Jesus Keeps Us

If you haven't been with us this far or just need a reminder of where we've been, we're in John chapter 17. Jesus has he's concluding his final discourse. He's been teaching the disciples what we must observe and understand to be the most important truths for the church. This is what they needed to hear before Christ would die, rise again, ascend and send them out into the world. These are the most essential truths for the church. And he concludes this time with the disciples before he goes out and is betrayed and and suffers and dies with a prayer. It's astonishing as we think about what this prayer is, it's God talking to God about God. This is an insight into God that we don't get anywhere else in Scripture. It's the longest prayer we have of Jesus. It shows us the heart of Christ, the purposes and plans of God, the father. The first five verses, Jesus reveals that it is his glory and the father's glory that are the highest and most purposeful ends by which they're pursuing. He's praying for his glory to be restored, the glory he had before the creation of the world, the glory that he left behind when he came to accomplish the work the father sent him to do. He transitions his prayer from himself to his disciples. Now, the most immediate context shows us that he's thinking of precisely the disciples who were with him in that room at that time. However, it's very clear that the prayers that he's making for these disciples are easily applied to us if we believe in him and are his disciples. Last week, we looked at how God had called out a people for himself. To be as people so that we would worship Christ, the king. This week, we're going to look at the particular teaching that focuses on the fact that the father keeps us. We're beginning in verse 11. Let me go back to verse six. 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. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 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. I am praying for them. I'm not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they're yours. All mine are yours and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. This is where our passage this morning begins. 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. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them. Not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction. That the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 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. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world and for their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth. Let's look at our passage this morning and we're going to see two main requests. Look at verse 11. Halfway through Holy Father. Keep them. That's the first main request that Jesus makes, and then there's a number of qualifications and explanations to that particular request. Keep them. That's what he's asking the father. Keep them. I have been keeping them. I have been guarding them, but now father keep them. The second request is in verse 17. Sanctified. Sanctified. Keep them sanctified. There's two main points to this prayer, so there's two main points to our sermon. Keep them, sanctify them. God keeps us, God sanctifies us. God keeps us and God sanctifies us. Let's first look to God keeps us. This is good news that cannot be overlooked. It's very simple. God keeps us. He's claimed that he's been keeping his disciples wise with him, he's been walking with these men for three years. Now he prays, Father, I'm about to leave them. They need to be kept. We add to this truth that the son has kept them, the father is going to keep them and then the father and the son are going to send the spirit to seal those true disciples. To appreciate the keeping, we have to see and be reminded of the truth from last week's passage. We have to first see that God called us and claimed us out of the world. His free grace, his free grace that was freely given according to his will, is what made these disciples God's people. The Father took them for himself. He gave them to the Son. The Son purchased them on the cross. We're first redeemed. We're first delivered from the dominion of darkness and given over to the kingdom of the sun. And that's where we're kept. The beautiful power of this is that his grace works against our simple tendency to reject him. His grace works against our love for our own sin, which leads us to hate him. His grace makes us his people. When we once rejected him. We have been called and now he keeps us. This is encouraging news because I hope I'm not projecting too much here, but our hearts. We've already sung it, there's a treason, there's a treason that lurks, that's poisoning the love we want to give God and his grace keeps that at bay so that we're not as sinful as we could be. His grace changes that heart so we can worship Him and love Him as we were created to, so that we can have our joy fulfilled in Christ. For honest with ourselves, our hearts are always looking at some other God, longing for some other love. That's why it's such good news that God keeps us. Philippians 1, He who began a good work in you, he will complete it. Romans 8, nothing can separate you from the love of God. He began the work, he called you, he'll complete the work, he'll keep you. This is good news that we have to remind one another of. God has committed himself to us. He did not love us because we were lovely. He loved us because he loved us. And that love does not change. Now let's look to the who. Holy Father keeps them. The Son calls upon the Father. They are united in the same purpose. He's holy. And this is very important. The word holy and sanctify later. Same concept. Holy Father, you who are above everything, you who are above all creation as a creator, sanctify them, lift them up out of this world. Holy Father. That's a great way of talking to God. First, Jesus taught us to do so. But if we think about why, holy reminds us that we don't deserve to be able to know him personally, but the fact that he's Father lets us know he loves us personally. Holy Father, keep them. How will he keep us? Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one as we are one. The Son has been keeping us in the one name of God. The Father will keep us in that name. Now, there's a sense in which we could interpret this to be, keep us in the name as if the name is the instrument. And that's possible, but I think it's best to see this as the position. When we are in the name of Christ, we come to the Father in that one name that represents his character, his purposes, his nature, his love. If we think about the name as the position, we come In the name of God, just like you're baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, it's a singular name, but with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as the qualifier. We come in that one name that has committed Himself to us. See, the entire Gospel of John is about the Son who comes from the Father, who really reveals the Father. John 1.18, no one has ever seen the Father, except the only begotten God. And the disciples ask, show us the Father. The Son says, When you see me, you see the father. They're the same in nature, they're they're saving character, they're saving purpose. And they're same in keeping, and it's that position that when we believe in Christ, we are in him and every blessing comes to us from him. We see there's a distinction in the Godhead, the son came down, the father sent him, the son took on flesh, the father did not, the son will die, the father will crush him for our iniquities. The Son will rise to new life, the Father will be the one who raises Him. The Son has been keeping these disciples, the Father will keep them, and they together will send the Spirit to keep us. Jesus has been keeping them. He is praying for God to keep them. It gives us security, it gives us this new relationship. It also reminds us of something very important about ourselves. It's an implication here. God keep them. I have been keeping them. The implication is they needed to be kept. It's important to see this here. We need to be kept. We're still sinners, even though we've been declared saints. As I've already said, that that treason is still lurking. The desires of the flesh are still lurking. They need to be killed. Our simpleness is always trying to call us back to be a slave. We need to be kept. We were too weak to deliver ourselves from the world. We are too weak to keep ourselves in the world. We need to be kept. We need to praise the God who has called us out by his grace, we need to praise God who keeps us by his grace. I encourage you today for a little theology of keeping. Look to the Book of Jude. That was our call to worship. It'll be our benediction. But look to the letter of Jude. Jude is a brief theology on keeping. He says, keep the faith that was once and for all handed down to you. We are to keep ourselves in the love of God. Then he reads, we read, we are to praise the God who is able to keep us. Listen to verses 20 through 25. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt. Save others by snatching them out of the fire, to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now, to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, the glory, majesty, dominion and authority for all time and now and forever. Amen. You hear that? Keep yourself in the love of God. God only keeps you, but but there's a call here. There's no reason to think you're going to experience the love of God or even be in love with God if you're pursuing sin intentionally and volitionally. And for those who are wrestling with sin, it's so encouraging to see that verse 24, he keeps us from stumbling. His grace is sufficient. Now, verse 11. He gives us a clear purpose in the keeping. Next week, someone will be more focused on this, but we will talk about it briefly here. Keep them in your name, which you've given me to the purpose that they may be one as we are one. The purpose of being kept. Is our unity. We are to be kept so that we are united. The church is full of all different kinds of people. You can look around in case you're wondering, I see you. I'm delighted by our diversity. We wish more of it. We pray for more. We all have different personalities and opinions. The important thing for the church is that we are kept and we're kept united. And if we all come in with our own personalities and our own opinions, we're eating away at that unity. So we come in united under clear truths. We're sinners in need of grace. There's one head of the church is Jesus Christ. There's one word that teaches us what we're supposed to believe and do. It's the word of God that he's given us. We must call that we're we must see that we're called to be one. We're saved to be one. Now, I think I'm a pretty strong Protestant. A Protestant is supposed to see that the high point of the worship service is the preaching of the word. I'm the one preaching. You would think that this is my favorite part of the worship service. It's not. It's so encouraging to hear all the different voices come together as one singing God's truth. It's a picture of who we're supposed to be and who we are and who God's made us. All the voices being the primary focus of our singing time together, all of us singing together. Christ prays what Christ has done for us. We all need to recognize the most dangerous dividing power in the church. What is the most dangerous dividing power in the church? It's each one of its members. Let that be a warning there. It's scary. The most dangerous dividing power in the church is each one of us. It's just like a body. If the liver has cancer, it's going to affect the rest of the organs in the body. If there's a member who is living in sin and pursuing sin and pursuing their own interests, it's going to affect the entire body of Christ. That's why we come. We come looking to worship Christ. We come to put on the mind of Christ, considering others interests above our own, considering others as more important than ourselves. We're divisive in the church and damaging the kingdom when we become any other way. This is from Philippians to have that mind in Christ, considering others more important, considering their interests more important. It's easy to make something small, big. And be divisive. It's easy to come and make something that actually isn't important, very important. Now, I am so pleased to hear minimal murmuring about the fact that we changed the color of the carpet. I've been in prayer because my history of knowing about the church is that the devil prowls around waiting for a church to change the color of the carpet because that's when he will leap on that church. Praise God, that does not seem to be the case, but we will continue to pray and fast. We laugh because, thankfully, we're a united church around Christ, but this would divide a lot of churches. We have to recognize that the things that don't matter, they don't matter. Focus on Christ, His death, His resurrection, His return, His head over us. That's how we maintain the unity. Pray regularly for the unity of the church. In Ephesians chapter four, maintain the unity is what Paul tells the church in Ephesus. Unity in Christ's body has two main rules. If you're at the wedding, these are the same rules that will maintain a marriage. If we're going to be a united body of Christ, we must be quick to confess. We must be quick to forgive. We're gathered as sinners. What else should we expect? We should be quick to confess, quick to forgive. When someone calls you out for your sin or someone acknowledges your sin or you acknowledge your own sin, be quick to confess because it's an opportunity for the gospel. When someone says, I'm sorry, the only proper Christian response is I forgive you. This fulfills our covenant. We will speak truth and love, be slow to take offense, be eager to seek swift and lasting reconciliation. Let's look at verse 12 and this verse stands out in our prayer. 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 sudden destruction. that the scripture might be fulfilled. Now, this is similar to the section beforehand when Jesus makes it very clear I'm praying for the disciples. I'm not praying for the world. There's two different kinds of people. There's the disciples and there's those of the world. And Jesus has a much more intentional, clear love for the disciples. A much more clear intentional plan. One of the questions I ask is, Why would Jesus include this in his prayer? Judas isn't there. Why do they need to include it? Most commentators, and I think they're right, said that Jesus included this to make it clear that Jesus did not fail in his responsibility. That's encouraging, right? Because he keeps us. We don't want to be afraid that one of us could be a Judas or that we could be a Judas and then we could be lost accidentally. No. Makes it very clear that Judas was foreordained for this. This was God's plan. He wasn't supposed to keep him. This scripture has been fulfilled. If you go to John 1318, John has already quoted Psalm 41. To show that Judas's betrayal is fulfilling that verse, and it says this, even my close friend in whom I trusted who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me. We could also go to Acts 120, where they quote Psalm 109 as fulfilled by Judas. May his camp become desolate and let there be no one to dwell in it. So at one level, I think it's true, Jesus is recording this, so we have assurance that when we're kept, we can't be lost. Judas wasn't meant to be kept. He was given over to his own son. I could be projecting here and forgive me because I try not to do that. But as I read this, I read it as a pastor. And I wonder if there's something here where Jesus is showing his care for Judas still. Remember, Jesus washed Judas's feet. Judas was called to walk with Jesus for three years. Psalm 41 says that Judas was his close friend. There's nothing more painful than to watch someone who was once walking among us and with us to walk away. And I sense here that in Jesus, it's not just wanting to prove his point that he can keep him. I don't think that's what Jesus needs to do, necessarily. I wonder if there's a different kind of love that's still a concern for Judas. A friend who he's seen be so consumed by his love for money that he's rejected Christ, he's been handed over and filled by Satan, now is destroyed. I think he may include this because he's somewhat heartbroken over someone who has left the way. It's important for us to see this in Judas because. Some have walked away from the faith, we already know from among us. There are others who are dangerously flirting. With sin. Unrepentant. It's difficult to walk with those who claim to be brothers and sisters or those who once claimed brothers and sisters. They'll even acknowledge, I believe the Bible is true, that Jesus Christ is dead and he died on the cross and he's risen again, but. But they can't stop loving their sin. If you love your bitterness. And that's what you're delighting in this morning, more than Christ. Friend, repent, find the healing comfort in Jesus Christ, who alone can heal you. You are dangerously refusing God and your path is the one of Judas that will end in destruction. As we continue to study our passage. Look to verses 13 through 16 that all come together as a. Subunit underneath the keep them. But now I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 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. 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. There's a couple of things that are really emphasized here. One, there's there's two ways to live in the world or in Christ. You're either in Christ and pursuing those things of Christ and his word and being loved by him or you're pursuing the world and sin. Two other things here, Jesus says twice in verse 14 and verse 16, he doesn't belong to the world. He came outside from outside into the world to save us. The other thing is in verses 13 and 14, he spoke the truth into the world. Jesus has spoken God's word into the world. He is God's word for the world. He's the light shining in the darkness and the darkness did not recognize him. They hated him because they love the darkness. His word is important here because he must speak his word into our world because it's the only light we will see. He prays for us not to be taken out of the world. Now this is our physical position. He doesn't want us to be removed from the world. We are just no longer of the world. So our physical presence needs to be here walking and talking with those who are of the world. We have to recognize there's a new position. Just as Christ came from outside of the world, he's made us outside of the world. He's pulled us out to be in him. God protects his children. He says, do not take them out of the world, but protect them from the evil one. Now here he's speaking of Satan. And one of the things we've seen already in John is that Satan is the father of lies. And the most dangerous ones are they have truth. We need to be committed to God's word so that we always know what God's word is in the midst of this darkness. Jesus is not of the world. He was not of the world. He's going back to where he belongs and he will one day come and claim us to take us back there. It's important to see Jesus' relationship here because he's praying that we would remain faithful while constantly having sinners all around us, while constantly having the tug of temptation all around us, while constantly having the one evil one lying to us. His disciples will remain in the world. Their physical position is that they will be Among the rebellion raging all around them, their spiritual position is that they are now in Christ. That position is extremely important. When he says protect them from the evil one. Satan is going to come and he's going to shine light into the sin that exists within us, and he's going to want to lie to us. Those lies try to draw us back into the pattern of sin that we know exists in our hearts. The evil ones constantly lying. He wants us to believe that our hate and bitterness is justified. He wants us to believe that the bitterness in our hearts needs to be expressed. He wants us to believe the desires that are that are looming. They should be enjoyed. So he's lying, he's he's inserting his lies and you need to see this. He's not introducing anything new. He's using the sin that already dwells there. Doesn't it feel natural to pursue that sin? Shouldn't you be able to enjoy that sinful desire? Shouldn't you express those bitter thoughts? Isn't your hate and anger justified? So he's lying to you so that you'll enjoy that sin and express it and then get the scheme. Right afterwards, he accuses you of doing it. That's the trap. What a powerful scheme. He makes you feel compelled to obey your sinful nature. Then he traps in their side and makes you feel completely condemned and guilty for it. That's the lie of Satan. The half-truth there is that, yeah, there is sin, but you don't have to obey it. Christ has freed you from that sin. The half-truth there is, yes, there's sin that you would be guilty of, but Christ has died for you. His strategy is powerful. And the only way to get out of it is to look to Jesus Christ, his word, what he's accomplished for you. This is why Paul calls us not to sin, because it gives the devil the opportunity. If you think your spouse is the enemy, you're embracing the lie of Satan and refusing God. You are saying, I am unsatisfied with the spouse you gave me, God. If you are constantly feeling like a failure, you're believing the lies of the evil one who wants to keep you from joyful victory, the joyful victory that Christ has accomplished for you. Here's a beautiful truth of Christ that you get to embrace. I am a failure and Jesus Christ purchased me for his victory. I am a complete sinner, but I know that I have a just standing before God because Jesus Christ and his victory. Yes, we're sinners. But we don't have to obey that sin. Yes, we should be counted guilty. But Christ has declared us righteous. The amazing thing, when you look at the battle against the evil one throughout scripture, is it's always focused on knowing Christ, what he said and what he's done. As Satan continues to try to insert lies into our minds that we do not think correctly about ourselves. We must battle. By looking to Christ, it's not just a mental battle, it has real spiritual ramifications. But the call is to set your mind on things above, where Christ is our perfect mediator. Friends, leave the world in its ways. Stop following the pattern of the world by embracing Jesus Christ. Look at chapter 15, verse 11 again. I'm sorry, verse 13. But now I'm coming to you that these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy. Fulfilled in themselves. When we have divine love, we have perfect delight. Crisis saying when we are kept when we're keeping ourselves when we're following his word breaking out of the pattern of the world, there's joy. There's his eternal, perfect joy that we can have amongst ourselves. Do you know that joy? Or are you trying to be satisfied with the world, its fleeting comfort, fun and delights? Christ offers you true joy. Let's look to our second main point. Which is obviously shorter than the first one. For those who keep up with such things. Jesus Christ prays to his father, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth as you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world and for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth. Sanctify them in the truth. Jesus Christ has come as the Word. He has the full revelation of God, and he has said, I am come to seek and to save sinners. God's Word stands against our own sin. God's Word is central. What he has said about us must be believed. We are sinners in need of a Savior. What he has said about himself, the Father sent him to die for us. What he said about those who believe we're no longer guilty. We're children of God. We are sanctified by this truth. We are set aside. We have a new status, a new position. We are no longer in the world and we're no longer of the world. We've been called out to be a different kind of people with a new status, a new identity. One of the problems we face in the church is that we confuse our position in Christ with our progress and love? This can be easily confused. We have to realize that our position in Christ is kept by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our position is kept. We don't earn that position by how well we're progressing and becoming better people. However, if we have been given a new heart, by the Spirit, who has been sent from the Son, who purchased us, and who was also sent by the Father, there will be a continual, gradual growth in hating sin and loving Christ. We must see that Christ has come to sanctify us. He sets us apart as a new kind of people, and then He changes us. He changes us by the truth that He's spoken. This is why the Word of God must be central. He's a son of God, the only true righteous one. The way to grow in our love for him is to put to death our own sin and to know his truth. Now, we've seen the how we're sanctified by his truth, so we need to be committed to being people of the word of God. But notice the why. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. So I have sent them into the world. It's important that we think about ourselves, this identity we keep talking about. God didn't save us so that we can sit here comfortably. He didn't save us so we could just sit here and boast of our new position. We come and remind one another of that new position by singing songs and fellowship and rejoicing, but it's not so we can sit here and just boast in a new position. He didn't sit here so we could be set apart and walk around and look around the world and say how sad it is that they are like that. Look at those sinners out there. He did not set us apart so we can freely pursue sin without consequence. He set us apart to rejoice and boast in Christ. He set us apart so that we would battle against our own sin. And he set us apart so that we would now be his ambassadors. We have been called and kept and sent. We are called and kept and sent. This comes back to the doctrine of election. If you go back in Scripture every time somebody is called or elected, they're called and elected to a purpose to go out and be God's light shining in the darkness. We're called to be commissioned. We're called to glorify God with a worship. We're called to glorify God by spreading his message. If you are comfortable in this world, not desiring that your loved ones, neighbors, friends, coworkers would come to know Christ, you probably don't get the gospel. If you're comfortable. In this world. Not desired. That your loved ones, neighbors, friends, co-workers do not come to know Christ. You may not know Christ. They don't know Christ, they're going to be judged for their sins, they're going to go to hell. That's why we believe in Christ. He's the one who saves us from our own destructive, sinful patterns. He's the one who saves us from that ultimate destruction when we'll faith God, the judge. Friends, we rejoice with one another that we're called, but we come together and urge one another. Let's go out and spread the word of Jesus Christ, because it's the only word that can change this world. All the things we've already prayed this morning, the martyrdom, the persecution, the racism, the hate. They're not going to be changed with politics or military. They're changed by the word of God that changes the heart. If you can sit comfortably. and not desire for those you love to know Christ from. Please come talk to me afterwards. The final thing Jesus says in this section and for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth. Jesus Christ has set himself aside to be lifted up on the cross. He had been consecrated to die as if a sinner so that we who are sinners will be counted innocent. As we conclude, Christian. Find peace. Rest in the truth that God keeps you. Secondly, fight with purpose. Kill the flesh in the worldly passions that keep your worship impure. Fight with purpose to set aside your old self so that you become a new creature that has a heart tuned to worship God as he deserves. Finally. Proclaim the king. Trust that his word will not return void. Trust that his word is what will change lives. We pray with me. Father, we praise You that You keep us. We praise You that You've called us. We praise You that You sent Your Son to die for us, that You've risen Him up. You've given us Your Spirit so that we can know Him and see Him and worship Him. We praise You that even though we have continued in our sin, even though we continue to not worship You as You deserve, You keep us in Your grace. Lord, give us the grace that we need to have our hearts changed, to see you as you are, to love you as you deserve, to praise you in a way that's worthy of your great name. Help us, Lord, to serve one another up to these good works. Help us, Lord, to proclaim you throughout the nations. Give us confidence in your gospel. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.