The Mission Matters Most
Jesus calls on us to be united in the mission of the church.
George Wright
Aug 26, 2019 36m
In this sermon Pastor teaches from John 17 amd reminds us that Jesus calls on us to be united in the mission of the church. He pulls out three main points and expands on them. First, the purpose of God will be fulfilled, with or without us. Second, unity for the sake of the mission points points us to great joy. Finally, unity for the sake of the mission leads us to strength in the face of opposition. Video recorded at Columbia, South Carolina.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
George Wright: 00:00 Hey, I want to ask you to grab your Bible. We're going to be in John chapter 17 this morning. We've been in John 17 for the last few weeks, but if you hadn't been here with us, or maybe you're new to Shandon today, or you're just coming back after some time away over the summer? John 17 is the prayer that Jesus prays for his disciples, for his followers right before he goes to the cross. It's really an incredible gift that we have this prayer contained in the scripture, because this prayer lays out for us the heart of Jesus for his followers. He knows his time on earth is coming to an end, and he knows that as he goes to the cross, it is going to be terrifying for his followers. It's going to be confusing for his followers, and he does not want them to forget all the things that he has showed them, and all the things that he has taught them. And he does not want them to forget what is the most important, and that is the mission that he has called them and invited them to be about, to go and take this good news of the gospel to those who have yet to see, hear and believe. And so, as he prays for his followers, he is praying that they would live out and carry this mission that he has laid before them.
George Wright: 01:19 And what we talked about last week in John 17, is that there is a central theme throughout this prayer, it is a theme of unity. Jesus is praying that his followers would be one, that they would be United together for the sake of the mission. We defined unity this way. Unity is a common purpose that flows out of common belief. And last week as we were navigating John 17, we looked at the beliefs that Jesus lays before us in this prayer that are absolutely essential, if the followers of Jesus and the church of Jesus are going to live out this mission in this calling that God has invited us to be about. A common purpose, it flows out of common belief.
George Wright: 02:09 Today as we turn our attention to John 17, we are focusing primarily on this common purpose. What are we to be all about? What is the mission that God has called us to? I want to begin in verse 15, we're actually going to cover verses 12 through 19, but I want to begin in verse 15 this morning. Just to highlight this common purpose, this mission that Jesus prays his followers will live out, and I want to invite you to stand with me. Every week when we start our message at the beginning of the message, we read scripture that is our focus for the day, and we stand together so that we can all be reminded that the word of God is our authority as a people of God. It is the foundation that we are built upon and we believe as followers of Jesus who believe the word of God is the truth of God, that everything contained in God's word is what we need to hear. It is right and it is good and it is true. So this is the foundation on which we stand. John 17 the word of God says this in the prayer of Jesus, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth." Here it is. "As you sent me into the world." As you sent me in to the world, Jesus prays, "So I have sent them into the world. This is the prayer of Jesus, the heart of Jesus, and this is the purpose, the mission that Jesus has called his followers to be about.
George Wright: 04:07 Would you pray with me as we consider God's word, and consider this calling from Jesus? Father, we thank you for this time where we can turn our attention to your word, and it is my prayer as we stand around the room, and it is my prayer as others join us online even for this message, that your spirit would move among us. That we would see and hear what you want us to see and hear, and it is my prayer that today our hearts would be open and that we would receive this truth, this good news laid out for us in your word. Please Lord, have your way among us, that we might not be the same as a result of what you have said. Thank you for this time. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Now you may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: 05:14 So what we are seeing in this prayer of Jesus as the heart of Jesus is put on display, is over and over again throughout this prayer, Jesus prays that his people would be one. It is a prayer for unity among the body. We talked about this last week at great length, a prayer for unity among the followers of Christ. And what we see today as we continue to walk through these verses, that is this unity is for a purpose. That Jesus is not just praying for his church to be united so that we can just get along and be happy. Jesus is not just for unity among the church, so that will be nice to each other. That's important, but Jesus is praying for unity among his followers for a purpose, that we would go united together to live out this calling, and we would live out this mission. And Jesus knows that unity is essential for this to happen. The mission will not be accomplished through us if we are divided, the mission will not be accomplished through us if we are isolated and alone. Now, please hear me, I'm not saying the mission will not be accomplished. I'm saying the mission will not be accomplished through us if we are divided or isolated or alone, for the mission to be accomplished through us as a group of believers, as a church, a local body of Christ, as a group of followers of Christ. For those of you who are here, they're following Jesus. If the mission is going to be accomplished through us, it's going to happen because we are united, standing together for the sake of the mission being fulfilled through us.
George Wright: 07:13 It's important that we understand unity is at the heart of God's mission for his church. We see why that's is so, so important as we track back through John 17, let's go back to verse 12 in this prayer. Verse 12 Jesus says, While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Now, here's what I want us to see from this verse, and we're going to talk about it. Because it seems a little strange that Jesus is saying what he's just said. I believe that through this statement, Jesus is showing us unity for the sake of the mission is so important, so that we will be reminded in any and everything that the purpose of God will be fulfilled. And please hear me, may not be fulfilled through us. If we're divided, if we're on our own, if we're running our own agenda and our own show and chasing our own preferences instead of dying to the things of God, then the mission may not be accomplished through us, but the purpose of God will be fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with us or without us.
George Wright: 08:32 And Jesus is showing that in verse 12 he says, look, while I was with my disciples, they were all saved, they were kept by me, but there was one, there was one exception. That exception is someone named Judas. Jesus is talking about really, you could say the elephant in the room. Because he's praying this prayer in the upper room with his disciples just after he's had the Lord's supper, and just after he's looked across the table and said, one of you is going to betray me, so Judas, go and do what you have to do. Imagine what that must've been like for the other disciples. This man that they have spent three years with following Jesus, this one that they thought was one of their own, is now going to sell Jesus out to the religious leaders that want to kill him. This has got to provide some questions, right? I mean, Jesus, if you're so great, why can't you even keep just the original guys that were following you? Jesus, if you really are the savior and really are who you say you are, why in the world is one of your own who lived with you for three years and saw everything that you did, why is he now leaving to betray you? Jesus come on now, if you're so great, how can you not convince someone like Judas who saw everything you did and heard everything that you said...But listen, Jesus said, this is not a surprise. In fact, Jesus is saying this is all part of the plan.
George Wright: 10:24 Jesus says, what happened through Judas was to fulfill the prophecy of scripture. This is not outside of God's plan, this is part of God's plan. Why? So that we could see, and be reminded, that God is in control even when it looks like things are out of control. Jesus is saying this is part of the plan, so that we can see that the mission will be accomplished whether we all go with him or not. Jesus saying, this is part of God's plan, so that we would recognize that God's purpose will be fulfilled even in the face of betrayal. You see, Jesus is showing us something so important here, that the agenda of man is no threat to the purpose of God. The purpose of God will be fulfilled, and the agenda of man is no threat to the purpose of God. God is in control, His mission will be accomplished, His purpose will be fulfilled. Even when some people walk away, and even when some people say, that's not for me, God is still in control. His purpose will be fulfilled.
George Wright: 11:47 But this is a little side note, there's something else incredibly important that we are reminded of here in John 17 verse 12. When Jesus talks about Judas, please don't miss this. I know many of you have spent time in church, many of you have spent a lot of time in church. Please don't miss this, this is so important to see. As Jesus talks about Judas walking away, Jesus is reminding us that close proximity to Jesus does not equal following Jesus. Church, are you listening? College students, are you hearing this? Some of you have spent a lot of time in church. You've grown up in church. Your parents have faith. Your family has faith. Please don't miss this, close proximity to Jesus, spending time near Jesus, is not the same as trusting your life to Jesus. Being around other followers of Jesus is not the same as salvation. I've heard it said this way, this helps me and my simple mind. The statement has made, being in a church does not make you a Christian, just like sitting in a garage does not make you a car. There's a lot of people that believe they are Christian because they go to church from time to time, or maybe cause they go to church a lot, but close proximity to Jesus does not equal following Jesus as one who has been saved.
George Wright: 13:37 You see, a Christian is one who acknowledges their need for the savior, one who has trusted their life to Jesus Christ. That he died for their sin, that he died for their selfish ways and their personal agendas, and as a result of his death on the cross, he offers forgiveness in a personal way for our sin. And through his grace, and through his mercy, in the power of his resurrection, Jesus offers us new life. To become called a new creation as one who has been saved, but one who has been set free to now live the mission that God has called us to be about as one who has been transformed by the grace and mercy of God. That's what it means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus.
George Wright: 14:32 But every church has some people who are like Judas, and I'm not saying like Judas in the sense of betrayal, or like selling Jesus out. I'm saying every church has some people who are like Judas, in that they spend a lot of time around Jesus, but they've never trusted Jesus. They have an agenda that is more important than following Jesus. You may have been in the church a long time, are you a follower of Jesus as one who has trusted your life to Jesus? There are some church attenders, maybe even some church members and some religious here, that need to trust your life to Jesus. He's the only one that can save, but then the good news of God's mercy and grace toward you, he is pursuing you even now with the gift of his salvation.
George Wright: 15:37 Let's go back to the text, let's go back to the scripture. John 17 verse 13 ,we see a second reason why unity is so important for the sake of the mission. It says this, But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." You know, the Bible talks a lot about joy. Jesus talks a lot about joy. A personal question for us to consider, is joy the theme of our life? Are you living a joyful life? Are you living in response to what God has done in such a way that that joy truly is your song? This is so good. This is so important. Jesus saying, unity for the sake of the mission will point us to great joy, it will point us back to what God has done for us, and there is no greater joy according to the scripture than the joy of salvation. But here's the deal, the reality that we all have faced from time to time, even those of you who have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, is life can be incredibly difficult and as a result, joy can feel fleeting. We can so easily be discouraged or overwhelmed. And in the midst of it all, if there is division, division always steals joy. Division always robs joy, because it takes the focus off of what God has done that brings us joy, and puts the focus on something else altogether.
George Wright: 17:35 Jesus talks about unity, prays for unity, understands how important unity is for the sake of the mission. Because he recognizes that his people, his followers, need to be reminded over and over and again that the joy of the Lord is our strength. This is why David prays in the Psalms in the middle of a very difficult season in his life, restore to me, the joy of my salvation. Because that's true joy, and I don't want to forget about i, I don't want to get away from it, I don't want to move past it, I want to return to the joy of salvation. And this is why unity for the sake of the mission is so important, in that it points us back to joy over and over again because when we're living our life in unity, on mission together, guess what we get to see? We get to see the work of salvation in others, and there's nothing better. The scripture says, heaven rejoices when one who has been lost comes home. The church should rejoice with one who has lost, comes home. We as a people should rejoice., there is nothing doing better than seeing the joy of salvation come to life in someone. The word of God shows us that there is a promised joy that is eternal for all who trust in Jesus.
George Wright: 19:10 I'm going to turn your attention quickly to Romans 8, Romans 8, beginning of verse 14. If you're new to Bible study, perhaps new to church, I would just say this to you about the book of Romans, and specifically Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, I believe, is one of the most important chapters in all of the scripture. Because it lays out for us so clearly who God is, and what he has done, and what has been made available to you and to me through Jesus Christ. If you're new to the Bible, go to the book of Romans, go specifically to Romans chapter 8 and look at this incredible good news called the gospel. It says in verse 14, "For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba Father." What is Paul doing here in this letter to the church in Rome? He's trying to point to the family of God united together in the good news of the gospel. And he says, "The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. And if we are children of God than heirs, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. Provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." And then he makes this incredible statement, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." This is amazing what the scripture lays out, that if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a part of the family of God. You are an heir to the kingdom of the King of Kings. It is a family that will last forever, and it is a family that is rooted and grounded in hope and joy that is eternal. Church, we need to hear this, we are not a people who are without hope. We are a people who had been given eternal hope, and we get to see that hope come alive in others. When they trust in Christ, we get to see the beauty of the joy of the Lord in salvation laid before us, when we live the mission, when we come together to point others to the good news of what Christ has done.
George Wright: 21:48 We go back to John 17 verse 14, we see another reason here why unity is so important for the sake of the mission, but this is a very difficult statement that Jesus makes in his prayer. He says, "I've given them your word, and the world has hated them." How many of us just want to be hated? I mean, I know some you Clemson fans, you want to be hated for winning every game, I get it. That's not what I'm talking about. It's not a football analogy. I mean honestly, how many of us just want to be hated? It's not something we desire at all. And yet Jesus is saying, listen, listen, don't miss this church. If you follow after me, the world is not going to understand you, and the world at times is even going to hate you and be hostile towards you. Why? Because if you follow Jesus, you're not of this world. Jesus has a kingdom that is beyond this world, greater than this world, over this world. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. The world does not understand, and the world will not applaud, when you live the mission of God. College students, the world will not applaud, when you plug into a church for your four years or however much time you have on the college campus, people will mock you, they will ridicule you. I know this is not easy. The world does not understand, and the world is hostile to the message of the gospel.
George Wright: 23:39 So why is this? We need to know why this happens, so that we can understand how to interact with a hostile world. Why is this? The mission of God clearly communicates that you and I cannot be God, this is very important that we understand. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, to the fall of man, when Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit that they were told by God not to eat. They took that fruit, and they ate it. Why did they do that? The enemy of God said to them, you can read this, the fall of man in Genesis. If you take and eat of that fruit, you will become like God. That's the sinful desire of every heart, that we can be God-like, that we can be the Lord and the savior of our own lives. We want to be in control. We want to run the show. We want to live our lives as if the world revolves around us. And when there is a message that speaks into our life and says, hey, you cannot be God-like, you cannot save yourself, the world does not revolve around you. In fact, if you want to know God, you have to die to yourself. That's a message that is hostile and threatening to those who are living their lives as if they are their own God.
George Wright: 25:26 You see any attempt at self-salvation, any self-salvation project, is an attempt to be like God. And there's people who do this through their wealth. There's people who do this through power. There's people who do this through accomplishment or accolades. There's people that do this through status. Let me prove how great I am. Let me prove that I am the master of my universe. I am the King of my castle. But the gospel says you cannot save yourself. The gospel says you cannot be your own God, you need a savior. But the gospel also says, the savior has done for you in his love and grace towards you, what you can never do for yourself. And the gospel says, that when you recognize your need for a savior, when you come to the end of yourself, when you recognize that you are not in control and you are not God, that God pursuing you with his love invites to trust in him through the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is the good news of the gospel, but the gospel creates people in the world who are hostile, because they want to be God.
George Wright: 27:04 So the third point we see, and this will bring us to the end of our message as we hit our text that we started with, is simply this unity for the sake of the mission leads to strength in the face of opposition. The opposition is real. The opposition is not going to cease. The opposition will grow more hostile as we prepare for the second coming of Christ. And so Jesus is saying in the face of opposition, unity is so incredibly important. United for the sake of the mission, because we need one another. We need to be reminded that we're not alone, we're in this fight together. And we are standing for what Jesus says matters most, that the mission would advance through us. In many ways, the church serves like an embassy in a foreign land. As I researched this this week, the United States of America has 192 embassies all around world. Once an embassy for? An embassy is to be a sanctuary for the citizens of America who are on foreign soil, an embassy is to be a place of refuge when needed. It's to be a place of support and encouragement for the citizens of America who find themselves living in a foreign land. It's to be a reminder that while this is not your home, you are not alone. That's what the church is to be. The church is not to be a place that we gather and try to wall ourselves off from the world, or a place that we gather to shake our fists at the world. No the church is to be a place where we joined together, being reminded of what God has done, and the joy of our salvation, to go back out into the world together for the sake of the mission that the world can see who Jesus is. That's what the church is to be about. And that's the purpose, the calling of Jesus, for his followers that we see here in this prayer.
George Wright: 29:25 Let me read it once again, John 17 verse 15 through 18, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just I am not of the world." Let me ask you, are you living your life in step with the heart of Jesus, as one who is not of this world? Or are you living your life like the world? Jesus says, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." You see church, we have been given a mission in a foreign land. As citizens of a heavenly kingdom, our King has given us a mission, a calling. And yes, there is opposition all around us. Yes, the mission is not easy. Yes, the mission is not about us as individuals. It is about us as a body, but yes, the mission will be accomplished. It will be accomplished with or without us. Will we be an answer to the prayer of Jesus? Will we stand together as one, in one accord, to live our lives for a common purpose that flows out of common beliefs, so that the world may see us and see what Jesus Christ has done? We don't gather together to retreat from the mission, we gather together to be empowered and equipped to go out in the joy of the Lord to live the mission. So let's do it. We've been talking about this a lot, let's do it. If you're on the sidelines, get involved. If you're wondering, can God use your life? The answer's yes, get involved, step up, get in the game. Be a part of this purpose, this global eternal purpose. That God is it work to lead more and more to the good news of who he is, and what he has done. Let's stand together for the sake of the mission advancing through us, so that many people through us can hear the greatest news that the world could ever hear.
George Wright: 32:19 Would you pray with me as we close our time this morning? Father, God, I am so grateful for the incredible gift of your love that has been demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ, and I'm so grateful for the beauty of this prayer that invites us to see the heart of Jesus for his followers. A heart of Jesus that wants to remind us of the great joy of salvation, a heart of Jesus that reminds us of this incredible calling and invitation to be a part of what you are doing in the world, a heart of Jesus that says, stand together so that you can find strength even in the face of opposition, and remember that the purpose will be fulfilled. Oh Lord, we thank you, we thank you for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and for all that you have done among us to demonstrate who you are and what you have called us to be about. I want to pray specifically, as I close, for those who are among us today who have never trusted their life to Jesus Christ in a personal way. They saw the examples of baptism earlier in the service, of people standing up and saying, I am a follower of Jesus and I want people to know it. And they've been wrestling with this, perhaps they're at the beginnings step of starting a relationship with you., but they just have not gone public, or they haven't talked to anyone yet. Or perhaps they've been in the church, or in a church, for a long time around followers of Jesus, but they've never made a personal decision to trust their life to Jesus Christ. I pray that today would be that day, the power of your spirit even now as you move in the hearts of many, I pray that there would be some that would simply say, Jesus, I am ready to follow you. Jesus, I'm ready to follow you, forgive me of my sin, cover me in your grace. I want to be a new creation, with the new story that is rooted and grounded in the joy of salvation. So I trust my life to you, Jesus. Father God, how grateful we are for the gift of salvation, and for the calling to be about your mission, to share this gift with more and more. So, Lord, use us for your glory as a church, this is our prayer, that we would see you at work in us for your glory as we seek to follow you in faith together. But the mission, the living sent, going to the world as a people who have been sent by Jesus, it would be accomplished through us. Oh, how we thank you for your love. We worship your name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
George Wright: 01:19 And what we talked about last week in John 17, is that there is a central theme throughout this prayer, it is a theme of unity. Jesus is praying that his followers would be one, that they would be United together for the sake of the mission. We defined unity this way. Unity is a common purpose that flows out of common belief. And last week as we were navigating John 17, we looked at the beliefs that Jesus lays before us in this prayer that are absolutely essential, if the followers of Jesus and the church of Jesus are going to live out this mission in this calling that God has invited us to be about. A common purpose, it flows out of common belief.
George Wright: 02:09 Today as we turn our attention to John 17, we are focusing primarily on this common purpose. What are we to be all about? What is the mission that God has called us to? I want to begin in verse 15, we're actually going to cover verses 12 through 19, but I want to begin in verse 15 this morning. Just to highlight this common purpose, this mission that Jesus prays his followers will live out, and I want to invite you to stand with me. Every week when we start our message at the beginning of the message, we read scripture that is our focus for the day, and we stand together so that we can all be reminded that the word of God is our authority as a people of God. It is the foundation that we are built upon and we believe as followers of Jesus who believe the word of God is the truth of God, that everything contained in God's word is what we need to hear. It is right and it is good and it is true. So this is the foundation on which we stand. John 17 the word of God says this in the prayer of Jesus, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth." Here it is. "As you sent me into the world." As you sent me in to the world, Jesus prays, "So I have sent them into the world. This is the prayer of Jesus, the heart of Jesus, and this is the purpose, the mission that Jesus has called his followers to be about.
George Wright: 04:07 Would you pray with me as we consider God's word, and consider this calling from Jesus? Father, we thank you for this time where we can turn our attention to your word, and it is my prayer as we stand around the room, and it is my prayer as others join us online even for this message, that your spirit would move among us. That we would see and hear what you want us to see and hear, and it is my prayer that today our hearts would be open and that we would receive this truth, this good news laid out for us in your word. Please Lord, have your way among us, that we might not be the same as a result of what you have said. Thank you for this time. It's in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Now you may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: 05:14 So what we are seeing in this prayer of Jesus as the heart of Jesus is put on display, is over and over again throughout this prayer, Jesus prays that his people would be one. It is a prayer for unity among the body. We talked about this last week at great length, a prayer for unity among the followers of Christ. And what we see today as we continue to walk through these verses, that is this unity is for a purpose. That Jesus is not just praying for his church to be united so that we can just get along and be happy. Jesus is not just for unity among the church, so that will be nice to each other. That's important, but Jesus is praying for unity among his followers for a purpose, that we would go united together to live out this calling, and we would live out this mission. And Jesus knows that unity is essential for this to happen. The mission will not be accomplished through us if we are divided, the mission will not be accomplished through us if we are isolated and alone. Now, please hear me, I'm not saying the mission will not be accomplished. I'm saying the mission will not be accomplished through us if we are divided or isolated or alone, for the mission to be accomplished through us as a group of believers, as a church, a local body of Christ, as a group of followers of Christ. For those of you who are here, they're following Jesus. If the mission is going to be accomplished through us, it's going to happen because we are united, standing together for the sake of the mission being fulfilled through us.
George Wright: 07:13 It's important that we understand unity is at the heart of God's mission for his church. We see why that's is so, so important as we track back through John 17, let's go back to verse 12 in this prayer. Verse 12 Jesus says, While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." Now, here's what I want us to see from this verse, and we're going to talk about it. Because it seems a little strange that Jesus is saying what he's just said. I believe that through this statement, Jesus is showing us unity for the sake of the mission is so important, so that we will be reminded in any and everything that the purpose of God will be fulfilled. And please hear me, may not be fulfilled through us. If we're divided, if we're on our own, if we're running our own agenda and our own show and chasing our own preferences instead of dying to the things of God, then the mission may not be accomplished through us, but the purpose of God will be fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with us or without us.
George Wright: 08:32 And Jesus is showing that in verse 12 he says, look, while I was with my disciples, they were all saved, they were kept by me, but there was one, there was one exception. That exception is someone named Judas. Jesus is talking about really, you could say the elephant in the room. Because he's praying this prayer in the upper room with his disciples just after he's had the Lord's supper, and just after he's looked across the table and said, one of you is going to betray me, so Judas, go and do what you have to do. Imagine what that must've been like for the other disciples. This man that they have spent three years with following Jesus, this one that they thought was one of their own, is now going to sell Jesus out to the religious leaders that want to kill him. This has got to provide some questions, right? I mean, Jesus, if you're so great, why can't you even keep just the original guys that were following you? Jesus, if you really are the savior and really are who you say you are, why in the world is one of your own who lived with you for three years and saw everything that you did, why is he now leaving to betray you? Jesus come on now, if you're so great, how can you not convince someone like Judas who saw everything you did and heard everything that you said...But listen, Jesus said, this is not a surprise. In fact, Jesus is saying this is all part of the plan.
George Wright: 10:24 Jesus says, what happened through Judas was to fulfill the prophecy of scripture. This is not outside of God's plan, this is part of God's plan. Why? So that we could see, and be reminded, that God is in control even when it looks like things are out of control. Jesus is saying this is part of the plan, so that we can see that the mission will be accomplished whether we all go with him or not. Jesus saying, this is part of God's plan, so that we would recognize that God's purpose will be fulfilled even in the face of betrayal. You see, Jesus is showing us something so important here, that the agenda of man is no threat to the purpose of God. The purpose of God will be fulfilled, and the agenda of man is no threat to the purpose of God. God is in control, His mission will be accomplished, His purpose will be fulfilled. Even when some people walk away, and even when some people say, that's not for me, God is still in control. His purpose will be fulfilled.
George Wright: 11:47 But this is a little side note, there's something else incredibly important that we are reminded of here in John 17 verse 12. When Jesus talks about Judas, please don't miss this. I know many of you have spent time in church, many of you have spent a lot of time in church. Please don't miss this, this is so important to see. As Jesus talks about Judas walking away, Jesus is reminding us that close proximity to Jesus does not equal following Jesus. Church, are you listening? College students, are you hearing this? Some of you have spent a lot of time in church. You've grown up in church. Your parents have faith. Your family has faith. Please don't miss this, close proximity to Jesus, spending time near Jesus, is not the same as trusting your life to Jesus. Being around other followers of Jesus is not the same as salvation. I've heard it said this way, this helps me and my simple mind. The statement has made, being in a church does not make you a Christian, just like sitting in a garage does not make you a car. There's a lot of people that believe they are Christian because they go to church from time to time, or maybe cause they go to church a lot, but close proximity to Jesus does not equal following Jesus as one who has been saved.
George Wright: 13:37 You see, a Christian is one who acknowledges their need for the savior, one who has trusted their life to Jesus Christ. That he died for their sin, that he died for their selfish ways and their personal agendas, and as a result of his death on the cross, he offers forgiveness in a personal way for our sin. And through his grace, and through his mercy, in the power of his resurrection, Jesus offers us new life. To become called a new creation as one who has been saved, but one who has been set free to now live the mission that God has called us to be about as one who has been transformed by the grace and mercy of God. That's what it means to be a Christian, to be a follower of Jesus.
George Wright: 14:32 But every church has some people who are like Judas, and I'm not saying like Judas in the sense of betrayal, or like selling Jesus out. I'm saying every church has some people who are like Judas, in that they spend a lot of time around Jesus, but they've never trusted Jesus. They have an agenda that is more important than following Jesus. You may have been in the church a long time, are you a follower of Jesus as one who has trusted your life to Jesus? There are some church attenders, maybe even some church members and some religious here, that need to trust your life to Jesus. He's the only one that can save, but then the good news of God's mercy and grace toward you, he is pursuing you even now with the gift of his salvation.
George Wright: 15:37 Let's go back to the text, let's go back to the scripture. John 17 verse 13 ,we see a second reason why unity is so important for the sake of the mission. It says this, But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." You know, the Bible talks a lot about joy. Jesus talks a lot about joy. A personal question for us to consider, is joy the theme of our life? Are you living a joyful life? Are you living in response to what God has done in such a way that that joy truly is your song? This is so good. This is so important. Jesus saying, unity for the sake of the mission will point us to great joy, it will point us back to what God has done for us, and there is no greater joy according to the scripture than the joy of salvation. But here's the deal, the reality that we all have faced from time to time, even those of you who have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, is life can be incredibly difficult and as a result, joy can feel fleeting. We can so easily be discouraged or overwhelmed. And in the midst of it all, if there is division, division always steals joy. Division always robs joy, because it takes the focus off of what God has done that brings us joy, and puts the focus on something else altogether.
George Wright: 17:35 Jesus talks about unity, prays for unity, understands how important unity is for the sake of the mission. Because he recognizes that his people, his followers, need to be reminded over and over and again that the joy of the Lord is our strength. This is why David prays in the Psalms in the middle of a very difficult season in his life, restore to me, the joy of my salvation. Because that's true joy, and I don't want to forget about i, I don't want to get away from it, I don't want to move past it, I want to return to the joy of salvation. And this is why unity for the sake of the mission is so important, in that it points us back to joy over and over again because when we're living our life in unity, on mission together, guess what we get to see? We get to see the work of salvation in others, and there's nothing better. The scripture says, heaven rejoices when one who has been lost comes home. The church should rejoice with one who has lost, comes home. We as a people should rejoice., there is nothing doing better than seeing the joy of salvation come to life in someone. The word of God shows us that there is a promised joy that is eternal for all who trust in Jesus.
George Wright: 19:10 I'm going to turn your attention quickly to Romans 8, Romans 8, beginning of verse 14. If you're new to Bible study, perhaps new to church, I would just say this to you about the book of Romans, and specifically Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, I believe, is one of the most important chapters in all of the scripture. Because it lays out for us so clearly who God is, and what he has done, and what has been made available to you and to me through Jesus Christ. If you're new to the Bible, go to the book of Romans, go specifically to Romans chapter 8 and look at this incredible good news called the gospel. It says in verse 14, "For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry Abba Father." What is Paul doing here in this letter to the church in Rome? He's trying to point to the family of God united together in the good news of the gospel. And he says, "The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God. And if we are children of God than heirs, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ. Provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." And then he makes this incredible statement, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." This is amazing what the scripture lays out, that if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a part of the family of God. You are an heir to the kingdom of the King of Kings. It is a family that will last forever, and it is a family that is rooted and grounded in hope and joy that is eternal. Church, we need to hear this, we are not a people who are without hope. We are a people who had been given eternal hope, and we get to see that hope come alive in others. When they trust in Christ, we get to see the beauty of the joy of the Lord in salvation laid before us, when we live the mission, when we come together to point others to the good news of what Christ has done.
George Wright: 21:48 We go back to John 17 verse 14, we see another reason here why unity is so important for the sake of the mission, but this is a very difficult statement that Jesus makes in his prayer. He says, "I've given them your word, and the world has hated them." How many of us just want to be hated? I mean, I know some you Clemson fans, you want to be hated for winning every game, I get it. That's not what I'm talking about. It's not a football analogy. I mean honestly, how many of us just want to be hated? It's not something we desire at all. And yet Jesus is saying, listen, listen, don't miss this church. If you follow after me, the world is not going to understand you, and the world at times is even going to hate you and be hostile towards you. Why? Because if you follow Jesus, you're not of this world. Jesus has a kingdom that is beyond this world, greater than this world, over this world. If you're a follower of Jesus, you are a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. The world does not understand, and the world will not applaud, when you live the mission of God. College students, the world will not applaud, when you plug into a church for your four years or however much time you have on the college campus, people will mock you, they will ridicule you. I know this is not easy. The world does not understand, and the world is hostile to the message of the gospel.
George Wright: 23:39 So why is this? We need to know why this happens, so that we can understand how to interact with a hostile world. Why is this? The mission of God clearly communicates that you and I cannot be God, this is very important that we understand. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, to the fall of man, when Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit that they were told by God not to eat. They took that fruit, and they ate it. Why did they do that? The enemy of God said to them, you can read this, the fall of man in Genesis. If you take and eat of that fruit, you will become like God. That's the sinful desire of every heart, that we can be God-like, that we can be the Lord and the savior of our own lives. We want to be in control. We want to run the show. We want to live our lives as if the world revolves around us. And when there is a message that speaks into our life and says, hey, you cannot be God-like, you cannot save yourself, the world does not revolve around you. In fact, if you want to know God, you have to die to yourself. That's a message that is hostile and threatening to those who are living their lives as if they are their own God.
George Wright: 25:26 You see any attempt at self-salvation, any self-salvation project, is an attempt to be like God. And there's people who do this through their wealth. There's people who do this through power. There's people who do this through accomplishment or accolades. There's people that do this through status. Let me prove how great I am. Let me prove that I am the master of my universe. I am the King of my castle. But the gospel says you cannot save yourself. The gospel says you cannot be your own God, you need a savior. But the gospel also says, the savior has done for you in his love and grace towards you, what you can never do for yourself. And the gospel says, that when you recognize your need for a savior, when you come to the end of yourself, when you recognize that you are not in control and you are not God, that God pursuing you with his love invites to trust in him through the finished work of Jesus Christ. This is the good news of the gospel, but the gospel creates people in the world who are hostile, because they want to be God.
George Wright: 27:04 So the third point we see, and this will bring us to the end of our message as we hit our text that we started with, is simply this unity for the sake of the mission leads to strength in the face of opposition. The opposition is real. The opposition is not going to cease. The opposition will grow more hostile as we prepare for the second coming of Christ. And so Jesus is saying in the face of opposition, unity is so incredibly important. United for the sake of the mission, because we need one another. We need to be reminded that we're not alone, we're in this fight together. And we are standing for what Jesus says matters most, that the mission would advance through us. In many ways, the church serves like an embassy in a foreign land. As I researched this this week, the United States of America has 192 embassies all around world. Once an embassy for? An embassy is to be a sanctuary for the citizens of America who are on foreign soil, an embassy is to be a place of refuge when needed. It's to be a place of support and encouragement for the citizens of America who find themselves living in a foreign land. It's to be a reminder that while this is not your home, you are not alone. That's what the church is to be. The church is not to be a place that we gather and try to wall ourselves off from the world, or a place that we gather to shake our fists at the world. No the church is to be a place where we joined together, being reminded of what God has done, and the joy of our salvation, to go back out into the world together for the sake of the mission that the world can see who Jesus is. That's what the church is to be about. And that's the purpose, the calling of Jesus, for his followers that we see here in this prayer.
George Wright: 29:25 Let me read it once again, John 17 verse 15 through 18, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just I am not of the world." Let me ask you, are you living your life in step with the heart of Jesus, as one who is not of this world? Or are you living your life like the world? Jesus says, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world." You see church, we have been given a mission in a foreign land. As citizens of a heavenly kingdom, our King has given us a mission, a calling. And yes, there is opposition all around us. Yes, the mission is not easy. Yes, the mission is not about us as individuals. It is about us as a body, but yes, the mission will be accomplished. It will be accomplished with or without us. Will we be an answer to the prayer of Jesus? Will we stand together as one, in one accord, to live our lives for a common purpose that flows out of common beliefs, so that the world may see us and see what Jesus Christ has done? We don't gather together to retreat from the mission, we gather together to be empowered and equipped to go out in the joy of the Lord to live the mission. So let's do it. We've been talking about this a lot, let's do it. If you're on the sidelines, get involved. If you're wondering, can God use your life? The answer's yes, get involved, step up, get in the game. Be a part of this purpose, this global eternal purpose. That God is it work to lead more and more to the good news of who he is, and what he has done. Let's stand together for the sake of the mission advancing through us, so that many people through us can hear the greatest news that the world could ever hear.
George Wright: 32:19 Would you pray with me as we close our time this morning? Father, God, I am so grateful for the incredible gift of your love that has been demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ, and I'm so grateful for the beauty of this prayer that invites us to see the heart of Jesus for his followers. A heart of Jesus that wants to remind us of the great joy of salvation, a heart of Jesus that reminds us of this incredible calling and invitation to be a part of what you are doing in the world, a heart of Jesus that says, stand together so that you can find strength even in the face of opposition, and remember that the purpose will be fulfilled. Oh Lord, we thank you, we thank you for the finished work of Jesus Christ, and for all that you have done among us to demonstrate who you are and what you have called us to be about. I want to pray specifically, as I close, for those who are among us today who have never trusted their life to Jesus Christ in a personal way. They saw the examples of baptism earlier in the service, of people standing up and saying, I am a follower of Jesus and I want people to know it. And they've been wrestling with this, perhaps they're at the beginnings step of starting a relationship with you., but they just have not gone public, or they haven't talked to anyone yet. Or perhaps they've been in the church, or in a church, for a long time around followers of Jesus, but they've never made a personal decision to trust their life to Jesus Christ. I pray that today would be that day, the power of your spirit even now as you move in the hearts of many, I pray that there would be some that would simply say, Jesus, I am ready to follow you. Jesus, I'm ready to follow you, forgive me of my sin, cover me in your grace. I want to be a new creation, with the new story that is rooted and grounded in the joy of salvation. So I trust my life to you, Jesus. Father God, how grateful we are for the gift of salvation, and for the calling to be about your mission, to share this gift with more and more. So, Lord, use us for your glory as a church, this is our prayer, that we would see you at work in us for your glory as we seek to follow you in faith together. But the mission, the living sent, going to the world as a people who have been sent by Jesus, it would be accomplished through us. Oh, how we thank you for your love. We worship your name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
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