LOOKING AT OUR GETHSEMANE

Sermon Notes, March 12, 2017

Special Speaker Ricky Hoosier

            Pastor Garry and Beccy attended the District Minister's Retreat in Charlottesville on Sunday, and Ricky Hoosier was our special speaker.  His sermon was titled "Looking At Our Gethsemane."  His scripture references were Luke 22:39-46 and Matthew 26:36-46.

            After the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples that His time was short, and He needed to pray. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, asking the Father to "take this cup" from Him, and telling Him He was willing to do His will.  He found His place, and was willing to pay the price.  

            Think of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem that would come in a few days.  He sees the Mount of Olives.  He sees where He is going to be sacrificed.

           Gethsemane is defined as a place in an olive grove where oil is pressed.  Jesus has taken His disciples to things that will change their lives forever.  A place that will press out things needed for life.  A place to empty themselves, where they can give it all to God.  Luke says He went "as usual" to the Mount of Olives, taking Peter, James and John with him.  He told them to pray that they would not fall into temptation.  Matthew says He told them to sit there and keep watch and to pray while he goes a little further to  pray. 

           We need to go a little deeper, as the three closest disciples did, to a place where we're not pressed by time, or distracted by TV or traffic or work, and get alone with God where nothing distracts.  We can take an example from the movie War Room.  The lady in that movie had a closet where she could go and pour out her heart to God.  She had pictures that reminded her of what she was praying for, and God's answers, and there were no distractions.  God answered her prayers, and she praised Him.

           In Luke, verse 41 Jesus says "Not my will, but yours."  In Matthew v. 39 says "Not as I will, but as you will."  We need to go a little further, as Jesus did.

           Prayer needs to be more than just Now-I-lay-me-down-to-sleep at bedtime.  More than just the Lord's Prayer, spoken by memory.  It's supposed to be a pattern for going deeper.  Because of the Holy Spirit, we can go deeper.  We need to find that place  and pay the price.

           Luke, in v. 43, says an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him.  He sweat drops of blood.  Then when He went back to His disciples they were asleep.  Christ found a place, and He paid the price, not just physically but spiritually.  He was facing the cross, realizing that His Father could not look at sin.  But Jesus can pay the price--to save the world from sin.

           How deep have we gone in our prayer lives?  Find a place to pour out our hearts to God.  Jesus didn't want to go where he wouldn't find God's support or communion with Him.  But He did it, for us.

Find a place.  Pay the price.  You'll find the peace of God.