Text: John 17
Jesus sees the disciples as having belonged to God and given to Him by God. He gave them what He received so that they would give to others. Don't wait for things to happen. You can study, pray, and minister to other believers.
Fellowship with God involves not only seeking Him for your own needs, but also for the needs of other believers. Jesus prayed for the disciples and future generations. Don't pray that God will take you out of this world, but commit that you'll serve Him while you're here.
In Luke 22:31-34, it sounds like Satan has asked God for permission to sift Peter like wheat, but Jesus prayed that his faith wouldn't fail. In the Greek, there are tenses for personal pronouns like the word, "you." Here the plural form of "you" is used. Peter wasn't being singled out. Jesus' prayer was for all the disciples, not just him.
The word, "sift," means to sift, shake in a sieve. Satan accomplishes this by inward agitation to put the individual on the verge of losing their faith. Jesus does not pray that their tests would be lessened or removed. He prays:
1) That their faith would not fail
2) That they would strengthen their brethren
Persecution would come to them because the Word was in them. Think about a football game. The opposition goes after the guy holding the football. If he doesn't have the football, they leave him alone. The player does everything he can to retain the ball and cross the goal line.
Sometimes we need to hang onto something and not give up. It's you that gives Satan permission to steal the Word from your heart. How does this happen?
1) Cares of this world
2) Deceitfulness of riches
3) Lack of understanding
We can pray that other believers' faith will not fail and for them to strengthen other believers.
Jesus did not pray that Peter would return to Him. Peter had a free will and that was his decision. God does not make you decide to do the right thing.
How can we fortify ourselves against the onslaught on the enemy? Prayer builds you up and gives you endurance.
As always, this is a brief summary of the message. To get the full benefit, please go to our website, and click on the Sermon player. You can listen online, download it to your MP3, or podcast it.
If you're visiting in the area or looking for a church home, we invite you to our Sunday Morning Service at 10:00 A.M. We're located at 1111 Easton Rd. (Rte. 611), in Warrington, PA. The church phone number is (215) 343-7686. All welcome!
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