They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
8 sermons cite this verse
… 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. Protect them and sanctify them with truth. And that's one of the reasons why we're doing this message series is to look and see what does God's word say about how we live because what we believe determines what we do. …
… 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. …
… I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 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. …
I have given 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, 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. …
… 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 …
… So already he's letting us know that if we are locked on to our mission with Jesus, we're going to have some conflict with the system of this world. 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. …
… 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. …
… I have given them Your Word, and the world has hated them, because they're not of the world even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They're not of the world even as I am not of the world. them in the truth, Your Word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified. I do not ask on behalf of those alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their Word, those who come in generations after the apostles, that they may all be one, even as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in us, and the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one just as We are one. …