Sermon Notes + 8.25.2024
SERMON NOTES
August 25, 2024
For Their Sake, I Consecrate Myself
John 17:19
Dr. Tony Chute, Lead Pastor
Overview: As Jesus prays to the Father, He provides remarkable insight into how His life and death are the source of all that He is asking for His disciples. He prays to be glorified in order to give the disciples eternal life; He gives them the Word of God so they can know the truth; He has kept them in order for them to be kept by the Father; He prays that His joy will become their joy; because He is not of this world, they are not of this world; as He was sent into the world, He sends them into the world; consecrates Himself in order that they may be sanctified; He and the Father are one, so all His disciples can be one; He returns to the Father so we can be where He is; He knows the Father and continues to make the Father known; and He prays that the love with which the Father has loved Him may also be in them. This portion of Jesus’ prayer shows us the necessity of Christ’s work on our behalf, the heart of God behind this work, and the ongoing responsibility we share to live our lives for Christ and His church.
01. “For their sake,” is a statement of human inability; apart from Jesus, we have nothing.
02. “For their sake,” is a statement of divine mercy; through Jesus, we see the love of God.
03. “For their sake,” is a statement of corporate identity; as we live for Jesus, we serve one another.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION & DISCOVERY
1. Consider the statement, “for their sake.” Which nuance of this phrase covered in the sermon stands out to you? In what ways does the Bible speak to each of these areas—our need for sanctification, the heart of God behind our sanctification, and our responsibility to pursue sanctification for one another?
2. How did Jesus consecrate (or sanctify) Himself? Consider how intentional His work on earth was for us, including the incarnation, His daily obedience, and His death on the cross. Could we have received any of the eternal benefits listed in this chapter without Jesus’s own consecration?
3. Is sanctification a personal pursuit only? How does our participation in the local church (Northpoint) shape our understanding of the Christian life? What are our responsibilities toward one another as members of Northpoint?
4. What examples can you find in the New Testament that speak of believers influencing one another by their behavior? See, for example, Galatians 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:25-32; and Philippians 4:17. What do these passages suggest about the way God has designed the church to pursue sanctification together?
5. Our Church Covenant stipulates that we will pursue humility of heart, devotion to Christ, corporate worship, biblical growth, healthy relationships, and God’s mission. Pray through each of these areas and ask the Lord to make them a reality in our lives together at Northpoint.
For Further Reading: Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ (Moody Publishers, 1996)