Welcome to NECF sermons. Each message here is
designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
right in. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Turn with me
to John chapter 14. Have your seat. John chapter
14, verse 12. John 14, verse 12. It's a year
for greater works. Hallelujah. Say we do greater
works. John chapter 14, verse 12 to 14. Most
assuredly, I say to you, He who believes in me,
the works that I do, he will do also. And greater
works than this he will do because I go to my
Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will
do so that the Father may be glorified in the
Son, If you ask anything in my name, I will do.
Hallelujah. So by the grace of God, as you've
announced to your neighbor, this is the direction
that God is leading us as a church. And I trust
that our hearts are prepared to follow in the
leading that God is leading us as a church. So
today I'm just going to lay a simple foundation.
And subsequently, we'll build on it. And our
sermons and whatever teachings we'll come across
will help us to build on this particular theme
that God has inspired us and has led us. And
the essence of giving us a theme is for us to
have a direction for how we'll build. Amen? Imagine
you are a builder and then you don't have a direction
for building. You don't even have the map. You
don't even know what you're building at every
point in time. Even when you have, what do you
call it, a diagram of what you're building, in
building construction, there's what we call the
plumb, right? They use in measuring the accuracy
and the precision of bricklaying, how it is placed
to ensure that you are building a building that
will stand by looking at the plan by which The
designer of the building has made. So one of
the advantages we have in having a theme is that
it helps us to build intentionally. It helps
us to have a direction so that at the end of
the year, at the end of the time, at the end
of the season, we can measure and see how far
we've grown, how far we've been able to, you
know, build ourself and grown by the help of
God. Hallelujah. So verse 12 of John, of this
text, It says the works that I do, he will do
also. And greater works than this, he will do
also. So Jesus in this verse is saying that the
man who believes in him, who believes in him,
who believes in Jesus, will not only do what
Jesus did. Imagine, you not only do what Jesus
did, but will do greater. will do greater than
what Jesus did. So it means that believing in
Jesus comes with the ability in the man to do
greater works. To do greater works. So fundamentally,
doing greater works is for a man who believes.
And when you don't believe, there's no possibility
for you to do greater works. So if we are those
who believe in him, who believe in Jesus, He's
calling us to do greater works. So by implication,
it means that doing greater works is our calling,
not only for 2026, but also for the years beyond.
So for us to build our understanding on what
God is leading us to do, it's important that
we answer some critical questions from this verse.
I'm going to only... discuss verse 12 alone today
because of time. Only verse 12. There are some
important questions we must try to answer. First
of all, who is Jesus speaking to? Understanding
who Jesus is speaking to is important in understanding
how to apply what he has said. So who is Jesus
speaking to? Secondly, what are the works Jesus
did? Because for us to do greater works, we must
know what Jesus did so that we will do greater
than what Jesus did. Thirdly, what are the greater
works? What can we do that will be greater than
what Jesus has done? So this is very crucial
in helping us to do that which God He's calling
us to do. Now I want us to understand the background
of the text here. The background of the text
in John chapter 14. Jesus was addressing particularly
his disciples. Alright? He's particularly addressing
his disciples shortly before the feast of the
Passover. Before his betrayal. and also before
his subsequent trial, his death, his burial,
and his resurrection. So this is a context. It
is important to know that these were the last
words of Jesus to his disciples who had been
with him for over three years. These were his
last words to them. So if someone is dying or
someone is about traveling and is about to give
you his last words, what does it demand of you,
the listener? It demands that you pay attention,
right? It demands that you take the last words
he says seriously. I mean, in most of the movies
we watch in Africa, from the western part of
Africa, oftentimes when a man is dying, they
always know when they are dying. In the movies,
he will gather his family. and then he will be
talking to them and telling them what to do.
After he finished talking, he will now sleep.
Now have this picture. Jesus was in his last
moments with his disciples. And if there's any
last conversation that he's going to live with
them, he's going to live with them something
that is very crucial, something that is very
important before he leave them for a moment.
So it means that the words that he will be very,
these words will be very important and crucial
to what he was going to do next. Now look at
it from John chapter 14, chapter 13 rather, particularly
from verse 1 to 5, to build the context. Now
before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus
knew that his hour has come, that he should depart
from this world to the Father. This is the context.
That he should depart from this world to the
Father, having loved his own who were in the
world, he loved them to the very end. Verse 2.
And the supper being ended, that is when they
finish a meal, the devil having already put into
the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to
betray him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had
given all things into his hands and that he had
come from God and was going to God, rose from
the supper and laid aside his garment, took a
towel and guarded himself. And after that, he
poured water into a basin and began to wash the
disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel
with which he was guarded. Amen. So this gives
us a context and an understanding that this is
the beginning of the conversation that will lead
us into chapter 14. And then further in verse
18 of that same verse, verse 18, I do not speak
concerning all of you, talking about who will
betray him. I know whom I have chosen, but as
the scripture may be fulfilled, he who eats bread
with me has lifted up his heel against me. Now
I tell you before it comes, that when it does
come to pass, you may believe that I am he. You
may believe that I am he. That he is what? That
he is the one that God has sent. That he is the
Messiah. This is very important. Most assuredly,
I say to you, he who receives whomever I send,
receives me. And he who receives me, receives
him who sent me. When Jesus had said these things,
he was troubled in the spirit and testified and
said, most assuredly, I say to you, one of you
will betray me. Now I want to jump to verse 21.
So when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now the
Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified
in him. If God is glorified in him, God will
also glorify him in himself and glorify himself
immediately. Little children, he swore to them
continually, I shall be with you a little while,
a little while longer. You will seek me and as
I said to the Jews, where I am going, you cannot
come. So now I say to you, a new commandment
I give to you that you love one another as I
have loved you that you also love one another.
By this, all will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one another. So one thing
we have established is that communication is
to his disciples. Secondly, the timing is that
he was about to be betrayed and arrested and
taken for trial and then judgment. Verse 36,
Simon Peter said to him, Lord, where are you
going? Jesus answered, where I'm going, you cannot
follow me now, but you shall follow me afterward.
That is to say, where I'm headed to, you cannot
be with me. But after, you will follow me. So
where is Jesus going? Peter said to him, Lord,
why can't I follow you? Lord, why can't I not
follow you now? He wants it now. I will lay down
my life for your sake. Jesus answered him, will
you lay down your life for my sake? Most assuredly,
I say to you. The rooster shall not crow till
you have denied me three times. So this gives
us a direction towards where Jesus is going.
All right? Now in chapter 14 from verse 1. Let
not your heart be troubled. The conversation
continues. You believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If
it were not so, I would have told you, I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.
And where I go, you know, and the way you know.
And Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know
where you are going. And how can we know the
way? Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me. If you had known me, you would have
known my Father also. And from now on, you know
him and have seen him. Hallelujah. So Jesus says,
I go to the Father. In my Father's house, and
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you, and I also go to prepare a way for
you, a place for you. And we've explained this
times and times again that this verse is particularly
speaking concerning what Jesus will do in his
death. It's not talking about heaven. There are
no mansions in heaven. There are no building
construction happening in heaven. But contextually,
when we follow the reading, Jesus is saying that
in his father's house, in his father's family,
the word house is a father's family, it's a place
for us, right? It's a room that he goes to prepare,
and how he prepares this room is in his death,
in his burial, and his resurrection. So by the
time he goes and then establishes what he has
done in his death, his burial, and his resurrection,
He can bring them into that union where God is.
Hallelujah. Then Philip asks in verse 8, Lord,
show us the Father and it's sufficient for us.
So, his inner Philip doesn't believe that Jesus
is the Father or he was not paying attention.
to the fact that Jesus and the Father are in
union, that when he sees the Father, he sees
Jesus Christ, he has seen the Father. Jesus is
in union with God. Jesus will go on to explain
to him in verse 9 to verse 10. Jesus said to
him, Have I been with you so long and yet you
have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me
has what? has seen the father. So how can you
say, show us the father? Do you not believe that
I am in the father and the father is in me? All
right? Because Jesus has been telling them that
he and the father are one, are in union. So if
you see Jesus, what have you seen? You've seen
the father. How can you know that Jesus is the
father? The next phrase. Jesus is in the father.
Verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in the
father and the father in me? The words that I
speak to you. Verse 10 is very crucial. The words
that I speak to you, I do not speak them on my
own authority. But the Father who dwells in me,
he does what? He does the works. Alright? The
Father who we are in union walks through me on
earth. Believe me that I am in the Father. And
the Father in me. Or else. Believe me, for the
sake of the works themselves, which means that
the works that Jesus did were very crucial to
testifying that he is the Messiah, to testifying
that he and God are one, to testifying that God
is the one working in him to accomplish his plan
on the earth. So, It is Jesus' response to Philip
that we move in to see in verse 12. Jesus continues
in his explanation to Philip in verse 12. He
says, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes
in me, which means that Philip, probably the
apostles, have a belief issue. Alright? Because
he has been saying it, explaining it and doing
the works, but yet they did not believe. Most
assuredly, I say to you, or verily, verily, I
say to you, he who believes in me, the works
that I do, alright, which works? The works that
I do, which are the Father's works, which God
is working through me, he will do also. And greater
than this, He will do because. Why? Because I
go to the Father. It means that going to the
Father is conditional. Okay? Going to the Father
is conditional to he that believes doing the
works of Christ and even doing greater. So Jesus
is in union with the Father. The only way by
which God the Father can be known is through
Jesus Christ. The works that Jesus did were the
Father walking through him. God himself is spirit.
And the Bible says in John chapter 1 verse 18
previously that no man has ever seen him. Alright?
No man has ever seen him. John chapter 1 verse
18. It says that no man, says no one has seen
God at any time. The only begotten son who is
in the bosom of the father, he has what? He has
revealed him. He has declared him. So when you
see the son, you see the father. Because all
the father is doing, he has done it through the
son. And we can see the works of the son and
know that the father is at work. Hallelujah.
So Jesus himself on earth, is a revelation of
the Father. Colossians chapter 1 verse 15. Colossians
chapter 1 verse 15. He is an image. He is a very
reflection. He is a very essence. The image of
the God that we cannot see manifested in the
flesh. The face born of all creation. Hebrews
chapter 1 verse 3. Hebrews 1, verse 3. It also
says that, alright, give me verse 2 to give us
context. Verse 1. God, who at various times and
in various ways spoke in pass to the fathers
by the prophets, verse 2, has in this last day
spoken to us by his Son. Alright? So the medium
by which God speaks to us in these days is by
his Son. whom he has appointed heir of all things,
through whom also he made the worlds. Who being,
that is Jesus, the brightness of his glory and
the express image of his person. So if we want
to know God, we want to see God, the answer to
Philip's question is actually Jesus. The express
image of his person and of all things by the
word of his power, when he had... He had by himself
approached us and sat on the right hand of the
majesty on high. Through Jesus, the works of
God, the Father are manifested. So the works
that Jesus did are actually the works of the
Father. Because Jesus did not do anything apart
from what God is doing through him. You can see
his testimony in John chapter 5. John 5, verse
16. For this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus
and sought to kill him because he had done these
things on the Sabbath. They walked, he did something
on the Sabbath, right? But Jesus answered them,
My father has been working until now, and I have
been working. Therefore the Jews sought all the
more to kill him because he not only broke the
Sabbath, but also said that God was his father,
making himself, this is the consequence of saying
God is his father, making himself equal with
God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most
assuredly, I say to you, the son can do nothing
of himself, but what he sees the father do. For
whatever he does, the son also does in like manner.
For the father loves the son and shows him all
things that he himself does, and he will show
him greater works than these that you may marvel.
For as the Father raises the dead and gives life
to them, see what the Father does, right? As
the Father raises the dead and gives life to
them, even so the Son gives life to whom he wills.
For the Father judges no one, but has committed
all judgment to the Son. that all should honor
their son just as they honor their father. He
who does not honor their son does not honor their
father who sent him. Hallelujah. So we can conclude
that what Jesus, the works Jesus did, the works
of Jesus are actually the works of their father.
So through the works of Jesus, we'll be able
to know what God is doing or what God has done.
Hallelujah. So then what are the works Jesus
did? What are the works Jesus did? Particularly,
what are the works Jesus did? Now, the works
Jesus did will include the things Jesus did,
right? In action, the things he did and also
the things he taught. I want you to write that
down. The works Jesus did will include the things
Jesus did and also The things he taught, his
actions and his teachings. Acts chapter 1, verse
1 to 3, we see where Dr. Luke makes a very fundamental
statement as he was writing the book of Acts.
He says the former account, what account? The
book of Luke. The writer of the book of Acts
is also the writer of the book of Luke. And this
account of the book of Luke, the book of Luke
was written to one person. It was not written
to a church, but to a particular person. So after
writing the book of Luke, he's writing another
book to him, which is the book of Acts. It says
the former account I made all Theophilus. So
who was the recipient of the book of Luke? Theophilus,
right? Also the recipient of what? The book of
Acts. The former account I made of Theophilus
of all that Jesus began to do and teach. Until
the day in which he was taken up. After he, through
the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the
apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also
presented himself alive. after his suffering
by many infallible proofs, by many infallible
proofs, being seen by men during 40 days, and
speaking of the things pertaining, speaking concerning
the things pertaining the kingdom. So Jesus did
some things and he taught some things. And the
things he did were infallible proofs. And the
things he taught were things concerning the kingdom
of God. So, Luke, the writer of the book of Acts,
is referring to the records in the book of Luke,
the works, what he did and what he taught. Therefore,
we can conclude that the records of the synoptic
gospels, what are the synoptic gospels? The book
of Matthew, the book of Mark, the book of Luke
and the book of John. No, let's say these three.
All right. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew,
Mark, and Luke, particularly, you can exclude
John for a reason. They are the records of what
Jesus did. Alright? They are the records of the
works of Jesus. They are the records of the works
of Jesus. So Jesus Christ revealed the Father
through the works that confirm his divinity.
When we scan through the book of Mark, Luke,
of course, and a portion of John, Jesus Christ
revealed the Father through powerful works that
confirm that he is divine, that he is divinity,
including healing the sick, including casting
out demons, including raising the dead, and exercising
authority over nature. He accomplished also in
the records of the books, particularly the records,
he accomplished in them one of the things, or
the things he did, the work he did, redemptive
works by forgiving sins. calling sinners to repentance,
offering himself through his death and resurrection
for the salvation of humanity. So, we will see
encoded in the records his death, his burial,
and his resurrection. We also see him, Jesus,
the works he did, proclaiming and demonstrating
the kingdom of God. Not only that he taught about
the kingdom, but that he demonstrated the kingdom
of God. Through the teachings he gave, he demonstrated
the kingdom of God. And of course, finally we
see him laying the foundation of the church.
Laying the foundation for the ministry of the
church. By preaching the gospel, making disciples,
commissioning believers also to continue. The
work of ministry on earth. Hallelujah. So the
works that Jesus did were a testimony. What did
they testify? They testify that he was sent by
God. He is the promised Messiah. Because in the
prophecy of the Messiah, There were attributes,
there were actions, there were things that were
prophesied that the Messiah would do. So, for
Jesus, for the disciples to know that he is the
Messiah, as Jesus would say, believe the works
that I do. Hallelujah. Let's look at an example
of one. Matthew 11 verse 1. John the Baptist
was the one that declared to the whole world
who Jesus is, right? He was the one that ushered
Jesus into, we'll say, ministry, revealing him
to the world. Now let's read this and see. Now
it came to pass when Jesus finished commanding
his 12 disciples that he departed from there
to teach and to preach in their cities. These
are the works of Christ, to preach and to teach
in their cities. And when John had in prison,
by this moment, John was in prison. He was locked
up in prison. His ministry has ended. He was
locked up in prison because he became a political
activist, speaking truth to power. And then he
was captured. Let me leave that revelation there.
And when John had heard in prison about the works
of Christ, what did he hear? He heard about the
works of Christ. He sent two of his disciples.
John was in doubt. Probably, if he is a Messiah,
why am I in this chain? Probably, if he is a
promised Messiah, I, the prophet that revealed
him, would I be in this position? Maybe. Maybe,
but because the scripture doesn't say. But we
can surely say that John is in doubt in this
position. Right? And said to him, no, verse 2.
And when John heard in prison about the works
of Christ, he sent two of his disciples. What
did he send them to do? And said to him, are
you the coming one or do we look for another?
Are you the Messiah or we should look for another?
Then Jesus answered and said to him, instead
for Jesus to say, yes, I am the Messiah, go and
tell him that I am the Messiah. He told John
what John will know, that he is a Messiah. And
what did he show John, that he is a Messiah?
He says, go and tell John the things which you
hear and the things which you see. So there are
works that must be seen, that are seen. That
testify who the Messiah is. And what are these
works? The blind see. Go and tell John that the
blind see. And the lame work. The lepers are
cleansed. And the deaf hear. And the dead are
raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached
to them. Hallelujah. And the poor. The gospel
preached to them. Jesus graciously replied to
him was a sign that will authenticate the identity
of the Messiah. Healing of the sick. Give me
that verse again. The blind see. All right. If
you listen to the teaching we gave you to listen
for Friday, you know how this correlates. The
blind see, and the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised
up, and the poor have the gospel preached to
them. So the works that Jesus do were the very
witness that he is the Messiah. These are the
works of Jesus. And Jesus is calling us in this
season. Alright? To do greater. I know that time
will not permit us to go into details. But let
me just say this and then we'll study. We'll
say the facts and then we'll go back and then
we'll study. Alright? Jesus is not calling you
to go and die. For the forgiveness of the sins
of men. Alright? That is not greater works. Because
you cannot die for the sins of men. Alright?
Now what will make your own work greater? Okay?
What will make our own work greater? It's in
the volume of what we will do. Alright? is in
the quantity of what we do, not actually the
quality of what we do. Because only Jesus can
do what he did, dying and resurrecting from the
dead. So the apostles, for example, will do more
things because he was speaking specifically to
the apostles. They will do more things than what
Jesus did. For example, now in Acts 2, verse
40, we see where Peter preached. At one instance,
how many people became born again? 3 ,000. There's
no record in Scripture that Jesus preached and
3 ,000 people were born again. By volume, by
the help of the Spirit, we'll do greater works.
Hallelujah. Jesus was confined within the vicinity
of Palestine or what they call Israel today.
But today, we confess that we win billions of
souls all over the world because we do greater
works. Hallelujah. Now, by virtue of what God
is calling us to do, it's Him actually working
in us by His Spirit. We're going to study and
see. Calling us to do a fact. technically we
would say that throughout the ministry of Jesus
Christ, right, till when he left this world,
we can say technically that nobody was even born
again until the time he left this world. What
makes a man born again is a spirit. So when Jesus
was on earth, did any man have the spirit in
him? No. So it would mean that the greater works
will be the works by the Spirit. And that is
what God is calling us to do in this season.
To do things in a greater dimension. And this
year is a season that God is calling us to step
into our divine appointed greater works. The
works and the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ
were not concluded when he left the world. But
that was the foundation and the beginning of
what God would do on the earth through men. Jesus
guaranteed that because he had ascended to the
Father and released the Spirit, what was once
the height of his earthly ministry has now become
our own starting point. Where he stopped was
where he brought men into. That we will do even
more than what he did. Because by virtue of the
plan of God in Christ, he was restricted to where
he was. And we have the ability to do. In fact,
Jesus only spent three and a half years. Hallelujah.
The disciples spent more than three and a half
years. You and I will do greater in volume. Because
we have the spirit of God. We have the ability
of God in us. He is the one working in us to
accomplish his will and his purpose. So I want
to just encourage us this year to be intentional
to live out our identity as God's representatives
on earth. We must think and act in greater measure
because God is calling us to work the things
that he did. And even do them in greater dimension.
It means that we must operate boldly in the name
of Jesus. Because he has put us in that office
to do greater works. Let your life be attested
by God. The words that you speak and the deeds,
your faith and everything. It's my desire that
God will help us to understand the dimension
of the assignment that he has given us and we'll
be able to fulfill our calling in Jesus' name.
We appreciate you being here today. We hope you
carry this word with you throughout your week.
Don't forget to check the show notes for additional
insights. Stay connected with us through our
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you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.