God's Prayer For All Believers

Text: John 17: 20-26

Title: God’s prayer for all believers

INTRODUCTION

1. WHO JESUS PRAYS FOR

Here in John 17:20-26 we find Jesus praying for “those who will believe in me through their message,” …meaning all of us who believe in Christ.

2. WHAT JESUS PRAYS FOR

And we don’t need to be in the dark about what is Jesus’ prayer for us because we are told in verse 21 his prayer for those who believe in him is “that all of them may be one.”

3. WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE PRAYED “THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE.”

Now there has been a lot of discussion about what Jesus meant by his prayer.Some understand Jesus’ prayer to mean that he wants every religion to overlook their theological differences and just try to get alone

4. WHAT JESUS MEANS WHEN HE PRAYS ”THAT ALL OF THEM MAY BE ONE.”

But is this what Jesus really had in mind for us when he prayed “that all who believe in him may be one.”

What Jesus himself had in mind for those who believe in him is actually revealed to us in the second part of verse 21;… “That all of them may be one, Father, …just as you are in me and I am in you.”

In other words Jesus’ prayer is that all who believe in him would experience the same kind of unity as… that which exists between the Father and the Son.

THE BODY: WHAT KIND OF UNITY EXISTS BETWEEN THE FATHER AND THE SON?

Looking at the entire 17th chapter of John we discover that there are three kinds of unity that exists between the Father and the Son.

1. SPIRITUAL UNITY (1-5)

1.In verses 1-5 where Jesus prays for himself we see that the unity that exists between the Father and the Son is a spiritual one.

•Jesus is seen looking into heaven

•Jesus is praying to the Father

•Jesus is praying all about spiritual subjects

•Eternal life; knowing God; knowing Jesus; finishing the work God gave him to do…

2.UNITY OF TRUTH (6-19)

In verses 6-19 where Jesus prays for his disciples we see that the unity that exists between the Father and the Son is one of truth

•Your word is truth (v17)

•“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.” (v8)

•“I have given them your word and the world has hated them…” (v14)

3.UNITY OF LOVE (20-26)

Finally in verses 20-26 where Jesus prays for all believers we see that the unity that exists between the Father and the Son is one of love.

•“…even as you have loved me…(v23)

•“…because you have loved me before the creation of the world.” (v25)

•“…the love you have for me.” (v26)

CONCLUSION

So when Jesus prays for all who believe in him that all of them be one he is praying that we would all be

•FIRST one in spirit,

•SECOND one in truth

•THIRD one in love.

AND SO Overlooking theological differences for the sake of getting along is the farthest thing from Jesus’ mind when he prayed “that all of them may be one.”.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORDER AS IT RELATES TO UNITY BETWEEN BELIEVERS

There is a special significance to having each kind of unity placed in the order we see them in John 17

•FIRST one in spirit,

•SECOND one in truth

•THIRD one in love.

THE STARTING PLACE

Unity between believers starts with being one in Spirit.

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.” (John 3:5-6)

“And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9)

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14)

BEING ONE IN SPIRIT

Everyone who repents of their sins, accepts Jesus as their personal savior and has a personal relationship with God becomes one in spirit.

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:26-28)

BUT JESUS DOES NOT WANT THE UNITY BETWEEN BELIEVERS TO END WITH BEING ONE IN SPIRIT; JESUS WANTS US TO GO ON TO BEING ONE IN TRUTH.

BEING ONE IN TRUTH (6-19)

WHAT IS TRUTH?

“your word is truth…” (v17)

TRUTH IS NOT WHAT I SAY; YOU SAY; THE MEDIA SAY. TRUTH IS WHAT GOD SAYS