I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.I pray not that you would take them from the world, but that you would keep them from the evil one.I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one.
8 sermons cite this verse
… contamination. Wear the mask. Stay away. It is hard to be in but not of. Jesus had that as a plan. Father, I don't ask that you take them out of the world. I want you to leave them right here in the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. So it is possible to be engaged in this way. Indeed, it is vital to be engaged in this way without using it as a mechanism for our own sinful propensities. That's just a cautionary note. Now, you see this, don't you? When Paul, later on, explains to the Corinthians, he says to them, I have written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. Wow. That kind of limits my friends right there. Then he says, not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters. Because in that case, you would have to leave the world. But now I'm writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man, do not even eat. …
How do we disciple them without isolating them? And we're going to start with the words of Jesus, a prayer that Jesus prayed for his disciples in John chapter 17, verse 15. And this is what Jesus prayed. He said, my prayer, God, is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of this world, even as I am not of it. In other words, they're in the world, but they're not of the world. Protect them, God. They're not of this world. And then he prayed, sanctify them by truth. Your word is truth. Now notice, Jesus didn't pray, remove them from the world. He prayed, protect them from the world and then sanctify them with truth. So our goal as parents is we want to protect them and disciple them. We want to protect them and teach them God's word. Not just what it says, but why it matters and how to apply it to their lives. …
… world has no power over you, and that's what John wants you to know. Look at what Jesus prayed in John chapter 17, verse 15. He says, I do not pray that you should take them out of the world. That's why when you become born again, you don't just instantly die and go to heaven. he leaves you in the world. he says but that you should keep them from the evil one they are not of the world just as i am not of the world sanctify them by your truth your word is true we're set apart by god's word and when you read god's word it sets you apart and you've noticed this if you spend any time in god's word you've noticed i'm no longer like everybody else in the world without jesus you've noticed that right? Look at the world's going nuts. The debauchery going on in the world. The world has absolutely lost their mind. They don't know what a boy is. They don't know what a girl is. And if you say you know what a boy is or you know what a girl is, you're the cuckoo one. Okay? And so I look at what's happening in the world around me and I read God's word and I realize I'm the sane one. But the world's like, you're nuts. You haters. We don't hate anybody. We love everybody. …
… Then in verse 15. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them. You get down to verse 16. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. And that it at the end of verse 16 is the world. In the original language of the New Testament, in the Greek, it's mentioned there. So you've got twice there in verse 16. And you get to 18, which was just read. As I have sent them into the world. As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. And you get down to verse 21. It says, may they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. Verse 23. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me. And then in verse 25, righteous Father, that the world does not know you, I know you. …
… for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. Now, how do we teach the word to the people God has given to us? I want us to see this on a few different levels. I want us to see it overall in the main thrust that we're seeing there as it was reflected in the ministry of Christ. Then I want us to narrow it in and see a few things in these specific verses. And then I want that to lead us into, okay, how does this look in you and I making disciples of all nations? So let's start with the first, kind of a broad overview, but a picture of what Jesus is communicating here. How do we teach the Word to those God has given to us? …
… I've given them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world my prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one they are not of the world even as I am not of it sanctified them by the truth your word is truth as you sent me into the world I've sent them into the world for them I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified my prayer is not for them alone this is where disciples of Christ come in after that including us 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 you have sent me i have given them the glory that you gave me that they may be one as we are one i in them and you and me may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved me loved them even as you have loved me 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 righteous father though the world does not know you I know you and …
… He says, I'm giving them your word and the world has hated them for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, hello, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world. He just said that, and now he's saying it again. They are not of the world. Even as I am not of it, sanctify them by the truth. Your word, second time he emphasizes this, is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself that they too may be truly sanctified. Wow. What is the big idea Jesus is wanting us to see and understand about our relationship with the world? He's wanting us to know, A, that we're not of the world, but that he's sending us into the world. I think if we miss what Jesus is wanting us to understand about our relationship with the world, we're going to end up on two tracks. One track is just oblivious, oblivious to everything, oblivious to the fact that we have a mission and a purpose in the world. We are going to be mimicking the world. We're going to be leaning on the world to get our pleasure, to get our applause, to get our approval in life. Or we're going to be on this other track as Christians, where we are running from the world or we're spending all of our time condemning the world. …
and then look down to verse 15. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify, there's our word, them by the truth. Your word is truth. Sanctify them by your word, Father. as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world and for them I sanctify myself. So Jesus is doing what he's asking us to do that they too may be truly sanctified by the word. The second way we're sanctified is to be woven into godly community. You will never be sanctified alone. sanctification is not a solo endeavor the proverb writer said it this way in proverbs 27 as iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another i read recently someone was saying that each one of us will be shaped by the five people we're closest to in life so whoever those people are that's what ultimately you're going to be and if you're in there right now going no i'm the lone ranger in here and i got five wackos around me but i'm going to fix them all no you're not going to fix them all you're going to become like them you're going to become like the aggregate of them Amen. …