NOTE: Before we get into the Word today, allow me to address two things up front. First, let’s be thankful for those who made it through the recent hurricanes unscathed. Let’s pray for those who were impacted. Let’s lift them up in prayer as they seek to recover from hurricanes Irma and Jose, and while others in Houston are also beginning their journey to recovery from Harvey. Second, today is September 11th. We must never forget what happened in the United States on September 11th, 2001. Life goes on, but our memories of that day are still strong. Let’s look back for a moment to remember, and then live in this moment in a way that honors the memory of those who lost their lives that day.
Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for over a month now. This week we are looking at John 17 as well. Let’s go back to both passages again this morning.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The True Lord’s Prayer (John 17)
(verses 1-5)
After Jesus said these things, he looked toward heaven and prayed, “Father, the time has come. Give glory to your Son so that the Son can give glory to you. You gave the Son power over all people so that he could give eternal life to all those you have given to him. And this is eternal life: that people can know you, the only true God, and that they can know Jesus Christ, the one you sent. I finished the work you gave me to do. I brought you glory on earth. And now, Father, give me glory with you. Give me the glory I had with you before the world was made.
(verses 15-23)
“I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One. They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.
“I pray not only for these followers but also for those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that all who believe in me can be one. You are in me and I am in you. I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me. I gave them this glory so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as you loved me.”
So what does this mean to you today? I will seek to glean a few golden nuggets from the statement, “Make them ready for your service through your truth. Your teaching is truth. I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. I am making myself completely ready to serve you. I do this for them, so that they also might be fully qualified for your service.”
- Jesus prayed to the Father, asking Him to make us ready for His service through His Word. While God’s grace is certainly unearned and undeserved, His full use of humans comes only after preparation. Prepared blessings come to prepared people. God prepares us through His Word.
- Jesus made Himself ready to be used of the Father. We must make ourselves ready as well. We make ourselves ready by getting the Word of God down in our hearts.
- God offers us His anointing for free, by grace. But His anointing will not flow through us until we have been processed to the point where we can carry the weight of it.
- You are “As Jesus is.” You are this way by grace. But you will never live this way until your soul is renewed. We must learn to think (renewing our mind), feel (renewing our emotions), and make decisions (renewing our will), like God Himself. This happens through Word of God.
- Jesus prepared Himself to be used of the Father. As result, the Father sent Him into the world. In John 17 Jesus said that as we are prepared to be used of the Father, as we are fully qualified for His service, He will also send us into the world!
- Going to church is not the goal. You go to church to learn how to live in this world. Getting out in the world as light and salt is the goal. Don’t see church as the place you to go serve. Church is the place you to go worship and learn. You actually leave the church to serve. You leave to the church to go represent Jesus in this world. You do this by living “As Jesus is.” But you will never do it, until you mind is renewed by the Word of God.
- Jesus’ focus was not the church. His focus was the Kingdom. If you read the end of the book you will learn that the kingdoms of this world MUST become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ!
I will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I am learning to think, feel and make decisions like You. I walk like You, talk like You, look like You, live like You, and represent You daily, in this world! You changed me by Your Word. You now send me into the world to change it! The kingdoms of this world SHALL BECOME the Kingdoms of my Lord, and of His Christ! Because as Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
