Privileges of God’s Employees - Part B

You gotta understand at this point they're thinking, man, Jesus is leaving us. There goes the power. This whole thing is over. We're downhill from here. Jesus turns it turns it completely around and promises them basically, it's not over.

It's just beginning. I'm going to go to the Father and send the Holy Spirit and He's going to be living in you and all the works that I've done, it's going to be replicated in a whole different manner in a whole different fashion. Welcome to Connect with Skip Weekend Edition. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to maintain our homes, our jobs, and our families. Add to that the fact that God has work for us to do and it can seem impossible until we see the resources God has provided for us. Well today in Connect with Skip Weekend Edition, Pastor Skip is going to show us the privileges he gives to all of his people and resources that come with them. Today's message is the conclusion of a teaching that Skip has titled privileges of God's employees and it's just one message in our current teaching series Believe 879.

Be sure to stay tuned after the broadcast to find out how to get your copy. If you have a Bible or a Bible app, turn to John chapter 14 as we prepare to join Skip Heitzig for today's teaching. So what could Jesus possibly mean in telling his disciples the works that I've done, you're going to do, and greater works than these you will do?

Let me give you three possibilities. Since we're only taking three verses this morning, I can go a little bit deeper. Let me give you three possible interpretations. Number one, maybe Jesus means miraculous physical works that the apostles will do. It's confined to just those apostles in that room. They're going to do the same kind of miracles that Jesus performed. That's interpretation number one.

And of course, they did. You turn to the book of Acts. In fact, do you mind turn to Acts chapter 5?

It's just one block over to the right. Acts chapter 5. Let's just scoop up a couple of verses. Acts chapter 5 verse 12. And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. Verse 15, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.

That's power. Verse 16, also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits. Now watch this, and they were all, all healed.

That's a lot of power, physical miraculous power. So we have the disciples basically replicating the miraculous signs and wonders that Jesus did in his own ministry. But if we say that when Jesus made the promise in John 14 that you're going to do the works and greater works, we have a problem. If we say that just means miraculous works just for the apostles, we have a problem. We have a problem, first of all, because Jesus didn't seem to limit it to the apostles.

Notice what he said. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, it seems to include anybody, right? Not just apostles. Not just apostles, anybody who believes in him. Number two, when we turn to the book of Acts, yes, the apostles did miracles, but did you know that people other than the apostles did miracles? Two deacons come to mind.

Stephen was one of them. Philip, not the apostle, Philip the deacon, also did signs and wonders. Number three, they did signs and wonders, the apostles, but can we say that what they did was greater than the signs and wonders that Jesus performed?

I don't think so. And number four, if it only means miraculous physical signs and wonders to the apostles, what about all of the reports we have in subsequent church history from men like Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Ignatius in the first, second, third, fourth centuries of all of the miracles that were done at their hands? So that's interpretation number one, physical signs and wonders done by the apostles.

Okay, now, TiVo that thought for a moment, just put it on hold, move it to the side. Interpretation number two, Jesus is referring to physical signs and wonders done by everyone who has enough faith to believe. And those who hold this view emphasize the word believe, except they would say it, believe. And this group espouses the idea that the reason we don't see miraculous signs and wonders is that there's not enough people with enough faith to get it done, that we need to speak in faith and speak positive confessions and never speak negative confessions. You should never say, I'm sick. You should never say, I might lose my job because then you will. You'll speak it into existence.

You have to speak by faith. One of my favorite stories is about three guys. They were driving in a car. Two were in the front seat. One was in the back seat. The guy in the back seat believed this stuff, the faith movement stuff. And he said to the driver, hey, how's your uncle doing?

I sure love him. It's been a long time since I've seen him. And the driver said, oh, my uncle's really sick. The guy in the back seat said, don't say he's sick.

That's a negative confession. You can say he thinks he's sick. He goes, OK, whatever. He thinks he's sick.

OK, that's better. A little while later, the guy in the back seat said to the passenger, hey, how's your uncle? I sure love him as well.

And I miss him. And he says, oh, he thinks he's dead. Now, here's the reason I don't think it refers to those who have enough faith for the miracle, because Jesus says, he who believes in me, not believes that the miracle will be done, not believes with a sufficient intensity or degree of faith, simply he who believes in me. And Jesus makes a declaration, not an offer.

Whoever believes in me will do, not might do, not should do if they have enough faith, will do these great works. So now, TiVo that thought and move that to the side. I think there's a third way to look at it.

I think it means something totally different. Let me ask you a question. What could be greater than physical works? Spiritual works.

Spiritual works. The key to understanding this statement is the phrase, the last phrase where Jesus says, because I go to my father, notice it. And greater works than these, he will do because I go to my father.

Why is that important? Because when Jesus would go to the father, he would send the Holy Spirit. In fact, he said, I can't send the Holy Spirit until I go to the father. But when I go to the father, I will send the Holy Spirit.

Now watch, follow, follow the context. Go down a few verses. Go down to verse 16. And I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. Jesus explains that's the Holy Spirit. Turn the page to the right to chapter 16.

Some of you might have to turn two pages. John 16 verse six. But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you.

But if I depart, I will send him to you. Now, can you see how this would be a comfort to these apostles? You got to understand at this point, they're thinking, man, Jesus is leaving us. There goes the power. This whole thing is over. We're downhill from here. Jesus turns it turns it completely around and promises them basically, it's not over.

It's just beginning. I'm going to go to the father and send the Holy Spirit and he's going to be living in you. And all the works that I've done, it's going to be replicated in a whole different manner and a whole different fashion. Now, when Jesus says greater works, he doesn't mean greater in power, greater in magnitude, greater in intensity. That never happened.

It means, listen carefully, greater in extent, extent. Now think for a moment of what Jesus actually had done while he was on the earth. And compare that, say, to Peter on the day of Pentecost after Jesus had died, resurrected, and ascended. There's Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost. 3,000 people in a single day came to faith in Christ. Did that ever happen during Jesus' ministry? Never. Did Jesus ever take the gospel to Asia Minor or to Europe or to Rome?

Never. But did you know that within 30 years, those men in this upper room in Jerusalem, these apostles, within 30 years are going to take the gospel and see results in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Asia Minor, Ethiopia, India, Macedonia, Greece, and Rome? More people were saved in the first few months after Jesus ascended into heaven than his entire lifetime upon the earth. And within 300 years of church history, millions came to faith in Christ in the Roman Empire. So the works were quantitatively, not qualitatively, quantitatively greater because Jesus ascended to his Father, dispatched the Holy Spirit who would live inside of all of us, and wherever we go, we would carry that message and people would come to faith in Christ.

So in the first century, people took the message by foot, by horseback, by boat, later on by shortwave radio, later on by real radio, by television, now by the internet, MP3s. We are seeing greater things today than Jesus ever saw in his lifetime. That was by his design. He saw them in his mind, in his heart.

He predicted it, but he never saw it. It's amazing. I was walking through Jerusalem a couple weeks ago and two ladies from Hong Kong walked up to me and recognized me, internet. So we download your messages on the internet and we listen to them. I went, really? Later on, same day, I'm walking up from the Temple Mount area up into the upper part of Jewish quarter of Jerusalem and this guy stopped me and said, is your name Skip? I said, yes. He goes, I'm from Australia. I listen to you on the internet. And I downloaded the DVD, Learning from the Land, and I decided I wanted to come and see the land. Now, if you really want to see the greater works thing in a real magnanimous way, get involved in missions.

Get outside of our little American bubble and go see what's happening. For instance, in Africa, it's estimated in Africa, 20,000 conversions to Christ happen every single day. In Latin America, the conversion rate is 10,000 per day. Well, that's greater works. That's greater works. Listen, the greatest work is not the physical healing of a body. The greatest possible work is to get a sinner from earth to heaven. And we're part of that enterprise, the greater works that Jesus spoke about. So two privileges, privilege of purpose, privilege of proportion.

Third privilege is the privilege of prayer. So what Jesus does in verse 13 and 14 is helps the disciples understand how the job is going to get done. You can imagine what it would be like to hear this promise. You're sitting in that upper room, and Jesus said, greater works.

And you're thinking, really? And where are we going to get the resources for this? Verse 13, whatever you ask in my name, that I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, you can imagine the panic that's running through the minds of the apostles. Jesus is going away. Where are we going to get the resources?

The power. I mean, Jesus fed them. Jesus had helped them get their fish.

Jesus even provided tax money on one occasion. Remember, he said, go open the fish. The first fish you get from the lake today, open it up, and you'll find enough money to pay your taxes.

Wouldn't that be cool? Right around April, you get a package of fish in the mail, and you've got enough money in there to pay your taxes. And now Jesus is leaving. But what he's basically saying is, I may be going away, but whatever you need, just ask, and I'll ship it to you right away.

I'll give you the resources you need. This is momentous to me. I sat stunned as I realized the meaning of this. The gap between where Jesus is, ascended to God, the gap between where Jesus is and where you are is closed the moment you pray.

There's no gap. When you pray, it closes the gap, and it dispenses the resource. That's the promise. Now, I think it's fair to say that these verses have been grossly misunderstood. I mean, look what it says, whatever you ask in my name that I will do.

Verse 14, if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. That's a good thing. I mean, that's a good thing.

I will do it. That's a huge promise. And I've had people say, well, I prayed, and he never answered. Well, no is an answer. Well, what does Jesus mean then? Well, listen, they're reading something into this package that was never intended to be there. Do you think for a moment that this is some blanket promise that whatever whim comes into your mind, whatever request you have, as long as you say in Jesus' name, abracadabra, over and out, it's going to happen?

Absolutely not. There's a qualifying phrase that helps you understand what Jesus is saying, and it's the phrase in my name. I want you to notice it's mentioned twice, one in each verse. Whatever you ask in my name that I will do. Verse 14, if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, in ancient times, a person's name was the person's character and reputation.

It embodied all that that person was. It was more than a tag. If a friend said to you, hey, go to this new restaurant.

I know the owner. Mention my name, and he will give you the best table in the house. Now you are using that person's name, character, reputation to make an approach and a request. To pray in the name of Jesus means that you are praying for something, making a request for that which is consistent to his character. To pray in his name is to pray according to what you know he wants for his sake. So try this at the end of every request that you make to say, Lord, and I'm asking this for the sake of Jesus Christ, because I know that this will bring glory to him and will ultimately glorify you. And that's going to weed out a lot of prayer requests, right? All those gimme, gimme, gimme prayer requests are going to be gone pretty quick, right?

I mean, it's awfully hard to say, Lord, I want a new TV, and I'm saying this for Jesus' sake. And because I know this is going to glorify, it just falls flat. And what it does is it lifts prayer up to the loftiest level, the level it was meant to be, to pray according to those things that are in his mind, his will, that will glorify him for his sake. I'll give you another verse that I think helps flesh this out, written by the same author.

This is 1 John, chapter 5. Now, this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him. In Jesus' name, according to his character reputation, for his sake, by his will.

So we have the privilege of purpose, the privilege of proportion, and the privilege of prayer. Now, let me ask you a question. When is the last time you asked God, you prayed, God, you prayed to see greater works in your life, accomplished in your life? Lord, I want to find out what you're up to, and I just want to be a part of what you're up to. Now, some will say, well, I haven't done that because, frankly, the task is so big. The people are so many. The work is too hard.

Jesus said, go into all the world and preach the gospel. That's just so big of a task. Let me give you a couple things as we close on that. Number one, you're not the manufacturer, you're just the distributor. It's not your work.

You don't have to make anything up. The burden isn't on you. You don't have to say, okay, what am I, just tell them the truth, give them the gospel. You're not the manufacturer, he is. Just be the distributor.

Let God use you, but just dispense the truth. Number two, it's the enormity of the work that spurs us on. Okay, it's a big task, granted, but would you have it any other way? It's called the great commission, go into all the world.

It's not called the mediocre commission, or the small commission, the manageable commission. It's this enormous task that rises us up. It's sort of like the communists in the heyday of the communist party in Russia. They said that when they would call people to the impossible task, that's when they saw the most recruits. People want a noble task to rise up to. And number three, great works are done by the combination of smaller parts. Great works are done by the combination of smaller parts. Add your part. You can't do it all. You're not called to do it all. You're simply called to add your part to my part to his part to her part and all together will be a part of the greater work. I love the story about Linda Claire from Eugene, Oregon. She was a child care provider.

A believer. She was struggling with this whole idea of purpose and proportion. Is this what I'm called to do? Be a babysitter? Is this all that I'm called to do?

Is this the proportion? That's it? Maybe God wants something great for my life. Until one day, one of the parents, a dad, came to her and said, you taught my daughter to pray, didn't you? She's thinking, uh-oh, I'm in trouble. And this father said, every evening when Casey comes home, she prays before meals. And she said, you taught her to do that. And you know, my wife and I were thinking, we ought to be getting back to church after hearing my daughter pray.

And we were wondering if you could recommend a good church for us. Linda Claire said that was the clarifying moment for her. It was the epiphanal moment. She discovered she is a part of God's great plan. And so now, whenever anybody asks her, what do you do for a living?

She says, I'm a babysitter for God, for the glory of God. So whatever we do, no matter how small or unimportant it seems, let's do it for the glory of God. Got to say amen to that. And what an incredible piece of encouragement to take home with you today.

Well, before we go, let's see what's going on in the Connect with Skip Resource Center this month. Today's modern martyrs actions mirror the courage of a long line of brave Christians. And as believers, it's important that we know the heroic sacrifice of those who gave it all for the Christian faith so that we too can boldly stand for Christ.

But most of these modern stories are unknown. We want to help encourage and strengthen you with the stories of those who've paid the ultimate price to share their faith so you can hold fast to the truth by sending you a copy of the New Book of Christian Martyrs. In this update to Fox's Book of Martyrs, Johnny Moore and Jerry Patengale highlight key martyrs of past centuries and feature stories of contemporary martyrs around the world. You'll be encouraged and inspired as you discover that men and women are still standing firm for the truth. The New Book of Christian Martyrs is our thanks for your gift of $50 or more to keep messages like this one today on the air for you and others, equipping you to know God's Word and follow His will.

Call 800-922-1888, or give securely online at connectwithskip.com slash offer. If you'd like a copy of today's message, you can find it at connectwithskip.com, or you can call us and order one at 1-800-922-1888. We'll continue through our series Believe 879 with more from the Gospel of John next time, so I hope you can join us right here in Connect with Skip weekend edition, a presentation of Connection Communications. Make a connection, make a connection at the foot of the cross and cast all burdens on His Word. Make a connection, connection, connection. Connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.