WEBVTT 00:00:00.330 --> 00:00:03.350 So we serve a God who where it's this kind of 00:00:03.350 --> 00:00:05.509 fits in actually well with our lesson this morning 00:00:05.509 --> 00:00:08.369 because we are valuable to him We are kept and 00:00:08.369 --> 00:00:12.349 we started talking about this just before I Left 00:00:12.349 --> 00:00:16.190 we left three weeks ago. I guess it's been something 00:00:16.190 --> 00:00:18.010 like that So we'll go through that again this 00:00:18.010 --> 00:00:21.410 morning just to remind us but in this Prayer 00:00:21.410 --> 00:00:24.030 that Jesus is praying is our high priest in John 00:00:24.030 --> 00:00:27.879 17 We're in the middle section verses 6 through 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:33.140 19, and you can hear his heart, his love, his 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:37.820 concern, his treasure of his disciples, and that 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:41.060 extends to us as well. All God's people are valued 00:00:41.060 --> 00:00:44.179 and known by him. That's an amazing thought. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:50.479 I've got some notes here. Anybody need a copy? 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:52.420 I printed a couple extra this morning. I think 00:00:52.420 --> 00:00:55.420 I have a total of five. I know we have some that 00:00:55.420 --> 00:01:26.959 weren't here initially. Let's say a word of prayer. 00:01:29.930 --> 00:01:41.069 as we open the word this morning. Heavenly Father, 00:01:41.069 --> 00:01:43.790 thank you that we don't have to come through 00:01:43.790 --> 00:01:50.810 an earthly pope or an earthly priest or some 00:01:50.810 --> 00:01:54.209 saint that lived a better life than we could 00:01:54.209 --> 00:01:59.640 ever hope to. But we come to you on the basis 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:03.459 of your calling and your provision in the Lord 00:02:03.459 --> 00:02:09.460 Jesus Christ. We don't come because we are accomplished 00:02:09.460 --> 00:02:13.800 or because we have conquered our sin or we have 00:02:13.800 --> 00:02:16.879 done bad things but we've done more good things. 00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:20.979 None of that has nothing to do with us and has 00:02:20.979 --> 00:02:23.360 everything to do with you. We acknowledge that 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:25.340 this morning and we thank you for that. We thank 00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:29.900 you that you care. about each individual person. 00:02:30.219 --> 00:02:33.740 You know us as we were just saying, as David 00:02:33.740 --> 00:02:37.039 says in Psalm 139, you know when we get up, you 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:40.199 know when we go to bed. You have specifically 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:43.599 and individually given us our bodies that we 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.159 have. We were made by you in our mother's room, 00:02:46.379 --> 00:02:49.919 knitted together in a secret place. Such thoughts 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:55.199 are too wonderful for us. To think that you do 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:59.610 this for all people everywhere. I saw so many 00:02:59.610 --> 00:03:03.310 people in Europe that never met, never seen before 00:03:03.310 --> 00:03:05.370 and you know, but you know each of them. You 00:03:05.370 --> 00:03:11.610 know and care for them and have a destiny for 00:03:11.610 --> 00:03:14.129 them as well. And it's just amazing to think 00:03:14.129 --> 00:03:17.229 that this is who you are. We have a tiny little 00:03:17.229 --> 00:03:19.689 church here and we don't draw a lot of attention 00:03:19.689 --> 00:03:21.590 from the world's point of view, but we know that 00:03:21.590 --> 00:03:24.919 you're here and that you value us. in fact called 00:03:24.919 --> 00:03:27.020 us to be here this morning. Each person that's 00:03:27.020 --> 00:03:29.580 here is here by your appointment and recognize 00:03:29.580 --> 00:03:32.719 that. And so I pray Father that you would feed 00:03:32.719 --> 00:03:35.759 us from your word this morning by your Holy Spirit 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:40.560 and help us to appreciate our High Priest who 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:45.599 even right now is interceding on our behalf and 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:50.000 working towards our sanctification. And one day 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.620 we will be glorified with you and our faith will 00:03:52.620 --> 00:03:56.300 be sight. until that time help us to add to our 00:03:56.300 --> 00:04:00.900 faith these truths and to not only build up knowledge 00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:04.659 but to walk in obedience to keep your word even 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:08.680 as we are kept by you through your word and we 00:04:08.680 --> 00:04:15.680 pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. John 17 is the 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:26.600 final of five chapters in John known as the The 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:30.160 five chapters collectively are known as the... 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:35.720 I think I heard Bob mumble it back there. I heard 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:42.100 something. Yes, John 17, the chapter is known 00:04:42.100 --> 00:04:44.160 as High Priesthood Prayer, but it's part of the 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:49.160 five chapters, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, that are 00:04:49.160 --> 00:04:57.240 known as the Upper Room Discourse. All of the 00:04:57.240 --> 00:04:59.759 discourse would be, I think, in Luke's gospel 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:14.439 anyway. The point is that we have been making 00:05:14.439 --> 00:05:21.300 our way through these five chapters. Just to 00:05:21.300 --> 00:05:23.860 set our minds into the timeline of what's happening, 00:05:27.430 --> 00:05:32.930 Jesus is... He is about maybe four and a half 00:05:32.930 --> 00:05:37.149 -ish days, going on five days earlier. He's written 00:05:37.149 --> 00:05:40.670 into Jerusalem on the back of the donkey, right? 00:05:40.709 --> 00:05:43.410 And we call that the triumphal entry, even though 00:05:43.410 --> 00:05:45.910 the real triumphal entry into Jerusalem is still 00:05:45.910 --> 00:05:50.790 future, okay? But He's presented Himself in accordance 00:05:50.790 --> 00:05:53.290 with Scripture, right? Behold, your King is coming 00:05:53.290 --> 00:05:55.949 to you. humble and riding on the fold of a donkey 00:05:55.949 --> 00:05:59.750 and so he's coming in and remember that about 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:02.069 two months before that John has told us the raising 00:06:02.069 --> 00:06:04.930 of Lazarus has happened and so it's just two 00:06:04.930 --> 00:06:07.370 miles away from Jerusalem there and so a lot 00:06:07.370 --> 00:06:10.370 of very influential people in that area have 00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:13.509 come to believe in Jesus and so there's a there's 00:06:13.509 --> 00:06:17.959 a fairly sizable crowd that's excited to welcome 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:21.379 Him into Jerusalem. The disciples see this and 00:06:21.379 --> 00:06:23.699 they're thinking, they know He's the Messiah, 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.660 but they're thinking about what the Messiah was 00:06:27.660 --> 00:06:31.319 here to do is still in the vein of the triumphalist. 00:06:32.180 --> 00:06:33.540 triumphalistic messiah, right? In other words, 00:06:33.660 --> 00:06:35.759 that he's going to come any day, he's going to 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.060 take the throne, he's going to kick Rome to the 00:06:38.060 --> 00:06:40.699 curb, he's going to elevate Israel, he's going 00:06:40.699 --> 00:06:43.019 to usher in the reversing of the curse and all 00:06:43.019 --> 00:06:45.620 of those things that we read about in the Old 00:06:45.620 --> 00:06:48.480 Testament. Prophets, you know, beating the swords 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.639 into plowshares and spears into turning hooks 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:53.779 and they'll never train for war and the child 00:06:53.779 --> 00:06:55.860 put his hand in the cobra's den, right, and not 00:06:55.860 --> 00:06:57.959 be bit. All of that, you know, every man will 00:06:57.959 --> 00:07:00.819 sit in his own vine and all of that right and 00:07:00.819 --> 00:07:02.560 that's what they're expecting and they're very 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:06.279 very excited and Jesus for a series of three 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:09.579 or four days in fact all the Gospels a big big 00:07:09.579 --> 00:07:12.579 chunk of the Gospels is sort of like they sort 00:07:12.579 --> 00:07:15.560 of fast forward John included they fast forward 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:18.060 through Jesus is maybe roughly two years of his 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:20.879 ministry and then maybe the last six months or 00:07:20.879 --> 00:07:22.800 so of his ministry they slow down quite a bit 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:27.540 and this last week just before his crucifixion, 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:30.139 you see a lot of material in all four Gospels 00:07:30.139 --> 00:07:32.660 right there at the end, okay? And so John is 00:07:32.660 --> 00:07:34.560 like that too, but John has a little different 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:38.079 focus in that a lot of the material of John, 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:42.980 a big section, five chapters, is devoted to his 00:07:42.980 --> 00:07:46.420 time with his disciples in that upper room the 00:07:46.420 --> 00:07:49.300 night before he is the day in which he's going 00:07:49.300 --> 00:07:53.319 to be crucified, okay? And so these five chapters, 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:57.300 we've been through the first four. Okay. And 00:07:57.300 --> 00:08:01.420 do you remember now John is starting with chapter 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:05.600 13, Jesus has in chapter 12, Jesus has essentially 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.639 closed the books on his public ministry. And 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.339 now he's turning his attention to the, you might 00:08:12.339 --> 00:08:15.420 call private ministry, particularly where his 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:17.660 disciples are concerned, the people that have 00:08:17.660 --> 00:08:21.279 been called by him are given by the father to 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:23.680 him. In other words, really, this is kind of 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.970 his pivot point now where he's working with his 00:08:26.970 --> 00:08:30.629 church in private. And you can even see that 00:08:30.629 --> 00:08:33.210 in his resurrection. When he got out of the tomb, 00:08:33.529 --> 00:08:36.950 he didn't walk back into Jerusalem and appear 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:39.269 in the temple and say, ha ha, you lost. He didn't 00:08:39.269 --> 00:08:44.529 present his glorified body to the Jewish leaders. 00:08:44.690 --> 00:08:48.149 He instead appeared to his disciples and to those 00:08:48.149 --> 00:08:50.429 who followed him. And it's the same is really 00:08:50.429 --> 00:08:52.769 true today. The Lord Jesus, if you're called 00:08:52.769 --> 00:08:55.370 by Him and you know Him, He is real to you and 00:08:55.370 --> 00:08:57.850 He appears to you through the Scriptures and 00:08:57.850 --> 00:09:00.830 through what He's doing in your life. But don't 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:03.269 be surprised if the world is skeptical just like 00:09:03.269 --> 00:09:06.809 they were then. Because it's not yet a public 00:09:06.809 --> 00:09:09.970 ministry. All right, all that to be said, the 00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:12.389 disciples come into that upper room in chapter 00:09:12.389 --> 00:09:15.789 13 and they're on cloud nine, right? Luke tells 00:09:15.789 --> 00:09:18.230 us they were arguing among themselves as to who's 00:09:18.230 --> 00:09:20.330 going to be the greatest in the kingdom, right? 00:09:20.769 --> 00:09:23.929 And Jesus has to humble them. And in Luke he 00:09:23.929 --> 00:09:26.830 says, you know, the one who's greatest among 00:09:26.830 --> 00:09:29.210 you will be the servant of all. And then in John 00:09:29.210 --> 00:09:32.389 he gets up and he takes off his robes, his teacher, 00:09:32.970 --> 00:09:36.090 and puts on the garment, the towel of a slave, 00:09:36.570 --> 00:09:38.809 and he washes their feet. And then he puts his 00:09:38.809 --> 00:09:42.129 robes back on. Very, very descriptive, very visual 00:09:42.129 --> 00:09:48.029 picture of what he's doing in saying, if I, your 00:09:48.029 --> 00:09:49.909 Lord and teacher, do this, how much more should 00:09:49.909 --> 00:09:52.759 you do this for one another, right? And he says, 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:55.559 a new commandment I leave you that you love one 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:57.740 another, even as I have loved you. Wash each 00:09:57.740 --> 00:09:59.460 other's... It doesn't mean that some churches 00:09:59.460 --> 00:10:01.799 actually do practice that. We don't do that here 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:03.720 mainly because the pastor couldn't sit still 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.500 long enough to get his feet washed. He jump lays 00:10:07.500 --> 00:10:11.120 very ticklish. So even the suggestion make him 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:18.299 jump. No, I'm just kidding. He's not instituting 00:10:18.299 --> 00:10:21.990 an institution for the church. doing that what 00:10:21.990 --> 00:10:25.250 he's doing instead is to say that all of us are 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:28.509 to serve one another right we're not to be like 00:10:28.509 --> 00:10:30.610 those disciples who at the beginning of the of 00:10:30.610 --> 00:10:33.649 that night in the upper room they come in focus 00:10:33.649 --> 00:10:37.629 on me right instead we are to focus on him and 00:10:37.629 --> 00:10:39.490 on each other would serve one another even a 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:42.789 seat and to love each other to the max like jesus 00:10:42.789 --> 00:10:50.269 did okay It looks so much in here because it's 00:10:50.269 --> 00:10:53.750 like an eyewitness account. Because if you look 00:10:53.750 --> 00:10:57.490 at Mark wasn't an eyewitness account. Luke wasn't 00:10:57.490 --> 00:11:00.870 an eyewitness account. Matthew was. How much 00:11:00.870 --> 00:11:03.070 does Matthew God have to say about that? Very 00:11:03.070 --> 00:11:05.970 little. Matthew and Mark are very similar in 00:11:05.970 --> 00:11:08.970 terms of, and you're right, all three Gospels. 00:11:09.009 --> 00:11:11.129 Luke is the one that comes in second in terms 00:11:11.129 --> 00:11:13.490 of how much content we get for the Upper Room. 00:11:13.769 --> 00:11:16.970 But Matthew and Mark are very light on the amount 00:11:16.970 --> 00:11:19.259 of content. of what's actually happening in the 00:11:19.259 --> 00:11:21.500 upper room. Both of them really focus on the 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.519 fact that they all do at some point or another. 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:26.320 But those two, particularly Matthew and Mark, 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:30.179 focus on the transformation that Jesus makes 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:32.139 of the Passover. Because remember, this is the 00:11:32.139 --> 00:11:34.299 last legitimate Passover. Because the Passover 00:11:34.299 --> 00:11:38.399 lamb is about to be crucified. The Passover feast 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:41.720 is a foreshadowing. The substance is here. And 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.919 what he does is he transforms the Passover into 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:46.419 what we today, in fact, we're going to celebrate 00:11:46.419 --> 00:11:49.570 tonight. into communion. We call it the Lord's 00:11:49.570 --> 00:11:54.289 table, right? And so, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians, 00:11:54.509 --> 00:11:57.669 we read every time we do it, you know, that the 00:11:57.669 --> 00:12:00.129 Lord on the night he was betrayed took bread 00:12:00.129 --> 00:12:02.690 and all of that. And then he says, as often as 00:12:02.690 --> 00:12:04.610 you do it, right? So we don't have, you know, 00:12:04.889 --> 00:12:06.970 Passover is once a year for the Jewish calendar, 00:12:07.009 --> 00:12:09.789 but for us it's however often you do it, right? 00:12:10.470 --> 00:12:14.019 Anyway, the point is that Matthew and Mark Focus 00:12:14.019 --> 00:12:16.259 on that sort of that transformation and then 00:12:16.259 --> 00:12:19.279 they move on to the garden But math, but you're 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:22.720 right John slows down quite a bit and Jesus man 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:25.320 He gives them so much content by four chapters 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.840 and in those four chapters. He is wearing the 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:34.620 hat of Prophet remember Okay here in chapter 00:12:34.620 --> 00:12:38.460 17 He takes off the fact you can see that in 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:41.299 verse 1 when Jesus had spoken these words. Okay, 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:45.000 that's chapters 13 -16, he lifted up his eyes 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:47.100 to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.820 And so in that verse right there, you can actually 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:53.179 hear him take off, as it were, the prophet hat 00:12:53.179 --> 00:12:56.200 and put on the priest hat. And remember that 00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:59.639 the prophet is... We hear the term prophet, we 00:12:59.639 --> 00:13:03.000 think it's somebody telling the future. That's 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:06.759 incidental to the office. The real purpose of 00:13:06.759 --> 00:13:10.399 the role of prophet is to speak to people on 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:14.570 behalf of God. So the prophet would stand up 00:13:14.570 --> 00:13:17.529 and say, thus sayeth the Lord. It's not my word, 00:13:17.590 --> 00:13:20.129 it's not my opinion. Here's what God has to say 00:13:20.129 --> 00:13:25.129 to you. The role of priest is the opposite, where 00:13:25.129 --> 00:13:29.789 now the priest speaks to God on behalf of the 00:13:29.789 --> 00:13:32.990 people. And that's what he's doing here in this 00:13:32.990 --> 00:13:35.129 chapter. And remember I mentioned to you there's 00:13:35.129 --> 00:13:37.509 one other role, which we're going to see coming 00:13:37.509 --> 00:13:43.990 up in chapter 18, and what's that? the role of 00:13:43.990 --> 00:13:46.990 king. He's the prophet, he's the priest, he's 00:13:46.990 --> 00:13:49.590 the king. Those three roles, by the way, you'll 00:13:49.590 --> 00:13:53.990 see in the Gospels play out in a strong way. 00:13:54.669 --> 00:13:57.090 Anyway, so Jesus here is in the role of priest 00:13:57.090 --> 00:13:59.909 and you have your notes there. We've looked at 00:13:59.909 --> 00:14:04.870 part one, which is this prayer itself is very 00:14:04.870 --> 00:14:08.049 easy to outline, right, because it's got three 00:14:08.049 --> 00:14:10.309 main sections. It's got the first section, which 00:14:10.309 --> 00:14:13.340 is Jesus praying for himself. The second section, 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.100 which is where we are, in the middle, is Jesus 00:14:16.100 --> 00:14:18.000 prays for His disciples, and that's what I have 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.840 on the title of your notes there. The last section 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:27.059 is Jesus prays for all believers. Yeah. Verse 00:14:27.059 --> 00:14:32.879 20. He prays for you. If you are a believer in 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:36.399 Christ, He has prayed for you. That's pretty 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.899 awesome. And not only has He prayed for you here 00:14:39.899 --> 00:14:43.419 in the past 2 ,000 years ago, This is probably 00:14:43.419 --> 00:14:47.240 happening in the garden, I'm guessing, just before 00:14:47.240 --> 00:14:50.559 he actually separates himself and kneels down. 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:52.480 You know, where Luke and the other Gospels pick 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:54.779 up where he's praying earnestly, but not my will, 00:14:54.799 --> 00:14:56.740 but yours be done. I think this is coming right 00:14:56.740 --> 00:14:59.240 before that, where he's there in the presence 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.440 of all his disciples there. But not only is he 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:04.279 praying there in the garden for you, but he's 00:15:04.279 --> 00:15:08.639 now, we took some time in our prior notes, to 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:14.110 look at Jesus' role now as as intercessory high 00:15:14.110 --> 00:15:17.490 priest and Really the whole book of Hebrews is 00:15:17.490 --> 00:15:20.389 devoted to that one topic Okay, so if you want 00:15:20.389 --> 00:15:23.690 to know more about what you know what Jesus's 00:15:23.690 --> 00:15:25.649 priesthood is all about read the book of Hebrews 00:15:25.649 --> 00:15:29.009 Okay, it opens up to you and you see you know 00:15:29.009 --> 00:15:33.350 that how how superior his priesthood is to Aaron's 00:15:33.350 --> 00:15:37.990 priesthood, right? So what we have here in this 00:15:37.990 --> 00:15:41.909 chapter is sort of a picture, a foretaste of 00:15:41.909 --> 00:15:44.509 a condensed form of how Jesus prays for us even 00:15:44.509 --> 00:15:48.909 now. Alright, so let's take our notes and I won't 00:15:48.909 --> 00:15:51.190 go through all this because we went through it 00:15:51.190 --> 00:15:52.850 and you can read it on your own, but I do want 00:15:52.850 --> 00:15:58.269 to focus on what we're saying in advance here 00:15:58.269 --> 00:16:01.470 because as the more I read this section, this 00:16:01.470 --> 00:16:05.759 would be verses 6 through 19, The more I'm convinced 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:13.919 that these two words, kept and give, those two 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:20.000 words kind of form the main thread, you might 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.840 say, or the foundation of this text that we're 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:27.940 in. Jesus' prayer for his disciples revolve around 00:16:27.940 --> 00:16:30.259 those two concepts, so it's important we keep 00:16:30.259 --> 00:16:32.799 those in mind. All right. So if you have your 00:16:32.799 --> 00:16:36.299 notes there, page one, let's pick up kind of 00:16:36.299 --> 00:16:39.539 after that first, that first paragraph there 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:43.360 says in our text, the middle part of Jesus's 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:46.740 high priestly prayer, our English Bibles contain 00:16:46.740 --> 00:16:50.299 the word keep in four different places. Okay. 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:54.440 So verse six, for example, has a form of this. 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:56.559 It says, I have manifested your name to the people 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.399 whom you gave me out of the world, yours they 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:02.110 were. and you gave them to me, and they have 00:17:02.110 --> 00:17:06.490 kept your word." Then in verses 11 and 12 it 00:17:06.490 --> 00:17:11.369 says, I am no longer in the world, but they are 00:17:11.369 --> 00:17:15.049 in the world and I am coming to you. Holy Father, 00:17:15.990 --> 00:17:18.950 keep them in your name, which you have given 00:17:18.950 --> 00:17:22.769 me, that they may be one even as we are one. 00:17:23.069 --> 00:17:26.789 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, 00:17:26.809 --> 00:17:29.730 which you have given me. I have guarded them. 00:17:29.849 --> 00:17:31.809 You can almost underline that as well. It has 00:17:31.809 --> 00:17:36.650 the same idea. Is everybody with me? It's a different 00:17:36.650 --> 00:17:38.789 word in the Greek, but it's the same idea. And 00:17:38.789 --> 00:17:41.089 not one of them has been lost except the son 00:17:41.089 --> 00:17:44.329 of destruction that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 00:17:44.529 --> 00:17:47.630 In verse 15, I do not ask that you take them 00:17:47.630 --> 00:17:51.829 out of the world, but that you what? Keep them 00:17:51.829 --> 00:17:55.349 from the evil one. In the Greek New Testament, 00:17:55.579 --> 00:17:59.140 These are all the same word meaning to watch 00:17:59.140 --> 00:18:03.440 over, guard, keep, or preserve. For example, 00:18:03.859 --> 00:18:07.839 it's used in Matthew 27 verses 35 -36. And when 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.559 they crucified him, they divided his garments 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:13.920 among them by casting logs. They sat down and 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:18.180 what? Kept watch over him there. And what that 00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:23.000 means is there are four guards assigned to... 00:18:24.279 --> 00:18:27.059 It sounds funny, we don't think about this, okay, 00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:30.779 but they had Roman guards that would guard the 00:18:30.779 --> 00:18:44.599 crosses. Why would they guard a cross? You didn't 00:18:44.599 --> 00:18:46.900 agree with Rome and it's killing your son or 00:18:46.900 --> 00:18:48.779 whatever, right? You know there's nobody there. 00:18:48.819 --> 00:18:50.180 What are you going to do? Cut them off, right? 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:53.230 Take them down. And so it's kind of an interesting 00:18:53.230 --> 00:18:55.109 aspect of crucifixion we don't think about, but 00:18:55.109 --> 00:18:58.210 that's what that is saying. They were there to 00:18:58.210 --> 00:19:04.410 protect these prisoners, criminals, quote -unquote, 00:19:04.609 --> 00:19:08.349 who were dying on the cross. So it kept watch 00:19:08.349 --> 00:19:15.950 over them. The same word appears later in Matthew 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:21.140 28 .20, and for fear of him, the guards... trembled 00:19:21.140 --> 00:19:24.920 and became like dead men. This is the contingent 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:27.539 not of guards guarding the cross, but guards 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:31.000 guarding the tomb. Remember that when the angel 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:37.119 came, the guards guarding the tomb were extremely 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:39.920 afraid of this angel to the point where they 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:45.640 passed out. These are hardened soldiers. They're 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:51.160 not wimps. So the point is that it's translated 00:19:51.160 --> 00:19:54.559 guards, but it's really keepers. It's probably 00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:56.240 a better way you could translate that. It's referred 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.319 to them, this time to those who are doing the 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:01.859 keeping. This could be translated as they were 00:20:01.859 --> 00:20:04.940 the keepers of Jesus' tomb to convey their job 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:11.200 of making sure nobody stole the body. And this 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:13.259 is interesting now, too. At other times, keep 00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:15.759 is used as a synonym, the same word in the Greek. 00:20:15.950 --> 00:20:19.089 Now, Jesus sent them for compliance with religious 00:20:19.089 --> 00:20:22.349 tradition or with God's Word. Mark 7, 9 uses 00:20:22.349 --> 00:20:24.890 it this way, quote, and he was saying to them, 00:20:25.009 --> 00:20:27.089 you are good at setting aside the commandment 00:20:27.089 --> 00:20:30.549 of God in order to keep your tradition, to guard, 00:20:30.890 --> 00:20:35.109 to preserve your tradition. Listen to what Jesus 00:20:35.109 --> 00:20:38.230 is literally saying to them, that the Pharisees 00:20:38.230 --> 00:20:41.549 and scribes value and protect their religious 00:20:41.549 --> 00:20:47.829 traditions over the Word of God. Boy, did I see 00:20:47.829 --> 00:20:53.809 that in Europe, in those dead churches. Sad to 00:20:53.809 --> 00:20:57.430 say, beautiful, beautiful buildings. Dead system 00:20:57.430 --> 00:21:01.529 that preserves their traditions. Even some of 00:21:01.529 --> 00:21:03.390 the tombs, you go visit some of the crypts and 00:21:03.390 --> 00:21:05.670 whatever, and they've got some of the more modern, 00:21:06.630 --> 00:21:10.430 more recently died priests or bishops. If they're 00:21:10.430 --> 00:21:11.809 buried, they'll have a little picture and they'll 00:21:11.809 --> 00:21:14.700 have little candles lit. a little homage over 00:21:14.700 --> 00:21:19.299 in the corner to the bishops own so they value 00:21:19.299 --> 00:21:22.640 their traditions they preserve and keep and and 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:24.759 you know they work really hard to to keep all 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:26.640 that system going and everything over the Word 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:30.259 of God. I'll have a rainbow candle the old huge 00:21:30.259 --> 00:21:36.900 rainbow candle lit there with LGBT on it. I'm 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:42.269 like that's not a keeping the Word of God. Okay, 00:21:42.589 --> 00:21:45.130 but it's just used there the same way. All right 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:47.970 So the religious traditions over the Word of 00:21:47.970 --> 00:21:52.470 God and John 8 51 Jesus uses an identical phrasing 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:57.329 To what he says in 17 6 truly truly I say to 00:21:57.329 --> 00:22:01.650 you if anyone keeps Preserves protects my word. 00:22:01.809 --> 00:22:05.130 He will never see death Notice here that Jesus 00:22:05.130 --> 00:22:08.109 equates his word with the Father's word and these 00:22:08.109 --> 00:22:13.309 two verses are compared Now that's word number 00:22:13.309 --> 00:22:16.309 one is keep okay, so Pardon the pun keep that 00:22:16.309 --> 00:22:20.750 in your mind All right second word they're right 00:22:20.750 --> 00:22:23.589 at the end of page one God's love and value for 00:22:23.589 --> 00:22:27.269 his people is the subtitle there Here is a there 00:22:27.269 --> 00:22:32.049 is a companion word in our text that when compared 00:22:32.049 --> 00:22:36.410 with keep Expresses a touching aspect of the 00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:40.829 father's love for his holy people ie his saints 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:45.500 The word is translated gave and given here are 00:22:45.500 --> 00:22:49.059 the nine places it appears, right? Top of page 00:22:49.059 --> 00:22:52.440 2 now verses 6 through 9 I have manifested your 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:55.440 name to the people whom you gave me out of the 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:57.779 world yours They were and you gave them to me 00:22:57.779 --> 00:23:01.059 and they have kept your word Now they know that 00:23:01.059 --> 00:23:03.420 everything you hit you have given me is from 00:23:03.420 --> 00:23:05.880 you for I have given them the words that you 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:08.640 gave me and they have received them and have 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:11.140 come to know in truth that I came from you and 00:23:11.160 --> 00:23:15.079 And they have believed that You sent Me. I am 00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:17.400 praying for them. I am not praying for the world, 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:20.960 but for those You have given Me, for they are 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:24.099 Yours. And then verses 11 and 12. I am no longer 00:23:24.099 --> 00:23:25.680 in the world, but they are in the world, and 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:28.859 I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in 00:23:28.859 --> 00:23:32.180 Your name, which You have given Me, that they 00:23:32.180 --> 00:23:35.319 may be one even as we are one. While I was with 00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:37.500 them, I kept them in Your name, which You have 00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:41.920 given Me. I have guarded them. And not one of 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:44.880 them has been lost except the son of destruction 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:46.839 that the scripture might be fulfilled. And then 00:23:46.839 --> 00:23:51.019 in verse 14, I have given them your word and 00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:53.480 the world has hated them because they're not 00:23:53.480 --> 00:23:56.700 of the world even as I am not of the world. This 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:00.240 word means to, to bestow, grant, supply, deliver 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:04.259 or commit. Okay. Particularly like that word 00:24:04.259 --> 00:24:07.160 commit there. I think that's closest to what 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:11.099 is actually happening where the father is committing 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:15.440 to Jesus people that the Father owns. They're 00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:19.099 His, and He is committing them to Him. And Jesus 00:24:19.099 --> 00:24:21.880 is saying, I have protected them while they were 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:27.480 in my charge. You hear that? So the point I'm 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:30.000 trying to make here is this. When you look at 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:35.359 all of this, there is, now watch this, extreme 00:24:36.209 --> 00:24:42.450 value that God puts on His people. They are like 00:24:42.450 --> 00:24:46.750 treasure to Him. And God the Father has entrusted 00:24:46.750 --> 00:24:50.170 and committed them to Jesus for safekeeping. 00:24:50.670 --> 00:24:53.930 Jesus is about to go to the cross. He has done 00:24:53.930 --> 00:24:56.369 with His public ministry. He's done what He needed 00:24:56.369 --> 00:24:59.539 to do to fulfill Like we said, you know, the 00:24:59.539 --> 00:25:02.299 scriptures and writing into Jerusalem and confronting 00:25:02.299 --> 00:25:04.859 the religious system and preaching the gospel 00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:06.740 of the kingdom, repent and all of that. He's 00:25:06.740 --> 00:25:09.559 done that in fulfillment. What he needs to do 00:25:09.559 --> 00:25:13.039 during that whole time, though he has kept these 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:16.359 disciples and protected them. And he's been faithful 00:25:16.359 --> 00:25:20.259 to do that and has lost only one, which was in 00:25:20.259 --> 00:25:24.099 fulfillment of the scripture itself. Right. But 00:25:24.099 --> 00:25:26.859 Jesus is now going to the cross. He's going to 00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:33.980 bear the sin. And in so doing, he is going to 00:25:33.980 --> 00:25:38.599 be unable to protect these precious people that 00:25:38.599 --> 00:25:42.720 God has entrusted to him. And so here in our 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:47.099 text, Jesus is turning them back to the Father 00:25:47.099 --> 00:25:50.200 and saying, I've given them back to you now to 00:25:50.200 --> 00:25:54.619 protect them while I am not able to do it. Wow. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:00.509 In a sense, he is still doing that. now in His 00:26:00.509 --> 00:26:02.430 high priesthood, although He's not suffering 00:26:02.430 --> 00:26:05.789 at the cross now, right? Despite all of the crucifixes 00:26:05.789 --> 00:26:09.109 we saw, the crucifix bothers me. The cross is 00:26:09.109 --> 00:26:11.769 great, but the crucifix bothers me because Jesus 00:26:11.769 --> 00:26:16.410 is not on the cross. He died once, and that's 00:26:16.410 --> 00:26:19.829 sufficient, right? And now He's at the right 00:26:19.829 --> 00:26:21.869 hand of the Majesty and on high. He's not on 00:26:21.869 --> 00:26:26.230 the cross anymore, but I like an empty cross 00:26:26.230 --> 00:26:29.009 though because that reminds us of... the finished 00:26:29.009 --> 00:26:31.349 work of Christ that we trust in, right? That's 00:26:31.349 --> 00:26:36.250 fine. But anyway, but now he is still interceding 00:26:36.250 --> 00:26:40.269 for us with the idea of protecting among other 00:26:40.269 --> 00:26:42.170 things right now. He does intercede in terms 00:26:42.170 --> 00:26:44.349 of making our prayers. You know, the Holy Spirit 00:26:44.349 --> 00:26:47.390 does that too. We saw that. The Holy Spirit also 00:26:47.390 --> 00:26:50.690 intercedes for us, you know, to turn our prayers 00:26:50.690 --> 00:26:52.730 into something that is in accordance with God's 00:26:52.730 --> 00:26:56.750 will. But Jesus... is also involved in this idea 00:26:56.750 --> 00:27:01.230 of protecting His people, right? Still, as our 00:27:01.230 --> 00:27:04.269 High Priest, He and the Father both working together. 00:27:06.130 --> 00:27:08.569 Thank God for that, right? So putting it all 00:27:08.569 --> 00:27:11.089 together here, page 2, putting it all together 00:27:11.089 --> 00:27:15.430 with keep, we see that Jesus is acknowledging 00:27:15.430 --> 00:27:18.190 the value that the Father places on His special 00:27:18.190 --> 00:27:24.759 people. and that He has entrusted them like a 00:27:24.759 --> 00:27:28.240 valuable treasure to His Son for protection. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:32.819 Note that verse 12 says that Jesus guarded them, 00:27:33.200 --> 00:27:36.099 confirming this understanding that the giving 00:27:36.099 --> 00:27:39.480 is an entrustment, a stewardship by God the Father 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:43.500 of His people into the safekeeping of His Son. 00:27:45.220 --> 00:27:49.640 Can Jesus the Shepherd guard the sheep? Is He 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:56.000 capable of doing that? Very, very capable. Not 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.339 only that, but the Father Himself. We saw that 00:27:58.339 --> 00:28:01.799 in John 10. No one is greater than the Father. 00:28:02.099 --> 00:28:04.819 No one is able to take them out of My Father's 00:28:04.819 --> 00:28:07.740 hand either. So both the Son and the Father, 00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:11.720 if you're His, have hold of you and no one is 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:14.359 greater than them or is able to take you out 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:16.740 of their hand. out of the safekeeping. That's 00:28:16.740 --> 00:28:18.900 good to know, isn't it? Really good to know. 00:28:19.980 --> 00:28:28.240 Not even you. Thank God for that. So the request 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.480 Jesus is making in the middle section of this 00:28:31.480 --> 00:28:34.880 prayer is that the Father would now receive back 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:37.119 the stewardship that he entrusted to Jesus for 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:39.240 the care and protection of his disciples. If 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:42.059 you trace the giving, the keeping and the receiving, 00:28:42.460 --> 00:28:45.079 it is clear that there are exchanges. Watch this 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:48.059 now, a valuable treasure happening between the 00:28:48.059 --> 00:28:50.339 father and the son, between the father's son 00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:55.359 and the disciples. The son has revealed the father's 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:59.640 character or name and his truth or word to these 00:28:59.640 --> 00:29:03.480 treasured people as an entrustment to them. of 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:06.640 the treasure of knowing God and His plans. They 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:11.220 have kept or valued their Father's Word and shown 00:29:11.220 --> 00:29:14.440 the effect of their valuing of it by His obedience. 00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:19.599 So what I'm trying to say there is that the keeping 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:23.660 and the giving is not just the Father giving 00:29:23.660 --> 00:29:28.519 people to the Son, but it's also the Son giving 00:29:28.519 --> 00:29:33.009 the Father's truth to those people, right? So 00:29:33.009 --> 00:29:35.250 you have, you have a second treasure. You have 00:29:35.250 --> 00:29:37.309 the treasure of God's people, but you also have 00:29:37.309 --> 00:29:41.589 the treasure of God's truth. Both are being exchanged. 00:29:42.289 --> 00:29:45.509 And so what Jesus is saying is that I have given 00:29:45.509 --> 00:29:47.490 them and they have, I've given them your word 00:29:47.490 --> 00:29:51.029 and they have kept it. Okay. It's not just saying 00:29:51.029 --> 00:29:53.950 that they, that they listen to it and they receive 00:29:53.950 --> 00:29:57.450 it and they're, you know, they got it. What he's 00:29:57.450 --> 00:29:59.609 really saying is they're guarding it and how 00:29:59.609 --> 00:30:01.109 are they guarding it? How are they protected? 00:30:01.230 --> 00:30:05.279 In other words, How do they show the value that 00:30:05.279 --> 00:30:08.980 they have for God's Word? By obeying it, right? 00:30:09.140 --> 00:30:11.799 Just like on a negative way, remember we saw 00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:15.200 earlier, that same word was applied to the Pharisees 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:18.319 and the religious leaders who value their traditions 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:20.640 over the Word of God, right? So these are people 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:23.220 who value the Word of God over their traditions 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:27.519 instead, right? They're doing the opposite. And 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:30.450 that's the way it should be, right? have the 00:30:30.450 --> 00:30:33.289 Word of God as our highest priority in terms 00:30:33.289 --> 00:30:36.750 of our highest authority that's binding on all 00:30:36.750 --> 00:30:40.130 of our consciences. And when you read something 00:30:40.130 --> 00:30:41.970 from the Scriptures or you hear something from 00:30:41.970 --> 00:30:43.970 the Scriptures, first of all, make sure your 00:30:43.970 --> 00:30:47.269 understanding is accurate, right? But if it confronts 00:30:47.269 --> 00:30:52.130 you in an area that's been lacking and you find 00:30:52.130 --> 00:30:54.690 yourself kind of almost offended by it, you know, 00:30:55.490 --> 00:30:59.000 I don't know about that. Let's read something 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:04.200 else, right? Wait a minute. Are you keeping it? 00:31:04.980 --> 00:31:08.900 You have a choice, right? Do you value it? Maybe 00:31:08.900 --> 00:31:11.859 it's time to set aside those long -held thoughts 00:31:11.859 --> 00:31:15.839 and traditions in your own thinking in receiving 00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:17.980 God's truth. Sometimes that can be glorious. 00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:20.400 It's like, oh, praise God. Yes, I'm free from 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:23.059 my sin. Other times, though, it's going to attack 00:31:23.059 --> 00:31:24.740 some areas of your life that you don't want to 00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:27.900 let go of, but you got to, right? If you're going 00:31:27.900 --> 00:31:30.920 to be a true steward, if you're going to receive 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:32.759 God's Word and you're going to keep God's Word 00:31:32.759 --> 00:31:34.759 that He is giving to you as an expression of 00:31:34.759 --> 00:31:38.420 His love, then you're going to show that by obedience, 00:31:38.619 --> 00:31:45.140 and that's what He says there of them. So let's, 00:31:45.500 --> 00:31:47.799 here at the tail end of this little section you're 00:31:47.799 --> 00:31:50.460 putting together. Remember, we've already seen 00:31:50.460 --> 00:31:55.980 that in John, that love, invisible by itself, 00:31:56.200 --> 00:32:01.519 is seen in the effect of giving. What's the most 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:07.160 well -known verse in John? John 3 .16. For God 00:32:07.160 --> 00:32:13.400 so loved the world that He gave. We've seen it 00:32:13.400 --> 00:32:15.380 in a lot of places in John, but that's the clearest 00:32:15.380 --> 00:32:18.660 one. How did God show His love for the world? 00:32:19.079 --> 00:32:22.299 By giving His Son. The love is invisible, but 00:32:22.299 --> 00:32:26.099 it's seen in its effect. It is mind -blowing 00:32:26.099 --> 00:32:28.900 to think that both the Father and the Son are 00:32:28.900 --> 00:32:32.140 showing their love for one another by demonstrating 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:35.160 their love for the disciples with gifts and by 00:32:35.160 --> 00:32:38.960 protecting them from the evil one. So, you know, 00:32:39.059 --> 00:32:41.519 John 6 is where we really picked up on this idea, 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:45.240 where Jesus is saying, you know, all that the 00:32:45.240 --> 00:32:46.900 Father has given me will come to me, you know, 00:32:46.900 --> 00:32:48.680 and I will cast none of them out. I'll receive 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:52.240 all of them and I will not lose any of them. 00:32:52.860 --> 00:32:57.640 And what we found out there is that when, listen, 00:32:59.180 --> 00:33:01.500 believer, when you're disappointed in your own 00:33:01.500 --> 00:33:03.799 life and your own walk with God, and I failed 00:33:03.799 --> 00:33:08.539 again, remember this, God the Father, remember 00:33:08.539 --> 00:33:11.099 this, let's say from the standpoint of your high 00:33:11.099 --> 00:33:16.319 priest, when Jesus looks at you, He doesn't just 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:23.670 see you, He sees the Father's love for Himself 00:33:23.670 --> 00:33:30.130 expressed in you. You are a love gift from God 00:33:30.130 --> 00:33:34.730 the Father to the Son. And He doesn't just see 00:33:34.730 --> 00:33:37.750 you, He sees the Father's love in you. That's 00:33:37.750 --> 00:33:43.130 a pretty amazing thought. God values and treasures 00:33:43.130 --> 00:33:47.950 His people. He really does. And Jesus acknowledges 00:33:47.950 --> 00:33:50.950 that. And we ought to, by the way, ourselves 00:33:50.950 --> 00:33:58.410 too. God loves the people we look past. I've 00:33:58.410 --> 00:34:01.930 been having to tell myself that a lot. God loves 00:34:01.930 --> 00:34:05.890 those people that annoy you, that irritate you, 00:34:06.049 --> 00:34:09.309 that make you mad, or that maybe you're just 00:34:09.309 --> 00:34:11.150 blase about. You don't even see them. There's 00:34:11.150 --> 00:34:13.909 all kinds of invisible people in our lives. Take 00:34:13.909 --> 00:34:16.210 time to look at them. Realize that God loves 00:34:16.210 --> 00:34:20.039 them. He might just very well be calling some 00:34:20.039 --> 00:34:21.960 of them to himself and be giving them as love 00:34:21.960 --> 00:34:26.500 gifts as he has you to his son. So this is his 00:34:26.500 --> 00:34:34.420 choice, not yours. So we need to respond and 00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:40.280 have value the same way that he does. So, even 00:34:40.280 --> 00:34:43.380 as they are in the world system, that's the disciples 00:34:43.380 --> 00:34:46.780 now, they are preserved, protected and preserved. 00:34:46.519 --> 00:34:50.519 preserved by God, not just because they are His, 00:34:50.820 --> 00:34:53.500 but also because their High Priest, whom the 00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:57.960 Father loves dearly, has asked that He preserve 00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:01.539 them, right? So, think about it this way. Jesus, 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:04.440 the Father has called, we've seen this in Ephesians, 00:35:04.539 --> 00:35:06.500 in our opening part of Ephesians, right? Where 00:35:06.500 --> 00:35:09.039 God the Father takes center stage in chapter 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:11.119 one, and blessed to be the God and Father of 00:35:11.119 --> 00:35:13.650 our Lord Jesus Christ. who has who has blessed 00:35:13.650 --> 00:35:15.829 us and heavenly realms with all kinds of spiritual 00:35:15.829 --> 00:35:18.570 blessings and has chosen us in him before the 00:35:18.570 --> 00:35:20.909 foundation of the world right so god the father's 00:35:20.909 --> 00:35:23.269 chosen you called you out even before the world 00:35:23.269 --> 00:35:27.250 existed okay so i'm 139 my days are written in 00:35:27.250 --> 00:35:29.670 your book for one of them came to be god's already 00:35:29.670 --> 00:35:32.469 gotten all that planned out and figured out all 00:35:32.469 --> 00:35:34.869 right and then god the father's given to the 00:35:34.869 --> 00:35:38.050 son but now here's the son as your high priest 00:35:38.050 --> 00:35:42.380 asking the father to protect you The Father has 00:35:42.380 --> 00:35:46.320 asked the Son to protect you. Do you think the 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:50.440 Father might listen to the Son sometimes when 00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:55.159 He prays and grant what He asks? You are very 00:35:55.159 --> 00:35:59.460 secure in Christ. You are very secure. We don't 00:35:59.460 --> 00:36:02.019 take that seriously, but God sure does. He really 00:36:02.019 --> 00:36:05.190 does. And that's amazing to me. It's pretty mind 00:36:05.190 --> 00:36:06.670 -blowing when you really stop and think about 00:36:06.670 --> 00:36:09.650 what's being said here. Even as they are in the 00:36:09.650 --> 00:36:11.429 world system, they are protected and preserved 00:36:11.429 --> 00:36:14.349 by God, not just because they are His, but because 00:36:14.349 --> 00:36:17.090 they're high priests whom the Father dearly loves 00:36:17.090 --> 00:36:21.110 has asked Him to preserve them. In verse 24, 00:36:21.570 --> 00:36:23.949 He asks that all those whom the Father has given 00:36:23.949 --> 00:36:29.869 Him may be with Him in His glorified state. So 00:36:29.869 --> 00:36:33.119 what are we being preserved for? Okay. Well, 00:36:33.139 --> 00:36:34.480 we're going to answer that here in just a second. 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:37.019 Peter's going to give us a good summary for that. 00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:41.179 All this is to show the immense value that we 00:36:41.179 --> 00:36:45.539 as God sanctified, holy people, i .e. saints 00:36:45.539 --> 00:36:49.460 have in his sight and the protection we enjoy 00:36:49.460 --> 00:36:52.559 because of it. And that's, that's in chapter, 00:36:52.940 --> 00:36:54.699 just quoted a minute ago, chapter 10, verses 00:36:54.699 --> 00:36:58.340 27 to 29 is where it talks about Jesus says, 00:36:58.340 --> 00:37:01.079 I'm a good shepherd. and no one is able to take 00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:03.219 them out of my hand, and fathers greater than 00:37:03.219 --> 00:37:04.699 all of them is able to take them out of His hand 00:37:04.699 --> 00:37:08.800 either, right? Kept by both the Father and the 00:37:08.800 --> 00:37:18.079 Son. That word saints there, the more I study 00:37:18.079 --> 00:37:22.579 that, and it's been a few weeks, okay, and I 00:37:22.579 --> 00:37:24.440 know you all, like me, have slept a lot since 00:37:24.440 --> 00:37:26.460 then, and so you can be forgiven. We're going 00:37:26.460 --> 00:37:30.250 to revisit this for Sunday this month when we 00:37:30.250 --> 00:37:33.110 come back to Ephesians, but we spent some time 00:37:33.110 --> 00:37:35.210 last time looking at that in Ephesians, right? 00:37:35.230 --> 00:37:37.750 The word saints. Do you all remember what that 00:37:37.750 --> 00:37:44.670 word is in the Greek? Phantos. Close. It starts 00:37:44.670 --> 00:37:52.730 with an H, not an S. Hagios. Which is not even 00:37:52.730 --> 00:37:55.449 a noun, really. It's an adjective. It just means 00:37:55.449 --> 00:38:02.050 holy. That's what it means. The noun that the 00:38:02.050 --> 00:38:06.730 adjective modifies is implied. That's it. Holy 00:38:06.730 --> 00:38:14.170 ones. Holy people. Again, in Europe, we enter 00:38:14.170 --> 00:38:17.050 these big Catholic churches. Luther, not so much, 00:38:17.170 --> 00:38:19.849 although they do put pictures of Luther around 00:38:19.849 --> 00:38:23.570 and a few others. But they've got their whole 00:38:23.570 --> 00:38:25.559 saints. They have a whole system of saints. This 00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:27.400 was fresh on my mind as I'm going through these 00:38:27.400 --> 00:38:29.940 churches and we're looking at these statues to 00:38:29.940 --> 00:38:31.699 these saints, you know, one of their favorites 00:38:31.699 --> 00:38:34.340 is Saint George, I think it is, or whatever, 00:38:34.599 --> 00:38:36.619 in the 900s or something where he supposedly 00:38:36.619 --> 00:38:41.139 speared that dragon, you know, and there's all 00:38:41.139 --> 00:38:43.760 kinds of, they really like that story. It's all 00:38:43.760 --> 00:38:45.719 over the place, right? He killed this dragon 00:38:45.719 --> 00:38:51.360 or something, okay. Well... in that system and 00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:54.480 and commonly sadly even today that's bled into 00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:58.280 sort of the the ethos of our culture where when 00:38:58.280 --> 00:39:01.619 you hear the word saint most people think oh 00:39:01.619 --> 00:39:05.400 that's somebody who is like really morally accomplished 00:39:05.400 --> 00:39:08.500 like a mother Teresa kind of person who has given 00:39:08.500 --> 00:39:11.059 up all the comforts of this world that they could 00:39:11.059 --> 00:39:14.039 enjoy and instead sacrifice themselves for God 00:39:14.039 --> 00:39:16.840 and for others right and and they've just accomplished 00:39:16.840 --> 00:39:20.610 it just like this super status up here that they 00:39:20.610 --> 00:39:22.809 have accomplished through all of their spiritual 00:39:22.809 --> 00:39:27.570 self -discipline. When in fact, what Paul in 00:39:27.570 --> 00:39:30.090 Ephesians, when he's writing, and here what Jesus 00:39:30.090 --> 00:39:33.329 is effectively saying in this whole idea of giving 00:39:33.329 --> 00:39:38.289 and receiving, is that the saints are not people 00:39:38.289 --> 00:39:43.250 who have accomplished that title on their own. 00:39:43.500 --> 00:39:47.800 but have been selected by God and called by Him 00:39:47.800 --> 00:39:53.340 to be His set -aside people, those that are separate 00:39:53.340 --> 00:39:58.239 and distinct for His purposes. In other words, 00:39:58.559 --> 00:40:00.900 you are a saint if you're in Christ, not because 00:40:00.900 --> 00:40:04.059 of what you have done, but because of the calling 00:40:04.059 --> 00:40:06.579 of God the Father and what Christ has accomplished 00:40:06.579 --> 00:40:09.800 for you. That's awesome. And so you are a saint. 00:40:10.280 --> 00:40:13.519 You are a saint. And you can embrace that. you 00:40:13.519 --> 00:40:15.559 know without timidity without saying well i don't 00:40:15.559 --> 00:40:17.940 deserve this no you don't it's given to you anyway 00:40:17.940 --> 00:40:21.840 that's grace so it's not a result of man's declaring 00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:26.860 one being a saint but god exactly that's right 00:40:26.860 --> 00:40:32.599 in god's economy he's the one who who calls you 00:40:32.599 --> 00:40:36.380 that and has included us in the saints go look 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:40.559 at that for yourself in aphesians one and follow 00:40:42.539 --> 00:40:46.099 Alright, so so God's holy people is okay. So 00:40:46.099 --> 00:40:50.719 what my question is? What are you being preserved 00:40:50.719 --> 00:40:54.000 for? Okay. Well actually two questions. What 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:57.420 are you being preserved from and what are you 00:40:57.420 --> 00:41:02.280 being preserved for? Okay, I bet we could probably 00:41:02.280 --> 00:41:05.780 answer that What are you being preserved from 00:41:05.780 --> 00:41:09.420 in fact even says that in the prayer here? from 00:41:09.420 --> 00:41:12.980 the world Actually, from the evil one. He says, 00:41:13.239 --> 00:41:15.019 protect them from the evil one. That's what he's 00:41:15.019 --> 00:41:20.099 going to say. They're in the world, but I ask 00:41:20.099 --> 00:41:22.760 that you don't take them out of the world, but 00:41:22.760 --> 00:41:24.960 while they're in the world, keep them or protect 00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:30.000 them from the evil one, the spiritual darkness 00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:33.659 that the evil one wants to bring. Peter here, 00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:35.780 in our quote there, right at the bottom of page 00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:39.360 2, just before our outline, He does a good job 00:41:39.360 --> 00:41:43.099 of summarizing this. So, Jesus here in this prayer 00:41:43.099 --> 00:41:46.280 is asking the Father to protect them from the 00:41:46.280 --> 00:41:48.139 evil one. That's who we're being protected from. 00:41:48.500 --> 00:41:50.940 What are we being preserved and protected for? 00:41:51.380 --> 00:41:54.460 Well, here's what Peter says. Let's read that. 00:41:55.119 --> 00:41:57.719 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 00:41:57.719 --> 00:42:01.659 Christ. According to His great mercy, He has 00:42:01.659 --> 00:42:05.300 caused us to be born again to a living hope through 00:42:05.300 --> 00:42:08.150 the resurrection of Jesus Christ. from the dead 00:42:08.150 --> 00:42:12.670 to an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled 00:42:12.670 --> 00:42:19.210 and unfading what kept guarded preserved protected 00:42:19.210 --> 00:42:24.150 in heaven for you period now let's talk about 00:42:24.150 --> 00:42:27.070 something else right no no hold on that's a comma 00:42:27.070 --> 00:42:33.750 there's more to come read the rest who by god's 00:42:33.750 --> 00:42:38.550 power are being guarded Through faith for a salvation 00:42:38.550 --> 00:42:43.989 ready to reveal the last time What Peter is saying 00:42:43.989 --> 00:42:49.750 is Your inheritance in heaven is Being preserved 00:42:49.750 --> 00:42:53.409 and reserved and unfading. It's not you know 00:42:53.409 --> 00:42:56.050 We saw a lot of treasures too. There's a lot. 00:42:56.110 --> 00:42:57.909 You know, there's big fancy churches and there's 00:42:57.909 --> 00:43:02.150 big fancy palaces some of these palaces have 00:43:02.150 --> 00:43:04.590 Treasuries in them and they're kind of fun to 00:43:04.590 --> 00:43:07.769 see you know, particularly if you like jewels 00:43:07.769 --> 00:43:10.750 and fancy robes with gold thread in them and 00:43:10.750 --> 00:43:13.750 all that kind of stuff and a lot of regalia. 00:43:14.769 --> 00:43:16.869 In fact some of these rooms the contents are 00:43:16.869 --> 00:43:18.590 so valuable you literally walk through the door 00:43:18.590 --> 00:43:20.309 it's like literally walking into a bank vault 00:43:20.309 --> 00:43:22.909 I mean the doors like this thick you know and 00:43:22.909 --> 00:43:26.889 got you know big latches on it and dials and 00:43:26.889 --> 00:43:30.110 whatever else right to preserve what's in there 00:43:30.110 --> 00:43:34.090 and they do a good job of keeping you know kind 00:43:34.090 --> 00:43:36.900 of keeping these particularly jewels and gold 00:43:36.900 --> 00:43:40.760 polished and clean but some of these some of 00:43:40.760 --> 00:43:42.760 these garments these robes that are you know 00:43:42.760 --> 00:43:47.000 four or five six hundred plus years old are showing 00:43:47.000 --> 00:43:50.599 signs of wear and they're fading right and even 00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:52.460 in the day when they were first made they were 00:43:52.460 --> 00:43:55.059 gorgeous right and i'm sure that they caught 00:43:55.059 --> 00:43:57.500 the sun's you got the king's herald up there 00:43:57.500 --> 00:44:00.570 and his and his big You know, Paige's outfit, 00:44:00.730 --> 00:44:03.010 this big heavy cloak with gold thread in it and 00:44:03.010 --> 00:44:04.829 everything. And you look at that, and you're 00:44:04.829 --> 00:44:07.030 like, 600 years later, it didn't hold up too 00:44:07.030 --> 00:44:10.710 well, right? Even in a museum. But Peter says 00:44:10.710 --> 00:44:14.809 this, that it is what? Your inheritance is imperishable, 00:44:15.369 --> 00:44:20.650 undefiled, and doesn't even fade! Doesn't even 00:44:20.650 --> 00:44:25.150 fade. Isn't that good? God's power, when you 00:44:25.150 --> 00:44:27.420 get there, God's not going to be like, hey, I 00:44:27.420 --> 00:44:30.300 made this for you 5 ,000 years ago. It's a little 00:44:30.300 --> 00:44:33.000 run down now, but we'll fix the holes and you 00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:36.800 can wear it. No. This is completely unfated, 00:44:37.079 --> 00:44:40.860 timeless, not affected by the curse at all. So 00:44:40.860 --> 00:44:43.860 God's power is preserving your inheritance in 00:44:43.860 --> 00:44:47.159 heaven, keeping that. But that's not enough, 00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:49.079 because He's got to preserve something else. 00:44:49.139 --> 00:44:55.409 And what's that? He's got to guard you. because 00:44:55.409 --> 00:44:57.670 you're in a world in which there's a lot of corruption, 00:44:57.869 --> 00:45:00.289 right? There's a lot of opportunities to go wrong 00:45:00.289 --> 00:45:02.829 in this world. There's a lot of detours, a lot 00:45:02.829 --> 00:45:05.789 of things that jump up and photobomb Jesus in 00:45:05.789 --> 00:45:08.769 your life, right? Hey, look at me. Pay attention 00:45:08.769 --> 00:45:11.409 to me. You know, get your eyes off of Jesus, 00:45:11.409 --> 00:45:13.809 you know, for a little bit. Look over here. I'm 00:45:13.809 --> 00:45:15.670 saying this to me. I'm not saying I've arrived. 00:45:15.789 --> 00:45:18.050 I mean, we all have to fight these distractions. 00:45:18.679 --> 00:45:20.980 All right, and we have to do our part, but thank 00:45:20.980 --> 00:45:24.000 God that it's really His power that is preserving 00:45:24.000 --> 00:45:28.219 you through the most difficult and darkest times 00:45:28.219 --> 00:45:30.659 when people mistreat you, misunderstand you, 00:45:30.880 --> 00:45:33.539 or circumstances, you know, medical situations 00:45:33.539 --> 00:45:35.900 just out of the blue, you know, that happen and 00:45:35.900 --> 00:45:38.440 you're just like, oh man, I was not ready for 00:45:38.440 --> 00:45:40.119 this. I've got lots of plans, you know, whatever, 00:45:40.619 --> 00:45:43.280 right? All of these things that happen, God is 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:47.050 through it all We are being preserved and guarded 00:45:47.050 --> 00:45:51.710 by God's power through faith so that at the right 00:45:51.710 --> 00:45:56.449 time your inheritance and you will meet one day 00:45:56.449 --> 00:45:59.909 and you will receive that inheritance. Every 00:45:59.909 --> 00:46:04.090 saint will come into their inheritance and it 00:46:04.090 --> 00:46:07.690 will be just as clean and crisp and clear and 00:46:07.690 --> 00:46:10.590 polished and beautiful as on the day God made 00:46:10.590 --> 00:46:15.610 it. I will say this, that the real joy of heaven 00:46:15.610 --> 00:46:19.489 is not the big mansion or the streets of gold 00:46:19.489 --> 00:46:24.630 or the gates made of pearl or stones or whatever. 00:46:25.329 --> 00:46:27.570 Even the crowns that God gives us. The real joy 00:46:27.570 --> 00:46:32.429 of heaven won't be what? Being with Him. There's 00:46:32.429 --> 00:46:35.920 nothing greater than being in His presence. But 00:46:35.920 --> 00:46:38.719 there is an inheritance that He has for all of 00:46:38.719 --> 00:46:41.059 us, and the best part of that, the real treasure, 00:46:41.179 --> 00:46:43.280 the centerpiece of that is Christ Himself and 00:46:43.280 --> 00:46:46.179 the Father. We will one day see His face. We'll 00:46:46.179 --> 00:46:48.900 serve Him. We'll be with Him in eternity. And 00:46:48.900 --> 00:46:51.199 we will get there. Every single saint will be 00:46:51.199 --> 00:46:55.579 there. That's awesome, isn't it? So, God's keeping 00:46:55.579 --> 00:46:59.360 you. He's guarding you. He has also entrusted 00:46:59.360 --> 00:47:04.829 a treasure to you. His Word. How are you doing 00:47:04.829 --> 00:47:07.550 in keeping this? Are you protecting it? Are you 00:47:07.550 --> 00:47:12.030 guarding it? Does it have the value in your priorities 00:47:12.030 --> 00:47:17.489 that it ought to? Good challenges for us. Any 00:47:17.489 --> 00:47:21.590 thoughts as we close? Next time I promise we'll 00:47:21.590 --> 00:47:43.920 get into the text itself. Heavenly Father, what 00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:48.139 a precious treasure we have. I was really struck 00:47:48.139 --> 00:47:55.019 with, I think maybe sometimes if we're, not to 00:47:55.019 --> 00:47:59.480 brag a whole lot, but we do value highly Your 00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:02.159 Word here. And sometimes if we're in an environment 00:48:02.159 --> 00:48:05.480 where the Bible is held up in a high place, is 00:48:05.480 --> 00:48:09.219 taught clearly, we can forget just how dark it 00:48:09.219 --> 00:48:12.510 really is. in other places where that's not the 00:48:12.510 --> 00:48:17.889 case. And these past three weeks as I've toured 00:48:17.889 --> 00:48:20.309 Europe and I've seen people living in darkness 00:48:20.309 --> 00:48:23.750 and seeing the results of that and how easily 00:48:23.750 --> 00:48:28.050 they are swayed by things that are so clearly 00:48:28.050 --> 00:48:33.829 deceptive to me and to Dory. We're just so thankful 00:48:33.829 --> 00:48:38.230 for the value of the treasure of knowing you. 00:48:38.980 --> 00:48:41.420 And not only do we know your character, but we 00:48:41.420 --> 00:48:45.099 know your promises. We know where it's all going. 00:48:45.239 --> 00:48:50.980 We don't have to be afraid of some asteroid that's 00:48:50.980 --> 00:48:53.840 going to come and wipe the earth out or global 00:48:53.840 --> 00:48:56.940 warming that's going to melt the ice caps and 00:48:56.940 --> 00:48:59.960 drown everybody or whatever these things are 00:48:59.960 --> 00:49:03.719 that people fear who are outside of your truth. 00:49:03.780 --> 00:49:07.550 We don't have to be afraid because we know that 00:49:07.550 --> 00:49:10.510 we've been chosen in eternity past and we know 00:49:10.510 --> 00:49:12.670 that we have an inheritance in eternity future 00:49:12.670 --> 00:49:15.329 and we know that it is kept and preserved by 00:49:15.329 --> 00:49:17.929 God who cannot lie and who is greater than all 00:49:17.929 --> 00:49:20.989 and we thank you Lord Jesus for your high priestly 00:49:20.989 --> 00:49:25.510 work that even right now you're working and interceding 00:49:25.510 --> 00:49:28.389 on our behalf and listening to our prayers and 00:49:28.389 --> 00:49:30.969 praying that the Father might protect and protect 00:49:30.969 --> 00:49:34.460 over each individual person. Holy Spirit, we 00:49:34.460 --> 00:49:36.860 thank you for your work here on this end with 00:49:36.860 --> 00:49:42.639 us taking our prayers according to Romans 8 and 00:49:42.639 --> 00:49:45.239 as it were cleaning them up and conforming them 00:49:45.239 --> 00:49:48.099 to the will of God. So we thank you for this 00:49:48.099 --> 00:49:51.179 mighty, mighty work, this wonderful truth that 00:49:51.179 --> 00:49:55.059 we are valued by you and known by you and preserved 00:49:55.059 --> 00:49:59.539 by you and one day we will enter into glory as 00:49:59.539 --> 00:50:02.739 your people. trophies of your mercy, and there 00:50:02.739 --> 00:50:05.900 we will give you thanks as we will see it with 00:50:05.900 --> 00:50:09.400 our own eyes forever. And we thank you for this 00:50:09.400 --> 00:50:11.699 wonderful privilege. Pray for those that don't 00:50:11.699 --> 00:50:14.159 know you. There's so many that stumble in darkness 00:50:14.159 --> 00:50:15.800 that don't know what we know. They don't have 00:50:15.800 --> 00:50:18.599 this valuable treasure in their hearts. And so 00:50:18.599 --> 00:50:21.639 I pray that you will help us to be faithful. 00:50:21.699 --> 00:50:23.440 I was thinking about why are we afraid of the 00:50:23.440 --> 00:50:26.360 truth? We don't need to be afraid of the truth. 00:50:26.719 --> 00:50:29.719 We live in a culture where people want to kill 00:50:29.719 --> 00:50:33.409 you. for speaking the truth. Help us to make 00:50:33.409 --> 00:50:36.010 sure first of all that it's your truth and secondly 00:50:36.010 --> 00:50:40.409 that we are bold, but also loving as we tell 00:50:40.409 --> 00:50:43.269 others because love rejoices in the truth. Help 00:50:43.269 --> 00:50:47.130 us to love, not just look past people, but to 00:50:47.130 --> 00:50:49.809 love them even as you do. We pray this in Jesus' 00:50:49.949 --> 00:50:50.070 name.