The Prayer from God about Humanity

Welcome: Welcome to Hype Student Ministries, for those who don’t know me, my name is Kent and I’m the student pastor here at Crosspoint.

Introduction

I want you to think about a time when you were in a tough situation where you knew that something bad was about to happen. Maybe it was a test that you forgot to study for, or maybe it was a project or a paper that you held off til the last minute and you have one night to finish everything. Maybe it’s a break-up with a significant other that you think is going to happen or maybe when a loved one is about to die and you know it could be sooner rather than later.

Raise your hand if you have ever experience a situation when you knew something bad was about to happen?

Keep your hand raised if you prayed to God during that situation.

How did your prayers go? What was said?

Personally I’ve experienced this when my grandpa passed away a year and a half ago. His health was declining rapidly and my family knew he could go any day. My prayers were centered around desiring to grieve in a way that honored God and that I would care for my family well.

Transition statement: In the story that we are going to study tonight, we see Jesus praying to God the Father right before He is betrayed and eventually crucified which needless to say we would classify that as a tough situation when knowing something bad is about to happen.

Tonight we are doing a group study of John 17, so please open your scripture notebooks to John 17. For tonight’s study we are going to split our passage into two sections. For each section I will read the passage and you underline and take notes while I read the passage. For each section your group will go through observations and questions and then we will go through applications at the end for the overall passage.

John 17:1-19

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

17 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people,, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.

JESUS PRAYS FOR HIS DISCIPLES

6 “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you, 8 because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

9 “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world but for those you have given me, because they are yours. 10 Everything I have is yours, and everything you have is mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by your name that you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I was protecting them by your name that you have given me. I guarded them and not one of them is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture may be fulfilled. 13 Now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy completed in them. 14 I have given them your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 I sanctify myself for them, so that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Observations

What is happening? (Who is involved, Where is this happening, What is going on?)

Questions

What does it mean? Why is this happening?

Observations

Jesus is praying for His disciples.

To be unified and be protected from the temptations of worldly desires.

To be sanctified by God’s word.

To be sent into the world.

Questions

What does it mean to glorify someone?

to positively acknowledge, recognize, or esteem one’s character, nature, or attributes

What does it mean to be sanctified?

to make as dedicated to God; either in becoming more distinct, devoted, or morally pure.

John 17:20-26

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 17

20 “I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. 21 May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they will see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the world’s foundation. 25 Righteous Father, the world has not known you. However, I have known you, and they have known that you sent me. 26 I made your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them and I may be in them.”

Observations

Jesus is praying for all believers

Unity for believers, in being unified we witness to the world who Jesus is.

Jesus desires to be with all believers in Heaven.

Questions

Why is unity so important for believers to have?

When divisions among believers happen

Application

Application

Our main focus on earth and in our prayers should be to glorify God.

We as believers need to be continually sanctified by God’s word.

We as believers need to be unified on the gospel of Jesus Christ.