Jesus’ Reality, My Reality
For the most part, the Church, the body of Christ, doesn’t understand who it is as it relates to being part of God’s family.
Please turn to 1 John 3.
(1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God [that we should be designated, that we should be called out, that people will know - It’s one of those phrases that we say but oftentimes miss the significance of what it is saying.]: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
The word “knoweth” means “to be acquainted with or recognize.” So, listen to what this verse says. “The world does not recognize us or acknowledge us for who we are as sons and daughters of God.” Why? The world did not acknowledge or recognize Jesus as the Son of God.
The Jewish people were expecting a totally different Messiah than what they got. They wanted someone, and this is so “today,” who would be a social justice type leader, someone who would bring back the “glory” associated with being a Jew. They were not expecting someone who was going to die for mankind – someone who was going to die for them and for those swine-eating Gentles.
So, when the Bible says that they don’t know us it’s because we have the same life and nature in us that Jesus has in Him. But one of the problems, ladies and gentlemen is this: we don’t know us!
And that’s why John says in the first verse, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” I’ll be 64 this year. I accepted Jesus as my lord and savior when I was 10 years old. My “now” was when I was 10 years old and it is continuing. We can be “now” and not know that we are “now.”
And this is so very important. The sooner we get to the understanding of the “now” of who we are, the sooner we’ll get to doing the things that Jesus says we can do.
(2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. [We are the sons of God, ladies and gentlemen, just like Jesus is the Son of God but we do not appear as He does. Why? We are still wearing our “earth suits” and Jesus has a glorified body.]
When we see Jesus as He is that’s when we will truly see ourselves. We will operate in this world the same way He did. That’s why we are hear folks – to do the works that He did!
Turn to 1 John 4:4 – Ye are of God…
Say it with me, “I am of God. That means God is my Father. That means Satan has no power over me. None.” That word “of” is the Greek word “ek” and it means “out of, from which your origin begins.” Before I accepted Jesus, I was “ek,” out of John. Now that God is my Father, I have been birthed by Him.
Ye are of God little children, and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Who is the “them?” Lets make it a broad stroke. Everything related to this world we have overcome. Two of the things related to this world that we sometimes forget are our bodies and our minds. But according to what we just read – we have overcome those things when we got born again.
The reason we don’t know who we are is because we have not renewed our minds to that truth. Jesus is telling us that our point of origin is God and because God is our point of origin we are now overcomers when it comes to the things of this world.
Now look at 1 John 5:4, 5, 11-15
(4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
What overcomes the world ladies and gentlemen? Our faith. Not God’s faith. Not Jesus’ faith. Not our pastor’s faith. Not our mother or father’s faith. OUR FAITH!
As sons and daughters of God, we have the innate nature of being overcomers. But ladies and gentlemen, you can have it but if you don’t exercise it you’re not going to be it. You have to exercise your dominion. You have to exercise your “overcometh-ness.”
(5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Now jump to verse 11.
(11) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
(12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
The person who has accepted Jesus as his or her lord and savior now has eternal life. Those who have not done this do not have eternal life and are going to the lake of fire. There are a lot folks in the church who are going to the lake of fire and I say that with great heaviness of heart.
(13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
(14) An this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
(15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Beloved, now you are the sons of God.
Beloved, now you are an overcomer.
Beloved, what makes your “overcometh-ness” a reality is your faith.
Beloved, when you believe on Jesus, when you trust Him completely, whatever you ask you are going to receive.
Turn to John 14 and we’re going to read verse 12. And this is verse we’re going to focus on tonight. And we’re only going to look at the first part of the verse. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also….”
The Bible is an image book. It paints pictures. The Bible wants us to see things from God’s vantage point. I want you to hear what Holy Spirit said after I read the first part of John 14:12.
“Jesus was presenting an image to the apostles in much the same way as God did with Abraham. Just as Abraham was to look at the stars and the sands to understand how large his family would be, the apostles were to look at everything Jesus had said and done when He was with them. He was their image. He was their hope. To the apostles, what Jesus did was their “shall be.”
I want to give you the Holy Spirit’s definition of hope. “Hope is when you come to the place where you agree that what has been is not what shall be.” What does this look like for us? When we pray for healing we are praying for what I now to change. Is that not true? Ladies and gentlemen, when we come to the place that what we believe about what the Bible teaches about healing, then our “what is” will not be our future – will not be our “shall be.”
We’re going to focus on “He that believeth in me.” I want to share the definition of “believe” that the Holy Spirit gave to our pastor. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The word “believeth” is the same word in both verses.
(1) To “believe” is a RECOGNITION of who Jesus is. Jesus is the second person of the godhead. Jesus is deity. What Jesus says is law. Jesus is the final say.
(2) To “believe” is an AFFIRMATION of what Jesus said. Jesus said it so I believe it. It doesn’t matter what the world says that Jesus said. And, it doesn’t matter what I say Jesus said. The Gospels tell us what Jesus said. If I tell you something different, don’t listen to me.
(3) To “believe” is an ACCEPTANCE of Jesus’s standards. 1 Peter 1:15 and 16 say “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” This is the standard. There is no leeway. There is no grey area. You are to be holy as He is holy. That is the standard.
(4) To “believe” means we are SUBMITTED to Jesus’s authority.
When the Bible says we need to believe on Jesus, it is saying we need to recognize who Jesus is, we need to affirm what He said, we need to accept Jesus’s standards and we need to be submitted to Him.
That’s what the Bible says. That’s what that means but how many of you know that many Christians are not living this way? If you agree with the things the world does, then you don’t believe on Jesus. You may believe on that picture of Jesus that you have hanging in your house. You may believe on that Jesus but you’re not believing on the Jesus in the Bible.
Now I want you to hear what the Holy Spirit said. “Jesus told the apostles that when you reach this place in your spiritual walk, MY REALITY WILL BE YOUR REALITY [my emphasis].”
When you get to the place that you recognize Jesus for who He is, that you affirm what He teaches, that His standards are your standards and that you are submitted to His authority – ladies and gentlemen, Jesus’s reality will become your reality.
Do you see that? Everything we see Jesus doing in the gospels become our reality. It’s not just something we read about anymore. It is something we are.
Something else the Lord shared and this is from the perspective of God the Father. “Because of the decisions, the choices, My Son made, I was able to live through Him. My life was His life. That’s why He could tell the apostles when you see Me, you have seen the Father. Imagine what your life would be like if it was totally synchronized with My life.”
We have God’s life and nature and He wants it to look – to function, to operate – the same as His life and nature functions and operates. No one should be able to see a difference!
“He that believeth on me.” The word “on” is “eis” (ice) in the Greek and it paints the image of someone moving towards a goal. We are at a place in our lives where we are striving to believe totally on Jesus. We’re not there yet, but that’s our goal. We are in motion towards that final act.
So the question ladies and gentlemen is…
? Since we’re beloved and now we are the sons of God…
? Since we’re beloved and we have overcome the world because of our faith…
? Since we are beloved Satan can not stop us from doing what God wants us to do…
Why ladies and gentlemen are we not doing John 14:12 on a regular and consistent basis? I am going to give you nine reasons. And we’re going back to the beginning of the chapter and we’re going to work our way forward.
When we read the verses we’re going to read, we are going to ask the question, “What if we are doing the opposite?” But before we do that, we’ve got to back up to John 13 and you’ve heard me say before that John 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 should be read together because they are all part of the Last Supper.
We’re going to read John 13, verses 37 and 38.
(37) Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my lie for thy sake.
(38) Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.
What does it mean to “lay down your life for Jesus?” In the Greek, it means “to put into proper place.” When you hear that definition, think about “complete and total submission.” When you hear the definition “to put into proper place, think about “I die daily.” Why? So that He can live through us.
Reason #1 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We are not totally submitted to Jesus in the same way He was totally submitted to the Father. Plain and simple. We have not laid down our lives.
Verse 1 of chapter 14. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
When you have a troubled heart, what is that an indication of ? Fear. 1 John 4:17 says that there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear. So every time you have a troubled heart, there is some fear, some unbelief somewhere.
Reason #2 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We truly don’t believe in Jesus the way we think we do.
Look at verse 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.
Reason #3 as to why we are not doing John 14;12: We don’t understand “our place.” And when you read down further, Jesus says that where I am – present tense – you shall be also – present tense. He’s talking about a place, a position, as a son of God. That’s what Jesus is talking about. We don’t understand our position as sons and daughters of God. We don’t know who we are. But I’ll tell you what, the enemy of the soul and his little demon horde – they know who we are! And they’re so glad that we’re ignorant and that we don’t have a true revelation of who we are.
(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.
(4) And whither I go ye knew, and they way ye know.
(5) Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
(6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
There is only one way to heaven and that’s through J-E-S-U-S. Whoever tells you there is another way to heaven isn’t going to heaven! I don’t care what the Muslims say. Jesus is the only way. I don’t care what the Buddhists say. Jesus is the only way. I am not going to argue with you!
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Bingo. That’s it. I don’t have to try to build an alliance with you to make you happy so that you will accept what I am saying. I don’t care if you don’t accept what I am saying because truth is truth.
Hurt people’s feelings. Go ahead. Hurt them. Then maybe they’ll be hurt enough to take an honest look at what you’re saying. You’re telling me my religion is wrong. You SOB, blah, blah, blah. We have got to stop dancing around the truth. People’s lives are at stake.
Reasons #4 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We don’t truly believe Jesus is “the one and only way” to the Father.
(7) If ye had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Reason #5 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We don’t know Jesus.
(8) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
(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 safest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Reason #6 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We don’t believe why scripture records about the life of Jesus, which reflected the Father.
(10) Believeth 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.
Reason #7 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: We haven’t grasped the revelation of the Father dwelling in us.
Beloved, now are you the sons of God. Ye are of God little children and greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. God is your Father little children. God dwells in you little children. We don’t believe that the way we say we do.
In verse 10, we see “words” connected to “works.” There is a relationship between what we say and what we do. I like to put it this way. There is an “inside Barry” and there is an “outside Barry.” You are now experiencing the “outside Barry.”
If the “inside Barry,” the abundance of his heart is not what the Bible says, then the “outside Barry,” the abundance of his heart is not going to be what the Bible says. My words are not going to line up with my works. My words are going to prevent me from doing the works.
If I see myself as anything other than a son of God, if I see myself as anything else other than a “ye are of God,” if I see myself as anything other than an overcomer, then my works are going to reflect WHAT I SEE IN MYSELF (my emphasis).
If my words don’t agree with the Bible, neither will my works. My question for us this morning: Does our inside world truly represent the world we present to others?
Reason #8 as to why we are not doing John 14:12: What we say is not what we really believe.
(11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
How many of us have seen a healing? (Hands raised) How many of us have seen a miracle? (Hands raised)
Now here’s the 9th reason we are not seeing John 14:12 in our lives: Those of us who have seen the healings sand the miracles – they have not been enough to convince us to lay down our lives for Jesus.
Seeing the miraculous is not enough to cause us to lay down our lives for Jesus. It’s not about what you see. It’s about what you believe in here. (I tapped my chest.) Miracles don’t change people. What changes a person is living by this. (Held up the Bible)
When you read the gospels, the healings that Jesus did got people’s attention so that He could teach them about the kingdom of heaven. You see, ladies and gentlemen, we have to change first and then we can do what Jesus did in the gospels!
Remember we talked about the definition of the word “on.” It means we are moving toward being everything Jesus says we can be. We are making progress. We are not stagnating. God loves progress because it’s an indication of how much you love Him. So never stop moving. Keep growing. Eventually, we will become in totality who we are.
