Fine Linen for Cool Service - sermon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRE6V5RERiM
If you had known, even you especially this your day the things that make for your peace. If you had the things that make up for your shalom, your wholeness, your prosperity your peace.
Look up here. Look up here.
You know He rode on the donkey and saw the City from the Mount of Olives and He wept. We say that He wept because they rejected Him. But it is more than just self. You know why He wept? It's because He loved the Jews so much. You know what He said? "If only you had known the things that belong to your shalom."
What grieves the LORD today?
Christians do not know the riches that belong to them- The things that belong to your shalom, your wholeness, your prosperity, your peace.
And that's why in Heaven there will be initial tears right? We go to heaven we'll cry.
"But Pastor Prince in heaven there are no more tears."
Yes, but there will be tears initially. The bible says God will wipe away all tears, and then there will be no more tears.
But there are initial tears when we enter heaven, right? We'll cry.
Why?
"Well, Pastor maybe we see our loved ones didn't make it?"
Maybe.
But i think it is more than that- We will cry because we didn't realise how good our God is, and how little we believed Him, and how rich His inheritance is, and how little we have possessed it.
"If you had known," Jesus cried... As He cried he said "If only you had known..."
"Jerusalem if only you had known the things that belong to your peace", but now it is hidden because they didn't want Him.
It is LOVE shedding tears. Only someone who loves you very much will talk like that.
But you see, it is not hidden from us... or is it? Is it? Do we realise how rich, how blessed we are?
So church you either get it by sweat or by the blessing of the LORD.
"But Pastor Prince I prayed before you know?"
When was it?
"The last 2 years when you preached on Jabez."
Wonderful. You never sought God's blessings after that??
You know what I do something when I cannot remember names? I say "LORD, bless my memory." And you will be surprised, just"choot!" the name just pops up. My memory needs to be blessed.
And it is fun. Sometimes I think the LORD just wants you to ask Him, to be dependant on Him all the time for blessings.
When I sleep at night, I say "LORD bless my sleep." Amen.
Jessica (his daughter fyi) goes to school? "Bless her LORD in school."
Because with the blessing of the LORD little becomes much, a few becomes plenty. Remember what little you had? Don't worry. It is the blessing of the LORD you need.
Can I have a good Amen?
Man's ways are too slow, too painful, too stressful. God's way's the best!
Now let me close with a reference from the NEW TESTAMENT. And this is beautiful. It is PHILIPPIANS 2:13. It is the equivalent of a life of no sweat.
Now I am sweating a little bit up here, so how many understand God is not referring to physical sweat, God is referring to the ministry- when I am preaching, the Holy Spirit is energizing me.
Now here is where it is taken from (shows Amplified version on screen)-
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire]...
You know what, Estee, show them the New King James first. I want you to see the simplicity of it. (NKJV version appears on the screen) -
Philippians 4:12,23 (NKJV)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you... it is GOD who works in you (his emphasis)... both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Now if you look at verse 12 the ending says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling"-
there are many believers who use this verse and say, "The bible says work for your salvation." You know?
I have met Christians... have you met them before? We preach we are saved by grace not by our works and then they say, "Ya, Paul says work for your salvation."
You know with a little drop of one word... just like the devil before Eve at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil... when you drop a word, it sounds different. They are telling us to work.
Now God is NOT schizo alright? Either salvation is ALL of Christ and NONE of self, or salvation is SOME Christ, SOME self.
Make up your mind.
Yet there are people saying, "Work for your salvation."
It does not say that. It says, "Work OUT your own salvation..."
"Work out" because it is God who works in you.
Work it out with fear and trembling means with deliberate carefulness. It is an old expression.
You know you can fear and tremble for all the good things God has given you?
In other words, work it out in the way you treat one another. Work it out in the way you love your family. Work it out in the way you treat your children. Work it out in the way you converse. Work it out in the way you work as a believer in your work place.
Work it out. Salvation is worked in - God has worked in you. You work it out.
It is NOT saying "work for".
Work it out.
You cannot "work out" something that has not been "worked in".
Once you are saved, salvation is in you. Work it out in the way you handle people, in the way you handle finances. Work it out so that people can see the salvation in you.
But that's not my sermon, my sermon is to show you the second line in verse 13.
For it is God who works and wills in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
This is in the present participle in the Greek. You know what is a present participle?
God is always actively working inside you. He is working actively in you both to will - giving you the willingness and the performance of His good pleasure.
In the Amplified, it is like this -
[Not in your own strength (... that's your sweat, not in your sweat)] for it is God Who is all the while (Present participle. He never stops. God is all the while... you know right now as I speak, do you know God is working in you?)... God is all the while effectually at work in you (Where? In YOU!) [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
Now go back to the New King James. Memorise verse 13 - For it is God who works in you.
Now Church, present participle means God is always working in us - both giving us the willingness and the performance of His good pleasure.
Look up here. Oh man this is powerful, this is powerful.
You've got to learn accept that God is working in you.
Present participle means - you don't have to do anything to make God work inside you, God is working in you all the time.
People say "7 steps to hear God's voice" - hey, if you are the child of God accept God is working in you. He is giving you thoughts, he is giving you ideas. He is giving you the desires.
God never tells you to do things in the Christian Life that you don't like.
Never.
Initially, you might not like it... but the more you think about it, the more you pray about it, God works in you the willingness. God works in you, even the performance for it - Both to will and to do.
It's like... You know the commandments in the New Testament? You know it's like this... You are so hungry you've not been eating for more than a day and God puts curry fish head right in front of you and says, "I command you. Eat."
You've not been eating for one day. Is that a command to you? That is a desire man... but it is still a command. God's commands in the New Testament are ALL His enablements.
Are you listening church?
You must accept that... present participle means God is working in you all the time. Christians are trying to get God to work in them, but God is working in you all the time. You cannot stop it.
If you are a believer, you must learn to accept it that's all. Present participle means you cannot earn God working in you. He is already working in you.
But the danger that stops or obstructs this whole flow... now how many of you know that even when you don't know God is working in you, in many cases of your life, you realise that God has worked in you the desire and transformation. That is by accident you know.
How much more if you KNOWING God is always at work in you? It will not hinder you.
All you need to do for this verse to... I cannot say work because it is working already... you just have to accept this verse as truth. There is nothing you can do to earn this verse. It is already happening.
Those who preach you must fast, you must do this to make God work in you is not... you fast and you pray not for this reason because God is ALREADY working in you! Always... ALL THE WHILE!
It is error to say you must do this for God to work in you.
// FIN - end of clip //
If you had known, even you especially this your day the things that make for your peace. If you had the things that make up for your shalom, your wholeness, your prosperity your peace.
Look up here. Look up here.
You know He rode on the donkey and saw the City from the Mount of Olives and He wept. We say that He wept because they rejected Him. But it is more than just self. You know why He wept? It's because He loved the Jews so much. You know what He said? "If only you had known the things that belong to your shalom."
What grieves the LORD today?
Christians do not know the riches that belong to them- The things that belong to your shalom, your wholeness, your prosperity, your peace.
And that's why in Heaven there will be initial tears right? We go to heaven we'll cry.
"But Pastor Prince in heaven there are no more tears."
Yes, but there will be tears initially. The bible says God will wipe away all tears, and then there will be no more tears.
But there are initial tears when we enter heaven, right? We'll cry.
Why?
"Well, Pastor maybe we see our loved ones didn't make it?"
Maybe.
But i think it is more than that- We will cry because we didn't realise how good our God is, and how little we believed Him, and how rich His inheritance is, and how little we have possessed it.
"If you had known," Jesus cried... As He cried he said "If only you had known..."
"Jerusalem if only you had known the things that belong to your peace", but now it is hidden because they didn't want Him.
It is LOVE shedding tears. Only someone who loves you very much will talk like that.
But you see, it is not hidden from us... or is it? Is it? Do we realise how rich, how blessed we are?
So church you either get it by sweat or by the blessing of the LORD.
"But Pastor Prince I prayed before you know?"
When was it?
"The last 2 years when you preached on Jabez."
Wonderful. You never sought God's blessings after that??
You know what I do something when I cannot remember names? I say "LORD, bless my memory." And you will be surprised, just"choot!" the name just pops up. My memory needs to be blessed.
And it is fun. Sometimes I think the LORD just wants you to ask Him, to be dependant on Him all the time for blessings.
When I sleep at night, I say "LORD bless my sleep." Amen.
Jessica (his daughter fyi) goes to school? "Bless her LORD in school."
Because with the blessing of the LORD little becomes much, a few becomes plenty. Remember what little you had? Don't worry. It is the blessing of the LORD you need.
Can I have a good Amen?
Man's ways are too slow, too painful, too stressful. God's way's the best!
Now let me close with a reference from the NEW TESTAMENT. And this is beautiful. It is PHILIPPIANS 2:13. It is the equivalent of a life of no sweat.
Now I am sweating a little bit up here, so how many understand God is not referring to physical sweat, God is referring to the ministry- when I am preaching, the Holy Spirit is energizing me.
Now here is where it is taken from (shows Amplified version on screen)-
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire]...
You know what, Estee, show them the New King James first. I want you to see the simplicity of it. (NKJV version appears on the screen) -
Philippians 4:12,23 (NKJV)
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you... it is GOD who works in you (his emphasis)... both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Now if you look at verse 12 the ending says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling"-
there are many believers who use this verse and say, "The bible says work for your salvation." You know?
I have met Christians... have you met them before? We preach we are saved by grace not by our works and then they say, "Ya, Paul says work for your salvation."
You know with a little drop of one word... just like the devil before Eve at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil... when you drop a word, it sounds different. They are telling us to work.
Now God is NOT schizo alright? Either salvation is ALL of Christ and NONE of self, or salvation is SOME Christ, SOME self.
Make up your mind.
Yet there are people saying, "Work for your salvation."
It does not say that. It says, "Work OUT your own salvation..."
"Work out" because it is God who works in you.
Work it out with fear and trembling means with deliberate carefulness. It is an old expression.
You know you can fear and tremble for all the good things God has given you?
In other words, work it out in the way you treat one another. Work it out in the way you love your family. Work it out in the way you treat your children. Work it out in the way you converse. Work it out in the way you work as a believer in your work place.
Work it out. Salvation is worked in - God has worked in you. You work it out.
It is NOT saying "work for".
Work it out.
You cannot "work out" something that has not been "worked in".
Once you are saved, salvation is in you. Work it out in the way you handle people, in the way you handle finances. Work it out so that people can see the salvation in you.
But that's not my sermon, my sermon is to show you the second line in verse 13.
For it is God who works and wills in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
This is in the present participle in the Greek. You know what is a present participle?
God is always actively working inside you. He is working actively in you both to will - giving you the willingness and the performance of His good pleasure.
In the Amplified, it is like this -
[Not in your own strength (... that's your sweat, not in your sweat)] for it is God Who is all the while (Present participle. He never stops. God is all the while... you know right now as I speak, do you know God is working in you?)... God is all the while effectually at work in you (Where? In YOU!) [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
Now go back to the New King James. Memorise verse 13 - For it is God who works in you.
Now Church, present participle means God is always working in us - both giving us the willingness and the performance of His good pleasure.
Look up here. Oh man this is powerful, this is powerful.
You've got to learn accept that God is working in you.
Present participle means - you don't have to do anything to make God work inside you, God is working in you all the time.
People say "7 steps to hear God's voice" - hey, if you are the child of God accept God is working in you. He is giving you thoughts, he is giving you ideas. He is giving you the desires.
God never tells you to do things in the Christian Life that you don't like.
Never.
Initially, you might not like it... but the more you think about it, the more you pray about it, God works in you the willingness. God works in you, even the performance for it - Both to will and to do.
It's like... You know the commandments in the New Testament? You know it's like this... You are so hungry you've not been eating for more than a day and God puts curry fish head right in front of you and says, "I command you. Eat."
You've not been eating for one day. Is that a command to you? That is a desire man... but it is still a command. God's commands in the New Testament are ALL His enablements.
Are you listening church?
You must accept that... present participle means God is working in you all the time. Christians are trying to get God to work in them, but God is working in you all the time. You cannot stop it.
If you are a believer, you must learn to accept it that's all. Present participle means you cannot earn God working in you. He is already working in you.
But the danger that stops or obstructs this whole flow... now how many of you know that even when you don't know God is working in you, in many cases of your life, you realise that God has worked in you the desire and transformation. That is by accident you know.
How much more if you KNOWING God is always at work in you? It will not hinder you.
All you need to do for this verse to... I cannot say work because it is working already... you just have to accept this verse as truth. There is nothing you can do to earn this verse. It is already happening.
Those who preach you must fast, you must do this to make God work in you is not... you fast and you pray not for this reason because God is ALREADY working in you! Always... ALL THE WHILE!
It is error to say you must do this for God to work in you.
// FIN - end of clip //
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