Triumphant Prayer
Yeah, I told you last week that the apostles were. Oblivious to Christ grief, you know as they were having the Last Supper. There's they sat around the table Christ was obviously upset but instead of them pay attention to that. They're more worried about arguing amongst each other of who's the greatest. And I compared it to Sibling Rivalry and it's crazy for us to look at that and to think poorly of them into think we'll you know, how couldn't they notice that Christ was upset during this time? You know the more I thought about it this last week. I thought is it that they didn't really notice that Christ was upset or was it simply that they couldn't comprehend it?
But if you think about it, you know as Christ. sorrow begins to build as his grief builds has he stands and continues to Move towards what's going to happen on Calvary. What's going to happen on the cross? Really if we think about that it is something that is totally beyond our comprehension.
Because even though Christ came to Earth in human form to experience life as we doing to experience. This is a human. You know, what happened to him on that cross is something that is beyond description. It's something that's beyond our understanding because what Jesus experienced Doesn't have any equal in Human Experience. There's no other person that can say they experienced what Christ had to go through on the cross is entirely unique to him. And you know as we read through the story of his temptation here in the garden. It leaves us awestruck over the grief that we see Christ facing as he's realizing that going to the Cross doesn't simply mean dying on a cross going to the cross for him means that he is going to have to face the father's anger towards the end of the world. He's going to have to bear that he's going to be the one that has to take that and We see this battle unfold we need to realize what we're hearing is really the story of the greatest battle ever against temptation.
USA in subjective throughout Feist Christ life was to keep him from going to the cross. Why do you think that was? Because if he could keep him from going to the Cross if the devil could keep him from fulfilling God's plan. Been sending death would never be defeated. If the devil could tempt him to not do what he was about to do on the cross then if you wouldn't go and die as a substitute for all sinners. Then the devil had one. And really that's what the devil was doing. When he tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Do you remember that when he came and tempted him and he offered him all these different things that he would give him if he would simply about a him. Again, he was trying to keep Christ from walking out the plan that God had for his life. He was trying to tempt him to stay on the path. He was on in to not go down this road. That led to the cross that was his goal all along. That's what he was trying to do in. What we see here in the garden. Is really Satan's last attempt his last-ditch effort to tempt Jesus to not do what the father wants him to do. you have to realize that Christ Supernatural conflict that's going on here with Satan is really talking about the importance of prayer also there and that's what I want to focus in on today. And this week see his prayer to the father will see that there are four vital elements today and I want to look at each of those four vital elements. They are anticipation Affliction submission and restoration. So the first one is anticipation. In Luke chapter 22 verses 39 and 40. It says Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives and his disciples followed him on reaching the place. He said to them pray that you will not fall into temptation.
You know, Jesus prayed in anticipation of the Temptation that was going to come in the garden and he prayed really throughout the entire thing. I mean, yes, Jesus was incapable of sitting but he could be tempted. And the devil knew that and that's why that was the route. He was trying to take and the Temptation Lord faced we have to realize is drastically different than the Temptation that we face as believers. You know as Christians when we come to Christ, we are New Creations in him, right? We're trying to live out our life the best we can but the truth is we are all still trapped in this unredeemed flesh that we live in and we have to fight against our worldly nature. We have to fight against the sin nature that were born with that tries to pull us back into what we were before. We knew Christ all the time. That's where our battle comes. Because we can be so easily seduced by the remnants of our fallen this that it's easier for us to revert back to that, you know, rather than live a life of Holiness that were called to In Christ. It's easier to just slide back into our old sinful nature. So that's the battle we fight and Satan tempts us to hold on to send it to not mature or grow in our relationship with God, but just to stay stuck right where we are. he has children of God, we struggle daily against that attraction to sin and we have to realize that and to abandon it and to embrace the righteousness Holiness and purity. that God is calling us to
but Satan's temptation of Christ was just the opposite. You know, Jesus was perfectly pure perfectly righteous and his absolute Holiness motivated his every thought word and deed. He's the example of where we're trying to go as we pursue those things. You know it well believe her struggle to abandon sending to embrace holiness. Jesus struggle was to set his Holiness aside to set what was his true nature aside and pursue what God wanted for him and to embrace this idea that he was to become the sin Bearer for all of mankind. Because for him that is what was the total opposite of his nature. What's to become sin for the world? You know, so he wasn't like us he wasn't fighting against sinful impulses that keep him from wanting to be more holy. Know Christ was fighting against Holy impulses that were trying to keep him from sin. Because that's how he was created. That's his nature. We know that he and God are one and they are the same and you know, God can't be in the presence of sin. So for him to lay all that aside to become sin. It was a struggle for him. And that's the struggle in battle we see going on here. Cuz like I said Satan Tim's Christians to clean to send. He tempted Jesus to cling to his holiness. Your Chrysler always known that this would be the greatest struggle of his life. You got to think that's significant because we're talking about Jesus here. So his life last for all eternity from beginning to end, but he knew this moment. What's going to be the toughest thing he ever faced? Yeah, the struggle between his Pierce endless nature. Embarrassing the weight of God's Wrath against sin for the entire world. Not a choice that was easy to make. Yo, he prayed in John 17:5 father glorify me together with yourself with the glory which I had with you before the world was. Yo, Jesus is praying that the father would strengthen him through this coming ordeal in that as he went through it that God would work to restore him back to his further his past Glory that he had had in dwelling with cry with God. And you know, Jesus was fully focused on what God wanted for him in this conflict that he knew he was going to be engaged in with the Enemy, but he was also worried about his disciples. He knew that they too would struggle with severe Temptation that night he knew what they were all going to go through and he knew that they needed to be ready to face it. And as we see in this passage of scripture that we're looking at today the way Jesus chose to face this great time of Temptation the way he prepared himself was through prayer.
And you know, Jesus was simply encouraging his disciples to do the same thing. He was telling them. The battles coming The Temptations going to come you need to be prepared. You need to be praying that God will give you what you need to handle it. Men's I think about that if Jesus thought he himself needed to do that to face Temptation if he thought the apostles needed to do that.
Boy, that sure means I need to do the same thing that I need to be daily hourly. Probably sometimes preparing myself in prayer to face what's coming? Because you know, even though Jesus had told them that he had prayed for them and that he had asked God to strengthen them during this time that doesn't remove their responsibility to be praying and asking God to strengthen them. They still have to intercede for themselves. They still need to be going there and asking God. And you know, this is at least twice if you think about other times that Jesus taught the disciples think that he's telling them that they need to be praying specifically that they won't be led into temptation. So obviously it's an important thing. And like I said, the lesson is pretty clear if Christ thought he needed to pray in order to face temptation. Shouldn't we all want to do the same?
Because you know when we pray and we ask God to help us face temptation. You know, no one likes to admit that were tempted by things, right? We don't want to admit that there are things that are very difficult for us to resist. So the first thing we have to do when we pray for that sort of thing as we have to empty ourselves of all self-confidence all spiritual Pride all over estimation of how strong we really are spiritually and call out to God for divine help. We have to admit that we know we can't do this on our own that we can't face this temptation by yourself. That we need God's help to accomplish this thing. You know, Jesus is just warning the disciples and really I think all the waivers. That we don't want to be caught prayer list when the full force of Temptation comes out us. Because by then it's too late.
You know if we're caught and that Moment In the Heat of the Temptation and we've not been doing anything to prepare ourselves up until then. It's much more difficult for us to resist at the likelihood that will be able to resist. It is much less.
But you know Jesus is promising if we will be praying that we won't fall into temptation. God will hear those prayers and God will help us. face the temptation
the second thing we see is about affliction. Luke chapter 22 verse 41 since he was Drew about a stone's throw Beyond them knelt down and pray.
Yeah, Jesus had left out of the disciples kind of at the gate area to watch what was happening there and he moved on with the other three cuz remember at this point, they're only 11. And he left them and ask them to pray and to keep praying while he's praying and he moved a little bit away from them. Adult down to begin to pray which is a significant thing because of their culture the typical posture for prayer was standing. That you would stand and pray but Christ was so consumed with what was going on. He was in so much Agony that he knelt to pray. And even add said he fell on his face and prayed Mark adds that this was because he began to be very distressed and trouble. Then if you look in Hebrews 5:7, it says that he offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears. you know, if you look at all those things together, it's pretty obvious that they reveal the intense Agony of the struggle that Christ found himself in.
You know, I think about that and I think about how we face so many different struggles and trials. Yeah, the truth is the reality is there's probably not the same struggle among two people in here. They might be similar, but it's not exactly the same.
I guess if you had to say if Satan had a gift that would be his knowing exactly where are weak point is reached every one of us. And for some people if they said what their weaknesses what their greatest Temptation they face is we might laugh at it because for us that may not be a problem. That might be the furthest thing from our mind but for our greatest struggle
I mean if your temptation is to eat salad and kale. I'm not there with you.
I don't fight that battle everyday.
If your greatest weakness is coffee. I'm sorry. My coffee is green and comes in a screw-top or a pop open. Can you know I drink Mountain Dew that's it, you know, but it's different for each and every one of us.
You know just like you might like a certain food like us it's different what temps each of us. And what does it but the truth is We can battle and battle with that struggle everyday of our life and make no progress on it. Or even fall deeper into that trap when we're trying to do it on her own. It's only when will humble ourselves and call out to Christ and say we need help to face this that were ever going to be able to overcome it.
No trucks over Temptation involves experiencing some of the pain of send. Experiencing the pain in the sting of what it can bring and you know, we have to get to that point where when we begin to see it happening when we begin to feel that sting we get repulsed by it.
And that's when we get to the point where we're crying out to God to ask for his help to get through this pain to get through this Agony to get past whatever this greatest struggle is in our life. It doesn't matter what it is. And you know, the funny thing is we're often hesitant to admit to God what this struggle is. But you know I have news for you. He already knows what it is.
He's waiting with the Cure with the answer to what that struggle is to give it to you. But you got to ask for it. You got a humble yourself to that point that you're willing to say. I know I struggle with this. I know of my own I can't do it. But with your help I can. No, unfortunately, the way human nature is we have to experience the sting of it. Usually before we ask for that help.
Jesus is trying to caution us trying to caution the disciples against that but all too often. We don't. Learn until it happens. No, it's only when we get to that point in our life that we love Holiness and we hate sin and we you know feel some of the agony that comes from that send that will get to that point that we will finally fall on our knees and fall on our faces Christ didn't cry out and prayer. To be delivered and strengthened. That's what leads triumph over temptation.
Another important part of that prayer is submission. Luke chapter 22 verse 42 says father if you are willing take this cup from me.
Yet not my will but yours be done.
You know the goal of all true prayer is that God's will be done. That's why we see that as a part of he know Jesus is model prayer that he gives to his first as your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven and Heaven everything happens. According to God's plan everything happens. According to his will you know, it is the same on Earth, but what Jesus is telling us is that you know, we need to get to that point that we are submitting ourselves to what God's will is instead of fighting against it instead of giving into temptation to not follow God's plan for our life. We need to submit ourselves to his will and follow the Apostle John wrote in 1st John 5 verses 14 and 15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him. Submission to God's will is foundational to prayer. You know all too often people throw this into the category of name it and claim it, right? That is not what this is about. Jesus could care less if you drive a Corvette. So if you say in the name of Jesus, I want a Corvette. You're probably not going to get it. Unless it somehow fits with God's will but I have a hard time seeing that one but you never know you could be the first that I happened to. But you know what it is. It's really getting to that point and submitting ourselves. So much to God's will. That what will be praying for will be in line with what God wants. You know, we talked earlier about getting to that point means you have to be humble. You have to rid yourself of all self-confidence. Yep. If you're already walking down that path you're not going to be asking God to give you things and do things for you in prayer that solely benefit you. You're going to be asking him to do things in your life so that you can be a witness for him to others and that enable you to do those things. If you another important thing of that submission is that Jesus accepted that the cross was God's plan. It's not what he wanted me who would.
Who would want to do that and you know, really he was experiencing you I told you it was a unique experience cuz no other humans went through it, but it was also a unique experience for Christ because up until that he had been in total Harmony With God all the time. Now for the first time ever he's having to face the wrath of God. Separation from God things he had never experienced and that's what was making this such a challenge for him. To go through those things. John 12:27 says now my soul is troubled. And what shall I say father save me from this hour know it was for this very reason. I came to this hour.
You in spite of how agonizing it was at the idea of burying the sin of the world and becoming separated from the father because of that sin. Jesus fully submitted to the father's plan for him. Because he knew that he had to be the sin offering for all of mankind in order. For the Redemption of God's children to be accomplished.
He looked beyond himself and he saw something much bigger. And that's why he prayed yet. Not my will but yours be done.
and you know, he pretty soon demonstrated that when he commanded Peter and John 18:11. Put your sword away. Shall I not drink the cup the father has given me.
You know Peter was simply trying to defend his Lord and Jesus said no this has to happen this way.
The final aspect of this prayer that we see is restoration.
Luke chapter 22 verses 43 through 46. It says an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he arose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep exhausted from sorrow. Why are you sleeping? He asked them get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
in first of all, the thing that sticks out the most about that passage is that Christ struggle was so great. His prayer was so intense in that time in the garden that it prompted the angels to come and take care of him.
That tells you it had to be some pretty intense praying. The day felt the need to come to his Aid in to strengthen him. You know when it's only Luke The Physician out of the group of disciples Who records that his sweat became like drops of blood falling down on the ground.
You know, if you actually research it in 1 commentary I read talked about it that it's actually a very rare condition known as him added drosis, which is characterized by Blood oozing from the skin and it can come from extreme mental strain or emotional strain. What happens is the capillaries dilate so much that they burst in the blood mixes with your sweat and it looks like sweat is oozing from your brow. so in this intense time of Agony and prayer
yet another demonstration of how human Christ was in this form. His body was literally sweating blood. As he was there and you know in Matthew 26 38 it says my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. I'm sure it appeared that way if he had this condition going on and it was that intense.
but the crazy thing about it what we need to really realize is that after that intense time of prayer when Christ arose to go face his betrayer who was coming in with the mob of other people. Heroes up in Triumph He's really as he walked back to find his disciples sleeping. He had overcome the temptation.
He had made up his mind to do what God wanted him to do. So he had to overcome that and it had to be a little discouraging to come through this triumphant moment of prayer and then to walk back and the disciples are sleeping.
For the third time he had to wonder what was going on in the midst of all that. Because he goes back there, you know, we have to realize that even says it in this passage that the reason they were sleeping is because they were so emotionally overwhelmed by what was going on. I mean, if you look at it from the disciples point of view, you know, they'd just been told by Christ that they were going to end up abandoning him. They were told that Peter was going to end up betraying him and that he would be arrested and he would go to the cross and that he would die on the cross. That had to be an informational overload for them and they had to be thinking that everything. They had been working for these last three years with Jesus had all come Crashing Down. Did their world had simply collapsed?
And I'm sure they were just exhausted and thinking that really they had nothing left to pray for. And they just collapsed out of exhaustion. But again, Jesus challenges them and he says why are you sleeping get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation again. He's trying to remind them you need to be prepared for the Temptation that's coming. The only way to prepare yourself as in prayer. Mark 14 41 says are you still sleeping and resting enough? The hour has come look the son of man is delivered into the hand of sinners. And Jesus was telling them there's no more time left to pray. The enemy is upon us. It's these things have been set in motion. It's going to be happening. It's going to be coming.
You know Christ was facing his enemy really already Victorious cuz he had defeated that temptation to not do what God need wanted him to do. But the reason he was concerned is because he knew the disciples were yet to face the Temptation that was coming their way.
And you know, I just love that picture of thinking of when Christ Rose from that prayer dripping with sweat. Heroes Victorious the devil really had already been defeated because he had defeated the temptation.
and to me that needs to be a reminder to each of us that you know, we Can defeat the enemy the same way Jesus did of taking it to the Lord in prayer and asking God to strengthen us? To beat whatever those Temptations are in our life to have power over them.
You know as Christ was approaching. That group of people that was coming towards him, you know, his Judas was coming towards him to kiss him. You know, I think about it man in our human nature. How would we all be acting at that point in time? we would be upset we'd be agitated we would be a million different things
plus I think of Christ. I think he was probably calm. He was probably settled he wasn't upset. I think we know that by when Peter slices off one of the chief priests servants ears. He tells him to stop and he heals it and puts it back on. Jesus knows that the victory is already won. So he can face all those events that are going to happen with confidence knowing that. With confidence knowing that no matter what happens to him. Everything is going to be okay because he's pursuing God's plan for him.
And you know, we all have to remember that same thing. If we've done our job of preparing ourselves in prayer as we Face temptation. we know we can face it with confidence because if we're seeking what God's will is no matter what comes our way. No matter of their struggles the battles that will go on. We're going to be able to Triumph in the end. Because we're submitting to God and to his will in our lives.
And you know, it's like I thought about that. You know, it's very true. of The stuff were doing as a church as what we're going through. We are in totally Uncharted Territory. And that's scary for a lot of us. There's not a minute of the day that probably goes by that I don't think about it and one aspect or another. It's a scary Prospect but
Without a doubt. I know it's what God wants us to pursue. We have to stay true to God's word. We have to stay strong and that respect. Is it scary? Yes it is.
You know what that scary things about when we did our budget this last year was We all realized that as far as our budget. Really? It was a shot in the dark because we're starting a lot of new things branching out in a lot of new ways. And how do you plan for a budget things you haven't done yet? The things that you know are going to come. And that comes with a lot of challenges to it, you know, and we've started a lot of things this last year.
With hiring Bryce to come and do what he's doing with our you stand on Wednesday nights. But if you're hearing you see those kids like Connie said it's no doubt that it's worth the investment of what we're doing. And needed in our community.
But it's still scary. And you know you might have noticed is looking in your bulletins that unfortunately, we're running a little behind on things at the beginning of the year. You have lots of big yearly payments. at your household and in your church, so we're a little behind. And you know, we're going to try to figure out a better way to report some of that but this is just what we put in there for this week. But you know, it's something that I realized. It's scary. Cuz we're not just talking about more money to meet the budget. We're talking about more to meet all the stuff that's happening with the Des filiation and what's going on there and that can be scary. Don't know if you can go to the next slide. Melissa is at their yes. I made a lovely pie chart. If you can't see what the pie chart shows. the whole circle represents the cost of disaffiliation the orange slice represents what we have of that money so far. So out of the hundred $34,000 we have right around $17,000 probably will be a little more after today. And we're continuing to work that way. But she knows we talked at the meeting last week and we threw out some ideas. Of how we can do it. We talked about different ways if you know, what do we do? How do we Finance it and you know the next slide I threw up there cuz one of the ideas mentioned was well, what if we borrowed from ourselves and then paid those funds back? It's something we could do. The great portion represents if we used part of what setting in the endowment. If we do part of that mixed with the other we can have it down to we need to raise $47,000.
And then pay ourselves back, which is a lot lower interest rate than paying a bank back. The all things we have to look at and likes it. I know it's scary. But this is something we've been praying about talking about for a long time as a church and I think we all know with confidence Direction godliness. So we have no reason to be afraid. We just all have to do our part and I just encourage everyone to be thinking about how God is leading us to do this. Cuz we wanted to be something that we do in a way that honors got.
And you know really like said it's something you could be worried about cuz oh no, we've been short in our general fund. Oh, no, we got a raise this large amount of money.
But you know, I'm really not worried about it. I'm confident that God is going to do it one way or the other. We just have to trust and Faithfully continue to pursue. When I said that I think about it probably not every minute of the day. I'm not worrying about it. about it as how Do I help everyone here? Not to worry about it? To get to the place where they feel comfortable with it where they know. This is what God's helping us to pursue. and to trust that God is going to provide during this time. You know, I wonder that and then exciting little things happen like coffee mugs. Somebody's way of contributing and helping and providing and you know, it's going to be a little things that add up to get us through all of this. So my prayer is that all of us would be praying that God would help us fight temptation, but also just to fight the temptation to worry about things. But he already has under control, please bow with me in prayer.
Most gracious heavenly father. I thank you for the many blessings that you give us. Lord I Thank you for all that you provide us as a church and Lord I pray that you will just help us to be good stewards and managers of that.
But Lord that we would just have a laser focus on your will for us as a church Lord on the needs of our community and how you're going to use us. to help meet those learned that that would be our top priority in our biggest concern. Of how to carry out the mission you put before us. and Lord I pray that has We go throughout our week that you will help all of us to continually be in prayer. so that Lord whenever Temptation comes it doesn't find us unprepared. We pray this all in your most. Holy name. Amen.