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
IF TRUTH IS ALWAYS CHANGING THEN THERE CANNOT BE UNITY AMONG BELIEVERS
THE BIBLE CONTAINS GOD’S TRUTH
1.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO GOD IS (V6)
2. THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO JESUS IS (V7-8)
3.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW TO LIVE UNDER GOD’S PROTECTION(V9-12)
4.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW TO HAVE THE FULL MEASURE OF CHRIST’S JOY (V13)
5.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SOURSE OF ALL EVIL (V14-15)
6.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW TO LIVE THE SANCTIFIED LIFE (V17)
7.THE BIBLE CONTAINS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW TO LIVE FOR GOD IN THIS WORLD.(V18)`
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SEEING UNITY IN TRUTH HAPPEN BETWEEN BELIEVERS IS TWO FOLD
1. WE MUST ACCEPT THE TRUTH (v8)
“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.”
A CLOSED HEART WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TRUTH
A SHALLOW HEART WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TRUTH
A DIVIDED HEART WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TRUTH
A OPEN HEART WILL ACCEPT THE TRUTH
2. WE MUST OBEY THE TRUTH (V6)
“I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.”
THIS TAKES US TO THE THIRD KIND OF UNITY JESUS PRAYS FOR:UNITY OF LOVE
“But the greatest of these is love.”
“By this shall all men know you are my disciples…by your knowledge of the truth?No by your love one for one another.
You can be full of truth and have no love. A legalistic believer is someone who is full of truth but has no love.
DEMONSTRATIONS OF LOVE
1. PRAYING FOR OTHER BELIEVERS (v20)
If you have a hard time loving someone start praying for them…
2. FELLOWSHIPING WITH OTHER BELIEVERS
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.” (v24)
3. MINISTERING TO OTHER BELIEVERS
“I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them.” (v26)
CONCLUSION
JESUS PRAYER FOR ALL BELIEVERS WAS INITIALLY ANSWERED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
1.THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT (UNITY OF SPIRIT)
2.THEY DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE APOSTLES TEACHING (UNITY OF TRUTH)
3.ALL THE BELIEVERS WERE TOGETHER AND HAD EVERYTHING IN COMMON. SELLING THEIR POSSESSIONS AND GOODS THEY GAVE TO ANYONE AS HE HAD NEED (UNITY OF LOVE)
AND THE BLESSING OF HAVING ALL THREE KINDS OF UNITY IS THAT IT DRAWS UNBELIEVERS TO CHRIST
“may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.” (John 17:23)
PEOPLE DON’T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU BELIEVE. THEY CARE ABOUT HOW YOU BEHAVE.
THIS UNITY THAT JESUS PRAYS FOR IS A UNITY ONLY GOD CAN GIVE.
ONLY GOD THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CAN MAKE US ONE IN SPIRIT
ONLY GOD THROUGH HIS WORD CAN MAKE US ONE IN TRUTH
ONLY GOD THROUGH HIS SPIRIT CAN MAKE US ONE IN LOVE
RULES CANT MAKE US ONE ONLY GOD CAN
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN JESUS’ PRAYER?
ARE YOU ONE IN SPIRIT WITH OTHER BELIEVERS?
ARE YOU ONE IN TRUTH WITH OTHER BELIEVERS?
ARE YOU ONE IN LOVE WITH OTHER BELIEVERS?
SINCE THIS WHOLE CHAPTER IS A PRAYER TO GOD FOR US IT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING FOR US TO PRAY TO GOD.
GOD WE LOOK TO HEAVEN TODAY AND PRAY FOR OURSELVES. WE PRAY THAT THE PRAYER JESUS PRAYED FOR US MIGHT BE ANSWERED IN ALL OUR LIVES. THROUGH THE DEATH OF YOUR SON MAKE US ALL ONE IN SPIRIT. THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD MAKE US ALL ONE IN TRUTH. HELP US TO ACCEPT AND OBEY YOUR WORD THAT IT MIGHT CAUSE US TO LOVE YOU AND LOVE OTHERS. LET OUR UNITY BE TALKED ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT OTHERS MAY FIND JESUS. FOR IT IS IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN.
