Broadway Christian Church · Columbia, Missouri

Morning Worship · May 24, 2009

Last Sunday of Easter

Prayer of the Day

Dear Lord, with thanks and praise, we come to you today. We know that every day and every hour you help us meet the eternal realities of life. We thank you for your love, your wisdom, and your joy. We are so blessed, and we desire to be a blessing to others. On this memorial Sunday, we give you thanks for all the saints that have gone before us. As disciples, may we follow in their footsteps. Amen.

Scripture

John 17:6-19

“I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Message

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

Larry Gallamore

Have you ever stopped to think about how much Jesus did for his disciples?  There is one thing for certain, he was always thinking about his disciples.  Jesus felt like God had entrusted him with the disciples, and Jesus knew that each one of them belonged to God just as you and I belong to God.  We don’t belong to the world; we don’t belong to anything evil; we belong to God.  When you recognize that you’re a child of God, there is no stopping you.  You can do anything.  When you know the truth about life, all kinds of doors open.  That’s why Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Jesus prayed for his disciples.  He wanted them to know the truth.  He wanted them to be sanctified in truth, to be set apart in truth and to be free from sin.

Have you ever looked back on your life and realized what God has done for you?  Hindsight, you know, is always 20/20.  Go back to the time you accepted Christ.  I don’t think you need to know the exact day.  The date is not important.  What is important is what happened to you.

Let me take you back in my own life.  God decided to deal with me at an early age.  I was 13-years old.  In Southern Missouri, where I grew up, we had some of those old-fashioned revivals. I was sitting on the back pew one night with my family.  I didn’t want to attend this revival service.  I was there because my parents told me I had to go. I sat on that back pew day-dreaming through the entire sermon, which lasted about forty-five minutes.  I was listening for the “So Be It – Amen,” the closing words of each sermon.   Those were beautiful words, welcome words to my ears.  I loved to hear those words.  They were like music to me.  On that special night, the words “So Be It” finally came.  

The choir director stood and said, “Let’s all stand and turn to page 36, “Just As I Am.”  I knew what that meant – 15-20 more minutes.  We would sing that song through numerous times.  We would keep singing until some poor lost soul came forward.  That night on the third verse the visiting evangelist came walking down the aisle.  He was coming straight toward me.  Several thoughts ran through my head, one being should I head for the back door?  I’ve always been optimistic, so I thought maybe he was coming to talk to Johnny Smith, my friend across the aisle.  Then it became apparent I had waited too long.  He stopped right in front of me and said, “Son, God’s calling you to come forward.”  My first thought was, “Oh, God, it’s my turn.”  He said, “Come with me.”  

I want to ask you, “Have you ever been hypnotized?”  I followed him right down to the altar.  When he said, “Kneel down there and ask God to come into your life,” I did exactly as he said.  I closed my eyes and prayed, “Lord Jesus, come into my heart so we can go home.”  He didn’t tell me to say that.  The evangelist asked, “Did Jesus come into your heart?”  I said, “He sure did.”  He told me to stand up and turn around.  He then said, “Tell these good people what has happened.”  I stood up, turned around, and I was facing 200+ people.  He handed me a microphone and said, “Tell them about Jesus.”  I had never spoken to that many people in my life.  I nervously yelled out, “Jesus came into my heart.  I asked Jesus to come into my heart so we could go home.”  

The congregation broke into applause.  An elderly man on the front row got into the spirit.  He started shouting, “Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God, we got ourselves a preacher boy.”  And my calling to the ministry was launched.

That night as I walked back to my seat, Jesus walked back with me.  I felt so honored, so loved, my fears started to melt away, my guilt left, my doubts started to leave my mind.  I knew God loved me and wanted the best in life for me.  This is what some religious folk call being born again.

My release from fear, guilt, and sin felt like a new birth.  I didn’t know what was happening, but I know now.  That’s what happens when Jesus comes into your life.  It’s exciting!

Just think how excited the disciples must have been.  They saw Jesus heal the sick, perform miracles, forgive sins, and restore lives.  They saw him going about doing good, speaking as never a man has spoken.  He didn’t tell people what to do or what to believe.  He invited people to see life differently.  He called people to follow him.  Those who followed Jesus were never able to check their minds at the door.  Jesus worked through their minds.  He spoke of mustard seeds and rocky soil, of servants and masters, of weddings and wine.  He took things that were very much a part of his hearers’ world.  His teachings were so true, not because they came from God, but because everyone in the crowd knew in their minds that what he was saying was true.  The disciples very quickly concluded that he was divine.  They saw his glory.

Dostoevsky wrote, “There is in the world only one figure of absolute beauty: Christ that infinitely lovely figure is…an infinite marvel.”  

Truth was like the air to Jesus.  People loved him intensely, and they loved him in numbers, drawn to him not only because of his charismatic power, but because of his compassion, his caring, and his love.  They always knew Jesus loved them and wanted the very best for them.

Given all this, it is easy to see why Jesus is worried about the rag-tag group of followers he is leaving behind.  He prays for them and all of his followers knowing what difficulties we will face.  He reminds us that we’ve been called, set apart for a specific purpose.  Like the disciples, we are chosen.

I must tell you chosen people that you have huge responsibilities.  Never fear, Jesus prepares us.  He has given us the truth.  He has sanctified us, he has given us a vision, he has given us a sense of identity, he has given us a plan, and has equipped us to make a difference in the world.  We are to change the world.  As John Wesley said, “The world is our parish.”

This morning I am telling you that what he has done for his disciples he has done for you and me.  Listen to what Jesus has done!  He has prepared us to change the world, to be in the world but not of the world, to proclaim the good news.  He wants us to transform the world.  He wants everyone to succeed in this business of life itself.

With Jesus we know the mystery of life is not full of fear but of marvel, and that the universe is more spiritually significant than we have ever imagined.  The more I study religion and metaphysics, the more I realize this is true.  Great people of religion and great people of science should have a motto hung on their walls where they can see it daily that reads, “The more we know about the universe, the more mysterious it is.”  

The Bible supports what I’ve just said.  Listen to what it says.  “How unsearchable are God’s judgments and God’s ways past tracing out.”  

That is the Bible.  Listen to 1 Corinthians 13: “Now we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Cor. 13:12a).

It is marvelous to live in a world surrounded by mystery.  We wouldn’t want it any other way.  Now you know, in part, what Jesus did for his disciples and what he can do for us.  There is only one prerequisite.  You must be born again.  This is the one mysterious thing about our religion that we can understand.  Listen carefully.  You must be born again.  You must seek the light of God.

We are told concerning the teachings of Jesus that the common people heard him gladly.  There is a reason for that.  The man/woman on the street, unsophisticated by theology, psychology, or philosophy has an intuitive perception of fundamental truth when he/she meets it.  The highly-trained mind may easily beget spiritual pride.  Yet among the highly educated there are those who are spiritually curious who are attracted to Jesus.  

Remember the story of Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night asking, “What must I do to be saved?” And the Master’s explanation was simple, concise, almost overwhelming in its directness.  Jesus said, “You must be born again.”  (A textbook on metaphysics compressed into five words.)  It tells the whole story. You stand where you are today because you are the person that you are.  There is only one way to be brought to stand anywhere else.  You have to become a new person.  If you wish to go up higher spiritually (and let me say, there is no limit to the height which you can obtain upon that flight), you must be born again.  Makes sense, doesn’t it?

Why is it we make so little progress as Christians in view of the knowledge I have just spoken of?  We should be getting better day by day until our friends scarcely recognize us for the same man or woman.  We’re not there – why?  We should be marching around the world like gods and feeling it.  Why aren’t we there?  We should be able to do miracles, reform sinners, and set captives free.  Why are we not doing these things?

We must be born again, anew.  We have to pay the price.  We are not prepared to pay the price.  We are in love with the present man or woman we are.  We’re not prepared to change.

To come to the truth is to be sanctified.  It is to bring every conscious thought or belief to the touchstone of Divine Intelligence and Divine Love.  It is to reject every single thing, mental or physical, that does not square with the standards of Jesus.  It is to revise every opinion, every habit or thought, every policy, every branch of practical conduct without exception.

Do you see what Jesus means when he says you must be born again?  Coming forward and saying, “Jesus, come into my heart” is only the beginning.  If you are not prepared to pay the price, well and good, but you must not expect to reap the benefits of a new life.  You must be born again.  It means putting God first.  When you do, you’ll never be the same.  This is the call of God.  Putting God first will change your life completely.  This is the good news.  Your life can be better than it’s ever been.  You can be all you were meant to be.  You can have happiness and joy.  Jesus once told his disciples that he wanted his joy to be in them (John 15:11). He wanted their joy to be complete.  Do you want constant joy?  Try Jesus.

Look at Apostle Paul, the greatest New Testament example of this joy.  Paul’s life was anything but joyous.  Here was a man who had been ridiculed, driven from town to town, shipwrecked, imprisoned, flogged until his back was covered with stripes.  Yet his life was full of joy.  Do you remember he said, “Thanks be to God who gives us the victory… in all things we are more than conquerors… God who commanded the Light to shine in darkness has shined in our hearts.”  

The joy of these early Christians was unspeakable.  Life for them was no longer a matter of coping, but a matter of living every minute, every hour, every day.  They enjoyed the new life God had given them.  Christ is offering you that same life today.

So be it. Amen.

Benediction

God, thank you for teaching us the power of prayer. Thank you for giving us this way to so intimately contact you. Prayer unites our hearts to yours. May we walk through our days in open dialogue with you. And when we rest at night, let us turn our conscious minds over to our spirit-filled hearts, that we might hear you in the stillness of our slumber. Amen.