Praise and Worship: Adeline came onstage to lead the church in praise and worship. We sang "God is Here" by Darlene Zschech and it was awesome. This is partly due to the new drummer we have who's got muscular arms. Maybe I'm bias but he's really explosive in his strokes!
1. God is here
2. Your Name
Topic:The Church is God's Best Secret
Special video testimony of a lady in our church who delivered her first child even though there was a lump in her womb. It was so serious that the doctor told her it is life threatening for the mother and the child. Despite the negative news, she chose to believe otherwise and trusted God entirely. On the operation theater while she was about to deliver, the doctor saw the situation wasn't good and prepared them for the worse. The doctor told them that because the lump was so big, they had to remove it and might also remove her womb. However God did His great work of healing and today she is a very blessed mother of 3 children.
What God did for one, He can do it for another. Don't give up. Everyone goes through different degree of problems. But if you believe in a God of miracles, and if you believe in miracles of God today,be ready to receive your harvest.
Jesus promised in His word that there will be none barren among you.
Deuteronomy 7:14:
"Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle."
Whatever scientific breakthrough or medical science, just go for it. It takes God to give you a successful IVF. Don't feel like you're going in a way of unbelief. Don't feel bad because you're seeing the doctor. There's no condemnation in being sick. Recall the Lord's prayer: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If heaven has no sickness, then earth has no sickness.
Jesus was sharing the parable on the kingdom of heaven. In the end days, many anti-Christ will rise. But according to John, he said there were already many anti-Christ prevalent even at his time. These people are against the death of Christ.
The gospel of Matthew is written to the Jews. Matthew Chapter 13 talks about the 4 parables shared by the seaside. Back in the house, Jesus shared another 3 parables.
Matthew 13:44-46
When God looks down from heaven, He sees 3 groups of people. They are the Jews, Gentiles and the Church (Read 1 Corinthians 10:32). When Jesus shares the parables, He wants us to know we are special.
Verse 44: Drag net is referring to the Gentiles. Kingdom of heaven is referring to the Jews. The pearls are referring to the church. We are under the church group because we are all made up of Gentiles and non-Gentiles. Israel has to do with the soil. The promises that God gave to Abraham is seed and soil.
Exodus 19:5: God told Israel that they will be a special treasure.
Psalm 135:4: "Israel for His special treasure."
God is not judging any nation. Don't read revelation now and think that God is judging the world. In fact, God is presently showing His grace to the world.
Will it last forever? No, God will come in the second coming on a white horse. At that time, we will be caught up to be with Him and given a new body.
God's covenant with Abraham is unconditional. Some preachers teach covenant theology. They say everything in the Old Testament is for us today but all the bad in there is for Israel. On the same claim, Pastor points out, if God forgets Israel, how can you be sure He will not forget you?
Romans 9 talks about Israel's past, chapter 10 about the present and chapter 11 on the future. One day Israel will be saved entirely.
Back to Matthew 13:44-46,
Verse 44: "...for joy over that treasure..." Jesus finds joy and bought the entire world. Israel was bought. Bought does not mean redeem. Everyone is bought by God.
Some preachers quote a verse in Jude to show that Jesus bought us and nullify the redemption of God. You must understand that Jude was written to the Jews and it was meant to serve as a warning to all of us. Whether you like it or not, you are bought. Whether you are redeemed depends if you receive God as your saviour.
Jesus didn't just die for the treasure but He died for the whole world.
Verse 45: Explaining a little on the oyster and the pearl: An oyster receives a wound, then it releases nacar over the wound. This nacar contains the rainbow colours.
The rainbow is a sign that God will need be angry with you again. Back to the pearl, the injurer gives life to the injured. Overtime, the pearl is created.
The church is actually God's secret treasure. Another thing about the pearl is that it can only be found very deep in the oceans. That signifies that Jesus came down all the way deep down to die for us. The church is put in the sweetest and closest intimacy with God. The oyster and the pearl is an illustration of Jesus.
Ephesians 3:5-10
Verse 3: Paul says the church is God's well guarded secret. When you think of church, it is not about a building. A church is the longest lasting organisation that you have ever seen.
Verse 4: The first church is made up of Jews. This was a revelation to them.
Another thing about the pearl is that when pearl comes in contact with your perspiration, it loses its shine. Now, some of you are getting it. The lustre can only be regained when you wash it with water. Hallelujah. Reading the word is akin to washing ourselves with water. That's where we shine brighter each day. In Christian life, there is no sweat. It is the blessing of The Lord, when God blesses, what can the fiery darts do?
Ephesians 5:28
Verse 28: It starts to say Jesus loves the church and husbands love your wives.
Verse 29: Nourishes your wife with words. If she says she's old, find things for her to do to make her feel otherwise.
Verse 30: We are members of His bones. Jesus does not have diseased bones, so are we.
Verse 31: Eve was a well guarded secret before she came from Adam. The church is God's last secret.
Verse 33: Every heavenly truth must be translated to a day to day practice.
Let's read this verse if read from the Amplified bible.
33 However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].
Pastor jokes that that verse must be written by a man.
Marriage is a decision. Staying together is a decision. If you come to a place where you love has become bland, it is about feelings. Pastor advices for the couple to stay together for the sake of their children because their children have a future. Don't try for each other but just do it for your children. "But Pastor, this is not real". Pastor says this is real to do it for your children.
In closing,
Pearl is not mentioned in the Old Testament. In actual fact, an Israeli does not hold much regard for a pearl. But yet, pearls can be found in heaven. See the following verse.
Revelation 12:12
Verse 12: Heaven has 12 gates. Each gate has a huge giant pearl. It signifies the Gentiles are preaching the gospel to Israel. It's like us saying, "You have blessed us with the bible, now it's our turn to bless you".
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