community group discussion guide
introduction
Throughout our Revival series, we’ve been considering what happens when the ordinary work of the Holy Spirit becomes intensified among God’s people. One of the recurring marks of spiritual renewal is that it does not remain contained within the church. As people experience the beauty of God’s grace in fresh ways, they become increasingly eager to share that grace with others — giving their time, resources, gifts, and ultimately themselves to God’s work in the world.
In the passage we’ll look at today, we get a remarkable glimpse into Jesus’ heart for his followers. On the night before his death, Jesus prays not only for the disciples gathered around him, but for those who would eventually come to believe through their witness — including Christians today. And central to his prayer is the mission he is entrusting to them. Jesus wants his followers to experience his joy, and he sends them into the world to continue the work he began.
What’s something you’ve spent way more time, attention, or money on than you originally expected?
read Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)
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 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.
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — 23 I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Take a few moments to reflect on the Scripture. Share some insights, questions, or points that strike you. Then read what follows.
context
John 17 takes place on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, at the conclusion of what is often called the “Upper Room Discourse”.1 Jesus has spent his final evening preparing his disciples for his departure, and now, before his arrest, he turns to his Father in prayer.
After praying for himself (vv. 1-5), Jesus prays for his disciples (vv. 13-19) and then for those who will one day believe through their witness (vv. 20-23). His prayer reveals some of what matters most to him as he prepares to leave them: their protection, holiness, unity, joy, and mission in the world. And these concerns are deeply interconnected. Jesus is not asking the Father to remove his followers from the world, but to preserve them as they remain within it and carry forward his work.
By verse 20, Jesus’ prayer includes beyond his disciples in the room: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” Here, Jesus already looks ahead to future generations of believers who will come to faith as the gospel continues to be shared.
joy beyond ourselves
As Jesus prays for his disciples, we start to see a picture of the kind of life he is calling them into after he is gone. They will remain in the world, but they will no longer live simply for themselves. Jesus is sending them to carry forward the work he himself was sent to do — to make God and his love known in the world.
Interestingly, Jesus connects this mission with joy, which isn’t something we might immediately expect. In verse 13, he says that he wants his followers to “have the full measure of my joy within them.” He knows that what lies ahead for his disciples will not be easy. They will experience hardship, opposition, and suffering. Yet Jesus does not simply pray that they will endure it faithfully. He desires that they experience his joy even in the midst of it.
That challenges some of our instincts about where a joyful life is found. We can easily imagine joy as the result of arranging our lives around greater comfort, freedom, security, or personal fulfillment. But here, we see that Jesus presents a different picture. His own life is given entirely to the Father and to the work the Father has given him to do. And he invites his followers into that same kind of life.
- When you imagine a joyful or fulfilling life, what tends to be part of that picture? Where do you think those expectations have come from?
- Jesus wants his followers to experience his joy (v. 13). From what we see in this passage, what seems to matter most to Jesus? What might that tell us about the kind of joy he wants to share with them?
- What do you notice about the movement from verse 16 to 17, and to 18? What do you think that sequence tells us about how Jesus prepares his followers for mission? How might that challenge the way you think about your own spiritual growth
set apart and sent
So what does it actually mean to share in Jesus’ mission? In verse 18, Jesus says, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” The Father sent Jesus, and now, Jesus sends his followers. After his resurrection, he will say it again: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (cf. John 20:21). Being sent, then, is not something reserved specifically for missionaries, pastors, or people with particular gifts or titles. Jesus describes it as part of what it means to follow him.
But there is a tension in how Jesus describes this calling. His followers are sent into the world, while at the same time they are “not of the world” (v. 16). Jesus does not pray that they would be removed from the world, but that the Father would protect them from the evil one (v. 15) as they remain in it. In other words, following Jesus does not mean withdrawing from the people and places around us, nor does it mean simply absorbing the values and priorities of the culture around us. Jesus sends his people to be fully present in the world while belonging ultimately to him.
That means mission does not only happen somewhere else or through a particular church program. Much of it happens in the places where we already spend our lives — our workplaces, neighborhoods, friendships, families, schools, etc. The question becomes: What might it mean to see myself as someone Jesus has sent into these places?
And Jesus makes clear that this mission is not only about what individual Christians say or do. He goes on to pray that his followers would be one, “so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (v. 21). The way Christians love one another — across differences that might otherwise divide them — is itself part of their witness. Jesus imagines a community whose life together makes something about him visible to the people around them.
- Look at vv. 14-18. What do you notice about how Jesus wants his followers to live in relationship to the world? What makes it difficult to stay engaged with the world around us without simply absorbing its values and priorities? Where do you experience that tension most?
- Think about the places and relationships that make up your ordinary life. What might it look like to see one of those places as somewhere you have been “sent,” rather than simply somewhere you happen to be?
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1 This discourse is what Jesus told his disciples on the night before the crucifixion while they were observing the Last Supper in the “upper room” (as described in the Gospel of Mark and Luke in KJV). This is a block of Jesus’ teaching found only in the Gospel of John.
group activity
First, individual reflection: spend 2-3 quiet minutes to reflect on the 3 prompts.
- Where has God placed me? Think about the people and places that make up your day-to-day life (e.g., work, school, family, friendships, neighborhood, building, etc.).
- What has God given me? Consider your time, abilities, relationships, resources, experiences, or opportunities.
- Where might God be inviting me to become more available to him? Perhaps, this might involve loving someone more intentionally, speaking about your faith, serving a needy neighbor, practicing generosity, using a particular gift, etc.
Then, group prayer: Share one person, place, or area of life that came to mind. Pray for the person on your right, asking specifically that God would help him/her to be responsive in that particular area of calling.
announcements
- Diaconate nomination period ends on September 30.
The Diaconate is composed of elected leaders and they enable the church to carry out God’s mercy in a holistic manner. Help identify and nominate church members who embody compassion and wisdom to serve as a deacon or deaconess. Visit the link to learn more. - Sunday, October 11 | All Angels’ Community Meal, 5:35-7:15 pm (W 80th St & Broadway)
Volunteer with other Redeemer West Siders to serve and share a sit-down meal for the All Angels’ community, including our neighbors experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. - Tuesdays, starting October 13 | Alpha: Dinner & Conversation Series, 7-9 pm
Do you have a non-Christian friend in the city who has been wrestling through some of the “big questions” in life? Consider sharing the upcoming Alpha opportunity with them where they can explore the Christian faith in open conversation and community.
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Th
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