My title is... “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH”... Today we’re looking in Matthew’s gospel at the topic which develops in a conversation Jesus is having with His disciples....and it has far reaching implications on this world we live in..... There are some who say that when Jesus said He would build upon the Rock, that He was referring to Peter whose name is Petra or “rock”. And that he was the first Pope and all popes after him, trace back to Peter. But if Peter was the foundation of the Church, it would have failed, centuries ago, because we can see how often Peter messed up. Many folks think the church Jesus said He would build, is Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Assemblies of God, Church of God, Adventist, and so on...
A woman went to the bank to draw out $2,000.00 and the teller asked her what denomination she would like.... She thought for a moment and said “give me some Baptist, and some Methodist, some Lutheran and Charismatic....Just mix it all up realgood”!!
When I was a kid, My Grandma took me to the Church of God, my aunt took me to the Seventh Day Adventist, My mom took me to the Nazarene church and my uncle brought me to the Assembly of God... Another aunt took me to the Presbyterian church, and Grand Pa took me to the Church of God. I went to the Baptist with another aunt, and the Methodist with an uncle. So I have waded in many streams.... Some feel perhaps that what Jesus was talking about, was the best of all of the denominations put together. S0 let’s go to the source.....
Matthew 16:13 “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” [14] And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” [15] He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” [16] Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [17] And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. {18} And I say also unto thee, That you are Peter, and upon this foundation (revelation of who I am) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”. {19} And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” When Jesus asked the question in verse 13, “Who do you say that I am”, They wanted to compare Jesus to John, to Elijah, to Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. In Matthew 17, there is an account called “the Transfiguration”. Jesus had gone up on the mountain with Peter, James and John, and revealed His glory to them. They saw Him as He truly was. Moses and Elijah appeared and spoke with Him -- and what did Peter say on that occasion? Matthew 17:4 “Lord, it is good for us to be here: if You want, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
If there ever were any men worthy of having a church named after them, it would have been Moses and Elijah. But God set it all straight and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.”
So Peter in a glorious flash of revelation, remembering what he had experienced and the voice of God speaking, knew that he had received a glimpse of the incomparable Christ, the eternal God man, the creator of all things, the incarnate God come in the flesh, and the kingdom which He was bringing into the earth, was to establish heaven in the earth. And no matter what forces may come against it, it will ultimately be established, and all of hell would not prevent it! How many churches did Jesus say He was going to build? He said He was going to build "His church", Not they’re church, or our church, or a denomination... The Lord only promised to build one church. Let’s understand that when Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the church, He was speaking of a Kingdom over which He is the undisputable King. He was actually saying “I will build my Kingdom”.... That’s the church I want to talk to you about today. I want to talk to you about the Church that Jesus built. That is the church which all the forces of darkness, and all the plans of Satan, will not prevail against it. 1 Corinthians 3:11 Paul wrote, “For no other foundation can any man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The Point Reyes Light house was built in 1870 at Point Reyes, California, approximately 30 miles northwest of the entrance of San Francisco Bay. Originally, the light was to be built at the top of the point. However, due to concerns that the light would be obscured by the heavy fog,
it was built 275 feet down the bluff at its present location. To reach the light, you must descend 304 steps from the top of Point Reyes. It is, by official records, the windiest and foggiest spot on the Pacific Coast. It is also just a few miles from the San Andreas Fault, that runs through California. During the 1906 earthquake, which leveled many buildings in San Francisco, the entire Point Reyes Peninsula and the lighthouse moved north 18 feet! The only damage to the lighthouse was that the lens slipped off of its track. Thirteen minutes after the earthquake, the lighthouse was once again in working order. The reason there was so little damage to the lighthouse, was because the sixteen-sided structure was secured by steel anchors that went deep into the solid rock. If we are anchored deep into the rock, we will not be moved... We may get shaken and rattled, but we will not be dismantled or destroyed.
In Psalm 127:1 we read, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it . . .” The Lord builds the church as He intends, for His purposes. The Lord intends the Church to be: The church is the very Body of Christ...... Ephesians 5:23 says that “Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.” (read the statement on the slide) I have seen a headless body, and it is not a pretty sight. If the church, looks to and depends on other sources besides Christ, it is only an organization, not the Lord’s church. Every body needs a head, and without the head of the church being in place, the church is powerless and easy prey for every spirit of deception and false doctrine that comes along. If God’s presence isn’t there, it’s just a building. Woe to church leaders who try to take the place of the head..... The Lord intends the church to be The residence of God, Holy ground, the place of His glory and power, where heaven touches earth, and the Holy Spirit’s transforming power is present to heal, save, and deliver!
The church is called to be an irresistible force against the darkness, wickedness and compromise in the world.... and The gates of hell shall not prevail against it....That’s an environment for the impossible to happen. Where 5,000 get fed with a boyslunch, where a boat sinking catch of fish happens where there were no fish, where demons leave, and bodies are healed, and signs and wonders leave no mistake that God is present! And we are called to create that. To make folks feel so good that they came, they can’t stop coming. I hear folks say all the time when they sin...”I couldn’t help myself”.... Well that’s how we can make the church.... I couldn’t help myself...The Holy Spirit was too strong and overpowering... Now, That’s body ministry! Jesus said, “The gates of hell shall not prevail, that means exactly what it says.... Everything that would work to prevent folks from coming to Christ, is powerless before the church which Christ built! Every lying, lawless, ungodly, crippling spirit, cannot stand against the church which Christ built! And all the corruption of the years, all the immorality of man, all the wages of sin, all the unknown powers of hell and death, shall not be able to overthrow the fellowship that makes room for the power and authority of the head of the church!
Matthew 16:19 Jesus said “ I will give unto (the church) the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16, tells us our number one priority is to glorify God. “ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ” Paul tells us that what makes us unique is that we have God’s power and authority operating in our midst..... I Corinthians 2:4 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” We have a message of hope, joy, peace and eternal life. The church Jesus built, is always open, the doors are never closed. It operates 24/7. Why, because it is you and me....It goes where we go, it goes to the football games. It goes on the job. The church at school, at home, out fishing and boating, can grow every day, not just on week-ends. A Jesus built church, made up of such as us, can reach to the lowest valley, and climb to the highest mountain. It can touch the rich, the poor, the sick, the addict, red and yellow, black and white and all who identify as whatever. The demon possessed man and the woman at the well, wanted to stay with the Lord, but Jesus said, go tell your friends the great things the Lord has done for you.. (sharethe message of peace, joy, love and eternal life. Be the Church that Jesus built, on display! You are the greatest advertisement the church could have. You and I are God’s living billboard for His church. Because Jesus is the foundation, what He is building, has His characteristics. The fruit of the Spirit are His characteristics... His DNA or Divine Nature and Attributes. Peace, joy, love, patience, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Scripture describes what Jesus is building is composed of.... 1 PETER 2:5"…you also, like living stones, are being built as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, in order to bring spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" . The Lord is building with living stones, which is what we are... Our bodies are forming the living temples of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:21 “In him the whole building is joined together and is built up to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit”. What if we stopped reading this impersonally and took it personally?...
.Let us read it personally....not like it’s for everyone else... “In Him I am being built up and joined together with other living stones to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in Him I too am being built and joined together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit”.
The emphasis here is that we are “built together” .... There is mutual respect, honor, and appreciation which flows freely here. As we allow Holy Spirit to build us together, the world sees that the church has the answer to all the division, and infighting, and things that pull us apart. But how can we possibly be the building God is building when we have division, and cliques, and walls that we put up.... Why should the world need the church, when we are not built together, in love, mutual respect and honor.? It is love, that makes the church irresistible, and attractive.... John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” When the ordinary is touched by heaven it loses its staleness and become fresh again. Listen to this beautiful quote by Winkie Pratney:
“The things that touch us in a true revival are not strange and mysterious things made clear, but plain and simple things restored and old things made new.” May we hear the Lord saying “I am building My church” with the binding mortar of love, Peace, joy, patience, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Who could not love that!!! That is fertile ground for the impossible to take place and miracles to happen daily when we are quickened and inspired by the Holy Spirit in this manner. The church should be a place of transformation... He said that His church should look so radical, that here’s how it’s described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, a new creation has come. The old has passed away and is gone, the new is here”!
The lesser elements of the world, and the influence of carnal emotions don’t prevail over us any more. The butterfly and caterpillar cannot exist at the same time...they will be one or the other.... .An old man was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of his business. He owned one of those mom and popgrocery stores in a small town. As he rocked back and forth, he watched the people pass by on the street. Every now and then he’d call out to the folks walking by in order to attract business. “How you doin’ today?” he’d ask. “Just fine,” one person answered. “How about you come on in and we’ll make you a deal?” “Not interested, the man answered. I heard how you treat your customers.” “Oh, yeah?! And how’s that?” the old man said as he stood up to get a little closer to the patron. “Well, he answered. “You follow them around and if they don’t want to buy one of your products, you call them names. If they don’t want to buy your deodorant, you call them Stinky. If they don’t want to buy your food, you call them Anorexic Monkeys. If they buy too much of your food, you call them Fatties. If they don’t want to buy your shampoo, you call them Nappy Heads. If they don’t want to buy your toothpaste or mouthwash, you call them Poopy Breath. You don’t have any respect for anyone that comes in your store.” The old man thought for a minute and said, “I guess you’re right, you critical Dimwit.”. (How to win friends and influence people) Colossians 3:10 says “we have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”. When the Holy Spirit, comes in, the interior decorator has arrived and He immediately begins redoing our interior according to the creator’s plans. If the creator is going to live here, then it should be to His liking. A new foundation, No hoarding, no uncleanness, no hidden places.... He said He would make everything new again. The carpet gets shampooed, the furniture gets replaced, new paint on the walls, new wiring, new reading material, etc. Hey if you look at His instructions for the temple where His glory rested... it was to be kept in immaculate condition, and all according to his instructions, because the King of Kings was moving in!! We want Him to move in to stay, so we prepare a dwelling place for His glory! Jesus said if we make sure the house pleases Him....“The forces of Hell shall not prevail against it”!!! That’s quite a benefit! The effect of this building and bonding together is, that we experience the love of God in worship, we embody the love of God in community, and we extend the love of God in evangelism. In all of this process, we learn to know Him as Immanuel, “God who is with us and in us.”
God wants His church to take the TGI tour. That stands for “Turn it around”. No matter where any church is in their journey.... it can be turned around. ” Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint” This waiting means to contend for, to press in, to hunger and thirst after, to desire with deep desiring, to become desperate.... We need to once again press in to Acts 2:17 “ Inthe last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy”.… This group we are reading about, in Acts, are Jesus disciples, who are activating a scripture which was given 930 years before in the book of Joel. Whatever God has said, he will do. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. What He promised others, He’ll give to you. It’s never too late.... Acts 10:34 “I now know and realize, that God is not a respecter of persons.” Friend, that means God will not do for anyone else what He is unwilling to do for you. If He has promised anyone anything, then it’s yours as well, if your foundation is built upon Christ. What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you. I love what Holy Spirit says to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 “Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the lazy, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it”. HE WILL SURELY DO IT!!
The church He builds is a transformational church! Hallelujah....
If you wish to contact us privately, or give to this ministry, our address is Eagle's Rest Ministries, P.O box 2820, Key West, Florida 33040.. Keep us in your prayers that we may be an instrument in the Master's hands, and Jesus may be exalted continually in our lives and ministry. Thank you in advance and God richly bless you.. We look forward to hearing from you.
You are going to miss a lot of what I’m presenting today if you don’t read the printed sermon on the church web page on Tuesday, but do the best you can.....
I’m going to speak a lot of things to the men today, because men are fathers, not those who identify as men, but there’s a lot for everyone!
The key to God’s strategy for ruling earth, is the male of the human species! I will quickly explain that statement so I won’t offend the women..... God shows us clearly in scripture that the man is the foundation for the human family. Many men have been taught that they are the head of the home, and that produces an image of being on top, which means that someone else has to come underneaththat... but we need a correction to this image....The male is not at the top of the family, he is at the bottom.
You see, God’s intention was and is, that the man, is the foundation that carries the weight of all that is built upon it. God began His divine society as any good contractor....You ladies need to ask that man...”Are you ready to be the foundation that holds everything up”?
God started the human race by laying the foundation. The bible is the story of a King, a kingdom and His royal family.
You see, God’s purpose in creating the man first, was to extend His heavenly kingdom into the earth. God’s strategy was to colonize earth with heaven, so that He could extend His invisible kingdom into the visible earth. He wanted to fill the earth with the culture of heaven. When a kingdom extends into a territory, it brings its culture and its customs into that new territory.
America did not begin as a country, it began as a colony of Great Britain.We were supposed to talk like the British, drink tea like the British, drive on the left side of the street, and basically be a little Britain. Whatever happens in the kingdom, should reflect in the colony. The British intended that this colony look exactly like the kingdom it was part of, but this colony rebelled and refused to accept the culture of England, much like so many today, refuse to accept the culture of Heaven, as God intended from our Genesis. You see, Democracies do not colonize, only kingdoms colonize....Kingdoms hold sway over the population, but Democracy allows for everyone to do what is right in their own eyes. It’s called diversity...
But Jesus told the disciples to pray “Our Father who is IN HEAVEN, holy is Your name. YOUR KINGOM COME, YOUR WILL (WAYS AND CULTURE) BE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”.
He didn’t say, pray that we could get out of here and go to heaven, but pray that the kingdom of heaven might be reflected in the earth and fill all the earth.
Without realizing it we have reversed God’s program, and put too much emphasis on going to heaven, and getting out of here, instead of occupying this earth, in a way that will make it a reflection of heaven. Sowe train people how to leave earth, instead of transforming earth into something that looks like the kingdom of heaven.
Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth”.
Dominion in the original language is RADAH, and it means to govern, to manage, to lead a kingdom. To bring the government and culture of heaven into the earth. It is in the man’s nature to lead, that’s why men hate to be told what to do.
Men were designed to manage, to lead, to be in charge, but not to be over people...
Man was not created to dominate other people, that includes your wife and children, but we were designed to dominate the earth!
Every man was designed with gifts which enable him to lead, manage and be in charge of his area of dominion. Discovering your purpose is the source of your leadership.
God began His human family by first designing the human male. Man was the prototype or first edition. There were already males of every other species, but not a human male. Leadership requires something to lead, so God made man after every thing else, so everything else would have leadership. (more about that later)
The word “human” is two words.... “HUMAS” which means dirt, and “ISH”, Which is the spirit. Then God took that spirit and put it into a dirt suit and made a hu – man, or a (Humas Ish)
Man is a Spirit, and spirits have no gender. There is no reference in the bible to a male or female spirit. One time they asked Jesus, “If a woman marries 5 times and she dies, whose wife will she be in the resurrection”. Jesus answered, there is no marrying or giving in marriage in the resurrection. Galatians 3:28says “there is no male or female in Christ”
But the first dirt suit, which God put a none gender spirit in, was a male. That was His plan.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female He created them”.
God started with a spirit in His image which He put in a male dirt suit, because the man was to be foundational to the human family. He was the only one that God made from dirt. Eight Billion others plus the womb-man that He pulled out of the man, all came from that first edition.
This is all going to come together in a few moments....
Genesis 2:4-5 “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 for the plant of the field was in the earth and the herb of the field. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, for there was no man to work the ground”
God could not go any further here, God had to stop until he had a man to manage the planet. If you don’t manage well what God gives you, you won’t keep it for long. If men don’t manage their marriage and their families as they aught to, they’ll lose them. If they don’t manage their job well, they’ll lose it, if they don’t manage what they’re given, it will be lost. Men were created by God as foundations that He could build the future upon. Marriages and families and entire cultures in the earth, need someone to manage and to cultivate them.
Let me go back for a moment....
Look with me at, Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being”.
We are told first that God created man, now we see that God formed or made man.
The word Create, is the word Barah, which means to form something that didn’t exist before....The word formed, is the word Asah, which means to use something that already exists. So part of you came from nothing and part of you came from something.....Even though your body came from something that was already there, your spirit came forth, right out of God.
Genesis 2:8 “Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed”.
What I want to emphasize here is God made the garden and put the man there.....
It’s easy to miss this and run on by it....
The man didn’t have to search and find the garden... first God made the garden and then put the man there..... This is about the man’s purpose and his work.
Genesis 2:15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
This scripture has in it everything a man needs. The woman hasn’t been formed yet, it’s only the male that God is talking to here.
Eden is not a geographical place that is mentioned here. The Hebrew word means presence. Eden can’t be found today, because it was more than a physical place. Eden was an atmosphere, or environment on the earth. The Hebrew word actually has four aspects.... it is the location of God time, God’s presence, God’s opening, and God’s delight.
When you put it together it means in God’s perfect time, He created an environment on earth, where the presence of God produced an open heaven, and by relationship it became a delightful place.
That’s where God intended for the man to live.....in an environment on earth where the presence of God created an open heaven and a delightful place.
We were created by God to live in that Eden!
Song says.... And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own, and the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known”.... Man didn’t have to find that, it was created for him, then he was put in it!
When God created the fish, He created the water first... When He created the birds, He created the environment it would fly in first.... When God created all the plants, He made the earth for them to be placed in.... When God made the stars and planets, He created the heavens to place them in......When God created man, He created the environment first.... and put Him in it, where the presence of God created an open heaven and a delightful place.
Men were made for His presence!
Take a fish out of water, it can’t function and it dies. Take a plant out of the soil, and it withers and dies... take a star out of the firmament and it becomes a meteorite and dies.....take a person out of God’s presence and they malfunction, and lose their purpose!
That’s why Satan wants to fill the church with skirts, but no trousers... He knows that the men are foundational to a healthy society and family unit!He knows that if the men ever get back into God’s presence, society will come back under the influence of kingdom culture and the earth will be a delightful place!
Scripture says that God gave the man work. This is not just a job, you can get fired from a job, but you can’t get fired from your work and you can’t retire from your work either.
God gave man work, before the woman was formed, and before the fall took place. So it’s not part of the curse. Look at the work He gave the manto do. God told the man to cultivate Eden, the garden of His presence, He told him to guard the garden of His presence, and He told him to keep the garden of His presence.
He told him all that, before He formed the woman.
Satan is working so hard on men because he is foundational to our culture. As the men go, so goes the country.
That’s why we have gender confusion, pornography, drug addiction, alcoholism, and adultery to derail men from their God given purpose as foundation stones in society.
If the foundation is weak, the whole building will collapse. We see that happening in our country today.
I said that One of the first commands God gave to the man, was about his work. The Greek word for work is Eragon. It means to manifest, to fulfill, to reveal, and to become yourself.
So this means that we become what we were created to be through self discovery and self manifestation.
If you think work is just something you do to make money, that’s probably why they fired you..... Your job is what they pay you to do, your work is what you were born to do. Your job is your skill set, your work is your gift you were created to give. They can never fire you from your work. You can retire from your job, but you never retire from your work, because that is the gift of who you are.
When a mango seed, becomes a tree filled with mangoes, it’s working!
When I turn on my car and the motor starts running, it’s working!
When a bird flies, it’s working as it was created to....
Every man has built within him a blueprint of what he is to become, and when that blueprint starts working, it blesses, equips, and prepares everyone around him to also become and work as the gift they were created to be!
The average man will never truly discover his work, or become what God intended him to be. Satan wants to do all he can to be sure of it!!
I wrote down some questions that I would like to ask my future self.... Looking back, what do you wish you had spent more time doing? What do you wish you had spent less time doing? What are your biggest hopes and dreams you have been able to accomplish?
What has kept you from going after your dreams?
What are the three biggest lessons you’ll take from the life you’ve lived?
How do your family relationships look and feel?
What regrets do you have?
What are some things you “let go of” in order to move on with your life?
What would you do differently if you had the chance to do it over again?
Did you continue to follow your dreams? What are the biggest thingsyou’ve been able to overcome? Has your life turned out the way you thought it would?
If today was your last day on Earth, what would you do?
Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in man’s heart, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail”.
Before you were born, God had a purpose that made you necessary. You are here to do something that God saw as finished, so that you could start it. You’re not here as an experiment, you’re here as an assignment. (repeatthat statement)
God gave the woman to the man as a help meet. But if the man doesn’t know his assignment, how can she help him!!! If the man doesn’t know his purpose, how can she support him and assist him to fulfill it!
Men need to know what God intended them to be and to do, before they try to find a woman to help them.
God formed the man, but He built the woman. So God has the helper you need cause He built her for you. But you’ve got to appreciate that she wants to become part with your work, and your process of development as you become all you can be, and she becomes all she can be when you do!!
The first question a woman should ask a man, is not “do you love me”.... It should be “Where are you going”... because if she’s going to follow him, she needs to know where he’s going... I recall a statement, I can’t remember the author... “Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend”.. The woman gets a lot of peace and security out of knowing where her man is going. God didn’t give the woman to the man, to compete with him, she came to complete him!! If the woman comes to help you and you don’t know where you’re going, then she will help herself, because she is developing her own gifts too!
FIND YOUR WORK AND YOU’VE FOUND YOUR PLACE. You can’t discover your worth, until you discover your work.
When a man finds his work and his worth, everything begins to fit together, and everything comes alive! He is awakened!
Jesus said, “I came to do the work, the Father gave me to do”..... I work the works of the Father”..... “I came to finish the works the Father sent me to do”.... “My Father is working and I am working”......Works, works, works.....
A crises can overwhelm what you see, but it is no match for your purpose. Your purpose is greater than sight and sometimes it contradicts what you see.
When you’re promoting vision and hope, you’re promoting one of the most powerful things in life. It identifies with everyone, because purpose gives hope and produces vision and goals for your life.
Joel 2:28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions”.
The old men dream dreams about hopes they will not see but the next generation will.... The young men see visions of what they can achieve in their lifetime. Your sons and daughters will prophecy, because they will remember the hopes you have described to them, and taught them, and later when you get discouraged or lose hope, they will say, “didn’t you say that you were hoping for this or that... Didn’t you say that you’re believing for those things, and they stir it back up within you, and they remind you so that you can renew your vision, and regain your hope! The young men asked the prophetic question in the old testament.... “Where is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”?
I feel like we should gather around the men today, and renew their vision, and stir up hope and purpose in some areas, perhaps, that have faded and maybe been lost.
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that if we are older, He’ll give us back our dream, and if we are young, He’ll give us back our vision.
No matter how powerful you were visited by the Holy Spirit, the evidence should be, a clear vision of your purpose, and a renewal of your dreams....
Isaiah 46:9 “I am God, and there is no other. I am God, and there is none like Me.10 I make known the end from the beginning...I say from ancient times what is to come....I declare that my purpose shall stand...” It is God that gives us purpose...
God says here “I speak the end from the beginning”. I see the end of your life, then I back up to the beginning. When God starts something in us, it is evidence that it is already finished as far as He is concerned. Your very birth, is evidence that it is already finished. We weren’t just born to start,we were born to finish!!!
Isaiah 46:11 “What I have declared, I will bring about, what I have begun, I will finish”.
God finished your purpose, even before you started! That’s where that vision inside of you which you carry all the time comes from.... He’s declaring it inside of and through you.... God already knows your outcome, before you begin....
You can see healing, while you’re still sick.... You see everything coming together, while you’re in the midst of chaos, and crises.... You see a better financial situation, while you’re still broke....You see your family whole and flourishing, when your world has gone crazy and out of control!
God won’t allow you to keep seeing what is not there! God is speaking to each of you what He declared to Abraham....
Romans 4:17 “As it is written beforehand, “I have made you a father of many nations, in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who quickens the dead and calls those things which are not, (at the moment) as though they already were”.
That’s what vision and dreams are about...
When my wife married me, I didn’t even have a bicycle to ride. But I had a dream to preach the gospel, and she was looking for a man, who had a dream to preach the gospel... So God showed us the end at our beginning, and we’ve been going strong (it’ll be 60 years, this October 28th) And it’s been an amazing adventure!!
Joseph had a vision, and he saw his brothers and his father bowing down to him. And there were times in the pit, a prisoner of slave traders, Potiphar’s house, and an Egyptian prison, when that vision seemed crushed, but Joseph believed that he was looking at the finish line when he was at the starting line. That’s why he was able to say “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good”....That’s purpose, That’s vision, which comes into every man from God.
No matter how it looks, God has intended it all for good!!!! If you have learned that life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful, then you can be the happiest man on earth!!!
Let’s pray over the men this morning, come on. God is beginning something that He already saw as finished!!! It’s our purpose.....
We all need a little humor as we deal with life, so here’s one for you... At the conclusion of the sermon, the worshipers would pause to greet the minister as they exited from the sanctuary. As one of them left, he shook the minister's hand, thanked him for the sermon and said, "Thanks for the message, Reverend. You know, you must be smarter than Einstein." Beaming with pride, the minister said, "Why, thank you, brother! As the week went by, the minister began to think about the man's compliment. The more he thought, the more he became baffled as to why anyone would think that he was smarter than Einstein. So he decided to ask the man the following Sunday. So, he asked if the man remembered the Einstein comment and he said that he did. The minister asked: "Exactly what did you mean that I must be smarter than Einstein?" Well, The man replied, "They say that Einstein was so smart that only ten people in the entire world could understand him. But, no one can understand you." Well, I trust that Understanding will be granted, and you will understand what I would like to share with you today!
My message is titled “A Mystery Unraveled”
I’m sure we could all say that the Bible holds many mysteries which we are still trying to unravel and understand, but we can be assured that....
Mark 4:11 tells us all “to you has been given the “Mysteries of the Kingdom”.... Romans 11:25 tells us to “not be ignorant of the mystery”... Romans 11:33says that “the wisdom and knowledge of God is unsearchable” indicatingthat it is a continual and unending journey.... Daniel 2:28 “The God of heaven reveals mysteries” 1 Corinthians 2:7 tells us to “speak the mysteries of God’s wisdom”.. So, God desires to reveal to the searching heart, His mysteries so that we can speak them out. I said last Sunday that the purpose of Holy Spirit’s coming was to “take the things of God and reveal them to the church” John 16:14and this is the way Paul describes the purpose of the letter He sends to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 3:8- He says “Unto me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things”
So, I want us to read that entire section of Paul’s letter, beginning with
Ephesians 3: 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, [5] which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. [6] This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [7] Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. [8] Unto me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, [9] and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, [10] so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, [12] in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him”.
My mom was always telling me to take bite sized pieces when I ate, because when I was hungry, as a growing boy with unbounding energy, I wanted to devour my food and get back out to the adventure. So we’re going to take bite sized pieces of this mystery, which Paul presents to the Ephesians, before you return to your adventure.
As we focus on some bite sized pieces of this divine mystery andthe implications it presents of our union in Christ. We begin with....
(1) “The mystery of the Prisoner”
Ephesians 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-- [2] assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, [3] how the mystery was made known to me by revelation”
Paul is saying that the mystery of being a prisoner of Christ, had been opened up to him by revelation. He had been in prison many times for preaching the gospel but no matter what prison he was in, how much he was shackled and chained, He didn’t refer to himself as a prisoner of that place, but a prisoner of Christ. That’s important.... On one occasion, Paul was chained to a Roman guard on either side, and I’m sure Paul is thinking, “I’ve got them right where I want them, they can’t get away”.......Paul believed “He whom the Son sets free is free indeed”!! It’s like Daniel in the lion’s den.... It was the lion’s den till Daniel got there, then, he made it into Daniel’s den. Because he knew that God had put him there for a demonstration to the entire kingdom of Babylon...... Is the hard place, the difficult place transforming you, or do you understand that you are there to transform it! The mystery of being a prisoner of Christ, is that you can transform any place you are at, and cause it to serve the one you serve.
David was taking lunch to his brothers, that was his mission, but as he was being faithful to God, the mission became a much greater one. He became the liberator of Israel by slaying Goliath. Understand the mystery of being a prisoner of Christ! Every place you’re at, can hold potential beyond what you can understand at the moment. By being His prisoner, any place, any time, any circumstance can be transformed... Understand the mystery....
Corrie Ten Boom wrote that she considered that wherever she was, that was the perfect place in the world that God wanted her to take the power of the mystery of the gospel to. And she proved it even in the concentration camps of Germany. It became Corrie’s camp!
You are not a prisoner of a dead end job, a messed up marriage, overwhelming debt, the low expectations of those around you, or those in authority over you. As a Christian, bearing the name of Christ, whatever situation we are in, even the most difficultand challenging, has a godly purpose and a mystery to be revealed.
Dissatisfaction, envy, covetousness, and complaining, are red flags that we do not understand the mystery of being a prisoner of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:8 “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in this body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested through us. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested through us”.
The earth’s crust is 25 miles thick. The deepest hole on earth isat the Kola Peninsula in Scandinavia, which is 7 1/2 miles deep and that’s shallow compared with the depths of God’s riches oflove and grace, held in store for each believer.
I refer you to (Col 2:3) as “the glorious riches of the mystery, which is Christ in you the hope of glory”
In His Ephesian letter, Paul mentions
“The mystery of the Purpose”
Ephesians 3:10 (ESV) “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was according to the eternal (the prothesis) that he has purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord”
The word purpose or “Prothesis” here, represents that which is far above, greater, and superior to what is seen at the moment.God’s greater purpose has our purpose included in it. We are part of His greater purpose. When my purpose was to marry Winnie Marston and make her Winnie Elliott... David, Chris, and Karen were a greater purpose connected to that. All that they have accomplished in their purpose has Pepper and Zoe, Parker, Evan, Kaytlyn, Jessie, Bryson, Livia, Brandon, and their kids, (our 5 great, grand kids) included in it, plus all, that all of them have reached thru their ministry.
The church and those in it, is not an end in itself but a means to an end, the end is to glorify God.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8:6 “There is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him”
“From Him, For Him, Through Him, and To Him are all things”. (that’s worship) That statement will remove a lot of mystery, uncertainty, doubt, fear, intimidation, and pressure from your life....
In the classroom of God’s universe, He is the Teacher, the angels are the students, the church of the ages (you and me, and all who are before and after) is the , and the subject is the manifold wisdom of God. The church is not only the pattern, but also the means God is using to show that His purposes are moving triumphantly to their climactic conclusion.
What would happen if the Christian church could get her heart, mind and spirit around this claim of Paul—that all powers, all structures, all institutions, all systems can be and ultimately will be redeemed—indeed, that it is God’s plan to bring everything into harmony with His purposes! An understanding of the Prothesis (the unseen things, that are far above, greater, beyond, and superior to what is seen), brings us into what Paul refers to as “High Praises”....
Psalm 149:4 “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people, He will beautify the humble with salvation (wholeness and completeness). v5 Let the faithful ones be joyful in glory. Let them sing aloud on their beds. v6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword (the word of God) in their hand….” Scripture tells us to give Him high praises, it is praise that has moved to another level, and has become mature in understanding, rising above the carnal mind, the emotions and fleshly feelings. It is praise with understanding. If you only praise God when things are going well, your praise has not become high praise yet. If you only praise God when you feel like it, your praise has not become high praise yet. If you only praise God when you come to church, your praise has not become high praise yet. If you don’t understand that praise is Spiritual warfare, your praise has not become high praise yet. If you only praise God for what He does and not for who He is, your praise has not become high praise yet…. As we get this higher perspective, it will change the atmosphere in the situations and circumstances around us as we bring heaven into the earth. We move out of tunnel vision, and begin to see the bigger picture of divine purpose, in our job, our home, our relationships, and our circumstances. Our calling is now and always, to elevate the place where we are. You can’t give something you don’t have…. You can’t call others to a place you have not come to yourself… You can’t teach what you have not learned…You can’t impart what you have not received…. The reason you have been under such heavy attacks from the enemy, is because he knows that you have the potential to elevate where you are to a higher level and sway everything within your circle of life to a higher place and into God’s greater purposes.
There is a greater purpose than the purpose you’re in at the moment. Picture yourself in an orchestra. You may be playing the trumpet, and someone else is playing the base, and another the cymbals, another the violine, another the drums, but all of these are under a conductor, whose task is to bring all of these parts into harmony so that even though the audience sees them all, they only hear one sound, blended in unity so that all the sounds become one sound with one purpose.
Paul also speaks of “The Mystery of The Privilege” In Judaism only the high priest could enter the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, and that would be briefly, once a year on the Day of Atonement. For anyone else to come into God’s presence meant instant death. But God put an exclamation point on His desire for all believers to have the privilege of total access to His throne room, when He tore the veil in half, from top to bottom, so no one could doubt that He did it, to establish a new system of grace and mercy and access for those who belong to Him. Oh, may we move through the open veil, and wade out into the vastness of the depths of His presence.
Ephesians 3:12 “in Christ we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. [13] So I ask you not to lose heart in suffering, which is for your glory. (ESV)
There are three stages in our progress. First, we believe the promises of God... next, by relying on His word, we begin to gain confidence, which is accompanied by peace of heart and mind, and, last of all, we come into boldness, which enables us to banish fear, and intimidation and to come with firmness, courage and steadiness as we become more and more hungry for the presence of God. Belief, Confidence, then Boldness with the access we have been given. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way...
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (ESV)
Romans 8:18 “I consider that the sufferings of this present time,” he explained to the Roman believers, “are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us”.
John MacArthur tells a story of an old church in England. A sign on the front of the building read “We preach Christ crucified, Risen, and coming again.” After a time, ivy grew up the walls, obscuring the last words. The sign now read, “We preach Christ, crucified.” The ivy grew some more, and the motto read, “We preach Christ.” Finally, ivy covered the word Christ, so that it read, “We preach”.. Soon, the ivy covered the everything but the word “We” and the church died. Such is the fate of any church or people that forgets the great privilege of access to His presence and fails to carry out its mission in the world. Let us determine that we shall fulfil our mission in the world to share the mysteries of the kingdom.
Paul, who wrote this truth to us, was a blasphemer of Christ, and a persecutor of the church.. But as he surrendered to Christ through the Holy Spirit, he received access into the mysteries of the kingdom. The same access which we have all received... PRESS IN, KEEP MOVING FORWARD, CLAIM THE ACCESS YOU HAVE RECEIVED!
ENTER INTO THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF REVELATION WHICH BRINGS UNDERSTANDING OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE!
Let’s stand together for our confession..... Light is breaking through the darkness, clarity is pushing aside confusion and the end is in sight. The substance of what I hoped for and the evidence of what I believed for is beginning to be manifested. I will stand my ground and see it, as I continue to believe forward, in spite of all I see. In Christ, what can possibly succeed against me. That which stands in my way shall yield to the anointing which has authorized mr for this time and this time for me. The thing that I fear has no substance and my doubts have no foundation. My Lord is bringing this full circle, and He is bringing people across my path who shall guide me into what He has always desired for me. I cannot possibly understand all that He has done and all that He is doing, to bring about what He has put in my heart. I believe that, no matter what it looks like, He will have His way in the whirlwind and the storm. And when it is finished, all shall know that except for the Lord’s doing, I would only fail. God has seen my heart and how you have pursued after Him. I know in my spirit that something, (a God thing) is about to happen that will catapult me to another level. He is walking on the water, so that I will not go under, and as I keep my hand in His, we shall walk through it all together and having done all, I shall stand and see the glory of the Lord. So, I will be still and know that You are God. I will not have to fight this battle, for the battle belongs to the Lord. This battle is already won and the victory is already mine.
