SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2007

THE TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Luke 18:1-8a (Staying persistent in our prayers)

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TODAY’S SERMON THEME:

There is nothing more important than for us to stay persistent in our prayers.  We must -- as a nation, as a community, as individuals -- continue to pray without ceasing.  Prayer changes everything, starting with us.

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1.   Exactly 10 years ago, a 15-year-old high school freshman in Bethesda, Maryland, decided to do something dramatic.  His name is Chris Robertson, and he decided to put his Christian faith into action.  Young Chris had given his life to the Lord at the age of 13, and he had started reading his Bible and saying his prayers every day.  He wanted to DO SOMETHING positive for the Lord and for the world.  Something that would be a positive demonstration of his faith.  So. At the age of 15, back in 1997, Chris decided to organize a “See You at the Flagpole” prayer vigil at his school on the third Wednesday in September.  Chris had listened to his pastor, and to his youth minister, and to the “still small voice” of the Lord in his heart.  So he decided to take the initiative for the prayer vigil.  LET’S BE HONEST:  CHRIS FACED TONS OF PRESSURE.  From his principal.  From his teachers.  From other students.  His school was fairly typical:  Very large, lots of behavior problems, lots of drug and alcohol problems, lots of teenage pregnancies, lots of under-the-surface violence in the hallways, and lots of kids with too much money and not enough discipline or motivation.

                        (1) FIRST, the principal told Chris that he could not pass out flyers advertising the prayer vigil.  The principal said such things were not allowed by the state rules that governed the school.  Chris called a church-affiliated law firm (which he heard about on television), and he got copies of laws and court decisions to give to his principal.  He was NOT belligerent.  He was NOT angry.  He just spoke the truth.  He was an honor student, a talented cross-country runner.  He just felt a heavy burden to PRAY for his school.  He kept his eyes on God, and he remained PERSISTENT.

                        (2) SECOND, his teachers tried to talk him out of it.  They told him that he was just making trouble for himself, and that it would be much better if he just backed away from this weird idea of a prayer vigil at the flagpole.  Again, Chris was NOT belligerent.  He was NOT angry.  He just spoke the truth.  And he continued to feel a great burden to pray.  He kept his eyes on God, and he remained PERSISTENT.

                        (3)  THIRD, his coach tried to talk him out of it.  Chris was too good of an athlete to let this kind of thing bother him, the coach said.  He needed to focus more on his athletic gifts to the school and LESS on the spiritual things.  He needed to think MORE about the team and LESS about himself.  Again, Chris was NOT belligerent.  He was NOT angry.  He just spoke the truth.  He kept his eyes on God, and he remained PERSISTENT.

                        (4)  FOURTH, his own classmates tried to talk him out of it.  Chris’ own friends said he was crazy.  He was missing the main “experience” of being a high school student.  And he was attracting far more NEGATIVE publicity than POSITIVE.  His friends warned him to back away from the prayer vigil . . . And fast.  Again, Chris was NOT belligerent.  He was NOT angry.  He just spoke the truth.  He kept his eyes on God, and he remained PERSISTENT.

2.   Finally, after several WEEKS of unbelievable pressure, 15-year-old Chris Robertson walked all by himself to the flagpole at his high school at 7 a.m. on the third Wednesday in September -- September 17, 1997.  All by himself, Chris walked to the barren flagpole.  All by himself, Chris knelt down to pray.  All by himself, Chris bowed his head.  All by himself, Chris covered his face with his hands.  All by himself, Chris poured out his heart to God.  CHRIS ROBERTSON WAS COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY ALONE in prayer.  But he was NOT without visitors:  (1) Dozens of students walked by and made fun of him.  (2) A few students laughed and threw things at him.  (3) Others yelled at him.  (4) Some threatened him with bodily harm.  But Chris kept praying.  He prayed for his classmates.  He prayed for the kids who were threatening him.  He prayed that all of them would come to know the Lord.  He just kept praying, and praying, and praying, and praying.  For nearly 45 minutes.

3.   So.  What happened?  Later that day -- September 17, 1997 -- four classmates came to Chris with tears in their eyes.  And they gave their hearts to the Lord right then, right there.  AND THAT SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS (five in all, including Chris) started a weekly Bible study on campus called “Joyride.”  And they prayed for their school -- for the principals, the staff, the teachers, the students.  They felt a burden to pray, and so they did.  They prayed.  And prayed.  And prayed.  Week after week.  And that’s not all . . .

                   (1) The very next year, on the third Wednesday in September 1998, Chris and FOURTEEN classmates knelt around the flagpole for the “See You at the Flagpole” prayer vigil.

                   (2) The year after that, in September of 1999, Chris and FORTY students knelt at that same flagpole.

                   (3) The year after that (Chris’ senior year), in September of 2000, Chris and NINETY students knelt at that same flagpole.

                   (4) And the year after that, in September of 2001, more than 200 students knelt around that same flagpole to pray to the Lord.

                      From ONE to FOUR.  From 4 to 40.  From 40 to 90.  From 90 to 200.  In five years.  And it was all because one 15-year-old boy felt the need to pray for his school.  He kept his eyes on God, and he remained PERSISTENT.

4.   The primary point I want to make is this: There is nothing more important than for us to stay persistent in our prayers.  We must -- as a nation, as a community, as individuals -- continue to pray without ceasing.  Prayer changes everything, starting with us.

            Please mark and learn this important point:  God hears every one of our prayers -- our thoughts, our words, our actions.  And He answers every one of our petitions -- in His own time, in His own perfect way, according to His own schedule.  Every time.  All the time.  It is vitally important for us to stay PERSISTENT in our prayers.  Every day.  All the time.  God desires a daily relationship with each one of us, and that relationship can only be obtained through regular, daily contact.  God WANTS us to stay persistent in our prayers.  Day by day.  Hour by hour.  Minute by minute.

5.   A few years ago, I heard this same message from a young Jewish rabbi who had just lost his wife to cancer.  I corresponded by e-mail for several weeks with a rabbi in England, Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt.  He had just lost his wife Elana to cancer.  Rabbi Rosenblatt shared his emotional turmoil over the Internet -- asking the perennial question about whether God truly answers prayers.  Rabbi Shaul and Elana were told of his wife’s condition after it was too late.  The doctors gave her only a few days to live.  So the couple decided to “DO TESHUVA” -- to make amends and live life to the fullest, EVERY DAY.  They lived each day to the maximum.  And God gave them SIX MORE WEEKS together.  Rabbi Shaul said he and Elana crammed 60 years of living into those six weeks.  And after Elana died, he poured out his heart to God:

                        (1) He asked the Lord WHY He did not heal Elana -- even though he had prayed for her without ceasing.

                        (2) And the Lord revealed to Him that he DID heal Elana -- spiritually.  Rabbi Shaul realized that his wife was completely healed in spirit at the time she died.  She had drawn as close to God as is possible in this lifetime.  And she was ready to see Him face-to-face.

                        (3) And then the Lord revealed to Rabbi Shaul that he, too, had drawn much, much closer to the Lord during those six weeks.  The more he prayed, the closer he got to God.  PRAYER CHANGED HIM, TOO.

                        (4) And then the Lord revealed to Rabbi Shaul that spiritual healing is much more important that physical healing.  And that we all need to “do teshuva” -- to make amends and live life ABUNDANTLY.  Every day.

6.   This is the precise point of our Gospel lesson today from Luke 18.  It is vitally important for us to stay PERSISTENT in our prayers.  (1) The Lord Jesus tells a parable about a widow and an unjust judge.  The parable tells us how important it is to be PERSISTENT in our prayers and NEVER to lose faith.  (2) The widow, in a nutshell, wears out the unjust judge.  She pesters him until he gives in.  She refuses to give up.  She goes to him day after day until he buckles.  (3) The judge finally gives in, even though he is corrupt and dishonest and cares only for himself.  (4) And HOW MUCH MORE will our Heavenly Father respond to those of US who call on Him day by day, hour by hour?  Indeed, He will answer us quickly!

7.   So.  Does God answer prayers?  And if so, how?  Chris Robertson knows the answer to those questions.  So does Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt.  And I know it from my own life . . . Over and over and over and over.  God hears all and sees all.  And He wants us to stay FOCUSED on Him, to stay PERSISTENT in prayer.  FOR PRAYER CHANGES EVERYTHING, starting with us.