Dealwithit
Title: I have to deal with this
Text: Mark 14:32-42
Introduction: Everybody at some point in there life has to deal with something they don’t what to deal with. You didn’t choose it, it chose you. Better yet, God chose you deal with this certain situation that you want to run away from but you can’t. You may be dealing with an issue that weighs so heavy on you, that you feel that world is on your shoulders and you are about to collapse because it too much for you to bear. What do you do when you know you can’t run from but you have to embrace it?
Background: Our story starts on Passover evening where Jesus and his disciples are in the upper room. It is here that Jesus foretells of his death using bread and wine of this last supper as metaphoric symbols. As they ate, He took the bread and said this is my body which broken for you. Then he takes the wine and tells them this is the New Testament in my blood which was the blood covenant He was making. Then He tells them that He would not take the fruit of the wine until He comes into the Kingdom of God. After this they sung a hymn of praise called a hallel which a customary song of praise before they went out to the Mount of Olives, a place He often went of for solace. As they were going Jesus tells the disciples they all would desert him because the prophecy had to be fulfilled about His life, “I will smite the shepherd and the sheep will scatter”. Just minute ago, Jesus was just praising of God. Next, He is talking about the trouble as about to have. My beloved anytime you have a high time in the Lord, the enemy will always try to bring trouble your way to break your spirit. But after the trouble comes you will rise like Jesus. This was His promise to His disciples. All of the disciples had a deep concern about what He prophesied. But one of his disciples opened his mouth a little too soon and spoke prematurely of his loyalty to Jesus. (Does anybody got and big mouth friends like that? They are not around when the chips go down).
They get to a place called Gethsemane. The name means oil press. This is the place where olives where crushed to produce oil. Oil is symbol of joy. A lot of us can really understand this concept because before we had joy in our lives we got crushed! It is here that Jesus was crushed to endure the joy that was set before him. He tells that disciples to sit here while I pray. However, he leaves 8 outside the garden but He takes three the hard way with Him, Peter, James and John. This was his inner circle. They were with him on the Mount of Transfiguration, and at Jairus house. But now he takes them with him into the garden. Whenever you are in a crisis is always good to have people close to you praying. Also, whenever you are up against difficult situation that cause your emotions to run the gamut, it is good to have people close to you so you can get out your feelings. Verse 33 says that Jesus began to be deeply distressed and troubled. He says to them according to the Message bible “I feel bad enough right now to die. Stay here and keep vigil with me.” Jesus is confronted with the biggest challenge in His human life. Here in the garden of Gethsemane we see Jesus’ full humanity. He is so overwhelmed about what he was about to deal with that he felt like dying. Is there anybody who ever had a problem that was so bad that they felt like dying? We have all had problems but they are some that make you want to die (name some). Though you may have people to share your problems with, it is not there problem it is yours. They may know all about your trouble. They may be sympathetic about your problem but they are not the ones who are losing sleep over it. This leads us to our first point. When you have a crisis, you are going to have deal with it …
I. Alone
Verse 35 says that Jesus went a little farther. Here at His time of crisis, he separates from loved ones a goes a little farther. At this place of prayer, he must go ahead so he can really be with God. He is now alone but he is not lonely. There are times when we can no longer talk to people about our problems because they may not be able to handle what we have to say. People can not always handle our humanity especially when we are in great pain. That is why you have get by your self and talk to God because he can handle it and He won’t judge you like people and doubt your faith. This leads us to our second point. When you are in a crisis it is ok to…
II. Agonized with God about your situation.
The text says that he fell on the ground and prayed that he would not have to deal with this thing that hour pass from him. Has anybody ever prayed like that before? Notice his position of agony. He fell to the ground. This word in Greek is pipto which to descend from a higher place to a lower place. He humbled himself in a prostrate position of worship and cast his cares before God. Sometimes on your knees is not enough you have fall down on your face a worship God. When we cast our cares before God, His word promises that he cares for us! He will give us what we need to make it. Next, look how Jesus prays. He prayed a prayer of petition. In verse 36, He says Abba father which means daddy. This tells us when we are in a time of crisis there is no time for formalities when it comes to God. You need Him personally and intimately. But we have a bigger problem here some of us don’t know what a daddy is or we hate our daddy so it is hard see God as daddy. You have to remember when your earthly daddy failed you, your Heavenly daddy picked you up! Jesus agonizes with God about his crisis. Daddy please do something about it. Take this cup from me. The cup is a reference to God’s wrath. Jesus was about take on the wrath of God for stuff he did not do. But he accepted so we can be blessed. The crisis you are going thru may not be for you. Maybe you are suffering so you children don’t have to. Jesus in his humanity does not want to go to cross. Nobody in there right mind wants pain. But sometimes it is in the will of God. Look how Jesus accepts his plight. He says “nevertheless not what I will, but thou wilt”. Jesus shows us that God’s will is greater than our desire. We have to be willing to submit to the will of God for the greater good. We have to get to the place of nevertheless. Have ever been to place of nevertheless? It is the place where you relinquish all of who you are and embrace all of Him. It is the place of self abandonment and the place of an eternal “yes Lord”. Nevertheless…this may kill but I am going anyhow. Nevertheless, it may break my heart but your will be done Nevertheless.
Next, we see a shift in focus of the text from Jesus to the disciples. This shift both warns and admonishes the Church. After Jesus prays, he goes to the 3 disciples who are suppose be watching and praying meaning keep you spiritual eye open during these dangerous times, but he finds them asleep which leads up to our next point…
III. In the time crisis there is no time fall asleep.
In verse 37, Jesus directs his focus on the disciple’s. He addresses the big mouth one. He calls Peter by his old name, Simon. Peter was his new name. Matt 16:18 says “thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”. Jesus called him by his old name because he was now expressing his old nature and not the faith that revealed who Jesus was to him. Jesus says “you went to sleep on me, you could not stay awake for an hour”. Peter is symbolic of the church. In the time of crisis, Jesus is says to the church you went to sleep on me. The church has been sleep too long and things have been getting by us that cause the church to be weak and stumble. Look at verse 38. Jesus is telling Peter, the church to watch and pray or you will enter into temptation. This means sin will seep in and destroy you. Jesus then says that spirit is willing or eager to watch. Your spirit wants to do right. But your flesh is weak. Paul says in Romans that there is not good thing in me. The church is weak because we have a flesh issue and not enough Spirit. More people come to church because they can fulfill their flesh than they come for things of the Spirit. The disciples fell asleep while they should have been praying. They were with Jesus himself and fell asleep. Somebody maybe saying how is that possible? I can prove it right now. Somebody under the sound of my voice is fighting sleep right now. The enemy doesn’t want you to get a word. But as you soon as the benediction is over, you are wide awake ready go get something to eat or watch the ball game. The spirit is willing but you flesh is weak. After Jesus finds the disciples sleeping a third time, he says to them “enough is enough the time has come that the Son of Man is betrayed”. Notice the transformation in Jesus’ attitude resulting from prayer. He went from wanting the time to pass to the time is here and is it alright with Him. This tells us prayer may not change your situation but it will change you. It will make you stronger when you weak. It will make you calm when you are in a storm. It will make you see when you are blind. Prayer will change you! This transformation in Jesus’ attitude leads us to our last point.
IV. Advance to meet your enemy
You have to meet your crisis head on.
Verse 42 says “rise up, let us go to enemy”. What do you mean let us go to the enemy? The enemy wants to take my life. Should I be running from him? One thing that Mark misses in the account that Luke details is that while Jesus was praying, angels came to give him strength. God will send ministering angels to strengthen you to face your enemy and not run. God did no give you a spirit of fear when it comes to dealing with your enemy but He gave you power, love and a sound mind! Therefore, I don’t have run from my enemies I run to them. You can go into action accept what is before knowing that No weapon from against me shall prosper!
Celebration: My brothers and my sisters, I am here to tell you in the time of your crisis you will make and you will endure, and you will be victorious. You can deal with it. You may be feeling the weight of the world pressing down on you. You may feel that you are being crush by your present situation. If you are feeling like this you ought to praise God because are in Gethsemane, the oil press. Olive oil is sign of God’s anointing. When life is pressing you all that means is God is anointing you. The more pain the more anointing. The more you are crushed more oil is coming out. It is the anointing the breaks the yoke of bondage! His anointing is the Holy Ghost working in your life! You have anointed for this!