To the Praise of His Glory Part 2 John 17:126 NCBC, December 18, 2016 Main Point: The glory of God is the ultimate purpose of upward ministry. Purpose: The Glory of God (15) Path: Doctrinal Soundness (612) Path: Missional Faithfulness (1320) Path: Relational Wholeness (2126) before our King. He has come, completed His saving work, and returned to the Father. He will come back again soon so let s worship Him together now with the help of His Spirit. Please open your Bibles to this marvelous prayer of our Lord and Savior found in John chapter 17. Application: Delight in the beauty of Christ s holiness. Opening Announcements: Christmas Eve Service 4pm on Saturday Christmas Service Combined Single Service 10am If you don t have a Bible with you this morning, please catch the attention of the ushers now. You are welcome to take this Bible home as our gift to you, or just simply return it after our service by placing it on the table in the back of the room. <<Born in Bethlehem>> The holy Son of God was born in Bethlehem. Come sinners and saints peasants and kings let s bow Page 1a of 13 Page 1b of 13
Today concludes our study of Christ s teaching in the upper room. Next Sunday we will celebrate Christmas together in our joint worship service at 10am, and then the following Sunday on the New Years we will begin a brief topical series related to key discipleship topics, as our habit is every January. Afterwards, in February we plan to start a new preaching series on the book of Galatians focusing on how Christ has freed us from the bondage of legalism. So we have much to look forward to in the coming year together! Last week we considered the beginning of Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17. It was all for the praise of God s glory. You will find our text on page 708 in the giveaway Bibles this morning. In honor of God s Word, I d invite you to stand as I read from the ESV translation of John 17: 17 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. 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 Page 2a of 13 Page 2b of 13
perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Just one thing? Doesn t Jesus understand how much food I need to prepare? Company is coming, the house needs cleaned, I have to get presents Martha. Just one thing is necessary. What s that Lord? What s the one thing? This is our Lord s prayer for us. Please be seated. Will you pray with me? At the end of Luke chapter 10 we find ourselves with our Lord Jesus in the living room of two sisters one named Martha, and the other named Mary. Mary was enthralled with Jesus words sitting at His feet in pure adoration and worship. Martha on the other hand was distracted by all the demands of hosting. In fact, she was so selfjustified that she asked the Lord to tell her sister Mary to come and help her. But listen to Jesus gentle rebuke from Luke 10:41, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her. In the busy hussle and bussel of Christmas preparations, it s fitting to hear these words this morning. Martha, The glory of God. Paul said it this way, Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.1 The glory of God is ultimately the only one necessary pursuit for our lives. God formed and made you for His glory that is the ultimate purpose why you were created. 2 So in all the anxiety and trouble of the season, have you lost sight of your one necessary purpose for living? Well then come sit at Jesus feet this morning listen in to 1 1 Corinthians 10:31 2 Isaiah 43:7 Page 3a of 13 Page 3b of 13
Jesus prayer for you, and reorient your life and your ministry around the glory of God. For Jesus prayer in this chapter certainly teaches us that, The Glory of God (15) The glory of God is the ultimate purpose of upward ministry. The glory of God is the ultimate purpose behind everything. Our church. Our lives. And our ministry together in this world. So let s review a bit what we learned last week about the glory of God from this prayer. What is, In the Bible, the glory of God refers to God s presence. The manifestation of God Himself is His glory. God in His perfect essence is holy. He s incomparable in His greatness and supremacy. There s no one like our God. He s in a category all of His own. And so we say He is Holy. Completely separate and distinct from all other beings. So if the glory of God refers to the revelation or presence of God Himself we can say with Piper that the glory of God is the manifest beauty of His holiness. The glory of God is the character and work of God on display. The glory of God is how we know God. His glory is our greatest desire and satisfaction. For when we are aware of His presence, our hearts are overcome with joy, wonder, and worship. To glorify God then means to give others a right opinion of God s holiness. To see and savor God in such a way that we show God more clearly to others. This is what it means to glorify God. Page 4a of 13 Page 4b of 13
So last week we noted how the glory of God was the primary focus of Christ s final public prayer with His disciples. Verse 1 Father, glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. Verse 4 I glorified you on earth. Verse 5 Now Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. Then at the end of the prayer, in verse 24, Jesus final request is that the future church that s you and me here today may see His glory that the Father has given Him in His love, even before the foundation of the world. So as a review, You could summarize Christ s prayer for our head, hands, and heart to become more and more like Christ for this is how Martha becomes more like Mary delighting in the beauty of Christ s holiness. So today we more closely consider these 3 necessary means for the glory of God in our lives and ministry together. First, verses 612 reveal, God s glory in the purple box is the ultimate purpose for all things. Jesus prayer revealed this chief concern. But the rest of Christ s prayer reveals three necessary means or biblical pathways to the glory of God. For a church like ours, Jesus prays that we would manifest the beautiful holiness of God Himself through our growing commitment to truth, witness, and love. As individuals, the necessity of Doctrinal Soundness for any church that aims to glorify God. (612) Page 5a of 13 Page 5b of 13
Consider first verses 78, sufficient revelation of God Himself to us for our faith and living. Now [my disciples] know that everything you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, In other words, the glory of God depends on our faith in His selfrevelation to us. Are we What s the words that God gave to Jesus? The teachings or doctrines of Christ, right? Jesus gave His disciples propositional truth from God the Father, and what does the rest of the verse say? and they have received [these words] and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. So the first characteristic of a Godglorifying ministry is simply, Trusting the Scriptures, or do we doubt them? How might a church doubt the word of God and thereby diminish God s glory? Actually it s quite common for us to not trust the sufficiency or authority of the Bible. For we can functionally value other standards of truth more than the very words of God Himself. Let me try to illustrate. Receiving God s Word. Doctrinal soundness starts by believing that the Holy Scriptures are breathed out by God Himself inspired, without error in their original manuscripts, and a fully Page 6a of 13 Page 6b of 13
traditions, and logical reasoning must ultimately submit to God s own revelation in His Holy Scriptures. So are you trusting the words Christ has left for us? If so, your commitment towards doctrinal soundness will be reflected by your, On the stage of authoritative truth in our lives, there are many competing sources of truth. The authority of experience tells us that if it works, it s right. The authority of tradition judges right or wrong based on precedent, or cultural norms. Or the authority of reason attempts to tell us that we must be able to understand something for it to be true. Keeping God s Word. Just like the early church in Acts 2:42 was devoted to the apostles teaching, so likewise a church whose purpose is the glory of God is committed to keeping, But only the Word of God can be the final authority on the believer s stage of truth, right? For the glory of God, Biblical teaching must be the interpretative authority for all other sources of truth. All of my experiences, Or obeying God s Word. Page 7a of 13 Page 7b of 13
In verse 6 Jesus prayed, I have manifested your name [or your character] 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. Obedience is the evidence of saving faith. True doctrinal soundness always leads to moral soundness. And this is a necessary pursuit for the greater glory of God. commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.3 In reality, the biblical mission of every church is the biblical mission of every believer to make disciples, or Christfollowers through prayer and faithful witness in the world. A church cannot glorify God without growing faithfulness to this Godgiven mission. Then in verses 1320, Jesus prays for the disciples to be faithful to the Goddirected mission that He has given to them. For the glory of God necessarily requires, Here at New Castle Bible Church, we articulate this mission with two phrases: Missional Faithfulness (1320) Growing Deeper, and Reaching Farther. This is our Godgiven mission. And both aspects of our mission is reflected in Christ s prayer. In verse 18 Jesus prays, As you sent me into the world, so I have sent [my disciples] into the world. Every disciple of Jesus Christ has been given a mission to complete. After His resurrection, Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28, saying: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Hoy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have In verse 13, Jesus leaves His Word to His disciples as He returns back to the Father s side. Then in verse 14, he repeats this fact, 3 Matthew 28:1820 Page 8a of 13 Page 8b of 13
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. Growing deeper in faithfulness to our mission means first that we relate to God s Word in such a way that we are obviously smell like the world, and be respected by the world if we have been sent to help rescue people from the world. We must grow deeper into Christlikeness being progressively sanctified by God s truth, as we seek to reach farther to make disciples of all nations who likewise submit their lives to God s gospel. Growing deeper leads to personal joy in verse 13, and the conversion of souls in verse 20. For nothing is more attractive than true holiness. Changed lives are contagious. So examine yourself this morning, and consider how God is calling you towards greater progress on the path of missional faithfulness. And then consider as well the last section of Christ s prayer centered on the necessity of, Not of the world, but in the world. Verse 15, Jesus prays, 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 the world, just as I am not of the world. The point is this. Missional faithfulness starts with personal sanctification. Verse 17 sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. To be faithful to the mission God has given us we must first be growing deeper in our own faith and obedience. We must be following Christ personally in order to help others follow Christ. We cannot expect to look like the world, talk like the world, Relational Wholeness for the glory of God (2126) If our church has doctrinal soundness, and we are growing in faithfulness to our Godgiven mission, yet we lack the relational wholeness of Gospel love and unity, we fall short of the glory of God. Page 9a of 13 Page 9b of 13
This is why Jesus prayed so fervently that the church may truly be one. For a necessary path to the glory of God is Christian unity. Have the same mind. Christian unity means submission to the same authority of Truth One Lord, One Faith, One baptism in God s Holy Spirit, according to Ephesians 4. Becoming One. Verse 21, Jesus prays that we may all be one, just as He and the Father are one, so that the world may believe that Jesus is God. The relational wholeness or unity of the church is a necessary apologetic for the world we are sent into. But what is Christian unity? Christ is not praying here for uniformity where everyone looks the same, wears the same uniforms, follows the same culture, or speaks the same language. No, Jesus is praying for a Christian unity much richer than external conformity. But relational oneness doesn t just require submission to the same authority, but relational oneness also requires humility. Let me illustrate. Look around the room today, and ask yourself, Who is the least important person here today? Look around, and be honest with yourself. Who is the least important person here? Because clearly it s not you, right? Pride always finds someone who is less significant than we are. But consider Philippians 2, Jesus is praying that all Christians would Page 10a of 13 Page 10b of 13
where Paul writes, Revealing His love. So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Verse 23 makes this clear, I in them, and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me so far he s just repeating what he prayed earlier in verse 21 but now in verse 23 he adds, and loved them even as you loved me. Translation: This is the mind of Christ. Jesus Christ God in human flesh made Himself nothing. Confront your own pride with this staggering truth: the Son of God humbled Himself and considered Himself the least important. Only humility enables us to wash one another s feet in supernatural love. Only humility practices forgiveness. Only humility refuses to blameshift, and truly considers others as more important than myself. This is a necessary path to God s glory. Jesus has prayed this for us that we would become one in Him, and be, Relational wholeness in God s church means having the same love as Philippians 2 said. Christians love for one Page 11a of 13 Page 11b of 13
another across common barriers is the greatest evidence of God s love to mankind. Rich and poor. Black and white. Male and female. Strong and weak. Relational wholeness occurs when Christians reveal God s unconditional new commandment love to one another in ways that are supernatural, and heavenly. So consider your relationships with other Christians this morning. Praise God for how His Spirit is helping you to grow in unity and love. Ask God to help you grow in greater humility. For as we ve listened in to Jesus prayer, it s become clear to me that, Delight yet more in the beauty of Christ s holiness. Fix your focus on knowing Christ in all His staggering glory. Put off the anxiety and trouble of Martha. Slow down enough to consider the spiritual progress of your head, heart, and hands for the greater glorification of our allsufficient God. Nothing else can truly satisfy your soul, except for the glory of our great God. So sit, and choose the better part. Seek to really know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. So consider carefully what we ve learned from these upper room teachings and prayer: The glory of God is the ultimate and authoritative purpose of upward ministry. And the beauty of God s holiness will be manifest only as we progress farther down these three necessary paths of doctrinal soundness, missional faithfulness, and relational wholeness. Jesus love for you is greater than your fears, your failures, and even your faith, or lack thereof. Only when you have been loved with such perfect love from God, will you be able to wash others feet in genuine humility and Christlike love. So then let us together, Page 12a of 13 Page 12b of 13
Jesus has made all the necessary provisions for us to be with Him forever including sending us His Spirit to live in us now. God s Spirit reveals Christ to us, and thereby gives us peace even in the midst of troubled times. For when we abide in Christ, His Spirit produces much fruit through us for the glory of God. The Spirit convicts the world, but guides the church to ensure that our joy may be full in our union with our glorified Savior. Jesus told His disciples all these things so that they would have peace in Him. In the world we will have tribulation but we can be of good cheer, for Jesus has overcome the world! And He has prayed for us. That we would progress in doctrinal soundness, missional faithfulness, and relational wholeness all so more might see and savor the beauty of God s holiness forever and ever. Do you believe these words of Christ? If you do, then I invite you to offer your life as an offering an offering of worship to our allsufficient and allglorious God. <<Christmas Offering Song>> Let s pray our Benediction now as we are dismissed, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 Amen. Let s pray. Page 13a of 13 Page 13b of 13