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Pursuing the Unity of the Gospel
 October 25, 2009
 
Rob Wilkerson 1 Church in the Boro
 
Pursuing the Unity of the Gospel
John 17:21-23
Sunday MorningOctober 25, 2009Church in the BoroRob Wilkerson
Introduction
One of the most fascinating things in sports for me is the interpersonal aspect. How one man is able toget so many different people, with different issues and personalities, together, on the same team, on
the same field, using the same ball, using the same plays…it’s all very fascinating. It’s teamwork. It’sgreat coaching and leadership. It’s so many awesome things combined
at one time in one place.I used to coach girls basketball. And any coach will agree with me when I say that the single mostdifficult part of coaching is teaching a bunch of people who are very different from each other to learnto like, depend on, and trust one another. The typical athlete has an attitude, an air of superiority. Theycome on the team with a chip on their shoulder, trying to prove something. And when you get a bunch
of guys like that together, you’ve got a recipe for a disaster…unless
 
there’s a great coach.The coach is the key to the game…not the quarterback. The quarterback simply carries out the plans of 
the coach. He provides leadership to the players on the field. But the coach provides leadership to thewhole team. In his mind the strategy for the entire game is already figured out and is being applied playby play. In the end of every single game, only one coach can win. And his victory is a reflection of his
ability to get those players to learn to depend on each other…to be unified…to play as one person…withone mind…with singularity of focus, vision, and purpose. The coach who does
that 
usually wins most of the games.
What’s always been odd to me in my twenty years of church leadership ministry is that you can get
abunch of guys or girls together on a sports team, and accomplish a victory together in a much shortertime span than the average church leader can get a bunch of Christians together in a local church, andaccomplish something great for the kingdom. I coached for just one season. And I was able to get abunch of girls to play well together and take home some wins, but I was never able to do that with theChristians who attended the church I pastored. How weird is that?A lot of it has to do with the object. In basketball, the object is to score baskets and win the game. In
the local church the object is to win souls, make disciples, and expand the kingdom. And here’s the
point. The goal of the local church has eternal consequences which brings with it supernatural forces of wickedness as our opposition. In basketball, the game has consequences that last only one season, andeach opposing team are simply human beings. Yet with this singular, massive difference, we get moreexcited about our sports team than we do about our local church. The devil has successfully distractedour attention away from the most important place on earth to arguably the least important place onearth.
 
Pursuing the Unity of the Gospel
 October 25, 2009
 
Rob Wilkerson 2 Church in the Boro
 In the
“
game
”
of the kingdom, the single most difficult aspect of quarterbacking, or pasturing, is gettingChristians to play together. And not just play nicely in the sandbox. But play together on the field asone man, with one purpose, one strategy, one goal, one vision. No doubt the apostle Paul had the sameissues, as we derive from reading both letters to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, etc. Division inthe church is the enemy
’
s most oft-used weapon to degrade the effectiveness of the local church.But when I come to John 17 I see a different picture that gives me the greatest hope for what I desire. Isee the coach, King Jesus, praying to the Father, the owner of the team, asking Him for the unity of Histeam. I see Him getting the answer to His prayer, because after all He is the Son of the Father! I also seemyself, as the quarterback of this team, answering to the coach, using HIS plan, His strategy, His vision,His mission, His empowering, His Spirit, His
everything
to
“
win
”
the game by maintaining our unity.That
’
s why here at Church in the Boro one of the things I want to envision you for when it comes to ourlove for and commitment to the gospel, is the unity of that gospel. Unity is the natural and necessaryoutflow of the gospel of Christ, as I
’
ll explain later. And by God
’
s grace we will pursue that unitywholeheartedly until we die or until Jesus comes back.
Intro to John 17
John 17 represents the last recorded prayer we have of Jesus. This chapter is often referred
to as “TheREAL Lord’s Prayer” and “The High Priestly Prayer.” It’s significant then to see just what it is exactly that
Jesus prays for as He prepares to meet His death, burial, and resurrection.17:1 provides basis for seeing the prayer of Jesus as a sort of conclusion or consummation on everythingHe had taught in the preceding chapters of the Upper Room Discourse, in chapters 13-16. It could alsobe seen as the prayer concluding His entire earthly ministry. What this means is that everything He hadtold them before in the Upper Room, while eating the Passover together, finds its source in heaven:
 
The love they were to have for one another (13:34-35).
 
The comfort they would need when Jesus left (14:1-14).
 
The promise of the Holy Spirit (14:15-31; 15:26-16:14).
 
The ability to continue abiding in and with Jesus (15:1-17).
 
The perseverance needed to endure persecution (15:18-25).
 
The joy that Jesus promised would fill them (16:16-24).
 
The victory to overcome the world (16:25-33).All of the things Jesus taught them about would come only from heaven, from asking the Father, aphrase or concept Jesus repeats throughout the discourse. Then He ends His teaching by Himself askingthe Father for something specific. And what HE asks the Father for is the consummation of everythingelse He just taught. That is, Jesus asks the Father for that one thing that will tie all those thingstogether: the unity of His people.Unity is the atmosphere in which love works, in which comfort is given and received, in which the Holy
Spirit’s presence is most felt, in which the ability to abide is made possible, in which the ability to
persevere is made certain, in which the joy Jesus promised is most enjoyed, and in which the victoryover the world is most celebrated. Without unity, the disciples could have enjoyed none of this.
 
Pursuing the Unity of the Gospel
 October 25, 2009
 
Rob Wilkerson 3 Church in the Boro
 
As I’ve studied this prayer of Jesus, and more particularly His prayer for the unity of His people, there
were several traits about the nature of true unity that began to unfold to me. And I want to spend therest of the message today expositing these from the text, and applying them to us here at Church in theBoro so that we get a clear vision of what it means to pursue the unity of the gospel.The gospel is the good news that God has provided a way of escape from His judgment and into Hisloving embrace through the complete forgiveness and cancellation of all our sins. Everything thatseparated us from Him has been completely removed so that we are friends with God and He with us.All of this happened through the death, burial, and resurrection of King Jesus.But included in this good news is equally the inherent proclamation that all of those who have beenforgiven of their sins by God through the blood of Jesus are now as united to each other as they are toHim. Whatever separated us from God is forgiven and gone, and whatever separated us from eachother is also forgiven and gone. THAT is good news also because this world and almost everyrelationship in it since the history of the world has suffered some sort of conflict or fissure at one pointin time or another. And none of this is the intent of God when He created the world and humanity.Peace was His goal, and He will, of course, achieve it yet just as He has promised throughout theScriptures.So when we talk about pursuing the unity of the gospel, here at Church in the Boro, what we mean isthat we are pursuing one of the necessary outcomes, results, and even purposes of the gospel, which is
to unify God’s people. You’ll rec
all some weeks ago in our 2
nd
sermon on our mission
 –
 
“ReconcilingPeople to Each Other” –
 
that we coined the phrase: “If you’re reconciled to God, you’re reconciled tome.” Making every effort possible to believe it, embrace it, love it, AND put it into
action, no matterwhat the cost, is what it looks like to pursue the unity of the gospel. I believe that this is what Jesusintends when He prays for this unity in John 17. He put that effort into action, and it cost Him His life toaccomplish it. In like fashion, we are to put our effort into the action of unity, even if it costs us ours.
So let’s turn our attention to John 17 for a closer look at this unity that Jesus prays for. And with thatintroduction let me read the text to you. I’ll be reading
it from the ESV and then from the NLT.
English Standard Version New Living Translation
20
“I do not ask for these only, but also for
those who will believe in me through their word,
 21
that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they alsomay be in us, so that the world may believethat you have sent me.
 22
The glory that youhave given me I have given to them, that theymay be one even as we are one,
 23
 I in themand you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may knowthat you sent me and loved them even as youloved me.
 
24
Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you havegiven me because you loved me before thefoundation of the world.
25
O righteousFather, even though the world does not know 
20
 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in methrough their message.
 21
  I pray that theywill all be one, just as you and I are one
—
asyou are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22
 "I have given themthe glory you gave me, so they may be one aswe are one.
 23
  I am in them and you are inme. May they experience such perfect unitythat the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
 
24
 Father, I want these whom you have givenme to be with me where I am. Then they cansee all the glory you gave me because you lovedme even before the world began!
25
 "Orighteous Father, the world doesn't know you,
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