Who Is This Jesus?
16. He Prays for our Unity
John 17
Don Jaques
March 5/6, 2005
MAIN IDEA:
Jesus looked far into the future and prayed for us, that we would be unified as believers. In a world of thousands of denominations we must do what we can to promote this unity.
OBJECTIVES:
The audience will know what Jesus prayed about for his disciples.
Audience members will evaluate whether they are helping or hindering Jesus’ prayers, and make appropriate changes.
INTRO:
If you have children you’ve probably got some big hopes and dreams for them. You want them to find a good husband or wife. You want them to have a strong self-image to deal with the troubles of the world. You want them to experience the American Dream. But what is the BIGGEST dream you have for them.
If there was only ONE thing you could see happen in the lives of your children, what would that one thing be?
This week as we continue through the Gospel of John we’ll get a chance to listen in as Jesus prays for his followers. And we’ll get a chance to hear his main request for us who would come after the original disciples. He doesn’t pray for success, or health, or wealth, or anything else you might think he would pray for. His most fervent prayer for the church that bears his name? Unity.
Let’s listen in as Jesus prays, first of all for himself, then for the 12, and then for people like us.
John 17
Jesus Prays for Himself
1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples
6“I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one. 12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify[b] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
Jesus looked far into the future and prayed for us, that we would be unified with other believers – He prays for those of us who follow Him to be one in just the same way that he and the Father are one. If we’re to know if we’re doing this – we need to first understand how Jesus and His Father are one.
HOW ARE JESUS AND THE FATHER ONE?
How are they one? Perhaps I’m oversimplifying, but I think it’s like this: they are distinct individuals that share a common essence.
Jesus is NOT the same person as the Father. They are separate, but Jesus teaches that the Father gives him everything, and that he shares everything with the Father. I’ll admit this is confusing and especially hard to explain to the questioning of my children. But if we think of marriage perhaps it will help.
When a man is married, he does not cease to be an individual person, but neither is he independent any longer. He’s separate from his wife, but they form a physical union, a financial union, an emotional union, a family union, in which the two become one.
Now let’s get back to what Jesus was praying for. As a visionary leader, he looked into the future and saw that the greatest need for those of us who would become his followers would be to understand that, although we are individuals – we are part of a bigger picture.
In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul describes the church as a body,
with everyone playing a part and staying connected to the other parts.
Jesus prayed for all of us to be unified with all other believers, not just in our small groups, or our local congregation, or even our CTK Network of congregations – but his prayer was for his church – all of it – to be one, even as he and the Father were one.
So this brings up the obvious question. How do we get there? It doesn’t take too much intelligence to understand that the Church of Jesus Christ is anything but united in the United States.
In fact, as of a few years ago there were over 1,200 denominations in this country alone.
Some of them are very interesting.
1. One of them is "The Church of the Kennedy Worshippers." It is a church which actually believes that it can pray to the late President John F. Kennedy, and can be cured both of congenital defects as well as of terminal diseases.
2. Then there’s "The Church of the Ministry of Universal Wisdom." They look for flying saucers to come.
3. And then there’s "The Church of What’s Happening Now." It’s obviously a more contemporary church.
Just in the last couple of months there have been about 3 new churches that have started up in Oak Harbor, with names that I’ve never heard of before. And we ourselves are part of a new movement of churches that is probably not even on the list of 1200 some denominations yet.
What’s the answer? Do we need to all come together and somehow just call ourselves the Church of Jesus Christ? I wish we could.
But it’s just not realistic. There are as many types of churches as there are types of people. There are traditional churches. There are contemporary churches. There are liturgical churches. There are “free-flowing” churches. There are intellectual churches. There are emotional churches.
I believe that one reason there are so many types of churches is simply because no single church can possibly facilitate all the different ways God meets with people, and all the different types of people God wants to interact with.
It goes back to what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:
1Cor. 12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
I’m glad there are lots of different churches – because there are lots of types of gifts Sometimes people really like the way we do things here – and it energizes them in their spiritual walk. Sometimes people come here and go “Whoa! The music is too loud, or the atmosphere is not respectful enough, or they can’t believe we permit a coffee break” or whatever. I’m glad that there are other churches in town which will meet their needs. Sometimes there are people who say “This is OK, but I want a freer expression of the gifts of the Holy Spirit!” I’m glad there are places where people can find that, too.
We need to celebrate the diversity of who God has made us, and the diversity of the ways God has chosen to work among his people, but at the same time realize we are in essence ONE.
So let’s get back to the question, “How can we contribute to the unity of the Church (capital C)?”
• We stay focused on the things that unite us, not the things that divide us.
o Use the Apostle’s Creed as a guide.
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
o There are lots of side issues which can divide us if we let them. We must choose not to!
o APPLICATION: Are you focusing on non-essentials or essentials in determining who you will embrace as brothers and sisters in Christ?
• We refuse to speak negatively about our brothers and sisters in Christ in other churches.
o Although we might not prefer their style of doing things we must allow God to work in the variety of ways He chooses.
1Cor. 12:12-20 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
• We celebrate with those congregations who are succeeding and we grieve with those congregations who are hurting.
o Rom. 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
o In other words, we don’t gloat when our little church happens to do well for a season, and another church goes through a time of testing – even perhaps splitting or dying.
o APPLICATION: Did you leave another church to come here? Do you pray for the leaders of the church you left? Do you pray for that church’s success?
• We seek understanding of other Christian groups’ methods without accepting false teaching.
o All of us can learn from other Christians’ experiences and insights. We need to not assume that we have it all together and other groups better figure it out!
o PERSONAL EXAMPLE: I have never had the experience of speaking in tongues. I don’t quite understand how it works. From scripture I can gain some understanding but it is limited.
My options – “Those people who speak in tongues are wacko.”
“there must be something wrong with me”
“Lord help me understand the variety of ways you work – and to be open to you moving in my life however you see fit!”
o But at the same time – there are heresies out there being taught as truth. There are churches that add to or subtract from the clear message of scripture. In these cases we do need to exercise caution about allowing false teaching to come into our church – or about supporting people who are teaching falsely.
How do we know the difference? Keep coming back to the word. Keep praying for understanding.
CONCLUSION:
Why did Jesus pray for unity above all else?
Because he knew the power of unity.
John 17:23 May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
When Christians work together in unity we will accomplish much more than if we are off on our own. We will be much more effective in sharing the message that God loves people just as much as God loves His Son, Jesus.
APPLICATION:
Small group leaders take a church card. Try and contact the pastor or someone else and find out a couple prayer requests for him or for his church.
As a small group spend some time praying for that church. Write a note of encouragement. Send some cookies. Go by the church and pray for them.
CLOSE IN PRAYER:
Forgive us for contributing to disunity with critical attitudes and divisive words and actions.
Help us to be instruments of reconciliation.
Give us eyes to see your bigger picture and to truly love your church.
