TITLE: Letting God Drive the Big Events in our Lives.
TEXT: Luke 6:12-19, Luke 9:18-20; 28-36, John 6:14-21
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
OPENING
SENTENCE: My father died when I was seven years old and shortly afterward my mother
moved from Virginia, where we had lived with my three sisters, to California which was my
home until my second year of college.
INTRODUCTION: Around four years later she remarried to a widower who had three girls. It
seemed like a good arrangement until we learned something about him that can be illustrated in
this experience.
I was a good student and well- grounded on the whole so I was not a problem kid but- my
stepfather saw things differently. One incident I still recall quite well has influenced my thinking
for years following. I had gotten up at 5:30 AM to deliver papers on my daily paper route and
like any normal day I walked almost four miles to school at Clayton Valley High School. After
school I ran track and played football and did well in them both. After track I walked home from
school exhausted from the day so I sat down and the TV happened to be on (something I rarely
watched).
Five minutes after I sat down I failed to hear the car drive up and my step-father enter the house.
This was not one of his better days. As was typical of him in such moods he began a 10-15
tirade about how I was lazy, no good and worthless and would never amount to anything… and
the list goes on. This is far from the first time he had done this and in past episodes I would
question myself for what I had done wrong never seeming to be “good” enough.
But, something was different on this occasion. I was completely unfazed by what he was saying.
As I listened to him rant about my worthless, incompetence I realized that his words had no
meaning to me. It was my final confirmation that something was wrong with this man. I was
flawed, yes, but he did not define me- God did and the Bible makes it clear I am loved and
accepted through Jesus. I now know from a later diagnosis he was a paranoid schizophrenic- but
I did not know it at the time. I only knew something was wrong with this man.
I was not angry, I was not depressed or defensive, I did not rebel or walk away I simply listened
until he was done ranting while all the time thinking, “This is not normal- his anger and
demeaning comments have nothing at all to do with me. He had no clue what I had done that
day and there was nothing more I could do. The problem was his but arguing that to him was
futile. From that point on he had no power over me or my emotional or spiritual well-being.
From that point on I understood that ultimately it only mattered what God thought of me.
TRANSITION
SENTENCE: I learned some very important lessons for life from this experience.
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TRANSITION: One important lesson I learned is that so much of life is about perspective. My
step father’s perspective was not grounded in reality and my earlier responses to his tirades were
me buying in to his distorted view of reality. I learned that our minds and emotions do not
always match up with reality- to do that we need to step outside of ourselves and circumstances.
The second thing I learned is that our state of mind shapes our behaviors and our decisions- even
if they are distortions of reality. Somehow we must learn how to see and understand reality or
the truth in order for us to make better decisions in life.
I believe this is one of the key things that prayer helps us to do. It can help us calm our spirits
see the big picture which includes our utter dependence on God. We can see things from God’s
perspective which is the only real and truth perspective from which we made our decisions
allowing our emotions and will be to be shaped by our minds.
SAY WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY: I think this is why Jesus placed such value on prayer.
We will learn this morning that Jesus would prayer before and during key decisions and events in
his life. I want us to ask, “What can we learn from Jesus practice of prayer before key events?”
TEXT: Luke 6:12-16, John 6:14-21, Luke 9:18-20; 27-36
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
What can we learn from Jesus practice of prayer before key events?
I.
Prayer gives us confidence before making important decisions. (Luke 6:12-16)
Luke 6:12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night
praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them,
whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who
was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
A. Jesus prayed the whole night before choosing His disciples.
I can well imagine He understood the important of His decision and knew He needed to pick the
right men. I am sure He talked with the Father about the mix of men, the character of the men
(can they stick it out during the tough times), their loyalty, and trying to see the reality of who
they were. He needed to see past their pleasant or maybe even abrasive personalities to see
deeper within. He knew the challenges the men would face and had to filter out people not up to
the task.
Notice he comments on the quality of His choice at the end of John 6 where everyone but the
twelve He selected abandoned Him when they realized what they were required to believe if they
followed Him. John 6 says, “66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer
followed him. 67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon
Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We
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have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied,
“Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”
B. What might He have prayed about all that time?
1. Talked with God about His list of options. When people would see His miracles of
feeding, healing, etc. His popularity would grow but He needed people that could see past
that and understand His true reason for coming.
2. Narrowed His options as He reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of each.
3. Once identified asking the Father if this man is suited to the role. I am sure He carefully
reviewed each candidate with the Father before He began recruiting.
C. Once completed He could proceed with confidence in His choices. Another passages tell us
what happened after He spent the night in prayer and how He choose his twelve disciples.
Matt. 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called
Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left
their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of
Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their
nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
ILLUSTRATE: How many decisions have you made over the course of your life that you knew
had life impacting implications? Was it: who you would marry, your career choice, the school
you would go to, the job you should take, the house you should buy, how many children to have,
the principles for raising your children?
I know for me choosing who I would marry was one of the most important decisions I would
make and I spent years in prayer prior to choosing Vaunda. Because I had seen what a bad
marriage could look like I had decided in my early years that I would prefer to be single and
learn to deal with the loneliness and sexual restraint than to face what I saw my mother go
through. I had said to God, “I am okay with being single and with your help I can deal with
these issues, but if I marry help me know who the right person might be.” As you know I choose
well. But, it was not always easy to discern and because of my phobia of not wanting a bad
marriage due to what I had seen with my mother my “red flag” meter was adjusted to sensitively
causing it to go off quickly and possibly inappropirately. But prayer always played a part and
when the time came I was confident in my decision and have never regretted it.
APPLY: That is what pray helps us do. It helps us see reality from the perspective of God so we
can sort through the confusing options so we can make the best choices. It helps us avoid
emotional or impulsive decisions that can be shaped by infatuation, personality, loneliness, the
desire for achievement, etc. It lets God weigh in on the course we pursue.
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
What can we learn from Jesus practice of prayer before key events?
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II.
Prayer gives us clarity on the what to expect of others (Luke 9:18-20)
Luke 9: 18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked
them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say
Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 20 “But what
about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”
A. Jesus prayed before asking the question that is foundational to His ministry.
Notice this question was asked in the context of when Jesus was praying and His disciples were
with Him. Jesus understood the importance of this question and the importance of what the
answer would be. For His and their purposes He want to know, “Do these men He selected
understand the true nature of who He is or are they like everyone else who don’t quite get it?” I
imagine His time of prayer revealed to Him the importance finding this out.
B. The messianic and divine nature of Christ is central to his authority and position.
Understanding and accepting the divine nature and mission of Jesus is the heart of everything He
is doing. He did not come to be a great magician, or healer, or political king, or militant zealot,
or simply a prophet or priest. He is much more than that and not everyone got it.
C. This is the truth on which the church is built. Notice Matthew account of this.
Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others
say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked.
“Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you
by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
The context indicates that church is built on the confession of Peter that Jesus is the Christ the
Son of the Living God (expressing His divine nature). I am sure in his prayer Jesus asked the
Father to give His disciples clarity on who He was- and they got it right. The church that is built
on this confession. Prayer gave Jesus clarity about what really matters.
ILLUSTRATE: Dogs do some things better than humans. For one thing, most dogs have a far
better sense of smell than we do, and there is a physical reason for that. The sinuses of humans
have about 6 million receptor cells that can sense the chemical odors afloat in the air. By
contrast, the average beagle has more than 300 million receptor cells in its snout—that's 50 times
more cells for smells. The dominant sense through which most humans perceive their world is
their eyesight, but the dominant sense through which dogs perceive their world is through their
nose. A human can walk down the sidewalk and perhaps perceive a faint aroma of flowers
upwind a few feet ahead. A dog walking the same sidewalk perceives as well the traces of every
dog or animal that has been in the area.
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Just as dogs and humans have different levels of ability to perceive smells, people have
differences in their ability to perceive other things. Some people hear much better than others.
Some people have greater ability to perceive emotions in others. Some have greater ability
intellectually to perceive ideas as they read.
APPLY: Most important of all, some people have greater ability to perceive things spiritually
and morally because they have devoted themselves to prayer and to learning from the Bible and
applying it to their lives and their world. How about you? (Craig Brian Larson, editor of
PreachingToday.com; source: Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and
Know (Scribner, 2009); as seen in "The Last Word," The Week (10-2-09), pp. 48-49)
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
What can we learn from Jesus practice of prayer before key events?
III.
Prayer helps us confirm our calling. (John 6:14-21, Luke 9:27-29). Two passages:
A. His walking on water and the boat immediately reaching its destination confirm Jesus’
authority over the laws of nature.
John 6:14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the
Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make
him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. 16 When evening came, his
disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for
Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was
blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they
saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said
to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and
immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
B. His transfiguration reveals the Kingdom of God (27) and the Fathers affirmation of the
person and message of Jesus.
Luke 9:28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and
went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed,
and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared
in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about
to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when
they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men
were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three
shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they
entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have
chosen; listen to him.” 36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The
disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.
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C. Prayer is an integral part of God’s confirmation of Jesus’ and our ministry.
Let’s face it. Sometimes we question our faith and those who are in ministry at a full time, part
time or volunteer level have serious reservations about our abilities, qualifications or calling.
When hard times come it is easy to abandon hope and wonder if we made the right decision to
serve God in this way. Most of us are not going to be able to walk on water or hear a voice form
the clouds for that affirmation. Yet the same God who affirmed to the disciples the nature and
mission of Jesus through these events is the same God that affirms to us who Jesus is and affirms
to us our calling to serve him. Prayer is part of that affirmation
ILLUSTRATE: Admiral William H. McRaven, a 36-year Navy SEAL veteran, gave the
commencement address to the Class of 2014 at the University of Texas in Austin. He titled his
talk "10 Lessons to Change the World." Here's one of his lessons to change the world:
Every day during training you were challenged with multiple physical events—long runs, long
swims, obstacle courses, hours of calisthenics—something designed to test your mettle. Every
event had standards—times you had to meet. If you failed to meet those standards your name
was posted on a list and at the end of the day those on the list were invited to—a "circus."
A circus was two hours of additional calisthenics—designed to wear you down, to break your
spirit, to force you to quit. No one wanted a circus. A circus meant that for that day you didn't
measure up. A circus meant more fatigue—and more fatigue meant that the following day would
be more difficult—and more circuses were likely.
But at some time during SEAL training, everyone—everyone—made the circus list. But an
interesting thing happened to those who were constantly on the list. Overtime those students—
who did two hours of extra calisthenics—got stronger and stronger. The pain of the circuses built
inner strength, built physical resiliency. Real Clear Politics (5-22-14 Admiral William H.
McRaven, "Admiral McRaven: 10 Lessons to Help Change the World,”)
APPLY: Life is filled with circuses. You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It
will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.
Prayer reminds us that it is not about us. It is about following the Fathers will and seeking His
approval. Prayer reminds us that it is not about our success or failure. It is about allowing God
to use us in spite of our own limitations and that we learn from both (the one affirms God’s
power and grace the other reveals over dependency on God. Prayer reminds us that God is in
control and when the hard times come we can draw strength from Him. Prayer reminds us that
we are not all knowing and sometimes we need to learn more and grow in understanding.
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
SAY WHAT YOU HAVE SAID: This morning we saw that Jesus placed such value on prayer
that He would prayer before and during key decisions and events in his life.
TIE INTO OPENING SENTENCE: Through my experience with my stepfather I saw that the
truth is somewhere outside of our emotions and we need to ground our sense of reality that on
something outside of ourselves. Prayer empowers us to do that.
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HAYMAKER: The Atlantic magazine asked a number of experts to weigh in on the following
question: "What was the worst business decision ever made?" Listen to what some of the experts
said:
"In the mid-1970s, a young engineer named Steve Sasson invented the world's first digital
camera. He secured a patent for it on behalf of his employer, then pitched his bosses on a new
business model based on the invention. They passed. Today, digital cameras are ubiquitous—and
Sasson's company, Kodak, is emerging from bankruptcy." (Daniel Pink).
"In 1983, Coca-Cola launched New Coke, a weapon in its losing market-share battle with Pepsi.
But consumers boycotted, and just three months later, Coke brought back Coca-Cola Classic. By
1986, Coke was back on top, and some alleged it was all a marketing scheme!" (Melissa Lee)
"McDonald's decision to sell Chipotle in 2006. What were they thinking? We know what they
weren't thinking: that Americans are losing faith in the food chain that McDonald's exploits and
instead want healthy fare." (Jim Cramer).
"Apple's firing of Steve Jobs in 1985 set the company back for a dozen years and drove it to
near-bankruptcy. Apple only saved itself by rehiring him in 1997, at which point he went on to
make Apple the most financially valuable—and influential—tech company in the world." (Walt
Mossberg, http://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2014/june/5061614.html ).
APPLY TO SPECIFIC AUDIENCE:
1. At times we display just as much foolishness in our spiritual lives. That's why we need to
pray for God's wisdom to help us avoid making impulsive, emotional based decisions.
2. Even excellent companies and smart people make big mistakes. We will too- sometimes even
when we have prayed- because while we can learn to make objective decisions we cannot
read the future.
3. These decisions pale in comparison to the worst decision anyone can make—rejecting Christ.
The prayer to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is the most important prayer, and decision, you
will ever make.
THEME: The believer should pray before life’s key events.
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