Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. The founder and perfecter of our faith. Jesus faced his ultimate test in the Garden of Gethsemane. Would he be able to go through with the torture that awaited him? How did his prayers to his father help him in facing what was inevitable?
Today, more thoughts on Jesus and the agony of unanswered prayer. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, all of us can identify with the powerful emotions Jesus displayed as a man facing what he knew was coming. You know, Dave, it's so important to recognize that if emotional turbulence were sin, Jesus would have sinned here in the garden.
But he was experiencing human emotions and there are people who are listening to this message right now. who may be going through times of depression, But it's not because of some sin, it's because of various factors. And they need to recognize that that isn't wrong. as long as we are willing to bow before God and say, Thy will be done. Here we see in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus as a man, not depending upon his divinity.
though he had a divine nature. And going through the agony, of recognizing What lay ahead. At the end of this message, I'm going to be giving you some contact info about a book I've written entitled Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? And this story. is one of the chapters in the book.
For now, let us listen. Yeah. Um Jesus looked into the furnace of God's wrath. And he knew that he would very soon be cast into that. Terrible.
terrible, unimaginable. Furnace.
Now, of course, we should remember that God loved the world. It's not as if God is the Angry one. This was the plan of redemption planned before creation. And so Jesus says, I receive this cup, Father. You have given me this cup.
And I receive it. There's a third question, and that is this: what was the request?
Well, obviously, the request was three times. Remove this cup. Father, all things are possible to you. Remove this cup. So Jesus makes the request Isn't there a Some other way, maybe the blood of a human being, maybe the blood of animals, maybe.
God Father, why don't you just let bygones be bygones? Get me out of this predicament. You can do everything, Lord. And of course we know. that there was no other way.
Your students, your university students. That you send to university, if they take a class in religion, will be taught things like this. They will be taught that, you know, all religions have a sacrifice. Virtually all religions demand some blood. Yeah.
But only in Christianity does God become the sacrifice. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. God demanded A tremendous payment for our sin, and then God supplied. What he demanded And because of the Trinity, he's the only God who can do that. And says, I demand absolute perfection for you to go to heaven, and I will supply.
the perfection and the forgiveness that you need. And so we find in Scripture that the request was. Remove this cup. Now, the fourth question is, what was the response? Jesus is kneeling there and saying, Father, If it is possible, let there be some other way, Lord.
But Nevertheless, It's not up to me. It is thy will, O God. I will drink the cup. I'll drink the cup. I wish there were a different way, but there isn't.
I'll drink the cup. O Christ, what burdens bow thy head? Our load was laid on thee. Thou stoodest in the sinner's stead. didst bear all ill For me.
Death and the curse were in our cup. O Christ, 'twas full for thee. But thou hast drained the last dark drop Just empty.
Now for me. Yeah. I want to ask now some questions.
Some questions: what does this have to do with our prayer life? What should this change about us? Why should we look at prayer differently? How should we handle circumstances? And so I'm going to give you lessons, and these are going to be in the order that I have here in my notes.
First of all, simply this, that Today's prayerless sleeping Christians. become tomorrow's backsliders. Can you imagine that? Peter, James, and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. They were there when he preached the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is saying, Look.
You've always needed me, but I'd really like to have Your support in this hour of need, and what are they doing? They are sleeping. They are sleeping. Jesus said. Watch and pray.
This, of course, is in verse 38. Watch. What are you watching for? You're watching for the enemy. That's what you're watching for.
Because if we do not watch for the enemy, we will walk into Satan's territory and feel comfortable about it and won't even know about it. Because Satan has a wonderful act of comfort for us. That makes us avoiding, watching, and praying. And in our homes today, oftentimes, parents are not watching. They're not watching what their kids are watching.
They have no idea how satanic influences are influencing the home and they go along with the culture, whether or not it has to do with the media or other ways in our school systems. Jesus said, watch. And pray.
Now many people use prayer like um you know, the oxygen masks on an airplane. You're glad that they are there. But as long as the flight is smooth, life is going reasonably well. Everybody seems to be healthy. It's not needed, but oh, when tragedy comes, oh God, now please help.
God, here's my list of requests now. And some Christians never get beyond the requests. to God himself. When they have given all of their requests to God, their prayer is over. Thank you very much.
So they say, Well, how can I watch and pray? I mean, watching and praying for an hour? What in the world would I say? They've never entered into the mystery, the beauty. and the satisfaction Of worshiping God and to know that the real purpose of prayer ultimately is to get us beyond our requests, although it's perfectly fine and scriptural to ask those requests, but the real issue of prayer is to get us.
to the Father. The enjoyment of God. Fellowship with the Father. But we are so distracted in this world, I wouldn't doubt but that some of you are on your cell phones now, not because you have the passage of scripture before you, but you're just waiting for some tweet, some message, because you can multitask. And we're living in a world, and I find this in my own life, so distracted we can't even concentrate.
On God. and honor him In our worship, And in our devotion. And so, what happens to these disciples? Big surprise. Peter Jesus speaks directly to him.
Few verses before the passage I just read, Peter says, oh, you know, Jesus said, all of you are going to leave me. Oh, no. Though all men forsake you. I will never forsake you. You can count on me.
Mm-hmm. Later on, he denies Jesus three times, and by the time you get into verse 50 in this chapter, all the disciples have left him and fled. Prayerless, watchless disciples. Become backsliders who have no witness for Christ. They never think of talking to their neighbor or anyone else.
They don't want to be identified with Jesus. What a lesson. Because Christians today are sleeping through A tremendous revolution. And they are fast asleep, comfortable. Sleeping.
Well, that's the first lesson. Let's go to a second, and that is this. Our cup. Our cup also And we take it from Jesus here. Our cup has to be received from the hand of God, not the hand of the evil people who have given it to us.
Let me ask you, do you have somebody in your life who wants to crucify you? They are making life hard, they are making it miserable, they are socking it to you, so to speak, and they think. that you're still not getting what you deserve. Because they'd like to give you more of that. Are you experiencing that?
I'll tell you what will happen. If that's your experience, you are going to be so angry at them, you will not be able to forgive them. Why? You think it has come from them. What if you were to say, Father?
This is the cup. that you have given me. You have dealt me This cup. And I receive it from you. Mm-hmm.
A number of years ago, I was preaching somewhere, and somebody gave me a poem because it delivered him from bitterness. He could not forgive people who had wronged him. There was a certain situation. And this poem delivered him. Wow.
Here's some really good theology. I will not take that bitter thrust which rent my heart today as coming from an earthly soul, though it was meant that way. But I will look beyond the tool because my life is planned. I take the cup my father gives. I take it from his hand.
He knows and even allows those terrible things that irk. I trust his wisdom and his love. Let patience have her work. Though human means have brought the sting, I firmly take this stand. My loving Father holds the cup.
I take it from his hand. Now, those who watch me wonder why these things do not disturb. I look right past the instrument. and see my lord superb. The trials which would lay me low must pass through his command.
He holds the outstretched cup to me. I take it. from his hand. I cannot tell you how revolutionary this is. I cannot even explain to you how it gives you a different perspective of your trials, your health issues, if you stop taking it from the medium that God is using, the instruments that God is using, and you take it from His hand.
Say, Father. This would really upset me except that this is your will. And I take it. from your hand. changes Everything.
Well There is Another lesson. but I think is really explosive. Our redemption was founded This gives me chills to say. Our redemption was founded on an unanswered prayer. What would have happened if God would have said, you know, Actually From what I've seen of humanity, it's just not worth it.
I love you. You're my son. I don't want to see you go through this. Let's abort the plan. They're just not worth it.
You and I would not be redeemed. Thank God. that Jesus Christ's prayer that the cup be removed from him was unanswered. became the basis. of our redemption.
And to those of you who are struggling with unanswered prayer, let me say this. God may sometimes be doing something more marvelous, more wonderful than you can even imagine through your unanswered prayer than would happen if he answered your prayer. And we, as human beings, don't know what God's hidden plans are, but we trust Him. We say when I look at it, it makes no sense to me, but You left this prayer unanswered for my good, for the good of your purposes, and I accept it. You never know what it is that God may be up to.
And so what the attitude of you and me should be is this. My Jesus, as thou wilt. Oh, may thy will be mine. into thy hands of love. I would my all resign.
Through sorrow and through joy, conduct me as mine own and help me still to say. Father. Thy will. Be done. It's lesson number three, lesson number four.
Unanswered prayers are not unheard. Prayers. Remember that unanswered prayers are not unheard prayers. How do we know this? Hebrews chapter 5.
Hebrews chapter 5 speaks about Jesus in Gethsemane and says this. In the days of his flesh, Jesus called up with long-suffering. supplications and tears. Unto him who was able to save him from death and was heard. In that he feared.
And the Greek word there, heard, has the implications that it was a positive hearing.
So God hears your prayers. God knows your prayers. And he doesn't forget your prayers. They are heard even if they aren't answered the way in which you and I would like to have them answered. God sees your tears.
Just this morning as I was reviewing the notes, I was reminded of something that happened when I was in Bible college. We were doing some home visitation, and I remember knocking on a door, and a woman came, and she was wiping her tears. trying to get them, trying to get her cheeks. And she said, Oh, forgive me. She said, I've just been praying for my son.
God saw those tears. In Psalm 56, David says, Put my tears in a bottle.
Well, we shouldn't think that God has a special bottle where He keeps all of our tears literally, but it's metaphorically saying, Lord, remember what I'm going through. You remember my tears, Lord, and God says, I remembered them. I hear you. And what I want to do is to use that unanswered prayer to get beyond the request to me. Because I have something else for you.
And you know, in the end, of course, you have the resurrection of Jesus, which is really an answer to this prayer. And so, an unanswered prayer does not mean that God is deaf. An unanswered prayer means that God is listening God is caring. But because of his other purposes, almost always hidden from us. He's saying no.
But it isn't always a harsh no. In fact, if I could take time to preach on The 12th chapter of 2 Corinthians, where Paul had a thorn in the flesh. Three times he says, God, remove it. And God says, No, but I'm going to give you a different gift. You asked for the gift of healing.
I'm going to give you a different gift. And that gift is the gift of grace to bear it. It's a special gift given to people whose prayers are unanswered.
So your prayer may be unanswered, but it is not... Unheard. There's a last lesson, and that is this: that Jesus was abandoned.
so that you and I might never be abandoned. Jesus was abandoned. I mean You think, for example, not only was his prayer unanswered, But rather On the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Jesus went through that so that you and I never have to say, My God, my God. Why hast thou forsaken me?
We know now that we, as believers, through Jesus Christ, have instant access to the Father. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews that we have a high priest. It also says that we can come to God through Jesus Christ And we can make our way to him to receive grace and help for time of need. And Paul said, and did we not sing it? This morning in our worship.
That the love of God is with us no matter what. And therefore, we have access to the Father, and some of you have not savingly believed on Jesus. You have not repented of your sin and received him, you have that opportunity to do that today if God speaks to you, because Jesus said that. I'm available to all who want to believe. All who want to be my children, if he can overcome your stubbornness, your darkness, your rejection.
You can be his forever. And so Jesus is saying, you know, you don't have to think that it's up to you. I've done the work for those who want to believe. And so you can believe on Jesus Christ. You never have to say, my God, my God.
Why hast thou forsaken me? For me, it was in the garden he prayed, not my will, but thine. He had no tears for his own grief. but sweat drops of blood. For mine.
He bore my sins and my sorrows. He called them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary. and suffered. And died Alone.
Friends. What a savior. What a savior. We have. Nobody else out there.
like Jesus. Let us pray. Father, we pray that we might not be comfortable in our lethargy and in our sleep and in our prayerlessness. Help us to see Jesus as one who overcame an unanswered prayer. And he did it in our behalf.
And teach us, O God, to follow him. And to say that we belong to Him forever and give Him glory forever and ever, we will worship Him. And say Worthy is the lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and glory and honor and blessing. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you.
Well, my friend, in a moment I'm going to pray again. Thanking Jesus for all that He has done for us. I do want to remind you that I've written a brand new book entitled, Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? A copy can be yours for a gift of any amount very quickly. Here's some contact info.
Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888. 218 ninety three thirty seven.
Now I want to speak to you directly what is on your heart to day. Is there a barrier between you and God? Is there some sin that you continue to commit? knowing full well it must be confessed and forsaken, Why is it that we sometimes find it difficult to believe when Jesus himself went through a time of agony. Let's praise him, Father.
I want to thank you so much for what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. I want to thank you that there in Gethsemane. You did not answer. His prayer. I want to thank you, Father.
that Jesus said, nevertheless, not my will, but thine. And for all who are listening, we pray that that might be our prayer, even as we face, oftentimes, huge issues, frightening issues. An unknown future. New catastrophes May we be able to say with confidence, Lord, It's not my desire, but not my will. But thine be done.
We pray in His name. Amen. You can write to us at Running2Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. When prayers seem to go unanswered, some people abandon their faith in God. Others hang on, but feel a certain distance from God as they try to cope with their feelings.
Next time on Running to Win, Pastor Lutzer talks with us about managing disappointment in unanswered prayer. Plan to join us. Thanks for listening. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
