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Hear current audio messages by Pastor Scott Burr at:
http://sermon.net/dayspringchurchag

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Making Room for Prayer (Pt. 3 of 3)

(Part 3 of 3)

And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”
                                                                                              
                                                                                                   Mark 11:17-18

Beware of becoming religious! The response to Jesus’ declaration to restore prayer to the spiritual life of Israel was swift. Unfortunately, the response was not one of repentance and vowing to return prayer to its proper place, but instead Jesus’ plea was met with a rebellious response housed in the form of religious indignation.
If fact, the religious leaders response to Jesus’ emphasis on prayer was the classic retort of many who are unwilling to repent of their sin; kill the messenger! They would rather kill Jesus before they would toss out those things that were occupying their lives; causing them abandon prayer as a vital component of their faith.

So it is with many people today. They would rather ignore the scripture, redefine faith, belittle pastors, and degrade the church before they would toss out those things in their lives that have caused them to abandon prayer as a vital component of their faith.
Their actions speak volumes to the real depth of their spiritual maturity. In fact, in my opinion, our time spent in prayer is a better indicator of our faith in God than our praise could ever be. Praise demonstrates our appreciation and thankfulness towards God. Prayer communicates our dependency on Him.

By eliminating the place of prayer, the religious leaders of Jesus day were proclaiming that they had stopped depending on God. They had no problem praising God and offering up adoration, but they abandoned the discipline that expressed a dependency on Him.

Armin R. Gesswein once said, “If you want to see how popular the church is, attend Sunday morning worship. If you want to see how popular the pastor is, attend Sunday evening. If you want to see how popular God is, attend the prayer meeting.”
How about you? Have you abandoned the place of prayer? What is occupying the time that you spend in prayer? Do you attend the prayer meeting at your church? Does your church even have prayer meetings?

It is time to toss over some tables and drive some things out so that we can once again make room for prayer!

Pastor Scott Burr                                                                    

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Making Room for Prayer (Pt. 2)

(Part 2)

Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”
                                                                                                Mark 11:9-11

One thing that caught Jesus’ attention when he entered the temple was that the passion he had just heard in their praise did not carry into their place of prayer. If the only gauge we used to measure spiritual maturity was praise, we would assume that the people were spiritually healthy. However, upon reaching the temple’s outer courts, Jesus was shocked when he observed that the place of prayer had been hijacked and was being used as a marketplace. This obvious discrepancy is what led to his addressing the fig tree in full view of his disciples.

“The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                      Mark 11:12-14

People who praise without making room to pray are like a fig tree in leaf that bears no fruit.  A person whose life is devoid of prayer will eventually, spiritually speaking, wither and die. Why?  A lack of prayer demonstrates an absolute lack of faith in God.
We pray because we believe that we serve a God that cares about us and our needs. To abandon prayer demonstrates a faith in self, lack of need for God, or the belief that He cares little about our needs. As we begin to demonstrate greater and greater trust in ourselves, we will abandon the place of prayer in our lives. The lack of prayer in our lives is communicating just how much value we truly place on it.

By overturning the tables and running out the money changers, Jesus was establishing the importance of prayer:

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “My House will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’”
                                                                                                            Mark 11: 15-17

Jesus was reclaiming and restoring what was being robbed from the people, by expunging those things that were occupying its space. If you abandon the place of prayer, it well get occupied with something! What’s occupying your prayer time?

Pastor Scott Burr                                                                    
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com/


Friday, September 12, 2014

Making Room for Prayer (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”
                                                                                                            Mark 11:11

What was it that day Jesus was so curious to see? In the opening verses of Mark 11 we see Jesus entering into Jerusalem. He is led in, riding on donkey, with scores of people spreading out their cloaks, waving palm branches, and praising God. They believed that their Messiah had finally come.

However, upon reaching the Temple, Jesus entered into the courts of the gentiles and found a disturbing sight. What used to be a place designated for the gentiles to come and pray and worship God had been turned into a marketplace.

What Jesus heard when he triumphantly rode into Jerusalem is not what he witnessed when he entered the temple; the passion he heard in their praise was not evident in other areas of their faith.

The next day as they were traveling back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus and his disciples passed a fig tree:

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”
                                                                                                            Mark 11:12-14

The tree appeared to be vibrant, alive, and growing from a distance; but upon closer inspection it did not bear any fruit.  Jesus’ experience in Jerusalem the day before was remarkably similar. They nation of Israel appeared to be vibrant, alive, and zealous for God; but upon closer inspection they were not bearing fruit.

Once past the throngs of praising people, past the beautiful edifices, and ornate temple aesthetics; Jesus discovered that the gentile’s place of prayer had been renovated into a farmer’s market!

The marketplace occupying their place of prayer made it impossible for them to pray and worship there. So Jesus went to work:

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?” But you have made it a den of robbers.”
                                                                                                            Mark 11:15-17

The people valued praise, but did not value prayer. How often is this scenario being played out in our lives? We make room for praise, but leave no room for prayer.
What have you set up in our life that is robbing you of your time, place, energy, or ability to pray?  Perhaps it is time to start overturning some tables!

Pastor Scott Burr                                                                    

http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com

Friday, September 5, 2014

Loaves and Fishes

(Part 3 of 3)

“The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth; no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them and got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.”
                                                                                                                        Mark 8:11-13

Beware of a Pharisaical Spirit! As Jesus met the needs of the people; a religiously charged or super-spiritualized attitude rose among the religious leaders. Apparently the feeding of four thousand people with only seven loaves and two fish was not enough of a miracle for them; they needed a sign from heaven.
Jesus, concerned that His disciples may be influenced by these contaminated attitudes, addressed His disciples in Mark 8:14-15:

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

However, instead of gleaning what Jesus was attempting to teach them; all the disciples could focus on once again was their lack!

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
                                                                                                            Mark 8:16

The disciples had brought only one loaf of bread; and even though Jesus had just demonstrated what he could do with just a little; they looked at the little they had and declared “we have no bread.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand: Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes that fail to see and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
                                                                                                Mark 8:17-21

Jesus instruction to them had nothing at all to do with the bread! Jesus was teaching them that having little will never hinder a move of God, but a wrong spirit most certainly will.

Compassion is not about having the resource to meet the needs of the suffering; it is about having the desire to meet the needs. Some of you need to pray that God will fan the flame of compassion in your hearts to meet the needs of others. Others need to give thanks for what you have been given and begin setting it before the people. While there are some that need to abandon a pharisaical spirit  in order to see the miraculous work of God in meeting the needs of others.