Introduction
We come now to the final chapter of the Upper Room Discourse--Jesus'
final interaction with his disciples on the night of his arrest. He began
by washing their feet (13). Then he told them that his departure would
bring the Holy Spirit, who would usher them into greater spiritual reality
than they had enjoyed with him (14-16). Then he told them that the key
to appropriating the Holy Spirit is maintaining an attitude of personal
dependence on him (15). And now, just before they go into the Garden of
Gethsemane, Jesus prays (17).
This is the longest extended prayer of Jesus recorded in the gospels.
(Although I normally read from the NASB, I will read from the NIV this
morning because the NASB translates this passage into 17th century English.
This is ironic, because while people were struck by the personalness and
informality of Jesus' communication with his Father, the NASB translators
have made it formal.) Even when you read it in modern English, Jesus'
prayer is wide-ranging and profound--far more than I can cover in one
teaching. It has three main sections, expanding in range like three concentric
circles:
In 17:1-5, Jesus prays for himself, that his Father will glorify him--demonstrate
his greatness through his death on the cross, his resurrection, and
his return to the Father.
In 17:6-19, Jesus prays for his disciples--that as he sends them out
as his witnesses into a hostile world, the Father will protect them
from the deceptions of the evil one through the truth of his Word.
In 17:20-23, Jesus prays for a much wider group of people (read). He
divides all of humanity up into two groups, and prays for them accordingly.
Generally, he prays for Christians (those who have believed in him
because of his disciples' witness) and for the world (those who do
not yet believe in him).
Specifically, he prays for salvation of those who don't believe in
him by asking for something for those who do believe in him. Three
times in three verses, he makes the same request--that we may "be
one," or that we may be "brought to complete unity."
He prays for Christians to have unity, because this unity will provide
the most compelling evidence to the world that he is the Savior of
the world.
What kind of unity?
The first order of business, then, is for us to understand what kind
of unity Jesus is (and is not) asking for.
He is not asking for organizational unity between churches.
Although this may come to our minds first, and though the church has
often tried to achieve organizational unity over the past 20 centuries,
there is no indication in this passage (or any other New Testament passage)
that God prioritizes this kind of unity. In fact, attempts to achieve
this kind of unity have often done more harm than good in drawing people
to Christ (ROMAN CATHOLICISM & ORTHODOXY; PROTESTANT ECUMENCIAL
MOVEMENT).
He is not talking primarily about spiritual unity shared by all
Christians. I say "primarily" because Jesus does refer
to this in this prayer. When he speaks of a union between Christians
that is connected to his union with the Father and our union with him,
he is talking about the "mystical union" of Christians. The
moment you receive Christ, you are indwelt with the same Holy Spirit
that indwells all other true Christians, and thus you are united with
them on a profound spiritual level. This is very important, but it is
not what Jesus asks for. This unity is complete and invisible, but the
unity Jesus prays for is something that is observable to non-Christians
and it is a unity that needs to be completed.
He is talking primarily about relational "community" between
individual Christians. This is clear for two main reasons:
Jesus asks for a unity that will somehow show non-Christians that
God loves Christians the same way he loved Jesus (17:23). So it is
an observable unity that displays God's unique love among Christians.
Jesus' parallel statement in Jn. 13:34,35 confirms this (read).
Just as Jesus asks one preeminent request in 17:21-23, he gives one
preeminent command in this passage. He wants us to love each another
in the same way that he loves us so that those who don't know
him will recognize us as his followers, and be drawn by this to believe
in him, too.
Why is this unity so compelling?
In order to understand why Christian community is so compelling, you
have to understand the relationship between MEDIUM and MESSAGE. In any
communication event, there are always four features: the MESSAGE, the
SENDER, the RECEIVER, and the MEDIUM. The MEDIUM is the context in which
the MESSAGE is communicated. When the MEDIUM is effective, it draws attention
to the MESSAGE and makes it attractive. But when the MEDIUM is ineffective,
it does the opposite--and is called NOISE.
In song, the MESSAGE is the words/lyrics. The MEDIUM is the music that
accompanies the lyrics. A song can have a great MESSAGE--but if its MEDIUM
(music) is unattractive, very few will receive and remember the MESSAGE.
On the other hand, if its music is outstandingly attractive, people will
receive and remember its MESSAGE even if it is mediocre or false.
Consider, for example, this MESSAGE ("Hello, Goodbye"). Not
exactly profound--but many of you began to recite it by heart the moment
I began to recite the words. Why? Because the MEDIUM was so attractive.
What is true in music is even more true in the communication of Christianity.
Its MESSAGE is that greatest news that has ever been announced. God is
a loving Person, and he wants to have a love relationship with you that
will transform your life for good far beyond your wildest expectations.
He sent his Son to take away the only barrier that separated him from
you, and he is ready right now to indwell you so you can experience his
love--if only you ask him to do this by putting your trust in Jesus.
What if the people who share this MESSAGE are just as alienated and
superficial and unsuccessful in their relationships with each other
as everyone else? This is NOISE--and no amount of TV time, slick marketing,
cute bumper-stickers, etc. will ever make up for it!
On the other hand, what if the people who share this MESSAGE demonstrate
the ability to build and enjoy close, healthy love relationships with
one another? When this is the MEDIUM, it enhances the credibility of
the MESSAGE so powerfully that even people who are consciously resistant
to the MESSAGE often become curious and receptive.
"The church that convinces people that there is a God is a church
that manifests what only a God can do, that is, to unite human beings
in love . . . There is nothing that convinces people
(that God exists) or that awakens their craving for (him) like the discovery
of Christian brothers and sisters who love one another . . . The
sight of loving unity among Christians arrests the non-Christian. It crashes
through his intellect, stirs up his conscience and creates a tumult of
longing in his heart because he was created to enjoy the very thing that
you are demonstrating."
Over the past ten years, I have been working primarily with singles
in college or just out of college. Most of them were raised in unchurched
homes, or were turned off to what they thought Christianity is. They
are unimpressed by large buildings and slick presentations. They are
repelled by evangelistic crusades and other Christian marketing schemes.
They have been schooled by relativism which tells them that all religions
are equally valid because there is no such thing as absolute truth.
But in spite of these barriers, I have had the privilege of seeing dozens
of these singles come to Christ. And in almost every case, they have
told me that what made them open to the message of Christianity was
the quality of relationships they observed among the Christians in our
home group. (M.M. TO F.H.: "I have never met so many people who
genuinely cared for me and for one another. I just had to be willing
to check out what they believed.")
How to practice it
Show love and respect for Christians outside your own church. This
is not to imply that we need not show love and respect for non-Christians!
It is to say that non-Christians need to also see a special kinship between
Christians at work, etc.
We may have important differences with other true Christians over doctrine,
how we do church, etc.--differences big enough that we are probably
better off being committed to different churches. But we need to remember
that what we have in common far outweighs our differences. I worry that
many Xenos people do not do this enough. It's great to feel excited
about your church, but don't become arrogant and view other Christians
and Christian churches as enemies! Not only is this arrogant and cultic--it
is also ugly for non-Christians to see.
Instead, we should be warm and affectionate when you run into Christians
from other churches that you know. We should also show genuine interest
in what God is teaching them and how he is working through them.
One of the best ways to demonstrate this unity is to work with Christians
from other churches in some common ministry.
For 16 years I have been teaching a Bible study at a nursing home
here in town. It has been great to see many people come to Christ
in the last years of their lives. It has also been great to work with
other Christians from different churches as we reach out to the people
in the nursing home.
You can collaborate with other Christians in your neighborhood to
pray for your neighbors and work together in reaching out to them.
You can do the same with associates at work.
But as important as this is, the New Testament emphasizes another kind
of unity far more. Be "in fellowship" instead of merely "going
to church." I hate the phrase "going to church" because
it implies the church is a building, when the Bible says the church is
the people who know Christ. But even if we change "going to church"
to "attending Central Teaching," there is still a big difference
between this and being "in fellowship."
"Fellowship" means sharing something in common. To be in
fellowship with other Christians means that you are regularly sharing
your common relationship with Christ with other Christians: discussing
what you are learning from his Word, sharing how he is changing your
life, talking to Christ together, urging each other to stay faithful
to Christ, working together to serve others, showing appropriate affection
toward one another, etc.
If you come here very long, you'll hear this slogan: "Xenos is
not a large meeting-based church that also has home-groups; it is home-group-based
church that also has large meetings." The reason for this is simple:
Christian fellowship flourishes in home groups in a way that can never
happen at a meeting like this. If you know Christ, you should view this
meeting as a complement to your involvement in home group, not a substitute
for it. Being in fellowship will strengthen and feed your walk with
Christ tremendously, and it will help you reach your non-Christian friends
for Christ much more effectively.
Another way you know when you're "in fellowship" is when you
get hurt, offended, disappointed, etc. When this happens, do you withdraw
and dismiss--or do you work hard to maintain these relationships?
Consider this passage (read Eph. 4:1-3). You can hear Paul echoing
Jesus is Jn. 17 as he reminds us of the importance of unity as
we seek to represent Christ. He is utterly realistic about the difficulty
of maintaining this kind of unity between sinful, fallen people--so
he reminds us of what we need to cultivate to do this.
I need to ask God for the humility to see my own contribution
to the conflict (and apologize for it), instead of just focusing on
the other person's.
I need to ask God for the gentleness to treat my brother or
sister as precious rather than brutally lashing out at or smashing
him. And I need to apologize when I blow it here.
I need to ask God for patience and forbearance (and
forgiveness) when they hurt me or don’t change as quickly as
I want them to--just as I am thankful that God extends this to me.
For those of us who are "in fellowship," this is a constant
challenge. I can't always restore every strained relationship, but I
am responsible to do my part as God shows me. This is a great training
ground for my own growth, and it safeguards the unity that intangibly
affects and attracts non-Christians who interact with us.