Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Jesus)–

Sermon  July 7, 2013   Whoever listens to you, listens to me (Jesus)–

Old Testament 2 Kings 5:1-14

So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the WORD of the Man of God;  his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Naaman came seeking help. When he was told what he must do it seemed to be beneath his dignity to do as the Man of God commanded. His servants had to persuade him to go and do as Elisha said. {A powerful passage to show the power of Words.}

Psalm 30

For his anger is but for  a moment; his favor is for a life-time.  Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Hear, O Lord,  and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper! [Asking , Believing, and}

{receiving} You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Epistle- Galations 6:1-16

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.  Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.  Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the Law of Christ.

The Law of Christ is :  Love the Lord thy God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And to Love your Neighbor as yourself.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow.

For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything.

Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:3) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. {Spiritual eyes are opened}

Can you say today that you have been born again…..if there is doubt in your mind then it is time that you start asking some questions.

I John 4:7 Beloved let us love one another; for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth Him.

I John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Gospel Reading ( Please Stand if Able)  Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Whereas Jesus sent the Twelve out in mission in Chapter 9, now he sends seventy (or seventy-two as the LXX reads).  The number seventy implies all of humanity, as Genesis 10 provides a list of all the nations of the world, numbering seventy. The theme of Luke is repeated: Salvation is for all humanity. God is not willing that any should perish.

The mission is holistic – preaching, teaching, and healing – and the apostles have the same authority for these ministries that Jesus himself has.

As Born Again believers we have been commissioned by Jesus to go forth and preach, and teach, and heal and to make disciples….Jesus said All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth and he is implying that he is giving us the same power.

He has also told us to Keep HIS Words: John 15:23…If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest…

Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.

BECAUSE you are speaking what you have heard from Jesus (the Word).

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.

Mark 9:23 “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, ALL things are possible to him that believeth.”

The disciples came to Jesus once when they could not cast out a demon and Jesus plainly told them in :

Matthew 17:20 says, “And Jesus said unto them, because of your UNBELIEF: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place: and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mark 11:23 says, “ For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not DOUBT in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he SAITH shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he Saith.”

Words are containers. They carry faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind.

So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17)

Faith comes more quickly when you hear yourself quoting, speaking, and saying the things God said.  You will more readily receive God’s word into your spirit by hearing yourself say it  than if you hear someone else say it.  Start proclaiming what Thus saith the Word of God> You will be amazed at how your faith will be increased. Don’t wait 7 days before you come to hear the word preached. Start quoting the Word Daily in your Morning Devotionals…Quote it throughout the day. Profess the Word.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.. And you shall teach them  diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.  And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.  And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates….

In other words God’s words must be a priority in your life. It starts with salvation.

For instance: “ Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” Rom. 10:13

And

If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” Rom. 10:9-10…

The peace the apostles are to offer is more than a greeting or demeanor.  Peace is representative of the kingdom of God, the salvation that is  shalom. John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Trouble is anxiety….worry…..being afraid is operating in the side of Fear which is not of God but from the evil one. Fear is where the trouble started in the Garden of Eden.  If Satan can get you to fear your peace is shaken. The Peace that Jesus Gives is the Peace that passes all understanding.  The peace in the midst of trials and tribulations. The Peace when the storms of life come against you.

As messengers, we have a powerful calling.  The Lord appoints us to go out into the world ahead of him. We should be proclaiming that The Lord is coming. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. We need to start revealing to the World that the time is near.

Very clearly the focus of our message is on the Coming of Christ and our call to live each day in HIS Name.

As present day messengers, the joy is ours as well, for we have been appointed by Christ to share the good news of the coming of the kingdom. Rejoicing that our names are written in the Lambs Book of Life.