May 20th, 2012

John 17:11b-19 Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 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. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify[a] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. FATHER PROTECT THEM BY YOUR NAME In the name of Jesus, friends of sinners, dear fellow redeemed children of God and especially you the members of this year’s youth confirmation class, Does the name Clint Hill sound familiar to you? He was the secret service agent who climbed onto the trunk of the presidential limousine when President Kennedy was shot and pushed Jackie Kennedy back to safety as the car sped off to the hospital. I recently read an article about him and the book he has written about his days with the Secret Service. It detailed his distinguished career protecting the President’s family. He was obviously a very good agent. The article also detailed his guilt over not being able to step in to keep President Kennedy from being shot. Despite all his guilt about it, the whole thing was really out of Clint Hill’s control. God is really good at protecting his people and everything is under His control. Think of how he kept Daniel safe in the lions’ den or the 3 men in the fiery furnace or how he delivered the people carrying the promise of the Savior from slavery in Egypt. On this confirmation day we have a chance to review and hide again under our Heavenly Father’s protection. Jesus says and we say, “Father Protect Them By Your Name.” I. Keep them safe in this wicked world. II. Keep them safe by Your Word. The Confirmation Class will remember the definition of faith. We learned that faith helps us think of a KAT-not cat- but kit-KAT. K-knowledge of the true God, A-Acceptance of God’s Word as true and T- trust in God’s promises. That definition comes from Jesus’ prayer for his disciples on the night before he died on the cross. Jesus prayed, “Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.” Jesus looks at those who trust in Him as his special charge from the Father A few months ago a picture was floating around in the news of two Labrador retrievers. One was a yellow lab lying in the street having been fatally struck by a car. The other dog was a black lab standing near and braving oncoming traffic and other hazards to stay by its side. The dog refused to leave her friend's side. The dog was named Grace by the animal shelter workers. Today in God’s word we hear Jesus praying about his followers. He had kept them safe and now was asking His Heavenly Father to stand right by and protect His followers. All this would be done by God’s grace, His undeserved love for sinners. “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.” Have you ever seen a picture of the wailing wall in Jerusalem? There those who are praying stand right up close to one of the excavated walls of the temple and rock back and forth. That rocking is meant to symbolize God’s invitation to “come near to him.” He is our dear Father. The worshipper rocks forward. Then the worshipper rocks back at the idea that God is completely holy and cannot stand sin. Jesus uses that name Holy Father to refer to God. It is an interesting name that reminds us that God’s deliverance of us from hell and his protection everyday is not something we have earned or deserved. The Bible asks, “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? “ Sin is not something we can talk our way out of or earn our way out of. Again in the Bible the soul says,” Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” But Jesus made you His special charge too. The Holy Father sent His son who was holy in everything he thought and said and did. In his love he handed that holy record to us and took our sins off our shoulders. Jesus obeyed His Father and went to the cross and paid for all of our un-holiness. Because of Jesus you are the apple of God’s eye. By fulfilling the Father’s plan, Jesus protected us and brought us into God’s family. Notice that Jesus did not ask the Father to pull us all out of the world. Jesus said, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” Jesus prayed that the Father would keep his followers safe in the world. Our Jesus has work for us to do in the world. He promises that we will be His witnesses. But when trouble runs into your life, your Savior God comes running. When the day of trouble comes we call out to the name of Jesus. God says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you will honor me.” On the day of our death we’ll call on that name of Jesus. The Bible says, ”Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Jesus now explains more about His prayer, ““I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” Our confirmands are growing up in a world that tells you that you should do what makes you happy. But the truth is that if we go seeking our happiness in everything, we won’t find it unless that joy comes from doing what Jesus says, “love one another.” Jesus found joy in doing the will of His Father by serving us, so we find fullness of joy in doing the will of our Father by serving each other. “Sanctify[a] them by the truth; your word 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.” Sanctify is a word that means set apart. God set you apart as his own when he called you to faith in Him through the Good News of Jesus. When my wife was recovering from foot surgery she saw a hawk grab a squirrel off of the picnic table on our patio. I would imagine that when we are set apart as God’s we might look a little like a chubby squirrel on the picnic table. We might seem like easy pickins that’s why it is so important to stay close to Jesus and His word. The Bible says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” That’s why Jesus asks that the Father would keep us safe by his Word. “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” When Jesus uses that word sanctify, he is drawing a picture for his disciples of a priest getting ready to serve in the temple- slipping into His priestly garments and washing his hands at the lever before he approached the altar. When Jesus prayed, he was about to go before the throne of God and offer His life for the lives of sinners. Jesus’ perfect life would be passed down to us. Out of thankfulness we now serve Jesus. “Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and rose again.” We remember that when we slip into our confirmation and graduation gowns, into our wedding dresses and tuxes, into our business suits and work uniforms and even when we get ready to die and put on the garments for the wedding banquet of the Lamb in heaven. We belong to the Lord and we are set apart for His service. Your moms and dads have been praying Jesus’ prayer for a long time. “Father protect them by Your name.” That’s our prayer for you today too. Protect them when they go out,when they drive when they go to work, when they go off to school when they look for a spouse. Your heavenly Father will protect you. Stay near His arms. Amen.