Jesus Prays for Our Good

My name's Jordan.

I'm one of the pastors here.

It's my privilege to open up God's Word.

It's been a minute.

We're a couple minutes behind already.

I think I get to preach every four years.

And so I'll try not to be long-winded.

And yeah, I'm excited to be opening up God's Word.

We're in week two of our Jesus Praise series where we're looking at the high priestly prayer of our Lord in John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

Last week, Pastor Justin opened up the word and talked about how Jesus prays for our souls.

And today we're going to be looking at how Jesus prays for our good.

Jesus prays for our good.

Me and my wife, we got married in 2009, and we had premarital counseling like most couples do, or many couples do, I guess.

And one thing that stuck out to me still to this day that the pastor who officiated our ceremony said, he said, if you want to know your wife's heart, if you want to know really what she cares about most, you should pray with her.

Because when she prays, she will open up to what is going on, what she cares about most, what is most important in her life.

And that's been true in our marriage.

Parents, you know this.

If you ask your children to pray very quickly, you're going to find out what they care about, right?

My oldest, he prays uh for breakfast every morning before school, and his prayer every time, it never fails, is God, I pray that today flies by.

Right?

Like that's what that's all he cares about.

He's he's got one speed.

God, I pray today flies by.

Prayer has this ability to let us see into the prayer's heart.

And this morning the text is no different.

As we open up the high priestly prayer, we we get this magnificent look into Jesus' heart, what he cares about.

And we're gonna hopefully see that Jesus deeply cares for your good.

For your good.

This is really, really marvelous.

The scriptures tell us a lot that Jesus prayed, Jesus prayed, Jesus went away, and he prayed.

They don't tell us often exactly what he prayed, though.

And so this morning we get a very detailed look at the prayers that he offered.

And specifically in verses 6 through 19 this morning, it's the prayers that he offered for his disciples, for his eleven.

And so, my hope this morning is as we open up the word, as we dive into this prayer of our Lord, that we would uh be stirred to a greater affection and worship and adoration for the goodness of our Savior.

Amen?

Let me pray and we'll open up.

God, we uh confess that we need you this morning.

God, if you do not move in our midst, if you don't empower the words that are proclaimed this morning, then they are vain and they're worthless.

So, God, I pray that you would see fit to use me as a mouthpiece to proclaim your excellencies this morning.

That in your grace and mercy you would somehow use this stammering tongue to draw to your goodness, to recount your marvelous nature, your saving ways, your glory that is beyond comparison.

God, I praise you for the ability to open up your word.

I pray that you would reveal to us what you see fit this morning.

We trust that it is for your increasing glory, and your church is good.

Amen.

All right, so as you're turning to John chapter 17, we're gonna be working through verses 6 through 19.

John 17 · chapter mention

I want to kind of set the stage of what's going on.

It's easy to read this text as we would any other text, but I really want to take a moment to hit pause, hit time out, and really place ourselves in the story.

This high priestly prayer, this is a prayer that Jesus is praying with his disciples in the upper room.

The upper room is a familiar place through scripture.

We see the Last Supper taking place in the upper room.

We see this prayer in the upper room.

We see Jesus washing his disciples' feet in the upper room.

We see after the resurrection, the disciples are afraid that they're going to be killed like Jesus, and where do they go?

They run to the upper room, and Jesus comes through the wall, and he prays to them, and he talks to Thomas, who is doubting that he truly was the resurrected Savior.

This this room has great importance.

It is a safe place for the disciples.

And this morning I want us to kind of grasp our mind around what this prayer might have looked like.

See, Jesus is about to leave.

He said last week in verse 1 that he's accomplished the work of the Father and that he's about to be gone.

And so he offers up this prayer.

2007, I was dating my now wife, Holly, and uh we uh we we drove down.

Me, my now father-in-law, and my now mother-in-law drove down to the University of Cincinnati from Akron Canton, Ohio, and we got her moved into her dorm room.

And I just remember vividly that as we got down there, I was like, okay, well, we got to bounce now, we got her all settled.

And then the prayer came out from her father, and tears were everywhere, right?

They're sobbing, you know, they she was homeschooled her whole life, nothing against her, but like this is a big deal.

She, this is a big deal.

She is leaving the care and the protection of her home, and now her father and her mother are going to pray as they send her out into the world, Cincinnati, Ohio, drive four hours away.

We talk about an awkward car ride home.

Man, I had to just listen to the sobbing the whole time.

And she said, I have to say this.

If if you know me, I was crying myself too.

Even though we were dating, I'm a softie.

So this is what's happening here.

Jesus is coming to his disciples and he's sending them into the world.

He's saying, I'm leaving.

I'm leaving.

And so I can I can just envision this prayer of Jesus.

He draws his own and he draws his eleven in this upper room.

He embraces them, he puts his arm around them, and he offers up this great prayer full of love and compassion and empathy.

And I'm sure that he was tears in his eyes.

His voice was choked up.

This, these men that he called Andrew and Peter and James and John and Matthew, he knows them deeply.

And he offers up this prayer as their great high priest.

So I want us to have that mental picture in mind as we go through this text, this deep care that Jesus had.

And we begin in verse 6.

Verse 6 through 10 reads, I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you, for I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them, and have come to know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

I am praying for them.

I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

There's so much rich theology in this prayer.

Uh, this high priestly prayer, some pastors have used an entire year just to go through these short verses that we'll be covering today.

And so this this prayer starts with, I have manifested your name.

I have manifested.

What does manifest mean?

It means to reveal or to make known the name and the saving nature and the saving grace of God the Father.

Jesus sowed seeds, he spoke truth, and it fell on fertile ground in the disciples' hearts, and it came to be saving faith.

Jesus revealed the Father to the disciples.

We see this all throughout the narrative scriptures.

Jesus reveals himself.

In Psalm 19, Jesus reveals himself through creation.

Psalm 19 says, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies above proclaim his handiwork.

Creation reveals God.

Miraculous wonders.

We have the story of Moses in Exodus 3, this burning bush that does not get consumed.

God calls out to Moses and he says, I hear my people's cries, I've seen their afflictions, and I'm sending you to save them.

God revealed himself through the prophets.

In Amos chapter 3, Amos says, God called, Amos says, For the Lord does nothing without revealing his secrets to the servant, the prophets.

Amos 3 · chapter mention

God reveals himself.

He reveals himself through the priests, he reveals himself through kings.

But the greatest revealing, the greatest making known, the greatest manifestation of the Father was through Jesus Christ, the Son.

Colossians 1 says, He is the image of the invisible God.

Hebrews 1 says, He is the exact imprint of God.

Jesus is the greatest manifestation of the Godhead that the world has ever seen.

He goes on to say something after that.

He says, I have revealed your name, I have manifested your name, and it's important to what he what does he say after that?

To the people you have given me.

Who did he reveal this name to?

Who did he make known the saving excellencies to?

A specific people.

The people to whom the Father had given him out of the world.

Note the specificity of that prayer.

Who's it for?

It's for the eleven.

It's for the disciples.

It's for his own.

Those whom the Father had given him.

The men that Jesus called to leave their fishing industries, the men who Jesus called to leave being a tax collector.

These men follow Jesus, and he's offering up a prayer as he's about to leave him.

And he says, Yours they were, Father, and you gave them to me.

This prayer, as I've been looking at it, sounds an awful lot like some divine election, doesn't it?

Yours they were, you gave them to me.

He actually goes on later.

He says, I'm not praying for the world.

I'm praying for them.

I'm praying for you.

There's specificity in this prayer.

There is deep theology.

God chose them out of the world and he entrusted them to the loving care of his son.

In verse 9, we read, he says, I am praying for them.

I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me.

He draws a line.

I am not praying for the world.

I am praying for those whom the Father had given them.

The elect, the ones the chosen had that God had chosen.

See, for Jesus to pray in any other way would have been rebellion against the Father.

And he is in perfect unity.

He says, I and the Father are one.

So for Jesus to ask or to pray for those whom the Father had not given him would have gone against the Father.

Because the Father had not given them to him.

And he says in verse 10, All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

This speaks to the deity of Christ.

The equality of God the Son with God the Father.

All of them are mine.

Jesus cannot pray that some might believe, in hopes that maybe some would believe, no.

Just as Jesus died for the elect, Jesus is praying for the elect.

Actually, we see this certainty in verse 20, which we'll look at.

Jesus says, I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe.

So as he moves from praying for the disciples, he moves on to praying for those in future tense will believe, not may believe.

Those who will believe.

Future faith secured an eternity past.

So Jesus manifested, he revealed the saving nature and way of God the Father to His own.

And then he kind of describes His own as He's going away, as He's sending His disciples, he really, as a great high priest, as an advocate, makes this plea to the Father on behalf of His disciples.

He gives three markers of true faith in verses six through nine.

He says they received Jesus' words, they kept Jesus' words, and they believed that God sent Jesus.

They received Jesus' words.

What does this mean?

The revelation of Christ fell on fertile soil in their hearts.

They received it.

It had its effective faith.

Its intended proclamation caused saving faith on the disciples.

They received his words.

They kept his words.

Their lives were conformed to the teachings and revelation of Jesus.

This was faith and action.

They had fruitful ministry exhibited with Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry.

The disciples were right beside him, and Jesus was evidence and witness to the working of the disciples.

They kept his words, they obeyed them.

And lastly, they believed God had sent Jesus.

And this is important.

They understood that salvation was a gift.

It wasn't something that they earned, but it was given to them by the Father.

Jesus not only made faith revealed, Jesus made faith possible to them.

And we see this in Peter's confession.

In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is talking to Peter.

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

And Matthew 16, verse 13 through 17, he says, Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, Who do you say that the Son of Man is?

Matthew 16:13–17

And they said, Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

But Jesus said to him, But who do you say that I am?

And Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjonah, for what?

Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

You see, church, salvation is a gift.

Salvation comes through the Father and gifted and secured through the Son.

We see this all throughout Scripture.

Ephesians 2, for by grace you have been saved, and this is not of your own doing, it is a gift.

Acts 4.12, Jesus reveals the saving nature of the Father, and we see that there is salvation in no one else.

For there is no other name under heaven given among men, which we must be saved.

So this is true of us this morning.

If you are Christian in here this morning, it is because the Father has chosen you.

Amen?

To summarize verses 6 through 10, I would say that Jesus prays for his own.

Jesus prays for his own.

The good of his own.

Moving on.

11 through 16 reads, and I'm no longer in the world, but they are in the world.

And I'm coming to you.

Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.

I have guarded them, and not one of them, not one of them has been lost except the Son of Destruction, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.

But now I'm coming to you, and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.

So Jesus is about to leave, and what does he do?

He's about to go to the cross.

He says, The hour has come.

And what does he do?

He prays for his own.

And he says, Father, keep them.

Keep them.

He has this great prayer to preserve the disciples, to preserve their faith, to guard them.

He says, I guarded them.

Not one of them was lost.

Jesus was laser focused on going to the cross to secure salvation for the disciples.

Notice the certainty of his voice.

It's almost past tense, right?

In verse 11, what does he say?

I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world.

Now he's he's he's certain he is going to the Father.

Nothing's changing that plan.

He says, I am no longer in the world.

And then he continues on.

He says, Keep them in your name, Holy Father, which you have given me, that they may be one.

He's asking for unity of the disciples.

He's asking for safekeeping as he's kind of passed off the care and responsibility that he had while he was on earth with them.

He's entrusting them back to the Father's loving care.

And then we have to do something with verse 12.

While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me.

I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction.

That the scriptures might be fulfilled.

Your translation might read, the son of perdition, the son of perdition, the son of destruction.

This is talking about Judas, right?

This is talking about Judas who would betray Jesus.

I imagine maybe Judas might not even, he might have been in this room, he might not have been in this room at this time.

We don't really know.

But what we do know is that Judas was never one of God's sheep.

Judas was always a goat.

Judas wasn't once saved.

Judas wasn't once saved.

Was that heresy?

Hold on.

Is this right?

Okay.

Rick says I'm good, so alright.

I'm gonna touch something rubber up here before I get shocked.

Judas wasn't once saved and then fell away.

What does Jesus say?

Not one of them, not one of them, not one of them fell away.

He saved all that the Father had given them.

And what does he say about Judas?

So that the scriptures might be fulfilled.

See, Judas was never chosen by God.

He was never gifted to the Son for salvation.

Rather, he was left alone in his sinful rebellion.

And he was, in essence, cut off from the fold of God.

And so why does this story of Judas in this text, what do we make of that as believers?

I would submit this morning that this story of Judas, the son of destruction, so that what the scriptures might be fulfilled, is for everyone in this room this morning.

It's for every person that will step foot in church this morning.

Globally.

It's for everyone who has and who will step foot.

For every person who is Singing in the worship team for every person that is serving in mission kids or serving in hospitality, why was Judas in this story?

Judas was chosen so that God's glorious purposes would advance.

And so that we would examine ourselves this morning.

We would examine ourselves this morning before the Lord.

So how can we ever make sense of someone falling away from God's people?

The scripture tells us that we have to believe that they were truly never one of God's own to begin with.

See, God's plans weren't thwarted by Judas's rebellion.

Just like the story in Joseph, what you intended for evil, God purposed for good.

Even in this rebellion of Judas, God used it for good.

So that he could sympathize as us, as a great high priest one day, who knows what it's like to be betrayed.

We continue in verse 13.

But now I'm coming to you, and these things I speak in the world that they may have what?

Joy.

Joy.

Jesus is not only concerned about their souls, their safeties, their safekeeping, being kept from the evil one.

No, he's asking and pleading on their behalf to the Father for joy.

For joy.

See, joy is tied to the knowledge of the revelation of what Christ has revealed to the disciples.

How are we supposed to make sense of what's going on in this world?

How?

We look to God's word for truth, for direction, to try to make sense of chaos.

In John chapter 15, Jesus says that these things I have spoken to you, that what?

John 15 · chapter mention

My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Knowledge of the truth should be the greatest joy that we as believers experience.

Jesus manifested this truth that God is a saving God, that God is a gracious God, He is full of mercy, He's abounding in steadfast love.

He never leaves us, He never forsakes us, He doesn't abandon His own.

He leaves the 99 to search after the lost one.

Jesus is the manifestation of the revelation of Christ.

So how do we make sense of what's going on in this world?

We must look to God's word for truth.

Verse 15 and 16, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world.

See, Jesus has kept them in the world.

Jesus is leaving.

The disciples are staying.

Jesus has kept them, and he knew everything that they would face.

It's amazing this prayer, how relevant it is to us today.

These things that we experience, these hardship, these pains, these confusions, these questions, we experience them today.

And this prayer of Jesus is comforting even this morning to us.

He says, I am not of this world.

See, we we should feel this prayer this morning.

There is global opposition that permeates every aspect of culture and society that is vehemently opposed to Christ and his ways.

But they are led by Satan, the father of lies.

Global opposition led by Satan that permeates every aspect of the world we live in.

We see this in abortion.

What's the conversation?

Is it life?

Or is it a choice?

How are we at this point?

We see this in gender distinction.

Male, female.

I feel like you need a PhD nowadays to determine what male and female is.

Why?

Because he's the father of lies.

He's distorting the truth that has been revealed.

He's distorting God's good ways.

And it goes deeper than that.

You and I would be fooled if we do not believe that the spirit that has worked now in the sons of disobedience, the king of this world, is not trying to place himself in every position in power and authority imaginable.

In our schools, in the government, in the workplace.

Maybe in the way that our hearts are so connected and drawn to the passions of this world.

He distracts us.

He lures us to sleep.

He taints and twists and mars God's good design for everything.

And so what do we do?

What do we do about this?

We look to verse 15.

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

You see, Jesus doesn't pray to withdraw.

Jesus doesn't pray to retreat.

Jesus doesn't say, hey, stay in this upper room where it's safe.

No one can come and get you here.

No, he sends them.

He sends them out into the world to what?

To reveal, to manifest, to make known the glories of Christ to the world.

Jesus sends them and he prays for their preservation.

He prays that they be kept from wickedness.

They would be kept from the cunning ways of the prince, the power of this world.

See, the Christian attitude towards the world should not be one of withdrawal or separation, but engagement.

So to summarize verse 11 through 16, I would say that Jesus prays for our preservation.

Jesus prays for our preservation.

We continue on, 17 through 19.

Sanctify them in the truth, for your word is truth.

As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

And for their sake I consecrate myself that they are also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus is praying for their sanctification.

We've heard this word, maybe some of us haven't.

It's a big word for what?

Growing in Christ's likeness.

To grow in the image of their Savior, to cast off the old self and grow in the new self of Christ, to strive for holiness.

Coming off the heels of 15 and 16, that Jesus says he's sending them into the world, this consecration, this call for sanctification is really a call for Jesus, that the disciples would be set apart for the service that has been given to them.

The disciples would grow in their Christ-likeness in the way that Jesus came and he preached good news in hard places, that he spoke the truth in love, that he revealed the Father, that he manifested his name to those whom the Father had chosen to save.

And so we this begs the question this morning.

Why didn't Jesus just take the disciples with him?

You see, if Jesus loved them so much, if he was for them so much, if he cared so deeply about these eleven, these closest men, why didn't he just take them with him then to be with him in glory?

I mean, he rose, he trampled sin, death, and hell.

If he was loving, why wouldn't he just bring him with them?

And the answer is that you and I have been kept for a purpose.

We've been kept for a purpose.

In 18, he says, as you have sent me, so I am sending them.

See, Jesus could have saved them if he wanted to.

In the Old Testament, we have the story of Enoch.

In Genesis 5, it says that Enoch walked with God 300 years, and then what?

God took him up.

He was not.

God drew Enoch to be with him.

We see Elijah, one of the greatest Old Testament prophets, this whirlwind and chariots of fire come down, and Elijah was taken up to be with God.

See, if God wanted to, he could have drawn the disciples with him.

He could have taken them up in glory right then.

But he chose not to.

He chose not to.

As Jesus manifested the name of the Father, the good news of his kingdom, so he invites us, the church, to be sent out to do the same, to grow in Christ likeness, to preach the gospel in dark places, to push back the kingdom of darkness with the kingdom of life.

And we need to understand this, church.

Salvation is not merely life that's indefinitely prolonged.

It's not all rainbows and butterflies.

It's not your best life now.

No, no, salvation is serving a different master.

That's what salvation is.

It's life with a renewed purpose.

See, we've been equipped, church, with carrying the knowledge that leads to eternal life.

What did verse 10 say?

He says, I am glorified in them.

How could Jesus be glorified in the disciples?

Because the disciples were sent ones.

The disciples went and made known the glorious riches that are only in Christ Jesus.

And he invites us into that as well.

We have been equipped with carrying knowledge that leads to eternal life.

And we're going to be accountable for how we steward that gift.

How we walk out that command.

1 Peter 2, 9.

I feel like I use this verse every time I preach.

It says, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, so that what?

You may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous life.

Church, we have been called to proclaim.

We have not been saved to sit back.

We have been saved to go forth.

We have been saved to be sent.

We have been saved so that we might proclaim.

So why did Jesus leave?

His work was finished.

And why are the disciples behind?

They had work to be done.

God saw fit in his infinite wisdom and mercy to use us to herald the truths.

Church, we have been equipped with a knowledge that leads to eternal life.

And like a treasure hunter who has found lost gold, like an astronomer who has found a new planet, like a doctor who's found a cure for COVID.

We are to be heraldals of the good truth, of this good news that Christ saves sinners.

And it's not by any work of your own, but it's a gift of grace by faith.

Church, we must manifest the good news of the gospel to the earth.

Summarizing verse 17 through 19, Jesus prays for our sanctification.

He prays that we would grow in Christ's likeness, that we would be set apart for service.

And so what's our main idea this morning?

I think the main idea of this text is that Jesus left us but never leaves.

Jesus left us, but never leaves.

See, Christ's intercession, they're always pertinent.

Our advocate with the Father is intimately aware of all the pains that we'll experience, of all the betrayals, of all the hardships, of all the wants, of all the burdens, the dangers, the difficulties.

And the good news is that he knows how to intercede on our behalf for all of them.

All of them.

See, Jesus is okay going away for a while.

Why?

He actually said it's better that I go away so that I could send the Holy Spirit, the helper.

The same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the grave.

He now sends to be in us.

Jesus didn't abandon us, he sent his spirit to be in us.

See, Jesus is okay with leaving because he knew that the disciples would be kept by the Father.

He knew that he was going back to be with the Father at a position of power like none other, where the scriptures tell us he daily intercedes on our behalf.

Right now, he is praying to the Father on our behalf.

It's amazing.

How he prays specifically for you by name.

Finally, Jesus is okay with going away because he knew that he would one day come back.

He'd be coming back.

He didn't abandon them.

He's coming back, and he's coming back in fullness of power, fullness of glory, unveiled holiness where he will execute justice and salvation, and he will ransom his bride.

He will bring them to glory.

Right now, he is preparing a feast in heaven for us.

He is preparing a feast, and we, as the church, are called to add seats to that table, to preach the gospel to those who have not heard, to manifest, to make known the revelations of Christ so that that marriage feast of the supper of the Lamb would be full and beautiful and glorious and diverse.

See, church, Jesus left us, but he never leaves us.

And some of us in this room, that's hard to believe.

Some of us in this room feel abandoned by God.

If we're all honest, at one point in our lives, you've probably asked, God, where are you?

Where the heck are you?

What's going on?

It seems like everything's upside down.

That call to worship that we sang this morning.

Where were you, God, when this happened?

Where were you?

What is going on?

All the pain and loss and suffering and confusion and wickedness.

But the truth that's tethered to the gospel for those of us that feel abandoned this morning is that this world, if we are in Christ, this world is not our home.

This world's not our home.

He's not surprised that we feel that way.

What did he say?

This world hated me.

And because you're mine, guess what?

It's gonna hate you.

But the hope is that the world is not our own.

We sing a lot of uh uh songs from the the band Vertical Worship.

They have a song called Bound for Glory.

And it I think it really just talks about this this idea so well.

It says, This world is not our home.

I'm here but for a moment.

It's all I've ever known, but this world is not my home.

This fight is not my home.

These burdens aren't my future.

The empty tomb has shown that I am bound for glory.

Church, this world is not our home.

But we are in it.

Now.

And what does the serpent do?

He comes to him and he's he sows disbelief.

He said, Did God really say don't eat of that tree?

Man, he doesn't love you.

Man, he's holding out on you.

Why would God do that?

If he knows that if you eat of that, you'll become like him.

He is holding out on you, and that's what he's doing here and now with all these tertiary distractions and pleasures and passions and pursuits.

Church, we must fix our eyes on Jesus, the covenant-keeping God, who will never leave us, he will never abandon us.

Others of us have abandoned God.

See, Judas was one of the twelve until he wasn't.

Judas was there throughout all the ministries of Jesus.

He was one of the twelve, right?

Until he wasn't.

I'm afraid that too many in this room have squandered this inheritance that we have been given.

We've neglected our calling.

See, the Christian life, Jesus wouldn't pray this keeping and guarding and preservation and safety if it was a life of ease.

Jesus wouldn't have prayed that.

No, rather, we are called to go into a world of darkness.

And so as you reflect that, where are you spending your time?

Where are you spending your finances?

Where are you spending your treasure, your talents, your resources?

Scriptures say that many, many will say, Lord, didn't I do this in your name?

Didn't I cast out demons?

Didn't I serve every Sunday faithfully?

All these things.

And Jesus says, Depart from me, for I never knew you.

Church, we we have been saved to be sent.

We have been kept for a purpose.

Lastly, all of us must examine ourselves this morning.

Can you say that verse 19 is true for you?

Wrestle with this.

Ask in community.

Would you say that you are being sanctified in truth?

Are you growing in conformity with the world or with your Savior?

The power of God's Spirit at work in the lives of his children brings about conformity with the Son, not the world.

This progressive sanctification, this progressive growing in the likeness of Christ should be what we see in our lives.

So we need to submit ourselves this morning to the loving care of his church, his people, as we self-examine, as we examine each other, as we iron-sharpen iron.

We should be growing in Christ's likeness, not in the world's likeness.

And this brings us to our gospel conviction.

Jesus was abandoned so that we might be adopted.

Jesus was abandoned so that we might be adopted.

Jesus doesn't leave us.

The Father left the Son.

What does Jesus cry out on the cross?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

See, on the cross, the wrath that was poured out on Christ, the turning away of this And the father poured out of the wrath on the every word that was uttered from the Lord.

That was every drop of blood poured out on the clock.

I think that was paid in full to secure our adoption, not our abandonment.

Submitted to the will of the Father.

He took our likeness of man and he lived a perfect life.

And he died in our place.

He paid the debt that we could never afford because he willingly submitted to the Father and he absorbed the Father's wrath.

He died and was buried, and he rose again on the third.

Why?

So that we could share in his glory.

Some of us feel abandoned.

There's no degree of love to which God is not prepared to go to ransom us, church.

How do we respond?

How does this impact me?

How does it impact the way that we engage with culture?

We've been kept for purpose, church.

It's plays itself in two ways.

Worship and mission.

We've been saved so that we might proclaim the excellence.

We might worship.

We might be moved to a greater place of adoration and faithfulness and worship to our Savior.

But we have been saved.

We have been we have been secured so that we can so that we can be come on.

We've been kept as a people.

We need to be a people, a church, a bride that is engaged in the world, not withdrawn from the world.

We've been kept as a people.

A royal holy nation.

I would Jesus pray for safety, protection, preservation of the end intended for us to stay in our holy huddle.

No, we've been kept for a purpose, church.

We've been kept to proclaim.

We've been kept to live lives on mission.

So what would it look like?

What would it look like, Church?

We truly believe this.

We were about to renew in our city here now.

Withdraw from the world if we weren't speaking to me.

With all of the passions, with all of the uh this world, but if we were about proclaiming the name of Jesus.

And what would our city look like?

Let me practice another.