Title: Greater Works Shall You Do!
Text: John 14:12
C.I.T: God has purposed his people to do the work that Jesus did, and has provided his people the anointing to do so.
Purpose: To challenge the congregation to do the works Christ did and to show them how they can do that.
Introduction
Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord. Amen? He is the prince of peace. He gives us peace even when there is no peace. Even when the world starts to shake because of economic crisis, we as Christians can rest in peace because God almighty dwells within us amen? Let me tell you in time of crisis you don’t need to run to anywhere just know that God is there with you. He says “Lo, I will be with you till the ends of the world” Listen here for a very long time, I thought that this is a promise. This is not a promise but this is a reality. When you come to a realize the reality of God’s presence always being with you will no longer quake under the pressure of this world you are going to have peace in your life and not only that you are going to be as bold as a lion! We are living in times whereby exciting things are going to happen. In the next few years you will begin to see world events taking place that will point towards the coming our master. Our master is returning. And because our master is returning we got to realize that there is no more time for us to laze around because the master had entrusted work for us to do and when he returns, he expects us to have done our work. This morning I am going to preach very simply. There are basically three things which we need to know.
Firstly, we are to do the works of Christ.(John 14:2)
1. We are to do the works, which Jesus did.
We are entrusted with the important task of carrying on the ministry of Jesus. We are to do the very works, which Christ did when he was walking the streets of Jerusalem and Israel.
What are the works, which Jesus did? He preach the gospel, he healed the sick, cast out demons, ministered to the poor, gave hope to those who are without hope. Read the gospel and you will find out what Jesus did.
Mark 16:15, Jesus told the disciples these signs shall accompany you wherever you go, in my name you shall cast out demons, and heal the sick and so on. The disciples caught what Jesus was saying to them and the church grew because they did the very works, which Jesus himself did.
We are to do the works that Jesus did.
T.S: We are to do the works which Jesus did, but we must come to a realization that without Him we can do nothing. Our work must arise out of intimacy with Jesus.
2. Work must arise out of intimacy with Christ. (John 15:4)
We got to realize that work must arise out of our love for the master. Jesus in John 15:4 says, “without me you can do nothing.”
Many of us who serves God we become weary and tired why? Because we are not serving Him because we love him, we are doing so because we feel more spiritual and religious. Some serve because we think that we can win merits. We can only bear fruits in our work and ministry when we abide in Christ, when we spent time with Him, and because we love him so much, that love compels us to serve Him. Our works must flow out from the love that we have for Him.
T.S.: Finally I want to conclude by saying that God does not only want us to do the works of Christ, he wants us to do greater works.
3. We are to do greater works.
The second part of verse of John 14:12 says that greater works shall we do because Christ goes to the Father. What actually does Jesus mean by that? In Jn 16:7 Jesus said, “If I do not go away, the Helper will not come” Here Jesus said you shall do greater works because I go to my Father. So what Jesus meant here is that the church is going to do greater works because the Holy Spirit is coming. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. We shall do greater works because during Jesus ministry, he alone is anointed by the Spirit. But when the Spirit comes every believer who is baptized in the Holy Spirit can carry out the same ministry of Christ. Instead of one Christ, we have multiple people doing the very same anointed ministry of Christ. Therefore the magnitude of the work way surpasses what He could accomplish.
The power for work comes from the anointing of the Spirit or the empowerment of the Spirit. It is not by might nor by power but by thy Spirit. Many of us here knows that we need the anointing of the Spirit, for ministry, but few realized that God has already anointed you. The bible in 1 John 2:20 says that “You have an anointing from the Holy One,……” Many run from seminars to seminars hoping to receive some anointing from some anointing man of God. In fact some of you have received so much oil and have not used it that you have become sticky all over. You are anointed. This is not a promise, this is a reality! Each of you that is seated here who have already been baptize in the Holy Spirit, you are like a hand grenade. In order for you to explode you simply need to act by pulling the pin. Elisha, when the mantle fell from heaven he need not keep the mantle in some showcase, he took the mantle and he strike the river Jordan with it and the river parted. Listen here the mantle has already fallen on you and all that you need to do is to know that you have the anointing and then act on it. When you know of someone who is sick, you don’t have to straight away call up the pastor, you and pray for the person believing that God can heal through you. God had empowered you to do the works of Christ.
Conclusion
In conclusion I want to say that God cannot work without you. He had so chosen to give us the privilege to work with Him. This morning I challenge you that you will arise and go forth knowing that God has already anointed you, you trust in the anointing and do the works, which God is calling you to do. When every one of you does that let me tell you there will be a mighty explosion of the Holy Spirit in this place. Amen.
