Latest / Mount Eaton Church / Jesus' Prayer part 3 - John 17

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Jesus' Prayer part 3 - John 17 · Mount Eaton Church

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Good morning and happy New Year family.
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Turn to John 17 if you would.
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It has been truly an amazing year so far and I am just so thankful for God's faithfulness
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to us.
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We as a family have gone through quite a bit in growth and still more things to come.
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I will tell you we are excited about the business meeting coming up and I will tell you the
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Constitution team is working diligently to work through that document and everything
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in that document will be supported with the scripture.
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So I think you are going to be very pleased with it, the diligence and the work that we
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have been putting in.
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So be prayerful about that, it has to be biblical, it has to be consistent with God's word.
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It will not supersede the word of God but it will absolutely support the word of God
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and help us to govern as a church the way the word says we should.
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In addition to that we have gone through six weeks on prayer and we are finally at the
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end and I will tell you I really enjoyed this message and really enjoyed just reading through
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and studying this.
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I hope that when it is all said and done you will walk away with a deeper understanding
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of prayer and the importance of it.
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So let's pray and let's jump in.
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Father I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.
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Thank you Lord for your word.
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To you be honor and glory forever, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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Lord you have given us and have prayed for us all that we need and Lord I pray that as
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we walk through the ending of this prayer that we get the importance of what you are
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saying through it.
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There is a common theme, a heartbeat of this prayer and it reveals your heart for your
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people and it reveals the heart of your purpose.
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And Lord we praise you and we thank you in Jesus name, Amen.
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Alright so we are going to go through a little bit just to kind of refresh you since we have
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been off this for a little bit two weeks now.
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The doctrine of prayer is a means of grace offered according to the will of God expressed
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in accordance with his word.
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Prayer is the language of the soul and opening of our hearts before God, John Calvin.
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Prayer reveals our hearts.
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Prayer is about aligning ourselves with God's will, Matthew 26, 36.
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Ukamai is the word used, cross meaning to come near or to come before, ukamai means
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to pray or to will.
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Praying is not an isolated spirit of exercise as if we pray and we live in two different
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components.
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The truth of the matter is we live as we pray and we pray as we live, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson.
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As I've said previously that this prayer in chapter 17 is broken up into three divisions.
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It's divided into three parts.
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The first part of the prayer, chapter 17, one through five, Jesus prays for his glory
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and the glory of the father.
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These five verses are about the dox adzo, to make, renown, render illustrious, to cause
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the dignity or work of a person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged, specifically
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to dox adzo of the Godhead.
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In John 17, six through nine, Jesus prayed for the disciples who were given the task
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to continue the ministry of reconciliation.
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He prays that they will dox adzo him, which in turn dox adzos the father, that they will
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make him renown through the gospel and that they will continue in the word and deed of
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the gospel.
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And that is verses eight, 14 through 19.
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In John 17, 20 through 26, Jesus prays for the believers all to come after the disciples,
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which we are among them.
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The same promises given to those who walk with him are ours also.
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The same dox adzo that Christ prays for himself, the father, the disciples, and all those after,
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for all of you and for those to come is your dox adzo.
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Christ is made renowned through our lives and as a result, we bring him glory as he
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glories in us.
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So I want us to oversee this little bit of John 17, 13 through 19 so we can kind of understand
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why he says what he says in 23, 26.
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So verse 13 says, but now I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world that
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they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
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I have given them your word and the world has hated them.
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The world has pursued them with hatred and the world detests them.
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And the same hatred and the test that the world had for the disciples, the world has
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for me.
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Now this word that's coming up, I want you to pay attention to it.
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It says, because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world.
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Pretty simple.
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This is not your home.
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This is your journey.
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Then he says in verse 15 with an absolute negative, I do not ask that you take them
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out of the world, but that you keep, that you tend carefully, that you guard, that you
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shepherd them, he's talking to the father, from evil.
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That's the translation there.
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Translation, van Eras is not evil one.
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There are a couple commentaries that say based on a, I think historical, based on some references
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to the evil one and how they use the word evil, that some of the commentaries would
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say that it's talking about Satan, the evil one.
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The problem is it doesn't fit the context of the prayer.
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In all of the prayer, he says we're not of the world just as he's not of the world.
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The world hates us, the world detests us, and then all of a sudden he just out of the
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blue says keep them from the evil one.
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That's not, that makes no contextual sense whatsoever.
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But there are some translations in and some of the other commentaries that say it's actually
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evil, which makes sense because when you read the Lord's prayer, it means the same thing,
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that he would keep us from hardship and harassment and trouble and perils of faith.
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So that's where it is, keep them from evil, not keep them from the evil one.
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How do we know that?
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Because not only does he say we're not of the world, then turns around in the very next
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statement after he says keep them from evil, they are not of the world just as I am not
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of the world.
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So context clearly states that this is evil, not Satan.
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Sanctify them in the truth, the word is truth, which is interesting and supports my idea
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continually in this idea of it being evil.
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Why?
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Because the only way to overcome harassment and hardships and trouble and perils of faith
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is to be in the truth.
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Verse 18, as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world and for their
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sake I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth.
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The only way to go into the world with confidence is to know that God has your back.
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So as we move into the last part of this wonderful, beautiful prayer, you kind of understand why
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he says this for those to come.
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This is that part where he's praying for those after the disciples, for us and for those
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to still come.
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First principle number one, the electing work of Christ is for the gospel alone.
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I want you to get this very important statement.
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The election, the doctrine of election, there is no gospel.
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You're like, well, that's a definitive statement.
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It is.
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Because the whole point of grace is to give unto a person something they do not deserve
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nor can they earn.
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Has nothing to do with your ability or your thought or your brain or your free will.
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It has everything to do with God and God alone.
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But the work of the gospel of Christ concerning the electing work of God, it's for the gospel.
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It makes the gospel sure.
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Jesus prays for his own so that the world may know that he alone is the savior of his
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people.
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John 17, 23, 21 says this, I do not ask for these only, meaning the disciples, but for
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those who will believe in me through their word.
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How do we know that?
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For faith comes from hearing and hearing that of the word of Christ.
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That's what this means.
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That the gospel being preached will bring the gift of faith to the heart of the elect.
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Now verse 21 says that they may all be one just as you, Father, or in me and I in you.
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And they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you sent me.
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So there it is.
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The electing work of God is a direct result of the gospel alone.
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So I think you're going to start to see the theme here.
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What's interesting about verse 20 says I do not ask for these alone, but for those who
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will believe.
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I like to clarify by taking out a definitive statement and showing you another definitive
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statement within this.
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I do ask for those who will believe in me through their word.
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So not only does he not ask for the disciples only, but he specifically asks for you.
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Interesting.
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Verse 22 and 23.
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Principle number two, Jesus prays for our conformity in him and our unity of faith.
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He prays for our conformity in him and our unity of faith.
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Just as Jesus and the Father are perfectly united, he prays that we too will be united
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together in him, in his glory for the gospel.
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How do you see all that?
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Here it is.
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Verse 22.
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The glory that you have given me, I have given to them that they may be one even as we are
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one.
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First thing you need to notice here, this word glory is daksa.
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It's the root word for daksa, but this word is daksa.
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This word daksa literally means perfect inward or personal excellency of Christ.
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The perfect excellency of Christ or the personal excellency of Christ.
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The majesty of Christ.
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Now let's read that a little differently so we can kind of understand what he's talking
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about here.
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Because ultimately what we do know is that he has predestined us before the foundation
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of the world to be conformed into the image of his son.
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That's the whole point.
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That's why he's praying this.
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That the daksa of Christ will be in us because he is actually the glory that you have given
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me, the personal excellency, the perfect inward excellency, the majesty that I have that has
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been given to me, I give to them.
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That they may be one even as we are one.
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That the whole point of the glory of Christ in us is so that we would be united together
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with him according to his word and his gospel.
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Here we go.
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That they may be one as we are one.
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I in them and you in me.
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I want you to hear this, that they may become perfectly one.
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I in them and you in me.
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What scripture is this?
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What doctrine is this?
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This doctrine is called eternal security.
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That if we are in Christ, in Christ as in the Father, there is nothing that can separate
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us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
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Neither death nor life nor anything else.
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No angel nor demon.
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We are in Christ forever.
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And Christ says not only are you in me but you are in the Father which I am in because
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you are in me, I am in him.
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That's like a double lockdown.
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I mean it's kind of hard to get rid of that isn't it?
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So why do we avoid this issue of eternal security?
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This is not a statement of once say, no he said.
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This is a statement of once truly converted, you will stay converted and you are his forever.
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There is a difference between once say, no he said.
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It's a Baptist statement, how do you know?
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Because I was a Baptist.
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Where I got ordained.
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And then God taught truth.
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There it is.
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So I in them and you in me.
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And they may become perfectly one.
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How in the world can God's people be perfectly one when they can't even agree on anything
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now?
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Well here's the answer.
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This is what causes us to be perfectly one as he and the Father are one.
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So that the world may know that you sent me and love them even as you love me.
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What's that called?
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The Gospel.
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You wonder why the church today is not united?
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Why we're not one?
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We can't even agree on the simple reality of the Gospel.
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That the God of all creation put on flesh, died on the cross, was buried and rose again
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on the third day.
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No, we got a message of say this prayer, welcome to the family.
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We can't agree on anything.
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To be honest with you, I listened to a message.
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You know how to say something.
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I listened to a message this week and the Gospel was narrowed down as a hallmark meeting.
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Like if it was a romance.
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I'm like are we serious?
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Have we really lost the point of Christ?
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The God who created you and died on the cross is not a romance.
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It's not a hallmark meeting.
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I mean, let me get off the sofa.
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Oh boy.
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We wonder why we can't be united.
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We can't be united because we can't unite on one thing.
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The importance of the Gospel which is the most important thing.
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Because you know why?
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We're not being conformed into the image of Christ.
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We're trying to make the church in the image what we want it to be.
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We're conforming the church into their own image.
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One of the reasons why I'm so thankful for the men that we serve with, that I serve with.
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As believers, brothers, for the Gospel.
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Christ paid for his church, not my church, it's his church.
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Principle number three.
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Jesus prays that his people will be with him where he is.
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Let not your hearts be troubled.
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Believe in God.
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Believe also in me.
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In my Father's house are many rooms.
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If we're not so, I would have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.
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And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself
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that where I am, you may be also.
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John 14, one through three.
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Listen to this statement.
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In one verse, Jesus in one statement in his prayer summarizes everything that I just read.
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Where I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am.
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To see my glory that you have given me because you love me before the foundation of the world.
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Man, that's literally one verse, one statement, and what do we get?
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A whole mess of doctrine.
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The doctrine of election, the doctrine of eternal security, the doctrine of the perseverance
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of the saints, the doctrine of sanctification, the doctrine of the second return of Christ
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or the coming of Christ.
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Sorry.
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The second coming of Christ.
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Oh my goodness.
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So much here in this one little verse.
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This word desire, first of all, I want to clarify here.
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Thilo or thilo, this word is not desire as you guys would think desire to be.
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This is not something like I desire.
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This word desire literally means to be resolved, determined, or to purpose.
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Now father, I resolve, determine, and purpose that they, meaning us, whom you have given
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me, meaning he gave us to him, not that you gave yourself to Jesus.
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Maybe with me where I am, that where he is, that we will go also.
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Why?
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So that we may see his glory, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me
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before the foundation of the world.
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What an amazing statement.
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Can you see all those doctors that I just mentioned in one statement?
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That his resolve, his determination, he has determined, he has purpose that we will be
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with him.
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Wow.
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It reminds me of Bible verse in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 concerning our gathering together
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to him and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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I know you, I have no need to write you.
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No, the resistance is a guarantee.
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Father, I have no need to write you.
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Father, I have no need to write you.
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Know the love of the great God and King, John 17, 25, 26.
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Where means father.
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I'm so scared to say it.
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It's going to ruin it.
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Dekias.
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Dekias.
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I think that's how you say it.
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Dekias.
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I'm hoping I said it right, Lord, please forgive me if I didn't because it totally lost my
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brain and I can't even remember how to say it.
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It's so terrible.
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Okay, this word literally means, oh, righteous father, the father who is the perfect judge.
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So this word, Dekias, means perfect judge, passing just judgment on all.
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Now when you see, when you read this, oh, righteous father, what it means is the father
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who judges rightly.
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Now think about that because right after that statement, he says, even though the world
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does not know you, I know you.
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And these know that you have sent me.
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You are the one who judges perfectly.
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Even though the world has rejected you, doesn't know you, doesn't want you.
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You in your righteous judgment have given me people that do know you.
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Why?
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Because these know that you sent me.
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Who?
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Us.
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How do we know?
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How do we know that Christ was sent?
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How do we know the father?
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How has Jesus made the father known to us through the gospel?
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Here it is, verse 26.
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I made known to them your name and will continue to make it known.
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Isn't that interesting?
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How is Christ going to make the father's name known and continue to make the father's name
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known through the work of the gospel?
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Look at this word, the word that.
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This word that means intent or the purpose of or the result of.
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How does he make the name of God known?
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Through the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in you.
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The gospel here.
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What's the theme here?
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What is the common theme of the end of this amazing prayer?
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His final declaration is that the world may believe, verse 21, that the world may know,
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verse 23, that I made your name known and that I will continue to make it known, verse
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26.
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For the gospel is why he prayed.
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For the gospel is for and to whom he prayed.
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For the gospel is what he prayed.
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His prayer of where he is and others and where we are going is a direct result of the gospel.
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How he prayed was for the gospel.
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The whole purpose of his prayer is not only to declare all the things that he just finished
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teaching them from chapter 13 all the way to 16.
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But to declare his purpose for them, the gospel.
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There is no other purpose for the church.
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That is her purpose.
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That is your purpose individually.
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So let me clarify what I read to you earlier.
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Prayer is a means of grace offered according to the will of God expressed in accordance
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with his word.
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Prayer was the language of his soul, an opening of his heart before the Father.
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Prayer reveals his heart or revealed his heart.
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Prayer was about aligning himself with the Father's will.
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Cross bukhumi to come near and to pray according to the will of the Father was his purpose.
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Prayer is not an isolated spiritual exercise as if we pray or we live in two different
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components.
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The truth of the matter is we live as we pray and we pray as we live.
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Jesus did pray as he lived and lived as he prayed.
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Wonder why we struggle with our prayer life.
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We made prayer out to be a ritual instead of a moment of worship and aligning ourselves.
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It's one thing to go and pray and just say things because we feel like we have to.
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It's another to come before our holy God and go, Lord, I just want to be in line with you.
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I want to know you and your will according to your word.
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I want the words that I speak be according to your word, not what I want, what you want.
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Prayer is so very important.
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What do we remember out of all this past six weeks?
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That when we look at the model of prayer, we see Jesus' model even in John 17, except
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for one part.
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He gave us in the model that's just for you and I.
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Let me explain it to you.
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Exultation in prayer, praise, verse one through five, surrender.
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The I am in you and you are in me.
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The kingdom comes is the idea.
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Ask, he prayed for his disciples and prayed for you.
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He calls us to repent.
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Jesus didn't need to repent.
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So when you read the Lord's prayer, it's not really the Lord repenting.
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This is God's model prayer.
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It's the only thing in this particular prayer that is for you and you alone because you
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cannot align your will with God's will until you deal with the issue of your sin.
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Petition.
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We would be kept guarded from evil.
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Petition.
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Lastly, it's all according to your name.
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God is exalted and praised.
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There is that beautiful little model that Jesus did in every prayer.
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Very simple way to pray.
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So I pray that you have enjoyed this series of prayer that you will commit to aligning
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your will and your heart according to his word.
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I know that if you do, you will be blessed.
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Last statement.
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Jesus prayed.
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Jesus did pray as he lived and lived as he prayed.
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Father, I want to thank you so much for your favor for this.
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Thank you Lord for your word.
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Thank you for your goodness.
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Thank you that you are the God of all creation and there is none like you.
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Thank you for these amazing doctrines.
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The truth that is saturated through your prayer.
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The beauty of your prayer for your people.
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Not only the disciples, but for the people who work to come and even for those who are
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going to come after us.
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Help us Lord to walk intimately in your word.
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Be consistent in prayer and to honor you in all things in Jesus name.