Will You Stand in the Gap for Others?

Let's turn to Psalm 96 that's our memory verse for this past week and we decided to have it in the memory verse as it's written in the Living Bible which is a very beautiful paraphrase. The Living Bible is not a literal translation but it's a very good paraphrase that helps us understand truth that we hear and we read in God's Word and that's how it reads in the most in the literal translation it says in the beauty of holiness and I really love the Living Bible makes it practical and says that holiness is not an imaginary thing when you think of holiness do you think it's some kind of like a presence it's some kind of aura it's very practical it's a holy life and if you dear brother your sister your child in the secret things that you did this past week and you said this past week and you thought this past week your attitude your motives as God was looking down and nobody else could see what you were thinking about and how you were feeling and all the other things in secret when he saw a holiness about you he was excited about it the world is pursuing beauty in outward appearance all people men and women and children all want to appear beautiful in the eyes of the world everybody wants to look good and attractive as this verse makes absolutely clear what is attractive to God is this holy life our physical appearance we can't do anything about as much as the world tries to make it beautiful with makeup and hairstyles and dresses that are attractive and all of that and medical surgery cosmetic surgery and missed all of that really you can only do so much with your appearance and it'll fade away but holiness our holy lives is the beauty that will last forever this is the secret dear brothers dear sisters and your children to a beauty that will last forever rather than pursue the beauty of this earth that will fade away with skin treatments and Botox and all the other things that they try rather than all of that and maybe none of you will ever try that but inwardly there may be a desire to look like the world says you are to look to be attractive and don't pursue any of that instead pursue the beauty that will last forever which is a holy life and in secret when you live that holy life it will be beautiful you'll look back in eternity with a beautiful garment that will never fade and a beauty an inner beauty that will never fade that you'll get to have with you I'd like to turn to Ezekiel chapter 22 now Ezekiel 22 is a very sad chapter in the Bible because it describes the very horrible backslidden sinful condition of the people of God the people of God are in captivity in Babylon and God has given Ezekiel a prophetic word both for the people there who are in captivity in Babylon as well as for the people of the Jews who were left behind in the land of Israel and God's purpose in bringing allowing the people of Israel to be brought into captivity was to shake them out of their half-heartedness and their sinfulness and their lack of obedience to his word the exact time that they were in captivity in Babylon was calculated by God based on the amount of their obedience you see that very clearly it was 70 years because of the seventy Sabbaths that they had neglected but God's purpose even in that captivity was to draw them back to him and we see that he did that and ultimately the people of Israel God's chosen people came back to their land rebuilt the city rebuilt the temple with Haggai Zechariah etc but here before that we see the word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel again giving him a prophetic revelation of the condition of the people and as you read that as I read this verse recently this chapter recently it reminded me a little bit of the condition of the world we're in and if you look at the condition of the world you condition even this country and there's a lot of religion sure as there was in the land of Israel a lot of religious activity going to church I think at this very moment or today this morning probably millions of people what's the population the United States 300 something million right off that 300 million I want to say some significant percentage of it I don't know what the exact numbers but I would think it's probably in the millions please a million or so people who attended some some form of religious service today even you take this the city the city of Loveland populations about 80,000 or so I think maybe of that 80,000 I would guess that a few thousand of them sat in some kind of religious service this morning but in the midst of all of that religious activity as I look around the country look around the world I see abominations I see the condition of this world declining rapidly and it has nothing to do with which side of the political spectrum you find yourself on. God has no allegiance to any political party and often the backsliding of the religious community is hidden because you see the backsliding of others who are non-religious but here you see that in Ezekiel 22 and what you'll see here is that it's a backsliding for example the whole city verse 2 will you judge the bloody city this is a outwardly the people as a whole have backslidden in verse 6 you see that it's the rulers those who are in authority those who have been elected into power there's a backsliding there is a abomination there is evil in the hearts of the rulers you skip down to verse 13 you find that we're 17 actually now it's the house of Israel even in the church and sadly even those who call themselves Christians or call themselves evangelical Christians you find even among them there is a poor testimony secret things that come to light of what's been going on in these circles of people who claimed to be devoted to Christ and claimed to pursue Christ preached Christ in secret their lives were full of sin verse 23 you find that it's even the prophets the leaders of the church those who are supposed to have the vision from the Lord those who were supposed to know God's will even they have been blinded even they are corrupt and full of evil now it's easy for us to to look at this and think oh yeah all those bad people over there thank God I'm not like that and Jesus told a parable exactly about such an attitude when we see the condition of the world and the condition of even christened them around us decaying what is the response of our heart let's see what God goes on to say why did God give this message to Ezekiel let's begin reading in verse 26 now her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things and have made no distinction between the holy and the profane and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean this was a very serious word and I think something worth meditating on us made meditating for us there's no distinction between the holy and the profane and no separation the difference they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean this is the devil's objective with the church is to start to blend the things of the world with the things that are holy and I have a challenge this challenges for all of us at RLCF but I believe it's a challenge especially for us men for your sisters and for your children also please take heart to this but I want to especially exhort and encourage and challenge the men in this church about the responsibility we have it's very clear that God has placed men as those in authority in the in the home as husbands and fathers and he's given all of us responsibility yes but it begins with us men taking that challenge and the responsibility we have and that's what I'd like that's a burden on my heart but as you see this is there think about this is there in your mind a clear line that has been drawn between what the world has and what the world proclaims and God's kingdom is there a clear separation between the kingdom of this earth and the kingdom of Jesus Christ in your heart in your mind in the attitudes of your mind in your spirit is there a line that you say well this is holy and this is unholy have you seen that line clearly and are you willing to stand along that line when your children want to dress a certain way I want to watch certain movies or want to hang out with certain friends or want to do this I want to do that is there a clear line dear fathers especially is there a clear line this is holy and this is not it grieved God's heart that this was so in verse 27 her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain and I see this in Christendom as well that there are many people who are preachers and prophets and speakers of God's Word who are interested in personal gain they want some earthly benefit out of it could be they want to get rich they want money or want popularity want they want fame they want the attention of the people around them dishonest gain verse 28 her prophets have smeared whitewash for them seeing false visions and divining lies for them saying thus says the Lord God when the Lord has not spoken a lot of people who claim to speak in the name of God and speak actually say thus says the Lord but there are false visions and their divining lies verse 29 the people of the land have practiced oppression oppressing others in the midst of all of this ultimately he gets down to verse 30 and he says I searched for a man among them in the midst of all of this God was looking for a man not for a man who would point the finger and say hey do you see what the people are doing what the what's happening in the country what's happening in the world around us hey do you see what the leaders are doing how evil they are hey do you see all the sin in the churches around you hey do you see how the leaders of those churches are so bad God wasn't looking for somebody who would point a finger at them and today that man that God is looking for is the church but it starts with us individually and I want to say it starts with us the men in this church this message is I want to speak especially to you dear brothers that we stand and take up this responsibility I searched for a man among them who would do what who would build up the wall where the wall has been broken down and the that which is holy and that which is not has been blended and you sit in the church meetings now in many churches and it looks just like a worldly concert and you listen to the music that they produce and it sounds just like if I didn't hear the words or if I couldn't understand the words it would sound just like music from the rest of the world I searched for a man who will build up that wall again and say no this is the kingdom of heaven and this is the kingdom of the world and the two shall not mix but after building up the wall would stand in the gap before me for the land and God is looking for one I would word it this way one who will rebuild the wall and stand in the gap looking for us as a church to not just point out the sins around us and to say oh thank you Lord that we're not like that or we do this the right way or we follow the New Testament pattern or anything like that but we'll have the spirit of intercession to stand in the gap before me for the land standing in the gap before God for the land building up that wall first of all that's saying that the spirit of the world cannot come in let's turn to Isaiah chapter 59 I say Isaiah 59 you could read the whole chapter but I just want to pick it up let's say in verse 13 or verse 12 our transgressions are multiplied before you and our sins testify against us for our transgressions are with us and we know our iniquities transgressing and denying the Lord and turning away from our God speaking oppression and revolt conceiving in and uttering from the heart lying words justice is turned back and righteousness stands far away for truth has stumbled in the street and uprightness cannot enter yes truth is lacking and he who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey now the Lord saw and it was displeasing in his sight that there was no justice and he saw that there was no man and was astonished that there was no one to what intercede not to judge not to point a finger and this comes from my heart I'll tell you family as a matter of confession that as I've seen things go horribly wrong in the world around us and in even in this country and in the government and the policies that are coming out and all of that and even in churches when I hear about one more person that's been exposed in one more church where it turns out yes there was something wicked going on underneath and there was such evil depravity going on among the leaders and how thousands millions blindly follow this leader only to find out that he was living in sin there has been in me a lack of an intercessory heart in the midst of our standing for purity which I praise God that we do I believe God has placed the church on this earth not just to stand pure and holy and as a bride set apart but as the bride that says come you read that in the last page of the Bible what is the bride saying God is going to judge you no he's saying come drawing the world drawing the world into this holiness yes we'll build up the wall first of all and we'll stand before God but in the midst of that there must be a passion when I hear about how horrible the things the way things are around us there must be a burden to draw others in an intercessory heart he saw that there was no man and was astonished there was no one to intercede and then he said his own arm brought salvation to him and his righteousness uphold him this is speaking about the time before Jesus Christ came why did Jesus come because there was no intercessor oh there were plenty of prophets I mean there's minor prophets major prophets dozens of them maybe there were actually hundreds of prophets we there weren't just the prophets who are in you know whose texts we read in the Bible we read about in Elijah's day there were 7,000 prophets and there were many prophets who were used by God unnamed many of them so God had plenty of prophets who could say woe to you and woe to them and woe to the other person but there was not even one intercessor in the entire Old Testament now we see evidences of it here and there which I'll show you now but there was not a man who would be an intercessor what is God looking for today why are we now as a church the body of Christ yes with the gifts of prophets prophecy and and all of that but why are we called the body of Christ because God has placed the church on this earth to be a witness yes but to draw others to intercede and say Lord doesn't it Lord it grieves your heart that that person who takes your name is living in sin secretly or that other person who doesn't take your name who's also made in your image because he's a human being see it doesn't it shouldn't bother us if the animals do evil things sure but you know they're not created in God's image we would hope that they do better but any human being that dishonors God that lives a sinful life brings grief to God because he created them in his image this is the image of God now doing that evil thing living in sin and I believe and I'm longing for this brothers and sisters I'm just starting to learn this a little bit more when I hear of a brother who's backslidden or I see somebody who's living a sinful life or I see sin around me I pray increasingly as I've been praying I pray that the Lord will open my heart to be more of an intercessor not just one who builds the wall but one who stands in the gap after we build the wall verse 20 a redeemer will come to Zion Jesus came he says I didn't come to condemn the world you had plenty of prophets who do that already I came to save and God has placed his church here on this earth not to condemn the world and our preaching you know I believe our preaching could easy easily sound condemning because it's so it upholds the standard of Jesus Christ but we must present it in a way and when people come to know our lives and they see I'm sorry I cannot partake in that thing that you want me to do I won't do that or we they see that we live differently it must come across in a that says don't you want this to brother sister friend as you see me in the life that I live I want you to be a part of it as well I want to draw you in to see the joy of being set apart for Jesus Christ and I don't find some kind of secret satisfaction in knowing that I am set apart from Jesus Christ but somebody else has not chosen that life a redeemer will come to Zion and to those who turn from transgression and Jacob declares the Lord and then what does he say as for me this is my covenant with them says the Lord my spirit which is upon you and my words which I put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth nor from the mouth of your offspring nor from the mouth of your offspring's offering spares the Lord from now and forever I thought about that for example when we just saying I must tell Jesus all of my trials I cannot bear these burdens alone most of the time when I've sung that song and perhaps you can relate to that I immediately thought of my own burdens oh I have burdens I am thinking about this and this and that other thing and this burden I have in my job or my finances or that other difficult trial I'm going through I must tell Jesus all of my burdens sure if you how carrying burdens dear brother dear sister Jesus has come here to take away your burdens but it goes beyond that I must tell Jesus about the burden that somebody else is carrying I can see from the look on their face there's a burden that they're carrying maybe it's the burden of sin maybe it's the burden of a sin that's weighing them down that they don't seem to be able to free be freed from maybe I can see it when I look at that man or that young young boy's eyes there's a eyes of adultery there and instead of just saying Oh pointing a finger I say Lord give me a burden I must tell you that there's a burden I have for this person whom you placed in my life I must tell Jesus about the burdens of those around us may our prayer change to beyond that of simply what I am carrying to the to to carry the burdens of others around me I must tell Jesus if you turn with me to Genesis chapter 6 we read about a similar time as what we read in Ezekiel in Genesis 6 we begin reading in verse 5 then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth just read the newspapers just look at any new source and you'll find it's just full of wickedness the wickedness of man was great on the earth is it just in 2026 no this is in whatever year this was BC when Noah was alive the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually to the point where the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart this is the heart of God when he looks down upon this earth grieved in his heart and why is it that he is delayed the return of Christ don't you wish I believe every Christian wishes that Christ would come today I want to see why not because I'm sick of this miserable life here on this earth or because I I want to be done with my trial don't want to have to work another day I dread going to work on Monday so Jesus come on Sunday so I don't have to go to work on Monday not for that reason but Lord I want to see you you're my bridegroom and I'm excited to see you Lord that's why I want you to come and but the heart of the bride because it's united with the heart of the bridegroom understands why the bridegroom has delayed this is the challenge the Lord has been placing before my heart he's a Santos I know you're waiting to see me I see it okay but I've also gotten to know me well enough because you're my bride as I'm revealing myself to you can you see why I'm not coming today and I'm waiting one more day or waiting one more month or one more year and if it's 10 more years and your travails continue and your difficult circumstances continue can you see my heart behind that and what is that heart is that one more person will repent and are you willing to go through some sorrowful circumstance some trial some difficulty some hardship because the heart of the bridegroom is that others too will come this is the heart of intercession and I pray that the Lord will give me that heart give us more as our church that heart that heart that's willing to go through more difficulty more trial more suffering if it will be another day of going to work at a job that I don't enjoy let's say or something else like that and uncertainty and not knowing what the future holds so that one more person can be drawn in that wicked person who's enjoying his sin that other person that's fallen or backslidden will repent before it's too late may the Lord give our LCF the heart of intercession and verse 6 or 7 the Lord said I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky for I am sorry that I have made them but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord in the midst of all of that if God can see there's a whole bunch of people that dishonor my name by the way they live their lives and I created them to for me to find pleasure in their lives but they've gone evil and then I come and look in the churches and I sit in the church meetings they take the name of Jesus and they read from the Bible my word and they sing songs to a Jesus but I sit there and the moment I walk in I'm uncomfortable I look at the the way they're dressed for example and I can tell they're dressed to make themselves attractive physically in the eyes of others and I I want to leave but okay I sit there for a little bit and I find that the inner dress is also lacking in holiness they're not dressed in the beauty of holy lives I look in the churches there but God found one God found Noah who found favor in the eyes of the Lord is a tremendous example for us that God has given us a Noah in Ezekiel if you read it sometime in Ezekiel 14 he names three people who say as the as the example of holiness of integrity of righteousness Noah Job and Daniel you read that Noah Job and Daniel I'd like to examine just briefly in the lives of not Noah Job we looked at Noah already but I want to talk about Job and Moses and Daniel and what it means to have this spirit of intercession so let's look at Job first of all in Job chapter 1 Job 1 read about a man who lived as far as we know sometime before the time of Abraham maybe around the time of Abraham or slightly before that Job was the first book written most scholars agree on that because it was written in the first person by by Job most likely who lived long before Moses who wrote the book of Genesis so even though in terms of time chronologically Genesis 1 comes first the first book that was actually written was most likely Job and in the midst of this you see Job 1 he was first of all a God-fearing man verse 1 a man who was blameless upright fearing God and turning away from evil but Job's uprightness wasn't limited to the fact that he lived an upright life he also had this spirit of I'm living an upright life but it's not enough that just me I want the others around me also to be pleasing to the Lord and that must be that is the heart of Christ that that is the heart of his bride as well and if we are to truly grow and becoming like Christ we must grow in this heart of wanting others also Lord I want I know you find pleasure in my life thank you for that I'm seeking to live a life pleasing to you but my neighbor I want you to find pleasure in his life as well so Lord use me and give me the ministry of intercession for him or for her that co-worker of mine that other person you know that relative that's unconverted it's not just so that they could go to heaven but so that God would find pleasure in their lives and you see this with Job 1 verse 4 his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day he had seven sons and each of those seven would have maybe it was their birthday and have let's have a birthday party and so the sons at this point they're grown and believe they had families already so that the sons would go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them and Job was aware of that now for whatever reason they didn't invite him so I don't know if that's they were doing things there that they felt dad won't feel comfortable with this and so they excluded him when your children are grown up and you know they will they know that dad and mom stand for the truth that I can't include them in these things that I like to do Job's children knew that but when the days of feasting had completed their cycle Job would send them and says okay I know you children are living outside my home but I have a responsibility for you he would send them and consecrate them rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all for Job said perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts that Job did continually this is a tremendous responsibility and tremendous example that Job gives us as a father I want to challenge us as fathers in this church first of all as husbands and fathers to take the example of Job to heart we have a responsibility to stand in the gap for our families and I wonder dear brothers every single one of us and those of you listening as well if we are taking that seriously if in our thoughts and our attitudes were saying Lord give me discernment help me to walk in purity before you help me to know what is profane and what's not what's holy and what's not help me to know your will Lord and help me to build that wall on behalf of my family and to stand boldly and not allow the spirit of the world to come into the into my home and when my children grow up help me to intercede for them as Job did Job wasn't afraid of offending his children and dear fathers we must not be afraid of offending our children by the stance we take by the position we take even if it's unpopular because they're looking for an example to follow and if they see well dad's a compromiser yeah he sits at RLCF but he's more interested in the things of this world that's a compromiser it's God is looking for those will stand in the gap there's a gap please listen to this carefully especially dear husbands and fathers there's a gap that the devil is looking for to get into our homes I think about the children in this church you know more than we just crossed the fifty percent children overtook the adults recently with the new babies that have come into our church in the last year just I was thinking about that in my head doing those who are committed members of this church now we have more children than adults in this church I praise the Lord for that because that means God willing God will continue the work that he's doing in this in this place not for the RLCF namesake but for his namesake I will raise up another generation of godly brothers and sisters godly young men and women who will stand for the truth but how are they going to do that it's up to us now parents to raise up our children in such a way now when they're 8 years old 10 years old 12 years old more than just having them come up here and say their memory verse but they're deep down that they have a conviction that they know that when when the time comes they will stand for the truth that's what I pray for we pray that our children for this church that not a single one of these children will be lost I hope you're praying that dear family that it's not just us elders and a few of us but that every single one of us men let's start there is praying Lord not one of these children must be lost perhaps you're praying for your own children but what about the others do you know the struggles that some of these teenage children are going through the temptations they're facing in the world around them and have you spent even five minutes in the last month praying for that teenage boy or teenage girl in this church this is the heart of RLCF this is the heart of the bridegroom interceding for others and Joe it wasn't it wasn't it didn't it bothered him it didn't sit right with him that he says I don't know no he says perhaps I don't see any evidence of them having done evil if so I would speak against it but what I can't see in my little in my boy's heart or my girl's heart is the unknown the secret things that they think about what they're like when they're away from me I can't see that perhaps they're dishonoring him Lord let me stand in the gap on behalf of my son and my daughter are you doing that fathers this is not a message of condemnation nothing in this church is but it's a challenge it's a call to action it's a call to say Lord let me fall on my face and fast and pray for my children not just assume that because they hear good teachings or I see that they're doing their schoolwork well or they're respectful to mom and dad that's not enough there's so many children who've grown up in good God-fearing churches who walked away from it and I believe that a big part of that was because the fathers didn't take up the responsibility says I'm going to stand in the gap do you know dear fathers that you have the ability that we have the ability to protect our children from things that will happen that are beyond our control you think well it's beyond your control how can you control that because I stand in the gap because I recognize it's a spiritual warfare we're fighting this is a spiritual warfare we're fighting and even though I can't control what my son looks at what my daughter speaks with her mouth or what my children do otherwise I can't control that when they're away from me I can control the spirit that's looking to get into their heart and all that we would stand in the gap and build a wall you read about James or Job in James 5 James 5 uses the example of Job as an example of endurance and patience you have we count those blessed who endure James 5 verse 11 you have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful we see from Job's story that God was merciful and compassionate to Job that's great you know the very next thing he goes on to talk about is prayer and maybe you know use the example of Elijah in prayer but Job's prayer is a tremendous example for me and there's that verse that we heard already this morning James 5 verse 16 verse 17 no sorry the middle the latter part of verse 16 the prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect that's the literal reading of that sentence listen to this especially you fathers but for all of us mothers single men women whether you have children or not whether you're a child listen to this the prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect remember that remind yourself if you're at work and you're away working on the job site and your children are home or they're in school and you you don't know how what they're facing you whether you send your children away to school or they're schooling online you think that simply homeschooling will protect them from the spirit of this world no whether you choose to homeschool your children or not the spirit of the world is a spirit and it can come into your home as much as it can come into the public school because the spirit is there and if the father in the home is not standing in the gap and you think well my kids are homeschooled so they're protected unnecessarily there's no one to stand in the gap and and say no you shall not come in here spirit of the world and if you don't have the spirit of Job that intercedes for them it will come in right while you're homeschooling their children sure but look at this the prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect this is a wonderful example so dear men especially let's take up the responsibility for our children start when they're young start when they're young but even if they're older now if your children so maybe you have children that are older and you think they're about to leave the home or they've left the home already and you don't have the ability to control their lives as you would if they live in the home pray for them prayer is our weapon against the spirit of the world I want to speak about Moses Exodus chapter 2 Job stood in the gap for his children Moses stood in the gap for God's people who were in slavery when we're born into this world were born into slavery that's just the reality of it that was that was true physically years ago where there was there was slavery in the world different parts of the world and if you were born into a slave to parents who were slaves you were born a slave you didn't have any choice in the matter and the reality is what we see in in the Bible is that every human being is born as a slave to sin you were born in sin and were born with this enslaved mentality and this being a slave to sin and Christ has come to set us free but as you look around at the world around you and you see people committing sinful things because they're slaves to sin is there a burden in your heart to say Lord use me as an intercessor use me as one who stands in the gap for your people who are in slavery Exodus 2 verse 11 after Moses had grown up it came about in these days when Moses had grown up that he went out to his brethren and looked on their you can say that but it says their burdens their slavery even though Moses had a comfortable life he grew up as the daughter of Pharaoh's as a son of Pharaoh's daughter and had everything he wanted he had a comfortable life he had of all the people that God had rescued from death at the age of two all the little boys who should have been killed he picked one God rescued Moses and put him in the palace and Moses knew it what was Moses attitude when he realized that God had somehow saved him what will be our attitude when we realize that God somehow saved me when I look at somebody else that's addicted to sin and slave to sin I say Lord I just thank you that you've freed me from that that could have been me that was me and you've saved me and now I'm free now what now Lord thank you that I have this palace called RLCF we're in a little bubble where I'm safe and I'm around other people who are also seeking to live godly lives and that bubble that Moses was in the time came when God said Moses I didn't call you just to live in this bubble protected from all this I called you to be an intercessor I called you to go out now to be a bold witness he went out to his brethren and looked on their slavery as we walk out the doors this afternoon your family why is it that we're not living here in some commune and and just living together and having a cozy little lives because God has placed RLCF as he has placed his entire church on this earth for a mission that extends beyond our comfort zone and think about the burden on my heart as I'm expressing this is essentially this Lord I don't want to just hear a little pep talk that will help me be a little bit more Christlike yes but what does it also mean to be a little bit more Christlike as you free me from the things of this world it's that I go out and I have a heart of intercession when I see somebody else that's defeated in sin that's bound in sin when I hear about my co-worker who's getting divorced or that other person who's living a sinful life Lord I want you to use me as an intercessor when I know about my relatives who are still resisting you Lord give me the boldness to be a witness for you Moses went out and looked upon their slavery and then you know the rest of that story how he he thought he could do it in his own strength God had to break him first and God will break us first you may say Lord I you're gonna give me an opportunity to convert my unconverted relative today this week or something like that and I'm gonna have the right word and I'm gonna be ready and God says no I must break you first and God will break us first as he did with Moses and it's the mindset that Moses had and if you read about this in Hebrews 11 I'd like you to look at that with me Hebrews 11 have you thought about what caused Moses when he was 40 years old been living at in Pharaoh's palace comfortably he was given to his is to Pharaoh's daughter when he was a little boy let's say two years old so he's been living in the palace for 38 years 38 years now he lived with his mom for about 16 of that let's say maybe till he was 18 and then he went back and lived in the palace now he's been in the palace for another 12 years or so and in the midst of all of that mr. all of that imagine if you knew that you're raising your son or your daughter to go and be out in the most wicked place in the world God's ultimately gonna take them there would that change how you raise your children now please think about it for a moment what I'm saying what was going through Amram and especially Jochebed his mom but Amram and Jochebed's that's Moses's parents mind they say we've got a short time our children this son of ours is on loan for a short time after that he's going to go and live in Pharaoh's palace and he's gonna have all the pleasures of the world available to him he anything he wants all the rich food that he wants all the money all the comfort oh you don't like the way the bed is made sure we'll do it like this what else can I get you master Moses this is the life he's gonna have in a few years now but I've got a short time to influence his mind and to influence his spirit to stand in the gap on behalf of this son of mine oh what an example they didn't have the Holy Spirit they didn't have the Bible they didn't have church meetings to go to they feared God and I imagine them saying Lord we gotta prepare this son I don't know if they knew that he was going to be the Savior of the people of Israel to rescue them from slavery but they knew they had a short time every short time dear parents we have a short time with our children at home and we're sending them out into Pharaoh's palace it's right outside our doors whether you know it or not and as much as you might do your best to preserve them and protect them have you stood in the gap have you interceded for them do they know Jesus and they know God's kingdom and will they put God's kingdom first when they're 18 years old because you put God's kingdom first when they when they were in your home I pray it shall be so Hebrews 11 verse 24 by faith Moses when he had grown up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter refused to stay in his bubble choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward this mindset that the reproach of Christ is greater than the world's treasures dear parents I want to encourage us again as well this is what we must be drilling into our children the reproach of Christ standing with the people of Christ it's going to be a reproach it's not fun and games is going to involve some suffering you're going to have to give up something some opportunities some relatives you're going to have to give up things in this world but the reproach of Christ is far greater value than anything the world could offer you than the pleasures of this world are you looking to give your children a more comfortable life a more enjoyable life more opportunities more things and is it coming at the expense of the reproach of Christ how much your parents have we taught our children the value of the reproach of Christ as something worth meditating on how much have we taught our children the value of the reproach of Christ that if you want to follow Jesus which is the greatest thing you can do in life it's going to cause you some reproach you're going to give up certain you're going to have to give up certain things that you really want to do but it's going to be worth it there's a reward that's waiting for you on the other side of this life there's a reward look to the reward oh children I pray that you will see that there's a reward that's waiting for you don't seek only the temporary earthly successes that the world around you is seeking if God gives you success that's great work hard at school be diligent in all that you do but there's a reward that's far beyond anything here on this earth and parents I pray that we're teaching our children that the reproach of Christ is greater than the passing pleasures of sin than the treasures of Egypt because there's a reward and the last person I want to talk about briefly is Daniel if you turn with me to Daniel 1 we saw Job interceded stood in the gap for his children Moses stood in the gap for the people of Israel who are God's people who are in slavery Daniel stood in the gap for against compromise that's another area in which we must stand in the gap as you see churches around us that are continually being swayed by the popular vote if you will what's popular what will draw more people in what can we do in our church that will make make it so that more people will come in that's going on in the Christendom around us and God is looking for a for people for the church that will stand in the gap against compromise you see what Daniel chapter 1 verse 4 first of all that he was along with all the other youth a youth in who was no defect was good-looking showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge and had the ability for serving in the king's court so already Daniel got picked out from all the other young people along with a few others these select youth from among the Jews were picked out for these characteristics imagine if you were the one that got selected for some prize that here you are you got you got selected for some reward some award you won you got selected and this was the the highest reward you could get this was the most powerful nation at its time Babylon and you got picked to serve in the king's palace in the king's court selected and these were young 17 year old young men imagine 17 year old some of you around that age teenagers imagine if you you go try for a competition and you get selected and you're going to go to the White House and be there and the president's going to ask you for your opinion on this and he's gonna rely on you and you're only 17 years old I think if if it was any one of us in our flesh we would think okay I got selected now and I want to make sure I do everything to preserve my position there I don't want to lose that and then Daniel faces a test where he's offered compromise food from the king's table food that's dishonoring to God he's presented with a way that will make the king happy but that will make that will dishonor God Daniel 1 verse 8 but Daniel set upon his heart Daniel resolve deep within I don't care who I'm going to offend I don't care if I'm going to lose this opportunity that I'm so excited only think Daniel was excited to get selected to be a part of that special group yes he was but deep down he says Lord I don't care even though you're the one that's allowed me to be selected here I've set upon my heart that I will not compromise I will not defile he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank and so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself I don't know if we've often thought about sometimes I like to put myself into these stories and say what would I be feeling if I was in that situation yeah we read about Daniel in the lion's den and all that you know what preceded all of that the Daniel at the age of 17 or so decided I am not going to compromise and if it means that I lose my job it means that I lose this most wonderful opportunity that you've given me if I if I'm going to lose that I don't care I would rather stand for God I will not compromise everybody else around him all the other young people do they were religious these Jews I guarantee that all these other young Jews who were there next to Daniel also prayed to Jehovah and thanked God that they served say thank you Lord that I that you gave me this wonderful job wonderful opportunity and when it came to the workplace they compromised there was no separation between the holy and the unholy if the people in our workplace our co-workers were to come in this door and see us sitting here and listening to the teaching that we listen to and watch our conduct here would they be surprised and say well that's a different Santosh from the one I know at work he joins me in my conversation and he's interested in the things of this world just like I am but he sits here at RLCF and acts holy and acts interested in the things of heaven Daniel in the workplace he compromises not here compromise doesn't happen at RLCF because we stand for the truth everybody here is interested in the kingdom of heaven that's what we speak about compromises when you walk out these doors and you're around the world around people who are interested in the things of this world whether they call themselves Christian or not and there Daniel set upon his heart I don't mean mine being called the odd person or he's a little weird or why doesn't he go out drinking with us and partake in all our conversation and all that why is he different Daniel set upon his heart that he would not defile himself script down is really interesting in verse 9 God granted Daniel favor I'm sure all of us have been in a position where sometimes you think if I make this decision I could offend some people in in in my workplace or I could send somebody who has the authority and the power to control what I have around what I don't have if I stand for my conviction will I be left out will I lose out on some opportunity because I stand for the truth but look at that God granted Daniel favor and I would rather have the favor from my boss that God grants then from me compromising Daniel is a tremendous example of that and we're 17 as for these four youths once Daniel made that decision three three others followed his example they saw Daniel standing for the truth and they said man we got to do this too here's an example for us to follow a beautiful picture of the church where one man stands for the truth and then others are drawn to that they say we'll stand with you Daniel we'll thank you for the courage you had now we've got courage too and for these four youths God God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams here was you know these were the same bright intelligent young men but here was wisdom and intelligence that God gave dear brothers sisters children and all of you we're all working hard and we're looking to be wise and intelligent and to do our jobs well whatever it might be you're trying to do hard and well in school you're trying to do well in your job you see how God will give you wisdom this verse Daniel 117 was when I wrote in my had it in my dorm room in college I say Lord you gave Daniel wisdom for everything that he needed to do it especially if it was a subject that I found difficult to understand I didn't understand all of it this verse was an example to me and a challenge for me and say Lord you gave Daniel wisdom but why because Daniel said I will not compromise you see this the same Daniel who when they said you shall not pray not allowed to pray he says I don't care I'm gonna open my window just like I always did I know you guys are watching me but I'm gonna pray I refuse to be bowed let's close with this verse in 2nd Corinthians 5 your family I've showed a few examples of what it means to stand in the gap God's calling us for a mission and a ministry that's more than just the fact that our lives will be sanctified and pure yes we will be conformed into the image of Jesus but that image of Jesus includes the heart of intercession a burden for others this is what it means to be conformed to the image of Jesus it's not just me living a holy lives but me me drawing others beginning with my family and others around me that God has placed in my circle 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17 therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature the old things have passed away behold new things have come now all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and then did what gave us the ministry of reconciliation have you seen that the gift that God has given you God has given you dear brothers dear sisters given us the ministry of reconciliation namely verse 19 that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not counting their trespasses against them and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation so what is the proof that Christ is that God is in Christ and Christ is in you is this reconciliation ministry where the appeal goes out for me be reconciled be reconciled make it right with God therefore was 20 we are ambassadors for Christ Christ is not here on this earth anymore his churches we are here as his ambassadors with that same mission we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us we beg you on behalf of Christ be reconciled to God but that be our prayer as we go out into this week of whatever is ahead whether it's a week of work or week of homeschooling or whatever it might be going to school this is your mission brothers sisters children this is your mission the mission that calls out to others be reconciled to God I'm a heavenly father thank you that you came and sent Jesus Christ to be our our our Redeemer thank you Lord Jesus that you weren't content to just be there in heaven and you saw me in the future a slave you saw me without hope and you came down to this earth to give me hope Lord thank you father thank you father for sending your only begotten Son into the world so that all who believe in him would not perish but have eternal life now Lord having saved me I pray that you will as I go out into the world that you placed me in that you will also lead me Lord to give others this hope that others who believe in you through me will also not perish but have eternal life Lord I know of people around me who are perishing I'm aware of it Lord I see it and there are many more ways in which I don't even see it but Lord I pray that you will send me as we go in into the world as each of us goes out into the world around us that you will send us with this ministry of reconciliation that if there's one more person Lord whom we can save from perishing by trusting in you I that and we'll have eternal life I pray that you will anoint us with your words and use us Lord by our lives to draw others around us into life with you thank you Lord we can't do it on our own we ask you to fill us with your Holy Spirit that your Holy Spirit will empower us for this ministry you've given us thank you in Jesus name amen amen