Membership Has Its Privileges

John 14:1-14

Glen Drake once said, “The world has forgotten, in its concern with Left and Right, that there is an Above and a Below.” And with what our world is going through, the danger is not that people will believe nothing, it’s that they will believe anything! I believe that this has come more apparent the last 18 months. Evil is whatever I don’t believe in, truth is whatever I do believe in. All roads lead to heaven, if God is loving there can be no hell. God gives us the clear and unquestionable road to Heaven. It is not lacking an Oxford comma that can lead to misunderstanding, like a dairy company in Maine. Because of a missing comma, the company was ordered to pay over $5 million dollars in missing overtime wages because of what was listed as eligible for overtime. The comma would have prevented the lawsuit to proceed, the lack of it opened it up. There were disagreements over what was and was not eligible, but the Gospel, there are no questions, Jesus states in John 14:6, God states unequivocally, no missing Oxford comma, the one and only way to Heaven.

Let us pray!

John 14:1–14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 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. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 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’? 10 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. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Jesus teaches of life after death – life in heaven. So first, there is the Peace of Heaven; Peace knowing about Heaven, Peace in Heaven.

I. THE PEACE OF HEAVEN—v. 1

A. Trouble—“Let not your heart be troubled.” Don’t worry. Don’t become upset. God will take care of you, if you accept Him as your Lord. Put your faith in Him. Cast your care upon Him—1 Peter 5:7 – casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

B. Trust—“You are trusting God, now trust in me.” It is not enough to trust in God—we must trust in Christ. Christ is equal to God. All false religions put Christ below God.

As believers we have Peace knowing about heaven, but also that Heaven is being prepared for us.

II. THE PREPARATION OF HEAVEN—vv. 2–4

A. Place—“In my Father’s house are many mansions.” A better translation is in my Father’s house there are many rooms, many dwelling places – like a mansion of an apartment building.

B. Promise—“If it were not so, I would have told you.” God cannot lie—Titus 1:2. in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began. He will keep His promises.

C. Preparation—“I go to prepare a place for you.” Christ wants us to trust Him.

5 – 6 times He says I or my.

This leads is us to …

III. THE PROMISE OF HEAVEN —

A. v. 3b. He will come again, and take us with Him into our heavenly home. Note v. 4. “And you know the way to where I am going”.

Notice the way – not a way – precise and unequivocally, one way to go to where He is going - Heaven

Non-believers struggle with the exclusivism of the Gospel. Some Christians struggle with it as well, but Scripture allows us no other choice. God offers no variety of ways leading to heaven – you must know the Father — that is only in knowing Jesus Christ.

IV. KNOWING THE FATHER —v. 5

Why did Thomas say this? There were several reasons.

A. Doubt. He doubted Christ’s mission as messiah. Later, Thomas doubted again—John 20:24–28 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin,[a] was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

B. Deceived. Perhaps he listened to others who did not believe or accept Christ.

Don’t doubt God’s Word. He will keep every part of it. None of it will ever pass away—

Don’t be deceived by the enemy. He will try and twist God’s word to confuse you.

C. The plan—“I am the way.”

D. The power—“The Truth.” The truth sets man free—John 8:32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

E. The pleasure—“And the life.” See John 10:10; 11:25, 26.

John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 11:25 – 26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

F. The person—“No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” See Acts 4:12. Many ways to heaven by man. ONE WAY BY GOD’S STANDARDS.

ACTS 4:11-12 - This Jesus[a] is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.[b] 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved.”

Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

John 10:1 - “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber

G. Personality—v. 7. If you see Christ, you have already seen the Father, since God and Christ are equal.

Why all this talk about trusting, believing, and knowing Jesus? Like the disciples we do not know Him well enough. And to know Him is to know the Father – Christ showed us the Father

VI. SHOWING THE FATHER—vv. 8–11

A. Problem—vv. 8–10. Christ’s words that He and God were ONE were not His words, but GOD’S WORDS.

B. Power—v. 11. If you do not believe Christ because of His words, then believe because of the miracles He performed.

Our ministry for Christ begins with faith. Faith in Him gets us to heaven and the Father. Then we must follow through by imitating the perfect model, and then through the Holy Spirit spreads out around the world. That starts with Prayer.

VII. THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER —vv. 12–13

A. Power—v. 12. Jesus was limited in time according to the plan. Only 3.5 years.

Any parent, leader, pastor wants more for their children, staff, church.

The Holy Spirit empowers us, enables us to go more places, speak to more people, reach more that do not know Him.

B. Prayer—v. 13. Ask in the name of the Lord—He will do it for the glory of God. THERE IS POWER IN HIS NAME!

He is not speaking of Name it and Claim it. Winning Powerball or curing cancer in His name does not guarantee it – He can but will He?

This type of prayer is new to the disciples – they had only asked in Abba, Yahweh. Now the pray in the name of Jesus.

VIII. THE PROMISE OF PRAYER – v. 14

A. Plan—v. 14. Pray in the name of Christ. Note Mark 16:16–20, seeing the power of the name of Jesus.

All roads don’t lead to Paris

All boats don’t go to Hawaii

All planes don’t go to Toyko

All religions don’t lead to God or Heaven

Membership has its privileges – the cost of this membership – accept the free plan – God paid it all for you – all you have to do is join

Is it an exclusive club? Kind of – membership is open to all but only those who accept the freedom are allowed in

How have been like Thomas and understand the simplicity of God’s plan?

How have we been like Philip – just show me God and that is enough? Just give me sign and I will believe and understand?