Discover Jesus Series Pt. 17 - Pastor Greg Addison - April 6, 2025

Ministering to the heart of Western Arkansas's River Valley for over 165 years, welcome to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church.

You'll find sermons and teachings from Pastor Greg, our ministry staff, and guest speakers.

Thank you for listening.

Turn with me in your Bibles to John 14.

As we continue our Discover Jesus series, last week we began the journey towards the cross.

As you know, next week is Palm Sunday, and then the next Sunday is Easter.

So last week we saw that moment where Jesus comes into the city of Jerusalem and begins this week.

And there are a number of things that happen during this week, but one of the most significant moments we'll look at this week and next week.

And that is Jesus is entering into, as we mentioned last week, entering into the city of Jerusalem at the time of the Passover Supper.

And so what happens is Jesus calls all of his disciples together, and this is described in the Gospels.

They prepare a Passover supper, and in that Passover supper, Jesus begins to teach them and reaffirm why he's come.

He is going to the cross to be that sacrificial lamb, to be the Passover lamb, his blood shed for us to cover our sins so that we can be saved when we know him as our Savior.

Jesus then takes the Lord's Supper, and as he is going through the Lord's Supper, he tweaks it and shifts it just enough to show them in the past, when you took the Lord's Supper, it was looking forward to when Jesus would send the Messiah, the Lamb of God.

And then Jesus, in giving the Passover Supper, He turns it into what we now call the Lord's Supper as he says, This is my body, which is broken for you.

And he really teaches them, this is why he's come.

In the context, now we'll have the Lord's Supper next week, and we'll talk some more about that, about how that connects to Jesus on the cross.

But in that setting where they are having that Lord's Supper, Jesus in this intimate moment begins to talk to his disciples, his apostles.

And he begins to really explain to them this is my expectation for you after the cross and the resurrection.

This is my message to you.

This is what I want you to hear.

Now, if you think about it, the last sort of major setting and message that you have before you talk to someone is really, really important.

I remember the first night that my daughter went on a date with a young man.

Now I was convinced that the rapture was going to happen before that ever happened.

But unfortunately it didn't.

And now I'm glad because now I have a grandson.

But the journey of going from dating to a grandson is kind of tough.

Dad's kind of getting an amen there in that right.

And so here's what you do.

You sit them down and they're about to go out on this date and embark on this journey.

You don't talk about the weather.

Right?

You begin to talk about things like this is how you poke the eye out of a young man who looks at you funny.

This is how you twist his arm and break his fingers.

Right?

You're telling them important things that you want them to know.

When I went out on my first date when I was driving a car, I'm sure some dad had some panicked conversation with the young lady.

But my dad looked at me and he said, son, I know you're excited, but I need you to hear this.

When you go out there, you're taking my name and Jesus' name with you.

And I expect you to be faithful to it.

See, when somebody's about to embark on a journey, that last message you have is important.

When we dropped our kids off at college, boy, Janet wrapped Grant up, for example, before we left, and she said, son, something very similar to what my dad said.

And then she said, son, be good and do good.

And every time she talks to him, she tells him the same thing.

You see, it's important when you're about to see someone embark on a new stage of life, a new journey, something significant, and you, you in that moment, the most important thing that's on your mind, you want to give that to them and know that they take that advice, that wisdom, that direction with you.

That's where Jesus is.

He calls his 12 together, understanding that Judas, one of them, is about to betray him, and that's going to begin that journey to the cross.

And he's got these other 11 men, and he is going to leave them here to do what he started.

This is an intimate moment that he spends time with them, and this is going to be his last moment with them to share with them what he expects.

And in this moment, Jesus doesn't say goodbye.

Jesus doesn't create an emotional farewell kind of a thing or whatever.

Jesus doesn't lecture them or whatever.

What Jesus does is he casts vision for them for what the gospel means that he's about to accomplish.

He says, Listen, I am going to the cross for a reason.

I am going to accomplish salvation.

I'm going to create the good news that God has provided, and I am going there for a reason.

And when I conquer death and sin, gentlemen, I am handing you the reins, and I am casting a vision for what that means for your life.

And every Christian should understand in that moment when we're saved and we give our lives to Christ, we have opened up a journey into a vision that God has prepared for you.

And I want you to see today how Jesus gives this call to supernatural influence and impact on the lives of his followers.

Here we go in John 14.

He's already begun this stuff.

He's already predicted Peter's denial, and that will happen.

And they're beginning to be frustrated, they're beginning to realize this is really significant.

I mean, this cross stuff that Jesus is talking about, that must be real.

What's going on?

And then in that famous verse in chapter 1 or verse 1 of chapter 14, you hear where he says, Let not your heart be troubled.

Believe in God, believe in me, and my father's house are many mansions, and I'm going to prepare a place for you.

And Thomas says in verse 5, Where are you going?

And Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

And that sets up the conversation that we're going to look at today.

In verse 8, then Philip says, Lord, show us the Father, and that's enough for us.

And Jesus, understanding the significance of the moment, looks at them, trying to grab their attention, get them to understand how serious this truth is.

And he says, Have I been among you all this time without you knowing me, Philip?

The one who has seen me, Jesus, has seen the Father.

How can you say, show us the Father?

Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

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.

In other words, look, you know that I'm from God.

You've watched me raise people from the dead.

You've watched me heal lepers.

You've seen me speak into the lives of people and strengthen their faith and save them from their sin.

We've talked about some of those stories we've gone along.

He says, listen, you know that the Father is in me because you have seen the works of the Father come out.

And he says, This, I assure you.

I mean, I can just imagine Jesus looking at them.

Fellas, pay attention to me.

He looks them in the eye around the table where they're sitting, and he says, I assure 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.

Now that's vision casting.

That is an incredibly profound, eternally earth-shaking statement for Jesus to tell these men, You're going to do more than I have ever done while I've been here, and anything you ask in my name, I will do it through you.

He says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever.

He is the Spirit of truth.

The world is unable to receive him because it doesn't see him or know him.

He's the Holy Spirit that he's talking about.

But you do know him because he remains with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans.

I am coming to you.

That's what he says.

I'm going to be with you through the Holy Spirit.

And what he gives them there is a profound vision for what life is going to be after Jesus accomplishes the gospel.

First of all, I want you to just see this.

I want you to think about this.

This is a call.

It is a vision for influence and impact that he gives them when he says, you're going to do greater works, and this is a call to vision.

It is a vision for influence and impact.

He says, Listen, greater works than I have done, you will do.

He doesn't say that I'm going to come out of the grave and conquer death and sin and I'm going to circle everybody around me and I'm going to preach and all these people are going to follow me and then I'm going to travel around the world, and then eventually I'm going to invent something called the internet, and I'm going to have a camera, and this guy that you'll get to know one day named Bobby Dyer is going to put me on this camera and I'm going to be off.

Jesus doesn't say he's going to do all that.

Jesus says, You're going to do this.

You're going to do this.

You, as my followers, you are going to do what I have done, and you're going to do more than I've done.

Look at what he says.

The same character of works that he is saying that he has done, he's going to do.

Look at what he says.

He first says, Listen, you know the Father is in me because you have seen me, and in verse 11, believe because of the works themselves.

Who can raise people from the dead?

Who can forgive of sin?

Who can heal people?

Who can draw thousands of crowds?

Who can provide for the needs of his followers by taking five loaves and two fishes and dividing it out and feeding 20,000 people?

Who can do those things?

Only God, the Creator, can do that.

And Jesus, as the Son of God, with God in him.

And he says, When you see me do those things, you know I am from the Father.

You know I am God the Son.

I am the promised Messiah.

And then he says, I assure you, if you believe in me, you'll do the works that I do.

And specifically, the nature of the works that he is talking about is the very works of God.

That's what he says.

Believe in the works, see that they're evidence of God, and you are going to do the same thing.

Listen, when we have Jesus in our lives, we have the power of Jesus in our lives.

When you have given your life to Christ and trusted him as your Savior, he has saved you from a sin.

He has saved you from an eternity in hell.

He has given you a new name.

He has changed your heart, your vision, your future.

He has changed your eternity.

God has done this incredibly miraculous, eternal work in your life when you've given your life to Christ.

Jesus does that.

And now he says, you're going to do the same thing.

How do we know that's not stretching a point?

You'll remember when we looked at the story where he called his apostles and four of them, Peter and Andrew, James and John, he calls them in their workplace.

He calls them in their fishing deal.

And so they understand the work that they do and the impact and the calling of that.

He says, I'm going to make you fishers of men.

And so you see right there, he is explaining to them.

And then we looked at how he trained them and he modeled for them and he showed them and he called them to that.

And he says, Listen, you're now going to do the same thing.

You're going to say share the same saving gospel.

You're going to see people saved and their sins forgiven and their lives changed and their eternity changed the same way that you watched me do that.

I am going to do that through you.

I am going to impact through you.

I need you to get a vision, gentlemen, for who you're going to be because you're going to have to go out and lead the church.

You're going to go out and have to preach the sermons.

You're going to go out and you're going to share the gospel.

You're going to go out and you're going to model the victory that comes from God the Father, the creator of the universe, who sent his son to conquer death and sin, and you're going to carry that message.

That's what you're going to do.

Works of the same character as the Creator God.

Listen, when we preach the gospel, we are doing what Jesus did, modeled, and called us to do.

When you invite people on your love list to church, when you share with them, when you pray over them to be saved, you are doing the same thing that Jesus did, and you are following the vision that he cast for his followers that we're going to do the same thing.

He is telling them, listen, I don't need you to get distracted in life.

I need you to get a vision that you're going to do God-sized things because God is in you and working through you.

Works, the same works that validate the presence of God in his life as Jesus the Savior, those same works are what validate the presence of God in the body of Christ here at First Baptist.

Here's another verse I love.

And he will do even greater works than these.

Because I'm going to the Father.

Jesus literally tells them, You're going to do greater works than I have.

You're going to do greater works than I have.

You're going to do greater works than Jesus.

Can you imagine sitting there at that table and hearing that?

I mean, can you imagine?

He's just told Peter he's going to deny Jesus three times.

And he's thinking, wait a minute, how do you tell me I'm going to deny you and then you tell me I'm going to do more than you did?

I mean, this is mind-blowing.

Do you get this vision?

Now, here's what I love.

You get all these eggheads and they do all this stuff and they do all these mental backflips.

It's great.

You start reading commentaries on this greater works.

It is incredible the lack of faith that you see in some of these writings.

Here's what you get: people trying to back away from the word greater.

Well, that doesn't really mean greater.

But if you translate the word from the original language, you know what it means?

Greater.

It means greater.

And then they get into this deal, oh, well, that doesn't mean like we're going to raise people from the dead, we're going to heal, we're going to do all that.

That just means more.

Because Jesus is one man, he was limited one area, and then we're going to be spreading out an area.

Listen, I am sick and tired of people in the church watering down the words of Jesus.

There is no qualification to this word greater.

It means greater.

When we try to limit it or define it or describe it in a certain way, we are reflecting that we immediately don't have a God-sized vision for our lives or our church.

Listen, yes, it means greater.

It means more people saved.

It means more influence in more places.

It means doing things that are so jaw-dropping that God is the only definition of how that could happen.

It means watching God do things that the people around us are blown away and they are mind-boggled because they cannot understand how that would happen.

I know those people.

They can't do that.

You're right we can't do it.

What Jesus said is through the power of God, He, through us, is going to do greater works than Jesus did.

Let me ask you a question.

Don't answer, don't amen this.

Just listen.

This is a rhetorical question.

I need you to think about in your heart.

Do you really believe?

I mean, in your guts and in your soul, do you believe that God can do something through your life that has influence and impact for eternity in the world around you?

Do you believe that?

You should, because that's the vision that Jesus cast.

This is a vision.

He has already told them in John chapter 3, in that moment where a man named Nicodemus comes to him, and a famous verse that everybody knows: for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him will never perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3 · chapter mention

For God so loved the world.

The world.

Before Jesus ascends into heaven in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, it says this.

Acts 1:8

He says, He's going to come and he is going to give you supernatural, dynamic power.

Jesus says, You're going to wait right here, and the Holy Spirit is going to come upon you, and he is going to give you power.

God, power.

Creator God, power.

And you shall be witnesses to me.

In Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus is always casting vision with his followers.

Don't back up.

Don't be afraid.

Place your faith in me and go for the vision that I've cast for you.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you have a spiritual vision that Jesus has galvanized in your life to use you to accomplish?

That's the vision that he's cast.

Nowhere in Scripture, nowhere in Scripture has he placed a picture of we come and sit in church and leave.

Nowhere.

It is not there.

In fact, the church is designed to equip us to do the vision that Jesus is casting in this moment.

Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

The Bible says this.

Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11.

Ephesians 4:11

He gave gifts to the church and he goes on to describe for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, of the building of the body of Christ.

And then he says this vision casting through the Apostle Paul.

Till we all come to faith in the full measure of the stature of Christ.

Till we all.

And to accomplish.

Do you have a vision?

Are you pursuing a vision?

Let me ask you this: do you have a vision for our church?

I mean, are you, do you believe, oh my goodness, we can reach the river valley from right here in Fort Smith?

Holy cow.

We can see hundreds of people saved every year right here.

Why is it that church people are always backing up?

We're always backing up.

We're always retreating.

When Jesus has given us a vision of more.

It was Jesus who said the fields are white for harvest.

Go.

Go.

Man, we back up all the time.

I'll tell pastors when I'm talking to them, they'll call me and they ask me about this and ask me about that.

And what do you do about that?

It's not because I'm smart, it's because I'm old and have gray hair.

That's why they ask questions.

I'll say, Man, Lord, save us from Baptists who want to save God's money.

Our stock market may have crashed this week, but it hadn't crashed in heaven.

When the children of Israel would whine in the garden, whine in the wandering of that generation of people who died because of lack of faith in the wilderness.

How many times did they whine and gripe about water or food or I'm sick of manna or whatever?

And Jesus says, Has my arm been shortened in the time that you've been following me?

God is offended by their lack of faith and belief in what he's doing.

Now it doesn't mean we're foolhardy and goes stupid, crazy things, but it does mean we live by faith.

It means we live beyond what we can see.

It means that as Paul told one of the churches, in every letter that you read, in every letter that you read, Paul challenges the church.

I am praying for you that you will learn more about who God is.

I pray that you'll grow in your understanding and wisdom.

I pray that you will know and see the height and depth and breadth of the love of God.

I pray that you will see God and you will learn that He can do all, everything beyond what we can think or imagine.

Man, I'm telling you what, if I come up with something for our church, it's probably not big enough because it came from my mind and not from God's.

He is casting a vision to influence the world for Jesus, and greater means greater.

How do we get more?

How do we reach more?

How do we impact more?

How do we teach more?

How do we spread out more?

How do we send the gospel more?

How do we send out more people?

How do we get more people teaching Sunday school?

How do we get more people inviting people to church?

Do you have a vision of greater works?

Jesus said that.

But he gives us more than that vision.

He gives us a promise.

He explains exactly how this is going to happen.

He says, this is how it's going to happen.

It's first going to happen through relationship.

Look at what he says.

I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.

And because I am in the Father, and He is in me, and what I do comes from Him, and now you're in me.

And you've seen the Father through me and in me, and I am in you, and you in me, and I am in the Father, and the Father's in you.

And then He reminds them, I'm going to send the Holy Spirit who's going to live inside of you.

This is a relationship we have with Jesus Christ.

We are never alone.

We are always with him, and he works through us.

It is in that relationship.

Look at how he explains it.

The words I speak to you, I do not speak on my own.

The Father, this is verse 10, the Father who lives in me does his works.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.

And then he goes to say, listen, you come to the Father through me.

And I am in you and you are in me.

That's why the nature of the works are the same works as the work of God.

That's why Jesus can say greater, because he is not depending on our power.

He is working through our relationship with him.

It is him who works.

And so when we say we can't do that, or you say, I can't do that, you are literally saying, either I don't believe in God and I'm repudiating my salvation, or you are saying, I don't believe God is big enough to do that.

There's no other answer.

If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, if you've taken your life and you were on your way to hell and you heard the gospel and you took your life, everything that you are, you are right now, you used to be, and everything you ever will be, and you gave that all to Jesus, it's all his.

You are now in the Father through him, and the Father is in you through the Holy Spirit, through the bridge of Jesus Christ.

That's why Paul says in Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

When you are in that relationship with Jesus, it is Jesus working and not you.

Galatians 2.20 says, It is no longer I living in the flesh, I am not living by my physical life and my abilities and my talents and all that anymore.

But through faith, it is Jesus in me and through me.

That's what he's saying.

In John 15, in the very next chapter, he goes in to explain it in more detail.

And he uses that famous illustration.

If you've been in church any amount of time, you've heard this.

I am the vine, and you are the branches, and if you as the branch are in me as the vine, the provision that I have spiritually as divine is coming to you in the branches, and you will bear much fruit.

And then he says, When you're bearing fruit, here's what I'm going to do: you're going to get pruned.

So you're not wasting any of that energy, and energy is flowing even greater, and you're flourishing even more, and you're giving more fruit.

And he reiterates that prayer promise again.

Anything you ask in my name, I will do it.

Listen, in our relationship with Jesus, we understand it's not me anymore, it's Jesus.

It's him doing it.

Well, if it's Jesus doing it, Jesus is not limited in his power.

If Jesus, if we're surrendered to him and he is working through us, what is it that he cannot do?

He could do anything.

I had a chance yesterday, I watched that movie Facing the Giants again yesterday.

I would encourage you, it's probably been 15 years since you watched it.

Go back and watch it again.

It is an incredible picture of what God can do when someone surrenders their life to Jesus.

It is such an encouragement.

These young men win this championship when there's no way they should do it.

His wife gets pregnant when they hadn't been able to be pregnant.

They've got no money.

God provides all kinds of things with him, and they end that movie.

Man, he looks at his team after they've won that championship and he says, Do you believe that through God all things are possible?

And he goes player to player to player.

Is there anything impossible for God?

No coach.

Is there anything possible for God?

No coach.

Is there anything possible for God?

No joke.

Is there anything impossible for God?

Not when Jesus is doing it.

And so we have a vision.

Do you have a vision?

Why should you have a vision?

Because Jesus is in you.

Why should you have a vision for the impact for the people that God can use you to bring to Christ?

Why should you have a vision for you can go on a mission trip and make a difference?

Do you have a vision as a prayer warrior for our church?

Do you have that vision?

Why should you have that vision?

Because Jesus is in you.

And if he is in you, if Jesus is in you, Jesus comes out.

Through prayer.

Repeatedly in this session, sitting here before he goes to the cross, he talks to his disciples and he repeatedly says, Fellows, listen to me.

Anything you ask in my name, I'll do it.

Anything you ask in my name, I'll do it.

Over and over and over, anything in my name, you ask, and I'll do it.

Anything you ask in my name, I will do it.

Have you prayed over your love list?

I'm not trying to be negative or critical or whatever.

I'm trying to help us see the vision that Jesus is casting.

It's not a legalistic thing that I have people I'm praying for to be saved.

It's a vision thing.

It's not a did you do this, you failed, or whatever.

That's not it.

It is, did you do this?

Because Jesus empowered you to plead for the souls of men and women and boys and girls to come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Do we pray for revival like we believe God can bring revival?

Has God's arm been shortened?

Has the gospel been weakened?

Has God stopped reaching people?

No.

But the disciples go from this meeting where they hear Jesus say multiple times, anything you ask in my name, I'll do it, to the Garden of Gethsemane.

And he says, Fellas, you stay here and pray.

And I'm gonna go over here and pray.

Fellas, who I just told over and over and over, if you ask anything in my name, God will do it.

Fellas, pray.

Do you get it?

They're being instructed to pray after being taught that God answers every prayer prayed in Jesus' name.

And they fall asleep multiple times.

They fall asleep after the lesson.

If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

I don't think that we have forgotten that Jesus answers prayer.

I don't think that we have lost an intellectual belief in the truth of Scripture.

I think we do.

We have a great heritage of preachers and of love for the Word.

This is one of the most fun places I've ever had the honor of preaching because you guys love the Word of God.

It's awesome to do that.

But I think all of us, myself included, have times where we go to the garden and we fall asleep.

And we don't pray when he's called us to pray.

And then the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 16, I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever.

He is the Spirit of truth.

The world is unable to receive him because it doesn't see him or know him, but you know him.

Because he remains with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans.

Jesus says, I will not leave you.

And repeatedly in this time, sitting here with these men, he tells them about the Holy Spirit's going to come.

And this is what he's going to do.

He's going to empower you, he's going to teach you, he's going to guide you, he's going to lead you in all truth.

He's going to convict the world of sin.

And he's never going to leave you.

The Holy Spirit will be yours.

That's why when he comes back after he's been resurrected from the dead and he's meeting with his disciples or followers one last time before he ascends to heaven in Acts 1.8, when he says, Listen, I'm going to go, but the Holy Spirit will be with you and give you power.

He's saying, I told you that.

I promised you that.

That's why in the scripture passage we call the Great Commission in Matthew 28 another of these settings where Jesus tells us he casts vision for spiritual influence and impact.

He says, Listen, all authority that's given me in heaven, I give to you.

Why?

Because of what he said.

You know him because he remains with you and will be in you.

He says, All authority I have from God, I'm going to give to you.

So that you can do the greater works I told you you would do.

Go into all the world, baptizing them, teaching them the name of Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And whatever I've commanded you, teach them to do that always.

And then he says, and lo, I am with you always.

You cannot run from the presence of the Holy Spirit.

You cannot get rid of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life.

In that moment where you come and you realize I'm a sinner, I am going to die and go to hell, my sin is going to be judged.

And somebody tells you Jesus loves you so much that he took your punishment on the cross and he died there in your place.

And you give your life to him and you surrender your life to him.

You take everything you've been, you are, and you ever will be, and you give that to Jesus.

In that moment, the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside of you.

It is the very person and presence of God in us.

When we talk about the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Think about this: God the Creator.

Jesus on the cross is God for us, and the Holy Spirit is God in us.

He will not leave you, and I will not leave you.

The Holy Spirit is there in your life, and the Holy Spirit will never leave you.

There is never a moment when you are not activated with the power to accomplish the influence and impact vision that God has given you because the Holy Spirit has never left you.

Jesus promises, I will not leave you as orphans.

You are not going to be without me and without the power that I bring.

This is a promise that we can impact, folks.

It is a promise that God will work through us and do things greater than what Jesus did.

By all the myriads of definitions that word means.

Through our relationship with Him that is sealed by the Holy Spirit, we are always empowered for that vision.

You have a vision God has for your life.

To influence and impact, and you have a promise that God will always work and never leave you in that vision.

And so that brings us to the final question.

Have you said yes to the call of Jesus?

Do you have a vision for how God can use you?

Do you have a vision for our church and how God uses you in that?

Do you pray for our church in the promise of God with the vision that God's laid on your heart?

Do you come and serve in the ministries that you serve in with a sense of the presence and the promise of God, with a vision for how we can impact around us?

Do you think about?

I don't like that.

I don't like that.

If we only did it this way, if we only sang this song, if they only turned the air up or they only turned the air down, it's cold in here, it's hot in here, it's too loud in here.

We don't sing enough hymns.

Somebody ought to wear a tie, somebody ought to dress down and wear more casual for the world around us.

Do we think about all that stuff?

Or do you think, praise God, we baptize this morning?

And do you ask, Lord, who are we baptizing next week?

Do you pray, Lord, we missed a week of baptism, and I am not okay with that?

That hurts my heart, God, that we did not see someone baptized this week.

I am going to grab on to the legs around the throne, and I am going to kneel here before this throne, and I am going to plead until we see someone saved again.

Jesus is calling his followers to supernatural influence and impact.

Man, I want I hope this excites you, church family.

I hope it opens the idea that God has a vision for you that Jesus has cast.

And that when he stepped in, he brought everything and beyond what you can imagine to accomplish his vision through you and through us.

I hope it lights a fire.

I hope it stirs your nest.

I hope it gets you thinking and praying.

Because that's why Jesus told them this very truth.

To do that in their lives.

Listen, all of this begins.

All of this you understand, Jesus has a vision for your life that begins with your salvation.

Again, the promises of a relationship with Jesus.

Sin separates us from God.

If you've never trusted Him as your Savior, if you've never placed your life and your dependence on His sacrifice at the cross to pay the price for your sins and surrendered your life to Him, listen, that's the first vision that you see, the vision of salvation.

And you make the decision to follow Him.

If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, you can be in a relationship with God through Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit where he will never leave you if you'll place your faith and your trust in him.

In a moment, I'm going to pray, God's people are going to sing.

And if you've never trusted Christ as your Savior, I'm going to invite you to come join this family and come join the army and come get a vision.

Come see what Jesus can do with your life.

Come find out how much more that He can do through you than you ever imagined possible.

Come be a part of a people who are just simple, love folks, believe the word, and surrender themselves for God to do what God does.

Come and give your life to Christ.

If you need a church home, I'm going to invite you, you come here.

Come be a part with us.

Come find a vision with us.

Come let us encourage you and you encourage us.

Let's come pursue Jesus together.

If you need someone to pray with you, listen, we'll be here, but we're also here all week.

If you need someone to pray with you, if you want to sit down with someone in a Bible and pray together and ask, will you help me pray through that vision?

That is why we are here.

That's why our deacons are here.

It's why your Sunday school teacher is here.

I want you to make a commitment.

Whatever God is doing in your life, make a commitment this morning to pursue God's vision for your life.

Lord, we love you and we thank you.

And I thank you for this incredibly clear passage of Scripture.

Jesus couldn't have made it any more clear.

Greater works in anything you ask in my name.

I am continually overwhelmed by what that could mean as we take Jesus at his clear words.

Lord, I pray this morning that you'll help us to respond to Jesus' call in this passage.

There's someone who needs to be saved.

I pray this morning they'll be saved.

The rest of us, we already know you, but we are being stirred.

Lord, I pray that you'll continue to stir and draw us to you and give us the freedom to commit to what you're doing in every person's life this morning.

It is in Jesus' name that we pray, and all God's people said.

We pray this message has been a blessing to you and helped to strengthen your walk with Jesus.

Please know we want to minister to you and pray for you.

Send an email to contact us at fsfbc.org and let us pray for you and help you in any way we can.

Thank you for listening to Chapter and First, the Bible Teaching Ministry of Fort Smith's First Baptist Church.