Jesus Prays for Your Future – Part 2

Here's Anne Graham Lotz. In her message today, Anne takes us to John chapter 17. That's the night Jesus was betrayed and arrested. But before being tortured and tried, before his crucifixion and death, we see how much Jesus loves and cares for us. We find Jesus praying for his believers. So let's join Anne now for part two of her message titled, Jesus prays for your future.

Jesus said he'll come as a thief in the night and like those virgins in Matthew 25, half of them were prepared and half of them weren't. And you and I need to live our lives so that we're prepared. We're watching for his return.

We're waiting for it. We're working to bring people into the kingdom. We're walking with him on a daily basis, moment by moment, that we might hear his voice, that we might be surrendered to his will, that we might be to the praise of his glory.

And then that moment comes. We won't be ashamed. First John says we won't be ashamed that he's coming. We're going to be like him when we see him. So live your life for the glory of seeing Jesus return.

We're not alive when that happens. You'll come for you and me at our death. And I'm going to live my life the same way. Five minutes before I die, I don't want to have any regrets.

And I know we all have some regrets, so don't misunderstand me. But I'm talking about the main purpose and direction of my life. I want it to be confirmed that I've been in God's will, doing God's work, doing it his way. I want an abundant entrance into heaven. I want to be a great, big, glorious living stone in that living temple. And for me, talking about what position I'd like in heaven, I'd just as soon be a doorkeeper in the house of my Lord, if I can be near Jesus, just to serve and be his gopher. Who knows what he's going to assign us? This is just getting off track, but I'll tell you what I would like in heaven. I've told him I want to be in a Bible class he teaches.

I've read Luke 24 before, and I thought I would give anything to be one of those disciples on the Emmaus road. I want to hear him explain the Scriptures. Maybe one day we'll be able to have him teach us as only he could. Right now he's teaching us through a seminar like this. He teaches us as we read our Bibles. But what would it be to have him verbally, audibly teach us?

And then he can illustrate it by just calling Noah up and calling Abraham up and calling Elijah up and letting them tell their story. So I think it's going to be more wonderful than we can imagine. I want to see a video of creation.

I want to see a video of Genesis 1 and all those evolutionists. And to see that he spoke a word and brought everything into being and created us in his own image and put his own breath into us is going to be wonderful. So we're going to share in his glory. We're going to see his glory. See his glory as the returning king.

See his glory as the reigning king. So I want to take you to two of the most thrilling chapters to me in all of the Bible. Revelation 4 and 5.

And I'm going to take you through this fairly quickly. Revelation chapter 4. This is the same apostle John, by the way, that wrote the Gospel of John that recorded John chapter 17, our Lord's prayer. And he's on Patmos.

He's in exile. And he sees the glory of the Lord. And the first chapter is sort of a testimony of where he is at the moment. And then chapters 2 and 3, he records letters that Jesus wrote to seven churches in Asia. But each one of those churches represents a portion of the church age. So they're sort of prophetic in their message. Not just speaking to that particular church, but the age that that church represents.

Then it switches gears in chapter 4. And from this point on, the church is not mentioned until Jesus comes back and sets up that millennial reign. So some people, and we don't know, but some people think that this is a reference to the rapture.

After this I looked. And there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.

At once I was in the Spirit. And there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. Isaiah saw Jesus seated on the throne in his glory. Stephen saw Jesus standing beside the throne when he was stoned to death. And Jesus rose to meet him and greet him. And John says Jesus is still seated on the throne.

He's in charge, so when you go back home and everything's falling apart, you just remember Jesus is on the throne. And John says, I saw him seated there. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. You remember I told you the high priest had a breastplate on his chest when he went to the most holy place and had 12 semi-precious stones, each one carved with one of the names of the tribes of Israel, just showing that when he went into the presence of God, he carried the names of God's children on his heart.

The first of those stones was a jasper, and the last one was a carnelian. And could it be that Jesus is saying even by the colors that he wears, I love you. I love you. I carry you on my heart.

I love you. And then he said a rainbow resembling an emerald encircled the throne. The rainbow that he gave to Noah, the rainbow that's been counterfeited today, represents God's promise, his covenant.

He keeps his word. And so as he carries you on his heart and he's seated on the throne, he's just reminding us in that frightening, awesome moment that he's committed to you. He keeps his covenant of love for a thousand generations. Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones. Seated on them were 24 elders. They were dressed in white, had crowns of gold on their head. Obviously they were ruling with him, and they're representatives of redeemed men and women. So whether these are the apostles and the representatives of the tribes of Israel, nobody knows. But we know that they're reigning with him, and they represent redeemed humanity. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumbles, peals of thunder.

I don't exactly know what that means, but I know something was going on. Heaven is not going to be boring. It's going to be exciting. It's going to be electric atmospheres, crackled with expectancy. And before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God, and that's referring to the Holy Spirit, the sevenfold Spirit. So the Holy Spirit is invisible, so we wouldn't know he was anywhere unless he was represented by something, a dove or a seven-branched candlestick or a flame of fire. So this is the Holy Spirit. Also before the throne, there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. That would act like a mirror and reflect the throne and the lordship of Jesus and his reign and his glory throughout the universe. And then in the center, around the throne, were four living creatures.

They were covered with eyes in front and back. And I'm not going to go through this description, but they're the cherubim and the seraphim. They live the closest to God of any of his created beings.

They're the highest of the intelligences. We see them in Isaiah 6 when they were ever before the throne worshiping. And here it says that they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. They never stop worshiping, but we know from the scripture that they do a lot of work. So they never stop worshiping, and their work flows from their work. Somebody here, put your work before your worship.

Don't. Let what you do for the Lord just come out of the overflow of your heart. Because you love Jesus. You want to know Jesus and obey Jesus and serve Jesus and tell other people about Jesus, and it just comes as a natural overflow of your worship. So they worshiped him day and night. They never ceased to worship him. And as they did, and I'm not going to go through a description of them, but they actually take on the physical characteristics of Jesus, which is very interesting.

Ezekiel saw them like this. But whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever, the 24 elders fell down before him who sits on the throne, and they worship him. So the continuous worship becomes contagious, and then it's costly. They lay their crowns before the throne, and they say, You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power. You created all things by your will. They were created and have their being. Chapter 5, verse 6.

I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns, and that's just strength. His omnipotence is the Almighty.

And he had seven horns and seven eyes. That's his omniscience. He knows everything. He's never had a new thought.

Always been thinking about you. The Holy Spirit's numbered seven because he's perfect. He is God. Verse 7. He came and he took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.

That's the title deed to planet earth. He's claiming his right to rule and reign on the earth. And when he took that right, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the lamb, and each one had a harp, and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Then I can't help but think that all of this crisis in our nation is filling up those bowls, right? People praying like they've never prayed before. And you wonder when the last prayer comes in and God says, I had enough. And now, Jesus, reign and rule on the earth.

Come back. So they sang a new song. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain. With your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You've made them to be a kingdom and priest to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands, 10,000 times 10,000. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and in a loud voice they sang, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and hope and glory and praise. And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that's in them singing to him who sits on the throne and to the lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

Amen. And you and I are going to be there. We're going to see his glory as the reigning ruling king. And down here, when people are blaspheming him, profaning his name, not even letting his name be spoken out in public, one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. And I wonder if it's at this moment in Revelation 5, the whole universe, whether they want to or not, everyone confesses Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. And we hear the Amen.

That's worth a clap. Hallelujah. And Jesus, his name is going to resound throughout the universe. And we're going to hear that roar of acclamation.

Worthy is the lamb who was slain. Our ultimate future is glorious. The immediate future is he conforms us to his own image and we reveal him.

He's sticking out all over us and other people can increasingly see Jesus in us. And those hard things that come into our lives, it's okay. The pressure and the pain, because all things work together for your good to conform you to the image of Jesus, when you're called according to his purpose, for your good and God's glory.

So don't fight the hard things. Yes, we pray to be released. Yes, we pray to be healed.

Yes, we can pray for your reconciliation, all that. But if it doesn't happen, you just say, God, how can I use this? What's your purpose in this for me? I want to use it.

I want this to be my assignment. Show me how I can use it to bring you glory, reveal Jesus to other people. So in the end, we're going to share his glory. We're going to see his glory. And then you're going to be saturated in the Father's love.

He ends his prayer where he sort of began it. So in 25 and 26, John 17, going back, Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you. And they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them. And I will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

Listen to me. God the Father loves Jesus more than our minds could comprehend, more than we could ever fathom. God loves his Son.

Leaned out of heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. But Jesus is praying that when the Holy Spirit comes into us and we're made one with him, the Father will look on you and he will love you as much as he loves Jesus. And I can tell you, God loves you. God loves you. God loves you. God loves you.

God loves you. But one day, we don't have to tell each other anymore. It won't be just words. It won't be just the truth from scripture. We're going to be saturated in the Father's love. We're going to be embraced by his love. We're going to be wrapped in his love. And that's going to be heaven for me.

So this is my challenge. Would you live your life with glory on your mind? The immediate glory of growing into Christ-likeness, being conformed to the image of Jesus, so that when you see him you won't be ashamed because you're going to be like him, that old nature will drop off and you'll be a reflection of him and your ultimate future. You're going to be sharing in his glory. You're going to be saturated in his love.

When you go home, I don't know what's going to hit you, whether nationally, globally, or just personally in your own home, all the dishes that aren't done, all the kids that haven't done, one thing online about school, all the stuff that we face, you know. But I want you to remember that Jesus is praying for you. He's praying that you'll stay focused on your relationship with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They belong to you, and you belong to them.

You can know them in a personal, permanent relationship. And he's praying that you remain steadfast in your faith. Don't fall away.

Don't stumble any promises. When you're established in his word, you're secured in his will, he will keep you. He will protect you.

It should be evident in your walking. It should be fruitful in your witness. He's praying for your future, knowing even the night that he was betrayed, looking past all the pain and the confusion and the anger and the grief and the persecution that would come, he was looking forward to the glory that would be his, that he would share with us, that one day we would see, and one day we would just be enveloped in his love. So remember, Jesus is praying for you. Thank you, Jesus. Pray with me, please.

Just in the next few moments, with your heads bowed and your eyes closed, I just have to go after that one person. Whoever you are, on the day that we're there with Jesus around his throne, that's a place reserved for God's children, those who have been born again. So never mind what the world says, that there are many ways to God for all his children. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me. There's no other name given under heaven among men whereby you can be saved, just the name Jesus. Right now, if you haven't made that commitment to receive him by faith as your Savior and your Lord, John 1-12 says, As many who believe on his name, as many who have received him by faith, invite them to come into their lives, surrender their lives to him.

Those are the ones he gives the right to be a child of God. And when you're a child of God, you can look to an immediate future. He's going to walk with you through life, and you're going to look to an ultimate future. You're going to share in his glory. You're going to see his glory. You're going to be wrapped in his love. Oh my goodness.

It's just a win-win situation. You can't lose. So whoever you are, if you want to make that decision right now, I'm just going to lead you in a prayer. You can pray this in your heart after me.

Dear God, I come to you and I want to call you Father. But I know as of this moment, I don't have that right. I've not been born again into your family.

So I want to claim that right now. I want to be born again. So I confess to you that I'm a sinner. I've done lots of wrong things. And I'm so sorry.

I'm willing to turn away from them with your help. And I believe Jesus died on the cross to take away my sin. If nobody needed a savior, I do. So I believe Jesus died for me. His blood was shed to make atonement for my sin.

I ask you, dear God, to forgive me. Cleanse me with his blood. And I believe he rose up from the dead to give me eternal life. And so right now, I'm asking that you give me eternal life in his name. And I understand better than I ever have that eternal life is not just going to heaven when I die. But it's knowing you.

A personal, permanent relationship from this day on. So I receive eternal life. And I open up my heart. And I invite Jesus to come live inside of me.

And I understand that he comes into me in the person of the Holy Spirit. Never to leave me. Never to forsake me. I invite Jesus now to come live inside of me. Thank you, dear God, for hearing my prayer.

Thank you. From this moment forward, I will seek to follow you all the way to heaven. And so if you've prayed that prayer, something like it. Words aren't as important as the faith. You put your faith in God's word.

Not what I say. God's word says if you confess your sin, he will forgive you. God's word says if you ask him to give you eternal life, he will.

God's word says if you open up your heart, invite him to come and he will come in the person of the Holy Spirit. God's word says you are now a child of God. Whoever you are, you prayed that prayer, welcome to God's family.

The angels are rejoicing. Have you made the commitment to take those three questions, what does it say, what does it mean, what does it mean in my life, and start doing it in your daily quiet time, that daily set-aside time? Just one paragraph of scripture at a time, asking the Holy Spirit to whisper to your heart.

Oh, and this is not a time for weaklings, or as Rachel said, wimps. This is a time to be strong in faith because it's rooted in God's word. And handed down to us from the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, through the disciples, through the prophets, secured by God's will, evident in your life, fruitful in your witness, as he's spoken to you about the future, your future.

It doesn't matter if you can't get that new car, or move into that new house, or what the disease is, or what the problems are, you're going home. Look past all that, live with glory on your mind, your immediate future as you grow in Christ-likeness, re-surrender, re-sanctify your life, be devoted to the Father's will, be devoted to living a life of holiness, separation from the world around you. And then your ultimate future, how glorious could it be that we're going to share in his glory and we're going to see it? And one day we're going to be standing around the throne, caught up in that roar of acclamation, worthy as the Lamb who was slain. And I pray we're going to look around, and we're going to see people who were there because we were here. We're faithful in our witness. They put their trust in you, and they're going to be in heaven because of it.

Oh Lord, thank you. And we look forward to that day when we no longer live by faith, but we live face to face, saturated in your love, hearing your voice, having your name on our foreheads, walking with you, talking with you. So whatever God has said to you, if you can just quietly say it back to him. And if there was a challenge or a commitment that's required, and you say, yes, Lord, I will read my Bible every day. I will make time to draw a side and be with you. I will stay focused in this craziness on my relationship with you. I will be steadfast in my faith. Thank you that you'll keep me, that you're able to keep what I've committed to you. I'm committed to stay in your word, put my roots down deep, secured by your will, giving evidence in my walk. Oh, and I want to be fruitful in my witness. Help me, Lord. Bear much fruit for your glory.

If we're condemned by the world around us, if our neighbor doesn't speak to us, it doesn't matter. Lord, we just want to be in your will. We want you to use us for the salvation above.

What can we say? And what would it be like when we hear that loud trumpet and the voice of the archangel and Jesus himself shouting as he comes back to receive us to himself? It'll happen in the blink of an eye, in a nanosecond. And all of this life will end, and eternity will begin for us. Oh, Lord, help us to live our lives with glory on our minds so that we have no regrets at that moment. And I, for one, look forward to being embraced by you, being saturated in your love, not just knowing by faith, but hearing an audible voice whisper in my ear, Anne, I love you. I love you. I love you as much as I love Jesus. You put my spirit within you. Jesus lives in you.

And now we're all one, and we're going to live together forever. You can hear Living in the Light with Anne Graham Lotz weekly. And for ways to experience the God-filled life as you pursue your personal Bible study, go to AnneGrahamLotz.org. She'll help you get started with free resources you can use and share with others. Join us here each week for Living in the Light.