Protect the Proclaimers - John 17:6-19

John 17:6-19 – Protect the Proclaimers

Introduction

           

            Dropping the first child at university for the first time

 

Jesus knows that if His mission is to continue then His disciples need to be left right in the middle of the muck and mire of this dark world.

 

 

They Know Your Name (17:6-10)

 

            Constituted and Sustained

 

 

 

 

They Need Your Protection (17:11-12)

 

            A Shield-Wall not AWOL

 

 

            Greenhouse and Horror-house

 

 

            Resist not Removed

 

 

They Continue Your Mission (17:13-19)

 

            Mission Accomplished and Mission Announced

                        Isolation

 

                        Immersion

 

                        Transformation

 

 

Questions:

1a) What does it mean for you personally to “know the Father’s name,” and how does that knowledge shape your daily identity and purpose? 1b) In what ways does your life currently reflect the name of God (His character and truth) to the world around you?

2a) Jesus prayed that His followers would be kept and unified in the Father’s name. Where do you most feel the need for God’s protection — from temptation, fear, or division? 2b) How can you help protect the unity of believers in your church or small group as Jesus prayed?

3a) What pressures or “jagged edges” of the world are currently testing your faith, purity, or relationships? 3b) When faced with hostility or compromise, what helps you remember that you are in the world but not of it?

4a) Which of the three responses to the world (isolation, immersion, or transformation) best describes your current posture, and why? 4b) What specific steps could you take this week to live a transformed life — one that remains faithful to God’s truth and engages courageously in His mission?