Welcome to CT! Neoxenos November 23, 2013

Baby Jane Brooks!

Happy Thanksgiving! From the Kent Stater…

Happy Thanksgiving!

NeoXenos Central Teaching NeoXenos Central Teaching John 13 The Upper Room

John 17 Unity (And Ephesians 4)

The Last Supper

Structure Jesus “Glorify me” The Apostles “Protect them” All Christians Unity

17:1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

John 17:1-2 glorify me… …that I may glorify you even as you gave me authority… …that I may give eternal life to some

The Nature of the Glory God glorifies Jesus by making him king. Jesus glorifies God by giving eternal life.

What is eternal life? 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. … a relationship with God.

Structure Jesus “Glorify me” The Apostles “Protect them” All Christians Unity

6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world…I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name…

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 Set them apart in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 For their sakes I set apart Myself, that they themselves also may be set apart in truth.

Structure Jesus “Glorify me” The Apostles “Protect them” All Christians Unity

so that the world may believe you sent me so that the world may know that you sent me 17:20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word: 21 that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. 22 The glory you have given me I have given them, that they may be one, just as we are one; 23 I in them and you in me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you have loved me.

Unity is NOT: Structural/organizational Whether leadership Or membership

Acts Series: Acts15:36-40 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, but Paul insisted that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. They had a sharp disagreement, so that they parted company. Barnabas took along Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters.

Unity is NOT: Something we do

Unity starts: With God—God’s part (Don’t really have clip art for God)

Unity starts: With God—God’s nature (Don’t really have clip art for God)

Not Pantheism

Like unity in marriage

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (another unity passage…)

Loneliness “The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone…” Genesis 2:18

What is a body anyway?

CT Schedule November 30-no CT December 7-Bowman Hall December 14-Christmas Gala! December 21-? December 28-? January 4-? January 11-?

Unity is: Belonging

Ephesians 4 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Ephesians 4 Spirit Lord God and Father 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Unity is: Despite diversity

Unity is: Despite diversity There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Not like the world…

Diversity in Unity brings: Usefulness—a unique role

Industry vs. Inferiority

Unity Also Brings: Belonging “Sometimes you want to go Where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.”

Not pretend-belonging:

Unity is like… A family

God is building a family I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you in case I am delayed, to let you know how people ought to conduct themselves in the household of God, because it is the church of the living God, the support and bulwark of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:14-15

God is building a family While Jesus was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers came and stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you.” …Jesus replied, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And pointing toward his disciples he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 12:46-50

Unity is preserved by: Love

Ephesians 4:1-3 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity and Love: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35

Unity accomplishes: “That the world may know…” –John 17

The medium is the message:

The message is the gospel:

Questions? Comments?

What about the universal vs. local church? All Christians throughout all of history are part of the Body of Christ However, most of the NT is directed at the local church. –NT emphasizes life in Christian community –You can’t live life together with long-dead (or not yet born) or continents-away Christians