Comfort and Commission

[0:00] take your bibles please and turn to john's gospel we're continuing in john's gospel working our way through john chapter 14 if you're visiting with us need a bible or left your cell phone at home shame on you you can pull that black bible and chair in front of you pull that out and find page 84 bottom of page 84 in that black bible and uh and to page 85 as well john chapter 14 verses 1 through 14 john 14 today john 14 we're trucking our way through john's gospel i planned it out so we'll actually hit uh john 20 the resurrection of jesus on res day on resurrection sunday i planned that out so it's kind of cool worked out that way we're going to do uh one chapter chapter 18 and one sermon and chapter 19 and one sermon there's going to be really long there's going to be like two hour long sermon i'm just kidding only be an hour um no i'm just kidding but yeah amen hey i like you you can stay no i'm just kidding um so yeah well yeah so working out we're planning this through but here in and these chapters 13 through 17 we're kind of slowing down because the it's so such vital so vital for us such vital information for us jesus stopping and talking to his 11 disciples so notice what he says here john 14 starting in verse 1 let not your heart fear believe into god into me believe also in my father's house are many rooms if it were not so would i have told you that i go to prepare a place for you and if i go and prepare a place for you i will come again and take you to myself that where i am you also may be and you know the way where i am going thomas said to him lord we do not know where you are going how do we know the way jesus said to him i am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father but through me if you had known me you will know my father also 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 so long with you and you've not come to know me philip the one who has seen me has seen the father how do you say show us the father do you not believe that i am in the father and the father is in me the words that i say to you of myself i do not speak but the father abiding in me does his works believe me that i am in the father and the father in me but if not because of the works themselves believe truly truly verse 12 truly truly i say to you the one who believes into me the works that i do shall he also do and greater than these shall he do because i go to the father and whatever you ask in my name that will i do that the father may be glorified in the son if you ask me anything in my name i will do i'll give you an idea of my imagination as a kid my wife begins to start laughing now what does that tell you okay so i'd have a dream okay let's stop right here okay from my house when i was a kid glen heather drive you can look down the street and you can see the street go this way you actually see people coming from down the street you can do that just how the the houses were set up that way this is in san

[4:04] jose california so i'd have a dream that a person was driving down our street coming to get me so i turned to run into the house and what happens you know you guessed it right just almost i can't move right it's like you're stuck to the ground and then the bad man would drive up to our house and he'd like get out of the car and i knew he was coming i don't know and then you're gonna get you get me and i'd wake up that's one of my horrible dreams and then so i'd be scared daylights out of me and i remember the heater in the house would kick on i would hear the little click click click click click and then it you know the fan would or the the blue um uh all the flames would come on right and that would give me comfort isn't that weird i'd find comfort when the heater would go on it's kind of weird it's true i'm i'm telling you the truth that's exactly what happened when you're afraid what comforts you who or what comforts you when you're troubled when you're in fear when you're really upset what or who comforts you how do you find comfort where do you find comfort comfort in these verses really the first 11 verses jesus spends a lot of his time giving comfort his disciples and actually it's really throughout all these chapters comforting them so it starts here whoa exactly come know jesus and and that's a phrase to anyone who does not know christ come know jesus but for us as christians we must continue in our knowledge of jesus we must continue to know him to love him to trust him come know jesus and today we'll see split up into two different words comfort comfort and commission comfort and commission here in these first 14 verses of john 14 we'll see comfort and commission here i'll put in a short statement for you when fear and doubt sets in jesus comforts us and commissions us how can you describe these 14 verses it's this when fear and doubt sets in jesus comforts us and of all things he commissions us or rather reminds us of how he's commissioned us when fear and doubt sets in jesus comforts us and commissions us he's exhorting him he's encouraging these 11 to stay faithful to stay the course trusting him finding their comfort in him here's another way to put it a longer phrase when fear comes jesus calls us should be us there all is us to find comfort in trusting him him in the promise of fellowship in the cross and in his sufficient identity

[8:06] and he commissions us to fulfill god's work when fear comes jesus calls us calls us to find comfort in trusting him find comfort in the promise of fellowship find comfort in the cross find comfort in a sufficient identity and then he commissions us to fulfill god's work keep going find your comfort and now continue the task continue the work he says don't don't lose your focus find your comfort and do god's work he says so here the triune god would give them the help they needed to continue their efforts to follow jesus and to trust jesus the father will and then soon next week we'll see the the beginnings of jesus speaking and teaching about the spirit as we trust jesus and his identity and mission his person work we will see that he is our true rest taking our fear he is our true home being the focus of heaven he is our true vocation being commissioned by god to do god's work in the world that's from clink he does such a great job with that jesus is our true rest our true home our true vocation that's so good what he says so finding comfort comfort and commission now we find comfort in four ways jesus is going to say here four ways first find comfort in trusting jesus trust him trust jesus find your comfort in trusting jesus verse one let not your heart be troubled says numeric standard or be frightened well why would he say that because what he just said about peter a sad horrible act that peter would would perform he's going to betray jesus so can you imagine what's going through the other disciples minds there's confusion there's fear there's sadness there's there's uncertainty there's a feeling of being threatened i mean if if peter's faith is going to fail what about us i mean peter's like the rock dude i mean he's he's like the rock store of the disciples and he's going to betray jesus what about us imagine the fear the doubt they're troubled and notice what jesus says believe into god into me believe also and it's said like that on purpose in greek because believe is here and believe is here god is here and to me is here jesus is saying i'm god i'm god receive the confidence needed by trusting me by trusting god believe god me believe they're one of the same he's going to bring that out more in a few minutes we'll see i mean think about it if jesus speaks god's words and does god's works you must trust him just like you trust god right makes sense when fear sets in christian find your comfort in trusting jesus here's number two find your comfort in the promise of fellowship find your comfort in the promise of fellowship verses two and three and this is the main point here jesus is going to say my departure is truly for your advantage guys

[12:09] i'm going away to prepare which is him going to the cross and his resurrection and ascension prepare a place for you and then i'll come back and i'm going to get you to take you with me and you'll be with me forever it's the promise of fellowship look at what he says verse two in my father's house are many rooms house means the place where god dwells his heavenly abode and it's this abode this dwelling place that is promised to all of jesus disciples i think that king james says excuse me many mentions it's a bad translation should be rooms that's better a dwelling place in my father's house there's many rooms in other words every person who trusts jesus in his identity and mission will have a place to dwell with god and the most vital important aspect about heaven is that jesus is there god is there and notice he says which i i think esv translates this well it puts it in a question if it were not so would i not have told you i go that i go to prepare a place for you if it were not so would i tell you that i'm going to prepare a place for you not because he already taught them it's a way to reinforce what he just said substantiating his previous word prepare a place for you not to prepare a place for you not to prepare a place for you not to wait wait wait i thought there were many rooms with this whole preparation thingy going denotes jesus mission him going to the cross so when you read that going and we read that prepare think of the cross along with his resurrection along with his ascension that's the preparation the preparation is the cross the going is the cross clink the cross is the provision of permanent dwelling with god given by god through jesus the purpose of jesus going was fellowship and communion with god to give eternal life with god so this place is not so much about place but communion it's intimate fellowship and companionship with the living god that's why the song goes like this heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace i'm gonna see my savior's face because heaven is a wonderful place i want to go there remember that song you kid why is heaven a wonderful place because i'm going to see my savior's face god's there that's the promise of fellowship and look what jesus says in verse three and if i go and prepare a place for you if i go and prepare so that's the cross right if i go and prepare i'm gonna come again and receive you actually take you for myself that's the verb there take you for myself so that where i am you also may be you're gonna be with me he says jesus leave leaving is needed to provide a similar leaving for his disciples and that he come again and take them to be with him what guarantees us his departure his going the cross that's the guarantee the guarantee that you're going to be with god forever is that jesus went to the cross the basis for the doctrine of eschatology eschatology means the study of last things the basis of the

[16:09] eschatology is jesus command to trust him he's going to go to the cross and his encouragement to be filled with hope in him because he went to the cross to die for you eschatology eschatology is based in god's very presence and the promise to be with him for eternity and that guarantees it is because jesus went to the cross he's going to come he's going to take you so you'll be with him there's the promise of fellowship it's not about going to heaven it's about being with jesus forever as jesus came into the world physically at one time and he died on the cross that guarantees he would most assuredly come again to fulfill his purpose for us to be with us so as one writer says we quote expectantly and purposefully wait to be with jesus don't we find comfort in trusting jesus find comfort in the promise of fellowship number three find comfort in the cross verse three and four because he said in verse three if i go and prepare a place for you remember that's him going to the cross there's the guarantee and then look what he says here in verse four and you know the way where i'm going so now the going is the cross and now the way is the cross as well as his resurrection and his ascension and the where is also the way where he's going is the cross the way is the cross the cross is the way of life which really that's the goal for all of us as humans to finally be with the one who created us the way and the way and the where is the cross and we find comfort in his sacrifice for us that he died for us he took our shame he took our sins upon himself find comfort in that find comfort in the where find comfort in the way the where and the way is the cross i'll put it this way and the only way to get to the where is to go through the where which is also the way do you need to chew on that for a little bit and the only way to get to the where is to go through the where which is also the way the where is the cross and the way is the cross so the only way to get to the where is to go through the cross and the cross is also the way get that now?

[19:00] that's what Jesus is saying and the fact that they knew him showed they knew the way and then you're gonna see what Thomas says here in just a few moments in verse 5 before I get there I just wanna remind you we find comfort in trusting Jesus we find comfort in the promise of fellowship and third we find comfort in the cross that's the where and that's the way and number four fourth way we find comfort when fear strikes find comfort in his sufficient identity and you'll see why sufficient is so important find comfort in his sufficient identity verses 5 through 11 look at Thomas Thomas said to him Lord we don't know where you're going how do we know the way?

[19:58] he's confused he did not understand that Jesus going was the cross he still didn't get that which is also the way to God which is also the where that's the way to have access to God is through the cross to have communion with God is through the cross to have fellowship with God was through the cross that's the where that's the way he was thinking in physical terms going to a location Lord I don't know IDK I don't know and then look how Jesus responds one of the most well-known statements from Jesus he said to him I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me notice now the way is not simply the cross now the way is the person the person of Christ friends this is why we cannot separate we can never separate

[21:01] Christ from the cross we can never separate Jesus from his mission who he is from his mission because that's why he came to die to save the world in his very person he is the way and also he is very truth and he is also very life notice it's relational now Jesus is the way because he's God's truth he's God's life this way this truth this life is embodied in a person Klink does such a great job delineating these three aspects of Jesus the way the truth and the life let me share them with you oh I'm not going to share them with you maybe I won't share them with you well fine then be that way forget this guy no thanks Travis well I'll just tell them to you and they'll be up there on the screen the first two

[22:07] Jesus is the way Jesus is the mode in that only in Jesus is our very existence and participation with God made possible and accessible it's only in Jesus that this can be made possible it's only in Jesus that you can have access to God it's only through him he's the mode how did he fulfill this?

[22:35] in his death on the cross and his resurrection and his ascension thanks Travis Jesus is the mode number two Jesus is reality truth in that only through Jesus does our existence and participation of God have meaning so first only in Christ do we have access to God he's the mode and second only in Jesus is there true reality why?

[23:02] because he is the supreme true complete ultimate revelation of the Father John says this in John 1 18 he exegetes God he explains him so he does it's Jesus so he's the reality one writer says this quote the lens through which the world is to be interpreted and by which it must be judged is Jesus the only way that this world can make sense is when you have gospel glasses on the only way this life will make sense is when you put on you know when you put on your glasses you get new glasses you put them on like oh my goodness I can see so well I can't believe I was wearing these other things I couldn't see with these other things you put those new glasses on from the eye doctor oh my goodness everything brightens up right that's what people need you need glasses then you can really see life how it's supposed to be seen

[24:05] Jesus is the reality he's the mode the way he's reality he's truth here's number third aspect Jesus is the source he's life in that only through Jesus does our existence and participation in God originate he gives life or he supplies us with life because he is life life in himself conquering death so that which divides humanity divides it from God Jesus destroys that which distorts humanity and brings confusion and falsehood Jesus clarifies that which defeats us in the end Jesus conquers way truth life and notice what else he says Jesus says no one comes to the Father except through me there is no other way there is no other truth there is no other life one must go through Jesus alone to come to the Father and only through Christ only in Jesus and by Jesus can you be saved again wow that's okay

[25:23] I got a couple things only in Jesus and only by Jesus can you be saved if you're here you don't know Jesus Christ you have not trusted Jesus Christ you must know this only in Jesus can you be saved there's no other way somebody says well that's your interpretation how is that a different interpretation interpret that differently no one comes to the Father except through me Jesus said that you must go through Christ you must repent and trust Christ else you will not be saved you can have forgiveness and grace given to you today if you trust Christ and believe in him he will do that it's only through Jesus there are not many paths to God that means this there's not many paths to God there's only one path to God Christianity is not one of many other religions that lead to God Christianity is the only one and only truth this is what this means it's going to be up there in the stream yes there it is this is what is called the exclusivity of the cross or the exclusivity of Christ there's no other way there's not many ways to God

[26:45] Mormonism is not one way Jehovah Witness is not another way Islam is not another way Hinduism is not another way Buddhism is another way Sikh is not another way Taoism is not another way no friends there are no other ways Jesus is the only way you must repent and trust Christ else you will die in your sins that's what Jesus says a person cannot claim to know God while denying Jesus at the same time how can a person deny the one who is the supreme revelation of God it's impossible it makes no sense now Jesus continues look at verse 7 if you have known me it would be a better translation you will know my father also future so knowing the father in the future is directly related to knowing Jesus now so to know Jesus now is to know the father in the future to know Jesus now is to know the father that's because Jesus is the truth the supreme true complete ultimate revelation of the father he exegetes exegetes the father to know Jesus is to know the father if you know Jesus you know the father look what Jesus says the next part of verse 7 from now on you know him and have seen him

[28:15] God's revelation is declared ultimately in Jesus who is the word made flesh the God man they know him the father and have seen him the father because they know Jesus and have seen Jesus that's what Jesus is saying his identity who he is so here you see Jesus beginning to help the disciples understand which he's talked about this in the gospel in previous time the functional unity between the father and the son or the mutual indwelling between the father and the son two distinct persons but they're also one and look what happens to Philip what he says in verse 8 Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is sufficient for us another way to put it sufficient it's sufficient for us show us the father and we're good with that unfortunately Philip disassociated the father from the son he didn't get it most people do how do you relate to the father personally he misunderstood how to sufficiently experience the father how do you sufficiently experience the father it's in Jesus look at what Jesus says in verse 9 he kind of rebukes him in his answer verse 9 have I been so long with you and you've not come to know me Philip

[29:45] Philip you mean to tell me you don't know you should know me and should know who I exactly represent and who I reveal it's the father notice what he says the one who see me has seen the father how do you say show us the father Philip how can you say that if you see me you've seen the father Jesus is the supreme true complete ultimate revelation and expression of God God's final self expression is Jesus God God could not reveal himself more it's all in his son Paul says this all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form in Jesus the God man Philip how can you say that look what he says Jesus says in verse 10 do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me the words that I say to you of myself

[30:45] I do not speak here's the relational unity between the father and the son Philip this is sufficient for you this is enough it's who I am this relational unity between the father and the son and by the way he did not mean different modes as in modalism which is taught by some T.D. Jakes is one of those who teaches modalism that's a false teaching that's rank heresy do not listen to him when he talks about modalism Jesus takes different modes the mode God takes different modes the mode of the father then the mode of the of the son Jesus and the mode of the spirit that's wrong that's false rank heresy there's a distinction between the two persons that's clear but there's also a what one writer calls a functional overlap or commonality and unity there's two distinct persons that function in unison perfectly completely and wholly a mutual indwelling between the two and notice

[31:55] Jesus says this about his works and words the words that I say to you not from myself do I speak but the father abiding in me does his works both Jesus' words and works reflect the father abiding in him all that oh wow it's on a roll today I'll tell you what oh there it is thanks really oh all that Jesus is said and has done is an expression of the father about the father and by the father and the two proofs his words and works and the final work that Jesus does is the cross he finalizes it look at verse 11 believe into me that I am in the father and the father is in me trust me that there's a unified presence between the father and me that our activity our work is unified too submit to this truth the father and the son have functional unity they're one should I do this

[33:12] I don't even try to do this I don't know we trust the identity of Jesus the words of Jesus and the works of Jesus for the words and works point to his identity as the son who is the ultimate self-expression of the father and look at what Jesus says the last part of verse 11 but if not because of the works themselves believe what works does Jesus mean here these were the signs Jesus signs remember he did that the different signs the first one he changed water into wine but these signs they pointed beyond simply the power of God they pointed to the main focus they would point to the identity and mission of the son of God it revealed who Jesus was it's these works that make clear the son is in the father and the father's in the son so we find comfort in trusting Jesus we find comfort in the promise of fellowship we find comfort in the cross and we find comfort his identity is sufficient who he is is sufficient now do I even try to do this well I'll keep going

[34:37] I'm into fulfill his commission find comfort now fulfill his commission verses 12 through 14 fulfill his commission and the first aspect here is do God's work look at verse 12 truly truly I say to you the one who believes into me the works that I do shall he also do and greater than thee shall he do because I go to the father so first authoritative statement truly truly I say to you pay attention pay attention he says the one who believes into me the works that I do he shall also do so he's transitioning Jesus he's transitioning from his works the works of the son of God to the works of the children of God we not only testify God's works in Jesus we now participate in those works now this is an odd statement yeah there you go we'll see if this goes on what does Jesus mean by this this is verses that people rip out of the context constantly what does he mean by this the works I do this one will also do and greater works than these will he do what does this mean there's at least three views first all disciples will do the works like Jesus and greater works than Jesus notice the first part of the phrase the one who believes into me that includes everybody it's talking about all Christians so the one who believes in me they'll do works like Jesus and greater works than Jesus believed and knows all those who follow

[36:20] Jesus so it means one view is they will do signs like Jesus and they'll do even greater signs than Jesus what's the problem not all Christians do that because it says all will do this not all of Jesus disciples do this and Jesus said the one who believes in him they will do this so can't refer to all Christians in general because why don't all Christians do this so we take that view okay not that one what else could it refer to well some think it refers to just the 11 the 11 disciples this would mean it was fulfilled in the book of Acts they did greater signs than Jesus signs just like Jesus and greater than Jesus now this is possible but again Jesus said all those who believe into him not just the disciples right okay that doesn't work so it means something else then so if it refers to all disciples which that's very clear then it has to mean something else and this is the view

[37:28] I take maybe I don't take it I still do you just won't be able to see it just got spit on it maybe it'll work then I'm scared trust Jesus all are now part of God's work or mission we participate in his power in his mission and the ministry through Christ remember Jesus signs were signposts they pointed to his identity and mission so all who believe they participate in that mission by participating in the Father's ongoing ministry through Christ by the Spirit how so?

[38:24] the church the body of Christ I'll put this up here before it goes away so this means that the greater works is the church through whom the gospel spreads worldwide God's primary work in the world right now is the local church and working through the local church that's what Jesus means here in verse 12 and notice he gives the disclaimer so to speak the reason I should say verse 12 the end of verse 12 because I go to the Father greater works are done because he goes to the cross remember going is the cross that's the greatest work of Jesus the greatest work of the Father is Jesus going to the cross and his exalting being exalted returning to the Father of course so the greatest work on earth of the Father done by the

[39:25] Spirit is the body of Christ the church that's what Jesus means here so we are called to find our comfort in trusting Jesus the promise of fellowship in the cross and his identity is sufficient and then Jesus turns around and he says now fulfill the commission get back on course and do God's work he says and the primary way that we participate in this work is prayer because the next point is ask for help ask for help do God's work or fulfill his commission do God's work ask for help 13 and 14 you pray whatever you ask in my name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son we are

[40:29] Jesus representatives to do what he's already doing in this church through his disciples by means of the Spirit we submit to him and what he wants and notice it's in his name it's not just a little thing we throw on the end of the prayer so it gets through heaven it's not why we say in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus amen I did that because if you don't say in the name of Jesus it's no good right no that's not why we say that we say that because it's according to all for which his name stands we're not independent of God we're dependent upon God and his desires and Jesus will do that so that the Father may be glorified in the Son so he's glorified so we pray for that which befits God's mission and God's character his mission because we do the works of God his character because we ask in Jesus name we trust his authority we trust his sovereignty we trust his will we don't trust merely in his resources we trust in his results one writer says this we seek from God but we also surrender to God that's prayer we express desires realizing he holds the results and notice what Jesus says in verse 14 if you ask me anything in my name all that my name stands for

[41:59] I will do to guarantee our works which are done in the name of Jesus according to his will in Jesus name in Jesus will in Jesus authority it's done that's how sure we are that God will answer the first work of us as Jesus followers as we do his work again we seek from God what we surrender to God as his church we do God's work asking for his help that's the only way we depend upon God we place ourselves under God asking him in Jesus name we want to fulfill this commission you've given to us we pray the dwelling place of the father and the son the very home is being prepared for us as the children of God only for those who trust the son of God and it's there what will be with God forever he makes that way by the cross his identity is sufficient

[42:59] God is our true home and as we wait for that time we're commissioned by God to continue the work of God put it a different way can I put it in a different way are you going to let me put it in a different way you don't want me to put me in a different you don't want to let me put it in a different way do you please Travis I'll buy you a Starbucks please please it's not wanting to oh look it there it is we continue the work of the son of God as the children of God who speak the word of God and the power of the spirit of God so that more people will become children of

[44:02] God you see that we see continue the work of God, the work of the Son of God, as the children of God, who speak the word of God and the power of the Spirit of God so that more people will become children of God.

[44:19] That's what Jesus means here in verses 12, 13, and 14. When fear comes, he calls us to find comfort in trusting him, the promise of fellowship, and the cross, and in his sufficient identity, and he commissions us to fulfill God's work.

[44:38] When fear and doubt sets in, Jesus comforts and commissions us. We better quit now before this thing keeps acting up, okay?

[44:50] I'm gonna pray, because we need to pray, right? Thank you. Thank you so much, Father. You're good to us, and you're faithful. Thank you that Jesus' identity is sufficient.

[45:02] It is. Thank you that we can trust him when fear comes. In his identity, it's sufficient. And the promise of fellowship with you and the cross.

[45:16] And then as a church, give us your grace to fulfill this mission, this commission, to do your work, and yet we need your help. So even now, as we are considering this challenge in 2023, the one to five people that we're gonna speak the gospel to them and invite them to church service, we are praying in your name, in your authority, in your will, that you will bring this about, and we will continue this work, the work of the Son, and the work of the Son of God as we speak the word of God.

[45:56] May we do it in the power of the Spirit of God. At this time, I wanna encourage you, take a few moments, a few moments of silence, pray for those people that you're in the challenge, and pray for them.

[46:11] Take this time to reflect through your notes or read the passage again. Let this be a sweet time between you and the Lord, and we'll sing a couple songs, if it'll be up on the screen.

[46:24] We'll sing a couple songs, and we'll pray. Take these few moments, it's like what, less than a minute, where you can just ponder and fill your mind with truth.

[46:36] Would you do that now?