Get in the Tent

You've been in this series called Teach us to pray, and I've been looking into it from a distance, and it's been so good. And I love how mercy city is becoming a house of prayer, and that's really the heart of mine as well. Vertical chapel back in Austin, Texas, it is becoming a heart of prayer. And I know that God has a word for us, but how many know in order to become a house of prayer, something else has to happen. I want you to write it down this way to become a house of prayer, we must become people of prayer. We can't become a house of prayer if we're not becoming people of prayer, if we're not willing to create margin to engage God and call upon the name that is above every name to experience intimacy with God. How many know it's one thing to have proximity. It's another thing completely to have intimacy. And prayer is an invitation to have intimacy with God. If you would say, this morning, my relationship with God just kind of feels dry. It feels disconnected. I want to encourage you today, because I believe the Lord is going to reveal some things to help you experience a deeper intimacy with God. Are you with me? All right, if you have your Bibles, I want you to turn in the Old Testament, Exodus, chapter 33 if you got your glow Bibles, use those. If you got your paper Bibles, it'll also be on the screen. But how many know mercy? City is a Bible. Church, amen. We love the Word of God. We believe that Jesus says, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. It's the power of God's Word. And I want to read a passage of scripture that has marked me, that has changed how I approach prayer, why I approach prayer, and this passage, I promise you, is going to speak into not just your prayer life, but what it means for you to follow Jesus. And I want to read it, and then I'll break it down. Now, Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside of the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meaning. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all of the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. And when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of the cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent. How many know tent is used a lot? Come on somebody, and the Lord would speak to Moses, and when all the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship each at his own tent door. Thus the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And when Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant, Joshua. Pay attention to this, the son of Nun, a young man would not depart from the tent. I want to share with you four things from this passage that's going to increase your intimacy with God if you're willing to get in the tent. Here's the first thing about prayer. Number one, write it down. Prayer isn't convenient. I don't want to bait and switch you. Prayer is not convenient. In fact, it's incredibly inconvenient, and you're going to have to make an intentional decision to make room for prayer in your life, Look again at verse seven. Now, Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside of the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meaning. So notice this. We see it right. It's not just a description. I realize that this is really a revelation to help us understand what prayer really is. Moses would need to intercede. He would need to go to God. He is leading the nation of Israel. He can't do this in his strength. The Bible says, Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. So how do I. Walk in the power of God. How do I walk in the Spirit of God? I need to go to God in prayer. And Moses knew he needed God's voice. He needed God's presence. He needed to speak to God and hear God speak to him. And so he would take a tent, and he would go really far from the camp, away from the people, away from the noise, away from the distractions, and he would set up, he would pitch a tent in order to have a dwelling place that God had established for the people of God to enter in and experience His presence. What am I saying? Moses was willing to do whatever it took to meet with God. Now listen, I'm not a beach guy. I'm more of a mountain guy, but sometimes we get the opportunity to go to the beach, but how many lobsters are out there? You just burn the minute your skin sees sun. How many people tan I loathe you? Come on, somebody like I don't my wife like she just goes and just gets all tanned up. The minute I see sunlight, I look like bacon. Come on, somebody. I just and so I was watching TV one time, and I noticed there were these things called pop up tents, and people would take them to the beach, and it's in this little, tiny, round bag. And the way they described it is, you just zip it open, and then you pull that thing out, and boom, it just pops up. And guess what? It really does work that way. Do you know what they do not tell you how to get it back in the bank, like you need my body weight and an engineering degree just to get that sucker back in the sleeve. How many know what I'm talking about? This is not the kind of tent that Moses would pitch. In fact, this tent was 45 feet long. It was 15 feet wide, 15 feet tall. It was made of all different kinds of materials. What am I saying? Moses was willing to do whatever it took to meet with God. Listen, I wrote a list. Prayer is anti cultural. Prayer forces us to slow down. Prayer breathes at Heaven's pace. Prayer isn't convenient, but prayer is where intimacy with God happens. And so I want to ask you a question, How far would you go to talk with God? How intentional would you be? What would you say no to so that you could say yes to time with God? What distractions would you be willing to put down so you could spend time with God? And then the text tells us that he didn't just establish a tent. It says that he established that tent far away from the camp, aka, without your cell phone. Come on somebody, without your distractions, without people that are going to ask you, Mom and Dad, that might mean you need to get up early before the kids get up. It may mean instead of you going and hanging out with your buddies at your lunch time, you go and get to a park bench and just call upon the name of Jesus as you eat some tacos. Come on, somebody, I gotta bring tacos. Chips and salsa, queso from Texas. You are welcome in Jesus's name. This is what Jesus tells us to do in the New Testament. Matthew, six, six. But when you pray, not if you pray, when you pray, go into a room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. Cannot tell you the greatest reward of prayer, it's God. It's more intimacy with God. How many want to be people of prayer? I need more hands. This ain't good. Come on, somebody. I just need to know who I'm working with. I want you to write it down this way. If that's true of you, you must embrace the inconvenience.It's going to war against your flesh. It's going to war against all the things that you want to do. But if you want intimacy with God, then you're going to have to embrace the inconvenience. Here's the second thing. Prayer requires expectation. Listen to me. It requires a level of faith, it requires a belief, a conviction that you're not speaking to a wall, you're speaking to a living God. Yes, he died, but he didn't stay dead. On the third day, he rose and conquered the grave, and when I call upon his name, Heaven begins to move in the earth. You have that kind of expectation. I want you to know Moses did. And the people who would watch Moses had that expectation. Look again, verse seven through 10, and everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside of the camp. And whenever Moses pay attention to the text. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all of the people would rise up, each standing at his own tent door, and they would watch Moses. Look to your neighbor and say they would watch Moses until he had gone out into the tent, and when Moses entered the tent, here it is, the pillar of the cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak to Moses. And when all the people pay attention, because these are keys in the text, and we can often just think they're little details. They're not significant every syllable in the Word of God is significant because every syllable was breathed out by the Lord. And when the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up. Come on. Say, rise up. Come on. Say it like you got conviction and expectation in your faith. Come on. Say, rise up and they would worship each at his tent door. The Text wants us to know that when Moses would begin to make his way to the tent, everybody else, all of the Israelites, would take notice. Hey, guys, guys, guys, Moses is going to pray, which means what God is going to move? Their expectation was so high that they could not help but notice that Moses was about to call upon the name of the Lord, and when he did, there was a cloud that would descend. Let me tell you what the cloud represents. The cloud represents what happens in the natural as a result of what's happening in the spiritual. When we call upon the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name, every demon has to bow, every situation has to bow, every mountain has to move. There is an expectation that not just Moses had, the people had. They knew Moses is going to go pray, which means God is going to move. But you know what we often hear Pastor Sean, I want to pray, but it's boring. It's just so boring. Listen, I don't think the hurdle is that we think prayer is boring. I think the hurdle is that we don't believe that God will move when we pray. Because if I believe that God is going to move when I call upon his name, that is anything but boring when Heaven begins to shake the earth. But because we don't believe it, here's what we do. We worry instead of pray, we strive instead of resting in his grace. And I've got a word from the New Testament. The Apostle Paul understood our disposition towards worry, and so he explains this in Philippians, chapter four, verse six through seven. Do not notice this. Be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication. Come on say supplication. Look to your neighbor and just say supplication. Come on, tell em. Look to your other neighbor, the one who didn't sing well during worship. And just say, I'm praying for you, come on. Come on. I'm I'm sincerely interceding on behalf of your voice with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God. Here it is, and the peace of God, His perfect peace, shalom, that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds. In Christ, Jesus, listen to me, some of you, you're dealing with really, real things, heavy things, the apostle Paul is saying, every moment of every day, you will do one of two things. You're either going to worry about it, you're going to pray about it, but you cannot do both. And so he says, when that worry comes, I'm not going to choose. Pay attention to the language. He's not saying that, hey, don't ever struggle with worry, like Don't ever fear. Well, that's great advice. We're all going to worry at times, and we're all going to struggle with fear. But look at the language in the text. Jesus Do not be that's a verb. It means to choose or meditate. It means to decide that you will rest with anxiousness. Instead, take it to God and His peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind. In Christ, Jesus to choose to be anxious. That word in the Greek, it's actually two words. The first word is mariso. It means to divide. The second word is noose, and it means mine. Let me tell you what worry is. Worry is choosing to have a divided mind, where you're trying to operate in faith, but fear is really loud. You're trying to trust what God says, but it's tempting to trust what you feel. You're trying to stand on God's promises, but the lies of the enemy are screaming at your ear in that moment, you have a choice. I have a choice, am I going to give myself to worry, or am I going to give myself to God, which means what the choice to live in peace is ultimately mine, and the only way I get to live in peace is to take everything to God in prayer. People always say this, there's power in prayer. That's theological, theologically wrong. That's doctrinally wrong. There is not power in prayer. There is power in the God. We pray too prayer, apart from God, is powerless. But when I call upon the name that is above every name and I declare that God, you are the same yesterday, today and forever, you are my strong tower. You never change. You are not like shifting sand. You are the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the end. You are Jehovah Jireh. You are Jehovah Nissi you are Jehovah Rapha. When I call upon that name, I will experience a peace of God that will mark me. How do I get it? Here's the word supplication. That's why I asked you to repeat it. Listen, I have heard this taught supplication is a kind of prayer that's not true. Supplication is the posture of prayer. That word in the Greek means this to plead, humbly, to entreat someone who has power to help you. Let me show you what it looks like. God, I need you. I don't care who's looking. I don't have the strength to get through this, but I know that your name is above every name, and I know that you have all power. So God, I humble myself and I plead and I ask you to do what I can't, because if I'm going to get through I'm going to need the wind of heaven. I'm going to need a cloud to descend. So I humble myself. Listen to me. You will never meet with God if you pray from a place of pride. He demands humility. He deserves humility. Where you say, God, I'm not enough, and I'm not a good enough husband apart from you,and I don't know how to raise these kids apart from you, and I don't know how to love my wife like Christ loves the church apart from you. I'm not enough, but you're enough, so I'm going to humble myself and call upon your name. And there is an exchange that happens where God goes, Hey, let me take your anxiety and I will replace it with perfect peace to guard your heart and your mind in Christ. Jesus, first, Thessalonians, 517 says, Pray without ceasing. Well, come on. I'm in the car. I'm praying. I'm dealing with crazy kids. I'm praying. Somebody Pray with me. Come on, somebody like I'm constantly praying. I want you to write this down. Prayer is the posture of relying on God. Prayer is the posture of relying on God. So prayer is inconvenient. Listen, if you're looking for convenience, don't follow Jesus. There is nothing convenient about it. It will require you to surrender everything to him, but what you get in return is. Far more valuable than anything he asks you to surrender. So it's it's not convenient. Prayer requires Expectation number three, prayer is actually really simple. Prayer is simple. It's not complicated. We make it complicated. Look at verse 11. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his Come on say it with me. Friend, friend, friend, intimacy, fellowship. I want to break this down to bare bones. Some of it, you're going to go, yep. Knew that. I think the fourth one we're all challenged with this a little bit. Here's the first point I want you to write this down. Prayer is speaking to God. So I speak to God. Here's the one we're a little bit challenged with write this down. Prayer is also listening to God. If I'm doing all the speaking, it means it's not really prayer. It's just me speaking. But a real conversation is always two way, where I speak and God speaks. So I'm speaking, I'm listening. God speaking. God's listening. And we see this Jeremiah, 33 verse three, call to me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. God says, Listen, that's what prayer is. You're going to speak to me, and I'm also going to speak to you. Write this third one down. Prayer is also trusting God. The reason why a lot of us do not pray and we choose worry instead, it's because we trust our efforts more than we trust God. We trust our abilities to fix the problem. We trust our bank account. I'm not saying sit around, be lazy, sing Kumbaya and God's going to move in mountains. No, I'm saying, do what you can, but trust God to do what you can't this is very important. I love this verse, Psalm 112, verse seven, and they will have no fear of bad news. Who the believers come on somebody, those people whose feet are securely anchored on the rock that cannot be shaken, for their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. So I get it. We go, yep, prayer is talking to God. Prayer is listening to God. Prayer is trusting God. But here's one that we often don't equate. Write it down. Prayer is enjoying God. See so many people go, I love God. I like God. Do you enjoy them? Because if you don't enjoy them, that's actually speaking to the lack of intimacy that you have with him. The reason why my intimacy with Pastor Matt is what it is is because I enjoy him and he enjoys me about half the time. Come on, somebody. The reason why my wife and I have such intimacy is because I enjoy her. She enjoys me. That is my best friend, right there, my life partner. How does that happen? It's cultivated. It doesn't just happen. I want you to write this down. The key to enjoying God is to develop a friendship with Him through prayer. Some of you listen, you have a fear of God, and that's great. You need to have a holy fear of the Lord, but some of you don't have a friendship with him. And then some of you. You have a friendship with him, but you don't have a holy fear of him. You have to have both. Where is that cultivated? It's cultivated in the tent. Prayer isn't convenient. Prayer requires expectation. Prayer is very simple. Here's the fourth and the final, prayer builds a legacy. Oh, please don't underestimate this, mom and dad, prayer will lay a foundation for a kingdom, legacy that cannot be shaken. Hey, single mom, prayer not worry. Builds a legacy. Dad. Prayer builds a legacy. College Student prayer builds a legacy. Middle School student prayer will build a legacy. High school student, prayer will build a legacy. Grandparents, prayer will build a legacy. Look where he ends. It's crazy, like it's insane. I can't tell you how many times I read it and I'm. Missed it, but once I finally saw it, it changed everything. When Moses turned again into the camp his assistant, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the temple. Moses would go, and he would pray, he would call upon the name of Jesus, heaven would begin to move. But then there came the time where Moses needed to leave the tent to go lead the people of Israel. But he wasn't in that tent alone. He was in there with a young man named Joshua, who is Joshua. Joshua was Moses' successor when Moses was no longer leading the nation of Israel. Joshua was called by God to lead the Israelites forward. God said to Joshua, Be strong and courageous. It was Joshua that would lead the people of Israel, a stiff necked, disobedient people into the promised land.Where did he get qualified to lead. It was in that tent, and he's in there. And Moses would get to the point, hey buddy, I need to go back and lead the people.
And Joshua go Moses said, Okay, if I linger here a little longer, because God is becoming really real to me, and he's showing me the secret things, and I'm overwhelmed by his peace, and I'm not worried in this posture, and I'm not striving in this posture. I'm not lonely in this posture. Hey, is it okay if I just linger here a little bit longer prayer builds a legacy. I you want intimacy with God. Get in the tent. Get in the tent and no drive by tent prayer. That's going to cost you something.
God, I need you. I need you. I need you to move. Can't move. I can't lift it. I can't do it. If you could only see the future version that God sees of you and how that would be developed right here in this place you wouldn't want to leave. You would never want to forsake this. So how do we put a button on this series? How do we put it all together? Four things. I want you to write them down. This first point's already been covered in the series. Number one, pray first. Pray first. Pray first before you worry. Pray before you go into that meeting, pray before you navigate that difficult conversation. Pray listen before you try to handle your addiction and your strength. Pray and call upon the name of Jesus and submit under his right hand, then resist the devil and he will flee from you. Pray first number two, write it down. Focus on friendship. Do not focus on formality. Do not focus on checking off a box. No, God, I don't want proximity. I want intimacy. I want to walk in the fullness of Christ. I'm gonna focus on enjoying you. Number three, write it down, hold fast to God's promises. Yeah, I know you're afraid, but God has not given you a spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind. I can't keep going. I feel like I'm growing weary. For do not grow weary in doing good. For at the proper time, you will reap a harvest if you don't give up. I can't do it. I'm so weak. Thankfully, His strength is made perfect in your weakness, and he'll make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you. Need you will abound in every good work. I'm not going to trust what I feel. I'm going to trust what is true, and I'm going to hold fast to the promises of God. And then number four, remember what you're fighting for. Come on, remember that there is a generation that is watching you go into that tent, and there will be a moment that they too will step over the threshold, and they will begin to experience the deep things of God. Do not think that your prayers don't matter. They matter so much that they're transforming generation upon generation upon generation. Why? Because you prayed when Moses was standing at the sea and it parts, God said to me, why did that miracle happen? I said, Because Moses obeyed you. He said, No, because God's people prayed way before that moment, Israel began to cry out, grown out, God, I'm desperate for you. I can't do it in my strength. And the Bible says that God heard the cries of his people. Yes, there is obedience, but if there's obedience, apart from prayer, you're going to do it in your strength, not his. You Jesus, God, I need you. There is a whole generation. I just feel this in my spirit. Some of you right now, you've been trying to make your marriage work, and you feel like there's good days, and then suddenly you've taken seven steps back, and there's unforgiveness. Let me tell you where it all gets reconciled. It gets reconciled in the tents. It doesn't get reconciled in the bedroom. It gets reconciled in the tents. Some of you, you're trying to walk in freedom, but that addiction keeps calling your name. I'm here to declare, from Houston, from Austin, Texas, that there is a name greater than any addiction in your life, and it is for freedom that Christ has set you free. You're already free, but you gotta choose to walk. And how do you do it? By getting in the tent. Oh, come on, there's hope for everybody in this room. Prayer doesn't come easy, but it is where intimacy with God happens. Come on. How many needed this word? You'd affirm it? Hey, will you jump to your feet? I just want to pray for you. And then I'm I'm going to hand it over, father right now. In the mighty name of Jesus, come on, lift your hands to the Lord God. I'm choosing to enter the tent, choosing intimacy over proximity. I don't want to just know you. I want to enjoy you. So God, take everything that's been spoken over this amazing series. The seed is good, God now work on our hearts. Make it fertile soil. We start with repentance. We bow everything to you. You do what we can. Thank you for the tent in Jesus's name And all God's people said, Come on, give Jesus the best praise.