The Way of Prayer

Introduction

Christ in the Garden - praying the night before his betrayal.

Glory is a key word in this text.

1. Bring Glory to God by Obeying his Word

John 17:1–5 NIV

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Jesus looked up - a normal posture for prayer.

“Father” is the simple address.

Glory WS

Christ glorified God by doing the work he gave him to do.

We glorify God by doing what Jesus gave us to do.

Christ’s “work” is giving eternal life to all who choose to follow him.

That life is defined as knowing God and Christ, his Son. And the second part is sharing that love with others.

Isn’t that our role too?

Christ summarized the teaching of the Law with two concepts: love God and love Others.

Is this possible? Yes, because of the unity of the Godhead and our inclusion into the Body of Christ.

One of the drawbacks of American culture is a sense of individualism. We take these words to be about me rather than us.

Q: How do we encourage one another in obedience and faith?

2. Bring Glory to God by Believing his Works.

John 17:6–19 NIV

6 “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. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

This section shares some of the transformation that comes from belief.

Initial Belief comes from seeing Christ and accepting his words. (8)

As part of the Family, God offers protection during adversity.

Have you heard of Lawnmower parents?

God is not a lawnmower parent.

(Jesus was rescued and protected even through death.)

We are protected by the name of Jesus.

Not that we are protected by being taken out of the world, but by being protected within it. (15)

All of Christ’s miracles came in the midst of some trouble.

a family’s reputation was at stake (water to wine)

a crowd was hungry (feeding of the 5,000)

a man was blind (Jesus brought him sight)

a man was dead (Lazarus’ resurrection)

We grow in faith by observing Jesus work and by accepting his words.

Graph Bible Search Results

Graph Bible Search Results

Belief in the Scriptures (half are found in John and Acts)

In John that’s almost 5 per chapter.

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John 1:7 NIV

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.

John 1

John 2:11 NIV

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

John 4:41 NIV

41 And because of his words many more became believers.

John 14:11 NIV

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

John 20:30–31 NIV

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20:31 NIV

31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Evidence for the Resurrection:

John 20:30-31

- The Apostles wrote about it as fact.

(Chuck Colson said that 12 men in Watergate couldn’t hide their lie for a few weeks. The disciples held their views for the rest of their lives and died for the truth)

- Manuscripts and historical accuracy.

- The Apostles died for their beliefs.

Chuck Colson said that 12 men in Watergate couldn’t hide their lie for a few weeks. The disciples held their views for the rest of their lives and died for the truth.

- The Number and Quality of Supportive Witnesses

1 Corinthians 15:6 NIV

6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

- The startling transformation in the Apostles

Peter’s sermon

Apostle’s experienced floggings, imprisonment, persecution, death.

- No reasoned rebuttal

- The 2,000 years of Christianity

The resurrection is the most evidenced event from ancient times.

Q: If the transformation of the disciples is a significant evidence for the reality of the resurrection, where does your life show this transformation?

3. Bring Glory to God by Uniting in Love with One Another.

Unite

John 17:20–26 NIV

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

John 17:20-2

Our unity is modeled after the Unity of the Godhead. (21)

When the world sees that we are united to Christ they will believe (21)

When the world sees that we are united with one another they will believe (23)

Our love for one another is the greatest 21st century witness to the power of the resurrection.

We have a history of care and compassion for people going through tough times. Way to go!

We have a church with differing views on many secondary beliefs, but we maintain our unity. (Unity is not uniformity)

We are a church that has historically set aside our own comforts for the sake of reaching others with the love and message of Jesus.

Conclusion:

Transforming Lives to Know and Follow Christ.