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C:\LESSON\GRWORK1.DOC 30-06-91 GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 John 14:12 - read The chapters 12 - 16 of John's Gospel took place in a matter of hours just before - Jesus went to the cross -- They took place in the upper room where they took that last supper -- the Covenant meal of the New Testament And right in the middle of this discussion at the table comes -- John 14 -- where Jesus is telling his disciples what it will be like after he has gone away -- Up to this point in time he had spoken directly to the disciples immediate needs -- But in these last chapters of John - he is telling his disciples the way things are going to be -- In these chapters -- you have the discussion about the Holy Spirit -- and how their whole lives are going to be united with him -- Jesus speaks of -- I in you - and you in me If you abide in me - I abide in you All this is foreign language to the disciples -- they never knew what he was speaking about until after the Holy Spirit had come --- Here he is telling them in advance as to what is going to happen - and the way things will be for believers --after he had risen from the dead -- and the Holy Spirit is given GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 One of the most amazing things that Jesus ever said comes from John 14:12 -- which we have just read --- I think that we should allow this verse to sink in -- and think about it seriously -- Truly -- truly -- 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 This is a very challenging verse and I believe it can be the most exciting verse that Jesus ever said -- That there is going to be a continuation of his work He does not stand in history as an exhibition It is not as if everything that Jesus said and did just stands there -- as an exhibition for the rest of time -- to walk by -- And say -- He is wonderful -- He has done marvellous things -- Rather he is saying -- The works that I do you shall do also -- Everything that he did -- there will be a continuation -- Then he says these extraordinary words -- That greater works than these shall ye do -- The reason he gives for this is because he goes to his Father -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 In these chapters that I have already mentioned - and especially in -- Verse 12 -- he is introducing them -- and of course us -- to the nature of the Kingdom that is about to come -- That evening in the upper room the atmosphere was such that they knew that something was going to happen -- But what it was they did not know They knew a Kingdom was coming -- but did not know the nature of that Kingdom -- Jesus here is introducing us to the nature of the Kingdom of God -- or the church if you like --- The church today would do well to hear what Jesus had to say -- The church today tends to lecture about God -- As Jesus introduces us to what the church is going to be about -- He says -- It will be dynamic -- the works that I do you shall do also -- and greater works than these shall you do -- If this was picked up by the church there would be a continuation of the miracle works of the Lord Jesus Christ -- These words -- the works that I do -- Let us think very carefully about the works that Jesus did -- What do we understand by this He did not teach about God -- we need to see this very clearly -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 Jesus ministered God to the people -- He did not talk about God -- he ministered God I could teach about electricity and you would know alot about it but yet you have never met it -- touch it and you will have met it --- There is a big difference knowing about something -- than there is to personally knowing it -- As Jesus ministered God to the people they actually touched the divine wire -- and something happened -- The actual life of God touched them -- One of the great works of Jesus was the feeding of the 5000 -- This is a miracle of provision -- Then there is the multiplication of the fishes -- Jesus tells Peter to put his net into the water on the right-hand side of the boat -- In Peter's response you can almost hear a -- what do you know attitude -- He says -- Master we have tried all night and have caught nothing -- and this is the normal time fish are caught in these waters --- I think Peter was covering himself for he knew that there were other fishermen on the shore -- And when they saw him go out - they would have thought he was mad going out at this time of day So Peter says it loud enough that all would hear -- I am a fisherman -- I know what I am doing and I have been out all night and caught nothing -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 But at your saying -- I will oblige -- but do not blame me when I get nothing -- He got that many fish -- he had to get help from the other fisherman -- Who he had just been saying to - that he was not stupid -- I am only doing it to show him there is no fish there to be caught -- This is a miracle of provision There is much in the Gospel of Jesus' healing people within their body -- such as the -- healing of the leper -- the blind -- the deaf -- the lame Then there was the miracle in the Garden of Gethsamane - where Jesus picks up the ear that Peter had just cut off the servant to the High Priest -- and he puts it back on --- When Jesus leaves the river Jordan -- having been baptised by John -- He now leaves behind him a wake -- like the wake of a great ship -- Jesus leaves behind him a wake of healing -- physical miracles Jesus even moved into the area of the weather -- He came not only to provide physically -- not only to heal and work miracles -- But to make the weather to work for good on behalf of God's people -- He stood in the boat that was being tossed about on the Sea of Galilee by the weather -- he just looks at the wind and -- He said -- Peace -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 He looked at the water -- And said -- Be still -- And immediately there was a calm This Jesus has authority over the weather -- to make the weather to work on behalf of God's people --- I do not want to press this too far -- but it is in the Gospels -- that Jesus walked into the business world of the ones who he was with -- and he caused them to prosper The miracle of the multiplied fish -- when suddenly Peter's nets are filled with fish -- Peter earned his living as a fisherman -- when Peter got that load of fish - he made more money that day than he had made for some time -- Jesus walked into the business lives of people and caused a blessing to come upon them -- When I look at the works of Jesus -- and the way that he walked in life -- he had no sense of need whatsoever --- When I look at Jesus - I see him with only twelve men -- yet he needed a treasurer -- The church gives us an idea that Jesus was poverty stricken -- So much money passed through his hands that he needed a treasurer to look after it -- When it came to the last supper and Judas late in the evening leaves -- and the disciples Said one to another -- He must be going to give an offering to the poor -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 This suggests to me that this goes on day and night -- and that Jesus had no sense of need himself -- He has open hands of generosity Have you ever asked how Jesus did those works How was it that Jesus could say to the storm -- Be still How was it that he could put his hand on the leper - and the leper be healed Upon - what foundation -- what basis A blind man comes -- and Jesus touches him and the blind man can see -- Jesus puts his finger in a man's ear and then the man can hear -- On what basis did Jesus do this -- How can he do it Did he do it because he was the Son of God -- if this be so -- then his miracles are coming from up there somewhere -- You may say -- This Jesus is special for he is the Son of God - so it is only him that can do it -- This has got alot of holes in it -- because when Jesus who is the Son of God -- became man and lived among us -- The scripture plainly says -- He did not draw upon his power as the Son of God -- Jesus came among us and refused to draw upon his power as God - He lived among us as man -- depending on his Father even as man does -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 He is true man And the things that he performed - he did as true man -- He now says -- You go ahead and do the same -- Jesus did these miracles as man not because he was God - and now he is talking to other men -- Saying -- Now you go and do the same -- for I have shown you how to do it --- I must find out on what basis Jesus did these works -- He keeps using a word -- and this word is faith -- Faith seems to be the key word -- When Jesus stilled the waves and told the wind to stop - he turned to his disciples -- Saying -- Why did you have to wake me up -- you of little faith -- Jesus was saying -- You could have done this -- If you had operated your faith - you could have done this without awakening me Faith seems to be the key -- But what is faith -- Faith is not something that is just hanging there -- like faith in faith -- You may say -- I have faith in God What does this mean -- This is all very vague -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 God is good -- you know this is not much to go on -- I need a bit more than this -- because when I say God is good -- I have a doubt -- Maybe I am just making him good because I want him to be good -- If you have faith then you must have a very specific word -- What God has thus said -- God will thus do -- Now I can respond to this -- I can rest in that -- I can walk out on this -- What was it that Jesus was responding to in his Father - What was it that his Father had said that caused Jesus to be able to walk out -- And say -- So be it -- There is a division between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant -- The Old Covenant was the one that began on Mt Sinai -- and it goes all the way through until Jesus rose form the dead -- They were operating under the Sinai Covenant From the resurrection on - there is the New Covenant -- and we are under that New Covenant -- A covenant is the coming together of two parties -- or two persons in a bond that cannot be broken -- You are coming and giving yourself away -- to another party -- and they in turn give themselves to you -- And each party brings to that covenant everything that they have and all that they are -- And right in the centre of that covenant there is always the reading of the blessings -- and also the curses GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 If you keep this covenant -- if you continually walk in this covenant then there shall be certain blessings upon you -- If you don't then the reverse will be true -- Let us say -- a rich man and a poor man entered into covenant -- They would face each other between a split body of an animal -- And the rich man would tell the poor man as the blood is running around his feet from the carcas -- May God do this to me and more if I do not keep the terms of this covenant -- I will swear myself to death I will die before I will break this covenant This is why it is called a blood covenant Then they would both cut their wrists and mingle their blood and from this they become blood brothers -- At this point there is the reading of the blessings -- That is -- one would say to the other -- This is what I am now going to be to you - seeing I am very strong and anyone attacks you -- they will have to deal with me -- I will be your strength -- Also I am rich and I know that you are poor -- so whatever you need in life what I have you may have it -- I would go through all the blessings that I could give and be -- then the poor man would say what he could be and give to me -- there would be an exchange of blessings -- From this time on they both would be committed to each other to find ways in which to make these blessings come to pass --- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 Now God entered into Covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai -- and it was repeated to these children on the plains of Moab -- This original covenant that God made at Mount Sinai is in -- Exodus chp 19 to chp 24 -- and there you have the original making of the covenant -- There you have an animal being killed -- and pillars were set up that stood for God -- They would throw the blood onto the pillars - and then over the people -- now God and the people are united in blood covenant -- and there God gives his covenant oath -- And in Exodus chapter 23 -- you have some of the blessings -- A few weeks later the blessings were really spelt out when Moses was writing the Book of Leviticus -- And in Leviticus chp 26 -- you have the blessings that God has made with the people -- These were the people who refused to go into the land of Canaan -- and wandered in the desert for 40 years until they were all dead except -- Joshua - Caleb - and Moses Then they came to the land of Moab which is just before you get into the land of Canaan -- which is just over the river Jordan --- Now on the plains of Moab -- Moses gathers the people and he delivers to them a series of sermons -- We call them the Book of Deuteronomy -- The Book of Deuteronomy is written as a legal document - GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 It is a kind of document that a lawyer would draw up in Bible days -- if two persons were going to come into covenant And in this book you have the covenants -- Israel and God -- in covenant together --- And God says -- these are the blessings -- that is in this way I swear to you my people that I will bless you -- Deuteronomy 28:2 says -- All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you obey the Lord your God -- Verse 3 -- Blessed shall you be in the city Blessed shall you be in the country Blessed shall be the offspring of your body And the produce of thy ground And the offspring of your beasts And the increase of your herd and the young of your flock Blessed shall be your basket and thy kneading bowl Blessed shall you be when you come in And blessed when you go out The Lord command the blessing upon you in your barns In all that you put your hand to He will bless you in the land that the Lord your God gives you The Lord will make you to abound in prosperity -- the offspring of your body -- the offspring of the beast -- the produce of your ground -- The Lord will open to you his good store house And the Heaven give rain unto your land in his season To bless you in your work You shall lend to many nations And you shall never borrow The Lord shall make you the head and not the tail You can read an expansion of this in Leviticus 26 -- GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 If you notice these blessings very carefully -- they deal with every physical detail of life -- Blessing in your basket and your kneading trough -- The basket is what you brought the food home in -- The kneading trough - this is in your kitchen -- where you work on what you have brought home --- Jesus is born under the covenant which is the Old Covenant -- Galatians 4:4 says -- God sent forth his Son - made of woman and made under the law Jesus was under the old ways of doing things -- that is he went to the temple -- Jesus was under these old blessings --- God had sworn to these people that he would be all of this to them -- All the works that Jesus did were simply claiming the blessing of covenant for the covenant people -- God said -- You will never go hungry I will bless you in your kneading bowl there will always be enough in your basket Blessed in the city -- this is blessed in your business -- Peter had a fishing business At all times Jesus was simply bringing to pass - all of the blessings - of the Old Covenant No one had even brought them into use as Jesus had -- Moses -- yes -- but compared to Jesus ministry which lasted only about 3 years -- Moses' doings were very small -- manna -- good water from the rock -- good GREATER WORKS THAN THESE PART 1 Elijah and Elisha -- miracles -- yes -- but compared to Jesus they were small -- How did Jesus bring about all these blessings of the Covenant -- he took every promise and gave it to the people - I believe it was because Jesus knew more than any other human being the great love that his Father had towards these people Therefore at every opportunity he set out to bring about the blessings of the Old Covenant --- AMEN.