WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:06.240 So uh this is uh I kind of got a phone call uh earlier this week about uh doing this passage of scripture. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:14.160 We've been walking through first John for a while now, you know, and and Russ he he's been kind of working us through that thing, and we've had uh a couple different guys. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:25.359 Uh Scotty Smith came and and did some of 1 John and we kind of got started in there, and then Russ comes back and he kind of fills in, and then I get stuck with like Antichrist passages and all this weird stuff, and then now you're back with me. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:31.359 It's just been it's kind of been a jumbled mess a little bit, but but that's okay uh because we're still working through these passages, all right? 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:35.600 And then today, finally I get a break because Russ is like, look, all you gotta do is cover three verses. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:38.799 I'm like, yes, you know, like that's in my wheelhouse right there. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:39.600 I can handle that. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:48.159 So all we have to do is cover three little verses today, and unfortunately, there's some of the toughest three verses I've ever read in my life because you're gonna read it and go, what? 00:00:48.719 --> 00:00:50.560 Like, what are we supposed to do with this? 00:00:50.640 --> 00:01:00.880 And and it's because that it brings up some stuff about um confidence and the way that we ask for things and going before the Lord in prayer and all these things. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.959 And so, you know, have you ever like confidently known something? 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:12.239 I can I can just tell you right now, confidently asked for something from someone, you know, that you just knew it was just gonna be a sure thing. 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:18.879 We were um Manny and I were in Charleston one time for our anniversary, and I was kind of in uh Brad vacation mode. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:20.560 Any of y'all got a vacation mode? 00:01:20.719 --> 00:01:26.480 You know, it's not your regular you, it's the it's the other you, you know, where nothing matters. 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:29.840 Do whatever you want to, all this stuff, everything's cool, you know, you're on vacation. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:35.680 Well, we were in Charleston for our anniversary one time, and we're walking down that street with all the expensive shops on it, whatever it's called. 00:01:35.840 --> 00:01:37.120 Um, I can't remember. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:39.519 Anyways, a bunch of places I don't belong in. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:44.079 And so Mandy goes, Mandy for years has has hit me up for this one particular item. 00:01:44.319 --> 00:01:48.159 Years for this one particular bag, okay? 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:49.680 Some of y'all know what I'm talking about. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:50.719 This particular bag. 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:54.799 And so we're walking in Charleston and she goes, I want to go in this store right here. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.760 I look up and Louis Buiten. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:01:59.200 All right, let's go. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:01.040 You know, here we go. 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:06.640 And she's like, it's pronounced Louis Vuitton. 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:07.840 Genius. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:10.639 You know, it's like, all right, him too. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:11.199 Let's go. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:12.719 You know, here we go. 00:02:13.520 --> 00:02:18.479 And and you know, I'm kind of walking the door, like, alright, let's let's see what this thing's all about, you know. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:23.520 And so we walk in, and I mean, let me just tell you right off the bat, um, they ain't got nothing for this guy in there. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:24.800 I can promise you that. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.319 Ain't nobody wearing a 2X in that place, I can tell you. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:41.199 Um and uh and so we show up and we go in there, and you can kind of tell, I don't, I don't know, maybe we've maybe I had the look of you don't necessarily belong in here, sir. 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:44.719 Because it was pretty evident from the beginning that they thought that. 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:53.599 And so uh so we're standing there, and Mandy, you know, she's like, she's used to this because when she gets me in places, she knows she's got me then, you know. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:54.960 She just got to get you there first. 00:02:55.120 --> 00:02:58.800 So if we go in and we're looking around, and of course she's like, that one. 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:01.599 I was all right, let's see that one right there. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:04.560 And this lady puts on white gloves. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:12.560 And she goes and gets this bag down with her gloves and she brings it to this counter. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:23.039 And she sets it on the counter in front of us, and it's like, you know, like we're supposed to, you know, like bow down, worship. 00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:24.000 I don't know what we're doing. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:29.120 And so in situations like that, I'm not the most confident person, okay? 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:36.319 So sometimes I make awkward statements because I'm I'm in a situation that I don't feel very good about. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:04:00.400 And so there's this moment of silence, this awkward moment of silence where we're, I guess we're supposed to be beholding this bag, you know, in front of us, and and this lady's in her white gloves and she's waiting for me, and you know, I got a little awkward, and the first thing I can think is I look at this lady and just go, wouldn't you like to see the cows rear end that came off of? 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:18.639 Um, let me tell you what the number one thing not to say in the Louis Vuitton story is. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:20.160 That. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.199 So I've thoroughly disgusted this young woman by this point. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.040 And then I asked the second question that you don't ask, which is how much is it? 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.920 And that's because they just figure if you're coming in there to get one, you don't care how much it is, you're just gonna buy it. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:35.519 Well, I ain't never met this guy. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:36.879 Tell you that right now. 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:43.600 I mean, I didn't know if you were allowed to bargain, if this was kind of one of those deals or what, or price is set, you know, how's this work? 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:49.199 Um so I asked that question, and it was kind of like even more disgust and eye rolls and all that stuff. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:52.000 And and so they tell you the price. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:05:02.879 If you don't faint, um you you may be in an awkward situation where when you hear that number and and you know, I'm thinking, I gotta get out of here, you know, like fast. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:10.879 You hear that number, and then here's the final thing that you do not say inside the Louis Vuitton store, which is, well, if that one costs that much, where do you keep the fake ones at? 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:19.040 They do not take lightly to fake Louis Vuitton bags inside the Louis Vuitton store. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:22.319 Um, that'll get security caught on you if you're not careful, you know what I mean? 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:32.639 So we're standing there, but it's it's one of those things where Mandy's hit me up for this bag for years, and so she finally gets me to the store, and she thinks, you know, she's confident knowing this is happening. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:43.040 And I'm confident in my answer that I give her all the time when she asks for, which is that's a great thing for you to ask for for Christmas from the man that you marry when I'm dead. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:46.959 He'll be glad to buy that bag for you. 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:48.800 I'm positive of it. 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:59.920 But she was confident that if I could just get him there, if I could just get in there and behold this white glove bag that some lady pulls off of a rack and sets in front of us, we're gonna have it, but it's gonna be mine. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:03.199 Well, I ain't never met this guy. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:04.639 Tell you that right now. 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:11.360 But I think about that and I think about the confidence in which we walk into that place and you think, yeah, I'm getting it, and then all of a sudden the answer is, no. 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:13.839 We're not doing this today. 00:06:14.079 --> 00:06:30.800 And when I read this, these few little verses in 1 John right here that we read just a minute ago, these couple verses in 1 John, you kind of get this sense that there's there should be this confidence welling up, but then you you get into some of the details of this thing and you start to think, man, maybe I'm not as confident as I thought I was. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.480 And so look at look at verse 13. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:40.079 I think there's three things that John is really just trying to remind believers in this passage. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:42.959 What he's doing right here is he's ending this letter. 00:06:43.120 --> 00:06:43.439 Okay? 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:45.279 The letter's coming to an end. 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:59.279 He's done everything he could do up front to remind these people of the faith that they have in Christ, to tell them about, you know, warn them about some false teachers, do some things, you know, kind of housekeeping things at the end of the letter, and this is this is his last statement right here. 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:00.319 Look at verse 13. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:11.519 It says, These things I've written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:17.519 Now, this is this is not unusual because John ends the Gospel of John almost in the same way. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:32.639 In chapter 20 of John, down in like verse 30 something, somewhere down in there, 31, he ends the gospel of John in the same way, and he reminds people the reason I'm writing this gospel to you is so you can realize that that eternal life only comes through Jesus Christ. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:34.079 That's how he ends his gospel. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:38.800 Now we're in this letter to believers, and he writes and he says, These things I've written to you. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:40.720 And he's talking about this entire letter. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.839 He says, These things I've written to you, and then look at his next phrase. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:49.920 Who believe in the name of the Son of God, believers, right? 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.079 Not talking to anybody else, talking to believers. 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:53.360 Look at what he says. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:58.399 So that you may know that you have eternal life. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:03.360 And one of the key words right here in this little simple passage is the word no. 00:08:04.399 --> 00:08:05.680 To know something. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:06.240 Okay? 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:16.319 Because here in the next nine verses, he's gonna use that word no seven or eight times, I think, in the next nine verses. 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:26.160 What he's doing is he's hammering home to believers, knowing Christ, knowing the assurance that comes through eternal life in Christ Jesus. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.720 That's what he's laying out before believers. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:40.080 He wants them to understand that when you believe and when you have the assurance of all these things, and when we're in the will of God inside of what God's doing, you have this assurance of what? 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:42.080 Eternal life. 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:46.240 There's no way to get that assurance any other way. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:47.679 There's absolutely no way. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:54.159 So the first thing that John wants us to know is he wants us to know who we are and who God is. 00:08:54.799 --> 00:09:02.000 Because apart from God, there's absolutely no way for us to obtain the eternal life that he's talking about in this verse. 00:09:02.159 --> 00:09:08.399 There's no way for us to, use that word, know that we have eternal life. 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:15.840 That security and that assurance can only come from one place, and that's Jesus Christ. 00:09:16.159 --> 00:09:18.879 And his death, burial, resurrection. 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.240 There's no other way to obtain that assurance of eternal life. 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:23.360 It's impossible. 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:27.120 And that's that's not just because I'm telling you it's impossible, it's not because I'm making this up. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:28.960 I'm just going off of what God's word said. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:29.600 That's it. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:31.039 I'm just the messenger. 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:32.960 But that's how we know. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:39.919 We know by our relationship with Jesus Christ, by belief and faith in his death, burial, and resurrection. 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:44.559 That's how we know and have assurance in eternal life. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:48.960 John wants us to know who we are and who Christ is. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:56.720 Second thing I want you to see this morning is John wants us to know the difference between our will and God's will. 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.240 Look at verse 14. 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:03.519 It says, This is the confidence which we have before him. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:11.519 That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:19.440 Now, the real kind of sticky part in all this is the words his will. 00:10:19.679 --> 00:10:20.559 You see that? 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:22.240 His will. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.960 Have you ever tried to enact your will on a situation? 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:35.519 I'm asking because um I may or may not have done that a couple times. 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:45.279 Well, you try to enact your will, and and so the other day I went to Home Depot and I was getting mulch uh for to make our house look better. 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:50.399 And you know, this was back when we had the heat wave, you know, where it's like almost 100 degrees every day. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:58.080 And you know, Home Depot sticks these young kids out there at the mulch pile, and and they're like they just have to stand there and load your car up for you. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:03.360 And you know, it doesn't look like that great of a job, but I mean they're 15, 16 years old, you can handle it. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:04.559 You know, you'll be alright. 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.960 But now they give you like a tent. 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:16.159 Home Depot does, they supply you with a tent to have shade, and and they've even given them an air conditioner now, like a thing that like blows mist and cool air on them if they if they get too hot. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.159 So, you know, at this point the old man in me kicks in and I'm like, that's ridiculous. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:23.279 You know, what do I care? 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:25.360 You know, but it's like, now that's ridiculous. 00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:31.919 So I pull up into the end of line, you know, and you can just see these kids are just pouring sweat, and they're you know, please don't, man. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:32.799 Please don't tell that. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:34.720 So he's like, how many, sir? 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:36.639 You know, I'm like, 25. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:42.559 I said, I'll tell you what, I'll I'll help you load them, you know. 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:47.759 And I'm looking at these kids and I'm like, this is they're not gonna be any help, you know. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:52.159 So I'm I go over there and it's time for me to shine at this point. 00:11:52.320 --> 00:11:53.519 You know what I mean? 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:57.519 It's time for me to shine in front of these 15, 16-year-old kids at Home Depot. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:11:59.360 So I go over there and I go to the mulch pile. 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:03.600 It just so happens that everything was laid out just fine where I just I'm I'm going two at a time, man. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:06.960 You know, two at a time, on the shoulder in the truck. 00:12:07.120 --> 00:12:12.559 And these kids are over there, you know, trying to get one bag and they're throwing it and it's going all over the place. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.559 And two at a time, here I go, and I'm throwing in there. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.799 One of them finally just gives up and goes and sits down. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:18.240 He's back under the tent. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:20.399 I'm like, that's fine, junior, just take a break. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:21.279 I got it. 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:22.000 You know? 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:24.159 They're dropping like flies at this point. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:28.559 So I'm determined to show this other kid, and you know, oh, I got it, buddy. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:29.600 Oh, I got it. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.879 And I'm loading two at a time, and we're getting there, and all of a sudden, I you know, do the count, and I'm like, all right, one more. 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:40.639 And he kind of looks at me and I look at him, and it's that stare down of, do I get it or do you get it? 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:42.720 You know, and I'm like, I got it. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.039 So he goes back under the tent. 00:12:45.360 --> 00:12:46.799 And at this point, I've won. 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:47.919 You know what I mean? 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:53.600 Go around the side of the truck, and I'm making sure I got everything and all this stuff, and I guess some kind of manager or something would come out at this point. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:57.840 He's looking at these two guys in the tent, and he's like, How come you're not helping that guy load his mules? 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.720 And I'm like, you know, yeah, they got in trouble now. 00:13:00.960 --> 00:13:05.120 And this one kid goes, that old man's loading them two at a time. 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:07.759 And he goes, What old man? 00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:10.559 He goes, That old man, he points directly at me. 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.240 Man, I just put on a clinic for these guys, you know? 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:22.639 Like, I just two at a time mulch bag load, and you're gonna look at me and call me an old man? 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:24.480 Like, I mean, come on. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:26.879 I guess to a 16-year-old, I am an old man. 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:28.720 But you want to talk about your confidence, you know. 00:13:28.799 --> 00:13:39.759 You load them last two in there, you throw the last one in there, you beat these young kids, and it's like, hey, look at that buddy, and then the next thing you know, your confidence goes right out the window because they look at you and go, hey, that old man's pretty tough. 00:13:40.320 --> 00:13:42.480 I'm like, I'm not that old, man. 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.320 But to them I am. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:47.759 But your confidence all of a sudden gets dropped a little bit, doesn't it? 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:54.720 All of a sudden that confidence goes way down, and it's because you're trying to enact your will, you're not necessarily worried about how all this other stuff's going. 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.399 You've only got one thing on the brain. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:07.600 So when John writes this verse in verse 14 and he says, This is the confidence which we have before him, that if we ask anything, now it would be awesome. 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.879 It would be awesome if that verse just stopped right there. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:17.919 If we ask anything, and we cut out a couple phrases in there, and then we say, He hears us. 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:20.480 Just anything at all. 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:28.399 But the problem is that we slip these few little words in there that says, if we ask anything according to his will. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.200 That's the rough part. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:34.799 I'll tell you why. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:41.759 Because there's so many times where I'm almost a hundred percent certain that my will is better. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:43.840 Does that make sense? 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:51.200 I'm almost a hundred percent certain that if you would just let me have my way or give me what I asked for, it will be fine. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:52.720 Everything's good. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:57.279 But the problem that John's writing to believers right here, and he says, this is the confidence. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:05.039 Your confidence doesn't come from your will being done, you as the individual, you as the believer, doesn't come from your will being done. 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:12.080 It's coming because if you ask according to his will, he hears us. 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:15.440 So then the question becomes, well, how do we know we're inside the will of God? 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:16.879 What do we know what the will of God is? 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:19.360 Well, that's a tough one. 00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:22.159 That's hard. 00:15:22.399 --> 00:15:31.919 Because I'm gonna be real honest with you, I can stand up here all day long and we can we can get way down deep into this thing and really start to dig into that, but at the end of the day, there's times where I don't know what God's will is. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.240 I don't know what his will is, I don't know what he's trying to do. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.879 I don't understand why things have to be a certain way. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:40.159 I don't get it. 00:15:40.720 --> 00:15:42.639 I just know it's not the way I do it. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.840 And sure, I think my way's better, but then at the end of the day, guess what? 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.840 There's no confidence in my will. 00:15:48.080 --> 00:15:49.600 You know, do you do you understand why? 00:15:49.679 --> 00:15:58.559 It's because if we go back to that very first verse that we read, if you have confidence in Brad O'Kelly, that doesn't give you the gifts of God. 00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:02.080 That doesn't give you the eternal life that John writes about. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:11.519 The confidence comes from knowing that we have eternal life, not through our will, but through what Christ has done on the cross and his grace and mercy. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:16.639 That confidence is not something we can build up in ourselves. 00:16:16.799 --> 00:16:23.120 That confidence is not something that we could administer to others because we don't have the power to do that. 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:35.200 As great as your will, as great as you think it might be, the will of God is what brings confidence in us because of what he's done on the cross. 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:37.679 The Bible says he hears us. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:43.440 When we ask according to his will, he hears us. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:46.960 The third thing I want you to see today is this. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:55.279 John wants people to know, he wants believers to know that God hears and he answers. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.039 Look at verse 15. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:09.759 It says, and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we've asked of him. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:16.400 Now again, this this would be great if we could just pull it out of context, right, and use it. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:19.200 It actually happens a lot, believe it or not. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:24.319 We just pull it right out of context and we use it, and we go, well, all we gotta do is ask, and he gives us whatever we want. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:26.799 Well, that'd be an incredible God, wouldn't it? 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:28.640 That'd be one to serve right there. 00:17:29.039 --> 00:17:31.200 Hey, all I gotta do is ask and you give it to me. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:36.000 But I think you and I know that in our daily lives it doesn't exactly work that way, right? 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:38.640 Because here's the part that I do understand. 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:41.680 What I understand is that this room is full of people. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:47.519 It's full of people right now who are, maybe some of you are praying for something specifically. 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:53.519 Maybe there's something in your life that's going on, and you're praying for something, and you're asking of God something. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:57.920 Maybe on a daily basis, maybe on a weekly basis, maybe it's on a minute-by-minute basis. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:01.039 You're constantly asking God for something. 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:06.319 And you're begging Him for His will to be done, hopefully. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:11.279 You're asking these things and you're going, Where's my answer? 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:14.240 I've been there. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:15.200 I understand that. 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:16.079 I get that. 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:17.839 You're sitting there going, where's my answer? 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:22.720 But in verse 15 he says, and if we know that he hears us, in whatever we ask. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.200 And that's the beauty of it, in whatever we ask. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:34.000 The problem is that we can't detach this from the verse before it because what we ask has to be asked in his will. 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:36.400 Why? 00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:42.000 Because just like the verse before that, verse 13, that's where the confidence is. 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:44.720 And knowing that he hears us and answers us. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:59.359 Your confidence can't come from any other source, and knowing that God hears you, knowing that God understands you, and knowing that he is listening, and knowing that he does have an answer. 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:04.640 That confidence only comes from knowing Christ. 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.839 I can't manufacture it from anywhere else. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:13.920 The other day we were in the car, we had a bunch of stuff to do. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.359 Three kids in the car, you know the drill. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:23.680 I got I got one kid that hates the car, just screams all the time. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:31.599 I got the other two that are like, oh, we want to watch movies, you know, and then the old man comes out and me, we didn't have movies in this car, you know, when we went places. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:49.920 The other two are like, oh somebody's kicking, somebody's hitting, it's loud, everybody's screaming, all this stuff's going on, and you know, I'm pulling the steering wheel off of the thing, and you know, and Mandy's over there scrolling on the phone, you know. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:04.720 Threw that jab in there, and y'all text me later, make sure I'm okay. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:12.319 Um blood pressure's going up, you know. 00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:13.519 You can feel it, you know? 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:20.079 You can just feel it, and you're just sitting there going, whoa, you know, you know, I'm just trying to get for five minutes down the road, man. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:21.759 We're not even going on a road trip. 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:24.799 This is just to get in a Kroger, you know? 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:27.119 Like, what is happening here? 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:28.720 It's just chaos. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:34.160 And I'm just sitting there in that moment, just gripping that steering wheel, and I'm like, why can't this just be easy? 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:44.079 And then it wasn't that long after that though that I really like started to think and I I started to remember. 00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:57.920 I remember the time where Mandy and I didn't understand. 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:19.279 I remember the time where it wasn't even the papers for the house that we live in, two bedrooms and one bath. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:23.599 And we bought it under the understanding we're just gonna be through this for the rest of our life. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:25.519 And that was God's will. 00:21:27.039 --> 00:21:29.119 Because we had prayed for so long. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:30.799 So hard. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.640 So many tears. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:38.000 So little understanding of what was wrong and why it wouldn't happen for us. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:44.319 We prayed and prayed and prayed, and then we don't felt the thing when it came back, and this is what it felt like. 00:21:47.599 --> 00:21:49.680 It never would happen. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:53.359 We would sat down one day. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:02.799 And we moved on with our lives. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:11.920 And four years later, there were three kids living in a two-bedroom, one bathhouse. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:17.519 And I was gripping the steering wheel ready to rip it out of the car. 00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:20.720 Because my blood pressure was so high. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:26.319 And I just remember thinking in that moment. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:40.640 I'll take that screaming and fighting and hitting and carrying on all day, every day. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:48.240 Because it happened exactly the way that God's will allowed it to happen. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.519 And he never let her or I get in the way of that. 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:57.519 The tears, the prayers, all of the things. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:22:59.839 It wasn't the answer that we wanted. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:02.720 It wasn't what we wanted God to say to us. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:06.960 It wasn't what we wanted him to give right in that moment. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:10.960 He didn't do what we wanted him to do. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:19.279 And he didn't because he knew there would be no confidence on our part because that would be our will and not his. 00:23:19.680 --> 00:23:22.880 And four years later, he finally said, I heard you. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:25.680 All those years ago, I heard you. 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:30.720 And I understood you and I knew exactly what I was doing. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:35.119 Now enjoy the screaming. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:43.200 I could have never imagined. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:57.519 So when I read verse 15 and it says, if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked of him. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:08.240 Folks, verse 15 doesn't say a blessed word about you getting what you want when you want it. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:18.480 It says that because of the confidence that we have in what Christ has done on the cross for us, he hears us. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:28.079 Because of the faith that we have in the Savior of Jesus Christ, he hears us and he answers us. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:32.799 But it still doesn't say a word about you getting what you want. 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:39.680 It just says that you can have confidence in asking. 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:49.759 And there's people sitting in this room today, you've been asking and asking and asking. 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:53.279 And can I tell you something? 00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:55.680 This is the best part. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:04.000 He's been hearing and hearing and hearing every single request. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:10.640 Don't you dare leave here today and think that your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.920 I promise you they're not. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:17.200 And that's coming from a guy that thought that from a for a long, long time. 00:25:19.680 --> 00:25:26.640 Brothers and sisters, we have confidence in what Christ has done on the cross. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:35.839 And that confidence supplies us not only with eternal life, but confidence to go before him and ask. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:44.880 And when we do that, we ask for his will to be done, not ours. 00:25:45.440 --> 00:25:47.039 Let's pray together. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:57.839 Lord, I uh I don't know. 00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:06.400 I I thank you for letting us open your word and try to understand you today. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:10.319 I thank you that we have confidence in what you've done on the cross for us. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:11.680 I thank you that you hear us. 00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:16.880 I thank you that you answer us, whether it be in your time or our time, whatever it may be, I thank you for that. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:24.160 So, Lord, above all things today, let your will be done. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:32.240 Let us ask for your will to be done in every single situation. 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:35.440 We love you and ask all this in Jesus' name. 00:26:35.759 --> 00:26:36.400 Amen.