Well, before we begin, I just wanted to spend a moment to pray for the Faber family. I sent out an email this morning. Ted is presently at the emergency room. He's got lots of infection in his body and it does not look good. So we'll pray for Ted and for Wilma and for the family as a whole. So let us pray. Our gracious and our Holy Father, we thank you for the fact that you are over all things, that you are sovereign, the God who made the world according to his power and wisdom and goodness, the God who governs all his creatures and all their actions, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who saves us from our sin. As we come this morning, we are troubled in heart concerning the favors. We just commend them to you and to the word of your grace. We pray for Ted that he would know that peace of God that does surpass all understanding. and that this transition would be smooth, that it would be to your glory and to your honor. As well, Father, we pray for Wilma, that you would just uphold her, that you would give her grace and compassion and love and kindness in the midst of these things. and be with their family as a whole. And God, we know that you are even over these things. So we thank you for that, and we pray that you would continue to guide them, bless them, and be with them in the valley of the shadow of death. And we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, you can turn with me in your Bibles to the Gospel of John, John chapter 14. John 14, we're in the upper room discourse. Some have called it the farewell discourse. And one of the emphases is that Jesus is equipping his disciples for the mission that they will undertake after his ascension on high. And one of the ways that he does that, not just by giving them commands and instructions and exhortations, but by setting forth the truth concerning God. The Christian religion teaches and confesses that there is but one only, the living and true God. But this one true living God is three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each equal in being and substance, having the entirety of the divine essence, and glorious and worthy to be praised and worshipped. So what Jesus is doing is He's letting the disciples in on that truth. We've seen already His emphasis in the section that we considered last Sunday of His consubstantiality with the Father. That means He's of one substance with the Father. All that the Father is in terms of being God, so is the Son. And then in this next section, we will see the Son speak concerning the Holy Spirit, who as the Father and the Son has the divine essence. So it's a wonderful way for our Lord to encourage his disciples by sort of letting them in on the glory of the triune God. Our focus this morning will be verses 12 to 16. We'll pick up in more detail an investigation of the Holy Spirit the next time that we gather together. But I do want to read beginning in verse one in chapter 14. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know, in the way you know. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. And from now on, you know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the father and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the father. So how can you say, show us the father? Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the father and the father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also. And greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for this wonderful discourse of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for the glory of our triune God, even Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we come to the Father through the Son by the Spirit on this Lord's Day, may God be glorified and may you be all in all in the midst of the congregation. We pray that you would send the Spirit, that the Spirit would work in the hearts of unbelievers to convict them of their sin, to show them their need for the Lord of glory, and may you by grace draw them and call them out of darkness into marvelous light, that they may confess faith in Jesus for salvation. As well, God, for your people, we pray that you would build us up and comfort and encourage us, help us as well, Lord God, to repent from our sins. We pray even now that you would wash us and cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lamb and further conform us under the image of your beloved Son by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. We thank you for this time together. We thank you for the Lord's day. We thank you for your house and for your people and pray that you would be enthroned upon the praises of your people here. And we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Well, in that last section, as I've mentioned, Jesus is stressing his unity with the father. So Philip asks the question in verse eight, Lord, show us the father and it is sufficient for us. And then, as I said, Jesus stresses his unity with him. He says specifically in verse 10, I am in the Father and the Father in me. And then he goes on to say in verse 10, the words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own. Again, that's not because he's an instrument or he's like a pen in the hand of the Father, but by unity of essence, the word that the Son speaks is the word of the Father. The word that the Father speaks is the word of the Son. The word that the Spirit speaks is the word of the Father and the Son. They have a unity of that essence. In this divine and infinite being, there are three persons. But then notice what else he says in verse 10. But the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. Now, having said that, he turns his attention to their works. And that's what he's going to address specifically in verses 12 to 14, the mission of the disciples. And then secondly, he will consider the power given to the disciples in verses 15 and 16. So he goes from his works, his mission, to then address their works and their mission. So the work of the disciples is grounded upon the mission of our Lord Jesus. If in the fullness of the time God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, it's that foundational mission of the Son that sets the stage for, say, for instance, the Great Commission. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. We do that because of what Christ has done. We do that because we have the good news of His life, His death, and His resurrection. So Christ's mission is foundational for the mission of the disciples. And that's the transition here now. He has stressed his unity of essence with the Father, and now he moves to addressing or exhorting them on how they're to function once he ascends on high. So as I said, the mission of the disciples, verses 12 to 14, and then secondly, the power given to the disciples in verses 15 and 16. But let's look first at the mission in verses 12 to 14. Before he tells them about the works that they are going to do, he reminds them of the essentially necessary thing to believe in him. Notice in verse 12, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, He who believes in me. That's the description of a Christian. We ask the question, what's a Christian? I think there's a lot of answers that people will give. Well, Christians go to Christian churches. Christians carry Bibles and hopefully read those Bibles. Christians tune in to sermonaudio.com. Christians read Christian books. Those aren't necessarily wrong answers, but a Christian is a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. A Christian is one who, by God's grace, has come to the realization that I'm a sinner before a holy God. A Christian has come to that conviction that God is angry with him because he is a rebel, a transgressor. And having known his sin by God's grace, he then looks to the Savior. He understands that it's Christ's life, it's Christ's death, and it's Christ's resurrection that is absolutely essential for that man to live. So we ask the question, what is a Christian? Again, Bible reader, church attender, singer of psalms and hymns. But he is first and foremost one born again by the power of the Holy Spirit who looks to Jesus Christ in faith. And so Jesus addresses this specifically in verse 12. He makes this amen, amen statement in verse 12. And then he says to you, or he says, I say to you, he who believes in me. Remember the context, he's emphasized that in verse one, the protection of Christ against soul trouble. Notice in verse one, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. But that reality as well of saving faith in him. Verse 11, believe me that I'm in the father and the father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. So he doesn't leave that theme. He stresses that theme, perhaps to remind them that it's by grace through faith in Christ that they not only engage in the mission, but it's by the very reason by which they're accepted by God. So he emphasizes this once again in verse 12. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me. And then he speaks concerning the works of the disciples. Now, conspicuously, I've got four sub-points here, and it's all about Christ. First, the works of Christ, verse 12b. Second, the ascension of Christ, verse 12c. Third, the promise of Christ, verse 13a. And then, fourthly, the glory of Christ in verses 13b and 14. So I think that when we approach this particular statement, when he talks about the disciples doing greater works, we need to approach it from the vantage point that this isn't a competition. This isn't Jesus saying, they're going to do greater things, and boy, I wish I could have been a participant in that. The greater works of the disciples are the works of the ascended Christ through the disciples. That's the emphasis. That's what he is saying. That's what he's declaring. Because we come to this passage and we say, wait a minute, he's the son of God incarnate. He's the word who became flesh. He dwelt among us. We beheld his glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. We watch his public ministry and he heals people. We watch His public ministry and He raises the dead. We watch His public ministry and He teaches people. And then we get to the disciples and His declaration that they're going to do greater works. Is this a competition? How could it possibly be that the disciples would outshine the Savior Himself? The Savior shines in the works of the disciples. The Savior is manifest in the greater works of the disciples. The Savior demonstrates his power in the works of the disciples. And as well, in this particular connection, they're to look at his works to confirm what I mentioned last week, that mutual indwelling. In other words, when you look at the signs that Christ accomplished, then you'll know that the Father is in me and that I'm in the Father. But as well, when you guys, you disciples, specifically go out and do these greater works, it'll be a further demonstration of the divinity of Christ, that He at the right hand of the Father has absolute sovereign power and glory over all things that the disciples set their hand to. So let's look at what he says to them concerning these greater works. Again, first, the works of Christ. He refers to his own in 10b and 11. But the Father who dwells in me does the works, the end of verse 10, and then believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. When it comes to what he says in verse 12, most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. So he asserts on his own authority that what the disciples are going to do is going to be amazing. But as I said, the works of Christ and the works of his disciples are not a competition. They're not outshining him. The works of the disciples are in fact the works of Christ himself. In fact, turn to the book of Acts in Acts chapter 1 to see something of this according to Luke. Acts chapter 1 at verse 1. Luke, friend of Paul, friend of the apostles, the physician, wrote the book of Luke, the gospel that bears his name, and then he wrote the book of Acts. In the early church, they circulated as a sort of two-volume set. They were always, or usually bound together or brought together so that persons could see not only the gospel, but also the book of Acts, which explains how that gospel is preached, Disciples are made and churches are planted. It serves as a great bridge to the epistles. If we didn't have the book of Acts, we'd get to the New Testament letters and we'd say, well, where did they all come from? How did there get to be the gospel in Corinth or in Ephesus or in Philippi or in... Colossae. How did that all happen? We've got the gospel records, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You've got the epistles, but you've got that bridge called the Book of Acts. Theological history demonstrating the power of the risen Christ. In fact, one man has a commentary on the book, and he calls it the Acts of the Risen Christ. It's not the apostles that are the emphasis in the book of Acts. And I want you to notice something in verse one, one, or chapter one, verse one, the former account I made, O Theophilus. So Luke refers to the gospel, the former account that I made to this man called Theophilus. That's a reference to his gospel record. And then notice of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. So if the gospel according to Luke records all that Jesus began both to do and teach, the book of Acts records all that Jesus continues to do and teach. In other words, the stars of the show in the book of Acts, and I know it's called the Acts of the Apostles, and that's not bad, I'm not suggesting we wrench it out of the Bible, But the emphasis is upon the risen Christ, the ascended Christ, the Christ at the right hand of the Father, who had spoken to his apostles, very specifically here in the Upper Room discourse, to prepare them for that time frame. So in verse 12, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also, which again confirms the divinity of our blessed Savior. And then he says, and greater works than these, he will do. One man says, these words not only show the power of the divinity in Christ, but also the power of faith, right? If you believe in me, you'll do my works. And if you believe in me, you'll not only do works, but you'll do greater works than I've done. And so this man says, these words not only show the power of the divinity in Christ, but also the power of faith and the union of Christ with those who believe. For just as the son acts because the father dwells in him by a unity of nature, so also those who believe act because Christ dwells in them by faith. It is the necessary reflex in terms of those conquered by sovereign grace that they will serve the Lord. Now brethren, our service is going to look a bit different than the apostles, these men that turned the world upside down in the first century, these men who launched the missionary enterprise and canvassed thousands and thousands and thousands of miles. These men who made disciples and planted churches and took the gospel throughout the Roman Empire at that particular time. I suggest there's going to be a quantitative difference, qualitative difference as well, in terms of their ministry and our ministry, but the fundamental abiding principle is simple. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you're going to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. He mentions that in verse 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. Not so that you may be saved, it's not the consequence of our obedience that we're saved, but rather the obedience is the consequence as of us having been saved. So in this particular instance, the great works are on display. And if we ask the question, well, what were they? Well, we can answer very simply that they did miraculous signs. You see sort of a reference to that in Mark chapter 16 and verse 20, Acts chapter 5 and verse 12, and then Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 4. In fact, turn to the Acts 5.12 passage is just one sort of demonstration of that. Acts 5.12. And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. So they did these great works in terms of signs, wonders, demonstrations of power. But again, that's Christ. It's Christ at the right hand of the Father. It's Christ, as he says, and we'll look at in just a moment, in his position of authority, wherein he enables them by the Spirit to engage in these mighty works. So notice, he speaks of the works of Christ, verse 12b, and then he speaks concerning the foundation of this at the end of verse 12, because I go to my Father. The greater works of Christ through the disciples is predicated on his ascension. In fact, look at chapter 16, specifically at verse seven. You've probably read this before and wondered how could this ever be the case? Notice in 16.7, nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. Imagine you're one of Jesus' disciples, you're sitting there with him in the upper room, and he tells you that he's going away. You've already heard that in chapter 13, and it's troubled your soul. It has brought perplexity, such that in 14.1 he has to say, let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. But he says here, it's to your advantage that I go away. Well, look at the explanation there in verse 7. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. So Christ says, the greater works that you're going to do, they're predicated on the fact that he's not only gonna die, but he's gonna be raised again, and then he's gonna be ascended on high. And from that position of sovereign authority and reign, he's gonna send the spirit, this other comforter or paraclete or helper that is going to enable and equip them to do these signs, to do these wonders, and to preach his glorious gospel. So it's predicated on his ascension to the throne of God most high. Remember when we worked our way through Ephesians chapter 4, the giving of gifts in that section from 7 on. And the gifts are not prophesying in tongues. They're men given to the church to function as prophets, apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers, evangelists, that sort of a thing. But what is it founded upon? It's founded upon Jesus who ascended on high, who led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. So you see, Christ is preparing the disciples. He has told them that he's going to die. He's also told them that he's going to be raised again. And here he's telling them he's going to go back to his father's throne. He's going to take that position of power and supremacy at the right hand. And as a result of that, he's going to send the Spirit. And they're going to be equipped to not only do his works, but to do greater works than what he did when he was present on the earth. Now, that doesn't mean the atonement. Of course, that's the greatest works that have ever happened. But in terms of persons addressed, Jesus went to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Where did the disciples go? All throughout the Roman Empire. How many people came to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus during his earthly ministry? I don't know. I don't have a counter. But I know on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 souls were saved. But again, no competition. Those 3,000 souls saved on the day of Pentecost is a work of Christ. It's not a work of Peter. It's not the power of Peter. It's not the ability of Peter. It's not the savvy of Peter. It's not the theology. Well, it is the theology of Peter, but it's not his. It's the Lord Christ. So he predicates this greater works thing on his ascension to the right hand of God. The greater works of Christ through the disciples is initiated at Pentecost. Joel 2 was a promise concerning the power of the Spirit coming upon the church in a great measure. What do we get in Acts chapter 2? We get in Acts chapter 2, the apostle Peter telling them that this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, when the Holy Spirit came upon the church there, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they preached the power of Christ. Turn back to John 7. John 7, we see already indicators of this in the life and ministry of the Lord in the Gospels. Notice in 739, but this he spoke concerning the spirit whom those believing in him would receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. That doesn't mean at all. David had the Holy Spirit. Isaiah had the Holy Spirit. Abel had the Holy Spirit. When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you get the Holy Spirit as the seal and guarantee of our redemption and inheritance. But there was something unique about the Day of Pentecost, as it was prophesied by Joel and accomplished in Acts 2. It was when the Spirit came in a powerful way to equip the church to engage in the greater works that Jesus speaks of here. The greater works being, make disciples in all the nations, and once those disciples are made, put them into churches so that they can learn to obey all that I have commanded, and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. So when you see the great works, say, for instance, of a Peter, or of a Paul, or of the other apostles in the ministry, in Acts, give glory to Jesus. They're the works of the risen Lord Jesus. That's the emphasis. So when we look at his statement in John 14, he predicates these greater works upon his ascension. The greater works of Christ through the disciples is a result as well of the Holy Spirit. He's going to speak of the Father giving another helper, one just like Jesus. He's going to speak concerning the Paraclete. As I said, we're going to investigate that fully, God willing, next time when we gather together again. If not, we'll see on the other side. When it comes to that, that's what's happening. The Spirit of God is poured out by the Son of God according to Acts 2.33. And it's that that demonstrates or sort of confirms or illustrates, rather, what Jesus is talking about in this particular instance. So I mentioned the signs and the wonders and the miracles that the disciples did. Do you know what? There's something even more miraculous in the apostolic preaching. There's something even more amazing in the apostolic preaching. You sort of see it in the ministry and example of our Lord Jesus. Remember in Matthew chapter nine, our Lord is teaching. And the place where he's teaching is filled to the brim. Nobody else can get in. And so these fellows have a fellow that is bedridden. He's paralyzed. And so they open up the roof and they lower that man down. And what does Jesus say to him? Get up, walk, kick your heels, go dance. No, he says, son, your sins are forgiven you. So of course, the scribes and the Pharisees, those cheery fellows that they were, start to reason in their heart too, but God alone could forgive sin. And of course, Jesus knows what they're reasoning in their hearts because he's Jesus. And he says to them, which is easier, to say to the man, your sins are forgiven you, or to say to the man, take up your pallet and walk? Well, brethren, if you think about that, it's easier to say your sins are forgiven you, right? Because we can't see that. We can't touch that. We can't feel that. We don't have an empirical way to confirm that. He said it, we know it's true, but it's one of those things that's easier to say. Well, on the heels of that, he then says to the paralytic, rise, take up your pallet, and walk. So what does the man do? He rises, takes up his bed, and he walks. Now, the intriguing thing is, is that we look at the walking as the miracle. We look at the healing as the miracle. The walking slash healing was the confirmation of the miracle of forgiveness. Because that's what Jesus says. He says, but that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. He says to the man, rise, take up your bed and walk. In other words, that external healing in terms of his legs, confirm the internal reality that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins. So when we move through the book of Acts, statements like Acts 5.12 shouldn't be done away with. It's an amazing thing. It should be, you know, we should stand it on again, give glory to Christ because they didn't have this power in themselves. The power had been given by Jesus through the Spirit in order to enable them to engage in the greater works. But it's that response to the gospel. It's the Acts 2. Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And we find those men saying, sirs, what must we do? We see that turning of 3,000 souls on that day to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, the sign, the miracle, the glorious truth of conversion is a demonstration of the greater work of our Lord Jesus Christ in the saving of sinners. What does Jesus teach in the Sermon on the Mount? It's better to go to heaven maimed or blind. It's better to go to heaven with lacking eyesight or lacking the use of a limb than go to hell whole. So again, let's make sure we appreciate the healing ministry of not only the Lord Jesus Christ, but of the apostles. But let's not do that to the neglect of the spiritual healing ministry of our blessed Savior over the hearts of men. Listen to John Gill. He kind of summarizes what the greater works means. He mentions, you know, the amount of people. He mentions the amount of signs and all that sort of thing. And then he says, the conversion of a sinner is a greater work than any of the miracles of raising the dead. For this includes in it all miracles. Listen to this. He says, here we may see a sinner dead in trespasses and sins, quickened, one born blind, made to see, one who was deaf to the threatenings of the law and to the charming voice of the gospel, made to hear so as to live, and one that had the spreading leprosy of sin all over him, cleansed from it by the blood of the Lamb. Yea, though a miracle in nature is an instance and proof of divine power, Yet the conversion of a sinner, which is a miracle in grace, is not only an instance of the power of God and of the greatness of it, but of the exceeding greatness of it, and the rather one may be induced to give into this sense of the passage." He says the same thing. Tongues! Amazing! And it wasn't gibberish. Acts chapter 2, they weren't just blah-blahing. You know, I've always thought, if you found yourself in a tongue-speaking church and you didn't know how to do it, I got a simple phrase, I bought a Honda, shoulda bought a Yamaha. You just say that quickly and they'll think you're speaking in tongues. That's not what the tongues were in Acts 2. They communicated the glorious works of God in the languages of the people that were present. And again, beautiful, wonderful display to see the acts of the apostles or the acts of the risen Lord Jesus through that. It's all amazing to see when the apostle Paul does, you know, the spotlight takes up him in the latter half of the book, Peter prior to that. It is glorious. But when it comes to, say, the Charismatic or the Pentecostal movement, they sort of complain about us that we don't have a doctrine of the Holy Spirit because we don't speak in tongues anymore. Brethren, the Holy Spirit is active and powerful and miraculous and glorious in the salvation of sinners. Regeneration of a dead soul is glorious, just like the resurrection of a dead body. We need to understand and appreciate that the greater works of these disciples are a display of the greater works of our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice then thirdly in verse 13a, he says, and whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. Brethren, we need to look at this promise in the context. Because we take passages like that and say, well, I need a new job. I need a new car. I need a boat. I need a house. I need whatever it is I need. Well, Jesus says, whatever you ask. It's a pretty tight context here. I'm not saying the principle doesn't abide. But even then, it's not a blank check. But in terms of the context, he's got the apostles. He's dismissed the betrayer after identifying him. So he's got 11 men that are going to be tasked with turning the world upside down. They're going to receive the Great Commission in Matthew 28, 18-20. They're going to be bidden to go out and engage in these greater works. So what do you think he's speaking about in verse 13 when he says, and whatever you ask in my name, that I will do? It's about the greater works that they're going to undertake. It's about the mission that is theirs to go out and preach the gospel, to go out and make disciples, to go out and plant churches. This isn't blank check, sort of word-faith heresy. This isn't, well, you know, Jesus, you said whatever I asked, and I've asked for this new boat, and I didn't get it, so I'm going to mope, I'm going to snivel, and I'm going to whine, and then I'm going to tell people, God really doesn't answer prayer. Oh yeah, he does. You just don't, like, know for an answer. But when it comes to this passage, it is very tight contextually. So notice in verse 13, "...whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." So specifically, whatever you ask is associated with the works of ministry, the greater works of verse 12. But as well, the whatever you ask is always according to the will of God. Persons will ask that sometime. We have these sort of generous promises in scripture concerning prayer to our God. Well, it's not disconnected from His will. In other words, if you pray to God to bless your sin, that's not gonna happen, because that's not according to his will. Now, if you've sinned, and you've confessed, and you've repented, and you say to God, could you please overrule all the consequences of that and help me to sort it out, then I think you have his ear, because he's in the business of sorting out. But this whatever you ask in my name is always conditioned, it's always governed by the will of God. And of course, in context, it certainly is the will of God that they go out and do the greater works of miracles and signs and wonders and the calling of sinners out of darkness into marvelous light. That is God's will. But as well, notice, in a parallel passage, the specific thing that he envisages that they'll ask for is the Holy Spirit. Turn over to Luke chapter 11. Luke chapter 11. Again, a passage dealing with prayer, and certainly we learn from it, and certainly it's appropriate and applicable to us. I just want you to notice something in Luke chapter 11. If you've ever wondered the asking and the seeking and the knocking, just think of the word ask. Ask, seek, knock. Sometimes we fumble that up. Knock and seek and ask. No, no, it's ask. Ask, seek, knock. Look at it in verse 9. So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. Again, brethren, that's a general promise of God to his people. But it's always conditioned by according to his will. Well, I knocked on this door to this Fortune 500 company, and I wanted to be the CEO, and I asked you for it, and you wouldn't let me. Again, that's not a proper use of prayer texts. If you want more on prayer, come back tonight. We're going to look at Paul's admonition at the end of Ephesians. But then notice, verse 10, for everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be open. Now, I would suggest that's good news to an unbeliever. What do you mean by that? Well, we know that it's the will of God to save a great multitude that no man can number. So be assured, an asking and a seeking and a knocking of God Most High for salvation is according to the will of God. In other words, don't say, well, you know, that's only confined to a certain class in the Christian church, and I'm not going to invoke that principle, because Butler said so. No, Butler said, whatever is according to the will of God. And the will of God is a great multitude that no man can number, from every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation. You may not know a lot about, in this divine and infinite being, there are three persons or subsistences, the Father, the Word, or Son, and the Holy Spirit, having the divine essence, yet the essence undivided. You may not get all that, but get this. Jesus came into this world to save sinners. God the Father sent him into the world to save sinners. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son to empower the disciples to go out and tell people, guess what? that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. So in other words, if you're an unbeliever, don't let texts like this scare you away. May they incite you, may they evoke, may they promote in you an earnestness in going after Jesus. Say with Peter in John 6, 68, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Now back to the text. Texts like these shouldn't scare believer or unbeliever. They should invite prayer. They should invite us to come to the throne of grace. Now notice the sort of argument that Jesus gives in verse 11. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? I hope not. I mean, we might joke, right? My brother-in-law one time, this was many, many years ago, we went to the store and one of his children said, can you get me a treat from the store? So he got a potato and put it in a bag and brought that home to the child. It was a joke. He didn't really mean that. But you see what Jesus is doing here? He's appealing to what is common among men. Your child asks for something, and it's in your power to give the child that something. Don't you give it to them? Yeah, you do. Sometimes even if it's not in your power to do it, you'll do whatever you can to try and make sure they get that. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Now note the implication of the declaration of verse 13. If you then being evil, what's the point there? You're not even righteous fathers. You're not even decent human beings. Now, maybe I'm amplifying a bit much, but I don't know how you can dance around these words. If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, look at the final statement. How much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Sometimes, brethren, powerlessness in the church, powerlessness in the Christian life, can be charged by James in this way. You have not because you ask not. I'm really trying to deal with this sin. I know it's God's will that I deal with this sin. Well, have you invoked the power of the Holy Spirit? Have you asked the Father and the Son to send the Spirit so that you may resist it? Well, this is Jesus' point here in this sort of mission of the disciples. He tells them they're gonna do greater works. And then he tells them in verse 13, specifically, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. And then that brings us to the glory of Christ in 13b and 14. He says, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. The Father's glory is in the Son. Notice in chapter 12 at verse 27. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name. And then the same thing in John 13 at verse 31. So when he had gone out, Jesus said, now the Son of man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. So those two statements point to the cross. Those two statements demonstrate the glory of the Father in the Son when the Son goes to the cross for us men and for our salvation. The statement he specifically addresses here is connected to the mission. So when the Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost, Jesus is praised. Jesus is glorified. Jesus is honored and exalted. And in that, the Father is glorified in Him. I mentioned earlier, the works of the disciples and the works of the Lord Jesus, there's no competition there. Well, there's no competition between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember, mutual indwelling. You see me, you see the Father. It's not like Jesus is trying to strip a bit of glory from the Father, or the Spirit's trying to, you know, sort of wriggle his way in there to take some of the glory. No, the Spirit brings glory to the Son who brings glory to the Father. It is this blessed, wondrous demonstration of our God, our triune God, who is from everlasting to everlasting, who made the world, who governs the world, and who's going to redeem His elect out of the world. He does display that glory in specifically redemptive categories, and that's what's going on here. the answer to prayer, and the accomplishment of the works. Notice it's executed by the Son. Verse 13, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. How can he say that? Hopefully those who have been with us to any degree of time can say, well, the hypostatic union. One person, two natures, divine and human. Thomas says, no, it is the same person who asks that the paraclete be given and who gives the paraclete. He asks as a human being, he gives as God. So in verse 13, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. It is the blessed prerogative of our Redeemer to not only be man who prays, but to be God who hears and answers prayer. And the works of God external to God are ascribed to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We call this doctrine inseparable operations because they have the essence, they have the will, they have the power. It's not three working. It's one work of God outside of God. And it displays that majesty, that glory, that excellence, and that wonder causing the children of men to stand in awe. Well, it occurs to me that we're about to run out of time, so we're going to quickly move to the power given to the disciples. I just want to take up at least verse 15. We'll take up verse 16 to 18, God willing, in a few weeks. But notice, so in this section, he's already talked about the mission of the disciples, verses 12 to 14, and now the power given to the disciples in verses 15 to 16. Verse 14, he just reconfirms again what he's already said. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Not trying to slide by that, but it's a restatement of what he said, again, to encourage them with a boldness at the throne of grace. But then notice in verse 15, he speaks of the obedience of the disciples. Why do you think he does that? Well, I'm gonna try to offer at least two answers. First, it demonstrates the difference in relation that obtains between the Father and the Son, and the Son and the disciples. We've talked about this mutual indwelling. The Father is in me, and I in the Father. Again, that's by virtue of the unity of essence. They each have the divine essence. Now, Christ is going to tell us that the Spirit is going to take up residence in our hearts, and He's going to abide in us forever. Well, you need to appreciate that the mutual indwelling, the Father in the Son and the Son in the Father, is not on the basis of obedience. Jesus loves the Father. Nobody will ever deny that. But in the divine Godhead, Jesus' position there isn't one of submission. It's not characterized by obedience. Now, in the economy, when he takes on our humanity, when he lives for us, when he dies for us, when he's raised again for us, there's subjection to his father. My meat is to do the will of him who sent me. But in terms of our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, they're not distinguished by grades. It's not that the Father is the biggest G-God, the Son is a littler G-God, and then the Spirit is a lesser G-God. In this divine and infinite being, there are three persons, each having the whole essence, yet the essence undivided. It's not partitioned out. Father 33, Son 33, Spirit 33. So, the difference in relation in terms of the Son to the Father in theology is not predicated on His obedience. But the relationship of the disciple to our master is predicated on obedience. Notice what he says in verse 15, if you love me, keep my commandments. Now, that can be a puzzling statement because sometimes people hear it and say, well, I better keep God's commandments better. I better love him more so that I can be saved. Well, as you might guess, I have three observations on this particular statement in verse 15. First, something having to do with salvation. Is Jesus teaching salvation by love and by works in verse 15? No, he's not. He's already stressed belief in Jesus in verse 12. He's already asserted that the only way to the Father is through him. It's not through our words, it's not through our love, it's not through our obedience. He's talking to justified by grace through faith believers in him. So in the realm of soteriology or the doctrine of salvation, it does teach us that obedience in terms of practice, love in terms of response, follow on the heels of us having been justified. Our confession states it well. It speaks of faith being the alone instrument of justification. But it says, but it's not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. So Jesus in verse 15 is not teaching the way to salvation is by loving him and by obeying his commandments, and then he'll reward you with salvation. No, he is saying that salvation comes through belief in Him. Salvation comes through faith in Him, which again is good news if you're an unbeliever here, because my instruction is not go out and get a whole lot better. Go out and love a whole lot more. The instruction is very simple. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. That's why it's gospel. That's why it's good news. It's not good news for me to tell you, you better work your fingers to the bone, and when you're dripping with blood and sweat, hopefully God will reward you with salvation. If that's your idea of good news, I don't want it. I like the kind of good news that we sing from time to time, nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Or the kind of good news spoken of by the prophet Zechariah, in those days there will be a fountain open for sin and uncleanness. that hymn that at least I think has that statement in the background. When sinners plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains, we're not saved by our love and obedience. We're saved unto love and obedience. It's kind of like election. Ephesians chapter 1, he shows us in him before the foundation of the world that Not because that we should be holy and without blame before Him. He doesn't choose us because we are. He chooses us so that we'll become by His grace and for His glory. The theological connection here is justification and sanctification. We're justified freely by God's grace through faith in Jesus, and as a consequence of that, we enter the life of sanctification where we love God, where we seek by grace to obey God, and the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable that. It's the gratitude response to the grace that has been given to deal with our guilt. but as well in terms of the law. This speaks concerning the normative use of the law. 1 Timothy 1.8, Paul says, we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. What does Paul mean? There's a lawful use of the law and an unlawful use of the law. You know what an unlawful use of the law would be? For me to say, go out, fix yourself, get a whole lot better, and bring yourself unto God to see if he's gonna save you. That's to butcher souls. That legal spirit in preaching is killing its tens of thousands. We preach grace. We preach blood. We preach Jesus' righteousness. Now, when sinners by that grace come to Him and avail of His blood and righteousness, then Jesus tells us, this is how you're supposed to live. That's the right use of the law, or the normative use of the law, and that's what Jesus is referring to here. If you love me, keep my commandments. And then I would suggest practically in this context, why does Jesus say what he says? I would say that loving obedience to Christ is going to be the impetus for their mission. He gives them command, he'll supply them the spirit, but what is gonna motivate them in terms of going out and pounding the pavement? It's gonna be their love for Jesus. In fact, look at John 21, which is something of an epilogue in the gospel record. Notice in John 21 at verse 15, there's no difference here in terms of the words used for love. Sometimes preachers say, well, he's just asking for the bare minimum. He can't get the full monte, he's just giving, no, no. The terms love here are used synonymously. Don't get hung up on that weirdness. Look at 2115. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? What's the more than these? Fishing equipment? Nets? I don't think so. Fellow disciples? Probably. I don't think he's asking it in competitive ways. Peter, do you love me more than John does? I think he's saying that if you want to be an effective minister of the gospel or an apostle of the Lord, Peter, your first priority is the Lord. He's got to be everything. He's gotta be preeminent because it's that love, worship, adoration, and praise for him that's gonna move you to go love your neighbor as yourself, to go take the gospel to your fellows. Notice, he said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. He said to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, tend my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, feed my sheep. I think that's the connection here in verse 15. It's loving obedience to the Lord on the part of the justified by faith alone believers that is going to help them in the midst of the opposition. In other words, when they go from town to town and city to city, the Apostle is drummed up on false charges and brought or hauled before the civil government. He loves, he worships, he praises his Savior. He wants to obey. He wants to honor. He wants to glorify. And as well, it moves him to love sinners. so that he'll go to those sinners so they'll be saved. So loving obedience to Christ is the impetus for their mission. I would suggest, secondly, loving obedience to Christ, and this is where we're going to end, this is your practical application here, loving obedience to Christ is the fruit of one's having been justified by faith in Christ. Let me just read that again. Loving obedience to Christ is the fruit, not the cause, not the reason, I thought a lot of problems in theology could be solved if we just knew the difference between a cause and a consequence. If you don't get the difference between a cause and a consequence, you're going to be a Roman Catholic in your soteriology. You're going to be a New Perspective in Paul in your soteriology. You're going to be a Federal Visionist in your soteriology. Causes and consequences. What's the cause of our salvation? Or the instrument, the causal means by which we come? It's grace through faith. What's the consequence? Sanctification, loving obedience. doing what the Savior calls us to do, not so that we can be saved, but by virtue of the fact that we are saved. So loving obedience to Christ is the fruit of one's having been justified by faith in Christ. Machen, on Galatians 5, he says concerning verse 6, Love, according to the New Testament, is not the means of salvation. But it is the finest fruit of it. A man is saved by faith in order that he may love." That's Jesus' point. In other words, he's not your typical boss. Okay, troops. well, your typical military commander. Hopefully, if you business owners have employees under your employ, you don't talk to them the way that military people talk to their subordinates, or at least they used to. Everybody's dancing around now. I doubt that's really going on in at least the US military. But they didn't kind of give you incentives, enticements. They didn't try to coach you into observance in terms of your duty and responsibility. They said, pick up your stuff and go do what you're supposed to do. But do you think you butt butt in a military? No, you don't butt butt. You just do what you're supposed to do. And good news, if you don't do what you're supposed to do, we will put you in jail. So when you look at this commander, that's not the way he rules. It's not the way he governs. Now get out there and start evangelizing all these lost souls. No, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. And to aid you in that, because you're gonna fail miserably even in that, I'm gonna ask my father and he's gonna send the paraclete. so that he can dwell or abide in you forever. This is a tightly, beautifully argued piece of revelation designed to encourage the disciples at the ascension of the Lord to receive the Holy Spirit and then to go out and do what he calls them to do. If you love me, you'll keep my commandments. It's a blessed thing. John tells us in his first epistle, the commandments are not burdensome. It's not a ball and chain. This is something that God is about, and I'm going to supply the Spirit so that you will comply and that you will do those things. And then I would suggest the final thought in terms of practical is that loving obedience to Christ is the gratitude, I've already kind of alluded to this, for all of us. We're not in the upper room, we don't have this direct causal relationship with Jesus at Apostles, Day of Pentecost, go out and make disciples and found churches. But what he says here in principle is the very essence of our Christian life. Why do we do what we do in terms of singing, in terms of Bible reading, in terms of praying, in terms of the fellowship of the saints? Because we have to? No, we love him and we want to do what he calls us to do. That's why David says in Psalm 122, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord. They didn't have to put his arm behind his back and say, come on, David, we're gonna get you to the house of the Lord. He's glad to do that. Why? Because gratitude to God's grace that dealt with our guilt produces from the people of God, loving obedience. That's not legalism. That is a lawful use of God's law. In the realm of the normative use, you do what God calls you to do. He empowers you by his grace and spirit. And this is a means whereby you bring glory to the son, which brings glory to the father. That this idea is somehow considered unbiblical shows the deficiency in the modern church era. Preach the law lawfully. The normative use of the law is lawful. If you love me, Jesus says, you will keep my commandments. Why do we love him? Galatians 4, or 1 John 4, because he first loved us. And this is the reflex, this is the response, this is our reasonable service, as Paul calls it in Romans 12. So for unbelievers, The argument stands, ask, seek, knock. God's will is to save sinners. If you're a sinner, then you are savable. Believers, if you love me, not me, Jim, but him, Jesus, keep my commandments. Gratitude, appreciation, praise, worship, and glory given to the Father and the Son, empowered by the Spirit. Well, let us pray. Our gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for our Lord's clear instructions to his disciples. Give us grace to receive these things, give us grace to heed these things, and give us grace to glorify and honor you each and every day. Bless the work of the church all over the earth. May she go therefore, may she make disciples, may she plant churches and just continue to duplicate and replicate these wonderful Christ-blessed efforts to advance the cause of God and truth here on earth. And we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We'll stand and sing. Our closing song will be 564. I think. 564. ♪ In gladness now ♪ ♪ Who holy, true and wondrous works ♪ ♪ With glory in gladness now ♪ ♪ And blessed be his glorious name ♪ ♪ To all eternity ♪ ♪ The whole earth let His glory fill ♪ ♪ Amen, so let it be ♪ ♪ The whole earth let His glory fill ♪ ♪ Amen, so let it be ♪ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all, amen. Go with us now, Lord God. We pray that we would know your peace, your nearness as our good in this life. And may we seek by your grace to glorify you in this present evil age. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen. Well, please be seated for a brief time of meditation.