 Mark chapter 14 verses 32 through 42 we're going to be looking today at the oil press you'll see why I chose to entitle our study the oil press in just a moment now as is normal for me as you who have attended here for a while will know I'm going to give to you some background remind you of some things and I'll lead to these verses and so we'll begin by looking at verse 32 in Mark chapter 14 verse 32 then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I while I pray so as we've been looking at this chapter this is the last night that Jesus will spend and he's ministering to his men he had shared the Passover with them and he's continuing to instruct them now I mentioned to you that on the Passover meal in the Passover meal a question will be asked of the host Exodus chapter 12 verses 26 and 27 it shall be when your children say to you what do you mean by this service that you shall say it is a Passover sacrifice of the Lord who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians and delivered our households while that night Jesus spent time teaching his men what Passover meant and his disciples are asking the question asking questions that night and in reality the questions that they're asking of him are going to relate to what is the significance of the Passover and so the disciples are there asking questions and Jesus as a host is actually going to answer the most important question that they might have in John's Gospel chapter 13 verse 33 he said little children I shall be with you a little while longer you will seek me and as I said to the Jews where I am going you cannot come so now I say to you notice how he said little children so during that that celebration there would be a question of the children children would ask the host Jesus was the host he would explain the meaning of Passover and that's what's taking place now as you go through the Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke all gives an abbreviated rendition of what took place actually all the Gauss Gospel accounts would be abbreviated but theirs are more so than John's because when you look at the Gospel of John the Gospel of John actually gives us more information you can see that information in chapters 13 through 17 so let me give you kind of a flow of what was taking place that Mark Matthew and Luke did not speak concerning because in chapters 13 through 17 we see that Jesus gave teachings to his men he taught his men to be servants he revealed to them that one of them would betray him he gave them what he called a new commandment the commandment was to love one another as he loved them he revealed to Peter that Peter would along with the others deny him he told them that he went before them to prepare a place for them he told Philip that to see him was to see the father he taught them about the importance of prayer he told them that love for him would be demonstrated by obedience to him on that night he gave the most extensive message on the Holy Spirit that he would give he also told them that he was the true vine he exhorted them to abide in him he told them that he was giving them his peace he said if they did what he commanded them then no longer would what he called them servants but would call them friends he told them that they would be persecuted because the world rejected him in John 1632 and 33 he said indeed the hour is coming yes has now come that you will be scattered each to his own and believe me alone and yet I am not alone because the father is with me these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world so when he got to chapter 17 Jesus prays the chapter is filled with his closing prayer as he prayed to his father he said to him that he had been faithful to complete his mission then he prayed for his men that he was going to send out that they might evangelize then he prayed for us those who would come to faith through their message and so by the time you get to chapter 18 verses 1 and 2 well those verses begin by saying when Jesus had spoken these words he went out with his disciples over the Brook Kidron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered and Judas who betrayed him also knew the place for Jesus often met there with his disciples so with that introduction we can begin our study by first looking at verse 32 in verse 32 it says they came to a place which was named Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I pray now Gethsemane was an enclosed plot it's also referred to as an estate it was a garden could have been called an orchard when you're looking at a map it was beyond what is of Israel it's beyond what is called the Brook Kidron it's at the foot of the Mount of Olives about three quarters of a mile from the eastern wall of Jerusalem we've been to this this site many times every time we've gone to Israel we have gone to the Garden of Gethsemane I'll give a very similar Bible study there not as long as you'll have here but I give a similar study and there you are on on Gethsemane in an enclosed garden looking at the eastern gate you can see as you're looking to the west you can see the you'll see the eastern gate that has been bricked over it is actually lower than than the ground level because over the centuries it obviously the it has accumulated ground and all but right in front of the eastern gate and we'll point it out to you there's a graveyard there's a Muslim cemetery there they built with an attempt to keep Messiah for coming in the eastern gate and so you'll see that while you're in that particular place and we we have a Bible study there and we look at this particular study and this is a place where Jesus would often spend time Luke tells us in chapter 22 39 coming out he went to the Mount of Olives as he was accustomed and his disciples also followed him now this garden was actually owned more than likely by one of his disciples and it would be lent to him for his use it had become over time a familiar spot for the men they would come there they would actually camp out there and be ministered to by the Lord and they came there often and since they did so they would have had fond memories of this place the word gethsemane means oil press it is place where olives were crushed to produce the oil and this is where Jesus is going to agonize in prayer that's why it's referred to as the oil press in Isaiah 53 verse 3 the prophet Isaiah writing over 700 years before Christ speaking of Messiah said this he said he is despised and rejected by men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hit as it were our faces from him he was despised and we did not esteem him this is where the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be agonizing we'll see that in detail in just a moment but this is where Jesus is in his own personal oil press somebody said this there's no record in scripture of Jesus laughing but there are numerous accounts of his grieving his sadness and even his weeping he wept at the grave of Lazarus he wept over Jerusalem at the time of his triumphal entry and Jesus knew sorrow upon sorrow and grief upon grief as no other man who has ever lived but the sorrow he experienced in the gardener gethsemane on the last night before his crucifixion seemed to be the accumulation of all the sorrows he had ever known and so Jesus is entering into the wine press and according to verse 32 as they enter the garden Jesus says sit here while I pray and so what he does is he stations eight of his apostles remember Judas has already left there's only eleven remaining so he stations eight of them at the gate or at the entrance of the garden that's going to secure his privacy because he knows Judas is soon going to be there and so he stations them there and in verse 32 it says he said to his disciples sit here while I pray verse 33 and he took Peter James and John with him and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed Peter James and John now why these three now we know that when you look at the scripture you're going to see that there are numbers very often associated with Christ you'll you'll see multitudes used as it speaks of the multitudes who would come in and listen to him teach you you also would see how he appointed 70 so there were what are called by theologians the 70 there were 70 really unnamed but then you get to the 12 then you'll sometimes have the three the two and then sometimes it's just the one Peter James and John though are singled out here why is that now Judas has already left to betray him that leaves 11 eight of them have been stationed at the gate that way they could interact with or at least be aware of when Judas came in as he will but Jesus takes three of them Peter James and John very often they speak of Peter James and John as being what is called his inner circle and it is true that there are those that will work and operate with you in ministry very often that become very close to you because they operate with you quite often they get to know you better than the others that's true but why would he bring Peter James and John at this time well remember with me that each of them had vowed to him unshakable faith they had vowed this before him they had said that they were going to be true to him in every way remember James and John had asked for permission through their mother to be seated one at the left hand one at the right when he entered into his kingdom remember that and Jesus had spoken to them and said to them they really didn't understand what they were asking can you drink of the cup I will drink of Jesus said to them and they said yes we are able so they had stated that they had unshakable faith in Christ we're able to go through what you go through of course we can we want places of honor now the apostle Peter had just told Jesus though I'll deny you I will go to prison with you I will even die with you and we looked at that recently how that that Peter had made that comment so you have Peter you have James you have John all three of these men had said that they had unshakable faith in Jesus Christ they had said that they could take whatever he went through and Peter went so far as to say though all will deny you I never will and so that he had also presented himself as somebody that would never forsake Christ and so this is something called shallow self-confidence and that self-confidence put them in great danger of personal failure why is that because a false estimation of our own strength will always lead to a fall take heed where the man thinks that he's standing let him take heed less he should fall Proverbs 16 18 says pride goes before destruction a hotty spirit before a fall they had shallow self-confidence we will die for you we can take whatever you take I can drink of that cup they've all said that now these three men were leaders among the apostles but Jesus is about to teach them a lesson that they'll one day be teaching others and the lesson is very simple it's something we can learn to face temptation we should do so through prayer and dependence on God you see notice in verse 33 how it says he took Peter James and John with him and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed he began to be troubled that word troubled in the original language means to be struck with terror it speaks of being alarmed the word distressed well that's a word that speaks of being in great anguish it also is a word that can be translated with the word depressed distressed is the strongest of three Greek words in the New Testament that describes depression why would Jesus be described as being in anguish and severe depression when you consider it you need to think that on one level it would be easy to understand why he would be Judas betrayed him his disciples will soon forsake him Peter will deny him three times he's about to be unjustly accused tried beaten cursed mocked he soon will bear the sin of the world through the torture of crucifixion but to understand this better we need to remember how he spoke of his death and he spoke of it often and when he would speak of it he didn't show fear nor did he show concern about dying as you think about the Gospels and you think about his ministry from the beginning he made it clear that he was going to give up his life John 2 19 says destroyed this temple in three days I will raise it up later on in John chapter 10 verse 17 he said therefore my father loves me because I laid down my life that I may take it again in the gospel of Luke chapter 12 verse 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am until it is accomplished even that night John 17 verse 1 records how Jesus spoke these words lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father the hour has come glorify your son that your son also may glorify you the hour has come it's time he's prepared he's ready he's going to yield up his life so seeing all of this why would he now be troubled and deeply distressed while his sorrow and anxiety is his anticipation of his separation from his father and that will occur when he becomes the sin offering and fellowship for the first time in eternity will be broken and so he's speaking to his men and notice again in verse 34 he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even to death stay here and watch it when he said my soul is exceedingly sorrowful that's another way of saying I am consumed with grief one commentator said that he was saying if I did not already have another way to die this would kill me he's overwhelmed with the fact that he will soon pay the penalty for our sins now ultimately we know that that was the reason Christ came into the world we know that God had predetermined that Jesus would become the sacrifice for sin he's the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in the book of Acts in chapter 2 verse 23 we read that Jesus was delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God that's how he's going to provide salvation for all who are going to be saved Jesus was well aware of this and Jesus embraced this plan in John 12 27 now my soul is troubled what shall I say father saved me from this hour but for this purpose I came to this hour in Romans 4 Paul wrote it in this way in verse 25 he said Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses and later in chapter 5 of Romans in verses 6 through 8 he said when we were still without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly for scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die but God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were still sinners Christ died for us he describes us as without strength ungodly and sinners and yet Christ died for us so Jesus is preparing himself for that notice in verse 34 he says to Peter James and John stay here and watch now the word watch is a word that can be used in a military way it means to be on the alert stay awake it means don't fall asleep in Matthew 26 38 Matthew says that he said my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death stay here and keep watch with me now no doubt they could sense the agony that Jesus was going through just looking at him the way he looked listening to him as he spoke the tone of his voice the words that he was choosing to use all of this was combining to make them aware of the agony he's going through they could sense his agony they could sense his anguish but they couldn't comprehend it now as he's speaking to them this reveals to us his humanity Jesus desired his men to be there with him he wanted them to sympathize with him and even be a support and it's sad when you realize that in the ministry of Christ with his men you read your Gospels you see the conversations that are recorded he didn't ask for much on a personal level yet in this particular case when he said watch and pray stay with me they failed they had said they would die with them they couldn't even stay awake with him now in verse 35 it says he went a little farther he fell on the ground he prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him the garden is dark but Jesus goes further further in for greater privacy he and his man had gone into the garden he had left eight Peter James and John had gone with him a distance further and now Jesus separates himself a bit Luke 22 41 tells us these are out 30 to 50 yards away from the the other eight he now moves a distance from Peter James and John and he's praying fervently notice how it says he fell on the ground and he prayed in verse 35 he prays if it were possible the hour this appointed time if it were possible this hour might might pass from him so what does he do he prays and he prays if there's another way may there be another way but there was no other way I remember the first time my wife and I went into the garden of Gethsemane it was in 1983 we went on a on a familiarization tour with my pastor Chuck Smith and so we went into Israel I brought my daughter Anna who was three months old at the time and she came with us and we went on this trip and as we went on the trip with our pastor we saw so many sites but I do remember this particular location the first time that we ever entered into this region called the Garden of Gethsemane I still remember it very well there are stones just all through the pathway there and pastor Chuck his son Chuck Jr. had given a message and and Chuck came up after his son had shared a very very beautiful message and Chuck walked up and he and he closed out that time and I'll never forget what he said he said Jesus said if there be any other way let this cup pass from me and then Chuck simply said it like this and it's riveted in my heart ever ever since he said it he said but there is no other way there is no other way there was only this one way from all eternity God had made a plan and that plan was so that we sinful people that we are might receive salvation he had made a plan he's going to give his only son to suffer sins penalty his son is going to be used to rescue fallen mankind in Hebrews 10 verse 10 it says it like this the writer writes by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all it doesn't require many sacrifices see the Jewish way of of expiation of sin was to constant sacrifice and they would have on the day of atonement that that major sacrifice but the writer of Hebrews reminds us that that in the sacrifice there's a re a reminder because they have to be repeated yearly he was pointing out yearly they would have this sacrifice yearly as a constant flow and a constant reminder of man's sinfulness but it was preparing man for that one final sacrifice the Lamb of God Jesus Christ who would take away sin one time for all time he doesn't have to be crucified a second or third or fourth time it's that one time that was sufficient the blood of Jesus Christ's son cleanses us from all sin and it doesn't have to be repeated and so Jesus is going to the cross for that reason Jesus there though is saying is there another way there is no other way notice in verse 36 how he said father all things are possible for you take this cup from me he says Abba father Abba is the Hebrew Aramaic Hebrew way of saying daddy father would be something that the Greeks would use Abba father is a combination of the two Abba is the common word that a child will use when referring to their daddy when you go to Israel to this day you will hear this the little Jewish children will be behind their daddy I've heard it many times and you'll hear them Abba Abba and it's it's not a real formal it's more of a it's more of the word daddy it's more of a tender it's an endearing word and so Jesus is saying that he's saying daddy to his father all things are possible for you that reveals something about our relationship to God because we have been brought into his family through his son Jesus is referred to in Scripture as the only begotten of the father we are adopted we are not the only begotten we are adopted we're adopted into the family of God it's a different process we enter in through faith by receiving the gift that is given to us but we are adopted children chosen by God I remember hearing a story of a little girl who adopted and she she was it was a family gathering and all and and one of her cousins was talking to her and her cousin said to her you were adopted but I was born to my family but you you're adopted and she was saying it to try and hurt her her cousin but the little girl who was adopted said you know my mom and my dad have already told me that that I was in a home in and that that one day my mama said that she and my daddy came in and they looked at all the children that were there and they they chose me and my my my mama says that we chose you and we have loved you but you are our baby we chose you to be ours so she said you know my mama and my daddy they chose me but your parents they're stuck with you we were chosen yeah we were chosen the Lord chose us and we've been adopted into his family and Romans 8 15 it says you didn't receive the spirit of bondage again to fear you receive the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out Abba father Galatians 4 6 because you are sons God is set sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying out Abba father before you really understood the love of God it's very possible that you looked at God as just a judge of some sort holy and and he is righteous and he is but distant but distant and perhaps you had a fear of him to the point that you tried to guard your thoughts and guard your actions tried to be good and all of that and and he just got stress filled that's how it was for me I tried to be very good as a child and my mom and dad had pictures of me and my brother we'd be at at different little house parties and all and we have pictures of my brother and me sitting there like you know two little little angels and all and and because I wanted to be good because I'd heard some things by going to to catechism classes that that you need to be good for God to accept you and I tried to be good until I was 15 at the age of 15 I I said I'm tired of being good and not having fun and that's how I thought and so that's when I got into alcohol and drugs I didn't know that God loved me I thought I had to do something to make him love me I thought I had to be good I had to do the right things I had to think the right thoughts and all of that and at a certain early age I came to realize that none of that was possible I didn't realize that God came to save sinners I didn't know that I didn't understand that that's why Paul could say that he said he was saving sinners and Paul went on to say of whom I am chief and so I came to realize the grace of God and so instead of just speaking of him as and as he is almighty God I could actually have a tenderness as I as I speak to him and the word Abba it comes into play I've said this before in the past I'll just say it briefly my father all my life from the time that I can remember speaking to him until the last conversation I ever had with him I never called my father dad I called him daddy because that was our relationship it was tender it was a it was a love that a son had for a father so I finally get it I finally could understand that though I don't refer to him in that way perhaps I would if I'd simply use the name Abba that would be saying the same thing I still speak to him as my father kind of like the Greeks would have but he's my daddy there's a tenderness involved in that relationship and that's what you're seeing here forgive me the emotions just stirred up as I think of this all things are possible for you take this cup away from me all things are possible father many years ago Abraham who is called Abram and Sarai who later was called Sarah well Sarah many years ago centuries ago was unable to conceive but in a miraculous way Abraham at the age of 100 and Sarah at the age of 90 well they were given strength to conceive and she bore a child and that child was named Isaac Isaac in Hebrew is translated laughter because she had laughed in unbelief when God had said this time next year your wife will have a son Sarah listening through the tent had overheard the conversation Abraham was having with with God she laughed shall I at my age have pleasure the pleasure of having a child and that's where the Lord spoke to her why did you laugh I didn't laugh oh yeah you did liar pants on fire you lied you will have a son his name shall be Isaac laughter every time you call his name you'll remember the laughter that you had when I gave you that promise that even though they had another son through a handmaiden Hagar God spoke to Abram and said to him take your son your only son now wait a minute you have Ishmael too no Ishmael is a son of the flesh Isaac is a son of promise take your son laughter and offer him to me in a place that I'll appoint for you the scripture tells us in Genesis 22 that Abram settled his donkey took with him servants and so the question is asked I see the wood and and the the implements for sacrifice but I don't see the offering and then Abram said God will provide himself a lamb which was a prophetic word concerning Messiah who is to come we all know the story how that Abram placed his son on the altar he just tells us he knew that he had received him when it was impossible and therefore God could deliver him back it was a hope of resurrection he trusted God this was the son of promise when he raised his hand to sacrifice his son God said stop and now I see now I see your faith is real and there was a Ram that was provided with this was caught in a thicket and that Ram was offered and so Jesus says all things are possible is there another way is there any way you could do the same for me is there another way for this to occur but he do the answer no there's no other way he says in verse 36 take this cup away from me this cup that he's speaking of represents God's wrath is his judgment it symbolizes the suffering that Jesus will soon endure on the cross the cup speaks of God's wrath in Psalm 75 verse 8 it says in the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices he pours it out and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs Isaiah 51 17 awake awake rise up oh Jerusalem you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger take this cup from me but he goes on in verse 36 nevertheless not as I will but as you will I'm totally submitted to your plan of redemption the psalmist said it like this in reference to Messiah Psalm 40 verse 8 I delight to do your will oh my God your law is within my heart and John 6 38 Jesus said it like this he said I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me I'm willing to do this I'm willing to be the lamb I'm willing to die somebody said that Jesus disarmed death by burying its shaft in his own heart well Luke the physician gives us greater insight into what's taking place you see he was a doctor and he speaks of what Jesus endured in Luke 22 43 and 44 there appeared an angel into him from heaven strengthening him being in agony he prayed more earnestly his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground he was in such stress and agony that he was pouring out blood in sweat in answer to his prayer God dispatched an angel the minister to him Luke tells us that the angel strengthened him the angel invigorated him writer of Hebrews in chapter 5 verse 7 says during the days of Jesus's life on earth he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission while he's praying and he's being cared for well in verse 37 he came and found him sleepy said to Peter Simon are you sleeping could you not watch one hour watch and pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak and again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words so he speaks to the apostle Peter in verse 37 notice that notice that he refers to him by the name Simon Simon is his given name John 141 and 42 says that he had changed his name it says he first found his own brother Simon and said to him we have found Messiah which has translated the Christ and he brought him to Jesus now when Jesus looked at him he said you are Simon the son of Jonah you shall be called Cephas which is translated a stone well in verse 37 he found all three of them sleeping but notice he spoke first to Simon now this is the one who had said though all forsake you I will never fall away so he's the first one who's being addressed and Luke says gives us insight into why they were asleep in Luke 22 45 when he rose from prayer he went back to the disciples he found them asleep they were exhausted from sorrow some of us in this room understand what that means that the burden that you're carrying is so grave so deep so heavy that sometimes you actually get sleepy and that's what was taking place with them the sorrow affected them they're experiencing deep sorrow and that was used by the way by the enemy to tempt them to sleep making them unprepared and that's why in verse 38 Jesus said watch and pray let you enter into temptation the spirit truly is willing the flesh is weak watch and pray be alert be alert about the devil's plans pray for God's help in first Peter 5 8 it says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour in first Peter 4 7 he went on to say the end of all things is at hand therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers you see you might be physically awake but you're spiritually asleep spiritual vigilance is not occasional it's constant the enemy the enemy never rests the enemy never sleeps that's why 1st Thessalonians 5 17 is important pray without ceasing well verses 39 and 40 again he went away and prayed and spoke the same words when he returned he found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy they didn't know what to answer him they were weighed down with sleep they weren't praying well Jesus was separated in prayer as men were sleeping on the job 1st Thessalonians 5 6 says therefore let us not sleep as others do let us watch and be sober he warned them yet the disciples were still not listening they yielded to their natural appetites and they were spiritually unprepared they were not heeding his word we sang a moment ago prior to the teaching a song and I noted it it says I believe every word you said and I suspect that that the men would have said the same thing I believe every word you have said we the church just saying that I believe every word you said but the fact is beginning with me sometimes I wonder because during that song in the first service especially I was thinking of it Lord do I really believe everything you said do I really act and live as if I believe every word you said you see they listen to so many sermons they even gave their own sermons they they saw so many works they even performed their own works they were there celebrating in a way that was beyond everybody they were so close and so deep with them they weren't the 70 they weren't just the 12 they were now the 11 Peter James and John were the three they had a close relationship James and John were actually related to Christ they were cousins so there was a deep connection and yet do I really believe every word that you said because Jesus has said before the the rooster crows to this night you will deny me three times I would go to prison for you I'd even die for you is what the response was so said the rest of them now they weren't listening to what he had to say and Jesus is concerned for them the circumstances leading to his arrest and and all is is going to overwhelm them not only will Jesus be taken but his men are also going to become targets and that was why that night Jesus had prayed in John 17 verse 11 he had prayed for them Holy Father keep through your name those whom you have given me he had prayed for them but he also commanded them to pray for themselves seek in the Lord and rely on his help will provide security like it says in Psalm 17 verse 5 uphold my steps in your paths that my footsteps may not slip Psalm 130 verse 5 I wait for the Lord my soul waits in his word I do hope well verse 41 says he came the third time and said to them are you still sleeping and resting it's enough the hour has come behold the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners rise let us let us be going behold see my betrayer is at hand Judas is approaching him at that moment so he says to him it's enough the time has come my betrayer has arrived you didn't prepare yourselves by prayer and now you're going to reap the results when he said in verse 42 rise let us be going see my betrayer is at hand notice with me that Jesus went out to meet the enemy he didn't have them seeking to find him he sought them out because he was ready through prayer and and dedication to the will of the Father he was ready to meet the enemy head on but his men weren't we're gonna see that next time we get together his men were not all this self-confidence all these words that they spoke to the Messiah to their their master all the time that they spent with them imagine that for a moment the walking the hours the camping out next to him the amazement when they would see him open the eyes of the blind the amazement when when Peter walked on water when they saw him raise the dead on no less than three occasions raised the dead they heard words that were so articulate so eloquent so deep sometimes they even had to ask him what do you mean by that can you please explain it to us we don't get it we've been with you in the seminary for so long we still don't get it Jesus and so he'd explained to them in a personal way John was so close to this man that even that night he had placed his head on the bosom of Christ and had spoken to him as the one who loved he could he had his head on the chest of Jesus listening to the heartbeat of God think about that think about that you listen to the heartbeat of God and yet Jesus said watch and pray lest you enter into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak be ready your enemy is prowling like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour that's why in hindsight Peter could say you need to pray you need to be you need to be alert and by the way I'll close with this don't think that the enemy isn't after you because he is now I'm not trying to encourage you to paranoia so that you're walking every step turning around to see if he's going to be there so you see listen when you gave your heart to Jesus Christ before you were on the enemy side now you're on God's side do you think he's neutral about you he hates you the depth that God has love for you Satan has hatred for you he steals he kills he destroys his great pleasure is in the destruction he's a murderer Jesus said from the beginning he's a liar from the beginning and he's still prowling for you watch and pray listen the problems we're having in the United States as bad as they are with some of the things that we see going on and the great concern all of us share the battle is not just with flesh and blood we are not going to elect righteousness does that mean that we should not pursue it does that mean we shouldn't do our best to bring people into office who who best reflect the righteousness that we'd love to see America have no it doesn't mean that at all we should vote and we should be involved and we should do all of those things of course but the answer is not going to be electing somebody because even the best person who loves the Lord can be tempted by the power that is offered in offices that's why we pray for those who are in elected positions that's why we pray for them because the temptation to power is the first temptation that Eve herself was deceived by you shall be like God knowing the difference between good and evil the temptation to power to knowledge to inside information to control it's still with us the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but our mighty and God to the pulling down of strongholds we we are actually in a spiritual war and that's why the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but our mighty and God so we have the our loins are dirt with truth we have the breast plate of righteousness we have a helmet of salvation our feet are shot with the preparation of the gospel of peace we have the sword of the spirit and we have the shield of faith and that's what we use in these battles and that's why Jesus said we need to be awake and alert because our enemy desires to destroy us so instead of me yielding to the carnal desire to try and somehow control my own destiny I asked God to go before me that he might be my shield and my great strength that he might give to us victory in Christ and that's how it works and so Jesus is speaking and saying to his men watch and pray you have the desire but you don't have the power beyond the alert your enemy wants to destroy you they fell asleep on the job but Jesus didn't he went out to meet the enemy but as we'll see they fled I don't want to be one who runs I want to stand as a busy in the position of the victor because of what Jesus Christ has done for me because that's what Paul said having done all stand stand as a victor be prepared for the war but remember the last page of the Bible where it states we won in Jesus Christ never forget that we win we win and