“In the World But Not of the World”
John 17:15-16

Click for Audio

Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Seventh Sunday of Easter – Sunday after the Ascension—May 17, 2015

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Our text is from today’s Gospel Reading.  At the Last Supper Jesus prays to his heavenly Father about US, his followers in this world: “They are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.”  Christians are to be “IN the World But Not OF the World.”

Jesus says, “They are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”  But we must confess that all too often we fall prey to the temptation to be “of the world.”  To be “of the world” means making the things of this world #1 in your life.  Setting a higher priority on material, earthly things than on heavenly, spiritual things.  To be “of the world” means buying into the world’s values, the world’s twisted morality, instead of following God’s values and God’s righteous morality.  To be “of the world” means turning away from God’s will and his ways, and instead following your own sinful will into your own wicked ways.

“They are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world.”  Maybe that is the solution, maybe that is how to live a holy life for the Lord: to separate yourself from the world. 

In the early centuries of the Christian Church there were hermits who would flee out into the desert and live in solitude.  Over time these hermits banded together and formed monasteries and convents, where they thought they could live a really holy life, free from the distractions and temptations of the world.  In more modern times, the reason the Pilgrims or Puritans came to North American was to establish what they thought would be a “pure” society the New World.  In the 17-and-1800’s there were all sorts communes and colonies in our country where people tried to separate themselves from the world.  And there are still some groups that try to be holy by avoiding such things as automobiles and electricity.

But, is THAT how to be holy in the Lord’s eyes?  “My prayer is NOT that you take them out of the world. . .  Sanctify them by the truth; your WORD is truth.”  “Sanctify” means to “make holy.”  Jesus says that GOD will make you holy through his WORD. 

Paul says in Colossians, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”  Through his Word, written in the Scriptures, and his Word visualized in the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, God MAKES you “holy in his sight, without blame and free from accusation.”  Because, through the Word and Sacraments he brings you to faith in his Son, your Savior, and his sacrifice for you.  And through faith in your Savior you receive the forgiveness of sins he earned for you.  As Hebrews says, “We have been MADE HOLY through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

“My prayer is NOT that you take them out of the world.”  Jesus wants his followers not to be a “holier than thou” people separated from the world, but to be his holy people IN the world.  In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus put it this way: “You are the light of the world. . .  People do not light a lamp and then put it under a bowl.”  If we withdraw from the world that is like lighting a lamp and then putting it under a bowl.

Jesus wants his followers not separated from the world but IN the world, having a positive effect on the world.  “You are the salt of the earth,” he said.  There’s a saying that ships are not made to stay in port.  Salt is not made to stay in the salt-shaker, and Christians are not made to withdraw from the world.  Jesus wants you in the world, seasoning the world with the Gospel, the Good News of forgiveness through faith in him.

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”  That is who we are really struggling against, the evil one.  As Paul says in Ephesians, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

Paul goes on to tell us how to fight against the temptations of the evil one: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. . .  put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”  To be “in the world BUT NOT of the world” means making the things of CHRIST #1 in your life.  Setting a higher priority on HEAVENLY, SPIRITUAL things than on material, earthly things. 

To be “in the world but not of the world” means rejecting the world’s values, the world’s twisted morality, and instead striving with the Lord’s help to live by HIS values and follow his righteous morality in your life. 

To be “in the world but not of the world” means struggling against your sinful will and your wicked ways, struggling instead to follow God’s will and walk in his ways in your life.  As Paul says in Colossians, “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Why doesn’t Jesus just take you to heaven the moment you come to faith in him?  Why does Jesus want you to be in “in the world but not of the world”?  In order to bear witness for him.  And when others see that you are “in the world but not of the world,” THAT is the most powerful witness you can make.  “Let your light so shine before men,” Jesus said, “that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  “Live such good lives among the heathen,” Peter says, “that . . . they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”  Our son Jacob is on his way home today from studying for a year in London.  He has two stops along the way, in Iceland and Canada.  But, technically he isn’t really visiting those countries.  He’s just passing through on the journey home, and his passport won’t get stamped.  He will be in the country, but not in the country.

In the same way, we are “in the world but not of the world,” because we know this entire world is only a temporary stopover we are passing through on our journey home to heaven.   As Paul says in 1st Corinthians, “The world in its present form is passing away,” and Peter says, “We are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

Whenever I have a layover at an airport, even a long layover, the first thing I do is find the right gate, then I check the flight monitors frequently, and I listen for announcements, so that I won’t miss my flight.  Ever since the moment of your conversion to faith in Christ, your entire life in this world is like a layover at an airport, waiting for your flight home to eternal life.  Sometimes people miss their flights because they get lost in the airport, or they fall asleep, or they are preoccupied in the gift shop or the restaurant.  To be “in the world but not of the world” is a warning to us, not to get lost or preoccupied in the airport, not to mistake this world for our final destination, but to see this world for what it really is, just a stopover on our journey home.  As Paul says in Philippians, “But our citizenship is in heaven,” and Hebrews says, “For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.”

“They are not of the world any more than I am of the world.  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.  Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.”  [As I said in the children’s sermon,] God’s Word is like an inoculation against and a cure for infection by the evil of this world.  But, you need frequent booster shots, of worship, Bible reading and study, the Lord’s Supper, prayer.  That is how the Lord will empower you to be “in the world but not of the world.”