THE LORD WILL DO MANY GREAT THINGS AMONG US
As we Habitually Draw near God, Converse Christ, Give or Share, Obey Him, and Take Account, we will experience God's Great Works among us. These are Practices that suit us for the Leading of the Holy SpiritSermon Outline by Seth Asare Ofei Badu (Resident Pastor)
Main Text: John 6:5-12
Theme Text: Joel 2:16-21
The Lord Will Do Many Great Things Among Us If …
1. We Draw Near to Him – And when He saw ... coming to Him ...He said, “Where?...” v5
2. We Converse Right – He said...He asked... Philip answered...Andrew spoke up v5, 6,7,8
3. We Share the Little We Have – Here 5 loaves and 2 small fish...among so many? V9
4. We Obey Instruction – Have the people sit ... men sat down ... to those seated v10,11
5. We Account – Gather the pieces that are left over, let nothing be wasted v12
In Drawing Near to Him
• In taking care to listen to Him, His Word regularly (Eccl. 5:1-2)
• Identifying with Him and His People
• Praise, Worship and Prayer and Waiting (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Specialised ministry day)
a. He will draw near to us (James 4:8)
b. We activate his care for us v5
c. His glory covers us as we become more and more like Him (the power of the gaze by a Spirit-filled person, 2Cor. 3:18)
In Conversing Right
• Conversation is inevitable; we need to tune it constantly like driving an already moving car:
a) Jesus shared the good news principally through initiating conversations
b) The principal means of gathering information on earth is conversation (Interviews, discussions)
c) It is by our right conversation with God that we primarily indicate our acceptance of any or all of what Jesus did for us. This conversation is variously termed Confession, Prayer, etc. The currency of a faith life is confession. You get what you say (That is the primary distinction of divinity, and those indwelt by God share same nature. Joel 3:10.- Let the weak say I am strong).
d) Speech is the distinguishing factor between humans and animals. Therefore it is only humans who can pledge (use words in place of actions and substances, and are taken on same merit)
It is therefore absolutely important that we train what we say. By mere conversation we may be turning many either to or away from Christ, taking or missing opportunity to learn the true needs of others; appropriating or rejecting what Christ has accomplished for us; and accepting the right or wrong burdens. Since we will converse anyway, let us from now decide to commit our conversations towards
e) bringing people to Christ
f) gathering information on the needs of the people in our community, that we might use the channel to bring them Christ (James 1:19) Col. 4:6 and Eph. 4:29
g) affirming rather than doubting what Christ has done for us
h) pledging allegiance only to God, rather than committing to things that will eventually burden us (If God permits, Heb. 6:3)
In Sharing the “Little We Have”
• We express our faith in God (as our provider, Genesis 22:8, 14)
• We become the rare channels of God’s grace and miracles to others
• We partake in a covenant of Never Lacking
• That is the primary expression of true care and fellowship (see James 2:15-17, and Acts 2:42)
To God, it is not every giving that is acceptable (See what Cain got for his offering in Genesis 4:5 and Leviticus 22:20, 27) It must be given in faith with a willing heart (Romans 14:23, Galatians 3:22, 2Corinthians 8:12)
We must give in faith,
a) With Commitment (Abel-Gen.4:4, Abraham-Genesis 22:2-3, Israelites-Exodus 25:2, David-2Samuel 24:24, 2Corinthians 8:1-15)
b) Discreetly (Matthew 6:1-4), especially to the needy.
c) Motivationally (1Chronicles 29:2, 6, 9, Nehemiah 5:17-18) openly to call on others to give
At this place therefore, we must continue giving careful thought to giving, leaders first, and discreetly take care, each and every one of us, of the needy among us (open your eyes for those around, and do not wait to be called upon to help those in need – An open collection for the needy tends to foster strife and indolence).
There are great and many promises for giving in the Bible which we need to keep in front of us to help us break the ‘surface tension’ of giving:
• It is more blessed to give than to receive
• Or who first gave to Him, and it will be repaid to him? Romans 11:35
Theme Text: Joel 2:16-21
The Lord Will Do Many Great Things Among Us If …
1. We Draw Near to Him – And when He saw ... coming to Him ...He said, “Where?...” v5
2. We Converse Right – He said...He asked... Philip answered...Andrew spoke up v5, 6,7,8
3. We Share the Little We Have – Here 5 loaves and 2 small fish...among so many? V9
4. We Obey Instruction – Have the people sit ... men sat down ... to those seated v10,11
5. We Account – Gather the pieces that are left over, let nothing be wasted v12
In Drawing Near to Him
• In taking care to listen to Him, His Word regularly (Eccl. 5:1-2)
• Identifying with Him and His People
• Praise, Worship and Prayer and Waiting (Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Specialised ministry day)
a. He will draw near to us (James 4:8)
b. We activate his care for us v5
c. His glory covers us as we become more and more like Him (the power of the gaze by a Spirit-filled person, 2Cor. 3:18)
In Conversing Right
• Conversation is inevitable; we need to tune it constantly like driving an already moving car:
a) Jesus shared the good news principally through initiating conversations
b) The principal means of gathering information on earth is conversation (Interviews, discussions)
c) It is by our right conversation with God that we primarily indicate our acceptance of any or all of what Jesus did for us. This conversation is variously termed Confession, Prayer, etc. The currency of a faith life is confession. You get what you say (That is the primary distinction of divinity, and those indwelt by God share same nature. Joel 3:10.- Let the weak say I am strong).
d) Speech is the distinguishing factor between humans and animals. Therefore it is only humans who can pledge (use words in place of actions and substances, and are taken on same merit)
It is therefore absolutely important that we train what we say. By mere conversation we may be turning many either to or away from Christ, taking or missing opportunity to learn the true needs of others; appropriating or rejecting what Christ has accomplished for us; and accepting the right or wrong burdens. Since we will converse anyway, let us from now decide to commit our conversations towards
e) bringing people to Christ
f) gathering information on the needs of the people in our community, that we might use the channel to bring them Christ (James 1:19) Col. 4:6 and Eph. 4:29
g) affirming rather than doubting what Christ has done for us
h) pledging allegiance only to God, rather than committing to things that will eventually burden us (If God permits, Heb. 6:3)
In Sharing the “Little We Have”
• We express our faith in God (as our provider, Genesis 22:8, 14)
• We become the rare channels of God’s grace and miracles to others
• We partake in a covenant of Never Lacking
• That is the primary expression of true care and fellowship (see James 2:15-17, and Acts 2:42)
To God, it is not every giving that is acceptable (See what Cain got for his offering in Genesis 4:5 and Leviticus 22:20, 27) It must be given in faith with a willing heart (Romans 14:23, Galatians 3:22, 2Corinthians 8:12)
We must give in faith,
a) With Commitment (Abel-Gen.4:4, Abraham-Genesis 22:2-3, Israelites-Exodus 25:2, David-2Samuel 24:24, 2Corinthians 8:1-15)
b) Discreetly (Matthew 6:1-4), especially to the needy.
c) Motivationally (1Chronicles 29:2, 6, 9, Nehemiah 5:17-18) openly to call on others to give
At this place therefore, we must continue giving careful thought to giving, leaders first, and discreetly take care, each and every one of us, of the needy among us (open your eyes for those around, and do not wait to be called upon to help those in need – An open collection for the needy tends to foster strife and indolence).
There are great and many promises for giving in the Bible which we need to keep in front of us to help us break the ‘surface tension’ of giving:
• It is more blessed to give than to receive
• Or who first gave to Him, and it will be repaid to him? Romans 11:35
• God loves a cheerful giver 2Corinthians 9:7
In Obeying Instructions
We position ourselves for Divine intervention: We take our hands completely off the controls and let God do that for which he alone can take the credit – miracles, signs and wonders! Then ours is the blessings and God’s is the glory. We are careful to fully follow instructions by people God has placed in authority over us:
• Parents (Ephesians 5:1)
• The church hierarchy (Hebrews 13:17)
• Older persons (1 Peter 5:5)
• Civil and community leaders (Romans 13:1,2)
These instructions must not contravene God’s Word, though they may not be what we would rather follow.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, taught the wedding attendants this, and then His first miracle took place.
Jesus consistently gave people seemingly irrelevant instructions prior to making them beneficiaries of miracles:
• He asked the attendants at the wedding to fill the water (not wine) jars with water John 2:5, 7
• He asked the disciples to let the hungry crowd sit down (not rush to town and grab some quick something and return) John 6:
• He asked the paralytic at Bethesda the seemingly annoying question of whether he would like to be healed
• He asked blind Bartimaeus to come to him (instead of going to him, knowing he would have difficulty coming alone), and asked him what he wanted! (Matthew 10:49,51)
• He put spittle-spiked clay on the eyes of a man born blind and asked him to go and wash in a pool which is some distance away. (John 9:6)
• He asked the relatives and townsfolk of Lazarus, who had every right to be disenchanted with Him for “fatally” delaying His visit to his sick friend, to roll away the tombstone off a freshly-used tomb (John 11)
One lesson runs through these stories: the people were getting the chance to put their faith in Jesus into practice…through obedience (no other way)
Anytime we believe we have heard His voice and put our faith into practice by obeying His somehow “unreasonable” instructions miracles do happen.
We must practice obeying His Word (Logos or Rhema) if His extraordinary things will happen to and among us.
1. Let us acknowledge that we have God whose ways are different from ours (Isaiah 55: 8,9)
2. Let us make up our minds to obey His voice when we know it, however unpalatable or irrelevant it seems (Hebrews 3:15).
3. Let us be clear of how, and by whom God speaks to us.
4. Let us be sure we are well exercised in obedience by first looking up and following His clear instructions in Scripture, such as “Go ye”, “Love one another”, etc.
To obey is better than sacrifice. (1Samuel 15:22)
In Accounting
It is important to take stock, cut losses and maximise profit. In so doing we realize that God has actually endowed us with more than we need. It is anti-God to live in a culture of unaccountability. God’s demand for account has been at the beginning of the earth: He demanded it of Adam, of Eve, of Cain and Abel, affirmed it for Abraham, and instituted it as law for the Israelites.
The principles of tithing and offerings all point to the fact that God wants us to pause from time to time and take stock. In so doing we are encouraged by what he has already done, appalled at our wastefulness and ingratitude, and thereby improved by faith in His providence.
It is not an easy enterprise to account, so some ignore it and use the old account, the beginning account, the hmmm! Account, the Emu aye den account, the how can we? Account, and the efie account.
However, you will still realize that it is the enterprises that engage in nothing but accounting, or facilitating accounting that tend to be the fastest-growing financially?
Accounting is a spiritual principle
• Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. (John 6:12)
• For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12)
• For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. (Luke 21:4)
• Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him (1 Cor. 16:2, cf. Philippians 4:17)
• So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)
The principle of accounting that has brought the Church to this height therefore will be maintained and made dynamic to meet the needs of the time, so that “Nothing will be lost”
Conclusion
Let us allow God to do great things among us. Let us allow him to feed thousands (with Eternal life, healing, and good jobs) from the little we bring to Him, for along with our so-called little, we will
1. Draw near Him
2. Talk about him
3. Give thoughtfully
4. Obey His instructions and
5. Be prepared to give account
In Obeying Instructions
We position ourselves for Divine intervention: We take our hands completely off the controls and let God do that for which he alone can take the credit – miracles, signs and wonders! Then ours is the blessings and God’s is the glory. We are careful to fully follow instructions by people God has placed in authority over us:
• Parents (Ephesians 5:1)
• The church hierarchy (Hebrews 13:17)
• Older persons (1 Peter 5:5)
• Civil and community leaders (Romans 13:1,2)
These instructions must not contravene God’s Word, though they may not be what we would rather follow.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, taught the wedding attendants this, and then His first miracle took place.
Jesus consistently gave people seemingly irrelevant instructions prior to making them beneficiaries of miracles:
• He asked the attendants at the wedding to fill the water (not wine) jars with water John 2:5, 7
• He asked the disciples to let the hungry crowd sit down (not rush to town and grab some quick something and return) John 6:
• He asked the paralytic at Bethesda the seemingly annoying question of whether he would like to be healed
• He asked blind Bartimaeus to come to him (instead of going to him, knowing he would have difficulty coming alone), and asked him what he wanted! (Matthew 10:49,51)
• He put spittle-spiked clay on the eyes of a man born blind and asked him to go and wash in a pool which is some distance away. (John 9:6)
• He asked the relatives and townsfolk of Lazarus, who had every right to be disenchanted with Him for “fatally” delaying His visit to his sick friend, to roll away the tombstone off a freshly-used tomb (John 11)
One lesson runs through these stories: the people were getting the chance to put their faith in Jesus into practice…through obedience (no other way)
Anytime we believe we have heard His voice and put our faith into practice by obeying His somehow “unreasonable” instructions miracles do happen.
We must practice obeying His Word (Logos or Rhema) if His extraordinary things will happen to and among us.
1. Let us acknowledge that we have God whose ways are different from ours (Isaiah 55: 8,9)
2. Let us make up our minds to obey His voice when we know it, however unpalatable or irrelevant it seems (Hebrews 3:15).
3. Let us be clear of how, and by whom God speaks to us.
4. Let us be sure we are well exercised in obedience by first looking up and following His clear instructions in Scripture, such as “Go ye”, “Love one another”, etc.
To obey is better than sacrifice. (1Samuel 15:22)
In Accounting
It is important to take stock, cut losses and maximise profit. In so doing we realize that God has actually endowed us with more than we need. It is anti-God to live in a culture of unaccountability. God’s demand for account has been at the beginning of the earth: He demanded it of Adam, of Eve, of Cain and Abel, affirmed it for Abraham, and instituted it as law for the Israelites.
The principles of tithing and offerings all point to the fact that God wants us to pause from time to time and take stock. In so doing we are encouraged by what he has already done, appalled at our wastefulness and ingratitude, and thereby improved by faith in His providence.
It is not an easy enterprise to account, so some ignore it and use the old account, the beginning account, the hmmm! Account, the Emu aye den account, the how can we? Account, and the efie account.
However, you will still realize that it is the enterprises that engage in nothing but accounting, or facilitating accounting that tend to be the fastest-growing financially?
Accounting is a spiritual principle
• Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. (John 6:12)
• For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12)
• For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. (Luke 21:4)
• Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him (1 Cor. 16:2, cf. Philippians 4:17)
• So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)
The principle of accounting that has brought the Church to this height therefore will be maintained and made dynamic to meet the needs of the time, so that “Nothing will be lost”
Conclusion
Let us allow God to do great things among us. Let us allow him to feed thousands (with Eternal life, healing, and good jobs) from the little we bring to Him, for along with our so-called little, we will
1. Draw near Him
2. Talk about him
3. Give thoughtfully
4. Obey His instructions and
5. Be prepared to give account
Indeed,I'm convinced that Jehovah Elohim,who knew us whiles we're in mother's womb has pre-destined you to be used to cause great things in his church,we're ever ready for the explosion.Man of God,I believe strongly that what he is requiring frm us is double humility for the great things.God richly bless u daddy,byeeeeeeeeeee.
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