Finding Genuine Rest (Rev. Dr. Pandam Yamsat) 30-08-2013

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

LCC Pushit, Mangu LGA,

Plateau State, Nigeria

30th August, 2013

Funeral Service of Mrs. Rauta Haggai

(My Paternal Grand Mother)

*Speaker: Rev. Dr. Pandam Yamsat

* Topic: Finding Genuine Rest

*Text: Revelation 14:6-13

* When someone dies, you should also think of your own day of death

* Two great things that God brought into the world - work and rest

* Rest is very important (physically, bodily and spirituality)

* When you work without resting, you will get sick

* Good doctors encourage their patients to take time to rest

* Sleeping pills are not always the best solution to rest

* Genuine rest is dependent upon genuine work

* Work is not a curse. It is a blessing. When we work, we are aligning with God in the development of His world

* The world is suffering today because Men are engaged in selfish work

* There is no rest where there is no genuine work

* There is great blessing in genuine work

* You are the product of someone's genuine work

*Verse 6: The Gospel is the primary work that God expects you to do

* The Gospel is eternal! It will stand the test of time

* The Gospel the angel declared: "Fear God, Worship God"  - We are called to worship God and Honour Him

* When you recognize God's sovereignty, you will not rest. You will fear God and Honour Him

* God created you with the ability to fend for yourself

* Brain is money. Your ideas are given for your enrichment. When you have ideas, money will come

* Many are poor because they refuse to work with their God given ideas

* Verse 8-10: Rest of mind and the spirit is not gotten through sin

* Seek genuine prosperity through genuine work

* It doesn't take a rich man to raise rich and prosperous children. It takes a man who fears God

* Rest is not gotten through ill-gotten riches

* Sin robs you of rest

* GENUINE work involves sweat

* Challenges and trials and pressures are good for helping you stay on track

* Pray, work, think

* The problem of Nigerian Christians is that they do not want to pray, work and think. They are mentally and spiritually lazy

* Verse 11: If you do not work, you will not rest

* Those who work and die in the Lord will find rest

* Works are not enough, character is important

* Character cannot be separated from you. It will accompany you everywhere you go

* Without good character, you cannot do genuine works

* You will take your character with you to eternity

* No one who does not work will ever find genuine rest

* Begin to work and God will give you rest

* Do everything to God's glory

* Train your children in character, in faith, to appreciate hardwork and you will find rest

We are Partners, not Rivals (Rev. David Pofi) 15-08-2013

COUPLE’S FELLOWSHIP ANNUAL RETREAT

15^TH – 18^TH AUGUST, 2013

MIANGO REST HOME

DAY ONE: THURSDAY, 15^TH AUGUST, 2013

 

OPENING CHARGE

Topic: We are Partners, not Rivals

Speaker: Rev. David Pofi

Text: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

 

An overview of the Opening Charges of the Christian Couples Fellowship Retreat from 2010:

2010 Opening Charge:

Things that only God can do:

1.    Unless the Lord builds your home, the builders build in vain. [Psalms 127:1]

2.    Unless the Lord watches over your home, you watch in vain

3.    Only the Lord can bless your children.

 

2011 Opening Charge:

Ø  Luke15:11-19

Ø  If you are disconnected from the Lord, you will never be full.

Ø  When a man/woman is disconnected from God (the Father), they become prodigal and cannot connect with each other appropriately.

Ø  When a family is disconnected from God, they beg when they are not supposed to beg.    

 

2012 Opening Charge:

*Ephesians 1:4, 7, 13 & 14

Ø  We were created by God for His pleasure, but sin separated us from Him.

Ø  God paid again for our sins in order to purchase us back to himself.

Ø  God bought (purchased) us for himself so that we might be set aside for His exclusive Holy use.

Ø  We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Ø  You can only bear fruit according to your kind.

*Galatians 5:19 – 21 [works of the sinful nature]

Ø  When a man/woman is filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will definitely manifest

 

2013 Opening Charge:

Ø  The Corinthian Church was a composition of everything. It had both good and bad traits.

*1 Corinthians 1:7 – The Church at Corinth did not lack any spiritual gift at all [see: 1 Corinthians12:7-11]

Ø  The Church was endowed and was very spiritual.

Ø  But the Church had other problems [see: 1 Corinthians 1:10 – 13 there was division in the Church; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 there was incest and sexual immorality]

Ø  Carnality was the root of the division and immorality [1 Corinthians 3:1-4]

Ø  Note: The Church is made up of many families. There cannot be Church without families.

Ø  The reason why the Church at Corinth was the way it was, was because they were ‘mere men’ and they were worldly, carnal and spiritually immature (babies in the Lord)

Ø  Whenever you find division and quarrelling, there is only one reason for that: you are dealing with ‘spiritual babies

Ø  Spiritual babies are carnal, immature and cannot handle strong/solid food.

Ø  Babies cry for everything and make unrealistic demands; they give fault to other people; they hide things that don’t belong to them.

Ø  When spiritual babies are found in the family, there is bound to be fights, quarrelling and jealousy.

Ø  You must learn to see your partner as a partner, not as a rival whom you are competing against. You should walk, think and work together

Ø  Your relationship with the Lord will definitely reflect in the family. If you are growing in your relationship with the Lord, your relationship with your spouse will also grow

Ø  If you have a healthy relationship with the Lord, you will seek your partner’s happiness

Ø  You cannot be so spiritual and yet not live well at home – it is a contradiction

Ø  You must use God’s Word as a mirror to make all the necessary adjustments in your life