In Jesus’ Name
Key Passage: John 16:23-24
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bible to John 16. We’re going to try to get going pretty quick here tonight. John 16. How many of you say, I like my prayers answered more? Would you like that? If you like your prayers answered more, would you slip your hand up there? Yeah, I like my prayers answered more for sure. This is a great truth from God’s word tonight about getting your prayers answered.
We’re doing just a series on Sunday night about why our prayers are not answered. I talked about sin the first week, just plain old sin. And then last week, you have not because you ask not. And tonight we’re going to talk about this thing: praying in Jesus’ name.
Sometimes we end our prayer in Jesus’ name, amen, but we’re just doing it out of habit. I’ll be honest with you, I’m such in the habit of saying that, that I just don’t feel right if I don’t say it. But can I say this? If I’m just saying it out of habit and I don’t mean it, it’s no good. It doesn’t do a bit of good. It’s kind of like that little cul-de-sac on the end of a pig doesn’t mean a thing in the world. It doesn’t give you any more ham, you know what I’m saying?
If that’s all I’m doing at the tail end, saying, “In Jesus’ name,” and I don’t mean anything by it, it’s no good. It’s just… I heard about one of our people who was out of town and they went to church and they had the Lord’s Supper. I think they had to take the Lord’s Supper every other Sunday or something like that. And they said, “Pastor, everybody took it. It didn’t mean anything to them. It was just a ritual. They didn’t know what in the world was going on, what it’s all about.”
If we just at the tail end of our prayers say, “In Jesus’ name,” amen, and we don’t mean that, it’s no good. Kind of like the little tail on the pig—no more ham.
So let’s real quickly try to get this great truth. And I feel like I’m just tapping into it in my life, and not there all the way for sure, you know. But praying in the name of Jesus. Look at this thing real quickly here. John 16. We’re going to start in verse number 23. Would you stand, please, John 16:23, if you’re able to?
Wouldn’t it be great if—I mean, just think about it—if Maddie or Alexis Orms—I think Alexis Orms—she goes to get a job and she prays, “Lord, give me a job making $50 an hour,” and she got her prayers answered. Wouldn’t that be good? That’d be real good. I’d have to learn lessons from her about prayer, you know, I’ll tell you for sure. But get your prayers answered.
Let’s look at this thing here. Jesus is talking to them about leaving. He’s going to have to die and go to heaven and ascend and whatnot. He’s talking to them about that. We’re going to pick it up in verse number 23, John 16:23: “And in that day, ye shall ask me nothing.”
Now, what he’s saying is, “I’m going to be gone.” Right now, I’ve been with you, fellas, for three, three and a half years. You need something, you just come to me and ask. I mean, Jesus, we’ve got 5,000 men plus women and children. We need some food. I take care of things. They said, “Pretty soon I’m going to be gone.” That’s what you’re saying. You won’t be able to do that, right?
“And in that day, ye shall ask me nothing.” Here it is: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.” Wow. Pretty awesome, pretty powerful right there. Verse number 24: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Let’s go, Lord, in order of prayer. Father, give me wisdom. Lord, I don’t want to be too long. Sometimes I feel like I could just be too long. Lord, help me with that, guide me in that. Lord, please, would you get the truth across? Father, help us to pray sincerely and in faith, because we’re asking in your Son’s name. And Lord, even these things, I ask these things in Jesus’ name because of Jesus. And so we’ll thank you in advance for it, Father. And Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Thank you for standing. You may be seated.
I’d go to college. It was in northwest Indiana. We lived in Florida. I’d go to college, I’d suffer through the winters, amen. Then I’d go back home to Florida. And bless you, whoever that was that sneezed over here, Brother Ricky. Anyway, I’d go to Florida and I’d try to work all summer long, and I’d try to save some money up so I could go back to college.
I was young, so I didn’t always do the best, but I’d go back with some money when I went to college. One year I went back—I can’t remember how much money it was. I don’t know, I would think $1,200, $1,400, something like that. And back in that day and time—I mean, that’s back in 1935, you know—well, not quite that far. But anyways, back of the day, there’s a lot of money for me as a 19 or 20-year-old young man. A lot of money.
So I had a bank down in Florida, and I wanted to take all that money and put it in a bank in Indiana. So I closed my bank account out in Florida. I got the money, $1,200, $1,400, something like that. And I got it in a cashier’s check, right? How many know what a cashier’s check is? It’s kind of like a bank check, right? They don’t use these things as much anymore with all the technology.
So I got this cashier’s check, $1,400, whatever it was. And I went to Indiana, and I opened a bank account up there, the bank near the college there. And they said, “Now, what are you going to deposit?” And I gave him that check for $1,400, $1,400. And sure enough, I put my money in the bank and I opened an account up. They gave me some checks—you know, they kind of just give you generic checks until your checks come in. I got all that.
And then I went to college. Of course, college—it’s a shame—they make you work at college, but then they charge you money for it. Just not fair, you know. So they wanted some money. So I wrote them a check, and I signed my check. I turned it in. I can’t remember where else—I think I’d written two or three checks. Then all of a sudden I got these notices in the mail. And, of course, I lived at the college, and so the college right there, they let me know that that check I wrote had what they call bounced. In other words, that check was no good. I mean, it’s kind of like you drop a basketball, just bouncing, and it didn’t… And I thought, “I’ve got… I’ve got $1,400 at the bank. I had enough money to cover all those checks. What in the world is going on? Who stole my money, you know?”
And so, sure enough, and the problem is when your checks bounce, they charge you—like back in that day and time, I don’t know, it was $20 or whatever—for every check. And then sometimes it goes again, you get charged again. Anybody know what I’m talking about? Be honest. We’ve all been there before, you know.
So I thought, “Dirty big rats,” I’m thinking somebody stole my money, you know, what’s going on? So I went to the bank and I said, “Hey, you know, I wrote these checks and I’m getting these letters and these notices in, and I put my money in this bank here.” And they looked at me and said, “Sir, you don’t have any money here.” I said, “Let me get a hold of you right now, buddy. Come on now. Where’s my pea shooter at? Barney Fife, I’m putting my bullet in there, you know.”
They said, well… I said, “I got a deposit.” Praise the Lord for deposit slips! Somebody say, “Amen.” Amen. Even as a 20-year-old, I said, “Man, I better not lose that thing right there. That’s important.” I got a deposit slip right here from your bank, and it says I’ve got such and such an amount of money. He said, “Well, let’s check this thing out.” And they came back in a few minutes, and they had the cashier’s check from the bank in Florida.
And they said, “Sir, this check that you deposited in here, it’s no good. This is a bank check.” I said, “Well, you took it and said it was good earlier. You didn’t say anything about it then. And I got the deposit slip to prove it.” We just had a hoe down that day, you know.
And then they said, “Sir, here’s the problem. In Florida, when you got this check, that teller that printed out the check forgot to sign it. And there needs to be a signature from that bank in order for this check to be good.”
I said, “Well, you didn’t say anything about it when I deposited this yet. Kind of late in the ballgame to say anything right now.” By the way, praise the Lord, the banks worked it out. They even paid for my $20 fees and all that good stuff. Wrote me letters saying it wasn’t my fault and all that good stuff. Amen. Amen. That’s a good thing.
Now, that’s exactly what it means when you’re praying in Jesus’ name. You’re taking a check to heaven. You’re saying, “Father, hey, this check is good because I have your Son’s name on it right there.”
Now, if I’m not truly in my heart and my mind praying in the name of Jesus—not because of me, but because of Jesus—I have no good rights in prayer. That’s what the Bible means when he says, hey, he said right there, he said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name.” You see, when it had that bank name printed on the check and then it had that signature from that bank in Florida, it meant that all the funds of that bank in Florida backed up that check. Okay?
And when I go to the Father, truly sincerely, in Jesus’ name, it’s saying, “Hey, Father, I’m coming to you based on what Jesus has.” Remember what Jesus said when he sent it up to the Father? He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” That’s a pretty good endorsement. A whole lot better than old Paul Chisgar’s endorsement.
It means when I’m sincerely asking, not in my merit, but in Jesus’ merit, then it means I’ve got Jesus’ endorsement—His resources to back that check up.
A couple other things about that. That means I can pray in faith. Last night at prayer meeting—that means prayer meeting—somebody shared this. Look over Matthew 21. Look over there. And Matthew 21, and let me look it up too, Matthew 21:21. This amazing verse. Jesus had just cursed the fig tree, and it withered. I mean, boom, it withered up. And they walked by there again. The apostles were like, “Man, wow, there’s power.” This is what Jesus said about it. Matthew 21, verse number 21. If you are there, would you say, “Amen”?
Matthew 21:21: “Jesus answered and said to them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but shall also say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, be thou cast into the sea; and it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
Well, if I’m going to God the Father through my merit, it’s hard for me to have faith. I know Paul Chisgar. He’s got problems. Don’t say amen too much right there, but he does. And by the way, I know him probably better than anybody here knows him—my wife pretty close. And I know his flaws, and I know his weakness, and I know his sinfulness. I know his selfishness. I know all that, and God knows all that. And so it’s hard for me to go to God in faith in my prayers if I’m going to God based on Paul. Pretty hard for me to have a whole lot of faith and doubt not when I’m going to him based on Paul, because Paul’s got problems, you know what I mean?
But if I go to the Father, not on Paul’s ability to pray, or Paul’s merit, or how good Paul is, because my goodness is flawed—but if I go to the Father based on Jesus—now I can have faith in that. And that’s what Jesus means over there in John 14. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.” He’s there interceding for you. And I can go to the Father, say, “Hey, I’m coming to you in faith.”
Remember that over there in Hebrews? Talk about our Jesus is our High Priest? No, wait a minute, Hebrews 4. Jesus is our High Priest. Then the next verse, he says, “Let us therefore”—what’s the therefore? Because Jesus is our High Priest—“let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.” Now, how can I come boldly? Because of my goodness? No, because of Jesus. When I learn to pray based on Jesus’ merit, I can pray in faith. I don’t have to doubt. If I put me in there, there’s going to be doubt in it. Same thing with salvation. Somebody puts their works in there, they never know if they’re saved or not; always doubt. But when I put my salvation based on Jesus, I know I’m going to heaven. See, same thing in your prayer life. Now, I’ve got sin, I won’t have a hearing. We get to sin out through Jesus, and then I go to the Father on Jesus’ name and merit. Faith.
He heard a story about the little boy. He wanted to see the king. And he kind of poorly traveled over, just a little boy, and he went over and he went over and he said, “I’m going to see the king.” And every time he’d go to one of those gates, there was always that big old guard and pushed him away. “Man, I’m going to go to this gate here.” Go over there, big old guard pushed him away. And the little boy, man, he wanted to see the king.
And the little boy, he got up early, went to see the king. He started crying. About that time, he saw a big entourage of people coming up—guards and people all over. And he thought, “Wow.” And all of a sudden this fellow stepped out. And when he stepped out, there was guards, you know, bodyguards all around this man. He thought, “I wonder who that is.” And that man looked over and saw that little boy crying. And he went over there. He said, “What’s wrong with you, boy?”
The little boy said, the little boy said, “I want to see the king.” He said, “Just… I just want to see the king.” And he said, “Mister, every time I go to the gate, they always push me away.” He said, “Son, tell you what. He said, you grab a hold of my jacket right there. And he said, I’m going to go in there and see the king. He said, maybe we’ll get you in. You hold onto my coat tail.” He said, “Mister, you think you can go in there and see the king?” He said, “Mister, how can you get in there and see the king?” He said, “Well, son, I’m the Prince of Wales. The king’s my daddy.”
Sure enough, that little boy held on his coat, man, they walked right ahead to see the king. And when you go to the King of Kings and you say, “Hey, I’m going to enter in because I’m holding on to Jesus,” God the Father says, “Come on in.” That’s praying in the name of Jesus—because of Jesus’ merit, because of Jesus’ righteousness, because of Jesus’ power. I’m praying in faith like that.
A couple of things that are going to be done asking in Jesus’ name: You can do that because you’re asking according to His will. See, that’s the way you can do that. First John 5:14: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.” There’s a safeguard in truly praying in the name of Jesus.
If I’m asking for something—I was teasing with Maddie or Alexis, excuse me, Alexis—about the job, $50 an hour. All right, I’m joking with it. I don’t know. Maybe that would be good for Alexis. Amen. Maybe it wouldn’t be good for her. I don’t know, you know. But God knows. Okay? And Jesus knows. And if I go asking requests that’s just all about me per se, or something that’s not good for me, Jesus isn’t going to sign his name to that. Now, I can write Jesus’ name on there.
But can I tell you, hey, Jesus and God the Father are the same? And if I’m asking for something that Jesus wouldn’t put his name on, God the Father, he’s going to kind of smell that out. I mean, Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” He said over there, “I and the Father are one.” And that Isaiah 9:6, we use it so often at Christmastime: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father.”
So I’m going, “Hey, Father, man, I want this—I want this brand new Corvette.” Brother Anthony’s on board. I’m putting Jesus’ name on there. And God says, “That didn’t look like Jesus’ signature to me. That looks like Paul Chisgar’s signature.” There’s a safeguard. Remember, that’s what he said over there. He said, “He gives good gifts to them that ask.” So there’s a safeguard.
But when I go… Look, sometimes you’re praying for somebody to get saved. Sometimes we’ll do this: “Lord, let him get saved if it’s your will.” Well, it is His will. He’s told us. He’s not willing that any should perish. We know that’s His will. And so when I put something like that that I know from His Word is God’s will, then I can be a whole lot more sincere in putting Jesus’ name on it. And God the Father says, “Oh, that looks like Jesus’ signature.” He shed His blood across the cover for people to get saved. So there’s a safeguard in asking in the name of Jesus.
When John… We’ve got to talk about John since it’s their night. John—some of you heard me tell them this when he was in first grade. And how many in your school, when you got in trouble, you got a note home and you had to get your mom and dad to sign the note back to school? Anybody have that in your school? Do they still have that in schools today? Yeah. How do you know? No, I’m joking.
I went to pick John up one afternoon. And I think it was first grade. His first grade teacher, she usually—you know, they got all the students out there and you’re driving through. And usually they’ll just stop and let the kids walk out, and they make sure everybody stops. Everybody say, “When the kids walk out.” Well, this time she walked all the way out there with little Johnnie all the way out to the car. And she had a little smile on her face. And she said, “Mr. Chisgar.” She’s a good teacher. She’s trying to be proper. She said, “Mr. Chisgar, I didn’t know if you knew this or not or seen this or not, but here’s a discipline slip that John had signed by you.”
Sure enough. Said, “Oh, signed by me.” I never saw it. I looked at it, and it had the parent’s signature in a line right there in pencil, real sloppy. It had D-A-D. Busted! Hey, there’s a safeguard. God knows what the Father’s will is—Jesus. They wouldn’t…
Asking in Jesus’ name—one more point, we’re done. Look over in John 15. John 15, John 15:16, great verse. John 15:16. We’re done. Try to share the truth real quick and one illustration, we’re done. John 15:16. Y’all there? John 15:16. Look at this verse, great verse: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go…”
Now, what is it all about? Not talking about salvation here. Watch. What’s he chosen you for? “…that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” Now, you didn’t choose all that. He chose all that for you. He’s commissioned you. Now, what’s just saying? “That whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my…” What’s the next word? “…name, he may give it you.”
When I was a youth pastor at a church in Alabama, way down south Alabama. We lived in L.A., amen, Lower Alabama. And I worked for the church. And, oh, I think they paid us $125 a week. They helped us with our lot rent—it was like $60 a month. And then we were able to get gas usually at a gas station.
Now, down South Alabama, it’s old school. They still had just accounts, and they got this somewhat, but I mean it was just very verbal. They had an account at a gas station. And I could go down to this gas station and I could say, “Hey, look, I’m employed at this Baptist church.” And I could get gas because I’m an employee. Sometimes they even had to look up the church’s name and look up my name. Sure enough, sure enough, he works for that church, and his bill goes on that church’s account. And I was able to get gas. You understand that?
Now, when I’m employed by the Lord, all right? When I’m employed, I mean, I’m working for the Lord. I’m serving God. It doesn’t matter where you get your paycheck, but why are you really doing what you’re doing? If you’re really working for the Lord, you’re His employee. And as an employee, you have the right to put Jesus’ name on the check. That’s what he’s teaching right there.
Look back at John 15:16. He says right there, John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” I’ve hired you, if you will. We interviewed a little bit. I saved you. You’re my child. All right, I’m commissioning you to work. All right. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you: for what? And ordained you, that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
“Lord, I have been trying to do your will. And I want to go to work and be a good testimony for you. I’m trying to shine in a dark place. Lord, you know, I’m not perfect, and I’m not trying to claim all that, but I’ve been trying to sincerely live for you at school. And, Father, so would you allow me to put Jesus’ name on there? You are my employer.” I mean, you did say, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things…” Yeah.
When you’re really working for the Lord, God knows that. God says, “That boy right there, he’s not all about him. He’s all about… I look at Brother Richard. He’s about those bus routes. He’s involved in the work of God, whatever it may be.” And God says, “Yep, he’s my employee.” By the way, the best employer there ever has been, ever will be, is the Lord. And as an employee, I had some rights to go there and say, “Hey, I want some gas.” And as an employee of God, I got the right to say, “Hey, Lord, would you put this on Jesus’ bill?” Jesus has got it all. Owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Owns the hills the cattle lives on. Economy might be up, economy might be down. The economy in heaven is always good.
Asking in the name of Jesus. Would you bow your heads, please? Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. “Preacher, I’m going to get sincere and ask the Holy Spirit to guide me and grow me in this thing of asking in Jesus’ name based on Jesus’ merit.” “God spoke to my heart. I want to be sincere and I want the Holy Spirit to grow me and teach me in asking in Jesus’ name.” “God spoke to my heart about that. That’s you tonight. I preach. I won’t do that.” Would you slip your hand up? “Preacher, I’m going to work at this day. Now I want to ask in Jesus’ name sincerely.” Oh, God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. It’s a great truth taught many, many places in the Bible. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so much. You put your hands down.
“You’re here tonight and say, ‘I’m going to go in faith because of Jesus. I’m going to go in faith because of Jesus.’” Oh, I put that last one there. You’re employed, and that’s true. John 15:16, He’s teaching that. But you say, “Lord, at the end of the day, I’m only employed because of Jesus. Everything goes back to Jesus. I owe it all to Jesus.” And God the Father says, “I know your sincerity. I align it with the name of Jesus.”
“Preacher, I want to go in faith.” Well, if I go in faith depending on what all I’m doing, I have doubt. If I’m going based on what Jesus says, I will go in faith because of Jesus. God spoke to your heart about that right there. That you not slip your hand up? “Preacher, I won’t go in faith because of Jesus.” So much more faith there. Oh, that’s good. That’s good. That’s exciting. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Thank you for letting the Lord work in your hearts. Thank you so very much. Let’s all stand if you would, please. We’ll stand. We’ll have word of prayer. We won’t be long tonight. Let’s just be obedient. Maybe you want to come and say, “Lord, I’ve got a request tonight. I’m going to ask in the name of Jesus.” Maybe you’ll come and say, “Lord, grow me in this thing. The Holy Spirit is the true teacher. Would you grow me, teach me this truth?” We’re going to pray. We’re going to sing 300 to have that all way. Lord, would you just come and spend some time with the Lord? Just be obedient. Just be obedient to the Lord. Would you pray? And let’s be obedient to the Lord.
Father, thank you for the privilege I have of coming to you, not based on me. I don’t have much to offer, Lord. Father, thank you I can come to you based on your Son. What a privilege. Thank you, Father. You’re the best Dad in all the world. You love to give so much, so you say, “Come to me in my Son Jesus’ name.” Thank you for that, Father. Grow us in this truth tonight. Bless your people, Lord. Please help us to be obedient to you during the invitation.
Father, we sincerely ask in your Son, Jesus’ name for these things. We’ll thank you for it. Amen. Would you just be obedient as we sing?
It’s amazing how the Bible fits together. What does it say with it? But grow in what? Grace. What’s the definition? We often give: God’s riches at Christ. Yeah. So I gain things in the prayer calls it help by Christ. Amen. By growing all what I am? No. Grow in Christ. Grace. Into that is not pride and all that. It’s to Him be glory. It’s Jesus. More, more I learn—I’m not in first place—but more I learn, it’s all about Jesus. It just all goes back to Jesus. And of all the Jesus, I surrender all to Him, my friend. That’s the way our life ought to be, just because it’s all Jesus. He’s so good to us.
All right, let’s take a vote. Let’s take a vote. How many—how many think they’re going to be nice to each other? And Brother Kevin says it’s going to be nice. All right. All right. We got maybe a little over half. How many think they just… it’s on, it’s on tonight? I mean, whew, I don’t know. I don’t know. We’re going to find out. And Brother Fontaine’s, he’s over there, he’s getting ready for that. How many put their bet? No, I’m joking. We will have a good time. If you can slip back there real quick, I know it’s late, been busy, we won’t be long, but if you want to slip back real quick afterwards, and once we get everybody in there, then we’ll get them to cut the cake, and we’ll find out what happens, you know. So we’ll see. We’ll see. Praise what we’ll get to go in Jesus’ name. Amen. Bless you, Brother Kevin. And by the way, young people, again, young people, thank you. Thank you for sharing tonight. I appreciate it. Aren’t the young people a blessing? Praise the Lord for good young people. Good attitudes. I appreciate it. That’s good. I appreciate it. That’s just great. I did hear a couple comments about the cell phone book. They even handled that. Amen, you know. And praise the Lord for good young people. Brother Kevin, would you lead a word of prayer, please, and thank the Lord for food, if you would, please?
Original File: In Jesus Name - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday PM 71419