Wednesday, 6 March 2024

The Upper Room Discourse 76

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John 17:14-15 I have given them Your word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

Here is Yeshua's fourth thought in these two verses ... John 17:15a I am not asking that You take them out of the world ... Yeshua is praying to His Father, when he suddenly says in effect, "Don't hear what I'm not saying." Why does Yeshua make it clear that the object here is NOT to take us out of the world? I learned the answer to this question from Asher Intrater, www.ritg.org/emissaries/asher.

Asher teaches, the object of following Yeshua is not to get us out of here (with all due respect to the rapture), but to get Him in here. As ambassadors for the Messiah, we are to bring the reality of His kingdom to this earth. Daniel had a vision for this reality as he interpreted the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar.

King Nebuchadnezzar saw a statue that represented four kingdoms, which Daniel rightly interpreted. I want to focus on the last of them. Daniel 2:43 Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, people will mix with one another, but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. These are saved and unsaved people. They mix, but do not stick together. Daniel went on to say ...

Daniel 2:44 Now in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom be left to another people. It will crush and bring to an end all of these kingdoms. But it will endure forever.

Paul wrote to the Colossians, and put it this way ... Colossians 1:13 He rescued us from the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son whom He loves. We are not to be taken out of this world, but through His power, we are to change the kingdom of this world into the kingdom of our Lord.

Yeshua prayed what we call today "The Lord's Prayer." In it He prayed these words, Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. How is God's will done in heaven? In heaven, God's will is joyously done immediately and without question. Yeshua taught us to pray that this perfect obedience will come to earth.

And so, it is necessary that we would be left in the earth so that we can accomplish the purpose for which we were saved. Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship - created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds, which God prepared beforehand so we might walk in them. Discipleship means we teach this to others as we become His examples of righteousness. That's a purpose to which we should willingly dedicate our lives.