Time to Engage
“Going Further In”
Matthew 26:36-46
On our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blblLUL6ioQ
Today, I’d like to use this message as a transition from our last or third word in our vision, “Engage,” to the fourth word, “Elevate.” And in our next series we’ll be looking how we can take our lives as believers to the next level, or what I like to think as leveling up.
And what we’ll look at will help give to us the strength to endure through the trials and tribulations of life.
Now, this message was not the one I planned, but it was one that came from the message some time back on being distant disciples and what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus took three of His disciples further into the Garden with Him.
So, let’s take a moment are read our story from Matthew’s gospel.
Read Matthew 26:36-46
What I see from our story are two types of Christians when it comes to following Jesus.
Sit On the Sidelines
“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go and pray over there.’” (Matthew 26:36 NKJV)
Now, I know that Jesus was the one who told them to wait at a distance, or on the sidelines, and not to go further in with Him, but there may have been reasons for this, in that he only chose the inner three of Peter, James, and John to go further in with Him.
Now, trying to figure out why Jesus did this is like trying to figure out the mind of God, And maybe that’s because Jesus is God. So, it would be highly presumptuous on my part to make any sort of generalizations as to why.
But what I do see, and what I have seen in my over 30 years of being a senior pastor, and my almost 50 years of being a Christian, is that there are many who sit on the sidelines, that is, they come to church, pray, or read their Bible when it is convenient. But they don’t go any further in their relationship with God than to come on Sunday morning, and that’s if there isn’t anything else they would rather be doing.
They are like that soldier from the Civil War. Not wanting to stand out or take sides, he wore Yankee pants and a Confederate shirt, only to get shot by both sides when he went outside.
I believe Jesus addresses these Christians in the Parable of the Two Sons.
Speaking to the Pharisees, he said that a man had two sons. He asked the first to go and work in the vineyard, but the son said he wouldn’t but later changed his mind and went. The father asked the same thing of his second son, and his second son replied that he would go, but didn’t. Then Jesus asked, “Who did the will of the father,” and they answered, “The first.” Then, Jesus told them that the tax collectors and prostitutes would enter heaven before them, because they “believed” in the message and went further in, that is, they believed and repented.
The second type of Christian revealed in this scene from the Garden of Gethsemane are those who don’t go all the way.
Don’t Go All the Way
“He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.” (Matthew 26:37a NKJV)
While He left the others outside, Jesus took these three further in, but they still didn’t go all the way with Jesus. And again, Jesus told them to stop there. But, “why” He didn’t allow them to go further in can only be ascertained by their behavior of not taking it as seriously as they should of.
This I believe, these three describe many of us, in that while we enter a deeper relationship with God, there are some things that are holding us back from going all the way.
In Revelation chapter 22 there was something that expanded my understanding of the Holy Spirit and power to live this life for Jesus and to go further in with Him.
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1 NKJV)
(Now, I am going to go much further into this whole concept at the end of our series on our need to “Elevate,” to the next level. But let me give you a taste of what I am talking about.)
This is a picture of the heavenly Temple, and what we see is the throne room of God. And sitting upon the throne are the Father and the Son, or the Lamb, Jesus Christ. But where’s the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is none other than that pure river of the water of life flowing out from the throne. How can I be sure? Because the same word structure used here to describe the river is the same word structure Jesus uses describing the working of the Holy Spirit when He said that out of those who believe will flow rivers of living waters (John 7:37-39).
Now, when I read this, I was then drawn to another river described by the prophet Ezekiel. It’s the river that will flow from the Millennium Temple, which is a copy of the God’s heavenly temple (Hebrews 9:24). And what Ezekiel records for us is that wherever the river flows there’s healing and new life (Ezekiel 47).
What I also found interesting about this river are its degrees of depth. First, it’s ankle deep, then it comes to the knees, the waist, and finally it’s over a person’s head. But what we don’t see is that as people wade into the river, we never see them coming out on the other side, and that’s because once they reach the middle, they either turn back, or the current is so strong it sweeps them away.
But while we go further in, like these three disciples, we don’t go all the way. In other words, we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to sweep us into a deeper and more profound relationship with God, and that’s because, we’ve tied ourselves to an anchor back upon the shoreline, afraid to go all the way in with God.
What is that anchor? Well, it’s everything we’re unwilling to give up. And each one of us has these areas in our lives, and unless we’re willing to untether ourselves to them, we’ll remain just outside, not following Jesus further in.
And, Jesus never called His disciples to come further in with Him, I do believe that now He is. Jesus is calling His people, His church to go further in, especially at this time, but also beyond this time as well.
Why do I say we need to continue going deeper in with Jesus, is that three times Jesus went further in, until He received God the Father’s perspective, guidance, strength, and peace. And if we want the same for our lives, we need to go further in with Jesus.
And so, let’s see the results when we go further in.
A. We Get God’s Perspective
When Jesus began to pray, it was for the Father to listen to what “His” desire was. Look at what Jesus began to pray.
“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” (Matthew 26:39b NKJV)
Jesus knew what lay before Him, how He would be tried, beaten, scourged, and crucified. He even told this to His disciples before He even stepped into Jerusalem. He told His disciples exactly what to expect saying, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed…and…condemned to death, and (be) delivered to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:18-29 NKJV)
Jesus knew exactly what to expect, and this was something that He didn’t want to experience, but He went further in, and as He continued to pray, He knew that the Father’s perspective was different than His.
He said, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39c NKJV)
You see, Jesus went further in to pray, but not so much to get His way as it was to find out the Father’s perspective as to what He was now going to face. And the Father’s perspective was for Jesus to be crucified, for the distinct purpose of becoming the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world as John the Baptist prophesied (John 1:29).
When we follow Jesus further in, taking serious time in both God’s word and prayer, we’ll begin seeing what is going on around us, not through our own perspective, or the perspective of man, but rather from God’s perspective.
B. We Get God’s Guidance
This aspect is seen in what Jesus initially prayed in getting the Father’s perspective.
He said, “If it is possible.” (Matthew 26:39b NKJV)
Jesus was seeking God’s guidance in what He was about to face. And while He didn’t want to face it, He knew God’s will, and God’s direction in what lay before Him.
Such a request for the Lord to reveal His way and will can be seen in King David’s request for deliverance.
“Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” (Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV)
King David goes on to say in this Psalm that God will guide the humble in justice and will teach them His ways (Psalm 25:9).
And so, when we go further and deeper in and pray for God to guide us, that is exactly what He will do.
This is what we see in the story of King Jehoshaphat when Israel was being attacked by a great multitude. Jehoshaphat called for the people to go further in with God, calling for a sacred assembly to seek the Lord through fasting and prayer. And God gave them directions and guidance as to how they were to fight this battle, and a great victory was won (2 Chronicles 20).
C. We Get God’s Strength
This is seen in Luke’s gospel as the Father sent an angel to help strengthen Jesus, not only in this time of prayer where He was in agony Luke records, but also the angel strengthened Him in what He was about to face.
“Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.” (Luke 22:43 NKJV)
When we take time to be with God, like when Jesus went further in, agonizing in prayer, God the Father sent an angel to strengthen Him, and in like manner He will strengthen us. Now, it’s not about angels, but it’s about the Lord God strengthening us in our time of need when we take the time and go further in with Jesus.
We see this in what the writer of Hebrews tells us. He said, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 NKJV)
Now, the word, “boldly,” means “with all speech.” That is, in our prayers we come directly into the presence of God, to His throne of grace, and there we receive from God His mercy and grace to help us in this our time of need.
We see this same promise by David when escaping from King Saul. David wrote, “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect” (Psalm 18:32 NKJV)
And in Psalm 28:7 he said, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.” (Psalm 28:7 NKJV)
And so, as Jesus went further in, God the Father strengthened Him for what He was about to face, and in the same way, when we go further in with Jesus, God will give us the strength to accomplish His plans and purposes, even “through” life’s trials and tribulations.
D. We Get God’s Peace
After His third time in, when He came out, there was no more agony or anxiety on Jesus’s part as to what He was now about to face. Rather a peace came over Him. And we see this in how he addressed his disciples.
Now, the first time, Jesus rebuked the disciples as they fell asleep instead of praying. He said, “Could you not watch with Me one hour. Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV). And after the second time, He once again found them sleeping, but didn’t say anything but left them and went back to pray.
But after He finished His third time in prayer, while He chastened them again for sleeping, He told them that His hour was now at hand.
He said, “Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Matthew 26:45b-46 NKJV)
And so, when the Temple guard came to arrest Jesus, there was no anxiety, no fear, only a conscious recognition of God’s plan being fulfilled, and in this declaration, Jesus made to His disciples, we see God’s peace.
This is the promise that God gives to all of us, and how we can, by going further in, in our time of prayer and in His word; that we can gain that same peace.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV)
Conclusion
Since we see such wonderful benefits, like getting God’s perspective, along with his guidance, strength, and peace, when we go further in with Jesus, how can we do this in the world we live in?
Well, one way we go further in with Jesus is in our service to Him, in His church, and to this world. Jesus even said that when we have done these things for His people, we were doing them for Him (Matthew 25:40).
We are called to serve. Notice how the three were called to serve by watching and praying. But they were unable, as Jesus pointed out, that while the spirit is willing the flesh is weak.
So, we are called to go deeper, to go further in and serve the Lord, not only through the ministries He calls us to, but also in our time of prayer.
If we want to see God move, then we must go further in in our time of prayer.
And the second way we go further in, is to go further into His word, the Bible. If we want to know God’s will and way for our lives and for the church, it is given to us in the Bible. Therefore, we need to take time in God’s word, which means going further in studying of His word.
No longer can we be satisfied with a morning devotional. This is the milk of God’s word, and while it helps us grow, God is calling us to go further in saying that we need to start partaking of the meat of God’s word so that we can discern good from evil, right from wrong, and the way that God has called for us to take.
And so, it is my belief that God has called us to stop sitting on the sidelines or going part way in our relationship with Him. I think God has allowed all this to happen to get His church, you and me, to come even further into our relationship with Jesus, and further into His will and way, especially for the time we now find ourselves in.
That is how important this is. We need to go deeper; we need to go further in so that we can get to that next level God is calling us to.
