PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH
John 17:8-24
A lot of talking can go on in the life of a church. Many words can be said.
An evangelist went to one particular church and preached on a Sunday Morning. While standing by the exit door to shake hands with people a woman approached him. ‘That was the worst sermon I ever heard’.
Taken back by her bluntness it shook him up but he continued to shake hands with people.
She returned again, ‘Driest preacher we have had here in a long time’. WALKED AWAY.
Again he was stunned by her blunt comment.
Finally the Pastor came up beside him and the evangelist asked, ‘Who is that woman’, and pointed to the one who had spoken so directly.
‘Oh don’t mind her, she is a very mentally challenged woman, she just goes around repeating all the things she hears people say’.
1) There is much power in the words we say. We should choose them and use them wisely.
2) Another reason why PRAYER is such a powerful thing for us to do.
When DR. WILBUR CHAPMAN was only a new pastor when an older gentleman came up to him and said,
‘You are pretty young to pastor a church. We have always had older men here.
You preach the gospel and I’m going to help you all I can. I am going to pray for you that you may have all the Holy Spirit’s power upon you, and two others have agreed to join with me’.
The three met and soon became 10, 10 became 20, 20 became 50, and the 50 soon became 200.
They met before every service to pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon their pastor.
What difference did it make?
Preaching became easy and joyous, 1,100 came to Christ in 3 years of which 600 were men.
As an older man Dr. Chapman said, ‘I do not see how the average pastor under the average circumstances preaches at all.
Church members have much to do than to go to church as curious and idle spectators to be amused and entertained.
It is there business to pray mightily that the Holy Spirit will clothe the preacher with power and make his words like dynamite.
• The church could be better known as the BOMB SQUAD. Containers of TNT.
• For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it(the Gospel) is the power(dunamis, DYNAMITE) of God for salvation for everyone who believes.
• This dynamite the church holds(the gospel) needs a DETONATOR. The detonator of the gospel is PRAYER! It ignites the gospel to explode and effect all that is in it’s path.
Friend in Hannibal lives right next to where a two lane is being made into a 4 lane highway. For the last six months his house has been in the middle of a BLASTING ZONE.
When we become a praying church we will be worshipping each week not in a church zone but in a BLASTING ZONE!
FOUR PRAYER REQUESTS EXPRESSED BY JESUS FOR THE CHURCH
THAT PEOPLE WOULD SENSE THE GLORY OF GOD
17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them.
• GLORY – in Greek means ‘the visible manifestation of the splendor, power, and radiance in God. Something is different and unique about being part of God’s people. Exciting, powerful, and dynamic.
• ATMOSPHERE of the Early Church. ACTS 2:43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe.
• A praying church has a different feel, unexplainable differences that are immediately noticeable.
During my college years I chose a church out of a phonebook. I can’t remember the message but I can remember the feel.
It was not manipulated hysteria which are in many so-called exciting churches but a sense of the presence of God. A result that only comes thru prayer.
HENRY BLACKABY said their church in Saskatoon, Canada was growing and needing more space. They sensed God leading them to build but only had $749 in the building fund.
The new building would cost $220,000.
They began to raise money and a foundation in Texas even promised to help.
About halfway thru the campaign they were still $100,000 short of their goal.
They continued and still found themselves $60,000 short as the end approached.
The money from Texas, which was part of the expected money, had been continually delayed for an unknown reason.
ONE Day for a two hours the currency exchange rate for the Canadian dollar hit an all time low in history. It was during that two hour window that the money from Texas was finally wired.
The sudden difference in the rate made a difference in the Texas gift which was worth exactly $60,000 more than it would have been outside that two hour window.
THAT PEOPLE WOULD SENSE THE GLORY OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD
17:8 For I have given to them the words which you have given Me; and they have received them for they are Yours.
• Jesus desires that His Word would have it’s proper place in the life of the church.
The Presbyterian church met to vote on an interesting issue: Whether Jesus was the only way to heaven. No longer driven by the authority of God’s Word
• True revival in the church won’t happen without the right attitude towards the Word of God. A constant battle constantly rages in churches to get people to care enough about the Bible to read it, study it, and apply it to their lives.
AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY: Was formed for the purpose of getting the Bible into as many hands as possible. Remote regions, far away lands.
With our generation they have had to change their emphasis. Bible can be found in any town in America.
Their work to day is to promote an APPETITE for the Bible. To get people to care enough for God’s Word to want to read and study it.
ONE UNFORTUNATE PASTOR struggled with the fact the people were so unexcited about the worship service. He convinced a deacon in the church who was also an architect to make some secret adjustments to the sanctuary.
When a back pew became full it would automatically roll itself to the front of the church. This continued until all in the sanctuary found themselves now in the front rows.
The preacher began to preach and became so excited that when 12:00 approached he was only getting warmed up.
He soon found that the deacon had made more than one adjustment in the sanctuary because when 12:00 struck a trap door suddenly opened behind the pulpit and dropped the pastor to the basement.
• When people get excited about the Word of God their lives will take on a brand new vitality: Values change, they are motivated to live different, there is a brand new meaning to living life.
• Acts 2:42 they were continually devoting themselves to the Word of God. Growing deeper in their knowledge of it and trusting the promises it provides.
JOHN MAXWELL: says that when he pastured a church in Ohio that the church was growing and running out of room. They needed to either relocate or expand the church facilities.
They began to buy property around the church but one man refused to sell.
One night while reading in Joshua, 1:3 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, God challenged John’s heart.
About midnight he got out of bed: barefoot, bathrobe and with Bible in hand and told his wife he would be back in about an hour, ‘I am going to claim Mr. Shoup’s property’!
That night with dog’s howling, he tiptoed around the property and returned. He and his wife continued to pray for the next two months when Mr. Shoup came to faith in Christ.
He soon sold the property to the church
Isa 55:11 My word that goes forth from my mouth. It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
THAT PEOPLE WOULD SENSE THE GLORY OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD GO FORTH UNITED IN THE MISSION OF GOD
17:17-18 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
• Jesus wants to set us apart together that we might together carry out the work of the kingdom of God. Satan loves to keep the body of Christ divided. That keeps us from reaching God’s ultimate desire for us.
A pastor in a small Methodist church in Georgia asked his congregation one morning, ‘How many of you here are Methodist’s?’ Everybody but one little old lady raised their hand.
After the service he asked her what she was and she said, ‘I am a baptist’.
Why are you a baptist
Don’t really know, My mother was a Baptist and my father was a Baptist. My grandmother was a Baptist and my grandfather was a Baptist.
Maam, that is not a good reason to be a Baptist. Suppose your mother and father and grandmother and grandfather had all been moron, what would you have been then?
I guess I would have been a METHODIST?
• Over 300 divisions in the Christian church in America and Satan laughs all the way to the bank. God has given us something around which we are to be united. HIS TRUTH. As we unite around that we can go into the world with God’s blessing and effectiveness.
One of the reason many don’t listen to someone’s witness is because they see so many difference in people who all call themselves believers.
• To know God’s Word is to be compelled to go into the world to share the truth. Real answers to life are not found anywhere else
THREE THINGS THE WORD OF GOD DOES:
1) EQUIPTS THE MESSENGER: 2 Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness: that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
2) EMPOWERS THE MESSAGE: 1 Thes 2:13 You received from us the Word of God’s message, not as the word of men but for what it really is, the word of God, which performs it’s work in you who believe.
3) EFFECTS ALL MEN: Jn 12:32 And if I be lifted up I will draw all men to myself.
Rom 10:13-14, 17 Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Faith Comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
An African missionary named William Chalmers was approached one day by two chiefs. They said, ‘We want Christian teachers, will you send them?
The missionary sadly said that he had no one to send.
Two years passed and the chiefs returned. The missionary himself could arrange to go now and promised to come. He arrived some time later.
As he entered the village on a Sunday morning he found the whole village on their knees in perfect silence.
He asked one of the chiefs what they were doing. PRAYING
But you are not saying anything?
We do not know what to say, for two years we have met here every Sunday for four hours praying and waiting for someone to come and teach us what to say.
1) If we are going to see the glory of God than we have to take the Word of God and reach out to those whose hearts have been prepared.
2) Jesus prayed that the Word of God would have it’s rightful authority in the life of the church so that it’s truth and principles might transform lives through the power of God.
3) Acts 2:41 those who received His word were baptized and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
One church had 18 who were equipped to win others to Christ and had the fire of God in them to share with others.
It was calculated that over an 8 year period those same 18 people have been responsible for reaching over 1,800 people for Christ.
THAT PEOPLE WOULD SENSE THE GLORY OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD FOLLOW THE GLORY OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD GO FORTH UNITED IN THE MISSION OF GOD
THAT PEOPLE WOULD EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF GOD
17:13 But now I come to You, and these things speak in the world, that they may have joy fulfilled in themselves.
• Jesus prays that the church might experience true joy beyond anything the world can give.
This joy comes from knowing that glory of God that comes from
when we are united together under the authority of the Word of God
and obediently going out in the mission of God.
• It is not laughter or amusement or being entertained but something far beyond that. NEH 8:10 The joy of the Lord is our strength.
A JOY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
When Adoniram Judson arrived as a missionary in Burma he was known simply for his joy in the Lord.
He arrived in Burma and not knowing the language he simply approached a man and embraced him.
The man went home and reported to his family that he had seen an angel.
Adoniram Judson became known as MR GLORY FACE.
• The Bible speaks of an unspeakable, abundant, exceeding, constant, everlasting Joy in the life of believers. It is joy in all circumstances, in sorrow, in trials, in persecution and calamities.
• I Thes 5:16 Be joyful always, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
ACTS 2:46-47 filled with gladness….praising God and having favor with all people.
• Paul says that Joy is a fruit that grows. It comes from knowing the truth, living the truth and being in the midst of the awe of God’s continual working.
HOW CAN I HAVE THIS JOY? Living in the truth of God’s word in every aspect of life.
An ad appeared in a paper on day: LOST DOG…has only one eye, limps due to accident with car, is hard of hearing, has patches of fur missing due to mange, ANSWERS TO THE NAME…LUCKY
1) Why is he lucky? Because somebody cares enough to look for him to seek him, to want a relationship with him, to care for him
2) Why am I lucky, why can I have joy: Effected by sin and far removed from His holiness but he loved me, sought me and in 1979 I answered his ad(in the Word of God) I am now His forever. I AM A LUCKY DOG.
Jesus prays for us and we should pray for each other.
1) Sense the awe of God
2) Follow the Word of God
3) Be Obedient to the mission of God
4) Experience the full joy of God.
