the response from last week in John obviously there's a great need for these words right now I've really felt that this season in God's providence landing on John chapter 14 and considering all the wonderful things that are said here I didn't want to stop so again what was made known to me this morning about the exposure we didn't have a quick fill so I'm glad to do this this morning And then Christmas Day, of course, we'll come back and consider the birth of Christ. We have a service, 9.30 or 10? I don't know what is the time of that service. 9.30, there we go. Okay, so I invite you to turn this morning to the Gospel of John, chapter 14. And we're continuing our reflection in this Gospel, verses 12 to the end of the chapter. This is the word of the Lord. 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'm 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 if you love me you will keep my commandments and i will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you i will not leave you as orphans i will come to you yet a little while in the world will see me no more but you will see me because i live you also will live in that day you will know that i am in my father and you and me and i and you whoever has my commandments and keeps them he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas, not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him. And we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine, but the father's who sent me. These things I have spoken to you while I'm still with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I've said to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you I'm going away, and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I'm going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place, you may believe. I will no longer much talk with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here. And there ends the reading of God's Word. This is a particularly interesting section in the Gospel of John, one that I think that often gets preached and misunderstood. You could pull a variety of themes out of this passage. I think you saw that there. Which direction do you go with something like this? It seems that Jesus is highly repetitive in this section. It seems that it doesn't seem to have a lot of flow of exactly where he is going and what he's saying. And often this particular passage is preached what you would say more moralistically and in a way that is we talk about first use of the law and third use of the law and that Jesus is using the crushing use of the law to convict everyone of sin and that the blessings flow from the obedience that that we give I think often this particular passage though is missed in its context and that's a very important point to raise today to look at this particular passage and to see the big point of what jesus is doing in this particular section of john's gospel the great issue that jesus is addressing as he goes away to the cross and as he's going to be away for a time in his ascension and in session on the throne which is exactly the time that we're in right now is how the disciples will go forward when he is not physically present with them. That's the issue of this passage. That's what's driving Jesus's words in this passage. Remember, Peter asked that crucial question that launched into this big discourse of Jesus. Lord, why can't we come with you wherever you're going? It burdened them. They wanted to be with Jesus. And they thought, Wouldn't it just be easier if you stayed with us? Why would you do that? Why would you go away? See, that's the heart of this section. That's the context of this section. And we struggle with this very same question to this day. Wouldn't it be just easier if Jesus were sitting with us right now through all of the junk that's happening in the world? Of course we think that. And Jesus' surprising answer is, no, it would not be easier for you. What in the world? That's a surprising statement. In my absence, says Jesus, guess what? When I go away, you're going to do greater works than I did. Talk about a confusing moment for the disciples. What in the world is that? That I could do or you could do greater works than Jesus. And that's what this passage is helping us with, standing back from it. What we hear Jesus is saying is, I have great plans. I have great plans that are going to unfold in my absence, and you need to take heart in the midst of this. You need to know your purpose in the midst of this, the purpose for which I am leaving you here. I'm not leaving you as orphans. Did you catch that in the middle of this? I'm not leaving you as orphans in this world. So this morning I want to look at this passage and break it down very simply as we understand what Jesus is saying to us. Jesus calls them to persistence in their purpose. You'll notice that here. And then he calls for persistence in his provisions that he leaves them with. And then Jesus calls for persistence in his peace that he has left them with. So we're going to look at these things today. The theme there, persistence in his absence in the calling that he's given to us. A very important message for us today. Such a wonderful section of encouragement for us in the midst of the times in which we live. Last week, you'll remember that Jesus calmed their hearts speaking of a time when he would physically come back and he would take them to be with him. And we look forward to that day, don't we? That's the great truth of what we looked at in the future when he comes and all of this is over and the kingdom of God has come in all of its fullness and we have entered into a place, the dwelling place of God. Revelation 22 captures that, and that we are in that dwelling forever with no more of this sorrow and no more of this struggle. But Jesus was comforting them with that word. Remember, I go to prepare this place for you, and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again to receive you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. We're going to be together again. See, it's the heart of this passage. It's the heart of this concern of the disciples. You're going to be with me again. That's for certain for you. So keep that in front of you. He would go up in heaven. He would be seated after the cross event. And sometime after sometime, he would come back in a physical return. He's going to, and he's going to raise the dead. And he's going to take all of us to be together with him. And Paul said, remember, thus we shall always be with the Lord. That's the comfort of this in the future. We will always be with him. He's our shield, our defender. But here we are in this particular section. The Lord knew his disciples were in this distressing moment and a lot was falling apart all around them. He comforted them last time by taking all their troubles on himself. Remember that? I don't want you troubled through this. And the things that are about to happen, and the things that are happening now, Judas is betraying. They are about to stumble. He had just told, Jesus has just told them, you will all deny me. That is distressing. And Christ comforted them about the future. But now he does something that I think is incredibly helpful, that I said the context is really important for us to understand. he begins to address how they are to go forward in his absence. That's what this section is particularly doing. In the midst of all this hardship, how are they to handle themselves now? How are they to behave now? What are they to do now? How are they to be focused now with what? Let me remind you again of the tsunami of problems that have come upon them. Judas, what is about to happen are the Romans are about to come and cuff Jesus and take him away right in front of their eyes? Jesus announces he's leaving. They are in the most confusing moment that they have experienced in their walk with Jesus yet. Confusing. They are absolutely perplexed. They are absolutely confused and they don't know about the future. They're really struggling with this. They don't know how it's going to go. He is going to be struck. They are going to be scattered. But after consoling them, I want you to look at verse 12. Such an important verse. 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 my Father. Why in the world would Jesus say that? And it must have felt as strange to them when he said it as it feels to us reading it today. Doesn't it? What do you mean? it's important to say that Jesus is directing their purpose, persistence in the purpose for which he left them. What is he talking about? What greater works could we do, or the disciples and the apostles, particularly in this context, than Jesus? Well, Christ had been doing amazing works, hadn't he? Christ had really been doing amazing works. He had given sight to the blind. He had raised a man back in chapter 5 who had been lame for 38 years. Did you catch what he just said? You are going to do greater works than I did. What in the world are you talking about? Well, you ever read the book of Acts? They did. They did. Jesus didn't get very far outside of Jerusalem in success with the gospel. They made it to the ends of the earth with the gospel. In great success. i want to capture this point see jesus jesus in this section is doing something that is very important for understanding for understanding who we are and why he left us here he's reorienting them to the purpose for which he left his people in this world isn't he you will do greater works that is a remarkable thing for the son of god to say to his people and it's a greatly encouraging statement what he was describing was the spiritual nature of their work they would get into the hearts of people to the ends of the earth there would be success of the gospel to the ends of the earth and that's the remarkable encouragement of and you notice in verse one whoever keeps on believing in me will do with these works and so what he does here is he connects the fruit of their faith. If you truly believe in Christ, your desire, your purpose, your place is being fulfilled. In other words, the mission that he has given to his church is what he's talking about. We've always been a little confused about the Great Commission, but in some ways, I think you have to go to John to understand it. Matthew 28 is usually given as the singular great statement of the Great Commission. I think this is the exposition of it. In the middle of their distress, do you see what he's doing? He's fixing their hearts away from all the problems that they're experiencing that have come upon them to the purpose and the plan and the reason that he's about to leave them in the earth. Now, this is a very crucial point of the Christian life. What happens to people in distress? What happens to people who are overcome with fear? What happens to people whose hearts are thrown into a state of intense agitation or panic or confusion? Well, you know, everyone gets sideways. Look at the culture right now. Look at the Christian culture right now. We have forgotten what we're doing. Forgotten why we're here. And we have idleness. And we have people forgetting their purpose. And we have people fighting all the wrong battles. All the wrong battles. They never get off themselves. This is a big moment. They say this with people who suffer even something like depression. That could come for many different reasons, and that could come with the need of medical help, and that could come just for sin. There's many different reasons for depression, but one of the things they all say about depression is you've got to get people up and get them moving, don't they? The best thing you can do is get people moving. The best thing you can do is reestablish a sense of purpose for somebody. We know that. We know that. If you know somebody who's oppressed, go out and walk with them. Get them out. Help them. That's what we know about life. Inactivity in life leads to a directionless life and an ineffective life. And I believe specifically this is the encouragement that Jesus is giving to us and to his disciples and his church for the future of how to handle the very complex and difficult and discouraging moments of this life. Why did Jesus leave us here? That seems like such a basic question. And yet, for us, it's a very difficult one to answer today. It's remarkable. Why are we here? To make a lot of money and live the good life? And then cruise onto heaven in a couch? Why are we here? Remember, Jesus said, and we're going to get there in the high priestly prayer, one of the crucial points he prayed, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into this world, so I have sent them into this world. See, he's very focused in that particular part of the prayer on the mission of his disciples, soon to be apostles. This was a big concern for Jesus. We always have to stop and ask that question. Why am I here? Why am I getting up in the morning? What is my purpose here? I have responsibilities, of course, basic responsibilities to live and to care for people and to live a life that is responsible. But in the big picture, why was I saved and why was I left here? Because God prepared a bunch of good works beforehand for me to do. That's Ephesians 2. That's Ephesians 2. The good works that you have are all prepared for you by God for a purpose for you specifically in life. That's what Ephesians 2 is saying. It says you're saved unto that. Not saved by that, but you're saved under that purpose. And these works are important. So this is what Jesus is focused on in this particular section. For them, particularly in the ministry, what was their responsibility? It was to save people from the judgment to come. That's what the apostles went out to do. That's what they were called to do. What's your purpose? You may not be a pastor. You may not be an apostle. Every time the New Testament writers instructed Christians, it was to say, live out your days, not as just an end in itself, but they gave lengthy portions of the New Testament on how to leave godly and sacrificial lives. On how to help and become servants to help people. Think of all the ways the New Testament apostles wrote to encourage Christians in this way. If you're rich, guess what? You've got a great opportunity to use all you have to help somebody. whatever kind of situation you find yourself in, this is the way that the New Testament was teaching us to think. Use it. Use it. You all have unique vocations. Use it. To let Christ, as Paul would say, be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. Use your deaths that way, he said. It's purpose, isn't it? The real purpose in what Jesus is saying is, I have works appointed for you to do in my name so that people would be saved. That's the purpose for which I'm leaving you here. And that's the second thing then that Jesus does to encourage persistence in the resources that he leaves them with to this end. To strengthen us for these callings. Look at verse 13. This is great. 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. Now, when Jesus just said, greater works you would do than I have done, he was thinking about when the disciples would be sent out, apostles to the ends of the earth, and the works they would do would be spiritual, meaning their hearts would be generally transformed by the Lord's power through them. hearts would to the ends of the earth. What he's saying there, there's a clear effectiveness and tie to the effectiveness of our mission and purpose to the church and Christians and prayer. What he's saying. And notice in verse 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. It goes on. Whoever has my commandments, he goes on and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father and I will love him and manifest myself to him. It's not just a general teaching on obedience. It's not what this is. It's an important section motivating them to their callings while he's absent. See, notice that Judas, not Iscariot, is not getting it. Lord, how are you going to show yourself to us? This was Philip and Thomas. We want to see something. We want something else. And Jesus goes right over it. Notice this. If anyone loves me, he's going to keep my word. And my father will love him and will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the father's who sent me. In this case, do you see what he's doing? He's calling for them in the interim to be about his father's business. And as he was about his father's business and the commandment that the father gave him in coming here. Now, that's an important question in this particular section. Look down at the very end of this, verse 31. I will, verse 30, no longer talk much with you for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me. Well, what did the Father command him? What did the Father command him? See, this is the heart and soul of this section right here. What did the Father command Jesus to do? He already said it. You missed it in John 12. This, and I know that my Father's commandment is eternal life what i say therefore i say as the father has told me massive encouragement he's about to go die and fulfill that command the father sent me to give eternal life to the ends of the earth that's what the father told me to do and i've come to fulfill that command isn't this amazing The Heavenly Father, creation, providence, all things made through the Son. There was an eternal counsel, the commandment given, the singular great commandment Jesus talks about, that the Father gave the Son was to save a people to the ends of the earth. That should blow your minds. Jesus right in front of you the whole time in his walk is so intent on fulfilling this commandment. And I believe the massive encouragement here is to be persistent in that calling that he's leaving the church with and to be persistent in the means that God has given for the success of that to the ends of the earth. He's asking, notice him, fulfill the reason. He's calling them to fulfill the reason he's leaving them there. And here's the beautiful thing. He promises he'll hear us. You know, this shows how sort of narcissistic we are. We read verses like this and think, well, if I ask God for a horse, he's going to give me a horse or a car or whatever. This is what we do with verses like this. And you see how self-focused we are? That's not what this passage is saying. God's going to make me rich if I ask for it. God's going to give me the Lamborghini if I ask for it. That's not what God's going to do. What are your motivations and purpose here? This is really wonderful, isn't it? I will give you whatever you ask for. Whoa, what are you talking about? What are you asking for? What are you asking for? Pray to me that this command that I'm fulfilling would now show up in you. And that you would be upheld. And I promise that we will answer that request from heaven. And you will do works that are just great. See the encouragement in this? See the purpose in this? Massively encouraging to our purpose. What I have seen sadly is that the devil has worked overtime to divide and conquer us through this season that we're in as to why we were left here in the first place. You know, it's just cumbersome to even talk about politics right now, isn't it? And everyone's sucked into it. Do you think Jesus was talking about the commandment to go and get involved in every political fight in this world? Sure, we have responsibilities as Christians to affect government and to be light in this world and to use avenues and resources to make change. Do you think, though, that's the heart of what Jesus is telling us to do? let politics consume us anyone who does that guess what happens to them they forget about the dying neighbor next door who could head to hell tomorrow you see what are you trying to accomplish in this life this is Jesus here motivating us solving all the problems of this world there is a resurrection coming all that's going to be dealt with than the resurrection. The people need to be pulled out of fire right now. The right, to the right way, to the right place. So hear Jesus, listen to him. Get on your knees. Pray to me. Ask earnestly for the effectiveness of the word. See that? See how it's all tied to that? He uses commandment with word. For the effectiveness of the word, for the gospel to be received and people to be saved. And guess what? since those things are the will of God, since it's the commandment that I'm called to fulfill, when that prayer is done in my name according to that will, he will hear you and he will do it for you. That is really wonderful. See, the problem is, is most of our prayers are oriented around just our physical needs. They're important. This is kind of the struggle for the pastor. I want to pray for everyone's needs. But you see how you can become so focused on that that you miss the much bigger need of your neighbor. So that the Christian ministry is just about healing so that we have a more comfortable life here. I felt that pressure in my whole ministry in prayer. That that's just what it should be. See what Jesus is saying here? Sure, you need comfort. He comforts you. He helps you. How many times have we asked him? He heals our diseases. But I've got a better place for you. Right now, there's a bigger issue to your trials and earthly comforts. You know that? Which are really short-lived. I promise you they're short-lived. It's just for a momentary affliction, which is working in you. There's even a great purpose in it, an eternal way to glory. I want to challenge us then here. Would you make the priority to pray for the effectiveness of the word? Would you make it a priority to pray for the young people right now who are straying? Would you make it a priority to pray for that young person who's thinking of wandering off or who has already wandered off and gone into unbelief that the Lord would remember his promise, his covenant promise? and bring that covenant child back who's professed their faith? Would you pray that way? Would you pray for those who are living in open disobedience to the Word? Would you pray for those who are wandering? Would you pray for those who rarely come to church? Would you pray for our loved ones who are caught up in false teachings? Would you pray for those who are in false churches that we have actually not been strong enough to confront because we've been cowardly? Would you pray for those who lack assurance, who hurt? Would you pray for those who struggle with God's love and are carrying burdens they shouldn't carry? We're off us at that point, aren't we? We're off us. You have a lost world in the backyard. And he's not doing it to condemn you. I want you to know that. Notice this is all a very tender way of speaking to them. One more encouragement here. The biggest one yet. The heart of this section is verse 16. Where Christ turns away from them and lays upon himself the responsibility to do something for them. What's he going to do? Verse 16. And I will do something for you. I'll pray. It doesn't get any better preaching than this, by the way. Isn't this wonderful? I'm going to pray. Guess what I'm going to do for you when I pray? I'm going to send you someone. I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit. Who will abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells and will be in you. It's your benefit that I go away, you see. Because I'm going to send the Spirit to you. And I'm going to pray for you. And guess what? He's going to take my place and do the work. Verse 18 is amazing. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. Get it? I think what Christ is saying there is, when the Holy Spirit comes, I come. Calls him a helper, a comforter, a paracleta. One called to our side, a defender, there's even a legal tone to this. He's going to guard you. He's going to be with you. He's going to bring the effectiveness of this ministry out. You're never alone. That makes Pentecost really special, isn't it? The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things. He will bring to your remembrance everything I've said. Notice how the apostles were so different than these bumbling disciples. the Spirit had come. Everything that has fallen apart, they were in need of comfort. Right then and there, He calmed their hearts, taking that burden upon Himself and assuring that He would go to the cross so they would not have to carry that sorrow. How quickly do we forget these things? How quickly do you forget the truths that are preached to you? How quickly do you forget all these wonderful things that are said to you? And what Jesus just said is, it's the role of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit continued through the ministry of the Word to strengthen you so that you never forget. And that's what the Spirit's doing right now for you. That means that when Jesus spoke, let not your hearts be troubled, that kind of consoling peace that Christ has given to them is the work of the Holy Spirit for you today that never stops. He would always bear witness of the gospel. Isn't verse 27 just a verse to stand on? My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives. The world cannot give you peace. Do you understand that? It cannot solve these problems. It cannot give you peace. And then he says this, let not your hearts be troubled. He said that earlier. And then he says this, let not your hearts be afraid. I'm leaving you with peace and there's also something else I don't want you to do in my absence as the Spirit comes. You are not allowed to live in fear. You hear me? You are not allowed to live in fear in this world. That is the most antithetical thing to your mission. I've taken your troubles and I'm your God. You do not have to be in fear. of any of this. Disciples were overwhelmed at the moment, weren't they? Disciples were distressed at the moment. I leave you peace. I have to go away. I'm coming again. Spirit comes. You will have that peace. I don't want you living trouble or I don't want you living with fear. What gracious words from the mouth of our Savior. Christ just promised his help. Christ just assured us the help has come. verse 29 is a slight rebuke I think if you had loved me you would rejoice had they loved him and listened to him the way they should they would not be downcast you shouldn't be downcast today if you've heard him you shouldn't be downcast I love how this section ends Jesus in verse 31 says arise let's go from here what a strange ending to this passage it's often one of those things that the commentators don't quite know what to do with because they don't seem to get up yet they don't seem to get up yet and I believe it was illustrating just what he taught arise it's time for me to go fulfill the commandment of my father it's time I got to get up and I've got to go to that cross and I've got to die to fulfill salvation for you. That's what we've got to go do. I've got to do it. So we should arise. Let's go from here, hearing this word today, right? Hearing a word by the power of the Spirit that has comforted us, helped us, taken away our fears, and that we should be about our Heavenly Father's business in this life. Witnessing, caring about a lost and dying world, loving one another and serving one another sacrificially as we've been called to do, learning more how to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow. He's not saying that to us in judgment. He's saying when you do that, you look a lot like me. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for such a wonderful text and for helping us to understand the mission that you've given, a word, a mission of the word, and that we would be a praying people and that we, Lord, would be about this business. Thank you in all of our vocations and callings. You may not be a pastor, but all of us are called to let the light of Christ so shine in us that he would be magnified in our bodies, whether by life or by death. Thank you for taking away our fear. Thank you for taking upon yourself our troubles. We cast them upon you today. As Peter would say, cast all your burdens upon the Lord for he cares for you. So we do that. We pray, Lord, for the lost. We pray today for those in this church who've wandered. We pray for those, Lord, who have denied what they know to be true. We pray, O Lord, for the people, Lord, around us who don't know the gospel yet, neighbors, friends. We pray, Lord, that you would intervene. Specifically, you know these names. You know these people. That you would hear our prayer. That there would be success today in salvation. That we would knock it sideways on why you left us here. Thank you for taking all these other burdens that the world is so encompassed and driven to solve that they cannot, because it can't give peace. Thank you for taking that, that we don't have to carry that. May we be about our Father's business in a way that is freeing, joyful, and happy. If we've heard this word, and if we love the Lord, then our joy will be complete. Thank you, O Lord, for your wonderful word of truth to us today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you.