Words and Works

 

1 John 2:17

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

 

The world is passing away because the world is broken. The people of the world are broken. The values of the world are broken. The desires of the world are broken. The structures of the world are broken.

 

The answer to the brokenness of the world is found only in one source – Jesus.

 

John 10:37-38

If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father.

 

John 10:41-42

And many came to Him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in Him there.

 

There are two huge proofs that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus continues to point to them.

 

One is His word. Jesus’ teachings are proof that He is the Son of God, God in the flesh.

 

Matthew 7:28-29

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

 

Jesus didn’t teach as the religious teachers did; Jesus taught with the authority of God because He was teaching the truth.

 

Jesus didn’t teach as the religious teachers; Jesus taught with the authority of God because He was God in the flesh.

 

We as the Body of Christ, the hands and feet and voice and heart of Jesus, are to proclaim the word of God with boldness and authority.

We are to proclaim with boldness and authority but not with anger, condemnation, or judgment.

 

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak the truth in love.

 

If we just speak the truth, it can be very harsh. And if we just speak in love, it can be wimpy. When we speak the truth in love it is bold and compassionate.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is speaking the truth boldly and with compassion.

 

Second proof is the works that Jesus was doing.

 

Jesus did works that showed His power over:

Nature

Diseases

Death

 

The people of Jesus’ day believed Jesus to be the Son of God not only because of the words He spoke but also because of the works He did.

 

When we proclaim the word of God, we have to back it up with the works of God.

 

If we tell people that God loves them, we need to show them love.

If we tell people that God is gracious and merciful, we need to show them grace and mercy.

If we tell them that they can trust Jesus, we have to be trustworthy.

If we tell them that Jesus is there for them, we have to be there for them.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is allowing the Holy Spirit to do the works of God through us.

 

The world is broken and the answer to fixing the world is Jesus. We are Body of Christ and we proclaim the word of God in truth and love. We back it up by living out the reality of Jesus, by being filled with the Holy Spirit, and doing the works of God.

 

Jesus’ words and Jesus’ works transform lives. We as the Body of Christ speak Jesus’ words and do Jesus’ works.

 

Speaking the Word and Doing the Works of God

and Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls

Joe