“Truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14 CSB
Jesus is speaking to his disciples after the Passover Feast - the last supper - and he’s telling them he’s leaving but they can’t follow him yet.
Thomas says, “We don’t know where you are going? How can we know the way?” John 14:5
Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. If you know me, you will also know my father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6
Jesus, “The words I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who lives in me does His works. Believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.” John 14:10-11
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”Philippians 2:5-8(ESV)
All that Jesus did, God did through him. Jesus is telling us that we have access to the Father through Him, and in Him we can do greater works than even Jesus did.
Do you feel qualified?
God Qualifies the Called
“God does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
We see this throughout scripture. Here are just a few examples:
Joseph - A despised younger brother sold into slavery then imprisoned. Genesis 37, 39
God helps him interpret dreams - saves his family and Egypt from a famine. Gen. 39, 41
Moses - Not eloquent, slow of speech and tongue - killed someone Exodus 4:10-12 2:1-12
God calls him to lead the people out of Egypt. Exodus 3:10-12
David - A shepherd boy and the youngest son. 1 Samuel 16:11
God gives him strength and courage to kill a giant - becomes King 1 Samuel 17:45-47
The First Disciples - Fishermen, a tax collector, other unspecified jobs - Matt. 3:18-21
Jesus calls them to be fishers of men. Matthew 4:19
Jesus commissions them to make disciples of all nations. Matt. 28:16-20
Jesus sends them to preach, to have authority to cast out demons. Mark 3:14-15
Saul/Paul - Persecuted early Christians and tried to destroy the church Gal. 1:13
Preaches that Jesus is the Son of God and spreads the gospel to gentiles Acts 9:20
Romans 3:23 NIV “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
God Qualified Peter to do the Miraculous
Fisherman turned disciple - Matt. 4:18-20
Walked on water - Matt. 14:28-31
Renamed Peter (Rock) from Simon - John 1:42 Matt. 16:18
Confesses Jesus is the Messiah - Matt. 16:18
Rebuked Jesus and was corrected - Matt. 16:21-23
Saw Jesus Transfigured - Matt. 17:1-5
Cut off the servant’s ear - John 18:10
Denied knowing Jesus 3 times - Matt. 26:69–75, Mark 14:66–72, Luke 22:55–62, and John 18:15-27
Restored by Jesus (Feed my sheep) - John 21:15-19
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Preached at Pentecost- first sermon - 3,000 people come to believe - Acts 2
Healed a lame man - Acts 3:1-10
Preached in Solomon’s Colonnade - second sermon - 5,000 believe - Acts 3:11- Acts 4:4
Arrested and testified about Jesus before the Sanhedrin - Acts 4:1-22
Judgment resulting in death of Ananias and Sapphira - Acts 5:1-10
Healed the sick and those with “unclean spirits” - Acts 5:12-16
Arrested, put on trial and flogged - Acts 5:17-42
Healed a paralyzed man, Aeneas - Acts 9:32-35
Raised Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead - Acts 9:36-43
Received a vision, then defended the gospel being for Gentiles too- Acts 10 - Acts 11:18
Imprisoned again then rescued by an angel - Acts 12:1-18
Writes 1 & 2 Peter
Crucified around 66 yrs. Old
Notes From Time Before Jesus Ascended:
During his time as a disciple of Jesus, Peter saw many miracles and experienced some directly - walking on water - coin in the fish’s mouth - mother-in-law healed.
Disciples were given authority to heal and cast out demons. Matt. 10, Luke 9
Reasonable to think Peter had done miracles while Jesus was alive too.
Notes About Peter’s Specific Miracles
Many signs and wonders were being done among the people through the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared to join them, but the people spoke well of them. 14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—multitudes of both men and women. 15 As a result, they would carry the sick out into the streets and lay them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 In addition, a multitude came together from the towns surrounding Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Dorcas was a disciple - a follower of Jesus
She became sick and died
Two other disciples went and got Peter who was in a nearby town.
He sent everyone out of the room. He knelt, prayed and told her to get up!
Peter went from being a fisherman to a fisher of men! Jesus called Peter and Peter followed him until the day Peter died around 66 years old.
God Calls Us to Follow Him
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" Luke 9:23, Matthew 16:24
"Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" John 8:12
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" John 10:27
"If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also" John 12:26
Notes:
Peter started off as a fisherman. He was called to follow Jesus and he did.
Through walking and talking with Jesus and watching and listening, Peter learned who Jesus was.
After 3 years, it didn’t stop him from making mistakes. Called out many times
He kept believing and learning and growing. He kept following
After Jesus ascended into Heaven and the disciples were in the upper room, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and then Peter started to lead.
Do as Jesus did!
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always to the end of the age.”
We’ve been commissioned to go out into the world to do miraculous things. Leading people into the fullness of forgiveness and redemption and who they are called to be in Christ is no less than miraculous! Jesus dying, defeating death, and redeeming us from our sins is a miracle! The fullness of that miracle won’t fully be realized until we die but there is nothing more miraculous than being made clean and living with our creator.
God Equips Us
With different gifts Romans 12:6-8
Prophesying, Serving, Teaching, Encouraging, Giving, Leading, Showing Mercy
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully”
Through the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
A message of wisdom, a message of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
Through the grace given to us through Jesus 2 Timothy 1:9-10
“…not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace….”
“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
With qualities that keep us from being unfruitful 2 Peter 1:3-8
Faith, Goodness, Self-Control, Endurance, Godliness, Brotherly Affection, Love
“His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
John 15:1-8 Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Those who remain in him will produce much fruit, because we can do nothing without him.
Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.”
If the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you - (Romans 8:11) then you don’t have to do this in your own strength. You have the strength of God with you. No matter how strong you are on your own, you are not strong enough without the power of God living inside you. He’s given us everything we need to live for Him!
God is calling you to follow Him! As you step out in faith and obedience, he equips you with what you need and qualifies you for what he calls you to do.
Acts 4:13 NIV - When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
