41 Mark 14: Preaching/Teaching

Sleeping Giant

SERMON BRIEF

Rhetorical Sermon Outline

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A. Foundational Elements

1. Sermon Title (in quotation marks; headline capitalization style):”A Sleeping Giant”

2. Text: Mark 14:32-42

3. Subject (in one or two words--or as a short phrase, but not a sentence): Prayer

4. ETS (Essence of the Text in a Sentence--state in the past tense): Jesus’s prayer enabled him to be faithful to his mission while his disciples slept.

5. ESS (Essence of the Sermon in a Sentence--also called the Proposition; do not state in the past tense): You can be learn from Jesus and pray like a watchman

6. OSS (Objective of the Sermon in a Sentence--state in terms of what hearerswill do as a result of this sermon): Hearers will pray for God’s will to be done in their life.

B. Formal Elements

Introduction

1. Story about Pup. I did not do what I was supposed to do.

2. When I think about the American Church I think about three things. How God has used American Church, the revivals that this country has had, the missionaries we have sent and the great works we have done. Then I think about all the stuff it has. Great budgets, programs and a ton of stuff. Then I think about how the Church is not relevant like it was even 20 years ago and I ask why. With all the stuff, we have been missing our greatest resource: Prayer. I am challenged by the passage tonight because prayer needs to be greater in my life as well. I can read the Bible all the time but prayer is one of the hardest disciplines in my own life. Prayer is hard work.

Quote from a prayer book:

The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.F.B. Meyer

Prayer is not a part of the ministry it is the ministry.

3. Watchmen- watchmanA person stationed on the highest part of a city wall to warn inhabitants of an approaching enemy or messenger; also a person who kept watch over pastures, vineyards and sheep. The OT prophets were spiritual watchmen, warning the people of Israel of God’s judgment.[a]

-“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”

God wants prayer to steer your faith and a lot of times instead of it steering our faith it is just a spare tire.

We don’t make time for prayer with the Lord Jesus Christ?

Many churches do not even have prayer meetings anymore.

We are not desperate for God in prayer like we should be.

Body

This potentially is the most important prayer in the entire Bible. Think about this if this does not happen Jesus does not die for the sins of the world. This Church is not here.

Watchman must follow Jesus’ example of prayer:

I. by battling Temptation (32-35).

32 They *came to a place named Gethsemane; and He *said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.”

33 And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.

34 And He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”

35 And He went a little beyond them,and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by.

Explanation:

[Setting and Verse] Jesus came to preach the gospel. However, we have to realize he is the gospel he was going to be the Passover lamb. If you know your Bible the Passover lamb started back in the Old Testament. God used Moses to deliver his people. The last plague was called the Passover feast. God was going to take your first-born son unless you slaughtered a lamb and put the blood on your doorpost God would Passover your son. If you believed God’s word and placed your faith in him, you would put blood on the door post. Jesus was going to become the Passover lamb. **Gospel**. Today if we will put our faith in the lamb of God, God will Passover judgment on us and put it on his son and give us a relationship with him and life forever.

Jews all over would come and have this meal. IN this chapter Jesus just had his Passover meal. This would be the last Passover meal because after this Jesus would be their Passover. So, in this chapter we see that Judas is the betrayer. But in him betraying Jesus all the other disciples say Jesus we would never betray you. Jesus says in v. 27, “You will all fall away”. Then he tells Peter directly that he will deny him three times.

How do we battle temptation?

1.We have to be authentic

Jesus was completely honest. The English uses the words distressed and troubled to the point of death. The word distressed means- 25.210 ἐκθαμβέομαι: to be greatly astounded, with either positive or negative reactions—‘to be amazed, to be astounded, to be alarmed.’ [b]

Jesus was about to die for the sins of the world, he was about to be disconnected from his father. God the Father and God the Son had always been together from all eternity to pay for the sins of the world. Dying physically was not the worst part, being apart from his father was. Then on top of that he was going to experience the wrath of God. This cup he talks about were the sins of the world and the reason only he could take it is because only he was perfect. He was in so much agony that he wanted to die. He was sweating blood.

Think about this Jesus was honest to his father and to sinful men. But many times, Church is the place we are not authentic. I mean we could have just had a drag down fight with our wife on the way to Church. I means she wants to leave you and you get to church and someone asks you how are you doing and you say, “life could not be better.

Illustration- Time I went to an AA meeting with my dad. They were honest.

Some of us tonight are struggling with some real issues: They could be health related, it could financial, it could be relational a severed relationship [Maybe there is someone you need to forgive], it could be a purity issue. But are we being real with God and those who are closest to us. Church have we created an authentic environment. Because if we have not we are not fooling God. If we are not real with our sin and our struggles and our temptations we are not going to be what God wants us to be Church.

How do we battle temptation?

2. Being desperate in prayer (35)

Indeed, I would venture to aver that prayerlessness is the most evident and endemic sin in our religious life. We cannot hope for a heaven-sent revival without prevailingprayer.[c]

The greatest sin we have as believers is our prayerlessness. Jesus was desperate in prayer. And many times we are not. One of the main reasons we are not desperate we do not think we need God.

Jesus knew exactly what God had called him to do and he was tempted. Now let’s be clear on something temptation is not sin. Joseph was tempted to sleep with Potiphar’s wife but he ran. We are all tempted. Jesus was tempted to not die on the cross for sinful men. What has God called you to do. We know that if you are a Christian he has called you to love God with all your heart and should and might and to love your neighbor as yourself and to make disciples. Are you praying that you will do that better? But maybe he has called you to do something specific. Satan wants to tempt you not to do what God has called you to do. Some of you here are called to specific things it maybe a ministry at this church, it may be an outreach ministry. Some of you are called to something specific with your family. Are you praying about that right now. You see Jesus gives us this great example and we need to follow.

Notice he prayed something that would not be granted. But he prayed. Did you know that God is not worried about how we sound as much as he is that we will pray? Now some in here you are prayer warriors, and some sound good when they pray. Jesus is being extremely real with his father. He wants to die he is troubled and distressed. The more we know someone the more honest we are with them. Jesus knew his father for all eternity and he is saying I do not want to do this. Are you praying with God as if you have a two way relationship?

Right now we feel God leading us to plant a Church and I am tempted to run the other way. God I don’t know how I am going to get paid, I don’t know where the Church is going to be. I don’t know where we are going to live. God if you are calling us to do this I am trusting in you. I need to pray. We need to pray.

Application:

How are you doing battling temptation through prayer.

Are you being authentic with God? Are you praying that you will do God’

Watchmen must follow Jesus’ example of prayer:

II. By praying God’s Will (36).

36 And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.”

How do we pray God’s will?

1. By being with God before doing for God.

14:35–36. “Abba” is the Aramaic word for “Papa,” a term of great intimacy and affectionate respect. It was normally the first word a child would utter, but adults could use it for their fathers as well, and students sometimes used it of their teachers. Perhaps because it implied such intimacy, Jewish people never used it of God (though they did call him a heavenly father) except in an occasional parable by a charismatic teacher.[d]

Jesus is the only begotten son, but the Bible tells us that if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we are adopted into his family.

In Mark 2:5 When Jesus forgives the paralytic he calls him Son

What do you call God? Are you close to him or just a casual acquaintance? I wonder if these disciples needed to see from Jesus just how close he was to the father. Disciples if you are going to be my watchman you have to be this close to me. If you are not going to deny me you have to stay close to me.

John 15:15- “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

My dad and I have a real relationship. Some of my fondest memories are of just hanging out with him as a senior in High school at nights. We would usually just watch b-ball and talk. My dad is not a perfect man but he is an awesome father. Our heavenly father is even greater than the best dad here.

How we pray reveals how close we are to God?

Disciples if you are going to be my workers you have to pray intimately.

We have direct access to the father now because of Jesus Christ. And he is a loving father.

How do we pray God’s will?

2. We trust that his will brings the most glory.

Notice how big Jesus view is of the father. All things are possible for you. Not my will but your will be done. Many of us think that God’s greatest plan for our life is to make our life as easy as possible. Problem free. But God’s will for our life is to bring glory to him. That we would shine his glory to everyone we come into contact with. Jesus was saying I would rather have no cross. But if the cross is going to be what brings you the most glory then I will go there. I will do that. I will even rejoice in that is what Hebrews tells us. What if our prayers instead of asking for stuff from God, and let me be clear it is not bad to ask God for stuff? But what if our prayers to God also included God I want this so you will be glorified in my life more.

Illustration: Tim Chung story when they came to the United States and they lost their father. She wrote Romans 8:28 on the tombstone

AW Tozer

Father, I want to know Thee, but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen.[e]

Application:

Church we look good compared to most churches in America. But can I be honest with you the standard is not very high. One of the reasons the Church in America is not changing American is because it is praying the opposite of Jesus. Church what if we started praying God we have some preferences but our greatest preference is for your will to be done.

Watchmen must follow Jesus’ example of prayer:

III. Continually watching and praying (37-38)

37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

38 “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words.

Jesus gives his disciples three imperatives: to sit while he prays (32), remain here and watch (34), watch and pray (38).

We do not graduate from prayer. The more we grow as believers the more we should use it.

27.56 γρηγορέωb: (a figurative extension of meaning of γρηγορέωa‘to stay awake,’ 23.72) to be in continuous readiness and alertness to learn—‘to be alert, to be watchful, to be vigilant.’ γρηγορεῖτε, στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει ‘be alert, stand fast in the faith’ 1 Cor 16:13.

He wanted his disciples to see how to stay faithful to him.

These disciples who were going to be the men who changed the world failed Jesus when he needed him the most. Good thing that Jesus doesn’t need us we need him but they had a lesson that they needed to learn. That they needed to keep watching and praying.

The disciple’s loyalties were about to be challenged and Jesus challenged and modeled what they needed to do in order to stay faithful to him. They were warned about his upcoming death. Through watching and praying to the father not my will but your will. But Jesus closes friends tried on their own strength and as a result could not even stay awake during their masters most desperate moment. Instead of standing with Jesus they were indifferent and in reality, were not there for him in his greatest need.

What did Jesus want his disciples to learn from Gethsemane (34, 37 & 38)?

1. You have to fight God’s battles God’s ways.

Illustration: If you are in the military and you got called up to battle you would not bring a squirt gun. You would bring an AK 47. But we try to fight God’s battles the worlds way. Now there is a practical side to ministry. You have to have money and budgets and everything else. However, the way you fight God’s battles is not the way you fight the worlds.

If you are like me there are times when we make promises to God but we just cannot follow through on them. God I am going to _____. Then we don’t do it. Or God help me stop doing ________. That’s what the disciples were doing they wanted to do it but they were not following through.

You got to keep watching and praying.

Did you know that we have something that the disciples did not have. Now it is true that they did have Jesus, but we have the Holy Spirit that indwells us.

What did Jesus want his disciples to learn from Gethsemane (34, 37 & 38)?

2. That we are all capable of denying Jesus if we don’t watch and pray

Have you ever said or heard someone say something to this extent? I would never do what he did. Well that is what Peter was saying, Jesus I would never deny you like Judas. Jesus then tells him yes you would and then goes onto deny him three times just like Jesus predicted. If all 12 disciples are capable of denying Jesus then any of us could deny him.

Great thing is that we do not hold Jesus, but rather Jesus holds us.

Jesus prays for this hour and now it is game time he is handed over to his captors to be slaughtered. WOW.

Conclusion

1. Church are we sleeping? Maybe we are not denying Jesus out loud but maybe we are denying him by our lifestyles.

2.What if we

3.

C. Notes

1. The number of points may vary within the formal elements from the numbers shown above.

2. All main points (i.e., I, II, etc.) in the sermon body outlinemust be referenced to the text (e.g., I. The Motive of Salvation, John 3:16a; II. The Means of Salvation, John 3:16b).

3. Write all sermon body main points in headline capitalization style (e.g., The Motive of Salvation). Write all lesser points under the main points in sentence capitalization style.

Application question:

Corrie Ten Boom I will do whatever even if it is living when I want to go home.

[a] Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser. [b] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 311). New York: United Bible Societies. [c] Elliff, T. D. (1998). A passion for prayer : experiencing deeper intimacy with God (p. 9). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books. [d] Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 14:35–36). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [e] Tozer, A. W. (2006). The Pursuit of God (p. 30). Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread.