We bless the name of the lord who at all times feeds us with his word, making sure we don’t lack any nutrient to help us grow spiritually. Today, we expounded on a new topic titled “The Great Cloud of Witnesses of the Overcomers.” Brethren the revelation of the word of God is our light, the time we are living in is the time of revelation; we don’t feed on dogmas and creeds of denominations. God feeds us with the revelation of his word according to the condition of time. Amen!
TEXTS: Hebrew 12:1-2, Hebrew 11:33-40, Matthew 24:28, Isaiah 5:14, Hebrew 11:1, 1Timothy 5:23, Hebrew 12:7-8, 1Cortinthians 9:25
We did pick our word of encouragement from Hebrew 12:1-2, where the bible tells us that we are surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses; the great cloud of witnesses which is not the sky but the heroes of faith before us who overcame in their time, whose lives exemplified the overcoming life, stood their grounds in trails and trouble, fought a good fight of faith and laid an unfeigned hallmark of faith for us to read and stand that we are not alone in this pilgrimage.
God use to achieve his work in troublous times, there is no situation we are going through that we would not find a worse example amongst these great cloud of witnesses, you and I are not the first to serve God with challenges, we have those who have greater conditions of trials and temptations and still did not turn back from God, therefore, we have no excuse as to why we should backslide. Believing God does not stop you from passing through troublous times, the great heroes of faith believed and still were tortured and sawn asunder because of their faith. The word of God in them fortified them to stand. There is no way any man can stand for God in the midst of trials when the word of God is not in him.
There’s a difference between “knowing about God”, and “knowing God.” Knowing about God is knowing his abilities, what he’s capable of doing; knowing God is to live and walk according to his word. If you know God, you will not be ashamed of Him anywhere you find yourself, if you know God, you will fear Him; you will not please man at the expense of God. Knowing about God won’t take you to heaven, knowing God will. When you know God, you will glorify him by your life.
Faith is not a bridge over challenges: faith will not take away your trials, but rather it will empower you with the endurance to overcome. The heroes of faith also had their weaknesses, shortcomings, and failures, they were not supermen, but they were victorious, because they look away from themselves and they were looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of their faith.
If you want to overcome, then don’t look at yourself, look unto Jesus! Faith is not one sided; men had faith and shut the mouth of lions, and some other men had faith and withstood beheadings. Faith believes God whether you live or die!
The fact that the heroes of faith were tortured indicates that faith does not exempt you from trials and troubles. FAITH IS REVELATION! Every child of God is known for chastisement (trials, discipline)
We have divers trials as individual; the same faith that made people to endure affliction, it’s the same faith that made some people to escape it.
Whatever challenges or trials we are passing through does not mean that God is not concerned about our welfare.
God may punish you for something you don’t have a reason for doing (other than pleasing your flesh); while he will not punish another because he has a reason. A case of Timothy that Paul told to use wine because of his condition.
Mount Sinai is not a smooth mountain, rather a very rough one, and yet an old Moses got the commandment from there, God only gave him the grace of endurance. Make up your mind to serve God regardless of whatever, the road will not be smooth; you can only receive grace to go on.
Don’t compete with the world if you want to run this race to the end, compete with the heroes of faith you have in the bible.
God is disciplined. You can’t make it to Him if you are not disciplined (temperate in all things –to win the crown that cannot perish). One who is running is focused and obedient to the rules of the game.
Brothers, if a righteous man falls seven times, he will yet rise. Don’t give up; God raised Samson up. Out of weakness, God made great strength. He’s one of the heroes we have as a witness, no matter how you have fallen, no man has the strength to endure in himself, God is the one who supplies the strengths. Let your faith rise in Him, and get revived to run this race to the end.
Join us next week for our next sermon review.
Shalom.