Keep Them in Your Name

1. "After you reckon with the reality of your impending death, what then are you most concerned about? What becomes your greatest priority? I find and what research has shown people are concerned most with those they love most in their dying moments. Not work, not accomplishments, not sinful pleasures. But their loved ones tend to capture their full attention."

2. "Jesus' terminal prognosis didn't focus Jesus' priorities, though. But instead it revealed that Jesus was already focused on those he loved most: his father and his disciples."

3. "Brothers and sisters, do you understand that your faith in Jesus is treasured by Jesus? That you are a gift of the Father to the Son. You are sacred and special in his sight."

4. "Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ. And that begins with God's Word. This book, this divine revelation, Jesus, the living Word, proclaimed God's Word to God's chosen people. And they came to be God's people when they received the Word. And this reception is not just a surface reception, no, it's an internal reception."

5. "When I feel most different, I have to press into what I share most in common. When I feel most different, I have to press into what I share most in common. I need to focus more on there being one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, having one God and Father who is over all and through all and in all."

6. "Christian, if you are trying to make the world like you, you're pursuing a dead mission. It's not going to work. And if it does, you should be alarmed."

7. "The doctrine of our preservation by God's power gives Christians joy because we know that we get to the finish line not by merely our own efforts. Though Christianity is not against effort, it's against earning."

8. "To be sanctified means to be set apart for a sacred purpose. To be sanctified means to be set apart for a holy purpose. Kind of like a wedding dress is set apart for a sacred moment. You don't really see women walking around in their wedding dress for a job interview."

9. "See, Scripture memorization is a great way to be sanctified in truth. But whether it's meditating on a passage over and over again, letting it kind of soak in your mind and dwelling on it, or singing that song or praying through a text of scripture, whatever it is that you are doing in the Word, Christ is praying that it will bless you, that it will make you more like him."

10. "Brothers and sisters, due to the curse of sin, we are all terminal. We all have a day coming when we will pass through the valley of the shadow of death. But brothers and sisters, we have a mighty Savior who passed through death and rose again. And he will see us through death and to rise into his presence because he is the good shepherd who loses none of his sheep."

Observation Questions

1. In John 17:6, what does Jesus say He has done for those the Father gave Him? How did He do this according to John 1:1, 14?

2. According to John 17:8, what three responses did the disciples have to Jesus' words? What order do these responses appear in?

3. In John 17:11-12, what specific request does Jesus make regarding His disciples? What reason does He give for this request?

4. Looking at John 17:14-16, what does Jesus say about His disciples' relationship to "the world"? How many times is this relationship mentioned?

5. In John 17:17, what means does Jesus say will be used to sanctify His disciples? How does this connect to His statement in verse 14?

6. From John 17:18-19, what parallel does Jesus draw between His mission and the disciples' mission? What does He say He does for their sake?

Interpretation Questions

1. When Jesus prays "keep them in your name" (17:11), what does it mean to be kept in God's name? How does this relate to our salvation?

2. Why does Jesus emphasize that His disciples "are not of the world" (17:14, 16)? What implications does this have for Christian identity?

3. How does Jesus' prayer for unity among believers (17:11) reflect the unity within the Trinity? What kind of unity is Jesus praying for?

4. What is the relationship between truth and sanctification in this passage? How does God's Word function in making us holy?

5. How does Jesus' consecration of Himself (17:19) enable the sanctification of believers? What does this tell us about Christ's work?

Application Questions

1. When was the last time you felt "different" from other believers? How did you respond? How could you "press into what we share in common" next time?

2. Think about your Bible reading this past week. What specific truths have you been meditating on? How are they changing you?

3. What evidence do you see in your life that you are "not of the world"? Where do you feel pressure to compromise with worldly values?

4. When you pray for other believers, do you pray for their sanctification? Who could you start praying for specifically this week regarding their growth in holiness?

5. What Scripture passage are you currently memorizing or would like to start memorizing? What keeps you from memorizing Scripture more regularly?

Additional Bible Reading

1. Ephesians 4:1-6
   This passage expands on Jesus' prayer for unity, showing how our oneness in Christ is grounded in the one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

2. 1 Peter 1:13-25
   Peter connects our holiness with our status as God's chosen people and emphasizes the role of God's enduring word in our new birth and growth.

3. Romans 12:1-8
   Paul describes what it looks like practically to be set apart for God's purposes, linking individual transformation with unity in the body of Christ.

4. Colossians 3:1-17
   This text helps us understand how being "not of the world" shapes our identity and daily choices as those who have been raised with Christ.

Sermon Main Topics

The Terminal Prognosis and Jesus’ Revealed Priorities

Our Faith: Christ’s Concern for Our Faith (John 17:6-10)

Our Preservation: Christ’s Prayer for Our Protection (John 17:11-16)

Our Sanctification: Christ’s Consecration for Our Mission (John 17:17-19)

The Assurance of Christ’s Victory Over Death

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Detailed Sermon Outline

I. The Terminal Prognosis and Jesus’ Revealed Priorities

• A. The Reality of Mortality

• 1. Human responses to terminal diagnoses (John 17:1-5)

  • Questions, prayers, and refocused priorities on loved ones.

• B. Jesus’ Priorities Before His Death

• 1. His love for the Father and disciples (John 17:1-5)

  • Jesus’ prayer reveals His eternal relationship with the Father and care for His followers.

• 2. The centrality of glorification in His mission

  • “No cross, no crown; no grave, no glory.”

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II. Our Faith: Christ’s Concern for Our Faith (John 17:6-10)

• A. The Object of True Faith

• 1. The manifestation of God’s name (John 17:6)

  • Jesus reveals God’s character, authority, and nature (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3).

• 2. The Father’s electing love

  • Believers are a gift from the Father to the Son (John 17:2, 9, 24).

• B. The Cause and Proof of True Faith

• 1. Election as the foundation of faith (John 17:6)

  • “God chose you before the foundation of the world.”

• 2. Keeping God’s Word as evidence of faith (John 17:6)

  • Holding onto Scripture as relational knowledge (John 17:7-8).

• C. The Specificity of Jesus’ Prayer

• 1. Praying for the elect, not the world (John 17:9-10)

  • Jesus’ intercession includes all future believers (John 17:20).

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III. Our Preservation: Christ’s Prayer for Our Protection (John 17:11-16)

• A. Kept in the Father’s Name

• 1. Union with Christ and the church (John 17:11)

  • Oneness reflects the Trinity’s unity (Ephesians 4:4-6).

• 2. Guarding against spiritual failure (John 17:12)

  • Judas’ betrayal as a fulfillment of Scripture (John 17:12).

• B. Preserved from the Evil One

• 1. The world’s hostility toward believers (John 17:14-16)

  • Christians are “not of the world” but sent into it (John 3:3-8).

• 2. The joy of divine preservation (John 17:13)

  • Christ’s joy becomes ours through trust in His sovereignty.

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IV. Our Sanctification: Christ’s Consecration for Our Mission (John 17:17-19)

• A. Set Apart for God’s Purpose

• 1. Sanctification through truth (John 17:17)

  • Scripture as the means of holiness (Psalm 119:9-11).

• 2. The mission of global evangelism (John 17:18)

  • Sent as Christ was sent, to proclaim the gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).

• B. Christ’s Consecration as Our Example

• 1. Jesus’ sacrificial obedience (John 17:19)

  • His death as the “Lamb of God” secures our sanctification.

• 2. Practical steps for growth

  • Scripture memorization, meditation, and communal discipleship.

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V. The Assurance of Christ’s Victory Over Death

• A. The Certainty of Eternal Life

• 1. Christ’s resurrection as the guarantee (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

  • “He will see us through death to rise into His presence.”

• B. Living in Hope

• 1. Trusting Christ’s intercession and sovereignty

  • “None of His sheep will be lost.”

• 2. A call to repentance and faith

  • Invitation to renounce sin and embrace Christ’s salvation.

It's terminal.

You don't have much time left.

Your head spins and your heart sinks at the doctor's prognosis.

Tsunamis of questions swell over you like, Is this Real?

Are they sure?

And then the prayers begin. Please, God, take this away from me. I don't want to die.

But after you reckon with the reality of your impending death, what then are you most concerned about?

What becomes your greatest priority?

Well, I find and what research has shown, people are concerned most with those they love most in their dying moments. Not work, not accomplishments, not sinful pleasures, but their loved ones. Tend to capture their full attention. Questions like, are they going to be okay without me? Have I left them what they need to survive?

Can I only spend a little more time that I have left with them?

See, it's amazing how death focuses our priorities.

The night before Jesus would be brutally executed on a wooden cross. What we find is that his priorities too were those he loved most. Jesus' terminal prognosis didn't focus Jesus' priorities though. But instead it revealed that Jesus was already focused on those he loved most. His father, and his disciples.

For three and a half years, Jesus had been with his disciples. He had spent night and day with them. Jesus loved his ragtag bunch of disciples. A crew made up of former fishermen, an extortionist called a tax collector, an enemy of the state called a Zealot, and they journeyed together through the night. They camped out together.

They ate together. They were there when Jesus fed the 5,000 and also when he was disrespected by religious rulers. Jesus called them friends because everything that he learned from his father he had made known to them. And so as we come to John 17, we hear Jesus' prayer before he is getting ready to die. And we come to learn his priorities.

So please turn with me to John chapter 17 on page 903 in your red Bibles. And if you don't have a Bible to read back at home, we would love for you to take that Bible with you so that you can. That's John chapter 17, page 903. And it reads, When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

Now they know that everything that you have given me It's from you, for I have given them the words that you gave me. And they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world. But for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.

All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which youh have given me, that they may be one even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in youn name, which youh 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.

But now I am coming to youo, and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them youm Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that yout take them out of the world, but that yout keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth.

Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake, I consecrate myself that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Back in March, we studied verses one through five. We saw Jesus' greatest priority was his own glorification. Jesus' glorification was the linchpin to the whole mission. If Jesus was not raised and exalted to the right hand of the Father in glory, he could not raise his disciples and grant them eternal life.

No cross, no crown. No grave, no glory. Now in verses 6 through 19, we see the main idea that keeping and sanctifying Jesus' people was his dying priority and should also be our priority. Keeping and sanctifying Jesus' people was his dying priority and should be our priority.

And in Jesus' prayer, we see three priorities.

Our faith, our preservation, and our sanctification. Our faith, that's verses 6 through 10. Our preservation, that's verses 11 through 16. And our sanctification. Faith, preservation, sanctification.

So we see Christ's concern for our faith in verses 6 through 10. And so let me explain the flow of thought here before we dive into the details. Verse 8 is where the word belief, you see it there in verse 8, which is a synonym for faith. That's where it first shows up. And then there is a build up to it.

Faith is trusting in, relying on, putting our confidence in the promises and character of God. And then in verse 6, we see the object of true faith, the cause of true faith, and the proof of true faith.

In verse 7, we see that knowledge is a part of true faith. And then in verse 8, It explains how they came to that knowledge. And then in verses 9 through 10, we see Jesus specifies who he is praying for. And so that's kind of the flow of thought. Y'all got it?

I'll take that as a yes. Okay, that's the overview. But now let's fill in that even further. In verse 6, we see the object of true faith. Jesus says there in verse 6, He manifested His Father's name.

The word manifest means to make visible, to reveal something that was hidden. And so Jesus is saying that He has made visible the name of God. And when Scripture talks about the name of someone, it's talking about their character, their presence, and their authority. And so Jesus is saying, He has made visible the character, the authority, the nature of God the Father. How?

Well, you gotta kind of read a little bit back in John to chapter one. Because there you are introduced to the idea in John chapter one, verse one. You can turn there, actually. In John chapter one, Verse 1, we learn how Jesus manifested the Father's name.

It says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And then look down in verse 14.

It says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That means that God, the Son, who was eternally with the Father and equal in nature and essence with the Father, he took on flesh and blood. We call that the incarnation. And so that is why throughout Jesus's ministry, throughout the rest of John leading up to chapter 17, we have these several I am statements. Jesus says in chapter 8, before Abraham was, I am.

He also says, I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. John 14. And by Jesus saying, I am, Jesus is declaring, He is Yahweh. He is the Creator, Sustainer, Maintainer, Sovereign Lord of all creation.

That passage that Sandra read earlier from Exodus chapter 3 reveals that name Yahweh. And what it means is that God is, Yahweh is the pre-existent, self-existent source of all life. And Jesus is saying, I am He. He. And that's why in Colossians 1:15 and Colossians 2:9 and Hebrews 1:3, they keep hitting on this idea that Jesus is equal with God and makes God visible.

So when Jesus says, I have manifested your name, He is saying that I have made visible the nature of God. But who did He make Himself? Visible to. Well, look at verse 6. It says to the people whom you gave me out of the world.

This idea of a group of people given from the Father to the Son is repeated twice here in verse 6. Did you see both of them? Those the Father gave me, you, gave me out of the world.

Well, we first encountered that back in verse 2 of chapter 17. It's also there in verse 9 and in verse 24. The fact that it's repeated this much seems to mean it's important, right?

Well, what we understand here is that all whom the Father has given Jesus, it refers to both his immediate disciples and his future disciples and all those who have followed and trusted in the Messiah throughout all time. Those are what we call the elect. And so understand this. If you are Christian or if you will one day become a Christian, it is not because you first chose God. It's because God first chose you.

The Father chose to give you to his Son before the world began. And that's why election is the cause of faith. And that repetitive language of giving, giving, the Father gave me, I gave them the words, I gave them back to you, that repetition is treating us like an heirloom, a treasured, precious heirloom that a Father has given the Son, a keepsake. That is treasured by both the Father and the Son. Brothers and sisters, do you understand that your faith in Jesus is treasured by Jesus?

That you are a gift of the Father to the Son. You are sacred and special in His sight. But it's not because of anything that you've done. It's not by some future faith that God will look down the corridors and say, oh, okay, now I'll grant them eternal life. No, no, no.

God, before time, chose to set His and love on you and me, though we were sinners, though we were rebels. But one day we put our faith and trust in the living God and in his Son. And that is what revealed that we were God's chosen. And the fact that you believe is because the Father chose you. And so, brothers and sisters, Are you cherishing your faith like Christ cherishes your faith?

Is your faith more precious to gold than to you? Well, the Bible says it is. And God is going to make sure that he gets you his treasure. If you've repented and trusted in Christ Jesus, he's gonna make sure that you get back to the son. And glory.

And then in verse seven, we see that keeping, holding on to God's word is what, oh, I'm sorry, at the end of verse six, we find out how or what proves someone is chosen. You see that at the end of verse six, they have kept your word. Is this works-based righteousness? Must we earn our way to God? No.

See this word keep can sometimes mean obey, but here it seems to mean more so hold on to, to main possession of God's word. Them keeping the word, holding on to the word is more akin to them truly believing the word. And then in verse 7 we see that keeping, holding on to God's word, it entails a relational knowledge of who Jesus is. You see that in verse seven says, knowing that everything that the father gave Jesus is from the father. See this knowing is relational, personal, intimate knowledge that touches both mind and heart.

And it personally knows that Jesus is not merely some man that made up some religion. No, no, true saving faith is a deep down knowledge in your heart and in your mind that says, no, no, Jesus really is from the Father sent to us, just like the scripture prophesied. And then in verse 8 it explains how the intimate knowledge, which is a part of saving faith, arises in us. You see that in verse 8? For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them, and have come to know in truth that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me.

Faith comes by hearing, hearing the Word of Christ. And that begins with God's Word, this book, this divine revelation. Jesus, the Living Word, proclaimed God's Word to God's chosen people, and they came to to be God's people when they received the word. And this reception is not just a surface reception. No, it's in the internal reception.

Now children, teens, I want to speak to you just for a second. I attended church for years just like you. And even won prizes for, you know, Bible memory verses and different games. I was pretty good at it.

But I had never received the word in my heart. I heard my dad say it over and over again, Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing. It was one of his favorite slogans. And I could have repeated it back to you if you asked me. But deep down inside, I, in my heart, really thought that, no, just kind of intellectually knowing Jesus died and rose, that's good.

And then just be a good person. That's what Christianity is.

Is all about. And the only thing I looked forward to at church was going and seeing my friends. And if I would have died in that state, I would have come to the root awakening that I was still an enemy of a holy God and suffered in eternity in hell for my sin. But God, who is rich in mercy, he opened my ears one day. It happened to be in a jail.

He brought back to remembrance the truths that my parents had taught me since a little boy. And there I came to realize, I came to receive the truth that Jesus really is the way, the truth, and the life. And no man comes to the Father but by Him. I came to know the truth and I received the truth. And then like the text says, verse 8, I believed that truth.

And I still believe it to this day. Christ is my hope and life and death. And I know 815 other members of this church who believe the same exact thing. And brothers and sisters, that is our hope in life and death. And if you are not a Christian, it can be your hope today.

It's not only for children and teens. If you are here and you are not a Christian, Christ is calling you to receive the gospel in your soul.

Like rich soil absorbs water, rather than letting his words stay on the surface of your heart like water on concrete. Let the word of God show you how much a sinner you are and how great a savior Jesus is. What might be in the way of you putting your faith in Jesus today?

Maybe it's something you have to let go of or something you're going to be sacrificing. Maybe share that with the person who brought you today and tell them about it so that they can counsel you through it. Or the pastors will be at the door if you want to talk to us about that. Well, in verse 9 and 10, we see Jesus specifically praying for a specific group and not praying for another group. You see that in verse 9?

I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. See, Jesus is praying for those whom you have given me out of the world. Yes, that includes Jesus' immediate disciples, but when he says, all mine are yours, all mine are yours, He is broadening the scope to all the elect, as he does so clearly in verse 20. Brother and sister, that means moments before Jesus sacrificed his life for you and me, moments before he died on the cross for our sin, he had you and me on his heart and on his mind.

Isn't that so sweet? I've had some people I respect spiritually pray for me and send me texts like Mark does regularly, or in other brothers and sisters who I respect, but none of their prayers have anything on this prayer. This prayer right here, this is a boon for our souls. Jesus was praying, and even at the right hand of the Father, He is still interceding for us still. Jesus cherishes every Christian because we are chosen by the Father and given to Him.

And as verse 10 says, He is glorified in us. He is glorified through us, trusting in, relying on, and putting our confidence and dependence in Him as the truly divine and truly human Savior. So Christian, your salvation is not dependent on your performance. It's dependent on God choosing you before the foundation of the world, and thanks be to God, because if it was based on our performance, we would not be saved.

So how might the eternal love of God in Christ for you, help you trust him even more. One way is that this should lead us not to fight for some facade of sinless perfection, or to imagine that God is holding out our Christian report card and is like, C minus on evangelism. I'm gonna judge you in wrath today. No, Christ loves us unconditionally, just as the Father chose us unconditionally.

So let the permanence of God's electing love free you from trying to earn God's love today. May it free you to live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you. But some might say, what if my faith fails? Well, that's why Jesus prays in point two, for our preservation, our preservation.

Jesus prays for the preservation of our faith in verses 11 through 16. And specifically, he prays for our preservation in the Father's name. You see that in verse 11. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name.

And then he also prays for the preservation, for our preservation from the evil one. You see it in verse 15? Look at verse 15. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. To preserve something means to keep it in its original quality, its original state, right?

Think about somebody who does jelly preserves or something like that. When it's really good, good is when it's just as tasty and sweet and delectable several years later from when it was first sealed. That's how you know it was really preserved. Well, Jesus is sealing us by his prayers and making sure that we will be preserved all the way to the end. And so, In verses 11 through 13, Jesus prays that we would be kept preserved in the Father's name.

What does it mean to be in the Father's name? Well, to be in someone's name, if you think about a marriage, okay? So I married my wife, Casey Michelle, 10 years ago. Love you, baby. And, Ten years ago, we became one.

She took my name. No longer Casey Scott, she was Casey Bonner from that day forward. Well, the moment you repent and believe the gospel and you trust in Jesus Christ, and then here's that, you're physically baptized in the name, you received the name. The moment you trusted in Christ, you were sealed. And you baptized that, demonstrated that seal, and you were given the name.

That's what it means to be in the name, and to be kept in the name means to be guarded, to be preserved, to have your faith endure. And in verse 12, we see the need for it. In verse 12, Jesus says, I 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. And so, and in verse 11, I am no longer in the world.

So the need for Jesus to keep them in the name was that he was going to be with the Father. And that whole time he was physically with his disciples, he was keeping them. He was keeping their faith.

He was teaching them. Can you imagine how sweet it was to wake up after a camping trip and to see Jesus frying some fish or something?

To see him who said to the wind and the wave, Peace be still. And those winds and the waves, they say, Yes, master. How safe it felt to have him physically with us day and night. Oh, my goodness, how sweet that and then can you imagine how scary it was when Jesus starts saying stuff like, I'm going away. How vulnerable that would feel.

Well, Jesus is praying that we would be kept in the name, that our faith would not fail. And notice what the goal of that union is meant to be. See, in verse 11 he says, Keep them in your name, keep them trusting in your name, keep them bearing the name, keep them trusting in me, which you have given me, that they may be one even as we are one. See, the more we trust in, we rely on and abide in Christ, the more we realize that we are one with one another. See, our salvation is not only vertical, it's also horizontal.

There's something beautiful too about this oneness. Did you catch that in the text? It somehow reflects the oneness that the Father and the Son have. Brothers and sisters, this is mind-blowing. Our oneness with one another in Christ can reflect the oneness of the Father and the Son.

Because we all have been born again to a new nature. A new name, and we share that new nature and that new name with all our fellow brothers and sisters. Christ did not just unite him to himself. He did not just unite you to himself individually. You were saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, not to be alone.

He saved you so that you could be in a committed discipling relationship with a group of Christians who takes the Lord's Supper together like like we will tonight, who baptize people in the name of the Father, Son, and the Spirit, and who sit together under the right preaching of God's Word, under the qualified leadership of faithful shepherds. The local church is the primary arena to live out the oneness that Christ was praying for, so that we could display the reality and the wisdom of God by making us who are different one flock, one family, one body, one body, one bride, we are one through faith in Christ. And this beautiful truth is wonderful to meditate on, but it's a little bit harder to live sometimes. Now you may have not noticed this, but I'm a black man.

And that means, and here's the thing, I'm in a church where not many of you are black men. We got different cultural backgrounds, different experiences, different, you know, references and jokes and things of that nature that we make that sometimes don't always translate cross-culturally. And sometimes it can just be lighthearted, but sometimes it can be a little bit more weighty. Sometimes it can be a little bit more painful.

And I've experienced that before and usually when I'm feeling that some type of way, it's when you feel different, you can have insecurities because of it. You can start to feel like or assume that people are assuming the worst of you and you can start to assume the worst of them. Maybe you've experienced that insecurity too. And maybe it's not because of your ethnicity. Maybe it's because of your education background.

You don't feel like you're as educated as others. Or maybe it's because of your age. You feel like you're too young or too old for this church. Or maybe it's your marital status. You feel like it's because you're single that you're so different.

Maybe it's your job position or your income. Or pain from your past, whatever it is that makes you feel different, I just want to say, I praise God that you still showed up this morning. That's a huge part of the battle already. But one helpful piece of advice I have for you is that, and I've been challenged is that when I feel most different, I have to press into what I share most in common.

When I feel most different, I have to press into what I share most in common. I need to focus more on there being one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, having one God and Father who is over all and through all and in all.

And maybe when you're feeling most different, Maybe you can press into that by saying or asking, Hey brother or sister, what have you been reading in Scripture these days? What has the Lord been teaching you these days? And at times you may still have to have some hard or awkward conversations, but let it begin from the grounds of our commonality rather than our differences. Now, on the other side, if you've never experienced that vulnerability or challenge of feeling different here, I especially want to encourage you to build relationships with those who are different from you. Maybe begin by asking someone who is of a different background, hey, what's your story?

How'd you come to know the Lord? What was it like for you growing up? Or maybe find some way to serve them.

And this is not for some type of cultural agenda, but it's because our oneness in Christ displays the glory of God in Christ. And one plug I have for you is read Love the Ones who Drive youe Crazy by our very own Jamie Dunlop. So to be kept in the Father's name means to keep trusting in Jesus in union with the church. And we're gonna return to verses 12 and 13 shortly, but before we do, I want us to see in verses 14 through 16, Jesus praying to preserve us from the evil one. It's verses 14 through 16.

They show us that the world and the devil are in opposition against us. Earlier in verse 11, one could mistakenly think that the world is morally neutral.

But here in verse 14 we find out that the world is a domain of people with animosity, hatred, and disdain for Christ and those who belong to Christ. Why? Because we are not of this world. And the prince of this, of the power of the air, Satan, he hates us too. So Christian, if you are trying to make the world like you, You're pursuing a dead mission.

It's not gonna work. And if it does, you should be alarmed. Jesus says it in verse 14 and 16, We aren't of this world. We have been born again. In John 3, it even talks about being born from above.

We belong to Christ. Heaven is our true home. And like verse 15 says, We don't get extracted from enemy territory.

The moment we believe. No, we have a target on our back because we have Christ's name on our hearts. And pretending there is not opposition won't make the opposition disappear. And no amount of compromise will make the opposition go away. And no amount of us obtaining power will make the opposition go away.

Now, also, if you are here and you're not a Christian, man, we are so glad you're here. Thank you for coming to be here. What do you think about this description of the world that you're living in? And how the Bible says that you're a part of it? The Bible teaches that God created this world good, but an evil being named Satan, he led a mutiny against a our holy God, our righteous creator, and us as humanity has been joining in that rebellion ever since.

We have been corrupted in our nature from birth, and we each have continued in that mutiny. And so if you're not a Christian, the Bible says that you belong to the world, and you are naturally an enemy of God. And a slave of Satan. Now if you are offended by me saying that, that's evidence that you really do have a problem with God.

You hate the very one who gives you life. Just like verses 14 through 16 are talking about.

But if you're here and you are not offended by me telling you that you are of this world and you belong to Satan, I think I'm even more concerned about you because that means that your conscience has become so numb to God's warning that you are indifferent.

But trusting whether it's your hatred or indifference on Judgment Day, you will recognize that God was holy and that these truths that we're talking about, we'll have to give an account for. But there is a third category. Maybe you are offended and convinced that what I'm telling you about yourself is right. Friend, you don't have to stay God's enemy. You can repent and believe the gospel today.

Renounce your sinful rebellion. Break up with your sin and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. He is a wonderful Savior who is able to turn enemies into family. He did it for me in a jail and he can do it for you right here in a pew or a chair.

Now, what about verses 12 and 13?

Verse 12 shows us exactly what it looks like not to be kept in the name from the evil one. Judas Iscariot was the one disciple who was lost. He betrayed Jesus. But notice it wasn't an accident. It was divine purpose.

You notice what it says there? That the Scripture might be fulfilled. Judas was personally driven by his own will, driven by his own greed, and then indwelt by Satan. Yet ultimately and mysteriously, Judas was predestined to destruction. By a completely sovereign God whose justice is infinitely good, perfect, and unsearchable.

Now, I know that this can make some people question God's judgment, but judgment day will reveal that we all were more evil than we could ever imagine, and that God was way more gracious, patient, wise, and just than we could ever imagine.

And then on that day we will realize how foolish we were to have the audacity to think we could evaluate God's justice with our puny little brains and compromise morality. But since God is absolutely sovereign over those he saves and over those he judges, it means that those whom he chooses to save will never be lost. So the question should be, how can I be God's chosen? That's what our first point was all about. Though God chose his people before time, they have to trust in Jesus in time.

The elect are those who came to receive and believe in who Jesus is and what he has done. So do I believe or not? Will I put my trust in Christ or not? Let that question occupy your mind more than trying to dissect God's justice. Now look at verse 13.

But now I am coming to you and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. See, Jesus is saying, I am speaking these things in the world. That is, I am actually praying aloud these truths so that my disciples Disciples can be in earshot and derive joy from these prayers. Jesus wants his joy fulfilled in us. Judgment was fulfilled in Judas.

But Christ's joy will be fulfilled in all the elect.

How much joy does Jesus have? It's infinite joy. And because of the joy set before him, he endured the cross. He despised the shame. And he is now seated at the right hand of the Father.

Christian, the more we realize that God is the one who is going to keep us all the way to the finish line. He will not fail any of us. None of his will be lost. The more we will have his joy fulfilled in us. The doctrine of our preservation by God's power, like we read in our statement of faith, it gives Christians joy.

Because we know that we get to the finish line not by merely our own efforts. Though Christianity is not against effort.

It's against earning. But the main factor, the X factor in getting us to the finish line is God's righteous and just election.

Brothers and sisters, we will be kept to the end. Doesn't that give you joy? Christ's prayer guarantees our preservation. It guarantees our protection. Satan cannot stop God's work in us.

And our temptation cannot stop God's work in us. God will to make sure we make it to the finish line. So our faith will not fail because God chose us in Christ. He is keeping us in the name and from the evil one. And third and finally, Christ is praying for our sanctification.

Our sanctification. In verses 17 through 19, we see that Jesus prioritizes his disciples sanctification in prayer. It says, Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. To be sanctified means to be set apart for a sacred purpose.

To be sanctified means to be set apart for a holy purpose. Kind of like a wedding dress is set apart for a sacred moment. You don't really see women walking around in their wedding dress for a job interview, right? They don't go on a date in their wedding dress. That would be a little presumptuous.

You know, they save that for a sacred moment when they stand before God and make that covenant. Well, we have been set apart. The moment we trusted in Jesus Christ, we were set apart for God's holy purposes. So sanctification is a process that begins at an event. And we have been sanctified for the purpose of world evangelism.

To take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We have been sent into the world like Jesus was sent into the world, right? Jesus was sent into the world to save sinners and he preached the truth. Well, he did the saving and we do the preaching now. We go into the world and we are called to bring all the elect home.

We have been sent on mission to go therefore and make disciples of all nations. Baptizing them in the name, singular, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters, that is our mission. That is why Christ called us and set us apart for. But how?

He says so in verse 19. For their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. The word consecrate here is the same as sanctify. Christ lived a perfect life, wholly set apart from sin, fully obeying the law. And here in this moment, Jesus is saying he is setting himself apart as a pure, blameless offering, like a spotless lamb, And he's doing it the very night of the Passover.

Because he, the greater lamb, the lamb of God, he is the lamb who was going to wash away the sins of all who trust in him. Jesus shed his blood for our sins. He died and as our substitute, fully absorbing the wrath of God, fully paying our debt, fully bearing the punishment that we had against us.

Christ our Passover Lamb took the punishment that we deserved. And he was buried. And three days later, as brothers and sisters, he got up out of that grave. And he was seen by over 500 witnesses. And that's how we know it's true.

And Jesus consecrated himself so that we might be sanctified in truth. Did you notice that part in truth? See sanctification happens through God's truth, through God's Word. How's your Bible reading these days? How's your time meditating on God's Word these days?

Isn't it sweet that Jesus is praying for your Bible reading plan these days? He's praying that it would not be dead in your heart.

But that it would be alive and that it would be making you more and more like Christ.

There is a revival taking place in my house.

My wife has started memorizing scripture a lot. And this is not to brag on her though I think it's pretty cool. But it actually began through her sister Kayla. Who had been discipled by a ministry that focuses on scripture memorization. And one of the things that happened is as Kayla was memorizing scripture more and more, Casey said, There's something different about Kayla.

She has all of a sudden more confidence these days. She's more bold in the Word these days. And Casey couldn't help but to connect it because the Word of God is getting into her.

And Casey started memorizing scripture and she's finding more joy in Christ and the Word. And other sisters has been locking into it. And see, scripture memorization is a great way to be sanctified in truth. But whether it's meditating on a passage over and over again, letting it kind of soak in your mind and dwelling on it, or singing that song, or praying through a text of scripture, whatever it is that you are doing in the Word, Christ is praying that it will bless you. That it will make you more like him.

And so every time you get up in the morning and you choose to open that book and to hear from God, Christ is like, yes, that's what I want. And that's what I'm going to do with it. So when you get up this morning to read your Bible, let you remember that Christ is praying that you will be sanctified in the truth.

Brothers and sisters, due to the curse of sin, we are all terminal. We all have a day coming when we will pass through the valley of the shadow of death. But brothers and sisters, we have a mighty Savior who passed through death and rose again, and he will see us through death and to rise into his presence, because he is the good shepherd who who loses none of his sheep. He will see us home to glory and embrace us in his arms. In the arms of our dear Savior.

Oh, there are a thousand charms. Let's pray.

Father, we praise you for giving us your Son as a spotless lamb for our sins. Lord, we pray that by your word, you would keep us in the name from the evil one and make us more like Christ till we see Christ face to face. We ask these things in Jesus' name, amen.