If you are asking for spiritual maturity, for endurance in a trial, for provision of your basic needs so you can continue to serve and minister and evangelize, and if you are asking for mercy, for forgiveness, for wisdom and compassion from our Father in heaven… then there is no spending limit! What a glorious promise this is for all who are in Christ. But this is an exclusive ability reserved for Christ’s followers. God hears us because of the righteousness of Christ. Without that, we have no claim of our own.
The American Express Centurion card, aka Amex Black Card is the most exclusive charge card on the market. Last week we learned that the Black Card is by invitation only, costs $10,000 to initiate and $5,000 per year, but comes with exclusive benefits like no spending limit, ten times the loyalty points which secure airline miles that never expire, and elite status at certain hotels. But I did not tell you about the main benefit. With the Amex Black card comes exclusive 24/7 access to a deluxe concierge service.
You get a number to call and instantly a friendly concierge picks up, ready to do your bidding, day or night. Usually this service is used to book flights, hotels, rental cars, ask about local attractions, secure tickets to sought-after events etc. But the power of the deluxe concierge extends beyond just administrative help.
You want tickets to a sold-out U2 concert? No problem. You’d like Tiffany’s jewelry store to let you shop privately after hours? Easy. You can ask your concierge to call you in the morning with a friendly reminder to go to work. And you can ask your concierge to remind you every year that it’s your wedding anniversary, and you can have them send flowers.
This is all pretty helpful stuff, but one curious user decided to see how far he could stretch the concierge’s abilities. He called with this request: “I’m traveling to Austin, and I want a big tub of nacho cheese. Make that a HUGE tub, enough to fill a punch bowl.”
The reply was simply: “Does it need to be in a tub?”
“Can, jar, tub, I don’t care, I just want liquid cheese, and a lot of it.” The concierge called back with the address of a store in Austin, that sells giant cans of liquid cheese.
So he persisted with odd requests … in his quest to find the limits, he got the concierge to… 1) solve a crossword puzzle, 2) help get daily calls affirming that he is a good person, 3) help book a trip to space (he didn’t end up going because it would cost too much).
But eventually he found the limit. They would not help him book the services of an assassin. In fact, they have a list of requests they have denied… including…
1. We cannot do your school paper or your job for you.
2. We do not have access to confidential government reports.
3. We can’t plan your wedding, but we can find you a planner.
4. We won’t facilitate unethical behavior like hiring contract killers.
Well, you might not have 24/7 access to a deluxe concierge, but you do have 24/7 full access to a Father who loves you and can help with anything you need. And the best part of this exclusive offer is that it is absolutely free.
Jesus is talking to his disciples the night before he goes to the cross. He has told them that he will be betrayed and that he is going back to the Father. We saw that Jesus offers them comfort that they will be with him again. Then Jesus taught them about 3 EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGES ONLY AVAILABLE TO BELIEVERS
Last week we saw that Jesus gives exclusive access to the Father and exclusive acquaintance with the Father, and today
2 Exclusive Abilities that are a Privilege Christ Secures for His Followers
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Extent of Our Reach
John 14:12
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
This verse is a notoriously misunderstood and misapplied verse. It is the mantra for the name-it-and-claim-it health, wealth, prosperity movement.