Jesus' Prayer for Us

John 17.20-26

There was a lot of prayer going on in those hours before the arrest of Jesus by Jesus.

The Garden of Gethsemane 

John 17 The High Priestly Prayer

Luke 22:31-32 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”  This was before they left for the Garden. Jesus was pastoral. He was a shepherd at heart.

A number of years ago my youngest daughter, Tina, bought me a book for my birthday.  It had an intriguing title, "Jesus, The Pastor'. The LORD is my shepherd/ The LORD is my pastor.

Each ordination service we hear about the pastor, he must be an example in prayer.

Jesus prayed often.

Satan was working hard that night. He had entered Judas and was asking for Peter. Prayer was necessary. Jesus told to watch and pray. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14.38)                                                                                                                                                                                    

He told them to watch and pray in reference to His Second Coming. Each of you need to be part of a prayer group which meets regularly. Our weekly Bible Studies provide that. With what is coming you need to be in prayer. With what is here now you need to be in prayer.

We are told in Romans 8:34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 

Jesus is praying for us now! It appears that He entered that ministry of intercession as He prayed this prayer.

Not that He had not interceded before- I love this story:

Mark 6:45-51 Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray. Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified.Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 

He said that He would build His church. He prays for His church.

He prayed for us 2,000 years ago:

1. That We Would Be One with other Believers.- v.21

Like the Father and He- indescribable oneness.

This includes all here in Bay Shore- we are not competing! We are on the same team!

This is all across our country and around the world! Haiti- banner- God loves this stuff!

This includes mystically all who have died. 

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,

and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.

The Church Triumphant

The Church Militant 

v.11 As to their spirit and purpose, they are out of the world, but as to their bodily presence and influence they are still in the world.

Giving out light, sent out into the world v.18

It includes every language, nation, tongue and tribe.

Revelation 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him  Who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 

2. This Oneness is in part so that the world would believe Jesus is God's Son and was sent by Him -v.22-23

Unity in the church reflects the unity of God. 

The essence of God is to be the essence of the church.

Jesus prayed for our unity. We are His representatives in the world. 

When your personal opinions bring disunity to the body (I'm not talking about essentials) you need to keep your mouth shut. Knowledge puffs up.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God.  

If you are putting yourself in a special class of people who know more than others you are really behind others who love fully. Love is the greatest!

To the Jew first- letting them see that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Also to the Greek (non-Jew) Letting them experience the church. We are the Body of Christ.

The church brought these two groups together. Jesus brings people together throughout the world that would never have been united if not for Him.

The unity in diversity is a strong witness to the world. I love the fact there right here in this fellowship we have many nations represented. Many whose first language was not English. We have come from the Caribbean, from Europe, from the East, from South America. 

3. Jesus is praying for us to come to heaven. v.24

He wants to get us there. He is longing for us

We are part of his bride.

We often think of when we get to heaven. It has been a longing of mine as far back as I can remember but far greater than any longing we have is our LORD's longing to have us there.

Want= resolved or being determined, delight or taking pleasure in

The LORD Jesus is determined to get us to heaven.

It is something He will get pleasure from.

We seldom think of the LORD delighting in us, but He does.

Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior Who saves.He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” 

Jesus desires for us to be with Him.

Here on earth with other believers in fellowship.

From heaven He came and sought her

To be His holy Bride;

With His own blood He bought her,

And for her life He died.

Christ will soon appear to catch His Bride away

Marriage will be between Christ and His Church. 

Mark 12:25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 

Matthew 22:30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 

The LORD sets an example in prayer for us. We often pray for those who are ill and that is right but not enough. Our prayers ought reflect the heart of God for His church. Jesus' prayer in this chapter gives us some insight on how to pray that way.

The closer we grow to the LORD the more our prayers will be reflective of His desire for His church. 

Truths About the Holy Spirit

John 16.1-14

We are traveling on the path from the upper room where Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples on the way to the Garden of Gethsemene.  He was speaking to them right before He was arrested. Think about the last few hours you have spent with people before they went to heaven.

Jesus had completed His teaching ministry with this chapter. The last things He said are for all His followers.

1. Some Things Are Different Than They Seem or Appear. v.7

It was for the disciples good that Jesus went back to heaven.

The worst thing imaginable turned out to be better than the best imaginable.

Remember last week- pruning is painful but produces abundant fruit. 

Hebrews 12:11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 

2 Corinthians 12:10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

It was not only necessary that Jesus return to heaven, it was for their good!

What brought sorrow and pain to their hearts was for their good.

Good= profitable, bring together, contribute to in order to help.

Psalm 104:3-4 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.He makes the clouds his chariotand rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers,flames of fire his servants. 

John 16:20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 

On the Day of Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized with the Spirit.

We see the Sovereignty of God here. Being the Feast of Pentecost... Acts 2:5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 

The disciples were filled with the Spirit and began to speak in the languages of where these folks were from! They all heard in their own languages.

How come we don't see that today? Oh but we do!

This past week we had many visitors to our Sunday Morning Message. It is in English. We had readers from around the world. Among them were people from Curacao, Belarus and Montenegro. 

Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Venezuelan coast, that is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 

Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. 

Montenegro is a small Balkan country with rugged mountains, medieval villages and a narrow strip of beaches along its Adriatic coastline.

Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8  The uttermost parts of the earth.

Through the Google Translator they can take my message, copy it and paste it in and in a split second have what I am giving hereto you this morning in their hands. You say, "Well that's the technology." Who gave man that wisdom? Who created a universe where we could send satellites up into space so things coud be beamed all over. 

God is using this little church to touch the world for Christ- small, yes. But happening. I spoke with young men in India and Cambodia this morning along with sending greetings to the congregation in Haiti.

2. He Shows People Their Need of Christ. vs.8-11

Through exposing sin

Through convincing them of righteousness

Through speaking of judgment (a forgotten theme in the American church)

Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem did this.

3. He Guides Us Into All Truth.- v.13

He is the breath of God/ He moved on the writers of the Bible

II Timothy

He illuminates the Scriptures today for us

He exposes Christ on every page of the Bible.

4. He Will Glorify Christ. v.14

He will not speak of Himself.

He will make the things of Christ known to us

known= announce/ declare

When the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, He had a man leading the nation who was slow of speech. He brought them up to the Red Sea, then opened up the way for Israel to cross on dry land. When the Egyptian Army tried to cross  He caused the Sea to flow and they were all drowned.

I think one the reasons He did this was so that in years to come, generations later, when the Jews celebrated the Passover or when they came into insurmountable problems in their lives personally or nationally they could remember the way God delivered them and worked in a miraculous way in their behalf and they would be encouraged by remembering how God worked and that He could do the same in their time. Paul said that this event of the Red Sea caused them to be baptized into Moses.

When Jesus pointed the disciples to the coming of the Holy Spirit, He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they would be clothed with power from on high. I believe one of the reasons that the LORD had this planned to take place on the 

Day of Pentecost was so that in years to come when the church found itself in need the answer would be to call upon the LORD, remembering His mighty power. It wasn't in their ingenuity, their qualifications. 

Mark 1:8 I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

Acts 4:13-14 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 

Here we are today in America. The church is in decline. Other religions are growing, the number of agnostics are rapidly increasing among the 20's and 30 years olds. The missionary movement has declined in part due to the lack of giving, or so we say. But that is a symptom. Our real need today is prayer. 

A dream I had this week...

Adly is in Haiti today. Besides some of the things we sent and he brought were 2 tarps. Maybe you saw the post on Facebook. The tarp they had for a roof has holes in it, huge holes. Today they have 2 new tarps to shield them from the sun and the rain. Prayerfully, in September, we will have 2 teams going for a week each and we will be able not only to get the walls up but the roof on.

It was last September we came back and began to explain what need to be done. I believed as we helped them to repair their building, the LORD would help us. He has. The three main projects were the parking lot, the steps outside the church and roof. The parking lot has been repaired. This week the steps were finished. We are now looking to get the roof done. The money has been come in for the materials. God is taking care of both churches. We prayed along with others and He answered. 

He sent us His Spirit to do what we could not do alone. He delights in blessing us. If we call on Him He will answer. 

Audio of The Vine and the Branches

https://www.facebook.com/groups/167379759957148/permalink/1034097346618714/

The Vine and the Branches

John 15.1-7

Many Christians struggle throughout their lives. They never are victorious. They search for answers. Why can't they come to a place of rest? Is there a spiritual secret?

What stops a believer from moving on and growing in the LORD?

 

Is there a solution for the struggling believer?

The Day of Pentecost provides the answer.

Luke 24:49 I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Acts 1:4-5, 8 On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Power= strength power, ability

This enduement with power is through the baptism with the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus spoke in these chapters about the work of  Holy Spirit in the life of His followers. The Comforter/ The Counselor/ The Spirit of Truth to be with you forever.

The Power to obey and to do all the things Jesus began to do and to teach.

1. The secret of spiritual strength

Being a branch. v.5

Being humble.

Humbling ourselves.

A life of humility.

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 

Confessing our need 

Acts 4:29-31 Now, LORD, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speakYour word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 

A branch cannot do anything independently of the Vine- in fact if it is separated from the Vine it will shrivel up and die and be good for nothing.

The secret of spiritual strength is to humble ourselves, always realizing our need as branches in the vine.

2. The source of that strength

Abiding in the vine

Abiding= 

The Word v.3

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

2 Timothy 3:16 The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. 

Prayer

Getting strength from the vine.

The sap.

Christ is the fulfillment of all the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David.

Abiding in the Word of God. Praying to the LORD. Continual communication with heaven.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing

3. The pruning of the vine.

clean, pure

physically

purified by fire

in a similitude, like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit

clean, the use of which is not forbidden, imparts no uncleanness

ethically

free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt

free from every admixture of what is false, sincere genuine

blameless, innocent

unstained with the guilt of anything

We don't want to do this.

It doesn't make sense.

When I have not done it.

It is would be painful to the vine if it could feel.

We can feel it!

4. The fruitfulness of our lives.

It is interesting what suffering begets.

Increase in fruit is a result of pain to the vine.

Wait for the LORD.

It is the design of the Father that we bear much fruit.

This comes from  abiding and submitting to His pruning.

In a time of touch screens and Skype and video conferencing and webinars, gardening brings us back to a hands on mode of work and communication. 

We prepare the soil. Yesterday I took mulched leaves and put them in the bottom of black containers. the containers were a gift from Joe Peckl, who recently passed from this earth. He was an incredible gardener. I learned much from him.

On top of the leaf mulch went dirt and compost. Then I placed the plants in and on top more dirt. This week I will take my grandson to the bay to collect seaweed. The seaweed will be placed on top of each container surrounding the plant. It helps keep moisture in and provides nutrients you cannot get from the ground.

All of this is done by our hands. From choosing the plants to planting them, to caring for them, weeding and picking off the suckers, to picking the fruit there is something so personal about gardening.

Jesus is the True Vine. His Father is the Gardener. We are the branches. Abide in Him.