JUNE 1, Sermon & Ministry Resources

"UNITED IN CHRIST: JESUS’ PRAYER FOR HIS PEOPLE" (John 17:20-26)

Lectionary Readings — Seventh Sunday of Easter — June 1, 2025

Acts 16:16-34; Psalm 97; Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21; John 17:20-26

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Call to Worship (based on John 17:20-26)

Leader: "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word,"

People: We gather as those who have come to believe through the testimony of others.

Leader: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,"

People: Unite us, Lord, as you and the Father are one. Draw us into your holy communion.

Leader: "So that the world may believe that you have sent me."

People: Through our unity, may others come to know Christ.

Leader: "The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one,"

People: We receive your glory with humility, seeking to reflect it in our community.

Leader: "I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one,"

People: Make us completely one, Lord, bound together in love.

Leader: "So that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

People: May our love for one another testify to your great love.

Leader: "Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory,"

People: We long to dwell in your presence and behold your glory.

Leader: "I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them."

All: The love of Christ dwells among us. Let us worship God together!

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Opening Prayer (based on Acts 16:16-34)

Let us pray:

Loving God, we come before You today with hearts open to Your presence.

Like Paul and Silas in that Philippian jail, we bring our praises even in times of difficulty. When the chains of worry, fear, or uncertainty bind us, remind us that You are still at work, shaking the foundations of our limitations.

Lord, just as You opened prison doors and broke chains, we ask You to break whatever holds us captive today – whether it's doubt, hurt, or the prison of our own making. Help us respond to life's earthquakes not with fear, but with songs of praise.

We thank You for the jailer's question that echoes through centuries: "What must I do to be saved?" Draw near to those among us who are searching, who need Your salvation. May we, like Paul, be ready to share the good news that transforms lives.

As we worship today, may our praise shake the foundations of routine and tradition. May our fellowship be as meaningful as the meal shared in the jailer's house. And may our community be as united as the household that rejoiced in their newfound faith.

Open our ears to hear Your Word. Open our eyes to see Your movement. Open our hearts to receive Your Spirit.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who sets us free.

Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

[Note: All Scripture is taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.]

Sermon Outline: "UNITED IN CHRIST: JESUS’ PRAYER FOR HIS PEOPLE"

Based on John 17:20-26

INTRODUCTION

• Context: This passage is part of Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, prayed just before his arrest and crucifixion

• Significance: Jesus' final prayer reveals his heart for his followers—not just the disciples present, but all believers throughout history

• Central theme: Unity among believers that reflects the unity between Father and Son

• Thesis: Through Jesus' prayer, we discover four essential dimensions of Christian unity that should shape our life together as the church

I. PRIVILEGED POSITION (vv. 20-21a)

• Personal intercession by Jesus himself

• Profound inclusion in the divine community

• Purposeful connection between all believers

II. POWERFUL PRESENCE (vv. 21b-22)

• Persuasive witness to the world

• Partaking in glory

• Perfect oneness as the goal

III. PROGRESSIVE PATTERN (vv. 23-24)

• Permanent indwelling

• Progressive completion

• Profound revelation of God's love

IV. PERPETUAL PURPOSE (vv. 25-26)

• Perception of Christ's glory

• Proclamation of God's name

• Presence of divine love

CONCLUSION

• Summary: Jesus' prayer reveals our privileged position, the powerful presence we share, the progressive pattern of our unity, and its perpetual purpose

• Challenge: How will we respond to Jesus' prayer for unity?

• Closing thought: Jesus' last prayer before his sacrifice was for our unity—how seriously are we taking it?

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers