Sermon 27th Feb 2011 The Word belongs to us!

Joh 17:6 I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things, whatever You have given Me, are from You. 8 For I have given to them the Words which You gave Me, and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from You. And they have believed that You sent Me.

There you have it – if ever there was a second’s doubt in your mind, regarding the Word – there you have it. “For I have given to them the Words which You gave Me”

The lie that was incorporated through false teaching and unbelief, produced by the devil was this: “those things belonged to the disciples and are not applicable to the church and the believer today:

Hogwash!

Joh 17:20 And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, 23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Our Intercessor, Jesus, seated now at the right-hand of the Father, prayed this for us, He confirmed His blessing and His anointing on us, the future believers: “And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us”

Rise up believers, stand firm in your faith and receive the fullness of the promise of the Word. The Word given to us by our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Act 2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Act 3:4 And fastening his eyes on him, Peter with John said, Look on us! 5 And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! 7 And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength.

What is it that we have?

What do we have that contains all the power and the authority?

Faith!

Faith in what?

Jas 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. Behold how little a fire kindles how large a forest! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So the tongue is set among our members, spotting all the body and inflaming the course of nature, and being inflamed by hell.

What is our confession?

What is it that we speak over our lives, our property, our health, our finances, and our marriages?

What is in the heart will break out of the mouth.

Rom 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" 17 Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes indeed, their voice went out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

Faith develops through a cycle: a cycle of words, words that we hear, the words that we hear, needs to settle, it settles in our hearts and from our hearts we utter these words again.

We hear it.

We confess it.

We begin to believe it.

We then will live it.

Joh 17:10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine; and my glory is shown through them.

We are the vessels that will show the Glory of God. Our testimony reveals His glory.

Joh 17:16 Just as I do not belong to the world, they do not belong to the world. 17 Dedicate them to yourself by means of the truth; your word is truth.

We are of this world but we are not part of this world. Our standards and expectations are different.

Through the intercession of Jesus, we are dedicated to god and because of that different rules and norms should apply.

Joh 17:21 I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one:

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen on you.

We have just learnt the words to a new song. A Song by Brian Doerksen “it’s time”.

The words says: “Its time, for Your light to shine, Its time for the Glory of our God to be released…Its time, for His Majesty, Its time for the Glory of our God to be revealed….Its time!”

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Its time, for the believers to understand, realize and act on the authority given to us.

We are called to take the Glory of God into the world around us – we are not to hide it or keep it a secret – we are to declare it.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus is the “Anointed” the Christ, the Messiah.

He instructs us to go, in His authority, which is ALL authority, to move and to proclaim the Good News. He promises that He will be there with us. His Spirit will guide us and we will be anointed to good works.

It is time to rise up and `shine`, our light has come and the Glory of God has come upon us.

Jesus IS the Light and He has come and He has given us authority. It is our time to step out and move in Him.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 6 Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The Word belongs to us

Joh 17:6 I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things, whatever You have given Me, are from You. 8 For I have given to them the Words which You gave Me, and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from You. And they have believed that You sent Me.

There you have it – if ever there was a second’s doubt in your mind, regarding the Word – there you have it. “For I have given to them the Words which You gave Me”

The lie that was incorporated through false teaching and unbelief, produced by the devil was this: “those things belonged to the disciples and are not applicable to the church and the believer today:

Hogwash!

Joh 17:20 And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. 22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, 23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Our Intercessor, Jesus, seated now at the right-hand of the Father, prayed this for us, He confirmed His blessing and His anointing on us, the future believers: “And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us”

I do not want to be known as just another `Christian` anymore! It is time! I am taking my rightful place as a true believer. I believe the Word of God, I believe that Jesus died for my sin, that through Him I have been made righteous and that all authority, in His name has been made available to me. I take a firm stand against the enemy, no longer will I believe the lie, no longer will I present myself, through doubt and unbelief, as the doormat of a liar and a thief.

Rise up believers, stand firm in your faith and receive the fullness of the promise of the Word. The Word given to us by our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Act 2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Act 3:4 And fastening his eyes on him, Peter with John said, Look on us! 5 And he paid heed to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk! 7 And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up. And immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength.

Freely we have received, what do we give the World in return?

It is time to share the truth with the world – we need to give them the Word, Jesus Christ. They are in need of the promise – let us share it with them.

a Liar and a thief

Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Sometimes we just continue to believe the lie.

We continue to believe that God brings destruction and death and loss into our lives when contrary to this belief, Jesus declares: “ The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

How do we reconcile the one belief with the other?

If Jesus came to give us abundant life and God takes it away, then surely someone has lost the plot.

Joh 17:23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Luk 10:22 All things are delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son will reveal Him.

Jesus teaches us, He displays by example, the heart of the Father. He displays sacrificial love on the cross. Yet, we continue to believe that God is on this warpath against us, doing everything in His might to destroy our joy, through death and destruction.

God does not kill little children because He needs angels or to hang more stars in heaven. No – He creates the stars and the angels.

Spoons don’t make you fat, cars can’t drive by themselves, and guns don’t kill. People chose. People chose to destroy and kill and destruct, because we fall for the lies and the temptations of evil.

Satan is our adversary, he is the father of lies, he walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He remains a foul, disgusting enemy, who, even after the defeat he suffered at the cross, will continue to wreak havoc, as long as we allow him to do his work.

It is time for us as believers to get the truth settled in our hearts. Bondage, lies, false teachings, wrong teachings have kept us tied up for too long.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation, because having been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one being tempted say, I am tempted from God. For God is not tempted by evils, and He tempts no one. 14 But each one is tempted by his lusts, being drawn away and seduced by them. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is fully formed, brings forth death.

Our struggles and unanswered prayers are the results of our own ignorance.

We do not have a clear understanding and revelation of the authority Jesus has given us. We do not even begin to grasp the might of God’s love and Grace and mercy. That is why we continue to blame the wrong one for the struggles we suffer in life.

It’s time, to rise up and say to the enemy, to satan, to destruction, to sickness and poverty: ENOUGH!

My God, Jehovah, the Prince of peace, the Lord of Lords is on my side, who can stand against me?

Take your rightful place believer. You have been given the crown of life. Wear it with pride and dignity and in authority.

Anointed Glory

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen on you.

I have just learnt the words to a new song (new to me anyway). A Song by Brian Doerksen “it’s time”.

The words says: “Its time, for Your light to shine, Its time for the Glory of our God to be released…Its time, for His Majesty, Its time for the Glory of our God to be revealed….Its time!”

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Its time, for the believers to understand, realize and act on the authority given to us.

We are called to take the Glory of God into the world around us – we are not to hide it or keep it a secret – we are to declare it.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus is the “Anointed” the Christ, the Messiah.

He instructs us to go, in His authority, which is ALL authority, to move and to proclaim the Good News. He promises that He will be there with us. His Spirit will guide us and we will be anointed to good works.

It is time to rise up and `shine`, our light has come and the Glory of God has come upon us.

Jesus IS the Light and He has come and He has given us authority. It is our time to step out and move in Him.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 6 Then, indeed, these coming together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 7 And He said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Guided by the Holy Spirit we will walk in power, taking authority, proclaiming the Year of our Lord.

Joh 17:22 And I have given them the glory which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one, 23 I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Arise and shine believer, for the Glory of God is in you. Let your light shine so that our Father may be glorified and worshipped throughout the earth.

The Anointed Freedom

Rom 7:4 So, my brothers, you also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ so that you should be married to Another, even to Him raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death. 6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Every country, as corrupt as some governments might be, is bound, governed, and ruled by a set of rules. The LAW of the land.

The problem with the law is this: It will always be a set of do’s and don’ts. It will always point to the penalty of the mistake.

This can be a good thing when the people of the land are committed to crime and the pursuit of personal gain, no matter the cost or the course. But, amongst a people who pursue peace and liberty, the law has no hold.

For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death

No matter how hard you try though, as long as you are bound by the rules of the law, you will never experience true freedom.

But then:

But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

The only thing, the only action, the only way away from the letter of the law, is if the one who established the law, sets you free, pardons you from the law.

And that has happened!

Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.

It is impossible, in our own strength, to escape the wrath of the law.

Grace, God’s Grace, the Grace that cannot be understood, has set us free. Free from the letter of the law.

I have not been set free because I do not sin, I do not sin, because I have been set free!

Joh 8:35 And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Freedom gives me an even greater opportunity to choose, choose how I will live my life.

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage

My choice is to stand fast in this liberty.

Don`t look the part - be the part

Job 6:8 Oh that I might have my desire, and that God would grant the thing that I long for! 9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that He would loose His hand and cut me off! 10 And it is yet my comfort; yea, I would rejoice in pain, though He did not spare me; for I have not hidden the words of the Holy One. 11 What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should be patient?

Oh that I might have my desire, and that God would grant the thing that I long for:

How often do we cry out that way?

When is it going to happen? When will the breakthrough happen?

Job 42:10 And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Also Jehovah added to Job all that had been his, to double.

We can remain in a sad state, believing that `one day` it will come to pass. Or we can search the Bible and find the promise of God and believe it!

Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

God is Jehovah Jireh – the Lord our Provider.

He brings substance to what we see and hope for.

Obedience, faith and standing firm is our business.

I have learnt something: “your concept of God will determine your miracle”

The question therefore is: how do you perceive God?

Is He really the One you say He is or do you really `believe` that He IS who you confess Him to be. It is so easy to say one thing but to doubt or to believe something else.

We say things like “oh I’m so blessed” yet we struggle behind the scenes and we doubt this ‘faith thing’. We say “God will provide” yet we wonder if He will provide at all.

Do you portray something you don’t really believe or do you ‘live’ what you believe?

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. 19 Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

We have been given authority, authority over demons, poverty, lack, sickness and disease. When we begin to walk in it, restoration of our affairs will happen.

Mat 9:8 But when the crowds saw, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Do people `marvel and glorify God` when they see us?

The anointing that breaks the bond: 20 Feb 2011

Text:

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage

Bondage is a terrible thing:

Do you ever feel as if you can do nothing, achieve nothing?

Is it your life experience that, no matter how hard you try, you just stay in the same old place – no forward movement? You are so busy but you achieve nothing.

How about this: you go to bed with the same worries, every night. You fall asleep and wake up tired, you have the same dreams – nightmares.

Or, the habit that just keeps you tied down. You want to move on, you don’t want to do this thing anymore.

The same issues of inferiority, the feelings of helplessness.

Bondage:

The dictionary identifies bondage as:

• slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.

• the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control.

• the state or practice of being physically restrained, as by being tied up, chained, or put in handcuffs

Familiar?

Psa 94:17 Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

The word silence here refers to the place called `sheol` the place of the `dead`: Not a nice place for the soul to be.

When psychologists deal with depression, this is the state of mind the patient has. A `deadness` of the soul.

Feelings of guilt, remorse, condemnation can so easily bring us into bondage in such a state.

Luk 21:33 The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts are weighed down with headaches and drinking and anxieties of this life; and that day should suddenly come on you; 35 for it shall come as a snare on all those sitting on the face of the whole earth.

Snare: Pagis: a trap (as fastened by a noose or notch); figuratively a trick or stratagem (temptation)

How often do we walk into these traps, the traps that would come in the form of temptations, something looks so good but once you have taken the bait – you are stuck in the `noose`.

Suddenly – it happens so quickly, before you know it you have been caught.

But there is hope: there is a way out:

Jer 29:11 For I know the purposes which I am purposing for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you shall call on Me, and you shall go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

So often I am asked, what is God`s plan for my life? What does this mean : I know the purposes which I am purposing for you

To understand what this really means we have to go to Scripture. We have to understand correctly.

This has nothing to do with the fact or the career you choose.

The Word says: not of evil

It says: purposes of peace, hope and a future.

Luk 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luk 24:36 And as they spoke this, Jesus Himself stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you!

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Act 2:25 For David speaks concerning Him, "I foresaw the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; and also My flesh shall rest in hope, 27 because You will not leave My soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your holy One to see corruption. 28 You revealed to Me the ways of life. You will fill Me with joy with Your countenance."

Often times we want to blame God for this guilt trip we have, we want to blame Him for all the misery and the corruption, but Jesus declared in John 10:10: I have come so that you may experience abundant life.

The Holy Spirit will never ever trap us or keep us tied down. No, He will convict us.

Convict us of sin, convict us of the stuff that we should rid ourselves of, the different direction we should consider.

He will always offer a way out.

Deu 30:19 I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, 20 so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days,

God will even offer His own advice, when He presents us with the options.

Chose life, He says.

Back up to Jer. 29: 12 Then you shall call on Me

Rom 10:9 Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone believing on Him shall not be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference both of Jew and of Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call on Him. 13 For everyone, "whoever shall call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Freedom from bondage lies in this!

Joh 8:31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

And

Joh 8:35 And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

Remember: bondage - slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.

Rom 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sin worked in our members through the law to bring forth fruit to death. 6 But now we having been set free from the Law, having died to that in which we were held, so that we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Why should we continue to struggle?

Why should we remain the same?

Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made us free, and do not again be held with the yoke of bondage

Nothing we do, can make God love us more and nothing we do, can make Him love us less, But He loves us too much, too leave us, the way we are.

There is nothing we can do to save ourselves.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness through the passing by of the sins that had taken place before, in the forbearance of God; 26 for the display of His righteousness at this time, for Him to be just and, forgiving the one being of the faith of Jesus.

This is the plan and the purpose God has for us.

This is the future, the hope and the freedom.

It is not about the toys and the bells and the whistles.

It’s about the freedom we have in Christ, the freedom from the penalty of sin, which is death.

Once I truly know and understand this, I can move on and begin to accomplish big things.

Isa 55:11 so shall My Word be, which goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do. 12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break out before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Who is this Word? What is this Word?

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Jesus:

Jesus is the answer. What is your question?