STS | Greater Works Than Jesus Did III | DEC. 28th 2025

Devotional

Day 1: The Enabling Decree for Greater Works

God has established a firm and eternal decree that empowers His people for greater works. This divine pronouncement is not a suggestion but a foundational truth upon which our faith and mission are built. It is a promise that heaven itself guarantees, ensuring that our efforts are not in vain but are backed by His sovereign will. The call to ask for the nations is an invitation to participate in a reality that God has already ordained. We can step forward in confidence, knowing the ultimate outcome is secured by His word. [17:30]

I will declare the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”
(Psalm 2:7-8 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific nation or people group that God has placed on your heart to pray for, and how can you begin to intercede for its transformation this week?

Day 2: The Ultimate Goal of Our Labor

Our greater works are not aimless activities but have a glorious and defined end. The vision of a new heaven and a new earth, where God dwells with His people, is the final destination toward which all our efforts are directed. In that place, every tear will be wiped away, and all things will be made new. This hope fuels our present obedience, reminding us that our labor is part of a much larger, eternal story. Our work today contributes to that future reality. [10:01]

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
(Revelation 21:3-4 ESV)

Reflection: When you consider the hope of a restored creation, how does it reshape your perspective on the challenges and "lesser" tasks you face today?

Day 3: Asking for What Pleases God

Our prayer life often centers on personal needs and desires, yet God invites us to align our requests with His heart for the world. He calls us to ask for the nations—for their salvation, transformation, and governance by His righteous principles. When we prioritize these things, we discover that our personal needs are met as a byproduct of seeking His kingdom first. Our petitions become powerful when they are in agreement with His will. [23:36]

Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.
(Psalm 2:8 NLT)

Reflection: Looking over your recent prayer list, what is one request you could replace or reframe to better align with God's desire for the nations?

Day 4: The Foundation of True Fruitfulness

Genuine fruitfulness that pleases God begins with being filled with the knowledge of His will. This spiritual wisdom and understanding form the foundation for a life that walks worthy of the Lord. It empowers us for every good work and leads to a increasing, intimate knowledge of God Himself. This internal transformation is the essential precursor to any external impact, ensuring that our labor is not merely activity but Spirit-empowered productivity. [33:26]

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
(Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take this week to grow in your knowledge of God's will, beyond simply acquiring more information?

Day 5: Accepting Our Responsibility

The work of discipling the nations is a finished work from God's perspective, yet it requires our active participation. He is looking for those who will believe His promises and step into the responsibility they entail. This is not about striving in our own strength but about responding in faith to what Christ has already accomplished. It is an invitation to enter into His rest while simultaneously accepting the call to go. [50:20]

For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.
(Hebrews 4:3 ESV)

Reflection: Where is God specifically inviting you to say, "Here am I, send me," and what would it look like to take a simple, faithful step in that direction?

Sermon Summary

God spoke an enabling decree in Psalm 2:7–8 that appoints the nations as inheritance and the ends of the earth as possession. Revelation 21 presents the end‑product of that decree: a renewed creation, a holy city without temple or night, illuminated by the Lamb and populated only by those written in the Lamb’s book of life. The mandate moves beyond private blessing to corporate fruitfulness: discipleship of nations, not fragmentation into competing denominations, stands as the intended outworking of the gospel. Colossians 1 defines the fruitfulness God values—knowledge of his will, spiritual wisdom, faithful work, and growth in the knowledge of God—which prepares believers to occupy strategic thrones and influence cultural mountains.

Prayer must reset priorities. Personal petitions for houses, gadgets, and status reveal a misaligned aim unless the larger call to the nations receives first place. Jesus paid the full price for global redemption on the cross; the cry from Psalm 22 and the prophetic answer point to all families of the earth turning to the Lord. The finished work existed before the foundation of the world, and believers are invited to enter the rest and act on what God has already secured.

Practical commissioning follows theological certainty: ask God for thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers so that righteous influence can transform legislative, judicial, and executive spheres. The call requires response—believers must stand, accept responsibility, and say “Send me” as a deliberate vocation to disciple nations. The Holy Spirit then moves to whisper the specific nations and places assigned, enabling a generation that will not be wasted but will bring the nations into the light of the Lamb.

Key Takeaways

1. God's enabling decree grants nations Psalm 2 frames a sovereign promise: God declared the Son’s right to the nations and the ends of the earth as inheritance. This decree demands appropriation by prayer and obedience, not mere admiration. Accepting the decree reorients vocation from personal comfort to national stewardship. [17:30]
2. New creation as final outcome Revelation 21 portrays a new heaven and new earth where the Lamb’s light replaces sun and temple, and nations bring their glory into the city. This vision reframes success: ultimate fruitfulness culminates in redeemed cultures living under God’s unveiled presence. Live toward that horizon in present decisions and priorities. [06:25]
3. Prioritize discipling nations over comforts Reordering prayer lists away from gadgets and status toward national intercession changes strategic impact. True fruitfulness targets structures and cultures, not merely individuals’ material needs. Invest time and prayer into shaping leaders and institutions for kingdom transformation. [23:54]
4. Christ purchased the nations' redemption Psalm 22’s passion and its answered prophecy show that the cross secured global worship and the return of nations to God. That payment removes any shortage or barrier to discipling peoples; what remains is faithful engagement. Act from the confidence that purchase, not powerlessness, now mandates mission. [47:35]
5. Answer with "Send me" commitment A decisive response—standing, saying “Send me,” and praying for specific thrones—moves theology into vocation. This posture invites the Spirit to reveal nations and opens access to governing influence for righteousness. Conclude intention with action: availability activates God’s enabling decree. [51:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:16] - Opening prayer and praise
[01:49] - Series: Greater Works Than Jesus Did
[03:28] - Theme: God’s Enabling Decree
[03:50] - Psalm 2: The Decree Declared
[06:25] - Revelation 21: New Heaven and Earth
[16:16] - Nations, the Bride, and the Light
[23:54] - Reordering Prayer and Priorities
[28:24] - Colossians: Fruitfulness Defined
[37:38] - Pray for Thrones and Dominion
[46:17] - The Cross: Price Paid for Nations
[50:20] - Finished Work and Entering Rest
[51:10] - Respond: "Send Me" and Commission
[52:04] - Closing prayer and blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Psalm 2:7-8 (ESV)
I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.

Observation questions

According to the reading from Psalm 2, what does the Father invite the Son to ask for?
What is the final outcome for the nations described in Revelation 21, where they bring their glory into the city and walk in its light? [16:16]
What specific things, according to Colossians 1:9-10, constitute the fruitfulness that pleases God? [33:26]
What was the prophetic answer from God found in Psalm 22:27-28 to the cry of dereliction on the cross? [47:35]

Interpretation questions

How does the vision of a new creation in Revelation 21, with no temple and illuminated by the Lamb, redefine our understanding of success and the ultimate goal of our faith? [06:25]
The decree in Psalm 2 grants the nations as an inheritance. Why is it significant that this is something we must ask for, rather than something that happens automatically?
If the work of global redemption was a "finished work" secured by Christ's payment on the cross, what does that imply about the primary barrier to discipling nations today? [50:20]
What does it mean to "enter that rest" in the context of believing and acting upon what God has already secured from the foundation of the world? [50:52]

Application questions

Personal petitions often focus on houses, gadgets, and status. What would it look like to reorder your prayer list to prioritize asking for the nations, including your own, as your inheritance? [23:54]
The call requires a response of "Send me." What is one practical step you can take this week to move from being an admirer of this truth to being available for this assignment? [51:10]
True fruitfulness targets structures and cultures, not just individuals. In your sphere of influence—your family, workplace, or community—what is one "mountain of culture" you feel called to influence for righteousness?
Praying for strategic thrones, dominions, and powers means asking for godly influence in legislative, judicial, and executive spheres. How can you begin to consistently and specifically pray for these areas of your nation's government? [37:38]
The Holy Spirit whispers specific nations and places to people. How can you create space to listen and discern if there is a particular nation or people group God is placing on your heart? [52:54]
Living toward the horizon of a renewed creation affects present decisions and priorities. What is one decision you are facing where this eternal perspective could change your choice? [06:25]

Sermon Clips

21s

#DiscipleNationsNotDenominations

“You think God sent us to the world to start denominations? No. He created nations, he created imagination, and he wants us to disciple the nations. To denominate is to divide.”

41s

#PrayForYourNation

“Do you know the main prayer of John Knox to God? No material things. John Knox was the one that prayed and said, Lord, give me Scotland or give me death. How many of us love Nigeria that way? If you do or you don't, from this series, you will understand why you have to increase the tempo of your prayers by asking for greater things than automobiles and houses and gadgets.”

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STS | Greater Works Than Jesus Did III | DEC. 28th 2025 | Pastor 'Tunde Bakare