…with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David. 11 They sang responsively…giving thanks to the Lord… (Neh. 12:24, 45) The Levites…give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of David…45 The singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God…according to thecommand of David…NKJV
iii. Jesus is returning, he will set up his kingdom on earth and he will reign from Jerusalem. And Jerusalem will be the love of all nations, and the greatest House of Prayer ever build will be there. And every house of prayer all over the earth will be connected to it!
iv. God promised to establish intercessors who will never be silent until He restores Jerusalem. Is 62:6-7 I have set watchmen on your walls … they shall never hold their peace (be silent) day or night …give him not rest till He establishes…Jerusalem a praise in the earth. NKJV That is why we see at the end of Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” NKJV
2. Why is a House of Prayer Important?
A. Our identity is to be God’s house that operates by prayer.
i. God is raising up and has been for many years now a house of prayer. Isaiah 56:7 For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." NKJV When God names a person or ministry it indicates their character and how they function in the Spirit. For example, God speaks and moves our heart and then we speak and move His heart. (That is intercession)
ii. God intends us to govern the earth through night and day prayer. The result is that God’s resources are released on earth. His resources include His power, wisdom (creative ideas), unity, money, impact, etc. The Spirit is changing the environment and culture of the Church so that it functions by prayer.
B. Jesus is requiring night and day prayer to bring about full justice in the church and in society. Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, … 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily..." NKJV
i. Justice is God making wrong things right. Salvation, healing, deliverance, prosperity, peace etc.
C. Jesus rules now and will in the age to come through intercession.
i. Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. NKJV
ii. Psalms 2:8-9 Ask of Me, (the Father) and I will give You (Jesus) The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'" NKJV
iii. Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, ... do not rest day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!" NKJV
Conclusion:
· God is just so glorious! It is like trying to describe Niagara Falls to someone who has never been there. It is like trying to describe the ocean to someone who has never seen it. When one has encountered God all familiarity goes away. Ever idea you ever had of God disappears in the glory of His presence.
· I can’t make anyone pray, I can only give you and invitation to come and meet Him. When you do, you will want to pray.
· My heart goes out to those whose heart have grown cold in the place of prayer.
· Come renew your heart this morning.
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