Go Deeper
“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.” – John 14:12-14
One of the greatest obstacles to our growth as Christians is
the feeling that we have somehow arrived at the destination of our faith. We know God’s word, we pray daily, we live
upright lives as examples of holiness, we go to church, we serve in church, we
witness, we tithe, and the list of our accomplishments toward Christianity goes
on and on. We look around at the rest of
the world, evil abounding in every flavor, and we feel as if we have completed all
that God has given us to do. We are set
apart – check it off the list. We are a separate
people – check! Now, we can give
ourselves a big ole pat on the back, and sit back and just wait for our
blessings to flow!
But is that all it is?
Are we really judging ourselves fairly if we judge our relationship to
Christ based on a comparison with the world’s relationship with Him?
Friends, unless you have walked on water as Jesus did
(Matthew 14:25), you’re not there yet.
Unless people are healed when your shadow falls on them (Acts 5:15), you’re
not there yet. Unless demons cry out “Have You come here to torment us before the time?”
(Matthew 8:29) at your appearance, you’re not there yet. Unless you speak and the winds and the waves
obey you (Matthew 8:27), you’re not there yet.
Unless you do even more than Jesus did, you are not there yet!
John 14 records Jesus speaking to His disciples about the
power of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
He says in verse 12 “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”. Because He was
going to His Father, God, through the resurrection the Holy Spirit would come
to us, and live in us. We were given a Spirit
of power (2 Timothy 1:7) when the Holy Spirit entered us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus
said we can do the works that He did, and even greater works.
Are we doing even greater works and miracles
than Jesus? Are we touching the sick and
watching them be healed? Are we speaking
to evil spirits of depression, suicide, and self-harm and watching them run for
cover? Are we speaking blessings on
people and watching Jesus fulfill those blessings? We are not there yet. We have yet to accomplish what we are here to
do.
Our ministry is not completed at our
extensive knowledge of the God’s word.
Knowledge of God’s word is the equipping of the Saints for the work of ministry, not the ministry
itself! The ministry of the Saints is to
do as Jesus did while here. Until
thousands follow us to hear us speak and receive salvation, until all that come
near us just want to touch the hem of our garment to be healed, we’re not there
yet.
C.S. Lewis said it best when he said “We are like children playing in a rain
puddle while God has invited us to swim in the ocean.” Go deeper.
We have deep water faith, but shallow ideas of what it means to be a
Christian. We are not there yet. Go deeper.
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