John 17:17-19
Sermon I prepared for Ordinary Community Church (OCC), May 25, 2025.
Introduction
I had pages of notes on holiness and perfection – notes from books, Bible commentaries, and sermons by other pastors. But none of it felt right.
The message was spot on, but the delivery style was all wrong.
So, I set it aside and prayed about it. During my meditation time, the answer came in the form of one of my favorite quotes:
“Simplicity is genius.” – Tico Torres, drummer for Bon Jovi.
Yea, yea, yea. I know what some of you are thinking. I mention Bon Jovi a lot in my stories and sermons, but God often uses them to speak to me, so No Apologies (also the name of a Bon Jovi song)!
Anyway, I began preparation for this sermon as I often do, as if I’m preparing a term paper for one of my seminary classes. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the process, and sometimes it can be a very helpful tool in preaching and teaching, but in this case, I think it would have muddied the waters more than helped clarify the point.
After God gave me the quote, he asked what I wanted to accomplish. What is my end goal?
Well, simply put, I want people to understand what it means to be holy and how this applies to their lives.
Would the path I was heading down accomplish that?
Nope.
Why not?
Again, my process was all wrong. Sure, I had a lot of great texts and word studies and storied examples. I even planned on using Billy Joel’s original song and Fallout Boy’s sequel to We Didn’t Start the Fire, as my introduction.
Here’s the problem I was having with my delivery method and with most sermons preached by most pastors – no matter how well written, no matter how well delivered, no matter how well received, most of what is said in that brief time standing in front of a congregation is forgotten a mere hours or days later. Few people will remember what is preached from one week to the next.
That is a problem.
That is THE problem.
It is like the parable of the seed (Matthew 13). Sermons alone are like the seed that fell along the path or in the rocky soil. Something more needs to happen if the seed is to fall into the rich soil and produce a crop.
So, my intent is to very briefly discuss what holiness is and is not and to dive right in – together – to dissect and interpret one example of holiness in scripture.
Before we leave today, I will hand out a homework assignment – 6 other references in scripture of our call to be holy – along with instructions on how to begin studying for yourself over the course of the next week. This is not intended to be an in-depth scholarly endeavor. The only tool needed is your Bible. If you do not have a Bible, we will give one to you or help you download a Bible app on your phone.
Who Are We?
OCC is considered to be part of the global Church of the Nazarene.
What is a Nazarene?
Simply stated, the Church of the Nazarene is part of what is called the Wesleyan-Holiness Tradition.
What is Wesleyan-Holiness?
It is vital that we understand what this means both for ourselves and so that we can answer when asked about what we believe and why.
Wesleyan refers to the teachings of John Wesley.
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, emphasized salvation by faith, personal holiness, and social justice, advocating for a disciplined Christian life through methods of prayer, study, and service. (https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Wesley)
Holiness has been translated as:
- Sanctify
- Consecrate
- Perfect
- Dedicate
- Make them pure – The Living Bible
- Make them ready – International Children’s Bible
Holiness has two basic meanings:
- To set apart for a special task
- To equip people with the qualities and character necessary for that task
The Greek translation gives holiness an active and unceasing sense of movement, like a flowing river.
It is summed up as seeking a life of purity, faithfulness, and love.
Holiness should be contagious and transforming.
The essence of holiness is compassion.
Holiness is undertaken not as an individual pursuit, but as a shared mission – it’s communal.
What Does it Mean, then, to be Holy?
Holiness is best defined in the great commandments: loving God and loving others.
“Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
“This means, of course, that it is cruciform-shaped. It is a dying and rising with Christ. It is learning in ever-deeper ways what it means to die to our own deep-seated sinfulness – to our own pride, idolatry, and self-centeredness – and to rise daily in Christ to his life of true, dynamic righteousness.” (Holy Trinity: Holy People by T.A. Noble, pg. 24)
What Does the Bible Have to Say About Holiness?
John 17:17-19
A Group Approach:
(We answered these questions together as a group. For the purposes of this post, I am providing brief answers to the questions below as an example.)
Step 1: Look up and read John 17:17-19.
17Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. (New American Standard Bible, NASB)
What word does your translation use? sanctify
Step 2: Read the entire chapter and/or section.
Discuss as a group:
- Who is speaking? Jesus
- Who is being spoken to? God the Father
- Who is the intended audience? God the Father
- What is the context? praying after eating/talking/teaching his disciples during the last supper, washing his disciples’ feet, and before Judas betrays him and hands him over to be crucified.
- What did the speaker want his audience to know or understand? Jesus had called the disciples and set apart for a special task. He had spent years with them, equipping them and teaching them. Even during the last supper, he taught them. He even taught by example by washing their feet. Now, Jesus was lifting them up in prayer, asking God to continue in them the work that He began. This was about to become very important in a very short time.
- How can this passage relate to the world today? Just as in Jesus’ day, life is often not fair or easy. We live in a very polarized society, and anyone who disagrees with one side is seen as the enemy. Knowing how to be set apart and love well is difficult. Still, we have Christ’s example of how to be set apart while living and interacting with the world, and how to speak truth in love.
- How can this passage relate to your life? The more I study and experience, the more I question what I once blindly believed. To question certain issues or people in certain situations is intimidating. I have trouble verbally articulating what I think.
What I have learned from Jesus’ prayer is that no matter how polarizing our differences, there is something to love in everyone. Jesus offered the ultimate example on how to love people he did not agree with. He prayed that I would remain in the word – in Him – so that I could be equipped to live in the world.
Knowing what I know about scripture, Jesus did not argue directly with those who he knew would not hear him. When speaking truth would have fallen on deaf ears, he either spoke in parables or kept silent. He knew his audience and his goal was always and only to spread the gospel, never controlled by anger or hate or the need to be right. His goal was to do the will of his Father.
When I find myself in the midst of those stressful conversations, I can remember that and pray, seeking only to do the will of my Father.
Step 3: Pray
Ask what God is trying to teach you through this passage?
Step 4: Spend Time in Silence
Set your alarm for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Sit in silence and let God speak.
Sitting in silence is a difficult but necessary part of prayer. It takes practice, though, especially for beginners and especially for those who are used to talking or filling stillness and silence with television, music, games, or social media.
The ways to practice silence in prayer are as varied as the people who do it. Some days will be easier than others.
If you need help getting started, ask someone you know who does it. There are also many meditation and prayer apps to help you.
Our Sunday morning group shared some ways they practice silence and solitude. They also shared different ways God uses to speak to them.
I often hear God best when I am surrounded by nature. That is why I enjoy going for walks or hikes while on silent retreats. However, getting out in nature is not something I can do every day.
Sometimes, I simply take my cup of coffee in the morning and sit outside.
Sometimes I lay on the couch with my ear buds in and listen to music. My favorites are Tibetan Bowls or Weightless by Marconi Union from my Amazon Music Playlist.
I listen to a guided Somatic Meditation podcast on Spotify when I am feeling more anxious than normal.
The ACT Coach app Practice Mindfulness section also helps when the anxiety is high.
Other, more traditional apps I have used include:
One person asked what to do when you do all this, and the scripture passage still does not make sense to you. My quick response was “phone a friend.” I, and some others, expanded on this by highlighting the importance of community in our Christian walk – praying for understanding before we begin reading scripture, surrounding ourselves with other seekers, having these kinds of conversations, attending Bible studies, using a good Bible commentary, finding a Bible translation that suits you – all of these are tools to help us grow.
I concluded the service by handing out a sheet with the following information, encouraging them to use this as a daily devotional guide for the week.
Personal Practice:
Below are other passages on Holiness found in scripture. Spend some time practicing daily devotion by studying days 2-7.
7-Day Scripture Devotion on Holiness
Take one passage a day this week and spend time with it in prayer.
Day 1: John 17:17-19 (together)
Day 2: Leviticus 11:44
Day 3: Leviticus 19:2,
Day 4: Leviticus 20:7
Day 5: Leviticus 20:26
Day 6: Leviticus 21:8
Day 7: 1 Peter 1:15-16
Step 1: Look up and read the day’s passage.
What word does your translation use?
Step 2: Read the entire chapter and/or section.
Ask yourself:
- Who is speaking?
- Who is being spoken to?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What is the context?
- What did the speaker want his audience to know or understand?
- How can this passage relate to the world today?
- How can this passage relate to your life?
Step 3: Pray
Ask what God is trying to teach you through this passage?
Step 4: Spend Time in Silence
Set your alarm for a minimum of 5 minutes.
Sit in silence and let God speak.
TRA.Perspective 
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