Sermon Text:
John 17:13-18
God both gathers and scatters his church. He sends his people out into the world to go with the joy of the gospel to all people. Living holy lives, we are sent to proclaim this good news in all the nations.
Sermon Transcript:
(transcribed with AI)
Well, good morning, everyone. It's good to be here with you all. It's good to be back. I've been gone for the past number of weeks, just on vacation with family. It's been a wonderful time, but it's always so good just to be back with a church family, be able to worship together, celebrate, it's such a good thing.
You know, one of the things I really enjoy about being on vacation is I often get the chance to go to other churches, all right? And being a pastor, there is something about walking into another church in which, you know, my mind does sort of flick a switch and go, huh, OK, so that's how they do that. OK, so that's what they're doing. Oh, I probably wouldn't do that, but, oh, actually maybe I really want to do that, right? There's always that part of my mind that never fully quite shuts off, but actually, it's quite an interesting thing. It's quite a fascinating thing to see how different churches run, how they operate, right?
If you've had the opportunity, whether over this summer or just in general, to go to other churches, you've seen they're different, right? By God's design, different churches will operate in different ways. And actually, it's quite a beautiful thing, right? Throughout this series, as we've been looking at what the church is, right? We've been seeing, first and foremost, the church is, well, the gathered people. It's the people of God gathered together, and just like every gathering of people is slightly different, so every church is going to be slightly different.
But while there is certainly a diversity of different things going on, it would be wrong to say that we're entirely different, right? In fact, actually, we should be unified on certain things. There should be a unity of what we're called to do as a church. Right? Last week, we looked at what do we do when the church gathers together, right? We come together to encourage one another, to spur one another on to worship God. Today we want to see what is the church do as we are sent? What are we sent out to do?
And if you know your Bibles, you'll know actually Jesus gives us our marching orders. It's not like something we have to try and come up with on our own and we have to figure out. It's actually the very last thing Jesus says to his disciples at the end of the book of Matthew, right?
Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.
Right, this is what Jesus tells his disciples they are to be doing. As Jesus ascends into heaven, he gives the church this great commission. Here is what you are to do. Go and make disciples. Help people know the gospel of Jesus, baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teach all that Jesus commanded, right? That is the mission of the church. In fact, it should be our mission of every single church.
And really, in these two things, in the sort of gathering together and the sending out, we get sort of the regular pattern of what the church is to do. Gather together, send out. Gather together, send out. Again and again, this is the heartbeat of the church. We gather together and then we are sending out.
And I know sometimes we talk about it in the terms of gathering and scattering, right? Maybe if you've been around churches, you've heard that kind of phrase. And while that rhymes, it's really nice cause it rhymes, scattered is really not the right word. And actually sometimes causes more problems than good because scattering is what happens when you're afraid. It's what happens when you don't have a goal, and what happens when you're on your own. That's not what the church is. The church is not being scattered as if we need to be afraid, aimlessly running out into the rest of our lives without a purpose. No, the church is sent. The church is intended to go forward with a goal, with a mission, with the authority of Jesus himself, and actually what we're gonna see is, we can go together.
Actually, sometimes we have this idea that the church exists only for this one moment on a Sunday, and that's all the church ever really is. Everything else in the Christian life has nothing to do with church. I'm gonna argue that's the wrong idea. The church is gathered together on a Sunday, yes, and then sent into this mission together.
And so as we look at this, we're gonna open up our Bibles. If you have a Bible with you, let me invite you to open up to the book of John. John chapter 17 is where I want us to look at this. If you know the book of John, you'll know that this is actually Jesus praying. This takes place just before Jesus goes to the cross. This is the night before, and this is what Jesus is praying for. He spends most of his prayer actually just praying for his disciples and for everyone who will believe after them. By the way, that includes us. Here is the prayer that Jesus has for his disciples, and so I want us to take a look at it and see how it shows us actually what being sent means, right?
So if you have your Bibles open you can follow along, we'll start in verse 13. It's our tradition here, we stand as we read God's word. If you're able to, would you stand with me? Here is God's word.
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your 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 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 the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.
As far as the reading of God's word, you may be seated.
Well, as I said, this is Jesus praying on his final night before going to the cross, and he's praying for his disciples, and ultimately he is praying that God would protect them as they are being sent out after him. And what's very interesting about this passage is that it's actually following a bit of a pattern, all right? The pattern's called a chiasm, if you like Greek words. It's a chiasm, all right? Oftentimes we just call it a sandwich, all right? It's a sandwich because, you know, a sandwich has a piece of bread on the top, a piece of bread on the bottom, and then meat in the middle. That's the pattern, right? The top and the bottom reflect one another, and actually each layer is reflecting itself until you get to the center, and that's the really important part.
And so, you know, verse 13 actually reflects verse 18. The beginning of 14 reflects 17, the end of 14 reflects 16, and the point is in 15. Don't worry, we'll go through it, OK? But there's your sandwich of different things, and really the heart of what Jesus is trying to get across is that he is not asking that his disciples would leave the world. He's not asking that they run away, but rather that God would protect them as they go.
And so, this morning I want us to see that Jesus has sent his church, sent his church in joy, sent in holiness, and sent into this world. Right, as the church, we are sent in holiness, to proclaim the joy of the gospel to the world around us. All right, but let's start off here with the beginning of our sandwich, all right? The church is sent in joy.
All right, look back at verse 13. Jesus says, but now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world that they, the disciples, may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Right? Jesus is well aware that this is the end of his earthly ministry. He knows that he is going to the cross. Judas has already left the building. He has gone to betray Jesus. Jesus is well aware of what's going on. And so as he is praying to God the Father, he's really doing it in order to teach his disciples.
In fact, earlier in the book of John, Jesus does the exact same thing, and in his prayer, he says, I know that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me. Right? Here's what Jesus is doing. He's talking to God, the Father, but he's really doing it so that his disciples can hear, so that they would believe that the Father has sent him.
Right, I know it always gets tricky because Jesus is God, right? We have a triune God. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. There is one God in three persons, and if you're scratching your head, welcome to the club. Yes, we're all doing that. But here Jesus is very specifically saying, look, God the Father has sent me into this world to do something. What does he sent? or he sent him to do that his disciples would have joy.
Again, earlier in the book of John, Jesus has already told them this, John 15. Jesus says, these things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. Jesus came to teach his disciples so that they could actually experience the fullness of the joy of God Himself. That is an incredible statement and one we probably pass over a little bit too quickly as we read through our Bibles. Yes, Jesus came so that we would have joy moving on. No, stop, celebrate that every single time. You remember actually what Jesus has done is come to bring joy.
When we go and we share our faith, we are called to share a message of joy. It's a cause for celebration and rejoicing. Yes, it does have some bad news in it. We have to go through that, but it's really there so that we'd understand how good the good news really is. Just like a movie theater dims the lights before the movie starts, so the bad news dims the lights a little bit so we can focus better on what Jesus has come to do.
The bad news is we have sinned against God, right? That the mistakes that we make, the wrong things, we even know in our own heart are wrong, that we have done. Those are not truly just, you know, happenstance. It just happened to come out. I was tired, I was stressed, I had a bad day. We have lots of different excuses, but the truth is, it comes out because it is inside. Actually, it comes out of us because it was inside of us. The Bible says, actually we have sin in our hearts. Not only have we said we don't really want to listen to what God has to say, but in fact, we don't even really want to follow God at all.
The problem is, that creates a big problem between us and God. God is holy. He is pure, he is without sin, and he is also just. He's going to deal with all sin. He doesn't just leave it and say it's no big deal. No, he actually wants to deal with evil, all of it, and that includes ourselves. It includes the wrongdoing that we have done. The problem of sin is that it comes with the punishment of God, that we will in fact die. Eternal spiritual death is what comes of our sins. There is a just punishment against us.
But see, that's the bad news, that's the lights dimming, so that we can see more clearly what God has come to do in Jesus. Because God didn't just leave the end of the story there as if it was just hopeless and helpless. Wow, that seems really bad, too bad guys. So God sent Jesus to this earth to live a perfect life and to die on the cross so that he could deal with the punishment against our sins, so that the consequence of all the wrong that we have done would not fall on us, but it would fall on Jesus. He took our place so that anyone who would trust in him would be saved.
That is the good news, that we can be forgiven of all that we have done because of what Jesus has done. He rose from the dead as a final confirmation that there is now nothing left for us to deal with. The death of Jesus paid for all of our sins. We don't need to work to try and make it better, to try and earn our way back to God. No, Jesus did all of it. We simply come and trust in what He has done. Confess our sins, turn away from them, and trust in Jesus. That is the good news that anyone who trusts in him would be saved.
Do we get tired of hearing that? Oh, please, look back over this last week, and you can find all the places where you have not done what is right and come to Jesus one more time and say thank you for the forgiveness that is found in Jesus Christ. Let us never tire of rejoicing over the gospel again and again.
First Peter puts it this way, he says, though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. So we don't see Jesus right now, we will one day. We will one day, and we need to remember that as we go out, as we share this good news, we are sharing good news of great joy for everyone.
Remember I said this was a sandwich, right? Jesus starts with reminding his disciples he came that they would have joy. Verse 18, he ends, he says, as you, Father, have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. Jesus came so that we would experience the joy of salvation in being forgiven of all our sins. That is what we are called to go out and share. The joy of our salvation. Hear me, no one is excluded from this. This is open to all who would hear and believe.
And so as we leave this place, we are to go out carrying this joy. Evangelism is not about beating someone in a contest of wits. It's not an intellectual grappling match or shoving religion down someone's throat. It is offering out the greatest joy you can possibly share. It is inviting others into the greatest thing that has ever happened on this earth, who doesn't want to talk about that. It's seeing the greatest joy be made known in a world that only really has pain to offer. Church, don't be ashamed of the message we carry. You are sent in joy. Jesus sends his disciples in the same way that the Father has sent him in joy and in holiness, right? We are sent in holiness, right?
The second sort of layer of the sandwich down. Jesus reminds his disciples what he has told them. Verse 14. He says, I have given them Your word. Verse 17, he says, sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. Jesus has been spending years teaching his disciples, telling them the words of God, and now he is praying that God would sanctify them in his word, right? To be sanctified means to be made holy, to become more holy. Jesus is asking God would take his disciples and make them more holy through His word. Right?
Let me simplify maybe a little bit and say the purpose of the Bible is so that we would grow in holiness, that we would be more like God in his character in who he is and his goodness and his glory, that we would actually reflect Him in our lives, that we would actually begin to not only fight against sin, but fight for the goodness and glory of God. That is why God gave us His word, so that we can actually read it, know him, understand him more and grow in this holiness.
And hear me, this is not some sort of new idea that Jesus just came up with. It's all the way back at the very beginning. In Genesis, when God creates Adam and Eve, it says he creates them in his image. The very purpose of humanity was to show the glory of God. To grow in holiness is to grow in the very purpose for which God created you to exist.
In fact, the author of Hebrews puts it this way, says strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. In fact, holiness is essential to the Christian life. Right? Jesus, before he goes to the cross, is praying that we would know the word of God. Does God want you to read your Bible? Yeah. Not so that you'd have a little checkmark beside, you know, today's date in your reading plan, but so that you can grow to be more like him.
Hear me, God has lots of ways in which we can grow in holiness, but one of the most foundational is in his word. This is where we get corrected of all the little ideas that creep into our heads, and we say, well, maybe God doesn't really care about that, and we read the word and we go, oh no, he actually really does. Actually, God is different than the way I had pictured him in my head, and I'm constantly correcting myself, transforming to be more like God. That's the purpose.
And you might say, OK, I mean, that all sounds good, but why are we talking about it in a sermon that's about, you know, being sent on mission and evangelism? Why does Jesus bring this up? Sometimes we think about sort of, you know, our growth in the Christian life as somewhat separate from from sharing our faith. Those are two different things. I don't think for Jesus they are at all. To grow to be more like Jesus is to share your faith, to share your faith means we need to be growing to be more like Christ. The two work together hand in hand.
And if I can even just give a very simple example, or a simple reason I should say. People have wonderful hypocrite detectors, don't they? Right, they can tell when someone is faking it, right? You can meet someone and realize, you know, the things they're saying and what they're doing, their life, they don't actually match up. Right, if you spend all day yelling at your neighbor over the back fence, it's gonna be really hard to then turn that conversation around and say, but did you know Jesus loves you? Doesn't work that way, right?
In fact, Peter tells us this, he says, keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evil doers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. Actually, our lives matter. How we live matters to our ability to be able to share our faith well, or again, listen to Titus, says show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame having nothing evil to say about us.
It's not how someone would describe you. Model of good works, dignity, integrity. Dear coworkers know you like that? Your spouse, your kids, your family, your friends, your neighbors. Our goal is that we would live in such a way that we would actually honor God when people look at our lives.
But see, here's the challenge for us. We're not perfect, are we? Believers are not perfect people. It doesn't mean we will never sin or mess up. So what exactly are we supposed to do? Right? We want to honor God, we want to represent him well, but I'm not perfect and I mess up. So how do I do that? Do I just put on a fake face and just try and pretend and ignore, sweep everything under the carpet and just, you know, head down, go forward? What do I do when I mess up with my co-workers, with my family, with my spouse?
Here's the answer. Humble yourself, confess your sins. You make a mistake, confess it. Ask for their forgiveness. If you think for a moment that will impede your ability to talk about the gospel of Jesus, you've probably misunderstood the gospel in the first place. The gospel message is that we are not perfect people, that we do need forgiveness, and that only Jesus can give it. Show that in how you even confess your mistakes to those around you. Seek forgiveness. We're not perfect people, we are sinful, saved by the grace of God. Let that be shown in your life. Live a life striving for this holiness of God so that you can show others what he is like, and wherever you fail, show his grace and his mercy towards us. Your best moments show all of God's goodness and your worst show his grace. Not only will that keep you from being a hypocrite, it radically shows the difference that Jesus makes.
Look back at verse 14. Jesus says, I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Verse 16, he repeats himself, he says, they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Right, Jesus is making an incredible statement about their identity as his disciples. They don't belong to the rest of the world. They're not the same. In fact, their very origin, their identity of who they are, has now changed because of what Jesus has done. They are citizens of heaven, members of the household of God. The church is God's holy people set apart for his service. Hear me in a world that idolizes identity. Let ours be shown in Jesus Christ. Show the difference that Jesus has made. Let that transformation be seen.
We are sent out as holy people, first made holy by the grace of God in our salvation, and second growing in holiness through His word. We are to be a compelling witness of what God looks like for the world to see. Jesus sends his disciples in the joy of the gospel, in the holiness of his character, and finally he sends them into the world.
Despite the fact that Jesus has just said his disciples are not of the world, he then prays that they would not be separated from it, right? We've made it now center of our sandwich, verse 15. Says, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. Jesus is sending his disciples into the world, right? We started with the great commission, go to all nations of this earth, right? If Jesus wants his church to be in the world but not of it. Right? In the world, and if, if you just think about it for a moment, think about Jesus could have made it so that when someone is saved, they're just instantly poof gone, they're in heaven. Jesus could have done it that way, right? He could have made it so that the moment someone believes, boom, they're gone. All that was left is, you know, a Bible sitting open for someone to come and read, boom, gone immediately.
God didn't do that, nor did he tell his church, hey, you guys need to hide out. You guys gotta make sure you're disappearing, make sure no one can find you. He could have said, run and hide, he didn't say that. He could have said, you know, cloister yourselves off, become monks out in the desert for someone to go find you if they want to know. No, what does he say? Don't take them out of the world. Don't. What does he pray for? Keep them from the evil one. Keep them from evil, keep them from falling away.
One of the greatest prayers of the persecuted church is not, Lord, keep us safe. But keep us from falling away. This is what Jesus is praying for. He's not praying for their physical, but their spiritual protection. Right. God did not say everyone was going to agree with you. No, in fact, you are gonna face some opposition. But the big danger is not that other people would oppose. But rather that we would remain in sharing this joy of the gospel holy and in the world.
In fact, in Matthew Jesus says this. He says, Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Jesus sends his disciples into the world, and so he says, look, people are gonna oppose you, so be smart about it. Be wise in how you go out. You know some people are not going to want to listen, so think carefully about how you're doing this. Don't be foolish, but in fact, do so wisely.
And here's where I want to return to really the point of our series. See, we're looking at what Jesus is calling the church to be doing. And very often we have this assumption when it comes to evangelism or sharing our faith, that this is just a thing we do on our own, right, as individuals, right? Yes, we know that that God is always helping us and and encouraging us and giving us words. Yes, that's all true, but often we have this idea that evangelism is something we do on our own as individuals away from other people.
But I think that misses the point. Jesus didn't pray for just one disciple. He didn't pray for even just his 12 disciples in front of him. In fact, he's gonna continue to pray for everyone who believes after them. In fact, evangelism is not a solitary action, it's part of what the church is called to do together. The church is probably one of the greatest assets to sharing your faith that you can have, and we very often ignore it.
Let me start with just a very benign example. Let's say you play golf, and as you're out on a course, you're with a friend, and they're watching you and they say, hey, you know, you should try this new club. I think it would really help your swing. So you think to yourself, OK, I mean, that's fine. He has an opinion. And then a little later you hear another person say, hey, have you tried this new club? It's really gonna help your swing. And you start thinking to yourself, oh wow, OK, I mean, a couple people are seeing that. And by the 3rd, 4th, 10th time you've heard that, you are convinced, yeah, you know what, I really need this new club, cause that's gonna actually help me.
In a very similar way, we should think about evangelism in that means. Right? Very rarely have I met someone who became a Christian because they only met one believer. Think about your own life. How many people did you hear the gospel from? Whether directly or in conversation or in their lifestyle, you saw many people who were following after Christ and God used all of them to draw you to himself. God uses the church in the variety of gifts that we have, in the variety of experiences that we have to help people come to know Christ. How we treat one another, how we fail at times, how we strive to be more like him. God can use all these things together to show people the gospel.
So if you want to be an effective witness to the gospel, don't do it alone. Do it with other believers, introduce them to Christians, bring them to church. So often people are scared to share their faith cause they say, well, well, what if there's, what if there's something I don't know how to answer. The answer is great, you're not the only one involved. It's not just up to you to save this one person. In fact, God has given his Holy Spirit and the church around you to help in this process. You don't have all the gifts, but God didn't send just you. He sent the church, read through the book of Acts. I'm pretty sure you could count on, like, one hand the number of times that Paul or Peter or John ever went out alone. They always went out together, right? Peter and John went to go preach. Paul and Barnabas, later Paul and Luke and Timothy and Titus, and Tychicus, and there's a whole group of them all traveling around, because God's design is not solo Christians wandering around aimlessly. He is sending his church together.
It is not only more effective, it's also better for you, right? It's actually better because then you can actually spend time praying with one another, encouraging one another, actually talking about it, saying, hey, do you know how to answer that question? Cause I was, I was really, I didn't know what to say at that moment. Maybe you can help or maybe you can speak into that. You can do these things together, actually support one another. Sharing your faith is hard. Don't do it on your own. God gave the church to be a support and a tool to share more effectively. Jesus said, be wise, let's be wise.
Cause not only can the church support you, pray for you, evangelize with you, as a church, we also get opportunities, you don't get on your own. Right, very recent example. I mean just give us our sports camp that we just did a few weeks ago, right? Many of you got an opportunity to share the gospel, not only with kids, but with parents, even some passersby who are just wondering what we were doing, we got an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus. Together In fact, that's a beautiful thing that we get to do.
In fact, even as a church, you know, we can open different doors and avenues to share the gospel more and more, right? It's why we support things like, well, Starfish program, OK? During the school year, Starfish program is helping families who are in need, particularly with food and various other supplies, so that we can take care of them. So, as a church, we have been supporting that all this year, your benevolent giving has been a blessing to this.
And let's be very clear about what this is and what it isn't, right? Handing out food is not the gospel, right? But let's be very clear about that. It's a good thing, yes, let's bless others, let's take care of the poor, the needy, there's lots of reasons to do it. But actually what it does is open doors for us to share the gospel. It actually allows us a place in our community, it actually allows us to be able to show a bit of what God is like and actually begin to speak the gospel. Had a chance to talk with one of the teachers here who thanked me for doing this so much because it allowed her to share her faith with her co-workers. Cause they said, actually, because the church did so much, she could talk about her own faith far, in a, far freer way than she ever had before. Thank you. You've made opportunities, not even within this church, but even outside. Praise God. Jesus said, be wise as serpents. Make friends with money, we're gonna do that. You open doors for sharing the gospel we can't do on our own. Right?
The best way to have an impact in our community for the gospel of Jesus is not as a bunch of solitary Lone Ranger Christians, but as a church. The church is sent to make disciples of all nations, to be a living display of the holiness of God in the world, and not run away from it. We are sent into this world. So the gospel of Jesus could be heard, believed, and rejoiced.
And so as we close, I want to close with just one final encouragement from our text. Right, Jesus has been praying that we would take the joy of the gospel with us, be sent out with it. He's been praying that we would be sanctified and holy through his word, that God would protect us as we go out in this world. And so here is my encouragement. Remember who is praying this. This is Jesus. God the Son, praying on our behalf to God the Father. That his people would be taken care of. Every one of the prayers of Jesus, the Father answers with yes. When Jesus prays that we would go out with joy, the Father answers, yes. When Jesus prays that we would grow in holiness, the Father answers, yes. When Jesus prays that we would be protected from evil, the Father answers, yes.
If all those things are true, if Jesus has prayed, Then let us go out without worrying. Let us go out in courage, in boldness, in joy to celebrate this good news that Jesus has done. Let us be faithful to what God has called us to do, not feeling isolated or alone, but together with our brothers and sisters that we can share this good news of Jesus Christ in the world around us. Church, you are sent. Let's pray.
Oh our heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for this message of the gospel that we get to hold on to, that we get to declare, that we get to place our trust in. Lord, I thank you that it was not because we were good enough, not because we had everything worked out, not because we were perfect people, that you sent Jesus, but out of your grace, your mercy, your love for us, you have made a way for our sins to be forgiven. Father, thank you for that. Lord, I pray, would you work in our lives that we might grow in holiness more and more. Father, I pray, would we go out courageous, knowing that you are with us, that you have not abandoned us. Father, I pray, would we be good ambassadors on your behalf of the joy of Jesus Christ. We ask all these things in your name. Amen.