Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / The Gifts of the Spirit pt 8: The Power Gifts
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
- 0:06designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
- 0:09walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
- 0:13the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
- 0:17right in. It's good to be here this evening again
- 0:24to share the Word of God with us. To continue
- 0:32from where we stopped on Sunday, like I said
- 0:40on Sunday, as we teach, as we teach, you have
- 0:43to believe that the power of God is at work and
- 0:48that as the word of God comes, that you will
- 0:50receive. Hallelujah. As the word of God comes,
- 0:56that you what? You will receive. The word of
- 1:00God comes that you will receive. Hallelujah.
- 1:12Can we open our scriptures to Acts of Apostles?
- 1:23Acts of Apostles. Acts verse. chapter 10 that's
- 1:40chapter 10 at chapter 10 Verse 44. Acts chapter
- 2:0410, verse 44. The title of the teaching is still
- 2:08the power gifts. The power gifts of God that
- 2:12is at work in the believer. Acts chapter 4, chapter
- 2:1710, verse 44. It says, while Peter was still
- 2:21speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon
- 2:26all those who heard. the word right so peter
- 2:32was teaching peter was explaining about what
- 2:36christ has done peter was preaching the word
- 2:39of salvation right he was preaching this in cornelius
- 2:43house and to his family members and to people
- 2:44that were there and while he was preaching i
- 2:48was preaching right They were expecting to believe,
- 2:52right? So it was actually invited to teach them
- 2:56about the power of God, which is the salvation
- 2:58message. And while Peter spoke, what happened?
- 3:02He said, the Holy Ghost fell upon them. It means
- 3:04that they received what they were expecting.
- 3:08Do we get it? Peter was teaching and they received
- 3:12the Holy Ghost because the reason why they told
- 3:14Peter to come was to come preach to them. that
- 3:17they might understand the message of Christ and
- 3:19the power of God much more. And while he spoke,
- 3:22they received the Holy Ghost. So when teaching
- 3:28is going, I said that on Sunday, I said when
- 3:30teaching is going, you must be very expectant
- 3:33so that you can receive. You must be very expectant
- 3:37so that you can receive. If you're looking forward
- 3:40to healing, you're looking forward to deliverance,
- 3:42you're looking forward to the miraculous taking
- 3:44place in certain areas of your life, while the
- 3:46teaching is going on before the pastors even
- 3:48lay hands on you, you can receive. Right? So
- 3:52these people were very expectant to receive.
- 3:55Hallelujah. So that is just to charge us. I'm
- 3:58going to charge us a little bit more before I
- 3:59go into the teaching. The reason is because...
- 4:02Your ability to receive or your capacity to receive,
- 4:04right? It has something to do with your state
- 4:07of mind, right? So if you're not expecting to
- 4:10receive, you're not looking forward to receive,
- 4:12you're not setting your heart to receive, it's
- 4:14very difficult for you to receive. So we see
- 4:18this. Now let's go to Romans 10. Romans 10. Romans
- 4:2810 verse 9. 9 and 10. Romans 10, verse 9 and
- 4:3410. That if you confess, right, start from verse
- 4:408 so that we can have a little bit of connection.
- 4:42He said, but what does it say? The word is near
- 4:45you in your mouth and in your heart. I feel like
- 4:50taking it a little bit further. Go to verse 7.
- 4:54Go to verse 7. Or verse 6. Let's start from verse
- 4:586. He said, but the righteousness, of faith speaks
- 5:01in this way, right? The righteousness that is
- 5:05of faith. So it's talking about righteousness
- 5:06that people will receive. Speaks in this way,
- 5:08say, do not say in your hearts who will ascend
- 5:11into heaven that is to bring Christ from above,
- 5:15right? Or who will descend into the abyss that
- 5:20is to bring Christ from the dead, right? So this
- 5:24statement is a statement of doubt. So when they
- 5:27preach the gospel to you, you say, who will bring
- 5:29the Christ down? Right? How can he come down?
- 5:32Or who would raise him up from beneath? Right?
- 5:34How can resurrection take place? He said, this
- 5:36is a statement of doubt. Right? But look at what
- 5:38it says. He said, but what does it say? The word
- 5:42is near you in your mouth and in your heart.
- 5:44That is the word of faith which we preach. That
- 5:48if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
- 5:51and believe in your heart that God has raised
- 5:54him from the dead, you will be saved. Do we believe
- 5:58this this evening? Everybody, do we believe the
- 6:00statement that God raised Christ from the dead?
- 6:03We believe the statement. Amen. Good. So you
- 6:07believe the statement, right? Acts of Apostles.
- 6:17Acts of Apostles. Let's go to verse 19 straight.
- 6:26Let's go to chapter 19, sorry. Acts of Apostles
- 6:29chapter 19. It says, and God, from verse 11 please.
- 6:39Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands
- 6:44of Paul so that even handkerchiefs or aprons
- 6:49were brought from his body to the sick and the
- 6:53disease left them and the evil spirits. went
- 6:58out of them. Do you believe this as well? You
- 7:02see, the yes is going out. Do you believe this?
- 7:06You know why I'm reading these two scriptures?
- 7:09Because what Brother Victory read in Mark chapter
- 7:1216 is that when the message is preached, you
- 7:18believe both the salvation and the miraculous
- 7:21that comes with the salvation. So most believers,
- 7:26we stop. at that salvation. The faith that you
- 7:32used to receive the miraculous and the faith
- 7:33you received at salvation, it's not different.
- 7:37As you have believed, as you have received salvation,
- 7:39the faith to receive the miraculous is in you.
- 7:46Do you get it? That is what I'm asking you. Do
- 7:48you believe that you're saved? You say yes. Do
- 7:50you believe that Christ is alive? You say yes.
- 7:52If you believe that, therefore, the miraculous
- 7:56tool, You have to take it along. So that is why
- 7:59Dan Mark 16, Dan Mark 16 really brings these
- 8:05two things together. He said, he that believes,
- 8:0916, 16, he that believes is baptized and shall
- 8:12be saved. So most of the believers stop there,
- 8:14right? He that does not believe is damned and
- 8:18they stop there. Now this limits us to function
- 8:24effectively as believers. When you say such things
- 8:28as verse 17 is not part of what you have or you
- 8:33need something extra to work in verse 17, it
- 8:37makes you not to be effective in your faith.
- 8:41That's a scripture that we read in Philemon,
- 8:43right? That we might be effective when we know
- 8:46that verse 17 is part of what we have. So what
- 8:50is in verse 17? It says, these signs shall follow
- 8:54them that believe. It's not like, oh, they have
- 8:58to believe to receive salvation. Then they will
- 8:59believe to receive. No, no, no, no. It said,
- 9:01those that have believed, that have received
- 9:03salvation, these signs will follow them. It said,
- 9:08and these signs shall follow them that believe.
- 9:10In my name, they shall cast out devils. They
- 9:13shall speak with new tongues. And they shall
- 9:17take up serpents. If they drink any deadly thing,
- 9:19it shall not hurt them. And they shall lay hands
- 9:22on the sick and they shall recover. When this
- 9:24thing was written, Paul was not saved. Right?
- 9:27Let's say by the time when this war, this conversation,
- 9:29this was happening with Christ and his disciples.
- 9:32Right? Paul was not saved. But did he partake
- 9:35in this? Yes. Acts 19. Right? He said that, in
- 9:39fact, his aprons were taken to places and people
- 9:44were healed. So why am I saying this? Because
- 9:49as we further into teachings of the miraculous,
- 9:53you must always have it at the back of your mind
- 9:56that it will take place through you and in you.
- 10:00It will take place through you and in you. Hallelujah.
- 10:04Can you say it will take place through me and
- 10:07in me? The miraculous will take place through
- 10:11me and in me. It means that you are both. A minister
- 10:15of it and a recipient of it. Hallelujah. All
- 10:22right. So let's continue from where we stopped
- 10:25last Sunday. So you have to keep believing these
- 10:28things. You have to keep holding on to it, right?
- 10:32No matter what your physical circumstance is
- 10:34saying, this is what you hold on to. That the
- 10:37power of God is at work through me. Now, James,
- 10:40before we go to James, 2 Kings 2 verse 8. So
- 10:44we're talking about Elijah and the exploit he
- 10:47did and the miraculous and the power that took
- 10:50place that happened through him. So let's go
- 10:52to 2 Kings 2 .8. Now, so this is another scenario,
- 10:57right? This is another scenario which was repeated
- 10:59in verse 12 and 14. So he said, now Elijah took
- 11:03his mantle, rolled it up and struck the water
- 11:06and it was divided this way and that so that
- 11:10divided this way and that. so that the two of
- 11:14them cross over on the ground, right? Of course,
- 11:17we've seen this in the case of Moses as well,
- 11:20right? Go to verse 12 to 14. So let's start from
- 11:2412. He said, And Elijah saw it, and he cried
- 11:27out, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel
- 11:29and its host men. So he saw him no more, and
- 11:32he took hold of his own clothes and tore them
- 11:35into two pieces. Next. And he also took up the
- 11:39mantle of Elijah. that had fallen from him and
- 11:42went back and stood by the bank of the same river
- 11:44of the Jordan, right? So he needed to cross back.
- 11:47And he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen
- 11:49from him and struck the water and said, where
- 11:52is the Lord of God of Elijah? And when he also
- 11:55had struck the water, you see, when he also had
- 12:00struck the water, it was divided this way. And
- 12:03that's, and Elisha also what? crossed the river
- 12:06so we see that this thing becomes so uh it become
- 12:12a place where both elijah and elijah walked in
- 12:14right the miraculous and this uh power gift right
- 12:17reflecting in their lives daily so now there's
- 12:23something that is spectacular because the bible
- 12:25in the new what we call the new testament referred
- 12:27back to at least one of them which is was elijah
- 12:32so we can open to james We can open to James.
- 12:35I just pointed that out to show us, you know,
- 12:38how this is common among the prophets, right?
- 12:41So the prophet did it. The next one also went,
- 12:43did the same thing. Now I wanted to show us something
- 12:46that there were some sons of the prophets in
- 12:48that environment, right? Those people were walking
- 12:51in level of unbeliefs. Right? They had some unbelief
- 12:57in them because it was the unbelief. You can
- 12:59go back home to study because I have a lot to
- 13:00go. It was the unbelief that was in them that
- 13:03was making them tease Elisha. Right? So they
- 13:08had some unbelief in them and they were making
- 13:09them tease. So, you know, the Lord will take
- 13:12your master from you. Right? So they were kind
- 13:14of teasing him. But when he came back, and they
- 13:18saw the miraculous that took place. What did
- 13:20they do? They bowed down. They submitted to him.
- 13:22So they became his own students. They bowed down
- 13:24as if, you know, we came down to you. So it shows
- 13:28levels in different, like different people's
- 13:32responses, right, to the miraculous. So you can
- 13:34check that and you will see that that is taken.
- 13:37Now, James 5 referred to Elijah. James 5 referred
- 13:43to Elijah in a very... necessary way that we
- 13:48examine it. We examine it because it's in relations
- 13:51to what we are teaching. James 5 from verse 13.
- 13:56He said, Is any among you afflicted? Let him
- 13:59pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalm. Is any
- 14:04sick among you? Let him call for the elders of
- 14:06the church and let them pray over him, anointing
- 14:11him with oil in the name of the Lord and the
- 14:13prayer of faith. shall save the sick, and the
- 14:17Lord shall raise him up. And he that committeth
- 14:19sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your
- 14:23faults to one another and pray one for another,
- 14:26that they may be healed, that ye may be healed.
- 14:29The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
- 14:32availeth much. Elias, which is Elijah, was a
- 14:36man subject to like passion as we hear, and he
- 14:40prayed earnestly that it should not rain, and
- 14:42it rained not. On the day, Now, the emphasis
- 14:54here that we need to see is that from verse 15
- 14:59first. The prayer of faith. What does it do?
- 15:05The prayer of faith does what? Save the sick,
- 15:08right? The prayer of faith will save the sick.
- 15:12And we see a practice there. Which is, let them
- 15:16pray over him, right? Anointing him and all of
- 15:20that. But what we see there that saved the sick
- 15:22was what? The prayer of faith. The prayer of
- 15:27faith. Now, verse 16. Let's say the B part. He
- 15:31said, the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous
- 15:36man availeth what? Much. Now, let's use ANPC
- 15:40that we used to use. Right? It's ANPC. He said,
- 15:45the earnest continued prayer of the righteous
- 15:47man makes tremendous power available. Now, in
- 15:53this context, who can tell me the tremendous
- 15:56power that was made available? What was there
- 15:58in this context? What is it? Healing, right?
- 16:04Healing, right? Healing is it. Are we all together?
- 16:07So healing was the power that was made available
- 16:10there. Right? So they saw healing physically
- 16:13and say, ah, effect your fervent prayer of a
- 16:16righteous man. It means that it makes healing
- 16:18available in this context. Now look at how they
- 16:22explain how power is reflected. They pick a man
- 16:28who had walked in such thing and they presented
- 16:32him as what? As an example for us that we may
- 16:37believe that we can walk in these things. Do
- 16:40we see it? So he said, Elijah was a man such
- 16:43as like Bashar as us. So they gave him an example
- 16:46of when he made something, right? In the physical
- 16:52to seize by supernatural power, which is in this
- 16:57context, power of prayer. So Elijah made a statement
- 17:00and in the physical, the manifestation was seen.
- 17:05So it means that whatever we say in prayer, whatever
- 17:08we say in faith, we can see the manifestation
- 17:11in what? In the physical. That is why they brought
- 17:17Elijah into that context. That whatever you say
- 17:19in faith, whatever when you pray, right? He said,
- 17:22he said, there's a man like us, right? And he
- 17:25prayed earnestly that it should not rain, right?
- 17:27And it seems not to rain. And when he prayed
- 17:29again, he shows the intervention of the supernatural
- 17:33in the natural. And they brought someone. Right?
- 17:38Who is the prophet of God as us? Let me put it
- 17:41that way. Right? Who is the prophet of God as
- 17:43us? Who believe God's message as us? So therefore,
- 17:48whatever it will come, right? As we see, as we
- 17:53walk in prayer. So the miraculous can walk through
- 17:54us. So again, that power, right? That power that
- 17:58is made available is healing here and we see
- 18:00it take place. So we see that a man that exercised
- 18:06the power of gifts was used to teach the power
- 18:09of prayer. A man that exercised the power of
- 18:12gifts, he worked in that, right? Was used to
- 18:16exercise, was used to teach about the power of
- 18:20prayer. We pray and we manifest the power of
- 18:24gifts of God, right? That is in us. So just a
- 18:28quick review. Is it working? Let me save my time.
- 18:38So just a quick review, right, of what we are
- 18:41doing. We said that the word of the Lord is already
- 18:44in us, right? The word of the Lord is already
- 18:46in us. Therefore, we can walk in the supernatural.
- 18:491 Corinthians 2, 12, verse 7 to 11. 1 Corinthians
- 18:5312, verse 7 to 11. You should write it down.
- 18:571 Corinthians 12, verse 7 to 11. It refers to
- 19:01every man. It refers to every man can walk in
- 19:05the operations of the gift of the Spirit. Every
- 19:09man can walk in the operations of the gift of
- 19:14the Spirit. Every man, 1 Corinthians. So it refers
- 19:17to every man, right? So every one of us. You'll
- 19:19see 1 Corinthians 14, which says that when each
- 19:22of you come together, you have something to offer.
- 19:251 Corinthians 14. So it means that every one
- 19:29of us can walk in this. Also, we said that we
- 19:33don't need to do anything special. Like you need
- 19:36to go on seven days fasting, six days fasting.
- 19:38While those things are beneficial, right? While
- 19:42they are beneficial for the believer, right?
- 19:44I'm not saying you should go all through the
- 19:45year without fasting. That would be wrong, right?
- 19:48While they are beneficial for you to put yourself
- 19:52on that subjection, right? It is not what is
- 19:57cooking the miracle. You know, like some people
- 20:00say, it's not what is cooking it. So some people
- 20:02say, okay, when someone is sick, you have to
- 20:05go seven days fasting, go and pray first, then
- 20:07come back. That is not what we see. In the pattern
- 20:10of Moses, in the pattern of Elijah, in the pattern
- 20:12of Jesus, we do not see that. We do not see that.
- 20:18So let's see. The next thing we need to see,
- 20:20we also said that divine authority hits the physical
- 20:24realm evidently in the physical, which is the
- 20:27demonstration of power. Now, let's see. Showing
- 20:33forth, say something again, that showing forth
- 20:35the manifestation of power, right, increases
- 20:37our faith. Increases our faith. So we're going
- 20:40to see an example from Matthew 11, verse 1 to
- 20:435. Matthew 11, verse 1 to 5. We're going to see
- 20:47an example there. You would observe that when
- 20:50Jesus, right, heals people, most of the time,
- 20:53he tells them, don't reveal, right? Don't go
- 20:56tell anyone. But there was a time that Jesus
- 21:00said, go and tell him this, right? So the question
- 21:06is, is Jesus trying to flaunt to John, right?
- 21:09Is he trying to flaunt some things to John? So
- 21:11let's see. He said, now it came to pass when
- 21:14Jesus finished commanding his 12 disciples that
- 21:16he departed from there to teach and to preach
- 21:18in their cities. Next please. And when John had
- 21:23heard in prison about the works of Christ, he
- 21:28sent two of his disciples and he said to him,
- 21:32are you the coming one or we do need to expect
- 21:35another one? And Jesus answered and said to them,
- 21:38go and tell John the things which you hear and
- 21:41see. That means the message, right? And the miraculous
- 21:46that you see. So let's see. The blind see, the
- 21:49lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
- 21:51hear, the dead are raised to death and the dead
- 21:54are raised up. And the poor have the gospel preached
- 21:57to them. Just stay there. He said, go and tell
- 22:01John what you see and hear. And what is it that
- 22:05the blind can see? The lame can walk. The lepers
- 22:10are cleaned, right? The deaf hear. The dead are
- 22:14raised up and the poor have the gospel preached
- 22:17to them. So this was what Jesus said, which is
- 22:20next. Let's see what is next. Verse six. and
- 22:25blessed is he who is not offended because of
- 22:28me. So Jesus said, go and tell him, which is
- 22:32an unusual pattern, right? So what you would
- 22:35observe, also from John chapter 14, is that Jesus
- 22:42reveals himself for people who wants to believe,
- 22:48who wants to know the truth, who wants to come
- 22:51to faith. Jesus reveals himself to them. But
- 22:54for people who are stubborn and hard -hearted,
- 22:56right? He speaks to them in parables. So you
- 22:59will see this pattern in the life of the Pharisees.
- 23:01You see this pattern in the life of the Sadducees
- 23:03that knowing their pattern of person, right?
- 23:08Jesus regularly withdraws himself from them because
- 23:12their heart is not to believe, but for unbelief.
- 23:18So in cases when Christ reveals... It creates
- 23:21when Christ reveals himself. Is that what? Faith
- 23:24will be what? Released. That faith will be exercised.
- 23:27Are we together? Yes. That faith will be exercised.
- 23:32So also, when the supernatural is made manifest,
- 23:37right, is that people will believe it. Is that
- 23:40people will make this a point by which they can
- 23:43stand on and say, Father, I've seen you manifest
- 23:46this. Then it is possible. It is possible. So
- 23:52you can just write Matthew 12 verse 2, Matthew
- 23:5512 verse 2, Matthew 12 verse 2, verse 9 and verse
- 24:0114. I think we should go there. Matthew 12 verse
- 24:062. Can you quickly go there? He said, and when
- 24:10the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, look,
- 24:12your disciples are doing what is not lawful on
- 24:15the Sabbath. Verse 9 to 11. Verse 9. Now when
- 24:22he had departed from there, he went into their
- 24:24synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had
- 24:28a withered hand. And they asked him, saying,
- 24:30Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? So if
- 24:34you observe their pattern, their pattern is that
- 24:36they wanted to catch him in a matter. They wanted
- 24:39to hold him down in a matter. So he doesn't reveal
- 24:42himself because he knows that he's not unto faith.
- 24:46Now, that they might accuse him. So you can see
- 24:49that they might accuse him. Verse 11. And he
- 24:53said to them, what is it there among you who
- 24:56has one sheep and if it falls into a pit on the
- 25:00Sabbath will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
- 25:03Next. Of how much more value then is a man than
- 25:07a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on
- 25:09a Sabbath. Verse 13. And he said to them, stretch
- 25:12to the man, stretch out your hand. And it stretched
- 25:15out and it was restored as whole as the other.
- 25:20Glory to God. Then the Pharisees went out and
- 25:25plotted against him how they might destroy him.
- 25:27So you see that when the miraculous is even made
- 25:30manifest in their face because of the state of
- 25:33their hearts, they couldn't breathe of faith.
- 25:35Right? So we can see that from verse 15 to 16,
- 25:39you see Jesus withdrew from them because they
- 25:41lack faith. Right? We drew for them, you know,
- 25:45this thing. So when this thing is expected that
- 25:47they will come to believe, but they are hard
- 25:50-hearted. They are hard -hearted. All right.
- 25:53So we see this as regular patterns in Jesus.
- 25:55So when he teaches and all of that. Now, it therefore
- 26:00means that showing thoughts, right, the supernatural,
- 26:02is for faith to be built in the believer. Say,
- 26:05I have faith. When I see the supernatural, when
- 26:09I see the supernatural, My faith is strengthened.
- 26:13I don't disbelieve it and I work in it. Okay,
- 26:17good. So let's now start the first gift that
- 26:22is in the power gifts. What is the gift of faith?
- 26:28What is the gift of faith? What is the gift of
- 26:32faith? What is the gift of faith? We've established
- 26:45that all believers have this, but we need to
- 26:49know what it is so that we can know how to work
- 26:51in it. We're going to see about four examples
- 26:53on how this thing functions so that you can work
- 26:56in it. You know, when you see examples from scriptures,
- 26:59it helps you to know circumstances where you
- 27:01can work in it, right? No, write down. The gift
- 27:05of faith is the ability to receive. Okay, you
- 27:12can write it this way. It is the ability resident
- 27:15in the believer. Let's put it so we can put it
- 27:17in good context. The gift of faith is the ability
- 27:20resident in the believer. The gift of faith is
- 27:27the ability resident in the believer to receive
- 27:30a miracle on behalf. To receive a miracle on
- 27:36behalf of another. It is the ability resident
- 27:44in the believer to receive a miracle on behalf
- 27:47of another who may be unable to express faith.
- 27:52Okay? Who may be unable to express faith to receive
- 27:59regarding that issue. Right? Who may be unable
- 28:07to express faith on an issue. Right? Express
- 28:12faith, right? Regarding that issue. I guess I'm
- 28:17able to put that. Faith to receive regarding
- 28:19that issue. So it means that there are circumstances
- 28:25that you might find yourself, right? And you
- 28:30are not exercising faith. A brother can receive
- 28:33for you, right? He can stand in faith for you.
- 28:36So when we hold each other's hands and we pray,
- 28:39right, is because I know that you are overwhelmed,
- 28:43right? I know that you are overwhelmed and I'm
- 28:47stepping in so that my faith, right, can help
- 28:53you to receive. Now we need to check scenarios
- 28:57that we see that will help us. Now, write this
- 29:01down also. It functions, it functions or it is
- 29:07seen in operation. It functions or it is seen
- 29:12in operation with the gift of healing and the
- 29:18workings of miracles. It functions and it is
- 29:21seen in operation with the gift of healing and
- 29:26the workings of miracles. So someone can receive
- 29:31a miracle for you when you find yourself in circumstances.
- 29:34Someone can receive healing for you when you
- 29:37find yourself in circumstances. Right? So, does
- 29:42this say something to you? That proximity is
- 29:47not a problem. You see? When it comes to the
- 29:51supernatural, proximity is not what? It's not
- 29:53a problem. You can receive for someone far away.
- 29:57Now, let's see. Let's check the scriptures. Let's
- 30:02check the scriptures. Matthew 8, verse 8 to 13.
- 30:05We're going to check about... about five scriptures
- 30:08to establish the patterns that we are seeing
- 30:13when someone wants to receive. So it is when
- 30:16you want to, you can receive for someone, right?
- 30:18When the person is in trouble and all of that.
- 30:20So let's see patterns from scriptures and we
- 30:22can learn. So the centurion answered and said,
- 30:25Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under
- 30:28my foot, but only speak a word and my servant
- 30:31will be what? Healed. So the servant of the centurion,
- 30:36was not in that proximity. It was far away. Right?
- 30:40And the centurion said, just speak a word. I'm
- 30:43here. So he came to meet Christ that Christ might
- 30:46go to heal. Verse 11. Verse 10, sorry. Okay,
- 30:54go to verse 9. Sorry, I don't read that. For
- 30:56I am a man under authority and having soldiers
- 30:58under me and I say to this one, go and he goes
- 31:01and to another come and he comes and to my servant,
- 31:03do this. So the servant was not there. He came
- 31:07to receive from Christ. He came to receive from
- 31:11Christ. Now you can write this down. The recipient
- 31:14was absent in this context, right? We can write
- 31:17that the recipient was absent so you can receive
- 31:20for someone. However, it was a relative. It was
- 31:23a relative of this centurion. It was absent,
- 31:26but it was a relative of this centurion. It was
- 31:31absent, but it was a relative of this centurion.
- 31:43Okay, so we see that he was absent, but the centurion
- 31:45exercised faith and they received. And Jesus
- 31:48ministered, right? So Jesus was the minister.
- 31:50So you can be in a meeting, you can be in a believer's
- 31:53meeting, you can be in a prayer meeting. And
- 31:55when they say, right, people should come to be
- 31:58prayed for, you don't have to think about yourself
- 32:00alone, right? You don't have to think about yourself
- 32:04alone, right? You have to know people that you
- 32:06have been trusting God for. Then through your
- 32:08faith, wherever they find themselves, they can
- 32:11receive. Right? Whenever they find themselves,
- 32:14they can receive. So the recipient was absent,
- 32:17but there was someone standing in to receive
- 32:20for this person. And Jesus means that. Jesus
- 32:23was wowed. He said, I've never seen this kind
- 32:24of faith in Israel. Right? I've never seen this
- 32:28kind of faith in Israel. So you can receive.
- 32:31Can you receive for your parents when we pray
- 32:32here? Can you receive for your siblings? Can
- 32:36you receive for your brothers? Can you receive
- 32:38for your classmates? Yes, you can. You can. When
- 32:43you bring their circumstance here and we pray
- 32:45about it, you can, for them, you can exercise
- 32:47faith and they can receive. Matthew 17, verse
- 32:5314 through 20. And when they had come to the
- 32:59multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to
- 33:02him and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son. for
- 33:06he is epileptic and suffers severely, for he
- 33:09often falls into fire and often into the water.
- 33:12Next. So I brought him to your disciples, but
- 33:16they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered
- 33:20and said, O faithless and perverse generation,
- 33:23how long shall I be with you? How long shall
- 33:26I bear with you? Bring him here to what? To me.
- 33:29So in these circumstances, in any believers,
- 33:32when you see church meetings, you would find
- 33:34people being brought forward. So the person might
- 33:37be present, but does not have capacity to receive.
- 33:41Okay? So what we see here is that the recipient
- 33:43could not receive because of the state of mind,
- 33:48because of the ailment itself. So it's not wrong
- 33:52for them to bring people to sing, but wants them
- 33:54to be prayed for. Right? Because they don't have
- 33:57capacity to receive. It could be, how do you,
- 33:59for example, the deaf and the dumb, how do you
- 34:02expect them to exercise faith? Right? So people,
- 34:05how do you accept them to even know what is going
- 34:07on in the environment? Whether there's a healer
- 34:08somewhere. Right? Whether there's a believer
- 34:11smitten somewhere. So people bring them in. This
- 34:13is the pattern of the Old Testament. Sorry, the
- 34:15New Testament church. We see it regularly. They
- 34:17bring them to receive healing. So we see that
- 34:21this person brought a son. to receive healing.
- 34:25And the son was not able to receive, was unable
- 34:29to exercise the faith, but the parent exercised
- 34:31the faith. So you can exercise the faith by bringing
- 34:34someone as well. Do we get it? So you can bring
- 34:38someone to church and the person can be prayed
- 34:40for and the person will receive healing. Right?
- 34:44The person will do what? Will receive healing.
- 34:47Even if the person said, well, this, that, bring
- 34:49the person. Right? You can exercise faith and
- 34:53the person can receive healing. So, the one believing
- 35:04the healing was present, right? The parent exercising
- 35:06faith was present. So, we see that. The parent
- 35:08exercising faith was present. So, don't be in
- 35:10your house and say, Pastor, I sent somebody to
- 35:13church to come and receive. Where are you? Right?
- 35:17You that you're exercising the faith. Don't just
- 35:19tell people who come to church. No, you bring
- 35:21them. You bring them. You sit beside them. You
- 35:24encourage them in faith. You tell them you'll
- 35:26be healed. You tell them the problems will be
- 35:28solved. As pastor is preaching, just keep believing.
- 35:30Right? You believe for the person. When they
- 35:33cause such kind of issues, you come out on behalf
- 35:34of the person. The person is not believing and
- 35:37they can't receive. So your presence, your presence,
- 35:41right? Your presence with the person. Also, we
- 35:45said the disciples could not cast that out, right?
- 35:47They could not cast that out. And we can teach
- 35:50that subsequently, right? We can teach that subsequently.
- 35:52It's a matter of faith. It's a matter of faith.
- 35:54It means they couldn't exercise faith for that
- 35:57to take place, right? They couldn't exercise
- 35:59faith for that to take place. So the minister
- 36:01also must what? Must have the faith, right? The
- 36:04minister, if you're ministering this thing, let's
- 36:07say you're ministering this to someone, you must
- 36:08also have the faith. Someone cannot have faith.
- 36:11He's bringing someone to you. And you're a minister,
- 36:13you're not doubting it. You will not be able
- 36:18to help just like the disciples were. So every
- 36:21minister must believe it. Right? Don't put yourself
- 36:27on receiving end alone. I only receive miracles.
- 36:30My own is to receive. Your hands are always open
- 36:33when you're coming to church. Your hands are
- 36:34never stretched. You know? Meanwhile, they've
- 36:37thought of laying of hands. Please. You are a
- 36:42minister, right? Everybody in this church is
- 36:44a minister, right? Yes, we are ministers. So
- 36:47where you want to minister is you must believe
- 36:49it. You must believe it. Acts chapter 3, verse
- 36:531 to 11. Acts chapter 3, verse 1 to 11. People
- 36:59who could not receive it, sorry, people who could
- 37:02not exercise faith received because someone stood
- 37:05in God for them. He said, And Peter went up to
- 37:09the temple at the hour of prayer, the night hour.
- 37:13And a certain man lame from his mother's womb
- 37:16was carried home delay -delay at the gate of
- 37:19the temple, which is called beautiful, to ask
- 37:20alms from all those who enter the temple. Who,
- 37:24seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple,
- 37:27asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with
- 37:31John, Peter said, Look at us. So he gave them
- 37:35his attention, expecting to receive something
- 37:37from them. Then Peter said, Siva or God, I do
- 37:40not have, but what I do have, I give you. In
- 37:45the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up
- 37:48and walk. Right? Rise up and walk. Now, we see
- 37:51someone who can actually receive here, but what
- 37:53he's planning to receive is something else. Right?
- 37:56He wasn't planning to receive healing. His circumstances
- 37:59were so terrible that he had limited what he
- 38:01could receive. So just harms. He limited what
- 38:06he could receive to just hands. But Peter and
- 38:09John, knowing that they can intervene, what did
- 38:13they do? They ministered healing. They ministered
- 38:17healing to this man. So they were the ones who
- 38:20actually exercised faith. The minister himself
- 38:22exercised faith for this man to receive. Because
- 38:24this man does not even know the power of God.
- 38:26He does not even understand the power of God.
- 38:27So there are people around you that don't understand
- 38:30the power of God. There are people around you
- 38:33that don't understand the power of God. But you
- 38:37can, because you have understood, receive for
- 38:40them. Right? There are people around you that
- 38:44don't understand the power of God. There are
- 38:45people around you that don't even know what is
- 38:47miraculous. There are even believers that will
- 38:49say they don't believe it. They can fall into
- 38:53this category. But you, knowing the power of
- 38:57God, you can what? You can receive for them and
- 39:00tell them you are healed. They will receive it
- 39:04and go. They can call it anything. The providence
- 39:08of God, the will of God and all of that. But
- 39:10the truth is about the matter is you have ministered
- 39:13healing through you that has been made manifest.
- 39:16Hallelujah. So the minister can stand in faith
- 39:18and help people to receive. That is why we call
- 39:22you here regularly. Come out if you have the
- 39:24circumstances. Let's pray for you. Right? The
- 39:27word of prophecy comes to you and it tells you
- 39:28your circumstances. You are expected to come
- 39:31out in faith. You see, coming out is an exercise
- 39:33of faith. You know, some people say, I don't
- 39:36want to come out. People will know myself. There's
- 39:38nothing like that. Coming out where you are called
- 39:42is an exercise of faith. So you come out and
- 39:44you are prayed for. Mark 2, verse 3 to 4. Mark
- 39:502, verse 3 to 4. Luke 5, verse 17 to 39. Same
- 39:54situation. Mark 2 verse 3 to 4. Luke 5 verse
- 39:5917 to 39. Same situation. You can add verse 20
- 40:04to it just for context. Then they came to him
- 40:09bringing a paralytic who was carried by four
- 40:12men. Then behold, men brought on a... Sorry.
- 40:19And when they could not come near him, yes, good,
- 40:22because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof
- 40:24where he was. So when they had broken through,
- 40:28they let down the bed on which the paralytic
- 40:31was lying. This is, you know, you should have
- 40:34good friends. You should have good people around
- 40:36you, right? People who have faith. His cacos,
- 40:41they brought him from where? From the ceiling
- 40:43to enter. So who exercised faith in this context?
- 40:48Okay. Get you a set of friends. You know, if
- 40:52you have one, maybe that one will be, they will
- 40:55not be able to carry you alone to the roof. Others
- 40:57might be doubting. Get you a set of friends that
- 41:00walk in faith. Set of friends that can see circumstances
- 41:03in your life and will not join, will not do pity.
- 41:07They will not do, they will not do, that they
- 41:10will be walking in faith to see how God will
- 41:13bring forth the miraculous in your life. Hallelujah.
- 41:16So a group of people, friends, exercised faith
- 41:19and they brought him down, right? And what did
- 41:24Jesus see? Let's see. And Jesus saw what? Their
- 41:27faith. These folks that were putting someone
- 41:30from the road, Jesus saw their faith and he said
- 41:34to the paralytic, son, your sins are forgiven,
- 41:38right? He healed the paralytic. So despite restrictions,
- 41:45right? Despite restrictions, they kept exercising
- 41:48faith. So they brought him. They couldn't pass
- 41:50through the door. They went. So despite every
- 41:52obstacle, what did they continue to do? Faith.
- 41:55They keep believing. They keep finding a way
- 41:58to get to Christ, to receive this. So they kept
- 42:02on finding a way until they saw the minister
- 42:04and they were ministered to. They were ministered
- 42:08to. So what we see here is that have friends
- 42:12who walk in faith. Not friends that you will
- 42:15tell about your circumstances that will begin
- 42:17to, you know, pity you and look towards you and
- 42:21say, you know, there's nothing we can do. And
- 42:24they would rather even bring down your faith
- 42:26the more. You know, it's so sad. So find good
- 42:30friends that receive good word, that grow in
- 42:33the word, and they can help you in circumstance.
- 42:36Your greatest help in circumstance is faith.
- 42:39The moment you drop out of faith in a circumstance,
- 42:42it's difficult to resolve it. Luke chapter 8,
- 42:47verse 40. Luke chapter 8, verse 40, 49 to 52.
- 42:55We see Jairus, right? Inviting Jesus into his
- 43:00house to receive healing. Let's see what happens.
- 43:04So it was when Jesus returned. The multitude
- 43:08welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
- 43:11And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and
- 43:14he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell
- 43:17down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come into
- 43:21his house. For he had an only daughter about
- 43:25twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as
- 43:29he went, the multitude thronged him. Leave the
- 43:35case of the woman of history of blood. Go to
- 43:36verse 49. Go to verse 49. While he was still
- 43:41speaking, someone came from the ruler of the
- 43:43synagogue's house saying to him, your daughter
- 43:46is dead. Do not trouble the teacher. You know,
- 43:49you don't want people like this around you. Your
- 43:51daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher.
- 43:54The teacher did not say he's troubled. The minister
- 43:55did not complain that he's troubled. He just
- 43:57finished one and he's moving it to the next one.
- 44:00But when Jesus heard it, He answered him saying,
- 44:03do not be afraid. Only what believe and she would
- 44:07be what? She'll be made well. She'll be made
- 44:10well. Next. He came into the house and he permitted
- 44:12no one to go except Peter, James and John. And
- 44:15the father and the mother of the girl stopped
- 44:17there. Why? Because they were already mocking
- 44:21the miraculous. They say, oh, she's dead. That
- 44:26will be crying. Right? They were already gathered
- 44:28crying there and say, ah, the daughter is dead.
- 44:31Why is the teacher going in? They were already
- 44:33mocking. But the teacher, but those who have
- 44:38faith, they went in with him. Jesus said, Peter,
- 44:41James, John, you guys are, you know how this
- 44:44works. You know this is the power of God coming.
- 44:46And the father and the mother of what? Of the
- 44:48girl. Get you a company that does what? That
- 44:53works in faith. Get you a company, get yourself
- 44:55a company that works in what? in faith, that
- 44:58exercise the gift of faith, that exercise the
- 45:01gift of it to receive for you. Not people that
- 45:06would be in pity party. Can we stand up and pray?
- 45:10I just want us to pray right now. Can we stand
- 45:14up and pray? You know, you will pray for yourself
- 45:19that I walk in the gift of faith towards people
- 45:23around me. towards every circumstance surrounding
- 45:27me. You have to pray that you walk in it. You
- 45:30are not someone who will be pitying people. You
- 45:33are not someone who will be showing impossibility
- 45:36in your statements. You are someone who will
- 45:40walk. Can we stand up? Can we stand up? We need
- 45:42to walk in this. In the few minutes that we have,
- 45:45I want you to pray. You know, so that you won't
- 45:48be among those that will say, oh, go out because
- 45:50you are not exercising faith. You won't be people
- 45:53that people will stop coming to because they
- 45:55know that when they come to you, they cannot
- 45:57receive faith. You have to be someone who walks
- 46:00in faith. Who walks in faith towards others around
- 46:04you. Who can receive towards others around you.
- 46:08Can we begin to pray in the Holy Ghost? We appreciate
- 46:12you being here today. We hope you carry this
- 46:15word with you throughout your week. Don't forget
- 46:18to check the show notes for additional insights.
- 46:21stay connected with us through our website or
- 46:23follow us on social media. If you are encouraged,
- 46:27share this message with someone you care about.
- 46:30Until next time, stay blessed.