If you tend to hesitate when it comes to participating in ministry, Maybe your faith needs to be bolder. How can you strengthen it through the Holy Spirit? Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah takes a closer look at Jesus' promise that believers would do even greater works than he did. If you're ready to take a bold step forward, Listen as David concludes his message, The Work of the Spirit.
I am having a very difficult time restraining myself from just spending all of this radio time telling you all the things that God has done that I could never have imagined, things beyond anything I would ever be capable of. because of the Holy Spirit at work in my life. The adventure of walking with the Lord Jesus Christ is one of the greatest experiences you can ever have. And you will never be able to guess ahead of time what he's going to do. People ask me all of the time: Dr.
Jeremiah, did you ever dream when you started out that you would be on the radio all over the world? Of course not. But God took the beginning and took it to the place he wanted it to go. Through His ministry of the Holy Spirit. And when I look back and see the many places where He intervened that I could not possibly have known how to do the right thing, I'm overwhelmed.
He is capable of doing greater things than you can imagine. If He can do greater things through you than Jesus did when He was on this earth, just imagine what that means. And we're going to have more of that in just a moment as we continue our discussion of John 14, 22. Tomorrow here on Turning Point, we will begin a two-day discussion of the gifts of the Spirit, one of the most controversial parts of this discussion. In the meantime, don't forget to get your copy of the book, which is the resource for this month.
It is a book that will help you learn about the Holy Spirit, and it will memorialize these truths that we're talking about with all of the scriptures and the illustrations, the places you need to look for additional material. This is a great asset to have in your library, and we want you to have it. It's yours for the asking for a gift of any size during the month of June. As I mentioned to you earlier, the month of June is a critical month for Turning Point because it's the last month in the financial year. When we get our audit and when we find out how we're doing and what kind of resources we have for the future, your part in all of this is so important.
So if God has blessed you through Turning Point, consider how you might be a blessing to us during this important time. And we'll be so honored and happy to send you this book as well. Here is Part 2 of the work of the Holy Spirit. The message of reconciliation meets the basic needs of every man and woman, every boy and girl, and it meets those needs permanently. And never has to be repeated.
In miracles, only God's power and goodness are revealed, but in conversion, God's grace is revealed, something that causes even the angels to look over the bowels of heaven. And wonder The message of the saving grace of God, men and women, is the greater message because it is the message that extended to the Gentiles and rolled outward across the world like a mighty tsunami wave. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ have given to us in this generation the greatest message that has ever been communicated to any people at any time, in any place. There's never been anything like it, and there never will be. At any time will there ever be anything like the gospel.
It is called the eternal gospel. The good news, and you and I can show compassion and reach out to help people with their hurts. We can minister to them in their sorrow. We can assist them in dealing with terrible addictions and dysfunctional family situations. But if in the process we do not give them Jesus Christ and salvation, We have only postponed the inevitable.
We have not helped them. Our message is greater because it is for eternity. Over the years of ministry, God has given me some wonderful friends. Many of them here in this church, and many of them here in the city, some of them spread across the nation. One of my best friends is a doctor who lives in Boone, North Carolina.
He keeps in touch with me almost every other week or so. We talk on the phone. He started a group called Medical Missions. This group brings doctors together. and helps them go to the mission field for two weeks at a time every summer.
And my friend, he goes to Africa. I think he's in Africa almost more than he's here. Every time I try to get a hold of him, he's in Africa. And they go there and they perform surgeries and they help people there that would never get help if they didn't come, because there's just nothing like that for these people. One day he told me something I never forgot.
He said, David, we used to go to Africa and do surgeries on the people that would come. Broken limbs. dysfunctional faces He said, one day it dawned on us. that all we were doing was fixing them up. And we were making them healthier on their way to hell.
If you don't give them the gospel, you're not helping them. He said, We made a commitment on that day that we would never do another surgery until we presented the gospel to the person who was getting the surgery, if they were capable of hearing it, and giving them an opportunity to receive Jesus Christ. What he was saying is. The physical is important, and it is true.
Sometimes people don't care what we know unless they know how much we care. But if you only help people physically and don't give them the gospel, you haven't really helped them. You've only made them okay and. Till the inevitable when they won't be okay for a long time.
So I'm telling you, but Jesus tells us one of the greater things about what we do is we don't just help people physically, and we do that as we can. But he's given to us the wonderful privilege of communicating the message of the gospel, which is life-changing. And some of you here today, you know what I'm talking about because you remember what you were before Jesus Christ entered into your life and what he's done to make you a new person.
So, listen to me. One of the reasons why we can do greater works is because our message is a greater message. And then, number two, we have a greater ministry. Think about this for a moment. The works Jesus did while he walked the dusty paths of Israel were localized in scope.
If you were up on a space flight and could look down on the great curve of the earth, and if the shuttle was in the right orbital position and weather permitted, you would strain your eyes and see a little strip of land at the edge of a great continental shelf. That little strip of land is Israel. Believe it or not, It is the size of New Jersey. the whole nation. During his lifetime, the Son of God was confined in his influence to a comparatively small section of that slice of Middle East.
Do you know Jesus never left Israel? His whole ministry was in Israel. And if you've ever been to Israel, you know it's not a very big place. It's like a postage stamp. I did an event there some years ago, and we had so many people with us, we couldn't have the opening service.
In the same hotel, we had to split it up. And one was in One place and one was about 25 miles away, and another place. And they said, Dr. Jeremiah, we're going to have you speak in this service, and then we have a helicopter waiting for you, and we're going to take you to the other one for the other one.
So I said, Okay. I had no idea what I was getting into. The helicopter was located in the corner of a dark field with Guards all around it so nobody could get to it. I said, Where's the lights? Oh, we can't turn the lights on, they might shoot us.
Oh my goodness. got in the helicopter and we flew and In the dark, the pilot was saying, over there is Jordan. Over there, and he talked about all the lands that were surrounding, and you could see them all from Israel. They're just surrounded by all these lands, and up until recently, especially lands filled with people who hated the Jewish people. That's where Jesus was.
He spent his whole time in that little postage damp nation. At that time, the whole world Was Israel And yet, in just a little more than 300 years, Christianity closed all the temples in the heathen Roman Empire and numbered its converts by the millions as the gospel spread beyond the borders of Israel and began to fill the world. And today, there are billions of people who claim Christ as their Savior. And the ministry isn't confined to Israel, it's exploded across the nation. I just spent three days with people who helped us take that message to these nations.
And I told them, and I say this humbly, I believe, I now speak 19 different languages. I only know English, but I speak 19 different languages because through AI, they take my voice. It's my voice. And they put it into the language of other nations They Coordinate my lips with the words. And I'm telling you people, if you would see it, you would think even Jeremiah.
is speaking in Chinese, and I'm not. But the message is being preached in all these places, and they're just getting started. I'm going to have more languages next time I talk to you about this because we're working on it really hard. What I'm saying is We carry the ministry of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Jesus didn't do that.
Jesus ministered in Israel. He never left Israel. But he empowered his disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel. And he has told us that's our responsibility, each of us, to find a way to leverage the gospel for the whole world. And that's why we have radio and why we have television, and that's why we do social media and why we write books, is because we're trying to reach as many people as we can with the gospel.
That's what Jesus has empowered us to do. These are the greater works He's given us to do because he went to the Father. And isn't it interesting? He went to the Father and put His DNA in every single Christian who's still on this earth. His DNA is the Holy Spirit.
Isn't that something? While he was in Israel, he was confined in his own body. When he went to heaven, he said, I'm going to give you all the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit came. On the day of Pentecost, and now every single person who believes in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit living in them, and they can carry the message of Christ wherever they go.
I pray a prayer sometimes when I get up in the morning, Lord Jesus, help me to take the influence of Christ wherever I go today. And all of us can do that. And when we do that, we're doing the greater works that Jesus said we would do because we're going where he did not go, but he sent us as his representatives. Today, our words are carried across the entire globe. I do not preach in a small corner of Israel.
When I preach, I speak in a large city. But even more amazing is how, through the blessing of modern technology, these messages are recorded and shared around the world instantly, continuously, almost endlessly. through many different channels. When we did the campaign on the great disappearance on the rapture, you remember that book a couple of books ago? After it was all over, Some of the staff people came to me and said, We have calculated this, and these are actual numbers.
The campaign for the great disappearance touched 300 million people around the world. How can you do that? Because Jesus said, greater works will you do than I did, because I'm going to the Father and I'm sending the Holy Spirit, and he will help you do these works. I remember when television first appeared, and I know some of you remember that too, because you're older than I am. But, you know, I don't know if you remember this when that first happened.
Those of us who were conservative Christians, we weren't sure that was a good thing. I know my dad wasn't sure it was a good thing. We didn't get a television for a long time after it became available. And when we did, my father used to sit on the bench, and every time a commercial came on, he'd go and shut the thing down. He was afraid it'd be a beer commercial or a cigarette commercial.
I mean, that was his exercise for the night. Sit on the couch, go turn it off, sit on the couch. There were no remotes back then, remember? And I remember hearing people preach about television being the result of the Prince of the Power of the Air, that it was satanic and it was no use, and you didn't want to do television. And of course, it was like anything else, it is whatever you use it to be.
And we finally got over that and realized that while it was a tool that could hurt people, it was a wonderful tool that could help people. And we began to do television ministry, and God uses that. And we use every form of communication: television, radio, print, podcasts, social media, live streams, apps. Whatever comes next, we use it to proclaim the gospel. And this will surprise you, we're even on TikTok.
And I say, the farther, the better, the faster, the better, the sooner, the better, until Jesus comes back. What Jesus was saying to his disciples was this: While I was on this earth, I was localized. I could only touch individual men and women in my travels and speak to a few local audiences. But believe me, after I am gone and the Holy Spirit comes to fill my disciples, my ministry will be as far spread as Christians are.
So wherever there is a Christian, there is Christ. And wherever there's a believer, there's ministry. We have a greater message. We have a greater ministry. And then, one more thing: we have greater miracles.
I can almost hear some of you say, okay, I've been with you so far, Pastor, but now the miracle thing, I'm not into that. How could there be greater miracles than the one we've heard? You talk about already.
So let me suggest to you that the Lord Jesus, while he was on this earth, never saw a conversion like that of Saul of Tarsus. He never saw a revival like the great awakenings that have shaken our world. The miracle of conversion is indeed a grade A miracle. It is the greatest miracle there is. Do you believe that?
Just think about what happens when someone comes to Christ. A person who once lived closed from God, self-centered and without direction, becomes alive to God. The one who was spiritually dead is now filled with joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit. A life that was once in chaos now has order and meaning and purpose. He's born again.
a miracle of grace and a living testimony to the God who creates and saves. Wow. That's what happens when a person receives Jesus. That's what happened to you when you said yes to him. You were a closed system and you became an open system.
You were chaos and now you are a new creation. The longer God gives me the opportunity to preach and teach. The more overwhelmed and amazed I am, that he does what he does through the salvation of souls. By his grace, he works in human hearts in ways you and I can ever comprehend.
Sometimes we hear the stories and we say, How in the world could that have happened? He can take a person who is going totally the wrong direction, and in a moment of time, through an encounter with Jesus Christ, radically change that person and set him on a road to happiness in his heart. Jesus Christ is the only one who can do that. And that is the miracle he's called us to participate in. We spread throughout our neighborhoods, our nation, and our world as ambassadors of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
And wherever that gospel is preached, wherever someone comes to Christ, the greatest miracle that ever happens on the earth is happening in the life of that person. They are changed for eternity. And I tell you again what Billy Graham said: they will live as long as God. Amen. The power behind the greater works is also expressed in this passage.
How do we go about the greater works? If you read this passage of Scripture, you won't have any doubt about it. John 14 says, 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. And 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.
The greater works are accomplished through prayer. I never go anywhere that people don't come up and say to me, Dr. Jeremiah, we pray for you every day. You have no idea the power that is in that. We wouldn't be where we are doing what we're doing, touching the people we touch if people didn't pray.
And the Lord has honored these prayers, and I believe with all my heart that the secret to all that God has done and all that He's going to do is found in the power of prayer. And I promise you, when we pray, our dreams will be greater than our memories. It is exciting to me to understand what begins to happen as we pray. Take another look at that verse. Jesus said, And whatever you ask in my name, That I will do.
If you ask anything in His name, He will do it. That's no small distinction. I mean, sometimes Christians get weary because we forget. And I want you to read this carefully because we often misread this verse. Listen carefully.
We think God wants us to do His work for Him, so we pray, Lord. I'm praying to you to help me do this work, but that's not what the verse says. Listen to what the verse says. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it. God doesn't want us to do it.
He wants to do it through us. If we keep trying to do it ourselves, we're going to get worn out. We're going to get really tired, really weary. We aren't capable of doing God's work, but God wants to do His work through us. And He says, If you ask anything in my name, it doesn't say you will be able to do it.
He says, If you ask anything in my name, watch out. I'll do it. I'll do it through you. I'll do it for you. I'll do it by you.
I remember hearing about a preacher some years ago who said, He could build a great church if there was no God. I'm not sure that's a compliment.
Sometimes we do commendable, praiseworthy things in the energy of our flesh. But when God begins to do the work through us, It is an entirely different proposition altogether. Incredible things begin to happen, things we never dreamed would happen. We've had some things like that happen to us in the last few days. Things we could never have dreamed would be possible.
So I tell you, the possibility of greater works and the promise of it and the power behind it. the priority of the greater works A long time ago, a pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago made this statement. He said, Never undertake more Christian work than can be covered in continual prayer. Good counsel, and I have a feeling that many of us are over our limit. I have a feeling that many churches are well over their limit.
Oh, how we need to grasp the priority of prayer. I have no idea what is going to happen in and through this ministry because I'm not going to do it. God's going to do it through me. As we pray, God will show us what he's doing, and we'll get under the spout. There's a wonderful truth that you live your life by.
Find out what God is doing and get in on it. Find out where God is blessing and be a part of it. You don't have to look very far. You can figure that out yourself. The reason I'm excited about it is because I know God's vision for you and for me, for my family and your family, for my city and your city, is greater than our own individuals could ever be.
When I started out to do what I'm doing. I was preaching in a little church in Thurston, Ohio as a young college man. 35 people showed up every Sunday religiously. And it reminded me as I look back over my life and over the years what God has done. How he has taken the little things you do And you do them faithfully, and pretty soon those little things become other things, and you do those faithfully, and then other things happen.
That's the story of ministry. You don't just show up one day, and all of a sudden, you have the immeasurable blessing of God. You trust God for every day to do what you know He wants you to do, and sometimes it's an incidental thing. But listen to God. He will tell you.
I know that for a fact. If you ask God to direct you and lead you, he will do it. You may not like what he tells you to do, but he will do it. And you can count on it. And so often in the past.
I've concentrated on this goal and that goal and I'm really into goals and objectives and plans, but I believe that people should not concentrate as much as they do on the goal, but more on the power. God will help you do this.
So what I'm going to leave with you today. as we close our minds around this passage is this. Let's don't short-circuit what God wants to do in our life. You know, God would do much more in the lives of his people except for unbelief. The one thing that keeps God from doing his work, God won't bless unbelief.
If we don't believe God will do it, he won't do it. If you trust him to do it, you better be ready because the surprise is about to come. We have to put our feet in the water before God calls the water back. We have to take the first step. We can't just wait.
Let's see what God does, and if He does something, maybe I'll be a part of it.
Now, you have to be bold in your faith, and you have to pray this prayer. Lord, help me today. To do the greater works that you talked about in John 14. Show me some people who need Jesus and let me help them come to Jesus.
Some people who might come to church and hear about Christ and become Christians.
Some children who need to go to Sunday school but they need somebody to take them. All of these things that God puts in our hearts to do, you know what I'm talking about. It's different for every one of us. God has a unique plan for your life and for mine. I have no idea what is going on in your life, but he wants to work through his spirit.
and help you do the greater works. you're not going to find a framed copy of it hanging on the wall in some office. God is going to do it in His own way. In startling, unexpected ways as we trust Him, and you will probably be surprised when it happens.
Someone once told me: if it makes sense, it's probably not from God. If it's logical, probably God didn't tell you to. If you're always doing the logical things, God's probably not in the equation. Say, God, help me to do something outside of the box for you. Help me to leverage what you've equipped me to do for the kingdom and for the glory of Christ.
And when we do that, We will see revival. We will see salvation. We will see the blessing of God. Nothing that is ever needed will be in lack, but we will have all that God promised for us. That is my prayer for us as we reach out across the world.
I remind you of a very special statement that's a part of our DNA. Here it is. The light that shines the farthest has to shine the brightest at home. If we're going to reach the world. It starts with us.
We have to be the bright light here first. Before we can touch the world, and we are that by the grace of God. I think about our candlelighting ceremony that we have every year on Christmas Eve, and it's such a testimony to what happens. With one light coming down the center aisle, and then little by little, all the lights being lit until the room is filled with the glory of light. And we sing that little song, This Little Light of Mine, I'm going to let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No. I'm going to let it shine. Men and women, that's what God has called us to do. Let's ask God to help us shine like we never have, holding our lights up high, making a difference in people's lives around us for the glory of Christ and for the salvation of many.
And God bless us as we do it. And all God's people said, Amen. The end of that message, I told you, was pretty unusual. And if you've never heard John 14, 22 before, you probably are still. Kind of shaking your head because it is an incredible, incredible truth with possibilities that go beyond anything you and I can imagine.
Tomorrow, we're going to learn about the gifts of the Spirit. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit has given gifts to the body of Christ. Everybody who's a Christian has a spiritual gift. I don't care who you are or how ungifted you may feel. You are a gifted child of God, and we'll learn about it tomorrow and Monday here on Turning Point.
We are thankful for the opportunity that we have. To bring this teaching into your home, into your car, wherever you listen. I meet people all over the world. tell me they've been listening to Turning Point for years.
Some of them tell me their grandparents listened, their parents listened, they got saved listening, their children got saved listening. The Word of God, so powerful. Thanks for joining us. See you next time. Today's message originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and senior pastor Dr.
David Jeremiah. Drop us a note to let us know how God is using this ministry in your life. Write to Turning Point, PO Box 3838, San Diego, California, 92163. Visit our website at davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's new book, The Holy Spirit You May Not Know.
A valuable resource that's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also stream more than 1,200 of Dr. Jeremiah's messages on demand on any screen on our streaming service Turning Point Plus. For a monthly gift of any amount, visit turningpointplus.org for details. This is David Michael Jeremiah.
Join us tomorrow as we continue the Holy Spirit You May Not Know on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
