July 16, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
“Jesus’ Prayer…”
Part 2 of 2
Psalm 145:8-14
John 17:20-26 NIV
“Jesus’ Prayer (Part 2) …”
The Lord be with you…
Let us pray… (Pray for the sermon to be
God’s word to His people)
I would ask that you please stand for the
reading of the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 17, verses 20-26. Listen
to and for the Word of God to you and I, His ambassadors to and in the world…Read
the Gospel of John..
The disciples sat in the
upper room with Jesus. It was just before He was to be betrayed by Judas. But
they didn’t know how horrific the night would be or that they would all run
away in fear.
They sat and had listened
to all that Jesus had to say that evening. He talked about His betrayal and
that even Peter was going to betray Him. He continued to teach to them. They
listened intently while the Master taught them about how to treat others and
who would be the greatest. He taught them about staying in Him…staying to His
teachings and being rooted and grounded in Him. Jesus even gave them an example
of how to think of yourself as the lesser of those whom you serve.
Jesus had prayed for this
night and for those who were present there with Him. But then He began to pray
about those in the future. He prayed about how others would believe in Him
through the message about Him that the disciples would share. Jesus was praying
for those who were not even born yet. Jesus wanted the future to be protected,
blessed and called to share the same message that the men and women in that upper
room would share. It is through those very disciples and those to come that His
name would be glorified to the ends of the earth. But it all began as his
disciples shared and it is a legacy for all who would come…
Good
morning. Last week I had talked about how we had just finished our journey of
and with Hope and we have now decided it is time hope comes in…that Hope enters
our presence. And I have challenged us to go out and share that Hope… Then I
asked the question…where does our authority come from. What gives us the
ability and the right to share the gospel?
I
think the answers lie within the Gospel of John chapter 17. If I had to choose a Gospel that was my
favorite it would have to be the Gospel of John. The other Gospels give you the
information but John gives you the feeling behind the words. In this
chapter, we hear Jesus praying from His heart to the Father.
Last
week we looked at how He prayed for Himself, for Himself to be glorified and
back where He had been since the dawn of time up until the night love was born
in a stable. Then He prayed for His disciples. We talked about how even though
He was praying for the ones with Him…we too are included in His prayer because
we are His disciples as well. This is the
first part that he began to pray for us. We, who are His disciples are promised
the same things that His first disciples were promised. Does this truth
make you want to share this hope we are now given within this prayer? Give time to answer.
We
talked about some of the benefits to the first part of this prayer?
v We
will give glory through Jesus. We who
obey Jesus and God’s word. We who have accepted Him as sent from heaven.
v The
power of Heaven protects us.
v We
have the joy of Jesus within us
v We
are protected from the evil one.
v We
are sanctified in and through Jesus, and
are sent forth in Jesus’ name.
And
now…Jesus prays for the disciples to come. Why do you think Jesus prayed for
the disciples yet to come…for you and I? Give
time to answer. OK…Jesus talks about the unity of the disciples…of all of
the disciples. Do you think that his Name will be known throughout the world if
we are not in unity with each other? Give
time to answer.
Jesus
also prays that we would be with Him. Think
about that for a moment. Jesus prayed we would be with Him. He was praying us
into heaven. He shared the knowledge of His Father with His disciples…past
present and future…so that we could be one with them. Those who profess His
name…all those who profess His name…unfortunately we have forgotten this part
of the pray all too many times…
“26 I
have made you known to them, and 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.”
Through
the Holy Spirit…Jesus continues to make God known to us. I think that if Jesus
gave us all the information at once our heads would explode…we would not be
able to take it all in. We are continually taught about God…God is revealed to
us…within His word through the Holy Spirit… It is within this revelation…it is
within this growing closer to God and Jesus that our testimony is. It is within
this knowledge that we are emboldened to share the Gospel to the ends of the
earth.
Church,
we have been prayed over…we have had Holy
hands placed upon us and anointed…by our Lord Jesus
because we are disciples. We are sent forth with this hope. We are given the
ability through and in our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. This our authority. This
is the Legacy we are given. This is a calling that cannot be ignored…humanity
is counting on us…God is counting on us
and we shall not fail.
We
are not of this world but sent into the world to preach the gospel of Hope. We
will be asked by whose authority do we speak so boldly. And we have the answer
and the authority…it is in and through the One who has paved the way…Jesus
Christ…in whose Name we proclaim and profess.
Church
the field is ripe for the harvest. What will you and I do? You know I love
being here with you in this sanctuary. It is a beautiful place to be…with it’s
stained glass and tin walls and roof. But did you know that there is a
commission within our walls? As many of you know, my husband Ray has an eye for
detail. And the detail he talked with me about is mind boggling…and the fact that this church was built
where there was a sheep barn…in fact that is where this church first began to
come together….
“Look at the walls. There
are vertical stalks in the tin work. The tinsmiths must have put them there as
a reminder to us of who we are to the wheat ripe for harvest, ready to be
gathered in by God. Look toward the ceilings, the heads of the wheat are ready.
There are also sections of the wall and ceiling where we see the shape of vines
as we are connected to the Vine. There are places on the ceiling that have the
number 7 for perfection, 12 for the 12 tribes of Israel and the number 40 for
forty days…years…etc.. There are the shapes of shepherd staffs on either side
of the Good Shepherd stained glass. There is and arch like the shape of the
dome leading us into the chancel.”
We
are the future of the Christ’s church…His body. Being a disciple means we are
living in the legacy that was given us by the first disciples. To preach the
gospel of love, grace, and hope…it is a
birthright given to us as children of the King of kings… from here in
Patten…to the surrounding community…and beyond. Maybe…just maybe…
I
would lie to end my sermon with a poem that Ray wrote about us…here…in this
sanctuary…it is within this poem…I hear God calling us to not be mediocre but
to be bold as we are called out of our building and into the streets or Christ…
Read Ray’s poem…
sitting in the fields – v2
Sitting in the golden fields,
the pews, this sanctuary;
We are the workers,
we are the wheat,
ready for the harvest.
Sitting in the fields
the pews, this sanctuary
wrapped in God’s loving arms
prepared each week for service
to carry on Christ’s work.
We are the workers,
we are the wheat,
preparing for Christ’s coming
to reap the harvest home.
Amen…
=================
July 16, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
“Jesus’ Prayer…”
Part 2 of 2
Psalm 145:8-14
John 17:20-26
and Sermon, “Jesus’ Prayer (Part 2) …”
video and
text:
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Children’s
Message
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
July 16, 2017
&
edited July 11, 2017
Christ still washed all of our feet – v2
July 11, 2017
Christ still washed all of our feet
July 11, 2017
praying, after washing the feet of Judas
July 10, 2017
Christ’s time in prayer
July 10, 2017
we have been prayed over
July 10, 2017
Christ prayed over us
edited/ new name July 10, 2017
we are sanctified through Christ
July 10, 2017
we are sanctified in Jesus
July 9, 2017
this is our power
July 9, 2017
this is our authority
July 9, 2017
we are to be servants
July 9, 2017
Stetson Memorial UMC
“Jesus’ Prayer…”
Part 1 of 2
Psalm 65:5-13
John 17:1-19
and Sermon, “Jesus’ Prayer (Part 1) …”
video and
text:
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Children’s
Message
by Pastor Ruth
Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
July 9, 2017
All of my
poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014,
2015, 2016, and 2017. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See
all 44,540 of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
Christ,
Spirit, God, Faith, love, grace, hope, prayer, Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church, John 17, Psalm 65, disciple, Jesus,
protection, power, authority, Psalm 145,
#Christ #God
#Spirit #Faith #prayer #love #grace #John17 #Psalm65 #disciple #protection
#power #authority #Psalm145
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