The Lords Prayer
John 17
I was driving the other day with my family when a car cut me off. I pulled out to go around him. As I sped up so did he. Faster and faster we both accelerated. Finally I put on the brakes so I could let him go. AS I slowed down, so did he. Now I was furious. I looked over at the driver so I could give him a piece of my mind and when I did, I saw a good friend and church member driving the car. He was laughing hysterically.
Sometimes on the highway of Christianity, we allow little things to annoy us, to distract us, to make us forget where we are going and why we are going there.
Sometimes, spiritually speaking, we need to pull over at a rest stop, look at the map and make sure that spiritually we are going the right direction to reach our destination.
Jesus reveals to us what was closest to his heart, and if we want to be successful in reaching our destination, we need to make them close to our heart.
John Chapter 17 is what I would consider to be the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus prays about those things that are closest to his heart.
Glory-
The first thing that Jesus prayed for was glory.
Not glory for himself as the ultimate goal. But glory for himself that would be a reflection of the glory of his Father.
Jesus knew that death waited ahead. But he also knew the glory of the father would be revealed in him three days later. So he prays that God’s plan is completed and his glory is displayed.
Too many times people want glory just for themselves.
Sometimes football players score a touchdown and do a dance wanting everyone to applaud them and their greatness.
Sometimes baseball players hit a homerun and prance around the bases. They want the crowds to worship and adore them.
If we want to stay on the right road, we need to seek to glorify God with our lives.
I was looking at the full moon a while back. So full, so bright. Then I realized it is only bright because of the sun. In our lives, we need to reflect the light and glory of God in our lives.
Unity-
Jesus also prayed for unity. In the book of Acts we see one church. One unified church in Christ. Yet today there are hundreds upon hundreds of different denominations. The Church has been splintered to pieces.
Even in the Church of Christ there has been division. And a majority of the time it has been over non-doctrinal matters. Sometimes its been over petty differences that wont matter in eternity.
Quite often there will be a difference in the church, and those in the minority will say "Lets just go off and start our own church." So they do and maybe that church grows. But later a difference comes up and a small group from that new church says "Lets go off and start our own church." On and on it goes.
Jesus wanted unity for the church. He still wants unity for the church. He wants the church to be as united as he and the Father are. We need to make it a matter of prayer.
Evangelism-
Jesus prayed for those that would believe through the testimony of his disciples.
Jesus was very passionate about lost souls becoming saved souls.
His great commission to the disciples was a command to evangelism. To go into all the world and make disciples, teaching them baptizing them.
The church and every Christian needs to be seriously passionate about evangelism. We cant just open the doors to our church and wait for the lost souls to flock to us. We need to go out into the world and seek them with the lifechanging message of Jesus Christ.
Heaven
Jesus not only wants us to glorify God in our lives.
Jesus not only wants us to be unified as brothers and sisters in Christ.
He not only wants us to reach out to the lost. He also wants us to be with him in heaven forever.
Heaven was designed for us. Created for us to spend an eternity there with God.
Everything Jesus did was so we could be forgiven and experience heaven with him.
He left heaven so we could go to heaven.
He became a man so we could see God.
He was born a baby so we could be born again.
He suffered and died so we could live forever.
He bore the judgment of our sin so we could be forgiven.
Heave can be ours, if we want it. We can enjoy all the glory and blessings of Heaven.
