How Do We Do "Greater Works" than Jesus Christ?

Have you ever wondered what Jesus meant when he said we would do "greater works" than him? It sounds almost impossible, doesn't it? After all, Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and set people free from all kinds of bondage. How could we possibly do anything greater? The answer is simpler than you might think, and it's something every believer can do – whether you're at the beach, in your car, or having lunch with family. Let me share what we discovered in our recent fellowship about this amazing promise from John 14:12.

God bless you. Please turn to John 14:12 KJV, which reads, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."

So here's the big question: How can we possibly do "greater works" than Jesus Christ?

The answer is through the ministry of reconciliation, which has two simple parts:

• Leading people to the new birth

• Teaching them the knowledge of the truth

Let's read John 14:12 together.

This verse brings up two questions:

1. What were the works that Jesus did?

2. How can we do even greater works than him?

The Works Jesus Did

Turn to Luke 4:18-19, which reads, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

Jesus laid out his mission right here. He came to:

• preach good news to the humble and meek

• heal the brokenhearted

• preach freedom to the captives

• give sight to the blind

• set free those who are oppressed

His whole ministry was about healing, deliverance, and setting people free.

What Makes These "Greater Works" Possible?

Look at that last part of John 14:12: "...because I go unto my Father."

This is key. Jesus Christ's resurrection, his ascension to heaven, and the gift of holy spirit on Pentecost – that's what made the greater works possible.

For the first time ever, on that day, people could be born again of God's spirit and receive eternal life. Before Pentecost, even Jesus couldn't lead people to the new birth because it wasn't available yet.

So again – how do we do "greater works" than Jesus Christ? Through the ministry of reconciliation:

• Leading people to the new birth

• Teaching them the knowledge of the truth

Leading People to the New Birth

Look at 2 Corinthians 5:18. It reads, "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation."

God brings people who are separated from Him back to Himself through what Jesus Christ did. And now, as born-again believers who've been reconciled to God, we get to share in this ministry of reconciliation.

This IS the greater works.

2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

God actually gave us the words to say to bring people back to Him. So what exactly are these words?

Romans 10:9 and 10: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

These verses are the "how-to" for getting born again and reconciled to God. That's the first part of the greater work.

Let me share some stories:

• When my girls were little, driving home from violin lessons, someone asked about being born again. I shared Romans 10:9 and 10 and asked them, "Do you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead?" They said yes, and I said, "Great! You're born again."

• Reverend Privette's wife, Maribeth, was at the beach last summer while he was surfing. She was sitting with her sister, who mentioned she wasn't sure if she was born again. Maribeth asked those same two questions. Her sister said yes – born again, right there on the beach.

• Just last week, I had lunch with my sister-in-law, her husband, and my niece. My sister-in-law mentioned that DavyMarie wanted to be born again and they were looking for a church. I pulled up Romans 10:9 and 10 on my phone, we read it together, and I asked the same questions. They said yes, and I said, "Welcome to the family – you're born again!"

• Gerard was visiting Hugo, and all Hugo's friends gathered around to chat. Gerard said, "Hey, have you all heard about Romans 10:9 and 10?" And you know how that story ends...

See how simple God made it? Leading someone to the new birth can happen anywhere, anytime, at any age, with or without others around, out loud or quietly in your heart.

Teaching Them the Knowledge of the Truth

1 Timothy 2:4 reads, "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

God doesn't just want people saved – He wants them to experience ALL the benefits and blessings that come with the new birth. We've got over 900 promises in God's word that we can claim! You'll find all these benefits in the Church epistles – Romans through Thessalonians.

After we lead someone to the new birth, we teach them how to walk powerfully and prevail in life according to the truths of this Grace Administration.

Here's my own story: I was born Catholic, switched to Baptist in elementary school, and somewhere along the way I got born again. But when I was 21, my life was a mess. My mom gave me 2 Timothy 1:7 – that verse changed everything. Then she invited me to fellowship, and I started learning the knowledge of the truth. I was born again but didn't know how to live it! As I learned more truth, I discovered how to walk with God's power and live abundantly.

God wants us saved AND living powerfully.

So tonight, we've answered our question: How do we do "greater works" than Jesus Christ?

The answer is: through the ministry of reconciliation:

• Leading people to the new birth

• Teaching them the knowledge of the truth

This week, I want to encourage you – go do greater works than Jesus Christ! Use your ministry of reconciliation by:

• Leading someone to the new birth

• Teaching them the knowledge of the truth

It's that simple, and that powerful.

The beautiful truth is that God made this ministry of reconciliation so simple that anyone can participate. You don't need a theology degree or special training – just a willing heart and the simple words of Romans 10:9 and 10. Every time you lead someone to the new birth or help them understand their identity in Christ, you're literally doing greater works than Jesus Christ did during his earthly ministry. That's not pride talking – that's the promise of John 14:12 fulfilled in your life. So this week, keep your eyes open for opportunities.

Whether it's a casual conversation, a family gathering, or a chance meeting, you might just be the one God uses to bring someone into His family. And remember, once they're born again, stick around to teach them the knowledge of the truth so they can walk in the fullness of what God has for them.

Now that's a greater work worth doing!