Sermon Title: Knowing the Heart of God (John 17)
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:1-3)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The heart of God for His Disciples is revealed in John 17, when on the eve of His Crucifixion instead of praying for personal sustenance, Christ prays for us.
In His Prayer, Christ revealed the four key requirements of His true disciples as those:
(i) whom the Heavenly Father has chosen, and given to Him;
(ii) who have fully accepted and obeyed God’s word;
(iii) who believes that God has sent Him; and
(iv) who glorifies Jesus. (Ref: John 17:6-10)
In essence, true disciples of Christ live in the reality that:
(i) their lives belong utterly to God;
(ii) God’s word frames their entire lives;
(iii) God is divinely Triune – Three Persons, One Being, of whom, Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, sent by the Heavenly Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit; and
(iv) our lives must glorify Christ – by becoming His true reflection.
“All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.” (John 17:10)
What does it mean to glorify Christ?
It is to mirror Christ; becoming His true reflection to the world - by embracing His Will, His Word, His Work, His Worth and His Win above all else.
It is to willingly choose daily to be holy, and gladly strive to live a holy life – which is, to live for Christ - so that we may be like Christ, our holy God.
For His True Disciples, such is Christ’s heartfelt prayer – that we are made holy, in spite of the schemes of the evil one:
“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.” (John 17:11-19)
In His Prayer, Christ interceded for His Disciples – and essentially, His Church – to come under the divine protection of our Heavenly Father.
Christ’s prayer for us is for the Father’s Protection through the Power of His Name.
From the beginning of time, the motivation of every human being that genuinely seeks heavenly help is predicated and premised entirely on receiving divine Protection – from famine, starvation, poverty, diseases, enemies, and everything else that threatens the person’s well-being.
Here, Christ prays precisely that His Disciples are protected not simply to live out our lives here in this world; but rather that we may be one as the Triune God is One.
To be one with Christ – who is one with the Father and the Spirit – is to be one with God – in His Will, Word, Work, Worth and Win. (For details, read the previous Pastor’s Pens from the beginning of 2023)
God desires to protect you from straying from His Will, His Word, His Word, His Worth and His Win – in order that you may be made holy; one with Him through Christ.
When we truly remain in Christ, He protects us from:
- Embracing the will of anything or anyone else, except God’s Will;
- Accepting any other word except God’s Word;
- Doing any other work except God’s Work;
- Considering anything, or anyone, else of worth; except God;
- Striving for any form of worldly ‘wins’, except God’s Victory for us through Christ.
Praise be to God for His divine Protection that keeps us on track to receive the gift of eternal life in His Coming Kingdom!
Rejection of God’s Protection and His Holy Love – as in the case of Judas Iscariot (Ref: Matthew 27:5) - results in inevitable and infernal destruction.
It is significant that Christ’s prayers were expressed on earth, and thereby, recorded by John; allowing us to know His immense Love and Care for us, His disciples.
In the knowledge of His spoken love for us, we may indeed receive “the full measure of” God’s Joy within us. (John 17:13)
What more should we ask for; what more do we need?
That God’s intention for us is to recognise that we belong to Him; and thus, live under His divine Love and Protection.
For if we live truly according to His Commands to be holy, we would be most certainly be hated and despised by a world spurred by the devil. (Ref: John 17:14-15)
The reality that God protects us and that we belong to Him, must therefore frame every aspect and facet of our lives lived in the present and coming Kingdom of God.
Accept that you are “not of the world, even as (our Lord Jesus Christ) is not of it” (John 17:16); and live daily in the Presence and under the Power of the Holy Spirit – that you may be made holy and sent to be His Holy Witnesses to a world engulfed in sin and darkness. (Ref: John 17:17-19, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20)
Every moment that we are alive in this world, we must be found alive solely in Christ and His Kingdom Purposes.
His Sovereign Will is that we are sanctified and sent – just as He was.
In itself, this is an impossible task for the mere human being.
But Christ provides the key to the very possibility of the Christian life; and reveals His overarching prayer point for His disciples.
“For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” (John 17:19)
Did Christ need to be sanctified?
Most certainly not!
The Lord Jesus Christ is Holy, “before the world began” (John 17:5)
Christ’s statement in John 17:19 draws us to the beginning of His Prayer when under the unction of the Holy Spirit, the Triune God was revealed.
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might 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.” (John 17:1-3)
Christ’s prayer for His disciples is as much the Holy Spirit praying to the heavenly Father through Him.
Just as Christ sanctified Himself and was filled with the Holy Spirit, God’s Heart is for His Children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8)
It is impossible to live in Christ without living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:1-16)
In His state of human weakness, Christ remained resolved to fulfill God’s Salvation Plan for humankind because of the Power of the Holy Spirit upon Him.
To this, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:26-27:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the Mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the Will of God.”
Only through the intercession of the Holy Spirit may we utter prayers “in accordance with the Will of God.”
The heart of God for His Children is that we are each baptized in the Power of the Holy Spirit – that we may be consecrated, sanctified, commissioned and sent into the world to glorify God as one as He is One.
Uncertainty or doubts about the love and protection of God is clear evidence of the lack of the Spirit’s Presence and Power upon your life.
It is impossible to belong to God, obey His Word, believe in Christ, much more, glorify Him if we are not sanctified through the same baptism of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles experienced in Acts 2.
To be “truly sanctified” (John 17:19), is to be constantly be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49) – which is, to be baptised by Christ “with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33)
To fulfill the heart of God, and your destiny in Christ, is to be filled and surrounded by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Daily seek and pray to the Lord Jesus to baptize you in the Power of His Holy Spirit.
Live the truly glorious life - glorifying Christ Jesus, our Lord, Saviour, Baptizer and King Eternal!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, I submit and surrender utterly under Your Loving Hands and ask that You baptise me daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit (Ref: Luke 3:16); that I would live forever in the knowledge that I belong to You, and that my life’s true purpose is to glorify You!
Lord, I belong to You.
Your Holy Word frames my entire life; and sanctifies me in Your Truth.
Grant my deepest desire, which is, to glorify You; that with the Power of the Holy Spirit surrounding and saturating me, I would daily be Your True reflection and holy witness to a world that is hostile towards me, and unholy in every way.
Holy Spirit, grant me the Power to mirror Christ - becoming Your true reflection to the world - by embracing Your Will, Your Word, Your Work, Your Worth and Your Win above all else.
May I choose daily to be sanctified through Your Work.
Restore unto me the joy of Your Salvation (Ref: Psalm 51:12); that my deepest desire is to know You more, and strive to follow You – in living a life that is holy and pleasing in Your Sight.
Thank You for Your assurance of protection over my life in spite of the unending schemes of the evil one.
Despite of how much the world hates us, help me to keep my heart in Your Mighty Rest and Power; and lead me through the path of holiness and ongoing sanctification that I would be truly prepared to enter Your Eternal, Holy Kingdom.
Yes, Lord, by the Power of the Holy Spirit – send me to the world as You were sent.
Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness; intercede for me through tongues as You enable me; that I may live utterly “in accordance with the Will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)
Yes, Lord Jesus, cloth me daily with “Power from on high” (Luke 24:29); fill and surround me with the Power of Your Spirit – that I may live the truly glorious life glorifying You from now till forevermore!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:1-3)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The heart of God for His Disciples is revealed in John 17, when on the eve of His Crucifixion instead of praying for personal sustenance, Christ prays for us.
In His Prayer, Christ revealed the four key requirements of His true disciples as those:
(i) whom the Heavenly Father has chosen, and given to Him;
(ii) who have fully accepted and obeyed God’s word;
(iii) who believes that God has sent Him; and
(iv) who glorifies Jesus. (Ref: John 17:6-10)
In essence, true disciples of Christ live in the reality that:
(i) their lives belong utterly to God;
(ii) God’s word frames their entire lives;
(iii) God is divinely Triune – Three Persons, One Being, of whom, Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, sent by the Heavenly Father, empowered by the Holy Spirit; and
(iv) our lives must glorify Christ – by becoming His true reflection.
“All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.” (John 17:10)
What does it mean to glorify Christ?
It is to mirror Christ; becoming His true reflection to the world - by embracing His Will, His Word, His Work, His Worth and His Win above all else.
It is to willingly choose daily to be holy, and gladly strive to live a holy life – which is, to live for Christ - so that we may be like Christ, our holy God.
For His True Disciples, such is Christ’s heartfelt prayer – that we are made holy, in spite of the schemes of the evil one:
“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.” (John 17:11-19)
In His Prayer, Christ interceded for His Disciples – and essentially, His Church – to come under the divine protection of our Heavenly Father.
Christ’s prayer for us is for the Father’s Protection through the Power of His Name.
From the beginning of time, the motivation of every human being that genuinely seeks heavenly help is predicated and premised entirely on receiving divine Protection – from famine, starvation, poverty, diseases, enemies, and everything else that threatens the person’s well-being.
Here, Christ prays precisely that His Disciples are protected not simply to live out our lives here in this world; but rather that we may be one as the Triune God is One.
To be one with Christ – who is one with the Father and the Spirit – is to be one with God – in His Will, Word, Work, Worth and Win. (For details, read the previous Pastor’s Pens from the beginning of 2023)
God desires to protect you from straying from His Will, His Word, His Word, His Worth and His Win – in order that you may be made holy; one with Him through Christ.
When we truly remain in Christ, He protects us from:
- Embracing the will of anything or anyone else, except God’s Will;
- Accepting any other word except God’s Word;
- Doing any other work except God’s Work;
- Considering anything, or anyone, else of worth; except God;
- Striving for any form of worldly ‘wins’, except God’s Victory for us through Christ.
Praise be to God for His divine Protection that keeps us on track to receive the gift of eternal life in His Coming Kingdom!
Rejection of God’s Protection and His Holy Love – as in the case of Judas Iscariot (Ref: Matthew 27:5) - results in inevitable and infernal destruction.
It is significant that Christ’s prayers were expressed on earth, and thereby, recorded by John; allowing us to know His immense Love and Care for us, His disciples.
In the knowledge of His spoken love for us, we may indeed receive “the full measure of” God’s Joy within us. (John 17:13)
What more should we ask for; what more do we need?
That God’s intention for us is to recognise that we belong to Him; and thus, live under His divine Love and Protection.
For if we live truly according to His Commands to be holy, we would be most certainly be hated and despised by a world spurred by the devil. (Ref: John 17:14-15)
The reality that God protects us and that we belong to Him, must therefore frame every aspect and facet of our lives lived in the present and coming Kingdom of God.
Accept that you are “not of the world, even as (our Lord Jesus Christ) is not of it” (John 17:16); and live daily in the Presence and under the Power of the Holy Spirit – that you may be made holy and sent to be His Holy Witnesses to a world engulfed in sin and darkness. (Ref: John 17:17-19, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20)
Every moment that we are alive in this world, we must be found alive solely in Christ and His Kingdom Purposes.
His Sovereign Will is that we are sanctified and sent – just as He was.
In itself, this is an impossible task for the mere human being.
But Christ provides the key to the very possibility of the Christian life; and reveals His overarching prayer point for His disciples.
“For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” (John 17:19)
Did Christ need to be sanctified?
Most certainly not!
The Lord Jesus Christ is Holy, “before the world began” (John 17:5)
Christ’s statement in John 17:19 draws us to the beginning of His Prayer when under the unction of the Holy Spirit, the Triune God was revealed.
“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might 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.” (John 17:1-3)
Christ’s prayer for His disciples is as much the Holy Spirit praying to the heavenly Father through Him.
Just as Christ sanctified Himself and was filled with the Holy Spirit, God’s Heart is for His Children to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (Ref: Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8)
It is impossible to live in Christ without living in the Power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:1-16)
In His state of human weakness, Christ remained resolved to fulfill God’s Salvation Plan for humankind because of the Power of the Holy Spirit upon Him.
To this, the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:26-27:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the Mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the Will of God.”
Only through the intercession of the Holy Spirit may we utter prayers “in accordance with the Will of God.”
The heart of God for His Children is that we are each baptized in the Power of the Holy Spirit – that we may be consecrated, sanctified, commissioned and sent into the world to glorify God as one as He is One.
Uncertainty or doubts about the love and protection of God is clear evidence of the lack of the Spirit’s Presence and Power upon your life.
It is impossible to belong to God, obey His Word, believe in Christ, much more, glorify Him if we are not sanctified through the same baptism of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles experienced in Acts 2.
To be “truly sanctified” (John 17:19), is to be constantly be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49) – which is, to be baptised by Christ “with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33)
To fulfill the heart of God, and your destiny in Christ, is to be filled and surrounded by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
Daily seek and pray to the Lord Jesus to baptize you in the Power of His Holy Spirit.
Live the truly glorious life - glorifying Christ Jesus, our Lord, Saviour, Baptizer and King Eternal!
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord Jesus, I submit and surrender utterly under Your Loving Hands and ask that You baptise me daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit (Ref: Luke 3:16); that I would live forever in the knowledge that I belong to You, and that my life’s true purpose is to glorify You!
Lord, I belong to You.
Your Holy Word frames my entire life; and sanctifies me in Your Truth.
Grant my deepest desire, which is, to glorify You; that with the Power of the Holy Spirit surrounding and saturating me, I would daily be Your True reflection and holy witness to a world that is hostile towards me, and unholy in every way.
Holy Spirit, grant me the Power to mirror Christ - becoming Your true reflection to the world - by embracing Your Will, Your Word, Your Work, Your Worth and Your Win above all else.
May I choose daily to be sanctified through Your Work.
Restore unto me the joy of Your Salvation (Ref: Psalm 51:12); that my deepest desire is to know You more, and strive to follow You – in living a life that is holy and pleasing in Your Sight.
Thank You for Your assurance of protection over my life in spite of the unending schemes of the evil one.
Despite of how much the world hates us, help me to keep my heart in Your Mighty Rest and Power; and lead me through the path of holiness and ongoing sanctification that I would be truly prepared to enter Your Eternal, Holy Kingdom.
Yes, Lord, by the Power of the Holy Spirit – send me to the world as You were sent.
Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness; intercede for me through tongues as You enable me; that I may live utterly “in accordance with the Will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)
Yes, Lord Jesus, cloth me daily with “Power from on high” (Luke 24:29); fill and surround me with the Power of Your Spirit – that I may live the truly glorious life glorifying You from now till forevermore!
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.