“The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.” John 17:22 ESV

We have talked about celebrating the glory of God by seeing it in His Son, His creation, His Word, His image bearers, and today, His church.

This does not mean we celebrate the glory of God by seeing and appreciating the buildings we meet inside of on Sundays. The church is not a building. It’s God’s people on mission together to grow in Christlikeness and spread the gospel to a world. And we do it together with fellow believers. In today’s verse, Jesus is encouraging us to reflect His glory by being one as He and the Father are one. It’s really an incredible prayer that He prays to the Father on our behalf.

Jesus knows the Christian life is not meant to be lived in isolation. We need each other.

 It’s one of the reasons the church exists. Through being in community with other Christians, we encourage one another, speak truth in love to one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, and serve one another.

But the church also exists because other people need us. Francis Chan put it like this: 

“We can’t claim to follow Jesus if we neglect the church He created, the church He died for, the church He entrusted His mission to…. The church is God’s strategy for reaching our world.”

 The church is not just about us growing into Christlikeness, but also about mission.

J. Campbell White said it well:

 “Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose toward the world he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure, and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans. The men who are putting everything into Christ’s undertaking are getting out of life its sweetest and most priceless rewards.”

Consider this prayer today:

“God, I want my involvement with Your church to be about more than attendance. I want to be known by other people. The cry of my heart is to be fully known and fully loved. You offer that. Would You help me to find that within the church as well? Would You ignite my heart with Your glorious mission to see every tribe, tongue, and nation, bowing at your feet? I want to play a role in that. And I believe Your church is the primary way You reach the world for the sake of Your name, Your fame, and Your glory. I want in. Let’s go. Amen.”