Our study of John 17 draws to a close with a challenge to the church. We’ve considered THE Lord’s prayer as Christ prayed for Himself, for the Disciples, and now for His church. Wait...that’s you and me! Let’s examine just what He prayed for us.
1. That we all may be one
2. That through being one, as Christ, the Father, and the Spirit are one, the world will believe that Christ was sent by God
3. That we have been given the glory which God gave to Christ
4. That we will be perfected in unity so the world will know
5. That the love with which God loved Christ will be in us
Do you sense common themes in all of this? Look again. The themes are unity , love, and getting the message to the world. If we focus on getting the message to the world, a number of additional references come to mind.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Matthew 28:19
"You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8
"And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." Acts 6:7
"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'” Mark 16:15
"O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." John 17:25,26
In unity and love, go and share the message in all you say and do.
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