Making Big Requests - Part 1

Welcome to the intense time-tested child family for Wednesday, February 9.

God responds to prayer taking advantage of that amazing conflict. Here's part one of making big requests.

What we hesitated to make big request of God is because we think that somehow we going to exhaust his resources. We got a challenges strength or is it because we don't feel worthy because we doubt that he will do what he promised to do when you make a request of God and he doesn't answer your prayer immediately when you expect, what is your response. They just quit and give up all do you ask yourself the question, why is God not answering this prayer.

Having made the promises he made. Well, I want to talk about in this message.

This is the title making big request of God and someone you turn if you will to John chapter 14 and you'll recall that Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples of this pond and some of the most precious precious cruise that Jesus ever gave he gave in these chapters 13 1415 1617 and if you'll notice in John chapter 14, he makes one of the most breathtaking astounding, almost unbelievable impossible promises to be found anywhere in the Bible. In fact, the truth is that when most people come to this verse.

They just read right over that and they will say what you know, I know that's what it says but it surely must mean something else, because he certainly could mean that. I mean, he just couldn't amendment. So let's see what they did or not. Verse 12 of chapter 14 truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the father and whatever you ask in my name, that will I do that the father may be glorified in the son.

If you ask anything in my name I will do it. There are three astounding promises from Christ if I should ask you if you really believe that. Well you believe it because it's in the Bible, but do you believe it in your everyday life. Did he really mean what he said when he said the works that I do usual do greater works whether two things.

Primarily, I want us to see in this passage here because this verse is the basis for asking big things of God. So I want to begin with that whole idea. That is the basis of asking big things of God and wants to look at this verse from a and if you'll think about it, it's almost impossible for us to disable you know how in the work that nobody can do greater works than Christ on me could possibly have meant that and so is easy to skip over it and move on to say well that's one of those verses that has some mysterious meaning that one of these days we get to heaven will understand what it means know he intends for us to understand right now what it may. Because of what you noticed two things about. First of all, he says, truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, so he's including not only his disciples but those who will believe all the way up to the 20th century, which includes you and me.

He who believes in me, the works that I do shall they do also and greater works than these shall they do, because I go to the father and what he simply saying is that what he is promising is not limited to those disciples, but includes us. Secondly, it's all in the future tense that his future tense from when he spoke it because he said, not in spite of the fact that I'm going to the father but because I go to the father. This is true, the things that you see me do. He says greater works than these, you will do not. If I go, but because I'm going to the father not limited to them. But in the future tense everything following the crucifixion, the resurrection and his ascension. And so when he says in this passage. These things shall you do also need notice what he says when he says here that that the works that I do will bring about the works of Jesus that if you think about the gospel of John and you go back to chapter want to go all the way through his what you find out the gospel of John is filled with with physical miracles that Jesus performed. For example, he turned water into wine. He fed 5000 with five loaves and two fishes. He walked on water and he raised Lazarus from the dead. That's just the mention of the what we have to ask is, what was the purpose of Jesus miracles. The primary purpose for all of these miracles was not to alleviate suffering not to feed the hungry, but the primary purpose for all of these miracles was to validate and affirm and confirm and prove that Jesus Christ was who he said he was. He said I am the key is that I'm the Messiah.

He said the father, not how one. If you have seen me using the father.

So Jesus went about performing miracles, not simply to heal though that was a part of his loving compassion for people, but in order to say he is one of the reasons you can believe what I say and he performed the miracles that they had no human earthly explanation for except that he had to be God, and they would say for example no man ever spoke with this kind of authority, but even when he performed miracles. Do you think that convince the unbelievers that he was the son of God. Some of the blade, but some of them did not and this is one of balances, the day of people saying what I can see a miracle.

I believe in God, not necessarily so. Not many people really follow Jesus because the miracles very long. They followed him for a while. When you see the very purpose of the miracles was the validate of them. I am who I say I am you and I don't need miracles that convinces because I have something that's far more valuable to me that any physical miracles. He has given us his word. This is his revelation he spoke at once, and once was good enough to say I am God, and so the reason for miracles was not the reason that oftentimes people said that he was there with you know why believe that God is a God of miracles and signs and wonders are due to obtain the greatest wonders of all days that he saved you and me.

That's not the only counter miracles. He still up to God still performs miracles, but his purpose for doing so is entirely different so when we come to this passage and he says the works that I do usual. Do even greater than these. For example, let's look at this. Here he was Jesus who never probably went over about 75 miles anyway from Jerusalem somewhere thereabouts and he never left the borders of Palestine and then let's take the apostle Paul, a St. Peter, first of all Peter on the day of Pentecost preach the gospel to thousands of people and the Bible says that 3000 people were added to the church. I don't know how many times Jesus preached that many people had that kind of response.

In fact, so many times Jesus turns it in fact the six chapter of John. One time he looked at his disciples.

He said you only been to. I mean, Jesus wasn't known for having big crowds that lasted very long. Every time he got a craggy, don't start talking about suffering, death, and the cross they can handle it. Peter preached 3000 people say that's recorded and then here comes along. The apostle Paul, the apostle Paul went all over his known world. The Asian world into a major city at the major city after major city, establishing churches, preaching the gospel. Look how God worked for the life of the apostle Paul, what you will have been Pentecost the beginning of the church Jesus spent most of his time with about 12 men, but following Pentecost, and following, there was the establishment of the church in the body of Christ begin the growing, they begin to spread and then begin to preach the gospel and people began to be saved in the body of Christ begin to move out across the world. The Bible says that apostle Paul wrote the Romans he said in chapter 1 verse eight he said, your faith is known throughout the world with you. Took apostle Paul's good members on the Lord Jesus Christ. As far as physical ministry and as far as location and distance in establishing churches you have to say that the apostle Paul. If you counted numbers all the rest would be a stretch ahead of Jesus. But you see that was when Jesus was told. He says you can do greater works than I do any meant exactly what he said he wasn't giving some symbolism he meant exactly what he said. For example, they also preach to the Gentiles. Jesus came to preach primarily to the Jews. But the apostle Paul and the early church began to do what envelop the Gentile world under the preaching of the gospel and so what he said he meant exactly what he said let's take a few examples. Someone gets a well what about the healing a blind person and giving them site when Jesus says the works that I do usual do greater you answer this question, which is the greater that a person receive their physical site. All that they receive spiritual site understand the gospel of Jesus Christ see him as the crucified and risen Lord and receive him as their personal savior and live eternally with God is a person. For example, is Aleppo and took a miracle to cleanse the leper from the leprosy.

But what is a greater miracle, but to cleanse a person from all the sin they ever committed ever will commit by one great act of Jesus at the cross and save them to live for God and it for all eternity. What is a greater miracle raising Lazarus from the dead, who would soon die. Later on, or bringing a person who is dead in trespasses and sins into a saving knowledge of Christ and raising them up to become a new creation in Christ and to live eternally for God. The flash wants physical miracles to prove something. And Jesus as the works that I do usual do greater works than what he was doing is comparing the spiritual work that his sermons within the people of God, would perform compared to the physical miracles that he was doing. Does that mean that you and I would be would perform miracles greater than God know this mean we are in competition with him. No visiting. We could be more successful than him notice them in any event, he was simply set making a statement that he meant to be practically and literally true. The things that I have done. He says you will do greater than the is no room for pride know because you said note. Knows what he said.

He says because I go to the father when he would've the father. What did he do exactly what he promised that he said if I go I'll send to you the comfort of the Holy Spirit. He will be in you with you and upon your Pentecost the spirit of God came baptized the whole body of Christ released the supernatural resurrection power of Christ in the life of every single believers so that the day every single believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, through whom supernatural resurrection power can be released if we willing to trust God to do it. He meant exactly what he said when he said greater works than these shall you do also. Now with that in mind you stable. What in the world is that have to do with the whole idea of asking and making big request of God simply this.

Here's the basis of it and the basis of it is simply this, Jesus said you can do it and you can expect great results is very interesting to me and extremely crucial that you not understand the link between these two things, the mighty works that God wants to perform an the means by which they are to be performed, which is prayer. If you notice what he says, look at this. Now I want you to follow along every word is important and plays properly. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the father and what's the next word and and whatever you ask in my name, that will I do that the father may be glorified in the sun. If you ask anything in my name I will do it. You cannot separate the great works that God wants to perform various people. You cannot separate them from prayer.

They go hand-in-hand there knit together, they are absolutely inseparable. Prayer is God's means of performing his work, his mighty works is great works through his children, and the problem of those is we don't really and truly believe that God is willing to do that kind of thing through is he is willing.

He said it. He couldn't have said and the clearer the works that I do shall you do and greater works than these shall you do what honest God is probably about to look in the word of God and say that's what Jesus said. That's what I believe that's what I'm gonna live by not. Here's what Jesus said that when he shows me in some physical miracle phenomena bleeding what you saying is what he says is not enough. He's still got to prove who he is and I want to) folks are living and working by miracles later. Gotta see one more and got I have one more got experience one more believe God has little faith. The desire for miracles is an expression of doubtful the living God who has said, if he shall ask anything in my name I will do it. So on the basis of that promise and its link with prayer. Here is what I really want to get to in this message that is one of the conditions then that I have to meet and that you had to meet in order for God to release this power in and through your life so that he can do mighty works in your life. First of all first requirement complete dependence complete dependence upon the merits and the mediation of Christ complete dependence upon the merits and the mediation of Christ as the only ground for expecting his answer. The only ground for expecting his answer.

No other Mima that simply this, the only authority and the only right you and I have become in the presence of God is as a result of who Christ is what he did at Calvary and what is done in our life and who he is. Enough and the fact that he is seen that the father's right hand, making intercession for you and me now you see there's no amount of work no matter giving no amount of anything that opens the door of the father. He says I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father but by me. There is none other name given among men under heaven, whereby any man must be saved, if ye shall ask anything in my name that is coming by the authority of the person of Christ, we come to God the father in the name of Jesus Christ, that is, as a result of what he did at Calvary and applied to my heart and made me clean and pure in his sight, and the fact that he sits at the right hand of the father making intercession bras center access to him. That's extremely important that you understand that. Otherwise, we come to him in a very subtle subconscious kind of fashionable Laura is on the thank you Dayton.

We should come to got every single time God father have you addressing in Jesus name I thank you Lord Jesus Christ has done in my life. I thank you that he's made access that is, we should be conscious of it what you stated in the praising the Lord Jesus Christ is made possible the shedding of his blood and the forgiveness of our sin that we can come to him and we come to them in any other way. We come to him on the basis of our pride in our works as self-sufficiency in God just wipes that out.

He is holy God who has clothed those in righteousness because we received his son and acknowledge visitors.

We acknowledge that the greatest event in human history.

Second, to nothing that is ever happened and nothing that ever will happen is a twofold experience of the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ for the greatest event in all of human history, past, present and future. Anything that that's important to God when I come to him. I need to recognize that I can come only by what Jesus is done at the cross as the first thing the second requirement is ongoing as big things of God is that I was, separated from all known sin.

He says if I regard iniquity in my heart if I hold onto it. He says I'll not hear. And so what are we to do when we sin against God with the confession and to repent of it to turn away from you at the turn away from it and turn away from it and turn away from it, but turn away from an God understands and recognizes and accepts our repentance as believers now. Usually we think about since he was a lot of line still cheapness and what about gossip and what about not paying the debt. And what about just a plain old critical spirit. What about laziness. What about not giving a full eight hours on the job. What about those little things that we just set up purchase think God doesn't see that list slothfulness laziness in the eyes of God, you will know what God thinks about lasers renewal of the proper God made you for a purpose in the primary purpose which he made you is to glorify himself. Slothfulness, laziness and purposelessness, and no sense of direction, carelessness and indifference spending God's money on other things. God isn't going on cc those kind of things we had to deal with in our life, we will God answer our prayer. Thank you for listening to making big requests. If you'd like to know more about child family more in touch ministries in test data lighting. This podcast is a presentation of intense ministries Atlanta, Georgia