 So the title of our sermon this morning is set apart for safekeeping set apart for safekeeping and this is part 3 If you are visiting with us or new here, maybe you're just entering into this sermon series through John We as a church together have been working verse by verse through the gospel of John on Sunday mornings And we're in John 17 as you come to John 17. You're in the last hours of the Lord's earthly ministry Judas the traitor the betrayer has left and the Lord and the 11 have Left of the upper room now and they're making their way through it through the city in an 18 chapter 18 verse 1 They go out of the city they cross the Brook Kidron and they enter the Garden of Gethsemane So you see where this puts us in the narrative Given here by John and the gospel of John the Lord's primary focus here to this point is It's not on the brutality of The cross that lies before him as you might expect the cross lays just ahead He's going to endure the brutality of the cross But as we come to this text of scripture His focus his concern is on these 11 men who are with him And as he prays praying for them his focus on them and also on all those who would Believe in him through the word that they preach He's taught them through this text. He's taught them Love and humility in the upper room as he met with them Right. He's encouraged them with promises of peace Encouraged them with promises of joy the gift of the spirit of God and as they've been walking along together He's charged them to abide in him and bear fruit He's warned them of what their ministry will be like in this wicked world and now John chapter 17 as he prays. He said all that he's needed to say to them. He's given them good instruction Parting words his time with them is coming to an end. So he now in his prayer Commits them to God He commits them his disciples in all true disciples all true disciples who would ever believe in him through their word He commits them to the loving care of God the Father. Why is that? Why does he do this in John 17? Well quite simply it's because we need keeping We need sanctifying we need To be held in the grip of our Heavenly Father these men Walking along right now with him our picture of us all aren't they their picture of all of us in a room this size There's likely a Judas here, isn't there the rest of us often weak often fearful often Faithless often doubting we've abandoned him. Haven't we for Far less than a garrison of troops in the garden. Haven't we? We've denied him in the face of far less than a servant girl in the high priest courtyard. Haven't we? So what you see in the Lord's here in the Lord's prayer here is Certainly not any confidence in them not any confidence in them or in us What you see here in the Lord's prayer is a total and complete Confidence in the power of God to keep and to sanctify his own That's you and I if you're in Christ We can't keep anything ourselves, right? There are many of us from who couldn't keep a plant and I couldn't keep a goldfish much less my soul Much less faith in the Lord. We can't sanctify ourselves. We can't Preserve ourselves. We can't make it to the end of the week Apart from God much less to the end of our lives Apart from him we can do nothing Got choking thorns on the right hand Tribulation persecution on the left the cares of this world the deceitfulness of riches right the wicked one swooping in Snatching away the seed. So in John 17 is Lord praise this the concern of the Lord is for that the difficulty of Our commission in this world The the difficulty of it being a witness for Christ in a world that hates Christ and so the Lord prays in John chapter 17 verse 11 He prays I'm no longer in the world but these mine own my Precious prized possession those whom you have given me father out of the world These are in the world and I come to you. Holy Father Keep through your name those whom you have given me in Eternity past God the father seeking in love to glorify God the son Chose a redeemed people to give it to God the son to worship him and to serve him As Jesus says in John chapter 17 verse 12. He says while I was with them in the world I kept them in your name God the son kept them God the son Preserve them and now he goes to the cross to die for them So he prays holy father keep them keep them Keep them spiritually safe from the the dark influences of this world keep them in the faith Keep them devoted to you preserve them to the end keep them from the evil one That Jesus had told them Whatever you ask the father in my name he will give you and what do you think that means? For prayer requests to the father on the part of God the son himself. He certainly gets what he asks for right? We know that we trust that we believe in God for that and so this prayer is an encouragement to you if you're in Christ He says in verse 13 that he prays this for them in their hearing So that they might have his joy fulfilled in themselves As we come to verse 14, there's a subtle shift in his concern They're going to have to live for Christ in a world that despises them That shows contempt toward them that is hostile toward them. He says in verse 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them Because they're not of the world just as I am not of the world This world is hostile to them The world is hostile the devil prowls around in it like a roaring lion seeking whom he made a vow or There are casualties of the war strewn out all over the place Stephen would say in Acts chapter 7 was there ever a prophet your answers ancestors didn't persecute They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one and now you have betrayed and murdered him And that was just before they picked up stones and murdered the first martyr of the church This world is hateful and hostile They're hateful toward they're not indifferent toward Christ. They're not indifferent toward the grace and mercy of God in Christ Anyone who would he who even appears to be indifferent is hateful Jesus prays for them and he prays for us Then in John chapter 17 verse 17 father sanctify them by your truth your word is truth By means of your word Separate them from this wicked world to yourself And hold them keep them He says I'm not praying that you should take them out of the world But keep them set apart to you father Consecrate them devote them entirely to you and make them holy Preserve those whom you have given me those who make up the church right the bride of Christ That I might one day present her to myself a glorious church not having spot a wrinkle or any such thing But that she should be holy and without blemish He prays father keep them father sanctify them You know sometimes we consider the church we consider Christianity we can consider our own weakness we consider our own faith it appears to be Such a fragile thing doesn't it? Eleven men against the world the church against the sometimes it feels like you and I are against the world doesn't it? But we are By virtue of the prayer of our Lord and the grace of God We are kept by the power of God We are sanctified by the work of God through the word of God and true Saving faith is not a fragile thing True saving faith is a victorious thing. It is a Conquering thing it is preserved by the power of God. It is cultivated by the work of God It is strengthened and fueled by the Spirit of God. It is informed by the inviolable word of God It is authored and finished by the Son of God Faith is the victory that has overcome the world and we are set apart Or sanctified to God and safely kept by his power through faith And we looked at last week how that Sanctification that setting apart can have two distinct senses one definitive sanctification the decisive one-time act of setting someone apart to God often thought of as coinciding with calling or regeneration and secondly Progressive sanctification that work of God and the believer over time by which he makes them more and more holy so with those two distinct understandings in mind we began to see from our text how we are one sanctified by his word Secondly, we are sanctified as his witness and thirdly. We are sanctified through his work Sanctified by his word our witness his work a point one we looked last week and how we are sanctified by his word literally verse 17 Reads sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth and we saw how God's truth is both the word of the gospel by which we are set apart to him that's definitive sanctification and God's truth is the means of God applied by the spirit of God over time to make us holy That's progressive sanctification. We are sanctified set apart by his word the point to We began to look at last week verse 18 to see how we are Sanctified as his witness. We are sanctified to mission right verse 18 says this as You sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world Now remember the biblical definition of sanctification involves Not merely setting something or setting someone apart to God It is setting them apart for God's use For God's use it is sanctification when the Lord prays sanctify them He's praying that they would set it be set apart for his use. It's a dedication of duty It's a consecration to commission Right and that's primarily understood in the bible as sacrifice And I want us to make the connection right the tables utensils in the tabernacle for example Sacrificed For their common usage Set apart and sacrificed from that for holy use alone Could no longer be used for common purposes Must now only be used for God's purposes for holy use Deuteronomy chapter 15 verse 19 the firstborn of your flock Was to be sanctified entirely to the Lord in other words. It wasn't to be used for anything else Holy and entirely for the Lord. It was sacrificed As an offering to him that sense holds true for Christians For the life of a genuine believer in Christ You are sanctified or set apart holy to the master's use Romans chapter 12 verse 1 I beseech you therefore brethren By the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy acceptable to God, which is your Reasonable service That's reasonably expected that you would give your life your entirety all that you are To the one who gave all that he is for you. You are set apart to him Tie me to the horns of the altar. God, right? And when I have done all that I can do when I've done Everything that I can do all I can say is that I am at best an unprofitable servant A genuine disciple of Christ is set apart They are sanctified to worship sanctified to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in his mission And that involves even a sacrificial death if necessary, right? And we've seen that through the centuries those that have given their lives for the cause of Christ Now think about that Think about that in terms of the Lord's prayer in verse 18 As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world Think with me about this You profess to be a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ That means That by that word which was preached to you You were set apart to Christ and you were set apart to Christ by the regenerating work of the spirit of god You weren't set apart Just to look pretty You're not set apart just to look holy all polished up, right? You were set apart from the master's use and according to john chapter 17 verse 18 You were sent Into the world as you sent me into the world. I also have sent them into the world That's the effect or the consequence of our sanctification We were set apart and having been set apart to Christ. We were sent into the world on a mission now the question is Sent into the world for what purpose? sent into the world to what end The answer to that question is found in that little word as that begins verse 18 As you sent me into the world. I also in same manner have sent them Into the world. So for what purpose was christ sent into the world? First Timothy chapter one verse 15 This is a faithful saying And worthy of all acceptance that christ jesus came into the world To save sinners of whom I am chief Jesus himself said didn't he have his mission the son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost That means That just as christ was sent into the world on a mission to save those whom the father had given him out of the world We have been sent on a mission into the world to continue his work John chapter 20 verse 21 as the father has sent me I also send you that's our mission That's our mission as christ was sent. You've been sent can't be stated any more clearly We've been set apart We're a consecrated people a living sacrifice. We're to preach the gospel and make disciples The lord continues the work that he began Through his church or if you think about acts chapter one when luke's writing He's writing the theophilus and he says he writes of all that jesus christ began To do and to teach and the story of acts is how the church Continues all that jesus christ began both to do and to teach If you notice that from verse 18, I want you to notice a few particulars With respect to that statement in verse 18 one Is you are sent that's clear So now think about the implications of this right if you are sent in verse 18 then go You're a christian you profess the name of christ having been set apart by christ You've been set apart two mission. You've been sent into the world go Go into the world go evangelizing be a witness for christ You're not planted in the world You're sent to the world. You're not Of the world you're in the world go to the world with the gospel. You are sent You are sent Secondly in verse 18. It's the lord of the church who sends you You've been charged by the lord jesus christ to evangelize to lost people in the world as the father Sends him He now sends you What was jesus christ doing? Jesus christ was constantly preaching Constantly ministering constantly preaching ministering making disciples Thirdly One you're sent to it's the lord of the church sending you thirdly. You are sent into the world. You're into the world As the father has sent me I also send you You've been sent if you profess the name of christ. You've been sent. Let me ask you are you going Are you going You've been sent Are you going? Many today many today say and profess That they are christians, but they don't go They don't go In other words, they they say that they are a follower of christ And yet they do not follow him in his mission There was a parable that immediately came to mind the parable of our lord in matthew 21 listen Jesus christ was speaking to hypocritical jews He was speaking to hypocritical jews who said they believed god, but did not obey him as god He says in verse 28 matthew 21. What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the first and he said son go work today in my vineyard He answered and said verse 29. I will not But afterward he regretted it and he went Then he came to the second and he said likewise And he answered and said I go sir But he did not go Which of the two did the will of his father? They said to him the first And jesus said to them assuredly i say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of god before you If you say you're a christian you've been sent the command to evangelize In line with verse 18 the command to evangelize applies to every single christian Every single christian every disciple of christ has been sent into the world To fail to go When you've been sent is sin There may have been a time When you've said i will not You may be saying that in your mind right now I will not you call yourself a christian And you will not But you've been sent You've been sent you've been set apart to this work. You've been set apart to this mission You should regret that and go Like the first son Repent and go John chapter 17 verse 17 Is the means of our sanctification right sanctify them by your truth your word is truth John chapter 17 verse 18 explains the mission Of our sanctification We are sent into the world In the christian life right christian life It's important to settle these things in your heart and mind because it takes conviction of these things For you to persevere in them for you to begin them Right for you to begin that work Which is often in this hateful hostile world not an easy work right we have We struggle with sin attacks from within attacks from without we fear man We're weak we're often faithless we often doubt But in order for you to be committed to that work you must be convicted of its necessity Of its importance you have to be convicted in your heart. That's what god has called you to do in this world You need to be convicted in your heart. They're lost people who need the gospel who need to be saved that otherwise will perish If you're not Convicted by that if you're not convinced your own heart and mind about these things Convince that the lord jesus christ continues his work the grace and mercy of god in christ continues on the shoulders of his people Then you'll sit at home You'll ride the bench You'll stay back in the camp rather than getting out in the trench Conviction about this is necessary to our commitment. It's necessary to our action Praise god this church This church represents I think a conviction about these things Because we talk about them we see them in the bible and not only do we see them in the bible we see a vast majority Of those that would say they're evangelical That have no conviction about these things What is it? You know barna study came out years ago. It said that 98 percent of christians didn't share their faith Well, what that barna study tells you there are two percent of people who profess to be christians who are christians Conviction about these things You're not sitting here today because of some organizational flow chart You're not sitting here today because someone dug a well for you or built a house for you Did some good thing for you in that sense You're not here christian today because someone built you a house Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of god How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unless they are Sent sent into the world and the lord jesus christ in verse 18 as you have sent me father. I send them this is what we see here today, right And genuine true biblical churches around our country around our world is the fruit of a simple people sent on a simple mission with a simple message And just like those 11 men faced the world and we're We believe In christ through their word look around us in this church today And as jesus christ sent them jesus christ also sends us as jesus christ was sent He sends us and it's that message that has prevailed jesus christ has promised i will Build my church And this is a glorious testimony isn't that he's done it and continues to do it martin hoy jones Recounted an example of god accomplishing his work through gideon Listen to martin hoy jones says take the case of gideon right a mighty enemy army was facing the children of israel And at first gideon collected an army of 32,000 people Then god began to reduce them Until in the end there were only 300 God in effect said to gideon i'm not going to do this through that great army of 32,000 i'm going to do it in my way So he just reduced reduced the 32,000 to 300 and then he sent them out not with great armaments But with pictures with lamps inside them along with trumpets to blow and with that ridiculous equipment They conquered the army of the enemy that is god's way We don't have to sit back and envision All kinds of various methods and programs and organizations and You just got to talk to somebody right just got to talk to somebody Go up to a lost person and share the gospel with them That's the way it has been done. That's the way the lord does it So think about this with me when the lord prays for these men in john chapter 17 And praying for all other disciples after them He's praying right. He's praying precisely because He has given them this mission in a world that despises them for it That's why he's praying his petition that god would sanctify them Is asking god to set them apart as a sacrifice in that work That they would give their lives in that work. That's essentially the prayer the lord is praying here for them in john chapter 17 You and i you and i are to sacrifice To pursue this mission his mission In this world. We are to pursue it even to the sacrifice of ourselves Point one on your notes. We're sanctified by his word Point two. We're sanctified as his witness the thirdly We are sanctified Sanctified through his work Sanctified by his word sanctified as his witness sanctified through his work through the person and work of the lord jesus christ look at verse 19 Jesus prays And for their sakes i sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth Now john 17 17 the lord prays for the father to sanctify them right In other words the foundation of our sanctification is the lord jesus christ himself He says in verse 19 for their sakes For their sakes. I sanctify myself now as we Consider what this means We can immediately limit the sense of the word sanctification When the lord uses that word of himself. He's already perfectly holy right the lord jesus christ Is perfectly sinless and therefore he has no need of progressive Sanctification Whereby he is made more holy right. He's without sin. He's without spot or blemish So what are you saying here in verse 19 then speaking of sanctifying himself He's talking about he has set himself apart. He has set himself apart Think about the use of that word again And think about it in terms of the lord jesus christ jesus christ setting himself apart entirely Holy right for their self for their sakes. I sanctify myself I sanctify me. I set me apart Entirely for god's purpose So that they may be sanctified and think about the word sanctification and all that implies He sets him all of him apart In sacrifice In sacrifice in sacrifice for the purpose and work that god has given him to do He's giving himself over to be used of god for their sakes and all that by the total complete sacrifice Of himself and verse 19 for their sakes that For their sakes points to the work the mission the purpose for which he has been sent into the world to seek and to save that Which is lost right? He came to redeem those the father had given him in eternity past out of the world That word for there implies Substitution for them for their sakes in other words Lord jesus christ set himself apart for his own for his people to save them He is set apart sanctified to save them and when the lord jesus christ sets himself apart to the father's will to save sinners In doing that he sets himself apart To the sacrifice of the cross All of that is wrapped up together right wrapped up together he being sinless being god He being perfect He submitted himself As a sacrifice For sin that we might become the righteousness of god in him It's a great text that i think exemplifies this turn with me to hebrus chapter 10 hebrus chapter 10 hebrus chapter 10 Look with me beginning at verse five In hebrus chapter 10 verses one through four Our author here is making clear The complete inability of animal sacrifices to purify anyone Can't be done through animal sacrifices you can't purify anyone Through the blood of bulls and goats the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin in fact verse three The sacrifices that are made only serve to remind the people of their sins Those sacrifices to point the people constantly to their sinfulness It won't be through the blood of bulls and goats that anyone Is forgiven of their sins All of that is simply a reminder until christ look at verse five therefore When he christ came into the world through his incarnation right He said this quoting psalm chapter 40 verses six through eight He said sacrifice And offering you did not desire but a body you have prepared for me In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure Then i said behold I have come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do your will Oh god And verses five and six there christ uses those four expressions sacrifice offering verse six burnt offerings sacrifices for sin those four expressions are um A comprehensive umbrella under which the entire levitical sacrificial old testament system is put right He's saying that that system In its entirety All of it Is bankrupt as a means by which you can please god In fact verse three, it's just simply to point you to the fact that you can't please god Through the law that you can't please god fully and finally through this sacrifice All it can do all that levitical system can do all of those offerings all that they can do Is only point you To the true and lasting sacrifice of the lord jesus christ himself right when jesus christ sanctifies himself sets himself apart To sinners through sacrifice. It's that In that it is taken away right That levitical system taken away To make way for the once for all sacrifice of christ himself Look at verse eight Previously saying Sacrifice and offering burnt offerings and the offerings for sin you did not desire Nor had pleasure in them which are offered according to the law Then he said verse nine behold i have come to do your will oh god He takes away the first so that he may establish The second in other words he takes away that entire sacrificial system right that entire system he takes away So that he could fulfill the will of god through the sacrifice of himself He came to do the will of god to do your will. Oh god verse seven. Behold i've come to do your will. Oh god verse nine In doing the will of god, he takes away the first sacrificial system So that he could fulfill that will in redeeming his own people through the sacrifice Of himself look at verse 10 By that will the will of god We have been sanctified ourselves. We've been set apart We've been sanctified through the offering of the body of jesus christ once for all God's will From eternity past was to save a people to himself right to gift a people to the sun Christ Sanctified he set himself apart. He sacrificed himself Sacrificed himself To that will he set himself apart in his incarnation to do the father's will in setting himself apart to the father's will He sets himself apart to the cross and it is through that singular and perfectly acceptable sacrifice That we are set apart that we are sanctified. Do you see? If you look at verse 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same Sacrifices which can never take away sins But this man verse 12 in stark contrast with all the Levitical priests, right? This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins forever Sat down at the right hand of god and christ sitting down. There's a sign. It's a symbol That is sacrificial work on behalf of sinners is finished. It's complete and christ sits down From that time he sat down on the right hand of god From that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool verse 14 and here it is Four by one offering He has perfected forever Those who are being sanctified Now if you meditate on that for a little bit and think about what the lord jesus christ has done that is beautiful That is precious Is amazing Christ sanctifies himself The perfect spotless lamb of god He sets himself apart To the sacrifice of the cross to perfectly do the father's will And in sanctifying himself. He offers a single sacrifice Which Is permanently and forever Effective as a consequence of that completed work christ has made his own people Perfect forever Awesome right awesome Something the priests could not do Something the sacrificial system could not do something that the law could not do something that you Cannot do And yet it is accomplished by christ's one sacrifice for sins for all time And notice in verse 14 there That those for whom he sacrificed himself are described as those who are being Sanctified it's a passive participle In other words those who Through his atoning sacrifice are through the ages Being set apart to him. This is What he's actually speaking of here is definitive sanctification And that christ through his one sacrifice through the sacrifice of himself Verse 14 Perfects forever those who are being Sanctified through the ages so you link this back up with john chapter 17 right He prays for his disciples verse 20 He prays for all those that would believe in him through their word So all of those over the ages down through the ages who are being set apart to christ Being set apart in the gospel to him all those who are being sanctified This one sacrifice for sins by one offering heber's chapter 10 verse 14. He has perfected forever all of those All those who are being sanctified His sanctification right his sacrifice him setting himself apart makes our Sanctification possible in words apart from that sanctification. There is no setting a part of his people Back in john chapter 17 Verse 19 and for their sakes. I sanctify myself. They also may be sanctified by the truth He was set apart so that we could be set apart It's getting about this in terms of the gospel, right? You were made by god you're made by him Knit together in your mother's womb. He created you He breathed life into you Everything you have your Very being is from him. You are his you're his possession. He made you. He owns you, right? He created you to be perfect. He created you to be holy Consecrated to him. He made you He made you He has the right to do anything with you that he wants to do he has the right to rule over you He has the right to reign over you. He made you He made you to be consecrated to him alone dedicated to him alone. He made you for himself To be a display of his glory a display of his attributes Holy consecrated to him alone dedicated to him But you sinned I sinned In your sin my sin has separated us from god has destroyed The possibility of fulfillment within ourselves that purpose for which he created us apart from christ Look at the hurt and damage that sin causes, right? Look at the people that you hurt because of your sin Look at the consequences of your sin. Look at this wicked world in which we live all the fruit of sin your own Guilty conscience bears this out It accuses you that you are a wicked sinner You have done wrong You have sinned against god sinned against your creator and listen god hates sin He hates all that is against himself He will not tolerate it Will not tolerate it How can there be a sin in the presence of god? How can there be sin in heaven? There can't be And you who have sinned you will stand before your creator When you die and that comes So quick When you die it could be today this afternoon next week next week It comes fast. This life is a vapor when you die You will face accountability before god who made you You will stand before your creator one day and what will you do about your sin? What are you going to do about your sin? In many of the people in this world, right? Live obliviously to that fact You will die and you have no answer for your sin You will stand before god who is holy You will have to give an account. What are you going to do about your sin? Jesus christ was sent into the world He set himself apart He sanctified himself set himself apart to the brutality the tragedy of the cross He perfectly obeyed the father. He went to the cross as a sinless sacrifice So that you Could be set apart and right with god Are you going to Thumb your nose and grit your teeth and turn your cheek to that Sacrifice to that act of love and mercy and grace Really? Are you going to rebel reject that? Set yourself apart to him Right through repentance and faith turn from your sin put your faith in christ Give your life entirely to him and he will raise you up Let me make a An application from our brothers and sisters in christ here This is a Matchless splendor right the work of christ the redemptive plans and purposes of god in christ. It's It's beautiful. It's perfect We have a responsibility brothers and sisters to pursue Our perseverance and to pursue our sanctification knowing that God in christ has sanctified himself For our preservation and for our sanctification right if you think about john chapter 17 Verses six through nineteen The lord jesus christ prays for two petitions two things He prays for our keeping father keep them keep them And he prays for our sanctification set them apart to yourself Consecrate them right If he prays to the father for those things that's god's sovereignty Lord jesus christ is praying to the father the father will keep his own And the father will sanctify his own but that Keeping that preservation and that sanctification In both of those the father uses means to do it And he uses the means of our own perseverance uses the means of our own Pursuit of sanctification in order to preserve us and to sanctify us He does that through his word of god. He does that through prayer. Let me give you one example Turn with me to revelation chapter three revelation chapter three In other words my means of application Knowing knowing that the lord jesus christ has prayed this prayer in john 17 for you and for me Knowing that should fuel Should compel should drive us to persevere and to be sanctified We should avail ourselves of the promises of god here implied in this prayer to pursue our Perseverance and to pursue our sanctification and in doing that We have to stick close to the source. We have to cling to christ look at verse 14 revelation chapter 3 verse 14 And to the angel of the church of the laodiceans, right These things says the amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of god verse 15 I know your works That you are neither cold nor hot I wish you were cold or hot So then because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot. I will vomit you out of my mouth And if you know the situation here at laodicea Laodicea was between two Wells two springs The springs had to come a distance to get to laodicea one was a hot spring one was a cold spring From the distance those springs were from the city of laodicea The distance that that water had to travel by the time that it got to laodicea It was either it was lukewarm It wasn't hot. It wasn't cold by the time it got to the city. It was lukewarm He uses this as an object lesson to teach them something He says them because verse 16 you are lukewarm And neither cold nor hot I will vomit you out of my mouth In other words at lukewarm water Good for nothing. You can't drink it. If it were hot you can make tea with it Colombian coffee, right if it were cold it'd be refreshing you could drink it But because it's lukewarm it's good for nothing but to be vomited out verse 17 The reason for their condition As lukewarm Is here in verse 17 because you say I am rich Have become wealthy And have need Of nothing and you do not see your need, right? You don't see your need. You don't know that you are wretched miserable Poor blind and naked Lord says verse 18 I counsel you to buy for me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich White garments that you may be clothed that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes with Isab that you may see As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Therefore be zealous and repent Behold I stand at the door and knock If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into him and dine with him and he with me To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne as I also overcame and sat now with my father on his throne He who has an ear let him hear What the spirit says to the churches In other words, you've been set apart you've been set apart to god in christ set apart to the lord jesus christ Stick close to the source Stay close to the source cling to him Avail yourself of all those means that god has provided for your perseverance for your sanctification Cling to the word of god cling to god in prayer cling to the people of god cling to the church of god Stay close to the source. You know in your experience as well as I know in my experience to my shame There have been times when I am farther away from the source than I need to be and I feel lukewarm That is the feeling of death taking root in you Cling to the source be close Jesus christ prayed that the father would preserve us So persevere cling to him Cling to him and let the father preserve you let the father strength you protect you guard you hold you Right jesus christ prayed in verse 17 that the father would sanctify us So pursue your sanctification Pursue those means of god by which you will be made more and more holy More and more holy on fire for god versus lukewarm tepid good for nothing, but to be vomited out You have to cling you have to stay close to the source If lord jesus christ prayed these things for us it should be Driving motivation for us to cling to him For us to persevere for us to pursue our sanctification This is the will of god for you right your sanctification Stay close to the source one of the ways that you stay close to the source is through that word that sanctifies you Another way that you stay close to the source is in that mission To which you have been sent verse 18 right as the father has sent me into the world I send you into the world Stay close to him. Let's pray father in heaven what we Praise you and thank you for allowing us the blessing of hearing of entering into this prayer of our lord in john 17 how you have In our hearing expressed such What our promises because the lord jesus christ has asked for them We know we trust we are assured that You are able to keep that which i've committed to you until that day We trust and thank you for it. Thank you lord for allowing us the blessing of studying This prayer together and considering these things I pray lord, we pray together to you in accord with our lord that you would keep us Preserve us guard us protect us help us strengthen us hold us And god you would sanctify us that you would keep us consecrated in your work in your will doing your will as jesus christ did your will That you would make us more and more holy conform us into the image of your son Help us to become more like him mature us grow us Build us up in our most holy faith Cause us lord to abound in these graces for your glory in jesus name. Amen