The Christian in the World

October 27, 1991 PM

John 17:15-18

Introduction

There is a glory of this world. And it is good. "The heavens declare the glory of God!" This is a beautiful world! God created it! The hills of Vermont in Autumn call the faithful to praise their Creator.
But there is also an eternal glory. And while the eternal glory may be reflected in earth's glory, and even somewhat revealed in the faces of people who belong to Jesus, it is a mysterious, wonderful thing, this eternal glory!
This great Prayer of Jesus for us (John 17) looks back into the eternal glory that the Son of God knew before there ever was a world. It speaks to us of eternity.

I. LIVING IN THE LIGHT OF GLORY

Eternity is our destination. Christians have nothing more important than to prepare to meet God face to face. But we are also called to live here and now with the light of eternal glory touching every facet of our lives.
Christians are to look to the eternal glory. Christians do not JUST live in the "now." There is wisdom in saying (so profoundly) 'The past is gone, the future is uncertain- all I am sure of is the PRESENT!' The Psalmist teaches "time management:" "So teach us to number our days that we may present to Thee an heart of wisdom." Christians do have both a past, a present, and a future. But the greatest assignment we have is to prepare to meet God!
Jesus is heaven's glory manifested. (2 Corinthians 4:6) This prayer makes it clear: The glory of heaven has been manifested on earth. (17:4 "I have manifested Thee on earth...") In the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ, eternity has invaded the earth. The true glory of earth reflects the greater glory of eternity; the glory of eternity far outweighs passing glories.

II. LIVING IN HOLY TENSION

We are citizens of two world systems. This prayer also makes clear that Christians are in both systems at one and the same time. Christians are supposed to be involved to the full in both time and eternity!
The word is: "We are IN the world but not OF the world." But however we describe it, the fact is that Christians will experience TENSION in being involved in two worlds.
In this prayer (17:14) Jesus says: "The world has hated them," and before He prayed, (in John 16:33) Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have sorrow." Coming to understand "who we are" will not eliminate this tension. We need to see that it is not a "Nazarene tension," not brought on by certain standards and rules. It is rather a radical tension that Jesus Himself faced: we are called to confront the world with God's love!
True faith means TENSION between the two worlds. We look again at the saying, 'IN the world but not OF the world.'
Superficial logic usually takes a position here on one of two extremes: either we are to be extremely heavenly minded, which means isolation ("We'll build a sweet little nest/ Somewhere out in the west/ And let the rest of the world go by ...") OR extremely up-to-date and "relevant" which is interpreted as simply adopting whatever pagan customs are current and in style.
Actually "fuzzy logic," is in order here: a wisdom that realizes a higher wisdom, for:

III. CHRISTIANS ARE EARTHLINGS, FULLY HUMAN

Like Jesus, WE MUST TRULY PARTICIPATE IN THIS PRESENT WORLD. Look at this business of spiritual isolationism. Some Christians seek to escape the tension by becoming "other worldly." We somehow become "different" when we enter the church; our "testimonies" sound like we have speech writers. Or worse, we carry this sterile, wooden idea of "church" with us when we try to tell others about our faith. But if the Son of God became fully human, then we ought to seek to be wholly human, too.
1. Being "fully human" does not mean keeping up with fad and fashion. Someone said last week at minister's retreat: "The one thing teens think about more than anything else is 'What will THEY say?'"
  This heavy burden of conformity, ("What will THEY think?,") carries over long after teens! We are so worried about our 'image' that we neglect the real integrity of character! But we do NOT have to 'keep up' to some artificial standard to be fully human.
2. Being "fully human" does not mean that we have to know everything about everything. We must NOT be neophyliacs. [Hear a quote from a modern-day prophet, Richard John Neuhaus]
  "We are neophyliacs, lovers of the new who are titillated by the news. It gives us an illusory sense of involvement in our times. We fear being left out of what is happening. The imperative of participation, carried to excess, becomes frenetic and compulsive. Oscar Wilde somewhere said that the trouble with socialism is that it leaves one with no free evenings. Failing to participate fully in our own lives, we seek participation in realities constructed by others. To the extent a person has a life of her own, it is a life defined by limits. With respect to innumerable things that are happening we are 'out of it,' thank God!" - Richard John Neuhaus, in The Naked Public Square.
Being involved with this world DOES mean caring about people! Christians cannot get off by professing to love God while at the same time rejecting their brothers and sisters.
TV offers us the option of being pseudo-involved with "this world," but the people in the 21-inch tube don't really know us, and we don't know them. We think we know the anchor man, or Willard Scott. We know the latest TV crime victim, and perhaps rightly we shed tears over a Dave Dravecky. But at the same time our next door neighbor may be dying with cancer, or may even be dying of loneliness, and would give anything to have someone to talk to or pray with.
Being involved with this world DOES mean a proper attitude toward material reality. Things ARE important. MONEY is NOT immoral. We are to use things, and to use money, and love people, and to love God. Not the other way 'round.
Being involved in this world means seeking a God-given sense of MISSION. "Mission statement" is almost a style-fad or mania now. Every organization, every institution needs a clear mission statement. I agree. But what about a personal mission statement? One that is tailored just for you?
Every one of us has an assignment, even if it is to stand and wait. On this REFORMATION SUNDAY think of the assignment that God gave to Martin Luther. What would have happened if he had not heard and obeyed? Perhaps- speculation- God would have raised up someone else. But Martin Luther did obey!
We think of men and women like John and Charles and Susannah Wesley, and Dwight L. Moody, and Billy Graham. They wouldn't have known to call it a mission statement, but they followed their assignment.
And Jesus makes it abundantly clear: As the Father has sent HIM, Jesus, into the world, to let the world know He loves them, even so Jesus is sending us— YOU and me!

[Christians are citizens of Planet Earth. But there is TENSION! Remember?]

IV. CHRISTIANS ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

[Transition:] The other side of the coin is equally true Like Jesus, we are not OF this world! While some Christians seek to escape the tension by "being so heavenly minded they are of no earthly good," and fail to "connect" with real people and real needs, other Christians seek to escape the tension by simply adopting the world-view and the culture uncritically.

Jesus has claims on us: Jesus has standards, OBJECTIVE, FACTUAL TRUTH, to which he calls His church:

Christians are called to be HOLY! To be in the world but not OF the world means OBEYING THE COMMAND TO BE HOLY! (17:17 "Sanctify them! Make them holy!")
1. Holiness is AGREEING WITH GOD! It is NOT agreeing with the world, and relaxing in apathy in the face of greed and lust and selfishness.
2. Holiness is WALKING WITH GOD wherever He is going! Whatever the cost may be, to be HOLY means that God's opinion means more than everyone else's opinions put together!
3. Holiness is NOT abandoning the righteous LAWS of the Old Testament, but rather it is having the heart of those laws written in OUR hearts! ("Ye have heard it said ... but I say unto you!")
Christians are members of Christ's BODY.
1. To be in the world but not OF the world means WORKING THROUGH THE CHURCH THAT JESUS HIMSELF HAS BROUGHT INTO EXISTENCE. Jesus loves the church as He loves His own life!
2. There is no Christianity outside the context of the Body of Christ! This is what I understand Jesus to mean when He prays- for us— in verse 21, 23: "That they may be one . . . perfected in unity ..."
3. The Christian really comes to a sense of identity— comes to know who he or she really IS— as she or he is ONE with a body of believers— with THE Body of believers, as that Body is One with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! I speak of the wonderful mystery of the Church! May WE truly be a part of the church!

Conclusion:

This prayer begins with "eternal glory." It also ends with reference to eternal glory. But there is a significant difference between the beginning and the ending of this great High Priestly prayer! The difference is not only significant, it is wonderful and beautiful!
At the beginning Jesus speaks of "the glory that He had with the Father before the world began." And now at the end, Jesus again looks forward into the eternal glory which He will share forever with God the Father.
But now Jesus prays (24): that those whom the Father has given Him may BE WITH HIM, NOW, IN THAT GLORY WHICH HE KNEW BEFORE THE WORLD WAS! Jesus is opening up the circle of eternity and of the love of God, and bringing in all who are truly HIS!
As we identify with Jesus in His humility, and in His assignment— being SENT, Jesus makes it clear that He identifies with US in being glorified! If we share now in His mission, He will share His glory with us throughout all eternity.

We are Christians (ONLY) as we identify with Jesus Christ! Jesus prays for us that we might both be in the world, participating AND be one with Him and the Father!

And Jesus' prayer is powerful! Jesus will enable us to really and truly live in the creative TENSION of being IN this world but not OF this world! And He has promised we shall share in His Presence and glory both in time, now, and for all eternity!

Prayer

Hymn