Message: May 18, 2021
Title: “Safety In Jesus’ Word”
Text: John 17:11-19
Goal: That the hearers build upon the foundation of faith laid in Confirmation.

People make lapses in judgement. Do you suppose that as Christians we always think and do as Jesus would want us to? Have you always told the truth? I would suspect there are times when we are a lot like Peter in Matthew 16. One minute he is confessing Jesus as the Christ. Moments later after Jesus is saying to Peter, “Get behind me Satan…” There is a little devil in all of us that doesn’t always have good judgement, sometimes doesn’t think things through, and sometimes just does something that we know we shouldn’t, something that might even break Jesus’ heart or ours.

I. “Holy Father protect them, by the power of Your name…protect them from the evil one.”
A. tēreō -“be on guard, keep them unharmed”
B. Connected to phylassō-“Kept them safe-like a guardian or a shepherd watching his sheep.
C. John 10–“The Good Shepherd must lay down His life only to take it up again for His sheep.”
D. 1 Thessalonians 5:23
E. Jude 1
F. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
G. Confirmation.
1. It’s about laying a foundation in the Word.
2. It’s about giving you the means to be protected so that you can mature in faith.

II. The fact that Jesus prays for protection reminds us that we need to guard what God has given us.
A. There is a danger.
B. It is not a small detail that everything in this world is trying to isolate us and separate us from one another; especially from other Christians.
C. An illustration of Lions taking down an elephant. (Check it out.)
D. 1 Peter 5:8–“8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
1. The devil always starts by trying to isolate us from spouses, family, friends, church, other Christians, anywhere and anyone through whom God may bless us.
2. College professors will tell your kids that their parents lied to them about everything we teach here.
3. The devil is trying hard to put the church into a box.
4. In the world’s arrogance it forgets Jesus’ promise in Matthew 16:18.
5. 1 Peter calls the devil an enemy for a reason.
E. Peter says, be alert and soberminded.
1. Sepho, ‘soberminded’ means total abstinence.
2. Being alert means know where you are vulnerable and stay away from it.
3. A sense of urgency–the enemy is in the area, its coming for you right now. Be ready.
F. Keep you distance from the Devil by getting close to Jesus through His Word—James 4:7-8

III. “Holy Father…Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.”
A. Sanctify– Distinguish them from the world; from what is false.
1. Jesus’s name
2. The Word of God
B. Don’t we want Jesus to be truth?
1. John 8:31-32
2. Jesus died on the cross for our sins—love must be shown in obedience.
3. A Good Samaritan stops to help when he is sees the need and opportunity.
4. “Go and sin no more”.
5. Jesus taught the truth.
6. All true or none of it is.
C. The truth also shows us that Jesus died for our sins and repenting of those sins leads to forgiveness.
1. And the truth that we like most is that Jesus rose from the dead.
2. All who believe will be saved in Jesus and have a share in the Father’s House.
3. Isn’t it good that people like you and me who don’t always make good or godly decisions, can be forgiven and saved?
4. To the thief–“Today, You will be with me…in paradise.”
D. “Sanctify them by your name, the name you gave me…”
1. Names are often associated with something.
2. Jesus is the name by which we are saved.
3. And knowing His Word means knowing Him.
4. His Word is ‘devil repellent’. The closer we get to Jesus in His Word the more the devil is pushed back.

The protection that Jesus is praying for does not mean we will avoid pain or trouble, or that we will avoid bad decisions that cause pain or trouble. But we can be more ready to make better ones. Jesus prays for us to be protected by His name which reminds us who we are and to whom we belong. Jesus also prays for us to be protected by the truth of His Word which when we follow it helps us to know good from bad; and equips us to keep Jesus as part of the process of making our decisions. He prays for our souls to be kept safe for eternal life even while we wrestle with the devilish lions. Finally, Jesus prays that you will take that Word into the world to share Jesus with that world. By the grace of God that is what we will do and we will be better because of it.

Taking it Home
1. What are some decisions that taught you the biggest lessons? Why do they impact you so much?
2. How has Jesus redeemed your bad decisions? For example: Have you been blessed with more knowledge? A better appreciation of something? What did you gain?
3. No substitute for studying the Word with more than a devotional glance. Where in the Word have you gone deepest? What prompted you? What Did you learn about Jesus? About yourself?
Consider Reading Ephesians 2 and James 4

PRINTABLE PDF: MessNMay16.PDF