What does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? What does it mean to accept him as our Lord and Savior? What does it mean to be his disciple? It takes more than a sprinkling with water, more than reciting a creed, more than attending church to be a Christian. The key words here are "be" and "believe." "Christian" is more than just an adjective. It is an attitude, a way of life. It is a way of living that sets us apart from the world, a way of being in communion, in community and in solidarity with one another.

Jesus says, "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word." Jesus is concerned not just that the disciples believe, but that through them, all may believe. His disciples have a task: to bring others to belief. This poignant prayer of Jesus comes just shortly before his betrayal. He prays, "As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Did you hear those two little words "so that"? The underlying purpose in Jesus’ prayer is so that through the disciples the world may believe that he has been sent by his Father. But how does he seek to accomplish that? Listen as the reading continues, "The glory that you have given me I have given them so that they may be one, as we are one..." Jesus has ministered to them, has taught them, forgiven them, and has given them God’s glory so that they may be one, so that in their unity, others may come to belief.

The prayer continues, " "...so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them, and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." Jesus in the disciples as the Father is in Jesus, united in spirit and in love, why? So that the world may know that God has sent Jesus and that God has loved the disciples even as He loves his Son.

John has written a chapter-long prayer in which Jesus calls on God to make a holy people of those who believe in him through Jesus. Jesus expects the world to be a better place for his having been there, and his disciples’ too. He has, in essence, been on assignment on earth, and means to keep his influence strong even after his necessary and imminent departure. The task is no less than the sanctification of the world through the sanctification of the disciples – a work which is chiefly his, but which will be carried on by the Spirit.

We might chose to ask here, who is being prayed for? Is it the human race of all time or, as some would choose to think, only the believers of divine election? Early tradition clearly opted for ambiguity here: the prayer is directed not only to those who would be saved, but to everyone in the world in need of the divine gift of God. While the prayer appears to be uttered for the members of the believing community, all are called to become members of this community. For John, this prayer represents a branching out from the disciples of his acquaintance to those who would come to believe through their evangelizing efforts. He looks for unity of belief in Jesus’ words, and his prayer is for unity in God and in Christ as demonstrated through faith. We have here, a moment in the history of one infant church, the Johannine church, when a vision of the world as it might be and the history of one actual community of faith came together. John wants believers to live in hope until Christ comes again, but he knows that the only way to make any sense out of that strange concept is to live it now.

Our text ends with these words, "Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. 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." There it is again, "so that." "...so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them." And what is the purpose of God’s love abiding in us? So that we may share it with others, so that others may come to believe. Love of God and love for one another are the fundamental tools of evangelism. It’s not enough for God’s love to be in us, we must intentionally demonstrate it in all that we do.

Consider this analogy: The Dead Sea is fed mainly by the Jordan River, which enters the lake from the north. The lake has no outlet. The inflow of fresh water is carried off solely by evaporation, which is rapid in the desert climate. Nearly six times as salty as the ocean, the Dead Sea is 27 percent solid substances: sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium bromide and other elements The lake contains no life at all except for a few microbes. Sea fish put into its waters soon die. We can liken our discipleship to the Dead Sea. The time we spend with Jesus is the fresh water flowing into our lives. The outlet leads to the world, where we are called to teach and to preach and heal in Jesus’ name. Without an outlet, we are like the Dead Sea, unable to sustain life, unable to pass on our faith. Unless we are engaged in ministry and evangelism, we are not disciples..

Think about Paul and Silas as we met them in our reading from Acts. While on their way to the place of prayer, they are accosted by a slave girl. Because this girl could tell peoples’ fortunes, she made money for her owners who hired her out to read palms and provide entertainment. She was possessed by a demon, mentally unbalanced, we might say, and she took to following Paul and Silas, shouting at them and saying things about them. Finally, at the end of his rope, fed up with her harassment, Paul turns and says to the spirit which possessed her, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out. Now perhaps Paul’s motives were not totally altruistic, perhaps all he really wanted was to get her off their case, but nonetheless, he freed her from this demon which was tormenting her.

She was free. But then again, she wasn’t, for she was still a slave, and now her owners were mad because she had lost her special powers and they could no longer exploit her for financial gain. Outraged, they dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities and complained, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to observe." Religion has gotten mixed up with economics here. The Philippian Chamber of Commerce moves into action. For messing with profits, Paul and Silas are beaten, chained and thrown into prison. This kind of scenario was fairly common. One day Jesus healed a mentally deranged man by casting his demons into some swine. For this act of charity he was promptly escorted out of town by the local Pork Dealers Association. At Ephesus, Paul had a big revival and many were converted and it was all wonderful – except that the members of Local 184 of the International Brotherhood of Artisans of Silver Shrines to Artemis were incensed. Being a disciple isn’t easy. Jesus’ message isn’t always welcomed or understood.

The girl’s owners say to the judge, "We’re not against a little religion here, as long as it’s kept in its place." They don’t come right out and say that their financial interests are threatened, instead they say that their nation is threatened. Nationalism and anti-Semitism are evoked. And then democracy kicks in, majority rules. The business leaders of the town attack and beat Paul and Silas, and have them thrown into jail. So much for Jesus’ words, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." Not so for Paul and Silas.

But wait, there’s more to the story. We learn that around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and that the other prisoners were listening to them. Even in jail, even in shackles, they were witnessing to their love of God. Then suddenly an earthquake strikes. The earth heaves, the prison shakes, the doors fly open and everyone’s chains fall off. The jailer awakens and when he sees the doors to the cells open, he assumes that the prisoners have fled. Knowing what happens to jailers who allow their prisoners to escape he prepares to take his own life but is interrupted by Paul who shouts, "Don’t do it. We’re all here, just singing." An astonished jailer says, "But you were bound in chains, now you are free to escape." to which Paul replies, "No, we prisoners are free and you, our jailer, were chained but now you are free to escape." And the jailer asks, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul and Silas answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And after washing Paul and Silas’ wounds, he and all his family were baptized.

Put yourself in Paul and Silas’s shoes. You’ve been traipsing over hill and dale, preaching and teaching and healing in Jesus’ name. Just today you cast out a demon from a slave girl, and what is your reward? You’ve been severely beaten, put in chains and tossed into prison. Now when the earthquake happens and miraculously the chains fall off and the door of the cell flies open, what will you do? Hightailing it out of there and heading for the hills seems the logical move. But no. Paul and Silas remain where they are. They carry in their hearts the love of God and the love of Jesus, so their first thought is to prevent the jailer from taking his own life. Next, they invite him to be saved.

We are all here for one of two reasons this morning: either we know Jesus Christ and have chosen to become disciples, or we are seeking to know more about him. In either event, today’s lessons carry more than a message, they carry a mandate. Jesus prays not just for his disciples but for all of us. Jesus prays that through us all might come to believe. And even more than that, he prays that through believers the world might be changed, transformed by the power of God’s love. We who call ourselves Christian, we who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and who have chosen to become his disciples, are called to bring others to belief. So that all may believe.... The lives we live must reflect God’s love so that all may believe. The decisions we make must lead to actions consistent with Christian teachings, so that all may believe. The commitments we make must engage us in ministry to the least and the lost, so that all may believe.

Evangelism, spreading God’s word and inviting people to follow Christ, is something which we all recognize as necessary if the church is to continue its role as a strong moral and spiritual force in society. But evangelism is also a word which makes many people uneasy. For some it is associated mainly with knocking on people’s doors and handing out tracts, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses. What scripture makes plain, however, is that evangelism is every Christian’s responsibility and every disciple’s obligation. Evangelism, when we understand the term, is as natural as breathing and as simple as loving. Some people can stand up in front of a church or sit around in a small group and witness powerfully to the presence of God in their lives. Some witness by accepting responsibility to serve on a church board or committee, giving of their time and talents to plan programs, promote stewardship, or manage the church’s assets. Some witness by serving on the team which prepares lunches for the homeless at The American Cathedral once a month. Others witness by participating in our prayer chain or our Open Home Groups. By engaging in these activities, we show our friends, our families, our neighbors, that serving Christ is a priority in our lives.

Evangelism can be as simple as offering to baby sit for a young mother’s child so she has a few hours free or so that she and her husband can go out for dinner. Evangelism can be as easy as giving back change when you’ve received too much. Evangelism can be no more than a phone call to a friend who is going through a difficult time or an offer to pick up groceries for an elderly friend or neighbor. Evangelism, in its most basic form is simply showing God’s love.

Jesus prayed on behalf of those who believe. He also prayed on behalf of all who will come to belief through those believe. Jesus prayed for us and for our oneness with him, so that through us, others might come to belief. Let us not be like the Dead Sea, receiving the fresh water of scripture, the fresh water of witness, the fresh water of God’s love, and allowing it to evaporate. Let us instead find outlets for witness and service so that through us God’s love will be heard and felt, so that through us all may believe. Amen.