Topic: Jesus' Invitation to You
Pastor Gabriel shared a testimony on a member who found a job after being jobless for 2 years.
Another testimony about a fellow member who got healed of knee pain. Listened and mediated to the church sermon "Imperfect faith".
Pastor shared about the impossible-to-man kind of miracle for Abraham. He bore a child at the age of 100.
Isn't it great you can just come to Him by just believing? Imperfect faith yet receive your blessing. Just come to Him. Don't listen to erroneous teachings saying only come to Him if you have faith. You can't buy a car first and then test drive it isn't it. Come with whatever faith you have and He will top-up.
Pastor welcomes pastors and leaders from Australia and New Zealand.
Jeremiah 23:1-8
Verse 2: Notice "feed my people". Not to beat. This is about the prophesies during our time.
Verse 4: Jesus will raise shepherds around the world. They will:
1) feed the
2) fear no more
3) nor be dismayed
4) nor be lacking
This is what is happening around the around. The 4 things you will be when under good pastors and leaders. So let's find out what are they feeding to the people in the following verses.
Verse 6: The message of "The Lord Our Righteousness" gives us all these things. Now all around the world, people are hearing the gospel of revolution. Now let's see when will this happen in the next few verses.
Verse 8: "North country" is the where Russia is. The Russian Jews will return back to Israel. This is the time where we preach grace. People will be fed and will fear no more. At the same time, many will also come up to self-define the true meaning of grace. Grace is unearned, unmerited favour. It's not law. In Romans 11:6, this is where grace is defined. It means grace is only grace, works is only works. They are never the same. Jesus gives the woman the no-condemnation confirmation first then that grace produced empowerment. The woman then went to sin no more.
Corinthians was known for immorality. Paul used "grace" the most times. Galatians is a mixture of law and grace. But grace is repeated so many times by Paul. Paul said when we were children, we were under law. But now that perfection has come, let's leave law and go to grace. When we were infants, we were under the schoolmaster. But when Jesus came, the spirit of son-ship and grace came. It doesn't mean when you are in a grace church, you understand grace. If you have listen to 9 sermons of grace and 1 time of law, you forget grace. This is something about the flesh. Don't let anyone rob you of the grace.
Whatever assignments God gives you, you are always under supply. Don't look at things under demand oriented. Jesus is the source of unmerited favour. He is the giver and never the recipient.
1 Kings 4:20
Verse 29: Judah and Israel is as numerous as the sand. But Jesus gave Solomon largeness of heart like the sand of the seashore. Where the demand is, so is God's grace! Never look at something like a demand. See the supply everywhere!
John 4:9-10
Verse 9: Jesus gave the only demand from the Samaritan. - Give me a drink.
Verse 10: If you would have known, you would have asked Him.
When you live under faith, that is supply.
Luke 14:1-6
Verse 1: Jesus just stepped into the house. He was eaten to eat bread of the sabbath. Everyone watched Him closely. Do you think He feels welcomed?
Verse 2: Dropsy is a disease back then.
Verse 4: But Jesus healed him and let him go.
Verse 5: Jesus asked them and turned around the situation back to the Pharisees.
Verse 6: They could not answer Him.
Romans 11:36 (A verse for believers who think that it is of their own works that they deserve blessings)
For Him and through Him, and to Him are all things. We are just nothing if not for Him! Sometimes we act like we are everything and accomplishing big things. But actually is Jesus who is doing it through you. Many of times we judge people based on self. Yet Jesus is humble. Back to the story above..
Everyone Jesus healed, He never claimed credit for it. He gave without expecting anything to be returned. His healing is not to be purchased.
Pastor advises ladies to know where to reject. Never take anything the guys gives. Man makes it an obligation and expects something in return.
Verse 16: Jesus is actually referring to His father. Jesus said God has a banquet spread to many.
Verse 17: Then a servant says "Come for all things are ready". He did not say come to serve, come to be an usher or come full time. He just said come just to eat. All the gifts are now ready free for your taking. That's peace for your mind, eternal life, peace for body, protection are all ready and paid for. There's no need to buy, it's all paid. What does it take to come? Man doesn't want to be committed to grace, man loves to be doers.
Verse 18,19 & 20: Many start to make excuses now. If you read all their excuses, they are all senseless. It's just a free meal and all ready. In context, the invitation was given to God's providence but yet many made excuses.
Verse 21: God says to bring in all the less fortunate to come for the supply. The first call is to the Israel ("streets and the lanes" but yet they reject. They could live eternally if only they did not reject.)
Verse 23: "compel them to come in". Compel means to gently force. What is it about man that Jesus has to compel you ("highways and hedges" referring to our time. If you can see its even referring to Russia and China) to bring you in to the table.
You may reject God's invitation by giving excuses. It is ok, we still eat. Just that "we are eating your blessings yo." according to Pastor's version.
See how warp we all are. We need Jesus to bring us in.
Verse 25: After the meal, the great multitude went with Him. All the people who followed not because they see Him as a healer. They are just following His pattern and as an example. Jesus wants to be known more than that. If you see Him just a pattern, the next verse is what He will say to you.
Verse 26: In essence, if you see me an example, then give up everything. You can see He is not pleased.
Drop down to Verse 34 to Chapter 15:1-7 due to time: Great multitude came and then the tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners were left behind. They came with nothing to receive everything.
Luke 15:1-7
Verse 1: Then all of the sinners drew to Him.
Verse 2: now the Pharisees complained and accused Him of eating with sinners. Doesn't this look like the accusers in present day slamming grace?
Verse 3: Jesus then answers.
Verse 4: He does not even say He will die on the cross for all sinners which He could do so. He did not compromise grace. In fact, He shared a parable of a shepherd who found the lost sheep in the following verses.
Verse 7: Jesus wraps it up to say eating with them gives His father and the whole of heaven more joy - happy, His father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. See how much we are loved by Him. What pleased Him the most is when we all come to give just to take. It is the joy of the father when the prodigal son returned, when the lost coin was found and when the lost sheep was found. When Jesus found you, He places you on His shoulders. He uses one of His shoulders to govern the whole universe but yet uses two shoulders when He carries you. See His priority.
But Pastor, we must talk about repentance! So how did the lost sheep repent? We need to listen to the word every time because repentance is "change of mind". So how did the sheep repent? The lost sheep consented to be carried. He did not go against, he allowed himself to be found and loved. That is repentance and it brings a lot of joy to the father. The woman with the list coin is a representation of the holy spirit. The father and the prodigal son is a representation of us and the father.
People say saviour is good, first step but we need to see Him as lord. Those who saw Him as an example didn't even pleased Him. But those who saw Him as saviour gladdened Him. We all need a saviour daily. We need Him to save us in all situations. Maybe cancer came looking for you. But you know why it didn't find you? Jesus kept you from it. A child will never understand how much he is loved. But Jesus says it is alright, just let me love you.
Why does the devil needs to blind you from the gospel? If he needs to blind you from the banquet spread? Obviously he doesn't want you to see and the gospel is indeed glorious. Pastor jokes, your wife covers your eyes when a pretty lady walks past. Why? Because the woman is truly pretty. But when a great grandmother walks by, your wife lets loose!
In closing,
Pastor remind everyone just to come and take freely. He led the church to say:
"For me and my church, all things that are ready is mine!"
