Devotional Friday 25/11/16 – John 17:24 “I want them with me and to see my glory”

No matter what you do, or what is done to you, if Jesus has saved you, you will never be lost!

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

John10:27-30 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

Romans 8:30 “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

Jesus is praying that all who become Christians will be in heaven and see His glory.

If you are a Christian you cannot be lost. No matter what you do or think, no matter what is done to you, if you are a Christian you cannot be lost!

“What!” you say, that sounds like the moral equivalent of printing money to sin! Well, do you choose not to sin because you might be lost? Of course not! You choose not to sin because you love Jesus.

Let’s put it this way, will you be more inclined to please someone who cares for you and will never reject you, or someone whose acceptance is based upon your good performance? You want to please God because His amazing grace has justified you and will never let you go.

Jesus’ will, that you be in eternal glory, will be fulfilled. We will see the majesty and splendor of God forever. This is the certain hope of all who have believed on Christ.

You can catch up on all the messages in the John series at:

http://www.communitychurchputney.com/community-church-putney--audio---resources.html

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Devotional Thursday 24/11/16 – John 17:23 “complete unity, then the world will know”

It’s Jesus’ will that we be in “complete unity” Let’s look again at this vital subject.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:23 “…I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Philippians 1:27 'Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.'

Being a Christian is to be indwelt by God – “I in them and you in me”. We have undergone a supernatural transformation in which we become united to God and one another by the Spirit.

Our unity is not based upon age, class, nationality etc. We are united in that we share the same Spirit, same Saviour and same heavenly father. We love one another because each of us is loved in the same way that the Father loves Christ.

Relational unity is not easy. We are constantly experiencing relational friction. In reaction to this, some don’t bother being part of a local church or they move on from church to church with regularity, after the ‘honeymoon’ period!

‘Complete unity’ requires a number of things (as we saw in Philippians 1:27):

•      Unity in salvation - baptised into Christ
 by faith alone

•      Unity of understanding
- Agreeing on the essentials of faith and practice

•      Unity of purpose - shared vision as a church

•      Unity of love for one another

How are you doing at this?

• Do you see your church like a team that you are on, being fully involved and seeking to ‘win’ together?
• Do you argue, unhelpfully, about non-essential issues of the faith?
• Have you put ‘lines in the sand’ about the essentials of faith and practice? Here are a few examples:

o   The Trinity – God is three and one

o   The bible is God’s word without error

o   Sexual immorality (all sex outside of heterosexual marriage) requires church discipline

o   Salvation is by faith in Christ alone

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Devotional Wednesday 23/11/16 – John 17:22 “I have given them glory”

Christians are united through seeing the glory of Christ as Lord and Saviour. We need to recognise this true unity and strive to make it a relational reality.

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:22 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one…”

Ephesians 4:3-6 ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.’

Jesus has given us his glory: in Jesus the Son of God, we see the eternal, incarnate God dying for sin, rising again, ascended into heaven, coming again, worthy of worship… Knowledge of this glory have been given to us, it is the gift of God.

Only the truth of Jesus saves and unites a church. The unity of the church is not principally, as some might emphasise,  about putting aside differences and working together . The unity of the church is principally spiritual. The church is the family of God, united by one Spirit through faith in Jesus alone. A Christian is not united with anyone who is not in Christ!

As we read in Ephesians 4:3-6, although Christians are united in Christ, we must also ‘make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit’. A church is not only united but is kept united relationally through faith in Christ. Let’s keep Jesus central!

How are you doing at this?

Do you recognise your unity with all true Christians that delight in the glory of Christ?

Are you working to make this spiritual unity a reality through church involvement and relational commitment? 

You can catch up on all the messages in the John series at:

http://www.communitychurchputney.com/community-church-putney--audio---resources.html

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Devotional Tuesday 22/11/16 – John 17:21 “That they may be one”

Jesus says that our unity will cause others to believe

To meditate/pray upon

John 17:20- 21 ‘My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’

Psalm 133:1,3 ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity... For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.’

Jesus prays that those who become Christians will be united with the existing church.

Coming into a church community as an unbeliever or new Christian is daunting emotionally, challenging intellectually, unusual culturally… Let’s pray and do all that we can to love and serve new people.

Jesus says that our unity will cause others to believe; a healthy, joyful church community is a demonstration to those outside of our loving God. A united community of love will inevitably outward looking as they seek to serve the community around them; such a Love and joy is a great demonstration to the world that Jesus is alive and working in His church. When people see a local church that is relationally cold, distant even fractious, it causes them to turn away from us and the God we represent!

How are you doing at this?

Are you seeking to be welcoming and hospitable to people in your life and those who are new to your church?

Are you a ‘peace maker’ seeking to spread grace and love?

You can catch up on all the messages in the John series at:

http://www.communitychurchputney.com/community-church-putney--audio---resources.html

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