06PM August 27 John 17 6_19

August 27, 2006—Evening Worship

Praying Like Jesus

Observations about Prayer

John 17:6-19

Intro:  If you’re like me, you can learn a lot about something by watching someone else do it. You can make observations by watching closely exactly how they do something & when they do it.

We were not born into the kingdom of God knowing how to pray. That’s something we had to learn how to do. So do you ever kneel or close your eyes to pray for someone & just not know what to say? Jesus gives us wonderful insight into how we should pray for others. That insight comes from making observations about the way Jesus prayed.

We’re going to read John 17:6-19 as our text tonight, & I’m going to share a few of my observations w/you & we’re going to trust the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to teach us to pray like Jesus.

Jesus knows how to pray & we desperately need to pray for the power of God & the wisdom of God & the will of God to flood our hearts & minds that our lives would be lived for the glory of God Almighty!

So let’s learn how to pray like Jesus from John 17:6-19 READ.

1. Jesus was a Reflector. Jesus said in v. 6, "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of this world."

- The Greek word for "manifested" literally means "to make clear, to make visible," that is, to make something so plain that everyone can see it and understand it exactly.

- Jesus basically said, "While I have been w/these disciples whom You've given me, my first task was to reveal You--to make You clear, to make You plain, to make You understandable."

- He gives a footnote, that they "kept" His Word.

- This Greek verb means to stand guard over someone, to prevent them from escaping.

- Do we keep His Word? Do we watch over it, guard it, & obey it?

2. Jesus was a Teacher. In v. 8 Jesus said, "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me and they have received them. . . ."

- In John 6:21, after Jesus had just walked on the water, the text explains that the disciples "received" Jesus into the boat.

- The same word for "received" is used in both texts.

- This word means to receive something personally and individually so you can incorporate it into your life.

- Is that what you do w/the word of God? Is that what you’ve done w/Jesus?

- Have you taken to word of God (written & Living) & received Him in your life?

3. Jesus was an Intercessor. Again in v. 9, Jesus said, "I pray for them. . . ."

- This is the heart of the passage. Before we read it, Jesus prayed for 2 things specifically.

- #1. He prayed that the disciples would be protected from the world.

- #2. He prayed that they would be sanctified.

- Jesus meant something like this: "Since I'm leaving the world and I'm going to You, My prayer is that You would guard them & protect them from the world so that they might be one as we are one."

- Jesus completed His thought in v. 17 when He asked God to sanctify the disciples by His truth, that is, His Word.

- The only successful way to be protected from the world is through God's Word.

4. Jesus was a Sender. v. 18 says, ". . . I also have sent them into the world."

- Jesus meant something like this: "I'm going away, I want them to be one w/You, so that they will be protected from the world."

- He then finished His prayer with, "Yes, I want them to be protected from the world, but not withdrawn from the world. In fact, I am sending them into the world."

- What is our mission to the world? It's not to live only on the defensive, nor is it to actively condemn the world.

- Our mission is to bring a message of hope, salvation, forgiveness, and deliverance to the world (John 3:16­17 READ).

Application Questions:

1. How Do We Glorify God?

- v. 4 reveals that Jesus brought God glory through doing His work.

- We can glorify God in 2 ways: 1st, by making God clear to those around us, that is, by explaining God to them; 2nd by sharing God's Word.

2. How Should We Respond to God's Word?

- 2 verbs we looked at earlier help us w/that question. 1st, we’re to guard God's Word and protect it. 2nd, we’re to receive it into our life.

3. How Should We Pray for Ourselves and for Others?

- We ought to be praying for at least 2 things: protection from the world and sanctification through the truth.

- Praying for others should sound something like, "Lord, protect them from the world, and protect them from the evil one. Make them holy through Your Word."

4. How Do We Overcome the World?

- Get as close to God as you possibly can. Jesus said something like this, "Protect them by the power of Your name so that they may be one, one with the Father against the world, one with the Father overcoming the world."

- The closer we get to God, the greater is the power to overcome the attractions and the temptations of the world.

5. How Do We Respond to this Message Overall?

- 1st, we need to protect and stand guard over God's Word.

- 2nd, we need to receive it into our lives. We need to embrace it and let it become a part of our lives.

- 3rd, we need to live the Word. It's not just hearing the Word, it's obeying the Word that changes us.

- 4th, we need to share the Word.

Conclusion:  Jesus was a reflector of God to the world & that’s what He has called & equipped us to be & to do. Jesus was a teacher, proclaiming the word of God & we too have been given that task to carry out. Jesus was an intercessor, praying for others to be protected & sanctified & we are to do the same. & Jesus was a sender, making sure that His disciples took His message to the ends of the earth. & our commission is to do nothing less!

          Will you be a reflector of God? Will you be a teacher of His word? Will you be an intercessor for others? Will you go & be part of the greatest sending agency the world has ever known?

Invitation:  These questions must be answered from your heart. & the best way to know your heart is to ask God to reveal to you it’s true condition & concerns.

          Would you do that right now? Would you ask God to reveal your heart to you & would you ask Him for the burden to be a reflector that teaches & intercedes & sends for the glory of God & the salvation & sanctification of others?

Hymn 281 Speak to My Heart