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Book: John
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John 14:12
I. Verily, verily, I say unto you, "He that believeth on Me, the
works that I do, shall he do also."
A. Jesus is still responding to the request of Philip to show them
the Father that they may be sufficed.
1. He had said, that if you had seen Him, you had seen
the Father.
2. He asked, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father
and the Father is in Me."
3. He then declared that His words were not His own, but
the Fathers, and that the Father did the works.
4. Then He commanded them to believe that He was in the
Father and that the Father was in Him or else believe
for the very works sake.
B. Now he makes this very remarkable statement, that those that
believed on Him would do the works that He did, and even
greater works because He was going to the Father.
1. This statement creates many questions.
a. In Marks gospel chapter 16 after he gave the
great commission to His disciples He said,
"And these signs shall follow them that
believe, in My name they shall cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues; if they
drink any deadly thing it shall not harm them;
they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall
recover.
b. The question is where are these signs?
2. First of all let it be recognized that Jesus was
speaking to the inner circle that He had called to be
apostles.
a. In the new testament days, one of the signs of
apostleship was the working of miracles. Paul
in defending his apostleship to the Corinthian
church declared, "The signs of an apostle were
wrought among you in signs, wonders, and great
deeds."
b. In his Corinthian letter he also asked, "Are
all apostles, are all workers of miracles."
c. Lest we jump to unscriptural conclusions it
should be noted that miracles were wrought
be others than just the apostles. Stephen for
one, but not all of the believers worked
miracles, nor were they expected to.
3. In following the works of the Apostles in the book of
Acts, we find that they did indeed do the works that
Jesus had done. The lame were made to walk, the blind
to see, and the dead were raised back to life.
4. Are the days of miracles over? Did they indeed end
with the death of the Apostles?
a. I see nothing in scripture that would indicate
that the death of the last Apostle would bring
to an end the miraculous works of Jesus.
b. History seems to record periods of time when
miracles were evident in certain segments of
the church.
c. There have been scattered reports of confirmed
miracles in the church today.
d. I must say that most of those involved in the
so called miracle ministries today leave much
to be desired, and many of them have brought
into disrepute the true work of God through
their charlatanism.
C. The fact that we do not see the evidence of more true miracles
today, does not necessarily mean that the days of miracles are
over.
1. I would rather fault man than God.
a. The prophet Isaiah said, "The hand of the Lord
is not short, that He cannot save, neither is
His ear heavy, that he cannot hear, but your
sins have separated you from your God.
b. The people were ready to blame God for that
lack of the demonstration of God's work in
their midst.
2. Throughout the Bible God did manifest His power to man
by the working of miracles.
a. He declared that He was the Lord, and He
changed not.
b. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today and
forever.
3. We have seen too many miracles in answer to believing
prayer to be so foolish as to deny the power of God to
work miracles today.
4. In the same token, I must confess that I do not see
anyone doing the works of Christ in a truly consistent
manner today, much less, greater works.
a. Is it our materialistic society with its
prevailing humanistic thought that keeps us
from seeing this special work of God?
b. Is it possibly that there is no one that God
could truly entrust these gifts too? That He
knows the pride of our hearts, and that we
would prostitute these gifts to our own gain?
Look at how many of the servants of God that
He began to use who in turn used those gifts to
enrich themselves.
5. We are told that the greater works would be wrought
because He was going to the Father. What is the
relationship with the greater works and His going to
the Father?
a. We know that He is today at the right hand of
the Father making intercession for us.
b. In a moment He will be telling them that He
will pray to the Father for them that He would
send them another Comforter, even the Spirit
of truth whom the world could not receive.
c. Peter used the descent of the Spirit of proof
that Jesus had ascended to the Father.
d. It was through the power of the Holy Spirit
that the apostles worked the miracles among
the people.
II. "And whatsoever you shall ask in My name, that will I do that the
Father might be glorified in the Son, if you ask anything in My name,
I will do it."
A. This is a very broad promise indeed, one that many of the name
it and claim it false prophets have used many times.
1. Again, who is Jesus making this promise to? His
disciples, whom He had called to be apostles.
2. What were the requirements of discipleship?
a. If any any man would come after Me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross, and follow
Me.
b. These words should be written in red across
this great promise. The promise was made to
those who had denied, themselves, to take up
their crosses that they might follow Him.
c. It would necessarily follow that you would not
be asking anything for yourself, to consume on
your own self, for you had denied self.
d. James said that you ask and receive not
because you ask amiss, that you might consume
it on your own lusts.
B. We see in the book of Acts how in the name of Jesus the same
works of Christ were wrought.
1. In Acts 4 when Peter was going into the temple to pray
and was accosted by the lame man, He said to him, such
as I have give I unto you, in the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, rise up and walk.
2. Peter said to Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole."
3. In Acts 16 Paul said to the evil spirit, "I command
you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her."
C. All of the answered prayers were to be to the glory of the
Father. "That the Father might be glorified in the Son."
1. As we see the answers to prayer, we are not to glory
in the one who prayed for us, but glory in God who
answered the prayer.
2. Let your light so shine before men, that when they
see your good works they glorify your Father which
is in heaven.
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