Jesus’ Prayer Part 1 – John 17:1-5

4 11 2008

Pray as you go. 1 – John 1:41

  • Jesus was on the go and praying.
  • b/c you are dependent on God as you go
  • because it’s about relationship
  • How many times have you prayed today? Pray while you’re working, while you are hunting and fishing, while you are in front of the computer, while you painting, while you are driving, while you are watching tv, while you are taking a shower, while you are singing and in the middle of the sermon, all the time.

Pray because you know God’s plan – The plan prompts us to pray.

  • Some people will say since God knows everything and has a plan then why pray at all.
  • Jesus knew what was going to happen yet he prayed. He knew he was going to do the Father’s will, yet he prayed.
  • Everything Jesus prayed for in this chapter were things he already knew God was going to do.
  • Pray for lost people to be saved because you know God is going to save some of them.
  • The purpose of prayer is not just to get what we want, but to give God what he wants. He wants a relationship with us that brings glory to Him.

Pray to the God you know in the Bible. 1 (Father), 3

  • only true God
  • That means you must be saved.
  • It means the God of the Bible is not the same as Allah. Just because your wife has some things in common with another wife does not make her your wife too. If I treated everyone who had some major things in common with my wife like my wife, then my real wife would have a problem with that. God has a problem with people who treat others gods like him.

Pray for God’s glory first. 1-5

  • Jesus wanted the Father’s glory at the cost of his life. Our prayer is “Father bring glory to yourself as long as it does not bring me hurt or heartache or death. Only do what’s good for You if I think it is good for me too.”
  • Is this not the prayer of a lost person. God I want to follow you, but only when what you want lines up with what I want. Good moral people want to do good thing, but not because it is what God wants. They want to do it because it is good for them they don’t give a care if God likes it or not.
  • I will go to church, but if I can get a job making more money on Sunday I’m going for it. I will give you the glory you deserve with my offering as long as I have it when Sunday rolls around, as long as the church needs it (if they have a surplus there is no need for me to give). I will bring you glory as long as it is not going to take any personal sacrifice or effort on my part.

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Sermon Summary 12-23-07

26 12 2007

 The Greatness of God in the Birth of Christ. – Luke 2:1-14

God is Great!

  • Psalm 40:16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!”
  • Ps. 96:4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
  • Jer. 10:6 There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.

The Greatness of His Design.

  • Timing – Census, Mary, pregnancy, Roman rule, John the Baptist

  • Gal. 4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.

  • People – Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, what if Mary would have said, “no.” What if Joseph would have left her.

  • Place – Bethlehem, manger,

  • Imagine trying to plan the New York thanksgiving day parade. And right now God is the designer behind the scenes, but one day Jesus is going to come out from behind the curtain of the clouds and the saints are going to give a standing ovation for eternity to the director of creation.

The Greatness of His Glory.

  • Why Highest Glory?

  • It is the highest glory for God to send Jesus.

  • Because we see his glory

    • John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    • Col. 1 :27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

    • Heb. 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The Greatness of His Purpose.

  • Peace with God was ushered in when Jesus came.

    • Rom. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

    • Rom. 8:6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

    • Eph. 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

    • Peace with others?

    • Matt. 10:34 Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

    • Luke 12:51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

    • John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

  • Peace with God is the most important. You may have peace with other people. You may be the most liked person on the face of the plant, but if you have not peace with God you are only like the life of the party that leaves only to crash. You may have joy, you may have 100,000 friends. Some of which might testify that you are the greatest person they ever met, and even if it’s not true that’s what they will say at your funeral, but if you have not peace with God, you are like the Titanic tauted as a great ship, but sinks never to float again. Peace at any cost? No! Not with other people. Peace with God at any cost? Yes! Peace with God even if it cost you everything else. Peace with God is the most important issue. God himself thought that peace was necessary, even at the cost of his Son.

  • A Ransom brought peace.

    • Mark 10:45 The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.


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Sermon Summary 9-23-07

24 09 2007

What is sin?  Rom. 3:23

John Piper – “The essence of sin is that we choose things, love things, like things, and do things that show we not value God above those things.”

The world defines sin this way: If it feels good and it doesn’t hurt another person then it must not be sin.

Sin is missing the mark of the glory of God.

This is the testimony of all of scripture.

  • Psalm 86:9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

  • Isa. 43:7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made

  • 1 Cor. 6:20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

  • Col. 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.

  • Rom. 11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

  • 1 Peter 2:12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Sin is an issue of the heart and mind.

  • Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Sin is not following God’s law.

It is doing what God says not to do.

It is not doing what God says to do.

What must we do about this problem?

Trust Jesus.

Turn from sin.


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