John 17:20-23 | "For Those Who Will Believe"
[John 17] He Said, "Father" • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 28:06
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· 593 viewsSunday, January 9, 2022. John 17:20-23 | "For Those Who Will Believe" In this text, Jesus prays for disciples beyond the eleven gathered around Him - His disciples of the future. We learn that Christ's Church is much bigger than one gathering at one time and one place. Instead, Jesus prays for His followers across all time to be one, to show the world the truth about Him and His Father's love. Listen to Jesus speak about the soon-to-be-saved, the success of the sent, and the stewardship of the saints for the salvation of souls! This message preaches from John 17:20-23. It is part of a preaching series through John 17, "He Said, 'Father.'" The title of this sermon is "For Those Who Will Believe."
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I. The Reading
I. The Reading
A reading from John 17.
Our preaching text is taken from verses 20-23, and to hear those verses in their context, I will begin reading in verse 1.
This is a prayer of Jesus. This is God’s Word —
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6 “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.
7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.
8 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.
9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.
10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.
11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am 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.
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 Scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
[ And now, our preaching text: ]
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
[ Scripture Reading ~5 min ]
Say Amen
Say Amen
This is God’s Word. If you receive it as such, would you Say Amen? Amen.
II. The Exhortation
II. The Exhortation
God’s Word urges us to love BEYOND OURSELVES.
To love not just me, but to love God and others.
The great commandment in the Law sums this up with priority:
Love the Lord your God…that’s first.
And the second commandment is: “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Followers of Jesus are to deny SELF.
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Disciples of Jesus are to “deny self.”
The apostle said it this way —
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
“It is no longer I who live…but Christ who lives in me.”
Christ lives in me.
Christ lives in me.
Brothers and sisters,
If Christ lives in me, if Christ lives in you, if Christ dwells in our hearts through faith as His Church,
then we will love NOT ourselves —
but we WILL love, and we MUST love, beyond ourselves.
III. The Teaching
III. The Teaching
Jesus prays in verse 20 —
17.20
17.20
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
The prayers for Jesus’ followers in the preceeding verses, have been prayers exclusively for the eleven disciples of Jesus, who walked with Him as He walked the earth, who were called by Him, eyewitnesses to His life and ministry, who heard His teaching from His own mouth, who saw the Lord.
There were twelve, but one perished to fulfill the Scriptures, being “the son of perishing,” Judas who betrayed Jesus.
These disciples were they, who were sent by Jesus to be His witnesses in the world.
BUT NOW —
Jesus prays for a people BEYOND the eleven remaining disciples.
He prays:
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.”
Jesus is looking ahead, to the future.
Jesus knows that there will be more disciples to come.
Jesus prays not just for these, BUT ALSO for those that will come after them!
We make much of the “But God” statements in the Bible, when God intervenes and does what only God can do.
Yet here is a wonderful “BUT ALSO” statement in the Bible! In this prayer of Jesus.
Jesus prays for his disciples then, but doesn’t stop there!
“I do not ask for these only, BUT ALSO for those who will believe...”
This prayer is now carried forward, BEYOND the present, into the future.
Simply put, Jesus prayed for them, and
Jesus prayed for us too.
I thank God for people who pray for me.
Do you thank God for people who pray for you?
I wouldn’t survive if it weren’t for people I know, and people I don’t know —
— believers in this local church, and believers in other local churches, family members, friends, mentors, encouragers,
who prop me up, who keep me on my feet, who support me, who encourage me, who minister with me and alongside me by telling me that they have prayed for me!
But while I take great courage and comfort from these prayers, God’s Word reveals that there is someone else who has prayed for me.
And this gives me even greater assurance:
JESUS has prayed for me. The Son of God has prayed for me.
And Christian — Jesus has prayed for you.
And Church — Jesus has prayed for us!
Jesus prayed BEYOND Himself and prayed for His followers.
Jesus prayed BEYOND His present followers, “BUT ALSO” for His future followers too.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Note: The ESV (& KJV) translations are not helpful by adding the words “will” and “shall” here. This is not a future believing, this is a present believing that will take place in the future. I want to try to draw this out here.
Notice those words “who will believe.”
“Who will believe.”
Do not misunderstand what Jesus is praying.
Jesus is NOT giving permission to procrastinate.
Jesus is not saying you can wait to believe.
Many unbelievers live with an attitude that says: “One day I will believe...”
Is that you?
“I will believe when I’m ready.”
“I will believe when I need to, when it counts.”
“I will believe when I can make sense of it all.”
“I will believe when it’s time for the operation and I might not survive.”
“I will believe when I’m on my deathbed, in the last moments of my life.”
“I will believe when I SEE .”
Many are like Thomas:
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
And —
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus is NOT giving permission to procrastinate. He is not praying for those who are on the fence. Who are testing the waters. Who are undecided.
Jesus is praying for those who, when they hear the word, they DO believe.
This is not a future believing here.
Jesus is praying for a present believing that will take place in the future.
Jesus is not praying for those who hear this word now and delay, putting off believing for another time.
Jesus is praying for everyone RIGHT NOW, who hears this word about Him and believes it.
This is the
The Soon to be Saved
The Soon to be Saved
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus loves you and gave Himself for you. Jesus is Lord. Will you believe this word right now?
Are you soon to be saved? Is today the day of your salvation?
The Gospel proclaims today IS the day of your salvation!
Jesus is praying NOT for you who WILL BELIEVE, but for you who believe right now, at this time, future to this text. The soon to be saved.
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Notice the phrase “their word.”
The word is the means of believing.
John Calvin says this —
Commentary on the Gospel according to John Chapter 17
We must also observe that form of expression, to believe through the word, which means that faith springs from hearing, because the outward preaching of men is the instrument by which God draws us to faith.
God draws us to faith, to belief, through the word.
This destroys and silences all other schemes to convert the lost. This demolishes all other intentions for joining a church.
Buildings don’t win the lost. “You build them, they’ll come.” They’ll come but not to salvation in Jesus.
Music doesn’t win the lost. “Bigger choirs, praise bands, praise teams.” This moves us, but not to salvation Jesus.
What moves us to salvation in Jesus? To faith? To belief?
The word. More specifically,
“their word.”
The apostolic teaching.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
We cannot escape this folks!
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Try as we might, we are going to have to live God’s way as God’s people.
We will have to preach the word within these walls, and outside of these walls, and be devoted to the word that is breathed out by God, delivered through the apostles - it is the only way!
We have to organize ourselves, and finance ourselves, and mobilize ourselves together as a church according to God’s Word!
For a prayer-saturated, Spirit-empowered, WORD-BASED ministry is the only effective ministry and evangelism strategy that God honors and blesses.
This means each of us must know the word, and must know how to lead others to it.
This means investing in pastors and teachers who are devoted to the ministry of the Word and prayer, who equip the saints for ministry with the Word.
This means every one of us must become missional, and love beyond ourselves.
Listen again, to what Jesus commissioned His disciples to do with His authority —
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...”
Disciples are made by going, baptizing and teaching obedience to the word.
This is what we must invest in, Southside Baptist Church.
We cease to be a church when we cease to do these things: Going, baptizing, and teaching.
This is what God commands and empowers us all to do, no matter what age we are, no matter what difficulties we encounter in life.
This is our mission for living: to be God’s witnesses. Witness for Jesus.
Jesus prays:
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Success is guaranteed!
Success is guaranteed!
This is —
The Success of the Sent
The Success of the Sent
Jesus is not praying wishfully - wondering if there will be any more disciples after these eleven.
Jesus is praying with knowledge. There will be more disciples. There ARE more disciples that will be reached by these disciples who are sent by Him into the world.
Jesus is so certain of this that He even prays for them!
Church of Jesus Christ - There are more disciples, yet to be reached, that will be reached. Are you one of them?
Are you listening on the podcast right now? Are you watching at home? Are you one of them?
Are you one of these that Jesus is praying for, who is hearing this word and receives it right now by faith for the first time as true — that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Are you believing so that you might have life in His name?
Church, there are disciples to-be right outside these walls. There are people whom Jesus has prayed for, right outside these walls!
They may be stinky, they may be dirty, they may not have their life in order, they may not think like us, or look like us, or vote like us, or sing like us, but Jesus has prayed for them.
They are in these homes. They are in our homes.
They are in the restaurants we eat in. They are in the stores we shop in. They are on the live stream. They are all around us. Some are listening now.
Jesus has prayed for THEM, just as Jesus has prayed for US.
And they are waiting to hear the Word.
God is waiting for us to take them the Word.
Notice who the word belongs to.
The text says —
“their word” — the disciples’ word.
This is —
The Stewardship of the Saints
The Stewardship of the Saints
The word belongs now to Christ’s disciples. Christ’s followers.This is a change.
Up until this point in this prayer, the word belongs to the Father.
John 17:6 (ESV)
6 ...and they have kept your word.
John 17:14 (ESV)
14 I have given them your word...
John 17:17 (ESV)
17 ...your word is truth.
But now in verse 20, the word belongs to someone else;
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Now, the word belongs to the disciples.
How is this change possible?
How does the Father’s word become the disciple’s word?
And the answer is given by Jesus: “in me.”
“in me.”
John 17:20 (ESV)
20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
Jesus is the Living Word sent by the Father!
And in a mysterious miracle of miracles, Jesus the Word will live in us.
This is why Christ came! This is why Christ died. This is why Christ was buried. This is why Christ was raised —
Ephesians 3:17 (ESV)
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—
This is the indwelling Holy Spirit, ministering the Holy Word in us.
And as Jesus lives in us, the word of the Father lives in us, and the Father’s word, is given to us to take to the world.
What does Jesus pray, for his disciples then, for his disciples now, and for his disciples that believe in time to come?
What is His petition? What does He ask of His Father?
17.21
17.21
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Jesus prays once again, for a theme so important to Him that it is repeated often: Oneness. Unity of His people. Unity of His Church.
And notice the added word “all.”
John 17:21 (ESV)
21 that they may ALL be one...
Just as individuals, we are to think beyond ourselves, as a CHURCH we are to think BEYOND OURSELVES too.
The Church of Jesus Christ is not confined to our time, or to our place.
Jesus prays that we today, be united with those who were gathered with Him then.
That God’s people across all of time would ALL be united as ONE.
That we the Church in 2022, be united with the saints in 1972, and the saints in 1572...
That the world might see that this CHURCH of Jesus Christ, is not a segmented people, with their own name and own strategies and visions and missions but instead we are ALL united in Christ, and are His Church inasmuch as we share in HIS mission for the world.
Hebrews says it this way —
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
We are not to run the race that was set before our father’s generation.
We are to run the race that is set before this generation.
SO THAT THIS GENERATION MIGHT JOIN THE HEAVENLY GENERATION OF ALL THE SAINTS IN GLORY!
One of the weights of this church, Southside Baptist Church, that keeps us from running and hindering us from being effective, is running the race of yesterday.
We are running the race of yesterday.
It’s easy to fall into this sin because we are a church of senior saints, advanced in years, we don’t have younger generations in the church to look to and remind us of our future.
2022 is not like 2019.
2019 is not like 2009.
2009 is not like 1999.
The world thinks differently than it did. People emphasize different cares and concerns today. The language is different. The costs are different.
But one thing is the same — the sin that makes us lost.
And methods may change, but the message never changes.
We must change our methods to communicate the message of hope to the world today!
Southside Baptist Church, you have so much to offer by way of wisdom, experience, support, prayers, love — you’ve made mistakes and learned from them, you can invest heavily in younger people who can reach younger people.
But if you insist on your ways, if you insist on your own preferences, passions and programs —
These things may not be bad, but they become bad when they become weights that hinder. They become bad if we do not cast them aside and look to Jesus and get on board with His mission in the world today!
How willing are you to join Jesus in this prayer?
How willing are WE to join Jesus in this prayer?
21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
And this brings us to —
The [ Christ ] Conclusion
The [ Christ ] Conclusion
The soon to be saved, the success of the sent, and the stewardship of the saints for the salvation of souls is all dependent upon Jesus, and His glory, and His revelation and demonstration of the Father’s love.
Jesus thought beyond Himself.
How do we know?
Not only by the words that he prayed, but by the price that he paid hereafter, on the cross.
Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world.
Once for ALL!
Not just the eleven. But ALL!
He was buried, and by the power of God raised so that ALL who hear the word of this Gospel, and respond by confessing with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead, will be saved.
Jesus prays —
17.22
17.22
22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
17.23
17.23
23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
[ 4,421 words, 37 minutes ]