The Gospel of John 15-21

Part 3: Your World Is Truth

By Louie Marsh, 4-30-2023

 

Graphics – last one Truth Exists – Only Lies are Invented.

 

1) Jesus prayed Himself FIRST!

 

"Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. John 17:1-5

 

·       Jesus wants his imminent death to bring GLORY to God.

 

·       This is NOT selfish!

 

“¹⁸praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:18–20, ESV)

 

Things I Pray for…

 

• Anything & EVERYTHING

 

• That I’ll SEE MYSELF as I really am!

 

“⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

 

• That I’ll FINISH THE WORK God gave me.

 

“¹²Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12, ESV)

 

2) He prayed for the APOSTLES next.

 

“¹³But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ¹⁷Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:13–18, ESV)

 

·       That they be set apart by the truth of the SCRIPTURES.

 

Things I pray for…

 

• INSIGHT into Scripture.
• JOY

 

• PROTECTION from Satan.

 

3) I pray for the WHOLE/FUTURE church.

 

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me… May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me…Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am…Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."  John 17:20-26

 

Things I pray for…

 

• UNITY

 

• CLOSENESS to Christ

 

• ASSURANCE of God’s love.

Further episodes of River Church Sermons

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