Mount Of Olives - Jesus Prays for Me

This is the place where Jesus Spent many hours teaching His disciples many things Including the Olivet discourse in which He spoke about the signs of the end of times and His coming again.

Triumphal Entry:

The Mount of Olives Is where Jesus began his triumphal entry into Jerusalem

It was from here that He wept for the city of Jerusalem in Luke 19 knowing that it would be destroyed becaus it did not recognize the time of God’s coming to them

It was at the base of this mountain in the garden of Gathsemeni that HE was btrayed and arrested wvwnrtually leadin him to the cross

And it was the top of This mount where He said goodby to his discipels and ascended up into Heaven in Acts 1 promising to return to this same place.

But friends, what hit me the most about the mount of Olives is that when I was standing in the midst of the Garden of Gethsemani at the base of this mountain, I was in the very place where Jesus Prayed for me.

Turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 17

and Listen to Jesus’s High Priestly Prayer a prayer that he prayed on this mount for you as His follower.

In the first half of this pray Jesus prayed for Himself - that he would glorify God in his death

and then he prayed for the 12 . that they would be safe, that they would be deleivered from Harm

and that they would become more like him in their lives.

and then he turned his prayer to us as HIs church today.

Listen to that prayer

John 17:20–24 ESV

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Jesus makes two specific Request

For the church to be United IN HIM &

for the Church to Be Reunited With HIM

Trans: look again at verse 21-23

Jesus Prays For the church to be United IN HIM

ALL SO THAT THE WORLD WILL Come TO KNOW JESUS AS THEIR SAVIOR

Friends our unity in the church is not just for our connivence- to make church a fun exciting place to be. Its meant to be a picture of Jesus Christ and the father to the World.

Think about it, Every Church has a reputation in their town. The question we should ask ourselves as a church is “ What does this town think of Clear Lake Baptist Church?

Do they see a picture of Jesus Christ’s Relation ship with the Father through Us?

CHurch family the point here is this… OUr church is called to to be One in CHrist- to walk in Unity with One another.

Church Unity doesnt mean that we all agree on everything in the church, It doesnt mean that we all like the same Bible or the same songs or even the same service times, It means that we have state of togetherness and harmony among our members, who share a common faith, purpose, and commitment to living out the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives and in thisa community.

Jesus is not praying for unity based on our own human preferences and Opinions, but unity based on who we are in Christ.

The unity of the church is not based on our love for the same Hymns or the same Bible version, Our unity is in Christ

We are unified by our belief that we are saved by grace alone through Faith Alone, In Christ Alone, according to the scriptures alone, for the glory of God alone.

Every Sunday morning we come to church to worship together as One body in Christ.

As I look around this morning I see teachers, Doctors, Construction workers, students, hotel workers, business owners, Dock installers, Nurses, Factory workers, and retirees, I see moms and dads, husbands and wives, Kids and parents.

Frankly, There’s no reason for any of you to sit in the same room listening to me unless I am teaching the truth about Jesus revealed in his Word.

Friends what brings us together in unity is our common bond in Jesus Christ,

What makes us one as the redeemed church of God is that All of us know and understand we’re sinners deserving of God’s punishment. But instead of receiving that punishment We have received God’s grace because we believed on Jesus through the word of the Apostles.

We share something more powerful than any other bond in this world..

We share Christ.

Friends we are ONE Body in Christ

I love how Paul descirbes our ONeness as a body of Beleievers in Ephesians 4:4-6

Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Paul gives us 7 foundational “One” statements to point out how the church is unified in the gospel of Jesus. and this is what Jesus prayer for us was all about

ONE BODY-

! Corinthians 12 tells us that God has given each of us to each other to serve one another in the church, If you are a Christian than God has given you a gift for you to use in this body of Believers. In order for our church to be ONE BODY every one of use must be doing the role that God has gifted you with the abilities to do.

Friends We can have the unity Jesus Prayed for Because we all are part of One Body of Beleivers.

ONE SPIRIT

Referring to the Holy Sprit the third person in the Triune Godhead

Brothers and sister sit was the same Holy Spirit that openend each of our eyes so that we could see our sinfulness and our need for a Savior

It was the same H.S. that drew us to the point of Salvation

It is the same H.S. that Secures everyone of our salvations for all eternity,

and it is the same H.S. that makes us more like Jesus everyday

We are United in One Spirit because the Same Spirit indwells all believers equally and works in each of our hearts to make us all more like jesus Christ,

Friends -We can have the unity Jesus Prayed for because we all have one SPIRIT.

ONE HOPE

We have Hope -and that is that Jesus will do what he said he will do. .

John 14:3 ESV

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

As a church we all share the same hope, When you were saved Thsi hope became yours. Its not something you have to earn or only reserved for the best of the best- If you are in Christ You are uNified under this hope

Our Hope is in The Lord’s Eminent return .

Jesus is coming Back to take us to heaven to be where is is

Friends We can have the unity Jesus Prayed for Because we have ONE HOPE.

ONE LORD

In Ancient England-a Lord was a title given to Royal Nobility.

To be a lord meant that you were given a huge area of land and that you had great power and authority over those all the inhabitants of that land

To live on the land that A LORD OWNED MEANT THAT EVERYTHING YOU DID WAS FOR HIS BENEFIT AND NOT YOUR OWN. YOU SERVED HIM WITH EVERY PART OF YOUR LIFE,

IN ESSENCE YOUR LIFE EXISTED FOR HIS GLORY.

Paul tells us that the church has one Lord and that is Jesus Christ-and as the head of the church he deserves all of our praise in the church, and all of the glory from the Church.

As the Church today understand that Pastors are not the Lord‘s of the Church, denominations are not the Lord ‘s of the Church. Deacons are not the Lords of the church, Charter members are not the Lords of the church. Jesus Alone is our Lord. and because of this- He deserves all of our Praise.

Friends We can have the unity Jesus Prayed For because we have one and only One lord and that is Jesus Christ

Trans: we are also United in one Faith...

ONE FAITH

Faith is our belief that God will always do what he says he will do.

For the Church To have one faith means that we hold to the same doctrinal truths of Scripture.

We don’t get to change God’s Word to match our lifestyles.

We can not add to it or leave the parts that we don’t like.

Having ONE FAITH means that we hold to the same doctrinal truths

Our Church has a statement of Faith - its OUR CHURCH DOCTRINE its what We beleive and live our lives according to.

The Bible- We Believe That the Bible is the Inspired Inherent Complete Word of God and it contains everything we need in order to life a life that pleases God.

God- We Believe that there is One and only One living and true God. And this one God reveals himself to us in 3 distinct persons- The Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit.

Mankind- We believe that although Mankind is a special creation of God, a creation made in God’s own image, Man on his own chose to sin against a holy God, and this brought condemnation to all of Mankind.

Rom. 3:23- All have sinned and fallen Short of the Glory of God

SIN - We believe that sin is anything contrary to the perfect character of God, It is missing the mark, and by missing the mark it is hitting the wrong mark. S

Because all have sinned everyone is condemned to an eternal lake of Fire- a place of punishment for sin.

We further believer that God desires that no one would have to go to this eternal place of punishment and so in His own love for mankind He chose to offer us Salvation.

Salvation- We believe that Salvation from our Sin comes only iN Christ Alone, By Grace alone, Through Faith Alone, for the Glory of God alone.

We believe that Our Salvation is all about God, He chose us, He redeemed us, He Forgave us, And Our response to this free gift that God brings us is Belief in the name of Jesus Alone.

The Church- We believe that those who have accepted the free gift of Salvation instantaneously become part of Christ Church at the moment of Salvation.

We believe that every one who has put their faith in Jesus from the day of Pentecost until the rapture of the saints are part of the church.

We believe that the local church was instituted by God for the purpose of Making and Equipping followers of jesus.

When a church is Divided on what it believes it has no doctrinal foundation to stand on, and this causes great divisions in the church.

This is why so many churches split and even more cease to exist.

Friends for our church to be the church Jesus Prayed for For we must maintain the Doctrinal truths of Scripture that bind us together as one church in Christ .

Trans: Paul tells us that we are also United together in .....

ONE BAPTISM

The word Baptism has 2 meanings in Scripture. — Baptism by Water and Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism by Water-

This Physical baptism means to be immersed in Water- It means to Identify as a follower of Jesus

Salvation is all about what God does in our lives- He is the one who does all of the work in Saving us. We do nothing accept receive the gift that He has already paid in full

We believe that the scriptures clearly teaches that water baptism is for believers by immersion. It is an outward public display to show the believers new identity in christ. Through Baptism a believer proclaims His belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. and it is his commitment to following Jesus with his own life

Trans: the second type of baptis we see in scripture is

Baptism of the Spirit-

this baptism does not involve water.

The 2nd biblical definition of Baptism is to be joined with”

We believe that Spirit Baptism occurs simultaneously with regeneration, This happens at the moment of Salvation for all new believers.

This Baptism is when those who have faith in Jesus Christ are instantly joined together with the H.S.and are incorporated into the body of Christ.

Paul is referring to Spirit Baptism in this passage in EPh. 4.

All believers have been baptized into the Holy Spirit. He indwells all believers making us ONE IN CHRIST

Friends We can have the Unity that Jesus Prayed for when we understand that we are all joined with the Same Spirit.

Finally PAUL wraps up the ONENESS OF THE CHURCH and He says WE have ONE GOD AND FATHER who is over all and through and in All.

ONE GOD

Ephesians 1:4-5

Friends, You have been adopted into God’s Family- he chose each you to be His Sons and daughters.

This means that we are the children of God with all the rights and privileges that come with being God’s own child.?

it means that we have an eternal inheritance in heaven with Jesus

it means that God loves us is far more abundant than we cold ever imagine

it means that he disciplines us and corrects us for our own good.

It means that He will always do what is best for us so that we will become more like Jesus.

Friends, when we understand that everyone of us was loved by the same father, and that he because of that love HE chose to adopt each of us the same, We will hav ethe Unity JEsus Prayed for us to have togetgher.

Transition: So why does it matter that we are One in Christ together as a cvhurch Why does our uinity in the body of Christ matter

Lets get back to our text in John 17 : 21

John 17:21 (ESV)

21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:23 (ESV)

23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Church family , Jesus prayed for us to be as ONE- Unified togegher as One Body, ALL TO THAT THE WORLD WOULD SEE HIM THROUGH US

Our unity is not about attracting the Lost to be part of who we are its about attracting them to the Savior. Its about proving that What Jesus claimed to be is real.

There is no other place where the world can see the love of Christ put on display and lived out in peoples lives other than the church.

When we are selfish as a church Jesus is hidden from the world, When we are arguing and disagreeing as a church jesus is hidden from the world, But when we love one another the way that Christ loved us, the world will See Jesus through our unity and will come to know Him as their own.

Friends Jesus knew that being One would take a lot of work for his church and this is why He prayed for us in that garden.

2ndly verse 24 tells us tha.,..

Jesus Prayed For the church to be Reunited with HIM

John 17:24 (ESV)

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

as Christians we have a unique union and fellowship with Jesus right now, He is the Head of the church, he is our savior, He is our great High Priest our advocate before the Father, but all of this is only a shadow of what we will experience for all eternity in his presence.

Jesus in His prayer is saying “Father, I desire is for The church to see me face to face in all my glory”

Friends, When Jesus returns for His church we will be reunited with Christ and at that moment we will see him in all his glory (v. 24).

And this is what we see a glimpse of in Rev 19 6-7 When John Records the Voices of the church at this reunion with Jesus

Revelation 19:6–7 (ESV)

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready;

Friends there is coming a day when We will experience the fullness of his goodness.

Right now We only have a taste—through his Word and by his indwelling Spirit—but in the future we will experience the full delight and joy of unhindered fellowship with our Savior jesus Christ.

Jesus simply prays Father I cant wait until my church is reunited with me so that they can experience me and my glory in its fullest.

Bring it home

The Mount of Olives is so central to our Christian faith. and one of the most precious gifts Jesus gave us as the church from this mountain is this prayer.

Church Family, Jesus understood that it is our Unity as a church that will be a witness in our community for the gospel.

Don’t loose sight of the purpose Christ gave us as His church

We are called to Make and equip followers of Jesus Christ in this community. Why? Because this is what Brings God the father Glory.

and the way that this mission is accomplished is by being unified in Christ as ONE Body, In ONE SPIRIT, Called by ONE HOPE, serving One Lord, Beleiving in ONE FAIth, for the glory of ONE GOD.

Church family let us be a church that lives the way Jesus prayed His church would live.

Let us Live as One IN HIM

Pray

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