Jesus’ prayer is a prayer of consecration (setting apart for a specific purpose):
• Consecration of Jesus to his Father’s work
• Consecration of Jesus’ followers to his Father’s mission in the world
o His prayer informs the church’s identity and priorities
17:1a - "After he said these things…"
• Farewell Discourse (chs. 13-16)
○ Serve one another; love one another (13)
○ Believe in God, believe on Christ - He is the way, truth, life (14:1-14)
○ The Helper (paraclete) will come (14:15-31)
○ I am the true Vine - remain in my love; obey my commands (15:1-17)
○ I have been hated; you will be hated (15:18-27)
○ I will empower you by my Spirit (16:1-15)
○ I will turn your sorrow into joy (16:16-24)
o I give you peace in trouble because I overcome the world (16:25-33)
1. 17:1b-8 :: Jesus prays for his and his Father’s glory
a. (v. 1) Jesus and his Father are so united that to give glory to the one is to give glory to the other
b. (v. 2) God’s plan was always to glorify himself by giving life to the world through the person and work of Jesus
c. (vv. 2-3) To exist for God’s glory (our first conviction) is to continuously reorient ourselves to the person and work of Jesus = discipleship
d. (vv. 4-8) Jesus completes his work by giving his disciples his Father’s words, atoning for sin, and ascending back to the Father – from glory to glory
2. 17:9-19 :: Jesus prays for his disciples
a. (vv. 9-10) Jesus is glorified by bringing
i. The church is the dwelling place of God, and therefore God’s glory (Ephesians 1:20-22)
ii. The church is the arena in which the glory of God is displayed in the world (Ephesians 3:9-13)
b. (vv. 11-12) Jesus asks the Father to protect his disciples
c. (vv. 13-19) Jesus asks for his disciples to have his very own joy as they carry on his mission in a world that hates God, and therefore will hate them (Genesis 3:15)
3. 17:20-26 :: Jesus prays for his future disciples
a. (vv. 20-23) Jesus prays for unity among his disciples
. The church’s unity with God enables its unity with one another
i. We exemplify the beauty of God’s glory to the world by our shared unity
ii. WARNING: Disunity not only complicates church life, it opposes the mission of God
b. (vv. 24-25) Jesus desires his disciples to be with him and to share in his glory
c. (v. 26) Jesus will continue to make the Father known to his disciples through the Holy Spirit, and to the world through his church
Main Point:
The church glorifies God by participating in his life, unity, and mission in the world, with the very joy of Christ.
September 6, 2020
Glory and Grace through Christ's Church
September 6, 2020 • Pastor Josh Kee
October 18, 2020
October 18, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
Passage: John 21:1–25 Theme: Glory and Grace Followed What following means for the church: 1. We have a mission to continue Jesus’ work. 2. Our catching of people depends solely on the person and work of Jesus. 3. Church life reflects participation in and fellowship with Jesus. What following means for the leader: 1. Our love for one another stems from Christ’s love for us. 2. Love for Christ leads to the action of caring for Christ’s sheep. 3. Our lives are at Christ’s disposal. Main Idea: Those focused on the glory and grace of Jesus Christ will follow their Lord wherever he leads to accomplish his mission and care for his sheep.
October 11, 2020
October 11, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
Theme: Glory and Grace Commissioned Passage: John 20:19–31 As the new creation of Jesus Christ, we possess: 1. Peace grounded in Jesus’ work (19–20) 2. a Mission started by the Father (21) 3. Participation in God through the Spirit (22) 4. the Authority of God on earth today (23) 5. a Faith based on witness to Jesus Christ (24–29) Main Idea: God culminates his work on earth in the body of his Son, the church. He has commissioned us to • Declare Jesus is the Christ. • Display Jesus is our life. Application Questions: • When you think of peace, what comes to mind? From what you recall from the sermon and what is spoken of elsewhere in scripture, how does the Bible describe peace? • How does v. 21, “as the Father has sent me, I am sending you,” impact your view of missions? What does it indicate about you personally? • How do we as believers forgive sins today (v. 23)? • What do vv. 24–29 teach us about belief? Do you truly “believe” Jesus’ words that you are blessed because you haven’t seen but believed? Why do you think we still look for signs/indicators from Jesus in order for us to believe? • How do we live out the purpose of the gospel in vv. 30¬–31 today?
October 4, 2020
October 4, 2020 • Pastor Phil Burggraff
October 4th 2020 - The Reality of the Empty Tomb John 20: 1-18 The reality of the empty tomb: • The report of Mary and the women (1–2) • The discovery of the two disciples (3–9) • The elicited response of the disciples (10) Truths that we can make from the empty tomb: 1) The empty tomb produces belief in those who are truly the children of God. 2) The empty tomb indicates a new creation has dawned. 3) The empty tomb demonstrates Jesus possesses the power and authority of God. Mary’s experience indicates the following concerning our sorrowful condition: 1. The resurrected Jesus made atonement to overcome grief with grace. 2. The resurrected Jesus made a relationship with God possible again for fallen sinners. 3. The resurrected Jesus made his followers into the true family of God. Main Idea: By his resurrection, Jesus overcomes grief by enabling a relationship that will never end.