Praying for Life

Good morning again.

Welcome to our gathering as a church family.

For those that may not know me, my name is John.

I'm a regular member of this church and currently training in a theology college

to know God more and to better serve all of you.

So each year, as part of our training, the students have opportunity to team up with churches

and organizations for a week of intense ministry and mission works.

So last week, the students were all around Australia and also overseas to spread the good news of God.

We had teams in Melbourne, northwestern Australia.

We have people in the Bible College in South Africa and a couple of Anakin churches and schools in Hong Kong

and all over Sydney, with the closest one being Ataman and the Shores School.

I myself joined 12 students, one faculty and one lady chaplain in Hong Kong

to partner with St. Andrew's Kowloon.

We were involved in kids and youth ministry, men's breakfast, women ministry, home workers' devotion.

We visited three universities to reach out to the students.

And we also get a bit of sightseeing around Hong Kong and we actually joined the gaily dance,

which is a Scottish dance that you go around and around like that.

So for those of you that have kept me in your prayer, I really want to thank you for your support.

I would also like to especially thank my wife, Vivian, because she took a look after our two kids while I was away.

The team in Hong Kong had a very encouraging time.

It was mostly encouraging, but we had a very encouraging time because we actually had a lot of chance to speak to people around in Hong Kong.

But personally, I was most encouraged because I got to catch up with three friends that is from high school,

which I haven't seen for 30 years.

And it was very encouraging because we were able to speak from our heart and I was able to share my faith with them,

get to know them more.

And I guess when I left Hong Kong, we were sort of on a good friendship already.

So I was able to rekindle that friendship and hopefully maintain that friendship.

It was very encouraging to me.

And also to actually find out that a lot of my old high school classmates are actually believers,

faithful believers, brother and sister in Christ, that we are serving the same God.

It's also very encouraging to me.

So if you have a chance to catch up with some long-lost friend,

what would you be focusing on with your conversation?

What would you hope to happen during that meeting?

Are there issues that you might have left and dealt with that need to be resolved?

And what would you celebrate about?

Nick already shared that since last few weeks ago and leading up to Easter,

we as a church family have been looking into the book of John

to actually see Jesus' interaction with his follower

before his imminent departure from earth to go back to God's side.

We saw how Jesus reassure and encouraged his follower,

promising the sending of the Holy Spirit after his departure

to remind them of things that he has spoken to them until he returned.

Jesus then pointed out that as someone follows him and do his command,

that person will be transformed to be his friend

and the transformed life will be a fruitful life.

This new life that he gives will also be an uncomfortable one

because the world hates and will persecute those that follow Jesus.

However, he also pointed out that he has overcome the world

and his followers will live a joyful life

when they see the return of Christ Jesus their King.

In all this conversation,

Jesus has been using a future tense when he referred to his departure.

But now we come to chapter 17.

At the very beginning, Jesus says,

the hour has come.

The hour for his arrest and to face his death

and his resurrection is only a few hours away.

And Jesus takes this time to speak with his Father.

In this chapter, we can see what concerns Jesus the most.

We can see what is on Jesus' heart.

As we drop in on Jesus' conversation with God,

we will know Jesus more.

A German reformer that worked with Martin Luther

and had contributed a lot towards the Reformation

is Philip Malenthin.

And he said this about this chapter.

There is no voice which has ever been heard,

either in heaven or in earth,

more exalted, more holy, more fruitful,

more sublime than this prayer

offered up by the Son of God himself.

Most scholars and commentators would say

this is where we are given

the most profound revelation

of the very heart of our Lord Jesus.

If you have been a Christian for a while,

I encourage you to take some time

to read through this chapter again after today.

And if you do not know who is Jesus

that many people have decided to follow,

you should also read this chapter.

This chapter provides the best evidence

of the deity of Jesus Christ,

his self-consciousness of his identity,

the claim that he made about himself,

especially of his universal dominant,

his reference to a previous existence

in living unity with the eternal God.

Leave us with no match,

not much choice.

We can either decide that he's a lunatic,

he's insane, or he's God.

Even if you're not interested

in who Jesus really is,

but interested in what life is about

if someone decided to follow Jesus

and become a Christian,

you can also find the answer here

by Jesus' own words

as he prayed for those that were following him

and for those that would believe in him

through the message of those followers.

So please open your Bible to John 17 again

and let's walk through this chapter together

to see what it has to offer to us.

We'll begin from verse 1 to 5.

After Jesus said this,

he looked towards heaven and prayed,

Father, the hour has come.

Glorify your Son,

that your Son may glorify you.

For you grant him authority over all people,

that he may give eternal life

to all those you have given him.

Now this is eternal life,

that they know you,

the only true God,

and Jesus Christ,

whom you have sent.

I have brought you glory on earth

by finishing the work you have gave me to do.

And now, Father,

glorify me in your presence

with the glory I have with you

before the world began.

As I'm meeting up with my old school friends,

in our polite nature,

the question of

who's your best friend at school

has often come up.

But we rarely ask them,

like,

who upsets you the most

or who you dislike the most.

I guess it goes without saying

that the kind of student

that we dislike the most

would be those teacher's pets,

self-glorifying and self-centered people.

As you read this passage,

it comes across Jesus as a bit selfish

by starting praying for himself.

But however,

it's furthest removed from selfishness

as possible.

Jesus prayed

to be glorified

in order that

he might glorify his Father.

And there's a reason

that he can offer

eternal life

to his follower.

First one,

he says,

Father,

the hour has come.

Glorify your Son

that your Son may glorify you.

For you grant him authority

over all people

that he might give eternal life

to all those

you have given him.

By his request

to be glorified,

Jesus referred

to his crucifixion

that is going to happen

within a few hours.

His triumph over the grave

after three days,

his ascension,

and supremely

his outpouring

of the Holy Spirit.

To glorify someone

is to make that someone known.

Jesus decided to be known

in his true character

as an obedient,

divine Son of God,

as a gracious Messiah,

as a merciful Savior

of the world.

All these attributes

were manifest

in the hour

which had come

and extended

to the time

when all the believers

gather together

and receive the gift

of the Holy Spirit.

This gift

constitutes

or secure

the answer

to his prayer.

by the glory

of the Son,

by Jesus making

the true character

and identity

of himself

known to the world,

people will come

to know the Father

and the glory

of the Father

was secured.

God was never

so fully refilled

in all his justice

and love

and holiness

and grace

as by the hour

with which

we are focusing

our current

preaching series on.

In addition,

eternal life

was also secure

for the follower

of Christ.

In verse 3,

it says,

this is eternal life

that they know you,

the only true God

and Jesus Christ

whom you have sent.

To know

is not just

an act of mind.

It's not just

a head knowledge

because in that sense,

demons know God.

But to know

it represents

love,

obedience,

faith,

the response

of an entire

human being.

To know

is to be intimate

and have close

relationship

with someone.

Therefore,

the eternal life

that is referred to

is not only

a future event

but a present

experience.

It means

endless

existence

in the future

but also

a present

heavenly blessedness.

We know

we can go to heaven

but at this stage

right here

we can experience

the blessedness

that God gave us.

Jesus

prays this prayer

based on

the fact that

his entire

earthly task

was completed.

First of all,

he says,

I have brought you

glory on earth

by finishing

the work

you have gave me

to do.

The supreme

sacrifice

seems to him

to have been made.

His work

was finished.

He would

therefore pray

and now

Father

glorify me

in your presence

with the glory

I have with you

before the world

began.

If you are told

your death

is only a few

hours away,

will you have

the confidence

to say

my life

is complete

and his work

is finished.

To many of us,

life seems to be

a pathetic series

of beginnings

and failures

and imperfect

strife

and endeavours.

However,

if we do

the will of God,

the symbol

of our life

need not to be

some broken columns.

for someone

who had only

three years

of ministry,

only healed a few

sick people,

preached only a few

sermons,

only 11 followers

secured

and many

deserters,

no book

have written,

no church

or organisation

established,

it seems a bit

premature to say

my work on earth

is finished.

But the hour

has come,

his work on earth

about to finish

and he need not

to linger anymore,

only the cross

remains

and the glory

fulfilled.

We follow on

in this passage,

Jesus pray for,

pray next

for his immediate

disciples,

for the twelve

who have followed

him and been

with him.

this is a very

special group

of people

that have the

privilege

to be the eyewitnesses

of Jesus'

ministry on earth.

However,

the term

disciples

is not just

reserved for them.

Anyone can be

Jesus' disciples,

anyone can be

counted as a

Christian.

So have you

ever asked

who is a

disciple?

What does it

mean to be a

Christian

or a follower

of Christ?

Jesus has

provided the

answer personally

in this prayer

for these

questions.

In verse 6

to 8,

he identified

his followers

as those

whom God

gave him

out of the

world,

whom have

obeyed God's

word.

There are those

that accepted

the words of God

that were given

through Jesus

and they believed

that God

sent Jesus

and knew with

certainty that

Jesus came

from God.

So a disciple

or follower

of Jesus,

a Christian,

is one

who got

taken out

of the world

to believe

God sent

Jesus and

believe that

Jesus came

from God.

This belief

came from

accepting and

obeying the

word of God

that was

presented through

Jesus.

At this

special moment,

Jesus prays

specifically for

his immediate

disciples and

asked two

specific things

for them.

First,

he prayed that

they may be

kept from

evil.

In verse 11,

it read,

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,

or Father,

keep them

faithful to

your name,

the name you

gave me,

so that they

may be one

as we are

one.

It is because

Jesus is

leaving them

that he

prays for

his

disprotection.

While Jesus

was with

them,

he protected

them,

but now

he is

leaving,

and he

knows that

the world

will hate

them.

He

commits

them to

the care

of his

Father.

It is

at this

verse and

previous

verse that

we also

see what

Jesus

claimed about

himself.

The first

thing before

that is

verse 10,

he said,

all I have

is yours,

and all you

have is

mine.

So that

they may

be one

as we

are one.

Jesus is

claiming that

he is one

with God,

that he

and God

is one.

In his

prayer,

he does

not ask

that they

shall be

taken out

of the

world.

He does

not ask

that they

shall be

kept from

sorrow and

pain and

temptation.

But he

prays that

they will

be kept

from gloom

and

discouragement

and sin.

Verse 15,

it reads,

my prayer

is not

that you

take them

out of

the world,

but that

you protect

them from

the evil

one.

What is

the difference

between sorrow

and gloom?

Pain and

discouragement,

or temptation

and sin?

The differences

are very

similar.

Feeling

sad about

something or

some situation

is one thing,

but gloom

is hopelessness,

is giving

hope.

Feeling

pain is

a sign

of growth

and suffering

will eventually

make us

stronger.

However,

discouragement

only happens

when someone

gave up

their courage,

gave up

their vision

and focused

on what

is immediate.

We may

be tempted

but not

sin.

To sin

is a

decision

to let

go of

our

true

identity

as the

children

of God

and give

in to

the world.

So,

Jesus

prayed

these first

things

for them

is for

the

disciples

to be

kept

from

evil.

Second

thing

that

Jesus

prayed

for

this

is

his

disciples

may

be

sanctified

in

verse 17

to 18.

Sanctify

them

by the

truth.

Your

word

is

truth.

As

you

send

me

into

the

world,

I

have

sent

them

into

the

world.

In

here,

sanctification

doesn't

mean making

them holy

because the

first part of

the prayer

already prayed

for that.

In

here,

sanctification

means more

about setting

a path

for service.

Because in

verse 18,

it says,

as you send

me into

the world,

I have

sent them

into the

world.

the

service

that

is

required

of

Jesus'

follower

is

witnessing

to

the

truth

to be

Jesus'

messenger,

to testify

to the

truth.

The

truth of

God,

the

word of

God,

will

sanctify

those

who hear

the message

and believe

in Jesus.

And the

final section

of this

chapter shows

how Jesus

prayed for

all believers

for the

world.

And the

main focus

is that

all of

them may

be one,

and that

at last

they may

be with

him in

heavenly

glory.

The

oneness

that

share

among

the

Trinity,

the

three

persons

of God,

the

Father,

Son,

and Holy

Spirit,

is

emphasized

by

Jesus'

own

word.

In

this

last

session,

Jesus'

father,

just as

you are

in me

and I

am in

you,

I have

given

them

the

glory

that

you

gave

me,

that

they

may

be

one

as

we

are

one,

so

that

they

may

be

brought

to

complete

unity.

Righteous

Father,

though the

world does

not know

you,

I know

you.

Theologian

Charles

Edmund

says that

the oneness

mentioned in

this

chapter

contemplates

a

spiritual

unity,

which must

be given

visible

expression,

by which

in its

essence

consists of

a union

with Christ

and through

him with

God.

Jesus

prayed for

us,

his followers,

to be part of

that unity

that's shared

among the

Trinity,

that loving

relationship

that is between

the Father,

the Son,

and the Holy

Spirit.

if we

look through

this

section,

Jesus

said this,

may they

also be

in us,

so that

the world

may believe

that you

have sent

me.

Then the

world will

know that

you sent

me and

have loved

them even

as you

have loved

me.

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 and

that I

myself may

be in

them.

Christian

exists to

make Christ

known to

the world

by the

spiritual

unity that

we share

with Christ

and with

our Father

in Heaven.

Becoming a

Christian is

not to have

a better

way of

life or

to give

us a

relief from

the pain

and sorrow

and temptation

and the

trouble of

the world.

Christianity

is not just

another religion

to try out.

To be a

follower of

Christ is

to participate

into the

oneness of

God, to

share the

glory of

God that

existed before

the beginning

of the

world and

to make

God known

to the

world through

that

participation.

To know

God and

to have

eternal life

is to

experience the

presence of

God and

the heavenly

blessedness in

your day-to-day

life, to

use the

glory that

is given

to you by

God to

glorify him.

Those that

have

understood and

accepted the

word of

God is

revealed by

Jesus.

Those that

have

understood and

accepted the

words of

God as

revealed by

Jesus, those

that make the

decision to

follow and

obey God's

word, knew

with certainty

that Jesus

comes from

God and

believe that

God sent

Jesus.

And also

are those

that through

whom glory

has come to

Jesus.

And they

will have the

full measure

of Jesus'

joy within

them.

And they

will also

experience the

opposition of

the world.

So now

this is

eternal life,

that they

know God,

the only

true God,

and Jesus

Christ,

whom God

has sent.

let's

pray.

Father,

thank you

so much

for sending

Jesus.

Thank you

so much

for Jesus'

obedience to

you,

that he's

willing to

reveal the

fullness of

you to

us,

that he

has protected

us while

we're on

earth,

and now

he has

sent the

Holy Spirit

to guide

us,

to live

our life,

that you

want us

to live.

God,

thank you

so much

that you

have called

us to

be your

follower,

to be your

children,

that you

didn't cut

our sin

against us,

but you

have gave

us eternal

life.

You gave

us a way

to know

you through

Jesus,

to learn

about you

through your

word.

You also

give us

the ability,

the strength

to carry out

your will,

God,

help us

to really

truly

understand

what it

means to

have a

relationship

with you.

Help us

to not

just live

our religious

life,

but really

live our

a true

Christian

life,

that is

enjoying a

daily

relationship

with the

hope of

future

heavenly

life,

and live

our life

in faith

according to

your word.

Thank you

so much

for what

you have

done for

us.

In a

prayer of

this,

amen.