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e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e good morning everyone welcome back to fre Grace Baptist Church a warm welcome to the visitors who are with us this morning few announcements before we get started our evening service will be as usual at 5:00 P pm here in sanctuary Wednesday night bible study at 7:30 in the fellowship hall uh just a reminder about the conference coming up in April the 25th 26th of April confessing the faith still lots of room in the the church Sanctuary there is very large so we've got lots of room however if you're planning on registering and you haven't registered especially for the meal on Friday evening that's almost 75% booked up so um you might want to do that sooner rather than later big congratulations to Grant and Charelle Neils on the birth of their daughter Vera Ivonne this week and as well will and Tera Rover had a little baby also Joan Bethany so it's been a blessed week for the uh the families in our church and our church as we see the church multiplying in that respect our FS are getting Fuller and Fuller it's a tremendous blessing uh for our call to worship this morning please turn to Psalm 44 Psalm 44 we'll read the first eight verses to the chief musician a contemplation of the sons of Kora we have heard with our ears oh God our fathers have told us the Deeds you did in their days in days of old you drove out the nations with your hand but you planted them you Afflicted the peoples and cast them out for they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword nor did their own arm save them but it was your right hand your arm and the light of your countenance because you favored them you are my king oh God command victories for Jacob through you we will push down our enemies through your name we will trample those who rise up against us for I will not trust in my bow nor shall my sword save me but you have saved us from our enemies and have put to shame those who hated us in God we boast all day long and praise your name forever sa amen let's turn in our Salter Himel this morning to Psalm 145d as in delta 145d stand together with me as we sing this song [Music] never will I bless my bying still will PR our God who his mesty can reache to transe [Music] to all glory all and R well speak of th the story and [Music] ofure love and mercy works of loveing meure Works of Mercy passing God all of kindness and compassion you love God is good to all creation all his work is goodness all my works oh Lord shall shall [Music] allore King shall confess me Anda th [Music] our gracious and merciful Father in heaven we thank you for your kindness to us as a church we thank you for Gathering us together this morning to worship you once again it is a tremendous privilege to be called the people of God and to worship the creator of Heaven and Earth we thank you for the blessings of the week past that you have watched over and protected us that you have provided for us we thank you for the the births and we pray oh God that you would be gracious to these little ones as they are re reared in the church and in the uh Christian homes we pray oh God that ver and Joan would be raised in reared in the fear and admonition of the Lord we pray oh God that from an early age on they would hear and understand the gospel that you would open their hearts to believe the gospel and to embrace it and that you would do that work of bringing them not only into this world but into your kingdom in due time we thank you oh God for the blessing of children thank you that there are so many young families in our church and we thank you that you have been kind and gracious and merciful to us in protecting us and watching over us Lord we pray that you would be pleased with our worship this day as we listen to the word as it's preached As we sing the word as we pray the word we pray that word would have its effect in our hearts that you would use the word to wash us and to cleanse us and to build us up in our Most Holy Faith and if there be those those amongst us this day that have not yet been brought out of Darkness into Marvelous Light would you do that work of convicting them by your Holy Spirit and of bringing them into your family we thank you that you continue to build the Church of Jesus Christ all over the face of the Earth that the gospel continues to go forward we pray oh lord for the other churches in our own Community where the gospel will be preached this morning bless those ministers those congregations encourage them and Lord we we pray for a great in gathering of souls we thank you that in this nation of Canada you have not you have not abandoned your church you continue to build your church and through your church you preserve the society around us we pray oh God that in the future in the days to come we would see a grating Gathering of Souls and we thank you Lord that you are doing that in Nations around the world we thank you for what you're doing in the continent of Africa we pray oh God that you'd continue to bless our brother is there in Kenya we pray father for the church there that you would do them much much good as they continue to preach the gospel and continue to train men and send them forth to other parts of that continent Lord we pray for the gospel as Goes Forth in difficult Nations where the church is persecuted we pray oh God for the underground Church in China that you would continue to build her and strengthen her and fortify her Lord we pray for those Christians though they may be few that are undergoing severe persecution in North Korea be gracious to your people there and Lord throughout the Middle East where many Christians are persecuted by their Muslim neighbors Lord have mercy upon your church and cause the gospel to uh penetrate and make an inroad there and elsewhere where there are false religions in opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ we thank you that you will be and are Victorious that you have secured a great number that no man a great number of people that no man can number that will stand before your throne to Worship You from every tribe every people every language every nation under the under heaven we thank you oh God that there is no doubt whatsoever that King Jesus is Victorious Lord we pray as the gospel Goes Forth again here today that you would bless your people we thank you for the conference that's coming up and we pray for those churches that will be represented there thank you for the other churches in our association we pray this would be a great encouragement to your people and Lord we pray that through this there would be impetus to plant more and more churches across western Canada and Lord we pray that you would bless our church plants and sister churches bless the congregation this morning as they gather in Suri encourage them bless the congregation in Armstrong and to work out in ride in Ontario as well we pray oh Lord that you would continue to encourage these Brethren continue to build them up in their Most Holy Faith and now we pray that you would go with us as we continue with our worship this morning cleanse us from all unrighteousness and cause us Lord to be pure in your sight because of what Christ has done on our behalf and we ask this in Jesus name amen am we're going to stand again to sing another Psalm Psalm 22c as in Charlie 2 2 [Music] cing sheers the [Music] myen his name will iess pring children of [Music] his his glor and [Music] his of theor the Lord has he Christ his goodness Mak me join the where s his the and S [Music] and shall and praise the his Mercy hands of all the Earth the see the Lord worship Him the king of kings [Music] you may be [Music] seated for our New Testament scripture reading this morning we're in Mark chapter 15 we'll continue where we left off last week we finished up to the end of verse 32 so we'll begin reading in Mark 15 at verse 33 this is the word of God now when the sixth hour had come there was Darkness over the whole land until the 9th hour and at the 9th hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying Elo Elo which is translated my God my God why have you forsaken me some of those who stood by when they heard that said look he's calling for Elijah then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine put it on a reed and offered it to him offered it to him to drink saying let him alone let us see if Elijah will come to take him down and Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom so when the Centurion who stood opposite him saw that he cried out like this and breathed his l asked he said truly this man was the son of God there were also women looking on from afar among them who were whom were Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James the Les and Joseph and salom who also followed him and ministered to him when he was in Galilee and many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem now when evening had come because it was the preparation day that is the day before the Sabbath Joseph of arthea a prominent council member who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God coming and taking courage went into pilate and asked for the body of Jesus pilate marveled that he was already dead and summoning summoning the Centurion he asked him if he had been dead for some time so when he found out from the Centurion he granted the body to Joseph then he brought fine linen took him down and wrapped him in the linen and he laid him a tomb which had been heun out of the Rock and rolled a stone against the door of the Tomb and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph observed where he was laid amen well as we see the final breath and the final Cry of Jesus we can Marvel at what he's gone through on our behalf and we can Marvel in the fact here this little phrase that says that the veil of the temple was torn into from top to bottom that Veil had served its purpose because there needed to be a separation between sinful man and a holy God only the high priest was allowed to pass beyond that Veil but when Jesus finished his work the veil was torn into two signifying that we now have access by his blood we have access directly to the father he has become our mediator we no longer need a priesthood besides Christ and in fact we all have become priests unto our God because we have access to God ourselves and there's no longer this Veil that separates us from the holy of holies we can be most thankful for what Christ has accomplished on our behalf let's pray gracious Father in heaven we thank you that Christ was most willing to go to the cross for the joy that was sent before him that Joy of calling a great multitude to himself Lord It's not because of any good in us but because of his own good pleasure that he chose us before the foundation of the world and the the scriptures tell us that the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world this was all uh your in your plan from from eternity past none of this was a a a change of plan none of this was um second best this was exactly what you had determined and we thank you that every one that you have chosen will come to you we pray oh God even this day as the gospel is preached from this Pulpit that you would draw Sinners to yourself and as the gos gospel is preached from other pulpits all across the land May that uh sacrifice of Christ take effect in the hearts of Sinners this day we pray oh God that he would receive the reward for which he suffered and we ask this in Jesus name amen amen let's turn for our final hymn to number 281 in the Himel stand with me as we sing [Music] [Music] 281 sing and [Music] up [Music] theor the God of Truth and Love when he our s he took his SE [Music] your heart your voice again [Music] I the of death and H to our Jesus up your heart up your voice [Music] again all his and his command up your heartt up your again I S [Music] GL shall take his to LIF up your heart LIF up your voice my S [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to John's gospel John chapter 17 as we continue to work our way through this wonderful gospel narrative concerning our Lord Jesus Christ we've seen The Upper Room discourse or the farewell discourse in chapters 13 to 16 and here we have the high Priestly prayer the hour had come upon our lord Jesus and according to chapter 18 verse1 as Jesus had spoken these words he went out with his disciples over the brook kedron where there was a garden which he and his disciples entered and it's at that place that Jesus is then arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin delivered up to Pontius Pilate The Kill Order is given and of course our blessed savior is crucified well here in his high Priestly prayer we learned something of his heart toward his people and so we have first his prayer for himself petition specifically for him s in verses 1:5 and then petitions for the apostles in verses 6 to19 and then in verses 20 to 26 petitions for all believers so I want to read that Center section verses 6 to1 19 and then our Focus this morning will be on verses 9- 11 so beginning in John 17 at verse 6 I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world they were yours you gave them to me and they have kept your word now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you for I have given to them The Words which you have given me and they have received them and have known surely that I came forth from you and they have believed that you sent me I pray for them I do not pray for the world but For Those whom you have given me for they are yours and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them 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 while I was with them in the world I kept them in your name Those whom you gave me I have kept and none of them is lost except the son of pish that the scripture might be fulfilled but now I come to you and these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world I do not pray that you should take them out of the world but that you should keep them from the evil one they are not of the world just as I am not of the world sanctify them by your truth your word is truth as you sent me into the world I also have sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also may be Sanctified by the truth amen well let us pray our gracious God and our Holy Father we thank you for this this wonderful passage of Holy scripture to see our Lord Jesus Christ in prayer in this High Priestly prayer where he calls upon the father for for the glory of the son to be given we see as well in these petitions for the apostles those things important in the heart of the Savior prior to his his departure to the tomb and then ultimately back to heaven to the father and we see as well his concern for all disciples and those things that should Mark and and identify and characterize the people of God namely unity and sanctification and those things that are pleasing in your sight we pray for your holy spirit to guide us now we pray for forgiveness through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as we appre uh uh approach this Holy Ground we pray for the Salvation of any and all here that are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that your spirit would awaken them and Demon demate to them that Christ Alone is the way of salvation for needy Sinners and we pray this in Jesus name amen well last week as we looked at these particular verses we looked at or we're starting verses 6 to 11a so basically Jesus petitions come properly in 11b to verse 19 and they're two specifically he wants the go uh uh wants the father to protect the people of God in this present evil age Ag and he wants God the Father to sanctify the people of God in this present evil age well in verses 6 to 11a he gives the reasons for his prayer on their behalf and I think that's instructive as well when you look at the Psalms for instance you see the psalmist say that he's Afflicted and there's hardship and it's that as the predicate for which he calls upon God so before we get to the petitions proper it's good for us to see why Jesus prays the way that Jesus prays for these disciples so we notice with reference to the petitions for the disciples in verses 6 to 19 we looked at the objects of his intercession last week verses 6 to8 the disciples are given to Jesus the disciples are taught by Jesus and the disciples are obedient to Jesus so it is that or those rather are the objects of his intercession so this morning I want to look at the focus of his intercession in verse 9 and 10 and then the reason for his intercession in verse 11a so note first in terms of the focus we see his prayer for his disciples verse 9 he says I pray for them I do not pray for the world but For Those whom you have given me for they are yours and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in that I think there's a world of good encouragement in this particular passage along with some sound theology in terms of who our Lord Jesus Christ is relative to his father but the prayer for his disciples is prayer offered according to his Humanity remember that Jesus as God is prayed unto Jesus as man prays and he sets forth that not only example for us to follow but that was characteristic of the life of Our Lord in the day days of his flesh he would R rise a long while before daylight and he would go and seek his father in private communion Jesus was a Man of Sorrows as the prophet prophesied but he was also a man of prayer and there's no accident here that this is the way he goes into the Garden of Gethsemane this is what is important to the Savior as the me uh mediator of the New Covenant so he prays according to his humanity and he prays in light of his Priestly office remember Jesus functions in a three-fold office he is the prophet he is the priest and he is the king and here specifically we see the Priestly activity of intercession we will see as we continue in John's gospel the Priestly activity of sacrifice that's what a priest does remember the prophet comes on behalf of God to declare the mind and will of God to the people the priest goes on behalf of the people to God and on behalf of the people to God he offers up sacrifice for them and as well he offers up intercession he prays for them he speaks for them at the throne of grace and that is precisely the identifying marker in this prayer Jesus will sacrifice himself on behalf of All Those whom the father had given him but Jesus as well intercedes for them he makes intercession for them and when he says I pray for them he understands as well the reality of the impending trials that are going to face them look at how he ends The Upper Room discourse in chapter 16 at verse 33 these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation he doesn't say you might have tribulation there might be some hardship there might be some difficulties for the most part your children of the king it'll always be health wealth and prosperity that's not what Jesus says he promises that in this world you will have tribulation he then encourages them be of good cheer for I have overcome the world so knowing their impending trial knowing their impending difficulty knowing that the world is going to basically collapse all around them he gives that extended section in 1518 to 164 with specific emphasis upon the unbelieving Jews who are going to persecute you they are going to drive you out of the synagogues they are going to kill you and think that in doing so they're offering up service to God so he knows that these Apostles are going to face hardship the book of Acts demonstrates that these Apostles uh underwent hardship the New Testament Epistles are marked by that that reality the people of God suffer and so Jesus knowing their impending trials and their difficulties he prays for them that is a wonderful expression of his goodness and his kindness the Apostle in the book of Hebrews in chapter 4: 14 to 16 says this of our mediator he says seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin Let Us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need we've got omnipotent compassion in the person of our blessed blessed savior he's able to sympathize he understands what it is to be persecuted in fact he develops that thought as he continues in this prayer for their protection just as the world has been in opposition to Jesus so is the world going to be in opposition to Jesus Representatives just as the world despised Jesus so they're going to despise his Apostles just as the world ultimately delivers Jesus up to a uh to the death of the Cross so they're going to deliver up these apostles OST Les if they live in like manner such that the Apostle puts in you know under inspiration of the spirit that Maxim that principle that is always abiding that all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution so I just think that we ought to observe here the kindness of the Savior the fact is is that he's going to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane the fact is he's going to be delivered up to the Sanhedrin he's going to get buffeted he's going to get slapped around he's going to get spat upon by these Godless men and then he's going to be delivered up to Pontius Pilate who Pontius pilot is is perplexed cuz he knows that Jesus is innocent he knows that Jesus is Guiltless he knows that he was delivered up because of the envy and the malice and the spite of the so-called religious folk in first century Israel Jesus is going to suffer the very wrath and fury of God most high what is it that invokes the Cry of Our Lord on the cross it's not the the piercings it's not the crown of thorns it's it's not the the the the cavals of men it's my God my God why hast Thou forsaken me and yet prior to all that what's heavy on the heart of the Savior these men whom you have given me these men who are going to be here in my absence physical absence and they're going to suffer for my name they're going to be thrown into prison they're going to be cast out from synagogues they're going going to lose their livelihood they're going to lose their families they're going to lose their friends they're going to lose their social status they're going to become like the scum of the earth for Jesus and yet Jesus prays for them Jesus sympathizes with them and Jesus intercedes on their behalf so he mentions with reference to the focus of his intercession we see prayer for his disciples but then we see specifically exclusion of the world exclusion of the world verse N I pray for them I do not pray for the world but For Those whom you have given me for they are yours now I would suggest in the immediate context what Jesus is saying is that he doesn't pray for the god-hating rebel armies that that that resist Yahweh and his Christ he is not praying for those reprobate Confederates that are about to the destruction of his people I pray for the men that you gave me I pray for the elect I Pray For Those whom you chose before the foundation of the world in me I pray for them I don't pray for the world I don't pray for The Wretched I don't pray for the reprobate there is exclusion here and I think this bothers the people of God at times well it doesn't seem fair it just doesn't seem right now I know the pagans don't like it which on principle why would they care why do they want a savior they hate reject and despise to pray for them anyway seems pretty counterproductive in my thinking but I think Christians get a little bit off you know a little bit off by this well Brethren the Lord Jesus as our Everlasting father in a Redemptive sense Isaiah chapter n shows his love for his family do do you fault a man who loves his family and and isn't necessarily as concerned about another this is a debate presently in the Twitter verse this is a debate presently amongst Christians that you know we're supposed to love everybody exactly the same we're supposed to love everybody but exactly the same I got to say I love my wife I don't want to say more than you sisters but more than you sisters I do not pray for the world these who are who are resisting God at every step of the way hey these in this particular context who are loading up burdens on the backs of people that they themselves are unable to Bear remember the kinds of things that Jesus says to them in Matthew 23 wo to you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites he doesn't pray for them now I want to qualify this because we ought not to conclude that the people of God are are only just this small group now Jesus as priest intercedes for the elect Jesus as priest sheds his blood for the elect we call that particular redemption or limited atonement not limited because it's somehow ineffective but limited by God in his Sovereign decree as to who actually is going to be saved but with reference to Christ as intercessor and as sacrificer there is a particular Focus that benefits or those that benefit from his Redemptive work and it's the elect but Brethren John has a Theology of the world God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son John 442 what does that Samaritan Village conclude after they had come to know Jesus that Jesus is the savior of the world what does Caiaphas prophesy in chapter 11 in John's gospel that this man is going to not only save this nation but but the world what happens when the Greeks or rather the the Pharisees are whining in in John chap 12 the the whole world's going to come after him and on the heels of that you've got Greeks coming up and saying s we wish to see Jesus you got our Lord's teaching in John's gospel chapter 10 other sheep I have that are not of this fold I I must go get them Gentiles so there is a Theology of the world Brethren that we ought not to denigrate we see that Theology of the world in the hands of John and John or Revelation 5 every tribe every t uh tongue every people every nation but in this particular context as the priest goes to intercede the priest is not interceding for the hivites he's not interceding for the Hittites he's not interceding for the Canaanites he's interceding for his Israelites there is that analogy to the high priest on the day of atonement Leviticus chapter 16 when he takes that scapegoat and he lays his hands upon that goat and he confesses the transgressions of what Israel he isn't there for the hivites he isn't there for the Hittites he isn't there for the jebusites he's there for his ownit and he prays for them and he lays their transgressions upon that goat and he drives that goat out into the Wilderness as a beautiful demonstration of experation God's removal of guilt and sin via this particular goat we've got that same sort of emphasis in the New Testament Jesus according to the angel in Matthew 1:21 will save what his people from their sins the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for what for many that's the emphasis in the New Testament documents limited atonement or particular Redemption is absolutely right it's absolutely correct God Saves whom he purposed to save Christ saves whom he was sent to save particularly limitedly if you want whatever you want to call it he says here again analogously he makes sacrifice not for the world but for the elect so he intercedes not for the world but for the elect particular Redemption is on Vivid display way in the high Priestly prayer and then notice as we kind of work our way through this the the privilege of the elect look at verse n i I pray for them I do not pray for the world but For Those whom you have given me for they are yours it's a simple statement a simple declaration but a simple statement and declaration loaded with encouragement for the people of God do do you ever just stop and think in the bits in the midst of a of a trial or a difficulty or a hardship or an Affliction My Savior intercedes for me because the New Testament tells us that after he ascended on high he led captivity captive he gave gifts to men The Book of Romans tells us the book of First John tells us the book of Hebrews tells us that he makes intercession for us I don't think it's praying the way he's praying here I'll read a quote later from John Gil just to give you what I think the sense of it is but but he makes intercession for us whatever misery you're going through whatever heartaches you're going through whatever trials you're going through whatever difficulties you're going through do you realize you've always got a savior interceding for you I like that thought I need to think that thought more because I don't think it as I ought to think it that the Savior always lives to make intercession for us I mean come on does it get any better see we think well there's trial there's difficulty there's hardship that's not the better well your savior is interceding for you so that you can make it through it being conformed further to his image and bringing glory to God through your suffering so I think that is supposed to temper the way that we look at afflictions hardships and difficulties and dare I say even the good times I don't think Jesus is not interceding interceding for us when when the Sun shining and there's money in the account and the kids are all decent he's still interceding for us he always lives to make intercession for us so in this particular context I think one of the Privileges that the elect has is that Jesus intercedes for them look at the Book of Luke Luke 22 where I think you see this on display Luke 22 in a practical concrete way you see it on display now the first bit I'm going to it's an argument from silence and you know arguments from Silence aren't the best arguments but I think it carries some degree of weight here notice in Luke 22 specifically at verse three then Satan entered Judas surnamed es scariot who was numbered among the 12 so he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him to them and they were glad and agreed to give him money so he promised and sought opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of the multitude again the silent part of this is that there's no indication that the Savior prays for Judas none none again silence but strong silence in light of verse 31 and the Lord said Simon Simon indeed Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me strengthen your brethren but he said to him Lord I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death then he said I tell you Peter the rooster shall not Crow this day before you will deny deny three times that you know me you see the privilege there but I've prayed for you and and when you've returned what does that mean Jesus knows that pet Peter is going to deny him but Jesus knows that Peter by Grace is going to return to him and then he wants from Peter to strengthen your brethren let them see in your example and in your laps not to go thou and do likewise the Lord Christ prays for Simon Peter there's no mention that he prays for Judas Es scariot as well the nature of his petitions in our chapter he prays for our protection the apostles immediately he prays for the sanctification of these men he prays for the unity of the church not at the sacrifice of Truth Jesus is not the arch ecumenist that if you can just kind of say Jesus well then everything's great no Jesus is all about sound Doctrine love rejoices in truth we don't have an ecumenical movement without truth Foundation to it and that's one of the problems with most ecumenical movements truth has nothing to do with it it's just get them into the tent can they say Jesus well let's let's have fellowship with that the Lord Jesus Christ evidences or reveals in this section the things that are a concern to his heart relative to his people I want you to protect them Father I want you to sanctify them Father I I want them to be unified father but there's also his words in other places in his gospel Ministry we see what concerns Jesus in his works we see what concerns Jesus so we consider it a little bit in kind of another context in our prayer meeting this morning the Psalms if the Psalms are the prayers of Jesus you you've got 150 Psalms there to to tell you about the nature of his intercession on your behalf what's important to the psalmist relative to the people of God well the glory of their God that's certainly Paramount the protection of the people of God the the the Vindication of the people of God over and against their enemies the destruction the decimation the demolishing of their enemies and a whole host of things so if you're ever wondering what is it that Jesus prays for read the Psalms what is it that concerns the Savior with reference to his people read the Psalms what is it that concerns the Savior with reference to his people read his words in the New Testament read passages like these understand the comprehensiveness of the Son of God relative to his people in terms of intercession he's not praying I hope they get that new job and I'm not saying that Jesus isn't against isn't for you getting that new job the the emphasis and same with the prayers that we have in the New Testament Epistles the the the accent is typically on the the spiritual the the accent is typically on Holiness and on protection and on perseverance and on endurance and on the fight of of Faith it's those things that that tend to occupy our lord Jesus and the disciples as they relate to us how they pray remember the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians he wants you to he wants you to know the love of Christ he he wants you to to to just be a school a scholar in the in the school of Christ love he he wants you to know that in fact turn there for just a moment to Ephesians chapter 3 we've got Paul giving us a bit of a an insight to his prayer closet what is it that he prays for believers notice in Ephesians 3 at verse1 14 for this reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named and then there's three petitions that he would Grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith he prays that they'd be strong spiritually he prays that they'd be strong spiritually strengthened with might in the Inner Man by the spirit so that Christ May dwell in your heart through faith want you to be stable want you to be strong want you to be ready to contend for the faith he wants you not to recant when a Godless Nation tells you to recan he wants you to stand up like that Pastor in China that we prayed for who's not going to b or or or B at the glory of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ because the government doesn't want him to he's going to stand fast why because he's strengthened with might in the Inner Man Christ is dwelling in his heart through faith notice the second petition verse 17 that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge he wants you to be strong and he wants you to understand that love of Christ those are good petitions aren't they and then that third one that you may be filled with all the fullness of God the passage at one time I thought was a difficulty now I've got it mastered no that's not the implication you should draw there I think it's Temple language I think the way the shikina glory filled the temple in the old Covenant Paul is praying that the church as the New Covenant Temple the people of God would be filled with all the fullness of God so that they would understand the glory of Ephesians 2:18 and Ephesians 2:22 that we come to the father through the son in the spirit and he prays that they'd be filled with all the fullness of God Brethren that ought to dictate and and necessitate the ethic that we have on a Lord's Day morning when we say with the with the psalmist I was glad when they said unto me let us go to the house of the Lord we ought to pray God like the shakina filled Solomon's Temple send the spirit that way into our midst may we know the fullness of God As We Gather for worship so that we're not falling asleep so that we're not thinking about the soup that's coming in another hour we're not thinking about the things that I've got to do on Tuesday or Thursday or Friday we're thinking about the glory of God we get to come to the father through the son in the spirit that ought to to to to affect the way that we see the Lord's day and the Lord's house and our time with the Lord's people so the Lord Jesus prays for his disciples he doesn't pray for the world and then as he's want to do in many different places throughout John's gospel he wants to once again underscore his relation to the Father the end of verse nine I do not pray for the world but For Those whom you have given me for they are yours and into verse 10 and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them all yours are mine all mine are yours could a normal creature say that is there anybody ever that can say everything that is God the father's is mine I'm not prepared to say that all the blessings that God has secured for me are mine in the Savior to be sure but to say that all that is his is mine and all that is mine is his with that reciprocity what is Jesus indicating Jesus is indicating what he's indicated over and over and over and over and over and over and over again in the gospel narrative the father sent the son the son is equal with the Father the Son has the same Essence substance nature as the Father John prepares us for jesus' Ministry where he teaches us these things in his prologue when he says in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and then when he says the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth we're prepared in the prologue for all that Jesus is going to say in terms of his relation to his father he's the one who sent me I'm the one sent by him all that the father has has been given to me all that I have belongs to him Matthew P makes this observation he says Christ and his father have all things in common neither of them have anything that is not the others they are one and they agree in one they have the same Essence the same will the same attributes and I love this bit the same friends because that's the context notice in verse 10 all mine are yours and yours are mine those are his friends Those whom you gave me from before the foundation of the world those who I'm going to to shed my precious blood for those who I'm presently interceding on behalf not not the world not the reprobate not the god-hating demon influence Satanist that you know is is is murdering babies that that's not who he's praying for he's praying for his people and he does so as his friends and then just before we move to the end bit where it talks about the reason for his inter look at that last statement there in verse 10 and I am glorified in them I am glorified in them Jesus in the petition to the father for himself in verses 1 and five speaks about his glory from the father speaks about the glory of the father being given to the son Jesus prays for that Jesus wants that and here Jesus assumes at the end of verse 10 that in these disciples these 12 Apostles or 11 Apostles that are sitting there presently Jesus is glorified in that and Jesus is glorified in the disciples that are made by those disciples in fact verse 20 I I I mentioned earlier there's a there's a sort of Theology of the world even right here in verse 20 I do not pray for these alone but also for those who will believe in me through their word so the Lord Jesus sends forth these disciples these 12 or these 11 to go therefore to make disciples of all the nations to baptize those disciples made and then to teach them to observe all that Jesus has commanded and promises that lo I with you always even to the End of the Age so the Lord Jesus says in the apostles sitting there with him or in his in his you know immediate context or his immediate venue the Believers that come as a result of their Apostolic Ministry Jesus is glorified in them that's kind of a a neat one too isn't it he not only prays for us but he's also glorified in us what does he possibly mean here well I would suggest he's glorified in them by his saving of them they're like trophy cases right in fact go back to Ephesians chapter 3 you see a similar reference analogous to a trophy case look at Ephesians chapter 3 prior to Paul's prayer he's talking about his place in terms of the mystery and the Mystery in the context is that Christ is the hope of the world both Jew and Gentile Gentile inclusion in the Covenant Promises of God not that it wasn't allog together you know was wasn't not uh completely unknown or wasn't completely unknown in the old Covenant no it was known in the Oracle of of of Noah it was known in the promises to Abraham Isaac and Jacob it's a Psalm a promise that gets its own Psalm in Psalm 17 it's a promise celebrated throughout the the prophets Isaiah's Servant Song specifically 42 and 49 that that that the Messiah will be a light unto the Gentiles so it's not that it was absolutely positively unknown but the actual Contour shape and and identification of it comes the fullness of the time when God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law and so Paul in this chapter in chapter 3 is kind of transitioning between sound Doctrine in verses or paragraph uh chapters 1 and two to practical application paragraph uh uh chapters 4 to six so he's talking about his place with reference to to his stewardship as the the steward of the Myster of the Gospel again not something that was absolutely secret nobody ever knew what Paul is able to say now all that was spoken in the old Covenant Prophet prophets are are Y and amen in our Lord Jesus Christ we've got Gentile inclusion in the Covenant Promises of God and and that's what Paul's function is so that's just to set up what what I want to read here notice in 38 to me we're in Ephesians Who Am less than the least of all the saints this Grace was given that I should preach among the Gentiles The unsearchable Riches of Christ and to make all see what is the Fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ note verse 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in The Heavenly places I get from that what I get from 1 Corinthians 11 that in some way shape form and manner angels look at public worship and when angel look at public worship according to 1 Corinthians 11 they want to make sure they see men in the pulpits and here when angels look at public worship they see the manifold wisdom of God in the assembling of persons from all manner and walks of life old sinners young Sinners bright Sinners dull sinners white Sinners black Sinners Canadian Sinners American Sinners yeah even American Sinners the Angels see this it's a trophy case and the trophies don't get glorified the Angels aren't going good on you for the decisions you made God gets the glory if I have a bowling trophy on my my shelf you don't come in and say man that trophy is phenomenal no you say You must be a phenomenal bowler God is assembling from every tribe tongue people and Nation so that the principalities and the powers when they look upon a church like ours they're amazed that the likes of us have found entrance into the presence of a holy God Through Blood atonement wrought by the son Jesus is glorified in US Jesus is going to be glorified in these disciples because what are they going to do after he ascends on high they're going to go turn the Roman world or the Roman Empire upside down these handful of men are going to so infect their people group in a good way not with covid but they're going to so infect them with the knowledge of God most high through our lord Jesus Christ that they will be a threat to that Empire they're a threat first to the unbelieving Jews such that they're cast out of the synagogues such that in various cities there's great division because they're preaching Christ and him crucified to the Chagrin of the unbelieving Jew we see that threat posed by the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the then Known World we see it today brethren we we read voice of the martyrs reports did did you all know that in the Democratic Republic of Congo 70 Believers got their heads chopped off two weeks ago do you know that right now in Syria our brothers are dying our brothers and our sisters are dying that there's Brothers in China in prison for the for the filthy crime of of trying to lead people to Jesus Christ is glorified in that blessed should be his name we we get these reports and we read of these obscure people they're not obscure to God they're not obscure to the blessed savior they are means by which that savior is glorified through the sufferings and the trials and the travails of his blood-bought folk Jesus is going to be glorified in these Apostles he is glorified in their church planting I mean they go to these various places they go they go to obscure Villages I think it was Lloyd Jones who said something that he said he he thought that one of the biggest challenges for the Apostle Paul was to preach to simple folk I mean you get that Paul was a giant intellect right you don't read Romans and go man he's a real Dullard no no you you don't do that you read Romans and you go man I'm a real Dullard especially right there in six seven and into eight six and seven wow probably why I Don't Preach through Romans those passages I think I know what he's talking about but to try to explain it's pretty tough at any rate Lloyd Jones says that would have been a challenge for Paul This brilliant giant intellect dealing with very simple folk that most often or more often than not didn't even know how to read they go to these obscure places yeah they went to Big places we think about Athens and the epicurian and the stoic philosophers you know let there Paul they went to a lot of nobody places Brethren why because Christ is glorified in the churches founded in nobody places that's what he's talking about I am glorified in them I am glorified in those who will believe them with reference to the gospel it is this Perpetual glorification of our savior In The Blood Bought children of God in the corporate Gathering of his people people in the extension of his kingdom through proclamation to the uttermost parts of the earth Christ is glorified in this we're part of a big mission Brethren even if our part is little to play we're about bringing glory to the one who lived for us who died for us and who was raised again for us and that brings us then finally to the reason for his intercession in verse 11a it's simple he's going away from them he's not going to be physically with them anymore that's what he says verse 11a he says now I am no longer in the world but these are in the world and I come to you the petition proper starts in 11b and then in 17 protection sanctification but this is the rationale or the reason for his prayer on their behalf and it's very simple logic I'm not going to be with them anymore I'm going to be with you father remember he's spoken of the hour he's spoken of his departure he's going back to the father he going to be physically absent from them but they're not going to be physically without the various difficulties that he's already promised to them in 1518 to 164 I I I'm praying that you protect them Father because I'm not going to be with them uh physically now he will there be at the right hand of the father making intercession for them but I think sirel gets it right he says while he was still living with the Holy apostle and present with them in the flesh on Earth he was a clear and visible Comfort to them right if he's there with you it's kind of like in the military your your commander just happens to be a really good one and you'll follow him into battle you'll do anything that He commands because he's righteous and he's just and he wants to beat the bad guys what happens if he takes one on the field he get shot in the head it's blown apart with a with an IED there there's going to be some impact or an effect upon the troops that are in his that that are following his lead so these men had been with Jesus physically they had seen him eyeballed eyeball they broke bread with him they ate with him they see him suffer they see him sorrowful they see him die they'll see him raised again but they'll see him no more in terms of the physical eye so Jesus says knowing that that I come to you father so that why I'm praying for them so that you will steady them and stabilize them by protecting them in this world and sanctify them for my use in this present evil age so that they go and proclaim the Glorious gospel so that the verse 20 others can hear their words and come to God through the son in the spirit and glorify the Triune God of glory and power and Majesty he prays for them because he's parting from them so in conclusion I think that when we look at this particular passage we see the rationale or the reasons why he prays for his disciples and I think one of the things that ought to flow from this is an appreciation of the blessedness of being a disciple right going to go join a a a group or you're going to join a a club there's got to be some talk of benefit right why would you join a club without benefit I mean there's just not enough time in the world to just sit in a club where there's no benefit right I I mean if you have that kind of time come here and you help me police the homeless and keep the dirty things off the ground what are the benefits of being God's people now they're manifold every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ Ephesians 1:3 but here specifically the knowledge of the father and the son son and the spirit this is eternal life that they may Know Thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou has sent now the mention of the father and the son implies the presence of the spirit so the very sum and substance and essence of eternal life is the knowledge of the Holy One that's a blessing that's a privilege again whatever bad things we may be going through this much is true for us we know God we know God I'd rather be a tried Afflicted saint that knows God than a wealthy you know jet Setter who doesn't know God it's not even like oh I no there's no comparison Paul in Philippians chapter three what things were gain these are loss this is dung this is that which is only good to be thrown to the dogs for the knowledge of the Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord L that I may be found in him not having my own righteousness which is from the law but that righteousness which is from God through faith and him of course he'd give up all of his benefits that he previously enjoyed for the Excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord secondly the knowledge of the mystery of the Trinity we don't just know God in some vague General Revelation sense we we know that he's there we know that he should be feared we know that he should be worshiped but Jesus has let us in on the triun of God Jesus has brought us by the hand to show us the father is unbegotten the son is begotten by the father and the spirit proceeds from the father and the son he's done all that in the upper room discourse so not only do we know God we really know God we know the Triune God the living and true God I would suggest thirdly the knowledge of the word of God doesn't Jesus speak as that speak concerning them they they've listened they're not like this world they're not like the unbelieving Jews who called me the the the be El that that's what they they did with Jesus but rather the disciples they they respond they believe they follow they obey and the knowledge of the great salvation of God these are all benefits and privileges that we have as the people of God that we need to rehearse in our minds and in our hearts we need to think through these things we need to speak the bom gilad to our own Hearts we need to take ourselves by the Scruff of the neck sometimes and speak to ourselves say why are you downcast oh my soul hope thou in God that's our our blessedness that's our our everything in this present evil age and then in terms of the glory of the son we see his saving power we see the security afforded by his work Those whom you have given me John 10 there's no one who can pluck them out of the hand of the father and the son there's nothing not not even you isn't that beautiful Paul says it in chapter 8 The Book of Romans nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord so if you say well I could no Paul says or any other created thing if you're in Christ you're in Christ and you ain't going anywhere you're signed sealed and delivered he doesn't shed his blood in vain he doesn't waste his intercession he doesn't pray for the reprobate he doesn't die for the reprobate but for all those whom the father had given him he sheds his Precious Blood he intercedes on their behalf and he makes good the promise of God which is yay and amen in himself as well the glory of the Priestly Office of the son sacrifice and inter the power of His intercession now here's the Gill quote on Hebrews 7:25 he says Christ ever lives as God he is the Living God and though he died as man he is risen from the dead and will not die again but live forever more and he lives as mediator and Redeemer and particularly as a priest one branch of whose office it is to intercede for his people this he does does now in heaven not by vocal prayer and supplication at least not as in the days of his flesh or as if he was supplicating an angry judge nor as controverting or litigating appoint the court of Heaven in the court of heaven but by the appearance of his person for them by the presentation of his sacrifice blood and righteousness by declaring his will that such and such blessings be bestowed on such and such persons and by recommending the prayers of his people and removing the charges and accusations of Satan I think Gil's right telling us what Paul means in Hebrews 7 telling us Paul means in in in Romans chapter 8 and telling us what John means in 1 John 2 1 and2 my little children I write these things to you so that you may not sit that's John's goal he writes to the people under his charge I'm writing so that you don't sin it's a noble goal Joel John it's a great goal all of us should have that John's a realist I don't mean strictly philosophically though he was but he was a realist in terms of The Human Condition so I write these things so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous our blessed savior identifies the spirit as The Advocate the paraclete the blessed savior is a is an advocate he's a paraclete he's at the right hand of the father five bleeding wounds he pleads received on calvary's tree that is the great blessing of the people of God in this present evil age Christ is for us and if you are not the people of God because you have not looked to him in faith I don't know how better to say this than to say Look to Him in faith believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved that is the promise of the Gospel that is the promise of our Lord Jesus all that the father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out come to the Savior reap the benefit reap the reward reap the joy and the blessing and the every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places in Christ he has come to save his people from their sins he saved the likes of us there's certainly power and efficacy in his gospel for you so come and be saved and enjoy the manifold blessings that the Savior gives and get about living in such a way as to bring glory and honor and praise to him well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you very much for what our savior prays for his people in this this section of Holy Scripture and the reasons why he prays for them thank you so very much for Sovereign Grace thank you for election and predestination and those things that that that are such a blessing that we see in scripture we thank you for the work of the Lord Jesus on behalf of your people for his blood atonement for his inter ession for all of his Priestly activity God may this bring a great encouragement to each and every one of our hearts may you strengthen us may you conform us ever more unto His Image and may you be pleased to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh to God through him and we ask in jesus' name amen well let us stand and sing the praise to God in five uh 572 such a wonderful praise to our Triune God 572 will stand as we sing [Music] together glor to father to the to the Holy Ghost as it in the [Music] now not a him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest and by the prophetic scriptures made known to All Nations according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God for obedience to the faith to God Alone wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever amen well let us be seated e e e e e e e e e e e [Music] e e e e e e