Greater Things Than These

2015-05-31
Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Memory Verse:
John 14:12
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

Today, we begin a new series entitled “Greater Things” based on John 14:12, our memory verse for this week. During this series we’re going to spend a little time examining this passage and trying to answer the question, “What does it mean that we will be able to do even greater works?” I say “trying to answer” because this is question is difficult to answer.

John 14:1-14 (NKJV)
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 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. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know. 5 Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’ 6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.’ 8 Philip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. 12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.'”

John 14:12-14 (NLT)
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

What does it mean that we will be able to do even greater works? Before we can begin to dive into what this means, and more specifically what this means for us at TRBC, we have to answer another question:  How?

1. God’s Authority
vs 9b “He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

– The world has long believed that mankind’s increasing wealth of knowledge is all that is needed.

Human technological intelligence will advance¹
* 32 times in the next five years
* 1000 times in the next 10 years
* 1 million times in the next 20 years
* 1 billion times in the next 30 years

– Yet, it is only in the authority of God the Father that we will be able to accomplish what
the greater works Christ talked about.

2. God’s Provision
vs 12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

– Greater works only possible because Christ lives

– What greater works?

– Gospel proclamation

– In 1911, the a telegram first went around the world.²

– In 1977, NASA sent a time capsule into space on Voyager II.

– Today, it now takes merely seconds for an email to circle the globe.

– Video and audio signals can be transmitted in real time.

– Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’”

3. God’s Plan
vs. 13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

– It’s interesting that immediately after Jesus said we would be able to do “greater works,” He points us right back to prayer.

– What can be surmised from this fact? Prayer is the key

James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”

 

Footnotes:
(1) http://theemergingfuture.com/speed-technological-advancement.htm

(2) http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-around-the-world-telegram-sent-66-years-before-voyager-ii-launch