The Purpose of Prayer

The Purpose of Prayer

“In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:1-8)

What is the purpose of prayer? Do we engage in prayer as a mechanical exercise to fulfill the command of our Lord: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” Is prayer an elective or is it a prerequisite? Is prayer like a hobby, an optional extra to the main business of living, or is it as vital as breathing, as important as daily bread? Why should, “Men pray and not become discouraged.”

Your answer to this question will either drive you to “pray without ceasing,” or it will drive prayer further out of your life. The proper answer to this question will provide you with an adequate motive for prayer. It will give you the incentive to become a pray-er not only when the road “leads through the valley of the shadow of death,” but also when you dwell “in green pastures and beside the still waters.” It will inspire us to become the Children of God who sincerely engage in heartfelt supplication to God.

Perhaps most of us identify prayer with petition. We pray in order to get things from God, particularly in time of emergency. Certainly this is a valid purpose for prayer. Did not our Lord say, “Ye have not because ye ask not … Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” But surely prayer is more than getting God to run errands for us, to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves.

The all consuming passion of prayer; the undergirding and over-arching purpose for prayer is to get to know God better. “All that true prayer desires is God Himself.” The Psalmist cried, “As a heart longs for the flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Saint Augustine was so right when he testified, “O Lord, Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our souls are restless until we find rest in Thee” as God gives oxygen that our bodies might live to enjoy the handiwork of God’s creation and the fruit of our labors, so He has empowered us with the ability to pray “that we might know Him, the only true God,” and to enjoy Him forever.

Eight centuries before Christ the young man, Isaiah, went up to the temple to pray. It was a day of national emergency. The great, good and Godly King Uzziah who had governed the kingdom of Judah for 52 years had died. The keystone had been remove from the arch of society and uncertainty reigned in the land. In the place of prayer “Isaiah saw the Lord … high and lifted up.” He heard the host of heaven singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of host: the whole earth is full of His glory.” In prayer Isaiah received a vision of God’s glory and this was followed by a revelation of God’s grace.

Against the backdrop of God’s glorious holiness, Isaiah beheld the iniquity of his own life. He confessed his sin saying, “I am a sinful man, O Lord.” Then God sent an angelic messenger to assure His praying servant that, “your iniquity is purged and your sin is taken away.” The God of glory assured His contrite child that the grace of God was all-sufficient to forgive and cleanse him for all unrighteousness. God declared Isaiah to be one of clean hands and a pure heart, worthy to stand in the presence of the King of Glory. May I suggest, that before we bring our petitions to God in prayer, that we wait before Him until we have gained a vision of his glory and grace.

The wise King Solomon affirmed, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” Where there is no knowledge, no understanding of God “we are of all people most miserable.” As we gain a vision of His glory, that glory will give light to our darkened lives. As we experience His gracious forgiveness, we will be enabled to forgive those who have sinned against us. As we behold His majesty, our lives will become majestic. As we behold Him, the God of peace, His peace “that passeth all understanding” will flood our souls. As we gain a vision of the beauty of His holiness, our lives will radiate that beauty, even as the lily of the filed becomes beautiful by living in the sunlight.

The vision of the glory of God mirrored the true need of Isaiah in this time of emergency. Listen as Isaiah said, “Woe is me: For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Host.” God has sent an angelic messenger to assure His praying servant: “Your iniquity is purged and you sin is taken away.” The God of glory made Himself known as the God of Grace.

We need to understand the basic nature and character of the one to whom we offer our petitions. Let us join our voices with those of the heavenly host, “praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest.” We need to learn with Moses to “put off our shoes from our feet,” for we are standing upon holy ground. He is a great God and greatly to be praised. He is the “King Eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God,” and “unto Him be honor and glory forever and ever.” There is nothing like a glimpse of the glory, power, majesty and honor of God to banish our fears and doubts. We need to see Him who is lifted high up and able … to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Jesus Christ. Then let us come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in the hour of need, knowing that He is able to do exceeding abundantly for us above that which we ask or think.

God be praised! He is not only the King of Glory, high above us “whom no man has seen or can see;” He is also the God of grace who comes to man and ministers to man at the point of his need. “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God … we beheld His glory … and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”

As we fasten our eyes upon the glory of God, we need to go feast our minds upon His grace. “The Lord is merciful and gracious … He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities,” “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich.” “God is able to make all grace abound, that we might have all sufficiency in all things.” In every situation of life “His grace is sufficient.” For “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hast appeared to all men.” In the sweet hour of prayer learn that “God giveth grace to the humble.”

Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory and grace caused this response: Here am I Lord, send me.” On the road to Damascus the Apostle Paul had a vision of God’s glory and grace and responded saying, “Lord, what will thou have me to do?” Both of these servants of God placed themselves at God’s disposal. A vision, a knowledge of God created in a deepened sense of vocation. They prayed as did Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, “not my will but thine be done.”

The purpose of prayer is not to bend God’s will to our will but to bring our will into harmony with His. We pray not to get God on our side but to put ourselves on the side of God. We pray not to get God to perform a great sacrifice for us, He has already made the supreme sacrifice in the person of Jesus Christ, -- but to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice unto Him. “We must not conceive of prayer as overcoming God’s reluctance, but of laying hold of His highest willingness.” (Archbishop Trench)

What then is the purpose of prayer? We pray that we might have a vision of the glory of God and sing with the saints, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto our God for ever and ever.”

We pray that we might have a vista of His grace; that we might know “Him, that our minds might be opened to see His light, that we might know the hope to which He has called us, how rich are the wonderful blessings He promises His people, and that we might know how very great is His power at work in us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

We pray that we might have a worthy vocation; that we might respond to the God of glory and grace, saying, “I’ll go where you want me to go, I’ll be want you want me to be, I’ll do what you want me to do, I’ll say what you want me to say.”

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

Whitfield Estates Presbyterian Church, September 12, 1971

Perseverance in Prayer

Perseverance in Prayer

"Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart." (Luke 18:1)

Prayer generally is an unexplored field. Men have explored and ferreted out the so called natural laws, have harnessed them even to the extent of making iron to float and men to fly. We use our knowledge of these natural laws for our own wellbeing and for the welfare and happiness of our fellow men. But man did not obtain this knowledge in a day or even a year, it came as the result of many years of persevering study and experiment.

But the field of prayer which should be of the highest value to man remains practically unknown. We use prayer as an emergency measure, or as a conventional practice to be maintained, much as we maintain a subscription to a leading magazine which graces our shelf but is never used. We do not have at our command the power that is in prayer because we have not persevered in prayer.

Jesus taught His disciples, saying, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.” On one occasion after Jesus had ceased praying, His disciples came unto Him and said, “Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” They had seen Jesus at His privet devotions, perhaps they had heard His supplications, and they had seen the effect of prayer in His life and thereby had been made to feel how ineffective they were in their prayer life. Hence they asked to be instructed in the matter; and in response Jesus gave them, both as a model and a form, the beautiful cluster of petitions which we are accustomed to call “The Lord’s Prayer.” Then as some may have mentally interjected the objection, “But we have prayed frequently, and have received no answer,” he told this simple story: it is midnight. A friend has arrived from a distance, and he whose home he has come has nothing set before him. In his extremity he goes to his neighbor, and knocks at his door, states his need and asks for help. But the sleepy response is, “Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are now with me in bed; I can not arise and give thee.” The supplicant is not thus to be denied; so he thunders away shamelessly, even impudently at the door, until in sheer despair of getting any rest in any other way, and simply to get rid of him whom he deems a nuisance, the neighbor arises and gives what he had been asked for.” Then Jesus proceeds to give the Magna Charta of prayer in the familiar words, “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asketh recieveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Then Jesus concludes this teaching on prayer with a comparison between an earthly father’s dealing with his children and that of our heavenly Father: “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?”

This teaching is not intended to present God as a gruff and un-obliging like the neighbor newly roused out of his earliest sleep; neither is it intended to teach that we receive that which we seek if we persist in wearing God with our much asking. This is a parable that teaches by contrast rather than by comparison. We find the key to its truth in the last verses of the lesson. “If the imprudence of that midnight knocker prevailed even with an angry and annoyed man so much, that he arose and gave what was requested, how much more will the humble, reverent, believing and persevering prayer of a true child of God prevail with the infinitely kind and loving Father to whom he makes the petition?” It is not necessary to brow beat God into granting the requests of His children. God is a loving Father who knows how and who desires to give good gifts unto His children.

We are to trust in this truth. Neither the place of prayer, not the manner of prayer, not the frequency of prayer will avail. Prayers are heard and answered not because of these things, but simply because God is a loving Father who loves to give His people that which they request, if it be good for them. The tendency is to place emphasis on the sort of prayer that is offered rather then the fact that all real prayer is offered to a loving God who is better to His people than an earthly parent is to their children.

But some may say, “We have prayed for those things which we feel God would have us have, but yet the answer is not yet forthcoming. How can we reconcile this experience with the unqualified promise? “Ask and ye shall receive, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it will be opened unto you?” Such has been the experience of us all; If God knows how to give, and wants to give, why have we not received?”

Let us remember that we do not give everything that our children ask for when they ask. If your baby asked for a piece of meat, you might desire to give it to your child and you would give, not then but later. Your child wants a two wheeled bicycle and you want him to have it and you give it – not now but afterward. In cases such as these delays in granting the request are necessary. We can’t give unto our children until they are ready, physically and mentally to receive. That which we give today might be harmful, whereas, in a day, a month or a year it would contribute to the well being of the child. God is our Father and if we know to treat our children in this kindly fashion how much more will He treat us so?

One writes: “In my grandmother’s garden a rosebud seemed such a long time un-folding that I grew impatient, wanting to see its color and beauty. I thought we should do something about it, and appealed to grandmother. When she told me to unfold the petals I was thrilled. But after the petals were unfolded there was no beautiful full-blown rose much as I have envisioned. I had destroyed its beauty, and the rose quickly withered and died. Grandmother then explained that it was thus with all things – we must let them unfold in their own way and in their own time. An immediate answer to your prayer might mean an undeveloped flower, an un-ripened fruit.

Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha was ill. The sisters turned to the only source of help they knew. They sent a message to Jesus who was across the Jordan in the region of Peres, saying: “He whom thou lovest is ill.” This is a remarkable prayer, the need was presented but the remedy was not suggested. The sisters knew that the Lord would do what was best. Fortunate is the one who knows where Jesus is and how to reach Him in the hour of need. When the Master received the message He delayed His coming. One has called this a delay in love. If He had returned immediately Lazarus would have been raised from the dead in sickness. But by delaying his return a greater lesson was taught to Mary and Martha and not only to them but to the disciples of all ages, to learn of His power not only over disease but also over death. Because of this delay we know Him not only as the Master of illness but also as the Resurrection and the Life. Very often a delay in the answer to your prayers was a blessing so great that your cup will run over, whereas an immediate answer will result in a smaller blessing.

When we pray and the answer is not immediately forthcoming, what should our attitude be? Shall we become faint hearted, lose our faith in God our Father and cease praying? No, Jesus would teach us to continue on prayer and faint not. When we make our petition know unto God, when we take our burden to the Lord and leave it there in the wisdom and love of God we may be confident that however and whenever it is answered it will be for our greatest good and for His eternal honor and glory.

After the contest on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Elijah the prophet of Jehovah, which contest was won by Elijah when the Lord sent fire from heaven and consumed the drenched sacrifice, Elijah and his servant went on up into the mountain to pray for rain. Elijah prayed and sent his servant to see if a cloud bearing rain was upon the horizon. The servant came back and reported that no cloud was in sight. Again Elijah prayed and again the report was the same; “There is not a cloud in sight. This was repeated six times and after the seventh prayer the servant returned with the news that a cloud bearing rain had appeared on the horizon. God had promised rain, Elijah believed and claiming His promise remained constant in prayer.

Prayer in the life of many a believer is an unexplored field. Its joy and peace, its power and might are unknown. The prayers of faith in a God who is our Father and who loves and desires to give good gifts unto His children can overcome the world. It can work miracles. It availeth much. It is a power so simple that a little child can use. It is a power so tremendous that with it there is nothing that we cannot do, and without it nothing we do has any eternal value or significance. This power is yours if you, disciple of Christ, will “pray and faint not.”

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

First Presbyterian Church, Saint Albans W Va. September 8, 1946

Nearing Home

Nearing Home

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

“The time of my departure is at hand.” A most valiant pilgrim is nearing home. Slowly the moorings are being cast off and the soul of the Apostle Paul will soon be in the Haven of rest. For the average one such an hour would be one of sorrow and sadness. But not with the Apostle, he is in an exultant mood. This is not surprising for we know that death held no fear for Paul. He wrote to his friends at Philippi … Philippians 1:21-23 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better." And again he wrote to the Corinthians, "For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord--we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:1-6, 8)

Looked at with human eyes Paul’s life at this time was a failure. Paul had correctly described himself as the slave of Jesus Christ. Not an abject Roman slave driven by the whip of a cruel and heartless master who could have been made to work as long and hard as Paul worked. He had taxed his body to the most, he had endured persecution and derision from those who should have been his friends, and would have been, if he had not forsaken the religion of his fathers. He had followed the advice he offered Timothy: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” And what had become the outcome of it all? The Churches which had been established were but mere handfuls of Christians in cities over run with pagans. There are countless cities in which no Church had been established. The Churches that had been established have already shown evidence of falling away from their first zeal and enthusiasm. In the eyes of the world his work has the appearance of failure.

Then look at his life in regard to himself. His own personal life in the eyes of the world would be marked a failure. He had given up much and apparently gained little beyond trouble and disgrace. He had given up an honored position in the Jewish Church. No doubt he could have been an honored member of the Sanhedrin, an outstanding Rabbi known and loved by all. His life of tremendous effort had led for the third time to confinement in a Gentile prison, from which nothing but death was likely to release him.

And yet, in spite of all this, as Saint Paul looks back over his life he is exultantly triumphant. This is possible because he looked upon the troubles of the time in light of the glories of eternity. The success or failure of his life is not to be judged by the standards of man, but by the standards of God who had separated him and called him to proclaim the gospel. Thus he is able to testify – 2 Timothy 4:7-8. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." This is not boasting, it is a mere statement of fact. Paul knew his own heart and conscience, it does not condemn. He has been true to the calling of God. His ideal in life was Christ, his goal was to proclaim the gospel, and Christ was his power … "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 4:13) "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Galatians 2:20)

“I have fought the good fight.” The Christian life is ever a fight that goes on, on the battlefield of the soul. There is ever a struggle between good and evil, between right and wrong. Paul give expression to this conflict, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:18-25) This struggle is common to all. It was present in the life of Christ, perhaps on more occasions than we realize, i.e. at the temptation, on the mount of transfiguration, in Gethsemane, during the trial, on the cross, and other occasions. We find it present in our lives, for as Peter says, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

It was a hard struggle for Paul who was looked upon as the leader of the forces of Christ. As the Israelites believed in overthrowing Goliath they could eventually overcome the Philistines, so did the Judaizers feel if Paul were discredited then the whole of the cause of Christ would fall.

The fight that Paul had fought was a good one. The flag was not stained, the Christ of the cross has not been dishonored. Certain skirmishes with the enemy have been lost but not without a struggle.

“I have finished my course.” I have run the race well. Some thirty years ago Paul on the road to Damascus had entered the race of Christianity. From that day onward he has run the race with all his might and strength. He knew what it meant to lay aside every weight – the weight of rich heritage, of pride in rich accomplishments. (Philippians 3) He knew what it meant to run with patience the race set before him. It took great patience – he didn’t make the progress in Christian living as rapidly as he wanted to, and those to whom he ministered often lagged far behind his leadership. He ever kept his eye upon the goal – looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

“I have kept the faith,” I have guarded the treasure well. We have no doubt what Paul meant by the faith, the gospel which God had committed unto him which is able “to make wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.”

How wonderful to come to the end of one’s life secure in the knowledge that he had been true to the faith. There are those who are not true to the faith which was committed to them through word of mouth, or by deed of life and have dishonored it.

The very nature of that faith demanded that it be propagated. It is not to be kept local in the citadel of one’s mind. “We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the Excellency of the power might be of God and not of us.” It would seem to me that also this treasure is in earthen vessels that they might be broken that the light of the gospel might shine.

No wonder that Paul could say: “There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me in that day.”

A.   Reward for services.

B.   Attainment of life’s goal – the righteousness of Christ.

This reward is not for Paul only but them that also long for His appearing. Are we among the number for whom the Lord has a crown of righteousness in store? Are our lives such that we are longing for Christ’s return? If like Paul you know the time of your departure was at hand what would your attitude be? Could we welcome the news of unexpected fulfillment of a long cherished wish that Christ would deliver us out of the miseries of this present life and take us to be with Him? Would it delight us to know that the day of beholding our Savior face to face is near?

The Bible sets before us the crown of righteousness that fadeth not away and the worm that dieth not. Leaning upon God’s unfailing love let us yearn for the coming of the one, that we need never dread the others.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

Jesus our Ideal

Jesus our Ideal

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 2:52)

When I was about your age most of the girls had autograph books in which they would have their teachers and special friends write a few words and sign their names. One verse which appeared in every book I ever saw was this: “Don’t be sharp, don’t be flat, just be natural.” This was excellent advice but few followed it. Why? Because it is natural for young people your age to want to be like somebody else. Young people have heroes whom they attempt to pattern their lives. When you were children you wanted to grow to be like daddy or mommy. They were the heroes of your childhood. But now that you have grown older your heroes have changed. Some of the girls want to be like the great movie actresses. Thus you comb your hair as they do, use the same type of makeup as they do, copy their mode of life and pattern of dress. Other girls choose their school teacher, a nurse, or some outstanding women of the present or past after whom they attempt to mold their life. The boys choose a great football or baseball player, some outstanding character from the pages of history, a movie star, or someone whom they know. It is very natural for you young people to want to pattern your life after someone else.

Since this is the natural characteristic of youth why not choose the highest pattern possible for your life. When you go to the store to choose a dress or suit of clothes you pick the best pattern that you can find for the money. When you go to the store for groceries you buy the best possible for the money that you have. Let me stop here a moment and say this: When you go to choose a movie choose the best movie, when you go to the book shelf to choose a book, choose the best book; when you choose a friend choose the best friend. You feed and clothe your bodies with the best you can find, why not do the same for your mind and spirit? When you are choosing an ideal in which to pattern your life, choose the best. Do not be content with the good or the better, be content only with the best. As Christian young people we are agreed that the life of Jesus was the best life that ever was lived on the face of this earth. A man who did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior of mankind nevertheless, confessed, “Among the sons of men there is none born who is greater than Jesus.” Both the enemies and friends of Jesus admit that He is the best Man that ever lived. If this be so, then Jesus is the one whom we should pattern our lives.

We do not know very much about the early life of Jesus. The writers of the gospel give us many details concerning His birth and infancy. Then they tell us nothing more concerning His life until He was twelve and then we are told about His visit to the Temple, which incident we studied about in our Sunday school lesson about a month ago. For the next eighteen years we know only one thing about His life, He, “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” If we as young people are going to pattern our life after the young man Jesus, we must do the same as He, “increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Let us see what that means.

Jesus increased in wisdom. When He was about six years old He went to school at the synagogue in Nazareth. His teacher was the Rabbi. His textbook was the Old Testament. There are many young people who do not like school. Maybe Jesus was one of those, maybe there were other things He would have liked to have done, but He had to go and He did His lessons faithfully. We know this because in His latter life He showed knowledge of the Old Testament. Young people perhaps you don’t want to go to school, maybe you don’t like your teachers or your subjects; these are things which you can’t change. Why not make the best of it and apply your hearts to the gaining of wisdom. If you don’t do your best in school today, as you grow older you will be sorry. I know from experience.

Jesus increased in wisdom. Jesus gained wisdom not only from the study of textbooks but also from the world around Him. All of nature was His teacher. There is a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to be gained from the world around about us. We can study the trees and the birds, the grasses and the flowers. We can learn much from the people with whom we associate. Study them and learn from them. Jesus learned as He worked by His father’s side in the carpenter shop. We learn much as we do our daily tasks about the home, as we help father and mother. Every experience which you have will be your teacher, if you wish to learn from it.

Jesus increased in stature, He grew physically. His body grew strong as he played childhood games with His playmates, as He strolled in the woods and climbed the hills, as he ate the proper food. Today we hear much about strong and healthy bodies. As our young men were examined for the army it was found that many of them were deficient physically and thus the government is urging the citizens to eat the proper food, get sufficient rest, take correct exercise. It is necessary that we take care of ourselves, physically, for as Paul says,” know you not that the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit.” What an honor it is to that the Spirit of God residing within you. Again Paul says,”ye are the Temple of the living God.” If God lives in us we are to keep bodies fit residence for Him. We will not contaminate it with evil habits. When a jeweler seals a watch, a fine pearl or diamond he puts it into a fine case made of the best silk satin, wood, metal or glass. These cases glorify the precious gifts which are placed within them. Jewelers never think of enclosing a rare gift in a soiled case. Then glorify God with your body which is the case for His gift.

Jesus increased in favor with God. He grew spiritually. How does one grow in favor with another? How do we grow in favor with our father and mother? By doing what they want us to do. By being faithful and obedient children. Jesus did what God wanted Him to do, He said,” Know ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Young people don’t be so busy growing in wisdom, in stature, in popularity that you fail to grow spiritually. At all times strive to do God’s will for you. He has things the He wants you to do, seek to find what it is. If you don’t grow spiritually as well as these other ways then your character, your personality becomes lopsided. One of the best ways I know to grow spiritually is to daily read your Bible and pray to your Father in heaven. I wish that every young person here might do that. As you do that, God will show you what He wants you to do and will give you the strength to do it. Let us develop our spiritual life, that we like Jesus may “increase in favor with God,” that we may definitely be on God’s side. The other night on the radio a young high school student from North Carolina said this, “It is not so necessary for us to have God on our side as it is that we be on His side.”

Jesus increased in favor with man. He grew socially. All of you want to be popular, to be liked by your friends. One of the best ways I know to do this is to live and do for others. That was the secret of Jesus’ popularity. He came to be the servant of mankind. He constantly went about doing good, helping the poor and needy and thus people flocked to Him. The rule of our life should be: God first, others second, self last. If you follow this rule, you will grow not only in favor with God but also with man. The life of the Christian is the unselfish life, which is why real Christians are the best thought of in the community.

As we close, let us notice that Jesus increased, “in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” He didn’t stand still, He moved on, He grew. Seven year old Johnny was tired of the merry go round. When he was six it had fascinated him and he couldn’t ride on it enough. Now that he was seven a single ride satisfied him. His grandfather asked him if he didn’t want another ride, “No thank you Grandfather,’ he said, “You see, we ride and ride, but we stay under that old tent all the time. I guess when you get to be seven years old there’re to big to care about going and going that doesn’t get anywhere.” We are too old to go and go and not get anywhere. As you apply all your energies and talents to the art of living you want to grow mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. But how can you grow? How can you grow as Jesus did? How can you grow to be like Him?

There was a man in New York who had visited Hofmann the great artist, just after Hofmann had finished painting the picture of Jesus in the Temple. He gave the New York man the first copy. The man kept the picture on his desk. There came to his office one day an outstanding judge. He was attracted by the picture and sat there looking at it. Later in the morning the judge came back and said, “I want to see that picture again.” He was invited to sit and sat there for over an hour gazing at the picture. In the afternoon he came back and said, “I would like to see the picture of the boy once more.” The owner gave it to him and said, “Go into my privet office and look at is as long as you desire.” He did so and after some time he came back and laid the picture down, and with tears running down his cheeks said, “The boy has conquered me.” The man went out from the room with a picture of the boy lingering in his mind, and the power of that boy transforming his life.

 How can you grow like Jesus grew? Keep Him constantly before you. Remember, to grow tall is good, to grow wise is better, but to grow like Jesus is best of all.

Dr. Robert W Kirkpatrick

Hobbs Chapel April 16, 1944