How to do the works of Jesus
Key Passage: John 14:12-14
Date: June 7, 2024
Turn your Bible to John chapter number 14, if you would please. John chapter number 14 in God’s word.
And it’ll be just a very simple message, but there’s a nugget in it. And here’s the thing: sometimes nuggets are right in front of your eyes and you miss them—at least I do. And I don’t want you to miss this nugget. It’s really the key in many ways to a Christian life that has power. And we’re to be overcomers, we’re to be victorious, we’re to have joy, we’re to have a smile.
And really, this is the key to having that long term. It won’t be profound, and I’m not going to try to be a teacher today. Just for the God, really the Holy Spirit has to make this truth real to you. And I’m just going to try to stay very clear and very simple and hit this one truth that I hope that just when you leave here, you’ll try to put it into practice more in your life.
John 14, and we’re going to start in verse number 12 of God’s word. John 14, verse number 12. And if you’re there, would you say amen? Amen. Good deal. Would you please stand if you’re able to, in addition to the word of God? John 14 and verse number 12 of God’s word. And if we put a title on it for the internet and all that, it would be: How to do the works of Jesus, how to do the works of Jesus.
And John 14, look in verse number 12, if you would please. Jesus speaking here, he says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you.” Well, in the Bible, when it uses that verily, verily, verily, it’s like truly, truly. It’s, oh, in our language, it’d be like, “Hey, bud, listen up. I’m about to tell you the truth right here. This is the truth. Listen up.” That’s kind of what he’s saying. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me”—that’s Jesus—“the works that I do, shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father.”
Now, let me just mention briefly the apostles in many ways fulfilled this. And they took the gospel and spread it much farther. Sunday school were studying in your class probably two about Paul’s missionary journeys. My class this morning we just talked about how it was getting into Europe, the gospel. And so greater works. It’s accurate, but it’s more than just for the apostles. It’s for you today.
And how can you do the works of Jesus and greater? Let’s read two more verses if you would, please. Verse number 13: “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” It’s amazing. I hope you really just thought about the words. The truth, the works that Jesus did? I mean, he performed mighty miracles, raised the little boy from the dead, and his mom was a widow and was her only son. I mean, just the miracles of Jesus, and Jesus said, “The works that I do and greater.”
They might not look quite the same, but you have the ability through this verse to do the works of Jesus. And it’s amazing. How to do the works of Jesus? Just a little while. Would you pray and ask the Holy Spirit? He really—he’s got illuminated and make it real to us. Would you ask him to do that in your life as I ask the same?
Father, I do ask that you take a simple preacher and, Lord, yet you’re a wonderful, incredible truth. And, Lord, would you apply it to every single person here this morning, Lord? Our young folk, have a young boy dreaming about life. Lord, would you happen to grab a hold of this truth? Lord, maybe a widow or a widower that’s just more than they can handle their life. Would you help them to latch on to this truth this morning? Father, all the in between, would you speak to our hearts, Lord, please? We need you. And, Father, we’re asking for this in faith. Father, I believe you’ll hear, not because of me, but because of Jesus. We’ll thank you for it, Lord, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
The more I grow and the more I try to live the Christian life, the more I realize the key to the Christian life is that I focus and center everything on Jesus. I’ve noticed so often when I’m discouraged and I’m down and I’m defeated, I’m focused on Paul.
And if you knew Paul, like I know Paul, you would understand why I’m defeated. Anybody out there? You don’t talk about it. Don’t look at me like that. You’re in the same boat I am, Fred. And Satan loves to get us focused on ourselves. Sometimes I’m focused on other people. But Jesus here, did you notice what Jesus said? It’s amazing. He said, “I’m about to tell you the truth right here.” He said, “He that believeth on…”
…his prayer life. Is that what he said? No. He didn’t even say he that believeth in his—that he gets up every morning, reads his Bible and prays and witnesses. It doesn’t even say that. Now, he’s talking about somebody that’s going to do the works of Jesus. That’s amazing. He’s “he that believeth on the economy.” That’s a scary one for sure right there, you know.
Now, he that believeth on Jesus. Friend, the more I grow—and I’m not there, it feels like I’m growing sometime, then I take one foot step forward, about three backwards. Ever there, you know? But when I am truly growing, it’s when I don’t focus on my power or strength coming from me. It comes from Jesus.
Friend, the key to the Christian life, if you’re going to live a victorious Christian life, it is all about you believing in Jesus. I’m talking about if a young lady would say, “You know what? I’m going to live my life, not believing in what I could do with my life, but believing in what Jesus can do with my life.” That’s what their power is. It’s unlimited power. “He that believeth in me.”
Friends, Satan is always good at getting us focused on ourselves. Now, when we’re doing real good, that leads to the big head, you know. And you know what happens when you get the big head? Di Amuda used to say, “Stay humble or stumble.” You know, the Bible says pride—you know the verse, help me out with it. Say it if you know it. Say, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” So if I get focused on myself and I’m doing good, I’m setting myself up for a fall. Or if I get focused on myself when I’ve already fallen, that leads to depression, discouragement, defeatism. “Oh, I can’t do anything right. God could never use me.”
And that’s not a good place to be either. Now look, the key is when I get the focus off of me or off of maybe even others, and I get my focus on Jesus. Even in your prayer life, don’t say, “Well, I’m going to pray—I’m going to pray for an hour, and I’m going to pray intense, and I’m going to get something out in my prayer closet.” All right, let me talk to you about a week or two down the road and see how you’re doing with it. Now, I hope you pray for an hour or two. I love it. I praise the Lord if you do that. But the key is you’re going to that prayer closet, not relying on how good of a prayer warrior you are, but you’re relying on Jesus in that prayer closet.
That’s what it says there in verse number 14. It’s just so clear and so plain right there. Verse number 14, John 12—or John 14:14. He says, “If ye shall ask anything in what? My name.” “I will do it.” By the way, that’s more than just putting the tag on there at the end of your prayer, “In Jesus’ name, amen.” Nothing wrong with that. But sometimes we’re just getting a ritual of saying, “In Jesus’ name, amen,” and we’re not really meaning that. We’re not really asking the Father for this thing because of what Jesus did.
You see, when I go to my prayer closet and I say, “Hey, Father, your Son, Jesus, has purchased so many things for me on the cross of Calvary. He’s purchased everything you’ll ever need for your Christian life on the cross.” You understand that? When he said, “It is finished,” it was not just finished your salvation, but really everything you’ll ever need, he finished. And so you go to the prayer closet boldly, not because you’re everything and your prayer life is so great, but because Jesus is your High Priest and he’s earned it for you. And you go there claiming things because or through the name of Jesus.
We have our church checks, and two people are authorized to sign the church checks. Brother Anthony does, and Brother Mike Patterson. Both those men are authorized to sign church checks. And now, here’s the thing: A couple weeks ago—I’ve already picked on Brother Chip, I’m just picking on people here lately—Brother Marlin, we’ll get Brother Marlon. Brother Marlin went in the office and he went through the filing, and he found where the checks were. And Miss Stacy was very mad at him. You understand where I’m going on all this? Brother Marlin says, “Well, this may be true, part of it there.” I’m joking with him. And he said, “Man, I got to get back in tight with Miss Stacy.” So he grabbed a church check and he wrote it out to Stacy Hunter, $10,000. Is that good preaching, Miss Stacy? Amen? She’s like, “All right, you know.”
And then he signed his name, Marlin Hunter. You know the bottom part of the check over? And he signed his name. And he said, “Honey, I want you to know I love you. I have a check for you.” And he gave that to Miss Stacy. And Miss Stacy said, “Woohoo! Look at that $10,000!” And she took it to the bank and said, “I need my money, my cash.” And they said, “Ma’am, that signature down there, that ain’t going to get you a dime.” Now, don’t say amen right there, Ms. Stacy, what I say that. By the way, they’re about to renew their wedding vows the 14th of this month, 30 years. Praise the Lord for that. But no, it wouldn’t not work because the signature wasn’t authorized, if you will.
And when you go to the Father and you say, “Father, I’m not coming based on my merit because the best we can do”—remember that over in Isaiah 64? “All our righteousness is…” It’s interesting to me, I just learned it here recently: “All our righteousness is as filthy rags.” So you don’t go in the prayer closet and say, “Well, you got to give me this because of what I’ve done and all that.” You go to the closet and you say, “Father, would you work in so-and-so’s life, not because of my merit, but because of Jesus? He earned that on the cross of Calvary. And, Father, I need such and such, and Jesus has earned that for me on the cross of Calvary.”
Now, here’s the thing, here’s the protection, if you will, in that. If it’s just all about me that I may consume it upon my own lust, it’s not going to be valid me signing Jesus’ name to it. But if I’m asking according to the will of God and according to Scripture—Jesus is the living Word, and I’m asking according to the written Word—then there’s power when I go asking for these promises because of Jesus.
See, all your spiritual power comes through Jesus. And the wonderful thing about that is it’s unlimited. If it’s based on what you can do or I can do, that’s pretty minute. In fact, Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing.” Oh, the power for you to be the godly man and the loving husband and the dad you ought to be, and the power for you to be a soul—and the power for you to be the wife and the mother. That power for you to be the godly Christian you dream. God’s put that in your—the power to be and do that, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Now, how do you get this power to do it? Through Jesus. Through Jesus. I think it’s on our bulletin. I think it’s still on. You got a bulletin? Look at that front cover there. There’s so many places in the Bible you’ll find this truth. And, oh, it is. 2 Corinthians 1:20 there on the front of your bulletin there. Did you notice that? Second Corinthians 1:20. If you got your bulletin, wave it up there. Amen. Look at that. Wow, we got revival going on there. Second Corinthians 1:20: “For all the promises of God in him”—who’s in him? Jesus—“are yea and amen.” The verse before it told me it’s not yea and they know, in him and Christ, it’s “yea.” I’m saying, friend, you want power, you want the power of the Holy Spirit, you know how you get it? Through Jesus.
You’re never going to earn it. You get it through Jesus. The power that God, the joy, the answers to prayer, the victorious Christian life, it comes by you and I focusing and living out Jesus’ life, depending on Jesus. “He that believeth on me.” Friend, you know, you have the grace. Grace—it’s a broad term. It can mean so many things, grace. Sometimes it might mean finances. Sometimes it might mean victory in your mood. You’re in a bad attitude, you can’t get out of it, you need grace to get out of it. Sometimes it can mean salvation, for sure. “The grace of God that brings salvation has to appear to all men,” the Bible says. Yes, for sure. But grace can mean so many things. You know where grace comes from? Christ. Help me out. You know it. G-R-A-C-E. God’s riches at… Yeah.
That’s why the Bible says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Why is that? Because Jesus, he’s earned it for you. When he shed his blood on the cross of Calvary, he purchased the grace you need for every single day for all eternity.
And, friend, if you’re like me, I’ll get my eyes on the news—it’s getting quiet all of a sudden now—or I’ll get my eyes on myself, or I’ll get my eyes on somebody. I’m wanting God to change your life, and I’ll get my eyes on things down here. And that typically leads to discouragement. I want to get my eyes on Jesus. And I realize every good thing comes through Jesus. That’s where all the power is. And I learned to not focus on me—self-reliance. I relearned Jesus-reliance.
That’s so simple. You said, “I learned that in kindergarten.” All right. Did you learn it? Do you practice it in marriage? Do you practice it in your finances? Do you practice it when you’re trying to get a better mood? Do you practice it in your prayer life? The key, friend, is when I learn to depend on Jesus for everything.
See, the thing is a little bit odd for us as human beings, you know, that baby’s born. And just like this, and I got to visit a visitor from us last week, and she’s got a little son, I believe it is, and he’s four months old, cute little fella, cute little fella. And look, when they’re little, they’re just 100% relying on us—mom and dad and people to take care of them. But as they grow, what about a five-year-old? And I don’t know, don’t hold me to any of these numbers. Maybe that five-year-old is 75% reliant on you and 25% on themselves. And they’re a teenager? Oh, they think they’re 100% reliant on themselves, but, you know, they still come to you for money. Amen, mom and dad, you know, you’re talking about it. It’s not a boom, but it is a gradual thing. And that’s proper and that’s right. The older they get, the more independent they become. You want them one day to be able to stand on their own, you know? Amen? Yeah. Yeah.
And so that’s what we think. But in the Christian life, the more we grow—now, we get saved by putting our dependence on Jesus to pay for our sins; we believe on him—but then we often revert back to our own strength and ability of the Christian life. But as I grow in the Christian life, I become more dependent on God, on Jesus, and less dependent on me.
You say, “How on the world is that Christian lady? How does she get so much done for the Lord?” Or that man? Well, if they’re truly godly, they do that, they’re accomplishing what they’re doing it through Jesus. That’s what Jesus is telling them. He’s saying, “Friend, you apostles, you’re going to want to be self-reliant, and that’s going to lead to defeat. The key is Christ-reliance. He that believeth in Jesus.”
Now, why should I believe in Jesus? Well, he’s got all power. He said over in Matthew 28, he said, “Hey, all power is given to me in heaven and earth.” So when I’m believing in Jesus, that’s unlimited power. I mean, you’ve got the power to be the godly Christian in 2021 that he wants you to be. Why should I believe in Jesus? Well, Jesus is the creator of this earth. He’s the creator of everything you know. John 1:1, you’ll know the verse: “In the beginning was the Word”—that’s the capital W—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That’s Jesus he’s speaking of there. God in flesh. “And in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him.” He says Word; he’s not talking about a word, you know, in your vocabulary. Him. “All things were made by him,” speaking of someone, Jesus. “All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
So here’s the thing: You look around and you see the beautiful mountains. How many have been to Gatlinburg? You’ve been to Gatlinburg? You’ve been to Gatlinburg? Raise your hand. You’ve been over there? Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, and the mountains, beautiful, beautiful. And, well, just… just… Just a beautiful God’s creation. And now wait a second, Jesus made that. God said over there in Genesis, well, Jesus is the Word. He’s the Word of God. Paul says he made it all. John 1 tells us he made it all. And so we look around at creation, you say, “I’m going to believe not in what I can do. I’m going to believe in what Jesus can do.” He created this world. He’s worthy of your trust.
How foolish I am when I get self-reliant. “I’ve got to do a good job. I’ve got to get it done for the Lord.” No, no, no, no. I’ve got to rely on Jesus to get it done. Because I don’t want what Paul could do; I want what Jesus could do. And Jesus said, “Hey, the works that I do and greater works if I believe in Jesus.”
Why should I believe in Jesus? Because Jesus, he left heaven and came down to this sin-cursed world. Can you imagine how Jesus had everything perfect in heaven? The angels adored him. Had wonderful fellowship with the Father. They’re one. And just wonderful. And yet he left that heavenly throne and came down to a sin-messed-up world, tempted in all points like as we are. You ever think about that?
I think Jesus had so many problems that we never know about. I think we’ll get to heaven, we’ll learn what all he went through. Probably somebody in the neighborhood was giving Jesus a hard time as a boy growing up. I think he had multiple family problems. We don’t have time, and there’s Sunday school class, we studied that. I think he had so many family problems. His half-brothers didn’t believe who he was until he resurrected. They forgot about him in the temple and so on and so on. But I’m talking about all that Jesus went through, and he lived here, and then his public ministry, and then the cross, and they lied about him, and then mocked him, and they spit upon him, and the crown of thorns, and the nails in his hands and his feet, and he did all that for you. I want you to put your name. He did that for you.
He did that. Now, here’s the thing: Sometimes we worship Hollywood stars, or maybe sports people, or someone that’s made a movie or they can sing. And, friend, they’ve never did one thing for you besides take your money. And we worship it, and yet Jesus left heaven and came down to this sin-cursed world and shed his blood for you and I. I think I can trust someone like that. Someone that loves me enough to come down this sin-cursed world and shed his blood for you and I. I think I could trust him. He’s worthy of your trust.
For him, and the key of the Christian life, you believe in him. You believe in him for everything. He ever liveth to make intercession for you. You say, “What does that mean?” Well, he’s sitting on the right hand of the Father when I go to prayer. And I’m praying. Now, Satan’s called the accuser of the brethren, all right? And I pray, “Lord, Lord, we’re about to go on vacation, and my wife wants some good seafood.” And unfortunately, good seafood costs money. Anybody with me out there? You understand all these things? You know? And, and Lord… And Satan comes along and says, “Hey, Lord, that fellow down there, I’ve seen what he did last night. I mean, Kevin Cooper cut him off in traffic, you know.” And so he tailgated Kevin Cooper for three hours. Does that get preaching to white brother Kevin? You know, having? And, and he was mad. He had road rage at him. And Satan accuses me. And Jesus, he intercedes. He says, “But Father, my blood has paid for that sin. Father, he’s been adopted into the family. He’s your child. He’s been born again, born from the spirit, born from above him, and he’s your child. Father, I’ve purchased his prayer life, answers to it on the cross.” And he intercedes for you and I. He ever liveth to intercede for you. I think I can trust someone like that.
Friend, I’m just saying, as you grow in your Christian life, would you learn to believe in Jesus? Well, preacher, I can’t do it. I can’t be—I can’t. Yeah, you can’t on your own, but you can through Jesus. And you believe in Jesus to be that godly testimony at work. Preacher, I can’t. I can’t be a good neighbor. They tick me off over there. They never take their trash out. It’s sitting down on the street curb for three weeks, and it stinks. I can’t be good to them. Friend, in your flesh you can’t, but you believe in Jesus. You can be exactly what he wants you to be. The works that are greater than those who believe in Jesus.
Why shouldn’t I believe in Jesus? Well, one reason: because he’s coming back. He’s coming again soon, amen. Nobody knows the day or the hour, but friend, you check it out, the signs are across the board. Just did a study on Sunday night a couple months ago about the end times. And friend, he’s coming back soon. I ought to trust him because he’s going to come back and take me out of this old world, isn’t it? This old world, they’re fighting for it so bad and cheating to get it, doing everything they can to get it. God’s going to say, “All right, I’m going to take my people out of there for seven years, and you’re going to get it for seven years for sure. You’re not going to like it so good, but you’re going to get it.” I can trust someone who’s going to come back and take me home with him. Oh, believing in Jesus. That’s the power. That’s the key. Jesus.
Hey, let me ask you. Hey, look right up. Everybody look right up. Everybody look right up. Check this fellow right here if you would. There you go. Thank you. Look right up here. Let me ask you, the last 24 hours, how much you’ve been relying on Jesus and how much you’ve been relying on yourself? Now, there’s no quiz here, but just inside your heart and your mind, won’t you think about it? Who’d you rely on to get up and read your Bible? Pray this morning? Who’d you rely on Friday when you went to work to be a good testimony? So that paycheck, I get prayed on Fridays, amen. I can go to work on Friday and be a good testament. I’m getting paid on Friday. Somebody say amen right there. Nothing like leaving with that paycheck. Woo-hoo!
Oh, the key. The little grandson went to work with his grandpa. I think if I remember the story right, his grandpa was a preacher. And the grandpa wanted to get so much done, but the little boy, he just was a busy little fellow running around, getting into everything, you know. And Grandpa said, “Man, I’ve got to get some things done. I’ve got to keep this boy busy.” And so Grandpa looked through his office and he found a puzzle. And it was a puzzle of the world. And he said, “I tell you what, you go out there in the waiting room and I want you to put the puzzle together. And when you get it all together, then you come back in and talk to Grandpa.” And he thought that’ll keep him busy. He didn’t know where all the continents are and all those things, the world, you know. And the little boy went out of his office and went there in the lobby, and just, it didn’t take him no time, and he had the puzzle put together. And he brought it back in, and Grandpa was disappointed. “Man, he’s back already,” you know. And the grandpa was shocked. “How’d you get that puzzle put back together? Put together so quickly?”
And the little boy, he said, “Grandpa, on the backside of the puzzle, the backside of the world, there was a picture of a man. I want to put that man all together, the world just fit together.” And the grandpa looked on the back of it, and it was a picture of Jesus. And, friend, when you learn just to focus on Jesus, you keep your eyes and your heart and your reliance on Jesus, the world comes together. It’s where your power in the Christian life is. That’s where your victory. Friend, Jesus has got all the power. You’ll know the verse. You’ll know the verse. It’s Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” I don’t know about you, but I can think about a whole lot of things. Amen. And the Bible says he’s able to do it more exceeding above all that I ask or think. That’s a lot of power. That’s the one I’m trying to convince you today to rely on about everything. Everything.
This world is getting us so adapted to reliance on ourselves and what man can do and our technology and our computers and all that. And Jesus says, “Without me, you can do nothing.” No, no. You heard about the scientist? He thought, “Man, we’ve got it all together. We have AI, artificial intelligence, computers that can gain knowledge and grow.” And boy, he thought it was all that. So went to God and said, “God, man, I’m…” We’ve reached—we can make robots like people nowadays, you know. And he said, “I have a competition with you, God.” And God said, “All right.” He said, “Won’t you start first? Make your robot, make your little man, and then I’ll make mine.” And so the scientist went over and started gathering some dirt and some things. And God said, “Uh-uh, uh-uh, get your own dirt, buddy.” Oh, friend, we fall for it. We rely on ourselves. I’m amazed even in church building how we get into relying on all our techniques. An old friend, at the end of the day, “I will build my church.” Yes.
Can I just convince you? I know it’s simple, but friend, it’s golden. Would you rely on Jesus for everything? Would you go to your prayer closet and say, “Father, I believe you’re a wonderful God that hears my prayers and you answer my prayers, not because of what I am, but because of what Jesus is?”
Friend, there’s power there. That’s how you can do the works that Jesus did and greater. You know, I was thinking about it, how God—not us, not me, but God—has changed lives for years around here. I was thinking about years ago I preached a message, said something along this line: “We won’t—we won’t what we can do, but what God can do.” And God can, you know, make alcoholics sober, and he can clean up drug addicts, and he can—he can put marriages back together, and he can make lustful men into clean men. And a lady came in to me afterwards, and she had been involved in her church for years, and she’s still in it, she moved, but she’s in church today. But she said, “Pastor,” she said, “you was listing off all those things, and I won’t just say you know, I used to be a very loose woman.” And I was like, “Whoa. She got changed my life. God’s cleaned me up, maybe pure.”
I think of a man who used to drink and he used to say, “Well, I don’t drink much. It really doesn’t affect anybody.” And his wife came to me a little while later on, and she said, “It affects everything, tearing our home apart.” And I remember that man when he came forward and he gave up—he gave up the bottle. As far as I know, there’s been years and years, he’s not touched another drop. I think of so many people that’s, and maybe one of the hardest things to overcome is cigarettes, and they’ve overcame that. Someone told me the other night we were talking about something else, and they changed the subject, and they said, “I haven’t had one in a month or so,” I think is what they said. And I thought, “We’re talking about something else.” And I said, “Well, I have.” And they said, “Pastor, you have? Really?” And just the subject had changed. I didn’t know, pastor. You didn’t know he had an issue there, you know? But here’s the thing: all the changed lives that God has changed, and the marriages—and so many have said, “My marriage is so much sweeter now.” You know what changed their lives? Jesus.
You lift high Jesus. You make much of Jesus. You know, Acts 3. Peter and John going to the temple, that lame man, he could not walk from his birth. He was over 40 years old. I mean, babies didn’t take them a little while. I learned how to walk our grandson. You know, I’ve got to talk about a grandson a little bit of a message. You know, he’s a little over a year, and he’s been walking on the coffee tables and grabbing hold for a while, but now he’s walking, you know, and he’s stepping and walking on the lawn and all that good stuff. It took him over a year, about a year to get there. And nobody learns how to walk just like that. But that lame man, Peter and John said, “Hey, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee in the name of Jesus Christ.” Yeah, and naturally rise up and walk. Now, wait a second. Later on, they got persecution because all the multitudes came together, preached Jesus. And they said, “Look, it wasn’t by our power or our means. It was faith in his name that healed that man.”
Friend, I’m saying if you want power in your Christian life, it’s all in the name of Jesus. I’m so glad Brother Glenn played that. He played about how many—how many songs did you have in there, Brother Glenn? I’m not—he went from two. Just two? Well, not too bad. I—I’m glad he played that, and he’s so good at it. But I’m glad he played that Jesus, Jesus. There’s just something about that name. Friend, if you get that, you’re living the Christian life through Jesus, through his power, through his might. Self-reliance is the enemy of victorious Christian living. Reliance on Christ, he’ll change your life.
I thought about my dad. Before I was born, my dad, he was what was typically called functioning—I call it. He drank every day, but he went to work and did everything, you know, but he’d have a little bit every day. I’ve heard him say those things. And I try to change and get everything right. And one day he realized, “No, I just need to accept Jesus.” And he went to revival on—God spoke to his heart, and he called on Jesus to save him. And, boy, I tell you what, he went home that afternoon. And Mom, he said, “Hey, is supper lunch ready?” She said, “Not quite yet.” And so he got in the car and he rode down the street, and he pulled that bottle up from underneath the seat, and he chunked it out the window. Now, I’ve told that many a time. Dad said, “Tell them I threw it.” I didn’t throw it on the side of it. I wasn’t littering. I threw it in the river, and you know, crossed over a bridge so the fishman down there grabbed it, and he got—no, no. But I’m saying Jesus changed his life.
People get their lives changed, not by our power, not by our philosophy. All the social programs out there, and I’m not saying all of them are bad, but friend, the social program we really need is Jesus. He’s one that changes lives. And Jesus is saying, “Hey, you believe in me. There’s power there.”
A.C. Dixon, pastor in Boston years ago, he parked the car in the garage, you know, in Boston. But church years, I think even before cars were out of—and his church, they needed $2,000 to pay off their bills. A lot of money back then. And so him and the deacons met together, and they said, “We’re going to pray that God this Sunday would bring in $2,000 in the offering plate.” And, boy, they prayed over it. In fact, while they had prayed over it, one of the deacons said, “Hey, he said, I believe God’s heard our prayers. I just believe he has.” Well, Sunday rolled around, the problem was it was storming and raining on Sunday. Oh, man, they got nervous. One of the deacons said, “We’re not going to have anybody here. It’s going to be so low. We probably ought not to even take offering for him.” You know how doubt comes in. Another one of the men said, “Hey, I wasn’t relying on the weather to provide the money. I was relying on Jesus.” And they had $2,600 come in that morning from the little bit of crowd. Friend, there’s power relying on Jesus.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in Jesus, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater, greater works than these shall he do because I go to the Father.” He’ll intercede for you.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes this morning? Heads bowed, eyes closed. And if you’re there and you say, “Preacher, I want the Lord to help me to live a Jesus-reliant life more—believing, trusting, and not in me, but in Jesus.” And, “Preacher, I’m asking, Lord, would you help me to live a life where I believe, I rely, I rest more and more on Jesus.” If that’s you, God spoke to your heart about that right there. Would you just slip your hand? I want to be more like that. Rely, resting on Jesus. Oh, God bless you, many, many hands. There are many, many hands. That’s the key, friend. That’s the key. Me too. My hands up with you. “He that believeth on me”—that’s Jesus. Mighty works. Mighty works. Thank you so very, very much. You put your hands down.
I did not talk much about salvation, but friend, the way you get saved is when you stop relying on self or a church or a ritual or five pillars or confession. You say, “I’m going to put all my belief in Jesus. Jesus, I want to trust in you. I want to receive you. I want to accept you as my personal Savior.”
You’re there this morning. You say, “Preacher, there was a time in my life when I went to Jesus, and I transferred all my belief on Jesus to get me to heaven. I’ve been saved. I know that. I’m going to heaven. I’m settled on that right there.” If that’s you this morning, “Preacher, I know that I’m saved.” That’s you this morning. “Preacher, I know that I’m saved.” If that’s you this morning, “Preacher, I’m saved. I’m going to heaven. I’m God’s child.” Many, many hands. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very much. Many, many hands all over. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.
Maybe you’re here this morning. You said, “Preacher, I don’t know. I don’t know that heaven’s my home. I can’t look back at a time when I was born again. I can’t look back at a time when I transferred all my belief onto Jesus to get me to heaven. Preacher, I’m not saved.” I need to settle that. Friend, I’m not going to call your name. I’m not going to come back to you. I love to pray for you. And I mean that. I love to pray for you. If you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I’m not saved. I’ve never put my faith in Christ alone. I’ve never called on him to be my personal Savior. I’m not a born-again Christian.” If that’s you with heads bowed and eyes closed, would you slip your hand up? I’d love to pray for you. Anybody like to just slip it up? “Preacher, I don’t know. I’m not saved.” Anybody like that? Just slip it up. Just slip it up. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you. God bless you. Anybody else? Just slip it up. “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m born-again Christian. Don’t know that I’m saved.” I’m going to pray for you just a moment. We’re going to stand. We’re going to sing. And when we sing, there will be people coming down. If you’re not sure you’re a child of God, there’ll be a man standing here and a man standing in the back. You’ll go shake their hand, and they’ll take the Bible and share from the Bible how you can know for sure you go to heaven. I want to pray for you also.
Would you please stand? All of us standing. Be a great time during the invitation. And say, “Christ, I’m relying on you. I’m relying on you. My marriage, my finances, my prayer life, I’m relying on you.” Would you let him know that? If you need to get saved, would you come? Lord, thank you that you make it available, your power, your resources. Father, forgive me, so many times I get caught in the trap the devil, to be self-reliant. Father, help us to be more Christ-reliant. Lord, just want to raise your hand about salvation. Let them know we love them. We love to be a help. Do you encourage them? Lord, I pray they get saved and settle this thing before they leave today. And, Lord, we thank you for what you do, Father. We’re asking for this in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Original File: How To Do The Works Of Jesus - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday 80121