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You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. So, if you can't tell, we're starting a new series today. It's called Twisted. And we're going to be looking at John chapter 4, verse 12 to 14. But before we get to that, I want to tell you next week, maybe the most culturally relevant message of my entire preaching year. It's the Bible verse that everybody seems to know just at the right time to apply it to somebody else so that they can do whatever they want and live whatever way. Do you know which one I'm talking about? People who are Christians or not Christians, anybody, followers of Jesus or not, use it. It's this, don't judge me or you're going to get judged. Don't judge me, you'll be judged. Isn't that a judgment right there? It's interesting. So, we're going to be looking next week at that verse, what Jesus really means by that, how we can apply it to our lives. I think it's going to be a good one. Because the Bible can't just mean whatever I want it to mean. Okay. So today we're looking at John chapter 14, verses 12 to 14, and it reads as follows. Jesus said, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. So, if I pray in the name of Jesus, I get the job, right? I get the cush job. In the name of Jesus, I get the girl. In the name of Jesus, I win the lottery. Isn't that how it works? Isn't that what Jesus, I mean, in my Bible, these words are in red. You know, the red letter edition. So Jesus said these words. It's got to be true the way I'm interpreting it right now. Hmm. So my question is, because I think this is a big question throughout scriptures in my life. This is a struggle I have. I have to ask myself this again. Am I looking for magic or a miracle when I am praying? Do you know what I mean by that? Magic means I get what I ask for and nothing really changes inside of me. There's no internal transformation. A miracle, every miracle in the scriptures, every miracle that Jesus does, especially like here in the Gospel of John, always point to some greater truth about God himself, his truth, his word. And it brings about a transformation in the lives of the people that miracle was about. OK, magic is changing the externals with no internal transformation. Miracles are a transformation of the internal relationship I have with God and with others and an external manifestation of what that looks like. And every miracle always points back to Jesus, his truth, his word. So are you looking for magic or a miracle? Now, you might be wondering why I'm dealing with this passage at all today. OK, and I'll tell you why we're dealing with this, because I think for three reasons. The first is this. This may be the number one reason people walk away, a top reason people walk away from the faith. You know how it goes. I prayed. I really prayed. I prayed again. I really believed God didn't exist. He just must not exist. It doesn't work. Christianity thing is my time. So over and over again, people walk away from the faith because they look at this passage and a few others and say it just doesn't work. Secondly, I think, though, this is what was kind of brought up in that video at the beginning, and that is this, that it can be misused by people who get their prayers answered. So I got my prayer answered. I prayed in the name. Why didn't you? So it can be used as a bludgeon against other Christians, and I've seen that used to. I don't know if you've ever felt that guilt trip of what's wrong with you because you didn't. I guess you just must not believe enough. Ouch. That's really damaging. So it comes in this third. People will use this, like I said, as a magic formula in the name of Jesus. I prayed it. Therefore, bingo. Prosperity gospel. I get it. I name it and I claim it and I get it. I pray for a pony and I get a pony. Do you realize that the prosperity gospel? The prosperity gospel has now is being preached. By 40 percent of Christian churches in the United States, according to a new lifeway research. In fact, this is what it said in a Christianity Today article recently. About a third of Protestant churchgoers say their congregation teaches that God will bless them if they donate money. Yeah. Two thirds say God wants them to prosper. This is the next slide, by the way. OK. And one in four say they have to do something for God to receive material blessings in return, even if they don't see a direct link between offerings and blessings. Many churchgoers say God wants them to do well. Sixty nine percent agree with the statement. God wants me to prosper financially. Twenty percent disagree. Ten percent aren't sure. And I say this prayer becomes the gateway drug to the prosperity go...