Prayer Meeting                                     Notes 2000

Text: John 17                                                                               31 January 2000

Theme: The Glory Of God

“For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen"  Matt 6:13

Mention of the world "glory / glorify"

"GLORIFY Your Son, that Your Son also may GLORIFY You"  

John 17:1

"I have GLORIFIED You on the earth.  I have finished the work which You have given Me to do"   John 17:4

"And now, O Father, GLORIFY Me together with Yourself, with the GLORY which I had with You before the world was."   John 17:5

"And the GLORY which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are One"   John 17:22

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with me where I am, that they may behold My GLORY which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world"   John 17:24

THE APPLICATION OF THE WORD "GLORY" IN JOHN 17

1.   The Lord Jesus spoke of A SPECIAL GLORY.  He asked that this "special glory" may be given to Him, for that in turn will glorify the Father.   John 17:1

a)   That "special glory" had to do with His "hour" - His atoning death on Calvary   John 17:1

b)   Through His substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary, eternal life will be given to those who believe in Him   John 17:2-3

2.   There is a GLORY associated with word well and faithfully done   John 17:4

a)   The Lord Jesus glorified His Father in all He did when He was on earth   John 17:4

b)   He finished all the work that was given to Him to do   John 17:4

3.   The Lord Jesus spoke of a GLORY that He had before He came to earth   John 17:5, 24  (Cf. John 1:1-14)

a)   The GLORY that the Lord Jesus spoke of is most specific

b)   It is not "imagined glory" that we sometimes come up with

c)   It is His own Personal Majestic Glory that He had laid aside when He came to earth in the form of a man, and in the role of a servant (Phil 2:5-10)

4.   There was another special kind of GLORY that the Lord Jesus prayed to be given to His disciples - the GLORY OF TRUE ONENESS   John 17:22

a)   There is special glory in "true oneness"

b)   There was a special "oneness" that the Lord Jesus Christ enjoyed with His Father

c)   This glory of oneness is possible and available (Cf. Phil 2:2; Eph 4:3-6; 1 Cor 12:12-25)

GLORIFYING OF GOD'S NAME

1.   A primary concern for every true child of God

2.   A primary concern in prayer

THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT CONTEXT

1.   A regular feature in the days of Moses

a)   The glory of God represented the Personal Presence of God

b)   The glory of God guaranteed the Protection of Israel

c)   The glory of God was a Privileged experience

d)   The glory of God displayed was meant to teach ancient Israel how to regard and revere the Lord

e)   The glory of the Lord was revealed and represented by the following things:-

      i)    Pillar of Cloud          Exodus 40:38

      ii)   Pillar of Fire            Exodus 40:38

      iii)   Miracles                  Deut 4:32-36

2.   Special Ministries / Rare occasions

a)   Special miracles performed by prophets of God (1 Kings 17 Elijah / Elisha)

b)   At the dedication of the Jerusalem Temple   (1 Kings 8:10-11)

      (The glory of God filled the Temple in such a way that the priests could not enter into the Temple)

3.   The Departure of the Glory of God in the days of Ezekiel the Prophet

a)   An attempt at description of the glory of God   Eze 1:4-28

b)   Another vision of the Glory of God revealed to Ezekiel  

      Eze 3:12-13

c)   Yet another vision of the Glory of God experienced   Eze 8:4

d)   The glory of God portrayed as leaving the Temple of Jerusalem, starting from the Cherubim guarding the Ark of the Covenant  

      Eze 9:3

e)   The Glory of God at the Inner Court of the Temple   Eze 10:4

f)    The Glory of God departed from the threshold of the Temple  

      Eze 10:18-19

g)   The Glory of God now found in the mountains   Eze 11:22-23

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF GLORY IN THE LIFE/MINISTRY AND PRAYER OF THE LORD JESUS

1.   It signified the Return of the Glory of God to His people  

      John 1:14; 2:11

a)   The Glory of God had departed from Israel and had not been seen till the Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ

b)   The Person of the Lord Jesus reflected the glory of God

c)   The Miracles of the Lord Jesus reflected the glory of God