I'd like you to look at the front
of your bulletin this morning, if you would, please. 1 John 2, verse 1, we read these
words. My little children, these things
write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. In the book of John chapter 6
verse 39 we read these words, and this is the Father's will.
which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again the last day." Our
advocate He's on His knees in our text, in the 17th chapter
of John, praying unto the Father for those that the Father hath
given Him. He says so in verse 10 of John
chapter 17. That's our text for one more
message. In verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for the world.
But for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine."
Now if I was going to have a subtitle to today's message, it would
be, We are His. I don't know about you folks,
but that just blows my mind in one way, and raises my heart
and spirit with joy in another. How can a God who is so holy,
He cannot even look upon sin, call this one standing before
you His? How can my Lord say, this one's mine? How can the Creator of all it
is say, mine are sitting here today? because of his works. The very
works that we've been talking about for the last two Sundays.
Turn, if you will, to the 17th chapter of John and allow me
to recap what we've already considered in our two previous messages
from this text. Our first look of our Lord's
declaration where He says, I have finished the work that thou gavest
to me to do in verse 4 of John chapter 17. We considered who
it was that did, that finished the work. It was God Almighty
in the flesh. The very one who placed you and
I in the womb of our mothers. The very one who took every star
that we see out at night. And I know some of us haven't
been able to see much in stars lately with all the fires. But
last night, I was outside enjoying a beautiful evening and all the
stars lit. You know, when Kathy and I first
moved up here two and a half years ago, the very first thing
that we just fell in love with about this little place here
in the woods is the stars are so bright. This little valley
that we live in here blocks out all that, what do they call that, light. Light pollution. That was where
I couldn't find the word pollution to think about. Light pollution.
This little valley blocks all that out, that big hill over
here on the side. And so it's just dark as can be. And the
stars are shining. And as I was sitting out there
last night, I'm thinking to myself, look what the Lord my God, the
very one who has loved me from before the foundation of the
world, look what he created. Look at those beautiful stars.
I've shared this story with you before where Kathy and I were
on our motorcycles in a place called the Icefields of Canada,
long ways up above Kamloops, Canada, long ways up above Calvary,
Canada. There's an area where you can
ride along for miles. And over in the distance, maybe
four miles over in the distance, there's a sheer cliff wall that's
got to be 10 miles, 20 miles long. And that wall, it goes
straight up and down. Above that wall is a sheet of
ice that's thousands of feet thick. I don't know how. I mean,
it's so far. It's, like I said, three or four
miles away. But you can see it clear as a bell. And I said to
Kathy, I said, look what our Lord has created. You could see
the beautiful, absolutely gorgeous colors in ice that had been there
for thousands of years. The one who created every bit
of that for our sakes, he created it so that Kathy and John would
be on their motorcycles that day and notice the beauty of
his creation. Killed a snake out here yesterday. Small little one, but a little
over a foot long rattlesnake, diamond back. That snake was
put there. It was put there by my savior. Sorry Lord, but I don't like
snakes. Yes, I did kill it. He's got more. You get my point? This one who created everything,
who in the beginning was God and in the beginning was with
God, he was made flesh. He was manifest in the flesh
for our sakes. He's the one on his knees crying
out to the Lord, this one is mine. That one is mine. I shed my blood on the cross
for this one. Oh, how I wish I could grasp
the depth of what that means for me. My little brain can't
wrap itself around the depth of love that my God has for me,
but I know He does. He says in His Word, and because
of His Holy Spirit giving this poor dead soul life, I believe
His Word. I don't understand a lot of it.
But I understand a little. I see through a glass darkly. that my Creator has loved me
from before the world was and because of that He gave Himself
for me. Do you see the truth? Do you
see the truth of God's love for His people? Our first look at our Lord's
declaration was who it was that finished the work. It was the
one who could not fail. the One who had determined, and
because He had determined, it would be so. And then secondly,
our next message was what this work the Lord, or secondly in
that message, the Lord, well what this work the Lord of all
creation was referring to, and He was referring to the work
of salvation. Our Lord had not gone to the cross yet, but He
looked to that next day when He would and knew that He would
go there. He had been telling His disciples
for days, I shall have to go up to Jerusalem and suffer at
the hands of the Pharisees and die on the cross and be raised
the third day. God the Father saw that all the
way back before those stars were ever created. He was known even back then as
the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. When John saw the
visions that God gave him in Revelation, he saw the Lamb slain
as though it was slain before the foundation of the world forever
back before. The great covenant between the
three in one was that God the Father would give God the Son
a people. A sinful people. A people who
rebelled against God the Father. But for those people to be with
God Almighty for eternity, they had to be redeemed. Their sins
had to be paid for. There is no remission of sin
without the shedding of blood. And by His love, He knew that
our blood could not accomplish a thing. being tainted with the
sin of our flesh, so he provided himself our sacrifice. This was all determined before
anything was ever created. It was determined that the Spirit
would go about as a wind throughout all time, calling those who belong
to the Lord. calling all of them that the
Father hath given to the Son. And then we closed last week
with a closer look into that first message, with a closer
look into verses 5 through 8. And then last Sunday, we considered
the peace and the assurance of knowing who it was that did this
work, and understanding that his ability to accomplish his
desire, bringing his people into a rest, a perfect rest, found
only in him. Now today, we want to continue
with our theme of a finished work. I believe this will be
my last message from this text. Look again with me if you would
at verses 9 and 10 of John chapter 17. Our Lord says, I pray for
them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me. For they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine
are mine, and I am glorified in Our Savior, the very one who
looks upon this whole work of salvation as a done deal, an
accomplished work, has become his work as our mediator. Our high priest. What was the
job of the high priest? You recall, the high priest was
to take a sacrifice of blood. And he was supposed to go into
the holiest of holies in the temple. Nobody else could go
in there but him. And he would take that blood
and he would sprinkle it on the golden mercy seat. Our Lord went into the holiest
of holies and sprinkled His own blood on the mercy seat, a picture
of Himself. Our Savior, the very one who
looks upon all this salvation, knew that this was an accomplished
work. He had begun now in this prayer as our mediator. Salvation
is a sure thing. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. He says tomorrow will come and
the Lord will suffer and die at the hands of the righteous
religionists who by their nature would not even come to Christ,
that they could be saved. But today he prays for his people.
Today He cries out to the Father for our sakes. He says, all mine
are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. God's people give the Lord all
the glory. That's how we glorify Him. I am His and He is mine. Folks,
does Romans 8.31 ring a bell to your heart? When you think
of the words that we read where it says, if God before us, who
can be against us? Does it have meaning to your
heart? Well, if so, then these next words of our Savior should
cause our hearts to burn. to burn as the two men on the
road to Emmaus did when the Lord expounded from the Old Testament
all the words concerning Himself. Listen to these words in verse
11 of chapter 17. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father,
keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me. that
they may be one as we are." We're talking about sanctification,
being made holy. When our Lord was made sin, all
of his chosen people those who were living, those who had lived
before, and those who shall yet live on this earth. All that
the Father hath given his Son were made holy in Him. They are the righteousness of
God in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not in anything that we could
do, not in anything that we could do as far as coming down to the
front of the building here, getting on our hands and knees and praying,
any of those kinds of things, it must be a perfect righteousness
and only Jesus Christ is the perfect man who ever walked this
earth. Mark your text here in John chapter
17 and turn over to Ephesians chapter 4 if you would, please. Our captain, our mediator, our
go-between. He who goes between his people
on this earth and heaven declares to you and I, he says, I have
prayed for you. that you would be of one faith. God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet they have
one mind. They are of one mind. Perfect
harmony. And our Lord is saying back there
in verse 11, that Father, that they would be as you and I are.
One. Of one mind. Look with me at chapter 4 of
Ephesians, beginning at verse 1. I therefore, the prisoner
of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation
whereof ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearance for one another in love, endeavoring
to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of the peace, there
is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one
hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God
and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you
all. I pray for you, our Lord says.
Now turn over to Colossians chapter 3 and allow me to read from Philippians
chapter 2 if you would. In Philippians chapter 2, verses
1, we begin reading, If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the
Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, writes Paul,
that ye be like-minded, having the same love. Being of one accord
and of one mind, let nothing be done through strife and vainglory,
but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem the other better
than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. who being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross." Now, look with me if
you would, beginning at verse 18 of chapter 2. Chapter 2, verse 18. We read,
let no man beguile you of your reward in voluntary humility
and the worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which
he hath not seen vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not
holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands
having nourishment ministered, and knit together increases with
the increase of God. Wherefore, if ye be dead with
Christ and from the rudiments of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? Touch not, taste
not, handle not, which all are to perish with the using, after
the commandments and the doctrines of men, which things have indeed
a show of wisdom and will worship, and humility and neglecting of
the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
Continuing in verse 3, chapter 3, If ye then be risen with Christ,
Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God. Set your affection on the things
above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Mortify therefore your members
which are upon the earth, fornication, and he lists these things, fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil, conspicience, and covetousness,
which is idolatry, for which things sake the wrath of God
cometh on the children of disobedience, into which ye also walked some
time when you lived in them. But now, We're talking about
being one with the Lord God Almighty and the Son, the Lord Jesus.
Listen to these words. But now ye also put off all these
anger, wrath, malice, and blasphemy, filthy communication out of your
mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the
old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
Wherewith there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor circumcision,
barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all in all.
Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved bowels
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering,
forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have
a quarrel against even as Christ forgave you, also do ye. For
above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of
perfectness. And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body, and
be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell
in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns, spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do, in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father by Him." In Revelations chapter 14, the
Apostle John writes in a vision 144,000 who sing a new song.
We sang that song a moment ago. Let me make sure I get the right
one. I am His and He is mine. This 144,000
sing the song that God Almighty has a people. They sing the song
of redemption that those people are redeemed by the Lord Jesus
Christ. They sing a song of truth. A
song of God and His everlasting love for those His Son would
redeem with His own blood. A song of redeeming love, a love
that can never be severed. The Apostle Paul puts it this
way in Romans 8, 38-39, he says, For I am persuaded that neither
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth,
or any other creature shall be able to separate us. from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We're talking
about the one crying out and praying to the Father to keep
you and I. Does the question go through
your mind right now? How am I kept? How am I kept,
Lord? I see myself going through the
world. I see my stumble. David, a man after God's own
heart, wrote, my sin is ever before me. How am I kept? You're
looking at the wrong thing. You're not kept by anything you
do in yourself. We are kept by our Lord and Savior,
by what He has done, the finished work on the cross. The very finished
work that He declared before His Father, I have finished the
work that Thou hast given Me. Folks, this finished work the
Lord Jesus declared is the new song that we sing. We sing praises
to our Lord. We give Him all the glory. In
1 Corinthians 1.31 where it says that according as it is written,
He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Go back to our text
in John chapter 17 and look again with me at verse 11. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world. And I come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are." Our Savior would soon die and depart
from this world in which he had walked for over 30 years. It's an unfriendly, hostile,
difficult world of sin and unbelief. Can you imagine the one of all
truth walking amongst the wickedness that is in the world? Oh, if you read Isaiah 53, verses 1 through 3 at your own
time, you'll see the wickedness of the world. John 15, 18-19 reveals the same
things, and we see it again in 1 John 5. Yet while the Lord
would go through, while He would go to the Father, entering within
the veil as our forerunner, our High Priest, the High Priest
of Melchizedek, and sit down on the right hand of the Majesty
on High, His disciples would remain in this world to preach
that very Gospel. to be exposed to evil, temptation,
and hardships, just as you and I are exposed to evils and temptations
and hardships in our lives. His prayer is that the Father
would protect and guard us, hedge us about with His hands, keep
us faithful to the gospel and in unity with Him, with one another.
That these believers, you and I, may be one in love, one in
purpose, One in message, and someday one in a greater way
than we can know or even imagine. Look at verses 20 through 26
with me of this very same chapter. John 17, verse 20, neither pray
I for these alone, but for them which shall believe on me through
their word. Now some may say he's only talking
about the apostles here. People see you and I, how we
walk through this world, folks. They see a difference in us than
they see in most religions around. We give all the glory to our
Savior for everything. People see that. People react
to that. Someone someday, if they haven't
already, is going to come to you and say, how can you have
so much hope with all that stuff that's going on in Afghanistan,
with all that stuff that's going on down there in the white building
down there in downtown Sacramento? How can you have so much hope?
I just want to throw my hands up and quit and move. Why are you so happy? Because
our Lord rules it all. God the Father, keeping you and
I, keeps us on that path. Keeps us on the path of looking
to our Savior. Keeps us on the path of remembering.
And sometimes we have to stumble when we see the flesh, so that
we would look to the one who will help us past the stumble.
But we keep looking to Him. That's the work of God the Father,
keeping you and I. Neither pray I for them alone,
but for them which also shall believe on me through their word,
that they all may be one. As thou, Father, art in me, and
I in thee, that they also may be one in us, that the world
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou
gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even as
we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that
thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father,
I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where
I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me,
for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. O righteous
Father, says our Lord and Savior, O righteous Father, says the
Son of Almighty, our Creator, the world hath not known thee,
but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent
me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare
it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them,
and I in them. Amen.