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Redford Aldersgate
United Methodist Church
Sermon
I t
is good to be back from vacation. Hopefully, while we were on vacation,.
those of you who were doing the reading and the small group discussions
finished your readings for our 30-Day experiment to Discover What Really
Matters. I also hope that you found the experiment as meaningful as I
did. When I was considering doing this study, we already had the
vacation planned. I first thought that it was a 4-week study, which it
was. However, when I got the material, I realized that it was designed
for 4 weeks but included sermon ideas for 5 weeks. So technically, last
week was to be the final week of the study, even though the small groups
ended the week before. So I was debating about what to do. I had a flier
that I was going to show the church council and ask their opinion on
what to do.
But before we got to my report, Greg Keeler, our youth director, made
his report. He told them that the youth had accepted my challenge to do
the worship service on the Sunday we were going to be on vacation. Then
he said (and I quote) the topic will be “What Really Matters.” And in my
hand I was holding this flier that said, A new 30-day church-wide
campaign to discover what really matters. His words were the exact words
that were on the flier! I thought it was a sign ... we should do this
study and the youth would wind it up with their thoughts. And I thought
they did a fine job last week.
 Then
as I was figuring out the sermons after the series, I realized there was
only one more Sunday in the Easter season before we begin Pentecost next
Sunday. When I looked at the lectionary scripture for today, I realized
it was John 17 which is Jesus’ prayer in the Upper Room - A prayer he
prayed as he knew he was dying. It was his deepest thoughts and feelings
as he went into the last few days of his earthly life. Jesus was not
only living, but praying like he was dying. It’s a marvelous prayer.
When I took a semester on the Book of John in seminary, I realized that
all the themes of the whole Book of John are woven together in this
prayer.
 Now,
I had read this prayer before I took the class. I remember thinking: how
confusing can you get? He says something and then in a few verses, he
says it again in a little different way. I figured it must have been
that the author, John, was confused and couldn’t quite remember what
Jesus said, so he just rambled on and on until he finally got down all
the words he remembered from the prayer.
 But,
as I studied this prayer, it has become one of my most favorite
chapters. It was on these words that I placed my hand when the Bishop
and all the District Superintendents placed their hands on my head as I
was ordained. We were to have the Bible open to a place that was
especially meaningful to us. This was what I chose. Words that I once
thought were so confusing, but words which I now find life-giving ...
These are words that help me realize the purpose of my ministry – the
center of my life. So, I’d like us to look at this prayer. Hopefully, we
can get beyond the confusing words that seem like double talk and
experience the glory that is in this prayer which helps us to embrace
eternity and discover what really matters!
 First,
I want you to understand the context of the prayer. I’ve already told
you that he was in the Upper Room right before he went out to the Garden
of Gethsemane where he would be arrested.
 Now
in the Book of John, the supper begins in Chapter 13 with Jesus washing
the disciples feet. Then there is lots and lots of conversation between
Jesus and the disciples. Jesus tells them that he is going away and they
know the way to get there. But Thomas says, “Lord, we don’t know where
you are going. So how can we know the way to get there?” Philip is
confused too and asks a question, so too Thaddaus.
 Our
Maundy Thursday play has a lot of those questions in it. Jesus is trying
to tell the disciples what is going to happen, but they just don’t quite
get it. This dialogue goes on through Chapter 13, 14, 15, and 16.
 But
finally towards the end of chapter 16, the disciples say essentially,
“Ah, now we get it. We know that you came from God. We understand.” What
a relief it must have been for Jesus. As you listen to the prayer, you
will hear joy in his voice as he says: “I gave them your word and they
have received it. Now they know with certainty that I came from you and
they believe that you have sent me.” Do you hear the joy?
  It’s
the joy a teacher has when a child finally begins to read and they
suddenly understand that those letters on the page go together to
 make
words that they know. It’s the joy a parent has when their child stands
up for values that they have hoped they instilled in their child. It’s
the joy I felt last week when I heard Sarah tell about being worried
about her grandmother and then doing something that she hadn’t done
before ... she prayed! I thought YES! That’s it, Sarah! You got it. You
can pray when you have worries. It ‘s like the joy I feel when someone
tells me that they were so happy they just felt like praising God right
there. YES! You can pray when you are happy. It’s about the joy I feel
when someone tells me that they experienced the presence of God when
they heard me recite a scripture. It’s not about my memory or about the
drama of the scripture. It’s about experiencing God through the
presentation of the scripture. That’s what I had hoped would happen.
Ah... finally, they get it. Jesus was joyful. They finally understood.
Later in the garden, he would pray in agony. On the cross, he would pray
with compassion and pain. But here, he prays in joy. It is a glorious
moment.
 He
prays first for himself that he might be glorified and that his purpose
for being might be fulfilled. For some reason, he speaks in third
person. He said:
 Glorify
your son that the son may glorify you. For just as you have given him
authority over all people, so may he give eternal life to those you have
given him. His purpose was to give eternal life to people. We know that
he did this by dying on the cross for our sins. But he goes on to
explain in a more complete way what eternal life is.
 He
says; And this is eternal life that they may know you, the one true God
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I’m not sure why he speaks in third
person here and not the rest of the prayer, but by speaking that way, he
makes it very clear that eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ.
 So
the number one thing that really matters is knowing God and Jesus. Not
just knowing about them or believing that they exist... but knowing
them. Having a relationship with God through Jesus.
He talks a lot in the prayer about revealing God’s name to people. In
the culture of Jesus’ time, that’s the way people expressed really
knowing someone. Knowing the name of God meant being in intimate
relationship with God. As you listen to the prayer, you will hear him
say several times: I revealed your name ... keep those you have given me
in your name ... I will continue to reveal your name ... Over and over,
Jesus mentions the importance of knowing the name and being kept in
 the
name of God. Going right along with this is the importance of revealing
the word of God. He says two times, I gave them Your word. And he even
says: Your word is truth. We know God and have a relationship with God
by letting Jesus reveal God’s word to us. We do that by letting the
stories and the words of Jesus into our hearts. We hear them on Sunday
morning, but also, hopefully, we read them during the week We learn them
by heart. We make them part of who we are. We talk to God through
prayer. We open ourselves to having a relationship with God. We remember
to pray when we are sad or worried or happy or jovial or even when we
are bored. God needs to be part of our every day lives. We know God
because we are aware of the time we spend in God’s presence ... which,
of course, is every moment of our
 lives.
So the first thing this prayer shows us what really matters is that we
know God and Jesus Christ whom God sent.
Secondly, the prayer points out that we are part of something much
greater than this world. He mentions the word “world” 18 times. But it
is as though he and his followers are apart from the world. We are in
the world. Jesus sends his disciples into the world, just as God has
sent him into the world. He doesn’t want God to take his
 followers
“out of the world” ... but two times he says specifically: They are not
of this world, even as I am not of this world. There is something more
than what this world has to offer us. He even says that when he gave his
followers the word of God, the world hated them. Like Rachel and Becca
mentioned last week. When they interviewed kids in their school about
what really mattered most in their lives, very few of them mentioned
faith. Faith is not a value of many people in the world. But we know
that faith is of utmost importance. We are in the world. That’s where
Jesus wants us to be. Yet we
 need
to know that there is something more than this world. So when we don’t
get all the riches or rewards that the world thinks of as important ...
oh, well... that’s not what really matters anyway. There is something
more than this earthly life. That’s why it is so important to live like
we were dying. Live like we know that there is something more than these
few years we spend here. There are more important things than making
money and getting lots of worldly recognition. We’re just passing
through. What really matters is that we are part of something much
greater than this world.
 The
third thing this prayer show us that really matters is UNITY.
 Three
times Jesus says: SO THAT THEY MAY BE ONE. Jesus wants his followers to
be united. That doesn’t mean that we all have to like the same music or
be in the same political party or even agree on social issues or even
theological issues. God made us different. We look different. We might
think it would have been a good idea if God had made us all have red
hair and beautiful bronze skin with straight teeth and big muscles and
flat tummies and legs that run fast and hands that can draw beautifully.
But that’s not how God made us. We are all different. Some of us have
one skill, others have another skill. We have different likes and
dislikes. That’s fine. What really matters is that we, different as we
are, are one in Christ.
 The
founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, said, “If your heart is
as my heart, give me your hand.” Not: if you like the same hymns as I
like, then we can be in the same church. No. It’s if your heart is as my
heart – If you love Jesus in your heart... If you are open to God’s love
in your heart ... If you are seeking to know God through the word of
Jesus ... THEN, give me your hand. Let’s work together.
We know we are
brothers and sisters in Christ. Not because we look alike or act alike
... but because we love alike ... We have the love of Jesus in our
heart. That’s what’s important. That’s what the Kingdom of God is like
... a glorious rainbow of differences all coming together in beauty to
glorify God. We need to realize that we are part of the same family...
the family of God.
 So
as I pray this prayer, I hope you will let yourself get caught up in the
glory of this great prayer and be open to embracing the eternity that
opens up for you. Please, please don’t get caught in marveling that I
can remember the words. Please, if anyone comes out and says, “I’m so
amazed that you can remember all that.” I’m going to be so disappointed.
Because it is not about me and my memory. I’ve been working on
internalizing this prayer for approximately 20 years. That’s not the
point. I want you to hear this prayer from Jesus.
 Because
he prayed it for himself and those disciples who were in the room. But
more than that, he prayed it for us. He even says, “I pray not for them
alone, but for all those who will believe in me through their word.” ...
And that is US! ... You and me ... we believe in Jesus because those
disciples told other people, who told other people, who told other
people and so on and so forth down through the ages, until the word got
to us. And we now believe. So this is Jesus’ prayer for us.
He helps us see
through this prayer what really matters. So let yourself be open to
experiencing the glory and embracing the eternity to which it points as
you hear it.
At the close of the prayer, I’ve asked Michael to play some music to
help us take in what we have just heard. Then, while he plays, I will
consecrate the communion elements without spoken words. You know the
words, you’ve heard them many times before. But I’m hoping that we can
go beyond the words to experience the glory this broken bread and juice
represents. I want you to experience the spirit of Christ poured out
upon those of us gathered here and on these gifts of bread and juice so
that as we take these elements into our bodies, we will be so filled
with the spirit of Christ that we will be the body of Christ until his
coming again. For that is how we experience the glory and embrace
eternity.
Let us now hear the words that Jesus prayed that night in the Upper
room. May it help you to know what really matters: to know God and
Jesus; to realize that you are part of something much greater than this
world; and that you are one with all the family of God. Open your hearts
to the glory these words want to bring to you.
 Father,
the hour has come, glorify your son that the son may glorify you. For
just as you have given him authority over all people, so may he give
eternal life to those you have given him. And this is eternal life, that
they may know you, the one true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth by completing the work which you gave me
to do. Now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with
you before the foundation of the world.
I have revealed your name to those you gave me out of the world. They
were yours and you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now
they know that everything you have given me came from you. For I gave
them you word and they have received it. Now, they know with certainly
that I came from you and they believe that you sent me.
I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those you gave me
out of the world. They were yours, all I have is yours and all you have
is mine, and in them I am glorified. But I am no longer in the world,
but they are in the world and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, keep those you have given me in your name, that they may be
one, just as you and I are one. When I was with them, I kept those you
had given me in your name and I guarded them, so that not one of them
was lost, except the one that was destine to parish in order that the
scripture might be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to you and I have said these things while I am in
the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy in them. For
I gave them your word and the world hated them, for they are not of this
world even as I am of this world. My prayer is not that you take them
out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. For they are
not of this world, even as I am not of this world.
Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth. For just as you have sent me
into the world, so I send them into the world and for their sakes, I
sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified in truth.
I pray not for them alone, but for all those who will believe in me
through their word, that they may be one Father. Just as you are in me
and I am in you, so may they also be in us that the world will believe
that you have sent me.
I have given them my glory so that they may be one. I in them and you in
me that they be brought to complete unity so that the world will know
that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, that
they may see my glory, the glory I had with you because you loved me
before the foundation of the world.
Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I know you and they
believe that you have sent me. I have revealed your name to them and
will continue to reveal your name to them so that THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE
FOR ME WILL BE IN THEM AND I MYSELF WILL BE IN THEM. (Adapted NIV)
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