Effective Prayer

Going through chapter 14, 15, and 16 so far. Challenge to raise up my spiritual level to walk with God. And as we shared this morning, what it really means to have the Holy Spirit of God in our hearts.

And so let's look over to John chapter number 14. I guess I'm going to title the message today. Effective Prayer.

Effective Prayer. And we have seen this. Some of this will be review, but the Bible is written in such a way as to repeat itself.

We got a long way to go. So if I have a long way to go, I sure ought not to criticize my brother over here who's got a long way to go too. But in some of these areas, some of these areas like I'm going to share with you today.

Wow. I mean, is this your prayer life? Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. Anybody want to stand up here and testify to that great prayer life you have? You know, it talks about joy here.

And on Sunday morning, we ought to have people lined up coming up here. And I prayed to the Lord this week for God to do this and this and this. And he answered it for me in an amazing way.

Everybody's all excited. And then the next person. I think that ought to be our prayer life.

What's sad is to say it's not. And one of the best things we can do is just acknowledge that. Say, hey, oftentimes we read over those verses kind of quick, just move on.

But we're not going to read over those and move on real quick today. I want to spend a little time on that. So this is the will of God for your prayers to go to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus and He to answer those prayers.

And so you're to stand in the name of, in the place of, in the stead of the Lord Jesus Christ and pray to the Father. Now, I want you to look back to John 5. Hold your finger there in John 16. And look at John 5. In one verse, I want you to look at it.

I could read it, but I want you to look at it because it's the Lord saying that He came in the name of the Father. Very same thing. John 5, verse 43.

John 5, verse 43, I am come in my Father's name. John 5, verse 43. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not.

If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. Now, Jesus said this. I am come in my Father's place.

I am come in my Father's stead. My Father did not come down from heaven in a sense. I am sent from my Father.

God sent His Son into the world. And so I am come, Jesus said, in the place of, in the stead of my Father. So the Bible says if you see me, you see the Father.

I'm standing in His place. I'm speaking what He would have me to speak. I'm doing what He would have me to do.

And so I'm showing you an example. I'm coming in another person's place. Now, I want you to come in my place.

I'm going to go back to the Father and now you, I want you to go in my name, in my place, in my stead. And so as the Father, think about this, as the Father sent Jesus into the world, the Father was actually in Jesus. Jesus said the Father is in me.

And so as Jesus was sent into the world, the Father was in Him. Guess what? As you and I are sent into the world in His name, who is in us? The Lord Jesus is in us. And so let me get back, I didn't draw it here, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

As my Father has sent me, so have I sent you. And so the Father sent the Son into the world to stand and to speak on His behalf, in His place, in His name. And even so, Christ sends us into the world to stand and to speak in His name and in His place.

So that's why we're called Christians. We're a little Christ. I've given you this illustration and I think it's a good one.

If you've been here for a while, you've heard me say it many times. I know I preface this all the time when I do these illustrations, but when I was in Bible school, we had a bus ministry. Miss Weir, you know the story.

She was the secretary for Ray Young. Ray Young was the head man, he was the leader of the bus ministry. And Miss Weir was the secretary.

And Miss Weir stood in the place of Ray Young. And she would come and tell us, Ray Young said, do this. And she stood in his place and she could speak for him.

She had authority because she stood in the place of Ray Young. And she would ask us, Ray Young says he wants you to do this. And that had authority because she was standing in the place of Ray Young.

And it was mentioned to me the last time I shared this. You know, Ray Young had authority, but Miss Weir was not free to say anything she wanted or do anything she wanted as long as she was under the authority of Ray Young. And in the very same way, as long as you and I are doing the will of God, as long as you and I are under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have some authority in life.

I mean, when she spoke, just a simple little girl, maybe 22 years old, but when she spoke and she said, Brother Ray would like you to do this and this, we jumped. And you know, the spiritual world, when you say in Jesus' name, you're basically standing like Miss Weir with Jesus Christ as your authority. And you're saying, Jesus, the one who has all authority and power in heaven and earth wants you to do this.

And the spiritual world says, yes, sir. Amen. And I don't know if we, it's sad to say, but I don't mean to be discouraging.

I think we want to get to heaven and God is going to show us all that we had available to us. And we're going to realize, oh my, I, you know, I was in Vanity Fair. I piddled my life away with all this emptiness and I had the ability and the authority and power to stand in the name of Jesus.

Good place here for an amen or an oh me. And so Miss Weir, and I told you this before, you know, if Miss Weir would come to me and say, hey, Brother Jerry, she's a sweet girl, meek and quiet. Brother Jerry, Brother Ray Young would like you to clean out the bus.

Yes, ma'am. If she'd come to me one day and say, well, Brother Jerry, I'd like you to clean my car. Oh, wait a minute, Miss Weir, did Brother Ray Young say to tell me that? No, I just want you to do it.

Forget it. You know, she lost her authority. Her authority was lost because she was asking for herself.

That's why the Bible says if you ask anything according to what? His will. He hears us. And if you hit the target and you ask according to the will of God, then you have authority when you pray.

But don't go to God and ask for some limousine or a million dollars or something you can consume upon your own lust. There's no authority in that. So when Jesus was sent into the world, He was given the authority to act on the behalf of the Father.

And here's the amazing thing. When Jesus sends us into the world, He gives us the same authority. You know, the last thing Jesus said to those apostles, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Go therefore. I'm going to send you like my Father sent me and He gave me all the authority to ask and I receive it. I'm giving you the same authority.

I think we live such a subnormal Christian experience. But you know, it takes faith to believe these things, to embrace them. Well, I'm just going to read a story here because it doesn't take long.

The Holy Spirit comes in the book of Acts and these disciples understand this. We're not connecting with it in our generation. I think when they heard going in my name, it clicked for them.

It was maybe in a language they understood. Most of us in America don't understand what it means in my name, but it clicked with them. Okay, so I'm going to go in Jesus' place and I'm going to speak what Jesus would speak and I would expect the authority of heaven to be behind me.

So we get to Acts. The Holy Spirit falls and the first thing you see is them going forth in the name of Jesus. I'm going to read the story here.

You know it. First chapter three, verse one. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour, and a certain man laying from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asking alms.

Peter fastening his eyes and pointing with John said, look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Now where does Peter get this idea here? Here's what he says.

Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none. There's nothing in my wallet. Sorry, I don't have anything to give you.

But such as I have, give I unto thee. Now what's he saying there? I have been given something and that is the authority of heaven. I have been given the authority of heaven to stand in the name of Jesus Christ.

As far as this thing, I have nothing in it. And you're begging and asking for gold and silver. There's nothing in my wallet, but I do have something.

And that is the authority from heaven. But such as I have, give I thee. And then he says, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

Now that wasn't something that, you know, you read in a book somewhere. He just understood, these men understood that the Lord, when he said, go in my name and my authority. Okay.

The Holy Spirit fell. We're going to go in your name and the authority of Jesus Christ. And we're going to say, stand in your place and say, you, if Jesus were here, he'd heal you.

You, in the name of Jesus, stand up and walk. I'm going to stand in Jesus' place. Wouldn't it be awful if you get to heaven in real life, you could stand in Jesus' place all your life as a Christian and have the authority and power of heaven behind you? You say, Brother Jerry, now you're turning this into a Pentecostal church.

No, that's the truth. Amen? I mean, that's the truth. That we're to stand and, you know, we can throw it all out and say, well, this is only for 12 guys.

And why are we studying all this stuff? It's only for 12 people. It's for all of us. The children of God.

Now I've experienced this and I've not experienced as much as I'd like to experience. Some of you have experienced this. There is power and authority in the name of Jesus.

I mean, I've been before demonic individuals who are foaming at the mouth, who are just basically fit to be tied. And I've shared some of those stories with you where these individuals have the power, like in the Bible, to break chains. These people are filled with demons.

And just being there, you realize that if Jesus Christ wasn't constraining this demonic being, or how many of them are, I would be destroyed. And all you say is, in the name of Jesus, I command you to be still. And that creature, that evil spirit is contained or restrained by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we have that privilege of standing in His name. You know what would be exciting? I thought about this this week, to just get up every morning and say, and I'm going to get to this here in a minute, I'm an ambassador of Jesus Christ. And I'm going to go forth today and stand in His name.

Everywhere I go, keep my mind clear. Stand in His name. Oh, here's the situation.

Jesus, I want to stand in Your name, and I'm going to do what You do. And expect the authority of heaven to be behind me. Well, it's important to realize this, that when Jesus came in the Father's name, He came specifically to do the will of His Father.

And that's where I think we're really lacking, is a heart to really do the will of God. You know, this is the problem with church Sunday going, church folks, you know, it's not going to work. You're going to have to be willing to say, Lord, I'm going to do Your will.

Whatever His will might be. Listen to what Jesus says here in John chapter 8. I'm not going out of the Gospel of John. Then said Jesus unto them, when you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you shall know that I am He, and that I do nothing of myself.

But as my Father has taught me, I speak these things. And He that has sent me is with me, and the Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. Here's a life that only speaks for the Father, only does the Father's will, only does the things that please Him.

It's a picture of a totally surrendered individual who is here to do the will of God, and not their own will. And that individual, the Lord Jesus, had authority behind him, because he was here to do the will of God. Miss Weir, Miss Weir, you have no authority, none, when you live for yourself.

Miss Weir, you have no authority when you come to me and say you want me to do this, this, and this. Many Christians are like that. In the name of Jesus, do this! And the devil says, ha ha, there's no authority in you.

You don't even want to do the will of God. You know, there's so much sin in your life, and you don't even understand the will of God, and you're saying these things, come on, right? And so the Lord, He understood His Father's will. That's why it's important.

The Bible says if you meditate in His Word, if His Word abides in you, you shall ask what you will. It shall be done unto you, because we need to know what the will of God is. Because then we can do the will of God and stand in His place.

1 John, the same John who wrote the Gospel, 1 John 3, verse 22, whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. That's exactly what Jesus said. I'm doing His commandments, and I'm doing the things that please Him.

So as you see Jesus walking through life, and He says, I'm doing the Father's will, I do what pleases Him. And He gives me all the authority of heaven to say, hey blind man, your eyes, open them up. Oh, I can see.

Hey, leper, be healed. Oh, I'm healed of my leprosy. And now the Lord looks at those disciples and says, see how I did that? Under the Father's authority? He gave me all the authority I needed, now guess what? You go, and I'll give you authority.

All authority is given unto me, go. So, certainly if we want to stand in the place of the Lord, we need to be willing to do His will. And again, you all know this, can we truly in our hearts say, Lord, my life is over? I mean seriously, my life is over.

I'll do whatever you want. I mean, I'll put you above my wife, my children. I'll put you above my business, my wealth.

I'll put you above everything I have, my lands, my possessions. It doesn't matter. You want it, I'll pay you to take.

I just want to do the will of God. That's a good place to be. Standing in the place of another, that's the privilege we have.

Now let me give you the negative side of it here, just to show you what it means. In Matthew chapter 24, some of you who have been studying prophecy on Saturday morning, Jesus made this comment, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. So many will come and say, I'm coming in the name of Jesus.

I'm coming in His place, in His stead. Many false prophets will come in His name. I haven't asked you to turn very many times, so why don't you turn back to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. There's another word here that is used, and I want to spend a little time on this.

2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17. I'll start reading there. I realize, you know, my personal life, the same as yours, that these things are before us.

Oftentimes it's hard to get there. We need to pray for each other. We need to pray for us as a church.

We need to get past just coming to church on Sunday, and start living out the things that we learn. And it's hard. We've got the world fighting us.

We've got the devil fighting us. We've got this flesh fighting us. Look here at 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Notice verse 20.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead. That's the same idea here. Paul is saying, I am begging you in Christ's place, be you reconciled to God.

I am standing, he says, in the place of Jesus. If Jesus were here, you in Corinth, He'd be begging you to be reconciled to God. He's not here.

He's going back to heaven. But I'm standing in His place, and I am beseeching you to be reconciled to God. And here this morning, I'll take the place of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If He were here, He would beseech and beg you to be reconciled to God. And I can say that with all authority of heaven, that today is the day of salvation. If your heart is not right with God, you don't have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I beseech you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. Amen. But it says here we are ambassadors for Christ.

Now that's a concept I like. It's the same concept to going in the name of someone else. But he mentions here an ambassador.

I got my encyclopedias out and looked up the word ambassador and picked out some of the definitions of what an ambassador was. Listen to some of these definitions and then we can make the spiritual application of them. It says we are ambassadors for Christ.

An ambassador is a personal representative of a country's head of state, a president, and a personal representative of a country's head of state at the capital of another country. In other words, who is our head of state, by the way? No, I'm talking about our head of state. The church's head of state.

I'll give you another chance. Jesus, that's right. Our head of state.

But in the United States, our head of state is the ambassador, the U.S. ambassador. Does anybody know what his name is? We have ambassadors to different countries, ambassadors to the United Nations. So there's many of them.

So an ambassador is a personal representative of a country's head of state. We represent the Lord Jesus Christ. An ambassador of the United States would say, I'm representing Donald Trump, the president, at the capital of another country.

Okay, we're in another country, aren't we? We're pilgrims and strangers here in this country. You ever thought of yourself as truly being someone who's standing in the place of Jesus as an ambassador? He's the head of state, and you are in a foreign land, and you are to stand in his place as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus. That's a pretty heavy calling, isn't it? Here's something else.

An ambassador is the nation's highest-ranking diplomat in another country. You know, the highest-ranking diplomat or the highest-ranking person in our nation is Jesus. He's the head of state.

But do you know each one of you are the highest-ranking diplomat in this foreign country called the world? And he sent you into this world, the foreign nation, and you are supposed to represent the head of state who is seated at the right hand of God. You are to stand in Christ's stead. Something else.

An ambassador heads a country's embassy in the foreign capital. By the way, what's our embassy here in the world? A church. This is the embassy.

We're having a meeting at the embassy here today. We're talking about what our head of state would like to communicate to us so that we can communicate it to this foreign country out here that we're ambassadors to. And something else.

The ambassador carries on, I like this, he carries on negotiations with the foreign government. You know what we're negotiating? We want to live at peace. Our nation wants you to be at peace with our King.

And here's how you can do it. There's a Gospel message. How you can make peace.

And so we have a message for this world. Reconciliation. So that's what an ambassador does.

Here's something else. Ambassadors are to obey the laws of the other country. If I were to go to China as an ambassador, and I would say, hey you Chinese police people, I don't have to obey the laws over here, I can do whatever I want.

Watch out. You know, if you're an ambassador in a foreign land, you can't just live any way you want. And in the very same way, as an ambassador in this world, we need to abide by the rules and laws and legislations in this world.

Listen to what Peter says, dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. I know you're a stranger and a pilgrim in this foreign land, but that you would submit yourself to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Do you know it's a good testimony for the ambassador if the people in that foreign land have nothing to say against them that they're evil, they're violating the law.

But that an ambassador ought to be an honest individual in that country. So Jesus says, as my father has sent me, even so send I you. It's all right there.

I came in my father's name to do his will, to please him, to stand in his place, and he gave me this authority. Now you go in my name and do my will and please me and you stand in my place and I'll give you authority. That'd be an exciting life to really truly think that you're an ambassador of Jesus Christ in a foreign country and get up every morning and say, honey, if you're married, I got to go to work.

Oh, really? Where are you working? Well, I'm an ambassador and this is a foreign land and I'm going to go out and I'm going to be an ambassador for Jesus. That'd change your life, wouldn't it? Every day. Well, let's go back here to John.

I don't want to spend all our time on that, although it's certainly important. John 16. Let's keep reading.

John 16, verse 23. And in that day you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.

Father, I'm standing in the place of Jesus. Think about how absurd this would be. I'm standing in the place of Jesus, Father, and I would really like, you know, a new Mercedes-Benz so that I can drive around and people will be impressed by me.

What kind of authority do you think you'd get on that prayer? Father, I'm standing in the place of Jesus, your Son, and I'm praying for the abilities and gifts and graces to win these lost souls. How many of you think that'll get heard and there'll be some authority behind that? So we pray in the will of God. Verse 24.

Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full. And I think one of the things we're missing out is that joy.

Can you imagine living this way and praying and God answering your prayer, you having authority in life and going around as an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ? In Luke chapter 10, the Lord sent the 70 out and says they returned with great joy. You know why? Because, hey, we can speak to those devils and they get cast out and even the devils are subject then to us through what? My name. And they had great joy.

Of course, the Lord rebuked them and better you rejoice that your names are written in heaven because that's not going to change. Verse 25. These things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs.

Now, the Lord spoke oftentimes in parables. That's what that word means there. But the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in Proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

So the Lord was teaching oftentimes here in John and Matthew, Mark and Luke, his personal life. He taught in parables to hide things from those who are not serious and those who are serious would inquire. But he says, when I come and live in you, I'm not going to teach you any more in parables.

I'm going to teach you straight out. You ever had the Holy Spirit give you a parable from the inside? Probably not. When Jesus taught from the outside, he spoke in parables.

But he said, when I come and live in you, no more parables. I'm going to show you clearly and plain. He'll teach us from the inside.

Verse 26. At that day you shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God.

So in those days, the Lord, they would ask the Lord, Lord, we have these needs and the Lord would take it to the Father. We're not going to do that anymore because you go straight to the Father in my name. And I don't have to appeal or petition the Father.

You can go directly to the Father in my name. And here's why. Verse 27.

For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. Do you know, this is important, do you know that God loves you and me in large part because you believe his Son? That's what it says. Because you have believed that I came out from God, God loves those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

You've loved me. And you believe that I came forth from God. I've often found it amazing that heaven and hell, heaven and hell, the love of God and the wrath of God are separated by that simple idea of believing on Jesus Christ.

I mean, you believe in your heart that Jesus is the Christ, you're going to be loved of God. You don't believe that Jesus is the Christ, you're going to be under the wrath of God. As a matter of fact, that's what the Bible says in John, he that believeth on the Son has everlasting life.

He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So you have two groups of people in the world, those who believe the Son and those who don't believe the Son. I trust most of you in here believe on the Son.

But that is the, I've said this before, that is the watershed for eternal life or eternal damnation. I mean, you've got that drop of water. I was out in the Rocky Mountains here a few weeks ago and they have the Continental Divide up in the Rockies.

That Continental Divide is that point where if a little drop falls just an inch on this side of the peak, that water goes to the Pacific Ocean. If one drop falls just an inch on this side of the peak, it runs to the Mississippi River and out to the Gulf of Mexico. And that peak, drops are falling right on the edge of it and many are falling way far away, but where you fall is where you spend eternity.

And that peak is believing Jesus Christ, who He is, that He was sent from God, and loving Him. If any man loved not our Lord Jesus Christ, let him be what? Anathema. Let him be damned when Jesus comes.

You know, there's going to be this fine line. That's going to be amazing. You see it in the Bible, this fine line.

Some people are going to fall just to this side and go to heaven forever. Some are going to fall just to this side and go to hell. You know, I see Lot and Lot's wife.

Beautiful example of this. They're leaving Sodom, running, and you've got this great example of Lot making it, and his wife being consumed, turned into a pillar of salt. So close! And yet, I think Lot will be in heaven forever, his wife will be in hell.

All because of their faith. And so, he that believes on the Son, hey, you're a blessed person. If God has opened your heart to show you who Jesus Christ really is, and your faith and trust is in Him, you are a blessed person.

If you're sitting here this morning and you don't have faith, your heart's full of doubt, you're under the wrath of God. And you're going to be under the wrath of God forever. Unless you repent.

So God visited us in person 2,000 years ago in the person of Jesus Christ, and if you reject Jesus, you reject God. And that was the damning sin of the Jewish nation. While they thought they worshipped God, they rejected and killed the very God whom they supposedly were worshipping.

When Jesus visited them. You know, the Bible says Jesus told the Jews, you have missed the day of visitation. You didn't know.

I won't read it, but in Matthew 21, the Lord talks about all the ambassadors that He sent them. I sent you wise men in My name. Scribes in My name.

Prophets in My name. Some of them you beat, some of them you scourged, some of them you killed. And then finally I said, I'll send you My Son in My name.

As My ambassador, He's My Son. Certainly you'll receive My Son. And they killed Him.

Verse 28, I came forth from the Father and am come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto Him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb.

Now we are sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou comest forth from God. I think, this is my opinion, verse 27, when they heard, if you believe that I am sent from God, God loves you.

So their response is, yeah, well we do. We're sure that you come from God and we believe that thou camest forth from God there in the end of verse 30 and we want God to love us. And then in verse 31, the Lord challenges them.

And this is a good challenge for us here. Verse 31, Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? In other words, He's questioning their faith. And here's what's going to happen.

Verse 32, Behold, the hour is coming. Yea, it's now come. He's about ready to be betrayed.

That you shall be scattered. They're going to run and flee and deny Me. Every man to his own and shall leave Me alone.

And yet I am not alone because the Father is with Me. You know, they say, just like Peter, Yes Lord, we believe. Yes Lord, we believe.

Peter says, Lord, I'll never, never, never deny you. I'll never. But you know what's interesting? When Peter's faced with persecution and martyrdom, all of a sudden he changes his tune real quick, doesn't he? Oh, I don't know the guy.

I don't know who he is. So the Lord says to these fellows that say, Oh yeah, we believe you Lord. We believe you're sent from God.

We want to be loved. And the Lord says, Do you really believe? Because there's coming a time when you're going to deny Me and you're going to depart. You know, let's be honest, persecution and even martyrdom, try the reality of our commitment to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isn't that true? You know, many people can sit here today and say, Yes, Lord, we believe. But just like these disciples, just like Peter, when they come here, and they say, Listen, you're going to prison if you continue to worship God. You're going to prison if you continue to preach the gospel.

You're going to prison if you preach against homosexuality. You're going to prison if you do this, this, and this. Then we're going to find out who really believes.

Amen? You're going to find out then. Some people are going to, just like these disciples, they're going to go. You know why that is? Because their faith is not even non-existent, very shallow.

And when the sun arises and persecution comes because of the Word, they're offended and they go back. And it's going to happen. You know, that's one of the sad things about being in an easy, peaceful, prosperous country, is you never get really tested.

You never get tested. You know, if you live in a country where you're always persecuted and people are being jailed and martyred, you have to have the goods to get started. And if we were in a country where that was happening, if you're here and you know that if you come to church today and you stand for Jesus, they may come and haul you away to prison.

They may separate you from your family. You say, I'm coming anyway. Praise God for you.

But it's easy to come here when nothing's happened. It's easy to come here and say, I believe in Jesus. Yeah, it's me.

And these disciples had the same attitude until Judas brought a band of men to them, and all of a sudden, we're out of here. And they forsook Him. So I guess none of us really know the depth of where we're at, our faith, until we go through persecution.

That's why I want to encourage all of you to think about, if we're not willing to take persecution when it's light, how do we think we're going to face death and overcome it? If I'm too ashamed to stand up for Jesus now when I get someone to spit at me or curse me, how will I stand up for Jesus when they got a gun to my head? It's not going to get any easier. When Jesus said, if any man come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. He was saying, I'm heading for persecution and martyrdom.

You want to come this way, realize that's where we're heading. I know we live in America. People come to Jesus, they have no idea.

Come down an aisle, I just pray and ask Jesus to save me. No idea. What? Persecution? Martyrdom? I never even thought about it.

We live in America. It's easy. It's easy to be a Christian.

So, taking up a cross meant that your faith could be tried to the point of death. That's what the Lord told him right up front. You take up a cross.

Because of this faith, you may end up on a martyr's cross. And we're going to see the Lord do this as we go on further in John. But the Lord will go through great persecution and even death at the hands of an angry mob.

But his trust and faith in his Father will be sustained in it all. It will not fail. He does not turn back.

And that Garden of Gethsemane experience shows the struggle that he has in his heart. Father, if there's any possible way, remove this cup. It doesn't matter whatever it takes, I'm willing to go through it.

That's where we need to be. Follow me. So, I want to encourage you to learn today to suffer persecution, so that when you face something much more severe, you're already tested.

Try. These people are trying to avoid persecution. It's not going to be good.

Embrace it. Well, let's look at verse 33. Well, verse 32, Behold, the hour comes, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I love this thought. You know, Jesus says, everybody's going to forsake me, but my Father is with me.

Remember what Jesus said to his disciples? Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. You're going to be beaten. You're going to be martyred.

But lo, I am with you always. I am with you. Let's keep reading here.

These things, verse 33, have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

In the world, you're going to have tribulation. And that word means trouble. And that doesn't mean that, you know, I've got trouble, I can't pay my car payment, I've got trouble, my electric bill is due, I can't pay it, I missed a couple of days of work because I'm lazy, and I've got all these troubles.

No, it's talking about affliction, persecution. In the world you shall have troubles. This world is at enmity with God.

It's a foreign nation. It's at the very essence. It hates God.

Darkness hates the light. But in spite of the fact that you're going to have tribulation outwardly, that's the picture here, outside of your body is all this tribulation, but inside there's peace. Or there ought to be.

Do you know we can go through persecution, we can go through martyrdom, if these mobs are screaming and calling for our death, when inside we have peace. But I tell you what, if you don't have peace on the inside, it's hard to go through persecution and martyrdom. If you're not at peace with God on the inside.

So in the world you shall have tribulation, but in me you can have peace. One of the fruits of the Spirit is peace. So peace is on the inside, but tribulation on the outside.

This is our calling. Now here's an amazing statement, there's a whole sermon we could give here, but I'm just going to mention a few things. At the end of verse 33, But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

What's that mean? I have overcome. Hey, you be happy, because in spite of all this stuff that's going to happen, I have overcome the world. Maybe we can talk about more of that next time.

But Jesus is saying here that, what is the world? The world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that is in the world. And the Lord was tempted by the devil, He was tempted throughout His life to sin.

Yet He never sinned, He overcame the world. And He offered Himself up as the perfect spotless Lamb of God to deliver you and I from the punishment of our sins. But here's something that's beautiful, not only did He do that, He returned from heaven in the person of the Holy Ghost to give you the power and the grace to live above sin yourself and to face this tribulation and persecution that's coming your way.

And to give you a victorious life from the inside out. So He says, I've lived and I've overcome it. I mean, the devil threw everything he had at me, the world threw it all, the flesh, I've overcome it.

Now I'm the perfect sacrifice, I'm going to offer myself up as a spotless Lamb of God to pay for your sin. I'm going to go to heaven, put the blood on the altar, I'm going to come back and live in you to help you overcome. And this word overcome, John, and 1 John writes about it.

And I'm just going to ask you to turn there and then we'll close. 1 John, let's go back there and see what John writes here in the first epistle of John about overcoming. 1 John chapter 4 is the first, he mentions it in chapter 4 verse 4. Here's how we overcome.

1 John 4, for ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them. It's talking about false prophets and false teachers. You're of God, little children, have overcome them.

I like this. Notice it says, you have overcome them. Not let's hope you overcome them or in the future you'll overcome them, but you have overcome them.

Now there's some deep theological things here, but if I have the overcomer who's already overcome the world in me, doesn't that make me an overcomer? It does. Now I'm going to face a lot of challenges, but I'm going to say this, ultimately because the Holy Spirit is in me and I have faith in Jesus, I am going to ultimately overcome. That's why it says in Matthew, some of us have been studying prophecy, it says there in that day there'll be a strong delusion, but if it be possible, they should even deceive the very elect.

You know, it's not possible. You know why it isn't? Because he who is the overcomer is in you. Look over to chapter 5 verse 4, for whatsoever, here it is, for whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world.

You know how you overcome the world? Because you're born of God. You have the Holy Spirit. You know what? If you have the Holy Spirit, you're going to overcome.

You're going to make it. And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. As you look to Jesus, what did Jesus do? He looked to his Father, even in his most desperate time on the Garden of Gethsemane, he was praying to his Father, give me grace, Father.

And the Father brought him through it in the very same way as we look to Jesus and we have our faith in Him. His Spirit abides in us and we overcome the obstacles. Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcomes the world but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? You see how it works? I have faith that Jesus is who he is. Therefore, I've been given the Holy Spirit, the Overcomer. Because I have the Overcomer in me, I will overcome the world.

By the way, that's the only way you're going to do it, is by the power of his Spirit. So we can be and should be and will be an Overcomer. And I believe there's coming a day, Paul talks about it in 2 Thessalonians, there's going to be a great falling away.

And God is going to divide the people who have faith and those who don't. Those who are looking to Jesus and have the Holy Spirit, the Overcomer in them, and those who don't. And even now, as you preach the Word of God, there are some who say, yes, I believe, I want it, I'm hungering.

And then you have others who, I don't care, I'd rather be out in the world. Well, there's a great divide coming. And persecution and tribulation is going to bring it about in many ways.

So just look into your heart and see if the Overcomer is in there and make sure that you truly believe to the point of death, I'll die. Will you die? If you ought not to say like Peter did, I'll die. By the grace of God, I'll die.

For the Lord Jesus and for faith and trust in Him. So in the world, you're going to have tribulation out there. But inside, you ought to have peace.

You're going to have peace. You need to get some counsel or some direction. And maybe it's because you're living in sin.

Sin takes your peace away, doesn't it? So I tell some of these folks we meet with on Saturday, you know, November is going to be an interesting month, isn't it? Already our country is in divide and we may face some real challenges. So let's make sure that our hearts are prepared for any tribulation that may come our way that we have peace. We can't change the tribulation out there, but we can change what's in here.

We can get our heart in the right place. All right, let's have a word of prayer and then we'll close.