When is the last time you recall having a specific prayer answered? Wasn’t it a thrill to know that you were heard and Jesus answered? I’d like you to think a little backwards with me for a minute. Would you be interested in answering Jesus’ prayer if it were possible?
In John 17, just before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion we find His longest recorded prayer. Believe it or not God has put it in your power to help answer Jesus' prayer! It contains His supreme desire for His church. (Remember, that’s you and me!).
Last week I had the privilege of sharing our church’s new mission statement that was crafted by a committee of a broad age range of our members, from youth through older adults, and was accepted and approved by our church board. However, the most important vote is yours. Will you embrace this mission statement as yours? “To know Jesus, be one in Him and make Him known.” Those three phrases summarize the major themes of Christ’s prayer.
While it is true that we can accomplish nothing of ourselves in answering Christ’s prayer I hope you will carefully consider the following: “Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the human race without the cooperation of the human with the divine. The part man is required to sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of God it is just that part that is needed to make the work a success.” --God’s Amazing Grace p. 319
God needs you. Does that sound strange? Does that seem to threaten His sovereignty? It doesn’t. The sovereign One Himself chose to operate His universe in this way. That thought is the doorway to introduce our new church vision statement: “Every member spreading the transformative message of Jesus' unfailing love.” I will expand on this theme more next week but in closing I want to ask you; will you choose to do your part in answering the prayer of Christ though it is “immeasurably small”?
Pastor Mike
