Homily Pastor Dan Neary

Jesus: Intercessor

Chapter 18 is 99% in red-letters (words of Jesus)

It is made-up entirely of Jesus’ prayer

Sometimes I read a passage of Scripture and I ask a bunch of questions.

What is prayer?

What is intercession?

How did He teach us to pray?

How did He show us to pray?

How does He continue to pray?

What is prayer? (http://bible.crosswalk.com/Dictionaries/BakersEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi?number=T563)

1. Direct conversation with God
1. Not merely meditation or contemplation
2. Requires Belief
1. In Him
2. In His ability and willingness to communicate with us
3. In His nature: Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Immutable
3. Various Kinds & Categories
1. Corporate/Individual
2. Prepared/Impromptu (formal/informal)
3. Devotional/Intercessory
4. Just leads to other questions (that will need to be addressed another time) like
1. How does it work?
2. Who or what does it change? God? Our circumstances? Us?
3. Is prayer always answered?

What is intercession?

I amuse myself when I find out that I’ve either misused or misunderstood a word for a long time.

I can remember an argument when I was a teenager about the words “flustered” and “frustrated”

I’ve got to break-it to my brother… pole-bearer

There’s a whole book devoted to often-misused words.

So, what about intercession?

Simply put: intercession, or more specifically intercessory prayer, is prayer for another’s benefit.

This passage is mostly intercessory prayer.

How did he teach us to pray?

The Lord’s Prayer – Matthew 6:9-13 (within the context of 5-15)
http://bible.crosswalk.com/Dictionaries/BakersEvangelicalDictionary/bed.cgi?number=T445

1. Our God

a. The first is directed vertically in glorification of the Father and in petition that his name be hallowed, his reign realized, and his will accomplished on earth as in heaven

2. Our Days

a. The second unit in the prayer comprises three parallel "us" petitions that request divine help in the mission to which Jesus' followers are being called: "give us"; "forgive us"; "deliver us."

Is this how we pray?

· Our Father

· Thank you?

· Today focused

How did he show us to pray? John 17

1. Centered on God the Father
• Just as he taught us to pray,
• He begins with a focus on the Father
2. Acknowledging Integrated Works & Faith (intercession is not a cop-out)
• I have revealed (v. 6)
• I protected (v. 11)
• None has been lost, except one (v.12)
3. Specific
• Protect them (v.15)
• Sanctify them – Your Word is truth (v.17)
4. Protection, Endurance, Persistence (v.15)

How does he continue to pray? He ever intercedes on our behalf.

• Romans 8:34

So What?

His specific prayer for us: Unity

• That we would be one
• So that the world may believe
• Eternal Glory

Let us be mindful of Christ’s goal for His church

Let us further be mindful that we are not alone… that we have an intercessor!

• This prayer demonstrates that He knew His disciples, and He knows us
• We Have an Intercessor… He is on our side!