Our Destiny: to Receive and to Give Divine Love - John 17

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Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2020-05-24

Video cover image by United Kingdom Government —Public domain

  • We are a gift from the Father to Jesus: his beloved ones
  • He gives our love back to the Father as a gift:
    to be revealers of God’s self-giving love to the world (and universe)
  • This is the highest expression of the Christian faith you will ever hear.
  • More than that, it is the highest point of human existence
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Sermon Outline - Our Destiny: to Receive and to Give Divine Love —John 17

Goal:

To be deeply moved and touched that we are loved so much,
to be awed by our destiny,
and to know how we can respond.

Plan for today

  1. A quick walk through the whole prayer in John 17
  2. Jesus prays for his heart’s desire
  3. The Father’s desire to be known

Structure of John

1–12
”Book of Signs” 		13–21
”Book of Glory”

John 13–21 “Book of Glory”

13 A meal with the disciples

14–17 New Teaching
      from Jesus
      to the disciples
18–20 Arrest
      Crucifixion
      Resurrection

21 A meal with the disciples

1. A quick walk through the whole prayer

Prayers of John 17

  1. (1–5) I have completed your mission and brought eternal life to humanity, so the time has come for me to come back to your side in glory.
  2. (6–10) You entrusted me with your loved ones, so I gave them your words and they received them. I pray for them now because they belong to us both.
  3. (11–13) Now I am leaving them, please keep them safe, and especially give them the kind of unity that we have.
    • The disciples could overhear Jesus talking to the Father with so much care for them. Feel what it is like to be cared for so deeply!
  4. (14–17) The world will hate them, but don’t take them out, rather keep them safe.
    • On the one hand we are to be kept safe from the world, but on the other NOT to be taken out. Why not?
  5. (17–19) Dedicate them to the truth and send them out to continue the mission that you sent me on.
    • Because we have a new mission—to be sent into the World, and to be 100% dedicated
  6. (20–23) And as the mission grows, may the world see their love and unity and so believe in your love!
    • Jesus has give us the hardest task, but also the most wonderful task—to demonstrate to the world a love and unity that can only be supernatural, and must have come from the Father of love
  7. (24–26) And finally, I want them to be with me forever, seeing your true character, and enveloped in our love.
  • Last time:

Response to Prayer 6

  1. Recognize how important this love is—the greatest task of your life!
  2. Ask God to show you the who and the how
  3. Tap into his love within you to empower you

2. Jesus prays for his heart’s desire

  • As we come to the conclusion of the prayer, Jesus asks something very personal for himself

Let’s dig down into the text now Link to John 17

Respond to Jesus’ Love

  • Simply receive and believe his love
    1. What pleased Jesus most while on earth was when people simply believed him
    2. Jesus wants you with him! —spend time with him, even now!

Plan for today

  1. A quick walk through the whole prayer
  2. Jesus prays for his heart’s desire
  3. The Father’s desire to be known

3. The Father’s desire to be known

Righteousness

  • Old Testament: About keeping a relational commitment
  • Faithfulness to the covenant -the unrighteous person breaks the covenant’s laws
  • God’s righteousness is his faithfulness to those he has made promises to. e.g. Psalm 71
  1. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me, and save me!
  2. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,of your deeds of salvation all the day,
  3. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
  4. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?

Moses asks to see God’s Name: Exodus 34

  1. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.
  2. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD,
    the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God,
    slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…

Your Name - Psalm 109

  1. But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me!
  2. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads.
  3. Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love!
  4. Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it!

Plan for today

  1. A quick walk through the whole prayer in John 17
  2. Jesus prays for his heart’s desire
  3. The Father’s desire to be known

How the Prayer calls us to respond

Our Destiny

To Receive and to Give Divine Love

  1. Simply receive and believe his love
    1. What pleased Jesus most while on earth was when people simply believed him
    2. Jesus wants you with him! —spend time with him, even now!
  2. Having taken in this love, give it out in God’s name
    1. Because it is the only hope for the world
    2. And because we are so in love with God that it is our joy for people to see his loveliness

Our Destiny

  1. Simply receive and believe his love
  2. Having taken in this love, give it out in God’s name
  • We are a gift from the Father to Jesus: beloved companions for him
  • He gives our love back to the Father as a gift:
    to be revealers of God’s self-giving love to the world (and universe)
  • This is the highest expression of the Christian faith you will ever hear.
  • More than that, it is the highest point of human existence

Updated on 2020-05-24 by Andrew Fountain