Intro:
A)Common one – really the
disciples prayer – Forgive us our sins – Jesus didn’t sin
B) Jesus was a man of
prayer:
1)
He prayed before Choose the Disciples
2)
Sent in boat – MT to pray – walked on water
3)
4)
Mt of transfiguration
5)
6)
From the Cross
C) But this chapter is the
only place where – we get to see his prayer in its entirety –
1)
Every other record – we are told that He was praying – or we see a small part
of the prayer
D)
But here we see his prayer in its entirety – Longest prayer by Jesus:
1) 2 ways: #1 in length; #2 in scope (covers then till
now)!
"This is
truly, beyond measure, a warm and hearty prayer. He opens the depths of His
heart, both in reference to us and to His Father, and He pours them all out. It
sounds so honest, so simple; it is so deep, so rich, so wide, no one can fathom
it" (Martin Luther).
"The chapter we have now begun is the most remarkable
in the Bible. It stands alone, and there is nothing like it" (Bishop
Ryle).
Here
we have “the most precious Jewel which the treasure
of Holy Scripture contains!”(Spurgeon)
So this
prayer is significant – {3 weeks to look at it
Divided
into 3 section
1)
V.1-5 He prays for himself
2)
V. 6-19 He prays for his Disciples
3)
V. 20-26 He prays for the Church.
A) He begins by praying for himself:
- Some people think it is unspiritual to pray for yourself.
B)It is commanded; It’s
biblical; It’s being obedient; It’s in the Lord’s prayer;
1)
It’s following in the footsteps of Jesus right here in ch.17! {1 Jn.2:6 “He who
says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”}
C)Break down today: V.1-5
Focus on 4 things
#1
The attitude and Spirit of His Prayer V.1
A) “Lifted
up his eyes” – In his hour of trial he looked up – where do we look!
“As the needle of a
compass is constantly feeling the pull North, so should our hearts and eyes be constantly feeling the pull Heavenward!”
B)Note to teachers: Sharing the Word.
1)John
13-16 Jesus has been teaching – talking to men about God – things of God.
C) But now after talking to
men about God – He turns to talk to God about men. {Good practice
1) From preaching He
passed to prayer!
D)
Driving home praying last night men’s conference – Analyze myself
1) { Listen to radio – distract enemy
#2 The Occasion!
A)“The
hour had come” This is the seventh and last time that the Lord Jesus refers to this
momentous "hour.
B)This was the greatest
"hour" of all—because most critical and pregnant with eternal issues
C)He who Knew no sin would be
made sin for us – righteousness of God in him
1)
Bear the wrath of God
2)
Divine Justice – given out
3)Satan
defeated Disarmed principalities and powers
4)Power
of sin defeated /
5)
Salvation provided /
6)redemption
procured
D)Momentous hour indeed!
#3
The Request
A)“Glorify
your Son” – The first request of Jesus is that he might be glorified.
"Well," you say, "isn't that a selfish request?"
B) If we prayed it, yes, it
would be.
1) If
we prayed that we'd be exalted or magnified or glorified in order that the
world might see how important we were, it would indeed be a selfish request.
C)But you notice that our
Lord immediately adds, "that the Son may glorify You"
1)So
the ultimate end of his request for glory is that the Father may be glorified.
D)Christ
sought: to be "glorified" by the Father—not to be enriched by men,
not to be honored by the world
E)This
is always the ultimate purpose for all existence: that it might glorify God.
1)Your
life has no value except as it glorifies God
Talking to two
different Pastors this week from different Churches two separate conversations–
both were going thru a Crisis time. Both
were facing difficult decisions – One was throwing out his
options – I threw out one that he hadn’t considered – He immediately said –
well no one wants that – I said but what if that is God’s will?
I told him – he
need to be able to say: If this is the Lord’s will – We would love to see this
happen – He was like but no one wants that!
I responded by saying – But what
if it is God’s will. Sure it doesn’t make sense -
See
in order for God to be glorified we have to be willing to say: Not my will.
A)Now in these 5 verses
Jesus asked to be glorified 2 times and in two ways.
B)But at first glance what
Jesus says here seems confusing:
1)
Jesus declares that He possessed a certain glory with God before the
incarnation. {Becoming a man
C)He says this glory was
God’s glory.
1) Jesus
says He did not possess this glory during the years of his incarnation;
2)
So He prays V.5 that this original glory
might be restored to him.
D)And
yet, at the same time He states that , there is a sense in which he did possess
this glory while on earth, for he revealed it to others by finishing the work
God had given him to do.
E)
1)
How can this be? How can the
Lord have possessed God’s glory, have renounced it, and yet have possessed it
even in the period of the renunciation?
Start
with what “the glory of God’ means?
Two
words for Glory – one speaks of an inner Character
A)In the Greek language this
word for glory is doxa,
B). In the early days the
verb meant “to seem,” “to appear,” or “to have an opinion.”
1)But
as time went on it came to mean, first, a “good opinion” “good standing,” “good
reputation.”
C)It
was the Glory of his Character that led Pilate to say 3 times I find no fault in him
1)The
thief on the cross to defend him
2)
the Centurion to exclaim, truly this was.. son of God.
There
is a glory associated with the name of God – A)Moses in
“The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering,
and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin.”
B)That
glory was had been seen all throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus –
1)
the gracious way that He dealt with people –and situations –
C)Unending
mercy – love and compassion
1)It
would shine the brightest at his crucifixion – Once man understood what really
was taking place there –
2)
the Glory of God’s Character His righteousness and mercy his grace and truth on
full display.
But
there was another word that was associated with Glory – word Shekinah – God’s Shekinah Glory –
Jews thought to mean His Radiance
A)Moses
in God’s presence – Face aglow
B)
The Cloud that overshadowed the wilderness tabernacle during the years of
(1 Kings
8:10–11)
1) There was a radiance to
it.
C)
This is what people didn’t see in Jesus! His radiance –was concealed in his
human body – Peter James and John caught a glimpse on the mt
of transfiguration.
D) it is this glory that
Jesus is referring to in V.5
This
is the glory that Jesus allowed to be veiled in His Humanity.
A)It
was this glory He would claim again when He Ascended into Heaven and once again
be at the right hand of the Father.
So
He was seeking to be glorified in the Fulfillment of His mission – The Cross
A)And in His ascension into
Heaven
B)Jesus says something interesting
about his mission
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the
work which You have given Me to do.
C)Interesting to me that
even though – he had not gone to the cross yet –
1)
In his heart it was as good as done! Finished
D)Jesus
didn’t say, “I started the work,” or, “I thought about the work,” or, “I was
going to get to the work.”
1)
He said, “I have finished the work.”
So
many of us – good intentions – desires – promises – But we never finish!
A)Finish Strong - What if Noah didn’t put the roof on the ark –
B) Half cooked Dinner –
C) Paul was able to say:
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have
kept the faith.
Why
don’t we finish!
A)Sometimes lazy – others
sidetracked – sometimes
Doing too much.
B) Doing nothing well – Many
things unfinished
1) Sharp
shooter
C) Jesus came – to show us
the Father – the Glory of God displayed in His person
1) But His primary objective
was to go to the Cross
D) So He would set his face like
flint – Stone – couldn’t be moved
E)This
week Ask
the Lord what He wants you to set your face like flint toward – And Finish!
The words of
Jesus here anticipate His cry from the cross…. “It is
finished!”
“There was a famous
painting from the 1st world war. It showed an engineer fixing a
field telephone line which was essential. He had just completed the line so
that the essential messages might come through when he was shot. The picture
shows him in the moment of death, & beneath it there is the one word, “Through!” He had died, he
had given his life, that the message might get through.
That
is exactly what Jesus did. He had completed His task. He had brought Gods love
to man.”
A)He died to save you & He’s
dying to save you!
#4
The Purpose of His mission.
As You have given Him
authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You
have given Him. 3 And this is eternal
life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have
sent.
ETERNAL LIFE DEFINED! (2,3)
A)Usually we are
thinking Quantity – Live forever with
God!
B) Eternal life does indeed
involve that.
1) This life is so short in
comparison – doesn’t compare
C) Paul talking about
suffering –
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even
though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by
day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
D) Suffering will seem like
a moment – not even a distant memory – compared to the glory to follow
1) Yes it is talking
LONGEVITY – QUANTITY
Emergency
room this week – Noticed a whole bunch of Fortune and Forbes Magazines
A) NO one was reading –Not
the focus in the ER - How to get rich
B) No
focus is – Get better – if not where I am going!
1) When dealing with life
and death issues – Making money – having THINGS – furthest from mind
C) People all around us need
to know – there is more than this life.
1) Eternity
is real { Two places – Heaven or Hell
D) Someone in your life –
that doesn’t know that you need to tell them.
E)Outreach Program: I am
looking at it – You – Your sphere of influence – {Mission field
1) I love you enough – to
tell you the truth
F) But the answer – Know God
thru Christ
But
in the Jewish mindset – they always equated eternal life with a quality of
life.
A)Life
that starts now - Knowing God
thru Christ
Know = Ginosko
– Intimate by experience
B) Not just knowing about
Him – Knowing Him
1) relationship
– communion – fellowship – friendship
C) Made to commune with God
.
Knowing
God in an ever-expanding, ever-increasing way, to understand and fellowship
with.
A)A knowledge that has to do with
Communication
Information – but so much
more
B) Knowledge of experience –
Experiencing life with God
C)It is a growing knowledge
that is always expanding
That is what makes it
vibrant.
1)This
really shouldn't be surprising to us. After all, this is the way many things in
life are.
D)For example, many of you
are married, some for many years.
1)What
is marriage? Is it just two people living together in a house, sharing the same
salary, raising children, washing dishes and making beds, and sex one a week.
E)Is that all that marriage
is? From some Yes.
1)
Gets stale- start looking for excitement and vibrancy somewhere else.
But
in a Vibrant marriage –There is an ever growing knowledge that comes thru
communication and experience { Always
protected
A)See life gets busy – not
careful– Denise and I can get disconnected – two ships passing in the night.
B)Neglect that relationship
– Problems – get distant
1)Important to take time to
talk / share / connect
C)
But it is more than information – Sharing of life together.
1) Hurts / fears / concerns /
Being honest!
D) I didn’t used to be the
most helpful around the house – definitely not the most handy
1)
A lot of things I neglected – Denise’s dad real handy – she was growing
resentful
E) Finally she shared –
opened up – Hurt
1) Info was good for me -
But there had to be follow thru I had to act – take initiative
But
it is not just about information and follow thru
ALSO
EXPERIENCE.
A)Experiencing life together
– new things.
B) Simple as a new
restaurant – adds – freshness
1) Don’t get into a rut –
Claim Jumper – no more Fajitas – { Write –
C) I was bummed Denise was
excited – Something new
1) I get blessed watching
her get excited
D) Ministry together! –
Stretched
1) I am getting a kick out
of watching Denise with women’s Bible study.
E) For yrs trying to get her
to teach more
1) She felt inadequate –
overwhelmed –
But this year God made it
clear to her to do it
A)She is so excited – Every
week – seeing God come thru give her something to share
B) Love sharing that with
her – Missions – trials
1) Our relationship is
shaped by those things
Well
the same thing is true of our relationship to the Lord. Ever growing expanding
{ Eternal life
A)Involves both information
/follow thru and Experience
B) Information: Time in the
word – look below the surface – So much of Christ to know
1) Depths of His love!
C) Word studies –
Commentaries –
1)Meditation
D)One step further – follow
thru – the information is given to be exercised – played out in your walk
1) Not just sitting in the
head
But
the vibrancy also comes from taking steps of Faith – Christian life – Adventure
A)For me right now –
Building Project – adventure
Come out of this closer to God. Huge
B)Two friends –
giant steps of faith – affect their whole lives and families
1) That creates a vibrant –
Christian life
C)
Radically dependent upon God
1) Never gets stale
D) 2 Chron.
Kings always building and Battling
1)Something new / something
repaired – always seeking to take ground from the enemy
2)Never Maintaining
E) Great model for the life
of the Christian
1) Build – Marriage /
ministry / family / gifts
Growing in all those things
F) Don’t maintain – Grow
progress – Build and
Eternal life –
He is working – Moving – using me stretching me!
But note this that life
begins – by embracing Jesus as your Savior!