08/21/2022 - Part 7 - God's Heartbeat on Abortion...For His Children

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes August 21, 2022 God’s Heartbeat on Abortion… for His Children Part 7 John 17: 20- 23 “I do not pray for these alone [the Apostles], but also for those [us]who will believe in Me through their [Apostle’s] word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 20 1 Cor 1:10-13 I’m of Paul, Apollos, Cephas Psalm 106: 1-3 (Amplified Bible) 1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever! When I have no mercy or mine runs out, God’s mercy endures forever.2 1 Philippians 3:15-16 15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) Start Here: GM GP This morning we’re finalizing our series on abortion. I want to pick up from where we left off on last Sunday where we came to discover Jesus’ true heartbeat with regards to His Church, His Children, and the likes of Abortion. Before we look at our core Scripture passage for today’s message, I want to recap a few of the points made last week which will help in setting up our key thoughts for today, plus catch everyone up who wasn’t with us last week. [Ready?] Last Sunday, I told you that Jesus saw a time when many things like political, social, racial, cultural, and religious indifference and unrest would come to test and divide His Church - the Body of Christ. He knew that that time would [one day] come and would cause even the very elect 2 to be polarized against each other over issues that were immaterial to what God’s greatest hope was for His children and the church. [That time is now]. Jesus knew His Followers would be challenged, even tempted, to put their politics before their faith, and their cultural, social, and racial interests before their Christian beliefs. Knowing this, He prayed a special prayer for our protection and our divine determination to remain unified as ONE at all costs. In John 17, we come to know what was most important to Jesus -- about His church and His Children. He prayed His ultimate priority as a prayer request, then He asked the Father to bless it. Of all the things Jesus could have asked for on our behalf, His Prayer Request was for our protection and unity! How many of you know that Jesus can get a prayer through? Turn with me to John Chapter 17. Here this chapter captures the words of what is known as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. In it, He first prays for Himself, next for His 12 Disciples, and finally a prayer for all Believers who would trust Christ as their Savior. This Chapter is a transitional chapter marking the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry and the beginning of His intercessory ministry for Believers. What this means is Jesus’ ministry focus is now shifting from earth to glory. He knows His departure from earth is near, so His greatest concern is to give His followers [who will remain on earth] the assurance that they are securely in God’s care. Let’s look at verse 11 (from the NIV). Here is the opening of Jesus’ prayer request to the Father for the 12: Praying to the Father, He said: 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 3 your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. Here is Jesus’ prayer request to the Father at the end of His time with the 11/12 Disciples before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. He prays: Holy Father, protect them (the 12) by the power of your name, the name you gave me, [here’s specifically how I want You to protect them – by the power of Your Unchallengeable / Immutable Name - so that [in other words, here is the purpose of the protection, that why such HIGH protection is needed; ] so that they may be one as we are one. Amazingly though, Jesus here is not praying for their physical protection. He’s actually praying for something more important than their physical protection. What is it? “That they may be one.” In Jesus’ eyes, our oneness as a body of Believers is more important than our very lives, our very interests, or the interests of what culture says is important. Jesus’ prayer request to the Father is: they may be one as we are one! Do you think God heard Jesus’ prayer and prayer request? Just to reiterate, the one thing that Jesus was most concerned about was their unity and their oneness-- because He knew as long as they were in lockstep together and in lockstep with His Heavenly Father the world would change. Jesus’ concern yesterday, today, and for generations to come was and is to protect the unity of Oneness among the living saints – the church. He knew that as long as the Oneness Unity was protected and preserved – the world would change. But if ever any generation of Believers were divided and splintered things would stall out. 4 Now, let’s look into Jesus’ prayer request and prayer for past generations and us today. He says: “I do not pray for these alone [the Apostles], but also for those [us]who will believe in Me through their [Apostle’s] word; 20 Now, before we look ahead, here’s a quiz: Looking at verse 20, “What do you think Jesus prays for us specifically?” Those of you who were with us last week know [and most by now] know what He prayed. However, I want to repropose something I posed to us last week. If my hunch serves me right, I think it’s safe to say that few, if any of us, have ever asked God for what Jesus asked God for. Including me. Have you ever requested of God what Jesus requested of God in your prayer requests? Virtually none of us have ever asked God for what Jesus asked God for – even though He modeled it and it was so close to His Heart in His final hours. I pray that we all can find conviction in this little nugget of a challenge. Let’s be more intentional about discovering what Jesus prayed and add His prayer concerns and requests to our personal prayer list. Now, let’s together hear what was and is most concerning to our Lord by way of His last prayer request and prayer for us to His Father. “Do you think God heard His request and answered it? This is Jesus’ prayer! What might be one difference in your prayer and Jesus’ prayer? I have concluded that Jesus’ prayers are accurate, unselfish, and in total sync with God’s Will. Above all, if anyone’s prayers are heard and answered, Jesus’s are. 5 From the top, let’s touch and agree with our Lord in His prayer for us: “I do not pray for these alone [the Apostles], but also for those [us]who will believe in Me through their [Apostle’s] word; 20 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. In this prayer, Jesus could have requested and prayed a lot of things on our behalf to God the Father. I’m certain there are few things we all could think of that we would like the Lord to do for us like: perfect health, healing, and wealth! – but He didn’t. Instead, of all the things He prayed for – the one thing that was most important to Him was that We Be One and Remain ONE. “What is ONENESS in Christ? • It begins with being crucified with Christ: Galatians 2:20 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 6 Galatians 5:24 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. • It is putting differences aside. [Father God and Jesus didn't have differences to set aside, but we do!] Matthew 5:23 - 24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 23 • Speaking of prayer: A special quality of Oneness is "Recognizing God for who He is with regard to Matthew 6:9 - He is Our Father. The Father to us all. Who art in heaven. Whose name is hallowed. • Jesus' prayer "that they all may be one" refers to unity of Christian character. As the Father and Son are One in moral likeness, so believers should be united in the respect - that they are like the Lord Jesus. • Jesus’ prayer “that they all may be one” refers to unity of Christian character. As the Father and Son are One in moral likeness, so believers should be united in the respect – that they are like the Lord Jesus. When it comes to God’s House and our obedience to oneness, we must leave divisive, biased, personal, worldly interests and issues at the metaphorical door, at the ballot box, and spiritually speaking, in the earth realm where flesh and blood reside. We have to protect the unity Christ has gotten for us by keeping in check issues that have nothing to 7 with the divine eternal business of God. We must “endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace so that nothing distracts us from what Jesus prayed we must be about as His followers. [On the converse, when we allow our faith to be dominated by our political parties of choice, or church denominational divisions, or racial biases and prejudices, or be subjugated to issues that Satan says are important, then we lose our voice, and distinctiveness in a world that desperately needs to see Christ. In Jesus’ prayer, verses 21 & 23 -- He said that by His Oneness with the Father, and by our Oneness with them BOTH -- the world would know He was sent by the Father and that they would also know that we too have been loved in the same way God loved Jesus. This then creates a thirst in the heart of lost men and women to turn to Christ. Therefore, the world would be drawn to Christ by the unity they see exemplified in the oneness unity Christ said is achievable by virtue of His prayer. us, Let’s not forfeit a divine opportunity to do in this world what Christ prayed we must be about in commanding the attention of lost people. Our power and influence are linked in the ONENESS UNITY prayer prayed by Jesus for believers. We too, must often pray this prayer. If we fail, we leave the world suffering and groping in darkness. We are called to be the brightness of Jesus’ John 17 prayer. Jesus’ concern yesterday, today, and for generations to come is to protect the unity of Oneness among the living saints – the church. He knew that as long as the Oneness Unity was protected and preserved – the world would change. But if ever any generation of Believers were divided and splintered over the headline hot potato issues of this world, like ABORTION – then everybody loses – no one WINS. 8 Anything issue that the church becomes pre-occupied with outside of Jesus’ prayer request and God’s will – is a loss for the church and a win for the world. Nothing eclipses the oneness unity that Jesus prayed for every generation of Believers to live out except our esteeming worldly issues above Jesus’ prayer. We can be divided at the ballot box, or over our favorite sports team or over Abortion, or Critical Race Theory; or How to Raise Children, or certain Religious Doctrines – but all that becomes null and void when it comes to Christ’s command for ONENESS. We must protect the “ONENESS Unity” given to us by God. Even when it comes to the sins and evils of human life that Satan uses to draw us in and turn us against one another, we must be careful to not let them polarize us, or divide us, but to know that remaining ONE is Jesus’ most heartfelt prayer for us. This issue of abortion has polarized the church. But so has the LBGTQ Agenda, The US Capital Insurrection hearings, Critical Race Theory, Ukraine vs. Russia, Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Partisan Politics, Same Sex Marriage, Gender Reassignment, The Pandemic; Animal Rights, Voting Rights, etc. All have served to divide the body of Christ and cause us to fall short of the glory of God. Did you know we are the glory of God in the earth? John 17:22 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: [magnificence, beauty, splendor,]; Plus glory in the church 9 Ephesians 3:20-21 (New King James Version) 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. But when we are tricked by Satan into esteeming one sin or evil over another, rather than declaring all sin to be unrighteousness – then we lose bearings. We lose our compass as to what our real purpose and mission is as the universal unified church that has been blessed and covered with the undeniable prayer of Jesus to be One in Him and His Father. In one way or other, these all have created a civil war in the pews among believers, between denominations, and among family members. It has dwarfed the ONENESS we as believer’s are called to abide in. This was Jesus’ prayer above a hundred other different things He could have prayed for regarding the Body of Christ. But He prayed one primary request: That every Believer would be one like He and His Father -ONE. His prayer was not a suggestion or recommendation, but a heartfelt plea that His followers would embrace. Jesus has cleared the path for us as His children to live out the Oneness Unity that He has prayed for us in one of His most urgent prayers. END 10