Thursday - Jesus Prays Two Amazing Prayers

We are in John chapter 17 tonight, so I invite you to open your Bibles to John 17. And we are at the point in our Lord's life where we are in the last hours of his life. And in those last hours of his life on Thursday evening before he will go to the cross on Friday, there are two prayers of our Lord that are almost back to back. I was thinking about this yesterday when I was working on this study. I don't know that it ever really hit me that these two prayers are probably prayed within an hour of each other. The one prayer that we've been studying last week and this week and then the time of prayer in the garden, probably within an hour of each other. These two very different prayers in tone and in supplication occur. And so it's really quite astounding to think of our Lord communing with his father in this period of time in two very different ways. So last week we began the first prayer, the prayer for the disciples and us. It is often called the high priestly prayer because it is a prayer that seems to be a model prayer of what the Lord would pray for us as our high priest as he represents us before God. Maybe the kind of prayer he prays for us even now in heaven. And so we began that last time and we saw that there are basically two sections of the prayer. The high verses is prayer for his glory and he prays ask the father to glorify the son to really show the character of the son, to show who he is. And that would be done through the cross, through his gift of eternal life and then through his exaltation back into heaven to the glory that he had with the father before the world began, he says. And then in verse six he begins praying for his people for first of all the disciples and then also us. He will make a transition in this prayer in verse 20 to directly include everyone who would come to know him through the message of the apostles. And that includes you and me. We know Jesus is a savior. So Jesus was praying for us in that prayer on that Thursday night before he left the upper room. Now we began that part of the prayer last week. We saw that the first request Jesus makes for his people is to be protected. So he prays for our protection. We looked at verse 11 last week. He prays for our protection from this unity and also in verse 12 from destruction. We pick up tonight in verse 13 where Jesus prays for our protection from despair. Verse 13 he says, I am coming to you now. Again, he's praying. He's speaking to the father. So he's when he says I'm coming to you now. He's talking about what he's been referencing in this prayer. The hour has come for him to die and to eventually go back to heaven in the ascension. And that's what he's talking about here. I'm going 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. And so Jesus prays for us to be protected from despair. He wants us to have a full measure of joy. Now joy is something that comes from heaven. It does not come from within. Joy is something that God gives us. You see, he even says there they may have the full measure of my joy. Joy is something that comes from God. It is something that is irrespective of circumstances, irrespective of of what's going on in your life. You can have joy because joy is much deeper than happiness. Happiness is based on feeling good because things are going well in my life. Joy is much deeper than that. Joy is the deeper conviction, contentment, peace that I know him. I'm right with him. My sin is forgiven. And I know he is in control. However, out of control, things may look at times in our lives that deep assurance that he is really in control. That's what brings joy. And joy is much more than just a smile and a light step and happy times. Joy is that kind of that inner steadiness, that solidness, that peace and contentment that is a spring deep down inside and is not dependent on what's swirling around us. So he prayed for our protection from despair that we would have the full measure of his joy. Any comment or question there on that verse. Fourthly, he prays for our protection from the devil. Very clearly in verse 15, we're going to skip the verse 15. Well, we'll reverse 14, but we'll come back to it. He says, I 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. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Now, Jesus, and we'll look at this in just a few moments, Jesus does not want us to be removed from the world, but he does pray that we will be protected from the evil one. We are being left in the world, which is his domain. He is the prince of this world. The Bible calls him. He has authority limited. Yes, only under God, but he does have authority on this world. And so we're living in a sense in his domain, in his territory. And so Jesus is praying that we will be protected from the evil one, from the devil from Satan himself. And just remember that whenever you think the devil is out to get you, and he is, he is, the Bible says he's always walking about as a rowing lion seeking whom he may devour. And so he's always on the prowl. He's always looking for us to overtake us, to destroy us. And so remember that Jesus prayed for you that night and is still praying for you, that you will be protected from the evil one. So he prayed for our protection. Questions, comments about that. Okay, now here we get into the next thing that Jesus prayed for us for, is for our testimony. And basically what he's talking about here versus 14 to 19, he's asking the father in regard to our relationship to the world. This is the most extended treatment, I believe, and the most complete description of how Jesus wants us to relate to this world. And it's found in his prayer. He prays for our testimony, our relationship with this world. And it is so that he will be glorified. But here's what he says. Three things that he wants us to have in regard to our testimony and our relationship with the world. Our relationship with the world, first of all, is not isolation. It is not isolation. And by the way, this is really a description of what it means to be separated from the world, too. It is not isolation from the world. You'll see this in verse 15. Verse 15, he says, my prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Now, it's not just that he's praying that we would not be removed from planted earth, but he's praying that we will not be isolated. We will not withdraw from the world. Our relationship to the world is not one of withdrawing from the world as tempting as that may be at times. And it always has been the Pharisees did that. They isolated themselves from anybody or anything that was unclean, unsaved, ungodly, didn't want to have any contact at all. And even in early church history, it was true of the hermits who dwelt in caves and thought they could be more holy by withdrawing from any association with the world at all. And that was continued in the monks and the nuns and monasteries and convents and coisters ever since. Seeking holiness through isolation from the world. If I don't have any contact with these people and with this world, then I will be more holy. And Jesus prayed that we wouldn't do that. He prayed that we would not withdraw, that we would not be isolated. Separation from the world, holiness, a relationship with the world is not to be one of isolation. And yet we tend to do that. How are some ways, what are some ways that we tend to isolate or withdraw from the world as believers now? Stay away from old friends. Stay away from old friends. It has been said that with most believers within two years of their conversions, they have no more unsaved friends. Have broke off all contact with unsaved friends. That's not good, is it? We are going to get to the other side of this in a minute. But for now, let's focus on this not being isolated type thing. That's one way that we have a tendency to do it. What are some other ways? Go to a restaurant that sells alcoholic beverages. Don't go. We are afraid of a restaurant that may sell an alcoholic beverage. I would not suggest you buy the alcoholic beverage. I would not suggest you go to a place that is primarily known for serving alcoholic beverages. But as we know, there are many good restaurants that do sell alcohol. And that's a matter of personal conviction. But for some people, that is a matter of being more spiritual. They feel like that. If I isolate myself from that, I will be more spiritual. The other ways you can think of, that we may pull away from the world. We make our preferences, convictions, instead of leaving them as preferences. Yes. And often when we do that, and I know, I think very what you're talking about is Christian Liberty issues, Roman 14, 1 Corinthians 8 through 10 kind of things, where we are allowed by the scriptures to have differing convictions. Convictions. Sometimes when we make those such strong convictions, we feel like they have to be everybody else's convictions too. And that's where the problem comes in. We make them in about everything that we do. We make those kind of convictions. We make decisions about food, where we go to entertainment. We make decisions whether we want to participate, buying things from them. Okay. And just about every facet you can think of. And just about every facet of commerce that we participate in. We pick and choose what we're going to do. Are you thinking in terms of conviction and preferences or just contact with the world? I think it's how deeply we want to think about it and what kind of form we're going to have. Yeah. Okay. All right. Okay. This whole issue is not one we will settle tonight on Christian Liberty issues about what is appropriate. What's not appropriate. We've dealt with that quite extensively when I preach through Romans and was in chapter 14. But that is a naughty issue. And it is a part of this. It is a part of this problem and how far do you withdraw? What does isolation or participation in in the culture? What does it mean? What? Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That is one way that we may pull away isolate ourselves from people of different racial backgrounds or different socio-economic backgrounds, those kinds of issues. We may pull away from folks that are not quite like us. We think certainly. Sometimes we seal ourselves off in a Christian subculture in the sense that we never we never move outside our circle of Christian events, meetings, friends. And we never participate with with unbelievers. We never have contact with unbelievers. And I believe that Jesus was praying that we would not do that. It's not just he's not just saying Lord, leave him on planet earth. I think you're saying I'm not asking that you take them away from the world. But I'm asking that you protect them from the evil one. Isolation is not the relationship we should have with the world. Secondly, it is also not assimilation. Okay. This is the other end of the spectrum. The other way the pendulum can swing. Assimilation means what? What are we talking about with that word? Join in becoming a part of becoming just like. Okay. Blending in so much that there's really no difference. assimilating means you really become a part of and Jesus said no that's not what I'm praying for either look at look over this 14. I have given them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. Notice he says they are not of the world. He repeats the same thing in verse 16. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. What does it mean to not be of the world? How would you describe that? Not be worldly. Okay. Okay. Michael not to take part in the things that are not of Christ. Obviously not to take part in sinful behavior. Right. Sinful lifestyle. Okay. Not to have the goals that the world has. I think that's an important part of it as well. Because catch this now and we're going to look at a verse here in just a moment not quite yet but in just a moment we're going to look at a verse that really describes what the world is. The Bible tells us very clearly what we're talking about here. It's very easy sometimes to not participate in sinful activities but to have the same goals and ambitions as this world has. You can look spotless clean on the outside and never go to places you shouldn't go or participate in activities you shouldn't participate in and in your heart have the same goal and ambition and drive that the world has. Or the same inner sin that the world has. Okay. Part of the problem of the Pharisees is they looked good on the outside. They were isolationists. They didn't participate in things but of the world but inside Jesus said you're full of dead men's bones. You're your hypocrites. You're full of evil wickedness on the inside. So Jesus is saying not isolation from the world but also not assimilation not not conforming to this world's lifestyle or goals and ambitions or philosophy of life. Now what does that really look like? What does that really mean? What are we supposed to not be a part of? Well at least a lot of Christians isolate it to where I should or shouldn't go and what I should or shouldn't partake of. When the Bible gives us basically a more general idea we still need to apply it in specific instances no question but a more general idea of the philosophy of life, the mindset, the heart, the goals and ambitions that we are going to do. So we have to make decisions that we are not to become a part of. Okay. The verse I'm thinking of and you've heard me use this before. So critical when you're talking about this area is first John 216. So I'm the screen for you. Jesus said that we're not to love the world and first John 215 for if anybody loves the world the love of the father's not any but then he says in verse 16 I'll tell you what I mean for everything in the world. So I'm going to take everything that makes up this world system and by the world here he's not talking about unsaved people is not talking about planet earth he's talking about a system a cosmos that's the Greek word a an ordered system. This ordered system runs by three principles and he identifies and for us the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. That threefold philosophy of life you can call it a worldview you can call it a belief system you can call it where your heart goal and ambition really is but if you are worldly this is what it looks like according to the scriptures. The first philosophy and goal the world is the lust of the flesh what do you think that is. First of all what does the word lust mean I'm talking about general basic meaning the word lust means want or desire okay we typically think of a sexual desire but that's not the base meaning of the word the basic meaning of the word the basic meaning of the word is epiphemiah is the Greek word it means strong desire or or something you really want badly. Okay so what would the desire of the flesh be what is the flesh what's scripture talking about there. Simple nature okay I think at at root level that's what he what he's getting at the simple nature there's a lot it's been written on the use of the word flesh and the new testament I'm not going to get into that it does often talk about the word flesh. It does often talk about the body as well but basically the idea when the scriptures use it in moral context like this it's talking about the simple nature so one of the major principles of this world system is the desire to gratify the sinful nature. Whatever the simple nature tells you to do there's anything that is opposed to God's word the desire to do that the want to to do that is part of the way the world operates and all you got to do is look around you. You don't have to look very far to see that the world is consumed with the gratification of the sinful nature and it takes many many forms obviously one of the most one of the most obvious and blatant in our culture is is the sexualization of everything. I watched a little bit of the super bowl not much the other night and I just had to turn a commercials off everything is sexualized. You know sell a car you got to use sex to sell a car I mean just our culture's permeated with it and so that's that's a part of this world system that's how the world functions and operates is the desire to fulfill the simple nature the cravings of this nature the second major philosophical underpinning of a foundation worldview of this world system is the lust of the eyes okay we've already established lust means strong desire what is this talking about them strong desire of the eyes what's that materialism okay couple other words you want everything you see okay that's another way to put it. In the yes all of those things I think help us understand what you mention what the lust of the eyes are it's the desire to have what you're I see and so it is it is materialism whereas the the lust of the flesh has more to do with pleasure this has more to do with possessions has more to do with wanting what you see so it incorporates the basic greed and envy and materialism of this world system I've got to have more I've got to have what my neighbor has I've got to have the newest thing I've got to have have have have have have have have have and and that's the that's the lust of the eyes okay it's a basic driving principle of this world system and the third one is the pride of life what do you think the pride of life is is it the pride that you're proud that you're alive so what are you talking about okay yeah look of what I have done yeah look what I've done with my life look at what I've accomplished pride of life anything else you think of there who I am yeah yeah there's so many ways this can manifest itself right any kind of selfish ambition any kind of desire for popularity or fame that is centered around me desired to climb to a certain notoriety or status in life or to have certain things that provide you that status and make you look like somebody all of that is involved in the pride of life and it is a basic driving force of this world system okay now is worldliness necessarily to use to use one example is worldliness going to a movie theater is that worldliness okay John said I hope not there's an admission right there depends on what you look at depends on what you see okay I think that's a pretty safe example because we've kind of moved way beyond the days where you know it was considered or worldly to go to a movie theater I think most of us recognize now that if the location and the building is what makes it worldly then okay I won't go to that building but I'll watch trash on the television or I'll rent an R rated movie and I'll watch it in my home is it the building that makes it wrong is it going to that place it makes it obviously not and I know the cases often been made where you're supporting it in industry well again what John mentioned earlier is true you can't do any kind of commerce if you if you argue that view you'll have to live in a cave somewhere because every kind of commerce you do will have somewhere entanglements into sin you can't bank you can't go to Walmart you can't do anything and not have some of that okay so that's not a valid issue but the issue really is is what I'm viewing contributing to gratifying the simple nature is that what it's doing then it's worldly if it is is what I'm viewing or what I'm doing contributing to the greed and envy to have more or to have what somebody else then I'm lived then I'm worldly and is it contributing to the pride of life or any of those that have to be all three so I guess what I'm saying is for so long many Christians have defined worldliness as very external things that either you do or don't do places you go or don't go and while that might be a symptom of worldliness you can refrain from all of those things and be utterly worldly in your heart because you have the same lustful gratifying of the sinful nature in your heart maybe nobody ever knows about it but it's there or you have the greed and envy to have everything you see or maybe you've made that your ambition in life or you live for fame and popularity and notoriety and status and people to look at you you can do all of those things in your heart and be squeaky clean on the outside so you know I think it's very important that we define worldliness biblically and then we'll work it out in the details of personal convictions about what I should or shouldn't do but what Jesus basically is saying is our testimony for the world our relationship to the world is not isolation it's not withdrawal but neither is it assimilation it's not becoming a part of this world system he's leaving us in this world and that sense we're a part of the world but we're not a part of the system that it operates by those three basic principles and drives okay so it's not isolation not assimilation but verses 17 to 19 Jesus says here's what it is it is sanctification sanctification now Jesus is actually going to use a form of that word three four times in these three verses look at verses 17 to 19 sanctify them by the truth your word is truth as you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world for them I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified okay so he's praying for our relationship to the world and it's not it's not characterized by pulling us out of the world isolation it's not characterized by us being of the world assimilation it is characterized by sanctification now help me out a little bit that's a good theological term what does it mean set apart that seems to be a consensus and you are right on that's exactly what the word means the word sanctify or sanctification actually is linked in the original language to the word for holy and so it has to do with holiness and both words holy and sanctify or sanctification mean the the same thing basically to be set apart now we've got to talk about what that means what does it mean to be set apart obviously we've already seen it doesn't mean to withdraw from the world to be set apart from unsaved people not have any contact with them or be involved in the world or be involved in events and organizations where those people are I was not saying that but to be set apart also keeps us from being assimilated being part of the world system and so we've set apart Jesus actually defines in these verses in two ways first of all it's to be set apart by truth you see it in verse 17 sanctify them by the truth your word is truth part of what it means to be set apart is to be set apart for truth in other words to be people of the word to be people who who are in the word who are learning the word who are assimilating the word into our thought process our mind our heart so that our drive our ambition our main foundational outlook on the life is not a first John 216 kind of thing it's not coming from the sinful nature and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life it's coming from the word you see this is why it is so important to be steep in the word of God not just to learn more for our mind sake but so that we might practice and live it and it becomes a part of the way we think and the way our hearts operate our motivations our drive our ambition then becomes word centered Bible centered biblical so that when we look at something now we're looking at it through a different set of lenses than what the world looks at it through they're looking at it through how can I get the most pleasure out of this how can I gratify my sinful nature or how can I get more for myself out of this lust of the eyes or how can I make a better name for myself out of this and we thrown away those lenses our lenses are nailed these this is our lens and so what we're wanting to do is to do that which pleases the father and reflects the sun glorifies the sun and is spirit empowered those are biblical motivations okay that's what it means to be set apart doesn't mean you don't have any contact with unsafe people it does mean that as you do you are different in the sense that you have a biblical world view of biblical philosophy of life and not the same philosophy of life the world does you're not driven by the same things you're driven by this book obedience to this book so it is it is set apart by truth but notice it is also set apart for mission it is set apart for mission in this world you notice what he says in verse 18 as you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world obviously no longer isolation I just like Jesus was sent into this world to move among unsafe people to rub shoulders with and minister to and reach out in compassion and love to the the lowest of mankind and and to be a part of a world where he reached out he went to dinner with centers with tax collectors and he he ministered to prostitutes and sinful people he didn't isolate from centers okay so Jesus is saying just like you sent me into the world I have sent them into the world and he says for them I sanctify myself I set myself apart so that they too may be truly sanctified so to be set apart means to be set apart by the truth so that our whole mind heart ambition drive goal in life is Bible centered is is really coming from the word but then that drives us to mission it drives us out into the world to show God to show Jesus in the world in this world by our lifestyle just like Jesus did he was known as the friend of centers are we known for that do we have any friends who are centers even in the workplace you know do we do we find our little Christian buddies and we only have dinner with them or lunch with them and we kind of shy away from all those pagans you know is that the way we are I mean it's not what Jesus is praying for us to do he's saying I want them to go into the world like you sent me into the world Jesus goes to Jericho and everybody thinks you'll probably go to a rabbis house for dinner you know where does he go house is that he is most notorious criminal in town is that the way we live that I tell you what it causes me to do a lot of thinking about myself sure is yes it does exactly yeah exactly exactly that's exactly right and that's that's our protection as we move out into the world Jesus is saying we protect them apart and what what do we set them apart by that truth by that word sanctify them through that word that word is truth or that truth that word is truth so it is the word that protects us and keeps us from adopting becoming assimilated into the mindset and philosophy and lifestyle of the world of this world system right right exactly and that being separate is what Jesus divides here it's the same word as set apart that word separate same root word set apart or holy and it means to be set apart to be Bible people in the midst of the people that you're living doesn't mean to be isolated from them and by the way the context of second Corinthians 6 14 and that passage 14 through 17 and in chapter 7 verse 1 and second Corinthians the context of that is is pagan idolatrous religions in Corinth and that's what he was saying come out from and be separate from don't don't unite yourself with pagan religions now obviously it has some application to the world and and certainly we need to be separate but in what sense do we need to be separate and you you write about the balance there Sam we have to be separate not in the sense that we isolate from them but in the sense that we live a separate lifestyle that our lifestyle is different in the midst of of people who are unsaid so maybe it means you know at work we try to seek out those who are lost to eat lunch with in the lunchroom rather than other believers so that we can begin to talk and develop friendships and demonstrate the uniqueness of being set apart by truth and for mission and there are lots of ways this needs to work out in our lives maybe you know for some of us maybe we need to take an adult class at at Mercer County Tech so that we can get around some unsaid people maybe you need to join the fitness center to get around some unsafe people maybe if you're if you found yourself cloistered in a Christian subculture you need to do something to break out of that maybe you need to get involved in your pta so that you get around other parents maybe who are not believers and you begin to make friendships and maybe you need to coach a little league team so that you get around other parents of kids on that team that you can begin to form relationships with there are lots of ways to do it your neighbors have you ever really gotten to know your neighbors who may not come may not know Christ there are lots of different ways you can do this just to be a part of unsafe people's lives and I'm you know it's difficult for me as well I my work is mainly with believers at least most of the people who work at the church are believers and so my work is mainly centered around believers and ministering to believers and that kind of thing so I have to search for ways like with my neighbors or an invitation I just received this week to become a part of the cancer care committee at the hospital and I'm going to talk to the deacon about that tonight and hoping they'll say yes it's okay because I want that to be a part of a new circle of people that I begin to have an influence with and and be able to form friendships with and that gets me out of my box of just always being around Christian people so we all have to find ways to do that but we got to do it because separation from the world is not isolating ourselves from unsafe people it is also not assimilating to their lifestyle it is being separate in the midst of unbelievers okay and for mission so that we might reach them yes yes it really is and we are supposed to be the light that is set on hill and and giving light to unsafe people and worldly people it is it is it is threatening it is much safer to only be around Christians but it never stretches us to prove that we can be different to show that we can stand for Christ if we're all the time in our Christian subculture yes you are so right yeah that is so true our testimony even like when we leave church go to a restaurant go to Walmart or wherever it might be and and we don't display the spirit of Christ and and just to piggyback on that a little bit that's one reason I preach so long on Sunday morning to prepare you to test you to make sure that you are good and hungry when you go out and you're going to really be stretched to have that Christian testimony that was worth a try but what you're saying is exactly right I saw something on my Yahoo homepage little news blurbs that come up there to exalt something this week on and you may have seen this receipt a non tip that a pastor left a restaurant waitress he circled the 18% suggested tip and said I give God 10% why should you give God 18 why should I give you 18% and he the pastor was a she that's the reason okay anyway you know I was thinking it's got to be a he but marked out marked out the tip and wrote zero in the line where the tip is now we talk about a testimony that is now completely ruined for Christ how despicable that is yes yes exactly exactly and what Jesus is saying is be in the world but be different be the Bible people in the world and be missional people in the world reaching out with the gospel not ashamed and yes it will stretch us to stand up when there's ridicule or there's wondering why we don't laugh at this or participate in that or you know yes it will stretch you and it will fortify you and it will strengthen you spiritual it's good for us but we've got to get out of the cocoon and I just have this all this is not that's one reason that I will believe it's a measure of some of the people that are dealing with it and for sure yeah we've got to remember that we're going to live forever and people that we're trying to reach or not and it's it's worth the effort to break out of our bubble and try to reach people with the gospel by living in the midst of unsafe people not isolating from them yes one more yeah true oh yeah I think we do you're right we miss opportunities all around us to reach out to people who need the Lord and we need to be sensitive to those for sure well Greg and Rusty were taking bets back there about how far I'd get tonight who won we didn't get to the second prayer yet but this prayer and I remember I told you when we got into John 17 this is one of those upper level chapters of the scriptures this is one of those Romans 8 Psalm 23 kind of chapters it's worth spending some time here and it's worth understanding the heart of our Savior and what he wants for us and what he prayed for us for because that really does show what his heart is for us isn't it what he wants for us and it's worth spending a little bit of time so will Lord willing finish it up next week and get into the garden of Geth Simony and the prayer there time is gone let's pray Father we do ask that you would help us to navigate these these difficult waters they're not easy sometimes to know where the lines should be drawn between not being isolated but not being assimilated help us to truly be sanctified people to be people who are set apart to you by your word that we live out your word and not not lived by the principles of this world system help us to be people who are anxiously trying to cultivate relationships with the lost people around us so that we can be sent into this world just like you were and you did cultivate those kind of relationships and reach out to those kind of people help us to do like Jesus did because that's what he wanted us to so would help us to be more godly in the midst of a dark worldly culture help us to stand for you and to be lights for you we ask in Jesus name amen