Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s Got This

We are doing a study on John chapter 17.It is known as the High Priestly prayer.It is just a rich chapter in the Bible.And what I really like about it is that we get a glimpse of how Jesus prayed and what He prayed.From that I believe we can learn a lot.As a bonus this chapter is just loaded with good doctrine about our salvation or what we call the gospel and also about our relationship with The Father, The Son and each other.Last week we studied a little introduction to prayer.What our main take home from last week was to learn that prayer is taking a little holiday from this world to heaven and talking to our heavenly Father.That simple.

We all learn to do this on a daily basis which will keep us ready to live life.This morning as we get started we will go a little deeper.We will be looking at what to pray.But before we get started I need a little help again.I need __________ to come and help.I have a question for you.If right now you knew that right after church, when you walk out that door there will be police outside that are going to arrest you, you are going to go straight to the courthouse where quite a few people are going to be waiting and they are going to make all kinds of false claims against you.At the end the judge is going to pass judgement and they are going to beat you and then put you to death.“Got

that?”

What would you pray?Another case.

You going to go to work tomorrow and when you get there the boss is going say that you have been accused of stealing.So he has no other choice but to suspend you without pay while the investigation is going on.That is a problem because you have no extra money, rent is due, school fees have to be paid and you have no fuel in the car or food in the fridge.How are you going to pray?The passage we are going to read this morning is that first situation.We get to see how Jesus prayed.I believe we can learn a lot.We will learn some doctrine today, but I also believe we should learn some very practical lessons on prayer too.You see many of us are going through tough times right now.Life is a challenge.

And we see what the day looks like.Money is tight, that often produces tension in relationships, it can cause family and friends to do things they would not ordinarily do.So how should we pray about them.Is it to just pray for change?Here is you take home for today.Do you know in most cases in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, you see very little of people praying for their circumstances to change.Our take home is to learn - “God’s Got this.”

We will learn what Jesus prayed when He was facing a big trial and we should learn to pray like Jesus.But it does start with knowing, “God’s Got This.”Read

The more I have this chapter the more I love it.For goodness sakes we get to see how Jesus prays.Maybe as we study and understand it we could end up like the disciples and have a real hunger to learn to pray.Jesus starts by saying, The hour has come.That phrase the hour has come has real meaning.When Jesus spoke about “The Hour” which He did on at least 4 to 5 occasions it always meant the time of His death.And Jesus knew exactly what that meant.He knew what was in store for Him, not just that He would be crucified but all that went with it.The mocking, the rejection and of course the pain.With knowing all of that we see how He prays.and of course for me the first glaring thing to see is that Jesus doesn’t pray to change His circumstances.Listen carefully because I don’t want you to misunderstand this.Just because you don’t see Jesus praying about His circumstances doesn’t mean that it is wrong to do that.If you are suffering, if you are in a bad situation, if you have no money or need helpIt is perfectly fine and healthy to pray for help.Ok, you all understand?

Say “I understand.”There is something else we need to see.Jesus also knew that life isn’t just Random.Let me explain.From the time that Jesus started His ministry, when He did His first miracle of turning water into wine.He spoke of His hour.

When Mary asked Him to fix the situation at the wedding He replied, What does this have to do with me.Meaning this is not what I’m here for.Then said my hour has not yet come.

He knew He was here for a purpose.Even more He knew that His Father was in control of all this.That’s why in John chapter 7 when the religious leaders wanted to arrest Him, he wasn’t worried because says

And a similar situation in John chapter 8:20.

He was making claims about god being HIs Father and it upset the religious leaders and they wanted to arrest Him but they couldn’t.

Jesus understood one huge thing about His life.God’s Got This.Nothing would happen to Him that His Father didn’t know about.I believe this is a huge lesson for us to learn.God does have plans and purposes for all of us.And as His children nothing is going to thwart His plans.A good passage to learn is

This is one of those verses that helps us understand the power of God.I believe it why Jesus could pray the way He did.God is in a category all of His own.

There is no one like HimHe can do what He wants whenever He wants.His plans and purposes will come about.Why bad things happen, I can’t explain.But what is evident is that God is in controlNothing would happen to Jesus before The Hour came.That’s why Jesus doesn’t pray to change it, make it easier, give it to someone else.What He actually prayed is Glorify Your Son.And in this case that means, bring about your plan.

You know what He was doing.

Let your Kingdom Come, let your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.Let’s talk some application here.What is your belief about God?See I think we can tell a lot about what we believe about God by the way we pray.When we spend all our time praying for our circumstances to change, God to provide more for us, God to provide better for us.In a sense what we are doing is saying, I’m not sure God knows what He is doing.I’m not sure God knows how to be God and so I better give Him some advice.Jesus knew, Paul knew and we need to learn.God’s Got This.Start from that place.Then acknowledge that God’s got this.God I know you understand my situation, you know what’s going on, you have lessons for me to learn.And I’m glad you are my God and Father.Help me to trust you.Here is the big one.

Father bring about what you want in the situations I am in.Because that is what Jesus prayed when He prayed glorify your son.Bring it about.Often

I think we end up frustrated in prayer because we want to be God not pray for God’s will to be done.We should pray like Jesus, God bring about what you want.That only comes as we know that God’s Got This.There is a part to two to this.While Jesus prayed this way look what His desire was.As you bring about your plan for me:Let me glorify you.Jesus was less concerned about changing His circumstances than He was doing well through them.He wanted to make sure God was glorified as He went through what God had planned for Him.That is a hard place to get to.See I think most of us think about our comfort or what we want more than we want to make sure God is glorified in what we go through.That’s why we pray for change.That’s why we pray for comfort.Jesus just prayed.

Be glorified as my hour has come.Let me act in a way that I complete what you gave me to do and do it in a way that brings glory to you.Imagine if that’s how you started to pray.No matter what your situation is.Father help me to go through this in a way that brings glory to you.Again I’m not saying don’t ever pray for change.Remember Jesus prayed: Father if possible let this cup pass from me but not my will your will be done.That’s ok, but what we often do, claiming change, believing for a new outcome, releasing life, demanding God do what His Word saysThat’s just not what we learn from Jesus.He knew God’s Got This, So Father bring about what you want in my life and let me do it in a way that brings glory to you.What is so amazing to me is when I pray that way and really mean it there is the most incredible peace that comes not frustration.But to get there we need to start with that one big truth.God’s Got This - He knows what you face and together He will take you through it.