WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.640 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:28.500 right in. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Turn with me 00:00:28.500 --> 00:00:31.289 to John chapter 14. Have your seat. John chapter 00:00:31.289 --> 00:00:42.509 14, verse 12. John 14, verse 12. It's a year 00:00:42.509 --> 00:00:49.530 for greater works. Hallelujah. Say we do greater 00:00:49.530 --> 00:00:58.729 works. John chapter 14, verse 12 to 14. Most 00:00:58.729 --> 00:01:05.129 assuredly, I say to you, He who believes in me, 00:01:05.370 --> 00:01:10.989 the works that I do, he will do also. And greater 00:01:10.989 --> 00:01:15.530 works than this he will do because I go to my 00:01:15.530 --> 00:01:24.090 Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will 00:01:24.090 --> 00:01:29.969 do so that the Father may be glorified in the 00:01:29.969 --> 00:01:34.790 Son, If you ask anything in my name, I will do. 00:01:35.329 --> 00:01:38.489 Hallelujah. So by the grace of God, as you've 00:01:38.489 --> 00:01:41.909 announced to your neighbor, this is the direction 00:01:41.909 --> 00:01:48.409 that God is leading us as a church. And I trust 00:01:48.409 --> 00:01:52.670 that our hearts are prepared to follow in the 00:01:52.670 --> 00:01:56.209 leading that God is leading us as a church. So 00:01:56.209 --> 00:01:58.010 today I'm just going to lay a simple foundation. 00:01:59.209 --> 00:02:02.290 And subsequently, we'll build on it. And our 00:02:02.290 --> 00:02:04.290 sermons and whatever teachings we'll come across 00:02:04.290 --> 00:02:09.810 will help us to build on this particular theme 00:02:09.810 --> 00:02:14.150 that God has inspired us and has led us. And 00:02:14.150 --> 00:02:18.629 the essence of giving us a theme is for us to 00:02:18.629 --> 00:02:22.469 have a direction for how we'll build. Amen? Imagine 00:02:22.469 --> 00:02:25.870 you are a builder and then you don't have a direction 00:02:25.870 --> 00:02:30.819 for building. You don't even have the map. You 00:02:30.819 --> 00:02:32.400 don't even know what you're building at every 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.360 point in time. Even when you have, what do you 00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.539 call it, a diagram of what you're building, in 00:02:39.539 --> 00:02:41.479 building construction, there's what we call the 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:45.840 plumb, right? They use in measuring the accuracy 00:02:45.840 --> 00:02:51.120 and the precision of bricklaying, how it is placed 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:53.780 to ensure that you are building a building that 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:57.610 will stand by looking at the plan by which The 00:02:57.610 --> 00:03:00.810 designer of the building has made. So one of 00:03:00.810 --> 00:03:04.550 the advantages we have in having a theme is that 00:03:04.550 --> 00:03:07.770 it helps us to build intentionally. It helps 00:03:07.770 --> 00:03:10.750 us to have a direction so that at the end of 00:03:10.750 --> 00:03:12.050 the year, at the end of the time, at the end 00:03:12.050 --> 00:03:15.650 of the season, we can measure and see how far 00:03:15.650 --> 00:03:20.229 we've grown, how far we've been able to, you 00:03:20.229 --> 00:03:22.110 know, build ourself and grown by the help of 00:03:22.110 --> 00:03:25.849 God. Hallelujah. So verse 12 of John, of this 00:03:25.849 --> 00:03:31.879 text, It says the works that I do, he will do 00:03:31.879 --> 00:03:36.840 also. And greater works than this, he will do 00:03:36.840 --> 00:03:43.400 also. So Jesus in this verse is saying that the 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:45.780 man who believes in him, who believes in him, 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.500 who believes in Jesus, will not only do what 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:52.939 Jesus did. Imagine, you not only do what Jesus 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:59.060 did, but will do greater. will do greater than 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:03.219 what Jesus did. So it means that believing in 00:04:03.219 --> 00:04:07.319 Jesus comes with the ability in the man to do 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:12.159 greater works. To do greater works. So fundamentally, 00:04:12.500 --> 00:04:16.879 doing greater works is for a man who believes. 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:19.540 And when you don't believe, there's no possibility 00:04:19.540 --> 00:04:24.699 for you to do greater works. So if we are those 00:04:24.699 --> 00:04:28.569 who believe in him, who believe in Jesus, He's 00:04:28.569 --> 00:04:32.449 calling us to do greater works. So by implication, 00:04:32.569 --> 00:04:39.569 it means that doing greater works is our calling, 00:04:39.670 --> 00:04:44.649 not only for 2026, but also for the years beyond. 00:04:46.230 --> 00:04:48.589 So for us to build our understanding on what 00:04:48.589 --> 00:04:52.589 God is leading us to do, it's important that 00:04:52.589 --> 00:04:54.790 we answer some critical questions from this verse. 00:04:54.949 --> 00:04:57.379 I'm going to only... discuss verse 12 alone today 00:04:57.379 --> 00:05:03.300 because of time. Only verse 12. There are some 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:07.980 important questions we must try to answer. First 00:05:07.980 --> 00:05:11.399 of all, who is Jesus speaking to? Understanding 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.160 who Jesus is speaking to is important in understanding 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:21.939 how to apply what he has said. So who is Jesus 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:26.689 speaking to? Secondly, what are the works Jesus 00:05:26.689 --> 00:05:30.850 did? Because for us to do greater works, we must 00:05:30.850 --> 00:05:33.449 know what Jesus did so that we will do greater 00:05:33.449 --> 00:05:40.529 than what Jesus did. Thirdly, what are the greater 00:05:40.529 --> 00:05:44.709 works? What can we do that will be greater than 00:05:44.709 --> 00:05:48.329 what Jesus has done? So this is very crucial 00:05:48.329 --> 00:05:54.220 in helping us to do that which God He's calling 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:57.300 us to do. Now I want us to understand the background 00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:01.060 of the text here. The background of the text 00:06:01.060 --> 00:06:08.000 in John chapter 14. Jesus was addressing particularly 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:13.980 his disciples. Alright? He's particularly addressing 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:16.540 his disciples shortly before the feast of the 00:06:16.540 --> 00:06:24.839 Passover. Before his betrayal. and also before 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:29.620 his subsequent trial, his death, his burial, 00:06:29.639 --> 00:06:34.839 and his resurrection. So this is a context. It 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:37.019 is important to know that these were the last 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:44.060 words of Jesus to his disciples who had been 00:06:44.060 --> 00:06:46.879 with him for over three years. These were his 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:50.449 last words to them. So if someone is dying or 00:06:50.449 --> 00:06:52.870 someone is about traveling and is about to give 00:06:52.870 --> 00:06:55.870 you his last words, what does it demand of you, 00:06:55.910 --> 00:06:59.029 the listener? It demands that you pay attention, 00:06:59.170 --> 00:07:02.029 right? It demands that you take the last words 00:07:02.029 --> 00:07:05.329 he says seriously. I mean, in most of the movies 00:07:05.329 --> 00:07:08.870 we watch in Africa, from the western part of 00:07:08.870 --> 00:07:12.310 Africa, oftentimes when a man is dying, they 00:07:12.310 --> 00:07:15.529 always know when they are dying. In the movies, 00:07:15.689 --> 00:07:19.540 he will gather his family. and then he will be 00:07:19.540 --> 00:07:21.439 talking to them and telling them what to do. 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:25.019 After he finished talking, he will now sleep. 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:31.019 Now have this picture. Jesus was in his last 00:07:31.019 --> 00:07:33.899 moments with his disciples. And if there's any 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:35.759 last conversation that he's going to live with 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:36.819 them, he's going to live with them something 00:07:36.819 --> 00:07:39.000 that is very crucial, something that is very 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.959 important before he leave them for a moment. 00:07:44.170 --> 00:07:46.490 So it means that the words that he will be very, 00:07:46.569 --> 00:07:50.449 these words will be very important and crucial 00:07:50.449 --> 00:07:53.910 to what he was going to do next. Now look at 00:07:53.910 --> 00:07:57.569 it from John chapter 14, chapter 13 rather, particularly 00:07:57.569 --> 00:08:03.290 from verse 1 to 5, to build the context. Now 00:08:03.290 --> 00:08:06.529 before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus 00:08:06.529 --> 00:08:10.930 knew that his hour has come, that he should depart 00:08:10.930 --> 00:08:14.860 from this world to the Father. This is the context. 00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:17.839 That he should depart from this world to the 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:21.459 Father, having loved his own who were in the 00:08:21.459 --> 00:08:27.639 world, he loved them to the very end. Verse 2. 00:08:27.740 --> 00:08:30.240 And the supper being ended, that is when they 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:36.200 finish a meal, the devil having already put into 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:39.860 the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to 00:08:39.860 --> 00:08:43.980 betray him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had 00:08:43.980 --> 00:08:47.799 given all things into his hands and that he had 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:54.120 come from God and was going to God, rose from 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:57.240 the supper and laid aside his garment, took a 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:02.659 towel and guarded himself. And after that, he 00:09:02.659 --> 00:09:05.460 poured water into a basin and began to wash the 00:09:05.460 --> 00:09:08.500 disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:12.960 with which he was guarded. Amen. So this gives 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:16.580 us a context and an understanding that this is 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:19.220 the beginning of the conversation that will lead 00:09:19.220 --> 00:09:24.240 us into chapter 14. And then further in verse 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:33.600 18 of that same verse, verse 18, I do not speak 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:36.320 concerning all of you, talking about who will 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:41.669 betray him. I know whom I have chosen, but as 00:09:41.669 --> 00:09:45.029 the scripture may be fulfilled, he who eats bread 00:09:45.029 --> 00:09:50.649 with me has lifted up his heel against me. Now 00:09:50.649 --> 00:09:53.129 I tell you before it comes, that when it does 00:09:53.129 --> 00:10:01.549 come to pass, you may believe that I am he. You 00:10:01.549 --> 00:10:05.799 may believe that I am he. That he is what? That 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:08.279 he is the one that God has sent. That he is the 00:10:08.279 --> 00:10:11.299 Messiah. This is very important. Most assuredly, 00:10:11.299 --> 00:10:15.820 I say to you, he who receives whomever I send, 00:10:16.059 --> 00:10:20.080 receives me. And he who receives me, receives 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:25.919 him who sent me. When Jesus had said these things, 00:10:26.259 --> 00:10:29.940 he was troubled in the spirit and testified and 00:10:29.940 --> 00:10:33.820 said, most assuredly, I say to you, one of you 00:10:33.820 --> 00:10:37.610 will betray me. Now I want to jump to verse 21. 00:10:39.330 --> 00:10:43.070 So when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now the 00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:45.649 Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified 00:10:45.649 --> 00:10:49.049 in him. If God is glorified in him, God will 00:10:49.049 --> 00:10:52.230 also glorify him in himself and glorify himself 00:10:52.230 --> 00:10:56.549 immediately. Little children, he swore to them 00:10:56.549 --> 00:10:59.789 continually, I shall be with you a little while, 00:10:59.850 --> 00:11:04.009 a little while longer. You will seek me and as 00:11:04.009 --> 00:11:07.230 I said to the Jews, where I am going, you cannot 00:11:07.230 --> 00:11:11.950 come. So now I say to you, a new commandment 00:11:11.950 --> 00:11:15.690 I give to you that you love one another as I 00:11:15.690 --> 00:11:18.690 have loved you that you also love one another. 00:11:18.929 --> 00:11:23.610 By this, all will know that you are my disciples 00:11:23.610 --> 00:11:28.429 if you have love for one another. So one thing 00:11:28.429 --> 00:11:30.389 we have established is that communication is 00:11:30.389 --> 00:11:33.940 to his disciples. Secondly, the timing is that 00:11:33.940 --> 00:11:37.980 he was about to be betrayed and arrested and 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:42.100 taken for trial and then judgment. Verse 36, 00:11:42.519 --> 00:11:45.759 Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you 00:11:45.759 --> 00:11:49.940 going? Jesus answered, where I'm going, you cannot 00:11:49.940 --> 00:11:55.340 follow me now, but you shall follow me afterward. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:59.700 That is to say, where I'm headed to, you cannot 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:04.049 be with me. But after, you will follow me. So 00:12:04.049 --> 00:12:06.429 where is Jesus going? Peter said to him, Lord, 00:12:06.590 --> 00:12:13.370 why can't I follow you? Lord, why can't I not 00:12:13.370 --> 00:12:18.710 follow you now? He wants it now. I will lay down 00:12:18.710 --> 00:12:23.529 my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, will 00:12:23.529 --> 00:12:27.049 you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly, 00:12:27.049 --> 00:12:32.440 I say to you. The rooster shall not crow till 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:38.019 you have denied me three times. So this gives 00:12:38.019 --> 00:12:39.980 us a direction towards where Jesus is going. 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:44.559 All right? Now in chapter 14 from verse 1. Let 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:46.059 not your heart be troubled. The conversation 00:12:46.059 --> 00:12:50.860 continues. You believe in God, believe also in 00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:56.960 me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If 00:12:56.960 --> 00:13:01.610 it were not so, I would have told you, I go to 00:13:01.610 --> 00:13:05.110 prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare 00:13:05.110 --> 00:13:08.970 a place for you, I will come again and receive 00:13:08.970 --> 00:13:13.149 you to myself, that where I am, you may be also. 00:13:13.529 --> 00:13:17.509 And where I go, you know, and the way you know. 00:13:20.610 --> 00:13:23.590 And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know 00:13:23.590 --> 00:13:26.230 where you are going. And how can we know the 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:31.909 way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, 00:13:31.929 --> 00:13:35.490 and the life. No one comes to the Father except 00:13:35.490 --> 00:13:40.669 through me. If you had known me, you would have 00:13:40.669 --> 00:13:45.450 known my Father also. And from now on, you know 00:13:45.450 --> 00:13:49.649 him and have seen him. Hallelujah. So Jesus says, 00:13:49.750 --> 00:13:56.740 I go to the Father. In my Father's house, and 00:13:56.740 --> 00:14:00.740 many mansions. If it were not so, I would have 00:14:00.740 --> 00:14:02.960 told you, and I also go to prepare a way for 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:05.600 you, a place for you. And we've explained this 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:11.159 times and times again that this verse is particularly 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:14.960 speaking concerning what Jesus will do in his 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:19.559 death. It's not talking about heaven. There are 00:14:19.559 --> 00:14:22.919 no mansions in heaven. There are no building 00:14:22.919 --> 00:14:26.850 construction happening in heaven. But contextually, 00:14:26.889 --> 00:14:29.690 when we follow the reading, Jesus is saying that 00:14:29.690 --> 00:14:31.970 in his father's house, in his father's family, 00:14:32.230 --> 00:14:37.149 the word house is a father's family, it's a place 00:14:37.149 --> 00:14:41.450 for us, right? It's a room that he goes to prepare, 00:14:41.549 --> 00:14:44.590 and how he prepares this room is in his death, 00:14:44.789 --> 00:14:48.309 in his burial, and his resurrection. So by the 00:14:48.309 --> 00:14:50.370 time he goes and then establishes what he has 00:14:50.370 --> 00:14:52.629 done in his death, his burial, and his resurrection, 00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:57.639 He can bring them into that union where God is. 00:14:58.259 --> 00:15:05.700 Hallelujah. Then Philip asks in verse 8, Lord, 00:15:05.879 --> 00:15:09.940 show us the Father and it's sufficient for us. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:14.580 So, his inner Philip doesn't believe that Jesus 00:15:14.580 --> 00:15:17.039 is the Father or he was not paying attention. 00:15:18.220 --> 00:15:20.779 to the fact that Jesus and the Father are in 00:15:20.779 --> 00:15:23.539 union, that when he sees the Father, he sees 00:15:23.539 --> 00:15:27.340 Jesus Christ, he has seen the Father. Jesus is 00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:32.059 in union with God. Jesus will go on to explain 00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:36.620 to him in verse 9 to verse 10. Jesus said to 00:15:36.620 --> 00:15:41.500 him, Have I been with you so long and yet you 00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:45.820 have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me 00:15:45.820 --> 00:15:51.230 has what? has seen the father. So how can you 00:15:51.230 --> 00:15:56.230 say, show us the father? Do you not believe that 00:15:56.230 --> 00:16:01.389 I am in the father and the father is in me? All 00:16:01.389 --> 00:16:04.570 right? Because Jesus has been telling them that 00:16:04.570 --> 00:16:09.629 he and the father are one, are in union. So if 00:16:09.629 --> 00:16:13.409 you see Jesus, what have you seen? You've seen 00:16:13.409 --> 00:16:17.309 the father. How can you know that Jesus is the 00:16:17.309 --> 00:16:21.929 father? The next phrase. Jesus is in the father. 00:16:22.509 --> 00:16:24.950 Verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in the 00:16:24.950 --> 00:16:29.809 father and the father in me? The words that I 00:16:29.809 --> 00:16:35.210 speak to you. Verse 10 is very crucial. The words 00:16:35.210 --> 00:16:39.629 that I speak to you, I do not speak them on my 00:16:39.629 --> 00:16:47.879 own authority. But the Father who dwells in me, 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:54.460 he does what? He does the works. Alright? The 00:16:54.460 --> 00:16:58.659 Father who we are in union walks through me on 00:16:58.659 --> 00:17:06.619 earth. Believe me that I am in the Father. And 00:17:06.619 --> 00:17:15.730 the Father in me. Or else. Believe me, for the 00:17:15.730 --> 00:17:18.329 sake of the works themselves, which means that 00:17:18.329 --> 00:17:24.690 the works that Jesus did were very crucial to 00:17:24.690 --> 00:17:30.390 testifying that he is the Messiah, to testifying 00:17:30.390 --> 00:17:34.049 that he and God are one, to testifying that God 00:17:34.049 --> 00:17:36.809 is the one working in him to accomplish his plan 00:17:36.809 --> 00:17:43.589 on the earth. So, It is Jesus' response to Philip 00:17:43.589 --> 00:17:47.049 that we move in to see in verse 12. Jesus continues 00:17:47.049 --> 00:17:49.730 in his explanation to Philip in verse 12. He 00:17:49.730 --> 00:17:53.910 says, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes 00:17:53.910 --> 00:17:58.609 in me, which means that Philip, probably the 00:17:58.609 --> 00:18:05.130 apostles, have a belief issue. Alright? Because 00:18:05.130 --> 00:18:07.529 he has been saying it, explaining it and doing 00:18:07.529 --> 00:18:11.880 the works, but yet they did not believe. Most 00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:13.940 assuredly, I say to you, or verily, verily, I 00:18:13.940 --> 00:18:20.460 say to you, he who believes in me, the works 00:18:20.460 --> 00:18:24.720 that I do, alright, which works? The works that 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:26.920 I do, which are the Father's works, which God 00:18:26.920 --> 00:18:38.140 is working through me, he will do also. And greater 00:18:38.140 --> 00:18:45.170 than this, He will do because. Why? Because I 00:18:45.170 --> 00:18:48.269 go to the Father. It means that going to the 00:18:48.269 --> 00:18:52.170 Father is conditional. Okay? Going to the Father 00:18:52.170 --> 00:18:56.289 is conditional to he that believes doing the 00:18:56.289 --> 00:19:08.589 works of Christ and even doing greater. So Jesus 00:19:08.589 --> 00:19:11.670 is in union with the Father. The only way by 00:19:11.670 --> 00:19:15.690 which God the Father can be known is through 00:19:15.690 --> 00:19:20.190 Jesus Christ. The works that Jesus did were the 00:19:20.190 --> 00:19:26.130 Father walking through him. God himself is spirit. 00:19:26.950 --> 00:19:29.250 And the Bible says in John chapter 1 verse 18 00:19:29.250 --> 00:19:33.710 previously that no man has ever seen him. Alright? 00:19:33.789 --> 00:19:37.990 No man has ever seen him. John chapter 1 verse 00:19:37.990 --> 00:19:42.299 18. It says that no man, says no one has seen 00:19:42.299 --> 00:19:46.420 God at any time. The only begotten son who is 00:19:46.420 --> 00:19:50.279 in the bosom of the father, he has what? He has 00:19:50.279 --> 00:19:53.099 revealed him. He has declared him. So when you 00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:56.460 see the son, you see the father. Because all 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:58.960 the father is doing, he has done it through the 00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:02.000 son. And we can see the works of the son and 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:04.359 know that the father is at work. Hallelujah. 00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:09.809 So Jesus himself on earth, is a revelation of 00:20:09.809 --> 00:20:14.710 the Father. Colossians chapter 1 verse 15. Colossians 00:20:14.710 --> 00:20:21.210 chapter 1 verse 15. He is an image. He is a very 00:20:21.210 --> 00:20:26.289 reflection. He is a very essence. The image of 00:20:26.289 --> 00:20:29.470 the God that we cannot see manifested in the 00:20:29.470 --> 00:20:32.289 flesh. The face born of all creation. Hebrews 00:20:32.289 --> 00:20:39.170 chapter 1 verse 3. Hebrews 1, verse 3. It also 00:20:39.170 --> 00:20:42.450 says that, alright, give me verse 2 to give us 00:20:42.450 --> 00:20:49.809 context. Verse 1. God, who at various times and 00:20:49.809 --> 00:20:52.630 in various ways spoke in pass to the fathers 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:56.130 by the prophets, verse 2, has in this last day 00:20:56.130 --> 00:21:01.470 spoken to us by his Son. Alright? So the medium 00:21:01.470 --> 00:21:04.349 by which God speaks to us in these days is by 00:21:04.349 --> 00:21:07.920 his Son. whom he has appointed heir of all things, 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:12.140 through whom also he made the worlds. Who being, 00:21:12.339 --> 00:21:16.460 that is Jesus, the brightness of his glory and 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:20.420 the express image of his person. So if we want 00:21:20.420 --> 00:21:23.640 to know God, we want to see God, the answer to 00:21:23.640 --> 00:21:28.119 Philip's question is actually Jesus. The express 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:31.440 image of his person and of all things by the 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:35.220 word of his power, when he had... He had by himself 00:21:35.220 --> 00:21:38.220 approached us and sat on the right hand of the 00:21:38.220 --> 00:21:44.039 majesty on high. Through Jesus, the works of 00:21:44.039 --> 00:21:49.460 God, the Father are manifested. So the works 00:21:49.460 --> 00:21:52.579 that Jesus did are actually the works of the 00:21:52.579 --> 00:21:55.859 Father. Because Jesus did not do anything apart 00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:59.700 from what God is doing through him. You can see 00:21:59.700 --> 00:22:04.460 his testimony in John chapter 5. John 5, verse 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:20.599 16. For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus 00:22:20.599 --> 00:22:25.119 and sought to kill him because he had done these 00:22:25.119 --> 00:22:29.420 things on the Sabbath. They walked, he did something 00:22:29.420 --> 00:22:32.220 on the Sabbath, right? But Jesus answered them, 00:22:32.650 --> 00:22:37.309 My father has been working until now, and I have 00:22:37.309 --> 00:22:41.910 been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the 00:22:41.910 --> 00:22:48.089 more to kill him because he not only broke the 00:22:48.089 --> 00:22:51.150 Sabbath, but also said that God was his father, 00:22:51.309 --> 00:22:54.049 making himself, this is the consequence of saying 00:22:54.049 --> 00:22:56.890 God is his father, making himself equal with 00:22:56.890 --> 00:23:02.119 God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most 00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:05.559 assuredly, I say to you, the son can do nothing 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:10.740 of himself, but what he sees the father do. For 00:23:10.740 --> 00:23:13.839 whatever he does, the son also does in like manner. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.880 For the father loves the son and shows him all 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:22.180 things that he himself does, and he will show 00:23:22.180 --> 00:23:25.740 him greater works than these that you may marvel. 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:30.039 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life 00:23:30.039 --> 00:23:33.680 to them, see what the Father does, right? As 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:39.579 the Father raises the dead and gives life to 00:23:39.579 --> 00:23:45.299 them, even so the Son gives life to whom he wills. 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:52.240 For the Father judges no one, but has committed 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:55.799 all judgment to the Son. that all should honor 00:23:55.799 --> 00:24:00.019 their son just as they honor their father. He 00:24:00.019 --> 00:24:02.119 who does not honor their son does not honor their 00:24:02.119 --> 00:24:07.079 father who sent him. Hallelujah. So we can conclude 00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:11.440 that what Jesus, the works Jesus did, the works 00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:13.119 of Jesus are actually the works of their father. 00:24:13.380 --> 00:24:16.079 So through the works of Jesus, we'll be able 00:24:16.079 --> 00:24:18.000 to know what God is doing or what God has done. 00:24:18.559 --> 00:24:21.900 Hallelujah. So then what are the works Jesus 00:24:21.900 --> 00:24:26.740 did? What are the works Jesus did? Particularly, 00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:35.220 what are the works Jesus did? Now, the works 00:24:35.220 --> 00:24:38.720 Jesus did will include the things Jesus did, 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:43.539 right? In action, the things he did and also 00:24:43.539 --> 00:24:46.900 the things he taught. I want you to write that 00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:50.720 down. The works Jesus did will include the things 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:56.480 Jesus did and also The things he taught, his 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:01.319 actions and his teachings. Acts chapter 1, verse 00:25:01.319 --> 00:25:07.400 1 to 3, we see where Dr. Luke makes a very fundamental 00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:10.880 statement as he was writing the book of Acts. 00:25:12.099 --> 00:25:16.420 He says the former account, what account? The 00:25:16.420 --> 00:25:19.480 book of Luke. The writer of the book of Acts 00:25:19.480 --> 00:25:22.910 is also the writer of the book of Luke. And this 00:25:22.910 --> 00:25:25.849 account of the book of Luke, the book of Luke 00:25:25.849 --> 00:25:29.730 was written to one person. It was not written 00:25:29.730 --> 00:25:34.390 to a church, but to a particular person. So after 00:25:34.390 --> 00:25:36.130 writing the book of Luke, he's writing another 00:25:36.130 --> 00:25:38.990 book to him, which is the book of Acts. It says 00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:42.450 the former account I made all Theophilus. So 00:25:42.450 --> 00:25:46.329 who was the recipient of the book of Luke? Theophilus, 00:25:46.329 --> 00:25:48.769 right? Also the recipient of what? The book of 00:25:48.769 --> 00:25:52.710 Acts. The former account I made of Theophilus 00:25:52.710 --> 00:26:02.029 of all that Jesus began to do and teach. Until 00:26:02.029 --> 00:26:07.910 the day in which he was taken up. After he, through 00:26:07.910 --> 00:26:10.950 the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the 00:26:10.950 --> 00:26:13.910 apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also 00:26:13.910 --> 00:26:17.339 presented himself alive. after his suffering 00:26:17.339 --> 00:26:21.859 by many infallible proofs, by many infallible 00:26:21.859 --> 00:26:26.559 proofs, being seen by men during 40 days, and 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:31.220 speaking of the things pertaining, speaking concerning 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:34.819 the things pertaining the kingdom. So Jesus did 00:26:34.819 --> 00:26:38.940 some things and he taught some things. And the 00:26:38.940 --> 00:26:42.000 things he did were infallible proofs. And the 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.099 things he taught were things concerning the kingdom 00:26:44.099 --> 00:26:51.220 of God. So, Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, 00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:54.640 is referring to the records in the book of Luke, 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:59.299 the works, what he did and what he taught. Therefore, 00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:03.880 we can conclude that the records of the synoptic 00:27:03.880 --> 00:27:06.220 gospels, what are the synoptic gospels? The book 00:27:06.220 --> 00:27:09.220 of Matthew, the book of Mark, the book of Luke 00:27:09.220 --> 00:27:12.220 and the book of John. No, let's say these three. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:17.269 All right. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew, 00:27:17.289 --> 00:27:21.490 Mark, and Luke, particularly, you can exclude 00:27:21.490 --> 00:27:29.529 John for a reason. They are the records of what 00:27:29.529 --> 00:27:33.849 Jesus did. Alright? They are the records of the 00:27:33.849 --> 00:27:37.829 works of Jesus. They are the records of the works 00:27:37.829 --> 00:27:43.819 of Jesus. So Jesus Christ revealed the Father 00:27:43.819 --> 00:27:47.539 through the works that confirm his divinity. 00:27:47.619 --> 00:27:52.279 When we scan through the book of Mark, Luke, 00:27:52.519 --> 00:27:57.559 of course, and a portion of John, Jesus Christ 00:27:57.559 --> 00:28:02.599 revealed the Father through powerful works that 00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:05.099 confirm that he is divine, that he is divinity, 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:10.579 including healing the sick, including casting 00:28:10.579 --> 00:28:15.099 out demons, including raising the dead, and exercising 00:28:15.099 --> 00:28:23.619 authority over nature. He accomplished also in 00:28:23.619 --> 00:28:27.920 the records of the books, particularly the records, 00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:32.279 he accomplished in them one of the things, or 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:36.140 the things he did, the work he did, redemptive 00:28:36.140 --> 00:28:40.309 works by forgiving sins. calling sinners to repentance, 00:28:40.670 --> 00:28:45.750 offering himself through his death and resurrection 00:28:45.750 --> 00:28:52.369 for the salvation of humanity. So, we will see 00:28:52.369 --> 00:28:58.309 encoded in the records his death, his burial, 00:28:58.390 --> 00:29:03.190 and his resurrection. We also see him, Jesus, 00:29:03.430 --> 00:29:06.490 the works he did, proclaiming and demonstrating 00:29:06.490 --> 00:29:09.730 the kingdom of God. Not only that he taught about 00:29:09.730 --> 00:29:12.049 the kingdom, but that he demonstrated the kingdom 00:29:12.049 --> 00:29:15.269 of God. Through the teachings he gave, he demonstrated 00:29:15.269 --> 00:29:20.750 the kingdom of God. And of course, finally we 00:29:20.750 --> 00:29:23.809 see him laying the foundation of the church. 00:29:24.890 --> 00:29:27.630 Laying the foundation for the ministry of the 00:29:27.630 --> 00:29:30.750 church. By preaching the gospel, making disciples, 00:29:31.170 --> 00:29:36.809 commissioning believers also to continue. The 00:29:36.809 --> 00:29:42.710 work of ministry on earth. Hallelujah. So the 00:29:42.710 --> 00:29:46.750 works that Jesus did were a testimony. What did 00:29:46.750 --> 00:29:52.430 they testify? They testify that he was sent by 00:29:52.430 --> 00:29:58.630 God. He is the promised Messiah. Because in the 00:29:58.630 --> 00:30:01.529 prophecy of the Messiah, There were attributes, 00:30:01.930 --> 00:30:03.490 there were actions, there were things that were 00:30:03.490 --> 00:30:08.549 prophesied that the Messiah would do. So, for 00:30:08.549 --> 00:30:13.069 Jesus, for the disciples to know that he is the 00:30:13.069 --> 00:30:16.990 Messiah, as Jesus would say, believe the works 00:30:16.990 --> 00:30:22.569 that I do. Hallelujah. Let's look at an example 00:30:22.569 --> 00:30:31.299 of one. Matthew 11 verse 1. John the Baptist 00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:35.220 was the one that declared to the whole world 00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:40.039 who Jesus is, right? He was the one that ushered 00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:44.140 Jesus into, we'll say, ministry, revealing him 00:30:44.140 --> 00:30:47.500 to the world. Now let's read this and see. Now 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:50.579 it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:53.660 his 12 disciples that he departed from there 00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:55.940 to teach and to preach in their cities. These 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:57.759 are the works of Christ, to preach and to teach 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:01.009 in their cities. And when John had in prison, 00:31:01.130 --> 00:31:04.029 by this moment, John was in prison. He was locked 00:31:04.029 --> 00:31:07.569 up in prison. His ministry has ended. He was 00:31:07.569 --> 00:31:10.309 locked up in prison because he became a political 00:31:10.309 --> 00:31:15.470 activist, speaking truth to power. And then he 00:31:15.470 --> 00:31:20.630 was captured. Let me leave that revelation there. 00:31:21.230 --> 00:31:24.730 And when John had heard in prison about the works 00:31:24.730 --> 00:31:28.279 of Christ, what did he hear? He heard about the 00:31:28.279 --> 00:31:32.339 works of Christ. He sent two of his disciples. 00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:39.900 John was in doubt. Probably, if he is a Messiah, 00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:43.640 why am I in this chain? Probably, if he is a 00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:46.720 promised Messiah, I, the prophet that revealed 00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:51.720 him, would I be in this position? Maybe. Maybe, 00:31:51.799 --> 00:31:54.250 but because the scripture doesn't say. But we 00:31:54.250 --> 00:31:56.609 can surely say that John is in doubt in this 00:31:56.609 --> 00:32:01.650 position. Right? And said to him, no, verse 2. 00:32:02.890 --> 00:32:06.309 And when John heard in prison about the works 00:32:06.309 --> 00:32:09.849 of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. What 00:32:09.849 --> 00:32:12.670 did he send them to do? And said to him, are 00:32:12.670 --> 00:32:16.309 you the coming one or do we look for another? 00:32:17.930 --> 00:32:21.130 Are you the Messiah or we should look for another? 00:32:23.539 --> 00:32:26.700 Then Jesus answered and said to him, instead 00:32:26.700 --> 00:32:28.759 for Jesus to say, yes, I am the Messiah, go and 00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:32.099 tell him that I am the Messiah. He told John 00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:35.059 what John will know, that he is a Messiah. And 00:32:35.059 --> 00:32:36.920 what did he show John, that he is a Messiah? 00:32:37.140 --> 00:32:40.740 He says, go and tell John the things which you 00:32:40.740 --> 00:32:46.140 hear and the things which you see. So there are 00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:50.750 works that must be seen, that are seen. That 00:32:50.750 --> 00:32:53.789 testify who the Messiah is. And what are these 00:32:53.789 --> 00:32:58.750 works? The blind see. Go and tell John that the 00:32:58.750 --> 00:33:03.250 blind see. And the lame work. The lepers are 00:33:03.250 --> 00:33:07.789 cleansed. And the deaf hear. And the dead are 00:33:07.789 --> 00:33:11.390 raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached 00:33:11.390 --> 00:33:20.609 to them. Hallelujah. And the poor. The gospel 00:33:20.609 --> 00:33:26.009 preached to them. Jesus graciously replied to 00:33:26.009 --> 00:33:30.589 him was a sign that will authenticate the identity 00:33:30.589 --> 00:33:35.569 of the Messiah. Healing of the sick. Give me 00:33:35.569 --> 00:33:47.430 that verse again. The blind see. All right. If 00:33:47.430 --> 00:33:49.710 you listen to the teaching we gave you to listen 00:33:49.710 --> 00:33:52.190 for Friday, you know how this correlates. The 00:33:52.190 --> 00:33:55.630 blind see, and the lame walk, the lepers are 00:33:55.630 --> 00:33:59.589 cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised 00:33:59.589 --> 00:34:03.109 up, and the poor have the gospel preached to 00:34:03.109 --> 00:34:07.549 them. So the works that Jesus do were the very 00:34:07.549 --> 00:34:13.969 witness that he is the Messiah. These are the 00:34:13.969 --> 00:34:27.079 works of Jesus. And Jesus is calling us in this 00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:33.400 season. Alright? To do greater. I know that time 00:34:33.400 --> 00:34:36.820 will not permit us to go into details. But let 00:34:36.820 --> 00:34:38.639 me just say this and then we'll study. We'll 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:41.039 say the facts and then we'll go back and then 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:53.179 we'll study. Alright? Jesus is not calling you 00:34:53.179 --> 00:34:56.079 to go and die. For the forgiveness of the sins 00:34:56.079 --> 00:35:03.699 of men. Alright? That is not greater works. Because 00:35:03.699 --> 00:35:07.539 you cannot die for the sins of men. Alright? 00:35:08.559 --> 00:35:12.000 Now what will make your own work greater? Okay? 00:35:12.519 --> 00:35:18.340 What will make our own work greater? It's in 00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:23.789 the volume of what we will do. Alright? is in 00:35:23.789 --> 00:35:27.449 the quantity of what we do, not actually the 00:35:27.449 --> 00:35:30.469 quality of what we do. Because only Jesus can 00:35:30.469 --> 00:35:35.289 do what he did, dying and resurrecting from the 00:35:35.289 --> 00:35:41.030 dead. So the apostles, for example, will do more 00:35:41.030 --> 00:35:43.289 things because he was speaking specifically to 00:35:43.289 --> 00:35:49.550 the apostles. They will do more things than what 00:35:49.550 --> 00:35:55.690 Jesus did. For example, now in Acts 2, verse 00:35:55.690 --> 00:35:59.510 40, we see where Peter preached. At one instance, 00:35:59.610 --> 00:36:05.050 how many people became born again? 3 ,000. There's 00:36:05.050 --> 00:36:07.130 no record in Scripture that Jesus preached and 00:36:07.130 --> 00:36:14.909 3 ,000 people were born again. By volume, by 00:36:14.909 --> 00:36:16.510 the help of the Spirit, we'll do greater works. 00:36:17.849 --> 00:36:21.329 Hallelujah. Jesus was confined within the vicinity 00:36:21.329 --> 00:36:23.769 of Palestine or what they call Israel today. 00:36:27.110 --> 00:36:30.989 But today, we confess that we win billions of 00:36:30.989 --> 00:36:33.929 souls all over the world because we do greater 00:36:33.929 --> 00:36:38.369 works. Hallelujah. Now, by virtue of what God 00:36:38.369 --> 00:36:41.650 is calling us to do, it's Him actually working 00:36:41.650 --> 00:36:43.949 in us by His Spirit. We're going to study and 00:36:43.949 --> 00:36:48.940 see. Calling us to do a fact. technically we 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:50.500 would say that throughout the ministry of Jesus 00:36:50.500 --> 00:36:53.579 Christ, right, till when he left this world, 00:36:53.820 --> 00:36:57.099 we can say technically that nobody was even born 00:36:57.099 --> 00:37:04.039 again until the time he left this world. What 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:08.039 makes a man born again is a spirit. So when Jesus 00:37:08.039 --> 00:37:10.199 was on earth, did any man have the spirit in 00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:15.340 him? No. So it would mean that the greater works 00:37:16.219 --> 00:37:20.400 will be the works by the Spirit. And that is 00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:22.099 what God is calling us to do in this season. 00:37:22.719 --> 00:37:28.119 To do things in a greater dimension. And this 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:30.179 year is a season that God is calling us to step 00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:38.000 into our divine appointed greater works. The 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:42.400 works and the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:47.780 were not concluded when he left the world. But 00:37:47.780 --> 00:37:51.960 that was the foundation and the beginning of 00:37:51.960 --> 00:37:57.000 what God would do on the earth through men. Jesus 00:37:57.000 --> 00:37:59.539 guaranteed that because he had ascended to the 00:37:59.539 --> 00:38:04.500 Father and released the Spirit, what was once 00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:08.000 the height of his earthly ministry has now become 00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:12.800 our own starting point. Where he stopped was 00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:16.570 where he brought men into. That we will do even 00:38:16.570 --> 00:38:19.730 more than what he did. Because by virtue of the 00:38:19.730 --> 00:38:22.949 plan of God in Christ, he was restricted to where 00:38:22.949 --> 00:38:27.150 he was. And we have the ability to do. In fact, 00:38:27.150 --> 00:38:30.369 Jesus only spent three and a half years. Hallelujah. 00:38:31.750 --> 00:38:34.030 The disciples spent more than three and a half 00:38:34.030 --> 00:38:41.690 years. You and I will do greater in volume. Because 00:38:41.690 --> 00:38:44.170 we have the spirit of God. We have the ability 00:38:44.170 --> 00:38:48.150 of God in us. He is the one working in us to 00:38:48.150 --> 00:38:51.889 accomplish his will and his purpose. So I want 00:38:51.889 --> 00:38:54.869 to just encourage us this year to be intentional 00:38:54.869 --> 00:38:59.369 to live out our identity as God's representatives 00:38:59.369 --> 00:39:06.130 on earth. We must think and act in greater measure 00:39:06.130 --> 00:39:09.849 because God is calling us to work the things 00:39:09.849 --> 00:39:12.460 that he did. And even do them in greater dimension. 00:39:15.099 --> 00:39:18.300 It means that we must operate boldly in the name 00:39:18.300 --> 00:39:24.019 of Jesus. Because he has put us in that office 00:39:24.019 --> 00:39:33.480 to do greater works. Let your life be attested 00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:36.460 by God. The words that you speak and the deeds, 00:39:36.519 --> 00:39:39.989 your faith and everything. It's my desire that 00:39:39.989 --> 00:39:45.610 God will help us to understand the dimension 00:39:45.610 --> 00:39:49.289 of the assignment that he has given us and we'll 00:39:49.289 --> 00:39:52.210 be able to fulfill our calling in Jesus' name. 00:39:54.389 --> 00:39:57.630 We appreciate you being here today. We hope you 00:39:57.630 --> 00:39:59.750 carry this word with you throughout your week. 00:40:00.369 --> 00:40:02.570 Don't forget to check the show notes for additional 00:40:02.570 --> 00:40:05.510 insights. Stay connected with us through our 00:40:05.510 --> 00:40:09.369 website or follow us on social media. If you 00:40:09.369 --> 00:40:11.630 were encouraged, share this message with someone 00:40:11.630 --> 00:40:15.190 you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.