My sister has four children. And the youngest one was raised in a church like this, but he’s an agnostic. And we’ve been praying for him for a long time.
Never any change. Very respectful, but never any change. Well, he and his wife made a capital mistake last summer.
They let their son go to a Baptist Bible camp. And he got saved. So God’s coming in the back door here.
A few weeks ago, this boy phoned his mother and he said, you know, I really got surprised the other night. I went to open my son’s door to say goodnight to him, and he was reading the Bible. And so then he got talking to his uncle, and his uncle’s a really gospel Bible-believing Presbyterian minister.
And so Calvin got talking to him and started to say, he said, so where are you reading the Bible? He said, I’m reading through the gospels. So Calvin thought he would wax a little intelligent and give him, you know, some instruction. So after he finished this great theological thing, Evan said, well, really, Uncle Calvin, it’s all kind of basic.
The guy is 12. I want to tell you to keep on believing, to keep on praying, not to give up. So I’m going to talk about one little part of Scripture, and I want to tell you a story or two, because I want you to go out of here talking to God about the things you may have been given up talking to him about.
Because he has marvelous ways. Paul said, how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways are past finding out. So Jesus is talking, and what he’s saying is very well known.
None of us who are Christians will find this a strange territory. Ask, and it will be given to you. I need to tell you, and I’m not a great Greek scholar.
I took Greek 60 years ago and got 97 in it, but it’s been a long time. But this particular Greek tense says, keep on asking until you receive. Keep on seeking until you find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds. And to him who keeps on knocking, it will be open.
For what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more? Say, how much more? That was a little weak. How much more? With emphasis, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him? I want to read you a bit of poetry and tell you a story, and then we’ll sing a bit. And it will be time to have what the early church called an agape, a love feast, and have fellowship together.
There is a place where you can touch the eyes of blinded men to instant perfect sight. There is a place where you can say arise to dying captives bound in chains of night. There is a place where you can reach the store of hoarded gold and free it for the Lord.
There is a place upon some distant shore where you can send the worker or the word. There is a place where restless power responsive moves to your insistent plea. There is a place, a simple trusting place, where God himself descends and fights victoriously.
Where is that place? Do you ask where? O soul, it is the secret place of prayer. Ralph Herring, in his book, The Pulpit of the South, says prayer is need finding a voice. Prayer is embarrassment seeking relief.
Prayer is a quest in the darkness of midnight. Prayer is knocking on a barred door and having it opened. And prayer is communion even through that door and the darkness that is about you.
I don’t want to just be trite, but let me tell you once again, God hears and answers prayer. I can’t tell you how blessed it is when, as a pastor, you find out how God has miraculously answered a prayer. When Joan and I were first married, our first pastor was in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
And there was a woman, first of all, when we went to that church, there were 11 adult members. They had a vote for me as pastor. I came in on eight votes.
Four voted against me and one abstained. So I came in rather wonderfully, but if I had an ego problem, it was dealt with right then. But we had one lady in our church who was of considerable wealth.
And Joan used to like to go to her place because she served tea on a silver tea service. So we went to, her name was Roberta, we called her Bert, went to Bert’s place and Bert hadn’t been at church the Sunday before. And so while she was getting ready to service the tea, I said, Bert, you weren’t at church Sunday? And she said, no.
I said, neither were we, we were away, but the pastor that preached, one young man gave his heart to the Lord. She said, who was it? And I told her it was Larry Hadwin. She shouted glory and I saw every piece of silver dancing on that tray and prayed.
I said, what are you doing? She said, very many years ago, and some of you are old enough and may even remember this, his mother cleaned my house. And she was very worried about her family because her husband was an alcoholic and she didn’t want them to get into the same track. And she asked me to pray for her, for her boys.
And I promised pastor that I would pray for her boys. And shortly after that, a plane crashed into a house in this town and Larry’s mother was in that house cleaning and she was killed by the plane. And so, of course, I lost track.
But she said, I never gave up. I have prayed for Larry all of these years and for his brother, who incidentally got saved a few months later. And I don’t know whether we ever got drinking the tea.
She had a hallelujah time right in the front room because God had taken that vow and answered prayer in a way she never would have believed. She didn’t even know that boy was coming to our church. She didn’t know what had happened to him, but she kept on praying.
And I want to tell you to keep on praying because as the old Andykins hymn says, God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. You fearful saints, fresh courage take.
The clouds you so much dread are big with mercies and will break in blessings on your head. Keep on praying. Keep on believing.
Keep on asking because our Heavenly Father doesn’t give out stones. He gives out salvation and he is on the throne and he remembers his own. Are you encouraged this morning? Before we sing the final hymn, I want to sing a chorus for you.
It was an old Salvation Army chorus that my father learned as a little boy. Anybody here had connections to the Salvation Army ever? It’s a good one. I preached there not long ago and I was playing and singing at the end of the service and a woman got up out of her seat.
She’d only been coming to the Army for six weeks with her friend and gave her heart to the Lord while we were singing. So God still moves. But this is the song.
God hears and answers prayer. God hears and answers prayer. For Christ is interceding now for me.
Presenting blood he shed on Calvary. God hears and answers prayer. God hears and answers prayer.
He stands behind each promise made. God hears and answers prayer. Would you like to hear that again? Isn’t that a good chorus? God hears and answers.
Sing it again. God hears and answers prayer. For Christ is interceding now for me.
Presenting blood he shed on Calvary. God hears and answers prayer. God hears and answers prayer.
He stands behind each promise made. God hears and answers prayer. He stands behind each promise made.
God hears and answers. I’m not trying to be repetitious. I just want you to take it home.
He stands behind each promise made. God hears and answers. Could you stand up for one more song? And then, my brother, will you come in close with prayer? I’ve enjoyed being here this morning.
I came here feeling sick, and I’m not sick now. Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way.
Thou art the potter. I am the clay. Sing it to him.
Mold me and make me. After thy will, I will. While I am waiting, Yielded and sick.
Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Search me and try me.
Search me and try me. Master, do it, Lord. Whiter than snow, Lord.
Wash me just now. As in thy presence, Humbly I bow. Have thine own way, Lord.
Have thine own way. Wounded and weary, Help me, I pray. Power all.
This is the truth. Surely is thine. Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way. Hold o’er my being Absolute sway.
Fill with thy spirit Till all shall see Christ’s only always living in. Can I just depart a little? Break me. Melt me.
Mold me. Fill me. Spirit of the living God, Fall afresh.
Now get your clapping hands out. Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen. Hallelujah.
Praise Jehovah. Zion’s children, amen. Amen.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Amen.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Amen. Amen. Thank you very much, sir.
Thank you. I’d like to say, though, if anyone’s here, that not give your heart to the Lord, or if you don’t understand what it’s all about, we’re surely glad to meet you up in the front here, and we’ll chat with you and talk with you, and tell you what it’s all about, that Jesus loves you, He cares for you, and He died for you. He died for you.
So those online today, too, I’d like to thank you for turning in, and we’d like to encourage you, too, to seek the Lord. If you can’t find some way of your own, then maybe go to another church, or someone that you know that’s saved, and they, too, can explain to you about salvation. Thank you.
I’ll ask, thank you very much again, sir. It’s been a sure pleasure. Thank you.
Brother Al, would you say? Again, we’re having lunch outside. When you’re ready to go, don’t leave that way. Just come up through this door here, and outside you’ll see the tables and all laid out for you.
Already cooked, already ready to go. So I’ll ask Al now if you’ll say the blessing, sir, over the meal. And pray for this brother, too.
He hasn’t been feeling too well, so. Father, we thank you today for your presence in this room. For our hearts have been moved and touched.
Lord, your truth has been proclaimed today. And Lord, we pray that as we go about our conversation, and our thoughts would be toward you. Lord, we pray for Pastor Ken right now.
We want you to touch and heal him 100%. God, you would strengthen him. Lord, we lift him to you.
We have sung songs of praise and worship and healing this morning. And Lord, we ask you to proclaim that, to touch him. As we lifted before you now.
In Jesus’ name, amen. As everybody said, amen.
