Rooted in Prayer: God's Heart for the Lost
Summary
In today's message, we delved into the profound theme of prayer, specifically focusing on the heart of God for the lost as illustrated in John 17. This chapter offers a unique glimpse into the prayer life of Jesus, revealing His deep love for humanity and His desire for all to know the love of the Father. As we navigate through the winter season, both literally and metaphorically, it's crucial to send our roots deep into God's love, much like trees do in dry seasons, to prepare for the flourishing that comes with spring.
We explored the importance of praying for ourselves, the church, and the lost. Jesus' prayer in John 17 is not just a teaching on how to pray but an invitation to participate in His relationship with the Father. It emphasizes the necessity of praying for oneself, not out of selfishness, but as a recognition of our need for God's strength and guidance. Ignoring this need can be a sign of pride, as even Jesus, God in the flesh, prayed for Himself.
The message also highlighted the significance of praying for the church, both local and universal. The church is God's plan A for reaching the world, and our unity in love is a powerful testimony to the world of God's love. This unity is not about perfect agreement on all things but about loving each other as God loves us.
Finally, we focused on praying for the lost, those who do not yet know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. The lost are not just those struggling in life but also those who may appear successful yet are spiritually lost. Jesus' mission, as outlined in Matthew 28, is a co-mission, inviting us to join Him in making disciples of all nations. This mission is fueled not by our own strength but by the joy of the Lord and our identity as His children.
Key Takeaways:
- Rooted in God's Love: Just as trees grow by sending roots deep during dry seasons, we must root ourselves in God's love, especially in challenging times. This deep rooting prepares us for spiritual flourishing and aligns us with God's heart. [02:56]
- Praying for Ourselves: Jesus' example in John 17 shows the importance of praying for ourselves. It's not selfish but a recognition of our need for God's strength. Ignoring this need can be a sign of pride, as even Jesus prayed for Himself. [05:35]
- Unity in the Church: The church is God's plan A for reaching the world. Our unity in love is a powerful testimony to the world of God's love. This unity is not about perfect agreement but about loving each other as God loves us. [39:42]
- Heart for the Lost: Praying for the lost is crucial. The lost are not just those struggling in life but also those who may appear successful yet are spiritually lost. Jesus' mission is a co-mission, inviting us to join Him in making disciples. [49:24]
- Identity in Christ: Our primary identity is as children of God. This identity fuels our mission and ministry, even in difficult times. Our strength comes from knowing and receiving the joy of the Lord, not from our own efforts. [16:08]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:56] - Prayer and Introduction
[04:45] - Jesus' Heart for People
[05:35] - Importance of Praying for Ourselves
[07:40] - Understanding the Lost
[10:02] - God's Justice and Mercy
[11:19] - The Great Commission
[12:56] - The Role of the Church
[14:04] - Avoiding Performance Mentality
[16:08] - Strength in Identity
[21:19] - Jesus Prays for Believers
[24:34] - Primary Calling to Sonship
[29:10] - Receiving God's Delight
[33:15] - Eternal Calling as Children of God
[39:42] - Unity and the Church's Mission
[49:24] - Praying for the Lost
[54:31] - Conclusion and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 17
- Matthew 28:19-20
- Isaiah 53:6
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Observation Questions:
1. In John 17, how does Jesus demonstrate His love for humanity through His prayer? What specific desires does He express for His followers? [04:45]
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus praying for Himself in John 17, and how does this relate to our own prayer lives? [05:35]
3. How does the sermon describe the concept of being "lost," and what examples are given to illustrate this state? [07:40]
4. What role does the church play in God's plan for reaching the world, as discussed in the sermon? [39:42]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why is it important for believers to root themselves deeply in God's love, especially during challenging times, as illustrated by the metaphor of trees in winter? [02:56]
2. How does the sermon explain the relationship between our identity in Christ and our mission to make disciples? What is the source of our strength in this mission? [16:08]
3. What does the sermon suggest about the nature of unity within the church, and how does this unity serve as a testimony to the world? [39:42]
4. How does the sermon interpret Jesus' prayer for the lost in John 17, and what does it reveal about God's heart for those who do not yet know Him? [49:24]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own prayer life. How often do you pray for yourself, and do you view it as a necessity or a sign of pride? How can you incorporate more intentional prayers for yourself this week? [05:35]
2. Consider the metaphor of trees sending roots deep during dry seasons. What are some practical ways you can deepen your spiritual roots in God's love during difficult times? [02:56]
3. Think about the unity within your local church. How can you contribute to fostering a loving and unified community that reflects God's love to the world? [39:42]
4. Identify someone in your life who might be "lost" in the sense described in the sermon. What steps can you take to pray for them and share the love of Christ with them this week? [07:40]
5. Reflect on your identity in Christ as a child of God. How does this identity influence your daily actions and decisions? What specific changes can you make to align more closely with this identity? [16:08]
6. The sermon emphasizes the importance of the Great Commission. How can you actively participate in making disciples in your community? What specific actions can you take this week to engage with someone curious about faith? [11:19]
7. How can you ensure that your motivation for participating in church activities and outreach is rooted in love and not in a performance mentality? What changes might you need to make in your approach? [14:04]
Devotional
Day 1: Rooting Deep in God's Love
In times of spiritual dryness or challenge, it is essential to root ourselves deeply in God's love, much like trees send their roots deep during dry seasons. This deep rooting prepares us for spiritual flourishing and aligns us with God's heart. By immersing ourselves in His love, we are equipped to face life's challenges with resilience and hope. This process is not passive but requires intentionality in seeking God's presence and understanding His love for us. As we root ourselves in His love, we become more attuned to His desires and purposes for our lives, preparing us for the spiritual growth and renewal that comes with the metaphorical spring. [02:56]
Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Reflection: In what specific ways can you deepen your understanding and experience of God's love this week? Consider setting aside dedicated time each day to meditate on His love and how it impacts your life.
Day 2: The Necessity of Praying for Ourselves
Praying for ourselves is a vital aspect of our spiritual journey, as demonstrated by Jesus in John 17. It is not an act of selfishness but a humble acknowledgment of our need for God's strength and guidance. Ignoring this need can be a sign of pride, as even Jesus, who was God in the flesh, prayed for Himself. By praying for ourselves, we open our hearts to God's transformative work, allowing Him to shape us into the people He desires us to be. This practice helps us to remain grounded in our identity as His children and to draw upon His strength in times of need. [05:35]
Psalm 86:1-4 (ESV): "Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul."
Reflection: What specific areas of your life do you need to bring before God in prayer today? How can acknowledging your need for His strength and guidance transform your approach to these areas?
Day 3: Unity in the Church as a Testimony of Love
The unity of the church, both local and universal, is a powerful testimony to the world of God's love. This unity is not about perfect agreement on all things but about loving each other as God loves us. The church is God's plan A for reaching the world, and our unity in love serves as a beacon of hope and truth to those who do not yet know Him. By prioritizing love and unity within the church, we reflect the heart of God and His desire for all people to experience His love. This unity requires intentional effort and a commitment to loving others despite differences, demonstrating the transformative power of God's love in our lives. [39:42]
Colossians 3:12-14 (ESV): "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."
Reflection: How can you actively contribute to the unity and love within your church community this week? Consider reaching out to someone you may have differences with and seek to understand and love them as God does.
Day 4: Praying for the Lost with Jesus' Heart
Praying for the lost is a crucial aspect of our spiritual mission. The lost are not just those struggling in life but also those who may appear successful yet are spiritually lost. Jesus' mission, as outlined in Matthew 28, is a co-mission, inviting us to join Him in making disciples of all nations. This mission is fueled not by our own strength but by the joy of the Lord and our identity as His children. By praying for the lost, we align our hearts with Jesus' heart and participate in His redemptive work in the world. This practice requires a deep compassion for those who do not yet know Him and a commitment to intercede on their behalf. [49:24]
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
Reflection: Who in your life is spiritually lost and in need of prayer? How can you commit to praying for them regularly and seeking opportunities to share God's love with them?
Day 5: Embracing Our Identity in Christ
Our primary identity is as children of God, and this identity fuels our mission and ministry, even in difficult times. Our strength comes from knowing and receiving the joy of the Lord, not from our own efforts. By embracing our identity in Christ, we are empowered to live out our calling with confidence and purpose. This identity shapes how we view ourselves and others, influencing our actions and interactions. It is a source of strength and joy that sustains us through challenges and enables us to fulfill the mission God has entrusted to us. [16:08]
1 John 3:1-2 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."
Reflection: How does your identity as a child of God influence your daily life and decisions? What steps can you take to more fully embrace and live out this identity in your interactions with others?
Quotes
"And so I think one of the things that I want to do this morning is one, we're going to talk about prayer this morning. We're going to get into the heart of God in prayer and specifically the heart of God for the lost, praying for the lost as we continue through John 17. And I think it's going to be a really significant, well, reality check for us when we tap into God's heart. And I love that we, I kind of landed here right in the middle of winter because I think that oftentimes in winter, especially when people are just kind of feeling down a little bit, you know, you can kind of lose sight of God's heart. And it's often in these times, and we've talked about sending our roots deep into the love of God." [00:00:58] (48 seconds)
"And so we've been walking through this chapter in our series on prayer called Grasping the Heart of God. And so we've started a couple of weeks ago with verse one through five, where Jesus prays that the father would be glorified within him. Jesus, the son is praying for himself. God almighty in the flesh needs to pray for himself. How much more do we need to pray for ourselves? Right? And so we talked about why it's important to pray for yourself. How it's not a selfish or prideful thing to pray for yourself, or even to ask for prayer for yourself from others. In fact, to not do that or ignore that is actually a symptom of pride because you think you don't desperately need it." [00:05:35] (45 seconds)
"When I say lost, I'm not just talking about those who aren't, like, having an easy time in life. Like, oftentimes, I think when we talk about lost or we hear, man, that person is just lost, we think, well, they're just, they're struggling to succeed in life, right? Like, we think lost and we think, okay, just the, those who may be, you know, they're struggling to keep a job or they're dealing with addictions and they're just lost. And yes, often that is the case with people like that, but I'm not just talking about those. Who are struggling in this life. I'm talking about people who don't know Jesus as Savior and Lord." [00:07:40] (43 seconds)
"Because I'm going to tell you something, there are people that struggle through this life and deal with hardships and know Jesus intimately. And they're holding on to heaven with everything they've got and they're releasing their grip on this life. And in so many ways, they have something to teach us about a reliance upon the Lord, even in the midst of difficulty. And so here I'm talking about, when we talk about lost. I'm talking about people who may even have the appearance of godliness or even morality. I'm talking about people who may be extremely successful, well-respected even, but they stand under the full weight of their own sin." [00:08:01] (38 seconds)
"It's his commission to us. Matthew 28, verse 19. Go therefore, Jesus says, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, which means immersing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them. Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. That's why I love that it's not just a mission. It's a co-mission. You haven't just been sent out to do it by yourself. He says, I'm leading the way. Come join me in this. Amen?" [00:11:19] (35 seconds)
"Like, we hear this a lot, but man, you've got to receive this. You've got to let your roots go deep in this, man. Our real strength, listen, it's not fueled by digging deep to just grit it out. Our true strength comes from God. It comes from receiving the joy of the Lord in Christ. Our strength is the joy of the Lord. The true strength of a son on a mission is fueled by knowing and receiving the joy of his father in that mission. The co-mission, especially when laboring together in the harvest fields." [00:15:32] (41 seconds)
"You see, that's what fuels mission and ministry, even in the wilderness seasons, even in the temptations, because you're full and satisfied in him, his delight, his never-ending, unrelenting, unconditional, steadfast love and kindness. That was bought, purchased, and redeemed for you in Christ. So prayer, then, is how we receive it. Prayer, then, turns our toiling into a feast. Prayer says, come from the labor fields trying to earn your favor and join me at the table with your family in this feast, says the prodigal father to his old wife." [00:16:30] (44 seconds)
"Prayer's also gotta make you stronger and stronger. And that washing them of Vielephiles. The word will remind you that the Lord never doch a free man. Father pray to me, the strength of my Splime, in so stretched of your wrath. O Lord, come with me in Christ, gospel fruit and it's not like i'm gonna have fruit and it's like boop like we talked about that right you can't just manufacture this it's focusing on the love of god the fruit just happens in ways that you're not even aware of because he produces it in and through you and so this morning we're going to look here at christ's own prayer life as he prays for the lost and how he stokes his affections for the father and for those the father desires not because he has to not because it's a task-oriented religious slog but because the love of his father for the lost is coursing through his veins and jesus knows that love and he desires that all of us know it too that's his heart otherwise we're going to end up like an empty lamp stand with no oil and no flame having the appearance of godliness but denying its relational path so for the rest of our time this morning i want to tie this passage together the whole chapter john 17 we're going to tie it in by recapping where we've been and then letting that overflow into our focus for this morning which is grasping the heart of god in prayer for the lost this isn't a disjointed section of the chapter it's all flowing out of what jesus has been praying and we've been reviewing for the past few weeks and so as we walk through this passage i've got three things that we're going to talk about and then we're going to also act as sort of a recap on the series and then tie it all together here in praying for the lost and tapping into his desire so three points number one pray for yourself right your primary calling is not the great commission your primary calling is to receive your sonship in christ number two pray for the church plant a in the world is the local church and then number three pray for the lost you advocate for what you love you advocate for what you love so if you don't love the lost the question i would have for you and not a shaming question but a real like take an inventory of your soul if you don't love the lost my question then for you is do you love the lord really like maybe even come to connection with us not like i've said before you know like you're not born a good person you're not I'm not trying to get you to question your salvation but my question is, if you don't love the Lord, then even do you believe he loves you?" [00:17:05] (176 seconds)
"Like even when you were yet a lost sinner in your sin, he loved you to the point of sinning Christ to die for you. You tap into that and he'll overflow through you like a faucet turned all the way up to this world. And that's what this prayer is about. So here's what I want you to get. If you get nothing else, this is what I want you to get. When you tap into God's heart for the lost in prayer, you'll overflow with God's heart to the lost with your life. When you tap into God's heart for the lost in prayer, you'll overflow with God's heart to the lost with your life. Even taking personal risks to bring Jesus into every relationship you have like a tree with roots deep in the love of God growing wide for the mission of God, all for the glory of God." [00:20:22] (53 seconds)
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