 All right, here we are, John's Gospel chapter 14. I'll begin reading at verse seven, and I'll read to verse 15, and we'll get into our study, and allow me to begin by reading at verse seven. Jesus said, 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. 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. If you love me, keep my commandments. And so as we get into our study, let's remember that Jesus had just taught the disciples, and they have been instructed on how to go to heaven. He had said to them, as he was teaching, he had said to them, where I go you know, and the way you know. He had said that in verse four. So this is something they should have known because this is what he had been teaching them. He'd been teaching them where he's going and the way. He had said in verse two of chapter 14 that he was going to his father's house. And the response was, we don't know where you're going. So when Jesus said he was going to heaven, his words ran contrary to their expectations. When you look at how the Jews during Jesus' time, how they were taught, the Jews during Jesus' time were taught that Messiah, when he came, was going to establish his kingdom on earth. They were expecting that the kingdom would be established when Messiah was present, that shortly after his death and all, that there would be a kingdom. So that was their expectation. So the teaching that he's going to go to heaven, well, that's still new to them. And so they're not responding well to it. They don't get it. And so Thomas honestly is saying, we really don't know where you're going. And we really don't know the way there. You see, a moment ago, Thomas could be saying, you said we couldn't follow you. And now you're saying, we know the way. Now that is something we're having trouble with. We don't get this. One of the scriptures that come to mind is Isaiah 55, eight and nine. If you take notes, you might want to note that. Isaiah 55, verses eight and nine, where God says, my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts than your thoughts. So what Jesus is teaching these men isn't something that they're grasping. And that's why Thomas quite honestly is saying, we really don't know. How can we know? And as we went through the first six verses last time we're together, that's where Jesus responded by saying in verse six, I am the way, the truth and the life. And then he went on to pronounce, no one comes to the Father except through me. He made it very clear. Jesus Christ made it very clear, I am the only, and I am the unique way to God. I am the only savior. And I am the only one who will bring you to God. I not only show you the way, I am the way. I'm not only the truth, but I'm also the life. You don't look for these things in any other thing or any other person. You look for these things in me. And that's what he's been telling them, that he's the unique way. See, this is a message of Christianity and I think it's a message that the church needs to be, once again, more bold in pronouncing. I'll be honest with you. I think that there has been a spirit of compromise that has entered into many pulpits in the United States where pastors are afraid to offend sensitive hearers. And if they're gonna fear anyone, they ought to fear God because they've been entrusted with his word. But because they're afraid of the way people respond and how people will call us names. And indeed they do. They refer to us as bigots and you name it. You know, that is something that were called ignorant and all by those who claim to know better. Well, sometimes pastors are afraid to tell the truth, but see, our responsibility isn't to be popular. Our responsibility is to be faithful. And by preaching the word of God, that's the only way people can be saved. And that's why we say what Jesus said, we didn't make this up. This didn't come from man. This is a pronouncement Christ made. I am the way, the truth and life. No man comes to the Father, but by me. That came from the mouth of Christ. And that's something that the church needs to once again remember, especially this season where we're celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, which validates all of his claims. Had he remained in the grave, then he would have not been telling the truth. But in that everything was centered on his resurrection. Everything was centered, all the statements and all of the doctrine and everything that related to him is centered on one central fact. And that is that Jesus Christ died buried and was resurrected the third day. That validates our message. So we present the truth as it was presented to us. And that's why Jesus is the way. He is the truth and he is the life. And as this is taking place, verse seven, he continues. And he says, if you'd known me, you would have known my Father also. And from now on, you know him and have seen him. And so he makes a very strong statement. Once again, notice verse seven. He said, if you had known me, that word known in the original language is this. If you would have perceived, if you would have discerned, if you would have understood who I am. Here they are, three years walking with Christ and they still didn't perceive who he was. Think about that for a minute. Three years walking with Jesus and still didn't perceive him. I used to say this and I'm not sure whether it makes sense now. Maybe it never made sense, but I used to say this. Franklin Graham grew up in the home of the best known evangelist that the United States had in the 20th century, right? Billy Graham. Do you think that Franklin Graham knew that his father was Billy Graham? I suspect that as he grew up, he was just daddy. That he never saw him for who he really was in the way others saw him. I suspect that he was his daddy. I'm close to him. He's my dad. I believe it took time for him later on to come to realize my father is Billy Graham. And I think that the men walking with Jesus could very well have become comfortable with this man without a depth of understanding who he really is. It takes a while for that to be perceived in all. And so they were growing. They were growing to know him that they haven't grasped the full significance. And so he's saying, if you recognize who I really am, you would have known that I and my father are one. Now he had said that in John 10 verse 30, I and my father are one. He said, you would have recognized that. You would have known that. And then he says in verse seven, the second portion, and from now on, you know him and have seen him. You know him and have seen him. Now up until then, everything had been leading to them coming to a full knowledge and full understanding of who he is. Now his disciples will really know God because they're actually seeing God in human flesh. He's disclosing to them that when they see him, they are seeing God incarnate. Now, Jesus is plainly saying that he is God, but they don't grasp it. And notice, how do I say that when I notice verse eight? Philip said to him, Lord, show us the father and it's sufficient for us. Well, wait a minute. I just told you that if you'd have known me, you would have known my father. From now on you know him and have seen him and immediately Philip responds, well, show us. Show us the father and that'll be enough. Now when he says show us the father, does that cause your mind to think or just a moment of something that we find in the Old Testament? It reminds me of a request that Moses made of God in the book of Exodus. In Exodus 33 verses 18 through 20, Moses was speaking to the Lord God and he said, please show me your glory. Then God said, I will make all my goodness pass before you. I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But he said, you cannot see my face for no man shall see me and live. You can't look at the glory of God and survive. You know, we have a song that we've sung here in this church and it's a popular song at one time. It was more popular than it is now, but it says, show me your glory, right? Show me your glory. No, I've never been comfortable with that song because Moses asked, show me your glory. And God said, you can't see it and survive. Think about that for just a moment. That God's glory is of such splendor and magnificence that if I were to try and behold him in my human flesh and frailty, even as Moses said, show me your glory. No, I can't. Out of mercy for you, I will not show you that which would kill you. You're not prepared for something as wonderful as that. We'll see this in a moment. I'll show you something else about this. But it reminds me of what Moses asked of the Lord when he said, show me your glory. Philip's saying, Lord show us the Father and it's sufficient for us. Well, verse nine, 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? This is a rebuke. He's saying, listen, I have manifested myself to all of you and yet you have not yet received who I am. I've been with you for three years, three years. I've had detailed conversations with you. You've seen me cast out demons. You've watched me and listened as I have taught my message. You were with me when I fed the multitudes. You were there when I commanded the winds and the waves. You've seen me when I've made the blind to see and the deaf to hear. You've seen it when I've made the cripple walk, when I've cleansed lepers, when I walked on water, when I cast out demons. You were there when I showed my majesty by cleansing the temple twice. You don't know who I am. You've seen me raise the dead and you don't know who I am. Show us the Father and it's sufficient for us. Have I been so long a time with you and yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father. How sayeth thou then, show us the Father? Now for those of you who are perceptive, you may notice I just quoted that out of the King James because I memorized that scripture back in 1975. It's been that important scripture to me for all these years. Have I been so long a time with you and that thou hast not known me, Philip? How sayeth thou then, show us the Father? You've had incredible advantages. By now you should have come to realize who I am by the way it does take the Holy Spirit to make us aware of who he really is. We can gain as much information as is possible. These men even walked with Jesus and they still didn't get spiritually grasped who he is. It takes the Holy Spirit to bring to the remembrance the things that Jesus had taught them and then they're able to finally say, also this is what he meant. It always requires the Holy Spirit. That's why every teacher needs to pray that God will use the word and by the power of the Holy Spirit bring conviction to the hearer so that those who are listening may not just be well educated pagans but may actually be converted to faith in Christ because there are quite a number of well educated pagans, people who can quote scripture but don't know the author of scripture. It takes the Holy Spirit to awaken us to who Jesus really is and that's gonna take place later. The Holy Spirit will come into the life they spend but progressively they should have their eyes being opened by the teachings and works of Christ. You'll see this in a minute but have I been with you all these years and you have really not yet received who I am and it's very possible for that to take place and it did in their case and that's why he says in verse nine again he who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show us the Father? You see to see me is to see the Father because I am the revelation of the Father to man. I am the incarnated God is what he is saying and that's the witness of the New Testament. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. Jesus was a great teacher. We all know that. There are those who are not even believers who will say if you wanna see a model of the greatest message ever preached they will say this you could read this in secular books. They'll say, read the sermon on the Mount. They'll tell you that. They'll say that is the most eloquent, perceptive sermon ever recorded and they'll tell you that. I remember a guy who spoke concerning his unbelieving professor who knew and had memorized by heart had memorized the gospel of Mark word for word. Word for word 16 chapters. And he said, this professor would have you read to him and he would stop you when you made a mistake in your reading. He'd say, no, the word is this. And he said he knew the Bible verse by verse word by word all 16 chapters. He knew the words but didn't know the giver of the words. And there are a lot of people that come to church and we know this, you guys that were serving, teaching in ministry know this. They know the words but they don't know the author. They know what the Bible says but they don't listen. Jesus is gonna speak about that in just a moment. We will see that. But Jesus is saying, listen, I've had detailed conversations. You've seen the works that I've performed. You've heard the teachings that I have given. And yet you have yet to perceive who I really am. And if you've seen the father, you've seen me, you've seen the father. How can you say show us the father? In Colossians 1.15 Paul said he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. In Hebrews chapter one verses one through three, the writer of Hebrews said in the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days he has spoken to us by his son whom he appointed heir of all things and through whom he made the universe. The son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. And after he had provided purification for sins he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven the exact representation of his being. In John 1.14 the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. That answers the question, what is God like? Jesus is God in the flesh and he perfectly reveals to us what God is like. Now again, remember the request. I mentioned it earlier to you guys. Remember Moses's request, show me your glory. Well, in Exodus chapter 34 verses five through seven the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. By no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation. Show me your glory. My glory is in my name. My glory is who I am. It is my attributes. I am the Lord. He said, and this is my glory, mercy and grace, long-suffering, goodness, truth. That's my glory. You're wanting to see something other than not understanding what really is my makeup, what I really am. Here's the thing I'm trying to say. Moses, you wanna have a supernatural experience with seeing my glory, but you need to understand that my glory is made manifest in the declaration of who I am. And who I am is gonna show you what glory truly is. But you cannot see me now, but you will see me later. Because John says that we already know, and I just quoted verse 14 of John one, but he had said in John one, one, in the beginning was the word, the word was with God, the word was God, and then the word became flesh. So you have heard of me and you have worshiped me. You walk by faith, not by sight, but I have now manifested myself in human flesh so that you can see Jesus. And in seeing Jesus, you see me. You want Moses to see my glory? Look at the sun. When you see the sun, though the sun had yet to be incarnated, but speaking in that way, you wanna see Jesus, you wanna see God's glory? You look to the sun. That's how it works. And so he goes on to say, 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. The father who dwells in me does the works. What is it that gives authority and credibility to Jesus? Well, look at with me guys for just a moment. Jesus says it's his words and his works. What gives authority and credibility to Jesus? His words and his works. The words that I've spoken and the works that I have performed should prove to you who I am. You see my words are from heaven and they have heaven's authority. There's an authority Jesus had and he's saying this authority that I speak with is there because I am from heaven. In John 7.16, Jesus said, my doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me. In John 8.38, he said, I speak what I have seen with my father. I'm an eyewitness. In John 12.49, I have not spoken on my own authority. The father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. So my words are obviously from heaven and I speak with the authority of heaven. And he spoke, Jesus spoke in such a way that people would marvel at the words that proceeded from his mouth. And in Matthew chapter seven verses 28 and 29, when they saw his confidence, his confidence caused people to take notice. The authority he spoke with caused them to take notice. Remember that Matthew seven, 28 and 29. So it was when Jesus had entered these saints, the people were astonished at his teaching. He taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. The scribes during his day, the teachers of the law during his day did not say the kinds of things Jesus said. Jesus would say, you have heard it said by them of old, but I say unto you, but I say unto you. It isn't just me quoting Rabbi Hillel or Rabbi Shamai, Rabbi Gamalial, well-known rabbis. He said, you've heard it said of those of old, but I say unto you. And that's what caused the people as they listened to say, he's not teaching us like a scribe. He's not citing the authorities that he uses to bolster his own. He speaks as if he has it himself. And that's what Jesus had. He didn't need to quote people because he was the word made flesh. He was the authority. So my words that I've spoken from heaven and secondly, my works, my works prove who I am because my works bear witness of me. And in John five again, verse 19, Jesus gave them this answer. Very truly, I tell you, the son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees the father doing because whatever the father does, the son also does. He had said in John 10, 37 and 38, if I do not do the works of my father, do not believe me. But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works that you may know and believe that the father is in me and I in him. Not only my words, but also you can see the proof of my words by my works. If there's anything that believers need to realize today, I should say this briefly, applicationally. It's what you are speak so loudly that sometimes people won't hear a word you say. Keep that in mind. What I am speak so loudly that sometimes people can't hear a word I say, why? Because they're looking at the way I live because the way I live really does reveal what I believe. If I say I believe in the loving God and I'm not loving, they have a reason to question whether or not I really know this loving God. If I speak of a merciful God, but I'm not merciful, I speak of a God who provides, but I don't believe he will. I speak of a God who is always with me, yet I feel he's distant from me. They have a tendency of looking at how I live. Your words and your works, they always have to be united. Are they always united? No, please don't get a sense of condemnation even as I'm sharing this. It could cause you to feel condemnation. I don't intend that. What I'm trying to say is Jesus is the only one who could actually say my words and my works line up. Then there's never any disparity between the two. What I say is what is. And what I am is right on with what I've said. But that's something we as believers, don't you think? That is something we as believers ought to aspire to, to be consistent. If I say I love the Lord and yet I live as if I don't. If I say I trust the Lord, but I live as if I don't. That's what brought me to faith in Christ, guys. That's what brought me to faith in Christ. You all know my test one. I'm not gonna give it other than the fact I can say one thing I've said before I'll say it now. I walked into church, Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. I walked in as an unbeliever and I was ambushed by something I didn't expect to find in a church. And I didn't know what it was. And as I've shared so many times with you, what it was was love. What it was was love. I felt love. And I was somebody who wanted it, but didn't know what it was. I always thought love was gonna be found in a woman. But in fact, love was found in my savior. And that's a real difference. And the Christians who were at that church there, I don't know. I don't know where any of them are anymore. How would I? All I know is love always has worked out. In behavior. And truth has always lived out. By the way I live, I demonstrate it. And Jesus could point to himself and say that. You wanna know where the father is? Look at me. My words that I've spoken and the works that I've performed, demonstrate who I am. You can look at those things and you can believe. My works prove who I am. His works, by the way, were proof that he came from heaven. Cause later on in the book of Acts in chapter two, verse 22, we read these words. Men of Israel hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst. As you yourselves also know. God attested, God confirmed who Jesus was by not only his words, but by his works. So through Jesus, here we go. I'll just wrap this one thought up with you by saying through Jesus, God has revealed his loving and compassionate. You guys pray for that for yourself? I do. I pray that all the time. God helped me to be loving because I'm not, and God helped me to be compassionate because I haven't been. I pray that all the time. That's one of my most common God and Jesus name may make me like you. I want to be loving and I want to be compassionate. That was the heart of Jesus's ministry, by the way. It was revealed by his words. It was revealed by his works. So he says in verse 11, believe in me that I am in the father and the father and me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. So Jesus is making it clear to them that there's an evidence that he's telling the truth. And he's saying, you need to recognize what I'm saying to you is true, but not only recognize that it's true, act upon it. He says in verse 11, believe me for the sake of the works themselves. My works are intended to draw you to faith. If you see what I'm doing and it lines up with what I'm saying, then that ought to cause you to see who I am and allow those works to draw you to me. In verse 12, 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'll do because I go to my father. Now here's something for you if you take notes. And these few verses that we've looked at beginning at verse one up until this time, Jesus has used the word believe five times. He used the word believe five times. In verse one, he had said, you believe in God, believe also in me. In verse 10, do you not believe that I am in the father and the father and me? And then verse 11, believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves. So he's been emphasizing believing. And now he gives the result of belief. He says he who believes in me, check this out, the works that I do, he will do. Now here's where a lot of mistakes have been made and I'll say this briefly, but here's where a lot of mistakes have been made in the church today. And that is you have people running around saying that they're going to duplicate the miracles of Christ. We're going to raise the dead, we're going to cleanse the lepers, we're going to walk on water. I mean, I can go into this with you a long time, but I've seen that it's exaggerated, boastful claims of pseudo apostles and you get them on TV and all the time they make some outlandish comments. And so what has happened is the people are thinking, people will think that that means we're going to do great miracles, greater miracles. So when Jesus is speaking to them and he's saying to them you're going to do works and all greater works. Well, the apostles were familiar with miracles and working miracles because Jesus had commissioned them early in their ministry and they had gone out to perform works. Jesus in Matthew, if you take notes, chapter 10 verse one, it says he called his 12 disciples to him, gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. And he said in verses seven and eight of Matthew 10 as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast out demons. And so they were familiar with the works that Jesus had performed. And so when he's speaking concerning works and all they're familiar with those kinds of things, but notice what's new at this and this is that Jesus says greater works. So here's your question, what could be greater than raising the dead? What could be greater than walking on water? So some focus only on miracles and are saying that Jesus is saying that their works will surpass his works. When you read your Bible and if you take notes this is worthy of marking down the gospels alone record 37 specific miracles that Jesus performed, 37. When John closes his gospel, he closes by saying if the miracles were recorded one by one even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. He says that in chapter 21 verse 25. And then you look into the book of Acts and there were unusual miracles performed. You remember Ananias and Sapphira? They were struck dead for lying to the Holy Spirit. Aren't you glad that doesn't happen today? Acts chapter five. People desired the shadow of the apostle Peter to fall on them that they might be healed. Acts five, 14 and 15. Paul's sweatbands and aprons were brought from his body to the ill diseases left them. Evil spirits went out from them. Acts 19, 11 and 12. So because of this some teach that the church will do unusual even greater miracles. Others recognize the word greater to refer to the scope of the ministry of Jesus. It's speaking of Jesus's ministry and the scope of the apostles ministry. And that's that makes some sense because Jesus's ministry is basically confined to the land of Israel. Now he had said, I go to my father speaking of his death, resurrection and ascension. But after his resurrection, remember he gives his disciples marching orders. He says go into the whole world and preach the gospel. So there to go out to the whole world. These are men who had been confined to a small geographic location who are now to go into the entire world proclaiming the message. And he had said later on in Acts chapter one you shall receive power. After that the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea Samaria and unto the utmost part of the earth. And so these people who by and large were from a small region in northern Israel were now gonna take the message beyond the borders. Greater works would speak of the geographic movement if you will of the word of God. Cause they were his agents and they would go out and they would preach the gospel expanding the kingdom of God. It's not gonna remain in other words in Israel it will go beyond the borders. And then we'll close by looking at verses 13 through 15. Whatever you ask in my name that I will do that the father may be glorified in the sun if you ask anything in my name I will do it. And then he said this if you love me keep my commandments. Whatever you ask is not a blank check to receive anything out of our carnal heart's desires. Thank God for that, right? Aren't you grateful for God not answering every one of your prayers? If he would have answered my prayers every prayer I prayed I'd be married to somebody else. I'd have been married to the first person who said yes. You know, oh God I want her. I claim her in the name of Jesus was a prayer I learned very early and God would say no that's not for you. I'm thankful to God that some of the prayers were answered with the word no. I'm grateful that God doesn't give me everything in my carnal heart. I ask a miss sometimes like James says I need to consume it on my own lusts. So some people will say anything. He said it just now in my name if you ask anything in my name I will do it. Oh wait a minute, I like to remind us all that your prayers are according to the will of God as God determines how he answers. He wants me to be aligned with him. I'm not supposed to try to get him aligned with me. And the way I can know how to pray according to his will is very simply to be in his word. And John 15 we'll see this soon in verse seven, John 15, seven. If you abide in me and my words abide in you you will ask what you desire it shall be done for you. You're abiding in his word and praying according to his will. It says in Psalm 145 verse 19 that he fulfills the desires of those who fear him. And so as we fear the Lord in reverence we hold him in high esteem and love and we pray according to his word which reveals his will and as the Holy Spirit leads us then we ask in the name of Jesus who is our mediator. He said he's the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but by me. So I go through Christ in my prayers and that's why we close our prayers in the name of Jesus in your name is because we're speaking of his authority. The name refers to his authority in the name of Jesus I'm simply saying based on my relationship with Jesus by that relationship according to your word you shouldn't be leading by your spirit. I ask these things and I know that the Lord hears me. There are some things you may ask for that is not part of the will of the Lord and sometimes people get upset because he didn't answer. There was a young woman you guys wouldn't know Marie wouldn't know if I mentioned her name or you knew her prior to coming here to this church to plant the church and I performed her wedding. Her name was Heather. Heather and Vinnie got married. I performed their wedding and Heather became pregnant and as she was going through her later time of pregnancy and was close to giving birth she was taken to the hospital in order to give birth but while she was there they said we're gonna have to do a C-section on you and Heather was very upset and she was crying she was angry, she didn't wanna C-section. She wanted to give birth in what she was referring to as in the natural way I don't want an operation I wanna give birth in a natural way. She was crying and upset and wanted prayer that she would be able to deliver her baby without having to go through an operation and so we prayed and my prayer for Heather was Father in Jesus name may your will be done. Heather wants to have the baby born naturally but Lord we ask according to you and she wasn't happy by the way when that prayer was prayed. She was not happy that no I wanna have and she was well it turns out that when they did the C-section unbeknownst to her and the doctors at that time the umbilical cord had wrapped around the baby's neck and had she been born in the natural way that she wanted the baby born the doctor said the baby would have been strangled on his own umbilical cord and he said it's a good thing that we performed the C-section because in doing so you're able to have a living baby. I've never forgotten that. It is always wise to pray according to the will of the Lord. God knows things you don't know. That's why it's wise to trust the one who knows. Instead of imposing my will on him it's always wise. You know there used to be a program I saw in the 50s it was a show weekly called Father Knows Best and you know I discovered that a long time ago my father knows best. My heavenly father knows and that's why I ask him Lord according to your will you know what? You see some of the things that I prayed for could ruin my life if I were to receive them. I remember a Psalm, Psalm 106 verse 15 you want to mark this done. This one down he gave them their request but then leaned us into their soul. Sometimes you may get what you want but it isn't what you needed. When the children of Israel were crying out to the Lord I want this he gave them the request but they dried up inside. The best thing for us is to pray according to his will. And then finally if you love me keep my commandments. If you love me keep my commandments. A heart to obey reveals a relationship with your master. It's not my will but yours Lord. And Jesus is saying this you can say all day long how much you love me. You see what has happened guys and I'll close with a couple of thoughts. What has happened in our generation? What has happened is this and I've seen this. The emphasis of grace and grace abounds and grace is God extends his grace to us in so many ways. And so the emphasis of grace is as it seems to us have birthed a response that was not planned in the emphasis of the proclamation of grace. For one time the church had gotten lost in a doctrine that we can work our way into salvation that we do certain things and we get certain blessings and all of that we worked our way into salvation. And so what happened is grace was rediscovered. It's not by works of righteousness that we've done. It's God's mercy, it's God's grace. And we emphasize that but here's what's happened. What has happened is people have used the word grace or the concept of grace and extended it to being permission to do what they want whenever they want to live as they want and still go to heaven. And so grace as grace is always demonstrated. It's always demonstrated that you know what grace is. This is what will demonstrate it is your obedience. And in your obedience what that will demonstrate is that you set apart for your master and you'll understand that in grace God saved me but I demonstrate his grace by my obeying him. And that's why Jesus would say if you love me keep my commandments. It's not just the saying I love him. It's the showing that I love him. It's the living for him. I've had over the years a lot of people misunderstand what grace is. They think it's permission to continue to go to sit and then go to heaven. Now Jesus said, look at this is one of the ways that you can know whether you love him, keep my commandments. How do you know his commandments? Read his word, read his word. Pick up your Bibles and read. And as you read there'll be passages where you'll say, oh, I do that. And there'll be tons when you say, oh, I'm not doing that. And what you do at that point is you close the book and you say God in Jesus' name, I want to do that. Because I want to love you. I want to live for you. I want my life to be different. Guys, right now the church is acting like the world. What is the world under this coronavirus thing that we're going through right now this pandemic doing? Making sure that it's taking care of itself. It's taking care of itself, why? Because the devil said it when he said skin for skin, all that a man has, he will give for his skin. We are always putting ourself first, but it was Jesus who put others first. And love is demonstrated by us obeying and following him. He showed us love by laying his life down. It ought to somehow work within us to have more sacrificial approach to those in need. And I'm telling you, there are a lot of Christians that have forgotten that. They're so afraid right now. They're so afraid. I'm not saying we shouldn't be aware. And I'm certainly not saying we should be presumptuous. Of course not, you know that, but perhaps somebody out there might not. I'm not saying that what I'm saying is that I want to remember who I am no matter what the conditions and no matter the situation. I want to remember who I am. We were on a plane. We were flying home from Israel. The plane hit some turbulence. We've never been through turbulence like this before. It was so bad that plane was shaking. We were off the East coast. We were coming into New York to land when the whole plane was vibrating. It was so bad that the masks, the oxygen masks were dropping from the ceiling and people were screaming. And, you know, my daughter, Corinne, who was 15 at the time, I turned around to see if she was okay. She had her eyes closed and she was holding the hand of her friend next to her and they were singing a worship song. I said, she is scared to see her doing that. We had some Jewish people, some rabbis and their people come up to us and say, would you please go into the back and pray with us. The Jewish people on all airlines were coming and taking Christians. Please come and pray with us. That's how serious it was. And I sat down in my seat there and I was reading a magazine through all of that. And then we finally had to be re-routed to Montreal. We tried to land twice and it was so dangerous. We landed in Montreal and then we came back later on and landed. So my daughter Corinne says to me, Dad, why weren't you afraid? And I said, because I know the Lord isn't through with Calvary Chapel, Ontario. It was Ontario at the time. I knew that God is not through with Calvary Chapel, Ontario yet. She looks at me and she says, has it ever appeared to you that God doesn't need you to finish what's gonna take place at Calvary Chapel, Ontario? And I said, you know what? I never thought of it. I probably should have thought of that, but no, I never did. Never thought about that. Just last year, my daughter Anna, who was on that flight, told me something I'll close with you guys. She said, Dad, she says you remember and she reminded me of that. And I said, of course. She said, I wasn't afraid. And I said, really? And why was that, honey? She says, because I kept my eye on you. She said, I knew if you got afraid, I should be afraid. She says, but when I saw my father wasn't afraid, she said, your faith ministered to my fear. Guys, people are looking to you right now. They're looking to you. Let your faith minister to their fear. Remember what Jesus said. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place, I will come again and receive it to myself that where I am, there you may be also. Believe in me, Jesus said. Do you? Do you? I hope you do. Because in these days that we're in right now, our faith is on trial. We get a chance to say, not with presumption, but to say, no, God is my God. My God is able. He will bring us through. We need to remember that. Let's pray. Father, we pray in Jesus' name that you would remind us of that. May we love you, Lord. And may we obey because we know that obeying you is to also trust you. Your word is true. And therefore we pray, Lord, that we might cast our fears and concerns upon you for Lord, you do love us. We lift up once again those who are listening to this message and even now as we're about to close and our eyes remain closed for a minute, perhaps there are some who are listening right now. And you need to get right with Jesus Christ. You're afraid, you're concerned, and you're not living for Him. You may be a backslider, and you need to get right with the Lord. You may be a person who's never given your heart to Christ. You know enough about Him. You just have never yielded to Him. Well, I'm gonna invite you right now before we close to give your heart to Christ. Say, God, be merciful to me. I'm a sinner washing, cleanse me. And if you need to do that, if you desire to do that, then why don't we just pray together? Repeat after me in your heart. Father, I know that I'm a sinner. Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. Jesus died to save me. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me. Give me a new life. I will follow you every day from this day forward in Jesus' name, amen. And if you can pray that and have prayed that, open your heart to the Lord and all, you can be born again even as you prayed that. Just, I ask you just contact us. Let us know so we can send you some materials to help you in your walk with Jesus. And so, Lord, we'll close now by thanking you for all the work that you've done, all the work that you're doing. And again, Lord, I pray that, that we may be able to glorify you. And good Friday as it comes, on Easter Sunday, because like someone's been writing, churches may be empty on Sunday, on Easter Sunday, churches may be empty, but so is the tomb. And Lord, we believe that. We have a risen Savior and we just celebrate that. We will live for you in Jesus' name, amen.