Building Authentic Biblical Community: Community: Answering Christ’s Prayer
John 17:6-24
28 September 2003
SUBJECT: Jesus’ Prayer for Community
RESPONSE: Discover being involved in community is actually an answer to Jesus’ prayer.
HOW TO/HOW LONG: Sign up for a life group during this series.
We started our discussion on authentic biblical community with the fact that God exists in community—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the first community, the first small group, the first team. When we participate in community, we are reflecting the image of God.
Last week we saw that being part of a small group was important and primary in Jesus’ life and ministry. He called a number to come to him, walk with him, talk with him, learn from him, and carry on his kingdom work. Jesus did speak to large crowds. He probably taught in the synagogue weekly, but most of his time was spent with his Small Group.
This morning, as we encourage you to be involved in community as we begin our Small Groups, I want you to discover that as you and I are involved in community we are actually an answer to Christ’s prayer.
We are always asking the Lord to answering our prayers. We have an opportunity to actually be involved in answering Christ’s prayer as we are involved in community.
Listen to some of Jesus’ prayer:
“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. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming 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. 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. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 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. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
--John 17:6-24, NIV
This prayer of Jesus is one of the most magnificent passages in the entire Bible. This prayer has been called “The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus.”
We could spend weeks and weeks on this prayer (perhaps one of these days we’ll come back to it). Jesus is praying to his Father in heaven as he begins the prayer. He asks the Father to glorify him as he glorifies the Father. Jesus is about do glorify his Father by accomplishing his will on the cross. As New Testament scholar F. F. Bruce wrote, the cross is “the vehicle of that glory.” Jesus is also glorified through the vehicle of the cross as this is where he establishes his kingdom and finishes the work of redemption.
Where we pick up in the prayer, Jesus begins to pray for his disciples. He acknowledges that the Father had given him these disciples who are with him in the Upper Room. As Jesus prays, he affirms his disciples for obeying him and accepting his words.
Jesus then prays that his disciples would be protected as they are in the world but not of it. He prays that his disciples will be filled with his joy. He prays that they will be sanctified, or set apart to him, through his word.
Jesus then continues by praying for you and me. That’s right, Jesus prays for those who believe in him through the testimony of those first disciples.
He prays that we would be united. The purpose of this unity is so that others will come to him and experience the power of his love. He prays that we will experience his intimate presence and to experience his glory.
Now by now, you’re probably asking, “What does this prayer have to do with Building Authentic Biblical Community?” Now that’s an excellent question.
Do you know the setting of this prayer? This section of John’s gospel is the conclusion of what is known as the Upper Room discourses. Jesus has celebrated the Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room. John 14 through 17 reveal Jesus’ final contact with his disciples before being arrested in the garden and climbing Calvary.
Where is Jesus praying? He’s praying in the Upper Room with his disciples in their last Life Group meeting before the cross.
You see, brothers and sisters, when you read the words of the Upper Room discourses, words like “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and “I am the vine, you are the branches” and what we’ve read from John 17, I want us to remember that these words were not proclaimed at a stadium, the temple, or a great cathedral. These words were shared around a table in a home—a Small Group.
Let me emphasize again—I believe it is essential that every follower of Jesus be committed to community. Remember, God exists in community—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are made in his image. He said it’s not good for us to be alone. Remember, Jesus spent most of his earthly ministry in community. Now we see that as he is praying with his little community he prays for spiritual growth and commitment, which I believe best happens in authentic biblical community.
Let’s go back to Jesus’ prayer in a little more depth now.
Jesus recognizes that his disciples have been given to him by the Father.
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.
--John 17:6
Do you realize that you’re not your own if you are a Christian? You belong to Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul reminds us that we were “bought with a price.” Because we belong to Jesus we are to be men and women who obey his word. Where do you think you will find people who will not only study the Word with you, but will also hold you accountable to “answering” this prayer of Jesus? Sitting in a pew, looking at the back of someone’s head probably won’t do it. But sitting in an “Upper Room” in someone’s house might be the setting. That’s the setting Jesus used quite a bit.
Jesus also prayed for our protection.
Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name — the name you gave me — so that they may be one as we are one.
--John 17:11
Again, remember, Jesus is praying these words in the Upper Room with his Small Group. There is protection in a small group. It would be wise to heed the words of the writer of Ecclesiastes:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
--Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
There is protection in community and it is dangerous to be alone. When we gather in the name of the Lord, we are safe. The psalmist wrote,
May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
--Psalm 20:1
Jesus prayed that we would not be of the world but that we would be sanctified, or set apart to him, by the truth of his word.
They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
--John 17:16-17
We must not live in conformity to the pattern of the world. We are set apart to live for Jesus as outlined in his Word. Just watching what’s acceptable on TV these days shows us how far from God’s Word we are. Now unmarried celebrities announce their pregnancies without shame. We have reality shows that show us how evil reality is. We need to be in groups that remind us that this isn’t the way Christians live. Children in middle school are doing things on school buses that would be rated “R” at the movies. We need to remind those who follow Jesus that these things are unacceptable—we have been set apart. I’ll keep reminding you here in this setting. Would you remind each other in the “Upper Room” settings of our Small Groups that are coming this Fall? That would be an answer to Christ’s prayer!
Jesus prayed, several times in this text, that we would be united. He prayed…
that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
--John 17:21-23
I believe our Small Groups will help bring unity to our church—unity with a purpose. “Pastor, how will a bunch of groups bring unity?” Another excellent question.
When everyone has the opportunity to feel connected and belong there will be more unity. Where everyone has a place where everyone knows his or her name, there will be unity. When we have groups meeting in “Upper Rooms” all over Plymouth County praying for needs, studying the Scriptures, caring for each other—we will have unity. Remember unity is a big part of community!
It will be unity with a purpose. As we make the commitment to community people will be attracted to Jesus. Instead of being influenced by the world, we will influence others to come to Christ. Jesus prayed that we would be one so that the world would believe and experience the power of his love. As we become united through these Life Groups I believe God will draw more and more people into our community. Now that would be an answer to Christ’s prayer, wouldn’t it?
What do I want you to do as you leave this morning? You’ve heard it before; it’s time to hear it again. I want you to prayerfully consider becoming part of one of our Small Groups. Many of you have already done so. I know, because many of you have returned the portion of the brochures indicated you’d like to be part of a life group. I’m hoping many more of those forms will be in our offering this morning and next week.
That would certainly be an answer to my prayers—and more importantly—Christ’s!
