See the Father

This is an awkward transition, but we're going to go for it. How would you respond to someone who said he could show you a unicorn? For me, as I've wrestled with this question this week, it all depends on who asked me. For instance, if Hayden Scruggs tells me, hey, I can show you a unicorn, I don't believe him for a second. But there's no way in the world I'm not following him to see whatever he's got. On the other hand, if Ben Bullard, Ben no-nonsense Bullard, were to tell me, hey, would you like to see a unicorn? I'm flabbergasted. What does Ben have up his sleeve? Because Ben's not a sight-hunting kind of guy. So I'm going to follow him, and I'm going to be quite, quite, quite concerned, because one, Ben's no-nonsense, unicorns don't exist, what's he up to? The conclusion would have to be, Hayden put him up to it. Now, I present that silly question because we're pretty sure, even though a certain country has recently come out and said unicorns existed, we don't think unicorns exist. It's impossible to see a unicorn unless someone staples or glues a horn on a horse. But what if somebody said, I want to show you God? Do you want to see God? I can show you God. Well, I would actually have the same response as a unicorn at some level. I would ask, who are you and why do you think you can show me God? What is it that you have that can help me see God? That would be my first question. Now, it's a little more precise as we think about our text. What if God said, would you like to see me? What if God came down and said, when you see me, you're seeing the face of God. What if God said, if you want to see me, just look, I'll show you myself. This is what Christianity believes. This is the beauty and the power of Christianity. God exists and God has spoken. That's simple, but it's actually quite profound when you think about it. God has revealed himself. God wants us to see him, and so he has made himself known. We take this for granted because we know the Bible. We know this is God's word. We know it helps us know about God. But we take this for granted. This is profound and amazing. God speaks. And when we listen, we can see him. and we can know him. It's not like knowing or seeing our friends. It's not the physical presence as much. It's a different kind of knowledge. It's a knowledge and a seeing that requires humility. It's a knowledge and a seeing that requires listening and submitting. In other words, it's nothing like social media where everyone's talking and no one's listening. If that's how we're learning how to communicate, you're already training yourself to not know how to pursue God because you want to talk more than listen. This morning, we're going to see about seeing God. We're going to look into the truth of seeing God. Next week, we're going to look at it again. This week, we're going to look at how we can see God in the Son, Jesus Christ. Next week, we'll consider it related to the Spirit. This morning we're in John chapter 14. If you're using a pew Bible and if you want to take that home, that is our gift to you. We're on page 901 if you're using a pew Bible. And again, we're in John chapter 14. Our text this morning is focused in Beginning in chapter 13, Jesus is just talking to his disciples as public ministry is done. He's getting them ready for just hours away. He's going to die. He's going to leave them. He has to prepare them for this. He has to get them ready because what's about to happen is going to trouble them. But what they have to realize is it's better for them. It will be troubling, but it is better. So we have to prepare them. I begin at verse 1 of chapter 14 and our text this morning that we're looking at is verses 8 through 14. Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father's house or many rooms, if it were not so, what I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself that where I am, you may be also. And you know the way to where I'm going. Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you're going. How can we know the way? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long and you still do not know me? Philip Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do. and greater works, and these will He do, because I am 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. This morning, we're going to see two main points, verses 8 through 11, and then verses 12 through 14. First, we must long to see God in Christ. We must long to see God in Christ, and secondly, we must long to do the greater works of God in Christ. We must long to see God in Christ and long to do the works of God in Christ. So here we are, John 13 begins the focus on the disciples. And Peter's usually when it speaks up. We saw this a lot through chapter 13. The other disciples decide they're going to give Peter a break. Thomas asked a question. Now, Philip says, Lord, show us the father. This is a fantastic request. Let us see the father. This is a question that's being asked constantly throughout the world. Numerous people are constantly asking all the time. God, let me see you. An atheist, belligerent, will demand to see proof that meets his standards, denying God because he thinks he has an upper hand on knowledge and intelligence. An agnostic, frustrated if there is a true agnostic, frustrated because he probably sees the problem as more of an intellectual issue rather than a spiritual one. Two other people who would ask this question, show us yourself, God. An atheist believing he can't because of the standards he set up. An agnostic wondering if there's any way he would ever know. Third, believers who are in their sin. Believers can't really experience the true grace and love of Christ when they're in sin. They are bound themselves. They put a wall up that keeps themselves from seeing God because of the impurity. Frustrated, they ask God, help us to see you. They need to see a God who loves them and forgives them and renews them. Another group or a final group that calls out for God in this way, let me see you are the believers in pain. Believers who are in trials and tribulations, those who are in the midst of a major trouble and they're asking, God, are you here? God, let me see you. Will you see me through this? This is an important question. It's an important question for all of us at some stage of life. It's important in the Bible. This is an important question that we could actually trace throughout all of Scripture. I want to step back for a moment and show you how important this particular theme, this particular question is. I can't do it throughout all of Scripture, but I want to do it just a little bit to show you this is a key theme or motif that unites Scripture together. We've already read a passage that does this from Exodus. What we're going to do here is a little practice in what we call biblical theology. Biblical theology has not set apart non-biblical theology or un-biblical theology. I'm talking about that practice of looking at redemptive history. What is the flow of history? What's the redemptive plan of God? Some will call it the scarlet thread that runs through Scripture. How do we see promise and fulfillment? There's themes that connect all scripture, all 66 books from different authors. And I believe this is one of them. First place to go is Exodus 3. If you're using a few Bible, you can turn to page 46. Exodus 3. Israel is in Egypt. They've gone from being guests to slaves. Moses comes across a burning bush. Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, I will turn aside to see this great sight. Why the bush is not burned. Then the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see. God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am! And he said, Do not come near. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. And he said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. You may not know this if you're new to the church you're visiting, but Moses wrote this. This is Moses' experience that he recorded for us, and you can catch the key words he's including in there over and over again. Look! Behold! He saw a sight! God saw him! He hid his face. He was afraid to see God. We see here an early Moses. A Moses who's in the wilderness, a Moses who's fled, a Moses who's afraid of God, a Moses who's going to continue to doubt God, even though he continues to approach Him and bring Him closer and closer and closer. We're going to have to skip ahead quite a bit. Lots of things happen between chapter 3 and chapter 33. But turn there, page 74. You can look in your bulletin. I'm going to begin in verse 17. And the Lord said to Moses, this very thing that you have spoken, I will do for you have found favor in my sight. And I know you by name, Moses said, please show me your glory. Now, let's stop there. This is sanctification, right? He was afraid to look at God, but now he's become so close to God, he's seen God. He now says, Lord, show me your glory. He's gone from a coward to having great courage in his relationship with God. There's a big change that takes place. Moses said, please show me your glory. This is the most important question, one of the most important questions for Israel throughout their history. It's recorded to put a finger, to put a place here for what's going to happen afterwards. Moses said, please show me your glory. And the Lord said, and he said, I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name, the Lord, and I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But he said, you cannot see my face. For man shall not see me and live. Moses was afraid, it was a right fear, a fear of seeing the holiness of God with his sinful eyes. Here in Exodus, he gets braver. In Exodus 33, he has some bravery, he has some courage. Lord, show me your glory. God says, you can see Part of my glory. You can't behold the glory. Man will be destroyed if their sinfulness comes in contact with my glory. You can't see it all. There's a partialness to it. There's a there's a holding back. For Moses. Turn to John. Chapter one, page 886. Skipping ahead quite a bit. Look at verse 17. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. You already see the contrast. Moses was the great prophet of the Old Testament. He's the one who laid the foundational truth that every other prophet used to then give a further prophesying. Here we see the great prophet Moses being contrasted with Jesus Christ. The law came through Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, not even Moses. No one has ever seen God, but the only God, or the only begotten God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known. This is mind-boggling what John has just told us in this prologue. This is amazing. The entire Old Testament, no one could ever look at God. But now, God has made Himself seen. Because God Himself came, took on flesh, and has dwelt among man. If you want to see God, you see Him in Jesus Christ. John's already set up what the conversation is going to take between Jesus and Philip. See, Moses was promised, you know, another greater prophet is going to follow you. Jesus is that greater prophet. He is the full, the most full revelation of God. Now we can see God, not partially, not the hind parts face to face. John, Chapter 14, verses eight and nine. Show us the Father. Philip asked a very similar question as Moses. Jesus said, have I been with you so long that you do not know me? If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. This is important because the reason Moses couldn't see God was because he was a sinner. The reason Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden was because they had sinned. The reason that relationship, that fellowship, that union, that closeness was broken was because of our sin. We can't see God because of our sin. Jesus had to come and be the reconciler so that we could once again see God. Jesus came to take away the sin that keeps us from seeing and knowing God. If you do not know God, it's not an intellectual problem. It's a sin problem. Jesus Christ came to take your guilt, your sin upon himself so that you could now be reconciled. The revelation of God is no longer veiled. Jesus has made him fully known. Everything we can know about God as sinners waiting for the glorious final revelation, it's available. Now, the key question here is, do you see God and are you growing in your view of him? Notice how Jesus responds to Philip's request. He's frustrated, isn't he? Show us the Father. It's enough. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long? You still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Can you hear the frustration? Jesus has been speaking with absolute authority for three years. Philip has been with him this entire time. He's been doing great signs and miracles and teaching about his sonship to the Father. How can Philip ask this? How could Philip not get it yet? Well, we are slow learners. I think Philip here stands in our place because we should be able to see God. We should see him more and more truly. We should be frustrated with ourselves and that we are such slow learners. Now, let me back up and just say, what does it mean to grow in seeing God? How do we see more of God? The first thing we need to think about when we think about seeing more of God, there's not God. God doesn't grow. God is perfect. What keeps us from seeing Him fully is our own sin. If we progress in our sight of God, He remains the same. The way we grow in our sight and knowledge of God is, well, it's fourfold, at least. First, as we grow to see God more, we grow to see how worthy of worship He is. If we're going to see more of God, as Philip will see more of God, he's going to see how worthy of worship God is. It's an increase of a desire to be in awe and wonder, a desire to worship Him. Secondly, if we see more of God, we'll see more of our sin. Growing more in our vision of God means we're growing more in understanding how perfect He is and how sinful we are. It means we recognize how dark our sin is, how corrupt our hearts are as we see His light and His purity and beauty. Third, we grow to see Him more in His grace and His mercy. This is the beauty of the gospel. The more we see our sin, the more we'll see His grace. If you quit praising God for His grace, it's because you quit recognizing your sin. The more we grow in a light of knowledge of God, the more we recognize our sin, the more we praise him for his grace. And of course, more knowledge of God means more love of him as we see how much he loves us. Philip should have been growing and should have been already matured in his knowledge of God here with Jesus Christ, but he's not there yet. The Spirit hasn't come down. But if you think about this, I want to ask you a question. Are you growing in your knowledge of God? Are you growing in your vision of who God is and his glory and his love and his worthiness of worship? Are you stagnant? Now, I want to answer that question. You can't be stagnant. You can't just stay at one place. See, you're either going uphill or downhill. You're either growing more in your love for God and seeing him or you're growing more in love with your sin and going away from God. You're drawing near to God or you're drawing near to sin. We must desire a clear and pure vision of God. How do we do that? I believe Jesus tells us. Verse nine, whoever has seen me has seen the father. So we want to see God, it means we're growing closer to Him, knowing more about Him. How can you say, show us the Father? Here, verses 10 through 11, He is scolding Him because He's saying, how have you not seen all that I have done? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is me or else believe on account of the works themselves. Jesus saying, look at me. If you want to see the Father, if you want to grow in the knowledge of God, you look to Christ. First, we see this beautiful union. He is in me, I am in him. The father and son are distinct, but they're the one true God. We see here a union of will, a union of purpose. The entire Godhead is angled down at us, the father sending his son and the father and the son sending their spirit so that we can see him and know him. This is good news. The entire purpose of God is that we would be sent, he would send himself down to us and draw us back to worship him. and know him. We see the son, we should see that he is the divine son of the father sent to save us from our sins. Now we can see here more specifically, he says, know my works. If you cannot believe me in relation to my father, believe on account of the works. If you want to know God more, the way God woos us in first and foremost is for who he is for us. what he has done for us. If you want to grow in your knowledge of God, you have to first recognize and understand who Christ is and what he has done for us. So if we're wanting to know more about God, here's some things Christ has done for us. He died to take away our guilt. If you want to know more about God, you need to think about how guilty you are and that his death has washed you completely clean. You are now righteous before God. You're not righteous. We're all sinners, but because Christ died and took our guilt, we are counted as righteous before God. This is what he did for us. This is why we should see God in Christ. He took the judgment we deserve. He was our substitute. The punishment of sin that Christ took, we deserve. Next, he died to deliver us from the power of sin and Satan. He died to take away the power of sin that overwhelmed us. He died to take away the power of Satan that was over us. And now we share in his victory. Jesus Christ. He is the victor and we share in his victory. He rose again in victory. His life is our life. His victory is our victory. Well, if that weren't enough, he didn't send us the Holy Spirit. That's something Jesus did for you. He went away. And it was to our advantage, he sent his Holy Spirit to take all that he accomplished for you on the cross and in the resurrection and his victory. And he sent the Holy Spirit to apply it right inside of you, to indwell you, to change you, to seal your heart. Now you have a new standing before God. Now you have a new power to live for God. These are the things Christ has done for you. This is how you see God in Christ. There is no other way. You see, His works tell us who He is. He's God for us. His works tell us who He is for us and His works tell us who we are in Him. We're not just seeking a guru, we're seeking someone who changes us. I want to go back and I want to think about the atheist who asked the question, God, will you show me? If you're an atheist or agnostic and you're asking this question, God, are you there? You need to go. And you need to read what God has already said. This is my challenge to you. If you're an atheist or a Gnostic and you're questioning, is God really there? Try to listen to Him. We believe this is where God has revealed Himself. We believe this is where God speaks. I ask you, let me come alongside of you and read this with you. If you want to know if God is there, see if He's speaking and ask Him to reveal Himself as you read. If you're a Christian, you're in sin and you're you're you're weighed down by it and you're wondering, how can I know God because my sin is so heavy, brother or sister? The prescription isn't that different. Look to his word and what it says about you. And most likely, if you're that burdened that you're asking if I can ever see God, you need a brother or sister to come alongside of you and remind you Intentionally and intensely who Christ is and what he's done for you. And if you're a trial, if you're in the midst of difficulty. Paul's very clear. The father is the God of all comfort, and he has comforted others so that we can comfort one another. You are to go and ask others, I am in this trial. Will you walk with me? Fall into the arms of Christ, which is part of his body. Ask others to come alongside. For all of us who ask this question, can I know more of God? Can I see God? I think Paul actually leads us well in his prayer for me in Ephesians chapter four. For this reason, I bow my knees before the father from whom every family in heaven on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded in love. May have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth and another love of God that surpasses all knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. You want to see God, that's the prayer. God, let me see how great your love is. If you think you've accomplished the point where you know enough of God's love that you're now done with it and you've moved on, you've never gotten it. Because His love is more than we can ever comprehend. We must always be pursuing more understanding of it. The first thing we've done, look to Christ so that we can know who God is. The second one actually isn't any easier. It's actually a little more complicated as to how we're supposed to see God in Christ. We must repent of our sin quickly and fully. One of the key verses, I believe, that speak to this theme of seeing God, Matthew 5, 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall seek God. See, it's a promise out there. It's a promise that, yes, we get to see God when Christ saves us, but if you want to see more of God, it's your sin that keeps you from seeing God. It's your purity. It's keeping yourself from being defiled and consumed from the things of this world. And let me make it very clear. Jesus says it's not what comes into our bodies that defile us. It's what comes from within. It's the purity of heart that's keeping you from seeing God. We must guard our hearts and what they love and desire. So I ask, what are you looking at that you think is better than seeing God? What is your heart leading you to look at that you think is better than seeing God? What is entertaining you so much that you would rather be delighted by it than the God of infinite glory? Children. Children. Purity is a treasure that must be kept in garden. Purity is precious and it must be protected. Pursue God and the things above and protect your purity. Parents, protect your children's purity by protecting yourself from impurity. The battle starts in your heart for your children. They're going to learn from you that that old commercial. Son, he's holding up some drug paraphernalia. Son, where did you learn to do this? Dad, I learned it from watching you. There's some profound truth there. They're going to learn what to love by what we love. Young professionals. Oh, my most beloved young professionals who are always asking for more application for them precisely and never getting it. That's a confession of sin. Let me say this. Purity problems are never fixed by marriage. Purity problems will not be fixed by marriage. Don't wait on that. Don't wait on marriage to thinking that will fix your purity problems. That will only make your purity problems a bigger problem. Seek purity now. Not only do you not need to wait on marriage, you don't need marriage. Christ is your perfect bridegroom. He can purify you. But you must seek him, pursue him. He is the only prescription for the purity of heart that the Christian is supposed to know. If you're one of our retired believers, I just urge you, use this time to consume the Word of God. Use this time to set your eyes on the glory, prepare your hearts for heaven. This is how you will best use your golden years. Pursue the glory of God. Our second half of our passage, as I look up and the clock is still broken. God has provided. This actually is harder than the first half. 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." That's amazing. Jesus just said, hey, look at me, you'll see God. And by the way, all the things that you're looking at that I'm doing to know that I'm God and that you can see God in me, you'll do them and more. This is amazing. What is Christ saying here? Is he saying that the signs and wonders that we've been looking at throughout scripture, that we can do the same and even better? Does this mean that we should be able to turn water into champagne? Does this mean that instead of walking on water, we should be dancing across it? Instead of feeding thousands with bread and fish, it would be cornbread. Now, why did I choose cornbread? Cornbread is the best bread. I joke here because I don't think Jesus is saying this. I don't think Jesus is saying you will do greater miracles. He's just said the master is not greater than the servant. But the servant is not greater than the master. The servant is not greater than the master. Let's say that again. The servant is not greater than the master. He's just said he's God. We're not. He did greater miracles and signs. Now, some people will say, well, all he's saying here is he will do more. That's not that profound. Jesus was one man. He lived three years. He did these signs for three years. To say the church will do more? That's not really saying much. I think he's saying more than just we're going to do more works. This is where redemptive history is important. The progressive revelation and plan of God. Notice how he continues this. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the same works that I do and who greater works in these will he do because I'm going to the father. Jesus is preparing his disciples that it's going to look bad for a little while. Your hearts will be troubled because it's troubling. Your master is going to die, but it's better. I'm going to go to the father and that's going to be better. John 14 verses 13 through 14. The next thing we'll look at, you can pray in the authoritative name of Jesus. More than that, look up to 14 verse 14, verse three. If I go, I will prepare a place for you. John 16, 7, Jesus says it as clear as possible. If I go, it's to your advantage. It's better now what we have than walking and talking with Jesus, like the disciples. It's better right now for us as a spirit-filled, spirit-guided body of believers than it was for those disciples walking and talking with Jesus. He's prepared a place for us. He's at our advantage. What we see here is that the greater works is that we get to participate in a different kind of work of God, a more progressed, a more effective. You see, Jesus has died today. Today, it's after his death, it's after his resurrection, the redemption that he came to bring, it's finished. Our guilt's washed away. They were still waiting to see how he was going to fulfill the promises of Scripture. We've seen it. We can even see this in just a very basic redemptive history sketch. Before Christ, they were waiting to see who that would be. While Jesus was living, they were wondering, how are you going to do all these things? But now today we see he died, he rose again and he's coming back. Today, we have a different status than those disciples. We have a sealed and secured adoption of sons and daughters of God. Our worship is different. We don't worship with lambs. The disciples were still worshiping with lambs. We worship the Lamb of God. How is the work greater? Let me list a few ways. First, The work is greater because justification is accomplished in the cross. Redemption is accomplished. Jesus Christ has satisfied the wrath of God. Second, the work is greater because Jesus is risen to new life. We now know he has victory and he's now the right hand of the Father interceding for us. The work is greater because Jesus Christ has sent his Holy Spirit. Look at John. You can look later at John chapter 20. Jesus said to them after the resurrection, Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, receive the Holy Spirit. It's better because now our ministry, our work is empowered by the Holy Spirit that points to Christ and what he's accomplished. The work is greater because new life is now being provided and eliminated by the Holy Spirit in the midst of us. The work is greater because now Jesus Christ has little bitty bodies, some bigger than others, all over the world proclaiming his name, building up the body of Christ, proclaiming the gospel to the lost. The work is greater because now we know who Christ is. They still didn't get it yet. We know what he's accomplished, that it's final, it's perfect, it's ours, it's our victory. Theology, the works are greater because of the effectiveness of them in the work of the Holy Spirit. Now that's the easy part. The harder question is this. Are we experiencing those greater works? Are we trusting the Holy Spirit to actually empower us to fight against sin? Are we trusting the Holy Spirit to overcome our sin? Are we trusting the Holy Spirit to do greater works by proclaiming Christ and seeing lives changed? Are we speaking the truth in love? Are we being built up in the mutual love? If you want to see more of God, It's trusting the power of the Spirit and the power of Jesus Christ to change us as individuals and as a church together. One of the most profound promises or statements Paul makes in what people say is the greatest chapter in the Bible, Romans 8. I'm not going to affirm that. I'm just going to say people say that. Romans 8, 11. The power of the resurrection resides within you if you're a Christian. And think about that. That's why the works are greater. They didn't have the power of the resurrection, the disciples before Christ died and rose again, but now that the Holy Spirit has been sent, the power of the resurrection to fight against sin, to know your bodies will be glorified and given new life, the power of the resurrection, the Holy Spirit, it resides within us. Do we know the power? Do we know God? Finally, look at verse 13. 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. This is not a magic password. It isn't that we can just go to God and say anything in Jesus name and it is accomplished. His name is tied to his identity. When we ask according to his name, we're asking according to his identity, his purpose. Isn't the most important thing we need to recognize? that we pray in Jesus' name is that we don't pray in our own. I need everybody to acknowledge this. The most important thing about praying in Jesus' name is that we do not pray in our own. We've got nothing. Why would God listen to me? Why would God listen to any of us? When we go into the presence of God, the only thing we can take with us is our sin. But when we go in the name of Christ, which he gives us that privilege, which is another reason the works are greater. We go in the name of the most high God, the son. It's not us. It's not us saying, look, I've preached the gospel this many times, it's not us. I've been part of the church this long. It's nothing about us. It's everything about what Christ accomplished for us. That name is powerful because He is powerful, and He shared that power with us. Now, let me look at a few other passages that show the power of this name. Matthew 18 tells us that, where two or three are gathered, there I am also. Well, what he's actually getting at here, what Jesus is talking about, is that the body of Christ, when it's gathered, that's when the authority is with the body. The gathered body of Christ, that's where he is with us. That's where we have the authority. He's given us a great authority together. That's why we gather on Sunday morning. So we gather on Wednesday night so we can pray together in that name together. You can also look at Luke 10, I'm going to give you a few passages to look at later. Jesus sent his 72 out to go cast out demons. In the 72 return, beginning in verse 17 of Luke 10, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and all over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this. The spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Satan was our enemy. We share in the victory of Jesus Christ to overcome Satan as our enemy because he's a victor. But he's saying, don't don't don't rejoice in this. Rejoice in the fact that your names are written in the book of life. Chapter 20 of John, verse 31. If you're not a Christian, if you're not a Christian, this is for you. Now, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that by believing you may have life in his name. If you're not a Christian this morning, there's a few key words you need to know about of Christ so that you can have life in his name. He died in your place for your sin. You were guilty before God. You are guilty before God. And if you believe in Jesus, he dies in your place before God, takes your sin, takes your guilt. Your sin is washed away. He rose again to give us new life. And if you believe in his name, his power to give that new life, it is yours in his name. Church. He sends us out with authority to baptize people in his name. He is with us always. He has sent us to make disciples of those who will follow him. This is what we're called to do together by reminding one another of who we are in him and what he has done for us. We pray with. Father, we thank you that you have spoken, you have given us your word that is full and rich. We thank you that we can see you in Christ and what he has done for us. May we long for that day when our sin will be completely removed and we will see you perfectly. But as we wait, Lord, let us continue to see you more and more clearly as we repent of our sin and we know more of Christ. I pray that we would be able to see and experience these greater works, how your gospel gives new life to those who are dead. We pray that if anybody here does not know that new life, that they would not be able to leave without speaking to someone about it first. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.