09 | John 17:14-18,25 | The Word in the World

INTRODUCTION

During the course of this series my prayer for you has been that …

… among all the voices vying for your attention

… the one voice that will stand out among the noise

… is the voice of our mediator speaking to the Father on our behalf.

And yet, as you hear the voice of the world, one thing becomes clear :

The world has no love for the things of God.

Oh, the world may grant quarter to some elements of Christian morality.

The voices of the world vying for your attention may misquote and misapply some scripture about …

… loving your neighbor

… or judge not lest ye be judged.

What of the glory of the Father?

But what of redemption in Christ?

What of the need to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit?

What of the commission to preach the gospel?

No, the world has little time nor patience for the things of God.

For this reason, in the portion of the prayer of Jesus before us today we hear Jesus pray:

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

PRAY

3:00

We begin by working our way through the plea of Jesus’ prayer beginning in v14.

And then we will connect what he prays here with v25.

Let us ...

CONSIDER JESUS’ PRAYER

But first, let us remember what Jesus has prayed just before.

v13 - Looking Back

Jesus spoke the words of the Father that their joy might be full.

That is, the word dwelling in them is their means of joy.

The teaching which the rabbi has led them has been their comfort.

Read John 17:8 (ESV) For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

Jesus’ prayer for the joy and safety of the disciples throughout the prayer …

… is built upon his prior work of giving them the words of the Father, which they have received, known and believed.

v14,16 - I have given them your word

This reality hangs over this passage.

Jesus’ business with the disciples is complete.

And his business of redemption is almost done.

He will give his life on the cross in the place of sinners within the day.

And will rise victorious within the week.

It is on his mind that Jesus’ work in the world is done.

What remains is just this pressing question: What of his disciples who will remain?

Even more, what of the word, the truth, the glory of the Father and the redemption accomplished by the Son?

Will this word that he has given to them remain when the Christ ascends to the Father?

This question, this concern, this reality hangs over the whole of the passage?

7:00

v14b - The world has hated them …

The Son will be betrayed, suffer and die at the hands of the world.

Surely, the world will treat the servants of the master even worse than the master himself, especially in his “absence.”

But why? Why does the world hate them?

… because they are not of the world

He says this again in v16.

But, what makes them not of the world?

That they have become a people of the word.

The word is being contrasted with the world.

… just as I am not of the world

Jesus’ joy in and adherence to the words of the Father has been what has distinguished Jesus from the world as well.

Why did they crucify him?

Was it because of his miracles? No!

Was it because of his morality? No!

It was because of his word!

It was because of the gospel of the kingdom that he proclaimed.

That is is from the Father—he is God the Son.

That he was sent by the Father—with the purpose of redemption.

It was this word, this gospel, for which they hated the Son …

… and now hate those who follow him.

9:00

Now we come to the request of Jesus’ prayer.

He is very specific.

v15 - I do not ask that you take them out of the world …

Yet, Jesus will later clearly say that he desires that the believers be with him where he is.

Jesus has no desire to depart from the disciples.

But why, if Jesus loves the disciples and desire that those who believe be with him …

… why does he leave them in the world?

Why does he not simply take them with him where he goes?

You see, Jesus’ purpose isn’t to leave the disciples in the world.

He is leaving the word that dwells in them.

He is leaving with them the commission to make that word known.

… but that you keep them from the evil one.

Jesus couldn’t be more clear about his request.

The disciples have an enemy.

Jesus has given to these he loves a dangerous gift.

He has given them the words of the Father.

He has made known to them the glory of the Father.

Later, one of his disciples, Peter, tells those who will believe:

1 Peter 5:8–9 (ESV) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

But if Jesus really wanted to keep them from the evil one he would take the disciples with him, wouldn’t he?

John 13:36–37 (ESV) Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now?”

Jesus desires that the disciples be with him.

The disciples desire to be with him.

Why does he not bring them?

With his prayer for the safe keeping of the disciples, what Jesus is keeping from the evil one is the word that dwells in the disciples.

As we see the story unfold, it is this word which multiplies and increases.

12:00

v17 - Sanctify them in the truth

Set them apart for this word.

Again, the word is the distinguishing factor.

It is the catalyst that changes everything.

Worship and baptism and communion and the fellowship of the saints are all marks that we bear because we have been sanctified in the truth …

… we have been set apart by and for the word.

your word is truth

Clarity that we are surely understanding this passage well so far.

Psalm 119:160 (ESV) The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Read v18

As the Father has sent the Son to manifest his glorious name, so the Son is sending the disciples with this same word.

13:00

Then, in the final section of his prayer, in which Jesus prays for those who will believe through the word proclaimed by these first disciples …

… Jesus prays the same thing.

v25 - these know that you sent me.

This is what it means to receive, know and believe the word.

It is to believe that Jesus is from God and that he is sent by the Father to redeem by his work of the gospel.

His concern is not only for the 11 disciples in the room with him, but also for all who will believe.

They they will be kept in the truth.

That the word that he has given to them, which dwells in them …

… would be kept as he is sending them into the world to make his glory and salvation known.

14:30

APPLY

So, you can see the clarity of Jesus’ prayer for the disciples and all who will believe.

His prayer is that they would be kept from the evil one and from the world which hates them.

Jesus is clear that he is departing and that the disciples will remain.

But it isn’t just that they remain, it is that they are being sent on a word mission.

They are being left in the world so that the mission of proclamation of the word would continue through their testimony.

15:30

Three questions: All have the same answer — The Word

The gospel truth.

1. WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE THE DISCIPLES?

2. WHY DID JESUS LEAVE THE DISCIPLES IN THE WORLD?

3. WHAT IS JESUS’ COMMISSION FOR THE DISCIPLES?

WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE THE DISCIPLES?

It is the word (v14) that makes us distinct from the world.

It is not first our behavior or our institutions or our values.

It is the word planted in us by Christ.

Why are the disciples in danger?

Because Jesus gave them the word of the Father.

They are the possessors of the gospel of the kingdom.

To destroy them would be to destroy the word in the midst of the world.

This is the cause of their danger.

They are the possessors of the word in the world.

We have the pearl of price and the thief, the enemy, would snatch it from us.

I want to make sure we understand this clearly.

Jesus is perfect and complete in his accomplishment of redemption.

He alone lives the perfect life of obedience to the Father.

He alone dies the sufficient sacrificial death …

… not for his own sin, but as the punishment for the sin of those he came to save.

He alone has the power and right to take up his life in resurrection.

He alone ascends to rule at the right hand of the Father on high.

Jesus alone is perfect redemption.

And yet, as the hour of his departure draws near, Jesus is aware that the purpose of redemption is not yet complete.

That is, after he ascends, the work of proclamation of the gospel remains.

This word he leaves with these disciples.

And if the purpose of redemption would be complete, the disciples whom he leaves with this task must be kept safe from the evil one in the world.

As the Son has entrusted himself to the provision of the Father …

… so now, he entrusts these disciples to his care.

19:30

APPLY

The spiritual battle that we have is not merely for our own soul or personal sanctification.

Our spiritual battle against the evil one takes place as bearers of the word.

That is, the enemies of God, are not first enemies of the disciples, but are enemies of the word that he has left with us.

They are enemies of the commission that the Son has given to us.

They are enemies of gospel proclamation.

There is a serious implication for us here:

Our spiritual battle is not merely as we live private lives.

Our spiritual battle is not merely a struggle against circumstance, anxiety and fear.

These are more a product of our worldly affluence and worldliness.

The enemy would love for us to become caught in a loop of prosperity and fear of loss.

(Explain)

All the while we are distracted by the world …

… our own prosperity and its corresponding circumstantial suffering.

Meanwhile, we have little concern for the word multiplying and increasing.

23:00

Lloyd-Jones The world never hates the imitation, or the spurious, or the false Christianity, but it always hates the true thing. The world never hates morality, it never hates the merely moral man (which is an interesting point), but it hates the true Christian.

Sure, the world only hates the moral Christian insofar as his morality is a condemnation of sin.

But he is willing to leave him alone in his morality as long as he leaves them alone in their sin.

Meanwhile, the world gives approval to those who continue in sin, even as the Christian wags his head at such immorality.

Better yet, from the perspective of the enemy, whose true adversary is the word …

… he would be glad to see the moral man in a feedback loop of culture war as long as he remains unconcerned for the spiritual battle of the soul.

If the believer is distracted from his true commission, wrestling for greater morality in the society …

… solely concerned for social improvement and moral transformation in the world

… what of gospel proclamation which is not merely a moral self-improvement, but is redemption—reconciliation with God—to love him and enjoy his glory forever!

The moral man may simply be a mere lover of self.

He loves his self improvement.

But the spiritual man is a lover of God.

It is his love of God that causes him to become a lover of his ways of the Lord and so walk in them.

He sees the harm done by immorality.

Not only the harm to the body but also to the soul.

And so he pleads with the soul of his fellow humanity …

… that they lay down the ways of the flesh

… not merely to take up his self-improvement project of moralism

… which is little more than self-righteousness

… but to take up the joy in the Lord by being reconciled to God.

Moralism makes us manipulators of the word as merely a good teaching, virtue and philosophy for life…

… so that we might use it as a strategy to gain the luxuries of world.

True Christianity makes the word to dwell in us and proclaimed by us in order that we would gain brothers and sisters in Christ’s kingdom.

This is why we need to be those who handle the world with the light touch.

But handle the word with great and serious care.

Our spiritual battle is against the enemy.

The enemy has little concern for the complacent redeemed.

These, one who suppose, are already professors of Christ.

The enemy has only the concern that we remain complacent in our word mission.

The moral man says, “I’m a good Christian.”

The enemy says, “Good! I mean, now stay that way, you good moral Christian man. Whatever you do, don’t bother yourself to share the word of the gospel.”

Point our Communities to Jesus Christ

Self

Household

Congregation

Network

31:00

WHY DID JESUS LEAVE THE DISCIPLES IN THE WORLD?

The believers together—as the church of disciples of Jesus—our purpose in the world is not to make the world a better place.

That isn’t going to happen!

The world hates Jesus and will hate his disciples.

Jesus doesn’t bat an eye at this reality.

Just like the purpose of our having the word isn’t to make ourselves a better person …

… our presence in the world is not to make the world a better place.

Our purpose in the world is to make the word known …

… so that those the Father has given to the Son might be united with the Father and the Son

… by the same means that the disciples themselves have been brought to the Father

… that is, by making the word known to them!

This is how the disciples manifest the Father, in the same way that the Son did.

We know Jesus and his words, and by this we know the Father and make him known.

34:00

At CPCoast we often describe the gospel-centered life as a life of gospel rhythms.

We celebrate the story of God that connects to our lives.

In connecting this gospel to our lives he has connected us into a community.

This community does not exist for itself, but as a community of contribution.

And to what do we contribute our lives, our time, talent and treasure? To the celebration of the story of our God: his grace, glory and goodness.

But this is the thing:

It is a common mistake to take a pitstop at any one of these four gospel rhythms—and we mustn’t!

We do not exist to be a nice moral community.

To stop here does not proclaim the glory of God but the glory of our self-righteous community!

We do not exist to contribute our lives in a mission of mere social improvement.

To stop here is not to proclaim the glory of the eternal kingdom of God, but to myth-make, a sort of utopian dream that the mission of the church is to make the world a better place.

No, we continue on to the celebration of the glory of our God in his gospel.

Our central purpose in the world is neither personal moral improvement nor to become a good church nor to achieve some beneficial reordering of society.

Our purpose is to preach Christ and him crucified for the forgiveness of sin for all who believe.

And for all who will believe, we join together to further this proclamation …

… even as the Lord by his word and Spirit brings transformation in our lives both personally and as a church together.

38:00

APPLY

Jesus is concerned for the work of the word.

This might sound like he is not actually concerned for the disciples themselves, as though his concern is merely utilitarian—the show must go on!

But let us remember the purpose of the work of the word. Redemption!

That we can know and be with our God!

What is instructive for us is that Jesus’ love and concern is not for an individual disciple alone …

… but for the redemption of his church whom he loves—each particularly as well as corporately together.

He loves his disciples so much that he leaves them to go get the rest of them.

To get the rest of the church.

To preach the gospel that all who belong to the Lord might be saved through their word.

Jesus loves you! Jesus loves us! And Jesus loves those who will believe through our testimony.

Jesus love for us is manifest through us as we make known his word.

40:00

We close with this final question:

It is our application for today.

Read v18

WHAT IS JESUS’ COMMISSION FOR THE DISCIPLES?

How has the Father sent the Son?

Laying down glory

Obedience

Revealing the Father by the word

With the purpose of redemption

With the destiny to return to the Father

So I have sent them into the world

Glory — We have a right to power and glory, but we lay down every right (1 Corinthians) for the sake of the word at work in the church and world.

Obedience — We only do what is given for us to do. We live in a season of fasting and obedience (return - with the sure expectation that we will again feast; Jesus desires us to feast with him)

Revelation — We make the Father known by the word. This is the purpose of our unity that we not slander the word.

Redemption — The Father has given a people to the Son. We join the Son as his brothers in bringing the people that belong to him to faith. In this we are ministers of reconciliation to God.

Return — Hope! The world is NOT Jesus’ desired destination for us.

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APPLY

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Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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Acts 20:24 (ESV) But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

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Lloyd-Jones He, again, felt this burden—I know, he said, that you will never see my face again. I cannot come to you any more and teach you as I should like to do, and therefore I want to warn you against certain things. And he proceeded to do that. He told them about the ‘grievous wolves’ that were ready to attack them, and he added that they would find that even among themselves there were those who were going to rise up and make havoc of the life of the church. The apostle was burdened for these people as he was leaving them, and the last thing he did before he said farewell was to kneel down on the seashore and pray for them. He committed them to God, exactly as our Lord here was committing his disciples and other followers into the hands of his Father.

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