Our Scripture reading for this evening, to which I invite you to turn with me at this time, is found in the New Testament Gospel according to John, the 17th chapter. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, chapter 17. It's very interesting to read through the entire high priestly prayer of our Lord Jesus as it is called. We read verses 1 through 24, right to the end of that, excuse me, 26, right to the end of that chapter. But I draw your special attention, brothers and sisters, to verses 20 through 23, as verses 20 through 23 will constitute our text for this evening. It's interesting also to note that this, we're not gonna be studying the prayer in these sections, but it's interesting to note that in verses one through five, Jesus is essentially praying for and about himself in verses one through five. And then in verses 6 through 19, He prays for His disciples, the one to whom He ministered and who ministered with Him in the days of His earthly sojourn. And then in verses 20 through 26, we find the Lord Jesus praying for the rest of us, for those who would come to believe in Him in the post-apostolic era. But again, while we will be reading the entire prayer, we'll be focusing in especially tonight on verses 20 through 23. So John 17, beginning in verse 1, let us hear then the word of the Lord. After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed, Father, the time 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 may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 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 word 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 the scripture would be fulfilled. I'm 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've 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. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and I 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." Thus far, the reading of God's Holy Word. As always dear friends, I ask and urge you to keep your Bibles open and handy as you look to God's Word together this evening. Your congregation of Jesus Christ, I must confess that as the salaries of a good number of professional athletes have soared into the $20 to $30 million per year range, And as individual athletic contracts, professionally speaking, are beginning to be talked about in the one quarter to one half billion dollar range, I must confess that I have simultaneously taken less and less interest in professional sports. Amen. But that having been said, I must also confess that a headline in this past Thursday's sports section caught my eye. Concerns the Boston Celtics. And the reason headlines concerning the Celtics catch my eye is because I have a cousin who has a personal connection with Don Nelson, who used to be a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics and subsequently was their coach. So once in a while, if I see a Celtics story, it kind of catches my attention. I want to know what's going on. Well, the headline in this past Thursday's USA Today Sports section reads, what's wrong with the Celtics? What's wrong with the Celtics? I was kind of fascinated by that headline because I hadn't been watching the Celtics. I had no idea what their season was being like. The article begins by saying this, and I quote, six months ago, the Celtics were six minutes from reaching the NBA Finals without two of their most talented players. Six weeks ago, the Celtics were heavy favorites to win the Eastern Conference and play in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. If you guessed which team would be atop the East at the season's quarter poll, you would have picked the Boston Celtics. Instead, the Celtics are 11-10, meaning 11 wins, 10 losses, and behind conference-leading Toronto, who is 18-4, Milwaukee, 14-6, Philadelphia, 14-8, Indiana, 13-8, and Detroit, 11-7. Even Boston coach Brad Stevens conceded after a recent loss, quote, I just don't know that we're that good. Maybe it's not a wake-up call if you keep getting beat, end of quote. Well, friends, I skimmed the rest of the article, and interestingly enough, what seems to be wrong with the Celtics is that even though they are heavy laden with very talented players, individually speaking, apparently they are not meshing at all as a team. They are not playing at all together as a team, and hence the headline, What's Wrong with the Celtics? Now, interestingly enough, no sooner do I read that article and begin wondering if it would make a good illustration to open the message this evening, that I begin studying for our household meeting tonight in chapter two of I Am a Church Member by Tom Rayner. And chapter two in this book is entitled, I Will Be a Unifying Church Member. I Will Be a Unifying Church Member. And lo and behold, to my pleasant surprise, the guy starts out with the following illustration. I love team sports. I've seen teams with only average talent win championships. Don't get me wrong. Talent and gifted athletes are important. But what is even more important is how these athletes work together. Unity is important. Unity is critical. And I conclude his quote with this. Likewise, when church members don't work together, the church is weaker as a whole. My analogy may be weak because the local church is much more important than any sports team. Amen. But I hope you get the point. Unity is vital to the health of a church. And that means every church member, you and I included, must contribute to the unity of the church." End of quote. Now friends, interestingly enough, as we bring that information to bear back on Jesus' high priestly prayer in John 17, and especially focus in on verses 20 through 23, we find that Jesus is making essentially that very same emphasis. In fact, in the words of our text specifically, Jesus is saying that He is praying that by the means of the apostolic witness, those who come to faith in Him because of the foundation which they have laid in Him and literally started bringing throughout the world, that all subsequent believers would come to have the same love and unity in and for one another that the Father and the Son, God, the Father and the Son have with and in and for one another as well. And Jesus goes on to pray, brothers and sisters, that one of the primary purposes of that prayer Is that such unity such love and unity for one another would have such a profound witness to the world That they would come to believe and own and understand and accept the truth claims of our blessed lord and savior jesus christ Knowing that he is the son of god knowing that he was crucified on calvary's cross knowing that he rose again from the dead Knowing that he is the only means of salvation to come into reconciled relationship with god the father and all the rest But he says that witness will only take place and have that kind of a powerful impact in the world to the extent that by the grace of God, through faith in the name of our Lord Jesus, and by the person and power of his Holy Spirit, you and I, brothers and sisters, are being his body. We are making manifest what it means to be his body by living as one in love. By living as one in love. Now then. As you and I begin working our way through the words of our text together, we're going to look at it from two distinct vantage points. We're going to start looking at it, first of all, simply by looking at the prayer itself as contained in those few verses. We're going to be looking at the prayer itself. And so look at verse 20 with me, if you would please. Jesus says, my prayer is not for them alone. Begs the question again, to whom is he referring? Of whom is he speaking when he says my prayer is not for them alone? Well, for example, go back to verse six with me just for a moment. Jesus prays, I have revealed you, Father, to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. Verse eight, for I gave them the word you gave me, and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. Drop down to verse 12. Same section there. 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 the scriptures would be fulfilled. This is a reference, of course, to Judas Iscariot. And when in using all these past tense verbs, Jesus is saying it was the ones you gave me, it's the ones who were with me, it's the ones whom I taught, I gave them your word. He's talking, obviously, about the other 11 disciples who became the apostles who brought God's word literally beginning in any way throughout the world. And so my prayer is not for them alone, notice this. And it's amazing to think that 2,000 years ago, Jesus was praying for you and me. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message. Let me just stop there for a second. Notice the certainty and the surety with which Jesus prays this prayer. I pray also for those, not for those who may believe, who might believe, who I hope will believe. He says, I pray for those who will believe in me through their message. And what's so significant about that, and young people listen to this, this is very important. Our Arminian Baptist brothers and sisters believe that Christ came to make salvation possible. That's the fact of the matter. He paid the penalty for our sin on Calvary's cross, our Baptist brothers and sisters believe, making salvation possible for everybody. And now whoever, in and of themselves, in their own free will, accept and believe that gospel, they are saved. Think about that. In theory then, everybody could have been saved, or nobody could have been saved. Am I right? Absolutely. One of the riches of the Reformed faith is that Jesus came and accomplished what he came to accomplish. He laid down his life for the sheep. He said, no one will snatch them out of my hand. And did you catch the language? I think I preached on this not too long ago under the doctrine of limited atonement, maybe a year or so ago. As you weave through verses six and following, he's saying, I came for the ones you gave me. I'm not even praying for the world. I'm praying for the ones you gave me. And he goes on and on and on. It's a beautiful doctrine of eternal election, unconditional election. Brothers and sisters, that's why Jesus could pray For those who will believe in Me through their message in verse 21, 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, think of this, "'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.'" Notice that word where it says that they may be one as we are one. Some of the translations say just as we are one. It's a very important point. The Greek word there is kathos, K-A-T-H-O-S, kathos, and kathos means exactly to the same extent and to the same degree. Now with that in mind, let me read that last part of that verse again. Think about this. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one, kathos, just as, just as we are one. Friends, think about that. Jesus is praying that you and I would have the same closeness and intimacy with one another as the father has with the son. Wow, that almost blows your mind, that almost blows your mind. Think about that, think about that. You know, this idea of glory is kind of a tough subject in this prayer, the glory of the Father, the glory of the Son, the glory He gives to us, and I've been studying that this week, and just a few, hopefully, helpful insights, if I may. Let's go to, in the Gospel of John, turn back to John 1, just for a moment. John 1. In John 1 and 2, first of all, notice how the Gospel begins. John 1, 1 and 2. In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Verse 14. The Word became flesh, the incarnation, and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Keep that in mind, and now turn with me please to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Excuse me, it's 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 6 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 6 same theme We're picking up on this glory 2nd Corinthians 4 6 for God who said let light shine out of darkness made his light shine in our hearts To give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ Now friends, what is all this about this glory of God revealed to us in Christ? The glory is shared with us. What is all that about? As I said a moment ago, it's a very tough subject. I don't want to oversimplify it, but I think a key, brothers and sisters, is found in verse four of the high priestly prayer in John 17. Look with me at verse four. Here Jesus prays, saying, I have brought you glory on earth. He's praying to the Father. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. It seems to me that the glory to which Christ is referring is the glory that he brings to the Father by fulfilling his mission on earth. The glory that Jesus is speaking about is his making manifest to his disciples the Father. He shares that glory with us and we bring glory to the Father by making the world get to know Jesus Christ. Do you follow that? He brings glory to the Father by completing his mission, coming to earth and making the Father manifest to his disciples. We in turn bring glory to Christ by making him manifest to the world. And we share in that glory. Look again at the verses with me, if you would. The second part of verse 22, or verse 22, I have given them the glory that you gave me that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in me, I in them and you in me. Friends, again, to think that you and I are called and commanded to have the kind of fellowship and intimacy and love and unity that God the Father has with God the Son blows your mind. And yet that is precisely what the Word of God is teaching us and how it is challenging us tonight. We are individual people. There are three persons in the Godhead, but there's one God. Many members you see, but one body of which Christ is the head, of which Christ is the head. Turn to Romans 5 with me, excuse me, 15 if you would, Romans 15. Romans 15 verse 5 picks up on the same theme. Romans 15, 5, You see how that brings together the themes of glory and witness. Ephesians 4, Keep going to the right with me, please. If you want to just listen, that's okay. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Ephesians 4, verses 1 through 6. Paul says, as a prisoner for the Lord then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. How do we do that? Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort. We have to exert energy to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. And then finally on this, if you're in Ephesians with me, turn to Colossians 3. Colossians 3, verses 12-14. Similar themes. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive, as the Lord forgave you, and over all these virtues, it's kind of like what puts them all together, and over all these virtues, put on love, agape, totally selfless, sacrificial, unconditional, no strings attached, love, the kind of love God showed us in Christ on Calvary's cross. He made manifest that love while we were still sinners, he died for us. And over all these virtues, put on agape, love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Friends, that essentially is at the heart, it's the core of Jesus' high priestly prayer, his high priestly prayer. Well, let's go back to John 17 for a second and final time together, where we're going to consider not only the prayer, but the purpose. We're gonna consider the purpose of the prayer. Why did Jesus pray these words in John 17, 20 to 23? Look at verse 20 with me again, please. 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. Pause there for a moment. I've got this footnote here in my Bible that comments on the purpose of why Jesus prayed that. First of all, the text puts it this way. May they also be in us so that, the purpose, the world may believe that you have sent me. Got that? That's the purpose, that the world would understand that Christ came from the Father. Footnote in my study Bible, very convicting, says this. The unity of believers should have an effect on outsiders to convince them of the mission of Christ. Jesus' prayer is a rebuke of the groundless and often bitter divisions among believers. I'm gonna read that again. The unity of believers should have an effect on outsiders to convince them of the mission of Christ. Jesus' prayer is a rebuke of the groundless and often bitter divisions among believers, end of quote. I think I've shared with you over the years a quote I read from Charles Colson. Charles Colson says that there are two main reasons, people say, as to why they reject Christianity or don't want to come to church. And Colson says, reason number one that they give is, well, the church is full of hypocrites. And Colson says, I have a standard reply to that charge. I say, well, we can always use one more. Why don't you join us? But he said the second charge they make is, because Christians are always fighting with each other. Christians are always fighting with each other. And Colson said, I don't have a answer for that. There's a man by the name of John White. Some of you may be familiar with him. He's an author. He wrote a book called simply The Fight, The Fight. And in The Fight, John White writes, and I quote, considering all the divisions that have plagued Christendom for 2,000 years, It is amazing that God has continued to use the church to extend His kingdom. I'm gonna read that again, so convicting. Considering all the divisions that have plagued Christendom for 2,000 years, it is amazing that God has continued to use the church to extend His kingdom, end of quote. Now, brothers and sisters, let us not misunderstand. This is where you can get easily misled. That is not to say, listen to what I'm saying, That is not to say that God's people here, there, or everywhere need to pursue unity at the expense of truth. You hear what I said? There is no way that God's people here, there, or everywhere ought to seek to pursue unity at the expense of truth. By no means. In fact, that is why in the Scriptures we are repeatedly reminded of being discerning in our associations and with whom we join fellowship, so to speak. In fact, in Amos 3, verse 3, we read, can two walk together except they be agreed? Can two walk together except they be agreed? In Romans 16, 17, if you're taking notes, jot it down. I'll read it. Romans 16, 17, Paul says, I urge you, brothers, To watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching that you have learned. Keep away from them. Keep away from them. In 1 John 2, verses 18 and 19, 1 John 2, 18 and 19, the Apostle John, the same author of the Gospel, humanly speaking, says, Dear children, this is the last hour. And as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. And then finally on this score, 1 John 4, verses 1 through 4, 1 John 4, 1 through 4, the apostle says, Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. And so friends, Jesus is calling us to a unity of faith. He is calling us to a unity in the essentials of the gospel. He's not calling for his church worldwide to be totally conformed and totally unified in everything we do, and everything we say, and everything the way we minister. Think again of the Trinity, and I learned a lot of this from Brother George Christian. God is one God, but three persons. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. There's unity in diversity, and diversity in unity, and so is the church of Christ. But brothers and sisters, we cannot pursue that unity at the expense of the truth of the gospel, you see. One of the greatest monolithic churches in the history of Christendom was post-Constantine, and it became more and more apostate organizationally. It was one big, huge church. That was unified, but it was growing in apostasy and contrariness to the teaching of the word of God. That's not what Jesus is talking about. He's talking ultimately about a spiritual unity that does not compromise the gospel and the truth of the sacred scriptures, you see. That is why with that information in mind, it's so beautiful to go back and to read once again what he says in verse 21. 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. Verse 23. 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. Kothos, even as you have loved me. Think about that. God loves us, Jesus praised in the same way and to the same extent that he loves his only begotten son. Doesn't that blow your mind? He loves us, his people. The same way, to the same extent that he loves his son. John Calvin says, the great reformer, quote, this love foundation cannot be overturned. This love foundation cannot be overturned. And that's true, that's true. Jeremiah 31, verse three, God says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. I suppose none of us should ever feel unloved in this world if we are in Christ. Jeremiah 31, three, God says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. And in Ephesians 1, 4 through 5, Paul writes, In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will. And concerning verse 23 of John 17, the great Bible commentator Matthew Henry writes, and I quote, See how much good it would do to the world to know better how dear to God all good Christians are. And get this. Matthew Henry writes, those who have so much of God's love would have more of ours. Isn't that true? Those who have so much of God's love would have more of ours. Friends, that is why in John 13, verses 34 and 35, Jesus says this, a new command I give you. Love Agapao for a form of agape, love one another as I have loved you. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples. If you love. One another. Command of Christ. You know, boys and girls, young people, I have a lot of fond memories of the years when I was a youth, going to youth group meetings, campus life meetings, retreats, things like that. And I have many memories of sitting around a campfire or being on a youth retreat and singing the words to this song. We are one in the spirit. We are one in the Lord. We are one in the spirit. We are one in the Lord. And we pray that all unity may one day be restored. We will walk with each other. We will walk hand in hand. We will walk with each other. We will walk hand in hand. And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land. All praise to the Father from whom all things come. And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son. And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one. And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love. Question, are these words true for you? Are they true for me? Will these words be true for you? Will these words be true for me? Well, brothers and sisters, I can assure you of this. They will certainly be true for you and for me to the extent that by the grace of God alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the person and power of His Holy Spirit, you and I are found faithful in making manifest what it means to be the body of Christ by living as one in love. Amen, let's bow our heads and our hearts together in prayer. Oh, holy father. Some 2000 years ago, our Lord Jesus prayed, saying. My prayer is not for them alone. I also pray 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 and have loved them even as you have loved me. O Lord our God, an amazing answer to this very personal and practical and passionate prayer of your son. May you graciously. And ever more completely. Fulfill its purpose in us and through us. That the world would indeed come to know and believe the claims of Christ. Our only savior from sin. And the sole means of being reconciled with you. As well as being reconciled with one another. Hear us, Heavenly Father, we pray and we plead, in Jesus' name, Amen. At this time, brothers and sisters, we honor and worship the Lord our God with our tithes and our evening offerings. The offering this evening is for Compassion International. And while our gifts are being received, if you can reach a friendship pad, feel free to fill that up. Fill it up? Yeah, fill it up, I guess. And note that we're going to sing the sixth stanza of 462 as the deacons come forward, at which time the prayer of dedication will be offered by Deacon Dan McHugh. Let us give our gifts gladly and gratefully unto God.