FOUNTAIN OF GRACE CHURCH OF GOD
MADRID-SPAIN.
HOST PASTOR: PASTOR DANIEL OBIDIEGWU.
TEL: +34632875301 (FOR COUNSELLING & PRAYERS.
 |
| Pastor Daniel |
Text: Luke 10:42.
Brethren I will start this sermon by sharing a story that was credited to John Maxwell.
John Maxwell writes in his book, Partners in Prayer; "In the summer of 1876, grasshoppers nearly destroyed the crops in Minnesota. So in the spring of 1877, farmers were worried. They believed that the dreadful plague would once again visit them and again destroy the rich wheat crop, bringing ruin to thousands of people.
The situation was so serious that Governor John S. Pillsbury proclaimed April 26 as a day of prayer and fasting He urged every man, woman and child to ask God to prevent the terrible scourge.
On that April day all schools, shops, stores and offices were closed. There was a reverent, quite hush over all the state. The next day dawned bright and clear.
Temperature soared to what they ordinary were in midsummer, which was very unusual for April.
Minnesotans were devastated as they discovered billions of grasshopper larvae wiggling to life. For 3 days the unusual heat persisted, and the larvae hatched. It appeared that it wouldn't be long before they started feeding and destroying the wheat crop.
On the fourth day, however the temperature suddenly dropped, and that night frost, covered the entire state.
Result - it killed every one of those creeping, crawling pests as surely as if poison or fire had been used, It went down in the history of Minnesota as the day God answered the prayers of the people."
That is an awesome story!
God surely answer prayers but unfortunately some Christians are not praying enough. Ever wonder why? That's because their minds and hearts are not completely in tune with God.
You see, if you regularly memorize and meditate scriptures it will be difficult not to focus on God. You'll always in sync with Him. (culled from memory delight)
The story of Mary and Marta shows the futility of active service which, because it is not based on attentive listening to God’s word, and nourished by such listening, becomes mere busy-ness. When Jesus says to Martha, “You are anxious and worried about many things,” he is not criticizing her for performing the duties of hospitality, but for doing so without first attending to his word. Martha, we might say, is the kind of person who likes to go about doing good, especially the kind of good that requires a lot of going about.
The story in today’s gospel does not ask us to chose between being a Mary or a Martha. The true disciple of Jesus must be both. Mark’s gospel tells us that when Jesus called his twelve apostles, he called them for a dual purpose: “to be with Him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message” (Mark 3:14). Which is more important: to be with Jesus, or to proclaim his message to others? The question is unanswerable. Both are important. If we ask, however, which must have priority — the relationship or the work — then the answer is clear. Our relationship with the Lord must come first. If we are not willing to spend time with him, sitting at his feet like Mary of Bethany and listening to his words, then all our efforts to do his work are just spinning our wheels. Luke gives us this story to challenge our priorities; to help us see that being with the Lord and hearing his word must be the basis of all we do for him.
The entire bible is the word of God, the earth and all that is within it was created by the word of God Genesis 1:3, God declared that His word cannot be separated from Him and whatsoever thing the word is sent must be accomplished Isaiah 55.11, Psalm 138:2b, God sent the word to bring salvation to mankind John 1:14, Acts 2:37-41, Today many who hear the word of God surrender their life to Jesus, God sends His word to heal the sick and deliver them from their destruct ions. Psalm 107:20.
The word of God is life and is Spirit and is powerful. God said in John 6:63 that it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life. The book of Hebrew 4:2a says for the word of God is quick, and powerful...
Nobody can serve God without His word, it is like trying to live our life without oxygen, the essence of God, His personality, His nature, His purity, His power, His purpose, His promises, His salvation etc are encapsulated in His word, God reminds anybody He calls to take time to study and obey His word Joshua 1:8, Jeremiah ate the words like food Jeremiah 15:16, as well as Ezekiel the prophet Ezekiel 3:3, Timothy was asked to study it to show himself approved of God 2 Timothy 2:15, the early apostles gave themselves continually to the ministry of the word Acts 6:4, Paul though in prison was still ordering for his books because even the prison could not separate him from the word of God 2 Timothy 4:13.
What is your attitude towards the word?
If our lives as believers are dependent on the word, why then do many believers neglect the word to their own detriment? Why do we record poor attendance to bible studies in our churches? Why is it that believers will always wait for the time of sermon to visit the toilet or converse with their friends, I think we will have our individual answers to these questions, but whatever our reasons may be one thing stands out clear that we do not know the God we serve, neither do we respect, fear or tremble at His word, genuine and serious believers are eager to hear the word of God and apply it to their life.
We cannot love Jesus and hate His word because Jesus is the word and the word is Jesus, are you a worker in the church? You have done well to work and serve in the Lord’s vine yard, the question is, what do you do when the word of God is read? What do you do during Sunday school or during weekly bible study? Do you feel tired and impatient or even sleepy during the sermon? Our attitude to the word of God is a measure of our love for Jesus, if our answers to these questions are negative, then we do not love Jesus who we claim to serve.
Many believers want to exercise spiritual power and authority without the right attitude to the word, yet power is in the word, many who desire to be prayer warriors and demon bulldozers without the knowledge of the word of God always end their effort in futility.
Let us today change our attitude to the word for good, like Mary let us listen to God’s word, it is a testimony of our humility and faith, believers who are busy doing their own thing during sermon are prideful and disrespectful to God, believers who cannot study the word of God are powerless and their life is at the mercy of Satan and his demons.
GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU OBEY HIS WORDS IN JESUS NAME: AMEN
No comments:
Post a Comment