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

Christ our Model (Rev. Amos Tang’an) 15-07-2012

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Gindiri Old Students Association (GOSA),

Abuja Branch Meeting (Special Quarterly Prayer Meeting),   

Venue: Durumi Recreational Park,

Durumi, Abuja – Nigeria

15^th July, 2012

EXHORTATION  

* Speaker: Rev. Amos Tang’an (Chaplain, Gindiri Mission Compound Schools)
* Topic: Christ our Model

* Text: Philippians 3:17-21

* Paul the Apostle had personally experienced God and the benefits thereof, therefore he challenged believers to follow his example

* He was sure that he can present himself as a model to the believers

* The only addition/contribution you have in society is what you put into it

* Philippians 3:10,12

* Paul’s model is Christ

 

Enemies of the Cross

1.   Those whose appetite is their god

2.   Those who are proud of what they should be ashamed of

3.   Those who think of only life here on earth     

4.   Those who live only to fulfil their own desires 

* Anytime you consider anything/need as being greater than your desire for God, you make yourself an enemy of the cross

* Your spirituality must be your life and it must take preference above all things

To what extent are we enemies of the cross?

* Every glory that is not ascribed to God becomes your shame

* You must be careful so that the things you glory in do not become your (source of) shame

* When you have Christ as your glory, you will never be put to shame

* Philippians 3:20 - "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"

* NOTE: Heaven is where our transformation from shame to glory is perfected/completed  

* Citizens have rights defined and protected by the Constitution of their country     

* Your citizenship (of Heaven) is a defining point for your relationship with God

* A person who is not a citizen of a country lives mindful of the fact that one day he will return to his home country

* My life MUST not be determined by the passions of my body

* When you are glorified in the end, you will have a body (that is) beyond what you think is best

* Remember that God has positioned you for glory

* Whatever you long for and desire (in the earth), the Scripture describes it/them as ‘lowly’ (Philippians 3:21)

 

The Motive for Jesus' Love (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 22-01-2012

MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki, Abuja - Nigeria

Testimony & Praise Service

22nd January, 2012

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Text: Deuteronomy 33:3 →"Indeed, lover of people, all of his holy ones are in your control. They gather at your feet to do as you have instructed."

* Mathew 14:13-14 → "When Jesus heard this, he left that place and went by boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of it and followed him on foot from the neighbouring towns. When he got out of the boat, he saw a large crowd. He had compassion for them and healed their sick."

* The primary motive for the ministry of Jesus and the miracles He performed is His love and compassion for mankind

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)