Beating at the door at midnight / Jentezen Franklin / Text

Audio  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQIl7PrMwt8&list=UU3Dju4pDZxE0CIxpq5uTI2Q

I want to preach for few moments this morning on the subject beating at the door at midnight.
Certainly we’re living in the midnight hour. Anytime you read that phrase in the scripture, it has prophetic implication.

Midnight is in Bible a type of the ‘nearness of the coming of the Lord’. We know the bride groom and the parable Jesus told came at midnight. The cry went out for the bride to be taken away. A picture of the rupture of the church, the second return of Jesus Christ to catch away his bride, it is at midnight that it happens. And any time you read the parables that Jesus taught, He told about His second coming when He comes for his church as being a time known as the midnight hour. The question is what should the posture and the position of the church and you individual being as you see the so fast, the midnight hour coming upon us.

Folks you don’t have to be a Bible scholar that Jesus is coming soon. It is midnight politically, it is midnight economically. We can’t seem to fix the economy not only in our nation but worldwide. We are headed toward one currency. We are headed toward one government. We are headed towards all of the things that the scripture said would happen. We are seeing them fulfilled before our very eyes and there seems to be this trend that is taking place. We are living in the midnight hour economically, politically, even morally, even spiritually.

There is a famine in the body of Christ. There is a real need for revival and outpouring of God’s Spirit that turns the heart of people back to God. And we are living in the midnight hour and the position of the church according to this story is. The Bible said that we ought, you see we need to be beating at the door in intercessory prayer in the midnight.
 

You see we need to understand the time is getting faster. If you were to travel in Jesus' day, the quickest way you can travel is by horse back or by camel. But the in 1830 the steam engine was invented and then in 1910 the Wright brothers discovered the invented flight and they flew their first airplane at 42 miles an hour. Today you can get on the Concorde and fly to New York City to Paris in 3 hours and 15 minutes. And somehow you could hit your ride on the space challenger. You can travel at 18 thousand miles per hour. It seems like time is going faster and faster. And we are fastly approaching the midnight hour. And Jesus said that as you see the midnight hour coming. The position of my church is to be one in beating on the door because friends are coming. I don’t know if you caught that in 5th verse but he said "there friends that are going to be coming." Friends that are going to make their way and I need bread in my house.

Bread represents Jesus Christ. He said I am the bread of life. Bread represents the word of God. Bread is what the world is searching for. And he said the friends in the midnight hour that have been on the journey that are running from God. I’m going to make sure they stop by the house again and when they do I want my church beating on the door at midnight for bread.


◑1. Ask 'Bread' For the Hungry Friends

The number one, I want you to see this, you see when you begin this chapter you begin with the Lord’s Prayer. He is asking for bread for himself. He said to his disciples ask for bread for yourself, saying "give me this day our daily bread." God delights in meeting your personal needs. But praying for your personal needs to be met is grade school level prayer. If all you ever do is pray for you and pray that you get this and get that and God does this for you and God does that for you, you are still in grade school prayer. You have not graduated because when you graduate you move from give me this day my daily bread to asking for bread for others. You move in to role of intercessory prayer.
He said here is an intercessory prayer is like, He shift gears in verse five. He says it’s like a man who knows his friends are on a journey and they’re  going to come to his house. And listen now, in midnight hour just before the coming of the Lord. He recognizes I don’t have in my house what I need and so he runs next door and he starts beating on his neighbor’s house and he said, “I need bread, I need bread”. You see he moves from asking for bread for himself to asking for bread for his friend.
In the midnight hour that is the question is will we have enough bread because I believe that they are coming. I believe that friends are coming and they are looking for truth, and they are looking for integrity, and they are looking for honesty, and they are looking for purity. If we have Jesus enough, that we don’t have just enough to get us to heaven but we are so full of him, that when they come that they spills over to them and they taste the bread of life. This comes only by intercessory prayer.
 

The position when we see the midnight hour coming upon us when we see demonic forces sailing the home and the family, when we see holes of hell attacking the lives of people, when we see the world railing and rocking like a drunkard by the signs of the times that are fulfilled at rapid pace, the position of the Christian and the church must be one beating at the door at midnight crying out, “I need more! I don’t have what I need, I need more! My friends are coming my family needs it! I need more bread! I need more Jesus.” Not less more.

Intercessory prayer is the secret weapon of the church. Your relatives, your friends may say, “I don’t want that Jesus stuff leave me alone” but you can pray. And prayer is the guided missile of the spirit. It is the secret weapon of the believer. And even though they may not come to church for you intercessory prayer will get in their car. Intercessory prayer will go in their bed room. Intercessory prayer will follow them. The hound of hell will stay away from them.

When you pray they will get up and say "I don’t feel good what is the matter I don’t know why I don’t feel good." This is the power of beating on the door at midnight. Continually praying beating on the door asking God for more bread than you’ve ever had.

If they want bread and they come and we offer them something other than bread then they will go to another bakery. They are looking for the truth. And I love the fact that He said we ought to pray daring prayers at midnight. We are not only to be people of prayer. Beating on the door the more you see the midnight hour coming. It is supposed to turn at to us to the prayer place like never before. We are not to have less and less of God we are to have more and more. We are supposed to be praying more than ever.


◑2. And then we begin to pray daring prayers.

He said in Lk.11:5, “Lend me three loaves”. He’s beating on the door and he said its 'three loaves time'. One loaf is all that the day’s requirements. One loaf will meet the needs of the day. One loaf was all you would normally you would ask for but for some reason because it’s the midnight hour he recognized I need three loaves. I need big request. I need to ask more than for a day supply. I can’t live of a little blessing.

You can play patty cake with Jesus and for Jesus if you want to. But this is the midnight hour and I can’t make it with only a Sunday morning religion. It is 'three loaves time'. It’s time to beat on the door of heaven and say, “Thank you for my salvation but I need to be filled with the Holy Ghost and then I need to be refilled and then I need you”. We are not hungry enough for spiritual things recognizing it is the midnight hour, it’s three loaves time. Turn to somebody and say "its midnight it’s three loaves time."
 

You need more than you’ve ever had before. The time for business as usual is over. Wake up from your sleep, arose from your slumber. Jesus is coming again and we better get to beating on the door less our families will be left behind. Our families, our families will be left behind. He said in 11:8 "though he will not give to you because you are his friend.." Notice what that verse says, but because His importunity. The word 'importunity' means his persistence. In other words this is not just a little light rattles on the door, apologetically knocking because it is so late. He isn’t kind of walk around the window and tap on it. knock, knock, knock. No, he is pounding on that door. He is beating on that door. I hear on that little village, pounding on that door at midnight. And because he wouldn’t quit he kept on hitting, suddenly the dog’s neighbor barks and then a little chiwawa starts singing soprano, and then a base (barking).. and they are all going hauling. The whole neighborhood is up. Grannies gather stocking on and then opening the window, opening the shutters. Somebody is calling 911 the whole neighborhood is messed up because one person is beating on the door at midnight.
I wish we would mess some things up in prayer. I wish we would mess some people’s party as up in prayer. I tell you sin has pleasure for a season but if the church would pray God will wake them up. We need an awakening this is no time to be playing games with God. We are in the midnight hour. It’s no time for a light rattle. That is why you come to church and you’ve acting like it’s just another Sunday if you believe we are in the last days then our praise is ought to have some force behind it our worship ought to have some desperation behind it. Something in us ought to say "I can’t stop until I get bread, Bread! I need more than I’ve ever have." Three loaves, I don’t have what I need in the midnight hour.


◑3. Jacob got the bread through his persistent prayer

Do you think that you have what you need in the midnight hour? Jacob said I don’t have what I need and wrestled with an angle. That angle pull his hip out of joint. He could have pulled his head off but the fight was fixed. And every time he would wrestle with that angel, the angel in the Bible would say, “Let me go” but under his breath I believe he was saying, “But I hope you don’t”. Let me go but if you won’t you’re going to have a blessing. Let me go and that is how intercessory prayer is it seems like we get a hold to God and say, “Bless me, bless me, bread, bread, touch, touch, save, save”. And it’s almost like God is says, “Let me go I’m not going to do it” but under His breath His saying, “But I hope you don’t”. “Oh but you’ve got to got to do it. I’ll let me go but I hope you don’t”.
See sometimes God just wants to see our desperation and when desperation grips our heart and we just keep beating on the door of heaven for our friends and for our families. They will come and find bread in the house of God. Somebody give him praise if you believe him. Friends are coming. I prophecy you’ve got friends that are coming. Do you have any bread when you get there?
 


The Bible said that Jacob was crippled. You will be crippled before your crown. You’ll go to the pit before you’ll go to the palace but you’ve got to hold on and the transformation will come from Jacob to Israel. No longer will you be called Jacob. Your new name will be called Israel for as the French(maybe Hebrew) 'you have prevailed with God'. You’re going to have to be daring in the size of our prayers. It is three loaves time. It would bugle our mind if we knew what God had reserved for us if we would begin to ask big prayers. Three loves prayers, asking for bread not for our self but for our friends, asking for blessing not for our self but for our friends who are on the journey headed to our house. Some friends are on their journey and they are going to stop by.

The apostle Paul understands the power of intercessory prayer when he made a profound statement. He said in prayer, “I’m willing to count myself a curse that Israel might be saved”. Listen to what he meant by that. He was saying, “I’m willing to take the curse or in other words take the curse or in other words take the penalty of the curse” or in other words I’m willing to go to hell if Israel can go to heaven. When we begin to pray for our love ones like that I’ll go to hell if you’ll let them go to heaven.

Moses said, “Lord, blot my name out if you’re going to blot their name out. I’ll go to hell if you’ll let them go to heaven.” Now when we get that kind of desperate spirit in our prayer life then we’re beating on the door saying 'God I’ll go to hell before they go to hell. I’m so desperate that I’ll trade places" Now you know we don’t have to do that but the spirit of that, that moves the hands of God. It is desperation. It’s not a lay me down the sleep like rattle on the door. It’s a pounding beating its midnight. Time is running out. God, I’m desperate. It is three loaves time. Somebody is coming our way. Do you have enough bread in you that you can share or you are just always struggling to say save. Always up and down, always half back slid, whatever crowds you are with you go with.
Could it be that you are supposed to be his witness in the midnight hour and you ought to be so full of him that you just got enough to get out to heaven but you’ve got three loaves for your friends. Everybody can compromise but I would be sit right here with loaves. And when they get tired of the party and the drunk and the dope and the sin, they are going to find a friend who have some reserves who’s been  leaving it and they are going to feed on life, LIFE.
 


God help us, our friends are coming. We need to learn how to gossip the gospel. Well I thought that was your job to preach. And when the lost in the midnight hour it is everybody’s job. In the midnight hour we don’t have time to wait on the TV preacher or an evangelist or a pastor. In the midnight hour it going to be friend one on one evangelism. I’ve got friends they are hungry they have been on their journey. They are coming out of the Muslim. They are coming out of the Buddhist. They are coming out of new age. They are coming out of immorality. They are coming out of addiction. And they are coming by and I’ve got enough bread in me that I can get to heaven but I’ve got three loaves. Halleluiah! For anybody who wants it come and I’ll be a witness for Jesus.
When do we ever get some Christians in this generation who do more than try to get to heaven for themselves but get buns for their friends that are on their way to hell? And if you compromise you don’t win them. You’ve got to leave it. I love what the Bible said. The Bible said when that man won’t quit beating on that door and every dog in that neighborhood is barking and every light in the neighborhood is on. Finally he gets up out of the bed and the Bible didn’t say he gave him three loaves. The Bible said and he gave him all he needed. Don’t know what you need but you ever get your little prayer life going he’ll give you what you need when you start praying and not until you start praying.


The Song of Solomon chapter 5, the bride groom comes to the door and he wants his bride to open the door but she is too comfortable in her bed. This is in your Bible Song of Solomon chapter 5. She actually said this, “I already washed my feet”. She says this to him at the door. She said "my lover came to the door knocking on the door", the bride groom. And the bride says I’ve already fixed my hair for bed. I don’t want to get my feet dirty. I’m tired and sorry baby not tonight. Read your Bible. Finally she gets up I guess she’s feeling bad and she walks over to the door and finally opens the door and when she does there is nothing there but the fragrance of myrrh of his cologne on the door knob. The only thing she had was the smell of a 'past presence' and the Bible said it was midnight.
In the midnight hour your either going to smell of the past presence of the Lord in your life or three fresh loaves, your either going to be living of the smell of the past presence that you used to have., the walk that you used to have. The intimacy that you used to have or you’re going to have three hot loaves because you are beating on the door at midnight. I’m going o tell you some of you who still don’t have a prayer life, you think prayers is your wife is supposed to do or what the preacher supposed to do because we pay you to pray I have to do it for free preacher. I’ve got news for you. Everybody has to pray and you better get to beat on the door especially when you see it’s midnight.
 
▲I’m closing but listen to me. This is not the time to be majoring on minors. This is not a time to be fussing over stupid stuff that does not even matter. This is the time when the church needs bread. This is the time when our posture ought to be "Lord I need more of you than I’ve ever had in my life. And by the way I’m not asking for me. I’m asking for my friends and family that are lost. That you would so fill our house with your presence that we would have three loaves that when they come out of their journey and they finally get through what they are getting through there is bread in the house." Beating on the door at midnight, if ever you ought to be praying it’s in the midnight hour.
How many of you have a friend while I’ve been preaching that you know was lost, they are on a journey. (Let me see the your hand representing that friend?) Can you pray for them right now? Because according to this story that if somebody is going to pray for them that friend is going to end up in the house of bread. Can I get you to stand in for them? Can we dare believe that God could send a revival to all of the friends that are searching for bread? This is the midnight hour. Jesus is coming soon and we need bread. So lift your hands up all over this room those of you watching by internet just raise your hand towards heaven and say BREAD! 
See look at me just a minute because if you’ll get full of bread you won’t want the other stuff. You won’t be attempted to go here and there and do this and that. Get full of bread. Lift your hands up in heaven. 

..........................

Jesus, We come after you right now. Just lift your voice right now. Pray for a moment. Pray for your friend and just for you but for your friends, for your friends, for your friends. Pray intercede for somebody who’s on their journey. Lost without God, hell bound unless somebody intercepts them with the bread of life.