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Sermon

Pray like Jesus and not like Peter Matthew 26:30-56

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  1. Movies have often done the best job of depicting the awkwardness of prayer for beginners. From Christmas vacation’s Aunt Bethany saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Or Meet the Parents, as Ben Stiller’s is asked to pray a blessing over a meal and stumbles through. “And we thank you, O sweet, sweet Lord of hosts for the smörgåsbord you have so aptly lain at our table this day, and each day … by day. Day by day … by day. Or Talladega nights.

  2. Maybe you have felt like one of these fictional characters in your prayer life. When we hear the word prayer many different things may come to our minds.

  3. It’s been said that we need to "Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers." Or as our good friend in low places and local bar theologian, Garth Brooks said, “Sometimes God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.”

  4. We will see today that no matter where we are or what we are going through that we need to take everything to God in prayer and that we need to submit ourselves to God’s will over our own no matter how God answers our prayers. We need to trust in Him. Today we are going to learn to pray like Jesus and not like Peter.

  5. Last week we saw that Jesus gave us this beautiful and powerful reminder of His sacrifice. Communion, the Lord’s Supper. Something when we gather as followers of Jesus we not only get to be reminded through, but we get to take part in. We proclaim as the body of believers the church that we believe that Jesus is the Lord and Messiah. There is power in that. But we must prepare before we partake. We need to examine our relationships with God, with each other and renewing our commitment to God.

  6. This last week before Jesus is crucified. Jesus and His disciples left the house where they ate Passover, they made their way to the Mount of Olives singing praise to God as they went.

  7. If you have your bibles go ahead and open them to Matthew 26. Matthew is on the right side of your bibles. If you don’t have a bible we would love to give you a one today. We have some on the back table, please pick one up as a gift from us to you.

  8. Matthew 26:31-35

    Matthew 26:31–35

  9. Jesus had already dropped the bombshell that one of them would betray Him. Now Jesus tells them that all of them will fall away. Peter says, ‘No way, Jesus, you're wrong. Because even if everyone else falls away I wont. Have you noticed that Peter seems too often speak and act before he thinks. I mean he jumped out of the boat when everyone else trembled in the haul. He at times would try to correct Jesus when Jesus said things that he didn’t want to hear. Peter was ready to go to war, fight for and even die for Jesus. But sadly what Jesus need from Peter. Peter wouldn’t do. Peter offered his physical strength and sword, but it was his spiritual fighting that Jesus would need Peter to fight. Over and over again Peter will fail to be there when Jesus needed him most. Peter says even if everyone else falls, no way would he. Then Jesus says yup Peter in fact in the hours to come you will disown even knowing me. Jesus warns them exactly what was going to happen and even with this warning and a willing spirit all of 11 will fall away just like Jesus said they would.

  10. Jesus and the 11 move to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus seems to have permission to go often. Jesus leaves most of them at the gate to watch and pray. Jesus knows in just a few hours the betrayer; Judas will come. But the weight of what Jesus was getting ready to do was increasing. Jesus needed to go to God the Father for strength. So He takes His inner circle into the garden to pray.

  11. Matthew 26:37-39

    Matthew 26:37–39

  12. The weight of everything was on Jesus. He is distressed and for the 1st time is going to be all alone. His friends will fail and betray Him. And soon even God the Father will turn His face from Him. Loneness and the physical pain that He knew was coming, and for the first time Jesus fells the weight, shame and guilt of sin. Jesus was and is perfect, He is without sin. But at some point, God the Father puts on Jesus the sins of the whole world.

  13. 2 Corinthians 5:21

    2 Corinthians 5:21

  14. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  15. 1 Peter 2:24

    1 Peter 2:24

  16. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

  17. Jesus who was fully God and fully man, who has never sinned was now taking on Himself the full weight and guilt of sin. Not just for one person but for the whole world. For you and for me. I believe that this is what overwhelmed Jesus with sorrow to the point of death. Luke tells us that sweat, and blood fell from Jesus. Most likely the capillaries in His face burst from stress and strain. Jesus is distressed and overwhelmed. So what does Jesus do? He takes it to the Father in prayer.

  18. Jesus asked His inner circle. Peter, James and John to keep watch and pray. And even though they were willing to fight till the death for Jesus. When Jesus needed them to fight the spiritual battle with Him in prayer they couldn’t. 3 times they fell asleep. Jesus calls Peter out. You said you would fight for me. Now you can’t even keep watch for me.

  19. It had been a long week. Along with all the festivities of Passover, the grand entrance to Jerusalem, the clearing of the temple, traveling back and forth to Bethany, then making all the final preparations for Passover. Peter, James and John were tired. But Jesus needed them, Peter was willing to fight with a physical sword but was too sleepy to fight with spiritual weapons of war. Prayer.

  20. Peter shows us how to NOT pray. But Jesus on the other hand shows us how to battle in prayer. Look again at Jesus’ prayer in His distress.

  21. Matthew 26:39

    Matthew 26:39

  22. Father if it is possible, take this cup from me. Jesus was distressed and overwhelmed. So what does He do? He goes to God and askes the Father to take this cup from Him. Take the cross, take the guilt of sin and the suffering and pain away from Him.

  23. Thankfully not only does God answer Jesus prayer no, but thankfully Jesus doesn’t end His prayer here. He says not as I will but as you will. No one forced Jesus to take our sins, no one forced Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus willingly took all this on. He was innocent and yet He willingly became guilty, He was obedient to the will of God, He humbly paid the price for you and me.

  24. In the middle of His distress and suffering, Jesus shows how we are to fight the spiritual warfare that is going on. In prayer. Let’s learn to pray like Jesus.

  25. First Jesus takes it to God. Jesus says in the middle of my distress, Father take this suffering from me. Listen to what Paul tells us.

  26. Philippians 4:4-6

    Philippians 4:4–6

  27. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

  28. Jesus present His request to God. Notice what Paul says. Be anxious about nothing. But instead of being anxious, in every situation go to God in prayer. Rejoice in the Lord always. Not sometimes, not just when thing are going well, or only when things are bad, but rejoice in the Lord always!

  29. So what’s going on right now in your life? What are your current circumstances? Are you struggling with your boss or co-workers? Go to God in prayer. Are your faced with sickness or pain maybe not even knowing what’s going on in your body? Take it to God. Are you fighting with your spouse or maybe even separated or divorced? Go to your knees in prayer. Are you overwhelmed with trying to make ends meet? Take it to God. Are you struggling with depression or anxiety? Go to God in prayer. Say God take this from me. Have you lost a family member, friend or even a job recently? Go to God in prayer. Are you struggling to parent your kids. Take to the Lord in prayer.

  30. God will always answer prayers. But God’s answers aren’t always what we what to hear. Sometimes God answers with yes. Other times God says not now. And sometimes, like God answered Jesus in the garden, God answers with no. And this is where we need to once again learn from Jesus. Because God always answers our prayers and at times His answers is No. So what did Jesus do when God’s answers was no?

  31. Jesus says “not as I will, but as you will!” Here’s what this means for us today.

  32. No matter what you are facing, no matter what you are going through, no matter what your circumstances are, if we are going to learn to pray like Jesus, we need to take it to God in prayer. Rejoice always. And no matter how God answers your prayer, even when God’s answer is no. Submit yourselves to God’s will. God doesn’t promise to change your circumstance, God isn’t our magic genie. But God does promise us that if we like Jesus take everything to God in prayer, that even if our circumstances don’t change, even if healing doesn’t happen, even if His answer is no. He will provide us with this.

  33. Philippians 4:7

    Philippians 4:7

  34. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

  35. Peace that makes no sense. Peace in the middle of our circumstances. Peace that we can’t even comprehend. Peace beyond our understanding. We may not know or understand why God answers no. But we know He will give us peace anyway.

  36. Jesus wasn’t the only one in scripture that God answers no to. Paul pleaded with God and God answered Paul no.

  37. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

    2 Corinthians 12:7–10

  38. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

  39. Paul pleaded with God to take it away, God said no three times. When we are weak we trust in God and we strong. If we are going to learn to pray like Jesus, take everything to God in prayer and submit to God’s will even when God answers your prayer with not now or no. Trust in God for peace and for strength.

  40. God doesn’t tell us that He will remove the challenges, but He promises us that when we trust in Him we will have peace and strength.

  41. Here at Journey Church we say that we want to live lives that are Pleasing to God and to do that We trust that Jesus is all we need, being transformed by who He is and what He has done.

  42. God’s will for us is to be transformed to be changed. And sometimes God transforms us by answering our prayers no. God doesn’t promise to change your circumstance, but He promises to change us.

  43. No matter what you are going through and no matter what you are facing, we can pray like Jesus, by taking it to God in prayer. He may answer yes, or not now, but even if God says no, submit your circumstances, your relationships, your situation, your life to God’s will. Trust that Jesus is all you need, trust that God will give you peace and strength.

  44. We may not know why God says no but we can trust that it’s for His will. Maybe it’s so He is glorified in our weakness, like Paul found. Maybe its to help transform us. To mature us. Listen to that James tells us.

  45. James 1:2-5

    James 1:2–5

  46. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

  47. No matter what’s going on we can pray like Jesus by taking everything to God in prayer. By submitting ourselves to God’s will over our own. And trust in God for peace to guard your heart and minds and strength to face it.

  48. We are called to pray like Jesus, but too often we wind up praying like Peter, falling asleep.

  49. Make your request known to God and trust yourselves to Him. Maybe God is working to produce faith in you, or perseverance to make you mature. Ask God for wisdom to understand, but even if you don’t understand trust in Him. Even if God’s answer is no, still trust in Him.

  50. "Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers." I’m for one am thankful God answered Jesus prayer with no.

  51. Jesus returned from praying His heart out to God 3 times. Each time Jesus finds that His closest friends had fall down. Instead of being there when Jesus needed them to keep watch, they were asleep. Jesus wakes them, you’ve had enough sleep the hour has come. At that moment Judas returns leading a armed crowd to arrest Jesus. Peter who hadn’t fought the spiritual battle that Jesus needed, pulls his sword to fight the physical battle that Jesus didn’t need him to fight. He cuts off a guy’s ear. Jesus stops them and they arrest Jesus and then all of His disciples including Peter flee, just as Jesus said they would.

  52. Matthew 26:56

    Matthew 26:56

  53. We have seen some the spiritual suffering Jesus was going through, And Jesus faced it with prayer. Next week we will see the physical suffering Jesus endured. Jesus took all of this on for you and for me. Jesus drank the full cup of suffering so you wouldn’t have to. He faced abandonment so you could be welcomed by God. If you’ve never put your trust in Him, today is the day. Repent of your sins and meet Him in baptism? If not come today. I’ll be out in the lobby come make today the day that you submit yourself to God.

  54. Friends no matter what your facing learn to pray like Jesus and not like Peter.