Message 10: Joining Jesus in the Supernatural

INTRODUCTION: Turn to John 10:30
John’s Gospel presents a supernatural Jesus. There is no room in John’s writings for us to embrace Him simply as a good teacher – He is clearly supernatural in nature, power and purpose.

He has supernatural power over nature:
• Changing ordinary water into extraordinary wine! (John 2:1-11)
• Walking on Water and Calming the Storm! (John 6:16-21)

He has supernatural power over illness, disease and death:
• Healing the Noblemen’s Son! (John 4:46-54)
• Healing the Lame Man! (John 5:1-15)
• Healing the Blind Man! (John 9:1-12)
• Raising the Dead! (John 11:1-45)

He has supernatural power to create:
• Feeding the Multitude! (John 6:1-15)

Now the question that remains is this: Do you believe? Do you believe in the Supernatural Jesus?

Don’t answer too quickly. Because your answer has consequences.

If you say you believe in the Supernatural Jesus – then He deserves to be followed and for you to do His will.

If you say that Christ couldn’t do what John’s Gospel says He did, then He also couldn’t rise from the dead and you are still lost in your sin and separated from God.

Now – look at this encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees in John 10:30…

30 I and the Father are one.”
31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33 “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?
35 If he called them ‘gods’, to whom the word of God came-- and the Scripture cannot be broken--
36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?
37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.
38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” John 10:30-28

There is a great deal in this text, but I want to focus in on one line in verse 35

Jesus says: “the Scripture cannot be broken…”

Do you see that? Do you get it? God’s Word cannot be broken; it can only be fulfilled.

What God has promised through His Son, will be done. Every promise that God has made concerning His glory in the church, His wrath against unrighteousness, His purposes with Israel, the coming Harvest of the nations, our victory over sin and death, His unending presence with you as we follow Him – each and every promise of God will be fulfilled.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

• In Christ, God’s promises are YES!
• In Christ, God’s promises will be fulfilled.

We yearn for this to be realized. I long for the promises of God to be actualized in my life. Don’t you?

We are the people of the promise – and what has been spoken, will be fulfilled. Rest assured.

Now – turn to John 14:11 – to see a promise that will be fulfilled. Here we see Jesus in the midst of another conversation. This time with Philip, and again, we see Jesus appeal to the testimony of the miracles as evidence of His true identity – look at verse 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 miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:11-14, NIV.

Rigght there in verse 12 is a significant promise from God’s Word – Jesus Christ: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Jesus invites us to do what He has been doing. He invites us to join Him in His supernatural activity. This is an undeniable promise of God’s Word: “By faith – we can do what Christ has been doing, an more amazingly even greater things!”

What does this mean? Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, fed thousands. Can we do this? Now, again, don’t answer too quickly. We don’t know enough yet to fully answer that question. Our 20th century Western world-view says: “NO, of course not.” But what if we are wrong? What if there is more power available to us than any of us can imagine? What if our world-view has stopped us from moving forward into the ‘greater things’ of Christ?

And whether we can do these things are not really isn’t the issue. The real issue is that Christ is expecting us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit at a far greater level than we currently are! The real issue is the God’s power is available and we are sitting around defeated, impotent and in big trouble!

You see, God’s Word cannot be broken. It’s undeniable what Christ promised. So, instead of trying to figure out the exact meaning of this promise, why not passionately pursue the fulfillment of it instead.

I’d rather make a million mistakes passionately pursuing Christ and His promises that to sit back in fear of making any!

• What if – in your pursuit of the promises of God – what if – something happens?
• What if people get healed?
• What if when you pray for 10 people – one gets healed?
• What if Christ isn’t kidding when He invites you to join with Him in the supernatural?

• What if your greater thing is to love someone who seems to be unloveable?
• What if your greater thing is to be an intercessor for your adult children – for five – ten – twenty years – until such time that through your faithful prayers – they repent and return to Christ?
• What if your greater thing is to stay, when everyone else has left?

The Scripture cannot be broken, only fulfilled.

Christ says: You will do greater things than I’ve done.
This cannot be broken or nullified – it can only be fulfilled.

Now, get this: When God is in the equation, it doesn’t matter one bit where we come from or where we begin. God is able to fulfill His promises and change us into the kind of person who is able to do ‘greater things’ in Christ!

I’m claiming this promise. How about you? I’m claiming this promise. It is what the rest of my life is about. I want to be involved with Christ in the supernatural. I want to see His glorious power revealed! I absolutely refuse to believe that what I’ve experienced thus far is all that there is! There is more – and I’m created to live in it!

So, what are we to do with this unbreakable promise?

Again – turn to another place in John – John 15

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is 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 given you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:1-9

Verse four tells us what to do in expectation of being involved with Christ in the supernatural:

Remain in me.

The King James Version puts it this way: Abide in me.

The Message Translation puts it this way: "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you.”

Christ calls us to simply remain in Him. To live in Him. To find ourselves in Him. Another way of thinking about this is to allow Christ to define you. This is the goal: To be in Christ. Day in and day out – to be in Christ.

To remain in Christ is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to live not according to the power of the flesh, but according to the power of God within us.

What happens when we abide in Christ?

First of all – You get pruned!

Verse 2 tells us: “…every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

If you abide in Christ, Christ will prune you. He will cut off the unfruitful parts of your life. He’ll take your selfishness and cut it off and throw it on the fire. He’ll take your stubbornness and trim it off. It is of no use to you. He’ll take your anger and eliminate it. He’ll take your wandering eye and refocus it towards purity. You cannot stay the same and go with God.

Embrace change. For when Christ changes you, it is a sign that He loves you. And when Christ prunes your life, He is preparing you to be even more fruitful. There has never been a person who became effective in ministry or for the Kingdom who hasn’t been severely tested and tried by God.

Zechariah 13 tells us:
“I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” Zechariah 13:9

Do not curse God’s refining process. He is treating you as a son or daughter and preparing you for greater glory! You cannot shortcut or circumvent God’s preparation process.

The second thing that happens when you abide in Christ is found in verse 5 – “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit…”

You will produce more fruit!

After being pruned of the unnecessary, God will produce a great harvest in your life. Your life will matter. Your life will make a difference. Your life will have a positive payoff! Things start happening that you never dreamed were possible!

Look at how Jesus describes these things in verse 7
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.

You see, after being pruned of fleshly desire and soulish fears – you are now able to pray properly! You know what to pray! You know how to pray God’s will! You know how to pray the promises of God – and as you do so – ‘it will be given you!’

God says: “I’ve pruned you of the what has stopped you from becoming fully alive in me, I’ve dealt with your petty jealousies, your selfish ambitions, your ego and conceit – and now you are able to pray prayers that I can answer affirmatively!”

You have been matured past selfish praying. You have been transformed from ego-centered living to Christ-centered living. You’ve discovered that there is nothing more important than the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven!

And as He transforms you this way – whatever you pray for will happen!

This is the fulfillment of Jesus’ ‘greater things’ promise!

CONCLUSION:
Christ invites us to join Him in the supernatural.
He is pouring out gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable us to do in Him what we could never even imagine doing in the flesh!

Believe Him at His word!
Repent of fleshly living.
Repent of soulish living!
Remain in Him!
Receive the fulfillment of His promises!

The Scripture cannot be broken, it can only be fulfilled.

Jesus – we are crying out for your Word to be fulfilled in our lives.
We are sorry for being so stubborn, so unyielding. Forgive us.
Prune away the unfruitful.
Produce in our lives a harvest that lasts and brings glory to Your Name
We accept your offer to join you in the Supernatural!