Guest Speaker - Larry Powers

good morning church family can we all stand together put our hands together for the lord how we doing this morning everybody glad to be here good morning online church family thank you for joining us let's open up in prayer let's give this time to the lord father god we praise you we thank you for this time would you have your way lord and go before us in jesus name we all said amen let's sing from the rising of the sun from the rising of the sun to the ending of the day what be name every nation driving down every nation lifting up praise the of lord earth jesus you have rescued us you are good and you are just in every heart with every breath praise the lord is our creations foreign bless his name only one day of the earth praise the lord praise the lord all the earth of the earth bless his name only one name now and always praise the lord praise the lord all the earth all the earth bless his name only one name now and always bless his name and bless his name only one day now and always you are the reason we sing jesus you pulled me from darkness and clothed me in garments of breaks jesus forever my song will be yours jesus forever my son will be you only for your earth for the cross that you bore and the death that you paid for the victory you want over death and the grave this is the reason i say for the hope that you give and the joy that you bring for the promise that heaven is waiting for me this is the reason i say i will not be silent i'll testify of your grace in jesus forever my song will be you only that you foreign for the victory you want over death and the grave this is the reason i say for the hope that you give and the joy that you bring for the promise that heaven is waiting for me this is the reason i say oh you're so good so good so good you're so good to me forever i'll say you're so forever for the cross that you bore and the debt that you pay for the victory you want over death and the grave this is the reason i say for the hope that you give and the joy that you bring for the promise that heaven is waiting for me this is the reason i say for the cross that you bore and the debt that you pay this is the reason i sing for the hope that you give and the joy that you bring for the promise that heaven is jesus amen our eyes are on you this morning god the king is in the room come see the scars of love upon his heads the king is in the room we'll watch the darkness who is this king who is this king sing it out his name is jesus his name is jesus light of the world there's freedom in his name awesome in power reigning foreign light of the world there's freedom in his name the healers in the room let miracles break out across this place no soul beyond the boundaries of his grace for his resurrection power in his name his name is jesus his name is in his forever if you believe that there's freedom in the name of jesus there's power in the name of jesus if you've been set free of your sins sing there's never been loved so great he died so we could live then he rose up from that grip name another king like this now all authority forever belongs to him he rings in victory name another king like this has never been loved so name another king like this his name is jesus light of the world there's freedom in his name awesome in power raining forever the light of the world there's freedom in his name his name is jesus his name is forever he died so we could live he reigns in victory name another king there's never been a king his name is foreign in his name cause his name is jesus his name is jesus light of the world there's freedom in his name awesome in power raining forever the light of the world there's freedom in his name has never been loved so great he died so we could live then he rose up from that grave name another king like this now all the authority forever belongs to him he reigns in victory name another king like this oh you believe those words the hope of our lives is salvation oh how the world needs to see a group of people that are unafraid that are set free we know where we're going when this life ends we know the beginning from the end we know he's returning for us amen and god almighty this morning we just asked that you would remove fear lord remove worry by your love by your grace lord we're asking this morning for miracles lord for transformation in our lives god transformation in our families lord marriage is god in our schools in our jobs in our cities in our state and our nation god have your mercy lord bring revival bring your church to our knees lord awaken this people of this nation lord and around the world god you are our hope and his name is jesus his name is jesus light of the world this freedom in his name awesome in power raining forever light of the world there's freedom in his name this freedom in his name let's give the lord the glory this morning church amen and amen church family you may have a seat welcome to everybody here in the house happy sunday man this year has gone by fast welcome to our online church family we're so glad you were with us as well this morning the people of god coming together amen to get fed the word of god to be equipped for works of service to come and give our praises to the lord together what a joy thank you guys for coming let's go and check out what else is coming up in the future with our video announcement let's see good stuff chino valley before we begin today's teaching we'd like to share some exciting things coming your way so let's get into our announcements the california recall election for governor is coming up on tuesday september 14th for information about the candidates for governor you may pick up a handout at the gazebo or front desk for a list of ballot drop-off locations visit our website at calvaryccv.org and if you would like more information about the upcoming election visit ivoterguide.com hi this is sonya trujillo here to invite you to attend this year's annual women's conference at calvary chapel chino valley it is going to be entitled the decision and it is going to take place on friday october 1st through saturday october the 2nd it's going to be based on joshua 2415 where joshua understands the importance then of making a decision to serve the lord and it's just as important today for you and i to decide and to make that decision who are we going to follow who are we going to serve i pray that you will make the decision to attend this year's conference i hope to see you there where we will together make a decision to continue to follow christ amen we'll be kicking off the conference with a little shopping on friday evening only come and check out over 50 local artisans and pop-up shops you'll also be able to purchase dinner from various food trucks vendors and our holy grounds cafe the cost to attend is just twenty dollars for both days catch out the details when registering online men's small groups will be starting a new session on monday september 20th we will be studying the book of first samuel where we'll have the opportunity to learn about the character of god this is a great way for christian men to grow spiritually if you would like to get plugged into a small group sign up before wednesday september 15th the cost to join is twenty dollars and includes all study materials groups will be offered on mondays tuesdays and thursdays at seven o'clock p.m with the option of meeting in east vale chino diamond bar or rancho cucamonga register online or stop by the gazebo after sunday morning or wednesday night church services we are excited to be hosting this year's one day follow me conference we invite all those serving with junior high high school and young adult ministries to be built up and encouraged with us on saturday september 25th the day will consist of four main sessions with guest speakers and q a sessions designed to equip and connect like-minded servant leaders from various calvary ministries for more details and to register please visit www.followmeconference.com couples we are now taking sign ups for our small groups as well as for a blended families couples small groups our couple's study is open to engaged and married couples we'll be going through the book love like you mean it the heart of a marriage that honors god by bob lepin our blended family couple study is open to married couples who are part of a step family and who would like to be ministered to specifically as a blended family we'll be going through the book building love in blended families by gary chapman both studies will meet on the first and third fridays of the month beginning on october 15th and the cost is 25 register online by october 10th before we continue the service please take a moment to silence your cell phone and to limit distractions we ask that you please stay in your seat until service is over for more information on events registration or opportunities to serve be sure to visit our website at calvaryccv.org thank you for being with us and have a blessed week i'm gonna be like john you're fired well good morning to you all and to those of you that are joining us online welcome and good morning as well um would you join me in a word of prayer father we just come before you this morning to thank you for the opportunity and the ability to just gather in your name lord his brothers and sisters and just to come and hear from you and pray that you would speak to us speak to our hearts speak to our minds lord that we would grow in our understanding and knowledge of you and your ways lord and now you just work in our lives and change us father god into the image of christ and so we love you so much because you love this first and we lift up this morning to you in jesus name amen well just a few announcements before we begin uh was mentioned that we have our our last men's staken study coming up on september 24th we had one each month during the summer just to kind of keep you guys going over the summer time but the last one is coming up so you can register online or at the gazebo after service and then men's bible studies are also beginning on september 20th so guys if you're not involved in a study i highly encourage you to do that you get into the word you have fellowship prayer uh and it's just a great time to grow in your your walk with the lord in your faith in the lord and so if you're if you're interested in that please sign up for the men's bible studies then we are a polling place for the upcoming election and the polling place is going to be located over in room 405 over here by the south parking lot they're open from seven in the morning to eight o'clock at night if you live in this area and you're designated to vote here you can come on campus if you have your ballots and you just want to drop them off drop them off no later than tuesday of this coming week for those to be counted and then if you're interested in the israel trip from march 31st to april 11th in the year 2022 you can still register through the chino valley website as we continue to worship the lord in our tides and offerings in matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 21 it says do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rest destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there your heart will be also and so the way you can tell a person's priorities and things that are important to a person is is what he or she invests in in their lives could be entertainment it could be possessions it could be any type of material possessions that we all know are temporal or temporary they last a certain amount of time and then they get old and you have to get a new one right but what's going to matter is when we understand that we're going to spend eternity with the lord eternity then it's saying that's where you need to invest invest in the lord's kingdom invest in the things of of ministry and reaching souls and so much of the activity that goes on here is specifically directed at that as you know and so those are the things that would be important or should be important to us and so as we continue to worship the lord this morning in our tides and offerings there's different ways that you can do that through the chino valley mobile app if you're online there's buttons on your screens whether it's facebook youtube and there's agapi boxes located throughout campus as well as electronic kiosks and if you want to use the snail mail we're at 12205 pipeline avenue in chino california 91710 and also if you just want to walk it in you can do that here in the front office when we're open just come by say hello we love to see uh happy faces as you're dropping those off and you can do that let's let's pray father again we just pray that you would receive these offerings from grateful and and loving hearts lord that we do love you so much for your goodness your grace and your mercy in our lives and we pray that you would use these offerings father to expand your kingdom lord as we place our treasures in heaven father where where everything is eternal lord and not temporal or temporary father god and so lord we lift them up to you and just give you all the praise and glory in jesus name amen you're hidden glory in creation you are christ what a beautiful name it is the lord jesus christ what a beautiful name it is nothing compares to this what a beautiful name it is the name of jesus let's sing what he's done for us you didn't want heaven without us so jesus brought heaven down my sin was great your love was greater what could separate us now what a wonderful name it is what a wonderful name it is the name of jesus nothing christ to this what a wonderful name it is of jesus see death could not hold you death could not hold you the veil tore before you you silenced the boast for you forever is what a powerful name it is what a powerful name it is is what a powerful name it is in the name of jesus there is power in the name of jesus because there is power in the name of jesus to break every chain break every chain break every chain sink there is power there is power in the name of jesus break every chain break every chain break and reach to break every tree break every chain break and reach alcohol key what a powerful name it is nothing can stand against what a powerful name it is the name of jesus what a powerful name it is the name of jesus what a powerful name it is the name of jesus let's give a shout out praise the lord this horny church and lord we just thank you god we thank you that we can trust you this morning that we can cling to you lord and that's what you desire that your children would abide in you you are the vine we are the branches lord apart from you we could do nothing lord in you we can do all things you also said your father is the vine dresser and there's times when he prunes us father god may we trust you in the pruning that you would produce more fruit lord we're just asking this morning god for strength for comfort for peace for restoration rejuvenation lord your holy spirit would remove fear that your holy spirit would lead us lord that you would speak to us in your word that we would receive with gladness lord the word you bring today so continue the work you've begun lord we love you and we just thank you god have your way and help us now we pray in jesus name we all said church amen let's give the lord the glory man isn't god good all the time all the time church family before you have a seat let's turn to one another this morning let's greet a few people in the lore meet somebody new good good fellowship online church family so glad that you are with us can we say hi to the online church family that's watching right now so glad that you're with us wherever you're watching thank you for worshiping the lord with us and receiving the word our pastor david has finally taken vacation time he's resting with his wife right now praise god for that thankful god can can give them some rest and so god has provided an amazing teacher for us today that our pastor has invited out he's no stranger he's a former bible college director at calvary chapel golden springs he served the lord in so many different capacities we love him so much can we give a warm welcome to pastor larry powers well good morning calvary chapel chino valley it's always such an incredible blessing to be here and to share something from the word of god but especially this weekend uh the weekend where we commemorate we remember what happened on september 11 2001. uh it's hard to believe it's been 20 years but this morning we will have a special video prepared for you so if you'll just direct your attention to the screen we'll remember 9 11 together when it first happened the minutes felt like hours the hours felt like days and the horror of what happened one detail after another could hardly be processed much less understood then days turned into weeks and weeks turned into years memorials were built wars were fought victims names were red survivors tried to pick up the pieces over and over again but no matter how much time has passed we vow to hold these memories we will never forget those who were taken from us the world changes and shifts this way in that but one thing stays constant one thing is steady god god weeps with us god mourns with us god bottles up our tears and records them in his book he is closer to you than your own breath and remains the cornerstone of life god is the solid ground holding us up as the world moves beneath us it's as true today as it was on that day our god reigns he reigns over principalities and powers his dominion stretches beyond what our eyes can see and when the thief comes to steal kill and destroy our god reigns we will always remember all of us remember uh where we were that fateful day and uh our country in the 20 years since that happened has experienced some very traumatic things i think the day that we're living in right now is the most significant day since that happened and i think the most important thing that we can do for our country more than anything else is to pray the bible says in second chronicles 7 and verse 14 god says if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves pray turn from their wicked ways then i'll forgive their sin and i'll heal their land the hope for america is not in the white house i hope for america is in the lord's house and as we think about all that's happened uh to our country and all that's happening uh in our day even right now uh as i was praying about what the lord would have us study together he put on my heart to have a study a psalm if you have your bible please open if you will to the book of psalms to psalm 107 i want to speak to you this morning on the theme of prayer because that is the thing that is most significant that we can do for our country more than anything else i think that now more than ever we need to pray for the united states of america and we need to be reminded how god answers prayer that's the title of this message in fact right above psalm 107 you could just write that in there god answers prayer because that's what that this psalm as we will see is all about in a great book about prayer j.c ryle wrote i have read the lives of many well-known christians who have been on earth since bible days some were rich some were poor some were learned some were unlearned some were of one denomination somewhere of another some chose to use liturgy some chose to use none but one thing i see they all had in common is that they were all people of prayer prayer has obtained things that seemed impossible and out of reach prayer opened the red sea prayer brought water from the rock prayer brought bread from heaven prayer made the sun stand still prayer brought fire down on elijah's sacrifice prayer overthrew the enemies of god prayers healed the sick open blind eyes unstopped deaf ears raised the dead and prayer has brought the conversion of countless lost souls therefore above all else pray pray pray for god answers prayer how many today believe that god answers prayer and the people of god they understood that and they wanted to remind themselves of that and that is what psalm 107 is all about it's a psalm about how god answers the prayers of his people no matter who they are no matter where they are no matter what's going on in their lives god will answer the cries of his people now the question comes when was psalm 107 written and what was psalm 107 written about well according to jewish tradition psalm 107 was written at the very end of the old testament era you remember that god's people had gone into captivity and then they had been released 50 000 of them went back to the land of israel to rebuild the temple and as they were rebuilding the temple someone we don't know who wrote this song and they sang and they recited this psalm and as they were looking back at the whole history of the old testament the one thing they knew more than anything is that god answers the prayers of his people and so that's the theme of this psalm that's what the psalm is all about and as you read through the psalm you find a repeated phrase four times you find a phrase that has to do with prayer if you happen to have a pen or a pencil i would encourage you just to underline these phrases as we look at these four phrases about prayer in verse six then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses notice verse 13 then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses verse 19 then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses verse 28 then they cry out to the lord in the trouble and he brings them out of their distresses you get to the point when you're in trouble when you're in distress when you're in trial when you're in difficulty what is it that we as the people of god are supposed to do we're supposed to cry out to the lord in prayer knowing that god hears and answers our prayers now it's interesting that this phrase then they cried out to the lord in their trouble is mentioned four times because as you read through the psalm you find four illustrations four pictures of the deliverance of god how god answers prayer it's as if you're transported to four different locations in which you see god hearing the cries of his people as we'll see when the psalm opens you're transported as it were out into the middle of the wilderness and there are people there that are thirsty for water they're hungry for food in other words they need the provision of god and so what they do is they cry out to the lord in prayer and god provides for every single one of their needs then god answers not only answers that prayer but you're transported as it were into a dungeon into a dark place and there you find a person that's bound in chains and in darkness and they need to be delivered they need to be set free and so they cry out to god and god hears that cry for freedom and deliverance well god knows sooner has answered the prayer out in the wilderness and in the dungeon when you're transported as it were into a a hospital or a sick room and there you find a patient that's so sick they're just about to die and they cry out to the lord in prayer and god sends his word and heals them because god is a god who heals well god not only answers the prayer in the hospital then as it were you're transported out into the middle of the ocean and there you find some sailors very experienced sailors who find themselves in the worst storm of their life they're they're in such a terrible storm they don't even know what to do as experienced sailors and so what they do is they call out to the lord to answer their prayer and and and god speaks peace to the storm and brings them out into a a place of calm and so you'll find these four different places four different ways that god hears and answers prayer and it's a beautiful psalm as you read it through we encourage you today maybe tomorrow maybe every day this week just read through psalm 107 read it over and over and over and it will inspire you to pray and to seek the lord and call out to god in prayer but this beautiful psalm about how god answers prayer begins with a brief introduction in verses 1 through 3. notice how this introduction begins the psalm o give thanks to the lord for he is good can we read that phrase together aloud o give thanks to the lord for he is good the in the hebrew this phrase give thanks uh is in a repeated tense in other words continuously give thanks to the lord give thanks to the lord in the morning give thanks to the lord and when it's noon time give thanks to the lord at night give thanks to the lord on monday and tuesday and wednesday and thursday and friday and saturday and sunday and then start it all over again and give thanks to the lord this week and next week and this month and next month always give thanks to the lord and why as the people of god ought we to always give thanks to the lord well notice underline it for he is good how many here today know that god is good and all the time god is good he's good we may not always understand all this happening in our lives but we know that god is good and works all things together for good now how do we know that god is good we'll notice this next phrase for his mercy for his mercy endures forever that little word of mercy underline that word means god's loving kindness god's steadfast love god's unending love uh the book of lamentation describes it so well in lamentation 3 verse 22 22-23 where it says the steadfast love of the lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning great is thy faithfulness dear one i'm here to tell you today the mercy of god is new to you today it's newer than it was yesterday and it will be new again tomorrow oh give thanks to the lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever and when you experience the goodness of god and the mercy of god and the united love of god what should you do about it well verse 2 in verse 3 let the redeemed of the lord say so whom he is redeemed from the hand of the enemy and gathered out of the lands from the east and the west and the north and the south as they're reciting as they're reading as they're singing this psalm at the rededication of the temple at the end of the old testament they'd come from the north the south the east and the west and the the people of god the cult of god i like how they're described here they're described as the redeemed of the lord that word redeemed means the rescued of the lord the delivered of the lord the saved of the lord if you are here today and you know jesus christ as your savior and your lord your lord you're you're the redeemed of the lord you could say to somebody on the redeemed of the lord they could say to you i'm the redeemed of the lord because he's delivered us and he's set us free but he's not only set us free from sin he's not only delivered us from the power of darkness he saved us in all kinds of ways and that we'll see is what the psalm is all about it's not only pictures of our salvation it's pictures of what god is doing in our life in the present day and the circumstances and situations of life that we face now lest you forget that god is good lest you forget that his mercy endures forever lest you forget that god answers prayer in verses four through nine all of a sudden it's as if you're transported from the pages of scripture out in the middle of a desert a barren dry desert and there you find some desperate people that need water they need food in other words they need the provision of god and notice what happens and what they do in verses 4 through verse 9 they wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way they found no city to dwell in hungary and thirsty their soul fainted in them then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and he led them forth by the right way that he might go forth to a city as a dwelling place oh oh that men would give thanks to the lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men for he satisfies the longing soul and he fills the hungry soul with goodness can you see in these verses this beautiful picture of the provision of god this is a picture in many ways of our salvation because jesus is the bread of life and jesus is the water of life and anyone who's come to saving faith in jesus they've experienced that and as the redeemed of the lord they need to say so but not only that we as believers we as the people of god not only experience the gift of salvation we experience the provision of god in our everyday life and this has been the heritage of the people of god from the old testament to the new testament throughout history and even in our day now the old testament people of god as they're reading this part of the scripture they couldn't help but think of the children of israel out in the middle of the wilderness right you know what i'm talking about some 3 million people came out of egypt and went into the wilderness they were delivered from egypt through ten mighty plagues the red sea opened and they went through but then they found themselves out in the miller wilderness they had no food they had no water what did they do they began to call out to the lord they began to look to the lord and god brought water out of the rock god brought bread down from heaven god brought quail so they would have mean everything every need they had god supplied that need and as i said there's some three million of those people and it's an illustration for us to keep in mind if god provided for the needs of all those millions of people out into the middle of the wilderness experience for them then god will provide for you and god will provide for me the new testament people of god as they're reading this part of the psalm they couldn't have think of the story of jesus in matthew chapter 14 the feeding is called the feeding of the five thousand matthew 14 tells us there were five thousand men with women and children some twenty thousand people and jesus takes five small loaves and two little fish and he multiplies them and feeds off those thousands and thousands of people you don't think that's a big deal go to mcdonald's today get a happy meal and try to feed 20 000 people you'll find out fast what an amazing miracle this was what jesus did and it's an illustration of god's provision in your life and my life that when we have some sort of need god will provide that need in philippians 4 and verse 19 a verse i encourage every christian to write down and memorize the bible says and my god will supply all your needs according to his riches and glory by christ jesus i like that and my god will supply not just that he can supply not that he might supply sometimes no my god will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus this is what god's people have found out throughout all of human history uh time and time again as there were needs god's people would cry out to him and he would answer their prayer such was the case of a great man of god who lived in the 1800s his name was george mueller he was a great man of faith a great man of prayer a man of the word and he founded all these orphanages in london and they had to feed thousands and thousands of of orphans and george muller had never let anyone know about his need uh he would just pray and god would supply the need uh it's interesting to me if you uh listen to the teachings of pastor chuck smith uh the person that probably has influenced uh his influence his ministry more than anyone else in church history was george mueller uh pastor chuck believed as we believe that where god guides he supplies and this is exactly the way that george muller lived he would go to god in prayer and then let the lord supply the needs well george muller wrote a biography about his life and i like that biography so much the title of the book says it all it's a book called a million and a half answers to prayer i like that a million and a half answers to prayer and in that book he doesn't tell a million stories but he tells many many stories about how god would answer prayer i like one story about what happened one day there was absolutely no food in the cupboards whatsoever and all the orphans were getting up and they were coming into the dining hall to eat breakfast and one a little girl said to him mr mueller what's for breakfast today and knowing they had nothing he said come my child and see what the lord will provide for all of his children and so they gathered around they just began to pray lord we thank you that you are so faithful that you always have supplied for the needs of your people we thank you for what you're going to give us for breakfast today and as he's praying along all of a sudden there was a knock at the door he went to the door and when he opened the door there was the town baker and the town baker said you know the lord woke me up at four o'clock this morning and told me all of your orphans were going to need some bread do you think you could use all of this bread that i baked oh oh thank you so much said mr mueller you are an answer to the prayers of god's people so he distributed some bread to each one of the children and they were about ready to eat when all of a sudden there was another knock at the door and he went to the door and he opened the door and it was the town milkman and uh the town milkman said you know what he said my milk cart just happened to break down right across the street from your orphanage and all this meals and milk's gonna spoil and go bad do you think you and the orphans could use all of this milk oh yes sin mr mueller you're an answer to prayer he and those children found out again and again again what philippians 4 19 says god will supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus how many want to put your hands together this morning and thank the lord that god answers prayer he answers the prayer of provision for the needs of his people that when you have a lack when you have a need if you go to god you will hear that prayer well god not only answers the prayer for provision god also answers the prayer for deliverance and freedom the psalm transports you out in the middle of the wilderness and god not only answers that prayer out there in the wilderness all of a sudden you're transported as it were into a dungeon into a dark place and there you found a per find a person that's bound in chains and they need to be delivered they need to be set free look at what the psalm says in verse 10 through verse 16 those who sat in darkness in the shadow of death bound in afflictions and irons because they rebelled against the word of the lord they despised the council of the most high therefore he brought down their heart with labor they fell down and there was no one to help them what did they do when they were under this heavy burden and they were falling down what did they do in the middle of their darkness and their bondage they began to cry out to the lord verse 13 then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses he brought them out of darkness in the shadow of death and he broke their chains in pieces oh that man would give thanks to the lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men for he has broken the gates of bronze and he has cut the bars of iron into god not only answers the prayer for provision here we see god answers the prayer for freedom and deliverance what a beautiful picture this is of our salvation because before we came to saving faith in jesus christ we were bound by the devil we were bound in sin we were bound in darkness but jesus spoke the word and delivered us and set us free from the power of sin and from the power of death but he not only does that he continues to do that in our lives and the lives of those that we know and love he continues to bring deliverance and freedom he continues to to set the captive free when the captive needs to be set free now the people of god in the old testament as they're reading this part of the psalm they couldn't help but think of their own experience of just coming out of babylon you remember as the old testament ends for 70 long years they were held captive in babylon they were led away from israel in chains many of them did hard labor for uh years and years of their life but then according to the word of the lord as spoken by jeremiah after 70 years they would be released from their captivity and that's exactly what happened and they were sent back to rebuild the temple and many of them who'd been in those chains themselves they knew firsthand how our god is a saving god a delivering god a resting god rescuing god a god that brings freedom now the new testament people of god as they're reading this part of the psalm they couldn't help but think of the amazing story of jesus in mark chapter 5 when he sets a man free a demon-possessed man from gadara in mark chapter 5 the torah story is told of jesus and the disciples they're going across the northern uh part of the sea of galilee they land on the northeastern shore in a place called gadara and there there is a man that is possessed seriously possessed possessed with many many demons he comes running out toward them and jesus says what is your name and the man says legion for we are many a legion was six thousand roman soldiers as we study the bible we seek to take it literally and i find no good reason not to believe this man was possessed with thousands and thousands of demons the worst case of demon possession in the bible the worst case of demon possession we know of in history and what happened jesus spoke the word and set that man free instantly in a moment he set that man free why because whom the sun sets free is free indeed no matter how dark the situation no matter how bound the person jesus can can deliver and release that person i like the the words of the old hymn by charles wesley him called amazing love in the third verse of that hymn called amazing love he said long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night thine eye diffused to quickening ray the dungeon i woke the dungeon flamed with light my chains fell off my heart was free i rose went forth and followed the amazing love how can it be that thou my god should've died for me that's what happened in salvation for you and me and that's the deliverance that jesus can bring to you and me and it can happen to anyone any person i think of ryan reese the son of pastor rory's i believe ryan is shared from here from time to time for 19 years he was out in the world addicted to drugs and alcohol and and and sex and and in evil and darkness completely bound in chains and then in one moment in one instant god totally and completely set him free and it just goes to show that whom the son sets free is free indeed how many want to put your hands together today and thank the lord that he's a god that can set people free and if there's someone you know is a prodigal son or daughter they're out of they're away from the lord maybe your husband or your wife is away from the lord i'm here to tell you today don't stop praying for that person you keep praying for that person because god hears and answers prayer he will get a hold of their heart he will get a hold of their life well god not only answers prayer in the wilderness and god not only answers prayer in the dungeon god also answers prayer in the hospital or the sick room god not only answers the prayer for provision and the prayer for freedom and deliverance he answers the prayer for healing because in verses 17 to 22 we find a person that is sick they're so sick they're about to die and when they cry out to god let's watch what happens is god hears and answers their prayer and verse 17 fools because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities were afflicted their soul abhorred all manner of food and they drew near to the gates of death in other words they're sick here they're important they don't they're so sick they don't want to eat they're so sick they're about to die what do you do when you're sick what do you do when someone you love is sick what do you do when someone's so sick they're about to die you go to god you turn your heart toward god your mind toward god what do they do in this circumstance and situation verse 20 says then they cried out to the lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distresses he sent his word and he healed them and delivered them from their destructions oh that men would give thanks to the lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing here we see how god answers this prayer for healing and as he answers the prayer for healing the psalmist says oh you should just praise the lord for his answer to that prayer this person is sick almost to death but cries out to the lord what a picture this is of our salvation because sin itself is a sickness and we were so sick in our sin that we were about to die but jesus brought a total and complete healing to our spirit to our inner man to our inner person and and raised us from death unto newness of life which we picture in water baptism but jesus not only healed us from our sin jesus can heal us from our sickness as well and that the people of god has seen in the old testament and the new testament and throughout history now the old testament people of god as they're reading this part of the scripture they couldn't help but think of the dramatic story of what happened with one of their kings his name was hezekiah you can read later the story in second kings chapter 20 and there we find the story of hezekiah and he's sick and the lord tells the prophet isaiah i want you to go and give a message to hezekiah and tell him that he's he's he's so sick that he's going to die he's not going to recover so isaiah goes and he gives this message to hezekiah isaiah leaves the king's chamber and he starts to leave the palace and the bible tells us that the king hezekiah turned his face toward the wall and he began to pray lord please heal my sickness lord please don't let me die god please raise me up after this bed of illness and isaiah who's making his way across the courtyard of the palace all of a sudden the word of the lord comes to him and says turn around go back i have another message for hezekiah and so isaiah the prophet goes in and tells hezekiah the lord says he's going to heal you and that's exactly what happened at the word of the lord god healed hezekiah and god's people they would recall that to mine to know that god is a healing god as you read the new testament jesus healed over and over and over again all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease as the new testament people of god were reading this part of the song they they couldn't help but think of that amazing story of jesus in luke chapter 7 who healed a centurion servant you remember that story how there's a centurion in one city he had a servant that was so sick the serpent was about to die and so he sent messengers to jesus who was in another city and jesus when he heard the servant was about to die he made it starts making his way toward the city well the centurion hears that jesus is coming and he sends some more messengers and they meet up with jesus and the message from the centurion was you don't even need to come to my house all you have to do is say the word and my servant will be healed and so jesus spoke the word and later when they went to the city they found out the instant jesus spoke that word that centurion's servant was healed just as the psalm says he sent his word and he healed them why because our god is a healing god sometimes god doesn't heal for his own purposes and reasons we understand that but that doesn't stop us from praying for people because we know that god is all about healing in exodus 15 in verse 6 26 god says i am the lord that healeth thee in the hebrew it reads i am jehovah rapha that beautiful name of god healing is not just something that god can do or does but healing is in god's very nature he wants us to experience his wholeness and so many of us in this room uh have experienced that healing touch of god in our lives i think of my wife's uh grandmother uh years ago we called her granny uh granny was diagnosed with the terminal cancer and uh we just began to pray because we uh we felt like the lord had more for granted to do when it's time for you to go to heaven it's time and nothing's going to stop you from going in the lord's time in his way but we just felt like there was more for granted to do and we really began to pray for her and granny was reading her bible one day and all of a sudden her eyes fell on psalm 118 verse 17 the words i will live and not die and declare the wonderful works of god i will live and not die and declare the wonderful works of god and we began to pray she she believed that was a message from god to her and the lord touched granny and healed her and to him be the glory for that i i think of what what happened with raul reese years ago uh he had problems with his appendix and he went into the hospital they began to run some tests and they came back and said you know we've found something worse than your appendix and that is that you have leukemia and so pastor raul called chuck smith and greg laurie and they went to the hospital they just began to pray and the next day they did tests couldn't find the leukemia there why because our god is a god who heals he hears and answers prayer that prayer for healing as we gather together today i don't know what your circumstance or situation is maybe you've gone to the doctor and the report's not been a good one maybe it's somebody you know is not here today and they're sick really sick and i'm here to tell you today god answers the prayer i think of dustin harrison the youth pastor here at calvary chapel chino valley he had coveted went into his lungs and pneumonia but the lord has raised him up and he's back why because our god is the god who heals our god hears and answers prayer and brings healing to his people well god not only answers the prayer in the wilderness and god not only answers prayer in the dungeon and god not only answers prayer in the hospital god answers prayer out in the middle of the ocean god not only answers prayer for provision god not only answers prayer for freedom and deliverance god not only answers prayer for healing god answers prayer when you're in the worst storm of your life because we see here in verse 23 to verse 32 some sailors they're out in the middle of the ocean and these experienced sailors find themselves in the worst storm of their life suddenly unexpectedly and without warning it comes upon them and they don't know what to do notice in verse 23 those who go down to the sea in ships who do business on great waters they see the works of the lord and his wonders in the deeps for he commands and he raises the stormy wind which lifts up the waves of the sea they mount up to the heavens they go down again to the depths their soul melts because of trouble they reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken men they're they're at their their wits end here you see these sailors it's their business to be on the ocean they they know about waves and currents and winds and all those kinds of things but all of a sudden there's a storm that comes and the i like how the psalm describes the storm you can almost feel it as you're reading it you almost sort of feel seasick when you're reading it goes up to the heavens and then it goes down and they stagger back and forth on the deck that's there and notice amazing their soul melts because of trouble this is the worst trouble they've ever been in and this trouble their soul is melting they reel to and fro and notice verse 27 they are at their width and they don't know what to do i don't know if you've ever been at the place where you're within i've been at that place many times you talk to this person you talk to that person you try this thing you try that thing you try the other thing and you get to the place where you're like lord i just don't know what to do what do you do when you're in the worst storm of your life and you don't know what to do your your wit's in oh oh i like verse 28 then they cry out to the lord in their trouble and he brings them out of their distresses he calms the storm so that its waves are still and they are glad then they are they are glad because they are quiet so he guides them to their desired haven oh all that men would give thanks to the lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people and praise him in the company of the elders here you see these sailors in the worst storm of their life but when they cry out to the lord he rescues and delivers them and such is the case with you and me such is the case it's always been with god's people when you find yourself in this unexpected storm that comes out upon you out of nowhere what do you do you call out to god the old testament people of god as they're reading this part of the psalm they couldn't help but think perhaps of job remember job he was a righteous man and the experiencing the blessing of god in his life and then in one day absolutely everything changed and he found himself in the worst storms of his life he lost all of his possessions he lost all of his children his friends turned against him his wife turned against him he lost his health he lost absolutely everything but he didn't lose his hope in his faith in god as you read through the book of job you find those statements those precious statements of hope where he says i know my redeemer lives and in the end i'm going to stand on the earth i know that god is in charge that god is in control whether i see it or whether i don't you find that beautiful statement in in job 23 where he says when he has tested me i'm going to come forth as gold i know this is just refining my character and making me look to him more and as you read through the book of job you find out that at the very end god has brought peace to the storm and given back job everything that he lost and even more than what he lost why because when you're in a storm god hears the prayer of of a person who is at their wits end the new testament people of god as they're reading this part of the psalm couldn't help but think of what many of you are thinking and that is the story of jesus in mark chapter 4 on the sea of galilee there he's with his disciples and all of a sudden they're overtaken by a terrible storm and jesus is asleep in the back of the boat and they wake him up and they said master don't you care that we perish and jesus gets up and he rebukes the wind in the waves and he says peace be still and the bible says there was an immediate calm and it's exactly what we see happening in this psalm he called verse 29 he calms the storm so that its waves are still and they are glad because they are quiet what do you do when you find yourself in the worst storm of your life you call out to god in prayer and you find that he is going to bring peace to you in the middle of the storm after the first service we were meeting with people down front and praying and and a young couple came up just asking for prayer and i didn't know who they were at all many of you who've followed the news this last week heard the tragic terrible story of a young man who murdered his parents over in covina his sister was here this morning in the worst storm of her life what do you do when you find yourself in the worst storm of your life your soul is melting within you you're at your wit's end and you don't know what to do i'll tell you what you do you begin to call on the lord in prayer how many want to put your hands together today and thank god that he's a peace be still god and in the middle of the storm he can bring a perfect calm to all that you're going through well god not only answers prayer in the wilderness and and the dungeon and the hospital and even out in the middle of the ocean god not only answers the prayer for provision and and deliverance and freedom and he answers the prayer for healing and he answers prayer in the middle of the storm and gives us peace when there is no peace he gives us a peace that passes all understanding god answers prayer anywhere he can answer anybody's prayer and turn the situation around in just a moment and that's i believe is what verse 33 so verse 42 is all about there the psalmist just kind of goes off for a moment and describing how god can turn something around in a moment he says in verse 33 he turns rivers into a wilderness and the water springs into dry ground the fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of those who dwell in it pause there from this is exactly what had happened to the land of israel because they had wandered far from god there was a famine that had come to the land the land had dried up the land had become barren this is what happens when a nation turns its back on god we hear in the united states of america see that this nation founded on biblical principles this nation that is supposed to be one nation under god this na this nation that is supposed to be a nation in which we trust god we've turned our back on god and we've experienced many of the consequences of that but i'm here to tell you today that when you begin to pray god can turn it all around in a moment no matter how far a nation has gone no matter what's happened god can turn it around in just a moment and that's what you see look at verse 35 he turns the wilderness into pools of water he turns dry land into water springs there he makes the hungry dwell that they may establish a city for a dwelling place and sow fields and plant vineyards that they may yield a fruitful harvest he also blesses them and multiplies them greatly he does not let their cattle decrease their possessions he blesses their possessions when they are diminished and brought low through oppression and affliction and sorrow he pours contempt on princes and causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no when there was ungodly rulers god will take care of those ungodly rulers he'll watch aft after his people he'll look out for them but those who are over them who are doing ungodly things who are not ruling in righteous kinds of ways according to the will and the purpose the lord will take care of them we just need to pray and let god do his work and his will that's what we need to do in our country in our state right now so but but verse 41 he sets the poor what does he do with his people he sets them on high far from affliction and i like this and he makes their families like a flock i like that song that we sing about the blessing of god how his blessing is on your children and your children's children and your children's children's children and your children's children's children's children's children because listen our god is a blessing god and when you call out to him in prayer he can turn it all around in a moment so he says the righteous see it and rejoice verse 42 and all iniquities stop it stop its mouth when sin is ruling god raises up a righteous standard and turns it around in a moment and the righteous rejoice in other words he's telling us here in this section that god can answer any prayer of any person in any circumstance in any situation and they might be in that's why the psalm ends in this beautiful way notice verse 43 this is so great the psalm ends by saying whoever is wise will observe these things and they will understand the will the lovingkindness of the lord whoever is wise will observe these things what things that god hears and answers prayer that when you're in the wilderness when you're in the dungeon when you're in the hospital when you're in the storm no matter what the circumstance or situation a wise person understands that more things are accomplished by prayer than any other thing a wise person understands what pastor chuck used to say you can mo do more after you pray but you can't do any more until you pray until you go to the lord and begin to seek his face and cry out to him the wise they understand these things and the they they observe these things and they understand the loving kindness of the lord this takes expansive the very first verse about the mercy of god those who experience the mercy of god they need to express that to other people let the redeemed of the lord say so he says in verse 2 we as the people of god when god hears and answers our prayer we need to share that with other people we need to declare that with our mouth in the company of god's people because god is a god who hears and answers prayer no matter what circumstance or situation that you might find yourself in and here on this weekend of september 11th as we reflect on that what happened on that tragic day listen it's an illustration a powerful illustration of god here how god hears and answers prayer there's a story it's an amazing story about the last survivor of september 11 2001. her name was janelle mcmillan she lives in brooklyn and her story so dramatically illustrates what psalm 107 is all about that god hears and answers prayer it's recorded in a great book you can buy and read a book by jim symbola called breakthrough prayer janelle writes the following she says the morning of september 11 2001 began for me like many others i got to work a little after 8am and rode the elevator up to the 64th floor of the north tower of the world trade center where i worked i was making small talk with a co-worker when i heard a loud explosion i had no idea that american airlines flight 11 had just slammed into the building a few moments later the building began swaying and rocking oh my god i said to a co-worker this building is going down knowing we had to leave we headed down stairway b and as we headed down the stairway we started counting the stairs 63 62 61 60 59 58 and as we were heading down the stairs we could see rescue workers and firefighters heading up the stairs when we reached the 13th floor all of a sudden the whole building just went boom everything went black the building started to collapse 110 floors were coming down on top of us falling concrete and debris smashed me onto my knees and my mouth and eyes were filled with grit and dust it was surreal like a horrible dream there was nothing we could do there is nowhere we could go and we were being buried alive and the sound of it was deafening then as suddenly as it started it stopped and things got quiet really quiet my mind started racing i thought of my husband and my children and my family how i might never ever see them again so there all alone in the dark and buried under all that rubble i began to pray oh god help me lord help me please don't let me die please let me live please let them find me i prayed and i prayed and i prayed the minutes seemed like hours and the hours seemed like days but then i heard the sound of rescue workers above me i began to cry out help me help me help me finally someone yelled back hello hello is is somebody in there yes i said my name is janelle please help me by now i could see a bit of daylight coming through a crack so i stuck my hand up through it can you see my hand i shouted someone grabbed a hold of it janelle i've got you you're going to be all right i began to worship the lord and pray oh god thank you thank you thank you thank you it had been 27 hours since the towers collapsed and i janelle mcmillan was the last survivor to be pulled out of the wreckage that had once been the world trade center sat towers i spent weeks in the hospital recovering the doctors never said i'd never walk again but i do and i am living proof that god's help is only a prayer away that whoever you are and wherever you are that if you simply cry out to god he will hear and answer your prayer dear ones i've come with a simple message today god answers prayer god answers prayer god answers prayer no matter who you are and no matter what's going on your life the lord answers prayer i want you to bow your head as we finish our message today and we want to put into practice what we've talked about this morning we want to be doers of the word and not just hearers of the word and i just felt like we were to spend a moment in prayer for those who might be here today who have special needs maybe as we were teaching this part of the psalm the section that had to do with god's provision maybe that really jumped out to you maybe you're uh you need a job maybe uh you have some unexpected bills that have come and you don't know how you're gonna make ends meet well god does and if you call out to him he'll supply all of your needs according to his riches in glory by christ jesus maybe you're here today and as we were studying the psalm that that part of it that had to do with people that are bound and need to be set free maybe that really jumped out at you maybe you heard it and you're struggling with some area of sin in your life and you have difficulty overcoming it here to tell you jesus can set you free or maybe it's a prodigal son or daughter or a husband or wife who's wandered away from the lord i'm here to tell you that god can bring that person back god can break those chains of bondage because there's power in the name of jesus when the sun sets free it's free indeed maybe as we were studying it was a part of the psalm that had to do with healing maybe you're here today and you're sick uh maybe uh you're here today and it's somebody that you know that's sick and you just need prayer about that situation i'm here to tell you we don't always understand why things happen but we know our god is a god who heals he does it again and again and again or maybe it's that part of the psalm that just said you know i'm in the worst storm of my life right now it could be a legal storm it could be a financial storm it could be a relational storm could be a family storm could be a marriage storm it could be all different kinds of storm and you just need jesus to speak that peace be still to give you that peace that passes understanding you're here today and that's you you're in one of those categories and you just want players we sing together this uh this song this beautiful course i want you at some point just to stand where you are because when we're done singing and uh we want to pray together and we want to lift your need before the lord so as we begin to just worship the lord jared you just begin to stand all over the place whoever you are whatever that need might be because we don't want you to leave today we're bearing that heavy bird we want you to lift that before the lord so as we worship you you just stand where you are father we just thank you so much for an opportunity to come and pray knowing you are a god that hears and answers prayer and all of the place lords we just stand this morning in such great need we thank you that you will hear you will answer the prayers of your people so bless us as we worship you in jesus name we pray i worship you i worship you you are here working in this place i worship you i worship you you are here you are here working in this we place a miracle work promise keep light in the darkness my god we my god that is touching every heart you are here you are here i worship you i worship you i worship you my god that is is my god that is worker promise keeper light in the darkness my god that is it you're is even when i don't feel it you're working you never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working even when i don't see it you're working even when i don't feel it you're working you never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working even when i don't see it you're working even when i don't feel it you're working you'll never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working even when i don't see it you're working even when i don't feel it you're working you never stop you never stop working you never stop you are way back work promise keeper light in the darkness my god that is who you are is who you are let's all stand together father we thank you so much you are a god that hears and answers prayer and i'll cross this place lord so many people standing to their feet all of us lord having circumstances or situations in which we need your help lord for those who need your provision we pray you would open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing upon your people that they cannot contain lord we pray that you would make every end meet and they would you would do it in such a way that you would get the praise and the honor and the glory we thank you lord you are god that sets people free we pray for anyone who's standing about that whether it has to do with something in their own life or the life of a prodigal son or daughter or husband or wife lord we pray that you in the powerful name of jesus you would set people free break the chains lord that hold them back in their lives pierce the darkness with your great light lord for those who need healing who are here those maybe who are not here maybe even someone come it in the hospital god send your word and heal we pray jehovah rapha do what your very name says bring about that healing we know that's something that you do and something that you are and lord we do pray for those who might be here just feeling like they're in the worst storm of their life it came out of no place lord we pray that you would speak peace into that situation that you bring a perfect calm to it that you would give a peace that passes all understanding that as we set our minds and our hearts on you we would have that perfect peace just to rest in your goodness lord for whatever the situation might be we thank you that you hear and answer our prayer lord we thank you so much for calvary chapel chino valley this amazing church we thank you lord for all the great things you've done in the past but we believe there are even greater things that are yet to come and so we put your blessing on pastor david and marie as their way just give them rest and refresh their spirit and their heart and bring them back lord just eager to see the the next phase the next season the next step of all the good things that you're going to do lord send us on our way today is the redeemed of the lord rejoicing in our hearts at the gift of our wonderful salvation and that all of your provision and goodness in our life we thank you and praise you for it in jesus name we pray and everyone said amen amen we're going to sing one final song and you i want you to sing it really loud this morning just worship the lord with all your heart and uh when we're done they're going to be people's uh leaders standing along the front who would love to talk and pray with any of you personally if you're here today and you have a heavy burden in your heart don't leave with that heavy burden they would love to to talk with you and pray thank you for such a great group the lord bless you and keep you make his face to shine upon you and give you his peace god bless you sing this church and the lord bless you you and keep you make his face shine upon be turn gracious face toward you and give lord bless you and keep you make his face shine upon be gracious to you the lord turned his face amen amen the lord bless you and keep you make his face shine be gracious let's see this blessing over one another this morning our families oh the lord has raised us up for this time in history church can we believe it sing this in faith and your children and their children and their children may fail be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children and their children may his favor be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and and your children and your children may his river be upon you and a thousand generations and your family and your children and their children and their children made his presence you he is for you he is for you he is for you he is for you their children he is with you he is for you he is for you he is for you he is for you oh bless you lord bless you and keep you make his way shine upon be gracious to you lord turn his face god almighty would you fill us through their spirit lord may we walk by your spirit do all that you want to do lord you're doing something lord we can sense it have your way we receive your blessing today lord just a bunch of your kids crying out to you lord and you love us thank you jesus equip us lord strengthen us god give us courage give us compassion may your love flow through us we pray in jesus name we all said amen wow amen church family as larry said if you need prayer for anything right now come on up front there's gonna be leaders right now men and women to pray with you and pray over you have a wonderful rest of the weekend and week we love you so much you

Channel: Calvary Chapel Chino Valley

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Keywords: Bible, Pastor David Rosales, cccv, Church, Teaching, Worship, God, Christians, Bible Study, Jesus, A Jesus People Community, Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, David Rosales, Pastor, Calvary Chapel, Holy Spirit, Gods Word, Chuck Smith, Teacher, Pastor David, End Times, Rapture, Trinity, Antichrist, A Sure Foundation, Prayer, Pray

Id: IBzRyuS88no

Length: 108min 51sec (6531 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 12 2021