WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.080 Our sermon text this morning is the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verses 20 through 26. 00:00:07.520 --> 00:00:13.060 Let me invite you to turn there with me. For the past few months, we've been walking through 00:00:13.060 --> 00:00:18.660 chapters 13 through 17 of John's Gospel. We've been taking it section by section, word by word, 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.839 to hear what God is saying to us today through what we've come to call in these chapters Jesus' 00:00:23.080 --> 00:00:29.120 upper room or his farewell discourse. And chapter 17 is Jesus' prayer at the end of this discourse, 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:34.700 sometimes called his high priestly prayer. And today we come to the conclusion of that prayer. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:39.539 So we're going to read together how Jesus concludes this farewell discourse as a whole 00:00:39.539 --> 00:00:46.000 and his high priestly prayer in particular. But before we do that, let me pray for us as we come 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:53.520 to God's Word. God, we ask for your Holy Spirit to come and give light to our hearts, to our minds, 00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:57.460 as we come to your Word. Lord, help us not just to be hearers of your Word, 00:00:57.460 --> 00:01:00.939 but to be doers as well. For Jesus' sake, amen. 00:01:02.380 --> 00:01:05.599 All right, John 17, verses 20 through 26. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:07.540 Jesus prays, 00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:13.660 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 00:01:14.380 --> 00:01:21.340 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, 00:01:22.060 --> 00:01:28.820 so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me, I have given 00:01:28.819 --> 00:01:36.459 to them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may become 00:01:36.459 --> 00:01:42.479 perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them, even as you love me. 00:01:44.259 --> 00:01:49.139 Father, I desire that they also whom you have given me may be with me where I am, 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:54.459 to see my glory that you have given me, because you love me before the foundation of the world. 00:01:54.459 --> 00:02:01.379 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you 00:02:01.379 --> 00:02:08.959 have sent me. I may know to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love 00:02:08.959 --> 00:02:13.879 with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them. 00:02:16.519 --> 00:02:22.599 Well, when you hear that someone you care about, or when you hear that someone you admire 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:28.579 is thinking of you, that can be pretty powerful, can't it? I remember when I was in, when I was a 00:02:28.579 --> 00:02:33.199 ministry intern many years ago, I remember getting a handwritten note from the senior pastor at the 00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:37.560 time, and it was a simple note. It said nothing more than just, I'm praying for you, I'm encouraged 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:42.819 by you and by your ministry and what God's doing through you. It wasn't anything fancy, but for me, 00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:49.299 it was significant. It was encouraging. It was empowering, even. Maybe you've had a similar 00:02:49.300 --> 00:02:54.480 experience. Maybe an older colleague at work that you look up to drops you an email and says, 00:02:54.580 --> 00:02:59.840 hey, I hope you're doing well. Keep up the good work. Or maybe your spouse texts you in the middle 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:03.620 of the day just to say that they're praying for you because they know that you've had a hectic day. 00:03:04.939 --> 00:03:08.939 Or perhaps it's a friend from church who tells you at small group that they had you in mind a lot 00:03:08.939 --> 00:03:13.020 this week and prayed for you and for that request you shared the last time you met, and they've 00:03:13.020 --> 00:03:17.720 been wondering how you've been going, how you've been doing. These things can be powerful. 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:23.479 I know one pastor who early in his ministry got a personal letter from John Stott, the great English 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:27.979 pastor and author, encouraging him, spurring him on, and that letter, as you can imagine, 00:03:28.060 --> 00:03:35.979 became something of a cherished thing to this pastor. Now, as we turn to John 17, we see that 00:03:35.979 --> 00:03:43.479 something even more powerful is going on. In verse 20, it's not just a colleague or a spouse or a friend 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:49.840 who's thinking and praying specifically for you. It's the Lord Jesus himself. 00:03:51.399 --> 00:03:58.359 As he says, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:04.799 Now, Jesus began this prayer in chapter 17, praying for himself in verses 1 through 5, 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:09.679 and then praying for his apostles in verses 6 through 19. That's who he's referring to in the 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:13.900 first part of verse 20 when he says, I'm not just praying for these only. That's the apostles sitting 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:17.720 there right in front of him. But you see that Jesus isn't just praying for those apostles sitting 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:23.019 right there in front of him. Jesus looks ahead. He looks ahead to all those who will believe in him 00:04:23.019 --> 00:04:30.800 through that apostolic word. He looks ahead to the church that will be formed by that life-giving 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:36.280 proclamation of the cross, not just in the first generation, but on and on, down through the 00:04:36.279 --> 00:04:42.119 generations. As the apostolic gospel reverberates through history, calling men and women from every 00:04:42.119 --> 00:04:48.419 tribe and tongue and nation, this message of reconciliation between God and humanity through 00:04:48.419 --> 00:04:56.099 the death and resurrection of Jesus, Jesus looks ahead and he sees that church and he prays for them. 00:04:58.159 --> 00:05:06.019 And that means that this prayer of Jesus is for us too, for our church. And it's for you. 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:16.179 If you've come to place your trust in Christ. Consider that. The Lord of heaven, the world's true king, 00:05:16.579 --> 00:05:25.579 the center of all real spirituality and human flourishing, he thought of you and prayed for you 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:33.679 before you even came into being. What a wonderful and what a humbling thought 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:41.579 that on the night before he was betrayed, Jesus thought of Trinity Baptist Church and all the churches 00:05:41.579 --> 00:05:50.120 and you. In his divine knowledge, he held us all in his heart, seeing us together and individually 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:51.879 and prayed for us. 00:05:51.879 --> 00:06:00.219 Over the past year as a family, we've been reading a series of books called The Wingfeather Saga. It's a 00:06:00.219 --> 00:06:05.800 fantasy series by Andrew Peterson. And at one point in the story, the central characters, who are these 00:06:05.800 --> 00:06:11.719 three young children, they discover personal letters from their father who had died many years ago. And as 00:06:11.719 --> 00:06:18.519 they read these letters that were directed to sort of each one of them, it was life-changing to know that 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:26.240 their father had thought of them and had written sort of to their future selves, calling forth in them, 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:30.240 calling out the good in them, and inviting them to live into their calling. 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:39.000 That's a bit of what Jesus is doing here. He's looking at us and he's praying for us. 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:45.720 So we know that we're not alone and we're not forgotten. Our king has been praying for us. Our king 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:53.500 has been praying for you before we even came to be. So why don't we see what Jesus prays for us? 00:06:53.939 --> 00:07:00.040 And let's find out what his desire is for us so that we can live into it and be encouraged that he's with 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:06.100 us in it. Now there are two big requests here at the end of chapter 17. And we're going to look at 00:07:06.100 --> 00:07:09.819 both of those requests and we're going to spend a little more time on the first one and then we're 00:07:09.819 --> 00:07:15.500 going to kind of wrap up and conclude on the second one. So as we consider Jesus' prayer, we see first 00:07:15.500 --> 00:07:23.340 that he prays for our unity. He prays for our unity as a church. Let's read again verses 20 through 21. 00:07:23.980 --> 00:07:27.780 I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 00:07:27.779 --> 00:07:35.000 that they may all be one. Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, 00:07:35.119 --> 00:07:41.679 so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Now Jesus knew that one of the great challenges 00:07:41.679 --> 00:07:50.019 the church would face is division. Now how did Jesus know that? Well think about it. The plan 00:07:50.019 --> 00:07:55.439 from the beginning was to redeem a people from every tribe and tongue and nation and bring them 00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:01.839 together into a multinational, multi-ethnic, globe-spanning people of God. After all, 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.740 remember what God told Abraham at the very beginning of the plan of redemption? Through 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:11.860 your offspring, all the nations would be blessed. In the church, Jew and Gentile, young and old, 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:18.060 rich and poor, educated and uneducated, they would all come into the family of God on equal footing by 00:08:18.060 --> 00:08:29.100 grace. The church is the one place in the world where natural enemies come together in a bond of 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:37.179 peace and are called to live as brothers and sisters, children of God. And Jesus knew that that wasn't 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:46.200 going to be easy. So our good shepherd prays for us. Now there's been a lot of discussion about what 00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:52.020 sort of unity Jesus is talking about here. Is it an institutional unity? Is it doctrinal? Is it 00:08:52.020 --> 00:08:58.100 missiological? Well, let's look at what Jesus has to say. Again, verse 21, that they may all be one, 00:08:58.400 --> 00:09:05.520 just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us. In other words, Jesus is 00:09:05.520 --> 00:09:13.080 saying that our unity is going to be modeled after the Trinitarian relationship of God the Father and God 00:09:13.080 --> 00:09:19.680 the Son. Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, they may also be in us. And right off the bat, 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:26.759 that means that it's going to be a unity that displays a whole lot of diversity. After all, 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:33.940 the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Father. Though they are one God, they are different 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:41.300 persons. So that means that not every Christian and not every local assembly and not every association 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:48.299 of local churches or denomination needs to be exactly the same. There will be diversity in 00:09:48.299 --> 00:09:58.979 the church, and that's okay. But in that diversity, there will be unity. So what does that unity consist 00:09:58.979 --> 00:10:04.319 in? Well, the Father and the Son, though different persons, are one in essence, and that's true of the 00:10:04.319 --> 00:10:09.439 church. Every genuine believer is a member of the one body of Christ. And no matter how fractured 00:10:09.440 --> 00:10:17.440 and discordant the visible church becomes, we are still one, brothers and sisters indwelled by the 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:28.200 one Holy Spirit. But how is the unity meant to be expressed, meant to be lived out? How is the unity 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:35.840 between the Father and the Son expressed and lived out? Well, looking through John's gospel is a great way 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:41.200 to see that. And as we look through John's gospel, consider what we've seen. Consider that first, 00:10:41.340 --> 00:10:48.500 we've seen that there's a unity of mission. The Father, remember, sends the Son, and the Son comes 00:10:48.500 --> 00:10:54.080 to do the will of the Father. All that the Father does, the Son does likewise. In the triune God, 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:58.840 there's a unity of mission. And Jesus prays that the church would have that same kind of unity 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:05.060 together on mission to glorify God, to share the gospel to the ends of the earth, to love our 00:11:05.060 --> 00:11:11.420 neighbors as ourselves, to be animated by that same goal, the same desire to see the nations 00:11:11.420 --> 00:11:16.620 worshiping the one true God, to see the world, even our enemies, come to know the grace of God 00:11:16.620 --> 00:11:23.680 in the Lord Jesus Christ and be born anew. Within all our diversity as Christians, as churches, 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:31.919 Jesus wants us to have a unity of mission. Think of an ancient ship. You know, not everyone on an 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:36.319 ancient ship or an ancient boat had the same task, right? Some of them sat up in the lookout, 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:42.099 some of them turned the wheel, some of them hoisted the sails, but the mission was the same. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:46.379 Cross the ocean, reach the harbor, make it home. 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:55.120 And as a church, we want to keep reminding ourselves of our common Christ-given mission, 00:11:55.120 --> 00:12:00.399 to reach the lost and make disciples of all nations, to love our neighbors, 00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:06.100 and to glorify our King with all that we say and do. That's how the ship keeps sailing. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:13.500 But in the Trinity, there's not just a unity of mission, right? There's also a unity of love. 00:12:13.500 --> 00:12:19.440 You can't read John's gospel for long until you hear again and again about the Father's love for 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:24.740 the Son and the Son's love for the Father. Their mutual indwelling, the Father and the Son, 00:12:24.820 --> 00:12:30.879 the Son and the Father, is an indwelling of love. So Jesus' prayer is that we too would have this 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:39.919 unity of love amongst ourselves as a church. Consider 1 Corinthians 13. Believe it or not, 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:44.079 that passage was not written for a wedding. It was written to a local church that was actually 00:12:44.079 --> 00:12:50.759 splintering apart. And when Paul writes the letters of 1 Corinthians, he says, 00:12:50.860 --> 00:13:01.599 your failure of unity is at root a failure of love. But then he says, listen, love is patient and kind. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:10.000 Love does not envy or boast. It's not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. 00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:17.000 It's not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 00:13:18.060 --> 00:13:23.940 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 00:13:23.940 --> 00:13:31.820 A church without love is kind of like a fireplace without a fire. It's just a bunch of logs stacked 00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:38.700 on top of each other. No one wants to be a part of that, right? You know, the ship might be sailing 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:44.880 toward the harbor, but if all of the crew are just biting and devouring one another, what's the point? 00:13:46.140 --> 00:13:48.620 Paul will say as much at the end of Galatians, if you remember. 00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:54.419 So Jesus prays that we wouldn't just have a unity of mission, but have a unity of love, 00:13:55.060 --> 00:13:57.240 just like the Father and the Son love one another. 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:05.820 But next, there's also what we might call a unity of truth. A unity of truth. Jesus often says, 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:11.060 you know, you'll remember this from John's Gospel. Jesus often says, I only speak what the Father has 00:14:11.060 --> 00:14:16.060 given me to speak. And the opening chapter of John shows us that all that the Father has to say 00:14:16.059 --> 00:14:24.359 is expressed in the Son, the Logos, the Word of God. Jesus is the perfect embodiment of the truth 00:14:24.359 --> 00:14:30.519 and wisdom and message of God. In the Trinity, then, there's perfect unity, not just of mission 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:38.899 and love, but a perfect unity of truth. And Jesus' prayer is that we, the church, might be unified in 00:14:38.899 --> 00:14:45.319 our understanding of the truth, in our understanding of God's Word. So that means we have to come back 00:14:45.320 --> 00:14:52.720 again and again to the Scriptures. And we have to humble ourselves. And we have to read. And we have 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:57.620 to listen to one another. And we have to listen to what the church has said about the Word of God 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:03.580 that's come before us. And we have to be willing for the Bible to challenge us and to challenge our 00:15:03.580 --> 00:15:09.400 hearts and to challenge our traditions. And where Scripture is clear, we must be clear. 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:18.259 And where Scripture is less clear, we have greater room for diversity in the family of God. 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:24.340 So where Scripture is clear, we're clear. And where there's less clarity, there's more room for 00:15:24.340 --> 00:15:33.279 diversity. Not every matter is a deal-breaker. You know, historically, think of the Protestant 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:40.379 Reformation. For the Reformers, the Scriptures were very clear. We are saved by grace alone, 00:15:40.839 --> 00:15:48.079 through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. Our works contribute nothing 00:15:48.079 --> 00:15:54.379 to our justification, to our right standing before God. That is the clear teaching of Scripture. 00:15:55.839 --> 00:16:00.939 But that wasn't something that the medieval Catholic Church was willing to concede. 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:05.500 So they drove the Reformed churches out, and the unity was broken. 00:16:08.020 --> 00:16:11.940 Now, I think there are two perspectives that we have to keep on such broken unity. 00:16:13.580 --> 00:16:21.460 On the one hand, we have to admit it was a bit of a triumph of courage to stand on the Word of God 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:28.980 on a matter so central to the gospel and so clearly revealed, even at great cost, to undergo that pain 00:16:28.980 --> 00:16:36.300 of division. It was a triumph of courage. And yet, at the same time, was it not heartbreaking 00:16:36.300 --> 00:16:41.000 that the whole church could not come to see and to believe that truth together? 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:47.460 That's why, despite all their fiery rhetoric at times, the Reformers' hearts were broken 00:16:47.460 --> 00:16:50.480 by the brokenness of the Bride of Christ. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:57.560 And with broken hearts, they underwent division because God's Word was so clear. 00:17:00.560 --> 00:17:07.579 But we have to admit, of course, that there are many things in Scripture that are not as clear 00:17:07.579 --> 00:17:14.480 or as central to the gospel as justification by faith alone. Consider again 1 Corinthians, right? 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:21.740 Some Christians, reading their Bibles, wanting to be faithful to Jesus, considered that eating meat 00:17:21.740 --> 00:17:27.920 sacrificed to idols ought to be forbidden. After all, as Christians, we reject idol worship, 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:34.400 so we're not going to eat that meat. But other Christians, reading their Bibles, wanting to be 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:39.500 faithful to Jesus, considered that eating meat sacrificed to idols wasn't a big deal. After all, 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:46.460 as Christians, we know that idols are literally nothing but wood and stone. What's to be afraid of? 00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:55.440 Who cares if we eat that meat? Now, if you're interested in how Paul parses this out in detail, 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:59.420 you can go home and you can read 1 Corinthians 8 through 10. That would be a really fun read this 00:17:59.420 --> 00:18:05.299 afternoon. But you'll notice right off the bat that Paul doesn't come to this issue and simply say, 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:10.259 one side's right, one side's wrong, here's the winner, here's the loser, we're done here. 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:19.839 No. What does Paul do on this issue that's not so clear? He urges them to love one another. 00:18:21.859 --> 00:18:28.919 You think you have the right to eat meat sacrificed to idols? Okay. But out of love, 00:18:29.139 --> 00:18:35.220 are you willing to lay down that right to worship with your brothers and sisters and not 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:39.120 offend them in the same way that Christ laid down his rights for you? 00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:51.160 At the same time, you think eating sacrifice to idols is a sin. Okay. But in love, are you willing 00:18:51.160 --> 00:18:56.019 not to judge or think the worst of your brothers and sisters who think differently than you? 00:18:56.019 --> 00:19:02.539 Are you willing to love them? Are you willing to love them and think the best of them? 00:19:04.359 --> 00:19:10.059 So Paul admonishes mutual respect and love in the midst of difference. 00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:18.859 There's an old saying that goes, in what is essential, unity. In what is non-essential, 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:24.980 liberty. In all things, charity. In what is essential, unity. In what is essential, unity. 00:19:24.980 --> 00:19:29.360 In what is non-essential, liberty. In all things, charity. 00:19:31.460 --> 00:19:36.019 Now, it's no surprise that the last 18 months have presented many challenges to church unity, 00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:41.579 have they not? Right now, we're in the midst of trying to navigate the ongoing realities of COVID 00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:46.819 as a church family. And we don't all come to the same conclusions on what we think is best. 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:53.120 You know, there's lots of different opinions about masks and how do we love our neighbor and what 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:56.599 does this mean about our personal rights? And all these things are really good conversations. 00:19:58.939 --> 00:20:01.439 But the reality is, is that we don't always all agree. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:11.219 But even through all of our differences, I think we can all agree that we're ready for this to be 00:20:11.219 --> 00:20:13.719 done, right? So we've got some common ground. 00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:18.860 But you know, in the midst of us trying to work this through together, 00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:28.319 in the meantime, perhaps we need to pause and remember that our Lord Jesus is praying for us. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:38.179 And we need to take confidence in that. Our Savior sees us. He sees the hardship. 00:20:38.839 --> 00:20:40.879 And He's advocating for us with the Father. 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:48.619 And we need to remember that what's at stake in our unity is our witness to the world. 00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:53.759 Look again at the end of verse 21. Jesus prays that we would be one 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:57.400 so that the world may believe that you, Father, have sent me. 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:04.400 If the world can see a place where, despite our differences, and some of them are profound, 00:21:05.059 --> 00:21:11.059 there can still be a unity expressed in love, maybe, just maybe, the world might think that 00:21:11.059 --> 00:21:14.940 there's something to this Jesus thing that we can't find in the world. 00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:23.940 And in our love for one another, maybe they'll see that there's only one real explanation. 00:21:25.299 --> 00:21:31.140 The reason why we love one another, despite differences, is because we've been given a love 00:21:31.140 --> 00:21:34.220 that transcends everything this world has to offer. 00:21:35.980 --> 00:21:38.259 Look again at the end of verse 23. Jesus says, 00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:51.180 Our unified love for each other is a sign that points not to us and to how great we are, 00:21:51.339 --> 00:21:55.140 but it points above to God and to His love for us. 00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:58.559 Because we love one another because He first loved us. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:07.220 You see, in this prayer for unity, Jesus points us to a provision. 00:22:08.740 --> 00:22:12.319 How do we do this? How do we actually stay unified through our differences? 00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:16.960 What provision has Christ provided to make it possible for us to stick together? 00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:18.799 Look at verse 23. He says, 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:24.460 The glory that you, Father, have given me, I have given to them, 00:22:25.139 --> 00:22:27.980 that they may be one, even as we are one. 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:34.039 In order that we might be one, Jesus has given us what He calls glory. 00:22:35.700 --> 00:22:39.000 The glory He received from the Father. 00:22:39.319 --> 00:22:42.419 He's given it to us free of charge. 00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:49.299 Now, what is this glory that's meant to help us stick together through thick and thin? 00:22:51.179 --> 00:22:55.480 What is this beauty, this prize that Christ gives to all who believe? 00:22:55.480 --> 00:22:59.940 You know, I've been thinking a lot about that this week. 00:23:00.620 --> 00:23:03.779 What is this glory that Jesus has bestowed on us from the Father? 00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:11.279 And eventually, I came back to John chapter 1, the opening of John's Gospel. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:14.500 Remember verse 14 where it says, 00:23:14.500 --> 00:23:20.819 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. 00:23:21.480 --> 00:23:22.799 And what glory is that? 00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:28.500 Glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:33.599 In other words, the glory is a glory of sonship. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:37.539 And how does this glory come to us? 00:23:38.539 --> 00:23:40.579 Well, consider again chapter 1, verse 12. 00:23:40.679 --> 00:23:44.099 To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, 00:23:44.579 --> 00:23:46.619 He gave the right to become children of God. 00:23:48.879 --> 00:23:52.719 That glory of the Son of God, the only Son of the Father, 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:55.279 now rests on you. 00:23:55.279 --> 00:24:00.720 Because you, through Him, are now sons and daughters of God, 00:24:01.160 --> 00:24:03.519 filled with the very Holy Spirit of God. 00:24:05.619 --> 00:24:07.220 The glory is now on us. 00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:16.259 But brothers and sisters, consider how that glory came to us. 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:22.879 And consider what cost it took for that glory to become ours. 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:26.879 The Word became flesh. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:32.559 He laid aside all of His glory and all of His rights, 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:34.559 and He hung naked on a tree, 00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:38.799 so that sinners under the wrath of God might be forgiven. 00:24:39.019 --> 00:24:42.980 And not just forgiven, but welcomed into the family of God 00:24:42.980 --> 00:24:44.519 as beloved daughters and sons. 00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:49.599 The Son of God died for you to be in this family. 00:24:52.759 --> 00:24:56.240 So how could we not make every effort 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:59.599 to maintain the unity of the Spirit 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.519 and the bond of peace, as Paul says? 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:05.240 You know, when we look at the cross again, 00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:06.220 when we look at Jesus, 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:09.059 when we look at the glory that's come to us through Jesus, 00:25:09.839 --> 00:25:11.379 how could we not make every effort? 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:12.220 Of course we will. 00:25:12.220 --> 00:25:14.559 How could it be otherwise? 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:19.299 If we be who we are, 00:25:19.960 --> 00:25:22.600 if we live out of that identity 00:25:22.600 --> 00:25:24.799 as the sons and daughters of God, 00:25:24.839 --> 00:25:27.160 we will be perfectly one, as Jesus says. 00:25:27.579 --> 00:25:28.980 We might not always agree, 00:25:29.980 --> 00:25:33.180 but that need not steal our unity of mission 00:25:33.180 --> 00:25:35.680 and love and essential truth. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:40.779 So Jesus prays first for our unity. 00:25:42.360 --> 00:25:43.279 Now, given the time, 00:25:43.340 --> 00:25:44.940 we have to cover Jesus' second prayer 00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:46.180 in just a couple of minutes, 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:47.440 but we're going to look at it. 00:25:47.480 --> 00:25:48.980 In verses 24 through 26, 00:25:49.120 --> 00:25:50.060 Jesus prays second. 00:25:50.600 --> 00:25:52.039 He prays for our perseverance. 00:25:52.840 --> 00:25:53.940 He prays for our perseverance. 00:25:54.140 --> 00:25:55.600 Look with me at verse 24. 00:25:56.460 --> 00:25:56.940 Jesus prays, 00:25:56.940 --> 00:26:08.420 Now, what is Jesus praying for here? 00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:10.880 How do we put it in other words? 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:13.960 He's praying that you and I will run the race 00:26:13.960 --> 00:26:16.299 and in the end be with him in glory 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:17.960 and see him face to face. 00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:19.420 In other words, 00:26:19.460 --> 00:26:21.620 he is praying that we will persevere, 00:26:22.380 --> 00:26:24.340 that we won't let the distractions 00:26:24.340 --> 00:26:25.539 and the discouragements 00:26:25.539 --> 00:26:27.620 run our ship against the rocks, 00:26:27.819 --> 00:26:29.579 but that with our eyes set on him 00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:31.259 and with the glorious future 00:26:31.259 --> 00:26:32.700 that he has in store for us, 00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:35.880 we will make it the whole way home. 00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:37.819 Father, I'm praying, 00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:40.480 it's my desire that they're with me. 00:26:44.579 --> 00:26:46.279 Did you catch that word desire? 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:50.319 That's a pretty strong word, isn't it? 00:26:52.200 --> 00:26:53.539 Have you ever asked yourself, 00:26:53.740 --> 00:26:56.779 what's my desire at the end of the day? 00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:58.920 What do I really long for? 00:26:59.360 --> 00:27:00.799 What ignites my passion? 00:27:03.340 --> 00:27:05.819 Well, what desires ignite the heart of Christ? 00:27:06.620 --> 00:27:10.019 What desire flows forth from his fully human soul 00:27:10.019 --> 00:27:11.319 in prayer to the Father? 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:15.279 Jesus says his desire is that we 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:17.799 would be with him forever. 00:27:17.960 --> 00:27:22.500 Friends, don't you see how ardently 00:27:22.500 --> 00:27:25.360 the Son of God loves his people, 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:26.319 loves us? 00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:28.240 That's his desire, 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:30.400 that we would be with him 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:32.019 for eternity 00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:33.660 and bask in his glory. 00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:37.220 And in verses 25 through 26, 00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:40.240 we're told that Jesus hasn't just made God known 00:27:40.240 --> 00:27:41.500 at some point in the past 00:27:41.500 --> 00:27:42.620 so that we can be with him, 00:27:42.619 --> 00:27:43.759 but no, 00:27:43.819 --> 00:27:45.779 he'll continue to make God known 00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:47.519 on and on and on. 00:27:48.339 --> 00:27:51.059 Jesus will continue to reveal God to us 00:27:51.059 --> 00:27:54.619 and he will finish the work that he started. 00:27:55.639 --> 00:27:57.159 He who began a good work in you 00:27:57.159 --> 00:27:58.539 will carry it on to completion 00:27:58.539 --> 00:27:59.519 until that day 00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:01.419 when we see him face to face. 00:28:01.419 --> 00:28:02.000 Jesus says, 00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:03.939 I'll continue to do the work 00:28:03.940 --> 00:28:06.700 of revealing the Father's name to you 00:28:06.700 --> 00:28:08.320 so that you can know the love 00:28:08.320 --> 00:28:10.660 and so that you can go all the way with me. 00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:15.580 So Jesus prays, 00:28:16.360 --> 00:28:17.340 prays for our unity 00:28:17.340 --> 00:28:19.539 and he prays for our perseverance. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:23.019 His desire is that we would be one 00:28:23.019 --> 00:28:24.799 and that we would be with him forever. 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:26.680 So friends, 00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:27.339 as we conclude, 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:28.339 first, 00:28:28.639 --> 00:28:30.299 I think we ought to be encouraged. 00:28:31.259 --> 00:28:32.759 We might feel divided as a church. 00:28:32.879 --> 00:28:34.440 We might feel that there's a lot of distraction 00:28:34.440 --> 00:28:36.079 and encouragement as we run the race, 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:37.899 but the Lord Jesus is 00:28:37.899 --> 00:28:38.879 and has 00:28:38.879 --> 00:28:40.359 and will be praying for us. 00:28:40.460 --> 00:28:41.980 He is still our great physician, 00:28:42.399 --> 00:28:43.119 our good shepherd, 00:28:43.419 --> 00:28:45.859 and our merciful and faithful high priest 00:28:45.859 --> 00:28:47.399 and nothing's going to change that 00:28:47.399 --> 00:28:48.519 no matter what comes. 00:28:48.819 --> 00:28:50.159 We can be deeply encouraged. 00:28:52.399 --> 00:28:53.079 And second, 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:55.159 having heard the desires of Christ 00:28:55.159 --> 00:28:55.859 in this passage, 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:57.460 having heard about Christ's own heart 00:28:57.460 --> 00:28:58.659 expressed in prayer 00:28:58.659 --> 00:28:59.539 for our unity 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:00.399 and our perseverance, 00:29:00.720 --> 00:29:02.119 I think we have to ask ourselves, 00:29:02.419 --> 00:29:05.720 do I share those desires with our Lord? 00:29:07.019 --> 00:29:08.619 And do I make them my prayer? 00:29:09.899 --> 00:29:11.599 Do I long for unity 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:13.599 and do I pray for it? 00:29:14.779 --> 00:29:16.779 Do I long for my brothers and sisters 00:29:16.779 --> 00:29:18.579 to see Christ face to face 00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:19.599 and do I pray for that? 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:23.099 I think we're being invited here 00:29:23.099 --> 00:29:24.899 to make the desires of Christ 00:29:24.899 --> 00:29:26.000 our own desires. 00:29:27.619 --> 00:29:29.459 Ask the Father to give you 00:29:29.459 --> 00:29:30.599 through the Holy Spirit 00:29:30.599 --> 00:29:31.859 the heart of Christ. 00:29:33.939 --> 00:29:36.459 You know, if Jesus was fully human 00:29:36.459 --> 00:29:37.339 and without sin, 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:38.259 and that is true, 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:39.959 then that means his desires 00:29:39.959 --> 00:29:41.980 were the fullest and truest 00:29:41.980 --> 00:29:44.139 and most flourishing of human desires. 00:29:44.140 --> 00:29:47.660 May we share those desires too 00:29:47.660 --> 00:29:48.720 and know what it means 00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:49.820 to be fully human. 00:29:53.460 --> 00:29:55.120 Third, amidst all the ups and downs 00:29:55.120 --> 00:29:56.020 of being the church 00:29:56.020 --> 00:29:57.600 and of following Christ, 00:29:58.600 --> 00:29:59.960 do you see the goal 00:29:59.960 --> 00:30:01.580 that Christ has in store for us? 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:04.340 Just think of how much time 00:30:04.340 --> 00:30:05.240 and money and effort 00:30:05.240 --> 00:30:06.400 we spend as humans 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:07.820 to catch a glimpse 00:30:07.820 --> 00:30:10.140 of something breathtakingly beautiful. 00:30:10.140 --> 00:30:12.620 How much time and money 00:30:12.620 --> 00:30:13.580 and effort do we spend 00:30:13.580 --> 00:30:14.840 to just catch a glimpse 00:30:14.840 --> 00:30:16.300 of something that's glorious, right? 00:30:16.580 --> 00:30:17.700 You know, we'll wake up 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:20.020 in the middle of the night, 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:20.800 what seems like, 00:30:20.860 --> 00:30:22.160 before the sun comes up. 00:30:22.360 --> 00:30:23.940 We'll drive to the top of a mountain 00:30:23.940 --> 00:30:25.480 just to see the sunrise. 00:30:27.140 --> 00:30:29.320 I hate getting up before the sunrise, 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:31.160 but sometimes we do it 00:30:31.160 --> 00:30:32.560 to see something beautiful. 00:30:34.100 --> 00:30:36.340 We'll fly halfway around the world, 00:30:36.640 --> 00:30:37.780 go through all the rigmarole 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:38.819 of getting a passport, 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:40.539 going through customs, 00:30:40.859 --> 00:30:41.619 planning it out. 00:30:41.700 --> 00:30:43.460 We'll fly halfway around the world 00:30:43.460 --> 00:30:45.940 to see a beautiful cathedral 00:30:45.940 --> 00:30:47.740 or a giant wall 00:30:47.740 --> 00:30:48.500 that someone built 00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:49.539 through the countryside. 00:30:52.539 --> 00:30:54.359 We'll drive across the continent 00:30:54.359 --> 00:30:56.240 to behold the peaks 00:30:56.240 --> 00:30:57.279 of a mountain range. 00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:02.119 But friends, none of that, 00:31:02.639 --> 00:31:05.480 none of that is going to hold 00:31:05.480 --> 00:31:09.299 a candle to what Christ has in store 00:31:09.299 --> 00:31:10.599 for those who believe. 00:31:12.819 --> 00:31:15.279 Seeing the most riveting things 00:31:15.279 --> 00:31:18.839 of earth will be just like tiny echoes 00:31:18.839 --> 00:31:23.039 compared to seeing His glory, 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:27.000 a glory that is born of a love 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:29.440 more ancient than time itself. 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:34.160 And beholding His glory, 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:37.200 awash in the wonder and awe, 00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:40.160 will see that it was all worth it. 00:31:41.279 --> 00:31:42.880 You know, have you ever had that experience 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:43.920 when you wake up early 00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:44.759 in the middle of the night 00:31:44.759 --> 00:31:46.000 and you drive to the top of the mountain 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:46.759 to see the sunrise 00:31:46.759 --> 00:31:47.680 and you see the sunrise 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:48.779 and then a little bit later in the day 00:31:48.779 --> 00:31:49.220 you're thinking, 00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:50.640 is that really worth it? 00:31:53.200 --> 00:31:54.059 Sometimes it is. 00:31:54.519 --> 00:31:55.299 Sometimes it's not. 00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:58.899 But when we are with Christ 00:31:58.899 --> 00:31:59.819 in eternity, 00:32:00.759 --> 00:32:02.819 there is no doubt 00:32:02.819 --> 00:32:05.919 that every act of sacrificial love 00:32:05.919 --> 00:32:08.839 and every effort to encourage 00:32:08.839 --> 00:32:10.279 and promote unity 00:32:10.279 --> 00:32:13.079 and every time that we came alongside 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:14.639 a faltering brother or sister 00:32:14.639 --> 00:32:16.619 to help them take one more step 00:32:16.619 --> 00:32:17.220 toward heaven, 00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.639 even though it was costly 00:32:18.639 --> 00:32:19.519 and time-consuming, 00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:21.680 it's all going to be worth it. 00:32:23.480 --> 00:32:25.220 It's all going to be worth it. 00:32:25.299 --> 00:32:28.339 in the light of His glory 00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:29.740 and His grace. 00:32:31.259 --> 00:32:32.980 So keep going, brothers and sisters. 00:32:33.819 --> 00:32:34.419 Pray for unity. 00:32:35.399 --> 00:32:36.119 Pray for perseverance. 00:32:37.139 --> 00:32:37.819 Let's pray. 00:32:41.579 --> 00:32:42.379 Our Father, 00:32:43.759 --> 00:32:46.720 thank You 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:50.019 that in giving Your Son to us, 00:32:50.879 --> 00:32:52.339 You have given us 00:32:52.339 --> 00:32:53.819 the most compassionate, 00:32:54.959 --> 00:32:55.679 strong, 00:32:56.220 --> 00:32:57.559 and abiding 00:32:57.559 --> 00:32:59.839 Lord and Savior 00:32:59.839 --> 00:33:01.199 we could ever dream of. 00:33:03.419 --> 00:33:04.319 And thank You, 00:33:04.439 --> 00:33:05.000 Father and Son, 00:33:05.059 --> 00:33:06.119 that You've sent Your Spirit 00:33:06.119 --> 00:33:06.980 into our hearts, 00:33:07.500 --> 00:33:08.879 made us children of God, 00:33:09.379 --> 00:33:11.339 so that we continue, 00:33:12.179 --> 00:33:13.539 can continue to be Your people 00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:16.299 in the midst of this world 00:33:16.299 --> 00:33:17.519 that needs to see You 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:18.480 and needs to know You 00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:19.279 so desperately. 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:21.720 Preserve us, God, 00:33:21.779 --> 00:33:22.139 we pray. 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:23.079 In Jesus' name, 00:33:23.480 --> 00:33:23.700 Amen.