But the works the disciples did, we aren't doing... so what are we doing?
Rhonda
-----Original Message-----
From: The Electronic Church [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of MV
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 3:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Something to think about
Let me clarify my last note, darn it thought I could make one statement and
get away with it. I don't think he referred the fact we would only do
greater numbers of works, but at the same time I don't think we can top the
Song of God either. The disciples did, and of course that in itself can
open a can of theological worms.
Brad
At 02:53 PM 1/27/2006 -0500, you wrote:
>So, maybe I am a little slow from reading sociology theory, what is it that
>we are doing here? All together, the great mass of us, what are we doing?
>Rhonda
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: The Electronic Church [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>Behalf Of Kathy Du Bois
>Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 2:48 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Something to think about
>
>--=====================_21164562==.ALT
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
>
>Okay, I'm not necessarily saying that I whole heartedly agree with
>this line of thinking, but I thought I'd throw it in to the mix so
>that we could chew on it together, especially considering our
>conversation about healing and faith of late.
>Kathy
>
>
>
>
>January 27, 2006
>
>Greater Works
>by John Fischer
>
>Ever wonder about that time when Jesus said that those who believe in
>Him would do even greater works than He did? Well I don't know about
>you, but I haven't
>brought anyone back from the dead in the last few weeks. The last
>time I stepped on water, I sank. I can't even cure the common cold,
>and I can't make
>the water in my glass into anything other than... water. What could
>Jesus possibly mean by this statement? My only take on this up until
>now has been to
>assume I was falling way short of what I could be accomplishing with
>my life. Well that's kind of depressing. Why did Jesus say this if He
>was just going
>to leave us all depressed by it?
>
>Dave Roper, in his writing on John, has helped me to finally make
>some sense of this. The actual statement is found in John 14:12,
>"Anyone who believes
>in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works,
>because I am going to be with my Father." The key, Dave points out,
>is in the statement:
>"because I am going to be with my Father." In other words, these
>greater works will be possible as a result of His leaving. Couple
>that with his statement
>a few verses later about coming back in the form of the Holy Spirit
>who would indwell all believers, and you begin to get the picture.
>
>Let me try and say it another way. It's as if Jesus were saying,
>"Right now there is only one of me. Soon there will be many, because
>I am going to my Father
>in heaven from where I can direct my work through hundreds,
>thousands, even millions of you all over the world."
>
>"Our efforts," Dave Roper writes, "insignificant on the face of it
>and largely unobserved, are joined to innumerable streams of effort
>that result in the
>stupendous flow of God's love and goodness to men and women, boys and
>girls throughout the world. Thus we are part of a greater thing than
>we could ever
>imagine!"
>
>Think of it. We are accomplishing greater works than Christ did when
>He was here! It's what we can all do together as the singular "body
>of Christ" that
>is at work here. Talk about purpose! And your job is just as
>important as anyone else's.
>
>We are a part of something great. Just as a tiny stream begins high
>in the mountains and is joined by countless tributaries until it
>becomes a wide, rushing
>river, so our little work becomes part of a work greater than what
>even Jesus accomplished when He was here.
>
>[Note: Saddleback Church, through it's network of purpose-driven
>churches all over the world is currently organizing a global
>initiative to bring healing,
>literacy, mentoring and assistance to the poor through its P.E.A.C.E.
>plan. It's a fulfillment of just what Jesus was talking about. For
>more information
>click here
>http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/PEACE/PEACE_Plan.htm.
>
>
>--=====================_21164562==.ALT
>Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Okay, I'm not necessarily saying that I whole heartedly agree with this
>line of thinking, but I thought I'd throw it in to the mix so that we
>could chew on it together, especially considering our conversation about
>healing and faith of late.
>Kathy
>
>
>
>
>January 27, 2006
>
>Greater Works
>by John Fischer
>
>Ever wonder about that time when Jesus said that those who believe in Him
>would do even greater works than He did? Well I don't know about you, but
>I haven't
>brought anyone back from the dead in the last few weeks. The last time I
>stepped on water, I sank. I can't even cure the common cold, and I can't
make
>the water in my glass into anything other than... water. What could Jesus
>possibly mean by this statement? My only take on this up until now has been
to
>assume I was falling way short of what I could be accomplishing with my
>life. Well that's kind of depressing. Why did Jesus say this if He was
>just going
>to leave us all depressed by it?
>
>Dave Roper, in his writing on John, has helped me to finally make some
>sense of this. The actual statement is found in John 14:12, "Anyone who
>believes
>in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because
>I am going to be with my Father." The key, Dave points out, is in the
>statement:
>"because I am going to be with my Father." In other words, these greater
>works will be possible as a result of His leaving. Couple that with his
>statement
>a few verses later about coming back in the form of the Holy Spirit who
>would indwell all believers, and you begin to get the picture.
>
>Let me try and say it another way. It's as if Jesus were saying, "Right
>now there is only one of me. Soon there will be many, because I am going
>to my Father
>in heaven from where I can direct my work through hundreds, thousands,
>even millions of you all over the world."
>
>"Our efforts," Dave Roper writes, "insignificant on the face of it and
>largely unobserved, are joined to innumerable streams of effort that
>result in the
>stupendous flow of God's love and goodness to men and women, boys and
>girls throughout the world. Thus we are part of a greater thing than we
>could ever
>imagine!"
>
>Think of it. We are accomplishing greater works than Christ did when He
>was here! It's what we can all do together as the singular "body of
>Christ" that
>is at work here. Talk about purpose! And your job is just as important as
>anyone else's.
>
>We are a part of something great. Just as a tiny stream begins high in the
>mountains and is joined by countless tributaries until it becomes a wide,
>rushing
>river, so our little work becomes part of a work greater than what even
>Jesus accomplished when He was here.
>
>[Note: Saddleback Church, through it's network of purpose-driven churches
>all over the world is currently organizing a global initiative to bring
>healing,
>literacy, mentoring and assistance to the poor through its P.E.A.C.E.
>plan. It's a fulfillment of just what Jesus was talking about. For more
>information
>click here
>http://www.purposedriven.com/en-US/PEACE/PEACE_Plan.htm.
>
>
>--=====================_21164562==.ALT--
Brad
You are the only one who can do anything about most things which bug you
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