Mike Bickle emphasizes the significance of participating in the family dynamics of the Trinity as outlined in John 14. He explains how Jesus reassures His disciples not to be troubled by His impending departure, introducing them to a new relationship with the Father through the Holy Spirit. Bickle highlights two foundational truths: the promise of eternal life in the Father's house and the new way to relate to God through the Spirit. He stresses that believers are invited to experience a deep, mutual relationship with the Father and Son, mirroring the unity that exists within the Trinity. Ultimately, Bickle encourages the congregation to cultivate this relationship through their thoughts and words, which are vital in their walk with God.

I have most of the passages on the notes if you have those as well. In our last session last week we talked about the abiding relationship in John chapter 15 how we abide in him and he abides in us and I mentioned last week that the foundational truths to the abiding in Christ of John 15 are actually found in John 14 so we're going to go back in the story and pick up where Jesus laid the foundation for the abiding life and it begins in John chapter 14 verse 1 he says that let not your heart be troubled but believe in God believe also in me and the context is that Jesus had just told the disciples he was going to leave them physically he was going to die and their hearts were troubled and in the first six verses of John chapter 14 he's telling them how to overcome a troubled heart but in the context of telling them how to have peace in the midst of anxiety in their heart he uses that opportunity to describe a new relationship to the father that they're gonna have and that new relationship to the father is part of overcoming a troubled heart. Let's look at paragraph A. The two primary themes of John chapter 14 are Jesus's exhortation number one how to find peace when your heart's troubled. Now this this passage applies to anybody who's troubled for any reason. This is not just a passage for funerals. The second main theme of John chapter 14 the primary theme of John chapter 14 is the way that we can relate to the father in a new way and in a deep way and of course in declaring that he's giving us a part of the solution of overcoming a troubled heart. Paragraph B verses 2 to 6 he highlights the two foundational truths about overcoming a troubled heart. Number one he says in time we're all going to go physically to the father and we're gonna live in his house forever with him. So he says no matter what's happening get the big picture you're only on the earth in this age for a moment you're destined to live forever physically in the resurrection in the father's house that would be the new Jerusalem and the new Jerusalem is coming down to the earth so he stops and says yes I am going to die and yes you are going to miss me my physical presence won't be with you but we're going to be together forever in the fullness of the father's house in paradise on the earth don't lose sight of that. Now many believers lose sight of that it's really easy to lose sight of that. Then he goes on that's verse 2 and 3 in verse 4 to 6 he says not only are we going to go to the father physically in the resurrection we're going to go to the father relationally even now by the Holy Spirit and he says that's a new thing I want to tell you because I'm going but I'm replacing my physical presence with a new dynamic of relating to God by the Holy Spirit and this was a new idea to the Apostles. Paragraph 1 verse 2 and 3 he talks about the father's house I have a few notes there you can read on your own he says in my father's house are many mansions and again the father's house is ultimately the new Jerusalem and it's coming down to the earth at the time of the second coming. Now it's easy for believers to read that and say well that's kind of pie-in-the-sky stuff and you know I want something that's real well Jesus is giving them his insight for the greatest crisis they're ever going to experience and that is the death of Jesus and he says this will really work if you would anchor your heart in this. Now I'd like to spend an hour on this on the on these couple verses but I'm going to move on. Paragraph 2 Jesus goes to the second answer the second truth that he gives them on how to overcome a troubled heart he said there's a new way to relate to the Father by the Holy Spirit. Now in verse 5 Thomas asked a question because Jesus had been telling them I'm leaving in verse 5 Thomas says Lord we don't know where you're going Thomas was thinking he was going to go to another city in Jerusalem I mean in Israel or something. Now he's been telling him over and over I'm leaving I'm going to the Father I'm dying and they're still a bit confused by it. So in verse 6 Jesus answers Thomas's question but he shifts the conversation from where Jesus is going to the Father and he shifts it he goes it's where you're going to go you're going to go to the Father spiritually right now in this life after I leave when I give you the Holy Spirit and he says I'm the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father but through me Thomas is saying I'm asking where you're going and Jesus is answering where they're going they're going to go into a new relationship. Don't miss the significant point that Jesus is introducing to them this new reality they are going to relate to the Father. Now the rest of John chapter 14 he develops this reality of how they're going to relate to the Father. Then in John 15 he applies it and the abiding in Christ exhortation. Paragraphs I mean the three words that are so well known Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life when he talks about the way we know what he's saying is I'm the only way to the Father. Beloved there are no other religions that tell the truth about the way to the Father. There's only one way of salvation and if you really love people you will tell them the truth about this. Jesus is the only way to the Father there is not another way. Paragraph D Jesus says another statement he says I am the truth now there's many aspects that are involved in this reality of Jesus being the truth but there's two of them that are specific to this context. I mean if we want to talk about Jesus being the truth there would be many points to make but I don't want you to miss what's going on here when Jesus is I'm the truth because the rest of chapter 14 he's going to develop this idea that he's the truth and in the context of John 14 he's telling them and in relationship to the Father he says I'm the truth about what the Father's like but more than that I'm the truth about how the Father wants to relate to human beings. He says when you look at me you will see the Father's kindness in my kindness you will see the Father's wisdom in my wisdom you'll see the Father's power in the power that's manifest through my life. He said if you look at me in my life and my teaching and the spirit that I operated you will understand the Father's personality but that isn't even his main point here. His main point is he goes I want to tell you more than the Father's personality I want to tell you how the Father has determined to relate to human beings in other words to relate to his people and he goes I as a man am a picture of what God had ordained originally for the relationship that he would have with humans. Now this is new ground for them they're a little bit familiar that when they saw Jesus' character they had insight into the Father's personality but Jesus is making a second point when you see how I relate to the Father understand this is how the Father desires to relate to humans i.e. this is how he wants to relate to you. This is the new area of truth he's giving them and by a casual read of John chapter 14 you can miss that most important point he told them how he Jesus as a man related to the transcendent God of Israel. What I mean by the transcendent God the infinitely powerful majestic Almighty God now to the nation of Israel they could never look upon the being of God they could never even many would not even say the name of God and Jesus is saying I have an intimate relationship with God as a man now it's not a big deal that Jesus as God is in union to the Father as God. I mean that's only normal that Jesus who's fully God would be in union with the Father who's fully God. That's not the point he's making Jesus is saying I as a man am in this deep union with God and they're going they're a bit overwhelmed by this. This is not a doctrinal statement about the deity of Jesus this is a doctrinal statement about the humanity of Jesus and how man relates to God under the anointing of the Spirit and they struggle with this and Jesus takes the majority of John 14 to unpack that truth and then he elaborates on it and applies it in John 15. Look at top of page 2 Jesus says I'm the truth I'm the way I'm the only way to the Father that's through the cross now again most of chapter 14 he's going to unpack this idea I am the truth I am the truth about how God wants to relate to you to people then John 15 Jesus unpacks I am the life I am the source the supernatural source of this relationship that God the Father wants to have with human beings paragraph a it was really difficult for the disciples to believe a human could relate to the transcendent Almighty God in the way Jesus was describing there they're they're perplexed by this this new proclamation now Jesus has made mention of these kind of principles a little bit through the gospel of John it's recorded but here Jesus really lays it out on the night before his death he says in verse 7 if you had known me you would have known my father now they would say well Jesus we've been with you three and a half years we know you we know you're the Messiah we know you're the Son of David we know you're God and what Jesus was saying was something different than that because I know you know I'm the Messiah and I even know that you know I'm God but what you don't really understand is who I am in my relationship to the Father as a man and I'm gonna break it down to you right now he's gonna do that from verse 7 to 11 he's going to describe his relationship with the Father as a man because after verse 7 to 11 he's gonna apply it and he's gonna say that's the relationship you're going to have with the Father now the Apostles didn't believe this and for 2,000 years most of the church still does not believe what Jesus is saying in John chapter 14 now instead of the word known here in verse 7 I put the word in understood because I think that gives the sense of what Jesus is communicating let's read it Jesus said if you had understood who I am as a man and what my mission is then you would have understood what the Father's personalities like number one and you would understand you would have understood how the Father relates to his people you really understood me you would have understood those two points what the Father's personality is like in the way the Father relates to people he says but from now on now that I've made it clear to you from this day forward you now understand how he wants to relate to you and you've now seen what his personalities like but not just his personality you've seen what he's after you know what he's after from now on I've connected the dots for you right now he could have said verse 9 he goes have I been with you so long yet you still don't understand me and he's not telling Philip have I been with you so long and you don't believe I'm the Messiah Philip believed he was the Messiah that wasn't the problem Philip did not understand that Jesus was actually communicating to the human race how God wants to relate to humans by the Spirit because this is going to be very personal to Philip's life after the day of Pentecost when they received the gift of the Holy Spirit again this is not a doctrinal statement about Jesus's deity this is a doctrinal statement or a doctrinal lesson about Jesus's humanity Jesus is fully God always has been always will be and again the mystery isn't Jesus as God in union to the Father as God that's not a problem it's Jesus as a man in union with God the Father that's where the challenge comes well we've just looked at verse 7 to 9 verse 10 and 11 Jesus is going to unpack it in a very dramatic way let's look at Roman numeral 3 verse 10 and 11 is he says nearly the same thing so in the notes I just put verse 10 but read the whole thing in context but then after he describes his relationship to the Father in his humanity in verse 10 and 11 then he in verse 20 he says now here's the most dramatic statement of all he says you're going to have a similar relationship after you receive the indwelling spirit and the idea of telling them that was it was to create a vision and a hunger in them to know God in a deep way let's read verse 10 and again verse 11 is very similar to 10 it's got a few separate points but Jesus said do you not believe here's the phrase the two phrases I am in the Father and the Father's in me he says do you not believe that as a man I'm in the Father and they're going you're in the Father what the God of Israel what does that mean I mean the God of the burning bush the Genesis 1 God you're in him in what sense are you in him as a man with a physical body he goes right now I'm in him then he goes on it's he says it's deeper than that he is in me I am in him he is in me he says matter of fact the very words that I speak to you I get them from him then in verse 20 he goes I'm gonna bring this thing up a notch verse 20 is the main point of what he's of what he's saying in John chapter 14 verse 20 is the most dramatic or at least one of the most dramatic let's say that way one of the most dramatic extreme statements in the whole Bible verse 20 put an asterisk in circle it and put red on it then put blue on it and put arrows towards it verse 20 is is a one of those passages that you need to know and carry in your heart all your days it's read verse 10 again and they'll real read verse 20 and tie them together he says do you not believe I'm in the father the father's in me then verse 20 and that day you'll know that I am in the father and you are in me and I'm in you he says do you see what I'm where I'm going I want you to know in verse 20 he would tell them that you're gonna have the same kind of relationship that I have with the father as a man anointed by the Spirit now the mystery of Jesus being fully God and fully man is bigger than our comprehension and so we struggle with understanding how Jesus relates in his deity to the father and how he relates in his humanity to the father and the greatest understanding we'll have in this a in this age will just scratch the surface of that great mystery in reality so if it seems up a bit vast and remote and perplexing well that's because it is a great mystery but verse 20 he says I'm in the father and the father's in me but you're in me and I in you and their eyes get real big and they're going you are in us and we're in you huh pass the leavened bread please the unleavened loaf they're at the Last Supper and how exactly are you in us right now and he says well in that day meaning the day of Pentecost 50 days after Jesus's death when they receive the Holy Spirit they would understand there's a new relationship been established now remember the larger context of what's happening Jesus is answering the question don't let your heart be troubled first he tells them about the New Jerusalem they're going to live together forever on the earth in total glory and now he's saying but even but between now and then you can enter into this relationship with the father by the Holy Spirit even now in this life those are the two key truths to overcoming a troubled heart now when Jesus says I'm in the father there's two aspects to what theologians call the mutual indwelling it's kind of a fancy term the mutual indwelling I just like to use the word Union but you'll find the term the mutual indwelling of the reciprocal indwelling some theologians use Jesus is in the father and the father's in Jesus and there's two aspects to Jesus being in the father first the spirit of Christ is in the father and the spirit of the father is in Christ and I don't understand all that that's a above my pay scale but they possess the same spirit in a mysterious glorious way where three distinct persons are one God that's the mystery of the Trinity so the first way in which Jesus says I'm in the father is the spirit of Christ is in the father and the spirit of the father is in the person of Christ and again that's a bit perplexing and hard to get my hand around it's hard to get my mind around that but there's a second sense that I want to spend the time on because it's in that second sense where we will be able to practically do something with this second sense and the second sense is more than the spirit of Christ is in the father the spirit of the father's in Christ Jesus is saying my words the very words I speak the thoughts I have the feelings I have they are in your heart and you value and you're moved by the things that I think about the things I say the things I do and in that sense also I am in you when I say something father it moves you when I do something you rejoice in it so my spirit is in you again that's perplexing and a bit difficult to grasp how that all works but there's another dimension my words my thoughts my feelings you share them and in that sense there's a reality of us dwelling in each other by the very nature of how our personality functions look at paragraph B I know that's a still a little bit difficult you're saying okay I don't think I have that tell me more how's that work again paragraph B the gospel of John highlights at least five different elements I mean it's undoubtedly there's more that described the union between the father and the son there's a union in what they think their mind there's a union in what they feel there's a union in their values their will the things they're planning to do there's a union in the words that they speak and there's a union in the works or the actions that they do in other words paragraph B at the end they think feel value speak and act in ways that are in deep unity with one another but the important truth to understand is they are distinct persons one God in three distinct persons Jesus said I don't do my will I do the Father's will they have their own distinct will but by their choice their will is in perfect unity and they have fullness of joy in embracing Jesus embracing the Father's will and the father's in fullness of joy in watching Jesus do this that's an element in which they are in one another again along with the idea that they possess the same spirit and the reason I'm telling you this which seems a bit abstract thinking of the Father of the Son because in verse 20 he's going to say now this is how you relate to me that's where this is going paragraph C to be in the Father for Jesus to be in the Father for Jesus or the Father to be in the Son it includes the perfect agreement they have of their thoughts their feelings their words their actions etc but with the fullness of love and the fullness of joy associated with it and the reason I use the words love and joy because right in John 15 verse 9 to 11 the great abiding chapter the chapter of abiding in God Jesus highlights that his joy would be made full in us as we enter into this functional experiential union of our hearts with his heart we would have that swelling joy in our inner man when we did it now what Jesus is saying I'm in the Father I'll just give you kind of a few little practical takeaways and and just so you know I'm at the beginning of the beginning of the beginning of the understanding of this I mean these are subjects that will excite us for a million years in the resurrection we're only at the very beginning of these truths but even the beginning of their exciting and the potential of where my walk in God could go where you're walking God to go if we buy into this truth the vision that we would have to know the Father in a deeper way in a more practical way Jesus is saying at the end of paragraph C or the middle paragraph C goes when Jesus said I'm in the Father he was saying my thoughts my feelings my words they resonate within the Father's heart when I say something the Father's moved when I say something my father feels the power of it in his own heart because where this is going is that when you say something under the leadership of the Spirit it moves him in that way too that's where this is going and Jesus would say it's not just I'm in him what I say moves him he's in me his words his feelings fill me with the light and as believers we're going to respond to this in verse 20 because that's where the application comes to us we want to be filled with what the Father's thinking and saying that's in his word that's germane to the relationship it's foundational to the relationship that Jesus is describing with the Father so the Father finds joy he finds delight in Jesus's thoughts and words and deeds they are mutually moved by what the other is thinking and feeling and the relationship is parallel we are to be mutually moved in our relationship with the Father and the Son what they say moves us what we say moves them when it's under the leadership of the Holy Spirit God's Spirit is in us our spirit isn't in God it doesn't go that way but our words enter into his heart we reach to God in the relationship we talk to him we find our life in him our words move him they matter to him our deeds are remembered forever by him that's what eternal rewards are all about we'll rule and reign with him he'll bring us into his partnership with him and all that he does Jesus does in his humanity on the earth in the age to come paragraph D I'm gonna say it again verse 20 this is the most or at least one of the most dramatic and extreme statements in all of scripture Jesus applied the relational reality that he enjoys as a man he applies this relational reality as with the Father as a man he he applies it to us in chapter 14 verse 20 when he says I'm in the Father but you're in me and I'm in you in other words you are participating in a parallel way like I and the Father participate with one another in relationship beloved the most staggering idea we are invited to participate in the family dynamics of the Father Son and Holy Spirit they dwell together in perfect love perfect unity they dwell together in delight in full involvement mutual interdependence on each other and they beckon the whole body of Christ enter into this relationship with us though we are to be in unity with him and in fullness in the age to come but in part now there's no equality I'm not talking about the equality because Jesus is equal to God in terms of his equality of deity Jesus is equal we don't have that equality but we have the same unity that Jesus had with the Father as a man top of page three now I know to some of you you're going okay hmm this sounds good but I don't really understand a word you said but it sounds good and the reason I'm saying that that this is a it takes a little bit of thinking a little bit of time the ideas are not that complex the elementary way I'm presenting them and and I'm I'm presenting them in an elementary way because that's the only way I understand them is the most elementary way but wrestle with these and get familiar with them and you'll find throughout the whole gospel of John and the and the other Gospels as well but particularly John you begin to notice how the son says the father's words and how the father's moved by the son's words every time Jesus says a reference that the he prayed and the father answered it that means the father's moved by his words every time God answers your prayer he's moved by your words that's the implication I love how song of Solomon chapter 2 verse 14 says that where the Lord speaking is the bridegroom says let me see your face and hear your voice for your face is lovely and your voice is sweet to me and this is true as we talk and think and relate to him under the leadership of the Holy Spirit paragraph 8 top of page 3 thoughts and words I gave five different types of activities thoughts words values feelings but I'm going to lock into thoughts and words I want to give you a vision for how important and how glorious your thoughts and words can be thoughts and words are two of the main elements in the union between the father and the son and therefore they are two of the main elements of the union of God with the redeemed words and thoughts that are under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit under his leadership I am captured my imagination is captured by the impact my thoughts and words have on God when they're in the unity with them in other words what we do matters what we do with our mind matters the enemy will come along and say well it's of no account anyway you know if you're on a ministry trip then you better lock in but between now and the ministry trip don't worry about it and what Jesus is telling them in John chapter 14 I'm beckoning you to participate in the family dynamics that I have enjoyed with my father in my humanity by the Spirit I'm calling you into that because I'm going away physically but what you're going to get in place of my physical presence he would tell the Apostles is you're going to have a spiritual relationship with the father that parallels my relationship with the father in my humanity and I am in him and he is in me and I am in him and you are in me and I am you I'm in you and then John 17 you know that great prayer right before Jesus would go to the garden of Gethsemane and then the cross John 17 Jesus labors in prayer that the fullness of this union would happen to people to human beings his final prayer before the before he'd go to the garden father they would enter into the fullness of what I said in John 14 and 15 father there would be those that by the Spirit you would draw them even in this age they would enter into the fullness of what's ordained for this age now with the resurrected body the fullness will be far beyond but beloved Jesus's final prayer before he went to the garden was that you and I that there would be people through church history that would enter into the reality of what he describes in John 14 and John 15 this is how dear it is to him how important it is to him paragraph 8 we grow spiritually as we exert effort to bring our thoughts and words into unity with God's beloved it there's an effort to take a hold of the reins of our thought life and put effort we don't do it perfectly by any means but to bring it into unity with God we exert effort to fill our mind with God's thoughts to speak words to God it takes effort when somebody's praying for you to stop the natural flow of our mind and to go with the person who's praying and bring our thoughts in unity to the father with that person praying with that person leading worship it's not that hard but it does take effort it takes an intentionality it doesn't happen by itself and that's what Jesus is beckoning us to paragraph F thoughts and words in agreement with the Spirit they bind us to God and they bind us to people I always say that again this gives you a vision for the power of your thoughts and words thoughts and words when they're in agreement with the Spirit they bind people to God and they bind people to one another in the Holy Spirit what you do with your thoughts the rest of today at all day tomorrow this week and next week really really do matter they really do matter to the degree that we can bring them into unity with God we enter into that experiential unity at the heart level our spirits are one with God the day we're born again but I'm talking about experiencing the unity at the heart level and that's what Jesus was talking about Psalm 19 David understood the power of thoughts and words he said father let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you let my meditation help me David had a revelation of the value of thoughts and words paragraph H he talks in John 14 verse 16 the father will give you a helper and the helper verse 26 will teach you and in chapter 16 the helper will guide you he will escort you into the truth here's what Jesus is saying Jesus is saying in order you for you to enter into this experiential union you will need supernatural help but here's the good news the helper is coming to you at the day of Pentecost the helper was poured out and the day we're born again we receive the Holy Spirit dwelling in our spirit but the challenge is this that if we will talk to the helper the Holy Spirit we will experience much more if we receive the spirit but we never talk to him we never bring our thoughts and words to him we don't engage with him he'll still bless us some but he won't bless us near as much as if we engage with him Jesus is now talking about the Holy Spirit in verse 16 now here's the important part in this context of chapter 14 verse 16 he's talking about the Holy Spirit as the helper particularly in order for us to walk in this union with God in an experiential way now the Holy Spirit does many things but the context here is that we would walk in this experiential union with our thoughts and words some people when they think of the Holy Spirit they only think of power being demonstrated in a meeting or having their ministry get bigger in this context and then that's important for the power of the Holy Spirit in our ministry but in this actual context he's talking about our heart getting bigger and expanding in the union that he's just describing here paragraph I the spirit wants to help us in these same five elements paragraph J just a review from last week he goes right from chapter 14 where Jesus is telling the truth about what God's personality is like and he's telling the truth about how we relate to God as humans redeemed humans chapter 15 now he's going to talk about he's going to elaborate on that he's going to talk about Jesus being the life the source that actually does the activity by the Spirit in our inner man paragraph K this transforming union with God has two elements I mentioned last week we abide in him but there's a second element that's equally important he abides or he's active touching our mind and heart top of page four I have a few points of just review from last week about us abiding in him and he abiding in us let's look at Roman numeral for biblical Christianity Jesus said in John 15 verse 5 he goes if you don't have this abiding relation with me and if I don't act in you in your heart and your your mind emotions if I don't abide in you you can read the if this is new to you because I can I covered a little bit the notes a little bit last week he goes if you don't do that you can't bear fruit he goes if you don't interact in that relationship you can't do anything that bears fruit forever he's not talking about bearing fruit in the idea that everybody notices it because most the fruit you bear goes unnoticed by most the people it's God notices the fruit it's pro I said this last week paragraph a it's proud it's pride to think we have the strength to live right spiritually we have the strength to minister without this ongoing relationship that Jesus said is necessary many believers imagine they can do the Christian life without the interaction that he just described and they can't they can have Christian ethics they can have Christian activities they can do Christian ministry but they can't live biblical Christianity without the dialogue being contended for and cultivated there is no such thing as biblical Christianity that's not contending and cultivating the abiding life paragraph B there's two very different types of approaches to the Christian faith the abiding Christianity and the non abiding Christianity and the non abiding Christianity is the most well known but beloved it's not biblical Christianity we can be genuinely born again and live without abiding but we're not going to bear fruit that's we're going to carry to the age to come we can get people excited about our ministry but it won't bear the fruit well I'm going to leave you with the rest of that just to read on your own I'm going to invite the team to go ahead and come on up I want us to determine in our heart just like we did last week we're going to walk in this vision to go deep with the Father and again we covered this a bit fast and some of these ideas are new to some of you you're going okay I didn't really get it I want to encourage you take some time look at this ask the Holy Spirit to talk to you read over these notes a little bit open your Bible read John 14 but here's the big point the vision that we are going to contend for the abiding life and we're going to go deep in the Father we are going to do this it's our inheritance let's stand