DOING GOD’S WORKS
(week 18/09)
Olubi Johnson
John 14:12 ESV “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Here the Lord Jesus tells us that we will do the works that He did and even greater works: in other words we should be raising the dead, walking on water, feeding multitudes with 5 fishes and 2 loaves of bread, healing the blind, lame and the dumb on a regular consistent basis, since the Lord Jesus has already gone to the Father.
Why then are we not yet doing these works?We are not doing them yet because we have not grown into the perfection and fullness of Christ wherein we can be entrusted with the Spirit without measure.
However we are now in the 3rd. Day the time of the perfection of the church so we will soon begin to do these works and even greater.So we need to understand the pure motivation that should be behind our doing these great works of Jesus.
We are to do these works to:
Firstly, bring glory to God and remove God’s reproach from the earth.At this time: in May 2009, the Lord’s name is being blasphemed in a lot of the nations of the earth. Many men say there is no God, others say their ‘gods’ are either equal to or even greater than the God of Israel. They, like Goliath, are blaspheming the God of Israel on the earth today.
1 Samuel 17:4 CEV The Philistine army had a hero named Goliath who was from the town of Gath and was over nine feet tall.
1 Samuel 17:8-10 CEV Goliath went out and shouted to the army of Israel: Why are you lining up for battle? I’m the best soldier in our army, and all of you are in Saul’s army. Choose your best soldier to come out and fight me! (9) If he can kill me, our people will be your slaves. But if I kill him, your people will be our slaves. (10) Here and now I challenge Israel’s whole army! Choose someone to fight me!
1 Samuel 17:16 CEV Goliath came out and gave his challenge every morning and every evening for forty days.
God is looking among His people for people like David who will do God’s works and remove the reproach from spiritual Israel (Gal.3.29; 6.16, Rom. 2.29) : the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Samuel 17:26 ESV And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:32-37 ESV And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (33) And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” (34) But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, (35) I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. (36) Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” (37) And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
1 Samuel 17:42-47 CEV When Goliath saw that David was just a healthy, good-looking boy, he made fun of him. (43) “Do you think I’m a dog?” Goliath asked. “Is that why you’ve come after me with a stick?” He cursed David in the name of the Philistine gods (44) and shouted, “Come on! When I’m finished with you, I’ll feed you to the birds and wild animals!” (45) David answered: You’ve come out to fight me with a sword and a spear and a dagger. But I’ve come out to fight you in the name of the LORD All-Powerful. He is the God of Israel’s army, and you have insulted him too! (46) Today the LORD will help me defeat you. I’ll knock you down and cut off your head, and I’ll feed the bodies of the other Philistine soldiers to the birds and wild animals. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a real God. (47) Everybody here will see that the LORD doesn’t need swords or spears to save his people. The LORD always wins his battles, and he will help us defeat you.
1 Samuel 17:48-53 CEV When Goliath started forward, David ran toward him. (49) He put a rock in his sling and swung the sling around by its straps. When he let go of one strap, the rock flew out and hit Goliath on the forehead. It cracked his skull, and he fell face down on the ground. (50) David defeated Goliath with a sling and a rock. He killed him without even using a sword. (51) David ran over and pulled out Goliath’s sword. Then he used it to cut off Goliath’s head. When the Philistines saw what had happened to their hero, they started running away. (52) But the soldiers of Israel and Judah let out a battle cry and went after them as far as Gath and Ekron. The bodies of the Philistines were scattered all along the road from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron. (53) When the Israelite army returned from chasing the Philistines, they took what they wanted from the enemy camp.
Here we see David defeat Goliath by the power of God (which directed the stone and cracked Goliath’s forehead) and remove the reproach from Israel.In the same way God today is preparing a spiritual dynasty of David, that will conquer the spiritual, political, social and economic Goliaths of our time so removing the reproach from the Church and bring great glory to God fulfilling:
Amos 9:11-12 CEV In the future, I will rebuild David’s fallen kingdom. I will build it from its ruins and set it up again, just as it used to be. (12) Then you will capture Edom and the other nations that are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken, and my words will come true.
Zechariah 12:8 ESV On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them on that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD, going before them.
Psalms 102:13-16 ESV You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favour her; the appointed time has come. (14) For your servants hold her ( stones dear and have pity on her dust. (15) Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory. (16) For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory;
Psalms 110:2-3 MKJV Jehovah shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion; rule in the midst of Your enemies. (3) Your people shall be willing in the day of Your power, in holy adornment from the womb of the morning: You have the dew of Your youth.
So God is looking for and preparing a people that are willing in this 3rd day of His power to do His works and so rule in the midst of His enemies, removing His reproach among the nations causing all men to fear His glory!
In our article next week we will see how this will lead to the discipleship of the nations.
