Your Pastor Is Crazy
Sunday Morning, 08-26-12
Text: John 14:1-19
Intro:
During one of our Wed. Night Bible studies a comment was made that to really be a “Christian” as the Word was telling us you would have to be “weird or something.” I have been thinking about that and have come to the conclusion that it’s true, you have to be different than the world if you are to truly be a follower of Jesus Christ.
Now, to be different, to not be like the world to follow Christ some would even go so far as to say “your crazy”, well, guess what? Your Pastor is crazy. Now some of you are saying to your self “I already knew that”, but I want to go farther than that, you see, I want you to be “crazy” with me! Let’s read our text and hopefully through the revelation of the Holy Ghost you’ll be “crazy” with me.
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 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.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
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Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Now, let us examine these verses as to what they say…
(Verse 1)
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
I’m just crazy enough to believe what Jesus has said here! I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, I believe He is the Son of God and I believe He has ALL power and authority as the Son!
The crazy thing is to allow your heart to be troubled! If we TRULY believe in Jesus Christ, all He is and all He stands for, we have no business having a troubled heart! He is our Rock! He is our Salvation! He is…King of Kings etc…
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(Verses 2-4)
Joh 14:2 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.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
I don’t know about you but, I’m crazy enough to believe Jesus is there right now preparing a place for those who are His! I believe He is preparing a place for ME!
Are you crazy? I am, I believe in Heaven! I believe where He is there I’ll be as well! I believe I know where He is and by His Word I know how to get there!
I believe it’s going to be a place of “less”
Are you crazy? Am I crazy? Let me tell you why it’s a place of less.
It’s a place that is
• SIN-LESS
• TEAR-LESS
• PAIN-LESS
• NIGHT-LESS
• SORROW-LESS
• DEATH-LESS
• HELL-LESS
• TIME-LESS
Glory to God! We need to be shouting church!!!
I’m about to get crazier…are you?
(Verses 5-10)
Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Joh 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
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Joh 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
Joh 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
I’m crazy enough to believe there is ONLY one WAY, ONLY one TRUTH, and ONLY one LIFE and they are through the real, live person of Jesus Christ!
Are you crazy?
I am!!!
If there were another way to salvation, Jesus is not needed!
If there is more than one truth, Jesus is a lie!
If there is life to be had apart from Jesus…it is not life!
I believe Jesus is the way, truth and life!!!
Are you with me? Are you crazy yet!!??
Praise God!!! Thank You Jesus!!!
(Verses 11-14)
Joh 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Listen to me brother, sister, your Pastor is crazy!
I’m just crazy enough to believe what Jesus said in these verses as well.
Those who believe on Jesus. Why the word on? Listen to some of the definitions…
“nearness, closeness or contiguity, At or near. It denotes resting for support; as, to depend on, to rely on;”
Those who are near, close, resting on and depending on Jesus will do the works He did and according to His words, “greater works than these shall he do;”
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What works did Jesus do? Mostly we think of the miracles He preformed.
Here are just a few…
• Was born of a virgin
• Changed water to wine
• Healings of the sick, blind, deaf, mute, leprous etc..
• Cast demons out
• Raised the dead to life
• Walked on water
• Calmed the storm
• Fed 5ooo
That is just some of what Jesus did, and He said greater than these we will do! Are you crazy enough to believe it?
Jesus also said that anything we ask in His Name, He will do!
I’m crazy enough to believe that we no longer be what we have become, the weak, ineffective disciples of Jesus, but become what Jesus truly expected from His Church! Listen to what Matthew 16:18-19 says…
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
I believe there IS POWER IN THE NAME OF JESUS!!!!!
POWER over sickness, over sin, over death, over demons, over the weather
Are you with me, are you crazy!!??
(Verses 15-19)
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
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We come to the last five verses of our text.
I’m crazy enough to believe what Jesus said here just as much as the previous verses; He has already sent the Comforter, the Holy Ghost.
Glory to God, did you get what He said about truth? Not only will/has He sent the Holy Spirit, but He is also the Spirit of Truth!
Now that is the crazy part…What the world perceives as truth…is really lies and what they think of as lies or at best “fairy tales” concerning Jesus Christ is really the TRUTH!!!
Unless the “Spirit of Truth” lives inside you, you cannot see Him.
One day…not too far off I think…the world will see Him again…but not the way we who call Him Lord will.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
We who are His will rejoice…the rest of the earth will “wail because of Him.”
So, are you crazy? Are you with me?
We need to be Crazy For Christ!!!
We need to be crazy enough to REALLY BELIEVE what the Word of God says!!! Things like in Acts 2:17-21
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:
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Act 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
It’s time we called on the Name of the Lord! It’s time we told everyone we come in contact with to call on the Name of the Lord and be SAVED!!!
It’s time we started being “REAL” disciples of Jesus Christ instead of being thought of as a sensible and moderate Christian. My faith is a “personal” thing and I shouldn’t try and speak openly about my beliefs!
It’s time we stopped being concerned what others think of us…thinking that we are crazy.
I’m here to tell you, I’d rather be thought of as “Crazy” here than be thought of as sensible and moderate while I’m burning in Hell’s Fire and damnation!!!
So, are you with me? Are we going to be “Crazy for Christ” together?
Close as the Spirit leads…
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