The Great Commission
Part 9 – Jesus’ Prayer Life
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org : www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mar 16th Morning Service Palm Sunday –
Special Service that morning (not series)
Mar 24th – 28th 7:00PM Week of Renewal –
“Discover your Spiritual Gifts & how to use them”
Mar 30th 6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
March 30th – Grace Steadman
April 6th – Lori Ulman
April 13th – Lynnette Higgins
April 20th – Walker Spriggs
April 27th – Deacon Kurt Ulman
WHERE WE ARE AT
† The Sermon on the Mount.
† He and his Disciples and Apostles begin to travel from Galilee to Capernaum.
† Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant.
† He then has dinner in a Pharisees home where He was anointed by a sinful woman who had repented.
† Jesus then returns to Galilee preaching along the way.
† Jesus Calms the Storm.
† A Prophet without Honor in His hometown
† Jesus send out the Twelve
† John the Baptist Martyred
† Jesus Feeds 5000
† Jesus’ Prayer Life
Jesus, having heard of the death of John the Baptist, went into the desert to mourn and be alone.
When the people heard this, they followed Him, and He had compassion on them.
His love was greater than His selfishness.
He put others before Himself in every way.
So He taught, prayed, healed.
And the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 took place.
This is where we are today.
Just after the feeding of the 5,000.
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 14:22 – 23 Jesus goes to pray
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone
This scripture comes from the Book of Matthew, it’s author, who was also called Levi, was the writer of the first of the four Gospels.
The Book of Matthew was written in approximately 50AD, or about 15 years after Christ’s Crucifixion.
We see that Jesus and the disciples at this time have left Nazareth and went into what the Bible calls a solitary place, a deserted area near the mountains.
At this time in Jesus’ ministry, He has been rejected by many.
Many Jews reject Him as the Messiah; the religious leaders have rejected Him, and even His hometown and some of His very own family.
Yet He continued His ministry.
Even during this time of sorrow at the news of John the Baptists death, Jesus continues to have compassion on those in need. Always putting others before Himself.
That is the definition of being a Christ follower, the imitation of Christ is to always put others and their needs before your own, to have compassion on the sick and the sinners.
Jesus said He came to save the lost, have compassion on the sinners, not condemn them for they are already condemned under the covenant of Law.
The covenant of Law, which addresses selfishness.
The scriptures say this is love, that He died for us WHILE we were yet sinners.
Yet we, instead of following Christ and His example, want to condemn every sinner we see.
Pointing our fingers in judgment.
This is why Jesus had to say, pull the plank out of your own eye before trying to help someone with a splinter.
We easily look over our own sin everyday, yet see every sin in everyone else.
Jesus NEVER condoned sin.
Jesus NEVER OK’d sinful life styles.
Yet, Jesus always had compassion for sinners.
Where is our compassion? Where is our love?
The scriptures say that any man who says he loves God yet hates his brother is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest law is, He replied to love God with all of your heart, mind and soul, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Do not call yourself a Christian if you do not love other Christians, or love sinners.
God loved you while you were a sinner.
And it was because of His love you were drawn into the Kingdom.
We are to be the body of Christ!
It is OUR duty at the command of Christ to draw others into the kingdom!
And it is done with love.
We are commanded to love.
We are commanded to follow Christ.
Love your brother (those who are saved), and love your neighbor (sinners).
Or stop saying you are saved.
Because the scriptures say, ANYONE who says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar and the truth is not in him.
What is the truth? Jesus Christ.
So Jesus puts aside His pain, hurt, emotional present, and has compassion on the people.
I. Jesus sent the Disciples ahead without him
a. At Jesus’ command they moved
i. Do you hear the Word of the Lord today?
1. Hear the Lord in Reading the Word of God
2. Hear the Lord through teachings & sermons
3. Hear the Lord in Prayer
4. Hear the Lord through other Christ Followers
5. Hear the Lord in your Heart
b. His Word sent the Apostles forth, this being the second time
i. First time was for preaching
ii. This time so He could pray alone
iii. Do you find time to pray alone?
c. They simply obeyed the Word of the Lord
i. Do you question God’s Word continuously?
ii. Do you fight what you think it says?
iii. Do you resist the Holy Spirit’s leading?
II. Jesus went into the mountains to pray
a. For solitude so He could focus
i. We need focus when speaking to the Creator
ii. We need a quiet time with God
iii. We need time with God!
b. Jesus prayed BEFORE something great & after something taxing
i. We need to seek the Father before everything we do
ii. We need to listen to His direction
iii. We need to follow that direction
iv. We need to seek the Father after everything that drains us
c. Jesus prayed often.
i. Matthew 26:36 – Jesus prayed in Gethsemane before Crucifixion
ii. Luke 6:12 – Jesus prayed all night before choosing the Apostles out from the Disciples.
iii. Luke 9:28 - Jesus and the transfiguration
iv. John 17: 9 – 20 – Christ’s High Priestly intercessory prayer
III. Jesus prayed until evening
a. He spent the afternoon with the Father in heaven
i. Spend an evening with God
ii. In solitude speak with Him
iii. Be sure to listen!
b. No multitasking, just praying
i. The scriptures don’t say Jesus was fishing while talking to the Father, they don’t say He was working on His boat, working in His woodshop, chopping wood, or anything other than praying to the Father.
ii. You can still pray to God during those times, but once in a while God needs one on one time, your undivided attention. We owe Him that much, and more!
iii. Try doing that stuff while your spouse or a friend is trying to talk to you about something serious. It doesn’t work.
iv. God wants undivided attention
c. Communication with the Father in heaven IS relationship
i. You can not have a relationship without communication
ii. God can’t speak to you, if you do not speak to Him
CONCLUSION
Even Jesus, in His perfection, had to pray to the Father in heaven, through the Holy Spirit, for strength before great tasks, and uplifting after difficult missions.
If Jesus needed these things, what makes us think we can make it without them?
Every Wednesday night we meet so that the Father in Heaven can hear our prayers as one body of believers, together.
But that is seeking God as a church; God wants you to seek Him alone.
This is what it means to have a personal relationship with God.
He wants your undivided attention.
If you have never started a relationship with God, it’s simple.
Let’s all bow our heads and pray before the last song.
