Good evening everyone. Let’s open with a word of prayer.
I want to set the stage by sharing with you something my father used to tell me and my siblings when we did things that didn’t make a lot of sense to him. He would slowing shake his head from left to right and say, “the older you get is just the older you get.” What he was telling us was that as we got older the things we had learned and experienced along the way should have influenced how we thought and acted. In our case, it hadn’t so according to him all we had accomplished was just getting older. Oh how I miss my dad! I wanted to share that story to give you a glimpse of where the Spirit is taking us tonight.
Turn with me to John 14:12. It’s a verse we’re very familiar with and I want to point out a couple of things. Jesus says “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.”
When we read this verse, oftentimes we focuse on what Jesus did because the verse says “the work that I do you shall he do also.” So that is our focus. I want us to take a moment to change our focus.
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First of all, did you notice in the verse that Jesus didn’t say “he that believeth IN Me.” He said “he that believeth ON Me.”Brother Barry, what difference does that make? When you believe in Jesus, you are believing in him as your Lord and savior and joining the family. Jesus is talking to people who are already in the family. So, what He’s saying is if you believe on Me now that you’re part of the family, what you see Me do, you have the ability to do.
Here’s is where I think we miss it. Jesus says that the person who believes on Him, the works that “I” do shall he do also. There is no doing the work that Jesus did unless we are like Jesus. Are you following me?
Again, let me go back. We are already born again. So that is not what He is talking about. Jesus said the work that I do you can do also. So if we’re going to do the work that Jesus did we have to look like Him. Are you following me?
What Jesus says in this verse is available to all of us. For some of us, it’s hit and miss. When we pray for a person, sometimes we see the answer and sometimes we don’t. But, for most of the Church, John 14:12 “not yet”.
For most of the Church, why is this verse “not yet”? Go back to Matthew 18.
(1) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
(2) And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,”
Now, I want you to notice something. They asked Jesus who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? What does Jesus do? He calls a child to Him. Are you getting the picture?
(3) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
So Jesus, why is the Church “not yet”? The church has not humbled itself. Bottom line. Barry has a lot more humbling he needs to do if he is going to do the works that Jesus did. If Barry is going to become the “I” in this verse – looking more and more like Jesus, then I have got to humble myself more.
Turn with me to Acts 3. And don’t forget the example I began with about my father saying as we get older we should be maturing. In Acts 3, we are going to begin with verse one.
(1) Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
(2) And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
(3) Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
(4) And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
(5) And he gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them.
(6) Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
(7) And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
(8) And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. (Acts 3:1-8)
So why aren’t we seeing more “Peters and Johns” in the Church? What enabled them to actually do John 14:12? They had spent time with Jesus and experienced things that enabled them to mature into living out John 14:12. They were “up close” and “personal” with Jesus for three and a half years. In other words, what they had learned along the way (knowledge) coupled with the time they had to see those experienced repeated and confirmed, led to their belief and maturity in the things of Christ.
What we are going to do for the remainder of this message, if we look at five experiences that Peter and John had with Jesus that contributed to their spiritual maturity.
The first experience taught them to build their faith.
Turn to Matthew 17. It’s the record of the father with the lunatick son. He brought him to the disciples to cure him but they couldn’t and they didn’t understand why. They had cast out devils before (Matthew 10:1), so why didn’t it happen here? Jesus tells them why. We’re going to read verses 18 through 20.
(18) And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
(19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
(20) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
What is the mountain in the context of the passage? The unbelief that was in the disciples’ lives. The unbelief that’s in our lives.
(21) Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”
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A lack of faith was the issue, not the devil. They thought they had “such” (faith) only to find out that they didn’t. Unbelief is a sneaky rascal. It often shows up instead of faith. Sneaky. Sneaky. Sneaky. But Jesus says there’s a way to deal with “ole sneaky” and it’s called prayer and fasting.
Jesus tells the disciples, “When you remove the unbelief in your lives, then you can remove the devil in other people’s lives.”
Lesson: Spending time with Jesus taught Peter and John that a life of prayer and fasting is crucial to living a life of faith. As prayer and fasting become our lifestyle, the doubt that is keeping us from seeing God’s truth in our lives will be removed and we will do more and more of the works that Jesus did.
The second experience that we’re going to examine taught Peter and John what was most important.
Turn to Luke 10:42. This is the record of Mary and Martha. Martha is agitated and frustrated with Mary because she is not helping her prepare to serve Jesus. So she confronts Jesus and blames Him for Mary not helping her. Instead of being offended, Jesus lovingly and tenderly “disciplines” her. He tells her what should be her priority. Let’s pick the record up with verse 40.
(40) But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
(41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful (anxious) and troubled about many things:”
(42) But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40-42)
Now turn to Psalm 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
There were times, ladies and gentlemen, that the disciples understood the need to do nothing in the presence of Jesus other than listening to Him! So many of us don’t make the time to spend with Jesus. We sing a lot of wonderful songs. We worship. We tell Jesus how much we love Him, that we can’t live without Him, that He’s our everything. And yet, we don’t give him five minutes of our day. There’s something wrong with that wrong with that picture – very wrong with that picture.
And it goes back to Matthew 18 when Jesus said you have to humble yourself like a little child. Because think about a child, ladies and gentlemen. A child is very dependent on the parent. And Jesus said “If you humble yourself like a child I am going to give you everything you need.”
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s nothing for me to spend time with my wife. I make time on purpose for her. Even when there are other things that I could be doing, I choose just been time with my wife. She’s important to me. And Jesus is not important enough to us to give him time?
Lesson: Spending time with Jesus taught Peter and John the importance of spending time in His presence. Stillness in Jesus’ presence will always be the needful thing! When we come to the place that our private times of intimacy with Jesus is what beats in our hearts, then John 14:12 will only be a heartbeat away.
The third experience taught them the necessity of a life committed to prayer.
Brother Barry, we just talked about prayer. Earlier we’ve looked at the reference that Jesus says you cannot have a life of faith without prayer and fasting. That’s not the same thing as saying we must have a life committed to prayer.
Turn to Mark 1.
(35) And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
(36) And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him.
When the disciples followed after Jesus, what did they find Him doing? He was praying. Jesus got up a great while before day, before his day got started, before all of the hustle and bustle – things that would suck up His time. He says “I’m going to get up early enough that I can pray and find out what my Father wants me to do today.”
How many of us get up every day and ask God what do – aside from having a job, I understand that, I get that – but how many of us get up in the morning and ask God what do you want from me today? What do you want Father? How can I bless you? How can I please you? How can I make you smile today, Father?
You can either start your day with Jesus and get the benefits of Him being with you and blessing you as much as He can because you have given Him priority in your life or you can go through your day and tackle what comes without Him. I’d rather have a partner during my day.
Remember, Jesus got up early to pray because He wanted to find out from the Father what do. “Father, what do you want me to do? What is your agenda for me today?” And ladies and gentlemen, trust me when I tell you this, even though you have a job, a 9 to 5, He still has an agenda for you. He still has an agenda for you. But you have to be humble enough to go seek that agenda.
Turn Acts 6 and we’re going to see how they applied to what they saw.
(1) And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
(2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
(3) Wherefore, brethren, look out among ye seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
(4) But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:1-4)
Lesson: Spending time with Jesus taught Peter and John to make prayer a priority in their lives.
The fourth experience taught them to control their emotions.
And ladies and gentlemen, I cannot tell you how important that is today. Most of what we are seeing in our country today, in our work places and even in our churches can challenge our emotions. Jesus made it a point to help the disciples understand that they had to keep their emotions in check all the time.
Let’s look at Luke 19:10. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Brother Barry, I have a question: what does that have to do with keeping your emotions in check?
Go back to Luke 9. We’re going to read verses 49 and 50 first and then we’re going to read verses 51 through 56.
(49) And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
This guy was casting out devils in Jesus’ name and John says “You can’t do that. You’re not a disciple. You’re not following Jesus.” And we just read in Luke 19:10 that the son of man came to seek and save that which is lost. John says “What’s wrong with you? You ain’t one of us.”
(50) And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (
John got all bent out of shape because this guy – he did not have a camel stall next to his. All of the other apostles had camel stalls. This guy didn’t have one. “You can’t be one of us. You don’t have a stall.” And Jesus says, “Listen guys, he’s heard enough about Me and about what I do that he’s doing it.”
(51) And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.
(52) And sent messengers before His face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for Him.
(53) And they did not receive Him, because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem.
(54) And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
James and John say “Lord, let us call some fire down here right now! Let us show them who’s in charge. Jesus, we got your back. Don’t worry about it.”
(55) But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Why did Jesus rebuke them? Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.” You can’t save them if you burn them up. You can’t save them if you’re setting them on fire.
(56) For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
These two events teach us, among other things, the importance of keeping our emotions in check so that our spiritual eyes can see. Jesus rebukes John for believing that only the twelve were qualified to cast out devils in His name. Then He rebukes James and John for being offended for Him and wanting to destroy the Samaritan village. James and John did not understand their purpose – to save the lost, not to destroy them.
I have a question for you. The folks in the village who didn’t want Jesus there – did He see their behavior first, or did He see them first? Ladies and gentlemen, that’s an easy question to answer.
Jesus always saw the person first then He saw the behavior because His focus is on saving the person. You save the person, you change the behavior.
Jesus always saw the person first. That is the Church’s problem today. We see what they’re doing. We don’t like what they’re doing. So we’re ready to send them to hell for what they’re doing. We’re ready to cut them off for what they’re doing.
But Jesus says “Hold on. You don’t know what spirit you are of. You are of the same spirit that I am. I am here to seek and save the lost. I am here to save those who are angry with Me, who don’t like Me, who want to kill Me.”
That’s the spirit that you are of ladies and gentlemen. But you don’t see that a lot in the Church. And, we wonder why we are not doing John 14:12.
The “I” – Jesus – is over here (pointed to my left) and we are over here (walked to my left) trying to get over there. But it’s not be being humble, but by doing it our way. That’s how we’re trying to get to Jesus by doing it the way we want to do it instead of being humble and saying, “Lord what would you have me to do? How can I be more like you Jesus? How can I see things the way you see them Jesus? How can I respond to people the way you respond to them Jesus?
Jesus saw the person first. Then he saw the behavior.
And you need to keep that in mind Keep that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, when you look at what’s going on in politics. You’ve got to keep that in mind. You have got to see the person first and see that the person needs salvation.
We have to be very careful, ladies and gentlemen, that we don’t allow our emotions to keep us from seeing people the way Jesus saw did Because as long as that person is breathing, he or she has the potential to be part of the family. And we cannot be the ones who are standing in Jesus’s way as He goes after the lost and have an opportunity to change the course of their lives..
Lesson: Spending time with Jesus taught Peter and John the value and importance of people.
Jesus saw the person first and then He saw the person’s behavior. Everyone is a candidate for the kingdom of heaven and the only way for them to know that is by how we treat them. We cannot allow ourselves to see what the person does before we see the person.
James and John were ready to rain down fire on people who rejected Jesus because they saw people who were not worthy of Jesus. What Jesus saw were people He loved and wanted with Him for all eternity.
The last experience we’re going to look at taught the disciples to never compromise on the truth.
Let’s close with a passage from the book of Acts that involve Peter and John. We’re going to see how spending time with Jesus influenced how they lived after His death and resurrection.
In Acts 4, which is a continuation of the healing of the man in chapter 3, the religious leaders did not appreciate – and that’s an understatement – Peter and John teaching the people about Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. They force them to spend a night in jail and then answer for their “crime” the next morning.
(7) And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
(8) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
(9) If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
Peter is putting everything into its proper context – the man’s healing. Peter says “This man couldn’t walk period. Now he can! And have a problem with that?”
(10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.
(11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
(12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:7-12)
If the church was doing verse 12 there are a lot of things that we would not see happening in this world today. It’s no accident that First Peter says judgment begins at the House of God. What we are witnessing in our country today is on the Church.
Short rabbit trail: if half of the Church voted according to the Bible, do realize that we would almost have just one party in charge of everything and it wouldn’t be Democrats or liberals? The Bible says that the things that are being promoted and pushed by the liberal agenda goe against God, but there are too many in the Church who are unwilling to standing up for God’s truth.
Let’s read verse 12 again. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”
The disciples didn’t waffle. They said if you don’t believe in Jesus you’re going to hell How many in the Church are willing to say “show me” – with their Bible in hand – to those who believe there are other ways to heaven other than through Jesus?
Peter’s “answer” is powerful – “There is none other name but Jesus!” They are saying this to the religious leaders. They’re not saying this to the CEO of Procter and Gamble. They’re not saying this to the CEO of CBS Television, to bishop so and so and apostle so and so and reverend so and so. That’s who they’re talking to.
“Neither is there salivation in any other.”
And as you know, that really made the religious leaders so very happy. So much so that we see this in verse 18.
(18) And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
(19) But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
Drop the mic!!
(20) For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
There is no yielding, ladies and gentlemen. Be ready for that. Be ready for the fight. There is no yielding. When you tell someone who is having sex outside of marriage that you’re wrong if you continue to do it and that you going to hell, you’re not going have many friends. If you have friends who enjoy boozing it up and you tell them that if they keep doing that they are going to miss heaven, you are not going to have them for friends for long.
Verse 20 again. “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
Now let’s close with the verse that brought the religious leaders face to face with the reality that the disciples of Jesus could not be bullied into compromising their beliefs. Let’s end with verse 13.
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.”
Lesson: Spending time with Jesus taught Peter and John that standing for and on the truth of His gospel was worth whatever hardship they had to face in this life.
They had drawn a line in the sand – against the Jewish religious leaders. The truth of the gospel has to mean the same to us today if we are to live out John 14:12.
The title of the message is K + E + T Produces SM. Knowledge plus Experience plus Time with Jesus produces Spiritual Maturity.
So I want to ask you a question: Are you at the same place today spiritually that you were five years ago? Can you hear the words that my father said to me? “The older you get is just the older you get.” Or, is this year just another year that you’ve been born again? Or, are you watering based on what you have learned and experienced over time as you have walk with Jesus?
We only have one choice ladies and gentlemen if we want to see revival. We have to grow and mature so that when people see us, they see Jesus.
