C5
(This Weekly Prayer Summary was written by Devi Susanto, from the CBC English Prayer Ministry, and edited by Brigitta Tedja)
#hearingearseries
Watch full sermon here
Today is not only Christmas but it is also the last Sunday of 2022. Pastor Paul preached a sermon entitled “C5”, the final sermon of the #Hearingear series and it consists of five points:
1. Christmas Story
As we celebrate Christmas, we celebrate Christ.
Matthew 2:1-5 NIV “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ’In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written.’”
It was prophesied and foretold by the prophet Isaiah that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem. The gospel of Matthew is known as the book of the King. Jesus’ kingship was also established through the visit of the wise men, or the Magi. Why was Herod and all Jerusalem with him, so troubled? The word ‘troubled’ here also means “unsettled, stirred up, agitated, disturbed; mental agitation from fear or perplexity.” Below are the reasons:
They heard that someone was born as king of the Jews. In the history of Israel and Judah, no one was born a king, the kings were appointed, although King Josiah did assume his throne when he was only eight years old (II Chronicles 34:1). The son of the king only had the potential of assuming the throne after his father, but Jesus’ kingship was acknowledged upon His birth.
The identity of the Magi also added a further emphasis and significance to their statement. Who were these Magi? They were a unique, powerful religious-political force in the Persian Empire. They were men who believed that they had the ability to interpret dreams and the wisdom of the universe.
Because the state religion of Persia was the religion of the Magi, they were given the political authority to approve or disapprove kings.
In other words, they were king-makers. When Herod saw the Magi coming, he saw the potential of a military invasion, because when these Magi traveled, they did so with a whole entourage complete with a military escort.
These Magi were coming to approve Jesus of His Kingship over the Jews and to worship Him.
They not only honored the newborn King with their visit, but also with their gifts, and these gifts were the type that dignitaries gave to other dignitaries.
The gifts they gave Jesus were gifts honoring the eligibility of Jesus as the King of the Jews. No wonder Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him!
There were not the only three Magi — there were also many robbers on the road but they were afraid of the Magi.
They brought many gifts that was worth a lot of money
We all know that gold still is valuable, but few know that frankincense and myrrh were just as valuable as gold 2,000 years ago.
Myrrh (pronounced "mur") is an expensive spice, used for making perfume, incense, medicine, and for anointing the dead.
Daniel 1:19 “Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore, they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. Thus, Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.”
Daniel 2:12 “For this reason the king was angry and very furious and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So, the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.”
The history of the Magi goes back 600 years prior to the birth of Jesus. The wisemen were about to be annihilated by King Nebuchadnezzar when they were not able to tell the king his dream, but they were saved by the God of Daniel.
Luke 2:8-11 NLT “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don't be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!’”
When Pastor Paul thought about the Christmas story, he also thought about the power-players who want and must be seen. They are found in Matthew's and Luke's Gospel. Power-players were Augustus Caesar and Herod, but there were also many hidden and unseen people like the shepherds who were not recognized. When Joseph was promoted in Egypt, he did not want the Egyptians to know his family were shepherds because they were considered low-class people.
The fear of invisibility and the experience of invisibility is all too common which is a psychological symptom in the day in which we live. People can feel unseen or unheard of, uncared for, and develop deep resentments. Low self-esteem can create anxiety, despair, and depression if we wrestle with the notion of invisibility.
Pastor learned that the shepherds were out in the wilderness, laying their lives down in the presence of wild beasts that included Middle Eastern lions, bears, wolves, coyotes, and snakes. The shepherds were unseen and ignored but God sent an angel to bring them the good news of Jesus’ birth. Just like the shepherds, you are seen, you are loved, and you are cared for and when you wrestle with invisibility, know this, Jesus has endured all of that so you can be healed.
Pastor Paul gave a testimony of a woman who had stage IV cancer, was in pain 24/7 and could not sleep, and as Pastor prayed for her, he heard from God that she should forgive someone. She was initially resistant and unable to forgive her cheating husband. After she prayed and forgave her husband, she no longer took pain medications.
2. Cross Over
Joshua 3:1-5 “Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp and they commanded the people, saying, "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. ‘Make sure you keep a proper distance between you and it, about half a mile--be sure now to keep your distance! --and you'll clearly see the route to take. You've never been on this road before.’ Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.’”
The name Joshua means “Jehovah”, so it is connected with the story of Jesus. We learn that in the book of Joshua, God said, “Moses, my servant is dead, now, therefore arise and cross this Jordan.” In other words, this is an invitation into a new day, a new season, meaning you must confront something from the old day and leave the old. Take care of your bitterness, your anger, your failure. God is saying that the season is over and a new season is beginning. What is next? We need to cross over. What do you do when your next becomes your now?
Because in reality, your future is in your present.
Everything you decide to do today affects your tomorrow.
So, God is working in you today to accomplish the things that He has purposed for you in the future.
God is always preparing me for what He has prepared for me. Sometimes you believe that your chaos has removed you from your promise.
But the truth of the matter is your promises still exists. God is not a man that Je should lie, nor the son of a man that He should repent. If He said it, He will do it. If He has spoken, He will bring it to pass.
Everything God said to you is not something from your imagination. You did not dream it up. It was born in the heart of God and you need to realize that God has given you the courage to reach for what it is He has promised you, even in the middle of your chaos.
The book of Joshua is an interesting book because it is the hinge book of the entire Old Testament narrative.
It is the story of people who shifted out of one dimension of living into another dimension—they crossed over.
It is the story of people that went from being slaves and wilderness-wanderers into people who learned how to possess the promised land.
The Bible says that Joshua called together the sons of Israel and they set out from the Acacia Grove and moved towards the boundary to cross over the Jordan River. When God called them to move into the future, He had to deal with the boundaries of the present.
God says your boundaries are about to be crossed.
He called together the sons of Israel. The word “sons” in the Hebrew language is the word bane. H1121 - בּן * bên * bane * From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name).
The word “sons” literally comes from the meaning of “to be a builder or to build.” You are builders. God has called us all to be builders.
In other words, Joshua calls together the builders of a new family line. You did not come by accident or tuned in by coincidence, because God is about to give you an opportunity to become the builders of a whole new family history.
And God has given you an invitation to be the builder of a new family line.
3. Clarity
Proverbs 29:18 MSG “If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”
We all want to be blessed so we need vision and clarity because the way you are going, you have never been before. We need the presence of God as we read, meditate the Word, and worship in Spirit and in truth. Where you are going, you see through your eyes, but you do not see with your eyes.
Your eyes do not tell you what you are seeing—your brain does.
So, until our minds get renewed, clarity can never come because perception is born first in your thinking and then you see it with your natural eyes. Natural eyes give you sight but your heart gives you vision (insight). We need to renew our minds to have clarity.
Helen Keller was blind and made the statement, “There's something far worse than being blind. And that is having sight with no vision.”
Make sure that you follow the ark (HIS PRESENCE) so that wherever it goes, you go.
4. Courage
Joshua 1:9 MSG “Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take."
Joshua was trained by Moses and God told him multiple times to not be afraid.
You must have courage to move out and do what God called you to do. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” God can order your steps but He cannot take them for you. God is calling you to be courageous enough to step into the moment and the destiny that He has for you.Don’t quit. Don’t give up easily. Be courageous!
Pastor Paul has seen many brilliant people who never made it because they were quitters. If they would have held out longer, they would have been successful. Pastor also knows some who are not as smart but are successful because they were courageous and did not quit. So, try again, go that extra mile, be courageous, because God is with you in every step that you take.
5. Consecrate
Joshua 3:5 NKJV “Then Joshua said to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.’”
He said and if you will sanctify or consecrate yourself, by this time tomorrow, God will do wonders.
It all begins with a consecration.
That means you set yourself apart to something, not just from something.
That means you are willing to say, “Jesus, here it is. Here's my life. Here's everything I have.” I can't do this on my own.”
I will consecrate myself so that by this time tomorrow, God will do wonders.
Prayer Points:
Pray for healing from disappointments, feeling uncared for, past hurt, unforgiveness, sickness, and others
Pray to be able to cross over to the new season and leave the old life (sin, failure, boundaries, etc.) because God has a great plan for us
Pray to be God’s sons, to be the builders of a new family line in God’s kingdom
Pray for clarity and to have vision, to see with spiritual eyes, and to renew our minds to the obedience of Christ
Don’t quit! Don’t give up! Pray for courage to do what God calls us to do
Pray for consecration and to set ourselves apart for God
Give thanks to God in everything He has done for us in 2022 and for the miracles, signs, and wonders in your life for 2023