Tag: Prayer

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Jesus Arrested (Luke 22:39–65)

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I remember a few years ago, a friend called me. Their spouse had been put in jail. They thought that they had taken care of some minor traffic incident, but they had not. The next time they got in contact with law enforcement, this was on the record and this person was arrested. When I got the call, they were distraught. It was totally unexpected. Now, their spouse was locked up in jail.

That’s scary. To be taken against your will and arrested is very hard. This is what Jesus experienced. We now turn in this sermon series to consider the suffering of our Savior on our behalf. We should remember two things here. First, how great his suffering was. Second, that it was all done out of love for the human race, to bring us back to God so that we could be freed from suffering and given eternal life.

In this passage, we will consider three things here: the prelude to the arrest, the arrest, and the loneliness of the arrest.

The Prelude to the Arrest
After the celebration of the Passover, the disciples and Jesus went to a place they had gone often. They went to the Mount of Olives to pray.

When Jesus arrived, He told His disciples to pray. He had a concern for them. He said, you should pray so that you may not fall into temptation. They were about to enter into a great trial, and they needed help to be delivered from this trial. When we have a great trial, it is an important time for us to begin to pray.

After that, Jesus went off to pray by Himself. There, we have a record of what He prayed. He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Alfred Edersheim writes in his amazing work, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah:

We are here in the full view of the deepest mystery of our faith: the two Natures in One Person. . . . Was there, then, any thought or view of a ‘a possibility,’ that Christ’s work could be accomplished without that hour and Cup? Or did it only mark the utmost limit of His endurance and submission? We dare not answer; we only reverently follow what is recorded (846).

Wonder seems to be the best response here. It is an astonishing moment. It is the deepest wrestling of Jesus with the great suffering that He will undergo. Continue reading “Jesus Arrested (Luke 22:39–65)”

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When You Hit a Wall (Acts 4:23–31)

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“I quit!” That’s what Geri Scazzero told her husband. After years of taking care of the kids alone, doing everything he needed her to do for the church, and skipping vacations, she finally decided to quit. She was through overfunctioning for her husband at home so he could overfunction at church. She had hit a wall, and she couldn’t do it anymore. That’s the story she tells in her helpful book The Emotionally Healthy Woman.

Maybe that’s where you are today. You’ve tried and tried and tried, and you’ve hit a wall. There is no going forward in the direction you are now going. Something has to change.

What do we do when we hit a wall? It’s a frustrating experience. You thought you were going forward, and, suddenly, you realize you aren’t making any progress. Maybe you’ve been stuck for years in the same pattern, and it isn’t getting you anywhere. What are you supposed to do?

Our text tells us of a time when the disciples hit a wall. They had been moving forward, doing what Jesus told them to do, and they hit a wall, the opposition of the leaders of the nation. What were they going to do? This text tells us what they did when they hit a wall. We will see this answer in four points: the context, the wall, the prayer, and the answer.

The Context
Let’s look at the really big picture first. The big picture is that God created the world for Himself. He made human beings to enjoy harmonious fellowship with Himself and with others. He made them to be productive and to enjoy the world. However, our parents turned from God, we’ve been doing it ever since. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The result has been war, enmity, destruction, addictions, debilitation, and death across the ages. The good news is that God still loved this fallen, sinful world. God sent His Son. This means that there is one God, but He has revealed Himself as existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Son took on Himself a human nature and died and rose again to reconcile God and humanity. This is the greatest wall humans have ever faced, and the Son of God overcame it.

On the authority of the Son of God, you are now offered peace, life, and forgiveness as a free gift. God offers full reconciliation and restoration. This is the gift that is available to everyone.

But how will you know about it? You’ve got to hear about it. How is that going to happen? Jesus thought of that. He sent out people to tell others about Him. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, He said to His disciples. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, will empower them to tell others about Him. That’s how it happens.

Now, let’s go back to our chapter. They had done what Jesus asked. The Holy Spirit had empowered them to tell others about Jesus. Thousands had believed. The church had grown. It was a miracle of God’s grace. All over Jerusalem, people were trusting in Jesus as the one who could give them a new life and a new hope.

One way Jesus got the church off the ground is that He gave them special signs. They did miracles. A man who had begged every day at the gate of the temple was there. He begged because he could not walk. Peter and John told him to walk, and he was healed. How? “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:16). The power of Jesus made this man well, and everybody knew it.

The Wall
Then, they hit a wall. The leaders of the people were alarmed at the growth of the church. They were “greatly disturbed” our text says (Acts 4:2). So, they took Peter and John and put them in prison. They had hit a wall. Continue reading “When You Hit a Wall (Acts 4:23–31)”

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Joyful Fellowship with God and Man, Part 7: Resources for a New Community (1 John 3:19–4:6)

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When we look out on our world, a joyful community is not what we see. Nations are at each other’s throats. Within the nation, there is severe polarization. The church often seems hopelessly divided and unable to work together. Churches themselves can be nasty places. People get hurt, and they don’t come back. Families are ripped apart. Those who should be the greatest support become alienated from one another or do terrible things to one another. What hope is there for such situations?

We have the answer in this verse. It is prayer. We can “receive from him anything we ask” (1 John 3:22). There are endless resources in prayer. We should not look upon any situation outside of us and think, this is hopeless. God is greater than our challenges and is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or even imagine.

So, we are not helpless victims in the face of the evils and divisions of this world. We can ask and “receive from him anything we ask” (1 John 3:22). In this passage, there are two conditions that need to be fulfilled in order to have confidence before God. One is a heart of love for other people. The other is faith in Jesus Christ. Each present their own unique challenge, and we will consider the internal challenge to love and then the external challenge to faith. Finally, we will consider the goal of having a clear conscience before God.

The Internal Challenge
The internal challenge is to have a clear conscience before God. As we approach God, we need to remember that He is holy and righteous and pure. God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we are to go before God, then our heart needs to be one that flees the darkness and pursues the light. Continue reading “Joyful Fellowship with God and Man, Part 7: Resources for a New Community (1 John 3:19–4:6)”

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Tools for Transformation: The Lord’s Supper

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On September 13, 1814, British navy ships began the bombardment of Fort McHenry. Fort McHenry guarded the entrance to Baltimore, Maryland. The British were trying to force the fort’s surrender and open the way to occupying Baltimore. From that evening until the morning of September 14, 1814, the British launched about 1,500 bombs on the fort.

The commander of the Fort, Major George Armistead, refused to surrender. After all the bombs, he made it clear that he would not surrender by taking down the small flag and hoisting a 17′ by 25′ flag over the fort. The British realized that they would not be able to take the fort and gave up.

Nearby, on a British boat, an American who was there due to a prisoner exchange, witnessed the battle. Francis Scott Key saw the bombs and the first use of rockets on the continent, noticing the “rocket’s red glare.” Then, he saw the flag raised. It led him to write a poem with the following words: “Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” And the answer came back in the next stanza: “Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: ‘Tis the star-spangled banner!”

So, why do I bring all this up? Think about the star-spangled banner. It’s just a piece of cloth, right? In one way, yes, but in other ways, that is completely false. It is so much more. It is a symbol, and symbols have power! They really represent and convey the thing they represent. They have deep meaning. So, when we see that flag as Americans, it moves us deeply. It has a real power.

The Lord’s Supper is a sort of flag that Jesus has planted to powerfully represent and convey to us all that He is. It is a tool that He has given us to bring about transformation in our lives. That’s what we want to consider here in this text. I want you to see three things in this text: what God says about this supper, how God can say that about the supper, and how the supper transforms us. My goal is that you would see that the Lord’s Supper is a powerful tool to transform us and reshape us into the image of God, reflecting His glory.

What God Says About the Supper
In this letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul is dealing with a variety of issues which had arisen in the church at Corinth. One problem these early Christians faced was the presence of idolatry. The worship of the gods was not something simply practiced in people’s private lives or in the temples. It was part of everyday life. So, the question was, how do you engage in society and retain your faith? Continue reading “Tools for Transformation: The Lord’s Supper”

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Tools of Transformation: Prayer (Luke 11:1–13)

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As you all know, this is my first week back in the pulpit since returning from Egypt. One thing that is present everywhere in Egypt is prayer. There is prayer, prayer, prayer everywhere. At 3:30, there is a man calling people to prayer: “God is great, come and pray!” When I went to the fish market, there was a group of men praying together in a little place set aside for that purpose. When Anna and I went to lunch, our guide went to a place to pray several times. Prayer is everywhere in Egypt!

And maybe it’s an experience like that which led the disciples to say, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). I look at John’s disciples, and they are praying. Why am I not praying? Jesus, help me know how to pray.

They made this request to Jesus this when Jesus Himself was praying. You see, Jesus was a man of prayer. He was always seeking His Father. He was always praying. Read through Luke’s account of Jesus’ life. You will find that Luke always notes that Jesus was praying. For example, when Jesus was transfigured or changed on the mountain, Luke tells us that this happened while Jesus was praying! The other accounts do not add this detail. You will see this everywhere in the book of Luke.

So, Jesus’ disciples knew that Jesus prayed. They wanted to become like that. They wanted to be people of prayer! That’s what led them to ask Jesus to make them people of prayer. They wanted to live in communion with the Father like Jesus did. They needed help! Do you need help becoming a person of prayer? Jesus is still ready to teach you! I want you to see this in the text today. We are going to look at it backwards, though, for reasons that I think will become clear. I want you to see the God of prayer, persistence in prayer, and the content of prayer. These are the things that Jesus wants us to understand in order to learn to pray. Continue reading “Tools of Transformation: Prayer (Luke 11:1–13)”

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Power & Prayer (Acts 4:23–31)

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Ambition. It may seem like a bad word, but it’s not. We should think about great things and seek great things.

The problem is selfish ambition. It is ambition at the expense of God and others that aims simply at glorifying ourselves. Ambition that aims at glorifying God and serving the community is not only legitimate, it is laudable. We should seek after it. We should seek to do as much good as we possibly can. We should seek the kingdom of God as our first priority.

So, why don’t we do it? Primarily, it’s because of resistance, internal and external. It’s hard. We may not even know where to start. Well, this passage tells us where to start in seeking greater things for the kingdom of God. Let’s consider it together.

Resistance
The Apostles here had already begun a great task. They were following Jesus’ command. They were to be God’s witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The book of Acts is the story of how they obeyed this command.

The first day of their work went pretty well. They gained 3,000 converts. The next few days went pretty well, too. They were gaining traction.

Then, they encountered resistance. It was the same sort of resistance that Jesus encountered. The religious leaders did not like what they were doing. So, here’s what they did: “They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day” (Acts 4:3).

They then brought Peter and John before them. Eventually, they said this, “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18).

The response of Peter and John was extraordinary. “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20). In other words, they had to listen to Jesus’ command rather than that of the religious leaders. It’s an obvious truth but still a bold response.

In spite of seeing this triumph, we need to remember that resistance is hard. When people oppose us, it makes things scary. When people get angry, it’s easy to see people as large and ourselves as small. We can feel like a little kid again. We may not be arrested for speaking about Jesus, but people may look at us as weird. It may also interfere with our other tasks. Getting involved with people takes time and it takes effort. It’s often messy. It’s easier to avoid it. Getting involved with people will involve resistance.

So, what do we do when we face resistance?

Prayer
We should turn to prayer. Instead of recoiling, running, or rebelling, we should turn to prayer, prayer for power. And that’s what they did. They prayed.

This is crucial. We should see that the book of Acts is filled with prayer. Dr. Lloyd-John Ogilvie, former Senate chaplain and Pesbyterian minister said in his excellent book on Acts: “The spectacular events spread across the pages of Acts must all be traced back to praying like that.” Ambition for God’s kingdom and prayer go hand in hand.

Let’s look a little more closely at their prayer. They begin their prayer by lifting their hearts above the things of earth to the greatness of their Creator. “Sovereign Lord . . . you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them” (Acts 4:24). In itself, this perspective will help us begin to move beyond the frustrations and difficulties of our daily life.

Then, they quoted God’s words back to Him. They went to Psalm 2. “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one” (Acts 4:25–26). They then said, what you spoke about is exactly what happened. The Lord is faithful and true. Resistance is just what you promised.

Then, they brought the situation to God’s attention. “Now, Lord, consider their threats . . .” (Acts 4:29). God wants us to bring our specific circumstances before Him. How often do we face difficulties in work, business, school, family, or church that we don’t bring them to God? We may think, He already knows, but that is an erroneous way to think about prayer. God wants us to be very specific with Him.

And then they made a very specific request: enable them to speak with boldness and perform great signs. Continue this work by demonstrations of power outside them and within them. And that’s what we should do as well: make very specific requests.

Power
And see what happened. “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” (Acts 4:31). They sent up the prayer, and God sent down the power. That’s the way it always is.

Remember that power is a key word here. Jesus promised power. Even to those who had killed Jesus, God promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of power to be part of what Jesus was doing in redeeming the whole world.

That power is available to us, too, but we don’t just sit back and wait for it. Now, we may have to wait at times, but we don’t wait passively. We pray. We ask. We seek. We knock. We look for the Lord’s power. We ask, and God supplies. We seek, and God enables us to find. We knock, and God opens the door.

That’s what I want you to do, but we need an ambition for God’s kingdom. It’s only when we have an ambition for God’s kingdom that we will really begin to pray for the power that God wants to give.

Now, you may say to me, how does that start? What do I need power for? Start by thinking about the world around you. What would you want to see God do in your family? In your business? In your community? In your nation? In your church? In your neighborhood? Then, start praying. Start praying for God to open up doors. Start praying that He will enable you to cross the boundaries that have kept you from moving forward. Ask God to give you a vision for what He will do in you and through you.

People generally pray for two reasons. The first is when something disrupts their normal life such as family conflict, cancer, or job loss. The second is when they get a vision to do something bigger. When people move outside themselves, they sense their need for help. That’s where prayer comes in.

Recently, I talked with a woman at Aldi who I had not seen in a while. She told me she about a woman in her neighborhood she was reaching out to. She said, pray for me because we are having really good discussions. That’s what reaching out will do. It makes us feel our need. That moves us to prayer, and God then supplies the power.

When you start something new, you begin to pray. We’ve started Evergreen Midweek, and it is the sort of thing that I’m praying for regularly. I want to see it be a blessing to our kids, our youth, and our adults. I want to see it as something that will bless our community as well. I realize how little I can accomplish that. This drives me to prayer.

When Marty decided to get involved with disaster response, he did not know how he was going to fund it. It was tough, especially at the start. He prayed. We prayed. God has supplied the need. He is very close to being fully funded. That’s what happens when we get a vision to do something more.

There are people everywhere who need to experience God’s love and God’s purpose. God wants to empower you and use you to show that to them. He just wants you to be open to others and ask Him for help. He will supply the power.

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash