| I can't believe what the kids are watching | | | | with me where I am, and to see my glory, the |
| today! I mean, I should be happy. By | | | | glory you have given me because you loved me |
| watching these shows they are learning about | | | | before the creation of the world (23)." |
| statistics, judgment and risk assessment. Is | | | | |
| it some hip educational program? Nope. | | | | Jesus is talking here about heaven. We are |
| NASCAR? Nope. Poker! You can almost always | | | | going to see Jesus in his heavenly glory. It |
| turn to some station, ESPN2 or the likes, and | | | | will be indescribable. The Bible always |
| watch a Poker tournament. If this is sports, | | | | portrays that vision of God as one of the |
| then I am physically fit! Golf, which some | | | | highest joys of heaven. The joy of seeing |
| compare to watching paint dry, looks | | | | fireworks (especially after that 51s |
| absolutely riotous compared with Poker. Yet, | | | | slaughter we went to). Or better yet, the |
| you have to admit there is some drama (not | | | | joy of a mother seeing her children again, |
| too much, because the audience gets to see | | | | the joy of parents seeing son or daughter on |
| what everybody has in their hands) there as | | | | the stage, getting that high school diploma, |
| the tension builds when the players have to | | | | the joy of a young bride seeing her husband |
| show their cards. | | | | get off the plane from his tour in Iraq. |
| | | | Maybe those things are as close as we can get |
| I'm not saying we should truck on down to | | | | to the joy we will one day feel in heaven |
| Benny's joint for a weekly poker game or TiVo | | | | when we see Jesus. |
| the next championship poker broadcast so we | | | | |
| don't miss it, but as Christians, I think it | | | | But how in the world is that going to show to |
| is time for us to show our cards. Jesus | | | | unbelievers here and now? Go back to Jesus' |
| prayed for the day and I think it has come. | | | | first words. "I have given them the glory |
| | | | that you gave me (22)." We aren't exactly |
| Then We Will Show. | | | | glowing like Jesus did on the Mount of |
| | | | Transfiguration, shining like lightning, our |
| 1.Oneness (20-23). | | | | clothes whiter than any Laundromat could make |
| | | | them-that's only the actors on those Crest |
| 2.Glory (24) | | | | whitening strips commercials! Most of us, if |
| | | | the truth be told, are showing the wear and |
| 3.Love (25-26). | | | | tear. That's not the glory Jesus is talking |
| | | | about, the outward glory of those naturally |
| The words of our text for today are part of | | | | ageless celebrities like Kenny Rogers and |
| Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." He prayed for | | | | Michael Jackson. Here's the glory Jesus is |
| his disciples. Then he prayed for all who | | | | talking about, that heavenly glory we already |
| would believe in him. He prayed these words | | | | have here that unbelievers can spot. "We do |
| on the Thursday before his death, just hours | | | | not lose heart. Though outwardly we are |
| before Judas betrayed him. | | | | wasting away, yet inwardly we are being |
| | | | renewed day by day. For our light and |
| "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray | | | | momentary troubles are achieving for us an |
| also for those who will believe in me through | | | | eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 |
| their message, that all of them may be one, | | | | Corinthians 4.17)." Grace under pressure. |
| Father, just as you are in me and I am in | | | | Hope in the midst of heartache. Joy in |
| you. May they also be in us so that the | | | | Christ through the tears. That's the glory |
| world may believe that you have sent me. I | | | | Jesus was talking about. One more word from |
| have given them the glory that you gave me, | | | | Paul on this, "We all reflect the Lord's |
| that they may be one as we are one: I in them | | | | glory and are transformed into his likeness |
| and you in me. May they be brought to | | | | with ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians |
| complete unity to let the world know that you | | | | 3.18)." |
| sent me and have loved them even as you have | | | | |
| loved me (20-23)." | | | | It's the glory of a Christian life. It's the |
| | | | glory of the Christian hope. That's why even |
| Did you notice the two times Jesus mentioned | | | | unbelievers want a Christian funeral. Maybe |
| the world in these words? "So that the world | | | | they think they'll sneak in under the wire. |
| may believe…to let the world know." | | | | Big, suave, cosmopolitan Ernest Hemmingway |
| Well, how is the world ever going to believe | | | | put a gun to his head when he found out he |
| in Jesus if we don't show them our cards? | | | | had cancer. Little stay-at-home Evelyne |
| How is the world ever going to know Jesus is | | | | Zensen prayed, "Come, Lord Jesus, come |
| the Savior if we don't let this wicked, old | | | | quickly." Do you think people notice? Yup. |
| world know? | | | | |
| | | | They will also notice our love. |
| You see, that's where the battle starts. The | | | | |
| church has often been portrayed as a little | | | | "Righteous Father, though the world does not |
| fortress on a rock, battered by the winds and | | | | know you, I know you, and they know that you |
| waves. Church architecture promotes this | | | | have sent me. I have made you known to them, |
| with its sanctuary and fortress-like walls. | | | | and will continue to make you known in order |
| The world is out there, to be avoided! Long | | | | that the love you have for me may be in them |
| before security gated neighborhoods became | | | | and that I myself may be in them (26)." |
| popular, the church was the security gated | | | | |
| community. German, Swedish and Norwegian | | | | We've talked a lot about love this Easter |
| Lutherans had their own churches. The Irish, | | | | season, that we love one another. I don't |
| Polish, German and Italian Catholics had | | | | think a group of Christians can hear that |
| their own churches. And they didn't get | | | | message enough. Back up a step, though. Our |
| along. I'm not talking about the Lutherans | | | | love for one another is impossible without |
| and the Catholics-I'm talking about the | | | | the love of God for us. His love comes first |
| Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, Italians, Poles | | | | and moves us, creates in us, that love for |
| and Irish! We could just as well bring the | | | | him and love for others. Jesus is talking |
| divisions up to date with the Mexicans and | | | | about how God's love for us will show in us. |
| the Chinese, the Korean and the Philippinos. | | | | |
| You expect people to be at each other's | | | | Ever notice how children who are loved well |
| throats. You expect people to segregate | | | | by their parents just beam? The time, the |
| themselves and show bias, if not outright | | | | attention, the respect the parents give their |
| hostility, towards others. | | | | children make those kids confident, at ease |
| | | | with others, willing to take some risks and |
| You'd expect that, because that's the sinful | | | | look foolish if it doesn't turn out, because |
| human nature at work. Where you find God at | | | | they know they have someone who always loves |
| work, you see just the opposite and that is | | | | them. I think teachers can tell at a glance |
| different. That is unusual. That is | | | | which kids are loved well, whether they make |
| noteworthy enough that even the world will | | | | the honor roll or just escape being declared |
| sit up and take notice. | | | | ineligible because of English class. |
| | | | |
| It was that way in the early Christian | | | | Are you well-loved by God? Am I always in my |
| church. Paul brags, "We were all baptized by | | | | God's mind? Looking at the Bible, we'd have |
| one Spirit into one body-whether Jews or | | | | to say "yeah." "God so loved the world that |
| Greeks, slave or free (1 Corinthians 12.13)." | | | | he gave his one and only Son that whoever |
| It didn't matter whether you knew the Bible | | | | believes in him shall not perish but have |
| or not. The preaching of Jesus Christ | | | | eternal life (John 3.16)." "Can a mother |
| converted both the Jew who had memorized | | | | forget the baby at her breast and have no |
| God's Word and the Gentile who didn't really | | | | compassion on the child she has borne? |
| know what he was supposed to worship. The | | | | Though she may forget, I will not forget you! |
| Holy Spirit through Baptism claimed for God | | | | See, I have engraved you on the palms of my |
| those freemen who belonged to themselves and | | | | hands (Isaiah 49.15-16)." Your junior high |
| the slave who belonged to other. It didn't | | | | son or daughter ever come home with something |
| matter. There were no divisions. No | | | | written on their arm or the back of their |
| distinctions. And here's another reason | | | | hand that was so important, they couldn't |
| there were no divisions. The Holy Spirit | | | | risk forgetting it before they found some |
| moved them to care for one another. Almost | | | | paper? That's our God! We are always in his |
| every one of Paul's letters to the Christian | | | | mind. There is nothing he wouldn't do for |
| congregations contain something like | | | | us, even to the point of Jesus giving up his |
| this-"Ever since I heard about your faith and | | | | life for us on the cross. No wonder we sing, |
| your love for all the saints, I have not | | | | "God loves me dearly, grants me salvation, |
| stopped giving thanks for you (Ephesians | | | | God loves me dearly, loves even me. |
| 1.15)." But this unity was not automatic. | | | | Therefore I'll say again, God loves me |
| It was something the early Christians had to | | | | dearly, God loves me dearly, loves even me." |
| always strive for. "I appeal to you, | | | | |
| brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus | | | | Do we show we are loved by God? Again, we'd |
| Christ, that all of you agree with one | | | | have to say, "yeah." Look what we think of |
| another so that there may be no divisions | | | | him! Good Shepherd. Lord. Savior. |
| among you and that you may be perfectly | | | | Deliverer. Friend of sinners. That's a |
| united in mind and thought (1 Corinthians | | | | whole different picture than the Hindus have |
| 1.10)." | | | | of their gods, some of whom are the Destroyer |
| | | | and the Avenger. What do we think of what |
| This shouldn't be hard for anyone who has | | | | God has done for us? We don't say, "Well, I |
| been in a family to understand. There are | | | | hope I've been good enough for God to let me |
| lots of strains and pulls in a relationship. | | | | into heaven." Most Americans say just that, |
| You've got to work on being close to brother | | | | which is why it doesn't surprise me at all |
| and sister. | | | | when we find out most Americans don't go to |
| | | | church to regularly hear that Word of God. |
| It's like a marriage, and let's take that as | | | | Not us. We would say, "I am certain I am |
| an example. Two people. Got their own | | | | going to heaven, because Jesus died for my |
| ideas, their own likes and dislikes, their | | | | sins." That confidence in our Savior's love |
| own hormonal systems just to add a little | | | | for us will show. How about deliverance in |
| spice, like putting cornstarch in somebody's | | | | earthly crisis? The world expresses doubt in |
| contact lens solution. How does that big | | | | God's love. "Watch out what you pray for, |
| stallion and little filly get along? Will he | | | | you just might get it." We express certainty |
| be gone every night, just like he was before | | | | in God's power to deliver. "Take it to the |
| he got hitched? Playing cards, drinking, | | | | Lord in prayer." Or a preschooler tells her |
| hooting and hollering with his buds over the | | | | mother after the bank robber took his gun |
| din of their off-road vehicles? Will she be | | | | away from her mother's head and ran out of |
| hitting the clubs with the girls, because | | | | the bank, "See, Mommy, Jesus protected us." |
| it's free drinks for them after 2 pm, don't | | | | |
| you know, and whining to him for pretty | | | | People will notice. They really will. "How |
| things like she did to her daddy when she was | | | | did you keep it together when your father |
| in junior high? I think we've just | | | | died?" "Why didn't you divorce him when he |
| summarized the plot of most day-time and | | | | lost his job and you had to let the house |
| prime-time soap operas! Or will he be | | | | go?" God gives strength to his people. It |
| thinking about her, trying to tickle her | | | | is so natural to us that we don't think about |
| fancy, working to spend time with her, | | | | it all that much, which isn't a bad thing. I |
| getting her interested in some of the stuff | | | | always get into trouble right after I've |
| he just can't put down? Will she be holding | | | | stopped to count all my virtues! But the |
| him up in esteem, working to understand his | | | | times will come, as they have already come, |
| way of thinking, trying to house-break, if | | | | and, as before, when that day comes, again |
| not civilize, him a little bit and expand his | | | | |
| horizons? | | | | Then We Will Show. |
| | | | |
| The Christian couple who does this, their | | | | 1.Oneness (20-23). |
| friends are going to start wondering about | | | | |
| them. "Why don't we ever see Billie and | | | | 2.Glory (24) |
| Bonnie fight? Why don't they ever disagree | | | | |
| in public? Did they get a frontal lobotomy | | | | 3.Love (25-26). |
| when they went to those pre-marital classes | | | | |
| at that Lutheran Church?" But the more they | | | | Kids certainly watch some goofy stuff. |
| watch this Christian couple, the more they | | | | Because that's what people were made |
| get to know them, they'll realize, "They have | | | | for-watching. These eyes can notice the |
| a great marriage because they are | | | | difference between a ripe peach and a peach |
| Christians-we don't go to church. Maybe | | | | that needs to be on the tree a few more days. |
| that's why our marriage stinks." | | | | We can notice a healthy color or a face |
| | | | that's starting to show jaundice. People, |
| You get the point. Let's look at the other | | | | including unbelievers, will notice, because |
| thing we will show-glory! | | | | they are watching you. Give them a chance to |
| | | | know who Jesus is as we display his grace in |
| "Father, I want those you have given me to be | | | | our lives. |