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Page 1: That the Father May Be Glorified John 14 12-14 docxs3.amazonaws.com/churchplantmedia-cms/heritage_bible...That The Father May Be Glorified John 14:12-14 Dan Brooks, Pastor Sunday Morning,

That The Father May Be Glorified John 14:12-14

Dan Brooks, Pastor Sunday Morning, May 17, 2015

Introduction: Let not your heart be troubled! I. THE PROMISES ARE MADE TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

A. Whoever believes in me 1. Saving faith is always active. We are always believing. 2. So we are rightly called “believers.”

B. Q: But are you truly counted among those who believe in Christ? II. THE PROMISES ARE BASED ON THE WORK OF CHRIST.

A. Jesus shares His work. 1. Will also do the works that I do 2. What are the works that He has done? a. Specifically, the 7 signs: 1) Water into wine 2) Healing of the official’s son 3) Healing of the disabled man of Bethesda 4) Feeding of the 5,000 5) Walking on water and rescue 6) Healing the man born blind 7) Raising Lazarus from the dead

b. Jn 5:20–21 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater

works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and

gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 3. What is the purpose of the works? a. “All the works of Jesus are significant of the saving sovereignty of God at work among humankind through the . . . Redeemer. The main reality to which they point . . . is the life eternal of the kingdom of God through Jesus its mediator.”1

b. The significance of the works is that they point people to God. They were never intended as an end in themselves.

4. And greater works than these will he do a. Does this mean that believers in Jesus will perform miraculous works that exceed the wonder of the 7 signs in John? 1) If Jesus walked on water, does that mean we will fly over water? 2) No, it doesn’t seem that the point is “greater in wonder.” 3) The record of Acts shows the Spirit working many signs and wonders through the Church, but there do not seem to be any which would exceed turning water into wine, walking on water, or raising a dead person 4 days after burial.

4) Miracles go on and I believe continue in our day, but it’s not about “greater in wonder.” b. Greater in number? Possibly. c. Greater in reach? Perhaps. d. Greater because after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ a new age will begin where the Church will grow across the world and God’s people will exponentially come into existence. 1) The Gospel explodes in Jerusalem and then runs to ends of the earth.

1George R. Beasley-Murray, John, vol. 36, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2002), 254–255.

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2) J. C. Ryle believes the greater works have reference to “more conversions.”2 B. Jesus accomplishes His work. 1. Because I am going to the Father a. The resurrection and ascension to glory are clearly in view. b. Christ’s resurrection and ascension stand as the basis of this work! c. “This life-giving power of the Son depends in turn on the Son’s death, resurrection and exaltation.”3

2. Point: The fact that Jesus has risen and ascended is the assurance of delegated power. This truth is what helps us to understand the next promise.

C. Jesus participates in the work. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me

anything in my name, I will do it. *Let’s work in reverse order. 1. In my name (13, 14) a. Remember that Jesus is the Way to the Father. He is the Truth concerning the Father. He is the Life from the Father.

b. Even in prayer, Jesus is the Mediator and the path by which we travel to the Father. c. Ill.: Have you ever said something like, “Take your car to Tim’s Auto and when you talk to Tim, tell him Danny sent you”? You are employing your relationship with the business owner on behalf of someone else who doesn’t have the relationship with the owner. It’s a way of introduction and a way to establish trust between both parties, isn’t it?

d. We would never think of praying in our own name. 1) That would be to come to the Father on the basis of our own merit, our own worth, our own authority.

2) And we have none. 3) And because we have none, we recognize that we need the authority or rights of another if we are to be heard by God.

e. Jesus is giving us that right of approach. f. “Here, take my name and go to the Father.”

2. Whatever you ask (13) . . . if you ask me anything (14) a. Don’t miss that fact that prayer is essential to the works done by believers! b. He’s just promised that believers will actually do greater works than He has done, yet He is instructing us to ask.

c. We ask Him to do those things that we are not capable of doing alone. 3. Questions: a. What does He mean by whatever and anything? b. Is this a blank prayer check? Is Jesus giving us permission to ask for anything? c. We need to go further with Him before we can answer that question.

4. I will do . . . I will do it 5. Point: Jesus has not only delegated His power but called us into a life of prayer in order that something really significant may happen.

III. THE PROMISES ARE MADE FOR THE FATHER’S GLORY. A. The Father’s glory is Jesus’ chief desire. 1. That the Father may be glorified in the Son

2J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John, Vol. 3, Banner of Truth, 75. 3D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 496.

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2. Glorified: (δοξασθῇ) “to render conspicuous and glorious the divine character and attributes”4 3. In the Son

B. The Father’s glory must be our chief desire. 1. How we work and what we pray for are tied directly to the glory of God. 2. 1 Pe 4:10–11 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s

varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves

by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus

Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

3. The work that we are called to is the means C. Point: Jesus is going to answer prayers that result in the glory of the Father. 1. He is promising to do anything we ask that will bring the Father glory. 2. The question we need to wrestle with as we pray is this: What will make the divine character and attributes of the Father conspicuous? a. We’re not asking for miracle-working power just to put on a sideshow. b. We’re not asking Jesus to petition the Father for stuff to make our lives more comfortable. c. We’re being called to work and pray for the glory of the Father! d. Phm 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of

every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. e. We’re authorized to do the works and pray in Jesus’ name so that the character and attributes of the Father may be known and valued and worshiped and treasured.

3. We pray things like this: a. “Lord Jesus, in Your most holy, powerful, saving name, I ask that you would bring a great awakening to the Church of Greenville that the Father may be glorified in the Upstate of South Carolina.”

b. “Lord Jesus, in Your most holy, powerful, saving name, I ask that you would send church planters to Salt Lake City in order that Your Father and mine would be glorified from Ogden to Provo! His character and attributes are presently defamed by the false religion of Mormonism and by the paganism and idolatry of hedonism. Send workers into that part of the harvest field!”

4. “The church must hunger for personal and corporate submission to the lordship of Christ. We must desire to know more of God’s presence in our lives, and pray for a display of unleashed, reforming, revivifying power among us, dreading all steps that aim to domesticate God. But such prayer and hunger must always be tempered with joyful submission to the constraints of biblical discipline.”5

IV. APPLICATION A. What kinds of things do we tend to pray for? B. How much of your praying is characterized by requests for the glory of the Father in Jesus? C. How much of your living is centered in the glory of the Father? D. What kinds of things should you more actively pray for? E. Do you actively seek for opportunities to pray with other believers with this kind of focus? F. How can you seek out or create opportunities to pray with others for the glory of the Father in Jesus?

4Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000). 5D. A. Carson, Showing the Spirit: a Theological Exposition of 1 Corinthians 12–14 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1987), 188.