[0:00] Good morning church, would you turn with me in your Bibles to John 14 as I'll read our scripture John 14 1 through 14 follow along Let not your hearts be troubled believe in God Believe also in me in my father's house are many rooms If it were not so what I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you and If you go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself That where I am you may be also and you know the way to where I'm going Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way?
[0:41] Jesus said to him. I am the way the truth in the life No one comes to the father except through me if you have known me you would have known my father also from now on You do know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is enough for us Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and you still do not know me Philip Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can you say show us the father?
[1:15] 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 authority But the father who dwells in me does his work Works believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else believe on account of the works themselves Truly truly I say to you whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do Because I am going to the father Whatever you ask in my name this I will do that the father may be glorified in the son If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it Well good morning I If I were to ask Today, what is it that has your heart a little bit anxious? How would you respond?
[2:16] For some in this room. There is a health crisis That you are in the middle of for others perhaps a marriage or relationship crisis a financial crisis for some Perhaps it could be something at work a professional crisis that you are in the midst of Or just a personal crisis perhaps an addiction or some something of a personal nature where you are in the middle of and And that is where you are at that's where How you might answer or respond to the question?
[2:50] What is it that is perhaps making you a little anxious today? today If we find our we find ourselves in John chapter 14 today And if you have your Bible you're welcome to turn there is and follow along as we read and as Brett just did that passage and What is important for us to understand is what brings us to this passage is the preceding events for us to help understand What Jesus is about to say to his disciples?
[3:19] preceding these events so if you're a little bit anxious think about what the disciples have just heard and what they're understanding To help us perhaps understand what Jesus is about to say While this has been an intimate evening there in the upper room with Jesus and the disciples It is also a very disruptive evening Peter Can you imagine Peter now just being in his own little world because he just heard Jesus say?
[3:48] You're gonna deny me three times. Can you imagine Peter being distracted by his own thoughts thinking? How would I just how would I deny my master? Why would I deny Christ and if I am gonna deny him then that must mean there must be a trial that's coming So there's Peter in In his own mind John He's the only one in the room that knows that Judas is gonna betray Christ and he just left the upper room And so the betrayer just left and should someone do something about this so John. He's in his own little world Judas just left and no one seems to care about this let alone Jesus himself And then you have the rest of the disciples who just Jesus is saying I am going away I'm going away and by the way, you cannot follow me where I am going The rest of the disciples That's unnerving. I've given my whole life and you're about to go away and I can't follow you and then to make matters worse He he also speaks of his death in his glory and so
[4:49] He has just informed then he's gonna die and so you've left your whole life You've left all things to follow Jesus One is gonna betray him One's gonna deny him and everyone in the room is a Little bit anxious about what the day and tomorrow and this week and this month holds Because of what Jesus has just said and so there's a bit of anxiety going on in these men and and then Jesus Knowing all of this He seeks to bring comfort with the first line that we read in verse 4 chapter 14 verse 1 Let not your hearts be troubled Believe God Believe also in me This is how Jesus begins and so the whole point of today's message is this Don't be anxious trust Jesus and we're gonna find four reasons why
[5:51] Why we can trust Jesus and not be anxious? But he begins with sharing and informing the disciples listen I know what you're going through but do not let your hearts be troubled in fact some Believe this even to be a command the The days were troubled waters there and and the The anecdote or the antidote for worry is to trust in God to also trust in Christ If you've believed me now keep on believing if you now if you believe to me keep on trusting if you've believed in me Now keep relying on me simply put don't be anxious trust Jesus You recall How the John's gospel near the end concludes with the goal and I'm gonna read it Inserting my own words, but here's the verse these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and That by believing you may have life in his name now. I'm going to insert my comments
[6:56] These things were written to you that you may believe that you may trust be assured treasure the reality that Jesus is the Christ the promised one the fulfilling Fulfilling Messiah he is the Son of God the presence of God himself The Son of God he is among us that by believing in him you may have life in his name trust the Lord Trust Jesus and do not be anxious So I'm going to now Recount how it is that Jesus informs these disciples Hey, your heart does not need to be troubled and I'm going to give you four reasons and so today's message That's what we're going to do and we're going to come to reason number one in verse two Reason number one could be stated this way because Jesus goes to prepare a place for you verse two reads this in My father's house are many rooms and if it were not so I would not I would have told you that I go to prepare
[8:00] Would I have what I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? Jesus tells his disciples that they can have confidence because he is leaving his departure means that he's going to go and prepare a place for you Jesus is headed to the father's house. Jesus is is returning now home Jesus is preparing for them a new and different and better home. Heaven is a real place I like how C. S. Lewis writes about heaven in his timeless work mere Christianity Many of you have read this book It says this or C. S. Lewis writes this creatures are not born with desires unless Satisfaction for those desires actually exist Babies feel hunger while there is such a thing as food Ducklings want to swim while there is such a thing as water If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy The most probable explanation is that I must be made for another world If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it that does not prove that the universe is a fraud
[9:09] Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it and to suggest a real thing and How many times have we talked to individuals who?
[9:21] Whether it is a health condition that cripples them deeply or Their infirmity causes such pain or those who Have lived a full life and they long for what is to come how many times have we heard?
[9:40] This is just momentary and they are comforted with the fact and the reality that heaven is real and Jesus goes to prepare a place The disciples they are disrupted they are confused they feel abandoned they feel even scared and perhaps helpless and Satan would like for us to believe that God too has forgotten you perhaps your circumstances The lie is there for you to believe that The promise of heaven though is designed to protect disciples from the temptation of feeling forgotten It was true for the disciples then and it is true for the us today Don't be anxious trust Jesus If the promise of heaven does not quiet your anxieties perhaps you have been Perhaps there is a threat in your life
[10:43] So now I want to talk to us about a threat if the promise of heaven does not quiet your anxieties Perhaps there is a threat in your life. Perhaps the threat is looks like this. There is an unhealthy attachment to earthly things We can grow so attached to the things of this life that heaven is perceived like punishment example The constant consumption of earthly candy has diminished our appetite for the transcendent feast promised for in eternity We need a better perspective of earthly things Earthly joys are just a forecast for the full and complete joy that is in heaven Why do we love vacations? We like rest we like a Fellowship of time Wendy and I we enjoy I call them date nights They just look like going in the truck or the vehicle and and Traveling I like to drive I let's just say this way. I Know Lincoln Grant Spokane and Stevens County roads. I
[11:48] Can find almost any address. I love to drive and so whenever I Love just to be sitting in the car and having that time alone with my wife and It's enjoyable and why do I enjoy that?
[12:03] Perhaps it is a small and imperfect taste of what the heavenly rest and fellowship will look like with my Jesus with Jesus Perhaps it is a small sliver. It's also why do we like exaltation and triumph? I love going to a good game I like rejoicing with the victor a lot and Even though I'm not playing I am just somebody in the stands who enjoys a good game and the and a victor and why do I like that?
[12:29] Perhaps that's that is a small sliver of the triumph and exaltation Will enjoy in heaven with with others one day? And that is that game provides just a small sliver of it But but if you're not careful these earthly pleasures can that they don't necessarily wet the appetite, but we're attached to them Randy Alcorn in his book heaven says this many assume that heaven is Unlike earth, but why do we think this God designed earth for human beings and nearly every description of heaven includes right?
[13:04] Things and nearly every description of heaven includes references to earthly things eating animals water trees fruit City gates and streets the Bible speaks of the new heaven and new earth Not as non heavens and non earths, but new It is just fundamentally different and vastly superior if someone says I'm going to give you a new car you would be excited. Why not because you have no idea what a car is because you do know and you're you'd be excited for what is new The point is Firstly one of the reasons Jesus says don't be anxious Trust in Jesus. The first thing he says is because Jesus goes to prepare a place for you. That's number one second Because Jesus is in heaven look with me in verse three Jesus is in heaven And now if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and I will take you to myself that where I am you also may be
[14:08] The reality of it is that Jesus being in heaven is the antidote to worry Let me say it this way, but there is another threat if that is not an antidote to worry for you That Jesus is in heaven and he is going to take you with him there Perhaps the threat is this You have a wrong perspective of Jesus Have you ever spoken to someone who has said he had no desire to go to heaven to sit in the clouds and strum a harp for all eternity?
[14:42] Some think of heaven as this endless boredom like being a monk or a nun forever No heaven is about Jesus Our view of heaven reflects our view of Jesus The less we think of Jesus here on earth the less excited we will be for heaven If we think Jesus is boring and dull and some cosmic killjoy Or if we view him as someone who is only to be tolerated then we have no appetite for heaven Is it no wonder that some of us don't want to spend eternity in heaven with Jesus since we don't take the time here on earth To discover the inexhaustible, delightful, satisfying, magnificent, Savior Jesus Invest right now in your relationship with Jesus Your view of heaven will be all the more sweeter To illustrate the book of Revelation we get a glimpse of heaven
[15:43] To illustrate the book of Revelation we get a glimpse of heaven that every scene centers on the person of Christ The worship of Jesus and the glory of the Father is the defining characteristic of heaven Heaven is not great because there is no sickness. There is no pain or there is no Death heaven is not great because there are streets made of gold Heaven is not great because Jesus will wipe away every tear No, all of those things are true, but heaven is great because Jesus is there That's what makes heaven great And if I go verse 3 to go prepare a place for you I will come again and take you to myself and where I am you may be also The promise is that the disciples will be with Jesus. Nothing would ever separate them from Jesus Think about the word good that which is beautiful peaceful joyous wondrous great Amazing happy spectacular heaven will be these things
[16:45] Only because the sin conquering son of God Jesus will be there Sin will no longer separate us from his presence and we will forever enjoy the one who you're created to enjoy Don't be anxious Trust Jesus That's the second reason because Jesus is in heaven first reason was because Jesus goes to prepare a place for you Third reason is this because Jesus is the promised path to heaven Jesus is the promised path to heaven look with me in verses 4 through 11 And you know the way that where I am going Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can you know the way?
[17:31] How can we know the way Jesus answered him? I am the way and 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 from now on You do know him and have seen him Philip said to him Lord show us the father and it is enough for us and Jesus said to him Have I been with you for so long and you still do not know me Philip?
[17:58] Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can 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? I do not speak of my own authority, but the father who dwells in me and does his works Believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else believe on account of the works themselves After all that the bad news that has been shared with the disciples in the upper room They have been warned that there's a traitor in the midst They've witnessed Peter shot down as he proclaimed his loyalty to Jesus. No, you're gonna deny me three times You've just found out that Jesus is now going to leave and you cannot follow And after all of this bad news This is why it is They can't follow him and this this is why in verse 5 Thomas asked Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
[19:03] And it is the response to that that is the often memorized verse in verse 6 Jesus said to him I am the way And the truth and the life and no one comes to the father except through me I want us to hear the difference between that statement and the statement made by Ted Turner in the early 2000s In the USA Today article written many years ago the billionaire Ted Turner the founder of CNN and the former owner of the Atlantic Braves once said this and this is a tragic statement, but listen to what he said You know, I am not looking for any big rewards. I'm not a religious person. I believe this life is all that I have I'm not doing what I'm doing to be rewarded in heaven or punished in hell I'm doing it because I feel it is the right thing to do almost every religion talks about a savior that is coming When you look in the mirror in the morning when you're putting on your lipstick or shaving you're looking at the savior
[20:04] Nobody else can save you but yourself I pray Ted Turner I had to look him up. He's 85 years old and I pray before he dies He would trust Christ Because that is a scary statement How contrast?
[20:26] Jesus's words are I am the way the truth and the life Nobody comes to the father but through me And Ted Turner thinks we all are our own savior I don't know if I'm a savior, but I'm a savior And Ted Turner thinks we all are our own savior, which is by the way Nothing more than the worldview of the secular humanist which many in this world have That is the end outcome of that worldview In scripture we are found to compare religion and the gospel Religion is any system that teaches that we have the ability to save ourselves The gospel teaches that we are completely and utterly unable to save ourselves Religion says look inside yourself for salvation. The gospel teaches that your only hope of salvation is outside yourself You are dead in sin unable to save yourself. So Jesus
[21:28] Apart from ourselves and outside of ourselves died on the cross for sin to save and initiate a saving relationship with humanity who were helpless Then draws people to himself to believe in his work of salvation on their behalf So Thomas is asking the question Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way?
[21:49] What is interesting is that Jesus already told them the way look carefully in verse 4 You know the way to where I am going. Jesus already told them verse 4 You know the way and Thomas we don't know the way We don't know the way. Notice Jesus did not say you will know the way He's not phrasing that in verse 4 in a future tense, but he tells them you know present tense the way to heaven The significance of this perfect tense is that it's a past action with the future results So in effect Jesus is saying in the present you have come to know the way this knowledge will continue to into the future The point Jesus is the way to gain access to the father Because you know Jesus disciples, you know the way So while Thomas is confused what Jesus is saying that they already know the path because they already know Jesus And so he assumes He assures them of the very exclusive statement
[22:54] In answering Thomas's question I am Thomas the way I am Thomas the truth And Thomas I am the life I go to prepare a place for you and as I go I will come I'll become the way for you to get there. I am the truth That you hold on to To get there and I am the life the eternal life That you will enjoy when you do get there I go to prepare a place for you Meaning I open the way I am the way I confirm the truth. I am the truth and I have purchased life therefore I am the life So don't be anxious Trust in Jesus And for the saints in the room We do not need to be concerned about The location or the destination of where the Lord is going. We need to be focused on the person of Christ Just as heaven is about the living Jesus, salvation is about walking with Jesus
[23:56] Salvation is about Is more than praying a prayer. It's putting a trust in a person Don't be anxious Trust in Jesus Fourth and finally we find our fourth reason That we can trust Christ And put all of our anxieties and anxious hearts on him And trust him And that's the fourth reason stated is this because Jesus is the power from heaven So the third reason was Jesus is the promised path to heaven The fourth reason is Jesus Because Jesus is the power from heaven Read with me in verses 12 through 14 Truly truly I say to you Whoever believes in me Will also do the works that I do And greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father Whatever you ask in my name this I will do
[24:57] That the Father may be glorified in the Son If you ask me anything in my name I will do it Before we respond to what are the greater works That is talking about Here I want us to see who will be doing the greater works Look with me in verse 4 Truly truly I say to you Whoever believes in me All of us who believe in Jesus will carry out these works Will do the greater works This is astonishing There are no exclusions If you are a Christian Those who believe in Christ You will be doing these greater works So then what are these greater works?
[25:46] Before I get to that let's be clear The greater works will not be relegated to professional Christians As if there are any of those Pastors, missionaries, highly spiritual people, mature Christians, elders, evangelists, highly gifted people Know the qualification for who will be doing these greater works as simple Whoever believes in me Believers, pure and simple, will do the works Jesus does In other words, doing greater works is just part of normal Christianity It's for all of us I love that The question often arises then Well, what are these greater works?
[26:34] And this is where we are And this is where we can create problems for ourselves Because we think We might be doing greater, more amazing miracles than Jesus But let's remind ourselves just in the Gospel of John what Jesus did He turned water into the wine He read the mind of the woman at Samaria He healed the official son He healed the man crippled for 38 years He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes He walked on water He healed a man born blind And he raised Lazarus from the dead Four days dead Dead, dead So, I don't know how you could get more spectacular than what Jesus did How can we do that?
[27:22] So what are these greater works if they're not more spectacular than what Jesus did? I believe the clue is found in verse 11 Look with me in verse 11 Believe in me and I and the Father And the Father is in me or else believe on account of the works themselves Notice the link between believe and the works themselves And in verse 12 You find another believe and works Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me also will do the works that I do So the clue is this What do works designed to do that Jesus did that caused people to believe in him?
[28:06] So what is the work that we get to do that we get to proclaim the gospel? And in proclaiming the gospel, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation And it causes belief in the people who we're speaking to, to those without Christ So this greater work that we get to do is not more spectacular So then how is it greater?
[28:30] I want to propose to you three ways The works that the disciples do, and we, all who believe in him, are not more spectacular But they are greater in extent Let me share greater in geographical extent Jesus never preached outside the land of Palestine Europe had never heard the gospel Africa had never heard the gospel Asia had never heard the gospel The Americas had never heard the gospel And so when the church is born And the disciples go out And all who believe in him declare the gospel of Jesus Christ They go testifying to the greater work that causes belief in him Because they proclaim the gospel And the gospel is the power of God unto salvation And this is what every believer does
[29:34] Secondly, it's greater extent numerically In the book of Acts because it begins with a few dozen disciples They were in the history of the church They were meeting in a room And then by Acts chapter 2, 3,000 people were added to the church And today millions and millions believe in his name And then greater extent is perhaps spiritually Jesus raised people from the physical dead And he still rises people from the spiritual dead But we also, in proclaiming the gospel, raise people from spiritually from the dead We proclaim the good news of the gospel And the gospel raises people from the dead Greater works So let us not be, your heart be troubled Trust in Christ So imagine with me the disciples For a moment Imagine with me the disciples Here they are, they're a discouraged bunch
[30:38] They have heard a lot of bad news They heard that someone is going to betray them They've heard, um, someone is going to deny them three times They've heard that Jesus is going to go away And where he's going, no one can follow And how did the disciples in this discouraged state How did Jesus encourage them?
[31:02] He encouraged them by communicating some beautiful truths Because Jesus is going to go to prepare a place for them Number two, because Jesus is in heaven Number three, because Jesus is the promised path to heaven And because Jesus is the power from heaven And how encouraged would they be to know that even after Christ dies Christ told us, these are ways we can be encouraged And take heart, and I still have purpose on this earth I still get to proclaim the beauty and knowledge of Christ in the gospel But there's one more interesting thing that is found in verse 13 And we will close So in verses 12 and 13 and 12
[32:04] Truly truly I say to you, whoever believes in me Will be able to do works that I do and greater works Than these will he do because I am going to the Father Notice also, the reason for these greater works being capable And possible to be even done is that Jesus had to go to the Father So the work of Christ on the cross to forgive sin has now been completed He has died, he has buried, he has now raised from the grave And he is now with the Father And so he has sealed the work to forgive sin And now the gospel is available to do the greater works to proclaim his name So then, after that we read this And whatever you ask in my name, this I will do That the Father may be glorified in the Son And if you ask me anything in my name, I will do it There's one condition for the Lord answering prayer
[33:05] And that is this, that the prayer be done in his name That's the one condition Jesus is giving us the Holy Spirit He gives you the power of the crucified Christ And Jesus now says to you that you can ask for anything in his name And it will be done for you Now think about though the context to which this is said He has said, listen, those who have believed in my name You will be able to do greater works than I have done You will, and the only reason why you will get to do that Because I have gone to the Father I have completed the work to forgive sin So as you proclaim the gospel This is the greater work that you get to do And people will be caused if the gospel is the power of God unto salvation So people will be raised spiritually from the dead They'll be awakened, made alive in Christ Who are once dead in sin
[34:07] This will be true And anything you pray in my name Ask me, in my name, will be given to you What is the context of this?
[34:18] I'm compelled to think this is not just I'm going to pray for a lot of different myriad things But it's for the salvation of those who do not know Christ What's the context of this?
[34:35] Greater works will you do? Because I go to the Father So it's in the context of proclaiming the gospel And pray, anything you pray in my name I will do that So I want to pray boldly For those who do not know the Lord around me in my life I want to pray for your family members And this neighborhood We're about to, next Sunday We're sending Sunday where we officially send out Lampstand Gospel Church And why are we planting a church?
[35:10] Why are we doing this? Why would we cost ourselves this thing That feels so uncomfortable? By the way, it's not a cost It's an investment Why would we do that?
[35:24] Because we pray that those on the South Hill Would respond to the gospel And we will, at great cost to us Send individuals for the proclamation of the gospel And we are praying that people would come to faith in Christ On the South Hill Through Lampstand Gospel Church But I also am praying the same way for Logan neighborhood I'm also praying the same way for those in our lives That they would come to faith in Christ And I'm asking, Lord, would you do that?
[35:56] Would we be a courageous people to proclaim your name? And so long as it is done in his name Meaning that it is done for his worth For his purposes, with his wisdom Every prayer will be answered He longs to answer that prayer And I am not saying that other prayers are not included I'm just saying, contextually Where do we find this verse about praying in his name?
[36:31] And he will do it Christ desires none to perish But all come to repentance And so I want to pray according to his will And in his name for those purposes And would you join me?
[36:48] So now think about our summers Summer is upon us, weather is turning Things are getting nicer outside It's more difficult to come to church I get it But actually, I hope you heard the sarcasm there But wouldn't it be a travesty?
[37:16] We have all these summer plans My wife and I, when is our vacation? Let's set the dates When are we going to do this? Who are we going to invite over on this day? We're booking our summer What weddings do we have on these weekends?
[37:30] And on and on it goes You have your summer schedule as well But I pray that all of us also have times Where we have set down to willfully and deliberately Share the gospel with those without Christ We have neighbors that we're looking forward to Inviting over for the exclusive purpose To get to know them, to share Jesus And I am praying that those times With those individuals the Lord would use And why don't we pray boldly?
[38:08] What's your summer schedule look like? Let's not waste this opportunity Let's pray Father, thank you for this day Thank you for being the exclusive way The exclusive truth and the life No one goes to the Father except through you No one else has died for sin No one else, Lord And because of that we sing songs praising you We sing songs to adore you, to worship you We read to get to know you Or thank you for all the ways that you Diminished anxiety in the life of your disciples Because you go to prepare a place Because you are in heaven Because you are the promised path And you are the power of heaven
[39:11] Lord, thank you for allowing us to participate In your work on earth Thank you for that wonderful privilege I pray that we would not miss the investment That you've given each one of us of our time May we use the time, gifts and abilities That you've given us for your namesake May we pray for those without Christ That they would come to repentance And pray for each other's courage to proclaim your name Thank you, Lord In your name Jesus we pray