In his sermon 'The Joy of Knowing We Are Kept,' Jason Dohm explores the teachings of John 17:6-13, emphasizing the joy that comes from understanding that believers are 'kept' by Jesus and God. He discusses how Jesus prays not for the world, but for those given to Him by the Father, underscoring the security and continuity of believers' faith. The sermon explains that this 'keeping' is rooted in God's eternal nature and promises. Dohm also explores the role of Judas as the 'son of perdition,' highlighting that his betrayal was part of a divine plan to fulfill scripture, yet emphasizing that Judas acted according to his own desires. The sermon outlines two major headings: the doctrinal truths in Jesus' prayer, including the preservation of disciples, the role of Judas, and the impartation of joy; and how these truths inform personal prayer, encouraging thanksgiving, intercession for others, and a focus on joy. The message concludes with a reminder of the joy and security found in being kept by God, linking it to the believer's eternal life and God's faithfulness.

John chapter 17 verses 6 through 13. I have manifested your name to the men whom you have given me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they have known that all things which you have given me are from you For I have given to them the words which you have given me and they have received them and they have known surely that I am forth that I came forth from you and they have believed that you sent me I pray for them I do not pray for the world but for those whom you have given me for they are yours and all mine are yours and yours are mine and I am glorified in them now I'm no longer in the world but these are in the world and I come to you Holy Father keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be as one that they may be one as we are while I wish them in the world While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost except the son of perdition.

That the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves." You may be seated. When I came in this morning, I asked what's the deal with the windows and somebody said it's stained glass. So I think we're now one steeple short of legit here at Sovereign Redeemer Community Church. If We add a steeple, we'll be a legitimate church.

The title of the sermon this morning is, The Joy of Knowing We Are Kept. Sort of the merging of the two thoughts in these two verses. John 17 verses 12 and 13. I'll say this, my studies have made me happy this week. And I've been praying that it would rub off that as we consider these two verses that our joy would increase.

That we would have what really is our birthright as Christians, the joy of the Lord as our strength. We're continuing in chapter 17, which is a single continuous prayer. It's actually the Lord's Prayer. We know Matthew 6, our Father who art in heaven, as the Lord's prayer, but that would be better known as the Lord's pattern for our praying. This is actually the Lord's prayer.

This is actually Jesus praying. The whole chapter is that. In verses 1-5, Jesus prays that his Father would glorify both Father and Son through the cross. He roots his Father's glorification and his glorification in the great work of the cross. Now In verses 6-19, Jesus prays for his immediate disciples, those who are actually hearing him pray aloud.

However, we have a claim to these truths. I do believe that in 6-19 Jesus is praying for those who are actually audibly hearing his voice. But I don't believe that that means we don't have a claim to those truths. For instance, one of the things that Jesus has been praying for his disciples is that these disciples have been given to him, to Jesus, by the Father out of the world. Now, that was distinctly true of his disciples, but is that true of me if I've repented and believed the Gospel?

That I was given to Jesus by the Father out of the world, absolutely it's true. So while the things that Jesus is praying in verses 6-19 might be true in unique ways of these 11 men, they are not uniquely true of the disciples. You can prove from other texts that all these things are true and that modern disciples have a claim on these things as well. We will finish Jesus' prayer. Jesus finishes praying in verses 20-26.

This is weeks to come. For those who would believe through the preaching and teaching of disciples. So that is absolutely, directly pointed at us. We're coming to verses 20 through 26 where Jesus is praying for me because I've repented and believed the gospel. Last week James preached on verses 9 through 11.

He made the point that Jesus is praying for a very particular people. Jesus went out of his way to say in his prayer that he was not praying for the world, but very particular people who had been given to him out of the world through whom Jesus is glorified. Now how in the world could sinners like us glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory? Well in this way, he saves us and then He transforms us. And when He saves us and transforms us, He displays Himself to be a saving and transforming God.

We glorify Him in that way. As we come to our text, Let's ask the Lord to help us. Our God, what ongoing fear we could never escape if we didn't have your promises that you keep your disciples. We'd be left to wonder if our strength could make it all the way. If It wouldn't be so that our strength would fail as we've seen it fail so many times, but here we are.

We have your promises that you keep your disciples, your unfailing promises. Grounded, not in our ability to do or not do, to keep or not keep, but grounded in the essence of your nature which is eternal, unchangeable. Thank you for this. I pray that you would give us joy through the preaching of your word today. Thank you for it in Jesus' name.

Amen. I'm going to structure things a little bit differently. I'm normally going verse by verse, or at least section by section of the text. Today, I'm going to have two major headings. So just a comment on structure so that you don't get confused by numbering.

So there will be major heading one and then three subheadings. Number one, number two, number three. Then there will be major heading 2 and 3 subheadings. Number 1, number 2, number 3. I try never to force numberings or anything like that.

So it just happens to be 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. I'm not forcing that. It just happens to be that way. So here we are. Major heading one.

The doctrines of this portion of the prayer. I don't want to preach this as just a doctrine, but there's wonderful doctrine here. There's wonderful Bible truth here. Jesus is praying perfect truth. So you have to address the truths that are here in the prayer.

So I have these three subheadings. Number one, number two, number three, which are just three wonderful Bible truths that are here in Jesus' prayer. Then we're going to come to major heading two, which will be how this informs us in our prayers. So we will treat it as a prayer under the second major heading. So major heading number one, the doctrines of this portion of the prayer, the truths that Jesus is praying.

Number one, doctrine truth number one in Jesus' prayer. The disciples of Jesus are kept. It's true of these eleven men, it's true of modern day disciples. The disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are kept. Disciples are not left to fend for themselves, praise the Lord.

The first thing that should be said is this. Verse 11 belongs with these verses. We've sort of sliced it thin. We're subdividing a single prayer, but we're dividing it up because we need time and opportunity to absorb it more slowly than Jesus prayed it. Well, fair enough, but we don't want each subsection to become disconnected from the one continuous prayer that Jesus is praying.

So I want to rope back in the second half of verse 11. Look back to verse 11, starting with Holy Father. Jesus prays, Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me. Keep through your name those whom you have given me and then in verse 12 he declares in his prayer that that he did that he kept in the name of God his disciples while he was with them on earth. So these things clearly go together.

Now a note, we see keep in verse 11 and kept in verse 12. Just a different tense but the same English word. But they are not the same Greek words. In verse 11 it would literally mean to take care of. So keep is a fine translation but a very literal rendering in verse 11, keep through your name would be take care through your name or in your name and then in verse 12 I kept them in your name.

That word which is rendered kept in verse 12 is a different Greek word whose literal rendering would be to guard in order to keep safe. So verse 11, to take care of, Father in heaven, take care of these disciples. I'm physically leaving the world. Please take care of these men. It's a broad term.

To take care of can wrap in many different types, many different ways in which they are cared for. The meaning in verse 12 is much more narrow, guard, in order to keep safe. That is what Jesus did. He guarded these eleven men in order to keep them safe. Now, in verse eleven, it's translated, keep through your name.

In verse 12, Jesus prays, I kept them in your name. So, through your name, in verse 11, in your name, in verse 12. But it is the exact same Greek construction. So the translators for the New King James thought there were good reasons to say through your name in verse 11 and in your name in verse 12. But in the Greek itself, it's a three word construction, exact same three words, exact same word order.

And so many of the other good English translations keeps the translation identical between those two. So you get the sense that it is the same. The meaning of through your name or in your name, depending on how you translate it, is either keep them according to all the power and faithfulness represented by your name. As I said a couple of weeks ago, when we see the name of God, name is what is represented by the essential character of God. So it is calling upon the eternal, unchangeable, essential characteristics of God.

So that's one thing it can mean. Keep these disciples according to all of the power and faithfulness that is wrapped up in your eternal, unchangeable name. Or it can mean keep them as your own possession in your name. Keep them in your name. Keep them as your own possession.

Keep them under the banner of those who take your name upon themselves. So it can mean either. I believe Jesus is meaning in His prayer this second meaning. Keep them as your own possession. First, because the word is overwhelmingly translated in.

It can be through, but it's overwhelmingly translated in in the New Testament. And secondly, I believe that meaning is more consistent with the things that we see both before it and after it in the prayer. Really have no objection to the other meaning. They are both very true. I believe that Jesus is praying that God, in verse 11, would keep them as his own possession, and then in verse 12 saying that he has kept these disciples as God's possession while he was with them in the world.

I stumbled across a verse this week just in my Bible reading plan, Micah chapter 4 verse 5, that I think goes perfectly to the point. Listen to Micah 4 verse 5. For all people walk each in the name of his God, little g God. Everyone is walking in the name of his God. But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever." Micah is saying that the people of God walk in His name, under His banner, as his possession forever and ever.

And I believe that Jesus is using in your name in that sense. He's essentially saying God cause this. Cause what we see in Micah chapter 4 verse 5, to be true of these men, that they would walk in the name of the Lord their God forever and ever, never departing from underneath this banner, never ceasing to be your possession. What is the third commandment? There are ten commandments.

What is the third commandment? 1. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain." Now our minds go directly to cuss words. Either using the name of God lightly and trivially, the name of God is never to be taken on your lips in a light way or a trivial way, or even worse, using it as a curse, as part of a curse. Now that is one element of taking the Lord's name in vain, But fundamentally it is about taking the name of God upon yourself and then living a life as if you didn't belong to Him at all.

Having a life that contradicts your confession that you belong to Him. That is the fundamental nature of taking the Lord's name in vain. I believe in verse 11, Jesus is essentially praying to His Father, Father, undertake the keeping of these disciples so that their taking of your name is not in vain. Father, make it so that the third commandment not to take The Lord's name in vain is not violated in these men's lives. So they are not walking out from underneath the banner of having taken your name.

Or as Paul says in Philippians 1 verse 6. Philippians 1 verse 6. Paul writes, being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is coming back one day. If God begins a good work in you, He'll keep the continuation of that good work and bring it to completion until Jesus comes back.

There will never be a gap in His care from you, keeping you under His banner. He started the work and He will complete the work. Why? Because you are strong and faithful? No!

Because He is strong and faithful. So that's number one. The disciples of Jesus are kept. It's true of these eleven men who are hearing Jesus pray audibly in a unique way, but it's not uniquely true of those eleven men. All of the disciples of Jesus are kept.

We have a claim on this. Number two, the second doctrine or truth that Jesus is praying. God raised God raised up Judas to fulfill his redeeming purposes. God raised up a betrayer to save sinners. Jesus prays not one of them was lost except the son of Perdition, who is Jesus speaking of.

Clearly it's Judas. Now there is a play on words here in the Greek. The lost here does not mean lost in the woods. Can't find his way. It means lost to destruction.

Everlastingly lost. Eternally lost. The Greek word literally means destroyed. Lost is a fine translation of it, but not one of them is destroyed would have been a very literal translation of that Greek word. And what is perdition?

It means utter destruction. That the son of utter destruction. So a very literal translation would be, none was destroyed except the Son of utter destruction. Turn to John 6. I think John 6 really unfolds this for us and keeps us from some of the confusion that easily comes along with a phrase like the son of perdition.

John chapter 6, very helpful. So I'm going to read John 6, 37-40, and then I'm going to skip to 70 and 71. And I'll tell you when I do it, but I'm warning you. I'm going to skip a big chunk. John 6, 37-40 Jesus says, all that the Father gives me will come to me.

We've already got the language from John 17 and what Jesus is praying because he's saying of all that you have given me I lost none except the Son of Perdition. So here in John 6 he's talking about people given to him by the Father. I'll start again in 37. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.

This is the will of the Father who sent me, that of all He has given me, I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Now skipping to verses 70 and 71, the very end of the chapter, Jesus answered them, Did I not choose you the twelve, And one of you is a devil." He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve. In John 6, Jesus knows and says one of the disciples is not a true disciple. He is one of the twelve. He was picked to be one who would be with him for these three and a half years, but that in John 6 he was a devil.

Judas didn't become a devil in John 20 when we get to the betrayal, or I guess it's already happened. Judas didn't become a devil then. He was the son of perdition in unbelief in John chapter 6. John chapter 6 is early. A lot happens in the Gospel of John after John chapter 6.

So Jesus knew from the start, from the time of His choosing the twelve, that one of them was a devil. None of them is lost except the son of perdition. That the Scripture might be fulfilled. This drives home the point. So far from Judas' betrayal being unforeseen and something God had to react to, Judas' betrayal was enshrined in Bible prophecy hundreds and hundreds of years before Judas was born.

Did you get that? Judas' betrayal was not unforeseen, of course, by God, and it was not something that God was reacting to. God the Father was not reacting to it, Jesus was not reacting to it, the Holy Spirit was not reacting to it. It was enshrined in Bible prophecy for hundreds and hundreds of years. Actually, most of the Bible prophecies of Judas, of a betrayer of the Messiah, are Davidic Psalms.

Psalms of David that were written 1500 years before the birth of Judas. Flip back to John 13. I guess if you are in John 6 you are flipping forward. John 13 verse 18. Jesus said this, John 13 verse 18, I do not speak concerning all of you.

I know whom I have chosen, but that the scripture may be fulfilled. He who eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me. This is John 13 where Jesus identifies Judas as the betrayer and actually sends him to go and do quickly what he has made up his mind to do. And he quotes, right here in John 13, he quotes Psalm 41 of David and says this is about Judas. In Acts chapter one Peter says We should replace Judas.

We need an additional one who has been with us from the beginning to testify of Christ and in Acts 1 verse 20 Peter quotes Psalm 69 verse 25 a Psalm of David and Psalm 109 verse 8 a Psalm of David and He names it as fulfillment of prophecy about Judas. That's Acts 1 verse 20. You can look it up. He quotes these two Davidic Psalms in quick succession. Zechariah 11 verses 12 and 13 speak of the prince being betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.

This is clearly about Judas and his betrayal. So there's four Bible prophecies about Judas there. I believe there's another one in Psalm 55, but I have given you four. Jesus is only committing those to the keeping of his Father and only personally kept while he was on earth those who are truly his. He was not committing the keeping of Judas Iscariot to his father in verse 11.

He is not saying that he kept Judas Iscariot in verse 12. There There is a temptation here, what is that? To turn Judas into a victim. After all, he had to betray Jesus. Jesus had to have a betrayer.

He is the subject of Bible prophecy. History could never unfold in any other way. Poor Judas. The teaching of scripture is so clear. Judas was not a victim.

Judas did exactly what Judas wanted to do in the betrayal of Jesus. Turn to Romans 9. It might have been smart to have a whole sermon on just the phrase, son of perdition. And if we did, we'd spend a lot more time in Romans 9 than we're going to spend. But I'm going to restrain myself.

Romans 9, by the way, is the great chapter by the Apostle Paul on the doctrine of election. I think the three great chapters to me on the Doctrine of 11 are John chapter 6, John chapter 10, and Romans chapter 9. You have to wrestle with those three chapters. Now, I'm going to read Romans 9 verses 14 through 16, and then I'm going to skip to verse 29 and only read verse 29. I'll tell you when I do it.

Romans 9 verses 14-16. Paul writes, what shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? He's talking about election. He's talking about God having a people from eternity past and he's saying, is that unjust of God?

Certainly not, he answers his own question. Verse 15, for he, God says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. Skipping to verse 29.

Verse 29. Romans 9.29. And as Isaiah said before, unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been made like Gomorrah. So if you were just left with verse 14-16, you would look at verse 16, and in verse 15, God asserts his right as Maker to have mercy on whoever he wants to have mercy on.

And to have compassion on whoever he wants to have compassion on. In the end we might be offended at the doctrine of election, but just at the building block level It's hard to argue with that. It's hard to argue with a maker who says, I have the right as the maker to have mercy on and only on those I want to have mercy on. Because mercy, by definition, is not owed. Mercy is not paid as wages.

Mercy is a gift from a giver. So at least at the building block level you have to follow the logic. It is God's prerogative to have mercy or to withhold mercy from anyone by definition, because mercy is never owed. Mercy can only be bestowed freely. It's part of the definition of the Word.

Then we come to verse 16, so then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. So this is just an extension of that truth in 15, but if we were just left with that, we might think that God was unjust. Because we couldn't will our way into heaven. We couldn't run our way into heaven. It's only and always up to God and isn't God unjust in this but then Working through the things that we skipped and coming to verse 29 God springs what is fundamental to all of this.

Unless the Lord of Sabaoth, this is the Lord of hosts, the God at the head of an army, the Sabaoth means host, the Lord of hosts, the king at the head of an army, unless the king at the head of a holy army had left us a seed, a remnant, we would have become like Sodom and we would have been made like Gomorrah. What is that like? Total annihilation. What happened at Sodom and Gomorrah? Total destruction.

No survivors in Sodom and Gomorrah. So verse 29 casts this in a different light. In verses 14 through 16 if we weren't following Paul very closely we would have been looking through man's glasses and saying that's not fair. I can't will myself into heaven. That's not fair.

I can't run my way into heaven. That's not fair. It's only those on whom God has mercy. That's not fair. In verse 29, Paul says, understand fair.

Understand fair. Sodom and Gomorrah is fair. Total destruction of sinners is fair. God is at the head of a holy army. And if he were to render to all what was due, all would be destroyed.

There would be no survivors from that. No one would ever enter heaven. So if we look back at 14 through 16 through those lenses we will say, so then it is not of Him who wills, because no one wills, nor of Him who runs, because no one runs." We say, well, we're not Sodom and Gomorrah. They're filthy. God says, yes, you're filthy.

You're like them. If I treated you according to your sins, you would be just like Sodom and Gomorrah. It would be none of you remaining. Except for God's mercy, who God is bound to show to no one, we are all sons and daughters of destruction. Except for God's mercy, you are a daughter of perdition, a daughter of utter destruction, destined to destruction except for God's mercy.

You are a son of perdition. You are just like Judas. You are not made out of different stuff than Judas. You are not less deserving of eternal destruction than Judas. You are just like him.

Your inclinations would do to you exactly what his inclinations did to him. It plunged him into eternal destruction. Do not marvel that God passed over Judas. Marvel that God doesn't pass over everyone and render to everyone what is due. Marvel that the Triune God conceived the plan before the foundation of the world to work in and through the most inexcusable betrayals and sins to save sinners.

That is what we should marvel at. The triune God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit conspired together to work in and through the most inexcusable betrayals and sins to save sinners. Think about the betrayal of Judas. He heard all the sermons. He saw all the miracles.

He participated in the goodness of God in a thousand ways. He never believed. It was an inexcusable betrayal. What excusable betrayals? Does God think differently of people who reject the offer of mercy and pardon?

Stubbornly, persistently, across their lifetime of mercy. Do you think Judas is really that different? Do you think he is different at all? How many times has mercy been extended to you? If you stubbornly persist to refuse His goodness and His mercy offered to you month after month, week after week, day after day.

Do you think you're different? Do you think it would be wrong for you to be a daughter of destruction or a son of utter destruction? That's doctrine number two of what Jesus is praying. God raised up Judas to fulfill his redeeming purposes. Doctrine number three, Jesus is praying this third doctrine also.

Jesus freely imparts truths which fill His disciples with joy to overflowing. I'll say that again. Jesus freely imparts truths which fill His disciples with joy to overflowing. That is a truth that Jesus is praying here. The implications of what he is praying.

Look again at verse 13. Verse 13. Back in chapter 17, verse 13. Jesus prays, but now I come to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. Jesus is now praying what he taught in 15 verse 11.

Just flip one page to 15 verse 11. Jesus was teaching at this point, now he's praying. But when he was teaching in 15, 11, he taught this, These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full." Those are almost exactly the same words. Jesus is hung up on our joy. Jesus is stuck on a thought.

The thought that He freely impart truths to His disciples which fill them to overflowing with joy. I want to convince you that this is the birthright of the Christian. And that it is a shame if you are a real Christian and you have been robbed of this joy. Jesus wants it reclaimed in your life, in my life. Jesus is praying for His disciples to have His joy fulfilled in themselves.

Literally, full-filled in themselves. That Greek word literally means to fill to the full, to fill to the top, so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, to fill to the brim. So don't turn fulfilled, that my joy may be fulfilled in them, into come to pass. It's not just simply a request that His joy would come to pass in them. It has to do with the measure of the joy to the brim.

As full as possible. Now what are these things which gives disciples to the brim joy? I think the immediate context, I think the things that Jesus has been praying for and about are these things that will fill to the brim His disciples with His joy. He has been praying about two fundamental things. I'm saying that if you boil one through thirteen down to two fundamental things, I believe you end up with this.

The glory of God through the saving work of the cross, including His resulting return to glory with His Father. He prays that. And now, O Father, glorify me together with Yourself with the glory which I had with You before the world was." So that's all part of the glory of God being prayed for, His return to glory. At this point we should be thinking Philippians 2. He emptied himself.

He took on the form of a bond servant. He became obedient to death. Even the death of the cross, therefore God has highly exalted him and given him the name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." That's the first fundamental thing he's been praying about. Secondly, God's tender care for His chosen people. What is His tender care for His chosen people?

Jesus said, I have manifested Your name to them. Jesus unveiled His God. Unveiled His Father. Jesus unveiled his Father. Let me not be heretical.

Jesus unveiled his Father to his disciples. And then he's praying that they would be kept and preserved under the banner having taken on his name, keeping them to the end. I hope you see the relationship between these two things, between the glory of God and Jesus returning to his rightful place in that glory and his tender mercies towards this people. They have a relationship to one another. The work of redemption is done and Jesus is at the right hand of his father reigning as king His enemies are being made his footstool And he is interceding for his people and Every intercession is always answered favorably by His Father.

He is manifesting His Father to them through His Holy Spirit and keeping them to the end. He is in His place of glory. He is reigning as King and that has implications for his people. He can do whatever he wants to manifest his Father to his people. He sent his Spirit into the world to unveil his Father to his people and he's keeping them.

And so His disciples are as secure, as invincible, as immortal as He Himself was in His incarnation because the victory is won. He is king at the right hand of His Father. Do you believe that? Do you believe that His modern day disciples are as secure, as invincible, as immortal as Jesus Christ himself was in the incarnation because he has won the victory. Yes, and then their bodies will die and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the saints and they will live with him forever and ever.

Eternal life is the present possession of the believer. What kind of joy is it? Full joy, to the brim joy, and His joy. It flows out of the inexhaustible sea of joy that He Himself constantly experiences. The joy that he is praying would be to the brim of his disciples is his joy that flows out of the joy that he himself constantly experiences.

And so it is a joy that a man of sorrows can have. It is a joy that a person who is acquainted with grief can have." This is right out of Isaiah 53 verse 3 about the suffering servant. Is Jesus anointed with the oil of gladness more than his companions? Yes, that is said of Jesus in Hebrews 1 verse 9. He is anointed with the oil of gladness.

That word gladness literally means extreme joy. He is anointed with extreme joy more than his companions. Jesus always has more joy than everyone else around him. Always. Even though he was a man of sorrows, yes.

Even though he was a man of sorrows. Even though he was acquainted with grief, yes. Even though he was acquainted with grief. Is Isaiah 53 true? Yes.

Is Hebrews 1 true? Yes. What does that have to mean? It has to mean that his joy cannot be conquered by sorrows and grief. It has to mean that.

It has to mean that. Martin Lloyd-Jones says this. This is my paraphrase, but he says this. In one of his sermons, there's a 600 page compilation of his sermons on just John 17. So I have a lot of reading that I am doing.

But it is wonderful. And he, Lloyd-Jones says this, Christian, acquaint yourself with these things and be filled with joy. Jesus says, I speak these things in the world. I'm praying audibly out loud these things so that my joy might be fulfilled in them." And so Lloyd-Jones takes that and says, Christian, you have an obligation to acquaint yourself with these things so that you can experience your birthright, Jesus' joy. You can enter into His joy.

Even if you're a man or woman of sorrows, yes. Sometimes, especially when you're a man or woman of sorrows. Sometimes the joy of Jesus is experienced most fully when you're a man or woman of sorrows, and you're acquainted with grief. That was doctrine number three. Jesus freely imparts truths which fill his disciples with joy to overflowing.

Alright, so we'll leave the doctrines. Now major heading to how Jesus praying these things can inform our prayers. If you're taking notes on the handout, inform fills in the blank. How Jesus praying these things can inform our prayers. If you're taking notes on the handout, inform fills in the blank.

How Jesus praying these things can inform our prayers. This is a great pattern of prayer. This can help us pray more as we should pray. Three points here as well. Number one, the keeping of disciples should be an ever-present source of thanksgiving.

Are you happy that the disciples of Jesus are kept? You should be. If you are happy about it, this should be an ever present source of thanksgiving in our prayers. The keeping of disciples should be an ever present source of thanksgiving. In everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you, 1 Thessalonians 5.18.

Well, that means We should be on the hunt down for things to give thanks for in our prayers. This is an easy one. The disciples of Jesus are kept. Though they are weak, the disciples of Jesus are kept. Though they are sinful, the disciples of Jesus are kept.

Though life brings all sorts of pressures upon them, though there are all sorts of relational challenges and work challenges and family challenges, the disciples of Jesus are kept. Thank Him. Of course we should thank Him. God, I know I'm still in the faith. I know I'm under the banner because You have kept me.

I thank You today are keeping me another day. This stiff necked, stubborn hearted, sinful man. You are so faithful. You are so mighty. Thank you.

Number two, keeping is a great thing to pray for our brethren. If Jesus prays for His people that they would be kept, we should be praying for our brethren that they would be kept. By the way, Job does this. Job prays for his children. He doesn't know that they've departed from the faith, but he is concerned that there may be things happening in their hearts that aren't manifested on the outside.

So daily Job was praying for his children. They would be kept. Praying for the keeping of your brethren has all sorts of tributaries. You know what a tributary is? It's the creek that comes off the river.

The river is the main body of water, but there will be little, smaller tributaries or creeks that come off of the river. It's like that. The keeping of God has many tributaries. Like what? Like keeping them in your word.

What are the things that God uses to keep His people. Those are all tributaries. We can pray for all of those things. God, keep them in Your Word. Don't let them become slack in pursuing You and the reading of Your Word in prayer.

Keep them among your people. Keep them in your church, Lord. Keep them from temptation. Keep them from the evil one. Pray for the means to the end.

The end is that they would be kept by God under His banner and the means are many means. God uses many things in our lives. Well, we can pray these things for our brethren. God keep them in, fill in the blank. The means to the end of being kept by God in His name.

Number three, that was number two, keeping is a great thing to pray for our brethren. Number three, joy is a great thing to pray for our brethren. Jesus here is praying for the joy of His people so they wouldn't be robbed of His joy. We can pray for that. We should pray for that.

If you'd like, you can pray that for me right now and every day. God, please make the truths that cause overflowing joy abound in their minds. If the truths that cause your joy to flow have departed from their minds, fill their minds with these truths, God. That's number three. Joy is a great thing to pray for our brethren.

It wouldn't be necessary if we never got robbed of our joy. Ever been robbed of your joy? Today? So far? Conclusion.

There is abounding joy, overflowing joy in knowing we are kept by the King. There is to the brim joy in knowing that we are kept by the King. I started out praying, God, what ongoing fear we would never be able to really shake if we didn't have your promises to keep us. You'd be wondering, can I make it? I have such a history of The failing of my strength and drifting into sin.

I don't know if I can make it. Well, these things have been answered because our making it to the end is not dependent upon us. It is dependent on the faithfulness of God and His power to do the things that please Him. And it pleases Him to always keep His people, to never let anyone snatch them out of His hand. Let me end with a frequent benediction.

I didn't warn whoever is giving the benediction today, so this might get re-read. And if it is, wonderful. Jude 24 and 25. I just listened to it through the lens of what Jesus is just praying for the keeping of his people. Jude 24 and 25.

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. Amen. God's such sweet things. Oh to figuratively hear these words on your lips, praying, knowing that your intercessions for us continue at the right hand of your Father, now that He always answers you favorably, He always grants your requests. There you are at His right hand, praying, That we would be kept in the name of God.

We wouldn't have taken your name in vain, but we would be kept under your banner. And that our joy would be filled to the brim. I Pray we would experience all these things. We would know them experientially, not just intellectually, but we would have a sense of them on our hearts. Pray In Jesus' name, Amen.