Overcoming Challenges Through Faith and Transformation

 

Summary

The sermon begins with the pastor acknowledging the challenging times the world is facing and emphasizing the need to confront and understand what is happening. He shares a personal anecdote about someone who believed they could stop the devil's influence in their home, but reminds the congregation that it is through the power of Jesus within them that they can overcome evil. The pastor then transitions to a discussion of the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, emphasizing the importance of paying attention to Jesus' words and understanding the significance of the situation. He encourages the congregation to trust in God's plan and seek a deeper understanding of His teachings.

The pastor then emphasizes the importance of accountability and the need to reject sin. He urges the congregation to realize that they are accountable for their actions and cannot simply claim to have Jesus in their lives while living in a way that contradicts their faith. The pastor shares a personal story about their mother's transformation after surrendering to Jesus, highlighting the power of surrendering bitterness and anger to God. He concludes by emphasizing the impact of a transformed life on others, as evidenced by the number of people who attended the funeral of the pastor's mother.

The pastor then emphasizes the importance of not being afraid and having faith in God. He refers to the story of Elijah and his servant, where Elijah prays for his servant's eyes to be opened so that he can see the hills full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them. The pastor encourages the congregation to have a faith of action and to realize that the spirit of God and the angels of the Lord surround and protect us. He concludes by reminding the congregation that they are God's ambassadors and that God is making his appeal to the people through them.

The pastor then emphasizes the unconditional love and acceptance of God. He acknowledges that everyone has failures and faults, but God still loves and accepts them. He uses the example of a parent picking up their child when they stretch out their arms, comparing it to how Jesus wants us to reach out to Him so that He can embrace us. He concludes by referencing the biblical story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, emphasizing the importance of removing the stone and allowing God to work in our lives.

Finally, the pastor reflects on the story of Mary and Martha, emphasizing the importance of maintaining faith in God even during difficult times. He encourages the listeners to focus on their reliance on God's promises for the future rather than seeking immediate gratification on Earth. He concludes by assuring the congregation that in the kingdom of God, there will be meaningful work and activities that align with their passions and talents, debunking the misconception that heaven will be boring.

Key Takeaways:

- The power to overcome evil is not within us, but through Jesus within us. We must confront and understand the challenges we face, trusting in God's plan and seeking a deeper understanding of His teachings. ([12:45])

- Accountability is crucial in our Christian walk. We cannot claim to have Jesus in our lives while living in a way that contradicts our faith. A transformed life, surrendered to Jesus, can have a profound impact on others. ([24:30])

- Fear should not dominate our lives as believers. We serve a God who is greater than any battles or fears we may face. We are God's ambassadors, and He is making His appeal to the world through us. ([36:15])

- God's love and acceptance are unconditional. Despite our failures and faults, He still loves and accepts us. We must remove any barriers and allow God to work in our lives. ([48:50])

- Maintaining faith in God during difficult times is essential. We should focus on our reliance on God's promises for the future rather than seeking immediate gratification on Earth. In the kingdom of God, there will be meaningful work and activities that align with our passions and talents. ([59:20])

Study Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 11:21: "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
2. John 11:32: When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
3. John 11:38-39: Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Observation Questions:
1. What were Martha and Mary's reactions when they saw Jesus after their brother's death?
2. What was Jesus' response to the situation at Lazarus' tomb?
3. What was Martha's concern when Jesus asked to remove the stone from Lazarus' tomb?

Interpretation Questions:
1. What does Martha and Mary's response to Jesus reveal about their faith and understanding of Jesus' power?
2. What does Jesus' command to remove the stone signify in the context of overcoming challenges and confronting evil?
3. How does Martha's concern reflect the human tendency to focus on the immediate physical reality rather than God's promises?

Application Questions:
1. Can you recall a situation where you doubted God's power like Martha and Mary did? How did you respond and what was the outcome?
2. What is a 'stone' in your life that you need Jesus to help you remove? How can you take the first step towards removing it?
3. Can you think of a time when you focused on the immediate physical reality rather than God's promises? How can you shift your focus towards God's promises in similar situations in the future?
4. How can you demonstrate accountability in your Christian walk this week, particularly in an area where you've been living in contradiction to your faith?
5. What is one specific way you can show God's unconditional love and acceptance to someone in your life this week?

Devotional

Day 1: Overcoming Evil through Jesus
The power to overcome evil does not reside in us, but in Jesus within us. In the face of adversity, we must confront and understand the challenges we face, trusting in God's plan and seeking a deeper understanding of His teachings. [12:45]

Ephesians 6:10 - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes."
Reflection: What challenges are you currently facing? How can you apply the teachings of Jesus to overcome these challenges?

Day 2: Accountability in Faith
Accountability is a crucial aspect of our Christian walk. We cannot claim to have Jesus in our lives while living in a way that contradicts our faith. A life transformed and surrendered to Jesus can have a profound impact on others. [24:30]

Galatians 6:4-5 - "Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load."
Reflection: Reflect on your actions in the past week. Were there instances where your actions contradicted your faith? How can you be more accountable in your Christian walk?

Day 3: Fearless Faith
Fear should not dominate our lives as believers. We serve a God who is greater than any battles or fears we may face. We are God's ambassadors, and He is making His appeal to the world through us. [36:15]

2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Reflection: What fears are you currently facing? How can you rely on God's power, love, and sound mind to overcome these fears?

Day 4: Embracing God's Unconditional Love
God's love and acceptance are unconditional. Despite our failures and faults, He still loves and accepts us. We must remove any barriers and allow God to work in our lives. [48:50]

Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reflection: What barriers are you currently putting up that prevent God from working in your life? How can you remove these barriers and embrace God's unconditional love?

Day 5: Maintaining Faith in Difficult Times
Maintaining faith in God during difficult times is essential. We should focus on our reliance on God's promises for the future rather than seeking immediate gratification on Earth. In the kingdom of God, there will be meaningful work and activities that align with our passions and talents. [59:20]

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Reflection: What are some immediate gratifications you are seeking on Earth? How can you shift your focus to rely on God's promises for the future?

Quotes

"God loves you in spite, he's not asking you to be perfect, he's asking you to belong to him and he will make you better." [55:42]

"God wants to do great things in your life, he wants to bless you and make joy come into your life, but you have to surrender it all...everything that I am, everything I have, everything I am, I give it all to you because nothing is mine." [01:19:04]

"We can because we have the power within us and that is Jesus in us." [24:43]

"My mother served the Lord for uh 20 years and until her last three years of her life that's when she really surrendered to Jesus...she surrendered all her bitterness and anger and hate that she had she surrendered it and she gave it back she gave it to God and God cleansed her...she reached so many people with their witness." [01:17:14]

"There's a lot of Christians, a lot of people that feel that God has let them down because he didn't answer the way they wanted him to answer. We expect him to answer the way we want it, but there was a purpose and a reason why Jesus delayed." [39:24]

"Jesus never said the road to me is going to be full of roses and there's going to be roses there going to be Thorns... because your Reliance is not on what you're getting on the earth it's what you're going to get when you get to heaven." [44:16]

"So someone had to move the stone think about it he's Jesus he stopped the water the the the storm he he he calmed the sea he walked on the water I mean all the Miracles and wonders he did he could have said Stone get out of the way he didn't he used people that were there to move the stone so as a church we are the ones that have to move the stone and one of the ways we do that is not forcing it but praying that the Lord would will help us move the stone because we can't do it by ourselves but we could pray for our loved ones." [01:01:59]

"Faith has to be put in action... it's not just saying the word, it is doing, believing, knowing... when you know it, there's no question that God can do what you are claiming that he could do." #!!01:02:37!!#

"Martha went to greet Jesus but at the same time she told Jesus if you would have come when I called you my brother would not be dead... and how many times we've thought that of God God if you only had answered this wouldn't have happened and we blame God for situations that happen in our lives and we don't look back of the situation we caused them to happen." #!!29:46!!#

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Transcript
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