20“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. 21May they all be one, just as You,
Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so that the
world may believe You sent Me. 22I have given them the glory that
You have given to Me. May they be one just as We are one. 23I am in
them and You are in Me. May they be made completely one, so that the world may
know You sent Me and that You have loved them just as You have loved Me.
24“Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they may see My glory, which You have given Me because You loved Me before the world’s foundation. 25Righteous Father! The world has not known You. However, I have known You, and these have known that You sent Me. 26I made Your name known to them and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and that I may be in them.”[1]
Intro Questions
Text Graphic
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Document for DBS
Series: Connected “Abiding in Christ”
In a time of growing isolation and individualism, we are reminded of how important it is to stay connected to God and to each other. Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and branches calls us into a life of connection over production as we abide in Him.
Title: “One” (John 17:20-26)
Bookmark: Click Here
Opening Thoughts: In a world that promotes individualism and produces hostility, we are called to be one. Our unity bears witness to the goodness of God and the validity of Jesus.
Division
You minister at a church with a problem. (Half the congregation sits and others stand during prayers) What is the tradition?
Unity is valued by God
Jesus prayed for his disciples and us today.
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Text: John 17:20-26
Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 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. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 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.
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.
25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[a] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
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Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
Reflections for applications:
Jesus prayed for us.
Themes: “Unity in Love”
Unity in the Church
Symbols & Images
HandsAcrossAmerica in 1986
What is a picture of unity in the church?
It’s not: Uniformity or Exclusivity
It is: Unity means joining together around shared values and a shared vision.
THE WHY
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (17:21b)
Then the world will know that you sent me an have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 23b)
Our oneness as a witness
A unified set of believers becomes a force that challenges the world’s system and draws people to Jesus. --Scot McKnight
Mission Video
Corinthia Austria - Strange Church Building. -- Divided
Ephesians 4:2-6 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
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Digging Questions:
How will you respond to making “Connection to Jesus”? What transformative move needs to be made?
What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
What is God calling us (me and you individually) to do?
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
Hashtags #Connected #Fruit
Sunday sermon link https://youtu.be/AI0V1hCaarY
Kevin’s Blog Link to more resources: Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes
Comments and resources with some more resources:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17%3A20-26&version=NIV
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