Back to Basics - Part 7

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on July 28th 2024 by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

Last week we saw 3 marks of the disciples - 

1. Holds onto the teachings of Jesus

2. Love one another just as Jesus loved you

3. Bear fruit

We see snapshots of the Gospel in the lives of the disciples. 

Matthew 9:9 NIV - As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Jesus sees Matthew, a tax collector. His job is not a very good one as he collects tax from the Jews and gives to the Romans. Jesus says only two words, "Follow me." Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus. 

Matthew received the effectual call through the Holy Spirit. 

John 6:64 NIV - Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

We see that some people didn't believe in Jesus and didn't follow him. In Matthew's case, he left everything and followed Jesus.

Romans 8:29-30 NIV - [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Here we see that God predestined us and at the right time called us. When we were called, the Holy Spirit worked on our hearts and that's how we put our faith in Jesus and decided to follow him. 

Colossians 2:3 NIV - in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

As we put our faith in Jesus and follow him, we find treasures of wisdom and knowledge in His Word. 

Matthew 9:10-12 NIV - [10] While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. [11] When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” [12] On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Jesus never separated himself from the sinners but was with them. The Pharisees wondered how he could do this as they kept themselves away from anything unclean. 

Jesus called us not just to meet with the believers but with the ones who are lost and broken. 

When we listen to their stories our hearts open for them. 

Meet with them, eat with them, listen to them and spend time with them. 

Don't jump into sharing the Gospel. Engage with them and listen to them if they share their brokenness and challenges. 

You may not have a solution, but Jesus has. Listen to them and pray for them if you are led by the Holy Spirit.

Throughout this chapter of 9, we see Jesus' miracles. Jesus was engaging with people's brokenness. 

Matthew 9:35 NIV - Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 

Here we see that Jesus was going to different places and engaging repeatedly with people's brokenness. 

People in this world have a lot of problems and difficulties. They're helpless. They're like sheep without a shepherd. 

Matthew 9:37-38 NIV - [37] Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. [38] Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

We need to look at people with the eyes of Jesus. The harvest is plentiful. We need army of labourers. So, we must pray to God for labourers.

Matthew 10:1-5 NIV - [1] Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. [2] These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; [3] Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. [5] These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 

We see that the disciples prayed and they themselves became the answer to their prayers. 

Matthew 10:11-14 NIV - [11] Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. [12] As you enter the home, give it your greeting. [13] If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. [14] If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

We are called to share the Gospel. Don't worry about the outcome. Some may respond to the Gospel and others may not. 

Matthew 10:26-28 NIV - [26] “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. [27] What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. [28] Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 

Don't be afraid. The worst could be death.

You know ADF supports the lawyers who fight the cases of the innocent Christians who are in prison. 

Matthew 10:32-33 NIV - [32]  “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. [33] But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

Are we willing to put our reputation on line for Jesus? 

Matthew 10:40 NIV - [40]  “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 

It is an immense responsibility that we carry. We carry with us the very presence of Jesus. When you are received, the Father is received. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.   

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on October 30th 2022  by Navaz D'Cruz. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.

HEALING A BROKEN IDENTITY

INTRODUCTION

What are the two questions everyone wants to be answered? Who am I and why am I here?

We can our identity from possessions, position or place. I want to tell you that we get our identity from a person – His name is Jesus. Our being or identity is NOT connected to doing something but knowing someone.

WHAT CAUSED THE BROKENNESS AND FRACTURED IDENTITIES?

We need to go back to Eden. We need to understand what happened there to deal with the roots. Today we are doing root treatment.

God created Adam and Eve He was their Perfect Father. They were created to have a perfect relationship with him of love, trust and intimacy. But for there to be true love and trust, there needs to be the ability to choose. So, there were these 2 trees. 

We have another character in this story. His name is Lucifer. He lived in God’s presence and was the chief worshipper but he was cast out of God’s presence which was marked by love and intimacy. He lost that forever. He became an orphan. When he saw that God made man in His own image who were enjoying the intimacy he once had he turned his hate toward mankind and was on a mission to steal, kill and destroy man’s identity, intimacy and inheritance in God.

His biggest battle is against you, a child of God. He knows that when sons of God realize and live in their identity, the earth that is his dominion will be dispelled of darkness, as sons and daughters of God shine as light and regain their lost glory because of the fall. 

GOOD NEWS

Praise God our lost connection with the Father is restored in Christ, through the cross. Jesus came to reveal the Father, and His primary mission was to reunite us with Him. We live in a fallen world and none of us escape its effects. The fall fractured our relationship not only with Father God, but with our fellowmen and nature. Man, woman and the ground were cursed.  Jesus came to restore us to the Father and heal our wounded hearts and relationships.

Yet why do many Christians struggle with this.?

The Bible tells us that when we are born again, we become children of God. We are adopted into His family.

‘The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him, we cry, “Abba, Father.”’ (Rom 8:15) 

SO, WHAT KEEPS US FROM LIVING SECURE IN OUR IDENTITY?

Salvation is in an instant. The Cross brings about restoration and renewal of our body, mind, and soul is a lifelong process – we are being changed from one degree of glory to another. We must partner with that renewal process. 

So, while we are born again and we are new creations in Christ, there is still a ‘sin habit’ we have to put to death. We carry some old habits into it the new kingdom. The orphan spirit is one of them. It is not cast out; it needs to be replaced. It gets replaced by truth, the truth that transforms the way we think which affects how we behave.

THE ORPHAN HEART

Satan using the orphan way of thinking to keep us from realizing our full potential

 An Orphan way of thinking affects our thinking, perception and behavior. Deep down, they struggle to understand that God loves them and that HE is good. Whenever we feel God is not looking after our best interest, we feel jealous, envious and bitter towards others which is a part of orphan thinking.

We need to recognize it, repent and replace those thought patterns with Christ-like ones. It is a daily ongoing process of renewing the mind. We have to choose to embrace sonship i.e what we have positionally we now need to walk out experientially.

Let us look at the story of THE PRODIGAL SON. Both the sons operated out of an orphan spirit? The younger was overtly rebellious, independent and self-willed.
The older son was the religious, law-abiding one but was also functioning from an orphan spirit. He seemed to be obedient, and dutiful. But he had no intimacy with the Father or else he would have known that everything the Father has was there for him to enjoy.

He tried to earn favour from duty. The religious spirit is like this. We live driven by rules rather than relationships. This spirit does not understand grace and mercy and therefore cannot celebrate another person. The older son is offended by grace. We can function like this in our families, with friends, at work and at church. It is an internal heart default position that affects how we view the world and God.

For some of us, this orphan is further compounded by bad experiences in childhood – abusive home, alcoholic parents, divorce, early death of a father, and physical and or sexual abuse by people who should have protected you.

For some, it is a deep FATHER WOUND.  There has been a steady shift in our culture and even around the world in the past few decades. Never have we seen the issue of fatherlessness in our life experiences as we see today. Fathers are absent because they have fathered children but not out of covenant. Fathers are absent because of addictions that they are enslaved to viz alcohol, gambling, drugs or promiscuity. Fathers are absent because of a job where they work long hours and sometimes seven days a week. We have fathers that are emotionally and mentally absent from the home.

We all carry a father wound that was knowingly or unknowingly inflicted upon us by our earthly fathers. And we have all been deceived by the Father of all lies and been wounded by him– the devil.

Several things could have happened to us during our growing up that could have tainted our view of the Father.

Type OF Father	Effect on the child
Distant and uninvolved	Independent and self-reliant
Angry man	Fear guilt and shame and had to manage his anger.
Negligent in providing	Insecure and with a poverty mindset and grabbing.
Cold and distant	Bonding issues
Lack of affirmation	Struggle with identity and approval seeking behavior
Critical	Fear of failure, lying, cover up, blame game
Physically or sexually abusive.	Fear, shame and a deep distrust for authority because the one that should have protected you violated you.
Showed approval only when you did things right	Acceptance is based on performance and would work hard to please and earn his love.

God wants to heal that wounded heart and reveal his Father's heart to you – that is for you, that loves you with everlasting love, that gives you more than you can ask or imagine, his love is unconditional.

All of us display several of these and need to learn to replace these patterns.
Look at the list below. It is not exhaustive but indicative

ORPHAN SPIRIT	SPIRIT OF SONSHIP
operates out of insecurity and jealousy.	functions out of love and acceptance.
is jealous of the success of his brothers and cannot celebrate it	is committed to the success of his brothers.
serves God to earn the Father’s love.	serves God from a place of acceptance and favor.
deep-rooted trust issues and doubts the goodness of God	walks in security and trusts living in surrender to God.
is driven by the need for success and to stand out. Does not feel accepted and feels the need to prove their worth. This may result in: Seeking to hide their limitations Perceiving the strengths of others as competition Secretly taking satisfaction in the weaknesses of others Needing and seeking attention.	The spirit leads the mature son into his calling and mission. Our Father’s invites us to a place of unconditional acceptance and rest in our unique, God-given identity. (1 Cor 12:18) Sons and daughters embrace both their strengths and weaknesses—comfortable both with who they are and Whose they are
displays anger and fits of rage as fake power.	rests in the Father’s ability to control and guide the situation.
in competition with others. Performance-Orientation The spiritual orphan feels rejected—therefore believing that he or she must compensate by working hard or performing well to be recognized. This may result in: A constant drive to perform well Judging the weaknesses or performance of other team members or leaders Having feelings of mistrust towards others—feeling they are going to be ‘punished’ at any time. Looks for someone to blame.	The spirit of sonship is always blessing others. It wants another to succeed and is not threatened by another’s success.  Takes responsibility for one's actions: I did something wrong versus ‘I am wrong”
The orphan spirit lacks self-esteem. Fear and Insecurity The spiritual orphan is unsure of his or her place in the family. Orphans also feel uncovered and unprotected—therefore their instinct is self-preservation. This may result in: A constant need of reassurance by leaders [2] Lack of confidence in their spiritual gifts, and any ministry position they have been given. They need to prove themselves. Being protective and territorial about their ministry areas	The spirit of sonship walks in the love and acceptance of Father God. Our Father’s invitation is to a place of security in His love, care and constant oversight. (Matt 10:29-31) They can trust in Father’s faithfulness even when changes or trials occur in church life. Our Father’s invitation is to experience the fullness of His undeserved grace and favour. (Eph 1:6) Sons and daughters generously extend grace to others’ failures. This is because they know the fullness of the Father’s grace towards them.
primary identity through material possessions, physical appearance and activities.	The spirit of sonship is grounded in the Father’s affirmation.
walk around with a spirit of rejection. Hence, they are hyper-sensitive and have an unconscious assumption that people are against them.	knows he is accepted and loved by the Father.
Numb pain with pleasure i.e., drugs, alcohol, pornography, sex etc.	Takes his pain to God and allows the Holy Spirit to heal them from within.
Distrusts authority and finds it hard to submit
Feels the victim and lives a powerless life. Is often caught in a drama triangle where they play the Victim.	Is powerful and live above circumstances and take responsibility for their actions and choices.
Use control to mask their fears	Is aware of their heart and trusts God in trails
Has boundary issues	Can have clear boundaries with people
Self-reliant, and feel they need to do everything on their own. Afraid to show any vulnerability	Not afraid to be vulnerable and trust others
Feels entitled therefore grabs and looks out for number one	Knows God as the provider and therefore can live in peace and surrender.
Struggles with forgiveness and generosity	Can forgive and give freely.

It was for freedom Christ came to set us from – to set the captive free, the bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom. The beautiful thing in the Kingdom is that then the ones who were broken now help heal others. We have all been broken. But we have experienced healing and restoration in the cross. 

When we have intimacy with the Father, we get identity. From identity, we get our inheritance and with our inheritance, we make an impact on this planet.

ORPHAN: I Do – I Have – I Become

SON: I Am – I have – I do

When we learn to cultivate a relationship with Jesus, we will also grow close to the Father, because He and the Father are one. Remain in him. Develop intimacy with the Father as Jesus did.

If you want to start your journey of renewal and walking away from orphan thinking and behaving – you first need to acknowledge it. God gives graces to the humble. God will come in and heal those wounded places in your heart. 

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.  

Brokenness In the Hands Of God

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on Nov 21st 2021 by Abhishek  Bansode D via zoom. For the audio & video please click here.  To listen to the worship please click here.

When we are broken in the hands of God, we are safe and he holds us. Psalm 147:3 “He heals the ”

Isaiah 35-3-4

 

In 2019 I was at a very low point in my life. I was broken! An image came into my mind – an epoxy coffee table – a broken piece of wood can be turned to something of worth and value. So I was encouraged by this. In the hands of God we can be made into a unique masterpiece. Brokenness in the hands of God can lead to something beautiful.

 

We can be broken physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. It can be different for different people. Broken means crushed, destroyed, burst. It is a painful existence. But in that, the good thing is what Jesus says, he has been sent to heal the broken hearted.

 

The knowledge to rejoice in is that he heals us without any merit. Luke – 4:18. He makes is into a master’s piece.

 

3 Characters who were broken and what can we learn?

1.      David

a.      God has made David into a person who has a legacy forever. But David was broken

b.      He was disregarded by his brothers and by the king. He experienced humiliation at a very different level. He had to flee his own kingdom because of his sons. The Psalms all talk about his heart’s posture while all of these things were happening. He was broken.

c.       We too might be broken because of something that has happened to us. But we can do 2 things:

                                                              i.      Holding on – Isaiah 40:29 “he gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” V.31 “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faith”. He gives us the strength and then rewards us for holding on.

                                                             ii.      Cried out – Psalm 56:8 “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected al my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book”. His compassion for us is astounding! What a good good father we have. David was expressive and emotive and did not have any problem expressing himself to the Lord. He takes it seriously. God is on our side.

2.      Elijah

a.      Elijah was an amazing prophet of God. But he was broken! 1 Kings 18 Elijah wanted to die. Depression is a very real thing and there is no shame in seeking help from a qualified professional for clinical depression.

                                                              i.      Feeding and resting – 1 Kings 19 The angel of the Lord came and gave him food and allows Elijah to rest. God says I know the journey is long for you. He is compassionate and understands. We too need to rest and refuel ourselves by feeding on the Word of God and his abundant love.

                                                             ii.      God’s intimate relation with us – 1 kings 19:11-12 “The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” We might want massive things to happen, but God is in the still small voice – a voice that is for us. His intimate still small voice is for guiding me.

3.      Paul

a.      2 Corinthians 11:23- 29 “ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” None of us have suffered like this. In addition, his friends abandoned him when he was in prison

b.      But in the hands of God, he has done great things for the kingdom.

                                                              i.      The sufficiency of Grace – 2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” To be made perfect is like the epoxy table. It means to fill up. He fills us what is lacking in us. In our brokenness there is such grace to look forward to. There is weakness but God’s weakness comes and fill up.

                                                             ii.      Endurance because of Eternal Hope- 2 Tim 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” This is the proof of the sufficiency of Grace. Romans 8: 35 – nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The love of God is the driving force for a person like Paul who was so broken to endure till the end.

In the hands of God, submitted to him, our broken lives can be made beautiful.  

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.