You Will See Greater Things Than This
John 1:43-51
SLIDE 1
Promise: You will see greater things than this.
Jesus responded to him, "Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."
(John 1:50 HCSB)
SLIDE 2
Truth: Jesus will always know more about me, than I will ever know about Him.
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Jesus answered. "Rabbi," Nathanael replied, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"
(John 1:48-49 HCSB)
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.
(Romans 8:28-29 HCSB)
For I know the plans I have for you"--this is the LORD's declaration--"plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB)
SLIDE 3
In “A Christmas Carol”, three ghosts/spirits show Scrooge what life would be without him. Jesus wants to show you how your life could be with Him.
SLIDE 4
Jesus knows your past.
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Jesus answered.
(John 1:48 HCSB)
To what event is Jesus referring? Apparently, there was a time in the recent past before Philip talked to Nathanael about Jesus. Nathanael was sitting under the fig tree. He was probably wondering if there was someone who could help him with the way his life was going on. Isreael was under Roman occupation. Maybe there was a downturn in the economy. We don’t know. All we know is that Nathaneal was sitting under the fig tree and thinking about life and how it was going. He was thinking about a Person who could come and help him with his life. (Maybe he was thinking of killing himself. Maybe he was wondering why life was treating him the way it was.) Then Philip comes and says there is a guy who can help him. Jesus, by mentioning that He saw Nathanael under the fig tree, made Nathaneal realize that Jesus knew his past and what he was going through.
The same is true with you and me. Jesus knows what we are going through. He knows our 2008s. He also knows our 2009s.
SLIDE 5
Jesus knows your future.
Jesus responded to him, "Do you believe only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." Then He said, "I assure you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
(John 1:50-51 HCSB)
SLIDE 6
Nathanael called Jesus the “Son of God.” Jesus calls Himself the “Son of Man.” Anytime Jesus uses that title, He is talking about His role in judgment. It comes from the image of the “Judge” in Daniel.
I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
(Daniel 7:13-14 HCSB)
The title “Son of Man” appears thirteen times in the Gospel of John. Each time it is used, it is connected with Jesus having the authority to judge the world.
So Jesus was saying: “Look, I know the future, and I will be the judge of your future.”
Maybe you have gone through many changes. We wrote a letter to some good friends in Germany this past week. As we sat and re-read the account of what has happened with us, we are amazed at all that has transpired, and everything God has done. Could we have predicted all that happened to us in 2008, when it was 2007? No. The same is true with 2009.
But people are looking to their future and they are wondering how it is going to be.
SLIDE 7: What are people thinking about 2008
I took a look at Google. They have a section called “Zeitgeist” – which means “spirit of the times.” They took all of the information that people asked on Google in 2008, and they put it into some lists. Here are some of these lists:
SLIDE 8:
Who is...
who is obama
who is mccain
who is palin
who is lil wayne
who is miley cyrus
who is dolla
who is jonas brothers
who is chris brown
who is biden
who is martin luther
SLIDE 9:
What is...
what is love
what is life
what is java
what is sap
what is rss
what is scientology
what is autism
what is lupus
what is 3g
what is art
SLIDE 10:
It's the Economy ...
financial crisis
depression
bailout
mortgage crisis
wall street
oil
stock market
subprime
credit crisis
housing crisis
SLIDE 11:
Google.com - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
obama
att
iphone
youtube
fox news
palin
beijing 2008
david cook
surf the channel
Google News - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
sarah palin
american idol
mccain
olympics
ike (hurricane)
Google Image Search - Fastest Rising (U.S.)
sarah palin
obama
twilight
miley cyrus
joker
Now of course, this is just if you looked at Google. But you get a sense of what was on everyone’s mind. The top event that we did not expect was the downturn in the economy. Who could have imagined this time last year that the economy would be so bad?
It is for this reason that we have to trust someone who knows more about the future than you or I could ever do. Like I said before:
Truth: Jesus will always know more about me, than I will ever know about Him.
So what is God showing us now? What does God want us to do in 2009?
Here is a preview:
“You will see greater things than this.”
QUESTION: What are “the greater things” that God wants you to see in 2009?
This is the promise that I am praying for this church. I am praying that God will show my wife greater things this year. I am praying that God will show you many things in 2009. I am praying that God will show me greater things in 2009. I am praying that God will show Mozark greater things in 2009.
So what will it take to see “more things than this” in 2009?
Faith.
Nathaneal questioned whether anything good could come from Galilee. Likewise, there are many people who question the same things about Jesus.
But God challenges us to trust Him. It takes trusting first His Son for eternity, and then trusting that God knows more about 2009 than we do.
The promise is simple: What “greater things than this” will Mozark see in 2009?
What “greater things than this” will your family see in 2009?
What “greater things than this” will you see in 2009?
We don’t know what 2009 will bring, if we could guess ourselves. But with God, I can trust that He knows more about my life than I think I know.
So my challenge is simple. Pray and ask God this question:
“What greater things does God want to do in my life in 2009?”
