The High Priestly Prayer (8)

Today we will be finishing our study in John 17.I know some of you thought it would still go on but today we wrap it up.This morning we are caring on from last week’s message about What Matters.What we are studying is Jesus finishing His ministry of discipleship making and the way He finishes it is by praying for them.Which I think means a lot in and of itself.One thing we have not talked about during this series (so maybe we should keep going) is just how should we pray for others?We pray a lot of things for people but you know sometimes I can’t help but wonder if what we pray is all that important in the eyes of God.The reason I say this is because when you look at what Jesus prays here it doesn’t match what we often pray.We pray for comfort and blessing for people but that isn’t what Jesus prayed for themI’m not saying it’s wrong but on the list of priorities it may be much lower than you think.Especially as we look at the end part.In these final words of Jesus before He goes off to die he prayed about 6 final issues that really Matter.Those are:Mission Matters, Message Matters, You Matter - all of those we looked at last week.Then we learn that Holiness Matters, Unity Matters and Love Matters.I do believe these 6 issues here should be areas that we learn to make as more of a priority AND pray them for others. They all revolve around Jesus’ final request about all of us and that is that we are all sent.We are all Missionaries wherever God has us planted.When Jesus talks about being sent He is not mainly talking about people that move or visit some other place.He is talking about His people being on Mission for the Kingdom of God in everything you do.When we realize this and share the right message powerful things happen.Now let’s move on to what we will look at today and it does build on last week.It’s about Jesus sending us out into the world with the Message.I know many are afraid of the thought about sharing with others.But let me tell you people are hungry today.If question if people are hungry why do you think they will flock to these churches that will make them eat grass, get sprayed with doom, give all their money away, be prayed for to have their curses broken and on and on.It’s because they are desperate for answers. Desperate for something that will help them and change their lives.That is what takes us to today and what our take home will be and it Matters and that is:Holiness Matters. We will learn the simple truth of why Holiness is so important when it comes to our Mission.Our holiness is what gives power to our mission and message.Let’s read in

John 17:16–18:1 ESV

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 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. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 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. 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. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.

What we just read here is the end of Jesus’ ministry time with His disciples.As we read on we see that when He says Amen He goes from here and is betrayed, arrested, put on trial and crucified and buried. He knew it.So what we read here is what Jesus would see as so important for the disciples and us.In essence it’s His deathbed words.What is amazing about those is when you talk to someone before they die they usually share what’s very meaningful to them.They don’t complain about the weather, the money woes, the politics, the losing football teams.They talk about meaningful things like family and messages of gratitude to people and often some last advice.That’s what you see here with Jesus.This Matters.What we see Him ask the Father for is in

John 17:16 ESV

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Holiness Matters

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Sanctify is a great big word that I doubt any of you use in your day to day speech.So let me explain what it means.Sanctify is from the same word as Holiness comes from.Many when they hear that word Holy right away think of purity or being goodThat isn’t quite the picture here.Holiness is about being set apart. In our day and age it only has a religious meaning but back in the day that the Bible was written it was not just a religious word.It just referred to something being set apart for a particular use.Let me put it like this.This little gadget here is a grinder.You can put stuff in here, push down and it grinds them.This particular grinder is Holy in that it is set aside for grinding one of the most important things on the planet. Coffee.You take coffee beans and put them in here, push down and the beans become that wonderful powder that makes a person happy.But let me tell you about this grinder and why HOLINESS MATTERS.One day while I was not home Tammy had someone over and they were going to cook some Indian Food.The girl said that she needed to grind some garlic and ginger So guess what Tammy did. She took my Holy Grinder that was set aside for grinding Coffee and used it to make paste out of ginger and garlic. Can you believe it? (you poor thing) (shame on her)Guess what happened when I went to use my Holy Grinder to grind coffee?It tasted like garlic and ginger.Now coffee is good with a lot of tastes but garlic and ginger are not part of what makes coffee taste good.It was undrinkable. The grinder was ruined and useless.The flavor wouldn’t come out. (Set apart for coffee not Herbs)That is why Jesus is praying this for us.As we hear the gospel, believe the gospel, receive the gospel and start following JesusWe are Holy. We are set apart for Him.But (here is the key) most of us have maybe what we will call baggage.Stuff that kind of messes us up from being used while we are on mission.This is where the prayer comes in.Jesus is asking the Father to sanctify us. Make us Holy. Change us.Get the ginger and garlic out of us AND KEEP IT OUT.I believe it is key to see that it is God who changes us.This isn’t about disciplining yourself into being different, it is about God changing you and then you continuing to live out the change.This Matters. Because as you see yourself on Mission in your day to day life and people see the change that has happened they are then open to find out how it happened.Your answer is not: Well I stopped sinning, I discipline myself to follow this rule and that rule.It’s all about how I heard about Jesus, I heard that Jesus will make me a new creation, I believed that and received it and now I am a work in process of being changed.I don’t need doom, I don’t need to eat grass, I don’t need any of this other nonsense I just need Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit to change me AND KEEP ME CHANGED AND ON THE RIGH PATH.When you see that Jesus prayed this for you and you pray with Him to say Father I want that in my life and will keep living this way, I will live holy, I will be dedicated to you.Then You are doing what Matters, You are on Mission, you have the right Message, You Matter and you are being Holy.That Matters.There is still two more.

Unity Matters

Unity Matters.This one is tricky because unity has so many sides to it too.What Jesus is praying about what Matters here is about being united in Mission and Message.We must be clear as individuals and with our community of believers that we want to unite and live for this.Or even to say It Matters to us. Life isn’t just our world but His.We want to do our part in this.As elders we have been meeting about this.Actually pastor Chris as most of you know has always had a real heart for Evangelism and Missions.And we are going to bring him up and talk about some of what He feels God has been leading him to.1. You have said you believe you have on main gift, what is that?2. Why do you think you have that gift? How in the past?3. For the last couple years you have had a tough time because of not being well. Now you feel that you want to dive back in and focus on evangelism and even church planting.4. How like the church to get involved? We want to pray united in this purpose. Elders Acts 13:1-5 says:

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them

Finally we see Jesus prays for Love. Love Matters.

John 17:26 ESV

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Love Matters

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Love Matters. It’s His last words in the prayer.He wants God’s Love in us. Because with God’s love in us it will motivate us to make sure we do this and with the right motive.Reaching out to people is not supposed to be a discipline we should be moved to do this by love.As you all know, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.Love moved God to action for us. Love moved Jesus to go on Mission for us. and God by His Spirit wants us to have His love in us and move us to do what Matters too.Jesus prayed we would have God’s love in us and we should agree and pray with Jesus for this too.Pray that you would be filled with His love for the lost and broken people in this world.Then let that love move you to act on Mission, Share the Message, know that you Matter, that you would live Holy and Be United in the work of spreading the gospel.