 Verse 11 says this Now I am no longer in the world But these are in the world and I come to you holy father Keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are the Lord Jesus Christ John chapter 17 here verses 11 through 19 specifically the Lord Jesus Christ Expresses a great love for his own a great love for his own in a special way a particular way a Saving and redemptive way Christ loves those who have been given to him by the father out of the world So now here in John chapter 17 verses 11 through 19 In that love for his own the Lord Jesus Christ now prays on their behalf to the father He does not pray for the world he says but he prays for those the father has given him out of the world specifically in verse 11 the Lord is referring here to his disciples But what he prays here again is true of and applies to all of his disciples not just these 11 men This is as much a prayer for his bride the church As it is for his disciples and he mentions all believers here in verse 20 now this the Bible now Describes this particular love between Christ and his church as the love that a godly husband has for his bride We know that scripture teaches that we've seen that many times So imagine the scene if you will where we are in John chapter 17 the father of the bride Takes her hand in his and he walks his bride down the aisle As they approach the groom the father gives her to the groom by placing her hand in his never wondered What that pictures right in a wedding ceremony? The bride groom loves His bride we know that he loves her to the uttermost that's what he says in John chapter 13 And he delights in her and he nourishes her he cherishes her and he's given responsibility To keep her to protect her to provide for her But imagine the scene at the end of the ceremony He has to leave her And he has to leave her in a very dangerous place a place that is surrounded By enemies Jesus says in verse 11. I am no longer in the world But my bride is in the world. Do you see I'm no longer in the world But these those whom you have given me out of the world those are in the world My own are left in the world now. He speaks here. I am no longer in the world He speaks here of his departure by means of the cross And that departure so certain that he speaks of it as a present reality. I am he says no longer in the world the cross Is certain his resurrection is certain He goes to redeem his bride at the cross and in redeeming her he leaves her behind in this wicked world Now notice he does not say there in verse 11 that these are of the world He says of believers that they are in The world and note the difference, okay Jesus says of his own chosen people in john chapter 15 verse 19 If you were of the world the world would love its own Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world therefore The world hates you As we come to verse 14 He says the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world in verse 16 They are not of the world just as I am not of the world Lord is saying here that those whom he loves Those whom he will give his own life for on calvary are about to be left in danger In a dangerous place surrounded by enemies. They are about to be left in this wicked world Now the world hates The bride Because it hates the bridegroom John chapter 7 it hates the bridegroom because he testifies of it that its works its deeds are evil This world We know this to be true. This world as the bible describes it Is enemy controlled territory under the sway of the wicked one This world is under the satanic rule of the prince of the power of the air It is a masterfully crafted insidiously deadly system of corrupting toxins Relentlessly and constantly gorged on and vomited out by its depraved inhabitants It is a black plague of sin that creeps into every corner polluting every part polluting every person Its allurements are powerfully seductive Every temptation is a death trap It's laid for the express purpose of catching souls every pit leads down into hell if i could come up with more Biting adjectives i would How does the bible describe the world? How does the bible describe this world? This world is an enemy of your soul It's one of three enemies the first of three the world the flesh and the devil Secondly This world is the the quintessential adulteress It is a seductive whore Who is at enmity with god Those who go in the way of this world are themselves called adulterers and adulteresses They are described as committing spiritual adultery. Why is that? It's because of their worldliness Through worldliness They commit spiritual adultery james chapter 4 verse 4 james says adulterers and adulteresses Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with god? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of god As louis johnson said this he said to permit the world to take the place of the lord's proper preeminence in the believer's life Is to be guilty of spiritual adultery. You're an unfaithful bride when you do that Thirdly this world what we know of it hates christians And it has shown itself quick to vent its hostility on christians I read an article last week. This is this last year the most deadly year in recorded history for christians more martyrs Now then there ever have been people killed for Seeking to advance the cause of christ are killed for christian values killed because of christ And we'll see that more now as we come to verse 18 in john chapter 16 if you look back just one page john chapter 16 verse 2 Speaking of the world in its hostility and hatred the lord says that they will put you out of the synagogues Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers god's service fourth This world is not our home This world is not our home the world passes away in the lust of it But he who does the will of god abides forever So living in this world Like living in a tuberculosis ward Right everywhere you turn there's an infectious disease that will kill you if it's left unchecked and that disease is highly contagious you are walking through a Dangerous disease portion of the cdc without a hazmat suit And everywhere there are there's an infectious disease that if you don't keep yourself unspotted from it it will kill you And there's no way there's no way that you're going to make it apart from the protection provision power and preservation of the great physician He alone is able to keep that which you've committed to him until that day later John's going to warn believers to stay clear of this world. They are in it But they can't be of it and if we don't talk about this a little bit We're going to be doing malpractice here We need to turn to john chapter 2 and look at an example of this first john chapter 2 As you're turning We get a glimpse or an understanding of the danger of this world in the lord's prayer in john chapter 17 God keep them From this world those whom you've given to me out of the world I'm leaving in the world god keep them keep them while I was with them I kept them through your name now holy father. I come to you and I ask you to keep them in my absence So to speak why is that because the world is a dangerous place and we're not to be worldly Look at first john chapter 2 and drop down to verse 15 Stay clear Of the enticements of this world john begins in john chapter first john chapter 2 verse 15 With a very clear command he says in verse 15 do not love the world or the things in the world Don't do it right clear command from john Now here next are his reasons why look at the second part there verse 15 If anyone loves the world The love of the father is not in him For all that is of the world or is in the world the lust of the flesh The lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the father But is of the world and the world is passing away and the lust of it But he who does the will of god abides forever Now if you look at verse 15 first part of verse 15 You have the command don't love the world don't love the things in the world right Then from the second part of verse 15 through 17 You have basically four component parts that we want to break down As reasons why you're not to love the world. Let's look at the first one together the second half of verse 15 there If anyone loves the world john says The love of the father is not in him In other words, don't love the world Don't love the things of this world. Why? Because love for this world is a mark of someone enslaved to their sin and bound for hell Right if you love this world If you pine after the things of this world you're like lot's wife Pining after the wickedness of sonam right she turns She turns into a pillar of salt your demis You're a demis forsaking your brothers in love with this present world I can't a christian if you think about this command can't a christian A genuine christian Slop around sometimes in the pigsty of this world Yes Get in the mud get filthy. Sadly. Yes christians can do that But be warned. There's a warning here. Someone might say well once they've always saved No, there's a real Valid warning here that if you depart from the faith for love of the things of this world You were never saved to begin with they went out from us because they were not of us had they been of us They would have remained with us, but they went out that it might be made manifest. They were not of us Can a genuine christian Slop around in the mud of this world. Yes, but be warned Your love for christ Will crowd out your love for this world Or your love for this world will crowd out your professed love of christ No one can serve two masters Either he will hate the one and love the other Or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon Secondly verse 16 John says for all that is in the world For all that is in the world is not of the father But is of the world And what in the world is he referring to? The lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Do you see The lust of the flesh sinful desires for those things that would that would please us physically food Right gluttony sex Leisure Maybe sleep. Maybe rest Some of these things not bad in and of themselves, right? But we with our corrupt natures make them sinful Time wasting distractions Alcohol drugs Pain medication Neglect of responsibilities the lusts of the flesh Sinful desires for those things that would please us physically But also first John chapter 2 verse 16 the lust of the eyes Sinful desires for those things which are pleasing in our sight We covet them Discontentment with those things that you already have Maybe entertainments right what you watch on tv what you see at the movies Some new car you got you got your eye on some new trinket right some new job Some new apartment some new life that you want Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes the pride of life the first two the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes Represent sinful desires for things we don't have Things that you don't have but that you want right the pride of life Represents a sinful pride regarding those things that you do have the word there for life that greek word has the sense of Livelihood or the means by which we live it's pride in the things that we possess Pride of life is pride in those things that we possess clenching onto our money Having this world's goods And closing off your heart to your brother in need Pride of life showing off your beach body all over social media Showing off your muscles Some immodest if I see one more picture right Like the the angle of the camera just position right Plastering pictures of yourself all over facebook It's foolish pride pride of life So in other words think about it with me lust of the flesh lust of the eyes the pride of life Everything in this world system that arouses your sinful desire Or arouses your sinful pride Everything in this world system that arouses Your sinful desire or arouses your sinful prize Everything in this world system that diverts your gaze from god And plunges you it plunges you into idolatry Verse 16 says all of that all of that is not of the father But is of the world Thirdly verse 17 first part of verse 17 This world is passing away and the lust of it World is passing away What john is saying there is listen don't Cover it a ride on the titanic Don't get on the boat. Don't take the ticket. Don't go up the gangway Stop storing up your treasure in your state room on the titanic. Let it all go right Paul says we brought nothing into this world and it's certain we can carry nothing out having food and clothing With these we shall be content Those who desire riches right those who Desire the things of this world Paul says fall into many temptations and snares into many foolish and harmful lusts Which drown men in destruction and perdition This world is passing away and the lust of it is passing away We are citizens of a world that has yet to come Verse 17 the second part of verse 17 and fourthly He who does the will of god abides forever He who does the will of god abides forever loving the world Here is contrasted with doing the will of god the one who does the will of the father is the one who loves the father Right do not love the things of this world the world or the things in the world If anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him So back in john chapter 17 now john chapter 17 That's this world That the lord is referring to when he prays in john chapter 17 we live in that world So i thought about this And the lord's prayer for our protection our preservation in this world um I think the the real danger of worldliness for professing christians right the real danger Is it especially in our day and age especially in this culture right? Dale was talking about malawi a minute ago and just the difference between our culture and that culture is great The way in which we live the culture in which we live the context in which we live Makes it really difficult I think for cultures to Recognize or acknowledge worldliness the real danger Is that many professing christians don't see it they don't see it as an encroaching worldliness This world is a dangerous soul destroying place And yet so many professing christians today are appallingly worldly They're not being kept Through his name from the world. They're not being kept from the evil one. They're being overcome by it when you see professing christians that are Worldly they're not being kept. They're being overcome Being friends with this world makes you an enemy of god Being friends with this world makes you an enemy of god Stay away from worldliness Live for christ In our text in john chapter 17 Genuine christians are kept through his name And sanctified by his truth if you look at those two petitions of our lord in verses 11 through 19 Keep them through your name and sanctify them by your truth If lord jesus christ praised to god the father to keep them through his name and to sanctify them by his truth We then must rely upon him to be kept and we must Follow him by faith and obey his word his truth to be sanctified right we have a responsibility in that that's god sovereignty Man's responsibility genuine christians kept through his name Sanctified by his truth and so christians must rely on him to be kept And to follow his word to be sanctified follow his truth to be sanctified. Now think about this practically with me for a moment And again, we need to spend some time talking about this This world this world is full of things that will entice the desire Or entice the pride even of a genuine christian james says Each one of us is tempted When he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed and it's when that desire has conceived james says That it gives birth to sin So now if you're a christian then if you're a christian The biblical pattern or the the pattern of your life the habit of your life then must be To biblically deal with your desires You have to biblically deal with your desires and the choices that you make If each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed And it's when that desire conceives that it gives birth to sin Then we must be in the habit of dealing biblically with our own desires The first thing that you do to deal biblically with them is to acknowledge the desire Acknowledge the desire see the desire. You may say to yourself. I want a house, right? I want a new house a new apartment new place to live. I want a husband I want a wife. I want a new tv. I want some time off. I want to take a vacation I want a drink I want a smoke I want to Be angry I want a new job. I want a new tattoo If you know that that desire is sinful Then pray and remit repent immediately Immediately upon the acknowledgement of the desire that is a sinful desire then pray and repent immediately You need to do some radical amputation cut it off cut off your hand gouge out your eye Do business with god starve it out deny yourself take action against it if you acknowledge that the desire is sinful Secondly once you acknowledge the desire Then judge biblically according to god's word is the desire worldly Is the desire worldly is it influenced by the lust of the flesh? Does that desire arise from the lust of the eyes? Or does it fuel the pride of life? Do you want that thing that job that drink that person that pleasure that home whatever it is that time Do you want that thing because you love god? Or because you love yourself Right does determine if the desire is worldly Are you under the power of it 1st Corinthians chapter 6 verse 12 Is it wasteful of your time or your resources? Ephesians chapter 5 verses 15 through 18 Does it fuel your pride does it merely gratify your flesh? Does it arise from god's wisdom? Or is it man's wisdom which is foolishness? Can you in good conscience and trust yourself to christ in it? I want this thing And I can entrust myself to christ in it and he will be faithful to uphold me in it because this is an honorable thing to christ, right? Can you in good conscience and trust yourself to christ in it? Can you do it in faith? Can you do it in faith? Does it draw you away from him or toward him? And can you pray for it and ask for christ to be glorified in it Is the desire worldly If it's worldly you can't do it, right? All that is to be done is to be done for the glory of god, right? All that is to be done is to be done for the glory of god Paul says do all in the name of the lord jesus christ Colossians in everything give thanks do all to the glory of god That means you're not at liberty to make choices apart from him, right? You are not your own you were bought at a price therefore glorify god, right? Thirdly one acknowledge the desire to determine if the desire is worldly Or three is christ at the center of your choice is christ at the center of that desire Will this help me to love him more worship him more serve him more will it help me to glorify him more? All right, i'm gonna work overtime Will that help you serve god more glorify god more? i'm gonna watch another episode While i'm binge watching this thing on netflix Well watching another episode another episode another episode another show another show and another show Will that help you love him more learn of him more worship him more love him more is Is christ at the center of that choice? Listen, you are not your own, right? Or is that wasteful of time or resources is that dissipation? I'm gonna buy that car Why are you gonna buy that car right? I'm gonna move to that area Wonder what circumstances are you gonna move to that area again? These are situations that could go either way, right? But you have to determine with a clear conscience before god between you and god You have to determine you have to deal biblically with your desires if you don't Then you trail off into worldliness Into gratifying your flesh the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life I know some of you in this room who have bought houses Specifically because there was a big room in the front of the house would be perfect for fellowships Right, that's the reason you bought the house. This would be great for fellowships I know others have bought houses because you want to provide a place for your kids to play They didn't have that before right or you want to Buy a house because you'd make a why you can take any choice that you make right and you can run it through that kind of a filter This would be a wise investment that one wouldn't be right. Are those things honoring to the lord? Yes But if you're not careful if you're not Depending upon god Running everything through the filter of god's word They can also be the products of your sinful flesh Choices that you make that gratify your flesh the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes The pride of life the world is a dangerous place for the christian and we're constantly confronted by it andrew murray said this He said there is nothing in the christian life There's nothing the christian life suffers more from Than the subtle and indescribable worldliness that comes from the cares or the possessions of this life So back in john chapter 17 John chapter 17 verse 11 This world is where the lord is about to leave his disciples his bride those whom the father has given to him as a gift He knows the lord knows they will not endure to the end without god's protection without god's preservation of them Now that reality fuels And drives the lord's first petition for his people in john chapter 17 verse 11 The lord prays i come to you holy father Keep through your name those whom you have given me No doubt we need keeping we are prone to wonder and so what the lord jesus christ does in verse 11 then Is he places the salvation of his people? Into the loving care of the father As wicked as the world is the power of the father to keep them is infinitely Greater paul said i know whom i have believed and i am persuaded that he is able to keep what i've committed to him until that day Now in john chapter 17 verse 11 as he addresses the father He draws a distinction between whose we are and where we are with this wicked world as our backdrop He addresses the first person of the trinity not only his father here, but as holy father God the son who is holy praying to god the father who is holy That he would keep those he has given to the son until that day his bride That they would be presented to himself in holiness right a glorious church without blemish Verse 11 says that they may be one as we are and part of that oneness With the godhead is a oneness in holiness. We'll see that as we work through the second part of this text So jesus prays i come to you holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me Keep me there means to watch over to hold fast To stand guard over Preserve them father while they are in this world. They're gonna face hostility They're gonna face temptation without me physically there with them to keep them father. I'm praying that you would keep them jesus said in verse 12 look at verse 12 While i was with them in the world i kept them in your name Those you have who you have given me i have kept and none of them is lost Except that one that was foreordained to be lost right that one prophesied in the scripture None of them is lost except that son of perdition that the scriptures might be fulfilled In other words here judas wasn't a failure The lord jesus christ isn't saying here that none of them was lost But then i failed with judas and we all know that to be true judas was foreordained to be lost judas was a part of the plan all along if you look at the words they're lost verse 12 And the word perdition from verse 12 you get a sense here of what we are being kept from When the lord prays holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me We get a sense here of what we're being kept from the word lost there was lost the verb meaning destroyed or perished perdition a name that son of perdition that Characterizes both judas's Nature his character and his destiny the word perdition there means destruction Means waste or ruin. He was a son of destruction The lord jesus christ here thinking about those words Is asking god the father to preserve us for salvation that we would endure to the end and be saved you look down at verse 15 There's another indication in verse 15. I do not pray the lord says That you should take them out of the world But that you should keep them from the evil one the evil one is satan The one who seeks to destroy the one who seeks to devour So we're being prayed for here that the father would Preserve us under the end so that we might be saved He's praying for our eternal salvation our completed Salvation now again someone might say well once saved always saved right? I can't lose my salvation once i'm saved I'm always saved That's true. We need to understand that in a biblical context right? The bible teaches eternal security But the bible teaches eternal security in the context of god's preserving power and man's responsibility to persevere We have to understand those means god Uses means he uses the means of the intercessory work of christ on our behalf christ here praying for us Right. He uses the means of his own power his own might to preserve us He uses the means of the work of the spirit of god In the believer to preserve us and he uses the means of the believers living and working faith He uses means to accomplish his ends And in verse 11 and then again in verse 12 we see the means by which they are kept it says they're his name We are kept through his name The lord prays i come to you holy father keep through your name those whom you have given me Keep us from falling away to perdition keep us safe Hold us fast keep us from turning away And do that lord through your name keep us through your name There's a couple of different ways to think about this based on the grammar Especially here in verse 11 When he says keep them in your name One that could mean keep them loyal to you right keep them devoted to you Or secondly keep them through you're in a same greek word could be translated in or through keep them through your name has Expresses means there instrumental force right he keeps them through His power his might because of his character his promises keep them through your name That's clear if you think about this passage that both senses are meant right both senses are met his psalmist prayed David prayed save me. Oh god by your name Vindicate me by your strength Proverbs calls the name of the god the name of the lord a strong tower a strong tower So one he's keeping us devoted keeping us loyal to him Keeping us faithful keeping us in the faith so to speak and he does that through His name the instrumental force of his name his power his might because of his character Now there's another decision if you look at verse 11 another decision to make based on the text if you haven't a new king james Your bible reads keep through your name Those whom you have given me That aligns with the text that comes before it the lord is praying not for the world But for those whom you have given me from out of the world right so that Clearly makes sense But look at if you have an esv or an nasb another translation many of them say keep them in your name The name which you have given me right it's a variant in the text Again if we look at these both of these senses are true There's a sense in which one god keeps Those whom he has given to the sun out of the world and we know that to be true That's those are the ones that are going to be saved that god preserves to the end to be saved right Is also a truth that in the lord jesus christ the lord jesus christ being the perfect revelation of the father keeps Them in his name in the name which god has given him as the perfect revelation of god the father in god the sun the second The second sense there keep them in your name the name which you have given me seems to refer to the The power the might the character represented by the name the name of god the father Given in the perfect revelation of his son so Here's the sense if you think about that passage right here's the sense The lord comes and he prays to god the father holy father By your strength this is what the lord is saying right by your strength by your power and your might Because of your great love and your mercy and your grace because the gifts and calling of our immutable god are irrevocable Preserve them lord in your faithfulness preserve them In faithfulness and devotion and in obedience to you by your grace Preserve them in your son until our salvation is complete until we shall finally enjoy our purchased possession Promised in christ when we were engraved upon the palm of his hand and our names were written down in the lambs book of life from all eternity right This is some of that language borrowed from our confession This is the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints But you notice here that he's praying to god the father right Perseverance our perseverance doesn't depend upon us Doesn't depend upon them doesn't depend upon their strength. It depends upon god And god will never fail in that work Listen to psalm 121. I love this I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help My help comes from the lord who made heaven and earth He will not allow your foot to be moved He who keeps you will not slumber Behold he who keeps israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The lord is your keeper the lord is your shade at your right hand The sun shall not strike you by day nor the moon by night The lord shall preserve you from all evil. He shall preserve your soul The lord shall preserve your going out and you're coming in from this time forth and even forever more I praise god You know as the lord prays in john chapter 17 A peter was obviously standing there listening to him pray right and you think about peter And being in peter's shoes Having heard the lord pray this way on his behalf And then just in a short time Abandoning the lord jesus christ in the garden right fleeing While the lord was going through his mock trial peter denying him three times before the next morning just peter's weakness right peter's compromise his sin in that Denying the lord fleeing him abandoning him But having heard This prayer in john chapter 17 right and then meeting the lord on the beach Where the lord restored peter He came to see this prayer i'm sure It's precious right I think about all the times that you're prone to wonder that you would fail you would fail if it weren't for god Right if it weren't for his grip on you you would surely surely be lost These words should be precious to you this prayer should be precious to you peter came to see them as precious listen to what he wrote in first peter chapter one peter wrote this Blessed be the god and father of our lord jesus christ Who according to his abundant mercy Has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of jesus christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and Undefiled and that does not fade away Reserved in heaven for you Who are kept by your own strength? No Who are kept by the power of god through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time How foolish it is right how foolish it is to think that I somehow in my strength my wisdom my power Quote-unquote cooperate with the grace of god to achieve my Endurance to achieve my preservation to achieve my sanctification Listen it is all of grace All of grace our salvation from start to finish is monogistic. It's monogistic God uses means god uses means So what are we to do then knowing that god uses means do we just do we just sit back right Do we just sit back and reflect on all that has been done for us? We let go and let god do everything No, do we just do we just float down the river of our redemption on flowery beds of ease? No, we're commanded to persevere We're commanded by god to persevere and we're commanded to persevere through the means that he has appointed Salvation our salvation start to finish is monogistic One alone working that is god. It is all of grace, but we are commanded Because god uses means we are commanded to persevere and god uses the means of our perseverance Uses the means of our labor the means of our faith the means of our working the means of our love the means of our godly fear God uses means to preserve us For an example of that and quickly turn to Hebrews chapter 10 Hebrews chapter 10. Let me give you an example of this the genuine believer will persevere in the faith not Because they are so strong and wise but because god is strong and wise Hebrews chapter 10 look at verse 19 Therefore brethren right understanding these things knowing these things Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19 therefore brethren Having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of jesus By a new and living way which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh And having a high priest over the house of god Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Having our heart sprinkle from an evil conscience on our bodies washed with pure water Let us hold fast The confession of our hope without wavering why Because he who promised is faithful Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some But exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Why why Because if we sin willfully After we have received the knowledge of the truth There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries That is strong language If you turn from christ back to this world if you turn as a pattern of life as your Choice your pattern turn back to Living for yourself Sinning willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries God even uses the fear that that Rebuke that warning should Invoke in us provoke in us. He even uses that to help us persevere in the faith. Don't Leave christ Don't turn back Verse 28 anyone who has rejected moses's law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will be thought? Will he be thought worthy who has trampled the son of god under foot? Counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing And insulted the spirit of grace For we know him who said Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the lord and again the lord will judge his people It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living god We're to persevere Knowing that he keeps us by his power. We're to persevere that keeping That keeping back in john chapter 17 has two essential purposes From the text and verse 11 First purpose that they may be one as we are The second purpose for that is seen in verse 13 That they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves two Glorious purposes first verse 11. They may be one as we are as we are there speaking of the godhead God the father god the son god the holy spirit the trinity that we may be one With the members of the godhead one with the trinity. That's not one In nature one in essence. It's not one Insameness it is one unified with them in other words the eventuality of our redemption is that we will have eternal and unfettered Oneness with god we will dwell with god He will be our god and we will be his people right not sameness But a perfected unity right one in perfect love one in perfect holiness right one in perfect joy One with god the father god the son and god the holy spirit even now if you think about your salvation right you're in christ and christ is in you Christians are said to be in the spirit and the spirit in dwells christians We abide in god and god has said to abide in us It's the oneness that we're going to enjoy in all eternity. This is just a foretaste of that oneness that we'll enjoy then It's the oneness of the bridegroom and his bride And paul says that's a great mystery, but i speak of the church jesus christ and his bride the church Oneness now In this includes oneness of mind oneness of purpose oneness of mission That's the first purpose that we may be one As we are that they may be one as we are the lord says second essential purpose For this keeping is verse 13 that they may have my joy fulfilled In themselves he says in verse 13, but now i come to you And these things i speak in the world So that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves That oneness and the promise of that eventual oneness that's coming should provoke joy in the christian Even our difficult circumstances in this world should lead to rejoicing Lord says in luke chapter 6 verse 22. He says blessed are you when men hate you Blessed are you when they exclude you and revile you and cast out your name as evil for the son of man's sake Rejoice in that day and leap for joy for indeed your reward is great in heaven For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets Jerry bridges calls Joylessness in the christian life. He calls it a practical atheism Oh, why is that because the christian knows that in all his circumstances god is on the throne And god works all things together for our good So to be joyless as a christian Jerry bridges would say is a practical form of atheism you're denying God's goodness toward you in all of your circumstance So are you are you focused only on your circumstances or are you focused on christ? Right, you have your eyes so glued to that trial that you you can't see christ behind it We have every reason to be joyful and we can look forward to being one With god This is what we've been saved to amen Amen, let's pray father in heaven Lord thank you for this text I pray that you'd be with us as we work through the the second part of this lord to see What you jesus christ have prayed for on our behalf And gives us great joy to consider these things lord help us or help this to Impact the way that we think The way that we understand these things the way that we deal with our desires the way that we Reject worldliness help us lord to keep ourselves Unstained by this world Preserve us in your grace and in your mercy to us for christ's sake For your glory god preserve us help us lord to Endure to the end to be saved Help us lord to persevere To take these warnings seriously to obey your word knowing lord that it is a means by which you preserve us And we thank you lord that it's not Our strength it's not our wisdom We don't persevere by our own power Lord we praise you that it's by your power your strength your wisdom by your work your doing That we persevere to the end to be saved. We love you lord in jesus name. Amen