Whatever You Ask

All right, well, as we open up the Word of God this morning, our message is kind of a part two

to last Sunday's message. Last Sunday, we finally came to these words of Jesus that we find in John

John 14:12

chapter 14, verse 12. He said, very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I

have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the

Father. And so last Sunday, we acknowledged the plain sense of these words. They seem to say that

whoever believes in Jesus will perform miracles like he did. And we acknowledge that this kind of

makes us uncomfortable, many of us, because many of us who believe in Jesus have never performed a

miracle. So we looked at various ways that Christians have tried to interpret these words.

Generally, our Pentecostal brothers and sisters will point to this verse and say that performing

miracles is something that every Christian can and should do, so long as we have the faith and believe.

We can expect to perform miracles like Jesus did. And last Sunday, I pointed us to what Paul said

in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 29, where he said, do all work miracles? Implied answer, no.

1 Corinthians 12:29

So most of us do not accept the Pentecostal interpretation. Then we considered how some have

tried to define the works of Jesus very broadly, to include all sorts of things that Jesus did,

not just the miracles. According to this view, Jesus is not saying that every believer will do miracles,

but that every believer will do some kind of the works that Jesus has been doing. And for most of us,

it turns out that that's the non-miraculous works of Jesus. And I suggested that defining works this way

doesn't work, because Jesus has just appealed to his works in the verse before as the evidence that he is in

the Father and that the Father is in him. It has to at least include his miracles. And in case there's

any doubt about this, we could fast forward in the conversation this night of Jesus' betrayal,

a little farther forward to John chapter 15, verse 24. And Jesus will say this later to his disciples.

John 15:24

He'll say, if I had not done among them, that's the people of the world, the works that no one else did,

they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.

Notice how Jesus describes the works that he's been doing. He says that they are the works that no one

else has been doing. The works no one else did. They're not just the works of compassion or service.

they're not just the works of calling people to faith and to repent like John the Baptist did.

They're the works that nobody else has been doing, that nobody else could do. The supernatural

miracles brought about by the power of God. And of course, yes, the disciples did share in doing

some of those works as Jesus gave them authority and power to do it.

So, the works of Jesus must include his miracles. Those are the things that no one else has done

in the lifetime of these people. And so, I suggested last Sunday that there's another way to understand

this passage. And it goes like this. Very truly, I tell you here in the room with me this evening,

Jesus speaking to his disciples, his apostles, whoever of you believes in me will do the works

I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I'm going to the Father.

I suggested that Jesus was not giving a timeless principle for every believer throughout the ages,

but that Jesus was making a statement about what the 11 apostles there in the room could expect

once he was gone. They could expect that if they believed in him, they too would do the works that

Jesus had been doing. Supernaturally enabled miracles like Jesus did. And then we looked at one of those

miracles in the book of Acts, the healing of the man who had been born lame at the gate called Beautiful.

And I suggested that the book of Acts really tells the story of how these 11 men in the room with Jesus

this night came to do the works that Jesus has been doing, just as he said they would. Now, all of this

kind of raised some big questions. For starters, what did Jesus mean when he said that they would do even

greater works than Jesus did? Last Sunday, I said we'd chat about that this Sunday, but after my

sermon ballooned to over 45 minutes long, I decided to chop that section out completely and put it on a

piece of paper on a handout that you can grab off the back table on your way out if that's of interest

to you. My short answer is, I do not know. There are at least three possibilities, and I would guess that

it probably has something to do with the fact that Jesus is going to the Father. It seems that this is

going to bring about a change, a significant change in how this ministry will look for the apostles when

he's gone, which brings us to these next two verses. Jesus says to the men in the room,

These verses are ones that we often point to as our assurance that God will answer our prayers.

But I wonder, have we been too quick to just take these words and apply them to ourselves?

Have we considered where these words fit in the conversation that night? As I suggested last

Sunday, Jesus is telling these 11 men in the room, the apostles, that if they believe in him,

they will do the works that he has been doing. Miracles.

Does he now change the subject completely to just prayer in general? Or is it possible that Jesus

is still talking about the same thing? If you believe in me, you, my apostles, will do the works

I have been doing. That's miracles. Because I am going to the Father, and here's how it will work.

From then on, whatever you ask in my name, I will do it for you, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

So often we just kind of take these two verses about prayer and just kind of rip them right off the page,

and just that's all we look at. But there's a context here. There's a flow.

If you just kind of read it all the way through in one go, do you hear that?

Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,

and they will do even greater things than these,

because I am going to the Father, and I will do whatever you ask in my name,

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

I want to suggest the possibility that what Jesus is saying here is that

the disciples will do the works that Jesus has been doing,

miracles, by asking in Jesus' name.

Now, this might still be a promise of answered prayer that we can all claim,

but before we get to that, we have to first consider what Jesus is saying

to these 11 men sitting there in the room with him.

It seems, from the context, that this promise of answered prayer

has to do with them doing the works that Jesus has been doing.

And maybe at this point we kind of need to take a step back

and just consider this whole conversation between Jesus and his disciples

on the night of his betrayal.

They've just had the Last Supper.

They're having this conversation.

They're going to end up out at the Garden of Gethsemane this very night.

And there are going to be lots of things that Jesus says to them

that are basically timeless principles for every believer.

For example, in the next chapter,

Jesus will give this analogy of the vine and the branches.

I am the vine.

You are the branches.

Remain in me.

And this is basically a timeless principle for every believer.

We need to remain in Christ.

We need to stay connected to him.

He is the vine.

We are the branches.

And we know this because John, later in his letter,

will encourage all believers to do the same thing.

In 1 John 2, verse 27,

1 John 2:27

he'll say,

Remain in him.

And there are lots of things like this that Jesus will say to the eleven this night

that directly apply to us, just like this.

He encourages them to love each other,

to serve one another.

All of these things are reiterated throughout the New Testament

that all believers,

that we should be doing this.

We should be doing these things.

But then we have to acknowledge in a few places in this conversation

that there are some things Jesus said

that are bound to these particular eleven men in the room with Jesus.

For example,

at the end of chapter 15,

Jesus warns the disciples about what's coming,

not for every believer,

but just for them.

He says,

And you also must testify,

for you have been with me from the beginning.

All this I told you so that you will not fall away.

They will put you out of the synagogue.

In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you

will think they're offering a service to God.

These are obviously words for the eleven there that night

and not for all of us.

It's the eleven apostles who have been there with Jesus

from the beginning of his ministry.

And it's the eleven apostles

who will be excommunicated,

kicked out of the synagogues

in the days ahead.

So coming back to these words that we're looking at,

John 14, 13,

let's first think about what these words mean to the apostles,

to the disciples there in the room with Jesus.

Jesus says to them,

And I will do whatever you ask in my name

so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

You may ask me for anything in my name

and I will do it.

You know, it kind of sounds like Jesus is giving them a blank check,

doesn't it?

Whatever you ask in my name,

I will do.

And that word whatever,

I mean, that's a strong word.

It's not just,

well, the things that you ask in my name.

No, it's whatever.

In fact, the old King James translation

even adds that extra oomph.

What so ever you ask

in my name,

I will do it.

So Jesus seems to be giving them a blank check,

a special calling card,

a special kind of mobile prayer plan.

He's giving them the privilege

of being able to call upon him

to do anything

and the assurance that he will do it.

But the blank check

has a few security features,

we'll call them.

It has a few safeguards

that ensure that it will be used appropriately.

They can write whatsoever they want

in the blank of that check.

But here's the catch.

What they write has to be

in the name of Jesus.

And it has to be

so that the Father

may be glorified in the Son.

I will do whatever you ask

in my name,

says Jesus,

and so that

the Father

may be glorified

in the Son.

Those are the safeguards,

like the security features.

They have freedom

to call upon Jesus

to do things.

In the context here,

to do miracles.

But what they ask,

it has to be

in Jesus' name.

which means

for the sake

of the name

of Jesus

that they ask it.

So, I mean,

think about this.

Is Peter going to be

praying and asking

for a new

top-of-the-line

yacht

to go sailing

with his buddies

on the Sea of Galilee?

Would that be

for Jesus' sake

or would that be

for Peter's sake?

It's almost like

it's embedded

in the SIM card

of this mobile prayer plan.

For it to work,

they have to be asking

for something

that would further

the name,

the mission,

the work,

the purpose

of Jesus.

And they've had

three years

with Jesus

to learn from him

about what

those kinds of things

would be.

So that's the first

safeguard

to this

blank check

being given

to the apostles

of Jesus.

They can ask

whatsoever,

but they must ask

in Jesus' name

for the sake

of Jesus' name.

The second

safeguard is this.

Jesus

tells them

that he will do

whatever they ask

in his name

so that the Father

may be glorified

in the Son.

So Jesus

is telling them

the purpose

of this blank check.

Yeah,

you can ask

whatsoever,

but the purpose

of this,

me granting

this request,

it's to bring glory

to God,

the Father.

And for a moment

we can just notice

where Jesus

fits into this

whole discussion.

Notice that it's

Jesus,

he's the one

answering the prayers.

Look at that

verse 14.

You may ask me

for anything

in my name

and I will do it.

So Jesus

is deeply involved

in this transaction.

They ask

in prayer

and Jesus

delivers

the things

asked for

and glory

comes to God

as Jesus

does this.

So that's

the second

safeguard.

They're being

given this

sacred

and special

gift

to call on God

to have

Jesus

himself

grant

whatsoever

they ask.

But whatsoever

they ask

will have to be

something that

brings glory

to God.

They'll not be

able to ask

for,

you know,

the ability

to walk

across water

just because

I'm feeling

too lazy

to walk

around the

lake.

They won't be

able to ask

God to do

a miracle

just so that

they can show

people that

I'm awesome,

I've got

special powers.

they will

not receive

what they

ask for

if the

things that

they ask

for are

evil

or sinful

or if

they're just

asking to

scratch the

itch of

their own

greed

or lust

or covetousness

or revenge.

The answer

will be no

because those

things don't

bring glory

to God

and the

whole purpose

of this

privilege

that Jesus

extends

is to

bring glory

to God

and so

whatever they

ask it's

got to

fit with

that.

So now

we're going

to go to

the book

of Acts

and we're

going to

see how

this unfolded

in real

history.

If you have

your Bible

you can

flip over

to Acts

Acts 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and we did

read this

passage last

Sunday

but we're

going to

read it

again

because

it tells

the story

of how

Peter and

John

did this

very thing.

How

Peter

performed

a miracle

did one

of the

works

that

Jesus

did

and how

he did

it.

Let me

read this

for you

it won't

be on the

screen

you'll just

have to

listen.

One day

Peter and

John were

going up

to the

temple

at the

time of

prayer

at 3

in the

afternoon.

Now a

man who

was lame

from

birth

was being

carried

to the

temple

gate

called

Beautiful

where he

was put

every day

to beg

from those

going into

the temple

courts.

When he

saw Peter

and John

about to

enter he

asked them

for money.

Peter

looked

straight at

him

as did

John.

Then Peter

said look

at us.

So the

man gave

them his

attention

expecting to

get something

from them.

Then Peter

said silver

or gold

I do

not have

but what

I do

have

I give

you.

In the

name of

Jesus

Christ

of

Nazareth

walk.

Taking

him by

the right

hand he

helped

him up

and

instantly

the man's

feet and

ankles

became

strong.

The man

jumped to

his feet

and began

to walk.

Then he

went with

them into

the temple

courts

walking

and jumping

and praising

God.

When all

the people

saw him

walking

and praising

God they

recognized him

as the same

man who

used to sit

begging at

the temple

gate called

Beautiful and

they were

filled with

wonder and

amazement at

what had

happened to

him.

While the

man held

on to

Peter and

John all

the people

were astonished

and came

running to

them in

the place

called

Solomon's

Colonnade.

When Peter

saw this he

said to

them fellow

Israelites

why does

this surprise

you?

Why do

you stare

at us

as if by

our own

power or

godliness we

had made

this man

walk?

The God

of Abraham

Isaac and

Jacob the

God of our

fathers has

glorified his

servant

Jesus.

You handed

Jesus over to

be killed

and you

disowned him

before Pilate

though he had

decided to

let him go.

You disowned

the holy

and righteous

one and

asked that a

murderer be

released to

you.

You killed

the author

of life

but God

raised him

from the

dead.

We are

witnesses

of this.

By faith

in the name

of Jesus

this man

whom you see

and know

was made

strong.

It's Jesus

name and

faith that

comes through

him that

has completely

healed him

as you

can all

see.

I love

this story.

Peter

one of the

eleven

apostles

performs

a miracle.

He does

one of the

works that

Jesus had

been doing

and notice

how he does

it.

He calls

on the

name of

Jesus

to heal

this lame

man.

He says

in the

name of

Jesus

Christ of

Nazareth

walk.

And

later on

we didn't

see this

but Peter

will tell

the

Sanhedrin

the reason

he did

this was

just as

an act

of kindness

just like

Jesus had

done for

so many

people who

he healed.

Peter

calls on

the name

of Jesus

to heal

this lame

man and

Jesus answers

right on

the spot

by healing

him.

And what

was the

result?

Did it

bring glory

to God?

Well verse

eight tells

us that the

man was

praising God.

he was

glorifying

God.

And then

when all

the attention

of all

the witnesses

came to

Peter,

what did

Peter do?

He said

that it

was God

that did

the miracle

and he

did it

to glorify

Jesus.

Peter

denied

healing

this man

by his

own

power.

He gave

all the

credit,

all the

glory

to Jesus

Christ

of

Nazareth.

He

proclaimed

Christ

to all

the people

there.

that he

was

crucified,

that he

rose from

the dead,

that he

was now

in heaven,

and that

it's by

his name

which means

his authority,

his power,

that this

man stands

before you

healed,

is what he

preached to

the Sanhedrin

the next

day.

So this

right here,

it's an

example of

how John

John 14:13

chapter 14

verse 13

and 14

was fulfilled.

It's an

example of

the blank

check

that was

given to

the apostles,

it's an

example of

it being

cached,

and glory

coming to

the Father

and to

the Son

as a

result.

Now I've

been kind of

tiptoeing around

this until

now,

but probably

we're all

still wondering,

okay,

so that's

how Jesus

answered the

prayers of

the apostles

to do the

miraculous works

that they

did in Acts,

but what

about my

prayers?

What about

all of our

prayers?

I mean,

2,000 years

later,

is Jesus

giving us

assurance of

answered prayer

here?

Or is that

assurance just

for the

apostles,

for the

special work

that they're

doing?

This is a

really important

question,

and I want

to start

by saying

this.

I think

that we

would be

wise to

acknowledge

that there

is a

difference

between the

apostles

and the

rest of

us.

Just as

Paul said

in 1 Corinthians

12,

29,

he said,

are all

apostles?

Implied

answer,

no.

Notice how

the apostle

Peter,

in the story

we just

heard,

he called

in the

name of

Jesus,

and Jesus

answered

with a

miracle

right on

the spot.

God.

The sense

we get

from that

story,

as well as

other places

in the

New Testament,

is that

this kind

of prayer

for a

miracle

answer

was normal

for the

apostles.

They asked

in the name

of Jesus

for the

glory of

God,

and it

seems

Jesus just

answered

right away,

right there

on the

spot.

God.

In fact,

the ability

to perform

miracles

was a

mark of

a true

apostle.

Paul said

this in

his letter

to the

Corinthians,

2 Corinthians

12.12.

He said,

I persevered

in demonstrating

among you

the marks

of a true

apostle,

including

signs,

wonders,

and miracles.

So there

was a

special

privilege

in prayer

given to

the apostles

for the

works that

they had

to do.

But

doing

miracles

is not

the only

thing

that the

apostles

were urged

to pray

for.

Later on

in the

evening,

Jesus will

be talking

to his

disciples

about some

other

things,

how they

will weep

when he's

crucified,

how they

will rejoice

when they

see him

again raised

from the

dead.

He's

comforting

them,

and he

says this

to them,

very

truly I

tell you,

my father

will give

you whatever

you ask

in my

name.

Ask,

and you

will receive,

and your

joy will

be complete.

Here,

Jesus isn't

talking about

asking for

miracles.

He just

seems to

give the

same sort

of blank

check and

the assurance

of answered

prayer in

general.

And for

what purpose?

So that

your joy

may be

complete.

So that

your happiness

will be

full.

We're so

used to

thinking about

how our

prayers need

to bring

glory to

God and

what we

ask for,

but actually

they're also

so that we

can have

joy in

God.

As we

read carefully

through all

the passages

about prayer

in the New

Testament,

it becomes

clear that

we,

all of us

who are

not

apostles,

actually have

the same

kind of

assurance that

Jesus gave

to the

eleven that

night,

that yes,

Jesus will

answer and

grant our

requests,

whatever we

ask,

so long as

we ask with

those few

safeguards in

mind,

so long as

we ask for

the sake of

Jesus' name

and for the

glory of

God,

so long as

we ask

according

to what

God

wills,

1 John

5,

14,

so long as

we're living

in obedience

to God's

commands and

doing the

things that

please him,

1 John

3,

22,

we can

ask for

whatever

and the

answer is

yes.

Remember

what Jesus

taught not

just the

apostles but

the crowds,

like everybody,

he told

them,

ask and it

will be given

to you,

seek and you

will find,

knock and

the door

will be

open to

you.

He

encouraged us

not to

think of

God as

stingy and

begrudging,

but as our

loving heavenly

father who

delights to

give us

good gifts

like a

father does

his children.

He taught

all his

disciples to

pray,

to seek the

glory of

God,

hallowed be

thy name.

He taught

all of his

disciples to

ask for the

things that

they need

each day.

Give us

this day

our daily

bread.

And as the

church grew

and spread

over the

world,

the apostles

were there,

they were

teaching,

they were

encouraging

believers

everywhere to

pray for the

same things

with that

same sort

of assurance.

Pray

continually,

said Paul.

He said,

I encourage

the men in

the church

to lift up

holy hands

in prayer.

Paul urged

the people

in Timothy's

church to

make requests,

make prayers,

all kinds of

petitions to

God for

everybody.

James encouraged

believers,

if you lack

wisdom,

ask God.

And if you

ask believing,

he'll give it

to you

generously.

Also in

James,

is any of you

in trouble?

Let him

pray,

said James.

and one

of my

favorites,

1 John 3

22.

Dear friends,

if our hearts

do not

condemn us,

we have

confidence

before God

and receive

from him

anything we

ask,

because we

keep his

commands and

do what

pleases him.

As I skim

through the

New Testament

again this

week,

I was just

kind of blown

away by

how many

times we

are all

urged to

pray,

to ask

God for

things.

And so,

I want to

tell you this

morning that

prayer is not

just the

privilege of

the apostles

only.

It's the

privilege of

every believer,

all who

belong to

Jesus.

Now that

said,

the answers

to our

prayers might

not always

be on the

spot,

right away,

where it

seems like

the apostles,

it was,

as they did

the miracles,

as they did

the works

God gave

them to

do.

And I'll

say too

that we

shouldn't

try to

take

Jesus'

assurance,

this promise

to answer

our prayers,

to do

whatever we

ask,

and turn

it into

a formula.

There is a

bit of a

temptation to

do that,

but God

is not a

vending

machine.

There are

times when

God's

answer is

yes,

but not

yet.

The timing

is not

right.

Or yes,

that is

my will,

but not

in this

way.

I have

something

even

better

in store.

And so

we need to

keep those

things in

mind as

we seek

to trust

this promise

of Jesus

to answer

our prayers

and to

give us

the things

we ask

for.

So I

want to

just end

by encouraging

each one

of you,

just as I

was encouraged

this week,

it can be

so easy

to slip

into despair

over the

things that

happen to

us in our

lives,

or as we

look out

into our

world,

to slip

into despair.

God

and to

his son,

Jesus.

Ask

and it

will be

given to

you.

Seek

and you

will find.

Knock

and the

door will

be opened

to you.

For

everyone who

asks

receives,

the one

who seeks

finds,

and to

the one

who knocks,

the door

will be

opened.

Let's

pray.

Father in

heaven,

thank you

so much

for this

wide open

invitation

to pray

and for

the reminder

that you

are there

listening,

taking

everything

that we

ask for

and say

to heart,

and we

thank you

that you

are a

loving

heavenly

father

and that

your

answer

to us

is yes

when we

ask in

the ways

that you

have told

us to.

I pray

that we

would.

Each person

here,

I pray

that we

would ask

you for

things,

that we

wouldn't

try to

just do

this life

all by

ourselves,

on our

own.

There are

troubles in

this life,

in this

world,

and you

have

resources

for us.

You have

things for

us to

help us

through.

And so I

pray that we

would ask

for the

glory of

your son.

Amen.