Jesus Explains His Departure

Transcript

GR 391
2/22/1981
Jesus Explains His Departure
John 14:7-15
Gil Rugh

John’s Gospel in your Bibles and the 14th chapter. John chapter 14. We’ve looked through the first six verses in our study together in the 14th chapter of John, as Jesus continues His discussion with the disciples to reassure them and prepare them for His coming departure and the ministry that will be theirs after He departs from the earth. They were unsettled by some of the things He said in chapter 13, particularly the statement that He was going to leave them behind. He was going away and they couldn’t come with Him at this time. It is very troubling and unsettling to them. So chapter 14 began with the command from Christ, ’’Stop being troubled in your heart.” Why should they be unsettled? They may not understand all that is being said. They may not have a clear picture of the future, but their responsibility is to believe in God and to believe in Jesus Christ. ’’Believe in God, believe also in Me.” So the fact that they are unsettled about their future should not cause them trouble and worry because their confidence is rooted in God. He has not lost control. He is not at a loss over what to do in caring for them. So the cure for a troubled heart is to trust God. To trust Jesus Christ and to rely upon Him as sufficient to meet the need and care for you.

Now He does give them an explanation of His departure. He said, "In My Father's house are many dwelling places." His Father’s house, referring to heaven. He goes on to say, "I am going to prepare a place for you.” That took some of the sting out of His departure. He is going to His Father's house for the purpose of getting things ready for me. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, then I’ll come back and get you so you can be with me." There would be no point in preparing a place for them if He didn't come back and take them to that place. So again, things ought to be starting to settle down, even though they don’t understand it all. "I’m going to My Father’s house to get things ready for you, so then I’ll come and get you and take you to be with Me in My Father’s house That's encouraging, not discouraging. And we noted the place that He is preparing is the New Jerusalem. It is described somewhat in detail in Revelation chapter 21 and chapter 22. In detail, but not in detail. Enough detail to emphasize to us the tremendous splendor and glory of our future habitation. The place that Christ has prepared for us almost defies description. This is where their attention ought to be—on the destiny that is theirs. To reside in glory in the presence of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. And looking and anticipating His coming again to take us to be with Himself. And we noted the prime emphasis here would be for us at the Rapture of the Church, when Christ will descend in the clouds and gather to Himself every person who has come to trust Him as Personal Savior, and then take them to that dwelling of glory that He has prepared for them Thomas had raised a question, "I don't know where you're going, and I don't know the way to get there." Jesus responds, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me." Important to note. Christ Himself is the way. He is not the one who gives you information about the way, although He does because He tells you about Himself. But He Himself is the way. In other words, the only means of access into the glory of God's presence is Jesus Christ. So how do I get from earth and its troubles and trials into the glory of God's presence for eternity? Jesus Christ. I come to believe in Him as the Savior who died for me. That puts me on the way in a personal relationship with the One who is the way. The One who guarantees my access into God's presence. He's also the truth. What He says about God and access to God is the standard by which all is measured. There are many religions, there are many teachings about heaven and how to get there. There is only one truth—Jesus Christ. We talk about heaven, about access to heaven, Jesus Christ is the truth about that. What He is and what He says is truth. And the life. A relationship with God for eternity is found in Him. So it all centers in Jesus Christ and He is the focal point in this discussion, because the problem that we'll consider in the verses before us is that the disciples really don't know Him. They know Him yet they don't know Him. They have knowledge about Him but they haven't come to the depth of insight and understanding that brings settled conviction and confidence about their situation.

So verse 7, Jesus continues... and we've broken in to the discussion and we'll do that again at the end of our study today. So if you can read through chapters 13 through 17 at one sitting, you'll get something of the flow of the events of this evening. We broke off in the middle of Jesus' discourse and explanation. He continues in verse 7. "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also." Almost a surprise to hear Him put it this way. It implies that they haven't known Him. The word here denotes an intimacy in their experience and knowledge of Him. "If you had known Me..." and you haven’t you would have known My Father..." but you don't. Now He's talking to the eleven disciples. Judas is gone. Eleven men who have come to believe in Him. They have been used by Him. In whom He has invested His life for three years. They are believers. They are saved men. But Jesus says, "You really don't know Me." What He is talking about here is the knowledge of maturity. The intimacy of understanding that still eludes them. After 3 years with Him they still fail to grasp what is involved in His Deity and being God in the flesh. Now we can empathize with them. We can appreciate the difficulty of grasping that truth, but it does not make it acceptable. But there is a promise at the end of verse 7. "From now on you know Him, and have seen Him." We'll talk about the explanation of that in a moment. But Jesus notes there is going to be a change. You haven't really known Me up to this point. You haven't really known My Father. Now again, He's talking about knowledge that believers have. They know Him intimately compared to the unbelieving Jews. But they haven't come to the maturity of knowledge concerning the person of Christ as yet. But a word of hope—"From now on you know Me, and have seen Me." Talking about His Father, but to Know Him is to know the Father. "From now on you know Him, and have seen Him.' This clicks in Philip's mind. Now Philip takes over the discussion from Thomas, and he has a request. "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." That would be sufficient. I take it what Philip is saying is 'Give us a theophany.' A manifestation of your Father here. That would resolve any difficulty. You can appreciate that. He is a Jew. He has an Old Testament background. You think back through the Theophanies of the Old Testament. Go back to Exodus, chapter 24. A theophany is a manifestation of God—compound Greek word, to manifest in God. Theophany is a manifestation of God. A visible presentation of God. Happens numerous times through the Old Testament.

In Exodus 24, we'll just pick out this one example. Here in the giving of the Covenant and the confirmation of that covenant, the Mosaic Law with the nation Israel, the Covenant is read, in verse 7, to the people and the people respond in declaring their allegiance to it. The blood is applied to seal the covenant. Then verse 9, "Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel". . . (note verse 10) This leadership—Moses, Aaron and his sons and the seventy leaders of Israel, "...they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself." I'm sure that was a tremendous event. Other occasions, Exodus 33, Moses is granted a glimpse of the back of God. Isaiah 6, Isaiah was given a glimpse of the glory of the Throne Room of Heaven. Now, as Jesus says 'You know Him, and have seen Him' this clicks in Philip's mind. To see God—wouldn't it be fantastic if we could have an experience like Moses, and Aaron and the elders had. That would settle it for us. That would be sufficient, Lord, if we could see Your Father. If we could see God. Now stop and think, and you can appreciate his request, would it make a difference in your faith this morning if God would display Himself the way He did with Moses and Aaron and the elders? If you would see the God of Israel standing here on a pavement like sapphire as clear as the sky itself, would that make a difference in your faith? You think you would believe more because of that? Now here Philip, in a time of trouble and unsettledness, as Jesus talks about His departure, says M0h, if only I could see Him with my eye. That would settle it for me. That would be adequate to remove any doubts, any trouble in my heart."
Come back to John 14. Look at verse 9. "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father'?"' Philip, I've been with you for three years and now you ask the question. You have the request to show us the Father. What does the Father look like in effect, is what he is saying? It would be so meaningful for me to see the Father. 'Philip, he who has seen Me has seen the Father.' But there's a difference. You have to admit the glory of that scene in Exodus 24, where here you have a vision of God in glory standing on a street like sapphire, and here you have Jesus Christ in a body like you and I have. A body that was susceptible to hunger, to weariness, etc. And you contrast that. You can appreciate that Philip missed the point, but there's no excuse for it. "He that has seen Me, has seen the Father." What is He talking about? He cannot be talking about the physical tangible part because God is a spirit, John 4 told us. John chapter 1 told us that no one has seen the Father at any time. Interesting. Philip asks for a theophany. All the theophanies of the Old Testament are Christophanies. By that we simply mean that all the manifestations of God in the Old Testament were really manifestations of Jesus Christ before His birth in Bethlehem. Jesus could have given him that demonstration. He could have given him a display of glory here. He says, "Philip, that would turn your attention from what really matters. If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." What does He mean? I am the very essence and nature of God. When you have been confronted with Me, you have been confronted with God. What is significant is not physical, tangible things, but the very essence and nature and being of God. And God the Father and God the Son are identical in essence and nature and being. Distinctive persons, but identical as in essence and nature and being. So how can you say "Show us the Father"? Philip, I’m all there is. When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. Now the trappings of glory, if I can use that expression and I don’t mean that in a bad sense, but the things that accompany the glory, the street like sapphire, the pavement like gold, the glory of the angels’ presence, they are all accompanying things. But that of importance is the essence and nature and being—He who has seen Me, has seen the Father. We are identical.

Turn over to Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1 begins by making a contrast. In former times God had spoken in different ways, through different instruments—the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us in One who is vastly superior as a revelation of God because He is One who is a Son, and a Son portrays the very essence and nature of the Father. The being of the Father is seen in the Son, and God has spoken to us in One who is a Son. And note verse 3. "He (the Son, Christ) is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of His nature." When you've seen Jesus Christ, you've seen precisely what God the Father is because they are identical in their essence. Their nature is the same—it is Deity.

Back to John, chapter 14. Remember in John chapter 1, verse 18, we’re told that "No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." He has declared Him. He has made Him known. The purpose of the Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—that God the Son, Jesus Christ, be that person of the Godhead who unveil and make fully known Deity. And when you know one person of the Godhead, you know all three persons because they are identical in nature and essence and being.

So back to John chapter 14. "He who has seen Me, has seen the Father. How do you say, Show us the Father?" What else is there to be said? You ought to be satisfied with Me.

We run into the same kind of problem with believers today. We like the tangible. I think J. I. Packer in his book, Knowing God, speaks to this point very well when he talks about pictures of Jesus. We like to have a picture of what He looked like. We like to be able to think in our minds, What did He look like? We see something of an interest in this by people who claim they had a vision of heaven, or they had a vision of Jesus Christ. People flock to see what did He look like? What kind of beard did He have? Or, didn’t He have? How long was His hair? We’d pick out a picture that someone has drawn and that becomes a favorite one of ours. When I think of Christ, that’s what I think of Him looking like. But you know, there's no such description in the Scripture because that's not crucial. He had a physical body like you and I have. What is crucial as regards Jesus Christ is His essence, His being, His nature, His Deity. is not seen in physical description. He was Deity
residing in bodily form, but the bodily form is not what is significant. If my faith is firmly planted in Him and the revelation He has given of Himself and His Father, it ought to make no difference to me whether Jesus Christ would stand here bodily with me this morning or not. He's promised me in His Word that He'll never leave me nor forsake me. He is with me all the time. He has revealed His character to me in His Word. I know what He is like. Why do I need to have Him here in bodily form? Well, it would be so reassuring to be able to look and see Him there. Why? Don't I believe His Father? Don't I believe Him? Yes, I do; but no I don't. I do, but it would really help my faith if I could see Him. It ought to be enough that He has revealed Himself and I come to know Him through that revelation. I can really know what He is like. That ought to absorb us as His children. I can know what God is really like. He is One with whom I have a personal relationship. One with whom I am going to be intimately involved for all eternity and now He has given me a book and He reveals in it exactly what He is like. The details of His character. You must admit that Bible is a rather full book! There is a lot in it. And it all revolves around revealing God. Making Him known. If I want to know what God is like, I come to this book and read it and study. Isn't it amazing that we can be satisfied with a passing acquaintance of such an important person? It's almost sac religious to simply call Him an important person! He is the Sovereign God, and yet I am satisfied to just know a few things about Him. He says 'Here is what I am like, in My very being. And you have the privilege of coming to know Me intimately' and I'm satisfied to just pick it up and thumb through it and say 'Yes' and spend more time and have more interest in who's going to win the game than in what my God is like. I spend more time being entertained by passing, transitory, irrelevant things than I do with filling my mind with Him and His glories and the truth of His character. Makes no sense how many believers are relatively ignorant of the character of God, of what God is really like as He has revealed Himself in His Word. I can know as much about Him as I want because I cam emerge myself in the description that He has given of Himself, in His revelation to know more of Him. What a privilege. What an opportunity. Yet I take it so lightly. "He who has seen Me has seen the Father, how do you say 'Show us the Father.'" Don't you believe? "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works."

"Do you not believe what I have said?" These are believers, as we use the expression. They have come to trust Christ. But you note, they are to be living out their faith. They had a statement of faith, so to speak, that was good. They would have declared their allegiance. Peter did at the end of chapter 13 to Jesus Christ, even to the point of death. And now he has to ask them a simple question—Don't you even believe what I've told you? That I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The disciples were like many of us. We're satisfied with a passing acquaintance of the Word. And we don't come down to grips to grapple with what it says, to resolve it. To be sure that I've assimilated it into my life and know what He's really saying. They've heard Jesus say repeatedly through even the record of this gospel, chapter 12 and again in chapter 13, that He is inseparably identified with the Father. Now here He is, the last night after three years of ministry with His disciples, and He has to ask them the question, Don't you believe what I told you? That I and the Father are one? "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me." Note the last part of this statement. "The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me speaks." That's what you would expect to see there. But "the Father abiding in Me does His works." "The words I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, the Father abiding in Me does His works." The words of Christ are the works of God. Now you see there is no distinction. When Christ is speaking, that is the work of God, communicating His message. There is not the distinction sometimes made—the words and the work blend together. Because what Christ speaks is the work of God. It is His message being communicated. So the conclusion in verse 11, "Believe Me that I am in the Father." You note He doesn't say here "Believe in Me." We must believe in the person of Christ, but saving faith, true faith, goes on beyond that it has content. When we talk about believing in Christ, we're talking about believing the Christ that is communicated in the Scripture that has content in it. 'Believe Me, what I am saying, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me.' Now, you say 'I believe that.' The disciples would have said they believed that. Well, what He is talking about here then is the outworking of that faith into practice. Where is the room for a troubled heart? Where's the room for a question about what God the Father is like? Believe what I've said and that resolves it. "...otherwise believe on account of the works themselves." The works that Christ did are a testimony to what He has done. This has been emphasized repeatedly in the Gospel as well—chapter 5, verse 36; chapter 10. Jesus reiterated it repeatedly. Trust because of the works that I am doing. The works are an evidence. And in the Gospel believing because of the works is significant. But it indicates somewhat of a lesser faith. The same as we’ll have when we get over to chapter 20 with Thomas, when Thomas believes Him because He can see the nail prints in the hand and the wound in the side. And Jesus will say, ’That's great but blessed are those who believe and haven’t seen.’ Jesus said, "Believe because of the works."

The testimony of the works are there. Believe Me what I say. They work together. They say the same thing. Now when you come to the works He has an interesting statement to say in verse 12. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father." Now here Jesus has been talking about the works of the Father accomplished in Him. Tremendous work done. And now Jesus says that the one who believes in Me can do the same works that I do. In fact, he’ll do greater things than I have done. Now this verse has caused some question. Some believe that this means that we as believers will do greater miracles than Christ did. I don’t think you can make a case for that. You go and read through the Book of Acts. You do not find more miracles done by the apostles than you find done by Christ in the Gospels. In fact, you find the reverse. The Gospels record many more miracles that Christ was doing than the Book of Acts records that the disciples are doing. You don't find greater numbers. Secondly, you don't find any miracles in the Book of Acts which are greater in kind that Christ did. In fact, you don’t find anywhere in the whole Book of Acts where anyone raised a person who had been in a grave four days like Jesus did Lazarus. What greater miracle could be done than raising the dead, in particular raising a person who had been in a grave four days. So He can't be talking about doing greater kinds of miracles, because what can you do? That He didn't already do? He cast out demons, He healed the blind, He healed the lame, He raised the dead. You say I'm going to do greater miracles? What could I do, in effect, that would top that? If that's the way I'm going to interpret this? It's not recorded in Acts and down to today. The point here is made when He says, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me the work that I do, he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go to the Father." The point here is going to be developed fully, beginning with verse 16, is that Christ's going to the Father provides the coming of the Holy Spirit. It will add a dimension to the spiritual ministry of these disciples that even Christ's ministry didn't have. We see this in the Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts you find more people saved through the apostles than you do in the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. In fact, on the Day of Pentecost as a result of Peter's preaching, most commentators believe that more people were saved on that one day than were saved during the entire three years of Jesus' public ministry. You read through the Book of Acts, and what happens? Numbers of Gentiles are saved as a result of the ministry of the Word of God. You don't find that during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. The Gentiles are excluded. The disciples aren't even sent to minister to Gentiles. But now with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, what happens? There is a ministry going on that is greater than Jesus' ministry. That does not put Jesus down, because the ministry we have is founded on His going to the Father. Because of the death of Christ on the cross, His resurrection and ascension to the Father, He sent the Spirit to indwell believers and to carry out a ministry that is based upon the death and resurrection of the Son of God. And that brings greater spiritual blessing than the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. You get to the end of the public ministry of Christ and you don't find the nation converted let alone the Gentiles. But you move through the Book of Acts and you find Jews being saved by droves in the first part of Acts, and as the book moves along you find multitudes of Gentiles being saved. And we find that ministry being carried on today as Christ is proclaimed. We have a full auditorium here of people hearing the Word of God, being ministered to by the Spirit of God. I take it that is what is being talked about in verse 12 of chapter 14. Greater things than He did—talking about the spiritual ministry that He carries on. What He does is take their attention from these physical things—they’re talking about works and miracles, theophanies, and He carries it to the spiritual which is really the significant area. We have a hard time with that today. We still want to pull it back to the physical as though if a physical miracle was done that is more significant than the proclamation of the Gospel and the saving of a soul. Jesus says the greater ministry is the salvation. Someone announces a healing meeting and the auditorium is packed. You advertise a healing handkerchief and you get monies in the bundles. Why? Because we want to come back and emphasize that. I don’t want to have faith. I want to be able to see it, to touch it. Jesus says, "Greater things will you do," talking about the spiritual ministry that is carried on. Read the Book of Acts and see where the emphasis in that book is. There are miracles there but they don’t get the attention that the conversions do in the ministry of the apostles.

Verse 13. A promise. He's promised we're going to do greater works than He did. Now He gives us the assurance that we can have from Him whatever we ask. Note verse 13 and 14. "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. And if you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." Let's pick up the end at the beginning. The promise here—you ask, that will I do, in verse 13. Verse 14, I will do it. Clear statement of the Deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus, in effect, says ’You pray and I'll answer it.' You ask whatever you want and I'll do it. Now that would be blasphemy if it were said by anyone but Deity. For me to say to you, 'You ask from God whatever you want and I'll give it to you.' That would be blasphemy. Here Jesus said that, Whatever you ask. No limitation on it. Expressions used here in verse 13, whatever; and anything, in verse 14. These are inclusive expressions. Limitless concepts. Anything! Whatever! You ask and I'll give it to you. Now that is a blank check in the fullest sense of the word. Whatever. You say, 'Wait a minute. I am a Christian. I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I have asked for a lot of things that I didn't get.' Well, I have to be honest this morning. I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior, and I have asked Jesus Christ for a lot of things that I didn't get. And yet He says, "Whatever you ask. Anything you ask, I'll give it to you." Now we often qualify this in a way that He doesn't. He doesn't say, "Whatever you ask, I'll give it to you if you have enough faith. If you ask anything with enough faith, I'll give it to you." If you ask anything in a special way, I'll give it to you." He doesn't qualify it that way, does he? Mostly today, we say 'Well, you evidently didn't have enough faith when you asked because if you have the faith as a grain of mustard seed you could move a mountain.' So if you ask anything with the faith of a grain of mustard seed, put the two verses together (although He doesn't here), but there is some implication here. "Whatever you ask in MY NAME!" Important qualification. This request is in the name of Christ. Now that does not mean putting "in Jesus' name" at the end of our prayers. I don't have any problem with that—I usually do it when I pray. And if I pray here publically and don't do it, usually I get a note or two on the card that I left it off! And I think we have come to identify that expression as some kind of magical formula. That no matter what you pray, if you add at the end "in Jesus' name" that means God will hear it. But if you leave that off—ever find yourself thinking that when someone prays? If they just close it and say "Amen" all of a sudden it pops into your mind, they didn't say "in Jesus' name." And we become conditioned to that. And it's almost like our prayer wheel! You know, if you stop at the right number, the number here is "in Jesus' name." That's the key! And as long as you attach that formula to anything it'll work. That's not what He's talking about at all. I don’t have any problem with putting "in Jesus' name" at the end of your prayers. That's not the point. The point here is that you ask consistently with the character of Christ. Based upon His person and His work. That's the significant thing. You may do that and not say at the end of your prayers "in Jesus' name." You may say at the end of your prayer "in Jesus' name" but not be asking according to His character, based upon His person. So, that's a very major qualification here. Is what you're asking in line with the character of Jesus Christ? He's not giving us a blank check here to run around and fulfill our selfish desires as spoiled brats. That wouldn't be good for us. You don't give your 6-year old kid your checkbook and tell him to just go down to Gateway and have fun! You say that'd be ridiculous. But some Christians get the idea that that's what a verse like this means. God's given us His checkbook and we can run around and do whatever we want in any state of immaturity. NO! We must ask in His name. Consistent with His character, based upon on His person and work. Now that's still pretty broad. Why would I want to be asking for things contrary to His character anyway? Now Christ answers here, He says He will answer, "that the Father may be glorified in the Son." The purpose of Christ answering this prayer that we ask is so that the Father may be glorified. Because it demonstrates the greatness of God when our prayers are answered. You see here the Father and the Son working together. Christ answers our prayers so that His Father is glorified. What He has done in the Son is seen to be true and genuine. So it'll have to fit that what I ask will be consistent with the glory of God. I ask for some things that are selfish. James I ask for some things that I don't get because I ask that I might consume them upon my lusts. They're not for the glory of God. They're for the fulfillment of my lusts. Well, that's out of line with what He says here. It doesn't fit the "whatever." It amazes me some of the things that Christians tell me they've prayed about. And they're sure it's alright because I've prayed about it. But what you're doing is totally contrary to the character of God. I know, but I prayed about it. It must be alright. Something's wrong. If it cannot be seen in light of God’s glory, He will not answer. It's not His will.

He reiterates then in verse 14. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” So we often get hung up on the limitations. But when you get down to it, the limitations are limitless throughout Scripture because all we are free to do is to live in submissiveness to Him. To serve Him. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price. And I can have whatever I want within those confines and I’m not to be wanting anything else. So, I can have everything I want as a Christian, consistent with the character of God in light of His glory.

Further statement, verse 15. It’s sort of a transition. It ties with what follows because this all links together. We're going to stop at verse 15. You note verse 16 starts with the word "And...” so you know the flow continues. And verse 15 goes with what follows, but it's important to see its connection with what precedes because not only do we have to ask consistent with the character of Christ based upon His person and work, and in light of the glory of God, but it must flow out of a life of obedience. "If you love Me, you will be keeping My commandments.” Now, I take it that is within the context that He has just talked about. Those who are going to ask consistent with His character in light of the glory of God will be those who are living obediently to Him because they are in love with Him. Again, as has been done earlier and is done consistently in the New Testament, love and obedience are inseparable. Love is not a feeling, it is an action. Agape love is what we're talking about. "And if you love Me, you will be keeping My commandments” So it’s not a matter of saying, ’Oh, yes, I believe in Jesus Christ, therefore, I ought to be able to ask for what I want.' Do you love Him? You say, ’Of course I love Him. I have some strong feelings for Him.' Well, what is your lifestyle like? Is your life lived in accord with His Word? Well, sometimes. He says, "If you love Me, you'll keep My commandments."

Look over in First John chapter 3. John writes about this after the death of Christ and His resurrection. First John chapter 3. The context of prayer.
First John chapter 3, verse 22, "...and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight." We get whatever we like from Him because we are obedient children. And we do what pleases Him. What are His commandments? "And this is His commandment that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us." Let me make a note on the word "commandment." When John writes about commandment, he can use two words. He’s not writing about the Mosaic Law here, the Ten Commandments. He uses a different word for law or commandments when he writes about the Mosaic Law. In his gospel and in his epistles. Here he is writing about the commandments or instructions of Jesus Christ, not the commandments of the Old Testament Law. And he gives an example here—that we believe in the name of His Son, and we love one another. We saw this in chapter 13 on Christ's command to love one another. "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." So our love for Him is demonstrated by our obedience to Him. So, I can have whatever I want from Him as His child as long as I am functioning consistently with His character and the glory of His Father, obedient to His instruction. That's not a great limitation. If you are a parent who really cares about your children you function in a similar way. You expect them to conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with you and your desires for them. You expect them to be obedient children. And when you have a child who is functioning like that, you are happy to give them their desires because they're not like the spoiled brat who misuses it and abuses it. One thing I want to say about our prayer life. Just a question, a comment first. As you come back to John 14, often we are rebuked because so much of our prayer life centers on what we want. But that's where Jesus focuses here in John 14. In verse 13, "Whatever you ask..if you ask anything." It's not wrong for me to be asking God. There are ought to be other things that ought to be in my prayers like thanksgiving, my praise to Him, my adoration of Him, etc. But I take it a significant portion of my prayers, significant the number of words for prayer in the New Testament that have to do with requesting or asking. It’s logical that a significant portion of what my children come to me is things they are asking for. I like it when they mention other things and thank me, etc. but in the pattern I expect usually that they're going to be coming asking and there is an emphasis on that in the New Testament. You can coming asking. But you note. Stop and analyze your prayer life. Think of how much we ask for has to do with this material realm? With things? When we’re really motivated in prayer is when things are going wrong in the physical realm. Our physical health, our job situation. That’s when we really come to grips with prayer. But here, this injunction is given in the context of verse 12 which immediately precedes it where He talks about 'greater works’ which carry us into spiritual things. I take it a significant amount of our prayer life ought to have to do with things which are greater, more important and more significant. That focus in the spiritual realm. I'm not putting down the physical. Paul was buffeted in the flesh by a messenger of Satan. He besought the Lord three times for deliverance. You find prayers for physical things in the Scripture. I'm not putting that down. But we as believers ought to analyze our prayer life and see if we’re really being caught up in this realm. It may explain why so few of our prayers are being answered. So much of what happens in the physical is for selfish things often. We're asking it for self because it's inconvenient to do without it because it would make life easier if we had it. It would seem smoother without this affliction, and I'm comfortable coming to God with those areas. But I ought to be sure that I am functioning in the realm that is important and then asking Him accordingly.

Do you really know Him? How well do you know Him as a believer? I don't mean have you come to trust Him. Many of you have. If you haven't come to trust Him as Savior, you're totally ignorant of Him. But where are you in your understanding of God and His character and His person? How well acquainted are you with the revelation He has given of Himself? Are you as conversant with this Book which is the revelation of the eternal God as you are with your favorite television program? We can talk about the details of what happened and who did what and how well they did their roles. We can what the score was for the last ten years of our favorite team. How well acquainted are you with the revelation He has given of Himself? Do we know Him well enough to sit down and converse about Him intelligently for an extended period of time? Not because we want to display our knowledge but because we are enthralled with Him. He's the One that we love. He's the One that we rejoice over. He's the One I want to talk about. Ever been with someone who's in love—shouldn't say it that way! I'm thinking more of someone where it's a new area for them! How much they like to talk about that person? Husbands and wives talk a lot about each other and it's not always good. But we ought to know each other. I ought to know Him. I ought to be saturated with His book. What a tragedy that I would believe in Him for years and yet not really know Him. Not really be saturated with Him and the details that He has revealed about Himself. What a glorious privilege that I can know about Him, that it's His purpose. "You know Me from now on and have seen Him."

You know what that relationship will do? We're going to pick up with that next week. The difference for the disciples is that the Spirit of God is going to come and take up residence in their lives. And the coming of the Spirit to take up residence in their lives is going to make all the difference in their perception and understanding. The fact that we are believers in Jesus Christ today means that we have the Spirit with us and in us, and it makes all the difference. There's not a believer here who does not have the potential to know intimately and thoroughly all that God has revealed because it's not a matter of intellect. It's not a matter of human ability. It's a matter of the ministry of the Spirit as we apply ourselves diligently to the study of His revelation. Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for the fact that you have revealed yourself in the person of your Son, Jesus Christ. Father that we have the record that you've given of yourself. Father, we have the Spirit residing within ourselves to enable us to understand and grasp the truth of this book. Father, may we be a people who apply ourselves diligently, out of love not obligation. Because of our love for you we desire to know you better. Father, to understand you more, to have a mature knowledge of your person, your character, and your work. Lord, I pray for those who are here this morning who are outside the realm of our discussion because they do not know Jesus Christ at all. They have yet to come to believe in Him as the Savior who died for them. We pray that the Spirit might do that spiritual ministry that only He can perform in causing them to see themselves as sinners for whom Christ died and causing them to believe in Him as their Savior, for we pray in Jesus' name.