I Am Praying - Part 2

Bryan Chapell: Here is the great heart of God on display to say, my great glory is that I knew from the beginning what would be needed to save you and I sent my son anyway. His glory is that he was designed to be our savior. And God, our father, knowing all of that, sent him to save.
Guest (Male): So glad you joined us for today's Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Brian Chapel. In today's episode, pastor Brian shares the second half of a lesson from John 16. Dr. Chapel highlights the words of Jesus to the disciples at the last supper, revealing how he would be the great advocate on our behalf. You can find this lesson and many others when you visit unlimitedgrace.com. And while you're there, look for pastor Brian's book, the multi-generational church crisis. This compelling book asks the question of the church, what could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other? Let's hear now from Dr. Brian Chapel as he shares the second half of the lesson, I am praying.
Bryan Chapell: The first 10 chapters of the Gospel of John cover 30 years of the life of Jesus. The first half of the book covers 30 years. The last half of the book, roughly the last 10 chapters, covers only one week. And five of those 10 chapters cover only one meal, the last supper. We're now at the end of that meal and one entire chapter will be devoted to Christ's prayer at the end of that meal. In that prayer, we are reminded, not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us with groanings too deep to utter, but Christ himself prays for his people. Let's stand and we'll look at John 17 verses 1 through 9 as we begin this portion of the high priestly prayer of the Lord Jesus. John 17 and verse 1. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that the son may glorify you since you have given him authority over all flesh, give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were and you gave them to me and they have kept your word. Now, they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me. For they are yours. Let's pray together. Heavenly father, it is mysterious and wonderful at the same time to think that as we pray to you, the Holy Spirit conforms our words to your will. And Jesus himself prays with us, for us and according to your will. And so as we pray with a certain trembling that these spiritual realities would be working even now, would you work so that as the Holy Spirit is taking our words to you and Jesus is praying for us, that you would open our hearts to receive your word and transform us by it. This we ask in Jesus name. Amen. Please be seated. I think one of the best expressions that I have read recently is what happened in the life of a priest named Maximilian Kolbe in February of 1941. He had sheltered over 2,000 Jews from the Nazis in Poland and then was found out. So he was sent to Auschwitz. In Auschwitz, despite all the deprivations and all the harm that was done to so many, he continued to seek to pastor others. But then came the day when a man escaped from Auschwitz. And to make an example and to keep it from happening again, the commandant said now, 10 must die by torture and by starvation so that no one will try it again. 10 were chosen. One man who was chosen had a family and began to weep that he was going to leave a family without any care. At that point, Kolbe stepped forward and said to the commandant, he has a family. I have none. Put me in his place. For more than 2 weeks, the torture and the starvation went on. Each day, Kolbe leading the others in prayer and hymns to encourage them as they faced their eternity. Finally, he was the only one left alive. And because the Nazis had tired of the starvation, they put him to death by lethal injection. But it was glory. It was absolute glory that one would be willing to die for another. It is what Jesus has told us about his own life and his own glory. Not that he would die for one, but that he would die for the sins of the world. That that would be the great glory that would be manifested in the son and it would redound to glory to the father and to perceive kind of the magnitude of that. Look look at these strange words in verse five. Jesus says, father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I mean, it's amazing words. What's the glory that Jesus is to receive? The glory that he is to receive is to be the ransom paid for many, to be the sacrifice in order that others would have life. And now he's saying, father, glorify me so that I will have the glory that I had from the beginning before the world was made. Which is to say, if Jesus has the glory then that he has as a result of being sacrificed, that means the glory he had from the very beginning was the glory of a God who so loved his people that he would send his son to die for them. After all, this same apostle John, remember in the book of Revelation, will say of Jesus, he was the lamb sacrificed before the foundations of the world were laid. The glory of God was to know what would be taken to to rescue you and me and still he would send his son and and that plan was made from time immemorial so that Isaiah 53 that you and I love to recite says it was God's will to crush him. But it was the son's glory to receive the blow and that glory was in the plan, the mind and the heart of God from the very beginning of time. Jesus's sacrifice and death was not happenstance. It it it was not something he did not anticipate. It was not something he just fell into. Here is the great heart of God on display to say, my great glory is that I knew from the beginning what would be needed to save you and I sent my son anyway. His glory is that he was designed to be our savior. And God, our father, knowing all of that, sent him to save. It's part of the great glory that he would come and offer himself. It was the glory made complete when Kolbe, the last one living, when they came in to gave him the lethal injection, actually raised his arm to receive it. I by this will save. And the man he saved lived 53 more years, dying at age 94. But the people Jesus saves, over them death has no power. They live eternally and it is to the glory of Jesus and God the father to make it possible. Jesus not only can make a difference, he does make a difference. But to whom does this glory of high, this this great affection, this great care we're we're always troubled by the end of the passage, verse 9. As Jesus now the the great provider says what he will provide, he makes first that the wonderful sweet words praying to the father, verse 9, I am praying for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me. For they are yours. Well, who is Jesus actually going to pray for as this great advocate in our behalf, the one whose glory comes by saving his people? Who who's Jesus actually going to pray for? Well, he's obviously not going to pray for the world. Now, the reason for that you have to remember we've been told as as the word world is being used in this portion of the Gospel of John, it's reference to those who are going to hate Christ, kill him and persecute his followers. So Jesus says, listen, I I am not going to pray for those who work against us. You know, I'm I'm not going to pray for the cups. I mean, I'm not going to pray for those who are going to act you know, be be against the purpose. Just ignore that, okay? Jesus said, I'm not I am not praying for that which is going to undo the purposes of heaven. Who is he praying for? Well, he says, right? He says in verse 9, I'm praying for them who are they. You have to only go back up into the preceding phrase of verse 8. Jesus has been describing a group of people and his last phrase in verse 8 says, they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am praying for those who believe that you sent me, father, that it was the plan to bring the glory to me that I had from before the world was made to be now exhibited in death and resurrection on behalf of my people. Those are the ones who believe those who believe that, they are the ones for whom I am praying, but but still we wonder, well, who are they specifically? And to answer that, you have to back up and I'm just doing this because you and I know these are sometimes controversial verses in scripture, but but who are they that the father has given Jesus for whom he is now praying? Go to verse 6 and we'll just see it unfold. Jesus speaking to the father in the presence of his disciples said, I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were and you gave them to me and they have kept your word. Now, when you read kept not as in obeying, but as in holding on to it. They have held on to your word. Who are those people? Verse 7. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. They are people who have grown in understanding. So now at this point, they know that everything that I have is from the father. And verse 8, for I have given them the words that you gave me and they have received them and they have come to know in truth that I came from you and they have believed that you sent me. Did you get the progress? They are those who have received the words. Now they are believing the words and I am praying for them. Who are those people who now they they didn't originally, but now they believe and they have grown in that understanding? Who are those people? Those are the ones who are around Jesus as he's praying. Those are the disciples. And just so that you'll see it clearly, it's explained in chapter 18 and verse 7 if you'll look there. Remember at the end of this prayer, the soldiers now do come to arrest Jesus. They ask where is Jesus of Nazareth? He identifies himself and remember they fall back. They weren't expecting this this rebel rabbi to identify himself so readily. They wonder what's going to happen to them. So they fall back. So Jesus in verse 7 of chapter 18 asks them. He asks them again, whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of those whom you gave me, I have lost none.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Unlimited Grace, the audio broadcast ministry of pastor and author Brian Chapel.
Guest (Male): It may seem hard for younger Christians to believe, but people over 50 were raised during an era when 90% of Americans identified as Christian. These older believers were once part of a majority group that understood the mission of the church was to take control of our culture, to halt its evils. At the same time, Christians under 50 have lived their entire lives perceiving themselves as a minority that needs to make credible their faith to a secular pluralistic culture. These distinct experiences and perceptions have a profound impact on the priorities different generations have for church ministry. It's no wonder that younger and older believers don't always see eye to eye. In his new book, The Multi-Generational Church Crisis, Dr. Brian Chapel asks the question, what could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other? This practical and hopeful book is backed by thorough research revealing how to open the lines of communication, appreciate the experiences that shaped each generation in your church and unite in one mission to impact your community and the world. You can request your copy of the multi-generational church crisis when you donate online at unlimitedgrace.com or by calling 844-41-Grace. That's 844-41-47223. And now more from Brian Chapel on today's Unlimited Grace.
Bryan Chapell: Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken of those whom you gave me. I have lost none. When Jesus says there's been those given to him, who's he talking about? The disciples that are right there with him. He says, these are those that were given to me. Of them, I have lost none. So Roman soldier, let them go. He's defending those very ones. Now here's the problem. This whole sermon, I've been assuring you that Jesus prays for you. But if you see who he's praying for right now, you understand it's just the disciples. And you know, well, that's that's not me. That's why you need John 17 20. Can you go there? John 17 20. It's toward the end of Jesus's prayer. He's still speaking to the father and he says, I do not ask for these only. That is the disciples around me. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. Who are those people who will believe in Jesus through his word? Who are those people? Everybody raise your hand. We are those people. Jesus is saying, I am praying for those who have heard and do hear and will hear by these people. That's us. And Jesus is saying, I'm going to pray. And he's praying even for those who will hear. He's anticipating his resurrection state that there will be that time in which he will have ascended to the father. He will be beside the throne and he will be praying for us. It's what Stephen precisely saw. Do you remember that? Stephen who has given his great testimony of Jesus whom God has sent and again the Jewish leaders wanting to to get the message down, they begin to stone Stephen. And Stephen, remember the account in Acts 7, the heavens open. And what does he see? Jesus beside God interceding for him. It is Jesus in his resurrection state praying for believers, even praying for Stephen's eternity in the moment of crisis as Jesus is now saying, for you and for me, I am praying for you. Wouldn't wouldn't that make all the difference to believe no matter what you're going through, there is an advocate who has eternal priorities, who is beside God praying for you, who knows the heart of God, who has the power of God and has your interest at heart. And he's praying for you. You know, there's there's right here a warning as well as a promise. Jesus is saying he is praying for those who believe in him, who believe that the father sent him to glorify the father by dying for our sins in the hour that had come. If you don't believe that, if you don't believe that Jesus died for your sin, then he's not promising to pray for you. There is a warning. But if you believe that the father sent him for you, that is not just a past benefit. It is a present and eternal benefit that when we cry out in hours of crisis, we have this assurance from the savior. He prays for me. He prays for me. A few weeks ago, we got an an email from friends writing these words. I just had a really really bad day yesterday. My husband's day was even worse because the only thing worse than prepping for a colonoscopy and having a colonoscopy is finding out you have cancer. Pray for us. The kids only know that daddy has a stomach problem. So we're trying to keep from talking much about it. Not talking much. Have you met us? But by the grace of God, one of my best friends is visiting this weekend. It was planned weeks ago and I can cry and rage with her. We do some of that anyway about everything from fat pants to misbehaving children to wanting things we can't afford. And now, well, now we'll rage about cancer. I really hate cancer. We have seen it ravage health, take lives and build faith and unite families and spark eternal hope. God is bigger than anything this world can throw at us. I guess he's going to show us what that means for us. Did I mention pray for us? When we received that email, we did pray. But as I prepared this message, I recognized something even more precious. We weren't the only ones praying. Jesus was praying too. Jesus prays for us, for you, for me. He prays for us. Here is the king of the universe, the savior of the world who says to people who are scared and hurting and broken and wondering, he simply says, I pray for you. If you walk away with anything this morning, would you just walk away with that? You may have some things to pray about, but when you pray, would you just remember this? Jesus prays for you. And he's God. That can really make a difference.
Guest (Male): That's pastor Brian Chapel and you've been listening to Unlimited Grace. If this message has been an encouragement to you, you can find a collection of more valuable resources at unlimitedgrace.com. When you visit, you will find today's message and many others from pastor Brian. While you're there, you can sign up for pastor Brian's daily devotional sent right to your inbox. Once again, go to unlimitedgrace.com or you can give by calling 844-41-Grace. Please be sure to join us next time as once again we endeavor to put Christ at the center of our efforts so that lives might be transformed by his unlimited grace. This ministry is brought to you by Unlimited Grace Media and continues to be made possible with your generous financial support.