"Knock!" -Morgan Young FW 11.11.01
(Meet the Parents clip where Ben Stiller's character s trying to pray.)
When I was thinking about tonight's talk & thinking about that clip. It reminded me of something that happened to me "back in the day."
When I was a senior in high school---which was sooo long ago that back thenthey showed music videos ALL THE TIMEon MTV! Anyway--- when I was a senior at Kokomo High School, I was the drum major for the band.
And I remember one weekend we had taken an out of state trip for a competition and as it turned out, it went into a Sunday. I remember that one of my best friend's dad was a preacher and he was also one of those parents who went along on all the trips.
Well on this fateful Sunday morning, my friend's dad led a miniature church service for the whole band.
And at one point in the morning, before this deal went down the preacher guy came over to me and said something like, "Ok, now at this point, I want you to stand up and pray this prayer."
Understand, when I was in high school --- I was fearless --- I was typical drum major--- cockytake on the world kind of guy.
But when he said, "Stand up and pray" In my mind, I'd already soiled myself--- In my mind I was like:
"Yeah RIGHT!---- ME---Mr. Never went to church in his life any more than 1 day in a row --- I'M going to PRAY OUT LOUD in front of over 100 students and adults!!" SUUURE I AM!
I went from being "Mr. I Can Take On the World" to being "Mr. CHICKEN" in a nanosecond!
I thought about it for a few minutes----weighing the odds---- "Could I pull this off? Could I bluff my way through convincing these 100+ people that I knew what in the heck I was doing, when I really couldn't even buy a clue!?"
I decided I would do the hardest thing that an 18 year old drum major could do, in the whole world----- SWALLOW MY PRIDE.
I went to my friend's dad and said, "Look. I don't know what I'm supposed to do---I don't go to church---I don't know the first thing about how to pray."
And he was so cool---- in his very affirming, fatherly way, he said something like, "Oh, that's OK, Morgan. When I tell you to, just read this--- everything will just be fine."
In our little church service, I'm not sure I knew what happened in it --- I was too busy soaking myself with sweat and suffering from extreme dry mouth and totally being FREAKED about my little prayer.
And then Mr. Story gave me the nod---- and in the most unhumble --- confident ---drum major-like, public speaking 101, UN-natural way--- I bounded through the prayer.(do it?) ///
Strutting onto a field in front of hundreds of people at band competitions---- being in school plays ----- speaking at award ceremonies---- out of all the things in high school, when I look back, NOTHING was more awkward and terrifying than praying at that one little band deal.
So I thought a good ice breaker for tonight would be to just have everybody come up here 1-by-1 and say a pray for us into the microphone
ActuallyI bet a lot of you guys probably wouldn't have a problem with that!
The REASON, we're talking about prayer tonight is because last week we said that "Christianity is a relationship" and that the most important part of any relationship is TIME. (PPT)
If TIME is the most important part of any relationship--- then HOW WE COMMUNICATE is the 2nd most important part. (PPT)
So let's talk about how to make better relationships.
As I talk to you guys 1-on-1, it seems like in the course of your week, the one thing that can really make or break how your week's going is your relationships
When your world is rockin' like POD, then it's a good bet, you and your friends are all getting along really well.
Likewise, when your week feels like all of a sudden there's a fecis storm and you forgot your boots and your stainless steel umbrella ---- it's a good bet that things between you and someone important to you are all screwed up.
Here's the news: Relationships are going to be major important deals in your life from here on out --- some of the people you're tight with right now, are going to be major influences on your life --- and some of you are going to be life-long friends --- some aren't.
But if you can get your hands on some basic skills of relationships --- and learn how be a better player in your relational world --- then your life, over time, is going to be BIG TIME impacted.
Tonight, I've got just 4 simple truths that can impact your friendships immediately.
So we can remember these I've got this acronym, "Lota" --- as in, "We want a lota success in our relational world."(PPT)
"L" stands for LOVE. MEN--- DON'T CHECK OUT ON ME!! When I say LOVE, this ain't some chick-fest driven thing about Rainbow ponies and pastel colored stuffed animals!
Let's say "Love" together:______________
Love means, not just that we have to love others"d'uh! --- It's that we need to TELL people we appreciate them and we need to TELL them that we LOVE them.
A "lota" you guys (men & women) are super tight with each other --- A "lota" you guys tell each other darn near EVERYTHING --- and a "lota" you guys DO darn near EVERYTHING together.
Your life wouldn't be near as exciting --- near as cool --- nearly worth getting up to go to school, without the one or two friends you're thinking of right now
And right now you're thinking--- "Hey, they know who they are to me ---- they def know what the score is!"
Butcheck this--- it's not the same unless you SAY it! (repeat)
The biggest toughest stud on the football team or the nastiest WWF-type hulk on your school's wrestling team --- likes to hear someone tell them they love 'em and appreciate them.
Now, this doesn't include their MOM in the middle of Kroger's! Or on stage at a pep rally. But alone---where you can just be honest --- ALL OF US--- want to hear, "I love you and I appreciate you." (MarkI love you)
Let me tell you something some of you don't want to hear: Some of you think you're too mature--- uh, too big --- to "something" --- to tell another person or another guy that you love him
Be very careful because right now, your life and habits are like wet concrete and before you're too much older, you're going to find you are SET in your waysthat how you are now, is how you're going to be for a very long time
I'm sure you're well aware of the divorce epidemic that's been going on. Right?A lot of you guys are more hip to that than you want to be.
When it's time for you to get married --- don't think if you haven't been doing it all along, that you can just turn on the "I love you" switch Marriages will be screwed up unless you can offer the words, "I love you," with regularity and mean it.
If we took a pole right now ---- we could find that some of you never hear your parents say "I love you" to each other or at least not enough.
Some of you guys would say you don't hear your dad tell you he loves you or at least not often enough
This world is a little screwy because there's too many people who are too "something" to look a spousea sonor a daughter squarely in the eye and say it like they mean every syllable of it: "I love you." (pause) "I love you" cuts through the crustiest exterior and gets us where we really live. Doesn't it?
Guys, listen---- learn to say, "I love you" to people who matter to you NOW ---- so you can change this world tomorrow! (repeat)
Not too tough is it?! Right now, take a relational inventory --- if you're overdue on words of praise & appreciationthen make it happen tonight or tomorrow.
Let me make a challenge to you --- Give an "I love you" or an "I dig you" to someone during the café tonight. Everyone of us needs to hear it and all of us need to say it to someone.//
The next letter in our "Lota" acronym is "O" --- OOPS!!! PPT Everybody say "OOPS!"
All of us humanoids have at least ONE THING in common---- Every so often you and I SCREW THINGS UP!
It's not always a major screw up like forgetting to take a college entry exam or forgetting to tape the TRL with Brytney Spears! -----Nothing CATACLIZMIC like that!
But you and I do things like:
- Blow a secret we were supposed to keep
- Dog a friend in front of other people, just because it makes us look cool
- Tell our mom or dad "where they can go" under our breath only to realize it wasn't as "under our breath" as we though it was
- We do things like, not sticking up for a friend when they're not around & somebody dogs them
We all blow it. If we're consistent about nothing else, we're pretty good about being human--- saved or not.
(change tone) And when you and I blow it ---- all we have to do is suck up our pride enough --- realize we not "all that" enough to walk up to a friend and say, (sell it!)
"OopsI did it again I played with your heartgot lost in the gameoh baby, baby, oopsyou think I'm in lovethat I'm sent from aboveI'm not that innocent. "
Seriously --- we just have to say, "Oops. ManI'm sorry --- I was a butt-head--- I shouldn't have, but I did. I'm sorry---Please FORGIVE ME.
And you know what?---- Almost everyone will wipe the slate clean if we'll just get past being "all that." suck up our pride and get humble.
When someone cares enough to swallow their pride and be humble in front of you that says a TON-A TON about how much they care about you.
(Poignant) Again, remember that you guys are wet concrete ---- don't get set in this pattern either. Some of your lives are forever changed because one or both of your parents didn't say, "Oops, I'm sorry."
If you guys are ever too big or too grown up to say, "oops, I'm sorry." Then guess what?Then you're TOO big and TOO grown up. Because being grown up is being SMALL enough to be sorry and humble when we need to be.//
"T" is next PPT in our "Lota" acronym. "T" is for THANKS. Nothing tough here--- just take those little opportunities to say THANKS for the things that your friends bring to your life in the course of every day.
Do you ever feel like your teacher or your parents are pretty good at catching you doing things WRONG?
They never notice the way you spent an hour on your hair today to get it to look just like J-lo's. But they have a keen awareness for how messy your room is
They never mention the 9 assignments you handed in on time and in outline form, but the first time you space oneWHAMO!
Well take the frustration of parents & teachers always catching you doing something wrong
And decide to catch your friends doing something RIGHT!
When we thank our friend for taking us to school
When we thank our friend for always waiting for us after science lab
When we thank our friend for always being there for us
When we thank them, odds are they won't feel taken advantage of and we won't take them for granted.//
Last letter in our "Lota" acronym is "A" for "ASK FOR HELP."(PPT)
There's kind of this unspoken vibe in America that says, "Be self-reliant." "Be a self-made man" or a "Self-made woman."
But that's BULL. God never designed us to be able to survive by ourselves. He designed us all uniquely so we WOULD NEED EACH OTHER.
The truth is, when you ask someone for help THEY feel important
Think about it when a good friend asks you for help, don't you feel good that they asked you?
Asking for help helps us grow closer together --- it shows us that we're there for each other --- it build's our confidence that we CAN count on someone else
Life feels better when we don't feel like we HAVE to go it ALL ALONE. Asking for help, helps us do life together. //
That's it---that's "Lota"Love --- Oops! --- Thanks! --- Ask for help.
Let's take a timeout and take a look at a drama that's a slice of life of a real relationship and if we look close, we'll see "Lota" played out here (DRAMA)
Everything we just learned about how to build relationships is also what we need to know about prayer
"Lota" PPT will change all of your relationships --- even the relationship we have with Jesus
Christ
"Lota" is how we can remember to pray --- or TALK with our Heavenly Father --- just like we saw in the drama
And prayer isn't some stuffy language or ritual that requires special words--- a phone call like in that drama is a great way to think about it. Prayer is YOUR WORDS, with YOUR EMOTIONS and YOUR THOUGHTS.
At the very end of the drama, Meghan said, "I love you, God."
Part of our daily prayers need to be about letting God know we LOVE Him PPT---- appreciate Him --- we appreciate that He sent His Son to die to make this REALATIONSHIP with Him possible.
We love & appreciate Him because with everything going on in the world, He is still with us, listening to all our prayers & concerns.
At one point in the drama, Meghan said, "I feel horrible about when Jill was talking bad about You at lunch and I didn't stand up for you. That wasn't cool of me."
That was the "Oops" part of the prayerEvery day, you and me need to give God our "Oops, I did it again" list. "Oops" time in our prayers keeps us humble and gives our junk to God where it belongs.
And you need to know --- Don't think you'll get to a point where you won't need to do it. EVERYBODY, no matter how many years they've been in the WALK with Christ needs to take their Oops stuff to God. God's making us all more like His Son, but we're still human.//
At the end of the drama, Meghan simply said "Thanks God." PPT Every day we need to run down the list of everything that IS going right in our life
We said we need to catch our friends doing things right we also need to catch all that "God is doing right in our world," it gives us a clearer and less distorted view of things.
We can think things are in major suck mode but when we look at all we have --- a home clothes --- transportation --- people who love us --- it helps us realize that no matter how bad today is --- there are still things worth being thankful for. //
Another point in the drama, Meghan said to God, "Hey, can you do me a favor tomorrow?" about the party deal That's the ASK PPT part of the prayer.
After we've shown God we LOVE Him told Him our daily OOPS and THANKED Him for everything that's going rightNOW it's time for the ASK.
Now it's time for the "Please, God" part. Now it's time for your shopping list from the G-O-D Supermarket
Now it's time to ask Him to bless you, indeed:
God, help me be who you want me to be
God, help me survive finals
God, help me get a date for the prom
God, help me deal with what's going on in my family
God, help my friend get control of her out of control life
God, help me figure out what my life is going to be after I graduate
This is what the Bible says about our prayers:
PPT "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks." Matt. 7:7-8
Guys---this is ONE MAJOR PROMISE that we ALL need to stand on when it comes to our relationship with God
Does it say, "Pray, and if you feel like it's not working, then stop."???
Does it say, "Pray, and if you don't see any immediate results, then stop."???
It says, EVERYONE-EVERYONE--- KEEP ON KEEPING ON ---EVERYONE WHO STAYS WITH IT WILL FIND GOD ------ EVERYONE WILL RECEIVE.
Check this out I love this same passage from The Message:
PPT "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in." Matthew 7:7-8
Guys--- that passage says when it comes to praying to God ---SHOOT STRAIGHT --- Come to him believing He will be there and believing you will receive. --- Because that truth of His ROCKS!
Here's a thought for you ---what do you have more faith in
That you will get what you asked for from the McDonald's employee when you drive around to the pick up window?
Or that the God of the universe will keep His promise to you that He made in Matthew 7:7?
My point is, when we talk into that speaker in the McDonald's drive thru--- we talk with a certain confidence that we'll get something in a bag around the bend, slightly resembling what we asked for.
Guys--- let's start praying daily like we believe that our Savior can hear us with greater clarity than some lame drive thru intercom (repeat)
And guys --- let's start praying like we believe that around the bend --- God will put something in our bag, slightly resembling, or BETTER than what we asked for! (repeat)
And lets start doing a "Lota" prayers. PPT LOVE OOPS THANKS ASK //
The band's going to come up now, and lead us in worship.
(worship rant---foyer)
(Introduce Micah Watson, from Nashville TN.)
Tonight we've talking about prayer, and lot of worship is really prayers that are set to music
In fact, the whole 3rd chapter of the book of HABakkuk IS a prayer set to music
And the beginning of it says,
"I have heard all about you, Lord, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us Your power to save us."
And this first song says kind of the same thing-----
It says "God, may Your salvation spring up from the groundLord, violently tear the heavens apart and come down reach all the prodigals ---fancy word for people that are lost it's saying, show us Your power to save us!again as You did in years gone by!"
LET'S ROCK!! ("Salvation")
