Hi, I'm Pastor Floyd Bresee and I've been 00:00:28.23\00:00:34.66 thinking, it seems to me that there be 00:00:34.76\00:00:37.33 a lot more Christians. If Christians were 00:00:37.34\00:00:40.63 a lot more Christ like, let's pray about it. 00:00:40.64\00:00:44.56 Loving Lord, I pray that as we spend 00:00:47.63\00:00:52.30 this time together, you will help us 00:00:52.31\00:00:56.13 to learn something that will assist us in 00:00:56.14\00:01:00.90 becoming truly more Christ like Christians 00:01:00.91\00:01:04.53 we pray, in Jesus name. Amen. 00:01:04.54\00:01:09.70 Our focus today will be on Gethsemane, 00:01:09.71\00:01:13.83 the Garden of Gethsemane. Let's leave 00:01:13.84\00:01:17.40 our Bibles open, to Mark and the 00:01:17.41\00:01:20.26 14th chapter. I'll be using the New 00:01:20.27\00:01:23.06 International Version. Do you ever stop 00:01:23.07\00:01:25.80 to think that the two biggest battles 00:01:25.81\00:01:28.06 of history were fought in gardens. 00:01:28.07\00:01:30.63 The Garden of Eden, where Adam lost 00:01:31.43\00:01:34.26 eternal life and the Garden of Gethsemane, 00:01:34.27\00:01:37.36 where Jesus won it back. We could never 00:01:37.37\00:01:41.96 emphasis Calvary too much, but I think we 00:01:41.97\00:01:46.33 do emphasis Gethsemane too little. 00:01:46.34\00:01:49.13 Salvation was not settled at Calvary, 00:01:50.00\00:01:53.26 but Gethsemane. It was implemented at 00:01:53.27\00:01:56.83 Calvary, but the battle was fought and 00:01:56.84\00:01:58.90 the victory was gained in Gethsemane. 00:01:58.91\00:02:01.06 Now, actually all of us face Gethsemanes 00:02:02.83\00:02:08.06 all our lives. And Gethsemane is when 00:02:08.07\00:02:11.90 like Jesus, we have to do what we don't 00:02:11.91\00:02:14.60 want to do. Occasionally, we 00:02:14.61\00:02:18.43 face big Gethsemanes maybe a sever 00:02:18.44\00:02:21.80 illness or a death, our own or a 00:02:21.81\00:02:25.60 loved one, rejection by a loved one 00:02:25.61\00:02:28.66 or someone you don't want to forgive 00:02:28.67\00:02:30.96 when you know you ought to, 00:02:30.97\00:02:32.36 you know you're supposed to, be 00:02:32.37\00:02:33.83 a Christian you must. Gethsemane 00:02:33.84\00:02:37.73 as when we don't want to do what 00:02:37.74\00:02:40.73 we have to do, now there are also 00:02:40.74\00:02:45.40 continuously little Gethsemanes, maybe 00:02:46.26\00:02:49.80 they don't hardly deserve the term, but 00:02:49.81\00:02:52.50 when we're young doing homework, 00:02:52.51\00:02:54.90 that's our little Gethsemane or as 00:02:54.91\00:02:57.00 we get older going to work in the morning, 00:02:57.01\00:02:58.93 that's the Gethsemane, or having to feed 00:02:58.94\00:03:00.80 the baby in the middle of the night or cook 00:03:00.81\00:03:02.73 another meal. My wonderful wife goes 00:03:02.74\00:03:07.76 through a little Gethsemane every time 00:03:07.77\00:03:09.53 she has to do the ironing, she hates it 00:03:09.54\00:03:12.23 but she feels she has to do it. 00:03:12.24\00:03:14.23 Gethsemane is something that you have 00:03:14.24\00:03:18.16 to do, that you don't really want to 00:03:18.17\00:03:21.66 do. Now, what do we do when we have 00:03:21.67\00:03:25.66 to do what we don't want to do? 00:03:25.67\00:03:28.06 Oh! As Christians of course we want to 00:03:28.60\00:03:31.03 do what Jesus did. Our lesson today, 00:03:31.04\00:03:34.33 Jesus succeeded in His Gethsemane 00:03:34.34\00:03:37.43 and you can succeed in yours. In Gethsemane, 00:03:37.44\00:03:41.76 Jesus faced what you maybe facing, 00:03:41.93\00:03:45.13 who knows how often, but the same stresses 00:03:46.60\00:03:51.80 that come to us came to Jesus. 00:03:51.81\00:03:55.40 Maybe you had a hard week, too much 00:03:56.66\00:04:00.26 to do, too little time, and you come 00:04:00.27\00:04:03.90 today all stressed out, listen Jesus has 00:04:03.91\00:04:08.20 been there and done that, Mark the 00:04:08.21\00:04:10.73 14th chapter, notice verses 32 and 33. 00:04:10.74\00:04:15.40 They went to the place called Gethsemane, 00:04:15.41\00:04:17.96 and Jesus said to his disciples, 00:04:18.56\00:04:20.86 "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, 00:04:20.87\00:04:24.40 James and John along with Him, and He 00:04:24.41\00:04:26.76 began to be deeply distressed and 00:04:26.77\00:04:30.70 troubled. There is our word, deeply 00:04:30.71\00:04:32.80 distressed and troubled. Jesus had 00:04:32.81\00:04:37.30 had a hard week, no wonder He was 00:04:37.31\00:04:39.50 distressed. He had led a prayed back 00:04:39.51\00:04:41.26 on Sunday, He had driven the money 00:04:41.27\00:04:43.80 changers out of the temple, He had 00:04:43.81\00:04:45.13 been teaching his followers all week long. 00:04:45.14\00:04:47.10 He debating His detractors. 00:04:47.11\00:04:49.46 He just come from a huge personnel 00:04:50.43\00:04:53.00 problem in the upper room, especially 00:04:53.01\00:04:54.90 with Peter and with Judas, and tonight 00:04:54.91\00:04:57.76 he was going to be betrayed by a former 00:04:57.77\00:05:00.06 friend. This night he would be whipped, 00:05:00.07\00:05:03.23 tomorrow he would die. And Jesus knew 00:05:03.24\00:05:07.06 what stress was. William Barkley 00:05:07.07\00:05:10.50 estimates that 250,000 lambs were slain at 00:05:10.51\00:05:14.93 every Passover time. this was Passover time, 00:05:14.94\00:05:17.60 and as Jesus walked across Brook Kidron, 00:05:17.61\00:05:21.13 in order to get into the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:05:21.14\00:05:23.96 He crossed the Brook which was actually 00:05:23.97\00:05:26.96 the temples of drainage ditch, and as 00:05:26.97\00:05:30.76 he stepped across this blood tainted, 00:05:30.77\00:05:34.50 polluted brook, he must have been reminded 00:05:34.51\00:05:37.76 of the sacrifice of his own blood and how 00:05:37.77\00:05:41.10 imminent that sacrifice was. Now, you maybe 00:05:41.11\00:05:46.23 facing not only the Gethsemane of stress, 00:05:46.24\00:05:49.06 not only as Jesus been there done that, 00:05:49.07\00:05:51.03 but how about the Gethsemane of 00:05:51.04\00:05:52.63 discouragement? Depression? There is some 00:05:52.64\00:05:56.56 problem that's burdening you too much, 00:05:56.57\00:05:59.16 listen Jesus has been there, done that. 00:05:59.17\00:06:03.43 He has also experienced the same kind of 00:06:03.44\00:06:07.36 Gethsemanes as you do, notice in verse 36 00:06:07.37\00:06:11.10 of Mark and the 14th chapter, verse 36 says, 00:06:11.11\00:06:17.20 Abba Father, Jesus speaking, every thing is 00:06:17.21\00:06:21.06 possible for you, take this cup from me. 00:06:21.07\00:06:25.66 Take this cup from me. What was so terrible 00:06:25.67\00:06:30.40 about the cup, what was it that was 00:06:30.41\00:06:32.43 in the cup, in the cup were your sins, 00:06:32.44\00:06:36.33 and he hated them, because they hurt you, 00:06:36.34\00:06:40.00 but he couldn't confess them. His situation 00:06:40.01\00:06:43.73 was totally different from what ours ever is, 00:06:43.74\00:06:46.50 he couldn't confess because they were not 00:06:46.51\00:06:49.03 his sins. He could not confess your sins, 00:06:49.04\00:06:51.90 he could die for them. 00:06:51.91\00:06:53.33 He suffered separation from the Father, God 00:06:55.36\00:06:59.33 and sin cannot co-exist. I don't know 00:06:59.34\00:07:03.16 where you stand today but please if you're 00:07:03.17\00:07:05.83 separated from the Father don't take 00:07:05.84\00:07:07.70 it lightly, it nearly killed Jesus. 00:07:07.71\00:07:10.83 And so if you are facing the Gethsemane 00:07:11.73\00:07:14.06 of discouragement, remember Jesus has 00:07:14.07\00:07:16.46 been there and done that. You may be 00:07:16.47\00:07:19.70 facing the Gethsemane of neglect. 00:07:19.71\00:07:22.16 The most painful disease in the world 00:07:23.43\00:07:26.03 is not cancer or Aids, but his feeling is 00:07:26.04\00:07:29.70 uncared for, unwanted, deserted, alone. 00:07:29.71\00:07:36.63 Ah! Jesus has been there and done that. 00:07:36.96\00:07:40.80 Let's pick it up with verse 37, Then He 00:07:40.81\00:07:45.13 returned to his disciples and found 00:07:45.14\00:07:47.20 them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, 00:07:47.21\00:07:49.83 "Are you asleep? Could you not keep 00:07:49.84\00:07:51.86 watch for one hour? Watch and pray so 00:07:51.87\00:07:55.93 that you will not fall in to temptation, 00:07:55.94\00:07:57.86 the spirit is willing but the body is weak." 00:07:58.70\00:08:01.66 Once more He went away and prayed 00:08:01.67\00:08:03.70 the same thing when he came back 00:08:03.71\00:08:05.16 he again found them sleeping because 00:08:05.17\00:08:06.90 their eyes were heavy. They did not know 00:08:06.91\00:08:09.70 what to say to him? Retuning the third time, 00:08:09.71\00:08:12.56 he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and 00:08:12.57\00:08:15.13 resting? Enough! The hour has come. 00:08:15.14\00:08:18.06 Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into 00:08:18.07\00:08:21.13 the hands of sinners." Jesus craved 00:08:21.14\00:08:27.33 companionship. He needed support, three 00:08:27.34\00:08:31.36 times He sought, three times it was neglect 00:08:31.37\00:08:36.63 that He received in return. How often 00:08:36.64\00:08:40.06 He comforted His disciples, yet they 00:08:40.07\00:08:42.16 totally failed to comfort Him. Those of 00:08:42.17\00:08:45.46 you who are aging parents may understand 00:08:45.47\00:08:47.80 the feelings of Jesus at this moment. 00:08:47.81\00:08:49.76 How often you have comforted your child, 00:08:50.73\00:08:54.23 but sometimes perhaps your children neglect 00:08:54.24\00:08:58.23 to comfort you. And so you maybe 00:08:58.24\00:09:01.13 facing the Gethsemane of neglect, you maybe 00:09:01.14\00:09:04.46 facing the Gethsemaneof failure. 00:09:04.47\00:09:07.53 My worst failure was setting my parents 00:09:08.40\00:09:11.00 house on fire? My older brother and I were 00:09:11.01\00:09:14.73 working in a box factory and the folks 00:09:14.74\00:09:16.70 went on a trip, and we couldn't go and so 00:09:16.71\00:09:19.66 we got up in the morning we're going to 00:09:19.67\00:09:21.00 have a good hot breakfast and we put 00:09:21.01\00:09:23.90 the paper in the stove and the kindling 00:09:23.91\00:09:25.93 in the stove, and it didn't start and 00:09:25.94\00:09:27.93 we put more paper in the stove and more 00:09:27.94\00:09:29.93 kindling in the stove, and it still wouldn't 00:09:29.96\00:09:31.70 started and finally we gave up, 00:09:31.71\00:09:33.06 we had cold cereal and went off to work, 00:09:33.07\00:09:35.30 but an hour and half later the boss came, 00:09:37.73\00:09:43.10 rush home, your house is on fire, that 00:09:43.11\00:09:46.90 kitchen stove had finally ignited and the 00:09:46.91\00:09:49.93 stove pipe that went up through the kitchen 00:09:49.94\00:09:52.63 started the wall, and the wall paper on 00:09:52.64\00:09:55.23 fire and went up and started the attic 00:09:55.24\00:09:56.76 on fire, and the fire men were all there, 00:09:56.77\00:09:59.86 and they were cutting through the roof, 00:09:59.87\00:10:02.00 and pouring water in. Oh! What a mess, 00:10:02.01\00:10:04.86 and every thing finally got down to 00:10:04.87\00:10:07.90 the main floor, and they drilled holes 00:10:07.91\00:10:09.66 and as so that they can get down there, 00:10:09.67\00:10:12.36 and get the water out of the basement. 00:10:12.37\00:10:14.73 We had to tell dad and mother, 00:10:15.80\00:10:17.66 that we had set the house on fire. 00:10:17.67\00:10:20.63 Now, I submit to you that's failure. 00:10:20.64\00:10:23.80 And if you face failure, remember Jesus 00:10:23.81\00:10:29.16 has been there and done that too Mark verses 00:10:29.17\00:10:33.43 43 to 47, notice this cast of characters 00:10:33.44\00:10:38.90 Just as He was speaking, Judas, one of 00:10:38.91\00:10:41.50 the twelve, appeared with Him was a crowd 00:10:41.51\00:10:44.10 armed with swords and clubs, sent from 00:10:44.11\00:10:46.00 the chief priests, teachers of the law, 00:10:46.01\00:10:48.06 the elders. Now the betrayer had arranged 00:10:48.07\00:10:51.13 a signal with them: "The one I kiss is 00:10:51.14\00:10:53.53 the man; arrest him and lead him away under 00:10:53.54\00:10:56.00 guard." Going at once to Jesus, 00:10:56.01\00:10:57.76 Judas said, "Rabbi." And kissed him. 00:10:57.77\00:11:00.63 The men seized Jesus and arrested Him. 00:11:00.93\00:11:03.50 Then one of those standing near drew 00:11:03.51\00:11:05.80 his sword and struck the servant of the 00:11:05.81\00:11:08.70 high priest, cutting off his ear. 00:11:08.71\00:11:12.26 What a cast of characters, there was 00:11:12.90\00:11:15.50 Judas who betrayed Him, there was 00:11:15.73\00:11:19.10 the crowd that rejected Him, that were 00:11:19.11\00:11:21.83 the priests and the teachers and the 00:11:21.84\00:11:23.66 elders who hated him, there was Peter, 00:11:23.67\00:11:25.80 perhaps the strongest leader in his 00:11:25.81\00:11:27.63 fledgling church still unconverted, 00:11:27.64\00:11:30.16 he saw misunderstood Christianity. 00:11:30.43\00:11:32.63 He resorted to violence in order 00:11:32.66\00:11:35.56 to perpetuate the kingdom of love. 00:11:35.57\00:11:38.03 So, whatever your Gethsemane, and we 00:11:40.43\00:11:44.56 all have big or little Gethsemanes all 00:11:44.57\00:11:47.23 of our lives, whatever the Gethsemane 00:11:47.24\00:11:49.30 you remember Jesus has been through it, 00:11:49.31\00:11:51.70 Jesus has been there and done that, 00:11:51.71\00:11:54.73 and Jesus success can be your success. 00:11:54.74\00:11:58.26 Let's look now for the secrets of 00:11:58.90\00:12:02.06 Jesus success, I want to suggest five 00:12:02.07\00:12:05.23 secrets of Jesus success, why did he 00:12:05.24\00:12:08.40 succeed in his Gethsemane? And if I do 00:12:08.41\00:12:11.00 as he did, how could I succeed in 00:12:11.01\00:12:13.00 my Gethseman? First of all, he succeeded 00:12:13.01\00:12:16.10 because of the power of love. John 13 says 00:12:16.11\00:12:20.60 that Jesus was about to show the full extent 00:12:20.61\00:12:23.93 of his love, at Cavalry they thought that 00:12:23.94\00:12:27.53 he saved others, he cannot save himself, 00:12:27.54\00:12:30.50 it was true he could not save both himself 00:12:30.51\00:12:33.80 and you and he chose you. 00:12:33.81\00:12:35.60 Gethsemane shows that he rather go 00:12:36.76\00:12:38.93 through hell for you then go to heaven 00:12:38.94\00:12:41.40 without you. Jesus would rather have gone 00:12:41.41\00:12:44.96 through hell for you then go to heaven 00:12:44.97\00:12:48.03 without you. The power of love motivated 00:12:48.04\00:12:52.93 Jesus to succeed in his Gethsemane, 00:12:52.94\00:12:55.53 and the power of love will motivate you 00:12:55.54\00:12:57.73 to do a lot of things for your spouse, 00:12:57.74\00:13:00.23 for your child, for your world that you 00:13:00.24\00:13:02.83 would never otherwise accomplish. And so 00:13:02.84\00:13:06.90 first of all, it was the power of love 00:13:06.91\00:13:09.60 that caused Jesus to succeed and secondly, 00:13:09.61\00:13:12.70 His previous intimacy with His Father. 00:13:12.71\00:13:17.00 Notice verse 36 again. "Abba, Father," 00:13:17.01\00:13:21.30 he said, "Everything is possible for you. 00:13:21.31\00:13:23.33 Take his cup from me. Yet not what 00:13:23.34\00:13:25.20 I will, but what you will. Abba Father." 00:13:25.21\00:13:28.16 Abba it was an Aramaic term, 00:13:30.40\00:13:33.50 it was a small child who totally trusted his 00:13:33.51\00:13:37.33 father would call his papa or his daddy. 00:13:37.34\00:13:40.13 Here's a little boy, and see he's standing 00:13:41.56\00:13:46.40 5 feet up above his father and his father 00:13:46.63\00:13:50.86 says, jump and the little boy is afraid, 00:13:50.87\00:13:55.43 father says, trust me, jump, the little boy 00:13:55.44\00:14:02.80 is not certain, then little fellow gets 00:14:02.81\00:14:07.36 to thinking, lots of times when I was 00:14:07.37\00:14:11.06 just on a chair, I jumped, dad always 00:14:11.07\00:14:15.42 caught me, and the other day I was 3 feet 00:14:15.43\00:14:18.66 high and I jumped, and dad caught me. 00:14:18.67\00:14:22.14 And so, the previous trust he had managed 00:14:23.54\00:14:31.36 with his father made it possible for him to 00:14:31.37\00:14:34.39 jump and leap into the arms of his daddy. 00:14:34.40\00:14:36.85 Jesus had a previous arrangement with the 00:14:38.25\00:14:41.88 father. He had learned to trust Him, 00:14:41.89\00:14:43.89 don't wait until you get to a good, good, 00:14:44.19\00:14:47.08 big Gethsemane before you establish a 00:14:47.23\00:14:49.98 trusting relationship with the Father, 00:14:49.99\00:14:51.88 do it today before a great Gethsemane comes. 00:14:51.89\00:14:56.40 The time to establish this trusting relationship 00:14:56.65\00:15:00.45 is now not sometime in the future, 00:15:00.72\00:15:04.07 not after the Gethsemane comes, 00:15:04.24\00:15:06.57 and so His previous intimacy with the 00:15:07.51\00:15:10.18 Father helped Jesus through His Gethsemane. 00:15:10.19\00:15:13.88 And third, He persistently prayed. 00:15:14.12\00:15:18.73 W. A. Criswell tells a story of a hopeful 00:15:19.24\00:15:22.29 evangelist that came to him and he told the 00:15:22.30\00:15:25.54 older man, I think I've been called to evangelism, 00:15:25.55\00:15:28.89 and so Criswell said, well, lets pray about it, 00:15:29.47\00:15:32.14 and so they knelt to pray. After Criswell 00:15:32.15\00:15:35.32 had prayed, he opened his eyes and he 00:15:35.98\00:15:38.15 looked down, and there was this young 00:15:38.16\00:15:40.93 evangelist totally prone on the floor with his 00:15:41.25\00:15:43.76 face in the carpet, and Criswell knew that 00:15:43.98\00:15:49.04 God was going to use Billy Graham in a very 00:15:49.05\00:15:52.75 special way. Notice verse 35, Going a little 00:15:52.76\00:15:58.87 further he fell to the ground, and prayed that 00:15:58.88\00:16:01.95 if possible the hour might pass from him, 00:16:01.96\00:16:07.17 and notice verse 39, once more he went away 00:16:08.30\00:16:13.25 and prayed the same thing, and verse 41 00:16:13.26\00:16:18.66 notice, Returning the third time, 00:16:19.31\00:16:21.20 he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and 00:16:21.21\00:16:22.95 resting? Enough! The hour has come. 00:16:22.96\00:16:24.56 Look, the Son of Man is betrayed 00:16:24.57\00:16:26.02 into the hands of the sinners." 00:16:26.03\00:16:28.56 Jesus not only prayed, he prayed persistently. 00:16:29.11\00:16:34.27 You have trouble with your spouse? 00:16:36.61\00:16:39.19 Pray, problems with the kids? 00:16:39.67\00:16:42.72 Pray, worried over your finances? 00:16:42.97\00:16:45.87 Pray, concerned about your MRI results? 00:16:45.88\00:16:49.11 Pray, and so you pray and nothing happens, 00:16:50.09\00:16:53.00 then what do you do? You pray some more, 00:16:53.01\00:16:54.93 you see sometimes God has to wait until we 00:16:54.94\00:16:57.40 find out for ourselves, how serious we really 00:16:57.41\00:17:01.85 are? And so the third secret to Jesus 00:17:02.12\00:17:08.10 success was persistent prayer, and the fourth 00:17:08.11\00:17:12.53 was submissive prayer. Notice verse 36 again 00:17:13.44\00:17:18.70 "Abba, Father," he said, "Everything is 00:17:18.71\00:17:20.20 possible for you. Take this cup from me. 00:17:20.21\00:17:22.12 Yet not what I will, but what you will." 00:17:22.13\00:17:26.94 Not what I will but what you will, 00:17:27.05\00:17:30.81 the battle of Gethsemane 00:17:31.71\00:17:33.76 was the battle of the wills. 00:17:34.40\00:17:37.17 Before when Jesus had asked for something, 00:17:38.95\00:17:43.09 the father had invariably said yes, 00:17:43.61\00:17:46.22 this is the only time recorded in scripture 00:17:46.97\00:17:50.04 when Jesus asked for something and the 00:17:50.05\00:17:52.30 father said no, Jesus asked that the water 00:17:52.31\00:17:56.20 would be turned into wine, and the father 00:17:56.21\00:17:58.92 said yes. At the feeding of the 5000, 00:17:58.93\00:18:02.53 the father said yes, stilling of the storm, 00:18:02.54\00:18:06.07 father said yes, father isn't there some other 00:18:07.40\00:18:12.74 way to save them, and the father said no, 00:18:12.75\00:18:17.75 but remembering the yeses, Jesus was able 00:18:18.73\00:18:24.38 to trust the no. Never forget Jesus did not 00:18:24.78\00:18:30.83 pray until he got his own way, he prayed 00:18:30.84\00:18:34.53 until he could accept the father's way. 00:18:34.54\00:18:37.79 He trusted the father enough because the 00:18:38.79\00:18:40.79 past experiences to hang on when He didn't 00:18:40.80\00:18:43.70 get what his human nature wanted, 00:18:43.71\00:18:45.85 Jesus never got what He as a human wanted 00:18:46.58\00:18:50.16 but He did get what was best and thank God 00:18:50.17\00:18:52.82 that he did, if the father had said no what a 00:18:52.83\00:18:55.43 difference it would have made for our world, 00:18:55.44\00:18:57.45 for our universe, otherwise there would be 00:18:57.46\00:18:59.28 no future for us, so there would be no 00:18:59.29\00:19:01.04 Christianity, you and I would be not here 00:19:01.05\00:19:03.63 together. And one nice thing when he 00:19:03.64\00:19:09.85 submitted not my will but yours, 00:19:09.86\00:19:13.64 then there came affirmation, verse 41 00:19:14.75\00:19:18.39 again. Returning the third time, 00:19:18.40\00:19:19.79 he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and 00:19:19.80\00:19:21.52 resting? Enough! The hour has come. 00:19:21.53\00:19:24.16 Look, the Son of Man is betrayed 00:19:24.17\00:19:25.97 into the hands of sinners." 00:19:26.31\00:19:27.96 Jesus said it is enough, enough of the 00:19:28.16\00:19:33.32 disciples sleeping, enough of his questioning 00:19:33.68\00:19:40.18 the father, it was enough, and when he 00:19:40.19\00:19:45.95 settled it, then an angel came, 00:19:45.96\00:19:50.53 according to Luke the 22nd chapter, 00:19:50.54\00:19:53.29 not to excuse him, but to strengthen him. 00:19:53.66\00:19:57.97 And when you settle that you are going to go 00:19:59.29\00:20:04.23 God's way come what may, it my not take 00:20:04.24\00:20:08.46 away what you really wish would happen, 00:20:08.55\00:20:11.91 it will strengthen you to accept God's will. 00:20:13.46\00:20:17.39 And when the angel came peace came, 00:20:18.75\00:20:21.93 and Jesus set his face like a flint toward 00:20:22.59\00:20:27.31 Calvary. He submissively joined the Father 00:20:27.32\00:20:34.46 and sacrificed himself for our salvation. 00:20:34.88\00:20:39.26 Do you ever think about the Father's 00:20:42.06\00:20:43.82 Gethsemane? He probably suffered most 00:20:43.83\00:20:47.62 of all. Really who was it that delivered Jesus 00:20:47.63\00:20:52.30 to die? It was not Judas for money, 00:20:52.31\00:20:56.01 it was not Pilate for fear, it was not the 00:20:56.48\00:20:59.21 priest for envy, it was the Father for love. 00:20:59.22\00:21:04.60 "For God so loved the world, that he gave 00:21:05.99\00:21:09.67 His only begotten son." In 1937, 00:21:10.08\00:21:16.86 John Griffith was tender of a railroad bridge 00:21:18.05\00:21:24.16 across the Mississippi, one day he took his 00:21:24.17\00:21:28.06 eight year old son Greg to work with him to 00:21:28.07\00:21:30.96 see what Daddy did? The bridge was open and 00:21:30.97\00:21:36.79 they walked out on the cat walk some 200 00:21:36.80\00:21:40.99 feet and they, and they looked down at the 00:21:41.00\00:21:42.77 water, and they looked down at the ships going 00:21:42.78\00:21:44.77 to and fro, they actually sat there and they 00:21:44.78\00:21:48.86 ate their lunch, and then off in the distance 00:21:48.87\00:21:53.39 Griffith heard the shrieking of a train, 00:21:54.58\00:21:59.16 the Memphis Express was coming, 00:22:00.45\00:22:02.54 he had been enjoying himself so much with 00:22:02.55\00:22:04.62 his son, he had forgotten about the time, 00:22:04.63\00:22:06.85 there was time to close the bridge, 00:22:08.40\00:22:10.47 but he would have to rush, he told his son 00:22:11.15\00:22:13.58 you stay where you are, he dashed back 00:22:13.75\00:22:17.22 for the control booth, and just as he was about 00:22:17.23\00:22:21.46 to push the lever and close the bridge, 00:22:21.47\00:22:24.69 he looked back and his son had tried to follow 00:22:25.19\00:22:27.92 him and fallen into the gears, the massive gears 00:22:27.93\00:22:32.20 of that bridge. Four hundred people were 00:22:32.57\00:22:37.95 depending upon him, four hundred lives were at 00:22:37.96\00:22:41.41 stake, but this was his son, what to do? 00:22:41.42\00:22:45.99 Clenched his teeth, he pushed the lever, 00:22:46.92\00:22:50.00 he sacrificed his son to save others, 00:22:51.36\00:22:55.56 it's a heart wrenching story of a father's 00:22:55.57\00:22:59.77 Gethsemane, but does it help you understand 00:22:59.78\00:23:03.27 what the father went through with the son in 00:23:03.47\00:23:07.05 Gethsemane, "For God so loved the world, 00:23:07.06\00:23:10.61 that he gave his only begotten son, 00:23:11.28\00:23:14.04 that whosoever believeth in him should 00:23:14.74\00:23:18.28 not perish, but have everlasting life." 00:23:18.29\00:23:23.72 And so Jesus submissively joined the Father 00:23:26.01\00:23:30.96 and sacrificing himself for our salvation. 00:23:31.04\00:23:34.91 One more lesson we need to learn, 00:23:35.86\00:23:38.38 is that how Jesus succeeded in his 00:23:38.39\00:23:41.43 Gethsemane, and that is simply that he 00:23:41.44\00:23:44.38 refused to remain there. Again notice verse 42 00:23:44.39\00:23:51.30 this time. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my 00:23:51.31\00:23:57.48 betrayer! Rise, let us go. Everybody has to go 00:23:57.71\00:24:04.15 through their Gethsemane, but nobody 00:24:04.16\00:24:06.97 has to live there, Jesus said "Rise and Let us 00:24:06.98\00:24:12.19 go." Gethsemane is not a place where we 00:24:12.20\00:24:15.20 settle down and retreat from life, 00:24:15.48\00:24:18.29 Gethsemane should be a place that strengthens 00:24:18.87\00:24:21.42 us to confront life. And I don't know what 00:24:21.43\00:24:26.56 Gethsemane you maybe facing today, 00:24:26.84\00:24:29.67 but don't use Gethsemane as an excuse 00:24:31.18\00:24:34.43 for doing nothing, Gethsemane should be like 00:24:34.44\00:24:38.20 Jesus, a place where we receive the strength 00:24:38.21\00:24:41.36 to confront life. Whatever Gethsemane 00:24:41.73\00:24:44.22 you face today, remember Jesus has been 00:24:44.37\00:24:47.68 there, he's done that, you are not alone in 00:24:47.69\00:24:51.75 this you know, he's gone before us, 00:24:51.76\00:24:54.21 and if we follow his example, just his five 00:24:54.22\00:24:57.53 secrets, we too will succeed just as he 00:24:57.54\00:25:00.33 succeeded. That was the power of love. 00:25:00.34\00:25:03.23 Jesus would rather go through hell for you, 00:25:05.05\00:25:07.42 then to go to heaven without you, 00:25:07.53\00:25:09.76 and the power of love will help you succeed 00:25:10.16\00:25:13.87 in your Gethsemane. There was an intimacy 00:25:13.88\00:25:16.27 with the Father. Jesus didn't wait until the 00:25:16.28\00:25:18.61 emergency came, he learned to trust his 00:25:18.62\00:25:21.58 Father before Gethsemane. And there 00:25:21.59\00:25:24.84 was the persistent prayer, too many times 00:25:24.85\00:25:28.07 we pray, and we don't get our way right 00:25:28.08\00:25:30.65 away then we lose confidence in prayer, 00:25:30.66\00:25:33.97 confidence in God or confidence in ourselves, 00:25:33.98\00:25:36.77 Jesus prayed persistently. There was 00:25:36.78\00:25:39.39 the submissive prayer, not my will but yours, 00:25:39.40\00:25:44.95 and we end our prayers that way but too 00:25:45.19\00:25:47.57 many times I'm not sure how deep it goes 00:25:47.58\00:25:51.03 with us. Am I really willing to trust the 00:25:51.04\00:25:53.52 Father, even though God asks me to do 00:25:53.53\00:25:57.79 something I really don't want to do. 00:25:57.80\00:26:00.18 And lastly, Jesus refused to remain in 00:26:00.95\00:26:05.05 Gethsemane. We all may have to go through 00:26:05.06\00:26:08.13 our Gethsemanes but that's no place for you to 00:26:08.14\00:26:10.71 spend the rest of your lives, let me tell you 00:26:10.72\00:26:14.18 the rest of the John Griffith story, 00:26:14.19\00:26:16.67 the bridge closed the train, rumbled across 00:26:17.40\00:26:21.28 safely, as this poor father looked out through 00:26:21.67\00:26:27.80 the window of that control booth, 00:26:27.81\00:26:30.85 he looked through the windows of the 00:26:31.23\00:26:32.57 passing train and there he saw people 00:26:32.58\00:26:34.52 reading their paper and people talking, 00:26:34.75\00:26:37.33 and people who were sound asleep, 00:26:37.34\00:26:39.19 and that grieving father beat against the window 00:26:40.87\00:26:43.39 of the control room, what's wrong with you 00:26:43.40\00:26:45.44 people, I gave my son for you doesn't anybody 00:26:45.45\00:26:49.74 care. Today, your heavenly Father says, 00:26:49.75\00:26:56.25 I gave my son for you, it seems the world 00:26:56.26\00:26:58.85 doesn't much care. Do you care? 00:26:58.86\00:27:01.73 I ask you to join me in a love commitment 00:27:03.30\00:27:05.69 to the Father and Son, both gave everything 00:27:05.70\00:27:08.41 for us, let's give our all for them. 00:27:08.42\00:27:10.72 Loving Father, thank you for all you've done 00:27:10.73\00:27:14.00 for us, and I pray that whether it's a first 00:27:14.01\00:27:17.07 time or the ten thousandth time, 00:27:17.08\00:27:18.79 we will commit giving our all to you, 00:27:18.80\00:27:21.96 in Jesus name. Amen. 00:27:22.29\00:27:24.84 Thank you for the time we've been able to 00:27:26.27\00:27:29.76 spend together, as you go back to life, 00:27:29.77\00:27:33.12 I pray that somehow the message of 00:27:33.80\00:27:36.54 Gethsemane will go back with you. 00:27:36.55\00:27:40.03 May the example of Jesus lead you through 00:27:40.73\00:27:44.05 the Gethsemanes that you will face the rest 00:27:44.29\00:27:47.19 of your life, be they big Gethsemanes 00:27:47.20\00:27:49.29 or small, follow the example 00:27:49.30\00:27:51.58 of Jesus and you will succeed. 00:27:51.59\00:27:53.90