Well, this morning, I've had this word brewing
for a couple of weeks here, and my process in
approaching a sermon varies depending on the
type of sermon and what the Holy Spirit is speaking.
But I had felt this, the Holy Spirit speak a
specific thing. And sometimes when I specifically
am feeling the Holy Spirit wanting to bring a
word, it can be a difficult process getting that
out of my spirit and onto the paper. It truly
is kind of a birthing, and sometimes I get really
frustrated because I can hear what the Holy Spirit
is wanting to do and say, and conveying that,
it's not always easy. But this morning, and if
I were to title this, which I guess I am for
Nick, who will appreciate it, it is this, Following
Jesus into the Greater. And I was thinking a
couple of weeks ago about the issue of obedience.
And often when we think of obedience, things
that we are called to obey, we did it this morning,
we're called to obey in our giving, we're called
to crucify the flesh, we're called to love our
neighbor. I don't know, a couple times this week
I was having trouble feeling neighborly with
the noise. We're called to forgive. We're called
to encourage. We're called to prayer. We're called
to gratitude. We're called to hospitality. We're
called to honoring parents, and sometimes that's
hard to do. We're called to submit to authorities,
and sometimes that's hard to do. I was thinking
of all of the things when we hear called to obedience,
and it seems like it's often hard things. And
I kept feeling this, but Lord, I feel this call
to obedience into the greater things. It's the
only way I know how to convey this. And soon
the question became, is it really a call to obedience
that I'm hearing, or is it a call to repentance
that I'm hearing? And he took me to John chapter
14. Where Jesus is talking and he says, very
truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will
do the works I have been doing. And they will
do even greater things than these. Because I'm
going to the Father. And I will do whatever you
ask in my name. So that the Father may be glorified
in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my
name and I will do it. That's what Jesus stated.
And what I didn't want today is an emotionally
driven, he will do anything if you do it in his
name. Let's go. I didn't want, what I feel in
my spirit concerning this message is, In fact,
I remembered years ago at our previous church
a specific service. And I remember I was down
here sitting cross -legged at the altar. And
somebody brought a word about preparing for battle
and we're going into battle. And all around me,
everybody was standing and cheering. I have goosebumps
thinking of that moment right now. I remember
in my spirit saying, no. You're not, I received
that word that was given. I knew it to be true.
But I did not think our response was the right
response. It was not a, yeah, let's, I felt there
is some deep battle coming. And we've got to
be prepared. If you're a Lord of the Rings fan,
it's when they're about to go out to battle and
they are so few in number, they're calling their
young boys to battle. And they're talking about
the fear that is in the camp because of the heaviness
of the battle. And that was what I felt in that
moment. We should not be cheering. We need to
get on our faces because we're going into a battle.
I kind of felt that same kind of response to
this word that the Holy Spirit put inside of
me. And earlier, even when Pastor Ben was talking
about being called to become like Christ and
to walk like Christ, we think about doing that,
yes. as becoming in the character of Christ,
don't we? When we talk about becoming like Christ,
we're thinking about his character in light of
the gifts or the fruit of the Holy Spirit, right?
Because Jesus had self -control. Jesus was kind,
right? We think of all of those things in becoming
like Jesus. What I feel Holy Spirit putting inside
of me is that he is calling us to not just be
like him in character, but to follow him into
becoming what he looked like and what he did.
In the works that he did. In fact, the small
group that we just finished in practicing the
way we talk, what we say is that we be with Jesus.
We become like Jesus, but it doesn't end in the
becoming like him. We do what Jesus did. And
often we end where we be with Jesus, we become
like Jesus, but we have no expectation of doing
the works that Jesus did, and even beyond that,
what Jesus said, the greater works. We have no
expectation of that in our lives. Oh, maybe the
pastor or the elders might do that. No. He's
called for you to be with Jesus, to become like
Jesus, and to do the things that Jesus did. So
this morning, my call is more of a call to contend
for these things that Jesus has said we ought
to be operating in. We ought to be doing these
things. We ought to be doing the works he did.
Well, what did Jesus do? We think of the works
that he did in hanging out with the sinners.
Oh yeah, I'll go and hang out with some sinners.
I'll invite people to my table. We get uncomfortable,
though, sometimes with the idea that, well, wait
a minute, he also prayed over blind eyes and
they were healed. He also cast out demons and
they were delivered. He also multiplied things
like wine for the wedding feast in their day
-to -day lives. And it was last year, I think,
at some point when we talked about how we should
live our ordinary life. And see, this was ordinary
life for Jesus. This was how he did his day -to
-day. Oh, I'm going to go to a wedding with my
mom? Well, let's multiply some wine for them.
They're a little short. He brought into his everyday
ordinary the greater works. And I believe that
the Holy Spirit is calling us to this. Why? Why?
Because it's not enough. the culture that we
live in, to preach a gospel, there must be accompanying
it signs and wonders. It's not enough to just
talk out there. They want the evidence of what
we're saying to be true. And you're going to
be hearing more about this, but I talked with
our leadership team last Tuesday night about
this. The World Assemblies of God, of which the
U .S. is part of, and it's all of the nation's
Assemblies of God, are under the umbrella of
the World Assemblies of God. They have made a
hard push into unengaged people groups, of which
there are 2 ,085. These are not just unreached
people groups. Unreached are considered... less
than 2 % of Christians. These are unengaged people
groups where there has not been any known engagement
with the gospel whatsoever, 2 ,085 of them. And
so the World Assemblies of God has said in 2033,
who knows what 2033 is? Now, see, I asked that
question at the leadership meeting. They all
weren't that quick with their answer. It's the
2 ,000 -year anniversary of the death and resurrection
and ascension of Jesus. And so what they're saying
is, we want to bring a gift to Jesus in 2033.
We want to bring the gift of nations to Jesus.
And you're going to be hearing more about that.
But what I'm hearing, why? Why do we need to
be doing what Jesus did? Because there are 2
,085 people groups. Do you know what happens
when every tribe and every tongue and every nation
has heard of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Come,
Lord Jesus, come. The end is at hand is what
it means. And I believe that you and I, I don't
care if you feel a call to ministry like I do
or not, you are part of the family of God, which
means you're on the mission of Jesus. He's the
head. And so we have to be saying, taking ownership,
not just of our Jerusalem, but of our Judea and
our Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world,
and saying, Lord, we want to take responsibility
for the 2085. unengaged people groups. How does
that happen? By doing the greater works that
Jesus did. I feel the call. I feel as he was
stirring this in me, the call. It is time. There
is about to be a Holy Spirit movement happening
that we've not seen. It is time. For us to engage
in what Jesus, what his expectation was. And
what was his expectation? Whoever believes in
me will do the works I have been doing. This
is his expectation for us. It's why he ascended.
It's why he went to the Father, that the Holy
Spirit could come. And through the power of the
Holy Spirit. We could do whatever we would ask
in his name, he would do. And so, as I was reading
this passage of Jesus, there are three areas
that I feel that we need to repent and contend
for. And the first one is in the area of our
expectation. Jesus expected us to do these things.
It's our own selves that get in the way of that.
We don't align our expectation with what Jesus
expected. In fact, in Luke chapter 6, Jesus said,
given it will be given to you, a good measure
pressed down, shaken together, and running over
will be poured into your lap. For with the measure
you use, it will be measured to you. Now, we
often use that at offering time. But can I say
to you today, the context for this verse is not
giving. He does talk about giving in this whole
speech. But within the verses that we find this,
he's actually talking about judging one another.
So you are a judgmental, critical person toward
other people. Guess what? With whatever measure
you judge, you will be judged. It's a pretty
serious thing. And so the context for that is
our relationships with one another. The grace,
if you extend grace to one another, guess what?
You will receive an abundance. Grace, mercy.
If you're merciful instead of judgmental, you
will receive mercy. Now, I do believe that this
is a truth, although he's using this in regards
to judgment. I believe it to be a foundational
truth with anything. If it's your giving, wonderful.
If it's your time, wonderful. If it's how open
you are with people and giving just of yourself.
It will be returned to you. The point of this
verse isn't to get stuck in the weeds of all
of that. The point of the verse is generosity.
There should be an expectation that when I give
out, I don't have to worry about it. It will
come back in greater measure. And so what we
expect. When you gave of your offering today,
what is your expectation for your budget in June?
Is it that he will throw open the storehouses
of heaven and pour out upon you? Or is it, man,
this is going to be a tight month. And even as
you're putting your offering in, you're declaring,
man, this is going to be a tight month. You've
just declared your expectation. And I really
believe that Holy Spirit is saying, come on,
raise your expectation. There's so much that
he wants to do in and through us. And it's not
that God is the limit. Our expectation is the
limit. Thomas understood this. And unfortunately,
he will forever be riddled with the name Doubting
Thomas, the poor guy. He's probably more like
all of us than any of the disciples. But in John
chapter 20, he said, because remember, Jesus
had appeared to the disciples, but Thomas wasn't
there. So Thomas got the report, Jesus is alive.
And what is Thomas' initial response? It wasn't,
yes, I'm so excited to hear this news. I can't
wait to see Jesus. No. He had very low expectation.
He said, unless I see the nail marks in his hands
and put my finger where the nails were and put
my hand in his side, I will not believe. He had
low expectation. And I wonder how often. I'll
raise my expectation when I see this, this, and
this. Here's what happened. For a week, Thomas
sat in that disbelief. Jesus did not immediately
come to Thomas and alleviate his doubts. A week
later, they're gathered, and suddenly Jesus is
in their midst. And immediately he says to Thomas,
put your finger here. See my hands? Reach out
your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting
and believe is what Jesus said. Stop doubting
and believe. That whole week, what Jesus wanted
was for Thomas. to believe. But Thomas didn't
believe. And immediately Thomas says, my Lord
and my God. And then Jesus said, because you
have seen me, you believed. But blessed are those
who have not seen yet believe. Have not seen
yet believe. He's not looking for people that
are waiting to see the evidence that requires
no faith. He said in John chapter 14 that we
just read, you may ask me for anything in my
name. I will do it. He does not qualify that.
Well, if it's in my will, I'll do it. He doesn't
qualify it at all. He just says, in his name,
if you'll do it in his name, that was the only
qualification, he will do it. If we go over a
chapter, so when I read verses like that, because
that is an extreme statement in my mind, ask
anything and I'll do it. I don't just read that
verse. I'm like, I need to know what's going
on around this verse. And so immediately following
this in the next chapter, John chapter 15, we
have the passage that talks about abiding in
Christ. Living out life in his presence. And
he says in John chapter... verse 7, he says the
exact same thing again. He says, if you remain
in me and my words remain in you, ask me whatever
you wish and it will be done for you. Ask me
whatever you wish and it will be done for you.
This is to my Father's glory that you bear much
fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
There is an outward evidence of being his disciple.
And it's not just that we're growing in his character,
it's doing what he did. If you were a rabbi and
you had followers, they were to be doing what
the rabbi did. Jesus, if he is our rabbi, we
are to be doing what he did. Ask whatever you
wish. Now let's think about this for a few moments.
If you remain in me, because I'm like, how can
Jesus ask this? How can he say this? Well, he
says, if you remain in me. And if you think about
that word remain, it is. Obviously, to remain
is to stay, right? To be. But it also has a word
in there which means endure. Now, endure has
a couple of meanings, and endure can mean just
to be in something, to stay in something for
a length of time. And that is true. We don't
leave his presence on Sunday morning. We endure
day by day by day by day. However, If you've
endured anything, if you've spent a length of
time, I have endured almost 33 years of marriage.
Now, see, you're immediately thinking of a negative
connotation when I say that. But the truth is,
is that the first meaning just means I have remained
in my marriage for 33 years. It's a time signifier.
However, anybody that's been in a marriage any
length of time knows that in order to remain
and to have that passage of time means you have
had to endure ups and downs. We've had really
great times in marriage, and we've walked through
very difficult times and have endured together
in those difficult times. And so when we talk
about remaining in Christ, And this is what happens
so often. Well, this way I can't just give Jesus
a try. The first minute you have to endure hardship,
you're out the door trying something else. To
remain and endure in Christ means we withstand
the ups and the downs, right? That means there's
going to be seasons, winter seasons, where it
does not appear like you are becoming like Christ
or doing anything that he did. It's a hard season.
And there are seasons we just endure. We keep
doing what we know to do. like Pastor Ben was
talking about. We keep praying. We keep reading.
We keep showing up at church. We keep doing those
things because we are remaining in Christ. So
how can Jesus say, whatever you wish, it will
be done for you? I think he can truly say that
because he truly believes that if we are remaining
and enduring with Jesus, whatever I wish, is
whatever he would wish. Right? Suddenly, your
desires become the desires of Christ. Suddenly,
what you want answered is what will bring glory
to the Father and to the Son. And I think it's
interesting he says, whatever you wish. All that
means is whatever you desire, whatever you want.
And it will be done for you. I'm like, Lord,
I want my son, right? I want health, right? Whatever
I wish, Lord. Because I want you to have glory
and I want to do the things that you've called
me to do. And so whatever, here's what I want,
Lord. Here's what I desire. And I'm coming with
boldness because you said it will be done for
you. I think that maybe we ought to increase
the audaciousness of our prayers if this is what
Jesus said he would do. I think that if Jesus
had said, ask whatever you wish and it will be
done for you, and you're remaining, you're not
trying to do it in yourself and in your flesh,
but you're remaining in Jesus. I think we ought
to be asking for more. I bet he's up there just
saying, come on, son. Come on, daughter. I got
more I want to do. 2 ,085 unengaged people groups.
And how many followers of Christ living in the
United States? Surely we've got 2 ,085 missionaries
we can raise up. And we're not the only denomination.
And we're not the only country sending missionaries.
Surely in all of our churches across the globe,
we can raise up 2 ,085 missionaries to go to
an unengaged people group. Can we ask for a little
more than what we've been asking? Here's where
we get stuck. And we're spending the other two
points won't go this slow. But here's where we
get stuck. We get stuck in the gap. How many
of you know that in the London underground, when
you are stepping out, when the doors open and
you step out, what is the recording that plays?
Mind the gap. Have you heard that phrase? That's
where it comes from. Because between the vehicle
and the platform, there's a gap. And so there's
a recording that will say, mind the gap. And
this is where we get that phrase. And so what
it means is just to be careful and pay attention,
right? Because we're not always paying attention
to what we're doing. Pay attention to this difference
in space, this gap. There is a difference here,
and we need to mind it so we don't trip up. In
fact, I did a wedding yesterday. out of town
in a barn in the country. And so the barn was
kind of up a hill, so they had a ramp they had
built that met then the entrance to the barn.
And so there was about a four -inch gap where
the barn met that ramp. And so, you know, it
had been there all through rehearsal. That gap
had been there, the wedding party coming in.
And all of a sudden, as we're all standing around,
a couple of the groomsmen are pulling these boards
out from the back wall. And they're sticking
them in the gap. And you should have heard everybody.
Oh, we were all enlightened because they had
filled the gap in. And so up until now, we've
been tolerating this gap. Those with heels probably
despising that gap. And all along there have
been provision for the gap. Listen, the gap spiritually.
It can trip us up if we're not mindful of the
gap. And the gap, what it really means is to
be aware of the difference between two things.
And so what we have in our expectation that isn't
that difference is between our expectation and
the reality we're currently living in. And sometimes
there's a gap. We know what Jesus has promised
and called us to, and we know the reality of
what we're walking in. Can I say to you today,
mind the gap. The gap can trip you up if you're
not mindful of it. How you respond in the gap
will matter. And after 40, how old am I? 41 years
of being a Christ follower, What I've learned
is that in these spaces, I have a choice to either
be despising of it, just trying to endure it,
just wanting out of it. Now what I've learned
is to make the most of the gap. What I've learned
is I feel God calling me to do this. Okay, I'm
going to, in the space of the gap between the
expectation of what he's calling me to and where
I'm at, I am going to align my life to my reality?
No. I'm going to align my life to the expectation.
I'm going to ask God to teach me how to do that
which is expected. I'm going to research areas.
that I feel him calling me to. I'm going to resist
the devil who would come in and say, oh, see,
here's your reality. He didn't really say that
to you. No, in the gap, I'm going to resist him
and say, no, flee. In the gap, I'm going to fan
my flame of faith. In the gap, I'm going to give
myself to prayer and to asking. How we mind the
gap is really important. And it will either keep
your expectation up, but if you don't mind it,
suddenly, because it's like your body, right?
Your body quickly begins to just... And one week
of not exercising, suddenly it's... It's the
same way spiritually, if we don't mind the gap.
The second area that I feel him calling us to
is the area of imagination. And I've talked about
this before. And we even talked about Ephesians
chapter 3 before. But as I was praying through
this, I felt the Holy Spirit speak something
a little different in regards to Ephesians chapter
3, verse 20. And in the NIV, It says this, now
to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us. And I've often said,
Lord, I'd just be thrilled if you would do what
I asked or imagined. Don't even have to go beyond,
and I would be thrilled. I like how the New King
James Version phrases this, though. It says,
now to him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly
above all that we ask or think. I found this
phrase interesting, abundantly above. The way
that word above is, it means beyond. It means
superior to. It means more than. And so often
when we read Ephesians 3 .20, we're just thinking
God is going to do numerically maybe more than
what I'm asking or imagining. He's going to increase
it more than that. As I was reading this, I felt
Holy Spirit say is the beyond that I want to
do is superior. To what you're asking for. Think
of it this way. Isaiah 55 says. We know this.
My thoughts are not your thoughts. Right? My
ways are not your ways. As the heavens are higher
than the earth. My ways are higher than your
ways. And my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
And so. What I. think we often think is what
I'm asking or imagining, we understand in terms
of our own thinking, but we cannot comprehend
what God is actually wanting to do. It is beyond
us. And I believe that is the more than that
he wants. An example of this would be the Jewish
people, right? On Palm Sunday, oh, we're all
excited. The king is entering Jerusalem on a
donkey, no less. That means he's coming to take
up kingship. He's coming to take up his throne.
And immediately they're rejoicing and excited.
Why? Was it because Jesus was coming? No. It
was because finally somebody is going to come
and get rid of this Roman rule and set up a new
kingdom. And Jesus is going to be the head of
it. See, they've been asking for it. They've
been imagining what it looked like. And God did
it above and beyond, but it did not look like
what they were envisioning. And even later, after
he had died and resurrected, they're asking Jesus
the question, okay, Jesus, now are you going
to do it? Now are you going to set up your kingdom?
Again, they're still thinking. They're still
asking and imagining based upon earthly kingdoms.
All along, Jesus, they were thinking outward
kingdom, and Jesus, what was he thinking? Inward.
There's a kingdom of God that they were not able
to perceive. Their ways were not God's ways,
and their thoughts were not God's thoughts. And
there are things that God has promised to you
and you have perceived them in your own understanding.
And that above and beyond that God wants to do
is because it's beyond what you can think or
imagine. And I believe that God wants us, I think
he wants us to ask and imagine because it keeps
us believing. But we need to be open in that
to saying, Come and make it happen the way God
you know to make it happen. The way you believe
it should look like. And so he's given you a
promise in life. Maybe it's you've been perceiving
it and believing for it. And God's saying, your
way is not my ways. Your thoughts aren't my thoughts.
You're not perceiving it the way I'm perceiving
it. And he wants to restore that. And then the
third area is the area of expansion. He said,
whoever believes in me will do the works I have
been doing and do greater things. In 2 Corinthians
9, verse 8, it says, God is able to bless you
abundantly so that in all things, At all times,
having all that you need, you will abound in
every good work. And so Jesus said, you're going
to do the works that I have done, but you're
going to do it greater. And here we see in Corinthians
that God is the one that supplies, that having
all things at all times, everything we need.
we will abound in those good works. As I was
praying through this one, I couldn't help but
be drawn back to Jabez. And we had to be careful
because there was the whole season of the prayer
of Jabez, and sometimes we quit seeing things
then. And the prayer of Jabez is interesting
in 1 Chronicles 4. It's just a lineage being
laid out. This is why even in the lineages, we
keep reading through all those names, we come
to some treasure points. And this is one of them.
This is now Jabez was more honorable than his
brothers. And his mother called his name Jabez,
saying, because I bore him in pain. And Jabez
called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh, that
you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory,
that your hand would be with me, and that you
would keep me from evil, that I may not cause
pain. So God granted him what he requested. This
is all we see here. Now, we do know there is
another city named Jabez. that was probably named
after him. Based on a lot of our ancient Jewish
writings and storytelling, we do learn a few
things that Jabez was a learned doctorate of
the law, and he probably had started a school
of scribes. He became so well known that scribes
were coming to Jabez, and he began to train and
establish a school. He would be considered a
rabbi in that. And so he truly had a place of
influence. And I find it so significant because
Jabez was born with a name that defined him as
painful. And I'm imagining this mom, because
as an adult, it obviously had been something
that truly had identified him. Because what is
his prayer? That I may not cause pain. There
was something in him that said, I don't want
to be a causer of pain. I have been a causer
of pain. I'm imagining that mom as he's a little
kid getting in trouble being like, Jabez, I brought
you into this world and you caused me a lot of
pain. You better whip it up into shape. I just
imagine this mom saying things like that to him.
That he would become an adult with such an awareness
of how he touched people's lives. That he was
so worried about causing pain that it became
his prayer. And this man that had been a causer
of pain prayed a prayer of audacity. He prayed
a prayer of, Lord, bless me. Lord, enlarge my
territory. And I don't know, I think we think
it's so holy to not ask for things of influence.
You know, I read, I'm reading a book right now,
and they read a statistic of denominations. And
of all, you know, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist,
Pentecostal. In the economic sense, in the economic...
facts that they collected. The wealthiest economic
status were those like the Presbyterians, the
Lutherans, the bottom 10 % Baptists and Pentecostals.
And I believe it's because we think it's spiritual.
We think it's unspiritual to ask, Lord, bless
me, enlarge my territory. And can I say that
is just, I think, I think that the enemy has
used that to keep us in a lower economic situation
because it takes resources to expand the gospel.
And I think we should resist that kind of, I
think that the devil whispers that to keep us
in places of bondage. I'm like, I don't know.
I'd rather have us all be at that top economically
with hearts to enlarge our territory that the
Father would receive the glory of every tribe,
every tongue, and every nation. Missionaries
can't just, you know, fly for free. And so I
think we should change that statistic and be
like Jabez, unafraid to pray bold prayers. God,
would you bless me? Would you enlarge my territory?
Not out of a prosperity doctrine, but out of
a desire that the Father would be glorified in
the earth. And we would be a part of sending
that forward. Enlarge my territory. And so this
morning, this morning the team is going to come
and in these three areas, in the area of your
expectation, of your imagination, of your expansion,
I want us to be honest before the Lord. of where
we have been at in that. Maybe we have not minded
our expectation well. We've not been a good steward
of the gap. And he's kept us in the gap so long
because he's just waiting for us to steward it
well, to maybe learn something, to grow deeper
roots in those places. Maybe he's calling for
you to maybe get a little bolder in your prayers
for your family. To expand your expectation for
the one that feels like might never come to Christ.
I think that can be the most radical testimony
of what God does in your family. And I will believe
for no less. Some of you, God wants to expand
you. In Jabez's day, that was marked by territory
and herds. But listen, he wants you to expand
your territory in your workplace, in your family.
He wants to expand your influence in your neighborhood.
Can we just pray that, God, expand my territory.
I want to see the gospel of Jesus Christ flow
out of me. We just came off of Pentecost Sunday
last week. And at the end, which we grabbed these,
poor Darren had so much happening last week that
he didn't really get to this. But last week and
this morning, you should have received this four
more card. We are a Pentecostal people that believes
that the Holy Spirit has been given that we would
have power to be a witness in Jerusalem, in Judea,
in Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.
And I am believing for the uttermost parts of
the earth. But there is a pathway to that and
it is through Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria.
We are so blessed. We have a couple coming to
our Petersburg campus and originally from Illinois,
but spent 40 years in Tennessee and moved back
to Illinois so that she could pray for Illinois.
I was like, yeah, God. All these people moving
to Tennessee. When Illinois needs Jesus. We have
our Jerusalems. You have a Jerusalem that I don't
reach. You need to change your expectation for
your Jerusalem. You need to begin to imagine
and believe over your Jerusalem. You need to
pray for expansion in your Jerusalem. Nobody
else is going to reach it. And we need to pray
that for our region, for our state, for our nation,
and to the ends of the earth. To believe in expectation,
to begin to imagine what could happen, to believe
for expansion. And so if you received this card,
I want you, you're going to have this card for
a year. And I want you to put four people on
this card that you are going to have expectation
for, that you're going to imagine over, and that
you're going to believe for expansion into their
lives of the gospel. And then you're going to
tear it off and turn in the bottom because we
want to pray over your names as a church. And
so if you took one home last week, I'm going
to ask that you would fill that out this week
and bring it back next week so we can pray over
your people. If you just got one today, you can
do that this morning and you can just turn this
into the offering box in the back. And we have
a fried chicken with friends that's coming here
in a couple of weeks. And I want you to begin
to just pray. Jesus called us to do the things
that he did. And I don't want to be a Pentecostal
church in here experiencing wonderful things
and having goosebumps and Holy Ghost parties,
which I love. In fact, I'm driving over to Radiant
tonight. They're having a worship night, revival
night. So I'm going to go hang out and have myself
a little revival night. I believe in that. It's
our locker room where you get encouraged and
filled up ready to leave. But the Holy Ghost
was given so that you would leave and go do what
Jesus did. Jesus left this earth so that you
could receive the power of the Holy Spirit and
go do what he did. And go do it in a greater
way than what he did. And I feel great heaviness
that we, it's not a, well, that's great for those
that are evangelists. There is a heavy responsibility
I feel in this. There is a cost to it in the
life of Christ. And we've been put on this earth
for such a time. You're here for such a time
on this earth. to do what Jesus did and beyond.
Amen? That should be an amen. So let it be. So
let it be. And so this morning I'm going to ask
if you will stand. I love testimonies of what
Holy Spirit does in here, but I love it more
when you guys come and say, here's what happened
this week. at school, at work. And I hear how
Holy Spirit has used you to flow in the gifts,
used you to pray for somebody and they've been
healed. My favorite, I love Tabitha back there.
She's online for her work. She's constantly ministering
to the people she talks with online, on the phone,
at her workplace. I love her testimonies. What
is she doing? She's believing. She's believing
that she can do what Jesus did and do even greater
works than that in the lives of those people.
And so this morning, Jesus, in just a quietness,
in just a sincerity of heart, Lord, we're asking
As we abide in Christ, as we abide in you, as
we seek to live and dwell and move and have our
being in you, that the good works that you have
established for us to do would come into fruition.
God, we're saying we're not going to settle any
longer for just becoming like you, Christ. No,
we're not settling any longer. But we're saying,
Christ, we want to do the things that you did.
The hungry and the thirsty in our lives. That
we would be pitchers of living water being poured
out. That we would be bread distributors giving
of the living bread of Christ. we're asking not
that we would be a Pentecostal people in these
four walls, but we're asking that we would be
a Pentecostal people outside these walls. We're
asking that where our feet step, that we would
take that ground, that wherever we are walking
and talking and being, that we would evidence
the character of Christ and do the things of
Christ. And Lord, we in this moment, as one body
we just take a moment to say God we're sorry
for having such low standards of being Christ
followers forgive us for our low standards our
low expectations and teach us Jesus what it is
to do the things that you did teach us Jesus
how to lay hands and to pray over people. Teach
us, Jesus, how to release people from the bondage
of sin through the gospel. Teach us how to hear
when the Holy Spirit quickens us. Teach us, Jesus,
to do the things that you did in our places of
businesses. Jesus, you excel in the hardest places.
You excel in the most sin -bound places. Your
power is greater than any dark place. There's
just no place that's too big for you, Jesus.
So we repent for our low standards. And we raise
our expectations to all that you would have us
Do and be. Jesus.