John 14:1-14, 15:9-17 
January 14, 2018
preached by Doug Cooper
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Time of Reflection Quotations

“A humble person is more likely to be self-confident… a person with real humility knows how much they are loved.”

~ Cornelius Plantinga (1946-present), contemporary author, former professor and president of Calvin Theological Seminary

“Prayer – Christian prayer – by its very nature, is born out of an acknowledgment of need, out of an honest recognition of spiritual poverty.”

~ Paul Brendan Murray (1947-present), Irish Dominican priest, poet, writer, and professor.

“It is a most delightful reflection that if I come to the throne of God in prayer, I may feel a thousand defects, but yet there is hope…”

“If in prayer I come before a throne of grace, the faults of my prayer will be overlooked.”

~ Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), English pastor known by many as the Prince of Preachers

“Underline this thought: assurance, peace, access to God, knowledge that He is our Father, and strength to overcome temptation all depend on this-the Son of God took our flesh and bore our sins in such a way that further sacrifice for sin is both unnecessary and unintelligible. Christ died our death, and now in His resurrection He continues to wear our nature forever, and in it He lives for us before the face of God. He could not do more for us than He has done; we need no other resources to enable us to walk through this world into the next.  You and I need a Savior who is near us, is one with us, understands us. All of this the Lord Jesus is…”

~ Sinclair Ferguson (1948-present), Scottish minister, author, theologian and professor

“The story of Christian reformation, revival, and renaissance underscores that the darkest hour is often just before the dawn, so we should always be people of hope and prayer, not gloom and defeatism. God the Holy Spirit can turn the situation around in five minutes.”

~ Os Guinness (1941-present), author and social critic

The right way to pray is to stretch out our hands and ask of One who we know has the heart of a Father.

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), German pastor, author and theologian

Sermon Passage

John 14:1-14, 15:9-17 (NASB)

John 14

¹ “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. ³ If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. ⁴ And you know the way where I am going.” ⁵ Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do 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 but through Me.

⁷ If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you 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 so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who 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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. ¹¹ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. ¹² Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

John 15

⁹ Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

¹² “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. ¹⁷ This I command you, that you love one another.”