LFM – 21 Feb 2016
Last week
- SEEDS = WORD OF GOD –> planted in our hearts
- WORD OF GOD = GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION –> live life more abundantly
- Where SEEDS / WORD OF GOD falls in our lives (Mark 4)
- Footpaths – busyness / hardness of heart
- Rocky soil – rocky heart ,or those 50-50 taking only what is good to them
- Among thorns – Things of the world – lure of wealth (kutafuta na kujipanga) – Daddy Owen , Bila Yesu ni vanity , Daniel 4 , #Nebuchadnezzar
- Fertile soil – Hear and accept
- Needs listening and understanding
- Being tuned to the frequency of heaven – RohoFM? / PoliticsFM / SoccerFM
- Is my network unavailable / Mteja to the things of God?
- Nurturing Seed in fertile soil requires
- Relationship with Jesus
- Inspired by the Spirit of God
- Humble & Teachable spirit
- SEEDS –> TREES –> FRUITS & GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
- WORD OF GOD = MANUAL FOR LIFE –> our Love letter from God
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
- 16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
A question we were left with by pastor was:
- Did Jesus choose us or did we choose Jesus?
- Being chosen – we operate under His power and authority
- Choosing – we expect Him to do what we want as
Concluding last week’s teaching today
Seed = Word of God = JESUS
Mark 4:14 (NLT)
14 The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.
John 1:1 (NKJV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Revelation 1:8 (NKJV)
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- We need to nurture Jesus in our hearts / lives
- Carrying more of His presence / more of His fullness
- Whatever aspect of Jesus we carry, we can demonstrate that power
- Jesus was filled with the fruits and gifts of the Spirit
- Miracles, Healing, Prophecy, Love, Joy, Peace of the Lord
The Spirit of God gives life to the Word of God
- Pastor Oria’s example of Legio Maria
- Paul himself , a Pharisee – a teacher of the Law
- The devil knows scriptures and quoted it to Jesus
- 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 (NLT)
4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.
Points to note about the Spirit of God & the Word of God
- The word of God needs to be inspired by the Spirit of God in order to be powerful and operate in our lives
- Isaiah 55:10-11(NKJV)
- “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Just as a seed needs water to be activated, we need the Spirit of God to activate the Word of God in our lives
- Bible needs to be inspired by the Spirit of God to make sense in our lives
- 2 Corinthians 3: 6 (NKJV) – for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
- Preaching / Teaching the Word of God needs to be inspired by the Spirit of God to touch and transform people’s lives
- Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
- Word is living and powerful
- It has to be spoken because it is living …why we are told to say it out loud —God spoke things into existence
- God is the one that calls and inspires us to operate in the power of His Spirit.
- Otherwise we operate blindly and uninspired
- Paul knew the word of God – Old Testament – He was a Pharisee.
- Act 9:17-18 (NLT)
17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.
- The Word of God is fulfilled in Jesus Christ himself
- John 5:39 (NLT)
39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.
CONCLUSION
We need a complete REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST in our lives
- It’s all about Jesus , whichever route we want to follow
- John 15: 5-8 (NKJV)
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
- Disciples glorify the Father by bearing much fruit.
- Fruit is got from Jesus Himself as the true vine
- Fruit is nurtured from the seed that Jesus himself plants in a humble and teachable heart
- The Word of God that is nurtured in us gives us access to what we desire from the Father
- John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
THE LIVING WORD 4 LIFE 