25 August 2024 Motion for Promotion Part 6 Pastor John Bendixen
(WTB)
Scripture reference: 2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV); 2 Timothy 2:19 (NLT); 2 Timothy 2:19-26 (TPT); 2 Timothy 3:1-4 (TPT); Acts 2:16-18 (TPT)
Pastor Sharon
Father, we thank You today that the Word, we want to thank You that Your Word keeps coming to us. On every wave Lord, this message comes to us today. Lord, thank You. Thank You. Thank You. We receive. We believe. We conceive. We hear Your words today. We want to thank You that You send a messenger, Pastor John with a message for us today. We want to thank You that in this message today again, there is direction. There is instruction. There is opportunity for correction, Lord and there is seed in this word today. So, we thank You for Your presence, Holy Spirit, with Pastor John, Your presence with us, as we now come to this very important part of this gathering and that is Your Word. Your words. Your words. Your words. Your words that you bring to us today. In Jesus’ name, and we all say, amen. Glory to God.
Pastor John
Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus. Praise You, Jesus. Praise You, Jesus. We are ready today, Lord. We receive today. We are blessed today. Hallelujah. Glory to God. I want you just to agree with me right now that your spirit man is alive to the word of God. That your mind is subject to your spirit. It’s calm. It’s quiet. It’s ready to receive the word of God. You don’t just hear with natural ears, but you hear with the ears of the spirit. Not only do you hear, but you receive and it becomes part of what you need. Hallelujah. Do you all agree with that? Say amen. Amen. Before you sit down, just tell somebody, I’m glad I’m in church today and you may be seated. Thank you. Hallelujah.
So, today and for the next couple of weeks, 5 o’clock, there is Message Moments this afternoon. But, the next couple of weeks, the Message Moments are going to take a different tone, if you like, and I believe it’s right and it’s appropriate. Pastor Sharon and I’ve been talking about this for some weeks and for the next couple of weeks, at least for the next three weeks, until 15th September, the Sunday, 15th September, when I’ve asked you to make sure that you’re in church. Pastor Sharon is going to teach the word in Message Moments because the subject that she’s going to teach on is the basics of everything that we do as Christians. It’s important, it’s powerful, and it’s necessary. So, she’s going to teach it, and I ask you to come ready to hear, to be prepared, and let the Holy Spirit minister the word of life to you. Amen. Hallelujah. Alright.
So, if there are a whole lot of people out there in the world, and they don’t believe in the authority of God, how do you think they behave? Let’s just say they, you know, they don’t believe that God is God, and if they do believe that God is God, then they don’t believe that actually anything that they do, God has got anything to say about it. Right? So, then what’s their belief system? What’s their mindset? What’s the way that they’re going to go about life? Well, if there’s no God that is involved in your world, then you can just about do anything you want within the order of social norms. What would be the stuff that people go after the most if there’s no God? Power? Yes? Power? Money, money and what money can do, the power of money? They basically go after anything that would suit them. Anything that just occurred to me, I like that, I’ll go after that. Well, there’s no moral obligation. I’ll just go after whatever I feel like. Isn’t that right?
So, if I was a spirit being that was anti-God, wouldn’t I want you to think like that? I would try and convince you that there is no God. I would convince you that God is not the ultimate authority of anything. I would convince you that, actually, do whatever you want to do because there is no consequence. There’s no God consequence. There’s no eternal consequence for whatever you want to do. Just do it. Now what’s happening out there in the world is exactly what I’m telling you. Out there in the world, people are, governments are changing boundaries of rules of morality.
If you have to go back in governments 50 years, and you would say that most Western world constitutions in the world would actually promote abortion. You know, if you pass a law that says abortion is legal, you might not like the words that I’m using now and say the government is promoting abortion, but you are. Because if you’re making it legal, you’re promoting abortion. Right? So, if you had to go back 50 years and say governments around the world would make this institutionalized, it would be part of the establishment that abortion is legal. In other words, they promote abortion. It would be unthinkable. The morality of it would be unthinkable. Right?
It’s just become the norm now that you can follow any kind of sexual preference lifestyle that you want, and you can identify in any kind of form of sexual lifestyle that you want to identify as. Most Western governments in the world, anyway, would put it into their constitution that you can’t discriminate against anybody for their sexual preferences. That means you’re promoting it. 50 years ago, it would be unthinkable. So, now people are saying, “Well, we have a more liberal mindset now, so we’re inclusive. So, because we’re more inclusive, we’re more tolerant of people. So, this is a good thing that people that were of a different sexual persuasion can now not live behind closed doors anymore. They can come out and live it plainly in society, so this is a modern-day good thing”.
Well, I certainly feel this way. I don’t think anybody should be discriminated against for what they have in their life. The love of God doesn’t discriminate against anybody’s sin. The love of God is free and abundant and perfect for everybody and their sin. But to tolerate those things in society is a different matter altogether. What it’s suggesting that all society should think like that. So now, you know, I might get into some challenge for this and as a general rule, I tend to stay away from this kind of subject, but I’m wanting you to understand that as governments and society have become less and less concerned about moral beliefs. It’s become more and more tolerated, not just tolerated, but promoted in free governments around the earth. You with me?
So, where does this tolerance come from? You think it’s God? God loves everybody equally from the beginning of time. There has been no one that has ever been born, that has chosen a set of actions in their lives, whether it’s abortion, whether it’s any kind of sexual preference, whether it’s murder, whether it’s stealing, whether it’s any kind of thing, there is nothing that the Blood of Jesus has not paid the price for and that Jesus did not die for. He died for everybody’s bad choices. Not one person is excluded from the Blood of Jesus, from the death of Jesus, and the power of salvation in Jesus. Everybody is included.
So we are, certainly, as a church, all-inclusive don’t you think? We are all-inclusive, but we are not tolerant. We, as a church, should not tolerate the same things that governments are tolerating. Just because the government tolerate something, doesn’t mean to say we must. Right?
So, if I can put it this way: The absence of God’s law, guarantees destruction. Are you all with me? Yes. The absence of God’s law guarantees destruction. Because Who is the ultimate law of the universe? It’s God. It’s the life of God. So, the life of God is the ultimate government. It’s the ultimate law. So, the absence of God in government, or the absence of God’s law on the earth, guarantees destruction. You and I, if we make choices to say we don’t need God’s government in our lives, then we are saying, wherever we choose to not have God’s government in our lives, that part of our life is guaranteed for destruction. I’m already preaching very good this morning.
Jesus said, “I haven’t come to condemn the world, but I’ve come to save the world.”. But Jesus also said, “The thief comes to steal and kill and to destroy, but I have come to give life and give it more abundantly.” So, how is the thief going to come and steal and kill and to destroy? He is going to persuade you to not have God’s law and government in your life.
So, if I stand before you today and I say, “Do you want to be wise?” What do you all say? Yes. Really? Yes. Do you want to be wise? Yes. Well, why do you want to be wise? What do you think wisdom is going to bring you? Good things. You would probably say, “If I have wisdom, then I’m going to know what kind of decisions to make, more accurate decisions, I’ll have more stability, more good things that will come into my life, I’ll also know what bad things to say no to.” Right? Wisdom. Who doesn’t want more wisdom?
So, what is it that makes people wise? Isn’t it the knowledge of God’s order and God’s government and God’s laws? Is it not? So, doesn’t the Bible say the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom? Well, why, what is it about fear that brings wisdom? The fear of not having God’s order, His government, and His laws in your life, the fear of what destruction comes to you, that’s the beginning of wisdom. So, wherever I exclude God’s government, wherever I exclude His order, wherever I exclude His laws from my life, that’s the destruction that’s coming to me. And if I fear that, then I’m going keep destruction away from me because wisdom becomes my protection. If I stop preaching right now, this will be a good sermon. Really.
So, can I rephrase this to you today and say to you, the wisdom of God’s order and laws at work for you will bring you prosperity? It will bring you abundance. It will protect you. It will safeguard you. It will give you a promotion in life, not a destruction in life. So, nobody really wants destruction. Everybody wants promotion. You’re all so quiet this morning. I know you’re listening, but you can still say amen and listen at the same time. In fact, if you say amen, I know you are listening. If you don’t say amen, I’m not sure if you’re listening.
There’s a great contest in the earth, and the great contest in the earth is human power versus God’s order. So, human power says what power I gain to myself or what power I give to a government or whatever human power exists, the human power and the power of choice is greater than the power of God. Last week, I was talking to you in this way. I was saying to you, the measure that you trust God in your life is the measure that you will recognise and know that God will take care of you.
So, if you trust yourself more than you trust God, you’re going to trust your own decisions for your life more than you trust God to make decisions for your life. Now if you take that and you put it into context of everything I’m telling you today about the government of God, the laws of God, and the order of God. You will recognize a thread in the messages that I’ve been preaching, that I do know what the acceptable will of God is for me. I already know what the good will of God is for me. I know what the acceptable will of God is for me and I know what the perfect will of God is for me. I’m absolutely convinced and I know exactly what the will of God is for me. I don’t have to worry about it. Not even for one second. That’s confidence. Don’t you think? That’s confidence. That says, “Hey, I know what to do. I know what to do next. I’m absolutely confident.”
Here’s what I’m confident in. I’m confident and I have absolute, absolute clarity. I know this for sure. It’s a guarantee. I know that God wants me to come to church every week. How do I know that? How do I know that’s the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God for me? Because it’s in His Word. I don’t have to even worry about that. I don’t have to question it. I know that’s the will of God. Now this is a contentious issue because some people want to interpret the will of God on this matter differently, but that’s because if you get down to the heart of this issue, they want to put themselves to trust themselves more than they trust God. This is simply it. But I know that God wants me to tithe. I know that’s the good will of God. That’s the acceptable will of God. That’s the perfect will of God. I don’t have to think about it.
I know that God wants me to love my wife as Christ loves the church and give myself for her. I don’t have to debate it. I know it. Now if I’m doing these things and I’m having the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for my life every day, every week, every day. I don’t even have to think about whether I should meditate on His Word day and night because meditating on His Word day and night will cause me to have my paths decided by Him. I will make my ways prosperous. I will have good success. It will cause me to be very courageous, to meditate on His Word day and night. I know that that’s the acceptable will of God. That’s the good will of God, and that’s the perfect will of God. I don’t ever have to debate that. The more I live in what I know is the acceptable, good and perfect will of God for me. The fear of God begins to guard me, protect me.
Now I’m submitting myself to His government. How so? I’m thinking about Him. I’m thinking about what His Word says, and while I know for sure what His Word tells me to do, I do that. The more I do that, the more I see His hand at work in my life. The more I see His hand at work in my life, my confidence grows to trust Him more. So, if I don’t do that, I’m trusting who more? Me, because I don’t have to meditate on the Word, I don’t have to quote the Word, I don’t have to speak the Word of God out because that’s a bunch of nonsense. It’s better for me to speak economics, phone someone, just talk to someone. Come on. So, it’s easier for me to phone someone, talk to someone, get natural wisdom than it is for me to actually talk to God, speak His Words. But when I speak His Words every day and I give my life to Him every day; that becomes my protection, becomes my safety net, becomes my barrier. His government and His order and His laws become my foundation. Everything in my life works better.
So, wherever there is destruction happening in the in the world today, in whatever area you like, it’s because of the absence of the governance and the laws and the order of God. So, people make a big story out of: So, does God tolerate violence? Does God tolerate rape? Does God tolerate all of these bad things that happen to people? So, the reason we promote abortion is because some people get raped and then they have these unwanted children. So, it’s better for them to abort an unwanted child that comes from rape or incest or something like that. So, that’s why we must have these laws so that these laws can protect those people from an unholy act, from a bad, aggressive, malign, terrible deed that has occurred.
Well, the thing that caused those actions to happen is the absence of God and the absence of His laws and the absence of His order in the first place. So, now what you’re saying is we got to undo something that God permitted. He never permitted it. It’s people on the earth that wanted His life without His government, without His order, without His laws. But what about the innocent children that have never done anything wrong, and they find themselves in poverty, and they find themselves victims, and they find themselves being trafficked, and they find themselves doing all of that? That’s the absence of God’s order, the absence of God’s law, and the absence of God’s government. And it’s because men say we can do a better job of governing the earth than God, so they exclude God, then these things happen.
So, this whole thing that we are talking about here is because people exclude God so now they must become more tolerant of immorality. It’s the only way they can govern, is to be more and more tolerant of immorality. So, as this occurs, the cultural values start to infiltrate the church. This is not the church on a Sunday. This is you, the church, that goes to work every day, that goes to school every day, that goes to university every day, that goes to different places where that system that is lawless–remember, it’s lawless of God’s laws. It has no order of God in it. It only has the power of man in it. So, you go there and the language and the culture of the systems infiltrate you.
Now when you go to God, you look at God’s Word and you start to read God’s Word and you filter God’s Word through your experiences. You don’t read God’s Word for what His order says. Now you accept a compromised gospel because you interpret the Bible the way you want to because of your, the culture. Amen. Say, “Amen.” Amen. You can say, “Amen” again. So, what have we got to guard our minds to? We have got to guard our minds to this infiltration system that is constantly trying to contaminate the order of God, the life of God, the blessing of God, the ways of God. It’s constantly trying to contaminate us. Why? Because it wants to weaken us. Why? Because he’s the god of the destruction; steal, kill, and to destroy. He, the enemy of God, the prince of darkness of this world, his only objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. That’s what he knows; steal, kill, and destroy. Amen.
For a long time now, may I use you, Bertus? For a long time now, Bertus is believing God for a complete healing in his body, for a genetic disposition in his body. Genetically there’s something that has come and attacked his body that’s evident in other of his family. So, he’s had quite a lot of medical intervention to him. Now the way the enemy is going to come to Bertus is to say, “Bertus, you’re not healed yet because the symptoms are still evident in your body. So, you’re not healed yet.” Right? If the devil can persuade Bertus to not believe that he’s healed because his symptoms are still evident, then the destruction in his life will be complete. Because genetically, this thing has showed up in his body, and so you can’t do anything that’s genetically been given to you. You just have to let medicine do what it can because God can’t heal this genetic thing. Because the medical profession say, “We’ve got the best medical technology at work for you, and it hasn’t completely undone it.”
Hey, Bertus? But you don’t believe that. You believe you’re healed [Bertus says, “Yes”]. I know you do. That’s why I can use you. You do believe you’re healed and it doesn’t matter that the symptoms are there. You’re still healed and you keep speaking the Word of God every day that you’re healed. Yes. And I’m in agreement with your faith. You see, if he keeps believing that he’s healed, then God’s got a chance for His order, His ways, His life, His government to come into his body and undo the work of the enemy. If he quits on his faith, God can’t come in and do that work because his faith is quit. Human power has done all that it can, so human power is not enough. If he keeps believing more in human power than in God’s power, he’s done. We’ve got nothing to lose if we go all in for God’s power.
So, now some people might come along and say, “You know, but he’s been believing God for five years to get this thing sorted. So, why has it taken five years?” Who cares? Why even ask a question? Why is it taking five years? That can only undermine God’s faith, in him. Uh Lord and I know that Bertus has had to fight this in his own mind and if you think that the devil comes after you and you don’t have to fight it in your mind, you’re wrong. We all have to fight it. He’s got to fight it in his mind. He’s got to say, “Mind, I’m not listening to what the symptoms say,” then he’s got to deal with the symptoms every day. “I’m not going to listen to what the symptoms say. I’m receiving the Word of God. His order, His laws, His government, His power, it’s my safety. I trust Him. I trust His order. I trust His ways. I trust His healing power. It’s on me. It’s in me. It’s working in me, and this body will be resurrected by the order and the glory and the power of God.” Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
What’s he got to lose? But you know what, when it comes to other things in our lives, our relationships, money, different things, “I don’t think I’m going to believe God so much. I think I’ll take charge because I’ve got lots to lose. Because look what I’ve built up for me. Look what I’ve done for me. Look what I’ve got. Look how much potential I’ve got if I trust me.” Wow. Come on, church. This is a good news message. Because the more we trust Him, His order, His government, His ways, His laws, we trust Him, we put our faith in Him, He says, “Come on, kids. Keep working. Keep to it. Trust in Me. Walk with Me. Let Me be your Partner in everything in your life. Let Me be your Lord. Let Me be your God. Let Me be the one that makes all good things happen for you.” This is a grand thing that we have going for us. And every argument that you hear that’s against the Truth, just say, “Hey, that’s a human argument against the power of God. I’m not listening.”
Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 19 says the following, this is the New King James version. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. (2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV) I’m going to just quickly put it to you in a different way. The Lord knows who are His, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from twisted thinking. Iniquity, twisted thinking.
The word having this seal, the Greek word for seal is, it’s a stamp. You know, I mean, I know you know this, but it’s worth mentioning that in days gone by. If people wanted to share something with someone else privately, or they wanted it to be under authority, they would take a written letter, put it in an envelope, and then put a wax thing on it and stamp it with a seal. What it meant was the information that is in this document is meant for the reader only, and it’s under the authority of the person that stamped it. So, when God says, 19… having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His …” It means the Lord knows you are His and it’s under His authority. It’s under His government. It’s under His influence and power.
Hold on a minute. Sometimes people wear a ring that has a seal on it. The seal means that you are part of a family, means you’re part of a heritage, it means you’re part of a legacy. Hallelujah. You know where I have a seal, I wear a seal. It’s the seal in my heart. I am under the authority of God and I wear the signature, the seal of His authority and His government in my life. So, if you talk to me, you better understand you’re talking to an authority that governs me. I am under a set of laws. I have an order. I have a set of rules. I have a set of government that controls me and that authority supersedes every other one.
I’m going to read 2 Timothy chapter 19 from the New Living Translation. It puts it like this. 19But God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The LORD knows those who are his” and “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” (2 Timothy 2:19 NLT) Can I just basically tell you what this evil is? If you understand the government and the order and the laws of God, you will know what it is that you have to turn away from. Can I remind you that the absence of God’s laws guarantees destruction? So, if I say, “All who belong to the LORD must turn away from evil.” What’s the ultimate evil? Allowing some other order to be the primary order in your life. Ja, ne. Wat sê julle, ne? Amen ne, so gaan dit.
I’m going to start reading this passage of scripture from the Passion Translation. 19 But the firm foundation of God has written upon it these two inscriptions: The foundation of God, the cornerstone of God has this seal. It has this inscription: “The Lord God recognizes those who are truly his,” and “Everyone who worships the name of the Lord Jesus must forsake wickedness!” (2 Timothy 2:19 TPT) Twisted ways, and twisted thinking. I want you to just carefully listen to what I’m going to teach you today.
The next few verses read as follows from the Passion Translation. ²⁰In a palace you find many kinds of containers and tableware for many different uses. Some are beautifully inlaid with gold or silver, but some are made of wood or earthenware; some of them are used for banquets and special occasions, and some for everyday use. ²¹But you, Timothy, must not see your life and ministry this way. Your life and ministry must not be disgraced, for you are to be a pure container of Christ and dedicated to the honorable purposes of your Master, prepared for every good work that he gives you to do. (2 Timothy 2:20-21 TPT)
I want to just make something clear here. This is what it’s not saying. It’s not saying that every Christian that is not completely dedicated to God is dishonourable. Hello. It’s not saying that there are some gifts that have more honour than other gifts. I would like you to understand what Paul is saying to Timothy here. Paul is saying to Timothy, “Timothy, in a palace…” Now if I was to have a conversation with you, I would make this conversation with you. I’d say this to you. I’d say, “Hey, guys, what kind of plates and glasses and mugs and cups and knives and forks are evident in a palace?” And then we might have a conversation. You’ll say, “Well, a palace is obviously going to have a whole set of knives and forks and plates and glasses that are set aside for special occasions. Celebrations. They’re going to be of the highest quality, put away for most of the time until there’s a special event and then those things will be used for the special events. It’s more than likely that a little portion of that will be used for the use every day of the occupants of the palace.” Right? Because why would you treat someone who has a palace like that in any different way than special occasions? Because every day they eat something is a special occasion because of their status. Are you hearing me?
But in the kitchen, and all the people that eat in the kitchen, there is not such high-quality stuff. So, he was saying, “Timothy, don’t see yourself and your ministry as someone that’s only fit for a kitchen. See yourself and your ministry and your gifting as something that’s used for big events, for everyday royalty use.” He’s not saying that any other Christian that is not of your status is fit for the kitchen. On the contrary, he’s saying, “Timothy, you have followed me, and you have become a son of me. See yourself in the glory and the honour of what God bestows on you, not as common, but as royal. Anything that you do to serve God and give your gift to God is honourable. But if you take your gift… ” This is what he’s saying to Timothy, “If you take your gift and you relegate your gift to everyday life, that is the kitchen life.” Come on now.
Let me put it to you this way: When I was in the corporate world, I was using my gift that God gave me, which is the ability, the capacity to work with people. Right? Come on. I’m good with people. I’m good with people. People like me. I like people. I like to hang around people. I like people when they hang around me. You know, I’m okay with people’s laundry. You know, I’m okay with that. That’s a gift that God placed in me. So, when I was in the corporate world, God used that gift to help my corporate customers and my boss to make money. At that point, what I did in the corporate world was stuff that belonged in the kitchen.
When I submitted my gift to the church, everything in my gift became gold and silver, became honourable, because it was now in the order of God. I’m trying to draw a distinction for you. If you keep your gift to yourself, for yourself, using it for yourself, it will always be a kitchen utensil. But if you use your gift in the order and the life and the glory of God, it’s always gold and silver. Can I read that Scripture to you again so you can see? 20 In a palace, you find many kinds of containers and tableware for many different uses. Some are beautifully inlaid with gold and silver, but some are made of wood or earthenware; some of them are used for banquets and special occasions, and some for everday use. (2 Timothy 2:20 TPT)
Do you understand that he’s only revealing facts? He’s not drawing conclusions about everybody in the church fits into one of these categories. Can you see that? Put the scripture up. Can you see that? 21 But you, Timothy, must not see your life and ministry this way. Your life and ministry must not be disgraced. Don’t just see yourself as “I’ve got to do with what I can do wherever I can do it and whatever my lot is, that’s what I’m going to do.” Don’t see your life and ministry like that, Timothy. Your life, for you are to be a pure container of Christ and dedicated to the honorable purposes of your Master, prepared for every good work that he gives you to do. (2 Timothy 2:20-21 TPT). Come on. This should be liberating to you today because this is the power of God’s order. This is the power of God’s government. Absence of God’s government, there is no life. In the order and the government of God, everything is noble and honorable and full of honour.
Come on, church. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus. Glory to Jesus. Let me tell you, when I would get up to go to work every morning, I would have my time with God, I’d be in the Word, and during my day, I’d be speaking the Word of God. I’d be trusting God with my faith for the positive outcome, for my customers, for my employer, for my family. I’d be using my faith. What I was saying is, “I know that right now, my gift is not quite in every order that it needs to be, but I’m placing it in the order of God with my confession, with my declaration, with my trust in Him.” And in the process, He was refining me and making my gift pure and honourable. Then I would go to church, and I’d be an usher, and I’d go to church, and I’d do what He told me to do, and I’d serve the people, and then I’d go back to my corporate place, and now I’m no longer seeing my life as everyday life, that what I must be is just a vessel that is used for kitchen stuff. I’m actually about the work of God in everything I do. It changes everything.
So, to be clear, he’s not saying, “Unless you are a pastor, your vessel is gold and silver.” Maybe I didn’t say that right. “If you are a pastor or in the fivefold ministry, you are a vessel of gold and silver and honourable use. If you are not, you are used in the kitchen.” Do you now understand that’s not what he’s saying. So, he’s going to actually tell Timothy in the next few verses, he’s going to tell Timothy. “Hey, Timothy. If you want to demean your vessel and your gift, then if you do these things, then these things will demean you. In order to keep your gift honourable and pure, run from these things. 22 Run as fast as you can from all the ambitions and lusts of youth. (2 Timothy 2:22 TPT) Come on. Come on.
What does that tell you? That tells you, if you are running from the ambitions and the lusts of the youth, that passion in you to make something of yourself, of yourself, of yourself. If you are pursuing to make something of yourself, you are tarnishing your gift. 22 Run as fast as you can from all the ambitions and lusts of youth; and chase after all that is pure. (2 Timothy 2:22 TPT) I wonder if you can see the difference. In this case, he’s saying, “Run away from. Timothy, run away from. But I want you not just to run away from. Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to run after God. Chase Him. Chase hard after Him.”
22…Whatever builds up your faith and deepens your love must become your holy pursuit. And live in peace with all those who worship our Lord Jesus with pure hearts. (2 Timothy 2:22 TPT) Can you see the kinds of things that would make your container everyday use? The everyday use part is I’m not chasing after God’s holiness. I’m not chasing after His order, His laws, and all the stuff that makes God God, and that makes Him my God. I’m chasing after everything I choose for me, my ambition, my lust, and I’m running hard after the things that are all about me.
So, …23 Stay away from all the foolish arguments of the immature, for these disputes will only generate more conflict. 24 For a true servant of our Lord Jesus will not be argumentative but gentle toward all and skilled in helping others see the truth, having great patience toward the immature. 25 Then with meekness you’ll be able to carefully enlighten those who argue with you so they can see God’s gracious gift of repentance and be brought to the truth. Honourable stuff. Honourable stuff. 26 This will cause them to rediscover themselves and escape from the snare of Satan who caught them in his trap so that they would carry out his purposes (2 Timothy 2:23-26 TPT). Come on.
This is life, lifetime teaching this today. This is the order and the life and the order and the laws and the love of God that is coming to you that says; if you pursue God and His holiness, your whole life, your gifts, your callings, your talents, whatever you are is honourable. It’s gold. It’s silver. It’s meant by God for honourable use because you were not pursuing yourself. You were pursuing Him and bringing life to all of those that you could touch. Amen.
So, I’m not going to preach on this today, but if I write you a letter, I don’t write you a letter with chapters and verses. Right? I write you a letter that might have paragraphs, might have long sentences, short sentences, it might have different exclamation marks, question marks, different things, depending on what I want to communicate with you. Right? So, when Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, he didn’t put chapters and verses there. He just wrote him a letter. So, if I now keep reading the letter that he wrote Timothy after he said these things, then this is what happens.
1 But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce. And difficult for the people of God. 2 People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right, or that is God. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly. 3 They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right. 4 With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God. (2 Timothy 3:1-4 TPT).
Other translations say, “They will become lovers of self and lovers of money more than lovers of God.” Do you understand how Paul is talking to Timothy and say, “Timothy, your vessel, your gift is for honourable use as you continue to chase hard after God, hard after God. Chase Him. Chase His holiness. Chase what He’s got for you in life. Run away from the things that would cause self ambition and when the time goes further, it’s going to become more difficult for you to keep that standard because the culture around you is going to do everything to stop you from being the standard.” Hallelujah.
So, I’m nearly done for today. Pastor Sharon’s going to teach you how to present your bodies, how to present your gifts and callings, how to present yourself as honourable use. You might say, when you hear what she’s got to say tonight, you might say, “Well, how is this connected?” Well, listen to the way she’s going to tell you to live tonight. Practical stuff of how the order of God is the order that changes everything for you. And when she teaches you that, you’ll remember what I’ve just said, that what she’s going to teach you is honourable. It makes your vessel full of gold and silver. Amen.
Acts chapter 2 verse 16 says, 16 This is the fulfillment of what was prophesied through the prophet Joel, for God says, 17 ‘This is what I will do in the last days – I will pour out My Spirit on everybody and cause your sons and daughters to prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will experience dreams from God. 18 The Holy Spirit will come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy.’ (Acts 2:16-18 TPT) I am speaking to you today and I’m declaring to you today that the order of God, the life of God, is present in our ministry. We are pursuing the order of God, the laws of God, the life of God in this ministry. And as we do this more and more, we are creating a space for you to be able to bring your gift, sanctify it to the holiness of God, following His purity, and then everything you do in life will be blessed.
So, perhaps I can give a practical example. If I have a practical example and I find out, for example, and again, I know Empie is not in this situation, so I can use him. I found out that Empie, for example, doesn’t have food for tomorrow and he finds himself in poverty. I don’t have to wait for the church to come and answer his need. I can just bring a plate of food for him or make some food, and come and deliver it to his house, and help feed him. Because my gift is working, and when my gift is working, I’m in pursuit of God’s holiness. I’m not doing this because I have a personal ambition to tell everybody else, “Look how I looked after Empie and Sanmarie.” And I come and strut myself and say, “Look how I look after the poor.” That’s not why I’m doing it.
Why am I doing it? Because maybe inside of me is the gift of hospitality. Maybe I have the gift of mercy and compassion at work. Maybe I have the gift of finances at work. Can be all of those things combined and, or just one of those gifts. Whatever that gift is, it’s a gift that God has placed in me to work for the church. So, as I do the work that God placed on my heart to do, I become the Church. As I become the Church and I do this thing, God says, “Golden, silver, honourable. You’ve just become honourable, John, because you’re not seeking yourself. You’re not doing this for self-ambition. You’re not doing this to promote yourself. You’re just doing it.” Praise the Lord.
My beautiful wife, you know. I get a message that she’s been in the bank. It comes on my phone, you know, because of the banking app on my phone. I get a message, she’s gone to draw money at the bank. So, it tells me that she’s drawn money at the bank, and then she comes home, and she says, “Look what I did today, John. I went into the bank and I exchanged money so that I’ve got usable currency.” So, she’s got fifties and twenties and tens, because she’s preparing herself to be a gift to the poor people out there, and she’s looking for opportunities to give to people that can’t afford stuff.
So, I just want you to understand what she’s done. She’s let her gift work her. I’m not doing this to promote her. You all know this about her anyway. She’s just using her gift. She’s preparing her gift. She took her gift. Her gift drove her to the bank. Her gift said, “I do not want to find myself at a traffic light, or a stop street, or a parking lot in a shopping centre where I don’t have money to give somebody that’s waiting for me.”
You know, I’ll tell you that, I did share this testimony with you, that there was a thing happening where they were trying to take a old man’s money. So, the guards that were at the center here at Ben Fluer, they saw Sharon walk into that thing as it was happening, and they were all armed. They figured out a way to come and warn her to draw her away from a potential, major threat that was happening because they recognised her as the person who always gives them stuff; money, and food, and groceries in that centre. Wow. Now you might say, “God protected her.” And I do say that but you know what happened? Her gift touched those people so that their gift came and saved her when she needed saving. And you don’t even know that your gift is creating space for God to save you from stuff that you haven’t even walked into yet.
In the meantime, you want to say to yourself, “I don’t think I’ll give R20 to someone who’s just looking after my car while I’m in there, because every time I come in there, and I come here 5 times a day, it’s R20 every time.” So, you don’t have that? So, you shut your gift… I’m just making an example. You shut your gift down because you don’t want your gift to work like that all the time because in your mind, you’re saying, “It’s costing me too much.” No, you don’t understand, it’s creating stuff for you, and it could cost you everything if you don’t do that. That’s the difference between your gift that is in the kitchen and your gift that is honourable because her gift is not being made visible, it’s not used for celebrations. But every time she’s doing it God says, “It’s honourable because you’re working the Church. You’re working as the Church. You’re working as My servant, and it’s honourable, and one day, that gift is going to save you, Sharon. Because one day, you’re going to go and walk somewhere, and the people are going to be doing something that is full of malicious intent, violence, and aggression.”
Not only did that gift save her, but it saved that old man from those people stealing all of his money out of his bank. Because they were threatening him with guns to put his PIN number into that machine, to take all of his money out and give it to them. It was a robbery at work. They just came and saved her. They didn’t just save her from herself, they saved her so that her gift is always available still to us. They saved her so that she’s still me because we are one. She’s still here for me. She’s still me. So, because her gift was working in advance, sowing seeds that she couldn’t see the harvest coming. Her gift was creating an opportunity where God could use other gifts to come, and save her from a situation that the devil laid a trap for her to walk in, so that he could try and bring destruction to all of us.
Because what would happen if she got shot or she got assaulted because she’s the pastor in the church? And if it can happen to her, then it can happen to anybody and her gift gets removed from you and from me, and so other people go to jail for it. Who cares? She’s gone. Every day, her gift of compassion is working. Her gift of mercy is working. Her gift of the love of Christ that is in her is working. It’s working, and she gets on purpose. She goes on purpose to go and fetch money for her gift to keep working, keep working, keep working. I’m really finished. Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus.
So, in the weeks to come, I’m going to share some stuff with you about what God wants us to do in this ministry. Tell me why God wants me to do that? So your gift can work because if your gift is working, God’s creating your future, not for destruction, but for abundance. He’s creating an opportunity for you to live with honour, with gold and silver. Not everyday use, it’s for the kitchen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Praise Jesus. Hallelujah. Now come on.
I’m just going to say one more thing to you. What do you think I did here today? What I did here today was I have been preparing my gift, not just this last week or the last 2 or 3 weeks or whatever. I’ve been preparing my gift for years and years and years and years and years. And all of my life, I’ve been saying, “Lord, I’m presenting my gift. I’m giving You my gift. I’m giving You my gift. I’m giving You my gift. I’m giving You my life. I’m giving You my meditations of my heart. I’m giving You the meditations of my mouth. I’m giving my gift to You. I’m giving my gift to You. I’m giving my gift to You.” So, now one day, God says, “John, I want you to stand in front of people and let your gift work and let your gift speak, and let’s bring truth and clarity to My people so that they can be people for honourable use.”
The journey is a lifetime journey. It’s a beautiful, grand, marvellous journey. Don’t think if you haven’t seen the results that you need to see yet that you’re not ever going to. That’s the biggest lie of the devil. You’ve gone past it. Says who? The guys that are at Harvard, they say you’ve got to be a millionaire by the time you’re 40, otherwise, you’re never going to become one. Ne-ne-ne-ne-ne. I don’t care what your Harvard degree says because that’s not my truth. That’s not my truth.
You know? Kenneth Hagin found himself preaching in a church like this and as he was preaching in a church, he started to prophesy. And his prophecy came out of his mouth, and he said, “And we’re going to start a bible school, and we’re going to do a bible school.” He was 56 years old, “And we’re going to start a bible school.” And the people came up told him afterwards and said, “Kenneth, when are you starting your bible school?” He said, “I’m not starting a bible school.” He said, “No? You said it in the service.” He said, “I didn’t say that in the service.” “Yes, you did.” He went and he got the tape, and he listened to it because it came out of his Spirit prophetically, and he didn’t even know that he was saying what he was saying because it came out of his Spirit. But the Word of God that came out of him created his future, and at 56 years old, he started Rhema Bible Training Center. Kenneth Hagin’s been gone from this earth for 20 years now, and in South America, they have 25,000 students that are full time students of Rhema Bible Training College. Who says your time is done?
We have the professor in our midst here. How old are you? 75? She’s 75. She’s just done a paper. We’ll let you have it when we can. She’s done a paper using Heritage of Faith Church and our community center, our iXchange program, and the way we approach things. She wrote a paper that has gone global. It’s been approved by all of the education boffins. Those guys who’ve got all the credentials that’s supposed to say, “You did the right paper.” They’ve all approved the paper. Using our church as a model of what education should look like. She started that journey. How old were you? 72, 73 when you started that journey? Somewhere there. So, she’s been doing this for years. Maybe she started when she was 60, 65, someone could have said, “What are you trying to do when you’re this age? Trying to re-create and put a paper out there at 75 that is going to become a world renowned paper?” God was preparing her all along, that for the right moment, she would write what she has to write, and it would go out into the world. And this church, our people would become famous in education circles because of what she wrote. Amen.
So, that’s why Martie’s here. Martie’s here because her gift was never ever recognised by anyone else, and God had to bring Martie to the right people, and the right people could receive Martie at the right phase of our ministry. Hey, Tertia? You’ve walked a journey with Martie for how many years? 20 years? So, all this time, God is putting all these things together, and if we had come to a point where we say, “We got to just quit because this is not working.” God’s been preparing honourable gifts, gifts of gold and silver all this time, and we haven’t been able to see it. Until God’s grand plan comes together and He says, “I’m going to bring you here. I’m going to bring you here.” I’m going to put you together here, and, hey, let’s start to put the tapestry together. That weave and that weave and that weave. Come, let’s put it all together.” Now look at God’s design. Look at His plan. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to Jesus. Hallelujah, Jesus.
You are an amazing God. He’s the Master planner. That’s why the word says, He’s the foundation. His seal is the seal that makes everything happen. Hallelujah. Won’t you stand with me, please? Okay. You must sit again. Sorry. Sorry. I must be more deliberate. I’m working on it. I’m so full of this word that’s inside of me that I get caught up with the word that I’ve got to deliver, you know. But it is important for us to sow our seed. Amen.
Can I have my wallet there, please, Empie? It’s in the front of my bag. Let’s, take up an offering, please, everybody. Thank you. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.
Don’t you think this is liberating? Because you are not here by accident. I’ve been telling you this for years and years and years. You are not here by accident. You are here because God brought you here. God brought you here. God brought you here. Hallelujah. And because God brought you here, you can’t just leave when you want to leave. I know. I’m just saying. I’m just saying. I’m just saying. This is a much bigger thing than Pastor John offended me. And you go home and you suck on your offense dummy. I don’t like what he said. He just was a bit too aggressive. Don’t you think he’s a bit aggressive? Don’t you think he’s a bit, if if if… and that Pastor Sharon, have you seen her when she’s under the power of God? She can be downright loud.
So what? Let me just tell you a story. Sharon was, talking to me, I was in the bathroom, which is right at the end of the house, and she was talking to me from somewhere down the passage, and I… when she started talking to me, I heard her, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying because she was far away from me. So, I started to talk to her, and I started shouting so she could hear me. I didn’t know that she was walking towards me so that by the time I was now shouting at her, she was close to me. She’s like, “John, why are you shouting at me?” You know, “Please don’t shout at me,” because she’s not used to me shouting at her. I never shout at her. I’ve never been angry with her or shouted at her ever in my life. So, when she’s like, “You’re shouting at me,” “Sorry, babe, I didn’t know you were here.” You understand that happens in church all the time? If you don’t understand the context of the circumstances, you might look at the shout and say, “Uh, well, I think I’ll get offended at that.” Come on. Let’s grow up a little bit. Just a little bit then everything will be better. Don’t you think?
Come on, now you can stand with me, please. Stretch out your hand and say; thank you, Lord, that we have an opportunity always to sow our seed to put our trust in You and to receive from Your hand all the blessings and the good things and the wonders that You have for us in our lives. We trust in You. We trust in You with our money. We trust in You with our harvest. And we thank You for it, Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen. And you all say? [Congregation: Amen]
And now, I declare over you that you are safe and protected. Because all of you recognise the glory and the honour and the protection of God, don’t you? His government, His order, His laws. And His laws say I’m protected. His laws say He puts His angels charge over us. That’s what His Word says, that’s His order, that’s His law. I trust that law. I receive that order. I’m protected. Amen. His order says; because I put Him first, I’m blessed going out and I’m blessed coming in. Everything I put my hands to, I prosper, we prosper. Wherever our feet go, there God is going and He causes all manner of blessing to come to us because He is with us. He will never leave us, He will never forsake us. He is with us. And I speak to you, shalom. I speak peace to you. I speak blessing to you. I speak the joy of the Lord upon you. Hallelujah.
Come on, say this with me; I receive joy. I receive peace. I receive nothing missing and nothing broken, in Jesus’ name, because I am a son of God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You know, I’m hoping and I’m trusting that you are getting what I’m saying because you know what God is busy doing to you and us right now? He’s busy creating us to say; your gifts are going to become honourable and wherever your doubts are, it’s honourable, it’s gold and silver because you’re submitting things to God. The reset. The crossover reset is in full swing. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, don’t miss message moments the next 3 weeks. Amen. Okay, julle mense. Ek lief julle baie. Regtig, ek lief julle baie. Totsiens. Auf wiedersehen.
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TOUCH | TEACH | TRAIN | TRANSFER
