Jesus' Prayer for You | Representing the Lord

Eli, listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners for more ways to deepen and challenge your spiritual walk and roll and pastor breaks free online courses sign@harvest.org.

What a powerful witness.

It is dual laws.

World Christians are unified when their loving one another.

The Bible shows the world know were Christians via remote pastor Greg Moore report showed knowledge the country sold along racial along political lines: social economic law. Here we can see unity as followers of everything we love one another. You probably seems like something is ready to rumble believers should be ready to be humble here as representatives of the Lord. We are here to show the world what you read. Lori heard the display that Christlike attitude insight from our study of the Lord.

What Jesus way when he intercedes for us is revealed to us here in John chapter 17 Jesus said they have known all things which you have given me are from you. I've given to them the words you have given me and they have received them.

They have surely know that I came forth from you and they believe that you sent me.

I pray for them. I do not pray for the world. But for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I'm glorified in them. Not no longer in the world, but these are in the world I come to you. Holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the world. I kept them in your name those whom you gave me. I've kept and none of them is lost except the son of perdition at the Scripture might be fulfilled. There and so here's what Jesus prays for us. If you're taking notes you might want to write this down. First, he prays for our preservation point number one he prays for our preservation. Verse 11 holy father keep through your name those whom you have given to me, that they may be one as we are. So Jesus is praying that we would be safe just like you pray for your family.

Oh Lord, keep my family safe right that's is hard toward you. The Jewish priests were told to pronounce this blessing over the people of Israel repeatedly. You know it. Number 624 the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

The Lord bless you and keep you. Then, in the New Testament. First Peter 15 sales were kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time Jude 11 says to those who are called sanctified by God the father and preserved in Jesus Christ, you are You are safe. Point number two Jesus prays for our consecration. He prays for our consecration delegate John 17 verse 13. Now I come to you in these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I've given them your word and the world's hated them because they are not of this world. Just as I'm not of this world.

This is interesting.

I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world. Just as I'm not of this world, sanctify them through your truth. Your word is truth. We live in the world. What is that me think Christians get confused sometimes there's a earth and there's a world right the earth is made by the Lord your is the Lords and the fullness thereof that's I'm talking about planet Earth. When the Bible talks about the world is talking about a mentality it's talking about a culture it's talking about a way of thinking.

It's talking about the whole planets or system under the control of Satan. That is why the Bible calls the devil, the God of this world and that is why first John 216 says all that is in the world, the lust of the flash, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father of the world. The new living translation puts it this way the world offers only lust for physical pleasure and lust for everything we see and pride in our possessions.

These are not from the father there from this evil world. So Jesus is not the world is going to hate you, and I find it fascinating that he says I'm looking to take them out of the world you know Jesus wanted to he could have ruptured you on the day of your conversion to mechanical just pray this prayer, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. I commit my life do I choose to follow you from this moment forward in Jesus day well while that doesn't happen doesn't he leave this here to live in this world. Why does he leave us here.

Why doesn't he just taken some because he wants to reach this world through us. I don't know why but God's chosen to primarily reach nonbelieving people through believing people he has chosen to communicate his love and spread the gospel through us doing it specifically through our verbal communication of it.

So we have a number of choices out how we can live in this world.

One is isolation isolation. What we have little or no contact with nonbelievers optimistic because the Bible says, how will they hear someone so number two it's insulation turn a blind eye them.

I don't care that they're not Christians that's their problem. I got my salvation. Why should I bother with. There's another is imitation, where I become like the world and not the Lord but the best one is permeation and infiltration is not isolation if not insulation. It's not imitation its permeation and infiltration. So without compromising my values. I go into their world and I shine the light of Jesus Christ of the that's what were supposed to do so. One of the ways we do this in addition obviously to our verbal communication is by living a godly life would give her 17 sanctify them by their truth. Your word is truth that we hear the word sanctify women of that means there words of the Bible uses justify one's justify will justify this what God does for you when you come to Christ to be justified means of positionally you are made right with God coming back to be and say that it's done for you. It's not a process it's it's a done deal.

So you can live in that wonderful work that God is them or he's putting his righteousness into your account and forgiven you, of all of your sins not being sanctified is different. It's a word that speaks of the process of just seeking to become a more godly man or woman. So in one way I'm positionally sanctified and made right with God. I stand before you tonight is a holy St. Greg you're delusional. I've seen the way you drive viewing those same. I didn't say I was perfect I said positionally.

I'm a holy St. and you are to we all are now do I always live as a holy St. old no I do not, that sanctification them from living out these things, and dated the living and so Jesus is saying that were sanctified by his true master Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment. I don't know if you know about this, but we have a weekend service called Harvest at Home exclusively for people that are tuning in literally from around the world listen to this.

We even have harvest groups where you can get in was small group with folks from all around this planet of ours, studying the word of God. So join us this weekend Saturday and Sunday for Harvest at Home@harvest.org Pastor Greg is pointed out so far that in Jesus prayer for he prayed for our preservation and our consecration. He continues now. Point number three. Here's what Jesus wants for us. He wants us to be unified final point he wants us to be unified. Look at verse 20. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those that will believe in me through their words, he is already thinking of people that will come later that they all may be one as you father are in me and I in you, that they may be one in us, and that the world may believe that you sent me in the glory which you gave me.

I have given them what a powerful witness. It is to a loss world when Christians are unified when their loving one another. Really, you know what won me over to Christ before I heard a message. It was a love that the Christians had for each other. I looked at my watch them. I thought this is for real.

Are they making this up. Is this an act is people really love each other because I was used to it.

I just a kid when I came to Christ. I was used to hanging around with people that I liked right so certain kids hang around certain kids in certain people hang around certain people, and I saw Christians to from every kind of background imaginable in they had something in common and I think that's one of the reasons the devil wants to divide us and we should seek to live in unity to love one another as Christ is loved us. I'm not calling for unity at any cost. Because the most important thing is truth but sometimes Christians defined over the stupidest things you nonbelieving this church why I don't like that music okay gotcha I just don't like to believe the dude I don't like this, and though the strain at a gnat. You know that the like get upset over some minor thing and now they're going to leave the church altogether) about a guy that was stranded on a desert island for years. Finally someone came to rescue him, and he had three little huts built they said well what are these huts because of God boldly sets myself. They said what is this site that's my house while what's his next set that's my church, your church attendance.

The once 1/3 time he said well that's a church I used to go to. It's been said in essentials unity and nonessentials liberty in all things, charity in the essentials. There is unity. We cannot deviate from truth as revealed in Scripture. If you come to me and say well I don't believe in the Bible anymore, but it we have a problem. I can't be in unity with you know if you have a different interpretation of a passage that's on an essential Christian belief that I do feel is that's not a dealbreaker. You're so my brother, my sister in the Lord.

So in essentials unity, but then that saying says and nonessentials liberty but in all things, charity or love, and why is unity important because it's a powerful witness to nonbelievers I got from the great things about our crusade to know people walk into a Southern California crusade in Angel Stadium or wherever every kind of person there every age, every race everything you can think of. Here we all are studying are minor differences aside and worshiping the Lord our country so divided right now along racial lines along political lines along social economic lines and here we can see unity as followers of Christ was that what we don't agree on everything, but we love one another.

That's what Jesus is praying these payment we will do just that. And then he prays, not only for us but the ones we will reach a diverse 20 I do not pray for these alone, but for those who believe in me through their word so easily one day were going to do our job to reach out to nonbelievers and seek to win them the Christ. Let's review them close. Jesus prays for our preservation in verse 11. Our preservation he wants us safe in him. Number two.

We pray for our consecration that we would be sanctified and set apart to thirdly he prays that we would be unified and be loving one another. Let me say this. In closing, if you're not a believer yet.

He prays for you. Jesus prayed for nonbelievers Ramon he hung on the cross. Artie said this will limit repeated his first words from the cross, by the way, it was very hard to speak from the cross to say why well to mention is spikes to his hands this week. The way one dies on the cross is death by suffocation. The tongue is swollen. He was radically the hydrated. His back was torn open with the Roman whip and at the base of the cross was a little step and one would push themselves up to ease the pain in the hands had to get a gulp of barefoot in the sake of Jesus in the pool is ripped back up off the cross so to speak was incredibly difficult. Yet Jesus uttered seven statements from the cross in the first statement was God destroy them all, right would would it have made sense to be said that that they deserve to be destroyed proceeded notes first words were father forgive them for they know not what they do, Lord. These guys have no idea the enormity of their sin, but I pray that you forgive them. He cares about people that don't believe in, then what is he saying to the thief next to him on the cross who believes. He says today you will be with me in paradise. See a long time ago when Jesus walked this earth.

He was praying for those that would believe and there are some people tonight that are going to be an answer to that prayer.

There are some people tonight that again a believe in Jesus for the first time.

Maybe you've never been to church before and someone brought you.

I'm so glad you're here. Maybe you've been to church before, but for the first time you're realizing you need Jesus said told you I'm holy and I'm a saint that is nothing to do with what I've done because I'm the worst sinner around. Trust me, but I have a great Savior who forgive me of all of my sin and he'll do the same for you is a will grade you don't know what I've done.

No I don't but God does. Check this out. He watched you do it. He knows all about it but he will forgive you is, say, but why don't deserve forgiveness know you don't but he took the punishment for your forgiveness on himself when he died in the cross in your place and if you'll say, Lord. I'm sorry for my sin and turn from it. He'll forgive that sin. Listen to this, you'll forget that sin and heal remove that sin. One way that you can translate the word justify that I mentioned earlier is just as if it never it happened God will forgive you in such a way.

It'll be like you never even did that bad thing you did it remove from the record he can do that for you if you will say Lord I know I've sinned. I know I've broken your commandments, but I know you love me and I know Jesus died for me and I want to be forgiven. See Jesus, who died on the cross. Then he rose from the dead and now is here with us right now in this place, knocking at the door of every heart in the scene if you hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, have you asked Jesus to come into your life.

Yet if not would you like to in other some of you here that maybe have fallen away a talk about people who are relaxing their grip.

It was an overnight but it's happened. But here's the good news. Every commitment you make it happen just like that because okay I'm recommitting myself to you, Lord, do you need to do that. If so respond to this opportunity as we prayed together. Let's all bow our heads and pray father, thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to die on the cross, Lord Jesus, thank you for coming in later life down for us and rising again.

Now I pray for every person here or someone who might be listening. Who does not yet know you Lord, would you help them to see their need for you help them to come to you and believing you are. Come back to you.

Whatever their need, may be we commit them to you now in Jesus name, amen Greg Laurie important prayer and if you'd like to make a change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment for today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes that Pastor Greg's message today was titled Jesus prayer for you if you miss any part of today's presentation or the previous two installments. You can get caught up by going online to harvest.org.

What were speaking with New York Times best-selling author Lee Strobel today about his brand-new book called the case for heaven only let me ask you, we would expect non-Christians to have alternate views of the afterlife with what percentage of Christians have an accurate biblical view of heaven in the afterlife. Yeah, that's a great question. I can't give you a specific number but I can tell you that there's a lot of confusion there's a lot of misinformation and part of it is that it cannot, we have to understand you know the Bible says no I you see no ear is heard, no mind is even conceived what God has in store for those who love them. We can't understand the took tell the beauty, the wonder of heaven yet and so the Bible uses figurative language to try to suggest to us send in an accurate way but did to to kinda give us a little bit of a foretaste or an appetizer to try to understand what happens to be like. But the truth is we can't comprehend it yet. In fact, you know in this world we see a color spectrum and is based on the light from the sun in heaven, though the color spectrum would be based on the light of God is working to see colors in heaven. We we've never seen and how would you describe that to someone you can't and so the Bible can't say will here's a color you can see in you can't describe it. So the Bible gives us suggestive language and so forth. And sometimes it can lead to a bit of confusion if you don't interpret it properly, but I think the confusion about heaven is true, as you say, not just among nonbelievers but among many Christians. I hope this book gives people a sense of encouragement, a sense of wonder. A sense of anticipation, a sense of joy I mean when you think you would consider this, you see pictures from the Hubble space telescope of the incredible galaxies and you know, billions of light years with of the universe and so forth in the beauty and the wonder of it.

God can't call that into existence and when you look under a microscope and you see the complexity of a salad. You see the beauty of flowers and the wonder of the animal kingdom. She this is the creativity of God and the say that this God is going to create an afterlife of heaven that is going to be an expression of his creativity and love for us a place to sign for us, to him to maximize our sense of pleasure and joy in adventure and wonder if think about that you go okay I may not understand yet what exactly whatever is going to be like. But I tell you this. I can't wait to experience it is as can be awesome. This is gonna be awesome.

So if you want to clear up your confusion about heaven the afterlife you want to get a copy of this brand-new book from Lee Strobel. It's called the case for heaven will send it to you for your gift of any size to us here at the new beginning and will use those resources to reach more people with the gospel in the teaching of the word of God and is our way of saying thanks will send you your own copy of the case, for heaven by apologist, prolific author, my friend Lee Strobel.

You owe it to yourself to dig into Lee's strong insights.

There's so much to learn here so get in touch today with your investment in this Bible teaching program and will be happy to send you the case for heaven. You can make the arrangements by phone by calling 1-800-821-3300. We can take your call anytime. That's 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org and NMFS trigger just before we go. Would you mind praying with the person listening who wants to make a change today in the relationship with the Lord. I'd be happy to Dave you know is you been listening to this today.

Maybe you've heard another voice.

By that I mean, you heard me say a few things, but you heard God's voice speak to you deep in the recesses of your heart and it suddenly dawned in you.

This is what I need order stated more accurately.

This is who I need I need Jesus. And I want Jesus, but maybe you don't know how to make that connection. Let me help you pray this after me right now if you want Jesus Christ to comedy your life Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sin and I need your forgiveness right now. Would you come into my heart, my life as Savior, as God as friend. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and for giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen.

I know there was a relatively short prayer. Maybe you felt something as you prayed it. Maybe you felt nothing, that doesn't really matter because God's word says these things we write to you that believe on the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. It doesn't say so. You may think you have it or you may hope you have it of gods in a good mood.

No that you can know it and I want you to know if you pray that prayer and minute Jesus Christ, the son of God has come into your life. So congratulations, you're now a Christian now continue to follow the Lord to help you as you follow the Lord would like to send you some materials we call our new believers growth packet at Lancer. Many of the questions you might have been get you started off right in your new relationship with the Lord.

So get in touch and ask for it will send it to you free of charge. Call 1-800-821-3300 were here to take your call around the clock again. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click on know God when next time Pastor Gray continues to study in the gospel of John, with insights on how to face our times of crisis and calamity will learn some important lessons from the night before Jesus crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane, joined us here on a new beginning. Pastor Bible Greg Moore everybody thinks or listening to an beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner.

Just go to harvest.org