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God wants greater things for you. Jeremiah 29:11 says that God wants to prosper you and to provide a means to an end. Jesus also said that he came to save men’s lives rather than to destroy them. God loves each and every one of us. His blessing isn’t limited to physical things. He wants to heal you, restore you, and to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
We are glad to have you with us at Redemption Church of Plano Tx! I am Chris Fluitt, and I am THANKFUL for everyone worshipping with us in person and everyone joining us online.
We are in the 3rd week of our series called – Greater Reward.
Greater Reward
This week is Thanksgiving. Christmas is just around the corner. Then comes the new year and many on January 1st will turn their attention towards seeking greater.
In this series, we want to spur you on, encourage you, and prod you to seek a greater reward TODAY!
In week 1 we told you that greater is possible and promised.
Last week we taught you that we must live greater. Greater does not come through lip service but discipline.
Greater Within
Today I want to teach about having greater within.
I want you to turn with me in your Bibles and Bible apps to John 14:12-14.
As we are turning to John 14, I want to ask you these questions…
- Does the teaching of Jesus focus primarily on the inside or the outside? When it comes to people, does Jesus focus more on an outside appearance or a transformed inside?
- Now ask the same thing about the teachings of religion. In your experience, does religion focus more on the outside or the inside?
- Where is your focus? Are you outward focused or inward focused?
John 14:12-14(NIV) 2 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Jesus has an inward focus. We believe IN Jesus. The Father is glorified IN the son. You may ask anything IN my name.
Within or Without?
Do we often focus on the external over the internal?
It is so much easier to focus on the external, because it can be seen.
Of course, we are going to daydream more about a new car or prettier home (external) more than having greater will power and discipline (internal).
Of course, we will think about improving our life by acquiring something material, more than something immaterial.
Of course, most of our prayer life is focused on improving our outside, than growing on the inside.
We have these eyes, and they look out… you cannot flip your eyes around to look inside.
We have these hands that are ready to touch everything outside… but do not try to make these hands grab ahold of what is inside.
We have a voice that can shout out… but not shout in.
Our taste and our hearing only picks up on what is external…
All our senses are geared toward what is without, so we often forget about what is within.
That is why it is harder to preach about obtaining change within than obtaining change without. This is why tv preachers will often look right into the camera and say “I just feel like God wants to bless you (external). If you will just take this seed offering ($$$), God is ready to give a blessing ($$$).” More likely God would have us hear a different message – “Repent! Turn from your sin! Clean out your heart! Change your thoughts!”
Who would you rather be?
Superman or Lex Luther
Superman is the son of Krypton. He has power within.
Lex Luther is a billionaire tycoon. His power is all external. He even creates a suit that runs on kryptonite so that he can receive enough external power to fight Superman.
Who would you rather be? Superman or Lex Luther? If you say Lex Luther, we should just open this altar right now!
Is Jesus more like Superman or Lex Luther? Does Jesus get his strength from the internal or the external?
John 14:10(NIV) Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
*2 Corinthians 5:19(NKJV) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself
Colossians 1:19-20(NIV) 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Colossians 2:9-10(NIV) 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Jesus Christ did not draw from an external power. The power of Jesus is the power within Him.
This is a bigger statement when we consider all the scripture that teaches us that Jesus created all things, he holds all things together, He is the Word that framed the worlds. Jesus has full power & control over the external. Jesus looks out at the storm and the crashing waves, then calms them with a peace that dwells within Him. Jesus looks out at a man with thousands of demons and casts them out with an authority within Him. Jesus looks out at the crowd crying crucify Him, and the Lord of Hosts resists calling on the external power of angels to deliver Him from the cross.
Although Jesus has power over the external, His power flows from the internal.
To be clear, Scripture does instruct us about the outside. Scripture tells us that the outside matters. We are to have external good works so that when our works are seen, people glorify God. (Matt 5:16) Jesus teaches that a tree is known by its external fruit (Matt 12:33).
The outside does matter. The emphasis upon inward things does not negate the importance of outward appearances. Instead, scripture declares that the power inside will effect change on the outside, as well.
Matthew 15:11(NIV) What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Check out what Jesus is saying here! That external thing is not what defiles you. What is already resident inside you; that is what defiles you.
NAME THAT EXTERNAL SIN… That is not what is defiling you. What defiles you is already inside you. If you change your external behavior without changing your inner man, you are still defiled!
Matthew 23:26(NIV) Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
The Pharisees thought that their effort on the outside was enough. Jesus called them blind. Jesus reveals God cares about the inside & the outside here… but the outside is only really cleaned by cleaning the inside and letting the cleansing power within to flow out and cleanse the outside.
Greater Within
If you truly want greater, you must focus on receiving greater within!
This works in the natural.
Greater internal knowledge will lead you to greater grades, greater degree, greater job, greater promotion, greater pay.
Greater emotional health will lead you to greater happiness, greater peace, greater family life, greater marriage.
That greater thing you want in the external… you have been seeking every external activity to obtain it but always falling short. That should tell you that it is time to focus on greater within, and then from that greater within progress you will achieve greater without.
All of this is absolutely true… Jesus is right about seeking greater within, but then Jesus takes it beyond the natural.
Seeking a natural ‘greater within’ will bring positive results but receiving a ‘supernatural greater within’ is off the charts!
Let’s go back to John 14. In the context of this chapter Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s very Spirit, and when God lives within you it can only be described as greater.
John 14:12 (NIV) 2 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…
This belief IN Jesus… this IN-filling of HIS Spirit WITHIN will bring greater things. Even greater than what Jesus did!
Does Jesus really mean greater?
Answer that question in your heart and mind.
Does the question give you pause? Why?
- Maybe you feel like God can do greater in others, but not in yourself?
- You believe Jesus is great and can do greater in others… but your view of yourself is so low that you can’t imagine greater for yourself EVEN IF JESUS HIMSELF DOES THE WORK.
- If you have a GREATER view of Jesus by allowing His Spirit inside of You, His Word inside of you, His Peace & Power inside of you, then you will realize a greater view of what is possible in your life!
- Stop letting the lesser view of yourself cause you to view Jesus in you as anything less than GREATER!
Do you answer yes?
- Then are you expecting and experiencing greater?
- Do you have a faith and attitude that wakes up in the morning with the assurance that greater is possible today?
- Are you attempting greater only under your own ability or are you calling on the power of Jesus Christ within you to bring out the greater?
My brother Linus has been in a stagnant place in his career. He has worked very hard, acquired degrees, been faithful and studious in his career, yet he was really needing a breakthrough.
Our dad recently looked my brother in the eye and was more than a little direct. Clyde Fluitt said, “Linus you are not making enough money. You need to have a promotion. You have a future family that is dependent on this. You are called to achieve greater. Have you asked God for it? ASK GOD FOR A PROMOTION.”
It stung a little… because Linus was working as hard as possible. He was going in early and staying late. It was impossible for Linus to give anything greater in the physical…
When you are giving everything you can in the physical, material, natural realm, but it is still not enough… this is a big neon sign that YOU NEED SOMETHING GREATER FROM GOD!
Linus prayed and that very week Linus walked into a staff meeting with some major director in attendance. Everyone in the meeting gave reports on what was going on… but everyone seemed to talk about how they took their issues and consulted with Linus, my brother. Right there in front of the director everyone basically sang a big song about how Linus was an asset to the corporation.
That very day at lunch Linus got a call telling him he has a new job. They just created a new position and gave it to him… no need to interview for this job, no need for references, no need to send in the resume. My brother got a break-through promotion with a pay raise that blew him away.
God had greater for my brother but was simply waiting for my brother to ask for God’s greater.
God’s greater is just a prayer away. Do you realize that greater is here right now waiting for you to show up?
When you give greater effort in the natural and receive God’s greater in the supernatural – you are unstoppable!
The Holy Spirit is a gift. God wants to give you His Spirit!
God wants His Spirit to perform and accomplish greater things than Jesus did!
God wants greater to live inside of you!
Superman or Lex Luther
Thinking back to our Superman & Lex Luther example… Power inside you is always greater than an external power.
Superman has this power resident within him.
Lex needs a super-suit to give him enough power to even attempt a struggle against Superman.
The power of Jesus is supposed to be inside of us, but we use Jesus like a super-suit.
Honey Where’s my supersuit?
In the movie “the Incredibles” a super-hero named Frozone notices the city being attacked and goes to find his super-suit, but his wife has placed it somewhere else… so Frozone says, “Honey where’s my super-suit?”
Stop treating Jesus like an external super-suit that you put on and take off as you choose.
Superman or Lex Luther
Too often we treat Jesus like a super-suit.
I am going to church today… better put on my Christian super-suit. After church you take the suit off.
There is a problem I need help with… this looks like a job for… and you step into a phonebooth.
If you only pray when you have problems… That is treating Jesus like an external power.
If you only turn to the word of God when you are afraid… That is treating Jesus like an external power.
When your prayers only focus on external issues and not the internal issues… You are treating Jesus as an external power.
Jesus is not a super-suit! He is the water that is cleans the cup from the inside out!
I asked some geeky people on facebook about Superman versus the Lex Luther suit and a guy named Reuben Kendall left this comment. –
Reuben Kendall – The External limitation will always be playing catch-up to the real living thing.
Thank you Reuben! Jesus beside you is never as powerful as Jesus within you.
Using Jesus as an external comfort, power, or miracle is so much less that your being a New Creature IN Christ!
1 John 4:4(NIV) 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
The “them” in this verse is the antichrist. You have overcome Satan’s biggest and boldest attack… why? Because Greater is in you! God is in you!
Greater is in you! God is in you!
Is God in you? He can be! Come right now.
Have you been treating Jesus like a super-suit?
Have you allowed your low view of yourself to handcuff your faith in Jesus Christ?
Have you asked God for greater?