In his sermon 'Concerning Believers,' Jason Dohm delves into John 14:12-14, emphasizing the power and promises available to believers. He begins by highlighting the importance of believing in Jesus, not just intellectually, but by placing full trust in Him. Dohm warns against the modern tendency to dilute the potent promises found in these verses, urging believers to understand and embrace their true meaning. He discusses how Jesus assured His followers that they would perform greater works because of His return to the Father and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Dohm explains that the power for these works is tied to prayer, underscoring that asking in Jesus' name is a profound privilege that should not be taken lightly or as a mere incantation. The sermon further explores the transformative role of the Holy Spirit, who empowers believers to fulfill their mission. Dohm stresses the importance of viewing conversion as a mighty miracle and encourages believers to pray with fervor, seeing prayer as a wartime walkie-talkie rather than a service bell. He concludes by calling believers to a life of obedience and discipleship, asserting that the promises of God are most vividly experienced by those truly consecrated to Him.

Warning will be John chapter 14 verses 12 through 14, but for context we will be starting in verse 7. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. And from now on you know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, Lord show us the Father and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.

So how can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me the works that I do, he will do also.

And greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father. And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it." Let's pray. Oh gracious Heavenly Father, we do thank you for these wonderful words. Lord God, we know that throughout the ages, especially in our day, these verses have been twisted and preached on Father in such a way that they are far cry from what you intended them to be.

Lord God, as we consider them today, help us Father. Keep us from the pitfalls, the pitfalls of the thinking of our day and keep us from qualifying these, Father, to strip them of any intended purpose and power. Help our minds To be fixed in this passage today, help us to listen closely, help us to understand, Father, and may these words change our prayer life. May they help us, Father, as we learn more about you and who you are. Know Lord God if it be your will that some today would repent and believe, turn from their sins and turn to you the one true living God, and be able to point back to these verses and say this is when God saved me.

I pray that you would give Mr. Doane wisdom. Help us today in your son's name we pray. Amen. In John this week, next week we're actually going topical.

Next week I'll be preaching on giving. People can tense up when guys preach on giving. It is not going to be arm-twisting Sunday. In our eight years, we've never passed a plate. I will repeat that.

In our eight years, we have never one time passed a plate. So we're not changing. I think I preached on giving five years ago. Our thought has always been, if God's in it, He'll provide for it. We're not going to beg if we find ourselves in a position where we have to persistently beg.

We're going to assume that God's hand is not in it and do other things. But the purpose is just to help us all to think rightly about the topic of money and being open-handed with our money. So we'll do that next week. Fear not. It will not be a manipulative sermon.

And then a week following, we'll just be right back in the exposition. The title this morning is Concerning Believers. This is a word to believers. There's not a word of it that is to unbelievers at all. I guess our exhortation would be if you're an unbeliever, become a believer.

So I've addressed the unbelievers. Here ends the sermon for you. This is to believers. This is what believers may expect, should expect, promises, great and precious promises for believers to lay hold of and walk in. I woke up this morning resigned to preaching this text, meaning I don't really have a choice.

We announced it, we do sequential exposition. There's really no bailing out at this point. And I haven't taken any shortcuts. I've done the work. I've done the normal homework.

I've actually read more commentators, two more full length commentators than I would normally read. I don't think that any delay or reading a hundred more commentators would help me. So I woke up resigned to preaching the sermon, knowing that I had plenty of content, but not with the confidence that I was saying what I should say. But I come into the pulpit with joy and confidence in the intervening moments from the time that my alarm went off and now that the Lord has really helped me know what I should say. I think I have helpful things to say.

I think I understand the text better than I understood it this morning. In our last text, Jesus was imploring his disciples to believe him for his words' sake. He said, I'm not speaking on my own. When Jesus speaks, he co-speaks. Or at least that they would believe him for the works.

They've been observing the works that he did, miracles, but also his life. The utter consistency of an obedient life. That if they wouldn't believe the words for the word's sake, that they would at least see the works and believe that he was from God and was God because of the works that he was doing. Now Jesus speaks of what can be expected of those who do believe. Last week was imploring them to believe these words and the works that substantiate them this week.

He is speaking of what can be expected when you embrace his exhortation to believe. What do you have a right to expect? Again, this is in the larger context of Jesus preparing his disciples for the cross. So this is not a sunny day, light breeze, birds chirping in the meadow, teaching. This is on the deck of the ship as The hurricane rages and the waves are coming over the rails and the wind is howling.

So the larger context is preparing these men for the apparent failure of the whole mission. So he has a few short hours to convince them that the cross is not a failure at all of the mission, that the mission will not only continue, but thrive, but explode after the cross. So he's making them ready to see him hang on the cross. Let's go to the text praying. God, I thank you for your Word, and I pray that your Word would give us great comfort, as it was designed to give the original hearers, and would give us a great unquenchable boldness, as it was designed to give the original hearers.

The effect on these men is so evident. We have the recorded history of it. They turned the world upside down. May the effect on us be as evident to future generations. For the glory of your name.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. I'll be subdividing the text into two parts. We'll look at 12, and then we'll look at 13 and 14 together. So hopefully your finger is still in John chapter 14.

Follow along as I read verse 12. Jesus says, Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also. And greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father." In this verse we have what Jesus says will result from trusting Him. I say trusting Him, and I've been doing this sort of all along for the last little while. When the text says, believe in Him, I've been converting that to trust in Him, to get us off of the spot where we think that believing in Him is just intellectual assent to a group of propositions.

Believing in Jesus is so much more than that. It really is throwing yourself upon Him in trust. So if you're taking notes on the handout and filling in blanks, trusting fills in the blanks. What Jesus says will result from trusting Him. Friends, we have arrived at Charismatic Verses.

The man who stands before you today was charismatic for five or six years. And he stands before you today as a cessationist who loves the Holy Spirit and values the work of the Holy Spirit and believes that God is working miracles today in the world, real miracles today in the world, in response to his people's prayer. If that doesn't make any sense to you, I would submit that you might not fully understand what it means to be a cessationist. I didn't until I found out I was one. All that can coexist quite nicely.

Because we are in charismatic verses that have been broadly abused, our natural reaction is to shrink back from them and explain them away. Have these verses, this teaching of Jesus, die the death of a thousand qualifications and we whittle them away to nothing. So here is my command, no whittling. Jesus in these verses has given us great and precious promises. They should be rightly understood.

But a right understanding of them does not whittle away what Jesus is teaching. Reformed folk have a rightful claim on these verses and to the power contained within these verses. And we ought not to be whittling away what Jesus has given to us as a birthright. Clearly, Jesus didn't mean for us to be left with nothing at the end of this, after we finished with all our qualifications. This begins with the Amen, Amen.

We've seen it a bunch of times already. Most assuredly, I say to you, the most assuredly is the double amen in the Greek. So if you saw transliteration in the Greek, you would see, Amen, amen, I say to you, and then what follows? And Jesus pre-punctuates it with an exclamation point. It's like an exclamation Point at the beginning of the sentence instead of the end of the sentence to highlight in advance That what I'm getting ready to say is ultra important So you we have the exclamation point here at the beginning amen amen and then verse 14 is a complete repetition of the things in verse 13.

So just know this, when Jesus starts something by saying, Amen, Amen, and then he ends it with a complete repetition of what he just said, you shouldn't miss this and you have no right to whittle away the contents of it. Can we agree on that? It would be wrong to whittle away the contents of it. So let's proceed with carefulness and with caution, But let's lay hold of all Jesus meant to give us with what is being taught here. So what is the starting point?

He who believes in me. People who don't believe in Jesus can just skip to the next section. This is for true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is only for those who believe in Jesus Christ. And that brings together two things.

One, assenting to the truth. Two, consenting to the person. How many times have I said that? We've lost count. Fine.

I keep saying. There are two things wrapped up in believing in Jesus. It's different than believing Jesus as you would believe the math teacher. Okay, the Pythagorean theorem, if you plug in the right numbers in the right spot, you get the right answer. This is different.

You don't entrust yourself to the math teacher like believers in Jesus. Not only assenting to the truth, agreeing what you're teaching is truth, but also throwing yourself upon the teacher of the truth as trustworthy and able to handle everything that concerns you. So this is for people who are assenting to the truths, we have a book, and consenting to the person, throwing themselves upon Jesus Christ in total trust of everything in life. This is the person that this is for. So this has nothing to do with the unregenerate heretics who pervert these verses in their teaching.

It has nothing to do with them. They have no right to teach on it. They have no right to act on it. They are not he who believes. These are our verses, not their verses.

This has to do with true believers who are acting like true believers. I grant that as a true believer I don't always act like a true believer. I'm not sure these promises help me in the moments when I'm not acting like a true believer. These are for people who are really assenting to the truths of this book and consenting and trusting themselves to the great subject of this book, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we start here.

This is for true believers who are acting as such. By the way, If the true believer rarely acts like a true believer, we've probably misdefined the term true believer. A tree is known by its fruit. Believers in Christ will do the works that Jesus did on the authority of Jesus. John the Gospel writer quoting Jesus, believers in Christ will do, not might consider or might do the works that Jesus did, will do, and even greater works than Jesus.

Not just apostles or prophets who are admittedly very few, not even just preachers who are admittedly very many, but not as many as all believers. Believers in Christ will do the works of Christ and even greater works. Jesus gives the reason. What is the reason? Because I go to my Father.

Consider these two verses. John 16 verse 7. Same discourse. A couple of chapters in, but the exact same discourse, the same setting. Jesus says in John 16 verse 7, nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you.

But if I depart, I will send him to you." Jesus returning to his Father, Jesus going away, is what initiates the sending of the Holy Spirit into the hearts and lives of believers to indwell them and to empower them. If He doesn't go away, the Holy Spirit doesn't come, So it's to the advantage of the world and all believers that Jesus physically returned to His Father so that the initiation of the Holy Spirit being sent will happen and Jesus' people will be empowered and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. 2nd verse, Acts 1 verse 8. These are the very last words that Jesus spoke as He ascends into heaven. Acts chapter 1 verse 8, Jesus' last words on earth.

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, And you shall be my witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." Holy Spirit comes to indwell. That's initiated. We saw that in John 16, 7. The initiation of the Holy Spirit being sent to indwell and empower believers. In Acts 1, 8 we get the purpose for that, the primary purpose of the indwelling and empowering of the Holy Spirit is the spread of the Kingdom of Heaven to the most distant nooks and crannies of planet Earth.

Now, what are these works of Jesus? Two things I'd like to say. One, we shouldn't shortcut to miracles. When you see the works of Jesus and greater works than these, don't just hyperlink to miracles, signs and wonders. Two, we shouldn't exclude miracles.

So Don't skip right to them, but also don't you dare carve them out. Miracles have to be in view with what Jesus is saying in our text. The Greek word used here is broader than miracles. This Greek word was in last week's text too, and I made this point last week, that when the word miracles is used in the New King James we've been seeing the word signs. It's a different Greek word.

It's a narrower Greek word that means a miracle that points to something beyond it. So it's a miracle with a purpose to substantiate or ground the truth of the preacher. It's a sign. So King James says miracle or renders it miracle. New King James renders it sign.

That's a different Greek word. This is a broader Greek word, but that word never excludes miracles. In other words, there are usages, even in the Gospel of John of that Greek word, where you can tell it's speaking of the miracle just worked. Here's where we start in a consideration of the works of Jesus and greater works. We're not short-cutting to miracles and we're not excluding miracles.

It's broader than just signs and wonders, but it includes them. Jesus actually characterized His works. Turn to John chapter 4. I meant to look up how long it's been since we were in John chapter 4. It's been a long time.

John chapter 4, the woman at the well. Do you even remember that? That has to be more than a year ago. John chapter 4. After speaking with the woman at the well, she leaves to go tell the townspeople, I just met a man who told me everything I ever did, and his disciples returned, They had gone into town seeking food.

They returned. This is where we join the text in John chapter 4, 31-38. In the meantime, his disciples urged him, saying, Rabbi, eat! But he said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not know. Therefore the disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought them anything to eat?

Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Same Greek word. My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work." Same Greek word. My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work. Do you not say there are still four months and then comes the harvest?

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, one sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored. Others have labored.

And you have entered into their labors. And then immediately the townspeople come out, and there's actually a fulfillment of what Jesus has said, figuratively, that the fields are white to harvest, then the townspeople are there. And he's spending days of ministry and preaching there among the Samaritans. So verse 34 is the key here. Jesus characterizes His work.

What characterizes his works? What is the banner that is hung over all of his works? My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Whether he was eating or sleeping, whatever he was doing, he did it all to the glory of God. It was all to please his father, to act according to the good pleasure of his father to do the will of his father.

His object was to finish his work and his work was just whatever his father thought was good for him to do. We're thinking about the works of Jesus. Question, was Jesus's greatest work a miracle? You're not saved if he just walks on water. That walking on water is not a great enough work for you to be saved.

You're not even saved if he brings Lazarus forth from the tomb. You can't be saved by that. It's not a great enough miracle. Only in a certain sense was the cross a miracle. There is something miraculous about the Son of God bleeding and dying for sinners on the cross.

I'll grant you that. But it's not a miracle like we normally think of miracles. The cross was His Father's will for Him. Remember Gethsemane, not your will, nevertheless not my will but yours. Nevertheless not my will but yours.

So the cross was Jesus' work that his father gave him to do. And he knew that he would be glorified and that his father would be glorified by this work. And so he went to the cross, even though it put his soul and spirit in a turmoil. Thankfully, we have the book of Acts to see how this worked itself out in the early church. Even when the apostles were living out what Jesus is preaching in John chapter 14, our text, how did this work out and inspire church history?

The book of Acts. We do see miracles worked primarily, not exclusively, by the Apostles. All the miracles in Acts weren't worked by the apostles, but most of them were worked by the apostles. We do not see miracles more spectacular than Jesus worked. Than Jesus worked.

You cannot put up anything in the book of Acts beside Jesus walking on the water. Nothing rates. You cannot put up anything in the book of Acts beside Lazarus being called from the tomb four days after dying. It is not right, it is not biblically informed to equate greater, greater works with more spectacular works. They don't exist in inspired church history, meaning we have a lot of uninspired church history after the Book of Acts, but you can bet your life on the Book of Acts and what's recorded there.

What we do see is a church, Jesus' people, those who believe in Jesus, full of power for their mission. Turning the world upside down, we do see that in the book of Acts. And miracles are a part of that, and miracles are an important part of that, as God is putting His stamp on the preaching of His Word in the early church. No question about it. But the miracles serve that.

The miracles are subservient to God stamping the preaching of His early church as they turn the world upside down. Because Jesus has gone to His Father and the Spirit has been sent to indwell and empower his people, the church is an unstoppable force invading every tribe and tongue and people and nation. That is what you see more than anything. That is the overriding sense of the threads that are weaved together in the book of Acts. That Jesus' people as an unstoppable force invading every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

So praise the Lord for the miracles in the record, but what is overarching the record is that, an invasion of the world by the people of Jesus. And no gates of hell being able to prevail against that. So it was then, so it is today. Question. Do we view conversion as a mighty miracle?

Mighty miracle. I'm not trying to reduce this verse to just conversions, but After all, conversions are the raising of the dead. You can become pretty used to conversions because of God's goodness and faithfulness that many of our children, under the means of grace, have really owned Christ for themselves, this can become ho hum. What? How can that be that the raising of the spiritually dead would become ho hum to us.

It is the mightiest of miracles. It is so far beyond Lazarus coming forth from the grave. Lazarus died again. So again, don't be reductionistic and just whittle it away by saying this only has to do with conversions, but at the same time we should step back and marvel at the progress of the Gospel that is penetrating every tribe and tongue and people and nation. They'll all be represented before the throne because God is reaching into a world of darkness and rebellion and sin and claiming sinners and bringing them before His throne to worship Him forever.

That is a mighty work. Verses 13 and 14. There's much more to say. Hopefully I'll say a fair amount of it in these next two verses. Because they're highly, highly connected.

John 14, back to our text, verses 13 and 14. And whatever you ask in my name, That I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. In these verses we have what Jesus says he will do in response to a believer's prayer and why. So if you're taking notes on the handout and filling in blanks, it's response and why.

What Jesus says he will do in response to a believer's prayer, he promises to respond to the prayers of those who believe in him and why. He tells us why he will respond. The first thing I should say before I utter another word is this. This is directly connected with verse 12. These works of Jesus and the greater works are in response to Jesus' people asking Jesus.

He doesn't even take a breath at the period here between 12 and 13 and 14. It's continuous. He just spoke of the believers doing his works in greater works, and now without taking a breath, He says that this will be in response to his people asking him. So these are works in response to the requests of his people. Second, the beginning of 13 and verse 14 are all but identical.

If you made them any more identical, they would be identical. They are all but identical. Nothing new, not one thing new is said in verse 14. Let's look together. First part of 13, and whatever you ask in my name, first part of fourteen, if you ask anything in my name, all but identical, back to thirteen, that I will do, back to fourteen, I will do it.

So it's just a repetition to 14. I will do it. It's just a repetition for emphasis and force. Don't you dare blunt this. Jesus repeated himself almost word for word to punctuate it with an exclamation mark.

To give it emphasis and force. He intended for you to be hit with the force of it. You can't not notice how expansive the scope is. You must notice how expansive the scope is. Whatever you ask.

So the playing field is completely opened up to anything and everything. If you ask anything, breathtaking scope. Breathtaking scope. Breathtaking scope. Breathtaking scope.

There is a way to ask. What's the way? In my name. We ask in the name of Jesus. That does not mean simply to stick the phrase in the name of Jesus at the end.

What's the magic word? In the name of Jesus. This is not a magic phrase, a sort of incantation that you do to get the magic started. It isn't magic. Here's a question that I think helps us understand in the name of Jesus.

Parents, how do you allow your name, your puny name by comparison, how do you allow your name to be used among your children? Laura, Go tell Rebecca, Dad says it's time to come in. Now, one, if Rebecca ignores that, Rebecca's not ignoring Laura. And that's not lost on me, and it won't be lost on Rebecca. Two, if anyone says, Mom said, and those words didn't really come out of mom's mouth, there's hell to pay.

The domes are patient. The dome parents are patient with some things, and that is not one of them. If you say, Dad said something, but Dad didn't say it, and you were using it as a lever point to get what you wanted, you are in hot, hot, hot water. Right? That's just me with my puny name.

Now, apply this to Jesus Christ and His name. In that case, it's the exact opposite. It's the only begotten, beloved son allowing his name to be used. But like a parent expecting their name to be used appropriately, Jesus expects the same, demands the same. His name is not to be taken in vain.

Now isn't that familiar language? You shall not take my name in vain. This is all intertwined with what Jesus is saying in this verse when he says, ask in my name. Don't you dare take it in vain. Let's look at some other texts which will help us understand this rightly.

I'm taking you to other texts that I don't think say anything new or different than what Jesus is saying, but it's coming at the same things that are in our text, either from a different angle or in a more comprehensive way that throws light on it. Matthew 7. Turn to Matthew 7. Turn to Matthew 7. Ironically, I'm skipping the Lord's Prayer for the sake of time.

There is profitable and related things in the Lord's Prayer. But we'll start in Matthew 7. Lord's Prayer is in Matthew 6. Matthew chapter 7 verses 7 through 11. Jesus says, starting in verse 7, Jesus says, ask and it will be given to you.

Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And he who seeks, finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened.

Or what man is there among you who if his son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will he give him a serpent? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him. So again, you have a wide open field. Ask and you will receive, Seek and you will find.

We have this categorical comprehensive language, great and precious promises. Then Jesus gets around to the foundation of it. What is the foundation of it? The foundation of it is the predisposition of a father towards a loved son. In other words, how does any of this make sense?

Well, dads love their sons and daughters. Mothers love their sons and their daughters. It's the parental predisposition to grant reasonable requests. Dad, can I have some bread? Oh, here have a scorpion.

In what world does that ever happen? Not in a world where fathers love their sons. So, God says, I'm a father only not an evil one like you and if you have a predisposition to graciously respond to reasonable requests from your children think about what it is like for me, who doesn't have any of your corruptions. I am radically predisposed to answer graciously your requests. This is what it means to ask in His name.

It's to come as a loved son. Why? Because you are in union with the loved son. That's what this is built upon. Your union with his loved son gives him a radical predisposition to answer reasonable requests, favorably, graciously.

Just like in our text. It's there in our text, just not quite as unfolded. Turn to Matthew 21. Matthew 21. The context for Matthew 21.

The context for Matthew 21 is Jesus saw from afar a fig tree with leaves on it. A fig tree with leaves should, whether figs are in season or not, if it has leaves, it should have the bud of fruit tucked underneath the leaf and it's edible. You read it wasn't the season for figs. That has nothing to do with whether there is something edible on that plant or not. If it has leaves, it should have the bud of fruit and that's edible.

So Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves and he goes and there is no buds of fruit there. And he curses it, he comes back the next morning and the thing is withered to its roots. So overnight it has completely died and withered all the way to the roots. And his disciples marvel. So Matthew 21 verses 21 and 22.

So Jesus answered and said to them, assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, be removed and cast into the sea, it will be done. Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. So again, this is in the backdrop of inspired church history, the book of Acts, did any disciple ever say to a mountain, be removed and thrown into the midst of the sea? No, they didn't. They just took over the world.

They just took over the world. They did the equivalent. It was figurative language. You can do anything when you ask in my name. You can't take my name in vain.

But you can ask for stupendous things, not stupid things, stupendous things and they'll be done because you have a Father in heaven with a radical predisposition to graciously grant the reasonable requests of his children. You have to believe. So this goes right back to our text. He who believes in me, he who has sense to the truths and consents to the person the works that Jesus did he will do. In greater words.

James, The writer of the book of James comes at it from the opposite direction. Listen to James 1, 5-8. Just listen, I'm going to read and keep moving. James 1, 5-8. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." So this is a specific category of request.

Wisdom. God, can I have wisdom? Verse 6, "'But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

So in Matthew 21, Jesus comes at it from the positive side of the coin, Believe and you'll receive. James comes at the same coin from the negative side of the coin. If you ask with doubting, you shouldn't expect you'll receive anything. You're a double-minded man, unstable in all your ways, God won't give you anything. He who believes in me, this is in our text, it's just unfolded in Matthew 21 and James 1.

Now turn to John 15. So it's back to our text, It's actually on the same page for me in my Bible. You might have to turn a page, but I don't. So same discourse. This is definitely explanatory of our text.

It would be, in timing-wise, maybe two minutes later. Assuming it didn't say more things that weren't recorded. Soon on the heels of this. John 15 verses 7 and 8. Follow along.

John 15, 7 and 8. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you. So I want you to hear reverberating in the background of that. In my name. What does in my name mean?

Well, it has to do with abiding in Him, His words abiding in you, that's part of this. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciple." So this ties into our text at a couple of different points. One is the glorification of God in granting those prayers. God is glorified by graciously responding to these prayers, just like in our text.

By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciple. So the asking here in chapter 15 is in the context of fruit bearing, of abiding in God and His words abiding in you?" Well, I don't want to abide in Christ and I'm not really interested in knowing His word, but I want to be able to tack in the name of Jesus onto the end of my self-serving requests and put it under the banner of this text? No. Request denied. You can tell that has nothing to do with our text.

I'm a professing Christian, but abiding in Christ is not my thing. Studying the Bible is not my thing, but I want to be able to tack the magic words onto the end of my prayers and have a gracious answer. When you put it like that, everyone can see That's not what Jesus is talking about. Finally, 1 John 5, our last stop. 1 John 5, verses 14 and 15.

1 John 5, 14 and 15. John, the Gospel writer and now the letter writer, writes, now this is the confidence that we have in him. That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him in his name according to his will. But how are we to know what his will is?

He gave us a book, a long book. We should study it. It doesn't give us every particular of every situation, but if you can study this book for long and not know the heart of God, you haven't been taught much by the Spirit of God. This is what it means to ask in His name. When Christ's people, those who believe in Jesus Christ, assenting to the truths of Jesus Christ, and consenting to the person of Jesus Christ, ask for great words in His name and those requests are granted, the Father is glorified in the Son.

Hey It's one thing to be able to do something stupendous. It's another thing to be able to empower someone lesser to do something stupendous. Jesus actually gets the glory in working through us to do great works. He gets the glory of being one who can even empower an inferior to do stupendous things. You can see how the Father is glorified in the Son.

That I will do, verse 13, who's doing the doing? Jesus. I will do it, verse 14, who's doing the doing? Jesus. Brings me to a very helpful quote by D.A.

Carson. I'm actually quoting a living commentator. Can you believe it? Mark the time and the date. I'm quoting a living commentator.

I'm sorry, but it was a really good quote. D.A. Carson says this. This demonstrates that the contrast in verse 12 is not finally between Jesus' works and his disciples' works, but between the works of Jesus that he himself performed in the days of his flesh and the works that he performs through his disciples after his death and exaltation. At that point, redemption is won.

The Kingdom of God is triumphantly invading the nations with saving and transforming power. The focus of the covenant community stretches outward from its Jewish confines to embrace the world, and the disciples themselves are empowered and equipped to engage in far-reaching ministry. The latter turns on the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is a gift about to be introduced into the discussion verses 15 and following. In other words, he's getting ready to start talking about the sending of the Spirit. So it belongs here with this text.

So this is only about Jesus' works during his incarnation and Jesus' works after his ascension. In both cases, Jesus is doing the works. It's right there in the text. I will do it. You ask, I do.

Applications, I have five. Number one, Imagine what a comfort this must have been. Now take the same comfort. The disciples are 24 hours from the Lord Jesus dying on the cross, from them fleeing, scattering, when he is apprehended in Gethsemane. They are right on the verge of the most discouraging circumstances of their lives.

But Jesus has made them ready in advance, right in advance, with an assurance that this isn't the ending, but actually the beginning of Jesus' work in the world, that it will continue, not only undiminished, but augmented, but more powerful. But augmented, but more powerful. The work of Jesus Christ in the world didn't shrink with Jesus returning to His Father. It exploded with Jesus returning to his father. That is simply historical fact.

Inspired and uninspired alike. Even the uninspired historians will tell you Christianity rocked the world. Christianity is rocking the world. Jesus isn't less than when he was here. Jesus is more than when he was physically here today on planet earth, times a million.

Imagine what a comfort this must have been. Now, take the same comfort. We're entitled to this comfort. Sometimes our circumstances are very discouraging, but not as discouraging as the disciples' circumstances. We have the same great and precious promises that they received.

Number two, J.C. Ryle says this, these words are a direct encouragement to the simple yet great duty of praying. How can you come and go from this text and not pray? What have we lost our minds with these promises dangling out there to be either seized upon or neglected? J.C.

Ryle also says this, how Is it that many true Christians have so little? The answer is simple and plain. They have not because they ask not. Our languid desires are the reasons of our languid performances. Now think about that.

Languid means weak or lukewarm. Our weak or lukewarm desires, we just don't desire very much of the work of God is the reason of our languid performances. The reason that our performances are weak and lukewarm, barely noticeable, is that we don't have a hunger and thirst to see Christ's works done through us, and even greater works, even though we've been given the promises. We should take these verses that we're in today and use them to stir ourselves up to see the mighty acts of God done through us. It is a birthright.

We don't have this in our lives because our desires are languid. Stir them up brothers and sisters. Number three. John Piper calls prayer a wartime walkie talkie. Not a bell to ring for service a Wartime walkie-talkie why prayer because you need to communicate in wartime life or death hangs in the balance in a wartime Prayer is that it's not a bell that you ring to get service Jesus could you bring up some more wings?

The game is on and we are running low. Does that make you uncomfortable just to hear those words uttered? Or worse yet, Father, in Jesus' name, Send him up with some more wings. The game's on and we're running low. That is blasphemy.

And the prosperity gods are out preaching the equivalent of that blasphemy. They're not even believers. We should have such a reverence for His name. His name should be the most precious thing. To pray for our ease and our comforts and our entertainments and to attach his name on it should be unthinkable to us.

He died so you can have chicken wings during the game? You want to ring the bell? Have him bring them to you? Prayer is a wartime walkie talkie, not a bell for service. Amen to that.

Four. Consider this proposition. Consider this proposition. It is those who are most consecrated to God, who have the greatest actual experience of what Jesus has so emphatically promised. So I want to go back to how emphatically Jesus has promised this.

Amen, amen, I say to you, he who believes in me the works that I do, he will do, and greater works than these. And then the repetition. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it. The son might be glorified in the father. If you ask anything, I will do it.

That is emphatic. That is an emphatic promise not to be whittled away. So consider this proposition. It is those who are most consecrated to God. What does consecrated to God mean?

God, I'm yours. You want me to stand on my head in the corner, I'll stand on my head in the corner. If you want me to go to another city, state, country, continent, I'll go there. I am yours. You dispose of me in my life, my minutes and my hours.

That is consecrated to God. It is those who are most consecrated to God who have the greatest actual experience of what Jesus has so emphatically promised. Because they are using their wartime walkie talkie. They are using their wartime walkie talkie. They're not culling up chicken wings.

They're pleading with God to advance His kingdom, to spread His mercy, that His glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Jesus told the truth in our text and he's not the problem. I don't need to say either one of those things, I'll say it anyway. Jesus told the truth in the text. His emphatic promise is a good promise.

That will be fulfilled and he's not the problem. To whatever extent we've not experienced the reality of what's been promised, we are the problem. Not that he didn't mean it, Not that he didn't tell the truth. Not that he won't still back up the promise today. We have languid desires, so we have languid performances.

We have not because we ask not. And often when we ask, we ask for our own pleasures. Back to James. Back to the book of James. So we don't receive.

Number five. Start here. I'm going to give you practical, practical help. Start here. Obey and make disciples.

Start here. I was hoping I would be able to do miracles. Well you might be able to, but start here. I do believe that in response to prayer God is working miracles in response to their requests, but it is in consecrated servants who are in the path of obedience and discipling the nations. Those will be the people who are going to be eye witnessing the miracles.

What was Jesus' most persistent work? His greatest work was the cross, not his miracles. What was his most persistent work? Was he working signs and wonders every minute of every day? No he was not.

Was he obeying his Father every minute of every day? Yes he was. His most persistent work was just obeying his Father. Not doing the things that God has withheld us from and doing the things that God has given us to do, every minute of every day. Do you know, To exhort an unbeliever to do that is just a massive waste of time.

The best they could do is to cobble together some sort of outward facade that makes them look like they're obeying God. You cannot obey God without a new heart. You can cobble together a front that sort of looks like an outward compliance to the law of God. But without faith it is impossible to please God. You cannot obey Him without being born again.

Once you are born again, you have the power to obey Him. The power of sin is broken. It's not a waste of time to exhort you, brothers and sisters, to obey Him. You can. Start there.

Start your pleadings in that direction. Lord, break the remaining patterns of sin in my life. Help me to obey You. Help me to hold back from the things that you keep your people from and propel me forward into the things that you have given your people to do. And of course, Discipling the Nations is right on that list.

My guess is if we would start begging God for those things, knowing that we are in union with the Son that He loves, He would say, well, that's a reasonable request. I think I'll grant that request. And in the path of obedience and discipling the nations, don't be surprised if you begin to see miracles. Don't be surprised if you begin to see miracles in response to your prayers. By the way, look at verse 15.

We'll just preview the next one. If you love me, keep my commandments." Again, he might not have taken a breath between 14 and 15. These spectacular promises, and what does Jesus tie them to? Obedience. God, thank you for your Word.

Thank you for the goodness of your promises. I pray that we would put ourselves in the path of following you, walking at your side, Knowing that as we walk beside you, abide in you, abide in your word, your words abiding in us, asking in your name for your glory, that we will begin to see things we never thought we'd live to see. I do pray you would embolden us Lord, you would embolden us. In Jesus name, Amen.