Call to Worship: 1 Chronicles 29:11 “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
Songs: How Great Is Our God / How Great Thou Art - CeCe Winans
Joy of the Lord - Rend Collective
By Faith - Keith & Kristyn Getty
Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:1-20
Song: If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
Rediscover You - Starfield
Sermon: “The Proof of Resurrection Power”
Closing Song: To You - Hillsong
Benediction: Benediction: 1 Kings 8:56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
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Sermon: “The Proof of Resurrection Power”
On this our fifth Sunday on our journey to Pentecost, we are talking about the available power the church is supposed to have. I say supposed to have because when you examine the church in light of the scriptures, the two look nothing alike. Paul said, Ephesians 1:17 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” All throughout scripture God’s power is described. We see His power displayed throughout creation. Jeremiah 10:6 “No one is like you, Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. 12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. 13 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” We also see His mighty working power displayed through His people. We saw the power displayed through Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David and even through His mighty men. Then we see that power in Jesus Matthew 8:27 “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Mark 1:27 “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” Then we saw that power continue in His disciples through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. You may have noticed a pattern of power that was to continue to the ends of the earth but when you look at the church that power has stopped.
The two songs we just sang are saying two different things. The first song called “By Faith” said, “By faith the church was called to go in the power of the Spirit to the lost to deliver captives and to preach good news in every corner of the earth. By faith this mountain shall be moved and the power of the gospel shall prevail, For we know in Christ all things are possible for all who call upon His name.” Chorus: We will stand as children of the promise, We will fix our eyes on Him our soul's reward till the race is finished and the work is done, We'll walk by faith and not by sight.” Then we sang Casting Crown’s song “If We Are The Body.” The song makes an observation about the powerless church and asks the questions, “But if we are the body, why aren't His arms reaching? Why aren't His hands healing? Why aren't His words teaching? And if we are the body why aren't His feet going?” The song really doesn’t answer the why to the questions. The first song describes what the church was supposed to be doing and yes the words sound nice in a song but not happening. The second song shows us the lacking power in the church. Yes as they sang, “Jesus is the Way and said we are His hands, we are His feet, we are His body, Jesus is the way,” but did not answer the questions. The other question asked in this song is “Why is His love not showing them there is a way?” The answer is disobedience to God’s word. If we really were following the way our hands would be healing.
The reality is the church should be going out clothed in power but it is not. All through scripture we see what the power of the gospel is. The bible makes the power of God abundantly clear but unfortunately the church no longer shows us. There is no proof of our belief. Yes we are still making bread and proofing yeast. The list continues to grow with mixed results. Crumpets no, English muffins no! Ciabatta bread, yes! The proof of the yeast spreading is in the bread rising just as there is supposed to be proof of the resurrection power in the church. Yes we have the bible but the bible describes the proof there is supposed to be. Just like yeast; there will be proof of the rising. Because there isn’t proof, people teach whatever they want, people go their own ways and in the end the church is no different than anyone else as this pandemic has shown. This is described in 2 Chronicles 29:6 “Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8 Therefore, the anger of the Lord has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9 This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity.” Yes people are going to church but what church are they going to. Which church is following the gospel? Which one proclaims the truth? Yes, ask a Baptist, Catholic, Reformed etc. (for that matter ask any group) and they will each tell you they are they way, the truth and the life but where is the proof?
Today I want to look at the proof of our belief in the word of God. Scripture tells us there is proof of the truth. The church is to be a living continuation and witness of this proof. Acts 1:3 “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” Not only did Jesus give proof that He lived, Matthew 27:51 “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
This proof was to continue in the church. Paul said 1 Corinthians 15:1 “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” This is the gospel but this gospel also contains power as Paul said, “That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.” This resurrection power is supposed to be the church. Paul wanted our eyes to be open to the power of this message, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Acts 4:33 “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.” This power was available from the beginning. Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” This is not an event somewhere in the future, this reign of power happened when Jesus proclaimed His kingdom coming near.
Nor was this a one-time event that only those people would receive the power of the church. Jonathon Goforth said “My conviction is that the divine power, so manifest in the church at Pentecost, was nothing more nor less than what should be in evidence in the church today. Normal Christianity, as planned by our Lord, was not supposed to begin in the Spirit and continue in the flesh. In the building of His temple it never was by might nor by power, but always by His Spirit!” Having said that we must make sure the power is divine and not a masquerade by satan. Unfortunately his power has been present in the church because of our sin. Isaiah 30:1 “Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin.” Paul said Galatians 3:1 “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?”
The power of the Holy Spirit was meant to continue in the church because power is the proof of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This lack of power is why the church is weak. The church is just talking about an event that happened just as other religions are talking about their events, but there is only One who rose from the dead and we too are to be witness of the resurrection power but we cannot manufacture power with cleverly devised stories. We also need this to happen. Acts 11:15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” To another group Paul said, Acts 19:2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” As proof of the resurrection the gifts of the Spirit were released on them also. Acts 5:12 “The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Matthew 10:1 “He then gave authority and power to His disciples to prove He lives also. Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” Jesus then sends out the seventy-two. Luke 10:8 “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.” Here we see the authority Jesus gave his disciples. 16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
We then see the power Paul was given. Acts 19:11 “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” 1 Corinthians 4:18 “Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?” 2 Corinthians 13:2 “I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4 “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”
Paul even had the power to hand men over to satan for discipline. While dealing with sexual issues in the church Paul said, 1 Corinthians 5:3 “For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” Then we saw Paul deal with blasphemers. 1 Timothy 1:18 “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
We the church were supposed to be witness to the power just as the disciples were. Luke said in Luke 1:1 “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” The gospel is not talk but power as Luke describes that power throughout his account. Acts 4:33 “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 5:16 “Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.” Then persecution came and Acts 5:29 “Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Not only did they speak about the resurrection, they displayed the power of the resurrection as proof.
Today we are missing this proof which means we are missing the Spirit of truth. We were told John 14:15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth.” The church never pauses to ask the question what happens if we don’t? John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Since this is not happening we end up with the chaos called know as the church today. 1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.” Disorder comes from satan’s presence. Paul said 2 Corinthians 12:20 “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.”
Like the Garden and like the Promised Land, the disciples were given a command to obey. Jesus told the disciples to wait to be clothed with power and then go. Luke 24:45 “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” But this command did not end there with those few disciples; it was supposed to continue. Peter said in Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” We too are to be witness of this power by giving proof that we waited. If we turn from our wicked ways and wait on God, He will be faithful to His word. The song By Faith talked about going out clothed in power, yet the church has been naked for generations and powerless. There has been a great rebellion take place and deception and delusion rule the church. And now the church is a shell, a white washed sepulcher 2 Timothy 3:5 “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” Here are two examples. I have played this before but in light of this message it is important to hear it again. These are words of men, doctrines of demons and lies from satan yet millions of christians follow them.
Show Video John MacArthur Chuck Swindoll
(Go to Sermons and then to videos to see this video - John MacArthur Chuck Swindoll talking about the false teaching of ceasationism)
John MacArthur’s words described a doctrine of demons. This is not the normative view of scripture. Think about it. Only the disciples needed the language. Only the disciples need to be equipped. Yes they are both talking against the charismatics. How pathetic that they teach we cannot have what the early church had. And yes if you listen to this nonsense, your life will not only be messed up presently but eternally. What bible are they reading? Remember this power comes in the form of the gifts of the Spirit. What you just heard was anti-christs and false teaching. Here is the list of gifts as found in 2 Corinthians 12:4 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Nowhere does the bible tell us these gifts have ceased. Telling you this power is no longer available is satan deceiving you. Telling you the church is normal when there is no proof of the resurrection power is a lie. satan wants you to believe this because he knows when the power returns, he will be defeated. As we have talked about 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” 1 John 2:18 “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.” As you just heard those antichrists are already here. They have great followings and schools that perpetuate the lies. What the bible does tell us is to watch out for false prophets and teachers and not to be deceived. The church became content to be powerless and this is where the church has been deceived. Do we have the power? The answer is no but not because it is not available to us; there is a huge difference. One says if you obey the power will return. The other says there is no power available. The reason this power is not presently available is God has turned His face from shining on us because the church down the ages, since the time of Paul, have followed the likes of these false teachers and gone astray. Paul said Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” Acts 20:29 “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” 
These two false teachers were not the first to teach this as they learned it from someone before them and so on and so on. Remember the little cartoon of the Trojan horse that talked about the Scofield study bible
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Deception entered the church and it has never been the same. The original plan was to go out in power. Now the church has redefined power and it has become man made and success is defined by what their hands have made.
Today we are going to look at two areas. The first is what our hands make on their own. The second what God makes though our hands. There is a massive difference. The first group are those who make things with their hands but there is not the power of the Holy Spirit and yes there are those who are very good at it, at least it looks that way but not to God. Moses said, Deuteronomy 31:29 “For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall on you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and arouse his anger by what your hands have made.” Deuteronomy 28:20 “The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 2 Kings 22:17 “Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.” Isaiah 2:6 “They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and embrace pagan customs. 7 Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.” Jeremiah 25:6 “Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not arouse my anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you. 7 But you did not listen to me,” declares the Lord, “and you have aroused my anger with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves.” This is the church of today. Jeremiah 9:6 “You (we) live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,” declares the Lord.” God has punished us for not obeying the commands Jesus gave us and going off to follow other gods/ gospels. Today in the church you will not see proof of the resurrection power, but you will see lots of proof of man-made projects, fortune 500 business principles if you will and whatever else man can come up with. You will also see the hand of satan at work yet satan’s works are not being destroyed and the Kingdom is not coming near. As you saw, satan will even stand in the pulpits and lead people astray.
Working with our own hands, going our own way and rejecting God’s word for our own words is how we ended up as a powerless church with no proof of resurrection power. Mark 7:6 “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules. 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” 1 Peter 1:18 “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors.” This empty way is today’s church.
But everything changes when our hands are connected to the head. In the beginning everything was the work of Gods hands. Hebrews 1:10 “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” Then God blesses the work of our hands and we must no longer bow to the work of our hands. Micah 5:13 “I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.” When God changes us, the work of our hands changes and power flows through us. 1 Samuel 10:6 “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.” Judges 14:19 “Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him (Samson). 1 Samuel 16:13 “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 24:48 “You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Acts 4:33 “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.”
We sang why aren't his hands healing? The answer is those hands are not connected to Jesus. Yes Jesus is the way so why hasn’t the church followed His way? When our hands are trained for battle, we then can carry on the work Jesus started and empowered His church to do when He sent His Spirit. 1 John 3:8 “The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” Acts 26:17 “I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” The church under the authority of Jesus Christ and clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit means that God is dwelling in us. Revelation 21:3 “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
God wants to bless the work of our hands but we must obey. Deuteronomy 28:1 “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 28:12 “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” Deuteronomy 15:10 “Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.” There is a difference by what your hand has made and everything you put your hand to that is blessed by God. When you read Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26 these are things only God can do for you. Deuteronomy 28:8 “The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.” Exodus 23:25 “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span. 27 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.” Exodus 34:10 “Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.” Deuteronomy 30:8 “You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.” Deuteronomy 16:15 “For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”
As you can see by just these few verses, God wants to bless us with abundance. Jesus said John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” When this is the case, this verse will describe the church once again. John 14:11 “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” I have heard it taught and even just a few weeks ago that what Jesus meant to say was because of the sheer volume of people called Christians, these millions would go out and more and more people would go to church and that is exactly what happened. We have thousands of denominations and churches and millions of people going to church but at the same time the church is no longer the church. Then a pandemic hits and the world realizes the church is powerless. I don’t think the church has caught on yet. So if millions were doing the works Jesus did, why are His hands not healing? This hasn’t happened because the church sits in desolation. satan would have been defeated, healing and casting out demons would be a common occurrence and the coming of Jesus would have sped up. Think about how many people have been deceived by the two men you just heard? Actually the work of satan continues more than ever. Instead the church just went backward and further from the truth so obviously that is not what the verse says.
So lets go back to the verse. Notice I said what Jesus meant to say. The church has rewritten the word of God to make their doctrines and theology say what they want it to say. Jeremiah 8:8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. everyone is greedy for unjust gain; from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. 11 They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” Changing scripture results in death and destruction, so lets just believe what it says. Here it is again. John 14:11 “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Why is this so hard for the church to comprehend? Actually it is not hard to comprehend; the church is so accustomed to a dimly lit room and their captivity and desolation this verse seems a deception. How bizarre is that? The truth is satan has deceived the church into believing this verse does not apply to the church today. The church simply refuses to repent. Once you are aware you have been deceived, your whole life as a Christian will not be what you thought it was and yes that will be hard to swallow but do you really want to stand before Jesus and hear away from me I don‘t know you an spend eternity in the place prepared for satan?.
This offering Jesus has given to us of himself is not a solitary verse, this is found all through out scripture. First of all Jesus gave us His authority and power. Matthew 28:18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mark then says the same. Mark 16:15 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it. Luke 9:1 “Jesus gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” This is the church.
John said we could do greater things than these. Most will say not possible and yes it is not possible, but because Jesus goes to the Father and sends His Spirit, great power is available if we would just believe. Matthew 17:14 “When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” After Pentecost Acts 3:4 “Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Jesus said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name.” This causes problems for most of the church because this is not happening so the church changes God’s word instead of repenting. The reason this is not happening is explained in Isaiah 1:15 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!” When we obey we see all through scripture God answering the prayers of His people. Jehoshaphat called out to God and said, 2 Chronicles 20:12 “Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” The answer was 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” Hezekiah prayed when being attacked by Sennacherib 2 Kings 19:16 “Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.” The answer “‘Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. 22 Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!”
We are so accustomed to the silence of God that most do not believe our prayers are being heard let alone answered. They have been taught just to be faithful and get by. This has been the christian walk for most but that is not how it is supposed to be. Jesus said Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 16:23 “Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” Matthew 21:21 “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Proverbs 16:1 “To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. 2 All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. 3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. 4 The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” Psalm 20:4 “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. 6 Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. 9 Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!”
We must believe and have faith that God will do as He said he would. This kind of faith comes from belief. This kind of faith gives proof of the power of the resurrection. If we would truly believe in God’s word, all it takes is a little faith to do amazing things. This kind of faith is not in the teaching of man but faith in God’s word. Why would God bless you with power if you do not even believe he would or it is even possible? This pathetic and empty way handed down to us is not the church. The true church sounds as if it is not even possible as it is so foreign to today’s church, which is why most are content without it. Truthfully most are just too stubborn and stiff-necked to turn away from their own wicked ways. We read earlier from Deuteronomy 30:11 “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” The church you see in the New Testament is the church we can have to day. Jesus said repent and the Kingdom would come near. The body doing as the head commands in power and authority and proof of the resurrection given. The gifts of the Spirit distributed and people healed, demons cast out and the Kingdom of God proclaimed.
From the beginning of time God has wanted to bless us with abundance. He gave us the Garden of Eden but we rejected his gift. He then gave us the Promised Land but this too was rejected, He then gave us His son and His own son we also rejected just so we could go our own way. God wants to empower us to defeat our enemies, to give us gifts and bless us with life and prosperity as we read in Deuteronomy 30. God said to Adam and Eve Genesis 1:8 “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Then He said to Noah, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” To Jacob God said, Genesis 35:10 “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. 11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.” 1 Kings 2:1 “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go 4 and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ Jesus said Acts 1:4 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The church continues to refuse to repent, as the deception is so great. Though powerless, the church thinks God blesses it yet our enemies have ravaged the land. Healing and casting out demons is not happening and the kingdom hasn’t come near. Isaiah 64:10 “Your sacred cities have become a wasteland; even Zion is a wasteland, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and glorious temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned with fire, and all that we treasured lies in ruins.” Nehemiah was told “wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” He then prayed “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ 10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” He then went back to the Promised land Nehemiah 2:17 “Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.”
God so wants to bless His people. He wants to move mountains and answer us when we call just as he has done from the very beginning yet we do not deserve this amazing grace. But God promised David there would be a remnant. Jesus also said, Matthew 24:22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” So we have great hope.
John 14 is supposed to be a common everyday verse in the bible. God wants to empower us and answer us when we call. If we are wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ we will be calling out for things according to the ministry God sends us on.
The remnant has hope just as Israel had hope of being freed from their captors. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Psalm 33:11 “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 94:11 “The Lord knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.” Jeremiah 23:3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.”
