Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NKJV
Pastor John:
… There’s a reason for it. So I’m just going to open in prayer and then hand over to the praise and worship team. Let’s pray together.
Thank You, Lord, for this opportunity, once again that we can come together as a body. We recognize that we have collective greatness within us and that when we are separated for whatever reasons that we can’t properly function as a whole. Thank You that we can come back together today and worship You together and have this time together in fellowship. We ask You to just bless the instruments, bless vocal cords, bless the hearers and, Father, all those that are watching and live streaming, bless them in their homes wherever they’re watching. I thank You, Lord, that Your anointing rests upon every detail that happens here today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Pastor Sharon:
Ah hallelujah. Father, we thank You for Your presence here as we minister to You in song, Lord. Thank You, Holy Spirit. You are in each one of us and we are just going to have a tremendous time, in Jesus’ name. Okay, let’s go.
[Praise and worship]
Pastor John:
Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. What a wonderful time it’s been just to praise the Lord like this. Those that are here in the auditorium, you may be seated. Those that are at home, put your coffee cups down.
What you’re witnessing here today is something that we’ve been exploring as a ministry over the last month; to look at the space inside the church as a space rather than as a platform with seating arrangement. So, we’ve been looking at, well certainly, the way the Lord has been dealing with Pastor Sharon and I is to look at ways that perhaps there’s a new door here that God is opening for us and that we need eyes to see things that we haven’t seen before. So, yes, what we’re doing today is to adhere to the rules of government and to do things a little differently. Part of the reason you have earphones on is because the way the sound system in the church is set up, we couldn’t actually deliver a sound to you sitting where you’re sitting and doing what we’re doing without actually getting headphones on. Otherwise, the sound system in the church would just perform poorly. Thank God for creative ideas that we’ve come up with that can do this kind of thing. Amen.
I want to just read a passage of scripture to you from 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and it says, from verse 19, 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law. So, this is not as in lawlessness of the government of the country. This is; they have no covenant with God. If you can just see it as that. So, those without covenant I became as one who was without covenant, that I might win those that are without covenant or without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NKJV)
So, I just want to share that passage of scripture with you because we have been given a mandate by God and through the apostle that God sent to earth; that we must become all things to all men that we might win some. That doesn’t particularly mean that we must become less Christian. It doesn’t mean to say that we must be less spiritual. It doesn’t mean to say that there are things for us to do that prevent us from being authentically Christ-beings. On the contrary. I think what the Apostle Paul is saying is because I’m so strong in Christ, I can show Christ to any group of people at any place, any time, any where so that I might win some. So, those that are under a bondage of religion I become as someone who understands those people who are under religion so that I might win them to be free in Christ. For those that are bound by habits and by oppression and by many things that have overtaken their lives, I must be understanding of where they come from so that I can preach the Gospel to them. I don’t have to become like them. I don’t have to identify, necessarily, what they’ve been through, but I need to be in a place where I can minister Christ to them because of the authentic Christ that is in me. Amen.
I do believe with all my heart that this thing that has hit the world, this is not a Chinese government that purposefully or un-purposefully or by mistake had a virus that came out of China that hit the world. This is something that is founded deeply spiritually because the devil is the one who makes people sick, he’s the author of all sickness and disease and he’s the author of all destruction. There is nothing about this thing that has happened to the global community that is of God. we need to be clear about this, church.
And so, if we read that Jesus is, from the Bible, that Jesus is the Author of life, He’s the Author of light, He’s the Author of prosperity and blessing, He’s the Author of all things good. The enemy is the author of stealing, killing and destroying. So this thing that has hit the planet is not something that is authored by Jesus. This is something that is authored by the enemy of Jesus.
What would his purpose be? His purpose would be to oppress all people, to destabilise people’s economies, their families, financial well-being, family unities, relationships, every part and every area of life that he could come in to cause major destabilisation, major distraction, major division, disease and death. That is actually what has been unleashed on the earth. There is one group of people that can stand between death and destruction and the life that God is and that’s the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That means you and me. That doesn’t mean to say that it happens at church on a Sunday. That means it happens wherever you are every day, everywhere, all the time. It means that you don’t talk death like the world talks. You don’t talk what effects the disease is having on your finances. You have to talk what God talks. What God talks is; you are taken care of and He will never leave you or forsake you. He’s always going to be there for you. Always, in every way, in every circumstance.
As we’ve gone through this process of having to obey our government and separate from each other, I have been pressing into the Lord and asking Him to show me where is the new door and where is the supernatural increase because I refuse to let the enemy of God steal six months of this year from us for what God has for us. And what God has for us has already been happening. The supernatural increase has been happening while the rest of the world has been struggling to survive. God has been talking to us as a church and as a people, how He’s going to increase us, how He’s going to bless us and how new doors are opening for us and if we open our eyes to see and we open our hearts to receive and we have ears to hear, He’s going to lead us step-by-step into new things so that we can become all things to all people. Not criticising them for those that have been under the death and destruction. Not criticising or judging or having even pity on those, because pity doesn’t have any value. Making a difference has value. Speaking life has value. Being the Life of Christ has value. Hallelujah.
And so, what you’re witnessing here today is part of our ongoing work that we’ve been doing while the lockdown has been. We have been working. And I thank all the people that are here with me because we’ve been working weekends after weekend, we’ve been working to produce worship albums with different sets, but this is one of the sets we’ve been working with. This set was actually just set up since Friday partly with you in mind so that we could show you that there are things that God has got inside of us by the Holy Spirit that will allow us, from time to time, and we don’t know how often that time would be, but, from time to time have events like this that the devil stole from us that we were going to have in Clarens. But events like that we can have wonderful music, praise and worship, but it can also be a testimony to the world because maybe some of your friends will come and put cool earphones on, but maybe they won’t come to a Sunday normal church service. Hello?
So, we’ve got to just be ready in our hearts that whatever God wants for us, that we’re ready to walk into it without holding onto anything in the past, without being afraid of what lies in the future, having the courage to step in and step through and go into the new place because it’s only in the stepping, it’s only in the walking, it’s only in the getting out of the boat that you actually see the miracle of God. You can’t stay in the boat and see the miracle of God. You just can’t. You might see God’s miracle coming to you, but you won’t experience the miracle of God until you get out of the boat. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
I trust you enjoyed this morning. I’ve got to get you out of church here now because we’ve got another group of people coming in because we’ve got to do things properly and in order. So I ask you that when we’re done, you go straight out, get your earphones out. We’ve got to clean them, we’ve got to do stuff, so I’ve got to close the meeting now. Hallelujah. And so we love you. We thank you for coming today. It’s good to just see you in person, even though it’s a slightly different set up. But I’m wanting you to have a vision of what God can do for us as things start to open up and we’re able to get together again. We might have some new adventures in faith that we have got to walk together. Some new things that God will open for us – new doors, new places, new spaces. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
So let’s just pray together. Stand with me, if you will, please.
I pray that the Heavenly Father will bless you. That His peace will rest upon you and that as things might happen to you, even in the weeks ahead and the time ahead, that you will just turn to God, you will turn to His Word and that the Holy Spirit will guide you and lead you. And as you are lead by the Holy Spirit, the peace of God comes upon you, the knowledge of what God wants you to do rises up inside of you and no weapon formed against you will prosper. I have declared this over you day in and day out for years and years. No weapon formed against you will prosper. The blood of Jesus surrounds you and protects you, in Jesus’ name. You will be blessed going out and blessed coming in. Hallelujah. And whatever you put your hands to, God is going to bless that, in Jesus’ name. In Jesus’ name.
Thank you for coming. God bless you. And please leave as quick as you can. Bye.
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TOUCH | TEACH | TRAIN | TRANSFER
