God Answers Prayers

God’s Answers to Prayer.
John 11: 1 – 44


I. Introduction.

I would like to begin with a kind of commercial—or at least an invitation for you to join us on Wednesday nights. We offer something for everyone on Wednesday nights. We begin with supper in the Family Life Center at 5:30. Then, at 6:30, we divide into groups. We have childcare for babies, mission activities for preschool and children, youth worship service for teens, adult choir practice, and Bible study and prayer meeting for adults who don’t sing in the choir.

On Wednesday nights, I am teaching through the Book of Ephesians. I started Ephesians two weeks ago, but it’s not too late to join us. I have only made it through the first 14 verses!

One of the remarkable things about the Book of Ephesians is the way Paul devotes so much of his time to pray for the churches of Ephesus. He is not talking about the churches of Ephesus. He is not talking to the churches of Ephesus. He is praying for the churches of Ephesus. There is a big difference between talking about someone, talking to someone and praying for someone. I think we would see a big improvement in all our relationships if we follow Paul’s example and pray for others instead of talking about them or even talking to them.

I once heard a comment about how to resolve church issues. “If you want a better pastor, pray for the one you have.” We could probably apply the same reasoning to just about any relationship. If you want a better Sunday School teacher; If you want a better youth minister, children’s minister, music minister, education minister, senior adult minister; If you want a better husband…If you want a better wife… Pray for the one you have.

There are many places we could turn in Scripture to look at the ways God answers prayer. Today, I want to look at the story how Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. In this story, we listen to Jesus as he prays, and we listen to several of Jesus’ disciples make requests of Jesus. Since Jesus is the One and Only Son of God—fully divine and fully human—I think we can listen to the disciples’ requests in the context of prayer.


The story begins with Jesus and his disciples spending some quiet time together in an isolated region of Palestine near the Jordan River…The disciples were probably relieved to finally get out of Jerusalem, because of the dangers they faced there.

The last time Jesus was in Jerusalem he had to go in a disguise, because the Jewish leaders already wanted to kill him…He had taught in their Temple, claiming to have been sent directly from God…Then he claimed that he was actually God’s Son…When confronted by the Jewish leaders, claiming they too were sons of God, Jesus told them they were actually sons of the devil, because they could not recognize him as the Son of God…Then, the Jewish leaders ran Jesus out of the Temple and collected rocks to stone him…As Jesus left the Temple, he spotted a man who had been blind from birth. . .Jesus spit on the ground, mixed up mud, placed on the man’s eyes and healed his blindness…There was a catch to this. . .Jesus was in the Temple. . .on the Sabbath.

Therefore, I believe it is safe to say, the disciples were enjoying a little time alone with Jesus, outside of Jerusalem, where it seemed like everyone wanted to kill them…Then they received a message that none of the disciples wanted to hear…Jesus was needed in Bethany.

Now, Bethany & Jerusalem are not the same city, but if you will look on your maps at the back of your Bible, you will discover. . .Bethany and Jerusalem are like Hudson and Lufkin…It would be virtually impossible for a person of Jesus’ status to go into Bethany unnoticed by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem…And the disciples did not want to go…But Jesus insisted that they travel to Bethany to see about Lazarus and his worried sisters.

An interesting part of this passage informs us that Jesus did not rush immediately to Lazarus’ aid…Rather, he waited an extra 2 days before even leaving…Jesus explained this to his disciples when he told them “Lazarus is dead, but I am glad for your sake so that you might believe.”

When they arrived in Bethany, the disciples discovered that Jesus was right...Lazarus had been dead for over four days…This is a significant part of the story…In the Jewish belief, the human spirit hovered over the body of a dead person for three days…After the third day, the belief was that the spirit would leave and the decaying process would begin…Jesus waited beyond what anyone would have expected, then performed his miracle of raising his friend from the dead.


II. Sometimes, God Answers, “No.”.

The 1st character I want to look at is one of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary.

Read John 11: 32 – 37.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"(NIV)



Notice the response of Mary and the Jews in this passage…Their response sounds so final. . .like there is no hope…“If you had been here”…“Surely he could have done something. . .”

You and I have a certain luxury as we read this text. . .we know how it ends. . .We know that Jesus walked to the tomb and called Lazarus to come out of that tomb…But Mary and the Jewish mourners do not know how it will end…All they know is that a message was sent to Jesus that Lazarus was sick, and Jesus did not come to help…From their perspective, God had answered, “No,” to their prayer…In fact, thru 20 centuries of interpretation, I would still say God’s answer to their request was, “No.”…They asked that God heal Lazarus, and God did not do it.

Why did God answer, “No,” to this request?…Very simply, it was not God’s will…There are times in our lives that we cry out to God in desperation…“God, Heal me.”…“God, Make it all stop.”…“God, I can’t take it anymore. Solve this problem.”… There are times when we cry out, God hears us, God understands our cries for help, yet God answers, “No.”

When this happens, it does not indicate that prayers do not work…It does not mean that we have weak faith…It simply means we have asked for something that is not God’s will.

In Mary’s case, she asked that her brother be healed. God answered, “No,” but gave her something far better. God gave her a testimony that God can do the impossible. . .He can raise the dead.


III. Sometimes, God Answers, “Grow.”

I also want you to look at the answer the disciples received from Jesus.


Read John 11: 7 – 15.

7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light.
10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."
13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."(NIV)


The disciples made a different kind of request of Jesus…They were not praying that Lazarus be healed of his sickness…They were worried for their lives and did not want to return to Jerusalem or Judea…I would paraphrase their request like this, “Lord, please don’t make us go back to Judea. We could be killed there.”…Jesus answered their request as only Jesus could answer it…He was not as concerned about their lives as he was concerned that they have faith in him.

Have you ever received this answer from God?…Perhaps you prayed that God would heal you. . .or that God would take away some personal problems and frustrations you were facing…Sometimes, God will answer our prayers just like he answered the disciples’ prayer…I am not so much concerned with you physical condition as I am concerned with your spiritual condition…Do you really trust me? Do you really rely on me for your strength to make it through each day? Is your relationship with me the most important thing in your life?

I recently read a quote by author and minister Tim Hansel that I believe captures the essence of this answer…“I have prayed hundreds, if not thousands, of times for the Lord to heal me. . .and he finally healed me of the need to be healed.”

Sometimes, God answers, “Grow”…Because he is more interested in our spiritual condition.


IV. Sometimes, God Answers, “Slow.”

The 3rd character I want you to see is Martha. . .


Read John 11: 17 – 22.

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."(NIV)


Did that passage surprise you a little? It surprised me…We are so accustomed to the story of Jesus visiting in the house of Mary and Martha, that we generalize Mary into the spiritual sister and Martha as the one who worked in the kitchen with no interest in the presence of Jesus…This story pictures the 2 sisters in the opposite light…Mary is the one who looked at the problem of her brother’s sickness and death as a hopeless situation that even Jesus could not solve…Martha, on the other hand, made 2 very spiritual comments.

1. In v. 27, Martha confessed that Jesus was the Christ… Some believe this was the 1st confession of faith, even earlier than Peter’s similar confession.

2. In v. 22, Martha confessed her faith that Jesus could do whatever he wanted, even raise dead.

Martha made a different request of Jesus…Her faith allowed her to look beyond the physical problems of sickness and death…Martha looked toward the spiritual…I would paraphrase Martha’s request like this, “Jesus, I would like to see my brother again. If you want to raise him from the dead, I know you can do it. If you do not want to raise him, then I will look forward to seeing him in the end times, at the final resurrection.”

Martha’s request differed from her sister’s request in one major area…Martha asked for what was already God’s will, but it was not the right time…Therefore, Jesus answered, “Slow”…In other words, Martha would receive what she asked, she would just have to wait on it. . .for God’s timing.

This is a hard lesson for many of us to learn…We often interpret a “No” when God really said, “Slow.”…We like things to come instantly…We would rather cook our dinners in the microwave, not in the crock pot…This is the same as what happened in the life of Abraham…Abraham asked God for a son who could be his heir…This was God’s will…But God’s time was for Abraham to wait until he was 100 years old.

As we pray, we have to learn to trust God’s will. . .But we must also trust God’s time.


V. Sometimes, God Answers, “Go.”

The last character I want you to look at is Jesus himself.


Read John 11: 38 – 44.

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."(NIV)


When Jesus prayed to the Father, God said, “Go”…God answered his prayer just as he prayed it…Because Jesus had all three things in place in order for God to answer his prayer. . .

1. He asked God to do what was already in his will.

2. He asked God to work on God’s own time schedule.

3. Jesus’ spiritual condition was just where God wanted him.


Don’t get me wrong, God will not give you what you want just because you are spiritual…But there are certain spiritual objectives that God wants to accomplish in your life that are far more important than any other request you could ever make.


VI. Conclusion.

I recently ran across a prayer attributed to my favorite author, Anonymous. . .

AND GOD SAID NO (Anonymous)

I asked God to take away my pride,
And God said "NO"
He said it was not for him to take away
But for me to give up
I asked God to make my
handicapped child whole,
And God said "NO"
He said her spirit is whole
Her body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience,
And God said "NO".
He said that patience is a byproduct of tribulation,
It isn't granted, it is earned.
I asked God to give me happiness,
And God said "No"
He said He gives blessings,
Happiness is up to me.
I asked God to spare me pain,
And God said "NO"
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly
cares and brings you closer to me.

... ... ...

I asked God to help me love others
As much as He loves me,
And God said, "Ah, finally you have the idea."[1]

[1] http://www.bvbcministries.org/Poems.htm, “And God Said No.”

Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Two Demonstrations of the Gospel

Two Demonstrations of the Gospel
Romans 6: 1 – 7 AND 1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 34


What do you think is the most important value in the United States of America? From my perspective, it seems that our culture places a priority on “tolerance” as our most important value. Religious tolerance…Political tolerance…Tolerance of “alternative sexual lifestyles.” However, if you listen to the arguments for tolerance, it quickly becomes apparent that many people do not make a distinction between “tolerance” and “acceptance.”

In a religious sense, I believe it is important for Americans to tolerate all world religions and even to protect their rights to express their religious views. But, I do not believe we are required to accept all world religions as equally valid or even viable expressions of true faith, as if all religions lead to the same God.

My faith in Jesus requires me to be exclusive in my understanding of the Christian faith as the only true faith. My faith is grounded on the exclusive claims of Jesus as the One and Only Son of God, who is “the way, the truth and the life…no one comes to the Father except through Jesus (John 14: 6).”

My faith in Jesus also requires me to acknowledge that sin is a reality. Sin is real. Sin exists in our world. And, sin affects all human beings equally. Since all humans are sinners, all humans are separated from God and have a basic need for God’s offer of salvation. God is the only One who can save us. Salvation is available ONLY on God’s terms—faith in Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Son of God.

Many of the lifestyle choices our American culture promotes through entertainment and media are choices to rebel against God and to refuse God’s offer of salvation. In short, these lifestyle choices are sin.

At some point in the future, Christians will no longer live in this sinful world. When Christians die, God will take us into Heaven to live with him eternally. When Jesus returns as he promised us, he will take Christians into Heaven to live with God eternally. In Heaven, we will no longer live with sin. We will not commit sin…We will not face the temptation to sin…We will no longer have to choose between tolerating a sinful world or accepting sin as an “alternative lifestyle” or a viable option.

When someone tries to promote tolerance as a virtue, they are usually demanding acceptance. American culture has a difficult time distinguishing between tolerance and acceptance of sin. Therefore, I do not believe tolerance is our culture’s most important value. I think individual freedom is that most important virtue. Everybody gets to choose how they will live their lives. No matter what you choose, you are right. No matter what you choose, you cannot make a wrong choice. Everybody is right. Nobody is wrong.

In fact, I would even go so far as to say worship of self is the American religion. Sadly, this has crept into the way American Christians understand our faith.

American Christians are prone to describe their faith exclusively in individualistic terms…a private matter of the heart…an individual decision…Don’t ask and don’t tell, because this is between a person and God.

There is truth in this individualistic view of spirituality. Every person who becomes a Christian does so through individual profession of faith. Jesus died on the cross for individuals. Individual men and women must make a personal profession of faith that Jesus is the Lord of their lives. However, God’s purpose for our lives goes beyond our individual profession of faith. God saves us as individuals and brings us together in the church so that we become a part of the Body of Christ. It is within the Body of Christ that we fulfill God’s purpose for our lives and God’s mission in the world.

Another way to say this is to say there is both an individual expression of the Christian faith as well as a corporate expression of the Christian faith. As Baptist Christians, we demonstrate the individual side of our faith and the corporate side of our faith through the two ordinances of our church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Both Baptism and the Lord’s Supper serve as visual demonstrations of the Gospel.


Baptism and the Gospel… Romans 6: 1 – 7.


What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

In this Scripture, the Apostle Paul clearly describes the symbolism of baptism. He helps us to realize that nothing magical or mystical happens when a person is baptized.

The water in our baptistery is not holy water. It comes from the City of Lufkin’s water supply. It is just like the water we drink, use in our cooking and take a bath in every day. We don’t ship it in from the Jordan River, and we don’t do anything to bless it before we fill the baptistery. It is plain, Lufkin water…It probably even smells a little like eggs to people who haven’t lived here their entire lives!

The water in that baptistery cannot wash away a person’s sins. There is only one thing that can take away a person’s sin…The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation can only be accomplished by God. God accomplished your forgiveness and salvation on the cross of Jesus. It is a free gift, an expression of God’s grace. All you have to do is accept God’s gift.

We do not believe baptism can save anyone. But, we do believe baptism is required. Baptism is required for anyone to be a member of our church. Baptism is required as an act of obedience. (Since Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, we think all Christians ought to be baptized to follow the example Jesus set for us.) And, Baptism is required as a visual demonstration of what God has already done for us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

If Baptism does not wash away a person’s sins, what does Baptism do? It tells a story. On one hand, it tells the story of Jesus. On the other hand it tells a personal story of what Jesus has done for me.

Baptism tells the story of Jesus by demonstrating visually the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, he literally and physically died. Jesus’ followers took his dead body down from the cross and buried his body in a tomb. But, death was not the end for Jesus. Just as Jesus predicted, and just as the Old Testament had prophesied, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day.

Baptism tells a personal story of the person standing in the baptistery. All humans are sinners. Sin separates us from God and makes it impossible for us to achieve our own forgiveness or to save ourselves. The logical conclusion of sin is that sin leads to death. Therefore, as long as we are unforgiven, we are dead. However, when we accept God’s gift of grace—forgiveness and eternal salvation—the old dead sinner is buried and through faith raised to live a new kind of life. This new life is the life led by God’s Holy Spirit.

Baptism is a visual demonstration of the Gospel, because it shows us how God changes individual men and women through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.


The Lord’s Supper and the Gospel…1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 34.


For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment. And when I come I will give further directions.


In this Scripture, we read the Apostle Paul’s theological understanding of the Lord’s Supper. He offers his theological understanding of the Supper in response to an abuse that was taking place in the churches of Corinth. The church members were being selfish. Some people ate too much. Some people got nothing to eat. Some people were even using the Lord’s Supper as an occasion to get drunk. Paul addressed these concerns theologically.

First, Paul tells us that Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he shared a meal of bread and wine with his disciples. Jesus specifically taught his disciples that the elements of this supper were symbolic—they are reminders of what Jesus has done for us. The bread is a reminder of the physical body of Jesus. No one took his body from him. Jesus freely and willingly laid down his body by going to the cross. The wine is a reminder of Jesus’ blood. The blood reminds us of the gruesome nature of crucifixion. Jesus gave his life freely and willingly, but he did not die an ordinary death. He freely and willingly died in the most painful and gruesome manner of execution ever known.

Second, Paul teaches us that the Lord’s Supper is proclamation. Whenever we partake in the Lord’s Supper, we are preaching the story of Jesus’ death. Just like Baptism, the Lord’s Supper tells a story. On one hand, it tells the story of Jesus who gave his life freely and willingly. On the other hand it tells our story.

The Lord’s Supper is different from Baptism. While baptism tells the story of what Jesus did for individuals, the Lord’s Supper tells the story of what Jesus did for the church—the community of faith or the Body of Christ. Baptism is something we do individually. The Lord’s Supper is something we do together.

Through the centuries of Christian theology, there has been much debate over who can participate in the Lord’s Supper. Some people say the Lord’s Supper is for all Christians. The context does not matter. The Lord’s Supper can be taken in a church service, a youth group meeting, a choir practice or even a gathering of multiple churches in a convention or retreat setting. Other people say the Lord’s Supper is for the church alone. It must be offered in a church worship service, and it can only be taken by people who are members of that church alone. (Our practice is to offer the Lord’s Supper only in a church worship service, but to allow any Christian present to participate.)

There are many differences in these interpretations of the Lord’s Supper. However, there is one thing they have in common. No one believes the Lord’s Supper is something an individual does on his or her own. It is reserved for the community of faith, the Body of Christ, the church.

The Lord’s Supper is a visual demonstration of the Gospel, because it shows how Jesus has brought us together. Yes, salvation is a gift of grace which must be accepted individually. However, salvation brings us together into the Body of Christ.


Conclusion: The Body of Christ…1 Corinthians 12.

The context of Paul’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper is significant. He gives us his theological understanding of the Lord’s Supper immediately before he enters into a detailed description of the church as the Body of Christ.

The Body of Christ is made up of many different people with many different spiritual gifts. This is just like the human body. The human body has two eyes, two ears, two hands and two feet. None of these body parts can change places. Each has its own job. And, the body is only successful when each part of the body does the job God created it to do.

The same thing is true for us. God brought you into this church to do a specific task. God has given you talents, the passions, the experience and the spiritual gifts you need to accomplish that work in the church.

It does not matter who you are or where you came from. Jesus has destroyed all the walls that divide us. No race, no gender and no class can divide us. We are united as one Body as we gather at the Lord’s Table.

Praying in Jesus' Name

Praying in Jesus’ Name
John 14: 10 – 14.

Introduction


Read John 14: 10 – 14.

This Scripture comes in the context of Jesus’ last extended teaching to his disciples. They had just shared the Last Supper together, and Jesus took this opportunity to prepare the disciples for what would come next. Jesus told them that he would be betrayed by one of the twelve disciples; Jesus would be handed over to the Jewish religious leaders to be tried for blasphemy; Jesus would be handed over to the Romans to be crucified. As if this were not bad enough, Jesus also told them that in his hour of greatest need, all twelve disciples would abandon him.

Peter spoke up and insisted, “Lord, even if all others run away, I will never abandon you.” Jesus predicted that Peter would in fact deny knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crows the next morning.

This was a very heavy moment for the disciples. One of them would betray Jesus. All of them would abandon Jesus. And, Jesus was about to die at the hands of the Romans. This was nothing short of a major life crisis for the disciples. After all, these twelve disciples had given up everything they had ever known to follow Jesus. They walked away from their families and friends. They gave up their jobs and careers. They had even changed their understanding of their traditional religious beliefs. And, now Jesus was going away from them.

This explains why Jesus began his final extended teaching with words of comfort and encouragement…

John 14: 1 – 9, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?


There are a couple of important themes in Jesus’ words to his disciples.

First, Jesus assures them not to worry, because he is preparing a place for them in his Father’s house. It seems apparent that this is a reference to Heaven. Jesus is preparing a permanent home for all who trust in him. This permanent home will be with Jesus and with the Father, in fact, it is in the Father’s house.

Second, Jesus offers hope to his disciples that even thought Jesus must go to his Father’s house; they will not be left alone. Jesus describes both his going and his coming again. He is going away. But, he is coming again. On one hand, I think it is possible for us to interpret this as a reference to the Second Coming of Jesus—there is a coming day in the future in which Jesus will return to take all his living disciples to live with the Father in Heaven. On the other hand, I think we ought to think of Jesus’ coming as something more immediate. This is a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples will not be alone, because Jesus is sending the Holy Spirit to be with them. You and I will never be alone, because Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as well.

Through the presence of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ disciples, the work Jesus did in his earthly life will continue. Notice what Jesus said in John 14: 12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

It is important for us to note that while Jesus did perform miraculous signs, not everything Jesus did was a miracle. Yes, Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead. But, Jesus also fed the hungry, spent time with people who were physically and spiritually unclean, and Jesus preached the Gospel. We ought to keep this in mind as we try to interpret what Jesus meant by saying his followers would do “even greater things.”

Actually, we can see what Jesus meant by looking at the work of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts. On occasion, Jesus’ disciples performed miracles among the sick. But, for the most part, the work of the Holy Spirit was apparent in the way people responded to the Gospel message the disciples preached. Jesus did not get this kind of response when he preached the Gospel! But, when the Holy Spirit was sent into the world to inspire, to convict and to convince…The Christian faith literally exploded! Just look at the response to Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost…3,000 people believed the Gospel and were baptized into the church

Third, Jesus places a priority on prayer. When Jesus ascended to his Father’s house in Heave, he left the Holy Spirit to be with us. The relationship between Jesus and his disciples changed. He was not present with them in a physical sense. However, he was present with them spiritually. In the same way, Jesus is not physically present with us today. Yet, we have a spiritual relationship with him through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Since this is a spiritual relationship, we grow in this relationship through spiritual practices—spiritual disciplines. Specifically, Jesus places on us an expectation that we will pray.

The expectation of prayer comes with a promise. Notice what Jesus said in John 14: 13 – 14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Do not let anyone tell you Jesus never claimed to be God. In this short passage, Jesus tells us that he is in the Father and the Father is in him; he tells us that the words Jesus has spoken are words that came directly from God; he tells us that to see Jesus is to see the Father; AND Jesus tells us that he is the one who answers our prayers. Any one of these four statements would be enough to prove that Jesus claimed to be God. But, taken together, they provide us with an emphatic statement about Jesus’ character. He claimed to be God before the crucifixion. He proved himself to be God after the resurrection.

Jesus expects his followers to pray. Jesus promised to answer the prayers of his followers. However, Jesus placed some limits on what his followers ought to pray. Verse 14 says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Jesus did not promise to give us ANYTHING we ask. Jesus promised to give us anything we ask IN HIS NAME.


What’s In a Name?

What do you think Jesus meant when he encouraged us to “pray in his name?” Do you think that means we are supposed to close our prayers with the phrase, “In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen?” Or do you think there is something mystical or even magical about the five letter word J-E-S-U-S?

We ought to interpret Jesus’ teaching about his name in the context of how the concept of a person’s name was used in the ancient world. For example, ancient people thought of names differently than we think of names today. In the ancient world, names actually meant something. Names were more than a designation to distinguish one person from another. Names were actually descriptive. In the ancient world, a name described the person and revealed something about that person’s character.

This is what we read in Proverbs 22: 1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” It does not mean we should feel sorry for people who have bad names like Zipporah, Nimrod or Ichabod. It means we should all strive to have a good character or a good reputation.

Have you ever wondered why God changed the name of so many biblical characters? Ultimately, it is a symbolic way to describe the way God changes a person’s character or nature. In the Bible, when God changed a person’s character or nature, God also changed their name.

In Genesis 17, God changed a man’s name from Abram to Abraham. The name Abram comes from the Hebrew word for “father.” This was a very ironic name, since Abram lived for 85 years without ever having any children of his own. Yet, in Genesis 17, God reaffirmed his covenant with Abram and assured him that he would become a father of nations. Thus, when God changed Abram’s nature, God also changed his name. Abram means “father.” Abraham means “father of nations.”

Abraham’s son Isaac had twin sons, named Esau and Jacob. The name Esau means “hairy.” He probably received this name, because even at the time of his birth, his body was covered in hair. The name Jacob means “one who grasps at the heel.” Again, when the twins were born, Esau was born first—covered in hair—and Jacob was born next, grasping at the heel of his brother. Jacob fulfilled the literal meaning of his name at birth by grasping at his brother’s heel. However, he also fulfilled the figurative meaning of his name by “tripping, deceiving and tricking” other people throughout his life. Yet, God used this deceiver to become the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. In Genesis 32, God changed Jacob’s character and changed his name. Jacob was on his way to reconcile his relationship with his brother. The night before they met, Jacob stayed awake all night long wrestling with God. At the end of the night, Jacob asked his assailant for his name. God refused to give his name, but God changed Jacob’s name. He was no longer to be known as the deceiver. Instead, he would be known as Israel, “one who wrestles with God,” or “God prevails.” When God changed his nature, God changed his name.

In the New Testament, we meet a disciple named Peter. That was not his real name. That was the name Jesus gave him. Peter was born with the name Simon, which means “flat nose.” I wonder if Simon was born with a flat nose, or if he got that name later in life when he spoke too much and someone gave him a flat nose. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples who people thought Jesus was. They answered that people thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets. Jesus made his question personal by asking the disciples, “But what about ya’ll? Who do ya’ll think that I am?” Simon answered, “You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God.” With these words, Simon was the first person in all of the New Testament to profess Jesus as the promised Messiah. That is when Jesus changed his name from Simon (flat nose) to Peter (rock), because Peter’s confession of faith would be the rock on which the entire church would be built. When God changed his future, God changed his name.


Praying in Jesus’ Name

I suppose it would be possible for us to think Jesus is giving us a formula for our prayers. It might even be possible to think Jesus is telling us to use the five letter name J-E-S-U-S as a kind of magic word. If we use the name J-E-S-U-S in our prayers, then Jesus will be obligated to give us whatever we ask for in our prayers. However, this does not take into account the many times we pray without receiving the answer we had hoped for. It also does not take into account the biblical concept of name and character. Therefore, I believe to pray in Jesus’ name is to pray in Jesus’ character or nature.

Our prayers ought to be consistent with the Person of Jesus. We should pray for the things Jesus would pray for. Praying in Jesus’ name means that our prayers should reflect the desires of Jesus.

Think of a modern day example of a man and woman who get married. Traditionally, when a man and woman get married, the woman takes her new husband’s name. The new wife does not lose her identity. She does not give up her unique personality. However, she has entered into a union in which “two become one.” The man and woman share the same possessions, the same dreams, the same hopes, the same desires, the same will, the same purpose…

In the same way, our spiritual relationship with Jesus reflects a similar kind of union. We share in Jesus’ possessions and inheritance. We share in Jesus’ dreams, hopes, desires and will. We even share in Jesus’ purpose—to continue his work in the world.


Conclusion

Bruce McIver tells his story of the Baylor Youth Revivals on the 1940’s in the book Riding the Wind of God (Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2002). Through these revivals, literally thousands of young men and women professed faith in Jesus. Some well known Texas Baptist pastors became Christians through these revivals: Buckner Fanning, Milton Cunningham and Bailey Stone for example. But the revivals began when a group of 6 Baylor students prayed for a revival. They started praying in September 1944. They held their first revival in April 1945.

To pray in Jesus’ name is not the same thing as being hopeful. This is not the same thing as wishful thinking or even good luck. This is confident assurance in the promises of God. God promised us, and God can be trusted. When we desire what Jesus desires, Jesus will do it. When we dream as Jesus dreams, Jesus will accomplish it. When we pray as Jesus would pray, Jesus will answer.

Sunday, September 5, 2010: Work Can Be Spiritual

Work Can Be Spiritual
Matthew 6: 19 – 34.

I. Introduction.

This is Labor Day Weekend…The last three day weekend of the Summer…The last opportunity for family vacation or to get some work done around the house…Or your last opportunity to wear your white patent leather shoes…

But Labor Day is an often overlooked holiday…It is a unique holiday, because it is not devoted to any particular religious group or nationality…First Monday in September is Labor Day in America…Other nations have their own days set aside as Labor Day…

In America, Labor Day began in 1882 when the Central Labor Union designated September 5 as a “working man’s holiday.”

Even though Labor Day is not a Christian holiday, it does fit with our Protestant work ethic and our understanding of the value of a good day’s work…As Christians, we ought to give thanks to God for our work and for allowing us to live in a country where work is available…

We can even pause today and look at the biblical perspective of work…The Bible presents us with two ways we can view our work…

Read Genesis 3: 17 – 19…Work as a Curse…This curse came as a result of the Fall and a consequence of human sin…Notice there are two sides of that curse: work and separation from God…Through Christ our relationship with God has been restored, so we have reason to believe that the first part of that curse has also been broken…

Read Colossians 3: 22 – 25…Through Christ, our work does not have to remain a curse…It can be a blessing and a kind of service to God…

Today I want to encourage you to let Christ break the curse that has held our work captive and move to an understanding of work as a blessing…There are three ways that you can know if your work is a blessing or a curse…

Read Matthew 6: 19 – 34.


II. Is Your Work Irreverent?

Work that is irreverent is work that does not show reverence toward God…We show reverence by honoring God and loving God through our actions…Revere is another word for worship…to focus our mind, attention and affection on God and to act in ways that reflect those thoughts and love for God…

Many people like to compare the Old and New Testaments and say that the OT is about Law and the NT is about Grace…This is a great idea, except it is wrong and does not reflect what the Bible teaches…Grace does not just show up in the NT…The OT is all about Grace…Law does not just show up in the OT…The NT places legal requirements that are actually tougher than the OT…

In the OT, believers were required to give a tithe or 10% of parts of their income to God…In the OT, believers were required to give 1/7 of their time—one day out of every week totally devoted to worship and rest…In the NT, Paul called all Christians to present themselves as “living sacrifices” to God…In other words, the NT requires more than the OT ever thought to require…Now, believers are required to give 100% of both financial assets and time…Worship is not reserved for Sunday mornings…It is for every day of the week…We are to worship God with all that we have…

Paul said in Colossians 3 that Christians ought to work as if God himself were our boss…Not the earthly boss that we report to every day…We can even worship God through our work…

How can we know if our work is Reverent or Irreverent? We should compare our work to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6. Are you storing up for yourself treasures in heaven or treasures on earth? Reverent work stores treasures in heaven.

If all you are doing in your work is storing up treasures on earth…Then your work might be more of a curse than a blessing…


III. Is Your Work Irrelevant?

Work that is irrelevant is work that does not accomplish anything significant…Or make a meaningful contribution to change the world for the better…

I have confessed to you before that I like to do things…I don’t like to be idle or to waste my time…I can remember when I was in school how I always hated having a substitute teacher…Because having a substitute usually meant doing busy work that didn’t seem to accomplish anything…

When our work is a blessing, it is relevant work…Work that makes a difference…

How can we know if our work is Relevant or Irrelevant? Again, we should compare it to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6. Is the Kingdom of God your number one priority? Or do you spend your time worrying about food, drink, clothing, etc…Relevant work places the Kingdom of God as the top priority…Irrelevant work focuses on secondary concerns like food, drink, clothing and ironically creates more stress…

In France in the 1600’s, a man named Lawrence entered into a Carmelite Monastery. He was a very spiritual man, but he was not very educated. Since he was not educated, he had no hope of ever becoming a priest. Yet, he wanted to enter into the Monastery to grow closer to God.

Since Lawrence was a layman, he didn’t get one of the “cool” jobs in the Monastery. He was assigned to kitchen duty. Every morning after breakfast was served, Lawrence would go into the kitchen to wash the pots. As soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to reuse the pots to cook lunch. Then, after lunch, Lawrence would return to his work of washing the pots. Again, as soon as the pots were cleaned, it was time to use them again to cook supper. (Does this sound familiar to anyone?) And after supper, Lawrence would once again wash the pots.

Lawrence thought that he would have more time to spend with God in the Monastery, but all his time was spent washing pots. This led Lawrence to a great spiritual discovery. Washing the pots was a way for him to spend time with God. He was not washing pots for himself, he was washing pots for others. He was not only washing pots for the Monastery, he was washing pots for God. (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, [Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1982])


IV. Is Your Work Irresponsible?

Work can be irresponsible when it does not consider the needs of others…Does your work look out for your own needs, or for the needs of others? This includes family…

How can we know if our work is Responsible or Irresponsible? Again, compare it to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6…Does your work give life to others, or does it actually take away life from others? When our work is responsible to God, then it provides for our personal needs and for the needs of others—including our families…

Work that is Irresponsible is work that only looks after our own personal, selfish needs…It is nothing more than stress and worry and “vanity, vanity”…

Jesus’ words on this subject were plain enough…Worry and Stress cannot add to your life…They actually take away life…

Many people today tend to find their meaning and identity in their work…This had led many to spend inordinate amounts of time working…Of course, it is easy to rationalize this kind of addiction… “I am just providing for the needs of my family”… “I just want my children to have more than I had”… “My family comes first, so I work to provide for my family”…

The reality is that this kind of addiction to work does not improve the quality of life for a person’s family…It actually destroys the family…It does not give life to others…It takes away life from others…By creating more stress, anxiety and worry…Jesus said that you cannot improve your life through worry!


V. Conclusion.

I took a group of college students on a mission trip to Mexico during Spring Break of 1997. We worked on several building projects at a Christian orphanage in the Mexican city of Reynosa. On our last full day, our host took us on a trip to observe the site of a new mission he was trying to develop.

This was a small fishing village on the Gulf of Mexico that was so small and so remote that it didn’t even have a name. They just referred to it as “Fish Island.” We drove four hours southeast from the Texas border on the worst roads I have ever driven in my life.

We were not prepared for what we saw when we got there…Families lived in shacks and crates and cardboard boxes on the beach with no access to electricity or plumbing. The filth and smell was unbelievable.

The men made their living by fishing. Every morning they rowed in small boats onto the Gulf to a small island that was just over the horizon and out of our sight. On the other side of that island they fished and then brought what they had caught back to the beach to sell to the trucks that came by every afternoon.

They made next to nothing for their fish and lived in filth and poverty. Just as I was beginning to feel sorry for these Mexican families, I learned something else. They didn’t work year round. They only worked for six months each year. And this was not because of the weather or the fishing season.

They only worked for six months, because that is how long it took them to earn enough money to live for the rest of the year. Once they made as much money as they wanted, they took their families and moved back to an inland village to live.

These poor fishermen did not live a glamorous lifestyle…And they did not have the wealth and luxury that you and I are used to…But it seems to me they had something that we have missed…They have broken the curse…