OPENING STATEMENT: In Bible times, walls were built to protect the city and gates were built within the walls to allow people in or to keep others out.

• Your life can be seen as a city, protected by walls of God’s divine protection. Jesus said: You are the light of the world, a city on a hill.
• Along the city walls of your life are gates where by your choices and decisions you either allow things in or keep things out. Those gates are your eyes, your ears, and your mouths.

In Bible times, when the walls were breached, the city was vulnerable to the enemy; during an attack, the only way to secure the wall was for people to risk their lives by literally STANDING IN THE GAP in the wall and fighting the enemy. STANDING IN THE GAP of the wall defending the city was task only for the bravest.

• From a spiritual standpoint, a gap in the wall of God’s protection around your life a crack in the wall of your life could be a matter of life and death.
• 593 years before the birth of Jesus, God used a prophet by the name of Ezekiel to wake His people up and to see the gaps exposed to the enemy within their walls. Those gaps were immorality, selfishness, idolatry, greed. Perhaps similar gaps in the walls of our generations.

“I looked for SOMEONE who might REBUILD THE WALL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS that guards the land. I searched for someone to STAND IN THE GAP in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, BUT I FOUND NO ONE.” (Ezekiel 22:30 NLT)

• God could not find anyone “PERFECT” who would qualify SO HE SENT HIS SON

He saw that there was NO MAN, And wondered that there was NO INTERCESSOR; Therefore HIS OWN ARM BROUGHT SALVATION FOR HIM; And HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, it sustained Him. (Isaiah 59:16 NKJ)

STATEMENT: Today we can read Ezekiel 22:30 full of hope, full of confidence, that our God has not abandoned us.

• That SOMEONE was FOUND: His name is JESUS
• That WALL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS was BUILT: His name is JESUS
• That GAP between God and Man was FILLED: His name is JESUS

STANDING IN THE GAP: JESUS BECAME OUR INTERCESSOR

But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. ²⁵ Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. HE LIVES FOREVER TO INTERCEDE WITH GOD ON THEIR BEHALF. (Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT)

• Standing in that Gap, occupying that gap in the wall for us, defending us is Jesus
• Standing in the Gap, Jesus is interceding for us
• The word “INTERCEDE” comes from the Latin “INTER” meaning “BETWEEN” and “CED” meaning “GO”. So it literally means “GO BETWEEN”.

STANDING IN THE GAP: JESUS BECAME OUR MEDIATOR

 And for this reason He is the MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, by means of death, for the REDEMPTION of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the PROMISE OF THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE. (Hebrews 9:15 NKJ)

• A mediator is one who brings settlement when there’s an argument
• Under this new covenant, He’s called you redeemed from sin and death. Under this new covenant, He has given you an eternal inheritance.
• This argument was settled 2000 years ago.
• So next time the enemy tries to squeeze in those lies. Here’s your response: GOD SAID IT AND THAT SETTLES IT!

STANDING IN THE GAP: JESUS BECAME THE WALL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER; The righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10 NKJ)

• His name became a tower or a wall of righteousness
• It provides safety when we run to it and stand behind the wall
• When you stand behind His wall of righteousness, you are righteous, worthy of His promises
• Before you even think about disqualifying yourself as unworthy or unrighteous let me remind of this:

 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJ)

FINAL THOUGHT: When you look at the walls of your life, do you see any gaps exposing you to an attack from the enemy? I have a perfect solution for this GAP- His name is Jesus!

CONCLUSION:

• Even if you think are alone today, Jesus is standing in the gap for you
• Would you now stand in the gap for someone else?
• You don’t need to be perfect, religious or anything to pray for one another. All you need is willing heart that points to Jesus!