All right, well, as we open up the Word of God this morning, our message is kind of a part two
to last Sunday's message. Last Sunday, we finally came to these words of Jesus that we find in John
chapter 14, verse 12. He said, very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I
have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the
Father. And so last Sunday, we acknowledged the plain sense of these words. They seem to say that
whoever believes in Jesus will perform miracles like he did. And we acknowledge that this kind of
makes us uncomfortable, many of us, because many of us who believe in Jesus have never performed a
miracle. So we looked at various ways that Christians have tried to interpret these words.
Generally, our Pentecostal brothers and sisters will point to this verse and say that performing
miracles is something that every Christian can and should do, so long as we have the faith and believe.
We can expect to perform miracles like Jesus did. And last Sunday, I pointed us to what Paul said
in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 29, where he said, do all work miracles? Implied answer, no.
So most of us do not accept the Pentecostal interpretation. Then we considered how some have
tried to define the works of Jesus very broadly, to include all sorts of things that Jesus did,
not just the miracles. According to this view, Jesus is not saying that every believer will do miracles,
but that every believer will do some kind of the works that Jesus has been doing. And for most of us,
it turns out that that's the non-miraculous works of Jesus. And I suggested that defining works this way
doesn't work, because Jesus has just appealed to his works in the verse before as the evidence that he is in
the Father and that the Father is in him. It has to at least include his miracles. And in case there's
any doubt about this, we could fast forward in the conversation this night of Jesus' betrayal,
a little farther forward to John chapter 15, verse 24. And Jesus will say this later to his disciples.
He'll say, if I had not done among them, that's the people of the world, the works that no one else did,
they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.
Notice how Jesus describes the works that he's been doing. He says that they are the works that no one
else has been doing. The works no one else did. They're not just the works of compassion or service.
they're not just the works of calling people to faith and to repent like John the Baptist did.
They're the works that nobody else has been doing, that nobody else could do. The supernatural
miracles brought about by the power of God. And of course, yes, the disciples did share in doing
some of those works as Jesus gave them authority and power to do it.
So, the works of Jesus must include his miracles. Those are the things that no one else has done
in the lifetime of these people. And so, I suggested last Sunday that there's another way to understand
this passage. And it goes like this. Very truly, I tell you here in the room with me this evening,
Jesus speaking to his disciples, his apostles, whoever of you believes in me will do the works
I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I'm going to the Father.
I suggested that Jesus was not giving a timeless principle for every believer throughout the ages,
but that Jesus was making a statement about what the 11 apostles there in the room could expect
once he was gone. They could expect that if they believed in him, they too would do the works that
Jesus had been doing. Supernaturally enabled miracles like Jesus did. And then we looked at one of those
miracles in the book of Acts, the healing of the man who had been born lame at the gate called Beautiful.
And I suggested that the book of Acts really tells the story of how these 11 men in the room with Jesus
this night came to do the works that Jesus has been doing, just as he said they would. Now, all of this
kind of raised some big questions. For starters, what did Jesus mean when he said that they would do even
greater works than Jesus did? Last Sunday, I said we'd chat about that this Sunday, but after my
sermon ballooned to over 45 minutes long, I decided to chop that section out completely and put it on a
piece of paper on a handout that you can grab off the back table on your way out if that's of interest
to you. My short answer is, I do not know. There are at least three possibilities, and I would guess that
it probably has something to do with the fact that Jesus is going to the Father. It seems that this is
going to bring about a change, a significant change in how this ministry will look for the apostles when
he's gone, which brings us to these next two verses. Jesus says to the men in the room,
These verses are ones that we often point to as our assurance that God will answer our prayers.
But I wonder, have we been too quick to just take these words and apply them to ourselves?
Have we considered where these words fit in the conversation that night? As I suggested last
Sunday, Jesus is telling these 11 men in the room, the apostles, that if they believe in him,
they will do the works that he has been doing. Miracles.
Does he now change the subject completely to just prayer in general? Or is it possible that Jesus
is still talking about the same thing? If you believe in me, you, my apostles, will do the works
I have been doing. That's miracles. Because I am going to the Father, and here's how it will work.
From then on, whatever you ask in my name, I will do it for you, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
So often we just kind of take these two verses about prayer and just kind of rip them right off the page,
and just that's all we look at. But there's a context here. There's a flow.
If you just kind of read it all the way through in one go, do you hear that?
Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,
and they will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in my name,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
I want to suggest the possibility that what Jesus is saying here is that
the disciples will do the works that Jesus has been doing,
miracles, by asking in Jesus' name.
Now, this might still be a promise of answered prayer that we can all claim,
but before we get to that, we have to first consider what Jesus is saying
to these 11 men sitting there in the room with him.
It seems, from the context, that this promise of answered prayer
has to do with them doing the works that Jesus has been doing.
And maybe at this point we kind of need to take a step back
and just consider this whole conversation between Jesus and his disciples
on the night of his betrayal.
They've just had the Last Supper.
They're having this conversation.
They're going to end up out at the Garden of Gethsemane this very night.
And there are going to be lots of things that Jesus says to them
that are basically timeless principles for every believer.
For example, in the next chapter,
Jesus will give this analogy of the vine and the branches.
I am the vine.
You are the branches.
Remain in me.
And this is basically a timeless principle for every believer.
We need to remain in Christ.
We need to stay connected to him.
He is the vine.
We are the branches.
And we know this because John, later in his letter,
will encourage all believers to do the same thing.
In 1 John 2, verse 27,
he'll say,
Remain in him.
And there are lots of things like this that Jesus will say to the eleven this night
that directly apply to us, just like this.
He encourages them to love each other,
to serve one another.
All of these things are reiterated throughout the New Testament
that all believers,
that we should be doing this.
We should be doing these things.
But then we have to acknowledge in a few places in this conversation
that there are some things Jesus said
that are bound to these particular eleven men in the room with Jesus.
For example,
at the end of chapter 15,
Jesus warns the disciples about what's coming,
not for every believer,
but just for them.
He says,
And you also must testify,
for you have been with me from the beginning.
All this I told you so that you will not fall away.
They will put you out of the synagogue.
In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you
will think they're offering a service to God.
These are obviously words for the eleven there that night
and not for all of us.
It's the eleven apostles who have been there with Jesus
from the beginning of his ministry.
And it's the eleven apostles
who will be excommunicated,
kicked out of the synagogues
in the days ahead.
So coming back to these words that we're looking at,
John 14, 13,
let's first think about what these words mean to the apostles,
to the disciples there in the room with Jesus.
Jesus says to them,
And I will do whatever you ask in my name
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
You may ask me for anything in my name
and I will do it.
You know, it kind of sounds like Jesus is giving them a blank check,
doesn't it?
Whatever you ask in my name,
I will do.
And that word whatever,
I mean, that's a strong word.
It's not just,
well, the things that you ask in my name.
No, it's whatever.
In fact, the old King James translation
even adds that extra oomph.
What so ever you ask
in my name,
I will do it.
So Jesus seems to be giving them a blank check,
a special calling card,
a special kind of mobile prayer plan.
He's giving them the privilege
of being able to call upon him
to do anything
and the assurance that he will do it.
But the blank check
has a few security features,
we'll call them.
It has a few safeguards
that ensure that it will be used appropriately.
They can write whatsoever they want
in the blank of that check.
But here's the catch.
What they write has to be
in the name of Jesus.
And it has to be
so that the Father
may be glorified in the Son.
I will do whatever you ask
in my name,
says Jesus,
and so that
the Father
may be glorified
in the Son.
Those are the safeguards,
like the security features.
They have freedom
to call upon Jesus
to do things.
In the context here,
to do miracles.
But what they ask,
it has to be
in Jesus' name.
which means
for the sake
of the name
of Jesus
that they ask it.
So, I mean,
think about this.
Is Peter going to be
praying and asking
for a new
top-of-the-line
yacht
to go sailing
with his buddies
on the Sea of Galilee?
Would that be
for Jesus' sake
or would that be
for Peter's sake?
It's almost like
it's embedded
in the SIM card
of this mobile prayer plan.
For it to work,
they have to be asking
for something
that would further
the name,
the mission,
the work,
the purpose
of Jesus.
And they've had
three years
with Jesus
to learn from him
about what
those kinds of things
would be.
So that's the first
safeguard
to this
blank check
being given
to the apostles
of Jesus.
They can ask
whatsoever,
but they must ask
in Jesus' name
for the sake
of Jesus' name.
The second
safeguard is this.
Jesus
tells them
that he will do
whatever they ask
in his name
so that the Father
may be glorified
in the Son.
So Jesus
is telling them
the purpose
of this blank check.
Yeah,
you can ask
whatsoever,
but the purpose
of this,
me granting
this request,
it's to bring glory
to God,
the Father.
And for a moment
we can just notice
where Jesus
fits into this
whole discussion.
Notice that it's
Jesus,
he's the one
answering the prayers.
Look at that
verse 14.
You may ask me
for anything
in my name
and I will do it.
So Jesus
is deeply involved
in this transaction.
They ask
in prayer
and Jesus
delivers
the things
asked for
and glory
comes to God
as Jesus
does this.
So that's
the second
safeguard.
They're being
given this
sacred
and special
gift
to call on God
to have
Jesus
himself
grant
whatsoever
they ask.
But whatsoever
they ask
will have to be
something that
brings glory
to God.
They'll not be
able to ask
for,
you know,
the ability
to walk
across water
just because
I'm feeling
too lazy
to walk
around the
lake.
They won't be
able to ask
God to do
a miracle
just so that
they can show
people that
I'm awesome,
I've got
special powers.
they will
not receive
what they
ask for
if the
things that
they ask
for are
evil
or sinful
or if
they're just
asking to
scratch the
itch of
their own
greed
or lust
or covetousness
or revenge.
The answer
will be no
because those
things don't
bring glory
to God
and the
whole purpose
of this
privilege
that Jesus
extends
is to
bring glory
to God
and so
whatever they
ask it's
got to
fit with
that.
So now
we're going
to go to
the book
of Acts
and we're
going to
see how
this unfolded
in real
history.
If you have
your Bible
you can
flip over
to Acts
chapter 3
and we did
read this
passage last
Sunday
but we're
going to
read it
again
because
it tells
the story
of how
Peter and
John
did this
very thing.
How
Peter
performed
a miracle
did one
of the
works
that
Jesus
did
and how
he did
it.
Let me
read this
for you
it won't
be on the
screen
you'll just
have to
listen.
One day
Peter and
John were
going up
to the
temple
at the
time of
prayer
at 3
in the
afternoon.
Now a
man who
was lame
from
birth
was being
carried
to the
temple
gate
called
Beautiful
where he
was put
every day
to beg
from those
going into
the temple
courts.
When he
saw Peter
and John
about to
enter he
asked them
for money.
Peter
looked
straight at
him
as did
John.
Then Peter
said look
at us.
So the
man gave
them his
attention
expecting to
get something
from them.
Then Peter
said silver
or gold
I do
not have
but what
I do
have
I give
you.
In the
name of
Jesus
Christ
of
Nazareth
walk.
Taking
him by
the right
hand he
helped
him up
and
instantly
the man's
feet and
ankles
became
strong.
The man
jumped to
his feet
and began
to walk.
Then he
went with
them into
the temple
courts
walking
and jumping
and praising
God.
When all
the people
saw him
walking
and praising
God they
recognized him
as the same
man who
used to sit
begging at
the temple
gate called
Beautiful and
they were
filled with
wonder and
amazement at
what had
happened to
him.
While the
man held
on to
Peter and
John all
the people
were astonished
and came
running to
them in
the place
called
Solomon's
Colonnade.
When Peter
saw this he
said to
them fellow
Israelites
why does
this surprise
you?
Why do
you stare
at us
as if by
our own
power or
godliness we
had made
this man
walk?
The God
of Abraham
Isaac and
Jacob the
God of our
fathers has
glorified his
servant
Jesus.
You handed
Jesus over to
be killed
and you
disowned him
before Pilate
though he had
decided to
let him go.
You disowned
the holy
and righteous
one and
asked that a
murderer be
released to
you.
You killed
the author
of life
but God
raised him
from the
dead.
We are
witnesses
of this.
By faith
in the name
of Jesus
this man
whom you see
and know
was made
strong.
It's Jesus
name and
faith that
comes through
him that
has completely
healed him
as you
can all
see.
I love
this story.
Peter
one of the
eleven
apostles
performs
a miracle.
He does
one of the
works that
Jesus had
been doing
and notice
how he does
it.
He calls
on the
name of
Jesus
to heal
this lame
man.
He says
in the
name of
Jesus
Christ of
Nazareth
walk.
And
later on
we didn't
see this
but Peter
will tell
the
Sanhedrin
the reason
he did
this was
just as
an act
of kindness
just like
Jesus had
done for
so many
people who
he healed.
Peter
calls on
the name
of Jesus
to heal
this lame
man and
Jesus answers
right on
the spot
by healing
him.
And what
was the
result?
Did it
bring glory
to God?
Well verse
eight tells
us that the
man was
praising God.
he was
glorifying
God.
And then
when all
the attention
of all
the witnesses
came to
Peter,
what did
Peter do?
He said
that it
was God
that did
the miracle
and he
did it
to glorify
Jesus.
Peter
denied
healing
this man
by his
own
power.
He gave
all the
credit,
all the
glory
to Jesus
Christ
of
Nazareth.
He
proclaimed
Christ
to all
the people
there.
that he
was
crucified,
that he
rose from
the dead,
that he
was now
in heaven,
and that
it's by
his name
which means
his authority,
his power,
that this
man stands
before you
healed,
is what he
preached to
the Sanhedrin
the next
day.
So this
right here,
it's an
example of
how John
chapter 14
verse 13
and 14
was fulfilled.
It's an
example of
the blank
check
that was
given to
the apostles,
it's an
example of
it being
cached,
and glory
coming to
the Father
and to
the Son
as a
result.
Now I've
been kind of
tiptoeing around
this until
now,
but probably
we're all
still wondering,
okay,
so that's
how Jesus
answered the
prayers of
the apostles
to do the
miraculous works
that they
did in Acts,
but what
about my
prayers?
What about
all of our
prayers?
I mean,
2,000 years
later,
is Jesus
giving us
assurance of
answered prayer
here?
Or is that
assurance just
for the
apostles,
for the
special work
that they're
doing?
This is a
really important
question,
and I want
to start
by saying
this.
I think
that we
would be
wise to
acknowledge
that there
is a
difference
between the
apostles
and the
rest of
us.
Just as
Paul said
in 1 Corinthians
12,
29,
he said,
are all
apostles?
Implied
answer,
no.
Notice how
the apostle
Peter,
in the story
we just
heard,
he called
in the
name of
Jesus,
and Jesus
answered
with a
miracle
right on
the spot.
God.
The sense
we get
from that
story,
as well as
other places
in the
New Testament,
is that
this kind
of prayer
for a
miracle
answer
was normal
for the
apostles.
They asked
in the name
of Jesus
for the
glory of
God,
and it
seems
Jesus just
answered
right away,
right there
on the
spot.
God.
In fact,
the ability
to perform
miracles
was a
mark of
a true
apostle.
Paul said
this in
his letter
to the
Corinthians,
2 Corinthians
12.12.
He said,
I persevered
in demonstrating
among you
the marks
of a true
apostle,
including
signs,
wonders,
and miracles.
So there
was a
special
privilege
in prayer
given to
the apostles
for the
works that
they had
to do.
But
doing
miracles
is not
the only
thing
that the
apostles
were urged
to pray
for.
Later on
in the
evening,
Jesus will
be talking
to his
disciples
about some
other
things,
how they
will weep
when he's
crucified,
how they
will rejoice
when they
see him
again raised
from the
dead.
He's
comforting
them,
and he
says this
to them,
very
truly I
tell you,
my father
will give
you whatever
you ask
in my
name.
Ask,
and you
will receive,
and your
joy will
be complete.
Here,
Jesus isn't
talking about
asking for
miracles.
He just
seems to
give the
same sort
of blank
check and
the assurance
of answered
prayer in
general.
And for
what purpose?
So that
your joy
may be
complete.
So that
your happiness
will be
full.
We're so
used to
thinking about
how our
prayers need
to bring
glory to
God and
what we
ask for,
but actually
they're also
so that we
can have
joy in
God.
As we
read carefully
through all
the passages
about prayer
in the New
Testament,
it becomes
clear that
we,
all of us
who are
not
apostles,
actually have
the same
kind of
assurance that
Jesus gave
to the
eleven that
night,
that yes,
Jesus will
answer and
grant our
requests,
whatever we
ask,
so long as
we ask with
those few
safeguards in
mind,
so long as
we ask for
the sake of
Jesus' name
and for the
glory of
God,
so long as
we ask
according
to what
God
wills,
1 John
5,
14,
so long as
we're living
in obedience
to God's
commands and
doing the
things that
please him,
1 John
3,
22,
we can
ask for
whatever
and the
answer is
yes.
Remember
what Jesus
taught not
just the
apostles but
the crowds,
like everybody,
he told
them,
ask and it
will be given
to you,
seek and you
will find,
knock and
the door
will be
open to
you.
He
encouraged us
not to
think of
God as
stingy and
begrudging,
but as our
loving heavenly
father who
delights to
give us
good gifts
like a
father does
his children.
He taught
all his
disciples to
pray,
to seek the
glory of
God,
hallowed be
thy name.
He taught
all of his
disciples to
ask for the
things that
they need
each day.
Give us
this day
our daily
bread.
And as the
church grew
and spread
over the
world,
the apostles
were there,
they were
teaching,
they were
encouraging
believers
everywhere to
pray for the
same things
with that
same sort
of assurance.
Pray
continually,
said Paul.
He said,
I encourage
the men in
the church
to lift up
holy hands
in prayer.
Paul urged
the people
in Timothy's
church to
make requests,
make prayers,
all kinds of
petitions to
God for
everybody.
James encouraged
believers,
if you lack
wisdom,
ask God.
And if you
ask believing,
he'll give it
to you
generously.
Also in
James,
is any of you
in trouble?
Let him
pray,
said James.
and one
of my
favorites,
1 John 3
22.
Dear friends,
if our hearts
do not
condemn us,
we have
confidence
before God
and receive
from him
anything we
ask,
because we
keep his
commands and
do what
pleases him.
As I skim
through the
New Testament
again this
week,
I was just
kind of blown
away by
how many
times we
are all
urged to
pray,
to ask
God for
things.
And so,
I want to
tell you this
morning that
prayer is not
just the
privilege of
the apostles
only.
It's the
privilege of
every believer,
all who
belong to
Jesus.
Now that
said,
the answers
to our
prayers might
not always
be on the
spot,
right away,
where it
seems like
the apostles,
it was,
as they did
the miracles,
as they did
the works
God gave
them to
do.
And I'll
say too
that we
shouldn't
try to
take
Jesus'
assurance,
this promise
to answer
our prayers,
to do
whatever we
ask,
and turn
it into
a formula.
There is a
bit of a
temptation to
do that,
but God
is not a
vending
machine.
There are
times when
God's
answer is
yes,
but not
yet.
The timing
is not
right.
Or yes,
that is
my will,
but not
in this
way.
I have
something
even
better
in store.
And so
we need to
keep those
things in
mind as
we seek
to trust
this promise
of Jesus
to answer
our prayers
and to
give us
the things
we ask
for.
So I
want to
just end
by encouraging
each one
of you,
just as I
was encouraged
this week,
it can be
so easy
to slip
into despair
over the
things that
happen to
us in our
lives,
or as we
look out
into our
world,
to slip
into despair.
God
and to
his son,
Jesus.
Ask
and it
will be
given to
you.
Seek
and you
will find.
Knock
and the
door will
be opened
to you.
For
everyone who
asks
receives,
the one
who seeks
finds,
and to
the one
who knocks,
the door
will be
opened.
Let's
pray.
Father in
heaven,
thank you
so much
for this
wide open
invitation
to pray
and for
the reminder
that you
are there
listening,
taking
everything
that we
ask for
and say
to heart,
and we
thank you
that you
are a
loving
heavenly
father
and that
your
answer
to us
is yes
when we
ask in
the ways
that you
have told
us to.
I pray
that we
would.
Each person
here,
I pray
that we
would ask
you for
things,
that we
wouldn't
try to
just do
this life
all by
ourselves,
on our
own.
There are
troubles in
this life,
in this
world,
and you
have
resources
for us.
You have
things for
us to
help us
through.
And so I
pray that we
would ask
for the
glory of
your son.
Amen.