Two Words
The sermon emphasizes the importance of prayer in a person's life and the church, highlighting the problem of dead fundamentalism and the need for a living relationship with God.
This sermon emphasizes the profound impact of prayer in the life of a believer, highlighting the significance of Elijah's prayer life as a powerful example. It challenges the notion that a person's greatness is ultimately measured by their prayer life, rather than their accomplishments or knowledge. The importance of knowing God intimately, beyond just knowing about Him, is underscored, along with the need for a revival of true, heartfelt prayer in the church. The contrast between theological knowledge and genuine, fervent prayer is explored, pointing to the vital role of prayer in interceding for others and standing before God on their behalf.
Full Transcript
There are many great biographies written in two volumes, dedicated to two great lives, of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, in two great volumes. The life of the founder of the China Inland Mission is given in two great volumes, and as a writer I don't think it's very difficult to condense the life of a man into two volumes, but it's rather difficult to condense the life of a person, particularly a man who stands as a giant in history, into two central words, and God has done exactly that, because he says of this amazing man Elijah, he prayed. Elijah, the anointed of God, he's been in the secret place of the most high, he comes on the stage of full grown men, he shuts up the whole nation, starves the economy, terrifies the king.
I don't believe that any man is greater than his prayer life. I don't believe that any church is stronger than its prayer life. I was in a very famous college not long ago and God was on that meeting that morning, and I just stepped around the podium and I said to all the brilliant doctors of divinity and all the other scholars that were there, I want to ask you a simple question.
You have hundreds of students that are going into the ministry, you have a course on weeping, and if they graduate in weeping you have a course on howling, there's a stony silence. What would you think if people gave a blind man a license to drive an automobile, you'd say that's insanity. We give boys in college a certificate to stick on the wall, to prove that they're preachers, just because they know the word of God.
But they do not know the God of the word. I think so often the disciples, I guess you do, you read about them, I think of them coming to Jesus and saying Lord teach us to pray. I wonder why they never said Lord teach us to preach.
He preached the greatest sermon the world has ever had, he's got the answer for our day. Christianity has not been weighed in the balances and found wanting, Christianity has been tried, found difficult and rejected. Christianity is not only too difficult for the world, it's too difficult for the church.
God's problem in the world is not communism, romanism, lunism, or any other ism. God's problem in America is dead fundamentalism. We know all the cliches, we know all the words.
The nation is drowning right now in theological knowledge. There are millions of cassettes, there are hundreds and hundreds of seminars. I'm thinking of having a seminar on teaching seminars.
The disciples said Lord teach us to pray. I would rather pray than be the greatest preacher in the world. Preaching we stand before men on behalf of God.
Praying we stand before God on behalf of men which is the greatest.
Sermon Outline
- The Difficulty of Condensing a Life into Two Words
- The Importance of Prayer
- The Problem of Dead Fundamentalism
- The Priority of Prayer
- Prayer is more important than preaching
- Prayer is standing before God on behalf of men
Key Quotes
“I don't believe that any man is greater than his prayer life.” — Leonard Ravenhill
“I don't believe that any church is stronger than its prayer life.” — Leonard Ravenhill
“Prayer is more important than preaching.” — Leonard Ravenhill
Application Points
- Prioritize prayer in your life, recognizing its importance in your relationship with God.
- Avoid dead fundamentalism by focusing on a living relationship with God rather than just theological knowledge.
- Recognize the power of prayer in achieving success and impact, as demonstrated by Elijah's life.