How? Pt.2
What If? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Intro
Good morning church family! The Lord will not let me let go of a message that I shared with you at the beginning of the month.
A few weeks ago I posed the question “What if we actually believed what Jesus said in John 14:12?”
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
Our communities, churches, places of employment, anywhere we go as followers of Christ would look different if we put into practice what Jesus said we would do.
Jesus was in the business of quite a few things. If you were to take all that Jesus did, that we have record of, they fall into 1 of 8 categories.
Healing
Deliverance
Miracles
Feed People
Teaching
Acts of Compassion & Humility
Redemptive works
I am sure there is more, but just looking at these 8 categories, Jesus said “he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also”.
Being a follower of Christ is not merely accepting Him as Savior and then sitting down in a church every week just to hear a sermon. Our faith is a work order. We are to be busy about the Father’s business!
This leads us to the question of “How?” are we going to do these things that Jesus speaks of. Last week I shared with you part of the how, but the key to doing the same works and greater works that Jesus said we would do is by allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us.
Jesus was able to feed people, heal people, teach, ect. because He was EMPOWERED by the Holy Spirit.
38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
It is only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that we are able to even do good works let alone greater works. What this world needs is more Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
You and I have access to this same Holy Spirit that Jesus was filled with and empowered by. In fact, it is because Jesus died that we have this access.
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
Jesus is speaking of the Holy Spirit. 50 days after Jesus died and resurrected from the grave, the day of this Helper had come. In fact, today marks 50 days since we celebrated Easter, the resurrection of Jesus. Today is called the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus told the disciples:
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
It is only through the POWER of the Holy Spirit that we are able to do any of these things that Jesus did and more.
Illustration: A Dead Phone with Amazing Apps
Think about your phone. It might have the latest apps—games, social media, music, even tools for school. It has potential. But what happens when the battery dies? All those apps, all those features… are completely useless. You can’t send a text, post a photo, or even check the time.
That’s like us without the Holy Spirit.
We might have gifts, talents, even passion. But without the power of the Holy Spirit, we’re spiritually dead phones—completely disconnected from what gives us the ability to live out the life Jesus called us to.
When we’re “charged up” by the Holy Spirit, everything changes. Suddenly, we’re bold enough to speak up for Jesus, strong enough to say no to sin, and full of love, peace, and power to help others.
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.
The Holy Spirit gives Joy
The Holy Spirit gives Joy
Just like that phone can’t function without being charged, we can’t function spiritually without staying connected to the Holy Spirit. And one of the first things we start to lose when we’re disconnected is our joy.
Jesus had joy in His life because He was filled with the Holy Spirit.
21 At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.
Jesus needed to be filled in the Holy Spirit in order to have joy. Even when Jesus went to the cross He was filled with the Holy Spirit and still had joy.
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This verse tells us that Jesus endured the cross—not because it was easy or painless—but because of the joy that was set before Him. That joy wasn’t about comfort or happiness in the moment. It was a deep, Spirit-filled joy that came from knowing He was fulfilling the Father’s will and that salvation was coming for us.
Joy is not happiness.
Happiness is based on what’s happening.
It’s emotional. It’s circumstantial.
If things go your way—prices of gas goes down, good grades, a fun day, people treat you well—you feel happy. But the moment those things change, your happiness fades.
We might even still go to church, say the right things, or look the part—but inside, we feel drained, empty, and maybe even frustrated. Why? Because joy isn’t something we can fake or force. Real, lasting joy comes only from the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us and working through us.
Without Him, life becomes heavy. But with Him, even in the middle of chaos, we can have a deep, unshakable joy that doesn’t come from our circumstances—it comes from God.
Joy is spiritual.
It’s not based on circumstances—it’s based on a relationship with God. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), which means it doesn’t come from the outside in, but from the inside out.
You can have joy in the middle of sadness.
You can even have joy in the middle of pressure or pain, just like Jesus did (Hebrews 12:2).
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
We can consider all joy in moments of trials and testing. Why? Because it produces something in you.
Here is a thought I had this week.
You can’t truly experience joy without loss.
I know that sounds backwards, but it is true. Think about it. The disciples had to lose not something, but someone in order to be able to even produce joy.
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Sometimes we have to lose something or something has to change to experience more of what God has for us…like doing greater things!
Jesus said,
37 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled out, and the skins will be ruined.
38 “But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.
Jesus is explaining that His message, His kingdom, and the life He brings through the Holy Spirit are new and transformative.
The “new wine” represents the life and power of the Holy Spirit, and the “wineskins” represent our hearts, minds, and attitudes—our inner life.
Some people want the joy of the Lord but refuse to let go of the old habits, old hurts, or old ways of thinking. But God is saying:
“I have new wine for you—real joy, real power, real freedom—but you need a new wineskin.”
Some of you haven’t truly experienced joy because you haven’t let go of some things.
1. A Renewed Mindset
1. A Renewed Mindset
Old Wineskin: “I have to be perfect for God to love me.”
New Wineskin: “God loves me because of Jesus, not my performance.”
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
It is when we change our thinking that God begins to work on our heart. Sometimes our own stinking thinking gets in the way of a lot of what God desires to do in our lives.
2. A Heart Open to Forgiveness
2. A Heart Open to Forgiveness
Old Wineskin: Holding onto bitterness or grudges.
New Wineskin: Choosing (it is a choice) to forgive and release people, even when it’s hard.
32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
If we fail to forgive, truly forgive those around us…that means we do not hang onto it anymore, we don’t bring it up and throw it in people’s faces anymore, God cannot forgive us.
14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
If you hold on to resentment, it will be a barrier between you and God.
3. A Lifestyle of Worship Instead of Religion
3. A Lifestyle of Worship Instead of Religion
Old Wineskin: Just going through the motions—church attendance without heart change.
New Wineskin: Worshiping in spirit and truth, living for God daily, not just on Sunday.
24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Worshipping God in spirit and truth is allowing God to change you to your core. Christianity is not some self help, make my life feel better, make me feel better about my sin, type of lifestyle. It is God desiring to restore us back to His original design for us.
It is man accepting Jesus, putting on Jesus, crucifying the flesh - my ways, my thoughts, my opinions - and putting on the righteousness of Christ so those around us can see Jesus in and through us!
4. A Willingness to Obey the Holy Spirit
4. A Willingness to Obey the Holy Spirit
Old Wineskin: Doing life your own way, holding back when God speaks.
New Wineskin: Listening and responding to the Holy Spirit, even when it stretches you.
32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
5. Expecting God to Do More
5. Expecting God to Do More
Old Wineskin: Low expectations — “This is just how life is.”
New Wineskin: Faith that God can do miracles, restore joy, and transform lives.
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
Listen church, New wine won’t work in an old life.
If we want the joy of the Lord to remain in us, we must let Him reshape our—heart, mind, and lifestyle—to become vessels that can hold what He wants to pour out.
Jesus Had Power over the Enemy
Jesus Had Power over the Enemy
Not only did Jesus have joy, but He also was empowered to have power over the enemy.
In Matthew 12 we see Jesus out ministering. A demon possessed man who couldn’t see nor speak was brought before Him. Jesus through the Holy Spirit healed the man and set him free. The religious leaders were upset and accused Jesus of being demon possessed himself and his response was simple.
25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand.
26 “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?
27 “If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges.
28 “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
It was through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was able to drive out the enemy and bring healing.
He gave this same authority to His disciples and to us today. Jesus didn’t just come to save us — He also came to empower us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re not weak, passive believers—we’re spiritually armed and dangerous against the enemy.
17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Jesus said we will do these things if we believe! It is nothing we can do in and of ourselves, it is only through the Holy Spirit.
I remember when we were youth pastors and we did a lock in. There was a teenage girl there who had some spiritual issues. That night she had a spiritual attack. She locked herself in the bathroom and began hitting her head against the wall. Carly was able to get inside and she yelled for me. I come running and we just began to pray.
Church when you pray and start speaking the name of Jesus, you will stir up the spiritual realm. She spirit inside her was not Jesus. Our students began to pray and we could hear them praying in tongues.
We were not afraid, we were not backing down, because we had the same spirit of God living in us that Jesus did!
You don’t have to be a pastor or even an adult to walk in this authority.
If you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you carry the same power that raised Jesus from the dead.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
You and I, young and old, have access to the same power that Jesus did that gives you authority to cast out demons, break EVERY spiritual chain, and walk in victory over sin and fear.
Demons aren’t afraid of you, but they are terrified of the Spirit of God that lives inside of you.
Don’t live powerless when Jesus already gave you authority. It’s time to start walking like a child of God—one filled with the Spirit, full of boldness, and equipped to push back darkness.
Jesus was Empowered to Teach
Jesus was Empowered to Teach
Last one for today and I am done. Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach.
14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.
15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to teach in a way that impacted those around Him. Again, we are speaking of the same Holy Spirit that you and I have access to. The same Holy Spirit that Jesus had.
This same Holy Spirit empowers you and I to not only understand what is being taught, but to teach those around us.
26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Growing up I did not want to be a public speaker. In fact when I was in 6th grade I had a Civics class and I had to give a 3-5 min speech and I was terrified.
So when God called me to teach every week, I was like what? But the Holy Spirit is what enables me to teach and preach every week. It is the Holy Spirit that will give me illustrations to use and break down the Word of God so it is easy to understand.
The other day I was in my garden and Holy Spirit was just speaking. I always talk to God in the morning. Everyday I ask Him to tell me something about the garden.
He shared with me how tomato plants and you and I are similar. Tomato plants produce tomatoes…which are fruit by the way.
The last few times I planted tomatoes I didn’t get much fruit from the vine. The vine grew huge and looked very green. But no fruit.
This year I started pruning the plants. There are these things called suckers that look as though they belong there. But in reality they are harmful to the plant. They don’t produce any fruit, they just suck all the nutrients out of the plant and rob it from the fruit bearing branches.
Holy Spirit told me there are suckers in our lives that look like they belong their but in reality they are draining us from producing the fruit that He wants to produce in us.
Those suckers can be:
Toxic relationships
Unforgiveness
Pride or self-reliance
Unhealthy habits
Bitterness from past wounds
Time-wasting distractions
It is the Holy Spirit who taught me and now it is the same Holy Spirit that enables me to teach you.
But pastor, I am not a teacher? I don’t have that calling. I think we miss understand the Scripture. Yes there is a calling to be a teacher, but it is everyones call to teach.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Every single one of us can share what God is teaching us with someone. All we have to do is ask, “Holy Spirit, what do you want me to say?”
12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
All we have to do is ask. God wants us to ask. He is waiting for us to ask. Why? Because He desires to not only speak to you, but speak through you!
Paul understood this.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to share the truth. You don’t need a seminary degree to help someone grow in their faith. What you do need is the Holy Spirit and if you ask, seek, knock, He will speak to you in order to speak through you.
What if we began to ask Holy Spirit every time we went somewhere who do you want to teach today?
Grocery store - Holy Spirit, what do you want to say to the cashier?
Restaurant - Holy Spirit what do you want to say to our waitress?
Teenagers, imagine this…you’re not just a student, but a missionary.
Adults, imagine this, you don’t just punch a clock but you are entering the mission field.
Everyone, imagine this…you don’t just wonder around life without a purpose…but you are God’s voice for encouraging those around you.
Before you enter a room, ask:
“Holy Spirit, is there someone in here You want to reach through me?”
And then — listen. Be bold. Speak. Encourage. Love. Share truth.
Closing
Closing
As we close out today, remember this:
Jesus doesn’t just invite us to believe in Him — He calls us to live like Him, to love like Him, and to walk in the same power that raised Him from the dead.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
But hear me — the only way we can do any of this is by doing it the same way Jesus did:
Not in our own strength. Not by trying harder.
But by being filled with and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
So here’s the question today:
Are you walking in that power?
Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?
Or have you been trying to follow Jesus on empty?
The Holy Spirit is not a feeling. He’s a Person.
He is your power, your peace, your boldness, and your teacher.
And He’s available right now to anyone who will ask.
Jesus said all we have to do is ask.
13 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
So let’s ask. Let’s seek. Let’s receive.
Prayer Invitation:
Prayer Invitation:
If you’re hungry for more…
If you want to be used by God…
If you want to walk in power and not just go through the motions…
Come. Let’s pray.
Let’s invite the Holy Spirit to fill us afresh — not just for a moment, but for a mission.
Because the world doesn’t need more Christians with opinions — it needs believers filled with the Spirit doing the works of Jesus.
Prayer
Holy Spirit,
We need You.
We don’t want to live in our own strength.
Fill us, empower us, lead us, and use us.
Make us bold to do the works of Jesus.
Give us eyes to see who You want to reach through us.
Let Your power flow in us and through us — not for our glory, but for Yours.
We surrender.
We say yes to You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
