Prayer, Power, and the Promises of Christ

this week's reading. Did you just love this week's reading? I I don't know that the last week or two, I feel like I've loved it more than ever. I probably say that a lot because I get so into it when I'm reading it. But the reason why I got so excited was especially at the end of John, like John's chapter of chapters 14-1 17.

It was kind of Jesus's last time with his disciples and he says so many profound things and it got me so excited because as much as I love the church as it is right now, I I feel more peace about our church than I've ever have, you know, about any church.

I mean, I love what's going on here, but as much as I love it, I'm reading John 14-17 and I get more excited because I go, "Wow, we're barely scratching the surface of what could be happening amidst us." Okay? Like, I started reading going, "Wow, God, really? Could that happen?"

Okay. Yeah, let's go after it. And I I just thought, "Okay, man. I hope we're all on board when we read these passages and go, wait, there's more. There's more of God to be experienced during this time on earth and we got to go after it because this is God's desire.

He always ever since Abraham, ever since, you know, Abraham, the Old Testament, he's always wanted a group of people that was totally different from the rest of the world, right? That's what he wanted of Israel. I want you guys so different because he says, I'm going to be with you.

I'm not going to be with everyone. I'm going to be with you. And so, you guys have got to stand out. amidst the rest of the world where they go, "Man, look at Israel's God. Look at what he does." And isn't that what you see throughout the whole Old Testament?

It keeps saying, "And and Joseph prospered." Why? Because God was with him. And and God was going to be with this group of people. That's why God would get so mad at Israel when they started blending with the rest of the world going, "Man, what are you doing?

I asked you guys to be holy, set apart like I am holy and you're acting like everyone else. Why do I have this people group? Why did I set you apart? Because I want to show off my power through you. Look what happens when people follow me. I'm going to blow their minds.

And the same thing is true in the New Testament. In the New Testament, his desire was the church would be a light in the darkness. And that's why he says you want to practice true religion. He goes, "Care for the widows and the orphans in their distress and keep yourself unstained by the world.

Don't think like the world." Okay? Yeah, I know what's popular. We see what's on every show and everyone say, he goes, "But you know what? That's not what I asked you to be. I want this one group of people where they go, they are so different." And I feel like that's what we have here. you know, I I feel like that's that's what God's created here.

And I thank him all the time for what he's done because you just look at this group of people here. Um it it just it cracks me up. I go, God, we are so so different and yet we're crazy about each other. Right? You got guys that just came out of prison and we're hearing from a guy who came out of the White House and and you're like, "What?" you know, and you're co-pasturing.

You It's just it's just this is this is what God wanted where we just put aside. I don't care where I came from. All I know is, man, Jesus saved me from that and here I am today and I'm just going to worship him and he wants me to love you, you know, like you're my family, man.

Here, what what do you need? You know, we get together and we care for one another and say, "God, we're we want to be set apart." But there were a few things that jumped out at me where I go, God, you you want even more. Um, and I want to chase that, you know.

I go, God, I want everything you have to offer us. Okay? Some of you, you know, are so thrilled with with where you're at right now, but I go, God, I when I read the scriptures, it seems like there's more, like a lot more. It's almost like you've got this little checking account with 50 bucks in it, and someone tells you, "Actually, you inherited 5 million from one of your, you know, greatgrandfathers."

Like, are you serious? How do I get to it? Um, that's that's the way I feel about the scriptures when I read this. I'm like, wait, there's a lot more available to me and I I want to get in. I want to unlock that. Where's that vault? Where's that five mil?

Like, where has that been sitting? And and I believe it's possible. That's what I read because you look at John chapter 14. Um, like in 14, I believe there's a lot more to experience through prayer. I mean, isn't that what you read when you read the scriptures? I mean, listen to what Jesus says in John 14:12.

He says, "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'm 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. Okay, don't you read that and go, okay, there's a lot more. I mean, you got to remember these are the words of God. This came straight from the lips of Jesus. So, forget what I say. Forget what anyone else says.

Because you know how we live in a time right now where you can't tell who's telling the truth, right? I mean, who's telling the truth, Trump or Clinton? or neither. You know, it's like what? Who am I supposed to believe? And and then you hear preachers and different things.

Then you find out what's really going on in their lives. And then this this this, you know, and you're like, I don't know what the Well, that's why I'm saying get along with this book. You don't need me there. I might screw it up. Just read it for yourself.

What does Jesus say? This is where truth is, man. and and all I try to do is just read it to you and go, man, let's just tremble at that and say, God said that. In fact, last night after I got done speaking, no, it was the night before, Friday night, I was speaking another thing for for human trafficking and a friend of mine was there and and an old friend, well, she's not a friend anymore, but uh I get a text from her saying, you know, I love you like a brother, but your theology is borderline crap.

Like, thank you. you know, you are more like it's just one of those things where I'm going, man, it's not even theology. It's not see because we live in a time when everyone believes they're so brilliant and their hearts are so good and they come up with such profound thoughts and so and I'm going, "No, there's nothing profound in here."

God says his thoughts as far as the heavens are above the earth, that's how far his thoughts are above mine. Okay? that like his thoughts are way up there. Anything that I conjure up in my brilliance or my beautiful heart, it's crap. Okay? I can't come up with anything good compared to God, you know?

And so when you read God's word, this is the theology we come under. This is the truth we come under. When Jesus truly truly the son of God says truly truly, then you go, "Okay, I can believe that." Okay? I could look at you and I go, "I promise you."

And I might be lying. I'm capable of lying. You're capable of lying to me. Jesus is not capable of lying. And he says, "Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. This is Jesus that that that was healing people left and right.

We were reading about that this morning in Luke." Right? Then he says, "Whoever," this is Jesus saying, "whoever believe, whoever, that includes those of us now, whoever believes in me, he will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do." It is out of his lips.

And I don't care what your Sunday school teacher told you. He's probably a hypocrite. Matt was. You know, I I don't know. Uh, no. I I don't care what your parents told you. I don't care what I've told you. I don't care what any pastor has told you.

Jesus said this. It's got to mean something. And I I read that I go, "God, I want this, man. I've seen you do great things in my life, but you're telling me that I could do the things that you did. I'm not there. Is it my lack of faith?

God, I must not believe in you like I think I do. Give me more faith cuz this I want this to be true in my life. Don't you read that and go, God, I know there's got to be I mean, I've always taken the Bible literally. I've always just said, well, that's what he said.

I mean, I I remember, you know, as a kid, you know, just reading about how your faith can move mountains and and I remember going in my room and just trying to move stuff, you know, like like I'm going to move this napkin. Come on. Shoot. You know, it's just ah I just want it, you know, and and later on you start realizing like what he's saying is whatever you ask in my name that will I do. and you begin to understand like like okay God is this in your name I mean one is it in the name of Jesus because if I say okay in the name of Buddha do this it's not going to happen look I'm not against people praying to other gods I'm just telling you it's not going to work okay I I'll say that boldly right now you can pray whoever you want I'm not judging you I'm saying it's a waste of time that that's what like Elijah on Mount Carmel He He was like, "Go ahead, pray to Baal."

And they prayed all day long. They were cutting themselves. He goes, "Go ahead, keep cutting yourselves. I'm not judging you, but no one's listening to you." Okay, now watch what happens when I pray. He gets on his knees, says, "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." And then fire comes down from heaven.

That's the way it's supposed to be for us. This is what distinguishes us. It's not that we can outdebate any other believers of other religions. It's not that we're more intellectual than the scientists out in the world. It's the fact that I get on my face and I talk to him and he actually listens to me.

There's there's there's millions of people who pray, but God says I don't listen to them all because I don't know them all. I listen because you call out in my name, in the name of Jesus. and and also this this idea of asking in his name. His name was the encapsulation of everything that he was.

This is what I stand for. So I can't say, "Oh, in Jesus' name, you know, help me as I pursue an adulterous relationship or help me rob this bank or help me kill this guy." You know, I'm not asking that in his name for his cause. In fact, James says, "When you ask for stuff for your own selfishness, you're not going to get it.

He goes, "We're we're asking things in Jesus' name because I go, God, for your glory, Lord, I want to see this church so set apart because that's what you want according to scripture. I'm asking this in your name. You want a church here on earth, here in San Francisco, that is radically different from everyone else, where everyone else can be praying and believing and coming up with the ideas from their heart."

But then here's this one weird group of people who are saying, "You know what? I actually don't think my thoughts are that profound. I actually don't think my ways are really that high. I actually think I'm just going to obey this book even when I completely disagree with it.

When it goes against my logic because I think your thoughts are that much higher than mine. So when something in here doesn't make sense, I'm going to go with it." And God says, "When there's a group like that that takes my my my word literally and they start praying in my name, he goes, I'll do whatever they ask."

I I was telling guys back from where I came from, I go, "Man, when I left Southern California, I had no idea what I was heading into." I said, 'I had this picture of church in my mind where it wasn't about a preacher, but it was everyone loving God individually and everyone loving each other.

I said, but I didn't really know what I was after. I just prayed for it. And I'm telling people back, you know, from where I came from, I'm like, man, now it's beyond what I imagined. Like, I've got these people from all different walks of life and they seriously care about each other, love each other.

Hey, this group of guys that that pastor all these churches and every time I get together with them, I just think, man, this is this is like an army. And I love these guys. And God's doing something. He's answering that prayer. Amen. It's like whatever I ask in his name, he's going to do it.

And so my prayer this week has been God, take us to that next level. Okay. I want I want to experience more of this where Jesus, you abide in me and you will bear much fruit. I think there's more prayers to be answered. I think there's more fruit to be seen.

And I think there's more power of the Holy Spirit that God wants us to experience as a body if we believe in it. Right? I mean, Jesus says, "As much as we love each other and his prayer in John 17, he goes, I pray that they'd be perfectly one so that the world would believe that you sent me."

And so as much as we are becoming more and more unified, I go there's even more where we become perfectly one and then so much fruit is going to come from us. But we got to keep believing, believing in our prayers, taking the word of God over everything else, all the other noise we hear out there.

And so I'm excited to just pursue that with you. Um, so grateful to be a part of this and so grateful to God that he brought us this far and I hope you're with me in uh seeing the scriptures and going, "Yeah, it's awesome, but I think there's a lot more."

And let's go after it together. Don't let Satan get in here and try to divide us up and get us bickering over stupid things. Okay? I'll say things that offend you. You'll say things that offend me. Let's get let's get beyond that. Okay, that's his plan. That's Satan's plan to try to divide us up and get irritated with one another.

That's why the Bible says bear with one another, put up with one another. And that as we've been able to do it, that's the beauty of the church. We come from such different worlds. We're all used to things being a certain way and we're coming here and it's tough, man. there's a lot of this going on.

And it's like, no, but we find we go, "No, we're going to work this out because it's what God wants." And as we pursue this, I really believe there's a new season we're heading into of more power, more amazing power, more amazing love, more answers to prayer. And I love the verse that that Matt left off with that you know what?

Don't let the wise man boast in his wisdom. You don't want the strong man boasting in how strong he is. Don't don't boast in anything. If anyone needs to boast, boast in this that he knows me and he knows me. He understands me. And that's a what else is there to brag about that if you went before the creator and said, "Hey, do you know Francis Chan?"

You go, "Hey, I know Francis. That's all I want to brag about. He knows me. He answers my prayer. I'll just say it. I mean, back in February, back in February, this is crazy. Um, might as well make an announcement right now. Um, but I prayed to God because, uh, I don't want to embarrass anyone, but it's not beyond me to do that. uh back in February uh a lot of you guys know Justin, right?

And been hanging out with Justin, you know, going on little trips here and there and just I really like the guy. I'm going, dang, what an amazing lady. What an amazing guy. And so in February, I was like I just prayed because I thought, you know what, God, you say we don't have because we don't ask.

I go, I really like this guy. Uh can you put him in my family? Can you have him fall in love with Rachel? I mean, I prayed this. I was like, they don't really know each other, whatever, but God, if you want to make my life and this is in your name because I they'd be do amazing things for your kingdom.

Like, just can you fall in love? I mean, I asked for everything else. I thought, this is weird. Can you do this? But then I look at scripture and it's like, no, this is all through the scriptures. Like, Abraham knew, you know, Isaac knew, Jacob knew, and it's like, okay, you know what?

Let's do it again. Lord, I believe. Can you make this happen? And uh they're engaged now. Awesome. Getting married in December. That's awesome. So cool. Why? Cuz you ask. Sorry if that embarrasses you, son. Um it's just But it's it's like whatever. Whatever. This is the God we serve.

Where you just go, Lord, I know you. This is insane. This has been the story of my life. Those who know me know I'm not brilliant. I'm not, you know, great at anything, but I know him. And when I ask him, he does things and it's crazy. It's insane.

And that's the only thing I can brag about. That's the only thing worth bragging about. And so if you are sitting there going, "Man, I know a lot of facts about God, but I don't know if I know him." Man, that's what this is all about. Talk to someone.

Talk to your pastor. Talk to these guys that are serving you, opening up their homes to you. Why? All because they want you to know him. And as we all know him and seek him daily and pray with faith, man, I think there's a there's a new season for us as a church.

As great as this is, I'm reading the word of God coming under it and going, God, you are telling me there is a lot more. I don't know how you read John 14 to 17 and go, I think I've experienced it all. You know, no, you read it and go, "Okay, God, there's more."

And I have faith that it can happen and it can happen with us if we believe and we stick together and we move forward in his word. All right, let me pray for us. Oh, Father, thank you so much for everything you do. Thank you for listening to my voice.

There is nothing good in me. There's nothing worth bragging about except that I know you and I only know you because of what you did to make it all possible when you sent your son to pay for all the garbage in my life. And so, Lord, we worship you.

We love you. And I pray for anyone here who doesn't know you and they only know about you, God, that you would change that. And God, I pray that you make our church one where we really are a light in darkness, where there's a power about us. The way you answer our prayers like no one else, all for your glory, just so we can brag about knowing you.

Forgive us, God, when we get arrogant and we boast in our success or whatever else and all the idols in our lives like Matt was talking about. God, we want to be boasting in you and you alone. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.