Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the gospel according to John chapter 17. John 17. Amazing passage of scripture. The Spirit of God permits us
to hear the very heart of the Lord Jesus Christ expressed to
His Father. And I do not doubt that the apostles
were listening. The last verse of the 16th chapter
said, These things I have spoken unto you, and our Lord is speaking
to his disciples, that in me you might have peace. In the
world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have
overcome the world. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. So without question, I can say that it was
a good possibility, let me say it like that, that the apostles
are listening to what He's saying. And for their comfort, they're
hearing what our Lord is saying. Last Sunday, last time we looked
at this passage, in verse 9, the Lord said, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine." Prayed
for their protection. Prayed for their unity to him
and to one another. Prayed for their growth in grace. Sanctify them. That's what he
said in verse 17. Lord willing, as we get to that
point next week or so, we'll consider it. Prayed for their
eternal presence with him. That's verse 24. Father, I will, that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am. He prayed for them not only here,
but they'll hear Him pray again for them at Calvary. Luke 23,
34. Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. And in light of verse 9, for
whom was He praying? At Calvary. Not for everyone
in particular, without distinction. I pray for them. for those that the Father had
given Him. Very likely, many that the Father
had given Him had not been called out of darkness yet. There at
Calvary, very possibly right in the midst of those that were
wagging their heads, mocking, Father, forgive them. Forgive
them. Forgive them. Here He was the
substitute of His people. The Lamb, you know there was
great insight given concerning when he prayed for his own. When he said to Peter, Simon,
this is when Peter had just gave his oath, others will forsake
you. Not me. Not me. I'll never forsake you, oh brethren. But for the grace of God, we'd
walk away this morning. But for the grace of God, I'd
walk out of this pulpit right now and say, you can have it. I'm done. But for the grace of
God, the Lord told Simon when he made that declaration, others
will forsake you, not me. Simon, Satan hath desired to
have you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for
thee that thy faith fail not. Brethren, the only reason we
believe this morning is because he intercedes for us. Keep them. And his prayer is always effectual. When he prayed in verse 11, and
we'll consider in just a moment, I'm going to look at verses 10
and 11. Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me, they shall be kept. Kept by the power of God. And you think about what he just,
keep through thine own name. His word is quick and powerful
and sharper than any two-edged sword. Kept by the power of God,
His prayer. His prayer. The power of God. Verse 10, And all mine are thine, and thine
are mine. and I'm glorified in them." Now
here again, the Lord sets forth the oneness of Himself and the
Father. Actually, the literal there is,
all my things are thy things, and thy things are my things. Yours are mine, mine are yours.
Oh, the great mystery of the tri-unity of the Godhead. One God. One in nature, one in
essence, one in purpose, one in will, and distinctly the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And we cannot understand that. At his baptism, there was the
Lord Jesus Christ. And a voice was heard out of
heaven as the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove. And the voice out of heaven said,
this is my beloved Son, and whom I'm well pleased. Hear Him. Father, Son, Spirit, one God. That which is the father's is
the son's. And that is a great comfort to
God's people. All mine are thine and thine
are mine and I am glorified in them. Again, I can't help but
say this again. I truly believe, based upon the
wording, it did not say that the Lord separated himself. It just... They're listening. And here's the Lord Jesus Christ.
What grace, what mercy, what compassion. For them to hear
Him say that they are the objects of His mercy. the objects of
the Father's choosing. All that you've given me, they're
mine, because they're yours. You gave them to me. And here
they are as they hear those blessed words, and the Lord says concerning
them, I'm glorified in them. They bring honor and glory. to me. Think of that. I think, Lord, I know that you're
not a respecter of persons. And Lord, that they would bring
honor to you. Therefore, your people do. All
your people do. They glorify. The world didn't
know him, but they knew him. By grace, By and large, Israel
rejected Him, but by the grace of God, they didn't. Not by their
own power, not by their own might, not by their own will. Almighty
God had given them a new heart, called them out of darkness.
He said, I'm glorified in them. Many that walked on the earth
while He was here hated Him. And by the grace of God, they
didn't. And by the grace of God this morning, his people don't
either. Don't despise him. They were
hearing him say, by electing grace, Father, they glorify me. They bring glory. They bring
honor to me. Why? Because they're yours. Because
you loved them. I love them. Holy Spirit loves
them. And you gave them to me. Those
that were yours are mine. Mine are yours. And I'm praying
for them. Glorified. This is my bride. I'm their husband. I'm glorified
as their eternal bridegroom. Glorified as their redeemer. Glorified as their light and
as their priest, as their king, as their prophet, as their God. I am glorified in them. And is there any end to His glory? And now, verse 11, I'm no more
in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Oh, can you imagine? They had been hearing him say
that. We've been going over these last
chapters, 13, 14, 15, 16. Now here we are in the 17th chapter. And he's been preparing them,
13 to 16, preparing them, telling them, I'm leaving. I'm leaving. I'm going back to my father.
I'm not going to leave you comfortless. I'm not going to leave you orphans.
I'm not going to leave you without a witness. I'll pray the father. He'll send you another comforter.
He'll bring back to your memory all these things I've told you.
He'll keep you." And now they hear him say, I'm no more in
the world. As certain as he was gone already. I'm no more in the world, but
these are in the world. and I come to thee." Oh, his
own desperately needed to hear this prayer. He's telling them, I'm going
back to the Father. But then they hear him say, Holy
Father, Keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given
me, that they may be one as we are." He'd been with them for three
years. And they hear him say and pray,
speaking to the Father. Holy Father. I was going over
my notes this morning and I thought to myself, as they heard those
words, as they heard the Lord Jesus Christ actually verbalize
the Father's name, the Father's title, the Father's character,
Holy Father, Those words I thought back and turned back to John
15 and 16 when he said, Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he shall give it you. Can you imagine the comfort of
them hearing him speak to the Father? And remember in those
words he said, When you ask the Father anything in my name, according
to the Lord's will, that which is for His honor, glory, for
our good, He'll give it to you. And they listened, resting. Holy Father, here's the great
mediator, the one made flesh, the one who
made likened to His brethren, praying unto the separated one,
the I Am, the self-existent Holy Father. described only as holy. What do those seraphim say? Isaiah,
Isaiah and I, the seraphim, above that throne, and this is what
they said, holy, holy, holy, holy Father, holy Son, holy,
holy Spirit, holy Father, Who is like unto Thee, O Lord? Who is like unto Thee among the
gods? Who is like unto Thee, glorious
in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Who's like You?
Lord willing, in just next service, I want to speak out of Micah
chapter 7. Who is a god like unto Thee?
Oh, let us behold and pray that God teach us something. of the
honor and respect given unto the Father by the Lord Jesus
Christ as He prays for us. God Almighty, same, same, one
God, same in essence, power, will, purpose, humble Himself
and as our intercessor, praying for us, even now, ever living,
even now, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one as we are. Just the very prayer,
the very honor of the request, those that thou hast given me.
I mean, just stop and think. of that blessed joy, that blessed
grace, those that thou has given me. Elect. I'm praying that they
may be one as we are. I can't even enter into the depth
of that. That they may be one as the Lord
Jesus Christ is with the Father. That unity, that unbroken, impossible
to be broken union. In Christ, chosen in Him, keep
through thine own name, according to your glorious character of
holiness, your own name. Keep those that you've given
me from falling away, keep them. Keep them from false doctrine.
I think about believing the glorious gospel of God's grace. Believe
in the gospel. You know, so often we fail to
think of the miracle of God's grace that we believe the gospel,
that we believe in. I'm telling you right now, when
He said, without me you can do nothing. You say, well, I mean,
I know the gospel. I can believe it. Not if he doesn't
give you faith to believe. We have no ability to do. Keep.
Keep through thine own name. Keep them from being overcome
with temptation. We're tempted on every side,
within, without. Tempted. Tempted to follow, tempted
to leave. Tempted to rebel. Keep. Keep them from being crushed
by persecution. Keep them from the fiery darts
of the devil. Keep them. Here he is. Father, keep through
thine own name, through your own character. Keep through your
power. Keep them by your love. Keep
them according to your wisdom. Keep them. Who? Those that thou has given me.
that they may be one as we are, that they may be in unity, that
they may be one in heart, not broken up, not separated. What's the possibility of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the Father being separated? None. It's what
he's praying for. Keep them as we are. Keep them one as we are. Keep
them bound as we are. As I close this morning, let
us leave this particular passage remembering the importance of
our unity to him and to one another. I know that there's battles. Battles, as I said a moment ago,
within and without. And oh, how desperately do we
need his intercession, his life, His love. We pray. We truly do. Lord, keep us as you pray for
us. Keep us for your glory. Lord, you said that you're glorified
in your people. Being kept, being redeemed, being
taught, you're glorified. All that we are. All that He's
worked in us, for us, He's glorified in that. We have nothing to glorify
in save Him. Him. I'm glorified in them. Let me ask you this, what do
we have to brag on? What do we have to glorify ourselves? Have we ever done anything? Did
we choose ourselves? Did we choose ourselves from
before the foundation? Did we answer every demand for
justice before God? Have we satisfied God's law?
Did we exercise any kind of ability or will that the scripture says
we don't even have? Did we do that? Have we kept
ourselves from evil? Do we keep ourselves believing?
He says, I am glorified in them. And only Him. Only. Oh Lord, keep us. Keep us one
in You. May we be kept one. One in Him and one together. Why? Because according to verse
10, it glorifies Him. May we be kept one because it's
good and pleasant. Psalm 133. It's good and pleasant
for brethren to dwell together in unity. Don't you just love
the unity of the brethren? Just peace, comfort, love, fellowship. I just love. I'm just so glad to be here.
I'm just so glad to be here. Glad to be here with you. Worshiping
God, thanking the Lord. One, because our unity is a witness
before men of our union with Christ. By this, by this, shall
all men know that you're my disciples. How? How? You have love one for
another. Lord, keep us, keep us one in
you, one with one another for your glory.