Scripture references: Luke 1:17 (AMPC); 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (AMPC); Leviticus 26:1-13 (AMPC); Ephesians 2:2 (KJV); Romans 12:1-2 (MSG); Act 2:40 (TPT); Philippians 2:15 (TPT); 2 Timothy 3:1 (TPT); Revelation 5:9 (NKJV); Colossians 1:14 (NKJV); John 12:46-50 (KJ21), Matthew 10:1,2, 40, 41 (KJ21); Psalm 59:19; Ezekiel 33:30-34
Welcome to everybody. It’s wonderful to be in the assembling of the brethren together. I just like to orientate myself. Here we go, thank you. I feel like I want to be centered, I was off onto that side. Thank you.
The title of my message today is part of the Beloved series. It’s called Redemption. There’s four points God wants to make today. He wants to make four points; redemption, receiving, repentance, and revolution. This is how the Lord gave it to me, “I’m going to make a point, and I’m going to make a point, and I’m going to make a point. Purposefully and intentionally taking care in what I’m saying.” To make a point is the most important essential in a matter. The point is the precise thing to be considered, determined and accomplished. I am pointing out at this point in time, in the time of this church, with this beloved, talking to me about Pastor John. My messenger, My Sword is pointed at you. Ezekiel 21. My Sword is pointed at your heart.
When He shows me Sword, he shows me sWORD, My Word, My Sword, my Sword, My Word, My sharp two edged Sword is pointed at your heart to see whether it can divide. To see whether your heart will allow Me to divide between spirit and soul. So, that you can see what of your life is of your soul and what of your life is of the spirit. Because it’s the spirit that is the real you; it is not your soul. You are to live from your spirit, to your soul, and then to your body, which makes you whole. The way you live, from your spirit, is the same way that God requires all of us to live from our spirit. You don’t have a special way that you can live from your spirit that is different to the way God requires me to live from my spirit. The way that God requires you to live from your spirit, is to fill your spirit with the Word of God, not just His precious, Holy, written Word, but the words that He brings through the messenger.
It’s both and. You cannot suppose that you can be an isolated, independent Christian, disjointed, dismembered, dislocated from the messenger and think that you are living from your spirit, there will only be a small measure of that, that you’ll be able to do, because God said in His Word that, “I have placed first apostles.” Jesus descended into, to hell, when He died for us. Then when He rose from the dead, triumphant, He gave gifts to men, first apostles, secondarily prophets, then evangelists and pastors and teachers. If you’re not being apostled, you’re not being propheted, you’re not being evangelized, you’re not being shepherded, you’re not being taught by the church where God has planted you; you are not living from your spirit. You have a tiny, weak, little spirit and the measure of your isolation. Because isolation from the Church is a violation of God. God says not to neglect the assembling of yourselves together, because God has purposed to get for Himself a people, not a person. There are persons within the people. But He has purposed, always, in the Old Testament, He purposed in His heart to have a people that would serve Him and love Him and obey Him and be zealous for Him and in the New Covenant it’s exactly the same.
We’re going to go to this scripture that I gave you, thank you. We’re going to go to this scripture the Lord spoke to my heart. Pastor John, I want to thank you for the privilege, even though you called me on my phone when I was in my prayer room early this morning, to tell me that I’m to minister today. I was ready with the things that God has been putting in my heart for a long time. This is what the Lord said to me, Pastor John.
He said this to me; a people… Luke one, seventeen. Pastor John has been bringing this scripture a lot. 17 And he [himself] talking about John the Baptist, will go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn back the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient and incredulous and unpersuadable to the wisdom of the upright [which is the knowledge and the holy love of the will of God]—in order to make ready for the Lord, in order to make ready for the Lord, a people [perfectly]… A people, not a person. A people, made up of persons, but He is after a people. In order to make ready a people (Luke 1:17 AMPC). That’s why He gave apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers and evangelists to bring the people to maturity as sons of God. That is the highest calling; is to be a mature son of God and you do not mature disconnected, dismembered, dislocated, disjointed from the Church, where God has set you in. It’s a violation of God’s Word. Right. A people prepared for the Lord. That’s what the Lord said to me.
Then there’s another scripture I asked you to put up. It’s this kind of people. Right, the next scripture is, it’s this kind of people. It’s this kind of people, not all of God’s people; it’s this kind of people that God is after. 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and [the devil]?
What harmony can there be between you and the world system and loving the things of the world when the book of Corinthians clearly says Satan is god of the world system? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and [the devil]? What has a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement [can there be between] a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and I will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. This is what the Lord said to me. He opened up His heart to me when was this? He opened up His heart to me on Friday, the eighth of July. It’s My desire. It’s in My heart. It’s unchanging through the ages, to have a people, to have a people.
Right. Let’s carry on with that scripture, please. 17 So, come out from among [unbelievers]. This is the people, this is the people and then He said this to me. It’s a new season of My favour being poured upon My people. This kind of people. My people. Yes, you are a people. Part of this prophecy says, that will see what other generations… Which people are going to see this? These people. I want to keep it up please.
17 So, come out from among [unbelievers], and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not [any] unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor. Then you can lay claim to the favour of God. That kind of people. That is what Pastor John brought in his message. You can’t lay claim to the favour of God as if it’s a lucky dip for your life. You have to position yourself, Brother Jerry says, for favour. You have to look to your ways, if your ways are the ways of God. God’s promises are not a lucky dip packet.
17 Then I will receive you, then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor. [Isa 52:11] Next verse.18 And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and my daughters, says the Lord Almighty (2 Corinthians 6:17-18 AMPC). It’s this kind of people that God is seeking. Glory. Hallelujah.
He said this, He reminded me, All these messages are coming to bring us out. 2010: The time of God is spoken. 2011: Your Exodus began. Oh, see My plan. Oh, no My purpose, I pursue you to take you out. This is My new covenant Exodus. I am relentless in My pursuit of My people, but it is My way. Not their way. To possess My people, to bless them. Judgment begins in the household of God, so that He can bring judgment on Egypt. We judge with Him, we rule with Him in repentance.
Right, My church, My people who take their place and take their seat ready to rule and reign with Me. So, Sharon, I’m especially giving this word of Brother Jerry’s to all My people now coming out of Babylon. Those that love the world still will have to take the chances. They cannot serve Mammon and take this word on their lips, they do not qualify. Yes, My Word is always conditional to My people loving Me, and seeking first My kingdom and My righteousness. As I’ve said recently about my favor. Pastor John said when Brother Jerry says I’m highly favored of God, he never got the revelation of the favor of God, because it’s a principle that’s just available to anybody that gets saved. It’s available to everybody that gets saved. But in order to get the favor of God, you have to become beloved. To become beloved, you do the things thatP please Him. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Leviticus 26. I’m going to read that. Leviticus 26. Glory to God. Has anybody got an Amplified Bible here for me, please? If you can just find Leviticus 26. I know I don’t want to keep looking at the board. From the Amplified Bible, this is the people that God is looking for. This is the starting building block to the point that God wanted to make. Thank you, Pastor Christi. This is the people. This is the people. 1 You shall make for yourself no idol nor shall you erect a graven image, pillar or obelisk, nor shall you place any fingered stone in your land to which on which to bow down for I am the Lord your God. He’s just saying there, anything in the world that you love is an idol. Anything in your life that takes your attention more than I have your attention is an idol.
Then it says, 2 You shall keep My Sabbaths, that’s at least not neglecting the assembling of yourselves together, and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord. 3 If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them. He’s telling us it’s conditional. His favour is conditional. His authority that you walk in, in your life is conditional. He says, here, 4 I will give you rain in due season. If you walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments and do them. I will give you rain in due season, the land shall yield to increase in the trees of the field yield their fruit.
Here’s the prophecy that came from Brother Jerry, here it is. 5 And your threshing [time] shall reach to the vintage and the vintage [time] shall reach to the sowing time, and you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. 6 I will give you peace in the land; you shall lie down and none shall fill you with dread or make you afraid; and I will clear ferocious (wild) beasts out of the land, and no sword shall go through your land. 7 And you shall chase your enemies. Here’s the victory. Here’s the authorities. You will chase your enemies and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 Five of you shall chase a hundred,and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall before you buy the sword. That’s because verse one is right in place. You are listening to everything God is saying and you’re obedient. Hallelujah.
Then it says here, 9 For I will be leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you fruitful, multiplying you, and establishing and ratifying My covenant with you. 10 And you shall eat the [abundant] old store of produce long kept, and you shall clear out the old [to make room] for the new. 11 I will set My dwelling in and among you, here’s it and My soul shall not despise or reject or separate itself from you. 12 And I will walk in and with and among you. I will go to verse 11. I will seek my dwelling in and among you, my soul shall not despise or reject to separate itself from you.
You know, Pastor John, when I was doing a study on the word repentance, and we’ll get there. Most of the times the word repent is used in the Word of God. It’s used of God that repents Himself. He repents of things. He intends to bless His people, but because they’re mingling themselves, and they’re loving other things first. Deuteronomy, love Me, the Lord your God with all your… When you get to the promised land, see to it that you go to a place that I choose. Then He, if they don’t obey Him, He repents Himself. It’s interesting, I never knew, I never knew that. So, it says here, And I will walk in and among you, verse 12. 12 And I will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, Who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that you should no more be slaves; and I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect [as free men]. This is redemption, this is redemption.
15 And if you spurn, 14 But if you will not hearken to Me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn and despise, and if your soul despises and rejects My ordinances, so that you will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant, 16 I will do this (Leveticus 26:1-16 AMPC). I’m not going further than that. Because now I’ve got to move to the next point. The Lord wanted me to make this point, that in His heart is this overwhelming desire to have a people for Himself. People that will come out of the world come out from among that, alright, so here we go.
Redemption, redemption, redemption, redemption, redemption, right let me go there, because the Lord wanted me to make this point. I’m making a point on redemption and of what it costs Me, says the Lord. I’m making a point this morning, about redemption and what it costs Me. So, there are four different words used throughout the New Testament for redemption. The first word that I want to speak about, and you don’t have to take notes on this, because I know that there is a critical amount of you that do go through the messages after today. Because this is how you grow. Glory.
The point of redemption here, this is what I wrote down out of one of Pastor John’s messages. The revelation of our redemption will set us free from operating in the realm of reason, and reality, and relevance, and we will be able to enter into a wonderful spirit of repentance and experience a spiritual revolution. The revelation of our redemption. Oh, have a revelation of redemption this morning. Oh, have a revelation of redemption this morning, more than what you have. Oh, have ears to hear, have ears to hear. Have a heart to receive. We will be able to enter into a wonderful spirit of repentance when you have a revelation of your redemption.
So, redemption. The first word is a Greek word ‘Agorazo’, which means to describe the slave market. The slave market was a dreadful, deplorable place human beings that were considered of absolute no human worth, except to serve its owner. Slave heads, slave’s heads were shoved up and their mouths were open to check their teeth inspected, they were hit and kicked to tell what kind of physical condition they were in. If a slave could swallow his pride and grit his teeth during such humiliating abuse, it was considered that he wouldn’t give his master much trouble. Slaves had no personal worth and would considered no better than animals. That’s the first word for redemption. ‘agorazo.’ It was into this world of human slavery that Jesus came 2000 years ago by using the word ‘agorazo.’ We know unmistakeably that when Jesus came to earth, He came into a spiritual slave market where human beings were slaves to Satan and the effects of sin. Okay, all right.
Thank You Holy Spirit, You’re helping me not to do so much here, Father. How much time have I got left? I feel like I’ve been going for a long time already. How much time have I got left? Half an hour. Right.
Our lives whether we are aware of it or not, whether we were aware of it or not, according to scripture, we’re sinking deeper and deeper into the captivity of sin and total depravity. This means that prior to us being born again, we were swallowed up in the will of Satan. Though we intellectually thought, though we intellectually thought we were in charge of our lives, and though we thought we were calling the shots, in reality; we were abject slaves to sin, and our destinies were being mastered by unseen demonic spirits.
So, unless you are living from your spirit life, in the way that the Lord wanted to describe it, filling your spirit with the Word of God and filling your spirit with the messages of God where you are planted in the Ecclesia. Unless you are doing that, you may intellectually think you’re in charge of your life. Though you think you’re calling the shots, in reality, you’re an abject slave to sin and your destiny is being mastered by unseen demonic spirits.
This pervading demonic grip on our lives, and in the world around us was so absolute and supreme that the Spirit of God, through Paul, says in Ephesians two, two, 2 Wherein times past ye walked according to the course of this world. Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2 KJV). It’s forceful, dominating, by using this word according to, the Spirit of God is telling us that before we were born again, we were completely forcibly dominated and manipulated by the course of this world.
I think we can put up that verse Ephesians two, two. Is it up, Ephesians two, two? Out of the King James, wherein in time past ye walked. Thank you. 2 Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, Paul is assuming here you are no longer walking according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2 KJV). According to portray something forceful and dominating by using this word, the Spirit of God is telling us that before we were born again, we were completely forcibly dominated and manipulated by the course of this world. We were not only influenced by the course of this world but the word katá emphatically means we were controlled by it.
What is the course of this world? The Greek word for course is iona, which describes an age or an era or a generation. For instance, the 20s, the 30s, the 40s, the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, the 80s, the 2020s. It denotes the influence of one particular generation and then the next and then the next. It is the prevailing culture of the time. The prevailing culture of the time, for example the roaring 20s, 50s rock and roll, typified a rebellious period, 60s and 70s because of drugs, and war was marked by experimentation and “make love not war.” So when Scripture declares that we walked according to the course of this world, the word course conveys the idea of being dominated by the popular thinking of our own particular time and generation.
Philosophies and ideas come and go very quickly. An unsaved man or woman, because they have no eternal perspective and no constant biblical standard to live by, are dominated entirely by all of these fluctuating opinions and ideas. When the Bible speaks of this world, the course of this world, it’s using the word cosmos, and it’s used to describe the society of the day. You could paraphrase what Paul was saying; you walked around completely dominated by the whim of the times. You walked around controlled by the fashion of the day and the thinking of the hour.
So, the word culture means this; to cultivate and educate. Society cultivates and educates you. It’s a particular society at a particular time and place. The tastes and behaviours favoured, and preferred by a social group, all the values shared by a society, the attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group, the arts beliefs, customs, institutions, other products of human work and thought considered as a unit, especially with regard to a particular time. It’s the set of predominating attitudes and behaviour that characterises a group.
Here’s what I want to tell you, Romans twelve, one and two, Message Bible, 1-2 Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity (Romans 12:1-2 MSG).
There’s another scripture from the TPT, Acts 2, 40, 40 Peter preached to them and warned them with these words: “Be rescued from the wayward and perverse culture of this world!” (Acts 2:40 TPT). Philippians two, fifteen, one translation says, 15 be seen as innocent, faultless, and pure children of God, even though you live in the midst of a brutal and perverse culture (Philippians 2:15 TPT). Two Timothy three, one of the translations, 1 But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce (2 Timothy 3:1 TPT). It’s the prince of the power of the air that is working all of this.
There’s another scripture, it’s now working in the children of disobedience, Ephesians two, two says. It’s the word worketh, worketh in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2 KJV). They are demonically energised, that word worketh, it’s demonically energised. The power that is active and operative and energising. This is where we get our word energy from. So, Satan is actively operating in human beings that disregard God. They dismiss Him, they disregard Him and he is also actively at work in Christians who live like the world. He’s actively at work in them. Because if God’s Word is not actively at work in you, the world system is actively at work in you. So therefore, Satan, the prince of the power of the air, is actively at working in you. You will say, “Oh, don’t say that to me. Don’t say that to me. I love Jesus. I love God.” Really? Really? You think that that’s not just a basic instinct in a born again spirit is to love God? That’s the easy part. To say, “I love God, but I love Him. But I live like everybody else. Don’t tell me I don’t love Him. I love Him.” Well, Jesus says, “If you love Me, then you will do what I command you.” That’s what Jesus said. So, for you to have an emotion or a feeling of love from a born again spirit it means nothing. It means nothing. Every born again child of God, when your spirit gets born again can say, “I love Him.”
It was into this death permeated demonic energised world that Jesus came 2000 years ago, in order to secure our deliverance where our lives were being auctioned off by the devil into all kinds of slavery. Then there’s another word and I’m going to move quickly now. Now that other word is, okay, some of the ‘Agorazo’ scriptures are Revelation five, nine, it says, 9 For You were slain, And have redeemed us. That’s ‘Agorazo’. You have redeemed us to God by Your blood, Jesus, Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God (Revelation 5:9 NKJV). He properly went to the marketplace to purchase and buy and redeem us. Glory.
Then there’s another word ‘Exagorazo’ and it means out. Ex means out, out of slavery. It’s the idea of removal. It signifies the purchase of a slave in order to permanently set that slave free, never to be put on the trading block of slavery again.
Okay, redeeming us from the curse of the law; redeeming us from sin. His death removed us from living under the control of sin, hallelujah, and slavery. However, slaves did not come cheaply. If the auctioneer knew that a buyer really wanted a particular slave, he would charge unbelievable higher prices. We must ask what price did Jesus pay for our freedom from Satan’s power.
So, this is our third word for redemption, ‘Lutroo’. And this word, ‘Lutroo’, means to be set a captive free by the payment of a ransom. Paul uses the word, ‘Lutroo’, to describe the redemptive work of Christ. He reminds us that our freedom was not really free.
God wanted to speak to us and make a point to us today, about He’s looking for a people spiritually prepared, and that He wanted to make a point of that redemption cost Him. It costs Christ. He expects us to walk free. Otherwise, you make redemption cheap. You make redemption cheap. If you just keep on living like everybody else, following the course of this world, and not loving Him completely with all your heart and all your mind, you make redemption cheap. But it cost Him. It cost Him. You remain unchanged by scripture, unchanged by the Word, unchanged in an assembly. Unchanged, unchanged. Year after year coming to church and listening to message after message and remaining unchanged. You make the redemptive work of Jesus cheap. It’s what the scripture talks about, you trample the blood of Jesus underfoot.
You’re saying, “I know it cost You, Jesus. And I thank You, I’m going to heaven one day. But in the meantime, I follow the course of this world.” He says this, He says, For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things such as gold and silver, but with the precious blood of Christ that’s redeemed. That’s ‘Lutroo’. That’s ‘Lutroo’.
Having made peace through the blood of His cross, ‘Lutroo’. Colossians 1, 14, 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, ‘Lutroo’. Ephesians 1:7, In whom we have ‘Lutroo’ through His own blood. Hallelujah, He bought us with His own blood. It was the shedding of Jesus’ own blood that guaranteed our deliverance and lasting freedom from demonic powers that held us captive. Glory.
Then the last word, is ‘Apolutrosis’, which means to return back. It means, by using the word ‘Apolutrosis’ for redemption, Paul declares that we were forever delivered from Satan’s power. We were forever removed from that dreadful place, of slavery, human slavery. Now we have been fully restored by the blood of Christ, and placed into the right state of being with God. We are fully restored and fully set free from Satan’s former grip over us.
I just want to go through these four words again. The first word for redemption is ‘Agorazo’. We’re just going to precis for you. Tells us that Jesus Christ came to earth to locate us in our depravity and to personally inspect our slavery to Satan. The second word for redemption, ‘Exagorazo’, declares that Jesus came not only to inspect our condition, but He came to permanently remove us from Satan’s power and that condition. The third word for redemption, ‘Lutroo’, tells us that Jesus was so dedicated to deliver us from Satan’s dominion that He was willing to pay the ransom price of His own blood in order to break the devil’s ownership over us. The fourth word for redemption, ‘Apolutrosis’, tells us that in addition to permanently setting us free from Satan’s hold, Jesus also restored us to the position of sons of God. This is what redemption is all about. Satan has no legal right to control us, our bodies, our families, our business or our money, though we once genuinely belong to him, we are no longer his.
Now He wants me to go here. Point three, He’s making a point here. So, the point was a people. He wanted to make a point that He was after a people, He wanted you to see that this morning. A people in Ecclesia, in the church; a people assembled; a people hearing the messages from the messenger. A people in the Word in their personal private time on a Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday. Hallelujah. Glory.
Now here is the point He wants to make about receiving His Word. About receiving My Word. Make a point, Sharon today, about receiving My Word. I have to go here. I have to go here now. Hallelujah. I’m going here. Page 255 in my journal. Right. Page 255, I’m going here, Lord.
I’m just going to read it as I received it in February: Off, off the beaten track I go. Now quickly I move. Not going slow. Onto the new untracked path I put my feet. He’s leading me into, into the untrod, the pathless road. I’ve never been on this road before. Yet He has long ago mapped and arranged it for me. I step into it with Him leading me, He knows this way. I’m coming off the beaten track of worldly philosophies and ideologies that have made pathways in my mind. I’m going with Him together with like-minded others that are coming with Him. You’re taking us and me off the beaten track.
Then, Okay. Here we go. Then two days later, the Lord said this to me: The beaten path. The enemy has made inroads into the minds of My people, by means of the ideologies and philosophies of this present darkness in this wicked world and age. I am dismantling and the dismantling can only happen. Oh, my. All right. All right. I am endeavoring to blow the minds of My people, blow up those pathways of worldly thinking where the enemy beats them. The beaten path where the enemy beats them. My people are beaten repeatedly, continuously, unconscious they are. As long as they think like that, they’ll never be free to be what I created them for. This is My way for My people to be free now. Ephesians 4:16, the body in My church, maturity happens. Joined, joined to My body is where the maturity happens, then there can come freedom in this place.
In this place, talking about this church. I am currently by My Word and My Spirit endeavoring to blow up and dismantle. How? Through the foolishness of preaching. It is foolishness to many, even many of Mine. My people put this world’s philosophies and wisdom and ideologies and culture above My preaching. They don’t take My messages and My preaching literally. They take what they’ve grown up in from the world literally. They take My preaching with a pinch of salt. Instead of being the salt. They take My preaching with a pinch of salt, as ideology and they fit My preaching in with all the other ideas. They continually measure up My preaching in their minds against what they already have learned from this wicked world. This is the beaten path. They lean upon human wisdom to understand spiritual matters. They take My Word as philosophy, they take the ideologies and philosophies of this world literally. They weigh up My Words and fit them into their current position in this world system. Few even consider to change the position to come into My Word. They do not take My Word literally.
The Lord said that His Word is not a philosophy. A philosophy is any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation or a school of thought. How to receive My Word: With a yes, with weeping, with repenting, tremble at My Word. That’s what the Word says. Letting it pierce and penetrate. Welcome it into a humble heart, believing. Receive it always in a repentant position and condition. Receiving it so deeply that you experience its mighty power at work in you. It’s transforming power, and might.
Then He wants me to go here. Right Lord, I am going here now. He showed me, this is how My people receive My messages. So, what He is doing, He is just saying, “I’ve got your number, I know what you’re about, I know how you listen to My Word, I know how you receive it, so don’t try and fool Me. Don’t try and kid Me.” That’s what God is doing here this morning. He’s doing it to me and He’s doing it to you. Right, He’s making a point. He makes the point for me and He makes the point for you.
The Lord said this to me. Do they come for fascination to My Word, or for transformation? As I was deep in thought about God’s people here at Heritage of Faith that have been with us so long, and many still remain unchanged by the messages He is bringing to us week after week after week, after month, after month after year after year after year after year. But I said to the Lord, “How is this possible Lord? Their disobedience disqualifies them from subjecting their environment to themselves. They are continually dominated by their environment.” And here is how He answered me. The very messages that I brought, and I continue to bring will judge them. So, I want that scripture now in John chapter 12. Thank you so much. He gave me this scripture. I’m just going to show you.
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believesth in Me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear My words (John 12:46 KJ21) hears my words… if any man any woman, any boy or any girl in this congregation hears His words every Sunday… Don’t put it out there as if it is not personal to you. You preaching to me Pastor Sharon? Yes, the Lord is preaching to exactly you this morning. 47 And if any man hears My Words and believe not, I judge him not… (John 12:46 KJ21). You can sit in a congregation year after year, after year and remain unchanged and God says, “I don’t judge you. I don’t judge you.”
For I come not to judge you, but to save you. I bring these messages to save you, not to judge you, 48 He that rejecteth Me receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him; the Word that I have spoken. The SWord, the Sword, the Sword that He brings here will judge you. Your judgement will take place in this present life because the judgement that comes on you, is you disqualify yourself from being able to walk in authority because of your disobedience. But then, your eternity too is empty and void of any reward because you live for yourself, by yourself and not for the plan and the will of God.
So, here we go. 48 He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him; the Word that I have spoken, you see it is a Living Word. Jesus is the Word, it is the Living Word that comes to you this morning. It’s a Living Word that came to you last Sunday, and the Sunday before, and the Sunday before, and the Sunday before, and the Sunday before and the Sunday before, and the Sunday before. And the month before, and the year before, and the year before, and the year before. That’s the SWord that is supposed to be entering you all the time to divide between your spirit life and your soul life. Your soul life is your emotional life, your will life, and your intellect; thinking. Right.
49 For I have not spoken of Myself. That is what Jesus said. When I speak these Words, I don’t speak of myself, but the My Father Who sent me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak (John 12:49,50 KJ21).
That is what the Lord said to me out of this scripture. He said, “When I send you with a message, when I send Pastor John with a message, you do not speak of yourself Sharon. Pastor John does not speak of himself.” When Jesus rose to give gifts to men, He also spoke messages to men, and He is still speaking messages through messengers today. He is giving the messages to the messengers that are listening to Him. He is giving the messages through the messengers that are hearing Him. And at this point, if some of you are already bored and you’re already thinking, “I’ve got to go home, there is much more exciting things to be done at home, there might even be a match on this afternoon. There might be something… Can you just get over with it already Pastor Sharon.” That is coming too. This is coming too. This too is coming of how you receive the Word of God. You can gauge your own self in your own heart how you receive the Word of God. How excited you are to go to some event, and how you look forward to something but when it comes to church, “I’ve got to tick the box, I’ve got to tick the box, tick the box. My mother and my father told me I have to come, so I better just come.”
Everything I do is because I love Him. Everything you do, should be because you love Him. You should want to do everything He tells you to do, because you love Him. You should want to do everything He says. You should want to be in all the messages, changing and transforming yourself. You should be wanting to listen, you should be wanting to be so full of the Word because you love Him. Don’t say you love Him, and you don’t do the things that He is telling you to do. Even if you’re not listening to Him on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, at least when you’re here, you are hearing Him.
So, it says here, I give… Alright, let me go to Matthew. Mathew 10 verse one and two, King James. So, receive, if you don’t receive my messages. John 12, but here is Matthew. 1 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples (Mathew 10:1 KJ21) Please see this in context. You see the scriptures are not, the promises in God’s scripture are not for you to take for yourself. If you go to the beginning of the book, you will see it is written to the Christians at that church. You can’t pull promises out of God’s Word out of context. You have to see who is this book written to. It is written to planted people in churches. The church at Corinth, the church at Thessalonica, the church at Ephesus, the church. The church. Then you can put yourself in that context, you can be powerful to take the Word of God for your own life. But when you take it out of context, I am telling you, Satan laughs at you. He laughs at you. Don’t let him laugh at you anymore, don’t. Do right, do right.
1 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power you see they were the twelve disciples, later called the twelve apostles. Please see the apostles, gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease (Matthew 10:1 KJ21). 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these. So, in the same chapter He is still speaking to the twelve apostles, and in verse 40, He says this: 40 He who receives you apostle, this is still the same Jesus of the Church. He that receives you, apostle, twelve apostles, and of course the apostles that are still given as gifts to the church today, receiveth Me. He that receives you, receives Me. He that receives Me, receives Him that sent me.
41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward (Matthew 10:41 KJ21 ). He that receives an apostle, in the name of an apostle, shall receive the apostle’s reward. He that receives a shepherd, a pastor, receives the shepherd’s reward because He has shepherded, he’s apostled, he’s propheted, and he has evangelised, he receives the good news, and he’s taught within the local church and he shall receive the reward. Glory to God.
These things that remain unchanged, many of them, so here is God speaking to me, because I asked Him, what happens with people that keep coming and they remain unchanged? I’m not speaking to baby Christians here this morning, who are so hungry for the Word of God that you just want to grow, grow, grow. I’m talking about those, like in the wilderness, you listen to God’s Word, and you just remain unchanged. I said to the Lord the one day, I said, “Lord, can’t they just leave please.” Those people, “Can’t they just…” no, I’m not being funny. I was weeping. “Can’t they just leave? Please, Lord. Why do they still come? Why do they still sit among us? Why do they still live among us, Lord? They’re not listening to anything for years and years. They haven’t listened and they haven’t changed. Can they please just leave?” So, He had to answer me on that. He said, “That’s My business.”
Pastor John? [Pastor John says, It’s the shephard’s business]. It’s the shepherd’s business. But there is that parable that says, there’s that person that just bears no fruit and the vine dresser says, “Just pull it out.” Why encumber it the ground… why encumber it the ground? Why? The one translation says, does it just sit here and take up space? Why does it just sit here and take up space? Then the shepherd said, yeah, the shepherd said, “Can I just dig around one more year to see, put some manure in and see, maybe it will bear fruit.”
“Why are you like this Pastor Sharon?” I’ll tell you why, because the zeal for the house of God, for the glory of God, this is my zeal for the glory of God consumes me. I want to see His Ecclesia rising up in authority and power, so bad. Right? Okay. I want to see people growing up and maturing, so bad.
They have no changes. Many of them just keep coming to be fascinated. They have no changes. They have no fear of Me before their eyes. That’s Psalm 55:19, 19 Because they have no changes, therefore, they fear not God (Psalm 55:19, KJV). They come for fascination and not for transformation. Here’s what He said… They come, the word fascinate means this; bewitch, enchant, spell, witchcraft, hold attention, allure, charm, attract, captivate, enchant, hold spellbound by an irresistible power, curious, mesmerized, intrigued, transfixed, and transported. “They come to My messages like this, Sharon.” God’s comforting me, right.
So, now I’m telling you how He’s comforting me. “They come to My messages like this,” because I’m asking Him, “Why do they not change? Why are they not having a revolution?” “They come to My messages like this, ‘hold my attention, engage me, hold my interest. Keep me spellbound and captivated by this irresistible power called the anointing. The anointing, do you call it that? While I’m here, I might as well let this powerful influence work on my soul. And in my mind, even if I… I might as well not even resist it. When I look, when I leave, my soul looks for the next thing to fascinate me and engage me and keep me spellbound and hold my attention. While I’m here, I’m transfixed, even transported. You have my interest, like so many other things in my life, grab my interest. A play, a theatre, a production, a musical, a movie, a fascinating conversation, a rugby match, a captivating cricket match.’”
“Same category, they put this in, My messages.” That’s what He said to me. “They put it in the same category.” “I’m used to this in my soul, so let it be allured.” And here it is in His Word, Ezekiel 33, 30 to 34. Here it is, Ezekiel 33, He knows how we receive His Word. 30 As for you son of man, the Lord is speaking here to a prophet, Ezekiel. The children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word, what the Word is that comes from the Lord this Sunday. “Come let’s hear what the Word is that comes from the Lord this Sunday. At least our pastors are anointed, at least we’ll sit in an anointing and not fall asleep completely.”
31 So they come to you as people do, and they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. You’re after your own stuff. You are just here for a short brief while but your heart is on what you want. Even sitting here thinking about the next thing and next week, and the other things that are already captivating your interest. 31 So they come, they sit before you, they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love. “Hello, Pastor John. Hi, Pastor Sharon.”
I remember once Pastor John said, “Don’t call me Pastor if you’re not being pastored by me. Please don’t do that. Please don’t call me Pastor, if I’m not pastoring you. If your life is not being shepherded by mine, don’t call me, Pastor. Call me, John.” So, you have to decide what you do from this point onwards. Whether you’re going to continue to be a hypocrite and call him Pastor John, just because it’s tradition or culture in this church. It’s not what God has got that. It’s to be shepherded. And so, 32 You, indeed you are to them as a very lovely song, just the same way you’d enjoy a musical, you enjoy Pastor John’s preaching. I know you don’t enjoy mine. You’re not supposed to. It’s like Jesus did not come to the world to be liked. I’m not preaching to be liked. I’m preaching because God said, “I want you making these points Sharon.”
32 You’re as a very lovely song, of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass (Ezekiel 33:30-34, NKJV). You will have the consequences of this in your life. At some or other time, your consequence of disobedience will show up glaringly, in your face. The Message Bible says this, 30-32 “As for you, son of man, you’ve become quite the talk of the town. Your people meet on street corners and in front of their houses and say, ‘Let’s go hear the latest news from God.’ They show up, as people tend to do, and sit in your company. They listen to you speak, but don’t do a thing you say. They flatter you with compliments, but all they care about is making money and getting ahead. To them you’re merely entertainment—a country singer of sad love songs, playing a guitar. They love to hear you talk, but nothing comes of it (Ezekiel 33:30-34, MSG).
So, there we go. I watched… I did some commentaries and some of the commentaries say this; “Come and let us hear what is the Word that comes forth from the Lord, perhaps it will be something new and will entertain us, and furnish us with the matter for discourse.” And some of you traveled home with your children in the car. And then you say to them, “It’s not really like that, like Pastor Sharon said.” So, you children be on the watch out for that too. Because God said, I’m taking the children. So, if the parents don’t want to listen, and the parents don’t want to go into transformation and just be in fascination. The same goes for the parents, there are some parents really pressing into God, giving Him their all. Hallelujah.
So, there we go, says here; “Perhaps it’ll be something new and will entertain us and furnish us with a matter for conversation.” Now another Bible commentary says; the reason why they came was because other people came. You come to church because other people come? Then you come for entertainment and fascination, not for transformation. That’s just it. They come because other people come. They don’t come out of conscience towards God but for company, for fashion’s sake, and because it is now the custom of their countryman. I think I’m done here John, I can’t get onto repentance. Because I have gone on to, they come for fascination and not for transformation.
I’ve got another two points but I did want to finish with this over here, the last. It’s not everything. I won’t get to everything but Pastor John said this in his message on the 19th of June. There’s some of you that I know that will remember this because you’ve been in the message because you are fortifying and building infrastructure into your spirit man because you’re divinely connected to an apostle.
This was on the 19th of June 2022 message. He says here, If I live in redemption and revelation, then my revolution must come in the form of repentance. I’ve got to change my mind and live in redemption and revelation to be spiritual. I have to change my thinking. What’s changing your thinking? Repentance. Repentance is what creates the revolution. Jho, where is this?
I want to read the definition of revolution. These are Pastor John’s revelations, not living in the realm of reason, relevance and reality but living in the spirit realm of revelation, redemption, to have a revolution. If you’re not having a complete revolution, if you’re remaining unchanged you’re not having a revolution. If you’re having a revolution, I will see it. I will hear it. You won’t be able to help yourself, then you won’t hide. You won’t hide yourself because you’re not having a revolution. You won’t isolate yourself because you’re not having a revolution. You’re supposed to be having a revolution. You’re supposed to have a revelation of redemption that you’re free from everything that this world has. All of its thinking. There are many, they’re having a revolution. There is a divide that’s come, it’s coming and it’s getting… My darling am I going to have to minister this another time, finish it another time? Because I still have to speak about the great divide. The scripture in Corinthians says that there must come division among you so that it can be clear to see who is of God and who’s not of God. Next week? Really, my precious?
Yeah, I’m wondering if the church is going to half. I’ll see that you’re not here. That’s the amazing thing, I said to the Lord one day, I said, “Lord, you know, they didn’t come on that message.” He said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m still holding them accountable because they should have been there. This is where I planted them. This is what they should have been listening too. They are still accountable to Me for that which they did not hear even if they were not present at the message.” He comforted me. I’m going to finish, now my darling. All right, good bye, everybody.
Father, I pray for Your people today. I thank You that they are blessed going out and blessed coming in. Thank You, Lord, actually, what I want to say Lord, I want to say and I want to pray that this word will take root in the hearts of Your people. If You can use it to bring Your fear, Your fear in their hearts, that You would do that, Lord. Because it’s the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, such is the beginning. So, if there’s no fear of You, Lord, and no reverence of You and Your ways in Your church, Lord, then there is no wisdom either. So, I thank You, Father, that this will be a beginning for them in their hearts in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor John Bendixen:
Hallelujah. Well, I want to just say about Pastor Sharon’s message; we receive it. And we love her and we love the way that she brings the message with passion and with zeal and with a bit of fire.
Pastor Sharon Bendixen:
I did not come to be liked, my darling.
Pastor John Bendixen:
I know. I know but we receive your message, Sharon, because you are the vessel God’s chosen to bring these messages through. So you will all be back next week, right? Hallelujah. I’m also standing here and I’m watching who’s here so that I can see that you’re all back next week. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
You know, I asked the Lord, I said, “Lord, I know that some of the messages that I’ve been preaching have been very spiritually confrontational because it’s about warfare and spirit life and demonic forces and things like that,” you know. And so I said, “I’d like to just preach an encouraging message.” So I said, “Can you give me one?” And He didn’t. He didn’t. So, then I began to seek the Lord and I said, “Well, okay, Lord, what’s next? What do you want me to continue preaching?” He said, “Pastor Sharon has spoken to you over the last two weeks about this message that she’s been carrying on redemption and repentance.” And so this morning I called her and I said, “Babe, are you ready to preach this message?” She said, “I’m ready.” So I said, “Well, then you’re up.” So she’s up next week as well, so that she can finish the message that God’s given her. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
This is the way that we live. Actually, what Pastor Sharon’s preaching is the way that we’ve lived our whole lives. We have taken the Word of God and lived it this way. We have never lived our lives excluded from the church. We have never made decisions in our lives excluding what God has called us to from the church. When the world gave me business opportunities that seemed like the best thing that could happen, profit share ownership in a company when I was 26 years old, I turned it down because of Bible School and because God planted me, me and Pastor Sharon together. There were many things we could have done with our lives, but we knew what God called us to and so our lives are more blessed than we could have ever designed for ourselves because we are living in Him and living for Him. Hallelujah. And so should your lives be. It goes for every life. This is everybody’s story. His Story. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.
So, stand with me here, Pastor Sharon. Will you all please stand, please. Put your hand on your heart, please. Say, “I am a son of God. I receive this message today. I hear with my heart. My spirit man, what God has said today. I choose to change and I will change. I will live for God as a son of God, in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah.
I pray that you will have a week of blessing and that you will have a week of peace and no weapon formed against you will prosper. He surrounds you with His Word and He surrounds you with the blood of Jesus and He gives His angels charge over you. Won’t you say that with me please, “He gives His angels charge over me.”
I want to say by the Spirit of God right now that you can make a claim like that for your business, for your finances, for your health, for everything that you are touching with your life. I claim the blood of Jesus. I claim the Word of God and I speak that the angels are hearkening unto the Word of God and looking after my things in my life. Because you are planted, you are here, you’re in this church and you are doing what God has told you to do. You can lay claim to this. And so I ask you, Father, that Your peace rests upon them, and that this word takes a deep root in their hearts and bears much fruit in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah. And now I say like Pastor Sharon; bye, everybody.
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