Part 1:
How many signs do you want to see before accepting Jesus as your Savior? How many miracles should Jesus perform for you to accept Him as your deliverer? Wouldn't you want to ask, Philip and Andrew as they were the close witnesses to the numerous miracles the Lord had performed. Jesus used them as a 'sounding board' to see how they would respond if they were to provide food for the five thousand, they only saw their impossibilities when pressed hard for answers. Philip was quick to calculate how many months of wages it would require to feed a bite to each one of those five thousand men, while Andrew could only see the inadequacy, 'the five loaves and two small fish would not go far enough' he said (John 6:9). They failed to ask Jesus for guidance. They failed to trust that Jesus can do the impossible. They perhaps they were missing the point what Jesus was trying to make.
The good news is that Jesus did not reprimand his disciples for failing to know who Jesus was and you too can be for not recognizing who Jesus really is in your personal lives. For one you are too far stretched out in time from when Jesus walked the earth and secondly, one of the irony of living in a pluralistic society is that we are obliged to accept even if we disagree. Like the disciples, when you are pressed hard for answers, you look inwardly rather than upwards to God. You look at what you don't have rather than whom you have with you.
Today the world is looking for answers. You have several options
- Do you consider Him as your Lord and God, the Only One who can free you from your Sin and give you life eternal?
- Do you want to follow Jesus as a godly man, a prophet from God. Is he really a prophet or is he more than a prophet?
- Do you believe that Jesus came to give political freedom and establish Israel at the central authority from where all political and spiritual decisions would be made ((Isaiah 11:11-12)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Would you follow Jesus Christ because He can heal you or because he can deliver you from your sins?
Venue: Liverpool Prayer Group
Message Given: 23-Mar-2012
Would you follow Jesus Christ because He can heal you or because He can deliver you from your sins?
After Jesus had performed a series of great miracles, right from healing the sick, casting out demons from men, curing a leper, making a paralytic walk, healing a man's hand, calming the storm for his disciples and setting free a man from being possessed by a legion of demons, Jesus was looking to go on to the otherside of the mountain to pray and spend some time with his Father. But a great crowd of people followed Him because they saw the signs Jesus had performed by healing the sick (John 6:2). If you asked yourselves the question as to why the crowd were following Jesus, Apostle John is quite clear here, it was in pursuit of healing.
Two thousand years ago many followed Jesus but most of them did so for their temporal needs, and it's no different today. Christians can get too easily carried away when a healing minister is in town. Just take a look at the large crowds that follow the modern day healers and compare it with the numbers who attend an average Bible seminar or even regular Sunday services. As Christians, we tend to want action and we want it now.
Jesus can no doubt heal our sicknesses but is that the reason He came into this world? Is that the reason why he was paid as a ransom to purchase us? If He came just to heal the sick and perform miracles then we read about the people continuing to become sick and continue to be possessed by demons even during and after His three years of ministry. Jesus did not abolish sicknesses once and for all during his ministry.Jesus can heal the sick, He can do the impossible but His true calling was much more than that, He came to save sinners (Mark 2:17 & 1 Tim 1:15). No one on earth had been given the authority to forgive the sinners, only Jesus had that authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). No wonder the Pharisees questioned Jesus when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic (Mark 2:7)
Today many Christians do not want consider that they are sinners but they just want to be healed. Some don't even want to know the source of their healing. Apostle Paul, was sick many times, he was ship wrecked, he felt lonely and depressed and yet he admitted he was a sinner and a hopeless sinner at that (1 Tim 1:15). Unless we admit that we are sinners and we need deliverance from sin, then Jesus coming into this world is pointless. Its the sick who needs a doctor, its a sinner who needs a savior. If you have been praying for many years for a cetrtain healing to take place in your life and you may be still waiting for an answer. Here is what Jesus said, 'it's better for you to enter life with one eye (Matt 18:9)' and 'it's better to enter life crippled, rather than have two hands and legs and be thrown into eternal fire (Matt 18:8).Temporal needs are temproray needs, they only last as long as you life on this earth but those who put their trust in Jesus as their Savior will live with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for eternity. When we compare our time here on earth with that we spend with God in Heaven and only then we can have the right perspective in our walk with Jesus. Are we following Him for our temporal needs or our eternal needs?
Prayer:
Holy God, I have been a busy body doing so many activities in the hope of pleasing you but at the risk of loosing my Soul. I failed to realise that I am a sinner and a hopeless sinner. There is hope only in you. You are the only one who can set right my sin nature. I want to be delivered from my sins more than I want to my temporal needs answered. Hear me O Lord! Amen!
Thank you & God Bless you!
Chris
Message Given: 23-Mar-2012
Would you follow Jesus Christ because He can heal you or because He can deliver you from your sins?
After Jesus had performed a series of great miracles, right from healing the sick, casting out demons from men, curing a leper, making a paralytic walk, healing a man's hand, calming the storm for his disciples and setting free a man from being possessed by a legion of demons, Jesus was looking to go on to the otherside of the mountain to pray and spend some time with his Father. But a great crowd of people followed Him because they saw the signs Jesus had performed by healing the sick (John 6:2). If you asked yourselves the question as to why the crowd were following Jesus, Apostle John is quite clear here, it was in pursuit of healing.
Two thousand years ago many followed Jesus but most of them did so for their temporal needs, and it's no different today. Christians can get too easily carried away when a healing minister is in town. Just take a look at the large crowds that follow the modern day healers and compare it with the numbers who attend an average Bible seminar or even regular Sunday services. As Christians, we tend to want action and we want it now.
Jesus can no doubt heal our sicknesses but is that the reason He came into this world? Is that the reason why he was paid as a ransom to purchase us? If He came just to heal the sick and perform miracles then we read about the people continuing to become sick and continue to be possessed by demons even during and after His three years of ministry. Jesus did not abolish sicknesses once and for all during his ministry.Jesus can heal the sick, He can do the impossible but His true calling was much more than that, He came to save sinners (Mark 2:17 & 1 Tim 1:15). No one on earth had been given the authority to forgive the sinners, only Jesus had that authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). No wonder the Pharisees questioned Jesus when Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic (Mark 2:7)
Today many Christians do not want consider that they are sinners but they just want to be healed. Some don't even want to know the source of their healing. Apostle Paul, was sick many times, he was ship wrecked, he felt lonely and depressed and yet he admitted he was a sinner and a hopeless sinner at that (1 Tim 1:15). Unless we admit that we are sinners and we need deliverance from sin, then Jesus coming into this world is pointless. Its the sick who needs a doctor, its a sinner who needs a savior. If you have been praying for many years for a cetrtain healing to take place in your life and you may be still waiting for an answer. Here is what Jesus said, 'it's better for you to enter life with one eye (Matt 18:9)' and 'it's better to enter life crippled, rather than have two hands and legs and be thrown into eternal fire (Matt 18:8).Temporal needs are temproray needs, they only last as long as you life on this earth but those who put their trust in Jesus as their Savior will live with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit for eternity. When we compare our time here on earth with that we spend with God in Heaven and only then we can have the right perspective in our walk with Jesus. Are we following Him for our temporal needs or our eternal needs?
Prayer:
Holy God, I have been a busy body doing so many activities in the hope of pleasing you but at the risk of loosing my Soul. I failed to realise that I am a sinner and a hopeless sinner. There is hope only in you. You are the only one who can set right my sin nature. I want to be delivered from my sins more than I want to my temporal needs answered. Hear me O Lord! Amen!
Thank you & God Bless you!
Chris
Monday, March 12, 2012
Positional Relationship with Jesus Christ
Date: 9-Mar-2012
Venue: Toongabbie Church Hall
One may consider himself a Christian by virtue of being baptised in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Let's call this person a 'child of God and co-heir with Christ' (Rom 8:17). At the same time when that person falls back into his old sin nature, even though co-heir with Christ, he becomes slave to sin because he has not yet gained spiritual maturity (Gal 4). For instance, When one falls back into the old sin, then God's image is marred, He tends to become slave to the very thing he hates. Until one reaches the spiritual maturity, he may tend to go back and forth the sin nature. According to Apostle Paul, this is because he has not fully entered into a rightful inheritance and relationship with God the Father. As such he is simply a 'trustee and guardian' (Gal 4:2) of Godly things. When it comes to God's inheritance, basically there isn't much difference between a christian who has not matured and that of slave. They both hold onto things on a temporary basis.
So what shall we do to be set free to experience our rightful heritage? Practically, there is nothing much we can do but it is what God the Father has already done for us. Saint Paul says, 'God at the appointed time, sent His Only Son Jesus Christ, born to a Woman, born under the condition of the law so that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law' (Gal 4:5-6). Therefore, to transition from a trustee or guardian role to a rightful heir of God's inheritance, God had to purchase us from the legalities of the world. No longer we are slave to the old sin nature, we are now truly co-heirs with Christ even to call God the Father as 'Abba, Father'. In other words, we've been temporarily calling God as Our Father up until the time God allowed His Son Jesus to be paid as a price to redeem us. That is why Apostle Paul can confidently share his own experience when he said 'when one belongs to Christ, the old nature is gone, a new life has begun' (2 Cor 5:17). Jesus Christ is the one who was paid as a price to redeem us and we should belong to Him to remove our old nature.
What's next, we were transitioned from a slave to a son then made co-heir with Christ. I mean a mature son of God for a lasting relationship, for 'slaves does not stay with the Father forever but a son does' (John 8:35). Symbolically, we were raised from the dead (dead to sin), we are now seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6). Our position in Christ makes it possible to call God, 'Our Father'. Furthermore, we no longer have to live in the realm of darkness anymore, God has rescued us and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear son (Col 1:13)
In summary, we were once slaves to sin, then we became children of God although spiritually immature but God redeemed us at the appointed time to bring us back to Him permanently in a rightful relationship to Him. We became co-heirs with Christ, we can call God as 'Our Father' and Jesus has empowered us with the Holy Spirit to live a Godly life here on earth until He returns to take us back to sit in the heavenly realms with Jesus Christ our Savior in all His glory.
Prayer:Our Father, we learnt that our positional relationship with you depends on our position with your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to align to Him always. We cannot do it on our own merit but by your divine plan and purpose. Thank you for including me in your master plan, Thank you for redeeming me through the blood of Jesus Christ and Thank you for the Holy Spirit through whom we are empowered to call you Abba Father. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Thank you & God Bless you!
Chris
Venue: Toongabbie Church Hall
One may consider himself a Christian by virtue of being baptised in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Let's call this person a 'child of God and co-heir with Christ' (Rom 8:17). At the same time when that person falls back into his old sin nature, even though co-heir with Christ, he becomes slave to sin because he has not yet gained spiritual maturity (Gal 4). For instance, When one falls back into the old sin, then God's image is marred, He tends to become slave to the very thing he hates. Until one reaches the spiritual maturity, he may tend to go back and forth the sin nature. According to Apostle Paul, this is because he has not fully entered into a rightful inheritance and relationship with God the Father. As such he is simply a 'trustee and guardian' (Gal 4:2) of Godly things. When it comes to God's inheritance, basically there isn't much difference between a christian who has not matured and that of slave. They both hold onto things on a temporary basis.
So what shall we do to be set free to experience our rightful heritage? Practically, there is nothing much we can do but it is what God the Father has already done for us. Saint Paul says, 'God at the appointed time, sent His Only Son Jesus Christ, born to a Woman, born under the condition of the law so that He might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law' (Gal 4:5-6). Therefore, to transition from a trustee or guardian role to a rightful heir of God's inheritance, God had to purchase us from the legalities of the world. No longer we are slave to the old sin nature, we are now truly co-heirs with Christ even to call God the Father as 'Abba, Father'. In other words, we've been temporarily calling God as Our Father up until the time God allowed His Son Jesus to be paid as a price to redeem us. That is why Apostle Paul can confidently share his own experience when he said 'when one belongs to Christ, the old nature is gone, a new life has begun' (2 Cor 5:17). Jesus Christ is the one who was paid as a price to redeem us and we should belong to Him to remove our old nature.
What's next, we were transitioned from a slave to a son then made co-heir with Christ. I mean a mature son of God for a lasting relationship, for 'slaves does not stay with the Father forever but a son does' (John 8:35). Symbolically, we were raised from the dead (dead to sin), we are now seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6). Our position in Christ makes it possible to call God, 'Our Father'. Furthermore, we no longer have to live in the realm of darkness anymore, God has rescued us and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear son (Col 1:13)
In summary, we were once slaves to sin, then we became children of God although spiritually immature but God redeemed us at the appointed time to bring us back to Him permanently in a rightful relationship to Him. We became co-heirs with Christ, we can call God as 'Our Father' and Jesus has empowered us with the Holy Spirit to live a Godly life here on earth until He returns to take us back to sit in the heavenly realms with Jesus Christ our Savior in all His glory.
Prayer:Our Father, we learnt that our positional relationship with you depends on our position with your Son Jesus Christ. Help us to align to Him always. We cannot do it on our own merit but by your divine plan and purpose. Thank you for including me in your master plan, Thank you for redeeming me through the blood of Jesus Christ and Thank you for the Holy Spirit through whom we are empowered to call you Abba Father. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Thank you & God Bless you!
Chris
The God of All Situations
Sermon Date: 10-Mar-2012
Venue: All Saints Church, Liverpool NSW Australia
Has there been a situation in your life when you tried all you could but it was too difficult to manage? Today we will see a couple of situations where the disciples did not consider Jesus as the first option.
After a marathon week of healing the sick, curing many inflicted with diseases and preaching a series of parables, Jesus is looking for a place to take a breather (Mark 4:35). Apostle Mark gives us some beautiful word pictures to help us immerse ourselves in this story. Probably tired from the hectic week, Jesus requested His disciples to get a boat ready to go to the other side of the lake. Very soon after only a short while into the journey a huge storm came up almost threatening to sink the boat. Jesus was sleeping in the stern with his head on a pillow. It would seem that that the disciples tried to manage on their own to steady the boat, perhaps some of them would have expected Jesus to come up anyway from the stern of the boat to rescue them from 'perishing' (Luke 8:24), some even rebuked Jesus for carelessly sleeping while the disciples were perishing (Mark 4:38). Only God can command the wind to remain still and the sea to be calm. When the triune God created the heaven, earth, ocean, sea and the land, He created them by simply speaking. There was disorderliness, God spoke and there was orderliness.
When disaster strikes our first port of call ought to be Jesus Christ. He is ever present in our lives, in our families, at our work place and all situations. We should tap him and wake him up. He is never too tired to help you. The second lesson we learn from this story is that when disaster strikes, disorderliness sets in, God must be allowed to speak and only then we can see quietness and calmness in our situation. The experienced fishermen could not predict the weather and they could not maneuver their boats. Our knowledge, our contacts, our stars and our destiny cannot save us from perishing only God can.
Furthermore, when they reached the other side of the lake to a country known as Gerasenes, Jesus stepped out of the boat and immediately met a man who was possessed with a legion of demons. If we read this story as if it were someone else’s son, somebody's brother or another person, then it may have less of an impact. Let's read as if this man is one of our sons or our brothers or even one of our close friends. Can you imagine this person living in the caves, unclothed, bound in shackles and chain, cutting himself with sharp stones, crying and shouting all night? No one could subdue him. The very reason Satan is here in the world is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) us, this man has become a complete tool for Satan. It is ironic that even the demons knew who Jesus was (Mark 5:7), sometimes even Jesus' disciple did not know who Jesus was (Mark 4:41). As we read this section of the Gospel we can see that only Jesus has the power over Satan and demons, Jesus can thwart their plans and He can torment them (Mark 5:7). Jesus gave permission to the demons to be cast into the herd of pigs, thus saving the demon possessed man. A minute ago this man was in a pathetic condition, utter disorder in his physical and mental state. Once he experienced the power of Jesus Christ, he was set free, he sat at the feet of Jesus fully clothed and in his right mind (Mark 5:15).
What a transformation when Jesus takes control of the situation? It makes me wonder where his family members might have been, did he have parents living at that time, did they disown him, what about his brothers and sisters or his friends? What a lonely person he would have been. Satan had stolen everything from this man. The whole country of Gerasenes were against Jesus, they wanted Him to leave, probably for making the two thousand and odd pigs drown in the lake. Whatever may be the case, Jesus is not welcome when people choose to live in darkness, but the man who was healed does not want to let go Jesus. This is the power of Jesus, you become attached to His unfailing love. He came to save sinners. The fully healed man is now commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the good news to the ten cities of the Gentiles on the east of Jordon including Damascus in Syria. Jesus has you and me (the gentiles) in His mind, he can make the impossible to make it possible for you to be saved. The ten Greco-Roman cities were blessed by this man’s teaching, the man who was healed by Jesus, his name is unknown but is works speaks even today. May these ten cities re-lives the times of Gospel proclamation once again.
What do we learn from these two stories? Firstly, Jesus is the God of orderliness, He mends our chaotic lives and gives peace and calm, wherever there is disaster and turmoil, he wants us to trust him to rescue us. Secondly, Jesus must be given a chance to have His say in our situation in order to find a lasting peace. Thirdly, Satan's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy you but Jesus came to give you life, life in abundance. Finally, when Jesus changes you, you will be of a right mind, clothed in righteousness ready to proclaim the wondrous things He has done in your life.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, we have taken our eyes off you in our own lives, in our families and in all of our situations. We now want to call upon Jesus’ name always to rescue us. Our lives have been disorderly because we tried to manage it on our own but now we want to seek your help. Change our lives, clothe us in righteousness, make us the people whom you want us to be. This we ask in Jesus mighty name! Amen!
Venue: All Saints Church, Liverpool NSW Australia
Has there been a situation in your life when you tried all you could but it was too difficult to manage? Today we will see a couple of situations where the disciples did not consider Jesus as the first option.
After a marathon week of healing the sick, curing many inflicted with diseases and preaching a series of parables, Jesus is looking for a place to take a breather (Mark 4:35). Apostle Mark gives us some beautiful word pictures to help us immerse ourselves in this story. Probably tired from the hectic week, Jesus requested His disciples to get a boat ready to go to the other side of the lake. Very soon after only a short while into the journey a huge storm came up almost threatening to sink the boat. Jesus was sleeping in the stern with his head on a pillow. It would seem that that the disciples tried to manage on their own to steady the boat, perhaps some of them would have expected Jesus to come up anyway from the stern of the boat to rescue them from 'perishing' (Luke 8:24), some even rebuked Jesus for carelessly sleeping while the disciples were perishing (Mark 4:38). Only God can command the wind to remain still and the sea to be calm. When the triune God created the heaven, earth, ocean, sea and the land, He created them by simply speaking. There was disorderliness, God spoke and there was orderliness.
When disaster strikes our first port of call ought to be Jesus Christ. He is ever present in our lives, in our families, at our work place and all situations. We should tap him and wake him up. He is never too tired to help you. The second lesson we learn from this story is that when disaster strikes, disorderliness sets in, God must be allowed to speak and only then we can see quietness and calmness in our situation. The experienced fishermen could not predict the weather and they could not maneuver their boats. Our knowledge, our contacts, our stars and our destiny cannot save us from perishing only God can.
Furthermore, when they reached the other side of the lake to a country known as Gerasenes, Jesus stepped out of the boat and immediately met a man who was possessed with a legion of demons. If we read this story as if it were someone else’s son, somebody's brother or another person, then it may have less of an impact. Let's read as if this man is one of our sons or our brothers or even one of our close friends. Can you imagine this person living in the caves, unclothed, bound in shackles and chain, cutting himself with sharp stones, crying and shouting all night? No one could subdue him. The very reason Satan is here in the world is to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) us, this man has become a complete tool for Satan. It is ironic that even the demons knew who Jesus was (Mark 5:7), sometimes even Jesus' disciple did not know who Jesus was (Mark 4:41). As we read this section of the Gospel we can see that only Jesus has the power over Satan and demons, Jesus can thwart their plans and He can torment them (Mark 5:7). Jesus gave permission to the demons to be cast into the herd of pigs, thus saving the demon possessed man. A minute ago this man was in a pathetic condition, utter disorder in his physical and mental state. Once he experienced the power of Jesus Christ, he was set free, he sat at the feet of Jesus fully clothed and in his right mind (Mark 5:15).
What a transformation when Jesus takes control of the situation? It makes me wonder where his family members might have been, did he have parents living at that time, did they disown him, what about his brothers and sisters or his friends? What a lonely person he would have been. Satan had stolen everything from this man. The whole country of Gerasenes were against Jesus, they wanted Him to leave, probably for making the two thousand and odd pigs drown in the lake. Whatever may be the case, Jesus is not welcome when people choose to live in darkness, but the man who was healed does not want to let go Jesus. This is the power of Jesus, you become attached to His unfailing love. He came to save sinners. The fully healed man is now commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the good news to the ten cities of the Gentiles on the east of Jordon including Damascus in Syria. Jesus has you and me (the gentiles) in His mind, he can make the impossible to make it possible for you to be saved. The ten Greco-Roman cities were blessed by this man’s teaching, the man who was healed by Jesus, his name is unknown but is works speaks even today. May these ten cities re-lives the times of Gospel proclamation once again.
What do we learn from these two stories? Firstly, Jesus is the God of orderliness, He mends our chaotic lives and gives peace and calm, wherever there is disaster and turmoil, he wants us to trust him to rescue us. Secondly, Jesus must be given a chance to have His say in our situation in order to find a lasting peace. Thirdly, Satan's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy you but Jesus came to give you life, life in abundance. Finally, when Jesus changes you, you will be of a right mind, clothed in righteousness ready to proclaim the wondrous things He has done in your life.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, we have taken our eyes off you in our own lives, in our families and in all of our situations. We now want to call upon Jesus’ name always to rescue us. Our lives have been disorderly because we tried to manage it on our own but now we want to seek your help. Change our lives, clothe us in righteousness, make us the people whom you want us to be. This we ask in Jesus mighty name! Amen!
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