What did Jesus mean when He said we should be “one?” What does it look like? 1) In commitment to and love for each other 2) In having the same mission for the world, 3) In having the same ultimate goal of glorifying Christ.

John 17:20-24

Sermon Manuscript

What is being one? (10/11/15 Standalone)

ATTN: What would reveal so clearly what is truly important to a person? Single people, if you are sizing up a person you are dating to see what he/she’s really about, how would you do it? I’d listen to his/her private prayers. Don’t we express our deepest longings and desires through our private prayers? Especially, if we knew that we don’t have many days on earth, what we desperately offer up in prayer will reveal so clearly what’s important to us.

We have the private prayers of Jesus the day before He was to be captured and crucified in John 17. It reveals what was in Jesus’ heart. Two things: 1) His Father, 2) the church. He wanted His Father to be glorified and He wanted the church to become one because that will in turn glorify the Father most.

What Jesus desired more than anything else, essentially what he came to earth to do doing the unthinkable of God taking on the human nature is this: that we become one with Him and one with one another. That is what our church’s name is based upon. That is not only our name, but that is our vision and goal. But what does it mean to be one? What does it look like? That is the question I want to answer today through today’s passage in the brief time we have together.

1. In commitment to and love for each other

21 – “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may all be one.” How can a group of individuals become one? Not when they are insisting on their individuality but when each members is willing to sacrifice the self for the group. That is in fact what Jesus was doing on behalf of the Trinity – the Godhead. So, it is implied here, but more specifically stated in Philippians 2:2-6 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others

In today’s vernacular, it’s the “team first” concept. Even as Americans who are all about individuality and being free, don’t we get so frustrated at professional ball players who are all about the self and not team players? Who only care about their own stats and how much money they are going to make? We criticize them for thinking more about the self than the team and rightly so! Now, imagine church as a team. And you are the players. Are you more about the team or are you about yourself? Are we thinking first about the good of the church or are we thinking first about the good of the self? Sobering question, isn’t it? Actually, a church is more than a team. It’s a family. And unless we put the church before our individual needs, it cannot be one.

The Apostle John, the oldest apostle to survive, the one who was perhaps closest to Jesus on earth says in 1 John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

            So, being one means to be one in commitment to and love for one another.

2. Having the same mission to the world (v. 21)

v. 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” We want the world to believe in Christ – that, He is the only Son of God and the savior of the world. That is our mission. That is the church’s mission. And when we have that same external mission, we will automatically align ourselves with each other. C.S. Lewis says, “Lovers are face to face interested in each other, but friends are side by side facing the common interest.” So, when you and I are facing the same way being on God’s mission, it will naturally bring us together as one. This being on mission for God together tells us that the church has a purpose beyond just ourselves.

ILL: Again, borrowing from the sport arena, there is a difference between a team that is playing just to have fun – kinda like a Junior High’s JV girls’ volleyball team – versus a team that has a definite goal in mind – like the Seahawks setting itself to win the Superbowl. We may have great fellowship and love for one another like a girls’ JV volleyball team, but there is really on purpose outside of having fun. But the church has a purpose greater than itself. Jesus, our commander, chief shepherd or Senior Pastor gave us the mission – “go into all the world and make disciples of all nations! What will bring us together as one is being dedicated to that mission.

So, we have a game to win and players need to be committed to each other and be team players that care about the team more than the self in order to accomplish the mission.

So, being one is 1) having the same love and commitment to each other, 2) having the same mission and therefore walking toward the same direction, and then 3)

3. In having the same ultimate goal of glorifying Christ.

But what is ultimately binding us together as one? How do we answer the question: “Well, why should I commit myself to a group of believers called the church? Why should I sacrifice myself for her? Why should I tend to its needs before mine? Why should I be on mission when it’s difficult and uncomfortable? Is there a motive or purpose undergirding everything else about the church? Yes. It’s the ultimate goal of glorifying Christ. That is the purpose for which we were created and why the world exists in the first place. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24 ESV)

            Westminster confession states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever.” Everything, including you and me, exists to glorify God – to make Him famous, to magnify Him, to honor Him, to make Him look good – and our enjoyment in doing that! We were created to enjoy God being made much of. Of course, sin made it so that we enjoy ourselves being made much of. In other words, instead of being God-centered, we became self-centered. Now, perhaps you think, “Wait a minute. Why is God being so selfish, making us be about Him and not about us. He’s telling us not to self-centered, but He himself is being self-centered. Isn’t that hypocrisy? Kind of like parents who are telling their children to do something but they wont’ do it themselves. Let me tell you why it’s wrong for us to be self-centered but it is right for God to be self-centered. The reason why it would be wrong for us is because we are not the greatest thing there is. We are not the center of the universe. We are no the cause and reason for all things. Therefore, it would be wrong for us to make ourselves the center. But God is. He is the center of the universe and the cause and reason for all things. o, when God makes Himself to be the greatest thing there is, He is staying true to how things are.

            ILL: Imagine if someone finally came up with a cure for cancer. He created a medicine that will reverse cancer at any stage. And he has the formula for that drug in his head. But he thinks to himself, “I don’t want any attention. I don’t want the Nobel prize and the media’s attention. So, I’m just going to give this drug to my family only and keep it a secret. What would you say? Are you nuts? Why? You have to cure for cancer! You could help so many millions of people. Please make yourself known. You would be doing the world so much good by doing that. God is the greatest good there is. He is the source of all pleasure. He’s the greatest treasure there is. For God to deflect that and give the glory to something or someone else less than himself such as us, He would be doing a disservice.

We at As One determined that it is more glorifying to Christ when we become one with those who are only superficially different – whether ethnicity, language, culture, spending powers. The world gravitates toward those who are just like them – displaying again that self-love, but we want to give honor and glory to God by becoming one with those who have Christ as the common denominator and not much else. And I want to tell you that we are not the only one striving. There are others that are sriving to do the same, which I thank God for.

ILL: Village church in Beaverton, OR – no relations to the village church in TX, I’m sure. Predonimantly an Anglo church. I was so interested I called and spoke to a staff person there. Why don’t Koreans go to a Korean church? Aren’t they everywhere near portlant? She said yes they are.

CONCLUSION: there are certain things that can’t be done with will-power. You can’t make yourself love someone. Have you noticed that in the passage we read, Jesus is not giving us a command to become one? He is praying this to His Father that He will make us one. Why? Because He knows we can’t do it on our own. This will require a whole lot more than will-power. So, this passage is not giving us a to-do list but to serve as a mirror. When we hear what we should be – that we should be one in commitment, love, mission, and purpose – with people are who are vastly different from us, but unable to be so, our resolve should not be “Well, I just need to try harder,” taking it as a command to obey, but rather, “What is lacking in my heart? B/c Jesus loved everyone in spite of color, age, culture, etc but I can’t. so, what I wrong with my heart? I’m not loving the people like I should – especially people who are different from me! Certainly not like Jesus loved me. “ Taking it like a mirror….. What then do we do? I know I should be loving these people deeply like my own, but I’m not there yet. Lord, have mercy on me. Help my unbelief. Change me for I cannot change myself. God will only be pleased and happy to come and do things for us that which we cannot do. Many people love the vision of our church. But they don’t think it’s for them. That is why I thank you and I think highly of you for sticking around our church. Thank you for believing in God’s vision for our church and thank you for joining it and living it. God has led us the last 5 years. May He continue to lead us and show us His goodness and mercy to us corporately and individually.