If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?
This is another good question. After some consideration I would donate it to my local church. This might seem strange to some people, but let me explain why.
Local churches in small country towns like mine do not have much income. They generally have enough to get by, but not much to do many of the things they want to do.
Most cannot afford to pay a Pastor, so the church members do their best to lead, preach and serve. It works well, but many are tired and need to be ministered to at church.
I would love to give a million dollars to my local church so they can employ a full time teaching Pastor, a pastoral care worker and someone to do community outreach. They could also do some much needed maintenance on the church.
Doing this would allow the members to receive ministry for a time and the church would be able to reach out to the community more and hopefully reach more people for Christ.
My heart in doing this would help the church members to be equipped to do the works of service like it says in Ephesians 4…
Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT [11] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.
So who would I give a million dollars to? My local country church.
I am currently reading through the practices of the early church. In my reading I came across a letter by Justin Martyr in 150AD. The section below is taken from his First Apology Chapter 67.
He was writing to explain what Christians did when they met together. In his letter to Roman Emperor Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius, he explains some of the weekly things Christians did.
It is interesting that they did many of the things we still do today. Things like meeting on Sunday, bless the Maker, prayer, reading the writings of the Apostles and Prophets, a teaching exhortation, celebrated Communion, and a collection and distribution to the widows and orphans.
Weekly Worship of the Christians.
And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday,76 all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,77 and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given,78 and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.
This is an easy one to answer. The things I am passionate about are always not far from the surface and easy to see. I have many passions, but one stands above it all.
My faith in Jesus is my number one passion. Since I came to Jesus in July of 1989, my life has never been the same. He changed everything for the better. My heart is to walk with Him all the days of my life.
Walking closely with the Lord drives everything else I do in my life. He is the reason I get up early to pray and read my Bible. He is why I want to be the best husband and father I can be. He is why I am a Chaplain. He is why I have my PASSION websites to reach out with His love.
If it was not for Jesus I do not know where I would be. Jesus has given my life meaning, purpose, strength, hope and a future. He loved me and died on the cross for me. My response is to give my life back to Him each day and to take up my cross as it says in Matthew 16:24.
Recently I was asked what my favourite part of the church service is. It was part of a larger discussion about church.
I had to say I enjoy all parts of the church service – the singing, the sermon, the prayers and the fellowship. But my favourite has always been communion or the Lord’s Supper.
There is something about stopping and taking the bread that represents Christ’s body and the cup that represents His blood. It helps to remind me on what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross for us.
When I cannot go to church because of illness or some other reason it is what I miss the most. It is what I look forward to most when I can return.
So what is the high point of the church service for me? It would be communion or the Lord’s Supper.
The title of this message is “The prayer that Jesus prayed”. Some have called this the greatest prayer of all time. Why would they call it this? Because of who prayed it – Jesus. And because what He prayed.
In the preceding chapter before Jesus prayed, He was telling the disciples about how He would be leaving them soon, the work of the Holy Spirit, and how He had overcome the world. He was preparing them for a time when they would scatter and they would not see Him any more. Jesus prayed for Himself, He prayed for the disciples and He prayed for all His future followers…including us.
Bible Reading: John 17:1-26
Point 1 – Jesus prayed for Himself (V1-5)
John 17:1 – After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:
I used to think that praying for yourself was a selfish thing. As a new Christian, when I listened to people pray in a group I used to critique their prayers and I would judge if they were others centred or self-centred. I would give them a score out of 10 and judge them. You will be pleased to know I don’t do that anymore!
Praying for yourself is not selfish, we all need God’s help. One of my most prayed prayers is “Help me Lord”. Jesus as the Son of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the one who performed many miracles including raising people to life… And He prayed for Himself. If Jesus did this, we need to too!
So, what did Jesus pray for Himself?
V1 – Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify the Son that the Son may glorify the Father
V5 – Jesus prayed that the Father would glorify the Son with the glory He had in eternity.
These two things were the bookends to Jesus’ prayer. In verse 2, 3 and 4 He reminded the Father of the authority He gave Jesus to bring people eternal life, that eternal life is found in knowing the Father and the Son, and that Jesus finished His work that the Father gave Him.
So, while Jesus prayed for Himself, it was all about bringing glory to the Father and asking that He would be restored to His former glory He had in heaven. In many ways it was about finishing all He had to do on earth.
Point 2 – Jesus prayed for His disciples (v6-19)
John 17:6-7 – “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you.
In the next section of today’s text Jesus switches His focus to the disciples or followers. Jesus said that He revealed truths from the Father to His followers. He describes them as the ones who belonged to the Father but were given to the Son (v6-8).
In verse 9 Jesus says that He prays specifically for His disciples. He is not praying for the world now, but the ones who belong to the Father and the Son. He is interceding for them because He is concerned for them. Why is He concerned? Because He is going away. Verse 11 says He is going back to the Father and they will still be in the world.
So, what did Jesus pray for His disciples?
a. V11 – To keep them in unity.
Jesus is concerned for the disciples for when He goes. He is worried that they will not stick together. Sometimes when a leader leaves, or hard times come, or when persecution happen, the people scatter and go their own way or divisions take place. Sometimes they get off track. We only have to look at Moses and the people of Israel when Moses went up the mountain to be with God. They were electing new leaders and making golden calves. Jesus wanted them to be strong and stick together. It was vital for them in their new faith and vital for their mission.
b. V15 – To keep them safe from the devil.
Jesus prayed that the Father would not take them out of the world. They were required to stay behind and continue Jesus’ mission of seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10), so Jesus prayed for protection. He knew the devil would come knocking and try to get them off course. We know that 1 Peter 5:8 says the devil prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour. They would be an easy target without Jesus, so He lifted them up to the Father.
c. V17 – To sanctify them.
In verse 17 Jesus prays “Sanctify them, sanctify them by Your Word, Your Word is truth”. To sanctify means to set apart for Holy use. Jesus wanted His followers to be sanctified by the Father, so they could be used mightily in Kingdom work. As we see after the resurrection and ascension, they did some pretty amazing things. I find it interesting that Jesus said to sanctify them by Your Word. For us today the Word of God or the Bible is the key way we are sanctified. The Word and Spirit work together to make us more like Christ.
Jesus prayed out His concern for the disciples. He prayed that God would keep them unified, protect them from the devil and sanctify for them Holy use.
Point 3 – Jesus prayed for His future disciples (20-26)
John 17:20 – “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.
Jesus now focuses His attention to the future believers. The ones who came to faith through the Apostles, right down through the ages, to us and those who come to faith after us.
Again, what did Jesus pray in this last part of His prayer? What did He think was important for us today?
a. That we would be one like the Father and the Son are one.
Jesus wanted us to be unified and one with the Father and Son. In verse 23a Jesus says, “I in them and you in 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.” Why did Jesus want us to be completely unified with each other and with the Father? So, the world may believe. There is something about being unified and loving one another that grabs people’s attention. They generally don’t see it in politics, they don’t see it in the workplace or sporting club. Church is the place where people should see true unity and love in action. When they do see true love and unity that is not of this world, Christ is revealed.
b. That we may know Jesus’ eternal glory
Verse 24 says, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” Jesus wanted the Father to reveal His true glory to us. He wanted us to see Him as the Alpha and the Omega, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He wanted us to see Him and the Creator who is eternal. All the things we looked at several weeks ago when we focused in on Jesus. We saw the difference seeing Jesus in His glory did to Peter who said he did not know Jesus prior to the crucifixion and then post resurrection gave his life for Jesus and His kingdom. We all need that Peter type of revelation of Jesus’ glory.
c. That we may know the love of the Father for the Son
In verse 26 it says, “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.” If we get a glimpse of the love the Father has for the Son, there will be no doubt of Jesus’ true identity and we will love Jesus the same way too. The Pharisees and the religious leaders of the day accused Jesus of blasphemy because He called Himself the Son of God. They needed a revelation that Peter had in John 11:27, “”I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” We all need this revelation.
Jesus prayed for us and all believers down the ages. He wanted us to stay strong. He prayed that we truly understand and believe that He and the Father are one, that we would see His glory and know the love of the Father and the Son.
Closing summary
Today we looked at one of the greatest prayers of all time. We saw that Jesus prayed for three main things in John 17.
Jesus prayed for Himself – He prayed that He would bring glory to the Father and the Father would restore the glory Jesus had in eternity.
Jesus prayed for His disciples – He prayed that they would be unified, protected and that the Father would sanctify them.
Jesus prayed for all believers – He prayed that we would be with the Father and Son, that we would know Jesus glory and we would know the love the Father has for the son.
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