August 15, 1999.......... A House of Prayer.............. Is. 56

by Ronald E. George Jr. at the Sand Fork Baptist Church

" They bring their bodies to the house of prayer but not their souls. They worship with their mouths but not in spirit and in truth.

They are sticklers for early morning communion with God but they take no thought about keeping their hearts with all diligence.

They boast of their orthodoxy but disregard the precepts of Christ.

Multitudes of professing Christians abstain from external acts of violence, yet hesitate not to rob their neighbors of a good name by spreading evil reports against them.

They contribute regularly to the church but shrink not from misrepresenting their goods and cheating their customers persuading themselves that business is business.

They have more regard for the laws of man than those of God for his fear is not before their eyes. " -- Arthur Pink

"A central Missouri farmer lived close to a river. He had ducks as many of the other farmers did. Ducks like water, but the farmers knew that if they allowed their ducks to get out on the river that they would get mixed up and nobody would know whose ducks were whose. As a remedy to the problem, they each built fenced pens in the river for their ducks. The ducks liked the water but they also wanted the fellowship of the other ducks. They would swim over to their fence and quack at the ducks in the other pens but they couldn't get through. That is until one day the river rose until it flowed over the top of the pens. . . then the ducks were free and had a ducky fellowship. The farmers didn't like it but that was tough. The ducks were having a great time. This is illustrative of our denominational fences. The church is not meant as a pen to eliminate the possibility of fellowship between believers of various faiths. All God's people are One." -- Wayne Sams

Scripture Text: Isaiah 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation [is] near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. 3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I [am] a dry tree. 4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

A House of Prayer is a house for :

1. People who are of all shapes and sizes. For everyone of all types even the eunchs and the foreigners or visitors. All are welcome to come to the house of Prayer. It is up to us to invite them and make them welcome. We pray that all people will always be welcome in this house of prayer. Don't look down on your situation because the Lord has said that there will be a place for you in his house of prayer. So that when you come into a true house of prayer the people will part the way and allow you to come into the house and have an active part of the work that we do for the Lord.
2. People who Join themselves to God. For everyone who desires to answer God's invitation for salvation and his invitation to come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and God says that he will give you rest. We pray that God will be the main focus of this church so that people everywhere will be able to come to join themselves to Him.
3. People to minister to God (to each other). Every member is a minister. We pray that in this house of prayer everyone will have the opportunity to minister to God. In singing, in giving, in praying, in preaching, in teaching, and in being a minister to one another. We pray that everyone is a minister of our house of prayer.
4. People who love the name of the Lord that is all that he stands for…(holiness, righteousness, love, Justice, the lost, lonely and least of society.) The house of prayer is for those who love the Lord and give themselves to him as a living sacrifice. If you love Him this place is for you and if you don't love Him then begin to love him today by giving yourself to him. 1Joh 4:7 (KJS) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. We pray that we would all love one another
5. People who want to be his servants through serving one another. (in humility). We are humbling ourselves before one another daily. Bowing our knees and giving up our rights for the rights of others. We pray that we would serve one another as God has served us in giving us his son.
6. People who keep the Sabbath and not profane it. Keep God's day holy and wholly give themselves to God in their life. We are willing to make room in our lives for God and set aside time for him and for a day of rest. We need him and we need the rest. This is how our creator created us. Voluntarily take time for God in your life. We pray that we would be people that who make time for God in our lives.
7. People who hold fast God's covenant/promise. By maintaining justice and doing what is right. We remember God's promise to us and we will continue to strive to do right and we keep the faith because the one who promised us is faithful. We pray that we would continue to take hold of the promise of God.
8. People who are made joyful by God in prayer, offering, and sacrifice. What a joy coming into God's house can be all those who have taken hold of his covenant. He makes us joyful. Joy is a presence in your life that can't be replaced by a cheap high. Joy is the presence of God in your life and in your church. We pray that this place would be a place of Joy for all who come in. Will you come in? Come in to be more than a spectator but a full participator in God's house of prayer.