Sermon #1152 The Lord s Prayer The Scriptures record 650 prayers and 450 answers to prayer. The twenty-one prayers of Jesus in the gospels include: -the prayer He prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22) -His prayer at the transfiguration in (Luke 9) -His all night prayer on a mountain before the great Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:12) -His prayer at Lazarus grave (John 11:41-42) -His prayers at the garden of Gethsemane in (John 12:27-28; Luke 23:41) -His prayer on the cross (Luke 23:34), Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. You talk about plugged in! Jesus kept constantly connected with the Father; He prayed without ceasing. Jesus prayed all of the time. Can you imagine praying all night? Every time I study on the topic of prayer, I realize that I should be praying more. Believers often say they do not pray more because they are so busy. That s a lame excuse. We should be like the man who said, I am too busy not to pray. Martin Luther said, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." While I do not suggest that the rule for Christians should be starting the first three hours of the day in prayer, neither should we look at prayer as something that is expendable during a busy schedule. Jesus set prayer as a priority. Perhaps Jesus kept from sinning in large part because He prayed continuously. Jesus example should motivate us to pray more. Think about it: Have you ever sinned while you were praying? That s not easy to do! While you were praying, have you ever evil surmised, lusted, entertained malicious thoughts, lied, gossiped, spoke abusively to your spouse or others? I ve never done any of that while praying. What kind of prayers did the Son of God pray to the Father? This morning we will focus on one prayer found in John 17. The Scriptures read in John 17:1-5, Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. Some people call Matthew 6 the Lord s Prayer, but it should really be called the Disciples Prayer. We know, in fact, that Jesus never prayed this prayer. Jesus could not pray forgive us our debts as He suggests the disciples pray. Jesus never prayed for forgiveness. We actually find the Lord s Prayer in John 17. Temple suggests that this chapter contains the most sacred passage in the gospels. Going back 1600 years to Cyril of Alexandria, Christians have referred to Jesus longest prayer recorded before His disciples in John 17 as Jesus High Priestly prayer. More on the Lord s Prayer, the High Priestly prayer of Jesus, after our song Notice that Jesus begins His prayer, Father. When teaching His disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9, Jesus said to pray, Our Father in heaven. That Jesus prayed to God as Father does not surprise us since He is the only begotten Son of God, but Christians should recognize how special a privilege it is to speak to God on such intimate terms. At the same time, we should maintain a reverence in our 1
The Lord s Prayer by Brett Hickey, sermon #1152 2 of 5 prayers that recognize that God is not just our Father, but He is our Father in heaven and sits on a throne the throne of grace. Next, Jesus says, The Hour is come. Jesus prepares for the physical and emotional pain of His passion. Philip Schaff writes the following about John 17: Here is holy ground; here is the gate of heaven. No such prayer was ever heard before or since. It could only be uttered by the Lord and Savior of men, the mighty Intercessor and Mediator, standing between heaven and earth before his wondering disciples. Even he could pray it only once, in the most momentous crisis of history, in full view of the approaching sacrifice for the sins of the world, which occurred only once, though its effect vibrates through the ages. It is not so much the petition of the inferior suppliant, as the dialogue of an equal, and a solemn declaration of his will and mission. He intercedes with the eternal Jehovah as the partner of his counsel, as the executer of his will of saving mercy. He looks back on his pre-mundane glory with God, and forward to the resumption of that glory, and comprehends all his present and future disciples in unbroken succession as a holy and blessed brotherhood in vital union with himself and his Father. What else do we learn from John 17 about how Jesus prays? What does Jesus pray about? Jesus prays about the weightier matters of His heart. Despite the upcoming shameful and violent behavior of man, note that this prayer is not one of sorrow but one that anticipates ultimate victory. Who does Jesus pray for? This question leads to a broader view of Jesus prayer. Jesus issues seven requests: one for Himself; four for His living disciples; and two for future disciples. Jesus mentioned His disciples and future believers fifty times. He speaks of the world nine times and He certainly loves the world, BUT He specifically says in this prayer: I DO NOT pray for the world. What an ominous omission! On the flipside, do you realize that as a Christian Jesus prayed for YOU while He walked this earth? No, He did not mention you by name, but if, as a disciple, you have obeyed the gospel, JESUS PRAYED FOR YOU! What a beautiful thought?! BUT, even more meaningful: Jesus STILL prays for you! That blows me away. How have I missed the full significance of that? Romans 8:34, Christ who died, and is risen, who is even at the right hand of God also makes intercession for us. Hebrews 7:25, He always lives to make intercession for them. Obviously, interceding on our behalf from heaven is not exactly the same as praying for us while we are on earth, but the word translated intercession means to plead, intreat, on pray on behalf of another. Some hesitate to obey the gospel saying they fear they will not be able to hold out. Really? With Jesus making intercession for you? I know with His help I can make it. I appreciate every prayer you pray for me I really do! -- but knowing that Jesus intercedes for me gives me incomparable comfort. When I read Jesus prayer, it sounds somewhat like He is giving His own eulogy -- only it is before He dies. In John 17, Jesus says six times that God sent Him. I don t know that I grasp the full significance of this repetition but I do know it has special meaning. Everyone living today can be divided into one of two categories: those who can confidently say God sent Jesus (and live like it!) and those who cannot. Now, we know WHO Jesus prayed for, but WHAT did He pray for? Time limitations keep us from doing a verse by verse exposition of this great chapter, but we can see that there are three central elements 2
The Lord s Prayer by Brett Hickey, sermon #1152 3 of 5 of Jesus prayer: GLORIFY, SANCTIFY, AND UNIFY. The overarching theme of His prayer is GLORIFY. We find the words, glory, glorify, and glorified eight times in this prayer. Jesus clearly prioritizes glorifying the Father and wants us to feel the same obligation. What does the word glorify mean? The word glorify means to praise, extoll, magnify, celebrate, honor, clothe with splendor. The Lord s wills this for the Father. Let s talk a little walk down glorified Lane. Do you know when the first time the word glorified is found? Leviticus 10:3, God says in the context of worship, I must be glorified. Fire from the LORD devoured Aaron s sons, Nadab and Abihu over their casual, nonchalant attitude towards worship. As is often the case, nonchalant attitudes lead to nonchalant actions. The Bible teaches that Nadab and Abihu offered God what God had not commanded. Men today often suggest, Well, if it s not specifically condemned then it should be okay. What difference does it make what incense is offered or how it is offered? This incident suggests, however, that although it may seem insignificant in man s eyes, God interprets straying from His instructions in worship to offer what had not been commanded as an abysmal failure to glorify Him. Hear what God says about our worship: I must be glorified! Christianity, so-called, has turned this fundamental principle on its head. When Christians assemble for worship in our entertainment-saturated culture, everyone is glorified; everyone is celebrated; everyone is honored everyone but God! Who is being glorified where you go to church? If it is not clearly God, you need to run as fast as you can away from that place. In John 17, Jesus prays that the Father glorify Him and that when the Father glorifies Jesus, the Son may glorify the child of God! Jesus explains that God is glorified when the faithful are justified; God is glorified by saving the submissive and giving them eternal life. Jesus prays that the Father restore the glory they had together before the incarnation before He was made flesh. Jesus glorifies the Father by doing the work the Father gave Him. And, similarly, when you become a Christian, YOU glorify God by doing the work God gives you! God does not expect us all to do the same work, but God has work for us all to do. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-12, And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ We read a little later in Ephesians 4:16, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. And again in 1 Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Never forget that by the works you do in service to God, even what some might call little things, YOU glorify God! Let s go back earlier in John s gospel for a greater sampling of the significance of glorifying God. John 7:37-39, On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Clearly, this is a reference to Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. John 12:14-16, 23-25, 28, Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: "Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt." 3
The Lord s Prayer by Brett Hickey, sermon #1152 4 of 5 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." John 13:31-32, So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. John 14:13, And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Did you catch that? Jesus prayer shows that the Father is glorified in the Son when God answers a prayer offered in Jesus name. So, when as a faithful Christian, I offer a prayer to the Father in Jesus name, I provide the Father with an opportunity to glorify His Son. Now, I like that! Jesus then adds another way we glorify the Father in John 15:7-8: when Jesus words abide in us and when we bear much fruit. Let s look back at Jesus high priestly prayer. Although Jesus never says in John 17, I pray for the church, that s EXACTLY what He s doing. Jesus tells the Father. Intensify your brilliance through me and my disciples. Magnify your essence. Supersize your presence. Brighten the corner where WE are. Turn on your light. Turn up your light. Scatter the darkness of the world through us. Sometimes Christians get discouraged by their dark surroundings in their neighborhood, at school, or at their work. The world minimizes and marginalizes God; it s true. God didn t do that. God can t do that. Neither should we. We must glorify God. That is Jesus prayer. Christians may feel from time to time like they need to find an environment where they can be surrounded by Christians. Friends, that s not here; that s heaven. God may have specifically planted you in that neighborhood, that school, or that workplace so you can be the light that glorifies God and leads others to Him. In John 17:15-19, Jesus prays on: the Father is glorified when we are sanctified, made holy, live holy. Sanctified means set apart from the world, different, unique, special. The word sanctify means to separate and dedicate. We can t glorify God when we think like the world, talk like the world, or act like the world. The climax of the apostle Paul s letter to Rome in Romans 12:1-2, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We do not blend in. A Christian in the world is like oil in water. We must remember who we are and Whose we are! How does God sanctify us? Jesus prays in John 17:17, Sanctify them by your truth; your word is truth. The truth of God s word abiding in us will separate us and dedicate us; that s glorifying God! This is Jesus prayer for all Christians! Finally, God is glorified when we are unified. Please note that being sanctified by truth precedes being unified. Some professing Christians want to round up all so-called followers of Jesus and put them in the same bundle no matter what they teach; no matter what they practice. That won t fly. Remember, 4
The Lord s Prayer by Brett Hickey, sermon #1152 5 of 5 Jesus prayed that first we be separated and dedicated by truth. Then we can unite with others who do the same. We cannot be unified without rallying around the truth, but we must also have a spirit that promotes unity. I want to mention three keys to the spirit that unifies found in one brief Scripture. James 1:19, So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Easy to memorize; not always so easy to practice. We need to learn to close our mouths and listen to others. The man or woman that must always be talking will eventually interfere with unity. Listen, it s no accident that you have two ears and one mouth. And it s no accident that your ears stay open all the time and your tongue has a row of teeth and lips to keep it fenced in. And so, the spirit that promotes unity must not only be swift to hear, but it must be slow to speak. That combination makes a lot of sense. Think carefully about what you say and the impact it will have before you open your mouth and separate your teeth to speak. Finally, we must be slow to wrath. The easily angered man will constantly interfere with peace. Everywhere he goes, he may complain, he finds difficult people. If he is easily angered, the reason he finds unrest can be laid at his own feet. It s not an exaggeration to say that the spirit of unity is as simple as one, two, three. We want and we expect as the people of God for our prayers to be answered, but when we read Jesus prayer, we find that the answer to His prayer depends upon OUR cooperation. We know that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will that God be glorified in our lives. We know that the truth of His word produces a sanctified and unified people, but that CANNOT happen without our willing submission. Won t you begin today doing your part to answer Jesus prayer for unity. Stay with us after our song and we ll tell you how to get a copy of this message We are glad you joined us this morning. We hope you will watch the program every Lord s Day and then join us for worship at one of the congregations listed shortly. Call or write for a DVD copy of #1152, The Lord s Prayer. We are also offering a free copy of the recently released booklet by your speaker, Unity in One Loaf and One Cup. You may also request a free Bible study course by mail. We close with the words the apostle Paul issued in Romans 16:16, the churches of Christ salute you. Until next week, goodbye and God bless! Are you searching for the truth of God's word and have a sincere desire to learn about the Bible? Do you want to know what the Bible says about salvation and about Christ and His church? If you are looking for Bible Founded discussion on these topics and many others, then please accept this invitation to explore "Let the Bible Speak" and then contact us for additional studies. We are members of the church of Christ as found in the New Testament. We are not members of a denomination or earthly religious organization. We are a brotherhood of believers, joined by a common bond, Jesus Christ. We try to live and worship following the patterns found in the New Testament. (For manuscripts of other sermons visit: www.letthebiblespeak.com) COPYRIGHT Let The Bible Speak. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Express permission is granted to distribute any video, audio, or transcript of any broadcast message as long as the material is: unedited and attribution is given to Let The Bible Speak; a hyperlink to LetTheBibleSpeak.com is included for electronic distribution; a text reference is included to www.letthebiblespeak.com for printed distribution; and the original author receives attribution. An irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free license for distribution is granted as long as such distribution has the intent of: supporting the truth as presented; giving glory and honor to God; and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. 5