John 17:6-26 = Jesus Prays for us all.

Included below please find first the video of last Thursday night's sermon.  That sermon focused upon the verses found in the Book of Acts 1:15-26. This was a seminal time for the early Jesus Movement, Jesus had just ascended back to the Father, and they were left facing the fact that one of their own number had betrayed Jesus to the authorities.  And to make matters worse, this action had destroyed the symbolism of the Twelve Disciples to the Twelve Tribes.  Both 'theologically' and 'psychologically' it was important to that early band to restore this symbolic number.

During this short sermon (all Thursday night messages are brief in duration) I turned the story back upon ourselves today.  All along this journey, we'll see members of our faith fall away for one reason or another, the truly amazing thing is that as they fall the Lord will provide another to step forward and to carry His word on to the next generation.  As we labor to do our Lord's bidding, we all must realize that just like Matthias the 'lot has fallen' to us.  Let us step forth and do our Lord's work with determination and devotion.

Sunday's sermon covered the verses found in the Gospel of John 17:6-26.  These verses are the majority of the prayer that Jesus prays over His disciples shortly before being arrested.  The wonderful realization should not escape us that, Jesus isn't just praying for those gathered there that day... but rather, that He was praying for all of us.  He prayed for everyone that would ever pick up His cross and carry His love into the future.  At the end of the sermon, I hit upon unity (that they may all be one)... the unity that is so sorely lacking in our world of Christ followers today.  I mention that the truest irony is that often those Christians that cry the loudest about unity do the most to divide.  Let us somehow learn to live together without continuing to paint words that divide... let us cease to focus upon the division and instead focus upon the grace, love, joy, and forgiveness of Christ.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,

Roy

2Acts 1:15-26 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers[a] (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Friends,[b] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness; and falling headlong,[c] he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his homestead become desolate,
    and let there be no one to live in it’;

and

‘Let another take his position of overseer.’

21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place[d] in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Footnotes:
a) Acts 1:15 Gk brothers
b) Acts 1:16 Gk Men, brothers
c) Acts 1:18 Or swelling up
d) Acts 1:25 Other ancient authorities read the share

John 17:6-26 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
6 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them in your name that[a] you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,[b] so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.[c] 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.[d] 16 They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

20 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,[e] so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

Footnotes:
a) John 17:12 Other ancient authorities read protected in your name those whom
b) John 17:12 Gk except the son of destruction
c) John 17:13 Or among themselves
d) John 17:15 Or from evil

e) John 17:21 Other ancient authorities read be one in us