Intercession on Behalf of Others

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. In thinking of a message this morning, I would like for us just to think briefly about a person that has had a lot of influence in your life. I'm not going to ask you to name that person necessarily unless you desire to do so later. [00:00:36] You're welcome to do that. Who is a person that has had influence in your life? Now I'd like to ask another question. Why did that person have an impact in your life? I think we could all point to some people. We could name some people. I think of those people in my life. I'd like to think this morning about a subject, about something that I trust each one of us is involved in doing. [00:01:13] In our Sunday school lesson, I think about in verse 3 of 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 3 for the adults, We saw that Paul was involved in this. Paul was a person who was very outspoken. He was a person who was a powerful preacher. Well, I don't know, was he? He said that he is accused of, when he is in churches, in their presence bodily, he says his speech is contemptible. [00:01:46] In other words, I take it that he was saying that he is not a powerful preacher as far as being a dynamic speaker is concerned. I'm not sure but his message was he said was filled with power but there were things that Paul did that each one of us can do they're not necessarily things that are in the limelight there it's a thing that is often it's well it's like brother Wendell pointed out sometimes when we go and shut the door [00:02:20] Prayer definitely enters in, but a particular kind of prayer, that of intercession with other people. This is not a verse that the Bible or that my topical Bible includes in intercession, but I thought of a verse in Ezekiel chapter 22, verse 30, where I guess it was Ezekiel. I didn't even look at it carefully to determine this, but maybe it's the Lord speaking through Ezekiel here. [00:02:54] And this is what he said, And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it. And then that sad phrase, but I found none. He was looking for a man to stand in the gap. And this does not, it would not have had to be an intercessor, but it could well have been. A person that interceded with God for the nation, it could have been in other ways as well. [00:03:28] A person that spoke up for the truth. A person that knew what he believed and wasn't afraid to speak, that wasn't afraid to take a stand for that which is right. Isaiah chapter 59. I'd just like to look at a number of scriptures with you. Again here, Isaiah writing, and I'm not sure who he's speaking for. Is he speaking for the Lord? But Isaiah 59 verse 16 says this. It's a very similar verse to the one I just read, but it has a brighter ending. [00:04:09] And he saw that there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Here it is speaking about an intercessor. And he wondered that there was no intercessor, therefore his arm brought salvation unto him. and his righteousness, it sustained him. Here we have the result when God saw that there was no intercessor. I assume it's God speaking here. [00:04:40] Then he filled the need there for that intercessor. I wonder who you think about in the Bible. As you think about an intercessor, are there some names that come to you And there is no right or wrong answer to this question. Who do you think of when you think of an intercessor in Scripture? Abraham interceded on God's behalf. Or I shouldn't say, he interceded to God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. [00:05:18] And he said, Lord, if there are 50 people there, would you destroy it? And he went all the way down to, what was it, 10? It was a low number. and so Abraham was a very good type and that had not even occurred to me this morning. Who do you think of? Who else do you think of? Okay, I heard somebody answer Jesus. I heard somebody answer Moses. Both are very good examples. In fact, I'd like for us to turn to Exodus chapter 32 [00:05:49] and I'm not ready to cut this off. Who else do you think of? Exodus chapter 32, if you want to turn there while we're listening. The Apostle Paul was definitely one of the... Paul wrote many times how he lifts people in prayer. Who else do you think of in scripture? Esther is... Her prayer is not recorded, but definitely an example of... [00:06:22] I would like to look at some of these people with you. I don't have all of these people jotted down, but Moses is definitely a prime example. Moses and Paul were both mentioned and they have one thing in common. We'll look at one of those with you this morning if time permits. Both of them said, I wish I would myself would want to be what if I could for the good of my people, for the salvation of my people? That's what Moses said, blot my name out of the book if that will make a difference in my people being right with you. [00:07:03] So, talk about the ultimate going the last mile of the way, not just the first or the second, but that is going all the way in interceding for people. And I think Paul said the same thing, and I don't have that down. I think in Romans, Paul said, I could wish myself accursed if that would make a difference on behalf of my people. And if you have turned to Exodus chapter 32, I'd like to just look at a few verses here with you. [00:07:36] And there are other scriptures that we could turn. The Bible is full of places where people interceded sometimes on the, it was for, with a man, for a man. But we're basically talking about interceding with God here. Verse 9 of Exodus chapter 32 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will make of thee a great nation. [00:08:13] And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people? which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say for mischief did he bring them out to slay them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel thy servants to whom thou swearest by thine own self [00:08:45] and saidest unto them I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed and they shall inherit it forever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. I didn't look up the word repented here, but the Lord doesn't repent in the sense that he is sorry for his sin. That repentance is for us. [00:09:16] He had a change of heart here. I think would be a more accurate thing because of Moses' intercession on behalf of his people here. Does it make a difference what men do? Our interceding on God's behalf, or on somebody else's behalf to God, I should say. Does it make a difference? Did it here? It did. Does it make a difference for us today? [00:09:47] Indeed it does. And I think we underestimate the power of being able to intercede. Just recently in my devotional, I got a Bible from the book stand and ministers meeting. It's a, go read through the Bible. Each day has readings from the Old and the New Testament. Some psalm and some proverb. I enjoy this reading because it gives me a balanced diet, it seems like, every day. [00:10:23] But recently I read in Ezekiel, there are some sad words here. God told Ezekiel this, and the reason I am reading this is not to discourage us from interceding, but I am just reading this because I think we need to have a balanced view. In Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 14 and in verse 20 we read that God said even if Noah and Daniel and Job were there interceding for this people they would not deliver anybody but their own selves. [00:11:01] That it says in verse 14. Then if you look at verse 20, it says, even if they were here, they couldn't deliver their own children, only themselves. And I think he is referring to the wickedness, the stubbornness of these people. What I am saying here is that we do have a personal will. We are free moral agents. That's a term that Willie Whiter used when I was a little boy growing up. He said we are free moral agents. [00:11:32] That means we are responsible for the decision that we make. And that's what I would like to just simply say that and I think in Jeremiah chapter 15 verse 1 you would read something very similar to that. Now, we have here a man that we haven't mentioned. I don't recall that anybody mentioned Job as a person that was an interceder, but he was. In Job chapter 1, verse 5, I think it is, Job prayed, he interceded with God for his children. Why? Had his children sinned? What does it say? [00:12:17] Yes, perhaps they sinned and cursed God in their hearts. And then he offered a sacrifice for his sons, I think it says there, but for his children. He didn't know that they'd sinned, but in case they have sinned, he wanted to cover for them. And that blesses me. In the last part of the book, in Job chapter 42, verse 8 to 10, we read that God told the three friends of Job, those miserable comforters, [00:12:52] Now you go and you take an offering to Job, and he will pray for you, and I will hear him. Job interceded for his friends. There's something that has always intrigued me. It says that when Job did that, and I don't have the exact words in mind now, but when Job did that, God turned his captivity. I get the idea that when Job was willing to pray for people that had not been understanding, God turned his fortunes around again. [00:13:26] I don't know if I'm reading that correctly or not, but I think it's related. If we look at the middle of Job, if you want to turn to it, and I have one scripture in mind and I have another one jotted down here. I'm not sure which is right. I thought it was Job chapter 16, verse 21, and I think that is correct. If you would want to turn to that, let's just see what that says in the King James. [00:13:57] And I said there has to be something that gives us a little better word picture than the term daysman, which is what it uses there. No, it's evidently that is correct. And I was thinking of another scripture where Job was indeed looking for this. But Job chapter 9, I think, is the one where he asked for a daysman. What is a daysman? I'm not sure. An umpire is the idea that I've gotten from some people who use that term. And I confess to you that it's a term that is not a common term for me. [00:14:47] But verse 32 of Job chapter 9 says this, For he is not a man as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us that might lay his hand upon them both. And he asked that he take away his rod. Now let me turn to the Amplified and just see what that says. There is another scripture that I want to look at in the Amplified with you. The Amplified, reading from verse 32 and 33, [00:15:18] For God is not a mere man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in court. There is no umpire between us who might lay his hand upon us both, would that there were, in parentheses. But I also turn to Job chapter 16, verse 21. I don't know what this says in the King James, but I would like to read it out of the Amplified with you. [00:15:49] This is Job's plea here. Oh, that there were ones who might plead for a man with God, and that he might maintain his right with him as a son of man pleads with or for his neighbor. Job was looking for somebody to plead on his behalf is what I am seeing here. Job wanted somebody to intercede even as he interceded for his friends. I find an interesting verse in Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 7. [00:16:28] It says something like this, seek the peace of the... And let me give you a little bit of background. This is when the Israelites were carried into captivity for 70 years. And this was the, this was what Jeremiah told the people. He said, seek the peace of the city, whether I have caused you to be carried away captives, God speaking, and pray unto the Lord, or Jeremiah speaking for God, and pray unto the Lord, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. [00:16:59] I thought that was an interesting observation there. Pray for the prosperity of the alien city you're going to be taken to because if it prospers, that will be for your good. And that was an interesting thing to me. Matthew chapter 8. If you want to turn with me to this. This is when the centurion came to Jesus asking that his servant be healed, if I remember correctly. This centurion made some observations that are apt for us this morning [00:17:37] that are necessary for us to, as we think of being an intercessor that is effective. Verse 5 of Matthew chapter 8, And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him and saying Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented and Jesus said unto him [00:18:08] I will come and heal him the centurion answered and said Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed for I am a man under authority having soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh And to my servant, do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled and said unto them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. [00:18:45] And I'm going to stop reading there, we could go on reading. What was significant about what the centurion saw in Jesus? He didn't say it in so many words, but he said this. He said, I am a man under authority. By that, that centurion was saying, Jesus, I recognize that you are a man under authority and in authority. You have the power to do what I'm asking to do. [00:19:16] Do you not see the faith of this man? I've often read this, you know, Jesus said, I have not found so great faith in Israel. and it didn't occur to me but until I was looking at this this man was saying I'm in authority, I'm meant under authority he said and that's really then I appreciate his way of putting it because that is the way a person that is in authority is all of us are accountable to somebody [00:19:47] he said I am under authority but he said Jesus I know you have the power to do it in my mind that is what he was saying I believe I am correct Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication of the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints We are admonished to intercede on behalf of our brethren [00:20:17] and I trust that we do that 1 Timothy chapter 1 I exhort I didn't even write the scripture reference I think it was well I'm not sure where it is it's in 1 Timothy I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men and then notice verse 2 for kings and all that are in authority and he goes on and says [00:20:50] Such praying is good and right and pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior. If we are people that stand between God and men, as some people say, we can make a difference. And I trust that we will do so. The prayer of faith shall save the sick is what it says. Intercession? Indeed it is. because it is intercession and that is what we are talking about this morning. [00:21:25] Brother David here said that Moses had blot my name. If it takes it, blot my name from your book, the book that you have written. You will find that in Exodus chapter 32 verse 31. And I am not going to go there. Eli interceded. Eli was a high priest that was not without his failure. But you remember when Hannah came, she stood there praying. She wasn't praying out loud, but her mouth was moving. [00:21:56] And Eli thought, surely this woman is drunken. And he told her as much. And Hannah said, no, I'm not drunken, I'm of a sorrowful spirit. I don't think she said what her request was. But it's interesting to me that Eli said, go and your request be granted you. And it was given to her. He served as the intercessor in that case. I think of David. Remember when David sinned? He asked for the census to be taken of Israel. [00:22:33] And then God came to him, sent, well he sent, which one was it? I don't know which one of the prophets he sent to him. And he said, David, you're going to have to choose between one, two, or three options. You're going to have to suffer famine for a number of years or flee before your enemy or was it pestilence? I think it was and David opted for the third one. At the end of that, remember when David went out and he was at the threshing floor of Arana, I think. That name is not quite correct. [00:23:05] But he saw the angel there with his sword outstretched. What did David do? David said, Lord, take me. Don't kill these innocent people. They're not the ones who committed the sin. Take me. And it was at that point that the sword was turned. Somebody mentioned Jesus. Jesus is our best example of an intercessor. Turn with me to John chapter 17. And there are many scriptures that we could turn to and see Jesus as an intercessor on our behalf. [00:23:47] But I'd like to look at some of the verses. I'm not going to read the chapter. I'd just like to pick a few verses out of John chapter 17. Notice verse 9 I pray for them This is his disciples John chapter 17 verse 9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast given me for they are thine Now verse 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world [00:24:17] but that thou shouldest keep them from evil He didn't pray for their physical protection here, note but for their spiritual protection is what I see. Verse 17, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth. Again, spiritual cleansing. Then in verse 20, not only did he pray for them, he prayed for us as well. Verse 20, neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. Jesus interceded on our behalf back then. Is Jesus still interceding today? Some of you are nodding your heads and I agreed with you, but I wondered where is that scripture reference? [00:25:04] Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 7 and we get the picture of Jesus interceding on our behalf. and it wasn't a once for all kind of thing but it is something that is a continual thing on our behalf as I understand it. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 25 Wherefore he is well let me read verse 24 along with it [00:25:35] it just adds a little bit to the context here but this man, Christ Jesus is who he is talking about but this man because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them he ever liveth to make intercession for them that was for back in the time when this was written and it is for today as well [00:26:07] I'd like to just quickly look at Some of the things about intercession that are factual, that may be of help to us. Intercession is, I said, behind the scenes, didn't I? Sometimes intercession is made in a public prayer. But most intercession, I believe, takes place, as we heard this morning, in the closet with the door shut. [00:26:38] maybe that's out on the mountain as Jesus was maybe I have a good friend who does two things at once he exercises, he takes a walk and he prays as he walks and I think for him that is his closet and he gets away from the phone the phone that can ring so often but mostly intercession is behind the scenes work Intercession is another thing. It is hard work. [00:27:12] It is not something that we can do it, now it's done. It is a continuing thing and it is hard work. Why is it hard work? Maybe sometimes it's hard work because I pray and I pray and the prayers aren't answered. I remember there were times when we have prayed, and we still do, we pray for people in need of salvation, but prayers aren't answered, and you wonder, is intercession really effective? [00:27:50] So maybe it's hard work in that we must continue when we can't see the results of it, and we need to do that. Sometimes we are not given that which we seek. And that is a fact. We talked about that a little bit earlier. Sometimes there is a delayed answer. I don't know who this was about, but I remember reading about or hearing, maybe it was in a sermon that somebody else preached about this parent who prayed for a wayward son. [00:28:23] They prayed and they continued praying and they did not let down. Finally, the parent passed away. After the parent passed away, the child came to the Lord. So even though that parent did not see the fruition, did not see the results of his intercessory prayers, I think they were answered. Sometimes they are not answered. You may have heard me say this before. I think it was Dwight L. Moody had many successful evangelistic campaigns, if you want to call it that. [00:29:00] And I don't know if he understood what all was behind it, but I think something happened one time to help him to understand the reason for success in this type of venture. And this is what happened. He had a campaign, as I recall, it was in England. And no success. I mean, there were just very few decisions. And it was just a, from start to finish, that campaign was, we would say, in our terminology, a flop. It didn't, what the Lord wanted to see happen, didn't happen. [00:29:36] I don't know how they connected the two. But somehow he found out that there were a number of, as I recall, older single sisters that were lifting him up in prayer. And for some reason during that campaign they weren't able to. As I recall, it was these people were sick. But they were not able to lift that campaign to the Lord in prayer. The effects were felt. It certainly helped some people to understand the need of praying. [00:30:15] I appreciate the little flyers that most of us were given some time ago, a reminder to pray for people in the church. And for each day of the week, there are certain people that we pray for, and I use that. And it wouldn't hurt to pray through that every day. As far as that is concerned, but I appreciate that there is something that I think we need to be reminded of as just as I was thinking of that, of that reminder to pray. [00:30:50] I was also reminded that those lists need to be kept up to date. I could think of several people that aren't on there. Now, some were missed inadvertently and we were told to add them, but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about others who were not living here at the time. So we need to keep those things current. There are many things that we need to keep current. And I think that all of us, I trust that all of us pray for our families every day, our children, our grandchildren. [00:31:28] But I trust that we go beyond that. and pray, as I said, for our church. I trust we go beyond that. I trust that we pray for area churches, that they might be successful. And even as Jeremiah wrote, or as the verse in Jeremiah said, if that city that you're taken to prospers, you're going to prosper too. Can we understand that if the churches around us prosper, we will prosper too? [00:31:59] We should be lifting them up as well as ourselves. And that goes beyond the Michiana community, if you please. I don't know how many of you get information from Tom White. I can't say the name. Voice of the Martyrs is the newsletter. and it helps people to know how to pray for people who are suffering for their faith [00:32:30] because there are many like that. If you think that most of the martyrs happened in the Reformation time, you're mistaken. There were more martyrs in the 20th century than in all the time previous to that, I understand. We have our work cut out for us. but we need, like the centurion, to recognize who has the power and we need to come to him, as the centurion did, in faith [00:33:02] lifting those people and when we don't see the results, to keep on our prayers might be answered after we're no longer here and the important thing is perhaps it's not so much Maybe God is going to reward us not so much on the answers that we get, but in the fact that we have been faithful. I'm not sure. Maybe I'm wrong. You can correct me later. But we do need to be faithful in lifting one another up, in lifting all men to God. [00:33:38] May God help us to be faithful, to be faithful intercessors, to be people that are willing to spend time in the closet, regardless where that is for you. Shall we kneel in prayer?