THROW OUT THE LIFELINE!

SCRIPTURE

Seventh Sunday of Easter
John 17:6-19 (NRSV)

Christ's prayer for his disciples

"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

SERMON

Today’s Gospel reading comes from a long litany in the Gospel of John where Jesus is desperately trying to prepare his disciples for his coming death upon the cross. This is a part of his “last will and testament” to his friends and followers. They had walked with him three long years, listening to his teachings, assisting in his ministry, and bearing witness to his miracles. Now, his earthly ministry is coming to an end and Jesus is doing a review of the curriculum with the hope that his final words will never be forgotten.

In this speech, beginning in John 14, Jesus offers comfort to his disciples instructing them about his relationship with God, their relationship with him, and their relationships with each other. In this brief passage for our consideration today, Jesus has lapsed into a deep and heartfelt prayer.

You know, whenever things get rough, prayer is our lifeline! It is the metaphorical rope that pulls us to safety when we get into physical, mental, or spiritual difficulty!

It is the way that we are instructed to cast all of our cares on God, knowing that God cares for us! As we share our joys and sorrows with God, we receive the blessed assurance that we are loved and forgiven and that God is actively working for our good at all times.

I don’t know about you, but I experience a profound peace when I pray. I feel loved and I feel heard and often that is half the battle when the storms are raging in my life.

In Jesus’ prayer, he is asking God to take care of his loved ones, to protect them from persecution and evil, and to remind them of the importance of unity as God sends them out into the world—without him.

Lest we think this might have been a merry gathering, I assure you that I don’t think it was. It was not a Bon Voyage party; it was a sad moment, with scared and confused disciples, and a sorrowful, but determined Jesus.

We can learn a lot about what Jesus prioritizes as we look at this prayer he prayed on the eve of his death and on behalf of those whom he loved.

First of all, Jesus prayed that God would be made known to his followers. Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus stated, “I and the Father are one. If you have known me, you have known the Father also.” (John 14:7)

What is it that they should have known about the Father, having seen Jesus? Well, first of all they must have known that God is love and God is loving. Jesus’ whole ministry was about sharing the love of God with humanity. I have heard it said that love is a verb; it is an action word. Love is not a feeling, love is what you do.

Jesus was the absolute best, at doing love! Everywhere he went he loved the unlovable, touched the untouchable, and saw and served all of those people whom society had pushed to the margins.

Secondly, the disciples must have known that God cares. Jesus cared about the lives and feelings of those around him. When people were hungry, he fed them. When people were ill, he healed them. When people were sin-sick, he attended to the deepest parts of their souls offering grace, mercy, and forgiveness of sin. As the disciples saw Jesus caring for them and others, they must have felt inspired to do the same!

Finally, the disciples must have known that God values humility and service. As Jesus washed their feet, at the Passover Supper, they must have embraced an awareness that love, caring, and service go hand in hand. Jesus said to them, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:14-15)

These are lessons that we, as contemporary followers of Christ must remember as well. As we have seen Jesus in scripture, and in the witness of others, we have seen the heart of God. God is love and God is loving. God is caring and God is compassionate. God values humility and God values service.

But, what else can we learn from Jesus’ prayer? Well, we can also learn that as followers of Christ and children of God, we belong to God’s family, and as such we are expected to get along, be united, and always remember that we do not belong to this world!

Whenever I read the verses in the Bible that remind us that we “are not of this world,” I think of the movie E.T. In that movie, E.T. (the extra terrestrial being) kept saying, “E.T., phone home!” In some ways, this is how we as Christians are supposed to live.

Jesus said, “I am not of this world, and neither are my followers.” Some express this as, “we are in the world, but not of it.” We have been set apart by God’s Word to be ambassadors of God’s GOOD NEWS Kingdom of Love.

You know, this is not a difficult concept for me to embrace having been raised by a man named Howard Denson. My father drilled into me—from my earliest years—that I am a Denson. Denson’s are smart. Denson’s are strong. Denson’s are leaders. Denson’s are the best!” It was a continual mantra and I was expected to live up to the family credo.

In some ways, we have a similar credo from God. God declares, “My children love. My children care! My children serve! My children are unified! My children are sent!

Recently I read a quote on Twitter that stopped me in my tracks. It said, “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

Wow!

Would there be enough evidence to convict me? Would there be enough evidence to convict you? Would there be enough evidence to convict this church family?

As members of the body of Christ, the family of God, we ought to look and act different than our non-Christian friends. There ought to be the sweet fragrance of love, care, service, and unity that hovers whenever we are near. People in need ought to know that they can count on us to be of humble and joyful service--after all, we are set apart by God’s Word.

What does it mean to be set apart by God’s Word? Well, fundamentally, I believe that it means that we are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

As we love and serve God with all our hearts and souls, the people around us will be positively impacted for Christ. As people of the Gospel, or people of the GOOD NEWS, we ought to leave a sweet taste in the mouths of the people that we encounter. They ought to want to be around us because we make them feel joyful, valued, and seen.

Finally, Jesus’ prayer for his followers reminds us that as children of God, we are sent out into the world to share the love of God with humanity. Just as our relationship with God--and our ability to pray--is our lifeline, we need to throw a lifeline to somebody today!

John 3:16 simply states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life!”

I have shortened this verse down to five very important words for the sake of evangelism. God loves, gave, and saves! (Say it with me—God loves, gave, and saves )

God loves us so much that God gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and to gift us with eternal life!

WOW! Ain’ta that GOOD NEWS?!

Now, think about all of the other good news you’ve heard recently. Someone had a baby! Kris Allen won American Idol! A six year old boy steered the car to safety after his father collapsed at the wheel!

Don’t you just love good news? And what do we ordinarily do with Good News? We share it! We tell everyone we meet! We talk about it at the water cooler! We call up our friends and share it on the phone. We whip out the pictures of the grandkids in the supermarket—showing perfect strangers the source of our pride and joy!

Come on somebody!

Well, all of the good news in our lives does not begin to compare to the GOOD NEWS that God loves, gave, and saves. It does not begin to compare to the fact that God has reconciled our relationship, saved us from our sin, and gifted us with eternal life. It does not begin to compare to the fact that Jesus did not stay dead, but was resurrected on the third day, just like he promised.

Yay God!

We are sent out—as ambassadors—as children of God to remind people of the GOOD NEWS. God loves, gave, and saves. It’s truly as simple as, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

As we have known Jesus, so we know the heart of God. As such we have our example. Jesus knew that prayer is our lifeline. In times of trouble or distress, we can call on God, in the Name of Jesus, and trust that our prayer concerns will be addressed.

This blessed assurance sets us free to love and care for others, whilst offering humble and faithful service and we can be sure that our unified efforts to share Good News with others will never be in vain!

We are People of the Word, set apart as ambassadors of the GOOD NEWS Kingdom of Love. And as such, we have been sent into the world, to throw out the lifeline of God’s love and care to others!

Jesus prayed for his followers—and that includes us! Let us do our best to make him proud!

In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.



ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to the people who have recently put all of their faith in Jesus! We are so excited about your new-found faith in Jesus! You are in our thoughts and prayers!

If you would like to put all of your hope in Jesus today, please visit my blog entitled, “Putting All Your Hope In Jesus” located at
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/04/putting-all-your-hope-in-jesus.html

If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html

Pastor Yolanda is now publishing another blog entitled, “A Spoken WORD” in celebration of Holy Hip Hop, Gospel/Christian Rap and Spoken Word. Please check it out @ http://aspokenword.blogspot.com/

You are invited to follow Pastor Yolanda on Twitter www.twitter.com/PastorYolanda

Good News has now added a Prayer Ministry. http://www.kindlejoy.com/groups/goodnews

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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com