Calvary Baptist Church - Canyon Texas - David Crump, Pastor

Palm Sunday

Luke 19:28-41

The event traditionally known as Palm Sunday is fraught with meaning. It is hard to think of any close contemporary equivalents that would parallel the mood of this entry and presentation. It could be compared to a regal coronation ceremony, but that does not work in this case, because Jesus is being presented as a regal figure but not crowned as one.

Luke has built up the journey to Jerusalem as full of significance. Jerusalem is the city of Jesus' fate and destiny. From Luke's perspective Jesus is still approaching the city and has not officially entered it, since his condemnation of Jerusalem's rejection in verse 41 takes places as he approached. Events move quickly from this point, so that after the procession and the lament over Jerusalem, Jesus moves inexorably toward his death. Announced as the king, he is rejected as king.

Vv 28-31

Still outside the city, moving through villages just a few miles to the east, he prepares to enter the capital. He takes control of events as well, instructing two disciples to procure an animal for him. Jesus' riding of the young colt fulfills Zechariah 9:9, though Luke does not mention this text specifically. The animal is commandeered because "the Lord needs it."

Vv 32-35

The detail with which the Lord prepares the disciples to find the colt adds another note: for him the coming events will include no surprises. He has announced the sequence of events. When the disciples' experience exactly fits what he has predicted (vv. 32-34), this theme is strengthened.

Outer garments are laid over the animal to make a saddle, and Jesus is placed on it. The language used to describe Jesus' riding the animal recalls 1 Kings 1:33 and David's selecting of Solomon, while the mention of the colt alludes to Zechariah 9:9. The imagery is regal and even messianic, though it is a humble Messiah who makes the ride.

As the people spread their garments on the road, a "red carpet" of sorts is produced. This part of the entry recalls Jehu's entry for royal accession in 2 Kings 9:13. Luke makes no mention of branches, possibly because they may have had revolutionary, nationalistic overtones he wishes to avoid connecting to Jesus. The entry is regal without being revolutionary or threatening.

Vv 36-38

As often in Jesus' ministry, word and deed are hand in hand. The event suggests a regal entry, while the praise points to God's presence. God is being praised for the mighty works he has done through Jesus. The concept of works of power (NIV:miracles) is frequent in Luke. For the crowd the miracles mean Jesus is a great prophet. But for the disciples Jesus is the promised King. Only Luke inserts the reference to a king into the quote from Psalm 118:26: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"These events signaled a unique time and a unique figure.

The use of the psalm is significant, because in Jewish worship it was seen ultimately as celebrating God's plan. One day the one greeted as coming in the Lord's name would be the Messiah. The psalm was used in the Feast of Tabernacles for just this reason. So joy and cries of peace surround the verse's use here.

Vv 39-41

But the moment is not so triumphal in the minds of some. The religious leaders regard the crowd's claims as excessive. They approach Jesus to get him to calm the disciples' enthusiasm. Maybe these followers have gone overboard, as zealous supporters often do: "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" They have again failed to see the sign of the times.

Irony drips from Jesus' response. He cannot silence his disciples, for if he did, then creation itself would take up the song: "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Even inanimate creation understands events better than the leaders do--so deep runs their blindness. The blindness is tragic, as a weeping Jesus will reveal in verses 41-44.

A divided Israel receives the king into its capital, just as humanity is divided over Jesus today. If one listens to Jesus and to the creation, Luke says, it is obvious who is on the side of truth and right.

The entry encompasses the different kinds of responses to Jesus. Some know who he is and serve him, following his instructions. Others are open, but not with much understanding. Still others are hostile toward him. Even the creation has a response to what is occurring.

Yet as the heavens watch, the question remains: which response do we support (Eph 3:8-10)?

The rejection causes Jesus so much pain that he is weeping as he draws near to the city. The nation is missing its moment. Peace with God is not possible for those who reject Jesus. Though this rejection produces Jesus' tragic death, the national consequences of the people's blindness are even more tragic and staggering.

Messiah came and Israel said no. Opportunity for peace has come, but the nation has opted for destruction. Israel has missed the day and the moment.

What was true of the Jewish nation can also be true of individuals. To miss Jesus is to miss the time of visitation and face accountability before God.

Pointing UP

Grander Vision Living

The longer the average person has been a Christian, typically, the fewer non-believers he knows and fewer opportunities he has to share His faith.

But if you would be willing to leave your comfort zone, you could be used by God to point someone to Him.

How do you get the opportunity to point people toward God?

1. Develop friendships

2. Discover their stories

3. Discern next steps

How do you move from shallow conversations to really making a significant difference in people’s lives?

• Be with them.

Last week: God’s story: Our sin has separated us from God.

We try to reach Him, but we can never be good enough to overcome the chasm.

God bridged the gap for us by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

If we trust in Christ, He will take away our sin and guide us for the rest of our lives.

Your story: I was once… but now I’m…

What God has done in your life, the grace and love He’s shown you, He wants you to share that with others.

Luke 5:1-11 (1-3, 4-7, 8-11)

Jesus gave Peter and his friends the motivation for the only mission in life that is worth pursuing – the mission of finding the lost, serving the needy, loving the forgotten. That’s “Grander Vision Living.”

You have only one life to give. Are you going to spend it pursuing small fish, or will you risk tossing your nets out there in anticipation of catching people?

“I work for company whatever, but my mission is from Christ.”

Grander Vision Living doesn’t take much. Just an intentional shift in focus. From my needs and wants to those of others. From my agenda to the Spirit’s prompting. From myopic lesser vision living to the stimulating, abundant life that Christ came and died for. –Bill Hybels

Grander Vision Living ask God, “What’s next God? What do you have for me to do? Who will you put in my path today? To whom can I show your love, compassion, and acceptance?”

There is only one thing in the room, at your work, in your home, in your neighborhood that is not temporary. There is only one thing that you can take with you into the next world. When you get to the end of your life and take in your last breath, what do you want your life to have been about?

It really is all about people.

Our mission while we’re here is to seek people out and point them toward faith in God.

The question is not whether or not you have a contribution to make. Every single one of you has an astounding contribution to make. The real issue is whether or not you’re investing yourself in activities that spur people toward heaven. The issue is whether or not you are leveraging your creative energies, marketing skills, and problem-solving abilities for the sake of landing more people in heaven. The issue is whether or not you prize people enough to share the good news with them in creative and alluring ways. –Bill Hybels

There really is a heaven and a hell. They really are eternal places – destinations of real people living real lives just next door, just across the street, two offices down, across the locker room. Real people who need your salt and light in their lives.

Will you be the one to reach them? Will you be the one present in a church service someday when your once-wayward buddy finally stands in a baptism tank, sopping wet and ready to walk in new life?

Ask God to open your eyes to the lost around you. Ask Him to bring them into your path. Ask Him for help to know what to do and say.

Irreducible Ingredients

God loves you – He has compassion, love, and forgiveness no matter how far you’ve drifted.

Christ paid your price – He did for you what you could not do for yourself; paid for your sins.

You have a decision to make – You must decide what you’re going to do about it.

Abandon your lesser visions in favor of living life the way God intended … with one eye on him, one eye on the people he loves, and a heart that beats fast for kingdom-building activity. Live in light of the reality that the only thing you can take to heaven are the people whose lives you touch! Throw your one and only life — all of your energies, your resources, your passion — into making a difference with people, and you will one day say, “Now that was a life well-lived!” –Bill Hybels

The stakes are high.

The implications are eternal.

And you may be only one conversation away from pointing someone to faith—

if you will take a risk, make a friend, spend some time, share your story.

Pointing UP

The Power of Story

We don’t disagree with the need to point people toward God, we just struggle with how to do it.

1. Develop friendships

2. Discover their stories

3. Discern next steps

How do you move from initial interactions to really making a significant difference in people’s lives?

• Be with them.

Have you ever been in a conversation that turned spiritual and found yourself tongue-tied regarding how to explain who God is and what he has done in your life, this message is for you!

Christ-followers often struggle to convey God’s redemption.

How do you convey the difference Christ has made in your life in a way that you could share it in conversation? If you haven’t thought it through, you can talk it to death, confuse it, or use so “Christianese” so that only someone who wasn’t a believer cannot understand it.

Whether you’re gifted in evangelism or not, you can be prepared to engage people in spiritual conversations and point people toward faith in God.

When conversations take a spiritual turn, you need to know how to convey two stories: God’s story of salvation and your own faith story.

God’s Story – The Bridge

God is on one side. People on the other.

Between the two is a great chasm, dividing people from God because of their propensity to rebel against God and go their own way instead. The Bible calls this “sin”. (Isaiah 59:2a) “But your iniquities have separated you from God.”

The dilemma people face is that we want to get to God, but can’t leap over the chasm.

We try. We try to be good enough, sacrifice enough, do enough.

But in the end we realize all the human effort in the world will not be enough to get us to the other side.

Our lives would end in death forever separated from God.

But thankfully because God loves us so much, he intervened so that we could come to him.

His solution was to send His Son, Jesus, to die on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin.

Jesus bridged the gap to bring us to Him.

John 5:24

24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

John 5:1-15

Your Story – Your story fits into God’s greater story.

When eternity is at stake, avoid these:

• Long-windedness – Give your listener a chance to ask questions.

• Fuzziness – KISS (keep it simple sweetheart).

• Christianese – Avoid words like “salvation”, “born again”, “accept Jesus”, “personal Lord and Savior”. They don’t mean much to people who are not Christ-followers.

• Superiority – Don’t act like you have it all together and they’re the pitied lost person.

• Ambush – Blasting people with the Gospel with no love for them is worthless (1 Cor 13:1-3).

What difference has Christ made in your life?

What were you like before Christ ad now what are you like after Christ has intervened?

A diet plan – are you losing weight?

A counselor – has he/she helped?

Zachaeus – was gripped by greed, but became freed from greed.

Paul – was self-righteous, but became a recipient of grace.

Me – I was overwhelmed by me sin. He removed my sin and guilt and gave me a new start.

What is the single key concept reflected in your life that is relevant to someone living far from God?

I was striving… but now I’m grateful.

I was self-destructive… but now I’m healthy.

I was guilty… but now I’m liberated.

I was paralyzed by fear… but now I’m confident.

I was despairing… but now I’m hopeful.

What were you before Christ? What are you now after walking with Him for a time?

I was _______________, but now I’m _______________.

Write out your story in 100 words or less. The main thing that Christ has done in your life. In 100 words, it’s easy to share in conversation – more than that and it’s a monologue.

God has a story – learn to tell it well.

You have a story – learn to tell it well.

God has moved and changed your life. And He did it for a reason.

It’s not only for you, but also so that you would walk into work each day choosing to be focused on more than just the work at hand.

That you would be willing, under the Spirit’s prompting to walk across your office complex or construction site or school building. That you would remember everyone you see is someone for whom Christ died. That you would put some action behind your faith, look a person directly in the eye and start a conversation, a friendship, a chance to affect their whole life.

Pointing UP

Living in 3D

Is the God that you know worth knowing?

Would other people love the relationship with God that you have?

Would you be willing to leave your comfort zone to pursue someone whom God puts in your path?

People are worth pursuing.

If you’re willing, what do you do once you reach the destination – the person standing on the other side of the room? What do you do next?

We don’t disagree with the need for people to be pointed toward God, we just struggle with how to get it done.

• Develop friendships

• Discover their stories

• Discern next steps

Develop friendships

The longer a person attends church, the fewer friends they have who are unbelievers, the fewer discussions about God they have with unbelievers, the fewer opportunities they have to share their faith. This is the path of almost every average Christian.

But as we walk with Christ, we ought to see an increasing love for people and an increasing propensity to reach out to them in friendship.

Luke 15:1-2

Jesus hung out with people of questionable character and terrible habits and lifestyles.

He truly believed that the old could be made new. The fallen can be restored. The prideful can be humbled. The wanderers can come home. The weak can become strong. Derelicts can become disciples.

He told three stories telling about how the lost can be found…

Luke 15:3-7

Luke 15:8-10

Jesus truly believed in the grace and power of God to transform all, any human lives. He sees people as they can be – not hopeless – not unreachable. He has power to transform any life.

If we believed in the grace and power of God, we would develop an insatiable pursuit of all sorts of people at all points on the spiritual spectrum.

As you pull into your driveway, fight the temptation to look past your neighbor. Perhaps for the first time, stop long enough to wonder why God chose to put the two of you on the same block.

When you go to the store, take four seconds to smile and ask the name of the person behind the counter. If he or she has served you well, then say so.

When you run into the drugstore to pick up your prescription, take a good look at the clerk who’s assisting you. What’s that person’s story? Will you carve out 2 minutes of your day to find out?

When you bump into a classmate or coworker invest a few moments in discovering if he or she has a spouse or kids – what do they like to do? – be full of grace.

• Develop friendships

• Discover their stories

We all have conversations with people about the weather, sports teams, hobbies, family, and children.

But what has life been like for them? What do they dream about? What is going well in their life and what needs work?

God made you exactly as you are. He wired you and gave you the temperament and the experience and the background that you have because he wanted someone just like you in just your place at just this time.

Acts 17:26-27

26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

For the extroverts, you will probably befriend extroverts, for the shy, you will probably befriend the shy. But everyone can be used by God in a profound way in the lives of people around you.

• Develop friendships

• Discover their stories

• Discern next steps

Listen for the Spirit’s leading, are they ready to talk about something deeper?

Pointing UP

Worth Pursuing

Romans 5:8

8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus left the fellowship of the trinity, the glory of the Godhead, the praise and adoration of the angels, and wrapped himself in humanity to reach out to people like you and me.

John 17:5

5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

He left the glory of heaven to pursue us on the earth, making an incredible statement that “people are worth pursuing.”

What does it take to see people come to know Christ?

Usually, someone has to leave what’s comfortable and step out into the unknown and take a risk.

“Almost without exception, Christ-followers tell me that their faith stories involve someone somewhere who took a risk to walk across a room and to reflect the curiosity, kindness, and love of Christ. Someone somewhere made the decision to take the gift they’d been given and bestow it on them – at the time, a wayward soul living very far from God.” – from Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels

Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? If you are, you may find yourself being used by God to influence someone’s life and eternity.

We have different comfort zones.

Our homes. Our families. Our friends.

But if Christians hang out at home, with their families, and with Christian friends, how do the lost get found? How do the down-and-out get connected to God?

When you’ve been a Christian for a while, you can tend to have less and less contact with the lost.

Where do you have contact with the lost?

At the grocery store? A restaurant? At work? At school?

We must sometimes leave what’s comfortable for what’s imperative. People are worth pursuing.

Work I eat lunch at work every day with close friends. But God has been pressing on me to leave my comfort zone so I can spend that time talking to the man across the building who’s going through a divorce. We’ve had a number of discussions where I got to tell him about how God saved my marriage. Now I’ve been able to tell him about the grace and strength that comes from a relationship with Christ. I need to talk the guy from India down the hall,

Restaurant We have some friends that ate a particular restaurant frequently. They liked the food there, but they also found a woman there, the owner, who was far away from her home in Asia. Over a period of months, they made conversation with her and got to know her. Over time, they got to talk about their faith with her.

Is the God that you know worth knowing?

Would other people love the relationship with God that you have?

Would you be willing to leave your comfort zone for the zone of the unknown?

You don’t have to save the whole world. Just pursue who God puts in your path.

Is there one person that God has already laid on your heart and mind to pursue?

You may find yourself being used by God to influence someone’s life and eternity.

People are worth pursuing.

Pointing UP

The Greatest Gift

John 8:1-6

The teachers of the law and Pharisees – condemning.

The trap: put Jesus in a place where he can’t win.

If he lets the woman off the hook, he’ll be denying the validity of the law.

But if he allows her to be stoned, he might be accused of being unmerciful – or even of being an enemy of the Roman government, which was the only group allowed to carry out capital punishment.

John 8:7-9

Jesus’ reaction wrecks the Pharisee’s whole day. They had no reply.

Of all the people gathered there, the one who had every right to condemn her was Jesus.

He was the one and only perfectly righteous person there.

He would be right to judge her sin.

She was left with the one who could judge her without being a hypocrite.

John 8:10-11

But he did not condemn her.

He said, “Neither do I condemn you.”

Amazing words from a perfect, righteous, holy God.

This woman went from being thrust into public embarrassment with her great shame announced publicly to everyone around.

She had feared for her life.

She knew she was wrong. It was her own sin that put her there.

And the holy, righteous, perfect Jesus Christ said, “Neither do I condemn you.”

Have you been there?

Have you been at the place where your own sins stare you in the face.

It’s embarrassing and shameful. You want to hide – especially from the holy God.

But when He finds you, you found not judgment, but forgiveness and grace.

Do you remember learning that God meets sinners not with judgment and punishment, but with patience and grace?

In Romans, there is a startling statement about God.

It says that while we were still in the throes of sin that Christ left heaven and stepped across time and space to rescue us.

Romans 5:8

8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus took a decided step toward the ungodly, not away from them.

Instead of being repelled or disgusted or judgmental about our sin, he embraces us with acceptance, love, and forgiveness.

Jesus came to redeem our failures and sins, not to punish.

Have you found God’s grace, forgiveness and redemption?

Psalm 32:1-2

1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

If you have found God’s grace, you’ve found perhaps the greatest gift of this life.

Is the God you know full of grace and mercy and compassion?

Does He inspire you with His ideas about how your life can really count?

Is the God that you know worth knowing?

Would other people love the relationship with God that you have?

From Bill Hybels’ Just Walk Across the Room.

You’re going to give your life to something. All people do. They give their lives to pleasure or possessions or comfort or popularity or to work or to the attainment of more power. But always to something.

If you really believe in the redeeming and transforming power of God’s presence in a person’s life, then the single greatest thing you can do with your life to is to tell someone how to be rightly connected to God.

There are people around you – in your work place, your neighborhood, apartment complex, classroom whose lives are in shambles. They are far from God, but they view him as distant and judging.

You can be the one to accept them. Draw near to them – and one day tell them how God found you.

Live as though you actually believe that your parent, your coworker, and your neighbor would be better off if they knew your Father. Be people who are willing to seize every opportunity that the Lord puts in your life.

The God of the universe has equipped you to bestow the greatest gift in this life on another human being, choose today to lead a life of impact – eternal impact. Take a moment. Take a risk. See what He might do.

I shared with you last week that when Brenda and I really struggled in our marriage, we at one point had given up. But then we started trying again. Now we had tried before. We had tried for years.

I felt like I had given and given to our relationship – like I was the most giving man to ever take on the burden of a wife – and was somehow the most under-appreciated man in the world.

Turns out, Brenda felt like she was the most giving woman to ever take on the burden of a husband – and was somehow the most under-appreciated woman in the world.

We thought we were working so hard and really putting ourselves out there.

How can that happen? That you both feel like you’re putting so much work into your marriage and yet it’s not working? It happens all the time.

The God who created the whole idea of marriage gives us a path to our spouse’s heart in His word. It only makes sense that the God who created men and women and marriage and who loves us so much would give us the keys to an intimate marriage.

In the book His Needs, Her Needs, the author gives a list of 5 needs for men and women. I won’t go through all of those today, but one for each spouse that are most important.

The great need for a man is respect. A man needs to feel the respect of his wife.

Ephesians 5:22-24

Women, you all know how fragile your husband’s ego is.

Believe it or not, this is common among men. Your man’s ego is not broken, it’s common.

Value his opinion. Tell him the things that he does that he’s good at. Tell him the things that he does that you like. Even if he does 10 things wrong in an area, find the one good thing and praise him for it.

Do you know what that will do to a man? He’ll be like, oh, you like that, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Men move toward the place of greatest honor.

That’s why many men drift away from a nagging wife at home and stay late at work where people appreciate and honor him.

For a woman, there is a great need for love. She needs to feel and see the love of her husband.

Ephesians 5:25-27

Ephesians 5:28-32

How does love communicate best? How can you show it best? There is no greater way to show love to your wife than to seek her good at your expense.

Wash dishes – happily - when you’d rather watch TV. Spend time with the kids – in a good mood – when you’d rather be resting. Talk to her – patiently and engaged - even when you’re tired.

There is a great book that came out a year or two ago that I haven’t read, called “Love and Respect.”

It’s built on this premise that a man should love his wife and a wife should respect her husband.

Ephesians 5:33

Love and respect.

A man is to show a self-sacrificing love to his wife.

A woman is to show a respectful love to her husband.

Your marriage, especially as a believer is to be a reflection of Christ and the church.

But often our marriages look like everyone else’s.

Let marriage be held in honor among all – Hebrews 13:4a

Brenda and I had years of marriage trouble. We didn’t get along. We didn’t understand each other. We kept offending each other. We were both hurt. We both felt like we were giving everything, but felt like the other one was not putting any effort into our marriage.

We eventually quit trying.

Until… one day we went to a marriage conference. We learned there that God’s plan for marriage was for us to walk in companionship and unity.

We realized that our marriage trouble was not just trouble between us, but allowing it to remain was disobedience to God.

We came to understand that allowing the discord in our marriage to continue was walking in sin.

God has a design for marriage – even your marriage.

God has designed marriage to be the closest human relationship. It is to be characterized by love, unity, and companionship.

The unity of marriage (Gen 2:23-25)

The woman was made from the man’s side.

They are made from the same material.

The man is to leave his family.

To be united with his wife.

The two shall become one flesh.

We live in times when people view marriage as just a formality or a piece of paper and a ceremony, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

The truth is God created marriage to be something amazing – a reflection of Himself.

We – men and women – are made in the likeness of God. (Gen. 1:27)

God enjoys perfect unity among the three persons of the trinity.

John 17:1-5

1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

So the Father glorifies the Son. The Son glorifies the Father.

John 16:13-14

13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.

The Father glorifies the Son. The Son glorifies the Father. The Sprit glorifies the Son.

Each member of the trinity giving freely glorifying the other member in perfect unity, but different persons.

Just as each member of the trinity is different, men and women reflect that difference.

Men and women are different and have different roles in marriage as part of the created order.

But put them together, and they are different, but complete in unity.

All of creation was “good”, but it was not good (Gen 2:18) for the man to be alone.

When he had completed creation, including man and woman, it was very good (Gen 1:31)

The equality, differences, and unity between men and women reflect the equality, differences and unity in the Trinity.

1 Corinthians 11:3

3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

The differences between men and women are very good when they come together in unity.

Two different people in marriage – united in purpose, companionship – this is God’s design for marriage.

How to build unity in your marriage.

• Communicate daily

• Continue dating

• In disagreements, find common ground

• Seek counsel when an issue is too big to work out on your own.

Marriage is not just a ceremony or a piece of paper. It was designed by God from the beginning to be a reflection of Himself.

We will never be a perfect reflection of our creator. But those moments of unity despite differences – those moments are divine.

There is joy in marriage when it is lived out as God intended – in differences and unity.

My hope for us above everything else is that we’ll have a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Individually and corporately that we’ll be caught up in loving and pursuing Him.

We talked about how easy it is to miss a relationship with Christ in the parable of the Prodigal son.

We can miss relationship with Christ like the younger son in his sin, he wandered away from the father.

Or like the older son in his self righteousness and judgmental attitude, he was with the father, but missed the whole idea of relationship.

We want to embrace the Father, relying only on His grace.

We’ve talked about how to be in relationship with God is through being in the Scriptures, but that too often, we don’t want to be. So we confess to God our brokenness and ask for His help.

We talked about how important prayer is in our relationship with God, but that too often we don’t pray consistently and we don’t pray for the most significant things.

So we ask God for help to pray according to His will and His purposes.

Philippians 3:1-3 Judaizers tried to force gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised, but Paul taught that salvation does not come through trying to follow the law, but only by faith in Jesus Christ.

He once had confidence in his ability to follow the law to gain favor with God, but now had no confidence in the flesh to save.

Philippians 3:4-6 Paul’s old confidence

Philippians 3:7-9 He didn’t just consider knowing Christ better than his legalistic righteousness, but that everything but knowing Christ is loss.

Paul had an advantage that you and I never had. He met Christ 25 years before.

He had given up his old life, and now lived to preach Christ’s gospel.

How can it be that his primary goal in life is still to know Christ?

He knew Christ’s salvation, but wanted to know Him even more as His Lord.

It was not that Paul had a one-time meeting with Jesus that he looked back on all the time. He had a desire for a greater and greater relationship with Jesus. He wanted to know Jesus more and more. That was his primary goal in life, above everything else.

For the sake of Christ…. Knowing Christ….gain Christ….be found in him.

These show Paul’s purpose and goal in life was to know Christ and his desire to be united with Christ.

Philippians 3:10-12 “know” is to “know by experience”

Paul already knew Jesus as savior, but wanted to know him more intimately as Lord.

“Power of his resurrection” – the power that brought Christ back from the dead now operates in believers. This is the “power” to overcome resistance – maybe resistance in us and the world.

“Fellowship of His sufferings” – suffering for the sake of righteousness and God’s purpose.

“Becoming like him” – As Christ died for sin, so a believer has died to sin.

We should exhibit that cutting off from our former sinful ways by daily being set apart from sin and living a new life by means of Christ’s power in us.

Knowing Jesus Christ was Paul’s primary goal in life.

It was not enough to look back at an event in his life. He wanted to progressively, continually know Jesus more, be united with Him more, and follow Him more intimately.

Let’s pray for

Greater desire for the Lord.

Greater obedience to the Lord.

My hope for us above everything else is that we’ll have a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Individually and corporately that we’ll be caught up in loving and pursuing Him.

The best way to be in relationship with God is through connecting and communicating with Him. God communicates with us by the Holy Spirit and His Word. We communicate with Him through prayer. A vibrant, dynamic relationship can only happen through vibrant, dynamic life in the Word and in prayer. But I know that for most of us a deep, consistent prayer life has been difficult. No matter if you’ve walked with the Lord for a month or 60 years, it’s been difficult to sustain the prayer life that brings a vibrant relationship with God.

For some of you it’s because you want to pick and choose the parts of your life that you give to Christ. You have created what Tim Keller calls a Stepford God.

He cannot confront you or correct you. You do whatever you want.

That relationship is dead – you’ve cut the real, living God out.

For others, you’re caught up in thinking that somehow you blew it in the past and that God does not hear you or want to hear from you. You misunderstand your own religion. You keep yourself away from a God who desires to accept you and draw near to you in deep relationship. The Gospel message is that God forgives sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – and we’re all sinners.

For the rest of us, it’s not that we don’t know that we ought to pray or even how to pray, but it’s a heart issue and a misunderstanding about prayer.

We misunderstand a tension in the truths of the Bible.

Proverbs 16:9

In his heart a man plans his course,

but the LORD determines his steps.

Psalm 115:3

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

Isaiah 46:10-11

10 I make known the end from the beginning,

from ancient times, what is still to come.

I say: My purpose will stand,

and I will do all that I please.

11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;

from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.

What I have said, that will I bring about;

what I have planned, that will I do.

Jeremiah 10:23

23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;

it is not for man to direct his steps.

God reigns over all. He is sovereign. He does whatever He pleases. If that‘s true, why pray?

Why pray if He’s determined the outcome?

Here’s the tension: God is sovereign, and in the Bible, His people ask him for things and He listens and moves and acts according to their prayer.

Exodus 32:9-10

v. 10 God planned on destroying the Israelites.

Exodus 32:11-14

v. 14 the Lord relented.

In His prefect holiness, His anger burned against the Israelites to punish their sins.

But His desire in His mercy was to show them grace.

By Moses’ prayer, the wrath of God was turned away (propitiation).

That’s the tension. Is God sovereign or can He be moved by our prayers?

YES!

Moses is a foreshadowing of another who would turn away God’s wrath from guilty people. Moses said in Deuteronomy 18 that God would raise another prophet like Him.

Moses is a shadow of the greater prophet, Jesus Christ who would turn away the wrath of God.

It was God’s desire to show mercy and He answered Moses’ prayer to do it.

What about salvation?

John 6:65

He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

Who enables us to come to Christ? God does.

If preaching and sharing your faith doesn’t open people’s hearts to the Gospel, why do it?

Because God’s appointed means for achieving His appointed purpose is the preaching, teaching, and proclamation of His Word.

The same is true of prayer.

Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out.

The Lord gives to askers.

Luke 11:9-13

9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

The Lord answers prayers of faith.

Matthew 21:22

21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

The Lord answers prayers when we abide with Him.

John 15:7

7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

The Lord answers prayers made in Jesus’ name.

John 14:13-14

13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out.

You thought God is going to do what He’s going to do.

But He limits himself and determines to answer the prayers of His people to accomplish His purpose.

Pray.

You do not have because you do not ask.

James 4:2-3

2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.