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You don't want to stand next to me? Oh, check. Hey, I want to share something before we get started that I think, oh my goodness, safe, safe. Many of you may know who Luna is from DLC. DLC, the last day, they were asking some of the pastors to share kind of how ATI could be praying for just the church, where we were, and all that kind of stuff. So I shared a little bit, but Luna was not in there during that time, and so she did not hear some of the stuff I said. In gist, what I said was, I talked about our theme. Of our great gospel, and how God was calling us to savor the gospel, and all that. And I also talked about that strong man of apathy, and just that, you know, we're hoping as we go through the summer, maybe God deals with that more with us. And, you know, I really did. I'm short and sweet, if you can believe that. Luna was not in there, so afterwards, Luna came up to me, and she said, hey, can you kind of tell me a little bit about what you said?
Because I'm making it a point to pray for all the churches at ATI. So I kind of started talking to her, and she started praying for me specifically, but then she, I felt like, started prophesying over the church. And so I wanted to share that real quick, just because I felt like it was really such a great picture of where I think we are and have been with the word about apathy. So I wanted to give you this picture and what she said, and it doesn't have to be the focal point of tonight, but I think it would be good just for us to be praying. I also think if you're going to be here for the 24-hour prayer, you know, Trace had mentioned that we weren't going to have anything specific. We kind of are, but it's going to be loose in that sense. And I think if you're going to be here for that, too, that would be a great place to really pray as well. So this is what she said she saw for the church. She said she saw an airport gate where a bunch of people from Move Church were sitting around with big, heavy backpacks. All their luggage, but they were kind of slouched in their seats. Granted, I did not say anything about the spirit of apathy or any of that when I was talking to her. And she said she saw like chip bags and like can, Coke cans coming up like we had been there for a while and just had kind of gotten so used to being at the gate that we weren't prepared to go. And and then she said she heard over the. Intercom boarding in 15 minutes, boarding in 15 minutes. And she was talking about how that she saw the church in this state of wrestling with being ready.
And to me, immediately, the thought in my mind came to is that's like a direct picture of that apathetic spirit. And I say that because Randy Howard, one of the guys that was there, made this comment. And I thought it summed up kind of where we've been. Is that apathy is not. Excuse me. A lack of emotion. It's a lack of affection. And I think if you were to sample even a Sunday morning or the church, I would say a lot of people, you wouldn't say they're just sitting around going, oh, my gosh, I just don't like this whole experience. I don't like any of these things. I don't like not a bunch of people complaining. But when Randy talked about affections, he wasn't talking about emotions. He was talking about like faithfulness. He was talking about contentment, obedience. These are things that grow out of a life of abiding in Christ. Whereas a lot of times we substitute affections for emotion. And so we're kind of like, well, yeah, I'm good with God because I'm happy right now. Or I feel separated from God right now because I feel unhappy or I'm feeling depressed. And so I feel like the merge of those two things, what Luna said and what I heard Randy say, was really a good picture for us to pray. In that, being ready for the things of God. And experiencing God have less to do with an emotional state, which I think we all know that, but more to do with the deep affections that God would bring in us. Faithfulness, contentment, long suffering, sort of like what Trace was talking about this morning. So maybe if you can keep those things in your mind as we're praying today, I felt like that was good fuel for where we're at. And as Luna finished, I felt like that was a perfect picture of really apathy. That keeps you from being ready to participate in whatever it is that God's wanting to do in that specific moment. And I don't know about you, I just don't want to miss. If God's doing something, I want to be a part of it as much as I can be, right? And so as we're praying over that, praying over the people, praying over your own heart. If there's any apathy, if you find that you're emotionally fine, but maybe effectually not, probably a good place to pray, okay? So I'm assuming that's rain. Okay Okay Okay, perfect. All right. Well, let me pray and then we'll pray. Same standard, normal stuff. You can walk around, do whatever. Mike got us another bench over there. They're doubling like rabbits over there. So if you want to kneel down, you can do that as well. Father, thank you for your mercy on us for places where we do not understand. Thank you for overshadowing our ignorance. But God, I ask that as we begin to see that you would... I ask that you would bring a fire in the area of responsibility and that when we know, then we would be faithful and that when we hear and we understand that we would be content, that we would be willing to subject ourselves to the word of the Lord. I ask that you would meet with us as we pray tonight, even in a special way, that you answer our prayers. You said that the prayers of the righteous are effectual. Meaning something happens when the righteous men and women of God pray. And I ask that that would be the case. That, Father, it is not a long time before we see our prayers answered. But as we test our hearts and bring before you pure prayers, that you would move upon those and your kingdom would come and your will be done. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
