How Big Is Your Jesus?
Believers should have high expectations for God's power and want to experience it in their lives by obeying God's Word and making big requests in Jesus' name.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the profound promises of Jesus in John 14, where believers are assured of doing greater works and receiving the Holy Spirit as a Comforter. He highlights the crucial connection between obedience to God's commandments and the fulfillment of these promises, urging Christians to not limit their expectations of Christ. Wilkerson challenges the notion of settling for a minimal faith, encouraging believers to seek a more expansive understanding of Jesus' power and presence in their lives. He calls for a faith that reflects the greatness of God through bold requests and unwavering belief. Ultimately, he desires for believers to recognize the vastness of Christ and to live in a way that showcases His true power.
Text
John 14 contains two magnificent promises. In the first, Jesus states, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it" (John 14:12-14). Jesus makes it plain and simple in the last verse: "Ask anything in my name, and I'll do it for you."
Two verses later, Jesus promises, "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you" (John 14:16-18). Here Christ is saying, "I'm going to give you the Spirit of Truth. And his power will abide in you."
These are two incredible promises from Jesus. Yet, notice the one verse that's sandwiched between them: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Why does this statement appear here? Christ is telling us, "There is a matter of obedience connected to these promises." In short, both promises have to do with keeping and obeying God's Word. They were given to be fulfilled, so that nothing would hinder us from claiming the power that is Christ.
I'm convinced that asking little or nothing in Jesus' name is a reproach to him. Year after year, many Christians settle for less and less. Finally, they settle for salvation only. They have no expectations other than making it to heaven someday.
I ask you: Have you come to the end of your Christ? Do you expect nothing more than to be saved by his power and grace? Does your Christ end at just enough strength to make it through another day? Does he end for you at a place of occasional peace and joy, in a life lived mostly under Satan's harassment?
All of these passages in God's Word persuade me that "my" Jesus is no bigger than my requests. Yet, sadly, many believers make Christ look insignificant and powerless by their unbelief. Beloved, I don't want my Christ to be limited. Instead, I want every devil in hell to know how big my God is by how big my requests are. I want more out of my Christ. I want him to be bigger than ever in my life.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Two Promises of Jesus
- A. Greater works than Jesus' own will be done
- B. Any request made in Jesus' name will be granted
- II. The Importance of Obedience
- A. Keeping God's commandments is connected to the promises
- III. The Limitations of Unbelief
- A. Unbelief makes Christ look insignificant and powerless
- B. Believers should have high expectations for God's power
- IV. The Desire for a Bigger Christ
- A. Wanting God to be bigger than our requests
- B. Wanting to experience God's power in our lives
Key Quotes
“Ask anything in my name, and I'll do it for you.” — David Wilkerson
“I'm going to give you the Spirit of Truth. And his power will abide in you.” — David Wilkerson
“There is a matter of obedience connected to these promises.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We should have high expectations for God's power and want to experience it in our lives.
- Obedience is connected to the promises of God, and without it, we may hinder ourselves from claiming the power that is Christ.
- We should want to experience a bigger Christ by wanting God to be bigger than our requests.