NOTE: Before I get started, I want you to know that our children in the Dominican Republic went back to school yesterday. 150 underprivileged children are receiving an education, and food every day, because of your charitable donations. A special thanks to our partners and supporters. If you are not a partner with us, and you would like to do so, please visit: http://ripministries.org/donate. All donations are tax deductible in the United States.
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. Last week we started looking at John 17 to go along with it. 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? Today I will focus in on the statement, “I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world.”
- In yesterday’s message I said, “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!” The goal is Kingdom influence IN THIS WORLD! Don’t just live your life focused on going to heaven. Live your life focused on bringing heaven to the earth!
- The reason why Jesus prayed that we would be ONE with both He and the Father, is so we could have the boldness and power to change this world. Jesus was sent into the world to change it and He now sends us to do what He did. But you will never do what He did, until you see yourself AS HE IS — not in heaven, but down here, IN THIS WORLD!
- People are looking for an alternative to their mundane and powerless lives. They are supposed to SEE that alternative IN YOU! This is how you draw the lost to Jesus!
- God works IN you and then THROUGH you. He works IN you first, helping you to develop the Godly character required to carry the weight of the anointing, and helping you to see yourself as Jesus is, in this world. Once He does that, once the change is effectuated IN you, God then sends you into the world to change the world THROUGH you!
- Private victory precedes public victory. You must win the battle on the INSIDE before God sends you out to make impact on the outside!
- Jesus came to establish a Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is supposed to change the world. The world is made up of individuals and systems. God’s Kingdom is supposed to affect (with effects and influence), both the people and the systems of this world!
I will stop here for today.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I see myself as ONE with You. I am a Kingdom citizen. I have been changed by Your Word. You send me into this world to effectuate change. I do so by living as a representative of Your Kingdom on this planet. I don’t live focused on going to heaven. I live focused on bringing heaven to the earth! 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.
