Sermon: The Lord's Prayer (pt 3)
Summary: This prayer reveals something of the character of God. God is the source of
true life, and the source of true love. These two characteristics are inseparable and
should also be manifested in us, the church as well.
Know: The central character of God, and of life (from God) is love.
Feel: The desire to love others as God loves
Do: Reflect on our attitude toward the world and compare this to God's attitude toward the
world as demonstrated in Christ. Discuss how God's love has been demonstrated in your
life, and how God intends for you to demonstrate it in your own life. Identify obstacles to
and ways that the church can demonstrate the love of God and how this fits in with God's
mission.
Text: John 17
Scripture Reading: 1 Jn 4:9-12
Intro:
1. At school the other day, was PE teacher
a. Talked to a student's homeroom teacher about his behavior
b. Problem student, but he was very good for me
c. I bragged to the teacher how good he was, making sure he could
"overhear"
d. Sometimes overhearing in this way is so much more powerful
2. As we continue to look at the Lord's prayer, remember we are "overhearing"
his message to us
a. We got a look at his heart's desire, his passion
b. We heard something of the character of the church
c. Now we will see something of the character of God
3. We will reflect this morning on what this prayer reveals about nature of God
I. Life (Jn 17:1-3)
A. Jesus begins his prayer talking about life
1. His goal was to give opportunity for eternal life for the world
2. It is natural he would begin with what his life's mission was
B. It is not just about salvation from Hell, but life
1. Jesus rarely uses word salvation - only 5 times
a. Salvation 1 time - 4:22 - Salvation is from the Jews
b. Saved 4 times - 3:17; 5:34; 10:9; 12:47
2. Jesus usually uses the word "life" - 41 times, usually as a noun.
Examples:
a. 3:16 - Whoever believes in him not perish, but have
eternal life
b. 4:14 - Whoever drinks water I give, it will become a well
springing up to eternal life
c. 5:24 - If hear my word, believe Him who sent me, passed
out of death into life
d. 6:48 - I am the bread of life
e. 8:12 - I light of world, follow me, not walk in darkness,
but have light of life
f. 10:10 - I have come that they might have life, abundantly
g. 11:25 - I am the resurrection and the life
h. 12:50 - I know that His commandment is eternal life
i. 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life
j. 17:2 - This is eternal life, that they might know you
3. Salvation is not just about staying out of Hell
a. For many, this is our initial motivation when obeying the
Gospel
b. I remember a study with someone who wanted to be
saved, was terrified of Hell, rightly so
c. After he obeyed the Gospel, he knew he had eternal life
after this life is over
4. But is eternal life just about staying out of Hell in the future and
going to Heaven? I used to think so
C. Problem is people get wrong idea about eternal life - Does it mean to
exist forever?
1. When I was in the hospital with pneumonia, got a roomate
a. They didn't know if he would last through the night
b. Was evidently delerious when they brought him in
c. All night long, he was yelling, crying, praying---for life
- He was not aware of me or anything else
- He sensed he could die that night
- He fought all night long to stay alive
- He did not want to die
d. He survived the night, was lucid in the morning
2. Then there was Valerie's Mom
a. Went in for surgery for new pacemaker, went real bad
- Too much swelling, couldn't close her up,
- Had to stay on respirator
- Also on a feeding tube
b. Went on for weeks, couldn't take her off respirator
c. She finally communicated to take herself off all machines
d. She was miserable, and realized that this was not "living"
- We talk about "quality of life"
- It is not just existing, but also is about quality
3. It's like the person who says, "I have not yet begun to live"
a. Always looking forward to......"something"
b. Searches for true life in many places, all promising "hope"
- Tries get rich schemes, selling products, multi-level
marketing
- Tries eastern philosophy
- Tries climbing the ladder at his career
- Tries hedonism, tries asceticism
c. In spite of all these projects, nothing satisfies
d. Underlying thought: Has got to be more to life than this
- Indeed there is
4. We understand that life is more than mere existence
a. There is a quality of life
- But not in self-fulfillment, self actualization schemes
- It is not in anything else but our Lord
b. It is knowing God
c. It is the abundant life through Christ, shepherd, leader
d. It is the fulfillment from the bread of life
D. Our Lord IS life
1. It is not just future, but now as well as in the future
2. Jesus described it in several ways
a. An endless spring to satisfy your inner thirst
b. The bread of life that will give true satisfaction, true life
c. Our Lord is the way, truth and LIFE
3. There are many wells, sources of bread, promises of "life"
a. Some search for it in success in career
b. Some in money, in popularity, a relationship
c. All the ones from this world are dead ends
d. Eccl 12 - Fear God and keep his commands, this is the
whole of man
- Heb text does not say "duty"
- Literally, it is "the whole of man"
- This is what man is all about
4. Our Lord is Life
II. Love (Jn 17:23-26)
A. Began the prayer with life, ends with love
B. Love is significant
1. Love is a prominent theme in scripture
a. John 13:34-35 - It is the model for us to follow
b. It expresses itself in so many ways. Examples:
- Rom 13:8; 14:15 - love in accepting one another
-- No hold brother in contempt or judge if differs
-- If God accepts him, we should too
-- Motivation is love
-- Causes also to give up freedom for brother
so he not stumble
- 1 Cor 8:1; 13:1-8; 14:26 - Love solution for problems
-- Knowledge puffs up, love builds up
-- prophesies, tongues, knowledge, fail and
cease, but love never fails
-- Therefore, all things for edification, that is
Love
- Eph 4:15 - Speak truth in love, grow in all things
-- Not just speaking the truth
-- Need both truth and love to grow in all things
- Jas 2:8 - Royal law - Love neighbor as yourself
-- Means not showing favoritism to rich guests
-- Means greeting all guests the same
c. Mt 22:37-40 - Entire law and prophets hangs on love
- Every command can be connected to love
- Character of God is love, so it makes sense
d. John 3:16 - It is the motivation behind Jesus coming to
world in the way that he did
2. Fact that he begins with life and ends with love suggests a
relationship between the two
a. (1 Jn 1:7-9) - Walking in the light, fellowship, forgiveness
b. (1 Jn 2:9-10) - Walking in the light means walking in love
c. (1 Jn 3:14-23)
- Love of brethren a sign that passed from death to
Life
- If true, active love, know that we are of the truth
- His commandment is belief in Jesus, and love one
another
- Sanctify in truth, means you will love
d. (1 Jn 4:7-9) - Love, one another, Love is of God
- If love, is born of God, and know God
- Jn 17:3 - Life is knowing God, Knowing God is to
love
- Love = in the light, no love = darkness
- Knowing God--Light, life, love -- all are inseparable
3. Summary (diagram)
a. Eternal Life=Knowing God=Love=Light
b. Inverse: Death=Not knowing God=No Love=Darkness
4. Indeed, it all hinges on love
C. Problem - Think of eternal life in terms of length - existing forever
1. Not length but depth - Love, Knowing God, Life, Light
2. Illustration: Monthly blackouts in Korea
a. Every light off, no candles, street lights, etc. -- dark!
b. Previous to blackout, laughing, playing, enjoy "life" in light
c. Dark - Got quiet, children scared, feel isolated, alone
even though physically we are right there together
d. No love, in darkness, that is what it is like
3. Love, Life, Light go together
a. There is no light without love
b. There is not life without love
c. Cannot know God without love
D. God is love
1. Jesus prayed about love in his prayer
2. 1 Cor 13:1-8 - Apply to us
3. God so loved the "world" that he "gave" his son
4. What are we willing to "give" out of love?
a. Call for church to be embassy, us as ambassadors
b. Call for serving the world in love, sacrificially
c. Call to evangelism, sharing good news
d. Call to express the love of God in way Christ did
Concl:
1. God is life, God is love, knowing God - is to love - is to have life.
2. Many are searching for this - church is to point the way
a. All this is "so that the world may know" (inv)
b. Jesus has sent the church into the world as his emissary
3. For that to happen, need to take into account Jesus' prayer
4. This prayer is recorded for us to "overhear"
a. Designed to motivate us and instruct us
b. This is God's word to us
c. To highlight this, let's read it as though Jesus were speaking directly to
us by reading an excerpt using the third person pronouns as 2nd person
pronouns.
d. Listen to what he is saying to you:
- John 17:13 "But now I go to the Father; and these things I have spoken
in the world so that you may have My joy made full in yourselves.
- John 17:14 "I have given you God's word; and the world has hated you,
because you are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
- John 17:15 "I do not ask the Father to take you out of the world, but to
keep you from the evil one.
- John 17:16 "You are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
- John 17:17 "I have asked the Father to sanctify you in the truth; His
word is truth.
- John 17:18 "As the Father sent Me into the world, I also have sent you
into the world. ...
- John 17:21 I have asked the Father that you may all be one; even as the
Father, is in Me and I in Him, that you also may be in Us, so that
the world may believe that the Father has sent Me.
- John 17:22 "The glory which the Father has given Me I have given to you,
that you may be one, just as the Father and I are one;
- John 17:23 I in you and He in Me, that you may be perfected in unity, so
that the world may know that He has sent Me, and loved you, even
as the Father has loved Me.
- John 17:24 " I desire that you be with Me where I am, so that you may
see My glory which the Father has given Me, for the Father loved
Me before the foundation of the world.
- John 17:25 "Although the world has not known my Father, yet I have
known Him; and you have known that He sent Me;
- John 17:26 and I have made His name known to you, and will make it
known, so that the love with which the Father loved Me may be in you,
and I in you."
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Small Group Notes: The Lord's Prayer (pt 3)
Summary: This prayer reveals something of the character of God. God is the source of true
life, and the source of true love. These two characteristics are inseparable and should also
be manifested in us, the church as well.
Open: (choose one)
- When have you enjoyed life the most?
- What metaphor would you use to describe love? A flower, sweater, pillar, sunrise, garden,
baby, other_______________
Explore: (Jn 17:1-3; 23-26)
1. How does Jesus pray concerning life and love?
2. (1 Jn 2:9-10; 3:14-23) - Discuss the relationship between love, life, truth, and belief in Christ.
3. (1 Jn 4:7-9; 17:26) - Discuss why love is so significant?
4. (1 Jn 3:16; 13:34; 17:23) - Who are the objects of God's love, and what effect does it have,
how does it serve God's purposes?
Apply:
5. How has God's love been shown or demonstrated to you in your life?
6. Reflect on our attitude toward the world and compare this to God's attitude toward the world
as demonstrated in Christ.
7. What are some ways that you can demonstrate the love of God in your life? What are some
ways the group and this church can demonstrate the love of God?
8. What have been some hindrances, challenges, or obstacles are there to demonstrating the
love of God? What can be done about these?
Prayer:
