The Throne Room of God | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

If you're not already standing, would you stand with me right now? Let's give him the praise. Let's give him the honor right now. HE'S DESERVING OF IT. OH, he's deserving. JESUS IS DESERVING OF ALL THE PRAISE. All the glory. If you have your Bibles and will you turn with me tonight to the book of Luke chapter 18. We'll begin reading at verse number one. It's recently that a young man got to the platform after a rather well-known man had preached. And the young man said to the well-known man, he said, "I'm sorry that I was late to church. But said, "I got here in time for the preaching. You know, after all, that's the good part." Of which the well-known minister said, "Good for who?" Good for who? If it's good for God, you would have got here for the praise and worship because that's God's part. The word is our part. God don't need to be preached to. We're the ones need to be preached to. But the good part for both parties tonight, both God and man, is to praise and worship him. He is worthy of our praise tonight. Go ahead. He is worthy. Would you love him right now? Would you just put a prayer of praise? And would you just LOVE HIM RIGHT NOW? Just love him. JUST LOVE THE LORD. LOVE HIM. LOVE HIM. Love him. Lift your hands AND LIFT YOUR VOICE. I KNOW YOU'RE TIRED. I I know you've worked today, but would you GIVE HIM A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE RIGHT NOW? OH, JUST GIVE HIM PRAISE. I LOVE YOU, LORD. LORD, I LOVE YOU AND I THANK YOU AND I PRAISE YOU, GOD. LORD, YOU'VE BEEN BETTER TO ME THAN I DESERVE. OH, GOD. LORD, YOU'VE BEEN MY DOCTOR WHEN I'VE BEEN SICK. YOU'VE BEEN MY LAWYER WHEN I'VE BEEN IN TROUBLE. BUT MOST OF ALL, YOU WERE MY SAVIOR WHEN I WAS LOST IN MY SINS. OH, HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. HALLELUJAH. COME ON, LAVISH HIM. LAVISH HIM WITH PRAISE RIGHT NOW. OH, THANK YOU, LORD. THANK YOU, LORD. Thank you, Lord. Oh, he is so worthy. He is so worthy of the praise. Luke chapter 18 and verse number one. And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Saying, There was in a city a judge which feared not God nor regarded man. And there was a widow in that city. And she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterward, he said within himself, Though I fear not God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming, she weary me. And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him? Though he bear long with them? I tell you he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" I want to minister tonight, and this will be this will begin I will not get finished tonight. This will begin a Wednesday night series on prayer, on prayer, and the importance of prayer. This first lesson I have entitled it the throne room of God, the throne room of God. Pray with me right now. Father, anoint your servant tonight. Lord, would you touch the lips of clay with your spirit? God, I'm in such need of you tonight that you would use me as an oracle. God, you would use my voice to speak to the people tonight through your word. Lord, open hearts in this place. Lord, open our hearts, God, to receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to change our lives. It's able to save our souls. Lord, let this become GOD A TURN AROUND IN OUR LIVES. We'll give you the praise. In Jesus name we pray. Amen and amen. Thank you for standing for the reading of God's word. You may be seated. The throne room, the throne room of God. I want to teach tonight on the subject of prayer. I wish to use a courtroom as an example. For there are several similarities between approaching the throne of God in prayer and a courtroom here in America. There's several similarities between a courtroom that's here and the throne room of God. IF WE FIND OURSELVES in a courtroom, either we have done wrong or we have suffered wrong. There, the purpose in the courtroom is that justice is served. The first person we will focus on in the in the throne room, the first person that we will focus on in the courtroom is the judge. The judge. He or she is the highest authority. And their word is the final say. This is highlighted by the honor given to them as the court begins session. As a matter of fact, you'll notice a couple of things about the judge in the courtroom. The judge's seat is elevated above all other seats in the courtroom. His or her seat is the highest seat. It's the highest elevated seat in the courtroom. Whether the judge be a male or a female, they wear a different garment than anyone else that's in the courtroom. They wear the judge's robe. As a matter of fact, as a matter of fact, there is a person in the courtroom called a bailiff. The bailiff is given the task of making sure everyone has arrived for the day's hearing. He is given the task to make sure that the defense attorney and the prosecuting attorney and the witnesses and everyone involved in the case is present and is seated. When he or she decides that the courtroom is properly prepared, the bailiff will say to THE AUDIENCE, "ALL RISE." AND THEN THE bailiff will announce something that goes like this, "The US District Court of the Mock District of Utopia is now in session. The Honorable Judge So-and-so is presiding." As they all stand, the judge comes in and then as he is seated, then they take their seat. So, the first example that I would like to use in the throne room, because after all, isn't that what prayer is all about? Going to the throne room of God. Going to the throne room of God. It is my sincere heart's prayer that we find purpose and structure. I believe a lot of people get discouraged of prayer because they don't see prayer as a structured thing that they go in. They don't know the meaning of prayer and therefore prayer becomes discouraging to them and they never really develop a prayer life because they don't understand that prayer is the vehicle that ushers us into the throne room of God. This judge in Psalms chapter 50 in Psalms chapter 50 and verse number six it says and the heaven shall declare his righteousness. For God is judge himself. Selah. God is judge himself. Psalms chapter 75 and verse number seven but God is the judge. He putteth down one and setteth up another. So when we go to prayer the courtroom the throne room we have to understand that in the throne room God has the highest exalted place in the throne room. There is none like our God. There is none like our God. We can take our wrongs to him. When we have done wrong we can take it to him. And when we have been done wrong we can take it to him and I'm glad that God has the final say. Revelation chapter 20 and verse number 11 and 12 says and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened and the dead which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. So, we see that on there's there's coming a day when God will have the final say on this earth. Don't anybody feel sorry for God. Don't anybody pity God tonight. It may look like God is being trashed on every corner, but I will tell you that God will have the final say. God will have the final say. But, until that time I've got a throne that I want to go to. It's found in Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse number 16. Can someone say praise the Lord? Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 16 Paul said, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace." I I don't plan to go to the white throne judgment. But, I do go daily to the throne of grace. The white throne judgment is a place that it's too late to turn your life around. As the tree falls, there shall it lay. But, this throne of grace it's not the white throne judgment, although the same judge is seated on the throne of grace that'll be seated at the white throne judgment. But, thank God today, he is not dealing out judgment. He is dealing out strength. He is dealing out grace to us. And the Bible says, "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace to find help." Would you say that word with me help? To find what? Help in the time of need. All right, let's move on. We've talked about the judge. Let's go to the defense attorney. You have there in the courtroom a defense. He is there to defend you. He is the defense attorney. Well, in 1 John chapter 2 1 John chapter 2 verse 1, let me introduce you to our defense attorney. Let me introduce you to the attorney that defends you and I if we'll come to the throne of grace. 1 John 2 and 1 says my little children and I guess when you're 90 something years old, everybody's a little child to you. John was 90 something years old. He'd be talking about a 70 year old person say little child. Let me tell you something. He says my little children, these things write I into you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now, let me tell you what an advocate is. According to the Greek, an advocate is one who pleads another's case before a judge. An advocate IS ONE WHO PLEADS one's case before a judge. He is called a pleader, a counsel for defense, a legal assistant. He is He is an advocate. I am glad in this courtroom that I go to called the throne room of heaven that I serve a God who is high and lifted up and there's none like him. And I serve in this courtroom God and man. God and man, I have a great advocate in the courtroom. And guess what he's doing? He's pleading for me. He is pleading he is pleading my case. He's an advocate. Well, this is nothing new. Isaiah 9 Isaiah 9 and 6 will let us know that when God become man that he would be an advocate. And Isaiah 9 and verse number 6 he simply said about the birth of Jesus for unto us a child is born unto us a son is given the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor. See, I'm I'm going to the throne room of God. I'm going to receive faith tonight in a prayer life because it's not just spending some time spitting words into the air. I'm actually in a COURTROOM WHERE MY GOD IS THE JUDGE. And whether I have been DONE WRONG OR WHETHER I HAVE DONE WRONG, AREN'T YOU THANKFUL tonight that we can enter that throne room through prayer? He's a pleader. He's a pleader. He pleads for us. We find this we find this in Luke chapter 9 verse 52. Follow this. I think you'll find this helpful. Luke chapter 9 verse number 52 and sent messengers. Jesus sends messengers before his face and they went and entered into a city into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. Now, let me let me let me give you the the picture. Jesus is traveling and he needs a place to bed down for the night. He needs a place of warmth. He needs maybe a a good meal. So, he sends he sends some disciples into a little city of uh the Samaritans to prepare to make ready. Verse 53. And they did not receive him because his face was was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples what what happened? They came they said, "We need a room. We need a room and some meals." And they said, "Where you going?" And they said, "We're going to Jerusalem." Well, the Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews. And because they said, "We're going up to the Jerusalem." They didn't They didn't give them a bed. They didn't give them any food. Um because his face was was as he would go to Jerusalem. Verse 54. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, will thou that we command FIRE TO COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN and consume them even as Elijah did?" Listen to Listen to James and Listen to John. THEY'RE SO MAD THEY'VE BEEN DENIED A BED. They've been denied a meal. And they said, "Lord, can we just burn them up right now? Can we just GO AHEAD AND CALL FIRE down on them right now?" Verse 55. But he turned and rebuked them. Isn't that wonderful? Jesus actually rebuked them. And they're mad because they're not giving you a bed and a meal. And he turned around and rebuked them and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. FOR THE SON OF MAN IS NOT COME TO DESTROY men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. Oh, thank God for the great pleader. Thank God for the great pleader. When people ARE ASKING FOR GOD'S VENGEANCE TO FALL UPON YOU AND PEOPLE ARE ASKING THAT GOD WOULD PUT CURSES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS BECAUSE you've not been hospitable or you've not done everything they've wanted to do. THERE'S A GOD IN HEAVEN THAT SAYS, "I'M NOT GOING TO DESTROY THEM. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SPIRIT YOU'RE OF. I DIDN'T come to destroy man. I CAME TO PLEAD FOR MAN. I CAME TO BE A PLEADER. I CAME to be an advocate for man." Luke chapter 13 verse number six. This pleader goes on. This pleader in the courtroom goes on. Luke 13 and verse six. Jesus spake also this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. And he came and sought fruit there on and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, "Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and found none. Cut it down. Why cumber it the ground?" And he answered and he said unto him, "Lord, let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it and dung it. And if it bear fruit, well. If not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Listen to this parable here. He said a man came to his own vineyard and he said, "Hey, I keep noticing over there there's a there's a fig tree that don't have anything on it. Cut that lousy, no-good, fruitless fig tree down. Get it out of here. Cut it down and get it out of here. They're they're they're they've not given any It's not given any fruit, any figs. Cut it down. Get it out of here. And the pleader stepped in. The pleader stepped in. He said, "I I I I I know you're you're looking for the chainsaw. I I I I know you're looking for the saw. I know you're looking to cut it down, BUT WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE me just another year? Would you just give me a little bit more time? I'll dig around the roots. I'll dig around it and I I I I'll dung it. I'll I'll put some good fertilizer around it and and and I'll try to get it to bear some fruit and after a while if it don't bear fruit then then then we'll cut it down." Can Can I tell you something? When when when you're working with your children and you're working in relationships and you're working with people, some of the easiest things to do is cut them down. Some of the easiest things TO DO IN LIFE is just to cut them down, get them out, get them away from you. They They've not been giving you anything, but you know what? If you've got THE SPIRIT OF GOD INSIDE OF YOU, YOU become a pleader. Oh, don't run them off. Oh, don't cut them down. OH OH, DON'T DO THAT. YOU KNOW WHAT? NEXT YEAR'S revival may be the revival that that they get they they get A TOUCH FROM GOD. OH OH, DON'T RUN THEM OFF. OH, I KNOW THEY'RE NOT A I I I BIG WORSHIPER. OH, I I I I I KNOW THEY SEEM TO BE DISCONNECTED sitting in THE AUDIENCE. OH, I KNOW THEY SEEM TO BE DIS- OH, DON'T RUN THEM OFF. LET ME DIG AROUND THEM A LITTLE BIT. LET ME DUNG AROUND THEM A LITTLE BIT. JUST YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE A SONG THAT HITS THEM JUST RIGHT. THERE MAY BE A SERMON THAT HITS THEM JUST RIGHT. AREN'T YOU THANKFUL THAT GOD DID NOT CUT YOU DOWN WHEN YOU WAS BEARING NO FRUIT? I believe we ought to love him tonight. I really do. I believe we ought to love him right now. He's a pleader. He's a He's a pleader. He's a pleader. Don't run them off. Oh, don't don't wash your hands of them. Don't don't don't wash your hands of them. Run them off. Just keep praying for them. Just keep pleading for them. Don't don't write anybody off, church. Don't write anybody off. I don't care what they've said, what they've done. For the love of God, as long as there's breath in their body, there is hope in their soul. Do not write them OFF. PLEAD FOR THEM. GET BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD. TAKE YOUR TAKE YOUR TAKE YOUR PRODIGAL DAUGHTER INTO THE THRONE ROOM AND SAY, "JUDGE. JUDGE. I I GOT MY DAUGHTER RIGHT HERE. I I'VE GOT MY SON RIGHT I'VE GOT MY SON RIGHT HERE." OH, AND THE PLEADER WILL SAY, "I'LL TAKE THAT CASE. KEEP BRINGING THEM THEIR NAME. KEEP BRINGING THEM THEIR NAME. I am." I'm a pleader. Say, is this making sense tonight? Is this making sense tonight? Do Do Do Do Do you know the pleader sometimes knows you're guilty? But he'll address that a little bit later. But he's going to open up court telling them what a good person you are. He's going to open up court talking about years you served in the military or years you served the Salvation Army. That pleader is going to find everything good and if he can't find enough good you can say, he'll find people around you. Can you say anything good about him? Or what kind of witness you're going to be? You're going to be a good witness to him? Can you say anything good? Cuz that's the That's the spirit of a pleader. Well, he knows you did wrong. But he's going to present his case to the judge. He's going to present you in the best light. Can I tell you something? We look our very best standing right beside the pleader. We look our very We look our very best standing right beside the pleader. Well, I wish I could just keep going in this Bible lesson tonight and dismiss court. But, there's another person in that courtroom. He's called the prosecuting attorney. And I'm going to tell you, he is not going to plead for you. He is not going to tell that you went to Sunday school as a little boy. He's not going to tell that you served in the military. He is going to open up by talking about the crime that you committed. He is going to paint you in the worst possible scene. He's a prosecuting attorney. Well, I I found him. I did find him. He is in the throne room. Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10. Revelation chapter 12 and verse 10. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now is come salvation, strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him." Who's the him? Accuser. "They overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death." Can I tell you that as you go into the throne of God, there is a judge and there is a pleader, but there's also an accuser. NOW, HE'LL BE CAST OUT OF heaven one day. His access, his card will be denied into heaven. But right now, our prosecuting attorney, Satan, is an accuser of the brethren. He's there to accuse. This word accuser in the Greek means, and this is what it means, a complainer, a complainant at law. He is there to complain. He is there to accuse. He is there to accuse you. Well, I want you to know, judge, I want you to know this sister, she did this and she did that. Dismissed. You can't dismiss it. Yes, I can. I dismiss it on a lack of evidence. Well, I I had it. Oh my goodness, the pleader done poured his blood over it. I I HAD THE EVIDENCE RIGHT THERE. I had the evidence. I I I I I had the evidence. I was telling God what he did. I was telling God where she went. I was telling GOD WHAT THEY DID. ALL THE SIN HOW CAN YOU LOVE THEM, GOD? HOW CAN YOU DO ANYTHING for them, GOD? YOU'RE A RIGHTEOUS GOD. YOU'LL BE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN, he says it's dismissed by a lack of evidence. Well, it was it was right there a minute ago, BUT THE BLOOD of the lamb got poured over it and he covers my sins. OH, I'M GLAD. IT MY BIBLE SAID THEY OVERCAME the accuser. Oh, I'm trying to teach tonight, but I'm going to tie my legs to the pulpit. I'm trying to teach tonight, but they overcame the accuser by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony. Can I tell you I'm covered by the blood of THE LAMB? ACCUSER, YES, I did that, but he has covered me with his BLOOD AND IT'S NOT YOU THAT I HAVE TO PLEASE. IT'S the judge UP THERE. THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY DON'T SENTENCE ME. IT'S THE JUDGE THAT SENTENCE ME, BUT I GOT A JUDGE. OH, I'VE GOT A JUDGE AND THE PLEADER. Satan is an accuser. Look at him in Job 1:9. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, "Does Job fear God for naught?" Guess what he's accusing Job of? He's accusing Job of serving God only for material things. He's saying, "Well, God, come on. He ain't really He don't really love you. He don't really care about you." Boy, haven't we blacked the accuser's eye on many occasions? Haven't we Haven't we just just just just absolutely humiliated the adversary, the accuser? Because we not only serve God when the sun's shining. We serve God when it's not shining. We not only serve God when we're getting our way. We serve God when we're not getting our way. We not only serve God when I can figure God out and I can say, "God, you're going to make that step, that step, and that step. God, that's the direction you're going." But we also serve God when we can't see our hand in front of our face. Made overcomers by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony. Again in Job, again in Job 2, verse number Job chapter 2 verse number 5, here he is again. But put forth now thine hand. Now and touch his bone and his flesh. He'll curse you to your face. See that accuser? He don't really He don't really serve. Look at Look at the devil. Look at him in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden. Look at him he lies. You can't eat of the tree, Eve? You can't eat of the tree? God said not to eat of it you would die. You won't surely die. What's he accusing God of? God's a liar. He's a liar. God's a liar. Eve, you won't surely die. God's a liar. As a matter of fact, God's God doesn't really even have your best interest in mind. You see God knows the day that you eat of that tree, you're going to be like God and he has this issue with anybody being like him. And you'll be like him. You see how You see how the accuser is accusing even even God his motives. He He He He don't really He He He don't really Listen, God's a liar. His words are not true. And of course, time showed Eve that Satan was not only an accuser, but he was a deceiver. He was a deceiver. Now you and I must watch something today. Boy, I never want to be kin to the devil. I never want to have anything about my life that somebody could say, "Well, that looks like the devil. That that looks like the devil. You ever notice our kids can have our mannerisms? You ever saw a young lady around here make a move and you look say, "Boy, I see your mother in you. I I see your daddy. I see your daddy in you." Can I tell you something that I never want somebody to be able to say, "I I don't think that's the Holy Ghost. That don't look like that don't sound like the Holy Ghost." You understand that in Titus chapter 2 and verse number 3, Paul was giving some some uh some real wisdom to the church. He says in Titus 2 and verse 3, he said, "The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh holiness." Can I tell you holiness is not only in cloth, holiness is in character. You can have the right cloth on but not have the right character. See, we got to work. The easiest thing you'll do is put the right cloth on. But to have the right character, you're going to have to work on it and work on it and work on it and work on it and work on it. Because he says here, "I want you that they be in behavior as becometh holiness. Not false accusers. Not what? Huh? Not what? False accusers. Who would you be kin to if you are falsely accusing someone? Who would you be kin to if you falsely if you falsely accuse somebody? And somebody said, "Well, well, you you know, I my accusation is not false, it was true." Well, there's other scriptures to cover cover you, too. You're to pray for those that have fallen, not spread that they have fallen. You're to help the fallen, not hinder the fallen. Can I tell you when we have fallen, and we will, we have and we will have fallen among us. And we are kin to hell when we hinder the fallen and don't help the fallen. The Bible tells us I thought I heard one hand clap. I Did I hear one? Can I tell you something? If any of my family fall one day, I sure hope that I preach to a church that'll help them and not hinder them. And can I tell you something? Can I tell you something? You know how you get mercy? You give mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. I'm blessed of God. We're blessed of God right now to have our children and our sons-in-law and our daughters-in-law and our grandchildren living for God. But if that ceases to be the case, I hope to God that all of your children that may have fallen or your grandchildren that failed, that I did something to help them get back up. I DID SOMETHING TO HELP DUST THEM OFF. I SMILED AT THEM. I SHOOK THEIR HAND. I PATTED THEM ON THE BACK. I TOLD THEM I CAN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO GET BACK IN THE CHOIR. I TOLD HIM THEY WERE BETTER. YOU'RE YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT. YOU'RE BETTER THAN WHAT THEY'VE DONE. Don't you want to help somebody tonight? I never want to hinder somebody. I never want to give not false accusers, not false not false accusers. Well, we go to the throne room. The accuser is there. We walk in the throne room. Can I tell you and and let me let me say this. Anytime you go to God in prayer, you'll always fight hindrances. You'll find hindrances. Now, I'm not going to be I'm not going to be a pharisaical, oh, I float to the prayer room. I get up out of the bed speaking in tongues in the morning. My breath smells good first thing of the morning. My hair's perfectly combed in the morning. I I I'm like those mattress commercials. I just I'm just I just lay there so beautiful I'm I'm in a suit just like this. I just get up I'm just talking in tongues. Angels have done brought me my omelet to my bed. I I I just I just float out. Oh, honey. Oh, honey, I must go. I must go yonder to the prayer closet. I I Come on, get real. Get real. Do you know Do you know what's worse than having the devil for an enemy? Is to have him for a friend. Can I tell you in my flesh and in your flesh dwells no good thing. It's a It's It's Hey, I'm heading to prayer. What do we say, Sister Carpenter? Let's do hard things first. All right. Your flesh don't want to pray. And I'm sorry if there's anybody sitting here tonight Oh, mine does. Can you come we'll have an election right now and vote you in here? You better than I am, all right. We'll do it. We talk about let's do hard things first cuz I done learned my little deceitful flesh My little deceitful flesh it done hooked me a few times by saying just wait till 10:00 to pray. You just get some things done, wait till 10:00. You can pray at 10:00. And then that little old devilish flesh of mine will say just wait till after lunch. You got to go to lunch. You you know you got to go to lunch. And then he says, "Well, 3:00 the kids get back from school. You you can pray then." And And then right before you're going to go to bed. And boy, we all know how those prayers go, don't we? Boy, I think I'm connecting with you tonight. I I think I'm really I think I am really connecting with you tonight. And then what we What do we do? God, I'm so tired. I'm so tired, God. Lord help me, God. I'm going to get up in the morning. And I'll pray first thing in the morning. And the devil just knows if I can keep him on this cycle I'm going to fire up his old flesh. He going to get angry real easy. He going to I'm going to fire up his the way he sees things. I'm going to I'm going to fire up the way Let me stop then. Let Let me be fair to all genders. I'm going to fire up the way she sees things. I'm going to I'm I'm I'm going I'm going to fire that old this up and that up. And he wins. But if you get up in the morning you get up in the morning. Let me tell you something. And I'll I'll come to a close in a moment. But let me tell you something. Do you know that God can answer short prayers? Read your Bible. Read your Bible. God can answer short prayers. There was a man that was eat up with leprosy. And guess what kind of prayer he prayed? Probably the one of the shortest prayers in the Bible. Lord, if you will, you can make me whole. Jesus didn't say, "Now, I want you go over there and bend down by that stump. And I want you say that 2 hours every day. I want you say that every day for an hour. And just when you've got enough on the parking ticket over there, I'm going to come and heal you." He didn't do it. Listen to me tonight. God can answer short prayers. Some people have been misled into believing that God only hears long prayers. So, they never pray any prayers. You'll never pray a long prayer, whatever that is, until you first learn how to master a short prayer. Can I tell you that God not only answers short prayers, he answers simple prayers that are prayed from the heart. You don't have to have a flowery vocabulary. You don't have to You don't even You don't even have to say, "Lovest thouest me?" You don't even have to talk like that to God. Sometimes some of the greatest touches of God that I've ever got was when I just simply said, "God, help me." "God, help me." "God, would you just help me, God?" "God, I've made a mess of this. God, would you God, would you just Would you just God, would you just You just help me, God. Would you God, would you just go in that room and would you just be with me in that room and would you just give me the words to say?" Aren't you thankful tonight that God hears short prayers? And aren't you thankful tonight that God hears simple prayers? But he's there. He's there. The pleader. The pleader when I walk into the courtroom. The pleader looks at me says, "Come up here and sit beside me." The accuser says, "I want to sit over here closest to the jury. I want to be closest to the people." Sister Carpenter read something the other the other day. She shared it with me and I thought it was so powerful. She said that there are people that if they can't control you, they then go to control what other people think of you. That old prosecuting attorney, he's over there closest to the jury. Cuz you know, he understands. He understands. I'm I'm I'm going to get in I'm going to get in their ear. Can I tell you what you feel in hindrance? Flesh. And the accuser. He's there. Let's find him. Let's find him. Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah chapter 3. In verse number 1. Zechariah chapter 3 and verse number 1. And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan standing at his right hand to do what? Resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. Even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now, I want you to see this. I want you to see how beautiful this is. Zechariah showed us the throne room, Joshua the high priest was serving was serving in a very dark hour and a very sinful hour in Israel, but he was serving. I want you follow that. He was serving, but it was a spiritual dark season for Israel. It was spiritually dark and sinful for Israel. So, he has Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. He is serving. I'm I'm driving this home for a reason. He is serving, yet his garment is all spotted with the sins of the nation. His garment is all spotted with the sins of the nation. So, as he comes to serve the Lord, the Bible says Satan is at his right hand, his right hand. I believe that's where the prosecuting attorney sits in that courtroom, at that right hand, to do what? Resist him. Stay away from here. He's there to He's there to resist. But you see, I can't overrule the prosecuting attorney. As a matter of fact, I can't even talk to him. I could be held in CONTEMPT OF COURT. I DON'T TALK TO THE prosecuting attorney. Guess who does? The judge does. The judge does the talking. And so, when he gets to asking things, when he gets to leading and he gets out of his realm of proper law keeping, the pleader will say, "I OBJECT." "I OBJECT." And the court, the judge decides if it's going to be allowed to keep the questioning up or he has to stop or the JURY HAS TO DISREGARD disregard what what what you've heard. Joshua is there serving God. He spotted all up. And as he comes into the presence OF GOD, CHURCH, SATAN IS RIGHT there to resist. What are you doing in trying to get a prayer life? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY YOU WHAT ARE YOU DOING TRYING TO YOU have tried this and tried this and TRIED THIS. YOU GOT that little old habit that you and I know and I know you you you went a week without doing it and you went 2 weeks without doing it and you went a month, but you know you went right back and you've just got to church and you've heard Brother Carpenter preaching and you just got to thinking that you can get free. What are you doing? AND ALL OF THE HINDRANCES START, but all of a sudden my great judge from heaven speaks up and he says these words, verse two, "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. The Lord that had Listen, my judge begins. My pleader kicks in. MY JUDGE kicks in. And when the hindrances there to start telling me, What are you doing trying to GET UP WHAT ARE YOU doing trying to get your life back in order? Why you ain't been right with God in 5 years? Everybody in this church knows YOU'RE A HYPOCRITE. EVERYBODY IN THIS CHURCH knows that you're here for the wrong reason." At at that that moment, please hear me tonight, at that moment when God knows your heart, he steps up and HE SAYS, "THAT'S ENOUGH, SATAN. THAT'S ENOUGH, SATAN. THAT'S ENOUGH, SATAN. THAT'S MY CHILD, SATAN. THAT'S ENOUGH. THAT THAT THAT YOU SAID ENOUGH. THAT'S WHY IF YOU CAN KEEP ON PUSHING IN PRAYER, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET BY HIM AND YOU GET ON IT. HE CALLS YOU UP TO THE BENCH and he talks to you. Oh, I like this. Oh, I like this. The Lord said unto Satan, "The Lord rebuke thee, Satan." "Oh, Satan, even the Lord that had chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee." Now, listen to him. He's talking about Joshua. "Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" You know, a brand is a piece of wood. And they threw it they threw it. Brother Jeter, you can remember this. Up at the old church on the hill, at the old church on the hill, Brother Stevens didn't believe in throwing nothing away. Nothing away. Now, listen. When we built that church up on the hill, there wasn't enough scrap lumber left to build a dog house out of. One day we had a cleaning, Brother Perry. We had a cleaning up there. And we just got some brothers in the church, they come by and there was a piece of wood on the floor about about four four-foot long and I'll throw that in the dumpster. And there's a half sheet of plywood, throw that in the dumpster. And and throw this in and Brother Stevens come back in the next morning. And I was looking for him, he's doing conduit work. And I was looking, "Where's he at up in the rafters? I don't see him." I could I mean, his truck was here, but yeah, I couldn't see his "Where's he at?" And I I some racket out in the dumpster, Brother Perdue, I heard some racket OUT IN THE DUMPSTER AND I STOOD THERE AND HEARD something beating and banging in the dumpster. Dear God, is a a bear or something got in the dumpster here and all of a sudden boom come a board out and boom come a piece of plywood out and boom come another board out and I OPENED IT UP AND THERE WAS BROTHER STEPHEN SAID, "WHO IN THE WORLD THREW ALL THIS GOOD STUFF AWAY? WELL, WE CAN USE THIS AND WE CAN USE THAT." Can I tell you that's what God DID TO SATAN? HE SAID, DON'T YOU KNOW THAT HELL WAS ABOUT TO ROAST HIM? HELL WAS ABOUT TO BUT BUT BUT I REACHED INTO THE FIRE. I SAID THERE'S A LITTLE BIT LEFT THERE. HE'S A HE'S A HE'S A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE. OH, DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE. I'M SCORCHED A LITTLE BIT. I'VE GOT SOME BLACK PLACES ON ME, BUT GOD PLUCKED ME OUT OF THE FIRE AND I'M A BRAND. I'M A BRAND PLUCKED. WELL, I won't close with this. I won't close with this. We've been thinking about having some trees planted around our house. And we had we we we we had a man come out and look at some we want trees down this way and just different trees. Or should I say sister Carpenter's wanting trees down this way and We got a tree beside our house. And in my estimation cut it down. It's right beside our house. It didn't start out right growing. When it first when they first planted it somehow it got bent a little bit. It got bent just a little bit. And so it kind of grows up like this and it bends out like this. And even around the ball of the tree you can tell even the ground is kind of humped up where it's leaning that way. Kind of goes up. It's crooked. And then it goes up. Well, I'm telling the man that's going to plant some trees. I'm saying, "Now, you know we don't NEED TO CUT THAT TREE DOWN right there." And he said, "Why?" I said, "Because it's crooked." And he looked at me and the Holy Ghost moved. He said, "It's crooked, but it's healthy." He said, "You can never do anything to correct that crook, but said, 'Look how healthy it is right now.'" He said, "Well, look at the end of those branches. Look at the end of that foliage." He said, "Son, that's a healthy tree." So, I want to tell you tonight, I'm crooked, but I'm healthy. I got some Brother Donnie, I got some crooks in me, and you do, too. And you do, too. IN MATTER OF FACT, WE ALL A BUNCH OF CROOKED TREES AROUND HERE. BUT WE MIGHT BE CROOKED, SISTER PAULA, BUT THANK GOD WE'RE HEALTHY. MIGHT HAVE A SEASON OF MY LIFE THAT I WANTED TO DO THIS OR DO THAT, AND I BENT THIS WAY, BUT THANK GOD HE SAID, "YOU'RE A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE." I AM CROOKED. Would you stand with me right NOW? WOULD YOU PRAISE HIM WITH me right now? I'm in the throne room. I'm in the throne room of God. Oh, I'm in the throne room of God. I'm in the throne room of God. Oh, I'm in the throne room of God. Our Father who art in heaven. OH, OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN. hallowed be thy name. SHUT UP, ADVERSARY. I'M IN THE THRONE ROOM OF HEAVEN. OH, FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. OH, YOU'VE DONE THIS AND THAT. YOU BE QUIET, ADVERSARY. THEY'RE IN MY THRONE ROOM RIGHT NOW. OH, DON'T YOU LOVE THE LORD TONIGHT? Don't you love the Lord tonight? Oh, I sure do love the Lord tonight. Crooked and healthy. That's the first lesson in the lesson of prayer tonight. In the lesson of prayer tonight, we've got to understand what the throne room looks like and who to expect in the throne room so that we can get some prayers answered. Amen. God bless you. See you Sunday morning. You're blessed.