Are you a spirit-filled believer? Listen to Adrian Rogers.
How many of you who say that you believe are doing the works of Jesus and greater works? Well, you say, I’m a believer, but I’m not doing this. Well, something’s wrong and it’s not the scripture.
Now, when we read a scripture like this, we’re tempted to dumb it down so it fits our experience. But Jesus said, if we are a believer, if we believe in Him, the works that He does, we will do, and greater works than these, shall we do.
welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the profound truth of the gospel simply stated in the teachings of Adrian Rogers. A spirit-filled church doesn’t just organize and process members, it empowers and equips believers to be transformed by scripture. As a church, we’re not only to do the works of Jesus, but also to excel the works of Jesus.
This is not talking about greater in quality, but in quantity. We won’t walk on water, but we will multiply the kingdom by leading people to Christ. If you have your Bible, turn to John chapter 14, as Adrian Rogers shares more about a spirit-filled church.
Be finding John chapter 14 in verse 12. Today I want to talk to you about being a spirit-filled church. Well, Jesus said that we’re to be in a wonderful business.
Look in verse 12. Verily, verily. Now when Jesus says, verily, verily, that means pay attention, pay attention.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also, now listen, and greater works than these, shall he do because I go to my Father. Wow. He that believes on me.
Now there are only two classes of people in this building this morning, believers and unbelievers. Four things I want to lay on your heart this morning as we’re talking about a spirit-filled church. First of all, Bellevue’s Exciting Program.
What is Bellevue’s Exciting Program? Very clearly, very plainly. It’s not an activities program.
It’s not a music program. It’s not an educational program. It’s not a benevolent program.
Bellevue’s Exciting Program is to do the works of Jesus and to excel the works of Jesus. They say, well, wait a minute, Pastor. How can we excel the works of Jesus?
Or how can we do them, much less excel them? Jesus walked on water. Jesus raised the dead.
What can we do that is greater than what Jesus did? Well, friend, I want to tell you that what our Lord is talking about is not raising the dead. Our Lord here is talking when he’s talking about greater works.
He is not talking about quality. He’s talking about quantity of doing more than the Lord Jesus did. Now, he’s talking about leading people to himself.
He’s talking about evangelism. He’s talking about soul winning. He’s talking about multiplication.
He is talking about bringing people to Jesus Christ. Church, you listen to me. Bring the soul to Jesus Christ is greater than raising a man from the dead.
I know you may not believe that, but I’m telling you, as surely as I stand here, it is absolute rock-ribbed truth to bring the soul to Jesus Christ is greater than raising someone from the dead. Now, just turn backward to John chapter five. And look in verses 20 through 24.
Jesus is speaking. He says, for the father loveth the son and showeth him all things that himself doeth, and will show him, now notice this, greater works than these. Again now, we’re talking about greater works.
I’m going to skip on down to verse 24 now. Verily, verily, I say to you, he that hearth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death into life. Even the people that Jesus raised, they died again.
But when we believe on him, when we trust him, we have everlasting life. You want to see a miracle? Look up here, right here.
You’re looking at a man who cannot die. Jesus said, He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Well, why does he say greater works than these that I do shall you do?
He’s not talking about greater in quality, but in quantity. We as a church are going to do far more than Jesus did when he was here on this earth walking in the flesh. Friend, on the day of pentecost, more souls were saved in one day than came to Jesus in his entire ministry.
Now, what our Lord wants is souls, multiplied souls coming to Jesus and church. God wants you to be a part of it. God wants Bellevue to be a spirit-filled church.
Doing the works of Jesus, that is giving eternal life, and greater, more multitudinous than Jesus ever did. I heard about a man in Washington who passed a government building, and up there on the façade, it said, the past is prologue. He said, what does that mean?
The taxi driver said, it means you ain’t seen nothing yet. Now, that’s the way it is with the church. When we saw what Jesus did, that is miniscule to what needs to be done, what ought to be done.
Our Lord is saying, Bellevue, Bellevue, listen, greater works than these that I do, will you do if you believe on me? Do you believe on Jesus? Do you believe on Jesus?
All right, now listen. This is Bellevue’s exciting program. Choir is wonderful, the orchestra is fine, the preaching, mediocre, the educational program, fine.
All of these are fine, but they all are only a part of a great program, that is doing the works of Jesus. And what is the work of Jesus? He said, I finished the work thou gave us me, I finished what he sent me to do.
The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. Never, never, never, never minimize bringing souls to Jesus Christ. There is no substitute.
And if this church moves away from evangelism, it signs its death warrant. A church exists by evangelism like a fire exists by burning. Now, that’s Bellevue’s exciting program, Shift Gears, and I want you to see Bellevue’s explicit promise.
Now, in verse 12, he speaks of these greater works, and notice that verse 12 and verse 13 are conjoined. And he says, and, that is, it’s part of the same thing. Greater works than these that I do shall you do, and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, how do we do these greater works? We do these greater works by believing prayer.
I mentioned a while back about 3,000 saved in one day, the day of pentecost. Well, they prayed for 10 days, preached for 15 minutes and 3,000 got saved. We pray for 10 minutes and preach for 10 days and have a handful saved.
You see, this program, this exciting program is based upon a promise, and that promise is God will answer our prayers. Now, prayer is not a substitute for our work. Prayer is not preliminary to our work.
In many sense, it is our work in many senses. Do you believe that God will do greater things through your prayer? Now, don’t answer out loud, because the next question will be embarrassing.
How much do you pray? Jesus said greater works than these that I do, you will do because I go to my father, and if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. You can do a lot without prayer.
The pyramids were built without prayer to our true God. They may have prayed to their pagan gods. But this church, in order to do the greater works that Jesus commands us to do, we must do it by prayer.
And notice what kind of prayer it is. Number one, you’ve got to have the right people. Verse 12 tells us that we must believe.
Now, if you’re not a believer, your prayer doesn’t get any higher than the light bulbs. But if you believe, if you’re the right person, if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the way, if you don’t find in your heart an earnest desire to pray, I wonder if you’re saved. Because God sends forth His Spirit into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, Abba, Father, there must be the right person.
Verse 12, there must be the right power. And if you ask anything in my name, I will do it. Now, you can’t just forge His name to a prayer and say, this is in the name of Jesus, I want a swimming pool.
No. What does it mean to ask in His name? The name stands for authority.
You put your name on a check, that gives the cashier the authority to take some money out of the bank and hand it to you because you have some in your account. Now, if you don’t have anything in your account, you put your name on that check, they don’t put the check in jail, they put you in jail. Because you see your name stands for you.
Jesus said, if you ask anything in my name, that is with my authority, my approval, then I’ll do it. Then I’ll do it. Very much like a policeman made a wild party, and he goes and knocks on the door.
They come, he says, open up in the name of the law. He might be 150 pounds full of bananas and soaking wet. But he says, open, in the name of the law.
He has a badge on him. He has authority. We as believers have authority.
We don’t have to have physical strength, monetary strength, intellectual superiority. We have the authority of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that?
I hope you do. Now, the right person, he the believes. And if you ask anything in my name, the right power.
Now, let’s suppose that policeman goes home. And he goes to his neighbor and says, May I borrow your lawnmower in the name of the law? Doesn’t fit, does it?
Here’s doesn’t fit. Because you see, he cannot take that authority and apply it to something that where it does not belong. And don’t you think you can just tack in the name of Jesus on a prayer and get your prayer answered?
In the name of Jesus, it means for the right purpose. Now, what is the right purpose? Well, just continue to read here in this scripture, verse 13.
And whatsoever, you shall ask in my name, that will I do. Now watch this, that the father may be glorified in the son. What is the purpose of prayer?
To glorify God. Not to have our little selfish desires. Amen.
When you get the right person praying with the right power for the right purpose, let me tell you how to get your prayers answered. Let your purpose and God’s purpose come together, that you want God glorified. We are to do greater works than the Lord Jesus Christ.
And the way we do that is through, first of all, believing prayer. And God has given us an explicit promise. Don’t take from it.
Don’t add to it. Believe it and practice it. Number three, there’s Bellevue’s expected practice.
All of these things are conjoined, the greater works, the prayer. And now notice verse 15. If you love me, keep my commandments.
Now, if you say you love the Lord Jesus Christ, and you’re not keeping his commandments, you are a liar. Do you keep his commandments? Now, if you don’t keep his commandments, it’s no wonder that you’re not doing greater works.
And what is his commandment? It’s the great commission. Go and make disciples.
What are the greater works? Bringing people to Jesus Christ. Jesus said, you’ll receive power after that.
The Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses under me. He didn’t say, you’re to go out and argue. You say, pastor, I’m not educated.
I don’t know a lot of theology. I can’t witness. Oh, yes, you can.
If you’re saved, if you believe on Jesus, you can witness. If you’re saved, you know how you got saved, don’t you? Say, uh-huh.
Well, if you know how you got saved, can’t you tell somebody else? How you got saved? You see, our Lord has not called you to be a lawyer, but to be a witness.
A lawyer argues a case. A witness tells what he’s seen and heard. And the only reason some people don’t witness is they haven’t seen or heard anything.
I mean, if Jesus Christ has saved you, can’t you tell somebody else? The first soul I ever led to Christ, all I did is tell him how I got saved, and he got saved. It was very simple, very glorious, very wonderful.
Now, there’s no cheap, easy way to do it. The word witness and the word martyr are the same word in the Greek language. You see, a bullet doesn’t make a martyr.
It just reveals one. Now, you say, oh, I die for Jesus. Put that on the shelf.
Will you live for Jesus? Will you? I’m telling you that the word martyr and the word witness are the same word.
Now, he says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. That is Bellevue’s expected practice. Over and over and over again, he tells us in the Bible that we’re to share the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, next, I want you to notice Bellevue’s exceeding power. For an excelling purpose and an exciting purpose and an expanded purpose, you’re going to need exceeding power. Now, we’ll continue to read here.
We’re still in John 14. Now, let’s start with verse 16. And I will pray the Father.
Now, he says, you pray. Now, what is he says? And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.
But ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. Who was dwelling with them? Jesus.
Who would be in them? Jesus. I will not leave you comfortless.
I will come to you. The Holy Spirit is Christ and the Christian. Now, Lord says, Look, you have a mission impossible.
You to do the works that I do and greater works than these. Pray, obey, and I am going to send you the comforter, another comforter. The word comforter is the word paraclete, paracletos.
And the word means somebody who will come alongside of you, someone who will get in to yoke with you, to empower you and to strengthen you. You’ll never be alone. Another comforter.
And he uses the word another. There are two Greek words for another. One means another of a different kind.
For example, you say, I’ve got a horse. But I need another horse. But then there’s the word another in the Bible that means another of a different kind.
I’ve got a horse, but I’m going to get an automobile. There’s a different word for another there. Now, what Jesus, the word that Jesus uses is not the word another for a different kind.
Another of the same kind. I will send you another comforter. I’m right here with you, but I’m going to send the Holy Spirit.
And then he says, I’ll be with you. Do you get it, Church? Do you understand it?
Listen, I will not leave you comforterless. I will come to you. In a Christian, Jesus lives again.
That’s the way we can do the works that Jesus did in the greater works. You know what he said there in verse 13? If you ask anything in my name, what?
I’ll do it. I’ll do it. He didn’t say, I’ll help you to do it.
I’ll do it. I’m crucified with Christ, Paul said. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me.
You see, listen, God moves in and God begins to work in you, through you, with you, when you believe him for greater works than raising the dead, when you pray believing prayer in the name of Jesus with his authority for the glory of God, when you obey him when he says, As ye shall be witnesses under me, then God will empower you. God sends the Holy Spirit. God sends another Comforter who is Jesus Christ in you.
I’ve told you, church, listen to me, there’s only one who’s ever lived the Christian life. His name is Jesus. And if the Christian life has lived in your house, in your club, on your team, in your choir, there’s only one person who’ll be doing it.
It’s Jesus. We’re not to be a little tin imitation of Jesus. It is Christ in us.
Oh, God, help us to understand this. Help me, Lord, to understand it, that Jesus Christ is alive in me. And he said, if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
He’s the one who steps in. This is the exceeding power that we have to do these greater works than the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says, I’m going to come.
A comforter will abide. That means to dwell forever. The late great Ron Dunn said, your heart is not a hotel with checkout time 12 noon on Sundays.
He lives with us and is with us. Now, you think about it. You say, how can I do the works of Jesus and greater works?
Because he’ll still be doing them. But he will now do them in you and you and you and you and me and me and me and me. And don’t you cop out.
This is the work of the whole church for the whole age. I want you to present yourself to the Lord right now and say, Lord God, here I am. I am available.
I know that you want to do greater works than Jesus did because I believe in you. And I will pray the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God. And I will obey, Oh Lord, help me because I’m so weak.
But I will. And Lord, you will empower me with your blessed precious Holy Spirit to do the job. Now we can’t all do it the same way.
We can’t all be preachers, but we can all be reachers. Amen? You can’t win an adult when a child.
If you can’t win somebody in your family, bring somebody else. If you can’t do it, at least try. Bring souls to Jesus Christ.
Well, that is our mission as believers to bring souls to Jesus Christ. And at Love Worth Finding, we love hearing how the ministry and the messages of Pastor Rogers have inspired you in your faith journey. If you can, go online to lwf.org/mylwfstory and submit your testimony or read others who have shared their stories with us.
Now, if you would like to order a copy of today’s message in its entirety, call us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD and mention the title, A Spirit Filled Church. You can also order online at lwf.org/radio or write us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee, 38183. In order to be a Spirit Filled Church, each one of us must be filled with the Spirit.
Are you being obedient to the Lord today? Are you seeking to multiply the kingdom by winning souls? We’re so glad you joined us for this study in God’s Word.
Tune in next time for more from Adrian Rogers, right here on Love Worth Finding.
A listener reached out online and shared these encouraging words, I am so glad I found your program about four years ago. I listened to Pastor Rogers on the radio on my way to work. He is still reaching souls.
You know at Love Worth Finding, we love to inspire and equip you with these messages from Pastor Rogers as well as resources for daily Christian living. And to thank you for your gift of support right now, we want to send you a copy of the book, A Final Charge to the Church. Final words are many times some of the most impactful and important thoughts we can share.
Prior to his retirement, Pastor Rogers shared one last series to encourage the Church of Jesus to be more unified, steadfast and Bible centered. Request a copy of this book by calling us at 1-877-LOVE-GOD or give online at lwf.org/radio. And thanks for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.
