When Christ Prayed For His Children
John 17:11-24
C:\JAMMC-2010\ChristPrayerJn17.SER.wpd July 11, 2010
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 "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. NKJV
1. He Prayed For Our . . Secure Salvation. 17:11
A. Securely Kept . . By The Lord. 17:11-12
11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
B. Securely Kept . . With The Joy Of The Lord. 17:13
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the
world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Illustration
Lady told me Thursday I am afraid I can’t stick with the Lifestyle of a Christian. I told her about the Holy Spirit coming into a person that acknowledges Jesus as Lord.
C. Securely Kept . . From The Evil One. 17:13-15
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the
world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
Illustration
In the most tragic of life events a Christian in the midst of sorrow will have the joy of the Lord. There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness depends on happenings. Joy depends on a relationship with the Lord.
Application
Jesus prayed for our spiritual security
2. He Prayed For Our . . Sanctification. 17:17-19
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As
You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
A. Sanctification . . Through His Truth.
John 1:14 & 17 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, NKJV
Rom 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. NKJV
John 14:6 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. NKJV
B. Sanctification . . Through His Word.
Ps 119:9-11 9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word. 10 With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You. NKJV
Psalms 119:11 (Life Application Bible.).
Hiding (keeping) God's Word in our hearts is a deterrent to sin. This alone should inspire us to memorize Scripture. But memorization alone will not keep us from sin; we must also put God's Word to work in our lives, making it a vital guide for everything we do.
Illustration In Contrast John 8:44
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. NKJV
Application
Jesus Prayed for us to be separated by and for the truth.
3. He Prayed For The . . Salvation Of All. 17:20-21
20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will
believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Notice:
A. Their Condition—“Non Believers"
20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will
believe in Me through their word;
B. Their Position—“The World"
21c “. . . that the world may believe that You sent Me.
C. Their Solution—“May Believe".
Luke 19:10 Tells Us—
“For the Son of Man Is Come to Seek and to Save That Which Was Lost."
Illustration
Thursday Morning I had to be at the Medical Center to have a Echo Cardiogram. I have had a half a dozen or so of those things. The technician who did this for me talk more than any I had ever had. She was a very open person and she was interesting.
I complemented her and asked her if she was a Christian. She said yes but probably not in the way you call somebody a Christian.
I asked what do you mean? She explained she was born in Germany and went to elementary school there and was taught Christianity. So I asked if she had ever made a commitment of her life to Jesus. She said no. I asked if she knew what I was talking about, And she said, “yes.” I asked her how do you know about that, she said I went to school at SMS and on Friday night at midnight they have an evangelistic service and I went several times.
I then asked her if she believed in heaven and hell. She said oh yes. I asked her then where was she going when she died. She said heaven. I asked how are you going to go to heaven. She said “I am a good person and I do nice things for people.
I then asked her well answer me this question: Why did Jesus die on a cross if we can get to heaven by our own good deeds. She stared at me for a moment and said, “I have never thought of that before.” I told her to think about it, and she said I will.
She is the daughter in law of John Owen who was the pastor of FBC Cape Girardeau. I told her I wanted her to call me when she made her decision for Christ. She said she would.
I should have told her about surrender as it is in the conclusion.
Application
Jesus Prayed for all who did not believe 2,000 years ago. That includes me. That includes You.
4. He Prayed For . . Spiritual Unity. 17:21-23
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
A. THE . . IMPORTANCE OF UNITY.
Four times our Lord in this prayer mentions unity (vv. 11, 21, 22, 23). So it must be important to Him!
v 11 that they may be one as We are.
v 21
v 22-23 that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one,
Note What God Hates: Prov 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren. NKJV
Amos 3:3 asks the question—“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” The obvious answer is NO.
B. THE . . IDENTIFICATION OF UNITY. Jn. 17:23
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
1. We are In Christ.
23a I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, . . . “
Illustration
Recently a pastor called me and asked me what I might do in a particular situation. It seems there is a woman in the church wanting to be like the Biblical character Diotrephes. That finally resulted in a youth cussing out the pastor.
Brethren that ought not to be and would not be if Christ’s Prayer was heeded.
3 John 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. NKJV
Application
Christ Prayed for Unity.
5. He Prayed For Us To . . Share Heaven. John 17:24
24 "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.
A. THE . . PLACE WE LOOK FOR.
“. . . may be with Me where I am,. . .”
1. John 14:1-3
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God,
believe also in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many
mansions;* if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you.* 3 And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I
am, there you may be also. NKJV
B. THE . . PERSON WE LONG FOR.
“. . . that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; “
Conclusion I should share this with the cardeo technician
After a splendid victory at sea, Lord Nelson confronted the French admiral who was surrendering. The admiral, dressed in all of his regalia, approached Nelson to surrender. With his sword swinging by his side, the admiral put out his hand to the British commander. Lord Nelson stepped back and said, "Your sword first."
There are a lot of people who think they can walk up and glad-hand the Lord Jesus Christ. He says, "Your sword first." Surrender first! Jesus is not an appeaser, and He will never make a truce with sin. Never! We have to abdicate the throne. We have to surrender to Him.