Sharing The Whole Word of Truth
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Analyzing the fullness of the Word of Truth Jesus sends His disciples to share.
Text: John 17:18-19
Date: 03/22/2020, the Combined service.
Series: "John: Encountering Love" Part 169
Description:
As Jesus continues to pray for His disciples, He turns to the subject of their mission and purpose. He has asked the Father to protect them from the evil one and the wickedness of the world into which He plans to send them. He has also asked the Father to sanctify them in the truth and revealed where that truth can be found-- in the Word He has given them. Soon it will be time to take that Word of the Gospel into a dying world and turn that world on its head! After we look at the language of the text, we will talk of that Word and that mission. We will find comfort in the positive words of the Gospel-- that Jesus came to save. But we will also find profound relevance in the fullness of the Gospel-- what Jesus came to save us from! When this message was delivered, it was streamed over the Internet because of a worldwide pandemic that restricted our ability to gather in worship. So we will apply our findings to the current situation and realize that our only comfort and hope is in the same Word of Truth that Jesus is sending His Apostles out to share-- the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
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I. Introduction, John 16:33.
II. Exposition of the text, John 17:18-19.
A. Context, John 17:14-17.
B. Sending the Apostles with the Word of Truth.
1. The Light-Bearers, vs. 18.
a. Praying for the great commission, John 20:21.
b. The Apostler from Heaven.
i. Sent from the Father.
ii. To save the world, John 3:16-19.
c. The Apostles to the world.
d. The apostlers of the church.
e. The same objective and struggle, Matt. 10:40.
2. The model of consecration, vs. 19.
a. Reminding ourselves of "their".
b. Eyes on the beneficiaries.
c. Christ's consecration, John 17:17,15:3, 1Pet. 1:20, Matt. 26:39.
d. A model for all disciples, John 17:17.
C. Interpretation
1. Formulating the message.
a. The disciples have been sent into the world with a message.
b. Jesus' two requests.
i. Protect them from the evil one, John 17:15.
ii. Sanctify them in the truth, John 17:17.
c. So what is the truth?
i. Seeking the whole truth.
ii. Two threads
2. The world of evil and the wrath of God.
a. What is the goal of evil?
i. The sovereignty of God.
ii. The limited objective of evil, Luke 12:4-5.
b. A case study from the days of Noah, Gen. 6:5-7, 7:22-23, Heb. 10:31.
c. This is what Jesus came to save us from, Matt. 24:37, John 3:36, Rom. 1:18, 2:5,2:8, Eph. 5:6, Col. 3:6.
3. The good news of the Gospel, Psa. 102:26-27, Heb. 13:8.
a. For God so loved the world, John 3:16.
b. He sent His light into the world of darkness, John 1:9.
c. The world could not receive Him, John 1:10.
d. Nonetheless, the Father sent the Son to save the world, John 3:17.
e. By dying for their sins as a substitutionary atonement, John 1:29.
f. God gave the disciples to the Son as a gift, John 17:6.
g. They are no longer of the world, John 17:16.
h. While they are here, the world hates them, John 17:14.
i. He has prepared them for the fight by leaving the Word of Truth, John 17:15,17.
III. Application
A. How should Christians react in this pandemic?
1. An opportunity for the Gospel.
2. God is sovereign
3. Our world is evil, Matt. 24:38.
4. God has every reason to be wrathful.
5. What we know for sure.
B. A wake-up call for repentance?
IV. Conclusion
