Shameless Persistence Pastor Kent Munsey City Church Chicago | November 1, 12:00M Service
Introduction: Pastor Kent’s delivers an inspiring message that rallies us to get into the trenches with God. Pastor Kent explains that when God works, there are generally three P’s set in his agenda. First, God will show his Presence. Second, God displays his Power (Authority). Finally, God will establish his Purpose (or purpose for his people – God’s purpose is always for His people). Key Scriptures: Ephraim is a trained heifer That loves to thresh grain; But I harnessed her fair neck, I will make Ephraim pull a plow. Judah shall plow; Jacob shall break his clods.” Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you. Hosea 10:11-12 NKJV
“Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Luke 18:3-5 NKJV Main Texts: The word of the Lord is coming through the prophet Hosea. In Hosea chapter 10, the prophet delivers a prophetic word that offers insight on how God is going to work. At this time, Israel is living in a period of disconnection from God. The people have fallen into a lifestyle of sin, but God has a plan. God has a plan to redeem the people, and through the prophecy, Hosea reveals two critical components to God’s plan for the Israelite nation. Judah will plow Hosea’s prophecy says that “Judah will plow.” Judah = PRAISE Pastor Kent explains that when the Israelites would go into battle, the tribe of Judah would enter first. In other words the tribe that is tasked with praise and worship would be the first line of defense entering a battle zone. Imagine that? In God’s army, the infantrymen are not the initiators
of the military. Instead, God ushers in his praise leaders first! When we think of farming or agriculture, the plow is designed to prepare the soil. The ground is plowed at the beginning of the process. Jacob will break his clods Hosea’s prophecy says that “Jacob will break his clods.” Jacob = WRESTLER Jacob’s name means heal grabber. Jacob received this name because he literally grabbed at his brother Esau’s heel in their mother’s womb. Even before being born into this world, Jacob was trying to grapple his way to being firstborn. In the womb, (immaturity), Jacob wrestled with his brother, in his strength (maturity), he wrestled with God. Jacob was bold and shameless in his pursuits. We should view Jacob metaphorically as intercessory prayer. From the agricultural perspective, the clods are the difficult patches in the field. The clods are the firm, compacted places in the soil that require extra attention. The plow alone cannot do all of the work. After the field is plowed, someone has to come behind the plow to break up the clods thereafter. Judah and Jacob together Judah represents praise, and Jacob represents intercessory prayer. Like the plow, praise sets the stage
for what God is doing in our lives. Praise is the way in which we usher God’s presence into the atmosphere. Praise lays a foundation. In Psalm 22:3, the scripture says that “God inhabits the praises of his people.” Praise has an attraction to it; it is the happy and pleasant place with God. Jacob represents intercessory prayer. Intercession is rugged and persistent. Intercessory prayer: 1) Comes with a shameless persistence 2) Is not pretty, it pushes through the pain Intercessory prayer is getting down into the trenches and “breaking up the clods.” Intercessory prayer is the hard work, the labor, the sweat and tears. In intercessory prayer we are forging through the difficult places in our lives with persistence in our prayers to God. We have to give ourselves permission to intervene with intercessory prayer in every situation, not just our own. Conclusion: Praise + Intercessory Prayer Praise works much like a plow in the sense that it prepares the ground for the seed. We must lay a foundation of praise in order to usher God’s presence into our situation. In the face of the tougher, more difficult times, we must use intercessory prayer as a means to break up the clods. We are not called to wrestle against
flesh and blood, for we are called to wrestle against principalities and powers. Pastor Kent said that, “Our greatest enemy, is in me.” We have to become the “Jacobs” of our church, our city, and our nation. We have to imbed ourselves in intercessory prayer and have shamelessness about our passion in prayer. God will establish his power in his word. After that, we will see God’s purpose revealed, and God’s purpose is always for the salvation of his people. Praise (Worship) à Power/Authority (God’s word) à Purpose (to save God’s people)