How blessed we are that the Lord has allowed us to make our way into His house, once again. That is why we ought to take advantage of ever opportunity we have to be a part of worship. Amen. Because there may come a day when you want to get here and not be able to. Then you won’t have to sit at home and think of all of the times when you could have been here and you chose not to. So with that being said I invite you to turn with me to Luke 22: 39- 46. And our text is found in the first part of v. 44 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:”
And I want to preach from the subject: Agony Anonymous. Won’t you pray with me...Agony Anonymous.
It is a blessed privilege when we as fellow humans beings are able, in the mist of family and friends who are hurting, when we are able to put our arms around them to be a source of strength and comfort. I realized like those of who have experienced great times of sorrow and suffering know that it helps to lighten your load; to somehow lift your burden; to know that whatever it is that you are going through that you are not in this thing all by yourself. And often times people will show up, placing their arms around us and say to us, “I’m here.” But if are to be honest about it, when we are around people who are experiencing great sorrow; no matter how much we feel them; we can never fully enter into there suffering and their sorrow. Amen.
That is why we have to be careful how we approach people who are suffering. We approach them most of the time and say; especially if we’ve experienced a similar situation; “I understand. I know what you are going through.” But to be honest about it, do you really know? Do you really fully understand? That is why have to approach people who are suffering not as a teacher with a lesson to be taught but rather as students to come and to listen and to learn. Nowhere is that better seen then in the Garden of Gethsemane.
The Bible say that Thursday evening, supper being ended, Jesus and the disciples sing a hymn and they leave that upper room and they make there way out to the Mount of Olives to this garden called Gethsemane. He leaves eight of His disciples at the entrance to this garden and He takes with Him the three remaining disciples; Peter, James, and John; further on into the garden. The same three disciples who were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, now journey with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane. The same three who were privileged to see Jesus in His glory will now seem Him in His gloom.
Because Jesus wanted them to understand that life has two sides: glory and gloom. Now we live in a day when we are being told that if we love and trust the Lord and that if we live our lives out within His will that our lives are always going to be filled with glory and that’s not so. Not only is life filled with mountain-top experiences but there are times when we’ve got to walk through the darkness and gloom of life’s valleys. And so here Jesus is, a few hours away from the cross and at this late juncture, He still seeks human companionship. He still seeks human fellowship. He’s still in need of a human touch. And that’s what hurting people are in need.
How blessed you are, in the midst of your sorrow, in the midst of your pain, when you have family and friends who are there.
As Jesus enters into the Garden of Gethsemane, He takes with Him Peter, James, and John; and Matthew says it this way, Matthew says, “And He went a little farther and feel on His face and prayed.” Now let me put a pin right there and ask this question: Have you ever wondered what made Jesus different from all other men? I believe Matthew captures it when He says, “And He went. A little. Farther.” That’s what separates Jesus from all other men; He is always willing to go a little farther.
In His love-life, in His compassion, in His forgiveness, in His mercy, Jesus always goes a little farther. And if we are going to be true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must likewise do the same; we must always be willing to go a little farther.
Again, Matthew says, “He went a little farther and feel on His face and prayed.” And Luke puts it this way; Luke says, “And being in an agony, He prayed.” When you think about it, those four words “being in an agony” is really a biography of every soul. It enters into all of our lives. Those of us how have lived any length of time knows what it feels like to be in an agony. Be it emotional, be it physical, be it spiritually, we’ve all had those dark times. Those low times in life. Those times when it seems as though the tide had gone out and never would come in again. Luke says, “being in an agony.” Now when you think about it had Jesus not been in an agony He wouldn’t have been qualified to become our Savior. It’s only because He has been in an agony Himself that He is now able to identify with you and me when we are in the midst of our agony. Luke said, “being in an agony, He prayed until sweat feel from His brow as though it was great drops of blood. Matthew says, “His sorrow was unto death.”
I want you notice something. Notice that there in Gethsemane, Jesus enters into suffering. He prays, Luke says, “until sweat falls from His brow as though it were great drops of blood.” And as Jesus looks into the bitterness of this cup, He cries and says, “Oh my father, if it be possible, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” As Jesus enters Gethsemane and He enters into this suffering, Jesus feel as though He has been abandoned by God Himself. He feels as though He has been separated. He feels isolated and all alone.
If you have not been there; just keep on living.There will come that day, there will come that hour when you enter into some suffering, you find yourself in your own Gethsemane and like our Lord you’ll feel abandoned, separated, isolated, all alone as though you have not a friend on earth nor a friend in heaven. And when that time comes we can learn some lessons from Jesus when we find ourselves in an agony, when we find ourselves facing our own Gethsemane. Let me suggest three things.
First. You need to understand that if we are going to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, it is a life of Suffering. E. L. Blumhofer says that suffering is the true badge of Christian discipleship.
That the one things that identifies us with our Lord is His suffering. And the great problem with the church as that we have developed “Easter-Christians” who are completely unaware of Good Friday. We’ve got folk who want the glory of Resurrection without ever experiencing the pain and suffering of crucifixion. But I remind you this evening that the only reason that Jesus got up on Resurrection morning is that He first suffered and died on Good Friday. AMEN goes right there. But not only is there Jesus’ suffering in this text, there is also His Supplication. For Jesus cries, “Oh my father.” Matthew says He cries ‘Abba, father.’ And that word, ‘abba-father’ is an intimate term. It’s a term a child would use when addressing his father. What was crying in Gethsemane, He was literally crying, “Daddy! If it be possible, if you are willing remove this cup from me.” Luke says He knelt. Matthew says that Jesus fell on His face. Falls to the ground beneath this heavy load of suffering and cries, “Daddy! If it’s possible, remove this cup from me.” Now when you read that in Gethsemane, Jesus knelt; you read what Matthew says that He fell on His face that may not appear to be much to you. But thing you have to remember is that Jews never pray on their knees. They always pray standing. You’ll never see a Jew on his knees.
So the question is raised, why, Jesus being a Jew, is not standing but literally has His face on the ground? R.C. Sproul says that was the only position Jesus could assume. That His suffering was so great, His burden was so heavy that it drove Him not only to His knees, it drove His face to the ground. And there is somebody here tonight who can identify with that. You have burdens on your shoulders. You’ve gone through your time of suffering. You know how it is to have something in life that literally drives you to your knees. (PAUSE) But what I’ve discovered is anything that places you on your knees before God ain’t all bad. I don’t care how painful it may be in your life tonight, if it causes you to call on God, it ain’t all bad. Have I got a witness? (PAUSE) And so Jesus falls to His knees and says, Father, if it be possible, remove this cup.” You know, if there had been any other way for God to save us, it would have happened right there. If God had any other way of redeeming mankind, God would have stopped it right there.
I mean, His only begotten Son saying Daddy, if it be possible, remove this cup. Now when you think about it, that’s the first way we all instinctively cry out. Maybe we don’t use the exact words of our Lord.
But in our pain and under our burdens, beneath our heavy load, we simply look up and say Lord, have mercy. Lord help me. Lord, lift this burden. Like our Lord we instinctively cry, Lord, remove this cup.
Now Jesus says it and this is no sham of a prayer He prays. Jesus knew that if it were the Father’s will the cup could actually be removed. And you need to remember that. In the midst of your pain in the midst of your suffering, in the midst of your trials and your troubles when you are faced with one of life’s bitter cups that if it’s God’s will the cup can directly be removed. For whenever God enters a situation it’s neither hopeless nor helpless. I don’t care what your doctor has said, if it’s God’s will the cup can be removed. In spite of what your lawyer has said. In spite of what family and friends have said. In spite of what the odds say and reason says, if it’s God’s will the cup can be removed. But now what are we to do when we’ve prayed and we’ve asked God to remove the cup? You stood by that loved one’s bed and you’ve prayed, Lord raise them up and they’re getting weaker and weaker. You’ve prayed Lord heal my body and healing hasn’t come. What are we to do when we’ve asked the Lord to remove this cup and we since like the Lord that cup is in our hands and God is not going to take it out of our hands?
Because contrary to what you may have heard, God is not going to remove every cup. God is not going to take all the sorrow out of your life. He’s not going to heal every body of every ache, every pain, every sickness, every disease. There are some cups placed in our hands that God is not going to remove. So what to you do when you’ve named it and claimed it and nothing has happened? Amen. I want to suggest that if God does not remove the cup directly, don’t give up, don’t give in. Because what I have discovered is that if God does not take it directly out of your hand, God has a way of removing the cup by changing the contents.
He doesn’t have to take the cup out of your hands, He can just simply change what’s inside the cup. Have I got a witness here? Oh come on somebody. There ought to some witnesses here that knows that God is in the changing business. He can change cups of hatred into cups of love. He can change doubt into cups of faith. He can change cups of fear into cups of courage. He can change cups of human rejection into cups of Divine Reconciliation. He doesn’t have to take it out of your hand, He can change what’s in the cup. (PAUSE) But that is not Jesus’ fate. God does not remove the nor does He change the contents.
But just because God does not remove it He will share it with you. Have I got a witness here? Paul prayed that torn be removed three times and three times God said no. God aid, I’m not going to remove it Paul but I’m going to share in it with you. Don’t worry about it, My grace is sufficient. Have you ever wondered what God’s grace is sufficient for? Only word will answer that, EVERYTHING. God’s grace is sufficient for everything. Every bitter cup, every ache, every pain, every burden, every heartache, His grace is sufficient. But you got to pray. Before God does anything in anybody’s life they must first go down on their knees before God.
So you’ve got to learn how not to whine in the midst of life’s darkness. You’ve got to learn how to pray in the midst of life’s darkness. Well now finally, not only is there a word about Christ’s SUFFERING and a word about His SUPPLICATION but there is a word about His SURRENDER. For Jesus says, “Oh my father, if it be possible, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.”
And I want you to know that life has a way of bringing us all to ‘nevertheless’. Have I got a witness here? And you have not grown as a child of God, you have not matured in the faith until you learned to say to God, in every situation and circumstance, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” Jesus teaches us that pray is not bending God’s will to our will. Prayer is bending our will to the will of God. Lord, I’m sick and I need you to heal my body, nevertheless. Lord, I got that wayward child that I need you to bring her back home, but nevertheless. Lord, there is trouble on my job and I need you to work it out, nevertheless.
I want you to know that if you learn how to surrender your will to the will of God mysterious and miraculous things will happen in your life. God will do for you, what no one else can do for you. Oh, when you learn to allow your will to be swallowed up in God’s will I tell you things will happen. Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, prays, “Father, let this cup pass from me but nevertheless, not my will but thine will be done.” Because right after Jesus prays, “Nevertheless” the very next line says, “There appeared unto Him, an angel strengthening Him.” If you learn to turn it over to God’s will God will give you your own strengthening angel.
Have I got a witness here? He may not take the cup but He’ll give you the strength to bare it. For Luke says, there appeared an angel. Strengthening Him. And that angel. Gave Him. The strength. To get up off His knees. In Gethsemane. And go on. And face judgment halls. It gave Him the strength. To even endure. The suffering of the cross. I want to tell you. That if you learn how. To allow your will. To be swallowed up. In the Lord’s will. God will give you. Your own. Strengthening angel. I want you to know. That in times of weakness. You need. A strengthening angel. And that strengthen angel. Takes one of. Three forms.Sometimes. That SA. Shows up. In the person of. A fellow. Human being. Somebody who shows up. In the midst of your pain. With a human touch. They put their arms around you. Look you in the eye and says. Whatever you need. I’m right here. For ya. Have I got a witness? For there are those of us. Who know the joy. Of having somebody. To share in. Our pain. But then there is. The second kind of SA. Comes in. The form of.
The word of God. That shows up when enemies are all around. And reminds you.
“Fret not thyself. Because of evildoers. Neither be thy envious. Against the workers of. Iniquity. For they shall soon. Be cut down. Like the grass.” His word will show up. When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. And says. “I once was young. But now I’m old. But I’ve never seen. The righteous forsaken. Nor their seed. Begging for bread.” His word. Shows up in your sickness. And reminds you. “That by His stripe. We are healed.” Have I got a witness? Thank God. For His word. That shows up. When odds are against you. And says. “Greater is He that is within you. Than he that is. in the world.” Thank God. For His word. That shows up. In the midst of your sorrow. And says. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father’s house. Are many mansions. If were not so. I would have told you. I’m going. To prepare a place for you. And if I go. I will come again. And receive you unto myself.” Hallelujah. For His word. Anybody here. Know. His word. Is a balm in the time of sickness. His word. Will be a bridge over trouble waters. His word. Will be a lamp unto your feet. His word. Will be light unto your pathway. Thank God. For His word. But then there is. The third form. Of that SA. Is Jesus. Christ Himself.
For there are times. In the midst of my pain. I’ve got family and friends. All around. But I don’t find what I need. In family and friends. There are times when I look to the word. But I don’t find all I need. In the word every time. But I’m mighty glad. In that lonely hour. Jesus. Christ my Lord. Jesus. My rock in a weary land. Jesus. My elder brother. Jesus. My way out of no way. He’ll show up. Anybody here. Know He’ll show up? When bills are due. When folk are lying on you. When you get down to your last dime. In a hospital room. In a courtroom.
And what does He do. He tries tears from your eyes. He lift heavy burdens. He makes ways out of no way. He opens doors closed in your face. He turns your midnight into midday. He turns your gloom into joy. Ain’t He alright? Ain’t He alright? Ain’t He alright? Anybody here. Know my Jesus? Anybody here. Know my Lord? I’m mighty glad. That can’t nobody do me like Jesus. Can’t nobody. Do me like the Lord. Ain’t He alright? Ain’t He alright? Ain’t He alright? Won’t He walk with you? Won’t He talk with you?
Put clapping in your hands. Stomping in your feet. Praises in your mouth. Take your neighbor by the hand. Look them in the eye. And say, God will. God will. Take care of you.
