Jesus is Praying for You!

Title: Jesus is Praying for You!

MSG

(31) So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose?

(32) If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?

(33) And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen?

(34) Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.

(35) Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

(36) They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

(37) None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us.

(38) I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow,

(39) high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Robert Brown was the owner of the fishing boat the Andrea Gail, which was lost at sea in 1991 in what became known as “the perfect storm.” Six fishermen, along with the captain, died in the tragedy. When later asked about the incident, Brown reported to the Boston Globe, “What got me worried is that there were no communications for such a long time.”

B. Storms of life come at us all. Jesus faced them, and so did his disciples. A vital factor in any storm is communication. This raises the question, “What does Jesus do when we are facing the sometimes crashing and chaotic times in life?”

C. Today we will consider the unshakable hope in the promise that Jesus is praying for us when we face life’s intense struggles.

As Paul wrote, “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” ( NIV).

II. TEACHING A. Jesus teaches that we will face the storms of life.

“In this world you will have trouble” ( NIV).

Jesus is not being pessimistic in saying this but realistic.

1. Jesus himself faced troubles (storms) of all kinds.

a. His family thought he was out of his mind. “When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is o ut of his mind’” ( NIV).

b. His closest friends deserted him at his arrest. “Then everyone deserted him and fled” ( NIV).

c. His own people rejected him. “Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, ‘ Crucify him! Crucify him!’” ( NIV).

d. As the author of Hebrews wrote, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was he ard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered” ( NIV).

2. Jesus’ followers will face storms.

“For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to s uffer for him” ( NIV).

a. Peter and John were put in jail for proclaiming the message of Jesus. “They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day” ( NIV).

b. Stephen was put to death for his belief in Christ. “At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him” ( NIV).

c. The early church was persecuted. “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem” ( NIV).

d. Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned for sharing the gospel of Christ. “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods” ( NIV).

B. Jesus intercedes for us as we encounter the storms of life.

1. The verb intercedes means “to make specific requests or petitions before someone.”

2. In , we read how Jesus interceded for his disciples, who faced a real-life threatening storm on the Sea of Galilee.

a. Jesus directed his disciples to get in the boat and to cross the sea. “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side” (verse 22 NIV).

b. The disciples soon faced gale-force winds and threatening waves. “The boat was . . . buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it” (verse 24 NIV).

c. Meanwhile, Jesus was alone on the mountain praying. “He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray” (verse 23 NIV).

d. Jesus saved the fearful disciples and sinking Peter from death. “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught [Peter]. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down” (verses 31–32 NIV).

e. The disciples’ response was to worship Jesus as the Son of God. “Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God’ ”(verse 33 NIV).

C. Jesus continues to intercede for us before the Father as we live out our days.

1. In , Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all of his followers.

a. “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word” (verse 6 NIV).

b. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message” (verse 20 NIV).

2. The Bible states that Jesus continues to intercede for us.

a. “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them” ( NIV).

b. “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus” ( NIV).

III. CONCLUSION

A. An unspoken assumption among Christians is often that they will “get a pass” on life’s troubles.

Many think they won’t or shouldn’t face storms. But the Bible— and Jesus himself—dispels that dangerous assumption.

How do you respond to the storms of life?

Are you surprised by them?

Do you get irritable with others?

Do you question God’s goodness?

What can you do to realistically face up to the storms of life? B. The owner of the Andrea Gail was alarmed by the lack of communication with the captain and crew of the boat in “the perfect storm.”

However, we can know that Jesus is always communicating to God for us when we face the storms.

1. How does this promise encourage you?

2. How does it encourage you to know that when Jesus speaks—all of heaven listens?

C. Jesus is sovereign over all storms. No one is promised a storm-free life, but we can all rest in the unshakable hope that Jesus is praying for us.

Song:

Ever Interceding!