Sermon || Pastor Maletsatsi Thwala || The limitless God

Mungu wetu ni Mungu asiye na mipaka. Yeye ni Mungu wa Ibrahimu, Isaka na Israeli, na leo tunakumbushwa kwamba hakuna kitu kinachoweza kumzuia au kumwekea mipaka. Yeye ni Mungu anayejitosheleza, yupo peke yake, na hakuna mwingine kama Yeye. Tunapomwangalia Mungu, tunaona kwamba Yeye ni mwenye ujuzi wote (omniscient), anajua yote, na hakuna jambo linalomshangaza. Pia ni Mungu aliye kila mahali (omnipresent), hakuna mahali ambapo uwepo wake haupo. Kama vile Daudi alivyoandika katika Zaburi 139, Mungu alituona kabla hatujazaliwa na kila siku ya maisha yetu imeandikwa katika kitabu chake.

Ingawa sisi kama wanadamu tuna mipaka na udhaifu wetu, ndani ya Kristo tumepewa nguvu na uwezo wa Mungu usio na mipaka. Ndani yetu anaishi Yule aliye mkuu kuliko wote, na hakuna kitu kinachoweza kutushinda kwa sababu Kristo yuko ndani yetu. Tunapokumbana na changamoto, tunapaswa kukumbuka kwamba nguvu na uwezo wa Mungu hauzuiliki na hauhitaji sifa zetu wala elimu zetu. Mungu anaweza kufungua milango na kufanya mambo yasiyowezekana kwa macho ya kibinadamu.

Tunajifunza kutoka kwa mfano wa Eliya, ambaye alisimama mbele ya mfalme Ahabu na watu wa Israeli, akamwomba Mungu ajidhihirishe kama Mungu wa kweli. Eliya alijua kwamba nguvu zote ziko kwa Mungu na si kwa wanadamu. Alijenga madhabahu, akaomba, na moto wa Mungu ukashuka na kuteketeza sadaka. Hii inatukumbusha kwamba tunapomtegemea Mungu na kuweka imani yetu kwake, Yeye hujibu kwa nguvu na utukufu wake.

Katika msimu huu mpya, tunaitwa kuingia katika kiwango kipya cha imani na kutambua kwamba kila kitu tunachohitaji tayari kipo ndani ya Kristo. Hatupaswi kuogopa au kujilinda wenyewe, bali tumwachie Mungu ashughulikie maisha yetu na mahitaji yetu. Kazi yetu ni kutafuta kwanza ufalme wa Mungu na haki yake, na yote mengine ataongeza. Tunapofanya uamuzi wa kumfuata Kristo kwa moyo wote, tunafungua milango ya neema na ushindi usio na mipaka.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Mungu ni wa pekee na hana mipaka; Yeye ni mwenye ujuzi wote na yupo kila mahali. Hii inatupa uhakika kwamba hakuna hali au changamoto inayoweza kumshinda Mungu, na hivyo hatupaswi kuogopa chochote kinachotukabili. Tunapomtegemea Mungu, tunatembea katika uhakika wa ulinzi na uongozi wake wa milele. [07:41]
• 2. Ndani ya kila mmoja wetu anaishi Kristo, ambaye ni mkuu kuliko changamoto zote tunazokutana nazo. Hii inamaanisha kwamba hatupaswi kujiona wadogo au wasio na uwezo, bali tukumbuke kwamba nguvu ya Mungu isiyo na mipaka iko ndani yetu. Tunapokumbana na vikwazo, tujikumbushe kwamba “Greater is He that is in me.” [04:24]
• 3. Mfano wa Eliya unatufundisha umuhimu wa kujenga madhabahu ya imani na kumtegemea Mungu kikamilifu. Eliya hakutegemea nguvu zake wala sifa za kibinadamu, bali alimwomba Mungu ajidhihirishe, na Mungu akajibu kwa moto. Tunapompa Mungu nafasi ya kwanza na kumtegemea, Yeye hujibu kwa njia za ajabu na kutukuka. [41:03]
• 4. Mungu ana uwezo wa kufungua milango na kufanya mambo yasiyowezekana kwa macho ya kibinadamu. Haijalishi elimu, cheo, au hadhi yetu, Mungu anaweza kutenda makuu katika maisha yetu. Tunapomwamini na kumkabidhi maisha yetu, Yeye hufanya zaidi ya tunavyoweza kufikiri au kuomba. [45:20]
• 5. Tunapomtafuta Mungu na kuweka ufalme wake mbele, Yeye huchukua jukumu la kutulinda na kutimiza mahitaji yetu. Hatupaswi kuwa na wasiwasi juu ya maisha yetu au kujilinda wenyewe, bali tumwachie Mungu ashughulikie yote yanayohusu jina letu. Hii ni wito wa kuingia katika kiwango kipya cha imani na kumtegemea Mungu kwa kila jambo. [53:05]
  ** [53:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:35] - Mungu wa Ibrahimu, Isaka na Israeli
• [03:54] - Maombi ya uponyaji na ulinzi
• [04:24] - Greater is He that is in me
• [07:41] - Mungu asiye na mipaka
• [09:21] - Mungu anajua yote na yupo kila mahali
• [19:44] - Uwezo wa Mungu dhidi ya mipaka ya kibinadamu
• [21:49] - Kila kitu kiko ndani ya Kristo
• [26:20] - Kuishi katika nguvu za Kristo
• [34:42] - Kukataa mipaka na hofu
• [39:07] - Mfano wa Eliya na madhabahu
• [41:03] - Moto wa Mungu na ushindi wa imani
• [45:20] - Mungu anaweza kufungua milango
• [47:32] - Uthibitisho wa ukuu wa Mungu
• [53:05] - Mungu anatulinda na kutimiza mahitaji yetu
• [56:32] - Wito wa kuingia kiwango kipya
• [58:42] - Msimu mpya na uamuzi wa imani
• [66:29] - Hitimisho na maombi

Bible Reading

1 Wafalme 18:36-39 (ESV) — > And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”

2. 1 Yohana 4:4 (ESV)
> Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

3. Zaburi 139:16 (ESV)
> Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Observation Questions

1. Katika 1 Wafalme 18:36-39, ni mambo gani Eliya alifanya kabla ya Mungu kujibu kwa moto? (Angalia jinsi alivyotengeneza madhabahu na kuomba kwa unyenyekevu.)
2. Kulingana na 1 Yohana 4:4, ni nani aliye mkuu kuliko changamoto zote tunazokutana nazo? (“Greater is He that is in me.”) [04:24]
3. Zaburi 139:16 inasema nini kuhusu ujuzi wa Mungu juu ya maisha yetu kabla hatujazaliwa? [09:21]
4. Katika muhtasari wa mahubiri, ni sifa zipi za Mungu zimetajwa ambazo zinathibitisha kwamba Yeye hana mipaka? (“Mungu ni mwenye ujuzi wote na yupo kila mahali.”) [07:41]

Interpretation Questions

1. Kwa nini Eliya aliamua kujenga madhabahu na kumwomba Mungu ajidhihirishe mbele ya watu wote wa Israeli? Je, hili lilikuwa na maana gani kwa imani ya watu hao? [41:03]
2. Kulingana na mahubiri, inamaanisha nini kusema kwamba “ndani yetu anaishi Kristo, ambaye ni mkuu kuliko changamoto zote”? Je, hii inabadilisha vipi mtazamo wetu tunapokutana na vikwazo? [04:24]
3. Kwa nini ni muhimu kutambua kwamba Mungu anajua kila kitu kuhusu maisha yetu na kwamba kila siku imeandikwa katika kitabu chake? Hii inatupa uhakika gani tunapopitia magumu? [09:21]
4. Mahubiri yanasema kwamba hatupaswi kutegemea elimu, cheo, au hadhi yetu, bali tumtegemee Mungu. Kwa nini hili ni jambo la msingi katika maisha ya Mkristo? [45:20]

Application Questions

1. Je, kuna eneo la maisha yako ambapo umeweka mipaka kwa Mungu au umeamini kwamba hali fulani haiwezi kubadilika? Ni hatua gani unaweza kuchukua wiki hii kumruhusu Mungu aonyeshe uwezo wake usio na mipaka katika eneo hilo? [45:20]
2. Unapokumbana na changamoto au hofu, ni njia gani unaweza kutumia kujikumbusha kwamba “Yule aliye ndani yangu ni mkuu kuliko yeye aliye ulimwenguni”? Je, unaweza kushiriki mfano wa hivi karibuni ambapo uliona nguvu ya Mungu ikifanya kazi ndani yako? [04:24]
3. Katika msimu huu mpya, ni uamuzi gani wa imani unahitaji kufanya ili kuingia katika kiwango kipya cha kumtegemea Mungu? [58:42]
4. Je, una tabia ya kujilinda mwenyewe au kuwa na wasiwasi juu ya mahitaji yako? Ni hatua gani unaweza kuchukua ili kumwachia Mungu ashughulikie maisha yako na mahitaji yako? [53:05]
5. Mfano wa Eliya unatufundisha umuhimu wa kujenga madhabahu ya imani. Ni “madhabahu” gani unaweza kujenga katika maisha yako ya kila siku ili kumweka Mungu mbele na kumtegemea zaidi? [41:03]
6. Ni mambo gani unahitaji kuacha kutegemea nguvu zako au sifa zako binafsi, na badala yake kumkabidhi Mungu? [45:20]
7. Katika Zaburi 139:16, tunakumbushwa kwamba Mungu anajua kila siku ya maisha yetu. Je, hii inakupa amani au changamoto gani kuhusu mustakabali wako? [09:21]