75. A World Changing Church
Is your temple a house of prayer or a den of robbers?

In Your Bible Read This
nz02/zMark11.htm#12">Mark 11.12-17; vz23/zIsaia56.htm">Isaiah chapter 56

Here Is Your Memory Verse
My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,
but you have made it a den of robbers. nz02/zMark11.htm#17">Mark 11.17

Meditate On This Passage
vz35/zAvvak02.htm#14">Habbakuk 2.14

Spend a Minute to Change the World
Pray For Israel - 6,000,000 Jews and Arabs.
God's ancient people fulfilled prophecy by returning home.
In crisis but still expecting their Messiah.
Christianity heavily frowned upon.

Did you know that one day Jesus was provoked to righteous anger? It happened when he found God's house being used as a market place rather than as a centre of blessing for the nations.

A. A Welcoming Home For All Nations

Back in Old Testament days, God wanted his house, the temple in Jerusalem, to be a place where people from all nations could come and pray to him with joy. His people, the Jews, as well as the foreigner and even the socially excluded were to be welcome.

When Isaiah said 'all nations' it would have been quite a shock for the Jews as they jealously kept everyone else out of the Temple. But God's heart was bigger than theirs, as big as the whole world! See vz23/zIsaia56.htm#6">Isaiah 56.6-8.

The Church today exists in every country on the earth. Worship from earth is becoming like the worship in heaven where people from every nation, tribe and language already sing to Jesus before the throne of God: nz27/zOtkro07.htm#9">Revelation 7.9-10.

1. God's great goal is...
(Only one of the following answers is correct:)
to have people from every nation worshipping him.
to win the whole world for Christ.
to have everybody love their neighbor.

From All Nations To All Nations

Jesus said that God's house was to be a house of prayer for, that is on behalf of, all nations. So people from all nations can still enter with joy and pray for people of all nations to be blessed: nz02/zMark11.htm#17">Mark 11.17.

 

Ethnos Is The Key Word

In the language of the Bible the word for nations is 'ethnos' which means not political nations but groups of people who have a common bond like language or culture. This focuses our prayers on even the smallest tribe. In most nations you will find many ethnos. For example a Burkina Faso passport may actually cover a Mossi, or a Lobi, or a Gurunsi, a Fulani, all 'ethnos' within the one geographical and political nation which was artificially formed by colonial powers over a century ago.

 

My God, And God Of All The Earth

God is personal to me and to you but don't forget that he so loved the world.

Consider too that God sent his son to save the world of people: nz04/zIoann03.htm#16">John 3.16-17.

Christ came into the world: nz04/zIoann01.htm#9">John 1.9.

The field is the world: nz01/zMatfe13.htm#38">Matthew 13.38.

2. God's love is very personal, but it is also for the whole world of peoples.
True / False.

B. Are Nations In The Bible?

Yes, around 580 times, so we understand that God often considers the nations. See vz01/zBytie12.htm#3">Genesis 12.3; nz13/zRimli04.htm#17">Romans 4.17-18; nz16/zGalat03.htm#8">Gal. 3.8.

Nations are a spiritual battleground: nz17/zEfesi06.htm#12">Ephesians 6.12. Our job is to go and make disciples in all the nations and that job will be finished: nz01/zMatfe28.htm#19">Matthew 28.19; nz27/zOtkro05.htm#9">Revelation 5.9; nz27/zOtkro07.htm#9">7.9-10. World evangelism is the key to the date of Christ's return, and he will then bring justice to the nations: nz01/zMatfe12.htm#18">Mat. 12.18; nz01/zMatfe24.htm#14">24.14. Nations will always retain their identity, and ultimately there is much needed healing for the nations: nz27/zOtkro21.htm#24">Rev. 21.24; nz27/zOtkro01.htm#2">22.2.

3. What does the Bible say about the ethnos, the nations? (Only one of the following answers is correct:)
We should avoid peoples or nations who are not like us.
We should share the gospel with them because God loves all nations.
We should convert all nations to our culture.

Where Is The Temple Today?

We no longer have to go to Jerusalem because Paul reveals that today God's temple is found in our lives: nz14/z1Kori06.htm#19">1 Cor. 6.19. So is our life a house of prayer for all nations or a den of robbers?

 

What Is A Den Of Robbers?

It is whatever, or whoever, robs you of God's passion for a world of people.

In vz24/zIerem07.htm#1">Jeremiah 7.1-11 the robbers were religion and ritual, injustice, idolatry, indifference to the foreigner and to the poor.

Jesus noticed that the love of making money was another robber.

4. God doesn't care how you live your life, as long as you go to church on Sunday.
True / False.

C. Finding Faith To Pray For The Nations

Can we believe that prayer will make any difference to God's plans for the nations? Let us see some examples ~

Abraham

The Lord is about destroy two wicked cities but Abraham finds out and intercedes several times to save the people in them. He finds the Lord very willing to respond: vz01/zBytie18.htm#17">Genesis 18.17-33.

 

Amos

When Amos saw that God was calling for judgement upon Israel, Amos cried out, praying, "Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small! So the Lord relented." vz30/zAmos07.htm#2">Amos 7.2-6.

 

Daniel

Daniel knew in his heart that it was time to pray for the nation, so he did. God gave him a very swift answer: vz27/zDanii09.htm#2">Daniel 9.2-23.

 

And In Modern Times Too

Jesus also expects us to know the signs and the times: nz01/zMatfe16.htm#3">Matthew 16.3. The allied victory in World War Two, and the fall of communism have both been linked to years of dedicated, and carefully recorded, continual prayer warfare by Rees Howells, Samuel Howells and intercessors at Swansea Bible College in Wales, among others worldwide of course.

Match these words with the definitions shown below:
A. Abraham,   B. Amos,   C. Daniel,   D. In modern times.

5. While living in a foreign country, he prayed for his own nation.
A, B, C, D.

6. They prayed for the iron curtain to fall, and it did.
A, B, C, D.

7. He pleaded with God to save two wicked, heathen cities.
A, B, C, D.

8. He begged God not to bring judgement upon Israel.
A, B, C, D.

D. Prayer Shapes The End Times

In nz27/zOtkro05.htm#8">Revelation 5.8-9 and nz27/zOtkro08.htm#1">8.1-5, the Bible reveals that the conclusion of human history is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. We discover that the events of the end times and the prayers of God's people are linked together. There is silence in heaven to offer the prayers of God's people and then the final, terrible seventh seal of judgement is opened.

9. How does prayer relate to the conclusion of human history?
(Only one of the following answers is correct:)
When we pray for God's judgement on the nations.
When God's wrath causes people to pray to him.
When we pray for the salvation of the nations to the glory of God.

It is said that history belongs to the intercessors. In the name of Jesus we have authority over Satan to thwart his plans, pull down his strongholds and release his captives. Our prayers change our world, open closed doors, make resistant people receptive, and put down and raise up leaders.

10. What are some things we should pray for?
(Choose the best answer:)
Freedom, justice and peace on earth.
That God would open up countries that are closed to the gospel.
That God would soften the hearts of people who resist the gospel.
All of the above are correct.

Something To Do Before Next Time
Make a list of nations and peoples whom you will commit yourself to pray
for one at a time, at a regular time each day. See any map of unreached
peoples. What can you discover about these places? A school geography
book may help, or the newspaper or the TV news.

Written Diploma Work
Draw or copy by hand a world map. Write or underline the names
of major countries and as many small ones as you can.