Top o’ the Mornin’ to Ya! I hope you’re doing well. I just got back from our men’s Bible study at Valentini’s in Hermantown, Minnesota, where we concluded our discussion of John 17 – what I consider to be the real Lord’s Prayer.
In this prayer, Jesus first prays for himself, then for his disciples, and finally, for all other believers. He wants us to be in the world as an example to non-believers, even though we’re human and make mistakes. Through our unity and love, the world can come to believe in Christ and have eternal life.
Jesus doesn’t want us to be removed from the world, but to be guarded while we’re in it. As Christians, we may need seasons of retreat, but ultimately, we must return to the world. If there were no believers in the world, imagine the mess it would be!
Our pastor has a great way of explaining the path to faith: belong, believe, behave. Many churches get this backwards, insisting that people behave and believe before they can belong. But Jesus modeled belonging first by hanging out with sinners and outcasts. When we feel like we belong, we start to believe, and our behavior naturally changes as a result.
The Bible is an incredible storybook full of good news. Just as Jesus prayed for himself, his close circle, and all believers, we should do the same. We should expand our territory, make a difference in the world, and find a place to belong. Let that belonging shape your beliefs, your beliefs shape your behavior, and your behavior change the world.
You be blessed!
The Lord’s Prayer? John 17 Part 4
