A Compassionate Call to Discipleship

(Luke 22:39-23:12)

One Simple Command! 

Prayer @ Work

 

James 5:16-20 “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and

for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain,

and the earth bore its fruit. 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings

him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death

and will cover a multitude of sins.

 

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (ESV) For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life

itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on

ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us

again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing

granted us through the prayers of many.

 

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV) For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that

according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner

being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have

strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ

that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more

abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ

Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

Galatians 5:16-17

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For

the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are

against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the

things you want to do.

Six Temptations to Avoid 

Prayer @ Work

Six Temptations to Avoid1. Judas’ (22:47-53)…To avoid loosing what he wants and

thinks he can get by his own efforts and plans

 

James 4:13-17 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what

tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All

such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to

do it, for him it is sin.

Six Temptations to Avoid1. Judas’ (22:47-53)…To avoid loosing what he wants and

thinks he can get by his own efforts and plans

2. Peter’s (22:54-62)….To avoid rejection by others

3. Jesus’ (22:63-67a)….To avoid physical suffering

4. The Religious leader’s (22:67b-71)…To avoid giving God control

5.  Pilate’s (23:1-5, 13-16)…To avoid taking a stand for our convictions

6. The Soldiers and King Herod’s (23:6-12)…To avoid taking God seriously 

Three Circles of Relationship

#1 He denies being an intimate friend of Jesus (V 57)

#2 He denies being connected with Jesus’ followers (V. 58)

#3 He denies being associated with anything Christian! (V. 59-60)

Six Temptations to Avoid1. Judas’ (22:47-53)…To avoid loosing what he wants and

thinks he can get by his own efforts and plans

2. Peter’s (22:54-62)….To avoid rejection by others

3. Jesus’ (22:63-67a)….To avoid physical suffering

4. The Religious leader’s (22:67b-71)…To avoid giving God control

5.  Pilate’s (23:1-5, 13-16)…To avoid taking a stand for our convictions

6. The Soldiers and King Herod’s (23:6-12)…To avoid taking God seriously 

1. Depend on God in prayer for the strength we will need- “He withdrew…knelt down and prayed…”

Jesus’ Model for not EnteringTemptation

2. Turn to God and seek fresh perspective and a new approach to the painful dilemmas we face- “If you are willing…..”

Jesus’ Model for not EnteringTemptation

 

Isaiah 51:17-20 Wake yourself, wake yourself, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his

wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl, the cup of staggering. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne; there is none to take her by the hand among

all the sons she has brought up. 19 These two things have happened to you— who will console you?— 1) devastation

and destruction, 2) famine and sword; who will comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted; they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the

LORD, the rebuke of your God.

 

 Jeremiah 25:15-19 Thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my

hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and

stagger and be crazed because of the sword that I am sending among them.” 17 So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it: 18 Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials, to make them a desolation and a waste, a hissing

and a curse…”

3. Commit to doing God’s will no matter what the outcome, opening up our heart to God with our intense fears and feelings- “being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Jesus’ Model for not EnteringTemptation

 

Romans 3:21-26 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart

from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are JUSTIFIED by his grace as a gift, through the REDEMPTION that is in Christ Jesus, 25

whom God put forward as a PROPITIATION by his blood, to be received by faith (Trust in God not oneself as the basis of new

life) . This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the

justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 

Matthew 7:21-22 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the

one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

 

Mark 3:35

For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

John 6:40

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and

believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

4. The Outcome: God will strengthen us to avoid the temptations and go through the trial successfully.- “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”

Jesus’ Model for Avoiding Temptation

 

Acts 5:1-4 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only

a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of

the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to

God.”

#1- NOT wait until it hits, the pressures on, and the sucking sound of sin’s vacuum is roaring in our ears.

How to Handle Temptation?

 

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted

when:• he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then• desire- when it has conceived- gives birth to sin,• and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

#1- NOT wait until it hits, the pressures on, and the sucking sound of sin’s vacuum is roaring in our ears.

#2 We must start well in advance of the temptation itself, and get our desires under control!

#3 That is only possible with the Holy Spirit’s help!

How to Handle Temptation?