Purity of Purpose (Bro. Alex Davou) 21-05-2001

* MY SERMON NOTES

@ Rescue Team,

Hwolshe – Gigiring, Jos

Plateau State, Nigeria

21^st May, 2001

SERMON

* Speaker: Bro. Alex Davou

* Topic: Purity of Purpose

 * Purity means to be clean/holy

* Purpose is one’s intention (to achieve a particular goal)

* You’ll not be judged by your intention unless it is realized.

* Men have good purposes/intentions but they usually find it hard to achieve them

* There is no greater poverty than that of imagination

* If you believe a lie, you’ll always be controlled by that lie

* Unless you ‘drink’ that which is of the Holy Spirit, you will not know what is of the Holy Spirit

* Unless you fight, you cannot be counted as being part of those who are bold

* The wisdom of the world is limited

* Many acquired wealth out of impunity – it will all be taken away

* Luke19:11-26

* If you forfeit your crown, it will be given to another person

* As a Christian, your primary purpose is to please your master – Jesus

* Our beauty as Christians is not physical but that of the spirit

* Everything we do here on earth is for an eternal reward

* If you die today, what will you be remembered for?

* Psalm40:6-7 

       

 

 

The Compassion of Jesus (Rev. Dr. Sidney Garland) 12-05-2001

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(now, Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring - Jos,

Plateau State - Nigeria

12th May, 2001

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Dr. Sidney Garland

* Topic: The Compassion of Jesus

* Text: Matthew 9:27-38

* Unless God Himself fills you with compassion, you cannot do it on your own

* As Jesus becomes more real to you, He shows you His compassion and He wants you to fix your eyes on Him

* The world is generally deficient in compassion;

→ Many people who genuinely need help never get a hand of love

☆ Some Observations on the Compassion of Jesus Christ

1. Jesus had compassion on the crowd because of the fact that they were harassed and without a shepherd (verse 36)

→ He looked at them with the understanding of their need

→ He identified with their cares and burdens

→ Where were the shepherds? ('shepherd' literally means, a leader of God's people)

→ Every good shepherd is sacrificial: "He lays down his life for His sheep." (See: John 10:11) - Do we see this practically happening today?

2. Compassion moved Jesus to do something

→ Unlike sympathy and pity, compassion is always backed with action - there is always a 'reaching out'

→ Jesus asked people to pray (Matthew 9:37-38)

→ Let compassion move you to pray for missions - that the Lord will send out workers & labourers into the fields

→ Jesus saw the need - do you?

3. The shortest verse in the Bible tells us more of Jesus' sympathy (John 11:35)

★ John 13:1 → "Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

* Jesus loved His own and He showed them the full extent of His love

→ Is your love (towards others) dependent on any condition?

4. Jesus humbled Himself because of compassion

→ He is our High Priest and He sympathises with our weaknesses

→ He doesn't just feel it, He acts!

★ Hebrews 4:15 → "For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin."

5. Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (because of their sins and rebellion) → Luke 19:41-44

→ How many times do you weep over the sins and the rebellion of your community/Nation?

6. While on the cross, Jesus asked the women crying to weep for themselves and their sins

- (Luke 23:27-28); and He asked God His Father to forgive His enemies (Luke 23:34)

→ This is a wonderful demonstration of compassionate prayer

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

* We should have compassion for the people of God not only when they are suffering, but also when they are doing wrong

* Compassion entails patience

* Jesus wants us to love Him and take care of His sheep (John 21:16)

* Gossip is not an act of compassion

→ We must learn to solve our differences in love

* Jesus expects you to reach out to those in trouble.

→ By doing that, you are ministering to Him (Matthew 25:34-46). He wants us to do the same

* What is your personal attitude towards those around you?

→ Are you involved?

* Some Christians have a self-centered attitude

→ They help only those they know

☆ Obstacles to Showing Compassion

1. If you don't have Jesus living in you, you'll not have a heart for others

→ Only Jesus can empower you to look beyond yourself or the weaknesses and helplessness of others

→ It takes Jesus to genuinely love anyone other than yourself and to put their interests above your own

→ Unless you see others through the "eyes of Jesus", it is impossible to genuinely show compassion

2. Sometimes we (Christians) forget that we are saved by grace (Luke 18:9)

→ If you have recieved mercy, you should be ready to show mercy to others who deserve it (either because they are in trouble, in need or they are doing wrong)

→ You're not better than others - You are what you are today by the grace, favour and mercy of God

→ NOTE: You are a product of God's mercy & grace (Ephesians 2:8-9)

3. Many people (including Christians) talk about themselves when they are approached by others in trouble, seeking help

→ Selfishness is one of the biggest hindrances to showing genuine compassion to anyone

4. Sometimes we look at other people and think that they are just getting what they deserve

→ Example: Job's friends think he was suffering because of some sin in his life (Job 4:7-9)

* NOTE: The issue about what our attitude or disposition towards suffering is always a hard one

→ You are not to ask "why", but rather: "what am I going to do about it?"

* Do not despise others (especially when they are in need or in trouble)

Our Perfect Standard (Bro. Shakalshang Biwul) 07-05-2001

* MY SERMON NOTES

@ Rescue Team,

Gigiring, Hwolshe – Jos

Plateau State, Nigeria

7^th May, 2001

 SERMON

* Speaker: Bro. Shakalshang Biwul

* Topic: Our Perfect Standard

 * Anything that is perfect is stress-free, ideal & harmless

* A standard is a reference point. It is ‘the’ goal to be attained

* Jesus is our perfect standard – the author and finisher of our faith

* Jesus is our ‘shock-absorber’ and our ‘pain-reliever’

* God made (created) man based on His own standard. It was a perfect arrangement

* Today, we are struggling to know God because that standard was demolished by sin – man was separated from God and the earth was spoilt

* NOTE: man is an extension of God

* Psalm 82:6 - "I said, 'You are "gods"; you are all sons of the Most High.'"

* The moment man sinned, He discovered that he was naked (Genesis 3:7)

* The image of God was not destroyed, but His likeness in man was displaced

* The moment you come to Christ, every hindrance is done away with - that thing (or those things) that link you to the devil

* The devil is struggling to see that you do not attain the standard that the Lord has destined for you

* The standard must be built and developed

* To get the standard of God, you must be humble – humility should be your standard

* Matthew 11:29

* Some people place other things as the standard of their lives (not Jesus)

* Do you know that someone is looking at you as his standard? That person does not ‘look at you’ but the character of Jesus in you

* Philippians 2:7-11

* It was because Jesus was humble that He had a name capable of giving us salvation

* Humility makes you transparent

* As you stay close to God, you affect the world around you by a given undiluted taste

* Your target should be God’s Kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)

* The path to achieving the perfect standard is narrow and hard. Many will struggle to enter but will not be able to do so

* Matthew 7:13a-14

* Psalm 119:9, 11, 105 and 144

 

Prerequisites for Attaining God’s Standards

1.   God’s Word

2.   Understanding/knowledge

-      The way you live depends on what you understand/know

3.   The light of God

-      The Holy Spirit burns the Word of God in us so that it will shine forth

4.   Prayer & waiting upon the Lord

-      Jesus MUST open your mind to move in God’s standard

-      Luke 24:4-5

-      To attain this standard, one must be totally clothed (with supernatural power) from on high

-      You must have [extra-ordinary] strength because the process is tiring  

5.   Faith

-      Hebrews 11:2, 6, 33-38

-      You must be faithful

6.   Love

-      1 Corinthians 13:13 

   

   

 

 

Examine Yourself (Bro. Samuel Pam) 27-04-2001

* MY SERMON NOTES

@ Youth Fellowship, Night Vigil

Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(now, Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring – Jos,

Plateau State, Nigeria

27^th April, 2001

 

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Bro. Samuel Pam

* Topic: Examine Yourself

* Text: Luke 18:8 - "I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

* Examine your life. Are you still in the faith?

* How faithful are you to the vow/oath you took in God’s service?

* If your closet is not clean, you are a hypocrite!

* All that is required of a servant is faithfulness

 

* NOTE: You are accountable to God for everything you do in your life   

* You cannot move God with your sacrifices, but only with your obedience

 

 

 

Dangers of Pride (Reverend Maxwell Dayok) 12-11-2000

★MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(Now Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring, Jos

Plateau State, Nigeria

12th November, 2000

SERMON

* Speaker: Reverend Maxwell Dayok

* Topic: Dangers of Pride

* Theme: Jesus Christ & Mission

* Since we as a Church are not praying, the devil has occupied us with himself

* The prayerless Christian is at the mercy of Satan

* If you are not filled and empowered by the spirit of God, then you are filled, empowered and controlled by the devil

* There is no neutral ground in spirituality - either you are with Christ, or with Satan

* Everyone filled, empowered and controlled by God's Spirit manifests the fruits of the spirit of God

* When you are not filled with the Spirit of God and yon think you are, then there is danger

* One of the dangers of prayerlessness is that pride comes in

* Many Christians consider themselves as giants, and are filled with pride, but inside, they are empty

* God opposes those who are proud

★ Isaiah 29:13

★ Matthew 15:8-9

★ Proverbs 12:22

* You need to adjust yourself and who you are in reality

* Come back to God and humble yourself and ask God to help you

★ Proverbs 8:13

* Some Christians, instead of hating evil, plan and encourage evil to God's disgrace

→ If you fear God, you'll hate evil

★ Proverbs 11:2

* Unless you understand this, you'll soon be disgraced

* Stop thinking you are big, and humble yourself before the Lord

★ Proverbs 13:10

* Pride only breeds querells but wisdom is found in those who take advise

* Begin to think of yourself as nothing

★ Proverbs 16:18

★ Proverbs 29:23

* Pride is a demoter

* There is nothing that you have that has not been given to you by God

* The reason why you are growing in pride is because you are not praying much - you have become powerless; flesh becomes prominent in all you do and tradition surpasses the things of God (the Christian tradition)

What is a Holy Marriage? (Rev. Silas Yako) 29-04-2000

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(Now Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring - Jos

29th April, 2000

☆☆Wedding Solemnization between:

Mr. Patrick Mancha & Theresa Mancha

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Silas Yako

* Topic: What is a Holy Marriage?

* Text: Ephesians 5:15-33

* A holy marriage is one entered with wisdom

* Wisdom is the adhesive element that preserves the marriage union

* A holy marriage is one that the husband and wife are filled with the spirit of God

* If we allow God's Spirit to fill us, there will be peace in the home

* The one who gets drunk is under the dictates and influence of alchohol

* Taking care of the family is very important; He who does not live up to this responsibility is worse than an infidel & has denied the faith

(1 Timothy 5:8)

* Problems arise in the home when couples do not obey God's Word and they allow themselves to be controlled by other strange spirits/influences (apart from God's Spirit)

* Grumbling, complaining and strife are signs of a 'Spirit of God- less' life

* Submit yourselves to one another; share ideas; help each other; humble yourselves; and tolerate each other

* Wives, obey your husbands - The husband is the head of the house

→ Husbands are God's servants (Priests)

→ The Bible emphasises this obedience

* Some women are wiser, richer and stronger than their husbands, but it does not hinder obedience & reverence

* Husbands must love their wives as Christ loves the Church . . . He who loves his wife loves himself . . . for this (reason) they left their parents to stick to each other

* Love can be demonstrated and also verbalized - this strengthens the bond of unity (among the couple)

* The way a wife comports herself reflects the husband's love for her

* A man who beats his wife is likened to a mad man

→ She is his body (only a mad man beats himself)

→ He is not fit to be called a 'man'

* A man must separate from his father and mother and stick to his wife

* There are many people who dislike a true union of love than those who like and support it

* Be careful as regards the kind of advice or counsel you receive about marriage

* Many men love their cars more than their wives and family

* Living holy lives is supreme

* You cannot deal with the issues of marriage with your bare hands - let bygone be bygone

The Purpose in our Problems and Human Limitations 07-05-2000

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(Now Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring - Jos

7th May, 2000

SERMON

* Speaker: [no data]

* Topic: The Purpose in our Problems and Human Limitations

* Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18

* Jesus says you must take up your cross if you must follow Him (Matthew 16:24)

* Jesus is not against pleasure, but afflictions MUST come our way

* When Jesus called the 12 disciples and the first believers to follow Him, He did not pretend it was going to be easy

★ 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (Paul's testimony)

* Paul admitted that he was fragile, but God in his infinite mercy keeps him strong

* God has an incredible plan for each one of us

* Satan was not making it easy for Paul, because he was effective for Christ

★ 2 Corinthians 11:23b → " . . . in labours more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often."

* God may call us to suffer something. It's humanly meaningless to us

" My life is full of weaving

From God and me;

I cannot choose the colours . . ."

* Our human limitation brings some benefits. He uses such situations to bring glory to Himself

1. The reminders of Christ's suffering for us

★ 1 Peter 2:21-25

* Christ suffered because our sins were on Him

★ Hebrews 4:15

* Satan tries to isolate us in our affliction and make us feel that no one cares - BUT GOD KNOWS

2. Our weaknesses Keep us from self-sufficiency

* Sometimes when you are doing all right, you tend to forget Christ and don't depend on Him for anything

* It doesn't take God a moment to tell us how vulnerable we are

* In our weaknesses, He makes and shows Himself strong

★ Proverbs 3:5-7

* When God humbles you through suffering, you should learn to appreciate him and TRUST HIM

3. Our suffering causes us to look beyond this brief life

* When we see the tragedy and suffering around us, we long for a better life beyond

★ Romans 8:18-19

★ Revelation 21:4

★ Hebrews 11:13-16

4. Suffering proves our faith to others

* God doesn't promise us to always be healthy, or wealthy as many hold claim

★ Romans 8:35-39 → Suffering should not separate us from God

* In the end, God takes the glory - even in the sight of those that keenly observe us

* Satan tries to make us concentrate on some specific problems we face and in fact, the glory and His light is blurred out in that process

* We must demonstrate our faith as God's children, and that it is vital

5. Suffering gives God the opportunity to demonstrate His power and omnipotence

★ Philippians 4:13 →"I can do all things through him a who strengthens me."

* When God asks you to do something, He also gives you the power (and grace) to accomplish it

* When you depend on God, He proves His power and honours his words

☆ Refer to the story of Gideon in Judges Chapters 6 - 8

* It is not by power, but by God's Spirit

* When God asks you to do something and you know you naturally can't do it, praise Him because he will demonstrate His power

* The more you admit your need of Him, the more He releases His power through you

Seek the Lord (Rev. Silas Yako) 30-04-2000

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(Now Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring - Jos

30th April, 2000

☆ MUSIC CONCERT by Mrs. Ann Sunwar

* Theme: Seek The Lord

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Rev. Silas Yako

* Topic: Seek the Lord

* Text: Isaiah 55:6 → "Seek the LORD while he may be found; call you on him while he is near."

* Many Christians are suffering from 'religious inoculation' - they have built in immunity against having a real experience with God

* Now is the right time to seek God and find salvation; tomorrow might be too late

* The youngest candles shine the longest.

→ The Lord has put something in you that seeks expression

* Prayer: "This generation will not pass away unless the world knows that the calling of the Lord is upon me."

☆ Three things that will make you fail in Life:

1. Partial sanctification

2. Unconscious decadence and detoriation

3. Compromising God's standards

Living a life of Abundance in Christ (Rev. David Fakolade) 30th April, 2000

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN)

(Now Church of Christ in Nations)

Hwolshe, Gigiring - Jos

30th April, 2000

☆ COCIN Week

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Fakolade

* Topic: Living a life of Abundance in Christ

* Text: Deuteronomy 28:1-11

* One who does not deposit anything in his bank account cannot derive interest on it

→ You need to abide by the rules of the bank

* The Lord will bless you only if you obey Him

* Jesus has come to give not life, not just an ordinary life, but abundant life

★ Isaiah 43:18-19

→ God can make ways for you where hope is lost

* To have abundant life means having an ample quantity of it; spending out of plentiful

→ You have to sow a seed before you can reap out of it

* The Lord has invested much on you and He wants you to remember your home above

* You can't live a complete life if you don't know Him

* Living a positive and perfect life in Christ is living in abundance

→ Only those who know Him will recognize His voice

→ Those who recoqnize His voice are those who yield to His demands

* Many people want God's blessings on their work, but they do not Want to give

* All you do, you do for yourself

* God has blessed you so that you can be a blessing to other people

* Living a life of service (Romans 12:1) is to live a life of abundance

* You cannot live a life of service when you are dead. This is your opportunity

* Alive to serve and not to be served - Jesus served till calvary, when He laid down His life for us. Jesus was obedient and He expects us to do the same

* Many people think that they do not need God because they "have everything that they want."

★ Romans 1:1 →"From: Paul, a servant of Jesus the Messiah, called to be an apostle and set apart for God’s gospeI."

→ Dedicate your life to live sanctified for His service, separated from sin unto service

* You may be identified with Christ by name, but you'll not have true fellowship because of sin

* Many 'Christians' are moving with Him without achieving anything

★ Ephesians 5:18 → "Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit."

* Living a Spirit-filled life with power to witness and to withstand persecution is living an abundant life

* Take your mind back to when you first believed in Jesus . . .

★ 1 Peter 3:18 → "For the Messiah also suffered for sins once for all, an innocent person for the guilty, so that he could bring you to God. He was put to death in a mortal body but was brought to life by the Spirit."

→ Living a matured Christian life is living in abundance

* In simple obedience, surrender yourself to God and ask Him to fill you up

★ John 12:25 → "He who loves his life loses a it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life."

* You can live an abundant life in Christ if only you:

→ Set apart your life for Him;

→ Make yourself ready for His Service;

→ Surrender yourself to Him; and

→ Obey His Words