The Saviour at Prayer No.4 Jesus Prayed for me

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen. John 17, verses 20 to 26. In this passage that I'm going to read, we join Jesus in the middle of a prayer.

He started by praying for himself, and then went on to pray for his disciples, and then in this section, he prays for all believers. Verse 20. 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. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.

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. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory that you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

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 that you have for me may be in them, and that I myself may be in them. I'd be glad for you to have your Bible open at John chapter 17.

John's Gospel, chapter 17. We're looking into the final verses of this prayer, sometimes referred to as the High Priestly Prayer. Miraculously, it could be called the Lord's Prayer, but that would confuse us, as we generally associate that with the prayer we've already recited this morning.

It's an amazing prayer, isn't it? The same night in which our Lord Jesus was betrayed, the same night in which Judas was engaged in the greatest act of treachery of all times, the same night in which our Lord was to be taken by the power of the Spirit into the Garden of Gethsemane, the same night in which He would sweat drops of blood, indicating the tremendous strain that He was under, as He contemplated the awfulness of the Father being distanced from Him. That same night He prayed, and what a prayer. Left the upper room, He got His little entourage of disciples, eleven true men with Him, and He prayed as we do, perhaps infrequently, He prayed out loud.

He prayed because He wanted not only the Father to hear Him, but He also had in mind the benefit of those who were alongside. As He prayed out loud when He asked Lazarus, you remember I reminded you of the incident to come back from the dead, He didn't just pray out loud because He thought the louder He shouted, so the Father would respond, but He wanted those who were there to hear what He was saying and to witness that tremendous act, and here I say is another example, our Lord praying out loud, His eye upon the Father, and also His sensitivity directed towards His disciples. I'm reminded when I get to the twentieth verse of the illustration of a pond, still pond, you throw a pebble on the pond, and well provided you're accurate in your aim it will hit the center, and then the ripples will go outwards.

So in this prayer our Lord Jesus prays for Himself, then for His disciples, and then for all, He goes to the circumference, for all whom the Father would give Him in the centuries to come, my prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message. One of the reasons why I asked, pleaded, that you came last Wednesday to what I consider to have been a meeting far more important than the annual general meeting of the church was because I wanted you to be committed in prayer to Dave and Irene, by extension to all those who've left our church and are serving God in the home country and overseas. You see the most important thing for David and for Irene and Peter and Colleen and John and Gene and the whole list is not that we back them financially, that's important, that God owns the cattle of a thousand hills.

I remember Tom Lloyd once saying to me if the Christian saints in the UK never gave a cent, God would still look after His children in third world situations. But the main reason why I wanted you to be along was because they need prayer partners. And the interesting thing here Dave and Irene and all those of the Tabb family who are ours by extension and will hear this tape, the tape of this message, the interesting thing is that Jesus Christ puts Himself down on your list of prayer partners.

My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message. And here's encouragement for brothers and sisters to engage faithfully in prayer for these friends who've left our church. We could be involved in the very activity that our Lord Jesus is in heaven at the moment we pray.

He has them in mind because that's His ministry of intercession. Praying for them as we pray for them. And our Lord also praying for us.

You see, the Lord Jesus, as He has Himself in mind as He prays to the Father for His own circumstances, then He prays for the disciples, then He prays for all whom the Lord will give Him. He's no Isaac. Isaac's problem was this, he'd only got one blessing, hadn't he? And when Jacob came along and deceived him, passing himself off as being Esau, then Isaac was in problem because, well, he'd already given the best blessing.

Our Lord Jesus is not like that. He has blessings upon blessings. He has one suited for every member of the body of Christ.

So He prays for all, but not all en masse, all as individuals, knowing full well that there are people in the tab whose chemistry is different from the preacher's, thank God. And there are people amongst our congregation who differ one from the other, and so our Lord, He empathizes with our chemistry, with our psychology, and He brings us with all our needs before the Father. He prays for us, the best prayer partner that Dave and Irene will have.

With Calvary in front of Him, our Lord Jesus has His eyes upon His disciples and all whom the Father will give Him. So let's come to these last few verses of this lovely chapter. And what I want to do is to, by way of convenience, take the three times that the Lord Jesus addresses the Father, He does that in the 21st verse, and in the 24th verse, and in the 25th verse, then I want to pick out from what follows one salient fact.

I'm not suggesting that my little summary in any way will embrace all that's being prayed for, but at least it will help you to concentrate on what is important for us this morning as the Spirit speaks to us through the address. It seems to me that, first of all, our Lord Jesus is praying to the Father that His disciples, verses 20 to 23, might be bonded in spirit, that they might be bonded in spirit, that they may be one. Then it seems to me from verse 24, or just in verse 24, which is a fairly lengthy verse of Scripture, He prays that they may be anchored in hope.

I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. And then in the 25th verse, just to close down on our study, He wants them to be tutored in mind. So these are the three things, if you like, or three of the most important things that our Lord is addressing the Father for, suing the Father for, as He has His disciples, people like you and myself, in mind.

He prays that we may be bonded in spirit. He prays for our unity, as He's already prayed for the unity of His immediate disciples, last part of verse 11, so that they may be one as we are one. Matthew Henry comments, as though these for whom Jesus prays live in distant places and in several ages, yet let them be united in their common head.

Let them be one. What our Lord Jesus is praying for is the communion of the saints. This government's having a ball game as far as privatization is concerned.

I would like them to know you cannot privatize religion. In one sense, religion may be what you do in solitary places in as much as it tests you when no one else is around, as to the commitment that you've offered the Lord Jesus Christ, but we are called into a family. You can't privatize your religion.

Now, I would not have to preach this message in Latin America. It has to be preached in the United Kingdom because of the stiff upper lip and the reserved of most Britishers. We are called into a family, and Jesus says He wants this family to be one.

So if I embarrassed you by asking you to pray for the person alongside you, in one sense, I'm sorry, but in another sense, I'm not. And in the latter sense, I'm stronger than the first, if you can follow the Irish. Our Lord has prayed that we might be one, my brother and sister.

The communion of the saints. Someone, of course, had to come from America, has suggested that the evangelical glossary, that is dictionary, has one or two new words. It's suggested with tongue-in-cheek, incidentally, so don't get too upset about it.

One of the words, when I get to it, will give you a parody of what fellowship really means. But another word that they've conjured up is the word Pastor Neuer. It's a sort of phobia that a person may have if the minister is about to visit them.

An overwhelming fear that the pastor may visit you when you're watching Dallas or something else that you know he doesn't approve of. An overwhelming fear that he may see you on Sunday on your way to the beach as he's on his way to the tab. An overwhelming fear that he might ask you to pray in public.

But the other word which I really want just to bring to your attention, in one sense, in a humorous fashion, but also nailing a point, is Hellowship. They say in the United States that that is very much featured amongst evangelical communities. Hellowship.

And it's defined as a shallow conversation in church lobbies which is often mislabeled as fellowship. You see the point? I jest deliberately to underscore a truth. Our Lord Jesus Christ is concerned that we might be one.

One together. One relating with each other. Showing our concerns.

Our love for one another. Our Lord Jesus as he speaks about this bonding in spirit goes on to say, verse 22, I have given them the glory that you gave me. Jesus has declared to his disciples and by extension to ourselves something of his glory.

What was the glory of our Lord Jesus? Well, he's predicted, has he not, that just around the corner, so to speak, is the cross. Our Lord Jesus never looked upon the cross as being the penalty, did he? He looked upon the cross as being the way in which he would glorify the Father. For the joy that was before him, he endured the cross.

Our Lord's glory was that he was obedient to the will of the Father. All that the Father has asked me to do, that I have done. Our Lord's glory was that he achieved his life's objective.

Now the disciples have been informed, those who are with him and those who study his life afterwards have been informed of the nature of the glory of the Lord Jesus. Now inasmuch as we partake of the struggles that were his, inasmuch as we live the crucified life ourselves, inasmuch as we attempt to perform in our lives the will of God, so we have an inkling into and a participation in the glory of the Lord Jesus. And it's that that helps to bond us together.

The Lord Jesus Christ is concerned that we exhibit the glory that he reveals in his own life. And that as he has been bonded to his disciples in the fellowship of suffering so that you and I may be bonded also to him and to one another. I have given them the glory that you gave me.

Ultimately he may be referring to the gift of the Holy Spirit. That's known as the spirit of glory. The day will come at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit shall descend upon the disciples and in the most remarkable way they will understand what Jesus meant when puzzlingly he said in this discourse in the upper room that it was good for him to go away because when he'd gone away he would then come again.

And when the spirit came he was the spirit of glory. So he bonds the disciples. You in me Father.

Me in you. Them in us. Partaking of glory.

What's more he goes on to say not only do they partake of the Father's glory but also they partake of the Father's love. Verse 23 and towards the end. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know.

Now listen to this. This is as staggering as John 3.16. To let the world know that you sent me. That's no problem.

We understand that God sent his Son into the world. The disciples understood that. But it goes on doesn't it? To let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

That heightens your self-evaluation does it not? God loves you with the same love as he loves the Son. He refers to his Son as his only begotten Son. John 3.1 the first epistle of John.

Beloved now are we the sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but when he shall appear we shall be like him. You see when God loves the Son he directs the same measure of love to ourselves. He has a tender love towards the Lord Jesus.

My only begotten Son. And Ephesians 5.1 will talk to you and me about us being God's dear children. He loves the Lord Jesus from the beginning of time.

And Jeremiah 32 speaks about God loving his children with an everlasting love. So here is our Savior. You've got the context still in your mind? He's praying for you and for me.

And his prime prayer is this. That we may be bonded in spirit. Sharing of his nature.

Displaying his glory. Receiving the same love as he received from the Father. Jesus prayed for me.

That I might be bonded in spirit. With him and with my brothers and sisters. But move on.

Not only bonded in spirit but anchored in hope. Verse 24. Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am.

Dean Alford says that this is an expression of will founded on acknowledged right. Here our Lord Jesus is predicting that he wants those who belong to him always to be with him. Now one day we will be with him eternally.

And when our Savior has this in mind he comes to the Father and to quote A.W. Pink. He sues him for this. It's a very strong word that our Lord now uses as he addresses his Father.

Father I want those you have given me to be with me. Now have you noticed the difference between the way that the Lord Jesus prays about his own well-being. And the way that he prays about your future in heaven.

In a few hours time when he's in the garden of Gethsemane. He prays to the Father about what's just around the corner for him. The hostility of the Romans.

The corruption of the priests as they release their venom on the Savior. The horror of Calvary. And yet he uses the words let this cup pass from me if it be your will.

But if not he submits. So there's qualification when Jesus asks about himself. But when he comes to the Father and he speaks about the long-term well-being of his children.

There is no qualification. Father I want those. I sue you for those.

I argue my rights in regard to these people. And he has heaven ultimately in mind. I want those that you have given me to be with me where I am.

As though Jesus is not complete without his loved ones. There will be a sense in which John and Jean Hansen and Mr. and Mrs. Beamish. Irene's parents will not feel complete until again they're physically present with their children.

Those of us who pray for folk out in the foreign field. Which is an honorable spiritual duty in which we ought to engage. Should also remember those whose sacrifice makes it possible.

Give of your sons to spread the message glorious. Give of your wealth to send them on their way. Spend time in prayers in prayer victorious.

And all thou spendest Jesus will repay. There's a sense in which the family circle will never be complete again. Until physically they're joined once more to one another.

Now our Lord Jesus has this in mind. He's concerned about the ultimate. That which will be yours and mine in the eon yet to come.

In heaven itself. Father I want those you have given me to be with me where I am. And to see my glory.

Heaven consists of three things. The perfect immediate presence of Christ. Heaven speaks of us being where Christ is.

Beholding what Christ is. And becoming as Christ is. Changed from glory into glory.

Till in heaven we take our place. So that's the hope that is ours. Do you ever think about heaven? So necessary to get earth into perspective.

To recognize the ultimate that is yours. See if you have heaven in perspective. Then you will be very much aided in handling your finances on this earth.

Not so. You'll be very much aided in the way that you spend time in prayer. As you're here on this earth.

We're not here forever. To put all our attention now into job advancement. Into the acquisition of wealth.

Into larger houses. I'm not speaking incidentally necessarily against those. But listen to me.

To put everything in to that is absurd. If heaven by definition lasts eternally. And your life span 70, 80, 90 years probably at the most.

Therefore it's short lived. To concentrate on the latter. And to neglect the former.

Is to behave with absurdity. Now our Lord Jesus is guaranteeing to his disciples. In fact he's suing the father for it.

I want those you have given me. Ultimately to be where I am. And they're listening to him.

They're clinging to every word. These are men who love the Lord Jesus. There was an emotional bond.

When he dies on the cross of Calvary. It will be the biggest test that they've ever had in their lives. And later on when he's been brought back from the dead.

And they reflect upon the night when Jesus was betrayed. At the forefront of their thinking. Would be every syllable that dropped from his precious lips.

Concerning the ultimate. How can Peter endure when Jesus is away? When Peter becomes the butt of Nero. According to tradition.

In the persecutions. In the 70's or 80's AD. Well he can because he knows that his destiny is sealed.

What makes sense of a young couple. Hazarding their own future. And the well being of a child.

And going to Timbuktu today from the tabernacle. Apart from the fact that there are great issues involved. In living one's life for Jesus on this earth.

With the knowledge that ultimately you'll be with Jesus the Lord eternally. You see when you've got heaven in perspective. It will help you to condition to control the way that you live here.

On the earth right now. Did you understand what I'm saying? I really would sometimes be so grateful. If someone in the tab.

When I'm making these points that come direct from my heart. And I hope from the spirit of God. If you don't understand to stand up and say so.

And I'll do a rerun. I am so concerned that it's burned into our minds. Into the minds of young people.

Who stood at the front of this church. And who are bonded together in holy matrimony. I want you to know that Jesus Christ does not say.

That you live for your marriage exclusively. Over against anything else. God may have blessed you in your job.

I want you to know that God is saying to you. That God has not blessed you in your job exclusively. For everything else.

Against anything else. God has blessed you. Giving you a wife.

Giving you a children. Giving you a home. So that you can use these things for his honor and his glory.

And if the world starts to encroach upon your spirituality. To the extent that you are becoming impoverished. As a spiritual being.

Though materially you're prosperous. Then you're on the wrong horse. And you need to change saddles.

Whatever the cost. Because ultimately. You will face heaven.

With an amount of regret. That you didn't reorientate your life. When you were on earth.

Living it. With the knowledge that one day you will be with the Lord. You see.

We have a hope. That is steadfast and certain. Gone through the curtain.

And touching the throne. This is our Lord Jesus. Who is going to go through Calvary.

He's going to go through the experience of the resurrection. He will for 40 days appear to his disciples. And convince them that he's been raised again.

And then he commences his intercessory ministry in heaven. And he tells us. That when he's in heaven.

He'll continue to be suing the Father for us. He wants us to see his glory ultimately. The glory you gave me.

Because you loved me. Before the creation of the world. And you can start to gaze on that glory now.

You can see something of the perfections of the Christ. And let your heart go out in adoration and love towards him. And as you gaze upon that glory.

You become changed. From glory into glory. And it makes you a better husband.

A better wife. A better work colleague. Because you've got heaven in view.

It makes you earthly. A jolly sight. More use.

The idea that you can be so heavenly minded. You're of no earthly use. Is a definition of absurd thinking.

Our Savior. Asks for his own. That they may be bonded in spirit.

And anchored in hope. And thirdly, tutored in mind. Righteous Father.

The world does not know you. Hear this pathos in the voice of our Savior. He knows what he's talking about for 32, 33 years.

He's given witness to the Father on earth. And by and large he's been rejected. They don't want to know.

Righteous Father. The world does not know you. But I know you.

There's been a deceit applied to us. And one thing that cannot be separated from me. Is my knowledge of you.

In this ungodly world. I've lived for you. I've testified for you.

To the extent that I was able to deflect a question of my disciples. When they said, show us the Father. And say, have I been so long time with you? And you haven't known me.

Righteous Father. Though the world does not know you. I know you.

And they. The immediate 11. The millions that are yet to come who will know his name.

They know that you sent me. I've instructed them. I've prayed for them.

I've taught them. And Lord, I'm going to continue to teach them. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you remember.

He brought back to the minds of his disciples. All that he had previously informed them. And he extended upon it.

So they were taking lessons from him. Day by day. Through the schooling of the Spirit.

I have made you known. I will continue to make you known. Do you continue to learn from God? My dear friend, Len Gruber.

Burst into my office on Monday evening. I got someone else with me. I forget who it was.

And he's been taking our discipleship class. We've got another 10 or 12 people. All clocked into that class.

Recent converts. And he was saying to me. How wonderful it is just to be able to teach people.

Who want to know about the Lord Jesus. You know, in one sense, I'd rather take 500 new converts. Now, don't misunderstand this.

I've got myself in a dilemma. And I don't know how I'm going to get out of it. Then 500 people.

Many of whom have known the Lord for such a long time. That they're running the risk of familiarity bringing contempt. I've watched little ladies struggle.

And you're an old woman in Nepal when you're 40, incidentally. With a wizened face. With kids on their backs.

I've watched them walk miles. To come to a church meeting. To listen to someone teach them.

About the Lord Jesus Christ. And many times when I got back from the third world. My heart is broken in the so-called first world.

For the way that we have a sort of slap happy attitude. Towards being taught from the word of God. Where is the blessedness I knew? When first I saw the Lord.

You don't have to prime the pump on a Monday night for our discipleship class. They're all new to the faith. And it's marvelous to be able to teach them.

But tell me, my friends. To what degree are you exposing yourself to the ministry of God's word? Jesus says, I've made you known. I'll continue to make you known.

How does he do it? Through the preaching ministry that he has established. Through the perusal of the Bible as men and women engage in individual study. I will continue to make you known.

For what reason, Lord Jesus? So that we can all get a B.D. degree or an M.A. or so on and so forth. That doesn't even enter the Lord's head. In order that the love you have for me may be in them.

And that I myself may be in them. Isn't it interesting that when our Lord commences that discourse in the 13th chapter of John's gospel. As the disciples have gone into the upper room.

The comment there is made by the evangelist. Having loved his own who were in the world. He now showed them the full extent of his love.

And when he concludes in this high priestly prayer. He doesn't deal with any other area of doctrine. But rather the affections of the heart of the Father.

Towards ordinary people like his disciples. And those by extension who will come to him. 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.

You can't receive the love of God apart from through the hands of the Lord Jesus. That's what makes missionary work so vital today. He doesn't reveal himself through Hinduism.

He doesn't reveal himself through Islam. The love of God. The salvation grace of God.

Is revealed only through the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Savior is saying. Lord I want them to be so tutored.

I have taught them. I will continue to teach them. So that they will realize that this great overwhelming love.

Which you've poured upon me. Ever since the beginning. And prior to the beginning of time itself.

That that may be directed to them as a river that's ever widening and ever deepening. I want you Lord. To have them absorbed.

In your love. So that as I am in them. Christ in them.

The hope of glory. So they will discover. The doctrine of the unity of the Godhead.

That you have poured your love. And your power. Through me.

To them. I'm just about through. Jesus' prayer for his disciples.

This last part. He wants them to be bonded in spirit. To be anchored in hope.

To be tutored in mind. Just one last thing. That's got to be said.

Was it answered? Well that shocked you didn't it? I mean I do believe that prayer gets answered. That's my playing with you. With that little report from the British Medical.

The American Medical Society. God bless them. He prays for himself.

The Lord stays by him. Calvary comes. He's raised again in the power of an endless life.

He prays for the security of his disciples and their unity. And by and large they hung in well together didn't they? The Acts of the Apostles tells you. Well they had their problems but nonetheless.

They were achieving things. The kingdom was extended. From their friends in Jerusalem to their enemies in Samaria.

To the uttermost parts of the earth. They went out disseminating the great and glorious gospel. He prays that the faith shall be passed on from one generation to another generation.

We have more Christians on the globe now than there was on the day of Pentecost. Obviously so. Statistics I gave on Wednesday.

Get the tape if you want to hear them. Project that by the end of this millennium. By the end of this century.

One out of every four people in the world will be Bible believing Christians. Now you may feel that's impossible. Knowing the European situation.

What you don't know is the Eastern situation. And the African situation. And the Latin American situation.

We may be in reverse as far as the kingdom of God is concerned in this country. But that is not a global picture. Our Lord Jesus has prayed.

That men and women shall come to know eternal life through him. And that prayer is coming to pass. Because the Lord Jesus prayed it to the father.

And the father grants to the son all that he asks for. Now if he prays my beloved friends. How much more should you and I pray? I'm not wanting to cling to this pulpit.

I never have. I'll surrender this pulpit tomorrow. If God so directs.

I couldn't care two hoots whether I stay here in Worthing or go out to the uttermost parts. And I say that with sincerity. You read my heart.

I will not use this pulpit to ingratiate myself with anyone in this church. Because the time I do that, I lose my utter credibility. So listen my friends.

If you're one with me in this evangelistic push. In this concern for the advance of the gospel. That I'm asking for you.

A commitment in your own prayer life. Not only for these folk who are going to the uttermost parts. But for the ministries that this church represents.

I'm asking that that very activism that was basic to the prayer of our Lord Jesus. That his disciples may be mobilized spiritually and evangelistically. That it will be worked through in our lives.

I'm asking that no one shall just feel comfortable in Zion. Sitting on a chair. On a pew.

Clocking in on a Sunday and that's it. Now thank God many of you are not like that. But we have this terrible, terrible problem.

I think in evangelicalism in this country. That you come in to listen to what you consider to be a fairly reasonable sermon on a Sunday and that's it. It's not it.

It's the beginning. It's the beginning of committing yourself to the Lord. And committing yourself to his children.

And seeing fleshed out in your lives. The response of the Lord Jesus' prayer to the Father. That they may be one.

Bonded in spirit. Anchored with a hope. Tutored continually.

Let's pray. Father we commit ourselves again to you. And ask once more for Dave and Irene and Eilish.

Traveling mercies. And among their lists of prayer partners. May they discover a great increase this day.

But may they go with this assurance. That however committed and consistent human prayer partners are. There's one who will never leave or forsake them.

Now prepare our hearts for communion. May the moments that we spend meditating. Perhaps helped by some of the music that we hear.

Make communion that much more precious. For the sake of sake. Amen.

Amen. Just the music.